sarielswish

Any VTMers in here?

 

ravnos FTW

I actually have a tat of the Tzimisce ouroboros on my right bicep. hehe. i <3 Chiropteran Maurauders.

For me: I am a dreamer through and through. I indulge in children's literature, ballet, role playing games, writing, photography, scrapbooking and gardening. I'm very feminine and romantic and my favorite color is pink. As you can probably tell, I never really grew out of my princess phase. All manner of whimiscal knick-knacks adorn my shelves which I have collected in my travels. Some of my favorite pasttimes are visiting tea houses, having picnics and wandering in parks and gardens. Spending my time daydreaming or exploring is a great joy to me. I feel most alive when I am either surrounded by nature or shopping in old vintage Victoriana shops. My imagination is the thing that drives me the most. There are times that I can be introverted, moody and aloof, but for the most part I am optimistic and possess a youthful spirit.

Alice, most definitely, for the girlishness, children's lit, daydreams, and Victoriana. Also, Mag Mell for the exploration, love of nature, and just general green goodness.

as for myself... i'm a *huge* history buff. i was a Classical Civilizations major in college. think of majors in Archaeology, Anthropology, History, Latin, Greek, Philosophy, and Classical Literature, rolled into one. i'm a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, a historical recreation group, with a 14th c. Ottoman Turkish persona. i sew all of the garb for myself, my husband (he's a 15th c. Barbary Corsair), and our daughter by hand when i can. i'm a belly dancer, albeit not a very good one. i am an avid reader - i devour books. i'm particularly fond of fantasy (high, medieval, and dark, esp. lovecraft), science fiction (hard and cyberpunk), dystopian fiction, horror, and classical literature. i'm as like to be caught reading Lovecraft as i am Homer, Gibson as i am Chaucer. Musically, i'm all over the board. i love what would be considered goth (deathrock, darkwave, ebm, industrial), rockabilly/psychobilly, folk, filk, metal (viking metal, progressive, operatic, symphonic, power, speed), neo-swing... that's the more eclectic stuff. i listen to the radio too. i'm anything BUT a girly girl. i've got a rather morbid sense of humor and i'm a complete girl geek. i love RPGs - console AND tabletop. and i'm a terrible flirt in social situations.

i've been told my appearance is rather striking. i'm very pale, shoulder length black hair with suicide bangs (Bettie bangs), and huge blue grey eyes. i'm also 6' tall. i rarely wear any color other than black, red, or purple unless it's garb for an SCA event and then you'll see me in golds, reds, yellows, oranges... lots of very warm colors and tassels and jingly bits.

Tombstone is all Bandaids on me and The Dodo smells a lot like red oil, to those of you who know what that is.

i know this is a little random but on looking at the lab's site, i was a little unsure. are the Carnaval Diabolique scents impable or not? i see nothing stating they're not, but i thought i'd ask to be sure first.

 

They are not. It is on the unimpable series list found here: http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/sample.html

 

If you're ever unsure, it also mentions that they don't sell individual imps for scents that cost more than $15/5ml (I assume that will be adjusted to $17.50 after the price change at the end of March).

thank you. that's what i was looking for. not necessarily *good* news, but now i know, right?

i know this is a little random but on looking at the lab's site, i was a little unsure. are the Carnaval Diabolique scents impable or not? i see nothing stating they're not, but i thought i'd ask to be sure first.

i dunno about anyone else, but i've found three notes that are migraine triggers almost every time i smell them. not *every* time, but almost. i love the smell of the lab's myrrh, frankincense, and red musk notes, but almost every time i put them on, i end up with a migraine. not fun. occasionally, i'll find a blend that has them mixed just right or is aged *just* so that they don't overpower, but that's a rarity. thank god for migraine meds and note lists, though.... otherwise, i'd be in *trouble*.

if i want to get my husband's attention, all i have to do is put on a tiny bit of Loviatar and i can't get him to leave me alone!

Loviatar?! I hated it the first time I tested it, and yet now, a few weeks later, I'm addicted!

 

I smell like sexxxxxxx. I guess I like red musk..I'm surprised. I assumed I didn't like it as I thought it was the tangy, sneeze-inducing note in Snake Oil, but it must not be.

