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Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller

In the imp: I don't wear many dark oils, so I'm surprised at what a deep red color this is. It smells like a darker, heavier Snake Oil. I'm a big fan of Snake Oil, so I like this, but I hope there's something to set them apart on the skin. On wet: There's definitely something sharper that sets this apart from S.O. I'm wondering if it's the patchouli leaf? I like this a lot, and I'll be disappointed if it changes much once it dries down. It starts turning sweet pretty quickly. Dry: This still smells a lot like S.O., but it's smokier and I think I can pick up the sweetness from the plum, or maybe the pomegranate. It's definitely a fruity sweet. A few hours later it almost seems a little powdery on occasion, and the vanilla has gotten more prominent, but I'm still enjoying it. It's also earned me my second BPAL compliment ever from a coworker, who called it "soft and sweet." The imp is definitely a keeper, and I will certainly be picking up a bottle (or two) when the Carnaval comes back to town! I can't think of a better scent to associate with Beth.

April 5, 2013

Books, Books and more Books!

I've signed up for a book swap, and figured I'd put a bunch answers here for whomever ends up as my swappee I'll also try to update this post as new questions get asked. Questions from the questionnaire: Allergies: None Favorite Authors: Neil Gaiman, Sara Douglass, Jacqueline Carey, Melanie Rawn, Kate Mosse, George RR Martin, Stephen King, Kat Richardson Least Favorite Authors: Charlaine Harris, Laruel K Hamilton Favorite Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy Least Favorite Genres: Romance, overly-religious Favorite Snackies: popcorn, chocolate, pretzel chips, milk duds (or any chocolate & caramel combo), red vines Least Favorite Snackies: black licorice, twizzlers, nuts Is There Anything Else Your Partner Should Know? I'm far too picky with my non-fiction to try & tell you what I like & don't like. I'd be willing to do either ebooks (I read via the kindle app on my iphone) or physical books. There are a few books I have physical copies of that I wouldn't mind having in ebook format. Also, I'm good with gently-used books (or even older used books that may be out-of-print). I'm fairly well-read, and tend to not shy away from things; I've read (and own) some Anais Nin, Henry Miller, etc. Links: Amazon Wishlist -- I do use this as a "I need to buy this later" kind of list, so you'll find more than books on it GoodReads Preferences: There are some books I own physical copies of I wouldn't mind having in e-book format, for ease of transportation, otherwise I really don't have a preference between e-book or physical copy. I do prefer Kindle over iBooks, but other than that .... Books I own to ebook: * Books 1-4 of the Song of Ice & Fire series (I own 'A Dance with Dragons' in ebooks) * Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel books (all 9 of them) * Melanie Rawn's Sunrunner series (all 6 books)

April 5, 2013

Usagi's Blog

Heartswap Questions List

would you rather have the generalized feeling that someone is thinking of you (sooooomewheeere oooout theeere...) or would you like to know, off the bat, who your swapper is? Also, you ladies and gents are speaking of rare things, if you could have one rare scent, what would it be? Do you like graphic novels, and if so, what kinds? Is there anything in the new Coraline update that you are wanting to try? Or even the past Lupers? What fandoms, if any, do you have? Tv shows, comics/books, movies, specific characters, that kind of thing? I have a new question! What of the new pickman gallery scents are you interested in? What's your favorite kind of cookie? Do you like nail polish? If so what colors? What about bath products? let's talk about handmade things: knits, books, jewelry, food, art, tchochkes.. what sort of 'just for You' items are you interested in receiving? Or, are you not really a handmade kind of person? What are you yearning for from the C2E2 and/or Bats Day pre-date? What kind of music do you like to listen to? Would you want your heartwarmer to make you a mix CD? For any specific purpose? Anything you would like from the Asian grocery store? Do you like Paintbox soap works, or villainess scrubs, soaps, etc?

