Balame

I don't know what's going on with this blend! It sounded beautiful from the description, but when I wear it all I get is the barest whisper of leather and a vague ambrette musk. That is IT. No vanilla, no mandarin, no patch, no orris, no saffron. Honestly, it's pleasant, but absolutely boring. I would've had zero idea there were any other notes in this blend aside from leather/ambrette had I not known otherwise. Normally I'd say my skin must've ate them, but all the notes listed normally show up on me just fine. So, I have no idea. Had high hopes for this one but it's just a soft, basic leathery musk on me. Oh well.

Not bad, not great. This is kind of similar to Solstice Scents' Rose Mallow Cream. It has that nice, marshmallow fluffiness and vanilla in the base, overlaid with a smooth floral note. However, where RMC's rose is very chill and does indeed feel sugared, BPAL's is always powerful on me regardless of what it's put in. De Vos starts out soft and cuddly, but as time passes the rose just builds and builds to that sharp, rich rose I've grown accustomed to. It's not always a bad thing; for example, I think the heaviness works great in a blend like Beauty, the Aggrieved. But here the contrast is just too much for me. I also don't get any of the peony/lavender/apricot, which may have helped calm it down a bit.

Dorian - A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea. Gothic Horror - Byzantine incense, benzoin, myrrh, bitter clove, spikenard, oud, and ancient balsam. 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. Miskatonic University - The scent of Irish coffee, dusty tomes and polished oakwood halls. Oberon - Orchid, white musk, and bergamot wafting over juniper berries, with a gentle touch of soft, earthy patchouli. Pussy (it's a moth I promise! haha) - Orange blossom honey, brown sugar, saffron, tonka absolute, and tobacco leaf. The Lion - The dry, glorious warmth of the Savannah. A golden, spiced amber, proud, regal and ferocious. Tristran - Dust on your trousers, mud on your boots, and stars in your eyes: redwood, tonka bean, white sandalwood, lemon peel, patchouli, rosewood, coriander, and crushed mint. White Peacock - Teak, ebony wood, osmanthus, patchouli, red sandalwood, vanilla orchid, tonka bean, tobacco, wild musk, spikenard, and sugandh kokila.

I'm glad I got the opportunity to try this before getting a big bottle. I wasn't aware others were comparing it to OLLA Eve, but I think Crucifixion's initial "dried red rose" is similar to the "rose water" in Eve: crystalline and smooth, not powdery. Unfortunately, that's where the comparisons end. Crucifixion starts out beautifully, with that silky rose backed by sweet and ashy incense. It does have a gothic elegance to it. Then, as it dries, it turns into a muddled mixture of potpourri and astringent, dry rose. It smells like old baby wipes, bleh. I can tell this one could turn out lovely on other people... just not me!

I keep testing this one and I want to dig it, but I don't think it's working out. The tobacco is very much BPAL's French Tobacco, which is good. The rum is not overly sweet or cloying, which is also good. On first application it smells like French Tobacco SN + boozy red fruits. It sounds weird, but the slight astringency of the rum combined with the sweet yet high-pitched mahogany reads that way to me. That phase is nice. It's full, sweet and a little aggressive, but in a sexy way. As it dries down, though, I lose most of the complexity and the rum overtakes the tobacco. It mostly turns into sharp, sweet booze with the rare hint of my dear tobacco or oudh behind it. Sadly, too harsh with my chemistry!

I LOVED Bear Prince when I first put it on. The rose is unlike any other I've smelled - the description of "dewy" is really on point as it feels watery and lightly sweetened. It makes me think of a frozen rose, because there's that yummy BPAL "slushy snow" note in here that's chilly in a nice way. It's definitely less "matronly" than others I've smelled and instead feels very youthful and vibrant. On the downside, the initial rush is pretty short-lived and the blend eventually turns into a typical, drier rose on me. There's a slight backing of musk, but other than that I don't really get much of a fuzzy vibe as I do in scents like Ivanushka. If it would've maintained its initial glory it would probably be a bigger buy for me, but such is the double-edged sword of morphing.

