cuervosueno

I also have to try all the forum only blends. One day, perhaps, one will work for me. F5, alas, is not that one. Yes, its refreshing as can be. But I don't like refreshing scents. I'm more of a spice/incense girl, but I do very much like tea scents and mint can be nice, so i thought I'd take a chance. In the bottle, its nice, if a bit more zesty than I expected. Green tea and citrus with a touch of sweetness, and just a hint of mint. It reminds me of a upscale men's aftershave--you know, kind of like L'Occidente's green tea scents? Which I do like. When I keep sniffing from the bottle there is something else in there...a hint of familiar sweetness....is there white musk in this? (scrolls back to read description). Yes, I see there is. White musk is hit or miss on me, and this time it is missing. Because on, I lose most of the lime, and get a fairly green sweetness...white musk, and if the other thing I'm getting is mint, its a very sweet mint, like spearmint rather than peppermint. there's also a touch of ozone. On me it really, really smells like men's aftershave. Which I'm not excited about. After an hour or so, the green tea comes back, and I have a sweetened green tea blend that is pleasant, if not exciting. Guess F5 is not for me. Well, a couple of my friends swooned over it, so I guess I have to decide if I'll be a good friend and give some to them, or just put up for swaps. (And I'm such an addict, its likely the latter! )

I was worried about the wine in this, because often wine in blends is sour awfulness on me. but how could I resist milk and honey and sweetcakes? I couldn't, so I ordered an imp. It is really delicious. It is caramely at first, sweet and rich. Yes, like caramel rolls as someone else said. But that buttery note fades, and I'm literally hit in the face with a very strong scent of sweet vanilla cake, maybe with a burnt sugar topping? Its very strong, with just a hint of spice that is like cinnamon but not that strong on me. After a bit, I get a boozy note that is sweet rather than dry....I was thinking about port earlier as I sniffed my wrist but whoever said sweet sherry was closer. I don't mind this booziness at all. It is very strong and has a lot of throw. Oddly, I also got a hint of nuts--not when I smelled it up close, but when my arm was further away. Its a lovely foody scent, and I'm glad I have the imp, though I don't think I need a bottle. I love to sniff the foody scents but don't wear them that often.

I was really looking forward to my imp of this when I got my CD order, and I am not disappointed! On me, this smells exactly like a fresh cut apple. Think of the sweet-tartness of a McKintosh just picked, and you've got it. It is crisp and lovely. In the beginning, I get nothing but apple, but after it has been on for awhile (more than an hour) the apple softens and the sweet slightly spicy scent of the dragon's blood kicks in. Its just a little sweeter and differently foral that DB usually is on me, so i suspect I'm smelling the hyacinth/apple blossom as well. And I get just a touch of white musk. Its very lovely, though since I'm not a slatherer, I imagine this imp will last me awhile. This is a great addition to the series, and if its not quite as good for me as my favorite--Dragon's Milk--it is still very lovely.

I got this because I can't imagine anything better than sugared incense, and with the florals, I had a vague hope it would be like my much beloved Dia del Los Muertos 04. Not at all. But this just rocketed to my all-time top 5. Ok, top three. This is gorgeous. I got the package yesterday and opened it first. I was with a friend. We both smelled it in the bottle and went "meh." In the bottle it is like smoky perfume--uninpiring. I put it on, and what I got immediately was a slightly powdery, slightly soapy floral. I do not smell any jasmine at all in this--and my skin amps jasmine like crazy. It is a white floral, a tropical floral. Very familiar. Then I realized what it reminded me: Nag Champa soap that I get sometimes at the Indian market. That has the gorgeous nag champa (champaca flower I believe) scent, but of course a bit of soapiness too. I didn't mind the soapieness for once because it was very mild. And it disappears entirely. What I'm left with is the most glorious incense scent ever. It smells like the ash left after burning Nag Champa incense--sweet and powdery. And--I can't stress this enough--exactly like incense. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist, but after an hour or so, it seemed to have gone. Then my friend, who was standing quite a ways away from me, said my god I can still smell that and it's beautiful! I have to concur with zenvodonist: For hours and hours I was surrounded with the most beautiful aura of incense--and is less like perfume then a cloud of sweet haunting beauty. It is utterly unlike anything I've smelled. If you like incense scents, get this: it's the holy grail of incense scents. eta: but after wearing it for awhile, I discovered something odd. I finally got a scent locket, and since Midnight on the Midway fades fairly quickly on me, I decided to put it in the scent locket. Where it doesn't work nearly as well. On me, it softens to the remnants of nag champa incense, but in the locket, it stays strongly floral and sweet. Its just not nearly as good. Guess the scent locket will bring new adventures in BPAL as I figure out what works and doesn't.

