yellowrose

Your eyes that once were never weary of mine Are bowed in sorrow under pendulous lids, Because our love is waning.' And then She: 'Although our love is waning, let us stand By the lone border of the lake once more, Together in that hour of gentleness When the poor tired child, passion, falls asleep. How far away the stars seem, and how far Is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart!' Pensive they paced along the faded leaves, While slowly he whose hand held hers replied: 'Passion has often worn our wandering hearts.' The woods were round them, and the yellow leaves Fell like faint meteors in the gloom, and once A rabbit old and lame limped down the path; Autumn was over him: and now they stood On the lone border of the lake once more: Turning, he saw that she had thrust dead leaves Gathered in silence, dewy as her eyes, In bosom and hair. 'Ah, do not mourn,' he said, 'That we are tired, for other loves await us; Hate on and love through unrepining hours. Before us lies eternity; our souls Are love, and a continual farewell.' The scent of loss, love and the echo of time without end: sorrowful violet and chamomile with muguet, white geranium, calla lily and tea rose with a hint of autumn leaves. Honored to be the first to review Ephemera. This was a very special gift from an exceedingly generous soul. THANK YOU! I was eager to try this newest scent because of the mix of violet, muguet and leaves. I was curious about the dimension chamomile, geranium and tea rose would add. I couldn't work out in sense memory what this might be like nor did I have any especial preconceptions. Roses are often iffy on me, so I was a little timid about trying Ephemera. It's one of my favorite words and, well, to the review. In the bottle: muguet and tea rose dominate. Wet: chamomile and violet with something a little ineffable and sharpish. The scent is floral and perfumey. Tea rose becomes more to the fore with violets softening. Oops. They change places. Very unusual. Drying: since this was applied on the wrist, it was subjected to a couple of handwashings. Thus, it didn't last as long as it might have in another spot. It's tough to separate the lilies from each other. My assumption is, based on my experiences with geranium in the garden, that sharpish note may be the geranium. The scent does start perfume-y. Stick with it! It mellows quite nicely. The autumn leaves scent is barely there. It is similar to the leafy fall note in Dia de los Muertos. Longevity? Uncertain. See above. In summary, an extremely feminine scent with wistful overtones. And, as the name would imply, it is sort of a nostalgic scent that might have been worn by Victorian or Edwardian ladies with heaving bosoms and sweeping coiffures, however this is definitely NOT a demure scent. This review will be updated with subsequent wearing.

Love in the Asylum. Based on the poem by Dylan Thomas: A stranger has comeTo share my room in the house not right in the head, A girl mad as birds Bolting the night of the door with her arm her plume. Strait in the mazed bed She deludes the heaven-proof house with entering clouds Yet she deludes with walking the nightmarish room, At large as the dead, Or rides the imagined oceans of the male wards. She has come possessed Who admits the delusive light through the bouncing wall, Possessed by the skies She sleeps in the narrow trough yet she walks the dust Yet raves at her will On the madhouse boards worn thin by my walking tears. And taken by light in her arms at long and dear last I may without fail Suffer the first vision that set fire to the stars. A song of love and madness: two roses, tolu balsam and ambergris with vanilla, labdanum, tobacco leaf, carnation and tonka. This was an impulse purchase based solely on the "Hey, isn't it cool to have a scent based on a Dylan Thomas poem?" factor. Purchased one bottle because roses (in general) are sometimes iffy or aggressive. Wet: lush roses and a hint of something softer. Drying: since this was applied to elbow crooks, it makes sniffing a little challenging, but as it is drying and afterwards, there is a lovely rose scent. These are the sweet, well behaved roses of Moon Rose and Black Cat. Never really got any of the other notes intelligibly. These other notes in combination soften the scent. There was a hint of tobacco at one sniff, but not an overpowering blam of the note. To be fair, I'd hoped for more vanilla, carnation and tonka and really didn't seem to get them ... but there were many, many other things that interrupted the process. For this reason, I'll keep experimenting. I do really like the comforting aspect this scent has. I can't really articulate it properly. When there is a breeze that wafts up this scent, inhaling it becomes a moment of being. Very Zen, but ... that's my take. Now I'm kicking myself that I didn't order that second bottle. Drats! And what an honor to be the first to review Love in the Asylum!

