halation

....curry? What on earth? I have to return to this later, because I swear right now all I smell is madras curry powder. I opened the imp and got a sweet and promising rush of fantastic terebinth, my heart's true love, and then as I was dabbing on a bit to test... curry. SOMETHING IS AMISS HERE.

In the imp: sharp vetiver and leaves. On: this is a very manly man scent on me. Somehow the vetiver + oakmoss is reading like pipe smoke to my nose -- almost like a Herr Drosselmeyer, but no leather, and sweeter because of the geranium. It's a very comforting scent, actually! I was kinda hoping for more dread. As it dries down it gets sweeter and sweeter and now I smell like somebody's charming and wise and reassuring grandpa. No leaves, no balsam, just smoky sweetness and oakmoss.

In the imp and wet, this is very sharply evergreen -- bit like Thanatopsis, actually, though without the musk beneath. There's a bright greenness here that almost makes it feel summery. Drying down, the wildflower honey takes over very quickly. The floral quality of the honey almost threatens to veer into dryer-sheets territory on me, but mercifully it pulls back -- I think it's the cognac cutting underneath. The nuttiness is not at all pronounced; it adds a wet-earth-and-decaying-acorns note instead of anything foody. About half an hour after application, the patchouli comes out, but stays very much in the background, and works to turn the scent into that sort of generic-BPAL blend instead of standing on its own. As time wears on, the earthy note amps back up a bit: the plum leaf, maybe? It smells very much like cold, wet, fallen leaves. Yum. I love earth and woods, so this is definitely my jam. The honey gets a bit sticky-sweet, but it backs off in the drydown. This is a less piney and more complex Thanatopsis to me, and I quite like it, though I wish it were just a bit pine-ier. [eta: seems to be settling into a honey-and-cognac scent. Nice, and fortunately not too boozy, but I like the woodsy stage better.]

Allergies and sensitivities are weird. For me, frequent exposure to things can trigger reactions to things that never previously gave me problems -- if I wear or eat something every day, it can suddenly start causing me problems. But the good news is that a break from things that are giving me reactions is often enough to solve the problem. I love WILF, and for a while wore it nearly every day, until it started giving me a bright red rash. I stopped wearing it for a month (and avoided other blends with shared notes) and when I came back to it, no more rash! Since you're not sensitive to *all* roses, just the BPAL oils with rose, I wonder if it's something like that: a sensitivity to a specific compound caused by prolonged exposure. Time can fix that. Also, sometimes it's a question of your body feeling overwhelmed by other environmental irritants/stressors, so if you have any other allergy symptoms currently (seasonal allergies or food sensitivities), your body might be more sensitive than usual. Don't get rid of your roses just yet. I'd suggest you switch to other scents (or no scents) for a few weeks and then try again. You can also try scenting your clothes, if your reaction is limited to your skin -- some oils can stain, of course, but I like to scent my scarves and shawls in cold weather. Just a few swipes with a wand cap/imp wand gives you a lovely scent-cloud, and it lasts longer and doesn't interact with your skin chemistry. Of course, then you have that scent on that item til you wash it, so you want it to be something you don't mind smelling for a while. Someday I'll be able to afford a locket, but til then I have my scarf!

