Floral Haters Gonna Hate

[khemistry]

I didn't see this posted yet - feel free to merge as necessary.

 

I. hate. florals. No lily, no blossom, no nada, yeck. One of the reasons I adore BPAL is the selection of non-traditional perfumes that don't rely on the nasty floral notes. To this end, I'm looking for recommendations for blends that contain no heavy floral notes.

 

Dislike:

Any type of traditional perfume flower (rose is tolerable, in very minor notes)

Woods

Patchouli

 

Likes:

Citrus, all sorts (dying for something that has staying power and throw - all citrus notes seem to vanish!)

Foodie scents including cinnamon, vanilla, and baked goods

Minty fresh scents (but only without soapy floral dry downs!)

Warm spicy scents

leather

Vanilla

 

Anyway, any suggestions would be much appreciated since flowers are very popular in perfume!

 

So far I like: Chimera, Perversion, Akuma (but fades too quickly), Schrodinger's cat (but fades too quickly).

 

<3

[Bluestblood]

Oh wow, we will get along (with the exception of your love of vanilla and foodie )! In my humble opinion, try these out:

 

The White Rider (or any of the other riders, this one is my favorite)

King Haggard

Cathode

Stentor

Wanda

Fenris Wolf

[khemistry]

Oh wow, we will get along (with the exception of your love of vanilla and foodie )! In my humble opinion, try these out:

 

The White Rider (or any of the other riders, this one is my favorite)

King Haggard

Cathode

Stentor

Wanda

Fenris Wolf

 

OOO thank you! I haven't sniffed any of those yet!

[Zii]

I would try all of the rider scents, white, red and black. They are great leather scents! I also second Fenris Wolf. It's a great woody, rich smell.

 

I'd also put Jolly roger on your list. To me, it's strongly cedar and a little bit of the salt air note and it's just wonderful. I'd also try Lightning. Many of Beth's ozone notes have a very sharp lemon component on them that I really like.

[Teaker]

Have you tried The Dodo? It's notes are: Red musk, lemon peel, sugar cane, cassia, white sandalwood, mango, and agarwood.

Woods are listed, but they are non-existent to my nose. It's a warm, spicy cinnamon-like scent. It reminds me a bit of christmas tea with a hint of lemon. Very comforting, and not a hint of floral in sight!

 

Bengal is also a lovely spicy blend, and a bit more foodie to my nose, almost like cinnamon rolls: skin musk with honey, peppers, clove, cinnamon bark and ginger.

[ajcj213499]

I like citrus scents too, but I find they don't last long unfortunately. For citrus, you might look into Embalming Fluid and Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat. My favorite mint blend is Gennivre, L’Artiste du Diable (part of the Carnaval which is coming back to town this winter). For something pepperminty, all of the Lick It's are fabulous, and there might be a new one up with the Yules this year.

 

There are tons of spicy scents that are fabulous: Plunder (GC), Port Au Prince (GC), Pickled Imp (another from the Carnaval- it lists pine sap, but I just get spicy goodness), Gingerbread Poppet (one of my favorites, we might get a new one in the Yules too), Fearful Pleasure (a wonderful, deep, spicy apple).

 

For baked goods, nice GCs are Eat Me and Cockaigne. For LE bakery scents, look into any of the Mother Shub's _________, as well as any of the Beaver Moons.

 

I think you'll like the Yule Update when it comes out, since there are usually a number of spicy and baked goods type of scents.

[Pittseminole]

You might like Pickled Imp, if you can track some down. Cinnamon, clove, vanilla, and pine sap. I don't actually get any pine sap from it. On me it's all cinnamon vanilla heaven.

[London]

LIZ

A light, feminine vanilla floral perfume and a swirl of smoke and leather.

(I've never gotten any floral from Liz, just vanilla, smoke, and sweet leather.)

 

Bilquis

Honey, myrrh, lily of the valley, rose otto, fig leaf, almond, ambrette, red apple, and warm musk.

