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forspecial_plate

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  1. forspecial_plate

    Blaaaaah

    By forspecial_plate,

    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.
  2. forspecial_plate
    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.
  3. forspecial_plate
    * 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.
  4. forspecial_plate
    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.
  6. forspecial_plate
    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.
  7. forspecial_plate

    video games

    By forspecial_plate,

    So here I am, blogging about video games on a perfume discussion forum. Ten years ago I would have had no idea what that even meant. But I already have the last post in the video game discussion thread, and I don't want to double post.
     
    I'm still playing Dragon Quest VIII, but I got Final Fantasy IX this past weekend, and I may be switching over to that for a while.
     
    In DQVIII, I got all the way up to the big God Bird, but haven't been able to beat it. So I'm back-tracking, trying to alchemize better weapons, level up, and also buy better equipment. I will beat that damn bird!
     
    Switching over to FFIX was a little jarring. The graphics are so different, and the battle system is a little different since it's Active. I like being able to sit and think about my next move, and you can't really do that here. But I'm determined to find another RPG that I love, so on I go.
     
    The great news is, after my class tomorrow, I'll have no real obligations for the rest of the day, and all the next day. So I can play to my heart's content. : )
  8. forspecial_plate
    I squeed my pants when I saw this:
     
    "For this series, we decided to try a different type of chaotic experimentation. Each CT:5 scent has a base of one of the following scents, in wildly varying proportions:
     
    Dorian
    O
    Penitence
    Snake Oil"
     
    ....I totally was not expecting a new round of Chaos Theory!! All my bottle purchasing plans just went out the window in favor of CT. I love it so much, because each one is on-of-a-kind. My tentative plans for purchasing this round:
     
    Snake Oil.....will 2 be enough? I dunno, I already bought the whole Snake Pit, how many Snake Oil variants can one person hoard?? I did trade away a few of my Snake Pit scents, though. I'll say 2 of these, for now.
     
    Dorian......at least 2, maybe 3......not because I'm crazy about the scent, really, but I think this one has the most exciting potential to be something great with other notes added (did that make sense? I know I'm rambling now).
     
    Penitence.....at least one, maybe 2.....Penitence itself goes just a bit powdery on me, but I like it enough that I want to try one or two variations, just for the hell of it!
     
    O.....no thank you! I am glad there is one that I can safely skip. I never have tried it, and honey usually is not my thing.
     
    So, screw it, I should just get 1 of each (of the first 3) now, then another one of each (maybe 2 more of Snake Oil) before they go away. Sounds like a plan! I'm already impatient!
  9. forspecial_plate
    I don't have a scent locket. I've thought about buying one, and I bought one for my sister, but I've never bought one for myself. I always think, "I have so many different scents that I can hardly decide what to wear on any given day. A scent locket is just going to make that decision more complex and difficult. It's like adding another layer to the whole business when what I really want to do is simplify".
     
    However, every once in a while I come across a scent that is really nice, but seems that it would be better suited for a scent locket. So now I'm going to start making note of that here. Tamamo-No-Mae is such a scent. It is very, very lovely, but somewhat fleeting. When I first put it on, it has these delicate, sparkly top notes, something almost minty, that could be from the tea or maybe ginger, or who knows what. Anyway, I love that part of the scent, but on my skin it lasts all of 5 minutes! It's still a great scent after that, just very subtle and kind of like skin-incense, the powder stuff (although I've never tried that). Kind of fruity and smokey-sweet at the same time.
     
    So, as a note to myself, or a reminder, when I do eventually get a scent locket, Tamamo-No-Mae would be a great scent for it. I think that sparkly note in the beginning might last longer, and the scent as a whole might be a little stronger in a locket. If I find more scents that seem tailor-made for a locket, I'll continue to make note of it here.
  10. forspecial_plate

    Rice Field

    By forspecial_plate,

    I wore Lovers In A Rice Field again today, and I like it more and more. The plum blossom was much more apparent, and overall it smells like some kind of fabulous plum/cream dessert, but still not totally foody. It's rather on the femme side for a bearded guy like me but that doesn't hasn't stopped me from wearing it, and in some situations it would be just great. Possible bottle? Or maybe just another decant would suffice. Still have to test my other decants which are still pending, and there may be another favorite among those.
  11. forspecial_plate
    As much as I can remember, Lupercalia is my least favorite of the yearly 'big updates' from Black Phoenix. Every year, I get excited about trying some new scents, but overall, they've had the lowest success rate for me. I like a couple of the Shunga scents from '08, like Ebisu Making Love, and Men Ringing Bells (actually bought a whole bottle of that one, even though I don't wear it much). They both remind me of some kind of fabulous, expensive hair care products. And I really like Chintimani-Dhupa, which I think was a Lupercalia scent.
     
