ralenth

Bottle: Dark, wet, and fruity... not what I expected. Wet: Cassia layered over a warm, murky aquatic. Drydown: As it dries, Saturnian Phoenix mellows into a delicious, resiny floral. Dry: Gorgeous. The cassia has mostly vanished, leaving me with a floral-softened myrrh blend.

Wet: Carnation, rolled in sexy clovy musk. Drydown: As it dries, rose rears its sharp, green head. Drat. Dry: Green soapy rose.

Wet: Herbal, and slightly floral. Drydown: Lily of the valley peeps in over the crushed herbs. Dry: Clytie is green and lovely, but the frankincense takes a while to come to the fore. It certainly is one of the more interesting florals that I have encountered recently. Throw: Very close to the skin.

On my skin, I get lush nectarines, and roses. As it dries, I get more of the rose note (which is a death note for me), and some creamy honey silkiness. It's a lovely blend, even if it isn't for me.

Wet: Super sweet mint. Hello noisy flamboyant floppy hats! Drydown: As it dries, a smoky deliciousness begins to surface. The mint and sugar hover in the foreground. Dry: We're back to sweet, soft mint, though not as flamboyantly floppy hats as before. Throw: Juke Joint hovers very close to the skin.

Let me start this review by begging the Lab to make this permanent. This is absolutely gorgeous. Mrs. Palmer's is evocative of an old private library, paneled in dark wood. There are swirling currents of sophisticated vanilla. The patchouli is very slight at first to my nose, but as time progresses, it becomes more evident. My SO took one whiff of the test area and demanding that we stockpile this for the apocalypse. We will be the best smelling zombie-free household on the block.

This smells faintly of strawberries coupled with a gentle lavender. I didn't expect to like this nearly as much as I do. It is lovely and evocative.

Source: Lab imp, new. Wet: Warm, resiny, lush, slightly boozy. Drydown: Slightly honeyed red wine. The resin seems to be fading as it dries. Dry: Barely there, honey dust. Throw: Minimal. Very close to skin. Overall: It doesn't last more than an hour, at most. I enjoyed Athens, though.

Source: Original decant circle bottle from Lab, aged. Bottle: White chocolate dominates my nose anytime I put it to this bottle. I catch hints of a plasticky fruitiness. I think my nose is out to be a foodie hater without even giving it a chance. Silly nose. Now, to skin test... Wet: Lush, swelling apricot. Sweet and juicy... it is completely inducing lascivious thoughts. Mmm, apricots. Drydown: The white chocolate comes into play gently, which surprises me. Usually this is all I can smell. A few soft raspberry whispers chime in. Lovely, delicate balance. Overall: Soft, and prettily sweet. It no longer has the initial apricot va-va-voom that made my heart race, but it is still has a nice balance. I don't usually want to smell like candy, but if I did, I would reach for this.

Source: Fresh Lab imp In the imp: Tart cherries and... gravy? Wet: The cherry Luden's note whooshes to the top over a thrumming gravy boat. Drydown: The cherry is subsiding and I'm starting to get the aroma of one of those tv dinners with the turkey and stuffing. Hmm. Dry: Slightly buttery stuffing drizzled with gravy. Overall: I'm suddenly wishing for Thanksgiving. I'm not a foodie, but my curiosity has been assuaged. To date, this is the strangest BPAL I have tried.

Soft, cool heather, dribbled with blackberry juice and wrapped in a misty breeze. Glasgow reminds me of washing my hair after brewing heather beer. Obviously, we're missing the warm hoppiness, but it's quite charming. Surprisingly, I'm in love.

Sweet, lush floral with aquatic undertones. I was surprised by this one completely. Now I'm looking at planting of these some come spring.

