Reedsong

Entertaining the Heian Court Maiden has a very elegant perfumey quality on me.

There's root beer, there's birch beer...if someone made a forest beer, it would smell like Theoi Nomioi. I agree with every reviewer who's praised how stunningly lovely this fragrance is! It's warm and inviting, wonderfully balanced, and I'd suggest it for anyone who loves tree scents but has found other BPAL blends to be either too sweet or too sharp.

UPDATED 09/16/2016 Anything here: http://paintboxsoapworks.com/look like something you'd like to try (assuming that you're not already ordering it)? Oh, gosh, the last thing I need is another site addiction! Do you like stuff related to Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)? I have concerns about appropriation; my Day of the Dead comes from a different tradition and doesn't involve sugar skulls and such. How about handknitted things? Especially fall themed things! Anything specific, ie socks, mitts, hats, home decor like pumpkin coasters or wall hangings? It almost never gets cold enough here to warrant hand-knitted anything, and I live in a furnished apartment that already has a lot of decor! Are there any fandoms or specific collectible genres you would appreciate things of/for (ex: you collect shot glasses, or the ninth Doctor is your bae)? My boyfriend and I are both huge fans of the anime Revolutionary Girl Utena and actually met through an Utena fan forum. Fandom merch for that series is rather hard to find, but since roses are important symbols in the show, I always appreciate receiving rosy things! Do you have a favorite Fall/Halloween symbol? No, I like most all of it except for the green-skinned warty witches; I practiced Wicca for several years and always found those images a depressing reminder of the need to hide my religion and the general disrespect afforded it. First, talk to me about soaps- do you like them, and what kinds of scents/lather/varieties do you like? I'm sensitive to shea butter - not a true allergy, but I like soaps without shea and especially like fair-trade coconut or palm oil as a soap base. Spicy and incensey scents are great, as are soothing/comforting ones like lavender and oats/honey. Second, tell me about teas! Favorites? Anything you'd like to try? I've been looking a long time for a good, spicy, non-sugared, non-caffeinated chai; most of the commercial chai out there is either flavoured sugar-liquid or black teas with flavoring added. Teavana's Ayurvedic chai is a nice example of the sort of herbal stuff I crave! Lastly, I go to Renn Faire- is there anything from there you might like? I’ve only been to a Renn Faire once, decades ago, but I do have a (12th-century) Norman noblewoman's dress and would love to have period-appropriate accessories or veiling to wear with the gown. What Weenie of years past are you seeking from the lab? SpoooOooOOOOooooookyyyyy! I heart Spooky so much. I should have ordered a crate of the hair gloss. Are you a shawl wearer- and if you don't wear one now, would you? I'm not, and I wouldn't; shawls tend to slip off of my shoulders and become irritating very quickly. Tell me about LUSH- do you like them? If so, what are some of your favorite things from there? Particularly fond scents or products? Stuff you can't stand? I like LUSH okay, but find the shop smell overwhelming and so haven't used their stuff in a long time. I remember really liking their face scrubs, particularly Angels on Bare Skin and Aqua Marina. I've always wanted to try their Phoenix bath bomb, and I dislike their products with glitter because of the tub-scrubbing required! So, in this swap, you open a goodie every day. I have seen this gift direction done several different ways, but I am interested in which you are most keen to do. Would you rather: A. have strict direction as to which gift is to be opened on which day (aka the number system)? B.have a few gifts that are meant to be opened on specific days (ex: *this* one is for Halloween night only), but the rest be your choice? C. have a free-for-all, grab bag-style box of goodies, where you are the sole arbiter of your goodie grabbing destiny(everything is wrapped but you pick the gift you want to open each day)? D. be surprised? I'll be happy with any way you choose to do it, but prefer A so that I don't have to make decisions! Stuff from Japan? Yesssssss. Pumpkin Spice or No Pumpkin Spice? No Pumpkin Spice. I'm really picky about pumpkin spice scents and flavours because many of them smell fake or cloying to me. Milk, white, and/or dark chocolate? Milk and dark are both great. Do you like Yankee Candle? Anything you want from there? Noooo, no Yankee Candle, please! Trading Post Goodies? Always appreciated. I was going to try Ignis massage oil, and it went out of stock between the few days of choosing from the website's selection and returning to the website to order it! Bath and Body Works? No, another store I don't