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Gaidig

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Blog Entries posted by Gaidig

  1. Gaidig

    Salomé

    By Gaidig,

    Imp #20: Salomé
     
    "A scent that is both coquettish and sinister. Exotic and lush, brimming with grace and viciousness: almond with star jasmine, oakmoss, red sandalwood and Egyptian musk."
     
    Note: End of cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales.
     
    In the bottle: The sandalwood and musk are strong, with an undercurrent of almond. It invokes a closed room with curtains drawn but fluttering and sandalwood burning in a brazier.
     
    On me: The almond and jasmine come forward, blended together to create one scent that is both and neither. They do not step far forward, and are anchored by the woodiness of the oakmoss & sandalwood and the musk, like a girl dancing in the flickering light and obscuring smoke of the brazier.
     
    1 hour+ later: I really like this. It is what I was hoping for from Scherezade.
  2. Gaidig

    Queen Mab

    By Gaidig,

    Imp #13: Queen Mab
     
    "Warrior, Trickster and Goddess of Magic and Poets, she is one of the Tuatha De Danaan and the Queen of the Faeries. A very complex scent, both shadowy and fierce: black orchid, sandalwood, night-blooming jasmine, osmanthus, Somalian rose, and Chinese musk."
     
    Note: Beginning of cycle. Imp from littleone101701.
     
    In the bottle: I recognize the jasmine, blended with some other floral notes and deepened by the musk & sandalwood. It is hard to pick out individual scents.
     
    On me: Jasmine like crazy. Gives it a perfumy feel. Not much throw.
     
    1 hour+ later: soft jasmine
  3. Gaidig

    Swank

    By Gaidig,

    Imp #11: Swank
     
    "Simply cool, the essence of Lounge: the scent of a crisp pomegranate martini."
     
    Note: Late in cycle. Imp straight from the Lab, but about eleven months old.
     
    In the bottle: This smells much sugarier than pomegranate. I should know, it's my favorite fruit. This smells like SweeTarts to me.
     
    On me: I'm getting some more of the booze now. As it dries, the sweetness is falling back. (Thank the Goddess!) It's still sugared, though. Not a lot of throw. And not sultry. Crisp, yes.
     
    1 hour+ later: This doesn't scream "pomegranate" to me, . it's pretty sophisticated for a sweet scent, and it's kind of pomegranaty. It's very light, but it does last a long time.
  4. Gaidig

    Perfectionism

    By 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!
  5. Gaidig
    Imp #12: The Bow and Crown of Conquest
     
    "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
     
    Nobility and haughtiness befitting the Antichrist: sage, carnation and cedar with lavender, vanilla, white musk and leather."
     
    Note: End of cycle. Imp straight from the Lab, but about eleven months old.
     
    In the bottle: I get vanilla and somewhat peppery carnation, maybe sage.
     
    On me: This pretty much disappeared on me/became a second skin with no distinguishable notes. I can tell that it's there, but it's only a tiny bit more vanilla and maybe musk on the right hand and carnation on the left hand than my actual skin.
     
    1 hour+ later: Slightly sweeter & muskier second skin. Still there. For some reason it sticks around longer on my left hand than the right. Go figure.
  6. Gaidig

    Tintagel

    By Gaidig,

    Imp #9: Tintagel
     
    "Spicy mulled wine flowing through the musky heat, warm leather and bright clash of armor, the damp branches of Cornish hawthorn, blackthorn, juniper, English elm and bayberry, and the magical tingle of dragon's blood resin."
     
    Note: Late in cycle. Imp straight from the Lab, but about three months old.
     
    In the bottle: Dragon's blood, bayberry, & juniper jump out at me. I don't get the leather, though there is a brightness. It is rather potpourri like at this stage.
     
    On me: I think that the leather & hawthorn are coming out. I have no good way of identifying the blackthorn. I'm getting a slightly forresty mulled cider effect. The metal has gotten sharper.
     
