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BPAL reviews Pumpkin Sugar- amazing! I can almost taste caramelised pumpkin and sugar! Like if you were to make pumpkin brittle. The throw on this is impressive and I dabbed a touch on last night and 6.5 hrs later I could still smell it, if a bit fainter. Spiced Autumn Cider- wet: reminds me of going to an orchard backup home and getting fresh mulled Cider from the farm shop. Delicious! Not too sweet (but I get the maple at the very top) and spicy in all the right ways. Very iconically autumnal in a foody/drinkie kind of way. Dry: the spices are coming through beautifully and I still get the apple, it's the bottom of the pot of mulled cider. Devil's Night 2016 - i definitely smell the fires in the distance and the sooty musk. As it dries it sweetens to an almost autumn powder if that makes any sense. Yipe!- in the bottle, it's sugary sweet syrupy. Wet- like a melted ice lolly or melted black cherry sweet. I want to eat my arm. As it dries it darkens and lifts to a less syrupy smell to sweet fruit tea or incense. Third Charm 2016- in the bottle- very musky patchouli. Wet- It smells like a cast spell. Very magical! The cedar really brings all the earthy smells together and binds them nicely like a wrapped smudging stick. As it dries it warms to a beautiful wood smell and like you walked into a witchy/crystal shop. Like boxes on boxes of incense. Fizzy Jack O'Lantern 2016- in the bottle: a little soapy almost. I can smell the lemon and a slight pumpkin with lots of "fizziness". Wet- lemon gin and pumpkin. Still a little soapy. Maybe it's a "clean" scent rather than "soapy." This isn't unpleasant, just not pumpkin-y enough. Dry- ok, here's the pumpkin! And the gin! The lemon and soapyness has subsided to reveal something I definitely want to drink on a night out. Her Strong Enchantments Failing- cold, purple, incense. Very sweet. Wet- I can smell the blackberry very prominently. But still incense is strong at the base. Slightly more floral as it dries. It still smells "purple". That sounds may be because of the description, but if you know what a purple popsicle smells like, that's the top note. I totally smell the pale rage. Somehow colour and visual descriptions work with this perfume. It's fruity, but not. Ha! I may need to take a break from smelling for a few hours. The Unquiet Grave 2016- in the bottle: cold, floral, clean wet: very clean scent and I would describe as white. Absolutely get the frozen roses, white sandalwood at first. As it warms, the frankincense comes through. I smell as if I'm in the Ice Garden from The Night Circus. Dry: more of the gardenia is coming through and I think I can smell the orchid. Skirting the edge of soapy but not offensively. Dead Leaves, Blackcurrant, and Tobacco Tar- in the bottle: like crushed wet leaves you can smell from an open window!! Love it so far! Wet: Very organic smelling, with a hint of musk. I'm guessing the muskiness is the lab's dead leaf note. This seems to be the common theme between them. I bought everything blind and this is my first Halloween purchase so sorry if any of this differs from veterans of these scents. Dry: I get the black currant! Actually I am reminded of Lush's twilight bath bomb (but just the dust), maybe thrown into wet leaves...for whatever reason. I am in LOVE! This is a sure keeper! Samhnainophobia 2016- in the bottle: dark and boozy from the vetiver and I definitely get the bourbon geranium. Like a dark Halloween night after a few days of rain. Wet: beautiful and dark! Not sickly dark like I was expecting. Very smoky in the best way possible. Dry: even smoker but still retaining a slight sweetness to its dark base. Dead Leaves and Sugared Cardamom- wet: musky, dark. The cardamom is coming through beautifully. This is very pleasant. As the muskiness fades, I can smell the leaves a bit more. As it dries some spice emerges and gets very sweet on me! This is a slow burner on me and I'm glad I've given this one some patience. It was almost headachey on my the first time I tried it but the drier it becomes the more I am falling in love. Dead Leaves and Lavender Buds- in the bottle: very fresh French lavender with a hint of muskiness. Wet: crushed lavender flowers and the dead leaves are coming through as well. I feel like if you had a lavender field surrounded by trees, this is what the edge would smell like in autumn after a rain. Dry: Like I'm stomping through live wet lavender and raking leaves! So happy with this one!! Witch Dance 2016- in the bottle: sweet and booze. Wet: beautiful floral bourbon or liqueur. This is dark floral and earthy. Very sultry and pretty. I am wanting it to be stronger as it dries. My skin seems to be eating everything I put on it. I need this one to age and strengthen. I really like it! Just needs some throwing and staying power on me. So gorgeous though. Glad I bought it! Dead Leaves, Honeyed Patchouli, Champaca Blossom- in the bottle: fresh and outdoorsy. Not sweet fresh. Earthy fresh. The sweeter patchouli really compliment the dead leaves very well and the champaca blossom lifts the whole scent. Wet- this is the one that I feel best represents my childhood memory of dead leaves in piles while my grandfather raked them into mountains for me to jump into. Dry- even more lifted and sweet. The floral note is more pronounced and still beautiful. The honeyed patchouli is so lovely at this point. Another winner!! Dead Leaves and Blackberries- in the bottle: sweet and syrupy. The musky dead leaves is the top note. Not super close, but I feel like if you like Yipe! you'll like this one. Wet: the dead leaves scent is a little more pronounced but still getting lots of the sweet blackberry. Very pleasant. Dry: even sweeter. Throwing a bit better now. I really like this one! Not overly sweet. Just enough. Samhain 2016- in the bottle: like I'm walking through a damp wood just like the description. Wet: the fir is coming through nicely. The black patchouli is my favourite of all the patchoulis so far. This is essential autumn. So my jam. Really wish it was stronger. Dry: even more fantastic. Beautifully sweet autumn earthy. Only wish the throw had more beef to it. My skin eats this up. I hope this ages into something precious. Love!
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Organized in alphabetical order, and identified with a ✔️ if I liked it enough to keep, or a ❌ if it was a "no." ✔️A Countenance Forboding Evil ✔️Al-Azif ✔️Azathoth ❌Alice's Evidence ❌Aremata-Popoa ✔️Banshee Beat ✔️Blood ❌Blood Kiss ✔️Bocal de Sang ❌Bon Vivant ✔️Bow and Crown of Conquest, The ❌Burial ✔️Crossroads ✔️Crowley ❌Dance of Death ❌Delphi ❌Destroying Angel ❌Dragons Bone ✔️Dragons Hide ✔️Dragons Musk ❌Eat Me ❌Fascinum ❌Faustus ✔️Fenris Wolf ❌Follow Me Boy ❌Godfather Death ❌Golden Wave ❌Gomorrah ❌Gourmand CT #18 ❌Greed ❌Iago ❌Incubus ❌Jabberwocky ❌Jazz Funeral ✔️Jolly Roger ❌Juke Joint ❌Krampuslaufen ❌La Petite Mort ❌Masquerade ✔️Mort de Cesar ❌Music of Erich Zahn, The ❌Nyarlathotep ❌Odin ❌Old Scratch ✔️Omen ❌OPS ✔️Paramatman ❌Phoenix Streamworks ✔️Qandisa ✔️Queen ❌Red Moon 2013 ❌Red Queen, The ✔️Scherezade ❌Serpents with Glittering Eyes and Forky Tongues ✔️Sherlock Holmes ✔️Tavern of Hell ✔️Troll ❌Utrennyaya ❌Vechernyaya ❌Villain ❌Viola ✔️Voodoo ❌Voodoo Lily ❌Wicked ❌Wings of Azrael ✔️Wolfsbane ❌Wretched Rose Window, The ✔️Yggdrasil ✔️Yorick
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So, after three or so years of absence, I've come back. Older, wiser, and rather less smelly than before. But that's okay, because I'm in the process of refining my preferences and finding out what works with my skin these days. I've come to learn my scents: an amber base with tobacco and a touch of sweetness. So far, the three scents that are kickers are: Mdm Moriarty, Red Lantern, and The Soldier. The first two more than the second. Except that I just sold my bottle of Mdm Moriarty for a song. Yes, a song. Kicking myself from here to neverland. And seeking a new bottle. Which i might have to swap some super-rares for, alas. Oh well, I was only going to sell them anyway. Speaking of which, I have to find out how much people are paying for certain super-rares these days. I am quietly hoping that I haven't recently sold some rares to on-sellers, because that's depressing. Otherwise, I'm trying to deplete my collection, the major difficulty being that a) nobody wants to pay postage, the scents I have are not scents people are looking for. GRARGH.
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These is a list for my tracking purposes, so I don't let things get on the wishlist that are here. It's a list of imps/decants I found in my stash, which I'm currently testing to see whether I want them. By definition, I'm not offering these up for swap. If I do, they'll go up on my swap page. The goal is to test several scents per day from this list. From Wishlist, GC: Aglaea Azathoth Blood Amber Cathode Cordelia x3 The Dodo Galvanic Gogggles Lampades RPG: Neutral x2 Oya Port-Au-Prince Tamora Tombstone Vixen From Wishlist, LE/Unavailable: A Moment in Time Autumn Cider Autumn - Overlooked my Knitting Hallow-e'en 1914 Magnificent Autumn October x2 Samhain Sonnet D'Automne Phaeon Crescent Pumpkin I (Pumpkin III) Pumpkin V Red Spotted Purple Visions of Autumn I Visions of Autumn III Visions of Autumn IV Visions of Autumn V Visions of Autumn VI The White Witch Ahathoor Danube Euterpe Inez Khajuraho Melpomene Pool of Tears Purple Spotted Swallowtail Succubus Suspiro Tanin'iver To Autumn Unsorted (Testing) Bag-o-imps GC imps: A Countenance Forboding Evil Aizen-Myoo x2 Akuma Caliban Calico Jack Catherine Death Cap Defututa Dian's Bud Elegba Fallen Grandmother of Ghosts House of Night Mad Hatter Medea Nocturne Nyx Omen Oneiroi (Somnium) Ouija The Reaper and the Flowers Santo Domingo Santa Muerte Sheol Tzadikim Nistarim Ulalume Urd Whoso List to Hunt Wicked Wolfsbane Possets 301: Halloween 2010
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The first time I tried this, I didn't like it at all. I gave it a couple weeks and tried it again, and it's better....but still not something I need a lot of. It's very dry and I do like the clove, but the black musk keeps wanting to fight with me. I have been having trouble with black musk lately. This scent reminds me of Velvet Bandito, but I think I like that better, and at any rate a decant of this is enough for me. I will probably keep it but not go for a bottle.
