Seismogenic

This was a Lab frimp, and now that I'm looking at the notes, it seems like a really good call on their part. I like a lot of the listed notes, and I'm hoping they work well together. In the imp: Ozoney blackcurrant with a hint of lavender. Wet on skin: This is starting to go rather soapy. It's a nice-smelling blackcurrant lavender soap, but soap nevertheless. Hopefully this will change. Drydown: Freshly dry, it's not quite as soapy, but I'm still definitely getting that impression. The next strongest impression I get is of blackcurrant, with only a little bit of lavender back there. At one hour in, the whole scent is softer, but it is pretty much still blackcurrant lavender soap. Five hours later: The soapiness finally went away between three and four hours, but it brought most of the other notes with it. At five hours, what's left is mostly white musk with maybe a bit of resin, all rather soft. End of the day: Tiny bit of white musk. Overall; If this actually were a bar of soap, it would be pretty awesome. Then, the soap smell would make sense and the other notes would inherently not be competing with the soap smell. As a perfume, however, I do not think there is a place for soap smell. I was pretty sad that it came up, since I like many of the listed notes, but I guess there's nothing I can do. I'll probably swap this...or look into figuring out how to actually put it in soap.

This is a scent that septima_pica recommended to me after taking note of the fact that I tend to enjoy scents with tobacco and labdanum notes. I'm a little wary of the sandalwood for possible allergy reasons, but that's not going to stop me from testing Gaueko out. In the imp: Dark smoky lavender, and quite strong. Wet on skin: Labdanum is starting to show up now, and a touch of nag champa as well. It's still mostly smoky lavender, though. Drydown: Freshly dry, the lavender has decided to hold back some, and now I'm starting to get a decent amount of smooth tobacco mixed with labdanum. The nag champa's still only a small note. At one hour in, this is largely a blend of lavender and tobacco, with some labdanum lurking in the background. The nag champa never really showed up more than it did when freshly dry. The whole thing is less smoky than it was before. Five hours later: A very balanced blend of tobacco, lavender, and labdanum. Overall: In the earlier stages of the drydown, when the lavender was still the most prominent thing going on, I was a little iffy on this one. Lavender's fine, sure, but not if it's at the expense of all the other notes in the blend. As the scent matured, though, I really liked the balance between the lavender, tobacco, and labdanum that came up. Definitely dark and rich, with the tiniest bit of an edge. I think I'll keep the imp, though I do wish Gaueko would get to that balanced point a little earlier on.

I might be posting this in July, but I actually wrote up everything except the intro and the final impressions in early June. I mention this because I decided to test High John the Conqueror on a day that I had to give a big presentation, in the hope that it might alleviate a little presentation anxiety and maybe not make me talk so fast (though I didn't have espresso before this talk, which may have also helped there). In the imp: Dry herbs and sharp grapes. Wet on skin: The thing I thought was grape isn't there now. It's still herbal, though I'd say those herbs smell fresher now than they did while wet. There's also something that's a bit cleanser-sharp. Drydown: Freshly dry, this is all about sharp, dark green, cleansery herbs. And I'd almost swear there's some vetiver, too. What? At one hour in, I'd still swear there was vetiver in this, though it is fainter now to the other sharp, almost astringent, herbs. Five hours later: A slight dry sharpness, but really quite faint. End of the day: Gone. Overall: The presentation went pretty well. I certainly didn't stress out or stutter, though I did end up taking rather longer than my allotted 30 minutes. (For this, I blame the person who was supposed to present after me, but who didn't show up.) I have no idea how much of that I can credit to High John the Conqueror versus how much can be explained by the fact that I was talking about a geologic fault that fascinates me. But regardless of the oil's contribution, I was not all that keen on the scent. I will probably hold on to it in case I need to face something crazy stressful, but I probably won't wear it often.

When the list of prototypes for the most recent Cleaning Out The Cobwebs event went up, I was intrigued by the mention of a few scents that corresponded with minerals or chemical elements. That wasn't enough incentive for me to drive out to Burbank that close to finals week, but as soon as I saw reviews of Kinnabari that mentioned distinctly mineral notes and impressions of red desert rocks, I knew I wanted to try somehow. I managed to get a bottle through a swap with the wonderful Rhowan, and I'm so excited to give Kinnabari a test drive! In the bottle: Red dusty sediment and some sort of sharp spice. Maybe also a touch of cinnamon, though that's not the main spice I'm getting. Wet on skin: Less spicy now, or the spice has better melded in with the other stuff. Right now, the best description I can come up with is heat-steeped oxidized-red fine-grained sedimentary rocks. Which is, I guess, pretty specific. Drydown: Freshly dry, I swear there's a little bit of a metallic edge to the dusty sediment scent that's the main thing going on here. My earlier impression of "oxidized-red" was just a color description, but now it makes sense sniff-wise as well! There is still a definite impression of warmth going on here, enhanced by what's left of that spice note that I can't ID. At one hour in, not much has changed, though, oddly, the scent seems to have become a little stronger. It's still sun-heated fine red sediment with a very slight metallic overtone and a little bit of spice. Five hours later: Overall much softer, but still a blend of oxidized red sediment and a little bit of spice, which continues to lend an impression of heat to the whole thing. End of the day: Faintly dusty, but what's left still gives an impression of rust red. Overall: This is one of the most unabashedly overtly geological BPALs I've ever had the pleasure to sniff, and I would absolutely emphasize the term "pleasure" here! I think this is a gorgeous blend that captures a very distinct impression of oxidized red sediments steeping in the desert sun. I've never been to Red Rock Canyon in central California, but I think Kinnabari smells how photos of Red Rock look. But another thing that Kinnabari perfectly fits is the characteristics of the actual mineral cinnabar! To consult the mineralogy textbook, cinnabar (HgS) has an adamantine to metallic luster, an earthy red color, leaves a deep red streak, may be very fine grained, and is often associated with areas of geothermal activity. I guess that's not sedimentary explicitly, but the rest of that fits the scent so well that I'm kind of floored. Not to mention that I'm kind of in love. I feel very lucky to have gotten my hands on a bottle of this, and I know I'll be using it - though sparingly, since Beth is probably the only person who knows whether or not it will actually end up in the GC ever.

