Stinky goodness
Feb. 23rd, 2006 02:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eee1313So a while back ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
miggy and katesti sent me some BPAL imps in the mail. I'd seen "bpal" floating around as LJ tags, but it wasn't until these two, tenar, and ...someone else... mentioned buying stuff off the site that I thought I'd give the perfumery a go. That said, I fell in love with the samples I was sent, and I ordered two small bottles for myself. They arrived in the mail yesterday, along with a TON of samples.
This is what I got...
LONDON
Venerable Victorian Tea Rose... twisted, blackened and emboldened with wickedness.
Love, love, love. This is my new signature rose scent. I got the imp frommiggy and ordered a bottle because I love it so much. It's rose, but ...different? It smells great, though.
VELVET
Envelop yourself in the soft, sensual embrace of gentle sandalwood warmed by cocoa vanilla and a veil of deep myrrh.
Oh so good.katesti sent me an imp, and it smells wonderful on me. It smells very bitter when it first is applied, though, but evens out to a lovely, warm scent. I think this will become my other new signature scent.
LIGHTNING
Lightning slashing the midnight skies over the endless reaches of the ocean. The electric tang of ozone, marine notes, and a drop of sharp rain.
I wanted to like this. Lord knows I love the smell of the air right before a big storm. It smelled good enough in the bottle, but on me it just wasn’t right. Wearing it, I think I smelled like a guy. It’s a very sharp, clean smell, and not at all unpleasant. Just wasn’t what I was hoping for. This could be really nice on someone with different body chemistry.
MATA HARI
A renowned exotic dancer and courtesan, possessed of aristocratic elegance, matchless charm, an iron will and a streak of fearlessness. The actual events of her life have met with much speculation, and to this day it is unclear whether or not she was truly a German spy. Despite shaky evidence of her guilt, she was tried for espionage by a closed court-martial and was executed by a French firing squad in 1917. Her scent is striking and bold with a delicate yet dark undertone: five roses with soft jasmine, warmed by vanilla, fig, tonka bean and mahogany, spiced with a drop of coffee bean.
A lot of people online said this smelled of coffee. I didn’t get any hint of coffee off this at all. This went on REALLY strong at first, and smelled a bit yucky. Not overly rosey, which was odd. It evened out to be a nice, mellow smell, somewhat powder-y, and the jasmine came out quite a bit. Unfortunately it was pretty mild and faded quickly. Debra at work thought it was simply "okay," and I tend to agree with her. It’s alright, just too subtle to really be noticed, which is why I’m going to hand it off for someone else to try.
ROSE CROSS
A profound symbol of an individual’s personal initiatic process, spiritual refinement and evolution, synthesis, grace found as a result of trial and suffering, and the alchemical process by which we transform the raw essence of our souls through light in extension. This is a holy oil, a representation of the triumph of spirit over matter: purest rose with sacred frankincense.
A freebie from BPAL. Imagine you’re at church, and they’ve got the incense going strong. Then suddenly, someone hands you two or three dozen roses. Whammo! That’s "Rose Cross." Not necessarily bad, but seeing as how I already have a bottle of rose-scented perfume, this is just more than what I’m looking for. And if my rose perfume is going to be tinged with something else so it isn't just rose, I'd rather have whatever they put in "London" than a church incense smell. I'll be putting this up for grabs.
LUCY'S KISS
Created to represent the essence of Bram Stoker's tragic heroine, Lucy Westenra. Seductive, wanton and deadly, but underscored with a soft, wistful innocense. The gentle scent of rose and a blend of Victorian spices.
Another freebie. I kind of like this. It’s not as strong as "London." The Victorian spices are nice, a bit subdued, but definitely give this a tinge of something different besides just rose. The jury is still out as to whether or not I want to keep this or give it away, but I like it well enough.
O
The scent of sexual obsession, slavery to sensual pleasure, and the undercurrent of innocence defiled utterly. Amber and honey with a touch of vanilla.
I really wanted to like this. Everyone raved about how this smelled so good, how amazing it is. On me, it just doesn’t do anything. It came off smelling almond-y, but I have no idea where that comes from. Boo. :(
THE RED QUEEN
Deep mahogany and rich, velvety woods lacquered with sweet, black-red cherries and currant.
This smells like cherry cough syrup in the bottle. It might smell better on, but since I don’t like the smell of cherries (but love the taste), I’m voting no on this. Needless to say, this was a freebie.
