sqwook

I feel like just going around being grouchy. I can't wear any of my "perfumey" scents because the top notes would make my nose feel even worse. Of the ones I have, maybe - Eden (that's filling the role of plainjean's Bastet), Gypsy, Flora... probably Eden.

Red musk-y goodness! I wasn't going to review because I didn't have *anything* new to add. For me, it's really great - since I already have full bottles of Snake Oil and Mme Moriarty, though, I think the imp will be enough for me. BUT! Wanted to let everyone know: At our meet-n-sniff this past weekend, there were multiple instances of this scent, and one was MUCH more in-your-face red musk (like approaching single note), and one was MUCH more mellow, smooth, creamy, honey. Both smelled good, yet they were quite different from each other.

Not nearly as dark - and much better - than I expected! The pine & verbena is great here, and the light musk, though it's fairly gender-neutral. So worth trying for us ladies but also FANTASTIC on a guy. None of the notes is too overwhelming, really excellent blend. Reminds me of: Golden Priapus without the obvious vanilla. A more sweet-green, less spice Fascinum. Brighter than Antony (which is really way more powdery than I remembered). Brighter and more "green"(from the sage/pine/juniper/verbena) than Phoenix Steamworks.

What I listen to a lot? Alanis Morissette (esp. because my dh & I share a Zune account & we both listen to her), Sara Bareilles, Fiona Apple (esp. Extraordinary Machine moreso than her other albums), Rachael Sage, Medieval Baebes, Cara Dillon, SJ Tucker. Any countries you're interested in? Ireland, France, UK. And also, specifically the Lauterbrunnen valley & environs of Switzerland. Homemade bath products /or linen sprays (possibly scented w/bpal)? Yes! I would love bath salts, fizzies, bath bubbles (sometimes fizzies have bubbles & sometimes they don’t), and sugar scrubs. I would probably not use soaps or linen sprays. If your witch made you something and it didn't come out just right, would you still want it? Yes. Are you a foodie? Yes, in the sense that I love to eat, especially going out to restaurants. And getting fancy foods, like good cheeses, good coffee, drinking wine, etc. I can and do cook but don’t really spend my time doing it, so I’m not the recipe / meal-planning type of foodie. Sports fan? Not really. For holidays, do you decorate? I decorate for seasons more than holidays, and I lean toward the elegant / natural. Dried flower wreaths for fall, boxwood leaf wreath for winter, pussy willow wreath for spring, etc. That’s what I would do in Michigan, anyway – I’d get them from the farmer’s market. I have no idea what I’ll do now that I’m in AZ! Cake truffles? If YES! Cake/icing/chocolate type? Yes! Potentially! I’m afraid they’d melt all to pieces though. Maybe apple-pie bites? (I just made that up.) Are you interested in mini bottles(under 100ml for hand luggage) of bath and body products? Sure - Good lotion is the thing I’d most likely use. The more moisturizing, the better! Vampire shows, literature, etc? Yay or nay? Not an interest of mine. If you play console video games, what game systems do you have and what games would you love to have? NA. How do you all feel about flowers and plants? Flower and plant seeds? Drawings of flowers or plants? Pressed flowers? I love flowers and plants. I don’t garden, so no seeds for planting, please. But actually I *love* weird seedpods, seriously. Drawings – yes, especially art nouveau, and especially orange-red poppies and magical-looking alliums. Pressed flowers – can be very pretty! How do you feel about marzipan? It’s ok. If you could have 3 BPAL bottles fall (gently) out of the sky right this second that you've been looking for or pining for - which 3 would they be? Jacob’s Ladder 05, Joyful Moon… and PROBABLY things from Halloween – just haven’t yet received my decants to test them! Are there any international treats that you love and have a hard time finding? A day out at a castle or a stone circle! Oh, you mean food treats. I’m probably fine there. Is there anything from the 'Ween BPTP update that you would like but haven't ordered for yourself? The things that seem potentially the most promising are Ginger Skulls or Bogle. If you are a crafter, would you like to receive supplies from your witch (beads, fabric, yarn/roving etc?) Not needed. Find your iPod (or other MP3 device), put it on shuffle/random. What are the first five songs to come up? 1 Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans, Lavay Smith & her Red Hot Skillet Lickers 2 Dryad's promise, Mythcreants (with the fabulous SJ Tucker) 3 The Mama Song, Kila 4 Beauty of Uncertainty, KT Tunstall 5 Limehouse Blues, The Royal Garden Trio 6 Leave Your Boyfriends Behind, Leona Naess 7 Child, Rachael Sage 8 Straightjacket, Alanis Morissette 9 Beautiful, from the musical Sunday in the Park with George 10 Alfie, Lily Allen -- And since that one's a funny one to end on: 11 I am a youth that is inclined to ramble, Cara Dillon Soundtracks you'd like? I do like soundtracks, but I haven’t been following musicals lately; & my cds are still in boxes! Oops. If you could see one concert right now, who would it be? SJ Tucker. 