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About this blog

Notes to myself and anyone else

Entries in this blog

 

bottle wants

In order, roughly......   Three Gorgons Dia Flowering Chrysanthemums Lovers In A Ricefield Glukuprikos Silence (pending) Carnaval Diabolique Satan And Death With Sin Intervening Obatala

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non-bpal review/Pascal Morabito Or Black

Pascal Morabito Or Black   I sought this after reading Luca Turin's perfume blog, he seemed to really like it. This review is from one test on the skin (I'll probably wear it again, so I may add to this entry later).   top Note : bergamote, pepper, leather Note de cœur : benzoin, ciste, cyprus Note de fond : vetiver, ylang-ylang, amber, Tonkin Musk, oak moss.   Didn't refresh my memory on the notes first, so I thought it was primarily an incense scent. Wet on the skin, it was exactly that. Slightly reminiscent of Midnight Mass, but murkier, more 'black'. After a few minutes, very shortly, I realized there was a strong note of leather. It reminded me of something from my past, maybe Drakkar Noir. It seems to be a formal, almost stern scent. Heavy and dark. Not for everyday wear, but probably good for special occasions. The leather comes out strong and lasts for a long time.

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sniffie overlooooaad............

I got so many decants today yesterday! Add that to the Lab order I got this week, and a couple other forum swaps this week also......I have a whole big bunch of new sniffies to try. I'm so glad tomorrow is Saturday, even though it's my weekend to work. I'll have time tomorrow to relax and try out all my new stuff. Well, I doubt I'll get to everything but I'll try a bunch.   I already tried A Countenance Forboding Evil, and didn't like it much. : ( I usually like patchouli but it disagreed with me in this blend, for some reason. Maybe the ylang-ylang contributed some weirdness, because honestly I couldn't smell that note, but there was something there that just wasn't sitting right for me. I will, of course, try it again......maybe in a few days, maybe sooner.   I also tried Monsterbait: Underpants and honestly......I wondered all day if I got a mis-labelled decant. It smells exactly like Morocco to me. I did some searching and found that some other people smelled the similarity, but really....I thought it really was Morocco and not Underpants. I told moonarcana I think she'll help me figure it out, she has a decant of Underpants.   I tried both Christmas Rose and Buena Noche, and I liked B.N. much better. It did remind me a little of Chrysanthemum Moon (which I was hoping for), and later some soapiness came out (from the lily, probably). Christmas Rose was sharper than I was expecting, and almost aquatic with the snow note. Not sure that one is going to work for me but I'll be trying it again.   Out of all the Yule LE blends this year, I know I want a bottle of Jolasveinar. Beyond that I don't know yet, I've got a lot of testing to do. I probably don't need a whole bottle of Buena Noche, but I might want one. I can't wait to compare Rose Red and Peacock Queen.

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That Feeling again

I guess basically it's insecurity that I'm feeling. NYE was fun, but ever since then I've been worrying that I made an ass of myself....said the wrong things.....acted like a dumbass......etc. I hung out with 3 of my friends, 2 of them are a couple I know, both very good looking, good friends, always gracious to me and I know I worry needlessly. They were nothing but nice and let me crash on their couch, invited me to a great dinner, went out of their way to make fun drinks I hadn't tried before (caiphirina? I don't know how to spell it), but I can't seem to just let go of my worries and just have fond memories of the whole night. I envy them because I am single and when I let myself think about it, not really happy about it, so I usually just try to focus on school and work. Anyway.....just feeling totally unworthy and trying to write about it to get it all out. Really nothing new in my world.

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More zoo stuff

I went to the zoo again last week, and had a nice relaxing visit. The weather was really great, a little chilly but sunny and windy.   I enjoy watching the serval in the cat house.....so graceful and.....willowy? I also love the feathertailed gliders in the nocturnal house. They are incredibly cute. It's funny because the nocturnal house is, of course, dark inside. At first when I looked in on the feathertailed gliders, I didn't see anything moving. So after standing still and watching for a couple minutes, I started to notice little darting movements here and there. They are like small mice, with weird tails that look kind of flattened out, which they use for gliding. I didn't see any of them jump or glide, but they were darting around and moving all over. They are so cute!   I watched the Sumatran rhinos eat for a while. I love their eyes. They open their eyes so wide you can see the white parts. The zoo built these really cool sun-shades over the rhino habitat, to protect them from the sun.   The insect house has a whole section that you walk into, and it looks like a greenhouse, and it's full of butterflies. There are a few different kinds of birds, too, including hummingbirds, my favorite. For a while I didn't see any hummingbirds but I was determined so I stayed in there for a few minutes, and finally spotted one. It was great.

