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
    • 5,248 views
Review Round-up!
 

The Hierophant

Originally reviewed: July 23 06   In the imp: Dry, herbal, vaguely sweet and woody.   On wet: If there's cinnamon in this blend - like so many before me have mentioned smelling - then it's very well hidden. All I'm getting is something sweet and resinous.   Drydown: Still a very sweet, yet somewhat dusty and subdued wood-sap type of scent. I think I'm picking up on cedar and myrrh...and if frankincense is what's driving that incensey undernote, then I may have to reconsider my completely random anti-frank policy (he kinda scares me...).   Overall: This blend has totally surprised me - it's not like anything I'd normally wear, but I can't stop sniffing myself! It's warm and sweet and spicy (though if it's cinnamon, it's still too well-blended for me to distinguish it), and definitely lovely. Reminds me of La Petite Mort, Eclipse and, to a lesser degree, Black Phoenix. Maybe if they were layered together... Either way, a very yummy, skin-licious scent, and an easy 4/5.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Cheshire Cat

Originally reviewed: July 01 06   In the imp: Faint lavender, something herbal.   On wet: A jumble of notes swirl up - currants and grapefruit in the foreground, herbs and musk underneath.   Drydown: Mmm... Soft, sweet, candyliciousness. I seriously smell edible. It's like the currants and grapefruit have merged into some kind of pink Super Fruit, all glowing and gorgeous and glazed with sugar. The lavender, chamomile, and musk are bundled together just underneath - like a softly fragrant, herbal serving platter for all that yummy fruit.   Overall: Lovely and light, sweet without being overpowering, a beautiful, interesting skin scent, and yet another addition to my bottle wishlist. A strong 4.5/5
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Phobos

Originally reviewed: July 01 06   In the imp: Extra lemony lemon!   On wet: Sharp lemon, a sliver of what I'm thinking is grapefruit, and the barest whisper of white musk lurking underneath.   Drydown: The musk has risen up to form a partnership with those incredibly bright, yet slightly tamer citrus notes. It's become a sweeter, faintly powdery scent, reminiscent of those hard lemon drops you'd get in a tin, all dusted with icing sugar. Very straightforward, but also very yummy.   Overall: I'm a huge white musk fan, so this blend was destined to please. It's uncomplicated, fresh, and lasted for *hours*! Especially gorgeous in this disgustingly humid weather. A strong 4/5.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Frumious Bandersnatch

Originally reviewed: April 26 06   In the imp: Smells kinda like fruity paint.   On wet: A sweet splash of non-descript fruit that darkens into rich, syrupy, spiced plum-goodness after only a few seconds.   Drydown: Mmmm... Warm, spicy plums... Underscored by the barest hint of creamy carnations... Sooooo goooood....   Overall: This is a seriously delicious combination of notes - not really candle-esque to me, but I can understand how the scent of spiced fruit might smell like such to other noses. Likewise, to *this* grrl's nose, FB's warm, sweet darkness seems better suited to late summer/autumn/winter or as an evening fragrance, not so much for spring. No doubt this blend will be a bottle purchase, to be slathered with abandon come fall.   4.5 out of 5.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

The Mock Turtle's Lessons

Originally reviewed: April 26 06   In the imp: Fresh n' minty green apple.   On wet: Fresh n' minty green apple - with a sweet, somewhat licorice-y undertone.   Drydown: The apple faded, the minty licorice notes remained, and now I'm (finally!) getting a soft breath of lime swirling into the mix - a fresh and subtle combination of scents. If I really press my nose against my skin, I can also detect something kinda warm and faintly...amberish (the ambrette?). I tend to dislike ambery stuff as a rule, but it seems subdued in this blend - like the other notes are keeping it on a tight leash so that it peeks out *just* enough to ground everything.   Overall: A perfect summer fragrance, but I have to agree with many of the above reviews: After about half an hour, I can barely detect any scent on my wrist at all. This Turtle *should* rate at least a 4/5 for sheer prettiness, but lack of staying power (on me, anyway) drops it down to a 2.5.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Hetairae

Originally reviewed: May 27 06   In the imp: Not quite sure *what* I'm smelling - maybe something...figgy? It sure ain't any of the other listed notes...   On wet: Okay, weird smell overload - kinda clovey, kinda patchouli-y, but mostly (and I hate to say this about *any* BPAL blend) icksome burnt playdoh mixed with paint.   Drydown: Reeeeally tried to give this one a chance to morph, but, aside from softening slightly, the strangely stinky factor hasn't gone away.   Overall: I smell like spicy charred playdoh.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Scherezade

