Court Analyst/Strategist

I wear this when I want to feel sexy/dressed up/open to starting more with a guy or gal/etc and make a good, strong impression on people who are single. I have gotten multiple complements on this ("you smell good," etc), although I usually wear it only while wearing at least one other TAL or BPAL. My favorite TALs to pair it with are Friendship (to open doors to friendship or to develop a stronger connection with new-to-me people), Blinding Glory of Love, and Charisma. I plan to try wearing it with Master and a few others. Other notes/info: I have worn it before seeing someone I had sex with only once or twice, and it's possible it influenced our activity to be more vigorous. Further testing will be needed with someone who is a more compatible sex partner to verify if it led to the more vigorous activity. Currently, I can say I am satisfied with how I feel when I wear this - I consider it something I use to feel nice and confident when going to a social event where I want to show a little sex appeal - and that is what matters to me right now since I have no current sex partner to try it out with.

I wear Friendship whenever I know I will meet people to talk to/form new connections with or want to have a really good time with people I already know. It is also good for social situations where you're going in a bit nervous and uncertain of what will happen, but definitely want to try your best to come off well with the people who will be where you're going. Also, the scent is one I really enjoy smelling. It's the kind of scent I can layer under other TALs or BPALs with no problem because it doesn't smell like anything that can obnoxiously drown out other TALs I might pair with it. Brief scent description: It's warm, sugary, and lightly sweet with a hint of something that could be catnip. This is not strongly herbal but rather a mix of sugary sweetness and a light herbal quality in the background that results in a light musk-like blend of notes on my skin. This is easily one of my favorite TALs to smell. Other notes: The sugar crystals in Friendship tend to settle at the bottom of the bottle or vial you store it in; if this happens to anybody else's bottle, this is normal. I even grew to like this about Friendship even though the sugar crystals sometimes get on my skin when I apply the oil. This is not a bad thing for me because they smell nice, seem to keep the scent on my skin a bit longer, and are easily brushed off. I got this bottle for networking and I feel it was worth the money. I use it regularly in conjunction with a few other TALs before going to any important event or social gathering I attend.

Use to break up old conditions and clear the way for positive change. This is my favorite TAL bath oil out of the five I've tried. Scent: The strongest note in this bath oil seems to be the Chinese lemon and I love smelling the scent when I wash it off in the shower. The Chinese lemon is gorgeous in this and while I wasn't too focused on what I thought the Release bath oil might smell like when I bought it, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy the scent of it. The scent also seems very unisex to me (I'm just mentioning this in case anyone has concerns about whether a guy might like it) and I definitely don't mind smelling a hint of this on my skin after a shower. Effectiveness: This bath oil is the TAL bath oil I reach for when I want to feel clearer headed, calm, and all-around less crappy after bathing. It always leaves me feeling somehow lighter than before use, as if the unseen layer of "stuff" that made me want to take a shower with this TAL has been cleared away. Will I keep the bottle? Yes. I don't know if I'll buy a second bottle because I recently purchased a 5ml of the Release oil and there are TALs I feel more need to buy, but I like this bath oil too much to part with any of it. Would I recommend the Release Bath Oil? Yes, if the description of this bath oil makes it sound like something you need.

I may add to this review at a later date, but I've been using Formula 312 for months now and am VERY glad I tried it. I now have two bottles - the second was worth buying because I knew I didn't want to run out. Scent Review: The scent reminds me of spicy old-fashioned root beer, especially when first applied, and I wear it for the scent as much as anything else. I like smelling it and often layer F 312 over other TALs that don't smell as wonderful and unique. It's different and stands out, and two different bisexual guys have reacted well to it. Usage: Formula 312 is handy for a variety of different practical and ritual uses. I've worn it with Blinding Glory of Love on numerous occasions and have been very satisfied with what occurred and how I felt the oil helped me. BGOL and F 312 are my go-to confidence booster TALs - I apply them when I want to put my best foot forward in a social situation and bring out my natural charisma. I don't flirt, but I like to feel confident and attractive in a healthy way. F 312 is great for that and anointing myself with BGOL and F 312, and especially F 312, is now an important part of getting ready for any outing that is important to me. Note: I may update this review when I have used F 312 in more candle rituals. I've only done a few candle rituals with this oil (and usually with several other TALs), and don't feel I've used it enough in ritual to comment on that yet.

