feline.by.design

I didn't get any cough syrup associations with Chokmah, which is good as I have already experienced such a state with another BPAL blend. Instead, Chokmah was very, very resiny/incensy on me. It reminded me of Scherezade, but deeper and more complex. Brent said it smelled like nag champa. To me, with its inner meaning it seemed as if a snatch of air was captured from a Tibetan temple eons ago, along with the sounds of chanting and meditative silence. Oooooh.... On me, Chokmah managed to be strong and noticable on me, but not overpowering in the least. This is great. I really love, love, love the scent, and so I've broken down and bought a bottle of Chokmah for my most recent order of today. This is a gorgeous scent for the skin, and it would be wonderful burned in an oil burner as well. It's mysterious and... well, knowing. This is the first Sephiroth scent I've tried, and because of this good experience, I'm interested in trying a few more. -doreen

Chimera. It's syrupy goo. I'm actually someone who runs the other direction in the presence of ubersweet sniffs. -doreen

I like cinnamon, and I've heard buzzed about these forums that Chimera is the scent to try if you're into cinnamon. Which I am. Well, initially in the bottle and when wet on my skin, Chimera smells like a mix of cough syrup (ew!) and a wet fireball. Waaaay too syrupy-sweet in this initial stage. I find it rather gross, to be honest. Even after waiting for about ten minutes for some sort of drydown, the syrupyness does calm down a bit, but yet doesn't go away. The cinnamon is too sweet in this one. Definitely one for someone else besides me. If you're fond of sweet, foody, sugary fragrances with a bit of a kick, maybe you'll like this one. -doreen

Get ready for it... here it comes.... It's the TEA SQUEEEEEEEE!!!! TEEEEEEEAAAA!!!! *Ahem* Okay, I'm better now. So yeah, The Dormouse is wonderful. I'm a raging fan of the teas, although Dorian and The White Rabbit were a bit on the lighter side for me. The Dormouse is definitely darker, although not as dark as Severin, which is more leather than tea for me. The Dormouse is the most "tea" fragrance out of the four that I've tried for me, and by golly I like it! Sign me up for a bigger bottle sometime within the next few orders, please. I'm really fond of the herbal smell in The Dormouse as well, which must be the peonies, I suppose. Not too flowery, not too overpowering, just lightly nudging the tea towards the road where The Apothecary lies. All in all, The Dormouse is wonderful. -doreen

If you're not keen on patchouli, you will likely want to pass on Fire of Love, however the patchouli's reign of Fire (get it?) doesn't last too long before it's replaced by something softer, which I take to be sandalwood. This was a freebie from the Lab, which I'm glad they included. It's an interesting fragrance that changes quite a bit from the civet(?)-patchouli beginnings. In the end, it's not too bad, although it may be something to smear on the man rather than on me. It's a very dark scent, "creepy dark" like Gin said. It's a bit intimidating, but it calms down after a while, at least on my skin. -doreen

You know, it's weird... I didn't get anything but something I determined to be cedar from The World. None of the cinnamon or green grass smells, just... cedar. I like cedar, but not really by itself. I may pass this on, or I may keep it to boost some other fragrances I like that have the cedar note. It's not a bad fragrance, but it isn't something I'd wear often. -doreen

I'll add my chorus to the "It's not a heavy woodsy scent, wow!!" crowd. It smells a lot like, well, dirt to me when wet. Damp, decomposing leaves is the image I'm getting. Strange, but I like it. However, Yggdrasil lightens up really quickly, and I don't know if anyone else is getting this, but I'm smelling something fruity, oddly reminding me of a heavier, headier R'lyeh, sans aquatic notes. It's actually really sweet, and a bit too ripe for me. It smells nice, but in the end, I'm probably just going to keep my imp and pass on getting a bigger bottle. Funny enough, the Lab sent me a freebie of Yggdrasil while I was waiting for an imp I ordered, so I will wind up having one extra I may pass on to someone else who might be interested. -doreen

Okay, I'll say it. When I first saw the imp of Mantis in my order, the first thing I thought of was "....like praying mantis?" Has anyone else ever seen that kung fu film where the woman turnes into a praying mantis? No? Uhm... well then. Anyway, I'm glad that Mantis doesn't smell like bug juice. I like amber, I like patchouli, I like citrus scents. On me, when I first applied Mantis it smelled like a wonderful golden floral scent. It was actually pretty strong. In about ten minutes, most of the floral elements disappeared, leaving me with a light amber/patchouli base that actually smells like sandalwood. The neroli is still there, lurking around, lightening the mood, so to speak. I like Mantis, but I feel like I won't be rushing out to buy a bottle anytime soon. I'll have to see how often I seek out my imp of it before I buy a bottle. If I were to pick up a bottle, I'd buy it for my mother, whom I think would like it a lot. It reminds me a bit of her Tresor fragrance she's really fond of. So I think she would like this. -doreen

