forspecial_plate

Three scents came to mind when I read the title of the thread, but they're all limited edition. Nothing extremely rare, though. November....."Autumn leaves damp beneath the first snowfall". Although not listed in the notes, I do get a distinct crisp minty note when I wear this, as well as some earthiness mixed with the leaves. Usher....."This is Roderick Usher: a faded genteel light musk and fougere, heightened by hectic white mint, gleaming mandarin, ethereal tea leaf and gritty blackcurrant brushed by the scent of the tarn that surrounds the House, and the gloom and decay of the walls that hold him". This is actually less earthy to me than November, but more minty. Green Tree Viper...."Snake Oil with four mints, bergamot, and green tea". I think it's generally accepted that Snake Oil has patchouli. Also, I second Cathode...."A negatively charged scent. Ambergris, Spanish Moss, oakmoss and three electric mints". That's a good one, and not a limited edition. The moss does bring to mind an earthy quality.

Ended up wearing Blade Of Grass on Saturday, and Demeter's Firefly on Sunday. I was in the mood for light scents, not perfumey or too cologney. : ) Although they both do end up being somewhat cologney, IMO.

June Gloom is much more bright and cheery than the name would suggest! I smell mostly flowers, and I find myself thinking of Midnight On The Midway, without the incense notes that I like a lot in that scent. There's something marshmallowy and sweet about June Gloom, and after a while, there is also a papery note that comes out. It's subtle but I can't deny it, and I am not a huge fan of papery scents. Overall, this is probably not really my thing, but it's not offensive by any means. The reviews for the old June Gloom mention a lot more lemon, and that would probably be more to my liking.

Gay Pride is coming up, and I'm trying to decide what to wear again. I was thinking about Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener, which is funny because I looked up this discussion and found that I thought about it last year too. I forget what I ended up wearing last year, though.

Ugh......here I am at work, stuck to a desk, and feeling antsy as all hell. Why don't I ever feel like this at home, where I could actually get up and do something? I could actually organize my perfumes and put up a sales/swaps page if I felt like this at home! Or any number of other things that I need to get done. : /

I hate this, but I don't see any way around it. I'm absolutely stressed out about money. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the next month or two, and there is lots of stuff going on that I want to take part in. My friends are going to a big drag show in Dayton, which is about a 45 minute drive. They want to get hotel rooms so we can all drink. I don't even know if I can afford to drink at a bar, much less do that and get a hotel room. Then our gay pride weekend is the following weekend, and I'll be going out again, and spending money again. I guess I just need to sit down and write it all down, and figure out a budget because my funds are definitely limited. : (

I am so freakin' excited! And I want to talk about it but I have nobody to yak at. There is a new game coming out, made by the people who made Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus. I have been waiting patiently for info for a very long time. I knew it would be exclusive to PS3, and I knew I'd have to get a PS3 system just to play this, whenever it comes out. Anyway, there was a trailer for the game leaked to the internet last week (working title is Project Trico). It looks amazing. It hasn't been confirmed as being real, but I'm betting it is, because it looks too good to be a fake. Apparently the video is over a year old, so the finished product will be even better. I can't wait to play this!! I would be really happy if it came out this fall or winter. I realize it may take longer, but my fingers are crossed. Hopefully more will be announced at E3 this week.

Posting this because the entire description should be saved somewhere. I haven't tried the scent itself, but I'd like to find a decant. I think I would like it but I just can't justify a whole bottle right now, with my financial situation being what it is. Lilith And The Jarocho.... In the past eight months since Lilith was born, Ted and I have had many moments of unutterable joy. There is one, in particular, that stands out from the rest as perfect. Our daughter loves music… everything from the clank of her toy piano, to unending looped choruses of "You Are My Sunshine" (with Moonshine variants) and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (or Bat) sung by her mother at naptime, to a rousing round of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" belted out by her father at playtime, to all the hair band videos she watches on Metal Mania. This kid LOVES music. On the last Saturday in April, Ted and I took Lilith to Olvera Street, and stopped at the El Paseo Inn for lunch. While we were waiting for our food, the band came to stand behind our table, and Lili was riveted by their music. At the end of the first song, she clapped! Holy hell, that was adorable. The singer saw Lilith clapping and staring, and walked over to us. This sweet, wonderful man serenaded her. There was a Perfect Moment -- the kindness on the singer’s face as he sang to my baby, Lilith’s eyes as wide as saucers, her hands in prayer position, and the joy radiating from my husband -- this was a moment that brought me to tears. This scent is a swirl of everything I felt, sensed, smelled, and saw right then, at that perfect point in time: Jasmine, vanilla, Spanish cedar, moss, marigold, purple verbena, candied tamarind, lime rind, a splash of margaritas on a nearby table, a little bit of Dorian, a little bit of Snake Oil, and a bright bouquet of mal de ojo.

