aidenraine

I am trying this one with intent to actually buckle down and work, when my output has been kinda low lately. I also intend to use this for communication purposes, perhaps even when teaching. It doesn't matter to me what it smells like, so long as it helps, but I am immediately taken aback by the combination of strong cinnamon on my skin, and lavender in the bottle. On my skin it does not linger particularly much, which inclines me towards using an oil burner with it instead. That generally seems to be a good solution with the creative blends, which seem to need to assert themselves consistently in order to be effective. It seems as well, that my skin doesn't like this. It has become really itchy where I applied it. My whole neck feels irritated. Yikes! Oil burner, it is. I feel like I am smelling a combination of crafts store and ribbon candy. Alright, off to fetch the burner and see how this does there.

I annointed an orange candle with this oil, and was really careful to perform my candle ritual during the waxing moon. I am looking for a manuscript of mine to be accepted at the publisher I just sent it to (academic work). I was working with both the Fire and Air Elementals, so in addition to my candle, I put on some instrumental music and sang a couple of chants I had made up about my intentions. (Both help me to focus. I am very distractable.) I alternated facing the east and the south. I am currently letting the candle burn down. It is right by the drafty window in my study, because that's a good eastern-most location in my home. Oddly, considering the breeze, it isn't even flickering. As I used it, I felt strangely charged and filled with light, like I was hovering. The room is filling with a smell that is both herby and minty. (Wow, big gust of wind there and the candle didn't even move.) I base my rituals on ideas from The Candle Magick Workbook, and always love to hear ideas from others :>

Wow, I was actually surprised to see the list of floral ingredients, because on my skin there isn't very much floral at all. I am instead getting a sweet incense, something very nostalgic. It's delicious and rich. It almost has a touch of fruitiness to it. I can't say I smell any of the components- that's a first! It just gets darker and more incenseny on me the longer it sits. I'm enjoying it... it almost reminds me of sweet head shop incense...er... but in a good way! It seems to me fans of scents like Urd may be pleasantly surprised by this one. That is, if they smell the incense and not the florals.

I swear I have a different Crown of Success than everyone else (which has me a tad worried, as it is a decant.) I just annointed a candle with this and meditated on career success. I need something forceful working for me! The smell of this was immediately pleasant. It's somewhat of a grassy, herbal smell in the bottle, but a very pleasant violet cream on the candle. I enjoyed sitting in the presence of this candle as it melted down, wafting this soothing smell into the air. It did make me feel empowered and energetic as I sat there. I am eager to see how this works for me and I am going to have to resist wearing it as a daily perfume

I love earthy smells, so I was really excited to try this one. Initially, I did not get the cedar (that came later), but dark soil and leaves. It smelled exactly the way I always want my drawers to smell (the wooden ones, I should clarify ) - and it hit me later that this was because I keep vetiver sachels inside cedar drawers. Heh, bingo! After a moment this is all cedar, and I feel like I could get this from other blends. I love cedar, but more as an ambient scent I can't stop huffing. I don't necessarily want to smell of cedar myself (but then again, I'm starting to wonder why not.) As I go into the spring/summer I crave green, leafy smells, so this may be finding use after all. I do like pencils, after all.

So, yesterday I decided it was high time to test this one out. DH had just gone to gate the dogs out of the bedroom, so I steathfully dabbed this onto my pulse points and hopped onto the bed in a seductive pose. I smelled a bit of jasmine and, of course, the ylang ylang. It was a warm, incensey-floral scent and I liked it a fair bit. DH comes back to bed and we're snuggling. Suddenly he wrinkles his nose: "What smells?" "Oh," I say "I just dabbed on some perfume a moment ago." He sniffs again, and scrunches up his face further. I can tell he's trying to figure out how to break something to me. "Well, it smells like church lady." he finally announces. "Yeah. Just like sitting in church behind some lady with a big hat on." "Oh!" I get the giggles. Now fortunately, it wasn't entirely a buzzkill, but certainly not something that's going to work in my house. Of course, he doesn't like ylang ylang either

I get an imediate floral assault here, perhaps lily or iris. I don't actually get the muskiness in here, as others mentioned, just floral. It's a very pure, light floral on me, quite pleasant. I feel as though I am walking through a lovely garden in spring. Sniffing it is hard, because the perfume of the florals gets up my nose and makes me sniffle. It's got a medium-low throw on my skin so I have to really get my nose close to my wrist. As time passes I am starting to smell a touch of jasmine, on top of the other florals.

