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Notes to myself and anyone else

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Custom scent

Not that I'll likely ever get a custom scent, but I've been thinking about one in the last few days. It's kind of like a song I can't get out of my head.   It would be like a more masculine version of Snow White. I'm imagining a pure white mixture of rice cream (is there such a thing?) and coconut milk, infused with ginger, with a dash of nutmeg and cardamom on top, possibly a hint of clove. It's in a wooden bowl with a scattering of pine boughs around it. All of this is outside on a blustery, snowy day. Snow, rice cream, coconut, almond, ginger, spices, turbinado sugar, balsam fir. Maybe some woodsmoke, or frankincense, just a hint of something to give it a bit of a rugged edge. Ooh, maybe some cherry too? Just a little bit, not enough to stand out a whole lot. It's possible some kind of floral would be good, but I don't know florals well enough to say which one.   It would be something between Snow White, Jolasveinar, and Cloister Graveyard In The Snow.
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Yule breakdown!

BPAL Yule breakdown 2010......”interest scale” of 1-5   Edited after more thought, 10/23 (bold means decant ordered)   Klara....”Honey dusting powder, mandarin, iris, ylang ylang, tea rose, and carnation” Pass. 1/5   Herr Drosselmeyer 2010....”Pipe smoke, sweet leather, woods and linen” Pass. Never was very interested in this one. 2/5   Harlequin And Columbine.....”French vanilla, red currant, sage, balsam, rosewood, mandarin, lemon peel, pomegranate, and cedar” Probably pass, maybe a decant. 3/5   The Soldier.....”Red musk, vanilla cream, black tea, black pepper, leather, and pie” Has potential but I don’t like black pepper in perfume. Makes me think of Lawn Gnome? I think I'll have to try this, so I guess I need to look for a decant. 4/5   Grobvater Tanz.....”rice porridge, candied fruits, heavy cream, powdered clove, and Lebkuchen” Have to find out what Lebkuchen is. This might be good, I have been wanting a candied fruit scent lately. 4/5   The Nutcracker.....”frankincense, black mission fig, and galbanum” Oooh, this sounds good....I’m not always crazy about galbanum but it can be okay in the right proportions. Love the simplicity. This is possibly a bottle unsniffed. Thinking about it today. 5/5   The Clock Strikes Midnight.....black currant, frankincense, blue musk, mugwort, and wisteria” Awww....I love the name and concept! Too bad the notes don’t appeal. Might be worth a sniff. 2/5   The Rat King 2010.....”Dust, wood and feral musk with a fang-sharp undertone” Never was really interested in this one. Might be worth a sniff. 2/5   The Waltz Of The Snowflakes.....”vanilla-laced snow, graceful and sweet, with fir needle and black pine bark” I’m all over the pine! Very interesed! 4/5   Ebenezer Scrooge....”neglected leather, oakmoss, tonka bean, black pepper, cumin, and vetiver” Potential.....but again, black pepper. Hmmm. 3/5   Christmas Eve In The Counting House.....”Creaky wood, thick fog, and dying embers” Hmmm, maybe an ozone scent? Love the concept, I’m interested. 4/5   A World Of Fools......”Figgy pudding with a stake of holly through its heart” Yes! I must smell this. 5/5   Marley’s Ghost.....”grave-cold phantasmal iron links” Well, the metal scents are a little harsh sometimes....too cologne-like....but this does have some potential. Worth a sniff. 3/5   Incessant Torture Of Remorse.....”opopponax, lavender, blackberry, patchouli, olive leaf, myrtle, and white cognac” No clue. There is potential here. 3/5   The Chained Phantoms.....”ice-limned white wine grape, balsam of peru, and chamomile” This sounds good, but it sounds like The Shivering Boy and I already have that, and don’t wear it enough. Possible decant though, pending reviews. 3/5   The First Of The Three Spirits.....”Shimmering white amber, voluminous vanilla, white musk, zdravetz, and summer flowers” Sounds pretty but not really for me. Might still be worth a sniff! 3/5   A Cold, Clear Winter Day.....”Winter tuberoses bending gently in a crisp, cold breeze” I think I can pass on this one. 2/5   The School.....”In the corner of a desolate, dismal schoolhouse, all lonely stone walls, beeswax, and dusty wooden writing desks, stirs the scent of gold coins hidden in forest outside Baghdad, waves crashing against the hull of a Salé pirate ship, the lofty halls of Pépin le Bossu’s court, and a wild child’s home in the woods” Ooooo.....this has a lot of potential.....definitely worth a try. This could be a good 'work' scent, and possible bottle. 4/5   Mr. Fezziwig’s Ball......”Mince pie, dark beer, a well-loved spruce wood fiddle, and bow resin” Sounds really good if the beer is not too strong. 