couscous

Whoah. This one gave me some headache, which stinks. I really wanted to love Quincey! Chemical incompatibility aside, though, the leather in this does indeed resemble the leather in Dead Man's Hand (for those of you who haven't had the pleasure, the leather in Dead Man's Hand smells like a super expensive, ultraluxe leather jacket), and you really can smell the pear. More importantly, the two don't smell anywhere near as oddly matched as you might think. They actually melt together really well. A perfect men's blend, really rough-and-tumble dirty, with a romantic underbelly.

A humble list, by couscous: What I did NOT get from the lovely Chrysanthemum Moon: 1. No musty, dry, powdery kind of flowers 2. No rotting, heady flowers 3. No "craftstore" syndrome 4. No headaches Whew! That takes care of everything I was most worried about. Chrysanthemum Moon was a shocker for me. From both the description and the early reviews, I was expecting something heavy, swirling with smoke, leaden with autumn flowers, dusted with spice. Instead, I opened up my (stunning) bottle and smelled...nearly nothing at all. Jacob's Ladder syndrome, I tell you. Barely there. What was there smelled like highly diluted ginger ( think about the grated ginger you put in hot water to drink when your throat hurts) and some unidentifiable floral note. Like fading carnations. Really, really pretty, though. I wish I didn't have to snuck up from the neck of the bottle cokehead style to get any of this! On, it was much the same. No wafts of ANYTHING until I pressed my nose in between my two wrists, where the scent was applied rather liberally. About an hour later, it was still faint- but smelled of cinnamon. Ugh. Not good at all, but I can live with it as long as it stays this sheer. It didn't stay that sheer, but the cinnamon fell away, thank God- and, 2 hours later, I was left smelling almost exactly like the drydown of Smut. Uncannily similar, this musk- a close relative of Red, but not quite- creamier, spicier, and vaguely peanutty.

Apricot fans, take note! Black Patchouli works REALLY well with this note. My skin amps up Apricot like you would not believe- so much so that all four of the apricot blends I've tried ended up as varaitions on the singular fruit. Katharina was crystalline apricot jam. March Hare was christmas apricot jam. Grand Guignol was apricot booze. And Depraved is apricot sexiness. When first applied, Depraved is gorgeous. Beth's apricots are ultra concentrated, extremely sweet- like dried fruit or cooked pies and jams. The black muskiness (is that patchouli? dark myrrh?) gives it a dirty feel, a slick of oil. Katharina may be the most wearable of this family for her purity, but depraved is a close second. Depraved also has the most potential to blossom into something more complex- provided you don't have skin like mine. I can feel the black musk struggling to come out here, but he's no match for The Fruit Warrior. Unfortunately, what happened with depraved is the same thing that happens with all of the apricots: I love it for an hour or two, and then I get oversaturated with sweetness. It's too much. It's just too, too much, and what once felt like an elegant, clever take on the girlish predilection for fruitiness turns into something silly. It feels a bit ridiculous, actually. Fun, pretty, but ultimately not for me.

Neroli must really, really amp itself on my skin, because the first time I appiled Arcana, I got all neroli and nothing else, until the scent dried down and faded to something sweet but so faint as to be unidentifiable. I like neroli well enough, but I was a bit disappointed. This isn't the first time a neroli scent went the way of a near-single note (Neptune). Moreover, I was hoping for the verbena, rosemary, and lavender to really pop, since these are some of my favorite notes of all time. Combined with gorgeous frankincense, Arcana should have been a no-brainer slam dunk for me. With that context in mind, and in the interest of giving him another shot, I reapplied the scent around 3 hours later. Perhaps my nose needed to have some coffee before it could wake up and smell correctly, because I could finally smell verbena and lavender the second time around. I recognize this particular combination from Nanshe. Lovely. No discernible rosemary yet, but we're getting close. This is like a sun-filled Mediterranean kitchen ! Finally, at the almost-end of the day, I smell frankincense. Unmistakably, clearly, and beautifully. This is a stellar blend for those of us who would be perfectly happy to live our lives stuck in the foliage of an herb garden. Arcana is a very cleansing, very aromatherapy-esque herbal. It's a spa scent, for sure-but an absolutely lovely one.

