Are bpal blends all-natural?

[Lorelai1945]

And since several people have answered your question, and you still seem to be unwilling to take the answers at face value, I don't know what you want us to say. You basically just told me you either think that I'm mistaken or that I'm lying because there is no way in the world perfume could be that cheap otherwise. It's seeming like the only answer you want is that BPAL is an etailer that buys preblended fragrance oils and tweaks them, then lies about how they were blended by Beth. I just don't understand what you want to get out of this when you won't believe people when they answer your questions.

 

I agree with the above. It sounds like you've already made up your mind. If you're so doubtful that the product is going to be good, then why are you messing with it? Sounds like arguing for the sake of arguing. It's sad you have your mind set that way, too. Because Bpal truly is amazing. It's fun, it's creative, and it's a community of amazing people who generally welcome newcomers with open arms. If you think you're getting cheated, then don't play. But know you're missing out.

 

I have a few department store perfumes on my dresser. Ever since I was shown Bpal, they've been collecting dust.

[Chapanis]

jayne,

I enjoy fine things. Art, jewelery, food, wine, clothes, shoes, and yes, perfume. I have some very wonderful and unique perfumes by major houses, as well as BPAL. My love of unique fragrance began with Caron's Aimez Moi due to the different feel that it provided with the anise. I have searched for unique fragrances ever since. I love Chanel and Prada. I also love BPAL. While not every BPAL fragrance speaks to me, not every Caron, Chanel, Prada, or Bond does either.

None the less, many BPAL are still on par with the fine perfume houses. Perhaps unrefined noses that have been damaged by years of sniffing overly alcohol based eau de parfumes, instead of real perfumes cannot identify the nuances to truly fine fragrance.

Please be aware that prices also vary due to overhead operating costs that include, but are not limited to, advertising, facilities, endorsements, packaging, etc.

Darling, give it a try. Perhaps they will speak to you, perhaps they won't.

 

If you are looking for recommendations, as it seems you are now, please post a thread in the Recommendations forum that can be found here: http://www.bpal.org/index.php?showforum=10

 

[kakiphony]

I guess it comes down to worrying or at least feeling like I'm being cheated or deceived. I want to buy products from people who care about excellence, not price or prolific production of a new perfume every other day. I don't want to be fooled by creative copy. Maybe Beth is spending day in and day out in the lab dutifully mixing her own essential oils to create violet, musk, amber or sandalwood from scratch. Maybe you all are right. But the blog comments planted a pretty big seed of doubt that I'm having trouble uprooting.

 

 

Really, the best thing to do is try some oils. If you like the smell, wear them. If not, see if you can trade or sell them here, on makeup alley, or lj etc.

 

I will say that I tried a lot of other perfumes before I found bpal. Everything from classics like Chanel, Givenchy and Guerlain to Creed, L'Artisan, Demeter etc. I never found a perfume I could wear consistently without sneezing until I tried oils rather than sprays. I've had decent luck with oils from bpal, DSH and Sage Machado. Of those, Sage is my least favorite. I find that I reach for bpal and dsh with about the same regularity, but that I seem to get more compliments from my husband and family when I wear bpal.

 

To me, that's what matters. How I smell to me and how I smell to other people. The fact that I can afford bpal is nice too, but honestly, I use so little of it that I'd gladly pay way more. One 5ml bottle can easily last me 18 months, and that's with almost daily wear!

[Invidiana]

the only response that i have to that is that perhaps you need to be reading other reviewers then and try to get a balanced view of reviews that aren't just bpal is horrible (which seems to be the standpoint of the original critic- that it's cheap and for people who don't know any better) or the boards where people are going to tell you that it's great.

 

Also, to get the best out of the reviews, after you test your imps and have a rough idea of your skin chemistry's tendencies, try to pay attention to the reveiwers' skin types too (if they make a mention of it). It takes a bit of effort, but it's worth it for more informed decisions. For example, my skin's two biggest tendencies are amping sweet stuff and turning (most) jasmine sour. So if I'm looking at reviews for, say, a floral blend with vanilla I'm going to take special note of a reviewer who amps the vanilla, because I tend to amp vanilla too and therefore the way it will most likely turn out on me will be most similar to her than another who's getting all florals and little vanilla. Copy-pasting particular reviews in line with your skin type onto a Word file is a big help.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Invidiana

[jayne]

Persianmouse, need you make fun of everyone? It's not necessary. You don't agree with the original poster, but it doesn't mean you have to insult her. Obviously, she enjoys commercial perfumes like we enjoy BPAL. It's not a bad thing and she is entitled to her opinion, just as much as your entitled to yours. And there's no reason to be sarcastic and mock her. However, you dohave a point. Bottles and packaging make up a great deal of the price, despite the product. You also pay for the name of the brand and if there's a celebrity endorsement, you can bet the price will go up. It can be perfume, clothing, handbags, make-up. Doesn't make a difference. You're not always paying for quality.

