Inanna9

This is a decant, and I am not sure which version it is. Wet, I get a hit of creamy vanilla and generic floral, but this quickly morphs into a powdery violet that felt very stuffy and old-ladyish. No rose, maybe a little jasmine, and the powder may be from the amber, which will do that on me sometimes. But the most discernable note was violet, and I'm not sure it's one I'm crazy about. I will have to test some other blends that have it, but Bearded Lady is sadly not a good floral for me.

Hi Cariad! Dragon's blood is one of my favorites--I could easliy wear it as a single note. There's a lot of really nice blends with it, so I'll just name a few you might like off the top of my head: Dragon's Bone is really pretty and more subtle (I think) than some of the other Ars Draconis scents. The dragon's blood keeps it from being too dry. It might be my favorite. Red musk is kind of intense, but works so well with DB--Dragon's Heart is definitely worth trying, Bloodlust is pretty sexy with the vetiver as well (and just a hint of spice), and if you're really into spice, you might want to try Wrath. Blood Amber is gorgeous, and Blood Rose is another favorite of mine--the wine and the rose are perfect. I'm not much of a gourmand either, but I do love Dragon's Milk--again, the DB saves it from being too foody, but you might find it too sweet. Worth a try maybe. Hope that helps--welcome to BPAL and the forum

Yay! A blend with ginger that doesn't go all wonky on me! This is so bright and lovely--all the mouth-watering citrus of grapefruit, tempered by the white tea to an absolute perfection. The apple blossom is creamy and soft, and frankly, I don't get ginger at all, and I don't mind one bit! It's fresh and feminine, and the throw is amazing--which is a good thing, since there is something in here that wants to give me a headache if I sniff too close and too deeply. That's okay--I'm happy to just waft the prettiness

Sadly, this is not for me at all. It's not that it smells bad--it smells nice--but it turns very masculine. It would be fantastic like this on a guy, but the musk is nauseating to me. I don't know if I can blame this on the white musk or not, since there are other blends with it that I love. It may be the combination of components going wrong, as I don't get any green or lemon--just a dime-store aftershave aroma. I'm sure it's my chemistry making mincemeat of this mad bunny, and it's also possibly a monthly issue. I'll hang on to this and try it another time before I give up.

Beth has put Beltane in a bottle. Beltane '06 is really, really lovely. I'm not getting green grass so much as sweet clover, which I think is even more befitting. There's a light fruity note (apple blossom?) in here and soft, soft florals--but not headache-inducing ones. It's blended so well. The bloom of spring and new life distilled. I will wear this all spring and whenever I need to feel pretty, innocent and hopeful.

I positively squeed when I saw this tucked in my most recent order. This one sounds right up my alley. In the bottle it's light, citrus--a little sharp, maybe from a trace of ozone, which tends to freak out on me. I'm worried at this point. But as soon as I put it on, it is just the most perfect green-citrus blend; tangy, light fresh-squeezed juice. This could be my best friend this summer. And then it's gone If there was any pine, my skin ate it up before it had a chance to emerge. Val Sans Retour is my elusive, summer citrus scent, and fades just as fast as most oranges are wont to do on me. That's okay--I'm putting this bottle to good use; I'm going to make a spray to keep in the fridge for spritzing, and decant some into a roller bottle so I can reapply as many times as needed. I love this. Thank you Lab!! ::smooch::

Funny how skin chemistry works. As I scan the reviews it seems many got green tea and little, if any, patchouli. I get Dirty Fruit Moon. And it's swoon-worthy Very bright, lush tropical fruitiness with the best patchouli note ever is how this works on me. This is happy and horny at the same time--I could easily wear this every day (not sure what that says about me...). But a sexy mood lifter, for sure. I think I'm going to chase down an imp of Depraved and see if these are at all similar. But this one's going on the big, big bottle list!!!!

Guh This is the smell of bloodlust. Sweet and sexy with dragon's blood and red musk, a hint of spice from the cinnamon (perfect amount--not too much), with a mean, dirty pull thanks to the vetiver. This is such a great example of how vetiver can put some oomph into a blend, since Dragon's Heart smells very similar to this, but lacks the sinister undertones. The only thing missing here is something metallic, a copper or iron note strong enough to taste taste on your tongue. But I suppose that would sort of ruin the whole thing, asthetic-wise. I'm already in awe, just the way it is. Brava!

Yep. I'll concur with those who are saying this is like Holiday Moon. Holiday Moon Red. It's really, really beautiful. I would say the dragon's blood is blended masterfully, since it is a note I amp like crazy and I can hardly tell it's there. A very tangy, floral-cherry tea scent. Delicate, but with fantastic throw. I will make good use of this one all summer long. Love!!

