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BPAL Madness!

zankoku_zen

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Everything posted by zankoku_zen

  1. zankoku_zen

    Montes Harbinger

    White musk, rosewater, citrus and hint of vanilla. This to me started off as a breezy citrus heavy white floral and has really become a rose-white musk sort of white floral. It's pretty, breezy, and just a tad soapy on me. Of course, it has great throw and great wear length, because my skin chemistry is contrary to my preferences like that. Super duper feminine, and I would suggest that this actually be appropriate for a young teen girl, although it can also veer into grandma territory if your skin chemistry blows up the white floral aspect. Rosy, musky, white florals.
  2. zankoku_zen

    Boleskine

    Cinnamon, Myrrh, Galangel, Olive, Calamus, Galbanum, Juniper and Rose Geranium. Boleskine is intense. I get myrrh, galbanum, hints of jupiter, cinnamon and olive. This smells dark, haunting, and just a little mad. It puts you into mind of dark earth, ancient trees, and magic running rampant through the ferns and forest undergrowth. It's how I imagine the wardrobe to Narnia smells like, if it led to well, HP Lovecraft's world instead of C.S. Lewis'. This skewers toward the masculine end for me. The oil is very thick, and I have to say it has aged beautifully. I imagine that the name is derived from Boleskine House, which is a manor where Aleister Crowley lived (coincidentally, so did Led Zep guitarist Jimmy Page). The manor is located next to a graveyard! I'm superglad I got to try this one!
  3. zankoku_zen

    Road Opener

    Brings you new opportunities, shows you alternate paths, and breaks down barriers. Ah Road Opener. I apparently neglected to review you. Road Opener is definitely in the cool metallic mint category - this is not a perfume mint. It smells like mint, herbs and something else. For me, Road Opener is a great mental block clearer, helping me to focus on other ways to look at problems. I am going to bust out my partial tomorrow and edit this for a more comprehensive review. ETA: I put it on today - and its definitely a cool metallic mint, that dries down to a more herbal mint. I still occasionally get whiffs of it underneath the Belle Epoque. I had an early morning conversation that has really helped shift my thinking and I really wanted to be able to absorb all of it and be able to continue to shift my mindset. I chose Road Opener hoping that throughout the day, even if I'm not actively thinking about it, subconsciously I'm turning it in my head and really helping that change things moving forward.
  4. zankoku_zen

    Crown of Success

    So this is a two-fold review. Years ago, I got Crown of Success because I was in a very negative work environment and really used it for the silencing of gossip/slander. This time I used it for the "overcoming of obstacles". It smells very vetiver heavy (think 13 Horizons), with myrrh and some other resins. It's a thick scent, and a little goes along way. The feel of it on the other hand is very dual natured - on one hand you feel free to do what you need to do, and on the other you feel very safe and protected. It's very enabling to feel secure enough to do what you need to do, know that you kickass, know that you deserve that compliment, and take it from there. I had a very productive meeting this morning, and we have identified what we think we need to do. It feels very good.
  5. zankoku_zen

    Tarot 2014: The High Priestess

    For interest's sake, I've attached my review of the discontinued, original Tarot: High Priestess The 2014 version, courtesy of a generous BPALer, smells more immediately of sweet mint and eucalyptus on wet, with a very strong scent of additional greenery. The mint dissipates after about 45 minutes, and I'm left with a more green, slightly minty, whiff of something soapy. The original version was heavy on the anise, which my nose is not detecting at the moment. I have to say that there's been some discussion on whether the Tarot 2014 would be a reboot of the original series or a re-release. If this is any indication, and its just one, I'd say it skewers closer to a reboot than a re-release.
  6. zankoku_zen

    Chaos Theory VI: Recursive Self-Similarity v7

    #216 Darkly syrupy with almost caramel overtones. I can see the maple syrup comparison. That backs off on the drydown and I get buttery vanilla with a sandalwood base. Very foodie. Buttery, syrupy, foodie vanilla. Previously reviewed by cindirella76, venneh, and citizenbree
  7. zankoku_zen

    Horus

    Spicy vanilla, hint of sandalwood, amber and incense. This smells like a desert god. It's warm, golden, and very apropos. I was originally thinking this might be the Eye of Horus. Nope, it's the TAL version of Horus.
  8. zankoku_zen

    Basil

    Basil SN smells like barely sweet, herby, between fresh and dried basil. It has almost no throw, but considering that this SN is over 10+ years old, I'm surprised it smells as much as it does. It smells dark green, slightly anisey basil. And then, its gone. ETA: I wish more of Beth's current blends had a "basil" component that was more predominant. But hey, maybe creating a Basil SN is a pain, and just not worth it.
  9. zankoku_zen