Note: This is mostly a review about the effectiveness and use of this TAL based on my personal experiences with it. I don't wear this for the scent, but I like the smell of BGOL in moderation - it's minty, pretty, and definitely leaning toward feminine. However, I often layer BGOL beneath one of my favorite smelling TALs, Formula 312, because I'm a guy and it has occurred to me that this could smell out of place on me to some people. Short Review: This stuff does for me what I hoped Charisma would and has the added bonus of making me feel as sexually attractive as possible. I wear it when I need to put my best foot forward before I enter into any social situation where feeling confident and sexually attractive could benefit me. Long review (this review originally appeared in the Love, Lust and Beauty Thread in the TAL section of the forums in late October 2014): I used Blinding Glory of Love when I met a man I have feelings for and he reacted to me beautifully and more positively than I ever imagined, both when I met him and when I met him at a diner the next day. Oddly enough, on Wednesday (a day before he met me in person), he told me via a long Facebook message that he had never been attracted to me, but he had been turned on by a picture he thought was of me for the first few weeks we talked. That hurt, but I still wanted to meet as friends. I also, I confess, wanted to give him one more shot and look great while doing it (Blinding Glory of Love makes me feel like I come across as confident as possible and have my "game face" on) because I knew we had a great emotional connection despite what he'd said about being attracted to the picture that wasn't me. What happened next was nothing short of uncanny and amazing. I don't think the TALs I used created the outcome, but I do feel they gave me support when I needed it. Thursday I was on a drive with someone he'd introduced me to (I met this person I was driving with before I met my man of interest) and met my M of I for the first time outside his apartment building. I had Blinding Glory of Love massaged onto my palms and Formula 312 in my hair and on a few pulse points. When we met, he could not stop meeting my eyes, gushing about what I looked like, and hugged me firmly and for longer than most people tend to. He easily said I looked amazing, smelled good, and "was" basically the man from the picture he'd been attracted to because I had the same look. He could not seem to stop touching me (in an expressive, friendly way, not a grabby way). We then agreed to meet the following day, Friday. Side note: I have no explanation for why he wasn't attracted to what I thought were flattering photos of me from my new photography page on Facebook, but thought I looked amazing in person. I mean, I had a slightly irritated eye at the time, I'm very slender and short (about 5'3) and I had only a vague idea of his type (and he'd previously said he wasn't attracted). Nothing was ever guaranteed. But if you ever have something going on that could make you self-conscious, such as a pimple or a reddened eye, I'd recommend wearing Blinding Glory of Love because it made me feel as if I looked the best I could and had the best chances possible of wowing my friend. Friday I wore Blinding G again and Formula 312. I met my man of interest at a diner, we talked about 2 or 3 hours there about everything and anything and went back to his place to chat longer. He gave me a very thorough tour of his place. Then, he gave me a necklace he had from Europe in his kitchen and we talked for about two more hours until I had to get back my hotel because I'd agreed to change rooms by a certain time. And keep in mind my eye was noticeably irritated - he showed caring regarding my eye and kept asking me how it was. He was not the type of man who is callously obsessed with what another person looks like or makes snide criticisms about someone else's looks. Throughout our meeting, he just seemed to like me as a person and naturally compliment me at times. He even told me as I was on my way out of his building that what he has with me is exactly what he needs right now. I don't know what the future will hold in terms of whether we'll stay more friends than lovers, but I love Blinding Glory of Love and I'm glad I had it in this situation. I used it as correctly as I could according to the directions when meeting my guy and couldn't have asked for a more positive outcome. Update on the situation: the guy and I went onto have three more long, amazing meetings within a week of our first outing together and he expressed nothing but respect and admiration for me during each of them. Unfortunately, I don't live in his city and had to return home this week, but I definitely feel we grew closer during our time together. Would I recommend BGOL? Most definitely; it has quickly become a favorite TAL of mine.

