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  • Silvertree

    Mod post: No wishlist posts in blogs

    By Silvertree

    Please be aware that we do not permit swap-related content on profiles or in blogs. Please post this content only in the For Sale, Swaps, and Wanted forums, or in the Wishlists topic. ~from Swapping 101  Thanks!
    • 5 comments
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Argentwolf's Blog
 

Belle Epoque

Category: Bewitching Brews   In the imp, it's vanilla and mandarin; once on me, the florals start coming out, but there is always a continual theme of vanilla to it. In fact, the vanilla amps and throws the most in this one. There is a slight powdery quality to it. If you like vanilla, go ahead and give this one a try.   Probably not bottle-worthy for me, though it is enjoyable. It reminds me a bit of Antique Lace.
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

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Review Round-up!
 

Singing Moon

In the imp: A damp basement full of beets and wet herbals.   On wet: Wet, mineral-y, a touch of something sweet, and a dry grass/vaguely spicy note. So very complex!   Drydown: The dampness has faded, the beets have been shipped to market, and the spicy, honeyed herbals have risen up. Mmm...wow, so much better. *huff-sniff-snort* Mmm! I'm also picking up on the slightest hint of warm fruit! Delicious!   Overall: This is utterly fantastic on the drydown. I wasn't expecting much from this after the initial sniffy test (beets!!!), but WOW, does it ever morph into something glorious. I already have the shirt (the design blew me away), and now I might just have to hunt down a bottle. Such a pleasant surprise, and an easy 4/5.
furygrrl

furygrrl

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Review Round-up!
 

Moon of Ice

In the imp: Effervescent - like Sprite! Immediately puts me in mind of Talvikuu.   On wet: That fizzy soda yum is still prominent, though there's something almost creamy underneath.   Drydown: Pine-Sprite Creamsicle - and I'm getting the faintest, *faintest* whiff of something sour every now and then. Not sure where that's coming from...   Overall: Not a bad blend (aside from that weird mystery sourness), but when it comes to snowy/piney/slushy scents, my nose belongs to Talvikuu and The Snow Storm. 2.5/5
furygrrl

furygrrl

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Review Round-up!
 

Long Night Moon

In the imp: Something fruity sweet, a smidge of mint, and watery pine.   On wet: Sweet pine and frosty mint!   Drydown: It's gone totally floral with a musk base. The moonflower is prominent, along with something high-pitched and creamy sweet - I'm thinking it's the cereus (which I have no experience with *at all*), though if I had to guess, I'd have said it was jasmine. The blue musk is sparkly and effervescent. The mint and frost/pine notes are MIA, and I haven't sniffed any thyme yet, either.   Overall: Classy and floral-sweet, very upscale and pretty. It's not a scent I see myself reaching for very often, but if I had somewhere elegant to go - a wedding, a fancy evening out with my husband, the theatre, etc. - LNM would be a great choice. Lovely! 3/5
furygrrl

furygrrl

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Argentwolf's Blog
 

Belladonna

Category: Rappacini's Garden   This one is definitely very 'green', earthy, and has a medicinal snap to it, though it's not overwhelming or obnoxious. More or less, it feels like standing knee-deep in a clump of thin, tiny green vines -- you can smell the tartness of the plants themselves, with a hint of the earth beneath it all, and a tantalizing sweetness throughout, as if from hidden blooms amid all the twining tangle. It's really nice. I'm still not decided as to whether I need a bottle of it, but, for the time being at least, it's a fond favorite. And the green color of the oil itself is pretty cool.
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

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Argentwolf's Blog
 

Bayou

Category: Wanderlust   This blend is very floral and very wet -- like being near a pond laden with blooming water lilies. It strikes me as very feminine. I would recommend it to those who like aquatic notes and/or florals -- it succeeds really nicely on both of those levels.   As much as I enjoyed this blend, I still think that of the lush plant scents, Amsterdam still conquers all.
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

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Argentwolf's Blog
 

Bathsheba

Category: Ars Amatoria   This is a really elegant and sexy blend. On me, it smelled mainly floral, but in a delicate, almost coy sort of way. I think the musk helps push the blend out and impress it on your senses, but it manages to do so in a pretty subtle way. It also has nice staying power. I don't know if it's bottle-worthy, but it's definitely on my list of favorites for the moment.
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

