Currently smelling of: Snow Flakes for that whiff of idealised festive weather (we never get snow these days-not until January anyway), plus a dab of Sol Invictus, because he's the real reason for the season...
This year I had the smallest amount of presents so far. Mainly because my main present was an iPod. Yay! Finally I get my very own antisocialising machine (that's what my dad calls it)! I'm very pleased with my iPod and can't wait to put all my music onto it.
Apart from that, I also got chocolate, a lovely knitted hat (usually knitted stuff at from relatives at Xmas is a bad thing but not this!), a little bit of money, and the compulsory gift of underwear.
This year, it's been a very relaxed Dec. 25, no rows, no stress, just a delicious non-traditional Xmas dinner (turkey and sprouts? No way.), generous amounts of wine, and the Best Mince Pies In The World made by my mum-no other mince pies will do. Now I'm looking forward to the Doctor Who Christmas special, which will make this day end very nicely, I think.
Merry Christmas/Yule/Hanukkah/(insert winter holiday here), Seasons Greetings, Happy Holidays, whatever you celebrate (or have celebrated) at this time of year, make it a good one and enjoy yourselves! *hands out more of the Best Mince Pies Ever to all*
I had such a great time at the London MnS (spelt like this because it resembles CnS...spelling it M&S makes me think of Marks and Spencers!) with twistedcoil, storme and ellemir. It's wonderful to chat BPAL-to actually talk, exchange and try out BPAL-with real human beings, makes a change from typing behind a grey box. And they were so nice! I enabled twistedcoil and got enabled-now I am hooked on Loviatar. It smells like a feminine Doc Constantine with a wonderful musk-amber going on behind the leather. I have an imp of it on the way but now I want a bottle. Mmm. We spent about two hours talking about our BPAL and loved every minute of it. It's great because my uni friends seem to be so absent these days so I had very little social contact with others during summer hols, so this was such a refreshing change. I hope to do another MnS with them again some time.
I have to say that the CD update has been one of the best my nose has ever experienced, both CD and GC scents. Stars of this round of new stuff include Moriarty, CD, Midnight/Midway, Lyonesse, Cockaigne, Three Brides, Gennivre, Candy Butcher, Uruk, Les Bijoux and much more...I'm amazed. Now that I know that my loan will come next week, I have some big orders planned...
I stink of: Death on a Pale Horse, Perfumed Garden, and a bit of Aegis.
Whoa, what an update that was. Another formidable slew of beautiful stinky things.
Lotus Moon is even more intriguing than I expected. I love lotus, and I adore rose and amber too. I'm curious as to how the opium and pine will play along. I'm hoping the pine doesn't amp like in Hearth 05 when it went a bit OMGPINE!!! for a moment before becoming nutty-sweet, and that the opium is the same yummy kind as Red Lantern and Sleepy Moon.
Litha-oh mah gawdz. I'm hoping Beth does all the sabbats this year-if Beltane and Litha are anything to go by, anything is possible. (in other words...more Mabon, pleeeeaaase?) I had to get this summer solstice scent-it's got a lot of ingredients I'm not familiar with and a lot of stuff I really like-and it has mead!!!
Those Salon scents seem so awesome-pricey yes (thank goodness for decant circles!) but I bet those scents are going to be worth every buck. There's something almost like they are LEs, even though they are GCs-maybe it's the new, exciting, expensive and unusual ingredients? They all look so tempting but the one that grabbed me, predictably, was the Egypt one. I mean, looking at the notes, I know it is going to work. It reminds me of one of my favourite non-BPAL scents, a perfume called Isis with honey, myrrh, cardamom and amber amongst other things. It also seems like the ultimate kyphi scent, with yummy red musk instead of the usual wine used in that incense blend. Don't get me wrong, I looooove Cairo (the wanderlust scent) but it doesn't smell like any of the kyphi blends I have-this one seems like it will though. Other Salons I might want to take the plunge with include Bat-Woman (I love those nocturnal scents that Beth makes!) and Lucretia (VANILLA MUSK!!!), Orpheus (may be a tad masculine but dammit, it's Orpheus! Mythology rocks!) and The Death of Sardanapal (this seems very exotic and resiny-spicy, hopefully the lemongrass won't take over) and all of them really, but since I am a bit broke from my orders, I'm going to get decants for now and then decide....
Talking of killing my wallet, my credit card took a real battering today, not just with BPAL. I bought new shoes-I needed new trainers (that's Brit-speak for sneakers) and Lush moisturiser-am I the only girl who uses Cosmetic Lad? I call it Cosmetic (insert Little Britain impression here) Lady! I just love it's texture and it's scent-white chocolate orange, yum. I also bought some posh chocolate because as I said before in this blog, I don't do cheap choccy as much as I used to. Pink peppercorn white choc is more my thing, yum.
