Grand Guignol

[yakiguri]

… Our Grand Guignol perfume is a shot of sweet apricot brandy; just enough to settle your nerves after a ghoulish, gory brush with the macabre.

 

Selected this blindly from my grab bag of yet-to-be-tested-frimps, and had I known it had a booze note I would've immediately put it away. The apricot is high-pitched and screechy, which is also putting that note into my death notes list. The blend itself is just plain acrid on me and it's most definitely going in my NOPE pile.

[miishanyan]

Origin: A random frimp from a friend

 

Initial thoughts: I smelt it once, thought it tasted too 'medicinal', and put it away again. Out of curiousity, looked up what it was, and once I saw apricot, that was it! Slathered it on haha.

 

In the imp: Boozy apricots indeed, though it's more alchohol than anything else, hence my initial thoughts of it smelling medicinal.

 

Wet: The sweetness of the apricot comes out straight away on my skin, and it is so yummy. Still smells very boozy, but it's a delicious, sweet booze.

 

Drydown: This is just so yum it's nice and musky, cause my skin loves doing that, but the apricot just sticks around. I get a good throw from this one, up to about 6-8 hours!

 

Verdict: I do like this a lot, it's very sweet, and I feel like it might be one of those scents that is a bit much of hot, sticky summer's days, so no bottle of it for me just at the moment. I think the imp will get used up quickly though If fruit and booze scents work on you, go for this one.

[Miss Despair]

In the imp, this was an interesting scent. Fruity and sticky-sweet, yet kind of dark and mature.

 

When I first swiped, I recoiled in dismay and disgust. Dismust? Either way, it smelled like apricot cough syrup, if cough syrup came in apricot flavor. Cue terror that this is what BPAL's brandy note smells like with my body chemistry.

 

Luckily, after about a minute, the cough syrup is gone. I'm not picking up on any alcohol, it smells like bitter apricots. Another review mentioned it smelling woody-- I'm getting that, too. What kept coming to mind is the way an apricot pit smells.

 

It's strange, though, the alcohol notes (I think) are very very bitter on me. Not in a bad way, but I can't say I particularly like it, either.

[applecider10]

Oh, ugh. It smelled okay in the frimp, but when I put it on, I was gagging. At first I thought "this smells like... like... ferny candy," but it eventually becomes fruitier and almost wholly apricot. A too-sweet, nearly sour apricot, like canned fruit gone bad. It's acrid and gross on me, although I think it might smell interesting on a different kind of person. Pass!

Edited January 17, 2014 by applecider10

[KerylRaist]

I got this as a frimp, looked it up (I thought), and put it in the test sooner or later pile.

 

Today was test day.

 

This didn't smell anything like I was expecting it to, mostly because I'd gotten it in my head that this was Magician. So, I was expecting a sort of incense-y-perfume-y scent, and got hit with... Sweet fruit? Bubble gum? I had no idea what it was.

 

I'm sitting there, sniffing my arm, noticing that yes, this is sweet, juicy, little acid. It's some kind of fruit. Probably. It was putting me in mind of gum too, but really good gum, gum for grown-ups.

 

It didn't morph much between imp and dry down, just more sweet-fruitiness.

 

I finally look this up again, realize I'm dead wrong on what this is supposed to smell like, and new list of notes in mind, sure, apricots, this could be apricots, or peaches, nectarines maybe, but doesn't smell enough like any of them to make me think: ah yes, vaguely orange-colored stone fruit. (It doesn't smell like any other kind of specific fruit, to me, either. For example: it's very definitely not strawberries or apples, so process of elimination, it could be apricot.)

 

And I really didn't get any sense of alcohol at all.

 

I used to own, drink, and cook with apricot brandy. This in no way triggered memories of that.

 

An hour later it was faint, could barely smell it with my nose on my wrist.

 

Two hours later, it was gone.

 

It's not unpleasant in any way. And if I was a fourteen-year-old girl named Madison or Brittney, attending a posh school, this would be right up my alley. But, I'm not that girl, never was that girl, and am vastly too old to pretend to be that girl, so... Hello swap pile!

[fundercat55]

I got this as a frimp with my last order.

 

In the imp: Sweet, warm, fruity, boozy. I'm liking it.