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Video Game Excitement

I realized yesterday that I've reached the point where upcoming video games are more exciting to me now than upcoming movies. I guess a lot of people crossed that line a long time ago, but for me it's pretty amazing that I reached it at all.   I am still excited about the Dark Crystal sequel, and the Dawn Treader movie from the Narnia series. However, I am much, much more excited about the Last Guardian. In fact, I just preordered it. Woo Hoo!! I can't wait.

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Wow

I am all moved in now at my new apartment. I like it a lot more than the old one! I'm still unpacking and arranging, which will probably take me a while, but I have 5 closets, which is wonderful. I'm looking forward to a couple of relaxing days just getting settled in.

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more breaking down

Phantom Time Hypothesis....."A traditional Medieval perfume that never existed: balm, benzoin, damask rose, gumdragon, lignum aloes, orange water, ambergris, and vegetal musk". Hmm, sounds interesting, except for the rose! I can probably pass on this one, honestly. I'm kind of intrigued by vegetal musk, though.   Reptoid Dominion....."Malevolent superintelligent para-dimensional shapeshifting reptoid musk". I don't like all musks, but I'd love to try this one! It could be really great.   Skytyping With Chemtrails....."Incapacitating poofiness: spun sugar, white amber, white musk, citron, and lemongrass masking a sinister, almost chemical undernote of elemi, zdravetz, and ravintsara". Well, not so interested in this one....reminds me of a few other scents that I've already tried. I could end up liking it but I'm still trying to track down that bottle of Metal Phoenix. I may try this some day, though.   Staged Moon Landing....."Prop moon rocks: muguet, orris, white sandalwood, galbanum, cistus, and dusty vanilla". I am generally not fond of papery, dusty scents, with a few notable exceptions, so this one isn't really tripping my radar. White sandalwood can be papery on me, it's probably my least favorite kind of sandalwood.   Teatime In Roswell....."Aliens at high tea: Earl Grey, biscuits, Battenberg cake, and strangely-glowing cucumber sandwiches". I'm curious....or is that just the hype getting to me? : ) I would like to try this, though. I'm not totally against the occasional cakey scent.   Traipsing Through The Crop Circles....."Miles and miles of flattened wheat, barley, and maize". Not sure about this one. Just from the description, I can't really imagine what it would smell like. I didn't really fall for Bezoar or Hay Moon, and corn doesn't sound all that appealing, but again, this could be another one that surprises me and ends up smelling great. I just can't tell sometimes.

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wish list 2009/Jan

[i will periodically copy and past my wish-list, because I edit it pretty often and sometimes like to look at old versions]   Bold type just means I have a particular interest, or higher priority for that scent. I try to update this pretty often....   5ml interests...or partials, I love partials! : ) A Blade Of Grass Baron Samedi Carceri d'Invenzione Carnaval Diabolique Cloister Graveyard In The Snow Great Sword Of War Obatala Satan and Death With Sin Intervening Scales Of Deprivation Theodosius Three Gorgons Wood Phoenix   GC imps that I want (imps/decants would be delightful) Aelopile Baghdad Bensiabel Black Hellebore Brisingamen Bruised Violet Compound The Caterpillar Deep In Earth Frumious Bandersnatch Hanging Gardens Hecate Imp Inferno Intrigue Jersey Devil Kill-Devil Lampades Libertine Love's Torments Lyonesse Mary Read Nero Niflheim No. 93 Engine Nostrum Remedium The Phantom Wooer Port Royal Queen of Sheba Rome Santo Domingo The Sea Foams Blood Serpents With Glittering Eyes And Forky Tongues Strangler Fig Sundew Sybaris Thorns To A Woman Tushnamatay Verdandi The Witch's Garden   'Set Only' imps/unimpables I would like (imps or decants) The Ecstacy of St. Theresa Famine Haloes The House The Ifrit La Vague Lucretia Madonna Parsifal Silence Three Brides Three Gorgons   LE/Trading Post/etc Decants ISO any testable amount 413 U.S. 15/Miller Vs. California The Blood Garden The Bloody Sword Cagliostro The Chapel The Contract Of Theophilus Of Adana The Cracked Bell Damnation Humbug Knucklebones Long Night Moon Moana Pumpkin Patch III (2007) Scattered Gloom Shill Tupapau Uncertain Horror Upa Upa Virgo 2007 Yule   Single Notes dream list (decants) Ambergris, Black Cherry, Black Musk, Black Poppy, Cherry, Licorice Bark, Light Myrrh, Oakmoss, Red Musk, Red Mysore Sandalwood, Redwood, Siberian Musk, Tonka Bean, White Sandalwood

