Jump to content
BPAL Madness!

Blogs

Featured Entries

  • Silvertree

    Mod post: No wishlist posts in blogs

    By Silvertree

    Please be aware that we do not permit swap-related content on profiles or in blogs. Please post this content only in the For Sale, Swaps, and Wanted forums, or in the Wishlists topic. ~from Swapping 101  Thanks!
    • 5 comments
    • 4,259 views
Cam's Blog
 

My First BPAL Order

After years (literally) of dragging my feet and indecision over what scents to try, I finally ordered my first imps from BPAL on June 22. They arrived on Monday, July 7, and my husband Ben and I had a fun evening trying them out. Here are our thoughts.   Bastet Bast, Ubasti, Ailuros, Ba-en-Aset. Represented as both a domestic cat and a fierce lioness, she truly evidences traits of both. She is the Mother of All Cats, Goddess of Sensuality, Fertility, and a guardian and protector of women. She is also one of the Eyes of Ra, and in that aspect is an Avenging Goddess, seeking retribution and punishing enemies of her people. Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus. Nice. Musky and herby. Definitely smell the musk, almond and cardamom. Gonna watch this one and smell as it develops. I think I like this one a little more than Ben does, but it's probably the next one I'll try all day.   Black Lotus Born in the shadows of a Temple to Set, this corrupted Egyptian scent evokes images of black pyramids, river demons, and bleak, deadly desert sands. Black lotus flower, amber, myrrh and sandalwood. Very feminine. Lavender is a little over-the-top, but will soften with wearing. Pretty. Would be better without so much lavender. Again, though, it's nice, and I think that will soften once it's been on for a little while.   Bliss A shot of pure, self-indulgent euphoria! A scent that is very, very wicked in its own way: the serotonin-slathered scent of pure milk chocolate. I really (really) like this scent, but Ben's not so crazy about it. Too foodie for his taste, though not objectionable (i.e., he wouldn't refuse to sit next to me or anything). Very almond-y, which is nice.   DeSade The essence of pleasure heightened by pain: the raw scent of leather. Smells really nice on Ben. Very leathery indeed, but there's a bit of a nuttiness too.   Fascinum Hic habitat felicitas! The penis was a potent and popular symbol of good fortune, strength, power, and fertility in ancient Rome. Images of phalluses adorned Roman homes and shops, bringing the positive energy that the symbol represents into the lives of the inhabitants. A freebie. Smells like cedar and something sweet. Maybe cloves? Too potpourri-like for our taste.   Florence The pearl of the Italian Renaissance. Elegant iris, bright berries, gilded amber and velvety spices. Romantic and fruity, with a bit of earthiness. A hint of delicious spices. We're pretty fond of this, although it actually works better on Ben. I'm actually wearing this today, and sadly, it smells too powdery on me.   Grog Arrr! Avast ye, matey! This be the scent of pirate rum! Freebie. Whew! Definitely smells like spiced rum. It's actually pretty nice, but I wouldn't wear this to work (unless I worked in a bar).   Hecate Magnificent three-faced Goddess of Magic, the Dark Moon and the Crossroads. She is the Mother of Witches, and the midnight baying of hounds is her paean. Her compassion is evidenced in her role as Psychopomp for Persephone, and her wrath manifests as Medea's revenge. Deep, buttery almond layered over myrrh and dark musk. Very almond-y, with some pine. The almond is great, although the pine is not so much. It makes it smell a little soapy. Must be the myrrh. Still, we like this one.   Hellcat A soft, sensual, luxuriant blend with a wicked bite: hazelnut, buttercream, honey mead, rum and sweet almond. Definitely can smell the almond and rum. It smells very much as advertised in the bottle, but on me, it's intriguingly strawberry cheesecake like. A fun scent. We like this one a lot.   Hellfire A scent celebrating Sir Francis Dashwood's Order of the Knights of St. Francis of Wycombe, also known as the Hellfire Club. A swirl of pipe tobacco, hot leather, ambergris, dark musk and the lingering incense smoke from their Black Mass. Men take note: this one's for you. One of the most complex scents of the first order. Awesome! Definitely can smell the tobacco (high quality, moist tobacco) and incense smoke. Love this one.   