Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab • Perfume Oils • Fragrances

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*TOP REVIEWER* BuffyDaLipGlossEater on 12/8/2012 7:16:00 AM more reviews by BuffyDaLipGlossEater

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

Just because something isn't "mainstream" doesn't make it fake, or less than. It's just different, and there's certainly nothing wrong with different. And to be honest, some of the most interesting and nicest scents that I've found have been found in the oddest of places, whether it's the metaphysical shop or head shop. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is one of those little hidden gems, that diamond in the rough so to speak.

For me personally, I like this company. Of the products that I've gotten a chance to try, I have to say that I genuinely like what I have. I think they smell fantastic, and are very fun and daring to wear. I like everything, from the spicy sweetness of Snake Oil, all the way to the fun fruit n' booze combination of Bordello. To me, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab steps outside of the box, and I think that's worked out rather well for them.

Plus, given the fact they have 600+ scents, you're bound to find something that you like, and at $20.00 I think that's a reasonable price. The fact that these scents last so long is just an extra bonus.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Arenal on 12/1/2012 12:15:00 PM more reviews by Arenal

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

If this rating was for marketing and copywriting, I'd give BPAL 5 stars. But it's for their perfumes, so they'll get nothing close.

I fell for the BPAL hype for a while, and still own more than my share of little brown bottles (I need to get motivated and sell them to buy real perfume.) Eventually, I realized that the names and stories about the scents were far superior to the scents themselves.

Despite how industrious and hardworking Beth, et al., is, I do not consider it possible to create scents at the rate she does and keep coming up with new ideas. Some of her scents are quite nice, but the majority of the *hundreds* she offers are merely a bunch of perfume oils thrown together, accompanied by very engaging ad copy.

The bpal.org fangirls are the fiercest of fans, and will cut you low if you stray from their belief that Beth is a genius and perfumer's alcohol is evil incarnate (and the cause of all number of conditions from migraines to dermatitis). I hope they're happy with their [very expensive] little bottles, and someday take the time to educate themselves about the art an science of the "commercial" perfumery they so disdain.

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

ThedaBara on 10/15/2011 6:15:00 PM more reviews by ThedaBara

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

I have been buying from BPAL for many years, but this will be the last time I give this company any more of my money. Now, the perfumes themselves are lovely, and I have found quite a few that work wonderfully with my chemistry, and I enjoy their staying power. What's even better is how the scent of each perfume changes throughout the years, each note within the scent becoming stronger or softer. It's almost like getting a new perfume with each passing year.

It's not the product that is driving me away, in search of other perfume oil providers, it is their sub-par customer service and shipping time. It's gotten worse over the years, and the delivery time has grown twice as long. I am going through the same shipping experience as the MUA reviewer Brujeria5. CCNow states that my order shipped on the 30th of September, yet here we are in mid-October and I have not received anything. I got the same answer from BPAL customer service, blaming it all on CCNow's payment system. These perfume oils are unique, and they do leave a lasting impression on others{there are people that associate me with Haunted, my signature BPAL scent} but it is not worth the hassle you will go through in having these delivered to you in any reasonable amount of time.

8 out of 10 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* keanash on 10/2/2011 8:14:00 AM more reviews by keanash

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I have tried and loved so many oils from BPAL that it's hard to pick any favourites. Their perfumes are so richly scented, beautifully blended, and inspired. There is truly a BPAL oil for any mood, season, or occasion.

These days I wear my Chanel or Guerlain perfumes much more often, but I still reach for and enjoy my BPAL blends. I agree with other reviewers that the quality of the blends has gone down the last few years -- and I would recommend any new person to BPAL to stay away from the Limited Editions and stick to the general catalog scents, because they are not only cheaper, but a lot of the time, they are better.

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*TOP REVIEWER* slippingbeauty on 9/2/2011 2:16:00 AM more reviews by slippingbeauty

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I am not going to get all super-poetic or anything, but I will say that I adore BPAL. As a previous reviewer said, it is like art. In my experience, the fragrances are so much more real. BPAL's rose notes smell like roses. I've tried some high-end and some less expensive perfumes and they all just smell like perfume. BPAL oils smell like beautiful conglomerations of the notes that they contain. I was pretty skeptical that they could make so many blends and still come up with unique stuff, but I've sampled some things here and there across their catalog and I just love everything about this company. I think I've totally fallen out of love with Chanel and other high-end perfumers and now BPAL is my true love.

