summer

I will never forgive myself for not ordering a bottle of this when I had the chance. Shub is glorious warm, golden, spicy, smooth ginger. Not foody. It is just phenomenally delicious and beautiful. It stirs the energy in my center and makes me feel warm and alive. I apply it after yoga for grounding, and I apply it throughout the day because it's just so yummy and happy-making. One of my favorite blends ever!

Wow. Anthelion is warm and comforting and soothing and healing. That is the best way I can describe it. It feels like a hug, truly. Like a force that calms and heals and protects. It is absolutely beautiful. So far I have used it in my scent locket to create sort of a healing, protective talisman. It makes me feel calm and almost childlike. I agree with the others who have said that the beautiful scent of this oil has to be part of its effectiveness, because inhaling the warm, sweet, airy scent (it truly smells like warm wind carrying the scent of sweet wheat and nectar) hits the "relax and smile" button in my brain with astonishing accuracy. What a gift this oil is.

I used Clarity today, because I needed to sit down and really think through a project for work, and I found myself -- as per usual -- p*ssing the day away by doing a little of this and a little of that. So I applied a dab of Clarity to each palm, rubbed vigorously, inhaled, and sat down to work. I worked a good, solid three hours straight. It wasn't that kind of mad "working with blinders on" focus that I get from Concentration, but in a way, it was better for the task that I was faced with. I truly did feel free from distraction. And distraction, generally, is my worst enemy. I found that I was able to sit and think through an issue -- and even beyond, to issues that I hadn't considered before -- without falling victim to my maddeningly short attention span. It didn't so much keep me focused as it simply allowed me to sit contentedly and do my work. And when I just took the time to SIT and DO IT, the insights came quite naturally. The time passed quickly, and I have a lot of good things to show for it. This will be another great tool for me in my professional life. I look forward to using it in other contexts as well. Scent -- kind of a jagged mint with a metallic, almost soapy, base, and a hint of lime.

Sweet Mother of Criminy. Concentration is exactly what an undisciplined, easily-distracted, lazy person like me needs. But I've found, after having used it several times, that I have to be really careful about what I turn my focus to after I use it. There have been times at work when I've really needed to focus and get some work done, so I applied some Concentration to my palms and breathed it in deeply as directed. Then I'd think I'd just check the forum (or my email, or whatever) again real quick before getting down to business. Then, four hours later, I'd find that I had been totally absorbed in the forum and had written numerous lengthy posts describing in detail my thoughts on various topics . . . and I hadn't even touched my work. Concentration focuses my mind all right -- on whatever my mind happens to be occupied with! Today, however, I managed to use it in an extremely productive way. I applied some to my palms before starting the mundane yet mammoth task of putting away all my clothes and organizing my closet. Just as always, I worked so intently and without interruption that I looked at the clock an hour later and it was as if no time had passed at all. I hate this particular chore probably more than any other, and yet I did it SO efficiently -- it was just as if everything fell into place and as soon a as I finished one thing I moved right on to the other. In fact, when I finished with my clothes I moved on to the other clutter in my room, and I kept going until I pretty much collapsed from exhaustion a few minutes ago. Even now, though, my mind still feels uncannily focused. It is as though a sense of calm determination has decended over my brain like a lead blanket.REMARKABLE. I really need to practice working with this in productive ways while at work, too. I think that this oil could be an incredible tool for me. I struggle with distraction and procrastination SO MUCH . . . and if this oil is the tool that finally enables me to get control over it, then I will be forever grateful!Oh, and it smells like sweet mint and lemongrass. It goes right up the nose and into the brain, that's for sure.

General impression of scent -- lavender, patchouli, and general herb/dirt notes. More importantly -- -- I just wore this on my wrists in conjunction with Concentration on my palms as I cleaned out my closet. Not only was I uncannily focused (that's for the Concentration review), but I'm not kidding when I say I saw my clothes in a whole new light. I know that this is a rather mundane expression of creativity, but truly -- I was overwhelmed with all kinds of inspiration about color, texture, and layers . . . and this was with my old boring clothes that I look at every day! I truly attribute this insight to Hymn to Pan. It's as though it broke the lens through which I usually see the world and allowed me to see everything anew. What a great aid for seeing creative possibilities in anything! As for the rock star debauch . . . well, let's just say that none of my wardrobe inspiration pertained to my work clothes. I really look forward to using this oil in other contexts. I feel like it's possibilities are endless!

