renaissancerouge

Well, thank you ladies! I think I'm going with just a smidge of Juliet. I'm also hoping that this is the kind of house where the scent of patchouli and nag champa effectively obscure all other scents. And the chamomile tea- maybe for tonight, but when I actually have to go meet them, I'll have downed three espressos and done some therapeutic dancing to hasidic reggae.

Hey, anyone: Thursday or Friday I'm going to meet the members of the housing co-op I'm moving into on Saturday. I have this bad tendency before meetin new people to completely flip out and convince myself I'm not charming or worthy, even though I'm being admitted to said co-op based on a lengthy essay-question-filled application. I've noticed also that I smell different when I'm nervous (duh, but I really don't have any body odor to speak of unless I'm afraid. Case in point: my recent 15 hour car-sojourn alone in a rickety car in driving rain down the Penna Turnpike, Ohio Turnpike, and I-90 through Chicago. Between the stuffy, airless car interior and fear of skidding off the road into the falling-rock fences and the fear of being pancaked by a windblown semi, I was not smelling so wonderful. I was smelling like Eau de Terror, which, if you've ever worn this blend, you know what I mean. It's a lot more acrid than regular b.o. Too much information, maybe?). Anyone want to recommend which of the following I should wear to meet my new housemates? I don't want to stink, but I don't want to hit them over the head, either: Snake Oil, Rosalind, Juliet, Lucy's Kiss, Empyreal Mist, Ace of Cups, Siren, Nocturne, Queen Mab, Kitsune-Tsuki

I concur with Laurel-t-w that Empyreal Mist is indeed as fresh as anything above the timberline. In fact, whenever I wear it, I have this recurring thought that I'm riding into the sky on Snuggles the Bear's back. Slightly disturbing but indubitably fresh. If it's a morning shower, Empyreal Mist or Rosalind, but if I'm going straight from an evening shower to bed, I like Nocturne (wonderfully soporific and soothing) or Queen Mab (for memorable dreams filled with pathos).

Yum. The March Hare is delicious but not too foody- there's some strong apricot and clove action going on, but like they were dissolved in a hot cup of black tea. The musk is nearly non-existent on me, unlike Katharina, the other musky apricot scent, so this is a nice contrast. It's riotously sweet and spicy right out of the imp, then settles down to tea while still darting mischievious clove-y glances. It reminds me of that part in "The Wicker Man" where the citizens of Summerisle are shown wearing various totemic animal masks. You know. Crunchy brown leaves in a forest. Crazy, fun, ancient, and pagan.

I second Melpomene! It has more of a fuzz factor than a chill factor, though. I was having a cramp attack a few weeks ago and this oil really eased me through it. It smells soft, woodsy, and comforting to me. Melpomene the Muscle Relaxant and Mood Soother. Really. It stopped the tears.

I find Snake Oil and Juliet to be more classic than edgy, but they don't smell fusty and musty like grandma's perfume at all. Snake Oil is an old-fashioned incense and resin oriental that is modern precisely because it ISN'T an ultra-mod Jetsons space age scent, and Juliet is a beautiful young-womanly yellow floral that's like sunshine and lilies in a bottle. And this sounds weird, but layering Juliet over Snake Oil is one of my favorite things to do. It's flowery and rich and lasts more than 12 hours.

Val San Retour is lovely and crisp. My lovely sister who never ever writes me anymore AHEM, sent me this in a ravishing little bundle last week. I love this stuff, which is weird because I usually yawn with fresher scents. Maybe because the Lab does an exceptional job blending ACTUAL plant essences instead of formaldehyde and petrochemicals to make something smell cool and clean. I like VSR because my nose isn't all over one particular note. Like, in Old Shanghai, I really wanted to smell honeysuckle, but all I got was a noseful of tea. But also, if you like fresh blends like Old Shanghai and Kumiho, you'll like this one. It's just more twinkling and mysterious. Fresh like frost on a deserted meadow in Snowdonia. Val San Retour= for fans of citrus, fresh pines, water, air, maybe some grass.

All of the bottles (5 and 10mls alike) that I've ordered since late July have had reducers on them, and I LOVE them. One drop is usually more than enough scent for a workday, and even if you use more, you can be as judicious as you want. There's always enough residue sitting on the reducer for touch ups, too. I don't know, I'm a wasteful person when it comes to perfume and gobbling it up, so I like them.

