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  • Silvertree

    Mod post: No wishlist posts in blogs

    By Silvertree

    Please be aware that we do not permit swap-related content on profiles or in blogs. Please post this content only in the For Sale, Swaps, and Wanted forums, or in the Wishlists topic. ~from Swapping 101  Thanks!
    • 5 comments
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Abstract Associations
 

Dana O'Shee

In Irish folklore the Dana O'Shee are a fae, elven people that live in a realm of beauty, their nobility akin to our that own Age of Chivalry, eternally beautiful and eternally young. They surround themselves with the pleasures of the Arts, they live for the hunt, and to this day can be seen riding in procession through the Irish countryside at twilight, led by their King and Queen. However, the Dana O'Shee are not benevolent creatures, despite what their unearthly beauty may imply. They are vengeful and treacherous and possess a streak of mischievous malice, and many have whispered that their true home lies deep in the shadowed groves of the Realm of the Dead. Hearing even a single chord of their otherworldly music leaves one stunned and lost to the mortal realms for ever, finding themselves prey to the Dana O'Shee's hunt or enslaved in their Court as servants or playthings. Offerings of milk, honey and sweet grains were made to placate these creatures, and it is that the basis of the scent created in their name.   Reviewed 07/31/2007   When I first put this on, there's a burst of dark, juicy, almost overripe cherry that fades almost immediately; if I don't raise my wrist to my nose immediately, I completely miss the phase. After the momentary cherry phase, it immediately settles into a warm, creamy milk and honey scent that is grounded with just a touch of oatmeal. It's not a terribly strong throw, but when I move my hands you can definitely smell it in the air and it seems to last for ages on my skin...I wore this for ten hours without a single re-application. This is the first scent that someone else has noticed on me (without me pointing it out), and I was complimented three different times while wearing it at work today. I would love this as a room scent, too, and I'm seriously thinking of going out and buying an oil burner just for that. It just has a very inviting, comforting, calming feel to it. It's official, Tokyo Stomp now has some stiff competition for the top spot in my growing arsenal.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

Blood Countess

Elizabeth Báthory, also called Erzsébet Báthory in Hungarian and Alžbeta Bátoriová-Nádašdy in Slovak, was the Bloody Lady of Hungary. In order to preserve her youth and loveliness, the brutal and incomparably savage countess captured, tortured and slaughtered innumerable young women and bathed in their blood as part of her beauty regimen. Ah, vanity. Corrupted black plum, smoky opium and crumbling dead roses covered by a deceptive veil of Hungarian lilac, white gardenia and wild berry.   Reviewed 07/30/2007   In the imp I smelled mostly the juicy plum and berry notes that everyone mentioned. On my skin, it went VERY floral almost immediately, and I nearly ran for the bathroom. Heavy carnation or gardenia scents make me gag, and I'm not sure why I stuck this out but I'm so glad I did. The floral stage lasted about 15-20 minutes and then disappeared almost entirely to be replaced with lighter berries, dark, lusty spiciness, and a faint hint of opium and flowers swirling up every so often. And my SO's opinion, well, let's just say that's not appropriate for a PG (or even PG-13) forum! I'm going to assume that means he likes it, too. Oh yes, this is definitely going to be a 5mL purchase. It's so incredibly sensual and sexy!
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

Faith

A huge crowd mills in front of the next stage. You hear the din of their voices, chattering in a Babel’s fall of languages, laughing and buzzing with a strange anticipation. As you get closer, you notice that they are wearing a motley mix of clothing from ages past… all rotting, all in shreds. In the sea of faces, all bearing a similar chalky pallor, some stand out: there is a woman in a threadbare Burgundian gown, a young man in torn breeches and sagging slops, a maiden in a dagged-sleeve houppelande that is splattered with cruor, a snarling Victorian rogue with a battered silk top hat, and a vacant-eyed man in a shredded Confederate uniform. As you make your way through the crowd, you feel cold fingers pluck at your clothing, and the hard, almost glassy skin that you brush against radiates an unnatural cold. You hear tittering sighs as you push through the gathering, and your skin prickles as you feel icy breath upon your neck. Abruptly, someone cries out, and the strange congregation begins clapping a steady rhythm. Their voices rise in a tintamar of ghastly cheers as torches flare to life on the stage. The firelight illuminates a gargantuan, shining black stake in the center of the stage. It is festooned with black ribbons, drooping moss, and viciously-colored poisonous blooms in a playful, grotesque mockery of a Maypole. Two women, clutched tightly in a brutal embrace, spin onto the stage, shaking a tambourine and clacking a hembra in time with the clapping. One is clad in violet, with violet tresses to match; the other is a vision of swirling rose. Their long, waving hair whips in manic arcs as they twirl, stomp, and pirouette around the onyx shaft. The crowd becomes more and more frenzied as the dance reaches a mad crescendo, and suddenly you realize that the two are one: they are conjoined, identical twins, bound eternally at the ribs. The violet sister, caught in the throes of the ritual’s passion, throws her head back and moans. She bares a set of gleaming white fangs and bites deeply into her sister's neck. The rose maiden screams in joy, and returns her sister’s violent kiss as the crowd explodes into Corybantic mayhem. Simplicity and innocence, gleefully despoiled! Hope is sugared rose, Faith is sugared violet. The sisters are inseparable, and may only be purchased together.   Reviewed 07/30/2007   In the bottle this was so yummy and perfect: candied violets and thick powdered sugar icing, innocent and youthful but somehow entirely adult, and I loved it. It started off gorgeous wet, too, but when it dried it turned horribly wrong. It smelled like a Hug-A-Jug, one of those awful pure-sugar drinks, with a faint note of hand soap underneath. I sniff this on my skin and immediately think of Little League games from my childhood. Not something I want to smell like at work or out for the evening.   I passed this one off to the munchkin. If anyone can pull off a childishly sweet scent it's an eight year old, right? Imagine my surprise when she tried it on and the violets deepened, the sugar faded to a bare hint, and she was left with the gorgeous, delicate scent I originally fell in love with. Little monster, I'm sending her out to work to fund her own BPAL habit! *LOL*
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