Hermes is a very powerful blend for me. When I apply it to my palms and inhale, I get a RUSH of cool/warm to my head and all through my nerve endings. I work in a profession in which communication is vital, so I often reach for this when I need to speak clearly and powerfully and get my point across. The scent is strong, rich, spicy cinnamon which morphs in and out of a cool, smooth lavender. It has a distinct zing. I get an almost metallic feeling in my mouth when I use Hermes, and sometimes I feel flushed, and my heart beats faster. It's an almost anxious feeling, but not in a bad way -- it's not fear; rather, it's that rush of adrenaline that comes right before you know you're going to perform. And I'll tell you this -- every time I have used Hermes, the words have flowed out of me in a strong, coherent, logical sequence. One of my gifts is verbal clarity, and I feel that Hermes helps me channel that gift and use it to its fullest potential. This blend is an invaluable tool for me in my professional life.

I second the recommendation for Yemaya. It's very melony.

Oh man. I didn't think Gomorrah was my type of scent at all, but I love the concept, so I gave it a try. Now, I should state up front that normally I cannot wear fig. It has the most bizarre, plastic doll heads scent on my skin. However, the fig in Gomorrah is just not-sweet enough that this doesn't happen. Hallelujah! It smelled dark and sultry when I first applied it. A deep, dark, herby scent, but with this remarkable, sexy smoothness. Which, clearly, I suppose, is that creamy date and fig. YUM. As it has dried down, it's only gotten sweeter -- in a good way. This is still a kind of dark, naughty sweetness that I am loving. It's one of those perfumes that takes me by surprise -- every now and then I'll catch a whiff of something wonderful-smelling, and then I realize it's me. All in all, this is a unique, but very wearable, sexy perfume. It doesn't have an enormous amount of throw on me, and it tends to fade fast, but I'm so thrilled that I'm actually able to wear and enjoy the elusive FIG that I'm thinking of getting a bottle!

Yummy, deep, plummy incense. Rich, smokey, sweet head-shop resin. That is Hellion. And I love it.

Block Buster certainly has a cinnamon note, but I don't think of it as a "spicy" oil. It is predominanty a warm fruit -- like a warm, rounded pineapple and citrus combination of some sort. It's very energizing, but comforting at the same time. I have had a bottle of this for a while, but I'm looking forward to using it more as a "get out of the rut" aid. An interesting note: I applied some Block Buster this morning before I did my yoga. Right afterwards, as I was cooling down, my mother called, and she and I had a really calm, but really "breakthrough" type conversation about some issues we've been having for the past year. We've talked about these issues before, but I've always felt emotional and rattled. This conversation was different. It really was like an obsticle had been lifted out of the way, and we spoke honestly, calmly, frankly, and with great understanding. Wow.

My bottle of Ra is fairly aged, and it just keeps getting better and better. I bought it specifically to use while doing sun salutations in the morning. However, it has started to smell so beautiful -- so golden and resiny and sweet -- that I am going to start reaching for it as an everyday perfume! It is a sweet, slightly golden-orange incensey fragrance. Warm, close-to-the-skin, and demure. I love it.

Oh, this is so lovely. It is all fresh, crisp, slightly sweet white florals on me. I don't get much aquatic from it, which is a good thing for me. It just smells like springtime and fresh air. I am so glad I got a bottle.

Yummy. Warm and yummy. The description of this oil is right on the money -- it really does have that burnished, caramelized sugar scent, mixed with rich, sweetened heavy cream. It is delicious. Similar to Sugar Skull, but slightly more wearable for me because of the creaminess.

Fee is wet, sticky, juicy, ripe, sugary honeydew on me at first. Very much a ripe melon scent that strikes me as light green and peach in color. As it dries, it becomes more and more like Dorian on my skin. I suppose it's that fruit-kissed tea note that I'm smelling? It's a little dry and astringent, but there's plenty of feminine floral and light peach, melon, and sugar to keep it sweet. This is definitely a nice, happy tea party scent. I prefer it to Dorian, actually, and I'm thrilled that the Goblins chose it for me.

Can I just say that I LOVE the title of this thread? Great suggestions. I personally would go for Dragon's Blood, just because it's powerful, it's sexual, and it makes me feel like my eyes are pulsing with glowing red embers. It's the kind of scent that would empower you to take one look at her and make her understand that YOU ARE IN CONTROL.

This is just beautiful. The surprise winner of all the Yule blends for me. When I first applied it, it smelled (unsurprisingly) very incensy. Incense and smoke. But it has dried down into the most gorgeous warm, golden, close-to-the-skin, sexy resin scent. It's not too heavy or overpowering, but it is deep and present and calming. I love it. I can see myself wearing this often.

Mmmmm . . . ultimately, The Haunted Palace is a gorgeous, glorious, sweet, scrummy rose. What a surprise! I love rose blends, but was not expecting this to be one. Nevertheless, I love it and I'm pleased. Upon first application, I smell the juicy fresh orange. It's not orange blossom . . . it's the actual pulp and juice of the fruit, blended smooth with vanilla and amber. Delicious. Almost immediately, the rose starts to emerge, and it dries down to rose encrusted with orangy sugar. The lingering scent after a few hours is that of a beautifully merged sweet rosey perfume. I love it. This is an ideal "everyday" scent for me.

