Firiel

I usually don't like florals. No matter how pretty they seem at first, they all wind up smelling the same to me. Nonetheless, I really like Nuit. This definitely lives up to its name. It smells like taking a walk at night in the late spring or early summer, when there are all sorts of things blooming and growing that you can't quite see. On drydown, it is also a relaxing scent. As it wears, it has the potential to turn into old lady perfume on me, but seems determined to stop shy of that and stay pretty and a bit wistful. This one's a keeper, if not a re-order.

Okay, I see that this problem with CCNow's definition of "shipped" and the rest of the world's definition has been going on for at least 3 years now (judging by the earliest posts in this thread). This strikes me as truly horrible customer service, to tell a customer something that is not true in any sense that they would be familiar with. This is something that CCN should have straightened out quickly, and any company that serves customers (individuals and businesses) so poorly - obviously not caring how confused we get and how many confused/irate emails the Lab gets - does not earn my repeat business. I chalked up the time discrepancy on my first order (CCN "shipped" date 13 Dec, CnS date 3 Jan.) to it being the holidays, but having run into it with my second order and after reading this thread, I am definitely using Paypal from now on. It's also annoying that it can reflect poorly on the Lab if someone thinks it really is taking 3 whole weeks for them to send things that are already prepared, boxed, and most of all charged for. I would suggest that a question be added to the Lab's FAQ about this. "CCNow says my order has shipped, but I didn't get a tracking number like it says here. What gives?" And an answer explaining how they speak a different sort of English from the rest of us, what their strange lexicon actually means, perhaps a quip about the arbitrariness of language, and that you really will receive an official USPS email complete with tracking number once your order ships in a definition that you might actually find in a dictionary. (Yes, I'm waiting for a bottle of Bitch. Thanks to CCN, I was deluded yesterday into thinking it might actually arrive before my... erm... time of need. The fact that it won't displeases me greatly, when I would have been patient enough if they hadn't gotten my hopes up.) ~~~ As for the gift card mentioned above, in my experience it should be accepted anywhere that takes Visa as long as your balance on the card is enough to cover that transaction. The way a credit card machine reads it, it is a Visa the same as a regular card that sends you a bill every month. Check your balance before you use the gift card, even if you think you know how much is on it!!! If your memory (or math, if you're keeping more careful track of it) is a little off, your order will probably go wrong. At a retail store, this error will also do something hinky in Visa's and/or Simon's computers that makes the card unusable for several days, and I suspect it works the same way with online purchases. Since this glitch is stated in the fine print on using the card, there's nothing you can do about it, no matter who you call or how much you yell at them. So call that "check your balance" number early and often!

Oh, lovely. In the vial it is just the right mix of fruity-floral and sharp (almost spicy, but I know it comes from the lemon and mint). On me, it stays neatly balanced and blended, no one scent overpowering the others. If you think about it you can pick out the individual layers, but the overall feel is "Mmm, nice." Just warm enough without being heavy or too spicy-sharp. I really really don't get along with rose scents, but that doesn't come out much at all on me. You would think five roses would be overpowering or at least stand out, but this scent is so perfectly balanced among the elements that I don't pick it out quickly and (most importantly) it doesn't bring on the hate the rare times I do. The sharpness of the lemon fades after a while, leaving a nice, floral, faintly sweet herby scent that is feminine without being girly - that giant lace ruff hides nerves of steel and a good deal of savvy. With no guy to test on right away, I'm guessing how it would smell on one. The fruitiness isn't necessarily girly, but has a pleasant freshness. A warm feel, someone pleasant, interesting, idiosyncratic. (Also says "I can spell 'idiosyncratic' without using spellcheck.") Not for every guy, but if you can talk yours into trying it, it could to be worth the effort. I can see why this was popular in ye olden days, and it's a good thing BPAL has revived it. I might treat myself to a bottle for my birthday. This is something I can see myself wearing regularly, as opposed to something to match a mood or occasion. Good if you're looking for something very wearable but different from normal perfume. I may have found my favorite in my first imp order! If anyone knows what the original of this was called, I'd love to know.

In the vial, it is that glow of light, sunshine through stained glass, come now sing alleluia. As far as actually trying to wear it, it seems it will be a bit masculine but not overwhelmingly so. Once it's on my skin, it changes quite a bit. Warm and comforting, like a familiar liturgy that still stirs your heart. In fact, it smells very much like the Episcopal church near where I went to college: old wood, incense, ages of ceremony (it's a registered historical site) and life happening all around and in it while it stood solidly. Very solemn but welcoming. If I keep this, I'll probably wear it in the depths of winter, mostly around Christmas. It is much too spicy and heavy a scent for any other time. I don't think it will become a truly favorite scent, but it would take something very good to tempt me to trade it. This really is good for either gender. The spiciness would fit well with a guy, but the mental associations are more likely to make me think you're serious, a thinker, and spend a lot of time in old libraries. (So yes, I'd love to go to lunch after church.) At the same time, the brightness is good for a woman and the spiciness is not unfeminine. If you like girly scents, though, this is not for you.

Thanks, jarvenpa (and others)! Just when you think you've looked at every one of those links... Off to find cardamom for me and vanilla for a friend!

Stupid question: How do I get to this marvelous search engine? It sounds like the best thing ever, but I can't find it on the site.