(To me, warm spicy apple scent)

 

Dana o'shee

Offerings of milk, honey and sweet grains were made to placate these creatures, and it is that the basis of the scent created in their name.

 

Baobhan Sith

Grapefruit, white tea, apple blossom and ginger.

(Grapefruit and gingery tea, on me)

[ljaylh]

As an anti-floral person myself, I hear ya

 

You definitely need to try Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat - green tea, melon, mint, lime rind, and champagne grape with lemon balm, mullein, and toadflax - those notes may sound like an odd combination, but this is a beautiful fresh slightly-minty citrus/melon blend that's really lovely.

 

The whole Mad Tea Party line is probably one you should explore, as it has a lot of blends that fit your brief.

 

For warm/spicy vanilla - Morocco is the main one I'd recommend, but check through the whole Wanderlust line as it has some beauties.

 

And as others have said, the White/Red/Black Riders for sure.

 

For wild cards, I would recommend Depraved and Debauchery

[Larinessa]

The Black Rider.....schmexy schmexy!

[TheFrenchWaffle]

Shub-Niggurath, described in some reviews as "evil gingersnaps" I get a deep molasses ginger cookie scent this one has a lot of throw. Miskatonic University is also among my top ten foody scents and worth at least an imp.

[MiasmaResonance]

Count me in... I can sometimes enjoy smelling florals, but I don't necessarily want to smell LIKE them.

Edited November 17, 2013 by MiasmaResonance

[mermaidsdream]

As someone who can't do either carnation or rose, I can sympathize. I've at least discovered I can do some orchids, some iris, honeysuckle, and orange blossom. Nothing too over-flowery.

 

Going through my list of "things I love, have bottles of, etc" I find ....

 

Antikythera Mechanism, The -- black vanilla, oak, teakwood, tobacco

 

Asp Viper -- Snake Oil + almond, mandarin, myrrh

 

Bengal -- skin musk with honey, peppers, clove, cinnamon, and ginger (smells like spiced mead, and I this scent, but the cinnamon burns within seconds on me)

 

Hollywood Babylon -- Egyptian amber, heliotrope, strawberry, vanilla, red musk, black cherry

 

Le Lèthè -- red musk, golden skin musk, labdanum, golden amber, nutmeg, tobacco absolute, black orchid, hemlock accord

 

Mania -- pale strawberry leaf, red musk, white grapefruit, white musk

 

Saw-Scaled Viper -- Snake Oil + cinnamon, cassia, and red ginger. The cinnamon in this is STRONG

 

Scherezade -- saffron, middle eastern spices, red musk

 

Sunbird -- no scent notes listed, but it's delicious, dry, and not flowery at all.

[MiasmaResonance]

I actually really want to try and have the carnation single note work on me, as it's the national flower of Spain (I am of much Spanish heritage, and am lovingly dubbed black irish by my boyfriend, who Celto-Iberian as well, so it holds close to our hearts).

 

Anyway, on to recs.:

 

Hellcat, which I almost want to consider my signature BPAL. It's buttercream, and spicy, and amazing.

 

Ooky, a weenie LE this year, foodie delicious spicypumpkin.

Edited November 17, 2013 by MiasmaResonance

[khemistry]

I actually really want to try and have the carnation single note work on me, as it's the national flower of Spain (I am of much Spanish heritage, and am lovingly dubbed black irish by my boyfriend, who Celto-Iberian as well, so it holds close to our hearts).

 

Anyway, on to recs.:

 

Hellcat, which I almost want to consider my signature BPAL. It's buttercream, and spicy, and amazing.

 

Ooky, a weenie LE this year, foodie delicious spicypumpkin.

 

 

Thank you everyone!!!

 

It's interesting you list hellcat - I just went and found my imp. I smell flowers! But yes, some spicy sweetness that makes them more tolerable. I think I can live with these flowers. I had originally pitched this in the "no, flowers" pile, but I'm rethinking it.