I used this last night. I'm pretty happy with it. This is a nice, bracing peppermint; in fact just a few drops will do ya in the bathtub. I may have put in a couple too many, but it wasn't enough to be irritating. It was very minty and cool. I dressed a candle and burned it beside me in the tub, and then for the rest of the night, I let it burn until it went out (it was a tealight). In the bath, I just relaxed and took deep breaths, imagining all the negative energy draining out of me and into the water. Then I drained the tub and stayed in until all the water was gone. Sitting there afterwards, I felt very light and cool. That might have had something to do with the natural effects of taking a bath and the peppermint evaporating off my skin . But it was somewhat stonger than that. I do believe this worked. I've used enough TALs now to know they're the real deal. I felt quite good, very strong and replenished for the rest of the evening, and I think the effects still remain today. I still have half an imp left, but I think I'll be ordering a bottle; the way I've been going lately, this looks like it will become a regular ritual for me

This is The One. My old friend Moxie I'd been neglecting him, first when I became enamored with Fruit Moon, then TAL's Energy, and even dabbled a bit with a pink grapefruit/cypress pick-me-up blend from Nature's Gift. But I've come back to Moxie, because as both a room scent and a perfume, this is the quintessential bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed blend. On me, it's sharp, tart grapefruit and sweet bitter orange. I'd be shocked if there's actually any ginger in here, since my skin does bad, bad things to ginger and I'm not getting any of that. If anything, this eventually goes a bit soapy on me. I don't mind. Nothing lifts my mood and gives me a little zing like this one. Energy does a good job of recharging me, but it's nice to be able to just slather something on without worrying about focus or intent. Moxie is pure aromatherapy, and very well done.

Lately, some things have happened to me that have made my sensitivity to certain energies go through the roof. Because of it, I can tell you that these Muses are packin'. Even more, they deliver when it comes to inspiration. I put it on my wrists so I could sniff it, even though the smell is not my favorite. It's not bad--just that sugary lemongrass, similar to what I get in Concentration and some the Excolo muses. It doesn't play nice with my chemistry, but for "creative inspiration in all the arts" I'll put up with just about anything. I also anointed my third eye and rubbed somes into my temples, since my poor brain is burnt out and needs a boost. Almost immediately, the pressure around my head changed--a magnetic feeling, like an increase in energy--and my second chakra started acting up, simmering and popping like it was filled with Mexican jumping beans or something. It was a little disturbing, but that's that sensitivity thing I mentioned earlier, and just I'm trying to get used to it. Maybe an hour later, I'm doing DDR in my living room, focusing on those stupid little arrows and no doubt looking like a complete dork, when I get a huge "out of the blue" flash, one that solved a plot problem I've been struggling with for months. I can't tell you what a relief that was. And I'm actually feeling pretty inspired about writing the scene, too. Thanks ladies! Much love for the Muses:

He's beautiful! Love that gorgeous head of hair. What a big, strong boy he is too! Congratulations

omg, I know I'm way late to this party (keep forgetting to check the blogs), but I had to chime in and let you know that could soooo out-geek you on this, Macha. If you ever want to have dorky writing habits dance-off, let me know

I love this nasty hunched over little dude As a matter of fact, I love all things vampiric, so the first time I tried this turned out to be a tragedy; the dirt was perfect, but wine was way too strong and nearly sour, and it soon overpowered the whole thing and turned it to powdery perfume. So while pruning my imp box graveyard tonight, I give this one a casual little swipe, and Noseferatu rises from the dead! (okay, I'll quit with the cheesy vampire metaphors...sorry) But it just couldn't be more amazing now. I don't know if my imp has aged, or if my nose for perfume has improved, but this is so fresh and sweet, and yet very dark and earthy and a little sinister. Beth is a freakin' genius. Long live creepy vampires

She looks great. And tough, yeah. That's fantastic you have the ability to render your characters like that. Do you feel like you get pretty close to how you envision them? And does it take years to learn these graphics programs? This kind of thing is on my semi-short list of Stuff I Want to Learn.

I couldn't have been more thrilled to receive this as a frimp, and wasted no time sniffing. My first impression in the vial was cherry cough syrup and didn't bode well. But once I put this on, I knew it was for me. I never knew it was possible to love so many scents until BPAL. Add Malkuth to the list. This hits me somewhere very deep, approapriately enough. It smells so freaking familiar and I've only figured out part of the reason. With its smokey, dark fruitiness, there's definitely essence of Hellion in here, and there's an organic, grain and cinnamon note like Blood Moon. But there's something else that I can't put my finger on, like a scent memory from way, way back. I don't know. But to me, it speaks to Malkuth's power. Huge fan. Getting a 10ml for sure.

