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Mod post: No wishlist posts in blogs
By Silvertree
Please be aware that we do not permit swap-related content on profiles or in blogs. Please post this content only in the For Sale, Swaps, and Wanted forums, or in the Wishlists topic. ~from Swapping 101 Thanks!- 5 comments
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Testing Notes: Rome
Refined, austere and graceful. A recipe gleaned from Classical Rome: cypress, juniper, chamomile and rose.
I was definitely intrigued by the chamomile note. I grew up drinking chamomile as the Italian cure-all. Got a sore stomach? Drink chamomile. Have a cold? Chamomile with some honey and lemon. Puffy eyes? Use cold chamomile bags.
Wet: At first Rome is overwhelmingly green. It's fresh, slightly earthy. Almost pine-y. There's a hint of something herbal lurking but the rose is nowhere to be found. I don't mind it, although it's possibly a little more masculine than I would normally wear.
Drying: The rose comes out within the first five minutes and then I like Rome a lot more. It's a fresh, green rose but there's still something herbal about it. I'm not sure i really smell the chamomile, to be honest. But there's something here that stops Rome from smelling like a basic fresh-cut rose and grass type of scent. It's a little more complex than that.
Dry: Soft, pretty and dry green rose. There's something almost hay-like in the dry down. It's very wearable. I think I'm a fan. Will definitely be giving this imp another try in the future.
Shipping Info for US to Outside US
Below is countries listed alphabetically with First Class International prices: Australia First Class International is $14 for 8 ounces or less; $23 for over 8 ounces to 2 pounds Canada First Class International is $10 for 8 ounces or less; $16 for over 8 ounces to 2 pounds France First Class International is $14 for 8 ounces or less; $23 for over 8 ounces to 2 pounds Germany First Class International is $14 for 8 ounces or less; $23 for over 8 ounces to 2 pounds Great Britain & Northern Ireland First Class International is $14 for 8 ounces or less; $23 for over 8 ounces to 2 pounds Mexico First Class International is $12 for 8 ounces or less; $21 for over 8 ounces to 2 pounds Sweden First Class International is $13.50 for 8 ounces or less; $22.50 for over 8 ounces to 2 pounds
I will add more once I go through my sales! This can be used as a reference, for those in the US selling & those outside the US buying!!!
Just Some Ramblings
I finished reading "Perfume: The Art and Craft of Fragrance" by Karen Gilbert (ISBN: 9781782490449). I think a friend gave me the book. It definitely reiterated what actual perfumers and aromatherapy persons will reiterate. One: That the oils/scents put into the creations are sensitive to heat, light, and the fluctuations of the place where the oils/scents are being stored. Two: That it's better to store original oils and finished products by scent family.
So unfortunately I will be discarding the rest of my BPAL. I wish I had a lot of female friends and family around me, but I don't. Otherwise I would have had a party or get-together and passed out the BPAL among them. I believe I have enough containers to empty out the bottles, recycle the glass, and take a container or two of the liquid to Hazardous Waste for my community.
I live in South Florida. It's hot here during the summer. Sometimes the AC can't even keep up with us keeping our house at 78*F, and goes up to 80*F. Also, I stupidly put the BPAL in bags & plastic boxes, and kept them according to year. The Pumpkin scents definitely overwhelmed a lot of the other scents. To those who were actually happy with your purchases, that's great. To those who weren't, my sincerest apologies. I truly wish I'd read more about perfumes sooner, preferably before being given them by a friend and starting to resell them. I don't know for sure what I'm going to do for money yet, since I'm also Diabetic, have PCOS, and an under-working thyroid, which is genetic.
I just wanted to let you all know, especially the moderators why I'm taking my list down soon, and why I will no longer be selling such an obsessive scented item. I still plan on reading "Essence & Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume" by Mandy Aftel, and "Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent" by Mandy Aftel. I hope that the sellers and buyers on here do understand what you're getting into by buying BPAL from re-sellers who aren't licensed. I didn't and I regret it. Enjoy what's left of your summer.
Sincerely,
Amy Elizabeth
Testing Notes: Venice
A complex, voluptuous scent that captures the robust beauty of the Italian Renaissance: lemon, red currant, wisteria, red rose petals, heady jasmine, Florentine orris root, waterlily, red sandalwood, violet plum, and violet leaf.
I'm testing this from an imp I recently purchased. Colour me intrigued. I'm not sure how I feel about this scent or whether I would wear it out, but it's interesting.
There are two distinct feelings going on with Venice:
One side is heady and lush. Bold and rich and colourful. Red. There's a mixture of florals - rose and jasmine playing up most on my skin - combined with sweet, ripe fruits. It's sexy and decadent.
But there's another side that's oddly fresh. Out of place. It peeks out from under the flowers and surprises me. I have no idea what it is - perhaps the violet leaf? For some reason it makes me think of the underbelly being hidden by all the jewels and silks and powders of the renaissance. Something that those things were trying to cover up.
The longer I wear this the more I think it's not for me. I don't love this strange combination, but I am fascinated by it. It's a creative scent, maybe one for activating the mind rather than the nose.
Testing Notes: The Lotus Tree & Blossoms in Springtime
Vanilla bean and vanilla blossom, golden honey, antiqued amber, beeswax, copal, lotus blossom, and helichrysum.
I bought a bottle of this blind a while ago based on the notes list (vanilla and honey? Sold!) and it did not disappoint.
It's sweet and musky, almost like an old-fashioned cosmetic scent but it's made richer by the honey and amber notes. Beautiful scent, definitely something that makes me happy when I wear it. I had someone comment that it smelled like baby powder on me, which I get. For me, that's a positive because I love powder scents. Very happy to have this in my collection.
Two things to note: one, the liquid is very red so I need to remember not to wear this if I've got anything white on. Secondly, the oil irritated my skin a little because I applied it about an hour after I'd worked out (after a shower) and my skin must have been a little sensitive then.
The Lotus Tree (Rappaccini's Garden)
Honey-sweet and soporific.
Testing this from an imp and it's totally my jam. I feel like Rappaccini's Garden is my BPAL happy place, I've tried so many scents from that group and I'm finding winner after winner. Man I love florals.
Wet: Honey and honeysuckle, with a touch of something fruity. Maybe apricot. I'm getting a very 'golden' vibe from this scent and I really like it. It's warm and rich and sticky sweet without feeling too candy-like.
Dry: Sweet musky honey and a touch of woods. I get a little vanilla creaminess from it as well. It's cosy, comforting and more subtle than the opening.
Overall: Big thumbs up on this one. I'm going to wear this again and possibly put it on my FB wishlist.
Testing Notes: Queen of Hearts
I remember testing this when I first got the imp a few years back and not loving it. Cherry and I have a rocky relationship.
Wet: actually better than I remembered but still VERY sweet. The cherry note doesn't have that strange medicinal/syrupy feel that it usually has on my skin, which is a positive. But it also doesn't smell like real cherries. It's more like a cherry-flavoured candy at this point. The lilies have an almost desert-like feel to them and none of that heady richness that I normally love in a lily scent.
Dry: Queen of Hearts becomes quite powdery on my skin when it dries, which I do like. But it's still too sweet, unfortunately. It's also very simple, not a lot of development on the skin and it doesn't feel very layered or complex.
Overall: Not as bad as I remembered, but still not for me.
Testing Notes: Boo 2010 (Halloweenie)
This is decanted sample from a swap.
Wet: There's something instantly that I dislike about this, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I feel like I should like it - it's simple, creamy, slightly sweet. All the things I look for in this type of scent. But there's something strange and off-putting about this when it's first applied. I would be curious to try another version of Boo and see if it perhaps that the sample hasn't aged well.
Dry: I like it much better dry than wet, that funky note seems to have now disappeared. It's a soft milky scent with a hint of vanilla, but I don't really get the cotton/linen notes at all. While it's not earth-shatteringly unique, I enjoy how calm and comforting Boo is. It's the kind of scent I reach for when I'm having a day at home and I want something easy and pleasant. I find myself reaching for these types of scents often.
Overall: I'm keen to try another version of Boo and see if that weird opening note is present.
BPAL FB Collection - June 2016
Bottles that have been used up: Snooty Rose (Alice in Wonderland)
Testing Notes: AEVAL
I'm testing an imp of this, but I'm not sure where it came from. Might have been an extra in a swap. The notes really intrigued me, especially the sage and tonka combination.
