What are your favorite GC BPAL scents (IE: Recs for New Collectors!)

[clockworkcrypt]

Hello!

 

So I'm caving to my inner sabatour less than a week after getting back into BPAL, and am going to buy Bread and Butterfly resurrected. So yeah that will be fun. I'm picking up an imp of Jack, and budgeting says I have the cash for one or two more imps in this order. So thats where you come in!

 

If you absolutely had to pick one scent from the general catalogue, what would it be and why! (Pick two if you wish I won't tell) Wether it be the most unique smell, or a longstanding favorite, I want to hear about it! My deadline for ordering is sometime in the next nine days, but feel free to continue chatting after, as I'm always down to hear what people love, and I feel like this thread could also serve as a place for other people who are fairly new to get an idea of some good well loved suggestions that they can actively get their hands on, and not just limited edition scents of the past!

 

[galahad]

Only one (two), huh?

 

Snake Oil because it's a well loved classic. Rich, sweet vanilla/patchouli/spice goodness

Jazz Funeral - humidity, dirt and tropical white flowers. My go-to summer evening GC

[ShleepySnorlax]

Ooh fun!

My votes are for Dragon's Milk and Tombstone.

Dragon's Milk was the second scent I ever smelled and instantly bought a bottle because it's just SO GOOD. If you're curious, the first imp to bottle purchase was Jack! Dragon's Milk is dragon's blood resin with honeyed vanilla. The honeyed vanilla makes us sweet but not sugary, and the dragons blood resin gives it a cherry like smell. Mmm.

Tombstone showcases BPALs creation of unique and beautiful scents. The notes are vanilla, balsam, and sassafras layered over Virgina cedar. This is a warm fresh blend, very cuddly. Sassafras is a rootbeer like scent and while I don't want to smell like rootbeer, I do want to smell like this. This blend is absolute magic.

 

Edit: I completely agree you should try Snake Oil, but it's fairly likely to be a frimp (free imp) in your first order if you don't purchase it.

Edited August 19, 2018 by GlassKoala

[sprout]

Morocco, shmexxxy vanilla spice

 

Fenris Wolf, sexy forest wolf God musk

[Andalei]

Only 2? Unpossible!

 

Titus Andronicus - Sweet sexy amber with a hint of musk

Dee - Sexy and comforting, like a sweater stolen from your boyfriend that still holds his scent.

 

Both of these are "masculine" scents, but I'm female and they smell amazing on me.

Edited August 19, 2018 by Andalei

[Lucchesa]

If I really had to pick just one: The Lights of Men's Lives, inspired by the fairy tale Godfather Death. The wax and smoke of millions of candles illuminating the walls of Death's shadowy cave. Warm beeswax, a hint of vanilla, some smokiness -- this one is absolute magic on me.

[JazzieCazzie]

Hard to do two but here you go ...

 

Scherezade for shmexy exotic amazing (Indonesian spice, saffron and musk)

 

Shub Niggurath for the most hot AND warm ginger spice! It doesn't smell like gingerbread or baked goods ... just hot-baby-hot ginger, yet somehow manages to be comforting and delicious at the same time.

 

A third JUST IN CASE you do not like ginger (some people are very sensitive to it) ... Anne Bonny which is not unlike, to me, Scherezade in its shmexy (patchouli and frankincense)

[Soupy Twist]

Sherlock Holmes (221B Baker Street): A high, clean pipe tobacco. I don't smoke and I rarely drink and two of my favorite scents are tobacco and gin.

 

Twenty-One (Bewitching Brews): Gin and tonic and mint and FIZZ. Amazing.

 

Dana O'Shee (Bewitching Brews): Sweet grains, which is surprisingly comforting.

 

Sea of Glass (Sin & Salvation): the perfect hyacinth.

[donkehpoo]

I don't think I can narrow this down to one or two.

 

Snake Oil - love, love, love this. There's a reason why this is so popular. Rich, sweet, spicy.. and just good. I prefer my Snake Oil aged(at least a year), but I'll wear it fresh as well.

