Mountaingrrl00

This has the great dirt smell I loved in Graveyard Dirt - and like Graveyard Dirt, it doesn't have a lot of staying power, alas. I also get some white floral smell and what could be the blossoms of fruit trees. It's very fresh and evocative of spring. There's a slight powdery phase, but it doesn't last long. I get the faint incense note too, kind of gingery. My favorite phase of this is when it's wet and smells like fresh soil and springtime breezes.

Carnation, clover, orange blossom, light citrus are what I pick out. I like the scent a LOT. It's similar to Tarot: The Sun (not surprisingly) but spicier.

For some reason this one always makes me feel sexual. That wasn't my conscious intent while using the oil, but now that's what I associate it with. I could easily see using this in place of "Sexual Energy".

This smells herbal-minty with some woody notes and a strong violet/violet-leaf note. It reminds me of Grey Flannel cologne, which is one of my favorite mainstream fragrances, mixed with the minty kick of TAL Road Opener.

The effects so far have been subtle but noticeable. I've done several things I'd been procrastinating on, and plan to use this again in a more focused manner.

I did go with Enraged Orangutan Musk for NYE, as it's a great party scent and one I don't wear often. For New Year's Day, I've been wearing my remaining drops of Tarot: Death.

I'm contemplating Enraged Orangutan Musk. What about you all?

This certainly worked for me. I've attracted more suitors than I've known what to do with when I've worn this to social occasions. Even the straight women seem compelled to nuzzle my neck. And it does smell delicious - a minty, rosy red musk, sexy and energetic.

(Vultureguy, the Twilight Alchemy Lab scents have their own page: Twlight Alchemy Lab)

In the vial: This is the same pomegranate note as in Swank. In fact it smells to me very much like Swank but with less of the ozone factor that made Swank unwearable for me.

On skin: The pomegranate gets richer and earthier. I can almost taste the dark red, bitter juice.

Drydown: Strong and heady -- I could get drunk on this smell. I think this is one I'll want to apply judiciously in most situations. It's a very assertive scent. I bet it would be good for wearing to crowded clubs and that sort of thing.

I've had excellent results with this. It smells kind of medicinal (lemon-eucalyptus?) but it gets the job done and that's what counts. I've been able to focus on a complicated new project and am way ahead of deadline. The smell fades fairly quickly but I find the concentration lasts beyond it. One reapplication in a twelve-hour period sufficed.

I find myself wearing Zombi a lot this time of year.

I pretty much agree with oakmoss's advice. I have the same Chanel No. 5 aversion you do. The only BPAL oil I've smelled (and I've smelled hundreds) that gave me that vibe was Ozymandias.

This smelled pretty green in the container -- leaf, rather than fig. Once on, it becomes creamier in a vanilla-floral sort of way. Its creaminess reminded me of Shadow Witch Orchid. There's a sweet underpinning that gives some oomph to the green figginess. It does not smell edible, but does smell inviting and smooth.

The description didn't appeal to me, so it wasn't until I sniffed this at a meetup that I discovered how much I like it. The rich wood-resin blend just grabbed me immediately. I love teak, I love cedar, and the woods in P&T smell like the real thing. These woods might have gone too dry if not for the labdanum and rose. The labdanum adds a bit of sweetness and a moist, almost sticky feel to the blend, and the rose brings an airiness. I love how it smells on me and gets richer, warmer, almost spicy, and a little sweeter with my chemistry. This has become an instant favorite. My only regret is that it doesn't have as much staying power as I'd like. I find myself slathering and re-applying.

Hee hee - so many good ideas here! A few more:

Jailbait - Seems like it'd suit the teenage wizards in Book 7 ....

The Candy Butcher - for those blocks of chocolate Madame Pomfrey is forever administering

Any of the shapeshifter Lunacy scents, for the animagi

TAL Veils and Mist, for the invisibility cloak

I like this very much. It smells like thyme, mostly. Rather appetizing! I think this is my favorite, scent-wise, of the protection/uncrossing TALs. It does work to make my mind feel peaceful, too. I think the calm it brings me even rubs off on my cats -- they seem to fight less when I use this oil.

ETA: I've recently used Aegis during a tough time and it's been amazingly helpful. Highly recommended.

Chintamani-Dhupa does not smell good to me in the bottle. It has a similar piercing quality to Sol Invictus. I think they share a frankincense note, and some tropical floral topnote. I agree with what others have said about the clean/detergent smell; it's strong intially.

On the skin, though, it's really nice! Very real-smelling woods, sandalwood and just a hint of the wood smells in Golden Priapus. It's outdoorsy-masculine, and I like that. There is a hint of honey, not as much as I expected, but with a soft sweetness that mellows out the deep woody smell. The clean floral thing is gone now. There is still a floral dimension on the drydown, but creamier, like a hint of tuberose or gardenia.

I like the soft Indian incense phase. This is a skin scent now, subtle.

This hasn't wowed me the way I was hoping it would, but it's nice, and I'll probably keep some of the bottle and imp some out on swaps.

I find it interesting that Determination shares a dominant note, vetiver, with the BPAL oil called Sloth! But this very strong vetiver also has something minty and herbal behind it initially. When I use it to dress candles, I get a subtle, fragrant spice, too - something in the coriander-cardamom family. There's a bit of lemony sharpness but also a light, comforting sweetness. I really like the smell of this.

It's very strong, and a little goes a long way.

I haven't put this to the big test yet - I bought a bottle in preparation for an intense writing project I'll be starting in a week and a half - but it has given me a boost with some little things. I'll report back in more detail and edit this review in March.

Belated edit: Very effective in helping me with that intense writing project!

In the vial: Smut-like musks with a refreshing twist of orange.

Wet: a perfumey note creeps in. I think that's the ambergris bouquet.

Dry: Yum! Deep, rich musk, round amber, and something softly herbal. It's reminding me more of Luperci now - that same soft, leathery quality mixed with the down-and-dirty.

Later: This lasts quite well, with moderate throw.

I'd wear this on a date for sure.

This makes me want to go antiquing! I don't usually like orange blossom, which is definitely here, but something about the way it's blended here makes it appealing. Love the parchment smell, the patchouli-wood of old furniture, the lavender that reminds me of some lavender furniture polish I have, and the benzoin, which is a favorite note of mine anyway. It's funny - I usually associate lavender and orange blossom with sleep, but this scent wakes me up. I like it!

I recommend trying out some of the vetiver-heavy scents. Malediction would be my first recommendation. You might also want to try Tarot: Death. And I'd also suggest going to the Black Phoenix website and using the website there to search for "vetiver". Check out the list and see which of the combinations strike you as dark and sinister.

The Cracked Bell smelled metallic to me. Centzon Totochtin, too.

Moxie's a fun, energetic, confident scent.

Reviewers have called the TAL oil Energy "Moxie on steroids". I haven't tried that one yet, but it sounds promising!

How about Nocturne - lilac, violet and tuberose, very feminine, soft traditional floral?

I've had good results with raspberry leaf and dandelion leaf infusions.

I took two semesters of Hindi, but those Sanskrit names are another thing altogether ....

I'd recommend Jacob's Ladder.