forspecial_plate

I've been thinking about the Pumpkin Patches, past and present, and I know there are at least a couple I'd still like to try. Here's a breakdown so I can get it all straight in my mind. There are so many, it's kind of hard to keep track of them! So, I will rate these on a scale of 1-5, based on interest. Anything 3 or above, I'll probably track down a decant at some point. Pumpkin Patch '05 and '06...... I......Pumpkin with apple cider and mulling spice. This sounds pretty yummy, but I think my ultimate mulled cider scent has already been found (Fearful Pleasure). I wouldn't mind sniffing this but I won't go way out of my way to find it. However, if I found a cheap bottle, I'd probably grab it for a room scent. 2/5 II.....Pumpkin with cocoa, hazelnut and walnut. Nah, don't like cocoa that much, and not crazy about nuts in perfume either. I can safely pass on this one. 1/5 III......Pumpkin and pomegranate. I'm not a big fruit scent fan either....I already have a few, and they are more than enough to fill that niche in my collection. Pass on this one. 1/5 IV......Pumpkin with sandalwood and orris. I don't like orris that much. I like sandalwood, but I already have plenty of nice sandalwood essential oil. If I ever get the urge for pumpkin and sandalwood, it would be pretty easy to recreate on my own. Pass on this one too! 2/5 V.......Pumpkin with five woods, English ivy and galangal root. Now this one, I have always wanted to try. I tend to like green scents, and a lot of woods work well for me. Some woods go kind of flat for me but this is worth a try, for sure. 4/5 Pumpkin Patch '07 I.......Pumpkin with pear, white wine grapes, and jasmine-laced tea. No.......not for me. Probably smells nice, but just not my thing. 2/5 II........Pumpkin with tobacco, champa flower, carnation, and tonka. Hmm, I thought I had tried a decant of this, but I never wrote a review. It does sound like something I'd like. Tobacco is the only iffy note, but it works for me sometimes. Would like to try except I have this nagging feeling that I already have a decant of this somewhere. I'll have to look for it. 3/5 III........Pumpkin with white chocolate, caramel, pomegranate, and cream. Again, not crazy about chocolate. I remember thinking this sounded interesting when these first came out. Since then, I've had my fill of chocolate and/or fruity scents. 2/5 IV.....Pumpkin with cactus blossom, sage, and sweetgrass. Definitely already have a decant, not a bad scent, but do not need more. 1/5 (would be higher if I didn't already have some) V.......Pumpkin with benzoin, bourbon vanilla, lemon peel, neroli, blood orange, and red ginger. Yes! Already have a decant, and could probably use another one. I have tested this side by side with Pumpkin Queen, and although they are different scents, it's really hard to tell the difference. 3/5 (would be higher if I didn't already have some) Pumpkin Patch '08 I......Pumpkin with mango, persimmon, coconut, and myrrh. Already tried it, have some, do not need more! It smells like sweet potato casserole to me. 1/5 II........Pumpkin with black musk, leather accord, tonka, teak, orange wood, and opoponax. Yes, yes, yes! Have a decant, would not mind another. 4/5 IV......Pumpkin with white sage, cherry tobacco, honey, smoky vanilla, cedar, and pine. I had an interest in this one, but I let it pass by because of the honey, probably. Still wouldn't mind trying it, as long as the honey behaves itself. 4/5 V.......Pumpkin with cranberry, strawberry, red musk, red rose, rosehip, frankincense, fig, jasmine, and carnation. No ma'am, no sir, not for me! Red musk, jasmine and frankincense are nice, fig and carnation are okay, red rose can be wearable sometimes, but all together, and with the fruits, make this one an easy pass for me. 1/5 Pumpkin Patch '09 I.......Pumpkin, almond, brown musk, and honey. I usually can't wear honey, with a rare exception here and there. And I don't think I like brown musk that much. Pass on this one. 2/5 II.......Pumpkin, rosewood, red sandalwood, and tea rose. Not really of interest to me, except for maybe the red sandalwood. 2/5 III......Pumpkin, fir needle, pitch, rosemary, and tomato. I am interested in trying this, not sure if it's something I'd wear, but it's unique and I'd like to try it. 3/5 IV......Pumpkin, black musk, tobacco, myrrh, and clove. Reminds me of a couple of the past ones. I wouldn't mind trying it, but I also have lots of scents like this already. Maybe not with pumpkin, though. Interested enough for a decant at some point. 3/5 V........Pumpkin, chocolate, coffee bean, vanilla bean, and hazelnut. At first I wasn't interested because of the chocolate, but the will-call reviews are saying this is heavier on the coffee, which makes it a little more appealing in my eye. Would like to sniff at some point. 3/5

