PurringPulsar

I am so glad my exams are over! No more revision to burden me, I can now do things like read lots of non-study books, get back to doing arty things like drawing, sketching, and maybe even painting. I have plans to get boxes on Ebay for my BPAL (my collection has got to the stage where shoeboxes-yes, shoeboxes-are being used to store bottles) and to paint them. The Thunder Moon update was the first in a long time where almost every scent had 'big dealbreaker notes', ie ones that could turn the blends nasty on me. Things like ozone, sea notes, sweet pea, thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening. First time that I've not ordered directly from the Lab for the full moon. I have a feeling the next moon will be much better, and maybe will bring lots more scents-CD and Gaiman stuff? It's funny how Cancer brought about lots of aquatic scents, lots of water and rain and dewy floral notes. Just like how Taurus had cow/bull themed scents (Minotaur and Milk Moon). Hmm. Maybe Leo will bring fiery, spicy, regal and sunny scents, maybe cat-themed scents (I want KITTIES!!!), which are much more up my alley. Maybe a therianthrope which is feline, or African, or Egyptian? (Sekhmet would rock, but the therianthrope scents tend to not to be deities.) I have no Leo in my chart but I have a gut feeling it will be wonderful-I wonder if Leo will be packed with amber? (thinking of the Lion here) and I wonder what the next moon will be? I'm going to the uni's summer do tonight. I've been having a dilemma over which BPAL to wear...Blue Moon, Midnight on the Midway, or Snake Charmer? I chose those three because 1) it's the full moon 2) there's a funfair at the summer ball which will be open all night, so it really will be 'midnight on the midway' and 3) Snake Charmer is my all purpose special occasion/empowering/on-the-pull/sexy/exotic scent. I chose Snake Charmer in the end. For the first time in ages, I'm in the mood to pull! And it may sound silly but my choice of perfume does affect my mood and SC is one of those scents which makes me less introverted. I'm in the mood to have some fun, let my hair down, party hard. So hopefully Snake Charmer will work like a charm.

Kataniya In the imp: a floral scent with a sharp cologne like note to it, maybe citrus or orange blossom. It is a little metallic, but very perfumey. Wet on skin: a slightly spicy clear ‘sporty perfume’ scent, this is like a feminine Bloody Sword. Dry: interesting! This is a very unusual scent indeed, but also oddly familiar-it has a feel of those fresh perfumes, or sport deodorants, but this scent is a lot more complex. It has a peppery, crackling ozone scent to it very similar to Lightning or Tempest, but also reminds me strongly of the steel note in the Bloody Sword. There’s something very reminiscent of orange blossom in here-one of the floral notes perhaps? It also reminds me of the spicy metal of the Cracked Bell, but without the musk and incense and rich dark notes-this scent is light and fresh. And like other electric scents, it smells a little bit like dryer sheets, but the floral notes make this a little more acceptable. After a while: ack! The ‘electricity’ note in here doesn’t like me much. Now this does the same thing as the thunderstorm scents-it smells like electrified drier sheets, or tumble-dried clean clothes, covered in static, next to a photocopier! That ‘office ozone’ scent that I dislike so much, it smells biting and sharp in ways I don’t like. It actually smells almost identical to Lightning now, with that same ‘sporty perfume’ scent I got from Lightning, although this is a little bit more like the Bloody Sword’s metal and Lightning’s ozone. It does get a little more floral on drydown though, a white floral scent with that gritty, crackling ozone bite to it. It smells like Tempest now, with a hint of Niflheim. There may be narcissus and orange blossom in here. The drydown is strangely fascinating…it’s still floral and packed with ozone and metal, but it’s regaining the cologne/perfumey edge it had originally…but it’s also almost smoky as well, a bit salty, or a little musky/mossy? Do I even detect ambergris? It’s complex, that’s for sure. Verdict: I really wanted to like this scent because the concept of the clockwork woman was so cool. but sadly, anything that even suggests electricity or lightning turns nasty on my skin (with the exception of the 'voltaic ozone' in Lurid) and this was no exception. And most metallic notes, evocative as they sound, turn to 'sporty cologne' on my skin. The floral notes were very pretty, but the electric ozone did like the thunderstorm scents and turned to the dreaded 'electrified tumble-dried clothes next to a bunch of electrical appliances' scent. I don't like that reaction at all-it's ozone, but a little too accurate for me. And with the metal doing the same thing as the Bloody Sword's steel note did-turning to generic perfume-this is definitely not my kind of scent. the flowery notes do something interesting at the end which make the scent a little more tolerable, but overall I just don't do the electric scents. the scent does fit with the harsh, metallic and cold character of the clockwork woman herself. I just wish it worked better on my skin, so I've passed the decant on to someone who'll appreciate her better. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: the Bloody Sword, Lightning, Tempest, Pool of Tears, Niflheim

Thalassa In the imp: a sweet-salty floral aquatic. Very pretty…I hope this doesn’t turn to soap. Wet on skin: a warm, seaweedy yet slightly soapy-floral aquatic. Dry: mmm, this is not bad! It is slightly soapy, there’s definitely a feel of clean laundry to this scent, but it’s more along the lines of Dirty and Toxin, ‘clean-ozone’ scents which I like. It’s a very pretty, soft scent with a definite marine salty-seaweed scent to it, but a nice seaweed scent, more like warm tropical waters. The sea spray note is very much like the ones in F5 and Jolly Roger (ie it smells a bit like salty washing powder), but in here it’s mixed with a lovely soft floral note, no doubt the jasmine. I don’t smell any almond in here at all, which is odd considering that almond usually is very prominent in the wet stage. The frankincense gives a beautiful golden warmth to the scent. To me this scent conjures up the colours of light coral pink and aquamarine. After a while: the scent’s initial salty-seaweed tang does calm a little, and the scent remaining is a very pleasant clean, warm linen scent. Very much like Dirty, with that fruity-floral salty ozone scent to it, but warmer. It makes me think of a light pink-lilac coloured cloth in the sun…in this case, a beach mat. This is the kind of ‘clean laundry’ scent that I like, in that it reminds me of fresh washed clothes but not of washing powder itself. But the sea air adds a scent to it which strongly reminds me of summer holidays…and this makes it extremely relaxing as a scent, it makes me feel like I’m in Greece, on the beach, away from it all. I think it’s that ‘summer beach’ scent that makes this so nice for me. The sea spray does get stronger over time, developing more ozone like tones. I think the frankincense adds a hint of smoke to it as well, and the jasmine here is beautiful. It smells almost spicy at times and I smell a dryness to it, it makes me think of a laundered sarong, sand sticking to floral scented sun lotion and hints of a sea breeze. And then it sweetens so nicely after a few hours. It’s a gorgeous jasmine incense sort of scent now, or like a high quality jasmine scent sprayed onto linen, with that wonderful frankincense note really showing now. And there's a little touch of fabulous amber/vanilla sweetness from benzoin (I swear, it’s the same benzoin from Jacob’s Ladder *swoon*)…with a sea breeze wafting over it all. I never thought sweet resins, flowers and marine notes would work together but they work amazingly together here. Verdict: I haven't fallen for a sea themed scent for a long time until I tried this. a lot of BPAL marine notes have been going soapy or detergent like as of late-this one does this, to an extent, but I find it very acceptable in this scent. It smells like Dirty (a laundry scent I do like) on the beach, the scent of cleanly washed beach towels draped on the sand with a hint of warm sea breezes. The jasmine is the night blooming variety that I love, and it mixes beautifully with the clean marine ozone. this scent just makes me think of summer holidays and that's enough to make me love this scent…but then I smelt the drydown after a few hours. That's when the resins do their thing. I was wondering how frankincense and benzoin would work with sea spray, and they work surprisingly well. The scent still smells of the beach, but now with a wonderful resin-amber sweetness to it-very much like Jacob's Ladder…I love the benzoin in here! I couldn't stop huffing my wrist at this point. That clinched it-I had to get a bottle of this beautiful mermaid scent, and now this one is set to be a staple in my collection of scents for summer. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! I love the way the jasmine bonds with the clean sea notes, and the drydown is so gorgeous. If you like this, try: Dirty, Jolly Roger, Port Royal, F5, Olokun, Perfumed Garden, Jacob's Ladder

