Blogs

Asp Viper

In the imp: Uber Almond! Yum! On wet: Nothing but almond at first. A few seconds later, there's a tinge of darkness from the myrrh, a lighter sweetness that I'm attributing to the mandarin, and a delicate slither of snake oil. Mmm, I smell like a complicated amaretti cookie! Drydown: Snake Oil + something smoky + a weird herbal peanut butter (wtf? where did *that* come from?) = a very strange, almost savoury version of my favourite GC fragrance. Not what I was hoping for, and not a scent I'm enjoying at the moment. It's actually kind of turning my stomach... Overall: Well, I've found the first Snake Pit scent that doesn't work on me. It had to happen sometime, I just wasn't expecting it from one of my most anticipated combination of notes. A disappointed 2/5.

July 26, 2007

Zarita

In the imp: A fresh, sweet scent - there's an almost dry sharpness to it that reminds me of the white sandalwood in Kuang Shi. On wet: Mmm...a soft, sweet, unassuming citrus cream. Drydown: Wow, has this ever gone perfumey! It's reminiscent of a scent I used to wear in high school, but I can't recall which one - Volupte? Tresor? I'm still getting whiffs of fresh orange cream underneath that intense headiness, though. Overall: Quite a nice blend, even though it's completely different from what I expected. Not something I'll wear very often, but I'll definitely be hanging on to my decant. 3.5/5

July 26, 2007

All Souls

In the imp: Sweetness, a lick of butter, and a sharpness that reminds me of nailpolish remover. On wet: Hmm...even though this doesn't share any notes with Dr. John Seward (that I'm aware of, anyway), with the not-so-pleasant, sweet, almost flowery-butter thing going on right now, I'm instantly reminded of that blend. Drydown: Again, as with DJS, the drydown is a vast improvement. The sweetness has deepened and even darkened slightly (it's somewhat plum-esque to my nose), the butter has finally abated, and there's a vague spiciness underneath it all. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but not bad, either. Overall: Even though I'm not a foody grrl, I was expecting more of a straight up cake scent - an *evil* cake scent, actually, with the addition of the incense. All I ended up getting, however, was a holiday candle-like incense (the fruit and spice combo can sometimes go that way on me) after the icky butter stage. I'm rather let-down that this didn't work on me - not only had I been wanting to try it for ages, I assumed it would become one of my new favourites. Sadly, my skin chemistry says otherwise. 2/5

July 25, 2007

Green Tree Viper

In the imp: Mmm...minty snake oil - delicious! On wet: Oh, this is yummy. Aside from the *slightest* whiff of something chemical that comes and goes, I smell like minty vanilla cookies - SEXY minty vanilla cookies. Drydown: Still pure minted snake oil - and I think it's the tea (of all things!) that's acting out. It's not putting me in mind of something chemical anymore, it's just not interested in sitting nicely with the other notes. Overall: I'm not sure how old my decant is, but this scent is so slinky-nummy, I'll definitely give it another go at a later date to see if aging improves it. Hopefully the tea or the bergamot or whatever's being naughty will calm down enough to warrant a big bottle purchase. At the moment, though, this rates a very respectable 3/5.

July 25, 2007

Morgause

In the imp: Sweet, sweet flowers. On wet: HOLY Florals! Like I've just tromped through a wet garden at night - a garden FULL of uber heady blooms. Nothing 'purple' to speak of - this is more a damp, greenish scent so far. It's somewhat overwhelming, but not wholly unpleasant. Drydown: Jasmine. Maybe moonflower. There's a high-pitched sweetness - candy-like, almost - that usually means violets to my nose. I think I've located the plum peeking out from between the flowers - it's that same deep, more-crimson-than-purple sweet-tartness I got from Frumious Bandersnatch and Bathsheba. The light lick of incense underneath everything is almost nonexistent, but it's there when I inhale and concentrate, nicely grounding all those rioting flowers and swirly plum fumes. Overall: Perfumey. Sweet. Rich. Heady. Definitely an evening/cold weather scent (for me, anyway). Floral-heavy blends are definitely not my bag, baby, but this one, thanks to the plum and incense, has quite a bit more depth than a typical, straight-up floral. There's a tempering warmth that adds both interest and a somewhat addictive quality - I keep huffing my wrist to seek it out! Not a fragrance I can see myself wearing, but a very classy, elegant composition, to say the least. 3/5

July 24, 2007

Death Cap

In the imp: Dirt...something faintly sweet...an almost spicy underbite - taken all together, I'm reminded of pickled beets! On wet: Beets in a cellar! The dirt note is still very strong, and there's also something that totally reminds me of what the basement in my childhood home smelled like. Drydown: A dry, almost burnt woodiness and a soft vanillic undertone has taken over. There's still a hint of beet dirt lingering, but it's in the backseat now, more than happy to be chauffeured around by its fellow notes. Hmm...strangely enough, I'm reminded of hot erasers! That smell you'd get after furiously scrubbing your pink-tipped pencil butt against an incorrectly answered math question? On my skin, Death Cap Drydown IS THAT SMELL! Overall: Well, I like the scent of dirt well enough, but I'm not much of a beet fan (I'm the only non-beet eater in my family, actually), and this blend is seriously screaming BEEEEEETS!!! - when it's not reminding me of one too many nightmarish math exams, lol. Too bad that woody-vanilla drydown wasn't more intense! 2/5

July 24, 2007

Lili's Blog

Order sent!

