crimescenecleanup

For some reason, Madame Tracy from Good Omens seems to fit. Also, anything with a cotton-candyish or spun sugar note.

For those who care a lot about how their ritual oils smell: lemon-lime soda. straight up. I don't get any melon or cucumber from this but it is a very fizzy and sweet, happy and bright. It's pretty much what I imagined Geek Goth to smell like, only more cheerful. I'll have to edit later with a review of efficacy and how this works out being used with intention. For now, I'll just say that maybe it is the Alchemy, and maybe it is the scent-memory association with highly-caffeinated Mountain Dew, but it is nearly impossible to smell this sparkling citrus blend and not feel perkier.

I've been feeling very fatigued lately, and having a lot of difficulty concentrating. Does anyone have GC (not TAL) suggestions that make them feel more alert and focused?

OK, I luuuuurve most of BPAL lotus scents, and to my nose they smell a nit like aquatic bubblegum. Let's see if this is as nice as Blood Lotus or Black Lotus or the golden lotus from Bastet. In the bottle: Banana Laffy Taffy, is that you? On skin: There is no hint of laffy taffy, banana, or any candy/bubblegum/fruit - in fact there is no sweetness at all. I am oddly disappointed. This is a very light, dry floral. After fifteen minutes: this is vacillating between wanting to be a clean floral and wanting to be dryer sheets. It won't make up its mind, and I find its indecision unnerving. Drydown an hour later: It has surprised us all and decided to be Ivory Soap. Don't try to oppress Eight-Petaled Lotus with your preconceived notions of "flowers" and "scent categories"! Now it is giving me a headache and a rash. Eight-Petaled Lotus is just too radical for me; I'm not ready for this kind of flower behavior.

ataindre - Well, the first scent I thought of for you - spice and pepper and sweet - was the recently discontinued Hermia from the Illyria collecton. Casanova - another a seductive librarian - would also be a good choice, but unfortunately that one has been discontinued, too. You could always keep a lookout for these in the swaps forum or ebay auctions. hmm...well, here are some others to try: Alice's Evidence from Mad Tea Party - spicy-sweet, and being trial-themed it also has that criminal justice connection Nanny Ashtoreth from the Neil Gaiman Good Omens collection - would be be appropriate for a primly dressed professional woman who knows a thing or two about alternative uses for handcuffs Pepper also from the Neil Gaiman Good Omens collection - a honey and floral sweetened pink pepper scent named for an infamous tomboy. Sounds perfect for a wild and spirited young lady. War from the Neil Gaiman Good Omens collection - a truly gorgeous femme fatale/dangerous woman sort of scent. Red from the Fraggle Rock collection - lots of sweet tart fruits and pink pepper! Hideous Heart from the Gris Grimly collection - spiced cherries Crib Girls from The District collection - spiced honey Avenger from the Grendel collection

Huh. I don't get Snake Oil out of this. It doesn't have the powdery quality I usually associate with BPAL musks, either. It is musky, in the way that suede leather is musky. Here in the Pacific Northwest, if you take a walk through the forest early in the morning, you get his cold misty fog rising off the ground, and it smells like near frozen decaying leaves and mulch. Wet - this is true to that scent, the scent of running through the woods in the hour just before dawn. It is so cold, and yet very animalic at the same time. On drydown it develops a spicy vanilla note. This is really lovely. Mythical woodland creatures should smell like this - werewolves and silver hinds and whatnot.

oooh...I just got my latest BPAL order, with Siberian Musk and Eight-Petaled Lotus. I love the single-note labels! It's just a simple "Brimstone" symbol on a white background - but the brimstone symbol is a different color for each single note. This is so great for those of us who have strong color/scent associations. I think from now on I will be asking for reports on the upcoming "single note label colors" in will-call threads, because it will give me the best idea of what the scent might be like. When the year is up, somebody needs to take a photo of all the 2012-2013 single-note bottles lined up by color.