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*TOP REVIEWER* SkullGlitter on 3/26/2011 7:52:00 PM more reviews by SkullGlitter

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I've loved a lot of the scents I've tried, even if they were bad on me (skin chemistry is different for everyone) or if I was looking for something different.

Downside is that there are so many different scents! Wading through them is boggling, and unless you're looking for something specific you've got loads on the to-try list.

Favorite of all time is Xiuhtecuhtli. Copal, orange blossom, yummm!

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ThinkPink2683 on 6/5/2010 4:12:00 PM more reviews by ThinkPink2683

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I have only purchased Imps from this company, but I've purchased 15 of them now. I have yet to find a scent that I even like. They all give me a headache and most of them smell disgusting. These are not blends of natural essential oils, but blends of horrible chemical perfume scents. There is nothing natural about any of these. Even combinations that sound simple wind up smelling like garbage. If I wanted to spend money on a larger amount I would go to Walmart and buy some of their scented potpourri liquids they have. There are about 50 different scents there for $3 a bottle and I'm sure I could make something that smelled better than anything I've gotten from BPAL.

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kabarsone on 3/28/2010 4:15:00 PM more reviews by kabarsone

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I have been buying BPAL since 2004, and i still love them, but with the new price increase starting at $20.00 and up for a LE bottle, & $7.50 s&h, i will not be able to afford to buy from them anymore. I feel the same way as the other reviewer, what the hell happened to the BPAL, we all use to know and love? And the LE's can be frustrating, by the time i know which ones i like and want to buy, and save enough money for them, they are gone!! BPAL is going from a niche co. to a mainstream perfume house, what a shame, seems that money has blinded them into selling too many items, and too many perfume selections, and the perfume quality has suffered.

12 out of 13 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

argolis on 3/17/2010 2:25:00 PM more reviews by argolis

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Tried six samples and each were a total wreck - chemical, linear, flat. I don't have sensitive skin, but half of them made my skin burn, leaving red splotches on my wrists.

Haha, and it's like that Annie Hall quote: "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible...and such small portions!" They don't last on my skin for more than an hour.

People say you just have to keep trying them until you find one that works, but that is RIDICULOUS. I don't expect to love every single scent a perfumer creates, but having 90% of them be scrubbers is unacceptable.

They use cheap materials and churn out hundreds of perfumes a year and it shows.

9 out of 12 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rebdab on 5/9/2009 7:18:00 AM more reviews by rebdab

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

Well, pros and cons with this line. It's pretty cheap, reliable service, ships to Aus with no hassles, and an extraordinary array of scents to choose from. However, it took me quite a while to find some I REALLY liked, and some just smell downright musty/ depressing. My tip is to order imps of the ones you think you'll like, as it will save you a lot of money in the long run. PS Snake oil is VERY close to the old body shop vanilla perfume oil, with that balsamic dry down.

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* leah2412 on 5/3/2009 7:24:00 PM more reviews by leah2412

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I am a bit scared to give this review after reading some of the ones below, but I'm going to state my honest opinion anyway. I am brand new to the brand and was seduced by the scent descriptions from the lab and the unique website. I am all about being the different one and hoped that's what I would gain out of trying out if this brand. I wanted to find a perfume (or two) that I absolutely loved, was different than anything I'd ever worn, and people would stop me and say "oooh, what are you wearing?" I did swap (or bought from the forum) for all of my imps and decants so I can't say anything about the customer service, even though I wish I could. I got about thirty in the mail today from various swaps and buying them on the bpal forum. I have to say I am not impressed even though I wanted to be so badly. I did not expect to fall in love with every single one I got, but I did expect to really like at least a few. Out of the many I got, the highest rating I would give any of them is a 4/5 including beaver moon and white chocolate marshmallow coconut. I really loved these as soon as I put them on but the scent faded so fast I am just left with a sweet sugary scent after about 20 minutes - that's why they get a 4/5 instead of a 5. I didn't expect these to last forever, but I did expect for them to at least last a few hours! I am really disappointed that I bought the LE imps for $4 apiece on the bpal forum only to find out that I didn't like hardly any of them and the ones I did like faded so fast it wasn't worth buying them! I used the notes from all of my fav perfumes to decide which ones I would like and which ones I wouldn't, but it is still so hard to pick out a perfume you like if you can't smell it. I also found the scent descriptions to be a little deceptive. I understand that these won't smell the same on everyone and the description was just to give people a general idea of what it would smell like, but some of them were way off. I really didn't care for the imp containers either. They weren't the easiest to get open and I was scared I was going to spill the entire contents. I really prefer a container that has a sprayer but idk if you can do that with oils like these. Apparently my skin chemistry is just not compatible with this brand, which is really sad because I wanted to love BPAL!