 

I am a happy girl. Off to find some more red musk heavy blends!

-Upon opening the bottle... JASMINE!!!! This one screams jasmine and that's about it. However, once I put it on I get JASMINE and sandalwood. After about 5 minutes, the jasmine starts to fade off and it's a nice, sultry mix but still a little flowery for me. After roughly 20-30 minutes, the jasmine has tapered off and I get a *very* pleasant sandalwood with a hint of jasmine and true vanilla. The only problem I have with it is that it fades off completely too quickly - 2-3 hours. Maybe I just need to disperse it more. I definitely need a full bottle of this one.

Wet in the vial, I'm impressed. I quite like the cassia, red musk, and sandalwood together. It reminds me very much of my very favorite incense, Egyptian Goddess.

Immediately, I get a very sweet cinnamon, almost like the cinnamon hard candy my grandmother used to make and a very distinct musk, cut with something almost medicine-y (probably the agarwood) , similar to red oil for those of you in the south. Still very reminiscent of that incense, though, which is a good thing. Gotta be careful, though, because that medicine-y character and the cinnamon are almost overpowering when wet.

10-15 min. dry-down - Most of the cassia has toned down, so now I'm getting a lot of musk, sandalwood, and agarwood. It's a very resinous, sweet scent. Again, reminiscent of incense... kinda reminds me of the way head shops smell, amusingly enough.

1 hour dry-down - Heavy on the musk and agarwood, but the sandalwood is still there. There's a slightly sour note, possibly the lemon peel, that I can't quite place but it's not bad. I don't know that I'd buy a whole *bottle* of this one, but it's something I'd wear when I was bellydancing.

2 hour dry-down - Ok, I'm getting pretty much all musk and sandalwood now. This is not a bad thing. It's also gotten pretty faint by this point.

In the vial, all I get is rose. Rose rose rose. I might as well have a bottle of attar of rose in my hand.

Wet on my skin, again all I get is rose. I'm not even getting the slightest hint of leather.

10-15 minute dry-down - *sigh*. Still just rose, but now it's got a chemically sort of undertone to it. Not very pleasant.

1 hour dry-down - It just smells like old lady rose soap. That makes me sad, because I had such high hopes for it.

In the vial, I get spice and sandalwood and carnation. Color associations are saffron and rust red. It's beautiful. It's almost what I think an oasis would smell like - dusty and a little dry and sweet and verdant at the same time.

Wet on my skin, the carnation is a little more than I'd like. The sandalwood and musk are there, but almost overpowered by the carnation. The cassia is almost non-existant, unfortunately. However, while I can't pick it out individually, it gives the whole a spicy, sweet undertone.

10-15 minute dry-down - Still, too much carnation for me, but the sandalwood is starting to come out more. The musk and cassia are still hiding, though.

1 hour dry-down - That's better. The carnation is starting to blend back into the mix and the sandalwood and musk are coming out more. Actually, I think the musk is starting to overpower the sandalwood. Cassia's still in the background, though.

2 hour dry-down - There's the cassia! The carnation has blended better, so now I'm getting all the notes without one dominating. I like it. Dunno that I'll order a whole bottle, but I like it nonetheless.

3 hour dry-down - Oddly enough, the carnation and cassia have gone to vanilla. Not a reaction I would have expected, but not unpleasant. Now it's musk, sandalwood, and vanilla.

In the vial, amber and leather... I'm liking this one. Colorwise, I'm getting black. Not just black, though. Black leather - that slightly coarse, stiff leather of a worn leather jacket.

Wet on my skin, the myrrh is a little strong, but not as bad as Nefertiti. I can defintely smell the leather and amber and it's very nice.

10-15 minute dry-down - Lots of musk and amber and leather with, as the hubby put it, a magickal scent - the myrrh. I'm pretty fond of this one so far and Josh won't leave me alone. ;-)

1 hour dry-down - Very nice blend. The myrrh is toning down and mixing well with the other scents. It's not overpowering anything in this one.

2 hour dry-down - Ok, this one is a keeper. Smells very nice, decent throw, sticks around. This is a possible 5ml.