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I was really curious about this scent! So glad that Sally let me try hers. As it turns out, it's just not for me. At all. I see where people are getting rose from this, I smell it too. Actually this has more rose than some rose scents that I've tried. I think I wanted more sweetness or caramel/cake out of it. It's kind of strong and cloying, and almost plasticky for the first half hour to an hour. However after that, it does reach a middle stage where it smells kind of good to me. It takes on almost a hint of chocolate, and has a nice, complex cake-y smell. Much later on.....stale dusty roses. : ( Or maybe : ) because that means I one less scent for me to hunt down.
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Briefly tested..... Pleasant, sweet, however somewhat undistinguished, this one is just not for me. I have nothing against sweet scents but I wouldn't wear this with so many other scents I like more. Plus this does something a little funky on the dry-down. It reminded me of Anactoria, which was weird.
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The amber stands out, and it really is grey amber, but everything else is just seamlessly blended. I smell a marshmallowy sweetness, and I would think that's tonka, but it's not the warmth of tonka that I usually can pick out. I have been known to really pick out the sweeter notes in scents, for example, Oblivion also dries down to a very marshmallow sweetness when I wear it. Anyway, this is really a great scent. As long as I've had it, I have kind of neglected it, but I always knew I liked it. It just got lost in the shuffle of my other oils. But I'm wearing it now, and it's one of those great, sophisticated, gender-neutral scents that I think are my favorite category, if you can call it a category. This could be worn equally by either men or women. It's ambery, slightly sweet, a little woody, and somewhat velvety. There is a nearly dusty grey quality but it's not a dusty scent. Very sophisticated and definitely one of my favorites of all the Lupercalia scents.
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This scent is quite unusual, and I appreciate the artistry behind it. I have found over 3 tests that I probably won't wear it out and about, but I will keep my decant. It's so unique, I'd like to have it around for when the mood strikes. Mostly I smell a heavy sweetness, and fruit. I enjoy cooking with molasses, but it's not something I ever thought I'd want to smell like! I found that the molasses combined with the moss and patchouli give this scent an earthy, almost smokey element that is truly compelling. After multiple tests I noticed that the sugary element comes close to banana when I sniff up close, kind of like Mr. Nancy did (until it aged and didn't smell like banana any more). In fact, Lawn Gnome is almost like Mr. Nancy's rugged, outdoorsy cousin. Same family, but more into camping and gardening (duh), not cocktail lounges or fedoras. The only problem is that something about this scent turns on me far into the dry-down. It becomes just a little flat and almost ashy, but I can't pin down what's causing it. I truly loved the opening stages enough to keep this around.
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This is the scent that I can never spell. : / It has given me different impressions the three times that I wore it. Mostly it is herbal, resins, and somehow slightly woody. I can pick out chamomile, frankincense, and amber. I have never learned to identify saffron (I'm not sure what it tastes like either), but I think it adds a slight medicinial, bitter feel from what I've heard. Not unpleasant at all. At first I didn't think this scent was powdery, but I put some on tonight and applied very lightly (not sure if that made the difference), and it definitely is powdery this time, kind of the same way that Minotaur is powdery. Anyway, this reminds me of several other bpal scents, like Sol, Sagittarius, and Carceri D'Invenzione as portalkat mentioned. I swear there's a little bit of wood in here. So, do I like it? Yes! I didn't care for Sol all that much, but this seems to be more like what I wanted from that scent. It's unique. I can wear this to work, because it's not all dark and sexy, even with the element of darkness.
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I don't wear food scents a whole lot, mostly just around the house as 'comfort' scents. I was curious about this one. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work out for me. It comes off kind of flat, like stale popcorn. I didn't get much of a butter note, it's more salty and a little stale. And it fades really fast....within an hour or less, it's pretty much gone unless I sniff up close to where I applied it. So there ya go, curiosity satisfied.
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Resurrected Version - 2008 Sensual, sibilant, sexual and hypnotic: Arabian musk and exotic spices slinking through Egyptian amber, enticing vanilla, and a serpentine blend of black plum, labdanum, ambrette, benzoin and black coconut. On, wet, this smells exactly like (aged!) Snake Oil on me. Aged Snake Oil lacks the note that goes extremely medicincal on me. I really like Snake Oil - but for the patchouli. It's much too dark for me. So, Snake Charmer smells exactly like that, minus that medicinical note. Good so far, but nothing I'd wear because if I did, I'd wear Snake Oil, ね? Drying, the scent gets lighter. The vanilla comes through now. There is something powdery lurking in the background (amber I guess), but I start to congratulate myself for buying this. Now, a couple of more minutes into the drying process, the vanilla is dominant. Now, what does this remind me of? Ack! I guess I still get the Snake Oil vibe, but... different. Hm! I start thinking this is really like I hoped it would be: Snake Oil, without the dark patchouli vibe. There is hope! It smells so eerily familiar but I can't convince my brain that this is the Snake Oil I'm smelling. My brain tells me that it reminds me of something else but I just can't come up with WHAT. It's vanilla, dark vanilla now. The darkness comes from something I'd say is the patchouli but without the cloying attribute to it. It's just dark, exactly right. Hah!
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My list of reviews so far, to be updated as I write them. BLACK PHOENIX ALCHEMY LAB: Limited Edition: Sleepy Hollow: Katrina Van Tassel Yules: Lick it Vigorously Yules: Rose Red 2010 Yules: Snow White 2010 Yules: The Nutcracker: Klara Ars Amatoria: Kabuki L'École Des Filles Lolita Lucy's Kiss Maiden Bewitching Brews: All Night Long Dana O'Shee Follow Me Boy Hurricane Jolly Roger Love Me Diabolus: Kumiho Marie Villain Excolo: Persephone Illyria: Rosalind Mad Tea Party: Alice Eat Me Mouses's Long And Sad Tale The Pool Of Tears Tweedledum The Unicorn Marchen: The Grave-Pig Picnic in Arkham: Herbert West Rappaccini's Garden: Baneberry Hairy Toad Lily Sin & Salvation: Faustus Lust Oblivion Wanderlust: London GOOD JUDY: Limited Edition: Diamond (April 2009) Fruit Judy Hanami (Spring 2009) Ostara (March 2009) American Gothic: The Corruption of Having Lived Forbidden Desire Shameful Secret Sins of the Past Spectral Evidence Splintered Love Anime & Manga: Gosurori Shoujo Uke Curio Shop: Cursed Cameo Mephitic Vapors Pickled Punk Spirit Bottle: Lhunassi Voodoo Doll In The Mood: Jolt Love Potent Lullaby Woobie LGBT & More: B Femme Mary Jo's Bakery: Bread Pudding Cannoli Chocolate Chai Muffin Key Lime Pie Punk: Gothic Pop Resinate: Honey Patch Smooth & Neat Signature Scents: Gravy Starlite Oasis: Atomic Cheesecake Lava Rocket Mond-O-Rama Unreleased Blends: First Creation
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Gabby - The Sweetling Ghost Like a ghost drifting into your consciousness. Very smooth, very suave, very insinuating. Gabby is the perfect Halloween kitty who has you loving her sweet soft ways. Two ambers twine suggestively like a cat's tail around a center of pure milk and a shot of sugar, or better than sugar! Very nice stuff. Oh, yeah. This isn't one of those ambers that goes all wonky/powdery/old lady on me. This is pure heaven. Soft and sweet and fabulous. Libby - The Classic Halloween Black Cat! Just plain old fun at Halloween. Just about all the things that you can revel in once a year and a few more. Coconut lovers rejoice, licorice lovers rejoice, A big glob of Blood Orange and a shot of plain old sugar candy, and goodness knows what else. This one does a wild cat dance. In the bottle, the blood orange is pretty strong, which had me a little worried. Citrus doesn't always work on me. No problem! The coconut and licorice keep it under control, and it's just a fun, fabulous fall scent. I definitely get a candy scent from this, but it's not too sweet thanks to the coconut. Also very nice. Thanks to my awesome witch, SeaMonkey, who sent me these!
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The Girls Love Pink Pepper The first in The Girls Love series of Honey scents, The Girls Love Pink Pepper is really a gorgeous blending of honey and that woody but feminine scent. This is PINK pepper and it dances beautifully with that deep from the comb honey and other secret ingredients within the blend. I am very very proud of this one, and if you can only afford one of The Girls, make it The Girls Love Pink Pepper. In the imp and on wet, wow, is this ever pink pepper. As it dries, the pepper softens and the honey begins to come through. Dry, it's a really lovely honey scent with a very soft peppery spice. The Girls Love Limeys A really and truly beautiful pairing of honey and lime and secret ingredients, just like bees make. It is a real beauty again. Tart and sweet at the same time, a tiny bit spicy and full of life. And, Yes, the word "limeys" is doing double duty! In the imp and on wet, this is a very limey, pretty scent. Dry, it's a nice blend of lime and honey. Frou-Frou This perfume is a tribute to the beautiful wistful girl at the bar of the Folies Bergere painted by Edouard Manet. Her mystery among the citizens of the demi-monde and the flowers on the bar and in her bodice are a symbol of the ironies of modern life. This scent brings back the charm of the countryside to the great indoors. A gentle floral unapologetically feminine and classic. Characteristics: floral, perfumy, scent locket, feminine, long lasting. Soft florals blended with vanilla cream. Not my usual style, but it's actually very nice. Reminds me a little bit of Black Lace, only more floral. Fabienne I don't have a description for this one. Beeswax and damp wool, with a bit of tea. It reminds me strongly of Ichabod Crane. I'm not too crazy about this one. Western Hills All the snap and giggle of Cincinnati's perpetual land of youth, where all the boys are football heros and all the girls are pretty. Western Hills folk know how to have a good time, and there is great comfort over there as well. Nothing is quite so snuggly as a Western Hills Christmas, the children get more candy at Halloween, and the Fourth of July is more brilliant over there. Western Hills is a sweet but daring rendition of that part of Cincinnati. Like the real thing, it's sporty, foody, rich and robust but with a heartbreaking familiarity like what you feel when you go home again. A high risk scent which I feel I pulled off with aplomb. Characteristics: foody, sporty, cutting edge, unisex. Popcorn, vanilla and a touch of candy corn. Celadon Green The placid, cool, and unflappable mien of a truly refreshing friend, Celadon Green radiates your serene confidence as it gives you a secret stop gap against the day's travails. This is precisely the scent that you need when you need a cool breeze to blow through hot times. Greenery, and crunchy lushness in spots where others wilt. That's Celadon Green. Characteristics: green, light, long lasting, dry, refreshing, scent locket, home scent, unisex, cooling, summer scent. A soft swirl of mint, vanilla sugar and a hint of beeswax.
