CordeliaSeduced

Usually, something with Tobacco and/or Brimstone just isn't my style. But I'm a sucker for the lab's Bourbon Vanilla so I took the plunge, and now I'm wishing I'd ordered two bottles! In the bottle, this is very boozy. It's strong, but smooth, and it only mellows out further when I put it on. There is a definite smoky undertone to it, which added to the Bay Rum is a little masculine in my opinion. Any guy wearing this would probably have to watch out, lest I jump him on the spot, but I can wear this myself comfortably enough. On the drydown, this fades to a very soft vanilla on me, leaving just the barest hint of smoky autumn to tease me with. I know I'll end up slathering myself with this like a fiend, which I'd do guilt-free if I'd ordered a second bottle!

Do you decorate for Halloween? What sort of decorations? Dress up for Halloween? My family decorates for Halloween, very varied things. My mother prefers the country look, I prefer darker, less cutesy and more refined things. I do dress up, this year I'm going as Tuberculosis. Bats, cats, skeletons, monsters, vampires, witches or what other ghoulies do you prefer? I'll admit it, I have a vampire fetish. I have a long-time love affair with bats and monsters, though...and the more monstrous the better. I love bizarre monsters. Do you like horror flicks? Of course. I'm a huge fan of the classics, and older horror films. I've been a bit disappointed by the modern movies, but there are always exceptions. Who here prefers stylus and ink to ballpoint? Anyone invested time and effort into calligraphy or proper Victorian writing? I'm left handed, so writing with real ink is always messy. I love the look, but I need to literally go one word at a time in order to keep it legible. What about stationery? Need some? What styles do you like? I'm always in need of stationary. Cards, notepaper, handmade paper, I love it all. What is one item that you've wanted forever, could have afforded, but have never gotten and why (haven't you gotten it!)? Half of everything on Etsy. I end up favouriting things thinking, "Oh, I'll come back to it when I get paid," and then see the money come and go and never end up getting to it. What Halloween scent are you most looking forward to? Sugar Skull and Sticky Pillowcase. I ordered a bottle of each in my last, but I may end up needing to stock up before they leave for the winter. I can't get enough of sugary, candy scents. Tattoos! Do you have em? Do you want em? Whatcha got or getting? None as of yet, but I can't afford any right now. Also, I think if I get any during my grandmother's lifetime, she'll probably throw me out of her will. But. I want these wings on my back. Reduce - REUSE - recycle. Do others feel the same? I'm all for reusing. But honestly, my family has a hard time with the recycling. Because our township requires us to privately contract recycling companies and it's a pain in the ass. What is your favorite crafting supply? I love paints and pigments. Regardless of what I'm doing, I usually end up using acrylics or pigments. Weigh in...Are you right or left-handed? Left handed. Very, very left-handed. Any period of time that you love? I'm big into Victoriana and the roaring 20s. I'm hard-pressed to find a period that I don't love, but those are my top two. What's your favorite part about Fall? I can get away with wearing spicy scents and cooking spicy foods and no one can complain. X3 Do you like office/school supplies? If so, what is your favorites? Of course. I'm all for pens and note pads and all other variety of things. Me in an office supply store is like a kid in a candy store. What's your favorite Halloween candy? I love Twix. We got triple chocolate Twix at work and now I hate my boss for buying it. Because I actually find myself eying the candy jar every once in a while. Will you be participating NaNoWriMo? If so, is there anything you'd like to have for that? I torture myself with it every year. I usually end up writing horror, so I love to look up creepy, ambient music (like Cinema Strange and the sort) to inspire me. Where does everyone like shop for witching goodness? It depends on what I'm looking for. I tend to brainstorm and then hunt things down. What is your favorite pumpkin goodness? Pumpkin bread. The kind you bake in a can and then fight out afterwards. I've been craving it lately, but can't seem to find the recipe any longer. I wanted to look it over and see what low-fat alternatives I can substitute, but at this point, I'll settle for the full-fat version. Who are your forum buddies? People you know well enough online or IRL to help your Witch pick out stuff for you? I don't really talk to tons of people, but I do write to some people in the mail thread--tarotbydiana, AleciaR, Antimony, Scotchgrrl...I can always answer questions, though, if anyone has questions. My questionnaire is chock-a-block with ideas for Witching me on the cheap, and without sending "stuff for stuff's sake". And I just came up with another one--make me a Pandora, Finetune, or Last.fm station you think I might like! What manner of affordable Witchery might you covet? I love homemade things. Artwork. Stories. Any talent you might possess--whether it's cooking, crafting, painting, sketching, writing, composing, you name it, I'll love it. Does your cell phone have a place to attach charms? It does! If you drink coffee (and make it yourself) do you use a French Press, regular filter basket coffee maker, Espresso Machine, Percolator? I have a typical filter basket. What movie soundtracks (or scores) do you love? I think I have Labyrinth and the Nightmare Before Christmas in my car, but I have a few others elsewhere. Rocky Horror, Interview with the Vampire (did I mention I love the harpsichord?), and I'm desperately seeking the soundtrack from Cabaret. How do you scent yourself? Do you layer soaps, moisturizers, etc. or do you go straight to slathering your bod with BPAL? Depends on the day. I usually bathe in the evening, but my hair is always scented with sprays and leave-ins, so I pick a coordinating moisturizer and then usually slather myself in BPAL before I leave the house (since my skin sucks down the moisturizer almost instantaneously). Do you/how do you scent your world? Candles, incense, diffusers, potpourri? None of the above? Candles, incense, oils, etc. I need to get my hands on a tart burner, but I can never find one that fits me, or when I do, someone else bought it all ready. BPAL is such a scent-ual experience. What are your other tactile, aural, or olfactory pleasures? All of them? I'm a completely aesthetic person, so chances are if something looks nice, feels nice, smells nice, sounds nice, I'm all over it. I'm a sucker for shiny things, soft things, sweet-smelling things...if in doubt, ask. How do people feel about receiving baked goods/kits to make said goods? Or other cooking items? Would you enjoy oil or vinegar flavored with herbs grown at home? Strange and exotic spices with recipes to try? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. I love interesting foods, spices, flavours, and new things to try. Cookies made with carnation petals? Why not? What are your pet's names, and what are they named for? Okay, let's see. Dogs: Rambo, named for my teacher's dog when I was in kindergarten. I thought all little dogs were named Rambo (he's a poodle). Honey, Muffy, Maisy, Tink, all named by my mother, or came with their names. Paco was going to be "El Nino" but no one else liked it very much...he wasn't supposed to be my dog, so I didn't have final say. Cats: Tabithia was named after Tabitha Twitchet from Beatrix Potter's "Tom Kitten," and she's registered with papers, so we screwed with the spelling to make it more unique. Bonnie and Madison were named by my mother. Birds: Cyrano was named for the character, as he talks beautifully and has a big ol' honker, though I wanted to name him Igor because he looked like a vulture when we got him. Winston came with his name, and since he constantly reminds us that his name is in fact Winston, it can't change. Pee-Wee and Victor were both named by other people when we thought they were boys, turns out they're both girls. Only Victor has changed her name, since she's a parakeet and can't tell the difference. And Jesus is the canary, named unofficially when we kept yelling at him, "Jesus! Shut up!" as his song often interferes with the television. We do harbor other animals, but none of them are really "ours" or I can't remember their names. Who here is a complete, over the top, Alice In Wonderland fanatic? I do love Alice in Wonderland. I read a little too far into it, but I do love it. Are you a Trekkie? If so, which series do you prefer? Do you have a favorite character? Not me. I'm not really a sci-fi fan. :/ Do you have phobias? Spiders. Feet. Mainly those two. I always have terrible delusions that spiders are crawling on me, and I'll run out of the room screaming if someone takes off their socks. I don't know how either started, but it gets a little ridiculous sometimes. How do you like your mix CDs? Random? Stuff you know you'll like? I organize my mixed CDs by artist so I can flip them in my car if I don't feel like listening to one specific part or another, or if they're for my computer I'll arrange them by best flow--like, nothing too loud after a quiet song so it doesn't scare the crap out of me, etc. Would you rather get food or jewellery? I appreciate a tasty low-fat food, but I'm a sucker for jewelry. Do you like children's toys, such as jacks, those little things you tilt around to get the ball in the right hold (wtf are those called?), the aforementioned caplet dinosaurs, cap guns, etc?: I'm a sucker for monsters. My boyfriend once came home with a pocket full of quarter-machine eggs containing little monsters which was utterly adorable. Not that I know what to do with them now, but it was awfully cute for the time. English candy/tea/marmite or other stuff that you love and can't easily get outside of England? I've never been to England, so I really wouldn't know. I work in a tea store, though, and I'm not entirely fond of English teas, so that's not really something I'm into, but I'm not well versed in candy or other treats. Fanfic as a gift* - yay or nay? Your fandom? Slash preferences?*well, a virtual gift obviously. You know what I mean. By all means, if you think I'll enjoy something, send it my way. Any beaders here? Need beading supplies? I've dabbled, but it's not really my bag. Do you like making up your SW packages around a theme, or prefer to mix it all up? I think themes are fun, but sometimes I get carried away and dump in everything at once. Band-aids: do you like the fun and funky ones? Who doesn't? What's the scariest thing that's ever happened to you? I had something follow me home from a cemetery. It sounds far-fetched, but I'd swear my firstborn on it. A friend and I were being stupid goth children and hanging out in the local cemetery when I suddenly smelled something weird. I couldn't place it, but the best comparison I can give is like an open, uncooked steak that's sat in the back of the fridge for too long. My friend noticed something was wrong and asked why I suddenly started shivering and when I couldn't give him a straight answer he put me in the car and started to drive me home. When I composed myself, I told him about the smell and he called his mom who was a nurse and a shaman to ask if she had ever had a similar experience, but when I got on the line to describe the smell, to service started to cut out. She was trying to explain something to me when the line cut completely. I had the same phone service and my phone was charged and had four bars--and so did his. The call was just lost. She eventually got back through and told me that she had the impression that something didn't want her to talk to me, and no sooner did she say this when the smell came back. When we got home, I made my mother run sea salt and sage to the car so I could clean myself down before going into the house, but I don't know whether it helped. I just know that something was pissed at me that night, probably because I was sitting on some mausoleums I oughtn't have been. We also had a poltergeist in my house, but that's a tale for another time. What is everyone's favorite Halloween song?! The entire Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's a year-round love, but everyone else seems to join in around Halloween. How many of mah fellow witchies play video games? Platform? Do you like used games? I have a PS2, but I haven't purchased any games in years since I've vowed not to until I actually finish the ones I've started. I also have a DS, which I admittedly use more frequently. I do love horror games (I'm in the middle of Fatal Frame II and III and Clocktower III), and I'm looking forward to the DS release of Spore, but any suggestions are welcome! What kind of music (genres, please) do you like? Goth, darkwave, glam, neo-Classical--if in doubt, ask. Have any of you ever received a book from a Witchy and loved it so much you ended up buying a copy for a later Witchee? My last Witch sent me a copy of Michel Foucalt's "Birth of the Clinic," which is utterly fabulous, but I'm not sure if any of my subsequent witchees will share my penchant for medical history. What kinds of eye shadows do we all like? All of them. Usually the darker the better. I love jewel tones, smoky colours (greys, pewters, blacks, chocolates), metallics, etc. My favourite brands are MAC, Urban Decay, Nars, Stila, and Makeup Forever. But I'm totally willing to try new ones. Do you like lip balm? If so, do you like tinted, glossy, sparkly, pearly or just plain lip balm? I really only wear balm at night, or under my lipstick, so it really doesn't matter. I love lip glosses, since I can layer them, in which case I love dark, shiny gloss. I do have a penchant for minty, cooling balms because I do get very sore, very dry lips sometimes and they're the only things that seem to help. Anything else is like putting butter on a burn. What are some of the SW gifts/finds from past rounds (or you can just name a gift in general that you found for someone if this is your first round!) that you are the most proud of in terms of your sleuthing skills? I'm not sure. I've only had one previous round. And, secondly, what is something you've been searching for but just can't find? Lately, I've been searching for band patches. Like Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, the Cure, etc. I know I've seen them in those ridiculous t-shirt shops that double as head shops in NYC, but outside of there, I have no idea where to even look. Do you knit/crochet? Do you need any supplies? I always end up getting two lines in and then unraveling it by mistake. Who here has an etsy shop? Eventually, I'd like to set one up. What are your two favorite etsy shops? I've purchased quite a bit from Littleflowers, but there are so many shops I want to buy from. I can't think of one other one specifically. Are you active on any other boards/forums? If so please specify where and your username there. Cocoapink forums I'm antimonyinblue, Tower of Time I'm DeathLotus (and a mod)...I think that's it. What would you tell yourself 6 months in the past about 2008 so far? It gets better, and it gets worse. Everything in moderation and everything evens out. If you had one minute of fame, what would you do/say in the spotlight? Only one minute? It takes me longer to think out sentences. I'd probably smile awkwardly and relinquish it to someone else. Robots versus zombies: who wins? Logistically, robots. They could tear zombies' dead flesh apart and shred them like chopmeat. But I'd be rooting for the zombies. What would zombie say? Uhhhh. I'm old-school--I don't think zombies have the capacity for speech. Where are a few of your favorite places? The East Village in Manhattan, the Jersey Shore (yes, I'm a dork), cheesy local carnivals Out of curiosity, all