Milk Moon 07 In the bottle: pina colada! No, really! It does smell like creamy pineapples. Or creamy grapes and pomegranates? Wet on skin: honeyed tropical fruit custard! Dry on skin: oh, I like this. Much more than I expected to. At first sniff it is pina colada, but when I sniff deeper, I can pick out tart pomegranates mainly, and white wine grapes, and maybe a softer base of fig too…and some dates. There's even a hint of something floral to it, reminding me of a grown up Chaste Moon. All of these surrounded by a honey custard. It is milky, but not sickening. And the sharpness I get in this scent is a fruity sharpness (which I can tolerate) and not a rancid yoghurt one. After a while: after the initial pomegranate scent fades off, now the honeyed milk starts to show up. Still not turning rancid on me, which is good. It really does remind me of custard, and though I don't like eating it, I like the smell. There's even a hint of coconut sweetness to it, reminding me of Obatala. It makes me think of a tropical dessert. I still smell tangy fruits all around. After a while the fig and date come out a little more and I really love the creamy fig-date-honey scent at this stage. It's not as coconutty as Obatala but it has a very similar feel. It also reminds me of the Star. At other times I smell pomegranates again, and then more cream, and then more dates, more grapes…it seems to morph slowly and gracefully through the fruits and the milk and honey so every note gets a chance to shine. Eventually this dries to a very comforting mix of fruits and milk and honey-very smooth, all blended together, nothing sticks out and it isn't sharp at all now, just creamy and soft. Like an exotic fruit smoothie or milkshake. Almost like the creaminess of Snow White but not cold or marshmallow like. Holy cow (no pun intended!), this is wonderful. Verdict: I was so worried that I would hate this. I love the light-milk scents (Alice, Dana O'Shee etc) I disliked the previous Milk Moon and the reviews mentioning sour milk and baby vomit scared me. But thankfully, this is truly gorgeous, and is one of the few heavy-milk scents that I can pull off. It smells like milk and honey poured over a pile of fruits-though sometimes there's an illusion of pineapple, at other times the fruits really do smell like what they should be-grapes, poms, figs and dates. It really is ambrosia! Milkshake of the gods indeed…with a rich creamy custard feel to it at times and even hints of what could be coconut. It is very rich but it is also light and summery thanks to the fruits. The drydown is very soothing creamy sweetness which is like a blanket of gentle milky comforting fruits. And how can I not love something with Hathor on the label? It almost seems like this scent is a ritual offering to her (although it also has a biblical theme…but to me it seems to work both ways), and I also agree that this is the perfect fertile and fruitfully feminine contrast to the heavy, brooding, dark Minotaur. I am so glad I bought two bottles of this, and I'm getting another one or two off the forum. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely! I love this MM formulation, it is the BPAL bitty I've been dreaming of! If you like this, try: Obatala, White Rabbit, Dana O'Shee, Alice, The Star, Strangler Fig, Hetairae, Milk Moon 05

Minotaur In the bottle: ohhh, it's like Schwarzer Mond meets Jacob's Ladder, with added black musk. mmm. Wet on skin: ohh, oh wow, spicy resinous dark musk! Dry on skin: wow. Deep, rich, dark, mysterious and warm. Dark sweet resins and dark musk. this is very much like Schwarzer, but without the patchouli and with a sleek black musk to it. there's also a hint of something glimmering and golden to it, reminiscent of Jacob's Ladder, but with a darker undertone. The myrrh in here reminds me of Priala, in that it's a little bit spicy (though not like cinnamon) and reminds me of opopanax, it's a sweet myrrh. It pulls you in, luring you into the darkness. It also feels very ancient, like it could be a sacred incense blend burnt in one of the Minoan temples. After a while: oh, this is still good. Now it starts to remind me a little bit of the Ecstasy of Passion, there's a hint of something perfumey to it (in a good way), probably thanks to the galbanum. Almost regal, in fact. Now it smells a little bit more like a glittering layer of gold over a rich, pulsing, slightly feral but warmly sweet musk base, a contrast of light and shadow. It makes me think of a dark labyrinth, where the only light to guide you through is a small lamp lending a golden tint to the shadowy depths, but you feel something, a presence, lurking round the corner. It feels powerful but not threatening. The scent ends off beautifully as a warm black musk, not as sweet or oily as the usual black musks, but with a crumbly topping of loose resins, a mix of golden resins and dark ones smouldering gently, heavy and brooding but civilised as well. It reminds me of Schwarzer without the patchouli or strong amber. As it dries even more, the myrrh becomes the strongest note, and what a fabulous myrrh note this is! Verdict: the myth of the Minotaur was one of the first I learnt about as a kid, and the Minoan civilisation has fascinated me for a long time, even more so when I visited Knossos for real. So I'm really glad that not only does this work on me, but it is so wonderful that I want to hoard lots of it. It is the lovechild of Schwarzer Mond and Jacob's Ladder with hints of other black musk and myrrh blends to it, a masterpiece in resins and musk. It feels strong and has a real presence to it, a potent scent that feels like it should be experienced, meditated on, revered. More like a scent of a virile and mighty bull god, the kind that would have been worshipped in the temples of ancient Crete, with an offering of incense, than a frightening mythical bull-man monster (though despite it's hints at being masculine, this is very unisex). It is incredibly dark, not dirty but definitely chthonic, but with a sheen of gold to it. It is dominated by a marvellous musk note, powerful yet dignified, not as syrupy as some black musk notes can be, and a sweet and sticky and rich myrrh, with the other resins adding a touch of light to it. this is indeed a resin lovers dream, though totally different to the usual frankincense and myrrh blends, this feels more occult and mysterious. Like the labyrinth where the Minotaur dwells, it is a scent that one can get lost in. Beth does her resinous/musky scents so well, they are always so strong and profound and well structured, and this is going to age magnificently, I can't see what happens to this over time. Magnificent. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! Just imagine what a bit of age will do to this scent! Glad I have two more bottles on the way! If you like this, try: Jacob's Ladder, Priala, Khandita, Hecate, Black Phoenix, Lycaon, Schwarzer Mond, Ecstasy of Passion

Monster Bait: Tokyo Stomp In the bottle: MINT FUDGE!!! I had a feeling this would smell like my favourite mint fudge and I was right. Buttery vanilla sugar (not as buttery as Snowblind), lots of peppermint, and a touch of chocolate. I thought Green Tree Viper was fudgy but the resemblance here is much stronger. Wet on skin: even more mint fudge! A chocolatey note starts to rise up and it becomes a little bit more sugary and crumbly. Dry on skin: now it smells more like mint fudge and biscuits! Mmm, this is good. It reminds me of the biscuity/cake and cocoa base of Monster Bait Underbed, but with a hint of Spooky. I swear there's even a touch of coconut to it as well, it smells a lot drier now, and quite crisp and cool, though not as much as Lick It, this is a bit foodier. It also reminds me of Snow White (yes!), actually, there's that same creamy coolness. It still has that delicious fudge scent to it…in fact I feel an urge to eat some of that now. After a while: eventually the fudgy scent does seem to fade, but surprisingly, the mint sticks around. and the scent starts to turn into a foodier, almost chocolaty version of Snow White, or Snow Flakes with added vanilla. It reminds me of After Eight mints now, but with a gorgeous snowy cool base to it, soft and creamy and a little bit fruity and marshmallow-y. It also reminds me a little bit of the Candy Butcher with added minty coolness and a hint of warm cake at the base. Unusually, this smells both warm and comforting and also cool and bracing all at once. At this point the mint note reminds me of 'menthe a l'eau' (mint cordial diluted in water) like it did in Snow Flakes. Call my skin crazy, but I swear there's a touch of cassia to this. As time passes it seems to get spicier, and smells just like Underbed. The drydown is a lovely soft lightly spiced marshmallow biscuit, and smells very similar to the Candy Butcher without as much chocolate. There's even a little touch of what may be white musk to it. For such a light fluffy scent, I'm surprised at how long it stays on my skin. Verdict: this year, I got the Best Mint Fudge Ever for my birthday. It's very expensive fudge, and 'delicious' doesn't even do justice to how wonderful it is. TS smells just like that fudge in the bottle. On the skin it gets more complex. The vanilla mints of BPAL are very different. It's not often that I describe scents as tangible textures, but I get a brittle, 'hard sugar' feel from Lick It, a squishy, 'doughy' or marzipan-textured feel from Snowblind, and a fluffy, whipped, almost bouncy feel from TS, just like a marshmallow. This one is reminiscent of Spooky with the biscuity base of Underbed with an extra hit of mint and vanilla, and a little chocolate. I smell cocoa, cassia and coconut here too…and snow. The scent then begins to become layered into iced, slushy creamy mint and warm chocolate on top of dry baked vanilla-spicy cake. Very interesting warm-cool contrast, almost like mint ice cream or sorbet served on top of a warm slice of vanilla cake drizzled with hot chocolate sauce. It has a real 'Monster Bait' feel to it, I think these blends must share a similar foody vanilla base…but this one has a feel of Snow White (and resembles SW's minty sister, Snow Flakes, strongly at times), that fluffy whiteness, like snowy marshmallows, to it as well. Another vanilla-mint scent which I am in love with, the mint makes this nice and cool for summer but overall this seems to me like a winter scent, with an almost Christmassy feel to it, indulgent and rich yet with a frosty covering of mint. Glad I bought another backup! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Oh yes! From its fudgy start to its snowy ending, it is love. I'm glad I have two bottles of this. If you like this, try: Green Tree Viper, Lick It (Again), Snow Flakes, Monster Bait Underbed, Snowblind, Snow White, Undertow,, Candy Butcher

