cuervosueno

I should love this. I love everything that's in it, at least in theory, and as far as I can see, most everyone else loves it. I DO love the label--that's great! But I don't know...I was a bit worried about this, because while I always think I'll love the foody scents, I end up rarely wearing them, and I think that will be the case with these underpants. In the bottle its slightly boozy, and very like caramel--I'm getting the burnt sugar sweetness of, say, Hearth (05) or Midway. On, those notes are still strong, though I smell the butter rum more strongly, and its not like the drink (ie. hot buttered rum) but more like the the candy, or perhaps a cake. the odd thing is after a few minutes the booziness fades, and what I get is...something slightly butter mint--almost like Snowblind. Am I on crack? Where's that slightly minty note coming from? The vanilla is there, giving it the sweet, cake-like note, but it doesn't stand out as much as I had hoped--its not like the vanilla notes of Dorian, for example. I never really get the saffron or the sandalwood, which is fine in case of the saffron, which I'm simply not into. This does wear and wear. Nearly 12 hours later, I still get a faint whiff of it on my wrist, though now it just a memory of sweetness, like the faintest whiff of a lovely dessert. Overall? It's nice, but as I said, I find I don't wear the foody scents that much (Bliss and 13 aside), so I'm going to have to give it up, I think.

Dear Enraged Bunny: If you are the Ur-Bunny, the King of Bunnies, Bunny-who-knows-and-sees-all, then I understand why you are enraged. And I understand you have reasons to be enraged at me: I did, after all, let my dog Toby kill one of your young off-spring (but only because he'd already injured it). All this is a way of saying I understand why you might be enraged, and why your rage, in particular, might make your musk rather...um....disagreeable?....to me. But I had high hopes for you, perhaps because I thought of you as Bunny rather than enraged. I was hoping for sugared lemon, cool icy lemonade, with a bit of warm musk. You start out sweet--even overly sweet, like lemon drop candies, or in the imortal words of Oly, like jelly beans on crank. For me the lemon in this sweetness could be lemongrass (as Oly noted) or it could be lemon balm--either way it doesn't scream actual lemon to me. After a moment, though, its all sweet lemon....er....soap? I'm afraid so. You go very soapy on me very quickly. The next stage isn't bad, and I do see the comparisons to Silk Road--there's a spice in this that is a bit appealing. The white musk is also noticeable, and I also compared it directly to white musk single note, and I realize part of what I interpret as spicy and reminding me slightly of Silk Road is white musk (which actually may or may not be in Silk Road). It doesn't go too powdery on me, though I would welcome that. It also fades fast--I tried it around noon, and by 3 I couldn't smell it anymore. Overall, Enraged Bunny, I see that you do not love me, though perhaps you do not hate me either. Perhaps you're offended that I SO wanted you to smell, tart and tangy sweet like Fresh Lemon Sugar; I couldn't take you on your own merits. Still, I'm thinking I have bad-bunny karma, and perhaps I will send you on to a more loving home.

I was lucky enough to receive an imp of this from the very kind Clover, and I was so thrilled to be able to try it! In the imp, it has a slight boozy note that others have mentioned, though it is also sweet, with a slight hint of vanilla. There is some spice there as well. On me, it is sweet, spiced foodiness. I don't get a lot of cocoa, but wouldn't be surprised if it was in there. I kept sniffing my arms and thinking this is familiar, then I finally came up with it: beignets with sweetened coffee! Understand that's an impression more than an actual description of the smell: while it is sweet, lightly spiced, say with a dusting of cinnmon or more likely the milder allspice, it doesn't really smell like coffee or fried dough to me.....its just the impression I get. A light breakfast on a wrought-iron balcony in the soft air. Its very lovely, but I'm not pining away for it, which is lucky, since I'll not likely get more. Now Voodoo Queen...well, that's another issue.

