Jump to content
Post-Update: Forum Issues Read more... ×
BPAL Madness!
Post-Update: Forum Issues
Sign in to follow this  
Followers 0
  • entries
    164
  • comments
    11
  • views
    14,595

About this blog

Notes to myself and anyone else

Entries in this blog

 

Possets Halloween

Mini-breakdown.....   $10,00....."A dry masculine and memorable scent featuring a smooth yellow amber, bay, bay wood, a drop of tobacco flower, a very tiny amount of lavender". Sounds good but just doesn't grab me. I dunno, Possets are so inexpensive it might be worth a try. I do like dude-fumes, and I like bay. We'll see.   301...."a multiplicity of my favorite musks and cashmeran". Not much to go on there. Could be good, I looked up cashmeran and all I could find is that it's a synthetic musk. Moving on for now....   Black Hole...."Vetiver and black pepper, lavender and earth, a "black" patchouli, a slight slight slight bit of tarragon". Again, sounds okay but not shouting out "buy me, buy me!". I'll watch reviews and keep it on my list for consideration. The more I think about it, this could be a good one, but I do have a few scents like that already. I never even wear Void Moon or Winter Solstice, which I should because they're both really great scents.   Dank...."sweetbriar makes an appearance lending it's zest to the whole, while root oils hold the bottom half down, particularly vetiver and ginger. There is a splash of booze and a few autumn plums in the mix to give it an air of being a luxurious rest rather than drippy". This sounds good too, unless it has that galbanum-like note that Fabienne has been using lately. I don't like it and it could be one of the 'root oils' mentioned. I'll have to sniff this before risking a whole bottle.   Dark...."A thick and perfumy blend with a heavy dose of Frankincense to start off, black musk and fig. No greenery with it but a good layer of an almost burnt sugar and an animalic undercurrent which somehow becomes very light and sweet when breathed out". This sounds appealing....yet again.....could have that green rooty note that I don't like. Maybe I should just ask her what it is?   Phantome...."A very light and transparent scent with a subtle amber as a base, Sicilian lemon zest, a drop of cognac, and the tiniest amount of menthol (you really would not notice it if you were not looking)". Okay....getting more and more promising....this sounds pretty good. Sounds kind of sophisticated and ethereal. We'll see.   Specter...."Amber and fennel, put together in a thoroughly unexpected way". Now we're cooking with gas....this sounds really interesting, and it's high up on my list of what to seek out and at least sniff first.   Spirit....."A strong dark chypre with a lot of incense and resin to it. Frankincense, myrrh, copal, fir resin, and labdenum. Yet this is a certified Western European chypre. It is lovely, dry and captivating. Neither warm nor cold, like a spirit with a 10,000 mile stare". Oooooh, this sounds really great. This has the most potential for an unsniffed purchase. I could always use another good fir scent. The only thing holding me back is if this were major dude-fume, which can be a turn-off. I like butch but there's such a thing as too butch. Possible bottle?   That's all I got for now. I skipped the kitties because they will be at the Possets/OAR party at Fabienne's studio, and I'll be able to test first. I'll report back on those.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

More decisions.....

More bottles that I may or may not want....I need to decide!   A Fit Of Artistic Enthusiasm....."Electric jolts of mania: a salt-crusted coffin bobbing through tumultuous ocean waves". This sounds good, I'll have to decide when my decant arrives. If it's close enough to Kingsport, I may not need more. On the other hand, if it's a good substitute for Kingsport, maybe that would be a good backup for when my Kingsport runs out.   Hideous Heart....."A macabre Valentine: wild black cherries, licorice root, and cinnamon". I doubt that I'll need a whole bottle of this, unless it really knocks my socks off.   Trevor Bruttenholm...."A classic men’s cologne mixed with the scent of old, yellowed books, a splash of bay rum, and summoning incense". Could be too masculine, but I perk up at bay rum and incense. Waiting for my decant.   Abe Sapien....."A soft aquatic musk with kelp and juniper". Another aquatic! Can you really have too many? See Artistic Enthusiasm above for my thoughts on this one, they're pretty much the same. I have a feeling Abe might be more on the powdery side, but the decant will decide it.   Still need decants of Bite Me, Shadowless Like Silence, and Summer's Last Will And Testament. Rose kind of scares me off sometimes but you never know. You just never know.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Labores Solis

This is the scent that I can never spell. : /   It has given me different impressions the three times that I wore it. Mostly it is herbal, resins, and somehow slightly woody. I can pick out chamomile, frankincense, and amber. I have never learned to identify saffron (I'm not sure what it tastes like either), but I think it adds a slight medicinial, bitter feel from what I've heard. Not unpleasant at all. At first I didn't think this scent was powdery, but I put some on tonight and applied very lightly (not sure if that made the difference), and it definitely is powdery this time, kind of the same way that Minotaur is powdery.   Anyway, this reminds me of several other bpal scents, like Sol, Sagittarius, and Carceri D'Invenzione as portalkat mentioned. I swear there's a little bit of wood in here. So, do I like it? Yes! I didn't care for Sol all that much, but this seems to be more like what I wanted from that scent. It's unique. I can wear this to work, because it's not all dark and sexy, even with the element of darkness.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Alien prequel

I'm excited, of course. The first one is pretty much my all time favorite movie, and I liked all the sequels, even the ones that most other people said were crap. I liked the third one, and even liked that 4th one somewhat. Never cared much about the Alien Vs Predator spin-offs, though.   I have been hoping for a prequel for years. I always wanted to know more about the Space Jockey in the first film. So, of course I can hardly wait for this. I don't expect to be blown away, but I also don't think it will completely suck. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high. I think with the current technology, the special effects could be really great. The Space Jockey was a lot bigger than the humans in the first movie, so maybe the Aliens will be a lot bigger too. They seem to take on the physical stature of the host, somewhat (like the "dog-alien" in the third movie).   As for the story, who knows. It could go pretty much anywhere, really. I like the idea of the movie ending on a down note, because of what we already know about the story in the first Alien movie. But I guess it's pretty useless to speculate at this early stage.   But really, it would be so great if the series was redeemed in the eyes of.....well, everyone since pretty much everyone hated the last one.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Halloween Update/breakdown