MB: Tokyo Stomp

Beckons all giant creatures from gargantuan reptiles and humongous moths! These babies are sure to crush everything from dollhouses to shopping malls! Can even be used to summon colossal robots in a pinch! A sweet and crisp vanilla mint!   Reviewed 07/28/2007   When I opened the bottle, all I could smell were freshly baked sugar cookies. It was definitely sweet, sugary vanilla all the way. I love vanilla, but it was way too sweet. The moment it touched my skin, though, the vanilla faded and the mint came rushing forward. I absolutely adore this scent, and it lasts forever on me. Ten hours after I tried it on yesterday I could still smell it if I lifted my arm past my face! My boyfriend swears he smells chocolate in it, but I don't get that from it. Either way, he liked it as much as I did.   I'm going to have to be careful and sparing with this one, even though I love it to death; my skin just grabs this and holds on for dear life and it could very easily get overwhelming. It's definitely a wrists-only scent for me.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

Jabberwocky

And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Come whiffing through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came!   An earthy yet buoyant scent: pine, eucalyptus and orange.   Reviewed 07/28/2007   I got this as a freebie and did not really expect to use it at all because of my first whiff. When I first opened it all I could smell was pure Pine-Sol, enough to make me recoil. I capped it and put it away feeling like my nostrils had been singed!   I'm not exactly sure why I gave it a second chance, but I pulled it out, held my breath, and swabbed some on. On my skin the pine and eucalyptus faded extremely fast. It's changed from my OCD aunt's bathroom floor to a sunny orange grove with a few pines scattered around the borders, and stayed that way for the past three hours. There's not much throw to it, either, so it would be great for close settings when you don't want to overwhelm.   This is definitely a wearable pick-me-up scent; I can see myself wearing this on days when I have to go into work early or I know I'll be staying late.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

Port-Au-Prince

Dark, decadent and incomparably exotic: the rich scent of buttered rum flavored with almond, bay, clove and sassafras.   Reviewed 07/28/2007   In the bottle and wet I loved this: spicy, strong notes of cloves and cinnamon with something buttery and creamy under it. Intoxicating, sexy, confident...and then it dried. *sigh* Dry, it turned into old-lady soap (or maybe old Avon perfume) with a hint of Big Red gum. It smelled like the inside of my great-grandmother's purse. The throw was strong enough that when it went old-lady on me I had to go scrub it off because it was giving me a headache. I tested this on my inner elbow, so maybe this will be different on my wrists or at another time of the month.   I tried it on my mister, and wet it was all cherry syrup. As it dried the spiciness came out, but the cherries held their own. Does this have a peppery note in it? It gave me a pepper feel. The butter rum never manifested. The throw wasn't nearly as strong on him, I noticed. Even if this stays Avon-ish on me, it'll be good for the rare times I can convince the boy to wear scent.
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Abstract Associations
 

First

OK, this is mainly going to be a list for me to keep track of scents I liked and disliked, without needing to search for my reviews in the main forum. I can do more squeeing and ranting, too. If you want to leave suggestions, please feel free!
Rovylern

Rovylern

0
Nia's Blog
 

the rest of the week.

Unit 21: Eclipse. I really want to try this one and it's suitable because this is likely to be the worst unit: uses of the infinitive and the -ing form. DONE. Unit 22: Hesperides DONE Unit 23: Intrigue DONE. This one was so hard that I'm also giving myself an imp of Leanan Sidhe. Unit 24: La Bella Donna della Mia Mente. This is another one I reaaaaaally want to try. The unit isn't bad: the expression of assertion, emphasis and objections. Unit 25: La Belle Dame sans Merci. The topic is not going to be so merciless: expression of cause, consequence and finality.
Nia

Nia

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Review Round-up!
 

Priala, the Human Phoenix

In the imp: Cinnamon-scented bonfire - wooo!   On wet: Sweet, earthy cinnamon. It's making my skin tingle, too! Weird!   Drydown: Myrrh. Burning myrrh. Sweet n' spicy myrrh. I am pleased...except when I catch faint whiffs of something vaguely play-doh-y. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, my nose can't help but wrinkle. I am also reminded - much to my dismay - of a carpet treatment powder my grandmother used to use years and years ago. It smelled really good, too, but I never felt the urge to dab a little behind my ears, if ya know what I mean.   Overall: Big disappointment for me, this one. In addition to loving warm, spicy myrrh blends, I'm a HUGE Phoenix fan (the mythology, the gorgeous art that goes along with it, the X-Men character - hell, even the city!), so I fully expected to add another firebird to my well-stocked stable of Phoenixy scents. Instead, I get grama's carpet cleaner, and another imp for the swap pile. 2/5
furygrrl

furygrrl

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Review Round-up!
 