Hail unto Thee who art Ahathoor in Thy triumphing, even unto Thee who art Ahathoor in Thy beauty, who travellest over the heavens in thy bark at the Mid-course of the Sun. Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm. Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Morning! My first sun station! This came as a freebie from some labbie who knows better than I do what to try. I've always loved the idea of scents to celebrate solar energy, but I haven't found a "sun" scent yet that didn't feature either heliotrope or cinnamon. I'm hoping that Ahathoor can fill the slot for me. In the imp, all I can smell is Sassafras- I recognize it from Tombstone and kathmandu. I love both of those scents, so I'm pretty excited to try what I believe might be a variation on the root beer theme. On the skin: The sassafras is still going strong, and now I can smell some vetiver, as well. Once again, everything is going my way. Vetiver works really well on my skin, and it really works well with the sassafras, too-turning ahathoor earthy and root-like instead of syrupy. Of course, this doesn't mean that Ahathoor has no sweetness. If I really, REALLY get close to my skin, I smell something vaguely fruity, like juicy orange. The overall effect is spicy (without that dreaded candle store quality many spices give) and woodsy, with a bit of a powdery sweet base. Dry: Now I recognize that "powdery base". Heliotrope. I'm getting heliotrope. (Sigh) Why can't I escape you? I'm also getting some oakmoss on this. Yes. The final drydown is nearly all oakmoss, before it fades gently. Final thoughts: Ahathoor has a lot of promise for me, and I love how Beth made a member of the spicy/woody/herbal family seem so light. I don't like oakmoss at all, and I like heliotrope even less, so the drydown put a serious wrench in my experience. Still, for the initial stages, Ahathoor is lovely, unusual, and easily wearable.

Now THIS is an autumn scent. Early autumn, to be sure, because verdandi's biggest problem is that she just doesn't like to stick around. Very light, very sheer. I have a love/hate relationship with apple scents. I love apples and am always intrigued when beth uses them, but I have always ended up with disappointment. Apple usually ends up smelling kind of flat, sweet, and...er...a little bit cheap on me, like drugstore shampoo. Whe mixed with any kind of "autumn spice", the cheap shampoo effect quickly turns to cheap candle instead. The note itself is overused in other products, and this makes it hard to enjoy in a perfume. The remedy? Go for the tart, of course, and that's just what Beth has done. Here, the apple is a high-pitched, slightly sour counterpart to close-skin amber, and the effect is gorgeous. With an unidentified mix of herbal notes stepping in for the spices, you get a perfume that is just as comforting as the classic apple pie but not nearly as cliched; as natural and as woodsy as Samhain and Harvest Moon without the medicinal quality of the former or the syrup of the latter. There might also be some poppies in this, methinks- it bears a passing resemblance on the drydown to the equally excellent Vechernyaya. If you like your apples more granny smith than red delicious, or if you want the freshness of fruit without the overwhelming sweet, try Verdandi. She's the most grown-up apple I've found to date.

Right off the bat, I got the easily identified root beer smell of sassafras (a good thing in my book-love it in both Tombstone and Kathmandu), and dark myrrh. There's an acrid, medicinal quality in this, too-like a potion in a fairy tale. I don't know what opium poppy smells like, so I can't tell you whether or not it's in here- but there are definitely a few elements making an appearance. It's not a two-note blend at all. Despite the fact that it smells distinctly UNfeminine and perfumelike in the first few moments, Laudanum dries down to ...a very close cousin to YSL's Opium, which was the scent I wore for years befpre BPAL. If you don't know what Opium smells like: it came out in 1977 and has to be considered one of the most famous oriental blends next to Shalimar. It's extremely heady and smokey and suffocating on most people, but if it works on you...oh man, does it work on you. Fans of Shalimar, and to a lesser extent, Poison, would probably feel right at home wearing this. I love this one. For something that starts out sinister and dark, it really transforms into a much more traditionally sophisticated blend. One warning: if Laudanum does not work on you, keep a hell of a lot of soap nearby. This one has more staying power than even snake oil!