This is simply the best, liveliest orange scent I've ever run across, and it doesn't fade after just a couple minutes either. Unusual for a citrus, at least for me. This is invigorating enough, but aroma is just the beginning... I find this blend especially effective if applied with intent (as I'm sure all TAL oils are). I usually like to take a moment to focus on my breathing and make a mini meditation/visualization ritual out of it. It really just depends on my mood what color light I like to imagine myself bathed in; sometimes orange, sometime shimmery gold, sometimes a pure rainbow white. The effects are subtle--it's not like chugging a Red Bull--but it gives me a steady strength, like I'm replenished at my very core and not just wired on caffeine. And using this in conjunction with White Light is the equivalent of taking a metaphysical shower Totally refreshed. I couldn't recommend both these oils enough.

Just wandered back in to check out the blogs today so this comment is a bit on the late side. But I thought I'd lend some moral support, since I know a little of where you're at with this. I've invested two years in this project of mine, so I dread how I would handle it if I didn't finish--but frankly, I feel like giving up. At least I do today. I'll snap out of it--and don't you give up either It will simply take as long as it takes. If ever start a blog here, it will be to whine incessantly about my stupid book, with the hope that there are others out there willing to commiserate. In the meantime, if you ever need to gripe and moan for a bit, I'm your girl

I'm pretty impressed with this so far. I've just started using it, but I've got high hopes based on how well it has worked right out of the gate. The scent, while not offensive, is not particularly pleasant to me either. I'm getting a very soapy lemon, like a softer version of Dawn. I can deal with it though. Often, I find myself with so much mental static in my head that I can't settle down and concentrate on something important. And no, I don't have ADD, but usually by the afternoon it feels like it. I'm gonna blame it on the kids. The little buggers make a lot of noise So I anointed my third eye and rubbed some into my temples, and then my palms as well so I could inhale deeply. Lo and behold, things feel pretty still. It's a kind of mental groundedness I'm not used to, frankly. I've got to get through dinner, bath and bedtime with the kids, but then it feels like I should be able to get some work done without needing a lot of transition time to clear my head. If this keeps up I'll be needing a bottle of this one for sure.

At first swipe I get an immediate hit of mint and lavender before the citrus kicks in with a bright, cheerful note of something very green and lemony, which I assume to be the bergamot and verbena, perhaps a touch of thyme. No orange--but that one always seems to hide from me. Even so, if it could stay like this it would be utter perfection. Then my chemistry throws a wobbly (sorry...I've been commandeering Britishisms these days. Obnoxious of me, I know) and the whole thing goes sugary-sweet on me and turns into that same note I get in both TAL's Concentration and The Vortex. I've always assumed this note to be lemongrass, and although it doesn't really play nice with me, it's tolerable enough (the exception being Concentration, which made me queasy). The drydown is that syrupy lemon coupled with an emerging woody note--similar to the one in Polyhymnia--which I then proceed to amp up to the heavens. *sigh* I'm not giving up yet. I really want to get along with these Muses, so perhaps it's time to break out the scent locket.

Oh man, I love this. I didn't really expect to. The honey is sweet and just a little spicy, toned down by the strong green of the laurel and bay. I'm not getting nearly the strong, fermented wine note I was expecting. But there's just enough of a hint of incense and alcohol to make this feel like an offering. This absolutely feels like a ritual scent to me. I've been steeping myself in the Greek and Roman pantheon lately, so I am thrilled to finally be able to try this. I'll be placing this alongside Rome (love!) on my big bottle list.

Another vote for Moxie here. I burn it in my oil burner and the room justs simmers with energy. Which means after reading allidavie's post, I can hardly wait to try Energy. Wheeeee!

I think I've discovered my signature scent. This is pretty, pretty dirt. It's darkest earth; moist, sweet and spooky, but uber-feminine thanks to the orchid. I can't tell you how happy I am that the teakwood behaves itself, as I usually amp wood notes until I smell like the inside of Home Depot. But everything works in perfect harmony and the effect is gorgeous and creepy. Love!

The more I wear this, the more I love it. This is the most gorgeous soapy-ish scent I have ever smelled. I'm not usually nuts about blends that turn to soap on me, and it's really not fair to label this as such, even though it's a definite component. But this time, I'm using soap as a compliment. Because Sleepy Moon is just so beautiful. I'm having a hard time describing it because of the complexity, and how it morphs through a couple of different stages. The lavender and chamomile never dominate, but hang around a bit in the wet and middle stage, almost tricking me into thinking this will be green and light, until this dries into something else entirely. The ylang ylang and poppy and sandalwood emerge to make a lush and soporific potion; heady and heavy, an almost-perfumey fragrance that's such a "beautiful lady" blend that I wouldn't associate it with bedtime at all if not for that intriguing hint of soap. Like a beautiful lady who has just emerged from a hot, luxurious bath and is ready for the oblivion of sleep. Come to think of it, it's very reminiscent of my gorgeous Sleepy Moon tee. I'm always amazed at the talent behind this company. This makes makes Top Five lunar blends. Maybe even Top Three.