Has it been 3 months since this topic was updated!? No way, this thread is one of the most fun. Okay, picks for Syra - A Thought From Propertius - Sweet honey, white apricot, and a touch of cayenne pepper. Delight and Consternation - Bourbon vanilla, custard accord, white rose, cocoa absolute, oudh, lemon blossom, and skin musk. Dragon Moon - Dragon’s blood resin, galbanum, blue sage, lavender, peppermint, sweetgrass, frankincense, moonglow magnolia, bergamot, and green cedar. Druid - A woolen robe infused with the scent of a vast, primordial forest: ancient trees, fertile soil, wild herbs, spring grasses, and burgundy pitch incense. Eldritch Drunken Constellations - Dizzying, swirling, starry madness: eucalyptus sap, white tea leaf, and ambergris foam.
 Iulia, L'Artiste du Diable - White tea, sugar cane, orange blossom, rockrose, lemon balm, white mint, and honey. Loli.Goth - An effervescent combination of pink musk, white peach, wild strawberry, pale woods, iris, and raspberry leaf. Oceanus Procellarum - The Ocean of Storms: crystallized salt and opalescent moon stones buffeted by an illusion of wave-thrashed kelp and tattered seaweed. 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. The Witches - Pumpkin cream, honey, vanilla sugar, and smoked vanilla bean. Y'ha-nthlei - A great undersea metropolis located below Devil's Reef. A swirling, lightless, effervescent scent: the deepest marine notes with bergamot, eucalyptus and foamy ambergris.

I had to come here to say that Honore des Pres Love Coco smells exactly like Son of Bigger Critter. So if you've been looking for a dupe, this is it (though unfortunately it's not much cheaper - $98 for a 50mL as of now). There's no lemon/lime in Love Coco, but there's a bit of bitterness/spice from coriander that reads exactly like the lime in SoBC to me. The full notes are: Head notes: Seeds and leaves of Coriander, fresh Milk Coconut Heart notes: Tonka Bean and Vanilla Bourbon Base notes: White Cedar and organic Coconut Essence There are no synthetics in it either, which I thought was pretty impressive. Even so, I was looking for more of a true coconut perfume, and ended up with a SoBC-alike which was too much citrus for me... alas. The coconut is still nice, though! Pretty and smooth but not what I wanted.

BPAL's musk is usually overpowering on me, but I saw "hazelnut smoke" and had to try this, because their hazelnut is awesome and I can hardly ever find it in blends. Straight on and yep, musk overload. I feel like I'm in a head shop and there are people drooling whisky after gyrating around in some drunken, unholy hippy orgy. But... after it settles, it's freaking good. It's everything I love rolled up into one sexy little package. This is soft leather that got drenched in gooey caramel and honey, then splashed with a bit of booze and set in a room full of nutty incense. HNGH Yes to the other commenters saying Genital Mountains (ha, who doesn't love the name?) is similar to Red Lantern, but this has a lot more depth to it. It kind of reminds me of The Final Darkness too, which is another favorite. It's got a heavy but sweet incense-y thing going on. The vetiver here is also in top form. It's not in your face, but there's some earthiness underneath all the sweet notes, which I think prevents this from being too candy-ish. Glad I took a chance on this one, definitely worth it!

Oh yeeees, these are pretty much my two favorite notes (vanilla cream and sandalwood) and BPAL has delivered! I was concerned about the lotus since it usually turns into an evil bubblegum that ruins things for me, but it's behaving here. A frothy vanilla is the dominant note, with the lotus bringing a sort of green "flower stem" smell to the mix. It actually lightens things up in a pleasant way and lends itself to the "springtime" aspect of the blend. In the distant background is my beloved sandalwood, though it's not super noticeable. I wouldn't say I can pick out anything as blatantly "woodsy," but sandalwood is great at adding a "creamy" feel in general, which works perfectly with the vanilla here. This is beautiful and exactly what it professed to be, but somewhat similar to other vanilla and cream scents I own. I went ahead and ordered a bottle, so it'll be interesting to see how this develops. There's a hint of a milkiness to Volcano's cream that is unique from other blends (and it's lovely) so I'll be pleased if that gets drawn out more over time.