Originally reviewed: May 27 06   In the imp: Sweet with a faintly woody undertone.   On wet: Mmm...sweet and incense-y - but kinda dry? (If that makes any sense, lol.) A tiny hint of spice underneath the prominent notes tickles my nose.   Drydown: Still sweet and incensey, complimented perfectly by a much more instense spiciness than before. Extremely pretty - I can't stop sniffing myself!   Overall: It's lovely and warm and kinda reminds me of the deliciousness that is teh Smut. How could I not love this?
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Obatala

Originally reviewed: April 19 06   In the imp: Sweet, soft, buttery coconut.   On Wet: Same as above, though with the addition of a refreshing, aquatic undertone that cuts through the creamy sweetness.   Drydown: Over an hour later, I'm still getting delicious whiffs of gorgeous, milky, sun-warmed coconut. If I close my eyes, I'm back in Mexico - reclining by the pool under an umbrella, slathered in suntan lotion and downing pina coladas, soaking up all that steamy heat and inhaling the scent of the ocean...aaahhhh....   Overall: Obatala stirred up vivid memories of childhood summers and amazing times spent abroad. With the exception of Sleepy Moon (which reminds me of how summer evenings used to smell when I was a kid), this is the only BPAL blend to hit me with such an intense wave of nostalgia/remembrance/"being there". In short: Pure love. Destined to become my signature summer scent, and a definite 10ml purchase. A well-deserved 5/5.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Berenice

Originally reviewed: Mar 31 06   In the imp: A soft, barely detectable fragrance - the first word that springs to mind to describe it is 'clean'.   On wet: Interesting blend of notes I'm picking up - definitely lily in the forefront, something pale, watery, and greenish just underneath (the aloe?), followed by a vaguely unpleasant sour sliver (the linen note? the amber? I'm guessing amber, 'cause it usually smells funny to me), and finally, the sweetness of the white musk.   Drydown: Mmmm.... Wow, this fragrance has really come together. The source of that initial sour tang I was first able to detect (and was scared would ruin the whole blend for me), has either dissipated or been overpowered by its better-smelling buddies. Now all I can smell is a gorgeous combination of white musk, lily, and whatever's providing that faintly greenish/aquatic "freshness" - again, I'm assuming it's the aloe.   Overall: This scent scared me for the first 5 minutes - I was *sure* that weird stab of sourness was going to stick around and screw me over. Thankfully, that didn't happen, and now I've got yet another bottle to add to my next order - and order I must. This is just the kind of fragrance I know I'll be wearing often during the warm summer nights that are just around the corner: fresh, soft, and skin-huggingly sexy.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Black Phoenix

Originally reviewed: Jan 09 06   In the Imp: Almonds or cherries.   On Wet: Almonds or cherries - supersized!   Drydown: Woo-woo! Sweet, soapy, spicy, vaguely peppery - a complex and potentially addictive scent. It actually reminds me of how Thrills Gum used to taste (peppery/soapy/violet gum - little purple Chicklet-y guys that lived in a small yellow box). Great staying power, too. I slathered this on before bed last night, and woke up to spicy candy wrists this morning.   Overall: Another winner, another addition to the Big Bottle Wishlist. A 5/5 in this grrl's book.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

The Great Sword of War

Originally reviewed: Dec 29 05   In the Imp: Predominantly cocoa with a faintly sweet background.   Wet: Citrus explosion! Mmmm...smells really good, though - like my skin's been dusted with orange sugar.   Drydown: The sweet mandarin backs off a bit, politely mingling with its imp-mates as it mellows. I get distinct whiffs of tobacco...musk...tea... It's like a different note is peeping out every time I inhale. Very, *very* nice.   Overall: Warm, spicy, musky - and a kickass name to boot. What's not to love?
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Mistletoe

Originally reviewed: Jan 02 06   In the Imp: Pine and something faintly sweet.   On Wet: PINE TREE. Super crazy pine-aliciousness. I concur with many of the reviews previous to mine: this is the freshest, most realisitc evergreen smell I have ever come across. It's positively gorgeous.   Drydown: The intense pine mellows slightly. If I put my nose to my wrist, I can smell a vaguely sweet undertone mixing beautifully with an almost effervescent, Sprite-like bubbliness (the pop, not the fairytale critter.) I actually get the same aquatic-bubbly-sweet combo in Talvikuu, though it's much more pronounced in that blend. It's the evergreen that dominates *this* scent, and that's certainly not a bad thing, imo.   Overall: This is 99% tree, 1% something fizzy, and zero berries or anything else. I think it's a perfect holiday fragrance, most definitely suitable for wearing or burning. As for me, I'll be using my imp for the former - I rather enjoy smelling like a Christmas tree.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Snow White

