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BPAL Madness!

zankoku_zen

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Everything posted by zankoku_zen

  1. zankoku_zen

    The Pillars

    Cedar, sandalwood, with a resinous background. This smells like summer woods, cedar, and I get a fair bit of sandalwood. Smooth and gorgeous. Good throw and wear length,
  2. zankoku_zen

    The Cross

    Frankincense, a touch of patchouli that darkens it quite a bit, and birch, which makes it smell sort of like root beer on me. It's a somewhat dark, yet light, and familiar and comforting. Low throw, average wear length.
  3. zankoku_zen

    Honey Rose v45

    So Honey Rose v45 smells like coconut and roses, and a whiff of honey. And while it smells delicious, its effects are ultra powerful. It's about compassion, empathy, and believing the better in yourself and others. This is the smell of generosity of spirit. It's the affirmation of life, human potentiality and the ability to say, YES WE CAN. Because we will. There's no looking backwards, only moving forwards.
  4. zankoku_zen

    Invidia Bath Oil

    O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on. White grapefruit, tea leaf, white ginger, orange blossom, jasmine, honey myrtle, and lime. Wow. If this isn't the first review, mods, please feel free to merge. I really really like this scent. I think out of all the GC blends, this is probably my favorite. I get a lot of grapefruit and ginger and something that smells like lilies, which might be the combination of orange blossom/jasmine/honey mirtle. There is a tiny hint of lime at the beginning, but really, this for me is grapefruit/ginger love. I used it yesterday with 1/2 of Lush's Pop in the Bath and it made the water ultra-moisturizing. Today I tried it for the scent itself, and I love the ginger/grapefruit I get from it. Love it.
  5. zankoku_zen

    Promises of Izumo Hair Gloss

    Fresh salty cucumber with a touch of seaweed and it's a very fresh summery light hair gloss.
  6. As a Sagittarian, a conjure bag of my ruling planet was a must for me. The Jupiter CB is big. Expansive. Fun. A bit of rock star debauch as well. It's everything you imagine Jupiterian to be - bright energy, inexhaustive, good times. It's growth and freedom, expansion, greatness, and jovial. It's also the only CB that causes me to have an extrovert hangover. It's great for whenever you have to extrovert - but like all things Jupiter, there is too much of a good thing. And you feel the effects of too much merry making. It's not something that is prone to reflection or anxiety about the past or future. This is about the here and the now. ROCK ON. ROCK HARDER. JUST ROCK.
  7. zankoku_zen

    Protection v45

    A fiery, aggressive protection blend. Wild-crafted frankincense essential oil, myrrh C02 extract (supercritical fluid extraction w carbon dioxide), ginger root essential oil and dried root, gingergrass essential oil, elder flowers, bay leaves from the TAL garden, Dracaena cinnabari, and blessed kosher salt. To me, this Protection is a mix of fire and stone. If the original Protection is like a stone armor, this is the upgraded version with flamey rocket launchers. The key word being aggressively protective. I have found this past week particularly taxing due to being a naturalized citizen (immigrant from South America), and the onslaught of news around the family separation at the border. It's been exhausting from an emotional front. And yet, we have to get up every day and go to work. And while I'm looking at spreadsheets, it's hard to keep going. This morning I dabbed myself on Protection v45. I walked out of the house, and there was a baby bunny in our yard. He/She hopped across the fence, and continued munching on breakfast. I took it as a sign. That yes, there is some truly shitty things going on, but on the other hand, life is still going on. Going strong. And it's not all bad. Hell, a bunny came by and said hello. And that's why we keep on trucking. It's fucking hard, but we're here to do hard work. Dunno about the smell, but I'll update this when I have a better idea. ETA: Btw, using Protection v45 is no guarantee that a bunny will come by and remind you that life is OK. That was my experience, YMMV.
  8. zankoku_zen

    The Initiatrix

    Smooth, resinous red rose. It reminds me to BPTPs Red Rose blend, but less spicy. More smooth resins and dark red rose. Lush, sophisticated. Good throw and wear length.
  9. zankoku_zen

    The Scroll

    Myrrh, honey, and an edge of orange. This honestly ends up a bit like a more resinous version of an orange creamsicle. Way to go skin. Way to go. Medium throw and wear length.
  10. zankoku_zen

    The Night Priestess

    JASMINE. A ton of jasmine with whiffs of orchid and clove. Huge throw.
  11. zankoku_zen

    The Moon Goddess

    Lemon, woods, with darker elements like pine, leather, and smoky vetiver. It smells dark and lemony. Medium throw and wear length.
  12. zankoku_zen