Gennivre, L'Artiste du Diable

In the imp: Sugared mint tea!   On wet: Mmm...sweet, fresh mint - green and growing. Lovely!   Drydown: I smell like pure honeyed tea leaves! No mint, no citrus (never got any noticeable citrussy notes, though), and the sweetness is more mellow, no longer sugary. It's gone drier, too - hence the tea leaf vibe, rather than the beverage.   Overall: This is quite nice. I rather enjoy all the notes included in this blend, but it's incredibly faint, and only lasted about half an hour on my wrist. If it was a bit more intense, I would definitely go for a bottle. As it stands now, I'll just continue to enjoy my imp. 3/5
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Medicine Show

In the imp: Wow - it really does smell like gingerale!   On wet: Ginger, woodiness, a touch of sweetness, and something else - something almost powdery underneath all the other notes.   Drydown: Boo...it's gone to pure soapy powder! Soap flakes with mixed with dusty plastic, at that - reminiscent of the icky drydown I get from orchid scents.   Overall: I've had this decant for almost two years now, hanging on in the hopes that it would age into something that liked me ('cause I rather liked it!), but, sadly, this has not happened. It's STILL not for me.
furygrrl

furygrrl

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Nia's Blog
 

Internet time-wasting

I've been a very good girl lately. I have been online just the time I needed to check email and read a few of my favourite blogs, and never during study hours. I've earned my first TAL bottle. Now for the second.
Nia

Nia

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Do you have a flag?
 

Favorite Coconut

[see previous entries for what I'm doing here.]   Coconut's a tricky note for me. I like it a lot when it's a minor note in the scent, but when it's a major note sometimes it smells either too much like suntan lotion or like Fruit Loops (generally the fig + coconut combination does that on me). I'm going to try to figure out which primarily coconut scent is my favorite, but my all-time favorite blend that has coconut in it is Snake Charmer (which just has the barest hint).   GCs THAT CONTAIN COCONUT   Black Pearl: Coconut, Florentine iris, hazelnut and opalescent white musk. This one has a lot of coconut in it -- the kind that reminds me of suntan lotion. Blood Pearl: soft orris, blood musk, and coconut. Dry papery orris and a wonderful sexy musk. The coconut rounds out the scent nicely in this one. Brown Jenkins: dusty white sandalwood and orris root, dry coconut husk, creeping musk, and the residue of ceremonial incense. Dry and incensey, with a hint of coconut. I really like that white sandalwood and the cocounut husk. It's light and sweet, dry and hazy. The coconut in this one is light and incredibly gorgeous. Eden: fig leaf, fig fruit, honeyed almond milk, toasted coconut and sandalwood. A sweet, warm, nice scent -- but definitely of the Fruit Loops variety. Elegba: coconut, tobacco and sweet, sugared rum. Very reminiscent of Pina Coladas at first, but when it's dry the tobacco comes out a little. Tropical and sweet. Nice blend. Obatala: milk, coconut meat, shea butter and cool, refreshing water. On me this smells like a cross between suntan lotion and overly creamy coconuts. I know other people love this one, but it wasn't so hot on me. The Sailor's Den: Orris, bay rum, palm, coconut meat, oak wood, tobacco, linen, blue lilac, and leather. Quiet, subdued, and pleasant. The coconut and rum smell very good here. Classy. This is a great, unusual, all-purpose sort of scent. You could wear this anywhere and it would be perfectly appropriate. Shango: red apples, banana, chili pepper, coconut, pineapple, pomegranate and sugar cane. The coconut in this one gives it an extremely pleasant creamy background. I love this scent and have a bottle of it, but I wouldn't call it primarily coconut. It's in the background here. Shoggoth: white amber, green coconut meat, iris, palmarosa, Chinese peony, lime, water lily, snowdrop, muguet, lemongrass, osmanthus, wisteria, glassy musk, and hinoki. The lemongrass in this one killed it for me. My skin amps lemongrass so much I practically couldn't smell anything else.   Also, although not mentioned in the notes list, Perversion definitely smells like coconut to me. I bought a 10ml bottle over a year ago and I've been letting it age (because I read that aging will make the coconut scent die down a lot), but it's still strongly coconut-scented. I've noticed in both Blood Pearl and in Perversion that the coconut scent died out a lot faster in an imp than in a 10ml bottle. I bought 10mls of both Blood Pearl and Perversion after trying imps, and the coconut was so strong in the 10mls that I couldn't wear them. I sold the Blood Pearl bottle a while back because I like Perversion better, but the Perversion bottle still isn't to the stage at which I can wear it yet.   In addition, the Tarot blend The Star and the Qliphoth blend Gamaliel both smelled a little Fruit-Loopy to me, so I think they have some coconut in as well.   Of the GCs, I really like Perversion, Blood Pearl, Brown Jenkins, and The Sailor's Den. I'm having a hard time choosing a favorite between Brown Jenkins and The Sailor's Den, but I think I'm going to go with Brown Jenkins.   LEs THAT CONTAIN COCONUT   Antonino, The Carny Talker: White musk, wild plum, vetiver, black coconut, verbena, fig, and lavender. I forgot to write a review of this before I sold it. Shoot. But I know the reason I sold it was that the verbena was too strong in it for me, so this isn't a "primarily coconut" contender. Carnaval Diabolique: Opium smoke, lemon flower, heliotrope, tuberose, black musk, vanilla, coconut, apricot flower. Whoops, I didn't write a review for this one, either. But also not a primarily coconut one. More of a smoky floral. Creepy: butterscotch-kissed, caramel-smothered red apples spiked with a blast of coconut rum. Nice but mostly apples, not coconut. Dark Delicacies: devil’s trumpet accord, black orchid, tonka, coconut meat, fruit gums, osmanthus, smoky resin, myrtle, and Indonesian patchouli. This is a gorgeous scent, but I don't think the coconut is prominent at all. Death Adder: Snake Oil with vetiver, black coconut, vanilla, and opoponax. Ahhh, this one smells great. Similar to Snake Charmer but with vetiver. King Of Spades: oakmoss, vetiver and opoponax with black plum, wild blackberry, soft woods, sharp and glinting white musk under a soft, velvety robe of vanilla and coconut. I can't remember what this smells like off the top of my head, but I know the coconut isn't pronounced. My husband wears KoS, and he's not very fond of coconut scents, so it can't be very strong at all. Monster Bait: Underbed: Cassia-caked cocoa coconut over angel food cake. I smelled no coconut in this. It was all cassia, all the time. Red Lantern: Golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium and delphinium laced with a sensual blend of Asian spice. This one smells mostly like spicy caramel on me, not so much coconut. Snake Charmer: Arabian musk and exotic spices slinking through Egyptian amber, enticing vanilla, and a serpentine blend of black plum, labdanum, ambrette, benzoin and black coconut. This one's probably my #1 favorite BPAL oil, but I can't say the coconut in it is enough to qualify it for a "primarily coconut" scent. Spooky: warm, buttery rum, cocoa, coconut, vanilla and a jolt of peppermint. This one's a smooth peppermint on me, and not much coconut. Treat #2: fig meat, coconut, and "buttercream bonbon," rolled in orange rind, mint leaf, cardamom, clove and ginger, dipped in milk chocolate. Very much a Fruit-Loopy scent on me.   Also, although not mentioned in the notes, Milk Moon 05 also had a slight coconut twinge to it.   Out of the LEs, I kind of have to pick Treat #2 by default because it's the only one in which the coconut seems prominent. However, I don't like Treat #2 any more than I like Eden from the GC.   Verdict on Favorite Coconut Scent: Brown Jenkins
filigree_shadow