much like. Tell me of your Sock Dreams, please! I don't dream about socks so much as really need them! I have boat feet (size 11) and run daily, so I wear through socks pretty quickly. I'd like to make some baked goods, would you like some? And if you have any food allergies, what can I use as a substitute? Awww, baked goods are always appreciated. I'm not gluten-sensitive or celiac or anything, but usually feel more comfortable and happy eating a treat if there's no wheat in it. And any substitute at all for wheat flour is great; I've never met a flour I didn't like. Anything special you want from the Target dollar spot? Nothing I’m aware of. I live in The Netherlands. If there's anything in particular that you'd like to get from here, now's the time to tell! I've never been to the Netherlands and really enjoy tasting snacky things from new places! I'm sort of collecting Lush showergels. Regular collection, but also many Kitchen items. Are there any showergels you'd like to try? I'd be happy to make you samples! I would love to try Grass and Glogg, and especially Flying Fox. What is your stance on Glitter? I like things that sparkle and shine, but prefer for my glitter to be stable and not shed everywhere! (The exception to that is glittery makeup, which I adore and own almost none of.) Also, if you have a Goodreads or other online reading log, does it include a wishlist? I have none, I'm afraid! The only books I can think of that I'm really pining for, right now, are David Frawley's books The Art and Science of Vedic Counseling and Vedic Yoga: The Path of the Rishi, as well as books three and four of David Hair's Moontide Quartet, which my library doesn't carry and which I am aching to read! Also, this is a weird one, but I can't know unless I ask, right?: My bf has Asperger syndrome and recognizes many signs of the same in me. I think it would be great for us both if I read more about it, so if you happen to have any knowledge at all of the subject, I'd love a good book about it! Witch In/Out Sign Not for me! How about art? (Small/mailing safe sizes, course) Art is lovely. Tea lovers, what do you like from Whittard? I'm not familiar with them at all. How much are you wedded to wishlists; say I have some read once books which I think you might like based on what you've read in the past, but there is nothing of the sort on your current Goodreads "to read" list? I like it when people recommend new books to me and especially if they share stories they themselves enjoy! How do you feel about reading series out of order? Obviously not in situations where the subsequent books are part of the same story arc where you will be totally lost and frustrated if you haven't read all of them, but say, standalone stories which are technically part of a series and which might obliquely reference past books, but not in such as way as to spoil the plot of the book which I happen to have in my possession that you might like. I'm okay with that. Would you be interested in a Halloween-themed short story anthology? That would be neat! I like short story anthologies because life is pretty busy lately, and it helps to be able to read briefly and then put a book down without feeling anxious about what happens next in a longer story. Is there a limit to the number of books you'd like to receive? Not at all. Have you read Movies in 15 Minutes by our very own Cleolinda? Would you like to? I adore the M15m LJ reviews and would definitely enjoy reading the book! What kind of phone do you have? I need to know.... An iPhone 5S. Have you seen the horror film The Babadook? If so, did you like it? Would you want something Babadook-themed? I haven't seen it, no! Those who are amenable to yarnie things--ok, two questions: Any undesirable fibers (wool allergy, vegan so no critter hair at all, etc.)? and how do you feel about cowls/infinity scarves? I dislike both infinity scarves and cowls, alas! But while I do like delicate-looking, thin yarnie things, New Orleans is subtropical and hardly ever gets cold enough for even light yarn things to be worn. :/ So who likes incense? and is there a preferred scent? and cones or sticks? Would you like a burner for it? I adore incense, but am very picky about it because perfume-y, artificial stuff gives both me and my bf sore throats. Stick incenses that work well for me include Shanthimalai's Red Nag Champa, all Fred Soll scents except Lemongrass and Sweetgrass (with my fave being Honey Amber), most scents by Shroff Channabasappa (especially Pearl, Sandal, and Jungle Prince), and Pure Incense's Parijata. In general I love mystical-smelling, meditative incenses with resin, tree, or wood notes. Motherhood update: So many of the scents sound amazing! The ones I'd particularly like to try are Lilith and the Four Sons of Horus, Heavenly Spark, My Little Grotesque, The Library of John Dee, Waiting, The Serpentine, Goofin' at Stonehenge, and Lilith's hair gloss.

