torischroeder9

Would you be interested in a cross stitched Halloween ornament? I think not? I don't so much do ornaments for... anything, really. Are there any collage artists in the mix? I am not. Have you seen the Dragon con list? & would any of them appeal to you? I have! And I'm actually very excited about the Peach Brandy Snake Oil. Like, I have not been this excited since... well, Snake Smut. Which Harry Potter house are you? Gryffindor Primary with a strong Hufflepuff model, Hufflepuff Secondary. Sorting Hat Chats for reference. Do you like any art from these two sellers? They are local artists and I will probably pick up some stuff for myself soon! https://www.etsy.com/shop/CaitlinMcCarthyArt https://www.etsy.com/shop/BatinYourBelfry Not so much that I would want a print, I don't think. I make beautiful and very lightweight yarn-and-ribbon hairfalls - would you like a set in the colors and length of your choice? If yes, name up to four colors and length in inches! Remember- this can be part of your Halloween costume! I had to Google what this is, but I think... yes? Maroon and silver (including gray works too), my school colors. My actual head hairs are about 15 inches in length from root to tip. I am not sure how that should translate to a hairfall. Would you appreciate a skein of handspun yarn? If yes, what weight? What colors? How do you feel about beads? Any allergies to typical fibers? I think no. I have crocheted in the past, but I think I would probably still not have time for it right now, even if I had yarn. Do you like stickers? Patches? Buttons? I like cute ones in theory but don't actually put them on things in practice. Do you spend time in the outdoors? Yes. Do you enjoy cooking and/or baking? Yes. I enjoy baking more, but I cook more often. The Paintbox Soapworks Weenie collection went live today! Would you like anything? Yes. I would like anything. I think it's in my main questionnaire, but I am now in love with the emulsifying sugar scrubs. Once for Yes, Twice for No is the scent that catches my eye the most, but I stand by original response of "yes." The Pickety Witch is taking pre-orders for their new Halloween pins (estimated ship date: early September). Have any caught your eye? Nope. This isn't really my thing. Zeep's Spooky Collection drops some time next week. Here's the scent list. Would you like any wax melts, candles, whipped soaps, sugar whips (whipped soap/scrub hybrid), body butter sugar scrubs (moisturizing scrub), meringues (lotion), bath bombs, or bath rocks from Zeep? I am not familiar with this company, but I always love moisturizing scrubs and lotions. All the body care scents look like things I'd like in a scrub, though Boo-nilla Scream and Candy Corn Sugar Cookie look the most up my alley. Would you prefer to receive ONE HUGE (more expensive) GIFT and 12 inexpensive ones, a few more expensive, or all about the same price? I don't think I have a general preference on this. What are your fandoms, if any? None, really, at this point. Recovering Harry Potter fan. Do you collect things like tarot decks? If so do you have a wishlist or a list of ones you already have? Would you like a silk tarot bag? I do not collect things like tarot decks. Do you like rocks/crystals? What colors kinds? Would you like them in bead format (holes drilled?) No. My mom has an etsy store - she makes bags. Do you love anything from it? We can also do box bags, draw string bags, dice bags, etc. and if you want a different type of material or a different fabric pattern, I'm open to links to specific things. I do not find myself in need of bags at the moment. Let's say you want something knitted. What are you most interested in? I probably don't want something knitted, actually. Living in Arizona, there's little need for knitted wearables. And we have a number of the other household items (washcloths, dog rugs) that would be knitted (I crochet and have done some of these for our house). Are you interested in receiving any of the following homemade / home dried / home canned goodies? I would be interested in any of the dried items or candied jalapenos. Please don't send liqueurs or perishables like breads. Perishables are not safe in our current weather situation. How do you feel about oracle decks? I have one tarot deck but don't really use other tarot or oracle decks. Would you like witchy/ritual oils/sundries? Any limitations (e.g. deities you won't work with)? I don't use ritual oils or other witchy things. Is there anything you would like to try from the UK specifically? (e.g. Lush exclusives) Not that I can think of particularly. EDIT: Oh, and are you into astrology? Not hugely. MEW QUESTIOM: What size shoe do you wear (inc wide/narrow, etc)? Women's US 10 M. I think that tends to convert to EUR 41. Do you like/would you want to receive comic books? Any favorite genres or characters? I'm not really into comic books. Would you like a palm stone, or anything else, from Haute Macabre? No? What's your favorite flower(s)? To smell? Orange blossoms and magnolias. To wear? Orange blossoms, carnations, olive blossoms, violets. To see? Roses. What's you favorite woodland creature? Whichever ones Snow White and Sleeping Beauty got to help them with the housework. Do you prefer receiving a big box with all of your goodies, or is it okay if one or two things are shipped directly to you separately (with notice!!) for customs/shipping cost purposes (i.e. if there's something customs might not allow in from the States that can be shipped from within your country)? Do whatever makes it easiest to send. Would you like a fabric face mask? If so, do you prefer a dome shape or a pleated shape? I would love a fabric face mask. I prefer a dome shape (I have a big nose and wear glasses, so anything that fits over my nose and allows me to rest my glasses on the mask is awesome), but all masks are appreciated. Would you like some delicious coffee? If so, do you prefer whole bean or ground? If ground, what grind? Also, light or dark roast? Flavor preferences? Perpetually! Whole bean light roast unflavored is the go-to in our house. That said, we will not turn up our noses at ground, darker roasts, or flavors like vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon, and/or hazelnut. I may be going to the Renaissance Fair this weekend (if not this weekend then soon and multiple times), any Ren Faire goodies you may like? Not that I can think