ivyandpeony

Wow, I have googled Mari Mari and I can't find the notes anywhere - I was surprised Basenotes.net didn't have it listed. I figured with a list of the notes you usually have a better shot at finding a match. Maybe someone else will have better luck than me, or will be familiar with it!

This is a really useful thread for me, because nag champa/champaca just clashes with my chemistry something terrible. I had my fingers crossed for Pumpkin Patch 2 this year, hoping the tobacco, tonka & carnation would beat the champa into submission But it was not meant to be!

However, those who adore nag champa blends need to get to the pumpkin patch and start digging for PP 2. I predict you will love it.

I had the same experience as Elizabethm, evilmistressoftoast and others who were just overwhelmed by the gooeyness of PP 3. PP 2 was worrisome from the time I ordered, since champaca can mess up a blend for me - I think it would be lovely on people that can wear that note, though! And I kind of knew that 4 wouldn't like me too much because of the sage, which I turn into bandaids.

So if you've been paying attention, you might already have guessed that I love No. 1 and No. 5 this year. No. 1 is light, fruity and sweet, and No. 5 is spicy and rich. So they would be my recs.

If any of them feature a particular problem note, my advice would be, don't take a chance. Pick the one that sounds like the best match for your skin chemistry and your preferences. The notes that I knew were risky fulfilled my fears and blew it for 2 & 4!

....Who is out there giving us a bad name by not bathing?...I'll kick their hippie asses!

 

Um... I'm not sure what his name is, but he works at the Whole Foods in my neighborhood.

How is Spanish Moss different from Oakmoss in smell?

 

I've never smelled it. Before BPAL I never even knew it had any smell.

 

See how educative BPAL is?

Spanish Moss is very strong, pungent, damp and even a little floral smelling in my experience (I've tried the BPAL single note). The GC scent that is strongest in Spanish Moss is Wolfsbane as far as I remember. It's even a little bit rosey in tone. Oakmoss is much more dry of a moss and the BPAL note smells exactly like fresh-from-the-tree oakmoss. A little dusty and rather earthy.

Look - I found an expert to answer this question!

Dymphna, there's a gorgeous TAL that's intended to be worn as perfume called Amor. It smells like almond pastries to me, sexy almond pastries. I know TAL decants are sometimes more difficult to find, but that would be my almond rec! I hate overwhelming almond, but I looooove Amor.

Beth made a prototype called Decadence a few years ago that never made it to release, although there were many frimps that made it into orders in late 2005, early 2005. I really, really hope that she releases it one day (I believe someone has come out with a perfume called "Decadence" in the meantime, so she probably will rename it and may not tell us that it's the formula she had originally envisioned as BPAL Decadence! But one sniff and I am sure I will know.) It is almondy, cinnamony, with a little bit of Grand Marnier/cognac to my nose. If you can ever get your hands on some, grab and run!

People who have tried both Amor and the Decadence prototype have noted a similarity.

I should have known who the expert on this note would be

Thank you so much for the information, Sarada! I sniffed these 2 single notes a long time ago and didn't remember them so clearly until your description refreshed my memory. It makes sense too, since Spanish moss grows in such humid conditions, so naturally it would smell boggy and marshy.

How is Spanish Moss different from Oakmoss in smell?

 

I've never smelled it. Before BPAL I never even knew it had any smell.

 

See how educative BPAL is?

I saw this question in another thread and thought it might get an answer here if it doesn't get answered there as well.

Awesome Ivy, thank you for sorting that for me. I don't bother with Search, lol. I'm glad to see there's a cosplay thread.

There actually wasn't a cosplay thread before, but I thought it would mesh nicely with RPG So I found the Vampire: The Masquerade Thread that was pretty lively and a new thread was born. I think there might be something else floating around in here but so far my searches haven't uncovered anything.

But do take some time to make the search engine your friend (and this is advice for everyone, not just palastinied) - you don't want to rack up warnings (eventually) for duplicate threads! I say eventually because we now have the ability to issue reminders to members without altering your warning level, and that's what we do when you are new and/or when you haven't been out making duplicate threads like rabbit babies, but a few reminders under your belt and you do get warned for it (and you turn your friendly mod's smile upside down). Mods are always happy to help you figure out if a duplicate thread already exists, if your topic is a good fit for an existing thread or should stand on its own, that kind of thing, too. Just PM the mod for the section where you're dabbling (and please give her a good 24 hours or so to respond).

Ooh. Yay costume parties? :DI'm dressing up this Halloween... well, I do every year, but last year nobody thought I was dressed up because my costume was rather bland. Sigh.This year, I'm going as a catgirl - aka Random Loveless Character #312. Yukata, cat ears, tail, the works.And... I have no idea what scent to wear! I thought of Hellcat, but I tried that recently and it just does not work on me at all (evidently I amp almond to extremes). I'm considering Schrodinger's Cat, though... not sure yet.Any ideas?

