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BPAL Madness!

subbes

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About subbes

  • Rank
    evil enabler
  • Birthday 06/29/1983

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  • Location
    Tallahassee
  • Country
    United Kingdom

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  • Website URL
    http://www.plathitudes.com

BPAL

  • Favorite Scents
    Hellcat, Tzadikim Nistarim, O, Dorian, Decadence

Profile Information

  • Interests
    Queer feminist pervert. Genderfuck-fan. Corsetted ex-goth. D&D nerd. Future psychologist/sexologist. Undergrad-graduated queer theorist. Occasional adult model. The rest should be obvious.
  • Mood
    itchy

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  • Chinese Zodiac Sign
    Pig
  • Western Zodiac Sign
    Cancer

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  1. subbes

    Blessing of Isis

    Scent-wise: Straight out of the bottle, I smell something that reminds me of Greed. Vetivert, perhaps? Smoky, greenish, with a hint of musk way in back. The throw is strong for me (my chemistry normally keeps scents close). Very definitely a herbal scent, but a 'dry' herbal scent. Normally 'herbal' to me can have a feeling of damp forest, but this scent doesn't. There's something that reminds me of smudging with sage. Not the scent, exactly, but a feel on the palate -- a tingling, almost? I had my nose rather close to my wrist to help concentrate on the oil and focus myself, which could be part of the reason for the tingle. This isn't my usual sort of scent. I love foody scents, and hated Greed -- vetivert (if that's what is in here) is a loathe-scent for me. But the scent isn't the reason for this oil! Ritual-wise: It's not a bow-chicka-wow-wow sort of feeling -- don't expect Spanish Fly. Rather, it's allowing me to focus on the reasons I love my partner -- the things that I don't normally appreciate as often as I should. It's helping me pay attention to the things I forget. After-effect-wise: My partner will be home in about ten minutes; I'll update once the evening is over.
  2. subbes

    Amor

    Five-second review of Amor's scent: This is the closest accessible blend I have found that matches Decadence enough to make me smile. Five second review of effectiveness: My partner touched me a lot on the small of the back while I was wearing it. Generally, that never happens. Overall review: I like it.
  3. subbes

    Foundation of Fortune

    Nasally, Foundation of Fortune (FoF for short) is a slightly musty papery ginger-root and pepper blend. In use, it's awesome. I used FoF to anoint some money and my wallet, and it's helped immeasurably. I got a job, I found a cheap veterinarian really close by, I picked up a valuable (both in memories and in money value, though they're not about to be sold) pair of books for a song. I've been using this blend in conjunction with Horn of Plenty. FoF does the anointing and dressing while HoP helps me attune to the money-calling energy I'm putting out into the aether. Ideally, I'd be using Fof and HoP along with Aunt Caroline's Money Bag -- to both get the money and keep hold of it. However, that might be too strong for me to handle! I was very lucky to get an imp of this blend and I'm ever-grateful. Thank you.
  4. subbes

    Intrigue

    In imp: Mmm, dark bitter chocolate cocoa, and fig. A slight wood scent in there if I do a long wine-tester's sniff. Wet: Fig. Ten minutes in: FIG. Thirty minutes in: FIG. An hour in: Well, if I shove my nose up really close I can catch a hint of some cocoa and wood. But mostly it's still... yup, fig. I don't dislike fig. I don't really interact with it much, to tell the truth, and before recently I couldn't have told you what it smelled like. But now someone seems to be sending me a Fig Message, because I keep getting frimps with fig in them -- first a couple of Carnals, and now this Intrigue. I liked Carnal, thinking it was a fruity blend plus some extra stuff in the background, but now on smelling Intrigue, I realise Carnal's "fruity blend" was just fig yelling loudly, rather than fig muttering to itself in a crowd of other fruits. Fig loves me, and wants to tell me that through a megaphone. Overall: Nice fig scent, but I already have Carnal for my (rare) fig needs.
  5. subbes

