abejita

ETA: Abejita, I think you and I were typing at the same time. Thanks for the stressed syllables! And I didn't know that v goes to b when between voiced vowels, thanks.

Whoa, give me back my brain! Heh.

The v to b shift could very well be my Bengali showing. Like I mentioned, I was a Hare Krishna and the cult founder was a Bengali man. So the Sanskrit we learned was heavily influenced by his accent.

Ah, Sanskrit names. I had a friend initiated with the name (deep breath) Nikunja-rasa-vilasi devi dasi. I knew a Nitaipadakamala devi dasi. Ananga-manjari devi dasi. And an Acyutananda dasa. There were some doozies.

Laugh.

Pronunciation help:

(note, every now and then I may emphasize the wrong syllable, as I was taught Sanskrit and Bengali by westerners who made some minor errors in that area. also, the BPAL site lacks the diacritical marks that help with long vs. short vowels)

Ashtanayika (the more standard spelling) - ahsh tuh NAH yee kuh

Abhisarika - uh bee SAHR ee kuh

Kalahantarika - kuh luh hun TAHR ee kuh

Khandita - either KHAHN dee tuh or khun DEE tuh

Proshitapathika - pro shee tuh PAH tee kuh

Svadhinapatika (the more standard spelling) - swah dee nuh PAH tee kuh

Vasakasajja - BAH suh kuh sahzh (not sure on the emphasis there)

Virahotkantita - bee ruh hot KAHN tee tuh

Vipralabda - bee pruh LUHB duh

Chintamani-Dhupa - chin TAH muh nee DOOP

Kanishta - kuh NISH tuh

Anyway, that is about as accurate as I can get. I hope it helps a little.

Another Jacob's Ladder recommendation. To me, everything in the blend supports the amber, makes it somehow more amber-y.

Bastet is so worth picking up to gift. It's one of the BPAL scents I consider almost universal, everyone who has ever smelled it on me thought it was lovely.

What about Sin or Mantis?

I am seriously having trouble coming up with anything to say that isn't a mass of incoherent moans and expletives. This scent makes me feel like a sex goddess and I swear I want to bang myself raw and keep going.

I had tried Gingerbread Poppet a couple weeks ago and thought, "Eh, sokay." I almost didn't get Shub because of the comparisons I'd read. But oh, they are nothing alike. Or, rather, they are alike in the way that deep, vibrant, sunset red-gold is like a dainty, blushing dawn. Poppet is cute and bakery-esque, Shub is almost violent sexuality in a bottle.

This has shot up to my top five blends ever and I now understand fully why people were shelling out $75 for used bottles of this.

edit to add: Aside from my swooning, there is a small side effect with this oil. It doesn't bother me, I just thought it might be interesting to note. A bit after applying the oil to my skin, I notice that my heart rate picks up, I sweat just a tiny bit, and I feel more alert. Ginger herb is a blood-mover and I think it's having that effect in this blend.

I thought for certain I'd be in love with this one. Musk, amber, mango, lavender-- what's not to love? Unfortunately, it just does nothing for me. It isn't bad, it just seems like a jumble of indifferent notes to me. A little sweet, a little musky, a little nothing special on my skin.

Off to the swaps or perhaps frimp pile. I hope someone loves it more than I do.

This is an interesting one. Every time I sniff at my wrists, it reminds me of a different scent. It's in the same family as Scherezade, Devil's Night (sans smoke), TAL Caliph's Beloved, and perhaps a cinnamon barked Snake Oil. The red musk and dry, woody cinnamon (or cassia?) are strongly present. Is there vanilla in this? There is something sweetish and creamy. Maybe the grains are giving the impression of creaminess? It's hard to say. It fits well with its name, dark and feral.

The longer I wear it, the more it's smelling like Caliph's Beloved to me. I don't mind that one bit, it's a lovely scent.

I could see this working on a man or a woman. It has a strong throw and long wear length.

aunt caroline's joy mojo! it's orange-y, bright, and effervescent.

TAL: lionheart. the ritual use is solar energy, the scent fits.

I used to hate everything with mint in it. I've since calmed down, but am still very picky about trying or buying anything with mint in the description. Lick It Again is, of course, super-minty. It's straightforward candycane. The mint does recede on drying, leaving a lightly vanilla sweet candy scent. The mint never goes away, it just quits screaming.

