Penance

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.

Graveyard Dirt's label has a gray border and "RIP" in an unusual font. It's cute in a Nightmare Before Christmas kinda way.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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

I think this is how it's pronounced:

Ten-NOCH (with a ch like cheese) tit-LAN. That's how someone on a travel documentary said it anyway.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

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.

You're welcome!

I never would have thought to look for it myself except I remembered reading it somewhere around here before.

Oh, also...I don't know if you saw this thread, but it discusses the Perversion/coconut question and it appears Beth says there is coconut in it (look toward the middle of the thread):

Does Perversion have coconut in it?

I knew I'd read about it somewhere...

EDIT: Spelling.

Well, I don't smell coconut in it and it's not listed in the notes, but honestly I can't say...if you think there's a chance that it does and you can't get definite confirmation from the Lab, I'd say maybe it's best to avoid it.

Of course, I know Beth's got a lot on her plate right now, but I PM'd her about Snow White and whether there was almond in it in spite of the lack of almondy evil in the description around the time when the last batch was shipping (a long time ago, I know) and she was really helpful, so you could try that.

God, I hope I'm not going to swamp her by saying that...

I don't know that anyone can answer this, but I'm dying to know why this is...

I'm allergic to BPAL's "sweet" aquatic scents...I don't know if anyone else has noticed that some of the aquatic scents BPAL makes are kind of sweetish...sort of like sugar water or watermelon and aquatics while the others are strong on ozone or have citrus, but whenever I wear the sweet ones I break out in hives like you would not believe.

I'm curious as to what it is in them that's causing the reaction. It's strictly limited to the "sweet" aquatics as I call them. Thunderbird doesn't do it, Storm Moon doesn't do it, Water of Notre Dame doesn't do it, but something like Sea of Glass does. Bad.

I'd love to find out what's in there that I'm allergic to so I can avoid it, but I can't figure it out for the life of me.

ETA: Also, I'm seriously allergic to something in Malkuth. The instant it hits my skin it raises huge red welts and they hurt like you would not believe. I'm not allergic to cinnamon (which Malkuth smells like it has), so I don't know what's causing it...anyone have any ideas?

I'd say Wrath and Three Witches are pretty different.

The dragon's blood is really pronounced in Wrath and Three Witches is extremely spicy.

Personally I think The Heirophant is a decent replacement for Three Witches. They're not perfectly similar and it may be a skin chemistry thing, but they're close enough to get me through the interim.

Origin:

The Pumpkin King circular swap.

First sniff:

Wow, I like this! Cinnamon and wood of some sort. I don't know that I'd wear this, but it's interesting and quite nice.

Wet on skin:

Some kind of dry wood with a light dusting of cinnamon over top of it. It's a sort of less intense, less spicy relative of Three Witches. I like this a lot.

Dry down:

Spicier than it was when it was wet, but otherwise the same. I'm surprised I didn't try this before...assuming I could have gotten ahold of some, that is.

The bottom line:

Vaguely reminiscent of potpurri, but I like it.

I can't believe this doesn't have a topic already...weird.

Origin:

The Pumpkin King circular swap.

My impressions:

Cinnamon without smelling like a craft store or potpurri. I definitely recognize this from Three Witches. It's an almost musty smelling cinnamon, more like cinnamon sticks than red hots (i.e. realistic instead of fake). I like cinnamon a lot, but I can't see myself wearing this on its own. It's definitely nice, though.

Origin:

The Pumpkin King circular swap.

Preconceived notions:

I've been looking forward to trying this blend for a while now, both because people said it was cinnamony and because of the purpose (I could really use a windfall right about now), so I'm excited to get to try this.

First sniff:

Cinnamon and something I can't quite place...orange, maybe? It smells a little like orange, but I can't really tell with the cinnamon in the foreground. Either way, this reminds me both of Christmas and Constant Comment tea (although it's normally cloves that remind me of Constant Comment).

Wet on skin:

I'm fairly certain that is orange I'm smelling here. It's very nice and warm smelling. Comforting. It's less spicy than it was in the imp, but I still like it. The question is whether or not it works.

Dry down:

Cinnamon and orange. It smells vaguely like potpurri, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I haven't gotten any beneficial effects from this, but who knows...it could just be that it needs more time to work. Either way, I still like it.

The bottom line:

Can't say for sure whether it works, but I can say it smells good.

Origin:

The Pumpkin King circular swap! Thanks, QS!

First sniff:

Mmm, this is what I wanted from Jack. Whereas Jack makes me a little queasy for some reason and smells a little funny (and not like pumpkin, really), Pumpkin King smells like...pumpkin and lacks all of Jack's stomach-turning properties. This is soft, mellow pumpkin with a hint of spice. I really like this. Beautifully autumnal.

Wet on skin:

Now that is bizarre...when I put it on, Pumpkin King morphs into...Scarecrow! That is too bizarre for words. There's no pumpkin, no spice, just slightly scorched smelling straw/corn stalks. This is dead-on identical to Scarecrow on me at this point, which makes me wonder if they share a common ingredient that's getting thrown out of whack by my skin chemistry since Scarecrow is turning nasty on my skin lately in the same way that Pumpkin King is.

Dry down:

The pumpkin's slowly making a minor comeback after masquerading as Scarecrow, but the scorched straw smell is still there in the background. In a way, it's a good thing this went crazy on me...at least this way I won't be lusting after it anymore.

The bottom line:

Lovely in the imp but a disaster on my skin. I'd say this was a blessing in disguise.

Origin:

Lagniappe from the Lab!

Preconceived notions:

I've been curious about this one, but never got around to ordering it because there weren't any notes listed and I'm quickly learning that I've got several scent allergies, but since the Lab chose to gift me with this I fully intend to try it out.

First sniff:

How odd...I don't know what flower this is, but it's familiar. When I hold it far away from my nose, it smells like honeysuckle (something I'm noticing more and more in BPAL - the way they smell different depending on how far away you are) but up close it's...sort of astringent, smoky and fruity but definitely floral. This one's lost on me since floral notes aren't my forte.

Wet on skin:

I know I've smelled this before, but I can't remember what flower it is. It's one that I've only smelled in BPAL scents and never in nature, I know that much, but I can't remember what it is and it's somewhat annoying. It's definitely a unique floral and definitely not me.

Dry down:

Smoky, slightly astringent flowers. I keep thinking of Black Dahlia when I smell this although I don't think they're really similar...something about this just reminds me of Black Dahlia because I remember it being referred to as smoky and floral.

...Okay, there's rose in here, too, for sure. It's suddenly just popped up out of nowhere and its really making itself known. Unfortunately, I don't like roses, so this is even more definitely not for me now.

The bottom line:

Totally not me by any stretch of the imagination. This would be better for someone with a penchant for florals, especially rose.