Wet: Initially there's something a little 'fabric softener' about this, which I think might be the sweet pea note. It kind of screams 'fresh' at you. There's a hint of green behind the sweet flowers and musk, but it gets lost and I wouldn't have picked it to be sage without reading the description first. Definitely not my kind of floral on first impression.
Dry: I like it much better dry than wet, although still not enough that I would hunt a bottle down. In the dry down, the musk comes out. It's slightly powdery, slightly creamy. There's a soft nuttiness from the tonka and florals feel much more balanced and less soapy than in the opening. It's pretty, but it's not a scent that really sings to me.
Overall: I would play around with this imp again, but at this stage I won't be trying to track down a bottle or any further imps.
Long time no sniff & Black Rose
All good things.
But it has left little opportunity to do more than spritz on my old faithfuls before I fly out the door. Also, most of perfume has been sitting at my parent's house back in Australia. So when I finally got the chance to bring my box of perfumes to Canada with me, I felt all the old excitement coming back. It's a creative passion for me, and I'm not the type of have a signature scent. Why limit yourself when there are so many wonderful scents to explore?
My collection is an eclectic mix of higher-end and mainstream EDP/Ts, some treasured indies and a small-ish (but hopefully growing) stash of BPAL perfume oils. It's floral heavy, but with a few orientals, classics and warm amber/vanilla scents thrown in for good measure. Something for every mood and whim. I have a bag of imps that's like a lucky dip, since it's been so long since I looked up any of the descriptions or reviews.
I'm hopping a little blogging here will be a good way to keep track of what I try and of how the scents make me feel.
Since all the names of the imps are a bit lost on me, I picked a full bottle since that was sure to be a safe bet: Black Rose
Testing Notes: BPAL Black Rose (Rappaccini's Garden)
Exquisitely melancholy. The background scent to an ancient exequies. Heavy, dark and floral: a blend of roses, with a touch of amber and musk.
Black Rose smells exactly like I thought it would when I first tried it a few years back: deep, rich, musky with a hint of sweetness. It's a big, bold rose. Slightly old-fashioned (which I see as a compliment) but doesn't feel dusty or soap-like. It's juicy, ripe. Voluptuous. Like a rose that's almost past full bloom.
I don't really get the amber from the description, which is a shame. On my skin it's definitely heavier on the musk. But there's a hint of something darker, almost incense-y. It's definitely sexy in a red-lipstick and all-black outfit kind of way.
Wear notes: it's heavy, definitely not a summer scent. Dry down is more musk than rose, smells great right through.
Definitely worth my full bottle. I love this scent!
Edited to add: I saw quite a few people on the thread about this perfume mention incense, and when I wore this out of the house two separate people commented that they thought they could smell incense while standing close to me. So perhaps that's the 'darkness' I'm getting from it.
Virtual Vacation Summer 2016
I'm a huge makeup fan and will use pretty much anything color and finish wise. Except black, because that's kind of expected of me, and I like to confuse people, especially when it comes to makeup.
This thursday I will go on holiday to two Asian countries. Would you like it when I'd shop (some of) your souvenirs over there? As in: do you like Asian stuff? Or would you prefer souvenirs from The Netherlands only?
Souvenirs from anywhere are neat! Asian stuff is awesome!
Ring sizes? Any kinds of metals you don't like?
I don't wear any jewelry.
What about general clothing sizes? Unisex shirts?
Unisex xxl! I have boobs *and* hips.
Shoe (sock ) size?
US women's 10/men's and UK 8.
Do you collect anything, or is there anything like a theme, animal, character etc. that you MUST HAVE when you see it?
I've kind of accidentally started a magnet collection! I dream of having a robot magnet army, but I think that I only have two so far. I have lots of other kinds of magnets, though, and I'm always on the lookout for the next one to be added to my collection. The kitschier the better!
ETA Black cats! How in the world did I forget them?
New Question: I come from Texas, where we love our spicy food! Do you like hot food? How do you feel about both salsa (like you dip tortilla chips in) and hot sauce (like Tabasco, only better)? Would you like to try a classic hot Texas treat like peach jalapeno jam? Is there any Texan or Southern food you've been interested in trying, like pecan pralines, or pecan brittle, etc?
I don't do spicy stuff. Like at all. Nacho Cheese Doritos are about as spicy as I can go. Even Taco Doritos are sometimes too much. Salsa is out of the question due to spice *and* cilantro (I'm allergic to that stuff). No hot sauce, ever. Basically, as far as spice goes, I'm an eighty-year-old man with a chronic ulcer. Anything nut-related is awesome, though (at least as long as it's not spicy)!
Being in DC and working at a semi-tourist attraction with gift shops I have relatively easy access to a wide variety of souvenir goodies, particularly related to the performing arts. Would you be interested in something like a flask with a costume design from the Washington National Opera Ring cycle? Or a mug that says "Diva" or a pretty cherry blossom print tee? (Just to name a few. ;-)
Yes! I love touristy trinkety things. Probably not something with "Diva" on it, though, because I have a coworker who will sulk and pout until I give whatever it is to her (she's too old to sulk and pout, but she does it anyway).
Would you say you were in any 'fandoms' or at least what are some of the popular books/tv shows/etc you are into?
Fandom-oriented programming is where I spend most of my leisure time, so my list is massive, but I'll try to narrow things down to just a few of the main ones: the Marvel movie/tv/Netflix universe (including Deadpool and the X-Men franchise in this even though Marvel didn't actually make them), Game of Thrones (show only), any tv show or movie based on a comic book or graphic novel (except the Snyder DC Murderverse. Yes, I know I also specified Marvel. That's because it's my biggest obsession!), Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Supernatural. Oh, and horror movies (not any particular one. I just love horror movies in general. The scarier and creepier, the better)
My locale is known for its cheese. Are you interested in receiving some cheese? If so, what kinds do you like?
Ugh, I LOVE CHEESE. Except for blue variants (Gorgonzola, Roquefort, etc.). I hate those due to migraine issues. I've been known to just cut off a chunk of cheddar or mozzarella and call that dinner. I'm trying to decide whether I like goat cheese, and I'm not a huge fan of brie, but I'm always up for trying new cheese (as long as it's not spicy or blue).
Another from me (Em) - Would you be interested in books from local authors or music from local bands and if so, any particular genres you particularly love or hate?
Those would be fun! For books, I'm a particular fan of thrillers, horror, science fiction, graphic novels, and cookbooks. I'm not big on romance or high fantasy (or whatever you would call things like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. I'm intrigued by the idea of urban fantasy, but I'm not sure I've actually read any, so I'm not sure). For music, yeesh, just about anything except contemporary country and opera, although I mostly listen to rock and rock variants (right now, iTunes is playing the Dead Kennedys while I load the Tragically Hip onto my phone before I take off to see Paul Simon). I'm a sucker for catchy tunes you can sing along to (summer jams are a particular weakness for me).
Dark or milk chocolate?
Yes! Oh. Wait. That's probably meant as either/or. Hmm. Dark.
My question: pickles? Here in the south everyone does their own pickles. And pickled pole beans! Bread and butter, sweet, and dill! Yes or no? Any you hate or love?
Hmm... I like dill pickles. Not sweet (I think bread and butter are sweet for me), not spicy. Garlicky stuff is awesome! And now that I think about it, I don't think I've had anything pickled aside from cucumbers.
Netherlands snacks?
Pretty much anything! I had a bag on Johnny Doodle salty fudge one time that tragically emptied far more quickly than I would have liked.
Review Format for Emphemeris
A comprehensive guide to the ERS including measurements for review: Grading Criteria, Review Categories, Review Format, etc.
It is a format that I created to provide consistency throughout my reviews from 2016 onwards.
Review Format
Reviews will follow specific review formatting and will be based on several grading criteria in using the following format and colour scheme:
Title: (Description)
| Initial Notes | Wet | Dry | Verdict | Other Recommendations |
Initial Notes : Otherwise known as "in the bottle/imp". This criterion notes initial thoughts about the scent in relation to listed notes and components; prior to contact with any skin chemistry reactions.
Wet: This criterion describes thoughts about the fragile top notes; mainly scent reactions upon active contact with skin chemistry when wet.
Dry : This criterion assesses the drydown, and comprise mostly the middle and base notes; the extent the scent has reacted to the author's skin chemistry.
Verdict : Grade class and Rank Listed in the following format: [several word summary] X (n )
Other Recommendations: Similar BPAL scents that may appeal to those who like components found in the reviewed scent will be suggested here, based on my own personal opinion.
