Alethia

Thoughts: I was frimped this by my most excellent Switch Witch! I cried a little when I saw it because GV is listed in my Excel wish list as "Hahaha. Yeah right." I've wanted to try this since I first found BPAL, but never expected to be able to. I have high hopes for this blend because I love all of the notes listed. Thank you my Witch! Wet: High pitched shrieking teak. WTF skin?! Where's the cream and lotus and amber?! Dry down: Still nothing but shrieking teak. Dry: I can't believe that all I'm getting from this blend is sharp teak. I'm so disappointed. Thoughts: It is the week before that time of month for me, so I won't give up hope for Glowing Vulva yet! I'll retest in about two weeks when my hormones have calmed down a little and hope that it'll make a difference. Final thoughts: It's been a full two weeks since my initial testing, and any hormonal issues should be done. Sadly, the second test is identical Verdict: Glowing Vulva is sadly not for me.

Thoughts before testing: I love sweet pea, vanilla, and white sandalwood. The two ambers worry me slightly because they tend to go super powdery on me, but we'll see. Wet: Sweet, slightly floral vanilla. I'm not getting a lot of sandalwood or amber, and the sweet pea is staying in the background for the most part. Dry down: The amber starts to come out to play, and it's not going powdery! Maybe the sandalwood is grounding it? I have no idea, but I'm really loving the lack of powder. The vanilla is still sweet and slightly floral. I wish the sweet pea would be a little more prominent. Dry: There's the sweet pea! This is really beautiful. The amber is still behaving, and I'm loving how this smells on my skin. Final thoughts: This scent lasted quite a while before any noticeable fading (around 6 hours on my skin, but YMMV), and kept close to my skin which I appreciate. Verdict: I will definitely be using up my imp, and will most likely be a bottle purchase.

Thoughts before testing: I have no idea what saffron smells like, but I do know that I (nearly) universally love vanilla and cream blends. I have high hopes for this one! Wet: Creamy, spicy root beer. Wow! This is pretty spectacular wet. Dry down: Still creamy and spicy but less root beer and more vanilla. So far, this is pure love. Dry: Creamy, spicy vanilla. Final thoughts: The scent sticks close to my skin, but I'm ok with that. It's also super long lasting. I tested it at 6 pm and woke up the next morning at 6 am and could still faintly smell it on my arm. Verdict: This is a hands down win for me, and I will be scouring the sales page for a bottle.

Thoughts before testing: After reading the reviews on this page, I absolutely had to try Hod v2. I'm in a bit of a vanilla and carnation obsessive phase at the moment, so i have high hopes for this. Wet: Creamy, smooth vanilla that's slightly spiced (the carnation?) Very nice. Dry down: The carnation becomes more apparent here and blends with the vanilla beautifully. I'm not picking up any sandalwood. Dry: Spicy carnation, creamy vanilla, and just the lightest hint of sandalwood. Verdict: This is really a stunning blend. It's perfect for this time of year for me and is instant love.

Thoughts before testing: I love cherry scents. They tend to stay true on my skin and not turn into nasty artificial cherry/cough syrup. But this has red musk, which only very rarely works on me, and star anise, which is one of my most hated scents. However, I'm trying really hard to skin test everything that comes my way to break out of my comfort zone, and since this was a Lab frimp, I had to try. I'd be willing to bet big money that the anise in this will wreck the whole scent. Wet: Pure cherry. Ooh! This is nice, but surely it can't stay that way forever, right? Dry down: Ah. Anise, we meet again. It drowns out everything else in this blend. Dry: Soap and anise is all I'm getting now. Thoughts: Well, it was worth a shot, right? Verdict: No thank you. Kabuki gets shuttled to my swaps/sales box.

Thoughts before testing: This was a frimp from the Lab, which is good because I never would have picked it otherwise. White musk turns to baby wipes on me, and dragon's blood tends to be stomach churningly sweet on my skin. Despite loving apples, apple blossoms, and hyacinth, I don't have high hopes for this. Wet: Nothing but apple and apple blossom. Well that's a nice surprise! I'm getting no white musk or dragon's blood resin. This is really soft and girly at this point. Dry down: The hyacinth starts to peek through, and is absolutely lovely. It's not a high pitched screaming floral blend and it's not powdery, which I really appreciate. Dry: Still no musk. The dragon's blood resin made a very small and subdued appearance finally, turning the blend a little sweeter than I like, but this doesn't automatically disqualify Ladon from staying in my collection. Final thoughts: I think that I really like this. I'm lucky in that my younger sister also loves BPAL, and I have a suspicion that she'll go bananas for this. If that happens, sister gets it Verdict: Probably not a bottle purchase, but between my sister and I, the imp will be well loved.