    Today I got some of my decants from this year's update, and so far I've briefly tested Miller Vs. California, Lovers In A Rice Field, and Lovers With Rutting Cats. I think the Rice Field is the best out of those, but again, it smells like some kind of fancy shampoo or conditioner. Not so much foody as drinky to me, it starts out rather like shampoo or soap. Then it drifts into plum tea, then later into plum wine. This scent, in the early stages especially, is extremely reminiscent of one of the 4 Fat Cats wax tarts, but I can't remember which one. Basmati Rice, or maybe White Plum Chutney. This is nice because it reminds me of when I lived in northern Kentucky, three years ago, which although not the greatest time of my life, does have some pleasant memories.
     
    Lovers With Rutting Cats is probably my least favorite of the three. It reminds me of Love's Philosophy, but not as sweet or sugary. Or maybe Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener, without the sassafras. Basically I get a lot of vanilla that comes off a little plasticky, and as a whole, the scent just feels a little flat or one-dimensional to me. I might be spoiled because so many other bpal scents seem 'deep' to me, and this one just falls flat on my skin, unfortunately. Of course, this is from a first impression, and those sometimes change.
     
    Miller Vs. California is an interesting one. This scent actually smells more complex than the notes suggest. I first smelled a lot of sweetness, fruit, berries, and cream. The leather seems to be a supporting note only, nothing like the leather in Quincey Morris, or other leathery blends. As this one dries, it changes a lot. The papery note and the leather both come out stronger, and it also seems to get spicier, which I attribute to either the leather, fig, or possibly both (or maybe something else entirely!). At the beginning, this reminds me a lot of the newer Milk Moon, which I hated, but this is better....the cream isn't so sour or cloying. It's creamy, but the sweetness of the berries and fig balance it out a little more. I think the leather is actually helping to ground the scent a lot, even though I couldn't really smell it at first. Later, after drying, this scent smells entirely different.....it does remind me of some other GC scent, but I can't think of which one. Nephelim? Or the one I can never spell, Tzadikim Nasturtium or something. Anyway, I swear there is another scent that smells something like this, but I can't place which one it is. I like the early sweet and creamy stage more than the later, dry, papery/spicy stage of this one.
     
    So far I can't say that I'm likely to get much wear out of these, but I also have yet to try my other decants. I have Flowering Chrysanthemums and Phallus Head still to try, as well as decants from another circle still on the way. I'm really looking forward to Dia and Glukuprikos (sp?).
  12. forspecial_plate
    Three Gorgons (I no longer think I want a whole bottle of this.....Satan And Death is a better citrus-y scent)
    Dia
    Flowering Chrysanthemums
    Lovers In A Ricefield
    Glukuprikos
    Silence
    Carnaval Diabolique
    Satan And Death With Sin Intervening
    Obatala
  13. forspecial_plate

    bottle wants

    By forspecial_plate,

    In order, roughly......
     
    Three Gorgons
    Dia
    Flowering Chrysanthemums
    Lovers In A Ricefield
    Glukuprikos
    Silence (pending)
    Carnaval Diabolique
    Satan And Death With Sin Intervening
    Obatala
  14. forspecial_plate

