Hallows_Eve

Kali, the Black One, is the fearless Goddess of Destruction, Creation, Energy [in her Shakti aspect] and Dissolution. Also named Kaliratri [black Night] and Kalikamata [black Earth-Mother], she is the fiercest aspect of Devi, the supreme mother goddess. Kali is a protector Goddess, the destroyer of evil spirits and guardian of the faithful. She, along with her consort Shiva, represent the unending cycle of death and birth, sexual union, creation and destruction. Kali annihilates ignorance, maintains the natural order of the world, and blesses those who strive for spiritual awareness and knowledge of true holiness with infinite tenderness and motherly love. The constant, unending Work of Creation is called the "The Play of Kali". This perfume is a blend of the sacred blooms of cassia, hibiscus, musk rose, Himalayan wild tulip, lotus and osmanthus swirled with offertory dark chocolate, red wine, tobacco, balsam and honey. In the bottle: This is a very *adult* scent. It smells very much like all the good things that grown ups get into when being naughty at 3am. It is wickedly sinful. The wine, honey and tobacco really stand out when wet. Smoky, boozy, sexy. On me: This is the scent of a decadent, hard partying night that starts out dancing and ends in sex. I mean it. I could smell the wine and tobacco with the floral notes behind it- you know how floral perfumes smell on people after a hot night at the club? Faintly, just a bit- there was the smell of sweat and sex. As it dried, the honey and tobacco stayed with me the longest (sweet notes do that on me). It reminded me of those days of old when I would get home at 6am and have to go to work at 8a without any time to shower. A good scent for those naughty days, I think.

SRI LANKA Indian sandalwood and cedar, and the dry incense smoke of olibanum, gum mastic, patchouli and myrrh. Oh...my...gods....I want to put this on my husband right now and climb on top of him. Or wear (only) this myself when doing so. A damn fetish in a bottle is what this is. In the bottle: a bit of a shock at first because it smells more like a wet animal than anything else. This is the wood. On me (wet): Its a bit contained at first, but picture some very exotic incense that you have stored in a cedar box. Now, its a hot day, no a.c., you have the fan on and your windows open, you throw some pillows on the floor, and you feel like burning some incense, you open up the box and you get this concentrated combination of smells. On me (dry): Now its burning incense, smoky. Hot Harem Harlot. Sandalwood and Cedar really work well with me. I *heart* wood and spices in this combo. Now- a couple of things- It is not a distinctly feminine scent and I can see it being classified more as a masculine one- this does not bother me, because I very much into woods and spices. Also, a little will take care of you. Too much will knock people over. But for me, it works. I love this scent.

Imperial violet softened by wisteria and chrysanthemum, but edged with the regal iciness of delphinium. In the bottle- though this seems like a floral based scent, it smells very clean and leafy to me. A little like gathering ferns in the woods- also a little bit like freshly shampooed hair. On me- The violet is really in the forefront on me. Still smells clean and green beyond this. Still regal, but a gentle sort of regal, it doesn't come off nearly as icy as I would have guessed by the description. Its a good outdoor spring and summer scent for me.

PEITHO The Goddess of Persuasion, Seduction and Sexual Wiles. A member of Aphrodite’s retinue, she is also Aphrodite’s daughter and sister to Tyche and Eunomia. Lusty myrtle and jasmine with red sandalwood, stargazer lily, and clove over an opulent, rich bed of warm musk and bourbon vanilla. In the bottle: Kinda powdery, almost aquatic. Rather light and feminine. Reminds me of something. Something that I havent felt since.... On me (wet): Something familiar about this. Its nice, not bad or anything. But there is a baby powder sort of smell to it on me. Jasmine probably. Vanilla sweetens severely on me. Not getting much of the clove or sandalwood here. On me (dry): I got it! Love's Baby Soft. It smells like the Love's Baby Soft which I used to wear in high school years ago. I smell only the Jasmine and Vanilla on me, and a bit of the musk. Still can't get the clove or sandalwood distinctly out of this, but it does seem to have a bit more oomph than LBS- more smoky and grown up. Its a nice scent. Very feminine. Not so much a *me* scent. But I can see it as an afterthought kind of scent. More of a "going out to meet old friends" scent as opposed to a "Seduce and Lust" scent.