An extremely ‘clean’, extremely positive, gentle-but-powerful blend. Use this spray in lieu of incense during healing rites (physical, emotional, and psychological), when beginning new ventures, and to bless new unions, births, and rites of passage. Blessing spray is used to cleanse and sanctify new homes, businesses, and sacred spaces, ensuring that you begin your endeavors there with a clean slate. One sentence review I have very positive feelings toward this spray and am pleased with all the conjure sprays I have right now. Expanded review Scent and Throw*: The scent is very rose-heavy and somehow comforting. I usually avoid scents that contain rose notes, but I came to enjoy the scent after using this a couple times. Also, since I'm not wearing this as a personal fragrance, I wasn't bothered by the dominant rose notes here. *I'm in a foreign country and don't have my Blessing spray with me at the moment, so I'm going by memory. I may update this part of my review at a later date. The throw is fairly heavy right after the spray is spritzed but promptly grows milder once the spray hits something like furniture or settles into the air of a space. Use: I use the Blessing spray when I want to purify a particular space in my house before starting a project or ritual and occasionally spray it on my bed before I sleep at night. I also sometimes spray Blessing shortly before using another conjure spray to give the second spray a ritually clean area to be sprayed in. Effectiveness: I do feel Blessing produces a shift in the environment before I start a ritual or rest on linens smelling of the spray. It's challenging for me to pinpoint the extent of that shift in the environment, but I would say using the spray provides peace of mind in a similar way to how the TAL Aegis can be used in a candle ritual to provide me with peace of mind. In this case, though, I use the Blessing spray with the intent to cleanse a space and ready it for positive stuff to happen in it rather than what I use Aegis for, which I won't get into here since this is a review for a conjure spray. Convenience: The spray format is infinitely more convenient for me than using incense or burning sage to cleanse my house because I wear contacts and contacts + smoke = dry eyes and even drier contacts on my eyes. Spritzing the Blessing spray wherever I want to is also much quicker than setting up and lighting incense. Will I keep the bottle? Yes. Purifying my ritual space and living area(s) is something I want to do more of, so when I saw the Blessing conjure spray in this latest TAL Etsy update, I knew it would be a good item to add to my ever-growing TAL collection. So far, I'm satisfied with it. Would I recommend the Blessing conjure spray? Yes, if it sounds like a product you'd get use out of.

Attraction has a light, pleasant citrus-y scent that reminds me of orange peels and is a very versatile oil - I use it in conjunction with many other TALs in most candle rituals I perform. Effectiveness: Since I use Attraction in conjunction with various other TALs it is difficult to gauge its effectiveness when used alone, but I do feel it adds to the oomph of my rituals. I also occasionally anoint myself with it and meditate on who and what I want to attract. Will I keep the bottle? Yes. I've almost finished my bottle because I use this oil so often and recently ordered two Attraction conjure sprays because I know I'll get a lot of use out of them. Would I recommend Attraction? Yes, especially if you do a lot of attracting and success-related ritual work.

Scent: There may be some eucalyptus or pine in this. If I sniff it directly from the bottle, the scent's very nose-clearing in that way strong green notes tend to be. I could also see how someone might get a shaving cream-like scent from this oil, although I've never gotten that association. In addition, there's something about this scent that I like to sniff - it's masculine, uplifting, green, and strangely attractive, but I doubt the scent will be everyone's cup of tea. I don't use it expecting others will love the scent on me (although I will note I've never gotten any "ewww, that's gross" reactions). However, that's fine with me because I only use Hymn to Pan around the house at this time, or while walking. I like to put some in my oil burner, on my neck, hands, chest, and third eye, or on a Hand of Hermes mojo bag I have. Use: I slather this on before writing, since that's my primary creative activity. It has helped me get words on the page when I've otherwise started out not expecting much during a writing session, and I use Hymn to Pan a lot in combination with other oils. I would say it is one of my most-used blends for inspiration even if my results vary widely. Also, it has inspired a variety of things, including a sexy short novella I will one day write about Pan. Call me crazy, but that novella took shape in my brain while I was using this oil and wouldn't take no for an answer. So, I think I'll write the story sometime soon and dedicate it to this oil. Side Effects: This can make me feel unexpectedly lusty at times. LOL. I only use it when I expect to have privacy (so I can write without interruptions), but yeah. It can still leave me more likely to feel, um, restless even with no one around to direct that energy at. But that's not a dealbreaker for me and I consider some randy mood swings part of the creative process while working with this oil. Will I buy another bottle? I'm on my second, and yes, I will most likely buy a third bottle. I go through this oil fast and regularly slather it on whenever I feel I need inspiration or a boost in productivity (both have happened while using this oil). It's not a miracle worker, but I do feel it helps, especially on days where I feel discouraged about my writing somehow. Plus, I have experienced random breakthroughs with it while writing difficult scenes. Verdict: If you're a writer of fiction, an artist, or someone else who does creative things, it won't hurt to try this one as long as you're not afraid of 1) some randy feelings or intense but generally productive moods popping up, or 2) a strong scent.