I've had good experiences in general with oils including amber, so it seemed about time to give The Lion a try. Bonus points for big cats and the savannah, in general. In the imp: Soft warm spicy amber. Wet on skin: Warm and slightly dusty amber, with some spices. I think cinnamon might be one of them, and possibly also clove, but I may be completely off base. Drydown: Freshly dry has the same balance as wet, though is a little bit fainter. At one hour, the scent is still quite present, though the spices are less of a factor. It's more of a sweet dry amber all by itself now. Five hours later: The spices are either entirely gone or have blended in so well with the amber that I can't differentiate between them. The amber itself is a little dusty, but not at all powdery in a bad way. End of the day: The amber's still there, soft, sweet, and a little dusty. It's fainter than at five hours, but still has a definite presence. Overall: This is a gorgeous warm golden amber, just as advertised. The color association I get here totally matches a lion's fur and the grasses of the savannah (speaking of which, later in the drydown, I thought I got the occasional whiff of the dry grass note I love from Coyote, but it was fleeting enough to only briefly mention). It's not the most complex blend, but it doesn't need to be. It is golden summer on the grasslands, and it is awesome, and I am totally keeping this imp. Possibly upgrading it, too.

I know that I like coffee and wood notes, I know that I like tonka, and I know that I like tobacco as a note in and of itself. Those were reasons enough to test this, and the murmurings that it could be similar to the infamous Pinched (which I have never sniffed, mind you) were also intriguing. Plus, it is a goofy rendition of a goofy painting! What's not to love there? In the imp: Slightly boozy vanilla coffee. Wet on skin: Coffee, now much less boozy, a bit of smoke, and some wood. Drydown: Freshly dry, it's still coffee, wood, and smoke, though smoke seems like it's starting to win in terms of whether it or coffee is more prominent. It is very definitely tobacco smoke, not woodsmoke or bonfire. At one hour in, the coffee has disappeared, but the booze poured into that coffee remains, as does a very distinct cigar smoke note. Not really getting much wood anymore, either. Five hours later: Faint cigar smoke. Overall: This is another one of those blends that's dead on to the picture it's trying to paint. Ok, so maybe there isn't dog breath or shedding residue, but the environment of wooden poker table, booze, and cigars is really conveyed here. That said, I really don't want to smell like a boozy cigar smoker. I realize I like tobacco itself as a note, but not the smoke that comes off of it. I was also sad that the coffee and wood notes disappeared sooner rather than later. No reason to upgrade my decant here.

As the owner of a large black cat (even though he's kind of more chicken than panther), it was only right that I try any panther-inspired oils! The combination of notes is also intriguing, particularly since a test run at Will Call assured me that the vetiver isn't going to drown everything else out. In the imp: Anise, musk, and vanilla with some indistinct dry stuff. Wet on skin: Vanilla, anise, musk, a little bit of mandarin, and continued dry stuff. Drydown: Freshly dry, it's a smooth mix of vanilla, musk, and anise with a bit of a woody backdrop. The sharp note sticking out could be vetiver, though it doesn't necessarily have to be. Doesn't really smell like vetiver. At one hour in, any sharpness has faded out, and the dry notes have also melded into the mix. It's very much a smooth creamy vanilla with a touch of anise and a backdrop of musk. Five hours later: Smooth musk and vanilla, with maybe a bit of anise left. End of the day: Little bit of musk and vanilla, but faint. Overall: I can definitely see how this combination of notes describes the smooth sleekness of a panther, even though I don't get a black color association from it at all. Rather, it's kind of like the ambery brown of vanilla extract, framed against something cream colored. Not light, but not really dark, either. I barely got any of the wood notes, which actually kind of surprised me, but I still think it was a nice blend overall. Will be keeping the decant, but I didn't upgrade.

New dirt scent! I needed no incentive other than this to give it a try. All the more credit for it being a Shakespearean dirt scent. In the imp: Dark spicy dirt. Wet on skin: Rich black soil, with just enough decaying matter to smell like it would be very fertile for new plants. It's also still a bit spicy. Drydown: Freshly dry, it's still rich dark soil, though it smells dustier now than it did when wet. I still can't quite figure out what the spicy note back there is; it's not dominant, but it's present enough to make me curious. At one hour in, it's pretty much the same as freshly dry. Five hours later: Softer, but still a slightly sweet-spicy rich soil. End of the day: My wrists smell slightly dusty-dirty, but only if I sniff really hard. Overall: I kind of love this. It's different from the other BPAL dirt scents to me, in how rich and dark and moist it is. I like the slightly spicy edge to it, and I like how the main dirt note doesn't fade immediately on me as it does in some other scents. I kept sniffing my wrist happily all day. Absolutely a keeper, probably even one to upgrade.

