ellebelle

Olive blossom, cardamom pod, amber, morning star lily, bergamot, and a well-aimed snowball. Wow, I can't believe I'm the first to review. in the bottle: A very light floral fragrance. I get the same gentle floral from Tabella (the olive blossom, I assume) a bit of bergamot, and a faint whiff of snow. wet: VERY much like the bottle scent. Light floral, bergamot and (because I know what I'm looking for) the snow note. The snow is really manifested as an extremely light mint-ish note at the end. It is but a far distant cousin of Snow, Glass, Apples or the various Yule snow scents. dry down: On the dry down, this becomes a more well rounded scent. There is a little powdery-ness, which I assume is the amber. The bergamot backs off a bit. Cardamom pod must be a different smell than cardamom, because I never get a particularly spicy scent from this. The lily is never particularly noticeable for me - I think it's blending in with the bergamot and snow rather than being a brighter stand out like it can be in some scents. verdict?: We shall see. For now, it's a keeper. It's definitely in the same scent family as Aizen-Myoo. If you like that, this scent is probably worth a try. eta: I am liking this more and more. It is different from the other scents in my collection in a good way. It doesn't feel like a duplicate of anything.

THE LADY OF LAKE RONKONKOMA Lake Ronkonkoma is rumored to be a bottomless lake and conduit to the netherworld. The gods of the Lake demand an annual sacrifice, using the restless spirit of a long-dead Seatauket maiden to lure unsuspecting men to their doom. Balsamic, reedy water, sweetgrass, algae, loosestrife, and lady’s slipper. I find the Lady of Lake Ronkonkoma to be a salty aquatic in the same family as Jolly Roger and A Fit of Artistic Enthusiasm. Wet, it smells almost a little bit floral and kind of bright. As it dries, it darkens into a reedier, saltier scent - I'm envisioning a lake bottom with this scent. This is a unisex scent to me - it smells good on me, but I think it would smell good on my boyfriend as well.

METAL TIGER A new year's blessing! Peony, China's national flower, with bamboo for flexibility, plum blossom for perseverance, courage, and hope, tangerine for wealth, orange for happiness, lychee for household peace, pine resin for constancy, golden kumquat and quince for prosperity, narcissus and King mandarin for good fortune, cypress for longevity, and peach fruit and hemp to represent the fourth phase of Wu Xing, with a splash of blazing red of dragon's blood... to help you scare away the rampaging Nian. In the bottle: Smells like a slightly woody grapefruit with a little floral tossed in there. Since there is no grapefruit in this, I have to assume that is the melding of all of the fruit scents - or perhaps the lychee? Wet: Lychee, lychee and more lychee. Maybe some orange and tangerine tossed in there. Wet, this is a very bright citrus scent. No sign of the florals, the woods, or the dragon's blood resin. drydown: I start to smell the peach a little more, but this is a still predominantly a light, fruity scent. The grapefruity sharpness wears off on the original drydown and Some of the more floral notes ground it a bit. I do not get any dragon's blood resin, so for those scared of this note, it might still be worth trying this. verdict: If you liked Hungry Ghost Moon, I think you'd like this. They are definitely in the same scent family. Also reminds me a bit of Boabhan Sith (with the grapefruit sharpness).

1.5 oz gin ½ oz dry sherry ½ oz lemon juice 1 tsp pumpkin butter 2 dashes of Averna amaro Pour the gin, sherry, lemon juice, pumpkin butter, and liqueur to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake that mofo and strain it into a rocks glass filled with ice and a strong, spicy ginger ale. Stir gently, and garnish with a cinnamon stick or human finger bone. This is lovely! It's a bright, effervescent fizzy scent, reminiscent of the fizzy note in the atomic luau blends or perhaps velvet pink kitty. There is a light autumnal note in there from the pumpkin, but pumpkin haters take heart! It is not powerful. More it just adds a buttery richness to the scent. I love this and I see it being worn frequently.

The Land of Cheerfulness: blood orange and apricot with Chinese geranium, Italian bergamot, langsat pulp, cardamom, white peach, and white sandalwood. On me, this is bright and cheery - very citrus heavy with the predominant note being bergamot. It reminds me strongly of some of the "metal" Chinese new year scents. On dry down, I get a touch of the peach and sandalwood. I got no cardamom or geranium at all. So pretty and so perfect for spring. This was my first lunacy in ages and I love it.

