First Time BPAL-er looking for recs!

[fullforcegalesburg]

Hello Folks! I'm an old hand at indie scents, but new to BPAL! The catalog always seemed so overwhelming but I'm ready to dive in and I want your help picking out some things to try. I love scouring forums for sales so as long as a scent is reasonably priced I'm open to pretty much anything from seasons passed.

 

My favorite notes are: Vanilla, Caramel, Violet, Honey, Marshmallow, Coconut, Booze, Maple, Carnation, Spices(not nutmeg) Strawberry and Mint!

 

Death Notes: Rose, Black Tea, Pumpkin, Chocolate, Neroli/Orange Blossom, and Woodsmoke(I don't hate it but my skin amps it like no other)

 

My favorite scents from other companies are NAVA Crystalline, Solstice Scents Violet Mallow, Arcana Estella and Twirling the Pearl, Violette Market After Dark, Possets Halloween and Conjure Oils Vortex Tunnel.

 

Hit me with whatever recs you've got!

[xeia]

I'm a relative newbie, too, so I don't have a long list of recs for you like others will, but I have recently tried Defututa, reviews http://www.bpal.org/topic/41464-defututa/

I think it hits a few of your favorites (vanilla, honey, spice: cinnamon), and I don't think it has any of your no-notes. And it's GC, impable, and likely available on forum!

Good luck with your search!

[Soupy Twist]

BPAL's 21 is an amazing gin & tonic with mint. Dana O'Shee is a foodie honey/sugar/almond kind of thing.

 

Possets' Gelato Vaniglia and Villainess's Decadence are your vanillas, for sure. Arcana's Ambrosia is honey and vanilla, and Possets' Vim is almost identical to it.

 

All my other faves have chocolate or tea in them, so I can't recommend them to you.

[WickedSage]

Coconut: Black Pearl, Elegba, and Shango

Honey: Cockaigne

Vanilla: Lyonesse and Snake oil thats aged

Booze: Elegba and Grog (rum ones)

[paperdollsandbpal]

I'm new too but I've tried a few things!

 

For honey I recommend Against idleness and mischief and Amicitia

 

Oh and Blood Kiss sounds like it would be a winner ( I luvs it)

 

"Lush, creamy vanilla and the honey of the sweetest kiss smeared with the vital throb of husky clove, swollen red cherries, but darkened with the vampiric sensuality of vetiver, soporific poppy and blood red wine, and a skin-light pulse of feral musk."

Edited August 5, 2015 by paperdollsandbpal

[ladyjc]

FWIW, we're only supposed to recommend BPAL oils here...recommendations for other retailers are supposed to be handled in Other Retailers You Love subforum...

 

On to my recs:

 

(first 6 are from the Beloved Favorites Imp Pack on BPAL's website)

Alice
Dorian
Embalming Fluid
Morocco
Sin
Snake Oil

I also would recommend O (for honey) and Brown Jenkin or Goblin (for coconut).

Welcome to the madness, have fun and enjoy your journey!

[Numanoid]

It can be overwhelming and some great recs here already. You can also go to the BPAL website and search a note and it will pull up all the scents that have said note in it....that way, you can see which might interest you. Then I would look at reviews on here....they are always very helpful!!

[TallGrrl78]

I wouldn't write off any notes if you are new to BPAL. Things you might think have been death notes for you in the past could end up working for you perfectly fine in BPAL land. Each company does scents differently sometimes.

 

That being said, makes sense to stick to your comfort zone for starters. Just if you end up getting any frimps along the way, definitely give them a test regardless of what their scent notes are. Some scents I wouldn't have even considered based on the notes have ended up being amazing on me.

