breakinglight11 | Entries tagged with bpal

Did something today I’ve been meaning to try for a while, mixing a perfume oil into an unscented lotion. I used Alice, my favorite Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab scent, and the plain goat milk lotion from the Hairy Farmpit Girls. Research suggested I needed a little less than half a teaspoon for six ounces, as Alice is a strong scent.

I added the oil with a pipet, then gave it a good shake. I think the results are usable! I can detect the Alice in the bottle and in the lotion in my hand, but it doesn’t seem to be overpowering— though it’s a bergamot and floral musk, so as I said, some might find it a bit strong. Or, indeed, old-lady-ish. 😉

I’m trying to actually use and enjoy my nice things, instead of saving them for so long they are no longer any good. I’ve always wanted a lotion in this scent, so this is really nice.

I really like things that smell nice, and wearing nice scents. I particularly love nice lotions, and find them my preferred way to put on fragrance. I have a hard time gauging how much perfume to use— I find the line between my skin eating it and it being way too much is easy to cross. My mother thought using body spray was the gateway drug to not showering and I can’t touch the stuff without hearing her disapproval. So while I’ve got those too, I end up using lotion more than anything else. I have a hard time resisting buying the stuff whenever the opportunity presents, and I sometimes think my ideal state of being would be just living in a big sack or tub of it all the time.

But then the perfume, which doesn’t last forever, goes bad because I don’t use it. So I had an idea to buy a bunch of unscented lotion— I personally like the stuff from the Hairy Farmpit Girls, a charming queer-owned small business who writes hilarious anecdotes of life on their farm. Every time I use it, I’m going to combine it with one of my little “imp’s ears”, which is what Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs calls their little sample vials of scent. They’re kind of an alt, gothy perfume company I’ve been a fan of since friends introduced me to it in college, and they sell little samples that I have quite a collection of at this point.

Some of them I didn’t end up liking, and some I didn’t use up fast enough before the scent changed with age. But of the ones I do like and want to wear, I thought mixing them into the plain lotion would be a practical way to actually make use of them. It’ll be like having a different kind of lotion every day, without having a million bottles cluttering up my life. (Reminder to self not to buy a million more kinds of lotion.) It’s always pleasant to be around a person who smells nice, so I like the idea of that being me.

I'm probably the only person in the world selecting a scent to wear to run her campaign.

As a side note, the Unicorn is a character in Alice. His scent would be cool and crisp, which honestly reminds me more of the White Rabbit BPAL.

The Unicorn
From the Mad Tea Party Collection
A misty, almost luminous perfume: wispy linden blossoms, white flowers, and a touch of sweet herbs.

In the imp: Very sweet, a very clean, light floral scent. The sort of scent one might like walking into a clean room after a long day. As someone comforted by clean smells, I like it.

Wet: Less sweet now, more delicately floral. I think the herbs make it just a little spicy. Very nice.

Dry: Subtle, pretty, floral, herbaceous. I find that, unlike many BPAL users, the scents do not change much on my skin, nor do notes disappear or reappear in the process, they just mellow with time.

The verdict: A relaxing scent, very gentle and pleasant. Not my favorite, but there is something comforting about how clean and delicate it is.

Picked this one because of the character in my play. In my version, Euphrosyne's the mean one. :-)

Euphrosyne
The Grace of Mirth
Gardenia, tea rose, vanilla and jasmine.

In the imp: Very sweet, very floral. Nice, but could use something to balance it.

Wet: I think I'm mostly getting the gardenia and the jasmine. It's a little less sharp on the skin, which I like.

Dry: Still intensely floral, but pleasantly less intensely sweet and more delicate now. I was hoping to detect more of the vanilla, but it's not coming out on me.

The verdict: I like it, but I like it more once the sweetness mellows out. I like delicate floral scents, though they are less exciting than some. I think I would enjoy it more if the vanilla gave a richer tone to the flowers; as I said, it could use something to give it more complexity.

I know it's not usually a good idea to choose scents for other people, but it might be a nice congratulations gift for the Graces in the cast to give each of them a bottle of the scent named after the one they played.

