ivyandpeony

I thought I'd bump this, it seems like this it the time of year that we chatter in this topic the most. Even though fall hasn't gotten cool enough for my taste yet, I'm finding that Pickled Imp is really invoking lots of "mmm, cool weather! holidays coming next!' feelings. I usually wear what I want, when I want, regardless of whether it's heavy or light or has summer or winter connotations, but much to my surprise I think that I am not going to be able to wear this one when it's too warm. I put it on recently on a cool morning, but when it got unexpectedly warm later that day it was really too rich and sweet for me. (I am hoping that it really was just a reaction to Pickled Imp and P.I. alone and not a new development in my scent journey, I like wearing Snake Oil in the summer, although never slathered like I do in winter )

and now that the election scents are back up for another 30-something hours, you should be absolutely safe as far as that goes, kaki. =)

If you like Pele, definitely try Hi'aka. They are beautiful white-floral cousins. Siren might work on you, there's the white ginger flower from Pele in there with some jasmine and sweet apricot. Marcilla, from the CD collection, is a gorgeous floral with sweet notes and fruit that you might like too. Although how floral it gets will depend on your chemistry, Aeval could be nice - the sweet pea (which is in Mouse) made me think that. Desdemona has sweet pea, but if the watery quality of Amsterdam is what you didn't like, you may end up not liking it. Juliet, however, doesn't have any watery notes and works for lots of people, even makes floral lovers out of floral haters sometimes! (the notes are sweet pea with stargazer lily, calla lily, heliotrope, honeysuckle, white musk and a touch of fresh pear.) I'd also suggest Titania for you - it has a cool, sweet fruity quality like 51 and also shares that sweet pea note with Mouse.

Wow, it IS in 146 blends Thinking about that, sandalwood does strike me as one of those notes that is extremely versatile, especially since there are a couple of varieties. I probably own more white sandalwood blends (at least, where a variety is specified) because that seems to be the one that works well with more delicate florals, white musk, citrus and those sorts of notes - I'm thinking of stuff like Zephyr, The Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, Hunger Moon, Cytherea. But I don't think I necessarily have a preference for white sandalwood! Red sandalwood can smell a little cedar-y to me on occasion although I think that could be a function of what else is in the blend as well as possible batch variations. From our years(!) together on the forum I know that my scent preferences are way more girlie than yours, ForSpecialPlate, so I probably don't have a ton of gender-neutral recs that will tempt you - but I find the sandalwood does stand up to the other components in Sin (notes are amber, sandalwood, black patchouli and cinnamon); I absolutely adore And There Was a Great Cry In Egypt (dark myrrh, white sandalwood, amber, hyssop, frankincense, honey, cypress, red musk, cardamom and saffron). How does Morocco work on you (or, have you ever tried it)? I would guess that carnation would be the if factor for most men - but I think that the red sandalwood adds some of the spice in Morocco that I love so much.

The Lab has only released two scents so far that have butterscotch listed as a note - Creepy, a Halloween LE from a few years ago (description: butterscotch-kissed, caramel-smothered red apples spiked with a blast of coconut rum) and Monster Bait: Ventriloquist Dummy (notes: apricot, dry woods, patchouli, caramel, brown sugar, hazelnut, and butterscotch). There may be some other scents that people find butterscotchy, though (and the Lab doesn't always list every single note in each blend), so I am sure that you will get some suggestions about any of those that BPAL fans have stumbled upon. I would recommend Sticky Pillowcase, from the currently available Halloween LEs - that candy corn note is very butterscotchy to my nose. And if caramel smells similar to butterscotch to you, you will probably have good luck finding a few things that will make you happy. There is a thread about caramel scents here that you will probably find helpful.

Of all the Four Seasons Inquisitions, L'Autunno (specifically, the perfume) had me the most doubtful that it would work. For one, apples, which I once loved, have been turning on me (doesn't this paint a great visual? But sadly, it's why Punkie Night and I aren't friends anymore. At least Creepy did me the favor of being all burnt-sugary from the start so we didn't have to break up!) Anyway, I wasn't sure about the toasted almond, which can get weird and sweet, or the woodsmoke, which is a note that can just overwhelm me. But I wore it yesterday and baby oh baby Not to create an insane and impossible lemming in anyone who hasn't tried it, I hate when that happens to me. But if you happened to get a bottle, were on the fence about it and haven't worn it yet this season, run to your BPAL box and just see if you aren't suddenly powerless in its spell! I think you will be. Harvest Moon '05 is another perfect Autumn blend. *sigh* Now that the cool weather's arrived in our area, I'm getting slightly panicky wanting to slap all of them on at once. Summer lasts a looooong time in Atlanta, no matter what the calendar says!

