Different smells/colors, same perfume

[Hazy]

This has turned out to be such an interesting topic. I'm just getting to the point where my BPAL collection is big enough that I've tried more than one imp/decant of several scents, and I often notice at least slight differences in them. Thanks to posts here plus trial and error, I've managed to figure out that the differences are almost always due to aging.

 

Maija, let me know how it turns out if/when you do buy a bottle of Eden! I'm planning on buying a lab-fresh bottle soon as well. I adore my aged one, but I want the over-the-top sweetness I got out of my imp, too.

[andabri]

I have two imps of Mouse's Long and Sad Tale. One is a color that looks like pale yellow with a drop of red mixed in. The other is a medium red. The one that is pale smells like sugary sandalwood and is stronger. The red one smells more like very muted amber with vanilla and a little sandalwood. I have to put my wrist to nose to smell it.

[false.azure]

I remember folks talking about the variations in Gnome a while back - an older, lighter, fizzy-ginger oil and a newer, darker, woody oil. I just wanted to say that I got a frimp of Gnome in with an order yesterday and it's just how I remember my old imp of Gnome from a year, year and a half ago - a light, almost clear oil that's most definitely fizzy ginger (I've not run across any of the darker, woody version). Maybe now's the time to buy a bottle? ETA or a handful of imps, anyway!

 

EATA: I'm sorting my imps at the moment and I discovered that I have an imp of Gnome that I received from the lab on 27 September - it's light-colored, fizzy ginger, too. I'd love a bottle of it, but I don't think I'd order one if folks are still getting the dark, woody version. Hmmm . . .

 

 

 

I remember folks talking about the variations in Gnome a while back - an older, lighter, fizzy-ginger oil and a newer, darker, woody oil. I just wanted to say that I got a frimp of Gnome in with an order yesterday and it's just how I remember my old imp of Gnome from a year, year and a half ago - a light, almost clear oil that's most definitely fizzy ginger (I've not run across any of the darker, woody version). Maybe now's the time to buy a bottle? ETA or a handful of imps, anyway!

I had the same thing happen, but in the review thread it looks like people who have been ordering imps are getting the new formulation, so I suspect they've tossed all the leftover old formula imps into the frimp bin. I would absolutely buy this if I got the version I was frimped, but I'm not gonna take the chance. I'm just going to cherish the one I have and hope it happens again!

 

These replies are old and I don't know if you'll see this, but I have a full (untested) imp of the pale-colored, fizzy ginger soda Gnome that was a lap frimp I'll never wear, and I'd rather it go to a good home. PM me.

 

 

 

 

I ordered an imp of The Bow and Crown of Conquest in December of 2013, and the scent was gorgeous on me -- dry, peppery, woody, leathery. I know that there's vanilla in the notes, but that didn't come out at all on me. I ordered a bottle about a year later, and the scent was very different. It's still all the same notes, just in a very different configuration -- the dry, peppery leather scent I loved is now mostly warm vanilla, white musk, and a bit of the peppery leather in there. My bottle is a much more feminine scent, and I don't know if its just batch variations or a different formulation. Probably just batch differences. I'm hoping that aging it a bit will bring out the notes I like and decrease the notes I don't, but now I'm stuck with a bottle that I don't particularly care for. (I don't remember my original imp being so vanilla-y when I first got it, but I could be mistaken.) I don't know if I want to order another bottle and risk getting the same variation, but also have the chance of getting a better variation, or if I want to see if I can track down a bottle from about the era my imp is from. Does anyone have experience with this particular scent? As I said, I think it's just normal lab variation, but it's still disappointing. At least, I'm hoping it's normal lab variation and not a formula change, but that makes it risky to order.

 

(On a side note, my original imp goes straight to warm, musky vanilla powder on my mom's skin, which she loves. I got an imp of it for her in my last order, and she's loving the more musky vanilla-y vibe. Go figure.)

