Similarities Between BPAL Scents - GC and general discussion

[Your_Spooky_Cousin]

Hey folks!

 

I’m new here, and super lost (but still excited!).

 

recently I purchased both Hex Breaker and Drakontomalloi from the BPAL/TAL collaboration with Sphere and Sundry. I love them both, but I particularly fell in love with Drakontomalloi. The fragrance feels really good on me, and that’s not something I’ve often found. I’d LOVE to wear it every day, however it’s powerful and has a profound impact on me (Mother Algol!!!). So I’d love to find something that’s more suitable for daily wear.
 

I have no clue what the dominant scent I’m drawn to within it is, so I don’t know how helpful I can be here. But are there any suggestions regarding similar fragrances within the BPAL catalogue?

 

Thanks for your help!!!

[niffler]

@Your_Spooky_Cousin Welcome! I'm still relatively new here myself, but I'll try to help if I can! 

 

From the ingredients on Sphere and Sundry, I can see a few things that pop up in many BPAL fragrances. Even if you don't know exactly what it is about the scent you like, you can search BPAL for things like myrrh, patchouli, opoponax, or oak, or use their directory (it's very thorough). And if a fragrance is out of stock, someone here on the forums may have a bottle or decant they'd be willing to sell. 

 

You might try looking at reviews on the forums of scents with similar ingredients. See if you find an entry that describes something similar to both what you smell in the bottle and when you wear it. Is there a mismatch between the two, or does it stay the same on your skin? Is it sharper in one form, earthier in another? This might help you pinpoint what it is about the fragrance you like so much. 

 

Good hunting, cousin! 

[monocainsheresy]

Is there anyone here who's tried Dee and John Locke side by side? I really like Dee and my nose automatically puts lavender into it because I strongly associate lavender with tonka, but I'm wondering how it compares to a real lavender-tonk-leather blend. I feel like it would be a bit silly to order bottles of both until I know if they're appreciably different. I'm especially curious about how the spice of John Locke compares to the woods of Dee. I've been wobbling on Dee for months because I know I don't like the way rosewood ages, but on the other hand my skin swallows all spice except cinnamon and I don't know if that's the spice of John Locke, and without the spice I feel it would smell almost exactly the same as Dee.

 

Help!

[RedAnalysis]

So apparently I’m really late to the party on this, but I was devastated to find out that Glasgow is probably discontinued.  It was my all-time favorite, signature scent!   I’m on the hunt now for the next best thing - can anyone recommend something that smells similar to Glasgow?

Edited April 30, 2020 by RedAnalysis

[lady_pandora]

54 minutes ago, RedAnalysis said:

So apparently I’m really late to the party on this, but I was devastated to find out that Glasgow is probably discontinued.  It was my all-time favorite, signature scent!   I’m on the hunt now for the next best thing - can anyone recommend something that smells similar to Glasgow?

 

So I think I'm anosmic to something in Glasgow, because I could never smell much of anything when I wore it. Probably the heather, because I do like blackberry and can smell it in other things. So if what you're looking for is a blackberry scent, I can recommend Bewitched for a blackberry-and-herbs scent, or Exodus 22:21, which is more like blackberry dipped in incense. 

[Nightmare]

Can anyone recommend scents similar to Theodosius?

 

I panicked a bit when it was sold out because I love it dearly and wasn't sure if it would be back. It is now, and I'm going to get an extra bottle or two when I have the $$, but I want to keep my options open, haha. It happens to be the only scent categorized under "white fougere," jasmine leaf, and one of two under earl grey (the other being a limited scent already sold out)... not even sure where to start.

 

Edit: I guess I mentioned this in the last post I made here, when it was sold out, and entirely forgot, lol. I didn't see any suggestions though, so still definitely seeking them.

Edited July 15, 2020 by Nightmare

[clockworkcrypt]

3 hours ago, Nightmare said:

Can anyone recommend scents similar to Theodosius?