More men should wear cake, I feel... And I definitely agree with the recommendation of Fenris Wolf. (That scent is lovely on men and women both, I guess because the Ragnarök‎ is for everyone. )

non_boingy, from your post, it sounds like we have a great deal in common! As I was reading your self-description, two ideas came to mind - not sparked by any one trait in particular, but as general impressions. The first is Abhisarika from the 2007 Faces of the Heroine (Lupercalia) update. The description of "radiant with youthful innocence" is what brought it to mind, I think, as there is a sense of joy from your post that seems to match this scent, which is unique and delicately feminine (without conveying any stereotype like 'weak' or helpless'). The second is Hanerot Halalu from the 2008 Yule update. There is an archetypal feeling to this one, a sense of sanctity that transcends religion or culture, like the essence burning at the heart of the flame. Perhaps this would appeal to you because of your discovery of truth in many languages, traditions, and places. Also, spiralmissy, yours was the first post I saw on this page, so I assumed it was the most recent one and read through it before seeing that you'd already been answered. The impression I had immediately from you was Khandita from the same Faces of the Heroine update. The scent conveyed - to me, when I wore it - a sense of passionate strength and smoldering, righteous opposition. I see now, looking at the notes, that it's also heavy on the saffron... All of these recommendations are LEs, but the two Heroines are currently available on the Lab's Etsy site, and Hanerot is usually not too hard to find.

I totally agree with Dorian as a Draco scent conceptually - unfortunately it's a complete disaster on me, but yesterday I did try Theodosius again (after several years of not wearing him :x) & when I was looking at the reviews they all said how much like Dorian it is, but it's a) a much better scent on me and something adult Draco would also wear, I think. Similarly refined, but also subtly nasty That's an excellent choice, given that Dorian doesn't work on you; for me, it's just the opposite, with those scents! Jareth might also be a nice option, having a similar "feel" to the other two. I have an entire BPAL list for the characters of Robin of Sherwood... Oh my god I would so love to know what is on your list if you felt like sharing, that show is the most amazing thing *_* My apologies that it took me a few days to reply; I keep a blog about the show and decided to just make a few posts about it, because what's more fun than combining TWO fandoms into one?! The first list has scents for the good guys, and is here: http://candledance.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/ros-and-bpal-part-1/ And the second list is for the villains, offered here: http://candledance.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/rosbpal-scents-the-villains/ (Edited to add the second post.)

Hahahaha...I love this thread! I am so glad I'm not the only one who does this; I have an entire BPAL list for the characters of Robin of Sherwood. And I couldn't agree more with the recommendation of Dorian for adult Draco. It was actually the first scent that came to my thoughts, before I even read the response naming it.

Stellamaris, THANK YOU! I came back to the thread to say that, and to include an update as I thought it'd be kind of neat. I needed more incentive to buy the Ambergris SN - shipping to Canada, ach! - so I added a bottle of Heroine onto the order, and just got the package today. At first the rhubarb is quite strong on my skin, and sour-green in that rather unique and unmistakeable way of garden-fresh rhubarb stalks. But then it mellows out beautifully to something softly glowing, a scent that seems to rest somewhere between Smut and The Living Flame. It's very close to my skin, comforting in that 'hugs and pie' sort of way that I associate with TAL Anthelion. In short, it's the scent version of a person who seems bristly and bitter at first, but gradually reveals nobility, warmth, and compassion over time. Like an embrace covered in bristles, lol! I consider it a high compliment to have had something so lovely recommended for me, and thank you again for suggesting a scent I would otherwise never have tried - especially as its proceeds go to a good cause besides.