 

Wet: Sharp, alcoholic apricots. I'm wishing that it will dry to a rounder, more mellow scent. I always love the boozy scents in the bottle, but they often disagree with my skin.

 

Initial drydown: Still to sharp for my nose. There is something to the brandy note that is remaining very astringent.

 

1+ hours later: This is alllllmost right. So close. I love the soft apricot scent, and if the sharp tang of alcohol would calm down on my skin, I'd love it. As it is, it's just an okay scent for me.

Edited August 18, 2014 by fundercat55

[Mokiefraggle]

Unfortunately, this scent doesn't seem to stick around very long for me, but I can say that it's...interesting. It was a frimp, and I'd never really thought about it before as something I'd want--I've never been particularly fond of apricot, so why would I want to smell of it?--but it's not too bad.

 

Wet, I mostly get boozy apricot smell; lots of sweet, fruity liquor that kicks you in the face and says "Here I am!" at first sniff. It's strong, very distinct, and isn't afraid to make itself known. Not a lot of throw, mind, but definitely a presence. It's...well, I like boozy scents quite a lot, so that part makes me go , but the apricot kinda makes me go , so I'm not sure what I think of this one. Not bad enough to wash off, certainly; I'm interested enough to see where it goes, but it's definitely making me a little leery.

 

I never really get to notice the dry-down, though. By the time I sniff my wrists again, it's worn away and gone, nor does it seem to cling to anything; you'd think something that potent at first go would cling to clothes or something, but I've yet to notice it. I think I might have to just put it on and sit still, waiting, and see what happens then. I'd like to see what happens when I actually get a whiff of it when dry, since that might actually make me give a final yea or nay to it. Right now, I'm still undecided. Boozy is good, apricots are...uncertain...and the whole affair is just a bit hazy. Think I'll try again later.

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: Fruity sweetness, but a heady, wet kind of fruity scent. I've never smelled apricot brandy IRL, but I imagine this is what it would smell like. It vaguely reminds me of the dried apricots that were my go-to snacks as a kid, but the heady, wet elements mentioned stop me from going straight back to after-school snacks from 1st grade.

 

Wet: The first thing that comes to mind here is a rich, slightly scandalous, middle-aged-to-older woman. This is still a very "wet" scent, but now it's sweet-spicy (in that order), and very grown-up. My notes have "fancy lady grown-up smell" for this stage. Basically, if I were the editor-in-chief of a big magazine, Phryne Fisher at age 40, or my great-aunt who used to live in a brownstone full of potted orchids and knickknacks from India and New York, this is what I would smell like.

 

Dry: A faint fruity sweetness with a hint of something warm - the lingering spices, perhaps? Or maybe something in the sugar/vanilla/amber family? Anyway, something softer, but still very pleasant.

[andabri]

Not sure what year the one I'm testing is.

 

Very straightforward scent.

 

Literally smells like apricot brandy. Fresh, fuzzy, realistic apricot, but dang the brandy is strong. Very boozy. Like a drunkard at the local tavern spilled a whole bottle of booze onto a crate of apricots. Too much for me, personally, but definitely a spot on scent!

[petrichorandleather]

This is lovely. I didn't like it at all at first. I sniffed my knee (all the other skin's bpal covered! ) and was like woah this is tangy and boozy.

It didn't smell like soft sweet apricot...it's super tangy...more dried apricot than sweet juicy fresh apricot and the alcohol was really taking over.

 

But...now that it's dried down and behaved a bit it's still tangy but not unbearable and really, kind of a good time. It makes me smile and I could

see wearing this out for a night out with friends. I like it, not enough for a 5mL, but I'll definitely use my imp.

[Trinacria]

I love BPAL's peach and boozy notes, but this did not work for me at all. It came across as cheap, chemical, generic fruit. I had a tough time picking out any single note. The SO had an equally adverse reaction-simply wrinkled his nose and said "Ew." Luckily it defied the truism that if you hate it, it will have incredible throw and longevity- vanished within a couple of hours.

[stellamaris]

Clearly the Lab thinks I need a bottle of this, because I get at least one frimp with every order. OK OK! It's good! It's really really good!

Lush, fruity, boozy, a really fun scent.

I definitely get the apricots here.

[Veronica]

A vaguely alcoholic note hovering over a plasticky, artificial peach.