 

I panicked a bit when it was sold out because I love it dearly and wasn't sure if it would be back. It is now, and I'm going to get an extra bottle or two when I have the $$, but I want to keep my options open, haha. It happens to be the only scent categorized under "white fougere," jasmine leaf, and one of two under earl grey (the other being a limited scent already sold out)... not even sure where to start.

 

Edit: I guess I mentioned this in the last post I made here, when it was sold out, and entirely forgot, lol. I didn't see any suggestions though, so still definitely seeking them.

This dosent help at all but I remember it being very similar to paper Phoenix on my skin, so much so at my 3 bottle collection at the time had me swap it away. It's probably not easier to get a hold of more of that either. I know Dorian is sort of a spiritual cousin to it as well.

[alterosen]

On 7/15/2020 at 2:48 AM, Nightmare said:

Can anyone recommend scents similar to Theodosius?

 

I panicked a bit when it was sold out because I love it dearly and wasn't sure if it would be back. It is now, and I'm going to get an extra bottle or two when I have the $$, but I want to keep my options open, haha. It happens to be the only scent categorized under "white fougere," jasmine leaf, and one of two under earl grey (the other being a limited scent already sold out)... not even sure where to start.

 

Edit: I guess I mentioned this in the last post I made here, when it was sold out, and entirely forgot, lol. I didn't see any suggestions though, so still definitely seeking them.

 

The notes for Theodosius are: Earl Grey tea leaves, a white fougere, jasmine leaf, pearlescent white musk, and vanilla bean.Though Theo doesn't work on me personally, I do love these types of scents.

I think Lady Death Savage would be worth trying since it has the jasmine, bergamot (Earl Grey), white musk & vanilla combo (White musk, grey amber, Calabrian bergamot, vanilla absolute, French labdanum, styrax, wormwood, caraway, and bois de jasmin).

Perhaps Jareth? It has a bit of an edge to it (Ethereal lilac fougere and gleaming leather with ti leaf, tonka absolute, white musk, and oudh).

Knight In Shiny Armor seems to be in the same family (dapper lavender fougere with white carnation, sweet oakmoss, clary sage, crisp leather, bourbon vanilla & a hint of armor polish)

Also Silver Lace (bitter black vanilla husk, bourbon tobacco, white cognac, juniper berry, white musk, ti leaf, and Italian bergamot) though I think it's sweeter than Theo.

Edited July 20, 2020 by alterosen

[Nightmare]

On 7/15/2020 at 9:39 AM, clockworkcrypt said:

This dosent help at all but I remember it being very similar to paper Phoenix on my skin, so much so at my 3 bottle collection at the time had me swap it away. It's probably not easier to get a hold of more of that either. I know Dorian is sort of a spiritual cousin to it as well. 

 

Haha, Dorian is another one of my most used scents! I go through Dorian really fast because it has no throw on me for whatever reason, but it smells so good.

 

On 7/20/2020 at 5:13 AM, alterosen said:

 

The notes for Theodosius are: Earl Grey tea leaves, a white fougere, jasmine leaf, pearlescent white musk, and vanilla bean.Though Theo doesn't work on me personally, I do love these types of scents.

I think Lady Death Savage would be worth trying since it has the jasmine, bergamot (Earl Grey), white musk & vanilla combo (White musk, grey amber, Calabrian bergamot, vanilla absolute, French labdanum, styrax, wormwood, caraway, and bois de jasmin).

Perhaps Jareth? It has a bit of an edge to it (Ethereal lilac fougere and gleaming leather with ti leaf, tonka absolute, white musk, and oudh).

Knight In Shiny Armor seems to be in the same family (dapper lavender fougere with white carnation, sweet oakmoss, clary sage, crisp leather, bourbon vanilla & a hint of armor polish)

Also Silver Lace (bitter black vanilla husk, bourbon tobacco, white cognac, juniper berry, white musk, ti leaf, and Italian bergamot) though I think it's sweeter than Theo.

 

Thank you so much! These all sound like good directions.