What is something totally random (yes, that thing that just popped into your head) that hasn't been covered by any previous questions?) I really, really love dry erase markers. But not the kind that smell like fruit or candy or what have you. Just regular thick chisel tipped dry erase markers Is there any cheesy/non-cheesy Canadian stuff you'd be interested in? I have no idea. If you were to go here and create your very own chocolate bar, what might it have in it? Oh dear lord. Dark with lavender and violet or dark with lemon, salt, and pepper. say you stumbled into Camp Half Blood (or whatever the Roman camp ends up being named <bounces in anticipation>), which god claims you? I had to look this up, lol! I would hope either Poseidon or Athena. Umph! I have just been enlightened to THESE. Are these flavors relevant to your interests? Oh my goodness, yes! Rose citrus, coco noir, clove cigarette (this one might be my favorite just from looking), absinthe, and cherry bourbon! JONES SODA CO has LE soda packs for The Guild, Buffy, D&D, So Cute, etc. Would you be interested in these, Witchee? I have the wimpiest teeth ever (literally; I had to have eight freaking cavities filled this month), so please no soda. It's Banned Books Week! Are there any books on the list you'd be interested in checking out? Not particularly, although Nickel and Dimed has been on my list forever. Do you drink wine? I don’t drink alcohol at all, actually julep maven monthly boxes: No thanks. I have a question- What kind of purse do you prefer? Leather, cloth? over the shoulder or crossbody, or something that can do either? Do you like bold bright prints with fun things, or monochrome, solid colours? I am super, super, weirdly picky about the purse I carry (and it’s only ever one at a time), so probably this wouldn’t be a great idea for me. I have a not-so-secret love for The Broship of the Rings. Are there any prints from her store you'd like? No thanks. Question. What kind of bear is best? Pooh Bear! New Question: Witches, did you lament NOT getting one of the condom case/imp cases that got released with the courtesan series??? What is this fabulousness of which you speak?! I would love any of them! I recently saw candy corn in non-candy corn flavors like CHOCOLATE and CARAMEL APPLE. It's not a fancy brand, I just saw it in the drugstore, but who here would like something like that? No thank you. I love the candy pumpkins, but not the candy corn (weird, right? Lol!), and only the original flavor.

What is something totally random (yes, that thing that just popped into your head) that hasn't been covered by any previous questions?) I really, really love dry erase markers. But not the kind that smell like fruit or candy or what have you. Just regular thick chisel tipped dry erase markers Is there any cheesy/non-cheesy Canadian stuff you'd be interested in? I have no idea. If you were to go here and create your very own chocolate bar, what might it have in it? Oh dear lord. Dark with lavender and violet or dark with lemon, salt, and pepper. say you stumbled into Camp Half Blood (or whatever the Roman camp ends up being named <bounces in anticipation>), which god claims you? I had to look this up, lol! I would hope either Poseidon or Athena. Umph! I have just been enlightened to THESE. Are these flavors relevant to your interests? Oh my goodness, yes! Rose citrus, coco noir, clove cigarette (this one might be my favorite just from looking), absinthe, and cherry bourbon! JONES SODA CO has LE soda packs for The Guild, Buffy, D&D, So Cute, etc. Would you be interested in these, Witchee? I have the wimpiest teeth ever (literally; I had to have eight freaking cavities filled this month), so please no soda. It's Banned Books Week! Are there any books on the list you'd be interested in checking out? Not particularly, although Nickel and Dimed has been on my list forever. Do you drink wine? I don’t drink alcohol at all, actually julep maven monthly boxes: No thanks. I have a question- What kind of purse do you prefer? Leather, cloth? over the shoulder or crossbody, or something that can do either? Do you like bold bright prints with fun things, or monochrome, solid colours? I am super, super, weirdly picky about the purse I carry (and it’s only ever one at a time), so probably this wouldn’t be a great idea for me. I have a not-so-secret love for The Broship of the Rings. Are there any prints from her store you'd like? No thanks. Question. What kind of bear is best? Pooh Bear! New Question: Witches, did you lament NOT getting one of the condom case/imp cases that got released with the courtesan series??? What is this fabulousness of which you speak?! I would love any of them! I recently saw candy corn in non-candy corn flavors like CHOCOLATE and CARAMEL APPLE. It's not a fancy brand, I just saw it in the drugstore, but who here would like something like that? No thank you. I love the candy pumpkins, but not the candy corn (weird, right? Lol!), and only the original flavor.

