forspecial_plate

Well, looks like I have to do a note-by-note breakdown for these. Harvest Moon......dry leaves, mulling spices, balsam fir, cedar, juniper berry, clove, saffron, damson plum, sage, yarrow, and lily twined with Dionysus' sacred grapes and ivy, a bounty of apple and pumpkin, and the amaranth and lingum aloes of Janus, all touched by a gentle breath of festival woodsmoke and sweet wine. The first nine notes are either 'yes' or 'sure, why not', then things start getting more complicated. Yarrow I just don't know about but I can handle herbal. And then lily....you know, I missed lily the first time I read the notes. Kind of snuck up on me and I usually don't like lily, so that is something to consider. Then we move on to some fruits, more herbs, woods, and smoke.....most of which I like, or don't hate.....except the grape is something to also consider. Overall, I could be interested, and I've never tried Harvest Moon before and this would be a good one to start with, because I do like most of the notes. Mabon.....Blackberry wine and apple with hops, English ivy, rosemary, hazel, sage, chamomile, sweetgrass, oak bark, wild nuts, and myrrh. I'm leaning towards no, because of the blackberry wine and nuts, although I might actually enjoy a fall herbal scent. The addition of myrrh makes me want to at least try a decant. Wildfire.....orris and rose together? No thank you. I don't think there's enough wood to temper those two powder/soap bombs. So, bottom line, if I'm feeling adventerous I might just grab a bottle of Harvest Moon before it goes bye-bye. Maybe a decant of Mabon if I see one. And I do want to sniff Wildfire, if it crosses my path, but I don't hold out much hope for that one.

Great topic! I was inspired to test a few 'masculine' rose scents. Unfortunately I can't find Zombi or Black Rose, even though I know I have imps of both somewhere. Anyway my favorite is Thanatos. I second this recommendation whole-heartedly. It's a scent I should wear more often and I've thought about getting a whole bottle of it. I love the resins combined with the rose. I also like Blood Rose. I'm testing 4 scents at the same time and Blood Rose seems to have the strongest throw. It has somewhat of a fruity wine note. I tried Burial which does not have rose in the description, but has flowers and possibly rose. I used to love this scent but I'm finding it too sharp for me right now. [i also tested Czech and Speake No. 88 just for comparison. It is not bpal and not a perfume oil so I won't say more about it, except that it is a woody, masculine rose scent that fades really fast compared to bpal. I wanted to compare it to Thanatos, and they have some similarities but are mostly different]