Hey there, foxy! Some hints for you: Etsy favourites! (currently in mad love with those Time Lord necklaces...) This is... a lot of scrolling, so I'll put new things on top from now on. Eep. Sorry! Are there any Yules from *PAST* years that you're interested in trying? This is my very first Yule, so I haven't tried much, and none of the classics -- I'd be up for anything! But I'd be especially interested in any cold and snowy scents that aren't florals (Snow White, frex, would be a total no-go). The Snow Storm sounds made of total win to me. Nuclear Winter, Hypothermia, anything in that vein definitely. Soap dish? Ooh! Yes! I only switched recently from liquid to bar and I don't have a soap dish. I was going to fashion myself one out of chopsticks but first I need to find a decent place to get Chinese food around here and I haven't and until I do my soap will be sitting in sad and slimy pools. Caveat: preferably not something easily breakable since my bathroom has a window above my shower-ledge and, as mentioned 972 times in my blog, my cats are klutzes. They caught sight of a squirrel in the backyard today. This occasioned the near-destruction of the stereo, when they forgot windows are made of solid material and tried to hurl themselves after it. It was a really important squirrel, apparently. If your fox were to knit something for you, would it be a lacy shawl or a pair of socks? Either would be awesome! Although I can't knit myself socks, it's too scary. But then, every year I get multiple pairs of socks for Christmas. But then again, one can never have too many socks. But....hm. Shawl! It sounds so pretty! Fruit/dried fruit? Cherries? Tart cherries are love! I adore tart cherry jelly -- not the chunky kind, not the kind with whole cherries, just smooth. It's so difficult to find in the US and I was going mad, but last summer I was lucky enough to get several pounds of cherries and make my own. Still have a few jars, so I'm not desperate at present, but I'd never say no to more Not particularly interested in dried fruit. Fruit leather's okay. Crystallised pineapple and ginger are okay. I like dried apricots but I'm mildly allergic to them so that's probably not a good idea, even though I'd eat and like them. Bunnies! What is your general philosophy about patterns for accessories such as socks, scarves, and tights? Do you like solids? Stripes? Polka dots? Weird patterns like harlequin-type stuff? Any of the above? All of the above! Especially stripes and patterns! Argyle and paisley are super. Polka dots are okay but I prefer swiss-dots -- or even better, little patterns, like stars. $20 to blow in Walgreens: I tend not to wear makeup and for skincare I'm a super-minimalist: I make my own masks/scrubs and moisturise with jojoba or olive oil. But my hair is a mess, and nothing I've tried has worked, so I'd probably raid the hair care section. I have a lot of split ends and have yet to find a product I really like, but I've heard good things about Shea Moisture, so I'd probably get some of their Yucca and Aloe Hair Thickening Growth Milk -- or if there was just some straight argan oil, I'd get that. And.... hm. Maybe a Tamagotchi from their toy aisle! I've been feeling nostalgic. If any was left on the card, I'd look for some lip balm in fun flavours like coconut or lemon. Penzey's: I'm not much of a carnivore, so I wouldn't use their rubs or meat seasonings. I love curry, though, and would probably go for any of those blends. I bake a lot and would love some of their Vietnamese or China cinnamon and vanilla. They also have Charnushka (rye bread seeds), which I've always wanted to try. I am baking rye bread right now, actually! Knitted Goods: I love knitted things! All fibers except mohair. I've been wanting to make a felted Gryffindor scarf forever but I'm afraid to felt, so I'll probably never work up the nerve (LOL SOME GRYFF I AM I KNOW). I love scarves of all kinds, especially big giant long ones, as well as fingerless gloves and wristwarmers. Hats and hairbands are okay but I usually need them to be either acrylic or lined because they make my head all itchy. I like bright colours -- deep greens and blues, oranges and golds, crimson and wine reds, especially in bold stripes or eyecatching patterns. Tree Ornaments: Probably a bad idea. They would be claimed as cat toys the minute I got them out of the box... ::glares at cat, who is currently scaling a bookshelf:: Tim Tams. Yay or nay? YAAAAAAY. Original or Chewy Caramel, yum! If you were my fox, would you like to receive some homemade goodies, or would you prefer that your goodies came from the store? I love homemade goodies and hope to send some to my bunny myself! Any treats are welcome, but homemade ones are always my preference. Would any Bunny like to receive Holiday serving bowls, trays, platters etc...? Winter/Christmas or Thanksgiving/Fall themed? None for me, thanks. My current place is so small we don't even have a table, so not much entertaining here. My lovely fluffy Snow Bunny, would you like a bodyscrub made by me? If so, what scent(s) would you like, if you had to think along the lines of essential oils? And would you prefer sugar or salt? A dryer scrub or one that's more oily/moist? That sounds fantastic. I'd love something warming, with ginger or pepper -- that or something clean and soothing, maybe with rosemary. Since winter's coming, probably sugar, and on the oily side. Dear snow bunny, do you like candles? if yes, then what kind? scented (what scents), unscented, what colors, do you like them plain/painted on the outside/with decorations attached to the surface/sculpted? I love candles! Unscented tapers are great; we have a brass candlestick we use for reading and in the winter we go through tapers like crazy. Tea lights are also most welcome. As far as scented candles go, I like wintery ones (especially evergreen or peppermint) and hot chocolate. Jar candles are also great, since the other cat (NOT the one on the bookshelf) is a klutz and frequently singes his tail on tapers. Sigh. CATS. Also what do you think of little soaps? I know most people don't use soaps nowadays but I love the chocolate/vanilla/cocoa/butter/sugar combo scents that I see at beauty stores. I'd give them a try! Socks! Slippers! Do you love them or not really wear them? If you love them, do you also love Sock Dreams? Yes to socks! Not so much on slippers, but definitely socks. Big fan of knee/over the knee socks, which I love to layer under thick/fluffy anklet socks for SUPER WARM AWESOMENESS. Crazy patterns and stripes and argyle: big yes. I haven't shopped at Sock Dreams but they look great. Cowl? Ooh. I tend to get claustrophobic with turtlenecks, but that looks nice and loose and I could control the tightness. My neck and back knot up in the cold and I can always use something to keep my muscles warm. Maybe in charcoal? Talk to me of coffee. Whole bean? Ground? Flavored, not flavored? Decaf, whole caff? Favorite roasters? Drip, french press, keurig? BRING ON THE TEA? I, uh, have named my French Press. His name is Hervé, and I LUFF HIM. Whole bean, full caf -- though I make exceptions for flavoured blends I can't get whole (TJ's Pumpkin Spice, frex). I love spiced/holiday