Mouse's Long and Sad Tale - sweet pea, vanilla, and sandalwood goodness. It's kind of a comfort scent, and also one that I can wear year-round. It's lovely.

'Tis the Voice of the Lobster - watermelon! ... Along with other fruits. I love watermelon though, and I don't often find a scent featuring it. I love this during the summer. Refreshing!

[monocainsheresy]

I have always been absolutely in love with Bloodlust It's smooth and warm and spicy and reminds me of an incense shop, though it is a bit intense and has an iron-y tang which could be off-putting.

 

A close second is Old Scratch, which is dapper as hell while being a little spooky. For me it comes across as lavender-scented shaving cream, but it has patchouli to darken it and give it more staying power

 

I also have to give Dorian an obligatory recommendation

[alterosen]

...

I also have to give Dorian an obligatory recommendation

 

I hear ya, monocainesheresy! I'm more of a LE gal but Dorian is an essential for me (preferably aged - people are always talking about aging Snake Oil but Dorian can use it, too).

My tastes are also very dependent on season, so Dorian or fruity things like Eat Me, Titania or Fae are for warm weather but I would choose Velvet, Jack or Shub if I wanted to feel cozy. And I think Port Royal is super sexy (& unisex).

Couldn't keep it to two!

[Joyleaf_]

I always like to rec Oblivion because it's strange and unusual and I've found nothing like it. Also Satyr because either you will love it or you will hate it, but either way, youll know how you feel about civet/animalistic scents.

[Teamama]

My top GC's (aside from Osun, which has been discontinued,) vary with the seasons. Plus I am a floral lover, which is not everybody's cup of tea.

My top floral GC's at this moment: Has No Hanna & Snooty Rose.

Two non-floral blends that are winners on me in every season: Brown Jenkin & Goblin.

 

Have fun!

 

Edited to add: the Forum's Sales page is a great resource for picking up imps at bargain prices. I used it to be able to afford to explore a lot of GC's to guide my purchasing.

Edited August 20, 2018 by Teamama

[Mountaingrrl00]

Seconding the love for Sea of Glass.

My other pick would be Zombi, which is such a lovely dark-roses-and-rich-earth scent.

[h_yeti]

I'm seconding Dragon's Milk for my first pick. It's so rich and warm and sweet, I swear sometimes I even get this slightly smoky boozy vibe, it's just so so good! Second pick would probably have to be Snake Oil, just because it's a BPAL classic.

[Casablanca]

Lady Una and Eostre of the Dawn

 

Favorite long-term LEs (or are they GCs by now?): Illustrated Woman and lots of the Snek Pit sneks

[Elspethdixon]

I second Donkehpoo's rec for The Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, which is a cozy, sweet floral-tinged vanilla. Other faves of mine include:

 

Antikythera Mechanism - wonderful dry, warm, tobacco-wood scent with a hint of vanilla. It's a fan favorite for a reason, and I've gone through two bottles of it.

 

Jezebel - my hands-down favorite rose scent, a rich, velvety, lush orange blossom/rose/honey/sandalwood combo. It goes on smelling an awful lot like orange juice, but don't be put off by that; once it's been on your skin for a few minutes the rose and sandalwood start coming forward beautifully. I'm picky about rose scents because rose can sometimes smell soapy on my, but Jezebel is perfection. (Example: This spring, when the Lupercalia Dozen Roses LEs came out, I tested decants of eight of them... and bought more Jezebel instead.)

 

Black Pearl - A light, sheer coconut/hazelnut/orris scent that's cool and feminine (despite being non-floral) and perfect for summer. I'm on my second bottle of this one, too (partly because I wear it a lot during the summer, and partly because it's a very light scent I have to slather on).

 

Tombstone - Another longtime fave I've gone through multiple bottles of. I second pretty much everything GlassKoala said about it.

[rix]

Thirding the rec of Sea of Glass-how can you not love sitting on the beach in a bower of lilies? Next, I’d choose either Obatala, cool coconut summer goodness, instantly refreshing in the heat, or Imp, every time I put it on I go nuts, I remember how wonderful it is and decide I’m only wearing it from now on!