[Valtiel]

Heady Florals give me headaches! Though, on certain people I can appreciate them a bit... I was surprised to find that Two, Five & Seven from the Mad Tea Party, All Rose! BUT! Here's the thing, it was squished sugared roses, nothing heady, even in the bottle. That was what turned me over to florals, at least from bpal... Queen Alice is bubbly, and very sweet and warm. Snake Oil in general! Green Tree Viper is amazing! Even good for Migraines too! (For me at least), Alas, it's highly coveted!

[ReallyZeb]

No 93 Engine, Gnome and Cairo all have a citrussy vibe but with staying power. Whitechapel might be worth a try too, I get no lilac at all.

 

I'd also recommend The Antikythera Mechanism and Hafling.

 

For LEs if you can find them, Black Temple Burlesque Troupe and Mother Shub's Gingerbread Temples are both awesome

[JazzieCazzie]

I'll throw out my two favorite GCs, neither of which have floral and which might fit your likes ...

 

Shub-Niggurath (this seems to be a love or hate scent ... I LOVE LOVE LOVE ... spicy yummy foody warm ginger but not quite as sweety-sweety as the gingerbread scents ... I think it's schmexy).

 

Scherezade ... middle-eastern saffrony spices and sexy.

[Floria]

My non-floral recommendations:

* No. 93 Engine is resiny but bright, not rich or incensy. It's not quite like anything else I've tried.

* How Doth The Little Crocodile is an interesting take on chocolate mint with a bit of a smoky wood/oakmoss undertone.

* Rogue is a very simple but wearable leather blend.

* Paladin is also leathery, but softer and sweeter than Rogue.

* Embalming Fluid is very refreshing for summer - like under-sweetened lemonade made with real lemons.

* If you don't amp the apple blossom, Baobhan Sith is delicious sweet grapefruit.

* Dana O'Shee reminds me of oatmeal soap, but creamier.

* Tombstone is a great non-floral vanilla with a bit of rootbeer. The cedar adds to the ambiance but doesn't make itself obnoxious.

* Dragon's Milk combines dragon's blood resin with vanilla and honey and winds up smelling, to me at least, a bit like slightly spicy red licorice.

* Eclipse is worth trying if you like Chimera - I found them to have a rather similar feel. There's a bit of heliotrope, but I find heliotrope more of a soft, slightly foody floral than a perfumy one.

* Plunder is full of spices.

* Shub-Niggurath is a very popular blend of resiny-incense and foodie ginger.

* Mary Read has a bit of woody patchouli, so it may not be your thing, but it's such an evocative scent I had to mention it. Something in the notes really does capture that sunbaked wood/salt spray/hint of tar smell of a wooden boat. (There are other notes as well - it doesn't leave you smelling just like a deck plank.)

[MiasmaResonance]

I actually really want to try and have the carnation single note work on me, as it's the national flower of Spain (I am of much Spanish heritage, and am lovingly dubbed black irish by my boyfriend, who Celto-Iberian as well, so it holds close to our hearts).

 

Anyway, on to recs.:

 

Hellcat, which I almost want to consider my signature BPAL. It's buttercream, and spicy, and amazing.

 

Ooky, a weenie LE this year, foodie delicious spicypumpkin.

 

 

Thank you everyone!!!

 

It's interesting you list hellcat - I just went and found my imp. I smell flowers! But yes, some spicy sweetness that makes them more tolerable. I think I can live with these flowers. I had originally pitched this in the "no, flowers" pile, but I'm rethinking it.

 

That's nuts! lol There isn't a single floral note in Hellcat.

[lucycat]

It sounds as if we have very similar tastes. I don't seek out floral notes (though I'm usually okay with blends that have one floral note along with tea/vanilla/citrus/what have you, as long as that floral isn't heavy) and I love lemon, vanilla, and spices.

 

Have you tried Dorian? On me it's lemony vanilla tea, and has terrific lasting power. I also love Morocco (yes, it has sandalwood, but it's very smooth, creamy and spicy) and Snake Oil, which is sweet spicy vanilla.