Breakdown! I have rated some of these according to my interest, on a scale of 1-5. ALL SAINTS 2010 Based on a venerable French pontifical incense blend: monastic frankincense and myrrh, Damascus rose, Russian gardenia, cassia, and lily of the valley wafting on a chill Autumn wind. A celebration of the glory and suffering of the saints and matryrs of the Church. Not interested. All those flowers sound like soap to me. ALL SOULS 2010 A day of remembrance and intercession. Without the prayers and sacrifices of their families and loved ones, the faithful departed may not be cleansed of their venal sins, and thereby cannot attain beatific vision. On November 2nd, prayers are sung and offerings are made to aid lost souls in transcending purgatory. An incense blend that invokes the higher qualities of mercy and compassion, mingled with the soft, sugared currant scent of offertory soul cakes. I like my decant of All Souls '06, and I might want more of this. It starts out cakey and turns into floral incense, in a good way. 3/5 BLUE PUMPKIN FLOSS Puffy clouds of pumpkin candyfloss with a trickle of blackberry juice. Not for me, thanks....more for all the gals who've been waiting for this! BOO 2010 Eerie billows of spun sugar, fluttering white cotton, and sheets of cream No thank you...... CALAVERAS Clever little satirical poems in the style of epitaphs written to tease the living and ease grief over a loved one's passing. Xocolatl, tequila, copal incense, smoke-dried jalapeños, vanilla pods, and cajeta. I'll have to look up a couple of these notes, but I am not a big fan of copal (I do like it in incense, but not perfume), and I'm leaning towards nyet on this one. DIA DE LOS ÑATITAS Hydrangea blossoms and rose petals, cigarette smoke, cocoa leaves, and chichi. Leaning towards no....don't really need a scent with rose and chocolate. Is chichi milk? 2/5 FLOR DE MUERTO The orange marigold, or zempasúchitl, has been one of Death's symbols since the pre-Columbian era. The yellow and orange petals are believed to represent the rays of the sun, bringing joy and light to the souls dwelling in the realm of the dead. These flowers surround Day of the Dead altars to guide the spirits to their offerings. I am interested, because I just like the idea of marigold perfume. They remind me of my grandma Nena, who liked to grow them. And it seems like they would be sort of a bitter or earthy floral, but really I have no idea. Want to try! 4/5 GHOULISH This season's Ridiculous Scent! Creepy like Creepy and as spooky as Spooky, this is the scent of a black cherry and coconut amaretto confection gently laced with saffron. Hmmm....at first I thought no, not interested. But reading it again, it sounds rather decadent and almost incensey, even though it's a foody/drinky scent. Sounds kind of sexy, actually. Decant? 3/5 THE HAG Black musk, bay leaves, galangal, bourbon vetiver, blackcurrant, and rum. Interesting.....I know I need to try this, so decant. Blackcurrant and rum are the iffy notes. 4/5 GOLLETES A circular pastry glazed with pink sugar that symbolizes the sweetness of life and the certainty of death. Nope, no thanks! HUESOS DE SANTO 2010 Orange-glazed cake, dotted with anise seed, and filled with custard, set beside a bouquet of celebratory funeral flowers. I like my decant of the last one, but I wouldn't need a whole bottle. Perhaps another decant if it crosses my path. 3/5 LAMBS-WOOL 2010 A popular holy day beverage in 18th century Ireland: roasted apples mashed into warmed milk and ale, with nutmeg, sugar, ginger, and clove. I like this scent but in the end it was just too sweet, to the point of being cloying. I want more spices and ale, I think. I'll watch reviews and see if it has changed since last time. 2/5 NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY Dewy green leaves colored by Moroccan amber, ginseng, and rooibos. Ha ha....reminds me of the Outsiders or one of those old teen movies. Anyway, this sounds great, and I'm really interested in trying it. 4/5 OCTOBER 2010 Dry, cold autumn wind. A rustle of red leaves, a touch of smoke and sap in the air. Well, I love this scent, but I don't need any more unless it has changed a lot from the previous one. PUMPKIN LATTE Espresso, pumpkin syrup, smoky vanilla bean, milk, raw sugar, and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Worth a decant to sniff but not super exciting to me. 3/5 PUNKIE NIGHT 2010 This is a light-hearted scent: apple orchards, bright cranberries, and a touch of warm cider. Never was very interested in this scent, for some reason. Sounds too fruity with the cranberries, I generally don't like berries in my perfume. SAMHAIN 2010 Truly the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein. I can most likely skip Samhain this year, since I have 2 bottles and several decants of various years already. I do love Samhain, though. SUGAR SKULL 2010 Vibrant with the joy and sweetness of life in death! A blend of five sugars, lightly dusted with candied fruits. Hmmm......I have half a bottle from '07, and decants of '05 and '08.....do I need more? I love Sugar Skull, but maybe a decant will be enough for me. 4/5 THE WILD SWANS AT COOLE October twilight. Falling leaves breaking the stillness of cool water, with sweet autumn clematis, feather-soft orris root, luminous white chypre, and muguet. Hmmmm....kind of on the edge about this one but leaning towards no. Sounds very pretty but orris and muguet sound powdery and/or soapy to me. 2/5 HALLOWEEN: BROOKLYN Flowering dogwood, weeping cherry, Korean pine, camellia, moonflower, Alberta spruce, arborvitae, and crab apples. These notes sound soapy to me, especially moonflower. I'll pass on this one (even though pine and spruce make me want to sniff.....). 