Blogs

Aeval

Imp #19: Aeval "A raven-haired Fairy Queen of Ireland. One of her eternal duties dictates that she must hold a midnight court every season and hear the pleas of married Irishwomen. The court serves only to determine whether or not husbands are adequately serving their wife's sexual needs. A judicious yet powerfully sensual blend, a mingling of justice and sexuality: sage, sweet pea, bold pale musk and warm tonka." Note: Late cycle. Imp from littleone101701's sales. In the bottle: A sweet floral with a warm, more sophisticated base. On me: Sweet and floral with musk in the background. Possibly tonka. I don't smell the sage. 1 hour+ later: A bit less floral and more musky. A very feminine and floral sort of sensual, but a watery floral. I could see this being very good when I am going '20s glam.

November 9, 2008

Ouija

Imp #17: Ouija "Lush parlor rooms draped in thick velvets and gilded in gold, unearthly whispering in the distance, fleeting flashes of wraith-like figures rushing just outside your vision, the chill of a phantom presence brushing by your cheek, the inscrutable knowledge that disembodied eyes are peering at you from darkened corners… this is the essence of Victorian-era spiritualism: rosewood, oak and teak notes with wispy blue lilac, tea rose, dried white rose and ethereal osmanthus." Note: Late cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales. In the bottle: I definitely get the rose and maybe something woody. On me: Lilac comes to the front. I get the feel of an old library full of hard bound books with thick rag-paper pages. A home library in some Victorian, where there are built in shelves along the walls, rather than stacks of books piled close. There is a table in the middle of the room with a centerpiece of dried flowers. A velvety chaise sits in the corner with a Tiffany floor lamp to read by. 1 hour+ later: As time passes, the rosewood and teak emerge. This room is definitely paneled and the table in the center has been polished. Now, the velvet curtains are pulled shut, and it is warm and dark in the evening. Later the blend is mainly lilac with the other notes in the background making it more sophisticated than a simple floral. The old book smell is also kind of an incense smell as well.

November 8, 2008

Eclipse

Imp #18: Eclipse "All the glory, warmth and majesty of the sun -- darkened. A delicious blend of bitter almond, vanilla, frankincense and heliotrope, with a drop of cinnamon." Note: Late cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales. In the bottle: Red KoolAid in the package before you add the sugar. I'm sorry, but that's what I got from the first hit. I smell something fruity and I can smell the cinnamon. I'm not sure I can identify the other scents. On me: The cinnamon steps back and the vanilla and almond step forward. This has a spicy almond cookie scent. It is definitely foody on me. 1 hour+ later: Bitter almond and vanilla have a strong staying power. They were still there after many hours, but the spices eventually faded. I smell like a Madelaine cookie.

November 8, 2008

Cam's Blog

Possets KITTEHS!

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!

cam

November 7, 2008

Irrelevant and Disturbing Surreal Crawdad Dream

In the bottle: Blueberries! On wet: Blueberries instantly give way to tea and the currant - no problem, I love them, too! Drydown: Powdery lemon? Where is this coming from? This odd stage lasts for several long minutes, then the blueberries return with the tea in tow. Ginger lingers on the sidelines, as does the vanilla and currant. The musk is developing slowly - darkly sweet, vaguely leathery, working (surprisingly!) well with the berries/tea combo. Not picking up the benzoin (good - not a favourite), or the squash blossom/coriander. Overall: Another good fruit-tea-musk combo for me! I'm not even very interested in blueberry as a scent to wear, but it's really nice with the supporting notes in this blend - and it's incredibly fresh/realistic! A unique addition to my BPAL box, and a nice change of pace from what I usually wear. 4/5

November 5, 2008

The Gladdener of All Hearts

In the bottle: Mmm...sweet n' lightly creamy. The colour "pink" instantly popped into my head while I sniffed this - that, and thought that this would be the *best* bubble bath/bath oil scent evah! On wet: Sweeet! Powdery! Candy-like! YUM! Drydown: Still mostly sweet, candy-licious powder, though I'm detecting something almost spicy underneath - peppery carnations finally making an appearance, if I'm not mistaken. Then there's the honey and frankincense adding this insanely edible, golden depth to balance out the sugary, milky florals - SOOOO GOOOOD! Freaking *gorgeous* stuff, seriously. Overall: Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this blend - I mean, honeyed milk and baby powder? For reals? - but I figured I'd give it a try since I love carnations and creamy florals like Alice. Am I ever glad I did! This is absolutely WONDERFUL - easily my favourite baby blend of the bunch. Well done, Beth!! 5/5