Stellamaris, thank you - it's not easy to find an imp of that one, but given the cause, the notes, and now the recommendation, it may be worth springing for a bottle of this one at my next payday. For you - Nemesis or Verdandi came to mind.

Ellie, my first thought for you was Black Opal - night and glittering colour, and the opal's numerous associations with misfortune would speak to your darker side, I think. It's an unusual and unique fragrance and not one that many cite as a favourite, but hard to forget once you've tried it. It seems apt. You sound like someone I'd like to know. === I'd like to play too; this is an interesting thread, so hopefully I don't make it too dull by contributing. So here's my "personality" and a request for recommendations: === Well, my first inclination is to write that I don't have a personality, but I suppose that would elicit a recommendation to splash myself from a bottle of water and have done with it. So, here goes: Publicly, I'm snarky, brainy, and drier than wind, though careful to avoid cruelty in my snark. I've been told that I'm intimidating, "terrifyingly persuasive," and that I should maybe "dumb it down a bit" if I want to make more friends. I'm known for going on ridiculous rants of escalating hilarity about things that annoy me (which prompts others to deliberately discuss subjects that get on my nerves, just to watch and giggle at the flail). I enjoy subtle elegance, deep private time with friends instead of large gatherings, and shocking remarks inserted at random into conversations. I work as a medical transcriptionist, because it allows me to labour in solitude with neither supervision nor responsibility. Privately, I'm convinced that I'm awkward, ridiculous, and utterly unlikeable. I'm actually of a rather religious bent. I love to read and write, thrill to poetry, would learn every language ever spoken if it were possible, and at a party - like anyone invites me to parties, ha! - you'll find me hiding among the potted plants and the household pets, and/or listening to someone else's problems over canapés. I don't speak much of my affections, just quietly see to it that the people I love are well-stocked with groceries, cooking, and amusement, and that they always have an ear and maybe an unexpected gift when times are hard. Even my cats know who the sucker is, and they use me as a bed, transport service, and tuna-provider at every opportunity. (And if anyone notices these things, I admonish them to stay quiet about it - lest my reputation be ruined, and I be forced to be an unbearable @$$hole to everyone for months on end in order to recover.) People/characters that I've been compared to include Sylvia Plath, Daria, and the Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin of Sherwood. And I was flattered by all three.

Unnecessary TMI introduction: I just wrote a story that quoted this verse at the beginning, so BPAL had my money the moment this scent went live. It's about a half-and-half mixture of "yum" and "blech" in terms of notes, so let's see how this goes. In the bottle: Is it possible to pickle resin? This smells like what I would get if I burned incense in the kitchen while eating a plate full of pickles, which sounds awful but is oddly charming. I like pickles! I like incense! Time to try it on! On my skin: Oh, hey, it's that much-missed brown leather note! It's the same raw leather from Loviatar, the one that smells like chewed-up cowboy boots. Alas, there are no pickles. But there is leather....and spice...and resin... Five minutes later, nose glued to hand: The leather is combining with the spices and the resin, and now there's a delicious dry clove. Wow, this is smooth... Ten minutes later, nose still glued to hand: Dammit, fragrance! I have to work! I need to get things done! I cannot keep huffing my hand! But this is rich, opulent yet subtle, and there's...yes, there it is, some debauchery in there. Everything that everyone else wrote, about dangerous appeal and darkness, is absolutely true. Fifteen minutes later: Attention, world: I will marry the person who smells like this, and we will never leave the bedroom. Half-hour later: It's fading fast! Nooooo! It's BPAL doom: the perfect LE fragrance without staying power! Why did I not buy eighty thousand bottles of this whyyyyyy?!?!?! tl;dr review: A dry, smoky clove with hints of sweet resin, comfortable leather, and musky sexy win. It's an intimate skin scent with almost no throw, and I think it would work for a wearer of any gender or sexual identity, provided one is prepared to wear it with a certain smoldering refinement. In fact, it's so magnificent that I was tempted to write a scathing review of it, so that I could buy it all up after convincing everyone else it sucked. In His Hands All Thy Cruelties Thrive is perfect for the verse, my favourite of the Lady of Pain update, and probably the best new BPAL I've tried in years.

