Heavenlyrabbit

The festival of Roman goddess of death, Larenta, who was also known as Dea Tacita, the Silent Goddess. Spells to silence and bind slanderous enemies were cast on her holy days, as were spells of closure and suppression. During this time, offerings to the dead are left on thresholds, where spirits are said to dwell. A Roman funeral garden: cypress, thyme, oleander, crocus, gladiola, amaranth, and myrtle shrouded by herbs and flowers sacred to the Silent One. A brown/green scent with quite a bit of throw. The greens here remind me of when I used to go around at night clipping the neighborhood English boxwoods and hollies for greens to use in wreathmaking. This isn't the cedar and pine of craft store/car freshener variety. Gentle florals, no divas. They are tucked into the herbs. Smelling Larentalia deeply, I wonder if it's just a nice meditative blend or perhaps some magical intent was used in creating it. It's one of those BPAL's that smell like they come from Twilight Alchemy Lab. As a Yule blend, this works for those moments you reflect on dear ones who have departed. When nostalgia takes over. So often it's said the Winter holidays are for children. There is always a place for those who've passed on. Curious I pulled this out right after Mourning Moon. >>>>>> Takes another deep breath of the perfume. Hopefully I haven't any enemies and if these are none of them are slandering me.

BRUSQUE VIOLET `I never saw anybody that looked stupider,' a Violet said, so suddenly, that Alice quite jumped; for it hadn't spoken before. `Hold your tongue!' cried the Tiger-lily. `As if you ever saw anybody! You keep your head under the leaves, and snore away there, till you know no more what's going on in the world, that if you were a bud!' Violet petal, violet leaf, osmanthus, orris, mint, and opoponax. Whoa! This is an arresting sent so in that respect, it captures the feel of "brusque". This is no shrinking Violet. Unlike the Violet in Ultraviolet, this Violet has the upper hand. Which is rare on my skin where violet usually is much more subtle. I think it's the specific Violet-Mint combo. The resin helps this from being too high-pitched.r No powder, soap or grandma feel to this. This particular blend blows my mind. Will have to test over the month to see how it works but DAMN! This is a perfect Violet for people who don't do violet. Also kind of nice for late Summer into Autumn. Edit to heap MORE love on this scent. It is a fabulous mixture of violet, green and brown.

This is the house, the sacred box, Where, always draped in languorous frocks, And always at home if someone knocks, One elbow into the pillow pressed, She lies, and lazily fans her breast, While fountains weep their soulfullest: This is the chamber of Dorothy. — Fountain and breeze for her alone Sob in that soothing undertone. Was ever so spoiled a harlot known? With odorous oils and rosemary, Benzoin and every unguent grown, Her skin is rubbed most delicately. — The flowers are faint with ecstasy. The Scarlet Woman, aglow with sensual indolence: red musk, benzoin, caramel accord, golden honey, and spiced Moroccan unguents. Takes its time unfolding on my skin. The red musk is in the forefront along with the spices. I imagine this is what Smut might have smelled like if my skin chemistry reacted so adversely to it. The sweetness is very laid back on me, as per usual. Sultry blend that reminds me of Love blends, for sure. Unique but in the same vein as some of the Oriental Wanderlusts, too. Great choice if you aren't the floral person.

IO Red musk, pomegranate, cranberry, blackberry, mango, purple sage, thyme, and angelica root. A delicate fruity perfume. A light, yet surprisingly sexy vibe. I think the sexy is the Red Musk. The light and refreshing is the herbal overtones to the fruit. This is very beautiful and doesn't come off as a fruit dessert or fruit alcoholic drink so it should be popular for warm weather, IMHO.