    fun, fun, fun

    By forspecial_plate,

    High drama in the ED tonight, but nothing new. We get homeless and/or destitute people who come in with a minor complaint, then after they are discharged they want to stay here in the waiting room for the rest of the night. It's cold outside and they either don't have anywhere to go, or don't have a way to get there. We do have cab vouchers for people, but the charge nurse is usually particular about giving them. I understand their point of view, because once you start giving them out, people want them all the time, every time they come here. So sometimes, people are told no, you cannot have a cab voucher. But then they want to stay in our waiting area, which they can't do. So security gets involved, and they will give a cab voucher to anyone, going anywhere. Another issue is they are only supposed to go to the address listed in their account (their home address). And some of them don't have a home address. So it becomes like a big puzzle. And I am kind of stuck in the middle of it, getting complained at by all sides. I am okay with whatever they decide, but it's not really up to me, so I just sit here looking kind of dumb.
  15. forspecial_plate
    Wow, I guess it's my turn in the barrel for forum problems tonight. I've had hour-long stretches where I couldn't get anywhere, because the page just kept loading and loading.....eeeeever so slowly. Apparently it has been going around lately.
     
    In other news, fingers are crossed because my requests are in for the last 4 Lupercalia decants that I wanted to try. Still waiting to hear if they're available or not. I had thought about risking a bottle unsniffed again this time, but the choice is just too hard. I want to try them first. As usual, excited as heck about pending decants!
     
    More later if I am still this bored.....
  16. forspecial_plate
    [i will periodically copy and past my wish-list, because I edit it pretty often and sometimes like to look at old versions]
     
    Bold type just means I have a particular interest, or higher priority for that scent. I try to update this pretty often....
     
    5ml interests...or partials, I love partials! : )
    A Blade Of Grass
    Baron Samedi
    Carceri d'Invenzione
    Carnaval Diabolique
    Cloister Graveyard In The Snow
    Great Sword Of War
    Obatala
    Satan and Death With Sin Intervening
    Scales Of Deprivation
    Theodosius
    Three Gorgons
    Wood Phoenix
     
    GC imps that I want (imps/decants would be delightful)
    Aelopile
    Baghdad
    Bensiabel
    Black Hellebore
    Brisingamen
    Bruised Violet Compound
    The Caterpillar
    Deep In Earth
    Frumious Bandersnatch
    Hanging Gardens
    Hecate
    Imp
    Inferno
    Intrigue
    Jersey Devil
    Kill-Devil
    Lampades
    Libertine
    Love's Torments
    Lyonesse
    Mary Read
    Nero
    Niflheim
    No. 93 Engine
    Nostrum Remedium
    The Phantom Wooer
    Port Royal
    Queen of Sheba
    Rome
    Santo Domingo
    The Sea Foams Blood
    Serpents With Glittering Eyes And Forky Tongues
    Strangler Fig
    Sundew
    Sybaris
    Thorns
    To A Woman
    Tushnamatay
    Verdandi
    The Witch's Garden
     
    'Set Only' imps/unimpables I would like (imps or decants)
    The Ecstacy of St. Theresa
    Famine
    Haloes
    The House
    The Ifrit
    La Vague
    Lucretia
    Madonna
    Parsifal
    Silence
    Three Brides
    Three Gorgons
     
    LE/Trading Post/etc Decants ISO any testable amount
    413 U.S. 15/Miller Vs. California
    The Blood Garden
    The Bloody Sword
    Cagliostro
    The Chapel
    The Contract Of Theophilus Of Adana
    The Cracked Bell
    Damnation
    Humbug
    Knucklebones
    Long Night Moon
    Moana
    Pumpkin Patch III (2007)
    Scattered Gloom
    Shill
    Tupapau
    Uncertain Horror
    Upa Upa
    Virgo 2007
    Yule
     
    Single Notes dream list (decants) Ambergris, Black Cherry, Black Musk, Black Poppy, Cherry, Licorice Bark, Light Myrrh, Oakmoss, Red Musk, Red Mysore Sandalwood, Redwood, Siberian Musk, Tonka Bean, White Sandalwood
  17. forspecial_plate

    Order madness

    By forspecial_plate,

    I'm kind of relieved......I think I'm all caught up on my ordering, at least until I get to try my Yule decants (then the madness starts all over again). I am resisting the urge to order a bottle of Meditation In Autumn. I wore it again today, and I realized it smells like November, only greener, with less snow. It does have a bit of icy bite, somehow. But the resemblance to November is close enough that I don't think I really need a whole bottle after all. If, however, someone were to offer a swap, I certainly would take it.
     
    I am excited to try the Yule blends, still have to track down a decant of Mole, but other than that, I'm all caught up on decants I want to try.
     
