Laurel the Woodfairy

The fae chose to make this nothing but 100% almond on me--there may be a tiny bit of milk and honey in there somewhere, but it's pretty much almond all the way. This, however, is a good thing! I smeared some on before meeting my family for tea at a tea-room here (we do this every Friday, family tradition). There were lots of desserts around, but I think I smelled better than anything there. And I blended beautifully with the smell of tea.

Surprisingly, I loved this for the same reason I love Persephone--there's a comforting sweet/fruity note I have no idea how to describe, but as I soon as I swiped it on I got that happy Persephone vibe. Strawberries instead of pomegranates do make it sweeter, but it wasn't at all cheap-candy-ickiness on me. I was afraid of that, actually, but I should have trusted Beth more. (bad me, but I got burned on Victoria's Secret's Strawberries and Champagne, which smells like Bactine.) This makes me feel great, and I will wear it to go with girly moods.

Friendly little devil! This one behaved differently on me than on most of you--it was neither dangerous nor sexy nor assertive; it was a soft and lovely citrus with the slightest touch of spice, and it perched lightly on me like the proverbial devil on your shoulder and made me smile. Much like Shollin, I got the sense of orange turning into orange-blossoms. Very playful and pleasant. In Smilie terms I would say it was , not as I was expecting. Now for the Voodoo aspect: I dabbed this on right before bed and then put my wrist under Brian's nose and said, "Does this make you feel lusty and playful?" And Brian said, "dosh werk f'yer slep?" which translates as (I think) "does it work if you're asleep?", because he was already pretty much gone. However I should note that things had already been very frisky earlier in the evening at our new apartment (have to break it in, you know), so it really wasn't fair to expect Red Devil to do much. I'll try it again when I seriously want to induce lusty playfulness.

Clover, I thought you might answer this one! Just a hunch. (Yay for Arthurian obsessions!!!) Allrighty, of course I was saying it exactly wrong. Although not as wrong as when I first read about the Greek pantheon as a child and pronounced "Persephone" as though it ended like "telephone."

I really should know this...but I really don't. Which syllable is accented in Tintagel? Is it TIN-tagel or tinTAgel? It's one of those names I've read many times but never heard anyone say out loud. This had tripped me up many times in my life, since as a child I read much more than I talked (it's a toss-up these days... ) My personal favorite was when, at about age 7, I told my mom I was feeling mel-ANCH-oly. Kind of like "anchovie." But I digress. Right. Tintagel?

I got lots and lots of cinnamon from this, with the dragon's blood lurking pleasantly in the background all day. There was a burst of wine at the very beginning, but I didn't really get the woods very much. I may try again and see. This is very autumnal, and somehow it really does evoke a feast: it's spicy in a grand way, if that makes any sense--a great hall rather than a kitchen. (How does Beth DO that? I'm constantly amazed!). It is indeed gender-neutral, but I think it may be more to Brian's taste--he can pull off the sweet "alcoholic" notes better than I can (I can't do rum, for instance, but he can). However, I will borrow it back from him for holiday festivities, especially if we join the local SCA as we are considering doing. This would be perfect for feasts and merriment when we're in our garb!

I was quite excited about this one, since I love fig. Plus, Intrigue sounds like a good mystery-novel scent (I haven't actually tried Mystery itself yet). Wet, this smells exactly like Cathedral on me--those heavy ol' resins. It gets sweeter almost at once, with some dry cocoa and tobacco (?). Much more wearable than Cathedral, but the fig never showed up on me. Drat. This scent reminds me definitely of a female spy (er, one hiding out in a cathedral?), but not a sexy spy like Mata Hari. I'm thinking Carmen Sandiago. I may not wear this very often, but it is indeed intriguing.

Oh, yes! OH! YES! Sorry, Hamadryad made me entirely too happy. This is the first time I've gotten the famous "second-skin" effect, wherein one thinks, "I smell good," rather than "This oil smells good." I sniffed the vial, then immediately started dabbing it all over, and my brain was thinking, "You make me feel like a natural Woodfairy" (off-key as usual, of course). It is woodsy but in a very delicate way--no Pine-sol! no Christmas trees! A softly feminine magick-glade scent. Out of the bottle, there was a quick flash of green floral akin to my dear Belle Dame sans Merci. However, almost at once the cinnamon came out to play, making this a definite autumn scent (Belle Dame is a frosty early-spring to me). To sum up: This is the perfect spicy-floral I've wanted for fall: spicy without being foody, floral without being warm-weather. I want a big bottle!!!

Lost in Translation in a bottle! Light, sophisticated, urbane and wistful--just like Scarlett J's character. I wanted this for my boy--the huge anime fan--and he'll be the one who wears it, since I like stronger florals, but it really is gender-neutral; I can wear it just as well. The cherry blossoms are present but faint; what really came through on me was the "electric light" and "crisp mountain air", both of which shouldn't even have a smell...but somehow they do. Nice job, Beth!

