Penance

I finally decided on Blue Lilac (getting married in three weeks). I was thisclose to using White Rabbit, but since jj_j was kind enough to send some lilac lovin' my way, I'm going to be a girly girl for once. My mom's wearing Blue Lilac too, so we'll match.

Oh, okay, as long as I haven't gone completely over the deep end. Thanks for explaining.

Ooh, pretty Panacea label! One question, Andra: Why is it 10mL? I thought the Panacea's only came in 5mL bottles. Or am I wrong and that's a 5mL and just looks like a 10mL?

Lilith has some sort of dark musk in it, doesn't it? Black musk, maybe? (Too lazy to look). That would probably explain the cat ass thing. For me, Lilith was like a weaker, less expensive smelling version of F54, but really damn close.

First sniff: Damn, that's familiar! It seems to be some sort of wood, but I'm not sure that's right. I just know I recognize this but can't place it. Wood and dragon's blood. Wet on skin: I know I know this from somewhere. So many of the Tarot oils are extremely familiar to me, but I have such a hard time placing them and I don't know why. Whatever this is, I don't think it likes me because I'm getting a bit nauseous the way I did with Chesed. It's dry and woody, almost like redwood, but that's not quite right. There's also something sweetish here and that's what's bothering me...I'm wondering if it's the same thing that I didn't like in Chesed. Dry down: On me, The Tower ends up smelling like sweet rotting wood. It's not the wood part that bothers me (I love the Redwood single note, which basically smells like rotting wood), it's that sweet note, whatever it is. I'm not having very good luck with the Tarot Blends apart from Death. The bottom line: Another scent I was prepared to love but just couldn't. At least I still have Death.

First sniff: This reminds me of men's cologne. I was expecting something more...archaic, I guess, rather than something that's a close cousin of Marshall Field's cologne department. It's not bad, just not what I was expecting. At all. Wet on skin: This appears to be one of those scents that temporarily disappear as soon as they hit my skin because I can't smell anything at first and then I get...men's cologne, Pledge furniture polish and something vaguely dusty smelling that would be nice if it were more prominent. Dry down: As it dries, The Hermit pulls another vanishing act. I can barely smell it after only a few minutes on my skin, which makes me sad because I'd heard such good things about this and had such high hopes for it. The bottom line: Another adventure in bad skin chemistry, it would appear. I'm pretty sad that The Hermit doesn't like me since I was prepared to love it.

First sniff: Something about this makes me think of Water of Notre Dame plus flowers and herbs. It's not aquatic, really. It's just the same pale green sort of scent. This is definitely interesting. Wet on skin: The florals really come out once this is on my skin, which isn't a surprise since my skin chemistry amps up florals to an insane degree. It's not matronly florals or girly florals, either...it's dark florals, almost menacingly gloomy smelling if that makes sense. Dry down: Basically the same as when it was wet, but with a touch of soapiness. This is very pretty, surprisingly. I say surprisingly because I don't - as a rule - do floral scents. The bottom line: I don't quite think I'll wear this enough to justify keeping it, but it's definitely nice.

Origin: Shortie from the lovely ivyandpeony. First sniff: Very unusual. Babalu Aye manages to smell like resin, wood, astringent herbs and some sort of cleaning fluid all rolled into one. Wet on skin: No more cleaning fluid, but I've sneezed three times in the time it took me to put this on and close the lid. It's probably allergies (generic allergies, I mean, not a scent allergy) that just happen to be choosing now to strike, but it's a little worrisome. As for how it smells...I'm going to have a hard time describing this apart from saying this smells like a voodoo blend. It just has the right sort of character for it, which is fabulous. The best I can do to pin it down is: wood...maybe redwood or possibly oak, resin...dry resin without any sweetness, herbs and a touch of pine, possibly. Dry down: I really like this. Babalu Aye wins the prize for the voodoo blend that smells the most like it was meant to be a voodoo blend. It's mysterious and occult smelling somehow (and it makes me sneeze, which is apparently an added bonus ). Once it dries, all the astringent qualities disappear and it's sweetish resinous wood with a hint of mystery. A very enigmatic blend to say the least. The bottom line: I'm not sure what (if anything) this is supposed to do, but it smells positively Voodoo Queenish. Yes, I just made up a word and I don't care. This one's a keeper!

Origin: Happy little nudist 5mL from harlequin! Preconceived notions: Before I knew what Helping Hand was for, I wanted it for what it smelled like, but then the description finally got listed and I had to have it, pure and simple, so I'm very eager to try this. First sniff: I don't know what I'm smelling, but I like it! There's definitely mint in here (the same sort of soft mint I get from Spooky and Juke Joint, so peppermint, I'd imagine) but there's more to it. I think boozy would be an accurate term to describe it with...it's actually somewhat similar to Juke Joint. It does smell a bit like bourbon but that's not quite it...close enough, though. I keep thinking I smell vanilla and maybe some sort of herbs, too, but it's hard to tell for sure. Wet on skin: The mint tones down quite a bit and I get something akin to bourbon with a hint of something herbal that tickles my nose. I still smell vanilla, but it may be an olfactory hallucination. I love the smell of bourbon (or in this case a close approximation) and I love mint and vanilla in small doses, so this smells damn good to me. Dry down: No real change from when it was wet. I love this. I really, really do. It also seems to come through on its purpose, too. Most of the voodoo blends generally seem to give me at least small results, but Helping Hand seems to be one of the handful of ones that really flat out do what they're supposed to do. The bottom line: No ambiguity here. This one works and smells fabulous doing it. I think I'm going to be needing more of this.