decants, priority 1 Carlin Feeding The Dead The Hell-Gate Of Ireland Lambs-Wool Countess Dolingen Of Gratz Sarah Julia Stone decants, priority 2 Shadowless Like Silence Summer's Last Will And Testament Trick Or Treat 2009 Pumpkin Patch III Pumpkin Patch IV Lord Ruthven bottles? The Hell-Gate Of Ireland Lambs-Wool Sarah Edit: ordered the ones crossed off (in decant form so far), and Devil's Night to boot! Honestly at this point, I'm thinking Sarah might be the only bottle I go for. But of course that could change if I fall in love with any of the other decants. : )

Here are my thoughts. I need to write get it on paper (or on computer screen, as it were) so I can figure out what decants I want. And what bottles. Here we go.... edit: decant desires bolded BLACK BUTTERFLY MOON Soft, deep, and luminous: Lady of the Night orchid, benzoin, opopponax, currant, black chypre, white gardenia, ambergris, damp, wooded mosses, and black lily. The notes sound nice, except for black lily. I don't feel the need to try this, though. Probably somewhat feminine and perfumey. THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER A quiet, solitary scent: white rose, frankincense, Arabian sandalwood, neroli, orris root, and patchouli. With 'Rose' in the name, I can safely pass on this one. Not that I hate rose, but I don't really like orris and the combination here would probably be soapy and/or powdery. SHADOWLESS LIKE SILENCE Dry leaves and white sandalwood, rock moss, cypress, and dry, lifeless roses. Dry, lifeless roses sounds powdery or soapy to me. Another I can pass up. Edit: preliminary reviews are saying the rose is faint.....maybe a decant after all. SUMMER'S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT Doomed summer, supported on the shoulders of winter and autumn: citrus-infused Baltic amber, red valerian, marigold, blood orange, and sunflower subdued by somber myrrh and dry geranium alongside the leaves of autumn and a breath of winter wind. Sounds nice enough, except it does sound like at least one other blend that I already have a whole bottle of (Red Moon, the newer one). Worth a decant. UNDER THE HARVEST MOON Blue and white musk, summer roses, wild crimson leaves, grey amber, carnation, lavender bud, and vanilla bean. Sounds very perfumey which I know is a lame adjective but it describes the kind of scent that I'm trying to avoid lately. It's just the word I use for a particular quality that I don't know how else to describe. BITE ME Croquembouche with almond silk and a drizzle of caramel. Nah, not so much.....I'd sniff it given the chance but not going out of my way to obtain some. BOO Eerie billows of spun sugar, fluttering white cotton, and sheets of cream. Definitely not. I'm not into cotton/linen notes, or cream for that matter. Worth a sniff, though. CARLIN Black sage, ivy-twined rowan, thistle, snapdragon, heather, gorse, fumitory, and anise. Just not sure about this one.......worth a decant just to find out. I like herbal scents from time to time. CREEPY 2009 A return of 2006's Ridiculous Scent! As creepy as Spooky was spooky, this is the scent of butterscotch-kissed, caramel-smothered red apples spiked with a blast of coconut rum. I swapped my bottle from '06, no need to try it again. It's nice enough but a little too rich for me. DEVIL'S NIGHT 2009 This is the scent of autumn night, fires in the distance, with a touch of boozy swoon, playful sugar and thuggish musk. One of my favorites, but I already have enough to last me a long time. I may get a decant if the reviews indicate it's different from the past ones. DIA DE LOS MUERTOS 2009 dry, crackling leaves, the incense smoke of altars honoring Death and the Dead, funeral bouquets, the candies, chocolates, foods and tobacco of the ofrenda, amaranth, sweet cactus blossom and desert cereus. Never have tried this, I may end up with a decant eventually. I just don't like chocolate in perfume (usually). FEEDING THE DEAD A barrel of beer, a pyramid of cakes, and three sticks of incense. I am interested, enough for a decant. THE HELL-GATE OF IRELAND Smoldering brimstone, bitter labdanum, clove, black musk, and copper-colored feathers. This is one of the more interesting prospects. The only worry is that sometimes black musk is powdery. But not always. Decant. LAMBS-WOOL A