phantasmmysteria

I can pick out the acai in both of the aforementioned blends, but neither works half so well for me as Australian Copperhead does. The acai is more prominent in SPT, but the poppy has a LOT of greenery. It smells very fresh and almost damp (slippery!), which is probably why it doesn't work for me. If you can do green/aquatic blends, you might enjoy it. Daiyu was more chrysanthemum tea with a hint of acai.

There's little I can say about this blend other than it's absolutely fascinating. I was really skeptical about the seemingly random list of notes, but as the protrait on the bottle is my favorite of the Ode to Aphrodite series I just couldn't resist. In the bottle: WOW, that's got some zing to it! The pink pepper is all I can make out -- not a bad sign IMO. Wet: This sweetens up on the skin, but not overly so. It took me a couple of wears to register the scent memory, but the wet stage actually reminds me of my favorite chai. It's warm and a little kicky and just a tad sweet. The pink pepper remains in the forefront, and everything else just swirls together beautifully. Dry: As this sinks into my skin, I can faintly make out some of the other notes -- a tiny bit of rose here, maybe a smidge of Balsam of Peru... I was hoping for a little fruitiness and dreading the caramel, but neither of those want to make an appearance. Verdict: I can see why this blend was named Mother of Desire. She is beautiful and warm, arms open and inviting her lover into her bosom for comfort; all the while making her lover's body burn with passion and need. A definite keeper.

Well, I'm going to skip the BPAL comparisons completely and venture over into another perfumer entirely! In the imp, this is thick, luscious, but slightly unripe fruit. I think this wine has some raspberry or stone fruit in addition to the plum. On my skin, this is a dead-ringer for Mara Fox's Nox. Definitely some strong-tasting fruits (rarely plum plays nice on it's own, and here this reacts much the same way the fruits in Crypt Queen do) and sharp sandalwood. This is no wallflower, people! I only swiped the wand onto my wrists once, but I got strong wafts of this one all morning. Upon drydown, the champaca/sandalwood threaten to become overbearing, but this eventually calms down. Verdict: I get from this what I was hoping to get from Dionysia, though this is going to need some age to take the edge off.

White amber, coconut, white musk, oakmoss, and tobacco flower. In the imp: LOTS of gorgeous white musk, almost to the exclusion of everything else. I might be able to detect just a little bit of floral mixed in (I'm guessing the tobacco flower, which has a sort of dry quality) Wet: More of the same up close on the skin, though I get some sweetness in the throw. Luckily for me, the oakmoss is behaving! Up close, this blend is very reminiscent of Ozymandias, but isn't nearly as sharp and dry thanks to the other notes. Dry: This blend morphs very little for me, though as it wears the white amber/musk combo does get more powdery in a pleasant way. I can also pick out the tobacco flower a bit more, but the oakmoss is still being incredibly subtle. The throw remains sweet coconut meat -- I keep catching little wafts of it when I more my arms . Verdict: I really enjoy this, and now I'm sad that I ordered a bottle of Yvaine in my 13 order, because now I think I'd prefer a bottle of Dia for my musk needs!

I think one scent that might just be up your alley is the '07 Yule Angeronalia (olive blossom, white nectarine, vibrant blood orange, honey absolute, lemongrass, elemi, sensual patchouli, and the quiet purity of gardenia). True, it was an LE, but I see it crop up on the swaps now and again, and it's a gorgeous blend -- the whole is definitely greater than the sum if its parts. Eat Me is most certainly a blend you need to track down! If you love gourmand and berries/currants, this is the blend for you. I know everyone is probably sick of me pimping this one, but Australian Copperhead is one of my all-time favorites, and you should try it now before it goes away forever so you have plenty of time to hoard . I don't do Snake Oil, but the acai berry really pops in this blend and makes the scent both fun and sexy at the same time. Also seconding the suggestion for Lady Una -- it's rare I can handle a honey perfume, but the tea and blackberry here work with the honey musk and make for a gorgeous springtime blend. Katharina is also a great springtime/daytime blend, and is GC to boot. And finally, everyone (EVERYONE!) needs to try Snow White at least once.

