jj_j

I think I agree, although I do feel like you can go a bit more feminine in this one. Organization and administration seems to be more and more a woman's realm these days, and I think that if you had a female interviewer, she might be pleased to see that you're comfortable enough with being a woman that you wear something a little less gender-neutral. Many women in authority believe the sex-role stereotyping still exists, but are also tired of hearing other women whine about it (at least, that was the consensus of about 300 women at a Women's History Month networking luncheon I went to last week, where the two top officials under the university president, both women, talked about their jobs, how they got there, etc. and answered questions). I think mostly gender-neutral but not completely could be very important for you. In addition, organizers have a tendency to be inaccessible to the public; their nature is often one that minimizes social skills. You don't want too composed and proper ... Off that soapbox, I'd pick: Tears Unseelie Old Morocco Lightning (a touch of floral that Storm didn't have for me) Zephyr Good luck with the job hunting, Grrrlennyl!

Until Beth comes up with her No-Doz scent, eat an apple. I prefer coffee, but there's truth in the story that eating an apple is just as, if not more, effective than a cup of coffee at waking you up. Good thing I'm paying out the nose for a college education so I can learn these things from L.M. Boyd, huh? Personally, this is much more useful information than a formal system of decomposing and analyzing the logical validity of arguments.

My personal experience over the last few months, and it may or may not apply to you, FullTilt, is that CCNow displays what it wants, and then the charge goes to my account about the time Beth starts processing the order. I've been getting my confirmation e-mails from Beth about a week to ten days after the charge shows up on my account. I'm guessing that when the Lab "pulls" an order from the site or it comes up as next for processing in CCNow that the system places the charge at that point, and that it's not something Beth controls. I don't have confirmation of this, but it seems to be the case with my orders since the first of the year. Hang in there!

When this goes on, I smell milk and honey, without much of the carnation note. Within a few minutes, I get the tang of bergamot, and it livens things up a bit without overpowering the other notes. Getting my coffee this morning, the proprietor of the shop told me I smelled like baby powder and kid's candy. I can't smell it, but she assured me that's what it was and that it was a good thing. Several hours down the road, my wrists have a powdery smell to them, but not a baby-powder smell. It's a lighter, more amber version of what Unseelie dries down to (which is fairly green and dry to my nose). It's still not the spicy scent of a carnation, which I'm thrilled about - carnation has never been one of my favorites - and is really innocent, feminine, and uniquely lovely. Another standout by Beth!

Here's a classic example of why you should NOT depend on the CCNow info, and should wait instead to receive your shipping confirmation (which tends to get directed into my spam box - you may want to check yours when expecting a package) ... CCNow says: 15 Mar 2004 - Received 01 Apr 2004 - Order Shipped 16 Mar 2004 - Received 01 Apr 2004 - Order Shipped 16 Mar 2004 - Received 01 Apr 2004 - Order Shipped 30 Mar 2004 - Received 01 Apr 2004 - Order Shipped But ... I track my debit card purchases with online banking, and none of these have been charged or are pending charges. I haven't received a shipping notice from Beth, either. Needless to say, I'm not taking CCNow's info as accurate at this point.

I don't know that I've ever sniffed a hazelnut before, but this is indeed a faintly tangy scent. It's sweet, though, and kind of beige to my nose; it definitely develops into a soft, coffee-that's-mostly-cream sweet and satiny feel. It doesn't smell like anything else I can think of for comparison; it's not nutty, and it's not fruity, but it's distinct. Almost tropically perfume-y in a not quite crushed nut hull sort of way. This is very much a unique note. Not something I'd wear alone, but I do recognize the tang hidden in my Imp of Gluttony, which I got out for comparison (and really had to sniff to find). Would be nice for those who prefer soft, sweet, and distinctively different deliciousness.

Ambergris was a more potent, even more masculine version of siberian musk. It has that effervescent, bubbly quality, but greatly magnified, and it does seem almost edible. Another fantastic single note to wear alone on a regular basis.

Vetiver Scorpio High John the Conqueror Old Athens Aureus Any of the "honey" scents - Jezebel, in particular To defeat Murphy's Law: The best way I've found to remove a scent that stays and stays but isn't working on you is a drop of Dawn dish soap.

Oh! Vetiver is one of my favorite scents, and has been for years. It's musty, it's earthy, and well ...it's rooty, if that makes sense. I absolutely love this one, and it smells exactly like some dried vetiver a friend gave me to burn several years ago. I don't know why, but I associate this with money and breaking streaks of bad luck. If my friend weren't at work right now, I'd check with her, but I really think that was the set of circumstances that led her to bringing me the herb. Regardless, I've always enjoyed this absolutely-not-mainstream scent; probably because I associate it with a time in my life when I was showered with love. Stout, different, and not for everyone, but this is the real thing.

I've tried both the Black Amber and the Egyptian Amber, and the Egytptian is by far my favorite. Sweet, mellow, and smooth, it's absolutely dead-on and beautiful.

I was definitely spoiled by Samhain, and put Jack aside for months before trying it. Jack does indeed have a glowing, slightly smoky, warm wax and pumpkin innard smell, along with scrumptious dessert bread being baked nearby. I still prefer Samhain, although the interesting smoky and wax notes are lots of fun. You could call this the little brother of Samhain, though, as it's a definite version of autumn and triggers many of the same feelings Samhain does.

I had the same issue with this scent the first time I tried it, so I waited a while and tested it again. Completely different results, and much better staying power. White roses and lilac make this a definite sweet-crisp floral. It doesn't take long, in fact, for the lilac to move to the top, but the roses stay just beneath the surface and really bolster the lilac; this is much creamier in texture because of it. I waited and waited for the wisteria to show up, but either my chemistry or the other two, much stronger florals, kept that from happening. Lovely nonetheless. Not a standout, but easy to appreciate.