filigree_shadow

1
Extispicy
 

TAL: Energy at the Ready

Tomorrow is the Blogathon. I'll be blogging 24 hours for charity, raising money for the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. From 9am EST until 9am the following morning, I'll be posting every 30 minutes.   Last year, we had a blast, but around 4am I was really fighting the sleep. Cold showers, coffee, slaps in the face. Nothing helped for long. This time, sure I'll still have the coffee and the showers, but I'm depending on TAL: Energy to be my secret weapon.   I've chosen a couple of bright, refreshing scents to get me through most of the day (I'm thinking Ides of March for early in the day, perhaps Sol Invictus later on), but when it comes to that grueling last leg, its gotta be a TAL.
Extispex

Extispex

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Indigo's Blog
 

The Reviews!

Well, such that they are.   I haven't been enabled long, but I am copy/pasting the ones from my LJ:   WOLF'S HEART: Grants courage under extremeconditions, helps overcome fear of death, and strengthens the fortitudeof artists and businessmen, enabling them to further their goals.   I sampled this at the zorathenne party and loved it. I hate the scrip doesn't say what's in it.   In the bottle: warm and sweet.   Wet: A little more flowery and less spicy than I recollected, but still nice.   Throw: Good throw, too. I can smell it even without having my wrists near my face.   Dry down: Went spicy and musky for a bit there, but ooo, that's good too.   Later: Went icky for about 5 minutes, then went back to the warm and sweet from the bottle.   Comment: It wasn't my goal to feel like Eartha Kitt in the leather cat suit, nor to have my carpool buddy grab me and purr/growl at me, but hey. Egoboo is never a bad thing.   Rating: 4/5 -- gonna have to be careful who I wear it around!     Midnight: Night blooming flowers.   Wet: Sweet and floral   Throw: Not terribly strong, but the scent really digs its claws in. I had to wash my wrists a second time after a shower to get rid of the scent before I could try another one!   Dry down: Floral still. But nice. Which is a surprise. I thought it would be overwhelming and cloying, but the people who have described it as "walking through a lush garden at night" are right. It does give off that flowers in the dark feeling.   Later: The floral is undercut with something mildly spicy. I don't know what, but I like it.   Comment: After all the fear of another OMG ORCHIDS EW, it turned out to be delicious.   Rating: 4/5 due to not being able to get rid of it after a shower!     Pele: Whimsical, temperamental, radiant and ravishingly beautiful Goddess of Volcanoes, Fire, Lightning and Dance. She is the Mother of Eruptions and the personification of destructive power. Volcanic eruptions are said to be a side-effect of her jealous rages and her epic quarrels with her siblings are legendary. This perfume embodies her gentler, benign aspect as the capricious Goddess of Dance: muguet and Hawaiian white ginger enveloped by warm, damp tropical blooms.   Wet: I can smell the tropical flowers. It smells like hibiscus. Very nice.   Throw: Practically none.   Dry down: Kinda fades to nothing on me. Disappointing.   Comment: I think florals kind of fade to black on me.   Rating: 3/5 because it fades to nothing. I really like it, but I may have to slather to get any mileage out of it. And I'm not a slatherer, really, by nature.   ULTRAVIOLET: Electrifying,mechanized and chilly -- the scent of crushed blooms strewn on cold metal. Lush violet and neroli spiked hard with eucalyptus and a sliver of mint.   In the imp: WOO! That's mint and eucalyptus all right. Mouthwash that also makes you stop coughing?   Wet: Both those intimidating primary notes have backed down, leaving something slightly floral and spicy. I'd expect that's the neroli. Hmm.   Dry down: Aw, man. It ran away on me like that other scent last week. I can barely smell it at all now.   Comment: Floral. Kinda runs away on me.   Rating: 3/5 due to the fading. See above regarding slather comment.     HIGH JOHN THE CONQUEROR: fast-acting, powerfulscent used to overcome adversity through positive means. Attractswealth, prestige, good health, and enhances others' opinions of you.Grants courage and steadfastness.   In the imp: ... hurk. Gah. Smells like something green that's been sitting too long.   Wet: It's supposed to smell like grapes. It smells like dirt. ALMONDS and DIRT. Yark. I may not be able to make it all day on this one. I'm actively becoming nauseous.   I'M SO DISAPPOINTED, everybody else on the forum says theirs smells grapey and lemony. I'd love to smell like grape lemonade. But I smell like almonds and dirt.   