smallvoice

For things easier to locate, I'd suggest Dorian (though Black Lace is one I think would be perfect) or maybe something like Death Adder.

 

For woodsy- Knecht Ruprecht, maybe? Or the Twisted Oak Tree. I haven't tried it, but you might consider The Lurid Library. In my mind, it's made of perfect. That's not exactly woodsy, though, is it?

 

Hmm. Ivanushka is another great one that seems like it could go well with your theme.

 

There've been some great woodsy scents lately, I just can't happen to think of them at the moment. Hope that helped, and congratulations!

Hey guys! I know the last thing I probably need right now is more enabling, but I have nothing better to do (who does homework, anyway?) and figured I could use a little scent-expansion. (:

 

I've tried and love: Gingerbread Poppet '07, El Dia De Reyes '07, and Monster Bait: Bigger Critters in the direct foodie category, and Chimera, Eclipse, Florence, Dorian, and Possets' Spook (plus Villainess' Ginger-Snapped Smooch, while I'm at it) in the not-so-foodie-but-still-sweet-and-yummy-smelling category.

 

I love chocolate, vanilla, and warm, thick foodie scents. Cakey smells would be a plus, too. I do not do well with any scents that deviate into the dark, woodsy/earthy realm of things, but I do tend to work well with soft, warm floral scents. Warm, incense-y lower notes are good, too (i.e. that vanilla-y incense note that usually comes out towards the end). Anubis works very well on me (I think it's the myrrh?), and the notes in Chimera and Eclipse that smell like almond extract in the bottle (probably honey). I typically don't seek out florals since I'm very particular about them. But warm and/or soft sugary scents are absolutely spectacular in my book.

 

So. Any foodies out there who feel like enabling me further? *eyebrowwaggle*

 

Hee, I just wanted to point out that Eclipse does have almond as an ingredient, so the culprit for smelling like almond extract might actually be... almond. (I also get an almondy vibe from Chimera, but I just looked it up to make sure I wasn't being stupid, and it turns out that I was- but I think it might be an unlisted ingredient... anyway) I know, you can trout me.

 

Hmm, what's not been mentioned?

 

From the GC:

Jack- pumpkin and peach cobbler... I don't know how that works, but it does

Jailbait- What smells exactly like hubba bubba bubble gum in the bottle smells awesome on my skin. YMMV (which, if you don't speak BPAL, means "your mileage may vary"- it took me forever to figure that out, because I'm pretty sure I was too stubborn to ask.)

Dana O'Shee- Sweet, creamy, warm and lovely... just try it.

Sudha Segara- Like Dana, but with ginger... and I swear it smells like tea, too.

Shub Niggurath- Speaking of ginger... This is delightful. People have mentioned getting lemon cake out of it, as well, but I never quite had that reaction.

Bengal- Honey, spices... it is fantastic.

Queen of Sheba- Almonds and honey. Smells like cookies, on me. Sometimes.

Mouse's Long and Sad Tale- Sweet, lovely sandalwood. If you don't like it fresh, put it away and let it age for a few months. It'll smell even better.

Katharina- More fruity than foody, but it is a GORGEOUS scent if you're into fruity.

Velvet- If you can do sandalwood (and I can only do it in certain scents), Velvet is a beautiful, warm cocoa.

Come to Me- I think this is the one that people often describe as "cakey"

Gluttony- If you think you can handle it...

O- the honey scent all other honey scents aspire to be (in my opinion, of course!)

Antique Lace- Quintessential vanilla scent. The vanilla all other vanilla scents aspire to be (except that is just the general consensus; I'm not head over heels for AL)

 

There are plenty of others, but that should be enough from the catalog. On to Limited Edition scents:

 

The Perilous Parlour: Spiced vanilla pear. To die for.

Basically any version of Thirteen: It has chocolate in it, always.

Egg Nog: Yum!

Beaver Moon (2005 is better than 2007, but '07 is much easier to acquire)

La Befana (It sounds strange, but you just need to try it on)

Midway- This should've been the first thing to be recommended!

Red Lantern- A very sticky foody.

Sugar Cookie- Well, the name kinda says why... heh.

Midnight Kiss- Cocoa and musk. Other stuff, too, I would imagine! I can't wear it.

Earth Rat- Smells primarily like candied melons.

 

Hope that helps some!

 

EDIT: Because Love's Philosophy had already been mentioned, and to add in some others.

I love citrus, amber, white musk, and I tend to not have much trouble with jasmine. Rose is picky, but has been known to work- this was basically a no-brainer.