I generally don't find this to be the case at all! In fact, most of my vanillas have aged spectacularly, but that isn't to say that perhaps the interplay of notes in Mouse's Long and Sad Tale don't somehow overwhelm the vanilla as it ages (that's one of those blends that doesn't much agree with my chemistry). Have you tried Stimulating Sassafrass Strengthener yet? The sassafrass burns off fairly quickly and leaves me with smelling of cream soda -- delicious!

Yes! Lady Una is gorgeous.

I would like to second two aforementioned blends: Morgause and Yvaine. Both of these are scents I would put into the category of "floral," but they are not girly perfumes in the slightest. But are cool, razor-sharp, and ethereal -- they definitely put me into a certain mindset.

OMG, These questions are so old! I wanted to ask a question: are there any rare (or even uber-rare) scents that you'd really like to try? I've gotten a teensy sniffy of Storyville once, but it wasn't enough for me to get a feel for it (though what I could smell was pretty nice). Other than that, though, I would love to have a decant of Gothabilly to call my own. If you drink coffee, do you like whole bean coffee or prefer ground? What grind? What roast (mild, medium, bold, extra bold)? Do you like flavored coffee? I do drink coffee, but the worst thing about coffee is how bitter it can be. I've actually been wanting to try white coffee for the same reason. Barring that, I like flavorful mild to medium roasts, ground please. Do you like tea? What kinds of tea (green, red, white, black, decaf, herbal infusions)? Feel free to get specific on brands and tea types. Loose or bagged? Do you need any kind of tea accessories? Pots/cozys/presses/strainers? I've only recently started to drink anything other than herbal tea -- still, in general I prefer my fruity teas. Adagio's Berry Blast is by far one of the best berry blends around, it's delicious! I also have some Orange Chamomile from a local teashop that's been getting a lot of mileage, and Teavana's White Ayuervedic Chai is absolutely TDF (if you have any rec's on white chais from other companies, please let me know! Teavana's is too expensive for my blood). So, in general I prefer tisanes to teas, and I prefer fruity and spicy to other flavors. When it comes to actual teas, I love really-fragrant jasmine oolongs. The more jasmine, the better! What is your favorite hot chocolate or drinking chocolate? Do you need Vegan or no? You know, Starbucks new Signature Hot Chocolate (particularly with the salted caramel topping!) is AMAZING. It's the perfect balance of sweetness and complexity that makes it awesome. Sadly, I can't drink Starbucks very often because it's WICKED fattening. For at home, any good no-sugar-added cocoa mix would be excellent. Do you need any decanting supplies? Pipettes? Vials? How about any wand caps? Roller bottles? Some spray bottles (for oils mixed with alcohol?) Decanting supplies would be excellent! I have no pipettes and I'm running out of vials and wand caps. So any of those would be most welcome! How do you feel about Lush? Anything you want to try?I do like LUSH, but there's not a single one anywhere close to me (I still can't figure out why there's no Nashville store?? ) *Ahem.* Because of this, I usually only allow myself a splurge every now and again (usually when there's free shipping). I am a sucker for bath bombs, and unfortunately theirs are the best. I was dying to try the Chocolate Santa and Twinkle bath bombs, but of course they were sold out when I made my last order. Favorite Websites: ICHC, Overheard Everywhere, Cute Overload, Etsy, Facebook, Temptalia; plus about a dozen other blogs about nails, makeup, sweets, and wedding stuffs.