Review Categories
To simplify the process, reviews have been limited to three categories:
| Limited Edition | Permanent Line | General Catalog |
Limited Edition (LE ) : Scents that are available for a sensitive period of time or offered as a limited run with numerically specific units.
Permanent Line (PL ) : Scents that are available under the extensive BPAL catalog alongside the GC range but are not offered in 1ml samples. They often do not have a fixed period of time they are available, but not part of the GC range
General Catalogue (GC) : Scents which appear as part of the general catalogue list.
Grading Criteria
The 2016 grading system for reviews takes advantage of the classical 1-10 scale and assigns a 'grade class' in the form of a letter.; the higher the number, the greater the overall rank and result.
| S+/S (10) A+ (9) A (8) A- (7) B+ (6) B (5) B- (4) C+ (3) C (2) C- (1) F (0) |
F-Class results are acquired by scents that do not appeal to me or react to my chemistry. It is important to note that this system is purely graded by the author's personal opinion and taken with half a grain of salt. As always, YMMV. Reviews will rarely procure S-Class results as they reflect scents that transcend beyond my control to grade them any less. They are reserved only for scents I find are elite scents that rise above the rest in my opinion.
BPAL signature icon
Collection of Impressions in image form.
Scents I have written under this review system will have an attached signature icon for rotational use on the BPAL forum. The signature icon will describe the overall theme and feel of the scent, summed up as a picture. This is an alternate form of describing and rating; instead of simply indicating a colour, suggesting the mood/emotion, or writing an anecdotal memory the scent reminds me of, all scents which I review under this system will sum up my collection of thoughts into a single BPAL signature icon to represent my general impression.
Vast Imp List of Doom
GC Imps - Keepers:
All Night Long
Antikythera Mechanism (travel imp)*
Bastet
Bensiabel
The Chicken-Legged Hut
Chimera (travel imp)*
The Deep Ones
Eclipse
Elf
Half-Elf
Haunted (2)
Jack
Jezebel orange blossom honey & okay-ish rose on hair. Will trying it on skin produce bad!rose sorrow? ETA: No! Is also okay on skin.
Miskatonic University
No. 93 Engine (2)
Obatala*
Paris
Red Rider (2)
Redoul Honey*
Skuld
Smokestack
Tamora
Tenochtitlan
Tezcatlipoca
Titus Andronicus
GC Imps - To Test
Anathema (tested - honeysuckle & vetiver take a while to play nice together)
Centzon Totochtin
Chokecherry Honey
Daphne Honey
Dragon's Milk (sweet & cloying, must re-test)
Grog
Harlot
Hedylogos - alas, Hedylogos is the bad rose
Scarecrow
Snake Oil (re-test after aging)
LE Imps - Keepers:
Mars Ultor
Two Old Men*
The Avenue*
Beanman and Beanwoman*
The Gift*
Hidden Pearls*
Priala the Human Phoenix
Saw-Scaled Viper
Boomslang (must test on wife)
Australian Copperhead
Western Diamondback
Death Adder (maybe will improve with age?)
LE Imps - Not keepers
Impressions of the Floating World
Faiza the Lady of Serpents
Behemoth
GC Imps - Not Keepers
Alice^ (gone)
Al-Shairan^
Beer from the Marsh Woman's Brewery
Bewitched
Black Rider^ (aged)
Blood Rose
Bon Vivant
Brown Jenkins^
Calico Jack^
Cheshire Cat
The Coiled Serpent
A Countenance Forboding Evil
Dana O'Shee^ (gone)
Death Cap^
Deep in Earth^
Defututa
Destroying Angel (aged)
Dragon's Heart^ (aged) (gone)
Dragon's Musk (aged)
Embalming Fluid (aged) (gone)
Endymion
Evil
Fire for thy Stepmother's Daughters^
Gaueko
The Ghost
Gomorrah
Hedylogos^
Kali
Laudanum
Mary Shelley (gone)
Masquerade
Mata Hari (2)
Neutral (2)
The Night-Raven
Nyx
Queen Alice
Queen Gertrude
The Raven
Satyr
Sherlock Holmes (gone)
Sin
Squirting Cucumber
Somnus
Sybaris (gone)
Vial of Holy Water (aged) (gone)
Wicked (aged)
*Also have bottle
^Tested/Used
Masterlist of BPALS Owned/Tested/Still-to-Test
Bottles Owned:
GC:
O (aged 4 years)
Tombstone (aged 3 years)
- Tombstone backup (aged 6 months, BNNU)
Velvet (aged 3 years, nearly empty) empty
Black Pearl (aged 2 years, nearly empty)
- Black Pearl backup (aged 6 months, full-to-shoulder)
Chimera
Drink Me
Antikythera Mechanism (aged 1.5 years, 1/4 bottle)
Light of Men's Lives
- Light of Men's Lives (back-up)
Redoul Honey
Cockaigne
Obatala (2016, full-to-shoulder)
Mouse Circus (2016, BNNU)
LE:
Pumpkin II 2014
She Perishes That She May Live (burns skin)
El Dia de Los Reyes 2014 (1/4 bottle left)
- El Dia de Los Reyes 2015 (backup, BNNU)
Lovers and a Fan ('15 Lupers)
Mars Ultor ('15 Lupers)
Clement I's Phoenix
Bartholomaeus Angelicus's Phoenix
Dead Leaves, Vanilla, and Myrrh (triggers asthma, must get rid of) Gone!
Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookie ('15 Weenies)
Satan Summoning His Legions ('15 Pickman's Gallery)
Thirteen (13) November 2015 (TOL)
Palmyra
Channukiyh 2015
Giljagaur ('15 Yules, TOL)
- Giljagaur backup (BNNU)
Stekkjarstaur ('15 Yules, TOL)
Adrastea (Moons of Jupiter Jan '16, TOL)
- Adrastea backup (full, bought from forumite)
Love's Philosophy ('16 Lupers, TOL)
- Love's Philosophy backup (BNNU)
Dark Chocolate, Black Tobacco, and Vetiver ('16 Lupers, TOL)
- Dark Chocolate, Black Tobacco, and Vetiver backup (BNNU)
Beanman and Beanwoman Climb Genital Mountains ('16 Lupers, full-to-shoulder)
- Beanman and Beanwoman Climb Genital Mountains backup (full, bought from forumite)
Volcano in Springtime ('16 Lupers, full)
Blossoming Vulva ('16 Lupers, full-to-shoulder)
Hidden Pearls ('16 Lupers, full-to-shoulder)
The Avenue ('16 Lupers, TOL)
The Initiation ('16 Lupers, full-to-shoulder, like but don't love)
The Bride ('16 Lupers, full)
The Two Old Men ('16 Lupers, full)
Bunraku Theater ('16 Lupers, full-to-shoulder)
Pumpkin V (2012 Weenie, half bottle, bought from forumite)
Wooden Bullet (OLLA line, 1/3rd full, bought from forumite)
Mommy Fortuna (Last Unicorn, age unknown, just below top of label, bought from forumite)
Fresh and Blooming as a Rose (Trading Post 2015 Yule, full) - turns into soap on skin, swap/sell
The Strange Old Woman (Trading Post 2015 Yule, full)
Bulgarian Tobacco single note (full)
Thirteen (13) May 2016 (full)
Europa (Moons of Jupiter, May '16) BNNU
Ganymede (Moons of Jupiter, June '16) Full-to-shoulder
Guatemalan Coffee Bean single note BNNU
Amicitia (Liliths '14, bought from forumite)
Callisto (Moons of Jupiter, July '16) top-of-label
Meshkenet the Vulture Maiden (Carnival Diabolique '16, 1/4 bottle, from forumite) swapped
SN: Haitian Vetiver (1/2 bottle, bought from forumite)
The Malignant Dreams of Cthulhu in Love (1/4 bottle, from forumite)
Giant Vulva (2009 Lupers, TOL, from forumite) swapped
Priala the Human Phoenix (Carnival Diabolique '16, full-to-shoulder)
SN: French Vanilla
De Vos's Unicorn (Unicorns '16, BNNU)
St. Clare (Unicorns '16 BNNU) vanishes in minutes on me, need to swap swapped
Allegory of Chastity (Unicorns '16 BNNU)
Wulric the Wolfman (Carnival Diabolique '16, full-to-shoulder)
Lilith and the Four Sons of Horus (Liliths '16, full-to-shoulder)
Honeyed Apple ('16 Weenies, full-to-shoulder)
Caramel Apple Cookie ('16 Weenies, full-to-shoulder)
Samhain ('16 Weenies, full-to-shoulder)
Disc. GCs:
Tobacco Honey (partial, age unknown, bought from forumite - chemical/cleaning fluid smell, not the honeyed tobacco of my dreams)
GC Bottles Needed:
Antikythera Mechanism backup
Bensiabel?
