Jump to content
BPAL Madness!

sprout

Members
  • Content Count

    4,699
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by sprout

  1. sprout

    Pater Populi

    The foundation of a stable and just society, the keeper of tradition, the enforcer of laws: bay leaf and olive blossom with ambrette seed, white oakmoss, petitgrain, lavender, cedar, and leather. I really like this one, it's probably a full bottle upgrade and a surprise winner. From the notes list, there's plenty going on but it's all copacetic. To start, mostly herbal, lavender and petitgrain. Maybe a hint of osmanthus sweetening the whole. Hard to say really as I rarely see petigrain showcased in a scent especially with these basenotes. Early dry phase I'm less fond of because the oakmoss is a little high pitched but the bay and maybe the cedar prevent it from taking over. Drydown this is rich and on the manly side of unisex, but just a bit. Bay, leather and cedar form a nice thrumming heart with a hint left of the lavender. This is almost seamless, certainly well balanced, being neither sweet nor floral not resinous per se but with nuance from all those scent categories. I'd say the leather holds it's own but the lavender, bay and petigrain add a warm roundness and citrine golden quality. There's no osmanthus at the dry down but I'm okay with that. The juxtaposition of the leather with the petitgrain and lavender works better than I would have hoped. I didn't tease out the ambrette but it is probably tying this together and adding a golden warmth and sweetness. The ambrette and leather create a superbase as the leather almost never lasts like this for me, my skin eats it. Another blend where this combination works is Mythological Scene with Warrior Mansion and Classic Ladies... Well, this is difficult to describe but all the notes are present, well blended, and beautiful. This is up there with Spanked and Perversion for me, but I love the leather. Love how this never goes sharp, cologne like, or powdery. Definitely unique in a large catalog of scents.
  2. sprout

    Shipwreck Bath Oil

    White lavender and blueberry juice with wild bergamot and Roman chamomile. Well, someone needs to review this lovely bath oil. This is lavender forward with blueberry in support. The bergamot isn't sharp, it keeps the blueberry in check. I'm not sure that I can pick out the chamomile, it blends in perfectly with the lavender. This is not as sweet as I anticipated but that is okay. It's a lovely herbal floral with a hint of the fruit. I like this so much that I wore it every night after showering since I received it. It isn't soporific and could be used day or night. I use the bath oils as post shower moisturizer. This one has good sillage but the scent isn't very long lasting. It does make the bathroom smell lovely afterwards though.
  3. Morocco, shmexxxy vanilla spice Fenris Wolf, sexy forest wolf God musk
  4. sprout

    Creamy Spicy Florals, a/k/a Florientals

    A few more suggestions on the creamy floriental category: Cock Stamen (2018 Lupers) Moon of Saturn: Telesto Cat Chasing Butterflies (2018 Lupers) Novel Ideas for Secret Amusements (2018 Lupers) Pearl in the Volcano (2018 Lupers ) Zarita the Doll Girl (Carnival Diabolique) Vasilissa Volcano in Springtime Ivory Vulva Vivid Enjoyment of Memory of Rupture
  5. sprout

    Antiseptic... Sanguinem Menstruum

    Have you tried the Ibis and Jackals Funeral Parlor scent from the Post? https://blackphoenixtradingpost.com/shop/ibis-and-jacquels-funeral-parlor-atmosphere-spray/
  6. sprout

    Hunting for the ultimate _____ blend

    Have you tried Sea of Glass? I get a beautiful hyacinth note. It's heavenly if you pardon my pun.
  7. I think Anesthesia is similar to the discontinued Pain? Anyways, I can attest that lavender oil by itself is a bee magnet, they love it. My partner loves lavender oil but he's been visited by both bees and wasps when he wears it. Fortunately, not stung. Not sure about mosquitos and lavender, but they don't like citronella. And bees like lemongrass, so I'd avoid that! Mad Hatter with it's potent pennyroyal is probably the best? https://www.anniesremedy.com/chart_remedy_insect_repellents.php
  8. sprout