Monster Bait: BiggerCritters In the decant: tangy greenish-pink grapefruit with a sweet vanilla-floral undertone. Wet on skin: fizzy sharp grapefruit juice and flowery vanilla. Oddly, I am getting the greenish tinged furry musk from Buck Moon and Enraged Bunny Musk too. No ‘evil gardenia’ yet! Dry: oh, this is such a fun scent! Neither the gardenia nor the jasmine are going awry on me. The dominant note is the grapefruit, sweetened delightfully by vanilla sugar, with hints of flowers all around. I also get the furry musk from other ‘mammal musk’ scents, right up to the hint of grassy greenness such scents tend to have. It even has a hint of Dorian about it. Indeed, this reminds me of Enraged Bunny Musk, with added citrus and vanilla. This is such a happy fresh sweet scent! After a while: the grapefruit fades away slowly, letting the vanilla and floral notes come out. There’s still an effervescent tang, almost reminiscent of green tea, but now there’s a lovely velvety-creamy vanilla-jasmine. The jasmine in here is gorgeous, not the scary stuff that turns metallic and bitter, but a jasmine that smells like Lush Fairy Jasmine. And I love FJ. The vanilla does remind me of the one in Underpants, and also reminds me a little bit of Euphrosyne, Regan and Peitho (all favourites) as well. It gets smoother over time, less citrus-y, and turns into the most gorgeous vanilla-jasmine scent. I love vanilla and jasmine together, and in here the combination is perfect. Soft summery sultry petals surrounded by the creamy softness of vanilla. This is so delicious. The floral notes, now a little drier and sharper but not nasty at all, get a little stronger after a few hours. Verdict: at a time when I worry that my skin chemistry is turning anti-jasmine, and with skin that normally hates gardenia, I am so pleased that this gorgeous scent works on me. At first, there’s a sharp bite of grapefruit. Not a bitter grapefruit but a tangy, juicy scent with something grassy to it, and I even smell a hint of warm fuzzy musk and greenery, the like Enraged Bunny or the ornery hedgehog musk in Croquet, with grapefruit and sweet vanilla. As the grapefruit fades, the vanilla and some beautiful jasmine and gardenia notes come out, and the scent becomes a delightful tropical vanilla-floral fragrance. Jasmine and vanilla are so good when they are paired up, and this blend highlights this magnificently. It is wonderful to find a jasmine that works on me-but then again, I think Moroccan jasmine (along with night-blooming and sambac or motia attar) is one of those that usually works fine on my skin. This smells exotic and sweet and fluffy all at once, and I think I need another bottle-this is a wonderful vanilla scent for summer. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Oh yes, I need more. If you like this, try: Croquet, Dorian, Enraged Bunny Musk, Euphrosyne, Peitho, Regan, Perfumed Garden, Theodosius, Underpants

51 In the imp: oh, this is so pretty. A soft fruity floral with white amber and fresh musks. It is quite ‘perfumey’. Wet on skin: fruity floral notes, sweet nectar, white musk and amber. Dry: this is gorgeous! It smells more perfumey than most of Beth’s stuff, but this is a little more delicate and refined, without any heady alcohol. The white amber is lovely and sweet, a cleaner, lighter variant of amber, and the freesia note is fantastic. Mandarin adds a touch of sharpness, guava and a little bit of melon add a delicious nectar like sweetness, and the musk notes bind everything together. I don’t smell the herbs or woods, but there may be a hint of ozone to this. This is so good, very fresh and light, and very much like one of the nicer ‘perfume counter’ scents-I haven’t smelt Alien (or Happy, for that matter) but this does smell like a designer perfume (in a good way). This also reminds me of a lighter, more floral Mantis. After a while: eventually the florals and fruit calm down a little bit, and I smell something woodsy, a nice solid wood base for all the lighter notes. I also smell more of the night air-I love Beth’s night air note-and it does have a slightly salty scent to it. It smells dry and cool, and I also smell something almost herbal to it…now I get that ‘glowing green’ feel to the scent. But the mass of glowing, iridescent floral-fruity amber never really leaves the scent, the freesia and white amber still apparent, though I smell more neroli now. The scent eventually becomes a wonderful, well blended and stylish scent of soft light musk and sweet flowers, with some amber, woodsy notes and a little hint of almost metallic, slightly salty ‘spaced out’ ozone to it. This smells like a bit more like Mantis now, but more ethereal. The notes really merge into each other over time, leaving a gorgeous musky-floral-amber drydown with an airy, floaty, glowing feel to it. It really is luminous and otherworldly, and I love it. Verdict: I think I've found a new favourite for summer. I never thought I'd really fall in love with a BPAL scent that's a little more 'designer perfume-y' than usual, but this is just stunning. Yes, it does remind me of something and expensive, but this is quality stuff. It's a beautiful, shimmering mix of flowers, fruit, amber (the white amber in here is delightful), light musks, a little bit of woods and herbs, and a hint of out-of-this-world ozone to it. This is what I hoped Intergalactic would be like…and thankfully this one is easy to acquire! It is sweet, fresh, light, cooling, complex but effortlessly blended. It works on two levels-as a scent which does seem to have an otherworldly feel to it-a very 'iridescent' scent, a glowing mass of gold, white, pink and green scents, and also as a classy and high-end scent which feels modern. It is a great everyday scent and a perfect BPAL to enable people with, especially if they are very used to the more commercial scents (alien associations aside, it has a very smart minimalist name, or number…also good for enabling newbies into the world of BPAL). I think I need a bottle of this fabulous scent asap. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! This is a perfect summer scent-want bottle now! If you like this, try: Shoggoth, Mantis, Xanthe, Urania, Kindly Moon, Silence, Hungry Ghost Moon

