Chaos Theory III: Strange Attractors

[blackwifey]

Each 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.

<- This is the dance of the happy risk taker
My latest order arrived this morning. I only ordered 2 CT's because like someone else said on this thread, we're not exactly drowning in cash and most orders get LOTS of planning but you've gotta live dangerously. I'm SO glad I did :-)

1st CT : CXXVII (127)
Miskatonic University! Only better My God, i'm so incredibly happy! I gave away my Miskatonic University quite a while ago because although it smelt beautiful it was just a touch too sweet and heavy and most foody notes turn to plasticky badness on me because of my hateful chemistry. This is the only really foody scent i've ever tried that doesn't. I can't believe my luck!! It has a very subtle coffee undercurrent which only seems to come to the fore every other sniff. The rest of the time is a creamy vanilla similar to Antique Lace with the salty tang of Midway and the gentle suggestion of aged woods.
I'm in love and my wee bottle is going to be loved, cared for and tucked up in bed next to me every night (hubby can go to the sofa) and when the inevitable happens I shall mourn it's passing with weeping and the wringing of hands!

To sum up

2nd CT : CLXVI (166)
Wow! As gentle and soft as my first CT is, this one's brutal and in your face (at first) before settling down into......something very similar to Laudanum.
I think I can smell nutmeg and sassafrass. At first whiff it's almost indistinguishable from Laudanum which is fine with me, it's one of my favourites but whereas Laudanum truly is the scent of blissful catatonia slipping over you in an opium den while a beautiful oriental girl fans you with ostritch feathers this blend wants to kick your ass!! It's Laudanum after it mated with Geek! After its opening it morphs into the heavy sinister black smoke of Djinn and the grittiness of Brimstone and I started to panic. It was almost eye watering and disturbing in its intensity but as quickly as it morphed into naughty badness it's changed again..... Now it's reminding me of the dry down of both Medicine Show and Geek but with the pipe smoke and tobacco notes that I got from Herr Drosselmeyer and a touch more leather. There's also a vanilla type note. I really don't know much about these things but I think it might be opponax? That's vanillaey, right? Feel free to correct me
It reminds me of when Carnaval Noir rolled through town and Beth seemed to go through a leather and wood note frenzy (which rocked!)
This blend is INTENSE!! I suppose if I had to nutshell it, it gives me a mental image of if Satan decided to open a Carnaval of his own but sent one of his demon women to run it. This is the smell that would drift up when the satanic carnaval popped into life

To sum up

[gangstaknitta]

CCCVI

 

In bottle: dryer sheets + Water of Notre Dame. Interesting combo--very clean and aquatic. I'm pretty sure there are some lilies in there.

 

Wet: pure Bounce on my skin, very strong with lots of throw

 

Dry: the blend calms down a lot after an hour or two and it smells like clean fresh white sheets.

 

It's a lovely scent, I just don't know if I would like to smell like it.

 

CCCIII

 

In bottle: soapy floral--but then, there's a sweet floral in there. To my nose, it smells like plumeria and lily, normally a bit too much, but this floral is very soft.

 

Wet: okay, this is definitely a floral, it's a mixture of "clean" flowers with sweeter/tropical flowers, all very light. Perhpas there is magnolia or gardenia in there?

 

Dry: this one sticks close to your skin and is very mild, but my skin tends to swallow florals (but not lily oddly, so I don't know). It didn't last very long on me and I'm not hooked enough to re-apply.

[perclexed]

CXCIII

 

In the bottle: lemon cheesecake or pound cake. Makes me think of Monsterbaits.

Wet: lemon something?

90 seconds: morphed into pepperminty licorice.

Drying: I think there's violet in this, but not as "in your face" as usual.

Dry: A sweet violet and anise.

 

Fairly Victorian in my mind, and interesting how quickly it morphed into something completely different!

[cynthia1960]

CCCXXVIII (328)

 

My ability to discern notes (not well honed at the best of times) has evaporated in the heat that has been baking the Silicon Valley .

 

I could hardly smell it when I sniffed the bottle but I got a hint of light and grassy with a bit of sweetness. I'm getting two different smells when I compare the inner surface of my forearm with the wrist points, the forearm has more of the scent in the bottle and the wrist points are a warmer floral. I will be interested to see how it behaves in my scent locket.

 

It's nice and light, and I think I'll hang on to it because it will be perfect for the rest of the summer.

 

I've got one more CT3 on its way and I'm also in a decant circle, so I'll be wondering what other fun Beth has in store for us. I'm glad I got to play in this round of the CTs.

