lysithea

Overall scent impression: Leather drenched in ozoney, aquatic notes.

It does come off in a refined cologne way - not too masculine, but it does still have an edge.

Unfortunately, I didn't even get a wiff of anise. I would have loved that that note to be pulled to the top.

I agree with slave1 about the sharpness. Typically, this type of scent just screams on my skin. Luckily, that has been a bit toned down. Frankincense always does this on my skin. Sometimes I even get pickles! Blech!

Throw is strong. Use sparingly. Wearlength has been average. Lingers on clothes quite pervasively. Fades to a sweet soap scent direct on skin. The frankincense can still be detected after 10 hours.

Disclaimer: my skin chemistry has been a bit off all week. I have no idea what's going on, but it seems that everything has either been flat or disappeared very quickly. I may edit this review when I try it again at a later date.

Love's Philosophy and Underpants are definitely in the same scent family. Except that Underpants, ehrem...has more wood.

I think that they are both lovely in their own right. If you dig Underpants, LP should make you happy as well. LP has a bit more saffron to my nose but it doesn't present as harsh or overly dry.

Mmmmm....

This is fruity, but not sweet in your face fruits. It has a creaminess that I think would work well for most people. It has the lovely guava that I enjoyed so much from Xanthe. This is a morpher. It is difficult to classify it. It's kinda foody, but it's not. One of the notes is really grounding this and giving it some great staying power, but I can't determine which one. It is unique, so it's possible it's one of the new component that I haven't encountered before (banyan fruit perhaps?) Th lunar blossoms and lunar oils aren't the traditional set to my nose. This is definitely something new to experience. There is a gentle, soft floral quality in the drydown. Cheshire Moon is both comforting and lively at the same time.

This is the oddest review that I will probably ever write.

Kill-Devil turns into a sophisticated, somewhat spicy version of Debbie Gibson's Electric Youth on my skin.

I cannot for the life of me figure this one out. It is funny. I was once a ho' for Electric Youth. Must have been the snazzy packaging or something like that.

Kill-Devil is sweet and has an odd fruitiness to it. I guess that's how the sugar cane and honey meld. Initially, it is a syrupy sweet dark caramel. Delicious. I hated Sugar Skull, but love this. If you like foody scents, give it a try.

The pear isn't the fresh, juicy kind. It's more like caramelized or poached. I can smell it when wet, but it recedes and adds a sweet edge to the underlying vanilla. It definitely has a creamy feel. I loved last year's Quincey Morris so I was really looking forward to another pear + vanilla creation. This does not disappoint. On my skin, it is fairly long lasting. In the end, settling into a warm vanilla skin scent for me. I can recommend this to fans of Black Opal or Quincey Morris (minus the leather and musk).

When I first sniffed this, I wasn't sure that I was going to like it. So, I let it site for a couple of weeks. On a whim I broke out the imp earlier this week. I've worn the same scent 3 days in a row!!!

The lime is subdued, so it doesn't come off as a masculine scent. The tonka and the lilac musk are absolutely divine. The benzoin adds a nice lift to the overall. I love the sexy smokiness from the tonka.

I can't recommend this enough. If you are a fan of Lyonnese, Dorian, or Morocco, I think this would be a nice addition to your BPAL box.

If you liked Fae, but found the oakmoss off-putting, give Tamora a try. Similar enough to try, as Tamora wears a bit better. For fruity, without too much sweetness, I also like Tweedledum. It's a darker fruit blend. Often the lighter fruit such as Cheshire Cat and maybe something like Hungry Ghost Moon would appeal to you. The musks keep them from going sacchrine sweet.

The closest TKO-ish vanilla I have found was in Tokyo Stomp. Of course, TS added mint to the mix. The mint burned off fairly quickly and left a sweet, round, buttermint behind. Maybe look into some blends with cereus or orchid vanill notes. I find that those tend to round out quite well.

