celestia

REVIEW FORMAT for EPHEMERIS (RFE) A comprehensive guide to the ERS including measurements for review: Grading Criteria, Review Categories, Review Format, etc. It is a format that I created to provide consistency throughout my reviews from 2016 onwards. Review Format Reviews will follow specific review formatting and will be based on several grading criteria in using the following format and colour scheme: Title: (Description) | Initial Notes | Wet | Dry | Verdict | Other Recommendations | Initial Notes: Otherwise known as "in the bottle/imp". This criterion notes initial thoughts about the scent in relation to listed notes and components; prior to contact with any skin chemistry reactions. Wet: This criterion describes thoughts about the fragile top notes; mainly scent reactions upon active contact with skin chemistry when wet. Dry: This criterion assesses the drydown, and comprise mostly the middle and base notes; the extent the scent has reacted to the author's skin chemistry. Verdict: Grade class and Rank Listed in the following format: [several word summary] X(n) Other Recommendations: Similar BPAL scents that may appeal to those who like components found in the reviewed scent will be suggested here, based on my own personal opinion. Review Categories To simplify the process, reviews have been limited to three categories: | Limited Edition | Permanent Line | General Catalog | Limited Edition (LE): Scents that are available for a sensitive period of time or offered as a limited run with numerically specific units. Permanent Line (PL): Scents that are available under the extensive BPAL catalog alongside the GC range but are not offered in 1ml samples. They often do not have a fixed period of time they are available, but not part of the GC range General Catalogue (GC): Scents which appear as part of the general catalogue list. Grading Criteria The 2016 grading system for reviews takes advantage of the classical 1-10 scale and assigns a 'grade class' in the form of a letter.; the higher the number, the greater the overall rank and result. | S+/S (10) A+ (9) A (8) A- (7) B+ (6) B (5) B- (4) C+ (3) C (2) C- (1) F (0) | F-Class results are acquired by scents that do not appeal to me or react to my chemistry. It is important to note that this system is purely graded by the author's personal opinion and taken with half a grain of salt. As always, YMMV. Reviews will rarely procure S-Class results as they reflect scents that transcend beyond my control to grade them any less. They are reserved only for scents I find are elite scents that rise above the rest in my opinion. BPAL signature icon Collection of Impressions in image form. Scents I have written under this review system will have an attached signature icon for rotational use on the BPAL forum. The signature icon will describe the overall theme and feel of the scent, summed up as a picture. This is an alternate form of describing and rating; instead of simply indicating a colour, suggesting the mood/emotion, or writing an anecdotal memory the scent reminds me of, all scents which I review under this system will sum up my collection of thoughts into a single BPAL signature icon to represent my general impression.

it's been a long long time since I've reviewed anything- and until I get my notebook out to document everything from start to finish, it's not going to be perfect From the imp: I literally don't get any salt, it's sweet water fragranced with watermelon and florals... i don't see watermelon listed.. i don't see any florals listed... I don't even see sweet listed. And it's quite florally sweet. On skin: watermelon juice balanced with white florals (lily?). Summary: Watermelon florals Verdict: 3.75/5 I love this. wth!

Adding both to the list! Though Edith is oos t.T so the hunt

After a super long hiatus, I've finally returned to BPAL for my sugary floral and creamy floral fix. I've tried my best to look up the new scents but there's just so many since I've returned! I'd love some help to identify ones I simply must not miss. I gravitate towards accents with an almost ethereal quality. I really want the florals to be the dominant note. Not a fan of spicy florals, or florals with no distinct character (generic florals). I love hope but I'm not too interested in rose dominant blends (have too many). I LOVE faith and Marie, but I'm hoping for something a little more refined, that doesn't overpower the olfactory senses with too much sugar or fruit (or so much that it becomes a foodie scent) I love fairy market, the original midnight the midway, and have BFJA on the way as well as Muse of Fire. Hopefully that covers it, HALP! And TIA ;3

@Floria- I've been looking at Ghost Revelry after people have been commenting on it! I might see if i can scout around for an imp! I wasn't sure about the notes but based on the comments, it sounds like something I need to try! I'm not a fan of creamy citrus scents though, but the notes listed for Phoenix at Dawn do sound appealing! hmmm @lookingglass- BPAL's honey has been notoriously bad on me (it makes me smell like old, aging asian elders - the kind I get when I walk into my relative's home) . I remember champaca flower smelling a little woody on me too so I'm not so sure those notes would work on me and I think the cinnamon may make it a little too spicy. Could you maybe elaborate how it worked on you? ;D I used to never bat an eyelid when I thought a scent with components i didn't like would ever appeal to me. And i'd refuse it automatically- but I learnt my lesson a while ago when I was introduced to some scents that made me re-evaluate that whole concept, so I'm all ears! haha

I don't have much experience with bpal's peach, but the reviews sound nommy!