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Epinoia "Epinoia" is a state of mind where one is possessed by a fit of supernatural creativity. The perfume Epinoia is a concoction of natural indulgences: cocoa, sweet spice, classy citrus, and vanilla. The natural perfume lovers' answer to foody scents, luscious. I like this one better than the synthetics by a country mile. Keep out of reach of children and adults with a sweet tooth. There is nothing but hedonistic indulgence in Epinoia, nothing good for you or medicinal just pure unabashed luxury.* Characteristics: fruity, orange, chocolate, unisex, scent locket, home scent. Ooh! A really lovely, foody scent. Cocoa with vanilla and a touch of citrus. Love it! Glee Oh, the Glee of spring! Here it is. Another chocolate scent but this one is, how you say, spicy? No, it's oriental and choco... No. It's...it's...it's... Oh, heck. You just have to try this one and supply your own description. Words fail even me, and I warn you it is not stable! I love this stuff. Love it. However, it turns on my skin. Just let it dry and it Hates me. I hope it does not happen to you. Most of the time if a scent does not agree with me I don't offer it, but this time I think that Glee is so good that I offer it with the warning and let you know that I love it and wear it in my scent locket. That's right, it's that good. Give it a try and see what you think. Amended to say: for some celestial reason my skin stopped hating Glee. I am so happy. But try this stuff anyway. It is really good. Characteristics: Chocolate, foody, woody, unisex, scent locket, modern, home scent. Chocolate and Middle Eastern spices. Maybe a touch of coffee. Lovely! Haute Love Ginger, you say you want ginger? Like love it's hot and burns so beautifully! Imagine chocolate covered ginger which is forced to marry a gooey sticky sweet and all consuming center. It is so clean...it is so very sinful! Haute Love will remind you of that guy you knew who was so polite around your parents, but was such a wildman once you left the house. Or was that you, the prim little lady in public, the wildcat in private? That's Haute Love. Characteristics: Foody, spicy, chocolate, vanilla, scent locket, unisex, home scent, long lasting. Oh my! Dark chocolate with ginger and a hint of vanilla. Cadmium Red This is the intense lickable red. It's an expensive color which you only find on the finest automobile finishes, the most expensive nail lacquer, and the most high of high concepts. It is the holidays forever. Possets is bringing out their scents of colors and Cadmium Red is the first splashy beautiful of the palette. Red, it smells red in the most delicious and beguiling way. For the faint of heart who want to take heart and for the fearless who want to accentuate their glee. Characteristics: spicy, unisex, scent locket, home scent, long lasting. Wow. This is the lovely scent of red velvet cake. Chocolate with a little something extra. Decadent and lovely. The Girls Love Clubbing Imagine the thump of Club Bee music, the Girls show up and they are Dressed To Kill! Those wasp waists and big black eyes! That hair, those black leggings! The haze of clove with honey and other things. Yes. It's going to be a good evening! Characteristics: spicy, honey, sophisticated. Clove and honey swirled together with leather and smoke. Smells just like a good time.
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Black LaceThe embodiment of Victorian funereal elegance. A delicate sugar-spun vanilla cream cotton, stained by tobacco and incense, Indian musk, and drops of cognac. I was lucky enough to snag a bottle of this for a fairly reasonable price on eBay. In the bottle, I can smell vanilla, cream, cognac and musk. There's also a hint of something vaguely floral. On wet, the floral lessens and the incense comes forward. It's more cognac-y. It smells warm. Dry, this is really lovely. It reminds me a bit of Snake Oil, but it's definitely got its own distinct thing going on. I like it quite a bit. Glad I snagged a bottle. ThanatopsisA meditation upon death. Inspired by William Cullen Bryant's poem. A deep, solomn earthen scent containing pine, juniper and musk. I got a very nicely aged imp of Thanatopsis in a swap. In the bottle, it smells lovely. Musk, with subtle juniper and pine. On wet, the pine is very strong on me, though I can still smell the nice musk. I waited, hopefully, for this one to dry, but sadly, on me it's just too Pine Sol-y. Luckily, I found it a good home with someone who will love it and can wear it. BakenekoIn sharp contrast to the stark sterility of Hunger Moon, we present a carnivorous chaotic charmer: the bakeneko. The Monster Cat is a shapeshifter, and is empowered to take the form of a beautiful woman (to entice lonely gentlemen) or a winsome young maiden (to the peril of childless couples). Though some bakeneko are benevolent, and only wish to find someone to care for them, or to show gratitude to a mortal that has done them a great service, others are furry balls of malevolent mayhem. Their mischief ranges from simply destructive — knocking over lamps and destroying property, tossing ghostly, freezing fireballs from their hands — to horrifying acts of carnage. Warm amber musk, Satsuma tangerine, black tea leaf, cardamom, cherry blossom and cinnamon. I picked up a decant of this in a swap, and I was a little concerned the little cat demon might wreak a little scent chaos in my life. Tangerine is usually a Note of Doom for me. In the bottle, it's pretty crazy. Musk, tangerine, cardamom and cherry blossom. I'm a bit worried, because tangerine is usually a Note of Doom for me. On wet, it's tangerine, amber musk, black tea and cinnamon. Dry, the tangerine softens and you can smell more cherry blossom. It's really nice. I may need to find a bottle somewhere. Devil's NightGuy Fawkes, Guy; Stick him up on high! Hang him on a lamp post And there let him die! Guy, Guy, Guy! Poke Him in the eye! Put him on the fire, And there let him die! Burn his body from his head: Then you'll say Guy Fawkes is dead! Hip, Hip, Hooray! Beer, woodsmoke, tar, and treacle. In the bottle, I get smoke, a bit of beer and treacly sweetness. Wet, it's very similar, but warmer and musky. Dry, this is really nice. The scents are very well integrated. Smoky-sweet autumn joy. SamhainophobiaThe fear of Halloween. Menacing Haitian vetiver, patchouli, and clove with a shock of bourbon geranium, grim oakmoss, and dread-inspiring balsams pierce the innocuous scent of autumn leaves. Bottle: Vetiver, patchouli, wet leaves and fir trees. Wet: Pretty much the same, with some smoke. Dry: Wow! I didn't really expect this to work for me; seems more of a Ben scent. Once it's dry, though, it's really great. The crazy green scents calm down . It's musky and vetivery, with a hint of soft green. Very fall. The Parliament of MonstersYou pass through the golden mouth, and find yourself inside a narrow, cramped corridor. Large wooden paintings of skeletal hands crook their bony fingers, leading you forwards. At the first turn, you hear a bizarre jumble of sounds: the high-pitched sound of gears grinding, metal on metal, the sound of sultry, low-pitched laughter, a clattering, wings flapping, soft hissing. Suddenly, a sharp howl pierces the darkness. As you make your way around the corner you are momentarily blinded as floodlights flicker to life, and thirteen gold-gilded stages are illuminated, bathed from beneath in sinister, caramel-colored light. Dust, incense, wet tobacco, and a curl of opium smoke. In the bottle, the opium smoke is strong. I also get incense and tobacco. On wet, it's about the same, although the opium softens a bit. Dry, it's pretty much as described. Pretty nice, although not something I see myself really reaching for.
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The generous Medvssa sent me a couple of imps and they arrived today. I HAVE TO TRY THEM ALL. I started with Brisingamen because this was the scent I looked forward to the most. In the bottle it smells beautifully golden sweet, just so great. On my skin, though, it morphs into a really dry, perfumey powderey scent, and after it has dried - it's GONE! I mean, GONE. No! I know that my skin is prone to eat scents but that's really extreme. Samhain 07 - in the imp, it smells GREAT. My nose only tells me yay or nay, nothing more distinct, though. Wet on the skin it's sweet pine. Pine with apples. Very fresh and very green. More apples than pine. Oy I love the apples! Now as it is slowly drying, the apples fade and something biting, sharp, comes out. It's gone now again. Again, all I can smell is apples. Sweet apples. Oy. Yum! Seance - ugh wow that smells really... dusty. Interesting, I didn't know that a perfume could do that. I really don't want to smell like that but that's really interesting. Rose Red 07 - that smells EXACTLY like the smell you get when entering a florist. This greenish smell of cut flowers. Exactly like that. Now I understand what the people mean when they say Rose Red smells like a "freshly cut rose". Emphasizing "freshly cut" and not "rose" here - because I don't get much rose, just a very faint hint of it. It's almost too sharp. Good throw. Two, Five, Seven That smells almost like The Unicorn to me. Very fresh and green. The rose comes out as soon as it starts to dry. The green freshness is still in the background. Has almost no throw though, and starts to fade now. Parlement of Foules 08 - It IS Rose and soft resins.I can smell exactly that although if I wouldn't know that there is rose in it I couldn't tell. Smells nice and sweet. If that is what white rose smells like, then I'm in love! It also has enough throw that I don't have to sniff only my wrist. Whip - whoa! That reminds me of... something. It smells... manly. Like some men's shower gel. I'm guessing this is the leather? It smells really nice - I don't get any roses. It's not me, though. I can see this working nicely on a handsome guy. Western Diamondback - wow that is a thick oil! Sniffing the imp, I can immediately pick up the medicinal note Snake Oil had on me before it was aged. Dark, sweet, spicy vanilla, NO, Marzipan hits me after I apply it to the skin. MARZIPAN. Whoa! That smells nice. I can almost imagine someone confusing bottles and not filling Western Diamondback ("Snake Oil with leather, tonka bean, red sandalwood, and sage") in there because it doesn't smell like the description at all. I get sweet vanilla marzipan almonds. I guess it's the tonka? Oh if I could just compare to Dana O'Shee - because this smells like my memory of Dana O'Shee is. Ah now the medicinical note comes through. Sigh. Ah, and there is the leather.