But it's supposed to have courage-enhancing and wealth-attracting properties, and I could use those, so on it stays.   Dry Down: ... about 20 minutes into my commute, it changed. The horrible almonds and dirt smell has gone away, replaced by something I haven't been able to identify. more as the day goes by.   I can't place a finger on the notes at the top now, but they're much, much nicer than the horrors of this morning.   Comment: By the end of the day, I adored it. And ooooh, the reaction out of my male carpool buddy. Worth it just for that effect.   Rating: 4/5 -- the fact that it starts off smelling offensively bad means I have to wait it out for about 40 minutes before I get to the lovely powerful part.   FAE: A brilliant, ethereal scent: white musk, bergamot, heliotrope, peach and oakmoss.     Wet: ...black licorice with sugar? Ooookaaay...not bad, but not a scent I'd immediately have thought to make a perfume from.   Dry down: ...marshmallows?   A bit later: Ooh, there's the oakmoss.   Much later: I smell the musk and the bergamot.   Comment: Lovely. Whimsical. Appropriately named. Keeper.   Rating: 5/5     Y'ha-nthlei We shall swim out to that brooding reef in the sea and dive down through black abysses to Cyclopean and many-columned Y'ha-nthlei, and in that lair of the DeepOnes we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory for ever. A great undersea metropolis located below Devil's Reef. A swirling, lightless,effervescent scent: the deepest marine notes with bergamot, eucalyptusand foamy ambergris.   In the imp: Fresh!   Wet: I'm not sure how to describe it. Kind of green smelling?   Dry down: Didn't get a chance to tell. I got into a car with my coworker, and her Ralph Lauren made Y'ha-nthlei go YIPE YIPE YIPE YIPE YIPE! and I haven't been able to smell it since.   Comments: No muscle whatsoever. Folded for Ralph Lauren. Hmph. Couldn't have had much of a throw, either, but I didn't know about throws when I first tried this one out.   Rating: 2/5     SUSPIRO: A Latin word that means to sigh or draw a deep breath, that alsosuggests longing, desire, yearning, and a passionate wish. Ylang ylangwith white plum, white orchid, jasmine, calla lily and lily of the valley. (Gender neutral)   In the imp: Nice. Sweet.   Wet: o_O X_o x_X BLEH! OMG orchids are the master tone of this one! I mean I knew there'd be orchids, but ...gah.[1]. Not happy orchids. Putrid orchids! Steeeenky. Nononono. Okay, this has about an hour to smell less worse or I am diving for the sink. Suspiro means "draw a deep breath" -- I want to not be breathing this in. Yargh. If I ever want a sick day when I'm not genuinely feeling sick, I can just snorfle this. This is what I get for trusting the other notes would work over the orchid.   Dry Down: Softening back a little. Jasmine is starting to show up, I think. Still too flowery for me, though. I can wear it without the OMG reaction now, but I think Suspiro is destined for the swaps.   Later: About an hour later than my first Dry Down impression -- it's backed off so much now I can barely smell it at all. No staying power, definitely not my thing. I need something that can go all day. Which is too bad. The orchid scent is gone but it took all the others with it. And I got the impression it might've gone nicer on me if I'd given it more time. Yep. To the swaps.   Still later: The scent is back, but OMG now it smells like dotty little old lady.   Comment: This is the kind of Whimsical I can live without. Failboat, one for the Lido deck.   Rating: 1/5 - I don't plan to be a dotty old lady. I don't need to smell like one.       BASTET: Bast, Ubasti, Ailuros, Ba-en-Aset. Represented as both a domestic cat and a fierce lioness, she truly evidences traits of both. She is the Mother of All Cats, Goddess of Sensuality, Fertility, and a guardian and protector of women. She is also one of the Eyes of Ra, and in that aspect is an Avenging Goddess, seeking retribution and punishing enemies of her people. Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus.   In the imp: sweet and spicy. Can't really identify it. I was worried about the almond but i don't smell it at all. There's saffron in this one too, so I'm looking forward to it.   Wet: I think I smell the musk and the lotus. And the sweetness must be my beloved saffron. More as the day passes.   Dry-Down: There's my saffron again. Aaahhhh. Oooooooo. I like the amber-musk undertones too. Lovely.   Comment: Keeper. Wasn't paying attention to the throw.   Rating: 5/5 -- saffron scents make me really happy. Tamora also works like this on me. See below.     Saint Germain: "A man who knows everything and who never dies."   