Oooh! I've tried bewitched! And omg yes! the fruity part- that blackberry note and wild berries were really nommy! Unfortunately, it came alongside another scent that morphed into a pungent, sweet acidic battle between my chemistry, the berries and the rest of the notes. You know when two scents morph really differently on your skin but don't want to submit the other to dominance and you end up with a conflict of chemistry-infused scents that don't work together? Yea that happened T___T I think it might have been the sage or green tea because I remember going "oh yum...yuck" haha.

Yay! Someone who likes similar scents! L'Autunno actually doesn't smell like any of the kind of notes I'm supposed to like, but it's just really nice to me for some unknown reason. I love antique lace, but yes...lol indeed! Mouses long and sad tale I really like too! I have some pink snowballs on the way too! So that excites me a little! Rosy maple, love and pink lace were all on my tentative list so I may track those down after all thanks to your recommendation! Same with the other scents you've mentioned! I've pulled up reviews on them before but couldn't decide! You've made me give them a chance! Haha

Oooh! I'd love to try this! 1. Monster Bait: Closet 2. Fairy Market 3. Midnight on the Midway (original) 4. Black Lace 5. L'Autunno I really wanted to add Ava, Butterflies, Flowers and Jewels Attending and muse of fire but I'd be cheating because they're on the way and I haven't sniffed them yet Can I do one with commercial perfume? Would love a separate set of recommendations! (Ignore if not allowed) 1. Chanel - Coco Mademoiselle 2. Chantal Thomass - Chantal Thomass 3. V&R - flowerbomb 4. La Perla - J'aime 5. Marc Jacobs - Daisy I love expensive smelling sugary fresh florals, sugary incense, sweet musks, vanilla, fresh strawberry, and cotton candy kind of scents.

@vanilla323 will try! Hopefully I can find a decant floating around...bottle prices from the US have skyrocketed to the point I can't justify just one bottle per purchase anymore @lookingglass I have snow white 07 and it never really bloomed florals on me, but it's an incredible scent! I may have to try again now that you've bought it up! Haha. I also have some pink snowballs en route which I understand to be a bit of rise with snowwhite. Crossing fingers the florals sing on me now

@LizziesLuck: hi ;D and backing up muse of fire makes me relieved that I'm getting some sent blind! Haha so it's great help! @Andyl: I've sniffed KVT and have liked it quite a bit, actually! I think it was a little too one dimensional for me though did you find the peach ix to be a little too powdery or soapy by any chance? @AmandaKay: Sounds like an interesting summer blend, thanks for the rec! @vanilla323 oh wow, definitely something I have to add! Was this a one dimensional scent for you because of the simplicity of the notes? Or did it end up smelling more complex on the dry down? So grateful for all these suggestions! Keep them coming! ;D

@lady_pandora Ooooh, adding Fairy Thorn to the list, the reviews sound lovely! I feel Belle Epoche might sing the mandarin note too much, but if I see it pop up, I'll keep it in mind @ziggystardust13 I tend to amp spices so if there's a consistent mention on it in the reviews, I shy away, but you're right- it's definitely worth a try! And I loved Mouses Long and Sad Tale! - On me though, it was less about the floral and more about the sweet pea. Did the white chocolate and coconut note in The Last Unicorn have a non-foodie quality to it? I'd like to add it but I'm worried it might turn the scent into a foodie one! (Sorry for the questions, haha)

Wow, Ava sons like something I have to track down! Faith and Marie are my go to violet scents so I'm trying to balance it out... But I'll keep them in mind because they sound glorious! The reviews on Alice sounded like a little too almondy and spice to be a dominant floral so I'm a little hesitant!

ivyandpeony always to the rescue. You've helped me a lot with the few posts ive made. You're a gun. I've made a note about trying love-in idleness as well as regan (i love vanilla scents now it seems ;O;) and Juliet. I've tried kitsune-tsuki and it did smell pretty and lovely! Problem was that it didn't strike as 'outstanding' or something special enough to hang onto. I'm personally not a huge fan of lotus because of the bubblegum aspect so unless a variety of florals and sweet, sugary notes are present, i tend to avoid it. The original black moon sounds GORGEOUS ;O; and i'll definitely keep it in mind- though the reality of ever getting to test it is probably slim-none.

Recently i've had a craving for a sweet, gentle, sugary floral. One that doesn't necessarily smell green. Any recommendations for something close to fairy market or the hanging gardens without the 'green'?...with maybe some added sweetness like asian pear (not necessarily this; it's just asian pear makes florals smell really sweet/sugary) I love the light, ethereal quality coming from it. Thalia, mad kate and titania all smell wonderful but lose too much by the time they dry down.They end up smelling like a single bunch of the same flower but what I want is an an abundance of them. I'm currently only on the look out for Spirit of the Komachi cherry tree and peacocks.

Is the bottle for pink moon 05 really amber? Whoah! learn something everyday indeed. I had no clue.

