pranashakti

I find Obatala (Excolo) very comforting in times of stress and anxiety. For Twilight Alchemy Lab Oils, Batset's Laughter is always very comforting and uplifting, and Aegis and Middle Pillar are very helpful to me.

Samael of the Qliphoth is very delicious honey on me.

Wow, Beth. That's good info to have. From now on, I'll always order through Paypal. I'm all over "every little bit adding up" - that's how I gather enough to buy BPAL!

On first application I get a very funky green smell with a bit of a citrus undertone. Very alive, but not quite clean – it’s a musky green, and a bit sharp. The sharpness turns moister, and becomes almost aloe-like in quality; here it’s more comforting and rounder in scent. Quite a morph already, but this has more surprises in store. This gradually becomes sweeter, taking on a just bit of a white floral quality – it gets lighter and more airy while strongly maintaining that sense of living green. I almost want to say lotus, because there’s a bubble-gum undertone that I associate with that note, but I find this more natural than lotus usually goes on me. Then it gets down to business. The word that comes to mind is nectar, and in this case it’s fitting – a fruity, sweet sweet juicyness , but light and still a touch verdant. It’s warm and definitely has a sitting in the sunshine feel. This is innocent but compelling, and absolutely delicious. Beth has done a beautiful job with this. From first stage when I get a sense of the living plant, to the scent of final temptation, this is a pleasure to sniff all around. So much depth, so very interesting, and in the end, very happy and fun. What a perfectly lovely way to go.

Lemon Pledge. Oh wait, Lemon Pledge and plastic. Scratch that - Lemon Pledge scented candle... . I cannot smell anything else no matter how I try. Lemon and I so often have this battle - the only citrus that's not amped like this for me is La Fee Verte. Bad lemon!!! Down!!! BAD!

There's nothing I can say about teh Smut that hasn't already been said. I fully expected to fall ass-over-teakettle for this, and was so not disappointed. On first application - sweet musk and sugar, with a touch of booze - quickly becoming more ferally musky and even overpowering. What a punch! The feralness passes rather quickly and the whole scent lightens in mood. The next stage stays pretty true for me through its super long wear time. I get some vanilla in with the sugar as it amps up, and frolicks about in the playful nude with the musks while they pour booze on each other. Sweet and seductive, but assertive at the same time, with fabu throw and longevity. This is the bottle I grab when I need a hand feelin' sassy - but I feel it goes equally well with my ripped jeans and cotton tees or my "bow down" boots and leather pants. Brilliant, Beth. Thanks for the boost.

The World on initial application is musty and damp to me. It's the scent of a small running stream while you sit under a very old tree on the banks of the steam. Wet and alive, but deep and rooted. This phase passes quickly and spice comes to the front, a cinnamon kick that is energizing and recharging. It becomes woodsier then, as well, and the must and damp leave, replaced by an airy softness that keeps the spice light as a breeze and awakening without being overwhelming. This is an exceptionally balanced and unique fragrance. On a further note, I reached for this specifically early this morning because I had troubled dreams and a big project to finish before school and needed something to offset my discombobulation. I find this to be an amazingly gentle, centering and grounding scent that imparts a sense of wholeness and calm.

I so wanted to love this. The coconut and vanilla reviews had me all a-flutter and this oil was one I really looked forward to experiencing. Unfortunately, immediatly upon application I got a strange combination of Play-doh and plastic that was as persistent as my cat when I'm roasting a chicken. I was patient, and hoped for it to pass, but no luck. None of the other notes could make themselves known to me through the power of this unique blend of bad chemistry chemicallness, and after about an hour, this became one of the rare blends that I actually had to wash off. No kitty, that's a BAD kitty!!

I tried this some time ago and it didn't work for me at all. I got a metallic tang from the Dragon's Blood that just overwhelmed anything else I could sniff from it. Sweet cherry scented metal, ugh. I frimped it away promptly. That said, my chemistry has changed quite a bit lately - some old favorites are now smelling pretty funny, and suddenly my nose has a sweet tooth. I got a hankering to try this again. The lovely Spark sent me an imp in a recent swap, and I've fallen in love. The Dragon's Blood is now heady and deep, with a touch of spice. First applied, this is rich and a touch fruity and musky. The vanilla comes out as this dries down and this becomes a sweet, delicious, warm, soft "fuzzy-sweater" type of yum. I'm glad I swapped for a bottle on LJ - this is my new comfort scent. The man's a fan as well!

I'd definitely second Jacob's Ladder, Snake Charmer, and Haunted. Mmmmmmmm, amber!

On first application this is a touch sharp with a strong citrus-ish top note. The sharp goes poof but the citrus-ish sticks around. I completely agree with everone who has said this is green. Living, joyous green - not leaves, per se, or a plant. It's the kind of complex, delicious green smell you get when winter has started to pass and all the plants at once realize that it's time to wake up and be again. I'm thinking it's the oude that gives this a little roundness and its depth...kind of like a trellis you train vines to grow on. Stabilty and shape for the riot greenery. As this wears it warms and softens and the citrus does finally go. Even at this stage it's a very present scent with more throw than I expected - a little goes a long way. A very alive, joyous, unique and present scent. It's like nothing else I own and I really, really dig it. It's just what I needed today and I wish the bottle was bigger so I could give it a big squish (and of course, to have more oil).

I'm sorry, did someone say panties? Or lack thereof? Boy, did I check out the right thread before bed...lol!

This is tearfully beautiful. Absolutely warm, sweet, and full of radiating light. Either the tonka or benzoin keeps the amber from going to powder on me. Not alot of throw, but a very enveloping scent. I feel like it's there for me. I'm trying, but I really can't describe this objectively, or pull individual notes or make comparisons. This is too evocative for me to do that, but I'll tell you this - wearing Jacob's Ladder makes me feel grounded, safe, and oh-so-very loved. Wow. I'm so going to need to stock up on this one.

This is quite a shock. For once, the man was right. When I read him the Yules, this was the one he wanted me to get. He even paid! In the bottle I definitely get the hairspray impression, and when first applied the florals come out to play, which is where I expected to go uh-oh. But really, they retreat so quickly, bubbled off by the champagne. This smells like the creamy feel in your mouth you get from sipping the really good stuff. The sandalwood rounds everything out and I keep getting almost fruity impressions from the hyacinth, which is the only floral I can specifically detect. This is definitely flashy and oh-so-fun, most definitely not me as scents go, and I love it to bits.

I'm in with the Peace party.