09.16.12 What are your "fandoms" and would you like a t-shirt from TeeFury if an appropriate one came up? Doctor Who, Sherlock. I have a lot of tees already and winter is coming. Do you have an eReader and if so which one? Yes, a Nook Simple Touch. Do you like candles, or tart burners, or something? If so, what's your favorite scent to burn? I no longer have anything like this after the move. I'm not sure how safe it would be around my cats. What kind of cuisines do you like? And, what are your favorite restaurants? I am an adventurous eater! In my kitchen, we have a lot of Southwestern spices, because that is what I grew up with. I like local, independent restaurants. I'm from Canada - is there anything specifically a witchee might like that is only available here? I adore maple sugar candy. Are home made foods acceptable or does the idea of eating strange mailed food disturb you? I am okay with it, but I don't use any artificial sweeteners in my diet because they give me headaches. Also, I'm pretty sure I said it a billion times in my questionnaire, but please, no cinnamon. I just gave you $20 and sent you into a "has everything" store ala Walmart and told you that you have to come out having spent it all, and none of it on anything you need. What would you buy? Be as specific as possible! I live near a Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Penzeys! What does your little heart desire from any or all of these places? I live near all of these stores too, and I love them to bits. Especially Penzey's. Would you enjoy receiving cute but useful items like colorful kitchen utensils/gadgets, or bento supplies? (boxes, chopsticks, accessories, etc?) What about things like spice mixes (homemade, or Penzey's for example) Of course! We do have a tiny kitchen, though, so multitaskers are important. I have been lusting after bento goods for some time now, so that's a yes, as are clearly labeled spice mixes. Do you like cute, seasonal or fluffy PJ bottoms? Like they sell at Target, Old Navy (they have had cute Halloween ones!) If so, what size do you wear? Yes, I am a sucker for Nick & Nora's PJs that they have at Target (Medium). Otherwise, I can be a tough fit. What kind of chocolate do you like? Nuts, no nuts, white,dark, etc? Dark, nuts acceptable. Do you like s'mores and s'mores-flavored things? I like marshmallows and chocolate, but graham crackers sometimes have the cinna-monster in them. What's the neatest freebie you've gotten? It can be cool or thoughtful or just totally unexpected, and not limited to BPALdom. Marzipan? Ooo, yes. Would you be interested in washable/reusable muslin “paper” towels (basically muslin squares hemmed around the edge)? Maybe in some sort of box to put on your kitchen or bathroom counter? We have zero counter space, so no. Do you drink alcohol and if so, would you be OK with your witch sending you homemade infused vodka? Yes and yes. If you get me (or a fellow Aussie, if there are any playing this round) as a witch or witch's minion, would you like to try some Australian specialties, such as TimTams (delicious chocolately cookies), Caramello Koalas (koala shaped chocolates filled with gloopy caramel), Australian native spices or anything like that? I love Tim Tams and am always open to food items. If your witch is a knitter, crocheter or sewer, is there a particular type of garment you would love to receive (hat, scarf, wrap, cowl, socks, fingerless gloves, arm warmers etc)? Hat/scarf Is there anyone else in your house (kids, pets, partner) that would really appreciate a small gift being included for them in the switchwitchy haul so they don't feel left out? My boyfriend is fascinated by SwitchWitch. It would be cute to include him. Since it's been mentioned several times, and I've also offered to nacho witch some, would you you like to receive wild rice and or maple syrup? I promise to include recipe ideas with the wild rice. Yes, very much so to both. I have 5 bushels of tomatoes sitting in the kitchen right now that are supposed to turn into red sauce tomorrow, so would anyone like a basic red sauce (spaghetti sauce) to make its way to them? Yum! Would you be interested in having a bat adopted in your name? I love bats. This would be so fun. How would you feel about a taste of (insert witch location here) box? I had a previous Witch send me a local food item. It was neat! Some of your favorite artists? Classic and modern? If you could have an image or certain subject painted for you on any type of "canvas" (on a box, on paper, on a canvas, and so on) - could you point your witch to some of these images? Is there a GC scent that's been on your list for ages but keeps falling off the bottom of your order because of the LEs? I've been getting into indie nail polish brands recently. What's your favorite indie brand of nail polish? Or what's your favorite mainstream brand of nail polish? Or are you not big on polish? Zoya. Stuffed things: yea or nay? Yay! Mix-in-a-jar? How to you feel about cookie or cake or soup mixes that come in jars and you just add, like, an egg or water or what have you? Awesome! Would you be interested in beer, wine, or other specialty beverages from your Witch's area? Yep! Are there any crafts/skills you've wanted to learn but haven't gotten around to? And if so, would you be interested in supplies