blends: gingerbread, eggnog, candy cane, ALL OF IT. For not-flavoured, I like Vienna roast -- dark enough to reduce acidity and bring out some caramel. For roasters, I love Satellite (NM chain, and I would kill or at least maim to be able to drink their iced Black Velvet again... I miss it so) and Intelligentsia, but it's always great fun trying local roasts from new places. I also love tea! Who else here loves or would like to try Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics? If so, what would you like? None for me, thanks. I never really figured out how makeup works. CocoaPink: Um. Everything? I'd especially love to try anything with Black Cat in the Pumpkin Patch, Green Tea and Mint, Blackberry Mist, or Full Moon. Anybody into nail polish? Any color or formula preferences? I'd try some of the crackle kind, but I rarely use it and am not really much into it. When I wear it, I wear black or something neon. If you found a $50 bill on the ground and were to place a Lab order, what would be in it? (And shipping is free through the magical BPAL unicorn!) All hail the BPALicorn! My collection's still primarily imps, so I think I'd upgrade my best-loved/most-used scents to big bottles. I find the Conjure Bag stuff pretty effective, so bottles of High John the Conqueror and Wolf's Heart, plus a bottle of No. 93 Engine, which I love for winter. The beeswax and lemon balm make it so sunny and warming, perfect for a cold grey day. Holiday DVDs None I can think of. Marvel or DC? Marvel, definitely. I like the X-Men, and Beast is my favourite (cat-version). I haven't got anywhere to put any more comix/paraphernalia at the moment, though, heh. Lush? Any of their lip balms or bath bombs/bubble bars -- I've never tried any of either! I have and like a Therapy massage bar, but would love to try others -- particularly a Wiccy Magic Muscles, Hottie or Ego bar. Honey/beeswax? Oh yes please! I LOVE varietal honeys (especially meadowfoam, but I want to TRY ALL THE HONEYS). Yes to beeswax, too! I'm not sure what I'd do with it but I've made candles before and I adore beeswax candles. That or I'd tint it for sealing letters! I love cosmetics and scents with beeswax in (from BPAL I love No. 93 Engine and the beeswax note is a big part of why). I'd take it as an awesome challenge Trader Joe's? That's actually the grocery store closest to me at present, so I don't need anything in particular there. If I were to place ONE LAST Weenie order, (uh, which I will) what would you want me to include for you? (presuming that is that the order can get here in time, bites nails)? If it's a TP order, I'd love to try some Samhain soap or a sample of one of the hair glosses (a decant or what-have-you). If from the Lab, well, my Weenie decants haven't arrived yet (although I hope they'll show up soon). I WANT TO TRY OCTOBER 2011, DAMNIT. But as far as GCs go I'd love more imps of Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo and High John the Conqueror, or imps of random scents I've not yet tried. TRY ALL THE THINGS is my motto. Will you be away for any part of the round? Not for any great length of time -- maybe a day or two at Thanksgiving, but no longer than that. Anyone else with an Etsy store and a member of Tradeaholics (or you could join) and interested in bartering for gifts for their bunny? I'll check out Tradeaholics when I get a chance! What type of books do you like? Dying to read anything? Oh dear. I have SO MANY BOOKS. Seriously. They don't all fit in the apartment. There are things I want to read... but I probably shouldn't own them. Rose/mastic flavored things? I would love to try mastic -- just the resin. I like rose-flavoured candies and other floral sweets (lavender, orange blossom, etc). When I've had Turkish Delight it's been the cheap kind and chocolate-covered and I didn't like it very much. It was so disappointing because I'd wanted to try some ever since reading The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. But I would try it again! i live in the city of the chicken wing. if i were to send you something savory, what's your heat tolerance (or sweet and heat for that matter)? OM NOM NOM. I don't like things that are so hot I can't taste anything *but* heat, but spicy is good. I have a friend who once ate a thumb-sized glob of wasabi, straight, and who regularly dares people to make him the hottest possible wings and then complains and puts more hot sauce on them. I am not that kind of spicy-fan. But I like hot curries and green/red chile in the mid-hot range. I prefer savoury-hot to sweet-hot, but enjoy wasabi peas and things of that sort. Paintbox Soapworks I would love to try some slip or goats-milk moisturiser. Yuletide Mariner, White Snow, Bright Snow, or This Charming Man. If your fox/bunny were to gift you with a giftcard from anywhere, as in any store food wise, music wise etc. what giftcard would you like? ThinkGeek, LUSH, Paintbox, Sock Dreams. I love all those places but always kinda feel guilty just buying awesome stuff from there for no reason, heh. I love to be enabled! If I were to send you chocolate is there anything I should avoid as in nuts, cherries etc.? Also, what are some of your favorite holiday candies? I love everything! I'm not particularly fond of cherry cordials or liqueur centres, and licorice I can take or leave. But any and everything else is splendid. Toffees/brittles/caramels with nuts are my favourites. For holiday-specific sweets: candy canes! I love them. I especially love King Leo peppermint sticks. Does anything from FusionSweets interest you? ::drools on keyboard:: Oh. Oh my... I did not know about this shop. Wow. The Forgive Me I Have Sinned Dulche de Leche Coconut Macaroons, for starters. The Berlingots would be amazing -- probably the variety sampler since they ALL sound good. And *any* of the caramels, of course. Of those things I'm most curious about the Berlingots -- I love having a bunch of different flavours to try! Interested in anything from the Elements and Artifacts Yule update? Probably too spendy for this swap, alas, but those YuleFrost Orb pendants are bloody gorgeous, particularly the Icebound... ::bites lip:: What was the best holiday present you ever got? When I was eight I got a world globe. Seriously, I loved that damn thing. I got A *BIKE* that year, a bitchin' purple Huffy with PINK TIRES and streamers and this pink-and-purple detachable handlebar pouch/fanny pack monstrosity that any self-respecting eight-year-old in the early 90s should have totally gone apeshit over.... and I was all MY GLOBE IS AWESOME, WHAT'S THAT I GOT A BIKE OH DON'T CURRRRR HEY DID YOU SEE MY RAD GLOBE? ...so yeah. Nerd. NERRRRD. Anniversary Resurrection scent Oh gosh. I'm too much of a n00b, I think. I've trained myself not to spelunk through old reviews, for the most part, since I already covet so much, but it's for SCIENCE. Or for swapping, same principle. So let's see: I have an imp of Severin I'm scared to try in case I like it... if that came back I'd finally crack the thing open. I'm sad I never got the chance to try The Coil. I'm intrigued by March Hare, so I'd probably try a bottle of that if it came back. I love Death of Autumn and Howl in the Darkness. Moxie Nouveau? Maybe