nameoftherose

RIDING IN THE PALANQUIN Lacquered wood, mother of pearl, bamboo, silk, ho leaf, and jasmine blossoms. In the imp: Bright and fresh, slightly lemony, with echoes of jasmine and bamboo (I think). It really does convey the impression of lacquer, which I think is awesome. Wet: Straight out, it is still very green and crisp, although the lemon seems to be just about staying in check. Somewhere in the depths, I can catch the animalic undertones of the jasmine. It's very strong at this stage (indeed, it seems to be clearing my cold somewhat...), but luckily it starts calming slowly and getting more multi-dimensional rather than just GREEN. Drying: Jasmine is hiding somewhere inside the thick veil of greenery. It definitely brings to mind green bamboo shoots; there are also undertones of other unidentified grasses somewhere in there. I'm not very good at identifying green notes yet, but I find this mix sophisticated and reminiscent of some classic perfumes. I think at this stage it is also rather unisex. I got some of it smeared on my fingers and here, while on my wrist it is still overwhelmingly green, I am getting a sweeter, polished kind of white flower scent. Dry: This really morphs! This is where the 'mother of pearl' and silk kick in. Somewhere in the drydown, a creaminess appears and suddenly, it's no longer a green lacquer scent but something very smooth, sophisticated and a touch sweet. I'm having trouble identifying this accord - it's cream with something animalic underneath so at first I thought it might perhaps be ambergris. Equally, however, it might be a combination of some tonka over a really earthy, woody base (like damp earth or driftwood - but dry at the same time.. :/). I feel like I should really know what this is, but can't quite put my finger on it. This blend stays quite close to the skin, strangely I think even in the intense opening stage (although this might be my cold). It's unusual in all the best ways - clean, sophisticated, complex and above all surprising. I'm really liking it!

Sooooo... I absolutely love the smell of my Rose Petals and Champa HG when I spray it on, but its lasting power has been a bit temperamental so far. So I'm wondering - are there any Lab blends that might be close?

No notes listed but I'm fairly sure Aureus has amber in it and smells like liquid sunlight! Ooh, thank you, that sounds wonderful! Could definitely do with some liquid sunlight over here

Hi Ellysium! Congrats on your first order! The 'processing' status is completely normal, I take it, until the Lab has shipped your order. This can take somewhere around 14-21 business days, as the FAQ states. I've ordered twice and both orders have shipped in around 3 weeks - one took a little longer, one a little less. From what I can tell, the Lab is shipping orders from the first half of February at the moment. The best place to go to get a sense of where they are up to with orders is the Click'n'Ship thread here: http://www.bpal.org/topic/84990-shipping-notifications-no-chatter-or-comments-please/page-11 I only started out quite recently myself and can definitely sympathise with how excruciating that first wait can be! You just have to find something to distract yourself with Anyway, hope this helps!

Thanks for those! I've got Black Lotus already and love it, although that's got more dark stuff going on there that I imagine drown out the amber-sandalwood combo. I love vetiver so might have to try Fallen anyway. Little Wooden Doll does sound like it might be exactly the thing though!

I have to say I was completely sold on this one by the colour impression of the artwork and how it seemed to chime with the notes listed (plus I actually love vetiver). It certainly didn't disappoint. In the imp, it's a gorgeous, fresh and high-pitched fruit/floral, with perhaps some woody undertones. Smells bright and oriental, and also razor-sharp, like an extremely refined and ornamented silver blade (except plum). On skin, it first opens with an irresistible, slightly sour fruitiness (something in there almost reminds me of a note in wet Sheol) that is very sharp and vivid, uplifting rather than heavy. The combination of plum and tuberose is fantastic and so multifaceted: the plum is enveloped and rounded out by the florals, there are lovely whiffs of sweetness at the top; as it progresses, it takes on a honeyed quality, with the plum occasionally dipping into concentrated, sugared preserve facets; at other times, I catch whiffs of something that smells almost like wild strawberries. At this stage, it is sweet, exciting and heady, as well as surprisingly complex. This stage eventually settles down into a musky plum (and then a plummy musk), with an almost boozy edge to it; this is also when sandalwood finally makes an appearance. I still detect no sign of vetiver. Overall I wouldn't say it is the longest lasting perfume out there (it has decent throw in the early stage, but then stays close to the skin once it's settled into musk). However, the opening stage is so fantastic that I really don't mind - I'd gladly reapply if necessary. Joyful Romp is unique and gorgeous, it feels a little like wearing white and purple chiffon that sways around you as you move. The core scent is dizzying, thrilling and intense, but lifted wonderfully by the blooms and musk. If you don't like fruits or florals, or cannot abide a perfume without some smoke/spice/incense, then this is not for you, but otherwise - I'd say a must-try. I second Herb Girl on the exquisite and breathtaking, and I will also be needing a bottle.

So the other day, I accidentally smelled something that I thought was absolutely fantastic. It was a combo of amber and sandalwood, and the notes also listed mandarin, although I couldn't really smell that. The amber/sandalwood combo was just soooo wonderful, simple and sophisticated (really light and maybe just the faintest touch powdery), so I was wondering - any BPALs you could recommend that might have a similar feel?