Usagi

April 2, 2013

Shango

Before I'd even placed my first BPAL order I heard a rave review of this on a Popstuff podcast. Reading the scent description didn't convince me to order it, though, so I was pleased when I received it as a frimp. In the imp: extremely fruity sweet, almost too sweet. On wet: There was a pineapple soda I grew up drinking called Jupiña - that's a lot like what this smells like. It's making me feel a little nostalgic! I really, really like this. After a while it starts to grow a little more complex. I can pick up something like peppers now. Dry: This is really impressive. I can see that tropical smoothie comparison that previous reviewers have made, but the spiciness of the pepper is there too. Throw is decent, but it starts to fade after a while. This is definitely going on the bottle list.

March 31, 2013

Moxie Nouveau Reviews

Sinter Klaus: (2/5) I cannot find a description for this anywhere on the net, but in the imp it smells like BPAL's Bliss, only not quite as potent. Same rich chocolate scent, and it has little oil bubbles of something very dark sitting at the bottom that I have to roll/stir to incorporate, maybe it's the chocolate component? Anyway, here's the rub: it turns to plasticky grossness on my skin.

March 28, 2013

Starring...Fragrances Perfume Reviews

America's Sweetheart: (2/5) Sniffing this wet on my skin I feel a mini panic attack of TOOOOOO SWEET I'M GONNA DIE. But just when it almost gets too intense, the green apple comes through and saves the day. I don't smell much 'pie', there is a vague note of baked-goods but it's mostly just apples and sugar as it dries down. It's almost too overpoweringly foody to be pleasant to me, sadly. Caramel Apple Popped In: (2/5) I do not really get 'caramel' from this. The apple is there but there's something dizzyingly sweet overlaying it, more like a candied apple with a hint of cinnamon instead of caramel. I don't like this as much as America's Sweetheart, to be honest. Child Star's Trick R Treat: (2/5) Another miss. I always thought I liked foodie perfumes but these are just a little too much for me. I definitely smell the pumpkin pie filling and something horribly sweet and piercing which must be the caramel; I don't get a pastry note until after it's dried down for a while. Child Star at a Luau: (1/5) NOPE.jpeg Something in this smells like nail polish remover, I'm wondering if this is just really old and it's gone 'off'? All I smell is that and overbearing sweetness. I got all these bottles in a huge sale lot so at least I'm not out much money but I'm learning I probably won't ever end up ordering from this company. Just not my thing. Waaaaay too sweet (I didn't know that was possible for me, but there you go).

March 25, 2013

Solstice Scents Perfume Reviews

Flintlock: (5/5) Until further notice, anyone who wishes to date me will be required to wear this at all times. That is all. Tenebrous Mist: (2/5) Basically, I made the mistake of thinking about the name too much + closing my eyes while sniffing it because I was instantly in a dark alley at midnight when a fog rolled in and I could distinctly sense long disembodied tentacles creeping up on me from behind. It does morph on my skin away from that scary scent-picture but not into anything I really like, a little odd and musky.

