Chocolate and Cocoa, in every combination possible

[heysunshine]

Yeah, Boomslang is the perfect cocoa scent on me.

[mooncityminx]

To me Boomslang is the ultimate. Gluttony is gross to me. Bliss is nice, but not wonderful. I didn't care for Candy Butcher. Wulric is quite nice if you're okay with a lot of lavendar. To me the Boomslang's chocolate has a good staying power and I love Snake Oil. I think they are the perfect pair.

[oakmoss]

I'll be the troublemaker and recommend something Completely Different instead: Velvet.

[kwsix]

I haven't tried Boomslang. I like the Candy Butcher, but it's more sweet cream than chocolate on me. Bliss is all chocolate, but it doesn't have that much throw. Velvet is fabulous if you like sandalwood. I would try to get either Boomslang or Candy Butcher now, because as ivyandpeony pointed out, Bliss and Velvet are GC.

[alterosen]

How does Candy Butcher compare to Lump of Coal? I know it's not nice to bring up a hard to find LE but it's the richest chocolately goodness on me & I only have an imp, so it would be great if something currently available was as good.

[Vanille]

I am really new to BPAL. In fact, my first imp orders just arrived this week. And high on my "to try" list is any scent which includes significant chocolate or cocoa notes.

 

Hmmm... so far I have tried Vice (smelled like chocolate covered cherries until it dried, then became just candied cherries from that point onward), Gluttony (no chocolate scent was detected at any point), The Candy Butcher (smelled like chocolate cream until dry, then just smelled like cream) and Enraged Groundhog Musk (fruity and spicy but alas, no chocolate detected).

 

Now, I am quite sure that my chocolate sensors are working (I test now and then). And some of the inexpensive single-note chocolate scents from *cough* a lesser etailer *cough* lasted hours on me. But I want my chocolate to have the quality of BPAL!

 

Can any of you offer suggestions for a stronger, longer-lasting chocolate experience in BPAL scents? (I have yet to get hold of an imp of Boomslang or Bliss but I am hoping to find them soon.)

 

Thanks for any helpful suggestions for a knock-down, drag-out, rock-my-world BPAL chocolate!

[olympia301]

Boomslang and Bliss are great, Velvet is sandalwoody beauty chocolate, Tezcatlepoca (spelled wrong but it starts with TEZ if you want to look it up) is beautiful Mexican chocolate... Whatever you choose, try it out in a scent locket. I really think you are fighting the nature of chocolate scents if you want them to last. By their nature they are fleeting and lovely top notes. They are indeed going to disappear when they dry. You need a nice big scent locket to hang around your neck and let the chocolate scents let loose their prettiness throughout the day.

 

Boomslang is something which just gets prettier and prettier with age. I would highly suggest you buy yourself two bottles of it, one to use now while it's raw and one to love later while it ages.

[ivyandpeony]

Here you go, Vanille - a thread all about chocolate recommendations! I'll leave your request separate for a week or two so you can get some current responses, then I'll merge it with the chocolate thread so discussion can continue in one place.

 

I'm with Olympia - Boomslang is probably my favorite chocolate BPAL blend. If you are looking for one that's chocolate with no interference, you'll need to choose from Bliss (milk chocolate), The Candy Butcher (darker creamy chocolate), or track down the elusive Lump of Coal (brownies!).

 

I think I prefer my chocolate with some other notes, which is why I love that spicy, heady Boomslang. I also love 13 - the original incarnation, with the white chocolate note, is just gorgeous, the October '06 one with the deeper cocoa is great too - and I just got my bottle of the newest 13. It's fabulous! White and dark chocolates combined with sweet fruits, like eating chocolate dipped tropical fruit while sitting outside with orchids, hibiscus and other hot-weather flowers very subtly scenting the air.

[astarinel]

You might have the same problem I did -- my skin EATS chocolate notes. Most things that most people declare to be heavy on the chocolate end up relatively light on the chocolate once I put them on, and often totally not chocolatey at all! Another issue I have is that I prefer scents that aren't outright "foody," so bear that in mind.

 

My current faaaaaavorite chocolate is the most recent (7/07) version of 13. It's amazing, and it actually has a chocolate note that lasts on me. The last few 13s, the chocolate tended to fade while other notes took prominence.

 

My standby for chocolaty-ness is Velvet, which was already mentioned. It's a very rich chocolate, and I love the sandalwood note.

 

I found Boomslang to be sadly relatively un-chocolately to me, and primarily a weaker Snake Oil. Bliss disappeared within minutes, and while Gluttony kept the chocolate a little longer but was WAY too sugary and foody for me on the whole.

[moonarcana]

The Candy Butcher in a scent locket is an all day creamy chocolate high for me. I wear this often.

