Blogs

Halloweenies! (and more)

ZOMG! My first BPAL Halloween, and everything is so awesome! I'm so happy about the Sleepy Hollow scents. It's always been a favorite story of mine. I've already placed an order.... Ok, I went a little crazy here, but managed to hold off a *tiny* bit. Harvest Moon Hellhound on My Trail Chant d'Automne Huesos de Santo Samhain 2008 Sugar Skull 2008 Brom Bones Fearful Pleasure Gunpowder Ichabod Crane The Hessian of the Hollow The Witching Time of Night I really want the Pumpkin Patch, and a few others too, but I'm hoping I can pick those up sometime between now and November. My wallet's already crying here. I can't wait to try these! Also, looks like I should be getting the CnS for an order I placed on 8/4 soon too, to wit: 5mls Mme. Moriarty Dracul Crowley Imps Queen of Sheba O Perversion Dee Sudha Segara No. 93 Engine The Antikythera Mechanism Severin Black Phoenix Loviatar Cockaigne Cthulu *Cough* So um, yeah. Bad Cam. Think I'll be holding off on the Pumpkin Patch, etc. (or anything else) until October or so... unless the Gaiman lockets go live between now and then...

August 15, 2008

Machu Pichu

Wet, it's a very hot, humid, tropical floral scent with something very earthy mixed in. As it dries down, my skin really begins to amp the amber. It becomes less tropical and takes on a more perfumey scent and ah yes, there is the powder making an appearance. My wonkychemistry strikes again. I think this would be lovely in my locket, so I'll try that before deciding whether or not I need a bottle. It's doubtful because I can really see reaching for my Caliban or Manila before this when I need something hot and summery, but we'll see.

August 13, 2008

Mr. Nancy

I've had this for a long time now. (I believe I got it when it was first released) I never really tried it (I don't think) because not long after I got it I got pregnant and omg, the morning sickness kicked in. So I kept going back recently, sniffing the bottle and thinking, ewww...this is going to be way too sweet, why did I keep it? I am so glad I did! Wet: A fizzy, sweet lime drink. Oh wow, this is yummy though I'm not sure I want to smell like this for long. Drying down: mmmm.....it calms down. The lime goes into the background and out comes this sweet spicy slightly boozey cookie scent. I'm not a foodie person but this smells awesome. Dried: It's a spiced sugar with just the barest hint of tobacco. I love this and I'm sooooo happy I never got rid of the bottle. I have a feeling this will get worn a lot once the cooler weather rolls in. ETA: As it dries down further a bit more of the tobacco comes out, but in a good way. It really balances out the sugar to keep it from becoming to sweet.

August 13, 2008

Pontarlier

In the imp: Lightly sweet, herbal greens. On wet: Lilac, green things touched with mint, a smidge of sugar Drydown: Hmm...the lilac (or the rose?) has gone a bit powdery. The floral contingent is quite strong, and more prominent than the fresh, green base (which is slowly disappearing the longer I sniff), the lavender, or the currant (it's finally decided to make an appearance - yay!). After about 10 minutes, it's become this really interesting, multi-layered scent - it's still pretty floral around the edges, but almost warm and lightly spiced at the center. Reminds me of a complex, high-end perfume now - but a really, really nice one. Overall: Not a usual scent for me - it's a bit too classy/perfumey for my taste - but it's lovely all the same. 3/5

August 13, 2008

The Grindhouse

In the imp: Sweet - almost creamy - wood. How odd! On wet: Nothing beyond an indistinct, vaguely perfumey sweetness - weirder and weirder... Drydown: Okay, I'm getting red musk, the richness of the vanilla - perhaps even a bit of the magnolia, which often registers as a creamy, vanillic floral my nose - and a hint (and I mean *hint*) of clove adding a touch of spiced heat to mix. Not sure if it's the mimosa or the iris (which I usually love), but something in here is *incredibly* sweet - like, painfully so. It seems to burn off a bit after a while, but wow, is it ever potent! When my wrist is safe to smell again, I'm left with clove-studded, vanilla-tinged, still-fairly-sweet red musk. It's really quite sexy! (The rose never made an appearance, in case you were wondering.) Overall: Clove rarely plays nice on my skin, so it was kinda surprising to find it behaving in this blend. I'm thinking that it was the mimosa that went uber saccharine (I had a similar reaction to the mimosa-laced Marianne), so I'll likely be avoiding (or at least wary of) scents that contain it in the future. If it wasn't for the sweetness, I'd likely be going for a bottle of this one with the next update (I don't have anything with clove in it, so it'd be nice to finally get something that does), but as it stands now, I'm going to stick with my decant a bit longer, test it again, and see if it improves or my chemistry is more welcoming over the next couple of weeks. Currently, a 3.5/5.