Yay! My refund cleared PayPal today, so my TAL order is placed! I ended up only ordering the original five that I listed. I didn't add Firey Wall of Protection- will save it for next time. Maybe, if I'm super-lucky, all my various orders will be waiting for me when I get back from holiday! I'm off now to obsess some more over reviews and wonder if I chose well

lilirose

July 24, 2007

Favorite Grapefruit

[see previous entries for what I'm doing here.] Picking a favorite grapefruit scent is a toughie for me because I tend to like it. I didn't think I would like it, when I first started trying BPAL scents. In fact, that was during the time when several of the GC grapefruit scents were discontinued because of a component problem, and that was just fine with me because I didn't think I'd like them anyway. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I liked Cheshire Cat. Weird. Then I tried other grapefruit scents and liked those too. So now I have to admit that I do indeed like grapefruit scents. I do NOT, however, like yuzu. In fact, I really hate it. I like that pretty sparkly quality that grapefruit has, and not the harsh acidic yuzu. I'm not even going to bother doing a "favorite yuzu" because I can't stand any of them. Grapefruit always comes out strong on me when I first put on a scent, so all of these are fair game for "primarily grapefruit scents" for me. GCs THAT CONTAIN GRAPEFRUIT Baobhan Sith: Grapefruit, white tea, apple blossom and ginger. I tried this one again because when I reviewed it I said I liked it but it didn't suit me... but that was back before I realized I like grapefruit. I do like the scent -- it's nice with the tea. The ginger makes it smell a bit off, though. Cheshire Cat: Grapefruit, red currant, dark musk, Roman chamomile, delphinium, and lavender. Smooth, crisp, bright, and shiny. I have a bottle of this and wear it pretty often. Croquet: Pink lime, pink grapefruit, white nectarine, wild rose, sage, woody patchouli, bergamot, and ornery hedgehog musk. I like this one a lot too, just like Cheshire Cat -- I'd need to do a side-by-side comparison to see which one I like better. Megaera: Orris, black amber, bergamot, plum and grapefruit. My notes on this said it was "too citrusy for me," but I probably need to re-try it. Manhattan: sheer amber, black leather, white mint, lemon peel, white tea, grapefruit, kush, teakwood and orchid. I like this one a lot, and I have a 10ml of it. It took a couple of tries before it grew on me, but it grew on me in a big way. My only problem with this scent is that it fades out on me more quickly than most BPAL oils do. Mania: Screeching white musk collides with a howl of red musk, with sharp white grapefruit and pale strawberry leaf. This is another one I like a lot. It's a lot different from the others due to the red musk. Night-gaunt: something akin to yuzu, white grapefruit, and kumquat mixed with the snow-dusted flowers of Mount Ngranek. Very, very bitter on me, and I didn't like it at all. Phobos: Chilling white musk, lemon verbena, white grapefruit and lemongrass. The lemongrass killed this one for me. Shattered: A blend of white champagne notes, grapefruit, lotus, slivered mint and crystalline aquatic blooms. Didn't work because the mint was way too much for me and seemed menthol-y. Also, Versailles has "citrus" in it that smelled like grapefruit to me, but I didn't like that one. I thought Detox maybe had grapefruit in it too, and I liked that one all right, but not as perfume of course. Out of that list, I really like Cheshire Cat, Croquet, Manhattan, and Mania. I tried them all on at once to compare them (plus Baobhan Sith), and I was surprised to discover that I like Croquet better than Cheshire Cat. And although I really like Mania, the red musk in it overpowers the grapefruit, so I can't say it's primarily a grapefruit scent on me. It's primarily red musk. However... Manhattan is the winner. I like its sleekness better than the pretty florals in Croquet. LEs THAT CONTAIN GRAPEFRUIT Hungry Ghost Moon: Offerings of ginger candy, sugar cane, smoky vanilla and rice wine mingle with a ghost's perfume of white sandalwood, ho wood, ti, white grapefruit, crystalline musk and aloe. This scent is tapered by the presence of seven herbs, woods and resins used in the purification of the spirit and the purging of earthly concerns from the soul. This one smells like sugary grapefruit on me, and I liked it. However... I haven't worn this in a year. (Wow, I didn't realize it had been that long.) I need to get out my bottle and test it again. The Ectasy Of Infatuation: Black cherry, pink grapefruit, white musk, lemon verbena, champagne grape, pikaki, plumeria, and Hawaiian ginger. This one is a little too floral for me when it's dry. Monster Bait: Biggercritters: Five vanillas with Moroccan jasmine, white gardenia, and pink grapefruit. The jasmine in this smelled pungent on me. I need to try one of the white-label bottles, though, because when I smelled one at a meet n' sniff it smelled a lot different in the bottle than the critter-label one I tried at Convergence. Queen Of Diamonds: A glittering icicle of a woman, regal, proud and cold: shimmering white grapefruit, pale flowers and lemon bark with orchid, rose and a dash of mandarin. The grapefruit in this one seems to have disappeared. I like it, but I don't think it'll ever be my favorite grapefruit scent because I can't really smell much grapefruit in it. Out of those, I think Hungry Ghost Moon is my favorite. But I like the GC grapefruit scents better than any of these. Verdict on Favorite Grapefruit Scent: Manhattan