Velvet
Mouse's Long and Sad Tale? (Delicious vanilla & sandalwood)
Bow & Crown of Conquest (snuggly vanilla-leather) bought!
CD bottles Needed:
Wulric the Wolfman bought!
Unicorns Needed:
Allegory of Chastity bought!
GC Imps Needed:
Tested, need more, contemplating bottle-
- Moar Jack
- Moar Miskatonic University
- Moar Titus Andronicus
- Moar Paris (is fresh as good as 4-year-aged? Will it last longer than 1 hour? fresh not as good as aged, still short-lived)
- Moar Smokestack (do Black Tobacco & Vetiver, Priala, and the new 13 fill the smoky resin spot enough for me, or do I need more?)
-Moar The Lotus Tree
- Moar Bow & Crown of Conquest (delicious but do I need a bottle or do Tombstone & Blood & Judgement suffice?)
- Another Old Demons of the First Class(why did I give it away to my cousin before retesting?)
Never tested, want to try -
Brown Jenkins (coconut husk) No coconut on me, only musk
Shub-Niggurath ("evil gingerbread")
Shoggoth (coconut & lime) Too much lemongrass. Gave to my mother.
Robotic Scarab & Galvanic Goggles (because there seems to be no Steamworks blend that isn't amazing except Aeliopile)
Hellfire (tobacco & leather)
Hellcat (gourmand to end all gourmands, apparently) All almond, all the time
Bordello (plum, currant, wine) cherry musk and bakewell tarts, like but don't love
Intrigue (black palm, cocoa, wood) inexplicably smells like stale sweat
Athens (honey, wine, flowers)
Eden (honey, almond, fig, coconut) cloying - damn you, almond, you do this every time
Dragon's Milk (vanilla/milk,but will the dragon's blood ruin it?) tested unsure about
Bard (cousin scent to Antikythera Mech?)
Gnome (ginger ale/rootbeer, nutmeg, machine oil?) tested - mostly ginger ale, effervescent and crisp but not for me
Halfling (pastry) oatmeal raisin cookies!
Good (sugar/honey/vanilla, but reviews mention baby powder, also worrying mentions of lemon)
Faustus (frankincense & cinnamon - GC cousin to Priala?)
Roses, Pearls, and Diamonds (will it be the good rose, or the bad rose?) (good rose)
How Doth the Little Crocodile (chocolate and mint, for wife)
Mouse's Long and Sad Tale (vanilla) Delicious vanilla & sandalwood. Bottle-worthy?
Tlazolteotl (cacao, copal, maize)
Kurukulla (rose & lotus, is it the good rose or the bad rose?)
Lawful (fruity oak, tried at NYCC but need to get imp for full-day test)
Katarina (apricot)
GC Imps - To Test:
Eat Me(cake!)
Centzon Totochtin (chocolate & wine)
Perversion (rum/tobacco/leather/champagne/tonka) - tested, leather takes over
Penitence (frankincense & myrrh) - tested, starts off funky but becomes soft/powdery sweet and comforting (but similar to Clement I's Phoenix which I already have)
Baron Samedi (bay rum)
GC Imps Tested (Liked but don't need bottle):
Bengal (glorious but burns skin)
Elegba
Eclipse
Kill-Devil (meh when fresh, improves with age)
Bastet
Red Rider (leather single note)
Jezebel (good/okay-ish rose & orange-blossom honey, glorious on hair)
Tezcatlipoca
Tenochtitlan
Tamora
Haunted
Fighter (harsh, new leather)
Halfling (delicious oatmeal raisin cookies)
Chicken Legged-Hut (horse feed/hay/sweet feed)
No. 93 Engine
Hunter (Neverwhere) half dry grass and dusty-warm cat in the sun, half lovechild of The Lion and Bow & Crown of Conquest
GC Imps Tested (Okay, but not *great*):
Queen Alice
Black Rider
The Lion
Al-Azif
Elf
Half-Elf
Dragon's Heart
Dragon's Milk
Morocco
The Deep Ones - an aquatic I can actually wear!
Azathoth - weird combo of orange & vetiver. Not sure I like it but can't stop sniffing it.
Antony - amazing when wet, vanishes within half-hour
Bordello - half sexy leather-tinged berry wine, half bakewell tart
Penitence - morphs from weird stale/funkiness through decent church incense and into cozy soft/warm powder
Perversion - leather with hints of rum and tonka, dry-down is entirely leather
Door (Neverwhere) - gentle honey-chamomile-scented LUSH bathmelt
GC Imps tested (Disliked)
Aeliopile (orange-scented dish detergant/floor cleaner)
Alice
Endymion
Dana O'Shee (too cloyingly sweet even for me)
Spellbound (the bad rose)
Defututa (jasmine ruins everything)
Al-Shairan
Dragon's Bone
Calico Jack (aquatics = not for me)
skekNa the Slave Master (harsh leather)
Sudha Segara (raw, fresh-sliced ginger, no milk)
Fire for thy Stepmother's Daughters (starts out lovely fruity white musk, ends up dryer sheets)
Intrigue (smells weirdly like sweat)
Shoggoth (lemongrass too strong))
Y'ha-nthlei (soap and dryer sheets)
Great Sword of War (citrus and red musk take over everything, avoids floor-cleaner effect but still not great)
LE Imps Tested - liked:
My Baby and a Baby Goat (wonderful! Snuggly fur musk and honey!)
The Vine (smells like fresh, juicy pear when wet, turns into delicious sweet/sticky BPAl honey as it dries)
Boo (vanilla cream and clean laundry)
Mother Shub's Spiced Lait de Chevre (goes on tangy yogurt, dries to warm milk with clove syrup, gentle and soft)
A King Pursued By a Unicorn
Good Morning London (lavender & amber)
My Little Grotesque (sweet/creamy cardamom SN)
O the Joy of My Spirit (hazelnut/tonka/pine)
First Cry of the Warbler on the Plum (wisteria, plum, and honeyed green tea, lovely spring floral)
Poor Monkey (pleasant creamy fig/lotus/ylang-ylang that almost smells like there's coconut in it, but bad during shark week)
LE Imps Tested - (Okay, but not *great*):
Joyful Dalliance in the Underworld - dead ringer for pit barbecue
Faiza - surprisingly pleasant for a white floral-type scent but burns my skin
Australian Copperhead (all acia-berry, all the time)
Leda (like a less complex De Vos with strawberry instead of apricot & more white musk)
St. Clare (too faint & fades too quickly, not as sweet as I'd hoped)
Himalia (like a less-sweet Chicken-Legged Hut)
Spiced Apple Cider ('16 Weenie)
A Commentary (apricot and vetiver and red musk, like a less-barbecue-ish Joyful Dalliance)
LEs Tested - Disaster:
Delight and Consternation - horrible floor cleaner/cleaning solvent scent
The Unicorn Rushing... - Lovely in the imp, turned feces-like on my skin (first jasmine to do so)
LEs and Discontinueds I'm Curious About:
Blood and Judgement so Well Commedled (really nice and pleasant)
Avunculus
Apple I
In the Time of Plague (buy before it's out of stock or be strong?)
All That I Possess (buy before it's out of stock or be strong?)
Amicita (everything sounds good except the carnation) - glorious!
Tarantula Fascinator
Captain Cully
The Lilac Wood
The Last Unicorn
Mommy Fortuna (The sexiest BPAL I've ever worn. Sticky honey & salty gunpowder)
Aristocratic Couple
Arana
Haloes (as a Dark Delicacies blend, might as well be a disc./LE for me) (like the lighter, spring/summer version of Antikythera Mechanism!)
Adante con Fantasia (why did I not order a decant when I could?)
Ivory Vulva/Glowing Vulva (haha, good luck!)