U CAN HAZ UPDAYT FOR TEH HALLOWEEN TIEMS. How do you like your chocolate? White, milk, bittersweet, as dark as possible? Plain, with flavoring, with chunks of stuff in? Fairly traditional, or weird and experimental? While chocolate is tasty, it's not my first choice since I prefer a sweeter treat. This is why I am one of the few people who likes white "chocolate!" () I also eat milk chocolate and some semisweet -- generally nothing darker than 62% cacao. I am also pretty adventurous when it comes to my additions in chocolate. Last round (I'm pretty sure!), I received the most heavenly bar of white chocolate flavored with rose water... I cannot tell you how long I made that bar last, but it was divine and I savored every bit of it. Favorite animals? Least favorite?I love cats (big and small), rabbits, horses, hawks, and snakes. My least favorite "animal" would be spiders. So for all witches of the shimmying types- would you like tassel belts/jingle belts/ ect and if so, how big are your hips? Once I recover from my surgery, I am going to be seriously hitting the bellydance classes! So any hip-shakers are awesome. What are 3 places that you'd like to visit, or re-visit? I would love to visit Savannah, GA on the domestic-travel side; and one day I hope to travel to Scotland (there are many countries in Europe I'd love to see someday) and maybe Japan. Are you planning on buying anything off your BPAL wishlist during the round? Oh wow, my wishlist needs updating! I'm still waiting on my Halloweenie decants (maybe today!), and so I don't know if anything there will strike my fancy. I'm seeeeriously tempted by BPTP's Ginger Skulls, though, and I don't know if I can pass it up. What is the weirdest and/or most practical thing you are not buying for yourself right now? The thing that you probably should be buying, but have been putting off in lieu of something else? Eh.... probably a no!no! or some other laser hair removal type device. I've just about HAD it with shaving! What cartoons did you grow up watching? Any animated shows you still watch? I grew up watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, My Little Pony (!!!), The Gummi Bears, Care Bears (!!!), Captain N: The Game Master (OMG I loved that show), Super Mario Brothers, and Ren & Stimpy (another OMG love show). I sometimes still pull out my season 1 & 2 R&S DVDs, and I currently watch Family Guy, American Dad (sometimes), Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Robot Chicken. Do you read graphic novels/comics? I used to, but not anymore. I was a HUGE X-Men fan back in the day, and I also read Batman. Boxes, baskets, etc.? I can always use more pretty storage. What jewelry are you wearing now? What jewelry do you wear everyday-or do you change jewelry all the time?I'm currently just wearing my diamond piercing studs, two silver bands on one ring finger and my engagement ring on the other. I tend to change my jewelry every day depending on my outfit, but Teh Rock always stays on. Do you like honey? Will you like to try creamy honey with black sesame or with cinnamon powder?I love honey! My grandfather actually keeps bees, so I get big jars of it from him, but I'd love to try some exotic stuff (especially after hearing so many good things about Meadowfoam Honey). Do you like baskets, jars and other interesting containers? Filled or Empty?As above, I love pretty storage solutions, and interesting goodies in pretty jars work for me too (empty or full, either works) Houseplants and/or things to put them in? The idea of houseplants is great, but I have a black thumb! I would like to have some fresh herb plants to tend do, but I'm just not sure how successful I'd be at keeping the things alive. Oh, um, favorite musical. On stage or on film? Comedy or drama? On stage? Cabaret!! Though Spamalot is a close second. On film: Sweeny Todd, but probably only because I haven't seen a live production (and Johnny Depp is amazing). On the same note...do you like Shakespeare? Which plays?YES! I prefer stage productions, but there are a couple that I enjoy watching on film as well. My favorites are A Midsummer Night's Dream (in fact, I played Helena in a stage production once -- one of my favorite roles), Much Ado About Nothing (which is a great film adaptation as someone mentioned in the SW Thread), Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet.

