Chaos Theory

[Lady_Ell]

Each bottle of Chaos Theory is truly unique, a fragrant fractal, and exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct. Each bottle is numbered, and comes with a small parchment certificate.

I have Chaos Theory XXI. It's COCONUT and maybe a little chocolate and maybe a little honey and something that's warm and wraps-you-up, like dulce de leche or something. It's similar to Perversion, but w/o the leather and tobacco. I looooooooove it! It's really perfect for me.

I can't believe something so perfect for me would come out of such chaos, though. I think that my bottle really wanted to be with me and snuck it's way over to where my order was being packed and jumped right in.

[Astarte]

I have the pleasure of having Chaos Theory XXVI, my imediate thought on opening the bottle was "Crap I've just spent $19 on a bottle of Olbas Oil". So I dubiously put some on and prayed to God something miraculous would happen, and it did!

 

It passed through three stages, firstly was the Eucalyptis stage, then it went through into a sharp white floral and finally settled into the most perfect and true white musk scent a person could ever wish for, being ultra clean from the minute traces of eucalyptis oil present with a underlying white floral.

 

Only this morning I was thinking that the one thing I would love to see more of in Black Phoenix are more white musk scents which aren't foody or fruity (they always make me feel a little nauseous) and I got my wish

 

Damn you Chaos Theory!

 

[edited 1 hour on: Wow, this has settled down into a slightly sweet white musk (not warm/fooody but sweet), this is exactly how I pictured Snow White before trying it, this chaos theory has been such a journey!]

Edited September 6, 2004 by Astarte

[Emu Nymph]

I was blessed with Chaos Theory XXXIII.

 

In the bottle it smells all buttery/butter scotch like. Kind of like Hellcat, but yet there's something under it, flowers? Like Hellcat decided to roll around than take a nap on a bed of light flowers.

 

Wet on my skin the buttery goodness seems to run away, and all that it left is a honeysuckle, carnation, jasmine sent. Very sweet, spicy and light.

But as it settles on me the butter scotch comes back with what seems like maybe a dusting of jasmine. And that’s the way it stays. It’s very yummy making my want a nice glass of mead, a carameded coffee or hot coco or maybe some butterscotch candy and lay out in the sun. This would make a great lotion. So I’m going to get some unscented Shea Butter and add some Chaos. This is just such a nice sent; it’s got the coziness of the homey/butter/butterscotch and the lightness of the flowers. I can only hope my other bottle lives up to this one.

[xoe]

I got Chaos Theory XXXVI and I'm afraid it's an instant headache scent for me.  My first thought was that there was something floral in it, but then I realized it smelled very familiar, like something I had recently tried.  And then, I realized it's very similar  to Old Glasgow which also gave me an instant headache.  I think there may be moss in it, though I'm not sure if it's Spanish Moss or Irish Moss or if I'm mistaking something floral for moss.  Anyway, I'm going to have to swap or sell it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I bought Chaos Theory XXXVI from the overly generous Minilux

 

It is a fizzy dark purple. If there really was such a thing as the Wonka Fizzy Lifting Drink and if it was sort of grapey/berry flavored. And it does have a bit of a moss smell underneath. Like maybe you found an old crate of Grapelberry Fizzy Lifting Drink in a shed in an extremely humid environment.

 

It is GORGEOUS.

[grrrlennyl]

bottle XI

 

at first: this is beyond beautiful. i haven't the slightest clue what is in it, but it reminds me a bit of tushnamatay. i think i get a whiff of alcohol (not the drinking kind), but it disappears pretty quickly. i'm so glad i got this one!

on: lovely. a bit sweet and a bit powdery, with a soft floral surrounding it.

1 hour later: still beautiful. a little sweeter.

2.5 hours later: lighter, but still holding on. the scent itself isn't changing much, which is wondering. i love this!

4 hours later: lighter still, but the scent is the same. i should have slathered this one on.

overall: how did beth know to send me this chaos theory? i am in love. i'll be sad once i use it up, but at least tushnamatay is similar.