Considering this is thought of as one of the quintessential BPAL dirt scents, there's really no excuse as to why I've waited this long to try it. In the imp: Soft black dirt with wilting rose petals. Wet on skin: Very fine-particled black dirt, a bit dusty, with the slightest bit of rose. Drydown: Freshly dry, the predominant notes have swapped places. This is now mostly a subdued wilted rose with a backdrop of soft black dirt. At one hour in, it's mostly the same - soft subdued rose over soft dusty dirt. Five hours later: Faint wilted rose petals. The dirt seems like it's still hiding back there, but only if I sniff really hard. The whole thing is pretty faint. End of the day: Gone. Overall: I can't honestly say I associate zombies with roses, but then again, these could be the sort of zombies that end up taking over Victorian novels or something. But yes, the balance here was skewed far too much toward roses for my hopes, and not nearly as much dirt as I would have expected. While it's definitely an appropriately wilty rose scent for the context, I suspect I will still be swapping this.

Are there any single notes (likely non bpal) that anyone is dying to have/try? Hm. I dunno. Dried grass or something? Redwood would also be pretty awesome. But yeah, I am only thinking of this because the question was posed, not because I am dying to try such things. net flick or the likes gift subscriptions? A month of Netflicks vs a DvD? DVDs are probably better, since I can watch them whenever I want and not worry about paying monthly fees. My available time for watching of things is pretty sporadic, and does not lend itself to any sort of monthly subscription format. Adorable Japanese characters? Not so much. My fiance sent me an early dvd rip of Coraline that he was given (pretty sure it's not been released yet, but I sometimes have a hard time keeping up) and I was wondering if anyone would like a copy of it? Coraline for the WIN. (Meaning, absolutely!) Do you collect dolls or miniatures? What kind? Do you like to get new clothes or items for them? I don't collect these. If you were to make a seasonal mix CD for this summer, what would you name it? Another title question! I suck at titles for things! It would probably be something like, "Random Crap, Summer 2009." Or possibly, "Sierras Road Trip Soundtrack." Yay road trip! Would you like any recycle/upcycle supplies for your crafting? Most of the crafting I do involves markers, which are not the most recyclable thing ever. Secondhand is fine, though, providing they still work or are refillable! Recycled paper also makes for very interesting drawing surfaces. Is there a program you might have missed or show you love which is gone from the airwaves which might be found (or burned) for you by a Witch? You know what would be awesome? "Gargoyles." Oh man did I love that show. I hope it would still seem awesome now as it did when I was twelve, though. Also, it would win to watch "Animaniacs," "Pinky and the Brain," or "Histeria" again. Do you play any online games, like World of Warcraft? If so, what server do you play on, what's your character's name, etc.? I have not yet been sucked into such things. I used to play a lot of online text-based RPGs, though, but I haven't had time for them lately. Would anyone like bath bombs or bath melts scented with one of their favorite Bpal scents? On principle, this is cool, but in practice, I only ever take showers. These things would likely not be used. Bar soap, however, would definitely be used. Would you like homemade cinnamon buns or sticky buns? YESSSS. Though I will remind that I live in inland southern California, where it is freaking hot. They might melt. Not that melty is a bad thing! Just saying. Is there anyone here that likes Hello Kitty or any other Sanrio Characters? Hello Kitty actually kind of creeps me out. Any non NZ or Aus witchee that I get gets Tim Tams, OK? Very much ok! I have heard much about the legendary Tim Tam, but have not yet experienced its glory for myself. For non-US witches: is there anything from the US you'd love that you can't get where you live now? I am in the US! Though if anyone's Witchee wants something southern California-specific, let me know. I can try to hunt it down. How many potential witchees have an iPod, or download MP3s? I have a 16GB iPod Touch, and I love it. It goes everywhere with me. It currently contains a weird mix of western art music, bluegrass, Javanese gamelan, Broadway soundtracks, Scandinavian folk music, Weird Al, miscellaneous '60s rock, and songs about earthquakes. Are there any of the BPTP bath oils you adore (particularly ones that you cannot get anymore). What about the room sprays? I'm not really interested in the bath oils, because I take showers rather than baths. My only experience with the room sprays have been goblin squirts of Revenge and Great Dismal Swamp, both of which I like. How would you feel about an ultra-girlie shawl or wrap in summer-weight (lace)? No thanks. No drag for me! What would you think of hand-dyed items? That would be super cool. So, I hear you don't like lacy wraps! How do you feel about hand-knit socks? Hooray socks! Though, again with the reminder that I live in inland southern California, lightweight socks would be better. My feet might implode in heavy wool socks or something. What kinds of crafts does everyone either enjoy making or enjoy getting? Do you have a certain type of handmade item that you love to collect? Socks, boxes, jewelry, dolls etc? My craftiness mostly focuses either on drawings (which I mostly do in marker, and sometimes with watercolor) or on decorating t-shirts. My Witchee will probably receive something handmade along these lines! As for what I'd like to receive, there is nothing in particular that I collect, but I would be totally thrilled with any craft a Witch might make with me specifically in mind. Clearly, vegans are not into soaps with honey or milk, etc. But, if you're NOT a vegan how would you feel about soaps made with emu oil? Squicked out/concerned about animal cruelty, or willing to try them? I am totally not squicked. In fact, I would be really amused to tell people that I had EMU SOAP, just because it sounds pretty bizarre. Based on Prior Carnivale act prototypes...which one are you truly excited about? I actually haven't really looked into these at all. From what I understand, many are foody, and that's not really my cup of tea. Would it bother you if you are not the first person to receive the same gift? Imagine a Witch who always sends her favourite book, for example. Would not bother me at all! Pets: What do you have, and do they need/want anything? I have two spoiled cats, Andreas and Garlock. They are, in fact, named after faults. They love toys and food. Does anyone play video games? What platform(s)? Are there any new or vintage games you would like? I've never been a video game person. Twilight fans, would you be interested in any products from this Etsy seller? I'm not a Twilight fan. Are you in need of decanting supplies, wand caps, or other scent-related paraphernalia? Wand caps would be cool! I've never tried decanting, though it might be a useful skill. Does your feline like catnip? Both of them do! Andreas in particular. My Fall Witch sent a huge bag of catnip, and Andreas figured out how to open the cabinet in which it was stored! Goodness, was he ever high! Garlock also likes it, though he's not quite as affected by it as Andreas is. Salt soap bars (soap made with a large quantity of salt, like salt-scrub-in-a-bar)? Never tried such a thing, but I wouldn't turn it down. How would you feel about homemade jelly/jam from home-grown berries? HECK YES. FOR THE WIN. Homemade dill pickles? Made from cukes, beans, snap peas, baby zucchini? Dill pickles are awesome. Sweet pickles, however, are nasty. Steampunk jewelry? I don't wear jewelry, but I do dig steampunk. Tea. How do you feel about it? Tea is a wondrous thing. Posters, yes or no? I don't have huge amounts of wallspace, but what I do have is largely undecorated. I currently have a few photos of landscapes (mostly photos I took), a huge fault map of California, and an incredible aerial photo of 1906 San Francisco. I also have a huge awesome Mt.St. Helens photo I need to hang. So maybe there is more occupied wallspace than I realized. So, uh, maybe smaller pictures instead of big posters. What are your favorite animals? Or, what animals resonate strongly with you? I love cats (obviously, since I have two of the little fuzzmonsters (except mine aren't really that little)), both wild and domestic. In terms of big cats, I guess I'm a particular fan of cheetahs and clouded leopards. I also love dogs, particularly the big friendly ones. I've also always loved foxes, of all species and colors. I have a particular soft spot for otters and pine martens, too. Are there any historical figures you are particularly interested in - say, that you'd enjoy reading about, or movies, etc.? Hrmmm. Are we allowed musicians? If so, then definitely Dmitri Shostakovich and Gustav Mahler. (Please no sending of that Ken Russel Mahler movie, though! Creepyfreakyweird.) As for non musicians, King Ludwig II of Bavaria's interesting. Also, I'm developing a definite fondness for the fit of weird that was Emperor Norton I of the United States. Stonewall Jackson's also fascinating, not because I sympathize with him, but because he was so incredibly strange. As for historical periods, the turn of the 20th century fascinates me. Plus, a surprising number of my interests (not just earthquakes!) converge upon the year 1906, or its close neighbors. What, if anything, are you earwormed with right now? Amazingly, nothing. Probably because I've been sitting in conference sessions all day. What scent are you wearing right now, if any? This has been a BPAL-free conference, mainly because I didn't want to fly with any oils. I had a carry-on only, and didn't feel like putting odd vials in my plastic baggie-o-liquids. That said, if I had brought stuff, I probably would have brought various dirt scents. It's a geology conference, after all! Also, would have brought Coyote, since it's kind of my standby favorite. Anyone reading an amazing book right now? I'm currently reading Mike Davis' Ecology Of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster, which is a study of all the ways LA is environmentally screwed, and the cultural reactions to those things. It is fascinating, though a bit unsettling for someone who technically lives in the LA basin. What socially respsonsible site would you recommend to ALL Witches? I'll have to reiterate aspca.org. I could also link to a bunch of disaster preparedness sites, which is a cause I find important, but I don't know if that's quite what this question means. What is your favorite anime, or if you don't like that what is your favorite animated series? I've never really watched anime. As for general animated series, I'm a big fan of Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and Histeria. Do you like villians that are funny because they are meant to be, or are you like me and love the villian that just can't seem to get his evil schemes to work? Both! I appreciate comic villains of all forms. Including the form where the movie is supposed to be good and the villain is supposed to be sinister, but everything is actually so bad that it's hilarious. Chips? I am not a big fan of regular potato chips, though I am incredibly intrigued by those Thai Kettle Chips you all keep mentioning in this thread. (Actually, Kettle Chips in general are something of an exception to the rule. Nom.) Beer? My first ever time drinking beer was in Munich, so I might perhaps be slightly spoiled. That said, wheat beers/hefeweizens are my favorites in general (my favorite in Munich was Franziskaner Weißbier). Drop Top and Fat Tire are also something of agreed-upon group favorites among the UCR geology department. Have generally had favorable impressions of pale ales, too. Are you obsessed with honey? If so, is there a particular kind you like best? Spun honey, flavored honeys, certain types of honey.... etc. Honey is awesome! I like trying different kinds of it; when I do buy it, I tend to not get the same kind twice in a row. I recently had avocado honey, and it was delicious. Local, too! (This is, actually, possibly something I could get for people, but it depends on what's going on at the farmers' market that week. The honey cart is not always there.) Those flavored honey sticks are also kind of addictive. Book collecting? I don't collect for the sake of having, generally, but absolutely for the sake of reading! I've lately been accumulating print material about the 1906 earthquake, some of it dating from that year. It's so interesting to see how scientific thought and social perception on that event has changed over time. I also have a good number of graphic novels, though I tend to keep up with buying the TPBs shortly after they come out.

