Looking for a BPAL that Resembles a Favorite Perfume

[mooncityminx]

Hey folks! I'm trying to get my mom away from perfume that I can't stand (chemicals trigger my asthma or something) and into a BPAL she'll love.

 

The only perfume she wears, daily, is Givenchy's Organza Indecence. I can't smell it to tell what kind of notes I'd be looking for - so can anyone recommend anything to me? Please? In time for Yule?

Antikythera Mechanism is the closest thing in the GC to Indecence, at least after it has reacted with my chemistry. Glowing Vulva was sooo close! But it is gone

 

You might also consider A Great Cry in Egypt for that type of scent. GCIE goes powdery on me But it is a spicy, ambery, oriental like Indecence.

 

I just loved Indecence. Stupid perfumer's alcohol!

[hespera4523]

Hello! Please help this relative newbie?

 

I'm looking for BPAL equivalents to my two favourite perfumes from my childhood, both of which I'm pretty sure have been discontinued, as I haven't been able to find them anywhere for years.

 

The first is Emeraude. This one suited me very well even as a youngster, and I got plenty of compliments on it.

 

The second is Xia Xiang. I remember it as being something of a floriental, which is one of my favourite types of scent.

 

Any help from someone who remembers these scents would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

 

HI PB!

I don't remember Emeraude personally, but when in a fit of joy over my first experience with Snake Oil, I shoved it under my mom's nose and was told that it smelled just like Emeraude. Don't know if you've gotten to Snake Oil yet, is just what my mom said.

Pax,

Hes

[rawgirl75]

Hello! Please help this relative newbie?

 

I'm looking for BPAL equivalents to my two favourite perfumes from my childhood, both of which I'm pretty sure have been discontinued, as I haven't been able to find them anywhere for years.

 

The first is Emeraude. This one suited me very well even as a youngster, and I got plenty of compliments on it.

 

The second is Xia Xiang. I remember it as being something of a floriental, which is one of my favourite types of scent.

 

Any help from someone who remembers these scents would be greatly appreciated!

 

Although I've never tried Xia Xiang before, I did find a listing of its notes (which might help you target a scent close to it (or atleast one you might love just as much):

 

Scent: Floral Oriental.

Top Notes: lemon and tangerine.

Middle Notes: jasmine, rose, gardenia and orange blossom.

Base Notes: peach, plum, raspberry, vanilla, sandalwood, patchouli and oakmoss.

 

From basenotes.com, the notes I found for Emeraude:

Top: Bergamot, Lemon, Orange

Middle: Jasmine, Rose, Rosewood, Ylang-ylang

Base: Opoponax, Benzene, patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla

 

This list isn't ringing any bells for me, but maybe it'll be useful for someone else, or if you feel like searching the lab's listing.

 

No luck on a note search for Xia Xiang.

 

So from these two we discover that....

a] You like citrus topnotes

b] You like jasmine and rose middle notes (paired with a sweeter floral like orange blossom or ylang ylang)

c] You like sandalwood and vanilla as a basenote (with a little bit of something grounding it like oakmoss or patchouli)

 

I wonder if you'd like... Rapture, Kubla Khan, Euphrosyne, Pannychis, La Vague, Moscow, MB Biggercritters, La Primavera, Faiza the Black Mamba or The Presence of Love....

 

Personally, I think the #1 scent you should try though is Versailles. I think its exactly what you're looking for.

Edited November 28, 2008 by rawgirl75

[PlasticBlue]

Wow! You guys did a lot of work!

 

 

Thanks so much for the recommendations! I have some of these in imp form, so I'll check them out!

[rawgirl75]

I tried Versailles on myself today and although its very very nice, its missing the sandalwood/resins that it needs to ground it. A little to light and I wouldnt consider it a traditional "Floriental".

 

That being said, I've changed my recommendation. What you might want to try is Wilhelmina Murray which is sadly hard to find.

 

[edit: OR layer it with another scent that has a sandalwood/myrrh/patchouli combination to darken it up.]