March 25, 2013

Lush Perfume Reviews

Here is what I think of all the Lush perfumes I've tried so far! The Smell of Freedom: (5/5) I only got to use this once-- ordered a small vial and all but one drop of it had leaked out by the time it arrived. It meshed well with my chemistry, making me smell both fresh and mysterious. I went ahead and ordered the little spray-vial of it so I could try it again--here's hoping it doesn't leak in transit! Update: Got the 0.3 oz spray bottle of this and I'm in love (:-) Once I try the rest of the perfumes I will be buying the biggest bottle of this that I possibly can! Also bumping my rating of this up to full points because duh! ***BOTTLE WORTHY*** Tuca Tuca: (1/5) Disclaimer-- I'm already uneasy with violet and vanilla on their own, because sometimes they can trigger my migraines. Together? I'm sorry, I just can't with this. I valiantly tried wearing it for a day and all it made me feel was dizzy and a little nauseous. I gave the rest of my vial to a friend. Lust: (4/5) Lush made me re-examine my relationship with jasmine. I used to hate it and find it kind of head-achey, but I really like this perfume; intoxicatingly floral. I wear it every day and it makes me feel secretly sexy. However, I do end up having to re-apply it after a few hours, it seems to wear off quickly, but all perfumes seem to wear off quickly on me. Orange Blossom: (4/5) Oh wow. Such a wonderfully layered fragrance, like dipping orange segments into a bowl of pepper but way more enticing! I unfortunately had to reapply this a LOT because it faded rather quickly on me, but I wish I had purchased a medium size spray vial instead of the .07 oz sample vial. I will keep this in mind to buy more of later... Imogen Rose: (2/5) Yeah...not really. I love sweet smells and rose smells but the baby powder really ruined this for me. I did get used to it after a while and ended up using the rest of the spray vial but I really thought for a day or so there that I was going to have to give this away. Just not the right perfume for me! Breath of God: (3/5) Bought a spray vial of this unsmelled and you should have seen my face when I sprayed it on this morning. At first I was like :razzzzzzzeuch: all I could smell was the smoke, so much so that it reminded me of Cosmic Dreamcatcher and all I could think of were hippies that had just come back from a week long camping trip. But then I got to work and it had dried down, so then I was like :| hm...maybe this has more to it than I originally thought. 2 minutes later I started picking up on the mysterious incensy melon parts and honestly this would make a wonderful cologne for a sort of rugged older man! Only I'm a 25 year old woman...but I'm going to wear this anyway, so now I'm like *ahoy* (which is me being manly and rugged for the duration of me wearing this perfume). Vanillary: (4/5) This really grew on me. I'm not a fan of super sweet vanilla scents and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this one is more of a grown-up, sophisticated, non-foody type of vanilla. It had decent throw on me, too, which I appreciate because I live in a very dry climate and I usually need to re-apply perfume every hour or so. Karma: (3/5) Sadly this turns rather soapy on me immediately after I put it on. I do like this scent, though, so I'm glad I have the bubble bar and a chunk of the soap, it's just not a great perfume for me. This is another one that had to grow on me a bit, but now I've come to enjoy the darker, mysterious orangey scent of Karma. 25:43:(2/5) So, my nose is pretty dumb. Without glancing at the description, all I smelled in this was lilies, like fresh lily flowers, which I hate. Every time I'm in a room with a vase of lilies the sickening odor just gives me a headache immediately. Anyway, it turns out there ARE no lily notes in this perfume. The notes mostly say lemon cookies, which I could then smell after I read it. And the lily scent was gone after that, I smelled the lemon cookies from then on out. Where the heck did I get lilies from? Weird. Anyway, I doubt I'll buy this again, it was alright but not bottle-worthy. Dirty: (3/5) I thought I'd like this as a perfume a LOT more, but I think I should stick to the soap and shower gel. Something about it didn't mesh well with my skin chemistry and all I could smell was the mint/a soapy note. Ginger: (1/5) My god. What on earth is going on here? The website lists the notes as ginger, mimosa, geranium, rose, ylang ylang and jasmine but I smell NONE of that! This is just straight-up powder and White Diamonds perfume (so to me it smells just like the stereotypical 'old lady' scent). It stays that way on my skin, too, sadly. Ugh. Trying to use this up as fast as I can so I can get to the next perfume (I'm OCD like that). Reaaaaally regretting having ordered the 0.3 oz spray vial. Icon: (4/5) This has been an interesting journey--in the bottle it was mildly pleasant with something darker and ominous. Wet on my skin I almost passed out--all I could smell was this gross licorice/sassafras(?) overtone that I was worried was going to ruin everything. Then once it dried down, happily, that licorice/whatever note went away and I became addicted to sniffing my wrist every minute or so; this is such a subtle indescribably pleasing scent. I get faint tasteful floral parts mixed with something deliciously darker (must be the myrhh and bergamot). I think I read somewhere that Icon is an interpretation of the way the color purple smells? I would have to agree. This is not quite large-bottle worthy for me but it is close and I know I'm going to enjoy using the rest of this spray vial. Ladyboy: (4/5) Well now! I say! This is unique. And yes I mostly smell banana even though apparently it's not one of the scents they used to create it. So I guess when you mix violet and oakmoss it smells like banana. I like this quite a bit, maybe more than Icon even! Too bad it doesn't last quite as long on me but I'm totally addicted to its wet stage on my skin, I instantly feel sexy-modern-tropical vibes.