9/10/10 Would you like a bag of dried Honeycrisp apples? Yes! If you were to receive a knitted item (such as a scarf, hat, etc), what colors would you like? And do you have any sensitivies/allergies to any materials? I LOVE scarves. Colors – bright orange-reds, or teals, or rich emerald greens are all good. No allergies, though some wools can be rough against my skin. Gift Certificate: physical or email? Either! Favorite Yankee Candles? Or other brands scents? I don’t really keep up with Yankee’s scents. I prefer foody / nature-y / outdoorsy, and I’m not a fan of floral. I love beeswax pillar candles. Would you like a zuni animal fetish? And if so, what animal? That would be very cool, if you found one that really seemed like me. I always look at them when I see them and haven’t found one I’ve really loved enough to purchase for myself. What animal… probably some type of bird. I really like the inuit owl carvings with the upraised wings. (http://www.triasgallery.com/dynamic/artwork_display.asp?ArtworkID=1357) Note for other switch-witches, I am in the southwest and can help you look if you have a witchee who really would love one. And how does everyone feel about glow in the dark radishes? (Broken link, so I didn’t see them; I don’t need these, though. Tangent: My favorite radishes are hakurai turnips – they’re eaten raw like radishes, yet they have less bite. Just crunchy yumminess. ) What places to do you visit that you'd like a gift card to? I prefer locally owned places and small businesses, which makes it trickier for gift certificates. Maybe some of the shops that are favorited in my etsy wishlist. Cake or Frosting? Pie. 9/9/10 What movie scared the bejeezus out of you as a child? Lots of them, probably! I remember specifically being scared of ET, because of that suspenseful part in the very beginning where they know something is there in the shed but you don’t know what it is yet, and I was certain something was going to pop out. I *still* hate it when you know that something is going to pop out. Name a couple of sites you frequent other than this one. Livejournal friends & friendsfriends; markmaynard . com (a previously-local-to-me blog), facebook… I guess I don’t have that massive of a routine, and that’s probably good, as I spend PLENTY of time on bpal.org. Do you like the Muppets? Which is your favorite?Oh, yes. My close friends & I say we were raised by muppets. Beaker, Rowlf. If you could have any creature (real or imaginary) as a pet, what would it be? I have cats & I love them. *hugs them* Comfort Rereads?: Oh, I used to TOTALLY do this when I was young, and it was Alice In Wonderland a lot. I do this much less now because I prefer having new things to read. I’ve re-read some of Annie Dillard’s books multiple times, and I think it’ll be that way for Kathleen Dean Moore’s, too. Will you be going out of town during the round? Nothing major. But don’t send things that are EXTREMELY meltable, like milk chocolate, unless it’s very well-wrapped away from everything else. It’ll melt even in just an hour or so, and I’m not *that* quick to the mailbox. If you are in school now, what classes are you taking? Does anything you are currently studying really interest you? (if you are not in school, is there anything you are trying to learn?) Trying to learn more about new-agey / metaphysical stuff that interests me and that I can stand behind. (There’s a lot that I just can’t.) Right now I’m thinking a lot about the 4 elements (earth, air, fire, water, with a fifth element of Spirit that is sometimes counted & sometimes not; I think it’s there but the symmetry of 4 elements resonates more with me, with spirit in the center / encompassing.) What animal would your daemon be? Quail, owl, other raptors What's YOUR favorite word? Radiant. Steampunk, yay or nay? If yay, what part appeals most? Yay – I like the classic style with an edgier twist. I don’t actually wear specifically steampunk exactly, but I love the idea of this type of style: tailored grunge? Historical punk? I