angelicruin

TRANSEO The Transeo are vampires that have assimilated into human society, often reaching positions of power. Among the Transeo there are many celebrated politicians, scientists, businessmen, philosophers, artists, writers, and musicians, and, surprisingly, a large number of influential clergy and militarists. Not every Transeo is an illustrious public figure; many simply desire the comforts associated with reentering society. In the past, most Transeo posed as humans as best they could, concealing their true natures. In the twenty-first century, more and more Transeo are coming out in the open, and they form the backbone of most vampire-acceptance movements. GA cologne that (almost) blends well into human society: benzoin, orange blossom, cumin, King mandarin, gaiac wood, juniper berry, Calabrian bergamot, Ceylon cinnamon, and blood camouflaged by wine. Orange Blossom and Mandarin are apparent right after application. As it settles on my skin, I get a little of the wood note and the blood wine note emerges. No cinnamon though. I really like this blend on my skin as well. It's like a sinister fruit wine tempered from being too sweet with a few drops of blood.

MAHANA Peach liquor, almond syrup, orgeat syrup, and pineapple cream de cacao. This starts out as mostly almond & orgeat syrup on my skin. I can actually smell the orange flower & rose water ingredients in orgeat syrup. After a while, I think I caught a bit of the pineapple, but, sadly, no peach liquor for me.

EHECATL The Aztec God of the Winds. He is one of the faces of the Feathered Serpent, and in this aspect he gave life to the sun and the moon, revives the dead, and breathes love into the hearts all of men. Hibiscus, matcha, white musk, and lime. Lime is very strong & zesty right after application. As it dries, though the lime is still quite pronounced, the musk is definitely there and I get green floral as well. Dries down to lime and herbs on my skin.

THE MARQUIS de CARABAS He wore a huge dandyish black coat that was not quite a frock coat nor exactly a trench coat, and high black boots, and, beneath his coat, raggedy clothes. His eyes burned white in an extremely dark face. And he grinned white teeth, momentarily, as if at a private joke of his own, and bowed to Richard, and said, “De Carabas, at your service, and you are…?" A splash of bay rum, leather, dusty black wool, massoia bark, and opium residue. I've got spicy rum and dry leather written down as the main components on my skin. I wish I had better notes from C2, but I had planned to get a bottle of this because I liked the skin test, but when I placed my order at C2, I ended up getting a different scent than what I had ordered. A revised review will be forthcoming once I can order a bottle from the lab.

JOYEUX NOËL Douglas fir, tinsel, metallic swag garlands, arc flash, and the ozone smell of electrical discharge. This scent is a mixture of pine and berries with a metallic charge. Kind of reminds me of fresh pine air freshener, but I still like it.

The passage into parenthood is, despite all its joys, often confusing, a little shocking, and sometimes frightening. -- moreso for some parents than others. Examples: the Bad Seed, the Omen, Rosemary’s Baby, and Alice, Sweet Alice Baby sweetness and a touch of brimstone. As I sniff the bottle contents, it's sweet baby powder scent. Just-after-their-bath-and-snuggled-in-their-soft-little-onesie-scent or what I call "clean baby smell". Upon initial application, it's still sweet baby powder, but something else is lurking just underneath all that innocence. As it dries down, this actually doesn't change much on my skin. It's a little powdery on my skin, but considering the theme of the scent, I think it's appropriate.

MR. CROUP 'A fox and a wolf', thought Richard, involuntarily. The man in front, the fox, was a little shorter than Richard. He had lank, greasy hair, of an unlikely orange color, and a pallid complexion; as Richard opened the door, he smiled, widely, and just a fraction too late, with teeth that looked like an accident in a graveyard. Pompous and predatory: tonka bean, black musk, bourbon geranium, and crushed porcelain. I get boozy, spicy, musk & geranium notes and a little bit of smoke on my skin. A dark, resinous blend on me. I ended up buying a bottle of this after the skin test at C2 went so well.