Effectiveness: The quote above pretty much sums up my impression of Charisma thus far. I've only had the oil for about a month, but I wear it when I expect to interact with others outside the home and usually feel more confident and positive when wearing it. I also like to wear it with other oils, including Mercury to give a positive boost to my perception of my communication skills. This combination (Mercury and Charisma) helps me be less nervous than I might otherwise be during social situations and I do like, if not love, the scent. There is something about it that makes me want to apply Charisma frequently and I have, day after day. Overall, no miracles have happened, but I will continue using Charisma. I'd also say its scent is simply more attractive and less pungent than Brass Balls on my skin and in the bottle, which is a plus. I still layer Charisma with something else because I feel the hops and amber and whatever else is in it may not be as appealing to others as it is to me, but it dries down to a pleasant powdery sweet scent after some time on my skin. In contrast, I rarely use my decant of Brass Balls because the scent is strong and almost violently soapy, for lack of a better description. So, there's that. Will I keep my bottle? Yes. I may also buy another bottle depending on how well my enjoyment of this blend holds up over time and how fast I go through my first bottle. Would I recommend Charisma? Yes.

Scent: Wolf's Heart has a sweet, grassy smell on my skin - I'm guessing some combination of resins produces that. The grassy note becomes less discernable after the oil has been on my skin a while. Overall, I'd say the scent is mild and more pleasant than some TALs I have as well as probably less noticeable to others near me than, say, Determination, which possesses a strong, dark scent. Use: I apply WH when I feel I need extra fortitude, determination, and patience to continue writing for a while. I usually use this in conjunction with other TALs, but I feel it's a good blend for anyone determined to pursue creative career-related goals to at least try a decant of. I know I'm glad I have a decant of it even though I, like a previous poster, find it difficult to pinpoint what WH has done for me. Mostly, I think it has a similar effect on me to Determination except 1) WH has a somewhat broader scope in what it can be used for, and 2) WH has the added bonus of being a good oil to apply when you're going to be facing very stressful situations. I feel it's in a similar vein to Fortitude (a small batch TAL) in that regard for its fortitude-boosting qualities.

Purges your aura of everyday stressors and negativity while actively preparing you for the rigors of ritual work. I got a bottle of this in early September and have been using it every time I bathe since. A little goes a long way and I basically smooth the oil over my skin from the shoulders and neck downward while visualizing negativity and stress going out of me. I have always felt better after using this and somewhat more relaxed if I was noticeably drained or tense beforehand. There is no real way to tell if that effect is from the oil; however, I find using this bath oil worthwhile before doing ritual work and will use up the bottle until it's gone. Would I buy another bottle? Not at this time, because there are TALs I'm more interested in getting a bottle of. But it's pleasant to use and I am glad I bought it. I was not using bath oils before this of any kind, but I am a convert to the TAL bath oils now and I expect to use them for years to come as long as these wonderful ritual bath oils are being produced. Would I recommend it? Yes, to those doing regular ritual work who want to feel cleansed of daily stresses and clutter beforehand. On the other hand, I'd say there are a couple of other TALs that could be used for the same purpose, so go with whichever blend sounds best for your needs. Other comments: I am very interested in trying other TAL Etsy bath oils in the future. Using this bath oil prompted me to buy a bottle of Ebon Night (bath oil version) and I am eagerly awaiting the next Etsy update to see if any other bath oils are restocked.

Scent: I wasn't sure I liked the scent at first, mostly because of the coconut edge to an otherwise lemony scent. But after I put this on my skin the scent grows on me. The scent on my skin is very much like a lemon drop put into a scent form - a little sweet, but slightly tart because of the lemon. I also find the coconut note less noticeable on my skin than in the bottle. Effectiveness: I've used it a couple of times now when I could feel irritation and agitated, distracted thoughts coming on and I did calm down with it on. I was able to subdue the irritation that was brewing and focus on other stuff once this was on my skin. It remains to be seen if it creates a noticeable effect when I use it when really angry, but I've been glad to find something that could subdue irritation. Will I keep the bottle? Most likely, but I don't feel a pressing need to get more than one. I may look for a second bottle if I continue to have consistently good results when using Cooling to subdue mild agitation and find myself using it a lot. Would I recommend Cooling? Yes. Edited 9/1/14 to add: aged Cooling is heaven to smell on my skin - it smells very much like lemon drops and provides a nice lift to my mood. I splurged for a second bottle when I realized I was worried about running out and wasn't using it as much as I would if I had more.