4/5   A Golden Idol.....”antiqued amber, English lavender, vetiver, and tea rose” This would have potential except for the tea rose. No thank you. 2/5   The Second Of The Three Spirits.....”Pine boughs, plum pudding, spiced pears, sugared chestnuts, punch floated with oranges, boughs of holly, and myrica berries” Wow, that sounds awesome. Kind of like Knecht Ruprecht, which I love, but maybe even better? 4/5   Bob Cratchit’s Hearth.....”Glowing firewood and sherry-cobbler” Hmmmm....not even sure what sherry-cobbler is. Is this a boozy scent? Could have a lot of potential if it’s not too boozy. Edit: sherry-cobbler is sherry with orange. Still think this might be good. Reminds me of Philosopher's Meditation. 4/5   Christmas Eve On The Moor.......”Windswept moor grass, grey moss, mud, and stone warmed by a small, comfortable fire” Think I can pass on this one. 2/5   Ignorance And Want.....”Bog myrtle, wormwood accord, carrot seed, lovage, Roman chamomile, orris root, myrrh, and patchouli” I want to try this. Could be another 'work' scent. 4/5   A Game Called Yes & No.....”Mulled wine and marzipan” I think I can pass on this one. It might be nice enough but the mazipan could be a little candy-dusty. 3/5   The Last Of The Spirits.....”Blackcurrant, myrrh, and vetiver” Maybe. Just maybe. 4/5   An Altar To Cold, Rigid, Dreadful Death....”Black cedar, frankincense, and dust” Has potential, might be kind of harsh. 3/5   Shadows Of What May Be.....”A deserted, dismal grave: upturned earth, overgrown grass, and dead weeds” I think I can safely pass on this one. 2/5   Changing The Shadows.....”vanilla, orange blossom, white sandalwood, mate, red tea, and carnation” Sounds very pretty! Maybe a little girlie. Edit: I think this will be one of the more popular, maybe sought-after scents. I will keep an eye on reviews, in case it becomes hard to find some day. Wouldn't want to miss out. 3/5   Whoop.....”crisp winter air, shimmering amber, sweet honey, with a touch of pumpkin pie, pine cone, cranberry, and bayberry” Oooooooh, I want to try this. Sounds totally yum! 5/5   Autumn And Winter.....”Bitter currant and dry leaves. Winter wind at dusk” Might be good......I like leafy scents. Worth a try. Decant first. 4/5   Chanukkiyah 2010.....”Olive oil, beeswax, glowing amber, sweet sufganiyot, pomegranate, and fig” I never tried the previous one. I’d like to try this. 4/5   Egg Nog 2010.....”Sweet brandy, dark rum, heavy cream, sugar, and a dash of nutmeg” The previous Egg Nog that I tried disappeared instantly on my skin leaving behind almost no scent at all. Those notes sound good, but I probably will pass on this. 2/5   Gelt 2010.....”Dry cocoa and golden amber!” I’m not a fan of cocoa scents. My friend really likes this so I know I can always sniff hers if I feel a burning desire to. 2/5   Gingerbread Poppet 2010.....”Warm, cozy gingerbread spiced with nutmeg, clove and cinnamon” The last version of this was just a little harsh for me, a little too scorched. I still have my decant of that and I’ve barely worn it at all. I think I can pass this year. 2/5   Haloa 2010.....”Wine grapes, pomegranate, myrrh, frankincense and olive leaf, and the warm scent of offertory cakes” I love Haloa! Yet another scent that I don’t wear and appreciate often enough. I only have a decant from way back when. Could be time for a bottle? 4/5   Jacob’s Ladder 2010.....”golden amber, galbanum, benzoin, ambrette, rockrose, costus and tonka” I tried this waaay back in 2006, and I remember that it went straight to powder. Now, I have come to appreciate powdery scents a little more. Still, with so many other wonderful things in this update, I think I can pass for now. 2/5   Jolasveinar 2010.....I have enough Jolasveinar. It’s one of my favorite scents and I don’t wear it enough! 1/5 just because I have more than 5ml already.   Lick It Vigorously......”This is a candy cane perfume, minty, sweet and sugared” Never was really drawn to these, although I love the name! 2/5   Midnight Mass 2010.....Possible bottle, one of my favorites. Never bought a bottle before but I have 2 older decants. 4/5   Noche Buena 2010.....still have some of this from before, don’t wear it very often. The lily comes close to being soapy but I still like it. Pass this time around. 2/5   Peacock Queen, Rose Red, and Snow White 2010......have decants already, don’t need more. I do like Snow White an awful lot but I don’t wear it enough get a botte.   Winter-time.....”Sweet, soft snow” Interesting! I would like to sniff this. 3/5   Woods In Winter.....”Wild hemlock and juniper berries scattered in the snow beneath leafless trees bedecked with glittering icicles” I am all about woods! Hope it’s not too much like November. Maybe another 'work' scent. 4/5   Yule 2010.....tried an older one, didn’t like it so much. 2/5   The Last Unicorn......I can skip this whole section. Never read this story so it doesn’t carry any associations for me, and none of the scents sound all that appealing to me.
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Moving on to positive things!