The oil itself is clear and of a different consistency than I'm used to with BPAL. It seems very thin and doesn't want to coat my skin like most oils do. Not a problem, just something different.

It's just too much mint for me to wear much on my skin, but I'll likely get a bottle to use as a room scent in my classroom. My students loved Creepy, I think Lick It Again will be another big hit.

I got it in a decant circle. I suspected that I would like it, but it's really a surprise hit. Olive leaf is now on my "must try anything with this note" list. It's so rich and bitter. In this blend, it's the perfect thing to tie the buttery sweet cakes, fruity sweet grapes, and resins together. As far as its description goes, it totally fits the mood of celebration. It's sacred and decadent, all at the same time. And that's just how I like it.

Wow. The things aging an oil, even a little bit, can really do.

I hated this one on first application. All I smelled was a jumble of notes, dominated by a dirty-smelling patchouli and indistinct red fruitiness. I put my decant away to try again. Second try was the same.

Tonight I thought I'd give it another whirl. It's like a totally different oil. The patchouli of Snake Oil is here, I think. The plum is deep and rich, the pomegranate tart and juicy. The vanilla is just luscious. And beneath it all, the musk sweetens and deepens.

So this goes off my "no way" list to my "buy one bottle to wear, one to age a long time."

This is an interesting scent. I tried it both on my skin and in a scent locket, with completely different results.

In the bottle: Sharp, medicinal lavender with a jumble of other sensory impressions, bitter cocoa.

In the locket: Lavender and bourbon geranium dominate, followed by dry cocoa. Some light vanilla and orange. Sharp, new sandalwood. It's not bad, just not to my taste and smells very perfume-y.

On my skin: Whoa, hold on a minute. Is this the same blend? Rich, gorgeous chocolate and pure vanilla bean. Hello, red tea! Hello, star fruit! Sweet, complex warmth. The lavender has softened and calmed. I can't pick out the rest of the notes, they blend into a rich warmth.

Scents are often different in the locket versus on skin, but I've never had them be so markedly different before. I won't be wearing this in the locket again, but oh, my skin loves it so.

Yeah, in big generalizations, I'd say Oro is right--the thing about Gemini is that there is a love of change and the unexpected; so something that morphed, that had unexpected nuances, would be nice.

 

But...you might want to find out more about your Gemini's chart (cause I suspect our scent preferences have lots to do with lots of things: Saturn (what we need for security); Venus (what makes us feel loved); Mars (what ignites our passions); Moon (what speaks to our inner self)...and so on.

this gemini is inclined to say that what would attract me is a different scent every day. it would intrigue me and keep me interested. it's part of what attracts me to bpal overall, the sheer variety to play with.

I'll start by saying that I'm not a floral person. I don't tend to mind a flower or two mixed in with another type of blend, but straight up floral-dominated oils are really not my thing. So far the exceptions have been Beltane '06, Phantom Queen, and White Moon.

It's creamy, gentle, sweet white. It's almost opalescent, with a play of color, but still creamy white over all. The musk and sandalwood balance the sweetness.

There is a passage in A Wrinkle In Time where Meg and everyone ride on the back of an otherworldly winged centaur. They go up very high, past the breathable atmosphere. The centaur gave them each clusters of blossoms to hold to their noses so that they could still breathe. White Moon makes me think of that passage. To me, it's what those blossoms would smell like.

I don't understand why it has taken me so long to discover my adoration of Beth's opium note, in all its forms. This is smoky, rich, and floral, with that almost buttery feel (without being foody or dairy, but still buttery somehow!) that I get from all opium scents. I will be adding this to my swiftly growing opium subset of my BPAL collection.

I wanted to like this one so very much. I love smoke, almond milk, patchouli, and sarsparilla. Unfortunately, however, I hate pine. Pine and eucalyptus are on my VETO (yes, all caps) list. I joined a decant circle and just tried Organ Grinder anyway. Oh, god and baby jesus, the pine. The scent is driving me nuts. I can smell delicious almond milk goodness as an undertone to gutwrenching, searing pine. It's turning my stomach and leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Dammit. And I love the Organ Grinder artwork too.

Off to the sink to wash.

This is a very thin, piping scent, to me. When I first opened the imp, I couldn't smell anything at all. It began as muted on my skin and stayed that way for a long time. Suddenly, some high notes start to break through the veil. It's tart and sweet, candylike and fruity. The apple blossom is also coming through loud and clear.

It's pleasant enough, but just note my style. It reminds me of Tweedledee, but more sweet than citrus.