I also get these notes from Discipline and use it pretty much every day. It has one of my favorite TAL scents whereas my other TALs have scents that range from pungent-smelling to interesting or somewhat appealing as a scent but probably not appealing to others. I will probably have to get a second bottle of Discipline because my first bottle will be gone before I know it. The lemon in this is not Lemon Pledge-y to my nose and the oil does not smell like a cheap room scenter that you plug into a wall. It is a calming scent I sort of associate with the color of rosewood and ripe lemons. I consider it an elegant scent in a way. However, I would still use it even if it smelled like toilet deodorizer because it really does help me prepare to focus on a task I need to do. I anoint my hands and feet as well as a candle with this before getting to work on anything that is editing or writing related. On the other hand, I have to be careful to immediately start work on what I want to work on because I agree with M that if I apply this and work on something else, I will end up hugely focused on that instead of what I want to work on. Overall verdict: It smells great and works well when I need a short-term boost in discipline and focus to complete a project I otherwise feel not very motivated to do. Definitely a keeper! Edited to add: I have not used Discipline in rituals meant to break habits in the long-term, so I cannot comment on its effectiveness for that. I primarily use it for its ability to immediately or semi-immediately focus me and keep me focused on a task for a couple of hours.

WAR A Martial blend, used to ensure success in all manners of battle, war, conquest and victory. When I purchased War I did plan to do some focusing work with this blend, but finding the scent to be so masterfully and enjoyably blended was a definate plus. I have worn this twice now and am still trying to place what seems so 'familiar' about the scent of this oil. This applies very strongly in broadcasting strength, so I now know to be very careful with the amount I put on. At first(when applied to my arm), the scent is sharp, herbal and dry, and very dusty, but luckily War quickly mellows and changes for the better. The oil a few minutes after drydown has a dominant note that reminds me of parchment (not office grade paper, but aged, thick paper that's kind of taken on a yellow sheen and is crinkling with small tears at the edges) that has a faint undertone of dust. There's also some kind of tart note that swells and then mellows under the parchment scent and gives this oil a semi-heavy sweetness that's kind of... faded in feel, as if seeped into the very dust of the parchment. At first, I identified this sweetness as an orange scent, but now think that's somehow inaccurate...the note in question has a paler feel to it that's not quite citrus-like, but more reminiscent of cane sugar instead. I'm thinking that this light sweetness might be a type of musk, but this blend is so well-blended I'm having difficulty identifying where one note ends and another begins. I can also detect an herb's presence providing a distinct edge, but its in the background of the scent and I cannot for the life of me pinpoint it. I won't rate the scent/perfume aspect of War by a scale of 1 to 10 like I normally would because this is a TAL blend and has more than the purpose of being a perfume, but suffice to say I love the smell. War also lasts all day; the first time I wore this I put the oil on in mid-afternoon and could still detect traces of it the next morning. The ingredients in this blend synchronize to radiate a vibrant warmth in tone when I'm wearing War that's incredibly invigorating and grounding, and I'm absolutely fascinated by this scent for some reason, its amazing. This is a nostalgic scent of contemplation for me, dry but warm and vivid with life. Court

When first applied: a strong streak of incense that possesses a green husky-sweet, smoky edge. Very good throw at this point, the top notes are coming through rich and strong, but its hard to tell where one note begins and another ends, if that makes sense. I think the olive blossom is lending a very distinct accent to this scent, taming the frankincense into a more pleasing effect for me and mingling it with something that is almost lightly spicy. I usually avoid frankincense so this is saying something. I'm not sure what blood accord is but the roman flora mentioned in the description lend but a breath in here, drifting somewhere below more dominant notes. Verdict: Definately on the too-masculine side for my preferences but nice. If I could pull off smoky, incense scents I would wear this one but sadly I'm more of the light fougere or 'woods and resins' type. I could see a smoker wearing VofR--in the best possible way, of course. You know, a young man who always has a faint lingering cloak of cigarettes on his clothes but still manages to smell really intoxicating...ahem. This scent would mingle well with that. I'll probably test this one once more in the future and update this post with any change but otherwise VofR will most likely be swapped/sold off to a happier home where he'll receive more appreciation. --- Court