BASTET
Bast, Ubasti, Ailuros, Ba-en-Aset. Represented as both a domestic cat and a fierce lioness, she truly evidences traits of both. She is the Mother of All Cats, Goddess of Sensuality, Fertility, and a guardian and protector of women. She is also one of the Eyes of Ra, and in that aspect is an Avenging Goddess, seeking retribution and punishing enemies of her people. Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus.
This is what I expected "O" to smell like, I think. I like this one. Very musky, but not in an overpowering way. The almond is VERY strong at first, which I don’t like one bit (almond smell = yuck in my book), but this mellows out to a very nice, kind of (non-tobacco) smoky smell. I’m keeping this one, and may order a bottle. I'll have to try it out again to be sure.
KALI
Kali, the Black One, is the fearless Goddess of Destruction, Creation, Energy [in her Shakti aspect] and Dissolution. Also named Kaliratri [Black Night] and Kalikamata [Black Earth-Mother], she is the fiercest aspect of Devi, the supreme mother goddess. Kali is a protector Goddess, the destroyer of evil spirits and guardian of the faithful. She, along with her consort Shiva, represent the unending cycle of death and birth, sexual union, creation and destruction. Kali annihilates ignorance, maintains the natural order of the world, and blesses those who strive for spiritual awareness and knowledge of true holiness with infinite tenderness and motherly love. The constant, unending Work of Creation is called the "The Play of Kali". This perfume is a blend of the sacred blooms of cassia, hibiscus, musk rose, Himalayan wild tulip, lotus and osmanthus swirled with offertory dark chocolate, red wine, tobacco, balsam and honey.
This was a freebie that TOTALLY works for me. I really like this. It starts out as a very nice floral smell, kind of light. But then, as it dries, this heavier, richer smell comes though, either the wine or the tobacco. It’s a really different mix, and even though it sounds like it would be way too much, it’s great on me. A definite keeper.
THALEIA
How light the strain when, decked in vernal bloom,
Thalia tuned her lyre of melody.
Thaleia the Flourishing is the Muse of Comedy and Pastoral Poetry, and shares the same name as one of the Gratiæ. She is a very down-to-Earth Goddess, and has a special fondness for rural folk. She wears a crown of ivy leaves and carries the Mask of Comedy and a shepherd’s crook. The Blooming One is the Goddess of Comedians and inspires creativity in wit and the joy and release we have in laughter. A vivacious, dazzling, merry scent: honey, ylang ylang, apricot, ciste, blood orange and gardenia with earthy, warm tonka.
Orange, orange, and more orange. This just is bright, fruity, and sweet. But then it starts to mellow a bit, and it’s pear smelling, possibly plumeria. (I almost wonder if they gave me "Thalia" instead of "Thaleia," because the other is supposed to be pear, orange, and champagne.) Anyway, this is really fruity, and a good summer scent. I'm keeping it. I don't think I'd buy a whole bottle, though.
FOLLOW ME BOY
A houdoun recipe dating back almost 150 years. This blend is favored by prostitutes, exotic dancers and others in the sex industry for its power to attract, seduce, and enthrall. Ensures financial gain and increased profits.
Definitely a freebie, as I won't order perfume that doesn't have a description. (God forbid I should get some mix with patchouli in it—blech!) I couldn’t tell you what this is supposed to smell like, or what it smelled like on me. I wasn’t a fan. It wasn’t offensive, but it just didn’t do anything. Oh well.
DREAM FORMULA I: ONEIROI
Created to invoke the ancient Greek deities of dreams. On the shores of the ocean, somewhere in the West, they dwell behind their gates of horn and ivory. Soporific, dark, and unfathomable.
"Unfathomable" is right. OMG. Ew. This is so strong. SO STRONG. I also spilled it on my fingers trying to open it, which didn’t help. This is supposed to be all lavender (so they say on the forums), but it’s just STRONG. Someone mentioned it also might have mugwart in it, which, I’m sorry, but no. It’s stinky, and I am definitely NOT keeping this one. (After that rousing review, I’m sure y’all would want to try this, right?)
Anyway,miggy and katesti, let me know if any of those seem like ones you'd be interested in. Since you were nice enough to share with me, the least I can do is give you first crack.