 

Not sure why I didn't think about Jareth before (it's already something I've been wanting to try for a while). I really like a lot of the other notes in the ones you've mentioned as well, so I must try them all. Also not sure why I didn't think about combing through bergamot scents instead of just looking sadly at the grand total of 2 earl greys. :v

[aphrodisms]

Hello! For anyone who's ever smelled Bright Goddess of the Skies (a Sphere+Sundry collab), do you have any suggestions of perfumes (BPAL or otherwise) that smell the same? It's my all-time favourite perfume, and even though I love the magical effects as well, I'll be very sad once I run out of my single bottle to never smell it again. I can't place what it is about it that smells so perfect - I've tried some BPALS with honey/vanilla/rose/jasmine notes but it's not quite the same.

 

Also looking for a smell-alike for Beloved Dead! It's still available on S+S but I would prefer to have that wonderful humid smell without the magical effects sometimes haha

Edited February 2, 2021 by aphrodisms

[Diesis]

Y’all... my Pumpkin Pie Musk is about dead. What is the closest I can get to it? I already have Jack (who vanishes faster than a will o’wisp). 

[Maggi]

I love Green Tree Viper. Can anyone recommend any similar Bpals? I love its soft minty essence, sweet and candy like but not syrup sweet. I just wish it had more throw. But seriously, it is my favorite perfume. I would love to try other Bpal in a similar style, if anyone can recommend any

[neptuneanblues]

22 hours ago, Maggi said:

I love Green Tree Viper. Can anyone recommend any similar Bpals? I love its soft minty essence, sweet and candy like but not syrup sweet. I just wish it had more throw. But seriously, it is my favorite perfume. I would love to try other Bpal in a similar style, if anyone can recommend any

Not sure if you would want to try to find Knockout Drops? I don't see it much on the secondary market though. 

 

[Esatres]

Coming back to BPAL after a decade of plenty of stress and looking to refocus on myself. I'm looking for something similar to Fire Pig, which was my go-to for several years when I had a whole bottle of the stuff. Thanks for any help -- know it's a very old scent. 

[bellumed]

On 12/12/2021 at 10:20 PM, Esatres said:

Coming back to BPAL after a decade of plenty of stress and looking to refocus on myself. I'm looking for something similar to Fire Pig, which was my go-to for several years when I had a whole bottle of the stuff. Thanks for any help -- know it's a very old scent. 

 

Have you been able to try any of the other Lunar/Chinese New Year blends? If so, how did they compare for you?

[crystaltongue]

On 12/12/2021 at 7:20 PM, Esatres said:

Coming back to BPAL after a decade of plenty of stress and looking to refocus on myself. I'm looking for something similar to Fire Pig, which was my go-to for several years when I had a whole bottle of the stuff. Thanks for any help -- know it's a very old scent. 

I know, very late answet, but  @ShadowEtienne has been attempted to collect all the past Lunar New Years scents, and has done cross comparison. His judgement is that, of the other past years, Fire Monkey is the closest. Fire Monkey is a lot more plentiful in forums sales than Fire Pig, so that might be the one to keep an eye out for.

[ShadowEtienne]

Of the LNY scents I've tried in comparison to Fire Pig: 

- Earth Rat is sweeter and has a candied melon element to the scent

- Metal Tiger has a hemp note that gives it a grassier/woodier element, it's kind of drier (haven't tried Metal Rabbit yet, but has the hemp note as well, so I suspect it will be similar)

- Water Dragon is one that is divisive! I love it, but it has a strong biter-herbal-citrus note that seems to remind some folks of the candles for warding off bugs

- Water Snake is gentler/mellower than Fire Pig, but likely to be appealing for many of the same reasons and notes

- Wood Horse (along with Fire Monkey that my sister mentioned above) is one of the closest to Fire Pig for me

- Wooden Goat has a stronger peach note that makes it sweeter and more fruity

- Fire Monkey is probably the closest match to Fire Pig for me

- Water Rabbit has a lot of commonalities with Water Snake for me, and while mellower than Fire Pig probably also going to be something someone who likes Fire Pig would like.