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GRAVEYARD DIRT (2008)A tribute to a somewhat nefarious and truly notorious ingredient in New Orleans spellcrafting. It is employed in hoodoo rootwork for various reasons, primarily in spells of protection, "tricking" your enemies, binding, and even love magick. The graves are chosen based on the type of working, and are determined by the type of spirit that lies there and the manner of their demise. Payment is always required in the form of offerings to the deceased. This is the scent of pure graveyard dust, spattered with grave loam and dusted lightly with tombstone moss. Yep, this smells like dirt all right. It's a crazy rich, complex scent unlike anything else I've sniffed... aside from dirt. Wow. I like it. HORREUR SYMPATHIQUEFrom livid skies that, without end, As stormy as your future roll, What thoughts into your empty soul (Answer me, libertine!) descend? — Insatiable yet for all That turns on darkness, doom, or dice, I'll not, like Ovid, mourn my fall, Chased from the Latin paradise. Skies, torn like seacoasts by the storm! In you I see my pride take form, And the huge clouds that rush in streams Are the black hearses of my dreams, And your red rays reflect the hell, In which my heart is pleased to dwell. The perfume of a hellbound soul, gleefully lost to iniquity: blood musk, golden honey, thick black wine, champagne grapes, tobacco flower, plum blossom, tonka bean, oakmoss, carnation, benzoin, opoponax, and sugar cane. In the bottle, I get musk, honey, wine, carnation, plum and sugar cane. It's crazy and interesting. On wet, it's mostly the same, although the musk is deepier, dirtier. Dry, this goes sickly-sweet and too floral for my taste. HAUNTEDA mournful, poignant scent, thick with foreboding. Soft golden amber darkened with a touch of murky black musk. In the bottle, this has a sharp scent overlying the softness of the amber and musk. On wet, it still has that sharpness, although the musk deepens. Sadly, once dry, the sharpness disappears and it goes straight to powder. JEZIRAT AL TENNYNThe Dragon’s Isle: smoke and fire, earth and wind. The rage of the elements blasting over a primordial paradise. In the bottle, I can smell charcoal, dirt and air. On wet, I get those, plus a hint of musk. Once dry, this is a very herbal scent. A bit of rosemary, dill, maybe chives? It's a lot of herbs. It's not bad, but I don't think it's something I'd reach for often. NUITShe is the Goddess of the Sky, one of the Ennead, daughter of the air [shu] and water [Tefnut], lover of Geb and Hadit, the Eternal Mother, and the Receiver, Reviver and Protector of the Dead, whose loving, divine embrace shields our souls from annihilation. She is love, rapture, splendor, continuous and eternal birth and rebirth, infinite space, and the “the naked brilliance of the voluptuous night”. Nuit is Earth’s guardian, and shields her lover and her mortal children from the primeval chaos that threatens Existence. Her perfume is starry and crystalline, a jewel-clad and glittering paean to night: dazzling white musks, white rose and night-blooming jasmine with the soft moss of moonlit meadows, a waft of Egyptian incense, and a gentle breath of moonflower. In the bottle, this is way too floral for my taste, strongly rose, jasmine and moonflower. On wet, it's pretty much the same. Once dry, it turns into floral soap. Not one for me. KURUKULLAThe Tibetan goddess of love and wealth. Her scent is a harmonious, sweet, enchanting blend of three lotus blooms and three roses. In the bottle, the florals are very sweet. Definitely lotus and rose. On wet, it's the same, although I get a slightly alcoholic note. It smells like sweet cocktails. Once dry, this is actually kind of nice, but it's just a little too sweet for my taste. DRAGON'S EYEA piercing, radiant perfume: dragon's blood resin, lily of the valley, lilac and galbanum. In the bottle, I can smell dragon's blood and lilac. On wet, I get dragon's blood, lilac and a bit of warm musk. It's pretty nice. Unfortunately, once it dries, it goes straight to powder. XIUHTECUHTLIPatron of the Aztec pantheon, he is the personification of light within darkness, warmth in the cold, and life in, and after, death. He is a creative and destructive God of Fire and Light, and is appeased only by sacrifice, trial, and the slaughter of his people's enemies. Copal, plumeria and sweet orange and the smoke of South American incense and crushed jungle blooms. In the bottle, I get oranges, plumeria and a hint of incense. On wet, I can smell those scents, plus a hint of smoke, and the resiny copal begins to come out. It's not bad, but once dry, it's a bit too orangey and too floral for me. QUEEN GERTRUDEImperial violet softened by wisteria and chrysanthemum, but edged with the regal iciness of delphinium. This is way too floral for me. In the bottle, I get violets and wisteria. It smells pretty. On me, however, violet just doesn't work. It's way too heavy and cloying. THE KNAVE OF HEARTS'Herald, read the accusation!' said the King. On this the White Rabbit blew three blasts on the trumpet, and then unrolled the parchment scroll, and read as follows:-- 'The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts, All on a summer day: The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts, And took them quite away!' Crushed roses and blackcurrant tarts. In the bottle, I get a lovely pie scent. Dark berries and sweet, warm crust. On wet, it's much the same, with a hint of rose and some added spiciness. Once dry, it's not bad. The rose is a bit stronger than I'd like, but the warm, spicy-berry pie scent is great. OMENDeep, mysterious, and full of dark portents: oakmoss, juniper berry, myrrh and patchouli. In the bottle, it's much as described: juniper, myrrh and patchouli. On wet, the juniper is very strong. Once dry, this is nice. A lovely, smoky scent comes through. The juniper softens, and it's well integrated with the myrrh and patchouli. Not bad at all. Definitely one of the outdoorsy scents that I can actually wear. NOCNITSAAlso known as Krisky, Plaksy and Gorska Makua, she is a nightmare spirit, the Night Hag of the Woods, who haunts Polish, Russian, Bulgarian and Slovak children during the darkest hours. The only protection against her torments is a circle drawn around a child’s cradle with a knife, or an axe or protective poppet hidden under the floorboards beneath where a child sleeps. Her scent is that of a lightless fir wood, nighttime air, wet forest mosses and upturned earth. In the bottle, I get fir trees, cold air and damp earth, with a hint of sweetness. On wet, the pine softens. It's more earthy, but clean, and the nice sweet scent remains. Sadly, this goes a bit too soapy on the drydown. Y'HA-NTHLEIWe shall swim out to that brooding reef in the sea and dive down through black abysses to Cyclopean and many-columned Y'ha-nthlei, and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory for ever. A great undersea metropolis located below Devil's Reef. A swirling, lightless, effervescent scent: the deepest marine notes with bergamot, eucalyptus and foamy ambergris. This is way too oceany for my taste, and I'm not wild about eucalyptus as something to wear. Doesn't quite work. MOSCOWA rich, bold blend of imperial rose, carnation, lush jasmine, lily of the valley, dark musk, amber, bergamot and gilded tangerine. Way too many florals and too much tangerine (another scent I'm not crazy about wearing). The musk and amber just aren't enough to balance it. Not for me. WANTONFeminine sexuality in it's rawest form. Palmarosa, red sandalwood, attar of rose, patchouli. Way, waaaaay too much rose. On me, it's completely overpowering. ZEPHYRA gentle white scent, breezes laced with the scent of springtime blooms and citrus. Lemon, lemon verbena, neroli, white musk, white florals, white sandalwood, China musk, bergamot and a drop of vanilla. The florals in this are too heavy, and the citrus is too sweaty-smelling on me. Not for me. ETERNALThough they go mad they shall be sane, Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again; Though lovers be lost love shall not; And death shall have no dominion. Stephanotis, cyclamen, heliotrope, white rose and gardenia. In the bottle, I get light, pretty florals. It might work for me. Sadly, it has gardenia, which almost never works for me. On, it's heavy and funereal. ULTRAVIOLETElectrifying, mechanized and chilly -- the scent of crushed blooms strewn on cold metal. Lush violet and neroli spiked hard with eucalyptus and a sliver of mint. Oh, dear lord. This is so awful on me. In the bottle, it's violet and mint. Once on, it goes wild. It's heavy menthol, like Vick's with flowers. Not a winner for me. TO A WOMANThy fatal shafts unerring move, I bow before thine altar, Love. I feel thy soft resistless flame Glide swift through all my vital frame. For while I gaze my bosom glows, My blood in tides impetuous flows; Hope, fear, and joy alternate roll, And floods of transports whelm my soul. My faltering tongue attempts in vain In soothing murmurs to complain; My tongue some secret magic ties, My murmurs sink in broken sighs. Condemned to nurse eternal care, And ever drop the silent tear, Unheard I mourn, unknown I sigh, Unfriended live, unpitied die. Benzoin, cassis bud, patchouli, rose otto, and petitgrain. Ugh. To me, this smells weird, bitter and vaguely medicinal. On, it's pretty terrible. Is it the petitgrain? The cassis bud? I don't think I've tried anything with either of those notes before, and there's definitely something in this that doesn't work for me at all. LA BELLA DONNA DELLA MIA MENTEMy limbs are wasted with a flame, My feet are sore with traveling, For, calling on my Lady's name, My lips have now forgot to sing. O Linnet in the wild-rose brake Strain for my Love thy melody, O Lark sing louder for love's sake, My gentle Lady passeth by. She is too fair for any man To see or hold his heart's delight, Fairer than Queen or courtesan Or moonlit water in the night. Her hair is bound with myrtle leaves, (Green leaves upon her golden hair!) Green grasses through the yellow sheaves Of autumn corn are not more fair. Her little lips, more made to kiss Than to cry bitterly for pain, Are tremulous as brook-water is, Or roses after evening rain. Her neck is like white melilote Flushing for pleasure of the sun, The throbbing of the linnet's throat Is not so sweet to look upon. As a pomegranate, cut in twain, White-seeded, is her crimson mouth, Her cheeks are as the fading stain Where the peach reddens to the south. O twining hands! O delicate White body made for love and pain! O House of love! O desolate Pale flower beaten by the rain! Soft, lush myrtle and dry, sweet melilot with wild rose, pomegranate juice and peach blossom against a background of deep aquatic notes and a twirl of melancholy autumn breezes. In the bottle, this is so pretty. Peaches, pomegranate and autumn leaves. On my skin, unfortunately, it turns immediately into soapy florals. Sigh.
