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BPAL Madness!

lookingglass

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Everything posted by lookingglass

  1. lookingglass

    Grounding Scents?

    Patchouli does this for me: Goblin, Snake Oil, Feed Me and Fill Me with Pleasure...
  2. lookingglass

    Recs for the prettiest scents

    My pretties: Jezebel Snow White Antique Lace Fae Mouse's Long Sad Tale Morocco
  3. lookingglass

    Zorya Polunochnaya

    This. This smells like if Antique Lace had fresh moonflowers instead of dried purple ones! LOVELOVELOVE! If someone said it was vanilla musk and moonflower, I would also believe that. Moonflowers are big and white and lemony. I used to grow them in my night garden. Dried out, it's kind of powedery, kind of old fashioned makeup-ey...sweet and white and creamy...a moonflower marshmallow blanket. It makes me smile and want to snuggle.
  4. lookingglass

    Fuck You, Said the Raven

    THIS is my new favorite. Wet it initially reminds me a bit of Fake News and Sed Non Satiata, perhaps because they share a patchouli note, but then the myrrh really comes out (bless!), and the whole blend transforms. It dosn't so much dry down as it warms up, like resins melting. The myrrh and opoponax are RICH and thick and everything I ever want them to do-RULING the blend- and yes, GILDED by violet...ever so slightly glowing violet. I do love violet scents, and I have several in my collection, I just don't usually wear them. They tend be nostalgic for me and make can me feel sad or dated or too fresh out of the bath. Not this one, though! It's badass and I can totally get shit done wearing it. It's just a bit floral, but mostly smells sleek...like wet pavement... at a crowded incense market... in the heat. Steadfast, confident, understated, dark, opulent.
  5. lookingglass

    We Cared About Such Different Things

    Out of the bottle I smell musk, but because of the amber, I thought it was red for a minute. It dries down SO fast, though, and I know it's not red. It smells...not quite grey...like a transparent sepia...I can't tell if it's the iron on the black musk being ever so tangy, almost lemony...but not screechy or sour. The amber adds a touch of rich goldern sweetness. It does remind me a bit of Haunted, but it's not as ambery, and it wears much lighter- not as dense or strong; the white musk really changes the tune with her pale creaminess, not too "clean"...more gauzy...adding an airy haze. All dried out it smells like what my partner calls "warm woman". I think it's a beautiful, wistful incensey blend for summer or when you want a lighter oriental blend without much projection. I really love it.
  6. lookingglass

    Thirteen (13): July 2012

    This 13 was created by Brian Constantine. Voluptuous and somber: a Thirteen created as a reflection on the capricious nature of Tyche - bittersweet cacao and dragon's blood resin sweetened by honey and vanilla bean, brightened by saffron, and touched by the contemplative depths of oak leaf, solemn opoponax, frankincense, myrrh, black amber, hiba wood, aged patchouli, burgundy pitch, and Balm of Gilead. It's here! DARK PINK CHOCOLATE, from the dragon's blood/cacao combo, like artisan made raspberry cremes, or cherry cordials...and INCENSE! I'm getting a buttery smell, too...not sure what that's about, but it fades on the drydown. I smell hardly any pitch or woods; I wouldn't know they were there unless I was looking for them. The honey and saffron glide through with their golden dust. The honey grabs the dragon's blood and frankincense and they get delightfully zingy. The fuzzy amber and bit of soft patchouli round out the whole thing, and add a lot of depth. It gets quieter...sweet, creamy, and slightly powdery from the resins, while keeping a red juiciness about it. I love it.
  7. lookingglass

    Antique Lace

    2017 version: Honey baby sweetheart, how I've waited for your return. Back in the day, over a decade now, I blew through the 10 mls of you. When my babies were small, and I could only afford a bottle or two, it was you and Snake Oil. Oh, god how I've missed you. The vanilla musk is yes... so much yes, with dry, earthy, greige florals...you're sweet, and sad, precious, and delicate, but unmistakably you. You are no other. My precious....
  8. [No additional description given.] Thank you, Lab, for making this scent as a gift to those give to those who gave a toy to a precious little one in need! It's SO GOOD! I've been hoping for Sugar Cookie's re-release and this is a delicious re-interpretation. The cherry is very strong on initial application but is not too sweet or medicinal, and dries down quickly to a a very natural, almondy, chewy sugar cookie scent, slightly sweet, spicy, and buttery, utterly gourmand. eta: My husband asked where my "new BPAL" was and slathered some on himself. Blood Kiss is his signature scent (has been for over a decade now). He says this smells like Xmas to him: happy and yummy, and it is kind of like a Blood Kiss light. It's got the cherry, dry spice and sweetness...I may need to hunt down multiples at this rate!
  9. lookingglass