[allamanda]

Chaos Theory XX

 

When first applied rum and almost caramel, but without the intense sweetness. This is making me think of ice cream, interestingly my husband also said, “ice cream” when he suffered the obligatory wrist under nose

 

As it dries I can detect a woody note in there, I think cedarwood although I’m not positive.

 

I’m not a rum lover and cedarwood often does strange things on my skin, but I am really enjoying this scent. It is quiet, interesting, on me not masculine, not too sweet and just generally lovely.

[allamanda]

Chaos Theory XXXI

 

When first applied I immediately think of Kitsune-Tsuki and Black Dahlia. I’m guessing plum, orchid, and maybe jasmine.

 

As this dries I’m catching a whiff of mint and I believe musk, possibly also a touch of leather and tobacco!! Either my nose is even more weird than usual or there’s a heck of a lot of ingredients in this oil.

 

After wearing this for quite a while it is rich, elegant and slightly decadent. There could be something alcoholic in the mix that makes me think decadent! It really is special, totally gorgeous.

[fairywingmaker]

My Chaos Theory is number LXXXV. This is the most complex scent I've tried to breakdown. It's gorgeous...

 

This starts out with a faintly aquatic note. As it dries a very light floral starts to rise to the top, gardenia (I'm thinking this because it reminds me very much of Old New Orleans but not as sweet)

 

The longer I wear this a very light spiciness comes up. Carnation, with a light myrrh undertone.

 

This a beautiful dreamy soft scent. Floral with spicieness!

[blackrayne]

Chaos Theory CXXIII here -

 

Out of the bottle, and first wet thoughts. Orange. No, tangerine. No, mandarin. Very juicy, very sweet.

 

After five or so minutes the wonderfully juicy citrus mellows out and something a bit darker comes out of hiding. Not sure what the exact note is, though it is a bit smoky.

 

It's been close to an hour now, and it is definitely smoky, slightly floral, barely citrus. Not sure if I thoroughly like it... I loved it when wet, but the dry version seems to be aggrivating my sinuses.

[hypothermya]

Chaos Theory, Fractal Fragrance XCI (91)

 

Guess Description: The scent of monsoon season -- Lemon verbena and neroli splashed with aquatic notes, with the slightest hint of anise.

 

First Impression

Citrus. No, not just citrus -- this is lemon verbena. For sure. It almost smells like a dead ringer for June Gloom. But there's something else in there that's throwing me off a bit...

 

Wearing It

 

Yep -- it's got lemon verbena. But it's actually lighter on my skin than June Gloom, which smells more floral than anything else. And there's this odd bit of scent coming up...the same scent that was nagging at me when I sniff at the bottle... At first I thought that maybe it was vetiver? But that's not right... I think this is anise. Must be. Just a faint licorice smell underneath the green lemon.

 

Not knowing what's in here is killing me! I keep reapplying little bits and sniffing at it more... There's a cleanness to this smell that keeps at me. I really think that it's got aquatic notes in here as well -- that must be what's reminding me of June Gloom...the aquatic notes, not the florals. And I suspect that there's some neroli in here (something about it that reminds me of Phantasm and Venom...).

 

Gah...I wish my nose wasn't so stuffy today. I guess I'll have to give this another shot to see what else I can sniff out.

Edited September 13, 2004 by hypothermya

[Ina Garten Davita]

Chaos Theory Fragrant Fractal XCVIII (98)

 

First Impression: Melon, chilly melon.

 

Second Impression: This blend reminds me a bit of The Unicorn, Titiana and Shattered with melon binding it all together. Unfortunately those three blends didn't work for me and melon does not do good things on my skin.

 

Final Analysis: It was a wonderful concept and I'm thrilled to have gotten a chance to order and try this blend. I have found it a new home with blackrayne and I hope she loves it.

[Ina Garten Davita]

Chaos Theory Fragrant Fractal XXI, from the generous heart of Lady Latemar

 

First Impression: Juicy coconut water and tangy lime verbena.