and tutorials? I am curious about knitting now that I live somewhere cold. Who here would be happy to get a lil' sumthin sumthin from Adagio Teas? I have never tried their stuff. Do you Ravelry? And if so, what's your handle over there? Would you be interested in gift patterns from your queue? Not yet. I live near this very cool Retro store (retrodrygoods.com) (you can order online too) - are there things from it that would make you squee if your witch sent them? Not really. Who likes Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses? They're interesting, but I am not sure I can have them any more. What does your kitchen look like? Colors/style? Stainless steel and red currently. We have the tiniest kitchen ever. Witchee, what are your favorite quotes? "Closing your eyes isn't going to change anything. Nothing's going to disappear just because you can't see what's going on. In fact, things will be even worse the next time you open your eyes. That's the kind of world we live in, Mr. Nakata. Keep your eyes wide open. Only a coward closes his eyes. Closing your eyes and plugging up your ears won't make time stand still." - Murakami Haruki, Kafka on the Shore Put your iPod/MP3 player/what-have-you on random and list the first 10 songs it plays! What's one random thing you really like and one random thing you really dislike? Like: Puppets. Dislike: Beets. Are there any herbs that you haven't been able to lay hands on that I could send you? There's an herbal shop I really like here in NYC called Flower Power (flowerpower.net) that has quite a wide selection. I don't know of any. If there are no "witchy" shops near you, is there anything I can pick up for you from Enchantments? No, thank you. Hey Witchee! I want to send you a delivery. It could be cupcakes from a local bakery, it could be a singing hugging bear-a-gram, it could be a bouquet of flowers. But it will be something that you need to be there to receive. a) Are you OK with "special deliveries"? *waggles eyebrows* B..) Is the address in your questionnaire the best place to reach you for said deliveries? c) If the delivery requires a phone number (as say, some florists do) would you be OK with that information being tracked down by your Witch or asked of you anonymously? A: Yes. B: Yes. C: Yes. What are some things you are OK with receiving gently used or homemade, and some things you absolutely do not want if they are gently used or homemade? I am pretty flexible. I live near a Mast General Store (mastgeneralstore.com). It has lots of vintage-y toys, southern foods (jams, jellies, spices) and vintage candy. Is there anything I can get for you? I <3 jams. Do you have any Fall or Halloween traditions? DDLM is pretty big where I'm from. Ninjas or Pirates? I have an extra room spray and 2 extra bath oils (one Cephalopod, one Exhibit Hall Fatigue) from Dragon*Con - would anybody like a decant? No bath, though I am curious about it. Witchee, would you like it if I made you a "mix tape" of songs that I think you might like? And if so, would you prefer mp3 or CD format? CDs! I know it is totally the wrong season (for most of us), but do you like/have space to garden? If so, what do you like to grow? I love to garden, but I can only do a little window one right now. I'm about to be near a Lush store next week, is there anything you might like from there? It's been a while since I've Lushed up, but I have a soft spot for Jungle. Songs that you keep meaning to buy but never get round to it? Movies that you love but forgot to put in your questionnaire? Any favorite Bath & Body Works scents/products? Not really. Haus of Gloi is offering custom perfumes - would you like one? What would your ideal blend be? Leather/beeswax/lavender Any Bath, Body or nutritional type items you would love to try from a Natural and Organic food store (similar to Whole Foods) that you don't buy because they are a bit too pricey? I tend to only buy natural ones, so I'm used to the prices. OK, so those of you who said you wouldn't mind receiving (sneakily packaged!) beer or wine: Tell me of your taste preferences. Dry/sweet? Red/white? Lager/ale/porter/stout? Fruit? Spice? Hops? Sour (brettanomyces, etc)? Dry reds, occasional blushes. Prefer weighter beers (porters/stouts), fruit is okay, spice is no (cinnamon scary), hops meh, sour yum. Witchee, will you be gone from your normal mailing address at any point during the round? Oct 21-27. Are you a Disney fan or does even thinking about Disney make your head hurt? If you're into Disney, would you like something from the Happiest Place on Earth ? I don't think so? I do love the movies though. Would you, could you use an electric candle warmer? No. Do you lust after some new socks/tights? Oh god, yes. Are there any of MeiLin's books (e-book or print) you'd be interested in? I think I have them all already. Are you a gamer (of any sort - video, casual, tabletop) and are there any games you want? Yes, video and boardgames. I have been lusting after Gloom. Would you be interested in BPTP CANDY? No. Do you like coffee? If so, what kinds? Flavored, fancy, basic? Beans or ground? Yes! Non-flavored, whole bean. Would a Starbucks gift card make you happy or do you prefer your local place? I prefer home. CUSTOM-Made Pottery?? yea or nay? coffee mugs, rustic or more elegant? a set of bowls? soap dish? bird feeder? something altogether different? and lastly, good colors for glazes...? No, thank you. Do you have a forum buddy? Someone who knows you and/or your tastes well enough to answer questions on your behalf? mymymai and I are very close IRL. If you are on Livejournal, would you appreciate LJ stuff like paid time, custom userheads, stuff like that? If you are NOT on LJ but are on other sites that have similar paid-for services (Flickr, for example?) would you, and what are those sites/etc? No. If you are into tarot, what is your favorite card? I'm not, though I love to look at the art. Would you like your own set of handmade rune stones or worry stones? No. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cider, or none of the above? Yes to all, though no cinnamon. Gum, hard candy, soft candy, or none of the above? Sure. Loose tea or tea bags? Do you need anything for your loose tea? (Filters, presses, etc.) I could use a travel tea press, but I can do loose or bagged tea. If you like tea, what kinds? Anything not-flavored. Do you do Goodreads or LibraryThing or a site like that? If so, can I see your to-read list, please? I have Goodreads. Zombies; Yay or Nay? If you have cats, do they like catnip toys? If you have doggies, would they like a super-reinforced canvas toy with a squeaker in it? Yes, my kitties like catnip like whoa. If you have kids, what are they into? N/A How do you feel about wearable knitted lace? Shawls, wraps, and the like? Jealous that I don't know how. Looking at the warehouse, I notice that our lovely Greenwoodtree is able to do chart readings and/or forecasts at a very reasonable rate. Is this something you would want? No. I live in Japan. Anything you would be interested in from there? Stationery, stamps, weird candies. Candy Corn: yes, no? Yes. WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH YOUR ASS OFF!!! movies, comedians, black humor, your partner, a comic strip? what? The Daily Show, Colbert Report, Eddie Izzard, Lewis Black You are meeting up with someone on a casual lunch/early afternoon thing. This person is someone you want to impress/look good for (for whatever reason, not necessarily romantic, and not necessarily for business either). What would you look like, given the contents of your wardrobe/etc? Something black, classic. You are to be let loose in a clothing store of your choice, to pick a full outfit, down to the shoes, the accessories, etc. and things would be altered to fit you if needed. What store would that be, and what would you look like? You open a box from the post office to reveal the 3 things you want most right now. What are they? (caveats: size doesn't matter, but they have to be tangible/buyable). The end of this month I'm going to Scarefest, the big horror and paranormal con in Kentucky. (www.scarefest.com) If I were your witch, is there anything you would like from there (skull jewelry, art prints from an artist that catch your eye, etc), or anyone whose autograph or photo or such you would dig? What is your holy grail "I'd kill to just have one drop in an imp" bpal scent? Voodoo Queen. Are there any existing Weenies that you have your eye on, but haven't gotten around to getting? No, I'm running a circle. If you wear earrings, do you have pierced ears? Yes, I tend to buy mine from Wyrding Studios. My new job is at a consignment store where we have all kinds of designer brands for very reasonable prices. Are there designer clothes/purses/sunglasses that you desire/love? (Give some indication as to your "style" as well. For example, do you like bohemian-style frocks in lavender? Crossbody purses in black? Sunglasses that are round and bug-like?) I realize that we had a similar question in the ?aire, but I need you Witchee-s to list at least 5 items, each ranging $20 and under from Amazon.com or Walmart.com. In the meantime, let me know what you like to do on the Internet to kill time. Flash games? What are your daily websites/blog visits, or favorite YouTube videos? WoW. And what are your favourite characters from your fandoms? Ten. <3 My Little Pony... Cute or meh? Cute. Lip balm - tube or tin? Tube. Would you like to receive a journal or sketchbook? How about other pretty paper goods like post-its, notepads, bookmarks, letter paper/envelopes? I love stationery! Are you interested in audiobooks? If so, any specific titles? Yes! I only own a few, but they make traffic more fun. Bar soaps with some scrubby bits, yes or no? No bar soaps. Do you need any small electronic gadgets like flash drives and the like? Not really. Would you like a pair of knitted socks? Yes! Do you have any use for knitted dishcloths, facecloths, etc, especially if they were fandom related? Not really. Do you subscribe to any sample boxes, and if so, which ones? Would you like to receive some samples? I don't, but I love samples. Do you have a problem with nudes??? If not, do you prefer male or female? Why would I? No preference. Paintbox Soapworks: Interested in anything from her? No bar soaps, thanks! Are there any other e-tailers you're desperately wanting to try? if so, any specific items/scents/etc? I'm always curious about sugar scrubs. ThinkGeek: anything interesting to you on there? It's a dangerous place. What's one thing you want, right now, that you're having difficulty finding? My sanity.

