Belladonnastrap

For the most part I will forgo my normal review format as I use/d this ritually and so it matters not if the staying power and drydown are influences if I keep it or not.

First Sniff
I actually think theres a bit of lavender in this because I smell that and roses. No clue what else is in it though...it smells very pretty.

Usage
I decided to try this out the day I got my hair done. I woke up and anointed my pulse points with the oil while murmuring "I want new people in my life" and went along my merry way. I had a couple of random conversations BEFORE I got to the hairdressers when is sort of weird considering I was bundled up like a yeti and sweating like one.

Afterwards I definitely noticed a lot more smiles (that could have been the new hairdo' however) and I actually felt a lot more confident. I wore it out again to dinner with an old friend (anointing my wrists and a sliver of pink wax I carried with me) and they remarked I seemed much more happier and "glowy" which is odd consdiering the past two months have been hellish.

I don't know if this has brought new lovers to my life but I know I've made a couple of new friends since I've started to carry it around on the pink wax. I'll probably do a full blown ritual and update this review accordingly.

First Sniff:

Have any of you ever played with the orginial Strawberry Shortcake dolls? Strawberry smelled a bit like a mixture of fake and real strawberries...that's the feeling I get from Strawberry Moon. It also reminds me a lot of Yankee Candles' Strawberry scent. It's NICE but the pure strawberry feeling doesn't seem to be there. The scent is very very strong however, my friend could smell it across the room when I merely opened the bottle.

 

Wet:

Oh my. There is the pure strawberry! It actually smells a lot like strawberry wine, there is an undercurrent of booze in this. Very very sweet, very very pink.

 

Drydown:

Still strawberries but a bit too sweet for me. I don't get any of the traditional lunar flowers nor do I get any sage or anythign else. Which is quite sad really as I was very much hoping to smell them.

 

Aftermath:

If you're a strawberry lover definitely hunt down Strawberry Moon as it's more fruity then the previous Strawberrygasm scent, Bon Viant. As for me it's not a winning combo which is quite sad because I do love the strawberry. Oh well, can't win them all.

First sniff:

Honey? Honey! Actually I get nothing but Honey and maybe a bit of whatever makes O smell so yummy. Not the sexy part of O but the flirty part. Maybe that's the lunar flowers speaking.

 

 

Wet:

Mmm honey laced flowers. This actually reminds me a lot of a tea I used to buy called Honey Rolleover. It's a very warm honey, not ridculously sweet and cloying. It reminds me a lot of Hod actually.

 

Drydown

Honeycomb honeycomb honeycomb! I can't smell anything left but the honey, theres no tinge of flower just pure golden bee hunny. It's a scent that Winnie The Pooh would ADORE.

 

Aftermath

Do you love Honey? Get your hands on Honey Moon! It's super-fantastic, has amazing staying power and is very very yum. A keeper!

A week. I'm all about savouring

Attention all forumites!

 

As most of you know, Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince comes out tomorrow (or now for you lucky folks on the other side of the pond!) and quite a few of us are diehard potterfiends. So with that said:

 

HARRY POTTER SPOILERS NOT MARKED AS SUCH WILL RESULT IN BELLADONNASTRAP COMING OVER TO YOUR HOUSE AND FORCING YOU TO LOOK AT NAKED PICTURES OF MICHAEL JACKSON WHILE SHE BLASTS BADLY DONE POLKA VERSIONS OF NINE INCH NAILS SONGS IN YOUR EAR

 

Please PLEASE, utlize the spoiler tag, use sp & /sp with brackets. Also, most of the modding team will be slow to do mod duties as we're all diehard fans and will be plowing through the books. Give us a week or so

 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and a special "HUZZAH" goes out to all my fellow Ravenclaws!

 

 

~Belladonnastrap/Karyn

Kimi ni BUMP BUMP

 

Just bumping this as its that time of year again ...well I mean if you ordered them now you'd get them in in time for fall

Just bumping this as its that time of year again ...well I mean if you ordered them now you'd get them in in time for fall

First Sniff:

Have any of you ever been to a dairy? I mean an old school "re-enactment" not the dairies with big machines. It smells of full butter and milk and the lunar oil smell. Mm.

 

Wet:

...this just turned into sour milk on me. OMG.

 

Drydown:

No clue, have to wash it off.

 

 

Aftermath

Something in this just doesn't jive with my body chemistry and I'm SO SO SAD as the scent is beautiful in the bottle!

First Sniff:

Juicy sweet pears that sparkle and shine. I get nothing but sparkling pear from this.

 

Wet:

Juicy Fruit is gonna move ya! Chews so soft, it gets right to ya! Juicy Fruit, the taste the taste the taste is gonna mooooove yaaaaa! So in other words, it smells like Juicy Fruit gum.

 

Drydown:

That overwhelming Juicy Fruit scent is gone but there's a lingering sweetness that's a bit cloying. It reminds me a lof of Endymion's drydown actually but the pear is more pronounced, there's nothing holding it back unlike Endymion.