This seems to me a combination of honey and the incense of church: I get a frankincense and myrhh out of this. It is sweet and resinous, sweeter at first than it dries down to be. After about five minutes it is as though I have been burning incense with charcoal in an old burner. I can almost smell the smoky edge. Another few minutes and I get pure honey from this again. It is as though the oil has two sides, and that feels appropriate somehow. Unfortunately, the honey element is not for me. It is too sweet.

I smell lemon, as everyone else has, but I also smell something slightly aquatic. I feel like I know this blend. I am reminded of one of the Springtime in Arkham blends- either Kingsport or Dunwich or, heh, Yog. I can't remember which one, to be honest. It called to mind the period when I was trying those out. I like the idea of this as a room blend. It is pale, like a tea scent, like the Doormouse. I might be more tempted to use this as an ambient scent than to actually wear it. It's not really me.

This is a very yummy spicy scent. I think it has some dragon's blood in it, which I usually don't like, but this is goooood. Mmmmm... it's slightly sweet with the spice mixed in. The longer I sniff it, the more I want to lick it. It's like a sweet chai aroma. This may have allspice in it... It doesn't seem to fade particuarly after several minutes- and my skin loves to eat up scent. It's still happily spicy and sweet. I wish I could get this in a shower gel, soap, or bath bomb too! After a couple of hours it's still on my wrist, but has become pure dragon's blood. I feel like I HAVE this blend already somewhere!

Goodness..... this reminds me of Ivory soap mixed with roses. Ever been in a Crabtree and Evelyn store? They have a rose talc that smells a bit like this does. Yes, definitely talc. It reminds me of some folks' baby changing rooms. I can practically _taste_ the soap when I lean in to smell this. While you may be able to tell that this isn't for me, I think it's a clean enough, soapy scent that those who like "fresh cotton" smells might be drawn to it. I mean, I wouldn't mind if my laundry came out of the dryer like this. It does scream "cozy and clean". It's also making my wrist itch like there's no tomorrow. A very old fashioned rose, is my conclusion. Pale, reminiscent of rose talc and rosewater. I dislike the stronger roses, but this is just... nice.

Woah there big musk assault! I nearly got knocked on my bum by the woody component of A'Arab. There was no gradual approach of the different elements in this oil- everything lined up to smack me in the face. *shakes head to clear out sinuses* I swear, I do generally love the woodsy, earthy blends but I think this might be too much for me. Conversely, the fragrence, after its initial rush, has vanished into my skin and I am now straining to find it. What's left is very incensey, somewhat sweet. I could guess that there's myrhh in here, maybe a hint of dragon's blood, maybe some frankincense. Phew!

What a strange scent. There is definitely something woody in here, something slightly lemony. I think I smell ceder and lemon-cream. It's an appealing scent on me- clean and studious. There is also a hint of powder, and want to say a wee, wee bit of jasmine, but I could be wrong on that. I feel like I have smelled this before, and I don't know why. I am trying to dig through scent memories to find it. Despite the woods, I think this will be a good scent for summer. The lemon makes it very bright and refreshing! I want to lick my wrist right now. The lemon note really reminds me of Lush's Lemony Flutter cream. As this sits on me the lemon becomes a bit less creamy and a bit more brash. I am getting decent throw from this, which on my skin is a miracle. I think I really like this. I am falling short of love, but it's nice!