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Argentwolf's Blog
 

Bastet

Category: Excolo   Oh, Bastet, lithe, supple, fierce goddess, I love you.   She is the pungeant, unashamed sweetness of myrrh, sweetened further by almond, warmed by amber, peppered with spice. She is warm and beautiful and wraps herself around you all day. Comparing her to, say, Anubis, which was beautiful in his own right for the mournful, solemn air he had, she is full of sunlight and life, evoking something that is languid but far from thick or sluggish. While he is down deep in the cool semi-darkness of stone preparing the dead, she is out in the sunlight, basking in life.   I really love this scent, can you tell? It's very warm, sweet, sexy and delicious. Purrrr.   She was like a breath of fresh air...for a long time I'd felt like I was seriously in a jaded slump and unable to like *anything*. I love the way the myrrh mixes with the almond. Makes me wonder what other Egyptian-themed blends will be like, as Anubis and Bastet have been the most evocative and interesting that I've experienced, by far.
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

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Argentwolf's Blog
 

Baron Samedi

Category: Excolo   Upon first whiff, it smells very sweet -- deliciously sweet to me, as if I'm smelling a bag of good, pipe-quality tobacco. Then the bay kicks in, giving a strident, not-quite-sour edge to it. Over time, it gives the impression of faint whiffs of booze and tobacco; it combines all the scents you'd expect to find on your long-lost Uncle, the ne'eer-do-well that likes to take long trips to exotic locales and then saunter back into your life to regale you with intriguing yet slightly menacing stories of his travels.   Bay leaf is an interesting thing. Used to flavor a dish, it imparts a very nice, hearty flavor. If you forget to take that leaf out and happen to get a good taste of the thing itself, though -- yowza. Not nearly as pleasant. And, unfortunately, though Baron Samedi has that delicious, evocative air to it, ultimately he is like sucking on a bay leaf -- just too pungeant, too sharp around the edges. Not my thing.   This scent is not for me, yet somehow I think I would like smelling it on someone else. Once you have that degree of seperation, this blend becomes a lot more tolerable; it's a bit like settling into Uncle's chair after he's gone off for more sinister adventures somewhere, revelling in the scent he's left behind, and breathing a sigh of relief that he's gone.
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

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Argentwolf's Blog
 

Baobhan Sith

Category: Diabolus   It's definitely a mix of lemon and ginger, a very tart, sour, strident aroma. I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it. They are both notes that I've enjoyed in other blends, but this particular one just does not knock my socks off. Even so, if you are an afficianado of either lemon or ginger, give it a whirl. On me, the lemon came out and was more prominent, with the ginger punctuating it.
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

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Argentwolf's Blog
 

Baneberry

Category: Rappacini's Garden   This one is pretty straightforward: juicy, plump berry scent. It lasted a moderate amount of time, though it had definitely faded by the end of the day. Those of you who love all things berry should definitely jump on this one. It's not really my personal cup of tea, however.
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

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Argentwolf's Blog
 

Baghdad

Category: Wanderlust   In the imp I could tell that there was some sandlewood there, with maybe a hint of something sweet, like the mandarin.   Once it gets on me, that sandlewood really amps up. At first there is a sharp, woody tone, but it quickly mellows to something that has sweetness around the edges -- bergamot and orange, it seems.   It's a lovely scent, though like all the sandlewood scents before, it doesn't last too long.
Argentwolf

Argentwolf

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Diplomatka
 

Monkey Bite

I just don't fucking learn, now do I?   I got bitten by a monkey.   It was the innocent looking one on the left. See, I had to do a rapid assessment of a high-risk corridor in Northern Ethiopia last week and the husband and I decided to take some time to see Lalibela and Gondar. (You all know Lalibela--it's home to the rock-hewn churches and has been part of the Amazing Race TV show [the season with the professional wrestlers when Joyce and Uchenna won].) At any rate, in Gondar there is a woman who runs a charity which includes: 1. Primary school for 27 children 2. Donkey rescue 3. Cat and dog rescue 4. Veterinary facilities 5. Income generation for people with disabilities 6. Sponsorship for poor children, young adults and the elderly; and 7. Primate rescue.   It's the last one that was a problem. While the donkeys, cats and dogs were relatively docile, the monkeys are mean. I knew this and I went and tried to get my picture with one anyway. The bastard monkey ran up and bit me on the leg. My husband got it on film.   Someday we will look back on this and laugh about the fact that I just don't understand that monkeys are not cute, they are not pets, and they are not friendly. In the meantime we will be calling the center and checking to make sure none of the monkeys exhibit signs of rabies.   No wonder the people who used to own them got rid of them. Damn monkeys.
Confection

Confection

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meeow712's Blog
 

Yvaine

Yvaine: The high, crystalline scent of a star-filled night with blue lavender and lush magnolia.   In the imp: Not sure about this, it doesn't smell very appealing and I get some sort of citrus?   On me: This totally blossoms, and the weirdness goes away. The lavender is sweetened up by something in there, and the magnolia peeks out but doesn't make the blend overly flora. It really does embody Yvaine, to my Stardust-loving-self. This is very yummy and a bottle is needed.
meeow712

meeow712

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vultureguy's Blog
 

Scents Are Good For You!