Perhaps Hermia for a nice, toned-down version of spice. Very nice! I am fans of most of the blends on your list and I think Hermia would fit right in. Also, for a fruity spiciness try Scherazade. Sin is spice with patchouli. It's also a fav!

This is a creamy, rendition of March Hare. Spicy and warm with wonderfully pleasant citrusy/fruity top notes. The "peachy" feel comes off much more apricot for me which gives it plenty of fruity zip and zing. I cannot pick out any individual notes, however, for it is such a finely blended perfume.

I second Arrival at the Sabbath and Homage to the Devil. Definitely caramel. It's more pronounced when it's fresh, but still yummy after it's had a bit of time to settle in.

There is a dark, dryness to this blend. I get the black musk (which I'm not the biggest fan of most times) and a dry leathery crackle sparked with clove. At first it is a bit bitter. It goes through a moment of real clovey spiciness, but then settles into a cologne-meets-wood stage. I also think that it will age well. However, I think it might be a bit too manly for me to pull off. Too bad my hubby is smelly-adverse. I might have to sneak some on him after a shower anyway. I'm sure it would really get my motor purring to smell this blend on him.

TKO if you just need to get to sleep, sleep soundly, and get rested.

I find that Nanshe gives me vivid dreams. Although the lemony herbal note sometimes wakes my brain up a bit. I prefer the comforting sweet vanilla lavender of TKO. Baku was way too strong - and Somnus turned into a weird lavender rose.

TKO is a comforting hug. With gentle lavender tumbled in a soft, sweet vanilla, you will find your soul wrapped in a warm embrace. I find that when using TKO my mind become blank and at ease. I can still read, but it is as if I have become still - inside and out. There is a sweet chilly herbaceousness that brightens and enlivens the blend - but not so much as the "awakening" effect that euculyptus and peppermint often have. When I do drift off to sleep it's a gentle lulling into the in-between state of awakeness and dreaming. It is quite ethereal.

I do suggest this to people that tend to hash-out their thoughts at night and those that have trouble calming the circling thoughts within their brains. I've used it near exclusively for the past week and I can attest that I have slept through the night, peacefully and awake rested.

If anyone is hoping that by slathering this on it will "knock them out", they may find that this blend is much more subtle that that. It seems to work by calming the mind so that the body can follow.

All in all, another stunner from the Lab. Sweet dreams!

This has soared into my Top 10 favs!

A warm, golden, sexy caress upon my skin. The amber does not go powder overload. Vanilla is toned down with spice. That musk is oh so sexy. *Swoon*

It is beachy. I'm surprised how the orris plays off the sandalwood. Usually, orris amps to the n-th degree on me.

If you're dithering on ordering this, just jump on in (to a 5ml. that is!) because Lyonnesse is fine!

May appeal to lovers of Morocco, Antique Lace - yet, it is a very unique blend.

In the bottle and initially, this is a sweet fruity jumble. Very sweet and pink fruits - pink bubblegum, pink cotton candy, cherry lollipops. Once on, the fruitiness retreats as the sugar is pulled deeper into the skin. I will agree that this scent doesn't warm up much. It retains a razor-sharp metallic coolness to it throughout. The later drydown is a sweetness tempered with a bite of pepper. It's neither too sweet nor too spicy at this point.

Wear length is moderate if you apply a decent amount - throw is moderate. Tiny dabbers may find this scent fleeting, so slather for best results.

I think my husband's sniffer is broken because he continued to say that I smelled of "sweet smoke" while I was wearing this. Even after prompting him with "candy, sugar, fruits" he still didn't change his tune. He's not the biggest fan of my addiction so I just don't know with him sometimes. He always comes up with the weirdest things.

Red musk always gives me the Snake Oil vibe. This is in the same class as Snake Oil, Snake Charmer, and just a wee bit: Smut - but it stands on its own.

Balanced, spicy, mellow round fruits. This is a scent that blooms on the skin and wraps itself around all the edges. Barely sweetened with the vanilla and pomegrante, this scent exudes sexiness with all sultry slithering hip shimmying. You can't catch it. You can't pin this one down. The patchouli is lovely and so warm. Yet, unless you knew that that's what it is, you'd probably never be able to determine it.

