Balame

This is more "sparkly" than I imagined it would be. Not a bad thing, but it starts out with a bright wave of lavender. It's not super astringent as in some other blends, but it definitely takes center stage. As it dries the lavender becomes less dominant and I smell a soft musk with just a hint of vanilla. Not as creamy as I imagined, but still soft. Ironically it's not bringing to mind a happy little girl, but almost the exact opposite - a dignified old man with a cane standing outside underneath a bright summer sky. Weird association, I know, but there it is. I think it's because Capax is almost musty on me, yet it's paradoxically "clean" too. The sugary vibe keeps it innocent and lighthearted. He's probably the cool grandpa that still chases his grandkids around the yard and tells them that fairies exist. Thus the aura of youth and magic, despite maturity.

This is everything I wanted O to be and more. Where O was heavy and plasticky on me, this is a bright, realistic honey (rare for me to find in a BPAL oil) with a touch of creamy beeswax. Following behind those notes is a refreshing breeze of white tea and smooth resins. It's slightly powdery due to the musk, which I don't normally like, but it's such a beautiful blend that it isn't bothering me. It's delicate and sensual but backed with a grounded woodsiness... which could describe many other favorites of mine. Almost seems like there's vanilla in it? This is definitely my top pick out of all the races in the RPG line, which is awesome since I usually do play half elves. Not sure how it compares with the released version though, which sounds like it might be heavier and sharper.

Baby powder. That's almost all I get, very little complexity on me. Nothing woodsy or furry about it, though I do feel like there's some sort of floral component. I'd guess lily? So baby powder + lily + musk. Definitely not for me. It's a shame it turned out so differently from what the notes would suggest, but I'm glad I got to try it. *edit* It's been about an hour and half now. I experimentally huffed this again and what do you know, it smells almost nothing like it did on application. It's a little gruff but warm, like a pile of bark shavings, with wafts of dried leaves. It's unexpectedly awesome at this stage, but what a wait time!

Glad you found something that worked! Most of these have freesia and/or jasmine, though I threw a few in just because they're watery florals: Jasmine Cottage - Camellia, jasmine, heather, orange blossom, osmanthus, wisteria, thyme, angelica, freesia, granny’s nightcap, and English wildflowers. The East - Bluebonnet, passion flower, freesia, jasmine tea, mint, thyme, and redcurrant. 51 - Green mandarin, neroli, honeydew, white amber, guava, freesia, white and green musks hovering over desert scrub, smashed wood, and the dry, biting scent of night air over the Groom Lake salt flats. Amsterdam - Tulips, peony, fresh flowing water and crisp green grasses. Ave Maria Gratia Plena - Rosewood with Sicilian lemon peel, red Mysore sandalwood, pale musks, sweet mountain sage and a dusting of lily, night-blooming jasmine and orris. Kitsune-Tsuki - Asian plum, orchid, daffodil, jasmine and white musk. Muse - Tuberose, lotus and jasmine with a hint of lime. Lady of Shalott - Bold gardenia, crystalline musk, muguet, water blossoms, clear, slightly tart aquatic notes and a crush of white ginger.

Ooh, this sounds very similar to Delight & Consternation. It was essentially a vanilla lemon tart to me. It doesn't have the herbal aspect but should be pretty close. Rigorous Love could fit as well. It has a bit more complexity than the blend you're describing, with coconut, anise and orchid, but it also has a soft lemongrass.

The Final Darkness - Black amber and shimmering moonflower blackened by opoponax, khus attar, smoked oudh, and myrrh and all swallowed by the fathomless depths of a lightless ocean. Schwarzer Mond - Opoponax, Tunisian black amber, night musk, antique patchouli, zdravetz, terebinth, myrrh, and Pimenta racemosa. Countess Dolingen of Gratz - Hailstone-pounded cypress boughs, olibanum, and an ozone blast of lightning. Halloween: Las Vegas - Walls smeared with red and black frosting, copious amounts of spilled red wine, the leftover contents of three full bars, dry leaves and desert flowers crushed into carpet, tobacco smoke, and champaca incense in a cloud of body-heat amped Snake Oil and Dorian. Count Dracula - Black patchouli, neroli, tonka, cinnamon, bitter clove, leather, black musk, coffin wood and fiery ginger. Leather Phoenix - Matcha tea, wild frankincense, champaca, petitgrain, star anise, aged oudh, rose taifi, narcissus, Himalayan cedar, 11-year aged patchouli, and black leather accord. Spanked/(Rev) - Whip leather, cardamom, patchouli, and bourbon. So Below - Amber and black copal with black coconut, Sumatran red patchouli, green cardamom pod, and golden musk. Ship of Hel - Black oak and sprucewood with opoponax, myrrh, black ambergris, and the silent ice of Niflheimr. A Variety of Pleasing Amusements - Honey, leather, tobacco, and myrrh. French Tobacco - The scent reverberates like a deep bass note, possessing a very faint citrus-like twang and an almost animalic caramel richness.

