parrot_suspect

Your mom sounds like a very special person. I'm sorry your time with her wasn't longer. From one motherless daughter to another, on this difficult day.

Here are two I find amazingly similar. So much so, that if you have one, you don't need the other. Mouse's Long and Sad Tale and Aeval. I think it's the sweet pea and musk notes. They're beautiful fragrnaces, but I can't tell them apart.

I haven't tried Ochosi yet, but I think Coyote is similar to Buck Moon! I second this. Coyote is very, very similar to Buck Moon. Buck Moon is a bit lighter and more skin-scent-ish, Coyote is a bit sweeter. But overall they are very much alike. I'm wearing Coyote today -- I really love it. I think it's one of the "sleeper" GC scents; more people would like it if they tried it.

Interesting! I find Regan to be incredibly similar to Creme Bouquet -- it has that sweet, vanilla floral feel. Here are a few others I've noticed: If you like Vixen or Sin -- you'll like LUSH Karma, YOSH La Contessa or Dana Tabu. If you like Jacob's Ladder -- you'll like Chantilly. Yes, the drugstore perfume you wore in high school. Compare the two, and be amazed! If you like Gingerbread Poppet -- you'll like Philosophy Gingerbread Man. If you like Morella or Aeval -- you'll like Philosophy Baby Grace. If you like Morocco -- you'll like Sensi, Cashmere Mist or Bogner Wood Woman. If you like Dirty -- you'll like J. Lo Glow. If you like Florence -- you'll like Dolce & Gabbana (red cap). If you like Dana O'Shee -- you'll like DSH La Fete Nouvelle or Winter White.

I always enjoy wearing this scent. It starts out sweet, kind of like a blend of Dragon's Blood and Snake Oil. Then it morphs into something deep and musky, with a Snake Oil-ish vibe. Eventually the drydown is powdery and musky, and I can't detect Dragon's Blood anymore. All in all, a wonderful scent, and a must-try for anyone who likes musks, Dragon's Blood or Snake Oil. It's sexy without smelling "sweaty," overly spicy or animalic. I wish it had a bit more throw, but otherwise it's perfect.

I'd suggest Gluttony, Eat Me, Velvet, Elegba or Hollywood Babylon.

I'm having a really tough time with this grieving process. I know about the stages of grief; I know I'm not going to feel better for a while. But I'm finding it hard to accept that I have to feel this crappy all the time. Plus, I'd like to talk to some other people who know what I'm going through. So, I'm off this evening to attend a support group called "Adult Loss of a Parent" sponsored by a local hospice organization. I've never really been the "support group" or 12-step type of person. When I was younger, I attended Adult Children of Alcoholics a few times, but I was weirded out by the prayers and hugging at the end of each meeting. I have a certain level of suspicion/skepticism for people who come up to me with a fervent gleam in their eye and say, "Keep coming back! Keep working the program!" There's something about it that seems cult-like to me. I also wonder whether I'm really a good candidate for a support group like this. My mom died less than a month ago. The people in this group -- what if their parents died a while ago and they're already beyond the raw, painful stage I'm in? They may be ready to move on. I have to be honest and say there are plenty of days I don't even want to move on. Every day that passes takes me further from the time my mother was alive, and I want to keep her memory close. I don't want to let it go. But I keep telling myself I have to keep an open mind. And maybe I can learn something from people who have already walked this path. Maybe there's a way to live with the memories without dissolving into a puddle of tears every time I think of her. But if anyone at this group tries to give me a hug, I may have to punch them.

On me this is a slightly spicy, slightly fruity musk. It's VERY similar to Enraged Orangutan Musk. As a matter of fact, I can barely tell the two apart. Voodoo Queen seems to be stronger as it dries down. I think anyone who liked Smut or EOM would like Voodoo Queen.

This is a beautiful scent. On me, it smells like a marriage of Vanilla Lace and Aeval. It's fresh, sweet, clean, slightly vanillic, a little musky, a little powdery. On me the sweet pea note comes out moreso than the sandalwood. All in all, definitely big bottle worthy.