    Van Van

    Citronella, lemongrass, and something else. This starts off almost bitingly sharp, then mellows into a powdery softness, a pale yellow scent. There's a hit on something aquatic at the beginning, and for a moment I had thoughts of Off! bug spray because of the citronella and the biting sharpness, but that faded rather soon. I can definitely smell the citronella, and, like LiberAmoris, am going to keep a hold on this in case of insects. Effects: I had a terrible, horrible day. After applying the Van Van. Perhaps my personal power is negativity, or something, or I wasn't in the right frame of mind to appreciate/empower/charge it. Verdict: I'll be keeping my imp (like I keep all Voodoo imps) and almost definitely trying it again -- if only for the citronella aspect. I hope the next time I wear it, my 'personal power' will co-operate in a positive manner.
  6. subbes

    Horn of Plenty

    Origin: Swap, but I can't recall who with. Possibly cuervosueno or Northernminx. Whoever it was, thank you! I got this and put it immediately in my imp box. It's been about a week since I got it and I'm just getting around to testing it. I was worried I wouldn't like it -- other money blends have really not gone so well with me (in scent or in ethos). Whether it works with my chemistry or not, I'm going to keep it, and pop a bit on some of my dollar bills instead of my body (perhaps in conjunction with Foundation of Fortune (which on its own hasn't done much yet)). Straight out of the imp, I think I may be going to like this. Something about it lights up my nose in the way I wanted all those spiced blends (Snake Oil, for instance) to -- but they didn't. There's rich deepness to it just on the wand, and something a little smoky yet sweet. On my arm: Fresh, just like the vial. Drying down: Sweet and creamy, yet deep and dark with a touch of green. If I inhale deeply and think really hard, I can feel a hint of cherry or almond. There's a touch of herbal around the edges -- the herbs that most every Voodoo blend so far has had. After half an hour: I'm beginning to smell a bit more of the cherry or almond everyone is talking about. But it really isn't too overpowering, and I have to really talk myself into it before it appears -- it's a lush juiciness to the scent. I really can't name the dominant note of this -- it's making me think of something orange, but not melon, not mango, not orange -- maybe a very very very very quiet satsuma. -- that fresh sweet fruit, not the sharp tang of citrus. Something pale ornage or pink, maybe red, but not red red, soft red. Whatever it is, it's mellowed by the sweet almost-vanilla smokiness. Dry: I like this a lot. I was fearful of ending up with the almond of Hecate or the "loud one-note spice" of Snake Oil and a number of other blends, but Horn of Plenty has neither to excess -- there's some spice, some smoke, something creamy that doesn't hit either the Tonka or Vanilla receptors in my nose, and something fruity. Effects: As to effects in the real world, I don't know. But I'll tell you, straight after applying this to the crook of my elbow, I went fishing in Animal Crossing and caught two eels and a giant catfish. Along with some other fish I caught, I got 14,000+ Bells. I hope it works its magic outside the game, too. C'mon, job offer! Final verdict: If my imp runs out, I'm getting more. Like Chimera, I don't know if I'll stretch for a 5ml quite yet -- I'll wear it more and see what develops, but I definitely don't want to give my imp up. Edit: I find myself reaching for this imp to the exclusion of all other scents -- even my beloved Shub-Niggurath and Hellcat. The smell is absolutely delicious, regardless of whether the Voodoo do do to me (right now, there's not much Plenty in my Horn, so I'd say the effects are negligible). I believe I'm going to make Horn of Plenty my first 10ml ever. Wish I'd worn it before I made my last order, I could have combined them.
  7. subbes

    What Scent Is This?

    Colour me relieved -- although just a little sad that the idea I had in my head (Dorian tea with milk, honey, plus ginger) didn't match to the scent on my arm. Not the first time that's happened -- Sudha Segara I thought was going to be DSH Au Lait plus Red Ginger single note, minus that note all DSHs have. Instead, well, I think it's rice pudding. Thanks for your help.
  8. subbes

    What Scent Is This?