 

Haven't Tried: Metal Rabbit (hemp note is going to take this a direction), Fire Cock (suspect this one is going to line up nicely in the close to Fire Pig set), Earth Dog (has patchouli and that makes me nervous), Earth Ox (this has a tobacco note so I can't try this one), Metal Rat (another one with the melon note), Water Tiger (don't know how similar this one will be).

[Weirdgirlpilled]

Ooooo I love this thread! Of all the things I’ve sampled with marshmallow in it, I’ve noticed a huge similarity. Stekkjarstaur, vanilla bean marsh & benzoin, rope pulley, fudge marshmallow from this year’s lupers. They all seem to have the same marshmallow base. I also weirdly detect that marshmallow scent in some non- marshmallow scents? 

[sudenmorsian]

I don't know if I'm in right thread at all but I couldn't find any other suitable thread. My question is: is there any similarity between Kobold Barista (freshly brewed coffee with ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and cream) and Café Mille et une Nuits (Shisha and thick coffee brewed with cardamom pods, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, and nutmeg), are they a lot alike or nothing at all? 

 

They both share spices I love and the description look quite alike, though I guess the shisha is bringing some smoke to Café Mille. I realized that I lack coffee scents and I desperately need one, just can't decide which one.

[amoray]

Could anyone compare Tongue Wall and Just Before Penetration for me? Anyone tried them both? How creamy is Just Before? Is Tongue Wall brighter guava? Which is more guava forward? I want one of them...but which should I choose? 

[Tungerine]

Can someone compare Hoggle and Jack? Is the pumpkin note similar? I find it rancid in Jack, but I think the peach contributes to that. Also, how sweet is Hoggle compared to Jack?

[amoray]

Can anyone tell me if the coconut in the free Black Friday imp last year Lavender Coconut Cream Pie is the same as Cat Sleeping on an Armchair? I know this is silly, but the free imp had a different coconut than the bottle and I REALLY NEED that coconut smell. Please. Thank you. 

[dancingchair]

On 12/5/2024 at 8:47 PM, amoray said:

Can anyone tell me if the coconut in the free Black Friday imp last year Lavender Coconut Cream Pie is the same as Cat Sleeping on an Armchair? I know this is silly, but the free imp had a different coconut than the bottle and I REALLY NEED that coconut smell. Please. Thank you. 

I sympathize because I was devastated when I bought a bottle of Lavender Coconut Cream Pie and discovered it was not the same perfume as the freebie. 🥲

 

I would say that the coconut in Cat Sleeping on an Armchair is, unfortunately, different. The Lavender Coconut Cream Pie imp has a rich custard quality to it that is not present in Cat Sleeping on an Armchair. To me, Cat Sleeping on an Armchair is closer to the Coconut Tree single note, if you had a chance to try that. It makes me think of fresh coconut finely shredded into a fluffy cloud instead of the best coconut cream pie you've ever eaten in a diner.

 

Doing some quick skin tests, I think Snakes in the Coconut Cake is closer if you can find a decant of that to try. It is probably 50/50 Snake Oil and yummy coconut custard cake if that matters to you.

 

Edit: Retested this morning and I do think Snakes in the Coconut Cake is pretty close. It's not an exact match for the yummy coconut, to be clear. But it does hit that lovely gourmand coconut note instead of fresh coconut meat.

Edited December 10 by dancingchair
updating with a retest

[amoray]

20 hours ago, dancingchair said:

I sympathize because I was devastated when I bought a bottle of Lavender Coconut Cream Pie and discovered it was not the same perfume as the freebie. 🥲

 

This. This still makes me so sad. I don't usually enjoy coconut but that single imp...why? did. it. have. to. be. so. good. I may try Snakes in the Coconut Cake at some point, but I often don't like SO variants. I'm weird. I LOVE Snake oil but as soon as it's combined with something it's too sweet or too much. What was in that imp that we can't just have it in full size?!? 

 

I will continue to be devastated that I can't get a bottle of that coconut. With that lavender. GAWD. It was SO GOOD.