phantasmmysteria

In the bottle and freshly applied: this is the smell of orange peel (complete with bitter pith) with just a slight herbaceous undertone courtesy of the lavender. As this begins to dry down, the citrus very quickly calms and becomes more "creamy," presumably from the candy and anise -- it reads very vanillic on my skin, but I have that tendency to amp even the slightest bit of vanilla so if it's in here, it's gonna happen. Early drydown is my favorite stage, because all of the elements are nicely balanced and the sillage is beautifully soft, sweet, and just a hint floral in nature. Sadly, this is a fleeting sort of scent, and once the citrus burns off completely I'm just left with a vaguely sweet scent on the skin (which isn't a bad thing in and of itself, I just wish the citrus stuck around longer in the drydown!).

 

This scent is a more well-balanced version of Huesos De Santo, which I also adored but went too cakey/vanished too quickly on me. I adore this scent, but it's definitely one to slather or wear in a scent locket (or both!).

I fiiiiiinally acquired a bottle of this luscious hair gloss! I actually joined a decant circle in order to try this, but then a swap offer came along with the chance at a full bottle, and so I couldn't pass it up. I am glad I didn't, because I'm going to need the whole bottle!

 

Bottle: I actually did unscrew the cap and take a big whiff. From there, the scent is very sweet with a side of gardenia, and yes, just a hint of anise! Perhaps it's just how the combination of the coconut and the tiare combine to give the impression of anise, but there you have it.

 

Sprayed/Wet: I practically doused one of my wigs in this scent because it was being particularly unruly! The scent blooms and is dominated by the vanilla and coconut at first. I can smell the gardenia, but it is in the background. The coconut/vanilla reminds me very strongly of Snow White, but the addition of the taire is certainly more evocative of a beach vacation than a winter retreat. This is very potent when first sprayed, and has a large throw -- my upstairs smelled pretty delicious for a good hour after application.

 

Dry: After a while, the only thing that lingers is the gardenia, which I really have to press my nose to my hair in order to smell. I was surprised that it would fade so much after being so strong upon application, but this may be a good choice for you if you apply HG to your hair at night and don't want a scent that might clash with your perfume the next day.

 

Verdict: I love it, but I didn't have much doubt that this would be the case -- it's three of my favorite notes! If you don't mind sweet scents or gardenias, I highly recommend this gloss.

Well, it's been a minute since I've done a review, but there are so few I thought I'd put in my 2 cents.

 

In the bottle: I actually get mostly the lunar herbs in the bottle, which is not my preference (these are usually what make Lunacies not my favorite).

 

Wet: Hmm, I get a blast of something in the mint family right off. There's a jumble of scents all fighting for dominance, and at first it's really hard to pick anything other than the minty note out. The mint burns off eventually, and as it does the lemongrass, cherry blossom, and fruits begin to peek out. Close to the skin, the scent is all slightly sour fruits, but the throw is a lovely soft floral.

 

Dry: As this dries down, there's something almost... incensy?... about it! Actually, there's something about the combination of one of the base notes and the florals (could be the lemongrass/lemon balm) that strongly reminds me of Morgause.

 

Verdict: I was worried I was going to swap this one off immediately like I did the last Cheshire Moon, but the Morgause-like drydown makes me think twice about it. I'm going to hold onto it for a bit and hope the lunar component settles with a bit of age, because otherwise it is lovely.

If I am feeling anxious and need something to help settle my nerves so that I can shine, I wear Pisces '07.

When I want to be a cold, calculating bitch, I wear Morgause.

I get a feeling of raw power from Crypt Queen.

If I just want to feel like I can take on the world, I go with Gun Moll.

 

That said, I tend to use TALs if I'm expecting a serious battle -- you really do not want to fuck with me when I've added a little Bend Over to the mix (and it's really great for *ahem* recreational power plays, too...).

I'm looking for a true orange blossom scent: that is, one that smells like the actual flowers of the orange tree. They have no trace whatsoever of the scent of the orange fruit or orange rind.

 

I have been unhappy with nearly all fragrances labeled "orange blossom" since most perfumers just don't seem to get it that the flowers smell nothing at all like oranges. It's one of my pet peeves. I've lived with orange trees in my backyards for 50 years, and believe me, I know the difference. Orange blossom is one of my most-beloved scents in the world, and I've searched for decades for a fragrance that can make me (and my home) smell like that any time of the year. But I don't care for the scent of the fruit in a perfume - I don't want to smell like something to eat! (BTW, Trader Joe's makes a liquid handwashing soap that has a very authentic orange blossom scent, but of course I can't use that as a perfume or home fragrance.)