Habu In the imp: bamboo pulp and something reminiscent of melon. Sweet and fresh. Wet on skin: now I smell the rosewood-like ho wood, and a dry teak note, along with bamboo. Dry: this is very pretty! The dominant note is bamboo, and it smells amazingly like the real thing…fresh and green and a little wet, this smells like a bamboo shoot. I also smell something a little herbal-lemony reminiscent of geranium or palmarosa, the ho wood which smells a little medicinal and bittersweet, and very similar to rosewood. The teak adds a grey wooden scent to it all, and the bamboo note is almost sweet. It reminds me of aspects of Holiday Moon and Hungry Ghost Moon, a very Asian snake. Not very Snake Oily though, but pleasantly fresh and wet. After a while: the bamboo finally wins against the ho wood and teak and now is the star of the scent. Green and pulpy, this scent is incredibly cooling and refreshing, it’s like being in a forest of bamboo in the rain. I smell a hint of something darker and sweeter, probably the black musk, in the background, but for now it’s mainly bamboo. Over time, though the cool bamboo still remains, a darker sweetness rises up from the depths. Not sure if it’s black musk or Snake Oil or both, but it smells really good, dark and rich and a little bit spicy, and contrasts dramatically with the green, dewy bamboo. The teak has returned once more as well, adding a soft woody scent. Eventually it becomes a cool woodsy bamboo-teak with a hint of vanilla sweetness, a slight trace of warm, deep musk and Snake Oil under a covering of green coolness. After a few hours, the scent throw is different to the scent close to the wrist-I smell more of the wood and bamboo close to the skin, but the throw far from the wrist is the vanilla of Snake Oil! The end drydown of this scent is a cool vanilla scent, and oddly, I smell coconut. I know, it’s not listed but I smell fresh green coconut and coconut water with vanilla, as well as dry teak. Lovely! It’s like a lighter version of Death Adder, a chilled vanilla-coconut sweetness. I swear I even get some lovely amber after some time as well, don’t know where that comes from, but it’s beautiful. This scent is amazingly long lasting. I could still smell the vanilla and teak the next morning. Verdict: I am pleasantly surprised by this scent. I wasn't expecting to love this snake as much as I do, but this is really good. It starts off like a cool, wet, green Asian scent, like the Chinese lunacy series. The bamboo and ho wood are strongest, giving this scent a lovely freshness which is sweet and pulpy and cooling, and there's something almost melon-like to it. the scent sweetens beautifully over time as the musk and the vanilla of SO start gradually making their way into the green freshness of the ho wood and bamboo, darkening it a little but also adding depth. This is another one of those 'summer Snakes', (although the vanilla-musk is heavier in here) and it becomes even more so once a coconut-like note appears at drydown, making a scent almost like green coconuts with bamboo and Snake Oil. The most surprising thing was how long the scent lasted on me-it smells light, but the green woodsy vanilla sticks around for ages! I do prefer Green Tree Viper as my favourite of the lighter Snakes, but this is a scent I didn't expect to enjoy so much. And yet again, my wallet cries as I fall for another Snake Pit scent. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, this scent is perfect for summer, and it’s really growing on me. If you like this, try: Holiday Moon, Hungry Ghost Moon, Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, Snake Oil, Death Adder

Western Diamondback In the imp: ohh, it’s like Snake Oil meets Perversion. Leather coated in sweet spiced vanilla-tonka. Wet on skin: now I can smell the sage and sandalwood along with the sweetened leather. Dry: mmm, this is lovely! Another one of the Snakes where the Snake Oil is apparent, though this has a herbal aspect to it which makes it even more interesting. Soft warm sage, green and herbal, almost like a crushed plant, is now the dominant note, along with a hint of black leather (to me this is more like Loviatar than Quincy Morris for now), as well as a fantastic sandalwood and tonka background which mingles wonderfully with the Snake Oil. This is indeed SO with a Western feel. After a while: suddenly, the scent suddenly smells different. I don’t smell the initial Snake Oil scent I got before, but now I smell a soft, warm, honeyed amber sandalwood with sage, a hint of tonka sweetening it even more, and just the faintest touch of leather. It’s hard to describe what I’m smelling, it’s almost like warm skin, or rather, like the doeskin note in Coyote, or the musk in Buck Moon with a hint of sweetness. Indeed, this now reminds me of a warmer, sweeter Buck Moon, or a cousin of Coyote, a soft sweet herbal skin scent with dusty wood. I also smell something like honey or beeswax in here, which is odd since it isn’t listed…but this is very nice. It’s comforting and dry and warm. The scent then becomes woodier, with sandalwood really showing off (a very good thing, I think), in here it smells dry and dusty, like the woods in Coyote, with a balmy sage note adding a fuzzy, soothing quality. It reminds me of the Cup of Death, but not as bitter and harsh as the woods in there, in here the tonka sweetens it beautifully, and I can make out that rich leathery background which is very subtle (not like Loviatar or Quincy) and it even smells spicy and musky, probably from the Snake Oil. It reminds me of King of Clubs now, it’s a sexy mix of warm woodsy sweet leather with a hint of musk. And then it becomes a wonderfully soothing scent of herbal-woody Snake Oil with a little bit of smoky leather and something musky and skin-like, almost like clean sweat, and there’s even a hint of something like ambergris to this. Spiced sandalwood with herbs and a little vanilla and tonka. This is gorgeous, it’s comforting and unisex-though I bet if a man was wearing this, I’d shag him in an instant. The drydown is like the sage-wood-musk of Coyote with a hint of the ‘Dorian-esque’ drydown of the lighter Snake Pit scents, with a hint of something earthy, a little dirty. Mmm. Verdict: this really is the ‘cowboy Snake Oil’ scent, and damn, it’s fantastic stuff. First it is Snake Oil with black leather, sage and sandalwood, it stays herbal for a while before something amazing happens. I get a wonderful skin scent coming up, with a warm dry sandalwood and even a hint of honey and doeskin. It is quiet, not as leathery as before, but sublime. It reminds me of the likes of Buck Moon and Coyote (especially the latter), but with the exotic spice of Snake Oil warming it up beautifully. a gorgeous skin musk, warm and pulsing, with fragrant wood and a little sage too. The spicy wood then becomes stronger, and then the leather returns and then the tonka mixes with the vanilla-musk of SO…this is such a gorgeous scent, comforting yet sensual, it's lovely on me, but I can just imagine how shaggable it will be on a guy! I've had very good success with most of the Pit, and this is another one to get many bottles of. I can't wait to see how this ages as well. Another beautiful and sexy serpentine scent! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Oh yes, this is so good. I love this sexy cowboy snake! If you like this, try: Coyote, Quincy Morris, Perversion, Loviatar, Cup of Death

Oof In the imp: it's the oddly warm-cool medicinal eye-watering nose-clearing scent of eucalyptus! This also reminds me of Vicks. (I don't have a cold right now but my throat has been sore all day…maybe I'll be needing the Oof soon.) Wet on skin: still reminds me of Vicks, but more like natural eucalyptus. Dry on skin: powerful eucalyptus and menthol with a warm undertone. I think I smell juniper at the back, maybe some pine or fir-an evergreen note, for sure. It might be wintergreen, come to think of it. Now it smells a little less like Vicks and more like a healing blend of essential oils, the ultimate natural cold remedy. It does make my eyes a little tingly, but not as intensely as Vicks, and smells cooler and greener than Olbas (which is a little spicy). This would work wonders as a steam inhalation scent. After a while: the eucalyptus burns off very fast, leaving a faint hint of juniper, wintergreen, and something almost reminiscent of swimming pools-yes, I know, it's strange, but I rather like that faint chlorine scent, so it's not bad. Then I realise that I can also smell a hint of tea tree in here, that antiseptic and cooling scent which always reminds me of my teens, when I uses tea tree products to try to get rid of my acne. Like the other Relief oils, the scent fades very fast. Verdict: when I get colds, my sinuses don't usually feel the brunt of it, but my nose does. Thank goodness this scent is one which could be used for both-it smells decongestant and really feels like it is working. It's gentler than Vicks, but I think it is just as effective. Like the other Relief blends, this isn't one to simply sniff, this is one to apply on a tissue, around the nose and throat and chest, and to a bowl of steaming hot water or an oil burner. The scent is predominantly eucalyptus, with hints of wintergreen and evergreen and juniper underneath. The scent doesn't last but while it does, I can feel it working (even if I don't have a cold). These new Panaceas are very effective blends! I'm not getting a bottle of this until I run out of Olbas and Jabberwocky (my current cold-busting blend), and I'll have to retest this again when the need arises (hopefully not soon though!) to see if this really can help with that nasty clogged up nose I get when I'm ill. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yup. I'm always catching the latest cold that goes round, so this one's definitely a keeper.