I bought Salon decants, and on the day I got them, I slathered away without remembering what the notes were, so my impressions were sheerly based on scent, though of course now I know what it is in them! The only thing I remembered was in Carceri was redwood, so I was a bit surprised to find it so sweet as others noted. That top sweetnote, almost slightly fruity, was very familiar though, and I puzzled over it for awhile. After it hits my skin, a bit of wood comes out--and I recognize redwood immediately. So I looked up the notes this morning and smacked my forehead--of course! Frankincense! That is the sweet top note on me. Not all Beth's Frankincense notes have worked on me, though I'm a great worshipper of this resin. (and now I wonder if the problem has been I've often smelled BPAL frankicense with BPAL myhrr, which is a true myhrr--as opposed to sweet myhrr--that is a bit too bitter for me). In Carceri, the frankincense is the one I adore--sweet, almost fruity. Sometimes Frankincense can have a sweet rich scent that is reminiscent of dried fruit, and this has that note to me. It smells EXACTLY like the blonde frankicense chips I burn in the winter on top of my woodstove. The redwood comes in strong after that, tempering the sweetness, so I get the sense of frankicense chips stored in a redwood box. I don't get much pepper, but there is a spicy note to this that is pleasant, and is, no doubt, due to the black pepper. I'm sure the blonde tobacco is amping up the sweetness of my beloved frankincense, but I'm not truly able to distinguish it on its own. I do note that after a bit this has a very sophisticated cologne counter sort of scent to it, and even though I don't know the other perfumes people compared this to, I can see why it might be reminiscent of some. I wonder if that is due to the blonde tobacco. In any case, this is gorgeous. My only complaint is that on me it fades fairly quickly--I'd tried this on one wrist and Satan and Death on the other, and a few hours later Satan and Death was still going strong and this was gone. But that's ok--I bought a portion of a bottle, so I have enough, and as much as I love this, I don't often reach for woody scents, so I suspect this will be plenty. Bravo to Beth, though! This is an amazing blend. eta: since I wrote the original review, I've been slathering this on every day, and I just love it more and more. That sweet, soft frankincense is gorgeous on me. This has become one of my favorite BPAL blends. To prove how different skin chemistry is once again, though, I let my friend try it--she adores wood scents. On her, though, the woodsy notes were faint, and the frankincense turned sour/plasticy. ah well--now I don't have to share!

I got this imp as an extra when I bought some Salon decants from a lovely forumite. I didn't remember what was in it, but immediately put it on. Uh oh. Florals. That's mostly what I got, a soft floral, which to my nose smelled faintly like my nemesis, rose. I tried to remember if there was rose in this blend, because it wasn't the most in your face rose, but it was definately a floral I wasn't enjoying. It lasted longer than I would have liked. My overall impression: soft, perfumy florals. Not my thing. When I finally looked up the notes, I see there is no rose at all (and also that I'm not the only one who was fooled!). I do know that I can't wear violet either--my skin amps it up, though usually I can recognize that scent. In any case, this one just didn't work for me, but I was glad to try it!

