Looking for a BPAL that Resembles a Favorite Perfume

[Tigerkatze]

for people who are wondering why friends don't get turned on to BPAL, maybe this newbie can explain...

 

Lots of people on Beauty Bottle, Long Hair Forum, etc. love this stuff. So I thought I'd see if I can find a replacement for Eden Botanicals' Androgeny's Child, my #1 favorite scent of all time.

 

All of the different lingo, names, families, etc. here are quite confusing if that's not your sort of thing. While I am open to the idea of wearing perfume with funny smelling names (much more so than to wearing pricey "designer" perfumes) it seems like the way they smell changes from person to person.

 

How's a newbie to get started?

 

The very kind tartChef has sent me some samples of stuff she had that was on my interest list, but it's been over a month and it hasn't come. I guess if I lived in Los Angeles I could find BPAL in a shop, but globalization hasn't gotten that far yet here - we just started seeing Ben and Jerry's ice cream about a year ago!

 

So if you want your friend to get into BPAL, giving her a sample pack (I did this with Goth Rosary and it worked, but they have everything in small plastic samples, basically a card soaked in the scent, and with 25 or so scents this works) - let her try it and see why these are your faves, etc.

 

Still looking for that Androgeny's Child replacement...sigh...

[ivyandpeony]

for people who are wondering why friends don't get turned on to BPAL, maybe this newbie can explain...

 

Lots of people on Beauty Bottle, Long Hair Forum, etc. love this stuff. So I thought I'd see if I can find a replacement for Eden Botanicals' Androgeny's Child, my #1 favorite scent of all time.

 

All of the different lingo, names, families, etc. here are quite confusing if that's not your sort of thing. While I am open to the idea of wearing perfume with funny smelling names (much more so than to wearing pricey "designer" perfumes) it seems like the way they smell changes from person to person.

 

How's a newbie to get started?

 

The very kind tartChef has sent me some samples of stuff she had that was on my interest list, but it's been over a month and it hasn't come. I guess if I lived in Los Angeles I could find BPAL in a shop, but globalization hasn't gotten that far yet here - we just started seeing Ben and Jerry's ice cream about a year ago!

 

So if you want your friend to get into BPAL, giving her a sample pack (I did this with Goth Rosary and it worked, but they have everything in small plastic samples, basically a card soaked in the scent, and with 25 or so scents this works) - let her try it and see why these are your faves, etc.

 

Still looking for that Androgeny's Child replacement...sigh...

 

TigerKatze, I think you are right - I believe that anyone who decides to search BPAL in the hopes of finding a replacement for a single scent is going to end up frustrated and disappointed. BPAL blends do smell very different from one person to another depending on each person's chemistry and there's no way to predict for sure that any particular blend will work on you until you try it on your skin, and that can be very frustrating for some people - I think there may even be a standing thread now for relative newbies to rant about how everything they've tried smells bad to them.

 

The people who do end up turned on to BPAL seem to start enjoying the process of trying new perfumes and figuring out which notes work for them and which don't, with the added bonus being that you find perfumes you like along the way - people who find that frustrating or just not a fun way to spend any time end up uninterested in BPAL. I have a group of friends who couldn't be less interested in my perfume hobby, I have a group of friends that could sniff and try stuff with me all day. Neither group is any better or smarter than the other, they just have different interests. If you feel like you're falling in the group that wouldn't enjoy the trial and error process, though, it is going to be doubly frustrating trying to find a match for something that you used to wear.

 

Another reason it can be hard for a newbie to find something that's similar to a favorite perfume if you're asking in Recommedations: you have to get lucky and find someone who's not only familiar with that perfume, but who has also tried a lot of BPALs, enough that they may be able to come up with something similar. Folks are always happy to help you match up notes when you have a list of the notes in your old perfume (they even go find lists themselves!) but it's just a matter of luck as to whether any members who frequent this area have tried the particular perfume that someone's hoping to replicate.

 

As far as availability and ease of purchase, you may be a little off the mark though. You might be surprised though at the number of people in the US who do not have access to retail locations that sell BPAL - Europeans are far from the only underprivileged in that number. Other than the Lab itself (which is open only once a month) I think there may be 4 locations (a salon in LA, two Whole Foods in GA and Shelldoo's salon in PA) that sell BPAL at retail. I can't speak for mailing times for personal packages like the one that you're waiting on since I have no idea what method of mailing it went by, but most lab orders are arriving within a month these days even to international customers. I think they ship by Global Priority mail which arrives pretty quickly.