Go figure! Yeah, Obi is really gorgeous but not too hard to find for a LE - hope you enjoy it. Kitty wasn't overwhelming like some florals are, but I'm just not crazy for them in general, so if you have even a minor tolerance it could definitely be a winner. I don't believe I've tried Lady Una. I can say that BPAL's blackberry and honey are usually no-gos for me. The blackberry can indeed smell too astringent and cloying (found that out with Bewitched), while unfortunately honey goes plastic-y. I literally haven't found one BPAL honey blend that works on me, except for Variety of Pleasing Amusements (though I admit even that verges on being too much). Green tea is fine though.

I had the same experience. Even as someone who likes aquatics Lyonesse was too weirdly salty-sweet for me. Maybe give Tamora a shot? It's "amber, heliotrope, golden sandalwood, peach blossom and vanilla bean" which came off as a touch shampoo-ish to me, but it's soft and suitable for warmer weather. Also, even though it doesn't have vanilla listed, Morocco has always come across as gentle vanilla to me, with a touch of spice. It's one of my favorites. Then there's Mouse's Long and Sad Tale (vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea and white sandalwood) if you like sweet pea. As for LEs, Loosening of the Obi is almost too pretty to put into words (rice wine, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, and white musk). I wouldn't recommend it unless you at least somewhat enjoy white musk and resinous scents, but it's so dreamy and smooth. Some people amp the rice wine, so care for that, but it was a pretty perfect vanilla with my chemistry. I'd give Kitty (french vanilla, tot house orchids, strawberries, white sandalwood, bergamot, and honey) a shot as well. It definitely falls into the feminine and summery category. Too floral for me, but that's just my personal preferences speaking.

Have you tried Dorian or Lyonesse? They're both fairly light.

Thank you tiny for sending me this as a freebie! I've been wanting to try Empyreal Mist for a long while now. It's... different than I expected. I was a little weirded out at first since it smelled like very grassy ozone with citrus. It smelled like icky cleaning fluid. Then after about 10 minutes the floral note other reviewers have mentioned comes out. It's much more pleasant at this stage and does indeed remind me a bit of Kumiho or Shanghai. It's like a white tea, grass, grapefruit and flowers. I can't really say what type specifically; probably lotus since it's sweet but still watery? I just tried Eldritch Drunken Constellations and this actually turns a bit similar, but it's more heavily sweet, greener and has the floral component.

Aw, hello little baby Y'ha-Nthlei. Constellations smells like a much lighter version of Y'ha to me. It has a sparkling quality that smells like citrus (I'd say grapefruit) + a soft ambergris. The white tea and eucalyptus give it a watery and refreshing background. It's very pretty but SO light. I have to get my nose about an inch away to smell it (even when slathered), and that combined with its similarity to the more noticeable Y'ha makes me don't think I need more.

I've finally gotten to test all the Riders now! Red starts out a bit dry, then it becomes a warm, earthy leather. The balsam almost gives the impression of hay along with a slightly peppery note. It's nice and I'd imagine perfect for people who like rustic-smelling blends.

You've probably tried some of these already, but the following are what come to mind. The official notes I saw in its description are "violet, sensual sandalwood, and rich vanilla." Antikythera Mechanism - Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco. French Tobacco - A very faint citrus-like twang and an almost animalic caramel richness. The Raven - Violet and neroli mingled with iris, white sandalwood and dark musk. Clockwork Couture: Female - Leather, golden amber, vanilla orchid, Spanish moss, Oxford clay, and tonka. Banshee Beat - A tousled, sexy mix of patchouli, vanilla, and hemp. Morocco - Arabian spices wind through a blend of warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood and cassia. I know it's not BPAL but I'd highly recommend you try Manor by Solstice Scents. It's got a killer woods/vanilla combo despite lacking the floral component. They actually have a scent called Sandalwood Vanilla as well, but I think it may lack the depth of Manor due to the resins. *edit* Oh, pepper? Hmm... I'll have to come back to this one.