 

Torrilin's post (#26 in this thread) linked to a review that I was really interested in (comparing Orange Blossom vs. Neroli), but unfortunately only members registered to that site can view it. Torrilin, if you see this, could you possibly PM me a copy of that review, please? Thank you!

 

And I'm particularly interested in Beth's versions of both Orange Blossom and Neroli. Has anyone tried the BPAL single notes for both? How do they differ? Do either of them have the true floral-not-fruity scent I'm looking for? Can anyone recommend a BPAL fragrance blend that smells like real orange blossoms without any trace of the fruit?

 

A bit of belated advice but Khrysee is the scent I grab when I want to smell a true orange blossom. Notes are: Vanilla amber and orange blossom.

Seconding this. Close to the skin, all you get is the amber, but the throw is all orange blossom.

This is closer to Tattered Lace than Black Lace IMO -- the tobacco, tea, and vanilla are the dominant players here. There is none of the gorgeous Indian musk that I adore so much (and I amp musks like whoa), and without it Autumn Musk is just sort of vaguely sweet and flat. For those that found Black Lace to be too musky but enjoyed everything else, this may be a solid bet. For me, however, I am completely content with the original recipe.

I am so glad you decided to give Thalia a whirl and it turned out okay! I don't think there was a single winner in my first batch of imps, and really it all came down to me picking notes I THOUGHT I liked, as opposed to what actually works for my skin chemistry.

 

And RE: training your nose -- I compare the "baby powder" phenomenon to something akin to olfactory white noise (especially for new BPAL noses). Notes like honey and amber are not a singular note, but very complex blends in and of themselves. So when smelling these scents without having experience with the smell of some of the individual components, IME it just tends to read "powder." Now, your skin chemistry may very well make certain notes MORE powdery, but as you become more familiar with BPAL you may come back to these scents and find they aren't so powdery after all.

If you love Peach Moon, the peach note in Tanuki no Orai is identical! The supporting notes do make Tanuki sweeter and a touch more floral (whereas Peach Moon has an underlying herbal/greenness to it), and the throw is stronger than what I get from Peach Moon. The lotus never veers into bubblegum territory, though I do wish I could pick out the persimmon a bit more.

 

This Tanuki is a total win for me! It shall warrant a couple more bottles, at least.

Scent Description: I actually don't get much leather or vetiver from this at all -- perhaps from the bottle, but wearing it? It's a really lovely musky floral! I was quite suprised by that, but the scent really agrees with me. I can definitely see myself using this within a D/s context as a perfume. It certainly sets the mood.

 

And now, if you wish to hear about its ritual effectiveness, prepare to be Wall of Text'd!

I only ordered this bottle a few months ago wondering if I'd ever have a reason to utilize it, but I am here to report that it works when used responsibly!

 

The Background: My grandmother was having worlds of difficulty getting a passport issued to her for my upcoming wedding. The holdup being because she had been born at home, and her birth certificate was not issued until she was in her 30's. All of the other documentation she was able to provide was also denied by the Passport Authority as being insufficient. She was distraught that she wouldn't get to go, and I was at my own wits' end trying to finish planning and help her get this bureaucratic nightmare straightened out.

 

Two weeks before we were scheduled to leave, I was working from home and trying to get this mess resolved when I remembered that I had my bottle of Bend Over. I immediately marched upstairs with my intent: I took a slip of paper and wrote down exactly what I needed -- for my grandmother to have her passport issued without any further documentation -- and then I anointed the paper with Bend Over. The remaining oil left on my fingers was dabbed over my Root Chakra.

 

I immediately took the anointed paper outside to the corner of my yard. I prayed to patron God and the God I was requesting help from, burned the paper, and made offerings to both. As soon as I returned inside, I felt infinitely better about the situation (as well as feeling about twenty feet taller). I spent the next couple of hours making more phone calls about the situation and finally getting some movement in the process.

 

The Conclusion: A week went by, but the Passport Authority did issue her a temporary passport good for 1 year (and with the condition that if she could provide further proof of her citizenship, she would be granted a full passport). They even overnighted it to her!

 

I really, really could not be happier with the results of this spell. This oil's notoriety is very well deserved!

Try The Illustrated Woman -- on me it smells almost exactly like the scent you've described.

I must admit, I was a bit wary of this one from a sniff of the bottle. I generally really like honey, but Teh Manthing has a weird aversion to it. And from the bottle, this smells WAY sweet.

