Merlu

I found a decant of The World in my stash yesterday and decided to try it on. In the vial: Smells green, earthy and fizzy. I smell wintergreen and sandalwood. There's definitely a spicy sweetness in there, kind of like a spiced up root beer. Wet on skin: Still the same. Yum! Herbal and creamy, but not too green. It smells round, grounded and serene. I would wear this for a walk in the forest, or for yoga in the park. It's a scent that perfectly suits The World. It's something Mother Earth would wear! Dry down: Oh, hello patchouli. The other notes are disappearing slowly, which is disappointing because they were lovely and promising. After an hour or two, vetivert starts creeping out of nowhere, which definitely means trouble because my skin tends to amp up that note. Then the vetivert invades my skin like an alien, kills all the other notes and tries to eat me alive. This morning I still reeked of vetivert and nothing else. I had to scrub it off in the shower. Blech!

I don’t have a lot of experience to rely on in order to say this, but I have found that worrying about my purpose to be of little use, as it has always kept me from doing what I’m "meant" to do. I keep telling myself: “it’s not good enough, I can do better, I’m not a real artist/actress/writer”, and that often keeps me from actually being better and doing good enough. In my opinion, purpose —just like perfection and many other things I won’t start talking about—is nothing but a human concept we complicate our lives with. There’s nothing you should be doing, there’s nothing you’re meant to be doing, there’s only what you are doing; and everything you do, whether you appreciate it or not yourself, has some kind of resonance in the world. No matter what I think about what I create, I know that everything I have done has been important somehow. Even the silly high school plays I have acted in have touched at least someone: I remember meeting the person my character was based on after a play, and seeing how touched that person was, I knew then that what I had just created had changed someone forever; everything that person would do from now on would be affected in an infinitesimal way by me. I feel like I am nothing but a messenger. Everything I have created, whether it be writings, paintings or plays, is not only my creation, is the result of everyone and everything that has crossed my path, good or bad, everything that has touched me. There’s certainly a piece of you in everything I have created since I met you—although I don’t really know you, the result of your presence in my life has affected me. The world is different just by your being there, and if you don’t know if you’re creating what you “should” be creating, know that you are already doing something important. You are already doing what the universe needs you to do just by being you. I don’t know if this helps, but it’s a start, I hope.

In the bottle: Snow White, but a little softer. Wet, on skin: Within seconds of trying on Snow White, it became so strong it was unbearable, and something turned to plastic on my skin. No plastic in sight with Snow-Flakes, and it is definitely softer, more tame. It has a cold minty note that's not in Snow White. And it doesn't make my eyes water. Perfect! I just hope it stays that way. Dry: Oh, it's a very pretty blend! (insert a delighted purr here) Snow White without everything that made me dislike it! And better. The mint has disappeared, which is a good thing, but the cold bite is still there. It's cold, yet sweet and comforting. Like being outside in the winter, with a warm coat, mittens and a soft scarf, with the wind tickling your cheeks and big, fluffy snowflakes swirling lazily around you. You know, one of those days when you're just happy for no reason (or maybe it's just me!) It's the first "cold, snowy winter" blend that works on me, it's a total surprise. I really love this.

My goodness. At first, this is all warm and creamy carnation, and I love carnation. Then amber comes out, along with a touch of vanilla, and I also happen toLOVE amber and vanilla. Heaven. Heaven, I tell ya. As much as I love amber, it can be sickenly sweet at times, but it never becomes overwhelming in Hod. It stays soft, close to the skin, and amazingly creamy and comforting. Hod is perfectly blended, I feel like I'm surrounded by an aura of soft light every time I wear this. Not really surrounded... it's more like I am light. Oh, how I love this. Hod is definitely one of my favorite scents ever.

Well, if you click on the links I posted, it should take you right to the post in which the correct pronounciation is written. I'll still copy-paste for you. Nyarlathotep: ny-ar- (like the english 'are') LA (do-re-mi-la)-thuh-tep. Centzon Totochtin: sen - tson - to - TOKH - teen , with the "ts" being the same as the sound in pizza. Tushnamatay: tush - na - mah - Tay

You're right, they have been sorted already, you only need to use the "search topic" feature, which I did for you. Nyarlathotep Centzon Totochtin Tushnamatay

Gah! I love Figs and Leaves but don't like Intrigue at all. Figs and Leaves is warm and green while Intrigue is dark and... dark.

In the imp: Violets and roses. The violet is stronger than the rose, which is a good thing as I love violet. Wet, on skin: Violets and roses again, but equally balanced. The rose becomes stronger as it dries. Dry: Rose scented soap. It really smells like artificially scented cleaning product. The soap scent remains even after a few hours.

Charisma and Brass Balls are vital. But I usually just pick a scent that suits the character I'm playing. Otherwise the blend I'm wearing will just distract me.

Sheol smells exactly like a Lush store. Every product in a Lush store seems to smell a little like this before you actually take them out of the store. But other than that, it smells like warm, smoky and resiny flowers. It's both bright and dark somehow. It's perfectly balanced and not too heady. It's a beautiful blend, and it's a different floral, so I'd recommend it for people who usually hate floral blends.

In the imp: Verbena and cedar. Wet, on skin: Verbena and cedar again, with a hint of patchouli. The verbena smells sweet, like lemon hard candy, and it mixes quite well with the woody notes. It's not too sweet, and not too woody. It's lovely, I think it smells quite warm and light for a blend called shadow. Dry: The verbena goes away after a while, which is quite sad. What's left is a dry and incensey cedar/sandalwood combination, and the patchouli gets a little stronger as time passes. I liked the initial scent and I wish the verbena would have stayed on my skin.

In the imp: Brownie batter. Wet, on skin: Brownie batter. Dry: ...brownie batter! This oil is in a category of its own: Brownie batter. I can't say "I like this" nor "I don't like this", it's not summery nor wintery, it's not... anything, it's just brownie batter. Delicious brownie batter, that is. A few days after wearing this for the first time, I stopped resisting and made myself some brownie batter to eat. Oh, the deception! It was MUCH less tasty as Lump of Coal's scent is. So I haven't eaten any since then... Lump of Coal's perfect for people trying to lose weight, if you ask me!

In the imp: Damp dirt. Wet, on skin: Still damp dirt, but it becomes much more wearable in a few minutes, as it starts drying. It becomes warm and sweet. It reminds me of Premature Burial, but sweeter, more comforting and inviting. Dry: Mudpie! You know the ones you used to make outside, after it had rained, and your parents would tell you to stop playing in the mud? This is what, in your mind, they smelled like. Earthy, but creamy, sweet and musky. I can smell soil, amber and sandalwood, and maybe light vanilla... it's like eating cake after doing some gardening, and dropping your piece of cake on the dirt. Not that it happens to me all that often. It's unusual and gorgeous... I love it. ETA: There's something sickenly sweet in this... almost intoxicating. That note became stronger with time, to the point where I barely ever feel like wearing Death Cap anymore.

In the imp: Smells exactly like O, but with much less honey. Wet, on skin: Starts smelling powdery. Dry: Pure baby powder. I'll stick with my lovely O!

On my skin, Beltane '06 is green and watery, but still very sweet and warm, with a little spice. Wearing it is like lying down in a beautiful garden. It's a hot and sunny day, a light breeze keeps you from being uncomfortable. Birds are chirping, there's still a little dew in the grass. You don't want to think about everyday life and its worries, and you wouldn't be able to even if you tried. It feels as though time has been suspended, and all you can do is smile and feel serene.