7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

germa22 on 4/4/2009 3:49:00 PM more reviews by germa22

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I love BPAL products, they have great descriptions and have a ton of variety for you to pick. I've sampled over 100 scents and while I do discover ones that don't work for me, there are also a lot of scents that do. What I am most happy about is that BPAL never gives me a headache and has opened the world of perfume for me since I could never wear perfume before. I've found some of my most favorite scents going through their catalogue, it feeds my need to smell nice and collect things at the same time. There are two things about BPAL that turn me off. The first thing doesn't have anything to do with their product or service, it has to do with the fandom surrounding it that can be overwhelming and a little silly. You simply cannot say anything negative about the product or the retailer because the fans will rip into you. The second thing is the turn around time, it seems to be getting better though and I'm happy that they are getting better.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

funnygirl on 3/1/2009 5:27:00 PM more reviews by funnygirl

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

The TAT for this product has hovered around 2 week-4 weeks since I began purchasing a year ago. The days of a two month turnaround seem to be long gone.

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galleywest on 2/2/2009 6:47:00 PM more reviews by galleywest

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Tan   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

To be honest, I went through an OMGILUVU!!! phase with BPAL that I am glad is over. Some of the perfumes are wonderful, and yes, the selection is amazing. What's not so amazing is the overpriced shipping and the wait-time for each order. I order from other perfume etailers who also hand-blend to order and it doesn't take 2 months to ship them. This is a sticking point with me because the Lab knows the volume of orders they deal with and somehow hasn't come up with a better system for getting things out.

The main thing I can't take about BPAL is the fandom. I was a part of it, and many of the fans are wonderful people, but there is so much sugary adoration of everything Beth does that it just completely turned me off. So many people act like it's a privilege to send their money for the product offered on the site! I'm a customer, she's a business owner. That's how it works. It is nice to get frimps, but not out of the ordinary. Many other places also include freebies with orders--and I highly suspect that the frimps are of less popular scents they are trying to move, because about 80% of the ones I get tend to be downright unwearable (Sloth, anyone? I've gotten it three times now).

As for the perfume itself, I think you would be hard-pressed NOT to find something that works on you. I love the staying power of many of the oils. I couldn't wear perfume before I found BPAL (I have found others since, however) because they never stuck around on my skin. Some of her notes are really just perfect, like the pink grapefruit. And surely something will get your attention or strike your fancy, there are so many categories. You're sure to find a winner--just remember that it's a business, not your new best friend. They want your money, and you're buying a product.

28 out of 29 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

stitchtupgothgrl on 11/26/2008 6:45:00 PM more reviews by stitchtupgothgrl

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Other, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I wish I would've gotten into BPAL sooner! I have finally started writing down ALL the scents I have tried, what I like, what I hate, what I can deal with, ect. I absolutely LOVE most of the fragrances!! My absolute favorite is Urd, but I also love anything with patchouli, nag champa, vanilla, marshmellow, cherry, ect. I love the 'headshop' smell that a lot of them have, lol.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

darkhoney on 11/13/2008 10:22:00 PM more reviews by darkhoney

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Meet me over at the BPAL forums, baby. That is where all of my REAL reviews are. Mwaahhh-ahhh-ahhhh!

My true loves as Snake Oil, La Befana, Medea, and Darkness. Other loves are Mme Moriarty, Bastet, Antique Lace, Blood Kiss, and Ouija. The list really, though, goes on and on...

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persephone76 on 11/2/2008 2:22:00 AM more reviews by persephone76

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

It took me a long time to be won over by BPAL. I loved the website but was let down by too many samples I tried. While it is still true that I have more misses than hits, this is true of every perfume house I can think of. I've also got to say that I find most of my favorites are limited edition blends, by a mile. Some of BPAL's creations are truly astounding works of art and defy categorization. Case in point: the limited edition Skadi (which is sadly near impossible to find these days--you may be able to pick up a bottle on *bay for $100+)--it morphs from snow to pine to red berry over the course of several hours. Each phase is distinct, true, and in no way headshoppy or cheap smelling.