[Stephanie]

CDXXVIII (428):

 

In the bottle, this is very ozone-y, menthol, eucalyptus. Reminds me of Storm Moon or a sporty men's cologne.

 

On my skin, the menthol predominates, but I think I smell vanilla or a bit of something like cake (yay!)--but just for a while as it dries down--I'm reminded of how Spooky was on me (but without the plasticky-ness). I was getting happy thinking that maybe this Chaos would work for me.....

 

....but sadly no. The drydown is entirely men's cologne. Faded aftershave. I am thinking that this may be nice for a sporty, "sailboat in the marina" -type guy.

 

It's definitely not for me.

[Obesa_Cantavit]

CLXXIX (179)

A very light somewhat masculine scent, all green tea and white musk on my skin. Very fresh and clean smelling but not my type of thing at all.

 

CCXXXVI (236)

Lovely creamy butterscotch, very similar to Chaste Moon but without the slight floral tinge.

 

DCLXIII (662)

Apple and violets, just a little soapy to start off with. I'm undecided about this one, I like the notes individually but I'm not sure I enjoy them together.

 

DCLXXXVI (686)

Lovely light and girly, an almost fizzy fresh sweet scent. The only notes I can pick out are strawberry and heliotrope and they mesh beautifully. A great summer fragrance.

Edited August 8, 2006 by Obesa_Cantavit

[PurringPulsar]

Chaos Theory III: CLVIII (158?)

 

In the bottle: what is that? It's a sweet, dark almost drink like smell-maybe booze. It smells a bit like raisins…it's almost a fizzy drink smell as well, maybe it's root beer? Root beer and raisins?

Wet on skin: now it smells like Coca-Cola, maybe a dash of Cherry Coke! It's a soft drink alright! Sweet, dark, and fizzy-yup, it smells fizzy.

Dry on skin: fizzy Coke. I'm amazed at how this one smells so much like Coke (or Pepsi), complete with carbonated effervescence. There's a hint of spice lurking here, warm spice…maybe some root beer as well, but it's all Coke for now.

After a while: sugary Coke still lingers but the scent is much drier now-I smell something now almost like dry grass, or hay, or grain, or some kind of dry golden note. Warm dusty dryness with a hint of Coke, there's also an airy, hot, shimmering hazy feel to it which makes me think of heat hazes or mirages over the desert. Like having a refreshing Coke at a desert oasis café.

I then get a little vanilla at the base-well either that or an incense note, even a sort of musk. it reminds me of the darker base note from Queen of Sheba, one of those mysterious spice notes underneath the honeyed almonds of that blend. I can't tell, though it still smells like lightly spiced Coca-Cola in the desert. There may be a little bit of cardamom here actually…

Then, suddenly, I get a hint of resin incense smoke wafting through-as in, frankincense. How unusual. Coca-Cola and incense. It gives an even more golden, sunlit tone to the scent. It's also sweeter, but I think the sweetness may be more of an amber sweetness, not vanilla…omg it really is amber! I love amber. I still get hints of cardamom.

The frankincense/amber scent is a lot stronger after about 3 hours…it now smells less like a drink, and more like spiced resin incense. I really like this stage…it's mysterious incense with a hint of amber and spice, almost like a lighter, less heavy, less intense mix of Great Cry in Egypt meets the Lion. Gorgeous.

Verdict: what an unusual scent…first it smells so much of Coke! Sweet, dark, fizzy, it's the real thing! It's a little bit more unusual than just plain soft drink though-I get spices, sweetness, incense, notes like frankincense, cardamom, amber, vanilla and dry grasses/grain notes. The scent is very warm after a while, it's a hazy, shimmering warmth, a heat haze, a hint of dust, and desert heat. The drydown is much nicer, a resinous amber-incense-spice. Such a strange and quirky fragrance-that's why Chaos Theory is so good, because you get unlikely combinations that really work. It's not a favourite but I do like it enough to keep it-and I love the resinous amber-tastic drydown.

Emoticon rating:

[zenvodunista]

They don't call 'em Chaos Theories for Nuttin'.

 

CDVII (407)

 

Whoa: Sweet Tarts! Now, this isn't so unusual. My brain/nose seems to always interpret a certain accord that the Lab uses as SweetTarts. I am pretty sure it's whatever they call "Cherry Blossom" that does it to me. The cherries on other scents do it too, and sometimes red currant. I cannot wear Lady Macbeth for this reason. It's red wine and currants go to Sweetarts on me.

 

This is all Sweetarts, and then for a few minutes I get the gorgeous scent of cherry blossoms.... and then I can't smell it. Or, I can, but veeeery faintly. So faintly that I can barely smell anything at all. A faint clingling presence like ..... cherry petals. The last few fluttering down.