This time I'm drying the Limited Edition version of Graveyard Dirt, rather than the BB Exclusive version. Preconceived notions: I love the BB version of Graveyard Dirt and if Beth says the two are almost identical then that's good enough for me! I'm looking forward to trying this. First sniff: This smells lighter than the BB version. Not by much, but lighter...more like dusty dirt than wet loam (for those who are familiar with Demeter, think Dirt instead of Earthworm). This strikes me as more wearable than the BB version (as a perfume, I mean) if only because it smells less intensely loamy and more subdued with a gorgeous dusting of dry moss. This smells like the forest floor to me, which is just fine because I love that sort of smell. Wet on skin: Definitely lighter than the BB version. More mossy and dusty and less intensely wet and loamy. My mom took one sniff of me and said, "You smell like peat moss! I don't know how they did it, but you do!" which I take as a compliment. Dry down: As it dries, this version becomes almost sweet, which must be the moss changing as it dries. This is definitely much more wearable (I mean every day wearable, not ritual wearable) than the BB version, even for me. I actually like this version better, which is great since I've got enough to last me now. The bottom line: Gorgeous! Not for everyone, I'm sure, but I love it and I couldn't care less whether anyone else around me does.

Preconceived notions: I've been waiting for the right situation to try Goona Goona and it looks like the time is now. With my wedding a month away, tensions are running high (mainly because of religious differences between my parents and my fiance's mom) and everyone's on edge and irritable, I'm really hoping that this one works because I could really use all the help I can get with keeping this whole thing from derailing. First sniff: Herbal, somewhat soapy and a little astringent (it doesn't smell astringent, exactly, but it burns my nose, if that makes sense). It's a pleasant enough scent as far as fragrance goes, which is good, but what really matters is whether it works or not, so we shall see. Wet on skin: I dabbed this somewhere inconspicuous as is my custom with the majority of the voodoo blends...on my stomach if you must know () because I don't generally like to wear to vodooo blends where I can really smell them (they generally don't appeal to me scent-wise), so it's a little hard to tell, but it's apparently decided t become a floral scent because I smell dried roses and not much else now. I'd say there's definitely rose in here...rose is one of the few flowers I recognize almost all the time. Dry down: Dried roses is all I smell now, which would be grounds for getting rid of this if it weren't a voodoo blend (I don't like the way a lot of them smell, but they're not about smelling good - at least not for me). I put this on right before I went over to my fiance's house and the results were almost immediate - no bad moods, no arguments and a solution to the religious differences thing before I could even bring the subject up myself. Goona Goona's a lifesaver. The bottom line: I really wish this hadn't been discontinued. It works like a charm but I'm going to have to ration what little I have which makes me sad.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I'm not normally fond of fruit scents, but I do like mandarin and fig, so I'm curious to see if I like this or not. I'm guessing it'll be too sweet and girly, but I won't know until I try. First sniff: There must be something wrong with my nose today because Carnal smells like March Hare to me...like a tart, complete with the crust. It's definitely not identical by any means, but they're strangely similar to me right out of the bottle. Wet on skin: I think it must be the fig that's reminding me of March Hare, strangely enough. Fig has always smelled more like pastry of some kind than fruit to me, for some inexplicable reason. Either way, Carnal and March Hare (on me, anyway) smell far more similar than I would have even imagined possible. There's no common ingredients but they just smell alike on me. Very weird. Dry down: Now the mandarin's coming out and making this more unique. I actually really like this. It's sweet and fruity but not girly fruity...more earthy, decadent fruity. Grown up and debauched fruity. The bottom line: Apart from the uncontrollable urge to wear March Hare that I get when wearing this, Carnal's been a very pleasant surprise.

I like your spelling better anyway.

It's Hexennacht. And I agree, I want to see what it looks like. I'm dying to get my bottles.

Aww, how cute! I can't wait to get mine!

lol in our house it's *techno chittlin* for that very reason! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I love it! That's even better than Grandmother of Goats.

Preconceived notions: This sounded really good to me when I ordered it, but for some reason, dragon's blood and leather aren't working for me lately...I can't seem to feel right wearing either one of them, so I don't know what that will mean for Dragon's Hide. First sniff: Almost pure dragon's blood. There's a hint of leather there, too, but I think I only recognize it because I know it's there. I don't think dragon's blood likes me anymore because I just can't get into this. I feel really...neutral towards this although I used to love both dragon's blood and leather. Wet on skin: Much more leathery now. It's like the bastard child of Dragon's Blood and De Sade, which isn't a bad thing. I'm starting to get into this more now, so maybe there's hope yet. Dry down: Just as the description says: dragon's blood, leather and smoke. This is pretty damn sexy now that it's dry. It's balanced nicely between the three notes with none of them coming on too strong. The bottom line: Very nice and a big relief for me and my recent scent-related mood swings.

