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BPAL Madness!

norsowideasachurchdoor

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About norsowideasachurchdoor

  • Rank
    a little too imp-ulsive
  • Birthday May 27

Location

  • Location
    Midwest
  • Country
    United States

BPAL

  • BPAL of the Day
    Pulcinella and Teresina
  • Favorite Scents
    Sweet woody resins win out most of the time. Spice-forward blends always draw my attention. I'm still trying to finding anything with a prominent and lasting anise/licorice/fennel type note. I know I enjoy in BPAL notes: Cypress Patchouli Sandalwood Vetiver Earth/loam/dirt Clove Cinnamon Cassia Honeysuckle Chamomile Mullein Chrysanthemum From other perfumes, I've discovered an enjoyment for: Ambergris Cardamon Licorice And in previous contexts (usually culinary or botanical rather than personal fragrance) I've found I enjoy: Ginseng Fennel Anise Lemongrass Lychee Lime leaf Lilac Jasmine Gardenia Rice Barley Molasses

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Not Telling
  • Interests
    Music: Anaïs Mitchell's Hadestown (both the original concept album and the new original cast album). Cowboy Junkies' Renmin Park.

    Books: Russell Hoban's The Mouse and His Child. C. S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces. Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell trilogy.

    Films: Blade Runner. The Spirit of the Beehive.

    Food: Sambhar. Soft-boiled eggs.

    Sweets: Chocolate as dark as it comes. Gajar ka halwa. Rice pudding.
  • Mood
    encouraged

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  1. norsowideasachurchdoor

    What are your favorite GC BPAL scents (IE: Recs for New Collectors!)

    Zombi tends to evoke strong opinions, so I think everyone should try it to find out where they land. To me, the earth and lichen notes deepen the dried roses into a nostalgic memory. To some others, the scent arouses acute melancholy. Plunder is my runner-up, right now, because the tea-and-spices blend is perfect for the upcoming season, with a hot mug of cider in one hand, while the other hand defends me against woeful pirate bugs.
  2. norsowideasachurchdoor

    Bravery, Courage, Confidence, Intimidation, Power

    Anathema lasts all day on me, so I know I can rely on it. Wrath and The Great Sword of War are great mind-steelers, even if it's all in the name. I recently wore Very, Very Dreadfully Nervous hair gloss with Manhattan perfume when I felt underprepared for a social night out on the town. Bluebonnet and Flor de Maga are inoffensive but bolstering, for quiet courage.
  3. norsowideasachurchdoor

    Lush to BPAL scent comparisons (BNever included too)

    Not floral, not fruity (and I'm not familiar with the washcard in question), but Plunder is a whole boatful of mulling spices: "The scent of a pirates bumboat, overflowing with stolen wares: tea leaf, cassia, cinnamon bark, clove, allspice, sandalwood, tobacco, peppercorn, and nutmeg." Plunder came unbidden in my first order, and it was churchdoor's autumn companion whilst sipping hot apple cider on the patio and going mad from pirate bugs. One I haven't tried, yet, is Jack, which would bring in some fruit: "The scent of warm, glowing jack olanterns on a warm autumn night: true Halloween pumpkin, spiced with nutmeg, glowing peach and murky clove." Reviews tend to mention a distinct buttery component in Jack, as well.
  4. norsowideasachurchdoor

    Very, Very Dreadfully Nervous Hair Gloss

    Flash review! This is churchdoor's first bay rum scent, first hair gloss, first Trading Post product, and first test after this dreadful cold, and the effects of that last first are still mildly haranguing the senses. The first time I tried this was on dry, unwashed hair, but I could barely make out the clove; during the time of this review, my hair was washed and damp before application. At first To quote alt-J, "Do not spray into eyes. / I have sprayed you into my eyes." N.b., the spray-into-hand-and-smooth-in method is preferable for those with no sense of aim. But then (I.e., when one pays attention once more to one's nose again rather than to one's eye.) If bay rum = spices marching in with clove on the front lines, then this is bay rum, by Meg, Jack, and Gum! (That's but a minced oath, not referring to any purveyor of bay rum, fine or otherwise.) After (just a little) time The troops brought limes as pack animals, the scent of which evokes the sweet aromatic spices and lime leaves sauteing before a dashing good curry. Thematic Analysis The gloss does move from foot to foot for a bit before the clove yields to reveal the lime; if there are shards of madness, they only serve to clear my sinuses for a moment on behalf of the main foci. Overall Very, Very Dreadfully Nervous was a great introduction to hair gloss and the BPTP itself, presenting a clean scent slowly shifting through its notes.
  5. norsowideasachurchdoor

    Scent to match book thread!

    I've tried Moscow and liked it, despite its not being as deep or complex as I'd imagined, settling into a similar sweet lily+orange to that of Belle Epoque. As for my own recommendation, I'll put in a plug for Pulcinella and Teresina of the Carnaval Diabolique, who for me turn from a curious wine vinegar in the bottle to a sweet, rich wood blended with rose nectar on the skin.
  6. norsowideasachurchdoor

    Rosewood, anyone?

    [...] Also be on the look out for bois de rose as well, while I have seen some maintain that they reference two different trees I have mostly seen the term interchangeably. Some scents listing bois de rose that might be good are Endymion and Spirit Board [...] Thanks for the tip about the bois de rose. That's super helpful! Not that this has the desired fruit or musk, but I just spotted a new bois de rose blend in the Exquisite Corpse chapter opening this afternoon: BRIAR ROSE Thorny red roses swirled with mandrake accord, bois de rose, ambrette seed, and khus.
  7. norsowideasachurchdoor

    Help fix this scent! Feat. layering!