River, so far my entire pirate wench ensemble is comprised of items from my actual wardrobe and my joke is that I am the Dread Wench of the Beige Seas. I live in fear of no one realizing I am in costume too! Must accessorize before Halloween. As for a scent... what about Bakeneko? Monster Cat!

Since Halloween is right around the corner, I thought I would bump this handy-dandy topic that I came up with by merging a couple of other threads started by members looking for recs for their costume-party fun.

If you happen upon a thread that you think would fit well with this one, please report it for me and I will see if it's a good one to merge into this. I only have two eyes and one brain, ya know, so I really appreciate your help and your suggestions.

Right now we have three different threads for character/costume situations, which seemed like logical distinctions to me. Again, please feel free to report threads that seem like they might belong in one of these general discussions and/& or PM me if you have any ideas or comments about this.

We have the thread you are reading for costume parties and such.

This thread is for recommendations for cosplay and characters in RPG.

And, this thread is for those who will be portraying a character on stage or in a similar environment and need a recommendation to help them.

(For those dramatic types, you also might want to see this thread for discussion of the best blends to help you when you need confidence on stage or when performing).

So that's your friendly modly announcement for now.

I am going to be a pirate wench for Halloween - my only problem is narrowing down my choices now that a even more piratey blends have made their way into the BPAL catalag. But I think I might break those chains and wear Storyville.

Oh, I think that Voodoo Queen will forever be my holy grail of clove scents. I don't wear it often since my bottle has such a big dent in it, but it's a great cool weather scent and the clovey wonderfulness makes me swoon. Beth told the story of blending this one "free hand" - not her usual process, where every thing she adds is precisely measured and documented so she can have a formula to work from, it's more of her Chaos Theory approach - the result being, she will never make it again. So I will have to enjoy it while it lasts.

Hmmm... unless someone who's a real Partylite aficianado shows up or unless you can track the notes down, I just don't know if you are going to get a whole lot of response on this one!

Saw Scaled Viper seems to be getting everyone, even a friend of mine who swore she was Teflon from the neck down. I got a bottle (before I heard that from her) and I haven't been brave enough to try it on yet, thanks to her story and the crazy hives I got all summer. I personally think the Lab's cassia note/notes are more irritating to my skin than any cinnamont I have tried. I think I may dilute a bit to try this fall, it is just too spicy and delicious in the bottle for me to resist.

...

 

The scent? Allison Gross, which I'd only tested very briefly before. And Allison Gross is full of all kind of green herbal things. And I'm really allergic to almost every grass and tree that grows.

 

...

Are we related? I'm allergic to a zillion trees and grasses too - although I guess the tests that allergists do (the pinprick thing) are really testing for reactions to their pollens. I never considered that I could react to other components although it now seems like it could be possible - definitely something I will consider as I try out different stuff in the future. Although it seems like a lot of Beth's woody notes could be bouquets, other than those things that are traditionally available as essential oils like pine, cedar, and sandalwood (none of which I am allergic to - for me it's things like oak, maple, birch, poplar... oh, and ragweed! I don't think Beth has done a ragweed blend yet! )

This is a really ignorant question, but I'm going to ask anyway! I am allergic to various kinds of trees, and I take medications/injections during certain times of the year for this (pollen season, etc.). Does this mean I should avoid any scents that have these trees (say pine, for example) listed in the description? I don't know enough about oils to understand what they contain, and whether the same thing that makes me allergic to a tree would make me allergic to the scent. Thanks for your help!

In the case of really severe allergies, I would definitely avoid anything that sounds like it has a component that you're allergic to. Even if the Lab is using a bouquet to approximate the scent of an oak tree or wooden planks or something like that in the description, you can't always be sure. I know in the past that the Lab's been very helpful when customers have sent e-mails saying, "I am allergic to X, Y, and Z. I am interested in buying the following oils: .... (reasonable list here)"

I know allergies are really frustrating when they limit what you enjoy, but always listen to your doctor before you consider the advice of anyone here or at the Lab since he knows you and your health intimately - does he just discourage the use of scent in general to all his patients, is he seriously telling you as an individual to avoid it, or somewhere in between? That should really guide your decisions and choices. I really can sympathize, though - for example, I am allergic to dogs (so is my husband) and yet our dog sleeps with his head on my pillow every night. My allergist rolls her eyes at that one.

Another ignorant question. My boyfriend has an oral allergy to almonds. That's *not* the life threatening, anaphylactic kind of allergy, but it means he'll throw up and get serious heartburn if he accidentally consumes some almond.