    My White Rabbit smells like peach/apricot. It doesn't smell like March Hare (I have an imp and compared the two), but it doesn't smell like the description, either. Just.... fuzzy fruit. Soft wet apricot, or maybe peach (I'm leaning towards apricot). I'm hoping it's a chemistry thing rather than a mislabeled imp, but anyone who has experienced White Rabbit and recognizes what I'm talking about, please, let me know.
  9. subbes

    Skuld

    I swapped for this on a whim, and I'm glad I did. In the vial: Menthol? Black pepper? Carnation? There's something spicey nose-opening in this that I think I've smelled before (perhaps in my CT2), and it's all that's really coming off the wand to meet me, while the honey and something sweet-fruit hang back scuffing their toes and pretending not to see me. Wet: My partner says "cough drops." I bet that's the same nose-opening note that's got me in a pickle. It's not listed on the notes, unless this is the labdanum. The honey's coming out more, and again that fruity smell lingers underneath. Is the spice the labdanum? My later feelings suggest no, it's something else. Drydown: ! A little musk making the whole thing feel more adult, plus the warming top breeze of whatever that spice is, and the super-sweet smell of honey that would make me feel a bit too over-sucrosed if it weren't for the spicey. The spice has matured and seems darker -- pale brown rather than green-grey-white [sometimes when I write these reviews, I wonder if I have a touch of the synaesthesia]. And now the labdanum seems to have matured, too: it's not fruit any more, but a very subtle fruit-floral that I'm liking even though florals make me go . No longer will I wonder what labdanum smells like! But I will puzzle over what the peppery-carnation-cinnamon-menthol-makes-your-nose-feel-'cold' note is. Curious! 6 hours later: The last gasp of the spice, and the honey that's still hanging on with sticky little honey claws. I imagine the dying stages of this scent is what the Honey SN smelt like -- so now I don't have to swap for it, aha! Overall: I'm keeping my imp. I need to smell-test this against O, because having more than one honey-based scent in my collection will cause me no end of dithering in the mornings. Right now, I prefer this to O because it's not so sweet (and yet, not so sexy -- that's the power of names for you), but I haven't tried O in a long time and I may be misremembering its sweetness. If I wear this a lot in the next month or so, I'll get myself a 5ml; otherwise, the imp will last me.
  10. subbes

    Red Devil

    A sinfully playful lust blend. Inspires sexual spontaneity, a little bit of kinkiness, and new and inventive ways to get dirty. This smells like Blood Kiss on me, with a bit of Snake Oil thrown in for good measure. Snake Oil has some blend of spices that my skin loves and amps up hugely, but in this, the Dragon's Blood (I presume that's the resin) is so strong that the spice can't amp up too high.. This is, however, distinctly odd; I'd come to the conclusion, after a couple of impling tests, that Dragon's Blood makes me want to vomit. But this doesn't. Maybe I need to re-evaluate those tests and work out if it was some other scent. anyway, this is off-topic. It's not exactly my thing -- I don't like resins too much, but I will keep it around and see if the voodoo works. My partner and I need spicing up, we're still in the "can't boink, have to empty boxes" of a new house. As to the Voodoo properties, I'm not sure if it's worked yet. I did chase my partner round the apartment with a cold can of cream soda. That isn't a fetish for either of us, though, so it might not qualify.
  11. subbes

    Bastet

    I got this in a swap after an LJ friend raved about it. In short: This is, on me, almost a dead ringer for Eau de Kookai. Insert your own umlaut, I don't have the character map handy. I think it's either the saffron or the lotus -- or the combination of the two -- because I recall Kathmandu having a similar air about it (under the 'snake oil' exotic spice air that always comes up huge with me, plus cedar). So, if you're missing Eau de Kookai, or something, and your chemistry matches mine, try Bastet. Straight out ot the bottle, I get almonds, that then starts to dry down into a delicious amber-y medly. Then, somewhere, something happens and bam! Eau de Kookai once it's dry. I don't mind EDK, but I was hoping for something more like the amber medly I first smelt. This might well go back out to swaps a mere day after I got it -- in a swap. Pity.
  12. subbes