Breakdown! I have rated some of these according to my interest, on a scale of 1-5.   ALL SAINTS 2010 Based on a venerable French pontifical incense blend: monastic frankincense and myrrh, Damascus rose, Russian gardenia, cassia, and lily of the valley wafting on a chill Autumn wind. A celebration of the glory and suffering of the saints and matryrs of the Church. Not interested. All those flowers sound like soap to me.   ALL SOULS 2010 A day of remembrance and intercession. Without the prayers and sacrifices of their families and loved ones, the faithful departed may not be cleansed of their venal sins, and thereby cannot attain beatific vision. On November 2nd, prayers are sung and offerings are made to aid lost souls in transcending purgatory. An incense blend that invokes the higher qualities of mercy and compassion, mingled with the soft, sugared currant scent of offertory soul cakes. I like my decant of All Souls '06, and I might want more of this. It starts out cakey and turns into floral incense, in a good way. 3/5     BLUE PUMPKIN FLOSS Puffy clouds of pumpkin candyfloss with a trickle of blackberry juice. Not for me, thanks....more for all the gals who've been waiting for this!   BOO 2010 Eerie billows of spun sugar, fluttering white cotton, and sheets of cream No thank you......   CALAVERAS Clever little satirical poems in the style of epitaphs written to tease the living and ease grief over a loved one's passing. Xocolatl, tequila, copal incense, smoke-dried jalapeños, vanilla pods, and cajeta. I'll have to look up a couple of these notes, but I am not a big fan of copal (I do like it in incense, but not perfume), and I'm leaning towards nyet on this one.     DIA DE LOS ÑATITAS Hydrangea blossoms and rose petals, cigarette smoke, cocoa leaves, and chichi. Leaning towards no....don't really need a scent with rose and chocolate. Is chichi milk? 2/5   FLOR DE MUERTO The orange marigold, or zempasúchitl, has been one of Death's symbols since the pre-Columbian era. The yellow and orange petals are believed to represent the rays of the sun, bringing joy and light to the souls dwelling in the realm of the dead. These flowers surround Day of the Dead altars to guide the spirits to their offerings. I am interested, because I just like the idea of marigold perfume. They remind me of my grandma Nena, who liked to grow them. And it seems like they would be sort of a bitter or earthy floral, but really I have no idea. Want to try! 4/5   GHOULISH This season's Ridiculous Scent! Creepy like Creepy and as spooky as Spooky, this is the scent of a black cherry and coconut amaretto confection gently laced with saffron. Hmmm....at first I thought no, not interested. But reading it again, it sounds rather decadent and almost incensey, even though it's a foody/drinky scent. Sounds kind of sexy, actually. Decant? 3/5   THE HAG Black musk, bay leaves, galangal, bourbon vetiver, blackcurrant, and rum. Interesting.....I know I need to try this, so decant. Blackcurrant and rum are the iffy notes. 4/5     GOLLETES A circular pastry glazed with pink sugar that symbolizes the sweetness of life and the certainty of death. Nope, no thanks!   HUESOS DE SANTO 2010 Orange-glazed cake, dotted with anise seed, and filled with custard, set beside a bouquet of celebratory funeral flowers. I like my decant of the last one, but I wouldn't need a whole bottle. Perhaps another decant if it crosses my path. 3/5   LAMBS-WOOL 2010 A popular holy day beverage in 18th century Ireland: roasted apples mashed into warmed milk and ale, with nutmeg, sugar, ginger, and clove. I like this scent but in the end it was just too sweet, to the point of being cloying. I want more spices and ale, I think. I'll watch reviews and see if it has changed since last time. 2/5   NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY Dewy green leaves colored by Moroccan amber, ginseng, and rooibos. Ha ha....reminds me of the Outsiders or one of those old teen movies. Anyway, this sounds great, and I'm really interested in trying it. 4/5   OCTOBER 2010 Dry, cold autumn wind. A rustle of red leaves, a touch of smoke and sap in the air. Well, I love this scent, but I don't need any more unless it has changed a lot from the previous one.   PUMPKIN LATTE Espresso, pumpkin syrup, smoky vanilla bean, milk, raw sugar, and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Worth a decant to sniff but not super exciting to me. 3/5   PUNKIE NIGHT 2010 This is a light-hearted scent: apple orchards, bright cranberries, and a touch of warm cider. Never was very interested in this scent, for some reason. Sounds too fruity with the cranberries, I generally don't like berries in my perfume.   SAMHAIN 2010 Truly the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein. I can most likely skip Samhain this year, since I have 2 bottles and several decants of various years already. I do love Samhain, though.   SUGAR SKULL 2010 Vibrant with the joy and sweetness of life in death! A blend of five sugars, lightly dusted with candied fruits. Hmmm......I have half a bottle from '07, and decants of '05 and '08.....do I need more? I love Sugar Skull, but maybe a decant will be enough for me. 4/5   THE WILD SWANS AT COOLE October twilight. Falling leaves breaking the stillness of cool water, with sweet autumn clematis, feather-soft orris root, luminous white chypre, and muguet. Hmmmm....kind of on the edge about this one but leaning towards no. Sounds very pretty but orris and muguet sound powdery and/or soapy to me. 2/5   HALLOWEEN: BROOKLYN Flowering dogwood, weeping cherry, Korean pine, camellia, moonflower, Alberta spruce, arborvitae, and crab apples. These notes sound soapy to me, especially moonflower. I'll pass on this one (even though pine and spruce make me want to sniff.....). 