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Notes we like

Looking over reviews, trying to make a little sense of the notes we like/don't like, for future ordering reference. Likes Apple (especially apple cider-type notes) Musk Tobacco Vanilla/Tonka Amber Leather Chocolate Almond/Buttercream Rum Spices Fig Pepper Honeysuckle Vetiver Sandalwood Ginger Clove Dislikes Gardenia Violet Lavender (if strong) Rose (if strong; my skin tends to amp rose so it kills every other note) Almost anything super floral Sometimes Work, Sometimes Don't Myrrh Jasmine

August 9, 2008

Reviews of a few recent swaps & frimps

LUPERCIPiss off, Saint Valentine! Lupercalia is an ancient Roman celebration, held on February 15th, that kicked in the advent of Spring with a very, very festive purification, fertility and sexuality ritual. The ritual began near the cave of Lupercal on the Palatine, an area sacred to Faunus, as well as Ruminia, Romulus and Remus. During Lupercalia, Vestal Virgins first made offerings of sacred cakes to the fig tree under which the she-wolf suckled the Sacred Twins. A dog and two goats were then offered in sacrifice to Faunus. The blood of the sacrifice was smeared onto two naked patrician youths, who were assisted by the Virgins, and the blood was wiped clean with sacred wool dipped in milk. The youths donned the skins of the sacrificial goats, wielding whips made from the goat skins, and then led the priests and the Virgins around the pomarium, and around the base hills of Rome. This was a ceremony of great happiness and merriment, and was of particular interest to young women: being touched by the goat-whips young men that led the procession ensured their fertility in the coming year. It is believed that, after the initial rite, male participants would draw the name of an available maiden, with whom he spent the rest of the night. This scent is for the Luperci, the Chosen of Faunus, the Brothers of the Wolf: raw, down and dirty patchouli, Gurjam balsam, and essence of Sampson Root sweetened with the heightened sexuality of beeswax, virile juniper, oakmoss, ambrette seed over honey and East African musk. In the bottle, this is a very green scent. Sort of pine-y, but not Pine Sol. Must be the juniper. I get a tiny bit of the beeswax, a little musk. It's earthy and complex. A little hard to describe. On wet, the musk is more apparent. The earthiness remains, and the juniper is more subtle. As it dries, this becomes quite subtle. Ben says it's very complementary/similar to my natural scent. It doesn't disappear, though. This is a good one. Subtle and natural. PHANTASMThis delicate, spectral perfume gives rise to an eerie distortion of of the senses. It bestows an ephemeral, ghostly, and truly haunting quality to your presence. Green tea, lemon verbena, jasmine and neroli. This is very true to the Lab's description. Green tea, lemon verbena and jasmine all the way. It's quite pretty. It also stays quite true on, but wet and dry. When dry, the lemon verbena is definitely the top note. I like it. THE BOW AND CROWN OF CONQUESTAnd I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. Nobility and haughtiness befitting the Antichrist: sage, carnation and cedar with lavender, vanilla, white musk and leather. You definitely get the cedar and vanilla from this, with a touch of leather. A little cinnamon too; there's some spiciness. On Ben, this is a bit too generic-men's-cologne. Like, "Oh, it's men's cologne. That's nice." On me, it's spicy and interesting at first, but then it kind of disappears. PENNY DREADFULAlso called Gallows Literature. A dime novel rife with melodrama, horror, madness and cruelty; a ten cent analogy of vice and virtue in conflict. Soft perfume evocative of noir heroines over rich red grave loam. Caramel corn and tobacco. Earthy, with a very subtle floral note of the kind I like — not too sweet. On, the tobacco is stronger at first, but balances out after a couple minutes. The floral is even more subtle, but still present. Stays pretty true to bottle scent. I like this one a lot. TAVERN OF HELLSometimes I would venture from my sepulchre to the jazz of night Paris, where having gathered the colours, I would think them over in front of the fire. I could be seen walking through a funeral corridor of my house and descending down a black spiral of steep stairs; rushing underground to Montmartre, all impatience to see the fiery rubies of the Moulin Rouge cross. I wondered thereabouts, then bought a ticket to watch frenzied delirium of feathers, vulgar painted lips and eyelashes of black and blue. Naked feet, and thighs, and arms, and breasts were being flung on me from bloody-red foam of translucent clothes. The tuxedoed goatees and crooked noses in white vests and toppers would line the hall, with their hands posed on canes. Then I found myself in a pub, where the liqueurs were served on a coffin (not a table) by the nickering devil: "Drink it, you wretched!" Having drunk, I returned under the black sky split by the flaming vanes, which the radiant needles of my eyelashes cross-hatched. In front of my nose a stream of bowler hats and black veils was still pulsing, foamy with bluish green and warm orange of feathers worn by the night beauties: to me they were all one, as I had to narrow my eyes for insupportable radiance of electric lamps, whose hectic fires would be dancing beneath my nervous eyelids for many a night to come. White gardenia, ambergris bouquet, lavender fougere, orange blossom, melissa, tobacco flower, coriander, ebony wood, ylang ylang, absinthe and aged whiskey. In the bottle, flowers, smoke, and maybe a hint of the absinthe. It's complex and interesting. On wet, it's immediately over-the-top floral (and not in a good way). This does not improve when dry. Sadly, just doesn't work on me. CTHULUIf I say that my somewhat extravagant imagination yielded simultaneous pictures of an octopus, a dragon, and a human caricature, I shall not be unfaithful to the spirit of the thing. A pulpy, tentacled head surmounted a grotesque and scaly body with rudimentary wings... It represented a monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind. This thing, which seemed instinct with a fearsome and unnatural malignancy, was of a somewhat bloated corpulence... A creeping, wet, slithering scent, dripping with seaweed, oceanic plants and dark, unfathomable waters. This scent is really hard to describe. It's definitely a "wet" scent, and I get the water plants. Maybe a hint of citrus. It's kind of seaweedy, but not in a beachy way. On, it's pretty much the same. Not really for me.