    1 hour+ later: It had decent throw for a little while, but now most of it is gone. Now it is mostly dragon's blood again, I think, with a little leather and metal. Not terribly exciting, but nice and clean in a woodsy sort of way, like a wood maintained by a forrester, not a rolling around in the dirt sort of way.
  7. Gaidig

    Blood Kiss

    By 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!
  8. Gaidig

    Sin

    By Gaidig,

    Imp #30: Sin
     
    "Thoroughly corrupted: amber, sandalwood, black patchouli and cinnamon."
     
    Note: Middle of cycle. Imp from direct from the lab, but it's been sitting here a while.
     
    In the bottle: Sandalwood comes out first, but I can detect the other scents as well, in a smooth flow. Warm, round, and a little spicy, this feels like a wintery scent to me.
     
    On me: Amber and cinnamon dominate, while the sandalwood and patchouli fade into background supporting notes. It is somewhat foody, but also sensual. The black patchouli does not give the strong hippy patchouli note I feared. As it dries more, it is becoming more woodsy.
     
    1 hour+ later: The scent has not really changed. It is still a delectable warm, spicy scent, with a woody background.
  9. Gaidig

    Prague

    By Gaidig,

    Imp #7: Prague
     
    "Crocus with snowdrop and three lilies."
     
    Note: End of cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.
     
    In the bottle: Very sweet. I think the crocus and perhaps the snowdrop are coming out the most. It smells very much like the taste of honeysuckle nectar.
     
    On me: The sweetness dies back some & I get more of what I would deem an aquatic feel. The crocus is definitely still speaking up, but the rest more smooth & unidentifiable.
     
    1 hour+ later: I think it sweetened back up a little, but crocus stays as the top note. It doesn't have a ton of staying power, but it does get a little more throw than it has initially. Still doesn't have tons of throw, though.
  10. Gaidig

    Hamadryad

    By 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.
  11. 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
  12. Gaidig

    Neo-Tokyo

    By 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.
  13. Gaidig
    I finally realized that there was something in the swaps forum for me, even before I got my first order -- the sales area.
     
    From fruitycake's sales:
     
    Bewitching Brews
    Eclipse
    Ouija
    Séance
     
    Diabolus
    Black Phoenix
    Phantom
     
    Love Potions
    Libertine
    Salomé
     
    Somnium
    Temple of Dreams
     
    Wanderlust
    Florence
     
    [Edit]Received 1/12/07.
  14. Gaidig
    Order from littleone101701's for sale.
     
    Bewitching Brews
    Aeval
    Penny Dreadful
     
    Diabolus
    Djinn
     
    Excolo
    Pannychis
    Queen Mab
     
    Funereal Oils
    Dance of Death
     
    Limited Editions
    Beltane
     
    Love Potions
    Whip
     
    The Muses
    Melpomene
     
    Sin & Salvation
    Tzadikim Nistarim
     
    Wanderlust
    Athens
    Delphi
     
    [Edit:] Received today 1/20/07.
  15. 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
  16. Gaidig

    Woodsy

    By Gaidig,

    Also according to the General Recommendations Post, here are woodsy scents:
     
    Anne Bonny
    Aquarius
    Belladonna
    Black Forest
    Burial
    Capricorn
    Darkness
    Golden Priapus
    Hamadryad
    Intrigue
    Jabberwocky
    Kweku Anansi
    Loup Garou
    Omen
    Seance
    The Hesperides
    Tintagel
    Tombstone
    Ulalume
    Umbra
    Val Sans Retour
    Wolfsbane
     
    I am most interestedin more hardwoods type forrests, with dirt & leaves, and mosses... the following look most promising based simply on that post:
     
    Burial
    Hamadryad
    Kweku Anansi
    Tintagel
    Val Sans Retour
     
    Ok, well Val Sans Retour wasn't in that post, and it isn't even out yet, but I had to read the reviews earlier. After all, it's the Val Sans Retour, in Broceliande, Breizh.
  17. Gaidig

    Tolkein

    By Gaidig,

    Unlike the Firefly post, there are few suggestions in the Tolkein post for what actually exists. I am trying to revive the thread & steer it that way, though.
  18. Gaidig

    Firefly

    By 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
  19. Gaidig

    And so it begins

    By 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.
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