3/5 HALLOWEEN: LOS ANGELES The sky on fire: a strange incense of burning brush, junegrass, tumbleweeds, chaparral, and wild sage. I love the description and the imagery supplied by Beth. I forget what chaparral is but I want to try this. Decant first, probably. 4/5 HALLOWEEN: NEW ORLEANS The distinctive scent of the Mississippi at night mingling with sweet olive and Spanish moss. Moss is not always good to me, but sometimes very good to me. Worth a try because I do like aquatics in general. 4/5 HALLOWEEN: SAN FRANCISCO Salt air wafting in from the bay. Rain falling on rain-soaked leaves. Sounds awesome! Decant first, just to be cautious. 4/5 POMEGRANATE I Pomegranate, poet's jasmine, and benzoin. Well, I like benzoin, but pomegranate and jasmine are not thrilling to me. Probably pass. 2/5 POMEGRANATE II Pomegranate, white musk, lemon verbena, grapefruit, pink lime. Yeah...this is probably the least interesting of the pom. scents to me. Pass-ola. 1/5 POMEGRANATE III Pomegranate, Tamil Nadu sandalwood, lavender, tamarind, hazelnut, Atlas cedarwood, sugar date, bitter clove, and Arabian myrrh. Potential decant. 3/5 POMEGRANATE IV Pomegranate, cognac, red musk, cocoa, tobacco absolute, star anise, and thyme. Don't like cocoa that much with a couple of exceptions. Probably pass.....maybe decant. We'll see. 3/5 POMEGRANATE V Pomegranate, carnation, amber, cardamom, neroli, vetiver, black pepper, and opium tar. Hmm, sounds interesting, kind of foppish? Possibly worth a try. 3/5 Pomegranate patch only imp: THE HERAEON OF ARGOS Argive Hera. The temple in the Argolid that was dedicated to Hera, the Queen of Heaven, in her aspect as the Great Triple Goddess. Pomegranate, apple blossom, fig, willow bark, and almond. Not calling to me very much, although I would definitely try it if it crossed my path. 2/5 THE BYRONIC ANTIHERO An aristocratic cologne of titanic passions, moody and brooding. This scent is dark with disillusionment and cynicism: a Victorian fougère and a dashing carnation boutonnière tainted by a cloud of khus, yew, and patchouli. Hmmm, sounds interesting, and did I mention foppish somewhere else? Could be a nice proper dude-fume. Possible decant. 3/5 THE CREEPING MIST A muculent, brumous, ill-omened scent: orris, yuzu, white ginger, linden flower, petitgrain, and lotus. Interesting. Orris tells me to back away, and in general not my kind of scent.....but could still be worth a try. Will watch reviews and possibly try a decant if I see it available somewhere. 2/5 THE DECREPIT HOUSE An architectural doppelganger reflecting a ruined soul: dilapidated planks of mahogany and cypress wood perched feebly on a grim foundation of long-dead leaves, black musk, patchouli, galbanum, tobacco absolute, fragonia, and oakmoss. Yay, another Poe scent! I like them. This looks like a bleak and dreary Halloween scent and it's worth a decant, probably. 4/5 A HOWL IN THE DARKNESS A scent evocative of a forest at midnight, with animalic brown musk, wild sage, Terebinth pine, black oak, and a chilly shock of terror personified by kunzea, cistus labdanum, verbena, juniper, metallic ozone, and white mint. Aww, the description and concept are reaching out to me with grabbing hands, but I just don't like brown musk. I'm going to have to try a decant of this and hope for the best. This kind of reminds me of the updated Wolf Moon, which I love. 4/5 THE INFERNAL LOVER A creamy, sensual, honeyed red musk. Don't usually like honey at all, but still.....I'd like to sniff this at some point. 2/5 ECCLESIASTICAL EXCESSES Faustian depravity: daemonorops, rose-infused frankincense, vetiver, mate absolute, and clove bud. If this is one of those scents where the rose is just a hint, I could be interested. I'll be watching reviews. 2/5 ENCROACHING MADNESS A yellow smell. Old foul, bad yellow things. Honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, balsam, hydrangea, and helichrysum. I would love to try this just because of the inspiration. But reading the notes listed, I'd have to say 'pass'. We'll see. 2/5 THE SHADOWY AND THE SUBLIME A sudden and shocking insight into the vast, ineffable, overwhelming power of Nature, stirred by a vision or experience of perfected beauty and perfected terror, that changes the soul irretrievably. An epiphany: Moroccan amber, wisteria, ambergris accord, white rose, magnolia, white mint, angelica, bergamot, and myrrh. This probably has too many flowers, and white rose and I do not get along. Love the description and imagery, though. 2/5 THE MADWOMAN Dusty white sandalwood, ragged cloth, and a dry, long-dead bridal bouquet. Just like the preceding scent, love the concept, but not the notes listed. 'Dusty white sandalwood' doesn't appeal to me, and neither does the bouquet. 1/5 ODD PORTENTS Black rose, olibanum, dark musk, myrrh, blackcurrant, lavender buds, bourbon geranium, and amber incense. Again with the rose! And I was excited about this one. I might still try this, but I don't really like geranium in perfume either. Another possible decant.... 3/5 THE UNSAVORY GRAVE-DIGGERS An unearthed oakwood coffin, cemetery weeds, and a hint of booze. Sounds a little dank. I'll be watching reviews. 2/5 THE UNSTEADY GOVERNESS White tea and violet leaf. Not calling me. 2/5 .....so looks like I'm pretty safe with a few exceptions. I like the sound of the San Francisco and LA Halloween scents, and a few others like Nothing Gold Can Stay and the marigold one. I'll probably play my usual game and gamble on something I'm not sure about (the marigold scent sounds like a good candidate because I have no idea how that will smell), and get a few decants. I also need to go back and try Lambs-Wool again just to be sure. And finally, I need to read the text more slowly for the Goth Lit scents, as that could change my mind on one or more of them. I noticed it says Vol. 1.....will there be more volumes? Interesting!