    Katrina van Tassel

    KATRINA VAN TASSEL … and though he had seen many spectres in his time, and been more than once beset by Satan in divers shapes, in his lonely perambulations, yet daylight put an end to all these evils; and he would have passed a pleasant life of it, in despite of the devil and all his works, if his path had not been crossed by a being that causes more perplexity to mortal man than ghosts, goblins, and the whole race of witches put together, and that was-a woman. Among the musical disciples who assembled, one evening in each week, to receive his instructions in psalmody, was Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and only child of a substantial Dutch farmer. She was a blooming lass of fresh eighteen; plump as a partridge; ripe and melting and rosy cheeked as one of her father's peaches, and universally famed, not merely for her beauty, but her vast expectations. She was withal a little of a coquette, as might be perceived even in her dress, which was a mixture of ancient and modern fashions, as most suited to set off her charms. She wore the ornaments of pure yellow gold, which her great-great-grandmother had brought over from Saardam, the tempting stomacher of the olden time; and withal a provokingly short petticoat, to display the prettiest foot and ankle in the country round. White rose and honeyed cream. Oh, I am so excited that Beth made a another blend that showcases white roses (Ouija is my current fave in this category)! Katrina's white rose is fresh but light, distictly "white", with the honeyed cream note making adding depth and sweetness. There is not a trace of sourness that sometimes happens with milky notes on me. It sits very close to my skin and becomes one with it, as if I became young, innocent and lovely. She's like Alice's pale, shy little sister. It reminds me, also, of Brambleberry's Basmati Rice scent, which does not smell at all like the name suggests... For being such a light skin scent it has suprisingly long wearlength (and I really eat up scent). The absolute drydown is really my favorite...soft, slightly sweet, and lush, like a virgin O.
  10. lookingglass

    Ill Omen

    Labdanum, a resin that is a primary ingredient in many ambers, is my partner's favorite note, but he's also super picky about, so I'm always on the lookout for new blends. He often finds ambers too sweet or powdery...frustratingly so. I snatched up a bottle of Ill Omen because musk and other incense notes WITH labdanum sounded like all the win, and it is! It is an amazingly resinous, incensey blend that sits close to the skin but has a long wearlength. I find it warm, soft, and slightly dry musky incense. The tang of the resins and blood beautifully blends with the slightly floral musky notes, all slightly sweetened with the labdanum. If someone told me this was a "black amber" blend from India, I would totally believe them. It's delicious, sexy, and soothing. My partner says it smells like bourbon, leather, with a touch of toasted marshmallow on him, and he loves it!
  11. lookingglass

    Whoopie Cushion

    I wore a raspberry patchouli oil in the 90s and have had a special love of the notes together since. It's such a delicious and sexy combo! Right out of the bottle this is more red musk than I expected, but that's ok. The raspberry note is jammy, and gives more fruitiness to the musk. The orange blossom adds that fresh, white floral lift on the top, which keeps the blend from being very sweet. The patch is very woody on the drydown. This is a fun scent, but not too silly. It's like a Mme Moriarty light...perfect for me on these early spring days. I'm so glad this doesn't smell like an actual whoopie cushion! LOL!
  12. lookingglass

    Tlazolteotl

    There are nice little blobs of cacao in the oil-the real deal. Wet, this is dark and incensey, with a flash of astringency from the tar. The tar note reminds me of hard, black leather, a bit chemically, and a whole lotta badass. It quickly becomes sweeter and fresh cotton blossom really comes forward for a bit, reminding me of the ozone zing of Midnight on the Midway. The sticky, glowing, honeyed resins, though, are all melty, speckled with fire and shadow. The vertiver softens and plays a supportive role to the overally mellow, fleshy feel in the drydown. This scent is definitely not playing around, but it's very "wearable": It sits close to the skin and has distinct layers: a fresh, but weird topnote, sweetened blossoms, and a rich, deep base. It would be a good transition scent for someone who wears normey frags like Angel or Muse. I love complex gourmands, and this is a goodie. I think she's Kali's and Qandisa's vicious soul sister. It's one of my husband's favorites on him as well!
  13. lookingglass

    Étude de Déshabillé

    Weeeeeird. This reminds me of being a young girl and hiding in the vintage fur coat section of my favorite antique shop-faded, once overwhelming, oriental perfume , faded powdery sweet...all enveloping...dark...soft...cozy...creepy.
  14. lookingglass