Greensleeves or Girls with Cigars, but I like my scents dark and dirty and these seem a bit too sweet and demure. Candlemas sounds yummy... but there's tuberose. It would smell like Joyce's The Dead on me, and not in a good way -- in a decaying-pederast way. The ones that appeal to me most all have sneaky floral notes of doom in them. GET ALL THOSE FLOWERS OUT OF THERE DAMNIT. Favourite colour God, I asked this one and I don't even know. LOTS. Gemstone? Garnet is my birthstone. I like amber just because it's awesome and you can do science experiments with it (I'm a Faraday fangirl and I don't feel shame.) I love jade. Favourite animal? Badgers and foxes and octopuses and axolotls. Phobias? I'm terrified of wasps and bees. I flee them. Screaming and flailing. Are you Nano-ing this month, bunny? If so, how would you feel about merch/donations to the cause? In theory, but, uh, I sort of haven't exactly quite started yet. Sort of thing. I probably wouldn't be much into merch, because then I'd look at it and go OH GOD I FAIL. Do you like/need boxes for perfume/knicknacks? I have eleventy-jillion imps and NO serious containment system, so definitely! Right now they're living in small jam jars in my big cigar box and I can never see what any of them are. Something that would let me organise them and see their labels would be great. Coffee or tea? With caffeine or without? Flavors (if so, what?) or no? Whole bean/ground/loose leaf/bags? PLEASE TO BE SENDING ME ALL OF YOUR CAFFEINATED LIQUIDS THANK YOU YES. I love everything! Except licorice tea. Blech. Coffee: preferably whole-bean, unless it's yummy flavoured coffee. I tend to use tea bags more frequently than looseleaf teas, but that's just cos I'm lazy and no longer live near a good loose-tea shop -- also I could use a new tea-ball, now that I think about it. But try me on anything! Really. Especially florals or mate blends. I love mate and used to have a bombilla and gourd but then my gourd cracked and I lost my bombilla and now I am sad. Do you have a strong preference for any sort of bath and body product brands (i.e. etailer/etsy type cos, department store/specialty brands like Lush) or are you cool with anything that doesn't smell like Bunnybane? Still kind of a scent-n00b and I haven't tried a lot of things. The only major brand I have really tried and like is Lush -- in my formative years I used waaaaaaay too much B&BW antibacterial hand gel and still haven't quite recovered my stomach for their scents. I have ethical issues with Burt's Bees after the Clorox buyout. Natural/relatively-chemical-free products are my preference, but my experience is limited (haven't even tried anything from the Trading Post yet!) so I'm open to trying new things. A question: reveal, yes or no? I plan to! And I would love to know my fox's identity. Any favorite cuddly characters? I especially love cute-monster designs, like fluffy Cthulus, Deth P Sun's stuff, and Domo-kun (I have a giant plushie Domo and also have a Domo hat though from Sanrio my favourite is Badtz-Maru). I'm totally asking my family for a Squishable Worrible for Christmas this year even though I have nowhere to put him in my plushie-filled bedroom because I love Andrew Bell. Love him. He is awesome. Charity gifts? Either fair-trade type stuff, or virtual type gifts, like vaccinations or school supplies being bought on your behalf, or something along those lines? I approve! Especially fair-trade stuff or pro-animal charities. Bunny, are you interested in tarts from Two Timing Tart? What scents, if any, are you interested in? ARGH SO MUCH ENABLEMENT. I love it, though. I'd be interested in any! Wench and Kitchen Alchemy look yummy, I'd love the Bamboo/Yuzu or Rice/Honey experimental, and all of the Burlesques. Going by notes I'd probably like Sex Kitten best but I can always use more Pretty Boys in Eyeliner in my life, oh yes I can. I bet they smell nice too BPTP candles? I wish they weren't so limited! The Samhain sounds interesting but I'm holding out for Yule. I love winter scents for candles. Do you need any holiday recipies? Is there something in particular that you'd like baked or made for you? I tend to BAKE ALL THE THINGS this time of year, but I'm a failure at candymaking, so I'd love your successful candy recipes! Or just the candy. I also am in need of good recipes for pfeffernusse and mexican wedding cookies. Once, when I was small, I had these amazing creamy meringue cookies -- they weren't exactly meringue, because they were a different texture, but they were white like meringue, and shaped like Cs, and sweet and crispy and melted on the tongue. They were amazing and I have no idea what they are called but if you know what they are and could tell me or bake me some I'd love you forever. I really love different types of traditional cookies and love expanding my collection of recipes. Also: fruitcake! I really, truly like it. Green cherries give me the creeps, though, and I like it to be heavy on cake and light on fruit. Does anyone have issues with gently used things like books, etc.? Not at all! Though, again, nowhere to put them. Seriously, I have at least four boxes of books in another state, probably more, plus FIVE FULL CASES (big five-shelf ones!) and there are still books all over the floor. Let's not even talk about the boxes of comix. Yeeeeah. Are you a big ol' nerd for any particular subject? Science, math, linguistics, etc? Or particular authors/fandoms? My nerdly loves are for biology, chemistry, electromagnetics (I ADORE FARADAY AND SOMEDAY I WILL MARRY HIM) and particle physics. I'm also into social science/cultural studies and would make an exception from my Please No Books stance for books from Frankfurt School thinkers like Adorno and Horkheimer or media studies writers like McLuhan. Fandom-wise, my big love right now is Doctor Who -- I was actually kind of afraid to watch it earlier because I saw some Third Doctor episodes when I was small and was scarred by them. ALIEN EGGS ARE TERRIFYING TO ME KTHX -- but now I am in love with Matt Smith. Also into Harry Potter (Gryffinpuffs represent) and currently rewatching The X-Files (and the first episode of S4 is just as terrifying to me now as it was when aired because it manages to combine two of my most intense phobias into ONE TERRIFYING PACKAGE: SMALLPOX DEATH-BEES). And BtVS and Firefly will always have places in my heart. Lemon? Yum! I don't really care for curd -- texture thing, I guess -- but marmalade is love, and so are baked goods/candies. Pink? Sure. Brighter/darker pinks preferred for wearables, as pale pink does icky things with my complexion. But do you really want all 12 feet of the Tom Baker scarf? OMG YES. YES I DO. I DO WANT ALL OF THE SCARF. I'm 5'4". So, to speak reasonably, I guess I wouldn't. BUT IN ACTUALITY I DO. Fingerless or full mitts? Fingerless mittens are the greatest of mittens! I wear fingerless gloves/mitts constantly in winter and always need more. Mugs? I'm always on the lookout for the perfect mug. I like larger-than-8oz mugs, especially nerdy mugs (i.e. thinkgeek, topatoco, engrish.com and the like). I used to have a clear glass mug from despair.com with a dividing line and the text 'This Mug Is Now Half-Empty'