Well, here's what I think.... I first came to bpal.org to read reviews and shipping updates. What I have found has been much, much more. I've made friends here from my own city as well as around the world, as well as finding a 'hobby' if that's what you want to call our collections. The people here and the oils we collect have enriched my life and opened my mind, and I've been through several big life-changes since coming around here. I can always find advice or just a shoulder to cry on when I'm here, and I know it goes even deeper for others in this community....some have mentioned that their sanity and their lives have been saved by their friends here, and I believe that is not an exaggeration. I do not blame anyone who is still friends with fairnymph, or who decides to sell to her when (if) all this is resolved. Let's face it....she's going to get the perfumes that she wants. She will find a way. Her posts that I've read strike me as coming from someone who is.....maybe the ultimate control freak? Self will run riot? I don't know, this probably isn't the place for it. My point is that she will find ways to get the oils that she wants and nobody here should lose sleep if she finds ways around the things we do to block her. She kind of reminds me of a little kid who wants all the toys for herself and then finds herself all alone with her toys because nobody wants to play with her any more. In a way that's sad because she's brought her own punishment on herself, worse than anything we can do by blocking her from buying stuff. She's cut herself off from a lot of potential friends and rich opportunities, and she did it to herself. I bet there are people around here who still would forgive her, and give her a chance, and be friends with her, and I don't find anything wrong with that at all. *sigh*......I don't even know where I was going with this or what my point is.....I think I'll just leave it at that.