have NO idea how to do it for summer, and it’s totally hot here. But fall/winter! Tailored coats and jackets, warm scarves & rich fabrics, rocking hats, and some killer boots – I am so there. Meaningful symbols / totems? Tree of life, spirals, triskele, mountains, phoenix, the starry sky Do you need a box for your bpal bottles? Your imps? Your something else to put in a box stuff? Technically no I don’t *need* anything, but who can turn down boxes? Lol! If you could be any person, being, or animal from Fantasy what or who would you be? Someone said a phoenix – I never would have thought of it on my own, but that’s so fantastic. If you could go back to any point in time, where, when, why? Oh, this is hard. Fin de siecle, to see the flowering of Art Nouveau? Renaissance, to see the bones of good cities in Europe, without all our modern shlock? Favorite Halloween Candy/Treat? Autumn – caramel apples. No nuts or other pandemonium. Just caramel & a tart apple. Favorite baked goods/homemade treats? Lemon bars, biscotti, scones, shortbread Socks? Sock Dreams? Sock dreams has some cool stockings. I’m not really a sock person though. What is something you use to comfort yourself when feeling yucky, depressed, or in pain? Going out in nature is the biggest thing. Time by myself. Listening to my own music in my car. Solitary road trips. Getting off the computer. Getting a fancy drink at the coffeehouse. If I’m in pain – sleeping in my fuzzy blankets. Taking painkillers. Favorite Halloween/Scary movies/books – I don’t do scary. lol Your custom blend? Shieldmaiden of the Earth: Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunlight flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. Mountain meadows, green trees, and warm golden sunlight. OMG I totally want this! Yggdrasil is very much like this, though. (Quote is courtesy John Muir) Comic books – haven’t gotten into it. Warm drinks? Yummy. Chai especially. Mmmm!!! Etsy identical or similar? Similar is good, or gift certificates. Do you wear make up? Yes, some. My daily routine involves tinted lip balm, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara. Disney: Yes, especially older ones. Faves – Pocahontas. Movie player – DVD / blueray. Custom icons – not really nec; might not get used. Fave snack food: well, technically popcorn because of its low-calorie-ness. Also, nuts, like lightly salted macadamia nuts, cashews, etc. Ebooks – no thanks, no way to read them. (Well, I suppose, on the computer.) Nail Polish: no thank you Soft/plushy things: sure What hobby/craft would you like to learn how to do? Silversmithing perhaps. Hobby – maybe bellydancing. Halloween dec: don’t really decorate for Halloween. If I did I'd dec for fall. Ceramic decorations – maybe? Mortars & pestles – Cool! I’ve got a couple already, not opposed to something from my witchee though! Phobias: Nothing I can think of in relation to switch witch. Austen? Not really. Tarot: Don’t yet read them. I feel it’s a lot to learn. I have a beautiful Shadowscapes Tarot. Would be interested potentially in a reading, if that’s what you’re asking. Harry Potter / house? No idea. Guilty TV watching? No guilt, and no non-netflixed tv. Costuming needs: none at this time! Celebrity crush?: I’ve somehow gotten past all major crushes. How is that possible?  I do like Johnny Depp when he’s looking good, Brendan Fraser is cute… um… I’m sure I’ll think of others. Knitted things?:sure! What about [mixed or otherwise] DVDs? No mixed DVDs, I try not to pirate. . DVDs: Do you prefer widescreen or formatted? widescreen Music fmt: No preference mp3 vs cd Scented tarts? Don’t use ‘em. Lip balms? Sure! Nothing too “sticky”. Body mods? Nope. Booze: Drink it, don’t think you can ship it. I like port, hard cider, um… more port…, wine. Fave artist / art style? Art nouveau (such as Mucha), Arts & Crafts (for buildling/construction, furniture, etc), Pre-Raphaelite (such as Waterhouse) Hallowe'en plans? I’m taking a glass-marble-blowing class the week before Halloween. Probably no Halloween plans per se. Mix CDs? YES! Also love recs. Girlyness level? Don’t call me girly, kthx. Baked goods: Yes! No chocolate in baked goods, please. Gifts for other household members: Sure! Catnip for cats, and geeky toys / ginger / anything except chocolate for DH. Testers vs big things: Actually, my wishlist is already organized by testers vs bottles. (Plus I’m flexible.) Social networking: sqwook on lj, facebook is in my ?aire Groupons: No thank you, though gift certificates, such as for things/stores on my wishlist, would be sweet. Sizes: Tshirt XL men’s tees, XXL girl tees, bottoms size 18.

