summer

LOL! You know you've got a (delicious) problem when you're happy to realize you're sick rather than allergic to the preciousss. I love it!

I would say Envy! It's very bright, sparkly, and uplifting, and I'd much rather wear something fresh and herbal at the gym than something heavy, foody, or floral. High John the Conqueror is my "take on the world" scent, but I don't know how that would would do at the gym.

This is beautiful. Warm, pulsating, rich, and slightly sweet. It's one of those scents that melts into the skin and smells like part of your natural scent, only BETTER. This is the kind of scent that has you sticking your head in your shirt for a sniff. Divine. I don't usually wear scents this heady, and so this won't be a daily perfume for me, but I love putting it on when I get home in the evenings.

I don't have any specific allergies that I know of, and I've been able to wear all the other BPAL oils with no problem. The only one besides Snake Oil that's caused any hint of a similar reaction was Imp -- but there are no common ingredients in those two, as far as I know -- ?? Anyway, because it happened with Snake Oil and slightly with Imp, I used to wonder if it was just that *very strong* fragrance caused my throat to close up. However, I am able to slather on copious amounts of lots of other strong fragrances without any problem. It's so strange. The first time it happened, I just figured that perhaps I was on the verge of getting sick and it was all a coincidence. But I'm pretty sure it's causally related now! Last night I slathered on quite a bit of Snake Oil from my 5ml bottle, and almost immediately I felt my throat closing, and my lips and gums started feeling tender. I even woke up this morning still reacting to it, and it didn't start to subside until I showered and washed it all off. Frankly, I'm dumbfounded! And sad -- I really love Snake Oil. I will just have to remember to apply it lightly in the future. A tiny, tiny bit of it doesn't seem to cause a problem, but if I apply even a whole drop, I have this reaction without fail. *scratches head*

Yep, this smells just like strong, cold coffee in the bottle, and the scent lingers for as long as the oil is wet. However, as soon as it dries down, it becomes a very smooth floral, with the coffee base just barely floating behind, grounding the scent. I was very aware of the tonka bean in this one -- it gave the floral the round, smooth, slightly sweet feel, and I suspect it also was what made this go powdery on me after a few hours. A lovely Sunday afternoon scent. I won't get a bottle, but I'll definitely enjoy my imp.

I just can't think of any other explanation -- whenever I wear Snake Oil (especially if I slather it on, like I did last night), my throat closes up and my gums feel tender and sensitive. At first (that is, a long while back), I thought it was just BPAL in general that did it to me -- that something about wearing strong scents caused me to have a reaction. But it hasn't happened in a long time, and when I had the reaction with Snake Oil last night (the first time I'd worn it in ages), I started to think it was Snake-Oil specific. Waahhh! Has this happened to anyone else?? And I wonder what in Snake Oil I possibly could be allergic to? I don't have a problem with any other vanillary/sugary/spicy scents.

My "calm down" scents are: -Water of Notre Dame -Dana O'Shee -Bliss -Arcana -Oneiroi

This is a pleasant, warm floral -- I will have to update with a more detailed description of the scent, but I just had to remark that the first time I wore this, I went shopping. I needed a belt. I found one, and was bummed that it was $45, but I needed it. So I went to pay, and it turns out that it was on sale for $9!! Talk about a rush of good luck! These oils are magic.

This is quite possibly the freshest, most sparkly, feminine fragrance EVER. A light, bright floral with the crispness of fruit, but it's not candy-like at all. Just sweet and bright. I wore pink the day I wore this, and the combination of the color and the scent made me feel clean (sparkling clean, not soap clean) and so PRETTY! Like, flushed cheeks and bright eyes pretty. It made me feel alert and sort of giddy. I absolutely *love* this and will be getting a larger bottle.

MMm. At first it's buttery and foody, with a slightly crisp fruity note somewhere in there, and underneath there's the rustling of leaves. As it dries it gets more floral and perfumey, but everything about it just SCREAMS autumn. I find it hard to describe this one, because it's so well blended, but suffice to say that it's GORGEOUS, and I was sniffing my wrists all day today. I can imagine myself wearing this literally every single day until it's gone.

Funny lots of you mentioned Dana O'Shee, because that's what I ended up choosing on this blustery, blustery day! Dana O'Shee layered over a drop of High John the Conqueror. It somehow made the storm seem exciting and fun!