    Delight in Disorder

    This reminds me of Kabuki without the complexity (please show the GC some love, if you missed it), and is kind of Smutty without all the sweetness. I love the crimson musk on the drydown-nice and skanky and kind of dusty.
  15. lookingglass

    La Prostitution et la Folie Dominent le Monde

    Yesyesyes. Beeeeeautiful jasmine. Got a "Waaaaaow!" from the man who hates floral perfumes. It smells like melted jasmine ice cream, if there ever was such a thing. I don't wear florals, you all. I want a gallon of this! It's indolic and so creamy and sweet! I had this jasmine oil in the 90s from Hawaii-it was almost coconutty it was so rich..THIS baby is the only jasmine LOVE I've had since; Defututa is a close 2nd, though, so check her out if you miss La Prostitution. It's not screechy or soapy...it's MAG-NI-FI-CIENT!!!! Yummy, springy, fresh, sweet, sexy, REAL FLOWERS, creamy deliciousness. More people should have skin that smells like this!
  16. So many of my BPAL loves are dripping with dark and red musks! I love the white musk drydown of Fae and wish there were other BPAL blends that had the same feel: it's so creamy and really hangs around; the other notes fade into it seamlessly. Antique Lace did it, too... :cry2:Any other white musk recs that don't screech? Have you tried Fae?
  17. lookingglass

    I want a BPAL that smells like Bath & Body Works...

    B&BW Black Tea Rose, ya'll! Have you smelled it? It's earthy, slightly sweet, with a hint of dry rose. It's so lovely!
  18. lookingglass

    Springtime scents

    Hedylogos and Hippie Ghost Coraline Jones: Dry grass, clean skin, and a little bit of mossy berry.
  19. lookingglass

    Hedylogos

    Oooh! A frimp! Honey and wild roses! Yes, kind of lemony and very fresh; some roses can be thick and heady or jammy...this is delicate and lovely. This is a much lighter rose incense scent than say, Spellbound, one of my all time favorite BPAL roses. It's pretty without being girly or silly...the honey adds depth and maturity...not too sweet. I really love it!
  20. lookingglass

    Actual Lump of Coal

    [No additional description given.] Yeah. It's uuuuugh...an actual lump of coal! You know that sooty, dry, slightly sulfuric note from La Befana? Or Brimstone? Take all the prettiness off of those and turn it up to 11. No joke.
  21. lookingglass

    Musty Santa Costume

    [No additional description given.] It's...ugh...aaah...uuuuugh...a musty Santa costume! It totally smells just like the bin of old Xmas things forgotten about in the damp barn. For realz. It's straight up old cloth and must. I just threw out some old cloth garland that smells just like this. I'm not even kidding. Again, BRILLIANT, but not even close to wearable. This is not a romantic interpretation of old things, like The Book or Antique Lace...this is a MUSTY old SANTA COSTUME! HILARIOUS!
  22. lookingglass

    Rapidly Solidifying Mashed Potatoes

    [No additional description given.] Oh. UGH! Oh, god, no! NONONONONONO! It's. It's MASHED POTATOES! I mean, of course it is but....it's fucking mashed potatoes! Warm, creamy, zingy, earthy, kinda old, creamy, GARLIC mashed potatoes! Oh, GAG! It smells like the time I forgot mashed potatoes on the stove and then lifted the lid the next day. Oh. UUUUUGho! BRILLIANT! But DISGUSTING as perfume! LOL!
  23. lookingglass

    The Forest in Winter at Sunset

    Lots of sweet amber made a bit earthy. It really glows. I don't find it particularly mossy or woody. It's very sweet and golden and dries down quite powdery. A gentle, soft, grounding skin scent for amber lovers.
  24. lookingglass

    Salted Caramel Shortbread

    This is so salty and dry on me (me and nuts, man! ), but smells like a deliciously sweet shortbread cookie with salted caramel on my friend. I don't get any cocoa-they must mix with the dustiness of the cookie crumbles.
  25. lookingglass

    The First Soft Snow

    Heavy drifts of snow blanketing winter's narcissus. This scent was not even on my radar based on it's description, but as I was sniffing down the Yule line at Will Call, The First Soft Snow stopped me in my tracks and I had to have a bottle. I'm not usually a snow OR floral fan! When I sniffed, I smelled OUTSIDE in WINTER. Just straight up outside on the edge of the woods in the cold in upstate NY. I tried to pick it out: mint? pine? fir? aquatic? No. All I got was the visual. Hauntingly beautiful and totally out of my comfort zone in the way of perfume. I may turn it into an atmosphere spray for myself.
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