lizabelle

This is probably supposed to lean masculine, but there's no dreaded "cologne" note and I'm finding it very wearable. Cedar and spiced rum are a wonderful spicy base, with a great salt note in the middle (I LOVE salt notes) and a tiny whiff of powdery something-or-other on top. I was a bit worried the "prostitute's perfume" would be too overwhelming like it was in Penny Dreadful, but it's just barely there and rounds out the scent. Mostly this is spicy, warm, woody, and salty. Definitely full bottle worthy for me.

On me this is all lemon hard candy--a very realistic version, at that. It reminds me a lot of what Rapture did on my skin in its drydown, and looking back that one also has mandarin. I'm also thinking this one must have neroli, too, because that's one of those notes that tends to go weird on my skin and the combination of the two might be the common factor. If I really get in there I can smell some soft vanilla and a soapy base that might be the lily/opium combo. Sadly, no sandalwood. Overall I don't think this one is for me. As it settles it gets more powdery/soapy but keeps the lemon candy edge, which is a truly bizarre combination.

On me this smells nothing like what I've been reading in this thread, and I guess it must be the dragon's blood's fault. That stuff really doesn't like me, although for whatever reason this one isn't making me itch. Maybe it's a different one than is in the Dragon scents? This smells like spicy dirt. It's actually not bad, like rich spring soil with some old cinnamon bark and dried leaves mixed in. I get none of what I thought dragon's blood smells like, and definitely no lilac. Lilac is one of my absolute favorite florals, and to my knowledge this is one of the only GCs BPAL has that features lilac heavily without being styled like an old-fashioned men's cologne. I'm very disappointed I can't smell it. There is something sweet like a vanilla bean in there, but it's faint in the same way the cinnamon is. I guess if your skin is like mine and you like earthy smells this one could be a winner for you. Skin chemistry is so weird.

Huh. So I think myrrh amps on me, because I'm pretty sure that's what I smell here. It's cool and almost soapy, but the moss and incense keep it dark and smoky instead. Weirdly my skin is completely eating the rose here, as well as the sandalwood. I usually amp (and love) both, but they're missing. I don't mind the scent as-is, but I think I would like it a lot more if I could smell those two--this deep spiciness under a soft rose would be gorgeous.

This is super dry, like leaves that are so very dead that even a light breeze will make them crunch. The tobacco co-stars with the leaves and makes it an almost smoky, earthy kind of blend. The currants are a teeny bit there in the background, but they're dried and not very prominent. Overall my impression is DRY. There's a hint of natural dead-plant sweetness and some spicy, pepperiness, but it's mostly just exactly what it says.

Oh no. I've found another rose blend to love. BPAL is just so good at them, but I had no idea how much it would hurt my wallet when I first started trying them. In general I'm a sucker for a good jasmine/rose mix and this is a beautiful one; it starts out with cool, sweet jasmine and the rose slowly amps to an exactly perfect 50/50 mix with it. Before the rose really hits the wine is very present and fruity, making a very interesting mix with the jasmine. Over time the wine fades into a lovely dark base, almost taking the place of a resin, and the sandalwood and spices make it feel sexy and surprising. The final result is like Rakshasa but turned darker; since Rakshasa is one of my favorites, I basically have to get this.

This is gorgeous, but it's also throwing me for a loop--on my skin this smells exactly like a cologne my dad wears all the time. My dad has good taste, though (he likes florals, woods, and vanilla), so that's not a bad thing. The leather, woods, and tonka are perfectly balance and blend into a cuddly, slightly dry vanilla-y thing. It feels like a warm hug or intimate conversation in a well-loved library. While this does lean slightly masculine, it's a very soft masculine and wearable by someone with more feminine tastes--more so than most of the other "men's" blends I've tried from BPAL. I may have to try it a few more times to see if I want a bottle, but this is the first true masculine-leaning blend I've considered buying. It's wonderful. ETA: Okay, this is going in my cart right now. The drydown has less of the dad's-cologne smell and more of the soft, warm vanilla/tonka with a suede-y undertone. It is magnificent. This is what I want to smell like at all times.

