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Gaidig

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Blog Entries posted by Gaidig

  1. Gaidig
    Ok, I've gone through the Sexy, Smutty, Seductive, Proactive thread about as much as I can stand -- 15 pages. I was looking for specific categories, and of course it all depends on what makes you feel good about yourself, but:
     
    13
    #20 Love Oil
    Aizen-Myoo
    Alice
    Anne Bonny
    Antique Lace
    Antony
    Arachne
    Aureus
    Baghdad
    Baobhan Sith
    Bastet
    Bathsheba
    Bathsheba
    Bearded Lady
    Beaver Moon
    Bengal
    Bewitched
    Bewitched
    Black Dahlia
    Black Lotus
    Black Opal
    Black Opal
    Black Phoenix
    Bliss
    Blood Amber
    Blood Amber
    Blood Countess
    Blood Kiss
    Blood Lotus
    Blood Rose
    Bordello
    Brisingamen
    Carnal
    Carnivale
    Casanova
    Cerebus
    Chaste Moon
    Chimera
    Coiled Serpent
    Come To Me
    Crucible of Courage
    Dana O'Shee
    Debauchery
    Depraved
    Desire
    Dia de los Muertos
    Dirty
    Dorian
    Dragon's Heart
    Dragon's Milk
    Elegba
    Embalming Fluid
    Eve
    Fae
    Faustus
    Fenris Wolf
    Fire of Love
    Follow Me Boy
    Formula 54
    Freak Show
    French Creole
    Frost Moon
    Glasya
    Gluttony
    Golden Priapus
    Grog
    Harlot
    Haunted
    Hecate
    Hellcat
    Hellfire
    Hell's Belle
    Hetairae
    Hollywood Babylon
    House of Night
    Hunger
    Hunter Moon
    Incantation
    Jack
    Jailbait
    Juliet
    Kali
    La Belle Au Bois Dormant
    La Belle Dame Sans Merci
    La Petite Mort
    Lampades
    Laudanum
    Lenore
    Lilith
    Lolita
    Love Me
    Loviatar
    Lust
    Malic
    Marquise de Merteuil
    Masquerade
    Mata Hari
    Midnight
    Mi-Go
    Morgause
    Morgause
    Morocco
    Nemesis
    New Orleans
    Noir
    O
    Old Athens
    Old Morocco
    Old Port Au Prince
    Old Scratch
    Old Shanghai
    Old Sybaris
    Omen
    Othello
    Persephone
    Perversion
    Pink Moon
    Psyche
    Queen
    Queen Mab
    Queen of Hearts
    Queen of Sheba
    Rakshasa
    Rapture
    Ravenous
    Red Devil
    Red Moon
    Regan
    Rose Red
    Sacred Whore of Babylon
    Salome
    Samhain
    Scherezade
    Seraglio
    Silentium Amoris
    Sin
    Siren
    Snake Charmer
    Snake Oil
    Snow Bunny
    Snow White
    Snow White
    Spanked
    Spellbound
    Spooky
    Storm Moon
    Succubus
    Sudha Segara
    Sugar Skull
    Swank
    Tarot: Temperance
    Tarot: the Empress
    Tempest
    The Lion
    The Star
    The Unicorn
    Three Witches
    Tombstone
    Tzadikim Nistarim
    Undertow
    Urd
    Veil
    Velvet
    Venom
    Vixen
    Voodoo
    Wanda
    Wanton
    Water of Notre Dame
    Whip
    Wicked
    Xiuhtecuhtli
    Yog Sothoth
    Zombi
     
    The ones I am most interested in trying based on the comments are:
     
    Blood Kiss
    Blood Rose
    Love Me
    Loviatar
    Lust
    Morocco
    O
    Scherezade
    Silentium Amoris
    Sin
    Snake Charmer
    Snake Oil
    Spellbound
    Sudha Segara
    Swank
    The Lion
    Vixen
  2. Gaidig
    Imp #19: Aeval
     
    "A raven-haired Fairy Queen of Ireland. One of her eternal duties dictates that she must hold a midnight court every season and hear the pleas of married Irishwomen. The court serves only to determine whether or not husbands are adequately serving their wife's sexual needs. A judicious yet powerfully sensual blend, a mingling of justice and sexuality: sage, sweet pea, bold pale musk and warm tonka."
     
