Similarities Between BPAL Scents - GC and general discussion

[ivyandpeony]

Oops... wrong thread.

My issue belongs with the LE's, not the disco'ds....Sorry mods!!

 

The Velvets is actually considered a GC blend, as are all the Neil Gaiman scents - so this is the right place I moved your post over here for you! It's no big deal if a post gets put in one thread but really belongs in the other - I move posts back and forth all the time when I spot them.

 

For all members, not just Lorna Brigid, I know it can be confusing -but if you think of our goal with these threads is for fans to easily find comparisons to their favorites, it helps you visualize the best place to put your posts. Here are the rules of thumb that I use.

 

Scent requests:

If you are looking for something that is similar to a limited edition, use the LE thread to ask.

 

If you are looking for something similar to a GC, use this thread.

 

If you are looking for something similar to a discontinued GC, use the discontinueds thread.

 

Scent discussions:

If you notice that any scent, GC or LE, resembles an LE scent and want to tell the world, it's best to put it in the LE thread. That way people who are looking for something similar to that LE can find it there. (If you are posting about an LE scent that resembles a discontinued GC, you might also want to crosspost to the new Discontinued GCs thread so that people who are pining for that DC blend will find that info.)

 

If you notice a similarity between two (or more) GCs, this thread is the best place for it.

 

If you find something that seems to be a good replacement for a discontinued GC, the discons thread is the spot.

 

And of course, you can just answer questions wherever they have been asked and recommend BPAL scents from any category when you do . If there's been confusion & the discussion belongs elsewhere, I can always move it to the proper thread.

 

Hopefully that makes sense - again, it's not a big deal, definitely not even something you would ever get reminded/warned for

Edited November 19, 2010 by ivyandpeony

[Penance]

Cathedral (at least aged Cathedral, mine is over 5 years old) and Heavenly Love & Earthly Love are definitely similar for me. I still need multiples of both, though, because they're both amazing.

 

Heavenly Love is lighter and a little creamier and muskier, thanks to the ambergris, while Cathedral has a bit of a cedar note to it (that mellows a lot with age), but they're definitely both in the scent family. Closer to siblings than cousins, I'd say.

[plainjean]

I find that Black Pearl (Bewitching Brews) and Lamia (Neverwhere) are extremely similar, though I prefer Lamia. It has this subtle smokiness to it, which makes the whole coconut concept much more sophisticated and interesting. But, to me, they're both dark coconut blends.

 

Lamia notes: pale orchid, vanilla amber, black currant, white peach, champaca, coconut, Arabian myrrh, Burmese vetiver, and oude.

Black Pearl notes: coconut, Florentine iris, hazelnut and opalescent white musk.

[ivyandpeony]

...

Here are the rules of thumb that I use.

 

If you are looking for something that is similar to a limited edition, use the LE thread to ask.

 

If you are looking for something similar to a GC or discontinued GC blend, use this thread.

 

If you notice that any scent, GC or LE, resembles an LE scent and want to tell the world, it's best to put it in the LE thread. That way people who are looking for something similar to that LE can find it there. If you are posting about an LE scent that resembles a discontinued GC, you might also want to crosspost to this thread so that people who are pining for that DC blend will find that info.

 

If you notice a similarity between two (or more) GCs or find something that seems to be a good replacement for a discontinued GC, this thread is the best place for it.

 

Hopefully that makes sense - again, it's not a big deal, definitely not even something you would get reminded/warned for

 

With another round of unexpected GC scents being discontinued, I thought it might make it easier for all of us to have a thread dedicated to those from now on. You can find it here: http://www.bpal.org/topic/71400-when-your-favorite-gc-blends-are-discontinued/

 

I'll be slowly moving posts about discontinued scents over there from this thread. And of course, this thread can still be used to discuss similarities and scent families or request advice on scents you might like. Let me know if you have any questions

[calivianya]

I have two scents that I would love to find similar scents for, Black Opal and Nefertiti. Most of my favorite blends are red musk heavy, like Snake Oil, Infernal Lover, Scherezade, etc., so Black Opal surprised me to death when I loved it and I'd love to try other things in the same family. Also, I love Nefertiti to death - I think the scent is so interesting! The problem I have is the wear length. Nefertiti fades severely after half an hour, and is usually completely gone within an hour. Is there anything that smells a lot like Nefertiti that last longer?

