AmyO'Shields

Wow I just checked it out and it looks amazing! Added to my wishlist. Thank you so much

Just trying to spread the vanilla love! I hope you love it! (Give it about a month to settle down...)

Vanilla is my favorite scent in the world. I am still searching for the perfect one!

 

I don't like foody vanilla. I'm looking for a smoky, sexy, resinous vanilla. I adore the dry down of snake oil, but there is something at the early stages that I don't love so much. Its a metallic smelling note. It could be due to my skin chemistry.

 

So I am still searching! Any recommendations would be so helpful

So...I wore Pallas Athene last night and I couldn't believe how she has aged even after just a month or so! She was already gorgeous, but more of a sharp, sweet Amber and Frankincense...NOW: it has turned into the most glorious resiny vanilla/amber scent. If you haven't tried it, I would highly recommend it. Absolutely amazing.

I highly doubt it. There have been people posting that they have ordered 2...I think you're safe.

I guess it's finally time to write a review of this since it's one of my favorites and I've been wearing it since January...

I get everything I wanted to get out of this: black tea, green tea, violet, a touch of mandarin and a slight bitterness from the wormwood underneath. This is gorgeous...I bought too many bottles, so I used one to make a bath oil and it is divine!

9/10

I think the color of the quantity number changes...so, 2 might be red, 3 might be green? 4 might be blue? etc., etc. Not sure though.

I've had this since the update last year, and I was surprised that I hadn't reviewed it! I wore this yesterday for a while, and I love it.

Wet: almost a funky smelling chamomile...strange...

Drydown: the most beautiful combination of Sugar, Chamomile and Vanilla. I'm forgetting which notes are actually in this blend, but that's what I smell. SO good. I have a teeny bit left in my roller ball...it will be reserved for summer days that are just too hot to go anywhere.

I didn't like this much at first...but after about 20 minutes it was really nice. Very sharp, strong Rose, some Frangipani and a hint of coconut after I first put it on. Rose calmed down in the first 5 minutes and the Frankincense started to show up...coconut still present (soft and dry, not suntan lotiony or pina colada-ish at all). Then - after 20 minutes or so, the Rose and Coconut have morphed into Roconut or Cocorose, because they are so well melded...I don't know how else to say that. There is a nice (not powdery or sharp) Frankincense underneath and I'm finally smelling a bit of Vanilla. This oil is very strong at first, but it seems to disappear after about 2 hours. I will keep my fingers crossed that the Champaca flower shows up with some age. All in all, not bad - not a favorite, but I will definitely wear this. 8/10

I had wanted to try this, and snagged a bottle from the Etsy site...glad I did!

I used this in the tub last night, and it was SO good. It took me a minute or so to figure out what this reminded me of: Flor de Muerto! I love the perfume oil (it is definitely Marigolds...pretty spot on too) and now I have something to layer it with. I didn't expect such a lovely comforting scent, but it was one of the most relaxing baths I have ever taken. I did smell a bit of a Patchouli undertone, but not much...it was mostly Marigold, and that's just fine with me. This is GOOD stuff.

Apparently I can't spell Marigold...it came out Mariglold!

^-- I used to like Clinique's Happy (and particularly Happy Heart). Might have to try out Xiuhtecuhtli sometime.

 

I'm looking for something incredibly simple, and yet I don't think BPAL has anything similar to it at the moment. Dorkily, I first got Sephora's Vanilla Cupcake body wash as a b-day sample from them. It's so freaking delicious. The description is pretty straightforward -

 

Sweetly decadent accords of French vanilla and almond, a delicious mix that joins subtle notes of honey and buttermilk.

I'm not normally a foody person, but it smells exactly like vanilla cream and honey. It's delicate and very edible-smelling. I don't get much almond from it, thankfully, as it normally turns into demonic cherries on me - however, I wouldn't mind a scent that had these notes as well as something nutty.

 

Just for reference, I have tried BPAL's #1 GC foody scent, Eat Me, but that was overly cloying on me.

I love that stuff! YUM. Detestable Putrescence... yes, I really think it's a close match. PMing you.

This is my favorite of the 4...I honestly cannot rave about it enough. The amber is gorgeous, and with just a touch of cinnamon and all of the other notes (fortunately the Cumin doesn't ever show up...yay!) I would say this has found a place in my top 10. This oil truly shines - very true to the painting.

And to think the Cumin almost prevented me from getting a bottle of this...

Red musk heaven. The other notes are ALL there, but so well blended that it's difficult to pick them out. I love this.

When I applied the oil, I got a blast of Matcha, which was very nice. Then the moss took over...and it was mostly moss after that. I had to try this because of the name, but I knew the moss would be a fail on me. I love the smell of moss, but it does crazy things on my skin.

Dry - the mandarin peeks out a bit and sweetens the moss.

I had to edit this...I spoke too soon. After 2.5 hours this dries down to one of the loveliest light woodsy scents ever...it is very very faint by this point, but lovely all the same. I bet age will smooth this tree out, and it should be glorious!

