Which Orisha blend should I buy

[shipwreckgirl]

Today, a devastating 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti ten miles west of Port-Au-Prince. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab will be donating proceeds from all of January’s Port-Au-Prince [and Orisha blends] sales to the Red Cross, and Black Phoenix Trading Post will be donating proceeds from all general catalogue bath oil sales to UNICEF

 

I'm consistently grateful for how much this company does for charity and will certainly be adding one of these blends to my next order, but I'm not sure which one. It will most likely be an unsniffed bottle, and that's a tough call to make. I've tried Elegba, Olokun, Ogun, and Osun. I liked them all, but am not sure any of them were bottle worthy (Actually, I toyed with a full bottle of Osun the first time I tried it, but I've got so many honey blends already...) And Yemaya has been on my wishlist forever, but I'm a bit worried it will be too much melon. The biggest issue I'm having is that so many of the blends sound good, but I can only afford one right now.

 

I also am considering the... I guess the intent of the blend in addition to the notes. These blends represent specific dieties, and I want to respect that when making a purchase. I'm not religious, and only vaguely aware of the Orishas, but I still want to take their spirits into account when deciding. Does that make sense? (In that regard, I'm actually still leaning towards Yemaya and Osun.)

 

To help myself decide, I'm going to do the standard "update" breakdown, and I really appreciate input from others.

 

ELEGBA His ofrenda contains coconut, tobacco and sweet, sugared rum

I've tried this, and it is a lovely coconut blend, but I have a ton of coconut blends already, and the rum is just a little much for me, I think.

 

OBATALA Obatala’s ofrenda is soft, white and pure: milk, coconut meat, shea butter and cool, refreshing water.

This sounds very pretty. Creamy and soft. And this bit from the description really appeals to me: "Obatala’s Laughter helps soothe the pain of life’s rigors, and takes the sting out of the harshest of life’s lessons" But, again, I'm afraid it may be too similar to things I already own.

 

OCHOSI The Archer, Lord of the Bow and Arrow... His ofrenda is the soft shea he shares with Obatala, forest herbs, and sprucewood arrow shafts.

Definite contender. My grandfather was an archer, but green scents can be hit or miss on me (hit or miss for the archer )

 

OGUN Ogun’s ofrenda is heavy and dark cigar tobacco, gin and juniper, melon, chili pepper and a touch of honey.

Tried this. This scent is unique and cool. But it's a bit on the harsh side, and I don't think I would ever use up a bottle.

 

OLOKUN His ofrenda is the scent of the lightless deep: the glorious, unknowable gloom of the ocean floor.

Tried this. I tend to do well with aquatics, and The Lord of All Waters, Master of Wealth, Keeper of the Secrets in the Depths of the Ocean, Lord of the Lightless Deep, God of the Unknown is right up my alley, but the scent itself was nice, but just not OMGBESTAQUATICEVER

OSUN Her ofrenda is thick with honey and herbs of love, passion and desire.

This is a beautiful honey blend, and Mama Osun was the first Voodoo goddess I can remember being aware of. I dig her. This would be the one if I didn't already have so very many honey blends (seriously, a huge percentage of the oils I own have honey)

OYA Oya’s ofrenda is a Nigerian potion of love and war, sweetened by darkest plum

This sounds so beautiful and bold, but the review say almond, and almond and I are not friends

 

SHANGO The Master of Lightning's ofrenda contains red apples, banana, chili pepper, coconut, pineapple, pomegranate and sugar cane.

Hey, this one sounds cool and different. I like it in concept, but am scared that it would end up too fruity and I may never wear it. And I do like masculine blends but the absolute and perfect Male creature is not exactly me .

 

YEMAYA Lady of the Ocean, Queen of Mothers, Mother of the Children of the Fishes. Her ofrenda is a bounty of melons and grapes, strewn with the petals of the flowers of motherhood, draped with sea mosses.

This I would buy. I'm a mama, and I'm deeply comforted by the ocean. The notes sound lovely... but then I read the reviews and I think of Denny's breakfast buffet. I don't even know why, but that's the image the reviews bring to mind.

 

PORT-AU-PRINCE Dark, decadent and incomparably exotic: the rich scent of buttered rum flavored with almond, bay, clove and sassafras.

Eh, it sounds nice, in theory. But almond, clove, and butter. Not my favorites.

[MamaMoth]

I've been wanting to try Obatala forever, so an unsniffed bottle will definitely be on my next order.