Edited November 28, 2008 by rawgirl75

[ivyandpeony]

I tried Versailles on myself today and although its very very nice, its missing the sandalwood/resins that it needs to ground it. A little to light and I wouldnt consider it a traditional "Floriental".

 

That being said, I've changed my recommendation. What you might want to try is Wilhelmina Murray which is sadly hard to find.

 

[edit: OR layer it with another scent that has a sandalwood/myrrh/patchouli combination to darken it up.]

 

This is a little bit of a "BPAL similarites" kind of post... but I find Versailles, Moscow and Three Brides (from the Salon) to be cousins, maybe because they all share a combo of various rose, amber and citrus notes that Beth takes in different directions. Of the trio, Three Brides most resembles a traditional perfume and might be worth trying to see if it matches up with those old school favorites. I am not familiar w/ Xia Xhang but vaguely remember Emeraude from my childhood, and recall it as a dressy, "formal" perfume, and I'd definitely characterize Three Brides that way.

 

For comparison, the notes:

 

Versailles: Gilded red and gold citrus with amber, ruby roses, jasmine and orris.

 

Moscow: Imperial rose, carnation, lush jasmine, lily of the valley, dark musk, amber, bergamot and gilded tangerine.

 

Three Brides: Moroccan rose, king mandarin, red sandalwood, Egyptian amber, orchid, carnation, benzoin, tonka, calla lily, vanilla flower.

[Persephone76]

Persephone76-- my first recommendation for Ormond Jayne Woman would be Coyote or The Lion, for a spicy/woody/amber blend.

 

A rec from another Persephone!

 

I'll try those two for sure. Though OJ Woman smells more green and creamy on me. Off to dig up my imp of Coyote...

[levelek]

I'm looking for something similar to a perfume gifted to my brother many a moon ago. It was from the Cuba line, but I am not sure if it was Orange or Gold.

 

The notes in Cuba Orange are jasmine, cedar and sandalwood.

 

The notes in Cuba Gold are apparently bergamot, lavender and vetiver, blended with woods and jasmine.

 

I'm a total newbie and waiting for my first batch of imps to arrive, so recommendations will be gratefully received!

[revinn]

My favorite commercial fragrance, as ashamed as I am to say it, is In Control by Britney Spears. It was an LE, and while I have a back up bottle, I'd love to find a BPAL replacement. Here are the notes: loquat fruit, midnight orchid, crème brûlée, black vanilla bean, tonka crystals, sandalwood, and musk. Any suggestions?

[cinderfallen]

What kind of scent is it? Fruity? Sweet? More creamy?

 

Just giving out notes doesn't help much if you want scent recs unless you find a person who already knows that scent. There's a search engine on the BPAL site: use it. Learn it. Love it. Otherwise, there a million different ways the notes could be blended at different strengths and concentrations. Even vague description of what it smells like to you will help a lot.

 

I'd say try Queen Mab, which looks similar. It's a sweet floral, with a nice light musk, a little candy but not over the top.

Edited December 4, 2008 by cinderfallen

[revinn]

It's kind of a powdery gourmand. The creme brulee really stands out, as well as the tonka. I don't smell any fruit, just a dark, sexy foody smell that isn't too sweet.

[cinderfallen]

I think Red Lantern might work: Golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium and delphinium laced with a sensual blend of Asian spice.

 

It's an LE but it's pretty likely it will show up around January for Valentine's Day. There are also imps floating around the forum.

 

The Arrival at the Sabbath and Homage to the Devil, a Salon, is: Bourbon vanilla, benzoin, caramel, Mysore sandalwood, aged black patchouli, carnation, and iris florentina.

 

From the GCs, I'd recommend you try Velvet, which is described as "gentle sandalwood warmed by cocoa vanilla and a veil of deep myrrh." Reviews here.

 

Dorian may work. It's a dark, rich vanilla tea with a good dose of musk. It's not too sweet, in my opinion, and has a powdery gourmand quality.

 

Boomslang is a mix of spicy/vanilla sweet Snake Oil with cocoa absolute. Dark and rich, but sweet.