This is one of those that I have no idea whether I would wear it enough to buy a bottle, but I just have to marvel at the artistry. This smells exactly like a just-blown-out candle cooling off! There's some smoke that's sharp and slightly bitter, tempered by a smooth beeswax note and a warm vanilla. The beeswax and vanilla blend perfectly into an exact dupe of a vanilla candle--it's kind of amazing. The smoke note even tricks my throat into being a little sore, like I'm breathing in the real thing. It's that realistic. Do I want to smell like this? I have no idea, but I can't stop sniffing my arm.

Fresh out of the imp this is quite nice, a warm, white floral. I'd love to see the ingredients list but I smell lily and plumeria, with gardenia coming in a bit later. I amp gardenia quite a bit, but in this blend I'm not minding it--it's a cool, green gardenia. There's definitely a sharp, green bite in there, which I've noticed in several of BPAL's florals. I'm very fond of that note but I can see how it would turn others off. I'm guessing there's some woods and citrus in there, too, and a musk base. It does get slightly more soapy over time, but not so much that it's an outright soap scent. While not overpoweringly strong, this does leave a soft, noticeable trail. Very warm, heady, and sexy. As a sidenote, I can definitely see this causing trouble (headaches, nausea, etc.) for those sensitive to white florals, especially those who aren't a fan of "indolic" anything. It's not triggering anything for me, but proceed with caution!

This was one of those that was at the very top of my wishlist to try, and now that it's on my skin I can't fathom why. This is 99% sopping wet, new leather, with the rest made up of blackened, smoking wood. I get no musk at all out of this, sadly--it might have softened it up a bit. Over time it does smell slightly less like a leather bomb and turns into a worn leather jacket with a tinge of very old cologne, but it's still too sharp for my nose. I'm sure someone would love this, but that someone is not me.

It's...sweet? I'm not sure what I expected of this, but sweet was not it. It's actually a medium-to-light scent, surprisingly enough, and very resinous. I'd say it smells deep gold, almost an amber color (but not like amber, the ingredient, because that's no compliment on my skin). Sadly over time this does something odd and turns into laundry detergent at a distance. Up close it's still spicy and a bit sweet, but from far away all I get is that fake "sunny day" smell.

Something in here is not agreeing with my skin chemistry, because I'm getting absolutely zero pumpkin. It starts with a lot of artificial sweetness, turning into artificial strawberry candy sweetness. There's also a weird bitterness to this, like I'm trying to smell my cotton candy through a bag. I wish I could smell what other people have described for this one, because it sounds lovely.

This is very different on my skin than I would have guessed from the notes; I expected a cool powdery floral with some citrus and a dark woody base and basically got...a textbook Oriental floral. It starts with a blast of incense, and then the white flowers blend in as it warms up. I get no bergamot at all, and no iris either. The jasmine/neroli combo definitely takes center stage, with patch/incense in the background. As I've noticed with some other patch/vetiver combos from the lab, there's an almost-burnt note in the background, separate from the incense. Although I can't see myself wearing it much, this is a very nice perfume and would be great for anyone who loves classic Oriental scents.

This is a very green rose, similar to The First Rose, but much darker and sharper. It almost ceases to be a floral scent and turns completely green, with an bitter sharpness on top of everything. There's a touch of powder that gets stronger as the scent settles, but for once this isn't a powdery amber bomb on me--it's a softer, more floral powder that must be coming from one of the rose notes. This is unique enough as a pseudo-single-note that I might just have to get a bottle; I love the sharp treatment of rose here, and how dark and green the scent is overall. This one could easily be unisex.