 

Some suggestions based on your likes:

 

Faith = sugared violets (from the CD but not rereleased yet. You might be able to seek out a bottle in the forum sales)

Definitely Alice from the GC if you like carnation and honey

Beaver Moon 2010 was a lunacy LE scent - strawberry and peach cheesecake

[ReallyZeb]

Vanilla: Detestable Putrescence, Eat Me, Good, Hollywood Babylon, O and Mouse Circus plus you really should try Dorian even though it includes a little tea

Honey: O, Alice, Cockaigne, Crib Girls, Kill-Devil, Good,

Strawberry: Hollywood Babylon, Bon Vivant

LE recs: Mother Shub's Gingerbread Temples (ginger & honey) and Gingerbread Goblin (Gingerbread with black coconut, patchouli, and sweet benzoin), Iulia, L'Artiste du Diable (currently available), Womb Furie (LE but available almost every Jan/Feb)

 

Also look out for people selling Chaos Theory VII Gourmand bottles - you can usually find the notes for each particular bottle listed in reviews

[BoneBone24]

My favorite notes are: Vanilla, Caramel, Violet, Honey, Marshmallow, Coconut, Booze, Maple, Carnation, Spices(not nutmeg) Strawberry and Mint!

 

Death Notes: Rose, Black Tea, Pumpkin, Chocolate, Neroli/Orange Blossom, and Woodsmoke(I don't hate it but my skin amps it like no other)

 

 

We have very different tastes it seems, but there are a few of your notes that I can make recs for:

 

Honey - Light of Men's Lives (smoky creamy beeswax heaven!)

 

Mint - Mad Hatter (creamy-musky mint, unisex)

 

Violet - Wings of Azrael (smells like a magical forest with violets)

 

Strawberry - Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo (smells like strawberry starbursts to my nose)

 

Vanilla - Kubla Khan (super complex and awesome), Tamora (peachy vanilla, very smooth)

 

Booze - Juke Joint (intensely boozy and minty), Perversion (dark and delicious booziness)

 

Carnation - Morocco (lightly spiced and simply gorgeous)

 

(All GC/impable)

Edited August 5, 2015 by BoneBone24

[alterosen]

A couple from the Picnic in Arkham category: Miskatonic University (purely caramel on me) & Shub-Niggurath (very spicy gingersnaps).

From Wanderlust, Bengal (honey & cinnamon) is a must try, as is Morocco.

 

Bard is a nice honey & vanilla combo. Thieves' Rosin is also a good one.

You'd probably like Ivory Vulva (LE: Lupercalia, creamy coconut, marshmallow & cardamom)

The only one that's coming to mind that's maple syrupy is Herr Drosselmeyer (LE:Yule, notes are pipe smoke, sweet leather, woods & linen but it's sweet rather than smoky).

Edited August 6, 2015 by alterosen

[elka_knits]

I would add Bien Loin D'ici.. I personally don't particularly like it because of the caramel and for the record I don't really get a ton of red musk to it: red musk, benzoin, caramel accord, golden honey, and spiced Moroccan unguents

Edited August 6, 2015 by elka

[fullforcegalesburg]

Thank you everyone for the recommendations, everything sounds so good! I'm only wary of things with rose because even the most subtle rose can make my stomach turn, but after so many glowing recommendations for Alice and a love of carnation I may have to try it out, it could be the rose to change my mind!

 

I'm currently hunting the sales list for these others on you folks' recommendation: 21, Dana O'Shee, Black Pearl, Snake Oil (how could I not?), Against Idleness and Mischief, Blood Kiss, O, Goblin, Faith, Beaver Moon '10, Detestable Putrescence, Eat Me, Womb Furie (this sounds especially good!), Hollywood Babylon (I love the combo of cherry and strawberry together!), Bon Vivant, Good, Crib Girls, Kill-Devil, Light of Men's Lives, Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo, Juke Joint, Morocco, Wings of Azrael, Miskatonic University, Bengal, Bard, Thieves Rosin, Ivory Vulva (I told my grandma I was looking at getting a bottle of this and she laughed and laughed, plus I love coconut so this is perfect for me!), Herr Drosselmeyer, and Bien Loin D'ici!

 

I'm really excited to try these out, time to start shopping!

[TallGrrl78]

Thank you everyone for the recommendations, everything sounds so good! I'm only wary of things with rose because even the most subtle rose can make my stomach turn, but after so many glowing recommendations for Alice and a love of carnation I may have to try it out, it could be the rose to change my mind!