the fall babies who are celebrating their birthdays during the round - who are you, and when is your bday? Not me. I'm winter. What is one (only one) object that you collect, that totally goes against your personality or beliefs? Not necessarily a collection, but I do own several leather pieces. As a vegetarian and animal lover, it's really uncharacteristic, and my family can't believe I'll wear a leather coat, but I do. Are you a soap addict? Anything you like to avoid in soaps (goat's milk, lye, dyes, etc...) or any particular scents you like or brands you want to try? I am a soap addict. Anything too scrubby can be irritating, but otherwise, I can't think of anything else to avoid. I love Villainess, Cocoapink, LUSH, but I'm willing to try any and everything. My taste in scents is like my taste in BPAL--foody, sweet, etc. Do you like kilts and would you wear one? If I was a boy, sure. BoiWitches? Question for you both.....Hath any of thou own a Kilt? I don't own pants. And that's perfectly acceptable for my gender, so this is probably n/a. What's your favorite book? I just re-read Poppy Z Brite's Lost Souls which I adore, but I can't really pin down a favourite. What size socks do you wear? How about hat size? I don't know. If I wear socks, they're usually knee-high or thigh-high to line my boots, but I wear mainly stockings and tights. As for hats, I don't know. I like them fairly large, so I usually buy anything sub-labeled "large" but it's hit or miss. (I can't find my tape measure.) Do you read comics? Which ones do you love and which can't you stand? I like horror comics of most varieties. Whether they're American, European, Asian, old, new, independent, published, you name it, I'll read it. My favourites have been Japanese, but I've read some really awesome American ones, too. Symbols that are meaningful to me? The seven-pointed star. By nature are you a morning lark or a night owl? Neither. I'm half-dead when I wake up and crash by midnight. I'm more of a noon-time critter. What's your favorite type of music to hear live, rather than recorded? Just about everything. Even things I normally wouldn't like (death metal/black metal/doom) I actually enjoy live. I love seeing live shows, and not only because its an excuse to dress up. What is your favorite autumnal-seasonal drink? Mulled cider. Crossword puzzles? Other pencil puzzles? None, really. I used to love logic puzzles and word games, but they really don't require pencils. I like mad libbs. We do them at work sometimes. Favorite artist? Mitsukaz Mihara, Senno Naiff, Salvador Dali, Aubrey Beardsley Favorite poet? Oscar Wilde, Baudelaire, Poe, Byron, Shelley Halloween. Do you like it kooky or creepy? Either/or, but I often use it as an excuse to be as disturbing and eerie as possible. Reserved or Raunchy? A decent mix of both. I won't speak up unless I know it won't offend everyone in the entire room, but I can be off-colour with the best of them. Earth, Wind, Fire or Water? Water. Tea or Coffee in the morning? Coffee, but I'm trying to swtich to maté. It's just more convenient to drink the coffee that's all ready been made than to boil water and wait for maté to steep. Fruity snacks or chocolate? I eat tons of fruit and fruity things. But I get the occasional chocolate craving. Would you accept art? Of course! Art is one of my favourites. :3 Antiques or Brand New? I like both, but I love things with a history. Even if I don't know it. What keywords do you use when searching for items for yourself on Etsy? "octopus," "squid," "flapper," "Victorian," depends on what I'm looking for, really. Are there any of y'all who are allergic/sensitive to having natural fibers on your skin? I can get itchy with things like wool, but not desperately, and no more itchy than wearing rayon or synthetics. What was your favorite ghost/scary/campfire story growing up? My imagination was WAY too active, so I made most of mine up. But actual favourite scary stories included the Phantom of the Opera, Faust, and Dracula. Not necessarily traditional childhood favourites, but I loved 'em. Bugs? Do you like 'em or not? Actual bugs, sure. Not arachnids. I hate spiders, and most of their relatives. I've got a scorpion fascination, but real insects are a-o-k. i haz no imp storage. do you? I store my imps in a tea chest I purchased with the intention of decorating, but I haven't quite gotten around to it yet. I tend to travel with them in my wallet, but I'm in need of a new one since I spilled half an imp in it and now it's too smelly to bring to work. What is your favorite art movement and/or style? ie impressionist, surrealist, art nouveau, etc. I'm a nut for art nouveau. Alphonse Mucha is my all-time favourite artist, and I love the flowing lines and complexity characteristic of so many artists of the time. I also enjoy surrealism, but I need to be in a certain mood for it. Do you have a case for your mp3 player/digital camera? If you would want one, what size is your digital device? My iPod came with a simple black slip cover, but I've been looking for something with more personality. It's a generation 3, 30 gig model I think. My camera usually just gets shoved in my purse, but it's probably not good for the screen and messes with the settings. It's a Canon Powershot A620. Fairly large for a newer camera. :/ Which may not be case-conducive. For tea drinkers, do you bag it or prefer loose? We only sell loose-leaf teas at work, so I'm slowly making the switch, but there are some bagged brands I do enjoy. Like the Republic of Tea. Does the weather change where you are, as in, does it get cold in the winter? Anyone need homegrown scarves, hats, mittens, etc? It gets downright frigid in the winter, here. I've been eying some long, fingerless gloves, since the cold bothers me less on my actual fingers as it does traveling up my coatsleeves. Something like this or this (lovin' the Carnivale and Fire Rose colours!), and some dramatic, long scarf like this. My coat is black, so I love colourful accents. And I love, love, love homemade things. How do you feel about Hello Kitty? Apathetic. I don't hate her, I don't love her. I think she's cute, in many of her incarnations, and I have some stationary with her on it, but that's about it. Legwarmers? Armwarmers? Can be useful, but I rarely wear them as a fashion statement. I like armwarmers under coats or long-sleeved shirts, and legwarmers under boots in extra-cold weather. What makes everyone stand out from the Switch Witch herd? Yeek. I don't know. Not very much. I'm a pretty average human being. If you are into the original Nintendo system, what 3 games would you want that you don't have? I don't have it. :/ What is your favorite category of the GC? Most of my favourite GCs seem to come from the Bewitching Brews category, but I also like Diabolous, Sin&Salvation, and Ars Amatoria a good deal. Stance on Joss Whedon and his enterprises? From everyone else's answers, I gather he's the Buffy/Angel guy. And as much as I love vampires, I wasn't a huge fan of his. Admittedly, though, I know little about him. Has anyone tried ice wine before? Do/did they enjoy it? No, but it sounds intriguing. I do love a good wine. What other perfume companies (besides bpal) have you been curious about? Cobalt, Arcana, Possets...I haven't tried any of them. Does anyone here do anything with grave rubbings? I've always wanted to. Would you enjoy art based on original Graveyard photography? Absolutely. What's in your Netflix or Blockbuster queue, do you want any new Netflix/Blockbuster friends, if so how do we find you on there? I don't have either. Do you play a musical instrument? Name it, I've played it: piano, violin, harp, guitar, bass, etc.etc.etc. I really want to pick up the cello, but I can't find anyone to teach it to me. What do you think of Irrelevant Disturbing and Surreal Crawdad Dream? Love it? Hate it? Kicking yourself for not getting a bottle? I got it. I liked it. The first time I tried it, the tea went a little