    I'll totally throw in a Mouse's Long And Sad Tale imp into your package. Hurrah for you and your thorough research! I'll make certain to report back how well it plays with wily old Heart Song.
  8. norsowideasachurchdoor

    BPAL at work?

    I'm a neophyte around these parts as well as to the intentionally-scented-self, so I don't have any specific recommendations. However, I did spot a relevant recommendations thread. As for the situation itself, stay in communication with your coworker on the matter, so that you have her go-ahead and clear feedback in what works or not. Also consider limiting how often you test, so that it's not the uncertainty-of-the-day in her life. If you find something that works, don't necessarily stick to that one thing all the time, especially if she's prone to developing new sensitivities to products. I have a sensitive-skinned friend who buys travel sizes of body products and rotates through them to try to keep abreast of negative reactions, so talk to your coworker about whether a similar practice might be helpful or if she prefers consistency.
  9. norsowideasachurchdoor

    Gardening and the Scents of a Garden

    Resurrecting to ask about yardwork (not quite gardening, I know, but similar enough to the topic at hand). Has anyone found any scent that works particularly well for them while mowing the lawn? It would be nice to find something that can hold up next gasoline/sweat/newly-cut grass--not to drown them out, but to complement what's already there. I'm new to the world of paying attention to fragrances, so I haven't to my knowledge tried anything with leather or metallic notes, but that's my first thought. Or maybe the mower engine creates enough earthy and metallic notes in its own right, but then I don't know what other notes would best add to it. What are your thoughts?
  10. norsowideasachurchdoor

    Help fix this scent! Feat. layering!

    Thanks for all your prompt replies! Looking for vanilla in the unbidden imps that hitched a ride in my first order, I spot Belle Epoque, so I just gave that a whirl. It's already working! The vanilla and mandarin are definitely mellowing Heart Song's sharp spice; now it evokes a milky Earl Grey tea. It's much improved, and the results certainly give me grounds to keep experimenting with different blends as my collection grows. I'm so pleased my essential oil and scent locket found a new friend. Thanks again for the suggestions; you softened my Heart!
  11. norsowideasachurchdoor

    Bluebonnet

    Credentials: First-ever order from BPAL (placed Aug 29 of this year, shipped Sep 6), first-ever perfume order from anywhere. Neophyte. Chose this simple floral as a somewhat selfish means of hurricane relief donation. At first: A sweet, deep-throated wildflower nectar brushes against the biting spice of pollen. But then: Uncloying, the nectar blooms and balances with the pollen. After time: The posy’s depth fades but wilts not, ever true to itself. Thematic analysis: My Texas friend (raised in the hill country near San Antonio) reports bluebonnets don’t smell like aught. Instead, this scent is what the honeybee detects–or represents the blossoms’ humid summer dreams, bonnets drooped down over drowsy blue eyes. Overall: The pure, winsome nature of Single Note: Blue Bonnet does justice to the unflagging and hopeful people its proceeds intend to benefit. Rating: 9.5 Texas National Guard Hum-Vs crashed and recovered after a joyride
  12. norsowideasachurchdoor

    The Curtain of the Temple was Torn in Two

    Credentials: First-ever order from BPAL (placed Aug 29 of this year, shipped Sep 6), first-ever perfume order from anywhere. Neophyte. Chose this complicated-sounding incense for the name and its reference, knowing my nose wouldn’t be able to distinguish most individual elements, but still intrigued to smell the olfactory scriptural interpretation. At first: Cinnamon rips warm through the dark fabric of the nose. But then: The cinnamon smolders among its brethren but does not slumber within their penumbra. After time: The inner chamber empties of cassia and cinnamon shadows and their mealtime aroma, leaving behind the murky-sweet footfall of intimate, wood-walled resins. Thematic analysis: I expected a mournful or ominous lead of this Good Friday scent, but instead its warmth explodes forth like the hidden presence of God released unto the world. This biblical catastrophe triumphantly tears down its old confinements. With the human body as its new chosen temple, the divine spirit reaches boldly forward from the hearth–then sustains its host’s soul with a subtler and steadier insistence. Overall: Even where the sun goes unseen, The Curtain of the Temple was Torn in Two's transformation from a hearty scent to a grounded incense on the skin foretells the bodily resurrection and the human spirit made new. Rating: 10/10 horrified and overthrown Pharisees
  13. norsowideasachurchdoor

    Help fix this scent! Feat. layering!

    Credentials: Just starting my BPAL journey--really, just starting my buying-my-own-perfumes journey. So far, I have negligible outright dislikes, just a lot of unknowns I can't imagine based on a description or pick out with my nose in a blend. The History: A few years ago, my cousin gave me an essential oil blend called Heart Song and a heart-shaped scent locket as a gift. Despite how excited I was at the time to receive it, I found myself still reaching for other scents, most of the time. Something about Heart Song just didn't click the way I expected. So instead of trying the "Romantic Atmosphere" and "Coping Mist" suggested on the side of the box, I've mostly used it to keep funky laundry scents at bay. Now that I'm finally nosing my way forward in this world, I thought I'd better see what I can do about the conundrum. The Conundrum: All the notes in Aura Cacia brand's Heart Song are ones I hypothetically enjoy: lavender, coriander seed, geranium, and rose. However, all together, they achieve a dry, high-pitched herbal spice that puts me a bit on edge. I don't want to give up on the gift, especially when the ingredients are individually enticing; could layering save the scent for me? What sort of notes should I look for in BPAL descriptions in order to layer with poor Heart Song and sweeten and/or deepen the overall effect? Gratefully yrs, churchdoor
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