I believe we all picked this out to be the early favorite of the first two acts of the Carnaval. It falls right in with some of my favorite BPAL blends: Snake Charmer, Snake Oil, Smut, & Queen of Clubs - and finds itself now among them.

This can be called a Dorian variation, but I do find that they have their differences. The drydown is softer and more fluid. At times, this blend comes off a bit more perfumy to me. This is the same kind of results I had when trying Usher.

I will say that I am quite pleased with the blend overall. Perhaps, I just over-applied this morning. Who knows? I can pick up similarities in the drydown to Cheshire Cat, surprisingly enough. The musk is soft and lingers all day. I love the way the vanilla and musk wrap around the edge from the Earl Gray's bergamot. It's quite fantastic.

Initially, this starts off like Dorian with added smoke on me. I wouldn't say it's musky - more slight lemony creamy over a deep layer of smoke. My skin amps tobacco and smoke of any kind so that is predominantly the note of this blend for me. The apricot flower lends a sweetness that is rounded out with just the barest touch of coconut. I don't smell the coconut, per se - but I can pick up the creaminess it is lending to this blend. Drydown is mostly vanilla smoke with light coconut cream for me.

It is rather light wearing. Some people will have to reapply to take advantage of those citrus cream top notes. I tried reapplying and got more smoke.

This was my first try of the CD line and I'd say we are definitely off to a great start.

This is a very powerful and reliable magical oil blend. I have been amazed at how well it has worked with just a little bit of intent and focus.

Scent wise it is heavy on vetiver. There is a sweet cherry-esque vibe to it - but you can defnitely tell that this isn't meant to be a perfume oil. It's not unpleasant at all when wearing, but I could definitely see how wearing too much could overdo it. It's interesting though.

I typically now put a little PB on the back of my neck and on a necklace I often wear at least once a week. Sometimes, I will also dab a bit to my heart and hands as well.

The latest.: I annointed my neck and necklace yesterday morning. I didn't have any real specific focus other than "a little good fortune/good luck" would be great today.

I have been thinking about how horrible my computer at work is for quite a while, but it's been months since I expressed my displeasure to the powers that be. Imagine my surprise when I saw a sexy, fire-engine red Voodoo machine with see through case sitting on our IT person's desk.

Damn this machine is sexy! Top of the line - ALL the bells and whistles. I assumed that it was the IT guy's new computer. I found out later that it is meant to be mine! One of our board members donated it to me. IT guy just has to format and move all my stuff over. That machine is going to look hot on my desk!

To give you even more info about how PB has worked for me, I am copying my first three experiences from the TAL Reports community as well - these are even bigger displays of fortune:

This was my first real experience with any of the TALs. I bought a bottle from a forumite. Who couldn't use more good fortune and prosperity? I haven't had much experience with rituals so I did a very low-level meditation deal. Basically, I just inhaled and applied the oil thinking of things that indicate prosperity to me - an influx of money, having good spirits, being able to spend some time with my husband, being stress free. I have used this 3 times now. Here are my results:

First time, I didn't have any specifics in mind. More of a general "I welcome showers of good fortune from the universe". I felt less stressed, more grounded. I also found that I had good energy at work. Mostly, I felt calm and collected. I did some good work and had a great evening with my hubby. He was supposed to work, but decided spending time with me would be better. That usually doesn't happen! I felt that everything was real subtle and could have been taken as coincidence at first.

Second time - This time I wanted a bit of good fortune in terms of work. Mainly, a bit of recognition and some much needed income for my department. I applied this and meditated before going to bed. The next morning, I was surprised to find that my department helped gain the company nearly 30K in new revenue. Considering that at least one client had already decided on someone else to develop their website, getting this deal was really surprising. They came back simply for the prospect of working with my department - and - they decided to let us do the website after all. Another client who is especially enamoured threw 3 new projects our way based on the work I'm currently doing for them. All in all, very positive. ETA: I also gained a productivity bonus and a small raise as a result of this. I consider it PB related as well since I was wearing it the days I ofund out about both.