Straight up Luden's Cherry Cough Drops. It hugs close to the skin, but it's comforting in a strange way.

Wet: Bazooka Joe single note. It's perfectly sweet and powdery. Drydown: Softly vanilla-ed bubblegum. Dry: Disappeared. Overall: I was fascinated by my sudden desire to collect Bazooka Joe comics again. Thankfully, it passed as this faded into the aether.

This scent quickly turns sharp, medicinal, and herbal green on my skin. The heavy parsley cloud hangs on for ten minutes before sharing the limelight with a soft, blooming jasmine. It's an odd combination, but eventually the jasmine wins out and the verdant notes die off.

Bottle: Peanut buttery toffee popcorn. Wet: Light, fluffy popcorn kernels with movie theater butter. Mmm... Drydown: Slightly sweet, a little plasticky, but overall mostly still popcorn. Dry: Vacillates between popcorn and a soft delicious sweet musk. If I could shoo away the popcorn... Overall: I was really hoping for more cotton candy on my skin. I'm not a foodie, but I could totally go for some cotton candy in liquid magic BPAL form. We all have our limitations, right? Don't tell on me.

Bottle: Crisp apple, slightly sweet. Wet: Slightly tart apple, with something hollow resonating underneath. Drydown: As it warms, that hollow thing morphs into caramel sticky sweetness. Dry: This smells exactly like the bag of Brach's candy corn that I regretfully consume every Halloween. Overall: A foodie lover's dream. Not for me.

On my skin, CvC is all lemon with a dusting of soft pepper. It is interesting, but it's not really me.

Luperci 2011: Bottle: Mmm, vetiver with a touch of sweetness. Wet: Soft, musky, slightly animalistic. This is sort of how I imagine a clean satyr would smell. Drydown: As it dries, Luperci '11 gains a honey drenched woods undertone as if it were embracing a lovely captured nymph. Dry: A sexy dappled patch of forest ground (without the loam I detest so much). Verdict: Luperci 2011 is a little gentler than the previous incarnations I have tested, but I adore it.

I just checked out and it seems to be working now.

Bottle aged since release. Wet: Coconut and soft aquatic florals. Drydown:At this stage, my SO came in and asked if I was"drinking Mexican cocoa." Nope, quite a morph! Dry: Soft and chocolatey, not really my thing. It is very pretty, but a little too foody on my skin for some reason.

#8 In the bottle, this blend smells like crushed Sweet Tarts. On my skin, it melds into this delicious honeyed tobacco with a touch of non-foody sweetness. It smells like nothing else I have ever tried.

Soft, sweet, floral. I usually find freesia to be overpowering, but Nymphia is delightfully feminine without the unpleasantness I usually find in florals. After it dries down, Nymphia is predominantly apple blossom with hints of white rose. I would definitely classify this as a spring scent.

Soft, dry woods, with sweet vanilla overtones. At first, I catch hints of something ferally musky, almost like vetiver, but not quite. After five minutes, the scent slips into a sweet, powdery phase over the wood base. After an hour, it has faded to a whisper, but it is soft, woodsy and unisex. I never heard anything from my dreaded nemesis rose on this one, thankfully.