of off the top of my head. I always go to my town's local Farmer's Market and they have booths selling things like candles, Gourmet Pickles, Flavored Oils and Vinegars, dog treats (like bones and animal feet), honey, and bath products. Would you like any of these things? Pickles are evil, and dill doubly so. However, I would find much use for flavored oils and vinegars, dog treats without bone, honey, and bath products. Honey in particular is amazing. Do you have a preference for numbered packages for each night of the swap vs randomly selecting from unlabeled goodies? My preference for numbered packages is unreasonably strong. I mean, I can randomly select just fine, but when presented with the choice, numbered is somehow way more fun for me. If you didn't say much about your reading preferences in your survey but would be interested in receiving books, can you elaborate a bit? I don't remember how much I said, but I love good YA lit, fantasy (especially urban fantasy but not limited to such), and detective fiction. Are you interested in cocktails, be it recipes, infusion kits, tools, supplies, specialty bitters? Non-alcoholic only, which may be well outside what you're looking at. Is there something that you definitely prefer to not receive in any category (anything to avoid if you hadn't/forgotten to mention)? Already mentioned, but pickles of any kind and dill of any kind. (Pickled other things, like jalapenos, are fine and welcome.) Also, I really cannot wear hair gloss as such. I've tried to maneuver some of it to be bath oil or skin spray, but it just doesn't work on my hair. Are there patterns/prints (more guidance than general Halloween/Autumn) you like for things or are you open to whatever I may find that speaks to me? I'm open to whatever. Any significant other or other special person? Like if I wanted to send you specialty cocoa for a date night, would that be OK? Yes, I live with my SO. I would love to request folks to to put their wish list in this thread and link in their signature. I would love to decant from my oils if I have any my person is looking for! My wishlist is linked in my sig. If you happened to list some favorite fandoms earlier, would you also name your favorite character(s) from those fandoms? Minerva McGonagall. Do you have an Amazon link? Can you post it?? I do not have an Amazon link. if you are a knitter/crocheter, are you over on Ravelry? If so, what’s your user name there?? I have crocheted in the past but do not do so currently. I have never been on Ravelry.  I make homemade fire ciders, would that be of interest? Non-alcoholic and they are quite fiery. Yes. A non-alcoholic fiery vinegar drink sounds terrifyingly amazing. Are you interested in getting other BPAL items besides perfume, like hair gloss, bath oils or T-shirts? I love atmos (or anti-poo sprays, as they are known in my house) and bath oils. Hair gloss is not really possible for me to wear as such, so I would have to repurpose it and am only likely to do so if I really love the scent. I don't love regular crew neck tees, and many women's v-necks are cut to be more form fitting than I prefer, especially if I can't size up. So partner, would you be interested in a Frankenbag done in Halloween prints? Sure! Y'all with furbabies... Are there any food allergies/sensitivities or quirks to know about? Please nothing that lights up. One dog is under treatment and management for OCD related to moving lights. This includes any pet toys that are glow-in-the-dark, though glow-in-the-dark other items are fine. Also no treats with actual bones. how do you feel about (ethically sourced) butterfly / moth art (in a jar or shadowbox) I feel like that is art best appreciated by someone else. I may have preemptively picked out 2 Halloween-themed mugs with cute matching spoons, before I knew who my match was going to be! So I leave it to you: Bat, or Cat? Bat! Would you be interested in receiving a never-used eyeshadow palette from Nororiously Morbid (gothy colors) and/or a never-used eyeshadow palette from Pretty Vulgar (romantic neutrals)? I am not really interested in make up. I live in Japan. Are you interested in anything specifically Japanese I could get for you here (doesn't necessarily have to be Halloween themed)? For example, are you a fan of the anime Demon Slayer and want merch? Are you interested in trying some fun kit-kat flavors? Do you need a new set of pretty chopsticks? As an open-ended question, nothing particularly comes to mind. However, I am always up for trying fun flavors of everything, Kit-Kat included. I also use chopsticks regularly and so have a number of functional pairs -- but none of them are pretty, really, so I suppose I am in need of pretty chopsticks. In the meantime- there is an excellent chance teeturtle will have a sale in time for this swap: anything (particularly tshirts or socks) that appeal? Not so much? Also, the Haus of Gloi Fall Part 1 drops soon, anything here you like? I am actually not so familiar with this house, but high-use (and therefore low scent commitment, AKA, I will use the item even if I don't looooove the scent) items for me are atmosphere sprays, moisturizers of all kinds (especially teeny bottles/jars/tins), sugar scrubs, and lip balms. Not familiar with likely scents, but in terms of general fall stuff, I like pumpkin, apple, spice, pumpkin spice, apple spice, candy corn, etc. Could you use a journal or sketchbook? Not a nice one, really, but I am often in need of spiral or composition notebooks for practical use. Do you need BPAL storage? Imps? Bottles? I made myself a promise that I was going to limit my collection to fit my current storage. I'm going to have to do a bottle giveaway before too long, but I mean to stick to this. Do you wear socks? What kind? No show, ankle, knee high, over the knee? Fibers? Lot of sandals and Vibrams here, so my sock needs are limited. When I wear them, I generally wear no show or ankle socks. Do you have a favorite candy(ies) [or prepacked individual snacks] that you wouldn't mind filling up your box as packing material? Or teas/coffee blends you'd enjoy? If you prefer none of this, that's fine too! I basically love all hard candy and gummy candy/fruit snack candy. For teas, I generally like herbal or hibiscus-based teas, though my personal tastes are not sophisticated (current nighttime beverage is a cup of Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger). Coffee