 

Hope that helps! But these refs are probably just going to make you order more, More, MORE!

[roseus]

Throwing my 2 cents in as well!

 

I too am a lover of Morocco. It feels comforting and exciting, I've been wearing it for years and never tire of it. It's a classic must-try.

 

51 is a summer favorite of mine its eerie and refreshing and we don't see too much green musk or guava so I'd say it's pretty unique!

[hem246]

A lot of my favorite GCs have been mentioned already (Snake Oil, Dee, Old Scratch, and Dorian) but I'll throw in a few other faves that haven't been mentioned yet:

 

Perversion is my go-to sexy scent, it's feminine but also has this amazing dark tobacco base to it. A very good introduction into BPAL's tobacco note.

 

Halfling is my favorite non-cocoa foodie scent, it's creamy and nutty but has this hint of something sweet that I can only describe as "floral dried blueberries" even though it's definitely not fruity.

[rawgirl75]

Another rec for Shub-Niggurath.

It's not quite foody (so not exactly gingerbread or gingersnapsb but yet sort of is). Best described as sweet musky hot ginger as well. I wear it whenever I want to feel comforted. Fabulous aged. I have multiple bottles.

Blood Kiss. Heady, mysterious, seductive.

If you like languid scents like Dior Poison, you'll probably dig this. (Note: Try to get an aged sample of this if you can. Blood Kiss has a note in it that's powdery when fresh, which goes away with time.)

Edited August 23, 2018 by rawgirl75

[clockworkcrypt]

You all have made some lovely and... interesting suggestions!

I will be placing my order on the 26th or 27th (waiting for the moon scent, and possible liliths) but please, keep commenting, it's really interesting to see how varied your tastes are!

 

I will of course announce what I decide to add as imps, so stay tuned for some kudos for convincing my mind that my grubby little fingers NEED these scents

[Darkersolstice]

I really enjoy Wrath as a power scent. Wearing it gives me confidence on days when I know I'm up against something challenging. It's bold, spicy, and a great introduction to dragon's blood resin (Dragon's Milk is a similar introduction, but with a less fire-breathing and more sweet tone).

 

Shub-Niggurath is something I picked up as an imp with my most recent order, and I'll be going in for the full bottle with my next one. I'm especially looking forward to wearing it in the fall, because the spice notes seem pretty apt for the season.

 

And my go-to for date night, if I just really want to smell sexy, is Athens. I am very not a big floralsy person, so this is one of the more feminine picks in my collection. It's fruity-boozy on me and soft and tends to wear long enough for a whole night out with my datemate.

[norsowideasachurchdoor]

Zombi tends to evoke strong opinions, so I think everyone should try it to find out where they land. To me, the earth and lichen notes deepen the dried roses into a nostalgic memory. To some others, the scent arouses acute melancholy.

 

Plunder is my runner-up, right now, because the tea-and-spices blend is perfect for the upcoming season, with a hot mug of cider in one hand, while the other hand defends me against woeful pirate bugs.

[clockworkcrypt]

Alright! So my order total is *lil drumroll*

Bottle of Bread and Butterfly Resurrected

5 Wand Caps (Wow! Exciting! Gasp!)

One Imp of Jack...

And the moment you all have been waiting for!

Imp Number One is... The Lights of Men's Lives!

Ok so ya boi made a spreadsheet with what he has, and this sounds so calming and subtle and something soft in a way that isn't a floral, and really does seem like nothing else I have!

Imp Number Two is: Shub-Niggurath: Two words: Evil Gingerbread. Everything about this sounds like it's going to make me gnaw my arm off!!!

 

Some Honourable Mentions:

Blood Kiss: Actually wearing this today!

Titus Andronicus was Gifted to me in an order on here!

Has No Hanna: Ordered in an imp set on the forumns a week or so back

 

But yeah I'll def be keeping an eye out for some other scents on here, as far too many sound amazing! Anyhow if you wanna keep this thread going feel free, I'm off to spend far, far too much money.