 

There's a thread here in Recs about enabling friends where people can post their suggestions for what to include in an imp pack - I definitely agree with you that being able to try scents first hand would be the most likely way to really get someone interested. I'm familiar with Goth Rosary's sample scent pack and I don't know if that format would work well w/BPAL, though, since trying it on your skin is of such importance - many things I sniffed in the imp or bottle I wasn't wild about, but on my skin they were another story.

 

I'm sorry that you haven't found what you are looking for yet - I don't know for sure that it exists, but maybe when your package arrives you will find a couple of things that intrigue you even if they don't duplicate your beloved perfume. And from there, if you're still interested, you can post that list and ask about what's worth trying next, and so on and so forth.

[Blyss]

Red by Giorgio? Notes: This fine fragrance contains orange blossom, carnation, rose and is accented with marigold, patchouli and oakmoss.

 

I want to get something for my mum for mothers day...or a couple somethings. She loved Red, but when she divorced the man that bought it for her, she stopped wearing it. I'd like something with similar notes...similar flavor, yknow?

 

Any help is highly appreciated!

[PersephonesChild]

Red by Giorgio? Notes: This fine fragrance contains orange blossom, carnation, rose and is accented with marigold, patchouli and oakmoss. I want to get something for my mum for mothers day...or a couple somethings. She loved Red, but when she divorced the man that bought it for her, she stopped wearing it. I'd like something with similar notes...similar flavor, yknow?Any help is highly appreciated!

haven't smelled it, but try these:Zarita: Soft, yet sociopathic: white carnation, iris, orange blossom, and sugared cream.Jezebel: Biblical witch, priestess of Astarte, and general troublemaker. A true role model for today's upwardly mobile Modern Woman. A gloriously decadent blend of honey, roses, orange blossom and sandalwood.Lolita: Bright, sweet and youthful, but swelling with a poisonous sexuality. Glittering heliotrope, honeysuckle, orange blossom and lemon verbena.Ravenous: An utterly feral, thoroughly rousing perfume. Red patchouli sweetened by orange blossom.And the kickers:Vicomte de Valmont: I promised her my eternal love, and I actually thought that for a couple of hours. Rake, scoundrel, demon in a frock coat. Devilishly seductive, ultimately tragic; a villain undone and redeemed by love. Based on an 18th century gentlemen’s cologne: ambergris, white musk, white sandalwood, Spanish Moss, orange blossom, three mints, jasmine, rose geranium and a spike of rosemary.Masquerade: A festive, dazzling blend, layered in mystery and intrigue. Patchouli, ambergris, carnation and orange blossom.

 

Is there a BPAL that smells similar to Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Mandorlo Di Sicilia? Description:Bergamot, Star Anise, Jasmine, Green Almond, White Peach, White Cedarwood, Musk, Vanilla, CoffeeOn me it smells like vanilla and almond but not much else. It is a pretty sweet scent but isn't cloying.Any suggestions?I have Dana O'Shee, but it smells somewhat maraschino cherry on me, whereas I am looking for vanilla almond.TIA!

How about Salome: A scent that is both coquettish and sinister. Exotic and lush, brimming with grace and viciousness: almond with star jasmine, oakmoss, red sandalwood and Egyptian musk.Or Eclipse: All the glory, warmth and majesty of the sun -- darkened. A delicious blend of bitter almond, vanilla, frankincense and heliotrope, with a drop of cinnamon.Also, Asp Viper: Snake Oil with red mandarin, myrrh, and almond. (Sounds like it might be a little citrusy/resiny)And... Hellcat: A soft, sensual, luxuriant blend with a wicked bite: hazelnut, buttercream, honey mead, rum and sweet almond.Ooh, and if you're ok with coconut and honey behaves on you, Eden: fig leaf, fig fruit, honeyed almond milk, toasted coconut and sandalwood. Edited April 24, 2008 by PersephonesChild

[DARKBEAUTY28]

Thanks PersephonesChild!

[Blyss]

My thanks also!

[Beatrice33]

Hi there!

I have a friend, newbie to bpal, who loves Tresor by Lancome (but won't buy it for whatever reason).

I did a search in the thread for it but nothing came up.

Anyone has any recommendations on bpal scents that might run in a similar vein?

Thank you!

 

Tresor was my signature fragrance for a couple of years, and when I tried Hungry Ghost Moon it reminded me so much of it that I couldn't wear it! (Issues with bringing back memories I didn't want to bring back, not with the scent itself) It's unfortunately an LE that may not be easy to get, though. Another unhelpful suggestion is Tamamo-no-mae (I don't know if that's spelled right), another LE which reminded me of Tresor quite a bit. Sorry I don't have any GC recs to help you with!