Saidto have lived for centuries, the Comte de Saint-Germain is truly a manof legend and mystery. He was an aristocrat, master alchemist,adventurer, magician, artist, and seer with a lust for exquisitejewels, and was reputed to have attained knowledge of the Elixer ofLife. His knowledge was so vast and all-encompassing that his claim tohave lived hundreds of years - he allegedly knew Jesus and was presentat the Council of Nicea - was widely accepted as true. He is a HermeticMagician's hero for the ages, and his scent is an elegant, timeless,truly refined cologne, bold yet classic: gilded amber, hypnoticlavender, brash carnation and deep mosses.   Wet: Smells green and herbal and masculine, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It must be the lavender I smell, and the moss. The name is what caught my attention because there was a novelist whose main character went by that name. Vampire. It doesn't remind me of the vampire, but it does smell like something a guy would put on.   Dry down: Mmmm, the green and lavender scent has backed off, leaving what must be the amber. Spicy. Intoxicating.   Later: Amber and the lavender has returned a little, mildly.   Comment: Another keeper.   Rating: 3/5   ETA: I'm learning about throws now. It apparently doesn't have much of one. DCMC is one of my snifftesters, and he couldn't smell it on me even when I had an arm six inches under my nose.   Also, it fades quickly.   Tamora, on the other hand, sticks around. I could still smell it the following day until I showered.     Tamora - Illyria - Amber, heliotrope, golden sandalwood, peach blossom and vanilla bean   Wet: Oooo, sweet. Fruit and vanilla together. I smell like a smoothie.   Dry down: Millions of peaches. Peaches for me. Millions of peaches. Peaches for free. I smelled like a giant bowl of peaches. In the syrup.   After all day: Yummy. The peach backed off and left the sandalwood and vanilla bean. I feel like I should be at the beach. It's soothing. Keeper.   Comments: The guys really liked this one, and one of my female coworkers said I smell like a lemon wafer cookie.   Rating: 4/5     PHANTASM: This delicate, spectral perfume givesrise to an eerie distortion of of the senses. It bestows an ephemeral,ghostly, and truly haunting quality to your presence. Green tea, lemonverbena, jasmine and neroli.   Wet: ...what is that? Furniture polish?   Drydown: It's running away. I can barely smell it at all now? Hmm. Slightly milder furniture polish.   Hours later: Dishwashing liquid. Bleah. And then gone. The guys couldn't smell it either.   Comment: So disappointed. I wanted to like this one.   Rating: 1/5   AZATHOTH is the blind, idiot god who sits on a black throne at the center of Chaos. His scent is high-pitched and screeching, both impenetrably darkand searingly bright with the clarity of madness: tangerine, saffron,vetiver, black amber and cedarwood.   Wet: Pepper and pine-sol?! Gah. WUT?! But the peppery scent is enticing, so...   Dry-down: Give it a few minutes, and...gah, air freshener/moth balls. I'm guessing this must be the cedar. Bleah. I do not smell any damned saffron, either. I'd definitely say madness is a good description. This...is...revolting [cue Data quotes here]. But maybe being insane is what I need to face another day at work. I'll give it a chance.   Drying down more: Oooooo, now I smell the saffron. That's not maddening. That's soothing. Still no tangerine, though. And I don't know if I'd know vetiver if it walked up and bitchslapped me.   After all day: I'm just mad about saffron...she's just mad about me... Saffron note wins. It has pretty much outstripped all the other notes, and this wins. Plus, guy-opinion is it works, too.   Comment: Can't tell about the throw. A little disappointed that the other fragrances muscle out first and I have to endure them to get to my saffron.   Rating: 2/5 -- if the saffron were stronger and sooner, it'd be an easy 4.     Black Dahlia   Wet: Oh my god, hideous. Smells like cat urine. Gah. Bleah. Fek! Ptui!   Drydown: I endured that immediate reaction and I'm glad, because the musk backed down within two or three minutes to something spicy and alluring.   After all day: It isn't as relaxing and calming a scent as Languor, but the spiciness is good for keeping one's dukes up. Which I needed after today.   Comment: It was okay. That cat urine reaction at the beginning is enough to make me not want to wear it much, though.   Rating: 2/5     Langour is an imp that was gifted to me at the party. I really like it. Though I haven't worn it since I've been trying a new imp every day.   Rating: I'd say it was probaby a 3/5 because I liked it, it had a good throw -- enough that the little old lady in the fitting room at the JC Penney Outlet asked me what I was wearing because I smelled good.
Indigo