 

In response to the original poster. Try the perfumes first and make your opinion. If you don't like them, that's fine. But at least you tried them. And try not to let what anyone else says affect how you feel about them. Keep in mind though, oils are different than commercial perfumes. They're not low end cheap stuff. They're just different. And both are good in their own way. I still love some of my commercial perfumes. But BPAL plays different on the skin. Test them on your skin before you toss them aside. The components change when they hit your skin. It may be a change you like or it may be a get it off feeling. Either one is fine, but at least you tried it. Of course, there's been commercial perfumes that have done that to me as well. Some work, some I want to scrub my skin off to get rid of the fragrance (Chanel No 5 did that to me. High end perfume. Smells like crap on me). In terms of ingredients, I don't know what Beth uses, so I can't say anything there.

 

Thanks. You made a lot of good points.

 

It's funny. All the perfumes I'm into right now have top/heart/base notes, notes that evolve on the skin. I don't know if I've ever tried an oil that does that. That might be reason enough to test BPAL.

 

And for the record, I'm not a big fan of No 5 either. Powdery aldehydes aren't exactly my favorite thing... Chanel's Sycomore, though, is amaaazing. If you aren't bothered by alcohol, I'd definitely recommend it.

 

[ephemera]

just out of curiosity, why? you still haven't said why that makes a difference to you.

 

and they NOT all the same price. it may not be an astronomical difference but the more complex LEs do run at least 2 to 5 dollars more expensive.

 

okay i'm going to expand on my line of thought on this, with a medium i'm much more comfortable with.

 

i'm a handspinner- i spin my own yarn. you can have fiber A costing $10 an ounce from one 'house' and costing anywhere between $10 and $20 an ounce from other 'houses'. there can be some discernible difference, but generally it's a matter of production cost, not quality. if fiber A comes out of a house where it's say $2 an ounce i might be concerned but i'll try it first before i start saying that it's too cheap to be quality because everyone else sells it at a higher margin.

 

if there's fiber B, with fiber B being a blended line that's being sold at $10 an ounce but everyone else is selling at higher prices based on colors, if anything, i'd be concerned that there was so much variation for essentially the same product, especially if other 'houses' are selling at roughly the same price point (which BPAL is for its market, actually). however, i'm still much more concerned about the quality, not how much other people on ravelry are selling for.

 

I guess it comes down to worrying or at least feeling like I'm being cheated or deceived. I want to buy products from people who care about excellence, not price or prolific production of a new perfume every other day. I don't want to be fooled by creative copy. Maybe Beth is spending day in and day out in the lab dutifully mixing her own essential oils to create violet, musk, amber or sandalwood from scratch. Maybe you all are right. But the blog comments planted a pretty big seed of doubt that I'm having trouble uprooting.

 

 

OK, so can I ask what would make you feel more comfortable? I personally am very comfortable with BPAL's creations because they smell great, they last a long time on me, and the company has a very public and proven record of charitable donations. A lot of companies looking to rip you off (and they are legion online, I know), but in the 10 (?) years that BPAL has been operating as a business they have not been accused of ripping off customers. I also think it's worth noting that rarely does a company looking to scam folks engage in public charities and team up with high-profile folks like Neil Gaiman, The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Amanda Palmer, et al. It's too public and the risk is too high to be exposed as a fraud. Take from that what you will.

 

I truly think that the only way you can make this decision is to try the oils yourself and make up your own mind. You're not going to find anyone on a fan website (which this is, remember) to tell you that the company is a sham. You're going to find a ton of people who enthusiastically support the company. There are 19,000 active members on these forums who comprise a wide variety of people - lawyers, doctors, teacher, police officers, etc. from all around the globe, and they all enjoy these products and feel that they are made with quality ingredients and with great care and attention to detail. We can't convince you, you're appearing skeptical and seem to be looking for a reason to believe that the negative reviews from a couple of individuals are accurate. They're names you know, names you trust. That's understandable. But if you're really looking for answers here, you need to ask yourself what are you hoping to learn that will make you feel better?

