shriekingviolet

Initial Impression: Very sharp and herby, almost medicinal. After Wearing It: Wet, the pennyroyal in Pain is powerful and pungent all but drowning out the lavender which peaks out timidly from behind. It's an herbal and almost minty smell, that's reminiscent of vapor rub and homeopathic remedies. As it dries, the roar of the top note becomes softer but remains sharp. The lavender gains more strength but still stays in a supporting role. Both notes retain their characters for the rest of the lifespan of the oil, which wasn't too terribly long on me, fading out to a whisper at the end but still managing to make quite an impression at low levels. Final Thoughts: This doesn't really seem like something that would be worn as a perfume, but more as an aide of some kind. It might prove to do well with helping people with sinus problems, head colds or problems focusing. Will have to experiment with this in a burner for less cosmetic purposes.

Initial Impression: A very tropical floral. A breezy plumeria note really stands out. After Wearing It: From start to finish, Pele stays soft, warm and subtle on me. It smells like heat, though not in a sensual body heat sort of way. More like clean air on a hot day would. There are mild flower notes, mainly something like plumeria, mixed in with something I can't quite identify but reminds me of sunscreen. Not the ultra fragrant coconut scented tanning oil, but a gentle sunblock that mothers carefully apply to their little ones before letting them play in the tide. All and all it's sweet and serene, warm and lulling. Like a pleasant nap in the sun during a well desevered holiday. Final Thoughts: Nice scent, and it certainly does brings up images of Hawaii, but it's ultimately not for me. I prefer heavier, more complicated scents. Might make a nice linen spray though.

Initial Impression: Warm and foody, rich and indulgent. After Wearing It: I got this imp for free from the lovely Amy (_dark_cello_) when we went to dinner last weekend and boy did I love the scent in the vial! It smelled like everything a pumpkin pie should smell like: rich, wholesome, rich and wellspiced. Too bad it didn't quite smell that way on. Both wet and for a few hours later, Jack reeked of pumpkin and not much else. Bright orange, fruity, and so substantial it smelled solid, something you should be able to sink your teeth into. You could smell baking spices flitting around the edges, but this was still undeniably pumpkin rather than pumpkin pie. As time wore on though, the pumpkin faded and a lovely & sweet smell of pies baking in the oven came out. Too bad though, by this time it was fading fast and I had to really sniff to catch this lovely stage. Disappointing! Final Thoughts: I'd have adored this is the pumpkin note were more subtle. I'll give Jake a chance as a room scent before swapping it though. Might turn out to be beautiful in that medium!

Initial Impression: Very sharp, spicy smell. Maybe with a hint of green. There's definitely some musk in here, but I'm not sure what else. I need to wear it to really get a feel. No sweet scents here, but I like it all the same. After Wearing It: You know I could have sworn I reviewed this scent before, but alas I did not. It took me a while to write a review even after I wore it so my memory of the scent isn't as good as it could have been so bear with me. Wet this reminded me a lot of Old Athens. It has the same smoky wine flavor though it doesn't remind me so much of marinade this time. There must be a blend of honey, myrrh and red wine like there was in Athens. As time progresses, Old Cairo smells more smoky in an incense way rather than a "kitchen of a fine restaurant" kind of way. It's thick, resiny and sweet, richer and denser in texture than molasses. It definitely smells like incense made the old fashioned was with gummy resins and perfumed oil burned in lamps rather than the scent produced by a stick or cone. Decadent yet reverent and oh so mysterious. Final Thoughts: Great as a perfume, but even better as a room scent. Great for inspiring a spiritual, pious atmosphere for deep meditation.