I've gotten dove's heart as a frimp three times since my breakup in October. Someone at the lab is looking out for me. I got a lavender-jasmine blend, grounded by something slightly animalistic, actually. There's a bit of musk in this, I'd be willing to bet. Something strong and primal to balance the "SOOTHE THYSELF" command it gives off immediately upon wear. Since I'm a bit afraid of jasmine, let me try and put minds at ease: if you have stayed away in the past because you've discounted jasmine as ultra-heady, don't run from this one. Dove's Heart is NOT screamingly womanly perfumey jasmine- I'd liken it more to a slight, but noticeable, hint of Nuit-like floral- very starry, very crystalline. You do need to like lavender, though, and you can do a test run of how you might react to Dove's heart if you've tried and liked some of the lighter dream blends such as Somnus and temple of dreams. Still, you know...whether you want to bathe in Dove's Heart or can barely stand to put a drop on, I suspect that the people who buy this blend are doing so because they are broken-hearted, and, in that respect, i can safely say that this blend is an excellent example of comfort, nurturing, and strength. I have worn it on my skin and used it on a white candle, and I can say without hesitation that it helped me think about what I'd lost and put it into better perspective. I love it, and will be ordering a bottle very, very soon. To me, this is as indispensable as some of the TAL blends.

If you're looking for a reason why Egg Nog was not bought back for the 2005 yule season, I've got a theory for you. Beth had no nutmeg left in all the world after she created Baghdad. I mean NUTMEG. Get ready for it, because she's there and she shall not be ignored. In fact, the only indication that there are any other notes in this blend come from the fact that the nutmeg is resting on something barely perceptible , like a fixative (I'm guessing it's sandalwood, since i'm not getting that unmistakable BPAL amber that I'd be able to pick out of a lineup any day of the week). As it dries, a powdery sweetness wafts up, depending on how you swing your arms. Most likely the rose variation. The powdery quality works less well than I'd hoped- in something this knock-you-on-your-ass spicy, I'd prefer to keep things on the harsh and bracing side- but it's still a wonderful blend, and I love that beth didn't hold back on it. Try this one. Come on, you know you don't have anything like it in your bottle collection!

Ha! Tintagel, you little devil. This is as craft store candle as you can get. STRONG cinnamon (it actually made red marks on my wrists- don't worry; they go away in no time and they are a badge of honor), mulling spices (definitely clove, maybe a tiny bit of orange peel), and a bit of pine. I'm not getting ANY dragon's blood out of this, but perhaps the lilac-like delicacy of that fantastic resin has been beaten into submission by bad, bad, red hot cinnamon...it's already giving me a slight headache. It's tough to wear, to say the least. People WILL think you've sprayed yourself with a room fragrance. And yet, for all of the strikes against it, Tintagel evokes the yuletide season like nothing else I've ever tried. Not even the yule blends have the power to transport me from these wretched days of July into happier times drinking with Johnny Mathis on the stereo. I love iTintagel for it's singular ability to be the total encapsulation of a mood and time. I'll be looking for this little guy as the time approaches. Nicely done, Beth.