I just... wha? This is one of those BPALs that doesn't even smell remotely like the description to me. That's fine though, because this is stunning. I guess my experience most closely mirrors Kris'. This blend isn't cologne-y or "manly" at all. I also don't get chocolate or coffee. To the contrary I get a veeeery light sheen of teakwood, just a hint of something sweet and woodsy but exceptionally refined. And I suppose the gentle warmth behind it is the leather, though honestly I'd never have guessed that on my own. With all my other leather blends it's very obvious the note is there, but this is one of those fantastic skin scents you could probably pass off as naturally "you" with a coy wink. It's subtle and wears close to the body. I was testing a few things at once and guessed this was just about every other blend before realizing it was Two Old Men. The first picture that came to mind wasn't a lecherous duo; far from it. Instead I imagined an elegant lady in a steampunk-style dress sitting under a flowering tree on a spring day. If you leaned close to her, you'd smell the sweetness of the tree diffused across her skin, the heat of her body and the remnants of perfume mingling with the worn leather cover of the book on her lap. This is so pretty. I don't mean that in a girlish sense, but in a "Whoa, I need to stop and admire you" way. You smell this scent and immediately jerk your head back to get a better whiff. I don't know what sort of magic is happening between this blend and my skin, but I like it very much. Gentle, elegant but so beguiling. Like a noblewoman's embrace... did not expect this but definitely a favorite from this year's Lupers.

I haven't seen the movie, but it seems like you're looking for an elegant but "masculine" leather? I would think any of the following could fit: All That I Possess - Amber, clove and leather... in the background, guiac wood, white sandalwood, and myrrh. Antony - A warrior’s scent: the green hills and grasses of the battlefields, the resinous incense from the prayers to his Gods, and a touch of the musky leather of his armor. Ambergris and frankincense with sage, and basil. Crowley - Infernal musk, red patchouli, lilac cologne, mahogany, lemon rind, oakmoss, leather, and vanilla husk. Doc Constantine - Sheer musk, cedar smoke, fir needle, chaparral, black amber and leather. Highwayman - Vetiver with gardenia, blood red rose, night-blooming jasmine, a dash of cinnamon and a faint hint of leather Sherlock Holmes - A fastidiously clean scent, with a dash of pipe and cigarette tobacco. Faintly beneath, you catch the fragrance of a smear of greasepaint, a stray horsehair, and a whisper of Moroccan leather and rosin. 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. I think AtIP, Crowley and Highwayman are the most “fancy” while the others are a bit grittier.

There is a bit of difference between "hot" and "sunny/happy days" but you can find a lot of light/cheery/refreshing blends in the following topic. Best BPALS for SUMMER - is it hot, sweltering, sticky outside?

I would add that Kumiho (A sharp, biting blend of crisp white tea and ginger) and Obatala (Milk, coconut meat, shea butter and cool, refreshing water) are both pretty popular, clean picks. Squirting Cucumber is good if you like the scent of cucumber. It's essentially cucumber water + grass, so great for hot days. The Grave-Pig (Fig, oakmoss, mushroom caps and pathcouli), despite having a weird name and notes, is actually super clean too. Seriously, check out the reviews and you'll be surprised. It's a very light, earthy fig blend. The patchouli is not hardcore at all like it is in a lot of other BPAL perfumes. You might like Y'ha-nthlei (Deepest marine notes with bergamot, eucalyptus and foamy ambergris) as well. It was one of the first blends I tried and I still love it. It's decently rich for an aquatic, and if you've never smelled ambergris before you're in for a treat. It's like a fizzy, almost incense-y amber (but it's not heavy here). It really does feel "foamy" and the sweetness combined with the bright citrus is fantastic.