Received this as frimp from the Lab. Very peppery in the imp, with an edge of sugar. When first applied, the fresh, rainy ozone notes are overlaid over the sugariness of absinthe. As it dries, the aquatic notes tend to disperse quite quickly (although the speed has varied for me), leaving mainly a burnt sugar base. The burnt aspect isn't particularly strong and is more of a distinct edge to the sugar; I can also still sense some of the pepperiness in the background. I don't really get much in the way of soft oriental floral - I think it might be so thoroughly blended that it melds with the sugar. It is a lovely perfume that seems light and fresh, but in a very different way from what I would normally associate with these words (not citrusy or clean-smelling). It feels diffuse and misty; it's almost like walking through sweetish, damp fog. That having been said, the sweetness is tempered by the peppery (absinthe?) note which almost gives it some tartness. It's not something I reach for regularly, but it does have a very distinct character that's just right on some days - feminine but reserved, with a bite.

This is a beautifully simple blend that doesn't morph much on me. Straight off, the fruity combination of plum and lilac is very strong, paired with dry, grey leather. As it dries, the notes mellow and come closer together. I find the lilac and plum particularly well blended, so that they just seem like two aspects of the same, purple-violet note: a sweet, concentrated and fruity one, and then the other, airier and softer floral facet. Bensiabel is fairly long-lasting on me and has lovely throw, from both the plum/lilac and the leather. It has a nice vibe of adventurousness to me that seems so appropriate to a fairy-tale inspired blend; sweet, summery, but with an edge of cool, almost metallic leather. Invigorating and refreshing in turns.

Eep, so I just realised that I never got the receipt email for my last order. I got two emails for the previous one - the receipt and the C'n'S, but nothing for this one Should I be worried or is this something that happens?

In the imp, it's mainly potent cherry and clove. Straight out, it's a fantastic mixture of cherry, clove and a savoury undertone which I am guessing is the vetiver (but might also be poppy - or perhaps even the feral musk?). The combination is gorgeous and mouth-watering - the cherries really do come across as the reddest kind, oozing thick juice; at the same time, the dustier, more abstract notes give the scent a darkness that prevents it being overly foody. At the early stages, the different components are all fairly distinct; as it dries, however, the notes blend together much more seamlessly. It has a lovely, warm throw of vanilla and honey mainly, with the occasional hints of cherry and vetiver. The latter really grounds and thickens the blend in a wonderful, sophisticated way. It's a bit like cherries and booze smeared over cold stone. Completely dry, it is a beautiful soft vetiver enveloped gently in the sweeter notes. For me, words from the Lab description such as 'vampiric' and 'swollen' are spot on. This is rich, potent and thoroughly mouth-watering. It has a strong, distinct character - bold, confident and frank, provocative and inviting especially in the early stages, more subtly alluring later on. Love it!

I first got some of this scent on my skin while looking through other imps, so for a long time assumed its distinctive smell was hay absolute. I think some of those associations of dry, clean sweetness are still carrying through for me. In the imp, Jazz Funeral smells very light (and a little green) to me, but I can certainly make out the dirt hiding behind. Once applied, it becomes a clean, airily sweet smell - the kind of sweetness that would carry on a spring breeze. I can't really distinguish separate notes at all here - it seems to be a very light floral with some sugar and the faintest memories of greenery stirred through it. I do agree with some reviewers that there is a gum-like quality to it. I'm interested which aspect of this scent is Spanish moss, although I think I'd love to try it in something that doesn't surround it in floral sweetness. Fully dry, the light florals have disappeared leaving a richer, brighter scent, although it is really rather faint. This is light, uplifting and fresh, but probably not something I would really reach for (maybe in the heat of summer?). I expected it to be a little more dramatic, but on me none of the powerful notes seem to really take centre stage. Reapplied this to the crook of the arm and the result is very different - all of a sudden I can smell the booziness, with a sharp strong edge of green to it. The clean and light aspects are not here at all. Boozy, mossy and dirty, much more pungent and in line with the theme. I do wonder now how it might behave in a scent locket O.o

In the decant, I can mainly smell pepper and perhaps some of the iris - a very grainy, dry scent. Wet on skin, the woods and spices still dominate, but there is a beautifully multi-layered quality to it. As it dries, the slightly sour sweetness of the blackcurrant comes through and I can particularly detect it in the throw. Gradually, the honey seems to warm it up to become much more incense-y than in the beginning. Vetiver seems to be rather subdued in this - I love vetiver, but cannot really distinguish it individually here. It is a deep, solid scent; for me the dryness of the woods and spices gives it an almost parchment-like undertone - one that is much more inky and less sweet than the one in Dee for instance. People have mentioned pencil shavings and I have to say I can certainly see that: the wood of the pencil combined with the smell of the glossy exterior coating; strangely, I do quite like the combination. Overall, I find this sophisticated, dark and somewhat androgynous, rich and complex.