dusty on me, but it's lovely and I adore it in a locket. I almost bought a backup, but I figured I'd be better reserving backup monies for the Weenies. How do you feel about trinkets? You know - tiny toys or doodads that serve no purpose than to be cute, take up space and make us smile. Love them or waste of money? I do like them, but I've got so many of them and so little storage that it makes me sad. Can melty things be shipped to you, or will they be in puddles by the time you open the package? Melty things are a-o-k. Might want to check the weather ahead of time, but it seems hot weather is gone for good, so it shouldn't be a problem. Who likes pirates? I like pirates. I don't obsess over them, but I do like them. What are your feelings about Dia De Los Muertos? Love it! I love the concept, I love the art, I love the sugar skulls, I love the theme...I'd love to do more with it--if/when I move out, I think I'll probably end up using it as a theme for my apartment. Including ancestral ofrendas and the like. Because some of my relatives are awesome. What do you think about the Nightmare Before Christmas? It was my favourite childhood movie. I still love it. If candy is sent, would you prefer small amounts to a Halloween sized bag? Probably? I'll yell at myself if I eat too many candy and end up pawning it off to coworkers. I enjoy a good candy (and if it's fruity or gummy, size is no issue) but chocolates and creamy, fatty things usually end up tasted and horded for special occasions, so little bits go long ways. Do you like notes in your soaps or bath stuff that you don't like in your perfumes? If so which? I do, actually. Things like patchouli, which turns terribly sour on me, I like in moderate doses in my soaps. Do you like floral soaps or bath stuff? If so, what florals work and what don't? Lilies work, lavender works, jasmine works, but not much else works... How do y'all feel about honey and maple? And different flavored honey, not just the standard kind? LOVE both. What is your favorite thing to do on a cool fall day? Go for a walk, make a fire and sit in front of it an read horror stories, bake. If you have pets, is there a SPECIFIC toy they like to play with; brand and size? Is there a treat/cookie they eat? What brand and size? My dog loves oversized pillow-animals. He's had a reindeer since Christmas, but it's starting to get a little saggy. He's got a very sensitive system, though, so treats are always debatable. But he loves rawhides. What's your ringtone? the Fratellis' "Henrietta," but I have others. My family plays David Bowie's "Changes," my boyfriend plays AFI's "Silver and Cold," and my best friend plays Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus"... Just to throw a silly question out there...Munsters or Addams Family, y'all? Adam's Family. What think you about receiving tea accessories and/or miscellany (like mugs, cups, saucers, strainers/filters, honey, natural sweeteners [like stevia])? By all means. I work in a tea store, so I can get a lot of tea miscellany myself, but I'm always in search of new and interesting things. How do you feel about copies of music or dvd's that your witch might have that you might enjoy? Not just mixes, but whole copies? Sure, why not? Say, witches, I have a question about birthdays. do you expect/rely on other people to plans birthday outings and activities? Not really. Every year I can think of, I've planned whatever I've wanted to do for my birthday. It might be nice, eventually, to have someone else plan it, but I probably know best what I want to do. Tarts? Yes/no? I'm just getting into tarts. I'm wondering if my witchee would like to try these types of things (like the caramel with sea salts or chocolates with chilis/bacon/salt etc.)? Anything without meats, I'm game for. What's your favorite animal? Octopus, squid, bats, iguanas, armadillos... What one (or two, if you really must) BPAL bottles are you most longing for? GC? Gluttony. Limited? Ichabod Crane. Or any of the Weenies I didn't all ready try. If you could have dinner/drinks/coffee with any 3 living people that are not your family/friends already, who would they be-? Living? yeek. Probably John Waters, because nothing I could say over food or beverage could be found distasteful in comparison, Peter Murphy, because I find him charming, and Bill Schultz, because I've always had the bizarre notions that we simply MUST have appletinis together some day. --and if Peter Murphy isn't available, as I'm sure he's a busy man, I'd love to see Lucas Lanthier join us, because he's full of so many fascinating tales. If you could bring back any TV show from cancellation what would it be? I don't know if it was canceled or just never announced a second season, but John Waters did a show on CourtTV about couples that killed each other. "'Til Death Do Us Part"...if it's been canceled, it's a shame. I wonder if my witchee would like a blanket type thing. Would you? Sure. Blankets are great for watching TV at night. What's your favorite "I know it's bad for me but I can't help myself" treat? Crumb cake. Apparently. I hadn't been near the stuff in years, and the minute it comes into my house I start circling it like a vulture. Very important question: Are you planning on buying anything off your BPAL and/or other wishlists during the round? Possibly. I don't want to assume my Witch is going to be avidly following my wishlist, so if there's something limited that I want, I'll probably get it myself. But I always appreciate backups, and anything GC will probably remain untouched since I always forget while I'm making orders. Do you wear a watch? If so, what kind/style? I bought myself a pocket watch, but I'm in need of a new chain. How do you feel about having a donation made in your name to something?If you like that idea, what types of organizations/groups would you want the donation to go to? Sure! I'm all for charitable causes. I'm a sucker for animal charities...the last one I donated to was the Thai Turtle Preservation Fund. Their ad was just too sad-looking for me not to. What will you like from Singapore? Candies? Food? Asian crafts/toys? Anything and everything. I have an unhealthy obsession with foreign goods. What is everyone's "luck" item? I don't think I really have one. I can name you things that are ridiculously UNlucky for me, but not necessarily the other way around. Do you like art deco/nouveau - style prints? Art nouveau is my favourite style ever. What is one thing that, if you received it in the middle of all the hubbub, would make you smile and take your mind off of all you have to do for a bit? Almost anything that would let me know someone was thinking of me or wishing me well. Really, I'm fairly easy to please. Do you like Mystery Science Theater 3000? Have you tried out (and if not, would you be interested in doing so) its weird little brother, RiffTrax? My exposure is limited. I'm more of a horror person than a sci-fi gal, though. Do you often drink take away coffe in paper mugs? Well, seeing as that's all they give me, yes. I almost bought myself a spiffy travel tea mug from work today, but decided it's best saved for a different time. I've also been eying the most recent NaNoWriMo mug. What would a perfume based on you smell like? Buttery spice cake frosted with vanilla buttercream and paired with a black tea with almonds, ginger, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and honey. Who here likes Wizard of Oz things? I've never been a fan, really. Your thoughts on the update? The Blood Moon update wasn't really my thing, but I NEED those new Pancake oils from the Post How do you decide what to put in which package for your Witchee or how many packages to send? I try to lump things together by theme. If you were my witchee, would you be terribly offended if I sent you a box containing project "experiments" or random miscellaneous pretty bits of brainstorming that I thought you might like/wear? Never! I love experiments and brainstorming. <3