The yellowed country records containing her testimony and that of her accusers were so damnably suggestive of things beyond human experience - and the descriptions of the darting little furry object which served as her familiar were so painfully realistic despite their incredible details. That object - no larger than a good-sized rat and quaintly called by the townspeople "Brown Jenkins" - seemed to have been the fruit of a remarkable case of sympathetic herd-delusion, for in 1692 no less than eleven persons had testified to glimpsing it. There were recent rumours, too, with a baffling and disconcerting amount of agreement. Witnesses said it had long hair and the shape of a rat, but that its sharp-toothed, bearded face was evilly human while its paws were like tiny human hands. It took messages betwixt old Keziah and the devil, and was nursed on the witch's blood, which it sucked like a vampire. Its voice was a kind of loathsome titter, and it could speak all languages. Of all the bizarre monstrosities in Gilman's dreams, nothing filled him with greater panic and nausea than this blasphemous and diminutive hybrid, whose image flitted across his vision in a form a thousandfold more hateful than anything his waking mind had deduced from the ancient records and the modern whispers. A small, furry, sharp-toothed scent that will nuzzle you curiously in the black hours before dawn: dusty white sandalwood and orris root, dry coconut husk, creeping musk, and the residue of ceremonial incense. Sweet incense. The coconut doesn't overwhelm as it's wont to do with my skin chemistry. A rather straightfoward scent with the coconut melding with the resins' sweetness. The orris and sandalwood are definately there but seem to be more of the structure that keeps this from collapsing inward from the heavier notes. GREAT sillage. Reminds me a wee bit of Midnight Mass combined with All Souls.

Die Sundë, Vom Tod Verfolgt, Henry Fuseli. Blood musk, hothouse orchid, fig leaf, frankincense, white amber, and tobacco honey. Full bodied, sexy and just a touch of dirty with a hint of spice coming from something I can't pinpoint. Perhaps the variety of orchid chosen. This is sort of an extreme version of a skin scent. A stripped down version of Pallas Athene (one of my recent favorites).

At this moment the door was flung open, and a shrill voice was heard singing: 'To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said "I've a sceptre in hand, I've a crown on my head. Let the Looking-Glass creatures, whatever they be Come and dine with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and me!"' And hundreds of voices joined in the chorus: 'Then fill up the glasses as quick as you can, And sprinkle the table with buttons and bran: Put cats in the coffee, and mice in the tea -- And welcome Queen Alice with thirty-times-three!' Then followed a confused noise of cheering, and Alice thought to herself `Thirty times three makes ninety. I wonder if any one's counting?' In a minute there was silence again, and the same shrill voice sang another verse: '"O Looking-Glass creatures," quoth Alice, "draw near! 'Tis an honour to see me, a favour to hear: 'Tis a privilege high to have dinner and tea Along with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and me!"' Then came the chorus again: 'Then fill up the glasses with treacle and ink, Or anything else that is pleasant to drink: Mix sand with the cider, and wool with the wine -- And welcome Queen Alice with ninety-times-nine!' Carnation, posies, and white amber with a hint of inky treacle, sandy cider, and wooly wine. Spicy, creamy floral. Carnations with cake and hard apple cider. A more sophisticated and perfumey version of Harvest Moon. No hint of plastic from the 'treacle'. The spicy carnation isn't turning into redhots. So this makes me very happy

CELESTE I have always been capricious and proud. No one, among women whose tendency it is to say 'yes,' derives more pleasure than I do from saying 'no.' So the men to whom I have given the most are those who asked least of me. Elizabeth Venard, La Comtesse de Chabrillan, was known to her friends and lovers as Celeste. She first found fame as a dancer in Paris' Bal Mabille where her grace, beauty, and talent earned her the nickname La Mogador: the Moroccan fortress could not have resisted soldiers with as much skill as Celeste juggled suitors. She became a famed equestrienne at Paris' Hippodrome until an accident propelled her to move into the life of a courtesan in earnest. After many years of success as a popular demimonde, she entered into a tempestuous, passionate relationship with Gabriel-Paul-Josselin-Lionel de Chabrillan that culminated in their scandalous marriage. They loved each other without reservation, and she remained by his side long after he became destitute and had nothing to offer her other than his love and his name. They settled in Australia, and she pursued a career as an author until she was forced to return to Paris alone due to poor health. Lionel attempted to gain a post in France in order to be able to be with her, but was rejected because of his past indiscretions, and died in an accident while on his voyage back to Australia. Devastated, Celeste turned to the theatre for catharsis and consolation, and became a successful playwright and manager. Madagascan vanilla bean, vanilla orchid, orris root, and saffron. Celeste is pretty but perhaps a bit dry and less full bodied than one might imagine. I took a chance with the Saffron. It combines with the Orris and makes me feel nostalgic with a tinge of melancholy. This is not the Orris of Black Pearl, that's for sure. It's a bit rougher.

