doomsday_disco
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Everything posted by doomsday_disco
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Among the most intelligent inquirers with whom I converse at Brighton was a lady of title. She told me that she was one of those present at the Davenport séance, held at the residence of Sir Hesketh Fleetwood. She was seated in the dark séance by the side of a gentleman whose previous scepticism, he confessed to her, was fast disappearing in the face of the facts they were witnessing, when a light was suddenly struck, and both of them distinctly saw the form of Ira Davenport glide close past them. This incident very much disturbed the confidence of Lady L—, and entirely satisfied the sceptic that imposition was practiced, and he left the room a confirmed unbeliever. I told Lady L—that, on his return to London, Mr. Ferguson spoke to me of this very fact, as one of the most curious that had yet occurred at any of the séances. He was holding, he said, the box of matches, as he usually does, when the box was snatched from his hand, and a light was struck by the invisible operator, and during the momentary ignition of the match he plainly saw a form, apparently of a human figure. He said nothing at the moment, but whispering the fact to Mr. Fay, he confirmed it, and afterwards several of those present admitted that that, too, had seen it. Mr. Ferguson, however, was not aware that anyone present supposed it to be the actual person of Ira Davenport, as no observation to that effect was made, and as Ira Davenport was seen instantly afterwards when the light was restored, fast bound to his chair, it was simply impossible that the suspicions of Lady L—or her friend could have been well founded. But, admitting that two competent witnesses did actually see the form of Ira Davenport on that occasion, it is corroborative of a very important and interesting fact, and distinct phase of these puzzling mysteries of spiritual appearances – viz., the duplication of individual form. Mr. Ferguson, who did not on that occasion recognize the resemblance to Ira Davenport, nevertheless has, as he solemnly asserts, seen at other times, when alone with them, the entire duplicated form of Ira Davenport, and a part of Mr. Fay ; and in my first conversation with the Davenport Brothers they told me, among other curious facts of their extraordinary history, that persons had said they had met one or other of them in places where they had not been. On one occasion their father went to a neighbouring shop to order some fruit, when he was told by the shopkeeper that his son Ira had just been there, and had ordered the fruit. It was, however, satisfactorily proved that Ira had not left the house, and that the man must have seen his “wraith,” or “double.” The Spiritualist, December 19, 1873 The uncanny echo of your second self: a shadow-blackened fougere steeped in an uncanny, discomfiting lavender tar.
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Green grapefruit, a shudder of grass blades, peppery geranium, green tea, orris stems, rice sprouts, and white ginger. Nishiyama Hoen
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This one is interesting! I would say that the grass and the starchy (not buttery) rice are main players on my skin throughout wear, with some pepperiness from the geranium and a kick from the ginger that is most noticeable during the wet phase, and some green grapefruit that drifts in and out of the scent (its strongest on me when freshly applied and then it makes a comeback by the end of the day). The orris stems aren't a powder bomb like orris can be on me, but I do feel they add a softness that complements the starchy rice. It's fresh, green, starchy, slightly citrusy, and delicately floral. I tested this twice, and the only note that didn't really jump out at me was the green tea. While I don't currently feel the urge to leap for a bottle, I do think this is a fun scent experience with some uncommon note combinations, and I enjoyed how this scent morphs throughout wear. I'll be hanging onto my decant and see how much I reach for it to determine whether or not I need more of this.
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This isn’t an asparagus-scented perfume, though it occurs to me that I should make one someday. I found out recently that May is National Asparagus Month, so here you go. This scent is vaguely inspired by asparagus, but mostly inspired by the flicker of surprise that I felt when I found out there was a month dedicated to asparagus. A pointy green vegetal scent, sparkling with lime-squeezed bemusement. Adriaen Coorte
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I tried this twice to make sure my nose wasn't deceiving me and had the same experience both times. This goes on as a slightly effervescent lime scent backed by a green banana that's starting to turn ripe, so there's a bit of sweetness to the green note. Once the lime calms down, which doesn't take long on me, it is mostly that green banana that's turning ripe scent that's left over. It's not as green of a green banana like I got from Orc Massage Therapist. And I'm glad that the scent isn't very vegetal after all. I wish the lime had stuck around longer on me, but I do think this is a fun scent experience.