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2018 Yule breakdown

for my own benefit, so I know what decants and/or bottles to hunt for!  I'm leaving out the ones I'm definitely not interested in.  I think I'm going back to my old rating system, rating these on a scale of 1-5 to measure my interest level.   Blueberry Sufganiyot, "Blueberry-filled sufganiyot, blooping blue with jelly" Maybe a decant just for fun, not a top priority.  I know a friend who says she's getting this, maybe I can just try hers : )  2/5   Hearthflame and Incense, "Crackling almond wood and the deep sweet smoke of burgundy pitch, Austrian amber resin, black copal, and frankincense" This has potential, but I sometimes don't like copal (not sure about black).  3/5   Jacob's Ladder, "golden amber, galbanum, benzoin, ambrette, rockrose, costus and tonka" I haven't tried this since '06 or '07.  It really is my kind of thing and I'm surprised I haven't worn it since then.  Possible decant.  3/5   Maison en Pain D'Epices, gingerbread house I've been wanting to try this since I first saw it, but never have tried it.  Possible decant.  3/5   Mincemeat Pie, "Figs, dried cherries, and suet accord steeped in dark brown sugar, crystallized ginger, lemon and orange zest, nutmeg, allspice, and clove, embraced by an apple cider cornmeal crust" If this isn't the foody scent to end all foody scents, I don't know what is!  Seriously, this is on my radar because it just sounds great.  I occasionally do wear gourmand scents and this sounds like a really good one which I might enjoy.  4/5   Shattered Silence, "black cedar, yew berries, juniper and frost-crusted moss, crushed beneath a shaggy spectral black musk" This has some potential, I'm vaguely interested, will watch reviews first but possible decant.  2/5   Song of the Otherworld, "Sleet and champaca, fir needle and opoponax, blue musk and cypress, balsam and snow" Same as above, possible decant or watch reviews.  2/5   The Cross of Snow, "Cypress, Spanish moss, and clove bud with labdanum, Italian bergamot, and white tobacco flower" This has potential, not top priority but I love bergamot and labdanum, I'm just not sure about the tobacco flower.  I'll watch reviews.  3/5   The Season of Ghosts, "bergamot, frankincense, rose geranium, ginger, lemongrass, and blood orange" I've had my eye on this for a long time, and never tried it.  Possible decant.  3/5   Cadences and Shakes, "rosewood and rose geranium prickled with pink peppercorn, cardamom, white sandalwood, and frankincense" I am always saying that I love rosewood, and here it is.  I should try this but somehow I'm not as excited as some of the other scents.  Possible decant.  3/5   Mr. Morse's Seances, "polished teakwood, pipe smoke, sugar-clouded absinthe, vetiver, and rum musk" Well, these notes sound nice, this does have some potential.  It could be too loudly sweet.  Possible decant.  3/5   The Ghost of a Ghost's Ghost, "pallid oakmoss and earthy patchouli tumbling into a void of misty lavender, cistus, and white agarwood" All of these notes sound perfectly acceptable and nice.  It could be good, it could be great, I'm just not sure.  It's not screaming out at me but I may possibly try it.  3/5   The Mysterious Rappings Polka, "Rose musk with pink and black peper, a splash of bay rum, tobacco absolute, and toffee" This one is speaking to me.  I don't know, just one of those strange mix of notes that could be really great.  I am contemplating a full bottle.  4/5   Thought Photography, "Mercury-limned lavender, palo santo, and ambrette seed" Strong possibility, I'm definitely eyeing this one.  3 or 4/5   Gingerbread Oudh I'm interested, because I think it could be a nice semi-gourmand blend of notes.  3 or 4/5   The Lashes, in order : ) Second Lash, "Birch tar, tobacco, bergamot, ochre musk, and petitgrain" Possible decant.  3/5 Fourth Lash, "Black rose, Baltic amber, leather, white sandalwood, black pepper, and vetiver" Possible decant, 3/5 Tenth Lash, "Bitter almond, cacao, black cherry, patchouli, and labdanum" Strong possibility for a decant, I love 2 of the notes (patchouli and labdanum) and have known to like the rest of them.  3 or 4/5 Eleventh Lash, "Snow and black leather" This is intriguing me for some reason.  I may even go straight to a bottle.  4/5 Twelfth Lash, "Blackened patchouli, sweet vetiver, labdanum, and honey" Possible decant, because of the patchouli and labdanum.  3 or 4/5   Schonperchten, "snow-spattered lavender, bourbon vanilla, white mint, and white amber" This could be my minty snow scent I was hoping for.  Bottle or decant?  4/5  