In the bottle, I get the smoke and bourbon. On my husband: Smoke, leather and bourbon while walking in the woods and burning an amber based incense stick. I am a real fan of scents that take its smells from rougher, or less ethereal inspirations. I have tried it on myself yet, because my husband has horded the bottle to his workplace. However it does mix well with him, the amber and musk mix well with the leather, bourbon and smoke on him. Can't get the lemon or the lime on him though. He's happy with it, so its a hit as far as I am concerned.

The drydown on this is very sweet (in the literal sense). Reminds me of what I had been hoping Peitho would be, Buck Moon comes closer to my expectations since there is no Jasmine to overwhelm the rest. A very nice, slightly woodsy scent- very feminine to wear, so much so that my husband doesnt want to try it. It's ok though, more for me.

In the bottle- Violet Candy. Sugar Violets, a bit of the clove. On me wet: As with anything with violet, though I love it, it is all I can smell once it hits my skin. It smells exactly like it does in the bottle (minus the clove) and I keep thinking I will taste candy if I lick my arm. On me dry- baby powdered violets. No problems if you like violets. I do. But its almost like a single note for me, cant really get much of anything else except a sweet note.

In the bottle: subtle and flowery, I smell lilies I think. Normally this would spell trouble since lily notes amplify almost as much as rose does. On me wet: I smell the flowers, more certain that it is lily, and...oh no. I think I get some rose. It is not taken over yet- I still smell the herbal things besides. It reminds me of soap, just a little. Still pretty and likable. On me dry: I am still getting the flowers- lily and rose. You know normally I would avoid both on me but somehow this seems more subtle and subdued. The other notes must tame it down. I am not getting any sandlewood at all though I wish I did. It is a good companion to Embalming Fluid, which is my husbands favorite. I like Shroud much more than I thought I would and if I am right about the rose (white rose, of course) then it would be only the second one that doesnt choke on my skin (Eve is the other). Its pretty, light (once the flowers settle)- a springtime/early summer scent, I think.

In the bottle: Smells how some of my back teeth (with the fillings) taste when it goes near metal. Or metallic well water. I know you know what I mean... On me wet: Smells a bit like my husbands body wash. This is the ozone note mainly but its ozone-cologne-soap in the rain instead of ozone on dirt and concrete right before the downpour, which was actually was I was hoping for more. On me dry: I dont get dry wood at all. I get freshly chopped living young wood, almost ferny, I havent smelled anything metal since it was in the bottle. Still comes off slightly soapy. On my husband dry: It meshes well with his deodarant and body wash. Nothing really distinguishes it from that. A sort of clean top off to complete the routine. He likes it a lot, I'm okay with it- just no mystery or fantasy to go with it. I like living wood smells but in a way BoN is too masculine for me, the one who has no qualms about sharing my hubby's oils. I guess its the distinction between perfume and cologne, and I get mainly the latter.

In the bottle- a bit like the home remedies or vintage medicines that grandma would have around, slighty antiseptic. On me wet: Hallelujah, something with the word rose in it isnt turning bad on me! Granted its rosewood and not quite the same, but baby steps, baby steps. I get fresh plants and salve out of this and a tweek of the rosewood. I can pick up the ginger, it kind of enhances the medicine smell to it. A bit like Apothecary. On me dry: I get more tobacco out of this now. Not smoking tobacco, the fresh kind. The rosewood is still distinct on me. Not picking up much of the balsam at all. This, I think, will be a good winter scent for me, its got that warm spice to it that seems like it would go well with mulled wine.

I thought that I would like this scent by the description, and I am happy to say in this case it was dead on for me. In the bottle: Wood scents always kind of smell a bit like a wet dog, being a fan of wood scents, I know that the "true" nature of the scent does come out until it touches the skin. On Me (wet) I smell cedar and patchouli only at first, very smoky, a slight tobacco sort of note. On Me Dry: Once the cedar starts to fade, I am able to pick up the other notes, some pine, though no where near as much as say, Nocnitsa. The mosses sweeten the overall smell. I can only pick up the cinnamon if I am really trying. After about an hour, I am getting a rather masculine underrtone- a bit like Villian without the lavender. The leather works really well with the rest in combo. This smell is like meeting a lover in the woods somewhere, some warm and animalic notes, some cooler and naturey notes. Not quite what one expects from a geek, unless the geek is the lover... I am happy I took a chance on this one. This can be seen as a masculine scent, but I like its wood and spice notes (as I do for all wood and spice combos, nearly) Its after the cedar settles it subtle enough to trick the mind into thinking that one just really smells good and works outdoors rather than someone obviously wearing perfume.