[jayne]

Really, the best thing to do is try some oils. If you like the smell, wear them. If not, see if you can trade or sell them here, on makeup alley, or lj etc.

 

I will say that I tried a lot of other perfumes before I found bpal. Everything from classics like Chanel, Givenchy and Guerlain to Creed, L'Artisan, Demeter etc. I never found a perfume I could wear consistently without sneezing until I tried oils rather than sprays. I've had decent luck with oils from bpal, DSH and Sage Machado. Of those, Sage is my least favorite. I find that I reach for bpal and dsh with about the same regularity, but that I seem to get more compliments from my husband and family when I wear bpal.

 

To me, that's what matters. How I smell to me and how I smell to other people. The fact that I can afford bpal is nice too, but honestly, I use so little of it that I'd gladly pay way more. One 5ml bottle can easily last me 18 months, and that's with almost daily wear!

 

 

Thanks for giving me perspective on the whole thing. Honestly that helped.

[naeelah]

I guess it comes down to worrying or at least feeling like I'm being cheated or deceived. I want to buy products from people who care about excellence, not price or prolific production of a new perfume every other day. I don't want to be fooled by creative copy. Maybe Beth is spending day in and day out in the lab dutifully mixing her own essential oils to create violet, musk, amber or sandalwood from scratch. Maybe you all are right. But the blog comments planted a pretty big seed of doubt that I'm having trouble uprooting.

 

And you will only uproot it by giving the product a fair chance and allowing yourself time to experience it.

 

I think you've hit the crux of what makes folks around the forum so defensive (and make them suspect trolling) -- I don't think most of us give a rats ass about whether anyone likes the product. It's no concern of mine what you do and don't like. But BPAL really is a community. Beth and the other lab staff are active forum members. They hang out with customers every month at will-call. We are well acquainted enough with the people who make the product to know their motivation and their passion for what they do. And they're incredibly warm and giving people to boot, so we feel protective.

 

Whether you like the product is entirely up to your own tastes. Whether you think the business owners are cheating you is something else. If you do spend some time around here, I think you'll learn better.

[surf-tormented]

So, some background: I started getting into perfumes about a year and a half ago. Some of my favorite frags are Chanel's Sycomore, Histoires des Parfum's 1826, Ormonde Jayne's Ormonde Woman, and Frederic Malle's Musc Ravageur. I enjoy oils too and have bought samples/bottles from CB I Hate Perfume, Kiehl's, Memoire Liquide, Kai, and Amouge.

 

Recently friend told me about BPAL, I looked around a bit, thought it looked fun, and ordered 6 samples of popular oils.

 

After my order, I remembered to go to the archives of a blog by perfume expert and critic Luca Turin. I just did a quick search for BPAL and came up with a really interesting conversation. Luca had never heard of the company, but his wife and colleague Tania Sanchez had. She wrote:

 

You know, if you love BPALs and not Guerlains, that's a matter of taste, and no argument will sway you. I mean, if you loved a grilled cheese sandwich with Velveeta and Wonder bread, and then Daniel Boulud came to you and said, "That is crap!" would you stop loving it? No, you would not! What kind of a spineless cheese-sandwich lover would? What matters is that you use what moves you to understand yourself and your loves and hatreds, and then as you delve further in, you identify what it is about the thing you love that you love the most, and you seek it out in other things, inbever better iterations as what's good about it becomes clear to you, and maybe eventually your tastes develop and change, but we all start somewhere.

 

But personally: the BPALs. I didn't like them one bit. A very sweet woman sent mea load of samples once, and I didn't have the heart to tell her then. I sort of hope she isn't reading now. They're like the miasma that extrudes out of a Yankee Candle shop. And they are most certainly not "natural", although I don't think they ever made the claim.

 

Yikes. I thought the wonderbread grilled cheese and Yankee Candle comparisons were brutal... until I came across a thread in this forum happily comparing BPAL oils to Yankee Candle.