[emily2531]

Dragon's Milk reminds me of Stila's Creme Bouquet.

[willowtreeling]

I think I can help with this one...I think that it was either Lady Una or Fairy Market had similar scents to Tresor--not spot on, but enough to make me not want to wear it, since it makes me think of my high school days. Posset's Fireflies smelled completely different in the bottle, but also smelled just like Tresor on me. Weird.

 

Hi there!

I have a friend, newbie to bpal, who loves Tresor by Lancome (but won't buy it for whatever reason).

I did a search in the thread for it but nothing came up.

Anyone has any recommendations on bpal scents that might run in a similar vein?

Thank you!

 

Tresor was my signature fragrance for a couple of years, and when I tried Hungry Ghost Moon it reminded me so much of it that I couldn't wear it! (Issues with bringing back memories I didn't want to bring back, not with the scent itself) It's unfortunately an LE that may not be easy to get, though. Another unhelpful suggestion is Tamamo-no-mae (I don't know if that's spelled right), another LE which reminded me of Tresor quite a bit. Sorry I don't have any GC recs to help you with!

[faeriedust]

I think this has been mentioned before but antique lace smells exactly like stila creme bouquet. I dont think dragon milk smells like creme bouquet though.

[mooncityminx]

Red by Giorgio? Notes: This fine fragrance contains orange blossom, carnation, rose and is accented with marigold, patchouli and oakmoss.

 

I want to get something for my mum for mothers day...or a couple somethings. She loved Red, but when she divorced the man that bought it for her, she stopped wearing it. I'd like something with similar notes...similar flavor, yknow?

 

Any help is highly appreciated!

 

I know this is a little late, but you might try Vixen. It has orange blossom and patchouili. The orange blossom is strong and it's very lady-like and classic. Here are the reviews.

[BeastiestFiend]

What about Viktor & Rolf Antidote? Anyones guess is gonna be better then mine. The primary base notes are amber, guaiacum wood, sandalwood, cedar, moss and musk.

 

Oh and if it helps here is a clip of a review.

"Woody oriental; it "(...) has opening notes of mint leaves, Italian bergamot, mandarin orange, essence of grapefruit and essence of Guatemalan cardamon. At the heart is sambac jasmine absolute."

[reina]

um.... I'm looking for the mouthwatering, luscious scent of JC Castelbajac, a sort of sweet, mature marzipan and vanilla that is never once bitter or overpowering. and I mean the Eau-de-Parfum version, in the red bottle, because the pink bottle version (EDT?) isn't the same at all... and now I can't find either, not the good version nor the crappy one. oof.

 

Seraglio has the rose and citrus with the almond and no vanilla. it's also not nearly as gentle or subtle, although very lush in and of itself.

I just want something that will be just as good or even better than Castelbajac. I know BPAL has it.

[ivyandpeony]

You may have to do some layering of something vanilla and something almond to get exactly what you want, reina... A lot of people find Dana O'Shee to have a marzipan quality but if it doesn't have enough almondy oomph for you, I find Queen of Sheba to be very almondy.

 

With vanillas, I have to rely on what they do on my skin and not what other people say they will do - it seems like one person's delicious and sublime vanilla can be another person's plasticky artificial vanilla candle. But I happen to get lots of dominant, creamy vanilla from Love's Philosophy, Opuhi, Egged Mailbox, and O. Not all of those are easy to find of course, but if you have any of them on hand they're what works for me.

[Beatrice33]

Hi Lovely BPALers,

 

I'm still looking for something resembling Issey Miyake's L'eau d'Issey. Urania and Black Hellebore have been mentioned upthread, and I'll try those, but they were mentioned many months ago, and I wondered if anyone had any new ideas. The thing about L'eau d'Issey I loved so much was that the initial blast of rather sharp aquatic blooms settled down into a sweet, light musk with just tinges of floral and aquatics. I'd love to find something like that in BPAL, but so far all the aquatics I've tried are too sharp, and the florals are too over the top floral. I guess I'm looking for a skin scent with muted aquatics and florals. Any ideas?

 

TIA!

[ivyandpeony]

Beatrice33, I haven't tried L'eau d'Issey - but as far as lightly aquatic florals without sharp heavy floral tones that might match up, I'd recommend trying Szepassony, Amsterdam, Lady of Shallott, Desdemona, Ophelia, Moon Rose, Xiuhtecuhtli, Leanan Sidhe and Machu Picchu. There's a retail exclusive Salon called The Black Swan that seems like it might be up your alley too - the notes are water lily, peony, seaweed absolute, lotus, Spanish moss, violet leaf, and marine accord. (I don't care for aquatics much at all and I find The Black Swan to be gorgeous.)