    Note: Late cycle. Imp from littleone101701's sales.
     
    In the bottle: A sweet floral with a warm, more sophisticated base.
     
    On me: Sweet and floral with musk in the background. Possibly tonka. I don't smell the sage.
     
    1 hour+ later: A bit less floral and more musky. A very feminine and floral sort of sensual, but a watery floral. I could see this being very good when I am going '20s glam.
  3. Gaidig
    I am new to BPAL. Yes, I have been signed up for quite a while, but I agonized over what I would choose for my first order. Then I got laid off, concentrated on a new job, etc., etc. Now, I'm still overwhelmed by the vast selection and my lack of olfactory knowledge, and a large dose of perfectionism.
     
    I had narrowed it down quite a bit, but now I can't remember my conclusions. So, I had the (not so) revolutionary idea of chronicling my search here. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll even get some input from more knowledgeable noses.
     
    My known preferences: I am not a girly girl. I do not like flowery perfumes or fruity or sweet scents. The prospect of smelling like food scares me; I am not a snack! I like the smell of the woods after rain. I am drawn to nature, and I plant flowers and vegetables; knit, spin, and dye yarn; make candles, bake from scratch, and have intentions of making soap from scratch as well. I also paint watercolors, draw with conte crayon, sculpt clay, sew, make chain mail and venetian masks. I am drawn to Native American traditions, medieval knights, & the exoticism of the Marrakesh Market or the holy Ganges. But I also like steampunk. I like the simplicity, asymmetry, and elegence of ikebana. I ride bikes a lot and hang out with indie hipsters. If that makes any sense to you, then you are starting to develop an idea of me.
     
    I wish to first develop a framework to hang my further explorations of BPAL on. I plan to start by trying some musky scents, some earthy scents, some aquatic scents, some exotic scents, and some bohemian scents. This blog will chronicle my plans & reactions to the scents.
  4. Gaidig
    Imp #4: Anne Bonny
     
    "A blend of Indonesian red patchouli, red sandalwood, and frankincense."
     
    Note: Mid cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.
     
    In the bottle: It smells like salt-water soaked teak, the smell of a sailing ship!
     
    On me: Knocked back a little -- mellowed. More feminine. Less patchouli. I like this red patchouli much better than the patchouli in Lust. I still get a whiff of the salt spray. It doesn't seem to have changed much at all, in general.
     
    1 hour+ later: Same as when I first put it on. I like this very much, especially since I enjoy sailing.
     
    [Edit] Anne Bonny has proven to me that it is entirely possible to have too much of a good thing. After liking it so much I applied more so that it wouldn't be just on my wrists, and OMG strong & headachey! It took a while to calm down, but by the end of the night it was back to happy pirateishness.
  5. Gaidig
    According to the General Recommendations Post , folks recommend the following aquatics:
     
    Amsterdam
    Apothecary
    Bayou
    Black Pearl
    Blue Moon
    City in the Sea
    Cold Moon
    Cthulhu
    Danube
    Desdemona
    Dragon's Tears
    Dublin
    Empyreal Mist
    Glasgow
    House of Mirrors
    Hurricane
    Jolly Roger
    La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente
    Lightning
    Lurid
    Mock Turtle's Lessons
    Neo-Tokyo
    Niflheim
    Obatala
    Old Glasgow
    Ophelia.
    Paris
    Penthus
    Prague
    R'lyeh
    Sea of Glass
    Shattered
    Szepassony
    Tarot:Temperance
    Tears
    The Isle of Demons
    The Lady of Shallot
    The Pool of Tears
    The Unicorn
    Two, Five & Seven
    Ulalume
    Undertow
    Virgo/Harlot
    Water of Notre Dame
    Yemaya
    Zephyr
     
    Some sound more floral, etc. I will need to see how my skin reacts. From the descriptions there, the most appealing look to be:
     