Oh Witch of mine, I apologize for falling behind in the questions, but this weekend was indeed bananas Without further ado, more of the rambling! Colors! What are your favorite colors and what colors do you not like? Pictures and links, people! I love butter yellows, bright yellows, all purples from the palest lavender all the way to deep almost black purple, all blues, true reds, blue reds (no orange reds for me, thanks), all pinks, and mint green and kelly green. I don’t like brown or camel colored. Would you like a photo collage based around your interests/favorite colors/favorite themes? No thank you. Space is kind of lacking here. If you're crafty, are you interested in spoonfeather? And if so, what things there delight your eyes? This is such a cool idea, but I am not crafty at all. What is your favorite word? Strumpet, splendiferous, copacetic. What are the feelings on arm warmers? Color, style, texture, length? No thank you! Do you like tarts? tealights? jar candles? votives? Jar candles only please. What's your favorite flavor? Sour, sweet, bitter, salty? Salty and sour please! I love sweet things but am on a low carb diet so they’re out. What is your favorite coffee blend at Starbucks? If you don't have one, what is your favorite roast of coffee? Not a coffee drinker, but I love all types of chai! I just noticed that Cocoa Pink has 5 ml Perfume Atomizers. Yay or nay? Scents you would like? Scents you would NOT like? I’m not even looking at other online perfumers as my BPAL addiction is almost more than I can keep up with, lol! What’s your favorite kind of pizza? Again, low carb living doesn’t lend itself to pizza. But I love Mediterranean style pizzas, and just plain mushrooms and black olives with extra cheese Who are your style/fashion icons? post pics if you want! I’m afraid that I’m going to get laughed out of the forum for this, but I really love the way that Kate Middleton dresses now. I work in a fairly conservative hospital environment, and need to dress nicely. I live in jeans and t-shirts, but need to start dressing like a grown up, and getting fashion tips from Kate Middleton seems like a good place to start! For example, nude pumps. After seeing them on her, I figured they might be a good summer piece rather than my plain boring black heels, and sure enough they kicked me out of my work fashion rut. No hose, though! Are there any food items you're craving/aren't able to find around your area? Witch dear, if you could find me caciocavallo cheese of any type, I would love you forever and ever and ever and ever and a day. Seriously. When I lived in Oklahoma there was a little mom and pop grocery store run by a couple that had left Italy in the early 1950s and they made their own caciocavallo. I could eat that stuff three times a day for the rest of my life and be deliriously happy. What about little wee creatures for your desk or mantel, like this? No thank you. The cats will claim it as theirs probably before it’s even out of the box. Is there anything you like or would like to try from Bath & Body Works? No thank you. Do you have any bedtime rituals? Is there any particular product you have to apply or a certain shirt you wear or an act you perform to get you in the "bedtime" mood? I make sure that my lunch for the next day is packed, that I have clothes laid out for the next day (I’m really not a morning person), and that all of my stuff is ready to go. If the next morning is a workout morning (so early! 5:30 am is when my alarm goes off!), I go to bed in my workout gear. Again, not a morning person, so the less I have to do to get my but out the door in the morning, the better And if I’m having trouble sleeping or am feeling particularly anxious, I’ll dot my chakras with TAL’s White Light and say a quick prayer and do a breathing exercise. It’s kind of scary how well this works to put me to sleep. Princess Bride? Yay or nay? It is INCONCEIVABLE! that I wouldn’t like Princess Bride. Meanwhile, I am asking all of you (and especially my witchee) what would you think of this (with a matching scarf) ? Kitxchey kerchief No thank you. Would you be interested in regional jams, jellies, or other preserves? OH YES! What's your favorite classic fairytale, witches? I really love the Twelve Dancing Princesses and Cat-skin.

Wet: Oh my god, this is the most delicious blackberry scent ever. I'm worried though because berries and I generally don't get along. So I'm loving the wet stage, but am reserving judgement. Dry down: I'm getting beautiful berries with just the slightest hint of honey. I'm slowly getting more excited about this! Dry: Sweet berries mingling with honey. Usually berry scents turn to artificially flavored grape cough syrup on my skin, but not this one! Verdict: I really like this. Honey is one of my favorite notes, and I'm adoring the berry in this. It might be too sweet for every day wear, and I don't know if this is a bottle purchase, but I'll be loving my imp for sure.