LE REVENANT Comme les anges à l'oeil fauve, Je reviendrai dans ton alcôve Et vers toi glisserai sans bruit Avec les ombres de la nuit; Et je te donnerai, ma brune, Des baisers froids comme la lune Et des caresses de serpent Autour d'une fosse rampant. Quand viendra le matin livide, Tu trouveras ma place vide, Où jusqu'au soir il fera froid. Comme d'autres par la tendresse, Sur ta vie et sur ta jeunesse, Moi, je veux régner par l'effroi. - - - Like angels with wild beast's eyes I shall return to your bedroom And silently glide toward you With the shadows of the night; And, dark beauty, I shall give you Kisses cold as the moon And the caresses of a snake That crawls around a grave. When the livid morning comes, You'll find my place empty, And it will be cold there till night. I wish to hold sway over Your life and youth by fear, As others do by tenderness. -- Charles Baudelaire, translation by William Aggeler. A shroud of gardenia, narcissus, and sandalwood with ambrette seed, white cognac, muguet, davana, and white musk. On me, this is almost all white musk, all the time with a touch of high white florals. I was hoping for that rich cognac smell, but I don't get any of that.

ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE COURTESAN JIGOKUDAYUSilken coconut, angelica, soft golden incense, tiare, carnation, and Asian pear. This is very, very sweet both in the bottle and wet on my skin. If I didn't know the notes, I would have thought that cream and sweet pea were elements in the blend. It has a very sweet, creamy feel to it. I think that the sweetness comes from the fruit in it and maybe the coconut. This does not smell at all like suntan lotion to me, so maybe "silken coconut" is different from regular old coconut? Sadly, I do not get a strong carnation or tiare smell, which is too bad as they are my favorite note. Instead, everything blends together into ... sweetness. This, to me, is in the same scent family as Agape and blends like it. Pretty and quite girly. As it dries down, the scent does not really morph. Low throw.

BPAL: http://www.bpal.org/topic/127-wishlist/page__st__1900__p__1566904?do=findComment&comment=1566904 AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1OASHS9ZEEHNF/ref=cm_sw_su_w ETSY: http://www.etsy.com/people/effluere/favorites Would you like anything from Future Primitive? (It's fine to mention OOS things) https://futureprimitivesoap.co.uk/ Sure, why not? Not any of the bubble bath stuff, but the whipped soaps look really interesting. Does anyone have a favorite horror movie that they love? Need a copy/DVD of? Maybe Practical Magic? Does that count as horror?? Do you like smallish knitted stuff (hats, fingerless mittens, scarves, toys, etc. -- be specific!)? Knitted stuff is great - fingerless mittens would probably be most used. My winter coats are white and dark brown. I have a pair of grey gloves. Do any of these knitted items appeal to you? - easy fingerless mitts and Odyssey Shawl How do you feel about thrift store finds (assuming they're in good condition and have been thoroughly cleaned before shipping)? I feel awesome about them! 9/20/19 I may have bought several full size Rituel de Fille makeup items in a frenzy over their whole vibe. If I tested something once or twice (and it can be sanitized), would you be interested? Sure, that would be fine. Are you interested in trying different skincare products from higher end, clean brands? Absolutely yes! Any interest in anything from Torrid, noting their "fangirl" and Halloween collections are updated? I love torrid but actually a lot of their stuff is a little big for me now. In pants, I'm a 1, and in tops I am a 00. Dresses are either a 0 or 00 depending on how forgiving the skirt it. What on the following list would you like to receive something related to (or have something donated to in your and Joni's honor?) · animal rescue · pie · dogs · bears · turtles · inappropriate candies (either in shape or in contents—ex., boozy candies, creatively shaped peanut brittle…) Any or all of these are awesome for me. I probably tend a little more towards the animal end of things. I'll be going to Seattle, London and Paris during this round- anything you'd love to have from any of these locations? I can't think of anything? But I will ponder. Is there anything you would particularly like from Japan? Stationary, bento supplies, a particular snack, etc. The fall flavors for kitkats this year are Chestnut, Sweet Potato and Apple Pie. I would be very interested in trying the different kitkat flavors! 9/22/19 Thinking about really good natural food stores like Natural Grocers or Whole Foods, if you could have ANY bath and beauty or body care items, what would you love? I like some of the green beaver products. Also what kind of treats, snacks, foods, condiments, bulk items, teas, housewares from the same natural food stores would you love? I love bright crawlers, but only buy them on road trips! Delicious olive oil or maple syrups would be welcome. Macadmia nuts are a LOVE. I also really like those baked chickpea snacks. I don't know - I just like snacks. Also, are there any particular sustainable kitchen or household items you would love to receive? Reusable sandwich bags! That's all I can think of at the moment. 9/23/19 Did anything catch your eye from the Liliths? Nope. Would you like anything from Lush? Not right now. 9/26/19 Is there anything kind of weird and niche about which you feel this way, fellow witchees? Beer? Is that weird and niche? Kickstarter (and similar): Any thoughts, witches? I love kickstarters but I can't imagine any product would actually come to fruition in the timeframe. 9/28/19 Do you have an Etsy/Goodreads/Amazon or anything else wishlist you’d like to share? All of my wishlists are linked in my SW blog from last year, but I will copy them over! And what’s your preferred wrist/necklace size? I like at least an 18" drop on necklaces. Not sure my wrist size? I don't wear a lot of bracelets. Does anything from Bird & Blend take your fancy? Not really into tea. Knitting questions have have been asked, but how about wash cloths, anyone need any? What colors?? I love washclothes! Turquoise, tan, grey, pink, yellow. is there anything from World Market that tickles your fancy? I can't think of anything right now. 9/29/19 There's a special thing happening over at Rituel de Fille this weekend, where some gorgeous makeup items are coming back for just a couple of days. I'll be placing an order Sunday or Monday- anything that might strike your fancy, either from the special sale or from the site in general? (https://ritueldefille.com) If there is something you think would be especially amazing for me? I use eyeshadows in pinks and tans, mascara, lip colored lip glosses and light blushes. How do you feel about tarot or oracle decks? Would you be interested in any (for artwork or for mystical purposes)? New or used? I have two tarot decks and I think that's good for me. Would pigment samples from companies like M.A.C. or Notoriously Morbid tickle your fancy? If so, what colors catch you eye? I don't think I would use them.