...my cat passed away because of a tumour.
I know some might find it odd still mourning the death of a pet long after it happened, but to me animals are just as important as people to have as company, my cat was like a sister to me, a warm, fuzzy, purring companion, and cats don't have the emotional complexes that humans have.
It was also the closest experience I've had with death for a very long time. I can't really remember when my grandfather and aunt passed away as I must have been five at the time, but my kitty's passing is so vivid. That last stilted purr she gave me at the animal hospital was such a sorrowful sound, the way she looked so pained and couldn't move made me cry, and will haunt me forever.
My mind still sometimes thinks she's not 'dead', but she's just moved on to a place that's inaccessible to me, but where she'll be happier. I'm still not clear cut on my ideas of what happens after death but when she passed away, that came to mind almost intuitively, that she's in a place that's intangible to the living, but still there, in a way. I also believe she's still visiting me in spirit, in dreams, in some of those dreams she actually protects me from anything malevolent. And one thing's for sure, the memories will stay alive for a very long time.
I stink of: Tulzscha, and sweat...ick.
Well, maybe step-aunt is more accurate. I just got some wonderful news from my older half sister-she's pregnant! I'm so pleased for her, I always though she and her husband would make wonderful parents. The baby's due January. This is so exciting!
Anyway, it's the hottest day of the year-so hot that even my BPAL ultimate heat-beater, Tulzscha, isn't working. Maybe I should apply some Lick It, since that worked wonders in Crete. I love sunny hot weather, and it's the same temperature here as it was in Crete and I coped with it ok there, but for some reason, it's much more unbearable in London. Maybe because it's not coastal or dry heat, or simply because there are no decent pools in the vicinity to dip in-I'm craving a dip in an outdoor swimming pool right now, or a dip in the sea...
And I think I might be getting a job come August-I've had a lot more offers for some simple courier jobs, market research/telesales and even a job at Lush. I hope that I can get at least one of those jobs. Although maybe not when it's too hot, since the Tube is treacherous at this time of year...
Now that I've returned home from my weekend away, I'm wondering...which city is better? London or Paris? (There's only one way to find out-FIIIIIIGHT!!! if you watch Harry Hill you'll understand!)
As to what BPAL I will try today...maybe Eos. The weather is crap and I want to smell springy.
I also hate my new post-woman. I swear she delivers my stuff to the wrong houses. Or she's deliberately stopping me from getting parcels. So many things I have bought online from the States (including my Balthazar statue) have, apparently, mysteriously disappeared when crossing the pond. Maybe the postal planes with my parcels flew over the Bermuda Triangle or something...
...in rainy London. I suppose it's nice to have a break from +100 degree heat but I do miss the nice weather.
I had a wonderful time. One of my favourite holidays for a long time, it's been memorable and eventful in many ways. Oh, and the food has been stunning. I should have put on weight with all the pizza and pasta and ice cream I wolfed down but all the walking I did (climbing Etna!) must have burnt it all off. Here's a little summary of how it went:
Highs and Lows:
-as I said, the food! I am very pizza and pasta-ed out now but the pizzas here, and my mum's tomato sauce, are nothing compared to the pizza and pasta I had in Sicily. Don't get me started on the ice creams.
-Cefalu, the town I stayed in, is possibly the most charming little Mediterranean town I've stayed in so far. Lots of lovely little alleys and wonderful restaurants, and it seems pretty untouched by the full tourist thing (ie, no McD's or Starbucks yet), and with a great beach.
-the mozzies treated me like a pizza and I ended up looking like one thanks to their feasting. I've never had bites so big and itchy!
-the heat was unreal. I mean, 47C? (not sure what it is in fahrenheit but I know it's over 100) Even on the beach? It was truly Saharan out there. There were wildfires aplenty, followed by blackouts and even water shortages. (As my 'doomsday dad' would say, that's a taster of what's to come for the UK in 20 years time!) I also got a sunburnt arse, which is pretty hurty.
-climbing Etna was amazing! It was sweltering at the coast and yet there was snow at the top of the volcano, right alongside hot steaming vents. It looked like another planet. And it was so gusty and dusty. But so worth it.
-there was one tour guide we had who was a total bitch and treated the English speakers like shit whilst she was all favouritist with the people who spoke German (and when we asked for translation into English she said 'I already told you this already' really rudely), and her English was crap anyway. At one point the tour guide's 'friends' ganged up against us English speakers and it got really aggressive. I've never had a guide so bad before.
-there are some fascinating historical sites all over the place-from ancient Greek temples and theatres, and wonderful Roman and Byzantine mosaics...my favourite though had to be the Palermo mummy catacombs. That place has an amazing collection of dried out dead guys that outrivals the British Museum, I think...