    Danube
    Empyreal Mist
    Jolly Roger
    Neo-Tokyo
    Niflheim
    Prague
    R'lyeh
    Sea of Glass
  6. Gaidig
    Bewitching Brews
    Aeval
    Anne Bonny
    Blood Kiss
    Eclipse
    Hamadrayd
    Ouija
    Penny Dreadful
    Scherezade
    Séance
    Swank
     
    Diabolus
    Black Phoenix
    Djinn
    Phantom
     
    Excolo
    Pannychis
    Queen Mab
     
    Funereal Oils
    Dance of Death
     
    Limited Editions
    Beltane
     
    Love Potions
    Libertine
    O
    Salomé
    Seraglio
    Whip
     
    The Muses
    Melpomene
     
    Sin & Salvation:
    The Bow & Crown of Conquest
    Lust
    Sea of Glass
    Sin
    Tzadikim Nistarim
     
    Somnium
    Temple of Dreams
     
    Wanderlust
    Athens
    Delphi
    Florence
    Neo-Tokyo
    Prague
    Tintagel
  7. Gaidig
    Imp #21: Athens
     
    "A reformulation and modernization of a true Classical Greek perfume, myrrhine: voluptuous myrrh, golden honey, red wine, and sweet flowers."
     
    Note: Very end of cycle. Imp from littleone101701's sales.
     
    In the bottle: Very sweet but also a tiny bit sour in a good way, like a Flemish sour, which happens to be one of my favorite styles of beer. There is something deep, but the honey jumps out at me, followed by the flowers, making this a bright scent.
     
    On me: Out comes that sour that I like - the wine? -- and especially a spiciness -- myrrh?
     
    1 hour+ later: Still spicy with a light sweetness and light floral. The floral notes remind me of Sea of Glass, but here they are accompanied by a spicy red wine. To me, this scent is a summer evening drinking red wine in the temple gardens.
  8. Gaidig
    Imp #10: Blood Kiss
     
    "Lush, creamy vanilla and the honey of the sweetest kiss smeared with the vital throb of husky clove, swollen red cherries, but darkened with the vampiric sensuality of vetiver, soporific poppy and blood red wine, and a skin-light pulse of feral musk."
     
    Note: Late in cycle. Imp straight from the Lab, but about eleven months old.
     
    In the bottle: I am not sure what vetiver smells like, but I am getting something green, and musk, and poppy, I think. Cherries.
     
    On me: There's the honey & vanilla. They're all I smell now. I didn't smell them in the bottle. At this point, it seems like it could become too sweet before long. I have yet to smell the clove, or the wine, really. As I type, the honey is already backing off. I am smelling a green sharpness, now. The cherries are gone, I think. It seems to be going light & crisp.
     
    1 hour+ later: Now I've got the honey & vanilla, plus some green crispness, and a faint hint of musk. These last two keep it from being too cloying. It doesn't have a ton of throw -- or I've just gotten used to the throw -- and it isn't as dark as I expected. It's rather mild, and personally I like it, though it wasn't what I was expecting.
     
    Edit: This has major staying power. I can still smell it after17 hours!
  9. Gaidig
    Imp #22: Delphi
     
    "The smoke of Sacred Incense of Apollo twined through laurel branches, bay, and honey wine."
     
    Note: Very end of cycle. Imp from littleone101701's sales.
     
    In the bottle: Laurel and bay with honey in the background. This is heady and a bit smokey.
     
    On me: The honey steps up a little, and the scent is less green. The notes are more blended. It is becoming more like what I hoped for, but less incense than I expected. I had expected this to be the dark cave of the oracle, but it is the bright day on the field of Olympic competition.
     
    1 hour+ later: Smokier, but still bright. Not much change from initial dry down. I think this will be a good scent to wear to work, as it is not as sultry as Athens.
  10. Gaidig
    Imp #29: Djinn
     
    "An ancient, free-willed race created from the essence of Fire, much as man was created from Earth. They prowled the land at night, vanishing with the first rays of dawn. Myths surrounding the Djinn paint them as many things: benevolent champions of mankind and slaves to mad sorcerers, malicious incubi / succubi and energy vampires, or malevolent harbingers of madness and disease. The Djinn are ruled by Iblis, the Prince of Darkness, who bears unspeakable contempt for man. The scent of black smoke, of crackling flames, and smoldering ashes. "
     
    Note: Middle of cycle. Imp from littleone101701's sales.
     
