Limited editions equivalents in the general catalog?

[agnusdei]

I'm a little late to reply, but I completely second the person who suggested Dorian as a sub for Black Lace. My boyfriend just got a bottle of it and we both got that 'this smells like something!' feeling from it when it got to the dry down - turns out it smells like Black Lace! The tea in Dorian makes it a little more fresh than Black Lace's smoky incense tinge, but the vanilla and musk combo in them is definitely very very similar, if not almost identical. The bottle he has is about a year old though, I'm not sure if Dorian is different fresh... but it'd definitely be something to at least give a try, especially layered with a scent that has that sultry tobacco/booze/incense feel.

[Poenari]

I finally tried my frimp of Midnight Kiss, and instead of cocoa being out front and center, I get a wonderful blend of the sandalwood, musk, and patchouli with just a hint of boozy grape. On my skin, it reminds me of a softer, and less GRAPE!!! version of Urd.

 

editing to add another recommendation:

I received a frimp of Centzon Totochtin, and after trying it, I think this one is much closer to Midnight Kiss. It has the same cocoa and boozy wine, but less of the patchouli and musk. I'm afraid layering a little Centzon Totochtin and Urd would be too much grape. I'll have to think about which patchouli/musk scent would be a better layer with the Centzon Totochtin, and will report back later.

Edited March 2, 2008 by Poenari

[blu°]

I had a Black Lace moment when testing Desire from a sniffie imp that I received with a swap package. Desire doesn't have the incense, but something about the teak, vanilla and musk in it combined for a similar feel as what I got from Black Lace. I don't know how aged the sniffie was, but I guess since there wasn't much left that it was a bit older. I didn't smell any rose or neroli in it at all.

[Galen]

Christmas Rose, which smells of hellebore flowers, reminds me of something and I can't remember what. Does it feel familiar to someone else?

 

Yes! The first few minutes of wearing it I get the sharp/green/floral vibe that I classify as similar to the green Chanel one. And there was a BPAL that had the exact same initial burst, but I can't be sure which one it was - my memory is suggesting Destroying Angel but I'd have to check

[etienne]

Can anyone think of a GC that is similar to Angeronalia?

I have a back up bottle on the way from a forumite but I'm still worrying I'll run out of my most favourite scent so would love to find something similar. It's the warmth, sweetness and brightness that I love so much in Angeronalia.

[Melenass]

Can anyone think of a GC that is similar to Angeronalia?

I have a back up bottle on the way from a forumite but I'm still worrying I'll run out of my most favourite scent so would love to find something similar. It's the warmth, sweetness and brightness that I love so much in Angeronalia.

 

For me Xiuhtecuhtli, has some similarity with Angeronalia, more intense, but similar.

[Magpie]

As someone who has recently become an intense and fervent fan of Brides of Dracula, I would be very interested to find something along the same lines (i.e. a honeyed floral, sweet and tempting). Nosferatu seems a bit of an unusual one to suggest, djnevermore, but it might be in the dry-down or your specific skin chemistry...I haven't tried Nosferatu myself but have smelled it both on and off someone else. It seemed a touch like Titania to me, but I'm not sure why. I have difficulty telling florals apart.

 

I'd like to find a GC scent that would reflect how Dr. John Seward smells before it dries (it dries to a sticky sweetness, slightly smoky - quite pleasant, but not what I smelled in the bottle, which was kind of difficult to describe, a slight gingerbready note for some inexplicable reason).

[ivyandpeony]

Magpie, honey might be my favorite BPAL note (well, in honesty, there would be an ugly cage match with amber ) and I love florals with honey. I haven't dabbed on my Brides of Dracula lately - I will try to make a note and remind myself to do so - but a couple ideas just from skimming my spreadsheet are Jezebel (which shares BoD's honey and sandalwood notes, has rose & orange blossom), Khajuraho (honey & sandalwood again with tropical flowers), The Penitent Magdalen (honey & sandalwood again, with lily of the valley & almond flower) and The Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree (once again, honey & sandalwood, this time with lilac and cherry blossom).