Originally reviewed: Dec 21 05   In the Imp: Very faint smell of sweet, pine-tinged snow. Incredibly pretty - I can't wait to try it out!   On Wet: Uh-oh...I'm getting flashes of that burnt plastic/chemical scent that others have mentioned, and prepare myself for disappointment. Will this be my first bout with wonky skin chemistry?   Drydown: Thank goodness - that horrible burnt smell completely dissipates after only a few seconds! I'm finally getting exactly what I smelled in the vial - delicate, creamy sweetness, tinged with a hint of fresh pine. Though aside from an undercurrent of vanilla and that smudge of greenery, I don't get any specific notes from this blend - no coconut, almondy marzipan, or pina colada. Not that I'm complaining, mind you - it's delicious just the way it is. It's both subtle and complex, and my nose is delighted. I can't stop sniffing myself!   Overall: Snow White is a totally gorgeous fragrance, and a nice departure from my usual spicy preferences. I'll definitely be ordering a bottle (or two) before the Yules go away.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Rose Red

Originally reviewed: Dec 26 05   In the Imp: I smell something light and green, something fresh.   Wet: The fresh foliage smell intensifies, immediately evoking images of new spring leaves dripping with cool rainwater. Equally dewy rosebuds sprout from my wrist seconds later - but phew! Are they ever *strong*!   Drydown: This scent settles down both quickly and dutifully, coming together with just enough rose, just enough green, just enough misty freshness to impress even a non-rose fan like myself. Sniff. Sniff...sniff. SNIFFFFFFF! Uh...did I say impress? I meant astound - amaze - make my eyes go all sparkly with surprised delight. This is what the center of a living, rain-spattered rosebush smells like. Seriously. I'm a florist, I would know.   Overall: I was convinced this would smell like a granny perfume at best - a granny bathroom at worst - and likely wouldn't have even tried it had I not stumbled across a half imp's worth in the swaps section. I'm VERY glad I thought to toss it into the mix, and that it proved to be such a stunner. Extremely bottle-worthy.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Zombi

Originally reviewed: Dec 27 05   In the Imp: Yup. Just like the reviews previous to mine have mentioned - smells like roses and dirt.   Wet: More roses and dirt, only stronger. I can feel my nose wrinkling - some other scent is swirling into the mix and taking precedence, something...metallic? Mineral-y? It's sharp and kinda yucky smelling - though strangely familiar - whatever it is.   Drydown: Roses. Faint dirt and/or moss. Something else I can't place. Something...stinky.   Overall: I'm too much of a zombie fan to let one test decide whether or not this blend will work on me. I'll give the imp another go in the near future, but will admit that I'm not exactly digging the smell currently wafting up from my wrists.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Grand Guignol

Originally reviewed: Dec 27 05   In the Imp: Sweet, strong, fruity booze. Can't detect apricots right off the bat, but I am getting a definite whiff of brandy.   Wet: This blend is almost overwhelming at first. My nose is blasted by the intensity of the newly erupted apricot note, the warm shot of brandy, and, as some other reviewers have mentioned, a spike of something almost grassy or wood-like.   Drydown: The wood/grass note fades after a few minutes, leaving nothing but pure, sweet, DARK apricot syrup. It's deliciously warm, wonderfully rich, and the thought of how this would smell in my bath water is actually giving me goosebumps. The throw is average, the staying power is faboo - I put this on long before going to bed last night, and my wrists were still smelling good when I got up this morning - and, most importantly, the hubby was decidedly...approving.   Overall: I'm not usually a fan of fruit, but I make an exception for good apricot blends - and this is easily the best one I've *ever* tried. The apricot is totally realistic, it's sweet without being cloying, and best of all, the brandy note lends it an air of sophistication, keeping it from being a straight up fruit or kiddy fragrance. I'm not only in love, I'm in need of a big bottle.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Hamadryad

Originally reviewed: Dec. 16 05   I'm getting nothing but pure wintergreen - like Wintermint Lifesavers. No cinnamon, no fruits, maybe a hint of woodsiness on the drydown, nothing but pure, light, pale green mint.   I actually quite like wintermint, but I was hoping for the spicy fruity fragrance all those previous reviewers raved about. Maybe I'll try for a new imp in my next order...
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Perversion