    Silk Road - Resurrected

    I took it easy and didn't slather to avoid welts, as I'd read there's a generous amount of cassia in the original, but I needn't have worried. Those reports are either overstated or based on skin chemistry. There's definitely tea, cinnamon, sandalwood, and the rest I'll guess as ginger, cardamom, saffron, neroli, and olibanum. The sillage is not smell me across the room, but this has aged less than 3 weeks. This comes across as spicy, dry, sweet and Eastern. Fans of Morocco and Bengal will like this one. I get a hint of cola too, so maybe sweet myrrh and frankincense but this doesn't smell like incense or smoky, it's dry, unlit resins. I don't get any patchouli or rose. This lasted well past 6 hours too, very impressive for an unaged oil! Overall a very complex scent that has much to love and is well blended as well as well balanced. I would venture to say I'm liking it better than the original! It goes through a perfumey phase but the drydown is spicy, sweet and reminiscent of Underpants. I will have to stock up on this before it goes away.
  9. sprout

    The Magus

    In the imp: Frankincense predominant with a big dollop of thick honey Wet: Wow, that is some honey. Cloying, thick, this is Autumn Honey with a frankincense support. This is not the type of honey I like, I prefer the white honey blends that are a tad less, viscous? I get the "asphodel" note underneath, but only if I huff close to the wrist. Lab asphodel smells suspiciously like hyacinth to me, but having not plumbed the depths of Hades, it could be a real asphodel that I just have never actually sniffed IRL. Drydown: My skin is doing all kinds of things with amperage on this honey, it just keeps getting thicker and more cloying. I will try and stick it out, however, this may be a scrubber for me. Impression: Definitely a blend for the honey lovers, but you have to really love that note. I thought I was in for any honey blend, as there are no death notes here, and I love frankincense but it can't save this blend. I guess honey is going to be on my love/hate list. I agree with above reviewers that the honey is the main player and is the skanky/shmexy, NSFW kind, the frankincense lends an air of mystery, and there is some type of floral weaving throughout--no consensus on that note though. I will age the decant and hope but my bet is either my skin chemistry is changing and I can't do honey anymore, or I can only do the white/Spring honeys and this one is not compatible. Good thing I did not blind bottle this. Don't misunderstand me, this smells very good, but my tolerance for super sweet is not what it used to be and I seem to turn everything sweet up to 11 and break off the knob. Of course it has hella sillage too. Somebody get me a syringe of insulin.
  10. sprout

    Il Bagatella

    In the imp, this was nondescript fruity with hint of floral from the rose. Wet--same as the imp. Drying--mainly pomegranate, not really a hint of wine, a little bit of rose, and solid back up of hyssop. This has modest throw at this point. Impressions, definitely a pom-wine with the hyssop rounding things out to add complexity. It is not especially lush/boozy and I am shocked the rose or the cedar don't amp, so I guess they are in minimal amounts, so if those are deal breakers and a pom wine scent is desirable, this fills the bill. This is sweet on me, not a bit of sour. A great pom blend for those who love it. For me this is pleasant and I am not thinking I need a bottle as Persephone is my fave Pom scent and I get more of the rose with it.
  11. sprout

    The Magician’s Hands

    As predicted, myrrh pawns the other notes. Juniper adds a hint of clean, natural grocery store soap (I could appreciate the gin association but the natural grocery store products is where my olfactory lobe jumps first) and in a very positive way, but for all intents and purposes this is myrrh SN. I actually love the wet phase before the skin makes this smell like the dust on the discount rack at a metaphysical book store, but it's short lived. I'm going to keep and cellar the decant as it could develop but I'm pessimistic about needing a bottle. Ah, there's the cinnamon. I have to snort really near the wrist to appreciate it, as the myrrh suppresses it, but it's nice. No burn from the cinnamon which is a bonus. To be fair, since I've become a lady of a certain age, my chemistry is dry and often makes things sweet and powdery. Also I live in a dry climate and no doubt these factors impact the oil's performance. The result in a scent diffuser or layered over pre-moisturized skin may be different. If I get around to trying those alternates I'll report back but given the number of decants that I need to test, it could be a long time. If I revisited the scent, it may have aged favorably. That's not unusual and sometimes necessitated my hunting down a bottle later but it's a chance I'm going to take.
  12. sprout