July 24, 2007

Lili's Blog

a new obsession

I've been blogging in various spaces since 2002, but never done a special-interest blog before. However, I can't stop thinking about BPAL, and my husband is getting sick of me going on and on about it, so I set this up so I can blather on and on without annoying anyone! I'm totally new to BPAL. I thought I was "not a perfume person", since I'm hyper-sensitive to chemical/factory perfumes. I am Pagan and used to be interested in blending my own incense, but when I quit smoking cigarettes, I started being annoyed by incense smoke as well. Anyway, for my birthday in May, a friend sent me a bottle of TAL "White Light". I wasn't sure I liked it upon smelling it in the bottle- my first thought was that it was a "Granny perfume", in total honesty. That first impression could not possibly have been more wrong or misguided. I applied the oil to my chakra points before a ritual (a Tantric chakra meditation, to be specific). I'd only had limited success in chakra meditations before- I usually have trouble clearing my mind and focusing. But this time was completely and totally different. My partner also thought it was an especially intense session. I felt like I was floating for a couple of days afterward! I've used White Light three or four times since that first night. The second time was when my husband and I were having a discussion that was about to degenerate into a fight. I put a drop of oil on each wrist. The mood in the room lightened within seconds. I've also used White Light on my chakras a couple of times when I was feeling depressed or having persistent negative thoughts. It works amazingly well! I would love to wear it every single day, but I'm afraid it'd lose its effectiveness if I use it too often. I visited the BPAL and TAL sites to learn more, and ended up here. Last week I ordered a dozen imps from the Lab that have not yet been shipped. The next day I gave in to temptation and ordered five 5mls from TAL. I screwed up that order (sent payment in Euros instead of dollars). The Lab cancelled my order at my request, but I'm still waiting for PayPal to get their act together and release the money back to me so I can put the order through in the correct currency. Today I purchased six more imps from a forum member, so soon my single bottle of White Light will multiply into 18 assorted imps and 5 full bottles! I can't wait for my purchases to arrive. Here's a list of what I'm waiting for. BPALS: Lilith (of course) Helena Succubus Persephone Yggdrasil Lightning Blood Kiss Dragon's Heart Ephemera Hamadryad La Belle Dame Sans Merci Leanan Sidhe Love Me Queen High John the Conqueror Fire of Love Block Buster Van Van And from TAL: Blinding Glory of Love STFU Caliph's Beloved Charisma Bastet's Laughter (and I'll probably go ahead and order Firey Wall of Protection, as well.) Can't wait until they arrive!

lilirose

July 23, 2007

Yemaya

In the imp: Intense melon - like a honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon salad! On wet: Sweet, melon-y, something that I *think* is grape, but I can't be sure... Drydown: Pure fruity candy! The kind that's all innocent sugar on your tongue...just before it gives you that full-mouth-pucker-blast of surprise sourness. There's definitely a swipe of tartness buried under all that bright melon, and a slight floral softness, too. Makes for an interesting mix, if a tad too sweet for me. Overall: A very youthful, fun scent - perfect for warm, sunny days. I'm not much of a fruit-fan - at least not the uber sweet, somewhat girly variety - so this isn't quite right for me. My sisters, on the other hand - sugary and melony scent devotees - will likely adore it. 3/5

July 23, 2007

Calliope

In the imp: Almond and a touch of sweet, almost effervescent citrus. On wet: Pure citrus - sweet, lemony, sort of powdery, too. Very bright and candylike! Drydown: The citrus has faded almost completely, and all I'm left with is a touch of thyme. Overall: This blend started out quite nicely - I'm a fan of citrus, almond, and various herbs - but it faded within minutes! And I didn't get anything beyond lemon and thyme - no lavender, mint, or even the usually dominant almond. So, yeah...a bit of a disappointment. 2/5

July 23, 2007

Nia's Blog

Catching up!

OK, now the mission is mostly to catch up. I'm two or three units behind. For finishing Units 15 & 16: Bon Vivant. DONE For finishing units 17 and 18: Coiled Serpent. DONE Units 19 and 20: Dana O'Shee. DONE I will be dealing with some of the most boring lessons these days. Where was that Determination imp?

