Different smells/colors, same perfume

[Little Bird]

There's a whole thread about variations here: Bpal variations.

 

This is one of the main reasons I don't buy as much bpal anymore (if I like a bottle of something, I can never be sure that I'll get the same scent again). I had multiple bottles of a lot of things and most of them smell different from each other. I've noticed big differences with a lot of the Carnaval blends as they went along as well.

[Cinder and Smoke]

There's a whole thread about variations here: Bpal variations.

Ah thanks, I tried to do a search before I posted because I knew someone has probably addressed it already, but I couldn't find it. Sorry for making a redundant topic.

[Caper]

I like new topics because they keep the conversation fresh, rather than adding on to huge threads, but I'm not a mod and I think that doesn't work well here so, I'm only adding to say YES!

 

I had a decant of Pumpkin Masala Rooibos and bought a bottle. Completely different. I did manage to find a bottle that was like my original decant, but I'm kind of wary of buying bottles based on imps now. It's kind of why I've decided to be happy with the imps I get or go straight for a bottle.

 

I've had batch differences with Nero, Carnal, and Ravenous. Not a lot on these, but definitely different amounts of the oils.

[MinxMarzipan]

Thank You Little Bird! I had been searching for that link for awhile.

I too have found some strange batch variations in a few CDs. Now to read that entire thread.

[Numanoid]

For me personally, I have had variances (sp?) in of course Snake Oil, but that was due to age, and bottles of Boomslang and Pumpkin Latte....also not sure if it was due to age, but so far the differences were not THAT extreme, they all still smelled great, in the bottle and on! Could there have been a mislabled bottle maybe? I read on here that that happened a while ago with Snake Charmer & House of Mirrors. Sorry that happened to you though!

[ScabbyLucy]

OK, I've got a question.

 

I got an imp of Tamora from a seller here a month or two ago. It was a pale yellow color with a new looking label, and it smelled DIVINE, shot up to my top 5 immediately and I wear it at least weekly. Because I couldn't justify ordering a bottle yet, when I bought a batch of imps from a seller, to up my number to a "get one free" level I took her imp of Tamora knowing I would use it. But when I got it, it also had a new looking label, but the oil was a darker red color than the first one I got, like Velvet or Sed Non Saitia. And when I put it on, it smells almost vile. There's a powerful woody smell, but more cedar or oak than sandalwood, and while I think I get some peach, but I might just be reaching for it smell like my other imp. I'd wondered if I maybe got a mislabelled Imp or Fae, and the musk or oakmoss was going rancid on my skin, but the deep drydown smells almost similar (its doesn't last as long as my other imp did either!). Has anyone else encountered this? Did it reforumulate or something? Tamora was going to be my first big bottle purchase, and if this is what I would get it would be a heartbreaker D:

[arsinoe9]

ScabbyLucy- I received a frimp of Tamora in a BPTP order within the last two months. It is reddish orange in color. I have one other imp of Tamora. It's also reddish orange. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

[ivyblossom]

Yeeaahhhh this is confusing. I recently ordered a bottle of Gnome because I loved the imp I got of it a month or so prior. The imp is bubbly ginger and is light in colour. The bottle I got smells absolutely nothing like it. Nothing at all. Rather than fizzy ginger, it's a dark oil and sort of pine-y or eucalyptus-y. I wish I could pick out what it smells like, but nothing whatsoever like the imp. I assumed it was the wrong oil in a gnome bottle, but the lab tells me Gnome is a dark oil. I'd think my imp was the one that was wrong, but it's the one that actually smells like the description. I asked if it morphed a lot with aging, but no reply. I feel perhaps I've pissed them off by asking. :/

[KawaiiKai]

Yeeaahhhh this is confusing. I recently ordered a bottle of Gnome because I loved the imp I got of it a month or so prior. The imp is bubbly ginger and is light in colour. The bottle I got smells absolutely nothing like it. Nothing at all. Rather than fizzy ginger, it's a dark oil and sort of pine-y or eucalyptus-y. I wish I could pick out what it smells like, but nothing whatsoever like the imp. I assumed it was the wrong oil in a gnome bottle, but the lab tells me Gnome is a dark oil. I'd think my imp was the one that was wrong, but it's the one that actually smells like the description. I asked if it morphed a lot with aging, but no reply. I feel perhaps I've pissed them off by asking. :/

Thanks for that. I too received a frimp of Gnome and it looked and smelled just as you described. I was thinking of ordering one but now I think I'll skip that one.