First sniff from imp: kind of a pungent coconut milk type scent. On Skin: slightly "off" coconut milk that reminds me of the lotion variety. There's something a bit greasy and nose-turningly nutty about this scent. The main player, sadly, does not smell anything like fresh coconut (which I could probably wear if properly tamed by a host of other notes), but rather of the bpal coconut milk note which I cannot wear at all. The fig is too faint to make this one salvagable (but there is a tiny hint of figginess in the background that is probably the nicest note I can pick out), and the nuttiness which curves the scent is, for lack of a better term, slightly sickening. Verdict: Minimal fig influence, and the coconut turned bad on my skin. Actually, looking back at the description's notes, it could have very well been the honeyed almond milk that did weird kinky things to his coconut neighbor. One of my skin's natural enemies is the almond, and there was a certain nuttiness to the scent. And thusly, I remember why I was avoiding trying this one. One Word Rating: Unpleasant. My apologies that I couldn't give a more positive review. Court

When first applied this is really pretty. Sweet, golden and rich. What has to be the kush lends an enriching, heady note to the scent as some other reviewers have mentioned. The honey in here is definately different from the regular honey in the bpal blends I've tried with the note--this honey is lighter and more creamy in feel. This stage in the scent is just sexy. After about ten minutes of wear, however, a slightly soapy note peeks out and the overall feel of the scent becomes dryer. I'm pretty sure the soapy hint is coming from the daemonorops. The currant sadly doesn't seem to come out to play. He could be there, but I'm not identifying the note if he is. At this stage I would describe the scent as dry and musky with a slightly 'brittle' quality as the scent itself has thinned out a bit, wheras the first stage of wear was fuller-bodied and more luscious. The change in the two stages could be likened to how a leaf changes on a tree and finally falls to the ground in the Autumn, the leaf slowly drying out and changing color before detaching from the tree to drift towards the earth, with the end result visibly altered but not without its charms. Verdict: I like Anactoria but not as much as I did in the first ten or so minutes of wearing it. Still, I'm willing to age this bottle to see where it goes and if the daemonorops can't be mellowed somewhat so the note causes less trouble. Court

Firstly, I must confess that the only reason I purchased this one was because it said Dante Aligieri in the description, and alas, this oil is instantly a sharply, eye-wateringly soapy grape-ish smell when applied to my skin. Like grape-scented soap that's been lathered really strongly. There's an apple-like note (I say apple like because its more apple hand soap in nature than anything else) in the backdrop. Thirty seconds later its pretty apparent that the culprit is probably the white rose but yeesh, rose usually doesn't go this far. Basically, I would regularly put this on my skin only if it came from a liquid hand-soap pump bottle. Tragic. What the heck? I apologize that I can't give a more positive review. Court

I just received a fresh 5ml of Severin from the lab and there is nearly zero resemblence to how my aged bottle smells. If the fresh bottle wasn't labelled Severin, I wouldn't know it as such, the oil smells kind of off, both in the bottle and on the skin, reminding me sadly of something faint, sweet and gummy. For comparison, my aged bottle smells like earl grey and tea leaves with a little leather in there (even fresh, my original bottle had dominant tea and bergamot notes, the main differences were that the notes were less distinct and the throw was lighter). I was thinking the difference could stem from this batch being more leather-heavy, but the scent doesn't smell like leather, it actually smells more akin to really faint chewing gum on the skin. I don't particularly mind past the fact that I'm going to have to order a third 5ml because my original is getting low, I just thought that the contrast was so odd I would post about it. I just really hope that the next bottle is like my original . Edit: I received a fresh lab imp and it smells just as I remember my first bottle did when newly purchased from the lab. So just the second bottle is the odd one out, just as I figured. Strange! Court

