taramarie

13 is significant, whether you consider it lucky, unlucky or just plain odd. Many believe it to be unfortunate... ... because there were 13 present at the Last Supper. ... Loki crashed a party of 12 at Valhalla, which ended in Baldur's death. ... Oinomaos killed 13 of Hippodamia's suitors before Pelops finally, in his own shady way, defeated the jealous king. ... In ancient Rome, Hecate's witches gathered in groups of 12, the Goddess herself being the 13th in the coven. Concern over the number thirteen echoes back beyond the Christian era. Line 13 was omitted form the Code of Hammurabi. The shivers over Friday the 13th also have some interesting origins: ... Christ was allegedly crucified on Friday the 13th. ... On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and sixty of his senior knights. ... In British custom, hangings were held on Fridays, and there were 13 steps on the gallows leading to the noose. To combat the superstition, Robert Ingersoll and the Thirteen Club held thirteen-men dinners during the 19th Century. Successful? Hardly. The number still invokes trepidation to this day. A recent whimsical little serial killer study showed that the following murderers all have names that total thirteen letters: Theodore Bundy Jeffrey Dahmer Albert De Salvo John Wayne Gacy And, with a little stretch of the imagination, you can also fit ”˜Jack the Ripper' and ”˜Charles Manson' into that equation. More current-era paranoia: modern schoolchildren stop their memorization of the multiplication tables at 12. There were 13 Plutonium slugs in the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. Apollo 13 wasn't exactly the most successful space mission. All of these are things that modern triskaidekaphobes point to when justifying their fears. For some, 13 is an extremely fortuitous and auspicious number... ... In Jewish tradition, God has 13 Attributes of Mercy. Also, there were 13 tribes of Israel, 13 principles of Jewish faith, and 13 is considered the age of maturity. ... The ancient Egyptians believed that there were 12 stages of spiritual achievement in this lifetime, and a 13th beyond death. ... The word for thirteen, in Chinese, sounds much like the word which means “must be alive”. Thirteen, whether you love it or loathe it, is a pretty cool number all around. ... In some theories of relativity, there are 13 dimensions. ... It is a prime number, lucky number, star number, Wilson Prime, and Fibonacci number. ... There are 13 Archimedean solids. AND... ... There were 13 original colonies when the United States were founded. Says a lot about the US, doesn't it? A base of cocoa absolute and white chocolate with thirteen baneful and beneficial bits: cardamom, fig meat, grains of paradise, rice flower, chamomile, sandalwood, catnip, clove, and a bundle of five blessed blossoms and herbs. I could smell dark chocolate before I even opened the bottle. Once opened, I could see the cocoa had separated, so I rolled it several times. Even then, the oil wasn't fully blended, but I was determined to try it anyway. I dipped the end of a cotton swab in and when I pulled it out, it looked like I had dipped it in chocolate syrup. This oil is like thin chocolate syrup. I had to dab the oil on with one swab then spread it around with another so I didn't look like I had spilled Hershey's on myself. But the smell... A dark chocolate base with clove, catnip, and other herbs. I find it very comforting. Those not into foody scents should probably avoid this one.

In the bottle, this is bubblegum over tea rose. Wet on my skin, the bubblegum is really sharp, almost like bubblegum-flavored medicine somehow. Drying, the bubblegum calms down and it mingles pleasantly with the rose. I like this.

In the bottle and wet on my skin, this is sugary floral, like a cousin of Midnight on the Midway. Drying, it starts to smell like a musky, feminine cologne with a sugary topnote. I can't make out any individual notes, but I must say that this is absolutely lovely.

I love the BPAL pumpkin blends, so I had to get this. In the bottle and wet on my skin, it's lovely straight-up pumpkin. As it dries, there's a light note that must be the candlelight. This is perfect.

Stock is a lovely, light flower and Evening Stock is pure, unadulterated loveliness. Wearing this is like wearing a stock corsage all day, and you don't have to worry about it wilting. 5 stars!

In the bottle and wet on my skin, Devil's Trumpet is a very green and purple scent. It's a deep, unique floral, perfect for Spring and Summer.