[ivyblossom]

Yeeaahhhh this is confusing. I recently ordered a bottle of Gnome because I loved the imp I got of it a month or so prior. The imp is bubbly ginger and is light in colour. The bottle I got smells absolutely nothing like it. Nothing at all. Rather than fizzy ginger, it's a dark oil and sort of pine-y or eucalyptus-y. I wish I could pick out what it smells like, but nothing whatsoever like the imp. I assumed it was the wrong oil in a gnome bottle, but the lab tells me Gnome is a dark oil. I'd think my imp was the one that was wrong, but it's the one that actually smells like the description. I asked if it morphed a lot with aging, but no reply. I feel perhaps I've pissed them off by asking. :/

Thanks for that. I too received a frimp of Gnome and it looked and smelled just as you described. I was thinking of ordering one but now I think I'll skip that one.

 

Huh, yeah, the lab told me all they checked their imps and Gnome is a dark oil. I didn't really know what to say to that, looking at the bottle I have next to the imp. I don't know how anyone can smell that oil and think it smells like fizzy ginger. Maybe they bottled up a bunch of the wrong oil? Far be it from me to tell them that they're wrong about their own product, but...yeah, that's not fizzy ginger! Thanks for the validation, I was starting to feel a bit crazy!

[cfrancesca]

I have a decant of Atrocious Attic (the 2007 version) and it's all lovely soft pink rose, lavender, violet, and vanilla-sandalwood musk. I also own a bottle but it has a stronger astringent herbal lavender, it still has the vanilla-sandalwood musk, soft rose and violets lurking in the background but it takes a while for the astringency to burn off and it's still nowhere near as softly blended, pleasant and vanilla-y as the decant is. I noticed this when I got my bottle a few years ago and was hoping it was an age issue but my bottle is still the same. Has anyone else has experienced batch differences with the original release of Atrocious Attic? I want to see if it's even worth trying to search for the batch that is more like my decant.

[miamaslegi]

I'm not complaining, but the two bottles of Samhain I have from last year smell totally different.

The first bottle I bought right when the Weenies appeared - it's (to me) a rich, fruity, almost honey-sweet scent. I have a bottle of the atmo spray, too, and it smells exactly the same to me. The second bottle of Samhain I bought about a week before the Weenies came down - it smells more like I expected Samhain to smell from the description. It's dry and woody with a sourish something in there somewhere. I love them both (though I love the first one a bit more) - it's just interesting to me to see how drastically different two bottles of the same scent can smell!

[Andalei]

So Dee is one of my absolute favourite scents, and I ordered a bottle in May because my first one was disappearing pretty quickly. I went to apply the new one the other night and it smells awful. The closest thing I can compare it to is potting soil, which makes me believe the culprit might be patchouli which isn't even a listed note. Regardless, there's no similarity at all to my beloved Dee. My first bottle was also purchased straight from the Lab and was lovely right from day 1, so I don't think this is an aging issue. I emailed the Lab a few days ago to see if they were aware of a batch variance or a mis-labeling maybe, but I haven't received an answer. I need more Dee, but I'm afraid of getting another bottle like my second one.

[miamaslegi]

Yeeaahhhh this is confusing. I recently ordered a bottle of Gnome because I loved the imp I got of it a month or so prior. The imp is bubbly ginger and is light in colour. The bottle I got smells absolutely nothing like it. Nothing at all. Rather than fizzy ginger, it's a dark oil and sort of pine-y or eucalyptus-y. I wish I could pick out what it smells like, but nothing whatsoever like the imp. I assumed it was the wrong oil in a gnome bottle, but the lab tells me Gnome is a dark oil. I'd think my imp was the one that was wrong, but it's the one that actually smells like the description. I asked if it morphed a lot with aging, but no reply. I feel perhaps I've pissed them off by asking. :/

Thanks for that. I too received a frimp of Gnome and it looked and smelled just as you described. I was thinking of ordering one but now I think I'll skip that one.