[black*cat]

I just tried Carfax Abbey for the first time & I love it! Of course it's an LE, a harder to find LE at that, can anyone recommend a GC that's similar? I have imps of Cathedral, Penitence & Death Cap coming to me 'cuz I've seen reviews that compare them to Carfax Abbey, are there any others I might have missed?

[Magpie]

Hmm...thanks, ivyandpeony, that's really helpful! It's nice to have a fellow honey-lover's opinion. Good call on the Jezebel, which is sharper and zestier than BoD but is certainly another option I kind of gave Jezebel a rest after trying it once because the imp leaked all over my other ones when I was none too careful about keeping it upright, so despite my whole box smelling of her, I'd forgotten what she smelled like!

 

I think I've tried Khajuraho and found a fruity or floral note I really disliked in it, but the others may well be sneaking their way into my next order Thanks again for the advice!

[naeelah]

Magpie, about John Seward -- that's one of my favorite scents, and I know I've made more than a few comparisons to Dr. Seward in reviews. I've been trying to remember what those things are...

 

For me, Blood Countess was VERY similar, but with the addition of red fruit. That's the closest match I've found, for my skin chemistry. YOUNG Kubla Khan is a little similar, if memory serves me correctly. You might also try Defututa. It's a little smoother and less spicy/gingery, but I think it's definitely in the same ballpark.

 

 

black*cat, for Carfax Abbey. You've got 4 things to match in that scent, so I think you might need to layer: wood, stone and dust, herbs (rosemary?), and incense.

 

I think Cathedral is your best starting point, better than Penitence, because it also has some woods. It's quite similar on its own, mainly just lacking the herbs, but it does seem sweeter and richer. Cathedral is a living church, Carfax Abbey has been neglected for centuries. Sniffing them side by side, Carfax is MUCH dustier. I think Eshe, from CD, might be great for layering -- that's a very dry, dusty herbal scent, with a few dry resins.

[willowtreeling]

Can anyone think of a GC that is similar to Angeronalia?

I have a back up bottle on the way from a forumite but I'm still worrying I'll run out of my most favourite scent so would love to find something similar. It's the warmth, sweetness and brightness that I love so much in Angeronalia.

I think that Mad Kate is somehow similar to Angeronalia. It is a very different type of scent, but the complexity and layers seem parallel...Like cousins, rather than sisters or something. Mad Kate is 1000 times sweeter and more floral, though. Xiu doesn't smell anything like Angeronalia to me, but I love it--it might be worth trying it since I also love Angeronalia:) Maybe we are scent twins;) I have always wanted one

[black*cat]

Thanks naeelah, I've been considering Eshe, but the jasmine is scaring me.

[naeelah]

Thanks naeelah, I've been considering Eshe, but the jasmine is scaring me.

 

I tend to amp sweet, and personally, Eshe wasn't in the slightest bit sweet or jasmine-y. YMMV, of course, but I think overall it's definitely very dry.

[Ina Garten Davita]

In case anyone didn't get to try Doc Buzzard or worries when theirs will be gone, Fascinum is so very similar. The litsea cubeba in Fascinum mimics the perfect lime note in Doc B and the amber/musk/cedar/saffron makes an excellent approximation of the sexy incense awesomeness of Doc B's drydown. It may be a tad more feminine but it's close.

[ivyandpeony]

I haven't tried Fascinuum on my own skin, but I smelled it on Andra's and it indeed was very reminiscent of Doc Buzzard. That combination of rich resins and lime is just so lovely. I definitely am going to add it to my wish list - although I loved Doc Buzzard in theory, I never wore it because somehow, I make masculine scents even more swarthy and masculine! Not a drop of sweet girliness in my natural skin chemistry, I have to get it all from my perfume. And my husband just won't get into BPAL with me, so the manly stuff ends up being swapped away.

[lizardqueen]

So, this is sort of backwards from how this thread normally works, I think, but I figured I'd give it a shot all the same. I trust that the mods will move it accordingly if necessary.

 

Anyway, what I'm wondering is this: based on the description, it seems like The Passionate Shepherd to His Love may well bear some resemblance to our dear departed Dublin. Since I was a doofus and didn't buy a bottle of Dublin when I had the chance, I'm thinking I may well want to pick up a bottle of Passionate Shepherd while it's available. Any thoughts from those who've tried both?