[surlygurl]

If it's any help, port-au-prince smells - on me - like a rich bay rum, but sweeter. After an initial blast of almond that eventually fades.

Edited January 14, 2010 by surlygurl

[laslibres]

I'm going to get an imp pack - do those still count towards the Haiti relief funds? There are exactly six of the above scents that I don't have yet (Port-au-Prince, Ochosi, Elegba, Osun, Olokun, and Obatala), so it'd work out perfectly.

 

Considering a bottle of Shango too, which I've wanted for a while. For what it's worth, Shipwreckgirl, it's not masculine at all on me, just apple, pineapple, and coconut, with a hint of pepper.

[Lorelai1945]

Masculine scents tend to like me (good examples are Hellhound, Tombstone, and Robotic Scarab), so I am curious about Port-au-Prince. The butter part scares me though- I hate the buttery smell of, say, Jelly Belly buttered popcorn beans. Something else I tried- Boo maybe?- was super buttery and I didn't like it. Anybody know how much butter is in Port-au-Prince? I think Hellhound has bay rum, and I lurve Hellhound.

[KesHiro]

I'm going to get an imp pack - do those still count towards the Haiti relief funds?

 

I was contemplating an email to the lab and asking this very thing.

 

 

I'm probably going to buy a bottle of Elegba -- to me, it sounds the most appealing of the blends and the listed notes seem to work on me. I do tend to amp booze notes, but so far the lab's booze notes have played very nicely with my skin chemistry. Plus, I believe he stands for communication? (I'm not familiar with orishas at all, but like you, I kind of want to respect what they represent.) I love talking and learning about all kinds of new things, so I think this is perfect.

 

Obatala also sounds appealing but the reviews about it being buttery scare me. Overly buttery scares me more than overly boozed up for some reason. That's why I'm curious if imps count . . .

 

I have tried Port-au-Prince before and to me it smells like marzipan. I can't use it on my skin, though, because I get about an hour of burning plastic during the drydown phase. Weirdest thing, since it's lovely before and after.

 

Edited to add: I just sent off an email regarding imps of the orishas and if they count towards the fund. Will report back when I hear anything!

Edited January 14, 2010 by Kejiaron

[sunshinedaisybliss]

I have a few favourites in this line, and already have a 5ml of Shango which on me is absolutely delicious - not overly sweet or fruity, it's lightly spicy with a 'deep red' feel, almost like a red musk kinda vibe.

 

My imps of Ogun and Osun are well used, so maybe a bottle of either (or both) of those will find their way into my next order

 

Oh.. and Obatala - really very lovely, creamy and soft - for me it's all about the milk but the coconut is very present as well.

 

Re the question of proceeds from imp pack purchases - I think yes, they would be included.. the announcement said "Proceeds from all of January's sales of the #BPAL's Orisha oils.." so I reckon imps would count.

[MamaMoth]

Elegba is one of my favorite BPALs... I think that's the first bottle I bought. It's so great, like butter-rum lifesavers and coconut pipe tobacco.

[KesHiro]

Re the question of proceeds from imp pack purchases - I think yes, they would be included.. the announcement said "Proceeds from all of January's sales of the #BPAL's Orisha oils.." so I reckon imps would count.

 

Thanks so much! In that case, I'll definitely throw two or three orisha imps into my next order.

 

 

Elegba is one of my favorite BPALs... I think that's the first bottle I bought. It's so great, like butter-rum lifesavers and coconut pipe tobacco.

 

Oh . . . my . . . this sounds heavenly! Thank you for the mini review! I have a feeling Elegba will find a place in my next order.

 

[AliBabble]

obatala is great - doesn't really smell like any other bpal to my nose - it is refreshing, and clean - but not ozone-y - it smells beachy, like coconut oil, but not heavy... like it's mixed w/ watery milk, or milky water...it feels very pure...

[blu°]

OCHOSI The Archer, Lord of the Bow and Arrow... His ofrenda is the soft shea he shares with Obatala, forest herbs, and sprucewood arrow shafts.

Definite contender. My grandfather was an archer, but green scents can be hit or miss on me (hit or miss for the archer )

 

Ochosi doesn't smell all that GREEN to me. It's a very soft, almost aquatic, innocent blend. The shea makes it very wearable.

 

OYA[/b] Oya’s ofrenda is a Nigerian potion of love and war, sweetened by darkest plum

This sounds so beautiful and bold, but the review say almond, and almond and I are not friends

 

It might be me, but I don't get almond from Oya. Then again, I don't have problems with almond, so maybe I just didn't notice.