3/5   HALLOWEEN: LOS ANGELES The sky on fire: a strange incense of burning brush, junegrass, tumbleweeds, chaparral, and wild sage. I love the description and the imagery supplied by Beth. I forget what chaparral is but I want to try this. Decant first, probably. 4/5   HALLOWEEN: NEW ORLEANS The distinctive scent of the Mississippi at night mingling with sweet olive and Spanish moss. Moss is not always good to me, but sometimes very good to me. Worth a try because I do like aquatics in general. 4/5   HALLOWEEN: SAN FRANCISCO Salt air wafting in from the bay. Rain falling on rain-soaked leaves. Sounds awesome! Decant first, just to be cautious. 4/5   POMEGRANATE I Pomegranate, poet's jasmine, and benzoin. Well, I like benzoin, but pomegranate and jasmine are not thrilling to me. Probably pass. 2/5   POMEGRANATE II Pomegranate, white musk, lemon verbena, grapefruit, pink lime. Yeah...this is probably the least interesting of the pom. scents to me. Pass-ola. 1/5   POMEGRANATE III Pomegranate, Tamil Nadu sandalwood, lavender, tamarind, hazelnut, Atlas cedarwood, sugar date, bitter clove, and Arabian myrrh. Potential decant. 3/5   POMEGRANATE IV Pomegranate, cognac, red musk, cocoa, tobacco absolute, star anise, and thyme. Don't like cocoa that much with a couple of exceptions. Probably pass.....maybe decant. We'll see. 3/5   POMEGRANATE V Pomegranate, carnation, amber, cardamom, neroli, vetiver, black pepper, and opium tar. Hmm, sounds interesting, kind of foppish? Possibly worth a try. 3/5   Pomegranate patch only imp: THE HERAEON OF ARGOS Argive Hera. The temple in the Argolid that was dedicated to Hera, the Queen of Heaven, in her aspect as the Great Triple Goddess. Pomegranate, apple blossom, fig, willow bark, and almond. Not calling to me very much, although I would definitely try it if it crossed my path. 2/5   THE BYRONIC ANTIHERO An aristocratic cologne of titanic passions, moody and brooding. This scent is dark with disillusionment and cynicism: a Victorian fougère and a dashing carnation boutonnière tainted by a cloud of khus, yew, and patchouli. Hmmm, sounds interesting, and did I mention foppish somewhere else? Could be a nice proper dude-fume. Possible decant. 3/5   THE CREEPING MIST A muculent, brumous, ill-omened scent: orris, yuzu, white ginger, linden flower, petitgrain, and lotus. Interesting. Orris tells me to back away, and in general not my kind of scent.....but could still be worth a try. Will watch reviews and possibly try a decant if I see it available somewhere. 2/5   THE DECREPIT HOUSE An architectural doppelganger reflecting a ruined soul: dilapidated planks of mahogany and cypress wood perched feebly on a grim foundation of long-dead leaves, black musk, patchouli, galbanum, tobacco absolute, fragonia, and oakmoss. Yay, another Poe scent! I like them. This looks like a bleak and dreary Halloween scent and it's worth a decant, probably. 4/5   A HOWL IN THE DARKNESS A scent evocative of a forest at midnight, with animalic brown musk, wild sage, Terebinth pine, black oak, and a chilly shock of terror personified by kunzea, cistus labdanum, verbena, juniper, metallic ozone, and white mint. Aww, the description and concept are reaching out to me with grabbing hands, but I just don't like brown musk. I'm going to have to try a decant of this and hope for the best. This kind of reminds me of the updated Wolf Moon, which I love. 4/5   THE INFERNAL LOVER A creamy, sensual, honeyed red musk. Don't usually like honey at all, but still.....I'd like to sniff this at some point. 2/5   ECCLESIASTICAL EXCESSES Faustian depravity: daemonorops, rose-infused frankincense, vetiver, mate absolute, and clove bud. If this is one of those scents where the rose is just a hint, I could be interested. I'll be watching reviews. 2/5     ENCROACHING MADNESS A yellow smell. Old foul, bad yellow things. Honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, balsam, hydrangea, and helichrysum. I would love to try this just because of the inspiration. But reading the notes listed, I'd have to say 'pass'. We'll see. 2/5   THE SHADOWY AND THE SUBLIME A sudden and shocking insight into the vast, ineffable, overwhelming power of Nature, stirred by a vision or experience of perfected beauty and perfected terror, that changes the soul irretrievably. An epiphany: Moroccan amber, wisteria, ambergris accord, white rose, magnolia, white mint, angelica, bergamot, and myrrh. This probably has too many flowers, and white rose and I do not get along. Love the description and imagery, though. 2/5   THE MADWOMAN Dusty white sandalwood, ragged cloth, and a dry, long-dead bridal bouquet. Just like the preceding scent, love the concept, but not the notes listed. 'Dusty white sandalwood' doesn't appeal to me, and neither does the bouquet. 1/5   ODD PORTENTS Black rose, olibanum, dark musk, myrrh, blackcurrant, lavender buds, bourbon geranium, and amber incense. Again with the rose! And I was excited about this one. I might still try this, but I don't really like geranium in perfume either. Another possible decant.... 3/5   THE UNSAVORY GRAVE-DIGGERS An unearthed oakwood coffin, cemetery weeds, and a hint of booze. Sounds a little dank. I'll be watching reviews. 2/5   THE UNSTEADY GOVERNESS White tea and violet leaf. Not calling me. 2/5   .....so looks like I'm pretty safe with a few exceptions. I like the sound of the San Francisco and LA Halloween scents, and a few others like Nothing Gold Can Stay and the marigold one. I'll probably play my usual game and gamble on something I'm not sure about (the marigold scent sounds like a good candidate because I have no idea how that will smell), and get a few decants. I also need to go back and try Lambs-Wool again just to be sure.   And finally, I need to read the text more slowly for the Goth Lit scents, as that could change my mind on one or more of them. I noticed it says Vol. 1.....will there be more volumes? Interesting!
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Bois 1920, Classic 1920