[Coiled2Stryk]

Am I the only one who thinks it smells like bubble gum??? Or rather, sugar-free bubble gum??? I really like the sweetness of this, and plan on getting a full size, and I normally don't want to smell like bubble gum, but this will be fun to wear while out on the weekend or something.

 

EDIT: One half hour later, it smells like waxy apricots.

Edited June 26, 2015 by Coiled2Stryk

[LizziesLuck]

I desperately wanted to like this, as I love apricot. It was terrible on me. Super sickly sweet at first, then quickly faded to sweet plasticy fruit - more like strawberry than apricot on me. Within 5 mins it's almost gone completely. Not for me!

[Musamea]

frimp from the Lab

in the decant: a beautiful and thick honey-gold color; smells like sweet juicy apricots with a bit of wine

wet: the brandy aspect really moves forward with a swirl of alcohol, then dies back into a wet bubblegummy fruit

dry: immediately turns into not very sweet apricot powder and the brandy eventually gets a sour vinegar-y tinge; clearly not one that plays well with my skin chemistry

[freyasfae]

I got this as a frimp from a decant circle. I often like apricot/peach scents so I thought this would be obvious for me, but it was just kind of blah, single note for me. I like the complexity of BPAL scents, and while I appreciate how this one really smells like apricot brandy, it's just really not for me.

[Cali]

Oof, a sweet in your face aquatic. What everyone else/the description is saying, apricot booze.

A nice, realistic apricot ...thaaaat goes plastic-y on me on drydown. D'aw.

[porcelaincrypt]

First cold sniff in imp: Light, maybe floral, a little fizzy or effervescent. Nice but I couldn't pinpoint anything in particular. The fizzy effervescence must have been the brandy. The second time I sniffed the imp weeks later, I got a slightly sweet, fruity, wine like scent but again something floral...perplexing! I wasn't too off base with the sweet wine impression but wasn't getting apricot at all.

 

Skin: I must be the odd one out, but I just keep smelling floral...not too strong, not bad, but nothing standout that I love. Ever so slightly medicinal maybe. As time goes on it does start to get better and smells sweeter. The apricot starts peaking through slightly.

 

Overall I would say this is a very, very light scent. I hardly smell it unless I put my nose right up to my wrist. Doesn't have much of a throw. It's nice, nothing wrong with it, but just average in my opinion. Probably like a 5/6 out of 10. Just a little underwhelming for my tastes.

[Casablanca]

The initial throw is like a slop of sweet apricot booze into my glass, like someone went to pour for me, partly missed, and is laughing. It smells kind of lazy and kind of fun, but overly sweet, and although the spill was funny, I wish the person hadn't gotten some on my dress.

I get much more of the sweet apricot than the brandy, and it smells to me more like an apricot additive to something else than how the fruit tastes or smells by itself, if that makes sense. It's very simple. But it's OK. Not for me, though.

[roseus]

In the imp and wet this is very boozy, but that aspect softens dry. This is just a nice warm apricot brandy on me.

[CitrusFiend]

Lab fresh imp, yellow-orange oil. On me, this is one of those "exactly what it says on the tin" scents. Warm, fruity, delicious apricot brandy. I really like it!

[Mermaid-on-Land]

I feel like this is a boring review but I don't have too much to add. It's apricot brandy. The apricot is sweet and maybe verging on syrupy. The brandy doesn't amp too much on my skin, I don't notice much (or any) of an alcohol smell. It ended up being quite simple on me. It's fruity but on the darker side of fruity, with the syrup and tinge of brandy. I liked it but didn't LOVE it. I like the idea of using the apricot brandy to infer the idea of visiting the Grand Guignol theater tho! That's a cool way to tie it in. Sadly didn't last too long on me, and very little throw.

[Soupy Twist]

Meh. dried apricots. I don't even get the bite of booze. Pass.

[Coldfire]

Imp: boozy apricot with a medicinal sharpness
Wet On Me: awww yeah....loving this apricot brandy thing on my hand!!!
Drying Down: oh this is an apricot cough syrup or cough drop. sweet, a touch sticky, but oh so delightful
Dry: this does not stick around long. the throw is amazing wet but it disappears once dry But oh this is delightful!