In the bottle- Strange, it comes of almost antiseptic-y and medicine like. Slightly like apothecary because of the moss and fig notes, I think. On me (wet)- Yeah, I'd hit it. I would much rather wear this than the Queen, because there is no rose for my skin chem to amplify. That said, I am getting mostly green amber in a leather coat. There is a high note from the almond but it seems to come off as part of the fictional leather coat. On my husband (wet- the oil, on my husband)- nearly the same as when I first apply it, except I can smell the fig on him where it was non-existant on me. On me (dry)- Amber always dries really sweet on me to the point of being powdery. The almond in KOC makes it less ethereal. The musk becomes sweet. Only a slight earthy after note. And I still have a bit of a leather coat feel. On my husband (dry)- On him it smells of amber with earth. Musty sweet with a tad of tobacco. The leather coat smells stronger on him. Like I said, I prefer this because I can't wear QoC for the rose, but the differences between the female and male wearing KoC complements each other rather well. My husband likes it- I think he placed it among his top 5. A very good couples scent, and I bet those trying out the K and Q oC are having a grand old time!

A classic Victorian men's cologne: a lavender fougere, with hints of lilac, lime, and citrus musk. Got this as an Imp in my last order. Decided to try it on today since I felt like being more villainous. In the bottle: Actually, I could barely smell it in the imp- nor when I first put it on. On me (wet)- At first, I barely picked up anything at all, just a bit of the citrus. I think it was because my children use lavender shampoo and so it was a bit diffused in this manner. However, the more I wore it, the stronger the smell, and then it seemed really strong, and then it was a lot like my husbands aftershave. In fact, he asked me if I had used it. On me (dry)- I smell musk and a powdery note, which is probably the lavender since it drys soft on me- no citrus now. The aftershave smell is not very strong now either, not that it was bad to begin with- just too masculine. However, with softer and powdery feel its very appealing in this stage. VERY Appealing. I thought for sure that this was going to be too masculine for me, but in its dry stage, I found it rather feminine-but not too feminine and definately not something that screams "FLOOOOOR-AAAALS!!!". Its the musk that lasts on me. I think I could get a larger bottle of this. But I am going to have to remember that wet stage before going out in public so that I don't knock people over.

I have had this for a while, but only recently tried it due to my avoidance of wearing alot of oils while I was pregnant. In the bottle: Green and Moist Wood and Florals. Can't pick up anything distinctive yet. On me wet: I did not pick up any of the warm tones, just the florals really and pretty much just the rose. On me dry- Its like something green, mixed with rose and baby powder and something that smells a bit like my own body odor (the non icky smell). My main problem is the rose. I can't really seem to wear rose scents, but even so the drydown isnt too bad. I did not feel the need to wash it off, nor was it distracting. I wish I could smell more wood and fire notes, but with me it really is more little girlish feminine than my tastes tend to go. Thats it! Its like a scented doll that I had when I was a kid.

In the bottle- Pine, Pine, Pine, Pine, Pine- You get the idea. Luckily it is not so strong that it knocks you over, but I couldnt get any other note from here except the pine. On me (wet)- still pine, but with something else subtly in the background, moss and dirt, not "car freshener" pine, but the smell of whole real tree, roots and all. On me (drydown)-- Pine. But the other things are coming out stronger. The fir and earth mainly. There is also something in there that reminds me of an outdoor fire, burning wood. This, to me, will be perfect to wear in the winter. The first thing I thought of is bringing a pine tree home for the holidays. It has a bit of a candle smell to it, I cant quite place it exactly, but something like a burning scented candle, and better. Also, after the drydown, it reminded me a bit of "Baron Samedi"- though greener, and with pine in it. Not quite sure why, because there are no common notes that I know of. I will say that this is the first pine scent I have ever worn that didn't feel cheap, synthetic or overpowering. I *think* I like it. My husband loves it!

You also have the morning sickness triggers for the food scents. If a certain food triggers you to puke, then the scent of it probably will too. Also, to me smells were stronger while I was pregnant, so everyone (including myself) would seem to wear "too much scent" by comparison. I could smell food anywhere in the office (you know that AOL commercial where the woman pops out and goes "I smell cake"? That was me.)