March 22, 2013

Bottle-Worthy List

So far, these are the best things I've ever smelled and I hope to buy MOAR someday! (These are in no particular order, except chronological as far as trying them) 1. Lush - The Smell of Freedom 2. Solstice Scents - Flintlock

March 22, 2013

How Doth the Little Crocodile

I put off trying this one on for a while because I'm not a particular fan of minty scents. But I got it as a frimp, and my "not yet tried" can was starting to overflow, so I figured I might as well. In the imp: Chocolatey, minty, a little musky? Thankfully not that harsh spearmint scent that comes to mind when I think "mint." On wet: Chocolate. Dry: This is...this is Dorian. This is a very faintly chocolatey Dorian. I don't really smell mint, exactly, though there's definitely kind of a fresh quality to the scent that's absent from actual Dorian. I like this a lot more than I thought I would, but I don't know that I'd spring for a full bottle. I'll definitely use up my imp, though.

March 20, 2013

Solar Phoenix

I took notes on this when I first received my decants some time ago, but never got around to posting the review. In the imp: a light, sweet floral. Wet: Roses! Dry: Roses and chamomile. So much love for this! 1 month+ later: I still wear this fairly often, but I'm sad to say that with aging the pineapple and cinnamon have come out more. It's not that I dislike the scent now, but I was so in love with the roses and chamomile phase that I'm disappointed by the change. I will, however, most certainly be keeping my imp, and may try to snag a bottle if the opportunity presents itself.

March 14, 2013

Old Demons of the First Class

In the imp: smells smoky, spicy, and sweet...a bit syrupy, maybe? So far, so good. On wet: Almost as soon as it hits the skin, it turns into diet Dr. Pepper. What on Earth happened here? It stays firmly in the real of diet Dr. Pepper for a good while, too. It's much sweeter than it was in the imp, when it was more spicy. Kind of disappointed and hoping it improves. Dry: Diet Dr. Pepper is gone, and it's more smoky now. Unfortunately it's not a good smoky. It smells a bit like BBQ, almost. I'm pretty sure my skin chemistry is to blame and I suspect this would smell much better on someone else, especially on a man. It's going to the swap box.

March 14, 2013

Gunny's Blog

Not on as much as I used to be

After being divorced for a year and living on my own, I've really drifted far from the things that brought me joy if only due to a severe financial change in my life. I must whole heartedly apologize to everyone who has attempted to message me. I've been neglectful and I'm very sorry about that. I have no excuse. I'm trying to pull my life together and get back to where I was socially. This also means I'm going to be cleaning out my collection if only because I've really become super picky on what fragrances I buy now. So stuff I've been keeping out of pure collecting will be hopefully going to homes that will use and love them. It won't happen right away, I need to stock up on shipping supplies first but in the next day or so I'll be posting a blog of all the things that will be available for sale. I would ask that no one message me with offers to buy just yet because even stuff like bubble mailers are a pinch on my wallet and I need to pull some extra funds together first. If there's something you're interested in, by all means feel free to tell me what you like. I'll treat it as first come first served (as always). And should you find it from someone else, no worries, I won't be upset or offended. Again, I'm very sorry my loves.