Wet: Oof. Nothing but patchouli here. Dry down: Patchouli still. Sheesh. Dry: Patchouli and clove, but still mostly patchouli. Verdict: I was really hoping for more of the clove and cardamom to come through, but the patch knocked everybody else out of the ring. So sad Retest on September 5, 2013: Almost two years later, my nose is much more educated and I think the lovely Clemence deserves a retest. Wet: Still a strong, earthy patchouli, but I'm much better able to appreciate it now. It still might be too strong for me however. There's just a hint of the clove at the very end of the sniff. Dry down: The patchouli backs off and this morphs into a fabulous blend of clove, cardamom, and carnation. Hot damn, this is spectacular! This is spicy without hurting my nose and is fabulous. Dry: Spicy carnation goodness. This smells like walking into the Persian market across the street from my apartment. They sell spices by the bulk, and this is that atmosphere bottled. Love. Final thoughts: I am so, so, so glad I hung onto my bottle and retested this. It's everything I was hoping and so much more. Verdict: Just try to pry it out of my hands

Wet: Pure lemon Clorox wipes. WTF?! Dry down: Pure lemon Clorox wipes. Dry: Pure lemon Clorox wipes. Verdict: Don't mind me crying quietly while I put my decant up for sale.

What's your favorite horror movie? I’m not really a horror fan. Iz a fraidy cat! If your witch was the practical type and wanted to include one or more of your everyday essentials, what would those include? I'm talking about the bath products, lotions, face lotions, teas, food, etc that you really use every day. Oh that’s a good question! I use Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, any type of super black mascara, my Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Bourbon (but I’m trying to move away from high end makeup because $17 for an eyeliner is too rich for my budget now), Aveeno body wash, my Nalgene water bottle (I need a new one though, the lid came unattached). I need a new lunchbox pretty desperately, lol! I bring my lunch to work/school every day (between my diet restrictions and lacking funds, it’s necessary). Jane Austen .. Yay or Nay? Oh dear lord, NO. I put up quotes I love in my office and studio to get me going, They range from goofy to sarcastic to inspirational... Are you interested in a hand painted quote? Do you have one in mind, or a topic in mind? I would love that! There’s a quote from a gym that I love: “We don’t do this because we want to look a certain way or lose weight. Those are consequences. We suffer during training to improve ourselves physically and psychologically. Cheating won’t help us get where we are going so we enforce quality all quality all of the time. That’s our yardstick. How long is yours?” and a Sun Tzu quote: “Victory is reserved for those willing to pay its price.” Do you like period or period-styled paraphernalia? Stuff like postcards, notecards, jewelry, office supplies, what-have-you? Yes please! I love the Renaissance and roaring twenties If you like manga, comics, and/or graphic novels, what is it about them that you like, in general? The story, the art/style, etc? I’m very fond of one manga (Saiyuki), but absolutely adore graphic novels. I love all Batman, X Men, Gaiman, Fables, etc. Basically, if it’s a graphic novel, I will most likely love it. Do you like/own/wear/want fairy wings or something of the like? Oh my god, no. I love that other people wear them, but wearing fairy wings is something the anti-Alethia would do, lol! How do you feel about terrariums? I’ve always wanted to try to make one! I love em! If you could choose a Smack, what would it have in it? now that is a product I can get behind! I’d love to try the fresh citrus, limeade, pomegranate fig, sugared rose, and vanilla bean. Although is it one scent per smack ( ) or do you mix them? I’m not sure how it works. SockDreams y/n/already own most of the catalog? No Sock Dreams for me, thank you Are you scientifically curious and/or process-oriented? Would you like a project-type gift that allowed you do do something like make soap from scratch, take and (nontoxic-ly) develop photographs using a pinhole camera, use plant dyes on yarn or fabric, etc.? Grad school applications and work are taking up almost all of my free time, so this would be a wasted idea. What would be your superpower? Psychokinesis! What is your theme song? The Show Must Go On by Queen Witchee, would you like a gently used BPAL tshirt? Oh my god YES. Question: Do you like homemade snack mixes? I know Puppy Chow was mentioned in a previous question, but what about healthier and more natural type snacks like granola or trail mix? You can put a lot of delicious and fun things into trail mix, yeah? If you say "Sure, I'd love some!" what kinds of things do you like/not like in those kinds of snacks, ie coconut flakes, raisins, certain nuts (allergies??), candy, etc. Give us your list of DO's and DON'Ts! I would love this! I love all kinds of dried fruit (particularly bananas), coconut flakes, raisins, all nuts, chocolate. Pretty much whatever you put in it, I’ll eat. Do you like charm bracelets? If you had a bracelet, what sort of charms would you want on it? Favorite hobbies, symbols, whatever? I adore my charm bracelet because each charm is so special. I love stars, crescent moons, numbers (7 and 13 in particular), flowers, and anything that you can think of Witch, because if it’s coming from you it will be so special

