ivyandpeony

Owie, Teggy! Keep in mind that TAL oils aren't intended for use anywhere on the body unless specifically stated in the description so you are definitely proceeding at your own risk if you use other ones for anointing or scent. In general, whether it's BPAL or TAL, I would be extra careful about putting anything on my throat and forehead unless it was specifically intended to anoint chakras - my skin is hella sensitive in those places. And of course, anyone could have a random sensitivity to some ingredient that's skin safe for 99.94% of the population, so we have that to deal with too. When I have gotten a little burning from Inferno, Jailbait or something else I love that is spicy, my MO is to wash anywhere it touched with soap and cool water, then either apply some unscented lotion if it's mild, hydrocortisone cream if it's still bothering me. Another general thing I thought I should mention - I have noticed more posts lately where people are mentioning severe allergies to certain ingredients, the type that trigger much more dangerous reactions than a mild rash or burning sensation.If you have such an allergy, please do not rely on anecdotal advice from other forum members to protect yourself. The only way you can ascertain whether a blend actually contains an allergen is to ask the Lab directly, by e-mailing them at answers@blackphoenixalchemylab.com. They aren't going to be able to send you a list of all the ingredients for every perfume they've ever sold, of course... You should be able to eliminate some blends by using the search engine on the Lab's website and submit a list to them of some oils you are interested in but suspect could contain the evil allergen. And keep in mind that like so many food products, the Lab's products are all made in the same environment and with the same equipment, so there's a chance that a trace allergen can be found in any product... just sayin'.

This is just beautiful! It reminds me of many things, but it isn't identical to any of them. I thought of Constant Comment tea, of orange pomanders, spice cakes... but none of those have beautiful ambery musk that clings to the skin. The spices in Bakeneko are very nicely balanced, and I had to remind myself by re-reading the notes that cinnamon and cardamom are in there - the effect is more of the spice that you get from a nicely aged amber (I'm thinking Jacob's Ladder 2005 kind of spice). Plus, cinnamon and cardamom can be the welt-inducing twins for me, and no such mischief is committed here. The Satsuma adds a sweet fruitiness with no tart surprises. I'm kicking myself for only ordering one bottle!

I haven't been able to try them all yet, although I've sniffed quite a few. Boomslang I have tried and I adore - it's very rich and spicy, even at this "fresh from the lab" stage. I think I would love Saw-Scaled Viper, but I am afraid to apply it to my skin after reading Andrabell's review - the girl claims she's made of asbestos and she got spice-burn from it. I love the Lab's red ginger note as well as all things spicy, but I'm sorta like the tender underbelly of a toad and I can only imagine what might happen if I slather this one. I might try diluting it (which worked for me with Bengal and Al Sharain). I haven't sniffed Temple Viper yet - but to my nose, Death Adder is hard-core vetiver in the bottle! Then again, my nose is very sensitive to vetiver (and doesn't care for it) and my skin amps it. My rec, if you are going to splurge for a bottle unsniffed, would definitely be Boomslang. It's the most like Snake Oil of the four you are considering, at least to my nose!

Andrabell is right - Beth says she doesn't keep notes regarding formulas, etc. when she makes them, either, so they are truly unique and cannot be duplicated. You may end up finding a GC blend that resembles a Chaos Theory blend, but as received from the lab in their 5 ml bottles, they are in no way rebottled GC scents.

"Hey! You got your chocolate in my Snake Oil!" "And you got your Snake Oil on my chocolate!" Two great smells that smell great together - that's Boomslang. One word: divine. I don't necessarily fall in love with every chocolatey BPAL blend I try, but this was some sort of divine inspiration that struck Beth. I am going to have to order backup bottles of this, or wage a campaign for the Snake Pit to stay forever, or something. It was the first thing I tried from the Snake Pit and it's so good, I am diving in headfirst now. I'm ready to caress all the snakes.

I took your suggestion and added the link to the first post in the new thread about finding BPALs to match commercial perfumes. Thanks for the idea!