I bought a decanted imp of this, got on my way to my boxing class, and put it on right then, not knowing whatt any of the notes were. I loved it! It was a strong citrus on me, and yes, it reminded me of Tweedledee (or is it Tweedledum? the one with kumquats....) It is very fruity and rich, with a nice wood note under the fruitiness that grounds it. After a few hours, I smelled something very like amber, and I kept trying to remember if there was amber in it or not. Apparently not. But as others have noted, the fruity note seems to be a mixture of the white tea and the orangeblossom. I'm not sure where the amber-ish note is coming from. In any case, I thought I would love this from the descrip., and I really really do. Too bad I have to be content with just an imp for now. eta: how odd. I never wore it again, then decided to swap it, so before I did I tried it once more. Very Very different. Now it smells like citrus right off....though more lemony than orange. After a few minutes I get strong orange blossom (a la Vixen) and then.....yikes! It has a sort of cat pee note like some of TALs. Something went horribly wrong.....well, glad I'm swapping it.

I put this on the other night as part of a purifying/healing ritual. Before that I'd smelled it, dressed a candle with it, but hadn't worn it. But I'd been thinking a lot about this Orisha so I decided to try wearing some of the oil. It is lovely, and does exactly what I would hope Obatala's scent would do--comforts me, makes feel calm and at peace. It is mostly milky on me, and in that way it reminds a bit of Alice without the carnation spice. (I don't remember Milk Moon enough to make that comparison). I get a hint of coconut, but its not too much or too sweet (I don't like coconut as a scent). I also think I smell the shea butter, or at least the nice versions of shea butter, meaning that it reminds me of the base note of some shea butter lotions I've made. It is a calm, white scent, very lovely, very comforting, and I have to admit that I like it so much, esp. at night, that I'm thinking I might need a bottle to both wear and use ritually.

Ah, Osun. this is the perfect representation of her, I think. Heady honey, a strong floral, and a boozy note that all encourage indulgence. I'll be very happy to use it to dress candles for her with it. As a scent, its not me. I love BPAL honey notes, but this is boozier, more floral than the intoxicating honey of, say, Litha or Honeymoon. I don't get a true honey note from it. Someone compared it to Jezebel, and yes, it seems similiar to me, enough so that I wonder if the floral is rose.

Oya is not at all like the notes would suggest to me. I was absolutely shocked to see that there was plum in here. What I get are strong ozone, which seems suitable to me considering it is Oya's ofrenda. there's also a hint of booziness that is interesting. but mostly this smells like some sort of eau de toilette to me....you know, where at first you get a strong alcohol note? I don't like the scent particularly, but it does suggest Oya to me, esp. that strong ozone opening. And I didn't get it to wear anyway.

Beth, with Chaos Theory III, you've made me very very happy! First, I was surprised to see I have bottle XXXIV, which is 34, I believe. Forgetting for a moment the arbitrary nature of this experiment, I expected to get a higher number since so many people who recieved theirs before me had high numbers. Somehow 34 seemed lucky to me. And of course this is my third try at the Chaos theories. I was hoping the third time would be the charm, and indeed it was. This one also really illustrates the "strange attractors" part, because the best way I can describe this is as a mixture of Samhain with Roadhouse. I know that sounds bizarre, but for me, it really works. First sniff from the bottle: boozy, green and slightly sweet. Imagine the boozy dandelions of roadhouse, and something else--say the burnt sugar top notes of Dia de Los Muertos 04. When I put it on, the green just blooms on my skin--very like dandelions, but it could also be bamboo, or something else green. Then the boozy note becomes more complex: is this honey? No. This is the point when I got out Samhain (from 04, so it was an aged blend) and I noted a similiarity. Hard apple cider? Perhaps, but its not apples per se I get, just a boozy fermented scent that is quite intoxicating. And there is that sugary note as well--slightly burnt, but not vanilla and not the heavier burnt sugar notes of say, Devil's Night. When I compared it to Hungry Ghost Moon (on my other arm) I saw that it could be sugar cane--it has that green sweetness to it (though this smells nothing like HGM). Then I layered Roadhouse and Samhain to see if it was similiar, and it was when it was wet, before the spice and sweetness of Samhain overpowered it. So I really have no idea what is in this, but I'd say dandelions and/or sugar cane. And something boozy, but like a fermented drink--beer or cider--rather than a wine or hard liquor. If I call it a summer version of Samhain, will that suffice? And if I say it reminds me some of Samhain and Dia De Los Muertos, will that explain how much I like this? Because those two are my all-time favorite BPAL blends. So after three years, I've got a keeper in the Chaos theory game! Thanks Beth eta: I returned to this review after comparing this scent to Ladon, and they are similiar, though Ladon is much more fresh apples, and this is boozy apple cider. But I definately think there is some apple in here.