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I tried this on both wet hair and dry, as well as spraying it on a paper towel. It is a light hair gloss with no throw that primarily features a soft peach note to my nose that's lightly honeyed. I don't get much cake from this at all, especially not compared to the honey cake of The Sharing of the Cake Between the Lion and the Unicorn Hair Gloss. As far as peach hair glosses go, this is the lightest of the ones I've tried (Peach and White Incense, Peach Tea, White Musk, and Lychee, Peach Bellini, and Peach and Red Bean Paste). It smells good, but I really wish it were stronger and more cake-y. I'm glad that I got a decant of this instead of a full bottle.
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A tangle of witch-roots, smoothed over centuries by gentle hands. Damp soil and smoked vetiver, spikenard and raw leather, dried fig and galangal—all bound in an indigo silk ribbon of somnambulic opium tar.
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Crow Moon: Honeyed Fig and Sandalwood Lotion
doomsday_disco posted a topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
Honeyed Fig and Sandalwood. -
Softness is a ritual oil for the heart that resists hardening. This blend was crafted to keep the spirit supple, the gaze gentle, and the soul intact even as the world curdles into cruelty. It is not passive, it is not fragile; this is the might of mercy in the face of injustice. This is the quiet power of open hands in a closed-fist world. Defiance through peace, gentle but never yielding. Contains: Roman and German chamomile, rose otto, vanilla absolute, white sandalwood, orris root, hops, and myrrh.
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I'm reviewing the scent more than its intent, although I appreciate its intent. The stars of this blend are the rose otto, chamomile, and orris on me, with a light, sheer vanilla absolute note in the background that smooths over the edges of the rose. The orris isn't super powdery and the resins in this are subtle. The scent stays close to the skin, and the rose becomes the dominant note after a few hours of wear. I'll keep the decant around for its purpose, but I don't feel the urge to upgrade this one to a bottle.
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Helps you hold onto what you have. Contains: alfalfa, patchouli root, Irish moss, five finger grass, sassafras, cinnamon, bay laurel, bergamot, allspice, and thyme.
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I'm mostly reviewing the scent, but I grabbed it both for the scent and its purpose. Financial Stability is mostly about the sassafras, and I'm here for it. There's a bit of effervescence behind it, too, but I don't know what could possibly be contributing that aspect to the scent from the listed notes. I have no idea what alfalfa or five finger grass smell like, but honestly, I can't really pick out individual notes in this well aside from the sassafras. It's not particularly spicy or herbal, so if you just want to smell like root beer, rejoice! While testing this, my partner had asked if I had wanted to order some food, and I was the voice of reason that said we could just cook at home. My partner still wanted to get food, but I wonder if they would have wanted to be frivolous if they had been wearing this oil. I love root beer scents, so I upgraded my decant to a bottle, but I also plan to wear it for its intent during these uncertain times.
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A dear friend sent me her bottle so I could try this, and if it comes back into stock, I may have to get one of my own! Lethe isn't particularly boggy or aquatic at all, so don't let the river foam note scare you away from this. The black labdanum isn't one of the sweet cola-like varieties, and it's bolder than the labdanum found in most of the Lab's blends featuring lavender and labdanum as of late. It may have a touch of something oud-like to it, without being overly funky, but maybe that's secretly a hint of the river foam lurking behind it. The lavender and asphodel cozy up to it, making a great sleep scent. The asphodel does veer somewhat into bubblegum territory on me after a few hours, but since I would get this to use as a sleep scent, I'd probably doze off long before it reached that point. And although I enjoy cypress, it is not a main player on me in this scent. One of the reasons I was curious to try this is because it shares several notes with A Conscious Slumber (Lavender buds and cypress, sepulcher lilies, a sprig of rosemary, and a bouquet of asphodel), of which I regret only buying one bottle. They are not similar despite sharing some of the same notes, but I think both are relaxing enough to lull one to sleep. Of the lavender and labdanum scents that the Lab has released over the last few years, I enjoy this one the most.
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Idle Moon: Vanilla Husk and a Bundle of Twigs
doomsday_disco replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
I'm really glad that I did not blind bottle this one. The twigs are indeed somewhat fresh and green, yet somehow sharp (my first instinct was oak, but then I started thinking about other sharp woods like mahogany and teak, and I didn't deatmatch it with any scents containing those notes since I had other scents on my arm already, so I can't say it's oak for sure). I don't get how they are both green but also smell lacquered, as lithie mentioned. Worst of all, the twigs are somewhat rubbery on me and smell awful. I thought I got a hint of root beer-esque French vanilla from this, but that was very fleeting, and the vanilla note that ends up draping itself over the twigs is a sheer, skin musk-y sort of vanilla. It's nothing like the vanilla husk in Vanilla Husk, Nutmeg, and Hay Absolute. This just did not work for me. -
Everybody knows their state flower and state animal —but do you know what the official LICHEN of your state is? Ramalina menziesii—the lace or fishnet lichen—is an unusually sexy bundle of algae and fungi. Fashioned into elegant, delicate patterns up to a meter long, it is a nest-making material for birds, a vital food source for California’s deer, and is considered to have sorcerous properties that protect against the ravages of lightning. A pale green filigree: oakmoss, orris absolute, ylang ylang sap, green patchouli, ambergris accord, and sheer vanilla.