Dee had been sitting on my wishlist for a while, though it kept ever so slightly missing the cut for my orders. I've had good luck with wood scents in the past, definitely like tonka, and enjoyed the leather note in Coyote, at least. I was definitely also curious about the parchment. And yet, I didn't get to ordering it, until septima_pica pointed out at Will Call that Dee was one she thought I'd like. I guess an overt recommendation was all I needed! I'm trying this today (22 May 2009) because I'll be performing in a concert of music from Elizabethan England later this evening, and it seemed totally appropriate to wear an oil based on Elizabeth I's astrologer! In the imp: Tonka, wood, and something a little bit sharp that I can't identify. Wet on skin: All tonka and wood now. Whatever was sharp isn't really there anymore. Drydown: Freshly dry, the leather is definitely coming out, and is melding really smoothly with the tonka. This layers nicely with the soft woody dryness that's the other main thing going on. I think I might be getting the incense along with the wood, though I'm not entirely sure. At one hour in, this has become a completely smooth mix of leather, tonka, wood, and a faint dry sweetness that I'm supposing is incense. Five hours later: The same rich smooth mix as at the one hour mark, and not even much fainter, either. End of the day: Still going! The balance has shifted more in favor of wood and incense than tonka and leather, though the latter notes are still there in the background. Overall: Ooooh. Recommendation entirely spot-on. This is so good. The notes blend very smoothly, though are still distinguishable enough to lend individual characteristics to the mix. It's rather gentlemanly and certainly distinctive; this is not just a run-of-the-mill gentleman, but more likely someone up to strange and fascinating things. I absolutely love how this smells, and the idea of it being inspired by a sort of proto-mad-scientist is also deeply appealing. I'm sure I'll use this imp gladly, and foresee upgrading it in the future.