 

I just got The Presence of Love, and it smells like roses. In the bottle there's a hint of citrus and floral, but upon touching my skin, it is the Presence of Rose. This is a lovely rose; it's like freshly bloomed pink roses. The jasmine is poking its head out, and the rose seems comfortable with that. Now I can smell the amber with the white musk (and I have to agree with clover; it's not the standard white musk note) and they're rounding it out. It's a little sharp, as rose tends to be on me, and I keep hoping for the grapefruit to surface. It is a very soft, sweet scent- not sweet literally, just adorable. It's like porcelain.

First of all: Snake Oil is the most popular blend, but there are plenty of people who dislike it intensely. I've read reviews similar to your experience, in fact. Reviews, plural. While it's possible BPAL just might not be your bag, I don't think it's time to give up yet. I tend to like sweeter scents, but I've tried a few blends so I think I might be able to help. A little.

 

Some suggestions: I can't believe nobody has mentioned Dirty! Hello clean. Black Opal could work, or it might go sweet, but I'd still say you should try it. You should definitely give Dee a spin, and I'll also second the suggestion of Odin. The Hesperides might be heavy on the apple for you, but it does have that autumnal vibe, to me. Scarecrow, Seance, Tempest, Yggdrasil, Sacred Whore of Babylon, Szepasszony and Ozymandias all come to mind, as well.

In the bottle it smelled smoky and medicinal. I wanted this one more of the two, because it sounded so much more complex. It wasn't what I was expecting, because I hadn't realized that this has a no-no note in it for me. Or, rather, I hadn't yet come to the conclusion that the note is a no-no. The offender? Myrrh. Fresh myrrh has taken to destroying blends.

 

So, basically, this turns into an ultimate fighting championship between the myrrh and the sage. That's all I get out of it. No sweetness. No tartness. No smoky vanilla. No amber, daemondrops, cinnamon, or leather. Just myrrh and sage.

 

I'll see how it ages. The myrrh might soften with time.

 

EDIT: Myrrh works for me in other blends, so I don't know. However, I do know that it becomes more complex on me one week every three months, when my hormones shift. Or it's aged. Hmm. Either way, I'm getting a very soapy undertone when I actually huff it. And... bacon? WTF? Okay, this is freaky. And unpleasant. There is a distinct "bacon grease" scent to this. Yeah..... I think this one needs to go away from me.

I think I'd have to claim Western Diamondback as the best BPAL leather I've smelled. Love that stuff!!

My chemistry does terrible, terrible things to this scent. Unspeakable things. Unholy things.

 

I don't get a gorgeous ambery spiced pomegranate. I get...... soap. SOAP! Perhaps the soap Persephone used to wipe away the grime of her travels.... well, not even that. It's not the soap she brought with her, it's from the hotel she had to stay at halfway.

 

While I'm sad, I hope that age may bring out some of the deeper elements that were found on more well behaved chemistries. Then again, I'm a little afraid to let the two meet again.

I think I might be late with this, but when somebody asked about GC scents with special labels, did I miss somebody mentioning that Rappaccini's Garden scents all have pretty labels? I love them!

 

ETA: Oh. I can read. Yes, it was mentioned.

My first first review!! Neat!

I've decided to try and give a better review. I feel obligated somehow, since it's the First and all. Heh. It has an ADORABLE label on it. I love it and wish it would be a shirt design. Anyway!

In the bottle, it really does smell a lot like the way Fee smells on me, with a bit of sharpness that I suspect is a floral.
Looking over the notes, I must admit that I don't know what quince smells like, nor do I know well what lychee, plum blossom or even bamboo smell like. I have a fair idea what some of the rest smell like, though.
Okay, so. Putting it on. Again, there's that sharp floral that just kind of lends a soapy feel to it, much like Fire Pig behaved on me. It doesn't seem to have a lot of throw, on me. That may be because I've tried quite a small bit of it. The strongest note, joyfully (for me), is the candied melon... SO. GOOD. It's a really well balanced and well blended scent. It is VERY fruity on me, with a floral backdrop- I wish the peony would soften the backdrop a little more, but it really is lovely. It is quite obviously related to Fire Pig, but is certainly its own scent, and it will satiate my need for compulsive searching for Fee. The coconut comes out in the drydown, and it's quite lovely. It smells pink and white to me, but also red, at times. This is another one that I bemoan not having to wear on my walk down the aisle, because I think it would have made a gorgeous June wedding scent. As it dries more, it is becoming more grounded. The fruits seem to be burning off rather quickly, but it leaves a lovely, complex scent on my skin that is in no way lacking the fruit, it's just toned down a little; behaving itself. It is amazingly executed.
All in all: Delightful. It's a keeper, I think. It is in the family tree with Fee, Fire Pig and Yemaya, from what I can tell. Maybe Oya, as well?
And the pine? Barely there. Awesome. A true happy scent, as most of my fruity scents are!
I think this one will age awesomely well. I love how much it morphs, too! It's a fabulous scent, at any rate.