So overall this was a wonderful holiday (despite the mozzies, the fires and that guide) and I really do miss being there-I definitely want to return though.
Now I'm back from hols, I can't wait for the UPDATE!!!
She's still alive, but I've never seen her so weak before. She's got stomach tumours, just like my other cat, but not as painful so we're not putting her down just yet. They're eating away at her life though. She's so old anyway, I knew it would be the end soon, I just didn't expect it to be that soon...I just hope I can see her again next weekend. It will be so sad to no longer have that feline company I loved so much.
Excuse what might seem like a rambling incoherent post, as I'm half asleep, my mind is blurry and I'm premenstrual at the moment. I have enough RL drama in my life, such as my mother falling out with my godmother and me being caught up in the middle, and I come to these forums to unwind. I just really hope this doesn't get me flamed.
The reason I am feel a little unsettled by these posts is because recently I bought the 'custom scent pack' from the company in question, and I was really looking forward to getting my own scent blended for me. But all these recent posts have me worried and my mind is conflicted. I love the scents this company makes, no matter what people say. I will get the custom scents done and will buy my own bottles but whether I should make my custom scents available to the public, I don't know.
All I will say for now is that I love good quality, ingenious, beautifully crafted and just damn good smelling perfume.
BPAL is obviously my favourite of the lot, making up about 75% or more of my collection, and Beth is one of my role models and I admire her ingenuity, skill with scents and originality, but I do love many others, be they etailers or ones bought from shops (though not mainstream designer ones), and I don't want to be judged for it. I don't want to be seen as weak, an unwise shopper, or easily led by pretty names and concepts, cute labels and tempting note combinations. I don't want others to think I have a 'poor taste in perfume' (I can't help it that my olfactory tastes being so wide or my skin chem being so good-mannered) or to be seen as a bad person just because I like buying and enjoying other non-BPAL scents.
Ok, this last sentence may be an exaggeration of what's going on (a lot of people on this forum do buy other perfumes and they state that they buy other brands, and no-one minds) but I don't want all this to boil down to the banning of other perfume oil threads in the Retail Therapy forum. I mean, there are loads of etailer threads there that haven't recieved any drama, like Arcana or Possets, and a few others I think. So just because one (or two, if you think back to last year's AC kerfuffle, or three if you count Femaledictions, though that was well founded due to actual bad CS and missing orders and so on...that's another story) perfume thread becomes a drama magnet, doesn't mean they all will. I could say more but I am so dumb when it comes to legal matters and business matters so I won't let my stupidity in these fields show. But I love scent of all kinds and if a scent works with my skin chem and makes me feel good wearing it, then I'll wear it and love it, no matter where it comes from.
I know right now a that perhaps some people will disagree with me but this is my opinion of it all right now.
Currently smelling of: Bess (first time testing), and the Lion (smells of sugared amber iced tea!)
I just have to show this little flash off: hmm, Enraged Bunny Musk, anyone?
Holidays are now finished...as intensive studies season begins. Coursework and exams!
I'm back on campus and a little bit homesick, though not too much. I have my BPAL to console me, thank goodness. The stupid boys have returned and invited their girls in, but they've been pretty quiet so far. I'll see what happens as the night progresses.
It'll be nice to see my friends again tomorrow, but also annoying to get back to studies and loads of coursework. I have maths coursework due in on Tuesday and as usual, I'm procrastinating again! Must get back to work...
Currently smelling of: Oblivion, Monster Bait: Underbed, Yemaya, Frumious Bandersnatch
First, the elation:
-I got my Peony Moon order! I got 5 bottles-Peony Moon, Underbed, Saturn, Uranus, and Oblivion (even though I wanted Ozymandias-more on that later), and all the imps I ordered, and also loads of frimps. Most of which I've tried-save for Bess, Shadow and French Love which I can't wait to try (especially Bess!)
-So far, these scents are working fantastically. Underbed is such a fun spicy cake scent! Oblivion is intriguing and I think it will grow on me. Frumious Bandersnatch and Yemaya are also much nicer than I was expecting-well, I knew they would be good, but not that good!
-I got an email from my stroppy maths tutor (yeah, he has tantrums like a five year old!) saying I didn't need to do all 50 maths questions in my coursework, just 12 of them. That takes a great weight off my mind.
And now the frustration:
-I didn't get the bottle of Ozymandias I ordered...I got Oblivion. Which is lovely because I like Oblivion and it'll save me from buying a bottle, but I was looking forward to Ozy most out of this update-despite reviews saying it smells like old fashioned perfume or soap or ozone-it's Egyptian, dammit! *childish sulk* (I emailed the lab-I've heard they sent replacement bottles for free. They did that with Red and Pink Phoenix, which spilt, so maybe they'll do that with my missing bottle of Ozy!)