    In the bottle: It doesn't seem particularly fiery. Woody, perhaps. Green sandalwood wet with oil, ready to light.
     
    On me: A little smokier, dryer. Like a cedar sauna, with a hint of pine boughs. Nordic.
     
    1 hour+ later: Dry cedar, light smoke and wet rose? Possibly some kind of sweeter incense? Myrrh perhaps? (I have no idea what that smells like.) It lasted strong for several hours, then dropped off almost completely just before I went to note the scent down, so that's making it tricky to describe. I think I get quenched iron in there as well, like the smell of a blacksmith shop, if the smith were working over a wood fire.
  11. Gaidig
    Imp #18: Eclipse
     
    "All the glory, warmth and majesty of the sun -- darkened. A delicious blend of bitter almond, vanilla, frankincense and heliotrope, with a drop of cinnamon."
     
    Note: Late cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales.
     
    In the bottle: Red KoolAid in the package before you add the sugar. I'm sorry, but that's what I got from the first hit. I smell something fruity and I can smell the cinnamon. I'm not sure I can identify the other scents.
     
    On me: The cinnamon steps back and the vanilla and almond step forward. This has a spicy almond cookie scent. It is definitely foody on me.
     
    1 hour+ later: Bitter almond and vanilla have a strong staying power. They were still there after many hours, but the spices eventually faded. I smell like a Madelaine cookie.
  12. Gaidig
    The Firefly thread might be useful.
     
    I'd follow the pattern of Zoe or Inara. According to the thread, that would give me:
     
    Zoe:
     
    O
    Snake Oil
    Dead Man's Hand + Bastet or The Lion
    Anne Bonny
    Dirty
    Dragon's Heart
    Loviatar
     
    Inara:
     
    Kurukulla
    Silk Road
    Lust
    Scherezade
    Snake Charmer
    Queen of Clubs
    Seraglio
    Hetairae
    F'54
    Aglaea
  13. Gaidig
    Thanks for your help, zankoku_zen.
     
    I am now placing my first order for the following imps:
     
    Bewitching Brews:
     
    Anne Bonny
    Blood Kiss
    Hamadrayd
    Scherezade
    Swank
     
    Love Potions:
     
    O
     
    Sin & Salvation:
     
    Lust
    Sea of Glass
    Sin
     
    Wanderlust:
     
    Neo-Tokyo
    Prague
    Tintagel
  14. Gaidig
    I just received my first order from the lab, and I can't wait to try it out! Of course, it's something I will do better to avoid, since I am about to go out and join friends, and I have no idea of my body chemestry. Still, I will try one tomorrow morning.
     
    I received my order: Anne Bonny, Blood Kiss, Hamadrayd, Scherezade, Swank, O, Lust, Sea of Glass, Sin, Neo-Tokyo, Prague, and Tintagel.
     
    Plus, I received two free imps:
    Seraglio
    The Bow and Crown of Conquest
     
    Funnily enough, the package smelled a lot like stepping into Raven's Nest Herbals. From that, I really feel that true oils were used.
  15. Gaidig
    Imp #15: Florence
     
    "The pearl of the Italian Renaissance. Elegant iris, bright berries, gilded amber and velvety spices."
     
    Note: Mid cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales.
     
    In the bottle: Sweet berries take the front, but I can smell the amber and I think iris, with a hint of spices.
     
    On me: My left wrist is very iris while my right wrist is stronger on the spicy amber. How odd. It is thankfully not as sweet on me. Not a very strong throw.
     
    1 hour+ later: Very faint iris & amber with a hint of vanilla.
  16. Gaidig
    Imp #6: Hamadryad
     
    "Seven dry woods with mossy lichen and a gentle breeze of forest flowers."
     
    Note: Mid cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.
     
    In the bottle: Faint and hard to capture. Sweet, mossy...
     
    On me: Licorice! OMG LICORICE!
     
