Friday Free-for-all

[synecdochic]

Yay, the last backordered scent from my BPAL decant circle is out for delivery with the mailman! (I need to write up a step-by-step guide to everything I did this time around that made it sooooo much easier than last, in case it might be useful for others in the future.)

This post is a free-for-all for people to:

a) post links to perfume-related content they posted elsewhere (on or off DW)
b) talk about anything they want to talk about that isn't big enough for a full post
c) socialize and hang out without worrying about "off topic"
d) or anything else that comes to mind!

Comments

[lunabee34]

I am wearing Caron Pour un Homme, and it is very yummy. I love lavender; I just wish my skin didn't eat it so quickly.

[synecdochic]

Isn't it interesting how some scents just disappear on your skin? I have a few of those, and it's always the ones you love :(

[elfin]

Construction both inside and outside my office is kicking up a ton of dust and I'm so congested that I can't smell anything. Stuck my nose right in a vial of Wolf Moon and got nothing. Woe. :(

[lunabee34]

*nods*

Lavender goes really, really quickly on me.

I've got a vial of lavender essential oil, and I can get five good minutes out of an application before I'm struggling to smell it. My daughter puts some on, and she smells like lavender forever. LOL Which is probably why BPAL's Villain works so well on her; the lavender lasts.

I think if I use Aveda's Stress Fix lotion (which is lavender and clary sage) beforehand, that will up the staying power. Also, my cleavage spray got on my clothes and the fabric seems to be retaining the scent better than my skin. Maybe I just need to do a torso spray rather than wrists.

[lunabee34]

Blergh.

That sucks. And can't be good for you at all to be breathing that junk in.

Do you think you should wear a surgical mask? *Has seen too many mesothelioma commercials*

[synecdochic]

Fabric can definitely keep a scent longer -- it's not as warm, so it doesn't burn off the top notes as fast. If you really love the way it morphs on your skin, but it runs too quickly, try applying on different spots of your body, too -- well-moisturized places will hold scent longer.

Also, you can sometimes get a bit more staying power out of a perfume oil by rubbing a bit of (unscented) lotion or carrier oil (grapeseed is often the best, there; it's got the lightest scent and will stay shelf-stable for the longest) on wherever you're going to apply it, then waiting 10 minutes and applying the perfume. Dry skin eats perfume faster!

[kaberett]

Mostly this week I am deeply amused that Perfume describes ELdO's Vierges et Torreros as "Bulgari Black without the green velvet that made the original so plush."

On me, Bulgari Black spends the first five minutes smelling like I've doused myself in a bottle of very expensive vodka; the next five minutes like I decided to chase it with a bottle of very cheap vanilla essence; and the subsequent six hours smelling like vanilla cookies fresh out of the oven.

I therefore conclude that "vanilla cookies minus green velvet" smells like a three-day sex-marathon with no shower breaks.

[minim_calibre]

I have hit the stage of my life where I look in sorrow at my Comme des Garcons because they are failing to be difficult enough for me.

This may mean I require an intervention.

[kaberett]

heeeeeeeeeee

[minim_calibre]

It doesn't HELP that something about my body chemistry makes smells tame down. I swear, I could dip actual body fluids on my pulse points and they'd wind up just smelling mellow and comforting in 15 minutes.

[kaberett]

Oooooooh sounds like you are skin-twins with my girlfriend (and to a lesser extent with me).

I have found that dabbing some 4711 over the top of whatever else it is keeps it vicious for much MUCH longer than it would be left to my skin's devices on its own; she's found similar. Have you had any success with layering like that?

[synecdochic]

That's hysterical.

I forget, do you BPAL at all? If so, and if you like smoky scents, you might want to give Brimstone or Djinn a whirl, or some of the Phoenix Steamworks line. (I'd suggest Agnes Nutter, but that one has enough underlying sweetness that it'd probably go warm and snuggly on you.)

[minim_calibre]

Dune extrait + vintage Jicky extrait, weirdly. Closest to lingering filth.

I mean, Djedi keeps its smell of delightful post-coital armpit, but it's also almost impossible to find and hideously expensive, so I don't count it.

[minim_calibre]

Almost all BPALs go Yankee Candle. My best friend was sent the Only Lovers Left Alive scents to review, and would put them on me and make the o.0 face.

Luperci is the only exception, thankfully. Right now, I'm trying Odeur 53 with a small dash of Tar. I'm thinking if only I could amp it up with a little more leather, it might be nice.

[synecdochic]

Gotcha. I've found a few awesome leathery BPALs, but if what you've tried so far has gone Yankee-Candle on you, I doubt these would be much different. (Still: Iago (leather, vetiver, black musk) or Hatta (balsam, brown leather, cinnamon) -- Hatta is one of the ones sold through the Century Guild gallery, while Iago is general-catalog. I also like Severin (leather, black tea, Earl Grey) but it's discontinued and harder to find, and I think you'd probably find it too scented-candle on you. There's also Rogue (leather, hemp rope, rosin) which is also general-catalog.)

Body chemistry! Such a weird and personal thing.

[lunabee34]

Hahaha.

Skin chemistry is so weird.

[lunabee34]

I don't think it was the vintage Jicky but it was the EDP I tested, and it just smelled like innocuous powdery sweetness on me.

Have you tried Bandit?

[lunabee34]

I agree with synecdochic 're: Iago. I cannot imagine that smelling sweet or candley on anyone.

[minim_calibre]

You would be SHOCKED at what I can tame. Sécrétions Magnifique is a mellow little blossom on me.

[minim_calibre]

Bandit is pleasant but floral. These things have so much potential in the bottle, too!

[woldy]

I've got a bunch of BPAL reviews here: http://woldy.dreamwidth.org/tag/interesting+smells . The posts are flocked, but I'm happy to add people :-)

Wearing BPAL Seance this evening, which is thusfar the only rose scent I've ever liked. Usually rose smells old ladyish to me, but this is a fresh, leafy rosewood and is on its way towards seducing me into buying a bottle.

[lunabee34]

I got almost not floral off Bandit. On me, it smelled almost entirely of leather (a very true leather scent) and stale cigarette smoke. Just a waft of something sweet underneath. I'm glad to have smelled it, but I didn't like it all that much. LOL

[lunabee34]

This is your superpower! LOL

[lunabee34]

Have you tried Bess? It's the only rose BPAL I've liked so far. On me, it's a grapey rose, which sounds weird, but it keeps the rose from being cloying somehow.

[lunabee34]

*nods nods*

I've been assiduously moisturizing since I started my adventures in perfume, and that does help.

I think that part of my problem is just nose fatigue. I think my nose peters out and quits smelling stuff pretty quickly and that it's probably detectable still to other people.