 

With the amount of actual almond in a perfume like Hecate or Bastet being fairly miniscule, am I right in thinking it's no big problem if I wear those perfumes around him and he kisses my wrist or something?

 

I've asked him before, and he doesn't know. Can anyone here help?

If you were to eat some almonds and he kissed you a bit later, would he have a reaction? I would guess that his reaction to exposure to almondy perfume to be similar to that scenario and to be on the safe side, just avoid wearing almondy BPAL if you're planning to spend time together. I have heard stories of nut allergies where one person sipped from another's soda hours after eating something with peanuts in it, and when the allergic person drank from her soda after that her face started swelling up - I know he isn't that high on the scale, but I think he should probably discuss topical exposure to almond-containing cosmetics with his doctor on his next visit to figure out where he might be on the scale, you know? It seems like there's enough chance of inadvertent contact (washing his hands at someone's house with soap that contained almond, for example) for him to want to be fully informed.

Kill-Devil scares me a little, since caramel-ly scents can be very bad on me and it sounds like it could lean that way. Of course I will try it though, I let no GC stones go unturned if I can help it.

I think I might nominate The Sailors' Den from the Salon as a pirate scent as well - it definitely has a seafaring vibe. The subjects of the drawing seem a bit more modern than the era we usually associate as the golden age of the pirates, but they look like they are up to no good! That should earn them a spot in the pirate's lair.

What about Tanamo-no-Mae and Bakeneko? Both remind me very much of chai, although they are different from one another.

I am out of town, on vacation, so I only have 10 scents with me. I have been wearing The Emathides obsessively - OMG the amber is just incredible. This one smells like purple amber to me, if that makes sense. Now I am craving amber like crazy - just reading over this thread is making me wish I had brought The Lion and Jacob's Ladder with me!

However, I do have two Holy Grail ambers with me in addition to the raven ladies... Svadhinopatika and The Ecstasy of Passion. I would seriously push my own grandma out of the way to snatch a bottle of TEoP, it is so good. (The notes are bourbon vanilla, red musk, galbanum, ambergris, sweet clove, petitgrain, and golden amber, for the record.) And I think I mentioned Svad. upthread, it's drop dead gorgeous as well - golden amber, oude, red sandalwood, massoia bark, honey, and currant.

(I am such the victim of the LE, by the way - it seems that every time that one whiff and I am in love. (I get an insane surge of happiness when I smell an LE that I don't like.) And I don't think that LE psychology comes into it. I just have expensive taste. Say I am going to buy my husband a sweater - I look at 12 sweaters on a table at the department store and sure enough, the one I am drawn to turns out to have the most outrageous price tag. I can look at a fashion spread in a magazine - do any of you read Lucky? You know how they will do pages of nothing but shoes, all photographed from the same angle, or outfits composed of the same items, again photographed the same way? I look at them all, pick my favorite, invariably - "Oh wow! $1200 for a pair of shoes!" when I look at the small print. I go back and look for the $60 pair at that point. It's a curse!)

Oh, edited to add - Magda's recommendation of Hermia is such a good one. The pink pepper and amber are incredible together. I wish I had that one with me too! I miss my dog and my BPAL drawer so much! =(

Another LE, but at least it's a recent one... The Emathides. I am on vacation right now and I have grabbed this bottle several days in a row even though I brought 10 in my little travel case (I tried to link to this for anyone interested but the site appears to be down - www.abundanthealth4u.com is the place to go, though.)

It's got a darkness to it that I like for cooler weather, but the addition of lavender keeps it bright and light enough for this transitional period. (Have I mentioned that I usually really, really dislike lavender except for bath & bedtime scents, too? But it has the same effect in the Emathides as it does in Dolce Stil Nuovo, one of my other favorite LEs of all time - somehow juxtaposed with darker, richer ingredients it becomes light and sweet.)

So if you happen to have The Emathides sitting around waiting for the perfect moment, maybe it's now, or will be here soon.

Wow - what a difference six weeks makes

Pirate-y types should be thrilled to note all the buccaneer goodness that landed in the catalog last night!

In Wanderlust, we have:

ÎLE DE LA TORTUE

Home to the Brethren of the Coast and a notorious safe-haven for pirates, this island was once described as the common place of refuge for all sorts of wickedness, the seminary of pirates and thieves.

Damp air trapped in limestone caverns, heady greenery, hothouse orchids, nicotiana blossoms, bois de chandel, elemi, palm wine, garambullo, pega-pega, flame of the forest, and a swirl of Haitian vetiver.

WINDWARD PASSAGE

Breezes blowing off of the waters of the Caribbean: marine accord, seaweed, and bladderwrack.