I've seen Ulalume mentioned on the forum as a great forest scent, matching decaying leaves with their live counterparts and wood stems. That was definitely intriguing, particularly since I like the dead leaves note in October. A sniff at Will Call also suggested the presence of wintergreen, which is a note that I love and have only encountered in one place before. That adds up to a definite try; I'm willing to risk the lilies for it. In the imp: Cypress, less distinct foliage, and something that really reminds me of wintergreen, though wintergreen isn't a listed note. Wet on skin: The cypress is still the most distinct note, though it's blending in pretty well with the more homogeneous foresty-leafy smell overall. I am still being reminded of wintergreen by something, though I don't think it's actual wintergreen. Drydown: Freshly dry, the cypress has melded in with the rest of the woodsy scent even further. This is a very thick leafy forest, dark but also a little sweet. I suspect the lilies are responsible for the sweetness, though it doesn't smell overtly floral. By one hour in, the lilies have shown up, and their clean scent is a definite contrast with all the darker combination of leaves and wood. Five hours later: Lilies! All lilies! No more wonderful dark trees! The lilies have been completely in charge from about the two hour mark, in fact. End of the day: Still with the lilies! Pretty faint, though. Overall: Darn you, lilies, for completely overtaking what was shaping up to be a gorgeous dark deciduous forest scent! I was particularly excited about finding something that included wintergreen and leaves and woods, and if that initial stage of the drydown had lasted longer, I'd be totally gushing about this one. As it is, though, it goes entirely to flowers early enough on that I doubt I'll pick it up very often. Sigh.

I'll be frank - I picked this one up for the volcano factor. I also have to admit that I'm a little sad that the Pele oil goes for the dance aspect of her character rather than the volcano aspect, but I might be just a little bit biased. Particular focus or not, any scent based on a volcano deity is a scent I need to try, no matter how floral. I'm trying it today (18 May) in particular because it's the anniversary of the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. In the imp: Humidly floral. Wet on skin: Still a sweet humid floral, with maybe a tiny bit of ginger, if I sniff really hard. Drydown: Freshly dry is pretty much the same as wet - sweet humid floral, very fresh and light, with only the tiniest bit of ginger. At one hour in, the ginger is a little more prominent, giving a little bit of an edge to what is still a humid sweet clean floral. Five hours later: No more ginger, but still some very clean florals. End of the day: Faint clean florals. Overall: Well, it's floral. I expected this going in, and it's been confirmed. They are nice clean-smelling florals; they smell good, but they're quite feminine and are definitely not my sort of scent. That said, I'm holding onto this imp, because I want to experiment in layering it with other volcanic/geologic scents (ie Moai). I also figure it'll be an appropriate thing to bring on the volcanology class field trip to Hawaii in the fall.

I think I have to confess here that I've read almost no Lovecraft. In fact, the only story of his I have read is The Call of Cthulhu itself. It is not the Cthulhu aspect of this scent that intrigues me most, though the idea of a fuzzy wall hanging of an Elder God is pretty awesome. I am mostly incredibly intrigued by all of the notes, since some of them (I'm looking at you, wasabi) don't generally occur in perfume. In the imp: Whoosh, definitely wasabi! Also getting the sage and the coriander and what I assume is the green cedar, since it's a little evergreen-y. Wet on skin: Wasabi has calmed down already, and it's letting the tea come out. The cedar and coriander are still quite prominent, though the sage has also dropped back some. Drydown: Freshly dry, wasabi is perking back up, though it's not beating anything out. It blends quite well with the tea, which is not surprising. Coriander is still a major player, and cedar and sage are more relegated to the background. I'm getting a sense of something a little darker back there, which is probably frankincense and myrrh, though I can't really distinguish them at this point. At one hour in, the entire scent is much fainter, though the balance is pretty much the same as when it was freshly dry. The wasabi has maybe calmed down a little more, but that's the only difference that stands out. Five hours later: Pretty much just frankincense and myrrh, and rather faintly at that. End of the day: Gone. Overall: Velvet Cthulhu is a weird one, and I mean that in a good way! Most of the individual notes listed are clearly green things from description alone, and in combination, they really are this sort of bizarre squishy translucent yellow-green. I can't think of a better way to describe it. They are definitely the right kind of color and squishiness to be Cthulhu, and I think it's really awesome that a combination of scents can invoke such a clear image in terms of hue and texture. I like! If only it hadn't faded down to just the resins (which I like, but which are not the characteristic thing of this scent) so quickly...

