Pauline

Still my favourite scent. Recently, I did a comparison of the ageing process. I had a bottle from 2004 & one from 2005. I opened up both of them and though they both smelled superficially the same, upon further inspection, they've really diverged! 2004 - very creamy, lost that play-doh scent (which I love). But it's soft, well blended and well rounded. It's taken on an ever-so-slight buttery almond scent. 2005 - not as creamy, it still retains a bit of the play-doh scent. But this one's sharp. It's got a bit of a bite, a bit of a bittery, toasted almond scent. Once worn and gets into dry-down, the scents become more similar... but in the mid base to base notes only. The top notes still differ quite to the extent that they would be classified in the same family of scents, but not the same perfume.

The chill winds and dark skies of November mark a time of reflection and release, and though the sting of grief is oft-times most painful during this portion of the year, the icy air brings clarity and eases the burden of suffering. These are the blossoms of loss and liberation, soothed by the calm, comforting scent of sandalwood : lilac, calla lily, wisteria, white sandalwood, moonflower, night musk, phlox, and violet. Beautiful, quiet & understated white floral. Not the powdery kind of lilac like the SN. I joined a decant circle because someone said the description is very similar to Veil which is one of my faves. But upon receipt, not like Veil at all - that had a purple lilac and sandalwood was quite strong. This one is pure white with a strong throw of lilies. To my surprise and utter delight, it smells almost dead on to my beloved Libra, which Beth discontinued before I was able to get a full sized bottle. So this will be my substitute.

I think the carriers usually increase the duration of the scent, but is less intense. But I don't know about the pH factor question. "Normal" perfume lasts so long because the companies put in a fixative to 'fix' the scent onto your skin (well, general idea). BPAL perfumes don't have fixatives. This is also the reason that natural perfumes changes so much from person to person whereas the store bought perfumes don't vary that much... The "oils" are really essential substances, and they are highly volatile - meaning they evaporate very quickly. Basically they are the concentrated smells of flowers and trees and plants. They are not really the same kind of "oils" we think of as in olive oil. Another reason that 'normal' perfumes lasts a long time is because they are a purely man-made chemical. And thus, while they have an aromatic structure, they may not be as volatile as their natural counterparts.

I think I have only tried 1 scent with champagne and 1 with wine and they are quite different. On me, the wine (I think mulled wine) was more berry/currant like. The champagne was like bubbly soda - reminded me more of tonic or gingerale.

Try not to shake them much. Just roll them, and then tip them end to end - upsidedown, right side up (got the info from an aromatherapy book on blending eo's into a base) The separation might just have to do with the fact that your oils are of very different densities. And also that Jojoba oil is not actually an oil per se - it's a liquid wax. Though I have used jojoba in the past without separation - so maybe your oil is so newly mixed?

My imp of Spellbound was way too sweet for me. But my Black Rose was perfect. It is great for layering - especially the darker, warm scents like Aureus. So if you like a hint of rose in a sweet oil, Spellbound's your oil. If you like Roses straight up, Black Rose's your gal.

To each their own then! To Dilute or not to Dilute, to Rollerball or not to rollerball. I wish I could somehow fit a wand into the BPAL 5ml bottles instead of my current method of decanting them into other vials. It just creates more and more and more bottles. I'd like to consolidate a bit better. Any ideas?

ok, so there are 32mls in an ounce. So 1/3 oz bottle will hold just over 10ml, 1/6oz will hold little over 5ml. Not sure why the oils stop the roller ball from rolling, but I got a swapped sample of Old Morocco in 5ml of apricot kernel oil in a rollerball bottle and the ball doesn't roll. it moves if you turn it manually, but it doesn't roll like one I have with an alcohol based perfume.

So I can put the BPAL oil into the roller bottle directly without causing any adverse side effects? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Believe so! It all depends on how viscous your BPAL is. -some of the blends are really thick and some are just like water. Best way to tell is how fast the bubbles move in the bottle... if it acts like bubbles in water, roller ball should be fine. If the bubbles act just like the ones in a bottle of cooking oil, then maybe not.

Dilution ratio I would recommend is 1:2 at first. So 1ml perfume, 2 ml carrier. Then, if that is still too strong, then up the carrier content. But if say, you do 1ml into 10ml carrier and that is too diluted, there is no turning back. As to how it effects the scent... it depends on the carrier oil you use. Peanut oil and apricot kernel oil has a scent. Slight, but still. Jojoba oil's scent is negligible and so is Shea butter oil. Another thing to consider is that the oils may affect the scent in another way... it may upset the balance of the original oil... the different layers of scent (top, mid and base notes) may not evaporate at the same rate thus changing the drydown. I have not experimented with it too much, I'm just throwing ideas out there. If you put the oil in a roller ball bottle, there is a high possibility that it will not roll anymore, or will not roll easily. If that doesn't bother you, than why not. If that will bother you, than I suggest using a dram vial with a tester rod cap. You can find them at the sunburst bottle company. However, I hear that if you use BPAL oil straight, it does not affect the roller ball (that is if you don't use an especially thick oil).

...

That doesn't seem quite right. The purpose of the stopper is to only let 1 or 2 drops out at a time. It seems yours is faulty. Take it off. As to how to apply the scent without it... hmmm... I'm experimenting with a couple of methods. I decant into another vial, this one with a tester rod. But I have tried tipping the bottle over while the cap is on tight, then righting it, taking the cap off and tapping the oil that got on the inside of the cap onto my skin. This works for the caps with the little plastic nub inside them. I think the Qtip option is also very popular too. You just dip the Qtip into the vial and use that as a tester rod. However, there has been some criticism about it wasting too much (the cotton absorbs too much oil). You could just take the cotton off the end and have a little homemade plastic rod.

I have the 1/8oz vials with tester rods as well! I ordered 30 of them. They are perfect for decanting and if you want to dilute your oils. It saved the day when i discovered that my new Queen of Hearts bottle was actually cracked! That would explain why it was constantly leaking even though I always made sure it was kept upright. Anyway, I decanted the contents and it filled 1+ 1/2 vials. My order came with 2 extra tester rod caps so I just use those to apply from other big bottles.

Good luck with the bar exam! Well, I was thinking Libra too. I'm begining to think that you need a 5ml or 10ml of this. And when I try it, I'll probably get a big bottle. If you have Water of Notre Dame, then maybe that might help calm you before the exam? Don't forget to bring the imp to refresh during the day.

Damn Summer! That is a sh*tload of scents! I am in awe. I've only got 21! Definitely take Libra as you may need a scent that you feel comfortable in... travelling could be very stressful at times. Pain is probably good in France - all that lavendar and refreshing mint. And Endymion is great as an all around scent (for me anyway). Have fun!