Okay, I can't handle being w/out a wishlist, it's driving me crazy. I'm going to start a temporary one and then I will integrate when we get our old ones back. 5ml bottles...... The Great He-Goat Helios Mad Meg GC Imps..... Paramatman Old Demons Of The First Class The Old Goblin Rocking-Horse-Fly Unimpable.... The Curator The Floating Market Hunter Lamia The Marquis de Carabas Night's Bridge The Velvets Witchblade LE to try..... Interfector Panther Moon Tombeur The Traveller

JOYFUL MOON White musk, French vanilla, ambrette seed, frankgipani, angelica root, white rose, orris, and honeysuckle. No white rose for me, especially with orris. Powdery soapy city. LIBERTY Liberty was created for the CBLDF, inspired by Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People: frankincense, beeswax, olive blossom, chamomile, sampaguita, magnolia, apple blossom, gunpowder, and smoke. Nope.....not really in a floral mood, and beeswax might be honeyish. Rappaccini's Apiary: No honey for me! Thanks anyway! MOONSHINE AND MIST Ethereal, otherworldly, delicate: ambergris, white musk, water violet, ylang ylang, magnolia, and white sandalwood. Ehh.....somewhat on the floral, papery/powdery side? I mean, I like white musk sometimes, it's not my favorite, but I can wear it. But white sandalwood is usually papery to me, and all these things together.....just don't call out to me. OLD DEMONS OF THE FIRST CLASS Siberian musk, black clove, opoponax, tonka, black pepper, and neroli. Definitely want to try this! I have often coveted the Siberian Musk single note, never got to try it, and besides that the rest of those notes sound great too. Sometimes black pepper turns on me.....well, so does clove, sometimes, for that matter......but this is very much worth a try. THE DEATH-HORSE Lily of the Valley and opopponax. I generally stay away from most lilies, because they turn into sharp soap of the apocolypse. I don't know, though, the simplicity appeals to me, and I think I do like opopponax. Could be worth a sniff but I'm not going far out of my way to find it. THE GRAVE-PIG Fig, oakmoss, mushroom caps, and patchouli. This doesn't call out to me, despite being potentially dude-fume, which I usually do seek out. But I'm not a fan of mushrooms in any form (scent or taste), and oakmoss can be overwhelming at times. Could be worth a try. BEER FROM THE MARSH WOMAN'S BREWERY A beer flavored with marsh arrow grass, yew berries, purple foxglove, and giant hogweed. Hmph. Another scent that is not calling to me, but who knows....it could be worth a try. Herbs and beer? Wow. Just can't picture it. THE NIGHT-RAVEN Indigo musk, wild plum, rose geranium, benzoin, night-blooming jasmine, and patchouli. Even though I'm intrigued by indigo musk, I'm probably going to let this one pass by. I just don't like rose geranium. I do already have a dark purple-y Chaos Theory that I really like, so I'll just stick with that. THE OLD GOBLIN A crown of hardened ice and polished fir-cones. Pine in any form gets my attention, so I really do want to try this. Snowball Fracas had some kind of sharp ammonia-like note, so that would be the only potential problem here, if this scent has it too. CAT ALLINGHAM Distilled shadows, a bleak desert landscape at midnight: Myroswelia balsam, gaïac wood, obsidian musk, green cumin, patchouli, myrrh, Siamese benzoin, frankincense, champaca, and sand. Oh, crud. This one, sadly, does call out to me, and I'm unlikely to get to try it. It sounds good....kind of like a fancy schmancy relative of Oblivion.

This is #135. Kind of an odd scent! This goes on very much like a sweet, fruity creamsicle, and I'm guessing at the notes of orange, coconut, perhaps a little fig? It's as if someone took the concept of sweet fruity creamsicle and made it into an ultra-elegant, sexy sunset perfume. But as it dries, I find there is more to this scent. I think there is a very smooth woody aspect......or perhaps some kind of resin........but honestly, I'm thinking wood here, just a touch, like teak or balsam. Overall it's deceptive because it's like a fruity tropical sunset, but when you sniff up close, you find a bit of salty driftwood, something a little soapy that shouldn't fit in, but absolutely does. To be honest, I don't really need an orangey creamsicle-y scent, even though it's a really good one. But on the other hand, the odd juxtaposition with the wood makes it really interesting and one of the better Chaos blends that I got this time around.

I couldn't find any pics of a grey witch moth, but the black ones and white ones are so pretty and impressive, I was really attracted to this perfume. Also, orris is a note that I wish worked better for me, because it seems so elegant and classy, but usually it turns to fuzzy powder. This time is no exception.....the scent is all fuzzed out and powdery, kind of all mashed together, but not horrible. Orris is one of those notes that, for me, just takes over the whole blend (not always). So I smell a lot of sweet powdery fuzz and I can't really pick out any other notes. Like I said, it's not a bad scent, and since I first started wearing bpal I am a lot more tolerant of some powder in my scents.......still, this isn't something I'll reach for often.

This is a strange one, especially given the notes that are listed. I expected something fruity and juicy but first applied, it's more of a warm and toasty scent.......when I say warm, I mean a kind of sun-warmed, summery scent. It brings to my mind an image of a delicate drift of reddish orange pollen grains floating down from the butterfly as it flits by. I kind of like it at first. Then, as it starts to dry, I smell something very honey-like, which I guess could be the sugar cane. I don't like honey notes in perfume (usually) so this is a total turn-off for me. After a while the honey impression takes over completely, and I just can't enjoy this, even though it's an unusual and interesting scent. To me it's kind of like a springy relative to Samhain. Please note that I'm not saying I think there's honey in this for sure.......there's none listed in the notes.......just that it gives me a very strong and lasting impression of honey. Maybe it's the sugar cane in combination with the pumpkin, I really don't know. I also want to mention I didn't pick up on the ginger at all, the 2 times that I tested this.