I can't tell you all how many times I read this thread, drooling over your descriptions of ELF. Soft lemon? Honey lemon? I was imagining something like TAL milk and honey, that I could wear on a more regular basis. I was so excited, so sure I would love this best of everything in my latest order. But I don't. In the bottle its nice--a sort of powdery lemon candy. But on me, it is a very soapy floral. Yes, it is bright and yellow, but a sort of pastel yellow. and did I say soapy? After about an hour, the honey and amber amp up, and I get the distinctive note of honey, and odd powdery, almost sweaty scent of amber (I know that's an odd description of amber, but thats how it is for me--and its not a bad thing. Amber for me is kind of like goat cheese: at first I always think do I really LIKE this? Then I do). These final honey amber stage is nice--in fact there is a Fred Soll resin incense in Honey Amber that is is slightly reminiscient of. But I don't love it, and I don't llike the soapy/perfumy stage at all. and I have Honey Moon and Litha for my honey fixes, so while I plan to give this another try, I think it will likely go bye-bye. eta: to take out catalog descrip. Sorry--I do that so I can remember what is in it, then mean to take it out before posting!

I had no hopes of liking this though I love a number of the notes: sandalwood, vanilla, ginger, grapefruit. Still, the lunacy blends--Asian or not--are mostly a miss on me. I keep ordering them, but have kept 2 out of....well, more than a year's worth. So the odds were against this. But I fell under Beth's spell immediately. And now I have three lunar oils to cherish. In the bottle, it is green, tangy, very slightly citrusy. I'd forgotten what was in it other than ginger candy, and I didn't get that, but I did think of green tea. Oddly, esp. after reading these reviews, I got no grapefruit at all, not in any of the stages. I put it on, and the scent immediately turns sweet. What I get is a slightly boozy scent (must be the sake) and the sweetness of sugar cane, and I must agree with Zenvodunista here--it really is like fresh sugar cane--sweet and green. There is also a middle stage that is slightly like a tea-based men's cologne to me, and though I liked that, I was a bit dubious about that stage, but it didn't last. the vanilla comes out, tempered by wood and something else, something incensy. It does remind me slightly of the scent in some Shinto shrines--a light incense and something else. This note is underneath the sweet candy and vanilla (which, for once, doesn't dominate the blend on me. I love me some vanilla, but my skin tends to amp it). And its still soft green--ho wood? Ti? Overall this is lovely, and reminds me of Obon in Japan--candles lit in the stone lanterns at Nara, the doors of the great temple open so the Buddha's face glows golden in the night. That is one of the loveliest things I've ever seen, and I can imagine this scent with it. Or imagine walking down a path in Kyoto, stone lanterns lit, approaching an Inari shrine. Incense (resins and wood) is burning, and before you a geisha in a scarlet kimono rings the brass gong, claps her hands, before kneeling to place her offerings in the shrine: ginger candy, rice balls, saki. She places these before the stone fox guardians, and when she turns, for a moment her shadow is elongated, fox-like. then she stands, smiles--woman or kitsune?--and leaves, and you're left with the clack clack clack of her geta on the stone path and the smell of the shrine, of enchantment. Which is Hungry Ghost Moon.