[Beatrice33]

Thanks for the suggestions, ivyandpeony! You've given me a great list to get started with.

[tziporra]

Hi there,

 

In my BPAL notes I reference L'eau D'Issey in my review of The Dormouse of all things.

 

I know -- they share no notes, and the Dormouse isn't an aquatic, and it doesn't make any sense to me at all either, but there you go. Maybe because they are both skin scents with a floral blast?

 

Anyway, it might be worth a shot.

 

Best,

 

Tzi

[meeow712]

To my nose, Harikata smelled a whole lot like L'eau d'Issey.

Hi Lovely BPALers,I'm still looking for something resembling Issey Miyake's L'eau d'Issey. Urania and Black Hellebore have been mentioned upthread, and I'll try those, but they were mentioned many months ago, and I wondered if anyone had any new ideas. The thing about L'eau d'Issey I loved so much was that the initial blast of rather sharp aquatic blooms settled down into a sweet, light musk with just tinges of floral and aquatics. I'd love to find something like that in BPAL, but so far all the aquatics I've tried are too sharp, and the florals are too over the top floral. I guess I'm looking for a skin scent with muted aquatics and florals. Any ideas?TIA!

And a hunt of my own.One of my favorite commercial perfumes is Design, by Paul Sebastian. I stopped wearing it along with all my other commercial perfumes, but miss it and would love to find a BPAL equivalent or similar so I can stop missing it. The to notes are: peach, orange blossom, and jasmine. The middle notes are: honeysuckle, carnation, and gardenia and the base of the fragrance is: black currant, musk, and sandalwood.There's so much in there that I'm not coming up with anything. Help?

[StrawberryKitten]

*waves*

 

So I know someone else mentioned Daisy by Marc Jacobs but does anyone know of a scent similar to Marc Jacobs by Marc Jacobs?

 

I *love* this perfume but it disappears sssooooooo fast on me.

 

Also (while I'm at it) does anyone know of a BPAL similar to Calvin Klien eternity?

 

Thanks!

[Beatrice33]

Wow ... Doormouse and Harikata. I wouldn't have come up with those on my own! Thanks, Doormouse and Tzi.

[jizatt]

I used to love a perfume called English Waterlilys. I don't even have my bottle now as that was AGES ago, and I can't seem to find anything on the web about it. Does anyone remember this perfume, and maybe able to recommend a BPAL that would be similar?

 

 

(edited to add:)

 

I finally found some references, but can't find any of the fragrance notes. The only ones still out there ot purchase are tigerlily, callalily, and daylily - none of which I care about =)

Edited May 24, 2008 by CaudaPavonis

[modillian]

When I first started with BPAL I wanted something similar to my then-favorite perfume, Lucky You, which is described as "Ruby red grapefruit, crushed green leaves, blue poppy, star jasmine, amber, sandalwood, musk." I tried Megaera ("Orris, black amber, bergamot, plum and grapefruit") in the Excolo line right off the bat, and in my opinion it is still the BETTER version of Lucky You. Megaera is creamier and fruitier, and the black amber has punch, but those are only a good things in my book. Megaera has been my signature scent ever since.

Edited May 24, 2008 by modillian

[DARKBEAUTY28]

A long time ago Naturistics made a fragrance spray called Mountain Berry. It was a sweet berry scent and if it were a shade it would make me think "purple". It seemed to have notes of blackberry but I can't find the notes online. The description was:

 

Imagine the clear, cool mountain air, alive with the freshness of nature. Dew glistening on the ripening vines. While the wind carries along the scent of wild berries.

 

Any recommendations on what BPAL I should try that sounds like the Mountain Berry fragrance? Thanks in advance.

[zomathesadist]

I totally used to wear that, too! And I was just thinking nostalgically of it the other day.

 

i don't have any suggestions, but I certainly would love one!

 

ETA: a quick google search revealed the notes of it to be cassis, bergamot, and sandalwood. and it is still available! just not from Naturistics.

 

A long time ago Naturistics made a fragrance spray called Mountain Berry. It was a sweet berry scent and if it were a shade it would make me think "purple". It seemed to have notes of blackberry but I can't find the notes online. The description was:

 

Imagine the clear, cool mountain air, alive with the freshness of nature. Dew glistening on the ripening vines. While the wind carries along the scent of wild berries.

 

Any recommendations on what BPAL I should try that sounds like the Mountain Berry fragrance? Thanks in advance.

Edited May 26, 2008 by ZomaTheSadist