November 5, 2008

Lady Lilith

In the bottle: Light tea and gorgeous mandarin. On wet: Sugared mandarin and both musks - they all smell fantastic together! Drydown: Lovely tea, rose and mandarin, vanilla, musk, poppy, even the violets! All of the notes have hit my radar at one point or another (except the opoponax, which I think is grounding everything and isn't as noticeable - fine by me since I'm not a huge fan), and they've since combined into this light, sophisticated melange of gentle, sweet, fruity-floral-musky goodness. Overall: High end yet wearable. Appropriate for any occasion. Perfect for those who've been craving a good fruity-tea scent - like me! Absolutely delicious, and an easy 4/5.

November 5, 2008

Lilith Victoria

In the bottle: Dorian peeks out first, followed by the darker, sweeter Snake Oil. Lavender clings to both. Lovely. On wet: Sweet, powdery, slightly herbal. Bit of a jumble that's trying to settle down, but still lovely. Drydown: Dorian's wearing a sprig of fennel-wrapped lavender pinned to the lapel of his vanilla-cream suit. Snake Oil swirls like a slinky, syrupy river of lightly spiced warmth beneath him. Picking up all the extra notes except the lily of the valley - I think it's adding to the creamy sweetness, just not as obviously as the other toss-ins. As I expected, this is good, *good* stuff. YUM. Overall: Much love for this blend which has brought together two of my fave BPAL scents of all time. The lavender, fennel, and vanilla flower tweak them up to the next notch of awesomeness - adding just enough variance so that LV stands as a unique fragrance in its own right. It's a 4/5 right now, but I'm thinking that a little age will push this puppy into the 5/5 realm.

November 5, 2008

I am not obsessed

wishlist

I am keeping track of my wishlist at Scentbase My ScentBase Profile

krissstephens

November 5, 2008

Stef's Blog

Master List

Hi everyone! I saw some others creating a "Master List" and thought I'd do the same. I have only a few bottles...the rest are decants and imps of various fullnesses. Top Five: 1. Black Lace (one imp, one bottle) 2. Theodosius, the Legerdemain (1/3 bottle, one backup bottle) 3. Antique Lace (one bottle) 4. Symmakhia (one bottle) 5. Lovers with Rutting Cats (one bottle) I also love: Khryseê (one bottle) Kuang Shi (four imps, one bottle) The Lady on the Grey (2/3 bottle) London (one imp, one bottle) Manhattan (one bottle) Mouse's Long and Sad Tale (one bottle) Western Diamondback (one bottle) Doc Constantine (for the DH) Perversion (for the DH) (two imps, 2/3 bottle) I like: Queen Mab Dorian Undecided: Chaos Theory IV: LXXXV Mr. Nancy Tamora Wilde Zephyr I own & have yet to try: Envy Euphrosyne Harikata Juke Joint Man with Phallus Head Manners Among Men and Women in the Red Light District Monster Bait: Biggercritter Order of the Dragon: Brides of Dracula Order of the Dragon: The Castle Schwarzer Mond Shango Siren Svadhinaopatika Tell-Tale Heart, The (sniffie) Tissue Tombstone Voyeurs Among the Cherry Blossoms Vasakasajja Zorya Possettes: The Clockwork Kumqat - Oregon
Indigo
Arcana:
Burlesque
Shambala
Nocturne Alchemy: Aphophis
Sirrocco
Conjure Oils: Scorpio
Violette Market: Swoon
Vintage Beekeeper
The White Swan
Heaven and Earth: White Cat
Wylde Ivy misc. Amber Chai
Blackberry Cotton Candy
Celestial Sun
Dirty Chocolate
Ice Princess
Sheer Musk
Simple Love
Such a Flirt!
Sweet Serendipity
Violetta
Wylde Vanilla
Tried: 413 U.S.15 / Miller vs. California Baobhan Sith Couple Consulting an Enpon Dormouse, The Eight Views of Actors in their Dressing Rooms Flowering Chrysanthemums Giant Vulva Glukuprikos Kumiho Kyoto L'Estate Lilium Inter Spinas Lovers in a Ricefield Mata Hari Prague Tamamo-no-mae Venice Voodoo Lily Cobalt Blends: Daylight Savings
Arrivals Pending: none at this time Not right for me (and therefore up for swap): Aeronwen Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht Aizen-myoo (sniffie) All they had seen, and All they had lost Antony Ave Maria Gratia Plena Bilquis Brom Bones Calico Jack Dee Gennivre, L'artiste Du Diable Harlot High John the Conqueror Intrigue Jacob's Ladder 2008 Jezebel La Befana Lady Macbeth Lear Libertine Loup Garou Mad Sweeney Mag Mell Miskatonic University Mr. Ibis Nero O Opuhi Plunder Sugar Skull, 2007 Vampire Tears Velvet Vicomte de Valmont Villain Whitechapel White Rabbit Gone to new & better homes: Aeval Apothecary, The Arkham Beaverversary Belle Vinu Boomslang De Sade Dodo, The Dracul Dragon's Bone Dragon's Heart Earth Phoenix Fallen Fire Phoenix Gelt Golden Priapus Green Phoenix Head of Holofernes, The Hungry Ghost Moon Inez Lady of Shalott Lady Una Leanan Sidhe Lines Written Among the Euganean Hills Little Sparrow, The Macabray, The Mama Ji Metal Phoenix Moon of Small Spirits Mouse's Long and Sad Tale Mr. Jaquel Nosferatu Nowhere in Particular Phantom Queen Potter's Field, The Scorpio '07 Seraphim Serpents with Glittering Eyes and Forky Tongues Shanghai Snake Charmer: Resurrected Snake Oil Snow, Glass, Apples Snow White 2008 Spider Water Phoenix Wood Phoenix Tested @ retail location: Antikythera Mechanism (not right for me) Embalming Fluid (not right for me) Haloes (not right for me) Morocco (not right for me) For info on the notes I love and the notes I love to hate, go here.