This imp is for my sister, the chanteuse in the family--I expect to hear her in a cabaret one of these days--but I get to review it first! The oil is about the color of Snake Oil--a rich, reddish gold. In the vial: Warm floral--I really smell the wisteria in there; reminds me of Eternal, but a more robust version (Eternal is so sad and wistful to me). On me, wet: Sweetly floral--I know it's wisteria and jasmine, but it's much like gardenia when you put the two together. I imagine a torch singer with a gardenia in her hair...vulnerable, a bit melancholy, but still sexy and strong. Not getting the musk yet. Drydown: The florals calm down and the touch of musk is very nice and warming. Not me (I prefer rose or white floral), but I'll bet my sister will love it. It smells confident and feminine--just like she is on stage.

Eeek! I never heard this before. I moisturize head to toe after showering every day (gotta keep my Victorian pallor smooth) and I just bought some Johnson's "softlotion" which, I think, is lotion mixed with baby oil...it feels great. What exactly is it doing to me?

As I think I said in a review, Havisham reminds me of a vengeful version of White Linen (Estee Lauder)...how f*cked up is that?

One caveat: Alice CAN get strong sometimes--she's currently scenting my entire bedroom just b/c a dab spilled on the tag. I love her but kinda wish she would calm down already. How about Swank? It tends to be very light and crisp... I am also a huge, huge fan of La Belle Dame sans Merci--light and green; I wear it when I'm sniffed out from other things.

Just got this in a swap--pretty color, the same deep amber-orange as Snake Oil. In the bottle: getting whiffs of both the pear and the wine. Wet: aghhh! It attacked me! Holy Super-Sweetness, Batman! Pears in syrup, a decadent dessert for those with major sugar cravings. Dry: a little calmer but not much--getting the heliotrope. On me, it's not like some of the cheap candy or bubble-gum people have mentioned, but it for some reason seems like a naughty French candy I am not debauched enough to appreciate (which is absurd, considering my level of debauchery... but that's how it smells to me). Interesting-- I think my sister may like this--it could be sexy fun on a teenager, but it's a little young or loud or something for me. This smells more like Lolita than, well, Lolita to me. Oil of Nymphet!

Alice was not on my wish-list, but I swapped for a bit of her after reading that she's the signature scent for Dagny, our new BPAL baby. This caused me to go all clucky (as our darling British posters call it), and to have a fit of theoretical-future-daughter scent-lust. Hence, Alice. So, here she is. In the bottle: Mmm. Honey and spices, a kitcheny scent--when there's a tea-party going on at the kitchen table. The sort of tea-party frequented by dolls and teddy bears. Wet: Soft and delectable, but I can't pick out individual notes except for the bergamot, which I love. Drying: I keep sniffing my wrist. Baby powder has appeared, which I like less than bergamot but which increases clucky tendencies. Spiciness still apparent. Where is the floral? Wait, there's a hint of rose. Where did that come from?? This one keeps unfolding...curious indeed. Soft, sweet, spicy. Pink-and-white. Argh, I only have a tiny bit of this and want more! No longer sure whether for me or theoretical-daughter, though. You know what this reminds me of? VIctoria magazine. It's gone now, but I've collected 10 yrs worth of issues. It was a genteel, ladylike, yet slightly quirky and mischievous magazine, and it put me into a trance of peaceful reflection--I always savored the new issue with a cup of tea. Alice makes me feel like that.

Hooray! My first limited edition scent--MissAnthropy decanted an imp for me. Miss Havisham is my favorite Dickens character, and I've been sooo looking forward to this one. Has anyone ever smelled White Linen by Estee Lauder? Havisham has some of the same notes--the clear white floral, fresh and unforgettable, a touch of rose and many other notes--but it has a brooding quality that it totally different from WL. Not exactly sad or malicious on me, but just brooding--like she's pondering the best revenge for her unrequited love. (Since my Mom always wears WL, this is a little unnerving for me!). I really, really like this. It does seem to capture the character. You know what I want to do with this? I saved and preserved my bouquet of white roses from my first wedding--although the album is in a trunk somewhere at my parents' house, the bouquet sits in a vase on my desk precisely because it always seemed such a Miss Havisham prop to me. (Brian doesn't mind. Really.) I think it would be the most appropriate thing on earth for that "frozen" wedding bouquet to smell like Havisham. Heehee Edited to add: Havisham has become my all-time favorite BPAL...and my very first Big Bottle! It's gorgeous and appropriate year-round, because it just smells so *me*. The florals were perfect for spring, but now the "frozen" quality seems perfect for winter. This is the leading contender for Signature Scent..er, once I've tried a couple hundred more oils, of course.

