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BPAL Reviews: Gingerbread Oudh; GB, Cacao, and Champaca; GB, Coffee Bean and Smoked Vanilla
(Finally remembering to post these about the time that I start reviewing my Lupers, oops. I imagine the Lupers will be my last order for a while? Until at least autumn next year, but I'm unsure if I'll do another cycle—I may have new purchases out of my system for a while & will be spending money on apartment things? Honestly didn't even plan to do Lupers, but I added a few blind bottles to my Yule order. Anyway!)
GINGERBREAD OUDH (LE, Yule 2018: Gingerbread Cotillion)
In vial: Lemony, not-quite-foodie gingerbread, not very sweet.
On me: Warm, slightly sweetened, lightly spiced, citrusy gingerbread, definitely the most lemony of the 2018 gingerbreads I tried. The oudh is distinct but difficult to pin down, a grounding resinous wood which develops as the scent wears: a sweet resin with a touch of wood and a breath of pine. It works well alongside the warm, smooth golden-brown of the gingerbread. It feels like a variant on the traditional Christmas spices + pine: spices which are more golden and less foodie; a pine which is more resinous and unique. But I concur that other reviews that the combo can go savory—I got more of it fresh out of the mail (so maybe aging will further tame it), but sometimes there's an impression of Indian restaurant-esque savory spices. Throw is low.
Verdict: Interesting! As noted, I imagine aging will benefit this; I like the non-traditional traditional combo. But it didn't really grab me.
GINGERBREAD, CACAO, AND CHAMPACA (LE, Yule 2018: Gingerbread Cotillion)
In vial: Dark, spicy, powdery gingerbread.
On me: Powdery, dry, sweet, spicy gingerbread + cocoa; it has a distinct "baking mix" vibe that reminds me a lot of the cocoa powder vibe I get from El Dia de los Reyes (hot cocoa with cinnamon, coffee, and brown sugar), plus the cocoa is a close dupe for that blend. Champaca come out in drydown but still takes second stage, a sweeter/more bodied/almost-woody base that grounds the powderiness a little.
Verdict: Like, not love. This goes too sweet (while still skirting foodie—it's pre-food, gingerbread dry ingredients) and too powdery.
GINGERBREAD, COFFEE BEAN AND SMOKED VANILLA (LE, Yule 2018: Gingerbread Cotillion)
In vial: Sweet, creamy, spiced coffee that I could almost read as cocoa.
On me: Warm, lightly spiced baked gingerbread against a creamy, smooth, sweet coffee. Maybe it's the vanilla which contributes that creaminess? I get nothing smoked, and the coffee definitely leans towards smooth milky Miskatonic University coffee rather than the drier roasted beans I get from blends like The Ta-Ta. I also don't get any citrus from the gingerbread, although I did fresh out of the mail—so it's probably doing subtle work in the background.
Verdict: Lightly sweet, gently spiced, cozy, surprisingly smooth (and smoother than the other Gingerbread Cotillion blends I've tried this year, which have a powdery, spicy vibe); foodie but not cloying. I like it but don't love it.
GINGERBREAD OUDH (LE, Yule 2018: Gingerbread Cotillion)
In vial: Lemony, not-quite-foodie gingerbread, not very sweet.
On me: Warm, slightly sweetened, lightly spiced, citrusy gingerbread, definitely the most lemony of the 2018 gingerbreads I tried. The oudh is distinct but difficult to pin down, a grounding resinous wood which develops as the scent wears: a sweet resin with a touch of wood and a breath of pine. It works well alongside the warm, smooth golden-brown of the gingerbread. It feels like a variant on the traditional Christmas spices + pine: spices which are more golden and less foodie; a pine which is more resinous and unique. But I concur that other reviews that the combo can go savory—I got more of it fresh out of the mail (so maybe aging will further tame it), but sometimes there's an impression of Indian restaurant-esque savory spices. Throw is low.
Verdict: Interesting! As noted, I imagine aging will benefit this; I like the non-traditional traditional combo. But it didn't really grab me.
GINGERBREAD, CACAO, AND CHAMPACA (LE, Yule 2018: Gingerbread Cotillion)
In vial: Dark, spicy, powdery gingerbread.
On me: Powdery, dry, sweet, spicy gingerbread + cocoa; it has a distinct "baking mix" vibe that reminds me a lot of the cocoa powder vibe I get from El Dia de los Reyes (hot cocoa with cinnamon, coffee, and brown sugar), plus the cocoa is a close dupe for that blend. Champaca come out in drydown but still takes second stage, a sweeter/more bodied/almost-woody base that grounds the powderiness a little.
Verdict: Like, not love. This goes too sweet (while still skirting foodie—it's pre-food, gingerbread dry ingredients) and too powdery.
GINGERBREAD, COFFEE BEAN AND SMOKED VANILLA (LE, Yule 2018: Gingerbread Cotillion)
In vial: Sweet, creamy, spiced coffee that I could almost read as cocoa.
On me: Warm, lightly spiced baked gingerbread against a creamy, smooth, sweet coffee. Maybe it's the vanilla which contributes that creaminess? I get nothing smoked, and the coffee definitely leans towards smooth milky Miskatonic University coffee rather than the drier roasted beans I get from blends like The Ta-Ta. I also don't get any citrus from the gingerbread, although I did fresh out of the mail—so it's probably doing subtle work in the background.
Verdict: Lightly sweet, gently spiced, cozy, surprisingly smooth (and smoother than the other Gingerbread Cotillion blends I've tried this year, which have a powdery, spicy vibe); foodie but not cloying. I like it but don't love it.
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I was wondering if you'd be interested in receiving my BPAL discards? I haven't bought anything new in a few years (five, more?) so my collection is pretty out of date, but that also means I haven't done anything to offload my discards in a long time, and they should have a good home to go to!
I'd be happy to shop my collection for you and make some best guesses at your taste, or to just send you the lot, which might be easier on my end. Our tastes are pretty different, so there's probably a ton of musky/spicy/heavy things in there that won't work for me, but plenty of the discards ended up in there because they were floral gifts with purchase & not for me. I did a very cursory glance; I think there's ~75 imps and maybe one or two bottles, 99% BPAL, mix of general catalog and limited edition, and the LEs are mostly Yules & Halloweenies.
Some disclaimers: No worry if you're not interested! Seriously. I'm certain many of them won't work out. I'll try to be smart in packing, but don't have fancy materials so something could leak in shipping. Lots of these are gifts with purchase or were passed on by friends, so "do you want 75 imps??" is actually not as big and fancy as it sounds, haha.
I can be contacted on DW messages or at juushika AT gmail DOT com, if you're interested! It would be my pleasure.
no subject
I can email you with my address, and please also let me know if there's anything I can do for/give to you, or at least let me pay for postage.