The Sleeper is hands-down the best oakmoss ever.

When I first tried Tum years ago, it was a wild panoply of spice, resin, and fruit scents, which mirrored well the painterly setting sun in the western sky. Unfortunately, this one alone of the Stations has not aged well. All of the kaleidoscopic nuances that made Tum so intriguing have faded, and what's left is only a concord grape syrup with a few dribbles of spice, maybe cinnamon and nutmeg, with a tiny touch of the carnation that seems to be a unifying note in these scents. It doesn't work for me at all anymore, which is really disappointing. (Fans of Tum who are lamenting its loss might do well to try Horreur Sympathique, which has similar notes of spice and grape.)

To me, Ahathoor is the quintessential example of why some BPALs don't have official descriptions. From this one, I get benzoin, amber, sassafras, possibly nutmeg, fresh ginger juice, a little of Ra's carnation, and lime. If I'd read a list of notes like that, I'd have promptly passed on the fragrance. And that would have been a shame, because Ahathoor is a bright, brilliant, energetic scent very well suited to the mid-day Sun. It goes a touch sweet on my skin and also fades more quickly than I'd prefer, but while it's not my favourite of the Stations, it's still a lovely offering.

ACK IT'S ON ME GET IT OOOOOOFF is my initial reaction to applying this oil. It actually chill-burns my skin a bit, and the first whiff of it is just awful, like a high shrill scream for my sinuses. The eucalyptus is a high, lemony-sour note that makes my nose wrinkle, and it's insanely strong. I get a small amount of mint and maybe pine in the background. As the EEK EUCALYPTUS dries down, a milder, innocuous herbal-floral note starts to emerge with that same almost-citrusy character. What is that? Lemon balm? Rose geranium? It's something lighly sweet and innocuous that reminds me of my mother - which is funny, as my mom hates lightning storms - and while I don't actually like any permutation of this scent, I keep sniffing my wrist to see what it's doing now. I would have believed that this was a TAL blend to overcome astraphobia, actually. Wet, the oil seems to imitate cold fear; as it dries, the sharp top notes vanish and leave only a kindly warmth behind. It seems to have a medicinal, not-for-smelling-but-for-using kind of energy that fits TAL better than BPAL. I can't imagine anyone actually wearing Astraphobia as perfume, but it's interesting - olfactory art, certainly, and worth trying for the experience alone.

If you can get it, the LE Chintamani-Dhupa is a beautiful, strong incense-y fragrance. From the GC, there's nothing like Paramatman - orange blossom, champaca, and honey blend to produce a gorgeous floral scent that reminds me of ladies' hair garlands.

I skipped this one because I read the notes for it at the time, thought, "Huh, black musk death, champaca death," etc. Then I started noticing that people were salivating for it and that bottles would disappear in a heartbeat. So I got a decant just to see what you people were fussing about. Reviewers above have summarized this scent very well: I definitely get an Eastern incense, head-shop kind of vibe from it, and it's slinky, sexy, and very..well...panthery. I've never been near a panther or even seen one except in pictures, but this seems to match exactly what I expected scent-wise, and it's so well blended that one or two death notes don't ruin the overall effect. I also love the way the oil looks: deep golden-brown, thick, like a precious attar. Eta: I'm also really glad I picked up the imp to admire it again for this review, because the imp was leaking! So, writing this saved me from losing the entire thing, and there's my instant karma for the day.

Two decants to review today! 198: In the imp...vanilla butter-rum? Really?! This smells like the CT I want to get and never do... On my skin, wow, I don't know what to make of this. An almost plastic-y buttercream, with a little taste of...what is that? Honeysuckle? Awwww! I think it is! I think I am actually holding a vanilla-honeysuckle-cream! I think I'm going to get an unscented body butter and use this quarter-imp to fragrance it. This fragrance stays close to the skin and is rather warm and intimate. On final dry-down, it has a sophisticated, intriguing quality to it that's really alluring. 102: A vial of fruity goodness! I get a strong strawberry-vanilla, like someone took a handful of strawberry Now-n-Laters and combined them with a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Once applied, it's nothing like that. Something really bright and sharp comes out, and I don't think it's strawberry, but what is it? Mango? Pineapple? It's something tropical and fun. Fruit never lasts long on my skin, and as the fruity quality fades, a stronger, sappy-green-leaves-with-rose note emerges. This scent seems like Rose Red with a base of boozy vanilla. I would never have thought that a mango-rose-vanilla would smell like anything worthwhile, but I actually like this. Only its strength - it's quite strong and radiating - may send it to swaps.