Yes, some of them are let downs, but hold out, because one of these days you'll stumble across love in a bottle.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

xjsbellamias13 on 8/23/2008 6:14:00 PM more reviews by xjsbellamias13

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

BPAL makes beautiful perfume oils that are unlike any others. I really don't see why so many people are complaining about how the smell of the oil didn't match the description exactly. The descriptions are there to envoke a certain feeling. Of course the oil isnt going to smell EXACTLY like an autumn evening or whatever. I think you would be hard pressed to find any type of scent that completely smelled like the description. I think its actually a personal thing as to what the smell envokes. I know I have a certain oil that is my ideal scent of a warm summer evening, but to my mom it smells like baby powder. Another point that many people also forget is that the oils smell different on EVERYBODY. Our skin chemistry is a finicky thing and what might smell like toilet cleaner on you might smell amazing on me. While it is true that BPAL produces a lot of musky, dark, heady scents, they also have hundreds of other kinds of scents that dont. I've learned that it is really a hit or miss and that is what makes it haf the fun of trying the unknown. I would tell anyone to try out these BPAL perume oils because, while you might have to go through 50 or even 100! different scents, when you find the perfect one its really special. BPAL oils are top notch quality and the customer service is great. People have to understand that this is a rather small business,despite such a huge following, and the owner Beth doesnt have a huge staff at her command. The turn around time did used to be slow, but it has greatly improved and it doesnt take as long to get your stuff anymore.

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Vulnavia on 8/14/2008 8:52:00 PM more reviews by Vulnavia

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

You know what's great about BPAL? The descriptions on the website. You know what's not? Nearly everything else. I stopped ordering from them over 2 years ago after poor customer service, price hikes, too-long shipping times, lack of scents that smelled ANYTHING like the descriptions i.e. what I wanted, jumbled messes in my packages with, often, no samples, and frighteningly strong, rash-inducing ingredients finally made up my mind for me. Even though the website is alluring, I now know better and won't be going back there anytime soon. Also, at least last I checked, there were members of the fan forums who truly frightened me in their rabid, slavish devotion to anything and everything Beth puts out. Lighten up, ladies and gents! It's just perfume!

18 out of 23 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* snarkyharper on 4/17/2008 12:17:00 PM more reviews by snarkyharper

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I regularly use and enjoy several BPAL oils, including Snake Oil, Sin and Perversion.
The perfumer seems to have a gift for orientals, and I feel that the very best offerings are in this category. Amber, vanilla, woods, incense and patchouli are all used to great effect, and the blends containing them are almost always a delight.
I don't think that the perfumer is quite as gifted with white florals. She seems to have an olfactory blind spot where jasmine, in particular, is concerned. Many blends containing jasmine are utterly overtaken by it, and the notes themselves are often of the 'decaying' variety, rather than fresh and true (although this may be due to artistic choice on the part of the perfumer). Some blends even specify a variety of jasmine (ie grandiflorum or sambac), but it seems to make little difference to the end result. Gardenia is unfortunately more of the same, but she does much better by lily, which is usually creamy and fresh.
BPAL does do roses well, and offers varied takes on the theme. Spellbound, Black Rose and Moonrose are memorable, and a very popular limited edition rose scent, Rose Red, is offered every year around the holidays.
The house offers limited edition scents on a regular basis, and I have noticed gourmands are often featured among these. The gourmands are nearly always very wearable and enjoyable.
I don't agree at all with reviews that mention big sillage and staying power with these oils, in fact I find the great majority to be faint shortly after application, and very fleeting. The exceptions would be among the orientals, for example Snake Oil, which has wonderful staying power. I have had good luck combining the oils with perfumers alcohol, to increase sillage.
Overall BPAL is definitely worth a try, there is surely something to please everyone in the enormous catalogue. The marketing, admittedly a bit dark and gothic, is entertaining and fun. The fan forum is enthusiastic and offers many interesting and evocative reviews of the fragrances.
I do recommend taking advantage of sample vials before commiting to bottles, as it is easy to become caught up in the lyrical blend descriptions.

18 out of 19 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No