Note - for some reason (I'm guessing my chemistry at the moment) this turned to vanilla on me, but there's no vanilla in it. Weird.

In the vial, it's pretty noxious to me... All I can smell is patchouli and frankincense. Colorwise, I'm getting a clotted blood red-brown.

Wet on my skin, all I can smell is frankincense. Ecch. I'm not liking this.

10-15 minute dry-down - Well, that's not too bad now. The patchouli is starting to die down and I'm actually getting some of the sandalwood. The frankincense is still too strong for me, though.

1 hour dry-down - Better. All three notes are starting to blend so it's not so cloying.

2 hour dry-down - The hubby likes it, but I'm still not sure I like this one much. The final result is a much better blend of the scents but that frankincense I'm not partial to. Might keep the imp, but definitely not ordering a bottle.

In the vial, there's an unusual 'green' note that I'm assuming is the herbs and a very strong myrrh. It's hard to place a color on this one, but I'm getting a bronze feel from it.

Wet on my skin, this is very strong. I'm getting mostly myrrh and that herbal note. The myrrh is a little overpowering, though.

10-15 minute dry-down - Myrrh myrrh myrrh. I'm starting to get the sandalwood and a slightly flowery note. I'm guessing that's the iris.

1 hour dry-down - That's better. The myrrh is starting to mellow and the sandalwood is coming out more. The flowery note is tamed some, which is good because I'm not that fond of flower scents on myself.

2 hour dry-down - Ok, I'm not hating this. The myrrh is a little strong, but it's very distinctive. The flower note is pretty much gone, but that's ok by me. The herbal notes are interesting, but not disgusting. Not something I'd buy a whole bottle of, but not bad.

In the vial, it's very nice. Colorwise, I get a very light minty green - reminiscent of absinthe. I can smell mostly the opium, sandalwood, and lily but I'm not getting any mandarin or vanilla at all.

Wet on my skin, it's almost identical to in the vial. I'm still not getting any vanilla or mandarin.

10-15 minute dry-down - Eh. Pretty, but not me. I'm getting opium and lily and little else. Even the sandalwood has disappeared.

1 hour dry-down - Ok, this isn't me. After an hour, the only thing I can smell is LILY. Not that I dislike lilies, but I'm not big on florals. Not something I'll keep.

In the vial, the spices are a little weird. Colorwise, I'm getting a goldish tone. For some reason, there's a plasticky undertone to it, though. Weird.

Wet on my skin, ew. That plasticky note is taking over. Ecch. Might be my chemistry reacting with the saffron.

10-15 minute dry-down - Still with the plastic! This is sad, because it just smells like a plastic bottle with spices in it on me. I had such high hopes for this one.

1 hour dry-down - Plastic and musk. Pity. This is kinda giving me a headache, at that.

In the vial, it's very clean smelling. Colorwise, a vibrant kelly green. Mostly, I think I'm getting ginger, verbena, and grass.

Wet on my skin, wow. Very sweet and fruity smelling. Almost citrusy - probably from the verbena. I'm not getting the amber, though.

10-15 minute dry-down - What a difference! Getting a *lot* of the amber and ginger with a nice green note from the grass and sage and verbena.

1 hour dry-down - This is a definite maybe on the big bottle. It just makes me think of a summer afternoon in a field of grain - dry without being arid, warm without being too dark.

2 hour dry-down - I quite like this. The verbena and ginger take the heaviness out of the amber. It smells, for lack of a better term, fertile or full of growth potential. Also, the color association changed to a very rich wheat gold.

In the vial, it smells like fruit tea and bubblegum. :-) Colorwise, it's PINK!!! Pink pink pink. Bubblegum pink. Some people say it smells like baby powder, but I think that's the rose note. BPAL's light rose notes tend to smell like powder, but aren't overpowering.

Wet on my skin, it's all tropical fruit bubblegum. Wow. Extremely sweet and very 'pink'.

10-15 minute dry-down - Honey. Mmm... it smells like orange blossom honey and pink roses. It's a very *girly* scent. I like it. It's not something I'd wear very often but it's nice.