[greeneyedgirl]

I have three imps of Bordello – two I got fresh from the lab (one I ordered, one was frimped) and one from a forumite. I got the lab fresh ones first about two weeks ago. Expecting it to smell like plum, amaretto, wine and currants, I was flabbergasted when I sniffed my imp and got spinach. A very green, earthy spinach. Both imps smelled exactly like this. Having just gotten back into BPAL and not having a sophisticated sniffer, I knew I had to give it the benefit of the doubt and doing a skin test would be the way to judge. Still green, leafy vegetable. I've done this a couple times now, so I know it's not a cycle issue. I've rolled the imp, also, to see if that would make a difference. Still spinach.

 

Fast forward to this past weekend when I received another imp of Bordello from a generous forumite here. I noticed that the oil in her Bordello imp was clear, and the lab ones had a golden tinge. Decided to give it a sniff and lo and behold - I got a wine, berry-purple smell! What I had always thought Bordello would smell like!

 

Not only that, but it smelled familiar. It smelled like the frimp of Druid I received with my order a few weeks ago. The same order where I got the green-smelling Bordellos…

 

Is it possible that the Bordello imps were mislabeled and they are actually Druid?! I’ve sniffed both the forum-acquired Bordello and Druid side by side and they are kind of similar. Or do these scents smell similar? I read the Druid reviews and it's supposed to smell very green so I feel this may be what happened. Wanted to see if anyone received these two recently.

[valnillarose]

Is it possible that the Bordello imps were mislabeled and they are actually Druid?! I’ve sniffed both the forum-acquired Bordello and Druid side by side and they are kind of similar. Or do these scents smell similar? I read the Druid reviews and it's supposed to smell very green so I feel this may be what happened. Wanted to see if anyone received these two recently.

 

Yes! I tested Druid and wondered why I got so much yummy plum from it. Later I was sniffing my other frimps and, even though I have and love Bordello, gave it a sniff too. DIRT?!? Wha??? Then it hit me, Druid smelled just like yummy plummy Bordello. So yes, I believe the two got switched, and I'm making sure I keep those two imps together to remember this.

[greeneyedgirl]

Is it possible that the Bordello imps were mislabeled and they are actually Druid?! I’ve sniffed both the forum-acquired Bordello and Druid side by side and they are kind of similar. Or do these scents smell similar? I read the Druid reviews and it's supposed to smell very green so I feel this may be what happened. Wanted to see if anyone received these two recently.

 

Yes! I tested Druid and wondered why I got so much yummy plum from it. Later I was sniffing my other frimps and, even though I have and love Bordello, gave it a sniff too. DIRT?!? Wha??? Then it hit me, Druid smelled just like yummy plummy Bordello. So yes, I believe the two got switched, and I'm making sure I keep those two imps together to remember this.

 

Ah ha! Mystery solved!! Thanks

[mystery213]

I just had the same thing happen- I am a mad fan of Bordello in all of it's lush plummy goodness, so I was stoked to get a frimp in my last lab order. However, I was shocked when I popped it open and it smelled like Graveyard Dirt! The same moldy soil smell almost exactly. It is most certainly not Bordello- not even close. I will have to jot a note down to test this next to Druid.....

[greeneyedgirl]

Moldy soil smell would definitely describe it!! Yes if you have Druid and test the mystery oil with it please report back

[lady_pandora]

Has anybody else gotten Voodoo lately, and is it different from how it's supposed to be? I got this tobacco/boozy thing that doesn't seem to relate to anybody else's review of it. I was thinking it was just death notes morphing weirdly on me, but this morning I'm wondering if I got something else instead, like maybe Perversion? I've never smelled either before (Perversion never, Voodoo not till last night), so I can't actually make a comparison.

[Missy_killer]

I have two imps of Bon Vivant. One I got directly from the lab right as I started BPAL in 2011 and one I got in a swap a year or so ago. The one I bought myself is pale yellow and smells fizzy and citrus (never got strawberries from it) but the one I got from a swap is a hair darker yellow in the imp and completely reeks of florals and old lady perfume. First I thought I had just forgotten what it smells like, so I dug up my original imp and they are completely different. The swap one also amps to high heavens on my skin, something that Bon Vivant hasn't ever done on me before.