popular holy day beverage in 18th century Ireland: roasted apples mashed into warmed milk and ale, with nutmeg, sugar, ginger, and clove. Warmed milk is the only thing holding me back from a decant. I will watch reviews. POMONA Azaroles, nuts, and apple blossoms with red apple pulp, mulberry, blackberry, and pomegranate juice. Nahh, too fruity for me. I'll stick with Possets' Pomona. SAMHAIN 2009 Truly the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein. I am so stocked up on Samhain in its past incarnations, that I really don't need more at this point. Especially since I don't even wear it that much. SUCK IT Sexy and suckable: black cherry brandy. This sounds like it could be nice, just not sure. Possibly a decant? TRICK OR TREAT 2009 The sticky sweet scent of candy corn! Even cornier for 2009! - cuz corny is how we roll at BPAL. I might like a decant, to compare with my older decant. I do like the sweet comforting scents every now and then, and the older one has a nice touch of spice. Pumpkin Patch I Pumpkin, almond, brown musk, and honey. Brown musk and honey make this a no-go. Pumpkin Patch II Pumpkin, rosewood, red sandalwood, and tea rose. Nah, not so much. Worth a sniff some time, maybe, but not priority right now. Pumpkin Patch III Pumpkin, fir needle, pitch, rosemary, and tomato. I would like a decant. I love pine and fir scents. Pumpkin Patch IV Pumpkin, black musk, tobacco, myrrh, and clove. Possibly worth a decant, we'll see how much I have to spend. Pumpkin Patch V Pumpkin, chocolate, coffee bean, vanilla bean, and hazelnut. There's that chocolate again.......again, worth a sniff, but probably not a priority right now. TATTIE BOGLE Hay, gunpowder, patchouli, autumn herbs, and sun-baked wood. Could be nice, if I ever ran across a sniffie. ARIADNE BRUNNELL Poppy flowers, peat, sphagnum moss, gardenia, and white water lily. Sounds good except for the lily. It's not one of my more successful notes. CLARIMONDE Pallid skin musk, white roses, and a languorous vapor of Oriental perfume. Again, perfumey. This will be very perfumey. Also I think skin musk reminds me of honey, which is a note I really don't like very often. CRISTINA Chestnut trees, juniper berries, violet leaf, labdanum, dazzling, moonlit white musk, and night-blooming summer flowers. Hmmm, could be worth a decant, just not sure on this one. As far as autumn scents, this is probably lower in my priorities, but it could be a nice scent. COUNTESS DOLINGEN OF GRATZ Hailstone-pounded cypress boughs, olibanum, and an ozone blast of lightning. Definitely want to try a decant of this. THE GIRL A seductive, serpentine white scent, elusive, crystalline, and spellbinding: white amber, silver birch, immortelle, davana, pale musk, star jasmine, and ylang ylang. Worth a sniff, but not so much calling to me. MIRCALLA, COUNTESS KARNSTEIN Languid, melancholy fire: red musk, purple orchid, frankincense, smoky vanilla, Styrian herbs, peru balsam, tonka, Zanzibar clove, and patchouli. This should appeal to me....but I think I have a few scents like this already. I will watch reviews. LORD RUTHVEN The father of all dandy aristocrat vampires: Aqua Admirabilis with polished boot leather and blood. I could be into this one......possibly a decant. SARAH Unholy mist congealing into soft, white flesh, with black marble, remnants of liturgical incense, wolf's fur, and black flecks of froth. Wolf's fur is the only thing I am wary of, because I don't like muzzy furry notes all that much. But this is just so odd, I have to try a decant. JULIA STONE Rotting once-white fabric, spotted with mold. I don't usually like linen notes, but I have a thing for the underdog. In most of the other breakdowns, everyone pretty much dismissed this one......which of course makes me want to try a decant! We'll see how the reviews go. PERLE VON MAUREN Heliotrope, grave soil, and blood. Soil is a gamble of a note for me, I think I'll let this one pass me by, unless the reviews shout otherwise. So, overall, no immediate bottle purchases. I have this nagging feeling about Lambs-Wool.....I think it's going to be a big hit, and I am pretty sure I want to try it. I might just get a surprise, even with the warm milk note! Other than that, I want to try the obvious masculine ones for the most part, and a couple others.

