BPAL Patchouli - there's nothing else like it

[smallvoice]

I really want to try Death on a Pale Horse- it has my beloved white musk in it, which I think might keep the patchouli in line.

 

Anne Bonny wasn't agreeable, though she wasn't terrible either. I guess I'm undecided.

 

I'm also undecided on Tweedledum, but my husband certainly doesn't like it. I tentatively like it, but that may not be enough.

 

zankoku, I don't mind you posting here at all! Feedback and experience are what I'm looking for, and more questions mean more answers!

 

ETA: Oh, and I am lusting after the Snake Pit.

Edited January 14, 2007 by cordia

[klavierbarrette]

wait, Hetairae has patchouli in it? D: it's lovely!

[juniperus]

i don't know if red patchouli is 'sweeter' but it is less heady for me. doesn't give me asthma attacks, lol.

The red is less aggressive on me, too - the black can easily turn into burnt BO on me, it's terribly inconsistent.

[klavierbarrette]

i don't know if red patchouli is 'sweeter' but it is less heady for me. doesn't give me asthma attacks, lol.

The red is less aggressive on me, too - the black can easily turn into burnt BO on me, it's terribly inconsistent.

omg i know.

 

i don't think i'll ever order anything with black patchouli unless it has BOTH, but i've recieved frimps with the lab and i go 'ohh, nice patchouli' and i look it up and its black patchouli o_O'''

Edited January 14, 2007 by klavierbarrette

[smallvoice]

Does anyone have thoughts on Nemesis? The lab description reads: Cypress, ginger, fig, dried rose, red patchouli, tonka bean and cyclamen.

 

I don't know what cyclamen smells like, and the cypress may go musty on me, but it has some promising notes, and I didn't see anybody mention it.

[portalkat]

Does anyone have thoughts on Nemesis? The lab description reads: Cypress, ginger, fig, dried rose, red patchouli, tonka bean and cyclamen.

 

I don't know what cyclamen smells like, and the cypress may go musty on me, but it has some promising notes, and I didn't see anybody mention it.

You just enabled me I don't remember if I had ever tried it before, but after I read your post, I found it in one of my boxes, tried it on and There is a sweetness from the fig and the tonka so the cypress may not go musty on you, but then, I don't know because I like wood notes. I really like this and find it really well blended. I have no idea why I never noticed Nemesis before

[darklorelei]

Nemesis really isn't too patchouli-y, at least to me. I really don't like patchouli very much, and I feel I would have noticed. But the drydown is really nice and figgy. It's still a great scent, and maybe you'll get more patch than I did.

[portalkat]

Nemesis really isn't too patchouli-y, at least to me. I really don't like patchouli very much, and I feel I would have noticed. But the drydown is really nice and figgy. It's still a great scent, and maybe you'll get more patch than I did.

I agree with darklorelei, but I actually am a patchouli lover and I had a difficult time detecting much in this blend. I think that it is so well blended that it doesn't really stand out.

[Spacekitty]

I'm trying to enable a friend who pretty much only wears patchouli oil. Every day. I'm hoping to give her the most diverse bunch of BPAL patchouli blends I can. And, as wonderful as they are, I don't want to give her too many similar-smelling smutty, sexy, spicy blends. (I'm just not sure she'd be able to tell the difference.) To prevent overwhelming her, I think I'd like to keep it around 10 imps.

 

I went through the patchouli recs topics and found that these were the top ten forum faves (in order of most recommended, cause I'm a dork):

 

Sin

Vixen

Anne Bonny

Depraved

Urd

Tez

Snake Oil

Imp

Greed

Ravenous/Vechernyaya (tied)

 

The only two I don't have are Greed & Vechernyaya. But I do have:

 

Lust

The Caterpillar

Voodoo

Wanton

Tweedledum

and Bloodlust (Which, oddly, wasn't mentioned in any of the patchouli recs topics, but I love it so there. )

 

I also have Asp Viper, Mme. Moriarty, Smut, Snake Charmer and Luperci - all LEs that *I* think are fun and interesting patchouli blends - but I'm hesitant to give them to her knowing many of them are no longer available.

 

So... how would you choose? I think I only need help filling the last 5 or 6 spots because I'm pretty sure Snake Oil, Sin, Vixen, Tez and Imp are going in for sure.

 

Thanks!

[Inanna9]

If she likes her patch on the heavy side, she may particularly take to Urd and Depraved. And I would definitely give her Mme. Moriarity. That's such an amazing patchouli that I'd hate to see anyone miss out, and if she falls in love with it, she'll have at least 6 months or so to stock up.

 

Anne Bonny is loved by many so I'm sure you'll get recs for that...I never care for it, though. My favorite almost-straight-up patchouli is The Coiled Serpent.

Edited April 7, 2007 by Inanna9

[juniperus]

If she likes her patch on the heavy side, she may particularly take to Urd and Depraved. And I would definitely give her Mme. Moriarity. That's such an amazing patchouli that I'd hate to see anyone miss out, and if she falls in love with it, she'll have at least 6 months or so to stock up.

 

Anne Bonny is loved by many so I'm sure you'll get recs for that...I never care for it, though. My favorite almost-straight-up patchouli is The Coiled Serpent.