UPDATES 13/10 [Life//Notes]: Undergoing my first bottle sale as a result of the falling AUD. Breathe. it's okay. You still have 2 bottles of Midway Res. ;~; 25/08 [Life//Notes]: Quick Review guide uploaded. Random first impressions listed for frimps/blends I have received thusfar. Most of these equal the first batch on the waitlist for reviewing. Officially/Legally moving house 30/08/08. Many (4) assignments due one or two days before hand.

updated x3

ahh. is the vanilla in the LEs you mention similar to the soft coeur? If so, i'm more than game to go 'ISO' some. haha

Hmm I see. I want to try the others now! LOL. The ones I'm used to (Melbourne, Australia) are very vanilla rich with sugary mint and the chocolate is well.. not light and not heavy (like the candy butcher). The room was scented in it after an afternoon and it .. omg. I think i had an olfactory orgasm right then and there. ;O; Now that it's possible all the soft couer's smell somewhat different depending on the state/country... .. it's sort of... diminished my hope for a good while. hah Thanks though D: Me too. I get a little bit of vanilla and mintiness from the Mange Too bar, but not Soft Couer - it's all honey on the verge of toffee to me with just a bit of richness from the chocolate part. But since saracakes is in the UK and Tempest and I are in North America, it could be that there are some subtle differences in the products! I wonder if Mead Moon layered with a chocolatey BPAL of your choice would be a nice Soft Couer complement? I think I've raved about how good Honey Moon (2005) is if you are a fan of Lush's honey stuffs - well, I think Mead Moon is an even better match for their current honey products. Honey Moon is more herbal, like the old school B Never gel, Flying Saucers bubble bars (and liquid bath-shower gel you can now get via Retro), and Honey Comfort (aka Honey Lumps) ballistics. Which are my Lush True Loves. I think I'd even stick Mange Too on this side of the fence. Mead Moon is sweeter, which is why I think it reminds me more of the Honey Bee ballistic and HIWTK. I'd categorize Soft Couer over here as compared to Mange Too. Honey lovers who don't have them need to track down Honey and Mead Moons, even if you have to sell slightly used organs to get them. I kid, I kid! I wore some aged Hetairae yesterday and it took me to wild dimensions of honey love. It was like Skinny Dip meets B Never.

I'm after similarities between Soft Coeur (The Honeymooner). I did a quick search on the thread to reveal bliss and love lies bleeding are contenders. Any more? I found love's philosophy to replicate the minty vanilla I seemed to get. Not quite sure how to get the soft cocoa smell (the chocolate scent wasn't very prominent in my bar, as least not sugary rich- but certainly decadent to an extent). If lush did a perfume of it, I'd sell half my collection and hoard it instead D:

Yes, all the pictures I've seen suggest that. It definitely fits the coloring of the label. No , it is a cobalt bottle, don't get me wrong:- I just meant- BPAL supposedly stopped using them for whatever reason x years ago (supplier shortage? i don't know, but i can guess 8D) so the fact that out of all the bottles, this one rocks up not in the ordinary amber glass- but the long phased out cobalt glsas... is making the whole purchase feel ten times special. Why? For newbies like me who missed out on cobalt bottles when they were used in the production x years ago- owning one fresh from the lab is like WHOAH. @stellans I can't wait to receive mine now!! I just.. i still can't get over it. 10 bucks says I'll receive mine and STILL be surprised it's in a cobalt bottle. I thought they'd never be used in production ever again. Quite honestly, I'm halfway between ecstatic and shocked...so much that i've lost the expression I was looking for.

wait...snow glass apples in a COBALT BOTTLE?! !!!

Black Lace Grade: A (4/5) (Outside): Dusty, smoky and of spirits and incense. Really strong, boozy note... Sharp but smooooth. (Inside:) Wow... I usually do not favour heavy, dark and musky smells because it reminds me of ordinary perfume... but this is a wonderfully smooth, dark cognac laced with vanilla smoke. I can see where others fit Snake Oil into this. It's carries a wonderful, warm, lightly spiced feel and has the same sweet edge. Chemistry: I can really sense the stained cotton in this because the notes feel like they've all soaked into each other. The tobacco, musk and cognac all turn mellow on each other and i'm left with this delicately vintage... vanilla smoke. I smell rich, creamy, elegant and refined. And somehow the whole thing smells smooooth because yes! like others before me have mentioned, it has been blended so very well! And when i wake up, the scent usually ends up smells like a really lovely, soft, vintage-vanilla-cream. Lightly sweetened.

LIMITED (too small to separate them into categories yet X3) I don't read reviews to 'match' while writing. I might one day…just to make sure I don't say I smell berries when It's really Egyptian musk But for now… I deal you deal? ;_; Will also be condensing these reviews and leaving big ones to link off the main categories. So i can fit more in! ... just a little bit addicted ;o; 2004 2005 Midwinter's Eve 2005 | Sugar Cookie 2005 ♥ | 2006 Bloody Mary ♥ | 2007 Attrocious Attic, The | Beaver Moon 2007 | Black Lace ♥ | Fruit of Paradise, The ♥ | Gingerbread Poppet 2007 ♥ | Midway: Resurrected | Perilous Parlour, The | Rose Red 2007 ♥ | Snow White 2007 | Sugar Skull 2007 2008