Initial Impression: Earthy floral, very deep yet grounded. After Wearing It: I bought an imp of Virgo for a friend of mine who wear generic scents that I don't care for too much, and since she's a fellow astrology fiend I thought she may appreciate this. Awful as it may sound, I could just let this one pass through my hand without testing it first though, particularly since I loved the way it smelled in the vial. It was softly floral, but earthy and spicy too, creating such a sensual and intriguing scent. Once on my skin though, Virgo turned out to be pretty pale, subtle and bland. I really slathered this one on (because it had seemed so promising!) but the scent was really light on me, even if sniffed up close. The scent itself made me think of wild flowers growing along a path through the woods, their scent mingling with the twigs, leaves and loose earth that are scattered on top of them. It also reminded me of the flower beds we had in the front yard of the house I was born in. My mother covered the dirt areas between the plants with wood chips to prevent weeds from growing. I don't remember the flowerbeds smelling like Virgo, but the perfume smells the way it looked. As for the more technical details of the scent, I smelled a subtle combo of oakmoss and white musk more than anything else, with the narcissus filtering up from underneath them. I couldn't smell the apple at all and the patchouli didn't make much of an impression either. Pity! Final Thoughts: I really liked this in the bottle (particularly when I first smelled Karyn's!), but it didn't do a whole lot for me own. Which is probably for the best since I won't be tempted to keep this for myself!

A crisp, springtime floral note. Though I haven't spent enough time around lilac bushes to be incredibly familar with their scent, it does seem to fit. This lilac has a slight sweet smoothness to it that's appealing and keeps it from being too oppressive (as florals can sometimes be to me), powdery or sharp. Has pretty good staying power too, while it doesn't have much throw anymore, I can still smell Lilac on my wrists 10 hours later! Nice scent, but not for me. Which is fine, because I ordered this for a friend who loves lilacs. Hopefully she'll like this rendition of it a lot because Beth kindly sent me a whole bottle of this rather than just an imp!

The update looks gorgeous love! Good work! Hopefully this rush of orders will go much more smoothly for you guys than it did when the Imbolc update happened in Feb. I'll light a candle for you guys and cross my fingers and toes too! Hope your rest went well!

Just wanted to give everyone the heads up that I will not be around to watch the boards until May 30/31, so please direct any questions or concerns towards q-spice or one of the mods until I get back. If for whatever reason you reaaaally need to get ahold of me, I'll probably still check my email occasionally so send any messages to diana@impolite.org rather than PMing me. Have fun everyone and be good!

O, Old Morocco, Blood Lotus, Snake Oil and Hellcat! BTW Dee I just got your soaps in the mail today. Couldn't believe how quickly they arrived, you're the best! Will say more once I've actually used them.

That's me too. Guess it'll arrive when I'm visiting Sarah in DC.

I've thought this too. I'd love to have one done, but I'd feel like I'd have to be completely faithful to a scent that's been made just for me. Like it'd be wasteful and cheating to look elsewhere once my sig scent was done. Still I'm very curious to know exactly how a scent made for me would turn out so it's still very tempting.

How exciting! Congrats on all the good news and can't wait for the update!

Sands of Morocco & Old Morocco go nicely, though since I only have Sands in a Shavette I haven't worn them on top of each other yet. Amber a la Vanille is nice with O too if you want to amp up the amber. I personally liked Honey Drop (in medium) as a good base for any vanilla BPAL blend as well. Oh and I've had luck mixing BPAL scents with unscented Soy Good Whipped Body Spread.

Another vote for Lust. I'm really picky about my patchoulis (it's either a love or really, really hate for me) and the patchouli in Lust is strong but goooood. Yum.

I love Angel too. Even BPAL couldn't turn me off it. It's a lovely blend. I think O would be good with it, and I agree with Twisty, Velvet would also be divine. Or what about O and Gluttony?

Mixing oil and oil shouldn't be a problem. They might separate after a while, but you shouldn't have to shake before each use.

If an BPAL oil is too strong for you or irritating to your skin, you can mix the fragrance oil with a carrier oil before applying to your skin (either just by dabbing the way you would for perfume, or if you use more carrier oil, as a massage oil). You could mix up a whole bottle or just mix it as you use it bit by bit. Not sure what proportions to use for mixing since I never dilute mine, but you could experiment.

I second the Magician as opposed to the hermit. I haven't tried either, but most of the reviews I've read (both here and on Bust) for the Hermit said it was a bit of a dusty scent, and some have even called it musty (which is appropriate) so the Magician might be better for wear.