Katrina van Tassel (yeah, like that's gonna happen)
Question Mark
Atlas Moth
Gypsy Moth
Grievous Swarm - wonderful gritty vetiver/myrrh, my holy grail vetiver scent
Bjugnakraekir
Perilous Parlor
Notes that ruin things:
Jasmine (star jasmine is apparently a different plant)
Dead Leaves note/accord
Carnation (except in Bow & Crown of Conquest)
Ozone/aquatic notes
Narcissus (the most cloying white floral of them all)
Lily of the Valley (except in Audumla)
Patchouli (very occasionally okay if the other notes drown it out/you can't smell it in the blend)
Nag Champa (bad "headshop" associations)
Hemp accord/Weed (reeeeaally bad associations)
Lemon verbena (horrible lemon cleaning solvent of doom)
Notes that are iffy:
Rose (wonderful in Adrastea and Lush's Rose Jam, okay in Jezebel, Roses, Pearls & Diamonds, and Allegory of Chastity, awful in Hedylogos, Harlot, The Rose, and some other rose blends)
Ylang-Ylang (sometimes okay, sometime too white floral-y)
Orange Blossom (same as Ylang-Ylang)
Champaca (will it be too reminiscent of Nag Champa?)
Lily (high risk of soap)
Lavender (will it remind me too much of my mother's bath products?)
Dragon's Blood (was this the note that rendered Dragon's Heart too perfume-y?)
Red Musk (or was it this one?)
White Musk (high risk of dryer sheets)
Black Musk (possibly what turned Black Rider into baby powder?)
Basically all musks except "skin musk" nope, all musks
White sandalwood (similar effect to white musk)
Most florals
"Dirt"/"Loam" etc.
All citrus notes
Oude/oud (can smell sour/fecal)
Notes of Win:
Vanilla
Marshmallow
Honey
Coconut
Tobacco
Myrrh
Amber (black, golden)
Teak
Benzoin
Cream/milk
Goats Milk
Nutmeg
Notes of Like:
Leather (like but amp)
Vetiver (would be under "love" if Joyful Dalliances in the Underworld hadn't smelled like pit barbecue and Death Adder hadn't been... weirdly and inexplicably unpleasant)
Cocoa (love but can vanish or be cloying)
Almond (like but can be cloying)
Cake
Cinnamon (love but amp liek woah)
Clove (love but amp)
Coffee
Pumpkin
Peach (like but skin eats it)
Pear (hard to find, often paired with icky florals)
Lilac
Frankincense (like but skin eats it)
"Resin"
"Smoke"
"Spices"
"woods"
Beeswax
Hazelnut
Orris/orris root + coconut
Sage
Fig
Oak
Lotus (possibly the glorious crisp, fruity note in the wet phase of Paris, possibly also what caused Paris to vanish off my skin in under an hour) - confirmed, Lotus is the wonderful crisp/juicy sweet fruit note from wet/freshly applied Paris.
Notes I Amp:
Leather
Cinnamon
Possibly Rose
Possibly Clove
Possibly Honey?
Possibly Jasmine (or maybe I just hate it enough that any jasmine is too much jasmine)
BPAL Collection
Scent Name (Year)
# of Bottles / Imps
Preference - Highest, High, Medium, Low
Lab Description
Thoughts
---
BOTTLES:
Aradia
#: 1
Preference: Medium
Lab Description: "A veil of smoked patchouli, sweet oak, and opoponax sweetened by bourbon vanilla."
Thoughts: Sweet woodiness, just slightly smoky/dry, very deep vanilla darkened by opoponax. Sits close to the skin, very sensuous, but excellent throw.
Aristocratic Couple
#: 2.5
Preference: High
Lab Description: "Bourbon vanilla, preserved apricot, and cardamom"
Thoughts: Beautiful vanilla and apricot, with just a little dry spiciness from the cardamom. Very warm and comforting scent. Not overly foody.
Boomslang - (2016)
#: 1
Preference: Medium
Lab Description: "Snake Oil with cocoa, teakwood, and rice milk."
Thoughts: Warm, creamy vanilla-heavy Snake Oil is prominent. Teakwood and just a breath of deep, dark, dry cocoa ground the scent and keep it from going too powdery or sweet. It's a very dark, warm, gentle scent.
Chaos Theory: Gourmand #8
#: 1
Preference: Medium
Lab Description: None given
Thoughts: Melted milk chocolate and cream, macadamia nut, vanilla. Very warm, gently sweet, buttery macadamia, extremely creamy. Subtle foody scent with low throw that sticks close to skin.
Dorian
#: 2
Preference: High
Lab Description: "A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea."
Thoughts: Black tea, sugar, a little musk. Beautiful, dark, delicate, sweet, not at all foody. Very calming. This is my go-to "chill out" scent.
Eat Me
#: 1
Preference: Medium
Lab Description: "Three white cakes, vanilla, and red and black currants."
Thoughts: Buttery, sweet cakes and just a ribbon of juicy redness. Extremely foody.
Edith (Crimson Peak 2015)
#: 4
Preference: Highest
Lab Description: "Pearlescent vanilla musk with white sandalwood, grey amber, white patchouli, ambrette seed, and oudh."
Thoughts: This is my ideal vanilla scent. I could wear this all the time. It's a very delicate, white vanilla. Just a little touch of airiness from the ambrette seed and white sandalwood, and a little warmth from the grey amber and oudh - reminiscent of the scent of sleep-warmed skin. Ultimately, it's a white, delicate, almost fragile vanilla.
Giljagaur
#: 1
Preference: Medium
Lab Description: "Coconut cream, sheep’s milk accord, and a drop of Ceylon cinnamon."
Thoughts: Creamy, warm, just a little sweet, and just a little touch of cinnamon to really enhance the coziness. This is what the "a hug from your mom wearing a warm sweater on a cold day"-feeling smells like.
Gingerbread Snake
#: 1
Preference: UNTESTED
Lab Description: "Gingerbread and exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla."
Thoughts: UNTESTED
Gingerbread Sin
#: 1
Preference: High (during Christmas!)
Lab Description: "Gingerbread with amber, sandalwood, black patchouli and cinnamon."
Thoughts: Gingerbread, brought dark and sensual with amber, sandalwood, and patchouli. This is somehow both very sexy and very festive at the same time.
Gypsy
#: 3.5 (plus one almost empty bottle)
Preference: Highest
Lab Description: "Bourbon vanilla, Egyptian musk, tonka, white sugar, and cardamom."
Thoughts: Sugar, vanilla, and cardamom are the notes most obvious on me. I can smell the delicate sugar crystals infused with vanilla bean, and the cardamom keeps it a little spicy and a little dry.
Harp of Cnoc I'Choisgar
#: 2
Preference: High
Lab Description: "Gilded amber, tiare, golden sandalwood, vanilla, cardamom, and tagetes."
Thoughts: Amber heavy, spicy-sweet tagetes, dry and hot cardamom, warm and creamy vanilla, golden warm sandalwood. Beautiful scent, long lasting, excellent close to the skin.
Harvesters, The
#: 2
Preference: High
Lab Description: "Pear trees, boiled oats, and wine beside a ripe field of wheat."
Thoughts: Smells exactly like a warm, carmelized pear crumble with oatmeal streusel.
Hesiod's Phoenix
#: 1
Preference: High
Lab Description: "Golden amber, bourbon vanilla, and sweet oudh."
Thoughts: The three notes blend seamlessly and change very little, just warming up and encompassing me in a cozy cocoon of amber, dark vanilla, and oudh.
Hymn to Proserpine
#: 1
Preference: Medium
Lab Description: "The darkening amber of faith’s sunset, deepened by the dark fruits of Proserpine."
Thoughts: Deep, dark, smoldering amber that's sweet and warm. Fruits that bring to mind midnight purple and black juciness without being tart.
Imp
#: 1
Preference: Medium
Lab Description: "White peach, amber, golden musk and patchouli."
Thoughts: Juicy warm peach (not fresh peach so much as roasted/warmed peach), darkened a little by spicy woodiness, gilded with the musk and amber.
Ivory Vulva
#: 1
Preference: Medium
Lab Description: "Marshmallow root, coconut, macadamia milk, cream accord, and a drop of golden amber."
Thoughts: Buttery cream and coconut with just a little sweetness from the marshmallow and warmth from the amber. Just pushing the line of gourmand.
Mouse's Long and Sad Tale
#: 1
Preference: Medium
Lab Description: "Vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea and white sandalwood."
Thoughts: Woody, warm, sweet - amber and vanilla heavy, sweet pea for a little softness and gentleness.
Peach V (2016 Dragon*Con)
#:1
Preference: High
Lab Description: "Peach caramel with blackened vanilla, patchouli, and teakwood."
Thoughts: Overall, this is a beautifully balanced blend. It's warm and sweet, not foody, not particularly "fresh peachy" - but the peach is still a solid foundation for the scent. The vanilla makes it a darker scent, the patch is very subtle (just lending a little earthiness and spiciness), and the teakwood is woody and dry in the background, but not too strong. It reminds me a lot of a blend between Aradia and Imp.