Huh, yeah, the lab told me all they checked their imps and Gnome is a dark oil. I didn't really know what to say to that, looking at the bottle I have next to the imp. I don't know how anyone can smell that oil and think it smells like fizzy ginger. Maybe they bottled up a bunch of the wrong oil? Far be it from me to tell them that they're wrong about their own product, but...yeah, that's not fizzy ginger! Thanks for the validation, I was starting to feel a bit crazy!

 

FWIW, I have an imp of Gnome from, eh, about three/four months ago or so. Mine is a lighter oil and it's definitely fizzy, bubbly, carbonated ginger - makes me think of ginger ale. Velly intellesting . . .

[Wwindy]

Yeeaahhhh this is confusing. I recently ordered a bottle of Gnome because I loved the imp I got of it a month or so prior. The imp is bubbly ginger and is light in colour. The bottle I got smells absolutely nothing like it. Nothing at all. Rather than fizzy ginger, it's a dark oil and sort of pine-y or eucalyptus-y. I wish I could pick out what it smells like, but nothing whatsoever like the imp. I assumed it was the wrong oil in a gnome bottle, but the lab tells me Gnome is a dark oil. I'd think my imp was the one that was wrong, but it's the one that actually smells like the description. I asked if it morphed a lot with aging, but no reply. I feel perhaps I've pissed them off by asking. :/

Thanks for that. I too received a frimp of Gnome and it looked and smelled just as you described. I was thinking of ordering one but now I think I'll skip that one.

Huh, yeah, the lab told me all they checked their imps and Gnome is a dark oil. I didn't really know what to say to that, looking at the bottle I have next to the imp. I don't know how anyone can smell that oil and think it smells like fizzy ginger. Maybe they bottled up a bunch of the wrong oil? Far be it from me to tell them that they're wrong about their own product, but...yeah, that's not fizzy ginger! Thanks for the validation, I was starting to feel a bit crazy!

 

FWIW, I have an imp of Gnome from, eh, about three/four months ago or so. Mine is a lighter oil and it's definitely fizzy, bubbly, carbonated ginger - makes me think of ginger ale. Velly intellesting . . .

 

Anybody have any updates on Gnome? I love my light-colored, fizzy ginger imp and am sad to be almost out of it -- I'm afraid to order a 5ml if the Lab thinks it's supposed to be something completely different, though!

[KawaiiKai]

Yeeaahhhh this is confusing. I recently ordered a bottle of Gnome because I loved the imp I got of it a month or so prior. The imp is bubbly ginger and is light in colour. The bottle I got smells absolutely nothing like it. Nothing at all. Rather than fizzy ginger, it's a dark oil and sort of pine-y or eucalyptus-y. I wish I could pick out what it smells like, but nothing whatsoever like the imp. I assumed it was the wrong oil in a gnome bottle, but the lab tells me Gnome is a dark oil. I'd think my imp was the one that was wrong, but it's the one that actually smells like the description. I asked if it morphed a lot with aging, but no reply. I feel perhaps I've pissed them off by asking. :/

Thanks for that. I too received a frimp of Gnome and it looked and smelled just as you described. I was thinking of ordering one but now I think I'll skip that one.

Huh, yeah, the lab told me all they checked their imps and Gnome is a dark oil. I didn't really know what to say to that, looking at the bottle I have next to the imp. I don't know how anyone can smell that oil and think it smells like fizzy ginger. Maybe they bottled up a bunch of the wrong oil? Far be it from me to tell them that they're wrong about their own product, but...yeah, that's not fizzy ginger! Thanks for the validation, I was starting to feel a bit crazy!

 

FWIW, I have an imp of Gnome from, eh, about three/four months ago or so. Mine is a lighter oil and it's definitely fizzy, bubbly, carbonated ginger - makes me think of ginger ale. Velly intellesting . . .

 

Anybody have any updates on Gnome? I love my light-colored, fizzy ginger imp and am sad to be almost out of it -- I'm afraid to order a 5ml if the Lab thinks it's supposed to be something completely different, though!

In my most recent order, I received another frimp of Gnome. That second one is dark and smells much different, more woody.