I know I'm crazy, but I have the strangest Black Lace comparison yet, though it's not entirely in the catalog. The Chilling Cellar layered with something vanilla-y- Antique Lace came to mind. I don't know, but there's something about the base to it that is very remeniscent of Black Lace to me. Odd.

 

Also, Nia... I'm sorry if this is way too obvious, but could the Christmas Rose comparison you're thinking of be Black Hellebore from Rapaccini's garden? Or maybe Crow Moon.

 

I'd help with Poof-lovers, but it ended up drying down to Antique Lace almost exactly on me. You could try layering that with something that has a strawberry note- maybe Beaver Moon '07.

Scents that I recall reading as "old lady" to me, at one stage or another: Midnight, Victoria, Peacock Queen, Nuit, Asphodel, Seraphim, Glasgow, Singing Moon, Florence, Sea of Glass and Lolita, to name a few.

 

I don't think I've ever phrased it that way, but I definitely get the old lady vibe out of these. I think that what people mean by this varies, because our experience of "old" and "classic" are so vastly different, to respond to an above poster.

I would love to see another round of Chaos Theories someday- my one and only bottle was lovely but too complex for my nose at the time, so I swapped it away.... and was swaplifted. Ah well! This community more than makes up for the nasties, and there's always the chance that chaos will reign again!

Here's what I found when searching for the notes in Chinatown: top notes of peach blossom and bergamot; middle notes of peony, gardenia, tuberose, and orange flower; and base notes of patchouli, cedarwood, vanilla, sandalwood, guaiac wood and cardamom.

 

Having never tried/smelled it myself, it would be really helpful to find out what it smells like on your skin, to your nose. If it's prominently patchouli and gardenia on you, I'd be looking at a different set of BPAL scents than if it were prominently vanilla and sandalwood.

I remember trying Drink Me and thinking, "Huh. It really does smell a little bit like some really good toast. How strange."

 

Other than that, I've never found a yeasty-breadlike scent.

 

EDIT: Because there's a T in yeasty

I WANT the first Krampus label. I just don't want his red muskiness.

 

Also, I may be dense and this may've already been stated, multiple times, but I just noticed that on my bottle of Egg Nog it lists the notes in the blend! How cool is that?

The Perilous Parlor is, in short, love. It is made of love.

 

Unsurprisingly, it smells like a musky pear and vanilla- that sweet musk, which may be vanilla musk? As it sits on my skin, it takes on a spicy note, and every single time I've worn this, sometime that day, I've sat and sniffed the air around me wondering who it is that smells so darn good, before realizing that it's me. I almost asked a woman sitting in front of me about her perfume the first time this happened. I am so afraid the Haunted House won't make a reappearance next year, because I'm wondering if my bottle will be empty by then. I don't know that I've ever smelled anything quite so lovely. It's probably in my top 5 scents.

I tend to like sweeter florals, so I immediately thought of Hope and Faith for you. I have to recommend Euphrosyne, because they look like the notes of utter doom, but it worked on my skin, somehow.

 

A lot of people put Regan in the same category as Alice (and Euphrosyne), but I don't like it nearly as much.

 

I really love fruit paired with florals, like Katharina. Whitechapel is another one I love.

 

Grandmother of Ghosts and Peitho seem like they might be good candidates- they're paired with some darker elements, as with Dracul. Have you tried Lyonesse? I've heard excellent things about it, but haven't managed to try it yet.

 

The Tavern of Hell sounds promising, and have you tried Nephilim? It looks like it has a lot going on, but could be good. Unless there's a note of DOOM in there.

 

Hmm, now I'm giving advice based on speculation. Up to Whitechapel, it's personal experience though.

 

 

Hope that helps some!

I cheerfully admit that my chemistry is, occasionally, strange.

 

That said, for those people looking for something even remotely similar to Black Lace, might I suggest Dorian?

 

My skin loves to amp musks and vanillas, and that's what I get a lot of with Black Lace and Dorian both. Dorian's lighter, though, and just a touch sweeter.

 

(As a side note, my bottle of Dorian is almost two years old, so this may also make a difference)

I was just thinking that the other day, and ended up amusing myself by making a mental family tree around Dorian, with Usher as his eccentric, reclusive older brother (I've always thought that), Black Lace as his reserved but beautiful younger sister, and Snake Oil as their once-a-sexpot, always-a-sexpot mother. MB: Underpants is the beautiful, sophisticated aunt and Antique Lace is the sweet, shy spinster aunt.