I have a question! What are some of your favorite paintings? (famous or undiscovered?) Feel free to link to examples! I adore Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings, particularly the poppies like and her lillies If you could have an image painted for you - sky is the limit - what would it be? I would love a nature landscape of a full or crescent moon with lots of stars, and in the bottom a beautifully glowing white flowers. It’s my dream to have a garden with at least one part of it devoted to white flowers because it’s like being in a fairy tale in the twilight/evening. Would you like any ecotools makeup brushes? They're kinda one of my favorite things ever, and they're animal-friendly and the handles are bamboo. And to top it all off, they work really well for applying makeup. No thanks Do you like Legos? Especially mini-fig key chains, Lego block keychains, small Lego sets, etc? No thank you. Since the previous question about "what would you buy from the Lab if you had unlimited funds, etc" left WAY too much to the imagination with no limitations (my answer was pretty much BUY ALL THE THINGS!), what would you do if you found a $50 bill on the ground and a nagging voice in the back of your mind told you that you HAD to spend it on BPAL or else face Death. Also, say they had free shipping (LOL) so don't factor that in. What would you get? And spend it all! Or as close to $50 as you can get. I would purchase imps of Al-Shairan, Bengal, Eat Me, Hetairae, Morocco, Plunder, Sybaris, the White Rabbit, and a bottle of Alice. Are there any characters that you love or identify with? I'm pretty sure that someone followed me and captured the essence of my personality to write the character of Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy. Seriously. Even her hair looks like mine! As for love, I'm having a major love affair with Alcide from True Blood. It's pretty serious Name your 3 favorite types/flavors of tea Disney Wonderland tea! I love, love Alice in Wonderland and love this tea (and am also enamored with the tea set someone posted this morning). I really love strong, spicy chai and Ear Grey. Name your 3 favorite scents for candles Jasmine, ocean breezes/clean smells, and hyacinth. A question! If you are crafty, what's your personal art style? I'm not talking just about what art you like to look at, but what kind of art do you like creating? Do you have a "process" while you're creating beauty? I’m so not crafy :’( So what say you? IS an "unexpected" visit/in-person witching OK? I would love, love, LOVE to meet up with my Witch but not at my home. Lunch or coffee or something of that nature would be amazing. Cthulhu: yay or nay? I’ve never read any, but have always wanted to. I don’t even know where to start though, so if my Witch could point me in the right direction, I’d love it! Is there something that you wish you could do, but you keep putting it off? My grad school applications are looking accusingly at me as we speak. I’m terrified of applying and not getting accepted, and so am ignoring the whole process (at least until tomorrow, because I have a meeting with my advisor on Thursday to talk about my applications!) Put your current mp3player (I am the anti-apple, so no ipod ), winamp playlist, what have you, on shuffle, list the first 10 songs: 1. West End Blues - Louis Armstrong 2. Horchata - Vampire Weekend 3. Black Tambourine - Beck 4. Glass Onion - The Beatles 5. Dejalo - Rilo Kiley 6. Antonia - Motion City Soundtrack 7. Vegas - Sara Bareilles 8. Teenage Dream - Katy Perry 9. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen 10. Susie Q - Creedence Clearwater Revival Do you prefer soap or shower gel? Please give examples of your favorite scents or brands. I love shower gel, particularly the Aveeno body wash. Do you have any interest in rocks? Not like, polished colorful stones.. but like... rocks. With geologic significance! I love rocks of all sorts! Have I ever tried the coffee spoons, which are flavored chocolates on a spoon that you use to flavor your coffee? Not a coffee drinker unfortunately. If your witch were to knit you a scarf/shawl/cowl, which would you prefer, and what features would you want? Would you prefer something light and drape-y or thick and warm? What kind of colors would you prefer? Do you have any fiber allergies or preferences? I would love a scarf most of all, preferably a thick and warm one in bright colors like reds, purples, hot pinks, blues, or greens. I have no fiber preference, but would be most appreciative of something very soft (and not scratchy please )

Ack! Witch, I haz teh dumz today, especially when it comes to embedding links If you just google "Georgia O'Keeffe poppies" and "Georgia O'Keeffe lilies" you'll find what I'm talking about