Iambe Daughter of Pan and Echo and dear friend to Demeter. When Demeter was mourning the abduction of her daughter, Iambe was the only creature in heaven and earth that was able to lend cheer and laughter to the grieving mother. Her scent is one of comfort, beauty and joy: Sudanese amber, patchouli, rose, gardenia, gladiola and white tea. Freebie. Don't like this one. Ben says it's too baby powder-y. I think it smells medicinal. Way too flowery for my personal taste.   Kali Kali, the Black One, is the fearless Goddess of Destruction, Creation, Energy [in her Shakti aspect] and Dissolution. Also named Kaliratri [black Night] and Kalikamata [black Earth-Mother], she is the fiercest aspect of Devi, the supreme mother goddess. Kali is a protector Goddess, the destroyer of evil spirits and guardian of the faithful. She, along with her consort Shiva, represent the unending cycle of death and birth, sexual union, creation and destruction. Kali annihilates ignorance, maintains the natural order of the world, and blesses those who strive for spiritual awareness and knowledge of true holiness with infinite tenderness and motherly love. The constant, unending Work of Creation is called the "The Play of Kali". This perfume is a blend of the sacred blooms of cassia, hibiscus, musk rose, Himalayan wild tulip, lotus and osmanthus swirled with offertory dark chocolate, red wine, tobacco, balsam and honey. Complex and sexy. Ben really likes this one (on me). It's got body, but also has a honeysuckle scent. A little dirty, with the chocolate, tobacco and wine scents. This one is a winner.   Kitsune-Tsuki Kitsune-Tsuki are malevolent Japanese spirits, akin to western werebeasts: women are possessed by the spirits of foxes, who compel them to perform acts of wickedness and mischief. Asian plum, orchid, daffodil, jasmine and white musk. A very feminine scent. Delicate, elegant and glamorous. Brings to mind high fashion. I would wear this on dress-up occasions, not everyday. We definitely like this one, though.   Rosalind Dew-covered berries and fresh green grasses with a faint breath of spring flowers. Freebie. Not bad. A very green scent. A little soapy, though.   Schrödinger's Cat One can even set up quite ridiculous cases. A cat is penned up in a steel chamber, along with the following diabolical device (which must be secured against direct interference by the cat): in a Geiger counter there is a tiny bit of radioactive substance, so small that perhaps in the course of one hour one of the atoms decays, but also, with equal probability, perhaps none; if it happens, the counter tube discharges and through a relay releases a hammer which shatters a small flask of hydrocyanic acid. If one has left this entire system to itself for an hour, one would say that the cat still lives if meanwhile no atom has decayed. The first atomic decay would have poisoned it. The Psi function for the entire system would express this by having in it the living and the dead cat (pardon the expression) mixed or smeared out in equal parts. It is typical of these cases that an indeterminacy originally restricted to the atomic domain becomes transformed into macroscopic indeterminacy, which can then be resolved by direct observation. That prevents us from so naively accepting as valid a "blurred model" for representing reality. In itself it would not embody anything unclear or contradictory. There is a difference between a shaky or out-of-focus photograph and a snapshot of clouds and fog banks.  A paradoxical scent experiment! — tangerine, sugared lime, pink grapefruit, oakmoss, lavender, zdravetz, and chocolate peppermint.   No cats were mistreated during the formulation of this paradox, or in the process of creating this perfume. Very complex. On me, the grapefruit scent is strong (and grapefruit isn't a very good body scent, in my opinion; it smells too much like sweat). It's a really neat scent, though. This would make a great scented candle or bubble bath.   Wrath A scent aflame with rage, swirling in the red haze of hatred: dragon's blood spiked with black pepper, clove, and cinnamon. This is kind of neat; for one thing, it's actually a reddish color. Very complex. You can definitely smell the cinnamon and clove. There's a bit too much clove, which makes it smell a little medicinal, and a LOT of cinnamon. It actually burns my nose. This is another one that I like, but not to wear. It would make a great scented candle, especially for fall and winter.
cam