When it's rainy and blustery outside, do you tend to go for scents that match the weather (i.e., dark or aquatic), or do you choose something brighter to counteract it? It's a stormy day today, and I just can't make up my mind about how I want to greet the elements, fragrance-wise.

Mmm, buttery, fruity, creamy, spiced pumpkin pie. This is VERY sweet, in a candle sort of way. Far too cloying and headache-inducing for me to wear as a perfume, but boy does this make a fabulous room scent! It instantly gives my living room into a vibrant, homey atmosphere. Even just scenting the air, the intense sweetness sometimes threaten to make my back teeth ache, but mostly I just enjoy breathing in the warm aroma. This is lovely for fall.

Old Paris has made me see lavender in a new light. Normally, lavender scents are clean and herbal, but this one is warm and spicy while still managing to be distinctly lavender. The lavender keeps it demure, but the spiciness makes it feel alive and sexy. It's so interesting and . . . compelling. I keep wanting to sniff it to figure it out. It's definitely sophisticated, but not snooty at all -- just an understated class with passion raging underneath. Just like Paris! LOVE this one, Beth.

The fiery, volatile scent of cinnamon, thickened by myrrh, honeysuckle, and copal. This is absolutely dizzyingly wonderful streight out of the bottle. Rich, warm cinnamon and drool-worthy wet sweetness. It reminded me a bit of Snake Oil, but more red, and the sweetness was not really of the vanilla variety. As it dried, however, the wet, sweet cinnamon smell faded and the spicy undertone that emerged reminded me very much of Old Morroco. It has that same almost animal-like pheromone scent that I detect in Old Morroco. The cinnamon is still there, but overall it's a more thick, warm, body-heat type of spicy scent. Very nice and definitely sniff-your-wrist-constantly-throughout-the-day worthy, but, like Old Morocco, I find that it's a tad overbearing -- something about that rich spice just doesn't compliment me very well (even though I adore Snake Oil and can't live without it).

This is a light, tangy, perfumy fragrance with very aquatic undertones, to my nose. It smells like a "sophisticated woman" perfume -- in fact, every time I smelled it on myself, I thought I was smelling the remnants of my mother-in-law's perfume from when she hugged me. It smells like something she would wear. A light, sharp floral with watery, watery greeness flowing through it. Overall it's very "appropriate" and wearable, but too aquatic for me in the end. However, one tiny drop lasted all day, so if it's staying power you're looking for, this is a good one.

Mmm! When this first goes on, it has that sharp, fizzy scent of champagne -- a sparkly, "carbonated" scent. As it dries, the sweet strawberry scent comes through, but it's so very natural smelling! Not like fresh raw strawberries, but like strawberries macerated in sugar. Something about this scent reminds me very much of Lush products. And that's a very good thing. This is the first strawberry scent that hasn't reeked of Strawberry Shortcake heads to me. It's a very enjoyable scent -- a nice "weekend" scent that I probably won't wear all the time, but will enjoy when I do.

JUST LOVELY. Sweet lilies (which, as it turns out, I love the fragrance of -- it just seems to sing on my skin!) that slowly turn to a warm, slightly floral honey (somewhat reminicient of Alice, but without the powdery, milky element). It has the warmness of O, but it's flowery instead of foody. Beautiful. I will wear this OFTEN.

This is very nice, and maddeningly hard to describe. Warm, toasted almond, with a BRIGHT splash of citrus and lavender and herbs. It's invigorating and smooth at the same time. There's something almost slightly bitter about it, but a smooth sweetness rounds it out. It tends to fade fast on me, so I've been keeping the imp in my desk at work for touch-ups during the day. I must say, when I apply it fresh, I'm usually overwhelmed with how wonderful it smells for the first 5 minutes. This one has been growing on me, and I find myself wanting to wear it every day. It's a very "appropriate for work" scent, and, because I do a lot of writing at work, I love the idea of wearing the eldest of the muses on my wrist.

Wow, jasmine just comes alive on me! What a lush, sparkly scent. This reminds me a bit of Venus, but it's crisp rather than golden-dappled. The touch of lime is just enough to make this otherwise smooth, feminine floral feel a bit more "awake." I want a big bottle of this. I can see wearing it every day.