Second both Anne and TCS!

 

Imp is fantastic, great choice! Luperci and Mme. M are both wonderful - at least she can still get Mme. M, so if you're hesitant about LEs that might be the better choice, there. Vechernyaya is a very delicate and feminine patchouli, it's really lovely.

[forspecial_plate]

Aureus

Malediction

Mr. Jacquel

Typhon (discontinued)

Malice

[cameroncrazed]

For the most part, I don't even like patchouli, but I adore Sin and Mme. Moriarty - those are the two that are most likely to convert me into being a patchouli lover. I'd definitely include those two, as well as Tez. I think the cocoa in Tez makes it really unique.

[Brianne]

Anne Bonny!! Though Imp is possibly my favorite patchouli blend, it can offer a great alternative to a more "straight up" patchouli scent.

 

I think it's an excellent idea too if she is new to BPAL to give her a GC to start with. I gave my Sis in law an LE that she fell in love with and she was SO disappointed to find out that she couldn't just visit the site and buy it anymore!

[sarada]

Anne Bonny and Malediction are probably the strongest to my nose...I am a big patchouli fan but I find that BPAL blends are so well blended that it tends not to dominate too much. Oh and Depraved too! And Greed and Aureus.

 

I honestly don't smell it at all in Snake Oil, which is mainly vanilla and -- something else -- to me, though it's probably patchouli....but the vanilla just dominates so much!

[portalkat]

I'm a huge patch lover too and I love Anne Bonney. My favorite LE's which contain patchouli, but where it doesn't surface for about 45 minutes are Trick 2, The Organ Grinder and to a lesser extent, Kanishta. These, on me, end up with a very dry, nutty patchouli note.

[pariahsdream]

As for 'different' patchouli, I would go with Anne and Urd. Anne has that neaty aquaic vibe, sort of salty sea (at least it was for moi) and Urd is just delicious. I adore patchouli but I'm completely blanking atm.

[stellans]

:hippie:I loves me some patchouli, so I'm all for introducing another P-lover to the BPAL goodness. But do your friend a huge favor and don't get her hooked on LEs right at the first; it's just cruel! She'll find them on her own (as I did) and scour the forums and eBay for the rarities she craves.

 

As others have already mentioned, Anne Bonney, Depraved, Greed, Vixen and Sin, though not necessarily in that order. I find I reach for Depraved and Vixen the most; I love the sweet notes in them, though Anne Bonney is a close 3rd.

 

You are a good friend, and your friend is lucky to have you.

Edited April 7, 2007 by stellans

[mmcfa2]

I'm a big patchouli lover too and I can say that anne bonny will without question be a hit, as would the coiled serpent. I too wore mostly patchouli before bpal ( still do on occasion) URD depends on her reaction to grape. on me it was a silly scent, pleasant enough but not for me. Luperci is a favorite of mine but not until it has aged for a good long while. I can also recommend Mr Jaquel and carcionne d'invenzione ( I'm sure it spelled it wrong) as the woods interpret very much like patchouli, they are on the more expensive end but are GC. I can also recommend tushnamaytay. The lab's patchouli varies widely from traditional so use caution in picking a scent based on that description word alone. I am NOT a fan of many of the lab patchoulies. Caterpillar is not a bad choice either, but is very sweet by comparison.

 

I'm trying to enable a friend who pretty much only wears patchouli oil. Every day. I'm hoping to give her the most diverse bunch of BPAL patchouli blends I can. And, as wonderful as they are, I don't want to give her too many similar-smelling smutty, sexy, spicy blends. (I'm just not sure she'd be able to tell the difference.) To prevent overwhelming her, I think I'd like to keep it around 10 imps. Snake Oil is a great scent but is not very patchouli AT all, it's very sweet and heady.

 

I went through the patchouli recs topics and found that these were the top ten forum faves (in order of most recommended, cause I'm a dork):

 

Sin

Vixen

Anne Bonny

Depraved

Urd

Tez

Snake Oil

Imp

Greed

Ravenous/Vechernyaya (tied)

 

The only two I don't have are Greed & Vechernyaya. But I do have:

 

Lust

The Caterpillar

Voodoo

Wanton

Tweedledum

and Bloodlust (Which, oddly, wasn't mentioned in any of the patchouli recs topics, but I love it so there. )

 

I also have Asp Viper, Mme. Moriarty, Smut, Snake Charmer and Luperci - all LEs that *I* think are fun and interesting patchouli blends - but I'm hesitant to give them to her knowing many of them are no longer available.

 

So... how would you choose? I think I only need help filling the last 5 or 6 spots because I'm pretty sure Snake Oil, Sin, Vixen, Tez and Imp are going in for sure.

 

Thanks!