-I think Paypal hates me now. I had put in some funds and sent some e-cheques that should have cleared on the 13th. Ok, so the Easter holidays slowed things down a bit but that means they should have cleared today! So why haven't they? I have a love-hate relationship with Paypal, for one thing, it enables me to buy stuff online, like BPAL. But it's also slow and annoying (why is it that UK e-cheques and funds take 2 weeks to clear when US ones take 4-5 days???)
-That stupid radio DJ says that the new Doctor Who sucked. Correction-he's the one who sucks. Has he got no taste? *wishes she could telepathically smite idiots who say stupid things like that, especially during states of PMS*
-And yes, the monthly hormonal eruption has started to stir. From now on for at least a week, I am dangerous.
I stink of: Black Hellebore, and Heaven and Earth's Bunny at the Door
I'm really not looking forward to next Tuesday. I have my first exam-it's 'contemporary physics'-that's all 20th century physics including quantum, relativity and nuclear/atomic physics. It's going to be a three hour long one, and I'm already scared...however, past exam papers are so helpful. I used to prefer revising through reading, and whilst I still do this, I find doing questions, writing, calculating and practising is more effective. But it's also so monotonous...at least some concepts I was unsure of are sticking in my head. Now, for more studying...*snorts TAL Concentration*
At least I have a holiday in Crete to look forward to in the middle of June!
Currently smelling of: Gluttony and Midway
Currently burning: Darkswan Egyptian Honey candle
I have eaten too many Easter eggs today. I got the pricey one I wanted (not the one I originally planned to get, since I discovered that it contained something a bit icky) and also got loads of other choccies from my mum and dad. I also ate brownie ice cream and chocolate cake. I still want to eat choccy, but stomach says no.
However, despite this chocolate overdose, I am craving...pizza. Which is odd. But I am seriously jonesing for a proper pizza right now.
The most annoying thing about bank holidays is...NO POST! And that means no new BPAL! I am looking forward to my Peony Moon so much that it seems my life won't be complete until it arrives...
Oh, and Doctor Who was really good. I think David Tennant is fantastic (sorry CE fans, but although both are very good actors, I think DT is cuter!!) I can't wait for next weeks episode. From the looks of things, it's going to have ninjas and werewolves!!!
From: http://www.paulsadowski.org/BirthDay.asp
5 April 1985
Your date of conception was on or about 13 July 1984 which was a Friday.
You were born on a Friday
under the astrological sign Aries.
Your Life path number is 5.
Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 5 & 7.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 3 & 9.
You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path number 8.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 6, 11 & 22.
The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2446160.5.
The golden number for 1985 is 10.
The epact number for 1985 is 8.
The year 1985 was not a leap year.
Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/20/1985 and ending 2/8/1986.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Ox.
Your Native American Zodiac sign is Hawk; your plant is Dandelion.
You were born in the Egyptian month of Paony, the second month of the season of Shomu (Harvest).
Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 14 Nisan 5745.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 15 Nisan 5745.
The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.11.15.16 which is
12 baktun 18 katun 11 tun 15 uinal 16 kin
The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Friday, 14 Rajab 1405 (1405-7-14).
The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 7 April 1985.
The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 14 April 1985.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 20 February 1985.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 26 May 1985.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 2 June 1985.
The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Monday, 16 September 1985.
The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Saturday, 6 April 1985.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 19 February 1985.
As of 4/5/2007 7:03:40 AM EDT
You are 22 years old.
You are 264 months old.
You are 1,148 weeks old.
You are 8,035 days old.
You are 192,847 hours old.
You are 11,570,823 minutes old.
You are 694,249,420 seconds old.
Celebrities who share your birthday:
Agnetha F„ltskog (1950) Colin Powell (1937) Frank Gorshin (1934)
Roger Corman (1926) Gale Storm (1921) Gregory Peck (1916)
Bette Davis (1908) Spencer Tracy (1900) Booker T. Washington (1856)
Top songs of 1985
Say You, Say Me by Lionel Richie We Are The World by USA for Africa
Careless Whisper by Wham! Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon
Money for Nothing by Dire Straits Shout by Tears for Fears
Broken Wings by Mr. Mister I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner
The Power of Love by Huey Lewis & the News Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears
Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 3.14481409001957 years old. (Life's just a big chewy bone for you!)
There are 366 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 23 candles.
Those 23 candles produce 23 BTUs,
or 5,796 calories of heat (that's only 5.7960 food Calories!) .
You can boil 2.63 US ounces of water with that many candles.
In 1985 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US.
In 1985 the US population was approximately 226,545,805 people, 64.0 persons per square mile.