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The other evening, my hubby Ben said he wanted to try some of our newer scents, so we sat down with some of the Halloweenies that he hadn't tried, a few new frimps from the horde I got from the Lab with my Halloweenie order, and some recent swaps as well (some of them frimps too). Below are reviews of the frimps and swaps we tried. HAND OF GLORYThe fingertips themselves are aflame, yet the desiccated skin is not being consumed. Beeswax, dry leather, black pepper, saltpeter, nutmeg, Mysore sandalwood, and oak bark. This is great! Beeswax, a hint of leather, pepper and nutmeg. Hand of Glory is really excellent, and just gets better the longer it's on. Works best on my hubby, but great for me as well. DEATHCAPA lethal poison bundled up in a dainty, innocent little package that was oft times found in ancient witches’ flying ointments and astral projection balms. A warm, soft, ruddy scent, earthy and mild. This is a subtle, complex scent; I think "ruddy" is a good description. Unfortunately, it's just a bit too dirty, even for us. "It smells like dried-out mushrooms," Ben says. PORT ROYALThe Sodom of the New World! -- touted as the richest and wickedest city in all creation! Port Royal was the center of 17th century Caribbean commerce, a notorious safe harbor for pirates, and the site of our third flagship store, which was, sadly, destroyed in the earthquake of 1692. Spiced rum and ship’s wood mixed with the body-warmed trace of a prostitute’s perfume and a hint of salty sea air on the dry-down. I wasn't sure we'd like this; it was the surprise hit of the evening. Spiced rum, green wood, something sweet and hint of oceaniness. Once this is really dry, and the booziness kind of settles a bit, this is really awesome. It's a fun scent. Best on the hubby, but works for both of us. GOMORRAHOne of the Biblical Cities on the Plain, destroyed by God with fire and brimstone because of its people’s pride, prosperous ease, deceit, hedonism and indolence, and their callous, uncharitable hearts. A gritty, sordid and languid scent: ripe fig, date and currant with black herbs. This is very good. It's very true to the lab description; we get fig and currants with some hard-to-distinguish dark herbs. And dirt. This one is dirty in a really nice way that complements the fruitiness of the fig and currants. A keeper. THE ISLES OF DEMONSTwin islands near Newfoundland, now lost, that were believed to be gateways to Hell. The scent is of wet, dark greenery, carnivorous flowers, volcanic gas, and the hot black musk of the demons and wild beasts that populated the islands. This one is ok. It has a nice musk and soft florals that are the kind that we like. It's a bit unfocused, though, like it's not sure what it's trying to be, and it goes a little powdery on the back end. It's nice, but I can tell it's not something either of us would really reach for.
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Snow, Glass, ApplesShe said nothing. Her eyes were black as coal, black as her hair; her lips were redder than blood. She looked up at me and smiled. Her teeth seemed sharp, even then, in the lamplight. "What are you doing away from your room?" "I'm hungry," she said, like any child. It was winter, when fresh food is a dream of warmth and sunlight; but I had strings of whole apples, cored and dried, hanging from the beams of my chamber, and I pulled an apple down for her. "Here." Autumn is the time of drying, of preserving, a time of picking apples, of rendering the goose fat. Winter is the time of hunger, of snow, and of death; and it is the time of the midwinter feast, when we rub the goose-fat into the skin of a whole pig, stuffed with that autumn's apples, then we roast it or spit it, and we prepare to feast upon the crackling. She took the dried apple from me and began to chew it with her sharp yellow teeth. "Is it good?" She nodded. I had always been scared of the little princess, but at that moment I warmed to her and, with my fingers, gently, I stroked her cheek. She looked at me and smiled -- she smiled but rarely -- then she sank her teeth into the base of my thumb, the Mound of Venus, and she drew blood. I began to shriek, from pain and from surprise; but she looked at me and I fell silent. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is thrilled to present a numbered, limited edition chapbook of Neil Gaiman's acclaimed short story, Snow, Glass, Apples, beautifully illustrated by Julie Dillon. Each package includes a 5ml bottle of perfume, created by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, that was inspired by the tale. In Neil's words, 'It smells like green apples and like sex and vampires, all at the same time. (Actually, it smells like sexy vampire apples.)' This set is a limited run of 1000. 250 were sold by CBLDF at San Diego Comic Con 2008, and the remainder are available through the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab web site. Snow, Glass, Apples will be available on the BPAL site as long as supplies last. This is a charitable, not-for-profit venture: proceeds from every single set go to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which works to preserve and protect the First Amendment rights of the comics community. A million thanks and all our love to Neil, and to Charles Brownstein and his staff at the CBLDF! This is awesome. In the bottle, it smells like apples, mint and something else I can't really pin down. On wet, the mint is very strong. Dry, this is just great. Apples, a touch of mint, that elusive something, and cold. This is the first time I've tried one of the wintry scents, and it definitely smells cold. Very nice. Mama-JiShadow saw the old woman, her dark face pinched with age and disapproval, but behind her he saw something huge, a naked woman with skin as black as a new leather jacket, and lips and tongue the bright red of arterial blood. Around her neck were skulls, and her many hands held knives, and swords, and severed heads. Spices, cardamom, nutmeg, and flowers. In the bottle, I get lovely spices. The cardamom and nutmeg, maybe some cinnamon, not sure what else. On wet, still lovely spices. Unfortunately, when this dries, it turns to spices and baby powder on me. Bummer. It smelled so nice wet. Mad Sweeney"Coin tricks is it?" asked Sweeney, his chin raising, his scruffy beard bristling. "Why, if it's coin tricks we're doing, watch this." He took an empty glass from the table. Then he reached out and took a large coin, golden and shining, from the air. He dropped it into the glass. He took another gold coin from the air and tossed it into the glass, where it clinked against the first. He took a coin from the candle flame of a candle on the wall, another from his beard, a third from Shadow's empty left hand, and dropped them, one by one, into the glass. Then he curled his fingrs over the glass, and blew hard, and several more golden coins dropped into the glass from his hand. He tipped the glass of sticky coins into his jacket pocket, and then tapped the pocket to show, unmistakably, that it was empty. "There," he said. "That's a coin trick for you." Barrel-aged whiskey and oak. I love this! In the bottle and on wet, it smells very strongly of whiskey, with maybe a tiny bit of the oak. Once it dries, however, it's this lovely combination of whiskey, oak and smoky spices. To quote my hubby, "Ooh, it smells like a fireplace" (in the best possible way). Love it. BilquisThe Queen of Sheba, half-demon, they said, on her father's side, witch woman, wise woman, and queen, who ruled Sheba when Sheba was the richest land there ever was, when its spices and its gems and scented woods were taken by boat and camel-back to the corners of the earth, who was worshipped even when she was alive, worshipped as a living goddess by the wisest of kings, stands on the sidewalk of Sunset Boulevard at 2:00 A.M. staring blankly out at traffic like a slutty plastic bride on a black-and-neon wedding cake. She stands as if she owns the sidewalk and the night that surrounds her. Honey, myrrh, lily of the valley, rose otto, fig leaf, almond, ambrette, red apple, and warm musk. In the bottle, this is spicy, with honey and almond. There's also a bit of green that I think may be the fig leaf, and something else. The ambrette? On wet, the myrrh comes out a bit, but not overwhelmingly so. It's still mostly a spicy/honey/almond scent. Dry, the rose comes out, but surprisingly, it's not bad. This is really nice. Definitely my thing.
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Samhain (2008)Truly the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein. In the bottle, I get mostly spices -- allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and clove -- and a bit of bright, fresh apple. Can something smell crisp? It smells like very crisp apples. On wet, the scent of the spices is pretty strong at first, with apples in the background and a bit of smoke coming through. Dry, this is really lovely. All the scents are well integrated, with nothing really overpowering any of the other notes. I get apples, smoke, and the aforementioned spices. It's very autumny and awesome. I love this. Fearful PleasureAnother of his sources of fearful pleasure was, to pass long winter evenings with the old Dutch wives, as they sat spinning by the fire, with a row of apples roasting and spluttering along the hearth, and listen to their marvellous tales of ghosts and goblins, and haunted fields, and haunted brooks, and haunted bridges, and haunted houses, and particularly of the headless horseman, or galloping Hessian of the Hollow, as they sometimes called him. He would delight them equally by his anecdotes of witchcraft, and of the direful omens and portentous sights and sounds in the air, which prevailed in the earlier times of Connecticut; and would frighten them woefully with speculations upon comets and shooting stars; and with the alarming fact that the world did absolutely turn round, and that they were half the time topsy-turvy! Dried orange peels floating in simmering cider, roasted apples, smoldering firewood, chimney smoke, sassafras beer, warm hawthorn wood, and oakmoss. In the bottle, this is pure apple cider. Apples, cinnamon, cloves, with a bit of orange peel. On wet, I get pretty much the same thing. Once it begins to dry, the smokiness comes out, with maybe a hint of a mossy green scent. This is really wonderful. I love apple cider scents, and this is everything I hoped it would be. Sugar SkullVibrant with the joy and sweetness of life in death! A blend of five sugars, lightly dusted with candied fruits. In the bottle, this definitely smells like sugar, but not straight-up sugar. Like caramel or toffee. It has a deep, slightly smoky scent. On wet, it's much the same, but a slight spiciness begins to come out. Once dry, this is really awesome. Dark, smoky sugar with a hint of subtle spices. Love it! Huesos de SantoOn All Saints Day, Spanish families visit their loved ones in the cemeteries, keeping vigil throughout the evening, saying prayers for the dead. Family burial plots are cleaned and tended, and graves are adorned with gladiolas, chrysanthemums, and roses. Bone-shaped pastries called Saint's Bones, or the Bones of the Holy, are baked and shared in honor of the souls in Purgatory, and to remind us of those who no longer share our repast, but with whom we one day hope to be reunited with again. Orange-glazed cake, dotted with anise seed, and filled with custard, set beside a bouquet of celebratory funeral flowers. In the bottle, this smells like spicy creamsicles. On wet, I still get the creamsicle scent, but the spices and a hint of smoke are more apparent. As it dries, the anise seed begins to come out, and I get a very subtle scent like slightly burned popcorn (but not in a bad way). This is nice. I like it. Harvest MoonHarvest Moon is celebrated in almost every culture, and the bounty of the season is marked in a myriad of ways. Harvest Moon touches the Equinox, the festival of Janus, the culmination of Homowo, the "crying of the neck" in Cornwall, and the Women's Festival of the Moon. This is a day that celebrates abundance and beauty, fertility and progress, and the light of this full moon blesses new undertakings and reunites lost loves. The Harvest Moon, by definition, is the Full Moon that falls closest to the Autumnal Equinox, and thus, it shares some of that Sabbat's characteristics. This Full Moon was thus named because it rises within half an hour of the sun's setting, in the Northern Hemisphere, and at this time farmers are able to work longer into the night by the light of this Moon. As the year draws to a close, the Full Moon rises an average of fifty minutes later each night, with the exception of a few nights surrounding the Harvest Moon, which only rises 10-30 minutes later. This moon is also, to the human eye, the fullest and largest of the year's Moons, hanging gloriously huge, yellow and low in the night sky, and many lunar illusions play tricks our eyes at this time. The Harvest ushers in many celebrations, including the Equinox and the Festival of Janus, God of Doors. Janus is the Roman Lord of Gateways, beginnings and endings, and transitions. Thus, the Harvest Moon is a time for blessing