    I absolutely can't wait for my bottle of Fearful Pleasure to arrive, but it looks like I still have over a week, at least. Hurryhurryhurry!
  19. forspecial_plate

    Damn.

    By forspecial_plate,

    So now I'm kicking myself, because I just tried Brom Bones, and holy-mother-of-pearl......this is beyond sexy. I'm definitely going to need a whole bottle of this, rather than a puny decant. I already loved Quincey Morris, and this is close but even better. Just incredible. This should have been my bottle choice, rather than Chant D'Autumne (which I like, but nothing like B. Bones......).
  20. forspecial_plate

    wishy wishy!

    By forspecial_plate,

    Bold type just means I have a particular interest, or higher priority for that scent. Colored text indicates added after first post. I try to update this pretty often....
     
    possible bottles
    Baron Samedi
    Dragon's Blood
    Fearful Pleasure
    Great Sword Of War
    The Mad Hatter
    Satan and Death With Sin Intervening
    Three Gorgons
     
    On the Fence, at the Carnaval!! (not sure if I want whole bottles of these or not)
    Carnaval Diabolique
    Isaac, the Living Skeleton
    Priala, the Human Phoenix
    The Chapel
    Theodosius, the Legerdemain
    Wulric, the Wolfman
     
    GC imps that I want
    Aelopile
    Baghdad
    Bathsheba
    Black Hellebore
    Brisingamen
    Bruised Violet Compound
    The Caterpillar
    Danube
    Death Cap
    Deep In Earth
    The Dormouse
    Dragon's Reverie
    Eclipse
    Fascinum
    Frumious Bandersnatch
    Hamadryad
    Hanging Gardens
    Hecate
    Hymn To Proserpine
    Imp
    Inferno
    Intrigue
    Jersey Devil
    Kill-Devil
    Kubla Khan
    Kumari Kandam
    Lampades
    Libertine
    Love's Torments
    Lyonesse
    Mad Hatter
    Mandrake
    Mary Read
    Medea
    Mouse's Long and Sad Tale
    Nero
    Niflheim
    No. 93 Engine
    Nostrum Remedium
    Othello
    Penthus
    The Phantom Wooer
    Phoenix Steamworks
    Plunder
    Port Royal
    Queen of Sheba
    Rome
    Salome
    Santo Domingo
    Scales Of Deprivation
    Schrodinger's Cat
    Shanghai
    Shango
    Strangler Fig
    Sundew
    Sybaris
    To A Woman
    Tombstone
    Tushnamatay
    Unicorn
    Verdandi
    Voodoo
     
    'Set Only' imps/unimpables I would like (imps or decants)
    And There Was A Great Cry In Egypt
    The Ecstacy of St. Theresa
    Famine
    Fox Fires on New Year's Eve at the Garment Nettle Tree at Oji
    Haloes
    The House
    Judith Victorious
    La Vague
    Lucretia
    Madonna
    Mama-Ji
    Parsifal
    Rozpustnica
    Silence
    Three Brides
     
    Decant Me (partial decants? half decants? droplets? all are acceptable, I just want to try these)
    The Bloody Sword
    Boo Bam
    Cagliostro
    The Chapel
    The Contract Of Theophilus Of Adana
    The Cracked Bell
    Damnation
    Dia De Los Muertos
    Fire Eater
    Isaac, the Living Skeleton
    Ivanushka
    Knucklebones
    Long Night Moon
    Moana
    Opuhi
    Pumpkin Patch III (2007)
    Shill
    Tiki Queen
    Tupapau
    Upa Upa
    Yule
     
    Single Notes dream list (decants) Ambergris, Black Cherry, Black Musk, Black Poppy, Cherry, Licorice Bark, Light Myrrh, Oakmoss, Red Musk, Red Mysore Sandalwood, Redwood, Siberian Musk, Tonka Bean, White Sandalwood
     
    The following are basically for my own reference....it helps me to keep this all in one place, and the update onslaught is just about killing me! But I do love trying all the new stuff.
     