[minilux]

Based on my own predilection for straight up dark and dirty patchouli, I wouldn't even consider trying to convert a fellow patchouli lover with any of the red patchouli scents, because it never really smells like patchouli to me. I would, however, consider:

 

The Coiled Serpent

Omen

Tezcatlipoca

Greed

Masquerade

Sin

Dance of Death

 

and possibly (I don't like them, but so many others do that there must be something I'm missing) :

 

Anne Bonny

Urd

[mmcfa2]

I'm a big patchouli lover too and I can say that anne bonny will without question be a hit, as would the coiled serpent. I too wore mostly patchouli before bpal ( still do on occasion) URD depends on her reaction to grape. on me it was a silly scent, pleasant enough but not for me. Luperci is a favorite of mine but not until it has aged for a good long while. I can also recommend Mr Jaquel and carcionne d'invenzione ( I'm sure it spelled it wrong) as the woods interpret very much like patchouli, they are on the more expensive end but are GC. I can also recommend tushnamaytay. The lab's patchouli varies widely from traditional so use caution in picking a scent based on that description word alone. I am NOT a fan of many of the lab patchoulies. Caterpillar is not a bad choice either, but is very sweet by comparison.

Snake Oil is a great scent but is not very patchouli AT all, it's very sweet and heady. I like Wanton, but the rose in it all but kills the patchouli. I hope this helps you to narrow the field a bit!

 

Based on my own predilection for straight up dark and dirty patchouli, I wouldn't even consider trying to convert a fellow patchouli lover with any of the red patchouli scents, because it never really smells like patchouli to me. I would, however, consider:

 

The Coiled Serpent

Omen

Tezcatlipoca

Greed

Masquerade

Sin

Dance of Death

 

and possibly (I don't like them, but so many others do that there must be something I'm missing) :

 

Anne Bonny

Urd

 

I'm adding Omen to my own must try list. Thanks for the heads up!

Edited April 8, 2007 by mmcfa2

[Spacekitty]

Wow, everyone! Thank you!

 

I find it very interesting what "real" patchouli lovers enjoy (compared to someone like me who only really likes patchouli when it's well-blended). I have tried the Coiled Serpent a few times and I just can't get into it, but I'll dig around and see if I can find one for her. From your recs today and from the recs from previous patchouli topics, it remains high on the must-haves list for patchouli fans.

 

I do have Masquerade, Malice and Malediction... and Mr. Jacquel so I'll have to reconsider those. Crap. You guys are making this more difficult! LOL!

 

And to quickly defend my Snake Oil choice... isn't giving Snake Oil to a BPAL virgin in the rule book somewhere?

[mmcfa2]

Wow, everyone! Thank you!

 

I find it very interesting what "real" patchouli lovers enjoy (compared to someone like me who only really likes patchouli when it's well-blended). I have tried the Coiled Serpent a few times and I just can't get into it, but I'll dig around and see if I can find one for her. From your recs today and from the recs from previous patchouli topics, it remains high on the must-haves list for patchouli fans.

 

I do have Masquerade, Malice and Malediction... and Mr. Jacquel so I'll have to reconsider those. Crap. You guys are making this more difficult! LOL!

 

And to quickly defend my Snake Oil choice... isn't giving Snake Oil to a BPAL virgin in the rule book somewhere?

 

I don't know... I HATED snake oil for the first couple of years I came to love bpal. I like it now, especially as a base to make other things last longer, but it took a while to acquire a love for it. I also was floored to find the patchouli scents that have NOT been mentioned here, smelled NOTHING like the patchouli I know and love. Beth uses it for a lot of different blends, but it is only true to form in the ones I have seen mentioned here.

[Spacekitty]

 

And to quickly defend my Snake Oil choice... isn't giving Snake Oil to a BPAL virgin in the rule book somewhere?

 

I don't know... I HATED snake oil for the first couple of years I came to love bpal. I like it now, especially as a base to make other things last longer, but it took a while to acquire a love for it. I also was floored to find the patchouli scents that have NOT been mentioned here, smelled NOTHING like the patchouli I know and love. Beth uses it for a lot of different blends, but it is only true to form in the ones I have seen mentioned here.

 

YOU TOO?? When I first tried SO I was like, "What's the big deal?!?" But then it totally grew on me and now I couldn't live without it. And, it is the perfect base for cocktailing/layering (hence the Snake Pit).

[AmyAngel]

I'm not a huge patchouli lover, though I do LIKE it a lot (I wore a patchouli/sandalwood/cedar blend quite often pre-BPAL). Masquerade was almost straight-up patchouli on my skin (with just a hint of spice), and lasted a good 24 hours too. I've been able to smell patchouli in Sri Lanka, Hellion and Urd (with grape!) as well. Anne Bonny just smelled like fresh-cut lumber on me, but I'm aging the imp to see if it helps it any. Malice was very yucky on my skin, and I personally got no patchouli from it until several hours of yuck had passed (though I did get "dirt" early on), but everyone's chemistry is different!

 

I've just been into BPAL since January, and Snake Oil still hasn't grown on me yet. I get no patchouli at all from it (or Madame Moriarty) but I think maybe aging will help the Snake Oil - I hate it less now than when I first tried it but it's still not quite good. I think the red musk in Mme. Moriarty is making it not work right on my skin.

 

Oddly, one of my sisters seems to smell patchouli in almost every BPAL I try, including ones where it's not a listed note, like Antonino! It's inevitably the first thing she says when I ask her to sniff most of them.