Because I decided to wear this today, and it's interesting enough to talk about.

Dorian
from the Sin and Salvation Collection:
"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself." Inspired by and created for my beloved Tedwin: my eternal, beautiful, wicked Dorian Gray. Refined, elegant, and lovely, with a noble bearing and seemingly gentle air. This blend is an artful deception: a sweet gilded blossom lying over a twisted and corrupted core. A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea.

In the imp: It's lovely, the musk making it very rich while the vanilla tea keeps it light and delicate. I have a taste (or a nose, rather) for old-fashioned soft scents like this.

Wet: Much the same, a scent that is full and deep but not heavy.

Dry: It mellows nicely, maintaining the richness but more subtle. Rich but delicate is a perfect combination for me.

The verdict: I love it; really beautiful and elegant. I actually think this scent could work on a man as well as a woman. I could see this becoming something I wear frequently.

In thanks for letting her store some stuff at Elsinore over the summer, blendedchaitea gave me a bag of BPAL imps to play with. I am not certain, actually, if they are for keeps or just to try out, but either way, it was very generous of her and really made me smile. I am inventorying them and their collections so I remember which ones I got from her:

( So many interesting scents... )( So many interesting scents... )

A quick one before I run out of the door.

Mata Hari
from the Bewitching Brews collection
Five roses with soft jasmine, warmed by vanilla, fig, tonka bean and mahogany, spiced with a drop of coffee bean.

In the imp: Delicate, light, and floral. The rose and jasmine stand out the most to me.

Wet: Still very floral, but the coffee comes out a lot more now, maybe a touch of the fig.

Dry: The sweet rose and jasmine notes are balanced out nicely by the coffee and something that smells almost chocolately.

The verdict: I really like this one, being a rose and jasmine fan, but the other scents keep it from getting too cloying.

I know it's not exactly the ettiquette to wear perfume on a plane, but hopefully BPAL is subtle and tasteful enough that it won't be a problem on my Thanksgiving flight home. This one was a free one from when I ordered Kuhimo for my mother's birthday this past year.

Hunger
from the Ars Amatoria Collection
Evokes sheer, unadulterated carnal lust. An undeniably warm and sensual scent. Black narcissus, orange blossoms, and vanilla.

In the imp: A dry, sweet, almost burnt smell with a little bit of a tang. I think I'm mostly picking up the orange blossoms. Not sure what narcissus should be like. Not really getting the vanilla.

Wet: Ooh, I like it better now. It's less dry now, and I think I'm getting more of the vanilla in combination with the flowers.

Dry: I'm thinking the orange blossom is coming out strongest. It's sweeter and more delicate, with less of the burnt dryness.

The verdict: A keeper, I think. Something so tangy won't be my favorite, but it's definately pleasant and wearable.

Shamelessly ripping off better, wiser BPAL reviewers before me.

O
from the Ars Amatoria collection
Amber and honey with a touch of vanilla

Imp: None of the notes particularly stand out to me individually, but the combination is tangy and sharp, so sweet it's a little cloying.

Wet: Putting on the skin takes away some of the sharpness of it, which I like. It's still very sweet, but almost in a floral way now.

Dry: It's become a little faint, but it's pleasant-- light, soft, warm, but still sweet. I wish it were stronger, but I like this milder version of the scent.

Verdict: I like it. It's a bit too sweet on its own, and though it fades, it mellows very nicely.

Yay, my BPAL order has arrived!

I am delighted with my new little bottle of Alice; I missed having this delicious stuff around. I find it interesting that I kind of prefer my aged bottle to this fresh one; the scent is mostly the same, but it got richer and deeper with time, which is great because I know I like it even after it passes its "expiration."

I haven't got a chance to test any of the others, but I plan on trying them out sometime this afternoon. Perhaps I'll follow the examples (read shamelessly rip off) of those like rigel, captainecchi, and contradictacat and write up reviews. Also, I got four extra samples in addition to my bottle and the selection of six I ordered. The free imps include:

INCANTATION
A profound and entrancing potion. Deep, wispy, and unfathomably dark: vetiver, dark woods, crumbling and burnt black sandalwood and a drop of lemon rind.