BAKUNAWA Ang bulan namon sang una, sang una Guin ka-on sang bakunawa Malo-oy ka man, i-uli, i-uli Korona sang amon hari. In the far-flung mists of time, long before man walked the earth, Batala, the Omnipotent Creator, set seven moons in the sky. The radiant dance of the moons enchanted the bakunawa, dread serpents of the oceans. In thrall to their gluttony and longing, the bakunawa rose out of the depths of the sea to swallow the moons whole. Hypnotic, luminous lunar herbs and blossoms radiating forth from a blend of midnight musk, jungle orchids, oakmoss, and palm. I guess I'm first? I put this on before I remembered what was in it. It is a very well-rounded scent - so much so that it was difficult for me to pick out any notes in particular. I thought for a moment that it might have opium in it because it's kind of a dark, musky scent but I think it was the midnight musk I was smelling. The herbs are particularly not present. It's mostly orchids and black musk on me. I was hesitant in ordering this, but I like it very much, actually! It's a grown up, sexy kind of scent. If you like BPALs with opium or black musk as a predominant note, give this a try.

Popcorn and nuts coated in molasses, iced cocoa, freckle bread, canelés, hot green tea, cinnamon-spiced apple cider, honeyed oat muffins, and crème pâtissière. Holy foodie-riffic batman! This smells strongly of popcorn, chocolate and spices. It's a really pretty scent, but is so strong that it gives me a headache. Great throw on this.

I think this is sweeter than the released version - it has an almost sugary, candy like sweetness to it that could be a more prevalent sweet pea note. The pear is less present, but there is a fruit drink kind of scent that is present here. Overall, I'd say this is a fruit juice drink plus sweet pea. As it warms and dries, there is a slightly present sappy/grassy quality to this. It's quite girly, and would be a pretty scent in the summer time.