Try not to feel guilty over spending money on BPAL. I know, it's easier said than done, but look at it this way. In a world full of corporate conglomerates (LVMH et al.) and smell-alike, ho-hum department store fragrances, BPAL stands out. It is an independent company with a unique aesthetic, and we have this friendly community where we can chat about it -- and other things. Every time you send money to BPAL for an imp pack, you're supporting all of that. BTW, if you like LUSH Karma, I'll bet you'd like BPAL Vixen It's very similar.

Given the description, I thought Dragon's Blood would have a starring role in this blend. However, I can hardly detect it. Dragon Moon, on me, is a green floral with a dash of fruit and tea. It's kind of sweet, but doesn't have the heady, lush scent I associate with Dragon's Blood. I'm definitely getting the bamboo note, and the tea note, but not a lot of sandalwood. There's a distinct "wet" feeling to this scent -- it's like sipping a cup of cherry-scented green tea in a bamboo forest, with tropical blooms all around. A nice spring floral for the rainy season.

Ozymandias is a beautiful blend. It's hard to pick out the individual notes. I agree that it has a classic, almost "perfumey" quality along the lines of Chanel No. 5. In the BPAL lineup, I'd say it smells like a mixture of Numb and Antique Lace. I get something vanillic, a little powdery, a tad soapy, a little floral, and very musky. A lovely, very feminine fragrance; not at all what I was expecting, based on the description. ETA: This has become one of my top 5 and is in regular rotation. It's so smooth and easy to wear, it's perfect for any occasion. Excellent to wear to work, out for a nice dinner, or for occasions where one's headier/more "headshoppy" scents won't do. And yet, you could still wear this with a T-shirt and jeans. Perfection!

This smells a lot like Milk Moon to me. Upon application, I definitely get the coconut note, and a vanilla-y sort of scent. But then, unfortunately, it does what Milk Moon did on my skin -- morphs in to a plastick-y sort of note. It just doesn't work on me.

This is a wonderful fragrance. It's soft, slightly sweet and smells kind of like a baby. The notes combine to create a gentle, soothing, clean sort of scent. Imagine Morella without the iris. Aeval doesn't morph much as it dries down. I applied it this morning and it's still quite true to the original scent, although the tonka is a bit more apparent in the drydown. If you're looking for a pleasant, "clean" spring fragrance that isn't too floral, give Aeval a try.

Yes....try Xiu (oh hell, I don't know how to spell it) -- Xiuheculti? Something like that. I think it's in the Excolo blends.

Oh boy, do I know what you mean about the huge wishlist. I see the list of TALs and I want nearly every one. Never mind that I have no idea how to perform any kind of ritual whatsoever. I just want to anoint myself with things that will bring me health, happiness, money, sex, what have you. I figure I can use all the help I can get! Do you use all your TALs in a ritualistic way, or do you wear some of them like perfumes?