And speaking of crack, BPAL is total crack. I've gotfava_bean checking out the site now, and now Debra is interested too, as I keep using her as my perfume sounding board at work. Heh. Also, the speed at which I got my order really surprised me. The website said it could take up to two months, but I got my stuff right away. I guess I must have picked popular perfumes.
miggy and katesti sent me some BPAL imps in the mail. I'd seen "bpal" floating around as LJ tags, but it wasn't until these two, tenar, and ...someone else... mentioned buying stuff off the site that I thought I'd give the perfumery a go. That said, I fell in love with the samples I was sent, and I ordered two small bottles for myself. They arrived in the mail yesterday, along with a TON of samples.This is what I got...
LONDON
Venerable Victorian Tea Rose... twisted, blackened and emboldened with wickedness.
Love, love, love. This is my new signature rose scent. I got the imp from
miggy and ordered a bottle because I love it so much. It's rose, but ...different? It smells great, though.VELVET
Envelop yourself in the soft, sensual embrace of gentle sandalwood warmed by cocoa vanilla and a veil of deep myrrh.
Oh so good.
katesti sent me an imp, and it smells wonderful on me. It smells very bitter when it first is applied, though, but evens out to a lovely, warm scent. I think this will become my other new signature scent.LIGHTNING
Lightning slashing the midnight skies over the endless reaches of the ocean. The electric tang of ozone, marine notes, and a drop of sharp rain.
I wanted to like this. Lord knows I love the smell of the air right before a big storm. It smelled good enough in the bottle, but on me it just wasn’t right. Wearing it, I think I smelled like a guy. It’s a very sharp, clean smell, and not at all unpleasant. Just wasn’t what I was hoping for. This could be really nice on someone with different body chemistry.
MATA HARI
A renowned exotic dancer and courtesan, possessed of aristocratic elegance, matchless charm, an iron will and a streak of fearlessness. The actual events of her life have met with much speculation, and to this day it is unclear whether or not she was truly a German spy. Despite shaky evidence of her guilt, she was tried for espionage by a closed court-martial and was executed by a French firing squad in 1917. Her scent is striking and bold with a delicate yet dark undertone: five roses with soft jasmine, warmed by vanilla, fig, tonka bean and mahogany, spiced with a drop of coffee bean.
A lot of people online said this smelled of coffee. I didn’t get any hint of coffee off this at all. This went on REALLY strong at first, and smelled a bit yucky. Not overly rosey, which was odd. It evened out to be a nice, mellow smell, somewhat powder-y, and the jasmine came out quite a bit. Unfortunately it was pretty mild and faded quickly. Debra at work thought it was simply "okay," and I tend to agree with her. It’s alright, just too subtle to really be noticed, which is why I’m going to hand it off for someone else to try.
ROSE CROSS
A profound symbol of an individual’s personal initiatic process, spiritual refinement and evolution, synthesis, grace found as a result of trial and suffering, and the alchemical process by which we transform the raw essence of our souls through light in extension. This is a holy oil, a representation of the triumph of spirit over matter: purest rose with sacred frankincense.
A freebie from BPAL. Imagine you’re at church, and they’ve got the incense going strong. Then suddenly, someone hands you two or three dozen roses. Whammo! That’s "Rose Cross." Not necessarily bad, but seeing as how I already have a bottle of rose-scented perfume, this is just more than what I’m looking for. And if my rose perfume is going to be tinged with something else so it isn't just rose, I'd rather have whatever they put in "London" than a church incense smell. I'll be putting this up for grabs.
LUCY'S KISS
Created to represent the essence of Bram Stoker's tragic heroine, Lucy Westenra. Seductive, wanton and deadly, but underscored with a soft, wistful innocense. The gentle scent of rose and a blend of Victorian spices.
Another freebie. I kind of like this. It’s not as strong as "London." The Victorian spices are nice, a bit subdued, but definitely give this a tinge of something different besides just rose. The jury is still out as to whether or not I want to keep this or give it away, but I like it well enough.
O
The scent of sexual obsession, slavery to sensual pleasure, and the undercurrent of innocence defiled utterly. Amber and honey with a touch of vanilla.
I really wanted to like this. Everyone raved about how this smelled so good, how amazing it is. On me, it just doesn’t do anything. It came off smelling almond-y, but I have no idea where that comes from. Boo. :(
THE RED QUEEN
Deep mahogany and rich, velvety woods lacquered with sweet, black-red cherries and currant.
This smells like cherry cough syrup in the bottle. It might smell better on, but since I don’t like the smell of cherries (but love the taste), I’m voting no on this. Needless to say, this was a freebie.