 

 

Also in Luca's blog many commenters (many of whom are perfumers themselves) said things like:

 

"Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs" is in the business of blending not lovely molecules or essential oils but already produced fragrance oils into well...blends. For example a Halloween blend consisting of: damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein. All distinct fragrance oils. Sweet red apple and warm pumpkin are a hard give that this is frag oil territory. From the look and from the price list (all 200 priced the same?) it's clear that's going on. Synthetic perfumery accords vary wildly in price (look up the lists at The GoodScents Company)...as do essential oils. There is a reason beyond hype for at least some of the priciness of haute perfumerie." -jae

 

"they're an etailer - they blend existing fragrance oils made by companies for use in lotions etc. and use those as perfume blends. it's not bad stuff by any means, and they have quite a dedicated following,but they're not using the types of products that you make to create their perfumes, nor are they using all naturals." -risa

 

 

I came to the board to look for answers and I found the thread that talks about whether or not the oils are natural. The reticence from the Lab on the subject told me that they most likely weren't.

 

So... Can anyone tell me more about the general source of the oils? I'm sure a lot of people are going to say things like "that's ridiculous! they don't know what they are talking about! they don't know bpal at all!" but do you have hard proof they are wrong?

 

To answer your question, I am not sure. They used to say on their website that they used mainly essential oils, many of them produced in house. Now their website says "With the exception of our honey products, BPAL perfumes are vegan. Our 'civet' and 'ambergris' are bouquets, and thus, are composite scents created from plant-derived perfume oils combined to best aproximate the scent." No more mention of the in house essential oils. Which doesn't mean yea or nay, but I would think that would be a selling point if they did produce them in house.

 

So my verdict is that you have to figure out what "plant-derived" perfume oils are. It's a vague term and the only one I can find on their website (in the past I have read that 75% of so of their oils was essential oils, but that has since been taken down or moved somewhere I can't find it). I'll look through the rest of it, maybe I can find something.

 

I have to say first off, I am a no-nonsense, Mac and Cheese loving, Midwest girl. I'd probably couldn't tell a bottle of Two Buck Chuck from a better more expensive wine. And I wore AIRS perfume oils all through college and never got a taste for expensive perfumes. But I do know what I like.

 

I am pagan and gothic, so this brand appeals to me in that sense. Just having a perfume oil company that will offer me Ode to Ares oils using his many names or oils inspired by Roman festivals (I am part Strega and part Roman Reconstructionist with a tiny bit of Thelema thrown in to boil the pot over), make me very happy. I like that they give back to the community via charity and work with other artists that I liked before BPAL made oils for them, like Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls, Neil Gaiman or Mike Mignola. I like their design and look of their website. And the forum provides a social avenue many companies just don't have. I know if I buy an item from BPAL and not like it, chances are someone will pay me my money back for it or swap me for it. And overall, BPAL is fun. They take chances with their design, they don't cut back or pagan or gothic angles because than normal people won't by their oils, they stay true to themselves. Their variety of scents insures there is something for everyone and I was drawn to them when I first spotted some of their oils on Ebay in 2003. I bought their hoodoo oils first, because I was into that, but then branched out into some of their more unique scents. Like Mati Hari is dead on coffee. I haven't smelled anything like it. Same with other favorites like Ultraviolet, The Red Queen, Lear, Kali and others. I also tend to buy their full moon oils to use in my own rituals. Because, again it is fun and makes the oils have a duel purpose for me.

 

I am however, unsure of the perfume oils they use. They don't state they are essential oils. But I have also made my own oils and essential oils can't be used in certain situations, like within a candle, for example, some can be lit on fire. And many of them can cause rashes or health problems.

 

But with expensive perfumes, they also have problems with alcohol and other chemical agents. I don't think many companies are 100% natural, Pacifica and Goth Rosary are the closest I've seen, but I tend to shop the same brands once I buy something I like from them. I don't branch out very far!

 

BPAL currently has oils of different prices. From $15 for GC to $25 and above for Gaimans, Hellboy, etc. I think due to their large number of oils, it would be really hard, especially with people sending Paypal, to keep it all straight without a general price. I used to work in an occult store that made anointing oils with all natural ingredients and essential oils and charged the same per bottle. That kept the stock easier to manage and if you are using something pricey, like Rose Otto, then you only put a few drops in the batch you are mixing up, as opposed to more if the oil is cheaper. And we probably lost some money on the more expensive blends but made up on it with the ones that had cheaper components in them. It evened out in the end.