Well, these blends that come to mind: Dragon's Milk from Ars Draconis - rich dragon's blood with honey and creamy vanilla Sudha Segara from Bewitching Brews - another milk/cream blend with ginger, honey, and ambrosia Dana O'Shee from Bewitching Brews - milk, grains, and honey Eden from Excolo - a lush scent with coconut, honey, and fig leaf Uruk from Excolo - a city sacred to Inanna, a fertility Goddess. This scent has a lot of lush florals and fruits and incense. Centzon Totochtin from Excolo - because a hundred divine partying rabbits sound pretty darn fertile. Plus, this one always smells a little bit like easter candy to me, so I always associate it with birth/fertility rites. And BPAL has a ton of scents based off of mother goddesses: Meliai from Bewitching Brews - named for nymphs from Greek mythology that were the mothers of mankind Eve from Excolo - for the mother of mankind from Hebrew mythology Grandmother of Ghosts from Excolo - a title used to honor the Roman underworld goddess who was mother to the Lares, the benevolent spirits who aided humankind. Mania from Excolo - another name for the Mother of the Lares Iambe from Excolo - named for the laughing, dancing fertility goddess who comforted Demeter after the abduction of Persephone. Nyx from Excolo - the Greek personification fo Night, Nyx was also said to be a mother to many of the immortal gods Osun from Excolo - A beautiful Yoruban goddess of love, who helps women conceive Oya from Excolo - a Yoruban Goddess said to be a fierce protector of mothers and children, and a powerful warrior Yemaya from Excolo - The Yoruban Goddess of the ocean, the primal mother of all creation Dawn: Mother from the Dawn collection - a scent based off of the Goddess-as-Mother-archetype For days when you want to embrace your crankiness and need to get in touch with the Dark Mother archetype: Ekhidna from Diabolus - another famous mother from mythology, the mother of monsters and sea beasts Shub-Niggurath from A Picnic in Arkham - an elder god from H.P. Lovecraft's horror stories, described as a corrupted fertility goddess and the "black she-goat with a thousand young". This one is spicy and seductive - it smells like evil gingerbread cookies. Kali from Excolo - named for the goddess of cretive destruction and destructive creation from the Hindu pantheon. Mama-Ji from the Neil Gaiman- American Gods collection - another scent based off of Kali Lilith from Excolo - another fertile female from mythology who is known as the mother of demons and of the Djinn- her children were said to be so numerous they could not be counted. And here's a few random ones that might make you feel better: Fae from Bewitching Brews - because it is sparkly and pretty, and 'cause there's a joke going around the internet right now about how fairies have litters Tushnamatay from Bewitching Brews - a soothing meditation blend when you want to feel calm and peaceful and grounded and properly earth-mothery Marie from Diabolus - a sweet floral blend named for Marie Antoinette, who was supposedly a very devoted mother Titania from Illyria - this is another very pretty "fae" scent that smells like ripe peaches and night-blooming flowers - both great symbols of fertility. And finally, any of the Gratiae from Excolo - Euphrosyne, Thalia, and Aglaea - all very bright, feminine, and happy scents that are great for mood-lifting Good luck and congratulations! Do tell us what you find that works for you. edit: corrected typos in my first post

I was just poking around on the bpal site, and noticed that Soothing System from the Gris Grimly collection is described as a "lunatic's vintage cabernet". That sounds promising.

So...here's an allergy question for y'all. I have allergic reactions to cassia, or the varieties of spices most commonly sold in supermarkets as ground cinnamon. It triggers asthma attacks, nausea, and a skin reaction, and happens whether I eat it, wear it, or inhale it. However, much to my surprise, I do not have the same reaction to Ceylon Cinnamon, or true cinnamon. I have done repeated skin-tests with samples from several species, and this result has been consistent. Derivatives of cassia often turn up in sunscreens and alcohol-based perfumes, and I suspect this is why I often have bad allergic reactions to both. When perfumers list "cinnamon" as a note in an oil-based perfume, is it a catch-all phrase for all species of cinnamon? Or does it usually refer to either true cinnamon (cinnamon vera/cinnamon zeylanicum) or to cassia (cinnamon aromaticaum, cinnamon burmanii)? Unfortunately, I've found that a lot of food and cosmetic producers that list "ceylon cinnamon" as an ingredient only use the name for advertising, and just use cassia instead, because it is what people "expect cinnamon to taste and smell like", whereas real cinnamon is often described as tasting a bit like cedar shavings. It is also a heck of a lot cheaper. Since perfumery involves a great deal of poetic license, and creating accords (a facsimile that captures our idea of a scent more than the real thing does), I have to wonder if most "cinnamon" notes are actually based on cassia. You know, since cassia tastes and smells more like cinnamon to most people than actual cinnamon does.

Well, Carmen would have to be all about exotic scents for exotic and legendary locales! Jezirat Al Tennyn Uruk Sybaris Havana Port Royal El Dorado As for Enchantress, maybe Mage, from the RPG line, or The Witch Garden from Marchen, or Magic Do What You Will from The Last Unicorn series.

