pekeana

I second Fae, Aglaea, and Yerevan.

Morocco, Scherezade, and Xiuhtecuhtli are my second-skin scents.

I have my Paypal linked to my bank account, so I can make a transfer of <$10 to my bank account, and then to my credit card. It takes about 4-5 days to do, however, and can be a big pain in the backside sometimes.

In the vial, Uranus is... cinnamon and metallic, with a touch of ozone. On me, it's all cinnamon, clove, and something light and woody that smells almost like burning embers of fire. There's also something that vaguely smells like green leaves back in the very, very back. It's similar to Three Witches, but not quite as balanced. There's something that's slightly off in Uranus.

Testing Pumpkin King as part of the circular swap... In the vial, it's very mellow spices and fruits, with a touch of something woodsy and dark. On me, it's all patchouli and spice, with a hint of waxy pumpkin and apple. It's pleasant enough from afar, but when I get my nose up close to my hand, I start gagging a bit. I had high hopes for Pumpkin King, but alas, it's turning out to be something I can't stand.

Three Witches, Wrath, and Dragon's Heart are all firey red scents to me. Inferno is a duller red, and Siren is kind of a golden orange-red. Edited to add Kabuki and Blood as bright red scents.

Sugar Skull and Sugar Cookie both have a ton of throw. (Note to self: No more wearing Sugar Cookie to work. Scary people come and tell you that you smell like baked goods.)

Wolf Moon throws like no-one's business.

Dragon's Tears is one of my favorite aquatic scents -- it's dragon's blood resin, swimming in saltwater. So lovely.

In the vial, Bastet is all about the sharp, fierce almond. On me, the almond wears strong for a while, then it goes back and forth between being powdery and being absolutely incredible. One moment, I love it, the next I hate it because of the powder, and then BOOM! Up comes a hit of saffron and musk that reminds me of Scherezade, only sweeter and a touch more resinous. Still not completely sold on it, but I'm going to try to layer it with some other things and see if I can't make The Curse Of Bast get over itself. /gratitous West Wing reference

Hmm... in the vial, Danse Macabre is all cypress and wood/musk. On me, it vanishes completely, then comes up a long time later with a mix of moss and something else that smells just like cheap unscented lotion. *siiiiigh*

Well, I'm not planning on getting married ever, but if I did, and I still had it around at the time, I'd wear Blue Moon in a heartbeat. Otherwise, I'd have to say Snow White or something white floral.

This is the second time I've tested White Rabbit with the same result, so... In the vial: tea and cucumber. (This is my first inkling that my brain is miswired.) On me: smoky black tea with cucumber and spice. There's nothing sweet or resembling honey, vanilla, or linen in my bottle -- it's just strong tea with cucumbery notes. I think I need to have my head/nose examined.

Black Dahlia is standard magnolia floral in the vial. On me, it stings going on (which means rose), and I get a red welt where I've put it on my hand (another indicator of rose). After it's dried down, the magnolia is extremely strong on top, but down below, I smell the sweetness of the orchid and the smoke and spice of the rose. It's a little powdery from the amber, but not as bad as usual. However, to smell all of this, you have to smell through the magnolia which is a pretty difficult thing to do. The rose is the same rose from Formula 54, and all in all, this reminds me of Sacred Whore of Babylon, without the kick of spice. Not bad, but the rose reaction troubles me and I probably will swap it out.

I have zero problems with cinnamon -- I can put it in my cleavage, behind my ears, on my back, wherever I desire. Not so much as an itch. Thank goodness, or I'm sure I'd be on fire from Inferno. In the vial, it's all sweet (?!?) almond and cinnamon. On me, it's all cinnamon with a touch of orange blossom and a hint of almond way down at the bottom. However, cinnamon tends to wear off quickly, so I'd have to slather it on like a madwoman, I think. This is one side of what I love so much about Three Witches, but, alas, the trio of witches lasts longer and leaves a bigger impression than Inferno.