 

I also really adore Velvet...the sandalwood note blends soooo wonderful with the chocolate. Bliss is also nice, but most of the time is too dry of a chocolate scent for me. And I totally agree with astarinel about the latest version of 13. I've only worn it once so far, but my oh my is it beautiful!

 

I've only tried Boomslang a couple of times - but it's on my wishlist. It has a lot more going on than just the chocolate, but it's all good - and of the good variety that only gets better with age...so bonus!

[Vanille]

Thanks, guys! Basically I have been trying to get hold of everything that turned up with "chocolate" or "cocoa" in the Lab site's search results. Exception: have not tried to get Kali since it sounds very floral.

 

For me, the "foody" aspects of a scent are a huge part of the appeal, but I am also open to any "non-foody" chocolates (and vanillas, for that matter).

 

Currently I am wearing my first testing of Centzon Totochtin (another cocoa scent), and... it smelled like strong chocolate liqueur in the bottle... stayed that way for a few seconds on my skin... then became incense-y hard liquor with no chocolate. After an hour or so it is a fascinating incense (minus any chocolate or booze) scent on my skin.

 

So... a scent locket might help the chocolate note last? I guess you bypass the skin chemistry that way, and basically just get the dried version of the scent. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

I have read about Lump of Coal... a bottle sold just this week on Ebay for $81 plus shipping. >_< Still, we can dream... maybe an imp of LOC will show up in my life one day.

 

It looks like Bliss and Boomslang are next when I can get them, as well as Velvet and Intrigue, and any version of 13 that I can find, and... should I try Kali? I generally avoid floral notes unless they are very subtle and well-balanced with other notes. Maybe it is also one worth trying?

 

Thanks again for any suggestions!

Edited July 30, 2007 by Vanille

[evilbee]

Thanks, guys! Basically I have been trying to get hold of everything that turned up with "chocolate" or "cocoa" in the Lab site's search results. Exception: have not tried to get Kali since it sounds very floral.

 

For me, the "foody" aspects of a scent are a huge part of the appeal, but I am also open to any "non-foody" chocolates (and vanillas, for that matter).

 

Currently I am wearing my first testing of Centzon Totochtin (another cocoa scent), and... it smelled like strong chocolate liqueur in the bottle... stayed that way for a few seconds on my skin... then became incense-y hard liquor with no chocolate. After an hour or so it is a fascinating incense (minus any chocolate or booze) scent on my skin.

 

So... a scent locket might help the chocolate note last? I guess you bypass the skin chemistry that way, and basically just get the dried version of the scent. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

I have read about Lump of Coal... a bottle sold just this week on Ebay for $81 plus shipping. >_< Still, we can dream... maybe an imp of LOC will show up in my life one day.

 

It looks like Bliss and Boomslang are next when I can get them, as well as Velvet and Intrigue, and any version of 13 that I can find, and... should I try Kali? I generally avoid floral notes unless they are very subtle and well-balanced with other notes. Maybe it is also one worth trying?

 

Thanks again for any suggestions!

 

Kali to me is cocoa rose and wine, very rich and creamy and not overly floral at all. It's one my top ten.

 

Enjoy your chocolate journey - it's my favourite note as well.

[Vanille]

Some progress notes on the chocolate quest:

 

I was able to try samples of Boomslang, Thirteen (July 2007), Velvet, Intrigue and Bliss since the last post. Boomslang started off with a promising chocolatey scent, but that seemed to quickly be overwhelmed by the Snake Oil scent. I liked the original Snake Oil when I tried it earlier, but this variation just seems too cloyingly sweet (and not very chocolatey) on me after it dries.

 

Thirteen is a rather complex scent. I could detect the chocolate at first, then it seemed to vanish or was eclipsed by the other notes, so I was disappointed. A couple of weeks later I tried it again (without any particular expectations) and found it to be quite lovely (and even somewhat chocolatey), so I decided to keep it.

 

Velvet smells to me like a soft, even somewhat creamy, sandalwood (the imp I got was a freebie and may be well aged) with just a hint of dry cocoa. At least, knowing that the cocoa is supposed to be there, I think that is what I smell next to the sandalwood. Very subtle, but a lovely scent overall - another keeper.

 

Intrigue lives up to its name - an intriguing and charming scent, in which I may or may not detect chocolate (there seems to be a whiff of the chocolate liqueur smell that I noticed in Centzon Totochtin). It's such a beautiful, complex scent that I really like it on its own merits, with or without discernible chocolate notes. Another keeper!

 

The winner so far (according to my original criteria of having a strong, true and lasting chocolate scent) is Bliss. This one smelled like actual chocolate when I put it on, and continued to smell like real chocolate for a reasonable time after it dried. I will test it again soon to see if it's as good the second time around, but it's looking like a keeper.