 

Sadly, 407 isn't for me. I think if someone were to like Kyoto without the sandalwood, or Jailbait without the overwhelming sugar, or Queen of Hearts without the Stephonoides.... You get the idea. Sadly, those are not my favorites. I hope I can find a good home for this. It'll be lovely on someone who's skin chemistry isn't mine.

 

ETA: Ah, I know what it reminds me of: Peony Moon. Yeah, that one smells like Sweetarts to me too

n.

Edited August 11, 2006 by zenvodunista

[Mountaingrrl00]

CCCXLI - 341

 

This could be a Panacea blend like Quietude, or a sleep blend like Nanshe. It definitely says "relaxing" and "herbal". The lemony-lavender topnote is beautiful - refreshing as well as relaxing. There's something else floral-herbal and a little deeper - geranium maybe? Something also reminds me of Val Sans Retour when the oil is dry on my skin - there's a green, almost evergreen freshness. After awhile, there's a lovely green-wood smell, like willow branches, mixed with an older-wood smell, like teak.

 

I'm really impressed with this blend in every phase. I'll be experimenting with its aromatherapy applications. I think I'll be keeping most of this bottle, though I might swap a decant for something really special.

 

ETA: On a second application, I think I can pick out bergamot, maychang (a lemony evergreen), linden and teakwood.

Edited July 27, 2006 by Mountaingrrl

[phedre]

CLXXXVII - I'm in on Gypsy's circle, and this is my first review of those scents I'll add the others to this post as I try them.

 

This one was what I hoped gingerbread poppet would be. Whereas gingerbread poppet is pure ginger candy, this is smooth ginger ice cream layered on top of spicy florals. Lovely!

 

Previously reviewed by GypsyRoseRed.

[theshapeshifter]

Chaos Theory III: CLVII (157)

 

Oh wow, this one's a morpher! It's only been on for about half an hour, so if it changes further, I'll ETA this review.

 

In the bottle: Red wine and cocoa! Two notes I love, so that's promising. After a couple more sniffs I maybe get a hint of rum. It's quite boozy in the bottle, in any case.

 

Initial application: The cocoa is first to come to the front, quickly followed by something fruity, a fruity chocolate... chocolate-raspberry, I think. The fruit is quite sharp and tart, like a wild raspberry.

 

Early drydown: The cocoa flits in and out, sometimes more evident, sometimes more in the background, and the raspberry keeps going strong. There's maybe a hint of something fruity-floral (orange blossom, possibly?) and for a second I got just the tiniest hint of mint.

 

After half an hour: The red-wine note is starting to come back into play, so now it's a tart raspberry-winey-slightly plummy scent with a dark cocoa base.

 

To sum up: To put it in conveniently comparable terms, I'm debating whether I should call this "what I hoped Vice would be", or "Bordello with chocolate instead of nuts", but I think in a nutshell, this is 13's darker, naughtier older sister. THEY WILL HAVE TO PRY THIS OUT OF MY COLD, DEAD HANDS. I LOVE EET.

[anomie]

CXI - wood, incense, and some spice. We're torn on whether it's nutmeg or ginger - we being my mom and sister, whom I polled to try and figure it out!

[slave1]

BOTTLE "C" translates to 100

 

In Bottle: Light skin musk with floral

 

On Skin: This bottle is labeled “C”. This is the lightest most gentle BPAL scent I have ever smelled. It has a bright note, a floral, maybe a lily? It’s sweet with a very slight tartness… so pretty. There is also a very faint musky note… not anything overwhelming, more like the white musk single note, barely there but a close to the skin “skin musk”. Skin musks smell like you, only better. The floral comes out even stronger and I would officially call this a light floral scent. I normally am not a fan of florals, but this one is so gentle and soft and close to the skin I love it. It seems like a scent that would compliment anyone and be perfect for any occasion. Very very pretty. Although it’s a little light for my taste (I prefer a stronger feel), I can see myself wearing this for sure. Light throw and average wearlength.

[Deiicide]

Bottle: XXXV- 35 or around there.

 

Sniffed: Nothing else is really coming through, just opium (which I recognized by the faint dizzyiness it caused me) Smells a bit strong.

 

Applied: Wow this is a morpher. First it's all opium mixed with some kind of incense and some smokiness with a whiff of opium. Whew, thankfully it's like the opium in Lotus Moon so it doesn't bother me as much. Then a soft wood sneaks in. Hey, I think I kind of like this. There is a definate pine resin that I also recognize. A soft nutiness comes in later and a warmth of I think tonka? It's not like vanilla, kind of deeper with a carmely smell mixed in. Whatever it is, I can't stop sniffing my wrists. I think I love it and to think this is the only bottle of this there. Well, I sure know that I'm keeping it for fall.