No worries, Oakmoss, I understand. And I also completely understand when its hot where it isn't usually....Like I saw Portland reached 100 the other day. And in Alaska, where I grew up, people freak out if it reaches 90. so I did mean its wierd in the desert, where we all know how hot it gets. and yes, we're more prepared to deal with it. the hottest and most miserable I've been, though, has been in the midwest in summer. In a house that didn't have a/c, and we couldn't afford to put it in. Ick. And to end the hijack, yes, I agree with Malista, both people and BPAL are more stable below 85. Though I enjoy some heat sometimes--like at the beach--but even there, really, it doesn't need to get above 90.

While I wouldn't want to store that at high temps all the time (see Beth's note about stability at 85 or lower), I don't think small doses of high heat hurt them. Mine have sat in the (metal) mail box, sometimes for more than one day if I was out of town, and that's with heat reaching 100 here. They were fine. On a side note about the heat: I live in the mountains outside Albuquerque, so it rarely gets to 100 here (mostly high 90's), but of course, ABQ is desert, so it is often 100+. What astounds me is how many people I hear complaining, not of the being hot, which I understand, but acting outraged that it is actually above 100 for days on end. I always think, uh, duh, we live in the desert! It does this every year!

I got this because I have to try all the sabbat oils, but also because I was hoping for some copal and carnation. I didn't get that at all. What I get is rich, slightly drunk honey--obviously the honey mead. It smells like a drink they have in Poland called Miod, which is not what is generally considered mead (ie. a brewed beverage) but is rather a honey liquor. It is crazily sweet and boozy and while I get a hint of very sweet floral--no doubt the honeysuckle--mostly its just sweet intoxicating honey mead. Luckily, I love Beth's honey notes. I had a bottle of honey sn for awhile, which I adored, and by far one of my fave blends (and definately my fave lunar blend) is honey moon, which has that sharp herbal tang of thyme to make it more complex. While I don't love Litha quite as much as Honey Moon, it certainly is wonderful, and I'm glad to have it as I know my Honey Moon won't last forever. this makes me feel like a honey drunk bee!

First, I thought perhaps some people might be interested in knowing who Doc Buzzard was. I'd run across his name before, but found this (edited by me) when I googled him (under Dr. Buzzard): Doctor Buzzard was supposedly the greatest root worker of all time, a gifted magician and conjure, and a healer as well. Many informants told Hyatt that Doctor Buzzard had been a white man, and that he had died in the late 1920s, about 10 years before Hyatt interviewed them. These accounts were consistent and coherent. Several informants also told Hyatt that in the vacuum left by the death of the original Doctor Buzzard, a number of "Little Doctor Buzzards" had sprung up in various locales in the South-East. Most of of the second-generation Doctor Buzzards were black; one was said to be claiming that he was the white Doctor Buzzard's illegitimate son. The informants' opinions of the reputations of the faux Doctor Buzzards of the 1930s varied; some were judged to be poor copies, others to have a degree of power and knowledge approaching but never exceeding that of the original. For an overview of Harry M. Hyatt's 5,000-page long book on hoodoo magic, see http://www.luckymojo.com/hyatt.html That was from Cat at Luckymojo On to the review: I only have a bit of this that a forumite was kind enough to swap with me, but I'm delighted to try it. It is a complex scent, and on me, I agree most with the previous reviewers who compare it to Devil's Night and Voodoo. On me, it also has that Coca-cola scent that Voodoo has, and just a touch of smoke and burnt sugar from Devil's Night. Beneath that, there are rich woods, definately sandalwood, and yes, perhaps a resin. I'd guess frankincense as well. and there is something earthy underneath.... Overall, its dark and sweet and smoky all at once. I imagine a root-worker's cabinet, redolent with wood and herbs, and a bit of sweetness to make a palatable potion. (Obviously I'm imagining someone making something to drink, rather than a mojo!) Its quite lovely--better than both Voodoo and Devil's night that it brings to mind. And yes, I'll repeat what everyone else said--its a good match for Voodoo Queen. I'm glad I got to try this!