NES GADOL HAYA SHAM But not long after the king sent a certain old man of Antioch, to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their fathers and of God: And to defile the temple that was in Jerusalem, and to call it the temple of Jupiter Olympius: and that in Gazarim of Jupiter Hospitalis, according as they were that inhabited the place. And very bad was this invasion of evils and grievous to all. For the temple was full of the riot and reveling of the Gentiles: and of men lying with lewd women. And women thrust themselves of their accord into the holy places, and brought in things that were not lawful. The altar also was filled with unlawful things, which were forbidden by the laws. And neither were the sabbaths kept, nor the solemn days of the fathers observed, neither did any man plainly profess himself to be a Jew. But they were led by bitter constraint on the king's birthday to the sacrifices: and when the feast of Bacchus was kept, they wore compelled to go about crowned with ivy in honour of Bacchus. And there went out a decree into the neighboring cities of the Gentiles, by the suggestion of the Ptolemeans, that they also should act in like manner against the Jews, to oblige them to sacrifice: And whosoever would not conform themselves to the ways of the Gentiles, should be put to death: then was misery to be seen. For two women were accused to have circumcised their children: whom, when they had openly led about through the city with the infants hanging at their breasts, they threw down headlong from the walls. And others that had met together in caves that were near, and were keeping the sabbath day privately, being discovered by Philip, were burnt with fire, because they made a conscience to help themselves with their hands, by reason of the religious observance of the day. - The Second Book of the Maccabees, 6:1-11 In order to consolidate his power in Jerusalem and Hellenize the area, the Greek king Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlawed Judaism and ordered the population to worship Zeus and the Hellenic pantheon. As this was anathema to the Jews, they refused, and Antiochus moved to enforce his religious decree by extreme force. Some origin tales say that the dreidel was used at this time as a method by which the Jewish people were able to continue to study the Talmud in secret under the guise of gambling. Now, in addition to being a light gambling game, the dreidel is also a reminder of the strength, devotion, and perseverance of the Jewish people and the mercy of God. One scent in four parts: Nun, the Snake: nuun, nothing. Naḥš, in modern Arabic, means bad luck. Represented by scents of loss and remembrance: opoponax and lemon verbena. Gimel, the Camel: the Ship of the Desert. Represented by scents of abundance, fortitude, and determination: patchouli, heliotrope, pomegranate, and almond. He, the Window: sometimes used to represent the Unutterable Name of God, this is the window in our souls through which God's light touches us. Represented by scents of clarity and piety: frankincense, myrtle, and hyssop. Shin, the Tooth: also stands for Shaddai, one of the names of God. The hand formed into shin acts as a priestly blessing. Represented by scents of strength, generosity, kindness, and benediction: carnation, myrrh, red poppy, and hibiscus. The essences of Nun, Gimel, He, and Shin are blended to become Nes Gadol Haya Sham. Prominent notes for me are the Heliotrope and Almond. This reminds me of an old favorite, Tzadikim Nistarim, and also a few of BPAL's earlier 13 blends. Probably because of the wide range of notes. Maybe even reminiscent of Cleopatra Testing Poisons. Complex and unconventional from a perfume standpoint.