Wishlist help! BPAL: http://www.bpal.org/topic/127-wishlist/page__st__1900__p__1566904?do=findComment&comment=1566904 AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1OASHS9ZEEHNF/ref=cm_sw_su_w ETSY: http://www.etsy.com/people/effluere/favorites 10/9/18 Are you interested in anything from Nerdlacquer? Nail polish? Probably not really my thing. I rarely paint my nails. In the summer I pedicure occasionally but we are heading into the long winter so. 10/8/18 Speaking of OOS/Discontinued - Are there any old favorites from no longer operating companies that you would like if either anyone had a stash OR could find a reasonable dupe? HAUNT. I miss you Haunt, I miss you so much. Collectors Cabinet and Witch Wife are favorites - scrubs in particular. I still have some oils and glosses but seriously - I would take any haunt scrub you could find. I just used my last one. Booze, yea or nay? Favorite kinds? Yay! I like anything "interesting" - infusions, interesting bitters, etc. I also love gins and bourbons. And wine. And beer. Ok, I love it all. Knitted stuff? Need/want anything specific? Colors? Sure! I love knitted things. Scarves and hats are best in a less chunky yarn. Color question is in my survey. Feelings re: Lewis Carroll/Alice in Wonderland? Love it, hate it, meh it? I like it but I have no strong love/hate feelings. Are you thinking of participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Any merch or pre-Nano supplies you might want? Nope. I just recently discovered MoonMagic -jewelry with a focus on moonstones but also opals and labradorite. They currently have a sale. Anything that stands out to you? (moonmagic.com) I generally love jewerly. I wear necklaces most often, usually silver, love all stones. I leave this at my witch's discretion! Do you like quirky socks? Any preferred styles (ankle, thigh-high..)? Socks are always great! I usually wear ankle or crew cut and often love fun patterns. 10/7/18 Would you like a postcard from the fancy schmantsy St Pancras Renaissance hotel that I'm about to stay in several times over the next month? (Witches, I'll happily send one to your witchee if they would like it) Not necessary. Does anything catch your eye from Future Primitive, including oos things? The whipped soap looks good! I think I've answered the best notes question (also a lot of my favorite notes are listed in my wishlist link). Also I need to update my BPAL wishlist!

Lush carpets, the heavy purple of deep mourning, stretch to touch walls covered in peeling, fading wallpaper and threadbare tapestries. The trompe-l'œil frieze is grotesque: misshapen creatures cavort lewdly, leering and clutching one another in strange embraces. The walls are hung with massive dust-caked portraits of ancestors long-dead, and desiccated calla lilies curl morosely in crystal vases set on ornate end tables. Whiffs of opium, tobacco smoke, sherry, and cologne hint at crumbling decadence and the echoes of buried perversions. This is a strong opium scent, which is a note that I love. In the wet stage, this is just a giant blast of opium. As it dries, more of the notes become apparently - I get whiffs of the tobacco smoke which add a "dirty" aspect to this scent and then I get something in the background that is very sour smelling and sharp. It is this note which is making me sad because the rest of this is gorgeous. As it goes to the full dry down, that sharp/sour note goes away and I get beautifully rounded opium/tobacco smoke/sherry goodness. I have to think on this as wet and dry and beautiful, but that dry down phase is a little rough for me. I have to wonder if this has myrrh in it somewhere, because that seems to be a common note in blends that I associate with that distinctive sour/sharp scent.

The Amalthea Gossamer Ring: flecks of pink ice haloed by rose-tinted amber. For me, this scent is definitely in the "snow" category of BPAL scents. I don't get much Amber or Rose specifically - more of a rounded, adult smelling ice scent. I think the Amber is taking the edge off of the snow note because I don't get that ozone-y scent here. Ugh, this is a terrible first post!

LORD TEISHIN WITH A DEMON BEHIND A SCREENBlood red musk, Spanish mandarin, candied red fruits, Chinese geranium, red pepper, and effervescent tangerine pulp. This is really interesting... it is a kind of peppery, effervescent citrus. The tangerine note from BPAL is always kind of sparkling to me, and this is no exception. The geranium and the red pepper are adding the spicy note that co-dominates this blend. Red musk is usually a little so-so on me, and I don't find this blend particularly heavy on the red musk. The muskiness blends in with the other notes. On the dry down, the spicy-musky scent takes over this blend and I lose the citrus entirely. This does not surprise me, as citrus rarely sticks with me. Really interesting. I like this, but I think if I wore it next to me face it would give me a headache as it has quite the powerful throw.

I hope this is the right place for this? I really like the release Last Unicorn Lilac Wood, so I thought I would take a chance on this blend (based on speculation that LU = Last Unicorn). This to me is the strong scent of broken stems and sap and a hint of lilac. In other words, not so different from the released version. I would say that the prototype is grassier than the released version and lacks the hint of sweetness that is present in the released version. But overall, this is quite pretty and does not stray too far from what is released. I like them equally.