I've always been something of a late bloomer. I didn't get my period until I was 14. Didn't go on my first date until age 16, didn't lose my virginity until age 17. So I guess it only follows that my career path wouldn't be as rapid as that of many of my peers. I was supposed to graduate college in 1990. A friend of mine did, and she was offered a job at Arthur Andersen paying $28K a year (back then, that was very good money for an entry-level salary). She eventually moved into the six-digit range and now doesn't even have to work at all -- her husband, who does the same kind of work as she, makes enough money to support them both. I, on the other hand, hit a few stumbling blocks on the road to yuppie success. I dropped out of college in 1988, worked several dead-end jobs (I still break out in hives at the word "retail"), returned to college in 1992, and finally graduated in 1995 with a B.A. in English literature (useful degree, that!). By 1997 I was finally employed in an entry-level job in my chosen field. I was 29. Most of the people my age -- and a large percentage of those younger than I --seem to have achieved their career goals and are enjoying a comfortable lifestyle and income. I'm not even sure what my career goal is anymore. In some ways, I've achieved it. I work as a newspaper editor. I come to work around 10 a.m., surf the Net, read the paper, read and correct stuff that other people have written, assign stories and photos, tell the copy desk what stories and files to run on the next day's pages, then I head home around 6 p.m. I do this three days a week, and I get paid for 30 hours. It's not a bad job, and it's much more enjoyable than any other job I've had. Here's the downside. I don't make a lot of money, and I'm not sure where to go from here. I enjoy having time to spend with my kids, but being part-time is probably going to keep me on the "mommy track" and slow any advancements I might make. The next job up from mine is one that I'm not sure I would even like. I'd have to work 60+ hours a week, no overtime, and the stress level is high. If you're reading this, I'd love to hear from you. What kind of work do you do? Is it what you want to be doing? Did you follow a traditional or non-traditional career path? What do you hope to be doing in five or 10 years?

That is a flattering photo of Kerouac, to be sure. Every year I reread "On the Road" and wish I could have been a part of that generation -- when everything was so fresh and new, when there seemed to be so much promise and potential in the whole counterculture movement. FWIW, my crush was on Neal Cassady

Kudos to you for undertaking such a task. Writing isn't easy. I've often thought of writing a book myself, but was always stumped by the "What in the heck would I write about?" question. Was it difficult for you to come up with a plot, characters, etc.? Here's hoping you get "unstuck" soon.

I'm so excited to see that somebody (several somebodies) actually read what I wrote, and commented on it. I'm beginning to understand the thrill of blogging Thank you to everyone who replied; your words of wisdom are much appreciated. It's nice to know I'm not alone.

Gluttony and Hollywood Babylon are quite sweet and milky.

Wow, L., that looks awesome. What a gorgeous cabin. We just got back from a week-long vacay to Wisconsin -- had a great time. Best part was, we found a sitter so we could go out to dinner one night! Hope you have a great time. Drop me a line when you get back, if you feel like it, and maybe we can arrange a time for a playdate at the museum or mall

Paris, I haven't tried Fallen -- I've been meaning to, but have never gotten around to it. I do recall Libertine having a strong violet note. Beyond BPAL: Gap OM is a spray and can only be purchased at Gap outlet stores. It also comes in lotion and shower gel, and candle form, I think. The best thing about it is it's cheap! And it really does smell nice. Vinci-Rakos Earth is an oil and can be found at www.vincirakos.com. It's lovely -- a smooth, woodsy, rich, musk. More feminine than masculine. It's what I wanted Coty's Wild Musk to be. You can purchase a sample if you e-mail the company. And I agree with ViolentKitten's rec of DragonflyBlue Nile Musk. It's a very nice musk, with a soapy/clean vibe. It comes in oil or body cream form. Oh, and I almost forgot. Fresh Scents by Terri's "Zoe" is a musk worth checking out as well -- it's soft and wearable. Comes in lotion, shower gel, oil and spray form. And I don't know if you've tried Attar Bazaar, but they have some great musks, particularly Sweet Musk and Pearl Musk (these are oils).

Vixen would be perfect to wear to a bar or club. It's loud, sexy and can cut through smoke and sweat. Another good scent would be to layer Snake Oil and Scherezade. I tried this the other day and it was wonderful. Sin, Anne Bonny, Spellbound, Lust or Bordello would be fabulous as well.

This is a wonderful musk blend. I was a bit wary of it since I didn't like Smut (which sounded so great in its description). But I'm glad I ordered EOM. It starts out smelling vaguely citrus-y and floral, with an undercurrent of musk. But after a half hour or so, the citrus notes disappear, and the musk turns deeper and "muskier." I think the ambergris helps soften the musk, and it dries down to a lovely soft, snuggly, clean, musky skin scent. It's definitely a feminine musk -- a very easy to wear, all-purpose scent.