I'm not sure Lilith would be the best suggestion, though I don't know what else to suggest. Musks has a tendency to turn powdery with some body chemistries, so it's likely that anything with a heavy musk component (like Glasya) will go powdery on you as well. I read your review of Lust (which also has a heavy musk component) and it sounds like it had similar results, so I'm better Lilith would go the same. I'll think about some alternate suggestions, but in the meantime my advice is to avoid scents where musk is more than an accent note.

I think by the time the new FAQ would be put up, CCNow'll be dropped Tyger!

Initial Impression: A dry, clean pale green scent. Sad yet oddly detached. Like someone in shock. After Wearing It: From start to finish the was a very soft, muted, dry, herby scent. It made me think of the endless fields of dead grass that you find in Oklahoma during the fall and winter: stiff, scratchy, and strawlike in both color and texture. A sight that depressed me endlessly my first winter home after two New Orleans winters home. It was just so lifeless and numbing. So blah. Shroud felt like this to me. It smelled dry, light and herby, green yet not. Drained, a pale shadow of what it used to be. The scent was really light on me, which reenforced this idea. It was so bland and light, it felt weightless and invisible too. It did nothing for me. Final Thoughts: I hate green scents, and the images produced by this scent depressed me so obviously Shroud's not a winner here. It's too light and just not my kind of scent.

I've heard some people like embalming fluid as a room scent. Myself, though, I like the room to smell pretty much the same way I do, so I use spicy/incensy scents more than anything else.

Initial Impression: Slightly musty and incensey. Austere in a way that makes you nervous about being judged, yet wanting to please. Dark and earthy scent. After Wearing It: While wet I got similar impressions to those given by everyone else; Saturn felt powerful, uncompromising and commanding. After it dried however, this scent made me absolutely quiver it was so damn sexy. While it still felt powerful and unyielding, it silently voiced this air of capability and strength. This scent smells like all the reasons a gal might be attracted to an older man bottled up. Saturn can protect and teach you more than you imagined, while turning you to mush at the same time. It has a glowing confidence that comes from years of experience and vast knowledge. Like one of those well-versed debaunaire college professors who has all of the girls in the front row creaming their jeans. It's just sexy in a way I can't describe. Saturn also calls up images of some high priest or high ranking officer in a secretive, influential order. He has all the knowledge and might enlighten you a bit if you're worthy. As for a more objective description, Saturn is a very warm & spicy wood-resin blend. I smell frankincense and some sort of red wood, with just a touch of pine and amber. It smells of finely polished dark wood panelling, of judges' chambers and large private libraries. Just divine. Final Thoughts: As turned on as I was by this, Saturn isn't something I can wear. It's gorgeous, but it's TOO masculine for me to wear myself. I'd *love* to find a sugar daddy to try this on (because Saturn's sex appeal is so much more older lover as opposed mate/boyfriend). I might get a bottle of it anyway, just for when I really want to feel hot & bothered. Plus I want to try it out as a room scent.

Initial Impression: Crisp in a way that suggests stormy weather, yet rich in a very "arrogant bastard" sort of way. Musky and masculine too. After Wearing It: Jupiter is an overwhelmingly woody scent. First on, all I could smell was redwood. It reminded me of being in a lumberyard with its strong, dry woodsy-but-not-at-all green scent. It felt impressively tall, yet not intimidating. Arrogant but full of good humor. Very Jovian. After an hour or so, another note appeared on Jupiter's horizon. I can't identify it specifically, but it smells like the way the air does right before a thunderstorm. Very slightly damp and charged with potential energy. I saw forests of massive leafless trees in the beginning of winter or early spring, while the beginnings of bad weather are just beginning to announce their prescence. The scent is woodsy, but not forestlike in that there are any green notes, just deep, deep red wood. Final Thoughts: While this is definitely approprate for Jupiter, it's not something I can wear. The scent is too dry and there's not enough in there to temper the wood to make it appealing on me. Would probably work better on a guy.

Welcome Nella! It's always nice to see lab workers posting here as it helps prevent confusion from spreading, as well as serving as a reminder that there are people helping Beth. Hope the forum becomes a place for you to play as well as work! Welcome!