Voila! Here's what I found: Top notes: ginger, lychee, marigold, yellow freesia, chamomile oil, sungoddess rose Heart notes: night blooming daylily, white violet, paradisone, lotus flower Base notes: patchouli coeur, oakmoss, exotic woods, skin musk 2000 I used the first link in this thread, which is kinda buried in this section. But the pinned area is already pretty cluttered, so I have avoided adding anything else to it.

Retyped, there's no problem with starting a thread like this - you aren't limited to that thread, although you're free to ask questions there too. Either way, hope you get some good suggestions - I haven't smelled this one in ages. Do you know what notes are in it?

Hi there yakavenger - welcome to the forum! I was just going to mention, you might also want to try sending a PM (personal message) to terrenity, in case she/he doesn't see your post here. There's also an extensive allergy discussion thread in FAQ that may be helpful to you, located here. Anyone with allergy issues that could endanger his/her health beyond a mild rash should not rely solely on the anecdotal advice of members of the forum and should e-mail the lab at answers@blackphoenixalchemylab.com for questions regarding allergens in particular blends. For that reason, I am going to close this thread and request that all discussion of allergy issues be directed to the thread in FAQ.

Roadhouse and Tarot:Temperance have a dandelion note which to me, also resembles fresh hay. I third, fourth, fifth or whatever The Lion - I pick up a sweet grass note from it among the spicy amber.

Bumping this thread - I must be thinking of spring - I think that Garden Path With Chickens has a very fresh, green grass note in it. It's combined with lots of wildflowers and just a hint of something aquatic that gives it a dewy feel, but that green grass hits me every time. I can't wait to order a bottle of this one.

I'm still thinking about how I'd answer your query - but I thought you might want to see this thread. It's not quite the same concept that you are getting at, but the responses quinkel got could be helpful. Ozone and aquatic notes always strike me as cool and aloof... particularly the blends from the Springtime in Arkham Run (Yog-Sogoth, Kingsport, Dunwich, Cthulu...). But I'll put some thought into it. Don't disengage too much, we need you around here. Hopefully this is just in regard to a tiny area of your life!

The civet and the musks that the Lab uses are all plant-based accords. I don't know what is in them (and I honestly don't know that the Lab could/would tell you everything that comprises those without giving up very valuable intellectual property - their best advice would probably have to be to avoid blends containing similar components if you have a reaction to any particular blend). Marietta, it might be worth your time to add allergy testing to your to-do list in addition to an asthma check up, in particular since allergies can trigger asthma. I am allergic to every plant that grows in my area, or so it seems (all hardwood trees, domestic and wild grasses, ragweed, I have a list of the zillion somewhere). But I can say, I don't seem to have ever had a respiratory allergic reaction to any BPAL I have tried, just the occasional itchy cinnamon, cassia or cardamom welt on my wrists.

Mail to the Hillhurst Ave. address should get to the Lab, even though it isn't their current brick and mortar address - they still use it for Trading Post activity and such. I would definitely e-mail Sara in customer service, giving her as much information as possible about your order. I know she will do her best to get to the bottom of it!

Neutrogena's body oil is made of sesame, but it's deodorized - so it doesn't smell like sesame. I always buy it unscented, but I think their scented version smells like their Rainbath shower gel.

The Death of the Gravedigger (from the Salon) has lots of fresh, wet soil smell when it's wet. I'm very interested to see what happens with it as it ages - I love resins and I'm hoping they will peek out more and balance with the dirt. The Premature Burial was very wet and earthy, so much on me that the dirt note overwhelmed all the other notes... so I didn't keep it. But if you love dirt scents, it should be up your alley! My favorite of the earth/soil BPAL blends is Ulalume - I love the lily and wood notes, and the dirt/earth note in this one smells just like wet soil and leaves to me.