I realized yesterday that I've reached the point where upcoming video games are more exciting to me now than upcoming movies. I guess a lot of people crossed that line a long time ago, but for me it's pretty amazing that I reached it at all. I am still excited about the Dark Crystal sequel, and the Dawn Treader movie from the Narnia series. However, I am much, much more excited about the Last Guardian. In fact, I just preordered it. Woo Hoo!! I can't wait.

I'm excited, of course, about the Halloween update coming up. It's my absolute favorite of all the special updates we get to see, and that's including Carnaval Diabolique. There's just something so special and cozy about fall for me. It makes me think of sleepovers, watching horror movies (good ones and bad ones), spicy and sweet goodies, brisk walks in chilly night air......the list goes on...... My only complaint is that I don't take full advantage of all the fun things I could do in the fall season. This is due to my own laziness, and too much focus on work. But I do manage to make some fun goodies at home like mulled apple cider, or some kind of spicy baked goods. It's a great feeling to fire up the oven when it's actually cool outside. So warm and cozy! So obviously I'm really happy that the Halloween update will be coming along soon. Usually I buy one or two bottles unsniffed based on the descriptions, which is always fun because it adds an element of chance. Then I go nuts with decants. I think the one series that held the most favorites for me was the Order Of The Dragon. I just love Quncey Morris, Dr. John Seward, and of course Count Dracula. And then there are the old favorites like Samhain, Devil's Night, and now Death Of Autumn. It's funny.....Samhain is something I don't wear very often, probably less than 10 times during the whole year, but it's something that I just don't want to be without. When I want to smell it, nothing else will do. I think 2007 is the only year that I didn't at least try the new one, and I have a nearly full bottle from 2004. I just can't wait to see what autumn brings us this year! :love!:

The amber stands out, and it really is grey amber, but everything else is just seamlessly blended. I smell a marshmallowy sweetness, and I would think that's tonka, but it's not the warmth of tonka that I usually can pick out. I have been known to really pick out the sweeter notes in scents, for example, Oblivion also dries down to a very marshmallow sweetness when I wear it. Anyway, this is really a great scent. As long as I've had it, I have kind of neglected it, but I always knew I liked it. It just got lost in the shuffle of my other oils. But I'm wearing it now, and it's one of those great, sophisticated, gender-neutral scents that I think are my favorite category, if you can call it a category. This could be worn equally by either men or women. It's ambery, slightly sweet, a little woody, and somewhat velvety. There is a nearly dusty grey quality but it's not a dusty scent. Very sophisticated and definitely one of my favorites of all the Lupercalia scents.

This scent is quite unusual, and I appreciate the artistry behind it. I have found over 3 tests that I probably won't wear it out and about, but I will keep my decant. It's so unique, I'd like to have it around for when the mood strikes. Mostly I smell a heavy sweetness, and fruit. I enjoy cooking with molasses, but it's not something I ever thought I'd want to smell like! I found that the molasses combined with the moss and patchouli give this scent an earthy, almost smokey element that is truly compelling. After multiple tests I noticed that the sugary element comes close to banana when I sniff up close, kind of like Mr. Nancy did (until it aged and didn't smell like banana any more). In fact, Lawn Gnome is almost like Mr. Nancy's rugged, outdoorsy cousin. Same family, but more into camping and gardening (duh), not cocktail lounges or fedoras. The only problem is that something about this scent turns on me far into the dry-down. It becomes just a little flat and almost ashy, but I can't pin down what's causing it. I truly loved the opening stages enough to keep this around.