Grr In the imp: pure peppermint, with a hint of greenness, and a hint of sweetness. This is a very clearing and cooling scent. My head is about to explode with all this study stress I have…good time to try this. Wet on skin: tingly-cool peppermint. I decided to dab this onto my forehead because that's where it hurts like mad. Dry on skin: wow! Peppermint blast! And there's a wonderful, wonderful tingly feeling on my forehead where I applied the oil, cool and fresh, it seems to be drawing away the pain. It feels like an ice pack on my head. The scent is an intense peppermint, with a herbal undertone which to me smells like basil, it reminds me of the Basil SN and also the herb itself. There could be some other herbs, maybe thyme or rosemary, as well as some eucalyptus? The scent is slightly reminiscent of Possets Snowflake in the Martini, but without the weird olive scent. I also noticed that the awful feeling I had earlier, of my head feeling like it would burst, beginning to fade away. After a while: alas, the effects and scent of this oil are short lived. The tingle does fizzle out-though the headache remains, it seems to have weakened. The mint is all gone, leaving a tiny hint of basil lingering faintly on my skin. Time to apply more! After a couple of applications (after the second application the cool feeling lasted much longer)…the headache has cleared! Wow! Although I think the painkillers might have helped…but no more pain now! (The scent has completely cleared after about 2 hours.) Verdict: this really does work amazingly well. This is one of those oils that best works when applied to the area of pain as opposed to just sniffing alone. The scent is a surge of fresh peppermint with a herbal background. I massaged it into my forehead and temples and a delightful cooling tingle just spread across my forehead, soothing the throbbing pain. I'm actually tempted to massage this into my scalp as well for the full headache treatment. It doesn't get rid of the worst headache at once, but it definitely alleviates it enough for me to not feel burdened by it. And the headache I had really did clear, although whether that was the Grr or the aspirin, I'm not sure. Maybe both. The coolness I get from the mint would also make for a wonderful heatwave relief oil, along with Lick It…today was crazy-hot (and it's April, I dread to think what August will be like) and this brought welcome freshness. I think this will be one to get a bottle of eventually-it's powerful stuff and really does help with those pesky headaches. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! This stuff works wonders. I just have to keep reapplying for that lovely tingle, and the minty scent doesn't last. Good reason to save up for a bottle!

Spider In the imp: green cut stems and sharp citrus. Lime and mandarin and bergamot with green notes. Wet on skin: green and citrus notes. Dry: this is a very nice, clean, fresh masculine scent. The citrus notes catch my attention first, followed by some wet green notes (Artemisia?), the sharp fresh cut scent of ginger, and warm nutmeg. This is a very pleasant scent but it does smell quite masculine, like an aftershave or man’s cologne scent, but with a natural cool wetness, like dewy leaves. After a while: now it smells very green but still tangy and tinged with a summery cologne scent. It reminds me of ivy or crushed stems, but with crushed ginger root. Very green and rather exotic, like thick green jungle foliage, it’s warm and damp, with vetiver adding a hint of earthiness to the green notes. But it’s still very masculine to me…it reminds me of a man’s perfume I smelt elsewhere (but a good quality one…maybe it was one of L’Occitane’s men’s perfumes?), it also brings to mind the green notes of Garden Path with Chickens. When the citrus notes fade completely, this then turns to a fresh green cologne with a woodsy, spicy undertone. The vetiver is dominant, but it’s not the heavy, dark variety, it’s a softer, slightly lemony, green-gold scent, the lighter vetiver which I prefer. It now reminds me of a CTIII scent I had which was the most ‘men’s perfume’ style BPAL I’ve encountered, but lighter and softer. The end drydown after a few hours is a green, woodsy-herbal vetiver cologne/aftershave, with a slightly sour bite to it. Verdict: this is one of those BPAL scents which is masculine-not unisex, but a true masculine scent. I'm certainly not man enough to wear this…but for a man's perfume, it's a very nice one. It's very green and bright, packed with sparkling citrus notes with some ginger and a very intriguing green background reminiscent of tropical plants, it is a wet yet warm scent of greenery with glints of gold. The spice notes add a little heat to this scent, and as the citrus notes fade the scent is very much a men's cologne sort of scent, with that unidentified verdant note dominating and smelling very fresh and a little woody, with a bit of vetiver. It's a little bit too sharp/sour at times and too manly for me to pull off, however, I'd love to smell this on a guy. It reminds me of a younger version of Les Anges Dechus-whilst that was more refined and sophisticated, also a little detached, this is a little more youthful and bright, and quite charming too, but still with that sleek, gentlemanly feel to it. I could imagine a handsome young man wearing this as an everyday scent, but right now I have no guy to test this on so it's been passed on to someone who'll love it more. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No, it’s too much of a man's scent on my skin. If you like this, try: Winter of our Discontent, Garden Path with Chickens, Les Anges Dechus, Wilde, Severin, Casanova

Ambergris SN In the imp: a slightly amber-resinous, salty, oily, perfumey scent. Wet on skin: oh yes, this is the ambergris I recognise from other scents. Slightly powdery but golden. It now smells a bit like black musk. Dry: mmm, I like this a lot. This is one of those complex single notes. It’s very different from amber scents yet has a very slight similarity, it is resinous and golden and a little sweet. It also smells quite powdery. It also reminds me strongly of black musk, but less dark, but with that same musky, oily-slick scent I get from the dark/black musk scents. It’s a little salty-tangy as well, and slightly spicy, and very exotic. It also smells quite ‘perfumey’, maybe leaning towards masculine. After a while: this smoothes out a lot, turning into an oily musk scent with a warm, almost spicy, resinous golden aspect to it. Somewhere between musk and amber but with a little cologne added. Still slightly salty, it’s a very recognisable note now, it reminds me of Ecstasy of Passion, Cathode and the Wild Men. It gets smoother and softer with time, and more golden, with a ‘beach skin’ scent. At times it reminds me very slightly of baby oil, and also of those dark musk and myrrh scents…and there are times when it smells like a less sweet version of amber, especially when smelt far from the wrist. This scent pulses and morphs softly, changing from musk to resin to amber to salty perfume every now and then, before ending with a sweet dark amber like scent which is almost like vanilla. Verdict: I’m pretty sure that Beth’s concoction smells much better than most whale puke does…though I’ve heard that aged, well matured, genuine beach-combed ambergris smells gorgeous, but I’d rather wear this non-animal version. And it is really wonderful. This is a very complex note and goes through a lot of changes. It smells amber like, there's a slightly resinous-oily scent to it, a little spicy at times, but also reminds me of salt and musk and above all, has a feel of very sophisticated perfume to it. sort of an expensive cologne scent, but with that clean salty sweat aspect and golden amber to it, and sometimes hints of powder come through. it's quite sexy at times, I think, and seems to change and morph smoothly, a scent with many facets. Whilst I still prefer Beth's Egyptian Amber, this is a gorgeous single note and I'm definitely keeping my imp of it. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yup! This is a very interesting note.

Zarita In the imp: treacle/brown sugar/maple syrup with a hint of floral. Wet on skin: bittersweet orange blossom rises from the heavy treacle. Dry: mmm, this is intriguing. I smell traditional garden blooms here with greenery, almost like ivy, but covered in brown sugar. It sounds crazy, but my skin is turning this into a sugared version of Garden Path with Chickens. Greenish floral notes surrounded by heavy caramel, like GPWC meets Sugar Skull. I smell some orange blossom, and also some carnation, but mainly sugary flower stems and ivy. After a while: the notes are more balanced now. The sugared cream note isn’t that creamy, it’s more like the caramelised crust of a crème brulee with brown sugar and maple syrup. But now I can smell the spicy scent of carnation making an appearance, along with a slightly tangy orange blossom note and some iris. It still has a slightly green aspect but it’s not as strong now. It also reminds me of Arrival at the Sabbath, thanks to the combination of caramel, carnation and iris. Eventually the caramelised scent seems to melt into the floral notes, and soon it smells less like heavy treacle, and more like flower petals dusted with brown sugar. The carnation is strong here, very warm and spicy, with a slightly greenish aspect like crushed ivy, and a slightly bitter orange blossom note. The scent then changes to a gorgeous creamy sugared carnation, but with a spike of green and a hint of burnt sugar. Sweetness with a slightly sinister bite. A slightly burnt, almost celery like scent starts to come out over time-it’s not distracting though, but it reminds me of the ‘light myrrh’ single note or of one of the woody notes. It’s unusual, this spike of bitter, burnt scent surrounded by sugary cream. Verdict: this is a very strange, contradictory scent! This is a sweet little doll of a scent but she really does have a dark side. The sugar in here is dark, for starters-not the sweet fluffy creamy sugar I expected but heavy treacle caramel, very much like Sugar Skull. think melted and burnt brown sugar mixed with maple syrup and thick molasses. But this is contradicted by a green floral note. In fact, I'm surprised at how freshly green this smells at time, a real garden scent of leaves and ivy mixed with bittersweet floral notes and thick sugar. It's a very odd combination. The scent moves into phases of syrupy flowers, soft crème caramel with flower petals, burnt treacle and there are even moments of smouldering smoke with sharp greenness cutting through like a knife. And now someone else mentioned it, there may even be a hint of doll head plastic to this (how fitting!) but it's mainly overwhelming caramel with a strange spiky floral feel to it. It's an unusual scent which certainly fits this sinister little lady, but it's not a favourite-it's a little too conflicting for me and the sugar does have the potential to go cloying. I prefer Pink Moon for creamy sugary carnations. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Maybe the imp, but I don’t think I’ll get a bottle. If you like this, try: Sugar Skull, Garden Path with Chickens, Pink Moon 07, Arrival at the Sabbath, Tiresias, Red Lantern, Alice