In 1985 in the US there were 2,425,000 marriages (10.2%) and 1,187,000 divorces (5%)
In 1985 in the US there were approximately 1,990,000 deaths (8.8 per 1000)
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.
In 1985 the population of Australia was approximately 15,900,566.
In 1985 there were approximately 247,348 births in Australia.
In 1985 in Australia there were approximately 115,493 marriages and 39,830 divorces.
In 1985 in Australia there were approximately 118,808 deaths.
Your birthstone is Diamond
The Mystical properties of Diamond
Diamonds are said to increase personal clarity to help one see things clearly as well as be straight-forward and honest. Supposedly, the higher quality the diamond, the better it is supports these qualities.
Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)
Opal, Quartz, White Sapphire
Your birth tree is
Rowan, the Sensitivity
Full of charm, cheerful, gifted, without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.
There are 264 days till Christmas 2007!
There are 277 days till Orthodox Christmas!
The moon's phase on the day you were born was full.
I completely forgot that Paris was being banged up until I saw today's wonderfully unexpected update. I think it is fantastic, myself. I love the way that Beth is doing something new with fragrance...parody by perfume, satire by scent. I've always admired the way Beth can excel with both her serious and intellectual fragrances, and her light-hearted, sillier scents.
I also love the way that Beth appears to be taking the piss out of the whole 'celebrity perfume' thing as well (among other things-most notably, the farce that is Paris herself). I've never been into celebrity scents and I just get fed up when every tabloid-hogger and reality TV star releases their own brand of cat piss perfume with a pretentious name and a stinky scent. I think Privilege is the closest I'll ever get to owning a 'celebrity scent'. It's got a pretty name too which I don't need to associate with that vacuous attention seeking airheaded twit when I wear it (despite this being the scent description). And it's got some winning notes-tiare, rose, lemon blossoms, armoise, linden and vanilla? I think it will smell perfumey, but in the best way possible.
Pruno on the other hand...with a description of 'toilets', 'droppings' and 'ketchup', I honestly thought that wasn't a real scent for sale! But it is...and I'm getting a decant just to see how Beth turns that into a wearable scent! I'm wondering if it will be a joke scent with a foul fragrance or if it will be wearable...from Beth's comments it may be the latter. And of course, Beth's an alchemist, it seems she's highly able to turn any smell that should smell like crap into gold But I do have a viable skin-chem reason not to get it: scents that are much too dominant on the apple turn bizarre on me, and it sounds almost Punkie Night-ish, wasn't keen on PN.
But major kudos for Beth updating with these hilarious scents and donating the money to a good cause. I had to order some Paris to go with it-I've been meaning to buy a bottle of Paris, now I have an excuse
I am so glad my exams are over! No more revision to burden me, I can now do things like read lots of non-study books, get back to doing arty things like drawing, sketching, and maybe even painting. I have plans to get boxes on Ebay for my BPAL (my collection has got to the stage where shoeboxes-yes, shoeboxes-are being used to store bottles) and to paint them.
The Thunder Moon update was the first in a long time where almost every scent had 'big dealbreaker notes', ie ones that could turn the blends nasty on me. Things like ozone, sea notes, sweet pea, thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening. First time that I've not ordered directly from the Lab for the full moon. I have a feeling the next moon will be much better, and maybe will bring lots more scents-CD and Gaiman stuff? It's funny how Cancer brought about lots of aquatic scents, lots of water and rain and dewy floral notes. Just like how Taurus had cow/bull themed scents (Minotaur and Milk Moon). Hmm. Maybe Leo will bring fiery, spicy, regal and sunny scents, maybe cat-themed scents (I want KITTIES!!!), which are much more up my alley. Maybe a therianthrope which is feline, or African, or Egyptian? (Sekhmet would rock, but the therianthrope scents tend to not to be deities.) I have no Leo in my chart but I have a gut feeling it will be wonderful-I wonder if Leo will be packed with amber? (thinking of the Lion here) and I wonder what the next moon will be?
I'm going to the uni's summer do tonight. I've been having a dilemma over which BPAL to wear...Blue Moon, Midnight on the Midway, or Snake Charmer? I chose those three because 1) it's the full moon 2) there's a funfair at the summer ball which will be open all night, so it really will be 'midnight on the midway' and 3) Snake Charmer is my all purpose special occasion/empowering/on-the-pull/sexy/exotic scent. I chose Snake Charmer in the end. For the first time in ages, I'm in the mood to pull! And it may sound silly but my choice of perfume does affect my mood and SC is one of those scents which makes me less introverted. I'm in the mood to have some fun, let my hair down, party hard. So hopefully Snake Charmer will work like a charm.