kohaisama

March 10, 2013

12 Eggs of Ostara/Easter Questions

In one convenient spot! Also including the original questions Allergies/food restrictions: None, thankfully. Is there anything you don't want to get? I'm not religious, so religious-related items are probably NOT a good thing. Do you celebrate a specific holiday (Easter/Ostara)? Nope Would you like to get anything associated with that holiday (candies, decorations, ect.)? n/a Are you willing to accept home-made food items, and are the limits on what you are willing to receive? Home-made goodies are always appreciated! I love to bake! How do you feel about used items (in good or like-new conditions)? I'm okay with it, so long as they're in good or like-new condition. Heaven knows, I've enough things I've bought, stuck in a box or on a shelf & never used that could use new homes! Do you collect anything? Does BPAL count? Wishlists (bpal, any other wishlist you might have)? I've linked my Amazon wishlist in another blog posting, and my BPAL wishlist is in my signature Favorite or least favorite colors? Favorites: Jewel tones, dark blues, dark greens, black. Least Favorites: yellow, orange, pastels. Sizes (shirt, shoe, ring, necklace, bracelet)? Shirt: XL Shoe: 8 Ring: 8 Necklace: 15"? 16"? Bracelet: Not sure Do you want any jewelry? Hard to answer this one; I don't really wear a lot of jewelry, so I tend to be picky about what I do wear Favorite snacks? Pretzel Chips & Pita Chips in Parmesan & Garlic Coffee/teas? Teas! Chocolates/candies? Please? I do tend to prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate Socks/shoes? Love fun socks What kind of books do you like? Sci-fi & fantasy. I adore Neil Gaiman What kind of musics do you like, and are you ok with burned music cds? I listen to a little of everything, except maybe rap, and I'm perfectly okay with burned music CDs Do you like makeup or nail polishes? Lip balms are okay, but other than that, I don't wear make up Soaps/scrubs? <3 soaps and scrubs. This is probably my favorite aisle in the grocery store. Candles/tarts? Candles yes, tarts not so much. How do you feel about sample-sized stuff? Samples are good What are some small (cost wise) items you would be happy to see? Not really sure on this one. Is there anything else you want your swapper to know? I feel like I"m the most boring person in the world, so I apologize if you're having a hard time figuring me out. *I* have a hard time figuring me out, some days! How do you feel about maple syrup? NomNomNom Peeps? Yay or Nay? Yay! Are we set to a hard/fast rule of 12 eggs, or can we do more, so long as there's enough to open for all 12 days? This was one of my questions: I think there's only 1 day in my package that has 1 item; everything else is multiple goodies. And where are y'all finding eggs big enough? This was another of my own questions. I have 2 different sized eggs, and lots of wrapping paper. Near me is a small-ish local purveyor of whipped shea butter using very nice ingredients and smelling divine. Is that something you'd be interested in receiving, even though you might not be familiar with the company? I'm good with local-made goodies. A little bit of shea butter is good, but I probably wouldn't use a whole lot of it. Would you mind if your package contained a good deal of sugary-confections (a good chunk of chocolates, for example)? Another of my own questions. I love chocolate, but I wouldn't want a whole box of it So is anyone vegan or would otherwise have an objection to things like decorated blown eggshells? Not vegan; decorated eggshells are kinda cool, but I do have a cat that likes to play with everything Ok, so, for those of you like me, with no tub, how do you feel about BPTP bath oils as moisturizers? I'm good with BPTP bath oils BB, do you have any hobbies? Photography, reading, watching TV. Like I said, I'm boring. How do you feel about nail shields, as opposed to polish? If that's a yay, do you prefer solids or patterns? Not my thing.

