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BPAL Madness!

pranashakti

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Everything posted by pranashakti

  1. An incredibly strong protection blend. Protects you from the baneful effects of random negativity as well as directed malice. Rebounds attacks on the caster. Use in conjunction with a white figure candle representing you. This was gifted to me (x2...so I'll have one available ). Friends are the best. I have trouble picking out individual notes in this. It's vaugely sweet, with just a touch of incense. Metallic and yet earthy. It smells like a shining copper shield rubbed with spiced sweet oil and left on dry grass in the sun. This evokes a feeling of glowing warmth...no burning. It feels like the INSIDE that wall of protection, being warmed by the fire that surronds you. There's a very calming influence to this as well, as one might expect. It comforts and strengthens. Amazing.
  2. I find Obatala (Excolo) very comforting in times of stress and anxiety. For Twilight Alchemy Lab Oils, Batset's Laughter is always very comforting and uplifting, and Aegis and Middle Pillar are very helpful to me.
  3. pranashakti

    Honey and Beeswax scents

    Samael of the Qliphoth is very delicious honey on me.
  4. pranashakti

    CCNow or PayPal

    Wow, Beth. That's good info to have. From now on, I'll always order through Paypal. I'm all over "every little bit adding up" - that's how I gather enough to buy BPAL!
  5. pranashakti

    Sundew

    On first application I get a very funky green smell with a bit of a citrus undertone. Very alive, but not quite clean – it’s a musky green, and a bit sharp. The sharpness turns moister, and becomes almost aloe-like in quality; here it’s more comforting and rounder in scent. Quite a morph already, but this has more surprises in store. This gradually becomes sweeter, taking on a just bit of a white floral quality – it gets lighter and more airy while strongly maintaining that sense of living green. I almost want to say lotus, because there’s a bubble-gum undertone that I associate with that note, but I find this more natural than lotus usually goes on me. Then it gets down to business. The word that comes to mind is nectar, and in this case it’s fitting – a fruity, sweet sweet juicyness , but light and still a touch verdant. It’s warm and definitely has a sitting in the sunshine feel. This is innocent but compelling, and absolutely delicious. Beth has done a beautiful job with this. From first stage when I get a sense of the living plant, to the scent of final temptation, this is a pleasure to sniff all around. So much depth, so very interesting, and in the end, very happy and fun. What a perfectly lovely way to go.
  6. pranashakti

    Embalming Fluid

    Lemon Pledge. Oh wait, Lemon Pledge and plastic. Scratch that - Lemon Pledge scented candle... . I cannot smell anything else no matter how I try. Lemon and I so often have this battle - the only citrus that's not amped like this for me is La Fee Verte. Bad lemon!!! Down!!! BAD!
  7. pranashakti

    Smut

    There's nothing I can say about teh Smut that hasn't already been said. I fully expected to fall ass-over-teakettle for this, and was so not disappointed. On first application - sweet musk and sugar, with a touch of booze - quickly becoming more ferally musky and even overpowering. What a punch! The feralness passes rather quickly and the whole scent lightens in mood. The next stage stays pretty true for me through its super long wear time. I get some vanilla in with the sugar as it amps up, and frolicks about in the playful nude with the musks while they pour booze on each other. Sweet and seductive, but assertive at the same time, with fabu throw and longevity. This is the bottle I grab when I need a hand feelin' sassy - but I feel it goes equally well with my ripped jeans and cotton tees or my "bow down" boots and leather pants. Brilliant, Beth. Thanks for the boost.
  8. pranashakti

    The World

    The World on initial application is musty and damp to me. It's the scent of a small running stream while you sit under a very old tree on the banks of the steam. Wet and alive, but deep and rooted. This phase passes quickly and spice comes to the front, a cinnamon kick that is energizing and recharging. It becomes woodsier then, as well, and the must and damp leave, replaced by an airy softness that keeps the spice light as a breeze and awakening without being overwhelming. This is an exceptionally balanced and unique fragrance. On a further note, I reached for this specifically early this morning because I had troubled dreams and a big project to finish before school and needed something to offset my discombobulation. I find this to be an amazingly gentle, centering and grounding scent that imparts a sense of wholeness and calm.
  9. pranashakti

    Snow White

    I so wanted to love this. The coconut and vanilla reviews had me all a-flutter and this oil was one I really looked forward to experiencing. Unfortunately, immediatly upon application I got a strange combination of Play-doh and plastic that was as persistent as my cat when I'm roasting a chicken. I was patient, and hoped for it to pass, but no luck. None of the other notes could make themselves known to me through the power of this unique blend of bad chemistry chemicallness, and after about an hour, this became one of the rare blends that I actually had to wash off. No kitty, that's a BAD kitty!!
  10. pranashakti