Bleeehhhhhh......... My 5th night in a row at work.......do not feel like being here.......wish I brought my real paper journal with me........but I do actually have school work I should be doing. But I don't really have the attention span right now! I'm finding myself very busy lately, and it seems like there's not enough time in the day to do the things I want or need to do. So I don't even try. With the time I do have I end up laying around playing video games. Ah well, life could be worse, and I really can't complain. Spending too much money on perfume lately, but that's nothing new. I have Mad Hatter and Baron Samedi bottles on the way, which is awesome. Can't seem to settle on one topic so that's all for now.

I got number 354! I wish I loved it! : ( It has rose. Well, we know it has amber too, so amber and rose. Other than that I believe there might be sandalwood, the dry papery kind, and possibly vanilla. I might actually be able to wear this......I mean, I don't wear a lot of rose scents, but this is very pretty so I'm going to try to learn to love it. It totally reminds me of The Harp of Cnoc I'Chosgair, minus the tiare, with the rose from Peacock Queen. I don't know if it has sandalwood, vanilla, or both, but it's a dead ringer for the Harp, plus rose.

This scent is totally weird. I had high hopes, because the combination of notes reminded me of a couple of my favorite scents......Dr. John Seward and Quincey Morris. However, when I wear this, it is something different entirely. So of course, at first I didn't like it. It took a few tries for me to get over my expectations and I still can't quite get a grasp on what I'm smelling. It's not floral or woody, not fruity, and not really spicy either. I feel that I'm somewhat familiar with all of the notes listed, and not a single one of them stands out in this blend, although if I use my imagination I can sort of pick out a couple of them. So, what does it smell like? The closest thing I can think of is that it reminds me of some kind of high-class skin product, like if Aveda made a suntan oil (maybe they do). That's really not doing it justice, and makes it sound less interesting than it actually is, but that's all I can come up with to describe it. I like it, but I know I won't wear it very often, maybe due to its oddness. A decant is enough for me.

If you loved Doc Buzzard I recommend trying a decant or sniffie of Helios. They're 2 different scents but I'm finding the same 'cola' quality in the resins in both. I have no idea what notes they might share if any, but Helios is sharper and woodier. Definitely worth a try if you miss the Doc! Not to mention, Helios is shaping up to be my favorite scent of the year.....

(I'm not happy with this review....this is just a first draft) Resinous scents are kind of a no-brainer for me, to the point where I don't even try all the new ones. But I love, love, love Helios. This is kind of an updated Sol. There's also something reminding me of Doc Buzzard, although I can't imagine which note that would be. Okay, sorry if you haven't had the chance to try Sol or Doc Buzzard. This scent is kind of woody and spicy, but transcends both of those categories. I guess it's kind of incensey, but really high-class incensey. It kind of makes me think of that ultra-expensive Amouage cologne, one of the Jubilation ones (I can't remember which one I've tried, XXV I think), only without the patchouli. So yeah, I guess I am picking up on the frankincense. But it's not being a big frankincense bully with the other notes, like it sometimes does for me. Everything is in harmony.

I think it's just a matter of taste. A lot of people in hot weather like to wear icy or cool, refreshing scents. I personally like a whole range of scents in hot weather (or any weather, really). I like to wear spicy autumnal scents all year long. And I like 'heavier' scents with red musk and whatnot in the hot weather, too. In fact, I think those scents last longer when I'm sweating a lot. I don't think there are any rules (and if there were I would be likely to break them!). : ) I can understand why people don't like heavier scents in stifling, hot weather. Sometimes if it's too hot, I prefer not to wear scents at all. But in that case I spend most of my time in air conditioning anyway so it doesn't really matter.

Absolutely nothing going on here at work.....very boring. I want to make another Lab order this week. I really can't afford it, but I want more Chaos Theories before they go away (at least one). But, do I want amber or frankincense? Or another Tilt-A-Whirl? I really don't know. I should just get one of each and be done with it. I ordered 4 of the Tilt-A-Whirl already...... One is straight-up powdery floral. I guessed poppy and carnation, with possibly a little rose too, like tea rose. This is already living with moonarcana now because it is so much more her kind of thing than mine! Another one is almost exactly like Cathedral. Seriously, you have to smell them side by side to tell the difference. The Chaos is a little stronger on the woods. It has a cedary note that is almost pungent, but truthfully, it's almost exactly like Cathedral. One is weird and herbal with sassafras, I think. It's like sassafras without any sweetness. It reminds me of some kind of herbal hair product. It's herbal, but not pretty herbal, or spring-like, or anything like that. If anything, it's almost brackish, but not really aquatic, if that makes any sense at all. Brackish. I'm not even sure what that means but it seems like a good word. Swamp-like? And finally, one of them is really, really pretty. Glowing reddish orange, florals, slightly fruity, with something warm like resin or maybe amber. It's really great but not quite something that I would wear. I described it as a tropical sunset and that's still pretty much the image I get. Lotus and amber, and more? I'll have to try this one again and really think about whether I want to keep it.