 

As for the earlier scents (Vice, Gluttony, EGM et al) I am finding that I enjoy them quite well as long as I don't expect them to smell like chocolate. They each have their own unique appeal, and I am happy to have discovered them. Good stuff!

 

Soon to be tested (imps are on the way): Kali and Tezcatlipoca. The quest continues...

 

Thanks for all your helpful suggestions, folks!

Edited August 15, 2007 by Vanille

[zankoku_zen]

Wulric. I get loads of cocoa from it.

[Vanille]

Wulric. I get loads of cocoa from it.

 

Ah, thanks for the suggestion.

 

*Reads the description on the Lab site* I will definitely look for an imp of that - and pray to all the gods that I don't smell the vetiver! Yeesh, vetiver made Devil's Claw horrible for me and also ruined any possibility of enjoying Azathoth, so I am wary of any scent that contains it now.

 

But, in the interest of chocolate research, I will be brave! Wish me luck!

 

Any other suggestions, anyone?

 

[Edit] Kali arrived today... I wanted to love it, but to me it smelled sharp and "off" - like horrible, sour roses. No chocolate, just... eww. Ordinarily I can appreciate rose scents, but this one was an exception. I wonder what note is the culprit? Ah, well.

 

On the bright side, the kindly seller included a free tester of Smut with my imp order and I love it! It seems (to me) to have a noticeable chocolate note, in addition to its other charms. Yum!

 

[Edit - next evening] Imps of Wulric and The Great Sword of War (the last untested GC scents containing cocoa or chocolate notes, according to the Lab site's search results) are on their way.

 

Tezcatlipoca arrived today. Wow. What to say about Tez... ahem... there's an incredibly manly note in there *fan* - whoo! Must be the warrior element. Oh, my. Moving right along... The cocoa sort of receded behind the gorgeous profusion of other notes, but who cares? I love this one!

 

[Edit - a couple evenings later] Cerberus arrived in an order of imps on Saturday. And from the Lab's description as well as the reviews, I had high hopes that this would be one big, furry, chocolate puppy for me to love and cherish. Sadly, such was not the case.

 

I don't where many of the people found the chocolate notes they were cooing about - all I got was strong lemon oil, offset by a bit of tomato and/or celery. Lemon rind stew, anyone? (A few other reviewers reported the same experience I did - which made me feel a little better.) By concentrating really hard on the lab description I could almost imagine a rum note somewhere in the background but... Ah, well.

 

Next up: Wulric and Great Sword. Can a wolf man beat Cerberus? We'll soon find out!

Edited August 19, 2007 by Vanille

[alterosen]

How does Candy Butcher compare to Lump of Coal? I know it's not nice to bring up a hard to find LE but it's the richest chocolately goodness on me & I only have an imp, so it would be great if something currently available was as good.

I'm going to answer my own question since I got my hands on some nice aged Candy Butcher and ... it isn't really that chocolatey on me. Maybe white chocolate with all that creaminess & hint of floral but not the dark chocolate I was hoping for (though it is very nice). Lump of Coal is way more chocolatey & Velvet runs a close second. Now I need to get a hold of some Boomslang...

KikuPeach, what did you end up choosing?

Edited August 19, 2007 by alterosen

[xleighx]

I can't say I recommend Bliss. It's like rubbing yourself in Swiss Miss. Go for one of the others.

[Vanille]

I can afford *one* bottle next paycheck. I want it to be chocolatey. Having done some research, the short list is come to these three:

 

The Candy Butcher

Bliss

Boomslang

 

I like deep, dark chocolate. This is something for my not shy days. Something with a big throw would be excellent for my hungry skin.

 

Suggestions? Experiences? What made you smell like you were 70% gourmet cocoa?

 

Especially since money is a consideration for you, I suggest you hold onto your cash for a few days and order some imps first. A big bottle will take at least 2 to 3 weeks to reach you (according to what it says on the Lab site), while you can easily find imps of all the chocolate scents here on the forum and have them to try within a few days.

 

I spent hours and hours reading reviews before ordering any imps, and still there were many surprises. You can read about some of my adventures here - I too was looking for something with chocolate overdrive in a BPAL fragrance. And I would have given up after a few disappointments if I had invested in a bottle on each one.

 

The problem is, between differences in skin chemistry and brain wiring, not to mention whatever we use for bathing and washing on a daily basis, no one can predict how any particular scent will smell on you.

 

I won't repeat the details here, but both TCB and Boomslang lost their chocolate scent really fast on me, while Bliss was pure, true chocolate that lasted. And many of the other scents containing cocoa or chocolate notes (I have tested all but two of them from the GC now, and many of the LEs as well) simply did not behave on my skin as they did for most of the reviewers.