new ventures, the onset of new and progressive phases in one's life, and rites of passage into adulthood. This time of year also marks one of the Festivals of Dionysus, Lord of Ecstasy and the Vine. This Harvest lunacy combines the autumnal scents of balsam fir, cedar, juniper berry, clove, saffron, damson plum, sage, black cherry, and fennel with the crushed wine grapes of Dionysus and Janus' lingum aloes. In the bottle, I dried, wet leaves, pine and smoke. On wet, it's a little too much pine at first. There's some spiciness as well -- maybe allspice? The longer it's on, however, the more the leaves and smoke begin to come through. Once this is really dry, it's very nice. The pine scent settles down to something manageable and pleasant. I like it. Hellhound On My Trail… blues falling down like hail And the day keeps on remindin' me, there's a hellhound on my trail … August 16th marks the day the Devil came to call on the King of the Delta Blues. Bay rum, bourbon vanilla, galangal, hyssop, High John the Conqueror root, tobacco, life everlasting, and brimstone. In the bottle, the bourbon vanilla is quite strong. I can also smell the bay rum and a bit of brimstone. On wet, it's pretty much the same, though I start to get a hint of muskiness. Dry, this is really great. Boozy tobacco and brimstone goodness. It smells especially nice on my hubby. Chant d'AutomneI Soon we will sink in the frigid darkness Good-bye, brightness of our too short summers! I already hear the fall in distress Of the wood falling in the paved courtyard. Winter will invade my being: anger, Hatred, chills, horror, hard and forced labor, And, like the sun in its iced inferno, My heart is but a red and frozen floe. I hear with shudders each weak limb that falls. The scaffold will have no louder echo. My spirit is like a tower that yields Under the tireless and heavy ram blow. It seems, lulled by this monotonous sound, Somewhere a coffin is hastily nailed, For whom? Summer yesterday, autumn now! This mysterious noise sounds like a farewell. II I love the greenish light of your long eyes, Sweet beauty, but all is bitter today. Nothing, not love, the boudoir or the hearth Is dearer than the sunshine on the sea. Still love me, tender heart! Be a mother Even to the ingrate, to the wicked, Lover, sister, ephemeral sweetness Of fall's glory or of the setting sun. Short-lived task! The tomb awaits, merciless. Ah! Let me, my head resting on your knees, Savor, regretting the white hot summer, The autumn's last rays yellow and tender. The scent of the year's fall and the setting sun, ominous and foreboding: dried leaves, charred wood, blood musk, amber, khus, and Nicotiana tabacum. In the bottle, I get a nice scent of charred wood, leaves and tobacco. On wet, I get smoke, char, leaves, tobacco and something very heavy and flowery/powdery. This does not bode well. I waited for this to dry, but that heavy scent just doesn't go away, and it doesn't work for me. Bummer. Brom BonesAmong these the most formidable was a burly, roaring, roystering blade, of the name of Abraham, or, according to the Dutch abbreviation, Brom Van Brunt, the hero of the country round, which rang with his feats of strength and hardihood. He was broad-shouldered and double-jointed, with short curly black hair, and a bluff, but not unpleasant countenance, having a mingled air of fun and arrogance. From his Herculean frame and great powers of limb, he had received the nickname of BROM BONES, by which he was universally known. He was famed for great knowledge and skill in horsemanship, being as dexterous on horseback as a Tartar. He was foremost at all races and cock-fights; and, with the ascendancy which bodily strength acquires in rustic life, was the umpire in all disputes, setting his hat on one side, and giving his decisions with an air and tone admitting of no gainsay or appeal. He was always ready for either a fight or a frolic; but had more mischief than ill-will in his composition; and, with all his overbearing roughness, there was a strong dash of waggish good humor at bottom. He had three or four boon companions, who regarded him as their model, and at the head of whom he scoured the country, attending every scene of feud or merriment for miles round. In cold weather he was distinguished by a fur cap, surmounted with a flaunting fox's tail; and when the folks at a country gathering descried this well-known crest at a distance, whisking about among a squad of hard riders, they always stood by for a squall. Sometimes his crew would be heard dashing along past the farmhouses at midnight, with whoop and halloo, like a troop of Don Cossacks; and the old dames, startled out of their sleep, would listen for a moment till the hurry-scurry had clattered by, and then exclaim, "Ay, there goes Brom Bones and his gang!" The neighbors looked upon him with a mixture of awe, admiration, and good will; and when any madcap prank, or rustic brawl, occurred in the vicinity, always shook their heads, and warranted Brom Bones was at the bottom of it. The butchest, manliest of musks covered in well-worn leather. In the bottle, I get leather with a hint of musk. On wet, it's mostly leather. As it dries, it's a lovely leather and musk scent, yet somehow manages to smell clean as well. I LOVE this on my husband. It's perfect. GunpowderThat he might make his appearance before his mistress in the true style of a cavalier, he borrowed a horse from the farmer with whom he was domiciliated, a choleric old Dutchman, of the name of Hans Van Ripper, and, thus gallantly mounted, issued forth, like a knight-errant in quest of adventures. But it is meet I should, in the true spirit of romantic story, give some account of the looks and equipments of my hero and his steed. The animal he bestrode was a broken-down plough-horse, that had outlived almost every thing but his viciousness. He was gaunt and shagged, with a ewe neck and a head like a hammer; his rusty mane and tail were tangled and knotted with burrs; one eye had lost its pupil, and was glaring and spectral; but the other had the gleam of a genuine devil in it. Still he must have had fire and mettle in his day, if we may judge from the name he bore of Gunpowder. He had, in fact, been a favorite steed of his master's, the choleric Van Ripper, who was a furious rider, and had infused, very probably, some of his own spirit into the animal; for, old and broken-down as he looked, there was more of the lurking devil in him than in any young filly in the country. Carrot peelings, hay, chaff, molasses, maple oats, red apples, stable wood, and musk. In the bottle, this smells very edible. It's carrots and hay with a lot of molasses and maple oats. On wet, it's pretty much the same, but the musk also begins to come through. Dry, it's pretty much the same again. This is very nice; it smells warm and cozy. It's comforting. Unfortunately, it's not a scent I would wear, much as I love foodie scents. I may try this in an oil burner or something, though. Ichabod CraneThe cognomen of Crane was not inapplicable to his person. He was tall, but exceedingly lank, with narrow shoulders, long arms and legs, hands that dangled a mile out of his sleeves, feet that might have served for shovels, and his whole frame most loosely hung together. His head was small, and flat at top, with huge ears, large green glassy eyes, and a long snipe nose, so that it looked like a weather-cock, perched upon his spindle neck, to tell which way the wind blew. To see him striding along the profile of a hill on a windy day, with his clothes bagging and fluttering about him one might have mistaken him for the genius of famine descending upon the earth, or some scarecrow eloped from a cornfield. . . . From his half itinerant life, also, he was a kind of travelling gazette, carrying the whole budget of local gossip from house to house; so that his appearance was always greeted with satisfaction. He was, moreover, esteemed by the women as a man of great erudition, for he had read several books quite through, and was a perfect master of Cotton Mather's history of New England Witchcraft, in which, by the way, he most firmly and potently believed. He was, in fact, an odd mixture of small shrewdness and simple credulity. His appetite for the marvellous, and his powers of digesting it, were equally extraordinary; and both had been increased by his residence in this spellbound region. No tale was too gross or monstrous for his capacious swallow. It was often his delight, after his school was dismissed in the afternoon, to stretch himself on the rich bed of clover, bordering the little brook that whimpered by his school-house, and there con over old Mather's direful tales, until the gathering dusk of the evening made the printed page a mere mist before his eyes. Then, as he wended his way, by swamp and stream and awful woodland, to the farmhouse where he happened to be quartered, every sound of nature, at that witching hour, fluttered his excited imagination: the moan of the whip-poor-will from the hill-side; the boding cry of the tree-toad, that harbinger of storm; the dreary hooting of the screech-owl, or the sudden rustling in the thicket of birds frightened from their roost. The fire-flies, too, which sparkled most vividly in the darkest places, now and then startled him, as one of uncommon brightness would stream across his path; and if, by chance, a huge blockhead of a beetle came winging his blundering flight against him, the poor varlet was ready to give up the ghost, with the idea that he was struck with a witch's token. His only resource on such occasions, either to drown thought, or drive away evil spirits, was to sing psalm tunes;-and the good people of Sleepy Hollow, as they sat by their doors of an evening, were often filled with awe, at hearing his nasal melody, "in linked sweetness long drawn out," floating from the distant hill, or along the dusky road. Dusty black wool, tea with cream, black pepper, muguet, and beeswax candle drippings. In the bottle, there's a very strong beeswax scent, with a hint of tea. On wet, I get beeswax, tea and pepper. There's sort of a popcorn scent. Dry, it's strongly beeswax, with cream, pepper and a hint of tea. I really like this, but unfortunately my hubby thinks it smells a little like pee, so I won't be wearing this much. The Hessian of the HollowThe dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback without a head. It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball, in some nameless battle during the revolutionary war; and who is ever and anon seen by the country folk hurrying along in the gloom of night, as if on the wings of the wind. His haunts are not confined to the valley, but extend at times to the adjacent roads, and especially to the vicinity of a church at no great distance. Indeed, certain of the most authentic historians of those parts, who have been careful in collecting and collating the floating facts concerning this spectre, allege that the body of the trooper, having been buried in the church-yard, the ghost rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head; and that the rushing speed with which he sometimes passes along the Hollow, like a midnight blast, is owing to his being belated, and in a hurry to get back to the church-yard before daybreak. Such is the general purport of this legendary superstition, which has furnished materials for many a wild story in that region of shadows; and the spectre is known, at all the country firesides, by the name of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. Grave moss and bone-white sandalwood, with vetiver, gunpowder, artillery shrapnel, and blood. This smells great. The scents are very well integrated and difficult to differentiate. I definitely get the blood, sandalwood and vetiver notes, maybe a hint of something metallic. I really like this one. The Witching Time of NightIt was the very witching time of night that Ichabod, heavy-hearted and crest-fallen, pursued his travel homewards, along the sides of the lofty hills which rise above Tarry Town, and which he had traversed so cheerily in the afternoon. The hour was dismal as himself. Far below him, the Tappan Zee spread its dusky and indistinct waste of waters, with here and there the tall mast of a sloop, riding quietly at anchor under the land. In the dead hush of midnight, he could even hear the barking of the watch dog from the opposite shore of the Hudson; but it was so vague and faint as only to give an idea of his distance from this faithful companion of man. Now and then, too, the long-drawn crowing of a cock, accidentally awakened, would sound far, far off from some farmhouse away among the hills-but it was like a dreaming sound in his ear. No signs of life occurred near him, but occasionally the melancholy chirp of a cricket, or perhaps the guttural twang of a bull-frog, from a neighboring marsh, as if sleeping uncomfortably, and turning suddenly in his bed. Moonflower, night-blooming cereus, white hellebore, English ivy, monkshood, angel's trumpet, oleander, and eastern hemlock. In the bottle, this smells really lovely. Green and floral in the soft, not-too-sweet way that I like. It does smell like the outdoors at night. Unfortunately, on me, it just smells a little too soapy. Bummer.