RED TIDE Raspberry liquor, cranberry juice, gin, mango pulp, and a mint garnish. Raspberry liquor is strongest note. I also smell the cranberry shortly after application. This is not terribly boozy on me, especially compared to other Luau scents.

Rock the protester cliché! This is a filthy friggin' patchouli, dark, deep, rooty, and strangely sexy, with cocoa absolute, tobacco absolute, and bourbon vanilla. Sniffing the bottle, I immediately scent the cocoa absolute and the patchouli. Wet on my skin, starts off 100% patchouli. Shortly after application though, I pick up the cocoa note and as it dries further, the tobacco note emerges. Once fully dry, I can finally smell the bourbon vanilla under everything else. As in the scent description, this patchouli is very strong and rooty and it's definitely the strongest note on my skin, but the other notes do help to temper it somewhat.

“You are in the wrong,” replied the fiend; “and instead of threatening, I am content to reason with you. I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind? You, my creator, would tear me to pieces and triumph; remember that, and tell me why I should pity man more than he pities me? You would not call it murder if you could precipitate me into one of those ice-rifts and destroy my frame, the work of your own hands. Shall I respect man when he condemns me? Let him live with me in the interchange of kindness, and instead of injury I would bestow every benefit upon him with tears of gratitude at his acceptance. But that cannot be; the human senses are insurmountable barriers to our union. Yet mine shall not be the submission of abject slavery. I will revenge my injuries; if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my archenemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred. Have a care; I will work at your destruction, nor finish until I desolate your heart, so that you shall curse the hour of your birth.” Inextinguishable hatred: red ginger and black opoponax with black pepper, stinging neroli, myrrh, and tobacco absolute. Very sharp in bottle and right after application on skin. The ginger settles down a bit after a few minutes and sweetens just slightly with the myrrh and tobacco notes. I'm not sure what I was expecting with this scent, but it smells quite unique on my skin.

Hemlock honey. Wet on my skin, I'm just getting honey. I had to look up what hemlock is supposed to smell like and I found descriptions comparing it to a musty or mice-like smell. I'm not sure I am really getting anything musty out of this though. Well, maybe a little. The honey note settles down considerably as it dries, but it's still mostly just honey on my skin.

Travelers have told us of a plant, which they assert grows in Central Africa and also in South America, that is not contented with myriad of larger insects which it catches and consumes, but its voracity extends to making even humans its prey. This marvelous vegetable Minotaur is represented as having a short, thick trunk, from the top of which radiate giant spines, narrow and flexible but of extraordinary tenaciousness, the edges of which are armed with barbs, or dagger-like teeth. Instead of growing upright, or at an inclined angle from the trunk, these spines lay their outer ends upon the ground, and so gracefully are they distributed that the trunk resembles an easy couch with green drapery around it. The unfortunate traveler, ignorant of the monstrous creation which lies in his way, and curious to examine the strange plant, or to rest himself upon its inviting stalk approaches without a suspicion of his certain doom. The moment his feet are set within the circle of the horrid spines, they rise up, like gigantic serpents, and entwine themselves about him until he is drawn upon the stump, when they speedily drive their daggers into his body and thus complete the massacre. The body is crushed until every drop of blood is squeezed out of it and becomes absorbed by the gore-loving plant, when the dry carcass is thrown out and the horrid trap set again. Barbed, sanguinary greenery, fleshy and sharp. Sniffing the imp, this is a bitter green scent. Applied to my skin, this goes completely rancid. Definitely not working for me.

The Tree of Poisons. Every aspect of this tree is toxic, from the narcotic, lethal fumes that it emits, to its oozing, poisonous sap. A deceptively tranquil scent: heady fruits, dry bark, and deep green leaves, enveloped by a dark and sinister murk. Sniffing the imp, it's a boozy fruit scent to my nose. After applying to my skin, the booziness dissipates and I'm left with a fruity greeness. As it dries, I smell a woody note, must be the bark. I really love this scent. It's a darker scent, but not oppressive. The fruit notes are tempered from becoming too sweet by the green & wood qualities.