August 8, 2008

OCM & Me

Still Getting Results

August 15, 2008 I increased the castor oil and increased my massage time to eight minutes. The pores on my nose are a lot better and I've had more plugs come loose, but a few small bumps came up on my jaw line. Those were gone in a day or so, though. I’m assuming the bumps may have appeared due to some OCM "purging period" I've heard about. Whatever the reason I hope the bumps are only a temporary side-effect and not a precursor to something worse.

Archaic Smile

August 8, 2008

OCM & Me

Gotta Love Those Hormones

August 8, 2008 On Monday I developed a couple of premenstrual zits that were gone by Wednesday. I’m reluctant to attribute it to OCM, but it is unusual for me to get rid of hormonal breakouts so quickly - especially big and painful ones. My only other issue this week may be a small stubborn area of blocked pores on my nose. Tonight I’m planning on adding a teaspoon of castor oil to my OCM mix to see if that might help the problem. Hopefully it will be a small enough amount not to dry my skin out, but big enough to have an effect on the blocked pores. Otherwise... The oil is still in check and my pores still look smaller than they did before I started OCM.

Archaic Smile

August 8, 2008

OCM & Me

My First Entry

The Basics… The Oil Cleansing Method is a skin care system for cleansing the face using a natural “carrier” oil, such as extra virgin olive oil or jojoba oil, and castor oil; castor oil being the most important in OCM because of its cleansing properties. Beginners often start out with a mixture of half extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and half castor oil. However, because castor oil can be very drying it’s often suggested that a ratio of 3 parts carrier oil to 1 part castor oil be used in the beginning. Once some experience is gained with the cleansing method, the oil mixture can be tweaked based on skin type and personal preference. Examples of other carrier oils that can be used with the castor oil are: almond, sunflower seed, and avocado. The “Cleansing Method” itself is typically done once a day in the evening: • Pour a small puddle of oil mixture (the size of a quarter; more if preferred) into the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together to warm the oil then smooth over your face. • Massage the oil into your face using slow, firm circular motions across your skin. This removes makeup, dirt, and other impurities, so it’s not necessary to wash your face beforehand or use a make-up remover. Do this for 4 to 5 minutes focusing on areas prone to excess oil, blackheads, acne, etc. • Once you’ve completed massaging the oil into your skin, take a warm steamy washcloth and hold it to your face; leave it there until it cools. Wipe your face gently, rinse the washcloth, and repeat this step until the oil residue is removed. • You can then use a toner (if preferred) and moisturize with your favorite moisturizer. For those who want a complete explanation of the Oil Cleansing Method please check out this website. A little bit about my skin… I’ve been frustrated for years with excessive oil and large pores across the bridge of my nose and forehead. To combat the slick I tried just about every over the counter oil reducing, pore minimizing and refining, skin stripping acid in a bottle treatment I could get my hands on. All of which would work for a short and often uncomfortable period then it was back to blotting oil and repairing the damage that the commercial treatments left behind. After so many trials with disappointing results I eventually gave up altogether and stayed with a routine of gentle cleansing, moisturizing with a good noncomedogenic moisturizer, and keeping the make-up as light as possible with just a little liquid foundation and talc free powder. This worked OK, but not as well as I would have liked. There had to be something better, and if possible, something more natural and less stressful for my skin. Discovering OCM… The 1st of July I was online searching for