 

But who's the daddy? I don't know. I've already put way more thought into this than is healthy.

 

Theodosius, of course! (It's probably every bit as unhealthy that that was what immediately sprang to mind upon reading your post!)

 

I was just musing that I bet Yemaya layered with a bit of Eris would possibly be a fairly close approximation of Fee.

OH!!!

 

And if you want the milkiness to go with the chai-ness, definitely search out Milk Moon 05 to layer =)

 

Hmm...do you think Milk Moon 07 would work? I have that one, actually.

 

I'm placing an order this weekend, and I'm definitely going to try Bengal, Plunder, and Dragon's Milk.

 

It'd be a more tropical chai, if such a creature exists, but it sounds like an interesting experiment. The original Milk Moon was a more pure milky scent, as I recall. (Of course, I'm mostly just envious of anyone Milk Moon '07 works on. It'd have been great on me, if not for the sourness.)

Whoa, old topic. It fits the bill, though. So I was messing around with what-if tonight, and I noticed something odd. If I have 3 GC's and 6 LE's (both at standard prices- $15 and $18) in my cart, shipping is $11... but if I have 4 GC's and 5 LE's (again, standard prices), shipping is $6.50. It's the same amount of bottles, and therefore the same weight, so why does shipping change?

 

ETA: I'm not sure how the shipping calculator works at the moment, but now I'm wondering if it's based off of the price before shipping- I thought that was changed when postal costs increased, though. Maybe the scale just bumped up a bit? I'll go look and see if I've put my foot in my mouth.

 

EDIT2: Yep, I have. From the website:

 

The shipping rates for the US are as follows:

 

Orders totaling up to $150.00: $6.50

…up to $300.00: $11.00

…up to $500.00: $13.00

 

Well. I feel foolish for not figuring that out more quickly.

I've found Ivanushka to be really comforting lately.

This is my first time to Bpal and I'm not sure what to try. I've had this boyfriend for a year and I wanna excite things up a little and I've never really worn perfume. I've read the reviews and these scents sound amazing. Other scents I have enjoyed from other places are Guess and Bath and Body works "Japanese Cherry Blossom"

 

The scent should be sexy, and slightly mysterious. I'm not very good with telling different parts of the scents, where they come from. I don't know what he likes but I know on myself I don't like fruity scents.

 

From looking at descriptions and reviews I am thinking of trying "Lady Macbeth"

 

Help! Thank you!

 

First of all, welcome! There's a whole thread on seductive scents here that you should peruse at your leisure, but to address your specific concerns... hmm.

 

If you don't like fruity scents, I think Lady Macbeth wouldn't be a great first choice. The wine scent is fruity, in addition to the currants and the berries. Thyme won't balance it out that much.

 

The first recommendation when someone talks about sexy scents will always be Snake Oil. It's not one I can wear personally, but it is the bestseller for a reason.

 

If you are looking for something darkly sexy or sweetly sexy, it makes a difference. (Most people wouldn't put Alice in the sexy category, but I feel flirty/sexy when I wear it, for example.) For passion, a lot of people go the route of spicy scents- Port-au-Prince, Bengal, Eclipse, The Lion and Morocco all spring to mind- or heady florals, like Medea, Euphrosyne, Hunger or Black Dahlia. Some like sweetness: O, Dorian, Queen of Sheba or Bien Loin D'ici, and finally you have musky scents: Scherezade, The Raven, Hell's Belle, Bastet, Loviatar (more leather than musk, really), or Spellbound... lots of those cross into other categories, those are just vague outlines of scent families. Anyway, I hope that helps a little! The more information you can provide about what makes you feel sexy, the better!

Tomorrow I trudge back to school with statistics and A&P waiting for me... I'm pondering what to wear. I'm thinking it might be an Et Lux Fuit kind of day... I could use some sunshine.

 

ETA: And it's Sugar Skull '07, FTW this morning.

Water of Notre Dame smells fresh and green to me! Very clean.

Initially this is very strong cologne, and impassive hit it on the head- it does smell very familiar, but it's not evoking a specific time in my life, so I couldn't tell you what it is.

 

As it dries, it comes down very close to my skin. Is there something like House of Mirrors here? I think there is a grounding note coming through that will deepen with age. It's masculine, but wearable. I like it more and more as it dries, but I am not getting a sharp metallic/motor oily scent, which I wanted. I'm not sure I love this one, but I'll have to see how it settles into its own skin, so to speak. I think it might be something I can wear during winter. Sorry this is just a random stream of thoughts! I was hoping to give a more helpful, coherent review. I may update later with how it settles. I will say this (again): The more it dries, the more I like it.