 

I have heard BPAL buys fragrance oils from the same place another company I buy from does, but it is pretty much rumor, because I don't have evidence either way. I don't think I would have a problem either way, because for one, I've worn perfume oils since I was young and prefer this over more expensive perfumes and sprays. I mean, if I bought a $80 bottle of perfume from them and it had the components of a $15 blend, there might be disappointment, but I feel $15 for a bottle is fine. And their shipping is a bit high, but they do use Priority boxes instead of shipping first class (I wish buyers had the option of choosing first class or Priority, especially in the case of ordering only one bottle) which run about $5 to send, plus they send samples along with the bottles I can swap or sell, so that evens things out for me.

 

Overall, BPAL is rather good. Not flawless and probably not eager to give up to people what is in their oils completely, but to me, it fits about 80% of what I enjoy about an indie company, so it works for me.

 

But I have been told I do smell like a Yankee candle by people who smell me, so I don't think that metaphor quoted by you isn't that far off the mark, especially with it comes to their pumpkin blends. I don't think there is any problem with Yankee Candle, their tealights tend to burn a lot longer than Dark Candles or other brands I've bought. Then again, I don't want to pay $40 for a candle. That is just my personal taste. If I smell something and I like it and the price isn't crazy, I'll by a bottle of it.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Madame Nyx

[mineralgirl]

ok.. wait.. I was kinda misquoted!

 

I did not say "I'm certain the mall scents...lack creativity. I prefer not to smell like everyone else." my comment was this "I'm certain the mall scents are far from 'natural'.. they are almost all alcohol ... they also lack creativity. I prefer not to smell like everyone else."

 

I didn't say I'm certain they lack creativity... in my personal opinion, most department store offered scents DO lack creativity but the few words left out changed what I as trying to say as I'm no expert on big house scents so I can't say for certain they lack creativity.. it's just my opinion. Am I making sense?

 

I bet if I walked outside and grabbed 10 random people, not one would know what BPAL was (unless they know me) because I've never met anyone that did before I told them about it.

 

When I worked retail at the mall, nearly everyone that walked in had on a scent that was familiar to me because I had smelled them at Macy's! I like wearing scents that no one has heard of.. I like telling people I'm wearing Snake Oil and have them give me a blank stare.

 

Like it's been said... it's personal and you have to TRY things to see if you like them. Don't let anyone's opinions determine if you should be 'nervous' about imps you ordered. You choose some great scents to start with so I hope you find a winner.

[starfish327]

When I worked retail at the mall, nearly everyone that walked in had on a scent that was familiar to me because I had smelled them at Macy's! I like wearing scents that no one has heard of.. I like telling people I'm wearing Snake Oil and have them give me a blank stare.

 

and this is exactly why i stick with bpal. beth does use oils which appeals to me and works better with my wonky skin- but beyond that, i don't like wearing what other people are wearing. i knit for the same reason. i know that i'm not wearing a completely unique blend (i could go to strange brews down the street, get my own oils, and mix them myself if i wanted that) but it's a lot less common than the stuff that i can smell on five seperate people walking through the student union at the local campus.

 

[mineralgirl]

When I worked retail at the mall, nearly everyone that walked in had on a scent that was familiar to me because I had smelled them at Macy's! I like wearing scents that no one has heard of.. I like telling people I'm wearing Snake Oil and have them give me a blank stare.

 

and this is exactly why i stick with bpal. beth does use oils which appeals to me and works better with my wonky skin- but beyond that, i don't like wearing what other people are wearing. i knit for the same reason. i know that i'm not wearing a completely unique blend (i could go to strange brews down the street, get my own oils, and mix them myself if i wanted that) but it's a lot less common than the stuff that i can smell on five seperate people walking through the student union at the local campus.

 

I realize I'm not the only person wearing Snake Oil in the world, but I'm the only one wearing it in MY world....

[starfish327]

When I worked retail at the mall, nearly everyone that walked in had on a scent that was familiar to me because I had smelled them at Macy's! I like wearing scents that no one has heard of.. I like telling people I'm wearing Snake Oil and have them give me a blank stare.

 

and this is exactly why i stick with bpal. beth does use oils which appeals to me and works better with my wonky skin- but beyond that, i don't like wearing what other people are wearing. i knit for the same reason. i know that i'm not wearing a completely unique blend (i could go to strange brews down the street, get my own oils, and mix them myself if i wanted that) but it's a lot less common than the stuff that i can smell on five seperate people walking through the student union at the local campus.

 

I realize I'm not the only person wearing Snake Oil in the world, but I'm the only one wearing it in MY world....