cam

0
Review Round-up!
 

Dionysia

In the imp: Rich n' fruity, sweet and dark - YUM!   On wet: Very sweet - almost a "high-pitched" sweetness, for lack of a better description. The fruit is kinda hanging in the background, as is something vaguely peanut-patchouli and...something else I can't quite identify - maybe the Siamese benzoin? Maybe the mahogany? Hmm...not sure. Whatever it is, it's coming across as almost...fuzzy? Weird!   Drydown: Still so incredibly sweet - like candied fruit syrup's been poured over my arm. There's a tinge of sourness every now and then - perhaps from the pomegranate? It usually doesn't like me, so that's my guess. Could be the raspberry, too - I've only ever experienced it in Akuma (not a winner on me, sadly), so I'm not that familiar with how it might play with my skin chemistry. The patch/frank/benzoin/wood are just kinda letting those crazy-sweet fruity notes go wild while they cling close to my wrist. Sniffing up close is a bit overwhelming for my nose (yes, it's that sweet and busy), but waving my arm around *in front* of my nose, letting the scent sorta drift together in distant harmony - wow. WOW. Just gorgeous.   Overall: If you haven't already guessed, this is a *seriously* uber sweet blend (according to my sniffer), and not a scent to be slathered willy-nilly! It's a beauty, true - but a *potent* beauty. Very reminiscent of my favourite, Ms. Moriarty, and full of plummy goodness, so will likely be snagging a bottle before CD's departure. Mmm...can't wait to smell her after she's aged for a few months. 4/5
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
meeow712's Blog
 

Daiyu

Daiyu: Moroccan jasmine, chrysanthemum, tea leaf, white musk, and acai berry.   In the imp: Berries!! Berries with a bit of floral.   On me: Wet I got a whole lot of acai and not much else. On the drydown it gets musky and blends beautifully with the acai berry. I also get plum, but it's not listed as a note. I get a bit of teak leaf, but ont much jasmine or chrysanthemum. I am really liking this, but as I have to be picky to not end up buying the entire grindhouse I am still not sure if a bottle of this will be purchased.
meeow712

meeow712

0
Abstract Associations
 

Tiki Queen

Monoi de Tahiti, vanilla, white coconut, tuberose, ylang ylang, white musk, red hibiscus, and neroli.   Reviewed: 07/08/2008   In the imp: Flowers and...pixy stix?   Wet: Still flowers and pixy stix. What a strange combination, but it works so far.   Drydown: The candy scent has completely faded out, and left a bouquet of tropical flowers behind. I don't get any coconut or vanilla, just pure, fresh florals. It's not my usual style, but it's pretty and I can see myself wearing it out often. Good throw and wearlength.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

Pumpkin III, Pumpkin Patch 2007

Pumpkin with white chocolate, caramel, pomegranate, and cream.   Reviewed: 07/08/2008   In the imp: Caramel, then an undertone of something bitter that I can't identify but makes me wrinkle my nose.   Wet: That bitter undertone I noticed in the imp rears its ugly head again, but smooths out pretty quickly as the caramel and cream take over.   Drydown: The caramel is gone, and that bitter note (which I'm assuming is the pomegranate, but it isn't like any of the other pomegranate notes I've tried from BPAL) hasn't come back. This has settled into a spiced cake with a hint of chocolate. I don't get actual pumpkin, but more like the spices you use for pumpkin pie. Not a huge throw. This would be wonderful in the fall, but it's a bit overwhelming for these hotter months.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
meeow712's Blog
 

Swadhisthana: Sacral

Swadhisthana: Sacral: The Glory of Vishnu, The House of Varuna, One’s Own Abode The Six-Petaled Lotus. The unconscious, the sweetness of life, desire, pleasure, sexuality, procreation, emotion. Swadhisthana is the manifestation of passion, the reconciliation, balance and union of the masculine and feminine within ourselves. In Swadhisthana, we learn to give and receive pleasure. It is the stimulation of the life force, the basis for life itself, and our force on the physical plane. In this chakra, our samskaras are cloistered, and in this chakra they find expression. Because of the highly sexual identification of this chakra, many find its temptations and trials very difficult to overcome.   **This is the first Chakra that I've tried, and WOW! I need to try more of them.   In the bottle: A deliciously dark incense blend, very sensual and unique. The reviews say floral and/or citrus? But I got none of either one. I did get a bit of an iodine type of smell too.   On me: Whoa. Well, it works, it is very sexual! On me this was a very sensual incensey blend with a sharp something that my nose couldn't identify (the iodine-ish type smell, but not in a bad way). At one point (once the chakra started working...), it turned into waffles with a super strong throw, and then went back to being incensey without any waffle traces. I'll have to reserve this one for special occasions.
meeow712

meeow712

0
Abstract Associations
 

Nanshe

The Babylonian Goddess of Dreams, who bestows the power of Oneiromancy onto her priests. This blend opens up psychic sensitivity during sleep and aids in the understanding and correct interpretation of portents and symbols.   Reviewed: 07/07/2008   In the imp: Sharp lavender, bright citrus. Very strong.   Wet: Crisp, bright lemon, with something spicy lingering underneath. It's still very strong.   Drydown: The lavender has been completely overpowered, and it's a spicy, bright lemon. This has one of the strongest throws I've ever found. Since I have to wear a CPAP mask that covers my face while I sleep I can't speak to any dream properties, but it's quite lovely anyway.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