If you love mint, you got really lucky with the Yule update A new incarnation of Lick It and the return of Nuclear Winter, which I am awfully fond of. Lick It and its offspring are candy-sweet peppermint, but Nuclear Winter is icy evergreens with mint, truly a cold scent. I am not even a huge fan of mint scents - I really have to be in the mood, and quite a few blends have made me think, "I would really wear this if it weren't for that hit of mint in it" - but Nuclear Winter is one of the few exceptions. (Now to watch and wait to see if Tulzcha ever returns - that's my other mint love.)

So often in the scents that have a milk or cream note, I don't smell "milk" or "cream" as an individual note, it's just that whatever Beth uses to achieve those notes makes a scent softer and a little sweeter on my skin somehow. But it's definitely popped up in some of my favorites, most recently Katrina Van Tassel. I had to learn that I liked these notes - they're in some sweet caramelly scents that went wrong on me, and I finally realized that I turn caramel into burnt blackened sugar, but that cream and milk can really enhance a blend for me! Of everything I've smelled with milk or cream, I think Castitas (the bath oil) has the strongest cream note. As a bath or body oil it is a great base for tons of BPAL blends, it's a soft creamy vanilla. I just used the last of my bottle and I am jonesing for more, I tell ya! Must wait until Santa does his shopping. *sits on hands*

I think Aeronwen is the fig blend that even people who don't like fig should try - in fact, even if you think you don't like one or all of the elements in Aeronwen, you should at least give it a try. It's one of those blends that, for me, was impossible to imagine what it would smell like, and it's hard to compare to any other blend. But it is absolutely fantastic!

your resident moderator loves you for doing it! So many of the chocolate and cocoa blends are decidedly foodie-yummy to the point a guy might run away, but I wonder about that April 2007 version of Thirteen. Not to send you on a crazy goose chase through the swaps forums if you don't have it on hand, but it was very different than its cousins to me - deeper, more herbal and less sweet. Intrigue is a very unusual cocoa blend (description: black palm, with cocoa, fig and shadowy wooded notes), another one that is dry and nothing like candy. And maybe The Great Sword of War? It has a lot of serious fans! The notes are mandarin, tonka, saffron, black tea, cocoa, tobacco leaf, red musk and five classical herbs of conflict.

Celestia, have you tried Love-in-Idleness? I think it's one of the unique sweet florals, it's hard to put my finger on what gives it its personality, but it's lovely. Regan may seem like an obvious choice, but if you haven't tried it, it's such a pretty orchid and vanilla combo and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts (I know there's stephanotis in it too and I suspect there might be another flower or two.) =) Another one that might seem obvious is Juliet - it has the pear note that you're craving as well as a variety of gentle sweet florals. A little different from what you specifically requested - but something that you might like - Kitsune-Tsuki is such a pretty floral with a sweet hint of fruit. (The notes are Asian plum, orchid, daffodil, jasmine and white musk.) On the harder to find list, but worth trying - Beth's original Black Moon from two years ago is a very nice pear-floral combo and although the Lune Noire that arrived this year is beautiful, this first incarnation was a lighter and gentler perfume IMO. Once you've made your way through your must-try list, I'd suggest making an effort as many orchid blends and lotus blends as you can squeeze in. Lotus has a reputation of smelling like bubblegum but I find that Beth offsets that effect and uses its sweetness to an advantage in many, many perfumes (and I like the smell of bubblegum every now and then )

They were The Queen's Salon and Door 13.

Ars Moriendi is a great category because there seems to be something for everyone. I love the poems that inspired so many of the scents in this one, too. The florals in A.M. are some of my favorites. Eternal is gorgeous if you like florals - white rose is one of my favorite rose notes and Eternal reminds me of a big bouquet of white flowers (yet not a "white floral" perfume, it's a bit different than that). I also like The Ghost, it's a chilly floral with an undertone of greenery from the ivy note. And The Reaper and The Flowers fits in this floral family - again, there's a green note but this time from fresh grass, there are lily notes with that gorgeous white rose again. Thanatopsis is a hidden BPAL treasure, IMO. It was the first dark, woodsy scent I ever fell in love with (I arrived at the gates of the Lab in love with fluffy flowers and white musk). Although they aren't scents I wear often, there's something that gives me a twinge of nostalgia about many in this category. They have that simple quality that I call "old school BPAL" where Beth combines just a few notes in such a beautiful result. Haunted, Nocturne, Les Fleurs de Mal and Darkness are examples of that quality to me. And everyone has to try Embalming Fluid! It is so light and pretty although boys can wear it too It's crisp and clean without being overpowering like any kind of commercial perfume you can think of. And how much fun is it to tell people the name of your perfume when you are wearing it?