On first sniff, something in Silk Road reminds me of really nice... soap. I've been rockin' Clarity body soap and lotion from Thiravama, so maybe that's why I got that odd association. I sensed something powdery in the background, but not very strong to have an overall affect on the perfume. I love spicy fragrances. Some of my favourites are Laudanum, Morocco and Scherezade, so it's no surprise that I love this one as well. The spices of Silk Road are strong, yet not as sharp as Laudanum. There is a bit of clove oil, but it's not like Three Witches, another scent I adore. Other than that, I couldn't really distinguish the spices in Silk Road too much. I did smell something sweet, like some sort of exotic, yummy fruit. I've had Silk Road for the past week in a film canister with four other imps, and I've been wearing Silk Road more than all of them this week. Originally, when trying on Silk Road, I was kind of ambivalent about trying yet another spicy scent. Yeah, I'll probably like it, but I have enough spicy imps already... The imp was actually a freebie from the Lab, I think. But now, I think I like Silk Road better than Morocco, though it smells too different from Scherezade. My boyfriend gave me an unsolicited compliment on Silk Road, which gives me reason to like it even more. All in all, I really like Silk Road, but if I'm going to buy a whole bottle of a spicy/oriental scent, I'd pick Scherezade first, then Silk Road. Or I'd buy them both at once, like the spice fiend I am. -doreen *Update! I have a bottle on order as of the 29th of August, '05. And I did order Scherezade in a previous order, so I did wind up ordering Scherezade first, then Silk Road.*

In addition to the suggestions of Jabberwocky, Whitechapel, Hemlock, Cheshire Cat and Wolfsbane, I'd recommend Mad Hatter. The pennyroyal is quite refreshing, and the oil tends to fade within an hour or two on my skin. Embalming Fluid and Phantasm are also good picks. -doreen

Brisingamen is fantastic, wonderful, gorgeous... etc. In the initial applicatin I did get the florals from the carnation; the smell was light yet still there. However, as time wore on, and the fragrance dried, I noted a scent that was similar to that of wood burning. I LOVE THE SMELL OF BURNING WOOD!!! Ahem, yes, well, anyway, I was happy about this. It didn't smell quite like the fragrance of a fire, but moreso of the burned wood itself, but not nearly as sharp. It's possible that the smell was tempered by the apple blossom and carnation working in the background The myrtle was the prominent note for me, followed by the amber. Amber loves me, and I love amber. :::does a happy amber dance::: Brisingamen really evokes a sort of autumn aura with me, although I wouldn't limit myself to wearing it solely in the months of autumn (which hardly hit Florida anyway). Although some wearers have mentioned the scent being feminine, I felt, at least with my skin chemistry, the fragrance was quite unisex. So yes, Brisingamen is now on my long list of fragrances to buy bigger bottles of. Honestly, if I had the money, I would need a huge bureau to hold my BPAL stash of bottles. -doreen

In the bottle and when wet, The Star reeked of almonds (eep!). This would be loverlies to other people, but I belong to the small anti-almond faction of the forum. So imagine my surprise when I applied the oil and, as it began to dry, the almonds went away. Yay! Yes, The Star is definitely "Spooky-esque." The coconut-mint is very prominent, with a twist of lime. Brent, my boyfriend, said my skin smelled like "very nice suntan lotion." Well, if The Star has similar components to Spooky, it may be cause for worry for me, as Spooky elicited the first-ever allergic reaction from me. I don't know what component of the oil caused it, but I have had to let go of the two bottles of Spooky I had (sadly, as it smelled great). I'm hoping that The Star doesn't do the same, but I'll have to apply and see. So far, no nasty red bumps have cropped up on my mid-forearm, which is a good thing. I've applied The Star on my neck as well, and so far the only thing I am getting out of that is the wonderful smell of the oil. Barring any allergic freak-out, I would definitely invest in a larger bottle of The Star. I love the fragrance, and it would be lovely to wear in the upcoming summer heat of Florida, as well as suitable for the chill bite of winter. To me, it's a good all-season fragrance that works well during the day and in the evening. -doreen Edited to add: The drydown evokes more of the lime notes on my skin, but the fragrance is still very soft and very sweet. No inferno effect on my neck, either. A bigger bottle shall be mine! Edited again to add: Wore the scent again, and the mint made me nauseated! Yegads! I couldn't handle it, so I no longer have an imp, and a bigger bottle shall *not* be mine. Damn.

After having my eye on this fragrance for quite some time, I finally received an imp of it recently. What took me so long? This reminds me of Scherezade, but kicked up a bit more. Where Scherezade is a gentle, warm sort of spice, Morocco is more brazen and bold. Both work well with me, and I'm loving the spicy-sweet fragrance of Morocco. Not only that, but recently I received my first order from Thiravama, and the Clarity line of lotion and body wash really works well with Morocco, almost as if they were made for each other. Then they were made for *me,* tee-hee! Happy happy happy happy happy!! -doreen