UPDAYT FOR HALLOWEENIE ROUND! Dearest Witch, Oh hai. Plz to b reedin mai ketchupz. Kthxbai, Witchee ------ Is there any time during the holidays (or the rest of the round) when you'll be away from home for a significant period and it'd be best not to send anything by mail? I will be on a cruise October 25th-30th, but if you're planning on sending something I can always make sure our neighbor checks the front and back doors for delivieries too larger for the mail boxes. Speaking of which, how many Browncoat witches do we have?? And if you are, would you be interested in getting a Kaylee parasol? If not, would you be interested in getting a paper parasol hand painted with your favorite colors? I LOVE Firefly, but thb I have three parasols already which don't get much use. Hand beaded jewellery, yay or nay? YAY! Would you personally rather get handmade jewelry or the beads to make something yourself? As I mentioned earlier, when it comes to crafts I'm a sprinter, not an endurance runner. But if you give me something ready to wear, I'll definitely be rocking it out! Everyone who wants a beaded potholder, please to be raising the hands! Sure? To make up for the fact that I probably won't be able to send my witchee homebaked goodies, will Tim Tams in any number of varieties be an acceptable replacement? Definitely. Which witches would like hair accessories: clips, scrunchies, hairsticks, headscarves, etc? I wear long wigs, and my hair is a modified pixie (which I am trying to figure out why I have no picture of... I will rectify immediately!). So barrettes, small clips, bobby pins, and headscarves are the only things that will work for me. Edit: dammit, NO good short hair pics -- but how 'bout me with a sweet-ass mohawk?? If your witch were to send you cookies, what kind of cookies would you like? I am not a huge cookie eater, but I do love sugar cookies. AND chewy gingersnaps OMG Anyone else a total nerd like me and would like DnD/Roleplay stuff (Dice, minis, books, corny tees, etc.)? Particularly nerdy tees/gags, though I don't have much time to actually play anymore. Cat hair? I already have plenty -- what's a little more? Who (of course excluding Schackjj ) would like a pair of handknit socks? Size? Color preference? Cabled, ribbed (for your pleasure), stranded colorwork, etc.? That would be amazing! I love fuzzy socks for bedtime (any length, really). I do also wear socks during the day, but those are thigh high ones and I wouldn't expect anyone to have that much spare time for knitting! I wear 9 1/2 size shoes. Since we're talking about warm winter wearables, who likes hats? Mittens? Arm warmers? I like hats! I keep eyeing ones like this, or pretty much anything that will cover my ears and keep them warm. I like arm warmers in theory, but I seldom figure out how to incorporate them into my regular wardrobe. I prefer fingerless gloves to mittens. Oh, and whoever posted this scarf -- OMGCUTE! I immediately thought "and then Trogdor comes in the NIIIIIIIGHT!" So, question all- how do people feel about unusual ornaments? I typically stick to plain ball ornaments in a certain color scheme for my tree -- nothing funky. On a similar note, who likes yarn? What kinds/colors/weights/fibers? Handspun? Glitter? Funky art yarn made from shredded jeans, fake flowers, lace, sequins, and the tattered souls of your enemies? Other craft supplies you desperately want more of and can't live without? If I were to receive any kind of "craft material," it would be some cooking item I either don't have access to or just don't have atm. So small amounts of interesting spices or extracts, King Arthur/Tollhouse Cinnamon Baking Chips (these would rock my socks!), colored decorating sugars, anything like this would just tickle me pink. What kind of candy/sweet treat would you like to receive? I do have a weakness for sweets. And I mean SWEET sweets -- you could send me a tub of frosting, and I'd eat it (just not all at once!). I also used to get this delicious Turkish Delight/ fruit pates which I loved (I can't remember if they had nuts or not, but either way I would be happy to try them again). Who likes tshirts? What about homemade tshirts? Oooh, a homemade tee would be fun! I've gotten into wearing tees more and more for casual clothing (thank you, Threadless sales). Another question! How does everyone feel about steampunk? I <3 <3 <3 it! ------ New Stuffs: What is the biggest problem or sad thing in your life? Of course, I mean the saddest or worst thing you can confess here. I'm having more good days, but it can be a lot of work sometimes. Then again, when is being happy something that comes naturally? Question: do you like to cook? if so, what? Would you like things like spices, cookbooks, recipes, tips? One of my favorite pasttimes! I love cooking just as much as I like to bake, though Teh Manthing would say I'm a more accomplished baker. I love to cook anything and everything (and I especially like to try new regions of cuisine and/or new cooking techniques). I would love any of the things listed in the question. And.... what fashion item or style do you like, but never wear? I love Lolita style, but I very seldom find a way to pull it off without making Teh Manthing look like a pedo. Would my potential Witchee be up for some stuff they'd never heard before if they couldn't understand the words?Sure! Since I love industrial music, I have quite a bit in German (they always have the best industrial). I also have some in French and Spanish (I love The Pink Martinis, who sing in both English and Spanish). Of course, I have come across music in another tongue I did not care for, which I think was more because I couldn't understand what the song was about... so, I guess it's all about context.