Edited December 5, 2008 by cinderfallen

[Juushika]

It's kind of a powdery gourmand. The creme brulee really stands out, as well as the tonka. I don't smell any fruit, just a dark, sexy foody smell that isn't too sweet.

This made me think immediately of El Dia de Reyes, Hot cocoa with cinnamon, coffee, and brown sugar. Different notes, and cocoa rather than creme brulee, but a similar sense: it's a powdery dark gourmand, reminiscent of brownie mix powder, but a wearable perfume and not too sweet. (I, in fact, am wearing it now.)

 

As a GC cousin, I second the recommendation of Velvet. It's not as dark and not quite as foody, but it's a similar powdery gourmand cocoa with the slight sweetness of vanilla (similar to tonka).

Edited December 5, 2008 by Juushika

[levelek]

I'm looking for something similar to a perfume gifted to my brother many a moon ago. It was from the Cuba line, but I am not sure if it was Orange or Gold.

 

The notes in Cuba Orange are jasmine, cedar and sandalwood.

 

The notes in Cuba Gold are apparently bergamot, lavender and vetiver, blended with woods and jasmine.

 

I'm a total newbie and waiting for my first batch of imps to arrive, so recommendations will be gratefully received!

 

 

Sorry I didn't specify what it smells like! I need to build my scent vocabulary, but basically it's a sensual, somewhat masculine, somewhat woody but not too heavy smell, with a well blended jasmine that doesn't scream. It's marketed to men, but I would love to wear something like this myself. It comes in a cigar shaped bottle and I wouldn't have been suprised to find a note of tobacco in there too, but it doesn't appear to be in the description.

Edited December 5, 2008 by levelek

[mooncityminx]

Has anyone tried J'Adore? Is there a bpal that resembles it? My mom wants to know.

[sqwook]

For those who are looking for something similar to Angel by Thierry Mugler, if Xiuhtecuhtli isn't doing it for you, you should try The Antikythera Mechanism. Yum! Hm, I might have to try layering the two...

[toaster]

As a newcomer to BPAL, I have made a decision to enable my dear fiancé. He loves Polo by Ralph Lauren, and I found the notes. Someone on this thread said Scarecrow is just like it, but he didn't seem to think the description I read him matched.

 

Here we go (there are LOTS of notes here...):

 

Topnotes: Pine, lavendar, juniper, artemisia, bergamot, cumin, basil.

 

Middle notes: Coriander, marjoram, jasmin, carnation, geranium, thyme, & rose

 

Base notes: Oakmoss, patchouli, leather, cedar, amber, musk, frankinsense

 

(I figure if he finds something he likes, he can order a 5 ml bottle and I can get the imps! MWA HAHAHAHA)

 

He liked that it smelled "outdoorsy." I have imps of Bewitched and The Jersey Devil, which he was kind of meh on.

 

I was going to comb through the BPAL website and get a list of oils with each ingredient and figure something out, but thought I could benefit greatly from your sage advice.

 

Thanks!

[septima_pica]

toaster, maybe he should try Dracul? ("Black musk, tobacco, fir, balsam of peru, cumin, bitter clove, crushed mint, and orange blossom.")

[Apple]

As a newcomer to BPAL, I have made a decision to enable my dear fiancé. He loves Polo by Ralph Lauren, and I found the notes. Someone on this thread said Scarecrow is just like it, but he didn't seem to think the description I read him matched.

 

Here we go (there are LOTS of notes here...):

 

Topnotes: Pine, lavendar, juniper, artemisia, bergamot, cumin, basil.

 

Middle notes: Coriander, marjoram, jasmin, carnation, geranium, thyme, & rose

 

Base notes: Oakmoss, patchouli, leather, cedar, amber, musk, frankinsense

 

(I figure if he finds something he likes, he can order a 5 ml bottle and I can get the imps! MWA HAHAHAHA)

 

He liked that it smelled "outdoorsy." I have imps of Bewitched and The Jersey Devil, which he was kind of meh on.

Polo was very popular when I was in high school, and I remember it being a sharp, "green" masculine fragrance (probably from that pine top note). BPAL blends that have reminded me of Polo include:

Incantation

(Bewitching Brews) - Vetiver, dark woods, crumbling and burnt black sandalwood and a drop of lemon rind.