This is the scent that I can never spell. : / It has given me different impressions the three times that I wore it. Mostly it is herbal, resins, and somehow slightly woody. I can pick out chamomile, frankincense, and amber. I have never learned to identify saffron (I'm not sure what it tastes like either), but I think it adds a slight medicinial, bitter feel from what I've heard. Not unpleasant at all. At first I didn't think this scent was powdery, but I put some on tonight and applied very lightly (not sure if that made the difference), and it definitely is powdery this time, kind of the same way that Minotaur is powdery. Anyway, this reminds me of several other bpal scents, like Sol, Sagittarius, and Carceri D'Invenzione as portalkat mentioned. I swear there's a little bit of wood in here. So, do I like it? Yes! I didn't care for Sol all that much, but this seems to be more like what I wanted from that scent. It's unique. I can wear this to work, because it's not all dark and sexy, even with the element of darkness.

I don't wear food scents a whole lot, mostly just around the house as 'comfort' scents. I was curious about this one. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work out for me. It comes off kind of flat, like stale popcorn. I didn't get much of a butter note, it's more salty and a little stale. And it fades really fast....within an hour or less, it's pretty much gone unless I sniff up close to where I applied it. So there ya go, curiosity satisfied.

It's kind of hard for me to think of 'wet' scents, I think mine above leaned more towards dry and masculine. This might be good but I've never tried it: Depraved....."A salacious, lecherous, leering scent - dirty and dark, slapped with a wet sweetness. Earthy black patchouli swelling with apricot".

Oh, I think the lab's catalogue has many, many scents that could fall under that description! Here are a few but I'm sure others will have many more rec's..... Oblivion....."Salvation found in darkness beyond darkness, the blessed sleep of nothingness. Dark musk, wood spice, labdanum, patchouli, dark African woods, and saffron". This might be a little dry for what you're looking for. Sin....."Thoroughly corrupted: amber, sandalwood, black patchouli and cinnamon". Czernobog...."Created in honor of the Slavic Black God of the Dead. A nighttime god of grief, evil, chaos and woe, he is paralleled by his twin brother Bylebog, god of light, joy, order, and good fortune. A combination of three musks, with splashes of dark myrrh, vetiver and mullein". Malediction....."Evil incarnate. Revel in your dark side with this romantically cruel scent. Contains red patchouli and vetivert". Blood Countess...."Elizabeth Báthory, also called Erzsébet Báthory in Hungarian and Alžbeta Bátoriová-Nádašdy in Slovak, was the Bloody Lady of Hungary. In order to preserve her youth and loveliness, the brutal and incomparably savage countess captured, tortured and slaughtered innumerable young women and bathed in their blood as part of her beauty regimen. Ah, vanity. Corrupted black plum, smoky opium and crumbling dead roses covered by a deceptive veil of Hungarian lilac, white gardenia and wild berry". And there are countless limited edition scents, no longer sold by the lab but available if you look hard enough......Typhon and On Darkness come to mind but there are many more.

Thunder Moon from a couple years ago is good for what you're describing, too.