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BILQUISThe Queen of Sheba, half-demon, they said, on her father's side, witch woman, wise woman, and queen, who ruled Sheba when Sheba was the richest land there ever was, when its spices and its gems and scented woods were taken by boat and camel-back to the corners of the earth, who was worshipped even when she was alive, worshipped as a living goddess by the wisest of kings, stands on the sidewalk of Sunset Boulevard at 2:00 A.M. staring blankly out at traffic like a slutty plastic bride on a black-and-neon wedding cake. She stands as if she owns the sidewalk and the night that surrounds her. Honey, myrrh, lily of the valley, rose otto, fig leaf, almond, ambrette, red apple, and warm musk. In the bottle, this is spicy, with honey and almond. There's also a bit of green that I think may be the fig leaf, and something else. The ambrette? On wet, the myrrh comes out a bit, but not overwhelmingly so. It's still mostly a spicy/honey/almond scent. Dry, the rose comes out, but surprisingly, it's not bad. This is really nice. OCTOBERAy, thou art welcome, heaven's delicious breath! When woods begin to wear the crimson leaf, And suns grow meek, and the meek suns grow brief And the year smiles as it draws near its death. Wind of the sunny south! oh, still delay In the gay woods and in the golden air, Like to a good old age released from care, Journeying, in long serenity, away. In such a bright, late quiet, would that I Might wear out life like thee, 'mid bowers and brooks And dearer yet, the sunshine of kind looks, And music of kind voices ever nigh; And when my last sand twinkled in the glass, Pass silently from men, as thou dost pass. Dry, cold autumn wind. A rustle of red leaves, a touch of smoke and sap in the air. In the bottle, this smells like sap and smoke. On wet, it's pretty much the same. Green and a bit smoky. As it dries, the pine sap softens a bit. Dry, it's really nice. Very fall. BONFIRE NIGHTGuy Fawkes, Guy; Stick him up on high! Hang him on a lamp post And there let him die! Guy, Guy, Guy! Poke Him in the eye! Put him on the fire, And there let him die! Burn his body from his head: Then you'll say Guy Fawkes is dead! Hip, Hip, Hooray! Beer, woodsmoke, tar, and treacle. In the bottle, I get smoke, a bit of beer and treacly sweetness. Wet, it's very similar, but warmer and musky. Dry, this is really nice. The scents are very well integrated. Smoky-sweet autumn joy. I've got to get one of the room sprays from BPTP. OGUNOgun is the Master of Iron, Lord of the Knife, the Toolmaker, the Supreme Hunter, the God of War. He is primal instinct, energy and motion, strife and resolution, effort and perspiration, locomotion, force, contraction and expansion. He is the lord of all mines and mineral wealth, and his energy is expressed in the transformation of sandstone into marble and carbon into diamonds. His control over transformation transcends this into the metaphorical: Ogun helps to shape the spirit, and hone it into something finer, and He compels us to look deep inside ourselves, searching for our true potential. He is physical might, ruler of the heart, giver of courage and sustainer of war, and is the bond that men fashion with one another during battle. He is gunpowder. Ogun is responsible for teaching mankind to fashion tools and weapons from iron, and his primary implements are the anvil, hammer, machete, rake, hoe, shovel, pick and pry. His favored animal is the dog, who shares his loyalty and unflagging strength. Ogun’s ofrenda is heavy and dark cigar tobacco, gin and juniper, melon, chili pepper and a touch of honey. In the bottle, gin and juniper are the strongest notes, with maybe a hint of the melon and a bit of chili. On wet, it's pretty much the same. It's pretty and interesting. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work on me once it dries. The gin, juniper and tobacco combine in a way that smells like sweat.
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LYDIAConvergence XII limited edition scent. This is pretty. In the bottle, it's mostly jasmine. On, the scent deepens and you get a very nice vanilla undertone. It's jasmine-vanilla goodness with a hint of clove smoke. TEZCATLIPOCALord of the Smoking Mirror, god of sorcery, nighttime, darkness, beauty, war, heroic men, beautiful women, and all material concerns. Tezcatlipoca is the Master Magician, a trickster god and shapeshifter, governing all worldly matters, and is also the Great Tempter, seducing men into evil acts and subsequently punishing them for their transgressions. Deep cocoa laced with patchouli, leather armor, ritual incense, and a touch of Xochiquetzal's flowers. Definitely get the deep cocoa and incense here, and maybe a hint of leather. I like this, but it seems to fade quickly on me. Need to have my hubby try it. SCHWARZER MOND (2008)The keeper of secrets: opoponax, Tunisian black amber, night musk, antique patchouli, zdravetz, terebinth, myrrh, and Pimenta racemosa. In the bottle, this smells strongly green and herbal. The amber and musk are much softer. On, however, the amber and musk come to the forefront, and there's a nice, smoky scent. This is very nice, in spite of the myrrh (for once, not making something awful). I like this one a lot. Sadly, Ben does not. He think it smells medicinal. LUNE NOIR (2008)The encroaching darkness: black orchid, jonquil, white pear, white amber, gardenia, olibanum, champaca, sweet clove, tonka, oakmoss, and blue musk. This is very pretty. In the bottle, it's very floral. I can definitely smell the orchid and pear (thankfully, the gardenia isn't too strong). On the amber and tonka begin to make an appearance, although the strongest notes are still orchid and pear (and the gardenia is a bit stronger). HYMNA paean to true holiness, spiritual purity, and sacred enlightenment. Based on an incense blend sacred to the Virgin Mary: perfect rose absolute and Palestinian Lily of the Valley with olibanum, labdanum, frankincense and myrrh. Too much myrrh and flowers. Immediately get the feeling this would give me a headache. Yuck. DRINK METhere seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so she went back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at any rate a book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes: this time she found a little bottle on it, ('which certainly was not here before,' said Alice,) and round the neck of the bottle was a paper label, with the words 'DRINK ME' beautifully printed on it in large letters. It was all very well to say 'Drink me,' but the wise little Alice was not going to do that in a hurry. 'No, I'll look first,' she said, 'and see whether it's marked "poison" or not'; for she had read several nice little histories about children who had got burnt, and eaten up by wild beasts and other unpleasant things, all because they would not remember the simple rules their friends had taught them: such as, that a red-hot poker will burn you if you hold it too long; and that if you cut your finger very deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds; and she had never forgotten that, if you drink much from a bottle marked 'poison,' it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later. However, this bottle was not marked 'poison,' so Alice ventured to taste it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pine-apple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast,) she very soon finished it off. Wow. This smells exactly like a movie theater. Like buttered popcorn and candy. It's not something I'm very likely to wear, but it's neat. Maybe in an oil burner. THE ILLUSTRATED WOMANA cluster of wooden wagons stands off to the side of the Midway, removed from the bustle of the dirt-caked makeshift street. A bonfire burns in the center of the lot, shining its light on a tattoo-covered woman. The images embedded in her skin writhe like living things, and the sigils that mark her glow faintly. She is filing her nails and smoking a cheroot while chatting idly with an impassive naked blonde who has been hoisted into the air by thick, gleaming meathooks. The blonde is pinioned; the blackened metal cables that bind her hang tightly from the branches of a massive grey oak. Her skin seems strangely translucent, and her veins and arteries are boldly visible. Two painted signs are propped, sideways, against the side of the tree: THE ILLUSTRATED WOMAN THE TORTURE QUEEN The tattoo'd woman winks at you as you pass by. "Break time, honey," she growls, as she blows a smoke ring in your direction. THE ILLUSTRATED WOMAN Skin musk, smoky vanilla, pine pitch, patchouli, Indian resins, golden honey, and tobacco. In the bottle, this is musk, vanilla, pine and a touch of patchouli. On wet, the scent is richer. The pine is softer and there's more of the vanilla richness. Dry, this is really lovely. The tobacco scent comes out, and it's rich and complex, yet light. Sexy yet delicate. Lovely. MEAD MOONThe moon was but a chin of gold A night or two ago, And now she turns her perfect face Upon the world below. Her forehead is of amplest blond; Her cheek like beryl stone; Her eye unto the summer dew The likest I have known. Her lips of amber never part; But what must be the smile Upon her friend she could bestow Were such her silver will! And what a privilege to be But the remotest star! For certainly her way might pass Beside your twinkling door. Her bonnet is the firmament, The universe her shoe, The stars the trinkets at her belt, Her dimities of blue. MEAD MOON Golden mead, fermented with gruit, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger root, sweet-briar, rosemary, and lemon. In the bottle, I get mead and lemon with a touch of cinnamon, ginger and other spices. Maybe a touch of nutmeg. On wet, it's pretty much the same. Dry, it's very complex and interesting. The notes really combine into a lovely, interesting scent. Definitely worth trying again. MAGUSAn ancient blend, swollen with arcane power: galangal, high john essence, frankincense, cedar, and sandalwood. Too woody and herby. LADONThe hundred-headed dragon that guards the garden of the Hesperides: dragon's blood resin, golden apple, apple blossom, white musk and hyacinth. In the bottle, I get CHERRIES. It's the Cherry Monster (like the Oak Monster, but for cherries), with dragon's blood and a hint of apple. On wet, it's cherries, dragon's blood and bubblegum. Dry, pretty much the same. It's just too fruity, too many cherries. HUNGEREvokes sheer, unadulterated carnal lust. An undeniably warm and sensual scent. Black narcissus, orange blossoms, and vanilla. In the bottle, I get a lot of narcissus, with just a hint of tonka and orange blossom. On wet, the scent is orangier, but still mostly flowers. Dry — wow! It suddenly becomes smoky tonka/vanilla with orange blossom and just a hint of narcissus. Very sexy and cool. HONY MONEHony mone, a term proverbially applied to such as be newly married, which will not fall out at the first, but th'one loveth the other at the beginning excedingly, the likelyhood of their exceadinge love appearing to aswage, ye which time the vulgar people call the hony mone. Three honeys blended with seven fruits, flowers, and herbs of passion, pleasure, and joy: honeysuckle, fig, carnation, apricot, jasmine, tonka, and almond. In the bottle, I get honey, honeysuckle, fig, almond and a touch of tonka. On wet, Hony Mone smells like honey, flowers, almond and tonka, with maybe a tiny bit of fig. Dry, it's mostly honey, tonka and almond, with a touch of flowers and maybe fig. I like this, but unfortunately the hubby isn't crazy about it. CHAOS THEORY III: STRANGE ATTRACTORSEach bottle of Chaos Theory is truly unique, a fragrant fractal, and exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct. Mostly jasmine, with maybe a hint of vanilla. Maybe a little vetiver. Nice, but a little herby/green for my taste. Also fades pretty quickly. BLOOD PEARLLustrous, sanguine, soft and lavish: soft orris, blood musk, and coconut. In the bottle, I get coconut and musk, with a hint of something else — orris? On wet, the scent us musky, with something green and oceany and a touch of coconut. Dry, it's mostly musk and coconut, with a bit of that something green. This is an ok scent, but not terribly interesting to me.