BASTET
Bast, Ubasti, Ailuros, Ba-en-Aset. Represented as both a domestic cat and a fierce lioness, she truly evidences traits of both. She is the Mother of All Cats, Goddess of Sensuality, Fertility, and a guardian and protector of women. She is also one of the Eyes of Ra, and in that aspect is an Avenging Goddess, seeking retribution and punishing enemies of her people. Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus.
This is what I expected "O" to smell like, I think. I like this one. Very musky, but not in an overpowering way. The almond is VERY strong at first, which I don’t like one bit (almond smell = yuck in my book), but this mellows out to a very nice, kind of (non-tobacco) smoky smell. I’m keeping this one, and may order a bottle. I'll have to try it out again to be sure.
KALI
Kali, the Black One, is the fearless Goddess of Destruction, Creation, Energy [in her Shakti aspect] and Dissolution. Also named Kaliratri [Black Night] and Kalikamata [Black Earth-Mother], she is the fiercest aspect of Devi, the supreme mother goddess. Kali is a protector Goddess, the destroyer of evil spirits and guardian of the faithful. She, along with her consort Shiva, represent the unending cycle of death and birth, sexual union, creation and destruction. Kali annihilates ignorance, maintains the natural order of the world, and blesses those who strive for spiritual awareness and knowledge of true holiness with infinite tenderness and motherly love. The constant, unending Work of Creation is called the "The Play of Kali". This perfume is a blend of the sacred blooms of cassia, hibiscus, musk rose, Himalayan wild tulip, lotus and osmanthus swirled with offertory dark chocolate, red wine, tobacco, balsam and honey.
This was a freebie that TOTALLY works for me. I really like this. It starts out as a very nice floral smell, kind of light. But then, as it dries, this heavier, richer smell comes though, either the wine or the tobacco. It’s a really different mix, and even though it sounds like it would be way too much, it’s great on me. A definite keeper.
THALEIA
How light the strain when, decked in vernal bloom,
Thalia tuned her lyre of melody.
Thaleia the Flourishing is the Muse of Comedy and Pastoral Poetry, and shares the same name as one of the Gratiæ. She is a very down-to-Earth Goddess, and has a special fondness for rural folk. She wears a crown of ivy leaves and carries the Mask of Comedy and a shepherd’s crook. The Blooming One is the Goddess of Comedians and inspires creativity in wit and the joy and release we have in laughter. A vivacious, dazzling, merry scent: honey, ylang ylang, apricot, ciste, blood orange and gardenia with earthy, warm tonka.
Orange, orange, and more orange. This just is bright, fruity, and sweet. But then it starts to mellow a bit, and it’s pear smelling, possibly plumeria. (I almost wonder if they gave me "Thalia" instead of "Thaleia," because the other is supposed to be pear, orange, and champagne.) Anyway, this is really fruity, and a good summer scent. I'm keeping it. I don't think I'd buy a whole bottle, though.
FOLLOW ME BOY
A houdoun recipe dating back almost 150 years. This blend is favored by prostitutes, exotic dancers and others in the sex industry for its power to attract, seduce, and enthrall. Ensures financial gain and increased profits.
Definitely a freebie, as I won't order perfume that doesn't have a description. (God forbid I should get some mix with patchouli in it—blech!) I couldn’t tell you what this is supposed to smell like, or what it smelled like on me. I wasn’t a fan. It wasn’t offensive, but it just didn’t do anything. Oh well.
DREAM FORMULA I: ONEIROI
Created to invoke the ancient Greek deities of dreams. On the shores of the ocean, somewhere in the West, they dwell behind their gates of horn and ivory. Soporific, dark, and unfathomable.
"Unfathomable" is right. OMG. Ew. This is so strong. SO STRONG. I also spilled it on my fingers trying to open it, which didn’t help. This is supposed to be all lavender (so they say on the forums), but it’s just STRONG. Someone mentioned it also might have mugwart in it, which, I’m sorry, but no. It’s stinky, and I am definitely NOT keeping this one. (After that rousing review, I’m sure y’all would want to try this, right?)
Anyway,
miggy and katesti, let me know if any of those seem like ones you'd be interested in. Since you were nice enough to share with me, the least I can do is give you first crack.And speaking of crack, BPAL is total crack. I've got
fava_bean checking out the site now, and now Debra is interested too, as I keep using her as my perfume sounding board at work. Heh. Also, the speed at which I got my order really surprised me. The website said it could take up to two months, but I got my stuff right away. I guess I must have picked popular perfumes.