This is easily the most realistic chocolate note I've smelled. It's wonderful, but it's also making me hungry! Maybe my nose is playing tricks on me, but from time to time I smell other things in there too, like marshmallows or hazelnuts. In the imp this is the exact smell of chocolate/hazelnut spread. It's rich and wonderful, and while I don't know how frequently I'll want to smell like I'm covered in chocolate, I do think it's frequent enough that I'll need a bottle!

This leans extremely masculine on me, and I'm not sure what's doing it. Tobacco, probably. For once the amber doesn't take over, but tobacco does, and the orchid completely disappears. I love orchid notes, so this is borderline-devastating. It's a dry, smoky tobacco note in here but it's strong enough to leave the mentholated feeling in the back of my nose/throat that turns me off tobacco-heavy scents. The nutmeg is definitely present and it rounds things out a bit, but not enough. Amber is also lurking in the base and is appearing more with time, so this is a hard no from me. Would probably be great on someone more drawn to masculine scents than I am.

In the imp this smells like strawberry bubblegum, or maybe gummies. Shockingly sweet and slightly artificial but not necessarily in a bad way. It starts off the same way once on skin, but on me it yet again turns into a powdery amber bomb within a handful of minutes. No cherry, no berry, no vanilla...sigh. It could have been so good, too. No more amber blends for me, at least not from BPAL.

Man, BPAL is really good at these rose blends. In the imp this is quite sharp, almost like rose petals floating in vinegar. No idea what "spices" are involved in this, but luckily they mostly disappear on my skin. Instead the rose takes over, as expected; it's a true floral rose that slowly gets more powdery until it smells like candied rose petals. The most fascinating part of this scent is the subtle bite of something almost sour, like the maybe-vinegar I smell in the imp. Instead of being obvious it hits far at the back of the nose, almost like I'm tasting it. I'm continually amazed by BPAL's ability to do downright weird things with scent. I have so many rose scents, but yet again I'm tempted to get a bottle.

So...I bought a bottle of this without testing. I probably shouldn't have, and I even got a little worried about it after trying some of the other BPAL scents (which so frequently smell different on me than I expect), but now that I try it I'm convinced I made the right decision after all. It starts out very dark and borderline-resinous/woody, like Umbra but turned red instead of green. Gradually the honey and wine start to amp until they are both the focus. Maybe it's the tartness of the wine but this honey note is the truest I've smelled in a BPAL. It's darker than usual and I love it. The cherry mixes well with the wine and it does end up smelling more like a cherry wine than either of the things individually. The clove is present but not at all overpowering, as is the vetiver--there's a very dark, almost bitter base to this like charred wood, which I'm thinking must be the combination of those. Overall I really like this, and I'll be glad to have that full bottle when it arrives.

This is definitely a confusing scent, as others have noted, but I kind of love it. If I remind myself that it's a gin/sherry/lemon mix that I'm supposed to be smelling I can pick them all out, but all mixed together they kind of smell like ginger ale. In the background are lemon cookies and maybe some pumpkin spice bread/muffins/what have you. Also: this is the fizziest thing I've ever smelled. From now on I'm just going to blind-buy anything with sparkling/fizzy in the description because I love BPAL's handling of that kind of scent. Somehow it makes my nose feel the way it does when I get up close to soda or champagne and sniff! I honestly have no idea how much I would wear this, but it's so much fun.

Incredibly realistic red rose, verging on fruity--just as I like them! The leather is surprisingly subtle and soft, and the overall effect is much more ladylike than I guessed from the name and description. It reminds me of another scent in my collection with florals over leather, which is very buttoned-up until I start sweating and it turns into a growling beast. (I tested that going out on a run, I swear! ) It makes me think this could get pretty animalic with heat, which would fit more with the description. I love this and will definitely need a bottle.

This is not at all green on me, which is a little disappointing, but instead I get an earthy, almost chocolatey note that I really like. The honey in this is nice and light, verging on floral; BPAL's honey notes tend to amp heavily on me but this one doesn't. The honey is a bit powdery, and it smells overall like some kind of fancy honeyed chocolate truffle with powdered sugar and maybe even rose petals/water. I like it, but I'm not sure I need a bottle.