Notes: "Chinese citron, Haitian vetiver, Antilles sandalwood, amber".   Given the notes listed (and the price tag), I was expecting to be really impressed.....and I'm not. Don't get me wrong, this smells good. Nothing offensive about it. It's so smoothly blended that I can't pick out one single note, except maybe amber, but only because I know it's there. But this really didn't 'wow' me and I wouldn't go hunting down a big bottle. I would put it at the masculine end of the spectrum, clean smelling, but not hyper dude-fume. I wouldn't be surprised if there are women who enjoy this. I'll enjoy the rest of my sample!
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Decisions, decisions.....

I have to narrow these down at least a little bit! Unless I decide to just go crazy and have a huge order, which is not out of the question. Maybe if I get my thoughts down, it would help me decide.   Lambs-Wool.....this is a really nice scent, and wears kind of light, so a bottle might be a good thing. I already have one apple scent, Fearful Pleasure, but to me that is a much different kind of scent. FP is more musky and smokey, whereas Lambs-Wool is bright and springy. It's complex and unusual. If I get a bottle, I almost certainly wouldn't need any more apple scents!   Sarah.....I loved this at first, and I want to make sure it's not a false alarm, that I really do love it, before getting a bottle. At first I thought I hadn't smelled anything like it before, but now it is starting to remind me of things like On Darkness, Ghulheim, and one other dark scent that I can't put a name to right now. I still like Sarah, though. I'm just not sure if I need a whole bottle or not.   Julia Stone.....I love this one! When I first discovered Bpal, Dirty was one of the first scents I tried, and in the end, I just didn't like the linen note. So from then on, I thought linen wasn't for me. Well guess what. Julia Stone is a linen-y scent that I actually can wear! I'll have to try it a couple more times to be sure, and as long as it doesn't turn powdery, I would love a bottle. It's really fun to discover that I can wear linen after all!   Feeding The Dead.......I love this one too (damn it)!! The one drawback to this one is there is a limit on where I would wear it. For example, I don't think I'd wear it to work, not just because of the beer, but because I usually avoid the more incense-y blends at work (I just don't think it's real appropriate for my job). But....I really enjoy smelling this, even just wearing it at home, as a comfort scent. I've discovered that I like cake scents to wear around the house, but I'm even more drawn to the ones that have some interesting twist, which this definitely has.   Knock A Dolly......This sounds sensational, and I have a feeling I must have it. I already have a million kinds of incense and tarts that I haven't been using, but this would be my first BPTP room spray. I do have a couple of little samples of their room sprays, and I do like them. So, I may end up kicking myself later if I let this one pass by.   A couple of the late summer scents are calling to me too, but so many of them have rose, which could turn soapy or powdery, so I may pass those up (even though I might regret it). I just have to accept that I can't get everything, and I think the Halloween scents are more important to me.   So......that didn't really help. All I did was come closer to buying all of them instead of narrowing down my choices!
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

breakdown, Joyful update

JOYFUL MOON White musk, French vanilla, ambrette seed, frankgipani, angelica root, white rose, orris, and honeysuckle. No white rose for me, especially with orris. Powdery soapy city.   LIBERTY Liberty was created for the CBLDF, inspired by Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People: frankincense, beeswax, olive blossom, chamomile, sampaguita, magnolia, apple blossom, gunpowder, and smoke. Nope.....not really in a floral mood, and beeswax might be honeyish.   Rappaccini's Apiary:   No honey for me! Thanks anyway!   MOONSHINE AND MIST Ethereal, otherworldly, delicate: ambergris, white musk, water violet, ylang ylang, magnolia, and white sandalwood. Ehh.....somewhat on the floral, papery/powdery side? I mean, I like white musk sometimes, it's not my favorite, but I can wear it. But white sandalwood is usually papery to me, and all these things together.....just don't call out to me.   OLD DEMONS OF THE FIRST CLASS Siberian musk, black clove, opoponax, tonka, black pepper, and neroli. Definitely want to try this! I have often coveted the Siberian Musk single note, never got to try it, and besides that the rest of those notes sound great too. Sometimes black pepper turns on me.....well, so does clove, sometimes, for that matter......but this is very much worth a try.   THE DEATH-HORSE Lily of the Valley and opopponax. I generally stay away from most lilies, because they turn into sharp soap of the apocolypse. I don't know, though, the simplicity appeals to me, and I think I do like opopponax. Could be worth a sniff but I'm not going far out of my way to find it.   THE GRAVE-PIG Fig, oakmoss, mushroom caps, and patchouli. This doesn't call out to me, despite being potentially dude-fume, which I usually do seek out. But I'm not a fan of mushrooms in any form (scent or taste), and oakmoss can be overwhelming at times. Could be worth a try.   BEER FROM THE MARSH WOMAN'S BREWERY A beer flavored with marsh arrow grass, yew berries, purple foxglove, and giant hogweed. Hmph. Another scent that is not calling to me, but who knows....it could be worth a try. Herbs and beer? Wow. Just can't picture it.   THE NIGHT-RAVEN Indigo musk, wild plum, rose geranium, benzoin, night-blooming jasmine, and patchouli. Even though I'm intrigued by indigo musk, I'm probably going to let this one pass by. I just don't like rose geranium. I do already have a dark purple-y Chaos Theory that I really like, so I'll just stick with that.   THE OLD GOBLIN A crown of hardened ice and polished fir-cones. Pine in any form gets my attention, so I really do want to try this. Snowball Fracas had some kind of sharp ammonia-like note, so that would be the only potential problem here, if this scent has it too.   CAT ALLINGHAM Distilled shadows, a bleak desert landscape at midnight: Myroswelia balsam, gaïac wood, obsidian musk, green cumin, patchouli, myrrh, Siamese benzoin, frankincense, champaca, and sand. Oh, crud. This one, sadly, does call out to me, and I'm unlikely to get to try it. It sounds good....kind of like a fancy schmancy relative of Oblivion.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Chaos Theory V!