Phantom Queen
#: 3 + 1 10ml
Preference: Highest (SIGNATURE SCENT)
Lab Description: "Black orchid, apple blossom, meadowsweet, and rue over Irish moss, hawthorn and red clover."
Thoughts: Wet, hot, warm, sweet, sensual, sexy. This DEFIES description. This is the smell of my wedding, of the beginning of my career, of meeting my best friend, of moving into my own home. This is the scent of my Irish heritage, and of Ireland, which can bring me to tears even from just listening to the music or seeing photos of the magical greens and purples and greys and blues. This is the way my soul - my life - would smell. This is MY scent.
Pleasant Embrace
#: 1.5
Preference: Medium
Lab Description: "Lemon-silvered musk and white pear."
Thoughts: Crispy, sweet, juicy pear with no greenness. Perfectly ripe. Just a little bit of crystalline lemon-musk to add some shimmer. Very gentle scent, low throw.
Pumpkin Latte
#: 2
Preference: High
Lab Description: "Espresso, pumpkin syrup, smoky vanilla bean, milk, raw sugar, and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg."
Thoughts: Warm milk, caramelized pumpkin, dark and smoky vanilla bean, sweet dark sugar, spices - and holding it all up, DEAD RINGER for espresso oil. This fades so beautifully into a perfect representation of espresso oil. I love this.
Reapers Gonna Reap
#: 1
Preference: High
Lab Description: "Musky vanilla sandalwood."
Thoughts: Cool, dry sandalwood with light musk and white, not-sweet, not-warm vanilla. This is probably the least sweet vanilla I've ever smelled from the lab.
Serving Fish
#: 2
Preference: Highest
Lab Description: "Gilded sweet pea, pink musk, and vanilla sugar."
Thoughts: LOVE this. Sweet, not too floral, sugary, pink, girly.
Smut (2015)
#: 2
Preference: High
Lab Description: "Three swarthy, smutty musks sweetened with sugar and woozy with dark booze notes."
Thoughts: Dark sugar (think raw sugar), smooth deep musks, and sweet, sexy booze with none of the acrid or sharp alcohol notes - like if rum and vanilla and sugar was all cooked down into a syrup with the alcohol burned off.
Snake Oil (2009)
#: 2
Preference: Highest
Lab Description: "A blend of exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla."
Thoughts: Spicy, warm, deep, dark vanilla!
Some Strangeness in the Proportion
#: 2
Preference: Highest
Lab Description: "Rich vanilla sandalwood elegantly distorted by oudh, labdanum, scarlet saffron, and pink pepper."
Thoughts: Deep, dark, sweet vanilla. Pink pepper and oudh give the scent a top note that is heady and intriguing. The perfect dark and sensual vanilla, in contrast to my perfect crystalline vanilla (Edith).
Stekkjarstaur
#: 1
Preference: High
Lab Description: "Woolly sugared marshmallow root."
Thoughts: Marshmallow and sugar - but somehow, not foody. It's very organic. Very soft and cozy and delicate.
The reason I have a ton of BNNU aged stuff...
Vanilla for remembrance
Day at home with laundry, minestrone and a windstorm
I'm knitting, drinking black tea, and haven't felt a need to supplement the tea with goodies. A couple of times while watching my family eat nibbles, I've thought about making popcorn. Each time, I've had a little more water or tea, and felt my belly. Since I'm not getting hunger signals, I've waited for the impulse to pass, and each time it has.
Of course now that I've written about popcorn, my mouth is watering a little. I'll see if water makes it pass, and if not, I'll have a little bit .
The Experiment
2. Reward myself with BPAL purchases for healthy behaviors (like increased fresh fruit & vegetable intake, exercise, drinking more water, increased flexibility & strength, reduced body measurements, etc.) I haven't yet figured out what the criteria for rewards will be, and would love wisdom from the room :-). Ideas:
Walk 1000 steps farther each week for X weeks = a bottle?
My resting heart rate goes down?
Accomplish a physical activity without huffing and puffing?
Low blood pressure number goal?
My hope is that by using BPAL to say "atta girl!", I'll train myself to feel rewarded without involving caloric overload.
Switch Witch 2016 Version
WIshlists
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co...t/388AMHU9X80YL
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com...ef=favs_index_1
SockDreams: http://www.sockdream...00c60af6506718d
Crocus: http://www.crocus.co...9f1e770b612b092
BPTP: https://blackphoenixtradingpost.com/my-lists/view-wishlists/?wlid=1963 - this doesnt seem to be working properly as its only showing one thing - have asked Puddin to have a look at the website, but if you need a real wishlist, just ask
I keep all my wishlists up to date, but ignore the 'shops' bit on Etsy as sometimes those are things for other people.
Do you like colouring? yes but dont really have the time right now
Crochet goodies yes or no? If yes, what kind of goodies? socks!
Do you have any allergies to animals/smoke/food etc? no
Graphic novels: we have a huge collection, only really want the ones in my wishlist or something local I couldn't get over here
Nail Polish: I only wear it on my toes (because gardening) and I only wear BPTP stuff these days. I have Moth Shadow, Dream Awake, Titan Toadstools, Oneiroi and Temple of Dreams
BPTP: yes, love the bath oils, like some atmos, can't use hair gloss. Would kill to try some Floof if it becomes available
Nail Wraps: not for me, they would die too quickly
Teas/Spices/Spice Rubs/Specialty Ingredients from a local tea & spice shop? yes to all
In Regards to loose/bagged tea: bags preferred because I'm lazy most of the time
Speaking of spices - where's your spicy/heat threshold? (scale of 1 - 10 - 1 being nothing more than black pepper, 10 being ghost pepper+) 7
Preferred book format? Physical, PDF, Kindle, etc? Kindle preferred except for graphic novels, gardening and art books - but no problem with real books
Would you be interested in any handmade critters? Stuffed animals, knit or crochet beasties, or anything remotely similar? Yes, especially if amiguri type. I'd love one (only one, I'd have to lock it away from Luna) Geeky things related to my fandoms, Studio Ghibli creatures, cats, lizards, dragons would all be good Or cat toys!
Since this is the Spring Fools' round, is there anything that goes with the theme of April Fool's Day or spring that might be fun to add to your package? Garden related stuff
Pet owners - would you like any kind of toy or supply for your pet? Cat toys without cat nip
Geek paraphernalia! Almost everyone here has SOME sort of geek-love, whether it is Harry potter, Horror movies, graphic novels, science, etc. So would you be interested in any kind of items related to your geek-ish interests? Always
Any yarn, plastic, metal, or fabric sensitivities? I have to have sterling silver earring wires
would you like pretty stationery/note cards, etc, for writing snail mail? I don't write snail mail but I'd love a pad of cute paper for putting notes in swap packages
If you could have any BPALs right now (GC, LE, HTF) what would they be? Give examples of at least a few of each category
HTF: Tea, Trick (no. 2)
LE: Snow at Midnight, Needlework, Alias, Blue Carbuncle
GC: Fairy Bites, Machu Piccu, Gomorrah
Any places you would like gift cards from? Sock Dreams, Crocus
Do you wear make-up? Any brands you like? Color preferences? I only wear eyeliner of the self sharpening kind, mostly Clinique. I like black, grey, brown & green
Junk food and candy? Trying to lose some weight, so not very much of this please! I like the tea and coffee candies and tortilla chips
Witchee, regarding your fave TV shows, would you be interested in the associated DVDs? Fan books? I pretty much have all of the DVDs and books
Do you need any items for your kitchen (linens, gadgets, cooking supplies, etc.)? I always need more spatulas, tea towels are also useful
Gardens/plants: I am dreaming of spring, dear witch: Do you like plants? Do you have any? Indoor potted plants? A balcony bed? A yard? Do you want/need anything? I have an entire allotment and always want stuff BUT I don't think you can send seeds here from the US/Canada If someone ever found geeky gardening gloves I'd love them!
If I were to make you something based on one or more interests mentioned in your Q'aire/blog, would you prefer something you could wear, something that hangs on a wall, or something that sits on a shelf (or couch or wherever)? Wearable is favourite, with wall hanging second. Killer kitten destroys things left on shelves :(
Are you in need of BPAL storage? Nope.
Do you like candles? Incense? Wax melts? I like candles but am short of room for them now
BAGS! Do you like/want/need any kind of bags? I would be happy to get tote bags that I could use for gardening stuff, especially the type made from reused feed bags that someone switchywitchy makes/has family that makes, or other ones that can stand up to dirt. Plus in answering another question lower down I found at least one messenger bag I love!