 

Aftermath:

Very sweet and lovely but I can't imagine buying and using up a bottle. However it does make me feel quite girly and is fantastic for moments when you just want to be happy. This is very much a happy scent.

First Sniff:

Tropical, fruity and a bit heady. If Mi-Go's smell like this then I wouldn't mind hanging out with one...minus the whole suck up your brain bit.

 

 

Wet:

MMMM. It smells like Manila only more...bananaish. It's a bit sweet, a bit tart and very tropical. It makes me think of sunny beaches with brainless people walking along it :D

 

 

Drydown:

ACK! Burnt Rubber! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

 

 

Aftermath:

Mi-Go in its wet stage= but in its dry stage = so away it goes. I will keep an imp however because wet its very very tropical melon fruity and lovely

First Sniff:
Baby powder. Baby powder, ginger and something sweet...maybe vanilla? It's very odd. It smells like something you're not suppossed to like but do anyway. Weird.

Wet:
Dammit I know what this scent is but my mind is completely not cooperating. Oh wait! It's like Shub-Niggurath's younger but just as bad sister. Which on reflect would be really odd but that's what it reminds me of. There's also a hit of something darker and more rich, sandalwood maybe?

Dry:
Gingerbread Poppet minus the buttery note with a dose of sandalwood.

Aftermath:
I need to get to know this better. I know there is an aspect of the perfume I'm missing but I can't place my fingers on it. Will update the review accordingly

First Sniff:

Oof. A pink version of Harvest Moon. That huge overpowering buttery note present in Harvest & Chaste Moons but also there's a hint of sugar.

 

Wet:

Huh. I don't get any of the sugar sweetness everyone has, just the traditional lunar flowers. Oh wait...there it goes! Like caramel and some pink sugar. It reminds me a lot of how Midway smells in the bottle.

 

Dry:

Well phooey. I don't get the Pink Sugar subsitute everyone else has, I get the tradtional lunar flowers and...juniper. Lots of juniper. My body amplifies juniper insanely...if there's even the slightest hint of it my chemistry will pull it out and shove it in your face.

 

Aftermath:

I'm really sad that I don't get the pink sugar love everyone else is but Pink Moon is still very very lovely!

First Sniff:

Figs. And incense. It smells DARK and seedy and a bit offputting actually.

 

Wet:

Incense? And something resiny...it reminds me a bit of Scherezade with that.

Dry:

Ugh. It's gone total headshop on me and I smell like I've been in the desert wit

Aftermath:

Not for me as I hate resiny incense scents sadly. It's too bad, I wanted to freak out my folks by saying I was wearing Gomorrah!

First Sniff:

*swoon* Night. Stars. Something dark and mysterious. I wish I could pick out the notes in Nuit but I can't.

 

Wet:

It reminds me a lot of Midnight but more femiine. I get a bit of a headache from the florals but I think its because I accidently slathered myself in it

 

Dry:

The overpowering flowers are gone! It's a wonderful sparkling greenish white flower that reminds me of a secret garden of sorts.

 

 

Aftermath:

Nuit's sort of Midnight's younger, more ethereal and darker sister. The jasmine is a wee bit overpowering but I'm sure once I let it age a bit it'll be fine. A definite keeper and try it out if you're a fan of light florals!

First Sniff:

Vanilla memory. I get a whiff of powder but its just gentle sweet vanilla, like old lace that if you touch it too much it will crumble.

 

Wet:

Newborn vanilla baby. Sweet, gentle vanilla with a hit of sadness. It's not a loud, abrasive vanilla a la Bath & Body Works but more calming and soothing. Barely there.

 

Dry:

More of the vanilla but it has a light powder haze over it, that just...I can't really explain it but the scent is sepia colored. The vanilla has turned creamy however

 

Aftermath:

...I NEED a bottle of this. In the worst way. I'm so sad I missed out a chance to buy one

I'm been wary of using CCNow because of those kinds of anomalies, I am sure the lab will be able to correct the problems though!  On my very first order that I placed myself, it was when CCNow randomly canceled dozens of payments one day.  So I have used Paypal ever since, even though I'm afraid that I'm going to do the math wrong or write down the wrong name of what I want...but so far, so good!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What I do Sarada is I dump everything I want into the CCNow cart, let it add up everything and then I just copy and paste that into the paypal note window. Much easier then remembering if I added that wayward bottle of Venice!

First Sniff:

Flowery and fresh and spring. Is that honeysuckle? Jasmine...Beltane definitely smells like what its namesake would be.

 

Wet:

Ooooooooooooo. The flowers are a bit strong on first application but they smell divine. It instantly cheered me up.

 

 

Dry:

The overpowering flowers are gone! It's a wonderful sparkling greenish white flower that reminds me of a secret garden of sorts. Pretty good staying power as well, it's lasted through 3 dishwashings.

 

Aftermath:

Another oil that perfectly captures a sabbat! A WINNAR IS BELTANE.