This is sexy. I was surprised, you see, because I don't care for jasmine, and I got a very strong hit of the musk when I sniffed out of the bottle. The mandarin is a big part of why this works, I think, as is the myrhh. They're such opposites, with the sweet sparkle and the bitter incense working with each other to bind the rose, jasmine, and musk together in a workable fashion, much to my delight. Jasmine is never going to be something I care for, but that aside, this is really lovely. It smells like a lightly powdery, lightly floral, and very feminine perfume mixed with a softer, mascuine musk scent; very definitely a two-bodies-rubbing-against-each-other combination kind of smell. I may order a bottle in spite of the jasmine note, if that tells you anything about how good it is.

I really like the apricot Beth's been using. It's sweet, like a dried apricot, and definitely a bit fuzzy. Combined with just a drop of sweet clove, this has an unexpected strength of character. The clove is so light, and so well chosen to complement the apricot, that I don't get a headache and I really enjoy this. Definitely a purchase.

I'm not a huge jasmine fan, but this is still a beautiful scent. Other reviewers have mentioned scents as being similar, but those have a definite violet note that I don't find anywhere in Ligeial. Jasmine that's so true and sweet it's almost cloying, with the distinct tone of geranium leaves underneath, although faintly. The tart, astringent scent of juniper berries was nowhere to be found while I wore this, although that may be the case with someone else.

Sweetly resinous, with an underlying gentle floral that blooms as the scent dries down. Pale green flowers, flowing water, orchard breeze with ripe fruit hanging from the trees, and incense in the air. An interesting combination, and not one that does much for me, but it's nice nonetheless. I think other BPAL addicts will like this one quite a bit, and it covers so many different types of scents that it will appeal to many different preferences.

I swapped for this one, and accidentally got two Imp's Ears, as well. This will be a wonderful thing for someone who likes Hellcat, because it's not a scent that works on me. Going on, I immediately get, and am stuck with for quite a while, the rancid peanut butter note that bothers me in All Night Long. I so want to like this one, as the reviews and description are fabulous, but Gluttony's a much better way for me to get some of these notes to work for me. Eventually, this dries down to a very incense-heavy, woody, and finally boozy scent on my skin, but it takes way too long to get there. Several people in the office sniffed me, and all of them pulled back with a look of disgust on their faces, which wasn't encouraging, either. I'll have to pass, which is a shame, considering how good it smells on nearly everyone else around here.

I love lavender, and this starts out as a straightforward, if slightly astringent lavender. Yes, I know most lavender oil is fairly bitter, but it comes in varying degrees; this one is in the less tangy category. Nice. Lotus softens and sweetens the lavender just enough, and the spice comes out after a few minutes to ground this ethereal, cleansing, and bordering on piercing scent. I haven't decided if I like this one, as it's close enough to straight lavender to be pleasing, but different enough to confuse my nose, which wonders what I was thinking to mix something in with the wonderful, perfect lavender it knows and adores. I'll update if this scent moves me a little more next time I wear it. For now, I'm pretty ambivalent.

Oberon was much more generic in the bottle than I expected, so I saved this one for quite a while before testing it with a bit of hesitation. My mistake, because it was an amazing morph on the skin! The juniper berry must be the tiniest touch, because I get the crisp, vibrant, and boozy tang of it without the acrid note it carries by itself. I think most of what I'm smelling is the orchid; if I'm wrong, that's okay, too, as the note is clean, uniquely floral, and absolutely stunning. This ends up being an opalescent lavender color in my head. It's so sparkling and bright, without being top-heavy ... I think fairy wings must feel like this smells. I mentioned once that Othello smells like my dryer sheets, which I searched for years to find; this is leaving your laundry out on the line and taking it in to find the sheets have soaked up all the sunshine, springtime, and joy within a ten-mile radius. Definitely unisex.

Wine, faint honey, and definitely lemongrass. Maybe just the teeniest touch of apple blossom. This is nice, but it isn't for me - definitely sweet, no resin notes when I wear it, and I smell more and more like Tom Kah Kai soup as the day goes on. Love the visual of the name, but not what the scent does on me.

When I decided to slather Jabberwocky on this morning, before ever even testing it, I kind of resigned myself to smelling like really good pine-scented cleaning products. I just wanted to wear this one ... This is sooo good! Buoyant is such a good word for it, because within a few minutes I could smell the eucalyptus shining through, and the citrus notes of the orange made this just juicy and sparkling. I smell like absolute clean, fresh branches and orange peel. It's fabulous, and as soon as I get home, I'm pouring part of this into the fountain and putting it on a cotton ball into the vacuum cleaner to help with spring cleaning. It's not masculine, and it's not overpowering, and I don't smell like pine-sol. I didn't really need my 16 oz. Americano that's part of my morning ritual; my eyelids were still a little heavy, but my mind was racing and I was ready to go. Brilliant, and totally different.

Nah ... don't be. We're all having fun, and you got a quick response to your question. It all works out.

i swear that's what it was on the front page!! And so the two of you jumped right in! I'm not commenting on my own quick response to the topic.

Not so much from the blends themselves; there are a handful of notes that cause a headache for me, no matter what they're in, though. I've learned to identify and avoid those notes (although sometimes a scent is soooo tempting I try it anyway, and sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised by how little of the "problem" note there is), and thus don't usually have a problem with the scent-induced headache.

Daffodil smells like a lighter, softer version of Dandelion to me. Sweet, and definitely springtime in a bottle - but not the crisp, slightly green and bitter scent of the daffodils that the Cancer Society just delivered to our office a couple of weeks ago. Lovely and bright, but not as true as many of the single notes have been.