 

 

Dry down: MMMM just the faintest smell of wood with the tonka and now more clearly smelt of the nut. The smokiness is still there but in the way way backside. Utterly beautiful.

Thanks Beth!

Edited July 27, 2006 by Deiicide

[slave1]

BOTTLE "XC" which translates to 90

 

 

In Bottle: Woody soap

 

On Skin: This is bottle “XC”. Hmm… not really liking this one at first. It is woody but also soapy… some kind of ozone note which turns slightly medicinal on me. It might be a floral… violet or lavender which both turn funky on me. It reminds me of a woody Numb. Sightly icy and cold but warmed just a bit by the wood note. Clean and fresh, I get a blue/white/grey feel from this. It’s very soft, not a strong or overwhelming blend, this one also lies close to the skin. Pretty, but not only feminine… I could see either men or women wearing it. As it develops on my skin I like it more. There is also a fruity note… nothing super sweet. At first I think melon… but no not sweet enough, then cucumber… but no that’s not it either. But it has the same feel as both of those notes. Fresh, light green and yummy. The woody scent has completely faded and it ends up a more fresh slightly melon ozone scent on me. While I may not wear this scent often, I do like it eventually becomes on me and I’ll probably keep and imp and swap the rest. Light throw and average wearlength.

[slave1]

BOTTLE "LXXIII" which translates to 73.

 

 

In Bottle: Light resin and strong floral

 

On Skin: This is bottle ”LXXIII”. I get florals right away. I smell lily and maybe jasmine, quite strong. There is something earthy to them, meaning it smells like real flowers, not perfectly clean… they have a little dirt on them still and you can smell the planty part of them as well. There is a deep but light resin in the background which contrasts with the bright floral nicely. It keps the scent grounded. I also think I smell a little spice… very faintly though. I like that this is not your everyday floral but it is a little overwhelmingly floral for my tastes. Very feminine and very bold. It has a very strong throw and long wearlength.

[OdetteOdile]

Chaos Theory III - CCCXXVI

Pure, heavy, lush roses. Emphatically not roses from a store - this is cabbage-large roses out in a field. It's saturated with fruit notes - something jucy and tangy - mangos, maybe, and very ripe nectarines.

I'm not always partial to roses, but this perfume evokes late summer in the country so powerfully, I want to bathe in it and then go out and fall asleep in a field somewhere and just evaporate into summer.

This is the scent of roses growing on the thorn barrier surrounding Sleeping Beauty's castle. Soporific, utterly voluptuous, narcotic roses. (I think I just found my scent for August.)

[sookster]

CTIII-CCLIX-(259)-acquired in a swap from columbus jones

 

straight sniff from bottle is patchouli...oMG!!! yes my beloved note...

sweet and decadent...ultra rich and syrup-like....much different than any

other patchouli note i have experienced...

 

once applied the color is a deep and rich amber...the scent turns into a

mishmash of cinnamon(??) and pine ... yup...you could knock me over with a feather with this one.....after 15 to 20 minutes i get a very smoky note...swirling through making this an olfactory delight.....and the patchouli peeking itz head

throughout the journey

 

gosh this is s-t-r-o-n-g and i am thrilled to own it...i will cherish this forever as one of my very fav bpal scents ... it is that good and obviously one that was meant

for me to love!!!

 

Previously reviewed by columbus jones.

Edited September 10, 2006 by Shollin

[LiberAmoris]

Chaos Theory III bottle CCXIII:

Holy crap, this is a combination of Obatala and Samhain! It's got the creamy shea of Obatala and the spicy autumnal notes from Samhain. It's absolutely heavenly. This will be perfect in the fall when I want Samhain, only creamier and a little sweeter.

 

Chaos Theory III bottle CCXII:

Lovely light florals and the lightest touch of orange. A springtime blend, very fresh and warm. Different from other florals in my collection---it almost smells like blue flowers, blue and white. I really like it!

[riddel]

Chaos Theory III: Strange Attractors - XDII

This one stumps me. It's a bit syrupy sweet with what I think is a touch of Calla Lily, maybe even honeysuckle. Quite pretty.

 

Chaos Theory III: Strange Attractors - DXXII

Grapefruit! Sweet, juicy grapefruit. All grapefruit, all the time. Like a grapefruit single note.