is for sure my favorite of everything. All coffee is good coffee. How do you feel about fancy marshmallows? Probably great. I haven't tried them, but I have had cause to search them up recently, and I am intrigued. We've asked about candy, but let's talk specifically about gummies. Do you like crazy shapes, sweet/sour? Sour over sweet, but yes to all gummies in all shapes. Anything from these Etsy shops? Kodiak Sea Charms, Halloween Hill Studio, Grave Markings Not so much. What about the Mutter Museum's gift shop? The "Spit Spreads Death" mask! I grow mugwort and it's harvest season. Would you like dried leaves for bathing or tea? Or a bound bundle for smoke cleansing? (Its said to be excellent for divination or lucid dreaming, but do not use if pregnant.) its also a digestive bitter and tastes great on chicken. No, thank you. I grow loads of other herbs and I'm drying them now. Any favorites you might like? Mint, basil, oregano, chives, lemon balm or others? Oregano, yes. I grew a huge load of onions and garlic. Any interest? I'd love them! Feathers? I have geese, ducks, peafowl, chickens and quail. So I collect their shed feathers and share them with people I like. No, thank you. I grew a boatload of Green Shiso this year and plan to make a shiso pesto with it. Would you like some? (Nut wise it has pistachios) I'm not sure what this tastes like, so probably not? Brief ETA: I have Googled it and feel more confident that I probably would not enjoy this. I also plan to experiment with infusing it in vodka. I'm planning a plain shiso infusion and a shiso citrus infusion. If they turn out would you like some? No, thank you. Would you be interested in this hand sanitizer dispenser/keychain that doubles as a light (its eyes light up when you press between its eyes!)? (see photo here) No, thank you. OCD dog means we're on pretty strict light control over here. If you're into tabletop games, what games do you already own, and/or what type are you interested in? I have very few, but I'm looking for ones that do well enough for two players. They can accommodate more, but nothing that requires 4-6 players. DO YOU LIKE TRUE CRIME STORIES? Not as much as I like fictitious crime stories. DO YOU LIKE SEASONAL MAGAZINES ON BAKING AND DECORATING? Not so much. I do not decorate and do not bake all that much. If you are enthused by the idea of receiving coffee, do you want whole bean or ground? AND do you have flavors that you like (or definitely hate and never want again)? All other things being equal, I prefer whole bean to ground. However, neither my partner nor I will pass up good or exciting coffee just because it is ground. (We drink enough coffee that ground coffee never really goes stale in our house, anyway.) Unflavored light and medium roasts are favored in our house (light over medium). I also like spice flavored coffees (cinnamon, pumpkin spice, etc.). Would you be interested in some very size-inclusive tights? There are Halloween patterns, but also most colours under the sun, and are very comfy. I do not wear tights or... things one wears with tights. (Skirts? Are they called? I possibly own one somewhere. I definitely have owned more than one in my life.) What about indie chilli sauces/chutneys/jams? What type of chilli/spice level? Yes. I'm in the Southwest, and so are my reference peppers. Things made with fresh medium or hot Hatch green chiles are generally good, as are things made with fresh jalapenos. Things made with fresh habaneros are generally too hot for my liking. In case anyone else shares a love for adorable tiny plushies, any interest in v soft and cute vegetable/fruit plushies? There are also small animals. No, thank you. The Polish Pickup/Indie Pickup is live for wishlisting, and will ship in time for this swap (this year). Anything strike your fancy? (It's not just nail polish...there's jewelry and bath scrubs and wax tarts and all manner of things. It's fun!) https://polishpickup.com/ All lotions, hand creams (minus cuticle oils), and other skin moisturizers are appreciated always. Also, the pumpkin shampoo bar looks cute and fun. Anything here sound good to you? https://gryffonridge.com/ Probably everything without dill or that could only be used on meat. In particular, though, the berbere would be awesome. Hayden Evens Art has released some new Halloween and Disney-themed prints and stickers. Do any spark your interest? Not in particular? So would you hate or be into more miscreant Halloween vibe decor - like wholesome figurines repainted, creepy dolls, goats with horns, (fake) animal skeletons, things in jars? Is anything too dark, morbid, or recoil worthy? I don't want actual things in jars, but I'm strangely okay with things that would fall into the "creepy toy" category. do you use any sorts of semipermanent dyes or do anything fun/wild to your hair? are there any hair products you like? I actually use garnet/burgandy permanent dyes, though since it's a vivid, it fades faster than I would like (not to mention, I need to do my roots again soon). I would be interested in trying semipermanent dye conditioners in a similar color. what about skincare? i am pretty into k beauty and am curious if others are interested in any aspects of this. I had to Google "k beauty." I am not that fancy. Cellar Door Bath Supply Co.'s Halloween & Fall collection is out (https://cellardoorbathsupply.com/collections/halloween-fall-collection😞 anything you might be interested in? Not so much. I do not need more bar soap, and I'm not a candle person at all. are you interested in eco-friendly menstrual products? There are some beautiful gothic print reuseable pads I'm looking at specifically. Pads, yes, absolutely. Regarding tea, what type of tea do you prefer? Black tea, green tea, herbal tea? Any type of tea you really don’t enjoy? I like a lot of different herbals, particularly if it's something that talks about stress or calm or sleepytime. My husband likes a lot of different teas, but he seems to drink more mint-based teas. (Like, we are full up on the amount of green and black tea we will use for a while.) Bath and Body Works? I know this is a bit of a love em or hate em company, but I really love their foaming hand soaps and scented hand sanitizers and my kids like their body wash, so I'll be placing an order with the next good sale. Anything that catches your eye? Travel sized lotions and hand creams are always a winner in my book.