    Burial v2

    This is a Cobwebby exclusive from back in 2012, and it's been six years and no one seems to have reviewed it. And since there were a few bottles on Etsy, I went ahead and grabbed it. Burial v2 starts off with a very smoky vetiver note, which calms down substantially. I get dirt... and HOLY HELL BATMAN, I am getting the same weird grapefruit note that I get from Capricorn 2004. Capricorn 2004, which is almost impossible to get your hands on, and it starts off as a weird woody blend that MAGICALLY BECOMES GRAPEFRUIT ZEST on my skin and I think it may be the aged cedar. In other words, if you age cedar for 10+ years, the citrus notes in the cedar transform to a strange grapefruit-like scent that just sort of stays around. Dirt, grapefruit dust, and cedar. Yup. So, I'm off to go score my own whole bottle.
  13. zankoku_zen

    The Eternal Virgin

    Carnation, honey, milk and a whiff of cardamom. This is like if Dana O'Shea and Hod had a baby. A honey-milk with carnation blended baby. It's so good, and so powerful, and yet feminine. Comforting, and yet full of strength. Good throw and wear length.
  14. zankoku_zen

    La Papesse

    Smoky church incense, a touch of oudh, and blackened resins. Dear god, this is like church. It's got that heavy incense - smoky, blackened, resinous. Good throw and wear length.
  15. zankoku_zen

    Yesod v5

    Yesod v5 reminds me to the released version, but I am getting way more lily. The released version was an abomination on my skin as a combination of jasmine and gardenia. This one is more of a clean, lush floral with lilies and a hint of jasmine. It's clean, white, sophisticated and very spring-like. It's got a very feminine energy to it, and I could see those that like Venusian blends to go for this. Great throw and wear length.
  16. zankoku_zen

    LUAL5

    This one is another Last Unicorn prototype, and due to the name "AL" I am assuming Arachne of Lydia. And its got similar notes to the released version. There's this dusty clove going on, but I get a patchouli base underneath. Honestly, this reminds me much more to the opening of Voodoo Queen than the released version, which makes me think that VQ has some patchouli going on. If you love clove, or Voodoo Queen, give this a whirl. Good throw, medium wear length.
  17. zankoku_zen

    ICDX 11

    Candied grapefruit. BY JOVE. This one has a huge bright citrusy pink grapefruit, and a whiff of florals on the drydown. But yes, sugared candied grapefruit. Great throw for a citrus based blends. THIS IS MINE, ALL MINE, YOU CAN'T EVER TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME. *goes off to buy the remaining ICDX 11 bottles* ETA: I am detecting smidgeons of coconut underneath. This smells citrusy fresh and tropical. Perfect for the summer.
  18. zankoku_zen

    Thirteen (13): April 2018

    Delicate red wine, coconut, chocolate, and spices. There's also the marshmallow root coming out at the very end of the drydown. It's a very muted spiced wine/coconut blend. Medium throw and wear length.
  19. zankoku_zen

    Pumpkin Spice Zombi

    [No additional description provided.] Pumpkin Spice Zombi is interesting. I get the hit of pumpkin spices on wet, but as it dries, I find that I am really amping up the moss aspect, both the spanish moss and the oakmoss, so it ends up in an odd aquatic with spices and a hint of roses. Odd, mossy, interesting. Medium throw and wear length.
  20. zankoku_zen

    The Crown

    Chamomile and orris. If you're a fan of either, give this a whirl. It's a very soft, skin scent on me. Very soothing.
  21. zankoku_zen

    The Crescent Moon

    Sage and amber! This is a bright, herby resin. It's very pretty, and such a unusual combination. Sage tends to amp up on me, but then I get a hint of juniper over an amber base. Gorgeous. Medium throw and wear length.
  22. zankoku_zen

    Pomegranates and Date Palms

    Smoky pom, violets, woods, and dates. This one is a very complex fruity blend. I get mainly pom and dates, with violet keeping it from being all fruit, and with the smoke curling around, and is this a blend to summon Persephone? Because if it isn't, it should be. It's a mystery and a guide all wrapped up in one. Good throw and wear length.
  23. zankoku_zen

    Gertrude v5

    I can't remember what the released version of Gertrude smells like, but this one smells like there's red wine in it. There's some delicate florals, red wine, and something somewhat icy. This is regal, feminine and floral. Good throw and wear length.
  24. zankoku_zen

    ICD19

    This smells like Golden Apple of the Stars. It's a fresh green apple with honey. And a touch of linen. So pretty much golden honeyed apples. Great throw and wear length. Why aren't more people crazy for this?!
  25. zankoku_zen

    Goat 17

    Okay, so Goat 17 I don't think is actually like CHKX27. This is actually like a Mother Shub's Box of Dessert blend from the Yules. I get a ton of chocolate/dark cocoa going on. And there's a light almost lemony blend. This is like if Bliss and Embalming Fluid had a baby. A sort of weird, odd baby. But for those of you that both love chocolate and odd chocolates, give this a whirl. Foodie chocolate with just a hint of lemon. Sugary, foodie, fresh.
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