Rose-infused dark amber, with sweet orange, honey, cardamom, patchouli, apricot, pink pepper, and red sandalwood. When I first tried this, I thought it was rather boring. I smelled a lot of powdery amber and rose, a little citrus, not much else. I've tried it again recently and I see now that it's actually quite remarkable. The amber is still somewhat on the powdery side but there is a strength behind this scent that comes across like smoldering resins. This is one of those unique rose scents where the rose is content to linger in the background instead of taking center stage. And honey? Well, it's pretty amazing I'm not only not washing this off, but actually enjoying it. Usually I just don't do honey except for a couple of rare exceptions. I can smell the honey but it's definitely tempered and balanced by the other notes (I love cardamom). Overall, this is indeed copper, in olfactory form. There is a metallic strength to this scent, warm and....well....coppery, if it had a color. I like it a lot and it's strong enough that I don't need more than this decant. It will be great for days when I want to reach for something unique.

I cannot seem to get the name of this scent fixed in my mind. I always have to stop and think.....'is it Spicetail Swallowbush?'. I love this scent!! First applied I get mostly brown sugar and clove. It reminds me of oatmeal cookies baking in the oven. I recognize the brown sugar note, it reminds me of Sugar Skull. After a while, there is a shift and Spicebush becomes a little less dessert and a little more dry. It's no longer strictly cookies at this point. I never really picked out plum specifically, but I can imagine what it's doing for the scent as a backing note. So if you read the description, and you're familiar with those notes, and you like them, I don't think you'll find any unwelcome surprises here. Long story short, Spicebush Swallowtail is a winner. It will be an incredible autumn scent, too.

Subjectively, Psychological Horror is hairspray single-note and nothing else. I would guess there is some form of opium or poppy in this scent, because those notes often remind me of hairspray. From a perfume standpoint, this is kind of nostalgiac, like something from the seventies. It works pretty well for the concept. I can imagine the leading lady in a seventies movie like Don't Look Now.....she might wear this, or something like it. Me? Not so much.

I'm not a girl but my senior prom was in '89....I didn't go, but my point is, I was around! : ) I remember one friend of mine loved Poison. I second parrot_suspect's rec for Lurid: "Shocking, horrific, fierce, savage, sensationalized, luminous and hazy: black currant, Bulgarian lavender and white musk with a dollop of thick resin and a voltaic charge of ozone notes". I also think Malice might work: "A profound, complex scent that encapsulates the joy one finds in another's pain. Ylang ylang, clove, Indonesian red patchouli, and dark myrrh". Both are in the general catalogue so they're easy to get. When I wear any bpal around my friend Jen, she whispers "I can smell your Charlie!".

Not that I'll likely ever get a custom scent, but I've been thinking about one in the last few days. It's kind of like a song I can't get out of my head. It would be like a more masculine version of Snow White. I'm imagining a pure white mixture of rice cream (is there such a thing?) and coconut milk, infused with ginger, with a dash of nutmeg and cardamom on top, possibly a hint of clove. It's in a wooden bowl with a scattering of pine boughs around it. All of this is outside on a blustery, snowy day. Snow, rice cream, coconut, almond, ginger, spices, turbinado sugar, balsam fir. Maybe some woodsmoke, or frankincense, just a hint of something to give it a bit of a rugged edge. Ooh, maybe some cherry too? Just a little bit, not enough to stand out a whole lot. It's possible some kind of floral would be good, but I don't know florals well enough to say which one. It would be something between Snow White, Jolasveinar, and Cloister Graveyard In The Snow.