Bottle received from swap. I don't see a year on it, so I'm guessing this is the first (2005) version. I could be wrong, though. In the bottle: Yup, candy pomegranate over creamy, buttery pumpkin. It's simple, but it's good. On my skin: Wet, it's the same as in the bottle. The pumpkin rounds out and supports and softens the pomegranate in a way that is really nice. This doesn't morph or get more complex on me, and I'm totally okay with that. I love the pomegranate-backed-by-something-less-fruity that is Pomegranate Grove: Snake Oil. While this isn't as complex a scent as that, it definitely serves as a way to highlight the pom note without it being too candy-like or cloying.

Bottle received in swap. In the bottle: Mostly funnel cakes, with a hint of the dang of cedar and just the evocation of sawdust. Like, it feels sawdusty, even though I cannot say the sawdust has a specific scent. On my skin: Wet, it's definitely very woody, a lot like the Celestial Jupiter was on me, though Please Scream Inside Your Haunted House is much softer in its woodsiness. As it dries, the funnel cakes come back out, so it's a lovely mix of sweetness and just a little fried cake and soft, dusty woods. Given more time to develop, the funnel cake becomes the top player, with the woods just barely detectable on me. I suspect the woods are mainly acting to cut the sweetness of the funnel cake because such notes are apt to become cloying on me, and this one is not. While I don't like this as much as I like Please Scream Inside Your Snake Oil, I do like this a lot more than I thought I would. Enough that I am definitely keeping this bottle. Enough that I'm probably done testing and reviewing scents for today because I just want to keep smelling like Please Scream Inside Your Haunted House. Edit 9/5/2021 -- Turns out I had occasion to don mosquito repellant shortly after I finished reviewing this. Although I tried to avoid where I applied the perfume, that seems to have been sufficient to overwhelm the scent, suggesting that it may be a short-lived and/or skin-close scent on me. But that is definitely something I can find out with future wearings.

In the decant: Mostly soft frankincense, barely detectable ginger. This is like ginger root that hasn't been shredded or cut in any way. On my skin: It's slathered, and wet, it's just frankincense on my inner elbow. As it dries, the ginger becomes vaguely detectable, like a bag of ginger tea that's still in its paper wrapper. Yup, frankincense with very faint ginger.