August 13, 2008

CnS!

Just got the CnS for my first order from Black Phoenix Trading Post: Triple Dagger Yoga Pants Brimstone Locket Eeek! Got the CnS last night, so it should be here by Friday or Saturday I think.

August 13, 2008

Chaos Theory IV - 467

CDLXVII - 467 In the bottle: Light caramel, possibly some kind of wood, a fruit - maybe apple - underneath. On wet: Caramel-dipped fruits! (Plum? Apple?) Drydown: PLUM! Lightly glazed with the most delectable caramel-tinged syrup. There's still a hint of incense/wood underneath, some musk (red?) - maybe even the tiniest smidge of patchouli. I smell incredible right now, and I can't *wait* to see how this scent ages! Overall: I'm not a foody person *at all*, so I was a little scared when I opened this (extremely full!) bottle, and got a whiff of caramel. Thankfully, it's not only the lightest caramel I've ever smelled, but the plum/musk/woods are strong enough to keep this blend firmly out of the foody category. An amazingly warm, sweet, *sexy* scent - another winner!

August 12, 2008

Chaos Theory IV - 339

CCCXCIX - 339 In the bottle: Fizzy grapefruit and...lilac? On wet: Grapefruit or lemongrass, but it's almost powdery - reminds me of the pith. No other notes are coming through at this stage - it's like citrus SN! Drydown: Oh wow, this is gorgeous. The grapefruit has backed off a bit, and is mingling with something so delicate and watery (not aquatic, just a cool, green, moistness) - I'm guessing it's aloe. I still think there's some lilac in here, too - it's soft and gentle, but riding the edge of the scent, giving it just enough creamy sweetness to round things out. That powdery vibe (which is almost gone now) has me wondering if an orchid snuck into the mix somewhere along the line... Overall: This is a fantastic blend - very reminiscent of Whitechapel (which I )! I will definitely be keeping *and* wearing this scent - it's perfect for me!

August 12, 2008

Ladon

At first this is a very sweet, soft apple. As it dries, something slightly spicy and just a teeny bit sharp (dragons blood?) comes out. As it dries further it is very pretty, though a bit top close to a hair product I used to use (that smelled wonderful btw)., then my skin just eats it up. Very pleasant, if not really me.

August 12, 2008

Faeu Boulanger

In the imp: Sweet, misty violets...and something almost minty? On wet: I hate saying this but...household cleaner! A *good* cleaner, mind - like method or one of the other enviro-friendly brands that makes pretty smelling stuff - but still, not what I was looking for. ::crosses fingers for a morph on the drydown:: Drydown: I'm still getting cleaner in the background (but I'm willing to admit that this may be because I'm actually sniffing around for lingering traces of it). On top is an almost effervescent perfumey-ness - very bright, very sweet, and almost kind of delicate. The words "sparkly" and "fresh" come to mind. The violets are alive and kicking, I'm still able to detect a whisper of mint, and nothing even remotely "boggy" has crashed the party yet. Overall: Not as strongly violet as I'd hoped for, and a bit too aquatic/sweet for my taste, but definitely a nice scent. A good choice for warm weather, going to work, or hanging with friends - very wearable. 3/5

August 12, 2008

Marianne

In the imp: Mmm...smells very similar to Mme. Moriarty! Sweet and musky and fruity. On wet: A much higher-pitched sweetness than Moriarty - due to a lotus-y culprit, methinks. Drydown: Sweet-sweet-sweeeeet! And kinda perfumey, too. The musky, fruity aspects of the blend are great - and even the usually-awful-orchid is behaving - but this uber sweetness (lotus *and* mimosa? Not familiar with the latter to know) just isn't working for me. Overall: With only a scant few exceptions, BPAL's mega sweet stuff doesn't seem to jive with my chemistry, my nose, or my health (headaches! tummy aches! toothaches - seriously!). Marianne isn't making me queasy, thankfully, but I think wearing it in full force for most of the day, rather than just the wee test spot I've got going on right now, definitely would - it's just that heady and sweet. For anyone who wanted a kick of candy in their Moriarty, this scent's for you! 3/5

August 12, 2008

Plunder

OMG, I have no words. This is the perfect spicy blend for me. I have always looooved clove and cinnamon. On me this has an almost clove cig. scent, but without so much of the tobacco. It has a touch of sweetness w/out being foody. I am absolutely in love! It does tend to stay fairly close to skin, so I think I'll wear it on my skin and in my locket. It's also great to layer with when you have a scent that needs some extra spice. I have a feeling this will be my regular autumn scent.