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Oh, and also.....

Continuing my previous posts.....how could I overlook the Snake Pit? I bought the whole thing when it first came out, swapped out a couple of those bottles (Asp Viper, Banded Sea Snake, Green Tree Viper, Australian Copperhead....okay, more than a couple), and I still want to get rid of Saw-Scaled Viper, eventually. But with the ones that I've kept, I doubt that I will need any kind of Snake Oil-related scent again, ever.......especially since I have 2 bottles of Snake Oil itself 'cellared' (and it's hard to believe one of them will be 2 years old in November!). Oh and I swapped that imp of Anaconda for Doc Buzzard, a worthy trade in my opinion.   So unless Snake Charmer is re-released, I am good on Snakey scents for a long, long time. At the rate I wear oils, I may never use them up completely.

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Lilith And The Jarocho

Posting this because the entire description should be saved somewhere. I haven't tried the scent itself, but I'd like to find a decant. I think I would like it but I just can't justify a whole bottle right now, with my financial situation being what it is.   Lilith And The Jarocho.... In the past eight months since Lilith was born, Ted and I have had many moments of unutterable joy. There is one, in particular, that stands out from the rest as perfect.   Our daughter loves music… everything from the clank of her toy piano, to unending looped choruses of "You Are My Sunshine" (with Moonshine variants) and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (or Bat) sung by her mother at naptime, to a rousing round of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" belted out by her father at playtime, to all the hair band videos she watches on Metal Mania.   This kid LOVES music.   On the last Saturday in April, Ted and I took Lilith to Olvera Street, and stopped at the El Paseo Inn for lunch. While we were waiting for our food, the band came to stand behind our table, and Lili was riveted by their music. At the end of the first song, she clapped! Holy hell, that was adorable. The singer saw Lilith clapping and staring, and walked over to us. This sweet, wonderful man serenaded her.   There was a Perfect Moment -- the kindness on the singer’s face as he sang to my baby, Lilith’s eyes as wide as saucers, her hands in prayer position, and the joy radiating from my husband -- this was a moment that brought me to tears.   This scent is a swirl of everything I felt, sensed, smelled, and saw right then, at that perfect point in time: Jasmine, vanilla, Spanish cedar, moss, marigold, purple verbena, candied tamarind, lime rind, a splash of margaritas on a nearby table, a little bit of Dorian, a little bit of Snake Oil, and a bright bouquet of mal de ojo.

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Halloween Summary....

decants, priority 1 Carlin Feeding The Dead The Hell-Gate Of Ireland Lambs-Wool Countess Dolingen Of Gratz Sarah Julia Stone   decants, priority 2 Shadowless Like Silence Summer's Last Will And Testament Trick Or Treat 2009 Pumpkin Patch III Pumpkin Patch IV Lord Ruthven   bottles? The Hell-Gate Of Ireland Lambs-Wool Sarah   Edit: ordered the ones crossed off (in decant form so far), and Devil's Night to boot! Honestly at this point, I'm thinking Sarah might be the only bottle I go for. But of course that could change if I fall in love with any of the other decants. : )

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Breaking it down further......

These are worth a try......   Bijoux Y'Ha-Nthlei......."A strangely proportioned, opulent, lustrous scent: neroli, Hawaiian ginger, white musk, tarragon, beeswax, heliotrope, yellow rose, oud, coriander, amber, and lime peel"......worth a decant   Inganok Jewelers....."Gleaming stone and silver"......might be cologney but worth a decant.   The Steeple....."Otherworldly fungus, Provençal herbs, and dark, shadowy woods".....fungus might contain a dirt note, which doesn't always work......worth a try, though.   Signior Dildo....."A scent of pearls and ivory: orris, violet leaf, narcissus, and Madagascar vanilla".....can't remember if I mentioned this in my first breakdown....might be too perfumey but I'd like to try it.