The Unicorn is sweet, white, and clean. It reminds me a bit of Titania, but with something herby and green to cut the syrup. I think this is the judicious splash of linden, which is just perfect for conjuring arboreal splendor and delicate, transient horned horses. I wish there were more oils featuring linden. I used to get it from Mountain Rose herbs to make face washes and stuff, but I liked it better for the sweet, mild scent than any cosmetic properties. The only thing that would keep me from buying a bigger bottle is the need to reapply so often, as this is so light and fresh.

I got Obeah as an extra in my fantastic last order, and after reading a little about what Obeah is, as in magical practice that will kick your ass for misuse (although I think this is a karmic standard feature), I was a little scared to dab this stuff on. But I'm glad I did. This stuff is murky and subterranean- I smell the citrus, the patchouli, and something smoky and earthy right away. Almost like flesh smell, but in a nice way. I agree w/ the assertion that this is a more masculine blend. I gave my dad Kweku Anansi and Old Kathmandu, and he's totally down with both btw, but I don't know if I could handle him smelling like a Patchouli Voodoo Wizard. If you're into the P-dawg, you'll like Obeah. If you know what you're doing as far as rituals and what not, it definitely has a pseudo-sinister godhead kind of power to it. I am slightly puzzled by it, but it doesn't take much.

A strong, willful blend with a soft, utterly lovely soul: white musk with a trickle of bright, sharp apricot and orange blossom. Ok, here's what I told my sister about Katharina: It's like a buxom freckled, amber-haired wench from the Veneto who has stuck apricots and orange blossoms under her arms on a hot day. I kinda like female body odor, which is to say, I think most American women wash too much of their natural scent away, and Katharina's musk kind of captures that with a hint of sunny fruit and flowers. Unfortunately this didn't last long on me but I wouldn't mind reapplying this wench.

Jailbait didn't rock me till I figured out that it reminded me of hot sunny days in dusty San Antonio, chewin' original Trident and sprayin' the Love's Baby Soft. This stuff is great for reviving my 80's childhood in the beginning, then mellows to a spicy floral candybomb....I should wear it to a board meeting to mess with this ex-officio asshole's mind. Instead of being his Personal Stapler Bitch maybe I'd move up the rung to Harrassable Lolita and I could nail his slick corporate shark ass...ok, that would definitely be the karma f%&*ing way to wear Jailbait. I will probably just take a bath with it and snuggle up in my fuzzy pink Goodwill sweater and hum "Take On Me" till I fall asleep.

Dear sweet mother of....this is sooooo good. Kitsune-Tsuki is another one that makes me want to drink the imp, liver failure be damned. In the imp- strong plummy sweetness- a purple and white smell. You know what I mean. On the wrist- the plum settles and the flowers begin to differentiate. It wafts well. Queenly and serene. Hours later- still smelling the last lingering cornucopia of plums and blossoms. My oily skin hasn't wrecked the bouquet. It's fruity and floral all at once, and to me seems like the happy mating of Queen Mab and Bewitched, with a dash of ice and cherry blossoms. I wish I'd smelled this one before ordering again. Perhaps it's a special occasion scent, though.

This one makes my mouth water. I mix it in unscented lotion and wear Siren on top because they're very complementary. The orange pops out on me, and the note anchoring it is effervescent and sweet, but not patchouli to my nose. I like this one a lot, it mixes well with both the foody and fruity oils, and lasts a long time without becoming a cloying mess.

Perversion smells like a scruffy forty-something man wearing bay rum leaning in to kiss a pink-clad fifteen year old popping her bubblegum. That said, this is a really sexy, slinky, disturbing blend. I don't think I would wear this, but I would want to smell it on others. The description says gender neutral, but I have a feeling this would be divine on a dude.

I read the Story of O piecemeal at a flea market (a couple of chapters a weekend...I didn't not buy it because I was embarrassed, it was just much better reading in a deserted, musty, book-filled annex separated from the other market treasures with a saloon-style swinging door and lit with a single light bulb...how could my dorm room compare?). This is the smell! The honey and vanilla are frosting-sweet, and anchored by a warm, furtive amber. Very debauched and languid. I am reminded of a lighter and sweeter Snake Oil. I'm not good at describing foody notes. It's yummy and bad for you!