This scent confused me greatly--I hesitated to try anything from the Garden, fearing it would be too floral (and florals and I simply can't be friends). But then this came as a lab frimp, and it blew my mind. The imp is filled with a rich, juicy chocolate-cherry, with a rosy pink colour to match. Now, I've never sniffed a love-lies-bleeding, but if it smells anything like this, I think I need to replace my entire garden. On my skin, this warms to a dripping, hot cherry with just a touch of chocolate and possibly some dragon's blood underneath. It's sweet, sticky, and seductive. Oddly, this has a dry-down similar to Queen of Sheba for me: a sweet almond with hints of spice, though love-lies-bleeding still has a healthy helping of cherry. It seems to get stronger and throw farther the longer I wear it, and I'm loving every minute of it. This definitely warrants a bottle.

In the bottle, this is a very complex floral. I can smell rose, lilac, and wisteria over most everything else, though it could be because those are the only notes I recognize by name. On my skin, this remains very much rose/lilac for a few minutes...and then...AH. SOAP. Soap, soap, soap, and more soap. Soap with a little bit of rose. But mainly soap. I should know by now, florals and I just don't like each other. But I really wanted this to be a pretty, light floral/herbal scent. Oh, well. EDIT: After a few agonizing hours of soap, this actually mellowed to a nice musky green-blue herbal. If only it was like this the whole time!

