Mmmmm...I smell good.

[palsgraf_polka]

I decided I needed some new scents to wear as my current bottle of Shalimar was getting a bit old and funky So I decided to branch out a bit and experiment.

I had seen Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab mentioned before, and decided to try them out.

http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/

I decided to buy Absinthe and Belle Epoque. They arrived on Saturday during evacuation, so I just got them this morning.

The Belle Epoque is what I'm wearing now; it smells sort of like a head shop, a mish-mash of different incenses. Absinthe smells like black licorice and some other interesting scents.

They also included free samples (which frankly were all something I would never wear - Velvet, Seance, Thorns and Amsterdam).

I like the two I bought, but I worry about buying from them in the future because I can't smell them first.

Comments

[scarybaldguy.livejournal.com]

I have several BPAL scents. Don't worry if you get one you don't like; just join their forum and someone will buy it.

[palsgraf-polka.livejournal.com]

Ok, cool. Yes, someone mentioned them in some other group then I remembered you buying some a while back (was one Leather scented?). I like the two I bought. The four samples I got were really weird though.

[skywhisperer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thimk there's an LJ community that trades around those samples - you can probably swap them for something you'd like better.

[kittylitter1.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't worry too much about buying without sniffing; there is a pretty active resale market on eBay, on BPAL.org, and here. I can swap you samples if you would like - there are quite a few where I have more than one. Remind me to show you my 300+ bottle collection sometime. :-)

Actually, that's part of the thrill for some folks.. A ":safe flirtation"

[capybyra.livejournal.com]

The anticipation. The rush of expectations. And the times of Wow alternating with ehh but in "safer" fashions than random bar pickups. The scentual equal of that Joni Mitchell song about bar pickups was the memory entanglement BPAL has for me from someone who dasn't know I do elljay but resells the stuff at a local swap meet...

You go down to the pick up station
Craving warmth and beauty
You settle for less than fascination
A few drinks later you're not so choosy
When the closing lights strip off the shadows
On this strange new flesh you've found
Clutching the night to you like a fig leaf
You hurry
To the blackness
And the blankets
To lay down an impression
And your loneliness.

* "Down to You" from Court and Spark" *

[nurzrachet.livejournal.com]

Hmmmmmm, Shalimar. This black guy I used to work with a long time ago gave me a bottle for my birthday. I thought it was such an exotic scent and can still recognize it a mile away.

[palsgraf-polka.livejournal.com]

I love it. It's just too expensive right now. Maybe after the summer I'll buy a bottle. I've been wearing it for about 15 years.