Magdalene

A stirring yet gentle perfume. The scent of love and devotion mingled with an undercurrent of heart-rending sorrow. A bouquet of white roses, labdanum, and wild orchid.   Reviewed: 07/07/2008   In the imp: Sharp, strong florals.   Wet: Sharp floral, an undertone of something soft and powdery.   Drydown: The sharpness has faded, and only the soft florals remain. This is pretty and feminine; it 'feels' very gentle and spring-ish. It has decent throw but fades relatively quickly. I think it would be interesting to put it in a scent locket and my skin at the same time, so that the locket would retain the sharpness but it could take on the softer scent on my skin.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

TP'd Trees

TP'd Trees! -- Cypress, oak, and pine covered in 2-ply!   Reviewed: 07/06/2008   In the imp: It's not the pine scent I expected. It smells like something labeled "mountain spring fresh" rather than anything piney or woody.   Wet: Wow, is this subtle. Not at all what I expected. It's aquatic and light, slightly powdery.   Drydown: Still very subtle. Not much throw, but it lasted a decently long time. There's a skin-musk-and-powder scent here that reminds me a lot of Enraged Bunny Musk. I've been putting off testing this one because wood notes are so awful on me, but I really, really like this. It's very light and fresh and cool, a perfect scent for the dog days of summer.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

Rozpustnica

Blue and white musks, moonflower, rose, magnolia, lemon verbena, and lychee.   Reviewed: 07/06/2008   In the imp: Very sharp. I can definitely smell the lemon verbena and lychee.   Wet: I'm not just clean, I'm Zestfully clean! This smells just like Zest soap.   Drydown: I'm getting a bit of rose now, and a small amount of that citrus freshness that lychee gives, but it's overlaid with a strong soap scent. This is definitely not for me.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

Smut 2008

Smut! Smut! Smut! Three swarthy, smutty musks sweetened with sugar and woozy with dark booze notes.   Reviewed 07/05/2008   In the imp: MUSK!   Wet: Wait, where did it go?? There's nothing, literally no scent at all. Did my skin eat it in the 15 seconds it took me to swipe, cap the imp, and sniff? How *weird*.   Drydown: Powdery, faintly spicy musk, with absolutely no throw. What little I do get smells like it could be very sexy but it disappears the moment it touches my skin no matter how much I slather. I have to practically drown myself in it to get a whiff of anything at all, and used nearly 1/3 of the imp just to properly test it. This has the potential to be really wonderful, but my skin drinks it down faster than someone guzzling water in the desert.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

Titania

A nocturnal bounty of fae dew-kissed petals and pale fruits: white grape, white peach, iced pear, musk rose, sweet pea, moonflower and snapdragon.   Reviewed 07/05/2008   In the imp: Pear and sweet pea, fairly strong. More floral that fruity.   Wet: Grape juice, a hint of peach and floral. The floral notes take a back seat to the fruits.   Drydown: Refreshing, clean, girlish and innocent. This is very well-blended, no one note takes over although I can definitely smell sweet pea, which happens to be my birthflower. This is a very different pear than the Haunted House '07 scents; those turned into play-doh on my skin, while this stays sparkling and fresh. I see this becoming a favorite summer scent. Medium wear length and it clings close to the skin with little throw, so the sweetness doesn't become overpowering on hot, sticky days.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

Mead Moon 2008

Golden mead, fermented with gruit, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger root, sweet-briar, rosemary, and lemon.   Reviewed 07/04/2008   In the bottle: Honey, lemon, and a hint of ginger.   On my skin: This quickly becomes vaguely-honey-scented baby powder. WAHHH. It has good throw and lasts for EVER, so I think I'll let it age for a few months and test it again.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