Bastet works on me, too! I think it must be a similar amber note, so I hope it works for you.

My skin can make anything sweet and fluffy. For me, red musk is good at counterbalancing notes that can get oversweet. You might try out Fenris Wolf -- it's gotten me compliments, doesn't get too sweet, and the amber's not very noticeable (at least on me) and doesn't turn to powder (as it does on me in many blends). Sin is another great one -- very sexy, but not at all girlish. If amber is a dealbreaker, you could try Aperotos Eros -- dead sexy. Kind of aggressively dark, but so good. It's my favourite GC cooler-weather "notice me!" scent. If you like the darkness and woodiness of Samhain but it gets too soft on you, this might be a good one, although it doesn't have the patchouli. Snake Oil blends might be another good bet. I love WILF and Green Tree Viper as going-out scents, and get a lot of throw with them, even though straight SO is very light on my skin and has barely any throw. You might try to track down some Snake Pit decants with notes you like and give those a try.

I was kindly frimped this, but when I first sniffed it all I got was... filbert. Sour, sharp, slightly-over-roasted filbert. It smelled like the taste of those nuts everyone eats around in cans of mixed nuts. But then yesterday, going through the box, I was curious, so I decided to give it a try. Indeed, while wet, it still smells unpleasantly sharp and nutty, but the drydown is rich and dark and surprisingly like the LE Death of Autumn, which I love. The carnation is spicier and not quite as deep and elegant as the chrysanthemum in DoA, and it doesn't have the oud, and the throw is lower, but it's not half-bad as a GC equivalent, and I'm surprised it doesn't get more love. I guess the vetiver scares people off. My frimp is a bit aged, but the vetiver doesn't entirely overwhelm: the amber is deep and doesn't turn to powder on me (a rarity!), the musk and orris add depth and richness, and the tonka does a lot to tame the vetiver and sweeten the blend. I do wish it had a bit more throw, and that it lasted longer, but I rather like it in the end. I don't want to take a bath in the stuff, the way I do with Death of Autumn, but now I'm not quite so afraid of finishing off my half-bottle.