The lovely incense in The Caterpillar couldn't make it through the jasmine, which my skin amps until there are no other notes left. By contrast, how can something like Snake Charmer work wonderfully and Jacob's Ladder cause a very bad allergic reaction? Doesn't make sense without knowing exactly what the components are.

Yes, in my experience there is a lot of variance between orange notes. It depends on the oil and the supporting notes. Orange blossom smells totally different on me than blood orange. Kunstkammer is all kinds of wonderful on me and for me. The much-lauded Moxie did not work on me. Although its citrus note is kumquat, try Tweedledee and see what you think.

This decanted imp of Gingerbread Poppet '05 is traveling as part of the General Catalogue swap. Not to repeat any other posts or reviews, but cinnamon oil typically causes a horrible reaction on my skin. Who says I can't sniff?!? Ah, I understand why so many forumites are in love with this scent. It is truly THE very scent of warm gingerbread. Lovely. Rich. Spicy. Very evocative of the holiday kitchen. Happy to have had the opportunity to at least get a whiff of it. Thanks, brownbear. Safe travels wandering imp!

This imp is traveling as part of the General Catalogue swap. The Caterpillar. Not thinking or smelling, I swabbed it on and immediately regreted it. Jasmine. It's a very old-fashioned smoky floral and instantly brings to mind that hookah smoking caterpillar. But jasmine. Yes, this note gets amped up to the exclusion of all others. This scent and its incense is no exception. It was so powerful, I'm afraid I had to wash it off. And it still refuses to budge. Ah well, there are other mad things in the tea party to love. Safe travels wandering imp!

This imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue Swap. I have been eager to try this. It's been on my wishlist for some time now. Yay! Wet: musk and sandalwood with a touch of lemon. Why? Mmmm. Drying: not much else in the mix. Not so much as a hint of mango. The mandarin must be responsible for what I get as lemon. It's mostly musk and sandalwood, which I like, I just wish the other notes would come out and play. Vanishes in less than 30 minutes to a sour hint of scent. Drats! Glad I was able to try this. Safe travels little imp!

This imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue swap. Upon opening Catherine, there is a note that reminds me of jasmine, but isn't. It's sharp, bitter, and not something I want to put on my skin. I'm sticking to sniffing in the bottle and good thing. My nose has not stopped running since the initial exploratory sniff and now, it's completely stuffy. Neroli is the most likely culprit. And it's on my fingers. Ack! Safe travels little imp.

This imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue swap. Hurricane is one I'm sniffing in the bottle. It is a sharpish aquatic, a type of scent that usually doesn't fare well on my skin. Very brash with a deep note, probably vetivert. Safe travels little imp!

Our Nightmarebane. Named after the Baku, benevolent Japanese spirits that eat nightmares. In Japanese tradition, nightmares are gifts from malevolent spirits; when you wake up from one, you may call, "Baku, please eat my dreams!", and if you are virtuous and merciful in spirit, the Baku will devour the evil, transforming it into a blessing of good fortune. Baku was a gifted imp. I tried it on a night when I was exceedingly anxious and hoped it would help me sleep. I wore Calliope as well. I was restless and had horrible dreams the entire night. I don't know if using it in tandem with Calliope (also a lavendar scent) somehow changed the efficacy of the sleep formula. The anise note was disconcerting, but ... I'm not sure if I've done it justice, but I am wary of trying it again. I need my sleep!