Edited August 30, 2006 by riddel

[euterpe414]

OK, I am not the best at note detection, but I shall try:

 

CDLXXIV:

FIRST SNIFF: strangely similar to Eat Me (ooo yay!)

WET: Eat Me, but with more sweet fruit than cake

DRY: Fruity (berry and sweet orange, possibly) with a hint of vanilla.

This is one is a keeper, for sure!!

 

DCXXII:

FIRST SNIFF: dark berries, similar to the berry in Montresor ( hopefully this won't be cough syrup!!)

WET: dark berry/wine and dryer sheets???? hm. Wait a minute...there may be some jasmine in here too!

DRY: OK, I have really no idea what is in this, but it isn't working for me. I am pretty sure there may be jasmine in here, because jasmine tends to ruin things for me. Actually, it is now smelling a bit like New Orleans. Go figure!

Edited July 27, 2006 by euterpe414

[cuervosueno]

Beth, with Chaos Theory III, you've made me very very happy!

 

First, I was surprised to see I have bottle XXXIV, which is 34, I believe. Forgetting for a moment the arbitrary nature of this experiment, I expected to get a higher number since so many people who recieved theirs before me had high numbers. Somehow 34 seemed lucky to me.

 

And of course this is my third try at the Chaos theories. I was hoping the third time would be the charm, and indeed it was.

 

 

This one also really illustrates the "strange attractors" part, because the best way I can describe this is as a mixture of Samhain with Roadhouse. I know that sounds bizarre, but for me, it really works.

 

First sniff from the bottle: boozy, green and slightly sweet. Imagine the boozy dandelions of roadhouse, and something else--say the burnt sugar top notes of Dia de Los Muertos 04. When I put it on, the green just blooms on my skin--very like dandelions, but it could also be bamboo, or something else green. Then the boozy note becomes more complex: is this honey? No. This is the point when I got out Samhain (from 04, so it was an aged blend) and I noted a similiarity. Hard apple cider? Perhaps, but its not apples per se I get, just a boozy fermented scent that is quite intoxicating. And there is that sugary note as well--slightly burnt, but not vanilla and not the heavier burnt sugar notes of say, Devil's Night.

 

When I compared it to Hungry Ghost Moon (on my other arm) I saw that it could be sugar cane--it has that green sweetness to it (though this smells nothing like HGM). Then I layered Roadhouse and Samhain to see if it was similiar, and it was when it was wet, before the spice and sweetness of Samhain overpowered it.

 

So I really have no idea what is in this, but I'd say dandelions and/or sugar cane. And something boozy, but like a fermented drink--beer or cider--rather than a wine or hard liquor. If I call it a summer version of Samhain, will that suffice?

 

And if I say it reminds me some of Samhain and Dia De Los Muertos, will that explain how much I like this? Because those two are my all-time favorite BPAL blends.

 

So after three years, I've got a keeper in the Chaos theory game! Thanks Beth

 

eta: I returned to this review after comparing this scent to Ladon, and they are similiar, though Ladon is much more fresh apples, and this is boozy apple cider. But I definately think there is some apple in here.

Edited September 4, 2006 by cuervosueno

[gangstaknitta]

CCCVII (307)

 

In bottle: a soapy floral blend

 

Wet: usually soapy=lily, but I'm not getting any lily out of this. It smells squeaky-clean in a feminine way, kind of like dove soap with some sort of heady flower

 

Dry: wow, it had good throw at first, then stayed close to the skin. Very soapy smelling, but still nice. It's fresh without being cloying.

[HennaFairy]

Second review for CCCIV (304)

 

Yup, in the bottle fizzy cola!!!

 

unfortunately on, all i smell is what i think is vetiver. let me explain that i don't mind when vetiver is a VERY MINOR part of a blend, but those that are strongly vetiver make me run out of the room screaming. This is inbetween. Dry, it's a little less harsh but still that vetiver smell, a little incensey, possibly some wood and vanilla notes.

 

vetiver or not, i'm betting a vetiver lover will like this much more.

Edited July 28, 2006 by HennaFairy

[gangstaknitta]

CCCXVI (316)

 

In bottle: OMG!! Sugar Cookie and Sugar Skull combined!

 

Wet: yummy, carmel, sugar...something a bit nutty, not as boozy as Sugar Skull is (to my nose, at least)

 

Dry: What is that? It smells like cassia/cinnamon, but I know Beth left those out. It's very subtly nutty/spicy. The sugary note goes plasticky on me (as per usual--I can only use stuff w/sugar notes in oil burners), but then a nice warm musk emerges. It's lovely...but better in the bottle than on my skin.