 

Trying out some samples of each prospective scent is a good way to "road test" them and find out how they smell on you - and if they still smell as great the second or third time as you thought they did the first time you tried them. Then you can order a big bottle with confidence.

 

Keep in mind that you can also "layer" scents to sometimes get the best of both worlds. You may find that a combination of two (or more) scents gives you just the effect you are looking for.

 

No matter how much reading you do or how many opinions you gather on each scent, I can guarantee that there will be surprises when you actually test for yourself. And that's part of the fun!

 

Anyway, good luck and happy chocolate hunting!

Edited August 19, 2007 by Vanille

[ceiswyn]

As a compare and contrast: on me, Gluttony is almost pure chocolate, and I can still smell the chocolate note in Velvet a day later, after all the other scents have vanished; it's the same with 13.

 

I think for the chocolate note you want, you're going to have to go for a scent locket.

[KikuPeach]

I ordered a bottle of Boomslang, and am loving it. When I first tried, it gor sucked up by my pre-menstrual skin like water by a tribe of Bedouins. Now, it floats very nicely around, perhaps not quite as chocolatey as I had hoped by the description, but floating over my beloved Snake Oil.

 

Next on the list? Definately Candy Butcher, and further down is Centzon Totochtin, an imp of which my beloved Big Sister/Fairy Godmother Ahania sent to me, and makes me feel absolutely deadly. Boomslang is my 'Everyday Temptress' scent, Alice or Y'hanthlei for when I'm playing innocent. :P/

 

Thanks for all the recommendations - my wishlist has ballooned outward at the speed of sound (that may have been the popping sound I heard), curse every one of you enablers!

 

Thanks again.

 

Chocolately yours,

Kikupeach

[Antaria]

Hello there!

 

This is a tricky one and there won't be a lot of people who can answer it.

 

I'm seaching for a scent that is similar to the scent of the red "Royal" chocolate that is sold in Finnland. To explain it for those who don't know this chocolate:

It has a very nice and not really chocolatty scent. It's more warm, sweet, velvety and there is a hint of coconut I think. But almost no real chocolate. The taste of this chocolate is wonderful, by the way. Velvety! Hard to describe.

 

So, show yourself you Finnish people and help me out!

 

(There must be a non-BPAL-scent that is very much Royal - some woman in the building I work must use it but I don't know which one ... I only think so because of the scent of the restroom - as strange as it may sound: Sometimes it has this wonderful scent ... like today. Already thought of putting a sign there but I don't dare to).

 

CU

Tina

[Pepperminx]

Hmmm... I think I know which chocolate you are referring to, but I'm not sure as I've never tasted it (I'm an immigrant, heh!) - but you've caught my attention. I'll see if I can get myself a bar of this and then see if I can compare the taste to a scent.

[Antaria]

Try it, it's wonderful!

 

I live in Germany and I buy a lot of chocolate in Finnland and bringt it along ... try Pigall, Fazer sininen ja punainen, Famy, Pätkis, Ahaa! ... oh there is soooo much!

 

The moment you open the bar you should be in a cloud of just the scent I'm searching for. Guess it's a childhood thing for me, thats why I'm so attracted to it.

[naeelah]

I don't know the chocolate in question, but it doesn't seem like there's anything in the GC that's similar. There are no chocolate coconut scents, so you will probably need to layer. The advice I can offer is to experiment with different combinations and hope something smells close!

 

Bliss -- a pure milk chocolate scent that's excellent for layering. (For dark chocolate, try The Candy Butcher.)

 

Gluttony -- has no coconut, but it is definitely veeerrry sweet and warm. There's a hint of chocolate with praline, toffee, sugary icing... I find it to be very fuzzy and comforting.

 

Brown Jenkins -- a very fuzzy coconut scent with musk. Layered with Bliss, perhaps it would be similar? The musk stops this one from being purely foody, BUT, on my skin, the musk faded after an hour or so, so it mostly smelled like coconut and wood.

 

Boomslang - this is snake oil with cocoa. The texture is quite velvety. I think it would be lovely with a hint of coconut, although it's probably not as food-like as you're looking for.

 

The closest thing to pure coconut is probably Obatala (which is milk, coconut, shea butter, and water). I haven't smelled Eden, but it contains a lot of fig along with almond milk, so I imagine it will have a very smooth, sweet, velvety scent. Perhaps it would be nice when layered with Bliss.

Edited September 5, 2007 by naeelah

[Antaria]

Thank you, naeelah!

 

From those I only know Bliss - a nice scent - again for those who know Finnish food: Like Masa Liisa fresh from the oven. But not at all like Royal ... I guess it's hard to find a scent like this one - and really isn't a very chocolatty scent. But I always wanted to try Gluttony, so I'll try that one too.