    The Perfect Lavender

    I'm a fan of lavender pairings that feature other herbal oils or lean cool, pristine, and ethereal if you will. Here's a short list which includes the overlooked Somnium section of the catalog and a few Lilith perfumes Ganymede Bewildered in a Dream Yvaine if there's any still to be found Baku Lurid Oneiroi Serving Tea After Coitus Goddess of Mischief Plush Viscera Waiting Motherhood And I'm putting Lurid in the list, although I know newer creations are being solicited but I think it's a GC treasure that's underrated
  13. sprout

    Recommendations for Floral Based Wedding Perfume

    I think La Bella Donna Mia Mente would be one to consider http://www.bpal.org/topic/3280-la-bella-donna-della-mia-mente/page-8?do=findComment&comment=1622169
  14. sprout

    Passion fruit scents

    I am hoping that someone else weighs in on your question. Agape is the one and only BPAL that I recall smelling a passion fruit note. I think there's one listed in Rangoon Riptide also but they are both super sweet scents to my nose...
  15. sprout

    Loving the frankincense!

    Antony (Illyria) Arcana Becoming Thunder!! Magus In Templum Dei 2nd'd Interfector King Cobra 3rd'd Sanctus Titus Andronicus LE Carfax Abbey Crucifixion Ego Sum Lux Mundi La Cloche Felee La Ronde du Sabbat Library of John Dee Om Gan Ganapataye Namaha Ossa Arida Palmyra Practical Occultism Texare The Contrast (Fluerette's Purple Snails) The Cracked Bell The Magic Circle There's a Certain Slant of Light Venus Caelestis Wynter Wakeneth Al in My Care
  16. sprout

    Bravery, Courage, Confidence, Intimidation, Power

    Sort of surprised that no one has mentioned Queen for this purpose, seems custom made for enhancing female power...I definitely feel a girl boss vibe wearing it. ETA looks like Queen was mentioned. I'm also going to suggest Queen of the Nile, it's a TAL oil
  17. Wanda (but this has violets) http://www.bpal.org/topic/2637-wanda/ Obsidian Widow (has jasmine and patchouli) http://www.bpal.org/topic/44508-the-obsidian-widow/ Lilith doesn't have other floral notes, just rose and red wine but I don't get much rose and black musk isn't for everyone http://www.bpal.org/topic/133-lilith/page-1 Kali is roses and red wine with chocolate but it's complex, with spices. I'd say it's a roses, wine, and chocolate Valentine's scent though http://www.bpal.org/topic/2457-kali/ And all those are at least impable For past Lupers with wine and roses, Chinoiserie was popular http://www.bpal.org/topic/88498-chinoiserie/
  18. sprout