[The Amber Dawn]

I've been wondering this for a while, and I figure I'll just see if any of you know.

 

Is there something like Door, but sweeter, like with Vanilla (or/Milk/Cream/Sugar)?

 

I've tried Deadly Nightshade Honey and Mead Moon, which are dead ringers for Door. I've tried Tobacco Honey which is the bitter side of Door. Now I'd like to add some vanilla/sweetness, if it's out there.

 

Is there anything like that?

[reconditarmonia]

Amber Dawn, you might like Against Idleness and Mischief, maybe. I can't speak to its similarity to Door because Door was all cistus on me, ack, but Against Idleness is wonderful honey and chamomile with tonka, which is apparently kind of like vanilla. (Vanilla doesn't work on me either - too sweet - so this may not be helpful.)

 

Then again, depending on what other notes you don't mind having in it, there are a couple of milk'n'honey blends with other things in, I think - like Alice of Dawn: Maiden, which have rose, carnation, blah blah blah.

[The Amber Dawn]

Amber Dawn, you might like Against Idleness and Mischief, maybe. I can't speak to its similarity to Door because Door was all cistus on me, ack, but Against Idleness is wonderful honey and chamomile with tonka, which is apparently kind of like vanilla. (Vanilla doesn't work on me either - too sweet - so this may not be helpful.)

 

Then again, depending on what other notes you don't mind having in it, there are a couple of milk'n'honey blends with other things in, I think - like Alice of Dawn: Maiden, which have rose, carnation, blah blah blah.

 

Thank you very much for your input! Any help is much appreciated.

 

I've tried Against Idleness and Mischief with mostly positive results (having a disheartening time trying to figure out what I like because just when I think I've got it sorted, my skin chemistry/diet/hormones/what have you throw a wrench in things! I fall in and out of love with scents daily it seems...). Dawn: Maiden... Let's just say I can't trust my skin so I'll be trying it again, but the first go was not good (which broke my heart!). Alice was interesting, but SO wasn't impressed..

 

Hmmm. The search continues...

[Vega]

I have two scents that I would love to find similar scents for, Black Opal and Nefertiti. Most of my favorite blends are red musk heavy, like Snake Oil, Infernal Lover, Scherezade, etc., so Black Opal surprised me to death when I loved it and I'd love to try other things in the same family. Also, I love Nefertiti to death - I think the scent is so interesting! The problem I have is the wear length. Nefertiti fades severely after half an hour, and is usually completely gone within an hour. Is there anything that smells a lot like Nefertiti that last longer?

I classify Black Opal as a "sugary vanilla", and other sugary-vanillas are Tombstone and Antique Lace. All three are variations on a theme: dominating vanilla plus other notes that make it interesting. More distantly related is Dorian: it also has sugary-vanilla, but it's less dominant to me.

[The Amber Dawn]

Alright, maybe out of left field here... But I've recently fallen head-over-heels for How Doth the Little Crocodile and I was wondering if there was anything else you guys can recommend that are in the same vein? I've tried a tonne of chocolate scents, but wood and nuts are usually very disastrous deal-breakingly bad notes on me and this one just breaks all the rules. (I see in the review thread references to Tombstone, Velvet, Boomslang, Wulric, and alot of other chocolate/woodsy scents that were all terrible on me.)

 

Also, does it mellow with age? Alot of people in the reviews seem to be describing something much more strongly choco-mint than what I seem to be experiencing... Am I going to have to cellar it?