I squeed my pants when I saw this:   "For this series, we decided to try a different type of chaotic experimentation. Each CT:5 scent has a base of one of the following scents, in wildly varying proportions:   Dorian O Penitence Snake Oil"   ....I totally was not expecting a new round of Chaos Theory!! All my bottle purchasing plans just went out the window in favor of CT. I love it so much, because each one is on-of-a-kind. My tentative plans for purchasing this round:   Snake Oil.....will 2 be enough? I dunno, I already bought the whole Snake Pit, how many Snake Oil variants can one person hoard?? I did trade away a few of my Snake Pit scents, though. I'll say 2 of these, for now.   Dorian......at least 2, maybe 3......not because I'm crazy about the scent, really, but I think this one has the most exciting potential to be something great with other notes added (did that make sense? I know I'm rambling now).   Penitence.....at least one, maybe 2.....Penitence itself goes just a bit powdery on me, but I like it enough that I want to try one or two variations, just for the hell of it!   O.....no thank you! I am glad there is one that I can safely skip. I never have tried it, and honey usually is not my thing.   So, screw it, I should just get 1 of each (of the first 3) now, then another one of each (maybe 2 more of Snake Oil) before they go away. Sounds like a plan! I'm already impatient!
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

HOOOO-boy

Lots on my mind, and lots to do in the next week or so....and beyond. I've pretty much decided to move when my lease is out which is at the end of November, which means I'm looking at an apartment tomorrow, so I can get things moving ASAP.   The apartment sounds really great, and it's in an area that I like, so I'm really excited and I hope that I like it. It has many more pros than the place where I live now, and honestly, I can hardly wait to move out of there. Cat friendly, laundry in basement, off-street parking, secure building, paid heat and water, nicer neighborhood.....and the landlady seems okay to me, just from the phone conversations we've had. Also it's only a couple of blocks away from the Cincinnati Zoo, which I think is really great (the Zoo is in kind of a bad area but that's not the part where I'm looking.....I'm a little further south of that which is more of a college- and medical-student area).   Other than that, I have a whole bunch of smaller stuff that I need to get done, including cleaning up my current apt so I can be sure to get my deposit back. I will feel a little bad telling my current landlady that I'm not staying, but......well, I can't think of a but. I just never felt at home there, can't stand the neighbors, can't get comfortable in the space....what more really needs to be said? It's a nice apartment but I just for whatever reason couldn't get myself adjusted there. And I'm definitely not staying for another year, and she won't go month-to-month, so there ya go.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Serge Lutens Chene

Notes: cedar crystals, wood sap, black thyme, oak, immortelle, beeswax, silver birch, rum absolute and tonka bean   I'm getting mostly sharp woods, verging on sour like patchouli sometimes does to me. I can sense thyme, just a little. I like woody scents but lately I've been more in the mood for something a little sweet and spicy. Maybe because it's almost fall? I like Chene but won't be hunting down more. I'll keep my sample in case my scent moods change again back to more intense woods.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

blogy

Bleeehhhhhh.........   My 5th night in a row at work.......do not feel like being here.......wish I brought my real paper journal with me........but I do actually have school work I should be doing. But I don't really have the attention span right now!   I'm finding myself very busy lately, and it seems like there's not enough time in the day to do the things I want or need to do. So I don't even try. With the time I do have I end up laying around playing video games. Ah well, life could be worse, and I really can't complain.   Spending too much money on perfume lately, but that's nothing new. I have Mad Hatter and Baron Samedi bottles on the way, which is awesome.   Can't seem to settle on one topic so that's all for now.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Sigh of relief

I am finally done with early fall term, and I think I got some good grades. I know I passed CPT coding, which I was really worried about for a while. I was worried because I just wasn't getting it and I bombed a test and a couple quizzes, but I finally got the hang of it more or less, and ended up doing okay. So I am on a short break until late fall term starts (a week from today, I think), and just enjoying that even though I'm at work right now. I placed an order with the lab and I'm impatient for that to arrive, but it won't be here for a couple more weeks. It's just a relief to be done with those 3 classes. For the last 2 or 3 weeks I've been really stressed out and was having trouble seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Divine L'homme Sage

Notes: saffron, mandarin, cardamom, lychee, aromatic woods, immortelle (or everlasting flower), patchouli, oak moss, amber, incense   This smells good, but it's kind of a hyper-dude-fume to me. I admit that it softens somewhat after it's been on the skin for a little while. I love this kind of scent, but this particular one is just not for me. It smells good but it's way too butch for my liking. It's warm and woodsy, a little spicy, just a little powdery amber, and something almost like leather which might be saffron playing tricks on my nose.   Frank Los Angeles 2 is my go-to scent for woods and spices, and luckily I have a full bottle of that, so I don't need more of this.   Edit: This does sweeten up considerably after a few hours, and I think what I'm smelling now is mostly the immortelle and incense. It's much nicer now but takes a long time to get there.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Halloween

I'm excited, of course, about the Halloween update coming up. It's my absolute favorite of all the special updates we get to see, and that's including Carnaval Diabolique. There's just something so special and cozy about fall for me. It makes me think of sleepovers, watching horror movies (good ones and bad ones), spicy and sweet goodies, brisk walks in chilly night air......the list goes on......   My only complaint is that I don't take full advantage of all the fun things I could do in the fall season. This is due to my own laziness, and too much focus on work. But I do manage to make some fun goodies at home like mulled apple cider, or some kind of spicy baked goods. It's a great feeling to fire up the oven when it's actually cool outside. So warm and cozy!   So obviously I'm really happy that the Halloween update will be coming along soon. Usually I buy one or two bottles unsniffed based on the descriptions, which is always fun because it adds an element of chance. Then I go nuts with decants. I think the one series that held the most favorites for me was the Order Of The Dragon. I just love Quncey Morris, Dr. John Seward, and of course Count Dracula. And then there are the old favorites like Samhain, Devil's Night, and now Death Of Autumn. It's funny.....Samhain is something I don't wear very often, probably less than 10 times during the whole year, but it's something that I just don't want to be without. When I want to smell it, nothing else will do. I think 2007 is the only year that I didn't at least try the new one, and I have a nearly full bottle from 2004.   I just can't wait to see what autumn brings us this year! :love!:
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Whooooa Nelly