2006 version. I like this better than the 2005 version, though I'm still not sure if its a keeper or not (though certainly I'm glad to have it for the Sabbat). In the bottle, and when wet, this is green, very slightly astringent. Very herbal, though I'm not having any luck at pointing at what herbs it might be. the newly mown hay/grass analogy works well here--it has that kind of green freshness. The BF said it smelled like the milky sap of dandelions, and thats not quite right, but not too far off either. There is a hint of floral as well, but also, nonspecific to me. Definately not something I recognize immediately, like Jasmine or Rose. What I note most is under the greenishness, there is a slightly sweet milky smell, not too different from what shows up in some of the lunacy blends. A bit like Chaste Moon, for example--though its not like that scent at all, but it does have some of that soft, sweet, milkiness. And this, folks, is where it begins to unravel for me, because I thought I enjoyed that milkiness, but lately....very much not. What's left of Beltane is a very light, very close to the skin scent of soft milk, and I don't like that too much. I realized the final faint lingerings are a bit like DSH's Formula X on me, which I really DON"T like. Luckily for me, the milkiness comes out late, and I'm still teetering between enjoying the fresh greenness of this, and waiting dubiously on the final stages. Glad I got to try this!

Hmmm....I thought I reviewed this, but either I simply imagined that (entirely likely) or my review got lost in the forum downtime. Anyway, I'm glad I didn't review it before because I have a new appreciation for it. When I first got my maelstrom set decants, I went through and tried everything. I immediately fell in love with The Masque of Red Death and Usher, and immediately disliked some (The Premature Burial). But some others simply fell by the wayside. The Tell-Tale Heart was one of these. So I've worn it three nights in a row, now, and am seriously thinking of getting a bottle before it goes away. When I sniff it, I also get cocoa right away--cocoa powder, dusty and brown. Before I checked the notes, I noticed a sort of earthy scent, which was familiar but I couldn't name. I thought it might be pachouli, though that didn't seem right. Still, unsweetened cocoa and something earthy, then a red sweetness that makes the buried heart beat and burn. (That's the Dragon's Blood, of course, but since I didn't remember what was in this, I didn't think of that immediately). It also has a lovely spice that is not cinnamon, but something softer and more alluring (Allspice which I adore). Once I looked at the notes, I thought, oh, of course! Why didn't I recognize the Dragon's Blood? And it must be the vetiver mixed with musk that is giving it an earthy and delightfully pungent scent. Overall, I really like this. It does remind me slightly of Centzon....but not entirely. Less blood, more spice. For me its more a brown than a red scent, and it is very warm and comforting. And it lasts, but in a gentle, not in your face sort of way...sort of like the soft thud of a buried heart. I put it on at 2 am, and now, nearly 12 hours later, if I press my nose to my skin I get just the slightest of sweet, spiced cocoa. A winner!

The very kind IvyandPeony included an imp of this in swap, and I was delighted to get to try it. I agree with Sarada, below: Floral, but not just floral, and not rose (which I dislike). It's complex, and, yes, more like traditional perfume than some other BPAL scents. I agree with the aldehydes both because of the note that Sarada mentions and because it has the slightly fruity/bubblegum notes of aldehydes as they appear in certain types of weissbeirs. That note is slight, though. Overall, I'm having a hard time getting a handle on this, but its a pleasant floral, slightly green, that is less like cut flowers and more like, well, a floral perfume. I'm surprised that I actually like it, because me and florals are usually a no-go. Hmm....reading this back, I find it incredibly vague, but I also can't be more specific, so I guess I'll just stop!

I've been dying to try this ever since I read that someone thought it smelled like Fresh's Lemon Sugar. Finally, the very kind IvyandPeony swapped an imp with me, and I got to try it. and since its likely not to become available anytime soon, I'm glad to report that while I enjoy it, I don't crave it... It is lovely, sweet lemony, but what I also note is the snow/spruce note of, say, Snow Bunny or Snow Moon or Skadi. this is in there with the sweet lemon. This gave me an idea. What would happen if I layered Snow Moon with Lemon Sugar? So I did it, and yes, the effect was similiar. The difference is that after awhile the Snow/spruce notes of Snow Angel fade, and I'm left with a soft, sweet peach tea scent--faint, but pretty. I like that, and I very much enjoy the way this scent morphs from more wintery (the spruce/pine/whatever) to more springlike. Its like a spring snowstorm! Its a lovely scent, but I'm still craving a BPAL version of Lemon Sugar (cuz we all know Beth would make it even better!)

