This is not helping my need for instant gratification....

[corilannam]

A question for the BPAL addicts among you --

So I finally took the plunge and ordered some stuff from BPAL, because their Wanderlust collection sounded really nifty, and I figured it was a small investment on the chance I might actually find a scent I liked and maybe wasn't allergic to.

And this morning I came into work and found my package from them waiting for me. Almost exactly two months after I ordered it.

Is this time lag normal for BPAL? Is it just because I was ordering samples? Or is it always like that, and if so, how do you cope when you're actually into the stuff? 'Cause damn, I've had entire fandoms go by faster than that.

Comments

[meyerlemon.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure that's normal! It seems like a very small boutique operation, so I think the time lag is due to labor issues.

Most people don't actually order their samples from the Lab, as far as I can tell! You can swap other folks for ones you want to try, or buy them on eBay or here on LJ at the various BPAL communities, and then buy big bottles directly from the Lab, when the 2-month wait isn't as awful. :)

[marzilla.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, I see now! I knew it was slow, I was just thinking more in terms of weeks rather than months. But that makes sense!

Now that I have a few to swap, I'll definitely be checking out the swapping communities to see what else I can get.

Thanks for the info!

[nnaylime.livejournal.com]

That's the normal time lag, yes. I think they're hit hard because they process everything by hand and because they never had any idea how quickly they would take off.

There are trading boards on LJ and elsewhere and you can buy on eBay.

Funny you should mention that today because I spilled almost an entire imp of Eris (which I really like) all over myself on the train today . . .

If you come to fannish Thanksgiving this year, I'll let you sniff Samhain, and if you like it, it's yours, because it didn't work for me. I tend to order as soon as my previous order comes in, and that helps me space them out but still keep a semi-constant supply at hand.

[marzilla.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yeah, that's why I decided against opening them up and sniffing them in the office. I just know I'd end up spilling one of them all over me, and then I'd be explaining it for the rest of the day.

And cool, thanks! Hopefully by Thanksgiving I'll have figured out what I'm doing with this stuff. *g*

[deejay.livejournal.com]

Ohhhh, yes. My first shipment took exactly 7 weeks to arrive. It's actually faster to buy/swap via the BPAL forums. A personal fave place is alchemylab (my BPAL nick over there is "ladybladethrust").

*goes back to nose-buried-in-wrist routine due to fresh application of Pele*

Re:

[marzilla.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll definitely be checking out that community - it sounds much more efficient.

[elishavah.livejournal.com]

Definitely normal.

Best thing to do is read this FAQ that Sophia put together the other month. And also, while everyone gets different reactions/scents from the oils, reading other people's descriptions helps. I've got a bunch of them in my memories, and my own under my BPAL tag, if you want to get a feel.

[marzilla.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks! I read the FAQ and I now feel much more smarter about the whole thing. *g* And I have been reading a lot of reviews, which have been very interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing how my impressions of what I got compare with others'.

[kris4n6.livejournal.com]

*blink*

I had to check the username twice. ;)

Wow, I had no idea you even knew what BPAL was! The girls over at the Lush forum are positively bonkers over it - I'll have to bring you to a get-together some time, because some of them bring in like BAGS of BPAL for others to sniff.

And yes, that is normal - although apparently Beth (the owner) has now hired some more help, so it should be getting out faster now.

What'd you get? What scents are in Wanderlust?

Totally not on purpose, but my favorite scent is Old London/London. It's a rosy scent. :)

[marzilla.livejournal.com]

How can anyone *not* know what BPAL is these days? *g*

The Wanderlust scents looked very cool, which is what finally tipped me over the edge into buying some. http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/wanderlust.html

I got Baghdad, Athens, Cairo (I think), Delphi (I think), New Orleans (I think), and London (of course *g*). Between the name and the fact that it's rose-based, I had to get London. Can't wait to smell it!

[kris4n6.livejournal.com]

How can anyone *not* know what BPAL is these days? *g*

This is the first I've heard of BPAL in a non-Lush related area, seriously. No wonder they're so busy....

I got Baghdad, Athens, Cairo (I think), Delphi (I think), New Orleans (I think), and London (of course *g*). Between the name and the fact that it's rose-based, I had to get London. Can't wait to smell it

I *really* love London - I made sugar scrubs with a bit of it last year. I've been wanting to buy a 5 or 10ml bottle, but I didn't want to wait so long. I keep looking around for people swapping it instead. ;)