I love incense and especially frankencence. I can't burn them here much, it sets off Caro's allergies or something (her chest gets tight and she gets coughy from the smoke). I think that is why I fell for Troll. I love the resins, the incense, the frankencense.   Lately with everything going on I've been finding a lot of joy and peace in my BPAL. It's really weird and I feel like a bit of a dolt for it. But it's true so there.   Now I know why.   http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/...80520110415.htm   Hooray! Frankencense has anti-depression value. I guess that means I do need a full bottle of Troll after all!
vultureguy

vultureguy

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vultureguy's Blog
 

Snake Oil goodness

I've got my first SO bottle on the Lab order that we got the CnS for on the way. I've put a bid on a forumite's SO on Ebay. And I've managed to snag a bottle of 9 mth aged SO from someone in the UK who it doesn't work on. So even if I loose out on Ebay I've got one ot age and one already aging.   It isn't much but it's one of the few good things that's happened in a long time.
vultureguy

vultureguy

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heartbreakangel's Blog
 

Switch Witch Help Questions

Questions   Are You An Indoor Person Or Outdoor Person? Indoor, mostly. I'm trying to get back to being a bit more outdoor.   Are You Up To Being Gifted With Anime? Sure.   Cami Or Corset? Both.   Candles Or Incense? Both.   Coffee/Tea/Hot Beverages? I love tea, hot chocolate, and coffee if it's in some frozen form mixed with other stuff.   Do You Have A Particular Decorating Style? Not really.   Do You Have Pets And What Kind Of Gifts Would Be Good For Them? Two cats. They love toys that can be thrown, stuff they can chase, and they both have serious catnip habits to the point where dad and I have begun saying they're like Cheech and Chong without the smoke.   Do You Like Homemade Gifts? Like Foodstuffs Or Crafts? Love them.   Do You Still Read Any Children's Books? I still have my two books of fairy tales from when I was a wee little thing.   Favorite Books As A Kid? See above about the fairy tale books.   Feelings On Used Books (& Cds And DVDS For That Matter)? Don't mind them at all.   For Those Of You Who Play Video Games, What Consoles Do You Own? PS2, GameCube, my computer, GBA, 8-bit Nintendo, Sega Genesis. I don't know if it still works, but at least one of the 8-bit Nintendos does.   Haircolor Experimentation? My hair has been so many colors, I've lost count. Right now, my bangs are blood red, while the rest of my hair is black, which is my natural color.   How About Burned Cds? Is Everyone Okay With Those? Do Y'all Even Listen To Cds Anymore, Or Is It Straight To The Ipod? I listen to cds in the car, so burned ones are fine.   How Much Do You Still Enjoy Playing With Toys? I still do on occasion. Not much, though. I keep eyeballing buying myself Lego sets, but haven't yet.   How Would You Describe Your Sense Of Humor? Sarcastic. It drifts between stuff like how House is, and wanders off toward Monty Python breed absurdity every so often.   How Would You Describe Yourself? Quiet. I've been known to get up during conversations without people even noticing I've left.   I Want To Know What Little Treats My Witchee Likes To Be Spoiled (Or Spoil Herself) With? I love chocolate. That's one thing I will very rarely pass up. Beyond that, tea, bath stuff, socks...   If Handmade Stuff Is Okay, And It All Goes Horribly Wrong, Would You Want It Anyway? Yep. Fine even if it looks not quite like it should.   Lip Balm? I'm not too particular about it, except for one thing. Lush lip stuff doesn't work well on me. Burns a bit. I'm figuring that's the borax in it, but I could be wrong.   Livejournal? Handle over there is heartbreakangel. It's friends locked, though.   Mailbox Situation, I.E. Can I Send You Chocolate And Melty Treats From Lush, Or Are They Going To Wind Up Being Really Decadent Goo? If it ends up really decadent goo, it'll become a really decadent solid again in the fridge. No worries.   Makeup? Don't wear it often, but I do like it.   Online Games? Guild Wars. I spend way too much time with it.   Phobias? Spiders.   Religious Preferences And Patron Saints/Goddesses/Spiritual Mentors? Thor, Odin, Anubis. Weird combo, I know. Don't ask how it happened, because I'm still not sure myself.   Rice Krispy Treats, Yes Or No? Homemade Or Prepackaged? Yes. Homemade. The prepackaged ones taste odd.   Secret Crush? Gah. I have one I'll likely never see again. Sad panda, I am.   Socks? Love 'em. Knee highs, mostly.   Sports? Hockey and wrestling.   Switch Witch Remain A Secret Or Reveal Herself? I'm good with either, leaning toward reveal.   Tattoos/Piercings? Ears are pierced twice, navel's pierced, and I have two tattoos with plans to get more.   Things I Find Offensive? Bigotry.   What Goodies Do You Love That You Can't Usually Get? TimTams.   What Is The Hottest And Coldest It Gets Where You Live? Hottest is usually up around 100. Coldest depends on the winter, sadly. Sometimes it won't go below 20, sometimes it goes down to -30.   What Practical Goals To You Have For The Upcoming Summer? Get back in shape.   What Sort Of Crafites Do You Do And What Sort Of Crafty Supplies Do You Like? I paint, I knit with looms, I'm attempting to learn to crochet, occasionally there's some drawing going on, and I'd like to eventually start mucking around with making jewelery. I see beads all the time that I get grabby handed over, but I don't know what to do with them.   What's Hanging On Your Walls? What Do You Want Hanging On Your Walls? Two wrestling posters, glow in the dark starts, and some random fabric I was given years ago. I've also got shelves hung up that are covered in all sorts of stuff, from books to action figures.   What's Your Favorite Color? For Wearing? And For Decorating? For wearing? Black. For decorating? Uhm. Don't really have one.   What's Your Favorite Flower? Tree? I'm big on roses, and I like willow trees.   What's Your Most Obscure Interest? Oh, this is easy. I don't know many people that are interested in OSHA regulations.   Which Kinds Of Soaps Do YOU Like? Arcana? BPTP? Lush? Super Bad? I don't use soap often. It dries my skin out something fierce.   Who Are Your Favorite Disney Characters? Eeyore.   Gemstones I like and why: Amethyst, hematite, onyx, there's more but they're not coming to me off the top of my head. It's been one of those weeks.   If I had no dress code: I don't really have one. Work is at home. Unless I have to go out to a meeting, or a job site, I'm in whatever's comfortable, even if it means I'm just stomping around in a sarong and a sports bra.   Wants from the update: Too much stuff to mention. Yeesh. Let's see...Stormclouds Over The Midway, The Chapel, The Torture Queen, pretty well everything from The Wunderkammer.   What kind of pens do you like? Bic Round Stic Grips in fine point with black ink.   BPAL signature scent: Dragon's Heart   Chips: Absolutely love Lay's Dill Pickle ones.
heartbreakangel