I'm taking my chances with the orange and mandarin in this one, since citrus has a tendency to disappear quite quickly on me. I'm excited enough about the other notes that this is still absolutely worth a try. Not to mention the whole thing where I own a large stripey cat (though he's brown, gray, and black, not orange and black), and thus needed to try the stripey cat oil. In the imp: Spicy dark citrus with licorice and a touch of vetiver. Wet on skin: Dark citrus with a strong backdrop of licorice and some sharp spiciness. Not so much on the vetiver anymore. Drydown: Freshly dry, the citrus is already fading some. This is typical of me, and at least it's not completely[/u] gone yet. The spices, cinnamon, and licorice are still blending smoothly and darkly. The vetiver is lurking back there, but it's not a major component. Something woody is also starting to come out, which I assume is the teak. At one hour in, the citrus is entirely gone, but what's left is a really nice spiced licorice with a woody backdrop. Five hours later: Similar balance to the one hour mark, though fainter. The dark sweetness of licorice with cinnamon and other sharp spices. Vetiver is gone, wood isn't quite as noticeable, and there still hasn't been any amber. End of the day: Gone. Overall: I can't say I'm surprised about the citrus' disappearing act, though it makes me sad. The orange has to compliment the black with tigers, after all! That said, I still liked how this dried down quite a bit. It actually seems like a scent that would be associated with a cup of dark spiced tea. I would absolutely go for tea with orange, licorice, cinnamon, and spice. The warmth of the scent definitely lends to the tea impression as well. I'm certainly going to hold onto this decant, though I'm probably not going to upgrade it, since the orange gets lost so quickly.

As soon as the Velvet Paintings update went up, I gravitated toward this one, since I'm a sucker for desert scents. One would think that I'd have all the desert I need, what with the living in Riverside and stuff, but I'm still a big fan of things like Coyote, Tombstone, Tenochtitlan, and Ozymandias, so this was a must-try. I got a sniff at April Will Call, and while it was not what I expected - far spicer and sweeter than I would have guessed - I still absolutely loved it there. I picked up a bottle at May Will Call, and reviewage ensues! In the bottle: Sweet and spicy at once. I suspect vanilla exists in here, despite it not being listed. Wet on skin: The spiciness is coming out more. It's a dry dusty spicy, though, not a burn your face kind of spicy. The backdrop is still sweet. I do get the tobacco, but I'd still swear there's vanilla or tonka or something like that. Drydown: Freshly dry, it's the spicy and dusty that are in charge. The cedar is back there, as is the tobacco, and I'm still convinced there's some brand of vanilla. At one hour in, it's still dusty spice with tobacco and something vanilla-esque in the backdrop. The spicy note (which I'm taking to be the tumbleweed) is more prominent now than it was earlier, but it isn't blocking anything out. Five hours later: Still going strong, with the same sort of balance of notes as at the one hour mark. That is, still sweet-spicy dusty, with tobacco and vanilla-ish stuff underneath. End of the day: Still very evident! It is less spicy now, as well as a bit less dusty. That sweet tobacco with vanilla that's been in the background all day is the most prominent part of the scent right now. The cedar is there if I think about it, but it blends in very homogeneously. Overall: Love this. Looove it. It is warm and spicy and deserty and generally all kinds of awesome. Velvet Bandito is clearly related to Tombstone, though with the spicy tumbleweed replacing the sasparilla, and sweet tobacco (which I suspect is partially responsible for this impression of vanilla) providing the sweetness that vanilla alone gives in Tombstone. I wouldn't quite call them the two cowboys standing on opposite sides of the saloon and taking shots at each other, though; I'm thinking more that Tombstone is the clean-cut obvious hero in the white hat, and Velvet Bandito is some sort of roguish outlaw that's stealthily helping the good guys against the more dangerous bad guys, who are probably lurking out there in the form of a scent I haven't tried yet. But ANYWAY. I love this one. And as an added bonus, during fieldwork a few weeks ago, I must have walked through the plant responsible for the spicy note in Velvet Bandito, because when I tested the oil, it immediately reminded me of fieldwork, which is also a good thing. I will definitely be keeping this and using it gladly. Yay!

This was another Lab frimp, and though it wasn't actually on my wishlist, it was one I'd been eyeing, since I tend to be a fan of dry dirty-rooty-naturey scents. In the imp: Extremely dry, with just as much dusty dirt as there is planty/woody smell. Wet on skin: Much the same as wet. There's a dry rooty-woody smell, mixed in with some soft dusty dirt. Drydown: Freshly dry, there's more of the same. The woody smell in question is pretty delicate, though I can't ID it exactly. The dirt is rather sweet and smells like it'd have a powdery silty texture. (Not that one can really smell particle size, even as a geologist! But I still say it smells silty.) At one hour in, not much has changed. Five hours later: The scent has faded quite a bit, though it's still evident. By this point, the dirt aspect has pretty much disappeared, leaving a very light dry wood of some sort. End of the day: If I sniff my wrist really closely, I still get a hint of very faint dusty wood. Overall: Mandrake is definitely a relative of Badger, what with the combination of dry dirt and roots. Badger has more of a bite, though; Mandrake lacks the galangal. That said, I really like Badger, and I like Mandrake quite well also. It's a nice, extremely dry, almost delicate combination of soft woody roots and soft dirt. Definitely keeping the imp.