Nia

July 23, 2007

Thoughts from Yuggoth

The Snake Pit: Death Adder

Snake Oil with vetiver, black coconut, vanilla, and opoponax. Bottle: Snake Oil with a whole coconut dumped in. Wet: An odd, dark, slightly bitter coconut. Coconut amps to ungodly proportions on me so we'll see how that pans out! Drydown (first): It reminds me quite a bit of Brown Jenkins, with the coconut bittered by other notes. I can just about smell the vanilla struggling to get out, but it's mainly slightly bitter coconut. Drydown (later): Wow, what a morpher! This has gone very sweet now, with what I think (and hope!) is the murky opopanax in the background. Dry: The scent has balanced. On me it's a murky, slightly dark vanilla blend with a dollop of slightly bitter coconut balancing on the top. There is a little dark opopanax underneath. I can't detect any amber or spices (in other words, no Snake Oil) or vetiver in this at all. Dry (later): It hasn't changed much from the earlier drydown. It's murky and sexy while still being sweet - very "me" in other words A clear winner here, Beth! This has replaced Saw-Scaled Viper in my Top 10, because it doesn't blow my sinuses inside out for the first five minutes of wear.

Jenesis

July 23, 2007

Thoughts from Yuggoth

Delousing Powder

I was frimped this by the awesomeness of shelldoo in my Death Adder order. Woohoo! Quoted verbatim from the review thread: Attendees at the June 30, 2007 Thunder Moon Will Calls on the East and West coasts were offered "an extra-speshul themed package" if they donated an item of clothing at the door to help women in local shelters. To match the "Privilege and Pruno" theme of the events, the package was a plastic baggie with standard prison-issue toothbrush, comb, plastic razor, soap (samples of Macha's new line of Silk Road Trading Company soaps to be exact) and an imp of Delousing Powder! There was no description - only a frosty glare from the warden as she confiscated your clothes. - Numenon Like others, I got a very strong lemon/citrus vibe out of this. Usually, lemon sends me running for the hills and smells like dishwasher soap. Not so with Delousing Powder! It does smell a little like Fairy Citrus, but it has a lovely sweet sherbert vibe about it too. It smells more like one of those frothy, citrusy, sweet cocktails you get on mainland Europe in August than soap. It also reminds me of lemon Callippos (ice lollies). All in all, a pleasant scent, perfect for hot summer days - which means I won't be wearing it any time soon *looks out gloomily at the rainy and flooded country*

