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Whoever said lavender cola has it on the nose. I would actually say its a lavender cola with an extra helping of vanilla syrup. The labdanum is very cola-resin and this ends up in an interesting sweet-foodie category for me. If you ever wanted a cream soda with some lavender on it, this would be it. Medium throw and wear length.

Brown leather, white sandalwood (which is sharper and slightly more cedary/lemony than regular sandalwood on me), and musk. This one reminds me to an Order of the Dragon blend. Like if the vampire brides and Quincy Morris had an unholy baby (meaning, Lucy and Quincy Morris finally got it on, but Lucy ditched all the roses). So yeah, ghostly, oddly seductive, and kinda out there. Medium throw and wear length.

This smells like some very fine tobacco. It's got aged patchouli, vanilla notes, and copal. The black tea and frankincense comes through, but I essentially get some fine-ass chewy tobacco smell. Medium throw, great wear length. Sexy AF.

Blackberry, tea, and a whiff of rice. Good throw and wear length.

This one is a sweet gardenia with strawberry. I get gardenia and lilac, and whiffs of strawberry and vanilla. Spring, fruity, gardenia. Good throw and wear length.

Cedarwood, chocolate mint, burst of citrus, and sweet vetiver. This one is intriguing, playful, and yes, reminds me to How Doth the Little Crocodile, but more of a cat version. Medium throw and wear length.

Sugary strawberry. Very fresh and realistic. There's whiffs of other fruits, and a note of herbal goodness on the background, which just sort of makes it more realistic. Medium throw and wear length.

This is a glorious rose blend. White roses, smoke, and sandalwood. White roses are way more mellow than red roses. It's strong, pure, and despite the smoke, resilient. This is a victory rose blend. The kind you get once you've been through hell and back. If you are in need of a comforting rose blend, this one delivers, while reminding you about your interconnectedness with others, the value of kindness and your own resilience, and the fact that love is not a finite resources. Also probably a stealth TAL.

Carnation, clove, cinnamon and a whiff of patchouli. Honestly, this sort of reminds me to the Smiling Spider, but sweeter. If you love clove blends, give this a whirl. Medium throw and wear length.

Sugary honeyed lavender, and a whiff of acacia. So much sugar and honey in this. Great throw and wear length.

Dark sexy cherry and patchouli, whiff of chypre. Sophisticated, dark, but my hair seems to just eat this.

UNF. This to me is a super sexy ylang ylang blend. I get a ton of sweet vanilla, some ylang ylang and a base of smooth sandalwood. URGH, I sort of really really love this. Medium throw and wear length.

This is a delightful rose-scented (but for me, I really smell honeyed roses and jasmine), which huge throw. I placed a drop over my heart chakra. I think that these dark and anxious times are very difficult for an individual and relationships. I felt more grace with myself and with mr. zee_zee. We cuddled alot. It was deeply comforting and loving. ETA: So, I finally wore BGotS yesterday for my 15th wedding anniversary. The scent is honeyed roses, and quite potent. It was a great oil to help celebrate, we had a wonderful dinner in a fancy restaurant, and the weather cooled off nicely that we could enjoy an evening stroll. More importantly, it helped my husband and I connect emotionally and really celebrate our relationship during what has been a very stressful summer work-wise.

Violet and blue lotus. Honestly, this a sweet melancholic blend that makes me think of Silence, the long ago discontinued Salon. Whereas Silence had that blue musk which is glittery, both the violet and orris make it more soft and slightly powdery. Blue lotus, unlike other lotus notes, does not go wildly like bubblegum on me, but rather again seems more like a kissing cousin to the blue musk in Silence. So, to me, this is like a violet version of Silence. Honestly, it sort of takes you on a trip to Italy in the evening. There's something Old World and otherworldly about this. Violets, contemplative, starry sky in deep purple and lavender tones. Medium throw, low wear length.

Dark, green hellebore, woods and a whiff of primroses and snowdrops. This is a dark, wintry blend. It's chilly, wild, and dark like the blue sheen of a crow's feathers. Medium throw, great wear length.

Dark patchouli, tobacco, whiff of fig, on a base of amber. This one is a dark tobacco-patchouli-amber blend on me. With everything else in enough quantities to act like glimmers on the amber. Medium throw and wear length.

Feral, funky oudh with a bit of cherry sweetness, which just sort of amplifies the visceral funk. Great throw and wear length, of course.

Sweet syrupy cherries with bubbly sugar. So far, this is my favorite cherry. Sweet, bubbly, innocent. Good throw and wear length.

Red roses and a whiff of red cherries. This is mainly a red rose blend on me. Good throw and wear length.

Vanilla mint that gives way to pistacho nuttiness, and I swear something that reminds me to absinthe. This smells to me like a more foodie vanilla absinthe blend to me. With extra sugar. Good throw and wear length.

Cardamom vanilla cake, butter cream and a whiff of cotton candy. This one is a very sugary vanilla cake blend on me. If you want cake, try this! Good throw and wear length.

Sticky honey amber, and dusty clove. Oddly enough, I get an almost silky fur impression, and its definitely Shunga-esque. For those of you who would love to smell like cat fur.

A real urban oasis.

Steam-distilled ginger root essential oil, dragons blood oleoresin, frankincense (Carterii) essential oil , juniper berry essential oil and berries, Ceylon cinnamon C02 extract, blood orange essential oil, dried orange peel, and dried ginger root from the TAL garden. It's hard to be afraid. Especially when it seems like you are dealing with a low-level fear/anxiety all the time in your life now over things that you have very little control over. This smells like a souped up gingery version of DBR. It's got aspect that remind me to Wolf's Heart.

This version of 13 is a departure from our usual theme for this ongoing project. So many of us are going through so much right now; it seems right to make an oil that contains 13 herbs, flowers, and resins of peace, tranquility, and grounding: lavender, litsea cubeba, sandalwood, ylang ylang, king mandarin, patchouli, blue tansy, Roman chamomile, bergamot, Oman frankincense, angelica, hops, and borage.