[KissleMeNow]

Okay, what is the, um, protocol when you get another bottle whose scent you don't like? The situation is that I ordered a bottle of Crowley back in 2011 and loved it. The vanilla and leather were particularly prominent. Unfortunately, I lost it when my bag got stolen earlier this year, so I promptly bought a replacement (also straight from the Lab)... which I really do not like. It's almost astringent. I can smell the undercurrents, but they're overpowered by what I assume is the oakmoss and maybe the lemon rind. It's a scent which could conceivably float someone's boat, but definitely not the lush, sexy one that I wanted. At first I assumed it would calm down with age and put it in a box to wait, but it really hasn't – I know my last bottle was doing vanilla/leather by this point in time. Is it worth it to try a third bottle? Is it fair to sell a bottle of scent which I don't think smells "right" on the forum, even when I've treated it well? (No light exposure, as little exposure to extreme temperatures as possible, etc). Should I offer it up at a discount, or as a caveat emptor swap?

[Monday]

Okay, what is the, um, protocol when you get another bottle whose scent you don't like? The situation is that I ordered a bottle of Crowley back in 2011 and loved it. The vanilla and leather were particularly prominent. Unfortunately, I lost it when my bag got stolen earlier this year, so I promptly bought a replacement (also straight from the Lab)... which I really do not like. It's almost astringent. I can smell the undercurrents, but they're overpowered by what I assume is the oakmoss and maybe the lemon rind. It's a scent which could conceivably float someone's boat, but definitely not the lush, sexy one that I wanted. At first I assumed it would calm down with age and put it in a box to wait, but it really hasn't – I know my last bottle was doing vanilla/leather by this point in time. Is it worth it to try a third bottle? Is it fair to sell a bottle of scent which I don't think smells "right" on the forum, even when I've treated it well? (No light exposure, as little exposure to extreme temperatures as possible, etc). Should I offer it up at a discount, or as a caveat emptor swap?

I had a couple of bottles like that (Dee, Aremata Popoa etc.). I was wondering if there is something that you can do about it too, I guess batches vary when ingredients change? It is disappointing to get a bottle that doesn't smell like you think it would. Sometimes it works out well, like the newer Antikythera Mechanism works better for me. It's a bit scary to think that you're taking a gamble every time you order something though.

 

I wouldn't go for a third bottle at this point. Maybe you could mail the lab and see if there has been a mix-up or if there has been a change in ingredients.

[animalcule]

I've luckily never experienced this, since I tend to buy mostly LE bottles on first release and unsniffed, and I haven't used up a bottle yet. I do have a couple backups, and they are consistent with the originals I have. But I've heard so much about it that I really think it is usually an issue with the lab's bottling procedures. I think it is difficult or impossible for them to keep certain oils evenly mixed while decanting them from the large batches into our 5mls. If they are 'hand-decanted' as well as 'hand-blended' this is almost certainly the case. Cocoa oil is a big giveaway, most every blend with this component I've read reviews on, it seems clear the components are not evenly distributed among 5mls. Some bottles have entirely clear oil, others have 1/4 inch of cocoa 'sludge' visible on the bottom!

 

I'm sure changes based on component variations happen too, but I'm inclined to think these don't make such a huge difference. And mislabeling of scents/incorrect blending happens as well (like with Infernal Lover), but that seems to be much less common.

 

ETA: I am also not a fan of incense and resinous blends, which are often thicker/goopier; and it seems likely that separation is more of an issue with these types of oils.

Edited September 16, 2013 by animalcule

[Andalei]

So I got a replacement for the bottle of Dee I posted about in August (Lisa is the best! ). She said that all their bottles of Dee smelled fine to them, but they were happy to send another one. However...this third bottle smells pretty much identical to my second bottle which is nothing like my first bottle or the imp I had initially. So very strange because all three bottles are from 2013 so it's not like my original one is super aged or anything.

 

But...I have a 4oz memento bottle with Dee in it coming from Ebay, so I will see what super aged Dee smells like and then maybe hide these bottles for years.

[MCS4096]

Okay, what is the, um, protocol when you get another bottle whose scent you don't like? The situation is that I ordered a bottle of Crowley back in 2011 and loved it. The vanilla and leather were particularly prominent. Unfortunately, I lost it when my bag got stolen earlier this year, so I promptly bought a replacement (also straight from the Lab)... which I really do not like. It's almost astringent. I can smell the undercurrents, but they're overpowered by what I assume is the oakmoss and maybe the lemon rind. It's a scent which could conceivably float someone's boat, but definitely not the lush, sexy one that I wanted. At first I assumed it would calm down with age and put it in a box to wait, but it really hasn't – I know my last bottle was doing vanilla/leather by this point in time. Is it worth it to try a third bottle? Is it fair to sell a bottle of scent which I don't think smells "right" on the forum, even when I've treated it well? (No light exposure, as little exposure to extreme temperatures as possible, etc). Should I offer it up at a discount, or as a caveat emptor swap?