This is musty and sweet and smells so very . . . animal. By that I mean it has some quality that smells like skin or pheromones or something -- and the scent develops on my skin the longer I wear it. If I do yoga or anything similarly strenuous, the fragrance blooms and develops even more. It's a very warm, comforting, sweet but not foody, round scent with soft edges that is very calming and brings me a real sense of "everything is good." It's lovely with a drop of Regan, and absolutely eyes-rolling-back otherworldly with a drop of Namaste.

Good luck Grrrlennyl! I wore Libra for the bar exam, but then again, I *am* a Libra, and that scent is very centering for me. Whatever you wear should make you feel comfortable and confident. I'm sure you'll do splendidly!

Today was my my first day of work. I woke up this morning to a dead alarm clock -- power was out all over the city due to storms. Not today, I thought, panicked. I got out of bed. I put on High John the Conqueror. I breathed in deeply, and then thought, Okay, I'm going to just DO this. A true sense of "pick up, dust off, and get things done" came over me. I managed to get ready in the near-complete darkness, got to work on time feeling good about my outfit/hair/etc., and felt energized as I met my new colleagues and started to learn the ropes. I felt confident about reaching out to people, and I felt really welcomed and accepted -- like I belonged there. Unbelievable. Do I attribute it all to this oil? No. But this oil, it's calming, empowering scent, and what it represented to me inspired me to take on its attributes as my own. I was going to power though adversity and inconvenience and make things work out, no matter what! As for the scent -- it's maddeningly hard to describe. At first it smells a bit fruity and sunny, but there's an almost spicy -- but not quite, because it's so dusky -- warmth behind it. The scent is muted and round, but very long-lasting on me. Throughout the day, I kept getting whiffs of something warm and ever-so-slightly sweet, and it would take me a moment to realize it was High John. I love this. I am so greatful I had it on hand. I can see wearing this to work every day. Must get a big bottle. Edited to add: It now has been nearly a year and a half since my first day of work, when High John came to the rescue, and I STILL reach for this oil whenever I have to confront something difficult or intimidating on the job. I have started affectionately calling it "asshole repellant," because it makes dealing with certain difficult and demanding personalities in my professional life so much easier, and I swear, when I wear this, I ALWAYS come away from those scary situations feeling like I've done a good job and impressed the people I need to impress. This is a very strong personal-power oil for me, and I'm very greatful to Beth for creating it.

Sometimes it's all about finding the right mood or need for a blend to meld into my skin and come alive. And I've found it for Water of Notre Dame. I've worn it before and have liked it, but never have been able to put my finger on exactly what it smells like or what feelings it evokes. Until today! I'm going through a lot of upheaval right now -- a new home, a new job, and all the stress that goes along with that. In addition, I've just felt like I've been attracting negativity for the past few days -- aggression, misunderstandings, etc. To top it all off (or perhaps as a result), none of my oils have been smelling right on me. They just all smell a bit . . . confusing. I had decided to take Fallow Deer's advice and give myself a break from fragrance altogether until I felt a little more adjusted. However, on an impulse, I put on Water of Notre Dame today. A sense of normalcy and calm is exactly what I feel when smelling this on my wrists today. It smells like standing silently overlooking a still lake on an overcast, slightly crisp day. Or wind. It smells like wind. Slightly aquatic, but not like the sea -- like the scent that the wind brings as it blows across a lake. A little bit floral, but deep, with a slightly foggy edge -- like heather. I don't know what heather smells like, but this smells like the way heather looks. Muted. Purple-grey. A little bit like hugging someone older and wiser, and coming away with the lingering scent of their soap and perfume blended together. It smells calm. Like it's okay to feel alone and a bit rattled -- it's all part of a cycle; all part of the human experience. It takes those negative feelings and puts them into context. It doesn't try to cover them up. It just makes it feel like they're okay to have.

I think I'm going through a weird skin-chemistry phase, because none of the new oils I've tried lately have agreed with me. This one -- based on the listed notes -- looked like one I would love. However, on me, it smells bitter and dirty. I tried Virgo as part of my ongoing experiement with "earthy" scents, as I have no earth in my chart whatsoever (I have sun in Libra). It may just be that I can't wear earthy oils at all. However, since everything seems to be a bit "off" on me lately, I think I'll give this one another try before giving up on it.