You can satisfy both your needs with one scent: Eat Me! This is my favorite GC -- delicious, slightly boozy currant cakes. This is a sweet scent, and new imps do have a buttery note that I'm not too crazy about, but the butter fades quickly (and a little aging almost eliminates it). Eat Me is definitely worth trying! I don’t get the cake or butter notes, but depending on my chemistry, I get a currants and cream, or Snake Oil, minus the amber. Vanilla tends to vanish on me, so I really only get the berries, but Hollywood Babylon’s another berry-vanilla blend. (: It's funny you mention that -- sometimes the comments I get from other who smell Eat Me are that it smells like sweet incense. Since I usually can't do resiny blends, this suits me just fine (though I often wonder how my skin does such crazy things ).

My berry scents, let me show you them! Akuma: Bright and fizzy! This is a fun, light scent. Australian Copperhead: Acai berry plus Snake Oil. Rich and complex, this is one of the scents I wear when I do want people to recognize I'm wearing perfume as opposed to just smelling good (not that "just smelling good" is at all a bad thing!) Dionysia: If you can wear resins, this is a lovely dark incensy berry blend. Eat Me: This is definitely foodie, but the currants are quite prominent. Delish. Lady Una: Blackberry wine! The green tea plays counterpoint to the honey (musk) and blackberry -- it's a beautiful blend. As far as LE's go, Blue fire is an amazing blueberry scent, and is pretty easy to find second-hand.

I was also looking for a strong vanilla note in my first order. Didn't quite find what I was looking for though. O, snake oil and the others are very spicy, as you may have noticed (which can be delicious, sometimes). Other than that Mouse's long and sad tale was perhaps the most vanilla-vanilla of those I tried (O, snake oil, lyonesse, Antique lace was the ones I tried). I also want more berry-scents! Perhaps it's because of my lovely, most loveliest bordello-imp. Tell me what you thought of the others. You can satisfy both your needs with one scent: Eat Me! This is my favorite GC -- delicious, slightly boozy currant cakes. This is a sweet scent, and new imps do have a buttery note that I'm not too crazy about, but the butter fades quickly (and a little aging almost eliminates it).

First of all? Cinnabon musk made me roffle. Oh man, you're right! Blood Moon '05 would definitely fit into the musky cinnamon category, but it's not a sweet scent. If you don't mind the lack of sugariness, I think the old Blood Moon might be your best bet. Barring that, I would also suggest Chimera as the closest match to the scent you seek.

It's funny that someone mentioned that Marianne was "raunchy," because I find her to be extremely ladylike. It does have a Smut-like vibe to it (the red musk in both smells the same to me), but Smut is a 10-dollar streetwalker while Marianne is a royal courtesan. Sure they're both whores, but the latter knows which fork to use during the fish course.

Halp! My costume this year is Jessica Rabbit, but I'm not sure what scent would be best for the character. I was thinking maybe Australian Copperhead (since I cannot do Snake Oil), but since Jessica is so very 40's, I wasn't sure what sort of perfume would evoke that era.

Three words for you: NOM NOM NOM. In the bottle: Rich, fattening, and utterly decadent orange pound cake. I feel it going to my hips just from smelling it. Wet: The butter comes forth when this is first applied, but that note doesn't last long on my skin. Actually, the orange starts coming out more strongly as this dries down (unusual for me as orange notes usually fade quickly). This is definitely the cake note from Eat Me, but it's not as strong as in Eat Me thanks to the orange. The anise starts peeking out just a bit as this begins to dry, but it never takes over. It just sort of blends with the orange and makes the scent a bit more complex. Dry: Ah, I do get a floral component to this! I don't do well with flowers, but now and again I get a whiff of something that might be a spicy floral -- carnation, maybe? -- but whatever it is, it's way in the background Again, the floral element just mixes with the cakes and making this scent multi-dimensional. During late drydown, mostly I just get cake and a hint of anise. This scent is much lighter than I expected (I get about a mile of sillage from Eat Me), and it also fades faster. Verdict: I wish this lasted longer, though it does very well in my scent locket. This is definitely my favorite Halloweenie tested so far! Don't be afraid of the floral or anise components, this is a beautiful and fun scent that makes me want to start my fall baking!