Breakdown for the new scents (I need a break from studying, anyway)........I've never read Neverwhere or the other graphic novels, so these are based on notes, concepts, and imagery.   Mr. Croup....."Pompous and predatory: tonka bean, black musk, bourbon geranium, and crushed porcelain". Intrigued by the crushed porcelain, but the bourbon geranium is probably the deal breaker. At least....I know I don't like rose geranium. May try a decant eventually.   Mr. Vandemar....."Dark and gangly, with a glint of razor-sharp stainless steel behind it: opopponax, costus, black pepper, black sandalwood, and polished metal". Hmmm.....possibly.....but I'm kind of scared off by the black sandalwood, it hasn't worked much for me.....at least, I didn't like the one Ode To Mars scent that had black sandalwood. This looks interesting enough to try.   Door.....golden honey, nope.   The Marquis de Carabas....."A splash of bay rum, leather, dusty black wool, massoia bark, and opium residue". This looks pretty good, except maybe for dusty wool, but I'm willing to try a decant at some point.   The Rat Speakers...."A snuffling, brown scent: earthy patchouli, sage, russet sandalwood, grimy leather, fig leaf, and lemongrass". This sounds reminiscent of Brown Jenkins, and some of the Wind In The Willows scents.....and none of them worked for me. I would try it if it comes my way but I can most likely skip this one.   Anesthesia....."A scent that slips through the cracks: peppermint, lavender, bergamot, and mandrake". Sounds pretty and refreshing, not what I usually go for but I'm kind of attracted to it. Decant might be good at some point.   Night's Bridge...."Stone and darkness". This sounds totally intriguing, especially since I loved Sarah from last year's Halloween blends. I will probably end up trying this one.   Hunter....."Leonine amber, tanned hides, clove, and clary sage". Yes, I want to try this, definitely.   The Floating Market....."A cacophony of curious scents: copaiba balsam, petitgrain, citrus rind, sinicuichi accord, betel nut, wasabi root, coconut palm, and wattleseed layered atop innumerable strange herbs, spices, and woods". Sounds really interesting, sometimes I can do the more herbal scents. some of these things I'm not familiar with but I really don't see anything that worries me.   The Velvets....."Smooth inky musk, cathedral incense, ylang ylang, violet leaf, rose-infused amber, red sandalwood, and iris". This is interesting because I'm attracted to the concept and imagery more than the actual notes. Might be fun to risk a decant, and even better if I end up liking it.   Lamia....."Deadly elegance: pale orchid, lily of the valley, vanilla amber, black currant, white peach, champaca, coconut, honeysuckle, Arabian myrrh, Burmese vetiver, and oude". Sounds pretty and womanly, but could be worth a try. I like most of the notes.....but lily can be a deal-breaker.   Plutonian...."Soapy cleanliness sullied by blood and ashes". I don't like a lot of soapy scents but this could still work, and it's worth a try.   Mr. Qubit....."Gleaming metal, electrical discharge, and a whiff of tinny cologne". Sounds kind of like last year's anniversary scents....which didn't really work for me. But I'm still interested in trying most things that are dude-centric, which this appears to be. I'll be watching reviews.   Bette Noir.....sounds very womanly, I can probably pass on this one.   Kaidan....I already tried this....not bad but didn't knock my socks off. I may try it again some day.   Yurei....."White tea, hibiscus, Arabian sandalwood, white amber, ho leaf, pale Japanese flowers, and vetiver". Could be a nice springy scent. Worth a try, for sure.   Alana Patel....."Faded perfume, cigarette smoke, and gin". Not my kind of thing, but I'd be interested in smelling it just because it contains a note of cigarette smoke.   Witchblade...."Antediluvian, sacred metal, glowing red musk, blessed frankincense, and antiqued amber". Sounds pretty good to me....I think I'll have to try it!   Sara Pezzini....honey-dusted.....nope!   Det. Patrick Gleason....."A classic men's cologne splashed over a leather trenchcoat and a hint of gunshot residue". Sounds like it could be worth a try.   The Curator....."Mysterious herbs and ancient resins. Dust settled on ancient relics, both holy and malevolent". Worth a try, but could be too dusty.   Panther Moon....."Gleaming black musk, mandrake, labdanum, black ginger, benzoin, champaca, ambergris accord, myrrh, and star anise". I just don't know.....I mean, it sounds good, but I can't tell for sure if I'd like it, or if it will be too similar to other things I've tried. I didn't end up liking Velvet Panther, and black musk is one of those things that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't for me. This is very much worth a try, and could be worth a whole bottle. I just wish I could decide!   All of the honey scents........no.   Paduan Killer Swarm....."Tonka, black licorice, amber, golden sandalwood, ginger cream, bitter clove, stinging nettle, cinnamon bark, and coconut shell". I like the combination of notes listed, but what if it has honey, too? That would be a deal breaker for sure. But everything else sounds so good.....   Paramatman....."Orange blossom, East Indian sandalwood, and champaca". Yet another 'worth a try', although I don't usually like orange blossom all that much.   Ehecatl......"Hibiscus, matcha, white musk, and lime". You guessed it.......worth a try.   The Forest Reverie....."A sunlit ancient forest, dotted with wild roses, grape vine, and queenly lilies, clothed in swirls of opium smoke". Roses and lilies.......no, no, no.   L'examen de Minuit.....lilac and rose otto......nope.   Pyramus......"Dragon's blood resin, frankincense, amber, white tea, lavender, and golden musk". This sounds really good. It would be fun to find someone to split the pair with me, because I know I wouldn't like the other half.   Thisbe....."Diaphanous sandalwood, pink rose, lotus root, lemon orpur, and iris stained by mulberry juice". Pink rose and iris? I think not.
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Ginger