 

SHANGO The Master of Lightning's ofrenda contains red apples, banana, chili pepper, coconut, pineapple, pomegranate and sugar cane.

Hey, this one sounds cool and different. I like it in concept, but am scared that it would end up too fruity and I may never wear it. And I do like masculine blends but the absolute and perfect Male creature is not exactly me .

 

Shango is a very unique fruity scent. The chili in it gives it almost a red musk tinge. It does feel electric, fizzy, airy somehow. It's not overly sweet, nor is it by any means masculine. It's rather a fruity scent men could wear IMO.

 

 

Also, I'll second that Obatala is very unique.

 

[jizatt]

I know I like Olokun (sweet fresh aquatic) but going to retest before commiting.

 

I really WANT to like Elegba (coconut, tobacco and sweet, sugared rum), Obatala (milk, coconut meat, shea butter and cool, refreshing water), Ochosi (shea, herbal, sprucewood). I dont think I've tried Ochosi, but Elegba and Obatala I want to say were all suntan lotion on me =( WHich is a shame because I WANT coconut, tobacco and sugared rum! and shea, milk, coconut and water sounds heavenly!

[hkhm]

my two favorites from the orishas are shango and yemaya, with shango being one of my top 3 scents ever. i just love it so so much and it gets me the most compliments of any bpal i've ever worn. i'm considering buying another bottle each just because...

[samarablackcat]

I have been putting off buying a bottle of Oya, but now is a good time to add her to my cart. Oh please, let it be the more plummy one and not as herbally(but if it is, I guess it could wing its way to tartchef, lol). FWIW, I don't get almond (although it may be as my nose confuses cherry and almond while wet) and it dries to a nice plum/light incense.

[Molls]

I've been pondering this question as well, and I'm leaning towards Osun, Yemaya, Obatala or Olokun. I have an imp of Osun at home, I will try it again. I really like Yemaya, the goddess, so I would like to have the scent, even though I'm not sure I'm a melon girl, and the reviews often mention fading fast. I like coconut, so Obatala might work for me. Olokun sounds good, I haven't had an aquatic scent for a while - might be a nice one to get and save for spring/summer...

[papermaker]

I think I will be getting Obatala and Port Au Prince. maybe Elegba. But def two bottles. I will also be making my January charitable donation to UNICEF.

[surf-tormented]

I would read up on the loas/orishas (they are sort of blended in this category) and see if any of them "speak" to me. Speaking to me would entail seeing a symbol of that loa, like their symbol animals, plants or traits. Even colors.

 

Some of them equate nicely with Greek/Roman gods I study, so laos like Ogun or Shango would be good for me on two levels, the loa level and then the way those loa equate with Mars/Vulcan and Jupiter of the Roman pantheon.

 

Are there any goals you want in your life? You could select a loa to help guide you. Of course, then you should probably offer them more than the oil, like make a little altar for them with their symbols and colors on it.

 

I've taken hoodoo classes from a teacher that had Santeria ties. But I don't believe what some say about having to have this tie in order to talk to the loa. I feel the loa choose people as much as the Roman Gods choose their followers.

 

So basically, look at the notes of the scent and what they do...you are sure to find one that pleases you and may help you with a goal you have. Or you may, with reading, find yourself attracted to one of them. Then, by all means, buy their perfume oil!

 

My only other recommendation is if you buy Yemaya, buy Olokun with it, because those orishas make balance. Yemaya alone tends to make people too passive and too much Olokun makes them too active.

 

(Note, since I have taken hoodoo classes, I also wouldn't take buying a loa oil lightly, because by putting on that oil, you are, in a way, inviting that loa into your life. And they can be a lot more demanding than other spirits. So I would only buy oils of loas I am working with or want to establish a relationship. I also do this with Roman, Greek and Norse gods, as well. )

Edited January 14, 2010 by Madame Nyx

[Katherynne]

... shango being one of my top 3 scents ever. i just love it so so much and it gets me the most compliments of any bpal i've ever worn.

I second this -- I ADORE Shango, so I went ahead and finally bought the 5ml I've been wanting of it. It is one of my favourite BPAL scents, it's such an electric and bright fruit scent, and it gets more compliments than anything else for me.

 

I also feel more connection to Shango than the others as I have worked with him. This perfume seems to also encapsulate the orisha's "feel" if that makes sense!

Edited January 14, 2010 by Katherynne

[patina]

Can anyone tell me if the bay in Port-au-Prince is strong? I've read the reviews but I want to know more. I think it was bay that made Delphi smell like nachos to me. Otherwise, I'd buy it for the clove and rum.