My problem isn't usually inspiration--its actually sitting down to write. So I tried this, and I tried Concentration, and I find the scents similiar in both scent and effect. Lemony, yes, but not so much like lemon itself as some sort of lemony herb. I could see lemon verbena perhaps. Doesn't smell like lemon balm to me, but that could be because there is a strong astringent note that masks the lemon. Its sharp! And um....yes, the porta potty thing? Smells a bit like cat-pee to me (and I don't mean to imply civet though some people describe civet in that way). Its not a pleasant scent to me, but when I rubbed it in my palms and inhale it, it does focus me. Verdict? It works. Well. I put it on, keep inhaling when I start to pause in my writing, and I got right back to it. I've got a couple of imps of this, which will probably do me, since I don't need a lot to get the effects. Great stuff! eta: I decided a couple of imps weren't enough, so I bought a bottle, which I just got today. Holy shit! It is STRONG! Sniffing from the bottle cleared my sinuses right out with a very strong whiff of something like ammonia! Well, this just goes to prove the point so many of us have made: it doesn't have to smell good to work. Cuz it really, really works.

I guess I need to get used to the whole blog thing. Right now it still feels self-indulgent--who would want to read this? I suppose I should get over that, seeing as I'm a writer, and its a question I've often asked myself before (and discounted as unimportant). (Dog break: Toby and Bel are playing tug of war with one of my favorite shoes. When I called out Toby, NO! he looked quite surprised.) Anyway, not a day I can report anything of interest on. Its spring here in NM which is lovely--in the 70's today, and I had a good dinner at a new Japanese restaurant. But the place was more expensive than I expected, and I stressed about the cost, then my BF (who makes twice as much money as me) made a big deal out of the price (though we split the bill), and then went on to say how he was sick of paying for everything. which is a reflection on his previous women, not me, and I was in the odd position of both thinking, well, I've never asked you to pay my way, asshole, and then at the same time thinking: so why'd you pay for all of them and not me? Ugh. I hate arguing about money, so I just left. Ruined my quite good dinner, I must say. But I did take some very good sushi home and feed it to my fox-dogs--since they're Japanese and all--and they liked it. And Kai, my german shepherd, had a piece too. Well, I don't know if I'll always put a poem up with each entry, but here's another--this one from book #2 (In an Angry Season). I wrote this long before I ever dreamed of BPAL.... The Alchemist's Assistant Lovely as the native birds that fly overhead unseen, the alchemist’s assistant feeds him corn gruel and chilies, sweeps the pitiful grate. Sings in her primitive way. Gathers the base stones, silent as severed tongues, which the alchemist cannot force into gold. In the windowless tower, the workshop is frigid with his frustration, dumb with his dogged desire. He has grown old here and still the stones refuse to yield. He mutters incantations and spells, pale eyes unfocused, while around him the world is littered with substances precious and rare: the assistant’s skin--copper ore, her black pearl eyes, and outside the lapis sky and cinnamon hills. The myrrh-thick garden between her thighs. He caresses the stones as another man would her breasts. In his dreams, she rides him like a nightmare, a vortex his secrets are sucked into. Her hands roam over his parchment skin and she plucks at his power like a string. And laughs. She treats him like an arrogant child-- with his foreign formulas, his old world computations, his numerical desires. He’s stubborn and inert as stone. Tucked away in his tower of useless words, he withers. But the alchemist’s assistant leaves the workshop every day. She gathers the stones by calling their names--clicks of her tongue, syllables of silver, turquoise and jade. They flock to her and sing their stories. For her, the stones unlock their shy mysteries and shine. For her, mistress of the new world.