October, November, Samhainophobia, To Autumn, The Decrepit House, and Nothing Gold Can Stay.

]If it's a new bottle, let it age. Trust me Banshee Beat's vanilla stands out after it's a few months old. Also, Tombstone has a cedar note when it's fresh, but that ages away leaving the vanilla more prominent.

All right, I suppose I'll give it another chance after some time. Thanks for giving me a heads up about the aging.

Yes yes - this! I should have mentioned that!

Hi!! This is my first post!!

I'm looking for something that smells similar Tocca's Brigitte:

 

Notes:

Ginger, Rhubarb, Papaya, Moroccan Rose, Iris, Saffron, Sandalwood, Musk, Pannetone Accord.

 

It starts out spicy/fruity, which is really nice! But then it turns kind of weird on me after a few hours so I don't wear it very much.

 

Also, I want to get my mom an imp of something close to VIctor & Rolf's Flowerbomb (Notes: Sambac Jasmine, Centifolia Rose, Cattleya Orchid, Ballerina Freesia, Patchouli)

Hello! For a similar feel to Flowerbomb (and Amber): Inez from Carnavale Diabolique. The Carnavale isn't available right now, but should be coming back soon...maybe you can find a decant in the swaps/sale section? It doesn't have the effervescence that Flowerbomb does, but the amber is close and they actually layer REALLY well together.

I'm looking for a BPAL that smells like Song of India's Liquid Amber. I've tried Jacob's Ladder which was really great amber under a whole pile of baby oil and O which I found kinda rancid. I've also tried quite a few blends with amber which are nice but I want something that's more in your face AMBER.

 

Thanks for any help!

The best Amber I have found is Inez from Carnavale Diabolique. See above post...

Inez: Golden amber, vanilla musk, myrrh, cedar, carnation, and red sandalwood.

Autumn Coolness, Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat, Embalming Fluid, Shanghai, Lantern Ghost of Oiwa (and any of the other salons with tea/cherry blossom in them), Hay Moon, Summer's Last Will and Testament, Australian Copperhead, Titania, Xanthe the Weeping Clown, Hermia, High Strung Daisies, Weeping Branches Moon... oh the list is endless!

TKO-lite...very little throw, and it's soft and sweet but it doesn't have the oomph of the released version.

I'm going to completely agree with the above review. I will add that, in the beginning, I smell what my nose translates as a soft Eucalyptus or a Licorice Mint. They go away as the light Lavender takes over. I think this is a different Lavender than the one used in the released TKO. I'm a huge fan of any Lavender, so I still love this. It has a bit of creamy softness to it, but not the marshmallow-y sweetness of the released version. This will take over on my nightstand for night time application, and I will enjoy it till it's gone. I still prefer the released version, but this is good in a different way.

I finally got to try this thanks to Mellifluous...holy moly - now I understand what all of the hype is about. This stuff is outrageous. I think it's one of the most delicious things I have ever smelled. I smell a slightly spicy Vanilla, with maybe a bit of Black or Red Musk, I swear there's a bit of Patchouli in there (maybe the black variety?)...holy moly again. Love at first sniff...this tester will be used on very special occasions. $300 worthy indeed.

So I'm also wondering about something that might smell similar to B&BW's Sea Island Cotton or Japanese Cherry Blossom.

Wensleydale seems to sound like what I get from Sea Island Cotton- more of a soapy, fresh, clean scent.

I was looking for scents with notes of cherry blossom but reading the reviews of them seem like that particular note isn't as strong as some of the others in that blend.

For the Japanese Cherry Blossom, Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree (The Salon) is pretty darn close to my nose...but softer and better IMHO.

I got a Shroud as well... But it is certainly the most delicious smelling shroud I have ever smelled.

Those bottles look gorgeous! SQUEE!

The female Half-Elf label looks like Tori Amos...just a bit...but enough for me to squee! I love these pics - I have pointy ears and I think I should get some bottles so I don't feel so alone.

You bet - wearing Litha and loving it! Happy Solstice!

Um... The Snowstorm! It's from Yule 2007: Winter aconite, balsam fir, cedar leaf, and white mint.

Yay, there's a Caligula thread! here's my review:

"wet: some booze of sorts? charred wood, vetiver underneath

5 minutes in: OAK, vetiver, wine? a sweet lift to it as I move my hand away from my nose

smells like old heavy duty wooden furniture with a slight citrus lift? maybe lemongrass, lemon, lemon verbena?

OAK, lemon verbena, vetiver, wine barrels...

This really reminds me of another BPAL oil, and I just can't put my nose on it. "

I actually really like this. It almost smells like it could be part of the Steamworks section...maybe it's the possible oak note from Antikythera? It doesn't really remind me of Antikythera though...

If there IS any kind of lemony note in here, it disappears really fast after it appears 5 minutes or so in...10 minutes later it wasn't there at all. I wonder what happened to this blend...

Edited to add: Frankincense? Now it's reminding me a bit of the incense in All Souls...just a bit though.