shriekingviolet

It's really not a problem. I have an obsene amount of bandwidth that I don't use. LOL this will make me feel less wasteful. Besides, it's been a while since I've had the opportunity to play around with a forum script. My inner geek is looking forward to it. 8)

I'm sure the incense in Anglican churches are similar to those in Catholic churches. I've been in both Catholic and Episcopalian (the US version of Anglicanism) churches here and the practices, sights are smells are very, very similar.

I pmed you about hosting the forum if you'd really rather go that way. I have plenty of bandwidth so it wouldn't be a problem.

Category: Love Potions

Site Description:

Initial Impression:

Smells pretty much like the description says. Apricot tempered with dark patchouli. Sweet, yet dark and earthy.

After Wearing It:

Something about this fragrances makes the word "pedophile" pop up in my head. Maybe because apricots and peaches make me think of innocence and little girls, but apricot with a strong line of patchouli sullies that image. Like lessons learned too early. That kind of shock you get when you're at the mall and you see all the 10 and 11 year olds whored up, or when you see middle aged men drooling over porn featuring "barely legal" stars. It's a sweet and fruity yet dirty scent. You want to warn your baby sisters away from it. So I guess it's a pretty good image for depraved.

Final Thoughts:

I'm not really big on the smell of apricots so this one wasn't for me. Might be nice for someone who was though.

I have no problem contributing. Just let us know where and when.

Initial Impression:

Fruity, but not candy like. Like too ripe fruit in the dead of summer.

After Wearing It:

When wet, this fragrance is really warm, juicy and fruity. The orange strikes out over the strawberry, though the berry tone is still evident. As it wears on, the scent cools down a few notches as the amber starts to recede and the vanilla becomes stronger. In its final stages, the scent has more of a powdery tone. Very sweet and more candylike than it was when first applied.

Final Thoughts:

Lovely, but not really my style so I can't see myself wearing it often. I really need to try it as a roomscent though. Seems like it'd be gorgeous as that.

It isn't. I'm actually not sure what the blend is, but when I was in junior high I used to serve at funerals (good money by the way, and it got me out of class!) from time to time and spooned it into the censer. It's a pretty mixed blend. Had at least 5 different components. I'm sure there's some frankincense and myrrh in it, but I know there's some other stuff in it. I ought to go look through the spice aisle next time I'm in the grocer because I'm pretty sure I could recognize some of what was in there if I saw it. There was some kind of pepper I think. Little round balls. I'll have to think on that one.

Might be helpful to add customers' forum handles (supposing they do post here) to the records as well. It would certainly add a wealth of information to any other information on us you have tucked away. Would be interesting to see how many of us you've already placed a name and address to.

Initial Impression:

Sharp and complex. I can definitely smell the lime and the pine, with a bit of the myrrh as well.

After Wearing It:

Wow. This one is so complex, it's awfully hard to pull a description together. It's earthy and mysteriousy, smelling strongly of pine almond and patchouli when it firsts goes on, then after it dries, the scent's complexity really shows through. It's crisp and sharp, yet misty and sweet. Spicy, but almost clean smelling. It makes me think of chanting and ritual dancing, of raising energy just for the sake of doing so.

Final Thoughts:

I really like this one. It's such a paradox in itself, and wraps you in a cloak of mischief and mystery. I need to wear it a few more times to get to know it better.

Category: Sin & Salvation

Site Description:

Initial Impression:

Frankincense is what I smell mostly here, though there's a slight violet tingue that I smell after exhaling.

After Wearing It:

For the first hour or so, I can't smell anything but frankincense here. Very pungent and demanding, and more than a little masculine. I like frankincense, but on its own, it's a bit much, so I was quite happy when the frankincense started fading back enough to allow the violet notes to poke through. in the end, this isn't a distinctively violet scent, but it is a pretty intriguing spicy and slightly powdery oil that whispers seductively of lighter things.

Final Thoughts:

I really like the dry down on this one, but it takes a bit long to get there and the first stage of the fragrance is too harsh for my nose. Might be something to try putting on before I go to bed, since it is pretty long wearing. I need to test this one out as a room fragrance as well.