Ginger is a hit-or-miss note for me. I love Shub-Niggurath, but I don't like the ginger note in Saw Scaled Viper and War. I like Sudha Segara, but I don't love it, and I'm not sure I can smell the ginger in it. It smells more like sparkly lemon and lime to me. I have a wee sample of ginger essential oil from Nature's Gift, and I really like how it smells. Oh and I do like Pumpkin Queen, but I don't love it (wait.....PQ does have ginger, doesn't it?).   I was reading reviews for Shub-Niggurath and couldn't believe all the variations people are smelling. I don't smell lemon at all when I wear it. And were there really different 'versions' of Shub? I always wonder if that's true or if it's just people's different perceptions of the same scent. I have a decant of pre-resurrection Shub, and also a bottle of the resurrected Shub, and they smell exactly alike to me. Of course, I don't know how old the decant is.
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(previous entry continued.....)

Inez and Aeronwen are both bottle worthy. And Wild Men of Jezirat Al Tennyn. Have to re-try all of those, and again, make some decisions. Carnaval Diabolique is totally worth a bottle, so I have that one to consider as well. And I haven't even tried Isaac yet!! : /   On the plus side, I have a nice, completely full, well-aged bottle of Mme. Moriarty that I love. Ditto Midnight On The Midway and Antonino.   The big problem is Chaos Theory. I've been wanting a new round of CT for a long, long time......and I really want at least 6 or 7 bottles, possibly more. There is no way I can get all of this stuff, I just can't swing it. I think I'm actually pushing aside CD in favor of CT. CD will be around longer (and we still have more acts), and CT will only be around for a few weeks. And Chaos Theory is just so.......special! It's like my own little bottle of uniqueness, and a complete surprise, and just fun, fun, fun.   So there ya go, I guess my decision is made. Buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a Chaotic ride!!
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Alien comics

I bought a book of the Alien comics (comic books compiled into a softcover book, 'Omnibus'). The story starts up after Aliens, but the characters' names are changed, and Ripley isn't in it. Actually only Newt and Hicks are in them. Anyway, good story, alternate sequel material, and I haven't read a comic in ages, so it's kind of fun. The last comic books I got into were Eightball but that's been a few years.   There are a couple more volumes of the Alien Omnibus, I might keep following the story, we'll see.   Oh and I tried Melainis again today.....just doesn't work for me, due to the black musk I think. Just too blecch papery powdery and reminds me of Haunted. Another one for my swaps if they ever get off the ground.
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Conclusion

So, after all that fuss, it turns out I was right after all.....my current lease is from December to December. With a little more planning and communication, I could have avoided that whole awkward situation.   The good news is that I'm moving next month. My new apartment is almost exactly halfway between work and school (a mile and a half to either one). In a pinch if my car broke down, I could walk to either work or school. It also has: off street parking, secure entry/building, laundry in the basement, and paid heat and water. I am really excited.   Now for the big pain in the ass of moving again. Once again, I should just throw a lot of stuff away, useless junk that I tend to hold onto. Time to look for boxes!
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M. Micallef, Avant Garde

Notes: bergamot, grapefruit, cocoa bean, tobacco, incense, Russian leather, tonka bean, grey amber   I better review this now because this is the 2nd time I've worn it and probably won't try it again.   It's not terrible, just not for me. Basically it reminds me of Miller Vs. California. It has a very similar mix of leather and fruits, and there is even something papery, maybe the grey amber, or something about the incense notes. Sometimes incensey blends smell sort of papery to me (Heavenly Love And Earthly Love). Not a lot of cocoa bean or grapefruit that I can detect, and the bergamot is more of a suggestion of fruit than a specific citrussy note. Anyway, this is actually a nice scent. I think I just don't like leather scents all that much, with a couple of exceptions.
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Grrrr