Yes! This surprised me too. It's not something I want to wear all the time, but I definitely want to have it on hand. Not what I expected from the description/notes. The apricot is kind of dry, and reminds me a little of Ebisu.... I love the gender-neutral scents. I love the ones that have a feminine element, but end up working for me anyway. Metal Phoenix is a good example. It just works. I do still love Baron Samedi, and I need to get a bottle of that soon.

* sigh * I am not only bored but restless, too. I'm at work and kind of wish I wasn't here. I feel like I have important things that need to get done, but not much time in which to do them. Just restless energy, I guess. And I guess this Mountain Dew I'm drinking probably isn't a great idea. Earlier today I wore Fearful Pleasure, which I still like a lot. Right now I'm wearing To Autumn, which I also like.....maybe even better. I just like them both, I think. Fearful Pleasure does this kind of musky thing on the dry-down, which I don't like as much.....but it's not enough to put me off the scent. I guess it's the woodsmoke that gives me that musky impression, or maybe it does have some musk, although I didn't see anyone else mention it in reviews. Anyway, enough babbling for now.

I've worn this a few times, and it's really growing on me. At first I thought it was slightly powdery but I think that is more of a dryness, that is perhaps coming off as almost powdery. I agree that it smells like clove, but this doesn't have the sourness that I often get from clove. For example, The Smiling Spider doesn't agree with me, because it turns really dark and sour. But Velvet Bandito is lighter and sweeter. That is not to say it has a light throw.....on the contrary, it has a pretty substantial throw, and lasts a good while, too. Overall it's spicy and sweet, but not like a cookie or anything. It's more like other people have been saying.....dry spices in a wood box, with tobacco. I mentioned this elsewhere, but it reminds me a lot of Demeter's Humidor, only this is stronger.

I've only been here at work for an hour and a half, and I've already had my fill of these people. I know that supposedly there's no scientific evidence that the full moon affects people's behavior, but I'm here to tell you that it does happen. This current full moon (which was actually last night, I think) has brought out a lot of aggression and anger in many people that I've interacted with. It continues tonight, and I'm just about over it. Scratch that.....I am over it.

I've only tried Velvet Bandito once, but it reminded me a lot of Demeter's Humidor (except VB has some more 'oomph', and has a powdery element). So if you like Humidor, but found that it didn't last long enough, Velvet Bandito could be just what you're looking for.

Golden pear, amber, fig leaf, oakmoss, bronze musk, mahogany, patchouli, and a smattering of glittering pyrite. This is pretty much a winner. I recognize some notes that I've smelled before, but not in this combination. I smell the same pear note from Quincey Morris, and that stands out above the other notes. Overall this is somewhat sweet and fruity, with just the right balance of the wood, amber, etc. Nothing else really stands out. The oakmoss doesn't turn soapy, which makes me happy. And I'm glad this has fig leaf instead of fig, otherwise this might be too sweet. I would call it just right the way it is, and if I use my imagination I can pick out that fig leaf, just a little. What I think of when I wear this is Mr. Jacquel, although they don't really smell alike, they are somewhat like cousins. This is probably my favorite of the three Le Mat scents.