Cottonmouth In the imp: a gorgeous rich sugared floral with soft vanilla. Wet on skin: a soft springtime blossom scent with a hint of green, and creamy vanilla. Dry: now it’s very green and tangy, almost fruity, I think that’s the passion flower (it reminds me of the fruit, very vaguely), but underneath I smell beautiful creamy spring blossoms with vanilla, reminiscent of the golden vanilla backgrounds of Banded Sea Snake and Green Tree Viper mixed with the springy floral notes of Al Araaf/Leanan Sidhe. The tangy scent is very strong now, almost like a citrus note with crushed stems, it’s almost piercing. But the promise of vanilla coated blooms waits underneath. Maybe this sharpness will recede a little. After a while: the intense sharpness does go away, and the scent left behind is so pretty. It’s a floral-fruity version of Banded Sea Snake, on me, but without the slight aquatic feel that had. I smell linden and just a hint of narcissus too. There’s also a slightly fruitier note here which reminds me of plum blossom, and a sharper citrus note, like orange blossom. But the golden, slightly oily (in a good way) vanilla scent underneath it all is really lovely. It reminds me of Leanan Sidhe with Snake Oil now. It gets smoother over time, but the bright, citrus-like sharpness that I get in here is very much like orange blossom. The calla lily doesn’t turn to soap (yay!) and the linden note is so pretty. And it gets even nicer with time…the scent smoothes even more, the creamy, slippery vanilla note comes out and mingles beautifully with the pale blossoms which have lost their sharpness, whilst a hint of gentle musk turns up. The scent is now like the Unicorn, thanks to the linden, with a vanilla-musk undertone reminiscent of Dorian. It also reminds me of the Enraged Bunny, but with a little less greenery, and a little more musk. And it gets even nicer after a few hours when all the floral and the musky/vanilla notes merge beautifully. Verdict: it’s springtime Snake Oil! This blend of floral notes with Snake Oil is so much nicer than I expected, there's nothing soapy or 'screaming florals' to this. This does a similar thing to Green Tree Viper and Banded Sea Snake in that the Snake Oil turns a little bit Dorian-esque at the presence of lighter notes, and I love this. At first there's a sharpish note to it, almost like citrus or cologne, but the mix of gentle blooms with a sublime vanilla-musk base is delicious, and gets even more so as the scent dries down. at first it's a crisp tart white floral scent but then it smoothes even more as the sweeter base mingles with the flowers beautifully. The best thing about this blend is that the calla lily doesn't turn soapy, painfully sharp or waxy like it can do, which is quite remarkable. The scent also has that 'cottony floral musk' feel that the Enraged (and aged) Bunny Musk has to it, though distinctly different. I really like this scent, it's made for warmer weather and smells very pretty and feminine but not in a stereotypical way. I do prefer other SP scents but this is gorgeous enough to buy at least two bottles of. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! I do prefer some other Snakes in the Pit but this is a lovely spring scent. If you like this, try: Snake Oil, Al Araaf, The Unicorn, Leanan Sidhe, Enraged Bunny Musk, Banded Sea Snake, Green Tree Viper, Dorian

The Ecstasy of Passion In the imp: wonderful golden amber with vanilla-musk! Think Jacob's Ladder meets Snake Oil! Wet on skin: a sharper, slightly perfumey note surfaces, but this is a good perfumey scent. Dry on skin: mmm, wow! Now I can smell petitgrain in here…for those who don't know, petitgrain is very similar in scent to neroli, but a little less floral (it comes from the orange too, not sure if it's the leaf or what) and I smell lots of that here. I also smell something very similar to Jacob's Ladder, a kind of golden piercing scent, probably the galbanum and amber, a lot of ambergris too, as well as deep dark vanilla, gorgeous creamy cloves, and musk. This is divine! It is a little cologne like thanks to the orange blossom like petitgrain, but in a very good way. It smells unisex, I could see this as being downright shaggable on a guy! After a while: creamy cloves! After a while the clove note really, really comes out. Usually cloves in BPAL don't show off very much but this one does, and I love it. It reminds me of another clove scent-maybe Port au Prince? It smells of cloves and vanilla, a very creamy spicy scent, surrounded by ambergris perfume and sweeter amber and rich musk. Damn, this stuff is sexy. The scent is a nice balance of rich brown vanilla, cloves and musk, with a golden, sparkling scent of amber cologne, almost bordering on masculine but not quite. It's a very decadent scent, it brings to mind gold jewellery against velvety dresses and dark silk. It brings to mind expensive indulgence. The notes merge together so nicely, and I get a pleasant, yet unexpected, golden hay or reed like note appearing in this scent. I also smell something like myrrh to this, a smoky incense scent winding through. It's still very much a golden-spicy vanilla-clove perfume, but now it smells a little bit more like Jacob's Ladder, but without as much dusty dryness as JL, and the ambergris note is very strong now, too. The smokiness progresses over time, becoming almost tobacco-like. Eventually it becomes a gorgeous, golden-smoky-clovey ambergris with a vanilla-musk base. And at the very end, it gains a golden-dusty-amber incense scent very similar to the likes of Jacob's Ladder, Mr Jacquel and Great Cry in Egypt. A beautiful soft golden spicy warm amber-musk scent. I swear I smell frankincense and sandalwood now even though they aren't listed. Verdict: I knew that I would love Passion. And it's the most coveted of the Agony or Ecstasy scents…and I adore this! It reminds me of Jacob's Ladder (which I love) but with added musk, clove, and sensual vanilla! The petitgrain, an orange blossom like note, along with the ambergris, gives the scent a posh perfume/cologne like tang at the start, but this is a very pleasant scent, not one of those masculine cologne notes. Underneath the sharp, golden glittering top notes is a dark vanilla-musk base warmed beautifully by a sweet creamy clove note. This is gloriously decadent, it is sexy, I agree, but in a sophisticated, stylish way. The scent goes through phases of cloves and ambergris before settling into a beautiful scent of golden amber surrounded by soft smoky incense and warm spice, warm and dry and glowing, with a pulse of musk underneath. Rich and delectable, seductive and tempting, this is a fabulous combination of dark vanilla-musk-incense (which Beth does so well) merged with a glistening amber perfume. I love this so much…and I know it will be hard to track down! But I want more of this, much more…Passion sure is worth the hype! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely! I want mooooore (without paying a fortune)!