ROSALIND
Dew-covered berries and fresh green grasses with a faint breath of spring flowers.

THE REAPER AND THE FLOWERS
A funereal bouquet laid on cemetery grass: longiflorum lilies, white rose, chrysanthemum, and carnation.

KALI
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.

Nothing I was likely to order for myself, except maybe the Reaper and the Flowers. But maybe I'll be surprised by something I'd never have thought to go for on my own.

:-) I am pleased to have my sniffies, and I'm excited to play around with them.

Well, I was just notified that the BPAL that I ordered three weeks ago was just shipped today. *Rolls eyes* And here I've been checking the mail for it. I forgot how absurdly slow that stuff is arriving. :-P

Grr. I wanna mess around with my BPAL. I wanna see if I managed to find a scent that smells like chai. Of course, the alternative is just to drink so much chai that it starts coming out of my pores. Which I can't say I'd mind doing. I'd just like to know which one of them I've got to go with.

Made a small, impulsive purchase of some BPAL scents today. Probably shouldn't have, I don't exactly need them, but I can't seem to find my bottle of Alice anymore and I loved that stuff. It was a sweet, lovely gift from rigel after the success of my larp, and even though she only picked it because of the name, it became my favorite perfume ever. Ah, Rigel, you have such very good taste. Also not-totally-necessarily, I ordered a sample package of imps-- O, Brisingamen, Bengal, Sin, Dorian, and Harlot. It'll probably take forever to get here, my other purchases did, but it'll be fun trying them out when they come.

Got back to school yesterday and to my lovely friends, my adorable boyfriend, and a pile of work. I'm into the first two, not so crazy about the third. I just finished my lunch, so I'd better get cracking. I think I'll make a list first. Monday is my freest day, so it's the best day for me to get work done. I'll kick myself if I waste it.

Got my BPAL order in today, a vial of Lyonesse, which is a nice vanilla scent. It was supposed to be for my birthday, but it's about half a month late. That's okay, it's nice to get things in the mail. It also contained two imps called Hunger and The Temptation. The former is a bit too dry for my tastes, but the latter I like a lot.

I used the last of my chai mix this morning. I am sad, as I brought it from home from the local speciality grocery store and don't know where to get more around here.

I finally got my mom's birthday present in the mail, a bottle of Kuhimo, the white tea and ginger scent from BPAL. I had no idea the delivery would take so long, given that I ordered on the 11th; I'd been hoping to have it to give to my mother on her birthday on the 22nd. She didn't end up coming for Easter weekend anyway, so I couldn't have given it to her even if it had some in. I'll just have to mail it home. Interestingly, it also came with a couple of imps-- two scents called Tombstone and All Night Long. In the imp, Tombstone is a bit harsh and All Night Long a bit sweet for my tastes, but they may mellow with wear, so I think I might try one today.

Our house meeting last night went well. Looks like we're going to get along. The only thing left to pick now is a name. :-D

Went to check my mail, hoping to find either my first paycheck or my mom's birthday present had come in, a bottle of Kuhimo, the white tea and ginger scent from BPAL. No dice on either, but I did get back my last Romanticism paper. A-, not bad, I'll take it. Nice to know that my efforts during the Work Week from Hell paid off. Still, wish I got the present or the paycheck.

Feeling a bit adrift on this paper. Jared's offered to help me if he can, but he's got an awful lot of work himself, so while I would very much like his help, I don't want to put him out.

Looking forward to BSCF tonight. The games and the company will be a welcome reprieve; I've been particularly looking forward to talking to

captainecchiabout BPAL. I just hope I'm done with things by then.