CANDIED PUMPKIN A traditional Dia de los Muertos ofrenda: sweet pumpkin cooked with piloncillo, orange juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, fresh ginger, maple syrup, honey, and clove. This smells almost like Pumpkin Bread. It's sweet and rich but not overbearing. Perfect Orange note with a little zing and a hint of balsamic mellow. For whatever reason, Beth's Mexican and South American blends almost always work on me. This is so perfect. The spices are JUST right. Overall, full bodied and very pretty. This is definitely one of my top three Pumpkin blends from the Lab.

TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE BAT Twinkle, twinkle, little bat! How I wonder what you're at! Up above the world you fly, Like a teatray in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle little bat! How I wonder what you're at! A sparkly, batty little scent: green tea, melon, mint, lime rind, and champagne grape with lemon balm, mullein, and toadflax. I think Beth took the "teatray" literally A tray of herbal teas like you find in a health food restaurant. Edit to note- Melon has been one of the worst experiences I've had with BPAL. The one used here works, so that was a pleasant surprise.

FIGGY PUDDIN’ Calymyrna figs, dark rum, cognac, raisins, cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar, and clove. More Puddin from Puddin! This is less alcoholic than the Plum Puddin but it still has a strong smell of spirits. More depth and also a bit more tart than it's sister scent from the Trading Post.

Deck your halls with Nabby Gardner's Holiday Globules - the colors are out of this world! Luminous and possibly sentient, they make a fine addition to your holiday décor! It's like the twinkling colored lights on a Christmas Tree. Bright, sweet fruits with something vaguely kind of ozone. Kind of a fun, sporty fruit scent. I do not like ozone but I do like this. Want a bottle for sure.

'TIS THE VOICE OF THE LOBSTER ’Tis the voice of the Lobster: I heard him declare ’You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair.’ As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose Trims his belt and his buttons, and turns out his toes. When the sands are all dry, he is gay as a lark, And will talk in contemptuous tones of the shark; But, when the tide rises and sharks are around, His voice has a timid and tremulous sound. I passed by his garden and marked, with one eye, How the Owl and the Panther were sharing a pie: The Panther took pie-crust, and gravy, and meat, While the Owl had the dish as its share of the treat. When the pie was all finished, the Owl, as a boon, Was kindly permitted to pocket the spoon: While the Panther received knife and fork with a growl, And concluded the banquet by— A woody, musky-weird base glooping over with blackberry preserves, a twist of mandarin, strawberry juice, pulverized watermelon, and a handful of smushed gardenia petals. Thumbs its nose at The Sluggard. This is my favorite of the new MTP blends, I think. And that's a hard thing to say cause they are all pretty much weird and wonderful. First thing I get is blackberry perserves and musk. Then a delicious wave of extra fruitiness which I couldn't identify right off followed by a floral that made me think - expensive men's cologne. Looking at the notes and seeing Gardenia was a shock. Gardenia? Somehow I must be linking the "woody, musky-weird base" with the floral there. So this might be a good one for guys to sample. Very pretty but surprisingly less girly and foody as I thought it'd be from reading the notes.

BONES TROMBONE Pie crust, smears of blueberry marshmallow cream and lemon meringue, and hemlock. I get the tartness of the blueberry and lemon, a very subtle touch of evergreen (that is actually quite nice) but very little of the pie crust, marshmallow cream or meringue. I like this but think it verges on masculine and would love to smell it on a guy. And I am almost certain other BPAL'ers will get more of the foody-goodness. My skin chemistry is notorious for burning through notes like that within seconds.

No description given Rum and.... Vanilla Mint? It's Rum and something gently sweet and cool like mint/pine. The Rum isn't too strong in this. Nor is that "cold snow" note. It's very evocative and I suspect it will work on a lot of people.