Now Snake Oil LCXXIII. Decant received as a frimp in a swap. In the decant: Snake Oil plus something smooth and a little spicy and a little airy and a little fuity and a lot sexy. You could convince me of vanilla, cardamom, amber, and currant or pomegranate. On my skin: Wet, there's a lot more pom or currant-forward. It's not unlike the early stages of Australian Copperhead on me. As it dries, something slightly oud-y creeps out. The oud fades out after about an hour (from initial application, not from initial oud appearance), and then I'm back to something that's reminiscent of Australian Copperhead and Pomegranate Grove Snake Oil, with Snake Oil plus a tart red berry. Given that I am trying hard to hoard my PGSO and failing utterly, I will definitely be making use of this decant!

Received a decant as a swap frimp from someone who clearly has an excellent understanding of what notes I love. In the decant: Lightly spiced champaca. I would guess that the spice is clove based on the description, but my nose can't directly identify it here. On my skin: Wet, it's very, very champaca, which I certainly don't mind. As it dries, the leather creeps out a bit, cutting the champaca's citrusy floral sweetness. Ultimately, this stays mostly sweet champaca with a subtle grounding of leather. It's nice, but it's nice in the same way... Matthew (Something:Something, the one with honey and chapaca) is but without the more structured grounding of that blend's sandalwood. I wish I got the clove more with this, but as it is, I'm not sure it's sufficiently distinct on me to merit keeping.

In the imp: I can pick out orange blossom. Everything else is vaguely sweet and swirly. On my skin: Wet, it's more orange blossom and sweet. As it dries, the strawberry becomes more prominent, then the carnation as well. Happily for me, more time makes this perfume more carnation-forward, though it's never a particularly strong smell. Gah! Unfortunately, orange blossom is doing its usual wafting thing on me, but it's somehow latched onto the strawberry note to waft. So there are times when it's this perfectly lovely carnation-based scent, but other times when I get whiffs of orange blossom and strawberry, the combination of which is just... odd in itself and particularly jarring when I was expecting the carnation.

In the bottle: Black tea, apricot, honey, and apple blossom. On my skin: Wet, it's very honey apricot, like Katharina meets Khajuraho. As it dries, the apricot dials back, and some of the ginger root comes out, cutting the honey's sweetness. It stays very pretty until it disappears rather quickly on my skin (not, like, crazily quickly -- just a scent with lower longevity for me) -- which is how I know it's tea-dominant. I like this a lot, but I'll have to see if I like it enough to figure out how to make it last longer.

The California Leaf-Nosed Bat prefers the desert. Theyre homebodies and do not migrate, and theyre also definitely Type A bats, as they dont hibernate. Go go go! Nightfall in the desert: Mojave yucca, creosote bush, saguaro, dusty clove, and sacred datura. I've never been a first review before. I will also note that I am emotional because I'm trying this the same day I'm trying Resistance, when we're a week away from an important election in the (not-California, but very close) desert that I love. In the bottle: I smell the creosote first, though by the time I have a full inhalation, the dusty clove note is stronger. And "dusty clove" is a good way to explain it. It is dry but not overly biting. On my skin: Immediately, it's creosote and yucca. For people not from the desert, the closest parallel I can draw is that of sweet, live grasses. It's a little bit green and a little bit golden and a little bit woody and a little bit sun-kissed and just a touch smoky (which might be unique to the desert). It is very much full of the spirit of live desert plants... creosote and yucca, yes, but also ocotillo and palo verde. It is not so sharp as a wood but not so delicate as a flower. It is earthy but not pungent, spicy but not biting. It is hiking through the desert one week after a good rain. It is earth and old plants and dormant plants promising . It is gentle and lovely, and if I had to compare it to anything, it would be Fledgling Raptor Moon, though it is more for the soft woody feel than for any particular note (though yes, the general gentle spicy feel is the same on me for both). If I have any sadness about this scent, it is that it is so close to the skin on me (as is Fledgling Raptor Moon). But I've never had such a grounded scent have much throw, so I suppose it's unreasonable to hope for this to be the exception.

Received as a frimp decant in a swap. In the decant: Sweet spices and a note that's not cake or cream or leather. You could convince me it's the metal in the padlocks, though. On my skin: Wet, yeah, it's a sweetness that's muddled. Cream and metal for sure. At this stage, it's odd. Not outright unpleasant but not pleasant, either. As it dries... there is a Mad Tea Party scent... Rocking Horse Fly? Bread and Butter Fly?... that smells like rum raisin on me. This smells a lot like that. Given a little more time to develop, the leather comes out, so now it's rum raisin leather, which is honestly a little nicer than just rum raisin since the leather provides a good non-foodie grounding note for me. This is not bad, but it's definitely underwhelming on me.

Boomslang is probably my favorite, but I surprised myself with how much I like Cottonmouth (not usually a florals person) as well as Coral Snake (not usually an apple person).