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No. 93 ENGINEBeeswax candles reflect flickering light onto a brass-coated boiler engraved with the words "Solve Et Coagula". The gargantuan boiler sends torrents of steam into rigid pipes that exert force onto innumerable pistons and turbine blades. The motion is harnessed to propel energy into gargantuan cogs and gears that move liquid metals, herbs, and resins into a series of alembics. Balm of Gilead, benzoin, frankincense, balsam of peru, beeswax, saffron, galbanum, calamus, hyssop, mastic, lemon balm, and white sage. I was really looking forward to this one, based on recommendations from some helpful forumites, and it did not disappoint. In the bottle, the beeswax is prominent, and other scents are a bit hard to distinguish. On, other notes make themselves known. Benzoin, saffron, maybe a little lemon balm. This scent is complex and lovely. I can see why it was so highly recommended. DEEJohn Dee: master of science, alchemy and magic, Hermetic philosopher in the schools of Rosicrucian Christian Mysticism and Platonic-Pythagorean doctrine, and Queen Elizabeth’s astrologer, advisor, cryptologist and spy. With Edward Kelly, he created a field of study and work in Angelic Evocation, and isolated the Angelic language: Enochian. His scent is soft English leather, rosewood and tonka with a hint of incense, parchment and soft woods. The tonka and leather are the strongest notes in the bottle. On, as it dries, I get more of the incense and parchment, and very subtle rosewood. This is awesome. Another winner recommended by CaffeinatedAngel (thanks!). This is going to be great on the hubby, too. We may need a bottle. THE ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISMBronze gears spin inside a polished wooden case, and an entire universe dances within. Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco. This sounds right up my alley, but there's a note here — the teakwood? — that smells like the vet's office. I'm not sure if it's a particular medicine, or a pet shampoo vets use, or what, but it definitely smells subtly of vet's office. Otherwise, it's nice. The black vanilla and tobacco are great. I can't get past that, unfortunately. Edit: I went home and fed my cats, and realized immediately what it is. There's a note in there that smells like Iams (which would explain the vet's office thing). OThe scent of sexual obsession, slavery to sensual pleasure, and the undercurrent of innocence defiled utterly. Amber and honey with a touch of vanilla. Amber, honey and vanilla? Sign me up. This is very sexy indeed. MME. MORIARTY, MISFORTUNE TELLERA colorless woman bursts from an elaborate gold and ruby tent and faints dead at your feet. Soft laughter emits from the dark entrance to the tent, and the scent of musk, black fruits and incense touches your senses. Looking up, you see that the sign hovering above the unconscious woman is adorned with images of the Major Arcana's Tower and reads: "Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller. No fate too grim, no future too bleak." A tiny woman with floor-length black dreadlocks walks out of the tent, stepping over the prone body. She is clothed in deep red wrappings, and is bedecked in golden ornaments bearing alchemical symbols and charms representing eternity, chance, and wisdom. She pauses, looks you over slowly, and then flicks a tarot card at your feet. Red musk, vanilla bean, pomegranate, patchouli leaf and wild plum. Another scent I was really looking forward to trying, and she doesn't disappoint. In the bottle, I get musk, vanilla, a hint of patchouli maybe, and pomegranate. On wet, the musk and vanilla are most prominent, with a stronger patchouli presence and a subtle smokiness. As it dries, the pomegranate returns, the patchouli softens, and it's a lovely, complex blend. Very nice indeed. CROWLEYNothing about him looked particularly demonic, at least by classical standards. No horns, no wings. Admittedly he was listening to a Best of Queen tape, but no conclusions should be drawn from this because all tapes left in a car for more than a fortnights metamorphose into Best of Queen albums. No particularly demonic thoughts were going through his head. In fact, he was wondering vaguely who Moey and Chandon were. Crowley had dark hair, and good cheekbones, and he was wearing snakeskin shoes, or at least presumably he was wearing shoes, and he could do really weird things with his tongue. And, whenever he forgot himself, he had a tendency to hiss. Infernal musk, red patchouli, lilac cologne, mahogany, lemon rind, oakmoss, leather, and vanilla husk. In the bottle, this is a really nice combination. It's mostly musk and lilac, with a hint of lemon rind and leather. On wet, the tobacco begins to come through, on top of the musk and lilac. As it dries, it becomes more complex as more of the subtler scents come out. I really like this one. Works great on both me and my hubby (although, admittedly, a wee bit better on him). PERVERSIONThe perfect scent to wear to your next bondage ball, dungeon adventure or sojourn to your favorite pleasure dome. Smoky rum and black tobacco with a whisper of steamy leather with a splash of crystalline chardonnay, layered over a sensual, sweet, and deceptively magnetic base of tonka. In the bottle, I get a lovely, sweet scent. Rum and tonka, with a tiny bit of leather and chardonnay. On wet, the tobacco begins to come through. Dry, it's very nice. Mostly rum and tonka, with those nice hints of tobacco and chardonnay. LOVIATARThe Finnish Goddess of Agony, Torment and the joy found in inflicting pain on others. The Mistress of Torture, she has transformed in the modern era into the patron Goddess of Dominatrixes. The slap of slick, hot leather punctuates the warm, sensual embrace of black amber, red musk and dark, lascivious myrrh. Myrrh strikes again. In the bottle, this smells really nice. Leather and amber, with a bit of musk, mostly. When I first put it on, it's leathery with a touch of roses. Then the myrrh kicks in and it's just awful on me. I've got to learn to avoid it. BLACK PHOENIXOur signature oil. A dark, languid scent. Promotes hedonistic tendencies and extreme self-love. You won't stop kissing mirrors for a month. This is really interesting and complex. In the bottle, I get a bit of green, pine-iness, but not in a Pine Sol sort of way. It's something dark and green and foresty. There's also a sweet, fruity scent that neither the hubby nor I can quite identify. On wet, it goes a bit soapy at first. As it dries, however, it returns to this dark, complex green-and-fruit scent. This is going to take some time to wear and think about. SEVERINLeopold von Sacher-Masoch, the Father of Masochism and sexual surrender, had planned on writing six volumes of erotic literature entitled The Heritage of Cain. Only the first two volumes were completed, the more famous of the two being the notorious Venus in Furs. This novel tells the tale of a man, Severin, that enters into a relationship of slavery and increasingly debauched degradation with his mistress, Wanda. Dry black teas, Earl Gray, and leather. In the bottle, this has a lovely tea scent (I can definitely get the Earl Grey) with just a touch of leather. On both the hubby and me, it's mostly tea and lemon. It's a very nice scent, but not necessarily something either of us would wear. I like it, though. May keep it and use it to make scented candle tart things. SUDHA SEGARANamed after the primordial ocean of milk where Lord Vishnu reclines upon the thousand-headed Naga. Sweet milk and warm, healing ginger with a touch of golden honey and our blend of Ambrosia. In the bottle, this definitely gives me milk and honey, with some lovely ginger. On, it's pretty much exactly the same. Very true to bottle scent. It's quite pretty, but not really stunning. I tend to prefer more complex scents. AZATHOTHThe Daemon Sultan, Seething Nuclear Chaos ...that last amorphous blight of nethermost confusion which blasphemes and bubbles at the centre of all infinity — the boundless daemon-sultan Azathoth, whose name no lips dare speak aloud, and who gnaws hungrily in inconceivable, unlighted chambers beyond time amidst the muffled, maddening beating of vile drums and the thin, monotonous whine of accursed flutes; to which detestable pounding and piping dance slowly, awkwardly, and absurdly the gigantic ultimate gods, the blind, voiceless, tenebrous, mindless Other Gods whose soul and messenger is the crawling chaos Nyarlathotep. Azathoth is the blind, idiot god who sits on a black throne at the center of Chaos. His scent is high-pitched and screeching, both impenetrably dark and searingly bright with the clarity of madness: tangerine, saffron, vetiver, black amber and cedarwood. In the bottle, this smells really interesting. It's an intriguing combination of notes. On, it just doesn't work for me. I think it's something about the combination of tangerine and saffron, or tangerine and cedar, that just doesn't work for me at all. FRENCH LOVEA warm, soft, sexual blend. Sweet and alluring. Used to entice new lovers and add an aura of temptation and carnal sin to your environment. In the bottle, this seems like a sweet, nice scent. Unfortunately, on me it turns straight to powder. Headache-inducing powder. And on that note, I stop testing for today. *goes to scrub off French Love and put on something non-headachey*