I'm a little exhausted....weekends tend to wear me out (the ones when I work, that is), and I didn't get much sleep before work. My landlady showed the apartment to a couple with a little girl. Having strange people in the apt kind of wakes me up and so I couldn't get to sleep after they left, and also, I'm on at the very end of Under The Dome, and I just couldn't put it down to go to sleep. So I had about 4 hours of sleep before work, maybe 5 hrs tops. Anyway....this is okay because in the morning when I get home I will flop into bed and sleep to my heart's content!   I am excited to be moving, but most of all, ready for it to be done (and I haven't even started). I can't wait to be in my cozy little new apartment! It is a funny apartment, probably the smallest one I've ever lived in, and kind of retro but not in a cool way...it has a tacky, 70's Brady Bunch kind of feel. The living room has fake brick on the walls (which I think is awesome).
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Excited

I am so excited about Bioshock 2! I hope it doesn't suck. I pre-ordered the special edition, which has some nifty extras like a soundtrack CD, and also the orchestral soundtrack from the first game on vinyl. My turntable currently needs a new stylus but that's neither here nor there. It also has an art book of some sort. Kind of an impulsive purchase but there ya go. Now the only bad part is, it will take a few days for it to be delivered, and meanwhile other people will be playing the game already......   But....I've waited this long, I can wait a while longer.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Chaos Theory IV.....I forget the number

.....and the bottle is at home. I'll edit later with the Roman numeral.   Herbs? Licorice, black leather? Eucalyptus?   This is scent is weird. Very weird. It starts out herbal and..........jeez, I can't even think of a word. It reminds me of chemicals, magic markers, or maybe hairspray, with eucalyptus.   After it dries for a while, I would still call it herbal, but the nearly menthol quality fades. It changes to something like black jelly beans with no sugar, more synthetic, not like anise the herb. I also smell asphalt, and something that reminds me of sleet. The slightly sour hairspray note can still be detected.   This reminds me strongly of a conceptual scent, an H.R. Giger painting, maybe? Grey pipes hissing with mist......cold, not hot. The colors would be all grays and blacks. There is not a drop or ounce of color in this scent. It could be called Black Ice if there weren't already a Black Ice. This one has no flowers or sweetness whatsoever (unlike the existing Black Ice scent). I'll be honest, at first I hated it, but I have to admit that it's strangely compelling.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Yule breakdown continued

Gacela Of The Dark Death....."Terebinth pine, pitch, and clove". After reading the poem, I'm wondering if there will be a sneaky note of apple that wasn't listed? Anyway, clove is the only thing I'm not really sure of here. Sometimes it smells sour to me. Probable decant. 3/5   Hypothermia....."Bone-chilling, heart-stopping cold". Hmm, could this be like Archangel Winter, or something totally different? I do like the cold scents. Probable decant. 3/5   In Winter In My Room....."Pink, lank, and warm: grapefruit, yuzu, tuberose, peony, violet leaf, pikaki, Indian frankincense, and tonka". I don't really get the poem, and the notes aren't really calling to me either. Possible sniff somewhere down the road....unless the reviews catch my eye. 2/5   Joulumuori....."Old Lady Christmas, the sweet, smiling wife of Finland's Joulupukki. Her scent invokes the comforts of Christmastime and the warmth of love and cheerful companionship: a glowing hearth, luumukiisseli, riisipuuro, and sima". So apparently this has prunes soaked in sugar, rice pudding, and a certain mead made with lemons and raisins (in addition to the glowing hearth). Could be a nice warm and cozy scent. Possible decant. 2/5   Lick It Til It's Sticky.....another one I can safely pass on. : ) 1/5   Midnight Mass 2009.....I don't need a bottle, but a decant might be nice. I already have 2 or 3 decants from the past Yules, and I don't really wear this scent, but I always feel drawn to it. Go figure. 2/5   Nes Gadol Haya Sham....one scent in four parts?? I'm so confused! The notes all sound nice enough, but if they're all together in one scent, it will be complex indeed. I'll be watching with interest for reviews and clarification. 2/5   Now Winter Nights Enlarge....."Shorten those tedious nights with a surge of body heat: vanilla-infused red musk, champaca, petitgrain, ylang ylang, patchouli, nutmeg, honey, galbanum, and traces of caramel". This just isn't calling to me all that much.....and there's the dreaded honey, too. I'll be watching reviews. 2/5   On Darkness 2009...."An embrace: black poppy, lavender, thick black incense, black amber, rose geranium, Brazilian rosewood, and benzoin". At first I liked my decant from last year, but after a while I decided it was a little too rich. I might still want some more of this, but I'm just not sure. 2/5   The Peacock Queen.....thanks but not for me. I still have an older decant that I never wear. 1/5   Pink Snowballs...."A lighthearted winter scent: chilly vanilla rose snowballs! Dainty, soft, and certainly unfit for flinging!" Hee hee, I kind of want a decant just because it would be funny for a guy to wear this. What's that perfume you're wearing? Oh, this is Pink Snowballs. So butch!! It does actually sound pretty. 2/5   The Season Of Ghosts....."A scent created to burn away sorrow: bergamot, frankincense, rose geranium, ginger, lemongrass, and blood orange". Lots of citrus, but where's the fire? This could be something nice. 2/5   The Shivering Boy 2009......I probably don't need more of this one. Probably. 2/5   Sleipnir...."Confections spun of hazelnuts, honey, elderberries, and bilberries with a dusting of hay and a bit of carrot". Well......not so much. I just don't like honey (in perfume, that is). 1/5   Snow-Flakes 2009......"The radiance and desolation of winter". I used to have a decant of the older one, and I gave it to my sister. I can barely remember what it smelled like. I might end up wanting a decant this year. 3/5   The Snow Maiden......?? I have a blank spot in my memory for this scent. Are their older versions? No notes? I'll have to look up reviews, but I have a feeling I can pass. 2/5   Snow White 2009.....I'm happy with my decant from '07. 1/5   Snowball Fracas....."Muddy dirt and frost-covered moss from the trenches rubbed into winter clothes and snow impact overspray". Not sure, possible decant. 3/5   Sol Invictus 2009.....never had much of a hankering for this one. I think I actually tried it one time, and it turned to powder. 1/5   When The Winter Chrysanthemums Go....."A gentle flurry of snow dusting the season's last chrysanthemums, illuminated by pale rays of winter's amber-tinted sunlight". Yes, please......possible bottle. 4/5   Yule Cat....."Malevolent musk, a drop of infernal civet, vetiver, club moss, birch, goosefoot, and rowan". No civet for me, thank you! 1/5   ......to be continued.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Conclusion