In the decant: Leather that's like the inside of a used and new tack shop. It's new, sharp, clean leather. It's faded and worn used leather. It's cheap leather and plush expensive leather. All together. A second whiff gives me smoke and sage. On my skin: It's gonna be a minute. First impressions are leather, then smoke, then tobacco, then sage, then prairie flowers. This is all within the first fifteen seconds. After fifteen minutes, it's back to complex tack store. I cannot say that I mind. Which is good because complex tack store is where it seems to stay on me. I don't swear that I need a bottle of this, but I'm definitely keeping the decant and keeping an eye out.

In the bottle: Red musk and amber, and definitely thyme, though I don't detect a strong "scorched" element at this stage. I mean, it smells like herbal dried thyme but not like I actually burned it in a pan or anything. On my skin: Wet, red musk floats up immediately, followed by amber, followed by something... almost citrusy floral that I can't discern based on the notes. If I didn't have a note list, I would have guessed champaca (and been wrong, obviously), which is at least a pleasant, if inaccurate, association. As it dries, the red musk dials back on me -- alas! -- and I'm left with the same red amber that I like in Fragment 38. Where that is sweetened by olive blossom, though, this is dry and herbal spiced. I still get the dried thyme, along with flakes of dried red pepper. I am getting very little sweetness from this, such that I do wish for a bit more. That said, I am testing this when I am freshly showered and when the desert has produced summer thunderstorms outside my door. I wonder what would happen if I tried this on on a sunny, dry, sweaty day.

Do you travel with needlework projects? Not needles but crochet, and not big projects but small busy work things, like pot holders and face scrubbers and maybe beanie hats. Like, something I could finish in an airport if my flight got delayed 2 hours. Are you interested in any games? Yes. Categorically. If you mentioned you liked bracelets or earrings to wear.... I did not mention this thing. Say you like or collect travel mugs: do you want them to have a city or state name? Ceramic, stainless, or is plastic ok? Size preference? (12oz, 14oz, etc.) I do not collect these. Are you interested in some travel size tastes of homemade liqueur? Currently I have rose petal, lavender vanilla bean, and plum. No alcoholic spirits for me, please. I don't drink, and also, I think it's actually illegal to send alcohol through the mail in Arizona. If someone were to make or get you a fun beach hat, what size is your noggin? Hat size 7. Do your pets like treats? Yes. One cat loves catnip. The other cat and both dogs love dog treats of all types. Do you have fiber preferences or allergies for knitted/crocheted items? Nope! Are you BPAL only as far as perfume is concerned? Like, 95%? I've been purchasing BPAL since circa 2006. I own one bottle of Solstice Scents (Smokewood Apiary), for which I swapped on the BPAL Forum, and I recently (like, this week) made my first Hexennacht order. Are you part of any fandoms? Ish? I've liked Harry Potter, but have really not wanted to support JK Rowling more. I removed myself from fan outlets in which she has or had a financial interest, and the result is that I've stopped following a fair bit of the fandom. But, since I’m going……..is there anything that you would like from the shore? Shells, salt water taffy, some soft of delightfully tacky souvenir?? My heart is with saltwater taffy, but my receiving temperature most decidedly is not, unfortunately. There will always be a special place in my soul for tack. Enameled pins, yay or nay? Patches vs stickers, which do you prefer, or neither, or both?? Probably none of these? I have a lack of places to put items like this, so they often do not get displayed as they should.

Clove, honey, and helichrysum. Let this sit a full day from when it arrived. Expectations: Honey and clove seems like a scent that could be made for me. I think I've only tried one other blend with helichrysum/immortelle, but I liked it.** In the bottle: The Lab's honey with something deepening it. It's a little herbal and a little spicy, so the overall effect is less sweet than some of the other honey blends I've tried. On my skin: Wet, the clove comes to prominence first. As it initially dries, the honey is also detectable, keeping the clove from being harsh or biting. Once it starts to settle, the honey increases to become the dominant note though the clove doesn't diminish. But in this phase, it's clovey honey rather than being clove with honey. I can't detect the helichrysum as a distinct note, though it may be what's keeping the honey from being cloying. There is sweetness to this scent, but it's much mellower than some (many?) of the other honey blends I've tried. After another half an hour, I'm drawing the conclusion that this isn't much of a morpher, which is good for me. This a surprisingly comfortable scent. It's sweet and spicy but not flowery or foody. In a perfect world, there would be a touch more clove, but that may well come out with aging. This does have the characteristic strong throw that BPAL honey has on me. In fact, I'm a person with several honey blends and several clove blends, and I feel safe saying those notes are behaving in very characteristic ways on me. So if the description sounds like it will work for you, I definitely think it's worth a try. I'm very glad I ordered my bottle and am now contemplating a second. I don't need to hoard this for all eternity, but it is a blend I can see myself using with some regularity. ** Full disclosure: The other helichrysum/immortelle blend I've tried is Judith and Holofernes, which also has honey -- which may be a factor in why I can't really distinguish the note here. Edit: Not an hour after I posted (but about 2 hours after initial application), and this has become a "second skin" type scent on me. I mean, it has a lot of throw, so it's not a skin-close scent. But it is a scent that works very seamlessly with my skin chemistry. Update 12/25 -- I recently ordered a second bottle of Ninth Lash and another bottle of Bengal (the closest GC scent I can compare this to). Sniffing them both side by side, I think the helichrysum in Ninth Lash is adding a layer of subtle earthiness or herbalness. It's not sharp or pungent, but it deepens the BPAL honey note.