With this heat wave reaching tropical heights, I figured it might be a suitable time to give Shango a try. In the imp, this was all tropical fruit with a slightly punchy finish--the chili, I'll admit, almost frightened me out of it. But hey! I'm adventurous! So on it went. On my skin, this was mostly banana and pineapple and milky coconut. It still had a slight zing, but not nearly as punchy as in the imp. Honestly, it was a smooth, lovely tropical fruit blend. My only criticism? It seemed to last barely half an hour. I'll have to re-test, however, when my skin isn't going wonky in uncharacteristically hot and humid weather. Still, I think this might be worth a bottle.

In the bottle, this was all caramel and honey with light apple blossom. I was so praying that when this touched my skin, it would be musky caramel, amber, and honeyed cream! This went immediately to soap. Apple blossom got right down to business and soaped up the whole scent (at least, I assume it was apple blossom, because I wear all the other notes fairly well--maybe it was the combination?). ...and I had such high hopes for this lovely! It's still beautiful in a locket, though. Sigh.

It took me much longer than usual to smell this in the bottle: it was a light, clean, barely-there waft of wet sugar and absinthe, with a far-off hint of smoke. I was expecting the absinthe to come to the foreground on my skin, since alcohol seems to love me, but it almost immediately went to rose. Luckily, it wasn't the cloying, powdery rose I usually get, but a soft, wet rose over something like sugared licorice. The effect rather reminded me of someone trying to cover their illicit activities with a fine perfume. While this didn't have remarkable throw, it did have some staying power: I applied at about 8AM and could still get whiffs of this well into the evening without reapplying.

This is not at all what I expected...but that's not necessarily a bad thing. In the bottle and wet on my skin, this is a dry, dark, unsweetened cocoa. It almost smells like coffee to me. It's rich, thick, and yet not really foody. After being on my skin for a while, I swear, I get whiffs of peanut butter. Could it be the heavy cream note coming out to play? After this dried completely, it became a kind of powdery, dark musk with absolutely no trace of chocolate or cream (or peanut butter!) in sight. I do like this fragrance a good deal, but I'll need to keep it close at hand to ensure the powder-headache does not follow.

I had really wanted to try this on my SO, but something made me dab this on this morning instead. In the imp, this was the classic, sophisticated cologne the description promises: it's musky amber with a taunting undercurrent of lavender and some deep greens springing up every now and again. On my skin, this was the scent of a refined, sexy...man. I simply could not shake the smell of man. It's probably a good thing I wasn't home, because this would have gotten scrubbed off right then. Not that it was bad, it was just very masculine. Once it dried down, it became the same musky lavender that Dragon Moon becomes on me. It became very herbal and very indigo-and-green. This phase lasted for several hours, and had a decent throw. I'll definitely be trying this on my SO, though he liked it on me so he may all ready consider it too 'girly' by association. It is a lovely smell, just not my cup of tea. On a man? It would be fabulous.

I wish I could drink this scent...in the bottle, I get a delightful pineapple juice and apricot liqueur cocktail with hints of pomegranate, bright citrus, and ginger. Wet on my skin, it's all apricot liqueur, brandy and ginger. The whole thing is warm, tropical, and rather sexy in a boozed-up kind of way. Once dry, it's mostly warm, spicy booze like tropical rum. This lasted for a decent length of time, and had enough throw so that while holding a conversation with someone I could see them thinking about what could possibly smell like liquor--probably not a good At Work scent. I'm glad I snagged a bottle of this last-minute and really wish I'd stocked up on more of the tikis--I've had nothing but good experiences so far!

I was a little put off by the "floral" reviews, since florals often don't work on me, but I'm very happy I gave this a shot--although there's a soft, flowery scent to the vanilla and ginger in the bottle, it disappears the instant I put it on my skin. All that remains is a warm, almost baked vanilla spiced with hot ginger. It's sweet, yet not obnoxiously so, and exotic enough to suit many different moods without seeming out of place on occasions other than tropical-themed parties (which is honestly what I bought it for). Dry, it retains its ginger-vanilla-frosting quality but gets just a touch warmer before fading. --which takes a while: I applied this at about 9AM, and reapplied when I left work about twelve hours later. I wish I'd bought a back-up of this. Oh well. So much for being cautious.