[o0SnowDrop0o]

Edit - whoops, wrong the Thread! Sorry.

Edited March 17, 2011 by o0SnowDrop0o

[Corvus Corax]

Are there any GCs similar to Faith?

 

Faith: Faith is sugared violet.

 

I would love to find a scent very similar to Faith. I like Hope, but love Faith. Any suggestions from GC?

[knowitall]

Hello, nice people! Anyone care to help a little lost lamb?

 

I've tried quite a few BPAL scents now, and have discovered a handful that I really love. We wantses more, precious. Now, common sense tells me I should just search for scents with notes similar to the things I have liked thus far. Alas, my nose ain't that good. I have no idea what hyssop or heliotrope or red musk smells like. I'm not even sure if something smells blue or green or purple. I know Good Smell and Bad Smell. That's all. This, combined with the fact that the notes are sometimes not listed in the scent description on the site, means I need some help finding things I might like.

 

So...help? Please? My undying gratitude shall be yours. Here's what has worked for me so far:

 

Glasgow

Snake Oil

Temple of Dreams

The Apothecary

Thy Godfather's Present

Water of Notre Dame

(I also loved Fae, The Unicorn and The Dormouse, but they fade within nanoseconds on my skin.)

 

Just in case it's helpful, things that SO DID NOT WORK include Chimera, Djinn, Hellcat, Kali, Miskatonic University, Somnus, The Scales of Deprivation, Tintagel, The Witch's Repast and Wrath. (Weirdly, these all, every single one, turn into Jager on me. I don't even know, y'all.)

 

Any recommendations you can come up with will be greatly appreciated.

[Helas]

I can't help for the rest, but Ophelia and Lyonesse are like Water of Notre Dame to me. Ophelia is very similar, except sweeter and more floral. Lyonesse is alike more in terms of its "feel" than in its actual smell - it's a very gentle, feminine aquatic.

 

Glasgow is maybe a tiny bit like Bewitched, but Bewitched is a lot darker.

[beliefunwrought]

Hello, nice people! Anyone care to help a little lost lamb?

 

I've tried quite a few BPAL scents now, and have discovered a handful that I really love. We wantses more, precious. Now, common sense tells me I should just search for scents with notes similar to the things I have liked thus far. Alas, my nose ain't that good. I have no idea what hyssop or heliotrope or red musk smells like. I'm not even sure if something smells blue or green or purple. I know Good Smell and Bad Smell. That's all. This, combined with the fact that the notes are sometimes not listed in the scent description on the site, means I need some help finding things I might like.

 

So...help? Please? My undying gratitude shall be yours. Here's what has worked for me so far:

 

Glasgow

Snake Oil

Temple of Dreams

The Apothecary

Thy Godfather's Present

Water of Notre Dame

(I also loved Fae, The Unicorn and The Dormouse, but they fade within nanoseconds on my skin.)

 

Just in case it's helpful, things that SO DID NOT WORK include Chimera, Djinn, Hellcat, Kali, Miskatonic University, Somnus, The Scales of Deprivation, Tintagel, The Witch's Repast and Wrath. (Weirdly, these all, every single one, turn into Jager on me. I don't even know, y'all.)

 

Any recommendations you can come up with will be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Hi there! While we do seem to have fairly different tastes I might be able to help based on a quick search I did of this thread. This is what came up when I searched for the scents you liked:

 

Rosalind

Baobhan Sith

Maiden

The Hermit

Yemaya

Prague

Psyche

Midnight

Whitechapel

Bordello

Amsterdam

The Lady of Shalott

Ulalume

Windward Passage

Dragon's Eye

Squirting Cucumber

Lightning

Endymion

 

And I'll throw in 51, Belladonna, Undertow and Absinthe based on personal experience.

 

Also, here are a few recommendation threads which might help you find similar scents:

Watery or aquatic florals

"Soapy" scents

Herbal scents

Green scents

And a whole thread of recommendations for those who love Snake Oil

 

Hope some of this helps!