From: http://www.paulsadowski.org/BirthDay.asp 5 April 1985 Your date of conception was on or about 13 July 1984 which was a Friday. You were born on a Friday under the astrological sign Aries. Your Life path number is 5. Life Path Compatibility: You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 5 & 7. You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 3 & 9. You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path number 8. You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 6, 11 & 22. The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2446160.5. The golden number for 1985 is 10. The epact number for 1985 is 8. The year 1985 was not a leap year. Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/20/1985 and ending 2/8/1986. You were born in the Chinese year of the Ox. Your Native American Zodiac sign is Hawk; your plant is Dandelion. You were born in the Egyptian month of Paony, the second month of the season of Shomu (Harvest). Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 14 Nisan 5745. Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 15 Nisan 5745. The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.11.15.16 which is 12 baktun 18 katun 11 tun 15 uinal 16 kin The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Friday, 14 Rajab 1405 (1405-7-14). The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 7 April 1985. The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 14 April 1985. The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 20 February 1985. The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 26 May 1985. The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 2 June 1985. The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Monday, 16 September 1985. The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Saturday, 6 April 1985. The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 19 February 1985. As of 4/5/2007 7:03:40 AM EDT You are 22 years old. You are 264 months old. You are 1,148 weeks old. You are 8,035 days old. You are 192,847 hours old. You are 11,570,823 minutes old. You are 694,249,420 seconds old. Celebrities who share your birthday: Agnetha F„ltskog (1950) Colin Powell (1937) Frank Gorshin (1934) Roger Corman (1926) Gale Storm (1921) Gregory Peck (1916) Bette Davis (1908) Spencer Tracy (1900) Booker T. Washington (1856) Top songs of 1985 Say You, Say Me by Lionel Richie We Are The World by USA for Africa Careless Whisper by Wham! Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon Money for Nothing by Dire Straits Shout by Tears for Fears Broken Wings by Mr. Mister I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner The Power of Love by Huey Lewis & the News Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 3.14481409001957 years old. (Life's just a big chewy bone for you!) There are 366 days till your next birthday on which your cake will have 23 candles. Those 23 candles produce 23 BTUs, or 5,796 calories of heat (that's only 5.7960 food Calories!) . You can boil 2.63 US ounces of water with that many candles. In 1985 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US. In 1985 the US population was approximately 226,545,805 people, 64.0 persons per square mile. In 1985 in the US there were 2,425,000 marriages (10.2%) and 1,187,000 divorces (5%) In 1985 in the US there were approximately 1,990,000 deaths (8.8 per 1000) In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds. In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds. In 1985 the population of Australia was approximately 15,900,566. In 1985 there were approximately 247,348 births in Australia. In 1985 in Australia there were approximately 115,493 marriages and 39,830 divorces. In 1985 in Australia there were approximately 118,808 deaths. Your birthstone is Diamond The Mystical properties of Diamond Diamonds are said to increase personal clarity to help one see things clearly as well as be straight-forward and honest. Supposedly, the higher quality the diamond, the better it is supports these qualities. Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources) Opal, Quartz, White Sapphire Your birth tree is Rowan, the Sensitivity Full of charm, cheerful, gifted, without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive. There are 264 days till Christmas 2007! There are 277 days till Orthodox Christmas! The moon's phase on the day you were born was full.

Oddly, I think Sybaris smells a bit like Anthelion, with violet instead of lavender. I think there's clove in both scents, maybe tonka too? I've yet to find a BPAL that smells like Lionheart. That is such a beautiful scent. Radiance of Ra, obviously, smells very much like Ra (the Excolo), but with a little Ahathoor. Queen of the Nile reminds me of Black Lotus with added musk. Temple Egyptian also reminds me strongly of Black Lotus. I think that Wicked, Phantom and La Petite Mort remind me of Arabian Nights. Amor smells like #20 Love Oil without the spices, or a fruitier Seraglio. I think I got a slight Hymn to Pan scent (without the lavender) from Beltane 06, but I may be wrong... Also, I adore the scent of Caliph's Beloved. Can't find anything with that same cinnamon-amber-musk-incense scent to it (despite a few passing similarities in some oils). But I can never wear CB as an actual perfume because of it's incredibly sexual properties, unless I want some of that

The Dodo In the imp: mmm, cassia! I generally love cassia and don't get burnt by it. This smells like fizzy cassia and lemon, and reminds me of spicy Coca-Cola. Wet on skin: lemon, cassia and gorgeous ripe mango! Dry on skin: I like this a lot! It is spicy Corazon/Tweedledum, as I expected. There's a little hint of lemon to it which is light but adds a nice bright tartness. The cassia and mango are the strongest notes, and there's a nice dry woodsy backing to the scent. It reminds me of Taniniver and Al Shairan a little as well, this cassia isn't as foody as Monster Bait Underbed, but more like a dry cinnamon. The mango adds a welcome feeling of juiciness though, sweetened with sugar cane. After a while: the lemon is gone and the cassia has toned down, and now the mango rules the scent. Sweet and soft and sunny, very juicy, with that extra sweetness provided by the sugar cane. I still smell the woodsy, dry background as well, almost like dry woodsy incense. I don't smell as much of the red musk as I hoped, but it does seem to be there, adding it's depth to the scent, and it does enhance the spice, woods and mixes nicely with the mango (just like in Corazon). It does remind me of Al Shairan with mango instead of peach-there's that 'dry, arid cinnamon scent with a juicy sweet fruit note and something incense like at the back' thing going on. The scent becomes a redder, drier, spicy version of Kuang Shi over time, a smooth musky mango with a hint of cassia and woods at the back. The end drydown of this scent is a lovely dry mango incense scent…like mango and woods burning in an incense stick. Verdict: this is a very unusual but nice scent. the contradiction between fruity fresh sweetness and dry spicy woods is pleasant and fun. At first it is all about cassia and mango, a spiced mango scent. it did remind me slightly of Corazon but without as much musky depth. The musk in here is a little fainter than I hoped. The cassia is a dry, dusty one like in Tanin'iver, it's not as nice as the one in Saw Scaled Viper or Underbed. Eventually the spice merges with the woods and the scent is juicy golden mango on top of dry exotic woods. This is very similar to Al Shairan in fact, but I prefer AS because of it's other spices and incense. For some reason, this isn't grabbing me as much as I hoped. In theory, I adore all the notes here but the scent isn't wowing me as much as I expected. I'm not saying that it is mediocre as this is a fun scent, light hearted but with a dry incense scent to it. But it doesn't have the depth and layers I was expecting and I don't think that mango and cassia sit right together in here. And I wanted more red musk…it's not bad though but I'm not in love. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I like it but prefer other similar scents. If you like this, try: Tweedledum, Tanin'iver, Kuang Shi, Al Shairan, Monster Bait Underbed

Aries 07 In the bottle: savoury spices of pepper and ginger. But this ginger smells suspiciously red, like the red ginger note that often turns to rubber on me… Wet on skin: phew, no rubbery ginger. Now the dragon's blood comes up and mingles with the spices. Dry on skin: whoa, the pepper really has strengthened! It now smells dry, crackling and fiery, it's the olfactory version of sparks flying from flames. Very hot and red, this smells like fierce pepper and ginger with the red clarity of dragon's blood. I don't smell honeysuckle yet but the dragon's blood has a slight floral aspect to it that contrasts with the firestorm of spices whirling through the scent. It's a very powerful fragrance-it really is the scent of cardinal fire. After a while: is that gardenia? I smell a harsh, gritty floral scent that strongly reminds me of celery and burning sawdust. This isn't honeysuckle. It could be a reaction of the dragon's blood…it reminds me of Pluto, oddly enough, but it still smells of ginger, pepper and dragon's blood. I don't smell the opoponax here, the note I was most looking forward to. It gets harsher, drier and more biting over time. There's a very dry, celery like floral-woody note similar to gardenia here-I this honeysuckle reacting with dragon's blood? The pepper still lingers and at times I get the barest, barest, almost undetectable scent of something sweet, hoping that it's the opoponax, but it never materialises. Verdict: I was hoping this one would be much better on me than it was, as it's my sign, dammit! and I have Mercury and Venus in Aries as well! But whilst it wasn't a disastrous scent, it just doesn't compare with the original Aries, which had frankincense instead of dragon's blood, honeysuckle and opoponax…and I adored that spicy resinous scent. This one is a lot harsher. The spices are more potent, the dragon's blood is very strong, and they dominate this punchy, fiery fragrance, very hot and incredibly red in tone. I like the peppery-ginger start of the scent but the dragon's blood really amps after this and there's an odd, harsh floral tone to it. I'm a little disappointed, but not too much. I have a feeling I could use this ritually, it has that confident, upfront feel to it which fits the sign. It reminds me of Brass Balls, and I think I could use it in a similar way, as a confidence and self-esteem booster, a scent that could be used in the manner of a TAL oil. However, scent-wise I don’t love it as much as the original Aries, which suited me so much better. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, I'll keep the bottle (awesome label!) I have but might sell off the other bottle I have coming. If you like this, try: Mars, Dragon's Blood, Telltale Heart