    1 hour+ later: The licorice has gone away, and it is now a mild, vaguely spicy, unitentifiable second skin scent. I like it, but I'm afraid to put much on and have to wait out the initial stage.
  17. Gaidig
    Imp #25: Libertine
     
    "Like a puffed and reckless libertine,
    Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads.
     
    Rosewood and chamomile with bergamot, violet, red sandalwood, primrose and Arabian musk. "
     
    Note: Middle of cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales.
     
    In the bottle: To me, this is "perfumy".
     
    On me: On me, the bad perfume smell goes away immediately, and I get a rich dark musky floral. I don't know which flower does it, but I get a Victorian feel from this. It is plush velvets, a roll-top rosewood desk, and a man writing with a nibbed pen.
     
    1 hour+ later: It stayed true for as long as I stayed awake, which wasn't really all that long. I don't know if the scent helped me fall into that rich darkness, or if it was just the time of night.
  18. Gaidig
    Imp #2: Lust
     
    "red musk, patchouli, ylang ylang and myrrh."
     
    Note: Early in the cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.
     
    In the bottle: This smells rather perfumey to me. And red. Like Red Door? Or is that just a totally dissociated scent memory?
     
    On me: The "perfuminess" is starting to mellow. I'm not sure what it is I don't like. Is it the patchouli? Is it the ylang ylang? I'm not sure I've ever smelled red musk or myrrh.
     
    1 hour+ later: This has mellowed down to a light incensy scent, like old books in a sacred library, or the library at Hogwarts, yes, I think this is a Hermione Granger scent -- at least on me. It isn't the lust I was looking for, though. *tear*
  19. Gaidig
    Imp #28: Melpomene
     
    "Melpomene is Tragedy, and the sound of Her voice is filled with beauty, power and strength. She is crowned in cypress branches, holds the mask of tragedy, wears the cothurnus and wields a knife or club. Her scent is rife with pathos, and inspires us with the ability to express our grief, loss, and the pain in our souls in a cathartic, creative fashion: dark cypress with mint, geranium, Bulgar lavender, orange blossom and passion flower."
     
    Note: Middle of cycle. Imp from littleone101701's sales.
     
    In the bottle: Cypress takes the stage. I don't really notice anything else.
     
    On me: Cypress still predominates, but some of the florals come out, blended together nicely, with just a hint of the mint. This isn't a cypress swamp, it is much drier. This is the cypress lane leading somewhere mysterious. Not dry and dead. Alive, but not dripping with life.
     
    1 hour+ later: A quiet, subtle scent. A walk in a wooded lane in autumn. The woods are open below the canopy, with little underbrush to be seen. The trunks soar up tall, orderly and branchless like columns in a cathedral nave, finally reaching out to meet each other near the bright grey sky. The wind is still and the leaves littered across the floor of the wood move to the breeze of your footsteps.
  20. Gaidig
    Imp #3: Neo-Tokyo
     
    Note: Mid cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.
     
    "Urban metallics and an ozone-tinged breath of electric light mingled with reedy bamboo, crisp mountain air, cherry blossoms, delicate orchid and a splash of playful, wet fruits."
     
    In the bottle: This smells like French double milled soap! (In a good way.) The cherry is coming out a lot in it. I am getting the metallic, too. Like wet, fruity, finely milled soap on the side of a steel wash tub, in the cold mountain air, where you poar fresh water over your head from a pitcher.
     
    On me: Cherry is moving back on drydown. Yay! (Why does my right wrist smell totally different from my left? It's cherry +5.)
     
    1 hour+ later: Clean, metalic. I think that clean sharpness is the ozone. The fruit is gone, except maybe as the faintest hint of sweetness. This is a very clean scent on me. Not what I was expecting, but I think it will be good for work wear. Also, it's very light.
  21. Gaidig
    I decided to try O first. Here goes:
     
    "The scent of sexual obsession, slavery to sensual pleasure, and the undercurrent of innocence defiled utterly. Amber and honey with a touch of vanilla."
     
    Note: Early in the cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.
     