Or should I call it Shiba madness? I have three dogs, a german shepherd named Kai who is mostly good (though once he did attack a car), and two devilish fox-dogs (aka Shiba Inus) named Toby and Jezebel. Toby is two, Jezebel (Bel) is 8 mos. Toby is not terribly foxy looking to me (though others think he is) but Bel is very foxy in looks and behaviour. If you don't know what a Shiba-Inu is, well, you can check out this webpage http://blackcrest.com/shiba1.html which is the breeder who bred my beloved "familiar" Toby. Toby looks just like his sire: Tenku Go Etchou....(its a long name, forgive me for shortening it). Shibas are the smallest and oldest of the Japanese breeds, basically a smallish Akita. They are cute, but as they always say at Westminster when announcing the breed: these are not the dogs for everyone. If you want a super smart dog with a killer's instincts (they were bred to hunt small game), a dog who tends to be aloof with strangers, a dog who steals things, a dog who won't come when called, well, then get a Shiba! Otherwise, you might want a more biddable dog, though shiba antics are always entertaining to those of us who love them. An example of Shiba madness: for the recent equinox, I left some offerings on the altar. A bit of beer in a glass, some chocolate eggs. Bel, the puppy, is supremely interested in everything on the altar, and because she can leap about three times her height, well, things go missing. Sure enough, I went downstairs in the morning and found the beer glass neatly tipped over and empty, the chocolate eggs gone. (and yes, I do know about the dog/chocolate problem--so note to self--no more offerings of chocolate!) While I suspect a little shiba puppy of this, as one of my friends said, the gods have accepted the offering--by way, perhaps, of a dog. And certainly, it was as if a wild fox-spirit had come in, rearranged a bit, and took the offerings. When I figure out how to get my photos hosted somewhere I'll post pics of my fox-dogs. I also promise poetry on this, so here is a start--a poem about Toby, from my third book (as yet, sigh, unpublished, though the poem was published in the mag. Zone 3): Toby in the Garden The devil’s in the garden again. Trampling the herbs-- lavender and lamb’s ears. When he’s done, he’ll pace the window sill, scratching to get in. Or leap to the roof, surveying his domain. Sure, he’s cute--curl of a tail, and puppy swagger. Sweet. Until he sinks his teeth into the skin behind the knee. Little heathen. Devil dog. Just like the men I love: beautiful and fierce, trailing just a bit of brimstone. Keep your plaster saints. Angels are overrated. Who wouldn’t want a devil in their garden? That flashy charmer and the fruit that flourishes in his hand. He offers it all with a grin, says, come, taste, live a little. Sin.

I do it through my paypal account, not through the BPAL website. Just paypal your funds to paypal@blackphoenixalchemylab.com the complete information for this is on the BPAL website, under FAQ in payments.

I wish I got frankincense from this. All I get is the sweet bubble-gum note that I believe must be lotus...or so I've read in other reviews. Its fruity, but in a bubble-gum way, with a slight note of incense below it. I sure would like to like this one, but even scent is not the primary reason I wanted the Chakra blends, I can't keep this one. I can't bear the scent of it, I'm afraid.

this is the scent I most coveted from the Lupercalia collection, based on its notes alone, but then I was sent into a frenzy of desire for it from Fritz' post in the Walking the Old Paths area. When he said it really was a lustful blend, and talked about using a similiar scented in oil in a ritual for the Horned God, well...I just couldn't wait to get it on my skin! and it is very sexy, though not exactly what I expected. I think I was expecting something more down and dirty (to quote the description), perhaps more like Lord of the Forest, with its raw civet. This is not that animalistic. Instead, my reaction to it is more like Court's. It IS like the raw roots of trees--slightly earthy (but not with the "dirt" scent of say, Zombi, which I find so objectionable), slightly piney (from the juniper). In the bottle, I get mostly tree and honey and the slightly earthy (but not dirty) note of oakmoss. On, the pachouli becomes more pronounced, though it still is not a dominant note for me. I love musk and pachouli together, so for me this is richer than Smut. It has a foresty feel with a hint of sweetness, this is definately a forest that is inhabited--there is an animalistic note that is quite lovely. It is evocative of a forest ritual, and I can see how it could be connected with the Horned God. Its just not quite as sexually evocative as I had expected, but perhaps that's just how its working on me. It is a bit masculine as well. I like it though, and I think it may be one of those scents I don't immediately love, but grow into. I'm going to keep it for awhile. Its very complex and well-blended and I think it may have some surprises for me yet. And try it out the boyfriend, too. It was sexier on him than me.