Blue-ribbon squashes, tomato vines, pomegranate rinds, grand displays of hay bales, copious amounts of American beer, and an eleven-ton monstrous cheese. This sounded so strange, but it's a beautiful, sweet, green scent. I definitely get the vegetal note from the tomato vines and the squashes and I think that the sweetness is from the pomegranate rind. Nothing smells like stinky cheese, so whatever that notes is just rounds it all out. Simply stunning.

MOON OF HORSES One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. Grape vines, cinnamon, frankincense, olive leaf, red wine, saffron, stacte, galbanum, costus root, smoke, and brimstone. This is a really interesting scent. This is fresh out of the mail, so my opinions MAY change. But! In the bottle, I smell mostly grapes and wine. When this is applied to the skin though, the first scent I can only describe as vegetal. Not green, like grasses or herbs, but green like the BPAL scents with the tomato notes in them. My nose detects easily the olives and the smoke/brimstone scent, but I can't pick out any of the other scents individual. Cinnamon fearers, rest easy; I cannot smell cinnamon in this a bit and it does not give me a skin reaction. Overall, I don't know if I really like this or not. It is certainly an interesting scent. Try this if you like the earthy scents.

THE ORCHARDS OF HELL Pomegranate, mint, aconite, black poppy, white rose, narcissus, willow bark, wonder-flowers, asphodel blossoms, and poplar. I had actually hoped for more pomegranate in this, but it's not a major player. The first squirt smells heavy on the narcissus but as that fades, it leaves a rounded, refreshing whole. I like this because it's a scent you can spray that doesn't scream "ROOM SCENT" - it just freshens, and I think that's nice.

Antiwar [and] anti-everything-that's-smelly: sweet red patchouli and orris root with bourbon vanilla, caramelized labdanum, peru balsam, and almond milk. This is tested straight out of the mailbox! The wet stage is all almond extract on me (which is usually how it is for me with anything that contains almond.) However, that fades quickly and I get mostly sweet resins. The patch is there, but it's not super strong. It's kind of a swirling, sweet, resiny scent - it's pretty reminiscent (to my nose) of Misfortune Teller v3, but with a patchouli base note. It's really nice - a winner!

Very green - I would guess grass or dandelion as one of the notes. Also a little of the BPAL dirt note and either lillies or orchid. I'm on the fence on this one - I think this is really pretty. It's a green aquatic scent that - at least to me! - doesn't go to cleaner.

Yep, I agree with zankoku_zen. Herb, some kind of spice, and a sort of salty/rummy scent. I would love this as a candle, actually, but it's a little too masculine for me.

I feel like maybe this goes much stranger on my skin than anyone else's who has reviewed thus far. The first blast is that sort of musky spicy scent, but the dry down on my is tea. I smell that distinct lemony note that I associate with scents where tea is a major component. Pretty, but not for me.

I'm really surprised that Miss Anna isn't getting more love. In the bottle there is something harsh and a little unpleasant smelling but as soon as it goes on the skin it morphs into a beautiful, soft scent. It has an almost vanilla quality to it from the cacao (I think perhaps white cacao?) and almond mixture. The predominant floral scent I get is that of cherry blossoms and wisteria. I can't really smell the violet at all. The sum total is a wispy floral backed by a warm vanilla-ish base. The drydown is a tiny bit powdery - I suspect that this is the violet making itself known. Still, this is a pretty scent.

Anthesteria, one of the four central feasts of Dionysus, is held for three days during the month of Anthesterion-- the time of blooming. It is a celebration of the birth of spring, expressed symbolically though the ceremonial opening of the pithoi containing the previous year’s vintage. A time of joy and drunkenness, it is both a celebration of earth’s renewal and springtime’s bright passions and a festival of the dead. During the three nights of Anthesteria, the ghosts of our ancestors roam the streets. This commemoration of death and rebirth, passion and springtime was one of the few, precious moments when all were equal in the Hellenic world; during Anthesteria, man, woman, and child, free man and slave, human and spirit were all unified under the auspices of Nature’s great cycle. Dénthis wine and Bibline grape, with honey and a touch of thyme and oregano. For me, this is mostly white wine. It seems like the same wine scent from Horreur Sympathique and from Bon Vivant. I also get some sticky sweet honey as well. No thyme or oregano to speak of. There is almost a tropical feel to this scent - I get an almost quince like effect from the wine and honey. Pretty!