 

oh i can't even argue that at this point, most of my friends have the same blends that i do...lol.

[mineralgirl]

 

I realize I'm not the only person wearing Snake Oil in the world, but I'm the only one wearing it in MY world....

 

oh i can't even argue that at this point, most of my friends have the same blends that i do...lol.

 

I do have BPAL friends but none of them are very local.., and we all seem to like different things so even when we are all together, we're wearing different things! I'd actually LOVE to run into someone wearing BPAL that I didn't already know. I'd ....

[surf-tormented]

When I worked retail at the mall, nearly everyone that walked in had on a scent that was familiar to me because I had smelled them at Macy's! I like wearing scents that no one has heard of.. I like telling people I'm wearing Snake Oil and have them give me a blank stare.

 

and this is exactly why i stick with bpal. beth does use oils which appeals to me and works better with my wonky skin- but beyond that, i don't like wearing what other people are wearing. i knit for the same reason. i know that i'm not wearing a completely unique blend (i could go to strange brews down the street, get my own oils, and mix them myself if i wanted that) but it's a lot less common than the stuff that i can smell on five seperate people walking through the student union at the local campus.

 

A lot of times, people like the typical perfumes because the overly alcoholic scent and other chemicals make part of the scent. They are used to the toxic parts of the scent, so when essential oils come along, they don't get it. I wore essential oils on my skin once when I went on a trip with my boyfriend and some friends and one of them said she didn't like perfume oils. But her scents are perfume oils, they are just masked by toxic agents that give off a certain smell when sprayed. I could make a scent using the notes of perfumes she likes, but she wouldn't wear it because it is an oil as opposed to a "real perfume". I am pretty certain that some people don't know what the notes in their perfumes actually smell like as "natural" since they are covered up with all sorts of filler.

 

Then you have to understand, when a perfume is expensive and well known, you are buying for the name, not the components. As with all big name brands. You are paying a well known person in order to gleam off their image.

 

It could be why people tend to buy a lot of the same perfumes from the same places. It is what you are supposed to smell like! Everyone else smells the same way!

Edited January 26, 2010 by Madame Nyx

[starfish327]

I do have BPAL friends but none of them are very local.., and we all seem to like different things so even when we are all together, we're wearing different things! I'd actually LOVE to run into someone wearing BPAL that I didn't already know. I'd ....

 

 

i actually did this weekend. i thought it was cool. my boyfriend was less than impressed.

[portalkat]

I guess it comes down to worrying or at least feeling like I'm being cheated or deceived. I want to buy products from people who care about excellence, not price or prolific production of a new perfume every other day. I don't want to be fooled by creative copy. Maybe Beth is spending day in and day out in the lab dutifully mixing her own essential oils to create violet, musk, amber or sandalwood from scratch. Maybe you all are right. But the blog comments planted a pretty big seed of doubt that I'm having trouble uprooting.

 

And you will only uproot it by giving the product a fair chance and allowing yourself time to experience it.

 

I think you've hit the crux of what makes folks around the forum so defensive (and make them suspect trolling) -- I don't think most of us give a rats ass about whether anyone likes the product. It's no concern of mine what you do and don't like. But BPAL really is a community. Beth and the other lab staff are active forum members. They hang out with customers every month at will-call. We are well acquainted enough with the people who make the product to know their motivation and their passion for what they do. And they're incredibly warm and giving people to boot, so we feel protective.

 

Whether you like the product is entirely up to your own tastes. Whether you think the business owners are cheating you is something else. If you do spend some time around here, I think you'll learn better.

THIS........and we stand by a company that operates with integrity.

[doublehelix]

When I worked retail at the mall, nearly everyone that walked in had on a scent that was familiar to me because I had smelled them at Macy's! I like wearing scents that no one has heard of.. I like telling people I'm wearing Snake Oil and have them give me a blank stare.

 

and this is exactly why i stick with bpal. beth does use oils which appeals to me and works better with my wonky skin- but beyond that, i don't like wearing what other people are wearing. i knit for the same reason. i know that i'm not wearing a completely unique blend (i could go to strange brews down the street, get my own oils, and mix them myself if i wanted that) but it's a lot less common than the stuff that i can smell on five seperate people walking through the student union at the local campus.

 

I realize I'm not the only person wearing Snake Oil in the world, but I'm the only one wearing it in MY world....

 

oh i can't even argue that at this point, most of my friends have the same blends that i do...lol.