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Yule

Another one I tried at Sally's, and I've been wanting to try this for a long time. I don't like it nearly as much as I thought I would, but again, this was tested along with about a hundred other scents (exaggeration), so that can distort my impressions. But the wood had a different quality than what I was hoping for (more fuzzy or powdery or something), and it smelled somewhat reminiscent of Rat (I think) from last year's Yule scents, which I already have a decant of, so I probably don't need to hunt down any Yule. It's a good thing to know, and I'm glad I got to try it, because I was really going to try to get a bottle unsniffed.

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ebay and other stuff

I can't seem to resist making outrageous bids on ebay, for bpal scents that I've been wanting for a while. I guess I shouldn't feel guilty.....some of these things I've really wanted for a long time, and they never seem to come up in swaps around here. Of course, it doesn't matter in the end, when I'm outbid less than 12 hours after I place my starting bid (this was for the Holly King proto)! And the winning bid is more than twice what I was willing to pay. I was kind of surprised at that one, I guess I'm not the only one who wanted it badly!   But now I have another auction that I placed a bid on, and we'll see how high that goes. I'm not going to raise my highest bid, because I've already bid more than I really should spend. So, we'll see. It's actually a scent that I already have half a bottle of, and this would be a back-up bottle (something nearly unheard of in my collection, except for Snake Oil which is for aging).   In other news........I'm in the middle of my long stretch of work, interrupted only by being off Tuesday night, until the weekend. I'm looking forward to Tuesday and really looking forward to the weekend, although it's pretty far off. I bought an annual pass to the Newport Aquarium, because I miss the Zoo's aquarium, which was made into the manitee exhibit. The manatees are pretty cool, but the aquarium was always my favorite part of the Zoo. And the Newport Aquarium is not even that great.....there are some cool parts, though. I only have to go once more to make up for the cost of my annual pass (and I'm pretty sure I'll go more than once more in the next year).   Anyway, yeah.....spending lots of money when I should be concentrating on credit card debt. Oh well, gotta have fun somehow, right??   Oh and speaking of spending money, I made an order with Nature's Gift. I bought their Sacred emotional synergy for a room scent. I wanted something for a sort of peaceful meditation blend, although I already have their Meditation blend....and it's pretty awesome.....but I wanted another spiritual blend, too. I also bought some jojoba oil and something for my occasional dermatitis/eczema.....now I can't even remember which oil, LOL.....oh yeah, calendula oil for skin care. And I asked for some samples of their fir/pine essential oils. Can't wait to see what they send me! They're always really nice about sending free samples when I ask for them.