 

Now, my Hair Gloss is in a decant, but it appears that the Gloss comes out in a stream from most bottles. Knowing that, I spritzed 3-4 pumps in my hand and rubbed it into the ends and worked my way up. I suddenly found myself enveloped in the most heavenly scent imaginable! This oil really blooms once it's sprayed, and it's a dead ringer for wildflower honey -- the florals are quite prominent at first, but they do not stick around for long. There is also a muskiness present, but once this sinks into my hair I'm basically left with a honeyed sweetness.

 

This scent has more throw than Fig & White Sandalwood Gloss, but it's not overpowering even when applied as liberally as I did. If you are a fan of honey, this is an absolute must try!

Oh.... oh my, yes.

 

In the bottle and wet, I swear that this is the red musk of my much-loved Marianne (though perhaps it's a trick of the berries' sweetness mixing with the musk). There's also a burst of floral here, which I am going to guess if from the kewda attar. "Heady, pungent and very tenacious..." yes, I would agree! It seems to lend a bit of spiciness to the scent, as well, particularly in the throw. As it dies, I no longer get the Marianne association, but am reminded of another fruity floral, Dark Delicacies.

 

As this dries, it does go a bit sharp on my skin, and the note I was hoping for most (the nepalese amber) is hidden in the mix of fruit and floral. Still, this is a gorgeous blend. I have no doubt that a little age will do wonders for this blend, and I think I'll be seeking out another bottle just for that purpose.

This is my Shunga winner for the year!

 

Now, my skin has a tendency to amp sweets, so this smells much more like coconut macaroon, less like fresh coconut. If I concentrate on huffing my wrist, I can detect the slight nuttiness and the hint of anise blending with the coconut (the white amber is basically undetectable, but I imagine that will change with time). The combination really sings on my skin: it's creamy and comforting, but still light enough to wear in the office and as the weather warms.

 

Love.

I cast Magic Missile at the darkness.

Hey guuuuuuuys, wheeeeere's the Mountaaaaiiiiin Deeeeeeew??

 

Seriously, the moment I sniffed this, that short is all I could think about. This smells just like Mountain Freaking Dew! How does she do that??

 

I'm sorry, but that's really all I can contribute to this thread, because the only difference I get wet-dry is that the scent loses its "carbonation." Now, I don't really want to walk around smelling like I've spilled soda on myself, but the concept is hilarious.

In the Imp: Hmmm, there's a tartness here that I wasn't expecting -- perhaps the strawberry and the effervescence mingling together?

 

Wet: Upon hitting the skin, this threatens for a moment to turn into Generic Shampoo Fragrance #4, but once it settles down I am reminded of one of those scent memories I cannot quite figure out. It's the damndest thing, and I always hate when that happen-- Oh! I remember now. It's the way the fruits and the iris are mingling together, but it reminds me of a Bath & Body Works perfume I had about half my life ago. At one point B&BW had astrologically-themed perfumes marketed toward the tweens, and Loli.Goth reminds me of Libra. Now, typically anything described as "tween-oriented" would be an unappealing characterization, but we ARE talking about Lolitas here.

 

Dry: This doesn't morph much on me as it dries. If I were to give it a color, though, it would be apricot instead of pink. It'b both bright and soft simultaneously, if that makes any sense at all.

 

Verdict: What I really think is that Beth has managed to obtain unicorn piss and is passing it off to us as Loli.Goth. I'm just sayin'.

Mmmmmm, now THIS is a cherry I can love! Thank you so much GypsyRoseRed for sharing with us by was of sniffy circle.

 

In the imp: Definitely cherries, but this isn't a cough syrup or are-these-cherries-or-are-they-almonds? kind. They are deep, velvety, and sweet.

 

On Skin: This quickly mellows out and the cherry fades to the background, letting the musk come forward -- not a lot, but I can smell it. I usually amp musks, but here the effect is soft and pretty.

 

Dry: This lays close to my skin, imparting a subtle, feminine fragrance with the slightest hint of cherries.

 

Verdict: I like it so much more than I expected to, but I am most certainly going to have to track down some for my own!

So.... Teh Manthing seems to have finally lost his damn mind, because he went and proposed to me last Saturday!!

 

I knew that someday we would marry, but he completely took me by (a very, very pleasant) suprise. *stares at Teh Shiny he bought me*

 

So!! Even though we're planning on a long engagement (like, 2 years), of course I've been thinking about wedding plans. And what better detail to start with than what BPAL to wear on The Day?