Well, you've done it for me now, Andra - I'm going to have to try aged Love Me. Fresh from the lab, Love Me doesn't play nice with me. But if it reminds you of Cauldren? I will gladly bathe in it for experimental purposes!

Toasted sesame oil - the dark brown one - has a much stronger smell (and flavor) than raw sesame oil. You've completely stumped me on this one, Couscous... if I have tried a BPAL with a hint of sesame, it was subtle enough to escape my nose! Then again, the nutty notes in BPAL don't come through as extremely nutty to me. The almond note falls a little more towards cherry to me and the hazelnut note has a little more of an oatmeal smell, if that makes any sense. Toasted sesame is a really nutty smell to me. (Just in case you don't cook much: Sesame oil is extremely delicate, whether it's toasted or raw, so if you decide to pick some up to try in layering combos, store it in your refrigerator. It can go rancid very quickly otherwise.)

I really loved the Cauldren scent (despite Charity's deliberate misspelling ). Sin is the BPAL blend that reminds me of it most - amber, patchouli and cinnamon. A little mod note - I added the Yodelingfish reference to the title with the hopes that it would help attract a little more attention to your topic.

Thagirion (one of the Qliphoth) is my favorite scent with grape - it is really unusual because it's crisp and light, like white grape juice with a hint of vanilla. Titania seems to use the same type of light, white grape note combined with a lot of fruit. On me, Bess seems to have a true purple grape note without any trace of booze, even though the description describes it as "grape spirit." And the fruit in Bordello also seems very grape-like on me, even though it should be a combo of plum and burgundy wine.

I had almost forgotten how much I love Tarot: Temperance until Ah Xia just mentioned it. I might have to rush upstairs and smell it when I finish this post. I get that dandelion note I pick up in Roadhouse, but without the beer. I mean hops. And tons of greenery, wildflowers and fresh air. It gives an extremely natural clean feeling. I don't know why I have this burst of spring fever - this is just the second cold day we've had in Atlanta in a week or more.

I think that The Darkling Thrush has taken over as my favorite violet scent. All the violet lovers out there should take a chance on this one before it disappears! It's different from any other BPAL violet blend I have tried and I love the spicy amber/sweet violet combination. The Bearded Lady is still close to my heart, as is Le Serpent Qui Danse... I think I may like my violet blends a little more over the top and feminine than some of my buds.

First, a wee bit of mod talk: I found an older thread with a similar theme, just different adjectives... I merged it with this one, kept Flowermouth's title & threw in a few of the adjectives from the old thread so we wouldn't lose that earlier discussion. As for the subject at hand, one of the most dark and unsettling BPAL blends I know of unfortunately was discontinued in the great purge of 2004 - you wouldn't think from the notes that Spectre (lilac, tuberose, Lily of the Valley, palmarosa, and white sandalwood) could be so creepy. I have just an imp left and although I love it, I love it in the way that I love a good scare or a good cry. Something about it fills me with a sense of sadness, nostalgia and a little bit of fear. It's the only BPAL blend I've had a strange emotional reaction to.

Garden Path With Chickens will win the hearts of anyone who loves a green floral with a hint of wetness - like the dew on the grass before the sun burns it off. It's the freshest, greenest, springiest BPAL blend ever - it knocked Floral Moon and the Beltanes off their perch for me!

Dabbing on the delicious lavender-vanilla of TKO is a great prescription for better sleep. Soaking in a hot tub of water, inhaling the lavender-vanilla beauty of TKO while your body completely relaxes, is a great prescription for an 8 hour temporary coma. I need enough of these to build a little snowball fort in my guest room, then I can disassemble it one by one for months of restful, delicious sleep. I have to say, the Panacea bombs really have made me appreciate their simplicity. I think I'm tired of cocktailing bright pink bath bombs with bubble bars and chunks of massage bars and half of an extra bath bomb and coming out smelling like a huge pink marshmallow. (Notice I say tired of, not giving up forever ) These are so effective and fragrant, they make my baths enjoyable without having to turn them into a street fair.