    All-Father

    Wednesday guided his wolf-now a huge and charcoal-gray beast with green eyes-over to Shadow. Shadow's mount caracoled away from it, and Shadow stroked its neck and told it not to be afraid. Its tiger tail swished, aggressively. It occurred to Shadow that there was another wolf, a twin to the one that Wednesday was riding, keeping pace with them in the sand dunes, just a moment out of sight. "Do you know me, Shadow?" said Wednesday. He rode his wolf with his head high. His right eye glittered and flashed, his left eye was dull. He wore a cloak with a deep, monklike cowl, and his face stared out from the shadows. "I told you I would tell you my names. This is what they call me. I am called Glad-of-War, Grim, Raider, and Third. I am One-Eyed. I am called Highest, and True-Guesser. I am Grimnir, and I am the Hooded One. I am All-Father, and I am Gondlir Wand-Bearer. I have as many names as there are winds, as many titles as there are ways to die. My ravens are Huginn and Muninn, Thought and Memory; my wolves are Freki and Geri; my horse is the gallows." Two ghostly-gray ravens, like transparent skins of birds, landed on Wednesday's shoulders, pushed their beaks into the side of Wednesday's head as if tasting his mind, and flapped out into the world once more. Oak leaves and ash, honey mead, wolf musk, a flutter of black feathers, and bronze fennel. This reminds me a little of the GC Odin scent, appropriately. Opening, I can appreciate some woody notes, not sure if I could distinguish oak, but it's there in the notes. The Wolf musk predominates, and it's similar to the musk of Faunalia or Buck Moon. Drying, I amplify clouds of sweet honey. It's shy of powdery and blends very nicely with the Wolf musk. I think there may be a hint of opoponox for the flutter of black feathers. Late drydown this is mostly Honey and Wolf musk. Final assessment: I purchased this full bottle for the Wolf musk and I have a drive to collect all scent related to Odin. The art is gorgeous. This exceeded my expectations. If you like Faunalia and Buck Moon, this is a must try. For me, this is a honeyed Buck Moon with oak instead of pine.
  19. With a drop of neroli. This is pure cranberry jelly for me. The neroli really is just a hint. I love this, it really brightens the atmosphere during the middle of Winter when green growing things and fresh fruit are a pale memory. This is fruity and sweet with a zingy punch from the orange of the neroli. If you like the cranberry in The Jersey Devil, you'll love this.
  20. sprout

    When your favorite GC blends are discontinued

    Have you tried Swank? It's described as sparkling with pomegranate juice and gin. Or, Violent Gestisticulations from the Weenies Poe series last year: lots of pomegranate with a hint of juniper.
  21. sprout

    Somnus

    I am surprised I have not reviewed this yet as I'm on my 3rd bottle! Now, I try to score an imp with every other order or so to keep the supply steady. If you are picking up on any narcotic references in this review, it's because this essential oil blend is narcotic in the original sense of the word: sleep inducing. More on that point later. For those haters complaining that this formula is too sharp or high pitched, age it a little. You don't have to cellar it, about 3 months is all it takes to take the edge off. Now, patience is a virtue as is said, and if you have the patience to age it 6 months or longer, it really mellows. I am not the best guesser when it comes to no notes named creations but I think there's consistency in the reviews that there's a healthy amount of jasmine and lavender in the bottle. I'd also wager a guess there's some rose and chamomile. Maybe some thyme or lilac or moonrose. On skin, jasmine and the floral constituents amplify over the lavender. Of course it stands to reason that my skin noms the lavender, it loves everything I want to project... If I want to smell more of the lavender note as I drift off to sleep, I've found that dribbling some drops of the Somnus on a handkerchief (let's be real here, I'm not a fancy lady and I really mean an old singleton sock that lost it's twin) will let the lovely lavender note waft about and last for hours, nay days, and give it a chance to outshine the jasmine. If you prefer it on skin, layering with other oil blends with lavender will help concentrate that note of course. If you like the soporific effect of Somnus but prefer the lavender benzoin marshmallows smell of TKO, that's a winning pair. This is a fairly unidirectional fragrance as it stays it's jasmine lavender self until late in the wearing where I suspect the rose is the culprit in making it powdery. The middle phase is more jasmine rose and less lavender, unless you use the handkerchief (sock). As to the soporific effect, this is potent! Until I tried TAL Ebon Night, I thought it was the most effective sleep oil from the Lab. As with most sleep remedies, I've found that it loses effectiveness if I use it too many nights in succession. Insomnia is difficult to overcome. That being said, this is very effective and impable. And if jasmine isn't your thing but you like the soporific effect, give it a try on linens rather than skin. I think that circumvents the dreaded cat pee effect too. On the other hand, if you don't care for the smell of jasmine, steer clear of Somnus. TKO or Baku may be what you are searching for. Now, with this being the most effective sleep oil and my preference of the scent after it's aged 9 months or more, you can see how I keep a few bottles aging on hand. Of the sleep blends I've tried, I actually like the smell of Baku the best, yes even more than TKO, which some will find heretical. But if TKO is a technical knock out metaphorically, Somnus is a straight to the jaw blow from Tyson that leaves you irrefutably unconscious.
  22. sprout

    Searching for the Perfect Vanilla?