 

I'm currently hunting the sales list for these others on you folks' recommendation: 21, Dana O'Shee, Black Pearl, Snake Oil (how could I not?), Against Idleness and Mischief, Blood Kiss, O, Goblin, Faith, Beaver Moon '10, Detestable Putrescence, Eat Me, Womb Furie (this sounds especially good!), Hollywood Babylon (I love the combo of cherry and strawberry together!), Bon Vivant, Good, Crib Girls, Kill-Devil, Light of Men's Lives, Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo, Juke Joint, Morocco, Wings of Azrael, Miskatonic University, Bengal, Bard, Thieves Rosin, Ivory Vulva (I told my grandma I was looking at getting a bottle of this and she laughed and laughed, plus I love coconut so this is perfect for me!), Herr Drosselmeyer, and Bien Loin D'ici!

 

I'm really excited to try these out, time to start shopping!

 

The rose is barely noticeable in Alice on me. I get mainly carnation, milk, and honey. And you can get an imp of it straight from the lab instead of having to go for a bottle blind.

[claudia6913]

Hod Resurrected - amber, vanilla, carnation

Alice - vanilla. cream, carnation

Eat Me - vanilla cakes and currants

Mouse's Long and Sad Tale - Amber, tea, vanilla

Bathsheba - florals and carnation

[Balame]

Welcome! A few that haven't been mentioned:

 

Coconut: Lovers and a Fan (this is actually coconut and honey, which is delicious), Harigata II, So Below, Obatala, Paduan Killer Swam (coconut and spices)

Caramel: Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht, Red Lantern (also has coconut)

Strawberry: Kitty, Strawberry Moon

Vanilla: Boo, (Not So) Penitent (Mini) Magdalene

Marshmallow: The Gorobble, Little Maggie

[elka_knits]

Thank you everyone for the recommendations, everything sounds so good! I'm only wary of things with rose because even the most subtle rose can make my stomach turn, but after so many glowing recommendations for Alice and a love of carnation I may have to try it out, it could be the rose to change my mind!

 

 

I'm really excited to try these out, time to start shopping!

 

Unlike others I get a strong rose from Alice but I call it my schizophrenic scent. It vacillates between a soft tea rose and spicy carnation one after the other. I probably amp them both and they duke each other out for dominance on my skin. In fact I think that was my review of alice on forums

[Cactus]

Two more that aren't already on the list (I think)

Le Serpent Qui Danse - Violets with sweet vanilla!

Grand Guignol - Apricot brandy - very boozy in a warm, fruity way.

 

Also, O sounds like it might be right up your alley, so *seconds that*.

[stellamaris]

Did anyone say Ivory Vulva? Amazing vanilla/coconut scent. That is a luper limited you have to buy it on the secondary market.

Chokecherry Honey is awesome. I find O vile, but I am in the minority. I do love BPAL honey though.

Lyonesse is a beautiful vanilla. those are GC.

[LizziesLuck]

I second whoever said Elegba - yummy boozey coconut!

 

I also agree that you should try even scents that you think might have your death notes in them, especially if you like all the other notes. I thought I hated rose until I tried BPAL rose. Turns out I love rose...

 

Anyway, best of luck, I hope you find scents that are amazing on you!

[Isper]

For coconut I love Obatala!

Eat Me if you like foody vanilla, but for spicy sensual vanilla go with Tombeur or Snake Oil.

Red Lantern is a good scent with coconut and caramel but is a limited edition. For something similar in the general catalog consider Perversion.

[vthesiren]

I'm going to third/fourth Cockaigne - it's spiced honey cakes with a touch of milk and wine.

[stellamaris]

Yes Cockagigne is awesome. So is Kill Devil, it's a little less cakey-sweet, more boozey sweet.

[sprout]

Howdy. Half elf, Bon Vivant, Wings of Azazel, Bordello, Golden Priapus, Tombstone, Aglaea, TKO, Hetairae Ultraviolet, and Shoggoth are my additions but there are many fine recommendations ahead. Welcome to the madness and prepare for the ruthless enabling!

 

Limited edition recs: A World Where there are Octobers, Non Mask and Maple leaves, Oblation, Doll's eye honey, Boo, the Gorobble, Strawberry Moon, Golettes, Body Remember

Edited August 23, 2015 by sprout

[gentle-twig]

I am not the person to be giving you recommendations based on your favorite/unfavorite notes but I'm testing the Cat right now and it's a pretty interesting animalic honey (+benzoin, which you don't list but seems like it would fit in with your other favorite notes, also cedar) if you ever want to get ~experimental~