Bitten by the BPAL bug

[kellinator]

Yes, I know. One Of Us.

I was tagging along with ariedana at the BPAL swap at Dragon*Con and got to smell some yummy stuff and now I'm hooked!

I think part of the appeal of BPAL is the collectibility -- trading cards, only better, because they smell different on everyone. ariedana calls 'em "smelly Pokemon."

My suspicion is the spicy patchoulis are just not to my taste -- unfortunately, that's a whole lot of them right there. So far the one that smells great on me is Swank. Any more recommendations?

Comments

[teague.livejournal.com]

bpal?

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. Perfume crack. This is why I kept holding my wrist out for people to sniff.

http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/welcome.html

[heathrow.livejournal.com]

I heart the BPAL, even though I'm not a huge fan of the trading and stuff.

Personally, I love Queen Mab and Sri Lanka; however, they are "heavier" scents.

[dorei.livejournal.com]

My top faves:

Jersey Devil -- smells like the pine barrens. Evergreen, berries, and cedar.

Dana O'Shee - milk, honey and bread

Beaver Moon - cheesecake

Obatala - coconut and shea butter

Katharina - white musk and apricot (fortunately the orange blossom stays hidden on me)

Monster Bait: Closet - bourbon and cake

Monster Bait: Underpants - rum, sandalwood and vanilla.

Unfortunately the Monster Baits and the Beaver Moon are discontinued LE's. But the others are GC.

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

Well, if you see anything you like off my swap list (http://phinnia.livejournal.com/tag/current+swaplist) feel free to holler. :-)

[pinkeffigy.livejournal.com]

Oh thanks. You have given me another place to shop on line.

[alphafem.livejournal.com]

I love Sacred Whore of Babylon... just because it's such a great name for a fragrance!! I also love Grog (Rum... mmmmm!!!) and Vice (oranges, chocolate and cherries). I don't really trade much and actually I haven't bought any new BPAL in awhile... hmmm... must re-enable self soon...

[meemeedarling.livejournal.com]

OMG! Thanks a heap! Now I have even more to buy!

(this one sounds sooooooo yummie!!!)
THE FOX-WOMAN KUZUNOHA LEAVING HER CHILD
White tea, cherry blossom, wisteria, star jasmine, and teak.

[meemeedarling.livejournal.com]

Oh crap. I bought it. Ooops!

[canciona.livejournal.com]

Oh, welcome to the cult club! :D

Let's see, Swank? Lucky you, fruit BPAL scents just don't like me. Let's see...Swank is a Bewitching Brew, and that's a category I've had some good luck with. You may want to start there. Love Potions might be good as well, although look out for patchouli in the descriptions (most people - decidedly including me - that I know don't like it either), and definitely Wanderlust and Illyria.

A few personal favourites from the general catalogue:

Glasgow - blackberries and heather and probably nothing like Glasgow itself. (Maybe it should have been called Edinburgh, instead.)

Whip - rose and leather; actually the only rose scent I really like. The rose smells fresh-cut and dewy and not at all cloying, and the leather, well...I think that speaks for itself.

Le Petit Mort/La Petite Morte (depending on who was doing the labeling; I've literally had both versions on imps straight from the Lab) - a heavier scent, with orange and musk. Basically, a good come-fuck-me-now scent. ;)

Elixir III: Lustration (this is a Panacea) - starts off lemony, and fades to a delicate floral that doesn't fuck with my sinuses, surprisingly. Good for purging a bad day and starting over.

Twenty-One - basic martini. I like to wear it layered with my favourite musk, a Limited Edition called Oisin.

Lady MacBeth - berries and wine, and something enjoyably floral. Good stuff.

Wilde - not for you, but for James. Just smell it once, and you'll know. Sex on a stick.

Most of my other favourites are either Limited Editions (such as the fabulous pure-leather Dead Man's Hand) or TALs - have you been to Twilight Alchemy Lab, BPAL's spin-off site? I was skeptical, but Determination (which is, granted, a heavier scent) made me a believer. Some of the stuff there is amazing, although more for effect than scent. I'd also recommend Concentration, Lady Luck and Caliph's Beloved, offhand.

Also, if you haven't been to comms like sinandsalvation, you might want to check it out. A good resource, especially when the Lab's going through shipping backups, or if you want to try just an imp of a Limited Edition or TAL, for example.

Welcome to the fun. :)