The scent that seemed the most similar in feel was Bat-Woman, which I think has also been discontinued. Have you tried Utrennyaya? It has mint instead of lavender to evoke a cool night-time feeling for me.

In the bottle: Green grassy hint of sweetness First on: Drat, I am *not* getting "meadow" out of this - I'm getting tea-rose, bordering on soapy! Not sure how. I guess that when I'm not actively thinking "dandelion" that's what my brain compensates. Random comparisons against other stuff I have & like: Against Little Bird, another green-floral, Little Bird has an almost-citrus to it that is way better. As is Litha - more rich, less thin and not going soapy. And Rosalind is brighter and not soapy. Darn it, I had super-high hopes for another meadowy scent, and I'm bummed it doesnt' work on my skin!

I'm always a fan of Yggdrasil for the out-of-doors (though not necessarily for the lots-of-people component; I don't do outdoors-with-lots-of-people usually, so I don't have a predetermined bpal for that. )

I'd say these are good bets for a sweeter patchouli: Clemence *Really great, though not impable The Phantom Calliope *Also super-great, and also not impable Anne Bonny Hetairae For me, I get a lot of pine (and no patchouli) from Illustrated Woman, and oakmoss is prominent in Greed. Though I like them both! ETA: If you've got a natural foods store near you, like a co-op, or Whole Foods, or New Frontiers, or anything like that, you should be able to find Patchouli oil there if none of the bpals are as straight-patchouli as you'd like.

Some ideas: Machu Picchu AF25 Forbidden Fruit (note that it has jasmine) Hanging Gardens Litha (any year) Fairy Market Maybe Sunflower (for sunshineyness, though it's not as big a floral, and it's more late-summer outdoorsy), or perhaps Kali or Flora would give you this feeling (they're not solely floral but they're big and summery and warm with a floral component.)

Big florals, plus something behind it all that's adding sweetness - maybe sugar, and/or perhaps a fruit such as pear or apple or white peach. I definitely agree it's sophisticated & womanly especially for the first hour. After it's fully dried down (an hour +) it's wonderful, reminds me of the dried-down Inez or Death & life completed, so perhaps amber, sandalwood, cedar, and/or carnation? Smells like similar notes to what's in Peacocks or Les Bijoux, but it's much more lush-big-full, whereas Peacocks goes kind of subdued and all-mushed-together on me, and Les Bijoux is more honey and less floral-fruity. (Also, I start to get self-conscious about my note-guessing, so Beth, should you read this, do not laugh at me! )

Hi! So, if I love these: Yggdrasil Mag Mell Et Lux Fuit The Snow Maiden ETA: And also Litha 2006! ...for all the same reason, what scent category *is* this? Or is what I love about these not something that lines up to typical categories? And what are some additional recs you think I should check out?

In the bottle: Sage-patchouli-leather, kind of masculine. (Not the sweet-orangy-patchouli, the rich-spicy kind. Or maybe it's even the sandalwood & not the patchouli I'm smelling.) On: Leather-sage-sandalwood. Yes, sage & leather, and a bit of spice from the patchouli and sandalwood. I think "earthy" is just an adjective here, because I don't get any earth/soil scent at all. And for once, I can't even detect the lemongrass - that's definitely a first! I don't know if I myself can pull this off (maybe too masculine or forceful? or just too not-me for a perfume oil to wear?) but it's not bad at all, and reminding me of something I think, if only I could hinge on what. Because I'm kind of drawn to it. Smells like hard honest work. Like a brawny guy splitting pine logs in a hot dry forest. (Not that there's pine in this.) You know, it's kind of foresty actually. With all the less-than-positive reviews above mine, I hesitate to admit that I think this one really warrants a full test on me to see if this foresty-ness bears out. I think it reminds me of walking through the evergreen forests in Flagstaff.

Lust, Hell's Belle, and Ravenous are all in the same family, to me. You might also like Mme Moriarty. ETA: Also, if it really is your favorite scent, then it may be worth it to get a scent locket or put it in your hair where your skin chemistry won't change it.