I am an idiot.   My lease is over at the end of this month (October, not November). It's too late for me to move out. And the landlady already told me she won't go month-to-month.   The reason I got confused, is because the last time I moved, I got sick in the middle of the process. I spent 2 or 3 weeks recovering, and had to stop the whole moving process, which means I stayed over a couple weeks at my old apartment. I actually should have paid them another month's rent, but they let it slide.   Anyway, looks like I'm staying put for another year after all.
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More zoo stuff

I went to the zoo again last week, and had a nice relaxing visit. The weather was really great, a little chilly but sunny and windy.   I enjoy watching the serval in the cat house.....so graceful and.....willowy? I also love the feathertailed gliders in the nocturnal house. They are incredibly cute. It's funny because the nocturnal house is, of course, dark inside. At first when I looked in on the feathertailed gliders, I didn't see anything moving. So after standing still and watching for a couple minutes, I started to notice little darting movements here and there. They are like small mice, with weird tails that look kind of flattened out, which they use for gliding. I didn't see any of them jump or glide, but they were darting around and moving all over. They are so cute!   I watched the Sumatran rhinos eat for a while. I love their eyes. They open their eyes so wide you can see the white parts. The zoo built these really cool sun-shades over the rhino habitat, to protect them from the sun.   The insect house has a whole section that you walk into, and it looks like a greenhouse, and it's full of butterflies. There are a few different kinds of birds, too, including hummingbirds, my favorite. For a while I didn't see any hummingbirds but I was determined so I stayed in there for a few minutes, and finally spotted one. It was great.
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The Hell-Gate Of Ireland

The first time I tried this, I didn't like it at all. I gave it a couple weeks and tried it again, and it's better....but still not something I need a lot of. It's very dry and I do like the clove, but the black musk keeps wanting to fight with me. I have been having trouble with black musk lately. This scent reminds me of Velvet Bandito, but I think I like that better, and at any rate a decant of this is enough for me. I will probably keep it but not go for a bottle.
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Yule breakdown part 3!

The Adoration Of The Mi-Go....."Luminous, otherworldly wet and piquant odors mingling with black incense, the pitch-stench of Yuggoth, and fungal lichens". Will watch reviews. 2/5   Mother Shub's Spiced Lait De Chevre....."Goat's milk egg nog with coffee liqueur and spices imported from the Crimson Desert!" I should be more interested, but this just isn't calling to me for some reason. 2/5   Mother Shub's Pfancy Pfeffernuesse......"Sugar-sprinkled pepper nuts with a bit of cinnamon, a bit of clove, a little cardamom, and a hint of nutmeg". LOL, it's all spice, all the time! I may end up trying this but I don't like pepper in my perfume. 2/5   Mother Shub's Toothsome Banketstaaf....."Tubular pastries oozing with spijs, glazed with apricot jam, and dotted with glace cherries". Um, what's spijs? I don't get very excited about most fruity scents, so I'll probably pass on this one. 2/5   Mason And Jenkin's Port Jelly....."Red and sticky!" Well, not so much for me. 1/5   Old Man Ackerman's Instructional Toys......I'll be watching reviews for this one. 2/5   The Smilin' Servitors' Hyperdimensional Holiday Hits....."A discordant scent, silvery and strange like a lunatic's tinsel garland: freesia, eucalyptus, and yuzu, with sicilian lemon, massoia, opoponax, night-blooming jasmine, white bergamot, and copaiba oleoresin". Will watch reviews. 2/5   Pet Magah Bird....."A prism of scent, an explosion of multi-colored feathers: blood orange, black plum, sugar cane, guava, frangipani, coconut, pimento berry, violet, caramel, and pear". A prism of scent sounds very pretty, but with all that fruit, I'm going to pass. 1/5   The Black Temple Burlesque Troupe......"Cacao, black musk, and tobacco absolute". Sounds kind of good except for cacao. Once again, I'll be watching reviews, but I bet this will be popular. 2/5   ....okay, I am at work and I should actually do some work. I'll finish the breakdown later!
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Oh, the indecision!