Sometimes I am such an idiot. the Mouse's long sad tale is a case in point. I got my Dragon Moon order, and frankly, was not taken with anything in the order, which included a number of the new Mad Tea Party scents. It was my least favorite BPAL order. Everything seemed vaguely sweet/gourmand, but nothing stood out to my nose, except for the intense kumquat of tweedledee, which I enjoyed. I sniffed Mouse's tale with little interest. In fact, I put on my swap list pretty quickly, and it went almost immediately. Of course, by this time, I'd put a dab on to write the review......got distracted with swapping/sales/email in general. And kept thinking, what is that lovely smell? Of course we already have heard this story from another reviewer. It starts out pretty strongly vanilla for me, but there are other vanilla scents I like more: like the rediscovered dragon's milk, and of course, dorian. And its sweet, but not distinctive. So I gave up on Mouse's Tale too fast. Because once it dries it is gorgeous...and I can see the comparison to Black Opal--this is what I wanted Black Opal to be. Once dried, this has a lovely vanilla note tempered by something else, perhaps the sweet pea. In any case it is soft, feminine, slightly powdery, and yes, Sarada, I can see why you compare it to Nag Champa. From a distance, it is like that. I really like it now, and am sorry I sold my imp...but hey, I can always get another!

Absurd! Green mango, fig, patchouli and green tea. This one didn't do much for me. I get a vaguely fruity sweet note from it, but I can't pick out any individual notes. It fades quickly to a simply sweet/indistinct gourmand note. I like Tweedledee much more.

This was the hit of my dragon moon order. I love how bright and fruity it is at first. As everyone else has noted, its in-your-face kumquat (hmm..that sounds a bit obscene!) I really like that stage. To me the kumquat is slightly like yuzu--that very sparkling tangy sweet scent. I love that, and I love the tea, and even the slight peppery edge. I really thought I'd get a bottle of this, and while I still might, I became less convinced after the citrus note faded (a bit less than an hour on me). What was left then was sweet tea, but I didn't find that remarkable. so I'll have to try it again and see, but the topnotes are so lovely....it would be great in a showergel to perk you right up.

this came in my dragon moon order, and it was the one I was most anticipating. Luckily, I decided just to buy an imp, though I did consider getting a bottle unsniffed, because I love carnation so. Glad I didn't do that. At first, this is lovely carnation, with a bit of fruit (plum, no doubt) and spice. I like that softness. but then the spice becomes more aggressive, and while that's not bad, it doesn't smell too much like carnation on me. Instead it smells like a spiced candle. So while this is pleasant enough, I'm glad I didn't get a full 5 ml.

I thought I reviewed this, but I guess I haven't, so here goes: this oil is very similiar in the bottle and on. Strong, and very heady jasmine....the same note that I get from The Caterpillar. But this is sweeter and more golden to me....I keep thinking honeyed jasmine though I'm not convinced there is honey in the blend, just that it has that sweet, heady richness about it. I could also see the possibility of vanilla in here or some sort of sugar....it is like candied jasmine, if that makes any sense. There is a slight spice to it as well, but not cinnamon... Well, looking back over this, I see that YeahbutNo suggested Dragon's Blood, and while this doesn't scream dragon's blood to me, that would make sense, because it would give it a sweet spice that would blend well with the jasmine. Whatever it is, I ADORE this scent. It makes me feel super sexy, and I get more compliments when wearing this than any other blend. And it lasts and lasts and has pretty decent throw. I've mixed it into my hair products so it wafts from my hair all day. Love it!