First sniff: Banana pudding?! That is weird. I know the description says banana leaf, but I was thinking green, not banana pudding. Very tropical but so far not for me. At all. Wet on skin: Banana daquiri now...this is sweet, sticky banana and a hint of green. I really don't want to smell like bananas, so I think this one's a no-go, unfortunately. Dry down: Banana puree, tropical blossoms (I'm terribly at identifying most florals) and some vague tropical-type greens. I feel like I ought to be wearing a bikini and drinking a banana daquiri. The bottom line: Way too strong on the banana note for me. Manila's going to be finding a new home.

Origin: I got an imp of this from tropicalstorm. Preconceived notions: This has been on my wishlist for pretty much the whole time I've had a wishlist but I never got around to trying it because of the rose, so I'm curious to see if I'll like it or not (my guess is I won't). First sniff: What the...? I smell oranges for some inexplicable reason. Oranges complete with the skin. Very weird. Wet on skin: I still smell oranges, but now it's oranges and sandalwood with a hint of rose. I have no clue where the orange smell is coming from, but it's weird. Dry down: Citrusy roses. I'd love to know what's in here that smells like oranges because it's almost dead-on accurate and it's really making me wonder. I don't particularly care for this because of the rose, but it's definitely interesting. The bottom line: The rose did me in, but Rakshasa is definitely interesting.

Origin: I got an imp of this from Alectonox. First sniff: This is extremely familiar. It's one of those scents where it would be instant recognition if someone told me what was in here...somewhat herbal, slightly peppery, maybe some vetiver (it certainly smells like it) and maybe something floral (I'm not certain about that one). Wet on skin: Damn, this is familiar. I'd say there's almost definitely vetiver in here, but not too much. It's slightly herbal and slightly earthy and medium-dark in scent. This is more an impression than a definite scent picture for me, but I like it. Dry down: I really like this. My only complaint is that something in here is going a bit powdery on me. I'm thinking there might be well-hidden rose in here, which would explain the sudden powder. The final impression is one of powdery vetiver with a dusting of earth. I like it. The bottom line: I can't say whether this really does anything (I don't even know that it's supposed to, come to think of it) but it certainly smells nice.

First sniff: Wow, this is complex! This really encapsulates the smell and feeling of a bazaar. I honestly can't tell what's in here, all I can say is that it's simultaneously floral, spicy, herbal and resin-like and that it fits perfectly with the inspiration behind this blend. Wet on skin: This seems familiar...it's almost like Empyreal Mist, Neo-Tokyo and one of the resin/spice blends somehow mated. It's initially a very clean green scent on me (which was totally unexpected), but even before it begins drying it takes on a floral edge and then becomes slightly spicy but still clean, like some sort of Middle Eastern launder detergent. That's not a bad thing at all, mind you. It's actually quite pretty; it's just the only way I can think of to describe it. Dry down: All I can smell now is laundry detergent, strangely enough. I'm positive it's my skin chemistry, so I may not be the best person to review this, but, honestly, I like it. I'm rather fond of the smell of clean laundry so even though I got "Eau de Clean Clothes" instead of the expected bazaar-type scent, it's not really a disappointment. The bottom line: I like this but on my skin it's not living up to its potential, so I'm going to give someone else the chance to bring out its best side. Off to swaps with it!

First sniff: Sweet and slightly earthy. The honey and fig are the most apparent notes, but the patchouli and clove are definitely there even if they don't immediately pop out at me. I'm not sure I'm going to like this since I'm not a big fan of sweets, but I'll give it a shot. Wet on skin: Much less cloying than in the imp. The fig and ylang-ylang are fairly apparent, but the patchouli is lending it a nice earthiness and is slowly gaining ground over the softer notes and making it more intense, although not enough to really make me like this yet. Dry down: Something in this is reacting badly with my skin chemistry, apparently, because now Hetairae smells like some sort of cleaning fluid. It's probably the ylang-ylang although I'm not positive. I've had problems before with blends with ylang-ylang in them, so I'm going to put my money on that one being the culprit. The bottom line: Interesting, but Hetairae just doesn't work on me.

So I hear that there're special labels on the Springtime in Arkham scents. Anyone who's gotten some at BB want to share by chance?

I second the Urd suggestion. I love nag champa and Urd is an instant favorite for me. As long as you like the smell of grapes you should love it (on me the grapes disappear as it dries, but there's a period where it's very much muscadine grapes and incense). Cairo, eh? I may have to look into that myself.

That's pretty weird. But weird in a good way, which is better than weird in a bad way. Now if only someone could answer the mystery of what's in Malkuth that's making me all hivey...I emailed the Lab and Kennedy's as mystified as I am about that and the sweet aquatics. I guess it's just one of those things I won't ever have an answer too, but damn am I ever curious. I just love knowing what I'm allergic to for no other reason than to know.