This imp of Eris is circulating as part of the General Catalogue Swap brought to you by the lovely quikslvr and generous participants including brownbear! Wet: Fruity! Drying: melons and flowers and fruits and where was this for curing the summertime blues circa 2006? Drying: Oh yeah! There’s some funky note that I really like in the mix. Yes, it is the promised gleeful mayhem. This is an adult glee. The fruits and florals are very regal and statuesque. Well, I could see Angelica Huston working this, if you get what I mean. Dries a little dusty. But, wow! I thought I’d love to have a imp of Eris to wear in on hot summer nights in rotation with Numb and Ephemera and Asphodel. It screams of summer and does so boldly. Sadly, it became too much during the dry-down. Had some breathing problems about an hour after the first application. It’s still a lovely scent. I may give it another go some day. Save travels imp! Go forth and enable!

This imp is traveling as part of the General Catalogue Swap. Ah, the fabled Embalming Fluid. Why have I never sniffed you?! Wet: Lemon of doom! Drying: Scent mellows some, but still LEMON OF DOOM! No welts, which can happen with lemon oil. This is good. But my throat did begin to tighten the longer I wore it. What happened to the musk, tea, and aloe? Yeah, hidden by the amped lemon. Although I loathe comparing any one oil to another oil (as I think each has its merits and should be able to be reviewed independently), Embalming Fluid is the kissing cousin of Zephyr, which really wasn’t my thing either. Pass. Safe travels lemony implet!

Those who love Kunstkammer might try Tweedledee. It's very similar to Kunstkammer or at least my bottle of Kunstkammer as it has aged right up to dry down. The dry down is lovely.

This imp is traveling as part of the General Catalogue swap. This particular batch of imps -- Ava Maria Gratia Plena, Hymn to Propserine, Jazz Funeral, Jolly Roger, Juke Joint – consists almost exclusively of notes that give me trouble. These include booze, apple and jasmine. Because I’m way, way behind and want to get the imps circulating, I’m sending it on its way having sniffed it in the bottle and determining that, well, for all the BPAL scents I love, I just don’t want to risk not loving it. Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans? Le sigh. Safe travels little imp!

This imp is traveling as part of the General Catalogue swap. This particular batch of imps -- Ava Maria Gratia Plena, Hymn to Propserine, Jazz Funeral, Jolly Roger, Juke Joint – consists almost exclusively of notes that give me trouble. These include booze, apple and jasmine. Because I’m way, way behind and want to get the imps circulating, I’m sending it on its way having sniffed it in the bottle and determining that, well, for all the BPAL scents I love, I just don’t want to risk not loving it as Jack Sparrow might. Safe travels little imp!

This imp is traveling as part of the General Catalogue swap. This particular batch of imps -- Ava Maria Gratia Plena, Hymn to Propserine, Jazz Funeral, Jolly Roger, Juke Joint – consists almost exclusively of notes that give me trouble. These include booze, apple and jasmine. Because I’m way, way behind and want to get the imps circulating, I’m sending it on its way having sniffed it in the bottle and determining that, well, for all the BPAL scents I love, I just don’t want to risk not loving it. Safe travels little imp!

This imp is traveling as part of the General Catalogue swap. This particular batch of imps -- Ava Maria Gratia Plena, Hymn to Propserine, Jazz Funeral, Jolly Roger, Juke Joint – consists almost exclusively of notes that give me trouble. These include booze, jasmine and … well, what fruits are Prosperine’s? Apple?? Although I'm guessing pomegranate, I can't risk it. Because I’m way, way behind and want to get the imps circulating, I’m sending it on its way, I just don’t want to risk an allergic reaction even sniffing. I may have to contact the Lab to see if there is apple ... yes, I'm intrigued. Safe travels little imp!

This imp is traveling as part of the General Catalogue swap. This particular batch of imps -- Ava Maria Gratia Plena, Hymn to Propserine, Jazz Funeral, Jolly Roger, Juke Joint – consists almost exclusively of notes that give me trouble. These include booze, jasmine and … well Here it's the jasmine. Because I’m way, way behind and want to get the imps circulating, I’m sending it on its way having sniffed it in the bottle and determining that, well, for all the BPAL scents I love, I just don’t want to risk not loving it. Safe travels little imp!

This imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue Swap. In the interest of time and because others are patiently waiting, I'm just sniffing some scents in the bottle. This is one of those. My impression of Neo-Toyko is that it is an aquatic-green scent. Because I am leery of green scents (since they often = grass), I'm not going to apply this on my skin. And I do have my own imp, which I'll apply to my skin when I have the time and inclination. Someone else needs to sniff this! Safe travels imp!

This imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue Swap. In the interest of time and because others are patiently waiting, I'm just sniffing some scents in the bottle. This is one of those. My impression of Leanan Sidhe is that it is an aquatic floral with a decidedly green note. Because I am leery of green scents (since they often = grass), I'm not going to apply this on my skin. Safe travels imp!

This decanted imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue Swap. In the bottle: A mysteriously syrupy and dark amber liquid. Yowza! Very heavy scent and I want to put it on my skin immediately! Wet: Initally, it stains like Betadine. Just as someone else observed. Very much redolent of neroli and patchouli. Exceedingly dark and earthy with a hint of ginger. I'm trying this when I am hungry and my stomach is rockin' and rollin' so it may be the scent as much as the hunger that is making my stomach flip and sending my sinuses into overdrive. The scent is very soft, rich and on the verge of being cloying. Since I'm rushing through reviews, I'll add comments if they happen to be germane. This would be a great night on the town scent! But drats! Goes plastic within the hour on me. Started so promising! Safe travels wandering imp! edited to add important info

This imp is circulating as part of the General Catalogue Swap. In the bottle: fruit bouquet. None of the expected acidic tartness that you get when you bite into a kumquat rind. Wet: Ridiculously yum! Fruity and floral and spicy without being cloying. Youthful and happy. Summery green-orange scent. Drying: Morphs into sweet, sweet, sweet candyish scent in about an hour. Unexpected! Becomes a tad dusty-powdery. Lasts about four hours. Conclusion: Hmmm. I'm fence-sitting on this one. Cousin to Kunstkammer, at least the sweeter scent it's become with age. Worth trying again eventually. Safe travels wandering imp. edited to add additional info

For those looking for a lavender sleep blend, Calliope is what I've been using. I have a big bottle and am slathering it in lieu of Black Cat, which is a rose blend that is very nice at bedtime. Those are my two faves. I'm eager to try TKO.

Oddly enough, the two enabling scents that launched interest among a group of local women were Dana O'Shee and Satyr. I am not making this up. Those two IMHO show the contrast or extremes of BPAL. One of my friends ordered immediately after that -- and neither of those scents either, which says a lot. Faustus and Bengal got ooohs and ahhhhs on a recent night. A good rule of thumb, I'd say have a couple of light scents, a couple of spicy scents, a couple of dark scents, a couple of florals (rose and jasmine), a fruity, one with dragon's blood, and a foody. There will be overlap. I would also have what I consider the Lab's signature scents at hand -- Black Phoenix, O, Snake Oil, Dana O'Shee. YMMV. What you DO NOT want to do is be wearing something you're on the fence about and have your friend tell you it smells like granny's lingerie drawer. Have more than one scent at the ready. Oh, and LE? I'd have to say Snake Charmer. Hands down.

This imp is part of the General Catalogue Swap. Obatala has been on my wish list, so I was eager to try this scent interpretation of one of the Orishas. OH. MY. ... OBATALA. Let's dispense with convention. This scent is a true coconut scent. It is the smell of coconut meat, not the mad scientist's interpretation of what a schoolgirl thinks coconut should be -- sticky cream pie and hyper-candy sweetness. None of that cloying youthful pretense. It's amazing. Some sweet scents go plastic-y on me and I feared that. I was distracted and sweaty while I had it on and didn't pay great attention to the lasting rate or whether it eventually morphed. I enjoyed wearing it and the acquatic hint was nice, especially on a hot walk with the cottonwoods' rustling in the wind sounding exactly like a crisp, refreshing waterfall. If I try it again, I fear censure or by the other participants, and, honestly, everyone should have the opportunity to try Obatala. I'll surely buy an imp and do my own testing before investing in a 5 ml. Safe travels wandering imp!