So, after all that fuss, it turns out I was right after all.....my current lease is from December to December. With a little more planning and communication, I could have avoided that whole awkward situation.   The good news is that I'm moving next month. My new apartment is almost exactly halfway between work and school (a mile and a half to either one). In a pinch if my car broke down, I could walk to either work or school. It also has: off street parking, secure entry/building, laundry in the basement, and paid heat and water. I am really excited.   Now for the big pain in the ass of moving again. Once again, I should just throw a lot of stuff away, useless junk that I tend to hold onto. Time to look for boxes!
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Breakdowns and stuff

My exams went really well, what a relief! Moving on.......   I wanted to do my own breakdown of some recent updates. I'm at work and it's busy, so we'll see how far I get. Starting with the Black Helicopter scents.........   The Aurora Spaceship Takes A Dive...."Texas thistle, bluebell, red corn poppy, magnolia, sunflower, cedar sage, and smashed, flaming windmill". A little on the floral side for me, and I've learned that I'm not a big fan of poppy. But still, I could end up liking this. I may track down a decant.   The Committee Of 300: Meeting Minutes......"An ominous round table for the quintessential Round Table Group: polished wood, tobacco smoke, faded cologne, and neon discharge". Sounds discordant, with wood and smoke, but also cologne and neon discharge? I just don't know about this one, it could go either way. I suppose I'll have to try a decant sooner or later.   Illuminati Cotillion......"Ceremonial incense, pipe tobacco, temple roses, and shittim wood". If not for the roses, I would really want to try this. As it stands, I might want to try it anyway. I'm always attracted to incense scents, and even some of the ones with rose end up being nice.   Menacing Ionospheric Research Instrument......"Electrically charged white amber, violet, sage, mint, and neroli flanked by dazzling metals and shining wires". I usually stay away from violet, and I'm not a big fan of neroli, but yet again, this could go either way. I'm just not sure! Decant, somewhere down the line.   The Montauk Project....."Breathtaking native flora concealing a bastion of covert government experiments: shagbark hickory, sassafras, black gum, bald cypress, pine, dogwood, wild comfrey, swamp sunflower, and trumpet creeper". Bottle already ordered! The florals scare me a little, but I'm very attracted by the sassafras and pine. I love taking a chance with a scent and being pleasantly surprised. I'm not completely sure I'll like this but I can hardly wait to find out.   .....more later.....
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Ginger

Ginger is a hit-or-miss note for me. I love Shub-Niggurath, but I don't like the ginger note in Saw Scaled Viper and War. I like Sudha Segara, but I don't love it, and I'm not sure I can smell the ginger in it. It smells more like sparkly lemon and lime to me. I have a wee sample of ginger essential oil from Nature's Gift, and I really like how it smells. Oh and I do like Pumpkin Queen, but I don't love it (wait.....PQ does have ginger, doesn't it?).   I was reading reviews for Shub-Niggurath and couldn't believe all the variations people are smelling. I don't smell lemon at all when I wear it. And were there really different 'versions' of Shub? I always wonder if that's true or if it's just people's different perceptions of the same scent. I have a decant of pre-resurrection Shub, and also a bottle of the resurrected Shub, and they smell exactly alike to me. Of course, I don't know how old the decant is.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Moving on to positive things!

