Carnaval Diabolique recommendations

[walshbc111]

Next update, I'm thinking about picking up a CD bottle or two- but I don't know where to start! So far I've tried Xanthe (pretty, not my favorite ever, but not ew) and Boomslang (not a big Snake Oil fan, so it's swapped away.)

 

I like rich, foody notes, boozy notes, and I love fruit scents. My favorite BPAL's so far are Eat Me, Mr. Nancy, MB: Closet, Fire Pig, and Jack. Oh, I love Grog and Jailbait too. I'm pretty not into florals, and I REALLY hate jasmine and gardenia. I also can't stand the milk note like in milk moon. Oh, and I'm fairly allergic to clove oil.

 

Have any ideas of some bottles I might like? I'm not against taking a risk on something that I may have to swap away.

[cinderfallen]

Seems like Candy Butcher should be at the top of your list, if it isn't already. It seems like it ranges all the way from solid fudge chocolate to cotton candy, with or without a hint of sugared flowers. Personally, it smells like hot chocolate with cream or cotton candy ice cream, depending on the day; one might think the topnote is a bit flowery if your perceptions run that way, but I really think it's all about the perception of the different notes blending together.

[minilux]

Mme. Moriarty! I think everyone should try it, it's that freakin' good.

Edited July 6, 2007 by minilux

[zankoku_zen]

Candy Butcher....

 

And perhaps Midnight on the Midway? I think that's the sugary one...

[bookandbroom]

It involves notes you didn't mention as likes or dislikes, but Green Tree Viper is one of my absolute favorites - and I don't think I like Snake Oil either (though I've never tried it straight; I just haven't really agreed with any of the other snakes except the one that gave me a rash). To me, it's this clever, deep, gorgeous vanilla mint with a twist, without the sort of sticky-candy-plastic sweetness I get from Snowblind and, to a lesser degree, Toyko Stomp. There's bergamot, too, which I just love, and which gives the scent a slightly foody/herbal kick. But if you're not into mint it probably won't be your thing!

[hackess]

Gennivre is a pretty, light lemon tea blend. I'd also second trying Green Tree Viper. I'm not the biggest fan of Snake Oil, but Green Tree Viper (smooth and minty) and Saw-Scaled Viper (sharp ginger) are in a class of their own.

[naeelah]

You might want to give Tiresias a try. Dark, moody, and bittersweet: black currant, patchouli, tobacco, cinnamon leaf, caramel, muguet, and red sandalwood.

 

It definitely has a sweet, thick, caramel note. It's foody, but complex. It didn't quite work for me, but I thought it was one of the most interesting in Act 3. You might not guess it by the description, but it really does have the effect of two different scents in one. Half is dark, heavy, masculine, and the other half is lighter and more feminine.

[jewelbug]

And I'm adding Wulric to this list, cuz he's rich and chocolate-y with a dark vanilla scent. Really tasty.

[12catcrazy]

Hi all! I've only been aware of BPAL for about 3 months, but a serious addiction has already set in!

 

Before I go totally broke, I'd love to have a short list of Carnaval Diabolique scents to try. So far, I've bought bottles of Parliment of Monsters and Priala, both of which I totally, totally, love, and Midway and Zarita, both of which do nothing for me (can hardly smell either of them on my skin).

 

From my experience with other BPAL scents, my skin and nose seem to do best with resins, woods, spices, and aquatics. Florals are kind of iffy - some (like Pele and Hod) are great, but the majority either seem too perfumey, and/or give me a splitting heachache and sinus problems. BPAL rose seems to go either way - one of my faves is Rose Cross, but Black Rose was kind of unpleasant. Oh, and I also like Dragon's Blood and most of the DB scents (is DB considered a resin?).

 

Anyway, there are alot more of CD's to try and it seems as if I missed out on the decant circles, so I'd love some suggestions to narrow down the choices. I'm planning on buying a couple of bottles of my faves before the Carnaval leaves town, but the clock is tickin...

[harmonyfb]

I'd suggest hitting the Snake Pit (specifically Saw-Scaled Viper, if you like the spicy stuff.) Mmm, good.

[fatalbellydance]

CDs that sound like they'd like your skin:

The Organ Grinder

Pulcinella & Teresina

Doc Constantine

Habu

King Cobra

Saw-Scaled Viper

Temple Viper

Western Diamondback

Thalassa

[smallvoice]

I concur with the rec for the Snake Pit, and specifically for Western Diamondback. I do want to point out that it may not be ticking as much as you think. The original date the Carnaval was set to leave was September 2007, but at the last CD update, the announce post said the Carnaval wouldn't be leaving town until January 2008... and we're on act 3 of 7.

[12catcrazy]

I concur with the rec for the Snake Pit, and specifically for Western Diamondback. I do want to point out that it may not be ticking as much as you think. The original date the Carnaval was set to leave was September 2007, but at the last CD update, the announce post said the Carnaval wouldn't be leaving town until January 2008... and we're on act 3 of 7.

 

You mean that there's MORE coming??? OMG - at this rate I'm going to have to get a 2nd job!