First Sniff:

Clean. It smells like the bathroom after I've taken a long shower with Neutrogena Rain Bath. Being as I luuuuurve Neutrogena Rain Bath this is a good thing. It's very herbyrainclean smelling. Which seems odd considering its a perfume named after a portent of death but whatever

 

Wet:

Fresh green herbs and rain. Damn. This is awesome. *sniff sniff* Mmm.

 

Dry:

Ugh. It's gone generic perfumey on me and it's giving me a headache.

 

Aftermath:

Ides of March starts out SOOO nice but by the end it gives me a headache so bye bye it goes

First Sniff:

Oh my. Woodsy and rich and...aquatic? Could Hexennacht be the water drenched forest scent I have been clamoring for?!

Wet:

*blinks* Pine. Cedar. OCEAN. Holy shit, it IS the water drenched ocean forest scent I've been waiting for. Gah!

Dry:

The pine overpowers everything and that whiff of ocean air is gone However it's replaced by something smoky and intangible. Think of a more woodsy Samhain

 

Aftermath:

The staying power of Hexxennacht is for lack of a better word insane. It's going strong after washing the dishes AND cooking dinner (Tandori Chicken mmm). This pushes it into keeper territory. If you like scents like Belladonna, Black Forest and Noctinsa you should hunt down and try Hexxennacht.

First Sniff:

Dirt. It reminds me of Nosferatu just minus the yummy wine that makes that scent turn into sex on me. It (Graveyard Dirt I mean) smells a lot like a greenhouse.

 

Wet:

I smell like I've been playing around in the dirt. Pure dirt and it's actually sort of making my stomach turn Wait. WTF? It just turned yummy cedar on me?! Gah!

Dry:

Cedar? OMG. What on earth have you done Beth? Have you made me lust after DIRT!? Okay so...I was all ready to sell this off but Graveyard Dirt turned into this lovely green earthy scent that doesn't smell quite so much of wet soil as it does of soil and..cedar. Yum.

 

Aftermath:

The staying power on me of this is bad. The scent fades away really quickly. HOWEVER the wonderful drydown and the fact that it smells like hot sex when layered with Hamadryad make Graveyard Dirt a keeper

First Sniff:

Oh. Lavender. Pure lavender. Running through a field of Lavender with my hair billowing out behind me and the sky is a beautiful shade of pink grey.

 

Wet:

Lavender, Lemon and what I can only describe as oomph. It's a scent to wear when your mind is going a million miles per hour and you need to step back and recharge. Just sniffing it makes me calm down and step back a moment.

 

 

Dry:

It fades into a lavenderrosememory. I slathered this on and within 10 mintues I was feeling sleepy and as I laid down in bed when my mind would start whirring I'd catch a brief sniff and it'd calm down again. THe perfume ALMOST fades into obscurity but just when your mind wants to get overactive it rears its lovely head to calm you down.

 

Aftermath:

A WINNER. All of the Panacea blends are perfect and Quietude is amazing. If you find your mind gets too chaotic and filled with "What ifs" do yourself a favour and buy this. It will help immensely. My bottle is going to get a huge workout.

First Sniff:

Dark, mysterious, sweet and earthy. Smells like Narcissus and ...moss? Something like that.

 

Wet:

Oh my. It's like Virgo's older brother who is brooding, dark and really fucking hot. I've always had this fascination with Hades and as I've gotten older it's gotten stronger...probably a combination of me embracing the "darker" aspects of my nature and a certain romance novel I keep rereading

 

Dry:

I love this. Most of BPAL's "masculine" scents I tend to avoid (excluding the suits) but Hades I adore. Absolutely adore. This has mellowed down into a lovely dark floral with a hint of masculinity, I very well imagine Hades himself smells like this. Earthy and...pure. A scent that may not get your attention at the first go but later on just becomes more and more noticable until you cannot ignore it. Wonderful.

 

Aftermath:

I ADORE this. If you haven't tried Virgo try and get an imp of Hades....it's the darker and wiser version of it. Outstanding, amazing and I'm so very glad I have a 5ml of it.

Ok and seriously *taps foot impaitently* Beltane and Hexennacht bottles, I must know what they look like! *whine*

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Howdy ya'll. This scent smells like the saddle of a horse after it's been worked to death on a ranch. That pure scent of pure leather with a bit o rawhide and something that screams OLD WEST. John Wayne should have smelled like this.

 

 

Basically take an old leather shoe. Sniff it. That's Dead Man's Hand. Amazingly true to life. Whereas it's not really great smelling on me, I'd imagine it would smell FAB on a guy. Rawr.

Have any of you been to any of the Disney parks?

 

You know when you're walking down Main Street U.S.A. and all those wonderful candy smells meld together and assault your nose? You get the urge for cotton candy, salt water taffy, popcorn and jumbo lollipops.

 

 

Add a dose of fresh ocean air and you have what Midway smells like. My grandmother remarked that it smelled like Coney Island back in its glory days.

 

I can definitely forsee massive amounts of this being sold, it's perfect for the summer months. I know I'll be buying at least 2 bottles.