 

I'd like to buy Obatala for the sweet coconut and the name but I'm worried about the sunscreen factor too.

 

I've disliked all the Orisha blends I've tried so far.

Pft. Maybe I'll just donate to the Heifer Project or Doctors Without Borders or something.

Edited January 15, 2010 by patina

[izile]

Obatala is probably one of my favorite oils for summer - ever. I love it on beachy days, and last summer I blended an imp into an ounce of sparkly Skin Milk lotion and enjoyed slathering it for months. - I've never smelled another BPAL that was really like Obatala, it seems really unique.

 

 

ELEGBA - the first imp of this I got I gave to a guy friend, because it smelled so delicious on him I thought he definitely should have it. I've gotten myself one since. It's second fiddle to Obatala, but different enough I'm saving an imp for summer.

 

As for the others:

 

OCHOSI - have somehow missed this one, never tried, needs to go on wishlist.

 

OGUN - haven't tried it, but the notes scare me.

 

OLOKUN - aquatics don't work on me.

 

OSUN - I should add this to my wishlist since I've decided to give honey scents another try.

 

OYA - dunno.

 

SHANGO - bananas . . . I hate bananas. . . this smells of bananas. ..

 

YEMAYA - I'd love to get a tester of this, the aquatic scares me, but the other notes sound yummy!

 

PORT-AU-PRINCE - I have it marked on my xl sheet with red, which means "get it away from me as quick as you can - aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!"

[hkhm]

SHANGO - bananas . . . I hate bananas. . . this smells of bananas. ..

 

 

that was the reason i was attracted to shango in the first place. well, that and the amazing description of the oil.

 

sadly, i don't get banana from this blend, i wish i did.

[KesHiro]

Hi guys!

 

I just heard back from Bill, in customer services regarding whether or not imps would count toward the relief effort. Here is the response:

 

"Thank you for your inquiry. No, we are only donating proceeds from the sales of 5ml bottles."

 

So, unfortunately the imps of orishas and Port-au-Prince won't count. But I'm definitely going to get Elegba -- the coconut-rum-tobacco combo sounds lovely, I know my skin loves two of the notes, and I like what he represents. Plus, it's going to a good cause.

 

I love that the lab is doing this . . . thank you for being such a generous company!

[vikitty]

Obatala is subtle but very lovely. A soft coconut, not too sweet.

 

Oya is very warm on me, hard to explain.

 

DEFINITELY try Shango! On me, it was a less floral Tiki Queen.

[surf-tormented]

Can anyone tell me if the bay in Port-au-Prince is strong? I've read the reviews but I want to know more. I think it was bay that made Delphi smell like nachos to me. Otherwise, I'd buy it for the clove and rum.

 

I'd like to buy Obatala for the sweet coconut and the name but I'm worried about the sunscreen factor too.

 

I've disliked all the Orisha blends I've tried so far.

Pft. Maybe I'll just donate to the Heifer Project or Doctors Without Borders or something.

 

Delphi was horrible on me because of that note, but Port-Au-Prince I like. I have pale dry skin as far as skin chemistry goes. The bay note isn't "garbage-y" on me, which is what you probably mean by nachos. A sort of nachos in the garbage sort of nastiness. This does get strong but tapers on me so the other notes mingle with it and make a nice blend.

 

It is strong, but it is more of sweet spiced rum smell with the butter note (another note that goes icky on me in some oils) staying underneath it. The clove and sassafras come out strong on me and the perfume lasts long on me. I guess if it is too strong for you, you could always put it in a carrier oil or vodka.

Edited January 15, 2010 by Madame Nyx

[shipwreckgirl]

Wow, all of the discussion on this thread has been awesome and helpful. Thanks everyone!

 

I did a little more research into the Orishas (yay wikipedia!) and Yemaya is the one really calling to me. I'm drawn to her aspect as a mother and protector. But she has another darker aspects as a pirate assassin. Also "the patron deity of the fishermen and the survivors of shipwrecks." (check my username - that works for me )

 

As for her blend, it doesn't sound like anything else I have in my collection. I'm going to take a chance on something different from my usual. I only hope that I get honeydew out of it instead of cantaloupe.

 

(And, Madame Nyx, thanks for the advice. I've got an imp of Olokun kicking around to keep her company.)

 

 

Also, I retested Elegba, and it's much better than I remember. Not as boozy as I thought. Today I was just getting creamy coconut and spice with the rum sneaking around the background. My imp is defiantly going to get some love.