I wouldn't let my husband wear Mad Hatter when I was pregnant- it has some pennyroyal in it, but it just plain out made me sick to smell it...Hearth was a problem at first as well. For myself I was wearing just the lighter scents on the knees of my jeans during pregnancy. Now that I birthed, I pretty much wear it on the back of my neck and my elbows to keep babe from being overwhelmed. For some of the smellies its been like trying them for the first time over again, because alot of the oils I got while pregnant weren't put directly on my skin- so my opinion of the oils then and now are different now that my skin chemistry comes into play.

In the bottle- Berry Cherry. Not fresh cherries, more like cherry pie? Spiced and Canned cherries? Its definately cherry with a different sort of oomph. On my husband- Cherry tobacco and little glass of something-something to warm it up Kinda sexy, if you ask me. My husband used to smoke cherry tobacco in a pipe years ago and I associate the smell very closely with the fresh tobacco instead of the smoking tobacco, more "wet" than "dry". I can smell just a faint leather underneath all that. Very Victorian Gentleman, masculine scent. Husband seems to like it a lot. A little does go a long way- husband put some on, did some dishes later and shoveled our driveway from snow, and we can clearly still smell it a few hours later.

In the bottle- A very nature scent- a real smell- not car freshener, nor cheap candle. This is an herbal gathering in a bottle, preparation to cook outside or make a salve, or maybe just an herb garden near the woods. This reminds me a lot of the herbal shops that we frequent here, leafy to the point that you can smell a slight whiff of bitter afterscent that you get from stems when you pick a lot of herbs. On my clothes (can't wear directly at the moment since I am pregnant): Still very natural and uplifting. It is a very easy scent to like, casual, not too powerful, not too formal. A gender neutral everyday kind of scent. One of a kind. ETA- 6/10/05 Now that its been some time since I'd given birth, I have been wearing this on my skin. I have to say that it smells slightly more green and almost floral with my skin chemistry. Not overwhelming, more feminine than I would have expected. I still like it a lot!

Samhain 2004 In the bottle- This is Jack (Jack I for comparison here) to the second power ( and I LOVE Jack I), creamy, buttery pumpkiny bliss. If I could, my house, my clothes, my shampoo, my cats- they would all smell like Samhain year round. Its already decorated that way. On my clothes (note: I cant put this directly on my skin due to pregnancy, so I'm currently wearing this on the knees of my jeans.) But damn, a little goes a long way, and for a long time. And I am hungry for pumpkin pie. And I want to light candles. I love food spices and mulling spices. And I want to eat it all in the fall woods that I smell. How am I going to make this last a year?

In the bottle/imp- VERY lemon. If I didnt know better, I would have thought it was a lemon single not. On me (rather, on my clothes at the moment): Lemon still, but...darker. Fir and Pine undertones, I think, cut with something else sharp. Maybe ginger, maybe orange or grapefruit. It reminds me a little of embalming fluid, but sharper, less herbal.

In the bottle: Homemade Berry Beer! I can almost smell the foam. I smells like the vats of berry mead and beer that are "in progress" a bit yeasty. On me: I can only wear this on my clothes right now (not the skin), but I get a lot of the sage and hops, a bit of the blackberry wine (goes on me a bit like Bewitched), and the cider. Strangely, this reminds me of my husband, when he wants to nuzzle after drinking some cider or a dark beer. Kind of comforting. I think this is a winner for me. But a word-when it goes on my clothes, it has strong staying power.

Bewitched, maybe?

I wanted to like March Hare- we had liked most of the other Tea Party scents, but here- both me and my husband tried it and got the same result: Apricot Candy. That had been sitting out in the 100 degree sun. Sugar being noticable from across the room. No clove note whatsoever to smell. Too sweet for us both, especially me- my chemistry will amplify sweet tones, and when everything is sweet, then I go all Candy Land. I swapped this one with a local, who seems to like it better and clove subdues the apricot on her.

I got this in a swap with another BPAL-er I work with. This scent has the most subtlest rose that I have ever had on my skin, which usually takes roses and amplifies it times 10. Also, I am usually allergic sneezy wise to apple blossoms when they are too strong. Neither are too stong on me with Eve. The ylang ylang and honey appear to smooth out the stronger. I wasn't sneezy. I wasnt overpowered by roses. And I got something that has part of my avatar name in it. Cool Beans! When this dries down, it reminds me a bit of a dream pillow sachet, with the faintest powerdy "Afterwhiff" (the ylang ylang). Kind of relaxing.