Edited because my Calliope decant and Xanthe decants had been mislabeled. No wonder I was confused!

Much better now. The patchouli is rich, the cherry and cassis are bursting with deep burgundy goodness. I always love cardamom, too. The scent is very, very dark. The cherry of Queen of Hearts was awful on me, but this cherry is much nicer. The Phantom Calliope doesn't come across as foody to me whatsoever. I think I will pick up a bottle before the Carnaval disappears into the night.

It does start out with a strong lemon, but that fades very quickly on me. Opium comes out to the forefront and I'm instantly in love. Chrysanthemum Moon began my love affair with opium, now I have Carnaval Diabolique to entice me further. I'll have to second what another reviewer mentioned, this scent is a beautiful play of light and dark. The lemon (subdued, now) and other florals are bright and joyful, while the coconut, vanilla, opium, and musk give it a dark, velvety mystery.

I didn't expect to like this one so much, but I'm hooked. This is definitely on my big bottle list.

1. Snake Oil - Beth wears this one every day. So it's a must.

2. Dorian - Classic.

3. Alice - The Mad Tea Party Theme is a lot of fun, and this is the perfect interpretation of the character.

4. Black Moon - Outstandingly creative interpretation on the theme.

5. Chrysanthemum Moon - Another one I'm picking for the theme, plus that opium note is to die for.

6. Beltane 06 - This is the most evocative floral to me, and this pack needs a good floral.

7. Shango - The fruitiest of the fruity, but dark, too.

8. Rose Red - Simple, but perfect.

9. Underpants - Have to have one of the silly blends in here to show off the lab's sense of humor.

10. Morocco - One of the favorite Wanderlust blends, shows off that rich musk and spice.

11. Embalming Fluid - Not a favorite of mine, but shows one end of the BPAL spectrum.

12. Cthulhu - Both for the theme and to get an aquatic in here.

I love pumpkin. I keep trying Jack, but find it not very wearable. The hypersweet butteriness can turn cloying. This is a much more wearable pumpkin scent. I think that the fig leaf and orange peel/mandarin add a nice brightness, while the spice and amber pull it back towards mystery. I think this can appeal to both foodie and non-foodie types. I like this one very much and will be using this as my wearable pumpkin scent and Jack will be a room scent.

ETA: As of January '07, the Pumpkin Queen has gotten unbelievably better. I am in awe over how much this short aging period has brought more depth and complexity to the blend. The orange has scaled back, the fig has gotten richer. The amber is just beautiful, not even a trace of powder to it, and the ginger is deeper as well. I now get pure pumpkin, no buttery feel to it at all.

Argh. I was so sure I would love this. Skin musk, honey, plum blossom, spice, sandalwood are all notes I enjoy very much. However, something about it goes immediately powdery and soapy on me, and I'm not someone who usually has that issue. I think the lily may be what pushes it into that area. A couple of hours after drydown, I finally get some plum blossom. But the scent, on me, is generally a blast of dry, sweet-ish powder with a tang of too-clean soap. I've already made a swap and hope it is well-loved elsewhere.

I would have to decide to review this after slave1 did. I started typing this, went and read her review, and realized how silly it would look to say the same exact thing. My only slight disagreement with her is about whether or not this has a "perfumey" smell to it. For me, it does when wet, but on drydown that perfumey quality recedes into nothingness. This has been my favorite out of the Salon so far.

i was on nuvaring for awhile and noticed no change in how i perceived ylang-ylang.

The Lunacies have just gotten better and better lately for me. Hungry Ghost Moon had me swooning and swearing the Lunacies had reached their pinnacle, but Chrysanthemum Moon has shot up to the "Holy Grail" category for me. At first sniff, wet, I thought it was just way to "perfumey," as some reviewers have noticed.

Then it dried down. Not only did it dry down, but it dried down to something amazingly lovely. On my skin, there is some heady, rich note I can't quite pinpoint. It's... buttery. But not at all in a foody sense. More in a liquid, golden, rich sense. The ginger is creamy. The musk is lovely. The spices and floral are in perfect balance. The opium is smooooth.

This is the second scent I have violated my "no hoarding" rule for.

To me, this is a less sweet, more masculine Dorian. More refined. The Earl Grey is astringent and dry, the fougere prominent.

I prefer Dorian on my skin, but I am saving this bottle for my man. I think it would be dead sexy on him.