I like this....it smells mostly like smokey toffee at first, and reminds me of scratch 'n sniff stickers from when I was little. Later, the woodsy parts come out, and I find myself thinking of Riding The Goat, but with some sultry toffee layered on top. I never tried Ventriloquist Dummy so I can't say how that compares. I don't get a lot of coffee, it's mostly smokey toffee and woods. It had a teasing quality to my nose, it keeps wafting up and around me, reminding me that it's there (duh, I guess most scents do that). But it does smell a little different if I sniff up close, compared to the throw. It's a good scent! Edit....I agree with the reviewer after me who was reminded of El Dia de Reyes. I thought of it right away when I put on Velvet Dogs Playing Poker, but just forgot to mention it in my review. It must be the sweet coffee!

I'm pretty horrified about the price---48.00 for eight imps????? Not to mention, they shouldn't be calling them "imps" if they are LE scents. I'm not chastising you for using "imps", oceandreamer, I know we say it a lot around here. I'm just saying if they were authorized sellers they should know that. [i know it sounds knit-picky, but it's something that the lab is pretty clear about, and it has been brought up in the past]

I had no doubts at all that I'd be getting a bottle of this. It's really great, but I like the opening 'wet on the skin' stage more than anything. It's fruity and dark like Faiza, almost reminding me of a deep, blood-red sangria or something*. The other notes are there, swirling around, and I think I can pick out violet leaf and anise, if I try. As it starts to dry, the dark musk and vanilla come out and pretty much take over. The star anise reminds me a bit of leather, which it tends to do sometimes. The vanilla is the deep, smokey variety, and it reminds me of Snake Oil's vanilla. As for the dark musk, I've smelled that before, too. It calls to mind Iago and Haunted, like someone else mentioned. But smelling this musk and vanilla together might be a new thing for me. I can't remember that combination in any other bpal scent, but they work together really, really well! As it continues to dry and starts to fade, the musk does start to take on a powdery aspect, which I thought might happen, and is pretty much my only complaint about this scent. Much, much later, I think the woods and vetiver come out a bit, and the scent takes on a more cologne-like quality, which is fine with me, but might turn some others off (assuming they have the same experience). The person above who said to try this in a scent locket is probably on to something here. It's that first stage of the scent that really grabs me, and I want that to last longer! *Edit....."Sangria" may be misleading, because that fruity part is just one part of the scent. But I wanted to say, it's not a bright and fruity blend at all, the fruity part is more deep, if you know what I mean.

I want these!! Dorian with...... Sunflower accord (like the Salon blend) Clove and autumn leaves Snake Oil with..... red wine

Yay, I got to try this today! When wet, this scent is very snappy and green, kind of peppery and slightly minty. It reminds me of rubbing fresh herbs between my fingers, almost like the scent that is left on my skin when I pick and clean fresh basil. Sometimes tea notes remind me of citrus, but I don't get any citrus out of V. Cthulhu. I didn't find this very juicy or aquatic at all. As it dries, it becomes more dry and dusty. I think I'm mostly smelling the cedar, sage, and khus. Incredibly, it really does remind me of a very green velvet painting, kind of dusty and fuzzy, and with imagination you can even smell the incense that was burned in the room with the painting. It's a pretty neat scent and I can hardly wait to try the other velvet painting scents.

I love the way this smells....I can't keep my hand away from my nose when I wear it. Maybe not so gender-appropriate for me, since I'm a guy, but I don't care....I want to wear this to work, and other places. I like all the notes in Dia, and my only slight worry was that the scent would be soapy or powdery, and it has hints of both of those, but never quite crosses the line where it's too much. Oakmoss is a note that I want to love, but I think that sometimes it becomes soapy on me. In this case, it's not too soapy though, which makes me happy. All the other notes just seem to blend together until nothing really stands out too much. I would agree with most of the other reviews, this is a light, musky floral scent. The colors I think of are white and pale green at first, then the amber warms the scent up a bit, and I think of golden/yellow threads winding through the white and green. It's really great and it does remind me of Snow White, only there's no chill in this one, and it's not quite as floral. I love it!