Bien Loin D'Ici In the imp: incense! It does smell slightly headshoppy and also herbal…almost along the lines of nag champa. Very exotic though. Wet on skin: herbal and rich and a little spicy, with a hint of musk…and it reminds me of jasmine tea! Dry on skin: wow, this is really intriguing. I don't smell any of the caramel (which is unusual as usually that note really takes over!) or the honey, I do smell a bit of musk but I do get some amazing, mysterious herbal, smoky, spicy notes here, like incense burning. I take it that those are the Moroccan unguents. There is the slightest hint of something almost like cannabis to this, (I'd never smoke it, but I love the smell!) I also smell something to this that strongly reminds me of Chinese jasmine tea-not jasmine flowers at all but like an infusion of dry jasmine petals and tea. I also smell deep woodsy incense, herbs, teas, and patchouli, with bitter, dry smouldering myrrh (like the light myrrh SN). It's not as sweet as I expected but really intriguing…it does make me think of new age shops at times though (in the best way possible). After a while: this is one of those scents that smells different when smelt far from the wrist. The throw is much sweeter than the close-to-wrist scent, which still has that dark, unusual scent of dark green herbs, incense and a hint of tea. I still smell the myrrh in here-it reminds me of the myrrh in Black Lotus but not as strong, as there are other smoky and spicy mysterious notes swirling over it. I swear I even smell some tobacco or even hookah smoke! (and yes, I still smell a hint of pot to this…). The myrrh note then increases and eventually the scent smells like ancient incense burning. There's also something woodsy at the back, it's a very dry scent. There's a passing resemblance to Cairo with this myrrh incense base, but without the fruity sticky sweetness. The honey is like the subtle, dry honey-dust notes I get in Luperci and Great Cry in Egypt, more like beeswax than runny honey. Still no caramel. A slight amber-like sweetness lingers far from the wrist though, and the barest pulse of musk can be detected…though this is certainly not Smut-like on me. After a few hours, it is still smoky and dark and herbal-spicy with myrrh, but I smell a little hint of sweetness and musk peeking out. The drydown becomes smokier and smokier, like herbal incense mixed with resins, it smells remarkably like loose incense burning, and I really like that. Then the scent loses it's dark greenness, and instead becomes a gorgeous, dusty-golden, honeyed sandalwood with incense and musk, very similar to Great Cry in Egypt/Scherezade now, and one of the Lupercalia scents as well-either Chintamani Dhupa or Svad…but with that dry smoky myrrh base. Verdict: the scent's name, translated as 'very far from here' is appropriate, as this smells like a scent from a distant, exotic desert marketplace…a very faraway scent. I smell very little of the honey, benzoin, and caramel…bare hints of musk. This is all about those mysterious unguents, which in here smell like a deep, green incense mix, like thick, dark green smoke. The most dominant note is a dry, smouldering myrrh note, but I also smell some healing herbs, spices, earthy notes and smoky notes reminiscent of patchouli and tobacco, as well as something strikingly reminiscent of jasmine tea. And something else…one thing's for sure, on me, this scent is NSFW! Why? Because there's a note to this that smells suspiciously like hash! (Shelldoo was right, it seems…) I'm actually very surprised at how low-key the caramel is in here, it's almost non-existent. I really like the drydown though when the scent becomes dusty and golden, very exotic and almost Scherezade like with a hint of beeswax. It's so different from anything I've smelt from BPAL despite very slight similarities to a few other scents-very unique, and such an intriguing scent…it hypnotises and lures me closer. I really like this scent a great deal, but I was hoping for more of the sweeter notes to come through, they were pretty much blocked out by the hippy-ish unguents. That said, I like it, I'm keeping the imp…but I'm not wearing this one to job interviews or in the office, that's for sure! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I'll keep the imp as it is such an intriguing scent. If you like this, try: Black Lotus, Luperci, Cairo, the Caterpillar, And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt, Scherezade, Red Lantern

Florentine Iris In the imp: a sweeter version of violet. It smells like sugary violet, like Faith, but different…it also smells like orris. Wet on skin: very soft, orris-like, powdery and sweet. Dry: this is very faint on my skin (the imp I have of this is practically empty so I just scraped a tiny amount of oil on my skin) but what I do smell is a very pretty, soft iris scent. Very similar to orris and sweetly sugared violets. This is the iris in Black Pearl. It is powdery and pale, but much fresher, and even a little greener, a little wetter than iris. It’s actually quite creamy, even a little bit of a skin scent. But I do get a vague ‘Parma Violets’ sweet scent here-maybe there’s some of this in Faith? However I don’t get the sometimes fruity purple floral scent I usually get with iris. After a while: this becomes smoother, a little sweeter and creamier over time. it doesn’t change too much, but this is a very pretty scent. There’s a scent behind it which is almost buttery but not quite, it’s more like a vegetable oil scent…but it’s so faint and doesn’t distract me from the rest of the scent’s delicate powdery softness. It gets very faint very fast though. Verdict: like Lobban, I only got a sniffy with a scraping of oil, so this smelt quite faint on me. what I did smell was very pretty-a lovely mix of iris, orris and violet. The scent is just like Black Pearl, that cool creamy violet-like iris scent, but isn’t as fruity as the iris in Florence (this could be because I applied so little). It does smell almost like a sugary violet, like Faith, or Parma Violet sweets. It becomes paler, softer, a little creamy, a little powdery, after an hour or so. And then it fades fast. Oh well. It’s a very pleasant scent though and I’m glad I tried it. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I think so-even though I’ve run out of wearable oil in the imp!

Lobban In the imp: soft lilacs with a hint of resin. Wet on skin: frankincense and lilac, I think. Reminds me of Bruja. Dry: mmm, pretty! This smells like lilacs and frankincense, with a hint of rose, and possibly a little heliotrope as well. It reminds me of Bruja but with the myrrh replaced by frankincense, and a bit less sweet. The lilac doesn’t smell as fresh as the one in Melancholia (the lilac-iest of the lilac scents) but it’s very nice, softened by a gentle warm powdery scent and a little resin. After a while: it then turns to pure lilacs. Dry lilacs, slightly wilted but still powerfully fragrant. I think I smell a hint of rose behind them too. there’s still the slightest hint of a smooth powdery background but the lilac is the strongest scent here. And then, after a couple of hours, the lilac moves back and the frankincense comes out even more. A warm resinous scent, golden and soft, surrounding dry flowers. The frankincense-heliotrope scent then starts to gradually remind me of Lionheart mixed with Arcana, there may be some amber in here too. Verdict: I can’t really give this one a proper review as I only scraped a tiny amount of a sniffy imp with hardly any oil on my arm. It’s a very pleasant scent though-very much dominated by lilac. Some lilacs smell odd on me but this one is really nice. And the lilac is mixed with a wonderful, warm frankincense note, and the scent reminds me of Bruja, but with less amber sweetness. It’s a lovely mix of golden resin and lilacs, and at drydown I get a slight hint of the drydowns of Lionheart and Crucible of Courage-that warm, soft heliotrope with rose and a little bit of resin. Very pretty. I haven’t tried it for purpose yet but the scent of this oil is one of the nicer, more wearable voodoo oils for me. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I haven’t got much at all, but I think it will be a keeper.

Frankincense SN In the imp: ohhh, this is the most beautiful frankincense ever! A golden, soft, warm, bright resin. Wet on skin: it sharpens a little on the skin, and I see what people mean when they say that it smells like pickles but I don’t get anything really pickled here at all, just a little savoury, but still golden resin. Dry: and now it gets all beautifully smoky! Its frankincense, but what a complex note this is! It’s golden, dry, bright and warm-a very solar scent-with a piercing sharpness reminiscent of pine sap. I also smell a hint of soft smoke rising from the resin, but it’s not burnt all, it’s like when I burn frankincense resin and it bubbles, releasing fragrant smoke. I think Beth uses different frank notes in her scents, and this single note is a particularly soft frank, and has a slight candle wax like scent at the base, like in King Cobra. It also reminds me of Ahathoor and the old version of Aries, and the ‘church incense’ scents. After a while: this smoothes out even more, gaining a balmy, soothing scent, and it also is a little bit spicy, almost peppery, at times. It tends to fade away fast though, which is a shame because this scent is so lovely. As it fades it leaves a lightly spiced golden scent behind, radiating warmth. At one point it even becomes a little sweet, like amber, and I love that. Verdict: this is such a beautiful single note. It’s warm, balsamic aroma is golden and both smooth and sharp, both resinous and smoky, and it glows. It is a very meditative scent for sure, calming and soothing, contemplative, very church/temple like as well. It also smells a little smokier with time, like the scent of frankincense lingering after it has been burnt. Remarkably multifaceted for a single note, this is a stunning fragrance which is wonderful worn alone and I bet it would be beautiful if layered. Another one of my favourite single notes…I want more of this! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely! Another one that makes me want to see the SNs released again! Shame I only have a tiny droplet…