Tomorrow is my first in-person meeting with my Headmaster...ohhh, that sounds so wrong. What I mean is, the Headmaster of the prep school where I've just been hired--we've only spoken on the phone as of yet. I don't *think* the job could be snatched from me, but it's still a little nerve-wracking--when I got into town today I drove by to see the school, and it is gorgeous--huge, stunning Victorian mansion w/ fountains and manicured lawns. Intimidating. Very. I was going to wear something "neutral", but after seeing it I'm feeling a real need for Persephone--since it's all-girls and all female faculty, I don't exactly seeing being feminine as a problem here. I don't intend to put on too much, but Persephone makes me feel happy and lovely...my (rambling) point here is that this is an intuitive thing, so wear whatever puts you in the right frame of mind. Argh, I'm nervous!! I'll report back tomorrow.

Ooo, I hope Beth brings them back soon--I'm plotting a bunch of imps for my little sister's birthday in Sept. and desperately need BOTH Ingenue and Wolfsbane...Ingenue because she's a theater major/wonderful little actress (can you tell I'm proud? and Wolfsbane because of her current obsession with Lupin, the werewolf in Harry Potter...although I could get Loup Garou for that one if need be. Savage is a mystery to me, although it sounds great. Mrs. Black, check out the "Hemlock" thread on here--it ends up being hijacked and people do explain about Wolfsbane.

Just got this in my first international swap, yay! (goes to wash salsa off hands) Ok, let's open it, shall we? In the vial: Whoo! A blast of floral sweetness--very white and almost edible (must be the gardenia). On me: Still edible--vaguely discomfiting, since I don't usually think of eating flowers...hmmm...having a hard time pinning it down...gardenia but also almost like magnolia--BIG white flowers, somehow clean and sweet at the same time. Sun-drenched. Mmm. I got this in my ongoing experiment to find the right handfasting scent, since Eternal would be so appropriate--a gesture of good faith. I like it, but I'll have to wear it a few more times and ponder, since it does seem slightly sad...which was the intention, of course. Very interesting, unusual floral blend.

Just got this in a swap, and it is good but did not do what I expected--first it was citrus and sharp, then some sweetness came in; I thought of pink grapefruit. Then the floral came out and was sweet in a gardenia-like way. None of this sounds at all like the Lab description, but that's what it did on me! Great late-summer scent.

Just got my imp in a swap today. Actual transcript of me talking to the fiance' while opening: 1. sniffing closed imp--Oo, I think I like this. Very soft and floral. Luminous. 2. opening imp--Oooo! This is good, this is good! 3. after dabbing some on--OMG, I f'cking LOVE this!!! This one will be a big bottle! I am very much a white florals person but don't want them too sweet or too...prim, if that makes sense. No old-lady stuff. This is divine--mystical, ethereal. My only complaint is that it fades very fast...like silver mist on a hot summer day. It's now my official Lucky Fragrance for Magickal Days.

Cathedral was one of my original Imps--I'm obsessed with Gothic architecture--but I knew at once it was way too resiny for me to wear, so I put it aside. Then today I noticed that a lot of people use it as a room scent. I'm pretty stressed at the moment, so I put Cathedral in my oil burner and put on a CD of chanting monks. Ahhhh. I won't say it turned my apartment into a cathedral--er, despite all my gargoyles, stained glass, etc.--but it helped. "Venerable and solemn" is the perfect description.

I can imagine it being very cool if there were different colors anyway--like maybe Limited Editions would be a different color just to make them even more, er, limited, or each category having its own color (blood red for Diabolous, maybe a mystical purple for the Tarots). Probably more fuss than Beth wants to bother about, but it sure would make organization easier for all the addicts...

I got this for my sister but was amazed at how much I like it--much more wearable than Cathedral, which is more of a ritual scent to me. Similar incense and resin notes, but that touch of soft floral really makes a difference--in fact, I like it better than some others that are "official" florals. I didn't have the soapy problem with this one--but then, my skin is weird. *shrug* Suggestion: If you liked the idea of Cathedral but found it too strong to wear, give this a shot.

Apparently Mab is a shapeshifter of a fragrance--she seems to behave differently towards everyone. I just got her in a swap, so we'll see... In the Bottle: Ooo, fancy floral! Darker than my beloved Belle Dame sans Merci. Is that a hint of peach? Wet: Whoa! The peaches really came out on me, and also soap. I've heard people say various oils "went soapy" on them but haven't had that happen until now. Right now there is a battle of the lovely peach and the blech soap. If peach doesn't win, I'm washing it off. Drydown: Ok, the soap seems to have calmed down, and suddenly there's a whiff of honey. That's more like it. Final Verdict: I never did get the florals to come out of the bottle and onto me at all, which kinda let me down, but honey and peaches make for a yummy summer scent... if the soap will stay away.