I make handmade journals/albums/smashbooks/junk journals. Would you be interested in anything like that? I love them but end up never using them
What's your favorite animal/totem? Would you be interested in a small figurine of said animal from this etsy user? cat, dragon, lizard ... I wouldn't like a figurine due to Killer Kitten, but those Toothless bags are adorable <3
Anything exciting to you in PBSW's Spring Collection? Bath streusel or sorbetto in Lemony Biscuit or April Fools
Witchee, are you interested in this kind of music (it's one of my favorites)[Tartanic - uncivilized]? I can take it or leave it
Oh dead Witchee, how do you feel about Sakura Matsuri? Do you like Green Tea and Sakura flavored desserts/treats? Decorations or jewelry with a cherry blossom theme? I like cherry blossom as decoration but can't stand the taste, and dont really like green tea either
Hey, witchee! If I were to send you a garment, what size would I send? Difficult, as I'm busy dropping a load of weight. It's really best, outside of XXL crew t-shirts, to ask me specifically
It's Hottie Friday, witches and witchees! Name a famous crush or five Tom Hiddlestone, Alan Rickman, David Mitchell, Tom Ellis, Morena Baccarin
Also - what are the last 5 songs that appeared on your random or shuffle music list
Jethro Tull -Heavy Horses
Slayer - Angel of Death
REM - Losing My Religion
The The - This Is The Day
Inequality Street - Skyclad
If you should happen to be my witchee, are there any items in my store that you would like? Nut-Made by LisaNut
I like the look of the cowls
Oh Witchee, have you seen the kimono tops that are all the rage right now? Would you like one? I will sew you one if you do, just tell me if you're a fringe or lace edge or plain edge type of person- I have your color picks from your questionnaire, unless you'd like it in something different than those? Plain edge please
I was thinking about busting out the sculpy clay - I sometimes like to make cute little fantasy miniature sculpture, like fairy doors, or miniature garden gnomes for potted plants, or I've even made a couple of tiny smaug's based on this cartoon. If you were my witchee, how would you feel about receiving some tiny fantasy art for your home? Any preference between a fairy door, or a garden gnome, a tiny fairy box, or something like smaug? All the Smaugs!
If you won a gift certificate for $100 (Or similar amount in your country) that could be used ANYWHERE what would you get? either clothes from Nomads or BPTP, or garden stuff from Crocus
Something that you look forward to each spring, or that when you see it (hear it/smell it/taste it, etc) you think "Yes! Spring is here!" or something along those lines! seeing catkins appear
[masterlist] Tested & Reviewed Scents
Most of my reviews use a five star rating system (★ - ★★★★★), which incorporates half stars where necessary (½). A general - but not always exact - guide to my ratings is as follows:
★★★★★: Beloved favourite, will always keep 1 or more bottles where possible ★★★★½: Love, will always keep an imp where possible ★★★★: Like a lot, would recommend, will rotate with other regular scents ★★★½: Like, would recommend, would consider repurchase ★★★: Like, but do not find original or imaginative, probably wouldn't repurchase ★★½: Ambivalent, would not recommend or repurchase ★★: Dislike, would not recommend or repurchase ★½: Strongly dislike, would not recommend or repurchase ★: Unwearable, washed off immediately
☆ Limited Editions ☆
A Little Lunacy: 13 (Sept 2019) Black Bear Moon (2012) Blauer Mond (2012) Cold Moon (2019) Harvest Moon (2019, 2021) Hyrrokkin (2018) Mare Crisium (2015) Milk Moon (2020) Sinus Amoris (2015) Sprouting Grass Moon (2020) Whirling Wind Moon (2012) Wood Horse (2014) Activism: Impeachment Waltzing Matilda Anniversary: Bagpipe Dog Alchemy Lab (2018) Bellicose Clam Alchemy Lab (2018) Fishtail Beaver Alchemy Lab (2018) Jupiterian Phoenix (2012) Leather Phoenix (2011) Lunar Phoenix (2012) Martian Phoenix (2012) Mercurian Phoenix (2012) Saturnian Phoenix (2012) Smug Yale Alchemy Lab (2018) Solar Phoenix (2012) The Phoenix at Dawn (2011) The Phoenix at Dusk (2011) The Phoenix at Midday (2011) The Phoenix at Midnight (2011) Venusian Phoenix (2012) Yellow Metal with Mingled Purple Blushes (2014)
Art of the Unicorn: Bestiare du Moyen Age Crucifixion De Vos' Unicorn The Virgin and the Unicorn
Bards of Ireland: Fairy Thorn
Chaos Theory: Fougere #31 Fougere #45 Fougere #52 Woods #70 Woods #71 Woods #72
Crimson Peak: Between Your Heart and Mine Firethorn Berry Tea Lullaby The First Time I Saw a Ghost Dum Spiro Spero: Every Day You Play with the Light of the Universe Duets / Menage a Trois: Champa & Myrrh Darjeeling Tea, Cocoa Dust, & Incense Elderberry Flower and Sandhill Plum Gardenia, Tobacco Leaf, & Oakmoss Lavender, Sea Salt, & Rain White Sandalwood, Sage, & Bourbon Vanilla Good Omens: He'd Been An Angel Once Old Fashioned Satanists Fatherhood (formerly BPTP): A Winter's Walk in the Cemetery (2021) Blood and Judgement So Well Comeddled (2015) Catch Me, Dad (2015) Lavender Lightning (2021) Meus Amor Aeternus (2015) Playing Tag in a Garden Full of Gods (2014) Halloweenies: A World Where There Are Octobers (2013) A Young Woman Appealing to a Witch (2015) An Open Grave Underneath the Heavy Leaves (2020) Apple IV (2015) Apple VI (2016) Apple X (2016) Autumn Cider (2011) Autumn Fancies (2013) Autumn Overlooked My Knitting (2014) Candy Apple Smut (2020) Creaking Floorboards (2020) Dead Leaves and Lavender Buds (2016) Dead Leaves, Bourbon Vanilla, and Myrrh (2015) Dead Leaves, Chamomile, Red Roses, and White Tea (2016) Dead Leaves, Red Currant, and Tuberose (2020) From Sunset to Star Rise (2020) Ghost Faced Bat (2018) Ghost House (2012) La Calavera Catarina (2020) Lambs-Wool (2018) Liquid Gold is in the Air (2020) October (2011, 2015, 2020) Pile of Fallen Leaves (2014) Pomona (2012) Portrait of an Unidentified Man as Mephistopheles (2015) Pumpkin Latte (2011) Pumpkin Princess (2011) Punkie Night (2012) Rickety Staircase (2020) Samhain (2013) Second Spring (2015) The Dead Can Hear and the Dead Have Sight (2016) The Dead Can Yearn and the Dead Can Smite (2016) The Goat and the Vine (2018) The Unquiet Grave (2015) The Witch Bride (2014) Witch Dance (2016) Hellboy: Ganeida Liz Hexennacht Hexennacht (2019) Ligeia: Blacker Than the Raven Wings of Midnight Lilith: 8th Grade (2021) A Place of Seeing (2021) All While Dreaming, Shakes Her Head (2021) And Sing, And Sing (2019) Bits of Birnam Wood (2019) Go, Hawks! (2019) Good Morning, London (2016) Heavenly Spark (2016) Holy Trinity (2016) Lazy Daisy (2019) Lights, Camera, Something (2021) O Hushed October Morning Mild (2021) Philopannyx (2021) Στοργή (2019) The Empress and the Chariot (2021) The Hierophant and the Empress (2014) The Serpentine (2016)