Black Dahlia is tan peligrosa! This really is a wicked, lush scent. I was wary of yet another magnolia blend warring with my esteem for Sacred Whore, but this has a pink-smoggy-sunset bouquet to offset said bloom. For some reason I think Anita Ekberg would have worn a scent like this to dance in the Trevi fountain. Mmmm...the cocktail era in a bottle.

I can't believe I've put off reviewing my FAVORITE oil for so long...anyhoo. This is the scent that defines BPAL for me. It's a mysterious, feminine floral, which is about as much of an understatement as I can make. I love almost all florals, but a lot of them are too sharp for me. La Belle Dame Sans Merci, Silentium Amoris, Seraphim- they're all bitingly flowery and I can only enjoy them on an intellectual level. Queen Mab bypasses my intellect and goes straight to my limbic system. It's moonlight in a bottle. It's a soft dream of honeycakes, champagne, velvety sandalwood, and warm creamy blossoms. It's so perfect on me it's scary.

Yum Yum Yummity Yum! That's what Old Port-au-Prince smells like. Since I really wanted to have a certain impression of this oil I imagined the scent of an outdoor market in tropical heat (the heat is pretty easy to imagine this time of year in the dc area). This visualization saved O PaP from hot toddy-dom for me! Maybe I'm falsely detecting some big fat fruits in there but on my skin this is so foody and spicy and sweet that my mouth waters...fruity-cinammony-clovey-dare I say caramelly? goodness that drips sensuality and heat.

This is just beautiful! As far as a mood this evokes, I can't really add to my sister's lovely description above. If your skin scent does a whole lotta changin' through the course of the month, like me, Old Cairo is a kaleidescopic fragrance that morphs with every wearing. Today it's pretty simple on me-lemony sweet and freshly spicy, like the smell of a little kitchen garden in the sun. On the drydown I'm smelling something smooth and buttery... The very first time I tried it, however, it was bursting with spices and resins and took me straight back to last summer when we spent a lot of time putting together loose incense and reading up on rituals and goddess lore. In fact, I was reading Great Cosmic Mother last summer, and the mystical indignation (it's possible) I felt is easily summoned by this oil.

Ok, I have been reluctant to review Veil, because although it is without a doubt *heartbreakingly* lovely, it just wasn't as rich as my beloved Siren, as violetty as Nocturne, or as fresh as Rosalind. Then my annoying ex-boyfriend showed up on my doorstep. From Luxembourg. DRENCHED in Gaultier le Male (or whatever the hell that kind is in the man-shaped bottle, it smells sickly sweet when used to excess). Carrying about three dozen overripe Casablanca lilies. And a bottle of duty-free J'Adore. And suddenly Veil became the perfect, understated antithesis to this overblown and cartoonish situation filled with hackneyed scents and swaggering chauvinism. Soft, sweet, the violets peeking out from beneath the lavender blowing in the warm wind, the sandalwood anchoring the flowers...last night was the full moon and I smelled like a votive offering...

Yesterday I layered a little smidge of Snake Oil over some orange body lotion into which I had mixed a drop of amber oil (non-BPAL)...the resultant fragrance was exotic and spicy- edible but not like a case of danish.

I love Nyx. I wore it tonight- it's about 85 degrees and oppressively still, and the scent is wafting provocatively...There is a sharp, medicinal quality to it at first, I assume the myrrh, which reminds me of Sacred Whore of Babylon. It's (appropriately) more subdued and subterranean...I think of the River Styx and spirits of crossroads and ancient stone votive figures by dark pools of water. The rose softens it up and gives it a nice bloomy, breathy quality. This is complex and dark and moody and totally excellent.

Siren lasts a super duper long time on me...the runners up are Snake Oil, Voodoo, Old Athens, and Blood Lotus. I have to take it easy on all of these since they last 12 hrs. or more.

Hmmmm....I'm going to have to go the "this is a gorgeous interpretation of a myth and a fabulously blended melange but it doesn't work for me" route. I would use this as a room scent if it were more potent, but I think the delicacy is the point! The sweet, sugary scent is meant to be soft and mealy, which on my skin translates to Jordan almonds. Which are damn near scentless and in my opinion taste-less as well. My imp of Dana O'Shee got used up in one night, post-bath, pre-date, and the date didn't even comment on it, so I think my skin just ate it all up. However, lovely oil nonetheless. I'm just more of a spicy/evil/incense or sweet-violet-springtime-rose girl.