February 26, 2013

Usagi's Blog

Sample Box Swap Question List

1)Talk to me about nail polish - are you 3-Free? Vegan? 5-Free? Bad at applying but wish you weren't? Hard on your hands and afraid polish won't last? Have nails that break a lot? Just hate nail polish? 2)Is there something about where you live that makes beauty products more difficult? For instance, dry weather = bad hair, rain = flat/hat hair, snow = dry skin? 3)So, I just received some full sizes of something you would really like, dear swapper. They have not been used yet(they have not even been opened yet). Would you be comfortable with potted samples of these? 4)As a bonus extra, not a main part of the package, you you, dear recipient be interested in something I've tried once or twice that just didn't work? BPAL is an obvious here, but also, a bottle of lotion or hair product or something along those lines? Similarly, if I happen to have a giant jug of unscented shampoo base that fits with your hair profile and one of your favorite scents lying around, would you be interested in some custom scented shampoo? 5)When it comes to snack items, would you be interested in sweets/candy/seasonal goodies, or would you prefer that I stick to healther snack options? Related, since this is shipping close to Easter, would you be interested in any sort of themed packaging? 6)What sample/ beauty box services do you subscribe to: for example I don't want to send you something you just received in last month's box unless it was something you really loved. 7)Bath or shower products? What are your favourites? What would you like? 8)How do you feel about nail shields, as opposed to polish? If that's a yay, do you prefer solids or patterns? 9)Snacks? Are you fine with local-to-me (but purchasable online) options or do you want something you could walk into a store and buy in your area? 10)Are you into scarves? Lightweight, spring-type scarves, given the season. 11)Foil packets as added bonuses, not as any of the base items. Yay, nay, or don't care?

Usagi

February 26, 2013

claudia6913's Blog

From: Random Rants & General Laments

I have officially reached my limit for THINGS THAT CAN/WILL GO WRONG IN LESS THAN 7 DAYS. Last Friday I wake up and find a lump under my right arm. I tell my OB at my appointment and she immediately sends me off to be scheduled for a breast ultrasound. Ultrasound done Monday afternoon ... only to find out Tuesday that yes, there's something (not under my arm, but in my breast) that they want a second opinion for and so am now scheduled to see a general surgeon on this coming Wednesday (a week later). But, don't worry, says the nurse, they're not going to cut off your breast. Yes, thank you for clarifying that. Tuesday after work my tire is flat. I attempt to fill the air in no less than 4 places. Each one was either in use, someone who pulled in right before me went for it, or it was out of order. I just went home and asked my husband to go put air in the stupid tire since I was apparently not destined to do it. (Oh, and it was like 10 degrees outside and snowing.) He calls and says the tire is completely flat and he's holding the stem in his hand. I grab his car and go pick him up. Wednesday husband takes me to work because he's going to go take the tire off (which is sitting in a parking lot because it was undrivable and it was too hard to remove the spare tire in the cold) and go get a new one put on then come pick me up after work. That part goes well. However, my chair at work, which has been with me for 2+ years now, decides as I lean to the right to throw something away (like I've done a million times) that it would break one of the legs and send me tumbling to the ground. I of course have a complete break down at this point. It's already too much for me to handle. I file and incident report. Call my OB to make sure I don't have to do anything for the baby (cause I'm 3 months pregnant), and call my husband to let him know. Thursday tire is fine, new chair at work, make plans on our vacation (which is rapidly approaching). Basically calm and all... until I go to drive home from work and my car starts making this awful sound whenever I turn the wheel. I'm trying to stay calm. I've got to go get an oil change anyway. I figure I'll just take it in on Friday and get it looked at. Probably a belt or low fluid or something. Friday I take the car in to get it looked at. I get a call back from the repair shop. My power steering fluid system is leaking and the resivour is empty. It'll be $530 to fix it. And my world drops. I ask them to just put some fluid in and I'll take it to a dealership to see if there's something they can do since the repair shop said the dealerships have the part in stock so it's a known issue with the car. Saturday, fluid leaks all over the driveway. Resivour is empty after only 10 hours or so. Sunday I fill it up and after driving for 10 minutes the noise starts again. I'm furious. Today, Monday, I take it in to a more trusted dealer. He takes a look and it's a recall item. I thank him, pay him for the diagnostics, and head to the dealership. Dealership takes care of the four recalls on the car and calls ... only to say there are two more hoses bad and that'll be $378. What have I done to piss off god(s)/higher powers/what have you?!?!? I'm supposed to go on vacation to see my mom and just relax and now almost $500 of our vacation money is just GONE on car repairs that just popped up out of no where. I don't understand it. To make matters worse, I'm highly hormonal and highly emotional and highly pissed at everything that's gone wrong. I feel like something is out to get me. Source: Random Rants & General Laments