Jenesis

July 23, 2007

Favorite Dirt/Earth/Moss/Oakmoss

[see previous entries for what I'm doing.] I've lumped these all together because they smell sort of similar on me. I generally dislike dirt and earth notes because they amp so much on me, and often I don't like moss or oakmoss either. Sometimes, though, I find a moss/oakmoss blend that really works on me. GCs THAT CONTAIN DIRT/EARTH/MOSS/OAKMOSS Arkham: maple, birch, dogwood, cypress and pine softened by a garland of New England wildflowers: bergamot, columbine, rue anemone, blue violet, creeping phlox, bloodroot, toadflax, and pixie moss. Bayou: Spanish moss, evergreen and cypress with watery blue-green notes and an eddy of hothouse flowers and swamp blooms. Burial: The Dark Side of Earth: deep, brooding forest scents, including juniper and patchouli. The scent of upturned cemetary loam mingling with floral offerings to the dead. Cathode: Ambergris, Spanish Moss, oakmoss and three electric mints. Crossroads: A chill twilit garden of blooms over dry earth and mosses, heavily laden with incense and offertory herbs. Danse Macabre: Black cypress with oakmoss, frankincense, oude, and a sliver of toasted hazelnut. Death of the Gravedigger: Snow, soil, opoponax and myrrh. Destroying Angel: Papery white notes evoke the grace of this fungi, grounded by thin, crisp soil. Fae: white musk, bergamot, heliotrope, peach and oakmoss. Greed: patchouli, heliotrope, copal and oakmoss. Horreur Sympathique: blood musk, golden honey, thick black wine, champagne grapes, tobacco flower, plum blossom, tonka bean, oakmoss, carnation, benzoin, opoponax, and sugar cane. I Died For Beauty: The Venusian splendor of ylang ylang and violet stirred by hyssop, frankincense, and grave loam. [grave loam, in this case, is oakmoss and Spanish Moss] Jazz Funeral: Bittersweet bay rum and a host of funeral flowers with a touch of graveyard dirt, magnolia and Spanish Moss. Jezirat al Tennyn: smoke and fire, earth and wind. Kiyohime Changes From A Serpent: Salty ocean spray, red kelp, black plum, lychee, sea moss, green musk, hachiya, plum blossom, and matcha. Les Anges Déchus: Khus, blonde tobacco, life everlasting, orris root, black currant, cabreuva, Spanish moss, leather, and ambrette. Les Infortunes de la Vertu: A pain-tinged, pleasure-soaked blend of leather, oakmoss, orange blossom, amber, and rose with A breath of virginal French florals and a hint of austere monastic penitential incense. Lyonesse: Golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris and sea moss. Mad Meg: Fire-scorched earth, black mandarin, cinnamon bark, bitter almond, sage, vetiver, and balsam of peru. Nephilim: Holy frankincense and hyssop in union with earthy fig, defiled by black patchouli and vetiver, with a chaotic infusion of lavender, cardamom, tamarind, rosemary, oakmoss and cypress. Nocnitsa: Her scent is that of a lightless fir wood, nighttime air, wet forest mosses and upturned earth. Nosferatu: desiccated herbs and gritty earth brought to life with a swell of robust and sanguineous red wines. Nuit: Her perfume is starry and crystalline, a jewel-clad and glittering paean to night: dazzling white musks, white rose and night-blooming jasmine with the soft moss of moonlit meadows, a waft of Egyptian incense, and a gentle breath of moonflower. Omen: oakmoss, juniper berry, myrrh and patchouli. Penny Dreadful: Soft perfume evocative of noir heroines over rich red grave loam. Phantom Queen: Black orchid, apple blossom, meadowsweet, and rue over Irish moss, hawthorn and red clover. Robin Goodfellow: Dark musk, moss-covered wood, ragwort, heather, and sage. Salomé: almond with star jasmine, oakmoss, red sandalwood and Egyptian musk. Sunflower: Sunflower bouquet, black amber, creeping black moss, wilted greenery, and scorched, dry stems. Thanatos: Dry white sandalwood and soft Siamese benzoin over a lugubrious blend of myrrh, Moroccan rose, mastic, tomb moss and a thin whiff of Greek incense. Two Monsters: Oakmoss, vetiver, black musk, champaca flower, leather, patchouli, ginger, Japanese pittosporum, ambergris and white pepper. Urania: Moonflower, Moroccan jasmine, benzoin, white musk, iris, moss and a flash of ozone. Vicomte de Valmont: ambergris, white musk, white sandalwood, Spanish Moss, orange blossom, three mints, jasmine, rose geranium and a spike of rosemary. Viola: Gentle tea rose, lilac, Calla Lily, and Somalian Rose layered over golden Peruvian amber, Spanish moss, red sandalwood, rosewood, and myrrh, with the lightest touch of Mandarin. Wilde: A sophisticated traditional