August 12, 2008

The Contract of Theophilus of Adana

The Contract of Theophilus of Adana: Parchment, Siamese benzoin, infernal incense, red musk, brimstone, and daemonorops. In the imp: a clean scent? I can't really pinpoint anything. On me: I'm usually a sucker for incense, but this just didn't go incensey on me like I was hoping. I smell like old crumbling parchment that has been locked up in a dusty library with some very stale incense traces. It's not awful, but not something I enjoy smelling like either. I usually love red musk, where is it hiding?

August 12, 2008

Satyr

Ok, so I knew this wouldn't be for me so I had hubby try it. It smells like leather, cinnamon, clove. rotted hay, and butt. Seriously. It smells like someone is tryint to cover up a funk with something really nice. Hubby said it reminds him of the horses at Busch Gardens. It was almost good.

August 12, 2008

Priala, The Human Phoenix

Oh wow. wow wow wow wow wow wow wow I doubt I would've tried this, but luckily I got a frimp from a super sweet someone. At first it is warm with a light insense feel to it, but then it starts to sweeten and the spice comes up. It's smokey and spicy and sweet and sexy all in one. I love that it has a touch of sweetness without being foody. And thankfully, my wonky skin chemstry keeps this beautiful and it doesn't go all wrong on me. I can't wait to try it in my locket and I will most defnitely be getting multiple bottles of this one!

August 12, 2008

Why?

I ordered a bottle each of SGA, Schwarzer Mond & Lune Noir on 7/28, a few minutes after they went live. So why are people getting C'n'S for orders they placed on 7/31, and I still don't have mine? It's not fair! Okay, /whine. It seems like PayPal orders are processed more slowly than CCNow orders. At least, the orders I've placed through PayPal so far have not been shipped nearly as quickly as my CCNow orders (particularly this one).

August 12, 2008

Crossroads & Fruitcake

CROSSROADSThe forks of the road: an in-between place, sacred and tangibly magickal in innumerable cultures and faiths. This scent is dark with mystery, taut with power. A chill twilit garden of blooms over dry earth and mosses, heavily laden with incense and offertory herbs. In the bottle, this smells so lovely. Florals, but not in the super-sweet way that I don't like, herbs and incense. Yay! Unfortunately, on me it just turns to soap and a perfume-y smell that's not very nice. Oh, well. FRUITCAKEUnreleased gift-with-purchase, December 2007. Received this as a frimp with a swap. In the imp and on wet, it smells exactly like fruitcake. On wet, the alcoholic note of fruitcake is particularly strong. As it dries, that softens up a bit and it's this lovely, boozey-fruity scent. I like it.

August 11, 2008

The Illustrated Woman

The Illustrated Woman: Skin musk, smoky vanilla, pine pitch, patchouli, Indian resins, golden honey, and tobacco. In the imp: Honey pine? Not sure about this one...I tend to turn pine into Pine-Sol! On me: Oh this works!!!! The skin musk and honey pop on my skin and blend so beautifully!! The vanilla is right under them, with some resins to keep it company and give the honey a bit of spicey kick. The pine fades away, although I do occasionally get a whiff of a teeny bit of pine, no Pine-Sol though - thankfully. This is an absolutely lovely blend and I most definitely need a bottle.

August 11, 2008

Ashlultum

Ashlultum: Babylonian musk, vanilla tea, tonka, tobacco, coconut, hyssop, and lilac. In the imp: light and pretty On me: Not my usualy type of scent but it's gooooood! The musk, vanilla, and coconut are absolutely gorgeous together!! Toss in some herbiness from the hyssop and a little floral softness and I was smelling myself all day. There also seemed to be some honey in this, to my nose anyway. I like!

August 11, 2008

The Blockhead

The Blockhead: Rusted metal, leather, and a pop of pink bubblegum. In the imp: Bubblegum!!! On me: This ended up smelling a lot like Jailbait on me. A whole lot of bubblegum and a bit of a metallic quality that makes it smell like the soda: Materva. It had a very light throw and my skin swallowed it up, so for this kind of scent I'll stick with Jailbait.

August 11, 2008

L 'Heure Verte

L 'Heure Verte: Spilled absinthe, scorched sugar cubes, opium smoke, lilac blossoms, and rose water. In the imp: Not sure about this one, it smells a bit like licorice. On me: I still get some licorice, but it gets rounded some out by the opium and lilac. An interesting scent, but not memorable or extraordinary.

August 11, 2008

Knucklebones

Knucklebones: Black musk, bay rum, lime fougere, orange blossom water, gin, and tobacco. In the imp: light and fresh? Huh? Good for hangovers, I think. On me: Oh this is lovely!! Bay rum works so well with my skin chemistry!! Citrus usually ends up sour on me, but not this one. I get a lovely bay rum/lime mix and a bit of musk in there too. This is not at all what I expected this scent to be, but I am loving it!! It's also got a pretty good throw and awesome staying power. I've had it on all day and have not needed to reapply.