[knowitall]

I can't help for the rest, but Ophelia and Lyonesse are like Water of Notre Dame to me.

 

Thank you so much for the recs, particularly Lyonesse...that one wouldn't have occurred to me. I am intrigued by Bewitched. I rather like the idea of having scents that are like two sides of the same coin, and it sounds like Bewitched and Glasgow might be just that.

Edited March 23, 2011 by knowitall

[knowitall]

Hi there! While we do seem to have fairly different tastes I might be able to help based on a quick search I did of this thread. This is what came up when I searched for the scents you liked...

 

Hope some of this helps!

 

I didn't even think to try and search the thread...that, and the recs, will be most helpful! Thanks so much!

[Usagi]

This talk of Hope reminded me...

 

Are there any GCs similar to Faith? Violet Ray was my sugared-violet scent, but, well.. She's gone now.

 

 

Are there any GCs similar to Faith?

 

Faith: Faith is sugared violet.

 

I would love to find a scent very similar to Faith. I like Hope, but love Faith. Any suggestions from GC?

 

Have you tried Veil? I was just wearing it today, and it's all sweet, lovely violets on my skin. It might be worth a shot, anyway.

 

Veil~

A quiet scent, soft, calm and enigmatic. A perfume of mystery, of whispers, and of secrets behind secrets. White sandalwood, lilac, gardenia, violet, orris, lavender and ylang ylang.

[knowitall]

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who comes to this thread to offer a helping hand. I made several BPAL orders before coming to the forums and while I managed to pick a few scents that I like, I picked a whole lot more that just didn't work. So I came here and got some recs and made an order based on your recommendations. It arrived today.

 

Y'all. This is the holy grail of BPAL orders. Of *sixteen* scents that y'all recommended, THEY ALL WORK. I love each and every single one! You guys know your stuff and I thank you profusely for all your awesomeness.

 

 

(Edited to fix the smiley face...)

Edited April 20, 2011 by knowitall

[JasminDreams2010]

Hello- I hope this is the right place for this question....

Can y'all help me find a scent ( GC so I can keep ordering it!) that has the same sort of fairy evocative quality of Titania, but is more appropriate for autumn?

It doesn't have to be identical, note-wise. I am just really loving Titania right now, and keep getting compliments on it but was hoping to find a slightly 'darker' version for the fall. I'm kind of considering a bottle of hymn to proserpine but want maybe a little more of a floral/herby potion.

cheers, thanks

[Balame]

Hello- I hope this is the right place for this question....

Can y'all help me find a scent ( GC so I can keep ordering it!) that has the same sort of fairy evocative quality of Titania, but is more appropriate for autumn?

It doesn't have to be identical, note-wise. I am just really loving Titania right now, and keep getting compliments on it but was hoping to find a slightly 'darker' version for the fall. I'm kind of considering a bottle of hymn to proserpine but want maybe a little more of a floral/herby potion.

cheers, thanks

I think you might really like Frumious Bandersnatch.

 

Bandersnatch musk, redolent of spicy carnations, wild plums and chrysanthemum

It's a fruity/floral but with a far more fall-based note collection. The plum is really ripe and decadent, and the carnation is truly spicy - so much that I initially thought cinnamon might have been in it. So, it's a much "warmer" collection for fall, but it still manages to stay light and overall has a "sparkling" quality while being more zesty in its spiciness.

 

You also might think I'm crazy for this one, but Tavern of Hell -

 

White gardenia, ambergris bouquet, lavender fougere, orange blossom, melissa, tobacco flower, coriander, ebony wood, ylang ylang, absinthe and aged whiskey

I know, the name makes it sound like it'll be overwhelmingly spicy... but believe me, this is an awesome juicy floral. It's a bouquet of fresh, sweet flowers with a blot of ripe citrus in the middle (the ylang ylang is great as well), and the booze doesn't overwhelm it, instead giving it a more mature/sexy/smoky feel.