Another I could have sworn I've reviewed. I've tried, I know, but not written down my thoughts. In the imp: Almond extract, the kind made with real alcohol. On my skin: Wet, still almond extract. As it dries, the almond extract fades entirely, and I'm left with very bay bay rum. That is, rum spices are present, but bay is really at the forefront of the scent right now. The more it sits, though, the more the rest of the spices become predominant. I like this spicy rum stage, though I don't know how unique it would be in my collection at this point. Ultimately, I think that this is where the baron ends up on me. I love these spices, but I do have them in other scent blends. And the fact that Baron Samedi does not contain a markedly sweetening note on me (not that I think it should, to be a good interpretation of the namesake) means that in terms of general wearability, this is probably not my choice-est scent.

I feel like I must have reviewed this before. I think I've tried it at least twice. But apparently no review. So. This imp came direct from the Lab. In the imp: Gentle florals and soft ginger. I cannot identify muguet specifically, but the floral note is delicate. On my skin: Wet, it's all white floral, though nothing is soapy or harsh. As it dries, the muguet becomes more of a distinct note, though the ginger and other floral notes keep it soft and not screeching on me (which is a problem I sometimes have with lilies of all varieties). Given even more time, the ginger bounces back a bit so it's definitely a gingerly floral. It's beautiful in the same way that Vixen is beautiful (translation: I love it) though it's much cleaner and softer, lacking Vixen's grit. I think I need that grit to really want it in a perfume oil, but Pele bath oil or atmo spray would certainly get my monies.

Imp direct from the Lab. In the imp: Verrry rosy rose soap. Like, rose sometimes goes soapy on my skin, so I am a little afraid to try this on, it's so soapy already. On my skin (for science): Wet, it's more rose and less soap. Whew. As it dries, I get a touch of something citrus, either bergamot or tangerine. It's still pretty rosy, though, and more than a little soapy. Finally, the soap dials back, as does the rose, and a bit of carnation, amber, and musk appear. It's still a rose-forward scent on me, but now it's backed by other notes that give it additional depth. This ends up being a deep and sophisticated rose -- "imperial" in the scent description is apt -- but alas, it is too much rose for me. Still loads better than soap, though.

Okay, I'm going to do imps only, with a justification being that there's so much variation in individual skin chemistry. For every "surefire winner" BPAL has, there's someone who finds it just doesn't work for them. Snake Oil -- I think it's fair to include it just because the Lab calls it their signature scent. I also happen to love it. There also happen to be a number of SO variants, so I think it makes sense to include the base scent in a starter pack. Dorian -- Another BPAL classic, this time of the more clean and sophisticated variety. This also happens to be The One that smells AH-mazing in the imp for me but that my skin chemistry turns to mediocrity. Spellbound -- Though you could convince me there are better BPAL roses and better BPAL red musks, I've seen this work for a lot of folks who didn't think they could wear rose (like me) and folks who didn't think they could wear red musk. (I don't know if I've seen it work for folk who list both of those as ungood notes, though.) Vixen -- This works as a "Snake Oil-like" scent for a lot of folks for whom SO doesn't work. I also love the way it uses orange blossom and ginger. First, I love that this is such a rounded three-note perfume. Second, I love that I never would have pictured these particular three notes together, but it does create a beautiful whole. Zombi -- I feel like this is BPAL's most "beginner-friendly" scent with a dirt/soil/earth note, which is also something I want folks new to BPAL to experience. (I haven't found it yet, but someday, I intend to find the BPAL with just the right amount of dirt on me that it smells like something while it's growing in soil. I'm not there yet, but I think Zombi probably started me on this quest.) Iago -- For me, this is a scent that's fairly raw, without any smooth edges. I think it's very stereotypically masculine, and I'd want to include something with that evocation to get beyond the idea that perfume oils are predominantly oriented around the feminine. Katharina -- This is probably my favorite scent of the light and airy floral variety. The Antikythera Mechanism -- Tobacco is another note I think the Lab does extremely well, and I feel like this is the most accessible GC tobacco scent. By "accessible," I mean that it has few enough notes that the tobacco stands out but enough notes that it's not likely to go Tobacco SN on anyone.