Reviewing two decants I received today: 127: In the vial, very resinous and a little bit boozy. On my skin, it's bright, woody, resinous - cedar, maybe? and perhaps some myrrh judging from the almost syrupy-sour sweetness. It's pretty well-blended and sexy-smoky in the imp; there's someone out there, I'm sure, who would love this. I wish it worked better for me. 14: Incense and flowers? Oh, this is pretty in the imp... On my skin, let's see, what's coming out here...a bunch of different things. I get hints of cherry, rose, lily, a bit of resin, and the other notes are fading away in favour of lily. At this point, it smells like the freshly-washed skin you get after using a strong French-milled floral soap, and that's not a bad thing at all. It's sweet and perfumey... And then it fades a little more, and...Malibu Musk from the '80s? Holy toledo. The floral perfumey quality has crossed a line and is starting to give me a headache. Very interesting scent, though, and as with 127, I don't think it's one of the "unusable" CTs - like the poor vinegar reviewer's above! - just one that doesn't work on me.

I opened my imp of Quicksilver Phoenix today and was instantly reminded of Yvaine! I'm not sure what notes exactly are similar - I don't have the notes for either in front of me - but wanted to pass that along as a possible balm.

In the bottle, this is soapy, perfumey, heady; I feel almost dizzy just taking a whiff! Once I apply it, it starts as a fruity-floral with an undertone of coconut oil, the sort of scent you might associate with a really fine tanning oil, and it's very pleasant and summery. As it dries down, it seems to 'bloom' on my skin; the only BPAL flower that swells to this sort of wet-fruity lushness when applied is lotus, so that must be what I'm getting here. There's something more gentle in the background, and whether it's violet, lily, or white rose, I'm not entirely sure. The overall effect of this scent is the way your skin smells when you use a good-quality French milled flower soap, and that's not a bad thing at all. It's subtle, sweet, and would make an excellent scent for professional situations, close quarters, or quiet occasions like church. It's quite classically feminine and is how I wanted some of the softer Lunacies (like Kindly Moon) to smell. I wasn't expecting to like PX39 this much, but it's grown on me. I think this bottle may be a keeper.

In the imp I get a nice floral-aquatic vibe, but on my skin PX39 turns to an odd resin/pencil-shaving combination with only a hint of the lovely flowers. There must be either white sandalwood or frankincense in here, maybe both, as there's a sour overlay to the unpleasant woodiness. I agree with the commenters who compared this to softer aquatics like Tears, but on me, it just doesn't work.

In the imp, Forest Reverie is just that - an almost drugged forest, drunk on its own mystery and delight, exactly how I hoped it'd smell. Sadly, the oil becomes this weird, pervasive, fake-sweet rose on me, something like Crabtree & Evelyn's Rosewater soap mixed with faintly rotting leaves and forest underbrush. I was really looking forward to this one, but it smells so old-ladyish and so un-enchanting on me. Away it goes.

Pencil shavings with a slight hint of dried rose petals in the background. That would be the frankincense doing its usual "Hi, I'm here to be a complete JERK" thing on my skin. Frankincense is usually a death note, and in this scent, it's too strong. Sadness.

I tested just a tiny drop at first and was rewarded, briefly, with a hint of sweet jessamine and honey. However, the fragrance started to turn soapy, so I decided to try a larger amount to make sure I really didn't like it. AUGH! AUGH! OLD GROSS BANANA! It smells like rancid banana oil mixed with honey. Truly vile, and probably the most unhappy BPAL honey scent I've ever tried. Dammit. I love yellow jessamine, I love honey, but the two together clearly do NOT love me.