Patchouli, tonka and rosewood are love for me, but on my skin, the lavender gobbles them all utterly. Not a whiff of anything but lavender. Lavender from the word go. In the dry stage, if I strain, I can just catch the barest hint of rosewood, but it never quite emerges from the lavender's iron grasp, and about twenty minutes into the drydown, amber crashes the party and there's nothing but lavender-scented baby powder. Sigh. I was hoping for something a bit more... diabolical. It's a nice lavender, mind you: very classy and smooth and suave lavender, but it's all gentility and no deviltry. I smell like a rather fussy gentleman's linen drawer. It's quite sweet and lovely and comforting, and it seems like a nice sleep scent for me, but it's not quite wicked enough for other purposes. Oh, lavender.

In the imp: Promising. Verrrry chocolatey. I roll the imp a few times, but a thick and stubborn sedimentary layer remains at the bottom. There is A LOT of cocoa in this, and the oil is the colour of chocolate syrup, no lie. Very thick. Goes on very dark, with fine particulate left on the skin. On, wet: I... what? I'm getting... grape. Grape soda and Rolos. This is bizarre. Unfortunately, the grape soda hangs around. There's some sexy Snake Oil underneath, and the cocoa is very creamy from the rice milk, but this weird fake grape is hanging over everything. I haven't had my skin react this way before to any of the listed notes, and it's deeply perplexing. Maybe this is how my nose is reading the 'sour' or 'black licorice' note others have mentioned? After a few hours the grape has mercifully faded, but by that time so has everything else. I'm going to have to try this one again, because I'm baffled.

For the first hour after application, I get almost nothing but coconut. Very very faint hints of leather, now and again, but otherwise, coconut. It's a bit like a less-complex, less-smutty version of Perversion: an understated (but still tight) choker instead of a full-on-equipped-with-D-rings glossy black collar. If I give it long enough, the sandalwood does come out to play, and it's quite nice, but Perversion's just sexier. I suspect it would smell delicious on the right person, though -- it's slightly musky and could compliment a yummy natural skin-scent really well.

For the first twenty minutes or so after application, all I can smell is banana smoothie. It's baffling to me... but oddly compelling. This could be the rice milk, but it's not something I've experienced in other rice milk blends. Somehow the creaminess and the greenness of the tree sap read as banana to my nose. As it begins to dry down it has a strong green acrid bite, which hits me in the back of the throat. Almost medicinal, but not at all unpleasant. Very much indeed like tree sap, but not particularly herbal or vegetative. Just... green. Dry, it's creamy and soothing and warm. A warm and sun-drenched field, fragrant in the noon heat. The almond blossom adds sweetness without being floral, which is pleasing to me. The amber never does go powdery, and the scent stays true on my skin for about five hours with no morphing and limited fading. An evocative and wonderfully comforting scent, unlike anything else I've tried. It really does smell like a golden late-summer afternoon.