This is the scent of a freshly assembled gingerbread house, with swirls of multicolored icing, spice drop lights, meringue snow, pinwheel mint accents, chocolate roof tiles, candy wafer pavers, and jelly candy stained glass. We used a French translation for ‘gingerbread house’ as the name to make it sound fancier. French adds +40% Fancy! A jumble of scents reminiscent of that box of mixed Christmas cookies your grandmother used to make. For all the candy/sugar treats mentioned, this is shockingly not that sweet. I get chocolate , a HINT of gingerbread... and if I keep inhaling I eventually detect the barest whisper of mint and what I think is anise. My skin is notorious for burning off sweet scents so I'll be interested to see how this works on others. The dry down is a mix between Sugar Cookie, Gingerbread Poppet with a touch of Gelt and an indistinct Fruit note that shows up way in the background.

Dreams in the dusk, Only dreams closing the day And with the day’s close going back To the gray things, the dark things, The far, deep things of dreamland. Dreams, only dreams in the dusk, Only the old remembered pictures Of lost days when the day’s loss Wrote in tears the heart’s loss. Tears and loss and broken dreams May find your heart at dusk. The muted flame of in-between time, the stillness of the gloaming: blue chamomile, green tea, Spanish moss, champaca flower, white sage, jonquil, wisteria, and white honey. This Phoenix embodies the strange beauty of the dreamscape, the force of the imagination, and the power of the spirit. Slightly herbal, slightly floral, slightly pungent. A laid back sort of sexy. All mixed together seamlessly for a quiet, almost meditative quality. Captures the time of day perfectly. This also suits me immensely well. Gorgeous artwork on the label.

The Demon, in my chamber high, This morning came to visit me, And, thinking he would find some fault, He whispered: "I would know of thee Among the many lovely things That make the magic of her face, Among the beauties, black and rose, That make her body's charm and grace, Which is most fair?" Thou didst reply To the Abhorred, O soul of mine: "No single beauty is the best When she is all one flower divine. When all things charm me I ignore Which one alone brings most delight; She shines before me like the dawn, And she consoles me like the night. The harmony is far too great, That governs all her body fair, For impotence to analyse And say which note is sweetest there. O mystic metamorphosis! My senses into one sense flow -- Her voice makes perfume when she speaks, Her breath is music faint and low!" An expression of love, adoration, and desire, of beauty that transcends mortal desire and piques the interest of hell itself: attar of rose, calla lily, palmarosa, peach blossom, wisteria, rice flower, and black musk. This is a full bodied, classic perfume. Somewhat womanly and good for any occassion. Reminds me of some of the better boutique blends I tried before finding BPAL. Sometimes you just want a beautiful floral that wears well. The peach blossom works well with the particular musk used here and the florals have a deep, slightly sweet feel to them. Calla lily is a iffy note for me but it really works here. This is very long lasting and a definite keeper.

BUTTER RUM COOKIE A boozy addition to the devil's bake sale! Rum-soaked butter cookies, crusted with sugar, soaked in almond and garnished with orange rind. Butter RUM? You betcha... with these cookies around, the Devil would be too wasted for malice. The Rum, Almond and Orange Zest all combine together and make this a wearable gourmand for men (and women). The Cookie and Butter part are pretty tame compared to some other BPAL's like Sugar Cookie. Yes, the aromatics here definitely place this in Cologne territory. But in a foodie kind of way, if you can imagine. Note- Almond can be almost unbearably bad on me, it is fine here.

SLEIPNIR At Yule, Odin leads a divine hunting party through the heavens. On Yule Eve, children would fill their boots with sugar, carrots, and straw and place them by the chimneys for Odin's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, to eat. To repay the children's kindness, Odin would refill the children's boots with sweets or small gifts. Confections spun of hazelnuts, honey, elderberries, and bilberries with a dusting of hay and a bit of carrot. Muesli or a gathering of ingredients before you start baking cookies. Not overly fruity though. This would be more like dried berries. This doesn't make a grand statement but is quietly compelling. Sort of a comfortable-sweater type scent on a day when you're being a bit of a homebody. If Gunpowder was about evoking the treats a horse loves then Sleipnir is the wholesome treats a horse-loving girl or boy would nibble on. IMO, this would be a good scent for a person who goes into sugar shock with many BPAL foodies.