Here's what I think. BERRY MOON A golden summer musk with warm fig, orange blossom honey, sweet blueberries, and bright velvety crimson raspberries. Not for me, I'm relieved to say (because I have no money to buy it anyway!). I like the sound of golden summer musk, and maybe fig, but nothing else here is my bag. STINKY A cure for sweaty bits and sticky wilting. Stinky is a summer refresher ‘foom for people that don’t dig run-of-the-mill “clean” scents: newly-washed skin with a dusting of rice milk, white honey, and baby powder. Hee-hee! Also not for me.....but if this wasn't inspired by little Lilith, I'll eat my hat! : ) APEROTOS EROS Unloving love: benzoin, Indian musk, massoia bark, myrrh, ambrette seed, galbanum, bergamot, and fir. This is probably the most interesting thing on the whole update for me. Indian musk might be soapy for me, but otherwise I'm game for an imp. WHOSO LIST TO HUNT Sensual brown musk, rich amber, English rose, oak bark, and moss. Just not calling to me......brown musk sounds powdery, and I'm not very much into rose. ALICE’S EVIDENCE Containing nary a neutron of meaning: rum-quince-cassis with prune and a bit of black ginger. This could be interesting, but I'm not a huge fan of fruity scents (which seem to abound in this update!), so I'm probably safe to pass on this one. ALL IN THE GOLDEN AFTERNOON A bizarre blend of pineapple, tangerine, tobacco, apricot, and seltzer coated with hazy amber and heady sun-baked flowers. More fruit! I like to eat it but not wear it. Of course there are exceptions to every rule. TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE BAT A sparkly, batty little scent: green tea, melon, mint, lime rind, and champagne grape with lemon balm, mullein, and toadflax. Again, a little too fruity for me. I really don't like melon, and probably not champagne grape either. IMPERIOUS TIGER-LILY (Tiger-lily, ginger root, neroli, purple fruits, and frankincense.) I actually kind of like Tiger-Lily. However, I generally steer clear of neroli, and again, there are those fruits. SNOOTY ROSE (Red rose, oud, plum, bergamot, and red sandalwood.) Not to be snooty, but no rose for me, thank you! HIGH-STRUNG DAISIES (Daisy, pink carnation, pink pepper, and sugar.) Hee hee.....the story makes me giggle.....but very much not a scent for me! BRUSQUE VIOLET (Violet petal, violet leaf, osmanthus, orris, mint, and opoponax.) Hmm, never really got into violet, but I wouldn't be against trying this. Maybe I'll tack on an imp when I order again. HOW DOTH THE LITTLE CROCODILE Chocolate peppermint, mint-soaked vanilla, pistachio, oakmoss, and green cedar. I'd be more interested, if not for the chocolate note. Sounds like a fun scent, though! AGAINST IDLENESS AND MISCHIEF Pollen-dusted honey, diligent tonka, steadfast chamomile, and goodly hyssop. Eh, I am really not into honey. Definitely not for me. ‘TIS THE VOICE OF THE LOBSTER 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. Well, I like woody, musky weirdness, but that's about it, out of all those notes! THE SLUGGARD Pious frankincense, angelic gardenia, unsoiled pear, and staunch ho wood conflict with prickly, overgrown thistle, idle labdanum, and lethargic lavender. This has potential, I just can't imagine what it will smell like! It might be the biggest 'wild-card' for me, in this update. Definitely worth a try. So, overall, I'm really relieved that I'm safe from just about everything here! I was a little worried, but now I've got more time to save up for the upcoming goodies.

Writing from work again, only a short shift today and not at all my usual time of day to be here, so it's a little disorienting. I am off at 2:30pm, then I'm free until tomorrow night. I wouldn't mind going out and celebrating a little, but at the same time, I really don't have the money right now, not for another 2 weeks. Also, it's supposed to rain today, and I think I could just as easily stay home, play video games, maybe do some cleaning, maybe organize my bpal collection, etc, etc. We shall see. Scent of the day is Bad Luck Woman Blues.....just love the moss in this, it's so wonderful.

Potter's Field is kind of a hidden gem. Dirt, grass, herbs and wood combine to make something really special. After the dirt note backs off a little, it starts to resemble a more traditional, somewhat masculine cologne, but in the best possible way.

Three scents came to mind when I read the title of the thread, but they're all limited edition. Nothing extremely rare, though. November....."Autumn leaves damp beneath the first snowfall". Although not listed in the notes, I do get a distinct crisp minty note when I wear this, as well as some earthiness mixed with the leaves. Usher....."This is Roderick Usher: a faded genteel light musk and fougere, heightened by hectic white mint, gleaming mandarin, ethereal tea leaf and gritty blackcurrant brushed by the scent of the tarn that surrounds the House, and the gloom and decay of the walls that hold him". This is actually less earthy to me than November, but more minty. Green Tree Viper...."Snake Oil with four mints, bergamot, and green tea". I think it's generally accepted that Snake Oil has patchouli. Also, I second Cathode...."A negatively charged scent. Ambergris, Spanish Moss, oakmoss and three electric mints". That's a good one, and not a limited edition. The moss does bring to mind an earthy quality.

Ended up wearing Blade Of Grass on Saturday, and Demeter's Firefly on Sunday. I was in the mood for light scents, not perfumey or too cologney. : ) Although they both do end up being somewhat cologney, IMO.

June Gloom is much more bright and cheery than the name would suggest! I smell mostly flowers, and I find myself thinking of Midnight On The Midway, without the incense notes that I like a lot in that scent. There's something marshmallowy and sweet about June Gloom, and after a while, there is also a papery note that comes out. It's subtle but I can't deny it, and I am not a huge fan of papery scents. Overall, this is probably not really my thing, but it's not offensive by any means. The reviews for the old June Gloom mention a lot more lemon, and that would probably be more to my liking.