claudia6913

February 25, 2013

Moi's Blog

From: The Vampire Bride

10/12/2012 -- I got to test this at the Seattle store! :-) In the bottle, it's definitely quite pink. On me this turned into a very light, sweet, pretty floral; I didn't get much of the musk, dust, wormwood &c. Got faint after a couple of hours, but it's v pretty, so I ordered a bottle. It was lighter and less cold and sharp than I expected from the description -- maybe like Stoker's Lucy "looking sweeter and lovelier than ever." :-) ETA 2/24/2013 -- revisiting this after it's been settling a bit. At first it was a little disappointing, because it is indeed a very light almost faint scent with very little throw, but after slathering more on (like I need an excuse to do that -- heh) I was happier with it. In the bottle, and on wet, this is for me a very strong citrus, without much musk or tea (surprising, usually I amp tea). As it dries down, it goes through a very pretty flowery-spicy stage, which I wish lasted longer, and then is a very light sweet musk. As other people said, it would be a nice daytime or everyday scent; it's pretty cheerful! I still really like it, and was trying to figure out why since I usually don't like very pretty sweet vanishing florals. I think it's probably because most of those scents give me a nasty headache, but this one doesn't. The sad thing is it's more like a ghost than a vampire bride. Source: The Vampire Bride

theredshoes

February 24, 2013

Switch Witch Questions!

I've done a couple of swaps now ... I'll try to put answers here when questions come up. Maybe it'll help Do you have Etsy/Amazon wishlists linked somewhere? Amazon Etsy just ends up being lots of BPAL Do you have a Tumblr/Pinterest you'd share with everyone (these can be really informative as to style?) Tumblr Pinterest Style? I'd be hard pressed to pin something down for this; I work and when I don't work, I'm home in sweat pants/pj pants and baggy t-shirts. I don't go anywhere, and I don't do a whole lot more than "work too much" Fave Holiday? I don't know that I have a favorite. I will say Christmas is probably my least favorite (for personal reasons) ... favorite candles, companies and/or candle scents? I candles. Please expose me to more companies! favorite kinds of tea (flavors, companies) Peppermint tea is great for a cold winter's day. I've gone towards loose-leaf teas, so I'm mostly experimenting right now. any of the Villainess autumn or winter soaps appeal? Another soap company you'd like more? I'm open to try spiffy soaps. I spiffy soaps. Sweets? Dark chocolate. Yum Fave Foods? Salty, dark chocolate, caramels, sushi What about desires (limited edition or not) from Black Phoenix? No idea! I've heard great things about some of the bath oils Ereader? I use the kindle app on my iPhone. How do you feel about other perfume etailers? Any you love, hate, are dying to try? How about perfume with alcohol in – do you love all perfumes, do you dislike commercial brands but not mind the inclusion of alcohol if it's a boutiquey or fancy company with unique scents, or are you strictly oils? I think I'd like to stick to one addiction (read: BPAL) for now. I'm okay with alcohol-based perfume, with I'm getting further away from commercial-based perfumes. Other than fragrance oils/perfumes what is your number one (or a tie between 2-3) favorite type of toiletry or scenty item? A Wild Soap Bar's soaps ... Sea Scrub, Pine Tar Neem, and Black Willow Bark are awesome (and local to me); Describe three things you have decorating your room... One of the photos I've taken, framed; hand-made jewelry holders, wooden jewelry boxes Pirates or ninjas? Ninjas Zombies – love, hate, obsessed, don't care, think they're coming for us any day now, other immediate/passionate thoughts? BRAAAAIIIINNNNNSSSSSS ..... Bpal oils: Sunbird, Snake Oil, Feed Me & Fill Me With Pleasure, Antikythera Mechanism, Chimera Disney Villain? Malificent is pretty awesome Also, would you be interested in made just for you products like hand cream or salves, or.....? Yay! What would make you smile the most? Something that seems perfect that I didn't think of myself Do you have a Holy Grail BPAL? Something you long for but think you will never see? I'm still fairly new, so I honestly don't know what I'm missing (probably better that way) Other drink stuff besides coffee and tea?: Water. I'm so boring. How do you feel about hand-crafted goodies? Awesome! I wish I had the skill to craft much of anything. Do you collect anything? BPAL, scarves, decorative wooden boxes Fandoms: Neil Gaiman, Doctor Who