This BPAL perfume is just perfect for the eclipse. I find the scent really matched the maroon, dark amber and russet shades that the moon took on as it slipped behind the earth's shadow. I could also have worn Blood Moon as that also is a very suitable eclipse scent, but tonight I felt like slapping on the Schwarzer...and it was a good choice.
It was one of the best lunar eclipses I've seen, especially in binoculars. My camera was playing silly-buggers with me so I only took a few photos...I'm not even sure how good my camera is with night images...I'll upload some on Monday if they are any good!
Holy jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick. Beth has pulled out all the stops yet again with another bank breaker! The worst thing about these last two updates? Too many scents have been 'must get bottle NOW and don't bother with decants'! It's bad for my student loan, really. But it's so good to see so many wonderful scents that grab me either through notes, descriptions, names, associations or artwork (in the case of CD). Now this new Gaiman series has enabled me in the reverse, so to speak...in other words, I need to read his books. Even Beth herself enabled me to read his stuff on the NA Lush forum! If I still have enough money left, then it's off to Amazon to get American Gods...
(Maybe this is a sign of obsessive fangirlishness but I get goosebumps when Beth replies to one of my posts! She's more of a celebrity to me than any of the losers on Reality TV ever could be!)
CROW MOON
Love! notes: white musk, possibly winter wind
Like notes: violet, cedar, evergreens
Huh? notes: wintersweet, green-barked dogwood, primrose, snowdrop, and lenten rose hellebore bouquet
Iffy notes: verbena (though I think vervain is different to lemon verbena?)
I really like the way this is mysterious, dark and wintry, but with hints of spring flashing through it. A lot of these are notes I don't recognise, but this could wind up smelling a little bit like the Raven. I just hope that this foresty-wintry scent doesn't go the way of Carpathian Mountains, but it may well go the way of Snow Moon, Skadi etc.
OBOROT
Love! notes: frankincense, earth
Like notes: fir, pine
Huh? notes: Greek mountain tea flower, sandarac, ravensara
Iffy notes: sea spray, moss (if it's the Spanish kind)
This blend looks so atmospheric, so dark, when I read the description I got an image of some kind of ancient ritual taking place on a dark stormy coastline, wild animals peering out of the woods and strange incantations. I have no idea how this will smell apart from maybe dark, wild, moody, and a tad incensy. Hopefully not soapy or uber-mossy.
FIRE PIG
Love! notes: lychee
Like notes: peony, bamboo, tangerine, orange, pine, kumquat, quince, narcissus, mandarin
Huh? notes: pussy willow (think un-dirty thoughts, think un-dirty thoughts...lol)
Iffy notes: plum blossom, dragon's blood
I just love the concept of a Chinese New Year scent (I'm looking forward to the Ox!) and this looks like a bright, glittering firework of a scent, sparkling with yellow, peach, orange and pink shades of citrus and flowers and sweet delicious lychee, with a red sheen of dragon's blood. It looks fun, vivacious and celebratory.
ENRAGED GROUNDHOG MUSK
Love! notes: cardamom, vanilla, musk
Like notes: chocolate, caramel
Iffy notes: cherry
How can I refuse? Is the lil' fuzzy hog pissed off because he can't find his shadow? Or because the same day keeps repeating itself-well, that would make anyone enraged! Naturally, cardamom and vanilla sold me, and I hope the chocolate cherries behave, and that the musk is along similar lines to the Bunny or the Buck...
BILQUIS
Love! notes: honey (crossing fingers that it will be the honey from Queen of Sheba), myrrh, rose, ambrette, musk
Like notes: fig leaf, almond, apple
Iffy notes: lily of the valley
Swoon. I love Beth's exotic middle eastern orientals, blends that evoke seductive desert queens and sand dunes in the sunset and all that...and I adore those 'opulent rose orientals' where rose and loads of golden/sweet/resinous/musky notes mingle so harmoniously. I'd be interested to see if this resembles the Love Potion blend, Queen of Sheba, as it seems a few of the Gaiman scents seem to be variants on similar-named/themed scents in the rest of the catalogue. I think this will be QoS made even sexier and more delicious-in fact, this looks like the lovechild of Queen of Sheba and Les Bijoux. Hopefully the lily of the valley won't soap this scent out of what looks like perfection.
MAD SWEENEY
Like notes: oak
Iffy notes: whiskey!
I'll try a decant of this just for the experience but if Beth says this is almost pure whiskey, I'll take her word on that. I'm sure it's a great conceptual scent but smelling of pure strong booze ain't my thing. It's definitely not a scent I'd wear on a driving test!!