That's probably the best idea. They can type in "guy" and get a list.

I agree with Alice. I know it shouldn't matter, but I'd be less likely to try a fragrance if it was in the "man" section, even if the notes sound tempting. I'm not really girlish, but my tastes doesn't really run towards unisex blends, but things can really surprise you! It keeps me having an open mind. Likewise, there are probably some scents that haven't made it on the Men Recommended list that could turn out well for them. Didn't someone mention once (or maybe it was on bust...) that snake oil did work for a guy they knew? I think it helps keep their mind open too. But moving the men recommended list to a more notiecable spot would probably be a good idea.

Initial Impression:

I'm not a big fan of florals but this smells really nice in the vial. A sweet floral. Smells hopeful, almost. Slightly wistful, so very appropriate for Ophelia.

After Wearing It:

I can really smell the sweet pea when I put it on, though as time goes on, it develops into a more complex, sweet floral. I didn't really think I'd like this one, but it's really pretty. Smells a bit too young and innocent for me, but that's appropriate for its namesake. Would work well for a young teen.

Final Thoughts:

Not my style really, since it's pretty girlish, but I'll definitely be using up the sample.

Initial Impression:

Very rosy, rosier than I wanted it to be. I can smell hints of ylang ylang playing in the background.

After Wearing It:

When I first put it on, all I could smell was rose. Really strong rose, which doesn't go over so well with me. The rose note mellowed out a bit, becoming a bit sweeter and more sensual (from the ylang ylang probably), but it's still very much a rose scent.

Final Thoughts:

Very feminine. Would be nice for a fan of rose notes, but I am not.

Resins are substances made from plant saps/gums, and are often used in incense and have been for millenia so there's going to be a lot over overlap between the two. Amber, Copal, Frankincense and Myrrh are all resins, though when describing things I tend to use the word "incense" more for myrrh and frankincense than I would for amber or copal (which I'm more likely to label as just resin-y). Amber is a rich, warm, and sweet smell. Much like you'd think from it's color really. Different varieties provide slightly different results, some more smoky than others, some with even something like a slight citrus tinge to it.

Patchouli is an earthy scent. I know the word "earthy" isn't exactly helpful, but that's what I think of when I think patchouli. That and warm sweaty bodies LOL. Think 60s hippies. It's very unisex and a bit musky. It's a pretty common scent for incense, but I don't think of it as an incense note and it's definitely not a resin (it comes from leaves of a certain shrub I think).

Hope I helped!

Actually I'm going the end of April so I'm hoping it will just be a nice warm escape from the Seattle "Spring". I'm going for Jazz Fest and to meet my beau's family who live there. I'm glad to hear that the humidity won't be as bad as I thought - I can deal with heat since before moving to Seattle two years ago, I spent most of my life in Phoenix. I'm just not used to any humidity. I discovered in Key West last year that most of the heavier perfumes I wear just don't work well in humidity and light florals just aren't me. I'm checking out some of the fruit and tea blends to see if those might work.

Oooh Jazzfest is fun. Great food too. Tons of varieties of Gumbo are made since Jazzfest is also a sort of heritage festival. New Orleans period has wonderful cuisine. I never ate better than when I lived there. And you should have good weather at the end of April. Probably in the low to mid 80s (which is perfect to me), maybe a bit humid, but it shouldn't be too bad.

I think someone said Haunted smelled like Floating Island. Though it didn't smell that way to me at all!

Wow the above review really, really illustrates what a difference noses and personal body chemistry can make. That said....

Initial Impression:

Not exactly sweet, it's really kind of tart and even a bit bitter. The wine and myrrh are what's most apparent in the vial.

After Wearing It:

When I first put this on, my first thought was that this smelled like a marinade. A good marinade, would be absolutely mouthwatering on lamb (I think it's the red wine, and the myrrh's smokiness), but not really something you'd want to smell like. I persisted though, since I give every scent a chance to develop before I make a judgment. After an hour or so, it stopped smelling like something you'd soak red meat in as the honey and the sweet flowers finally started to break through. Still the wine dominates the fragrance for at least another hour. As time goes on, the sweeter notes slowly but surely start to assert themselves. The end result is a lightly sweet, but tangy scent that's not at all candylike. Reminds me of sweet varieties of red wine. Very pleasing.