Lupercalia: A Note from Propertius (2013) Alleviate the Frenzy (2020) Black Fig and Cherry (2020) Bloodlust Bonbon (2015) Box of Chocolates: Milk Chocolate with Macadamia, Coconut, Button Mushroom, and Marshmallow (2012) Elizabeth of Bohemia (2020) From You I Have Been Absent in the Spring (2014) Love and Sleep (2014) Luperci (2014) The Mark (2016) Mars Alator (2015) Mars Ultor (2015) MIchiyuki Koi No Futusao (2020) Mount Fuji Reflected in Lake Misaica (2015) Night Scene (2016) Quaeris Quot Mihi Basiationes (2013) Saint Foutin de Varailles (2010, 2014) Signor Dildo (2015) The Expiration (2014) The Instructional Manual (2016) The Sick Rose (2014) The Voice (2014) There is a Garden in Her Face (2014) Thrice Toss These Oaken Ashes (2014) To His Mistress Going to Bed (2016) Valentine of Rome (2014) Venus Caelestis (2015) Venus Cloacina (2015) Venus Genetrix (2015) Venus Murcia (2015) Venus Obsequens (2015) Venus Verticordia (2015) Venus Victrix (2015) Womb Furie (2014) Lux Brumalis: Winter Scene in Little Russia Metamorphosis: Passion Butterfly
Neil Gaiman: Miss Spink Snow, Glass, Apples
Only Lovers Left Alive: Adam Eve (2013, 2018) Hal Kit June 23, 1868 The Diamond's Gong The Hourglass This is Your Wilderness
Pickman Gallery: ** Arana My Happy Day Rapunzel in Ballpoint Summoning Stone Play Structure The Goat and the Vine Suspiciendo Despicio: Capricorn (2007) The Fool's Journey: The Forest of the Empress The Stream and the Waterfall
The Last Unicorn: Lady Una Yvaine The Singularity: Demon Goggles Foolish Wooden Cucumber Harlequin Milk Rapture Pig The Snakes of Spring: Snake Eyes Gleaming in Spring's First Twilight Twilight Alchemy Lab: White Rose Walpurgisnacht: Hilf, Ach, Hilf Mir, Kriegsgeselle Verteilt Euch, Wackre Manner, Hier Wer Opfer Heut Ze Bringen Scheut Yules: Faunalia (2014) Joulumuori (2020) Knecht Ruprecht (2012) Like Brooms of Steel (2013) Mari Lwyd (2014) Midnight Mass (2012) Peacock Queen (2020) Rose Red (2020) Skadi (2013) Stardust (2013) Sugar Cookie (2005) The Cherry-Tree Carol (2020) The Mahogany Tree (2013) The Poinsettia Gown (2020) The Visionary (2013) Winter-Time (2014) Yuletide (2014)
☆ Collaborations, Retail & Event Exclusives ☆
Collaborations: Black Ice Sleeper (Darla Teagarden: Altars 2022) Retail: Anaxagoras (San Diego Comic Con 2014) Black Heart (Dark Delicacies: Valentine's Day 2010) Conservatory Tableaux (Post War Trade: Who Killed Amanda Palmer? 2009) Lucifer (Dark Delicacies (The Salon, Travelling Exhibition 2007) Who In the World Am I? (Century Guild: Fragmented Alice 2014)
Events: At the Mid Hour of Night (Bat's Day 2014) Fuzzy Peach Sweater and a Mug of London Fog (DragonCon 2021) Georgia Peach, Oakmoss, Sage, and Vetiver (DragonCon 2021) Revisiting the Scents of Past Delight (Bat's Day 2014) Sing the Wild Song (Bat's Day 2014) Tis Thy Voice from the Kingdom of Souls (Bat's Day 2014) When Life Shone Warm in Thine Eyes (Bat's Day 2014) When Stars are Weeping (Bat's Day 2014)
Other: In Omnibus Caritas (BFCM gift 2019) Incolumitas (BFCM gift 2018) Server Gremlins (Lab Gift 2018)
☆ General Catalogue ☆
Ars Amatoria: Bathsheba (2011, 2018) Bordello Brisingamen Carnal Desire Follow Me Boy Golden Priapus Hunger Kabuki La Belle Au Bois Dormant Le Serpent Qui Danse Rapture Siren Snake Oil Spellbound The Lady of Shalott Whoso List to Hunt [*D]
Ars Draconis: Dragon's Blood Ladon
Ars Moriendi: Deep in Earth Embalming Fluid Haunted Les Fleurs du Mal (2013, 2021) Zombi
Bewitching Brews: Anne Bonny Arcana (2011, 2018) Bewitched Black Forest (2009, 2016) Blood Blood Amber Blood Kiss Blood Pearl Brimstone Calico Jack Debauchery Dee Eclipse Fire of Love Follow Me Boy (2009) Grog Horn of Plenty Khubla Khan (2009, 2021) La Bella Donna Mia Mente Masquerade Mata Hari Ode on Melancholy Red Devil Swank ** The Hesperides [*D] The Jersey Devil Tushnamatay Undertow Van Van Veil Wolf's Heart Yggdrasil
Carnaval Diabolique: Banded Sea Snake Faith & Hope, The Siamese Twins Green Tree Viper
Conjure Bag: Fire of Love French Love
Diabolus: Akuma Baobhan Sith Black Annis Black Phoenix Djinn Dracul Ekhidna [*D] Horreur Sympathetique Kitsune-Tsuki Malice Wicked
Discontinued: Ehecatl House of Night Iambe Moon Rose Szepasszony The Unicorn
Excolo: Anteros Baron Samedi Hades Hedylogos Nyx Old Scratch Persephone Qandisa Sjöfn (2014, 2021) Skuld Tezcatlipoca Thanatos Tlazolteotl
Illyria: Helena Katharina (2014, 2021) Juliet Robin Goodfellow (2014, 2021) The Apothecary
Inspiration: Bram Stoker
Mad Tea Party: Alice Alice's Evidence Cheshire Cat Croquet King of Hearts Mouse's Long and Sad Tale Queen Alice Queen of Hearts The Dormouse The Red Queen Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat Two, Five, and Seven
Marchen: Baba Yaga Fire for thy Stepmother's Daughter's Prunella Roses, Pearls, and Diamonds The Black Rider (2012, 2021) The Night Raven The Red Rider The Sea Foams Milk Vasilissa (2009, 2021) Veritas
A Picnic in Arkham: Al-Azif Azathoth (2012, 2022) Y'Ha-Nthlei
Pharmacopaeia: TKO
Phoenix Steamworks: The Antikythera Mechanism The Robotic Scarab
Rappaccini's Garden: Black Hellebore Honey [*D] Blood Lotus Blood Rose Chokecherry Honey Love Lies Bleeding Redoul Honey Strangler Fig The Zieba Tree
RPG Series: Bard Druid Dwarf Elf Fighter Lawful (2014, 2021) Neutral Orc Paladin Ranger Vial of Holy Water
The Salon: The Arrival at the Sabbath and Homage to the Devil [*D]
Sin and Salvation: Cathedral Death on a Pale Horse (2018, 2022) Dorian Paramatman The Bow and Crown of Conquest The Great Sword of War Wrath The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild: Hypatia Wanderlust: 51 Athens Bayou Bengal Cairo Eden Jezirat al Tennyn [*D] Kyoto Morocco Paris Pontarlier Prague Sybaris Versailles Whitechapel
☆ Black Phoenix Trading Post ☆
Atmosphere: Villa Diodati (prototype) Alchemical Laboratory
Lupercalia: Gold and Tears (2015) Ruined Roses (2015)
Yules: A Lady Tall and White (2014) Neither Peace Nor Rest (2014)
SW Spring Fool's 2016
Since this is the Spring Fools' round, is there anything that goes with the theme of April Fool's Day or spring that might be fun to add to your package? Flowers (seeds, real, or handmade) prank-related items, a court jester's cap? Something spring related. A stuffed bunny. I have no idea. lol
Pet owners - would you like any kind of toy or supply for your pet? no thanks
Geek paraphernalia! Almost everyone here has SOME sort of geek-love, whether it is Harry potter, Horror movies, graphic novels, science, etc. So would you be interested in any kind of items related to your geek-ish interests? i love steampunk, creating jewelry or books/albums, boxes and things in the steampunk/victorian style. I like a lot of geeky things but not any one specific thing. And I always blank out when I have to ask questions. Feel free to drop me a note
Any yarn, plastic, metal, or fabric sensitivities? none
would you like pretty stationery/note cards, etc, for writing snail mail? no thanks
If you could have any BPALs right now (GC, LE, HTF) what would they be? none at this time
Any places you would like gift cards from?Amazon, sock dreams, BPAl, LUSH, any craft store
Do you wear make-up? Any brands you like? Color preferences? not really. thanks.
Junk food and candy? not really. As a diabetic, I need to stay away
Witchee, regarding your fave TV shows, would you be interested in the associated DVDs? Fan books? sure. that could be fun!
Do you need any items for your kitchen (linens, gadgets, cooking supplies, etc.)? not now
Gardens/plants: I am dreaming of spring, dear witch: Do you like plants? Do you have any? Indoor potted plants? A balcony bed? A yard? Do you want/need anything? i have a black thumb, so plants would be lost to me