 

Second Impression: Oh.My.God. This is divine. It's juicy and tangy and creamy at the same time, like a wonderful frozen virgin cocktail served to me by a waiter in all white as I laze on a secluded palm lined beach. There are also cocoa butter notes and the barest touch of a tropical bloom.

 

Final Analysis: I'm over the moon to have an imp of this treasure in my clutches. I will enjoy every drop of this and mourn when it's gone.

[clover]

Chaos Theory CVII (but the cool thing is that because of the lines on the label, the cvll on the label looks like "evil". Hehe. )

 

Upon opening the bottle: Huh - it appears that I have a mislabeled bottle of Blue Moon.

 

On first application: Ok, mix that Blue Moon up with some tropical fruits....coconut, banana, pineapple, cherry. Very interesting...

 

After a few minutes: Yup, it's a slightly fruitier, warmer version of Blue Moon alright. It's tropical, but with that cool as a cucumber, pale floral base.

 

A few minutes after that: Ooh, it's rounding out...I think it's a little bit of the beloved musk. Don't you just love how musk really pulls a scent together and softens it up? Oh, and there's something boozy there, too!?!

 

Conclusion: It's nice. It's definitely not something that I would normally pick out...but I have a feeling that it's one of those scents that others will like on me more than I like it on myself. I'll definitely be looking to trade a couple of imps, though!

 

Edited for missing letters!

Edited September 13, 2004 by clover

[Mandarin]

Chaos Theory LXV...I didn't expect to get this because I ordered late. Oh, but the label is cute..for a moment I thought it was a watercolor.

 

In The Bottle Mm....what is that? Sharp and clean and yet deeply aquatic..is it pine and vetiver and something else.. Oh, Gods but this is so good. I'm sniffing so hard my nose hurts. There's an edge to it I love, something that just seems to knock the cobwebs loose, and rush like a clear, cold breeze through my brain. There's a hint of something citrusy, too.

 

Wet Mm..that sharpness is still there, and there's a hint of more pine, more green, now. I'm remembering a moment during an SCA event I went to, where the darkness was so deep it was as if some giant had cupped a hand over the encampment, and the wind came rushing clear and cold through the pine trees. There was a hint then of watery scent from the lake nearby and a drift of incense from someone's camp but mostly it was this vast, clean, cold, almost scentless river of air, flowing through the camp, lifting my hair and making my gown flap and flutter in a glorious way.

 

Dry This doesn't have a lot of staying power but that's okay. It's wonderful. It's drying softly, at first the same notes as wet, but now I'm getting a hint of woods, sandalwood maybe, and a sweet whisper of musk. Oh, I love this! I love it! And I am going to be so sad when it is gone! Beth is there any way I can petition you to make this a scent I can buy again?

 

I am planning to add a few drops of this to some unscented lotion I have and so make it last a little longer. I will eke out every precious drop for as long as I can!

Edited September 13, 2004 by Mandarin

[cluna]

Chaos Theory XCVII

 

In the bottle: Carnation in all its spicy glory. There's an undercurrent of...oh what is that? Floral. Orange.

 

On my skin, carnation, with that nippy clove-like bite. This is going to take some getting used to.

 

After about 20 minutes, the spice is starting to disperse. Now, things are getting interesting. Oh. My. God. There is the most magnificent change...Suprise! There's a deep floral in there (orris?) with a lighter floral note (orange blossom?) but I can't quite put my finger on it. A distant aquatic glimmer, like a trickling stream. There's a touch of bergamot, maybe myrrh, with a vague woodiness. I get the sense of walking in a dark forest - the tree canopy is very dense. Every now and then, the sunlight breaks through, and lights my path.

 

This is one deep, spicy scent for sure! Very mysterious. Very alluring.

[Vicious Mistress]

Chaos Theory LXXXVII

I've got to give this an edited review after trying it one more time, because my impression is different from my original review.

 

In the bottle: Cinnamon and spices. Maybe cloves too? Definitely a warm, spicy smell.

 

On my skin wet: Cloves! And cinnamon, but mainly cloves. No burning like a cinnamony scent usually does. There's something else there that I can't put my finger on--something floral.