Dear witchee, how do you feel about lip balm? Favorite style (twist up tube, pot, tube with wand, etc.)? Favorite flavors? Flavors to avoid? Favorite brand? Do you need more right now or are you set? Are you one of those people who could never have enough lip balm even though you have a bowl on your dresser overflowing with them and 10 in your purse and an order for more on the way? LONG WINTER FARM FTW!!! I’ve got several of these favorited in my etsy list (where I’m MissGingerMoneypenny), and I personally can never have enough lip balms. I need one (preferably more) with me everywhere I go. How do you feel about franken polish? Are you okay with all chemicals, or would you prefer 3 free? Would you want glitter or holographic glitter? What colors would interest you? Love, love, love! Nail polish is my other addiction, and I would die of happiness if my Witch made a polish with me in mind I’m totally ok with chemicals in nail polish, and glitter (holo and non) is also awesome. Nail polish of all colors rocks my boat, but I have a special love for reds, pinks, corals, and purples. What strange misc. items would you love to receive that you just haven't gotten for yourself? Mix CDs! Lip balms. How do you feel about pumpkin scented things? No thank you Would you like/wear a pair of yoga socks? If so, what color? While I love yoga, socks get in my way. It’s a mental thing I think more than a physical one. Do you wear t-shirts? Are there particular things you like on them? Would you like one designed by your Witch? And, if you don't mind saying, what size t-shirt do you wear? I love t-shirts, particularly graphic ones, and if my Witch were to make me one, I would squee so loud you could hear it ‘round the world. I like phrases and funny pictures on my shirts (I saw Warrior last night, which was awesome BTW, and am coveting a shirt that says “Soul of a Lion” on it, but in less douche-y writing than the one in the movie, lol!) I wear an XL usually (my knockers get in the way. I really need to find that Team Boobies icon). Would you be interested in getting fountain pen inks or art supplies via JetPens and or DickBlick? No thank you For those interested in watercolors, how would you feel about getting a palette filled with paint from my watercolor tubes but not getting the paint tube itself? I’m very not arty, so this would be wasted on me. How do you feel about getting art supplies in general? Again, this would be wasted on me :’( How do you feel about Threadless tshirts? They’re not really my thing. I prefer the shirts from Think Geek, to be honest. If you were turned loose in a basic drug store (CVS, Walgreens - a pharmacy with attached mini-mart, basically!) with a $20 bill, what would you pick up? Nail polish, really good dark chocolate, and maybe a few trashy magazines. Thai food? LOVE. Random things I would like that aren't likely to fall under another category: Darling Witchee, would you enjoy farmer's market pickled veggies (green beans, garlic, asparagus, etc) or fresh canned peaches or something of that nature? Yes, although it might be prohibitively expensive to send to me. Do you prefer color or black and white photographs? Nature or abstract? All the things! oh WITCHEE (not that i have you yet) would you be interested in something like this? https://lostcrates.com/how-it-works I’m not even sure what it is. I signed up to see if I could find out what it was all about, and it wanted to bill me first. That seems way too sketchy for me, so no thanks Amigurumi, yes or no? Yes!

Wet: Woah! Sweet, sweet, bright berry and nothing else. Not sure about this. Dry down: Oh hello honey! Thank you for toning down the berry and making this wearable. This is really quite pretty. Dry: The honey berry smell stays very true here, but it smells like it's warmed up (?) on my skin and is very beautiful. Verdict: I get no booze from Fairy Wine, which is excellent because boozy scents tend to not agree with me. This is a beautiful blend, and I'm really glad I have a bottle because I can see myself wearing this frequently.

Wet: Bright, spicy lemon, but not the kind of spicy that hurts my nose. Beautiful, but no honey. Dry down: Ah! Sweet lemon honey with spice. Loving this so hard right now Dry: Warm slightly spicy honey with a beautiful lemon scent. Verdict: *sings* So this is love! Crib Girls has officially rocketed to my top three honey scents, and may hold the number one spot uncontested after I do a little death matching. This is not only bottle worthy, but backup bottle worthy.

Anyone going to see any good concerts this fall? No, unfortunately Does anyone like postcards? Yes please! Are you looking for a certain kind of DVDs to spruce up your collection right now? Old Disney movies (particularly Aladdin, Lady and the Tramp, The Great Mouse Detective, and Lion King), or Thor! Dear Witchees, are you interested in sample boxes such as The Little Black Box or Sweet Diva boxes? Do you wear t-shirts? Are there particular things you like on them? Would you like one designed by your Witch? And, if you don't mind saying, what size t-shirt do you wear? How do you feel about pumpkin scented things? Not perfume related, but soap, candles, etc.... If you had an international witch, is there anything you would like from the UK? Dear witchee, if you answered 'Mac' to the Mac/PC question previously issued by another participant, please tell me what kind of computer you have, what peripherals you own (like the wireless trackpad, wireless vs/wired keyboard and mouse), and whether you're interested in Apple-related items (stickers, keychains, other things with the logo, etc). Girly vs. Not Girly I tend to consider myself feminine without being girly (which I consider to mean young). But my personality is very alpha male, actually. Patronus Definitely a lion. What type of art do you prefer?
 I love art! Paintings, photographs, sculptures, love it all! I’m particularly fond of Georgia O’Keefe’s flower period and photographs of anything by Rodin. What is your favorite animal/animals?
 I love poodles, cats, hippos, but I think elephants most of all. Moon or stars? Both! Night pictures are my most favorite