And, new to Bewitching Brews (and sounding quite bewitching indeed):

KILL-DEVIL

"Rum punch is not improperly called Kill-Devil; for thousands lose their lives by its means. When newcomers use it to the least excess, they expose themselves to imminent peril, for it heats the blood and brings on fevers, which in a very few hours send them to their graves."

Sugar cane, molasses, oak wood, and honey.

PLUNDER

The scent of a pirate's bumboat, overflowing with stolen wares: tea leaf, cassia, cinnamon bark, clove, allspice, sandalwood, tobacco, peppercorn, and nutmeg.

And of course, forum members could not have missed these two exclusive Limited Editions just for forum members, but if you did here's the link, go order them now!

PIRATE MOON

Avast thar! On Octobree th' 31st, Pirate Moon be hangin' high in th' sky! Mad Bess Moriarty, Scourge o` th' Se`en Seas, an' Captain T.J. Barrial wi' be joinin' the'r spirits in unholy matrimony! This scent be created t' commemorate th' union o' these two scurrilous sea dogs.

So, splice th' mainbrace an' get thee loaded t' th' gunwales, me buckos, 'tis a time o' celebration!

Red musk, ambergris, coconut palm, red sandalwood, balsam, date, warm leather, tobacco, ebony, lingum vitae wood, pandanus grass, an' a touch o' lime.

20 Dubloons, ya swabbie!

THE PHOENIX

This naval galleon was boarded and commandeered in 1713 on the order of Mad Bess Moriarty, along with a fat fleet of ships bearing precious oils, rare resins, and exotic spices. Once the vessels were secured, Mad Bess selected the finest, fittest galleon from the ships that they had acquired, and chose it to be her flagship. Her crew set to work knocking down the cabins, making the ship flush fore and aft, and painting her low sides were painted black, with one thin riband of orange. They prepared black colors, and set bloodshot, glaring occuli along the entirety of the hull. A new figurehead was carved in the shape of a flame-wreathed, screaming bird, and the ship was sanctified with wine, rum, and the blood of their enemies.

Mounted with 52 guns, and manned with the fiercest pirates to sail the Seven Seas, she was rechristened "the Phoenix".

Sea air, gunpowder, lime, salt-crusted wood, a splash of blood, and a dribble of Snake Oil.

I am going to be very excited to try these out for myself... this is an order I will be sitting on my hands waiting for.

I apologize for not replying sooner. cat caught on fire.

 

...

OMG - how did I miss this? Now that I stopped laughing, I hope this was a metaphor and if not, a minor accident!

I just got through merging a couple of threads that were vatriations on the cinnamon-y theme and since it's the time of year that spicy scents start to rule, I figured I would bump this one.

So reporting back... I think it has a lot of tropical fruit notes in it. So maybe Manila or Mania?

I don't know of discontinued scents count a LEs, but none the less: scents like Dublin?

I don't know of discontinued scents count a LEs, but none the less: scents like Dublin?

 

Search the thread for "Dublin" and ye shall find a number of recommendations.

 

(Actually, many of the ones in this thread are for Dublin -> LE. There are a couple mentions in the Similarities among GC scents thread. That thread says GC and d/c, so I'd assume for the purposes of this forum, discontinued is being counted as GC. *shrug*)

I cross posted misoXmikado's request to the other thread, and decided to clarify the title of that thread a bit.

I don't know of discontinued scents count a LEs, but none the less: scents like Dublin?

figured I'd cross post this one over here, since most of the DC discussion falls in this thread - any suggestions for this newbie?

I love the smell of this shampoo too! It hasn't inspired an "OMG this reminds me of ______" moment like some products I have tried (but to be honest, that doesn't happen to me that often). So when I wash my hair tomorrow, I am going to concentrate on the scent and try to see what it reminds me of.

(And this stuff is so worth the price for making your hair color last, and last, and last. If that's an issue for anyone who happens to be reading this thread, you should really try it - although it is a very rich and moisturizing shampoo that's not good for oily scalps.)

I am in lust/love with the patchouli Beth used in Crypt Queen. It is so smooth and velvety and feminine.

Although they are fictional characters from a different time and place, "the air of conflict and regal backstabbing" immediately brought to mind the Vicomte de Valmont and Marquise de Merteuil. I don't know if the scents would otherwise appeal to you, but they seem to have a lot in common with Eleanor & Henry.

We just had our first cool autumn-is-coming! day here in the South... so I am in the process of swapping out some of my lighter summery scents for some good transitional ones (I keep the bottles in frequent rotation in a box on my dresser, others in a drawer).

Hermia is going to be fantastic for fall. It's got awesome spice and resins going on and just in the couple months since my bottle arrived, it's really developed nicely in the bottle. Kind of like a friend you didn't see over the summer, then when you showed up for school in the fall she was 6 inches taller and had boobs and all the guys are like