The Dark Side of Fire: cinnamon, bitter almond, and neroli. Heavily spiced, torrid, and possibly conflagrant. This was a Lab frimp, and it had some pretty amazing timing. I gave septima_pica a ride to May Will Call, and on the ride over, we were discussing how On Fire would be an amazing Halloween costume. And then, BANG, the Lab frimps me some Inferno! Bwahahaha. In the imp: Sharp cinnamon, something that is probably vetiver, and something else that's almost sour. Wet on skin: Mostly sharp cinnamon, perhaps a little bit sweetened. I am now no longer sure there is vetiver, and whatever was sour isn't anymore. Drydown: Freshly dry, this is hot sweet cinnamon and very little else. It's rather like I rubbed Atomic Fireball candy on my wrists. At one hour in, it's still cinnamony with little else, though the sweetness is starting to gain ground on the heat. Five hours later: Gone. End of the day: Still gone. Overall: This is all about the cinnamon candy on me. I didn't pick up on the bitter almond or neroli at all. All cinnamon, all the time - for values of "all the time" that equal "about two hours." I do like the smell of cinnamon, though perhaps not as much in this sweet-hot candy sense as in the actual tree bark sense. I think I'll hold on to the imp, though, in case there is a need to be On Fire.

This was a Lab frimp, and I see that white sandalwood is one of the listed notes. That means that, from an allergy standpoint, I really shouldn't test this one, but I'm stubborn and am on meds for seasonal allergy reasons, so why the heck not? In the imp: White sandalwood (uh oh, tingly nose!) and soft indistinct flowers. Wet on skin: Definitely picking up the gardenia and ylang ylang specifically now, and fortunately a little less of the sandalwood. Drydown: Freshly dry, this is a sweet soft whitish floral. The sandalwood continues to retreat, which saves me from sneezing. At one hour in, this has gone quite powdery, though it's still a very floral powder. Five hours later: Already gone. This happened around the three hour mark or so. End of the day: Still gone. Overall: White florals are not my thing, nor is powder, and I think the allergy meds are the only reason I didn't react more seriously to the sandalwood. This one is getting swapped.

When I tried this at Will Call in April, my initial reaction was, "This is really weird." This reaction, however, was all I needed in the way of encouragement to try this for more than the span of one Will Call. I mean, mushroom and rhubarb? How does that work in a scent? In the imp: Very tartly sweet (I think that's rhubarb plus currant) with an indistinct earthy background. Wet on skin: Still predominantly a tart sweetness, almost like some sort of super sour berry candy. The earthy aspect is very vague under all of that. Drydown: Freshly dry, the sour berry candy aspect has calmed down a lot, almost to the point where it's now background to the earthy notes. I recognize myrrh now, and there's something unfamilar-yet-familiar that I'm guessing is the mushroom. By one hour in, the rhubarb and currant are pretty much gone, and the myrrh and champaca are the most prominent notes. There's still a bit of mushroom there, but it's not in the foreground and never has been. Five hours later: Still quite evident, as a blend of myrrh and champaca. End of the day: Fainter, but far from gone. It's almost exclusively myrrh by now, though. Overall: My assessment from Will Call remains - goodness, this one is weird! It is a good kind of weird, but weird remains my main adjective for it, especially in the earlier stages of drydown. The mushrooms, though they snuck in there at first, are indeed mushrooms, true to life, though I think they are a large part of the weird factor, as is the tartness of the rhubarb. The weird decreased with the wearlength, though, and I thought the end stage of myrrh and champaca wasn't nearly as exciting as the earlier stages. I totally enjoyed the novelty of the weird factor, but I suspect it might be precisely that it's novel that I liked it as much as I did. I'm not sure I'd actually wear this often if I had more of it.

I suppose it's the desert dweller in me, but when I see sage in a blend, I'm starting to go "ooh, want to try!" I've also had good experiences with frankincense and redcurrant, so I was feeling pretty good about this one before I even put it on. In the imp: Frankincense and musk, with a tiny bit of bite that must be sage, and some slight sweetness that must be currant. Wet on skin: The currant immediately comes out more, though it's still blending nicely with the frankincense. The sage has dropped back a little already, though it's still there. This musk is a very smooth one, and definitely helps with blending. Even though I can distinguish the notes, they work together smoothly. Drydown: Freshly dry, the sage has made a comeback. It puts some bite into something otherwise quite smooth. The currant is also less obvious, seemingly having melded in with the smoothness of the musk, rather than the drier quality of the frankincense. By the one hour mark, the scent has settled into a sagey frankincense with a backdrop of musk. The currant isn't really distinguishable anymore, though it very well could still be contributing some sweetness to the mix. Five hours later: Much like the one hour mark, though fainter. Frankincense with some bite from the sage, smoothed over by the musk. End of the day: Still present as something dry and a little bit musky. The dry doesn't smell quite like frankincense or sage distinctly, but maybe that's what they turn into when they wear out together. Overall: Oooh, I really really like this one. It's my favorite of the Le Mat scents for sure (though I also did like Marotte quite a bit, and certainly didn't dislike Motley). It's interesting how the notes can all remain rather distinctly identifiable, all the while still coming together in a perfect blend. Interestingly, earlier on, this scent reminds me a little bit of this hawthorn berry sage chai that a local bakery/coffeeshop sells, but that's ok with me, since I love that drink. And it stays good, even after the currant has disappeared; the earthiness of frankincense, the bite of sage, and the smoothness of musk just plain compliment each other gorgeously. If it were possible to get an individual bottle of this, I definitely would, though I don't know if my grad student can justify springing for the set when only one was actually "OMG" as opposed to merely "good."