natural moisturizers when I came across the Oil Cleansing Method website. I googled OCM and found an amazing amount of blogs, message board threads, videos on YouTube, and health articles all dedicated to this “natural and simple cleansing method.” The idea that OCM could actually be beneficial to my skin’s overall health and reduce the amount of oil it produces sounded promising, and after taking some time and reading everything I could on the method, I decided to give it a try. The beginning of my nightly ritual… Thursday July 10, 2008 The oil mixture I began with was 3 parts extra virgin olive oil to 1 part castor oil (The castor oil I found in a local health food store). I followed all the steps I listed above massaging my face 5 minutes, then steaming it with a washcloth 4 to 5 times, and following that with a toner I blended of half witch hazel half green tea. When I started I was skeptical of the claims that I read about “plugs” becoming dislodged from the pores during the massage step, but that’s exactly what happened. As I worked on my nose and cheeks I felt these tiny hard particles slowly appear under my fingers. After steaming and toning my skin looked and felt smooth and soft. I had fewer blackheads and my pores, though still big, looked a lot better. It was a surprisingly good result for a first try, but the big test was seeing what would happen after doing OCM consistently for an entire week. Thursday July 17, 2008 I expected the usual irritation and/or breakouts after I try something new for a while, but my face still looked and felt smooth and healthy. The pores were a lot less noticeable, especially on my nose, but the best result was my skin seemed to be producing less oil. Usually by the afternoon my make-up would be gone and I’d look like a glazed donut, but this time all I had was a little shine across my nose and forehead everyday by late afternoon. So far so good, but one part of my OCM routine had to change - the olive oil. It was a little too thick for my liking and because I’d heard so many people with oily skin praising the benefits of using jojoba in OCM I thought it was a good time to switch. The benefits of jojoba: It has antimicrobial properties, which means it discourages the growth of some bacterial and fungal microbes that attack the skin.
The chemical composition of jojoba closely resembles that of the skin’s natural sebum, so it is easily absorbed and rarely causes allergic reactions, even in the most sensitive individuals.
Because the structure of jojoba oil so closely resembles natural sebum jojoba oil can prevent the skin from becoming too oily.
My OCM mixture went from a heavy blend of olive oil to something a little more light and workable. I also reduced the amount I made since the shelf life for jojoba (3 to 4 months stored in a cool dark place) is shorter than olive oil and a little more expensive. I now blend 4 Tbsp of jojoba and 2 Tbsp of castor oil in an amber apothecary bottle with a dropper top. The dropper works great for controlling the amount I dispense each time so nothing goes to waste. The difference the change in oils has made on my face is not significant, but it is a lot easier to remove the jojoba during the steam process. And even though olive oil worked just as well, I don’t get that weird feeling that I’m rubbing salad dressing on my face anymore. Why blog about it? Tuesday July 29, 2008 Almost two weeks later and I’ve decided to write my weekly experiences down to keep track of my progress and setbacks (if any *fingers crossed*) with OCM. This is the first time I’ve used a skin care regime that might actually have better than expected long term results. That said… This is by no means an endorsement of OCM or a conclusive How To. OCM might not fit the needs of everyone because clearly every one of us has different skin types and health requirements, different lifestyles, and different demands on our time. I’m no authority on the subject and would caution anyone to look into OCM more carefully before they try it themselves.