February 24, 2013

Let's Start with Something Simple

I figure for my first blog entry, I'll go ahead and update with listings of BPAL I've tried, and my own notes on them. For the most part, I'll sniff imps when I get them, and sort them into 3 categories: Yes, Not Now, and No. I'm OCD enough that I keep a multi-tab, colour-coded spreadsheet with notes on what's where, what I've tried, and my own mini-review (even if it never gets posted in the various review sections). I'm going to colour-code this for my own reference (things that turn to baby powder; things that turn to diaper wipe, etc). Here's what I have, so far: Aeval: In the bottle I get floral. Applied I get more floral. Dry down is even more floral. The sweet pea is so overwhelming in this, I get no other notes. Eventually, it turns to baby powder. And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt: Cloyingly, almost sticky-sweet & turns to baby powder on me. Antikythera Mechanism, The: Woodsy in the bottle, with just a hint of vanilla. Applied, it gives me a little of the burn I normally associate with cinnamon, but it doesn't last long. Dry, it turns into a smoky, woodsy vanilla that's just to die for. I can't stop sniffing my wrist Anubis: Not sure why this was in my "try me now" imp box, but I gave it a go anyway. Pure diaper wipe, and stayed that way. Arkham: I've learned I amp violet like nothing else; they SCREAM at me in this, and take a very long time to die down enough for me to enjoy the softer, smokey-sweetness it becomes. Aureus: cedar-woodsy smell in imp, but fades too fast for me to keep. Autumn: Starts out smelling of dry leaves, then fades into something that resembles vanilla. Eventually, it turns to baby powder Aziraphael: I definitely get the 'dusty' in this. In the imp I get woody, dusty. Applied, I can't stop sneezing. Applied at 8am, and by 1pm, it had faded completely. Light, sweet scent left. Keep the imp, but won't be buying a bottle Baghdad: Loved it in the imp, but it turned to baby powder when applied Bastet: Strong woodsy smell right out of the bottle. Fades quickly, and then turns to total baby powder on me Beer from the Marsh Woman's Brewery: Goes on sweet – the apple is very strong on this, and really all I end up smelling. Applied at around 10pm, by 2pm it's faded Bengal: Sweet, sticky, spiced honey. I love this scent, but the cinnamon + clove combination physically burns, causing me to scratch relentlessly at the areas I've applied it. The reaction is enough to make me put this in the trade pile, which makes me very sad. Blood Moon: This was a decant I received. The person I bought it from didn't know which year it was. I wish I knew what year this was, as they're all slightly different. I like how this smells, but it fades fairly quickly. I suppose that's a good thing. Blossoms in Springtime: In the imp: it's sharp & sweet at the same time. I wouldn't have picked out vanilla notes at all, were they not listed on the decant label. On the wrist: It's so soft & subtle, I almost can't smell anything at all. It starts to morph into a delicious vanilla that I love. Dry down: I wish this lasted longer. I love this vanilla, so soft & creamy. After a few hours, it's almost completely gone. I'll keep the partial imp I have, but I'm not going to hunt down a bottle. I think that's a good enough place to stop for tonight. As you can see, for a while I was 'ABC'ing through my "Try me Now" imp box. Then I kept wanting to get to other things, so I started jumping around again, and then I had bottles to get to, and ... well, I could keep coming up with excuses More tomorrow!