Gay Pride is coming up, and I'm trying to decide what to wear again. I was thinking about Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener, which is funny because I looked up this discussion and found that I thought about it last year too. I forget what I ended up wearing last year, though.

Ugh......here I am at work, stuck to a desk, and feeling antsy as all hell. Why don't I ever feel like this at home, where I could actually get up and do something? I could actually organize my perfumes and put up a sales/swaps page if I felt like this at home! Or any number of other things that I need to get done. : /

I hate this, but I don't see any way around it. I'm absolutely stressed out about money. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the next month or two, and there is lots of stuff going on that I want to take part in. My friends are going to a big drag show in Dayton, which is about a 45 minute drive. They want to get hotel rooms so we can all drink. I don't even know if I can afford to drink at a bar, much less do that and get a hotel room. Then our gay pride weekend is the following weekend, and I'll be going out again, and spending money again. I guess I just need to sit down and write it all down, and figure out a budget because my funds are definitely limited. : (

I am so freakin' excited! And I want to talk about it but I have nobody to yak at. There is a new game coming out, made by the people who made Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus. I have been waiting patiently for info for a very long time. I knew it would be exclusive to PS3, and I knew I'd have to get a PS3 system just to play this, whenever it comes out. Anyway, there was a trailer for the game leaked to the internet last week (working title is Project Trico). It looks amazing. It hasn't been confirmed as being real, but I'm betting it is, because it looks too good to be a fake. Apparently the video is over a year old, so the finished product will be even better. I can't wait to play this!! I would be really happy if it came out this fall or winter. I realize it may take longer, but my fingers are crossed. Hopefully more will be announced at E3 this week.

Posting this because the entire description should be saved somewhere. I haven't tried the scent itself, but I'd like to find a decant. I think I would like it but I just can't justify a whole bottle right now, with my financial situation being what it is. Lilith And The Jarocho.... In the past eight months since Lilith was born, Ted and I have had many moments of unutterable joy. There is one, in particular, that stands out from the rest as perfect. Our daughter loves music… everything from the clank of her toy piano, to unending looped choruses of "You Are My Sunshine" (with Moonshine variants) and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (or Bat) sung by her mother at naptime, to a rousing round of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" belted out by her father at playtime, to all the hair band videos she watches on Metal Mania. This kid LOVES music. On the last Saturday in April, Ted and I took Lilith to Olvera Street, and stopped at the El Paseo Inn for lunch. While we were waiting for our food, the band came to stand behind our table, and Lili was riveted by their music. At the end of the first song, she clapped! Holy hell, that was adorable. The singer saw Lilith clapping and staring, and walked over to us. This sweet, wonderful man serenaded her. There was a Perfect Moment -- the kindness on the singer’s face as he sang to my baby, Lilith’s eyes as wide as saucers, her hands in prayer position, and the joy radiating from my husband -- this was a moment that brought me to tears. This scent is a swirl of everything I felt, sensed, smelled, and saw right then, at that perfect point in time: Jasmine, vanilla, Spanish cedar, moss, marigold, purple verbena, candied tamarind, lime rind, a splash of margaritas on a nearby table, a little bit of Dorian, a little bit of Snake Oil, and a bright bouquet of mal de ojo.

Yes! This surprised me too. It's not something I want to wear all the time, but I definitely want to have it on hand. Not what I expected from the description/notes. The apricot is kind of dry, and reminds me a little of Ebisu.... I love the gender-neutral scents. I love the ones that have a feminine element, but end up working for me anyway. Metal Phoenix is a good example. It just works. I do still love Baron Samedi, and I need to get a bottle of that soon.

* sigh * I am not only bored but restless, too. I'm at work and kind of wish I wasn't here. I feel like I have important things that need to get done, but not much time in which to do them. Just restless energy, I guess. And I guess this Mountain Dew I'm drinking probably isn't a great idea. Earlier today I wore Fearful Pleasure, which I still like a lot. Right now I'm wearing To Autumn, which I also like.....maybe even better. I just like them both, I think. Fearful Pleasure does this kind of musky thing on the dry-down, which I don't like as much.....but it's not enough to put me off the scent. I guess it's the woodsmoke that gives me that musky impression, or maybe it does have some musk, although I didn't see anyone else mention it in reviews. Anyway, enough babbling for now.