 

I bought Crowley from the lab last year after seeing so many people describe it as a leathery scent. My bottle was straight citrus and red musk. I aged it for a year and never got even a hint of vanilla or leather. So you're not the only one there. And yeah.. maybe you'd be better off trying to buy an old bottle from the forum rather than another new bottle

 

As for selling bottles that seem weird, I can really see it either way-- if you sell it 'as is' it IS what came from the lab and it's not necessarily different than someone buying direct and getting something slightly unexpected. On the other hand someone out there might LOVE to have a bottle of Crowley that has less leather and more lemon, so you could always try selling that way. I don't think either is inappropriate.

 

I've had a few bottles turn up smelling different than imps I've tried, but nothing devastatingly different yet.. Some that come to mind:

 

My bottle of Zephyr is more high pitched than all the imps of it I've ever received (they're more creamy and well blended)

My two bottles of The Arabian Dance have more coffee and leather and less sweet creamy spice than the decant I tried first.

I've ordered bottles of Zarita the Doll girl on a couple occasions, years apart, and they have that weird celery note I encounter sometimes while the decant of it I have is perfect and sans celery.

 

Edited to add: I also agree with animalcule's assessment.. I think the main issue is inconsistent mixing + decanting. Even with oils that are miscible, who knows how much the lab actually agitates the mixture before decanting, and how quickly oils of different densities mix/unmix.

 

And while I'm fairly ignorant of the processes involved with making single notes, and very ignorant of any quality control parameters the suppliers have, it seems to me that oils could subtly change seasonally and yearly based on the quality of the starting materials.

Edited September 16, 2013 by MCS4096

[miserablyunhip]

I bought a bottle of Aglaea (cobalt bottle) on ebay a while back and it's the pretties peach smell ever. The oil is clear. Well, as of late, I've been wearing the everloving crap out of it. Sooo I went to Dark Delicacies and decided to buy a back up. I didn't notice at the time, but this Aglaea is not clear and smells much muskier. Does anyone know if it was reformulated? I ask because I got a bottle I bought off the forum a few days ago at it's clear (from 2007).

[MCS4096]

I just bought a new bottle of The Red Rider and it smells heavily of vetiver

 

My previous bottle is straight leather.... I'm super sad, I might have to email the lab. While I'm ok with vetiver when I'm expecting it, this bottle smells nothing like I've come to expect.

 

Edited to add: and red musk, definitely red musk and vetiver-- I don't even smell *leather* in this bottle

Edited September 23, 2013 by MCS4096

[whataboutprom]

I received a frimp of Aglaea earlier this year, and it is pretty dark, not clear at all. I can't attest to the scent however, as when I tried it a few years ago, it made me sick. It does seem likely the formulation has changed, since it looks so different now.

 

I bought a bottle of Aglaea (cobalt bottle) on ebay a while back and it's the pretties peach smell ever. The oil is clear. Well, as of late, I've been wearing the everloving crap out of it. Sooo I went to Dark Delicacies and decided to buy a back up. I didn't notice at the time, but this Aglaea is not clear and smells much muskier. Does anyone know if it was reformulated? I ask because I got a bottle I bought off the forum a few days ago at it's clear (from 2007).

Edited September 24, 2013 by whataboutprom

[Wwindy]

Gnome update... It's true, the "official" Gnome is nothing at all like the first round of Gnome. Here's a side-by-side photo with an old imp and a recent imp so you can see the dramatic color difference:

 

As mentioned above, the old, light-colored Gnome has lots of fizzy ginger. The dark-colored Gnome is a much deeper-feeling, brown-toned scent; the dark oily "gear lubricant" is most prominent in the imp, followed by a woody note and a hint of smoke. There is no detectable ginger in the dark-colored version.

 

I don't care for this version at all, and am sad to have lost the Gnome I loved...