Yellow jessamine honey. Eeek, this is strong jasmine on my skin right after application. And then it turns rather "soapy" dry on my skin. Pass on this one.

ANESTHESIA 'Ratty!' said the girl in something between a squeak and a horrified swallow. She had a large, water-stained red button pinned to her ragged clothes, the kind that comes attached to birthday cards. It said, in yellow letters, I AM 11. A scent that slips through the cracks: peppermint, lavender, bergamot, and mandrake. Right after application it's very strong peppermint and lavender. Definitely clears the sinuses! As it dries, the peppermint does settle down a bit and it softens considerably. This was a surprise hit for me at C2 and I ended up buying a bottle after trying it and seeing how nicely it softened as it dried on my skin.

Oleander honey. Wet on my skin, this is strong oleander. I can barely smell the honey when first applied. Several minutes after application, the oleander softens and the honey note begins to emerge. Fully dry this is fairly good balance of both oleander and honey. A very nice floral honey blend.

THE SOLDIER Red musk, vanilla cream, black tea, black pepper, leather, and pie. Creamy red musk, leather, and black tea are the strongest notes on my skin. The black pepper note give the scent a little snap to it. The more I smell this, the more I love it. I think this may be a very popular scent with the red musk & leather note lovers out there.

Thick Turkish coffee spiked with whiskey, with a little bit of mocha to soften the bitterness. In the bottle: coffee, cream, and mocha chocolate Wet on the skin: Mocha Latte Drydown: Still Mocha Latte, but now I can smell a bit of the booziness from the whiskey. Still the whiskey is a very minor note for me. A very yummy scent to wear, especially in the morning.

A massive tree that held, in its lowest boughs, a nest of bare-breasted men and women. The souls sprawled within the Zieba Tree's branches were trapped in reverie, lost for all eternity in their fantasies. A dreamlike, listless scent, misty and hazed, with wisps of white sandalwood, eddying musks the colors of eventide, shimmering pale resins, davana, lemon blossom, orange blossom, and white peach. Sniffing the imp, it's predominantly sandalwood and lemon blossom. This is a very light, girly scent on my skin. It's definitely a floral based oil, but the throw is light enough that it doesn't leave me with a headache like some of the stronger floral blends do. I can pick out the lemon and orange blossom notes and light musk as soon as the oil is applied to my skin. The peach note emerges after the oil has dried down and I just love how it blends into the floral notes.

PARAMATMAN Like two birds of golden plumage, inseparable companions, the individual self and the immortal Self are perched on the branches of the selfsame tree. The former tastes of the sweet and bitter fruits of the tree; the latter, tasting of neither, calmly observes. Orange blossom, East Indian sandalwood, and champaca. I get Orange Blossom right after application and then it turns into this spicy woodsy scent on my skin. The East Indian Sandalwood steals the show. Something in the spice actually makes my nasal membranes burn a little when I sniff this scent too much.

L'EXAMEN DE MINUIT Enfin, nous avons, pour noyer Le vertige clans le délire, Nous, prêtre orgueilleux de la Lyre, Dont la gloire est de déployer L'ivresse des choses funèbres, Bu sans soif et mangé sans faim!... - Vite soufflons la lampe, afin De nous cacher dans les ténèbres! - - - Finally, drowning vertigo In stark delirium, shamefully, We, levites of the Lyre, lo! we Whose glory was devised to show Sorrow's brave rapture and grief's spark, Have feasted without appetite! — Quickly, let us snuff out the light And hide in the indulgent dark! The rapture of sorrowful things: frankincense, black plum, melancholy lilac, rose otto, and myrrh. On me this is a very strong myrrh, incense, and dark fruit scent. The rose is very subtle and I am not picking up on the lilac at all.