This just gets more scrumptious on me as it sits. It's really very yummy. I am reminded of scents like Urd, which combine a certain fruitiness and incense. I love that combination. My first thoughts on this were that I just spent some time in Chinatown yesterday and this reminds me of the smell of one of the general stores where food and incense seem to overlap. I do get plum from here, and I initially got something like fennel, but that has passed quickly. There may be a touch of jasmine lurking in this scent as well. I dig it, I do. I keep pressing my nose to my wrist. My skin seems to be sucking this away really quickly, so I am reapplying it. I sure like this musky note it has... Oh, yes...it also reminds me of cakes from the Chinese bakery that always burns incense next to a big, smiling Buddha.

Upon sniffing this I was hit with a sudden, powerful scent memory. I loved perfumes when I was growing up as much as I do now. I also had problems sleeping. When I was staying over at my best friends' house she knew I was afraid of not falling asleep so she prepared my bed carefully, and spritzed a bit of Elizabeth Arden's Sunflowers perfume on the pillow (God, we must have been all of 12 years old). The smell was so calming to me that I instantly nodded off, and forever after that perfume relaxed me. This reminds me of Sunflowers perfume. It's sweet, it's herby. It definitely seems to contradict the oil's description. I think there's honey in here. As it sits on my wrist, the honey note does seem to pop, a bit. More time, and I am getting a reminder of a botanical gardens I went to once. It reminds me of Bermuda in the spring. All in all, it's a bit too perfumey for me, but I liked the nostalgic connection.

I've been reading about the Qliphoth and it's pretty interesting, actually. It did make me a bit wary that putting on the oils would attract negative energies. This winds up smelling quite citrusy and a bit musky. I applied it to my wrist first, and a couple of minutes later it had vanished completey! Elusive little scent. I reapplied and sniffed deeply- the citrus seems to be dotted with a bit of pepper, but again it is disappearing. Ever stubborn I reapplied once again and the citrus seems to have a sweet note behind it, like a sweetpea. Then the pepper, then ... nothing! Wow, what a vanisher!

This truly is pure crushed up candy red-hots. I am getting that cinnamon with perhaps a bit of clove in there. Lovers of spicy scents, rejoice! I generally am succeptible to cinnamon rashes, but I am seeing nothing happen as a result of this oil. I keep glancing at the imp, expecting it to be reddish, rather than a buttery yellow color. I am starting to think this ought to be nicknamed "dog bait", however. No sooner did I put it on when I had one of my pups scrabbling at me manically. Now she won't leave my lap and is sniffing the air and shmecking. This reminds me of both the TAL "Gainful Employment" and Lush's Wiccy Magic Muscles bar. I like it, but it feels almost essential-oil like (I use cinnamon and clove EOs in housecleaning), and I want to combine it with something else.... maybe I'll keep it as a Yule house-scent.

I know this is a TAL, but man does it smell good. I want to wear it as a perfume, so very badly. I could probably justify annointing my body with it, in connection with some ritual or another, but I am not the one who needs the job, DH is. So, I annointed a green candle, taking care to rub in a clockwise direction to bring the energy to me, and to him. I meditated on him getting a job for a while and then placed the candle on his desk, where he works. I am letting it burn down. It sure smells nice as it does. Uplifting. It reminds me of Lush's Wiccy Magic Muscles. The same cinnamon-clove aroma. When I was finished with the candle I annointed DH's laptop with the oil, and his money clip. He's been out of work since February, and we are desperately in need of the money. Not much work in his field around here.

After an incredibly tumultous month I thought a white candle annointed with this oil would be a good idea. My husband had already lit one next to the ashes of our dog so I rubbed the oil onto it, according to direction, and focused on what could help bring my life into balance. The herbal-lemon smell permeated the air and actually smelled a bit like cleaning products. Pretty cleansing. I think at first, just on my hands, the smell was strongly more herbal than lemon. I thought it was a bit musky, even, but it seems to have settled down. The oil is only as good, I guess, as the one using it, but I hope this helps.