gentleman's cologne, with just the slightest taint of patchouli's passion, tonka bean's decadence, the philanthropy of bergamot, moss' cynicism, the sharp wit of lavender, and the hopeless romantic longing of jasmine and thyme. Zombi: Dried roses, rose leaf, Spanish moss, oakmoss and deep brown earth. Of those ones, the ones that seem to be primarily dirt/earth/moss scents are Bayou, Burial, Cathode, Crossroads, Jazz Funeral, Jezirat al Tennyn, Nocnitsa, Nosferatu, Penny Dreadful, Robin Goodfellow, and Zombi. Of those, I like Bayou, Jazz Funeral, Nocnitsa, and Robin Goodfellow. My favorite is Robin Goodfellow. By the way, although it isn't mentioned in the notes, Ulalume smells like it has a little bit of dirt/earth in it too, and I like that one as well. Death Cap and Masabakes smell like they have some dirt/earth in them as well, and I don't like either of those at all. LEs THAT CONTAIN DIRT/EARTH/MOSS/OAKMOSS Annabel Lee: wild peony, sweet pea, cucumber and white sage with sea lilies and moss. Bad Luck Woman Blues: Spanish moss, black pepper, mullein, sweet sage, vandal root, cypress, cigar tobacco, and a puff of goofer dust cloaked by a swarthy cologne of vetiver, lime, dark musk, caramel accord, and lilac. Banded Sea Snake: Snake Oil with oakmoss, sea moss, and olive leaf. The Castle: A distant whisper of pine, wet moss and dry leaves passing through vast halls and winding dungeons whose scent bears the memory of blood, faded splendor, imperial elegance and stunning violence. Fée: Auoyant, dulcetlend of vanilla, sunflower, carnation, honeydew, peachlossom, lychee, oakmoss and white tea. Faiza The Black Mamba: black amber, caraway, oakmoss, green sandalwood, bergamot, jasmine sambac, gardenia, orange pulp, vanilla, blackberry, black musk, white honey, ti leaf, and ginger. Gnome: No notes listed, but when I tried it, it clearly had dirt/earth in it. Graveyard Dirt: This is the scent of pure graveyard dust, spattered with grave loam and dusted lightly with tombstone moss. Hunger Moon: Ozone, white sandalwood, crystallized white amber, verbena, oakmoss, clary sage, and a hint of white citrus rind. Jólasveinar: Their scent is a mishmash of snow, dirt, Icelandic moss, marsh felwort, and the smushed petals of buttercups and moorland spotted orchids, with the barest hint of the scent of pilfered Christmas pastries. King of Clubs: deeper, darker [than Queen of Clubs] earth notes with dark musk, tobacco leaf, oakmoss, amber, leather, sage and vetiver with fig and bitter almond. Luperci: 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. Oborot: Balkan fir sap, dark mosses, Greek Mountain tea flower, black pine, salty ocean spray, deep black earth, and a moon-touched magickal incense of sandarac, frankincense, and ravensara. The Premature Burial: Oppressive darkness, expressed through black orchid and patchouli, smothered by wet soil, a coffin’s teakwood, and the funereal gloom of cypress. Privilege: Armoise, tuberose, white citrus, rose absolute, oakmoss, tiare, tuberose, vanilla, linden, and lemon tree blossom. Queen of Clubs: Soft, deep earth notes with myrrh, amber, pomegranate, dark incense, red currant, rose and vanilla. R M Renfield: moss, cumin, patchouli, Balsam of Peru, and neroli. Roux-ga-roux: Spanish moss, swamp jessamine, bog water, cypress, hickory wood, lobelia, sweet flag, wisteria, and marsh milkweed. Samhainophobia: Menacing Haitian vetiver, patchouli, and clove with a shock of bourbon geranium, grim oakmoss, and dread-inspiring balsams pierce the innocuous scent of autumn leaves. The Sleeper: Night-blooming jasmine, opium poppy, wild rosemary, Calla lily, oakmoss and crypt musk. Swadhisthana: Vanilla, nutmeg, orris root, gardenia, damiana, jasmine, patchouli, ylang, tangerine, bergamot, sandalwood, oakmoss. Vipralabda: benzoin, Greek sage, hay, melaleuca ericifolia, oakmoss, and blue chamomile. Whipporwill: Spanish moss, cedar, black pepper, oakmoss, juniper, bamboo reeds and cardamom. The Wild Men of Jezirat Al Tennyn: red amber, Spanish moss, Indonesian patchouli, ambergris, red pepper, two cloves, and vanilla flower. Of those ones, the ones that seem to be primarily dirt/earth/moss scents are Bad Luck Woman Blues, Graveyard Dirt, King of Clubs, Oborot, The Premature Burial, Queen of Clubs, R M Renfield, Roux-ga-Roux, and Whippoorwill. Of those, I like the last three in that list a lot. I'd have a hard time choosing a favorite among those three actually, but if I had to, I'd pick R M Renfield. Verdict on Favorite Dirt/Earth/Moss/Oakmoss Scent: R M Renfield.