There's a little sharpness initially that quickly goes away and dries down to a soft, sweet musk. Not very much like Buck Moon, actually, but its in the same scent family. Pleasant smelling, and there is a sort of furry texture to the way the scent smells, I keep inhaling on my wrist to try and identify it. All I really get is a warm, slightly sweet musk with a powdery feel to it (note: the scent doesn't turn to powder, it just has a powdery feel after the drydown), so Ivanushka is a pretty simple scent on my skin chemistry. No need for a second bottle, but I might keep the first for a while in hopes that more notes show up with aging. Court

those are helpful (I especially like the Lucifer one), thanks! Court

Vampire Tears = weirdness on me and I am unsure why. First sniff from the bottle is sort of buttery/creamy with a sharp undertone This applies with sort of like a lemon frosting/cakey note (as another review or two mentioned) in the forefront with something creamy/heavy added that does not belong there. No grapefruit but there is a feel of candyish lemons in there. It must be one (or more) of the florals that's turning this into something cloying and unidentifiable with candy lemon flavoring added. Overall: I expected a clear tea and floral scent, but I'm getting a thick, almost stomach-churning frosting/foody smell with the aforementioned candied lemon flavoring. This gets better after it dries down and becomes more like a creamy + non-descript faint lemon scent, but I still find it unpleasant. Will retest after a few days (in case it's a freak skin chemistry problem), but I immediately disliked this one. Still not sure what went wrong - grapefruit, green tea and ginger sounded like a possible winning combination! Verdict: Bottle will probably go to swaps or the land of Ebay, off to the home of some lucky vampire who's skin doesn't turn the good-sounding notes in the description into something unpalatable. Court

Sadly, not what I expected - grass and eucalyptus kind of mingling there . Strong on the grass! No mint as I know it... Was hoping for a wearable herbal, obviously. No idea how my skin chemistry came up with eucalyptus-grass. Court

I had high hopes for this blend because the scent description sounded well suited to my tastes, in terms of both the concept/character and listed notes. I really wish I was getting the woods/resin or light papery woods/cologne-type impressions the other reviews seem to detail, but there's something in this blend that makes it distinctly disagreeable once the oil hits my skin. A musk, or possibly a rampant resin I can't identify, takes over and sort of becomes buttery and perfumy with no woodsy and/or any of the expected anchoring notes in sight. Overall Rating: 4.5/10. That overwhelming musk note is rather unpleasant with a touch of an aquatic-like nature to it (and not like any light musk I've encountered previously, light musks are usually agreeable sorts to my skin chemistry). However, underneath it lies a very faint soft wood-type note with a hint of sweetness that only becomes visible long after drydown. The problem is, this redeeming factor only shows up when the scent is almost gone entirely from the skin. This is so disappointing because I am a fan of light gentlemanly masculine scents. I will age the bottle in the futile hope that Aziraphale will develop into a more wearable scent over time. Luckily, I did buy Crowley as well and we are much better suited to eachother in terms of scent. Court

Was hoping for a Dorian-like quality combined with a more masculinized backdrop and noticable vanilla and white musk. During wear: The Bow and Crown of Conquest is a dry, lingeringly soft scent with refined sage as the strongest note. The sage is a smooth, well-integrated note but not what I was hoping would be the dominant player. There's a touch of cedar that's very, very lightly lifted at the edges by musk and a tiny amount of sweetness. If there's leather its a base note and quite subtle. This seems to be leaning towards masculine but for now I like the scent and will keep the impulse 5ml I got to age it. I hope to see the vanilla and light musk actually show up as easily perceptible notes with aging. I'm also not sure how my stable skin chemistry is currently so I will retry the oil soon and edit this post with the results. Wearability: 6/10. Softened sage with subtle woods and a really light support cast of notes is a pleasant scent for me, but probably not for everyday wear. The throw's also low to moderate in broadcast. Overall Rating: 6.5/10. However, this may improve with aging if the vanilla shows itself and the other notes can be developed further. --- edit: Aging update (9/3/07) - The Bow and Crown of Conquest becomes more wearable with age. The vanilla now adds a minimal, rounding sweetness, and the overall scent is much more smooth and balanced (not so much a sage-fest anymore). The cedar is now complimenting the sage instead of being hidden by it, and the sage is sort of mingled with a touch of lavender. Still no noticable white musk or leather, sadly, and the vanilla is faint and not very distinguishable. However, will definately keep the bottle at this point. New Rating: 7.5/10. Court