Archaic Smile

August 8, 2008

heartbreakangel's Blog

Good grief...

I've come to realize over the week I've spent where I'm currently at, that I was totally correct in taking my engagement ring off. On one hand, it's a horrible feeling. On the other, I feel totally vindicated about a lot of things. Most of this trip has been spent listening to my ex complain about how sore she is, while asking her why, exactly, she hasn't been addressing this properly with anyone aside from the doctor at the pain management clinic, who she's also only giving about a quarter of the story to. I get blank looks, a hung head, and silence as a reply, as she knows I know she's going "Oh, but I feel great, so I don't need to do any exercises to keep things from getting stiff, and I don't need to try anything new with meds, and I don't think it's that bad", then coming back here and making huge issues out of things she didn't bother getting looked in on two hours prior at the doc's office. Yet, as usual, if I state that my calves are awfully stiff from walking up and down the steps on the hill to the dock eight times in a row because she's forgotten things, or we've just gone down there so much over the course of the day, I get looked at like I'm nuts for not taking pain meds and spending the rest of the day in bed. Sure. I'll get right on that. Because I can't possibly feel okay enough to do other stuff around here. I've also stopped buying into how horrid her stomach issues are, since she's displayed her knack of "forgetting" to eat, which makes it worse. So long as she consumes food throughout the day, her GERD and assorted problems that require more pills seem to not kick up much at all. Hrm. Curious how this works. Also curious how the doctors told her that this is how it would go, and again, she didn't listen. I also found out I've been lied to again about the back surgery. Now the official story is that she does need it, but that the surgeon is so concerned that she's dropped so much weight that he's afraid to put her under for it until she gains some back. She's not making an effort with this, for God only knows WHAT reason, because her "stomach gets upset" if she eats too much. Usually after she forgets to eat all frigging day, because she can't be bothered to get out of bed due to being "too sore" to walk over into the main house on the property to get something thrown in the microwave. Yet with me here, she's eating like a horse and hasn't gotten as sick as she's claimed she does. I smell something rotten in Denmark, here. So glad this isn't my permanent problem. Jesus. I'd go insane. It's also a very telling thing when two different family friends have been here, and instead of asking Chris how she's feeling, they've asked me what's going on. Things like how her appetite's been, how sore she's been, if she's taking her meds on time and properly, how much she's doing around here, if she's keeping the cabin clean, etc. I can safely say the cabin is a fucking sty (she cleaned one table when I pressed the issue, and hasn't touched the rest since...it's been a week, I'm pissed, and I'm not doing it for her again), she's taking her meds without fail because she knows I won't allow her to BS me on it, her activity level's been pretty high, and she's been eating when I make her sit her ass down in a chair to consume food, instead of letting her lollygag around the house while her plate of it gets cold after I've cooked a meal. Even then, she'll typically get four bites in, start making faces, and I have to sit there staring at her and telling her to stop talking so much, because she needs to eat. But, like I've been told by my father and a friend that both sat me down to hammer all of this home to me before we got too deep in wedding planning, I can't fix this if she doesn't want it to be fixed. It's slowly becoming a fixture of the "not my problem" section of my brain. No matter how many times I tell her I'm concerned, it's going to be blown off. Likely until something either lands her in the hospital and it's too late to do much about it, or until it puts her in a box in the ground. It really sucks. Especially since I have this whole "I must fix this wounded person" mentality, and have since as far back as my parents can recall. There's just...no fixing someone that doesn't want to be fixed. So for the next week that I'm up here, as I got my period and I am not doing a 12 hour drive home from Ontario, even if I split it into two day, with migraines and cramps sitting on top of the general aches and pains I always have, I'm just not going to let it get to me. I'm going to spend time on the dock in the sun, I'm going to go walk around town with her and whatnot like we always used to when I'd come up, and I'm going to just make sure she eats once or twice a day. As usual. Otherwise? My hands are tied. I've tried. It's all I can do. Oh, and the festival I came up for? I might as well have not bothered. The city has done a fantastic job of fucking it up over the past three years. Where we used to spend hours upon hours down at the midway years ago, this weekend we were there for about an hour and a half. The games were crappy, nobody was around, they had something like 8 vendor tents when they usually have something that looks like a tent city going on down on the fields, and just... I don't get how it got this bad. Yet the city is calling it a success. Riiiight. No problem.