 

If you asked me what these were in the context of faries, I would say Bandersnatch is the older sister fairy coming into her own, slowly exploring her sexuality but still quite innocent and wide-eyed with the world, while Tavern of Hell is the sexpot who's seen it all but still somehow manages to be refreshing to be around and everyone's drawn to her. I'd say Bandersnatch is closer to Titania in "vibe", but if you're willing to go with something that's a bit darker for a fall scent, ToH is worth a try as well.

 

By the way, for anyone wondering about a Fairy Wine substitute/test - Osun is an imp-able, creamier version of it. Still like Fairy Wine more for it's fresher feel, but Osun has almost the exact same grouping of herbs amidst a softer base.

[Urpflanze]

Tobacco question; keep in mind I'm a fella - I've been looking for things like Antikythera Mechanism - dominant tobacco with woods -

 

I'm looking at Interfector and Carceri d'Invenzione and the notes look quite similar but the reviews are so different. Anyone tried both? Or other recommendations in the tobacco world?

[Gwydion]

I can't help with Carceri d'Invenzion, as my sample lacked throw and went a little funny with aging and my skin chemistry, but I do love both Antikythera Mechanism and Interfector. Interfector is a little like AM and Tombstone had a baby. I think it's the different wood mix, honestly. it is both masculine and lovely, if that's any help.

[imaginepageant]

Tobacco question; keep in mind I'm a fella - I've been looking for things like Antikythera Mechanism - dominant tobacco with woods -

 

I'm looking at Interfector and Carceri d'Invenzione and the notes look quite similar but the reviews are so different. Anyone tried both? Or other recommendations in the tobacco world?

In the imp, Interfector was almost identical to The Antikythera Mechanism, with the latter being a bit more herbal and astringent. However, on my skin, they both went in slightly different directions - The Antikythera Mechanism was gorgeous woodsy tobacco, where Interfector went somewhat foody. I prefer The Antikythera Mechanism myself, and I definitely say it's a better choice for guys than Interfector (unless you are a big foody lover).

 

However! I recently tried Atlas, and it's definitely in the same family, but by far my favorite. The funny thing is, it's sweet and foody, but in a much nicer way than Interfector. I'd say it's closer to The Antikythera Mechanism as it has more similar notes (oak bark, hinoki wood). But, it's probably more of a feminine blend considering how sweet it is. I'd still say The Antikythera Mechanism would win for guys, but I'd absolutely suggest trying Atlas if you can before Metamorphosis comes down.

 

No experience with Carceri d'Invenzione.

[imaginepageant]

Alright, maybe out of left field here... But I've recently fallen head-over-heels for How Doth the Little Crocodile and I was wondering if there was anything else you guys can recommend that are in the same vein? I've tried a tonne of chocolate scents, but wood and nuts are usually very disastrous deal-breakingly bad notes on me and this one just breaks all the rules. (I see in the review thread references to Tombstone, Velvet, Boomslang, Wulric, and alot of other chocolate/woodsy scents that were all terrible on me.)

 

Also, does it mellow with age? Alot of people in the reviews seem to be describing something much more strongly choco-mint than what I seem to be experiencing... Am I going to have to cellar it?

I was hoping for chocolate mint from How Doth, but instead I got chocolate pistachio - which I turned out to adore anyway, so it worked out in the end. Nothing I've tried has struck me as similar, but I will recommend WILF: Warm fur coupled with red and black musk, vanilla bean, patchouli, champaca flower, juniper berry, chocolate peppermint, frangipani, browned sandalwood, ferntop ash resin, and massoia bark. Again, a mix of chocolate and mint that just doesn't translate as chocolate and mint to my nose. Now, this is a rather woodsy blend, but if you enjoy Snake Oil, I'd say give it a try.