As we all know, the Carnaval is leaving town very soon. I have a pretty decent selection of CD scents that I like, even a few bottles. Now is the time to get off the fence and decide on a couple that I've been waffling over.   I had a decant of Wulric the Wolfman, and I did like it a lot. For some reason I swapped it or gave it away, I can't remember....probably because I thought I would end up getting a bottle. Well, I still haven't, and time is running out.   I have a bottle of Doc Constantine, but it's only half full, and I'm wondering if I should get more or just leave it at that.   .......actually now it's getting busy here at work, more later.
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Happy 4th of July

Writing from work again, only a short shift today and not at all my usual time of day to be here, so it's a little disorienting. I am off at 2:30pm, then I'm free until tomorrow night. I wouldn't mind going out and celebrating a little, but at the same time, I really don't have the money right now, not for another 2 weeks. Also, it's supposed to rain today, and I think I could just as easily stay home, play video games, maybe do some cleaning, maybe organize my bpal collection, etc, etc. We shall see.   Scent of the day is Bad Luck Woman Blues.....just love the moss in this, it's so wonderful.
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too many decisions!

I'm resisting the urge to order another Trick Or Treat Inquisition scent. I keep telling myself, just wait....because I don't even know which scent I'll get with my first order, because Possets' fall update is at the end of the week, because bpal may or may not have an update coming soon....not to mention the other bpal Halloween scents that I want, that I still haven't ordered yet.....all very good reasons, but I want another Trick Or Treat order pending, dammit!
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aged Snake Oil

Today I broke out my first bottle of Snake Oil, since it's officially a year old now. What I noticed most is an increased sweetness. Also it smelled different on one forearm than on the other, like I didn't roll the bottle enough or something. It reminded me a lot of frankincense, which I don't think I've ever noticed about Snake Oil. But basically.....it just smelled really good!
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Lilith And The Jarocho

Posting this because the entire description should be saved somewhere. I haven't tried the scent itself, but I'd like to find a decant. I think I would like it but I just can't justify a whole bottle right now, with my financial situation being what it is.   Lilith And The Jarocho.... In the past eight months since Lilith was born, Ted and I have had many moments of unutterable joy. There is one, in particular, that stands out from the rest as perfect.   Our daughter loves music… everything from the clank of her toy piano, to unending looped choruses of "You Are My Sunshine" (with Moonshine variants) and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (or Bat) sung by her mother at naptime, to a rousing round of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" belted out by her father at playtime, to all the hair band videos she watches on Metal Mania.   This kid LOVES music.   On the last Saturday in April, Ted and I took Lilith to Olvera Street, and stopped at the El Paseo Inn for lunch. While we were waiting for our food, the band came to stand behind our table, and Lili was riveted by their music. At the end of the first song, she clapped! Holy hell, that was adorable. The singer saw Lilith clapping and staring, and walked over to us. This sweet, wonderful man serenaded her.   There was a Perfect Moment -- the kindness on the singer’s face as he sang to my baby, Lilith’s eyes as wide as saucers, her hands in prayer position, and the joy radiating from my husband -- this was a moment that brought me to tears.   This scent is a swirl of everything I felt, sensed, smelled, and saw right then, at that perfect point in time: Jasmine, vanilla, Spanish cedar, moss, marigold, purple verbena, candied tamarind, lime rind, a splash of margaritas on a nearby table, a little bit of Dorian, a little bit of Snake Oil, and a bright bouquet of mal de ojo.
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Yule update....breakdown

Rated on a scale of 1-5, as being relevant to my interest.   But Men Loved Darkness Rather Than Light...."The world will love its darkness: cistus labdanum, ginger, East Indian patchouli, pimento berry, oakmoss, saffron, smoky vanilla, sage, myrrh, and bitter blove". Sounds like Schwarzer Mond. With both patchouli and clove, this could turn out to be sour. Or it could be great. Decant. 3/5   Ded Moroz....."Light, darkness, kindness, and malice: golden amber, white amber, redwood, teak, bois du rose, sage, tree moss, and snow". I've sniffed the prototype....it was pretty nice. From the notes, it looks like it could be a touch powdery. I'm interested, though. Decant, or bottle? 3/5   Diable En Boite...."There are few things more disturbing than a Jack in the Box. A strangely sinister, unnerving holiday scent: redwood, bitter clove, tonka, hemp accord, and tobacco with peach blossom, black currant, and red musk". I can't really imagine what this will smell like. Possible decant? 2/5   El Dia De Los Reyes.....didn't like it last time, I can safely skip this one. 1/5   Evening Cicadas And Red Peppers...."Frost-limned, ice-bejeweled branches, scattered blood-red maple leaves, a few camellia petals, red peppers, and nacreous, multi-colored musks that shimmer like gently-beating cicada wings". This sounds freakin' awesome. I suppose something could go wrong in those notes, but I am feeling a bottle purchase on this one. Possibly. 4/5   Faunalia...."The scent of a thick, starlit, unspoiled forest, with a burst of wild musk, opobalsamum, black bryony, mandragora, and hemlock". The forest part catches my interest. What in holy heck is opobalsamum? Is that a typo? I'd like a decant of this one, I think. 3/5   The First Soft Snow....."Heavy drifts of snow blanketing winter's narcissus". I don't know what narcissus smells like! I'll have to do a little research. Possible decant. 3/5   The Fruit Of Paradise 2009.....still have my decant from '07 I think, and never wear it.....another one I can skip. 1/5   .......to be continued.
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random boredom post