Originally reviewed: Dec. 17 05   In the Imp: A faintly fruity smell - like dirty or dusty fruit. I'm wondering if I really want to wear this.   Wet: Starts out kind of sharp, reminding me of how Medicine Show begins, but without the greenish/herbal tinge MS has. Perversion's got more of a "brownish" feel to it, and again I find myself thinking it smells a little like dirty fruit - possibly cherries.   Drydown: Oooh... Less than a minute later, it's TOTALLY morphed. That strange swampy fruit smell has completely dissipated, and now it's become this softly sweet, almost powdery whisper against my skin. The rum, tobacco, and vanilla (tonka?) are the predominant scents I'm getting at this point, all gently swirling together like some decadent brand of butterscotch ripple ice cream. So YUM!   Verdict: I'm so glad I decided to take the plunge and try this fragrance, despite my initial trepidation. The results I got definitely prove you can't judge a scent by imp-sniffing alone. I will definitely be wearing this again.   Overall Rating: 4 happy noses out of 5.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Fishnets and Frankincense
 

Fragrance as armor...or not

I am going to stay halfway on-point, considering that this is a blog on a fragrance fandom community. Not that our entries should always be about fragrances, but lately the BPAL experience is what piques my musings, or more accurately, my hallucinations.   I put on some Snake Oil yesterday because the Lab frimped it to me with my Harvest Moon order. (THANK YOU, Lab! ) I layered it over O, because a year ago, I didn't like Snake Oil when I tested it. Things change, and now I think it's pretty yummy. As did a coworker, who literally could not keep his train of thought going because the way I smelled was that distracting. I found someone who wanted swap their imp of Snake Oil, so I can give it to him and he can test run it on his wife. If it works, he will be taking runs at his wife, but we won't go there. She may or may not be happy with me. I think I'll also give him some O, just in case that was what was driving him nuts -- but I don't think so, because I've worn O a lot, alone and layered. The infinite power of Snake Oil, previously unknown to me, was powerfully demonstrated to me yesterday, and now I am a believer.   And if you get an imp of something that you really adore, be careful of the first time that you wear it. When I got my imp of Dorian, I loved it so much that I put it on right away. However, Dorian now has associations with the situation I went into right after I applied it for the first time. I get a very poignant feeling whenever I open the bottle and sniff it.   Smut is like a headbutt, O is a tease, Bengal is a dare, Underpants is a naughty giggle, Khajurajo is a shudder, Anathema is a leer, and Siren is a shimmy. But Dorian just makes me feel really unarmored and vulnerable. You can imagine, I don't wear it to work very often.   But holy hell, I may have to get a bottle of Snake Oil if it's going to get such rave reviews when I wear it. This has been my week -- getting eyes-rolling-up-in-the-head reviews about Siren and Snake Oil. Whodaeverthunkit? I have a bottle of The Mouse's Long and Sad Tale coming in the mail because I had GypsyRoseRed pick it up for me at Will Call. (BTW, GypsyRoseRed is a diva and a lovely person for volunteering to do Will Call runs!) I hope I like the Mouse, but I fear for its success on my person, simply because recently everything that isn't supposed to work on me has been great -- so something that should be perfect for me may not work. Confusing!   But if I love it, I'm going to be really, really careful to wear it out for the first time in a very neutral context. This much I know is true!
valentina

valentina

1
This Old Snark
 

A Sense of Place

Purely through serendipity, Snarky was directed to the site of one Walt Lockley (link to his site, here's his Wikipedia user bio). She needs to find out more about this man.   She read about the history of the Garden of Allah in Hollywood and thought of Valentina when she read the following passage:   Snarky doesn't even know if anyone else gets excited about things like this (she has only recently been reminded of her own love affair with the built environment), but she just had to share that tidbit.
darkitysnark

darkitysnark

5
This Old Snark
 

The Blackening

(New pics posted in Snarky's BPAL Member Gallery. She's having trouble linking to them directly ATM.)   Snarky has posted picks of The Blackening.   The dining room was originally a cranberry red, which looked very striking next to the neutral gray of the living room.   Then the Snarks up and painted the living room candy apple green. In combination with the red, they were then faced with Christmas on Acid.   So... they decided to put down an equally bright and cheery orange to complement the green only... it didn't. At all.   Then The Mister, the normally non-gothy of the two Snarks, had a brainstorm: paint it BLACK.   The Snarks had a gallon of matte black pain on hand to use as a base coat to the blood red they are planning for the basement AV room.   After minor cajoling ("It'll look crisp against the white trim and green w/red accents theme of the living room! There will be so many pieces of art and state plates on the wall the black will look like a framing device!") Snarky agreed and now they have a BLACK dining room.   Snarky is now considering a recycled antler chandelier as well. (only not really) (maybe?)
darkitysnark