July 23, 2007

Favorite Chocolate/Cocoa

[see previous blog entry for an explanation of what I'm doing here.] BPAL's chocolate note is usually not so great on me, but my luck is much better with cocoa. So I'll give chocolate/cocoa a whirl. GCs THAT CONTAIN CHOCOLATE/COCOA Bliss: The serotonin-slathered scent of pure milk chocolate. This one wasn't my fave. The chocolate didn't work so great on me. Centzon Totochtin: Bittersweet Mexican cocoa with rum, red wine, and a scent redolent of sacrificial blood. I like this one, but it's not my favorite because of the red wine. Gluttony: Thick, sugared and bloated with sweetness. Dark chocolate, vanilla, buttercream, and hops with pralines, hazelnut, toffee and caramel. Not primarily chocolate on me at all, mostly nutty/creamy. The Great Sword Of War: Mandarin, tonka, saffron, black tea, cocoa, tobacco leaf, sanguine red musk and five classical herbs of conflict. Mainly herby on my skin. Didn't like it. Intrigue: Black palm, with cocoa, fig and shadowy wooded notes. I like this one a lot; it smells mainly like a cocoa/fig scent on me. Kali: This perfume is a blend of the sacred blooms of cassia, hibiscus, musk rose, Himalayan wild tulip, lotus and osmanthus swirled with offertory dark chocolate, red wine, tobacco, balsam and honey. I like this one okay, but it's not primarily chocolate on me. Mostly honey and wine. Tezcatlipoca: Deep cocoa laced with patchouli, leather armor, ritual incense, and a touch of Xochiquetzal's flowers. I like this one a lot. I used to have a bottle and I gave it to someone who was looking for it. I miss that bottle and often wish I still had it. Vice: A deep chocolate scent, with black cherry and orange blossom. The chocolate just didn't work that well on me. Smelled like tootsie rolls. Velvet: gentle sandalwood warmed by cocoa vanilla and a veil of deep myrrh. I like this one a lot. A lot of sandalwood and myrrh with just a little bit of cocoa. Favorite GCs are Intrigue, Tezcatlipoca, and Velvet. (Not a surprise that they all contain cocoa and not chocolate.) The cocoa is prominent in all of them, but it's hard to choose a favorite because they all smell so different. I think my favorite is Velvet, though. LEs THAT CONTAIN CHOCOLATE/COCOA Boomslang: Snake Oil with cocoa, teakwood, and rice milk. Ahhhh, I love this one. Have 2 bottles. The Candy Butcher: Dark chocolate with a heavy cream undertone. Didn't work on me at all. Enraged Groundhog Musk: Cranky groundhog musk sweetened up by chocolate-covered black cherries, cardamom, French vanilla, and caramel. The cardamom amped too much in this for me, to my disappointment. Freak Show: fig, pomegranate and cocoa bean with lemon, bergamot, vanilla, mellow honey musk, calamus and tonka. I really like this, but the cocoa bean isn't prominent. This one is similar to Intrigue and Carnal from the GC. I have a bottle of this. Monster Bait: Underbed: Cassia-caked cocoa coconut over angel food cake. The cassia is really really strong in this. I have a bottle of this... not sure why though. I never wear it. The Pumpkin Patch #2: Pumpkin with cocoa, hazelnut and walnut. Largely pumpkin with just a little cocoa. Spooky (Yule 2003 & 2005) A maddeningly festive blend of warm, buttery rum, cocoa, coconut, vanilla and a jolt of peppermint. Mostly minty on me, not too cocoa-ish. The Tell-tale Heart: blood musk, cocoa, black pepper, allspice, dragon's blood resin and vetiver. This is a fantastic scent but seems like mainly spicy dragon's blood on me. I have a couple of bottles of this. Thirteen (4/13/07): A base of cocoa absolute and white chocolate with thirteen baneful and beneficial bits: cardamom, fig meat, grains of paradise, rice flower, chamomile, sandalwood, catnip, clove, and a bundle of five blessed blossoms and herbs. This is the purple label one. Too herby for me. Thirteen (10/13/06): Cocoa and vanilla beans, Mysore sandalwood, star fruit, orange rind, red amber, fig leaf, mimosa, rooibos tea, bourbon geranium, rose otto, nutmeg, and lavender. My favorite of the 13s so far. I have one bottle of this. Thirteen (5/13/05 & 1/13/06): thirteen lucky and unlucky components, including white chocolate, tangerine, currant, mandarin, white tea and iris. I like this one (the white label one) but I liked Oct 06 (the orange label) better. Treat #2: A fine confection for discriminating trick or treaters: a fig meat, coconut, anduttercreamonbon rolled in orange rind, mint leaf, cardamom, clove and ginger, dipped in milk chocolate. Not primarily chocolate on me at all, more like Fruit Loops. Wulric, The Wolfman: cocoa absolute, French vanilla, birch tar, lavender, bourbon vetiver, wild musk, clary sage, and cistus. This smelled a little weird and not harmonic on me. Of those, the Oct 06 (orange label) is my favorite of the 13s, but Boomslang is clearly my favorite. I'm so glad that has cocoa in it and not chocolate. I would say that Boomslang is mostly Snake Oil rather than mostly cocoa, but Velvet is my favorite GC and that one's more myrrh & sandalwood than cocoa. Between Velvet and Boomslang I prefer Boomslang, but I'd love to have a bottle of Velvet too. They're really different. (Of all of these, I'd like to have bottles of Boomslang, Velvet, Tezcatlipoca, and 13 orange label.) Verdict on Favorite Cocoa/Chocolate Scent: Boomslang