Indigo

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Indigo's Blog
 

The magical properties of BPAL? I believe!

Yesterday, I was wearing Wolf's Heartthe description indicates it: strengthens the fortitudeof artists and businessmen, enabling them to further their goals. I'd buy that. Given the day I'd had. It started out terrible but got increasingly better as the day went on.   The morning was annoying. I was back on the phones getting yelled at by cranky customers.   Then one of the bigwigs at work did the infuriating "I have something to tell you but I can't really tell you so I'll hint at you" thing.   By the afternoon, one of the other bigwigs at work put me back on the schedule I wanted to be on for Friday, doing the work I want to be doing. And starting Monday, for a week, I get to be tried out in a training environment -- the job I've been trying to do since I got to this company.   So, yeah, I believe.     I'm looking forward to wearing Jinx remover TAL and Foundation of Fortune TAL early next week. I may even layer them if the scents seem amenable!
Indigo

Indigo

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Indigo's Blog
 

The Power. The Power!

I've made the two guys who carpool with me serve as sniffie guinea pigs.   So far, I've hit on one fragrance one of them doesn't like [i can't remember which it is -- I can check my LJ and update].   They're politely indifferent or "that's nice/that's flowery" to most of the others.   Last week High John the Conqueror had one of my carpool buddies giving me the eyes and saying I probably shouldn't wear that one around him again. He then went on for a good bit about my boyfriend being very lucky if I wear that around him.   Last night, I was wearing Wolf's Heart, and my other carpool buddy was in the car. I asked him what he thought of it. He took a very long sniff. And then he raised his head and made this face. And he didn't say a word, but just by the expression, I got the feeling of "...how exactly do I explain this reaction?" I blinked at him and waited for him to say something. He reached across my car, grabbed me in a tight hug and purred, "Oh, Indigo" at me.   I blinked some more and said, "I take it this means you like it."   He nodded, said, "Me like," and got out of my car faster than I have ever seen him do before.   This of course will result in a new BPAL MACRO when I'm home in front of my computer. Oh, yes. It will.   This makes the "men are toy mice" part of my personality very, very amused.   And part of me is wondering now if it's safe to wear Follow Me Boy around either of them.   The rest of me is looking forward to seeing if the Voodoo properties make it fun/dangerous.   I think Jinx Remover works too. The days I wore it this week, good stuff happened, or bad stuff stopped happening. I quit wearing it, bad stuff came back. Maybe it's psychosomatic. Maybe not.
Indigo

Indigo

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Diplomatka
 

Adventures in Ethiopian Public Healthcare

I now have an answer as to why I have been unable to eat since my husband went to West Africa: a peptic ulcer.   I awoke Monday with chest pains. Nonetheless, I got ready and (being the Pionerka that I am) went into the office at 8:30. By 10:00, I was doubled over in pain and thought it was a panic attack. My boss instructed one of my Ethiopian counterparts to take me to St. Gabriel’s hospital, less than 2 kilometers from the office and a block from my house. We entered the hospital and explained to the people behind the registration desk that I was having chest pains; they regarded these symptoms with the same urgency they would give an ingrown toenail.   I paid my 60 birr registration fee and was instructed to go and wait in the “waiting area” which consists of a narrow hallway leading to the cafeteria with several worn leather seats and which smells of fried fish and bleach. I sat down and turned my attention to one of the overhead TVs, inexplicably tuned to CNN rather than ETV. After 15 minutes Tamrat (my Ethiopian coworker) told me to go to the nurses’ station where they took my blood pressure and weight and again treated my chest pains nonchalantly. I was given a card with the number 22 on it and instructed to return to the waiting area/hallway.   For two hours I waited among 50 coughing, sneezing Ethiopians to see the doctor. Finally, when it was my turn, the doctor asked me about my symptoms and listened to my chest. When Tamrat left to ask the office about payment, the doctor decided to ask me a series of personal, probing questions Ethiopians can’t help but ask when confronted with a captive ferangi (white person): Are you a worker or a volunteer? How long have you been married? Do you have children? Why have you been married seven years and do not have children? Where is your husband? What is he doing there?   I felt like standing up on his desk and screaming: THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND FOR THE INFORMATION OF EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY, I DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN BECAUSE I CANNOT STAND THEM. I WOULD RATHER LOSE A LIMB THAN LACTATE. I AM ONLY ENDURING THIS ON THE OFF CHANCE YOU ARE GOING TO PRESCRIBE ME SOME VALIUM.   After what seemed like an eternity, Tamrat returned and explained to the doctor in Amharic that my employer would pay because I didn’t have any cash. The doctor took out a photocopied sheet of paper and wrote, “lab”, “EKG” and “observation”. I told him there was no way in HELL I was going to stay overnight, that I would rather die of a heart attack. He scratched out the last word and sent me on my way.   The first thing they wanted to do was the “labs”. I walked into the laboratory which smelled like urine and the technician grabbed two vials. I stood up and walked out. There is not a chance in hell that I would let a public hospital in East Africa stick me with a needle.   The next day, I slept in and went to work about 11:00 thinking that the symptoms would pass. By 3:00 I was about to die: pains were coming every five minutes. I rallied my strength and drove myself to a private clinic near my office. The Israeli doctors gave me an exam, diagnosis, prescription and completed insurance forms and sent me on my way in less than an hour.   A few days after beginning treatment and I am still hardly able to eat and experience excessive pain when I do. An American co-worker had the dickheaded comment, “well, if you wanted to lose weight this would be the way to do it”. It has been the week for dickheaded comments.   So if you, by chance, find yourself in Addis Ababa with a health problem DO NOT go to St. Gabriel’s hospital, especially if you have a potentially life-threatening and time sensitive health problem. Ethiopians are the slowest people in the world and never treat anything as urgent. Consider yourself warned.
Confection

Confection

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Review Round-up!
 