In the imp, this is a light blend of teas. After applying it to my wrists, it developed a very pronounced sweet lemon scent like sugared tea with a lemon wedge. I honestly did not get much peony whatsoever, except perhaps after drying, when it became dry tea leaves and a powdery floral note in the background, but it's not enough to keep me from loving it. Honestly, this reminded me a good deal of my once-beloved lemon perfume sprays. It's fresh, light, and yet sophisticated. Absolutely going on my list of bottles to buy!

I was anxious to try this, because I've been working on a lot of research into the history of parapsychology and this obviously fits into the theme. The imp smelled strongly of floral and tame woods, neither of which I typically wear. Once on my skin, it's all lilac and polished wood. After a few hours of drying, there's a deep, smoky, dusty undertone that makes it a little...smothering? It's floral and woody, but mysterious and moody. I like it for occasions, but I probably wouldn't wear enough of it to dignify a bottle.

I was very unsure of whether I wanted to smell like "grass," but I've learned not to take things directly from memory in BPAL--surely, the grass in this couldn't be the same grass on my front lawn. On sniffing the applicator, I smelled something green, sweet, and moist, so on it went. Once on my skin, the green swelled to create a very sweet, grassy scent, though there's something youthful and bright in the background. I'll assume it's the berries, though I really with they were more pronounced. Drying down, the florals play out slightly, though the dominant note is still the wet, sweet green. It's a lovely perfume for a bright day in the spring/summer cusp we're in currently, and while it does smell like grass, it's not the grass I feared it would be. I'll probably wear this fairly frequently, but we'll see how fast the imp runs down--I don't know if it's exactly bottle-worthy yet.

In the bottle, I would have sworn I was sniffing directly into one of the homemade wine bottles my family serves on holidays--it's dark, mysterious, and I have to wonder whether I'll be able to dip into it without calling it an early night. Once on my skin, it still smells highly of red wine, but the myrrh and sandalwood are also clearly present. Every now and again, when the wind is just right, I get a whiff of patchouli, but the body of the scent is pinot noir, myrrh, and sandalwood. Dry, there's a definite floral quality to it. The jasmine and attar of rose seem to powder everything over, leaving an elegant finish to an elegant scent. While this really isn't an everyday scent for me, I can definitely see occasions where this would be appropriate. It's seductive and exotic (even though I think there was a phase during the dry-down that reminded me a lot of Avon's original Skin-So-Soft oil)! Not sure I needed the entire bottle I bought, but the label is lovely...

I was really amazed at the dragon's blood in this--I would have thought with the name "Dragon Moon," it would be overwhelmingly dragon's blood-y. However, I couldn't get more than just the barest hint of it in the bottle. What I got instead was a mottled green-brown scent like a dozen or more drying herbs in a room made of cedar and scattered with the traces of incense. Once on my skin, this was very mellow: mainly lavender and sage, with hints of sweetgrass, frankincense, and bergamot. It shifted every now and again, as if the notes were fighting for dominance over my flesh, and for about an hour the cedar was prominent--this terrified me, because I seem to wear cedar like pencil shavings steeped in perspiration, but it faded out quickly enough. As soon as it did, the incensy combination of sage, frankincense, and dragon's blood wafted past, giving the entire smell a smoky, yet still very green, feel. I don't think it had much in terms of throw, but I could smell it on myself and that's all that matters. It also lasted a good long time. --I'm very glad I gave into the impulse spending here, because even though certain notes were an obvious no-no, this worked very well for me.

I wasn't so sure this was going to work on me originally. I love foody smells, but I was getting a slight peanut-butter vibe from the bottle and to be perfectly honest, I don't really want to smell like peanut butter. Luckily, there's all other kinds of yummy in this bottle as well: caramel, buttered popcorn, and seemingly some sort of coffee-cocktail (I'm thinking either Irish Coffee or Kahlua and Creme?) My skin seemed to amp the caramel along with whatever note was smelling suspiciously like coffee, lasting a surprising few hours before maturing into a softer, butterier coffee-cocktail smell. During that phase, I swear I got a few whiffs of cocoa, but it could have been a chocolate craving disguised as wafting perfume. This may be the first scent I've tried with a very good amount of throw as well as a fantastic lasting time--I dabbed this on around 2PM and was still able to tell it was on around 11PM. Normally, my skin drinks it all in and I need to reapply three or so hours in.

Of almost everything I've tried, I think I was most eager to try this. I was hoping for ALL sugared incense, and honestly, that's exactly what I got. In the bottle, its incense and soft flowers, very sweet and rather gentle. Once on my skin, however, it's like a candied version of Nag Champa, no floral detectable. For about two hours, this had impeccable throw--it's all I could smell in the car (and my mother's car typically smells like horse), and all I could smell at work. For about five minutes during the dry-down, however, there was a strange, salty scent thrown in there...it wasn't as pronounced as the notes listed and I could only smell it if I was too close to my wrists (writing, filing, etc.) and it went away quickly enough. All in all, I'm very glad I tried this because it's exactly what I was hoping. Unfortunately, now I have to horde it. :/

After a bad stretch of florals going rancid on me, I was really afraid that would happen here--the description is just so lovely, and I wanted so badly to adore it. In the bottle, there is no other way to describe this than fresh flowers. Honestly, this smells like walking into a florist and inhaling the closest cut bouquet. Lilac, lily, carnation, hyacinth, greenery...it's all here. Wet on my skin, I could smell a little more of the amber and beeswax but the green floral was still dominant. The amber was a little off-putting at first, but it mellowed out nicely. Dry, it was very much beeswax and greenery. It was lush and somehow moist, like smelling flowers after a heavy summer rain. This is my PERFECT FLORAL and I can't believe I only bought one bottle. Oh, how I'm kicking myself right now.