My favorite metallic scent is The Robotic Scarab. It really does smell like sun-warmed oils on a machine, but in a really nice way. Macbeth and the Witches also has an awesome metallic tang to it. At some point my chemistry decided it hated that blend and I can't wear it anymore (almost pure ozone) but before it was beautiful warm leather, soft ozone and steel. I also have to mention The Sword of Surtur. It fades into terrible ozone on me like Macbeth does, but while wet it's the most fantastic, realistic metal blend I've ever tried. Personally I love Fighter but it's just pure hot leather with a very slight blood note (as in real, salty blood, not incense-y dragon's blood). That might come across metallic to some people but it doesn't react that way on my skin.

Don't think anyone's mentioned Geisha in Orange Kimono yet (King mandarin, tuberose, white sandalwood, white moss, yerba mate, tangerine and styrax). It's one of my favorite orange blends from BPAL, and the tuberose is surprisingly not overwhelming (as many florals become on me). Refreshing yet elegant. The mate/sandalwood combo really makes it feel airy and refined.

Oh hell yes. Where has this been all my perfume-sniffing career? I adore BPAL's red currant note but most other blends it's in don't work for me. Eat Me is too cloyingly sweet, Anteros was too perfumey, Cheshire Cat is nice but I didn't want it paired with citrus. Regular Lady Macbeth was bad since the berries smelled too synthetic to my nose. Up until now Fairy Wine was my go-to for red currant, and it's still one of my favorites, but sometimes you're in the mood for booziness and sometimes you want something cuddlier. Enter Little Lady Macbeth. The description is spot-on and thankfully the notes deliver in their truest form. It's all sweet, decadent red currant jam on top of a honey cake. You might think it would be overwhelming, but no! This is a gourmand blend at its best. As LiberAmoris noted, while the currants are sweet they also have a tartness that prevents this from becoming overwhelming. It does go on strong, but the yellow cake note quickly eases off to provide a delicious backing of sweetness without smothering everything else. Same goes for the currant. For the first 5 minutes or so you may think you overindulged, but eventually LLM turns into a light currant jam mixed with crumbly cake. It's very realistic on me and difficult not to eat my arm, but I'm so happy to have a foody red currant blend that really lets the note shine.

Although it should have been a hit, Palmyra becomes too typically "perfumey" on me. The galbanum is sharp and paired with the bitter myrrh it just comes across as too commercial, almost alcoholic. Don't get me wrong, the incense/vanilla/amber combo is killer and there's a stage it goes through where it's all sweet resiny goodness. At that point it reminded me of a lighter version of The Final Darkness, which has a similar, drool-worthy amber combined with resins. But unfortunately it didn't last. After sitting for a while Palmyra became dry in an unpleasantly dusty way, and most of the resins disappeared. Essentially leaving me with sweetened dust. Maybe that's properly evocative of the name, but not something I want to smell like! I couldn't pick out any leather or cinnamon from this blend, so if you're usually concerned about those notes, I wouldn't worry since they're mixed in well. In my opinion this could have been very much in the same vein as (OLLA) Eve. Almost perfumey with many different notes coming together to create something wonderful and mysterious. This time my chemistry just didn't want it to happen. I definitely don't get the lasting, rich sweetness of something like White Peacock or Variety of Pleasing Amusements in this like thatbrownelf did, but it's good to know others are!