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Halloweenie breakdown

Here are my thoughts. I need to write get it on paper (or on computer screen, as it were) so I can figure out what decants I want. And what bottles. Here we go....   edit: decant desires bolded   BLACK BUTTERFLY MOON Soft, deep, and luminous: Lady of the Night orchid, benzoin, opopponax, currant, black chypre, white gardenia, ambergris, damp, wooded mosses, and black lily. The notes sound nice, except for black lily. I don't feel the need to try this, though. Probably somewhat feminine and perfumey.   THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER A quiet, solitary scent: white rose, frankincense, Arabian sandalwood, neroli, orris root, and patchouli. With 'Rose' in the name, I can safely pass on this one. Not that I hate rose, but I don't really like orris and the combination here would probably be soapy and/or powdery.   SHADOWLESS LIKE SILENCE Dry leaves and white sandalwood, rock moss, cypress, and dry, lifeless roses. Dry, lifeless roses sounds powdery or soapy to me. Another I can pass up. Edit: preliminary reviews are saying the rose is faint.....maybe a decant after all.   SUMMER'S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT Doomed summer, supported on the shoulders of winter and autumn: citrus-infused Baltic amber, red valerian, marigold, blood orange, and sunflower subdued by somber myrrh and dry geranium alongside the leaves of autumn and a breath of winter wind. Sounds nice enough, except it does sound like at least one other blend that I already have a whole bottle of (Red Moon, the newer one). Worth a decant.   UNDER THE HARVEST MOON Blue and white musk, summer roses, wild crimson leaves, grey amber, carnation, lavender bud, and vanilla bean. Sounds very perfumey which I know is a lame adjective but it describes the kind of scent that I'm trying to avoid lately. It's just the word I use for a particular quality that I don't know how else to describe.   BITE ME Croquembouche with almond silk and a drizzle of caramel. Nah, not so much.....I'd sniff it given the chance but not going out of my way to obtain some.   BOO Eerie billows of spun sugar, fluttering white cotton, and sheets of cream. Definitely not. I'm not into cotton/linen notes, or cream for that matter. Worth a sniff, though.   CARLIN Black sage, ivy-twined rowan, thistle, snapdragon, heather, gorse, fumitory, and anise. Just not sure about this one.......worth a decant just to find out. I like herbal scents from time to time.   CREEPY 2009 A return of 2006's Ridiculous Scent! As creepy as Spooky was spooky, this is the scent of butterscotch-kissed, caramel-smothered red apples spiked with a blast of coconut rum. I swapped my bottle from '06, no need to try it again. It's nice enough but a little too rich for me.   DEVIL'S NIGHT 2009 This is the scent of autumn night, fires in the distance, with a touch of boozy swoon, playful sugar and thuggish musk. One of my favorites, but I already have enough to last me a long time. I may get a decant if the reviews indicate it's different from the past ones.   DIA DE LOS MUERTOS 2009 dry, crackling leaves, the incense smoke of altars honoring Death and the Dead, funeral bouquets, the candies, chocolates, foods and tobacco of the ofrenda, amaranth, sweet cactus blossom and desert cereus. Never have tried this, I may end up with a decant eventually. I just don't like chocolate in perfume (usually).   FEEDING THE DEAD A barrel of beer, a pyramid of cakes, and three sticks of incense. I am interested, enough for a decant.   THE HELL-GATE OF IRELAND Smoldering brimstone, bitter labdanum, clove, black musk, and copper-colored feathers. This is one of the more interesting prospects. The only worry is that sometimes black musk is powdery. But not always. Decant.   LAMBS-WOOL A popular holy day beverage in 18th century Ireland: roasted apples mashed into warmed milk and ale, with nutmeg, sugar, ginger, and clove. Warmed milk is the only thing holding me back from a decant. I will watch reviews.   POMONA Azaroles, nuts, and apple blossoms with red apple pulp, mulberry, blackberry, and pomegranate juice. Nahh, too fruity for me. I'll stick with Possets' Pomona.   SAMHAIN 2009 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 am so stocked up on Samhain in its past incarnations, that I really don't need more at this point. Especially since I don't even wear it that much.   SUCK IT Sexy and suckable: black cherry brandy. This sounds like it could be nice, just not sure. Possibly a decant?   TRICK OR TREAT 2009 The sticky sweet scent of candy corn! Even cornier for 2009! - cuz corny is how we roll at BPAL. I might like a decant, to compare with my older decant. I do like the sweet comforting scents every now and then, and the older one has a nice touch of spice.   Pumpkin Patch I Pumpkin, almond, brown musk, and honey. Brown musk and honey make this a no-go.   Pumpkin Patch II Pumpkin, rosewood, red sandalwood, and tea rose. Nah, not so much. Worth a sniff some time, maybe, but not priority right now.   Pumpkin Patch III Pumpkin, fir needle, pitch, rosemary, and tomato. I would like a decant. I love pine and fir scents.   Pumpkin Patch IV Pumpkin, black musk, tobacco, myrrh, and clove. Possibly worth a decant, we'll see how much I have to spend.   Pumpkin Patch V Pumpkin, chocolate, coffee bean, vanilla bean, and hazelnut. There's that chocolate again.......again, worth a sniff, but probably not a priority right now.   TATTIE BOGLE Hay, gunpowder, patchouli, autumn herbs, and sun-baked wood. Could be nice, if I ever ran across a sniffie.   ARIADNE BRUNNELL Poppy flowers, peat, sphagnum moss, gardenia, and white water lily. Sounds good except for the lily. It's not one of my more successful notes.   CLARIMONDE Pallid skin musk, white roses, and a languorous vapor of Oriental perfume. Again, perfumey. This will be very perfumey. Also I think skin musk reminds me of honey, which is a note I really don't like very often.   CRISTINA Chestnut trees, juniper berries, violet leaf, labdanum, dazzling, moonlit white musk, and night-blooming summer flowers. Hmmm, could be worth a decant, just not sure on this one. As far as autumn scents, this is probably lower in my priorities, but it could be a nice scent.   COUNTESS DOLINGEN OF GRATZ Hailstone-pounded cypress boughs, olibanum, and an ozone blast of lightning. Definitely want to try a decant of this.   THE GIRL A seductive, serpentine white scent, elusive, crystalline, and spellbinding: white amber, silver birch, immortelle, davana, pale musk, star jasmine, and ylang ylang. Worth a sniff, but not so much calling to me.   MIRCALLA, COUNTESS KARNSTEIN Languid, melancholy fire: red musk, purple orchid, frankincense, smoky vanilla, Styrian herbs, peru balsam, tonka, Zanzibar clove, and patchouli. This should appeal to me....but I think I have a few scents like this already. I will watch reviews.   LORD RUTHVEN The father of all dandy aristocrat vampires: Aqua Admirabilis with polished boot leather and blood. I could be into this one......possibly a decant.   SARAH Unholy mist congealing into soft, white flesh, with black marble, remnants of liturgical incense, wolf's fur, and black flecks of froth. Wolf's fur is the only thing I am wary of, because I don't like muzzy furry notes all that much. But this is just so odd, I have to try a decant.   JULIA STONE Rotting once-white fabric, spotted with mold. I don't usually like linen notes, but I have a thing for the underdog. In most of the other breakdowns, everyone pretty much dismissed this one......which of course makes me want to try a decant! We'll see how the reviews go.   PERLE VON MAUREN Heliotrope, grave soil, and blood. Soil is a gamble of a note for me, I think I'll let this one pass me by, unless the reviews shout otherwise.   So, overall, no immediate bottle purchases. I have this nagging feeling about Lambs-Wool.....I think it's going to be a big hit, and I am pretty sure I want to try it. I might just get a surprise, even with the warm milk note! Other than that, I want to try the obvious masculine ones for the most part, and a couple others.