[Coiled2Stryk]

It's perfectly normal. Darker tinted perfumes tend to be bolder in scent than the lighter tinted ones.

[Coiled2Stryk]

First, an explanation of why some oils differ slightly in scent. Bluntly put, its simply because all of our oils are organic. Many of the oils are distilled or cold-pressed in-house, and the ones that we import are all in their pure and unadulterated form. In nature, the strength of scent, the tone, and the subtle olfactory nuances of a given flower, herb or fruit differ. No two roses are ever the same. We do our best to attempt at consistency, but sometimes due to the natural composition of the blends’ constituents this is impossible. The only way that we would be able to replicate every scent identically would be to either clone the plants or start manufacturing artificial perfumes.

 

There is a possibility that one of us simply brain-farted when we assembled the order. The probability of this increases as we continue to pull all-nighters in the Lab. If the scent of your perfume varies that wildly, please let me or Nella know and we’ll try to rectify the problem.

The uniqueness of each natural thing makes sense! Like how we, ourselves, differ in scent. Makes a TON of sense! Thanks for posting this.

[lady_pandora]

Does anyone have a weird Dragon's Claw? I swear it's got about a gallon of vetiver in it, but that's not a listed note and nobody else mentions it in their review either. I'm wondering if it's a mislabeled something else.

Edited July 6, 2015 by lady_pandora

[Allumina]

Does anyone have a weird Dragon's Claw? I swear it's got about a gallon of vetiver in it, but that's not a listed note and nobody else mentions it in their review either. I'm wondering if it's a mislabeled something else.

 

Any possibility it's Devil's Claw instead?

[lady_pandora]

 

Does anyone have a weird Dragon's Claw? I swear it's got about a gallon of vetiver in it, but that's not a listed note and nobody else mentions it in their review either. I'm wondering if it's a mislabeled something else.

 

Any possibility it's Devil's Claw instead?

 

 

Huh! That does sound closer. It looks like it's discon, but maybe an imp was still lurking somewhere...When I get back home, I'll double check the label, but it could be a mislabeling anyway.

 

ETA: It does say Dragon's. But you may still be right and it might be mislabeled Devil's. That sounds more like what I have.

Edited July 6, 2015 by lady_pandora

[ijolteon]

During Yules 2014, I got a sniffle and an imp of Table Turning from two different decanters. It smelt so amazingly spicy and woody that I immediately went on the hunt for a bottle of this.

I bought a bottle from a decanter who said it was an extra ordered by mistake when they were decanting the yules. Sadly, there's absolutely no spiciness here, just woods and a drydown that smells like soft incense (not my cup of tea at all)

I wonder which is the aged version...?

[nolifeking]

I had a frimp of queen alice, loved this one very much for it was rich in spicy carnation, treacle, and the cider was divine

 

Now my new bottle..it's mostly posies and faint apple.. I hope it's need only some aging

Edited April 10, 2016 by nolifeking

[Joyleaf_]

I ordered an imp of Iago a while back and loved it. Felt like I was the baddest bitch in the bunch. With my new bottles ordered however it smells like sitting next to a pool in the summertime. ALl chlorine and breezes. Rather confused and disappointed!

[Bluestblood]

Like many of us, I am a huge fan of Thieves' Rosin. I have noticed that my older bottles smell entirely different than the newer imps and bottle I received from the lab.

 

The older bottles smell like golden wood, rich, almost cologne-like, with an edge that is tangy and almost metallic.

The newer bottle smells more muted, smooth, closer to the skin, almost like a vanilla with the softest musk or leather.

 

Has anyone else noticed this?

Is it a batch variation or due to aging?