    Sugar Cookie Soap

    Sweet, spicy and thick molasses and a hint of butter. Honestly, to me, this soap doesn't smell all that great. It may be that I got a tiny soap chip, cut from a unused bar, but I don't feel like it smells all that great. After washing it off, I would say it smells more faintly of cookies, but I think part of it is either the age or the type of vanilla that was used in formulating this one.
  10. zankoku_zen

    Roman Chamomile

    On wet, the chamomile has almost a sagey quality to it. Very sharpy herbal. And then it dries to a very soft, soothing chamomile. Like think sweet chamomile tea. It sticks very close to the skin, and then it absolutely fades out after 30 minutes. Soft, soothing, chamomile.
  11. zankoku_zen

    Bulgarian Lavender

    Bulgarian Lavender, I have to admit, has aged pretty well. This is a soft, sweet lavender. The sort of lavender that invokes dreams and such. It has a low throw and low wear length on me, but it smells like lavender that you would want to spray over your sheets. Soft, sweet, dreamy.
  12. zankoku_zen

    Flower Constancy I: An Affinity for Passionflower Bath Oil

    Soft, classic floral. Passionflower smells like a white flower, ethereal, slightly bitter. It's a very 'real' flower smell, but a flower that isn't a smelling flower necessarily. Soft, clean, feminine.
  13. zankoku_zen

    Unhappily Ever After

    Lots of champagne, hint of violet and rose, and then on the drydown a touch of vanilla. This one smells like one of the BPAL blends champagne blends. I get bubbly all over. It's slightly sweet and slightly floral. Fun! This one smells like celebrating.
  14. zankoku_zen

    Black Cherry Love

    Black cherry, vanilla, hint of patchouli. I find that it evokes a very playful, flirty atmosphere. Admittedly, I did use a tiny amount, so its very subtle scentwise.
  15. zankoku_zen

    Winter-Time

    2014 version Spearmint, wintergreen, and masculine aquatic woods. This one smells more like a festive themed men's cologne. Sticks closer to the skin, decent wear length. Minty, water, woods.
  16. zankoku_zen

    Hot Buttered Rum

    Melty buttery, hint of rum, toasted nuts. It's foodie, nutty and buttery. Good throw, good wear length. This makes me slightly nauseous.
  17. zankoku_zen

    Butter Rum Cookie

    Butter, rum, butter cookies and pecans. This one is foodie, tasty and toothsome. If you love cookie type blends, try this out.
  18. zankoku_zen

    Lick It With Consent (2014)

    Sweet mint and vanilla. This year's Lick It seems more wearable and I think it has to do with the vanilla note that BPAL is using these days. Unfortunately it is low throw and doesn't last on my skin. Sweet, pretty, sugary.
  19. A scent that is porcine pink and blood red, with dry woods. So to me, this is THE sleeper hit of the Century Guilds. It was giving me preconceived palpitations, since I imagined it would be just as unpleasant as Gore-Shock. SURPRISE SURPRISE! This one smells like strawberries and cherries. Very sweet candy. It dries down to strawberry shortcake. On me the drydown toggles between sweet strawberry candy, strawberry shortcake, and the smell of strawberry shortcake dolls. Overall too sweet for me, but even I considered a bottle of this one. All you strawberry and sweet candy lovers, RUN, DO NOT WALK, and score yourself a couple of bottles. I am serious. This would probably would have already sold out if it was stated as strawberry/cherry candy in the description.
  20. zankoku_zen

    Pumpkin Tobacco Candle

    Smoky tobacco and sweet pumpkin. Fun, smoky, and pumpkiny.
  21. zankoku_zen

    Dead Leaves and Dark Incense Candle

    Incense and a hint of dead leaves. Autumnal incense, just a tinge dark.
  22. zankoku_zen

    Pumpkin Spice Everything Candle

    More pumpkiny than the other BPTP items and lots of pumpkin spices, definitely allspice, and cinnamon. Smells delicious, and very Fall like.
  23. zankoku_zen

    Chocolate Pumpkin Candle

    Buttery fatty chocolate and a hint of pumpkin. To me, this was too sweet and foodie.
  24. zankoku_zen

    Samhain Candle

    Smells line Samhain. Woods, spices, touch of sweetness,and a touch of patchouli. Samhain as a candle reminds me to L'Autunno atmo, since it makes think of dry leaves in the autumn air.
  25. zankoku_zen

    Black Pine and Pale Incense Candle

    Soft, sticky pine, incense. It smells like golden pine. This is what an idealized pine tree smells like.
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