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fun, fun, fun

High drama in the ED tonight, but nothing new. We get homeless and/or destitute people who come in with a minor complaint, then after they are discharged they want to stay here in the waiting room for the rest of the night. It's cold outside and they either don't have anywhere to go, or don't have a way to get there. We do have cab vouchers for people, but the charge nurse is usually particular about giving them. I understand their point of view, because once you start giving them out, people want them all the time, every time they come here. So sometimes, people are told no, you cannot have a cab voucher. But then they want to stay in our waiting area, which they can't do. So security gets involved, and they will give a cab voucher to anyone, going anywhere. Another issue is they are only supposed to go to the address listed in their account (their home address). And some of them don't have a home address. So it becomes like a big puzzle. And I am kind of stuck in the middle of it, getting complained at by all sides. I am okay with whatever they decide, but it's not really up to me, so I just sit here looking kind of dumb.

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my first post!

I'm starting this because I have 2 livejournal accounts, but I really don't participate in the bpal communities on lj. I used to be a member of a couple of them, but decided that my lj is not the place for my bpal trading. I still write about bpal stuff but I get the feeling that many people on my friends list probably don't care about bpal. So here I am.   Friday I had dinner with my dad and stepmom, and told them a little bit about my perfume obsession. Actually, I told them about Fabienne and Possets. They both expressed interest, and they might go to a Final Friday where Fabienne opens her studio to the public (along with many other artists at the Pendleton Art Center). My point, and I do have one, is that I would like to make lists of imp packs for my dad and stepmom, sort of a bpal introductory selection of scents. My stepmom says she likes gardenia, so I did a search on the lab's site and came up with a few possibilities. The one that stuck out most was Le Serpent Qui Danse. I think she might like Antique Lace, although I myself have never tried it. She works for Clinique and would probably like the more traditional-smelling bpal perfumes, at least to start out. Other than that I have no idea what her tastes might be, so I'd like to come up with a range of styles for her to try.   As for my dad, I would go for more masculine blends, obviously. The first one I thought of was Casanova. Maybe Whitechapel, Calico Jack, possibly Dracul. For both of them I'm going to stay away from limited edition scents, so in case they end up loving a particular scent we can definitely get more. That said, I would probably let them try some of my LE's, particularly from Carnaval Diabolique. Bonnie (my stepmom) might possibly like Midnight On The Midway, and heck, my dad could like it too (I love it, and I'm a guy).   So for the next couple months I'll be keeping my eyes open for possibilities, and I think there are at least a couple recommendation discussions I'm going to peruse also.