 

I think that is a great point about BPAL. They aren't scents you can find just anywhere, even at your local mall for example. They definately stand out, in a good way!!! My mom is even starting to become enabled (she's a plant fiend, we have 4 greenhouses and our entire basement is filled with plants) so unusual plants/flower notes call to her. Other than that, my friends have never even heard of BPAL

I have to say it has taken me quite some time to switch from drugstore/mall brands to etailers, and i'm very pleased that I have... the quality, lasting length of a product and even packaging differences are very noticeable! I guess there's also something exciting about wearing blends that not everyone can recognize the scent of or has in their bathroom

Edited January 26, 2010 by doublehelix

[Invidiana]

Then you have to understand, when a perfume is expensive and well known, you are buying for the name, not the components. As with all big name brands. You are paying a well known person in order to gleam off their image.

 

I guess there's also something exciting about wearing blends that not everyone can recognize the scent of or has in their bathroom

 

Well said.

 

I can't wear commercial stuff anyhow because I'm highly allergic to perfumers' alcohol and it makes me break out in ridiculous hives. I didn't think there was an alternative unitl this past summer, I Googled dark perfumes, found a link to BPAL and basically enabled myself.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Invidiana

[doublehelix]

Then you have to understand, when a perfume is expensive and well known, you are buying for the name, not the components. As with all big name brands. You are paying a well known person in order to gleam off their image.

 

I guess there's also something exciting about wearing blends that not everyone can recognize the scent of or has in their bathroom

 

Well said.

 

I can't wear commercial stuff anyhow because I'm highly allergic to perfumers' alcohol and it makes me break out in ridiculous hives. I didn't think there was an alternative unitl this past summer, I Googled dark perfumes, found a link to BPAL and basically enabled myself.

 

A friend of the family is an avon lady, so every birthday/holiday/etc we get bags filled to the brim with avon goodies. To me, the perfumes all have that same alcoholy/cologney scent... I purchased a betsey johnson perfume when it was on sale last year because I had a thing for her bags for a while. It was supposedly a fruity scent, but it was way too strong for my nose. I couldn't wear contact lenses while wearing the perfume because it would cause my eyes to water and i'd get really bad congestion.

But to each their own, I guess! I just think it's great having an alternative for those of us who aren't fascinated by brand names & big logos, and looking for something unique.

[Silvertree]

I guess it comes down to worrying or at least feeling like I'm being cheated or deceived. I want to buy products from people who care about excellence, not price or prolific production of a new perfume every other day. I don't want to be fooled by creative copy. Maybe Beth is spending day in and day out in the lab dutifully mixing her own essential oils to create violet, musk, amber or sandalwood from scratch. Maybe you all are right. But the blog comments planted a pretty big seed of doubt that I'm having trouble uprooting.

 

If that's the case, I would think you'd be able to find some reassurance in how affordable BPAL's scents are, compared to many other high-end perfumes. Not only do most oils age well (I have many bottles that date back to 2004, and they all smell fantastic), but a little bit goes a looong way. I know that any one bottle I'll buy will last me at least a year (although, to be fair, I rotate scents a fair amount, and am also fairly sparing with my application). I'd be far more worried about being cheated if something were incredibly expensive.

 

I also think that "prolific production of a new perfume every other day" does not apply to BPAL. Yes, we are blessed with large updates several times a year, as well as monthly lunar blends and other random LEs (and additions to the general catalog), but I would guess that 99% of those are the end result of plenty of time and effort on Beth's part. Researching concepts, deciding on note combinations, blending, testing of prototypes... all of these steps take a lot of time. And while the written descriptions are just as beautiful as the scents, I don't think it's meant to fool or deceive anyone. And for that matter, most of the high-end perfume companies devote a large budget to glossy, compelling advertisements and commercials. Both are intended to intrigue and inform the customer base, as the internets, as far as I know, do not yet have a scratch 'n' sniff platform.

 

Finally, my thoughts on the "you smell like a candle" phenomenon: a large percentage of people are not familiar with perfume, especially fragrance oils. The easiest way to relate to a scent that a friend is wearing is to compare it with something you're already familiar with, yes? I wouldn't expect any of my non-BPAL friends to be able to pick out the notes of my scent of the day, simply because they don't have the exposure to orris, or ambergris, or benzoin. So they reach for something they have been exposed to. I've had the weirdest guesses as to what I'm wearing. "Marshmallows!" was my favorite, for a blend that certainly did not contain any marshmallow bouquet, or, for that matter, smell even remotely like marshmallows to me.