Final Thoughts:

I like the end result a lot, but I'm not sure I'd buy a bottle of this because it's definitely something I could only wear if I had time to kill before leaving the house. Very authentic though since I'm now totally craving Greek food. I'd kill for some good roast lamb right now, but since it's 2 am there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. :x

Initial Impression:

Sensual and stinging, like pleasure twisted by pain.

After Wearing It:

I can definitely smell the leather here, but it isn't as dominant as I would have expected it to be from the way it smelled wet. It's feminine in a very "kitten with a whip" kind of way. Vaguely sweet and smoky notes lace through the leather bringing up an image of a swanky club with great leather barstools and couches, smoke (from a machine rather than stale cigarette stinch) and a cute guy at the end of the counter. It's sensual, but not soft. It's edgy, sexy, smart and very modern.

Final Thoughts:

This isn't a scent I would have chosen on my own, but I'm very glad Elizabeth included it in my order. It's a fab fragrance for nights when you're out prowling with the girls.

How long are you staying in May Nic? The humidity's so not awful from early to mid May. It's something that accumulates throughout the summer until hurricane season hits in the fall. So the earlier you come in the summer, the better off you'll be. August is a hellish in terms of humidity. Walking from the car to a building can make you start sweating. It was a trial trying to move my stuff into the dorms in August both years I was there.

Elizabeth said on the bust forums that one of the ingredients for hellfire is no longer available so the scent has been discontinued.

Initial Impression:

Smells kinda fruity, though I can't pinpoint what it might be. Vry complex and interesty. Smoky and a little sweet.

After Wearing It:

Smoky, sweet, and just a touch fruity and spicy. I smell amber here and some incense note. Myrrh perhaps. It's a rich and decadent fragrance, managing to smell both modern and as old as time. Like voices whispering over prophesies of old texts. It wears pretty strong but I don't find it to be overwhelming (though I do prefer heavier scents, anyway). It wears well too, not fading even after hours of wear. Lovely.

Final Thoughts:

When I first put this on, I wasn't sure how much I liked it. It's not that it smelled bad on, but the fragrance was so complex that my nose had to adapt. It smelled the same hour after hour and by hour 3, I was totally in love. I want a bottle of this straight away, but my next order is looking mighty expensive already. :?

Well now that I've calmed down enough to stop twitching over the new scents, I think I can finally settle down long enough to write some reviews from my order that came in yesterday. So here we go....

Category: Bewitching Brews

Initial Impression:

Sweet, light and just a touch green.

After Wearing It:

Wow, this is really nice. Lighter and fresher than my usual fare but totally addictive. Best of all, I can smell honey! It's a delectable creamy, sweet scent and that radiates with green Spring-like energy. Reminds me a bit of fresh sugarcane. Very nice.

Final Thoughts:

I really like this one, might even end up ordering a bottle of it, even though it's not something I'd normally wear. It'd make a really nice fragrance for those summer months when my usual favorites turn out a wee bit too strong.

ADDED March 6:

just to comment on the lasting factor, but this lasted hours on me. In fact, when I first applied it I loved it so much that I felt I HAD to reapply before leaving for work (4 hours after 1st app) even though it hadn't worn down yet b/c I thought it would soon enough b/c it was such a light scent.... But reapplying made it dizzyingly sweet and heavy so I was high off the fumes of it hours after THAT. Very strange.

:shock: Wow, I think my brain just melted from the overload of new options. And I was already having a hard time decising on my next order. :oops:

Gods help me.

does your host have a webmail option? I know mine does for all of my mail accounts, so I can check them from either Outlook or through my control panel if I'm not at home. You might have an easier time sending out mail that way until you get the virus issue cleared up. It's what I do whenever my pop account is being bad.

And yes, authors of viruses do suck. I never quite understood exactly why they devote so much time to getting into personal computers who have nothing interesting for them to mess with. Sick amusement maybe? I guess we just have to rely on karma to deal with them.