I decided to merge the separate threads on clove scents and clove cigarette scents due to the extensive overlap of discussion between the two of them. Enjoy your clovey scents for fall, everyone

I don't have any pictures handy (had to send my laptop to rehab) - but if you see a reference to a photo of "tarted" or "tarty" imps, that's what the picture will be. I'll see if anything turns up in a board search though. =)

I will put on my thinking cap for that one, eyeska (I haven't smelled Aquae yet, just Aeris and Terrae). I can say that of the bath oils I've tried, whether GC or LE, I'd gladly welcome any of them if the Lab released them as perfume! Luxuria and Castitas are beautiful, I loved the Yule LEs last year and the Inquisitions were especially yummy. I would propose that if you liked L'Estate bath oil you should try Tamora &/or Aglaea for to surround yourself in a golden cloud of peachy-amber. And if Luxuria bath oil makes you swoon, you should slap yourself if you haven't tried Mme. Moriarty yet.

TwilightEyes, your gallery of labels is fantastic! Thank you for putting it together and sharing it with us. I think my Liliths order will be here today and now I'm wondering which label I will have for Lilith V. I loved the labels on the 2005 Halloween LEs, when the Lab used vintage Halloween postcard images for Samhaim and Devil's Night.

And There Was A Great Cry in Egypt is gorgeous! It gets better and better with age, too. (the notes are dark myrrh, white sandalwood, amber, hyssop, frankincense, honey, cypress, red musk, cardamom and saffron.) I didn't realize that The Haunted Palace had red musk until I did a search, but I did know about the amber - not sure if Dark Delicacies is still selling the Poes and if so, if they still have it in stock, but it is a favorite blend of mine too. I tried Midnight Kiss the other day in a fall preview frenzy and you might want to put it on your list, too - it's chocolaty red musk with a rich amber base. The Ecstasy of Passion is another one w/amber and red musk (one of my to die for scents too, I love it) but it is just so hard to find these days... if the opportunity presents itself, then I'd grab it, but I wouldn't make myself crazy hunting it down or spending a fortune. Life's too short and there will be something else that comes along that you will love just as much!

Good thread, Juushika, we didn't have one yet And I know there are lots of people, myself included, who love the unique sprays that don't have perfume counterparts! (I guess Samhaim and Sugar Skull are the only ones that you could feasibly buy spray + perfumes of in the current season and they won't be around permanently). The Queen's Croquet Ground reminds me a bit of Two, Five and Seven. And I am happy that L'Estate perfume smells very similar on my skin to L'Estate spray in the air around me, it's so beautiful

You definitely should take some time to look over the Aging BPAL thread in BPAL Chatter - there's a lot of discussion of specific blends that get better and better with time over there as well as info about which individual notes age the best. Some of the general things people have found: Very delicate floral notes often fade (the one that immediately popped into my mind is linden blossom, which is in The Unicorn - a beautiful ethereal floral that I found became very light and weak after I owned it for a few years, sadly). Citrus notes are also notoriously shortlived in perfume terms. They tend to lose their brightness and depending on what they're combined with in a blend, may seem to disappear. But I have found that dominant citrus notes can occasionally become richer and sweeter in some cases when they've lost that brightness - lime becomes more like a lime LifeSaver or orange like orange marmalade. Notes that age beautifully include patchouli - if you are a fan of patchouli, I think you'll appreciate the spicy, raw edge that a fresh BPAL patchouli can have, but as it ages it gets smoother and sweeter. All the resins seem to age wonderfully as well, so try blends with myrrh, frankincense (a.k.a. olibanum, boswellia), amber (my personal favorite), styrax, opoponax, rockrose, ambergris (the Lab uses a botanical resin blend to mimic the scent of this), galbanum, tolu balsam, and/or gum mastic (and I am sure there are other resins I am forgetting that people will add to this list). Any blends with incense listed as a note should have some resinous components that will help it age well. I don't know a lot about the different wood notes, but I do find that sandalwood blends age very nicely too. I also think most vanillas age well, becoming richer and losing any hint of plastic they might have had when new and fresh (luckily I don't find that effect to occur very often, but I know some people suffer from it quite often and I sympathize.) Spicy blends usually get richer and more delicious over time too. I know you are new to BPAL, but you may not be new to perfume in general and you may know of some notes that you already like - do you have any favorites that would help us narrow things down for you? ETA: Thank you eyeska!! I was working on this and had to take a phone call, so your post went up between the time I started and the time I posted. Very good info!