In the imp and wet on my skin, Siren is just ginger. Drying, it's jasmine, vanilla, and ginger, in roughly that order. I don't get any apricot at all. Still, this is pretty and a good start for someone who's new to BPAL.

In the bottle, The Orchard is a light rose. Wet on my skin, it's rose and a whiff of chocolate. Drying, plum starts to come through. This is lovely.

In the bottle and wet on my skin, Goblin Cider is just apple cider. As it dries, the ginger starts to come through. This is good, but definitely more of an autumn scent.

In the bottle, Dragon Moon '12 smells resiny. I imagine that's the DBR. Wet on my skin, it's plumeria (what DBR turns to on my skin) and woods. It's nice but I was expecting something more.

In the bottle, it's moss and ivy. Wet on my skin, I get those and the rosehips. This is greener than I thought it would be. Drying, I think the stone is starting to come through. It's not something I would wear every day, but I like it.

I'm definitely getting the lilac fougere and white musk. I think the other notes are in the background. This is ethereal, mysterious, and very sexy, just like Jareth.

In the bottle and wet on my skin, Fairy Bites is lavender and white peppermint, and I think I'm getting thyme and chamomile way in the back. Drying, raspberry and a whiff of honeysuckle start to come through. This is very nice.

In the bottle, pumpkin. Wet on my skin, tobacco leaf and maybe some wood way in the back. It burns a little, I suspect there are spices in with the pumpkin. This is interesting but not really me.

In the bottle and wet on my skin, Sonnet D'Automne is just leaves. It's a sister of October and November. Drying, I think the white musk, vanilla, and amber are starting to show through the leaves. No white cocoa. This is good. I'm hoping in a year or two, it'll be gorgeous.

In the bottle, Pumpkin Princess is pumpkin, meringue, and guava. Wet on my skin, it's mostly guava. As much as I adore the label (Lilith is so cute!), this isn't for me.

In the bottle, The Nymphae Avernales is lilac with maybe some pomegranate way in the back. Wet on my skin, I'm getting lilac, sandalwood, and frankincense. The frankincense is strong with this one. Drying, dry pomegranate starts to come through. This is lovely.

In the bottle and wet on my skin, Regina Erebi is pomegranate and mulberry. Drying, mint starts to show. This is lovely.

In the bottle and wet on my skin, Askalaphos is more or less identical to Destroying Angel -- I'm getting decaying plant matter instead of soil. Drying, juicy pomegranate comes through over the decaying plants. So on me, Askalaphos is basically Destroying Angel + Fruit of Paradise. Since I have an imp of the former and a bottle of the latter, I'm wondering if I really need this. I guess I'll put it in my aging box and see if the flowers show next year. ETA: It's been about an hour since I put Askalaphos on and now the pomegranate is stronger than the decaying plants. I like this much better now but I'm still hoping the flowers will show with age.

In the bottle and wet on my skin, Devil's Night is the scent of an autumn night and a bonfire. Drying, they're replaced by booze and sugar. No musk to speak of. This is good and I bet it'll age beautifully.

In the bottle, Le Revenant is all narcissus. Wet on my skin, it's narcissus and a little bit of white musk in the background. It's pretty, but not what I was after. I'll age it for a year then try it again.

Disclaimer: I'm not a patchouli fan, I bought this to support the cause. In the bottle, #occupywallst is straight patchouli. Wet on my skin, the tobacco and cocoa are beneath the patchouli. Drying, I think maybe the bourbon vanilla is starting to come through. If I was fond of patchouli, this would be my ideal scent. I can see where a patchouli fan would like #ows, it's strong and deep. It's just not me.

Welcome! Yes, Midnight Mass would be good, hopefully it'll be back this year. I love Penitence and I'm not crazy about incense normally. Anubis is another good one for myrrh. Also Loviatar.

Wearing Jack today. Finished off the imp, now it's time for a bottle.

In the bottle and wet on my skin, La Calavera Catrina is chamomile, mums, and marigolds. Drying, the leaves come through. This is definitely a cousin of October and November. I like it, but I'd love it if the bourbon vanilla and roses came through.