Breakdown for the new scents (I need a break from studying, anyway)........I've never read Neverwhere or the other graphic novels, so these are based on notes, concepts, and imagery.   Mr. Croup....."Pompous and predatory: tonka bean, black musk, bourbon geranium, and crushed porcelain". Intrigued by the crushed porcelain, but the bourbon geranium is probably the deal breaker. At least....I know I don't like rose geranium. May try a decant eventually.   Mr. Vandemar....."Dark and gangly, with a glint of razor-sharp stainless steel behind it: opopponax, costus, black pepper, black sandalwood, and polished metal". Hmmm.....possibly.....but I'm kind of scared off by the black sandalwood, it hasn't worked much for me.....at least, I didn't like the one Ode To Mars scent that had black sandalwood. This looks interesting enough to try.   Door.....golden honey, nope.   The Marquis de Carabas....."A splash of bay rum, leather, dusty black wool, massoia bark, and opium residue". This looks pretty good, except maybe for dusty wool, but I'm willing to try a decant at some point.   The Rat Speakers...."A snuffling, brown scent: earthy patchouli, sage, russet sandalwood, grimy leather, fig leaf, and lemongrass". This sounds reminiscent of Brown Jenkins, and some of the Wind In The Willows scents.....and none of them worked for me. I would try it if it comes my way but I can most likely skip this one.   Anesthesia....."A scent that slips through the cracks: peppermint, lavender, bergamot, and mandrake". Sounds pretty and refreshing, not what I usually go for but I'm kind of attracted to it. Decant might be good at some point.   Night's Bridge...."Stone and darkness". This sounds totally intriguing, especially since I loved Sarah from last year's Halloween blends. I will probably end up trying this one.   Hunter....."Leonine amber, tanned hides, clove, and clary sage". Yes, I want to try this, definitely.   The Floating Market....."A cacophony of curious scents: copaiba balsam, petitgrain, citrus rind, sinicuichi accord, betel nut, wasabi root, coconut palm, and wattleseed layered atop innumerable strange herbs, spices, and woods". Sounds really interesting, sometimes I can do the more herbal scents. some of these things I'm not familiar with but I really don't see anything that worries me.   The Velvets....."Smooth inky musk, cathedral incense, ylang ylang, violet leaf, rose-infused amber, red sandalwood, and iris". This is interesting because I'm attracted to the concept and imagery more than the actual notes. Might be fun to risk a decant, and even better if I end up liking it.   Lamia....."Deadly elegance: pale orchid, lily of the valley, vanilla amber, black currant, white peach, champaca, coconut, honeysuckle, Arabian myrrh, Burmese vetiver, and oude". Sounds pretty and womanly, but could be worth a try. I like most of the notes.....but lily can be a deal-breaker.   Plutonian...."Soapy cleanliness sullied by blood and ashes". I don't like a lot of soapy scents but this could still work, and it's worth a try.   Mr. Qubit....."Gleaming metal, electrical discharge, and a whiff of tinny cologne". Sounds kind of like last year's anniversary scents....which didn't really work for me. But I'm still interested in trying most things that are dude-centric, which this appears to be. I'll be watching reviews.   Bette Noir.....sounds very womanly, I can probably pass on this one.   Kaidan....I already tried this....not bad but didn't knock my socks off. I may try it again some day.   Yurei....."White tea, hibiscus, Arabian sandalwood, white amber, ho leaf, pale Japanese flowers, and vetiver". Could be a nice springy scent. Worth a try, for sure.   Alana Patel....."Faded perfume, cigarette smoke, and gin". Not my kind of thing, but I'd be interested in smelling it just because it contains a note of cigarette smoke.   Witchblade...."Antediluvian, sacred metal, glowing red musk, blessed frankincense, and antiqued amber". Sounds pretty good to me....I think I'll have to try it!   Sara Pezzini....honey-dusted.....nope!   Det. Patrick Gleason....."A classic men's cologne splashed over a leather trenchcoat and a hint of gunshot residue". Sounds like it could be worth a try.   The Curator....."Mysterious herbs and ancient resins. Dust settled on ancient relics, both holy and malevolent". Worth a try, but could be too dusty.   Panther Moon....."Gleaming black musk, mandrake, labdanum, black ginger, benzoin, champaca, ambergris accord, myrrh, and star anise". I just don't know.....I mean, it sounds good, but I can't tell for sure if I'd like it, or if it will be too similar to other things I've tried. I didn't end up liking Velvet Panther, and black musk is one of those things that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't for me. This is very much worth a try, and could be worth a whole bottle. I just wish I could decide!   All of the honey scents........no.   Paduan Killer Swarm....."Tonka, black licorice, amber, golden sandalwood, ginger cream, bitter clove, stinging nettle, cinnamon bark, and coconut shell". I like the combination of notes listed, but what if it has honey, too? That would be a deal breaker for sure. But everything else sounds so good.....   Paramatman....."Orange blossom, East Indian sandalwood, and champaca". Yet another 'worth a try', although I don't usually like orange blossom all that much.   Ehecatl......"Hibiscus, matcha, white musk, and lime". You guessed it.......worth a try.   The Forest Reverie....."A sunlit ancient forest, dotted with wild roses, grape vine, and queenly lilies, clothed in swirls of opium smoke". Roses and lilies.......no, no, no.   L'examen de Minuit.....lilac and rose otto......nope.   Pyramus......"Dragon's blood resin, frankincense, amber, white tea, lavender, and golden musk". This sounds really good. It would be fun to find someone to split the pair with me, because I know I wouldn't like the other half.   Thisbe....."Diaphanous sandalwood, pink rose, lotus root, lemon orpur, and iris stained by mulberry juice". Pink rose and iris? I think not.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

Yule breakdown part 3!

The Adoration Of The Mi-Go....."Luminous, otherworldly wet and piquant odors mingling with black incense, the pitch-stench of Yuggoth, and fungal lichens". Will watch reviews. 2/5   Mother Shub's Spiced Lait De Chevre....."Goat's milk egg nog with coffee liqueur and spices imported from the Crimson Desert!" I should be more interested, but this just isn't calling to me for some reason. 2/5   Mother Shub's Pfancy Pfeffernuesse......"Sugar-sprinkled pepper nuts with a bit of cinnamon, a bit of clove, a little cardamom, and a hint of nutmeg". LOL, it's all spice, all the time! I may end up trying this but I don't like pepper in my perfume. 2/5   Mother Shub's Toothsome Banketstaaf....."Tubular pastries oozing with spijs, glazed with apricot jam, and dotted with glace cherries". Um, what's spijs? I don't get very excited about most fruity scents, so I'll probably pass on this one. 2/5   Mason And Jenkin's Port Jelly....."Red and sticky!" Well, not so much for me. 1/5   Old Man Ackerman's Instructional Toys......I'll be watching reviews for this one. 2/5   The Smilin' Servitors' Hyperdimensional Holiday Hits....."A discordant scent, silvery and strange like a lunatic's tinsel garland: freesia, eucalyptus, and yuzu, with sicilian lemon, massoia, opoponax, night-blooming jasmine, white bergamot, and copaiba oleoresin". Will watch reviews. 2/5   Pet Magah Bird....."A prism of scent, an explosion of multi-colored feathers: blood orange, black plum, sugar cane, guava, frangipani, coconut, pimento berry, violet, caramel, and pear". A prism of scent sounds very pretty, but with all that fruit, I'm going to pass. 1/5   The Black Temple Burlesque Troupe......"Cacao, black musk, and tobacco absolute". Sounds kind of good except for cacao. Once again, I'll be watching reviews, but I bet this will be popular. 2/5   ....okay, I am at work and I should actually do some work. I'll finish the breakdown later!
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
 

non-bpal review/Vetiver Guerlain

Vetiver Guerlain   "fresh and outdoorsy, a blend of vetiver, wood, tobacco and spice." (description from Fragrancenet.com   I love vetiver and having read lots of rave reviews, I really wanted to try this. Wet on the skin, for the first 10 or 15 minutes, this is a glorious, almost dizzying swirl of fresh, bright citrus notes, with some green grassiness peeking in and out. I loved it! After a while, all the top notes fade and what's left is simply vetiver single note. It's a light, fresh vetiver, almost reminiscent of sweet hay. Not a bad thing, but I'd love to smell that first stage longer.
forspecial_plate

forspecial_plate

0
Sign in to follow this  
Followers 0
×