Asp Viper

In the imp: Uber Almond! Yum!   On wet: Nothing but almond at first. A few seconds later, there's a tinge of darkness from the myrrh, a lighter sweetness that I'm attributing to the mandarin, and a delicate slither of snake oil. Mmm, I smell like a complicated amaretti cookie!   Drydown: Snake Oil + something smoky + a weird herbal peanut butter (wtf? where did *that* come from?) = a very strange, almost savoury version of my favourite GC fragrance. Not what I was hoping for, and not a scent I'm enjoying at the moment. It's actually kind of turning my stomach...   Overall: Well, I've found the first Snake Pit scent that doesn't work on me. It had to happen sometime, I just wasn't expecting it from one of my most anticipated combination of notes. A disappointed 2/5.
furygrrl

furygrrl

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Review Round-up!
 

Zarita

In the imp: A fresh, sweet scent - there's an almost dry sharpness to it that reminds me of the white sandalwood in Kuang Shi.   On wet: Mmm...a soft, sweet, unassuming citrus cream.   Drydown: Wow, has this ever gone perfumey! It's reminiscent of a scent I used to wear in high school, but I can't recall which one - Volupte? Tresor? I'm still getting whiffs of fresh orange cream underneath that intense headiness, though.   Overall: Quite a nice blend, even though it's completely different from what I expected. Not something I'll wear very often, but I'll definitely be hanging on to my decant. 3.5/5
furygrrl

furygrrl

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Review Round-up!
 

All Souls

In the imp: Sweetness, a lick of butter, and a sharpness that reminds me of nailpolish remover.   On wet: Hmm...even though this doesn't share any notes with Dr. John Seward (that I'm aware of, anyway), with the not-so-pleasant, sweet, almost flowery-butter thing going on right now, I'm instantly reminded of that blend.   Drydown: Again, as with DJS, the drydown is a vast improvement. The sweetness has deepened and even darkened slightly (it's somewhat plum-esque to my nose), the butter has finally abated, and there's a vague spiciness underneath it all. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but not bad, either.   Overall: Even though I'm not a foody grrl, I was expecting more of a straight up cake scent - an *evil* cake scent, actually, with the addition of the incense. All I ended up getting, however, was a holiday candle-like incense (the fruit and spice combo can sometimes go that way on me) after the icky butter stage. I'm rather let-down that this didn't work on me - not only had I been wanting to try it for ages, I assumed it would become one of my new favourites. Sadly, my skin chemistry says otherwise. 2/5
furygrrl

furygrrl

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Review Round-up!
 

Green Tree Viper

In the imp: Mmm...minty snake oil - delicious!   On wet: Oh, this is yummy. Aside from the *slightest* whiff of something chemical that comes and goes, I smell like minty vanilla cookies - SEXY minty vanilla cookies.   Drydown: Still pure minted snake oil - and I think it's the tea (of all things!) that's acting out. It's not putting me in mind of something chemical anymore, it's just not interested in sitting nicely with the other notes.   Overall: I'm not sure how old my decant is, but this scent is so slinky-nummy, I'll definitely give it another go at a later date to see if aging improves it. Hopefully the tea or the bergamot or whatever's being naughty will calm down enough to warrant a big bottle purchase. At the moment, though, this rates a very respectable 3/5.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Morgause

In the imp: Sweet, sweet flowers.   On wet: HOLY Florals! Like I've just tromped through a wet garden at night - a garden FULL of uber heady blooms. Nothing 'purple' to speak of - this is more a damp, greenish scent so far. It's somewhat overwhelming, but not wholly unpleasant.   Drydown: Jasmine. Maybe moonflower. There's a high-pitched sweetness - candy-like, almost - that usually means violets to my nose. I think I've located the plum peeking out from between the flowers - it's that same deep, more-crimson-than-purple sweet-tartness I got from Frumious Bandersnatch and Bathsheba. The light lick of incense underneath everything is almost nonexistent, but it's there when I inhale and concentrate, nicely grounding all those rioting flowers and swirly plum fumes.   Overall: Perfumey. Sweet. Rich. Heady. Definitely an evening/cold weather scent (for me, anyway). Floral-heavy blends are definitely not my bag, baby, but this one, thanks to the plum and incense, has quite a bit more depth than a typical, straight-up floral. There's a tempering warmth that adds both interest and a somewhat addictive quality - I keep huffing my wrist to seek it out! Not a fragrance I can see myself wearing, but a very classy, elegant composition, to say the least. 3/5
furygrrl

furygrrl

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