Next week should be finally be a quiet one-- should be, at any rate. It's been a real pain to have so little free time because lately I have just been overrun with ideas for larps. At the moment I have no fewer than FOUR larp concepts that I'd like to work on, both myself and with Jared, and no time to do it. When I get a bit more time to myself, I'm going to try and go at it. In addition to Men of Respect, one is another classic story reinterpretation like Alice, one is what I hope is a new, interesting spin on a popular concept, one is a possible... continuation of sorts. Won't say any more than that right now, need to develop them more before I talk about them.

Also, Jared and I have been talking about bidding Alice again for Intercon I. Concom people, would this be acceptable ettiquette, to bid it a second time? We're really buzzing to run it again, at any opportunity.

I'm looking to pick six BPAL scents to get as a package of imps for my birthday next month. If anyone would like to render an opinion on what I'm looking at, feel free to chime in. I like rose, musk, honey, bergamot, cinnamon, vanilla, black tea, apple, herbs, and spices. I'm not familiar with things like amber and myrrh, but they sound nice. I prefer soft, rich, warm smells to sharp, cool ones.

Some I'm considering:

KUMIHO
Nine-tailed fox demon of Korean lore who transforms into the visage of an irresistible beauty in order to seduce men and lead them to their doom. A sharp, biting blend of crisp white tea and ginger.

That one reminds me of my mother, who loves white tea and ginger.

PHANTOM
All look and likeness caught from earth,
All accident of kin and birth,
Had pass'd away. There was no trace
Of aught on that illuminated face,
Upraised beneath the rifted stone
But of one spirit all her own;--
She, she herself, and only she,
Shone through her body visibly.

Myrrh, dark musk, attar of rose and ylang ylang.

I love rose and musk, and I had a shampoo I liked with ylang ylang in it.

WICKED
A paean to all the Wicked Queens, Evil Stepmothers, and other misunderstood villainesses throughout history and lore. Lends an aura of majesty, refinement, strength, and a deep, brooding malice. A sophisticated, womanly scent: rich myrrh and jasmine draped in the subtlest rose.

Rose again, and I like the light sweetness of jasmine, and the myrrh I'm curious about.

INFERNO
The Dark Side of Fire: cinnamon, bitter almond, and neroli. Heavily spiced, torrid, and possibly conflagrant.

I'm looking for a spicy cinnamon scent.

BRISINGAMEN
The amber necklace of Freyja, Norse Goddess of Love, Sex, Attraction and Fruitfulness. Her magnificent necklace was bough from four Dwarves [Alfrik, Berling, Dvalin and Grer] at the price of four nights of her passion. When Brisingamen graces your throat, no man can resist your charms. A glittering mantle of rich golden notes: five ambers, soft myrtle and apple blossom, myrtle, and carnation.

Amber sounds nice, and I'd love to have apple and carnation.

DESIRE
The overwhelming agony of passion crystallized into a singularly dark and magnetic blend: bittersweet neroli, black patchouli and black musk, gilded by apple, bergamot, blood red rose, teak, and vanilla.

Bergamot, rose, apple, musk, and vanilla.

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.

I'd like a strongly vanilla scent.

HARLOT
Based on a Romany incense blend reputed to induce sexual dreams: Somalian rose, Moroccan rose and Bulgar rose with a sultry dribble of cinnamon.

Mmm, cinnamon and rose.

I'd like to walk away with a "cinnamon," an "apple," a "vanilla," and a "musk" at least.

Current Mood: contemplative

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Making an Alice lotion
Moisturized and thriving
BPAL review: The Unicorn
BPAL Review: Euphrosyne
BPAL Review: Dorian
New BPAL to play with!
BPAL Review: Mata Hari
BPAL Review: Hunger
BPAL Review: O
BPAL in!
Grr, late BPAL
Unneccesary BPAL purchase
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Entries tagged with bpal

Making an Alice lotion

Moisturized and thriving

BPAL review: The Unicorn

BPAL Review: Euphrosyne

BPAL Review: Dorian

New BPAL to play with!

BPAL Review: Mata Hari

BPAL Review: Hunger

BPAL Review: O

BPAL in!

Grr, late BPAL

Unneccesary BPAL purchase

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BPAL

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