Hay Moon 2008

Hay absolute, tall grasses, dry honey, mallow, cardamom, amber, and wheat.   Reviewed 07/04/2008   In the bottle: This screams 'perfume'. I almost didn't want to try it.   On my skin: My grandfather. I can't even sniff for notes because this smells EXACTLY like my grandfather, the unique combination of his aftershave, soap, hair stuff, cologne, and tanned skin. When I smell this I see his face, it is *dead on*. My partner thinks this smells amazingly yummy and would love me to wear it all the time. It's lovely, but I don't think it's something I can wear because it makes me all teary.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
BPAL and Dragons Living in Harmony
 

Abner's Dragon Book

Abner was my very first dragon. His name means "father of light", and he represents my total descent into dragon madness.   His egg theft, hatching, growth statistics and official adult portrait are viewable at: Abner's Page on Dragon Cave   Like any fond mother, I have collected some baby pictures. I'll be adding them at a later date.   Abner is the head of our entire brood.
Peaches 2

Peaches 2

0
Argentwolf's Blog
 

Crossroads

Category: Wanderlust   It's a strong, pungeant, incensey scent on me...sort of like frankinsence, maybe. Something very woody and cedar-y. Unfortunately, incense just does not seem to love my skin. There's also a sweet note, or pack of them, lurking underneath the smokey, dust-covered surface of it all; and though sometimes the sweetness comes out to assert itself, it never quite reveals just what the heck it is. Could be florals, could be herbs, I really can't tell.   While redolant and persistant, it's just not doing anything for me. Off to a home that will appreciate you, little imp.
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

0
Argentwolf's Blog
 

Fruit of Paradise

Category: Limited Editions: Yule 2007   I didn't really get any tartness from this; sweetness, yes, but never shrill or sickly...it had a nice, full body to it. I think my only complaint about it would be that it doesn't throw quite as far or last as long as I would like. But it's quite a lovely scent, and sensual in its own way (which I suppose is appropriate...)
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

0
Argentwolf's Blog
 

Cobra Lily

Category: Rappacini's Garden   In the imp, it is a very moist, almost dewy green scent, one one might expect to find in the stem or bulb of a plant, rather than nestled between its petals, although there is also a faint, sugary sort of note as well.   Once on, it gets a bit of tartness and bite to it. As if one has plucked it from its watery nesting place, crushing the stem in the process; it is pungeantly sweet, like oranges, and yet when I place my nose close against my wrist, I can smell the peppery tartness of clove, the serpent's bite amidst its strangely-configured petals.   Oddly enough, the edge to it never gets horribly overwhelming. It is very tantalizing, in fact.   This also had a fairly strong throw, and lasted throughout the day. Very nice. I'm finding I like the Garden scents quite a lot, and this one wants to edge into my favorites.
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

0
Argentwolf's Blog
 

Cheshire Cat

Category: Mad Tea Party   Mmmm, yummy, I like the Cheshire Cat. It smells of sugared grapefruit, as others have mentioned, and I believe that there is a plump, moist note from the current, with the herbal notes at the very background of things. It's quite lovely. It has a decent throw and staying power, too...a nice scent for summertime, definitely. I like how the tartness of the grapefruit is mellowed by the other notes to create a very creamy scent.
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

0
Maps and Legends
 

Shameless Self Promotion

There is no reason why anyone would even read this thing (since it essentially consists of a bunch of lists for my own record keeping), but I've started a real, honest to goodness, ranting about politics/social issues/isisms blog: I'm Just Not Impressed.   Visit?
emzebel

emzebel

0
Lemonlife's Blog
 

more BPAL

*squeal* I got 13 (2008), Boomslang, and Velvet! Sadly, Boomslang did not come with a card. But, I am quite excited with my acquisitions. I must update my lists   Hrm, I should do reviews as well.
quigza

quigza

0
Review Round-up!
 

Theodosius, the Legerdemain

In the imp: Sweet, almost soapy clean musk, vanilla - very much like Dorian.   On wet: Dorian, but with a much more aggressive undertone. Maybe the jasmine? The fougere? Hmm...   Drydown: Still registering as a more butch Dorian, and I'm pretty sure it's the jasmine giving it that dark, floral edge. It's more perfumey than Dorian, and, oddly enough, kinda...smoky? Something smells burnt - weird! I have no idea what that is!   Overall: I really liked the opening stages of Theodosius - I love the Dorian-esque feel, and I love scents with white musk and tea - but the drydown was very, very strange! I was expecting creamy, musky, gorgeousness, and I get burnt, somewhat powdery florals instead. Such a shame. 2/5
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
×