I never reviewed this?? Inconceivable! I really like Blade Of Grass. It is definitely realistic, and I can smell both the snappy green grass and the mellow autumn leaves. However, it's light and subtle enough that I can wear it to work and not make people think, "Why do I smell grass??". I read some other reviews that mention soap, and I didn't think so, but at least one friend of mine did say it reminded him of soap. To me, it's like a lighter October, and I already have a full bottle of that. I think this could work for those that found October too cologney or after-shavey (if I remember correctly, that was a common complaint). I like both scents, though. This one has a light green and gold feeling.

First of all.....if you're reading this, and I complain about something that you do, please don't take it personally. Just a minor pet peeve of mine. I've noticed a trend lately with reviews. People are writing their reviews based only on sniffing the scent in the vial, not putting it on the skin. This drives me crazy. Basically, it's like judging a book by it's cover. In my experience, most scents smell totally different, or they go through changes, after they touch a person's skin. I admit, when I go to a meet 'n sniff, I don't try on every scent that I come across. I smell some of them in the bottle and make a judgment based solely on that impression. But that is different from writing a review for other people to read. When I read a review of a scent, and the person didn't actually try it on, I write it off as completely useless to me.

DCVII I got this from Supremegoddessofall. : ) She called it earthy and masculine, which I can agree with. At first I was calling this 'Deep Purple' because when I first tried it, it had an odd purple feel, but not fruity in the slightest, and not really floral either. Now that I've had it for a few months, it's not quite as 'purple' as I thought, although there is still a slightly purple feeling when I smell it. SO.....what does it smell like? It's kind of gritty, sooty, dusty, and also dusky. It has a dark/night-time mood. I think there is vetiver, and it kind of reminds me of a toned-down On Darkness, without the sweetness/fruitiness of that scent. This one is really hard to pin down, but I like it a lot. It's possible there is some patchouli, too. I think there could be something planty, maybe pine, because at times it reminds me of Jolasveinar. I still don't know what that purple note is, but it fades in and out of the blend. Far into the dry-down, I think I can detect vetiver. At this point it's reminding me of Devil's Claw, a little bit. I wish I could describe this better, I know I'm not doing it justice! : )

The numbers are a little rubbed off, but it looks like CCXCVII. I first tried this with moonarcana, and we each wrote down our (very different) impressions without saying them out loud. It was fun! Wet on the skin, I got the suggestion of black licorice, big time. Moonarcana smelled hay and/or grassy notes. As it started to dry, I began to think it might have a hint of leather. I smelled a very little bit of Snake Oil, and moonarcana didn't smell Snake Oil at all! Upon drying down, we both agreed this scent changed a lot. I still smelled a leathery note, but I also picked up on a big metallic presence with ozone. Moonarcana smelled tobacco leaf, and some kind of wood note that she couldn't pinpoint. Something like mahogany. She eventually smelled the Snake Oil component, and I smelled it stronger than the wet stage. SO.......after we shared our impressions, I can see where she gets a grassy note because something reminded me of Scarecrow, a little bit. And I agree that there could very well be a deep wood note. She agreed with me that there could be some leather in there. To sum it up......this could possibly have: leather, anise, grass, hay, metal, ozone, wood, and tobacco, with Snake Oil. I think of it as the love child of Iago, Scarecrow, and Snake Oil [conceived at the Steamworks & Research Facility?]. When I tried it again the next day, the Snake Oil was much stronger. Definitely a winner for me!

I like this scent, and everyone else pretty much described it better than I could....or at least I'm getting the same impressions. Very light, marshmallow sweet at first, then a mixture of floral, musky, and a touch of verbena. I agree with the 'cold floral' feeling that others talk about, and also the delicate white metal, which is strange. It might lean towards feminine, but I don't care....it just smells good. Besides, one other reviewer considered it somewhat masculine, so I guess it's all subjective (or is it objective? I get those confused). Anyway, like I said, this JUST SMELLS GOOD, and I personally don't find it powdery or soapy (either of which might turn me off). Chinese musk really drew me to the Phoenix scents this time around. I used to have a bottle of non-Bpal Chinese musk that I liked, but I lost it. I like it in all of these scents, although it's not so obvious in all of them. It's obviously a very light variety of musk, maybe related to white musk. If it were ever offered as a single note, I would happily buy at least a bottle and wear it on its own.