 

Nothing's been hammered out yet obviously, but of the ideas I've gotten from Teh Manthing and what friends have been helpfully giving me, I have two ideas so far: Either having a small wedding with close family and some friends at the beach, and then perhaps another reception for all of our friends here at home; or a large outdoor wedding closer to home (Sewanee Mountain is not far from where I grew up, and the scenery is gorgeous).

 

Now if we go with the beachside wedding, I'm not sure what I'll wear; Teh Manthing is rather peculiar in his scent preferences, so I have to be careful of anything with a lot of musk (anything with white musk he says smells like incense) or honey (he hates it!). But something oceanic and tropical feeling would be perfect, so I am thinking maybe Thalassa the Galapagos Mermaid (one of the ONLY acquatics that actually smells good on me and that I enjoy), Snow White (total opposite end of the spectrum, but the strong coconut I get from it would make it read very beach-appropriate), or Tiki Princess (once I smell it! I'm hoping for a Hawaiian Snow White, TBH ). If we do decide upon the destination wedding, then I would like to have the local reception and wear Agape -- it just seems so appropriate for the spirit of coming together to share in a newly-wedded couple's happiness and wish them well.

 

Now, for Scenario Numbah Two! The mountains of Tennessee in autumn are pretty damn gorgeous, I'm not gonna lie. HOWEVER, there are exactly zero BPAL Halloweenie/Autumn scents which work with my skin chemistry!! Aaaack! The only two scents I can think of off the top of my head are The Illustrated Woman (which is aaaaahmazing, to be sure) and Crypt Queen (). This one is definitely a bit trickier, so if anyone has any suggestions for things I might try, please let me know!

This is one of those scents that's been on my wishlist for a good long while, but that I never actively persued because I didn't think it was going to work for me. I love it when I'm pleasantly suprised!

 

Wet: Judging from the wet stage, this spells doom for me. There's LOTS of rose right off the bat, as well as something that lends an incensy vibe to the blend without being particularly resinous because I don't amp it -- I recall someone mentioning champa flower, so perhaps that's it? Man I am no good with floral notes...

 

Dry: It takes about a half hour to get there (during which I have to resist the urge to huff my wrist because it's all sour rose and cardamom doing something weird in the background), but after that I get this amazing blend of spices and sweetness with just the faintest whiff of flowers that flit about. It's really magical. I'm not quite sure if there is anything in this blend sweetening it up or if it's just my chemistry, but this eventually smells like vanilla chai or spice cookies on my skin with a throw of roses (mmm, spice cookies made with rosewater? I might have to try that!).

 

Verdict: Big bottle plz.

Okay, I have NO IDEA what's going on here, but my impression of this scent are so far out in left field I wonder if we are even sharing the same perfume!

 

When I first sniffed this the musk most closely resembled Ivanushka to me -- a sweetish-powdery-animalistic musk, but even out of the bottle I keept thinking, "there's something about this that I don't like." Just like any good future victim of this type of horror film, I dismiss my first sniff and swipe a bit on anyway.

 

This would be the part of the story where all hell starts to break loose.

 

This scent never gets to the point where I have to wash it off (though I didn't apply much), but it just slowly amps up on my skin over time, and eventually it gets to the point that smelling it actually makes me feel physically repulsed. Perfume... that gives me the creeps?? Holy shit!

 

Verdict: I don't know if this was Beth's intention for this perfume or not, but it's pure genius. I love musks, and I wish I could wear this one, but the simple fact that this rings so true to the feel of this horror genre makes me love it anyway.

I am just thrilled to pieces to have found a swapee who was willing to part with her bottle of Bat of Wealth! I'm always on the lookout for something similar to Crypt Queen, one of my undying (pardon the pun) loves, and so that's what I was hoping for with Wealth.

 

In bottle: LOTS of heliotrope as well as bergamot! The effect is sweet and fruity, but the florals fake my nose out at first by lending the impression of a much sweeter fruit than I know are lurking about underneath.

 

Wet: For the first few minutes, the florals are still dominant, but not overwhelming. As I was hoping for something akin to Crypt Queen, this is a much a much juicier scent than I was expecting -- these are fresh fruits and flowers from the garden, with just a tinge of soil still clinging to them, as opposed to overripe fruit (juices fermenting) at the bottom of the compost heap. Sadly for me, whatever blackberry is lurking in this scent seems to be hiding.