Three swarthy, smutty musks sweetened with sugar and woozy with dark booze notes. Smut--I want to love you. I love the word. I love Smut itself--smutty photos, smutty stories, smutty movies. But Smut the perfume? I don't know yet. I expected this to be sharper and more aggressive than it is--sort of, well, smuttier. In the bottle, I get slightly burnt sugar notes, which I enjoy, and the musk underneath. Its also slightly smoky. On, it smells very much like Rheliwen describes below: I don't know where the tobacco note is coming from, but that's what I get: burnt sugar and tobacco with a subtle undercurrent of musk. Now while it does remind me of some debauchery--lots of drinking and smoking perhaps--its not particularly smutty or sexy to me. Nor does it remind me of Snake Oil, but I also don't have Snake Oil anymore to compare it to, because at some point I got a hold of bottle of one Beth's experimental blends that is Snake Oil-esque, and I kept that one over the GC blend. That bottle is strong vanilla and pachouli with spice, which is nothing like this. And I love Vixen, another blend that this was compared to, but that is also pachouli. Which Smut lacks. And I wish it had it, because then I'd really love it, I think. Eventually this turns powdery musky on me, which is ok, but not spectacular. The musk does turn sweet, almost but not quite vanilla. Still, I have hopes for the Smut--I'm thinking that it may age nicely, so I'm going to keep it for awhile and see what I think. eta: ok, I already am starting to like it more. After an hour or so, it turns much richer/spicier, snake oil-esque on me. Still with a note of tobacco.

Honey is an odd scent for me. I generally like it, but it has a stage, esp. in the bottle, when I just go ick! So when I got my lupercalia order, I sniffed this, didn't much like it, but knew better than to dismiss it. In the bottle this is thick musky honey (and I don't mean honey with musk, I mean honey that has an animalistic scent, not like the perfume). There is also something sweet that smells like a white flower--tuberose? Basically, honey and flowers. On, it is a bit like O for me--a very sexy thick honey blend. It smells like sex--more so than O does, because for me O is very clearly vanilla, and though this has vanilla in it, I am not able to discern it as an individual note. This is very rich and sexy, and its making me wonder if I need to keep my bottle of O--I like this better! After awhile, the heavy white floral scent fades a bit, and I get a nice powdery incense note, though it is still a floral incense. I never get the sandalwood, nor mercifully, the rose, which is usually something my skin amps like crazy. I like this blend quite a bit, and so far, its the sexiest of the lupercalia scents on me. But that may change--I've only had them one day and am still experimenting. Still, its definately a keeper, and I'm glad I took a chance on it.

Very wierd indeed. I love The World--its on my wish list. What I remember is the lovely woody cinnamon that others note. So imagine my surprise when I dab a bit on from the Tarot circle and what I get is light, creamy green, something that smells a bit like candy. But nothing at all woody and complex like I remember. I can say for certain I feel no need of having a bottle of this. So then I dig through my own imps and find my tarted (thus old) imp of The World. Ah, there it is! Sandalwood and cinnamon or cloves and something else...something green. totally different. Like two different oils. Is it just the aging? Or different batches? Or? Its a mystery. But I love the woody cinnamony version, and am neither interested nor offended by the other version. The green note--herbal--seems similiar in both of them. And another mystery--the non-cinnamon smelling one burns just slightly on my skin, while the bursting with cinnamon spice scent one doesn't.

Yikes! I'm trying this out of the tarot circle, and out of the imp, it smells like burnt plastic! So I sniffed the imp I got recently and while it was similiar, the burnt plastic wasn't quite so strong. I put some on, and it morphs, thankfully, to an herbal lavender scent. I see why Penance compares it to the Wheel of Fortune and the Magician--it is similiar, though not as attractive on me. The lavender is quite strong, and it does evoke the card just a bit, because when I smell it, I get a picture of a spike of lavender held aloft like a sword. It is also very like the dream blends as already noted, and I'm not huge on them. The Ace of Swords is a favorite card of mine--I have it tattooed on my right bicep. I had high hopes for this, but I don't really like it enough to want to wear it.

Ace of Wands is on my wishlist for more. I remember it as being a lovely dragon's blood scent with spice--maybe cloves?--and incense. Was I on crack when I smelled it? Because now that I'm sniffing it for the tarot circle, I don't even get that much Dragons' Blood. What I get is a blast of camphor or eucalyptus that others note--that medicinal smell. While there is likely dragon's blood in here, I don't get much of its sweetness. Ok, wait. As the initial bitterness and menthol-like note fade, some of the creamy spicyness creeps back in. I agree with whoever suggested red musk--there is a powder note I get from musk in this. And now its turning slightly incense like. so perhaps it was this I waited for? It is like flames, like tiny flames creeping up a torch. And I do like the later stages, but that first blast is something to be reckoned with. Appropriate, I suppose for the card, which contains the seeds of all fire can do, both for good and ill.