Preconceived notions: I generally do well with pink musk, amber, and sandalwood. I've never tried myrrh or skin musk before, and regular jasmine is my mortal enemy. It was a frimp from the Lab, which is good as I probably wouldn't have ever picked it up. Wet: Very sweet, with the musks balancing it out so that it's not too overpowering. Dry down: I'm detecting what I think is the myrrh with the musk and sweetness. This is very nice, and no appearance from the jasmine which is even better! Dry: Alas, I spoke too soon! It turned a sharp corner into pure soap territory, and not the nice kind of soap but the shrieking, piercing soap that gives me a splitting headache. Damn. Verdict: This was lovely until the soap phase. Off to the swaps, where hopefully someone else will adore it. Update 6 February 2016 Thank goodness for my inability to check the reviews for my past trials, lol! I bought a bottle of Vasilissa on a whim after my skin and tastes changed and I realized that star jasmine works well on my skin. Now, it's a creamy, slightly sweet, musky pink explosion on my skin. I love it and it's in my top ten favorites

Wet: I smell like I rubbed Bubble Yum on my skin Dry down: Not even a hint of the pepper, which is disappointing. Still Bubble Yum. Dry: Ooh! Hello pepper! I wish you weren't so faint Verdict: I mostly get pink, super sugary bubble gum from this. I was really excited to try this, as I have a wild love for each of the notes listed, but I'm not so crazy about bubble gum. I'll retest this after a little aging and report back.

Wet: Beautiful blast of honey and milk. Dry down: The rose comes out and tempers the sweetness of the milk and honey, but it doesn't turn powdery which is awesome! Dry: I can smell just the faintest hint of carnation and bergamot, which grounds the scent beautifully. Verdict: I have a decant of Katrina van Tassel, which is strikingly similar (on me at least, YMMV) to Alice. I death matched the two this afternoon, hoping against hope that Alice would be at least comparable. And to my surprise, I prefer Alice. They're almost indistinguishable on my skin except that Alice is a little spicier, which I assume comes from the carnation and/or bergamot, and thus seems more well rounded and full bodied to my nose. KvT is beautiful, but Alice is the winner and all around champion of this round. I'm really, really happy about this because despite my love for Katrina, Alice is prettier and more easily available. General catalogue for the win!

What do you really NOT want? I will love and cherish anything my lovely Witch sends to me. Really. I’ve got a tough exterior, but I’m a huge softie, and have already picked out a special corner for stuff from my Witch Do you blog? Would you like a header for your blog, a layout, etc? No blog for me. Would you be interested in a handmade bookmark? YES! Do you like chex puppy chow or muddie buddies (ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate chips, PB, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, chex cereal)? would you want to get some from your witch / nacho witch? (note - I dont follow the recipe exactly...mine have more choc/pb yumminess) Yes, please! If I could make a request, though? No peanut butter How would you feel about receiving a Groupon deal for something in your local area? If there is anything you WOULDN'T like, mention that also. I love the idea of Groupon, but unfortunately they’re only available in Colorado hours from where I live. So I’ll pass, thanks How do people feel about little pocket shrines, maybe something inspirational/motivational to keep in their purses/backpacks/whatever? Love, love, love! My life is kind of (read: a lot) stressful, and this sounds like a great way to remind myself to slow down. Do you like Star Wars? Original Trilogy? Prequels? Spin-offs? Favorite characters? I greatly prefer the original trilogy to the prequels, and am a huuuuuuge Star Wars fan! Do you like beef jerky, I know some may be vegetarian, but where I live beef is a staple and beef jerky abounds. If so do you it really thin, hard and crunchy or thicker and softer. Please to be sending me all your beef jerky I like it every which way! Doctor Who? Yay or nay? (please don't make me cry by saying nay) I’ve never seen Doctor Who *runs and hides* Anyone love Buffy/Angel? Never seen it! Witchee: How would you feel about gummies? Like, gummy bears? Gummy werewolves? Gummy vampires? Gummies are totally cool by me. Since this is a Halloween round, what's your Creepy threshold? Are you a cartoon bats and smily pumpkins person or a skulls-and-bones the-dead-are-rising kind of person? Are your fairytales dark or Disney? I much prefer cartoon bats and smiley pumpkins for decorations (iz a fraidy cat!), but love dark fairytales. Team Sherlock or team Watson? Sherlock FTW! Team Marvel or DC? Gaaah! Don’t make me choose!!!! Are your ears pierced, Witchee? Do you have any other piercings? Would you like to receive any items of jewelry for these piercings? I have pierced ears only and love earrings of all kinds! Whoopie pies? Never had one, but they sound awesome. Who here likes to receive cosmetic, skin care, perfume samples (of the sephora sort-not just BPAL), makeup brushes etc etc. I love makeup, but in reality wear very little of it. I stick with my staples and don’t vary from them, so cosmetic or skin care samples would be wasted on me.

