k00kaburra

Castitas is a gentle, soft fragrance. Very comforting - that must be the vanilla. It makes me think of fluffy feather pillows, or perhaps this is how I imagine those big puffy clouds on a brilliant blue summer day must smell. So, in the bath it is extremely relaxing. Like all of BPAL's oils, it also leaves my skin feel soft and silky, without leaving an oil slick behind on the walls of the tub.

I re-tested Hemlock for the first time in several years today; the initial fragrance was so sharp and pine-filled that I doubted I would ever want to wear it. I forgot about the scent for a while as I went about my business. A few minutes ago, I was sitting here trying to figure out where the heck a smell of Christmas potpourri was coming from. It turns out that it's the Hemlock! Very interesting...I don't know if it's because this oil has been aged for /years/ or if it's because reacting differently to my skin than the last time I tried it, but this is nothing like I expected.

The candle smells beautiful sitting on the table beside me. The distinctive spicy floral scent of carnation is heavenly! I missed out on the single note perfume, so I was so glad to experience the fragrance in candle form. It's a very light fragrance with little throw; I usually can't smell it when the candle is actually burning. Weird, right? The frosted glass and old-fashioned label look really lovely. I don't know if I'd keep the glass after the wax is all burned away (but then, I've got a thin layer of wax clinging to the sides instead of a 100% clean burn) but it sure looks nice when the flame's steadily burning inside.

In bottle: Fiercely animalistic. It is extremely musky, but there are hints of something sweet too. It is surprisingly sweet. On me: On the skin, the amber emerges. It is still a musk fragrance, but it is a beautifully feminine musk. It doesn't scream ANIMAL! anymore. It is very mellow. Unfortunately it is also a bit plastic-like on my skin, so I won't be keeping it. ***

In bottle: Super-pine with the smoke of aged wood. To me it smells the way half-rotted timbers underground should smell, ancient beams precariously holding back the earth. On me: Mostly pine, but it goes somewhat powdery on the skin. It has a VERY strong throw - my mother can smell it from across the room. Al-Azif was a lot sweeter to me, but there are similarities between the two blends. I think that I am not getting any resins out of this blend, and maybe that's what isn't making this a real winner to me. It's just powdery instead of slightly sweet.

In bottle: Sparkling is the word. It's deliciously fruity. Lemon zest sprinkled over peach and melon - with a bit of soda water perhaps. On me: The tea is much more potent on the skin. Lemon and sugar sparkle, and the peach is so sweet. It really is a 'nice' fragrance. It makes me feel giggly like a little girl who has been running around all day, playing in the snow and sticking her nose in Christmas food.

In bottle: Rich dark chocolate - nearly black as coal! This is far more delicious, however. It's very rich and if it was food, you just know it'd be warm and gooey. On me: Chocolate brownie extraordinaire. *****

In bottle: Very decadent and fattening - a naughty holiday treat. Rich cream, like buttercream frosting. In fact, it's so buttery that at very first whiff it made me think of popcorn. On me: It turns to near-pure butter on my skin; the popcorn comparison pops up again with much more to back it up. It is like buttery movie popcorn, but not as shrilly so as Shill. There's still a creamy aspect, and the definite carmel note. Carmelized popcorn, perhaps.

In bottle: Red. Wet. Cinnamon. It definitely doesn't seem firey - almost more like damp earth. I think there's some patchouli in here. On me: Huh. On the skin, it vanishes. No staying power at all. Seriously, it's been all of five minutes, and it looks like I won't be able to do any sort of comment on the fragrance. BUMMER.

In bottle: Crystal-clear aquatics, but then vetiver rises up in a smoky wave that I didn't expect. On me: Since I got this through Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, I'm assuming it is safe for use on the skin. I really feel like I've been in a creative rut lately and I've got a long work shift today, so I am putting this in my hair (because I'm paranoid about applying perfumes to my face) to encourage tranquility and empathy for my customers, and healing and imagination for my artistic pursuits. I admit, I don't have a specific ritual, but I'm hoping the fragrance will influence my mood and help me focus. Murky, mystical, and aquatic. It's a very light fragrance, and I expect that it'll be gone by the time I get to work today. I can't really detect any white florals that others mention, except for whatever makes the aquatic note that turns this from a smoky vetiver and patchouli blend into water with a bit of algae swirled in.

In bottle: Faint strains of blackberry waft over thick, fatty buttercream and cake. Yum. On me: This is just perfect. Heavily berried, this is a rich bourbon and blackberry concoction. The velvet cake is definitely strong, but it is the buttercream and bourbon that really make this fragrance stand out in hedonistic delight. Delicious! Monsters, come hither! (Doesn't it make sense that a fashionista clothes horse would need monsters in her closet?) *****

In bottle: Mmmm. Rich coconut cake slathered with chocolate. Man, does this ever make me hungry! On me: It is still richly coconutty, but I find that the cocoa is so dusty that it makes the cake seem rather stale. It lacks the moisture of a cake fragrance - it seems more a cookie. It just isn't the same delicious brew as in the bottle. Pity.

In bottle: Snow-covered boughs of fir or pine. The floral notes make this almost fruity in the bottle. I can't detect any of them specifically, only the bouquet as a whole. On me: It's almost purely pine - a sweet pine, and for the first tem minutes ago it was chilled with some floral components. But my skin amplifies wood (so I really ought to learn to like it) and it's overwhelmingly evergreen now.

In bottle: Sweet and sparkling and bright. It is plum and dusty roots. The sharpness of white ginger is greatly mellowed, but present. On me: Gem-like. Plum and peony are so beautiful together. It is very similar to Peony Moon, except that it is missing the bark undertones. It is crisp but still watery - and I love it. *****

In bottle: Lavender. Chamomile. The stuff of which dreams are made of - or at least, the ingredients that lull you to sleep so that the dreams can run about in your head. Sandalwood. Bamboo pulp - or at least, something that makes the fragrance a little bit fresh and green amidst the sleepy purple and moon-yellow. On me: Very light on my skin, and very mellow, Sleepy Moon is chamomile and white sandalwood with poppy providing the slightest spiciness. It definitely makes me think of silver tree bark in a moonlit forest.