    Chaos Theory II : The Butterfly Effect

    CCCXXIX: 329 In the bottle: A little boozy. Red, resinous -- possibly dragon's blood. I'm also smelling something menthol or cinnamon-y: that back of nose bite, the opening of sinuses. I can't wear dragon's blood, so this does not bode well. Application (wrist): Woah. Still that resin, and the menthol stuff -- smells herby, tart, green. I can't place the herb exactly, though I wish I could -- it smells similar to a note in Tzadikim Nistarim, if that's any help. Drydown: More herbal, over a base that seems 'red' to my nose. Wait.. is there lemon in this? No, no, passing fancy, unless it's lemongrass, this is a bit greener of a top note than lemon. Still drying: Floral? Something I've smelt in this reminds me of a note in Kali, or maybe Xiuhtecuhtli? No, no, that's not it. Guh. I hate my lack of scent prowess. 30 mins in: If it's not dragon's blood, what is it? I'm perplexed, because it seems to give the same mental image (red) as Dragon's Blood, but without the side effects [nausea]. The herb seems like a dusty green-grey plant. Partner sniffs, says "I like it," which is high praise in his book. 1 hour in: The herb's fading, and something incense-y is coming up instead -- perhaps a touch of sandalwood? There's a hint of something plumm-y, or wine-y, and the "red" seems like velvet. 4 hours in: The beginnings of powder. The sandalwood's gone, but the fruit (almost spicy red/purple fruit) hangs on. 8 hours: Spicy powder, fading off. If I knew carnations better I might hazard a guess that this was one, but all I can say is "spicy pink powder" -- not the "exotic spices" of Snake Oil or Ahatoor, but a sweetish pink spice. 10 hours: Gone. Overall: Complex, intriguing, but not my thing -- even though the partner likes it. I'm going to swap this -- and the person who gets it, please, do set me straight on what all these notes are, because trying to describe this scent is like trying to draw the elephant while blindfolded!
  13. subbes

    Kuang Shi

    Origin: Part of a frimp set of pale oils with dark names (zombies, murder victims, and goddesses of destruction, oh my) Preconceptions: I don't like mango, and sandalwood may be one of my chemistry's 'no' notes. However, I like mandarin and wonder what white musk will do, so I'm not going to condemn it without a try. In the vial: fruity-smoke? First application (to elbowpits): Mango, and something darker that lurks behind it. Concentrating really hard can bring out a touch of mandarin, but it's all behind the mango. Drydown: Still a lot of mango. I'm not really a big fan of mango, sadly. Then, the sandalwood comes out. Normally sandalwood, for me, is a precursor to the note in every 'exotic spice' BPAL that my skin amplifies (Snake Oil, Hell's Belle, Sacred Whore, Ahathoor -- I wish I knew what that 'spice' nwas so I didn't keep buying delicious descriptions and having my skin ruin them), but in this case, I think the fruits are keeping that from happening. There's a little bit of musk in there, I can't pick out any mandarin any more. The mango isn't really mango the way I think of it (I don't like mango but I'm okay with this scent), perhaps because of the sandalwood-incense-smoke around it. Dry: Fruity sandalwood musk blended into something that I can't really describe, other than "nicely odd in a mango-y way). I'll try this again when I'm not testing other imps at the same time.
  14. subbes

    Black Dahlia

    Origin: Frimp, key part of a rather morbid set this order (murder victim, goddess of destruction, and zombies, oh my!) In the bottle: sweet florals, a bit of smoke. First application: Jasmine. Nothing but loud, shouting jasmine -- the bathroom cleaner scent. Drydown: First, Jasmine, then a hint of magnolia. The jasmine in this is really strong for the first ten minutes. Then, the magnolia perks up more, along with the orchid. The jasmine fades but still stays. Drydown: Magnolia, jasmine, a tiny hint of orchid. Overall: Too much jasmine for me. I was hoping star jasmine wouldn't suffer the "bathroom cleaner" curse that plain jasmine has on me, but... no. Without the jasmine, this would have been the beginning of summer in Mississippi, and an okay scent for rooms (I'm not big on florals), but the jasmine tips the scales the other way. Off to swaps, sorry.
  15. subbes

    Dragon's Heart

    This scent, along with Blood Kiss, has proven that Dragon's Blood blends are not for me. I wanted to like it. From Dragon's Heart, I'm getting very little but a loud note of something I assume to be Dragon's Blood. It's sour at the back of my nose. Sour, biting, acrid almost, but there is a velvety richness in it. It's a scent I could appreciate the depth of and describe glowingly, but I, personally, don't like the smell of it. I can't shake the urge to scrub my wrist -- the same urge that came from Blood Kiss. Underneath the Dragon's Blood note, that overpowers everything else, lurks a blend of musks, maybe a little berry, but I have to take a deep inhale and mentally process out the Dragon's Blood to get to the other notes. And I can't get past the Dragon's Blood making me want to wash. Into the swap pile it goes. Sorry guys.
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