    Dragon's Milk

    I tried this some time ago and it didn't work for me at all. I got a metallic tang from the Dragon's Blood that just overwhelmed anything else I could sniff from it. Sweet cherry scented metal, ugh. I frimped it away promptly. That said, my chemistry has changed quite a bit lately - some old favorites are now smelling pretty funny, and suddenly my nose has a sweet tooth. I got a hankering to try this again. The lovely Spark sent me an imp in a recent swap, and I've fallen in love. The Dragon's Blood is now heady and deep, with a touch of spice. First applied, this is rich and a touch fruity and musky. The vanilla comes out as this dries down and this becomes a sweet, delicious, warm, soft "fuzzy-sweater" type of yum. I'm glad I swapped for a bottle on LJ - this is my new comfort scent. The man's a fan as well!
  11. pranashakti

    Discussion of all things Amber

    I'd definitely second Jacob's Ladder, Snake Charmer, and Haunted. Mmmmmmmm, amber!
  12. pranashakti

    Holiday Moon

    On first application this is a touch sharp with a strong citrus-ish top note. The sharp goes poof but the citrus-ish sticks around. I completely agree with everone who has said this is green. Living, joyous green - not leaves, per se, or a plant. It's the kind of complex, delicious green smell you get when winter has started to pass and all the plants at once realize that it's time to wake up and be again. I'm thinking it's the oude that gives this a little roundness and its depth...kind of like a trellis you train vines to grow on. Stabilty and shape for the riot greenery. As this wears it warms and softens and the citrus does finally go. Even at this stage it's a very present scent with more throw than I expected - a little goes a long way. A very alive, joyous, unique and present scent. It's like nothing else I own and I really, really dig it. It's just what I needed today and I wish the bottle was bigger so I could give it a big squish (and of course, to have more oil).
  13. pranashakti

    Who do I email with questions? BPAL/BPTP contact info

    I'm sorry, did someone say panties? Or lack thereof? Boy, did I check out the right thread before bed...lol!
  14. pranashakti

    Jacob's Ladder

    This is tearfully beautiful. Absolutely warm, sweet, and full of radiating light. Either the tonka or benzoin keeps the amber from going to powder on me. Not alot of throw, but a very enveloping scent. I feel like it's there for me. I'm trying, but I really can't describe this objectively, or pull individual notes or make comparisons. This is too evocative for me to do that, but I'll tell you this - wearing Jacob's Ladder makes me feel grounded, safe, and oh-so-very loved. Wow. I'm so going to need to stock up on this one.
  15. pranashakti

    Stardust

    This is quite a shock. For once, the man was right. When I read him the Yules, this was the one he wanted me to get. He even paid! In the bottle I definitely get the hairspray impression, and when first applied the florals come out to play, which is where I expected to go uh-oh. But really, they retreat so quickly, bubbled off by the champagne. This smells like the creamy feel in your mouth you get from sipping the really good stuff. The sandalwood rounds everything out and I keep getting almost fruity impressions from the hyacinth, which is the only floral I can specifically detect. This is definitely flashy and oh-so-fun, most definitely not me as scents go, and I love it to bits.
  16. pranashakti

    In honor of John Lennon

    I'm in with the Peace party.
  17. pranashakti

    Tombstone

    Sex in a hope chest. Warm, woody, deliciously sweet on the drydown but with an edge from the cedar that makes it assertive and says with a gleam in the eye and a hair toss: "Oh, please...don't fuck with me. I'm fucking with you." Love it. So much so I used profanity in public, and that's unlike me. Unless I'm drunk. 10ml to be ordered posthaste, and I'm a 5ml kinda gal. I'll be thrilled to share this with my man when that bottle arrives. Until then, it makes me feel too sassy and it's in HIS best interest that I not share.
  18. pranashakti

    Pumpkin Patch V (2005, 2006)

    Very woody, and definitely dry, cut hardwood. The ivy keeps this blend from being too dry and gives just enough of a green smell to make this surprisingly light-wearing on me. There's just a tiny touch of sweet and warm from the pumpkin, which is very much in the background...but it's definitely there. This is absolutely beautifully blended and may just be my favorite of the bunch. It has very good throw, but less than 2 or 4, softens greatly as time passes but still maintains its presence. The range of scents presented in the patch is just amazing. These "cute lil' punkins" definitely say volumes about Beth's creativity and talent. I may as well be a fangirl I'm already so convinced, but she never ceases to bring wonder and amazement. I mean, it's all pumpkin...know what I mean?
  19. pranashakti

    Pumpkin Patch IV (2005, 2006)

    Oh, yum. I don't think I get alot of orris from this, but then again it's not a note I'm very familiar with. It's a bit buttery/foody on first application but quickly mellows out to sweetly pumpkiny sandalwood. And stays that way - for a long, lovely time. There's a fabulous warm woody darkness that keeps this from being too sweet. It's rich in a very grounded way, and that woody darkness borders on spice. I must get some of this. Did I say yum yet?
  20. pranashakti