The discontinued Madrid was the strongest BPAL wine scent I've ever found, but also softly floral and wearable. It was GC for a very long time. Bottles of it seem to pop up on ebay and the forum pretty readily, so it might not be that hard to come by. If you looking for a wine that is unapologetically strong and boozy and dark, then Nosferatu might work. Athens also has a strong red wine note, to my nose.

@rawpotential...hmmm...have you tried 51 form wanderlust? Because it makes me think of winds over the mountains outside of San Diego. And you certainly seem to have an adventurous spirit that can appreciate a good mystery. For some reason, I'm also thinking Serpent's Kiss from Diabolus, House of Night from Ars Moriendi, and Intrigue from Bewitching Brews. The Aztec scents from Excolo might also suit you - Xiuhtecuhtli and Tezcatlipoca. They are both very rich, multi-layered scents that make me think of witty, bitingly intelligent, and charming middle-aged women who light up every room they enter, and become the life of every party they attend. They are very bright and pretty, but they have an air of maturity about them, I think. Since you mentioned being attracted to very intelligent older women, maybe you should give them a try.

What BPAL scent would Pam from True Blood wear?

Way back in the day, I tested some Dark Candles votives and fell in love with some of their scents - scents that are no longer available. Has anyone found replacements for their favorite discontinued DC stuff in the BPAL catalog? I'd be especially interested in finding something similar to Silver Bullet or Dark Grove. BPAL's Szepasszony had that same "cold rain" feel that I loved in Silver Bullet, but unfortunately that is not available anymore, either.

I always liked the subtle mintiness in Lantern Ghost of Oiwa from the Salon collection.

OK...when I log in to view my bank account balance, I see that I was charged through CCNOW for my Blackbear Moon order on Friday. On Saturday, CCNOW reversed the charges and refunded me. I have not received any communication from either the Lab or CCNow as to why charges would be reversed. Has anyone else had this happen? EDIT: d'oh. nevermind. found information on this back in the thread aways. Not sure how I missed it the first time. UPDATE: after CCNOW charged me twice and refunded me twice in 48 hours, they charge me a third time. An couple hours after that I got my CnS and this morning the package was waiting on my doorstep. So while CCNow and the USPS were a little off schedule, the Lab was right on time. Everything worked out OK in the end.

Aspen was one of my favorites, too. BPAL's Vinland was very close, in my mind. I think Aspen leaf was even in the notes, somewhere. Unfortunately I think it has been DC'ed. But maybe you will find a bottle through swaps or Ebay?

You could try something with a strong narcissus or hyacinth note...

I'm absolutely crushed about the Miller's Daughter being discontinued. I do miss it so. Anyone know of a close match?

woops sorry for the double post.

Seraglio, Harlot, Hetairae, and Mata Hari would be my pics. I know there is a, uh, theme going on there, and I don't mean to imply anything about dancers, I swear. But all of those scents seem to embody a rich sensuality - and tribal dance is all about that. Just reveling in the beauty of movement and enjoying the elaborate costumes, the color and music, and all of the dancers moving as one entity. It's very sensual. Also, all of the scents listed above imply a kind of power that doesn't sacrifice femininity.

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. This is a traditional creme brulee with that smoky burnt-sugar crust on top. It is flavored with bitter cocoa and sweetened by real black vanilla pods. When you bite into it, you find that the cream underneath heavily and decadently spiced. In my opinion, it's the hands-down winner of this year's Halloweenies.

At first, opening the bottle, I get butter. butter butter butter. Yikes. wet, the butter calms down immediately and now I get rich doughnuts, like krispy kremes, with strawberry glaze (definite strawberry!) and a few crumbs of pink box-mix cake. Very sweet and light, totally foody - this is all sugary dessert, but there is a lot of layers to this dessert. It seems to morph a lot, with different notes popping to the forefront now and again, and never gets boring. Definitely not a traditional perfume, and I would hesitate to wear this to work - but if you have a sweet tooth, this could be your holy-grail scent.

OK, I should preface this with a big thank-you to the lab for a Flor de Muerto scent. I love the scent of marigolds, and have many happy memories of Day of the Dead, so I had to try this. I don't get a true marigold single note from this, rather a blend of related golden autumn flowers. There is definitely a strong and true chrysanthemum note, along with a cool and watery floral note I can't seem to place, and maybe sunflower. Overall, it is a cold, melancholy scent, and that I was not expecting. It is totally unique and I have found another floral blend that is anything like it. I have a hard time wearing straight up florals, but I think I will hold onto it for a while just because it is so unusual.