Lampades comes to mind - kind of introverted (and not flashy) but also dramatic at the same time. And it's beautiful! Oh, and I meant to add Black Lotus too. And maybe Salome.

bumping this thread to say: Helios ! Delicious ambery wonderfulness on me. Gaaahhhhhh.....

Oh my god. This is an amazing, magnificent spiced amber. Warm, rich, thick, exotic. I believe it must be the copal that's standing out most for me. This would be especially amazing in fall and winter, and it's pretty great even right now (spring). And I think it could work equally well for a man or a woman, somehow - that's usually not the case for most scents I like. Ridiculously delicious ambery wonderfulness. I think this is what I had always hoped The Lion would be (which I finally had to admit to myself always sours on my skin, much to my chagrin). This reminds me most of Jacob's Ladder, perhaps? I'd get a bottle immediately if it weren't part of a set, so I'll have to ponder... how much money is in my dear little paypal?

Very nice! At first, a foody lemon- lemon meringue, or like Lemonheads candies. Right after I put it on, it got a compliment from the DH who from a distance (interestingly) guessed Snake Oil, because the throw is more vanilla, whereas you get the lemon if you actively sniff. Still very nice at the end of the day - and for a scent that starts out light & zingy, it really holds its own & has a depth to it somehow. Not just lemon verbena, though that's there too. It must be getting a good backing from the white amber,musk, and other notes. The drydown actually reminds me of Cairo more than anything else -- which on me is a resiny lemon that I like very much. Skytyping is much much lighter in character, however. Like! ETA: And I will say yet again, "Incapacitating poofiness!" Best scent description ever.

I used to be able to sense the aloe in EF in my imp, esp. when compared to other things; now when I wear it I get LEMON LEMON LEMON and some green tea. Which I LOVE, but if you don't love lemon this is not for you. And yum on the "green scents" link - definitely check it out for lots of great ideas!

Hi! Some scents that are in this cool green aloe category (may not have aloe): Phantom Queen 51 Envy Squirting Cucumber I'm not sure what bamboo smells like, hopefully others can help there!

Meliai is not what I expected… I was thinking it would be something sweet, soft, with smooth honey, and if anything, would fade away and be pleasant enough but non-descript. It is not any of these things. In real life, Meliai is an extremely bright loud green scent, almost astringent, with something like pine or sour lemon in it. I tried it twice since I thought my expectation was coloring my opinion of it too much. After all, I *love* green scents, and pine, and lemon, and herbs, and trees; sometimes it just helps to be expecting them. But alas, this is too … something … for me. Might be better on a guy?

Wet: OMG love bright green-golden with blossoms - beautiful Dry: Stays a bright yellow with tinge of green & hint of yellow floral when dry. I do wish it stayed stronger longer, but even still, it's so pretty. The scents this reminds me of is seriously like a who's who of my top favorites of all time: Yggdrasil, Sunflower, Embalming Fluid, Litha06, Et Lux Fuit, Mag Mell... The only thing I'm trying to figure out is do I need a bottle since I already *have* all those, or do I need a bottle *because* clearly I love this type of thing. <3

I have totally been craving this too! Some ones I like: Garden Path with Chickens Little Bird - available now! You should try this! Rosalind Orpheus - more grassy than floral but very very green And less the new-grass-spring-meadow-with-flowers but in a similar sunny outdoorsy theme: Sunflower - this is more meadow in summer sunshine, seriously great Antony Apothecary Mag Mell Yggdrasil possibly

I love this scent! Green, and light springy flowers, and a zingy warmth of berries. And, unfortunately, (and I don't think I have ever had to write this about any other scent among the hundreds of bpals I've tried) it completely faded away on me within an hour. I'll retry, because.... it's just so odd; this has never happened before.

Couple ideas: BPAL forum top ten list from 2009 or 2008 Maybe a theme scent, like if you know she likes Alice in Wonderland, something from that category? Maybe an imp pack, so there's more a range she can try? There's a massive Best-Bet Must-Try enabling thread with lots of good ideas, and, later on in the thread, a specific discussion of what newbies would like vs what you "grow into" It would be interesting to know if there's some scents that maybe not everybody LOVES, but nobody HATES. Maybe Fairy Market?

Mag Mell for spring! I love it.