Litha smells like a hot, scorching sunshine blend, characterized by a big appearance from the lovely and underrated carnation (lots of spice here), and thick with honey and unidentified grains. I didn't get any "green" from this- no ivy, no herbals- and I wouldn't call it particularly floral, either. Liking honey is a prerequisite for enjoying Litha- you're not going to get this one tempered- but being afraid of spice and fire is not. I'm not sure what gives Litha it's fire- I'd recognize heliotrope right off the bat, so perhaps it's cassia or a clove and resin mix? Whatever it is, it's quite an unusual sort of spiciness in that it does not create what I'd call an overly "foody" scent. Instead, it smells just like mythical fires burning in the backdrop of a festival. Litha is highly attuned , not only to the Sabbat, but to the season. If the florals start coming out in spring, this should start coming out during the heatwaves that follow. VERY well done, extremely evocative. I'm glad I bought two

For whatever reason, I had Red Devil stuck in my head as a cinnamon/cassia blend, and had no desire to try it as a result. Enter lab freebies and insatiable curiosity! Wow. This smells like coca cola at first. Very odd, and not at all unpleasant, either. It's also a surprisingly "close-skin" scent, like a semi-translucent wash. As it develops, I smell a spiciness which could be clove, carnation (my first guess), or even the dreaded cinnamon itself- but , whatever it is, it is NOT going red-hots/big red bubblegum on me, and that's a big deal. Anyone else get this effect and hate it? If so, I think you'll be safe here. The base of Red Devil smells a bit like red musk, with maybe a tiny tiny bit of patchouli. As expected, it's sexy and va-va-voomy, in keeping with intentions. It's a slightly wacky, candy-ish take on a lot of the more "womanly" musk blends-perfect for a bit of kink. I cannot speak to Red Revil's effects, as I was alone when I tried it and it was about 177 degrees outside. But...er... my dogs kissed me a lot!

I'm a big, big fan of dragon's blood, and there hasn't been an Ars Draconis yet that I haven't loved. I was saving Dragon's Musk for last (new additions aside), because I was convinced that I'd dislike it. I love musks more than a woman should, but I'm very particular about them. Five different musks? Sounded like a recipe for powdery disaster. I'm thrilled to eat my words. Dragon's Musk smells like aged snake oil, only replacing the vanilla sweetness with resin sweetness. Musky in the extreme, with a red-type musk at the helm and other, more animalistic musks in the background. I don't think a scent has ever made me feel sexier in such a primal way. It's stunningly feral, not for the faint of heart, but pefect for someone who likes their sexuality served straight up and larger than life. Lust in a bottle, going on 10ml wishlist right now.

I got no dragon's blood out of this one at all. I actually got a cross between Neo Tokyo and Holiday Moon, all tea and bamboo. Vaguely pretty at first, but into headaches soon afterwards. I'm pretty bummed by the total exclusion of dragon's blood resin. I traded this one within two hours.

I'll be using Lionheart in conjunction with meditation and visualizations relating to the sun- healing sunbeams, strengthening rays, projecting, etc. I bought it because I'd figured it would be "sun-like"- fiery, warm, and comforting. I am happy to report that Lionheart is exactly what I'd hoped. It is strong heliotrope and amber, very powdery, slightly sweet. It bears a reasonably strong resemblance to the Tarot: Sun blend. Happily, though, there are some differences between the two. The most obvious is that Lionheart has no perceptible cinnamon, thank goodness. Instead, any fire in Lionheart comes from the slightest, slightest bit of Dragon's Blood Resin. If there isn't any in this blend, I'll default to my second guess and say Lilac. It is definitely a dry, powdery floral grounded by amber. It is quite evocative; though not even a bit "beastly". If you're looking for leonine imagery to work with, you should know that Lionheart feels more like a symbolic lion, with a regal air, lounging in the sunbeam. It's a slightly offbeat take on "leader of the pack" chutzpah.

The Beltane of 2005 was all spring flowers, sharp grass, and the mix of a home herb garden in the window. It captured a moment and ranked as my favorite floral blend of all time. Beltane 2006 has a grassier base, and an aquatic edge. While I normally love aquatics, I'm an absolute purist when it comes to them. It's also much more fruity. In fact, do I smell watermelons here? It smells more like a sun-warmed picnic feast than the serene, pure sunbeam in a field of 2005, and I don't enjoy it at all. There's definitely something ripened in here. 2006's Beltane may be more joyful and celebratory as a scent concept, but I'll take the quiet dryness of 2005 any day of the week.