stefrand

November 4, 2008

Temple of Dreams

Imp #16: Temple of Dreams "For use when working with the many Gods of Sleep, Dreams, and Nightmares." Note: Mid cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales. In the bottle: Lavender & some savory spice that gives it an herbal tinge. Unlike others, I don't really think it smells like rosemary. On me: The lavender receeds and the blend becomes less sharp and astringent. It smells cool. On drydown, as my body warms it up, the smell warms. I smell like sitting in a dry cedar paneled sauna; the soft smell of dry wood and faint smoke. This is very warm and relaxing. 1 hour+ later: I went to sleep pretty quickly, but upon waking I smelled faintly the same as upon initial drydown. Impact on sleep and dreaming: I used this the night before election day, hoping for better sleep. Despite sleeping for only 5 hours, I was quite rested and I felt that I remembered more dreams throughout the night. The thing that struck me the most was that when I woke up, the covers were pristine, whereas I normally toss and turn quite a bit. ETA: The main herb may be sage, given that others have noticed it and I associate it with sweat lodges, etc.

November 4, 2008

Forspecial Plate's Blog

Order madness

I'm kind of relieved......I think I'm all caught up on my ordering, at least until I get to try my Yule decants (then the madness starts all over again). I am resisting the urge to order a bottle of Meditation In Autumn. I wore it again today, and I realized it smells like November, only greener, with less snow. It does have a bit of icy bite, somehow. But the resemblance to November is close enough that I don't think I really need a whole bottle after all. If, however, someone were to offer a swap, I certainly would take it. I am excited to try the Yule blends, still have to track down a decant of Mole, but other than that, I'm all caught up on decants I want to try. I absolutely can't wait for my bottle of Fearful Pleasure to arrive, but it looks like I still have over a week, at least. Hurryhurryhurry!

forspecial_plate

November 3, 2008

Florence

Imp #15: Florence "The pearl of the Italian Renaissance. Elegant iris, bright berries, gilded amber and velvety spices." Note: Mid cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales. In the bottle: Sweet berries take the front, but I can smell the amber and I think iris, with a hint of spices. On me: My left wrist is very iris while my right wrist is stronger on the spicy amber. How odd. It is thankfully not as sweet on me. Not a very strong throw. 1 hour+ later: Very faint iris & amber with a hint of vanilla.