heartbreakangel

August 5, 2008

The Blood Garden

The Blood Garden: Blood accord, bitter clove, English ivy, Tempranillo grape, red currant, oak, leather, blackberry leaf, and ginger lily. In the imp: Dark, dry, sort of incense? On me: It blooms!! Blood accord seems to be the base. The tempranillo grape and red currant sweeten up the dryness of the oak and leather, which I cannot detect once it's on my skin. Oh, and blackberry too! This is so dark and yummy. A must have.

August 4, 2008

The Torture Queen

The Torture Queen: White amber, vanilla musk, white tea, ambergris, gardenia, and chrome. In the imp: With such a name I was expecting a dark scent, but this is light and bright. It is a beautiful blend of tea, gardenia, and ambergris. On me: A very fresh scent. I get a hint of ambery vanilla? The Gardenia and white tea are prominent and do smell lovely together. Unfortunately my skin seemed to love it, so it swallowed up the scent very quickly. Throw was light. I'm on the fence on this - I wish it had more staying power.

August 4, 2008

The Grindhouse

The Grindhouse: Florentine iris, red musk, mimosa, magnolia, Damascus rose, clove, and vanilla bean. In the imp: OMG it is love at first sniff. A lot of musky mimosa, and some yummy magnolia to blend in beautifully. All of this is softened up by the vanilla. On me: Wet, I smelled like a sexy dirty brothel - love! And then it goes limp. It has a very light throw, and loses the muskiness that I loved in the imp so much. I get very faint vanilla and gardenia, maybe a bit of musk, but I can hardly tell. This was very disappointing.

August 4, 2008

Stormclouds Over the Midway

Stormclouds Over the Midway: Thunder-charged ozone, plum-colored incense smoke, opium tar, and wormwood. In the imp: dark, broody, incensey. On me: Midnight on the Midway's more sinister cousin. The incense is sweet with the plum, but it gets all dirtied up by the opium tar and wormwood. This is a dark burgundy feeling scent. It has a pretty strong through and very good staying power. It's what I wanted Blood Phoenix to be, and has a similar feel to Midnight Kiss. This is definitely a must have!!

August 4, 2008

Inferno

INFERNOThe Dark Side of Fire: cinnamon, bitter almond, and neroli. Heavily spiced, torrid, and possibly conflagrant. After reading the reviews of Inferno, I tested this one carefully. Luckily for me, I don't seem to have a problem with the cinnamon. In the bottle (and on wet), this is definitely an inferno. Like red hots. Once I give it awhile to dry, however, it mellows considerably and I get this nice cinnamon-almond-smoke scent. I like it.

July 31, 2008

Chaos Theory II: The Butterfly Effect CCXXXIV (234)

Reviewed 07/29/2008 CCXXXIV (234) In the imp: Spearmint, and nothing but. Wet: I could have sworn I just swiped some perfume on...where did it go? Dry: Oh, there it is. This got very faint for a few minutes then came back. This is pretty much a spearmint single note. It's got a much stronger throw than the normal lab mints, and it lasts a good, long time. Verdict: I should have known from the number (I love sequential numbers like 234!) that this would be lovely. I think I'd like to layer this with MB: Tokyo Stomp or one of the Lick It line.

July 30, 2008

Hoyden's BPALog

Madame Tracy

Pah. My stupid skin turns rose (especially pink and red roses) into nasty, sour rotten dead things. Why are florals so difficult for me? It was pretty in the imp - and there it will stay. /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ THE REVIEW/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/THE OTHER (irrelevant) THOUGHTS\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ sniff. my name is tracy (well, tracEy). I am stout and middle aged. Dominatrix is my dream job ------- If ever a scent description captured my imagination, it was this one, so why why why can't this work for me. stupid vile skin.