 

Drydown: After about an hour or so, other notes come out: leather? and jasmine. The cloves are still strong, but I'm beginning to smell the leather and jasmine more now. There was a short period where it smelled like the air after you burn sparklers: metallic and warm and slightly smoky, which I'm thinking is the leather note. It's kind of nice, actually, and I'd adore it on a guy.

 

Final thoughts: I may edit this later, but the scent is staying pretty stable now, or at least what I can smell of it. The cloves/cinnamon adds just a bit of heat to the leather and florals. I said before that it reminded me of standing on the veranda of an old antebellum home with spicy scents wafting in from the kitchen, but this is different. It's more like standing in the back doorway of a kitchen with some spicy holiday clove-and-cinnamon concoction on the stove, and the scents of night-blooming jasmine and the leather of horse tack from carriages carried on the breeze.

 

I'd like this scent if it weren't for the cloves. Heavy cloves scents and I just don't get along.

Edited September 17, 2004 by Vicious Mistress

[Vicious Mistress]

Chaos Theory CXI

 

In the bottle: Sandalwood with something faint but sharp peeping out.

 

On my skin wet: Sandalwood, with an almost aquatic note that's so faint I can barely detect it. I can't decide what the note is.

 

Drydown: Sandalwood. I think the floral may have been a hint of jasmine, but my skin is just soaking it up. The aquatic note is gone also.

 

This would be great for someone who adores sandalwood. It just doesn't smell right on me.

[xoe]

Chaos Theory LXXX

 

Hmmmmmm.

 

......................hmmm.

 

The color of this, if the scent were a color, would be sort of the colors of this board. a sort of grayish purple.

 

I just don't know what to make of this. Definitely floral, possibly sweet pea, definitely some kind of berry. Is there a violet in there? Maybe champagne is in there, maybe not. Some sort of light musk. Something herby too.

 

It smells somehow functional. Like it's to be used somehow. Like it's a good scent to wear when doing something. Like maybe worn by a memeber of the proletariat. I don't know what I mean by that, except to say that I can totally imagine wearing this to a labor union meeting or something. It's down to earth, but not earthy.

 

Oh. Boy. I am not making sense.

If I think of a better way to describe it, I'll come back and edit.

 

*eta. Well I edited, but I didn't think of anything better. Just ... it's difficult.

Edited September 18, 2004 by xoe

[darkling]

I am the proud and baffled owner of fragrant fractal LXXI.

 

In the bottle: Lime. Pure lime. I am instantly disappointed as it smells like the same lime I bought months ago for my oil burner at the craft store.

 

Wet: More lime. Sweet but ordinary lime. It's a good thing that lime is one of my favorite flavors. Lime lollipops = yummy.

 

20 minutes: The lime has become sugary sweet like a lime glaze or a lime meringue.

 

A half hour: Suddenly, the lime is spicy. Wait, floral lime.

 

Finally: This scent is a spicy floral lime. It reminds me a bit of Havisham with a lime twist and a spoonful of sugar.

 

I am not adept at identifying particular scents unles they are blatantly obvious so I will add to this post as I wave my chaotic lime in front of my friends' noses.

[cuervosueno]

I have chao theory LXXXIII

first, I love the idea, and am glad I got it, even though, sadly, the scent absolutely does not work on me.

In the bottle: cherry cough syrup, with something much more appealing down under there. When I first opened my package from the lab, what I smelled was something cherry ciderish, which made me think of lughnasadh, the limited edition I have an imp of from a swap (and am so so sad I didn't get a bottle of!) None of my other bottles or imps smelled like this, so it was from the Chaos theory...

So I put it on....immediate reaction: yikes! cherry cough syrup mixed with anise. anise is one of my least favorite scents, so I wasn't pleased....My friend who was with me said, optimistically, well, it's not THAT bad...but I could see by the look on her face that she really thought it was....