People have compared this to Hungry Ghost Moon multiple times, which excited me because I really like that blend. However, my experience was not similar at all. When wet Tamamo-no-Mae is lovely. It's like a creamy, breezy mix of fruity florals and soft rice candy. Not my usual thing but very good. Then as soon as it starts to dry it turns into a super powdery floral that verges on being astringent. Powder + astringent = stuffy nose for me, so it was a big letdown. HGM is much softer and dreamy compared to this, not to mention it lacks the floral component I dislike here. Tamamo could definitely have been a winner if it stayed truer to its initial application, but sadly that was not the case for me.

Surprised how much I like this one! I’m not a fan of TKO; it was too astringently herbal on me. I usually have a problem with BPAL’s lavender being too harsh, but here it’s perfect. Just like sniffing the plant itself, it’s smooth, sweet and relaxing. Soft rather than biting. This is one of those awesome scents that not only smells good, but is very evocative to me. It begins with that delicious lavender combined with vanilla and wafts of dry, clean cotton. Not really getting the bergamot. I know BPAL already has an “Alice” scent, but honestly I think this suits her better. It feels innocent and straitlaced, like a very proper, young Victorian lady (or even lad). At the same time it has hints of sweetness that just make you want to take its pure white self and corrupt it (or maybe that’s only me because I’m an evil person). I think of boarding schools, picnics at a villa, sun hats, white dresses and stockings. So very Victorian. There is a point where the cotton goes a little crazy and I did get a “clean laundry” vibe, but after that it lost a lot of dryness and got even creamier, perhaps thanks to the oriental blossoms. As if the prim youth has let decided to relax a bit. I expected to like it, but not this much. Innocently seductive and even feels a bit regal.

I'm going to echo the other reviewers in saying that this feels more commercial than most of BPAL's blends, but it's like the rare good find. I get a wet rather than powdery floral musk (for which my sinuses thank me), with what smells like an airy cotton candy behind it. It's pretty, endearing and playful, like the image it's supposed to evoke.

As zankoku mentioned, this reminds me a bit of Gothabilly. Youth's started out as a pretty rich, deep cherry with currant and a bit of anise backing it, but not so much that I'm overwhelmed by licorice. When it dries down it becomes even better, though. It lightens up a lot, and I feel like I'm surrounded by cherry trees with threads of resinous vanilla wafting in the air. The cherry feels dark but not heavy, and almost like it belongs in a dessert (probably the currant helping it along). Yet the sandalwood and ginger which eventually peak out simultaneously give this a fresh, outdoorsy vibe. It's like a very idealized, fantastical cherry orchard. A definite must for any cherry lovers. The more complex stage didn't last too long on me and I was left with a single note of black cherry after about 30 minutes, but it's still very nice.

Bezoar and Bengal. Both of them smell very, very much like chai. Bengal is sweeter/creamier so that's probably the one I'd go with for the "latte" aspect. Also, I was surprisingly underwhelmed by all the tea blends from the Lupers this year. Usually I love them, and I thought I'd find something for sure this go around, but nope. For some reason they all lacked complexity on me. Koito and Sashichi was a good single note green tea, but nothing wowed me. I did get a decant of Eldritch Drunken Constellations recently, so hoping that will work out instead!

Dee... It gives off a studious vibe but is also very soothing and warm.

Got it! After wearing this for an hour or so I finally came upon the scent association it was evoking: a higher-end version of Johnson & Johnson's "No More Tears" baby shampoo. It started out better. I got a warm but gentle musk brushed with crisp cedar. The honey/benzoin slowly came out and softened the edges, making me think of fur. Then the honey amped and sadly I don't have a good track record with BPAL's honey; it generally turns into plastic or gets too cloyingly sweet. Here it just turned this into fancy J&J's shampoo. That's not terrible in my opinion, as it's a fairly comforting scent and reminds me of my childhood (mixed feelings there), but I'm definitely not crazy about it either. Too syrupy and slightly artificial on me.