 

I second Baobhan Sith for the grapefruit and ginger. I've found that many citrus scents don't last long. I gravitate to them in summer, when I like lighter scents anyway, and just plan on reapplying during the day. I also echo the recommendation for Embalming Fluid (white musk, green tea, aloe and lemon.) Shanghai smells very similar to Embalming Fluid to me, but with even more lemon: its notes are green tea, lemon verbena and honeysuckle, but on me it's really just lemony green tea.

 

Today I'm wearing Bess, which has both lemon and mint. It also has rose, but I get very little of that, and since that's the one floral you said you find tolerable, it might be worth trying.

 

Speaking of rose, that was the one floral I was sure I wanted to avoid...and in my latest order I got a frimp of Roses, Pearls and Diamonds, which is soft rose and coconut on my skin. I was amazed at how much I liked it. Which is just to say, if you're new to this--and I'm still quite new to BPAL myself--don't be afraid to try something with a note that doesn't immediately appeal to you.

Edited November 18, 2013 by lucycat

[khemistry]

Thank you Thank you! I had a chance to do a lot of smelling at will call and have picked up a ton of imps since my last post. Alas, the flowers - they attack me! Anyway, some notes below for the other flower haters.

 

-Embalming Fluid: lovely in the imp, turns to powdery flowers on my wrist with a hint of green tea.

-Dorian: love it, but recently found that it too goes slightly floral on me. I applied it to fabric and it did not go floral after drying. I'm cursed!

-O: Love it, does not go floral on me

-Halfling: Bwwwahahaha, I got this as frimp. Definitely not flowers - dirt and mold. First scent I've ever had to scrub off. I had a hard time removing it and ended up using some olive oil to break it off my skin. A truly horrible scent!

-Theme in Yellow: magic! interesting and lovely and really unique. No flowers in sight.

-Moon of the Terrible (this year): Has florals I like! I have no idea what florals and how they are playing well with others! The lychee stomps down the flowers and wins!

-Ultraviolet: Another successful flower blend - I have no idea what it is, but it smells like mint and lavender on me. The mint wins!

-TKO: also works, no uppity flowers

-The Harvesters: Works! Pear and magic. No idea what is there besides the pear, but it's not floral.

-Snake oil: Quite possibly my least favorite scent so far. Which is pretty funny considering everyone loves it. Smells like I'm being attacked by hippies...and they're using flowers as weapons.

-Gobo: Yes!

-Miskatonic University: Smells fake to me. I like the scent notes, but there's something in this that screams "artificially-flavored Irish cream coffee creamer" Will need to do a trial wearing it to see if the fake smell tones down.

[ladymeag]

I have floral-triggered migraines and additionally amp roses, jasmine, and carnation. I avoid floral blends heavily and have only found a few with floral notes listed that work well. Additionally, I have a smells-like-florals-and-soap problem with most aquatics. There's a lot on offer for floral haters with BPAL. It looks like you have a lot of recommendations on hand but if you want some leather-heavy, vetiver-heavy, or fairly masculine recommendations, I'm happy to post a few.

[mermaidsdream]

If ultraviolet works on you, you *might* be able to swing Arkham. I amp violet like crazy (to the point of migraines), and everyone else says it smelled divine on me, but I couldn't stand it on me. Loved it in the imp, but now I can't smell it without smelling the violet.

 

You might also think about blending/layering scents. "The Girl" is very floral, soft, and very soft on me - too many "white" notes in it, that don't normally work on me, but mixed with the B.B3 Prototype (which is lots of red musk, which *does* work on me), it's simply divine.

[Floria]

If both Dorian and Embalming Fluid went a bit floral on you, it looks like your skin might have issues with light musks or tea. Have you tried any light musk scents without tea or tea scents without musks?

 

Have you tried The Great Sword of War? (Mandarin, tonka, saffron, black tea, cocoa, tobacco leaf, sanguine red musk and five classical herbs of conflict.) It's interesting. Less sweet than most red musk scents I've encountered, with a slightly cologne-like citrus top note over a slightly foody base.