July 22, 2007

Favorite Violet

A long time ago, when I was wending my merry way through the BPAL GC, I thought that some day I ought to figure out which BPAL blend was my favorite of all the BPAL blends that had one particular primary note. For example, I noticed that I LOVED about 12 dragon's blood blends, but I didn't think I needed bottles of all of them so I thought I should figure out my favorite out of those and just have one bottle of that one. I utterly failed with the dragon's blood one. I bought about 5 different bottles of those. But, there are a few other notes that I like only occasionally, and I really need only one bottle. I don't need to keep around all the various imps, either. So I'm going to try to do this, now that I've made it through the whole GC. I'm starting with VIOLET. GCs THAT CONTAIN VIOLET Arkham: A shadowy, unapproachable forest of maple, birch, dogwood, cypress and pine softened by a garland of New England wildflowers: bergamot, columbine, rue anemone, blue violet, creeping phlox, bloodroot, toadflax, and pixie moss. Light pretty floral, but not primarily violet. Bluebeard: Violet, lavender, white musk and vetiver. Smells more of lavender than violet to me. Ephemera: sorrowful violet and chamomile with muguet, white geranium, calla lily and tea rose with a hint of autumn leaves. Pretty, but soft and wistful. Not the sort of loud VIOLET! scent I was thinking of. Fallen: Cherubic white sandalwood and golden musk with a dark halo of amber, a breath of imperial florals, unbending woods, and the shadow cast by vetiver and violet. Not primarily violet at all. Faustus: frankincense and cinnamon, darkened by violet. Not primarily violet. House Of Night: (Maybe has Primrose, violet, Daisies, Narcissus, spotted pinks, yew, myrtle, elm, cypress, cedars, osier, pine, tamarisks, weeping willows, poplar, lotos, lime, poppy amaranthus rose, mint, laurel.) A sorrowful graveyard bouquet of somber blooms, funereal boughs, dismal green and laden with grief. Need to try this again because I can't remember if the violet is a stand-out in this. I Died For Beauty: The Venusian splendor of ylang ylang and violet stirred by hyssop, frankincense, and grave loam. [grave loam, in this case, is oakmoss and Spanish Moss] Not heavily violet, and didn't like it that much. Le Serpent Qui Danse: Violet entwined with vanilla and gardenia. I like this one. Libertine: Rosewood and chamomile with bergamot, violet, red sandalwood, primrose and Arabian musk. This was one of the first BPAL oils I tried, but my husband told me it smelled like old ladies and didn't like it. I swapped it away and haven't tried it since. Need to try it again. Lucretia: Iris, black amber, sage, Kashmir wood, vanilla musk, mandarin and violet. I like this a lot, but it's not primarily violet. Lysander: Lilac musk, tonka, wood violet, and urbane lime rind, with a Venus-kissed tangle of myrtle, blackberry leaf, and benzoin. The myrtle killed this one for me. Marie: A blend of sinuous violet and elegant tea rose. Didn't smell good on me at all. Monna Vanna: Russian rose, mimosa, gardenia, bois du rose, parma violet, calla lily, red currant, ambergris, and bourbon vanilla. Haven't tried it. Morgause: A bouquet of five night-blooming flowers deepened by dusky violet, purple fruits and the barest breath of medieval incenses. I would include this one in the "primarily violet" family. However, I liked other ones better. Nocturne: Deepest violet touched with lilac and tuberose. I like this one, but it seems mostly lilac to me, rather than violet. Queen Gertrude: Imperial violet softened by wisteria and chrysanthemum, but edged with the regal iciness of delphinium. I need to try this again. It did seem to be strongly violet, but it reminded me so much of Libertine that I sort of ignored it. The Raven: Violet and neroli mingled with iris, white sandalwood and dark musk. I need to try this one again too. I don't remember it well enough to try to do a side-by-side comparison based on my memory of the scent. Saturnalia: Violet deepened with vetiver. Smelled awful on me. Sybaris: Bright violet with sweet clove, Mediterranean spice notes and tonka bean. I like this one a lot, but it seems like it's mostly spicy on me with just a moderate violet undertone. Ultraviolet: Lush violet and neroli spiked hard with eucalyptus and a sliver of mint. The eucalyptus blast at the beginning really turned me off, but I like the violet+mint combination in dry-down. I think the eucalyptus will keep this from ever being a favorite for me, though. Utrennyaya: Osmanthus, Damascus rose, violet, delphinium, white mint, palmarosa and white sandalwood. Smelled not quite right on me for some reason. Veil: White sandalwood, lilac, gardenia, violet, orris, lavender and ylang ylang. The lilac and gardenia were strongest in this one, for me. Venice: lemon, red currant, wisteria, red rose petals, heady jasmine, Florentine orris root, waterlily, red sandalwood, violet plum, and violet leaf. Not primarily violet, but I didn't really like it anyway. Wings Of Azrael: Warm myrrh swirled with a bittersweet blend of violet, Lily of the Valley, juniper, cypess and cajeput. Not primarily violet at all for me, and it was only OK. So far it seems like I like Le Serpent Qui Danse the best, but I need to re-try Libertine, Queen Gertrude, and The Raven. I don't have any of those imps. LEs THAT CONTAIN VIOLET The Agony Of Longing: Attar of rose, violet, white pear, Queen Elizabeth root, and freesia. I LOVE THIS ONE. Don't have a bottle of it, but I really want a bottle of it. Bearded Lady: Turkish rose, stargazer lily, violet, honeysuckle, amber, star jasmine and vanilla. I like this a lot and have a bottle, but it doesn't smell primarily violet to me. Crow Moon: vervain, black violet, white musk, and Chinese cedar, is brushed by the last cold wind of winter on their wings, and the scent of evergreen boughs touched by the season's final flowers and the first blossoms of spring: wintersweet, green-barked dogwood, primrose, snowdrop, and lenten rose hellebore bouquet. Like this one too (and have a bottle), but also not primarily violet. The Darkling Thrush: Snow, darkness, and icy air illuminated by the thrush's song: warm amber, soft orris, and melancholy violet. The cold/snowy note dominates in this one. This is one for the cold/snowy decision rather than the violet decision. Faith: Sugared violet. I like this a lot and have a bottle. Flower Moon: a bouquet of vivid, sexy blooms… tulip, daffodil, violet, dewdrop, rhododendron, iris, daisy, and a mix of California wildflowers. Doesn't smell primarily of violet. Melisande, The Puppet Mistress: Jasmine sambac, dark musk, violet water, vanilla bean and mimosa. The jasmine's way too strong in this for me. Ostara: orris root, bergamot, frankincense, daffodil, orange pulp, attar of rose, jonquil, strawberry leaf, benzoin, violet leaf, copal, honey cakes, sweet cream, and the blossoms of springtime. I liked this okay, but I sold my bottle. Purple Phoenix: myrrh, plum blossom, African violet, cognac, fig, orris, lilac, wisteria, black plum, and Burgundy wine grapes. Have a bottle, but doesn't smell mainly of violet to me. Rose Moon: Bulgarian rose, tea rose, violet leaf, opium poppy, Bois de Jasmin, patchouli leaf, honey, blue lilac, balsam, woodruff, and lemon peel. Largely rose, not violet. Taurus 2007: Rose, daisy, apple blossom, violet, poppy, columbine, thyme, and mint. Not primarily violet, and it's not my fave. I'm trying to sell my bottle. White Moon: Lilac, calla lily, wisteria, white sandalwood, moonflower, night musk, phlox, and violet. I like this, but it's definitely more of a white floral than a violet scent. So! Favorite LEs are The Agony of Longing and Faith. If I had my choice the only primarily violet blend I'd ever wear is The Agony of Longing, but I don't have a bottle of it. Faith is pretty, and I have a bottle, but I like the Possets Silver Violets scent just as much if not more than Faith. Verdict on Favorite Violet Scent: The Agony of Longing.