THE FOREST REVERIE 'Tis said that when The hands of men Tamed this primeval wood, And hoary trees with groans of woe, Like warriors by an unknown foe, Were in their strength subdued, The virgin Earth Gave instant birth To springs that ne'er did flow That in the sun Did rivulets run, And all around rare flowers did blow The wild rose pale Perfumed the gale And the queenly lily adown the dale (Whom the sun and the dew And the winds did woo), With the gourd and the grape luxuriant grew. So when in tears The love of years Is wasted like the snow, And the fine fibrils of its life By the rude wrong of instant strife Are broken at a blow Within the heart Do springs upstart Of which it doth now know, And strange, sweet dreams, Like silent streams That from new fountains overflow, With the earlier tide Of rivers glide Deep in the heart whose hope has died -- Quenching the fires its ashes hide, -- Its ashes, whence will spring and grow Sweet flowers, ere long, The rare and radiant flowers of song! A sunlit ancient forest, dotted with wild roses, grape vine, and queenly lilies, clothed in swirls of opium smoke. I get mostly smoky grapes on my skin. I can smell some floral mixed in as it dries, but I don't smell roses or lily specifically. This is like sinister grape on my skin. I do like it though.

And when it was grown late, his servants made haste to their lodgings, and Vagao shut the chamber doors, and went his way. And they were all overcharged with wine. And Judith was alone in the chamber. But Holofernes lay on his bed, fast asleep, being exceedingly drunk. And Judith spoke to her maid to stand without before the chamber, and to watch: And Judith stood before the bed praying with tears, and the motion of her lips in silence, Saying: Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and in this hour look on the works of my hands, that as thou hast promised, thou mayst raise up Jerusalem thy city: and that I may bring to pass that which I have purposed, having a belief that it might be done by thee. And when she had said this, she went to the pillar that was at his bed's head, and loosed his sword that hung tied upon it. And when she had drawn it out, she took him by the hair of his head, and said: Strengthen me, O Lord God, at this hour. And she struck twice upon his neck, and out off his head, and took off his canopy from the pillars, and rolled away his headless body. And after a while she went out, and delivered the head of Holofernes to her maid, and bade her put it into her wallet. And they two went out according to their custom, as it were to prayer, and they passed the camp, and having compassed the valley, they came to the gate of the city. And Judith from afar off cried to the watchmen upon the walls: Open the gates for God is with us, who hath shewn his power in Israel. And it came to pass, when the men had heard her voice, that they called the ancients of the city. And all ran to meet her from the least to the greatest: for they now had no hopes that she would come. And lighting up lights they all gathered round about her: and she went up to a higher place, and commanded silence to be made. And when all had held their peace, Judith said: Praise ye the Lord our God, who hath not forsaken them that hope in him. And by me his handmaid he hath fulfilled his mercy, which he promised to the house of Israel: and he hath killed the enemy of his people by my hand this night. Then she brought forth the head of Holofernes out of the wallet, and shewed it them, saying: Behold the head of Holofernes the general of the army of the Assyrians, and behold his canopy, wherein he lay in his drunkenness, where the Lord our God slew him by the hand of a woman. Dried blood, boiled wine, leather, galbanum, onycha, tonka bean, and pomegranate. Oh gee, my first time starting a topic ANYWHERE on BPAL...hope I am doing this correctly! In the bottle, I smell wine and pomegranate. Wet on the skin, the wine and pomegranate are still dominant, but I can detect the leather and blood notes as well now. As it dries on the skin, I smell the wine, pomegranate, and blood. Not bitter, but not super sweet either. This is going to age very well, I think. And I will definitely be keeping my bottle and considering a back-up before Yules comes down.

Doll's eye infused honey. What does Doll's Eye plant smell like? I tried to Google it to find out but could mostly only find out about it's poisonous properties causing cardiac arrest and death and also it's pain relief uses in child birth and PMS symptoms. Small amounts of it are brewed as a tea to relieve pain symptoms. On my skin, this is an herbal honey scent on me. I can definitely imagine this being tea.

Breakfast cereal and jelly beans. Cherry is predominate jelly bean note on my skin right after application. Cherry settles after just a couple minutes and I get more of the cereal note than jelly beans.