 

Oblivion

(Sin & Salvation) - Salvation found in darkness beyond darkness, the blessed sleep of nothingness. Dark musk, wood spice, labdanum, patchouli, dark African woods, and saffron.

Other ones that might be worth trying:

Black Forest

(Bewitching Brews) - Thick, viscous pine with ambergris, black musk, juniper and cypress.

 

Casanova

(Ars Amatoria) - A rakish blend of leather, anise, lavender, bergamot and amber with tonka, lemon peel and lusty patchouli.

 

Loup Garou

(Diabolus) - The wild, untamed essence of lycanthropy. Primeval in its raw power and insatiable hunger: juniper, cypress and galangal with the barest touch of eucalyptus.

 

Nocnitsa

(Diabolus) - A lightless fir wood, nighttime air, wet forest mosses and upturned earth.

 

Saint-Germain

(Bewitching Brews) - Gilded amber, hypnotic lavender, brash carnation and deep mosses.

 

Troll

(Diabolus) - vetiver, pine pitch, troll musk, black basil, clove smoke, and scorched cumin.

And here is a thread that might be of interest:

Forest and Woods Scents (with & without evergreens)

[beliefunwrought]

I discovered over the weekend that, at least on me, Ether from the Phoenix Steamworks smells very similar to Dior Addict Shine.

[tajana]

Does anyone know of any BPAL that resembles Dior Cherie? I'm trying to enable someone.

 

It's listed notes are: Green Tangerine, Violette, Pink Jasmine, Patchouli, Crystalline Musk, Strawberry Leaves, Caramelized Popcorn, Strawberry Sorbet.

[beachbabealways]

As a newcomer to BPAL, I have made a decision to enable my dear fiancé. He loves Polo by Ralph Lauren, and I found the notes. Someone on this thread said Scarecrow is just like it, but he didn't seem to think the description I read him matched.

 

Here we go (there are LOTS of notes here...):

 

Topnotes: Pine, lavendar, juniper, artemisia, bergamot, cumin, basil.

 

Middle notes: Coriander, marjoram, jasmin, carnation, geranium, thyme, & rose

 

Base notes: Oakmoss, patchouli, leather, cedar, amber, musk, frankinsense

 

(I figure if he finds something he likes, he can order a 5 ml bottle and I can get the imps! MWA HAHAHAHA)

 

He liked that it smelled "outdoorsy." I have imps of Bewitched and The Jersey Devil, which he was kind of meh on.

 

I was going to comb through the BPAL website and get a list of oils with each ingredient and figure something out, but thought I could benefit greatly from your sage advice.

 

Thanks!

 

If your talking about Polo in the green bottle ... it's nothing like Scarecrow. So your guy is right, it's not a match. I haven't come across anything that smells like Polo in the BPAL line.

 

ETA: I agree with Apple tho ... have him try Oblivion. It's really nice and bet he would like it. The one I tried was green in color.

Edited February 9, 2009 by beachbabealways

[Monster]

For those who are looking for something similar to Angel by Thierry Mugler, if Xiuhtecuhtli isn't doing it for you, you should try The Antikythera Mechanism. Yum! Hm, I might have to try layering the two...

 

I second that!!!

 

[Tahimik]

I'm a complete newbie to BPAL, and I'd really like to find something similar to the men's Cool Water by Davidoff. ^^;

 

Top notes: Lavender, peppermint, coriander, rosemary, and orange blossom.

 

Middle notes: Jasmine, oak moss, geranium, and sandalwood.

 

Base notes: Amber, musk, sandalwood, and cedar.

Edited February 15, 2009 by Tahimik

[melisssa]

Does anyone know of any BPAL that resembles Dior Cherie? I'm trying to enable someone.

 

It's listed notes are: Green Tangerine, Violette, Pink Jasmine, Patchouli, Crystalline Musk, Strawberry Leaves, Caramelized Popcorn, Strawberry Sorbet.

 

For me, Bon Vivant (strawberries and champagne) was a little like Dior Cherie.