    In the bottle: This is much sweeter than I expected! Something sharp... but not in a bad way, more bright. I don't know why I didn't expect it to be sweet, looking at the description "Amber and honey with a touch of vanilla." The honey is shouting out here, with a sort of Sweet-Tart-ish tang.
     
    On me: A little mellower, less sweet. The amber is coming out more. The vanilla is just giving it an extra zing. I'm not sure I put enough on to really get a wet stage and a drydown stage. My skin kind of soaked it up before I had a chance to order my thoughts.
     
    1 hour+ later: It still has throw, despite the fact that I only applied a little. I was smelling it a tiny bit as I went about my tasks around the house, without having to sniff at my wrists. It isn't what I expected from other reviews. On me now, it is like warm, aching desire. I'm glad it has morphed into this. Here I go to put a little more on.
  22. Gaidig
    Imp #17: Ouija
     
    "Lush parlor rooms draped in thick velvets and gilded in gold, unearthly whispering in the distance, fleeting flashes of wraith-like figures rushing just outside your vision, the chill of a phantom presence brushing by your cheek, the inscrutable knowledge that disembodied eyes are peering at you from darkened corners… this is the essence of Victorian-era spiritualism: rosewood, oak and teak notes with wispy blue lilac, tea rose, dried white rose and ethereal osmanthus."
     
    Note: Late cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales.
     
    In the bottle: I definitely get the rose and maybe something woody.
     
    On me: Lilac comes to the front. I get the feel of an old library full of hard bound books with thick rag-paper pages. A home library in some Victorian, where there are built in shelves along the walls, rather than stacks of books piled close. There is a table in the middle of the room with a centerpiece of dried flowers. A velvety chaise sits in the corner with a Tiffany floor lamp to read by.
     
    1 hour+ later: As time passes, the rosewood and teak emerge. This room is definitely paneled and the table in the center has been polished. Now, the velvet curtains are pulled shut, and it is warm and dark in the evening. Later the blend is mainly lilac with the other notes in the background making it more sophisticated than a simple floral. The old book smell is also kind of an incense smell as well.
  23. Gaidig
    Imp #24: Pannychis
     
    "An attendant of the Goddess Venus. She presides over nocturnal pleasure, nighttime festivities, and all the joy and delight that can be found in the darkness. In later ages, it became the name of the all-night festival that closed the Eleusinian Mysteries. Night-blooming jasmine, moonflower, cardamom, sandalwood, black currant, ylang ylang, frankincense and lily."
     
    Note: Middle of cycle. Imp from littleone101701's sales.
     
    In the bottle: Sandalwood takes the front with the jasmine. Not sure if I can distinguish any of the other notes.
     
    On me: The sandalwood moves back and the jasmine and lily dominate with a spicy background from the cardamom and frankincense. I'm not sure if I can identify the moon flower, but in general I get a well blended floral scent from this.
     
    1 hour+ later: The floral moves back some and it becomes more spicy and more balanced. Unfortunately, this doesn't have a lot of staying power on me.
  24. Gaidig
    Imp #14: Penny Dreadful
    "Also called Gallows Literature. A dime novel rife with melodrama, horror, madness and cruelty; a ten cent analogy of vice and virtue in conflict. Soft perfume evocative of noir heroines over rich red grave loam."
     
    Note: Late in cycle. Imp from littleone101701.
     
    In the bottle: Slightly sweet and also woody, like leaf mold. Damp earth in an old cemetery with drifts of decayed leaves and dried crumbling rotten branches.
     
    On me: Sandalwood and cinnamon. Amber? Spicy and autumnal. Hot tea with a stick of cinnamon. Not at all like in the bottle.
     
    1 hour+ later: quality potpourri
  25. Gaidig
    Why the big gap between trying new imps?
     
    It was my perfectionism taking over. I couldn't try a new imp in public -- what if it went putrid on my skin? I couldn't try it when I had put one on earlier -- what if the previous one impacted the scent? I had to not wear a scent all day and then do it at night, when I didn't have plans. As my schedule filled up, that plan failed. Plus, I had to remember to do it, and log all of my reactions. No new scents if I couldn't note it, etc. I'm not going to be so perfectionist about it from here on out, and get more scents tried and used!
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