heartbreakangel

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Thoughts from Yuggoth
 

Schrodinger's Cat: A Pretty Kitty!

One can even set up quite ridiculous cases. A cat is penned up in a steel chamber, along with the following diabolical device (which must be secured against direct interference by the cat): in a Geiger counter there is a tiny bit of radioactive substance, so small that perhaps in the course of one hour one of the atoms decays, but also, with equal probability, perhaps none; if it happens, the counter tube discharges and through a relay releases a hammer which shatters a small flask of hydrocyanic acid. If one has left this entire system to itself for an hour, one would say that the cat still lives if meanwhile no atom has decayed. The first atomic decay would have poisoned it. The Psi function for the entire system would express this by having in it the living and the dead cat (pardon the expression) mixed or smeared out in equal parts. It is typical of these cases that an indeterminacy originally restricted to the atomic domain becomes transformed into macroscopic indeterminacy, which can then be resolved by direct observation. That prevents us from so naively accepting as valid a "blurred model" for representing reality. In itself it would not embody anything unclear or contradictory. There is a difference between a shaky or out-of-focus photograph and a snapshot of clouds and fog banks.

A paradoxical scent experiment! - tangerine, sugared lime, pink grapefruit, oakmoss, lavender, zdravetz, and chocolate peppermint.

No cats were mistreated during the formulation of this paradox, or in the process of creating this perfume.

First off, let me say I am a cat person. Very much a cat person. I've already named the three cats I'll have in my home when I move out.

I got this from the Lab when it was new, and I didn't like it much then (too sharp and lemony). However, I broke it out again today for my Quantum Mechanics exam, and I was delighted to find that it has aged wonderfully in the few months I've had it!