It's not terribly rare, as a lot of people bought bottles and then thought it smelled like wintergreen (I sort of got that from the saffron when the oil was fresh, too). an post in the Wanted forum should turn up a response fairly quickly, I'd think.

As a fellow vanilla-lover who amps incense, I feel your pain! I hear people swooning over the gorgeous vanilla in Snake Oil, but it never shows up for me. My favoritest vanilla blends: Love's Philosophy (creamy, almost savory vanilla... this stuff is wonderful, and should definitely be tried) Eat Me (as foody as this is, most people who smell this on me claim to smell incense among other things. So this is my go-to scent when I want to smell a little like incense and a little like cake) Australian Copperhead (The only Snake Oil variant from the CD I can wear, but I like fruity scents. I DO get the vanilla in the drydown of this Snake) Monsterbait: Underpants (I know, I know! Rediculously hard to come by, and when it's wet the sandalwood can get a little aggressive -- but the drydown! Oh Mah Guh! )

Fire Pig is definitely lovely, but does have a strong floral component to it -- I found it too strong when it was HOT though YMMV. OMG, Blue Fire!! It's the perfect juicy-sweet blueberry scent. Katharina is also amazing during hot weather -- I get white musk and apricot primarily, and it's a lighter scent. Marianne, despite the red musk, is incredibly light and is a beautiful fruity floral. I get quite a bit of currant from this. Tanuki wasn't up my alley, but it's similar in feel to Fire Pig but is more citrusy. Knucklebones, which I haven't tried myself, has been said to smell like Sprite in reviews! Sounds pretty refreshing to me. Akuma is totally fruity in a fun way. Nice for layering, too. Kuang Shi was, again, not a perfect fit for me, but the mandarin note is nice. Rangoon Riptide is my second-favorite Tiki blend. It is a little rummy, though!

No, they wouldn't get it, but that's yet to stop me in my Halloween shenanigans.

I'm so tempted to pick a beloved BPAL and base a costume around the concept. Currently, top choice is Priala and some sort of phoenix theme. This is genius! I've been lacking any inspiration for my Halloween costume, but an outfit based around Crypt Queen? :swoon:

While an LE, the Illustrated Woman is my never-fail sexy scent. It's definitely earthy and exotic, though if you don't like pine tar it might not be for you. Another to try on your golden god (awww, so cute!) would be The Antikythera Mechanism. It's not overtly sexy, but it makes a man exude the sort of sophistication that really gets my engine going.

When I first saw this one in the update, I was like, "Oh, Beth, I guess we have to let you throw a few crazy ones in there," then the more I thought about it, the more I HAD TO TRY IT. I really like that herbal carroty quality that I can pick up in last year's Virgo blend, I love the scent of the hay absolute Beth's been playing with. And then I thought about the combination of the molasses and maple oats and red apples and I just went cuckoo from there. I didn't grow up riding, I have probably ridden a horse 3X in my adult life, but my best friend from college is a lifelong rider (and her mom as well) and the smell of a (relatively clean) barn is just lovely to me. (Once I read that a horse produces 25 pounds of manure per day on average, I kind of stopped thinking I wanted to live in the country and have a bunch of horses, though. ) I don't think I have a clue what silage smells like, but fresh horse feed smells SO GOOD (which I'm hoping is what will come of the combo of molasses, maple oats, and hay in Gunpowder). It's sweet and tangy and a little oat-y (powdery?), and I want to roll around in it.