Can you believe I bought this straight from the Lab and I'm just now trying it on?? Slacker? Yes, that could be me. In any case, after the initial "wow, bubblebath!" smell that is likely the plums, my skin morphs Midwinter's Eve into the smell of those holiday candles. It's gentle, nice, but... candles? Seriously, it's like I've got my nose to some green wax. I'm really amazed at how *dead on* the smell is, but I'm kind of waffling as to whether or not I want to hold onto Midwinter's Eve. I may try it out as a room fragrance before I give the final yay or nay, but as it stands, I don't think I'll be wearing it often. It's a lovely fragrance, just not for me. -doreen

Belle Epoque is a bottle I had originally bought for someone else, but wound up giving her another one instead. So, I had the bottle on me for, like, an era, and I finally got around to giving the sniff a whirl. On the skin, Belle Epoque has a soft, soft floral that has a "powdered sugar" sweetness, which I guess could be the vanilla. The fragrance evokes innocence and purity. It's very pleasant in the bottle and smells nice on my skin. It actually smells to me like how a baby's nursery room ought to be in a French apartment or house. This is a very gentle and delicate fragrance. The oil gets faintly powdery after a little while, about five minutes or so. Although this is a beautiful fragrance, there is something that is preventing me from wholly loving it. It seems like something I would admire on someone else, but I wouldn't wear. Again, with the kids, this seems like a nice oil for little girls to play with when fiddling about with dress-up games or when going to an event where they have to behave like "little ladies." If it were an imp, I would likely keep it, but I'm really trying to cut down on my collection, so off it goes to the hands of another. I was still glad all the same to try the bottle. Belle Epoque will likely please whomever she may find. -doreen

I recently purchased 16 reducer caps from Nanda, so I'm set for at least a couple more orders. -doreen

The Lady of Shallot has made me realise I hate gardenias. This is the note that is in so many of the Voodoo oils I disliked: Has No Hanna, for example. It's sweet and syrupy and just not my thing. After ten minutes, gardeniarama is still prevalent, though they seem to be tempered only about a nudge by watery notes. Swap! -doreen

:::pushes a little stool towards the center of the room and stands on it::: THE HERMIT!!!! :::gets off the stool and pushes it back towards the wall area::: -doreen

I see your Embalming Fluid with my own recommendation of it, and also throw into the pot: The Hermit, Old Paris, Shanghai, Sophia, Temple of Dreams, Sudha Segara, Oneiroi, Phantasm, Baobhan Sith, Roadhouse, Belle Epoque. -doreen

My boy actually smells yum in Black Pearl. It's his favourite. Maybe this is a help: Blue Jeans by Versace Citrus, Fougere, Woody. Created in 1994 by Gianni Versace, Blue Jeans is the result of the following top fragrance Notes: bergamot, citrus and lime. The middle notes are: freesia, patchouli and vetiver and the base of the fragrance is: sandalwood, oakmoss and cedar. Blue Jeans is recommended for casual use. I would suggest getting a six pack for your man if you can, picking fragrances that might work with either of you. Judging from the notes of Blue Jeans (Ladytron, anyone?), I might suggest: -Lear -Danse Macabre (Brent really likes this one) -Whitechapel -Titus Andronicus -Villain -Fenris Wolf Hope this helps. -doreen

The Hermit is a wonderful scent. I really like it as it doesn't tempt me to fall asleep or anything, like some other fragrances would. I'd also go with anything that has verbena, green tea or citrus notes. Phantasm, Shanghai, Embalming Fluid, Succubus and Zephyr might do well. Other oils to try: Severin (I seem to recall someone saying she used this oil for studying), Absinthe, Mad Hatter, Three Witches (when it comes back around). -doreen who also should be studying

Non-incensy florals with ylang-ylang, amber, lily, musk and/or rose? I haven't tried Pavi Elle, so my recommendations may totally be off-base. But, here's a shot: Loralei, Julilet, Phantom, Iambe, Psyche, Ave Maria Gratia Plena, Eve, Zephyr, La Petit Mort, Endymion, Cordelia or Fallen. Out of those, I am fond of Juliet, Zephyr, Endymion and La Petit Mort. The others I either didn't care for or I haven't tried. Good luck. -doreen

I think Shadow actually would be a suitable substitute for Eidolon, albeit a bit darker with the patchouli addition. I just put a swatch of my imp of Eidolon on my wrist to give me a bit of a refresher as to what it smells like. Along the lines of its citrus-dust scents, I would also try Phantasm, Succubus and Embalming Fluid. I would recommend other fragrances, like Yuki-Onna, Phobos and Hakkotsu, but they're discontinued as well (waaanh!). Libertine might also be a good substitute. I've tried it and liked it a ton. Arcana is nice, but has a bit of a lavender kick which might not suit you. -doreen

Mad Hatter! It's a mintstravaganza! -doreen

Out of the Voodoo Blends I've tried, my the only one I really like (and like a lot) is Wolf's Heart. I smeared some on the boy the night before his interview, and he said it went really well (of course, he gave no credit to the oil I wiped on him). I'm thinking that I should try oils like Cruciable of Courage and High John the Conqueror, but I always forget to (bah!). Outside of the Voodoo Blends, I feel bold and charming when wearing fragrances like Hollywood Babylon or Vinland. The resin-sweet fragrances make me feel a bit plucky for one reason or another. -doreen