[gwynhwyfar]

I concur with the rec for the Snake Pit, and specifically for Western Diamondback. I do want to point out that it may not be ticking as much as you think. The original date the Carnaval was set to leave was September 2007, but at the last CD update, the announce post said the Carnaval wouldn't be leaving town until January 2008... and we're on act 3 of 7.

 

You mean that there's MORE coming??? OMG - at this rate I'm going to have to get a 2nd job!

 

Beth recently confirmed somewhere (I think it's in the speculation thread) that the Carnaval will be extended past the January '08 date.

 

And for something related ... the oils from CD that I love include:

Thalassa

Mme. Moriarty

Xanthe

All of the Snake Pit (with varying degrees of love)

 

Thalassa is IMO the best aquatic/ocean scent from BPAL ever ... for me, this ends up smelling exactly like the ocean with the wind blowing over it and a faint hint of a delicate perfume.

 

Mme. Moriarty and the Snake Pit oils are all delightfully resinous/spicy.

 

Xanthe is a lovely sweet oil ... one of my favorite fruity/sweet scents right now.

 

Yes, I will be entering mourning when the CD leaves town.

[Electra]

If you like aquatics, Thalassa is simply magnificent. You must try this one.

 

Woods -- Pulcinella & Teresina is quite woody. Read the reviews to see if that one appeals to you.

 

Resins/Spices -- Mme. Moriarty is probably one to try. It didn't work on my skin, but a lot of people absolutely love it. As people have mentioned, there's the Snake Pit -- if you like Snake Oil, possibly check out a few of these. There are varieties with fruit, with leather, with seamoss...the only one I've tried and liked is Green Tree Viper, which is not what you're looking for (spicy mint), but they're some interesting possibilities.

[smallvoice]

First of all, y'all are making me really want to try Thalassa.

 

If you like aquatics, Thalassa is simply magnificent. You must try this one.

 

Woods -- Pulcinella & Teresina is quite woody. Read the reviews to see if that one appeals to you.

 

Resins/Spices -- Mme. Moriarty is probably one to try. It didn't work on my skin, but a lot of people absolutely love it. As people have mentioned, there's the Snake Pit -- if you like Snake Oil, possibly check out a few of these. There are varieties with fruit, with leather, with seamoss...the only one I've tried and liked is Green Tree Viper, which is not what you're looking for (spicy mint), but they're some interesting possibilities.

 

I don't like Snake Oil, but I loooove most of the Snake Pit, so even if you're iffy on SO itself, I'd suggest trying scents from the Pit.

[xleighx]

Beth recently confirmed somewhere (I think it's in the speculation thread) that the Carnaval will be extended past the January '08 date.

...

Yes, I will be entering mourning when the CD leaves town.

 

I was the one that asked about it - it's definitely extended. And it's stuck around so long that I bet it becomes part of the GC like some of Springtime in Arkham ended up being.

[scarletgenesis]

Heya-

 

I was just browsing the bpal main site in the CD category, and realize that I've tried Australian Copperhead, but nothing else from CD. So here is my list of my top likes. I'd love suggestions on which CD scents you might think I'd enjoy. They don't have to be alot like those on my list, but this is just an idea of some of the things I love.

 

I also don't think that red musk likes me much, so I'll likely avoid scents with that as a note.

 

Dee

Dorian

Chimera

Antique Lace

Jack

Midway

Sapphics

Samhain

Hunter Moon

Snake Oil

Mechanical Phoenix

 

Thanks!

Edited March 5, 2008 by scarletgenesis

[alicia_stardust]

Heya-

 

I was just browsing the bpal main site in the CD category, and realize that I've tried Australian Copperhead, but nothing else from CD. So here is my list of my top likes. I'd love suggestions on which CD scents you might think I'd enjoy. They don't have to be alot like those on my list, but this is just an idea of some of the things I love.

 

I also don't think that red musk likes me much, so I'll likely avoid scents with that as a note.

 

Dee

Dorian

Chimera

Antique Lace

Jack

Midway

Sapphics

Samhain

Hunter Moon

Snake Oil

Mechanical Phoenix

 

Thanks!

 

Doc Constantine has a similar vibe as Dee; Gennivre has a similarity with the tea in Dorian, Priala is a drier but similarly spicy scent as Chimera. If you like Midway you might want to check out Midnight on the Midway unless you don't like light incense blends. They are different in many ways, but Kataniya has an electric/mechanical vibe to it like Mechanical Phoenix.

 

Other popular CD scents are Theodosius, Candy Butcher, Hope and Faith, Mme Moriarty (which might be worth snagging a decant if you're wary of red musk. It really is quite a fabulous blend.)....

 

If you like Snake Oil, any of the Snake Pit is game. My personal favorites are Boomslang and Temple Viper, but many of them are lovely.

[willowtreeling]

Next update, I'm thinking about picking up a CD bottle or two- but I don't know where to start! So far I've tried Xanthe (pretty, not my favorite ever, but not ew) and Boomslang (not a big Snake Oil fan, so it's swapped away.)