MAMA-JI
Love! notes: cardamom, spices, nutmeg
Like notes: flowers (depends on what type)
If I wasn't br0ke I'd get a bottle of this STAT. I can't resist cardamom, and with nutmeg and spices? Me wantee. I'm intrigued by the flowers. What kind of flowers will they be? Probably Indian ones (but hopefully not champaca, aka Banana Blossom of Doom) but my guess is that they could be similar flowers to the ones in Kali, as this is a Kali scent too. (I get the feeling that these different scents with similar names/themes/alternative names evoke different aspects or characteristics of the person/deity/creature/character, and I love that.) I loved the flowery drydown of Kali, so that with added spice sounds fantastic. And if it's in Beth's favourite list, that's got to be a good sign!
MR. IBIS
Love! notes: papyrus, vanilla, Egyptian musk
Like notes: sandalwood
Huh? notes: aleo ferox, African musk
Oh yeah. Egypt, baby. And Thoth! As if adding Egyptian Freaks to the CD was bad enough for my finances, now she had to go add Egyptian gods to her Gaiman line! Thoth is one of my favourite gods, I have an affinity for him, what with his connections to science and writing...and I've been waiting for Beth to make a Thoth scent and now she has! And it has papyrus! But I adore the smell of Egyptian papyrus paper, the golden, reedy, dry aroma that I smell on my countless gorgeous papyrus paintings. If Beth captures that scent in here, I will die of happiness. And I've also been waiting so long for another scent with Egyptian musk-as Beth's E-musk note is one of the best, especially the stunning musk in Debauchery (which would have been a favourite were it not for civet) and I hope that musk, or the one in Bastet, shows up here. I'm also curious about the aloe (hopefully it's like the fresh green aloe note I like) and vanilla is always good. This was a no-brainer-instant bottle purchase!
MR. JACQUEL
Love! notes: amber, patchouli, spices
Like notes: hyssop
What the? MORE EGYPT? *paypal goes splodey-boom* And it's an Anubis-inspired scent! Oh my dog god!! I get the feeling this is going to be even better than the Excolo Anubis which I adore but it's not really an everyday scent-this one looks delicious. Amber is a favourite, as is patchouli (I wonder what North African patch is like) and I adore the combo of amber and patch, I'm wondering what those embalming spices will be like-will they be like the herbs in Anubis, or more spicy? This was another instant bottle purchase. I now wonder if there are more Egyptian god characters in American Gods...I've heard there's a Horus based character and someone mentioned a Bastet character too (correct me if I'm wrong)? I can't wait to see what else is added to the Carousel!
MR. NANCY
Love! notes: cookies
Like notes: tobacco, lime
Iffy notes: bay rum
I wonder if the Sugar Cookie note in here will be like Sugar Cookie 04, which was the most wonderful cinnamon biscuit ever, or like SC05 which was a more buttery, less spicy, boozier affair (which went burnt on me though)? I'm hoping for the former, but it could be a completely different cookie note...I have faith in Beth to make a delicious lime cookie scent which will smell fantastic on my skin. The addition of tobacco is intriguing, and the bay rum may or may not make this smell too masculine.
SPIDER
Like notes: ginger, nutmeg, mandarin, bergamot, lime
Huh? notes: artemisia
Iffy notes: vetiver
This one looks very masculine as a scent, like a citrus cologne with that gritty vetiver base. That's one of the notes that could be too much for me, depending on whether it's good vetiver of EVIL VETIVER OF DOOOOM. However, the nutmeg, mandarin and artemisia (wormwood? mugwort? tarragon?) remind me of Winter of our Discontent, which I loved, and the ginger could add a little kick. I'd be willing to try a decant but I think this is more of a man's scent.
So I bought The two Moon scents regardless (I have a feeling I might not like them but they could be miraculously good on me, who knows?), the Egyptian American Gods, Bilquis and the Blazin' Piggy, and they all have to put up with the Grumpy Groundhog who's also joining them on their transatlantic flight.
Talking of which, I think my Hunger Moon/Spicy KitTea has landed at home! I am really, really looking forward to trying the, along with my Mummy and Vulture, and my Salons! A great week for BPAL all round!
On non-BPAL related news, my coursework is nearly finished! I'll get more, no doubt, but I'm not procrastinating as much as I used to
I stink of: Zero and Thagirion. Both are very nice, but I'm preferring Thag's light creamy springy floral scent right now...
Ugh, I'm almost done with my coursework. So many deadlines over these last two weeks. And those assignments really are more like pain in the ASSignments! Especially that quantum physics one...one thing's for sure, my brain had some serious exercise this fortnight! I am not looking forward to exams at all.
It was actually WARM today, finally! I hate cold weather and sometimes where I am in Hertfordshire feels like the North Pole, and after a particularly long and cold winter, it's good to have some decent spring sunshine, and it feels good being able to wear a t-shirt outside without freezing! I love warm sunny days-I'm not one for rain and moody greyness, or stormy weather, I'm afraid.