TPOD

July 30, 2008

Chaos Theory IV update!

Asked my husband to try Chaos Theory IV (CLII) today, and as I suspected, it totally works for him. My bottle is quite masculine, with quite a bit of leather and tobacco, as well as cinnamon and other spices. Very nice.

July 29, 2008

All Night Long and Twilight

ALL NIGHT LONGAs if the name didn't spell it out for you. This blend relieves all sexual inhibitions by simultaneously relaxing and arousing. I really wanted to like this one, so I gave it a couple of tries. In the bottle, I get a lot of cinnamon, and maybe a little cedar. The combination is nice. On me, however, it's not very nice. While I still get the cinnamon, it's underlaid by this powderiness that's just not cool. TWILIGHTAn enigmatic, otherworldly scent, brimming with power and mystery. Lavender and jasmine, with a touch of glowing honeysuckle. In the bottle, you definitely get lavendar and jasmine. It's very pretty. On me, however, it just smells like Pine Sol. Anyone want to trade for either of these?

July 29, 2008

Irrelevant and Disturbing Surreal Crawdad Dream

An irrelevant, disturbing, and surreal scent: red currant, green tea, red musk, Hawaiian ginger, benzoin, vanilla, coriander, squash blossom, and blueberry. Reviewed 07/29/2008 In the bottle: Lots of lovely blueberry candy, something sharp and clean (the tea?), and a hint of flowers. Wet: No! Go away soap, go away! *sob* Drydown: This turns into a perfectly lovely blend, the soapiness fades away and leaves a crisp, clean blend that reminds me of freshly laundered linens with flower petals pressed between the sheets. But that sweet blueberry candy scent never comes back, and that's what I really wanted. Wahhh. I hate you, body chemistry.

July 29, 2008

Alecto

ALECTOUnceasing In Anger Olive leaf, raspberry leaf, vetiver and cedarwood. This is a very outdoorsy, natural scent. I can definitely smell the olive leaf and raspberry leaf, and just a hint of the cedarwood. The combination of scents is very autumnal, like apples and hay. Very nice.

July 29, 2008

Chaos Theory IV: Edge of Chaos CLXVI (166)

Reviewed 07/28/2008 CLXVI (166) In the bottle: Delicious fruit punch and a champagne note. Wet: Yummy, red fruits and champagne, mixed together. Dry: There's definitely cherry and strawberry in there, possibly grape. This *sparkles*. It's sweet and super-fruity. Medium throw, loooong wear length for a fruity scent. Verdict: If I had a signature scent, THIS WOULD BE IT. Dearest Lab Staff, you are absolute geniuses and I love you dearly. The only downside to my bliss is that this is the only one of my CT4 bottles that wasn't full past the neck. This one is barely to the shoulder, and therefore must be jealously hoarded and guarded. SOB!

July 28, 2008

Chaos Theory IV: Edge of Chaos CLIII (153)

Reviewed 07/28/2008 CLIII (153) In the bottle: Holy pine and eucalyptus! Wet: Eeek! Pine! Dry: Pine, eucalyptus, some kind of dark berry, and that note from Crypt Queen that goes all to Vicks on me. After grabbing my CQ bottle and testing these side by side, they smell VERY similar to my nose. Pretty strong throw. Verdict: I can't wear Crypt Queen, and this isn't working for me either. I think I'll try to swap this for a different CT4.

July 28, 2008

Chaos Theory IV: Edge of Chaos CXLIII (143)

Reviewed 07/28/2008 CXLIII (143) In the bottle: Fruity musk, a hint of something dry and dusty that makes my nose twitch. Wet: Fruity and spicy. It's a tart fruit, but not pomegranate, maybe cranberry? Dry: There's definitely a musk under the tart, juicy fruit. My nose is twitching if I sniff too deeply, the way it does with Shango, so I think there may be some chili. Medium throw. Verdict: I love this! The spiciness gives it a fall feel, but it's not overpowering and could be worn year-round.