BPAL Reviews

[brigdh]

Kathmandu
Website Description: A 'Wanderlust' scent. "The scent of sacred incense swirling up the steep slopes to Swayambhunath Stupa. Saffron, blessed sandalwood, Himalayan cedar and the miraculous lotus of the Buddha with chiuri bark and Nepalese spices."
In Vial: A wood scent, with a slight citrus tang to it. Very cedar-y.
Wet: A very sugar/citrus scent. I have no idea what this could be... it reminds me of something, but I can't quite place it. Maybe candied orange peels? Anyway, very quickly, the cedar reappears in the background. Wait- I've figured out the scent! It's ginger candy. I suppose that's supposed to be the "Nepalese spices". After about five minutes, an evergreen/pine scent appears and starts to take over. Now there's something that smells like mint in the background. This goes through a lot of changes!
Dry: But unfortunately, it doesn't seem to last very long. (Though granted, it's super hot today, so I was probably sweating a lot). It's completely gone within an hour or two.



Les Bijoux
Website Description: An 'Ars Amatoria' scent.
"My well-beloved was stripped. Knowing my whim,
She wore her tinkling gems, but naught besides:
And showed such pride as, while her luck betides,
A sultan's favored slave may show to him.

When it lets off its lively, crackling sound,
This blazing blend of metal crossed with stone
Gives me an ecstasy I've only known
Where league of sound and lustre can be found.

She let herself be loved: then, drowsy-eyed,
Smiled down from her high couch in languid ease.
My love was deep and gentle as the seas
And rose to her as to a cliff the tide.

My own approval of each dreamy pose,
Like a tamed tiger, cunningly she sighted:
And candour, with lubricity united,
Gave piquancy to every one she chose.

Her limbs and hips, burnished with changing lustres
Before my eyes, clairvoyant and serene,
Swanned themselves, undulating in their sheen;
Her breasts and belly, of my vine the clusters,

Like evil angels rose, my fancy twitting,
To kill the peace which over me she'd thrown,
And to disturb her from the crystal throne
Where, calm and solitary, she was sitting.

So swerved her pelvis that, in one design,
Antiope's white rump it seemed to graft
To a boy's torso, merging fore and aft.
The talc on her brown tan seemed half-divine.

The lamp resigned its dying flame. Within,
The hearth alone lit up the darkened air,
And every time it sighed a crimson flare
It drowned in blood that amber-coloured skin.
Skin musk and honey, blood-red rose, orange blossom, white peach, red apple, frankincense and myrrh."
In Vial: I get a strong scent of fresh apple, with a very faint background note of something smoky or incense-y.
Wet: It quickly turns to what I think must be the rose, though it reminds me a lot of amber. It's a very faint scent, the sort you wouldn't notice consciously, but that's there underneath the level of awareness. After a few minutes it fades into a fruit/citrus/honey combination, which I'm sure is quite pretty, but I am really not a fan of fruity scents, so I'm hoping the honey and musk come out.
Dry: The faint fruit scent lasts for fairly long, but eventually it becomes an absolutely gorgeous skin musk, with just a hint of smokiness/incense. Really nice. (Also, Racheline approves.) A really long lasting scent, too, you could still smell this clearly by nighttime.



Madrid:
Website Description: A 'Wanderlust' scent. "Swarthy and vibrant! An elegant, full-bodied scent that ignites all the darkest passions. Bold red wine, mimosa, and a trickle of clove."
In Vial: HONEY. Very thick, super sweet honey. Nom. There's a faint note of something a little more bitter... wine, maybe.
Wet: Honey-wine! Which is basically my favorite scent ever (see Athens, Hetairae). This one has something sharper about than the others, possibly cloves. It's much more in your face and aggressive than the others. However, the honey disappears quickly and it becomes very strong red wine.
Dry: Loud, sweet red wine. A lot of other reviews have said sangria, and yeah, I have to agree with that. I wish it had kept the honey (which I guess is actually mimosa); I loved the way the first splash of it smelled. Interesting, definitely, but I think not for me.

Comments

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

Yay, BPAL! I'm glad you enjoyed.

I have a mostly full 5ml of Les Bijoux kicking around that I don't wear much (it's delicious but smells too close to my favorite perfume for winter (http://www.nstperfume.com/2007/09/20/givenchy-organza-indecence-perfume-review/), so I rarely wear it), so if you'd like it, I will send it your way.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

So sorry for not replying to these for ages!

Thanks sincerely for the BPALs; I love to wear them and try out all sorts of new scents. And if you're really not using it, I'd totally love more the Les Bijoux! <3<3<3