Wow, I guess it's my turn in the barrel for forum problems tonight. I've had hour-long stretches where I couldn't get anywhere, because the page just kept loading and loading.....eeeeever so slowly. Apparently it has been going around lately.   In other news, fingers are crossed because my requests are in for the last 4 Lupercalia decants that I wanted to try. Still waiting to hear if they're available or not. I had thought about risking a bottle unsniffed again this time, but the choice is just too hard. I want to try them first. As usual, excited as heck about pending decants!   More later if I am still this bored.....
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Chaos Theory IV.....I forget the number

.....and the bottle is at home. I'll edit later with the Roman numeral.   Herbs? Licorice, black leather? Eucalyptus?   This is scent is weird. Very weird. It starts out herbal and..........jeez, I can't even think of a word. It reminds me of chemicals, magic markers, or maybe hairspray, with eucalyptus.   After it dries for a while, I would still call it herbal, but the nearly menthol quality fades. It changes to something like black jelly beans with no sugar, more synthetic, not like anise the herb. I also smell asphalt, and something that reminds me of sleet. The slightly sour hairspray note can still be detected.   This reminds me strongly of a conceptual scent, an H.R. Giger painting, maybe? Grey pipes hissing with mist......cold, not hot. The colors would be all grays and blacks. There is not a drop or ounce of color in this scent. It could be called Black Ice if there weren't already a Black Ice. This one has no flowers or sweetness whatsoever (unlike the existing Black Ice scent). I'll be honest, at first I hated it, but I have to admit that it's strangely compelling.
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non-bpal review/Czech and Speake No. 88

Czech and Speake No. 88   "No. 88 is the signature fragrance from Czech & Speake. From its Aromatics Collection, No.88 is a blend of woods, bergamot, geranium, rose otto, cassie flower, frangipani, vetiver, and sandalwood. This gorgeous fragrance is worn by both men and women." (description from The Perfumed Court)   I was attracted to this because I read Morrissey wears it (and Elton John, too). I was so glad to find a source for a sample.   This is fabulous! It's a rose scent, but unmistakably gender-neutral, although some may find it masculine. The closest bpal I can think of is Thanatos, but No. 88 is definitely lighter, fresher, and not as powdery (not that I dislike Thanatos). It's definitely woody, but also floral and slightly fruity. It strikes me as a versatile scent.....I could wear this at work (and I did), or out on the town, or for a formal occasion. I would call it almost a studious rose scent, but dark, hinting at naughtiness.   Now I need to try their Cuba scent, because I definitely want a bottle of one or the other. This stuff is pricey and only available from the UK, so it's going to be a treat to splurge and indulge myself. If Cuba is as good as this, it's going to be tough to decide. I could absolutely wear No. 88 on a regular basis.
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Quick reviews

Gacela.....almost works, clove is really iffy on me and it doesn't quite work for me here. It comes off a little dusty or something.   Faunalia.....Eek....this reminds me of Golden Priapus, a lot, which I hated, except this isn't quite as bad as that was. Still, this isn't for me.   Men Loved Darkness......Another miss.....a lot of times clove and patchouli combine and turn really sour on me, which is what happened here, just like in Smiling Spider. They amp each other up until it's all sour clove and patchouli.   Season Of Ghosts.....Very odd for a citrus scent....actually I don't even get much citrus. I recognize the rose geranium from On Darkness, and overall this scent turns weird and soapy on me. Did not like at all!   Joulumuori......Big winner for me! I love this scent, and I had a feeling I should have gone straight for a bottle. Well, I was right. For all the foody notes, this is a wearable scent that isn't as foody as I thought it would be. The wood smoke or hearth note is very, very much like Djinn, my favorite GC scent. But it has the fabulous cheery spices mixed in, and I just love this. Kind of reminds me of the best parts of Djinn and Jolasveinar, with none of the snow or pine notes from Jolasveinar. Just great.   Pink Snowballs......Not a fan.....I understand the comparisons to Snow White, but Pink Snowballs is more perfumey, fluffy, almost powdery, and not cold at all. Very commercial smelling to me. It's not terrible, but not what I was hoping for.   Snowball Fracas.....Familiar snow note, but I do smell the soil from Graveyard Dirt underneath it. After a while more moss comes out. It's a good scent because I like these things, but doesn't stand out enough for me to want more. The soil note can be a little yucky but mixed with the snow notes, it's not bad.   First Soft Snowfall......At first reminds me of Death Of The Grave Digger, a lot. Then as it dries, it becomes more floral, and I find myself thinking of Archangel Winter. Again, not a bad scent, but not quite as good as Death Of The Grave Digger.
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The continuing saga