Still, knowing how the BPAL scent's can morph, I left it on. What it turned to on me was pure anise....just like a bowl of the seeds. Nothing else. Now, about 4 hours later, it has a faintly pleasing cherry-ish, powderish scent and most of the anise is gone, but so is most of the scent....

so off to swap this one away, I'm afraid....its just to anisey for me!

oh well.....

[alizarin]

Chaos Theory LXX

 

In the bottle it is a complex citrus, with a distinct grapefruit tone.

 

On me the grapefruit dissolves and dissipates and leaves in its wake a complex scent, warm but light. I can't make out any of the notes, each time I think I've identified one it's gone. A hint of wine, a floral undertone, something spicey dancing around the edges.

 

It reminds me a bit of Kali, or Kali layered over something warmer with an almost powdery tone, but not quite.

 

I like it a lot, though it's going to drive me crazy not knowing what's in it.

 

This was such a brilliant idea.

[MissAnthropy]

I received Chaos Theory XCII (92).

 

I it, very much. But for the life of me, I can't seem to pull out any specific notes.

 

It's very green, anf floral (maybe sweet pea??) and yet wet and watery, too. VERY Fae-ish. I thought I detected some Vanilla in it, but I don't think so anymore. It seems to be very complicated.

 

I wish I could get a listing of what notes are in it, because if anything else in the lab smells even close to this, I WANT IT

 

 

 

-Leslie

Edited September 19, 2004 by MissAnthropy

[friendthegirl]

I got LXXIV.

 

 

This scent doesn't seem to be that complex at all to my nose, which I was a little worried about, as sometimes I can't pick out notes.

 

Anyway, this smells very, very strongly of almonds, with a little cherry and vanilla mixed in.

 

It's a little overpowering wet, but when it dries down it's nice and soft.

 

This is the first BPAL scent that my mom commented on, without me asking her first. As I get in the car she says, "Oooh, that smells good! What is it?!" And this is coming from the person that despises all perfumes.

[lorajc]

I'm wearing my Chaos Theory LXXIII today and I'm absolutely in love with it. I am very disappointed that I can't reorder this. It is a real gem in my eyes. It is cinnamon/candy type of scent. I don't know how else to describe it. It doesn't really smell floral, just sweet and cinnamony. The air conditioning is blasting here at work and I have my space heater and it's heating the oil on me and making this beautiful cloud of Chaos Theory around my work area. It really makes me happy. I am in LOVE with this stuff. I wish I could explain it better, but I can't. I think I own every cinnamon scent Beth makes and this is unlike any of them. It is in a category all it's own.

 

I ended up selling my other 2 bottles of Chaos Theory, as they were eucalyptusy, and one was mint/chocolate with a creamy coconut undertone and they weren't me.

[shadow]

Each bottle of Chaos Theory is truly unique, a fragrant fractal, and exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct. Each bottle is numbered, and comes with a small parchment certificate.

I'm sorry in advance, I suck ass at separating notes and describing perfumes, but I'll give it my best shot.

Chaos Theory Fragrant Fractal C is the one I have. I think the lab is really magical. I've always had this thing about numbers, so to have that particular number made me very happy, in the geekiest way possible.

Then I opened it slathered some on, and my face fell. Grapefruit? Oh no. I just tried Baobhan Sith, and while it was okay, it didn't really work well on me. So I was worried. Not to mention, all I could smell was pith. It wasn't even the actual fruit!

Within 5 minutes, I was grinning ear to ear again. The pith sweetens (my skin tends to do that to everything, it's why I stay away from supersweet scents) and suddenly I'm smelling other things. It reminds me a bit of Blue Moon, it has that light, airy sweetness, without whatever it is that smells like candy.

Final analysis - this actually lasts a pretty long time on me, and it blends beautifully with my skin. It's clean, but not harsh or severe, it's sweet, but not sugary. I think what I'm getting is aloe and orchid, or whatever it is that I associate with orchid in the lab's perfumes. So grapefruit, aloes and orchid? Whatever it is, it's absolutely stunning, and I would say it could very well be my signature scent, only I can never get it again. Beth, congratulations for bringing beautiful order out of chaos.