Pyrite. Seriously. Pyrite! As a geologist, need I say anything else about why I wanted to give this one a test? (Oh yeah, the other notes do sound really good too. But mostly, pyrite.) In the imp: Sweet and juicy, like some sort of red fruit (which is odd, since there aren't any red fruits listed). Wet on skin: Still sweet and juicy like some sort of fruit, though the fruit doesn't immediately strike me as being red anymore. There is definitely something rather metallic lurking in the background, too. Drydown: Freshly dry, this is still juicy and fruity, but the wood and moss are starting to fill in the backdrop. The metallic mineral aspect is still something lingering in the back, but it's undeniably there. At one hour in, however, the fruitiness has faded to near zero, and what's left is a blend of wood, moss, a bit of patchouli, and a littler bit of musk, with a decidedly metal-mineral thing still lurking in the shadows. Five hours later: Similar to the one hour mark in terms of how it's blended, though somewhat fainter: dusty and earthy wood and moss and patchouli, with maybe some musk and maybe some of the metal mineral left. End of the day: Dry wood, oakmoss, and maybe a little bit of musk. Overall: I looked up what a marotte is, and Wikipedia says it's the wooden stick with some sort of metal ornament on top that jesters use in their shows. The drydown of this scent nails that - mossy wood with a small amount of something metallic. I was quite pleased by the pyrite note itself, in that it did smell like mineral metal, but left out the rotten egg aspect of genuine pyrite; not to mention I was pleased that it stuck around so long. I also do like wood and moss notes, so I enjoyed this overall even after all the various fruits burned off.

This one was a Lab frimp, and while it's not something I would have picked for myself, I'm curious to see how a white floral note works with so much darker stuff. In the imp: Mostly vetiver, with a hint of patchouli making the whole thing somewhat less sharp than pure vetiver. Wet on skin: The patchouli continues to mellow the vetiver out, and I'm getting something smoother and sweeter under there now, though it doesn't smell particularly like anything specific yet. Drydown: Freshly dry, this is very strong. Whatever smooth thing I thought I was smelling isn't really there anymore. It's definitely all about the vetiver and patchouli, sharp and dark. At one hour in, it's still strong vetiver and patchouli, without any hint of the other notes. It kind of reminds me, unfortunately, of the kind of cleaning fluid used for really stubborn messes. Five hours later: Not quite as strong, but still definitely potent, and still all about the dirty vetiver and patchouli. End of the day: Faint vetiver. Overall: I definitely see how this scent fits its name. It is dark, sharp, dirty, and could be taken as menacing. That said, it seems my countenance is not evil enough to appreciate this sort of blend. While I don't have problems with vetiver or patchouli individually, it seems that mixing them together is just not my thing, as my thoughts of "strong cleaning fluid" would suggest. I'm sure the other notes would make this something different for other people, but I got nothing of them - not even the ylang ylang, which is surprising, since that has been strong in other things with it I've tried. I think I'll be swapping this one.

A lethal poison bundled up in a dainty, innocent little package that was oft times found in ancient witches’ flying ointments and astral projection balms. A warm, soft, ruddy scent, earthy and mild. Here's another case where the geologist is drawn to the dirt scent! I've heard Death Cap mentioned as one of the quintessential BPAL dirt scents all over the forum, and thanks to very generous decant circle frimpage on the part of dpoulsen21, I got to try it now. Thank you! In the imp: Soft dry dirt, a little bit sweet. Wet on skin: Even wet, this manages to smell dusty. Still soft dirt, but of the sort that would actually grow stuff, not pure rock dust. Drydown: Freshly dry, it's still sweet dry dirt. The sweetness seems to be a little vanilla-ish, or perhaps even vaguely cocunutty. At one hour in, I still can't pinpoint exactly what it is that's making this dirt sweet, but it does remain delicately sweet dirt. Five hours later: This one is not a morpher - it's still soft sweet dirt, and it's still quite present. End of the day: Still a little bit of sweet dusty dirt. Overall: In terms of mixing sweetness with geology, Death Cap is a cousin of Black Opal. If Black Opal is the source rock, then Death Cap is the soil that has weathered off it and has been altered enough by other processes to be entirely its own thing, even if still obviously related. While the combination of sweet vanilla with minerals in Black Opal confuses the heck out of my nose, the sweetness of the dirt in Death Cap doesn't have the same reaction. Rather, it just comes across as an exceptionally fine silty dark soil, similar in texture to powdered sugar; perhaps I get that impression of consistency from the sweetness of the scent. Anyway, it seems to me like this dirt would actually be quite fertile, never mind the word "death" in the oil's name. I definitely like this one, and will absolutely be keeping this imp.

This was a frimp from the Lab...but it was also my wishlist. My first psychic frimp! Anyway, I was interested in Anubis for the notes and the mythology alike. We did a unit on ancient Egypt in fifth grade history class, and I thought their whole version of underworld trials and judgment was really interesting. I think I was particularly drawn to Anubis because I think jackals are cool, too. In the imp: Sweet myrrh with a few herbs thrown in. Wet on skin: Immediately more incensey than it was in the vial, though the incense is in addition to the sweet myrrh and herbs. Drydown: Freshly dry, this is mostly sweet myrrh with just a little bit of spice behind it. It hasn't changed much by the one hour mark - sweet and spicy and warm. Five hours later: More of the same, though perhaps with a little more of the balsam peeking through now. It has faded from the one hour mark, but not by much. End of the day; Still quite present, in pretty much the same blend it's had all day. Sweet myrrh, balsam, and a little bit of herby-incensey spice. Overall: I can totally picture this as being the scent inside a stone cavern with gold-painted decorations, closed off from outside but still pretty darn warm, lit by candles to make the fantastic figures within seem all that much larger than life. In shorter terms, I can definitely see this as being the scent of the chamber in which Anubis does his work. I like the mix of notes, even though I think I missed few of them, but it's quite thick; it could almost be taken as a bit stifling, though that fits with the imagery of mummies and embalming, I guess! Not to mention with the extreme temperatures in a place like Egypt...On the whole, I liked this, and will probably hold on to the imp. Definitely won't be a thing to pull out and wear on those 100 degree desert days, though!