I desperately do need to detox from stress, and also to revive my mind and just feel CLEAN. Detox is doing a good job of moving me towards this. I love the scent of limes. They're my fresh, bright, happy scent. They do feel like cleanliness to me. Detox is pure limeade, like the kind I always get at Vietnamese restaurants. It's slightly sweet and sugary. Mmmmm.... I think I need something like this to put in my oil burner or my tart warmer. Something to put in as I houseclean to make myself feel all the more as though I have truly scrubbed the grime out of my house. It reminds me of the Royal Lime eau de toilet my sister and I bought in Bermuda, at a Botanical gardens gift shop. I definitely need a bottle of this.

I happen to love the earthy, musky smell of this. It's really pleasant on my hands, after I have annointed a green candle with it. My husband has been unable to find work for almost two months, and he can't collect unemployment so we're getting concerned. I annointed both him and the candle with this oil and placed the candle on his desk, where he works. We'll see how it goes.

Just sniffing the imp made me smile. Joy is a blend I desperately need right now. I need to attract happiness to myself and lift my depression. I have been depressed for weeks. I decided to apply this oil directly to my heart and wrists. I concentrated for a moment on the idea of drawing happiness to myself and inhaled deeply. Joy is a nice, orangey blend. I like the smell better than Joy Mojo, but it seems to have less throw. I can't smell my wrists or chest from anywhere other than with my nose pressed to them. Hopefully the oil will work on me anyway, less as aromatherapy and more by drawing the right energy close. The scent is a bit like the orange flouride the dentist used on me as a kid. Orange, but with a weird minty-pasty undertone so it isn't quite.... good. Ever tried orange toothpaste? Kind of like that. Since I can't really smell it on my skin, it's not really an issue. I have to say, I am glad that I could wear this for the energies, and still wear perfume. I will also use this on candles, I believe. As for its effectiveness, I will report back (if anything of note occurs. Sometimes I never "report back" because I have no noteable outcome.)

Oakmoss, sweet sage, juniper berry, civet and a drop of grape. Puck begins with a sharp blast of berries and begins to morph immediately into an herby-fruity scent that's incredibly well balaned and edible. The quick changing fellow then begins to flash the musk at me, in a way I am not entirely thrilled with. I am trying to get the fruits and the sage back into prominence. Sadly, the musk is beating up the other notes. Oakmoss and civet galore. Oh where is my grape and juniper berry? I have to say that the overall result, while not what I was looking for, is extremely interesting. It's utterly unique. Nothing I have ever smelled before comes close. It's just ultimately not for me.

I annointed a purple candle with this and meditated on my goals. I tried to meditate for around five minutes, until I felt as though I had communicated my intent. After annointing the candle, my hands were a bit damp with some of the oil, and I can still smell it. I am getting apples and something cinnamony/spicy underneath. The smell of the still-burning candle is really pleasant and relaxing. It made me feel hopeful and also energized. This is going to be a great blend to work with just based on sensory stimulation. I will update as to the effects this seems to produce.

I really need to get some work done. I have been surfing the net for two hours and if I don't start my teaching prep. soon, nobody's learning anything this week! So, Clarity, I need you. I also probably need ADD medication, and I definitrly need it to not be Daylight Savings time today. So, I am doing what I typically do with "Concentration". I am rubbing this between my hands and huffing it, while focusing on my goals for the day. Ok, done. It is a pleasant minty aroma, much like Concentration's mint, but with a toned down lemongrass. This would make a good room fragrance for focusing (again, like Concentration.) I am going to soak the tip of a tissue with this to huff as the aroma fades from my skin. I decided to get myself some lemon flavored seltzer to hydrate myself as I try to focus. When not on my skin this reminds me of Vietnamese restaurants. The smell of fresh basil mixed with mint. I love that smell.