flumphlord

Received as a frimp with an order. In the vial: My initial impression is that of cherry cough syrup. If I stop and concentrate I can pick out the clove and resin, but the medicinal association is hard to shake even after identifying those other notes. Wet on skin: The dragon’s blood and clove are at the forefront. The cherry is still there though, with the myrrh just barely perceptible in the background adding depth. Unfortunately, dragon’s blood has never been my thing, and this is not helping to change my mind. The way it combines with the cherry and clove here really does result in something that resembles cough syrup to my nose, and that in turn does not evoke pleasant memories. I ended up having to scrub this one off after about an hour. For what it's worth, the cherry didn't fade on me during that time like it did for some other reviewers.

The cocoa and patchouli blend in Tezcatlipoca does wondrous things on my skin, so I gambled and went for a bottle here. In the bottle: Cocoa predominates for me. There are actually what appears to be little globs of cocoa floating in the oil. The patchouli and a faint woody scent that must be the chestnut are present though. I don’t really get the champaca here. Wet on skin: On skin, this transforms into a realistic approximation of chestnuts roasting on an open fire. As the lab description implies but does not directly state, there is smoke here. Not an overpowering amount to my nose, but enough that anyone who dislikes that note will probably want to steer clear. The patchouli and cocoa are still there in the background, but they serve mostly to give body to the chestnut. Dry: The champaca finally shows itself. I’m torn on whether I like it here. It gives more of a holiday vibe, but in doing so it significantly narrows down the seasonal window in which I’d want to wear this scent. It’s pleasant, though. I’ll be wearing this for cozy December nights in. If I was more inclined to wear perfume to bed I’d be using it as a sleep scent. It’s very unisex, with average sillage. Post-workout: This isn’t something I’d normally be wearing during physical activity, aside from perhaps some less metaphorical lashes or other activities that would land me on the naughty list, but I tried it for the sake of completeness. I'm pleased to report that it has that same wonderful alchemy as Tezcatlipoca. They’re different enough that I wouldn’t say liking one means you’ll be into the other, but they are both in the same vaguely earthy, vaguely gourmand ballpark. It’s definitely a niche vibe, but I like it enough that I’m glad I got a bottle. Given the straightforwardness of the concept and BPAL's massive catalog there's probably been a nigh-identical release sometime during past years, but I'm not familiar enough with BPAL to know for sure or make comparisons.

Purchased as an imp from the lab. I like boozy notes, so I had high hopes for this one. In the vial: Yep, that's rum. Wet on skin: Unsurprisingly, still rum. There is a butteriness and mild spiciness that couldn't compete with the sharp tang of alcohol in the vial that comes out after I apply it to my skin. It's a very realistic approximation of the actual beverage on me, which could be good or bad depending on how open you are to smelling like rum in public. It's definitely not something I'd wear to work. The throw is about average. Dry: Very little change. A hint of coconut starts to come out an hour or so in, and the spices become a little more prominent. Unfortunately, it only lasts a couple hours. In the words of the venerable Jack Sparrow, why is the rum gone? Post-workout: By the time it takes me to apply the oil, get to the mountain, and work up a sweat, the perfume has already naturally run its course. For the sake of completeness, I applied it fresh after getting home just to see how well it would work with my natural scent. It does harmonize pretty well, with the salt of sweat being a perfectly logical addition to the booze and musk adding and harmonizing to the experience rather than detracting from it, but given its lack of staying power on me that's kind of a moot point. If only it lasted longer.

I received this as a frimp with a recent order. This isn’t something I normally wouldn’t have sought out on my own, since I’m not generally a fan of florals, but cocoa and patchouli are favorite notes. In the vial: Cocoa. Not the beverage, but actual cocoa powder in all its bitter earthiness. I need it on my skin, in my life, immediately. Wet on skin: A damp tropical forest. The cocoa and patchouli hold their own against one another and meld with the resiny background notes to form a deep earthy scent, simultaneously full of life and decay. The florals are there, but not so overpowering as to ruin the scent for me. They’re just enough to add to the rainforest vibe and keep things from straying into gourmand territory. For the first few minutes, I can smell the leather if I hold my nose right up to my wrist, but after those few minutes it’s gone, never to be heard from again. This is typical of leather on me, from every house I’ve tried, so those with more typical skin chemistry will probably have a very different experience. Regardless, the leather is a pleasant addition while it lasts, but it doesn’t leave a void when it’s gone. Dry: The cocoa and patchouli duke it out over the course of the day, with one gradually becoming the dominant note and then the other. I win either way. The florals and incense mercifully remain low key where they are the whole time. Post-workout: Sweat adds a tang that isn’t unwelcome, like salting the cocoa. Natural musk blends with the earthy tones to create something divine. Unlike some scents, Tezcatlipoca doesn’t need natural musk to shine, but with it, this is literally one of the sexiest perfumes I’ve ever smelled. This comes off as a very masculine scent on me, but I suspect a lot of that is going to come down to how your individual skin chemistry interacts with the florals. As much as I love this scent, it’s one I would advise against buying blind. It would be very easy for the balance to tip from that rich, harmonious earthiness I get to something else entirely. I’ll use up the imp just in case I experience any chemistry surprises of my own as the vial ages further, but I strongly suspect a full bottle is in my future.

I'm fairly new to BPAL products, and this is one of the first imps I tried due to how much a couple of my friends hyped it up. My imp is fresh from the lab. In the vial: Very subtle, too subtle to actually pick out individual notes even with my nose right up to it. Vaguely resiny. A hint of leather. Wet: I had to really slather this on to get any level of throw, but doing that I now see the appeal. Up close to the skin, leather and rosewood dominates, which is interesting since my skin tends to absorb leather notes. The leather still doesn't really carry for me, though. The throw is primarily frankincense, with a hint of tonka. I got this in the men's imp pack, and while I would agree that this leans masculine, I think it's sweet and light enough that other genders could easily pull this one off. This is Dee chilling in his library reading an astronomy book, not prying the language of creation from angels. Dry: Doesn't evolve much. The leather dies down within an hour, but again, par for the course for my skin chemistry. Unfortunately, the leather is what makes the blend interesting to me. If I want to smell like frankincense, there are lots of options out there that are longer lasting and more complex. The sweat test: Still detectable over my natural scent and does blend well with it. I was concerned because in my transmasculine experience a lot of things this sweet don't do well with testosterone-dominant body chemistry in this regard, but no, this is one I could definitely pull off during a day at work. It's totally possible this one gets better with age. From this experience with this fresh sample, I'll keep and finish the imp, but I don't think I'm into it enough to spring for a bottle. It's pleasant, but it's not the kind of thing I go to an indie perfume house for.