In the vial, Hollywood Babylon is strong, heady red musk with just a hint of cherry and a giant, in-your-face strawberry that screams to be smelled. On me, it's powdery musk with an overtone of overripe strawberries. No heliotrope or cherry to be found here, alas. It's similar in tone on my skin to Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo (but with major musk), but methinks I prefer Joy Mojo.

In the vial, Wolf Moon is very aquatic -- it's like a slushpile in a gutter with dirt and green things floating in it. Very much like when the snow and ice are melting and running down the street, picking up everything in its path. On me -- pine and a mixture of spruce, ivy(? -- it's a similar note as in Mabon), and sharp, bright balsam fir notes, all atop an incredibly cold, deep, dark freshwater note (not saltwater like Sea of Glass, Jolly Roger, etc.). My skin also brings up a sugared lemon smell that rounds it all out. The whole concotion definitely reminds me of primordial ooze, and it's very in your face, even as it's simple and divine. It's got a hell of a lot of throw. All in all, Wolf Moon, how I love thee!

You could always e-mail the help desk (answers@blackphoenixalchemylab.com), and ask Ted. I think he and Beth are away at the moment, so you'd get the auto-responder demon. I, myself, have issues with marigold, walnut, and pecans as semi-life-threatening allergies, but I've only ever had real issues as far as "omg" allergies from Mabon (which might have contained marigold, and which I dearly loved, damn it all), and The Red Queen (which may have pecan/walnut wood?). But, if it's a matter of allergens, I'm sure Beth & Ted would definitely tell you which blends have things that you're severely sensitive to.

Sea of Glass and lightning -- and my brain's not working -- there's a third BPAL -- all smell similar to Yankee's Stormwatch scent.

In the vial, all I smell is dragon's blood and geranium. On me, all it is is baby powder and geranium. I should just face up to the fact that most amber doesn't work for my skin already. ETA: On second testing, the amber isn't quite so powdery, and I'm starting to like it after about an hour and a half -- the dragon's blood comes up and plays with the geranium. It's still powdery, but in a sweeter, sexier way.

Three Witches, Wrath, and Blood all have a nice, strong clove component to them.

Okay, big bottle -- Aizen-Myoo reminds me of my Chaos Theory, only without the floral & vanilla musk. *clears throat* The yuzu is extremely strong coming out of the bottle, and I don't get much tea, but I do get a lot of the floral stamen smell from the cherry blossom. Once on my skin, the yuzu stays strong for a long time (15-20 minutes), then dries out to a very soft citrus bite, and not much else. The cherry blossom comes up behind it and braces the scent, and some of the other fruits come out to play, just a little bit, before it all becomes just a beautiful, sweetly floral herbal tea scent. Just like if you'd brewed up a fresh hibiscus and orange peel tea. I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I do, and I'm pleasantly surprised by how light and gentle the scent becomes after being so intense.

For me, Kabuki, Xiuhtecuhtli, Snake Oil, and Queen of Diamonds have the most throw. I have to be very careful how much I use... and yet, I don't mind so much if people go "dude, you smell like..."

In the vial: I smell vanilla like mad, and soft, musky florals witha touch of dry linen. Mmmm, yummeh. On me, the vanilla stays very prominent, and the musky florals and linens come out to play, making a very sweet, smooth, clean and pleasantly inoffensive scent. Once in a while, the floral and linen come together and say "dryer sheets", but even then, the vanilla saves it and brings it back to simple, beautiful elegance. THIS is the scent of a lace handkerchief that's been tucked away in a hat box for fifty years, scented with perfume and vanilla-scented powder. It's so beautiful, and elegant without being overwhelmingly dark. Love it, indeed, must have a bottle.

In the vial: coffee and wine, with a splash of cocoa. On me: coffee and wine for a while, then mellowing down to wine, rum, and maybe a hint of dragon's blood? I'm not sure what the blood scent is, but yeah, I smell it under all of the sweet liquor. This is Kali, but without the florals, and deeper, darker, more twisted. And it's strong. I looooove it.