White light is, as many others have said, a must-buy. It's unspeakably beautiful, and perfectly evocative of calmness, tranquility, and purity. If you need to imagine the smell, picture a lilac and citrus base, with carbonation. I'm not kidding. This stuff smells BUBBLY. Maybe it's an offshoot of some sharp white flower, but the effect is unlike anything else I've ever smelled. Other than that, I'm completely stumped for either specific notes or evocative images. To be honest, the name "white light" really is the most suitable association for this oil, except this smells better than what the imagination can conjure.

Determination isn't unpleasant to me at all. I love it! There's a strong vetiver base, and I know how many people are afraid of the big bad V- but the vetiver in this comes out more like it does in Blood Kiss than in the more masculine blends. It smells more like an aromatherapy oil than a perfume, It's VERY woody and twiggy, and it's HIGHLY concentrated. As a study aid or for rituals involving goals, the smell of determination seems imminently suitable. If you look at "determination" as adrenaline energy, this is not really going to be your kind of tool. Instead, it's more suitable for those times when you want to drudge up something from your gut. The oil itself seems like nature amplified, and there's something very comforting and unassuming about working with it. You feel supported and grounded, and for that reason I associate it with inherent reserves of strength.

You like pit bulls, let me slide on one plant instead of a scent family, and then you searched the word document for me. Let's get married!!

Has this been done before? It's so tricky to place Ivy in with another word to get a search result! So far, though, i think I'm clear. When Litha was released, I was thrilled by the inclusion of Ivy. I haven't had a good ivy scent (pumpkin patch notwithstanding) since dissipation. Could there be one I'm missing out there? Any suggestions are welcome- even if it just SMELLS like Ivy and doesn't really have it! Yaaay!

Hiya Ivy With the three letter minimum, I tried "English Ivy" and "green Ivy" and then Ivy*- in case someone once slipped and said that they'd "landed in a big patch of Ivys", or something, but then I got stuck for another word. In hindsight, I could have tried climbing Ivy, maybe... I'm thrilled to hear that this isn't a repeat of some sort- though, truth be told, you could warn me anyway for not putting it as a reply post in "green scents" and I'll totally back you!! That was option 2, and I'd considered it, but I just got so excited over this particular plant when Litha came out. I can't wait for it! Dissipation was lovely. It probably would have sold better under the new Rappaccini umbrella, but who knows? It was pretty straight Ivy on me, and you are right- it is so distinctive. Mildly spicy, too- I guess mistletoe would be a fair enough substitute, right? Odd that you got sassafras from it, but hey- sassafras is gorgeous, so you lucked out either way!

Thank you, mountaingrrl! I could have sworn that I'd tried House of Night, but maybe I'm getting it mixed up. See, this is what happens when you slack on your spreadsheet.

The Black Tower sounds fantastic, no matter what's actually in it I forget how reading a page or two of forum reviews changes my opinion. It has been on my wishlist for a while, but was a low-medium priority up until now. I think I should bump it up a few spots- thank you, Meg!

Strangler Fig, huh? Thank you, Lycanthrope! That's one I never would have looked twice at.

Hiya fiddledragon- Although the notes are not listed and I cannot be sure, I am 99.99999 percent certain that there is civet in Fire of Love, along with patchouli. When I first smelled it, I reeled back (being one of those people with an odd reaction to civet), but the scent was so intriguing that I kept putting it on. Eventually, I came to like it- it's very, very sexy in a very, very dirty way. I think it's one of the easier civet blends to wear, along with... BLACK ANNIS! I don't know that I'll ever buy a bottle of this, but it was unbelievably ballsy. There might be a lot of civet in it, but it doesn't matter, because NOTHING gets stronger than anise. It beats all. You're pretty safe on the red/skin musk, but make sure you love the smell of black licorice before sniffing