Last time: I was all about the money. My husband does many hours of side-work each week. He has three main "clients" - but what they really are are big 'ol moochers. He helps them out doing all manner of computer things for them (setting up their entire IT infrastructures) and not one of them pays him anything. This has been a major point of argument between us. His time is valueable. There have been entire weekends when the only time I got to see him was 3-4 hours, and that was just for meals because he has to eat some time.

If your goal of side work is to bring home some extra money to help with the bills, you better bring home some money, damnit! I am quite pleased to say that after 2 years of doing work for one person, and things coming to a head about being used - my hubby brought home a $5k check last night! The funny thing is that the guy had written the check on Friday - my husband didn't even have a heart to heart with him until Monday. I was floored.

Harvest Moon '06 is quite a nice departure from the deep, dark visit at last year's harvest. This blend blooms with the scent of rich, red apples - tart and juicy - with a overlayer of sweet cherry with a whiff of pomegrante. The wet stage is all fruit and sweetness. As it dries, we take a trip into a more pastoral setting with wafts of wheat and unusual woods. All along, there is the musky sweetness of the sorghum lending a hand to the beautiful bounty of the Asian notes of bamboo, tea, rice flower and a creamy touch of rice milk.

All in all, this is a very wearable and enjoyable blend. I do agree that it has similarities to Hungry Ghost Moon. I for one am happy about that sincee HGM is one of my all time favorite lunacy blends. Here's to Beth's artistic vision. With great appreciation for branching out and visiting the Asian moons and their influences this year.

Initially, in the imp and at first on skin, this reminds me so much of Al-Araaf. There's a honeyed sweetness at first. Comparing the note lists, I don't see where the the two should cross paths.

Afterwards, I am left with frankincense. This point in the blend leads with force of sweet incense until I'm left with a delicate sweetness. I think this is presenting as the copal.

I find this scent very comforting. It's alluring - soft, powdery - but with prescence. It's rather conflicting to my senses. But, it is another stunner from The Salon.

This reminds me of the sweet scent left behind on the wood of a box used to hold years of incense. It's not heavy or cloying. Just there upon the skin. If your skin amps frankincense, be prepared for a nice initial blast before it settles into a nice roundness of ylang-ylang tempered with sweet herbals and copal.

Wet, the orange blossom is apparent. I was so worried about it because this note has a history of turning really foul on my skin. In this blends, however, it was wonderfully grounded. With the sweetness of benzion, the orange really gave my nose a treat. As this dried, I got a nice mellow scent, almost mournful, with decent throw. Some part of it did amp up on my as the day wore on. I'm pretty sure that was the white tea. My nose wasn't quite sophistocated enough to pick out the more exotic ingredients. Surprisingly, the vetiver lent a understated smoky feel that I actually enjoyed.

I continue testing the Salon scents and as always, continue to be blown away by the complex art in what Beth has given us with this new category.

Leather isn't overwhelming, but I can detect during all stages of the scent. Surprised that the black musk is only noticable when wet. This particular note translates very weirdly on my skin (black musk in Samhain '05 = whiff of Vapo-Rub!) Patchouli gives it staying power, but it's very understated. I can detect the incensy champaca flower that I like so much in Hellion. The white pepper adds that little extra something to spice it up a wee bit. Surprised at how close this one sits to the skin. Can relate to the reference to King of Clubs. I need to test it some more, but initial thoughts are that I like it.

Dragon's blood isn't too overwhelming. I can detect the bamboo (very Holiday Moon-esque) and the light tea. The touch of sweetness has to be the cherry. Dry, it is mostly tea and bamboo - the dragon's blood just lends it a slightly floral note. I'm suprised that I didn't get more sandelwood. It seems to have faded pretty fast on my skin. All in all, I think this is another winner.