Fresh, fresh rose. This is a floral for those who don't like florals--it's very green and there's definitely a dewy note in there. As it develops on my skin there's a sharp, almost bitter tone to it, which seems fitting. The flower itself never goes powdery and is almost fruity and the green notes are very present so it doesn't take over. I already have many rose scents, including a few like this, so I'm not in desperate need of a bottle, but it's a beauty.

In case you want a really in-depth look at what I like and don't, here's everything that I've tried and would buy a full bottle of, basically. The only real distinction between "love" and "like a lot" has more to do with how much I see myself wearing them than actual like/dislike (although of course my favorite notes will more often be a "love"). GC: Love: Absinthe Anne Bonny The Apothecary Baba Yaga Baobhan Sith Beer From the Marsh-Woman's Brewery Black Forest Black Rose Bliss Blood Kiss Catherine Dee Defututa The Dodo Dorian The Dormouse Drink Me Dwarven Ale RPG Fae Fire Of Love Hades Halfling Hecate Hetairae Highwayman How Doth the Little Crocodile Les Bijoux Les Infortunes de la Vertu Lyonesse Mania Miskatonic University Mouse's Long and Sad Tale Namaste New Orleans The Obsidian Widow Plunder Poisoned Apple Pontarlier Raksasha Shub-Niggurath Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener Two, Five, and Seven Whip Xiuhtecuhtli Yggdrasil Like a lot: Aureus Bien Loin D'Ici The Black Tower Cheshire Cat Deadly Nightshade Honey Djinn Eat Me Fenris Wolf Hemlock King of Hearts Lady Macbeth The Lights of Men's Lives Lucy's Kiss O The Red Queen The Robotic Scarab Scherezade Schrodinger's Cat Snake Oil Van Van Voodoo LE/Discontinued/etc.: Love: A Chattering Raven Cancer 2007 Cancer 2016 Cherokee Rose SN Dead Leaves, Chamomile, Red Roses, and White Tea Devil's Night 2016 Fake News Fireplace Cinders (2015) In the Time of Plague La Befana Lady Una Mari Lwyd Palmyra Pumpkin IV (2014) Pure Applesauce Recalcitrant Dragon Third Charm Umbra (disc. 2014) Winter Jasmine SN Like a lot: Alice, the Reaper of Cruelty Dead Leaves and Blackberries Fizzy Jack O'Lantern Four Seasons: Winter Gingerbread, Red Fruits, and Sweet Jam He Came in the Radiance of Paradise Jolabokaflod Mummeries and Straining-to-be-Memorable Passages Mystical Aphorisms of the Fortune Cookie Nasty Woman Poor Monkey Raspberry Sufganiyot Texare

My very first "grown up" perfume was heavily apple-based (Nina Ricci's Nina, the 2006 version, for those curious), and since I swapped away that bottle I really haven't worn apple perfumes since. BPAL seems to be turning me into an apple hoarder, though, because so far every apple scent of theirs I've tried is pretty much magic. This one is no exception--if you know the scene in the Disney version where the witch is poisoning the apple and it turns green for a moment, that is exactly what this smells like. It starts off with the truest crisp red apple scent I've ever smelled, and then the herbs start to come in and add some green earthiness and tartness. One everything settles it ends up smelling almost like a green apple, although there is a thick, waxy apple-skin-like note that keeps it just barely red. Maybe it's because of the other herbs, but I could even swear I smell the stem! It sits very close to the skin but the way it transforms on me really is magical and I'll probably end up getting a bottle. ETA: Because this is almost exactly the same in the bottle and on skin, this works great in a scent locket and lasts significantly longer that way. Throughout the day I get soft whiffs of it, when it otherwise has almost no throw.