[LadyMedb]

You know, quoting Luca Turin and friends doesn't make you as snarky as the man himself.

 

What 6 blends did you order, Jayne?

[katestamps]

I'm certain the mall scents...lack creativity. I prefer not to smell like everyone else.

 

Besides, I can not stand how [fancy house, commerical perfumes] are mass marketed with little to no real inspiration.

 

 

I'm sorry but that sentiment makes me really angry.

 

This is exactly what you accuse BPAL of doing. So maybe you should sit back a minute and think of whether we should be just as mad at you.

 

Beth takes enormous amounts of pride in her work and will take YEARS to perfect a blend. It is RIDICULOUSLY insulting to say that she just slaps together fragrance oils like a generic chain candle maker. You should have read the FAQ and About Us sections of the site, and the FAQ section of this board before you started making judgements.

 

 

You know... I would really take what you said more seriously if BPAL didn't produce hundreds of fragrances every year for the exact same (very low) price. The people on Luca Turin's blog had a point about the basic logistics/economics of it all. I'm trying to do the reading suggested by some very nice commenters but so far I'm still left uneasy.

 

And for the record, while I did quote people who compared bpal to velveeta, I never endorsed their view.

If the economics of it have you concerned, an ounce of the least expensive GC BPAL will run you $90. And many of the LE scents are closer to $150.

[saralaughs]

Seriously though, I didn't mean to offend but I was expressing myself in a true fashion and how I feel just as you did in your first post. No hard feelings. Maybe you should tell us a bit about your favorite notes and we could possibly point you in the right direction as far as blends to try. The ladies here are extremely helpful and very lovely when it comes to enabling.

 

May you enjoy whatever floats your boat and refrain from stepping on my grilled cheese while doing it. I mean that in the friendliest way possible.

 

Ok, ok. Fair enough. I suppose we can both stand a bit of honest from the other side, however misinformed we think each other are. Thanks for keeping it civil.

 

Notes that I like? Hmm.

 

Amber, incense, smoke. Grass and woods (sandlewood, cedar, cyprus). Vetiver. Cardamom. Vanilla. Lavender. Citrus, but not too heavy.

 

Even though this should go into the reccomendations sub forum, but since I asked, I'll tell ya...

 

TKO for your lavender and vanilla love.

Lyonesse for amber/vanilla

Sol Invictus 09 (it is limited edition and is coming down Feb 2 and no...you can't get samples of it) for amber/citrus/resin

Liz (out of the Hellboy collection) for your vanilla and smoke cravings. It also has leather. It's beautiful and one of my favs.

Inez out of the Carnavale Diabolique collection for amber as well

MME Moriarity Misfortune Teller (which is a representation of Beth herself) out of the CD as well for musky/plummy/resinous goodness.

Amsterdam for a sweet wet grass with a bit of "not-in-your-face" floral.

 

I'm not big on sandlewood (it hates me), vetiver, or cardamom (I hate it).

Edited January 26, 2010 by saralaughs

[Jammies]

jayne,

I enjoy fine things. Art, jewelery, food, wine, clothes, shoes, and yes, perfume. I have some very wonderful and unique perfumes by major houses, as well as BPAL. My love of unique fragrance began with Caron's Aimez Moi due to the different feel that it provided with the anise. I have searched for unique fragrances ever since. I love Chanel and Prada. I also love BPAL. While not every BPAL fragrance speaks to me, not every Caron, Chanel, Prada, or Bond does either.

None the less, many BPAL are still on par with the fine perfume houses. Perhaps unrefined noses that have been damaged by years of sniffing overly alcohol based eau de parfumes, instead of real perfumes cannot identify the nuances to truly fine fragrance.

Please be aware that prices also vary due to overhead operating costs that include, but are not limited to, advertising, facilities, endorsements, packaging, etc.

Darling, give it a try. Perhaps they will speak to you, perhaps they won't.

 

If you are looking for recommendations, as it seems you are now, please post a thread in the Recommendations forum that can be found here: http://www.bpal.org/index.php?showforum=10

 

 

Jayne, you really do need to try the perfumes on before you make a final decision. I do wish you had asked here before you made your order, because I think Gaueko in the Excolo category is the perfect smoky lavender!