I talked to my landlady and she might let me out of my lease even though I'm technically already into my next year. Not only that but I might have to be out by the end of October.....which is faster than I was planning on. I need to get all this resolved soon, because it's making my anxiety worse than ever. I need to know where I'm going to live! She's going to look over the lease and call me back (I guess tomorrow....I thought she would call me back tonight but she never did).
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this is where I bitch

I've been meaning to complain about this for a while but was never sure where to do it. Let me just get it out of my system so I can move on.   I get so irritated when I see someone post: "Oh, just buy the bottle! Even if you don't like it, you can always swap it later!" Um, I disagree that it's totally easy to just swap stuff away.   I have had lots of good swaps, and even successful sales, so don't get me wrong. Also....I do not bump my swaps/sales posts a whole lot, not even once a week. Usually I'll give it a bump just to keep it from being sent to the post cemetery. So it could possibly be said that I don't try hard enough.   BUT.......   I couldn't even swap away rares like Vanilla Bean SN, Corazon, Ice Queen, Snow Angel......things I wanted to swap for stuff on my wish-list, which IMO is a pretty long one and not too narrow. And I don't think I was being too picky about what I would swap for. A single note for a single note......well, that's what most everyone else does, isn't it? A whole bottle of Samhain sat on my swaps/sales pages for weeks, until I finally decided I would rather just keep it. In fact, I took pretty much everything off my posts and even retired my swaps post.   Actually I'm not completely bitter. Part of it is indecision on my part. I hate to get rid of something unless I'm absolutely sure it's not going to work for me (Pruno, Selkie, ahem....). I'm glad I didn't get rid of Samhainophobia because it turns out I really do like it. Also....I don't regret my purchases. I have found a new hobby and I feel more enriched because of it. : )
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wishy wishy!

Bold type just means I have a particular interest, or higher priority for that scent. Colored text indicates added after first post. I try to update this pretty often....   possible bottles Baron Samedi Dragon's Blood Fearful Pleasure Great Sword Of War The Mad Hatter Satan and Death With Sin Intervening Three Gorgons   On the Fence, at the Carnaval!! (not sure if I want whole bottles of these or not) Carnaval Diabolique Isaac, the Living Skeleton Priala, the Human Phoenix The Chapel Theodosius, the Legerdemain Wulric, the Wolfman   GC imps that I want Aelopile Baghdad Bathsheba Black Hellebore Brisingamen Bruised Violet Compound The Caterpillar Danube Death Cap Deep In Earth The Dormouse Dragon's Reverie Eclipse Fascinum Frumious Bandersnatch Hamadryad Hanging Gardens Hecate Hymn To Proserpine Imp Inferno Intrigue Jersey Devil Kill-Devil Kubla Khan Kumari Kandam Lampades Libertine Love's Torments Lyonesse Mad Hatter Mandrake Mary Read Medea Mouse's Long and Sad Tale Nero Niflheim No. 93 Engine Nostrum Remedium Othello Penthus The Phantom Wooer Phoenix Steamworks Plunder Port Royal Queen of Sheba Rome Salome Santo Domingo Scales Of Deprivation Schrodinger's Cat Shanghai Shango Strangler Fig Sundew Sybaris To A Woman Tombstone Tushnamatay Unicorn Verdandi Voodoo   'Set Only' imps/unimpables I would like (imps or decants) And There Was A Great Cry In Egypt The Ecstacy of St. Theresa Famine Fox Fires on New Year's Eve at the Garment Nettle Tree at Oji Haloes The House Judith Victorious La Vague Lucretia Madonna Mama-Ji Parsifal Rozpustnica Silence Three Brides   Decant Me (partial decants? half decants? droplets? all are acceptable, I just want to try these) The Bloody Sword Boo Bam Cagliostro The Chapel The Contract Of Theophilus Of Adana The Cracked Bell Damnation Dia De Los Muertos Fire Eater Isaac, the Living Skeleton Ivanushka Knucklebones Long Night Moon Moana Opuhi Pumpkin Patch III (2007) Shill Tiki Queen Tupapau Upa Upa Yule   Single Notes dream list (decants) Ambergris, Black Cherry, Black Musk, Black Poppy, Cherry, Licorice Bark, Light Myrrh, Oakmoss, Red Musk, Red Mysore Sandalwood, Redwood, Siberian Musk, Tonka Bean, White Sandalwood   The following are basically for my own reference....it helps me to keep this all in one place, and the update onslaught is just about killing me! But I do love trying all the new stuff.   Czech and Speake Cuba Frankincense and Myrrh   Possets Aiden Crickets Eve Nigel Rhode Island Vermont   CB I Hate Perfume Wild Hunt
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