zankoku_zen

There is a thread here: http://www.bpal.org/index.php?showtopic=8518 That is all about job interview recommendations (about 6 pages long) . A mod will probably end up merging your thread in there. Most people suggest not to wear something in case your interviewer is allergic. However, if you insist on wearing some, something light and discreet is preferable. Also, it should probably be applied somewhere where only you can smell it (ie - like a little bit in your cleavage, etc).

In the imp: Sharp and sour like floral, and something that I think smells like crocuses On Skin: Still a sharp floral, I can definitely smell the iris note but can't distinguish anything else On Drydown: Iris, frankincense and cedar. And by cedar, really cedar. Verdict: This doesn't work for me. At all. SAAD. Since this Heroine I was looking forward to.

In the imp: Citrusy/lemony... must be the verbena On Skin: Verbena is very predominant, I get a small hint of tea and something else. Drydown: Verbena, tea and something slightly musky, and very masculine. Verdict: I wouldn't be able to wear this one... but I'm going to try it on the husband. I think he might enjoy it. Will edit later with his impressions. ETA: On the boy, it starts out as a very stringent lemon blend and then turns into a funky musk. There is something component wise that doesn't work with his skin chemistry. I think he would have liked it better if it smelled on him what it smelled like on me. Neither of us is a fan of how it smells on him.

In the imp: Citrus and rose On Skin: Sharp citrus like smell and ROSE!boom! Drydown: Smells like roses... not the fresh kind but the preserved, potpourri kind. The kind that grandmothers like to buy and keep in sachets. Verdict: I wish I got some dirt smell from this. Instead, I smell like roses, old ladies and old ladies that like to keep dried roses. Definitely not for me.

I received a 1/4 decant from someone as a frimp. I don't know the year In the imp: Smokey incense On Skin: Smokey incense Drydown: Sweet smoke Verdict: I really, really like this. I would have never tried it, based on the notes and the description because it's not the type of scent I usually go for. BPAL strikes again, thereby proving you really need to try it out because you don't know if it will work. I don't know if I would ever use much of this, but I will definitely cherish the small amount I have, and perhaps, just perhaps, try to find a full decant of this. Again, not a scent I'd reach for during the week, but it is warm and comforting... and yes, I agree with the person that said this is what Aureus should have smelled like (Aureus went horribly wrong on my skin). ETA: spelling check.

In the imp: Rich cologne, as well as a sharp note On Skin: Floral and rosey with a hint of tangerine On Drydown: Imperial. Rosey but not overwhelmingly so and this definitely smells kinda 'perfumey' but it smells Russian. Verdict: I can imagine Russia smelling like this. A bit grandiose, a bit melancholic, a bit brooding, regal, imperial. This is one of the more evocative Wanderlust scents I've tried. I really like it for that reason. But this is not something I'd be comfortable wearing. It's an incredible olfactory experience but I don't see myself reaching for it. Maybe I'm not Russian enough in my soul.

In the imp: Sweet flowers On Skin: Grassy note is very prominent, sweet yet delicate flowers On Drydown: Very sweet flowers Verdict: I don't know which of the flowers turn extremely sweet on me (maybe the maple leaf) but this is a sweet flowery blend. Not my style but it's a sweet blend without being foodie, which is always good to keep as a reference.

In the imp: Apricot On Skin: Apricot and clove. On Drydown: Apricot and clove, and kinda smells like generic potpourri. Verdict: Out of all the clove scents, this is the one that I like the most. Unfortunately, it sort of turned into a pleasant but generic potpourri smell on my skin. Curses.

In the bottle: Fruity On Skin: Fruity pina colada On Drydown: Fruity pina colada, I get mild hints of fig. Verdict: So. Not. Me. It's a pretty foody scent... but I'm not a pineapple fan at all. I was hoping for some the milky creamy goodness others were getting. Apparently, this was like "moon on the beach" for me, complete with a little umbrella. Tropical.

In the imp: Violet and clove On Skin: CLOVE!boom and violets On Drydown: Clove and something that smells sharp like... pee... After an hour: Clove!boom Verdict: Clove, clove and more clove! This kinda reminds me to the clove cigarettes I used to smoke. On the other hand, the sharp 'pee-like' note, which coincidentally does remind me to the sharp note in Oneiroi is very prominent. I wonder what it is. Bah, this so doesn't work for me.

In the imp: floral and wood On Skin: Green shoots and something that smells almost like varnish On Drydown: Woody varnish Verdict: There is something in this blend that my skin doesn't like. Big time. Sad, because I had the notion that this would be nice and woody on my skin.

This is a sniffie for All Saints 2004 In the imp: Incensey On Skin: Incensey and a sharp floral On Drydown: Sharp floral with a hint of honey. After an hour: Smells very rosey right now, with a hint of incense. Verdict: I'm glad I got to try this but to love it I'd have to love roses and incense, which I don't. But it's a pretty scent.

In the imp: Vanilla and something floral that smells kinda musty. I think it's the gardenia. On Skin: Vanilla and a graham crackery floral Drydown: Musky vanilla and a hint of wet wool Verdict: I've always suspected that BPAL gardenia does not play well with my skin (ever since the incident with Lady of Shallot), but this confirmed it. Which makes me sad because I really wanted to like this. Really. Oh, the heartache.