In vial: Definitely smelling the verbena, along with the cocoa butter and maybe a hint of sandalwood. Applying: Strongly verbena, with a bit of the almond -- but definitely almond *milk*. It's far creamier than other almond scents, but not foody, just musky and soft and very slightly sweet. The throw seemed awfully faint, however, so I ended up slathering. Wet: VERBENA VERBENA VERBENA. I feel like I've just bathed in a vat of lemon curd. It's so strongly lemony that I have a slight acid sensation in the pit of my stomach, like I've had a bit too much lemonade a bit too quickly. The verbena has utterly vanquished every other note. The verbena is primary for perhaps an hour, but gradually it lets up a bit and the beeswax and myrrh come out. At this stage it reminded me of No. 93 Engine, but without the greenness of the mastic. The resins are still mostly drowned out, but as the verbena lets up a bit more the almond milk comes back. The cocoa butter is kept very much in check, adding smoothness and richness to the almond milk without a hint of chocolateyness. About two hours in, the sandalwood comes out and blooms very warmly. In this stage, it's a bit like Bastet layered over No. 93. Three hours in, the verbena fades way down, and Mourning Cloak a becomes fuzzy, comforting skin scent. I wore this on an incredibly hot and sticky evening, and though I loved this stage I found it a bit too warm and snuggly for such a close night. The verbena made me think it would be a good summer scent, but I think it'd be better for spring, or maybe just for cooler weather. Despite its being so hot, this lasted a long time -- even the next morning I still had a bit on my wrists. Quite nice. Don't let the verbena intimidate you! If you like beeswax and lemon, this one is lovely once it calms down a bit. Just maybe don't take a bath in the stuff like I did... the throw might surprise you.

Both in the bottle and wet on the skin, I actually don't get much mint from this -- at least, not as much as I'd expected based on reviews. I've been using a lot of Grr lately, so my mint tolerances might be askew. The vanilla is sweet and very much in the foreground, but it doesn't overpower the bergamot and green tea; they're lovely. It reminds me quite strongly of a green earl grey tea. There is an underlying coolness that must be the mint base, and as it dries it strengthens. I never get a straight-up peppermint or spearmint, but I get a back-of-the-throat tingle from what seems like pennyroyal or perhaps catnip. It reminds me a little of Black Cat, but without the doom-note of rose. This is definitely the scent of the summer for me. Usually my skin eats scents up, but GTV actually seems to get stronger on me as time passes. An hour or so after application it blooms fully and the throw improves. I got this strictly because I'm a mint fanatic, but I think now I'm actually tempted to get some straight Snake Oil and see what all the fuss is about. I wasn't interested before as I thought it sounded too sweet, but the vanilla in this is beautiful. I'd love to layer it with other scents. There's just enough mint-and-green in GTV to make me think I wouldn't want to combine it with other scents. GTV is not what I expected, but I quite like it all the same, and it is quite cooling, even if it's not aggressively minty. As a bonus, it seems like mosquitos aren't too fond of it; at the very least, they left me alone when I wore it last night.

I think it worked! Awesome. Thanks.

Is there a way to clean wand caps and re-use them / put them on different bottles without cross-contamination? I just got my first batch of wand caps and it turns out I didn't order enough. I realised I'd rather have one on a bottle I frequently use... but I put it on another bottle first, and it was on there for a day and now has that scent. I've rinsed and dried it, but is there anything else I could do?

I love A Howl In The Darkness, but I can't quite imagine it on Ron... it's kinda dark and wild and animalistic and altogether more wolfy than Ron tends to be. Throw some black leather in there and you'd have Sirius. Yum. Bogleis yummy and comforting and makes me think of The Burrow: BOGLE A garish shellycoat: red currant, Spanish mandarin, pumpkin, quince, wild blueberry, and ginger with green tea, vanilla bean, frankincense, tonka, and vetiver. Ron himself I always picture snacking on something, so I feel like he needs a foody scent, something with toffee or chocolate. Maybe Gelt (chocolate and amber, has a sweet biscuit note to my nose) layered over Glasgow (blackberry and heather, so warm and cozy and a little outdoorsy)?

Not a BPAL suggestion, admittedly, but: I used to spend about 12 hours a week teaching in a super-chlorinated public pool, and I found switching to soap-free body wash did really good things for my skin. I was getting really itchy and scaly and miserable until I did, and just a week of using a different body wash made a huge difference -- and as a bonus, it seemed to do a better job of reducing chlorine-reek. This was my favorite; it worked really well for me. I wasn't into BPAL at the time, but I remember that resiny/incensy scents -- sandalwood, spices, opium -- worked better than florals or citrus, and tended to go wonky less often.