    Czech and Speake
    Cuba
    Frankincense and Myrrh
     
    Possets
    Aiden
    Crickets
    Eve
    Nigel
    Rhode Island
    Vermont
     
    CB I Hate Perfume
    Wild Hunt
  21. forspecial_plate
    Continuing my previous posts.....how could I overlook the Snake Pit? I bought the whole thing when it first came out, swapped out a couple of those bottles (Asp Viper, Banded Sea Snake, Green Tree Viper, Australian Copperhead....okay, more than a couple), and I still want to get rid of Saw-Scaled Viper, eventually. But with the ones that I've kept, I doubt that I will need any kind of Snake Oil-related scent again, ever.......especially since I have 2 bottles of Snake Oil itself 'cellared' (and it's hard to believe one of them will be 2 years old in November!). Oh and I swapped that imp of Anaconda for Doc Buzzard, a worthy trade in my opinion.
     
    So unless Snake Charmer is re-released, I am good on Snakey scents for a long, long time. At the rate I wear oils, I may never use them up completely.
  22. forspecial_plate
    Inez and Aeronwen are both bottle worthy. And Wild Men of Jezirat Al Tennyn. Have to re-try all of those, and again, make some decisions. Carnaval Diabolique is totally worth a bottle, so I have that one to consider as well. And I haven't even tried Isaac yet!! : /
     
    On the plus side, I have a nice, completely full, well-aged bottle of Mme. Moriarty that I love. Ditto Midnight On The Midway and Antonino.
     
    The big problem is Chaos Theory. I've been wanting a new round of CT for a long, long time......and I really want at least 6 or 7 bottles, possibly more. There is no way I can get all of this stuff, I just can't swing it. I think I'm actually pushing aside CD in favor of CT. CD will be around longer (and we still have more acts), and CT will only be around for a few weeks. And Chaos Theory is just so.......special! It's like my own little bottle of uniqueness, and a complete surprise, and just fun, fun, fun.
     
    So there ya go, I guess my decision is made. Buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a Chaotic ride!!
  23. forspecial_plate
    As we all know, the Carnaval is leaving town very soon. I have a pretty decent selection of CD scents that I like, even a few bottles. Now is the time to get off the fence and decide on a couple that I've been waffling over.
     
    I had a decant of Wulric the Wolfman, and I did like it a lot. For some reason I swapped it or gave it away, I can't remember....probably because I thought I would end up getting a bottle. Well, I still haven't, and time is running out.
     
    I have a bottle of Doc Constantine, but it's only half full, and I'm wondering if I should get more or just leave it at that.
     
    .......actually now it's getting busy here at work, more later.
  24. forspecial_plate
    Czech and Speake No. 88
     
    "No. 88 is the signature fragrance from Czech & Speake. From its Aromatics Collection, No.88 is a blend of woods, bergamot, geranium, rose otto, cassie flower, frangipani, vetiver, and sandalwood. This gorgeous fragrance is worn by both men and women." (description from The Perfumed Court)
     
    I was attracted to this because I read Morrissey wears it (and Elton John, too). I was so glad to find a source for a sample.
     
    This is fabulous! It's a rose scent, but unmistakably gender-neutral, although some may find it masculine. The closest bpal I can think of is Thanatos, but No. 88 is definitely lighter, fresher, and not as powdery (not that I dislike Thanatos). It's definitely woody, but also floral and slightly fruity. It strikes me as a versatile scent.....I could wear this at work (and I did), or out on the town, or for a formal occasion. I would call it almost a studious rose scent, but dark, hinting at naughtiness.
     
    Now I need to try their Cuba scent, because I definitely want a bottle of one or the other. This stuff is pricey and only available from the UK, so it's going to be a treat to splurge and indulge myself. If Cuba is as good as this, it's going to be tough to decide. I could absolutely wear No. 88 on a regular basis.
  25. forspecial_plate
    Vetiver Guerlain
     
    "fresh and outdoorsy, a blend of vetiver, wood, tobacco and spice." (description from Fragrancenet.com
     
    I love vetiver and having read lots of rave reviews, I really wanted to try this. Wet on the skin, for the first 10 or 15 minutes, this is a glorious, almost dizzying swirl of fresh, bright citrus notes, with some green grassiness peeking in and out. I loved it! After a while, all the top notes fade and what's left is simply vetiver single note. It's a light, fresh vetiver, almost reminiscent of sweet hay. Not a bad thing, but I'd love to smell that first stage longer.
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