I love when people enable their moms! I also love honeysuckle, whether it's growing in my yard or in BPAL bottles. Here are my opinions on the ones you suggested: Lolita : This one ends up a little candy-sweet to me instead of being a pretty floral and I ended up passing the imp along with no regrets. Twilight: This could be a good choice for your mom! The jasmine can be a little bit bossy though and could overwhelm the honeysuckle, depending on her chemistry. It's good that you are going to get to try it first. Chimera: Like AEris, I get a sugar cookie-cinnamon bun vibe from this much more than a floral vibe. It is beautiful, but if you are looking for something in the floral family I'd pass on it. Parthenope (CD): Although the honeysuckle is not the dominant note, it does show up and this is a beautiful and unique blend! The other notes give the florals a sweet-earthy base. Juliet: A favorite of mine, whether it's fresh from the Lab or aged Very pretty, feminine and sweet, I also think it's a good choice for someone who is new to BPAL. Hermia: I love Hermia, but I don't get lots and lots of honeysuckle from it - it ends up a spicy peppery amber on my skin. New Orleans - might be one of the honeysuckle-est blends of all! Of the group you asked about, I think I would pick it. However, here are a few of my favorites for you to consider too: Eos: thirding the rec! It's got loads of honeysuckle and not a lot to compete with it, it's sunshiney and pretty. I think I'd pick it over NO too, it is a less sharp scent. Shanghai: I like it because it is crisp and clean, yet has sweet honeysuckle to girl it up. Schlafende Baigneuse (from the Salon): this is one GORGEOUS floral. The notes are skin musk, white cream, honeycomb, yellow rose, King mandarin, chrysanthemum, golden amber, honeysuckle, and wide-throated yellow monkey-flower accord. I adore this blend! I'd create a new scent category for Eos and Schlafende, in contrast to "White florals," and I'd call it "yellow florals:" a little less sharp and a little less heady, a little more sunshiny and sweet. Vampire Tears: I think this is still available on the site - I love this because it bridges the gap between hard-core floral scents like New Orleans and the crisp clean Shanghai. The notes are wisteria, white grapefruit, neroli, green tea, jasmine, white ginger, honeysuckle, iris, and tonka. The Oval Portrait: May be hard to find, it sold out fast when it was offered at Dark Delicacies. Honeysuckle and spicy florals with a creamy vanilla background. Notes: honeysuckle, carnation, stargazer lily, bluebonnet, vanilla musk, and rice flower. Good luck, I am sure your mom will love whatever you decide to get for her!

I love the combo of patchouli, black tea and fig leaf that Beth used in the L'Autunno room spray (but with my wonky itchy skin, I wouldn't even dream of spraying something that's not skin safe on myself, don't worry ) I am definitely loving the tea-patchouli in Clemence, too. I hope this combo gets used more often! Iambe does list white tea and patchouli among its notes, but there's something in Iambe that clashes horribly with my chemistry - I think it either has to be the gladiola or it's something that isn't included in the description, because everything else is pretty much on my love-it list. Must be something potent to ruin Sudanese Amber for me!

So, has anyone tried all of the Pumpkins from this year's Pumpkin Patch offerings? I'd love to see a sort of capsule review of the patch as a whole and any comparisons to other BPAL blends (no matter whether they're GC or LE or what have you). It's not that I've hoarded the pumpkins from previous years, but even with single bottles, I've got 4 bottles from the first (2005-2006) batch and two from last year in my collection, as well as bottles of Pumpkin Queen and Pumpkin Smash and dribbles that I wish were bigger of The Pumpkin King and Pumpkin Cheesecake So I am questioning whether I need to add any more bottles of pumpkinny goodness to the herd. (or for fans of Mr. Show: It's pumpkininniny!) I pretty much ruled out The Shattered Pumpkin because I amp that soil/earth note like no one's business, I basically turn everything into Graveyard Dirt... but for those of you who have tried it, let us know what you think, too. There are tons of people who love that note and wear it beautifully.

That is right, ClareN. beachbabealways posted this handy guide back in June when the newest 13 went live - I thought it might be good to cross post it to this thread for the times that 13 questions come up. The new one she referred to was the June 2008 version with the green label: white chocolate, dark chocolate, apple blossom, honeysuckle, frankincense, allspice, nutmeg, black tea, tonka, and sandalwood. I personally haven't noticed a difference sniffing 10/05 and 1/06 bottles of the white label version - but I haven't finished my first bottle yet, maybe if I was wearing the '06 version I would notice a difference. The 1/06 version wasn't a reformulation but there definitely could be batch differences. It seems like as many people say they have noticed a difference as say they haven't. The Lab didn't mark the labels to differentiate the two, either, so unless you happened to do so yourself when you bought them (or got a bottle from someone who did) it complicates matters. =)

that's awesome! I have a squattle of the original Virgo - looks just like TheWitchingHour's squattle of Snow White. I keep it out of the regular herd (which is all alphabetical, natch, because hey, I'm a Virgo) because it doesn't fit in with all the other uniform bottles. I never got a clear corked bottle, though!