I am a big ol' raptor nerd, so I needed this one, even though I usually stay far away from things that even have a chance of going powdery. In the bottle, it's all carnation, with maybe a trace of vanilla. Wet, it has considerable throw, especially for the first hour: strong sweet carnation, with a hint of sandalwood. No spice. Very seldom do I get as much throw as I did with this one. About twenty minutes into the drydown the patchouli shows up and close-up wrist-huffing gets me that slight whiff of urine patchouli always gives, and I got a little nervous, because 1) ew, urine and 2) I am just not really a florals person, especially not florals-with-urine. But I gave it an hour, and oh! now it is so lovely. It's just so... warm! Beautiful and warm and reassuring, like bottled hugs and sunshine and your very favorite blanket. Very brown, a little sweet, and a little spicy from the bay and clove. The vanilla isn't crazy-amping the way it often does for me -- the vanilla in Antikythera Mechanism, for example, amps so hard it makes me a bit queasy. This is not that vanilla-and-wood, but just a slightly sweet, warm and sleepy wood. And somehow... fluffy. I swear. I keep thinking it's about to go powdery, but the bay keeps it from going over the edge. Every now and then, balsam peeps out, but it's shy. Two hours in, and now I want it to stay just like this on my wrist forever. The drydown kind of sucked, but it's so worth it for me. This is what I wanted Lionheart to actually *smell* like for me -- not in notes, but the way it makes me feel: calm and strength and a general sense of everything-being-okayness. Due to allergies, Lionheart is just a big no for actual on-skin application. FRM fills that gap beautifully! This is just so... comforting. Perfect.

That's your bottle ID number. Each bottle in a Chaos Theory series is blended at random and so one-of-a-kind -- that's where the "chaos" bit comes in -- and each is numbered when it's blended. You are the proud owner of Bottle Number Seventeen.

This is almost straight from the mailbox. I waited for twenty whole minutes, but then couldn't wait any longer. In the bottle: delicious, delicious cocoa, with patchouli and vanilla in the background. It smells a little like a chocolate version of WILF, but with lemongrass instead of the juniper. The cocoa note is very strong. Wet on skin: the lemony note begins to blossom, though the incense-and-cocoa remains in the foreground. On my skin, this is a lot like Tezcatlipoca is in the bottle -- not the peanut-butter-cup stage, but that awesome sexy cocoa that never happens on my skin. Except with lemon -- is this the cardamom, I wonder? Beginning to dry down: the cocoa is gone! Gone completely. Aw, come back, I LOVE YOUUUUU. Quite lemony now, with hints of rose. Patchouli does this awkward slight-whiff-of-Port-A-Potty thing on my skin about twenty minutes after application, but the lemon, mercifully, makes that hard to notice, and that stage is passing more quickly than usual with 13. The creaminess of the vanilla is coming out now and softening and sweetening the lemon, and I almost expected it to go in the direction of pound cake, but it stopped short of foodiness. Very light and breezy and summery, but with a sort of sexy, almost hot-and-sweaty feel underneath, which I think is the saffron? The grains of paradise? Something is definitely giving it a little heat. I was worried about the caraway, but if it's there, it just lends a touch of earthy richness. I do not smell like rye bread. I only tested a tiny bit, but the throw seems fairly low. The lemon/patchouli element has more throw than the sexy spices; it sort of floats above the other notes. This is okay, though: the sexiness from the spices makes me want that layer close to my skin. The rose, like the cocoa, was fleeting: for me, that's a happy outcome, since rose usually stages a coup and takes over a blend completely. It didn't even make a bid for power, though. I was hoping for more cocoa, but I kind of love it anyway. This 13 is like long, golden rays of sunlight stretching out over the grass on a perfect blue late afternoon in summer, with a slight breeze in the treetops, as shadows start to stretch out on the lawn. About an hour in, the lemon fades down, and as the incense comes out, that afternoon turns to twilight, then to evening. It's delicious, definitely lust-inspiring, and quite unlike anything else I've smelled. I think it will be a perfect scent for going out on summer nights. After a few more hours, the lemony note faded away, and was replaced by sandalwood, blended with the vanilla. Then, after I went out into the miserably hot weather, the heat unlocked the cocoa! It came back to me! It's been more than five hours, so all I have now is just a hint of cocoa-vanilla-incense on my wrist. Quite lovely. [ETA, 7/15/11: after two months' aging, I found the cocoa! Totally different scent. The lemon and spice is much much fainter, and the chocolate is strong -- almost like chocolate icing. I slathered, but the throw's pretty high and the staying power (10 hours and counting) is strong. I'm really surprised by the change -- it's quite striking. Happily, I like it both ways.)