darkitysnark

0
Do you have a flag?
 

Entire GC Swap Reviews - cordia Package #4

cordia #4: Lady of Shalott, Lilith, Love Me, Magus, Othello, Undertow, and Whitechapel. I hadn't written reviews for ANY of these yet, but the only one I didn't have was Undertow.   Lady of Shalott - The scent of calm waters just before a raging storm, limned with achingly-beautiful blooms, an icy scent, but somehow warm, and mirror-bright: bold gardenia, crystalline musk, muguet, water blossoms, clear, slightly tart aquatic notes and a crush of white ginger. The gardenia is prominent, but I don't mind it as much as I usually do. The ginger and musk is a nice combination -- they keep the floral notes from being too heady. It's slightly aquatic as well... kind of reminds me of flowers floating on a pond. Very pretty.   Lilith - Mother of Demons, Vengeful Fury, Darkest Seductress, Queen of the Djinn, Goddess of the Gate. Red wine, myrrh, black musk, and attar of rose. This smells very fruity and sweet at first. It doesn't smell like fury to me. Can definitely pick out the red wine in it, and the rose is there too. This reminds me a lot of Wanda, except that Wanda smells entirely of red wine on my skin, and in Lilith there's a little bit of rose too. I like this one better than Wanda, but when it's dry the wine scent is still a little too strong for me.   Love Me - A commanding, dominant oil that increases sexual magnetism, creates an intense and irresistible air of attraction, and amplifies potency. I can't comment on how well this works for its purpose, but I like the scent of it. It smells spicy, like cinnamon, but not overly so. There's also something powdery underneath the spice. Maybe some kind of wood, too. It definitely smells like it would attract people, I've been sniffing my wrist compulsively since I put it on. I like this a lot, even just as a perfume.   Magus - An ancient blend, swollen with arcane power: galangal, high john essence, frankincense, cedar, and sandalwood. I read frankincense and cedar in the notes and thought I wasn't going to like Magus. I'm surprised to find that I do like it. It's in the same vein as Aureus and Cathedral, but it doesn't smell as much like a pencil box as either of those do. The frankincense doesn't get overly sweet on me like it usually does, and the cedar doesn't smell quite as peppery as usual. This is kind of comforting and soft. I like it a lot better than Cathedral.   Othello - Arabian musk with two roses and a bevy of Middle Eastern and Indian spices. I don't think this is masculine. I see what other reviewers mean about the fabric softener, though -- there's something crisp about this scent. It actually reminds me of a soap scent. It's not my favorite rose blend, but I like this better than some others.   Undertow - The Dark Side of Air: a high pitched, tangy, clear scent -- light China rain deepened by murky vetivert. I smell some kind of mint in this, or possibly eucalyptus. I can't really smell any vetivert in it. It's definitely high-pitched and tangy, like the description says. It does seem airy, too. It's not the kind of scent I wear, but it smells pretty good. After it dries it smells less minty and much sweeter. It reminds me of Pez.   Whitechapel - A gentlemen's blend, possessed of dignity, charm and refinement, but in truth masking a corrupted, hideous, soulless core. White musk, lime, lilac and citron. This smells strongly of lime at first... but most blends that contain lime usually smell mostly of lime on me at first. There's a little bit of lilac underneath the lime that starts to come through as the lime fades out, and the lilac keeps getting stronger while it dries. But as the lime goes away a lemony scent takes its place, and I don't care for lemon. It makes the lilac smell sour, and I like lilac so much that I don't want it to be altered like that. The parts of this that I like are things I can find in other oils I like better: I can get my lilac fix from Cordelia, and for a clean crisp masculine citrus scent I prefer Villain over Whitechapel.
filigree_shadow

filigree_shadow

0
Filling the Periodic Table
 

Oh no! Tap Water!

I love my boyfriend, he is super-super-smart, but sometimes I think he's a little too quick with the paranoia.   Someone recently tipped him off to the dangers of fluoride. This person apparently convinced him that you consume enough fluoride in drinking 8 glasses of water a day to cause measurable harm to the body. I've heard this before too, and after reading up on the topic, I am confident in my point of view that that is a load of crap.   Yes, flouride in large doses can hurt you - so can water or alcohol. Here's the solution: Don't eat your toothpaste.   But, that's not what prompted me to write this. The thing is, he's all concerned about 1ppm of fluoride in the water, but he *smokes*. If he's concerned about ingesting toxins, maybe he'd like to have a little chat with his lungs. I'm sure they'd be happy to stop getting coated in tar, and dosed with carbon monoxide.   Me, personally, if I had to pick just one substance added to things we food and drink that poses the biggest, baddest health risk? It wouldn't be fluoride (which totally would not be in the top 10, probably not even the top 100), it would be high fructose corn syrup. That is some nasty shit.
antimony

antimony

4
×