If you had asked me before BPAL if I liked herbal scents, I'd have said, "uhm. Nothanks." But after trying some of the herbal scents here, I've realized I'll likely end up going after them before anything else. In the imp, this smelled very much like Envy (which is my current favourite). Very sharp mint, but not necessarily all the green of Envy. Wet on skin, the pennyroyal still dominates, but there's a hint of something softer, more blue, in the background. It's a little medicinal, but it's not unenjoyable--it definitely wards off the headaches. After it dries, it's a soft mint-and-lavender that really only catches up to you when the wind kicks up right. I fully enjoyed it, even though I needed to re-apply halfway through the day. This is definitely a bottle for me, and I'll probably end up with it in my very next order.

I suppose I forgot what this was supposed to smell like, because I was blown over by the grapefruit when I opened the imp. It was entirely grapefruit, with something warm and spicy underneath but not nearly as easily detected. Wet on my skin, the ginger was more apparent. A very bright, warm citrus and perhaps a teensy tiny little bit of floral but still very crisp and juicy. Once it dried, it turned into a light ginger tea, plain and simple. I really, really liked this scent. It was exactly what I'd hoped for from the description. Not much throw (enough that I could tell, as well as anyone nose-to-nose with my throat or cleavage), and the staying-power was less than average, but this is still going on my bottle list. It's really a fabulous summer scent.

From the notes in the description, I was intrigued. I'm a black currant fan, so I had to try it-- But somehow, Black Currant did not come out to play. I can't tell if it was the myrrh or the mandrake (since I've never actually sniffed a mandrake), but something powdery completely overwhelmed me. After about five minutes of dry-down, all I could smell was a sort of stale cologne scent--like perfume from the fifties unearthed in my grandmother's attic: it could be lovely, but all I can smell right now is an acrid, dusty mottle of something that won't be within ten feet of my skin. It wasn't offensive to anyone else that I'm aware of, so I can't really say it had a decent throw either. I want to chalk this up to my skin chemistry because it smelled much different in the imp--I'll definitely re-try this one, because I do want it to work.

I was anxious to try this, because (a) I love sassafras, and ( anything named after an Old West towne automatically conjures up images of Soiled Doves and dusty saloons that I've been finding awfully glamourous lately. On first sniff, I was not disappointed: I got strong sassafras and vanilla, rich and sweet. It smelled remarkably similar on as well, and remained exactly as such for possibly an hour. ...and then, Cedar mosied on in, gun 'a firin'. I like cedar, really, I do. But apparently not on my body. I dabbed this on before going to work, and just an hour or so after being there I started to catch whiffs of something like lumberjack body odor every time I got close enough to my wrists. I wanted to like this so badly, but ended up using the mechanics' SUPER STRENGTH exfoliating soap to scrub the living hell out of my wrists just to get the cedar off. Granted, the smell of anything at work often makes me sick, so I'm going to give this another shot soon before making a final judgment. I also think this might work much better as a room scent. I'm tempted to mix some into a spray to use on my carpet or around my desk since I think my body is just reacting poorly to the cedar.

I don't know what it was I was initially smelling, but when I first cracked open this imp, I was blown away by something completely and utterly terrible. Maybe the travel and the weather had taken its toll on the little package, but this blend just did not agree with me upon first sniff. It got put in the imp box with no real plans to ever be worn. But something in the air today said, "I want a peppy floral!" and I recalled the notes in this little one--by all logic, this should smell great (even if I've never caught whiff of pink pepper before). I was hesitant to take another sniff, but I was pleasantly surprised--I smelled only an amicable honey-gold floral. Once it was on my skin, the pepper and amber came out. Together with the flowers, they smell almost like a cinnamon/cardamom mix to me...but then, certain flowers give me that impression anyway. I might just have been cursed with a confused sniffer. After drying, I could still smell the pink pepper and what I believe was the slightest trails of honeysuckle. It had remarkable staying power and a decent amount of throw. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised, particularly after my initial reaction. It was enjoyable, but I'm not sure this is entirely bottle-worthy.

I was hesitant to try this blend because I had convinced myself I didn't like florals. Turns out, I like florals a lot and especially dark, musky, mysterious florals. So I second-guessed myself and gave this a shot. In the imp, this smells very perfume-y. I get a lot of rose and lily, which I think lends to my conviction that this smells very much like an elegant floral perfume. Upon applying, however, I got something much more green, possibly with some lilac or lavender. The rose and lily is still there, but fades rather into the background to make way for the lush green notes. It remained like this for maybe three hours. ...and then, something changed which I can only describe by saying it went sour. The florals wilted, the green got powdery, and something else came to the foreground that was not entirely pleasant. At least not on me. I wish I could place it, but I can only think of shuffling through boxes in my grandmother's basement and coming across perfume from the 30s--it smelled good once upon a time, but now it really just smells like something passed its expiration date. I would be interested to learn the actual notes in this because I know that rose, lily, lilac, and certain greens work well on me. If the sour smell is due to my skin chemistry (which I'm sure it is), I'd like to know what I should be avoiding. I loved this to start out with, but I think it will be reserved strictly for locket use.