November 2, 2008

Penny Dreadful

Imp #14: Penny Dreadful "Also called Gallows Literature. A dime novel rife with melodrama, horror, madness and cruelty; a ten cent analogy of vice and virtue in conflict. Soft perfume evocative of noir heroines over rich red grave loam." Note: Late in cycle. Imp from littleone101701. In the bottle: Slightly sweet and also woody, like leaf mold. Damp earth in an old cemetery with drifts of decayed leaves and dried crumbling rotten branches. On me: Sandalwood and cinnamon. Amber? Spicy and autumnal. Hot tea with a stick of cinnamon. Not at all like in the bottle. 1 hour+ later: quality potpourri

November 2, 2008

Hoyden's BPALog

Eos

This was a surprise hit for me. I normally can't do florals. Jasmine initially does it's overwhelming thing. But then there's a while of sweet, gorgeous honeysuckle. The best part for me is the drydown, which is a wonderful skin musk just barely tinged with floral.

TPOD

November 2, 2008

Mictecacihautl

Category: Limited Editions -- Halloween 2008 The rose note made me super-leery, but the other notes sounded so appealing that I had to at least try a decant. As anticipated, the rose amps hugely on me. However, it never really gets all that obnoxious. There's a fresh, wet side to it, and that may be the agave nobly leaping in and keeping the rose from ruining my day. I don't smell the copal too much, alas, but it is there, lurking in the background along with the woods. It's really lovely, and after Karl complimented me on it, I'm convinced that I need a full bottle. If rose doesn't normally work for you, don't be afraid...this could be one of those pleasant exceptions, for you.

October 31, 2008

John Barleycorn

Category: Limited Editions -- Halloween 2008 Admittedly, this is less-than-pleasant upon first application; you get all of the beery, boozy qualities of it, that stale, sour leftover-whiskey smell that lingers on your breath the morning after. Not nice. However! It calms down and behaves itself really quickly. It is like a burly, scruffy man with booze on his breath, who completely surprises you by reciting a lovely poem from memory. The harsh booziness goes away, and you are left with a sweet, malty sort of aroma, like you're leaning over a freshly-drained cask of whiskey and inhaling that slightly-toasted, caramely smell that's still soaked into the wood. Once it's morphed to that stage, it stays there. I really liked this one. If it weren't for the unpleasantness at the beginning, I would spring for a full-priced bottle. (If I had unlimted funds, I still would.) I managed to wrangle a partial bottle, and I certainly wouldn't mind buying up other people's unloved imps and adding them to it from time to time. It's inspiring borderline hoarding behavior.

October 31, 2008

Ichabod Crane

Category: Limited Editions -- Halloween 2008 -- Sleepy Hollow The prevailing note here is beeswax...it's a very warm, homey scent. It is complemented nicely by the tea, cream, and, yes, wool. Over time, it fades into a golden, perfumey amalgam that is classy and very, very pleasant. I really like this, and need to remember to get me a bottle.

October 31, 2008

Gunpowder

Category: Limited Editions -- Halloween 2008 -- Sleepy Hollow I get a LOT of maple and oats out of this, with little side-hints of carrot. It's a delicious, pleasant, warm, comforting scent, but unfortunately the throw is minimal -- if there's musk, I really can't detect any -- and staying power is so-so. I will treasure what's left of my imp, but I don't feel that I need any more than that.

October 31, 2008

Fearful Pleasure

Category: Limited Editions -- Halloween 2008 -- Sleepy Hollow I got a variety of scents from this one over the time that I tested it...the first day, it was straight-on, overpowering apple juice, with a rather unpleasant...biological sort of edge to it. (Read: pee. Eeek.) On subsequent days, however, it played very nice. One day, I could swear that all I smelled was sarsparilla...like a smooth, creamy, home-brewed root beer with a hint of vanilla and just the barest wisp of smoke. I have NO idea what was going on, that day, but I liked it -- and if it had done that repeatedly, I'd definitely be wanting a bottle of it. Overall, however, it settles into spiced apple cider. It's a scent that's both sweet and warm and very evocative of Autumn. If you love apple scents, definitely grab some of this. It's really good, but for a foodie scent, I believe that Huesos works better for me.