This is so beautiful! It really does convey a magical and nostalgic moment. Quite cuddly too. I imagine a Victorian girl dressed in lovely frills and poofs of fabric, reading in her picture-perfect room. It doesn't feel too reserved, though, as she's enveloped in a familiar warmth and surrounded by things she loves. If I had to guess notes, I would say vanilla, benzoin, soft (not ozone-y) linen, grey ambergris, oudh and possibly a light mint. In my mind this is a mix of the best aspects of Bourbon Vanilla BO, Implacable Beautiful Tyrant HG and Go to Sleep, Darlings. Bourbon Vanilla has a vaguely floral vibe to me and comes across as too typically "perfume." In comparison, TGH has a more edible vanilla thanks to the mash-up of sweeter notes behind it, even though it still feels lady-like. The mint(?) is very similar to GtS, Darlings or Snow White. It's soft, dainty and sweet rather than candy cane. And I say IBT because I could swear there's that delicious, rich oudh in the background. Maybe it's frankincense, but my guess is oh-so-lovely oudh. I actually don't get a "sunlight vibe" from this scent, but there's a cool warmth, if that makes sense. It feels like a vintage painting. The color and the beauty is there, but it's a bit muted and faded around the edges. It even comes across a little snowy. Colors: pearl white and goldenrod. I spray atmos in my hair most of the time, and though I think this is very wearable in general, TGH will be perfect for feeling breezy yet elegant in hotter weather.

Thanks for the tip, you're right! Really fun to hear them. Good ol' Glug is a little gargly, but the "gah-eer" at the end makes it pretty cool actually. I also like Hurðaskellir a lot. It has a tongue roll and ends with an "ish" whaaa? But so neat! This site is amazing, it really does have a huge set of recordings. *edit* LMAO all these badass names and then... Stúfur. :F Durdur. Hahaaa I swear it is actually pronounced like that and the guy saying it even has a dopey deep voice, I'm dying...

Ookay, in honor of the nigh-unpronounceable Yule lads... anyone familiar with Nordic languages want to help out? Askasleikir Bjúgnakrækir Gáttaþefur Giljagaur Gluggagægir Hurðaskellir Kertasníkir Ketkrókur Skyrgámur Stekkjarstaur Stúfur Þvörusleikir Pottaskefill I know "Þ" is pronounced like "th" thanks to Þórunn from Vikings (the show) but that's about it. Would someone please enlighten me? Especially Gluggagægir which seems like it would sound like someone simultaneously choking and gargling.

I guess since I've been BPALing for so long I've gotten a good sense of which notes work for me (or not) and they usually pull through. There are always the odd exceptions where something that should be amazing based on your top notes turns out funky, but I think putting something like this together will help in picking winners in the long run! Yeah! Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht - Amber, cream accord, white honey, apple blossom, skin musk, caramel, and teak. Alma Venus - Amber-infused blood orange with Italian neroli, ambergris, orange flower absolute, French beeswax, tuberose, Himalayan cedar, and honey. Avunculus - Orange blossom honey, white coconut, and pear with flecks of golden amber that glimmers like sunlight on water. Cockaigne - Milk and honey, sweet cakes and wine. Contemplating the Moon through an Open Window - Milk accord, tuberose, oakmoss, Asian pear, opoponax, and carrot seed. Dee - Soft English leather, rosewood and tonka with a hint of incense, parchment and soft woods. Geisha in Orange Kimono Admiring a Samurai - King mandarin, tuberose, white sandalwood, white moss, yerba mate, tangerine, and styrax. (One of my fave tea/mandarin blends.) Ivory Vulva - Marshmallow root, coconut, macadamia milk, cream accord, and a drop of golden amber. (This was one such example where something that sounded great didn't work on me, but you'll likely have better luck!) Kubla Khan - Roses unfurl amidst dancing waves of serpentine opium smoke and amber tobacco, golden sandalwood, champaca, tea leaf, sugared lily, ginger, rich hay absolute, leather, dark vanilla, mandarin, peru balsam, and Moroccan jasmine. My Baby and a Baby Goat - Fuzzy baby goat musk, goat’s milk accord, wild rice flower, and a little bit of farmer’s market honey. (Best milky honey scent ever!) Serving Tea After Coitus - Green tea, heady honey, white plum, ambergris accord, and vanilla flower. The Waltz - Champagne musk, ambergris accord, white rose, rosewood, and vanilla amber. And definitely try Iulia as Lizzies recommended.