I'm reviewing this for the tarot sniffing circle, but I did have a bottle of this that I swapped for, then traded away. I kept an imp for ritual use, but as a scent, it is definately not for me. Opening the imp I get the blast of beets...which is how all earthy scents smell to me. Like beets. Which I am very opposed to. there is something piney in there too. It is very evocative of the card, the root powers of the earth. Dirt overturned in a pine forest. Just not anything I want to smell like.

When wet, this is a lovely acquatic floral. Really heady and gorgeous. Also naggingly familiar. While it doesn't seem quite like honeysuckle, its a good guess, and I could believe there might be dandelion in this as well. But it also has the headiness I associate with white florals. I like it, and it does embody the card for me--the beauty of the woman pouring water from vessel to vessel. It's quite lovely.

I smelled dragon's blood at first, but like someone else noted, it was burnt dragon's blood. Still, that was my initial impression. I was dubious about the vetivert, but I agree now that it could be in here--there is something bitter and green in this. Its very acrid, though it does have a touch of sweetness from the DB. I do think it suits the card quite well--the lightening struck tower. This smells like the charred remains of a field or garden. It reminds me a bit of Hexxenacht--which I found to compare it to. Probably Brimstone too, though I don't have that one around.

Go back to Olympia301's review. Its exactly mine. Put the lime in the coconut, indeed! I thought about that as soon as I smelled this. its not tropical, but it is a hint of coconut in lime, and it smells enough like a pina colada to make me think about how tasty one would be. Doesn't remind me, terribly, of the card, but it is refreshing. And I usually detest the scent of coconut unless it is in an actual food item.

I'm reviewing this for the tarot circle, but now having put this on my skin, I remember why I gave my imp of the Moon away. Its very very strong. A musky floral, and by that I'm not sure I mean there is musk in it, but it has an animal muskiness.....I don't think it is civet which I usually recognize. It could be my arch-nemesis narcissus, which smells like a funky-sock floral. I don't think its jasmine, though many have mentioned that, because I love jasmine, particularly Beth's jasmine. Whatever it is, it is pretty awful on me. Luckily I only have a few more of these to write then I'm off to the bath. But you know, it kind of works for the card. Because think of the Rider tarot--the glory of the moon, but the water, and the crayfish which makes me think of mud and muck and that sort of rank smell.

From the tarot circular swap: I put a bit of this on and thought, what is that? SOOO familiar! Its a floral, but which one? It smells very green and fresh and lovely. It was driving me crazy, then I saw the reviews and one word stands out: dandelion! Of course, how fun and appropriate would that be? To be sure I was smelling that, I sniffed one of my imps of Roadhouse, which on me is sheer blissful child-like happiness of dandelion, and yep, that's it! It is missing the slight bitterness that hops adds to Roadhouse, but I'm sure this is dandelion. Maybe with a bit of amber to bind it and sweeten it? Its so lovely, and there is something perfect about it being dandelion--not just the pun with the lion, but think of the unassuming toughness of dandelions.

this is by far one of the most interesting BPAL scents I've tried, simply because it is so odd and changeable--like the card! When I sniffed it in the imp, I thought oh that's gorgeous! And familiar, but what is it? Then I got a strong medicinal blast from it too. And something chalky. When I read it smelled like toothpaste, I thought, well, kind of....sort of possibly minty and chalky? Pepto-bismal kind of made sense too, but none of that was right, either. that blast--not eucalyptus, not camphor which is woodier to my nose, not quite menthol though closer, faded quickly. I can see why people say wintergreen, though I'm not entirely convinced. I wonder if it might be birch, which has a minty/spicy/root beer-like note to it. Either way, what it changes into is a sweet, slightly spicy scent with something rich and berry-like underneath. Sort of creamy too. In fact, I get a different aspect of it everytime I sniff it. Whatever it is, I like it, and am glad that I actually have an imp of this instead of just getting to sniff it once in the Tarot circle. I don't think I'll get a full bottle, but I'll enjoy my imp, and wear it when I hope to tempt the wheel to turn in the ways I wish.... Ok, one other attempt to capture this scent in words: berry cream soda.