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Lilac cream, pressed violets, pink elemi, olive blossom, and crystalline musk. Max Švabinský
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Goose Moon: Nag Champa Smoke and White Gardenia
doomsday_disco posted a topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
Nag Champa Smoke and White Gardenia. -
Spiced Chestnut and Honey.
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Peonies and poppies are two of my favorite May flowers, and all the more so now that we’ve moved to Philadelphia, where you see them in countless gardens. Continuing with the theme of serpents making their way through urban landscapes, I’ve created something for myself that I want to share – a Snake Oil-infused bouquet of poppies, peonies, melancholy heartsease, and the last bruised winter hellebores dusted with sandalwood and bound with a vanilla-white silk ribbon.
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First, I have to say that I'm not familiar with heartsease or hellebore, so if those are conspicuously absent from my review, that's why. The poppies are the main feature of the bouquet throughout wear, backed by the peonies. I recognize the poppy note from The Serpent in the Opium Poppies, although I believe that one is much stronger on the opium tar than the poppy petals. I did not deathmatch the two, though. The peonies are not as strong as the poppies on my skin, but I can still smell them and can visualize the soft feel of the peony petals whenever I catch a whiff of that note beneath the poppies. I'm not getting much in the way of Snake Oil, sandalwood, or the vanilla silk, but the floral notes are so lovely together that I don't really mind. I wonder if this Snake Oil variant will stay like this and be like Cottonmouth (overtly floral with not much in the way of Snake Oil), or if the Snake Oil will emerge more with age. I am going to have to spend more time with this one, but I'm definitely keeping my decant, and further tests will decide if I need more before this goes away.
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As many of you know, we recently moved the whole BPAL Carny Show to Philadelphia. It was a huge change for all of us in myriad ways, not the least of which was the adjustment of moving from a lifetime in a Mediterranean / semi-arid zone to a humid subtropical pocket of the mid-Atlantic. What is “weather”? What is “rain”? What is this white stuff falling on my head every winter? Wait, I have to salt the Earth? What does that mean? Like I said, it was a huge change for us Angelinos. Even though Pennsylvania is green and gorgeous, lawns aren’t the most ecologically-friendly option for your yard so when we moved here, we began the process of replacing our lawn with clover and wildflowers. Semi-meadowing, if you will. Last year, our neighborhood opp took issue with our garden design choices and reported our place to the city for being overgrown and neglected. This scent is for everyone that’s had to deal with That Guy in your neighborhood: a sinuous stream of Snake Oil slithering through meadow flowers and clover.
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This is lovely. It starts off with a burst of green -- I get more of the meadow grass and clover than any wildflowers -- with the Snake Oil as a backdrop. I feel like some of the grass smells like it has been crushed, but fortunately, there are no strong grass clippings to be found. Over time, it becomes less green as the Snake Oil gains strength and ends up being the dominant note after several hours. I get more of Snake Oil's spices and musks here than the other aspects of the Snake Oil (and it smells more like older Snake Oil than recent variants have to my nose). But this is definitely recognizable as a Snek variant (which Snake Bouquet, while also smelling lovely, doesn't have much of a Snake Oil aspect to it at the moment). I think I will end up needing to get more of this before it goes away. I think this Snek is idyllic and perfect for the spring and summer -- and I really appreciate it as someone who lives in the desert and misses seeing grass.
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Who doesn’t want a hot, buttery snake? Spiced buttered rum splooshed into Snake Oil with a bit of molasses and cream.
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“The full-length velvet glove hides the fist.” A wallop of our brick accord sheathed in gentle sandalwood, warmed by cocoa vanilla and a veil of deep myrrh.
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Velvet Brick is mostly about the resins of Velvet (especially the sandalwood, which is indeed gentle) mixed with the warm clay of the brick and sweetened by the cocoa vanilla (although those notes play less of a role). This is nice, but I think just the decant will suffice.