The main thing I can smell is sherbert lemons. I can only assume this is the sugared fruits coming in to play. For the first half-hour of wear, the Kitty is very nice and light and bright (never fear, citrus-haters, it's very sweet). After that, the bright, citrus top notes disappear leaving a sweet, but not tooth-achingly so, musky undertone. I can't get any lavender out of it at any stage. I guess the musky drydown is the oakmoss and chocolate.
Jenesis

Jenesis

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vultureguy's Blog
 

Another hit

The year really can't get any worse. It got so bad tonight that I've slathered not only Western Diamondback but also Banded Sea Snake. Work. Relationship. Stress. Gender. I won't go into it. I won't do an emotional vomit here.   And while I didn't know him, we've lost another guy to suicide. He's the second NZ transguy this year. I didn't really know him well, had read his posts on the board. It brings all my own transangst/issues/Darkness close.   Debating between Western Diamondback tomorrow or Alone. Both are comforting. I've got a roller bottle of WDB at work so if I go with Alone I can still slather in the afternoon.   I pinged a friend on Gmail. She's in Colorado so was getting ready to go to bed but took a few minutes to chat and I really appreciate it. I re-read my pm from Beth here saying she knew things were tough & to keep my head up. Both those things helped.   It's late. I'm exhausted after the day & night I've had. And I woke up suddenly at 3:30, was up for about 15 minutes trying to get back to sleep.   I'll look back on all this one day and see how far I've come.
vultureguy

vultureguy

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Nightingale's Blog
 

My Sad Birthday

Well, yesterday was my 38th birthday and it was the saddest birthday I've ever had. Let me explain....   My beloved best friend, my golden retriever Max, my boy, passed away 4 weeks ago on 19th April, aged 3 years old. Although we don't know for certain what happened, the vet suspects that it was either a massive heart attack, an aneurism or a huge epileptic fit (although he had never suffered any heart problems or epilepsy prior to his passing). It all happened so suddenly. One minute we were playing outside, the next he went inside, I followed and within 20 - 30 seconds he was gone. Just like that. Although I gave him heart massage and mouth to mouth, the poor soul passed away very quickly and it has haunted me since.   You see, my boy wasn't just a dog to me. I have no desire to have children, so he was my child, my best friend, my confidante. I didn't just love him, I was in love with him (although not in any seedy kind of way, I just loved him to bits). His passing has left me confused, crushed and completely and utterly heartbroken. The world seems totally different and everything appears to be flat and two dimensional. In an instant, the world changed for me.   So you'll understand why my birthday was the saddest I've ever had. Usually my boyfriend and mum humour me by writing a card from Max and from my bunnies, but yesterday the card was only from my bunnies.   I am currently waiting for the patter of tiny paws from a mating of Max's dad and aunt, but no puppy will ever replace my boy. He was the most special, loving, loyal, gentle, kind and handsome boy anyone could ever ask for and his mummy was, and still is, so proud of him.   I hope my baby is at peace now and knows that I love and miss him more than any number of words could ever express. Although I have cried for him every day since his passing, should I cry every day until I die no amount of tears could ever be enough for such a wonderful boy.   Sorry for this depressing and sad blog, but it's how I'm feeling.   Max 30-11-2004 to 19-04-2008
Nightingale

Nightingale

2
meeow712's Blog
 

Antonino, The Carny Talker

Antonino, The Carny Talker: White musk, wild plum, vetiver, black coconut, verbena, fig, and lavender.   In the imp: I was expecting this to be dark, and was scared of the vetiver (usually my nemesis). Instead, I got this beautiful feminine scent of plum, verbena, and fig. Couldn't find the coconut, and thankfully not the vetiver.   On me: A beautiful blend of precious. The vetiver hid, and I'm ever sooooo thankful!! The musk helped the plum and fig bloom without being fruity. The verbena gave it a teeny bit of citrus so change things up, and the lavender really rounded this scent out beautifully. The coconut helped make this scent sweet, but I can't detect any coconut on me. I think Antonino was really "Antonina" because this is a very feminine scent. I'm in love, and must get a bottle of this before CD comes down.
meeow712

meeow712

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meeow712's Blog
 

The Organ Grinder

The Organ Grinder: Almond milk, sarsaparilla, tobacco smoke, black patchouli and white pine bark.   In the imp: A delicous almondy scent, though not as strong of an almond as those with almond oil. I also get some sarsaparilla and pine bark, but this is so well blended I can't pick out the other notes.   On me: Better than in the imp! A beautiful almond/woodsy scent. For about half an hour/45 minutes that is. It then decided to turn into disgusting SOURED MILK! About as bad as Milk Moon 07 - ick. Thankfully the throw still smells pretty good, and I only get strong soured milk upon sniffing my wrists, but it's awful. And I can't seem to wash it off, so I'm stuck with it. And I can't smell too closely because it makes me nauseous. So far it seems determined to last on my skin all freaking day. This is not nice.
meeow712

meeow712

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