Edited August 22, 2016 by Bluestblood

[Ceetee]

I hope someone sees this. An acquaintance gave me an aged SNAKE OIL imp. I'm not sure how aged it was but I loved it. It was my first experience with BPAL. So In Feb 2014 I purchased a bottle. I loved it brand new. I hid it away somewhere dark and cool. I liked the whole idea of aging it. That was 2.5 years ago. I pulled out the bottle to start wearing it this fall and I just do not love it. I am wondering if it will change more if I age it more? Should I hold off another year. I'm thinking maybe I should just repurchase it and enjoy it as I really like it new. I'm not sure why I don't like it now but it's just more muted to me. I don't like the change. Ugh. Any thoughts?

 

ETA. Well actually now that it's been on for about 90 minutes I like it. This scent is so odd. How it changes.

Edited August 23, 2016 by Ceetee

[Kate Hagerty]

I just received my anxiously-awaited bottle of Black Annis, the imp I got a year ago is down to the last few precious drops.
I cracked open the bottle and was a little bit sad to discover that all the delicious, dark, herby, vetiver-y, animal-y, slightly unusual things I LOVE about the perfume were barely there, the merest breath. Instead there's a lot more aniseed and sweetness. It's not a bad scent, and I'll definitely wear and love it, but it's lacking the depth of the scent I adored from the imp
I'm really REALLY hoping that age and some exposure to air might give the bottle some more depth.

[Lydialove]

Okay, I got a new package of BPAL today - and I'm super excited.

And very very confused.

Bottle one: I *finally* got that bottle of French Love. I've had two samples and it's my husband's favorite on me and him. It's a close cousin of Dragon's Milk but my husband can tell the difference and one gives him comfort and one makes his engine rev. My samples of French Love have been quite aged. I've probably never smelled *fresh* French Love.

Bottle two: Tombeur. Blind bottle, but the notes sound very possibly great on me.

 

Bottle three: Mama-ji. Blind bottle, florals can be terrible but I'm obsessed with cardamom.

 

I left everything alone because I had a my very first mammogram today and then came home and did some dabbing and... I...I

I know French Love has been mislabeled. What I don't know is if I have a round robin mislabelling, a switcheroo or if I've been switched with something that's been left at the lab.

The French Love couldn't possibly be fresh French Love because it smells of vetiver, which I quite like but the husband will find a disappointing birthday present because he *hates* it. It could be the Tombeur. It's dark, I would guess it has the patch... but any of the other notes are being run over by vetiver.

Bottle labelled Tombeur: I hope this isn't what fresh French Love smells like... because it smells like Dorian and I don't like Dorian. The more I smell it there's no mystery here. This is a bottle of Dorian dressed up as Tombeur for Halloween. Unless Tombeur actually mysteriously smells like Dorian to y'all?

Bottle labelled Mama-ji: Yeah, ok. That might be floral and cardamom. I've completely messed up my nose now.

Anyone have something like this happen? I'll certainly email the lab, I'd just love to be able to describe what I think I've got going on here.

[sqwook]

I haven't tried these, but I looked up some reviews, and indeed French Love when it is fresh is known for being quite different than aged.

 

Also several people in the review thread for Tombeur report that it smells like Dorian -- you can find those reviews if you pull up the thread then search within the thread for Dorian.

 

Hope that is helpful!

[Lydialove]

But I'd bet a pretty hefty sum fresh French Love is not a tan oil that smells almost entirely of vetiver...

[Teamama]

Here's my 2 cents. The color of all the French Loves I've had (2 imps, my new bottle, and the aged bottle I bought off a forumite) is a bold pinky-red.

 

My new bottle of French Love shipped on May 25, and has already changed a lot. I can still smell a bitter note that isn't noticeable in the aged imps I fell in love with, or the aged bottle I bought off the forum.

 

My nose for vetiver isn't as good as some, so I can't swear whether the bitter note could be vetiver. I could tell that my new bottle was French Love, even though it wasn't as awesome as the aged stuff. Contact the Lab, I'm sure they will help solve your mystery.

Edited October 25, 2016 by Teamama