I'm really worried about the state of my Underpants/Bunny order-it's still MIA even though it's been sent! I've never had a two week delay for BPAL-I'm in the UK but BPAL orders usually get there faster than most other international orders! I emailed the Lab on Saturday and still haven't got a reply (that may be due to the move though). If I don't get my order by this Saturday or by next weekend, should I email the Lab again, or would that be considered impolite/annoying? I don't know how long to wait before an order is considered truly 'lost' in the mail...
I'm slowly sorting out my collection of BPALs and seeing what imps/bottles I still like and which ones to sell. And I've discovered that some of these are aging gorgeously. I tend to notice the difference when I haven't worn a certain scent for a while, though I'm sure scents I wear regularly are also maturing gracefully as well. There are some scents which don't change much and still smell the same as before-which, if it's a scent I love, is a very good thing. Here's my list of scents that are even lovelier now:
Et Lux Fuit (aged about 1 year and a bit)-the oddly soapy scent it had when fresh is fading, the amber is getting stronger, and the honey! Now this reminds me a little bit of Al Araaf and Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree.
Alone (aged about 2 years)-OMG! At first I was worried this would be a bit too sweet but then the patchouli, richly matured, shines and mingles with cardamom, labdanum and sandalwood in the most amazing way. The floral notes in here are also prettier.
Berenice (aged about a year and a bit)-it's lost it's 'designer perfume' scent and turned into a feminine Mr Ibis.
Svadhinaopatika (since February)-OMG!! The amber in here has become wonderfully rich and golden and magnificent. This now smells like a honeyed version of the Lion. O ain't got nothing on this unspellable stunner!
Hope (since February)-the sugar/vanilla musk really becomes richer and more beautiful, softening the rose.
Meskhenet (since February)-the frankincense has become stunning, and that odd 'gardenia' note it had when fresh has faded considerably. Now it smells like Nefertiti. This oil is now thicker and there is residue at the bottom-a scent to roll.
13, the original (since June 05)-ohh! The chocolate has become richer, the sharp tea note is mellower, the iris pops out more and there's something almost honeyed to it.
Haloa (since December 06)-oh wow! Now this smells like mulled wine and incense with sweet cakes! So festive! It's lost the odd 'sherbet' scent it had when fresh.
Lotus Moon (since summer 06)-the amber has become richer and the scent has more oomph now.
Black Pearl (about a year old)-the musk and iris have become much richer.
Dee (two year old imp)-DAYUM this ages magnificently. I can't wait to see how my bottle gets.
Hymn to Proserpine (about a year old imp)-I swear this gains Snake Charmer nuances when this ages. I get plum and cherry as well as the pomegranate/currant and amber now. Have a bottle, hopefully it will age like this. My new bottle of HtP smells spicier/sandalwoodier than my imp.
Penny Dreadful (at least two years)-when I last tried it, my imp was a year old. The notes get richer and more floral and it smells stunning, though not as earthy-foody as when fresh. There's a vetiver note which really shows up with age.
Anubis (two and a half years)-the sharpness this had when fresh is much calmer and the resins are much richer, more honeyed.
Bastet (almost three years)-like a cat, this one's personality changes, each time I wear it. (but it always smells good!) But the myrrh note gets much stronger over time.
Zorya (at least two years)-richer, stronger, more beautiful and well mixed floral. One of the few 'plain jasmine' scents that doesn't turn stinky on me.
Nefertiti (at least two years, maybe more)-the woodsy incense notes become richer and smoother, loses it's greenness. Aged Nefertiti is amazing.
Queen of Sheba (about 1-2 years)-I swear there's Egyptian amber in here. I get a lot of something that smells like it under the spiced honey and almonds now.
Black Lily (1 year)-loses that odd metallic coldness and becomes pretty much all lily gorgeousness.
Magdalene (2 years)-the rose and orchid just mature so beautifully.
Snake Oil and Charmer-what can I say that hasn't already been said?
The Lion (about 2 years)-the amber just gets more intense and lovely with time.
Great Cry in Egypt (since summer 06)-the red musk is really intensifying in the best way, and so are the resins.
Regan (2 years)-I swear there's honey in here. It's been a year or so and it smells really, really honeyed now, like floral O. Not complaining-I love this honeyed orchid scent!
Bengal (1.5 or 2 years)-OMG this becomes like a more intense and spicier version of the Lion when aged. I'm sure there's amber lurking in here.
Queen Mab (2+ years)-gets more intense and rich and full bloomed with time.
Haunted Palace (since late 05)-who says citrus notes degrade over time? The orange in here has become creamier and softer, if anything. Beautiful amber-rose-orange-musk.