Hi Fleur, welcome! It's always easier to give recommendations when people put together nice lists like this. I'm not a floral lover, but I can definitely help you with the other types of blends. Bliss - The serotonin-slathered scent of pure milk chocolate. Embalming Fluid - White musk, green tea, aloe and lemon. Midnight on the Midway - Sugared incense, flickering blue musk, and night-blooming flowers. Mouse's Long and Sad Tale - Vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea and white sandalwood. Obatala - Milk, coconut meat, shea butter and cool, refreshing water. The Candy Butcher - Bittersweet chocolate with a heavy cream undertone. The Lights of Men's Lives - The wax and smoke of millions upon millions of candles illuminating the walls of Death's shadowy cave. Tamora - Amber, heliotrope, golden sandalwood, peach blossom and vanilla bean. Vasilissa - Creamy skin musk and blushing pink musk with soft sandalwood, white amber, dutiful myrrh, and star jasmine. Y'ha-nthlei - The deepest marine notes with bergamot, eucalyptus and foamy ambergris. And well, you've already got Mouse Circus and Miskatonic U on your list. My personal favorite BPAL perfume is Atlas (Mallow, oak bark, coffee bean, hinoki wood, and khus) which hits on some of your favorite notes. It smells like a glowing bonfire with melty marshmallows, soft incense and coffee beans. It's a limited edition but blessedly not too hard to find if you look for people selling decants here in the forums.

Baobhan Sith - Grapefruit, white tea, apple blossom and ginger. Bewitched - Blackberry, sage, green tea, wild berries and dark musk. Brisingamen - A glittering mantle of rich golden notes: five ambers, soft myrtle, apple blossom and carnation. Delight - Frangipani, with rose, tuberose, and jasmine. Fairy Thorn - Vanilla musk twirled with tuberose, Siamese red benzoin, cassis flower, Irish moss, white sandalwood, plum nectar, violet leaf, and apple petals. Siren - White ginger, jasmine, and a touch of vanilla and apricot. The East - Bluebonnet, passion flower, freesia, jasmine tea, mint, thyme, and redcurrant. Veil - White sandalwood, lilac, gardenia, violet, orris, lavender and ylang ylang. Adam - The scent of the wood of his guitars, the rosin from his violin bow, the musty wool of neglected Oriental carpets, the plastic, metal, and magnetic tape of his reel-to-reel, the dust that permeates everything. Black Lace - A delicate sugar-spun vanilla cream cotton, stained by tobacco and incense, Indian musk, and drops of cognac. Boo - Eerie billows of spun sugar, fluttering white cotton, and sheets of cream. Ghosts in Love - White sandalwood, tobacco flower, lily of the valley, white carnation, and magnolia blossom with tea rose, labdanum, and oudh. Horror Sympathique - Blood musk, golden honey, thick black wine, champagne grapes, tobacco flower, plum blossom, tonka bean, oakmoss, carnation, benzoin, opoponax, and sugar cane. (Not So) Penitent (Mini) Magdalene - Candle wax, smoke, red sandalwood, a dusting of kitchen spices, and a dribble of vanilla ice cream. Shelley, Byron, and Keats - Red roses and pale carnation with a draught of laudanum, smears of opium tar, a hint of absinthe, and mercury ointment. Tombeur - Vanilla-infused sandalwood, blood musk, antique patchouli, vetiver, lavender, bitter almond, amber, and a trickle of Snake Oil.

Welcome! A few that haven't been mentioned: Coconut: Lovers and a Fan (this is actually coconut and honey, which is delicious), Harigata II, So Below, Obatala, Paduan Killer Swam (coconut and spices) Caramel: Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht, Red Lantern (also has coconut) Strawberry: Kitty, Strawberry Moon Vanilla: Boo, (Not So) Penitent (Mini) Magdalene Marshmallow: The Gorobble, Little Maggie