I can't seem to resist making outrageous bids on ebay, for bpal scents that I've been wanting for a while. I guess I shouldn't feel guilty.....some of these things I've really wanted for a long time, and they never seem to come up in swaps around here. Of course, it doesn't matter in the end, when I'm outbid less than 12 hours after I place my starting bid (this was for the Holly King proto)! And the winning bid is more than twice what I was willing to pay. I was kind of surprised at that one, I guess I'm not the only one who wanted it badly! But now I have another auction that I placed a bid on, and we'll see how high that goes. I'm not going to raise my highest bid, because I've already bid more than I really should spend. So, we'll see. It's actually a scent that I already have half a bottle of, and this would be a back-up bottle (something nearly unheard of in my collection, except for Snake Oil which is for aging). In other news........I'm in the middle of my long stretch of work, interrupted only by being off Tuesday night, until the weekend. I'm looking forward to Tuesday and really looking forward to the weekend, although it's pretty far off. I bought an annual pass to the Newport Aquarium, because I miss the Zoo's aquarium, which was made into the manitee exhibit. The manatees are pretty cool, but the aquarium was always my favorite part of the Zoo. And the Newport Aquarium is not even that great.....there are some cool parts, though. I only have to go once more to make up for the cost of my annual pass (and I'm pretty sure I'll go more than once more in the next year). Anyway, yeah.....spending lots of money when I should be concentrating on credit card debt. Oh well, gotta have fun somehow, right?? Oh and speaking of spending money, I made an order with Nature's Gift. I bought their Sacred emotional synergy for a room scent. I wanted something for a sort of peaceful meditation blend, although I already have their Meditation blend....and it's pretty awesome.....but I wanted another spiritual blend, too. I also bought some jojoba oil and something for my occasional dermatitis/eczema.....now I can't even remember which oil, LOL.....oh yeah, calendula oil for skin care. And I asked for some samples of their fir/pine essential oils. Can't wait to see what they send me! They're always really nice about sending free samples when I ask for them.

I was already curious about this, but the mixed reviews made it a definite must-try for me. I'm kind of contrary sometimes and negative reviews just make me want to like a scent even more! "Synthetic" is the word that comes to mind. This is like a sinister green mist or gas, glowing, probably poisonous. You know instinctively that these reptilian beings do not have good intentions. As a scent, this is somewhat complex and layered. There is a lighter powdery layer, with a bit of tart fruit, maybe blood orange. I keep thinking I smell the lab's opium note, which reminds me of chemicals and aerosol spray. But when I sniff up close there is a gritty, sour under-tone that is pretty evil. After a while, when the scent has had time to dry, I think I can smell some dry, brittle woods. As a perfume, I don't love this, but I'm not running to wash it off, either. It reminds me of something I've smelled before, and it's driving me a little crazy trying to think of what.....something from Rappacini's Garden, maybe? Or one of the Faces Of Heroines scents, from a few years back? But the concept and label art make this a keeper for me, for the time being. It's just too interesting a scent to let go. Edit: One and a half hours after applying, this is reminding me of Antonino or Faiza, with less fruit.

There was a chance I might like this, but it was pretty risky too. Fortunately a kind forum member sent me a decant with a recent purchase, so I got to try it, risk-free. : ) It's way too harsh for me, and it kind of reminds me of Hastur or Ligur (I always get them confused), which didn't really work for me either. The black pepper is way too strong, and it's a note I'm not crazy about in the first place, but especially here, it's just too much. Underneath that is some kind of weird chemical note, which might be opoponax, but.....I thought I liked opoponax! I think in some blends it just turns bad for me, for whatever reason, and it's happening here. This is indeed a dark scent, harsh and peppery, with a strange chemical quality that I just didn't like. It's not very often that I have to wash off a bpal scent but I had to wash this one off.....and then apply something else to take away the memory! : ( PS.....If you liked Hastur and/or Ligur, and you like black pepper in your perfume, I think you should try this scent!

I'm another one who can't always wear the earth/soil scents, but when they go right on me, I really enjoy them. This is a good one! I love how the sweet resins and plant mingle with the soil. The dirt is a little sharp for the first few minutes, but it fades as the scent dries, and the slightly powdery resins emerge. I looked up melilot and apparently it's sweet clover. I get where people are smelling Old Spice in this, but to me it's not screaming dude-fume like some other blends I've tried. My favorite soil scents so far are Premature Burial, Potter's Field, Earth Phoenix, and now this (Season Of The Inundation). I'll have to try them together because I want to get a larger amount of one of them, but I have to decide which one I like best. I have a feeling it will be this or Potter's Field.