In the imp: Ginger, grass, and sage, with a little brightness I could attribute to verbena, though I can't distinguish it as a note. On my skin: Wet, it's mostly white ginger, though with a lightness and airiness that probably comes from the amber. As it dries, the grass comes out, though it goes back and forth a bit with the ginger as the starring note. Settled, it's very gingery but also grassy, backed strongly by the sage. Amber, as it often does on me, is acting as a strong base from which to feature these other notes. I like it a fair bit, though I feel it's maybe a touch more herbal than I'd want as a regular wear perfume.

Received a decant (is that what it's called with HG? it's much larger than a perfume decant but smaller than a FS hair gloss) in a swap. In the decant: I definitely get black amber and something that is woodsy and mossy. It's light on the dead leaves, which, since they often go to bell pepper on me, I don't mind. On my skin: (Testing on skin as my hair does not love hair gloss. Also, it's 115 here, and my hair is kind of sweat-stinky, and I don't want it to bias my impressions.) Black amber, wood moss, slightly almost-smoky. Not like something is burning smoky, but like you walked into a room where someone had finished burning incense maybe an hour ago. I am super glad my skin is super dry because I am going to unapologetically wear this as a skin perfume until it's gone.

Decant received as swap freebie. In the decant: I can pick out amber, chamomile, frankincense, and saffron. It gives the impression of a slightly sweet, lightly spiced... almost nutty? like almond, but not almond... resin. On my skin: Wet, I get the Egyptian amber and walnut bark (which, it just now occurs to me that that might account for the nuttiness of my first impression)... though in this iteration of the scent, the walnut bark is very much detectable as such. I missed a lot of the interim stages as I got busy and only have a tester, but this develops into something warm and sensuous on me. Definitely amber and saffron, and you could certainly convince me that walnut bark is deepening it as frankincense is lightening it. There's also a depth to it that I can't quite identify, which might be the chamomile interacting with the other notes. I like this quite a lot and would consider trying to acquire a bottle of it if I though that would be an easier task.

Received as a frimp in a swap. In the imp: Delicate smoke and the soft resin of copal. You could absolutely convince me of florals here, but at this stage, none are distinct. On my skin: Wet, it's still resin and smoke, though they separate here slightly. In the imp, they were swirled together, and I couldn't smell one without smelling the other. In the early stages on my skin, I get each in fits and starts. (That description sounds less harmonious than it really is.) As it dries, I can start to detect the sweet orange near my skin -- and it might be contributing to what I read as the copal further out in the throw -- but the throw is still mostly copal and smoke. It's a light incense smoke, though, nothing harsh or heavy about it. And it's totally possible that the plumeria and other floral notes are blending into what I'm reading as sweet incense smoke. The more the scent develops, the more sweet orange I get close to the skin, which is a little unusual for my skin chemistry. (My skin usually eats orange by this point in the wearing.) I like it, as it's a tropical vibe that's light but not too light and isn't overly sweet or cloying. I would also say there's something fairly gender neutral about this. It's light and sweet enough to be traditionally feminine, but it's also grounded and smoky in a way that's traditionally masculine. I like this considerably more than I thought I would based on the notes (I had imagined it being more humid florals), but I'm not sure I need bottle. If I hadn't already amassed quite a perfume collection, however, I might think differently as this fits in a scent niche that my current other perfumes don't really provide.

Received today in a Forum purchase. It's in a 5mL roller ball bottle, not the original Lab bottle, so I don't know if that will skew my in-bottle impressions. In the (decanted) bottle: Initially, it's just extra sweet Snake Oil, but not in the same way other sweetened Snake Oil versions -- Womb Furie, Snake's Kiss -- have been. After a bit, I can detect an element that's more like powdered sugar baked good than like cloying honey. On my skin: Wet, it's basically regular (aged almost a year) Snake Oil -- which, in my opinion, is fabulous enough in itself. As it dries, I get maybe a liiitle extra sweetness, but not necessarily more than I'd get from sultry, well-aged Snake Oil to begin with. Huh. For better or for worse, that's about where this stays on me, years-old aged Snake Oil. I'm a little disappointed that the finished product is not more novel on my skin chemistry, but since I love SO, I cannot complain.

In the decant: Orris butter and musk. Maybe a touch of sweetness. On my skin: I must be getting something of olive blossom, honey, and sandalwood because this is exactly the same vibe I love about Defututa though the particulars of the scent are a bit different. As it dries, I also get some of the skin musk love I get from La Petite Mort. What I'm actually feeling is what I experience sometimes the morning after I've worn Defututa the evening before (back when, you know, people went places in the evening). It's damn sexy. Like, I love Defututa. I looooooovveee this.