    I'm sorry for suggesting a rare, but Edith Cushing could be it. It's definitely similar with the whispy ethereal vanilla and ambergris. Ava from the Only Lovers Left Alive is also in the same family, as is Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending...also HTF Lyonesse could be a GC close cousin.
  23. sprout

    Fortuna Primigenia

    This was hands down my favorite scent of the Hymn to Fortuna. The motherwort and cedar aren't especially prominent or my skin noms them or they meld with everything else. White ambrette must be similar to the Lab's ambergris or White Amber note because I just love this like other scents with those notes. The ambrette gives the top notes a musky base like sweet, clean skin. Early, wet phase is floral green tea with restrained peony. As this unfolds, the jasmine and bergamot ascend in potency with the green tea holding it all together. This smells natural and feminine and I get the association with babies and young mothers. I am craving sweet and fresh but not straight aquatic fragrances for Spring and this fills that niche perfectly. The beauty of the ambrette is it never becomes powdery or dry. Sometimes ambrette is sort of nutty but as this is identified as white ambrette, maybe it's different from the other kind? If you were worried about the cedar, it's not overbearing, as it sometimes goes hamster cage on my skinistry but I don't think I can detect it at all. This didn't last more than 4 to 5 hours but I'm more than happy to reapply for the wet phase. I truly expected something more herbal and unwearable but this is gorgeous. The bergamot isn't sharp as I thought it was sweet orange or orange blossoms until I consulted the notes. If you are a fan of ambrette, ambergris, or tea blends like The Dormouse, this is a must try. This actually smells like a more complex Dormouse with the ambrette. Undoubtedly I'll utilize the imp and need at least one full bottle, perhaps 2.
  24. sprout

    Dana O'Shee Bath Oil

    Another happy customer for Dana O'Shee bath oil here: it smells very much like the Lab scent, but (agreed with Milo above that it resembles) the fresh version. Of course I've found that the Post products scents age in a similar fashion to the Lab's. Fresh Dana O'Shee smells like honeyed cream with a hint of grains. The scent is soft, comforting, and reminds me of products like Burts Baby Bee creams, without smelling like them. There's a similarity to baby oil also. This fragrance garnered a compliment from the partner, who almost never notices although not sure if the scent was the hair gloss or the bath oil as I was wearing both to double up the good smells. The oil and hair gloss smell identical on me. I also get a smell association with pearls with the scent, similar to Fluerette's Purple Snails (no violet or orris, just a silky smell). Nota bona: I utilize the bath oils in the shower, as I rarely take time out for a bath, although I've tried bath oil as originally intended also. Usually I moisturize post shower, while still dripping wet, and towel dry after giving time for the oil to absorb (hopefully that isn't TMI, but I think I capitalized on the moisturizing aspect best with this method and it's incredibly dessicating this time of year in the mile high city). TL;DR: Lovely, soft scent evocative of a baby bathed in honeyed cream with cereal that's very similar to fresh Dana O'Shee from the Lab. Scent has good sillage but limited longevity as an after shower moisturizer. Love this and wish I had moar.
  25. sprout

    I've never found a scent I liked!

    For me, Sugar Cookie is that quintessential vanilla, foodie scent. I saw it being sold in the thread here recently... I'm going to try your AL + TKO combination. I'll have to wait for night though to test because TKO is associated with falling asleep on lavender marshmallow clouds in my mind, so I'm afraid it will be too relaxing for daytime wear...
×