    Trick or Treat

    I, too, thought this would be a novelty scent. Being a big Sugar Skull '04 fan, I figured I had to try another of Beth's "sugary" concoctions, but wasn't expecting alot of depth. I was expecting a fleeting smile and a swap. I was very wrong. This is scent of surprising dimension. On first application it is very sugary and realistically vegetable corn-y with a touch of creaminess. Quickly it becomes fun and yummy and sweet and very true to sticking your face in a freshly opened bag of the cavity-inducing stuff (sans plastic, and yes I actually have done this - in the name of research, of course ). This changes for me in amazing ways. The sugar stays and caramelizes over time, while the corn mellows to a more generalized earthy grainlike scent. I get some butterscotch and an undercurrent of smokiness that really lights my fire. It's still very sweet, but I second Olympia301's use of the word "tang" - in a wicked sense rather than a funky one. There's some devilish temptation in this, in a very "Want some candy, big strong man?" wink-wink-nudge-nudge fashion. Rowr!! This ain't little kid's candy by a country mile. I am deeply in love with several of the Halloweenie blends, but this one is in serious need of a stock-up. What a delicious surprise. (I must add my thanks to lorajc for the decant; she saved the day more than we both knew at the time with this gimp.)
  21. pranashakti

    Pumpkin Patch III (2005, 2006)

    This doesn't like me. To be more specific, I love pomegranate, but it loves me too much. I get barely any pumpkin from this no matter how hard I sniff or how long I wait. There's just this uber-candy smell that I got from Swank. It's jaunty and has an attitude, sweet and sharp but refuses to deepen or let the pumpkin come out and play. And I don't like the way it's looking at me with that "So go ahead, do something about it" smirk. This one's not for me, sadly. (To be honest, it's a good thing as I'm rolling around in someone else's Patch...though we seem to be having the same reactions and this may just help my cause in the long run. )
  22. pranashakti

    Sugar Skull

    Sugar Skull 2005 Whoa. I'm a die-hard fan of 2004. This is very different for me, but then again, my bottle of 2004 made it my way when it was about 8 months old. I'm sure aging changed it greatly - I didn't love it on my first try in a imp and fell in love months later. Enough of that...onward... This is very fruity for me. On first application I do get a boozy, burnt to a caramel brown sugar note (which I love) but then the candied fruit takes over in a complete contrast to 2004, where I got barely any fruit at all. This stage lasts a very long time - it is delicious, but not what I fell in love with. There's a bit of a powdery but bubblegum (a-la-Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo) stage for a bit towards the end, and then the initial yum-yum deep sugariness returns. Even at this stage there's an underpinning of fruit that I would like to make leave, on one level, but it is growing on me. This is also lacking the insane throw '04 brings to the table right now. My conclusion is that this bottle is a promise. I've never tried Sugar Skull fresh and I'm sure that this will, like it's predecessor, evolve stunningly as time passes. I'm definitely in for another bottle to stash at the back of my box along with this one as I'm sure in a few months it will be swoonworthy. Sweet dreams, my love...we'll be together soon.
  23. pranashakti

    Pumpkin Patch II (2005, 2006)

    This one is a "morpher" on me as well, in the opposite direction of #1. On first application I do get a very rich chocolate, but also something sharp and bitter...and not in a cocoa or dark chocolate way. To be honest, very wet this was a bit unpleasant and I was apprehensive. And then it began to dry. The pumpkin blooms and chases whatever sharpness started this off screaming into the night - the warm squashy foodiness is deepened by some very high-class ganache. If it were sophisticated chocolate pumpkins alone I might well still love it, but the hazelnut appears next and it's the kicker. It's what really brings depth to this blend for me; the nuttiness completes it and adds occasional whiffs of what almost smells like caramel but not quite. It's not a sweet blend, but a rich one, with flashes of sweet. This dries down into the softest, most gorgeous deep terra-cotta colored blanket of scent. There is alot of throw to #2 for me and it's very long lasting, but the very end may be my favorite stage of all. It becomes a close skin scent, powdery in a velvet cocoa-powder way that leaves my nose and heart glowing. I love this.
  24. pranashakti

    Pumpkin Patch I (2005, 2006)

    This is a beautiful blend. I do not have beautiful chemistry. Almost immediately upon application, this blooms into a juicy, tart, very green apple with a lucious underpinning of warm pumpkin and a bit of spice. The apple gets stronger and stronger on me, making this beautifully balanced - the freshness of the apple and the sweet foodiness of the pumpkin and spices work beautifully together and for one perfect moment I am in heaven. Then cinnamon (I believe it's the culprit) does what it likes to do on me, with rare exception. It struts in and throttles everything else in the blend. Goodbye apple and pumpkin, hello headache-inducing sharp, screaming one-dimesional Yankee Candle. But ah, that one moment...
  25. What wickkedgoddess said. Special emphasis for me on Bastet's Laughter...which has amazing effect on dark or heavy moods. Mantle of Venus would be my second choice to grab under those circumstances.
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