1 hour dry-down - Very powdery. Honey and roses and sandalwood make baby powder, apparently. Not unpleasant, though.

2 hour dry-down - Ok, that's a little much on the roses for me. This is a once in a great while scent.

In the vial, it smells like burnt caramel. Pretty noxious, if you ask me. I'm not liking this. Colorwise, I'm getting molasses brown.

Wet on my skin, ecch. It smells burnt and cloying, like overly strong incense. I'm pretty sure that's the myrrh and poppy.

10-15 minute dry-down - Ergh. Getting a little more spice now, but the poppy and myrrh are making me kinda sick.

Ok, that's a big old no. I can't even tolerate that one for an hour.

In the vial, it's mostly patchouli and myrrh. So far, however, the myrrh isn't overpowering. We'll see how that pans out. Colorwise, I'm getting a brown-black, like potting soil. Very earthy.

Wet on my skin, it's myrrh and orris. The myrrh isn't sickening yet, though, which is a good thing. It reminds me of incense.

10-15 minute dry-down - Weird. It smells like soap. Not like Irish Spring or anything, but like the little decorative perfumed soaps you see in grandma's guest bathroom. I'm guessing that's the orris.

1 hour dry-down - Soap. Not an unpleasant soap, but soap nonetheless. If I wanted to smell like soap I'd wash my hands with the little 'do not touch' decorative ones at grandma's house. Also, the color tone has changed significantly - it's gone to a dusty rose/eggshell. Something I'd associate with old ladies.

In the vial, very herbal. Colorwise, I'm getting the silvery green of rosemary and white sage. Pretty clean smelling.

Wet on my skin, it smells like the herbs you put on roast chicken... Quite pleasant, actually. I'm getting mostly lavender and rosemary, possibly some white sage or basil.

10-15 minute dry-down - I'm getting lemon basil now, along with the lavender and rosemary. This is certainly not one I'd wear on a day to day basis, but for dream work or a linen spray, this would be quite nice.

1 hour dry-down - Very herbal, very green. I like it, but not to wear as a perfume, I don't think.

First off, I must say I am in *love* with this one.

Wet in the vial, the first thing I get is *cold*. Primary notes are LAVENDER, mint, yuzu and lime, with a little of the vetiver on the underside. The impression of that acidic white-green associated with sickness and radiation is almost palpable. Very appropriate, as that's always the shade I've connected with the Pale Rider imagery. The lavender, which usually makes me a little ill, is very well balanced.

Immediately, *drool*. The yuzu and lime fall off almost immediately, but the mint hangs around. Without the yuzu and lime, it's a little less cold, but still there. Here, the vetiver and lily are more pronounced. It smells almost like graveyard loam - that earthy greenness that is almost *overgrowth*.

10-15 minute dry-down - The yuzu and lime are pretty much gone, unfortunately. I'm still getting that wonderful earthy greenness, though.

1 hour dry-down - Ok, now there's the musk. It was kinda hiding behind the lavender, it seems. I'm really not getting anything of patchouli, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The sandalwood is there, but really faint.

2 hour dry-down - Now it almost smells like a crypt, if you've ever been around one that's crumbling or broken. The sandalwood, vetiver, and musk give it an almost dusty smell, the patchouli an earthiness, and the lavender and lily a faint funereal flower-like scent. It's lovely.

The hubby is in lust with this one, too. :-)

This is one of the frimps i got with my first order...

In the vial, wow! Mint! I'm getting more mint and eucalyptus than anything. I can barely make out the neroli and can't find the violet at all.

Wet on my skin, all I can think of is toothpaste or mouthwash. The mint used is probably wintergreen. Colorwise, I'm getting blue neon.

10-15 minute dry-down - Ok, there's the violet. Reminds me of violet candy and dinner mints, now. The eucalyptus is still there as a very clean, almost mediciney note. Very odd combination, I think.

1 hour dry-down - Ugh. Now it's all violet and neroli, with a little hint of mint. In other words, it's shampoo and toothpaste. Way too flowery for me.

2 hour dry-down - Now it just smells like a hothouse gone crazy. Violets and bitter orange overgrowing everything!!! Yuck. I do NOT like this one.