This is a scent only review of this. This has a sweet creamy scent in the imp that is quite lovely, and I understand why Laurel compares it to cinnamon buns....there is something a bit foody about it. On me, the cinnamon doesn't come out until it hits my skin, but then it is lovely, but not overwhelming. I smell no pachouli in this at all. It has a lovely golden sweetness with the cinnamon that is quite lovely. Although it doesn't smell like the white musk single note I had, I could see that there might be musk in it....I sometimes have a hard time picking that note out in Beth's incredible blends. On me, its mostly a sweet, creamy cinnamon delight, with just a touch of something underneath that I associate with the TAL blends....something slightly herbal. This also lasts a long time on me, but after a few hours it fades down to a golden scent I thought was familiar--then realized it was amber. Its quite lovely. eta: 8/06 I found this again the other day and was going to a party where I was supposed to meet a man my friends thought I might be interested in, so I put it on (and a corset, but hey, it was a party celebrating a friend's five years in sex work). Caliph's Beloved was gorgeous--it smelled just like cinnamon red hots on me. Yum! And did it ever work! And not as I expected. While the man my friends wanted to introduce me to was clearly interested, so were most of the other men at the party, despite the fact that some of them have shown no previous interest in me before. This works so well, that I'd be a little hesitant to use some of the attraction blends that have a warning on them, such as blinding glory of love!

I have an imp of this--and I'm afraid I don't remember the source now. And now I have a bottle on the way. When I first used it, I was going simply by the name (which on my imp is only "protection") and so I hadn't read the description. I was using it to annoint an amulet I wear on my motorcycle jacket--to protect me when I'm on the bike. I was immediately struck by how lovely and familiar the scent was....but I couldn't place it. Went on with my ritual, and didn't come back here to see a description til much later. As soon as I saw dragon's blood, I thought, oh, of course! Yet its not quite as sweet and almost floral as dragon's blood can me sometimes....I also do agree with the maple syrup sort of scent in it. Under it, to me, is a soft wood of some sort. And yes, spice. Clove, as others have noted? Perhaps, though I wonder about allspice, which to my nose is similiar but slightly softer/sweeter. In any case, I think its a gorgeous scent. as for its effects, before I knew what it was for, I was using it slightly differently, more for physical protection rather than the effects of negativity. But I've found it very hard to find oils or even stones or other things that are supposed to be for physical protection, so I've decided to use it in that way anyway, with a serious concentration on desired intent. Does it work? In my experience all the TAL oils work. What I can say about this is that I feel safer and more comforted when I'm wearing it, and I love that I can smell with when I put my jacket on. I also did a ceremony in which I envisioned my house and yard surrounded by a fiery wall (but one with no sparks! I live in New Mexico, and fire is something I want to be protected from!). I find the scent helps me visualize my protective wall. I like it a lot.

I love the scent of this oil, so much that I had to do what was for me unthinkable: order more because I tend to wear it as a perfume, with just a little bit of intent (rather than use it in ritual). Because I believe the TAL's shouldn't be used as perfumes exclusively, I try only to wear it when I need the boost, and I also try to have at least a small moment of meditation/concentration when I put it on, but.... I ADORE this! To me it smells like lemon balm more than actual lemons, and as someone else noted, its like herbal lemon tea, which again, to me suggests lemon balm. That's the top note, then it fades down to a creamy honeyed scent: like lemon tea with honey and a bit of cream. Its gorgeous and golden and makes me happy every time I smell it. Like all the TAL oils (on me anyway!), it doesn't last long as a perfume, which will likely help me keep a bit of frivolous use at a bay. And it does seem to work, though perhaps not as dramatically as some of the other TAL's (but hey, it says subtle, and anyway, I've not used it as seriously in ritual as some of the others). One day I put it on before I went out to dinner with the BF, and he bought dinner, which was good, because we'd been fighting over money. He also told me I smelled good, so I attribute that dinner to Milk and Honey!