If you're a tea drinker, is there any specific tea you would like to receive, not just the kind/flavor but also the type/packing--i.e., tea bags, loose tea, compressed, etc? I do drink tea on occasion, and I stick mostly to black and chais in tea bags. I don’t even know what a compressed tea is, and would have no clue as to how to brew loose tea. Would you be interested in a felted handbag? No thank you. I only have one handbag at a time, and I’m obsessive about it. It’s one of those things that I have to pick myself and in person. Witchee, would you be interested in having a special tea cup/coffee mug/glass to drink out of? I would love that! I prefer coffee mugs above all else and love mugs with funny pictures/sayings on them. How would you feel about kitchen towels and other similar household objects, if they are pretty or a souvenir? I can always use more kitchen towels! I run through them like crazy. How did you dress up for your last party or compulsory-formal-dress occasion? I wore a ruby red halter style satin dress with a deep v. The halter was rhinestone encrusted (not as gaudy as it sounds, I promise!) and the front was cut higher than in the back so that it showed my mid-calves and then tapered lower in the back. I’m terrible at describing clothing! Do you enjoy puzzles/riddles? (Cryptograms, Sudoku, Crossword, Jigsaw, etc) I do, but I rarely have time for them. Can you sum yourself (whether it be personality, life's goals, ethics, whatever) in 10 words or less? Smart, serious, dedicated, driven, type A. How about little bottles of booze? Ya wanna? What kind? I don’t drink alcohol, so no thank you. What are your views on fudge and brownies? YES. All the time. Also, what about mochi? Love it, hate it, baffled by it? I’ve never had it, but I’d love to try it! Anything from the BPTP update y'all are liking? Oh good lord. All of the hair glosses except Snake Oil, the Orchards of Hell atmo spray, the Streuobstwiese soap, and the Spun Sugar Spectre bath oil. Does anyone like kimchi? No thank you Would you be interested in a sample box(from somewhere like Birchbox or loosebutton)? Very much so, particularly those of the makeup persuasion. You have to place a Lab and Trading Post order. Right fuckin' now. No spending limits. What do you buy? From the Lab: Two back up bottles of Josie, 5 ml bottles of Countess Willie, Emma, Lulu, Harlot, Pepper, The East, Victoria, and imps of Baobhan Sith, Bastet, Eve, Fae, Hetairae, Kurukulla, Leanan Sidhe, Les Bijoux, Lyonesse, Machu Picchu, Maenad, Morocco, Queen of Sheba, Salome, Scherezade, The Dormouse, and Xiuhtelcuhtli. From the Trading Post: all of the hair glosses except Snake Oil, the Orchards of Hell atmo spray, the Streuobstwiese soap, Spun Sugar Spectre and Fruit Bat Fruit Bath oils, Gertrude Dix’s atmo spray, Invidia bath oil, and a Carnaval Diabolique scent locket. This list makes me look like a greedy wench Paintbox Soapworks - anything you're interested in, in general or from the latest update? No thank you. Do you guys have any sports that you follow obsessively? How about favorite teams and/or athletes. The Pittsburgh Penguins are my team! I love hockey with a passion, and Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are my favorites How do you feel about notebooks/journals/stationery? Anything you need or particularly like? Notebooks and journals, not so much, but I am desperately in need of nice stationary. Does confetti/glitter make you angry or fill you with glee? Oh none for me please. My kitties eat it! How do you feel about stuffed animals/plushies/general soft, cuddly things? If you like them, what kind of animals would you be interested in? I love stuffed animals! I’m quite fond of the microbe plushies from Think Geek, particularly the common cold one and the herpes one (only because he’s smiling and yellow!) I also love stuffed monkeys, frogs, and hippos. When you're miserably sick (*sniffle, cough!*) what are the things that comfort you the most? My big plushy red comforter, a fast internet connection to browse the Lab and the forum, and a food that I normally don’t allow myself to eat (fudge, pizza, basically anything that’s not a slab of meat or veggies because those make up the vast majority of my diet). What constitutes ultimate luxury to you? (go crazy!) A whole day all to myself with no demands from anyone or work. A day where I can sleep in if I want or get up at 5 to lift without constantly watching the clock. Being able to ask myself what I *want* to do rather than what I *have* to do.

Normally, I'm a total floral/honey/vanilla kind of girl. But I recently acquired an imp of March Hare, and I am so insanely in love with the clove in it. Can anyone recommend any other clove blends with that hint of sweet? Edited because my brain hasn't booted up yet.