 

Dry: Ahh, the patch is finally coming out to play and comingling with the fruit a little more. It's pretty faint, but has a little spicy tang which I get when I take a deep breath.

 

Verdict: I think with some further aging everything will round out, but I have to say this is the less dead cousin of the Crypt Queen.

It's very pretty, and will make a great earthy scent for the summers down South.

 

 

I would just like to add two more recs to the list: Eos and Twilight (but Eos especially). The South (to me) always smells like blooming honeysuckle, which is probably why both of these immediately sprang to mind.

 

Eos: The Rising Sun. She is Ostara, Easter, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility and the dawn. She is a protector and friend to all children. Her scent is that of softly glowing skin, jasmine, buttercup and honeysuckle.

 

Okay, so no gardenia (and I'm not sure how you feel about jasmine, but it's not the dominant flower for me. If you're looking for eternally youthful perfume, you can't get much better than this.

 

Twilight: An enigmatic, otherworldly scent, brimming with power and mystery. Lavender and jasmine, with a touch of glowing honeysuckle.

 

Again with the jasmine, but the three flowers balance each other very nicely.

 

If you're looking to layer some gardenia with your Antique Lace, I might suggest Sacred Whore of Babylon -- it's very heavy on the gardenia.

I recently tried Australian Copperhead and I love love love love love it. Apparently I love the way acai berries smell. Unfortunately, there are only 2 other scents available with acai. Does anyone know if the Slippery Poppy Tincture or Daiyu have a similarly bright red berry scent?

 

I can pick out the acai in both of the aforementioned blends, but neither works half so well for me as Australian Copperhead does.

 

The acai is more prominent in SPT, but the poppy has a LOT of greenery. It smells very fresh and almost damp (slippery!), which is probably why it doesn't work for me. If you can do green/aquatic blends, you might enjoy it.

 

Daiyu was more chrysanthemum tea with a hint of acai.

There's little I can say about this blend other than it's absolutely fascinating. I was really skeptical about the seemingly random list of notes, but as the protrait on the bottle is my favorite of the Ode to Aphrodite series I just couldn't resist.

 

In the bottle: WOW, that's got some zing to it! The pink pepper is all I can make out -- not a bad sign IMO.

 

Wet: This sweetens up on the skin, but not overly so. It took me a couple of wears to register the scent memory, but the wet stage actually reminds me of my favorite chai. It's warm and a little kicky and just a tad sweet. The pink pepper remains in the forefront, and everything else just swirls together beautifully.

 

Dry: As this sinks into my skin, I can faintly make out some of the other notes -- a tiny bit of rose here, maybe a smidge of Balsam of Peru... I was hoping for a little fruitiness and dreading the caramel, but neither of those want to make an appearance.

 

Verdict: I can see why this blend was named Mother of Desire. She is beautiful and warm, arms open and inviting her lover into her bosom for comfort; all the while making her lover's body burn with passion and need. A definite keeper.

Well, I'm going to skip the BPAL comparisons completely and venture over into another perfumer entirely!

 

In the imp, this is thick, luscious, but slightly unripe fruit. I think this wine has some raspberry or stone fruit in addition to the plum.

 

On my skin, this is a dead-ringer for Mara Fox's Nox. Definitely some strong-tasting fruits (rarely plum plays nice on it's own, and here this reacts much the same way the fruits in Crypt Queen do) and sharp sandalwood. This is no wallflower, people! I only swiped the wand onto my wrists once, but I got strong wafts of this one all morning. Upon drydown, the champaca/sandalwood threaten to become overbearing, but this eventually calms down.

 

Verdict: I get from this what I was hoping to get from Dionysia, though this is going to need some age to take the edge off.

In the imp: LOTS of gorgeous white musk, almost to the exclusion of everything else. I might be able to detect just a little bit of floral mixed in (I'm guessing the tobacco flower, which has a sort of dry quality)

Wet: More of the same up close on the skin, though I get some sweetness in the throw. Luckily for me, the oakmoss is behaving! Up close, this blend is very reminiscent of Ozymandias, but isn't nearly as sharp and dry thanks to the other notes.

Dry: This blend morphs very little for me, though as it wears the white amber/musk combo does get more powdery in a pleasant way. I can also pick out the tobacco flower a bit more, but the oakmoss is still being incredibly subtle. The throw remains sweet coconut meat -- I keep catching little wafts of it when I more my arms .

Verdict: I really enjoy this, and now I'm sad that I ordered a bottle of Yvaine in my 13 order, because now I think I'd prefer a bottle of Dia for my musk needs!