This is stunning. It's the sheerest white musk with vanilla bean and airy sandalwood. Makes me think of pure white silk sliding along the thighs of a beautiful woman. Sooooo goooood. Yeah, sorry I can't be more coherent. The vanilla bean is really delicious (without getting too foody because of the dry rice wine) and true to its name; I haven't found it this realistic in any other of BPAL's blends. I would venture to say that Obi almost has a coconut vibe when wet, as shimmery vanilla tends to evoke, but that's totally fine since it's another favorite of mine. This is not "understatedly" sexy, even though it's not in your face. It's like the most naturally beautiful person you've ever seen, so the allure is obvious. They're just extremely humble about it. Must have more.

This is pretty and unusual in a good way. Chaotic starts out as a light red berry musk, then the cedar-ish mastic lends it a woodsy backdrop. I smelled the wasabi on and off during the wet stage but it disappears and turns into something that's not spicy on me at all. Instead it's a juicy (I love rooibos) but earthy blend that seems quite amiable. I went ahead and applied Fighter over this since it was nearby and I'm usually too lazy to use the RPGs like they should be (layered). What a nice mix! The soft sweetness of Chaotic tempers Fighter's in-your-face leather and metal, making it less imposing for the everyday. The warmth from the berry/woods is also a good match for Fighter's hot, almost musky leather. I think this would be absolutely killer with Evil, so I guess I've found a good class match for my preferences: Chaotic Evil Fighter. Honestly this is nice on its own and would make a refreshing "summer scent," but now that I've tried a proper combo it's definitely great for adding a juicy, sparkly woodsiness to other RPGs as well.

Ha, that description is amusing. Good timing with the release of the Ragnarok scents! I think The Final Darkness could suit her. I know some people get more of an aquatic vibe but for me it's beautiful, mysterious, resinous darkness. Not too inviting but not cold either. Thinking of witchy scents that aren't overly sultry: The Night Hag Visiting the Lapland Witches, Magus, The Witch's Garden, Troll, Black Forest, Antique, Mage + Chaotic, Urd, Helpful Crone, Dawn: Cernunnos. Seeing her fox companion Ivanushka could work as well.

I was going to say Wanda (Deep red merlot with a faint hint of leather, sexual musk and body heat over crushed roses, violets and myrtle) but since you amp rose it might not work out too well... I know I'm going into LE territory but maybe give Australian Copperhead a shot (Snake Oil with acai berry, amber, cardamom, neroli, and smoked vanilla). It should give you a berry blast with a creamy smoothness from the vanilla/amber. I can't really think of anything that has berry + leather so you might want to layer. Maybe Berry Moon + Perversion or Captain Cully. You could also try Boadicea (Amber, fig, vanilla flower, oak, patchouli, vetiver, dragon’s blood resin, leather, and neroli). It sounds darker based on the description but according to the reviews the patch/vetiver/dragon's blood don't seem too overwhelming.

I could see an interesting mix of bright and "dreamy" scents with those that have more depth/darkness matching you. Bright Mania - Screeching white musk collides with a howl of red musk, with sharp white grapefruit and pale strawberry leaf. Chaotic - A whirling mélange of multicolored musks with wasabi, rooibos, heliotrope, and mastic. Spinning Multicolored Metallic Pinwheel - Raspberry, lime, blueberry, tangerine, lemon, juniper, and white grape. White Rabbit - Strong black tea and milk with white pepper, ginger, honey and vanilla, spilled over the crisp scent of clean linen. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat - A sparkly, batty little scent: green tea, melon, mint, lime rind, and champagne grape with lemon balm, mullein, and toadflax. Dark Yorick - Grave dirt, bone, decay, angel's trumpet, and moldering scraps of shroud: the essence of finality. Mama-Ji - Spices, cardamom, nutmeg, and flowers. Midnight Bell - Diabolical monastic incense and crumbling stone. Halloween: Las Vegas - The aftermath of piratical nuptials: walls smeared with red and black frosting, copious amounts of spilled red wine, the leftover contents of three full bars, dry leaves and desert flowers crushed into carpet, tobacco smoke, and champaca incense in a cloud of body-heat amped Snake Oil and Dorian. September Midnight - A myrrh-darkened amber chypre sweetened by newly-ripened black pomegranate.