 

I like rich, foody notes, boozy notes, and I love fruit scents. My favorite BPAL's so far are Eat Me, Mr. Nancy, MB: Closet, Fire Pig, and Jack. Oh, I love Grog and Jailbait too. I'm pretty not into florals, and I REALLY hate jasmine and gardenia. I also can't stand the milk note like in milk moon. Oh, and I'm fairly allergic to clove oil.

 

Have any ideas of some bottles I might like? I'm not against taking a risk on something that I may have to swap away.

do not try melissande, that much i can tell you!

[ivyandpeony]

Heya-

 

I was just browsing the bpal main site in the CD category, and realize that I've tried Australian Copperhead, but nothing else from CD. So here is my list of my top likes.

...

Snake Oil

...

Thanks!

 

Oh, if Snake Oil is a favorite, you owe it to yourself to work your way through the entire Snake Pit! There are so many fantastic blends and unique combinations of notes. I was also surprised that my predictions of what would and would not work on me were not nearly as accurate as usual (which I found sort of fun).

 

Seconding the Kataniya-Mechanical Phoenix comparison - they are reminiscent of one another although certainly not identical.

 

From your favorites, it looks like scents that are a wee bit too masculine on me might be fabulous on you (Dee, Hunter Moon, Mechanical Phoenix) and that made me think that Isaac The Living Skeleton and The Organ Grinder might be good bets.

 

And since you like sweet-spicy (like Chimera, Samhain and Snake Oil) I would suggest The Wild Men of Jezirat Al Tennyn.

[scarletgenesis]

Thanks for the suggestions. I found someone who has a bunch of the snake pit as decants for sale, so hopefully she will respond to my PM to buy some of them. I've gone through and made a list of the others I definitely want to try also, based on the suggestions:

 

Kataniya

Wild Men

Doc Constantine

Organ Grinder

Theodosius

Faiza

Gennivre

Pulcinella

Zarita (maybe)

Priala (maybe)

Midnight on the Midway

MME.Moriarty (I figure it wouldn't hurt to try a decant, even though this contains the dreaded red musk)

[Scylla]

Australian Copperhead is one of my favorite CD blends. I usually have a problem with red musk, too, but Mlle. Moriarty is amazing! I'd recommend finding a decant if you're concerned it won't work on you--but even if you buy a bottle it won't be hard to swap or sell. It's that good!

[Nia]

This is my Carnival wishlist:

 

Gennivre; Hyson tea leaf, pale mint, sugar cane, orange blossom, lemongrass, and honey.

Xanthe: Guava, orange peel, white pepper, spun sugar and apple blossom.

Candy butcher: Dark chocolate with a heavy cream undertone.

Theodosius: Earl Grey tea leaves, a white fougere, jasmine leaf, pearlescent white musk, and vanilla bean.

Zarita: white carnation, iris, orange blossom, and sugared cream.

Agrat-bat-mahlaht Amber, cream accord, white honey, apple blossom, skin musk, caramel, and teak.

Daiyu: Moroccan jasmine, chrysanthemum, tea leaf, white musk, and acai berry.

Eisheth Zenunim: Honey, ambergris, neroli, white peach, patchouli, and cocoa absolute.

Gwyneth Rose otto, tonka, orchid, Calla lily, skin musk, coconut, and Spanish sage.

Torture Queen. White amber, vanilla musk, white tea, ambergris, gardenia, and chrome.

 

The carnival will be over in roughly six weeks. At the time, I won't be able to justify spending $200 in perfume, so I need to reduce this list. Can you tell me which of these are similar enough to a GC scent, or too similar among each other, in order to leave them out? For example: is Theodosious too similar to Dorian?

[Scylla]

This is my Carnival wishlist:

 

Gennivre; Hyson tea leaf, pale mint, sugar cane, orange blossom, lemongrass, and honey.

Xanthe: Guava, orange peel, white pepper, spun sugar and apple blossom.

Candy butcher: Dark chocolate with a heavy cream undertone.

Theodosius: Earl Grey tea leaves, a white fougere, jasmine leaf, pearlescent white musk, and vanilla bean.

Zarita: white carnation, iris, orange blossom, and sugared cream.

Agrat-bat-mahlaht Amber, cream accord, white honey, apple blossom, skin musk, caramel, and teak.

Daiyu: Moroccan jasmine, chrysanthemum, tea leaf, white musk, and acai berry.

Eisheth Zenunim: Honey, ambergris, neroli, white peach, patchouli, and cocoa absolute.

Gwyneth Rose otto, tonka, orchid, Calla lily, skin musk, coconut, and Spanish sage.

Torture Queen. White amber, vanilla musk, white tea, ambergris, gardenia, and chrome.

 

The carnival will be over in roughly six weeks. At the time, I won't be able to justify spending $200 in perfume, so I need to reduce this list. Can you tell me which of these are similar enough to a GC scent, or too similar among each other, in order to leave them out? For example: is Theodosious too similar to Dorian?

 

I have smelled all of them, and I honestly can't say any of them smells like a particular General Catalog scent. Sorry! What you might want to do is post an ISO on the Wanted section of the Swaps forum and see about swapping or buying imps or partial imps of them so you can try them before you invest in bottles.