ARIADNE BRUNNELL (The Vampire Maid, Hume Nisbet) This contact seemed also to have affected her as it did me; a clear flush, like a white flame, lighted up her face, so that it glowed as if an alabaster lamp had been lit; her black eyes became softer and more humid as our glances crossed, and her scarlet lips grew moist. She was a living woman now, while before she had seemed half a corpse. She permitted her white slender hand to remain in mine longer than most people do at an introduction, and then she slowly withdrew it, still regarding me with steadfast eyes for a second or two afterwards. Fathomless velvety eyes these were, yet before they were shifted from mine they appeared to have absorbed all my willpower and made me her abject slave. They looked like deep dark pools of clear water, yet they filled me with fire and deprived me of strength. I sank into my chair almost as languidly as I had risen from my bed that morning. Yet I made a good breakfast, and although she hardly tasted anything, this strange girl rose much refreshed and with a slight glow of colour on her cheeks, which improved her so greatly that she appeared younger and almost beautiful. I had come here seeking solitude, but since I had seen Ariadne it seemed as if I had come for her only. She was not very lively; indeed, thinking back, I cannot recall any spontaneous remark of hers; she answered my questions by monosyllables and left me to lead in words; yet she was insinuating and appeared to lead my thoughts in her direction and speak to me with her eyes. I cannot describe her minutely, I only know that from the first glance and touch she gave me I was bewitched and could think of nothing else. It was a rapid, distracting, and devouring infatuation that possessed me; all day long I followed her about like a dog, every night I dreamed of that white glowing face, those steadfast black eyes, those moist scarlet lips, and each morning I rose more languid than I had been the day before. Sometimes I dreamt that she was kissing me with those red lips, while I shivered at the contact of her silky black tresses as they covered my throat; sometimes that we were floating in the air, her arms about me and her long hair enveloping us both like an inky cloud, while I lay supine and helpless. Poppy flowers, peat, sphagnum moss, gardenia, and white water lily. Gardenia given depth by the Poppy and a light hearted sweetness from Water Lily. There's the merest hint of some earthy notes. I adore this, it is really a beautiful, very classy floral. Not over done. This might work for people who've not had much success with Florals. This seems like a cousin of I Died For Beauty. After testing again last night & this morning: Last night, the mossy elements came out much more and this verged on being close to unisex. This morning, I got a whisper of something that put "powder" into my head but before I could decide my attention was drawn to how thin a scent this is. This seems like a rather prim, pallid Victorian vampire. After reading a synopsis of the story and the excerpt, I'd say it's a good evocation of Ariadne Brunnell

Ginger blossom and vanilla orchid. This is my favorite of all the Tiki florals. The one to die for. The Vanilla in Vanilla Orchid does come across as Vanilla and that means a touch of "gourmand". The Ginger Blossom is so subtle, it makes you REALLY want to sniff this to find it. The combination of the sweet Vanilla Orchid and soft spice of Ginger Blossom, makes this ever so slightly somewheres between old fashioned and sexy. If I were to pick out a Tiki blend that evokes the earlier era (40-50's) when Tiki, Tropical and Hawaiian fashion was in, this would be it.

BLUE MORPHO Wild orchid, pikake, honeysuckle, calla lily, agave nectar, pink geranium, violet leaf, and white amber. Blue Morpho is an exotic, juicy bouquet. It's a sweet, surprisingly light floral confection considering the listed notes. Extremely well blended. Beautiful Amber note under this. Tahiti or Hawaii. Could imagine this for a summer bride.

Vanilla orchid, Monoi tiare, gardenia, and light incense. The Orchid is the first note listed and it's what was in the forefront. There's a touch of what might be the Gardenia. Is Tiare jasmine by another name? If so, it's not very prominent as jasmine usually is on me. The incense is very light but an amazing counterpoint to some very beautiful florals. This is much more refined than I'd imagined. This is the Hawaiian version of All Saints. Twilight Eyes kindly sent me this to include- two of the Tiki blends have monoi tiare (gardenia in coconut oil)