In the imp: Dandelions! Woo. On Skin: Dandelions and grass. How does the Lab bottle this stuff? There's something about the sharpness of the dandelion that reminds me to Szepasszony On Drydown: Dandelion, grass and soap. It turns into a soapy, breezey sort of floral. Verdict: Oh, if the soap hadn't arrived, I'd be extremely delighted. Again, it does remind me of Szepasszony, which is one of the reasons I like this scent. But the soap. Ah, the soap slays me.

In the imp: Citrus and a caramel like scent On Skin: Citrus, very strongly a lime citrus, and coconut. On Drydown: The lime edge flitters a bit away and I get more of a floral coconut. Verdict: I think the lime is a little too sharp for my taste. And I was hoping that the coconut would not take over. Unfortunately, it seems the BPAL coconut wants to smother me in its goodness but I don't appreciate the smothering. There is some very light, cheery, summery and tropical about this blend. It's as if Shoggoths went down to a Brazilian beach for some suntan time and margaritas. I don't think that's the image Lovecraft had in mind.

Her scent is bewitching, almost intoxicating: a sensual incense of crushed mums, red ginger, and pulsing musk ... and the air is thick with leaden brown opium smoke that hangs thickly over a seductive mixture of red musk, body-warmed perfume, and hypnotic Eastern flowers. In the imp: Incensey florals On Skin: Smokey florals, I think there might be some dragon's blood in this. It sure smells like it! On Drydown: Warm florals, incensey. Verdict: Very pretty, but I don't do incensey florals. I don't think the ginger ever made an appearance. Sad.

In the imp: Smells like the pith of a grapefruit. On Skin: Juicy, delicious grapefruit. It's got a touch of the bitterness associated with the pith but it smells like a ripe, just split grapefruit On Drydown: I get a tinge of florals with the grapefruit. After several hours: The grapefruit is gone. It's a pretty floral, with a touch of yuzu, which is sweet and fruity. Verdict: When it comes to grapefruit, this gives Baobhan Sith a serious run for it's money. The main difference is that this is really juicy fruit, whereas the grapefruit is much more muted and perhaps sharper in BS, and it's more of a white floral blend. The wet stage of this however is absolutely heavenly, like I smeared myself with grapefruit juice.

Yup, I have an email. Thanks for the info morrighana!

I know that CCNow charges you when the Lab harvests the orders from it... Is there any way to know when they do so? I made an order for Blue Moon this weekend and it still hasn't shown up on my bank account (I'm just a little paranoid because I can't re-order Blue Moon). Am I being just a tad too paranoid?

A subtle love and money combination blend. Tends to invoke the luxurious, pleasurable aspects of romance and prosperity. I got a decant from a very lovely forumite through a swap. She knows who she is! I you! The first time I tried M&H was actually during New Year's when I met up with jewelbug at a party and she anointed my palms with a dab from her decant. We left a hopping party for a quiet rest of the evening with my sister-in-law's and her husband's and two of their friends, but it was okay in the end. I've dabbed M&H on twice since I've received my decant, once before an interview and once while at work. For the interview, I got the job. And after work, well, my husband was pretty cuddly when I got home. Both times I wished for 'good things', so the intent was there but I wasn't particularly focused on anything particular. M&H for me is an almost insta-mood uplifter. And yes, in my mind, it does bring out some of the more luxurious aspects of life. Personally, it's like pampering yourself. I do love the scent which is very honey and florals on me. I love it as a perfume, but since it isn't meant to be worn as one, I've been trying to find a BPAL equivalent to it. From a perfume perspective, the closest thing that comes to mind is O, but O is singularly sexual whereas M&H gives me more of a sensual vibe... and really, both times it's simply been more like enjoying the feel of a rich velvet or draping yourself in cashmere. Nothing opulent or extravagant, but just a little something... richer, and a little out of the ordinary.

In the imp: Almondy On Skin: Almond sweetness On Drydown: I get a bare hint of plum around the edges, but there is something here that is musky and spicy and oddly enough, reminds me to varnish Verdict: Despite the varnish like smell, Oya definitely puts me in mind of Afro-Caribbean things, and more importantly Brazil. It's like watching into a voodoo shop in Rio de Janeiro and seeing and smelling things that you can't quite interpret.

In the imp: Rosey On Skin: Geranium BOOM! After a few minutes, I get more of the rose peaking out. After about fifteen minutes, it turns into a soapy rosey floral. On Drydown: The soap bubbles disappears and I get a green smelling incense. Verdict: Definitely not for me. But for someone who likes incensey smells, I would definitely recommend this one.

I got a decant of Milk and Honey. I love the scent but for *obvious* reasons, I'm not going to use it all the time. It doesn't smell like O or any of the other honey scents I've tried.

In the imp: green and minty! On Skin: Licorice attack! MEEP! On Drydown: The licorice smell is strong, which I suspect is the cardamom and anise combined together. There's a sugary sweetness to it now that is underneath the licorice. Verdict: I really wanted to like this. I really did. Except I really smell like licorice. I like black licorice. It's a tasty candy. But not I'm not sure I want to smell like it.

This is pretty much a huge floral bouquet on me, and its very difficult to "sniff" particular strains of flowers. Toward the drydown it tends to be more iris than anything else. I love how irises smell though. On the other hand, this might be a little too "perfumey" for me. It's very bright, sunny and yes, cheery scent. It induces you to groove around, which is very appropriate considering that this is the muse of dance.