 

Thanks!

[ivyandpeony]

Hi LizardQueen I think your question is just fine in this thread, for the record. Not everything's going to be a perfect fit and I want someone to slap me to my senses if I spend an afternoon going through these giant similarities threads, splitting out posts and making yet another pinned thread titled "LE scents you can substitute for Discontinued GC scents!"

 

Dublin is one of my all time favorites - oh, I seriously love it. I just got my Lupercalia order this week, and although I think The Passionate Shepherd is going to be a favorite of mine this spring, a resemblance to Dublin didn't even cross my mind, I am sorry to say. Of course, this is all my evaluation of how these two perfumes work on me, so it will be interesting to see what other people say. I also find that BPAL blends can change a bit after a month or two of ownership. So for those reasons I definitely think The Passionate Shepherd is worth trying on its own merits, it's a gorgeous scent.

 

Here's how I would describe them... The Passionate Shepherd is green in a bright, grassy way, with a hint of woody spiciness from the ivy and carnation and a bit of soft rose adding a bit of femininity. The florals also seem to make this one sweet enough for my chemistry (heather in particular tends to be a sweet note). Dublin is predominantly evergreen, although somehow it's a very sweet and mellow evergreen, and I find the white rose is a prominent element - it's soft, as in the opposite of sharp, whereas in TPS the rose is a team player, more of a contributor to the overall feel of the scent and the green notes are predominant.

 

If I can answer any specific questions about them, just let me know, I'll do my best.

 

Hmmm... what does remind me of Dublin? The LE bath oil, Ice Prince and Snow Moon - both have that combination of evergreen forest with floral notes to my nose. It's difficult, though, there's not a lot! Maybe some layering is in order?

[lizardqueen]

That's super-helpful, ivyandpeony! Your descriptions made a lot of sense to me, though of course I'm perhaps even more torn now -- or, more precisely, I have more scents I want to try! (Ah, the trials of BPAL...)

[Rheliwen]

Wow! Ogun smells like a slightly (and I mean slighty, like tiny) more spicey Fee when wet. I am amazed actually. With Fee you get sugary sweet innocence and Ogun is a little more grown up and dries down to a heavier juniper berry.

 

Verdandi also smells a lot like the Harvest Moons.

[mooncityminx]

Is Pisces reminding anyone of a GC?

[etienne]

Does anyone else think Red Phoenix and Midnight Kiss smell very similar? Or do I just have a weird nose?

[tartchef]

Does anyone else think Red Phoenix and Midnight Kiss smell very similar? Or do I just have a weird nose?

 

Haha, funny nose!

 

But seriously, I've got them side by side on my desk... Midnight Kiss is very grape & cocoa, with a salty red musk undercurrent. Red Phoenix is all Big Red gum with a trace of plum underneath, way spicier than Midnight Kiss. It does even out a bit on the drydown, though, I'll give you that...

 

I think Blood Phoenix & Midnight Kiss are much more similar. If you're looking for a Red Phoenix sub, maybe layer Mme Moriarty & Bengal, or Chimera - something cassia-heavy...

[etienne]

Does anyone else think Red Phoenix and Midnight Kiss smell very similar? Or do I just have a weird nose?

 

Haha, funny nose!

 

But seriously, I've got them side by side on my desk... Midnight Kiss is very grape & cocoa, with a salty red musk undercurrent. Red Phoenix is all Big Red gum with a trace of plum underneath, way spicier than Midnight Kiss. It does even out a bit on the drydown, though, I'll give you that...

 

I think Blood Phoenix & Midnight Kiss are much more similar. If you're looking for a Red Phoenix sub, maybe layer Mme Moriarty & Bengal, or Chimera - something cassia-heavy...

 

Red Phoenix to me is all red musk, patchouli and tobacco. And so is Midnight Kiss, basically. I know MK doesn't have tobacco but it has nicotiana which I imagine smells similar.

 

I have a bottle of Blood Phoenix, too, and that's completely different to me.

 

<--- definitely funny nose.

[MissMercurial]

To me, Midnight Kiss and Blood Kiss smell almost exactly the same. Blood Kiss is a tad spicier.