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Egg Nog (2007 I think)

I tried this today, after the decant sat for a long time untouched. I was a little dismayed because it was barely there, and I thought it had aged badly or something. Then I read other reviews and I guess I'm not the only one! There is a little bit of throw, just a faint, sweet vanilla type of scent, with no spices or rum or anything like that. It's a cakey sort of scent, and I can barely pick up what might be some spices, only when I sniff up close.

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random thoughts

Yesterday I was seriously considering making a resolution for 2008......decants only. Like, no bottles whatsoever.     When I think about it, it makes sense. I've never used up a whole decant. My first bpal bottle, over a year old, would still pass for new if you just glanced at it. I'm really just a dabber. It's pretty ridiculous for me to buy a whole bottle of, for example, Beaver Moon. That was a total impulse scent buy and I really should have just searched out a decant instead of a whole bottle. There's no way I'll wear all that!! I like how it smells, but I know I won't wear it much. So, decants only for a year would make sense for me.   Then I think about it. A whole year. That includes next year's Halloween blends and Yule scents. Decants are plentiful, but really.......could I really do that?? I don't think I could. I mean, what if some incredible forum-only scent came out? Or that one elusive scent that was made "Just for me!!"?   Well, even though I won't do it for a whole year, I will definitely be curbing my bottle habits, lol. And also I need to seriously do some de-stashing (like everyone else it seems). I'm gradually working on that......testing imps, writing reviews on my laptop, and wrapping plumber's tape around the ones I know I'll be swapping. I'm keeping them in a small cigar box, and when it's full, I'll be posting them for sale/swap.   Speaking of swaps......when I look at my wish list, I think to myself 'do I really need to try all those?'. So little by little I'm whittling that down, too.

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sigh of relief

I got A's in both of my classes. Medical Terminology was a breeze but Excel had was much more of a challenge for me. And it stayed challenging, not just for a week or two, but for most of the quarter. But I did well, and got A's on both of my final exams. So, I'm off school for a week and just feeling like relaxing and celebrating. Not sure what I'll do specifically, but I might go to Columbus to visit my friend Kevin. I'm meeting my dad for lunch Tuesday and after that I'm free until Thursday night. Woo Hoo!   Next quarter will be strange......both of my classes are online, except one of them does meet in person for a total of three times. Other than that, it's all online. I have Medical Terminology II which, obviously, will be harder than Med Term I was. The other class is an Intro class for Health Information Management, which shouldn't be too hard, I don't think.

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Not about perfume

I've only been here at work for an hour and a half, and I've already had my fill of these people. I know that supposedly there's no scientific evidence that the full moon affects people's behavior, but I'm here to tell you that it does happen. This current full moon (which was actually last night, I think) has brought out a lot of aggression and anger in many people that I've interacted with. It continues tonight, and I'm just about over it. Scratch that.....I am over it.

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Happy 4th of July

Writing from work again, only a short shift today and not at all my usual time of day to be here, so it's a little disorienting. I am off at 2:30pm, then I'm free until tomorrow night. I wouldn't mind going out and celebrating a little, but at the same time, I really don't have the money right now, not for another 2 weeks. Also, it's supposed to rain today, and I think I could just as easily stay home, play video games, maybe do some cleaning, maybe organize my bpal collection, etc, etc. We shall see.   Scent of the day is Bad Luck Woman Blues.....just love the moss in this, it's so wonderful.

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(previous entry continued.....)

Inez and Aeronwen are both bottle worthy. And Wild Men of Jezirat Al Tennyn. Have to re-try all of those, and again, make some decisions. Carnaval Diabolique is totally worth a bottle, so I have that one to consider as well. And I haven't even tried Isaac yet!! : /   On the plus side, I have a nice, completely full, well-aged bottle of Mme. Moriarty that I love. Ditto Midnight On The Midway and Antonino.   The big problem is Chaos Theory. I've been wanting a new round of CT for a long, long time......and I really want at least 6 or 7 bottles, possibly more. There is no way I can get all of this stuff, I just can't swing it. I think I'm actually pushing aside CD in favor of CT. CD will be around longer (and we still have more acts), and CT will only be around for a few weeks. And Chaos Theory is just so.......special! It's like my own little bottle of uniqueness, and a complete surprise, and just fun, fun, fun.   So there ya go, I guess my decision is made. Buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a Chaotic ride!!

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