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annwfynToday I am wearing Clio, which is a mostly rather nice BPAL scent. I wore it all day yesterday and loved it. It smelled, to me, of books and sandalwood, and mellow sunny afternoons in a shadowy quad, with the scent of oranges drifing in from outside. It smelled like the library of Alexandria smelled like in my mind, and I liked it.
pierot got home and I waved my wrist excitedly at him.
"Smell that!" I said.
He sniffed.
"You smell like potpourri," he said.
And now I keep smelling sodding potpourri every single time I sniff my wrist. This vexes me. I may keep going for another couple of days, to see whether the scent re-adjusts in my brain, or whether it is now stuck as 'potpourri'. It's an odd thing how other people's perceptions affect our views of things, isn't it?
I am also suspecting that Jeremiah and I have some slightly different views of how scent works. His other comment on my BPAL experiments has been that I seem to be very fond of trying to make myself smell like food, or potpourri, or incense, or any one of a number of things which he doesn't associate with people, which I think he may be finding rather disconcerting.
Anyway, while I'm writing on this subject have some more reviews...
BPAL Dublin
The site says: The scent of misty forests, damp alder leaf, and the gentlest touch of white rose.
In the bottle: Very very sweet! The rose is the strongest perfume, I think, although there’s something else…something slightly citrus-like I think.
On the wrist: Definitely floral, but a lighter floral than anything else I’ve tried from BPAL so far. I can smell the roses and the greenery now, and it is actually light enough for me to be OK with the flowers in it. It smells like the eau de toilette I used occasionally when I was about 13 and quite liked, or maybe like potpourri of some kind. It definitely reminds me of my bedroom at home, which was full of potpourri, and dried flowers and the like when I was a kid.
One hour later: Very very delicate and very soft. If this was a fabric it would be some kind of pastel coloured muslin. It has lingered, which surprises me. I thought it would fade, but instead there’s this whisp of roses around my arm. It’s a very very girlie scent, but I think I quite like it.
Final verdict: 8/10. I think I will wear this to my cousin’s wedding in June. It smells like a wedding day in a floaty dress to me!
BPAL Red Lantern
The site says: A tribute to the opium den cum bawdyhouses of Shanghai in the 1930’s. Golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium and delphinium laced with a sensual blend of Asian spice.
In the bottle: I can really smell the caramel in that! Quite a rich, sweet scent, but not unpleasant.
On the wrist: Oh that’s nice! The amber and tobacco have come out, making it a much drier scent. The only thing I’m wondering is whether this is a tiny bit masculine. I’d like to smear this on Jeremiah and see what it smells like there. It does really get across the mood thought – there is a definite smell of dubious late nights out, and bad behaviour here.
One hour later: Quite nice – it lingers pleasantly enough. I can definitely smell the tobacco still. It’s less masculine after a while – the delphinium has come out, because there are floral undercurrents. It does smell a tad like I imagine an opium den to smell like actually. I feel quite decadent wearing this!
Final verdict: 8/10. I feel rather sensual in this.
pierot got home and I waved my wrist excitedly at him."Smell that!" I said.
He sniffed.
"You smell like potpourri," he said.
And now I keep smelling sodding potpourri every single time I sniff my wrist. This vexes me. I may keep going for another couple of days, to see whether the scent re-adjusts in my brain, or whether it is now stuck as 'potpourri'. It's an odd thing how other people's perceptions affect our views of things, isn't it?
I am also suspecting that Jeremiah and I have some slightly different views of how scent works. His other comment on my BPAL experiments has been that I seem to be very fond of trying to make myself smell like food, or potpourri, or incense, or any one of a number of things which he doesn't associate with people, which I think he may be finding rather disconcerting.
Anyway, while I'm writing on this subject have some more reviews...
BPAL Dublin
The site says: The scent of misty forests, damp alder leaf, and the gentlest touch of white rose.
In the bottle: Very very sweet! The rose is the strongest perfume, I think, although there’s something else…something slightly citrus-like I think.
On the wrist: Definitely floral, but a lighter floral than anything else I’ve tried from BPAL so far. I can smell the roses and the greenery now, and it is actually light enough for me to be OK with the flowers in it. It smells like the eau de toilette I used occasionally when I was about 13 and quite liked, or maybe like potpourri of some kind. It definitely reminds me of my bedroom at home, which was full of potpourri, and dried flowers and the like when I was a kid.
One hour later: Very very delicate and very soft. If this was a fabric it would be some kind of pastel coloured muslin. It has lingered, which surprises me. I thought it would fade, but instead there’s this whisp of roses around my arm. It’s a very very girlie scent, but I think I quite like it.
Final verdict: 8/10. I think I will wear this to my cousin’s wedding in June. It smells like a wedding day in a floaty dress to me!
BPAL Red Lantern
The site says: A tribute to the opium den cum bawdyhouses of Shanghai in the 1930’s. Golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium and delphinium laced with a sensual blend of Asian spice.
In the bottle: I can really smell the caramel in that! Quite a rich, sweet scent, but not unpleasant.
On the wrist: Oh that’s nice! The amber and tobacco have come out, making it a much drier scent. The only thing I’m wondering is whether this is a tiny bit masculine. I’d like to smear this on Jeremiah and see what it smells like there. It does really get across the mood thought – there is a definite smell of dubious late nights out, and bad behaviour here.
One hour later: Quite nice – it lingers pleasantly enough. I can definitely smell the tobacco still. It’s less masculine after a while – the delphinium has come out, because there are floral undercurrents. It does smell a tad like I imagine an opium den to smell like actually. I feel quite decadent wearing this!
Final verdict: 8/10. I feel rather sensual in this.