Jacob's Ladder confuses me. I can't decide whether I love it or not. In the bottle, it truly is a glorious, golden amber. On my skin, however, it reminds me strongly of Old Scratch, in that it feels like a very refined, sort of "dandy" men's fragrance. It is a sweet, smooth amber, which is lovely, and it's definitely made more sweet and round by the tonka. Underneath all that, however, is an almost earthy -- or is it airy? -- "outside" sort of smell, which is pleasant, but which is registering as "masculine" to my nose. Not ruggedly masculine, but rather masculine in the way that the men's fragrance section of a department store is masculine. Refined and beautiful, but in a masculine way. I am enjoying this fragrance and it's juxtaposition of sweet & golden and outside air & earth. However, it's not a perfume that I see myself wearing very often.

I am surprised at how much Snow Bunny reminds me of Skadi. It really does have the same cool, fresh pine woven through a beautiful, subtle floral. It differs in that Snow Bunny is just slighty more soft; slightly more fuzzy. And as it dries down, there is a little hint of something sweetly fruity. Not strong at all -- just like a light, fresh, berry-ish perfume lingering on the skin. This fragrance absolutely reminds me of soft pink cheeks that are flushed from exertion but cool to the touch from the snow and cold air.

I agree wholeheartedly with the preceding reviews. Wet, Lick It smells just like a candy cane. That is to say, it smells distinctively like "hard candy" -- kind of cool and smooth and hard, and, yes, sugary and pepperminty. As it dries, the mint wears off and it's a light, cool, sugary vanilla. Indeed, the vanilla is just like the vanilla in Black Opal, but without the rock/mineral note. It's just the same sort of "cool" vanilla -- not foody, but sweet, creamy, and almost ethereal. It's as if you melted a candy cane in hot chocolate and couldn't really taste the mint anymore, but the sugary vanilla retained the feeling of hardness and coolness. It's yummy, and the vanilla stage is surprisingly long-lasting.

Ooh wow. Dry, dry cinnamon. So dry I can almost hear it crackle. And smoke. Dry, deep woods, smoke, and yes, definitely a little bit animalistic. But there's that gorgeous cinnamon. And there's something else -- something creamy, and a little bit sweet. This is a deep, evocative blend. I am again amazed at how well Beth is able to capture concepts in scent. I am surprised at how much I like this. Normally "deep woods" and "feral" would be enough to make me run screaming. But this is so very warm, and so very dry and sharp -- like a cold winter night that is warmed by the body heat generated by running over the dead leaves. Beautiful. ETA: During my period, this blend comes alive and positively hums on my skin. Ohhhhhh wow. It smells so warm and cozy and sweet. This is becoming one of my favorite blends. So very ideal for cold and dreary weather.

Mmm, this is chewy, warm clove. It gets ever so slightly sweeter and almost fruity as it dries. Divine. I haven't noticed any of its effects yet, but I will update as I do. Regardless, I love this blend and I need a full bottle. ETA: So, I have been rubbing Mantle of Venus into my chest, right over my heart chakra, daily. All of a sudden, I am THE golden child at work. I have been given all sorts of responsibilites and lavished with praise. It has been quite unexpected! Also, my husband and I have been positively gooey over each other, but that's sort of typical for us anyway. I've also noticed that even when I have to do unpleasant things, I've been feeling very contented and . . . grateful. I feel that this is an extremely positive and effective oil.

Oh my GAWD, this is fantastic. BUTTERMINTS! This starts off minty, but there is absolutely nothing icy about it. No -- this is the smooth, sweet mint of a cup of hot cocoa with a candy cane melted in it. It's warm, fuzzy, and foody -- a perfect blend of creamy vanilla and sweet mint. Snowblind perfectly fills the niche in my olfactory life that Snow White left empty. That is, this is the perfect warm/cool, softly minty wintertime scent that I hoped Snow White would be. Oh MAN, I NEED a bottle of this.

Pumpkin with sandalwood and orris. Wow, this is such an interesting blend. And frankly, I'm shocked that I like it, because usually sandalwood is hard for me to wear. But this is gorgeous. The smokey, incensy sandalwood keeps the pumpkin from being too sweet, but both notes are equally present. The result is so balanced. It makes perfect sense, really! Sweet, heady pumpkin that is tempered by dry, smokey sandalwood. I reach for this often.

As others have said, Detox is fresh, crisp, sweet lime. I love it. Not too bitter; not too sweet. Just fresh and wet. I woke up groggy with a hangover this morning, and it's exactly what I needed to bring me back into the land of the living. Unfortunately, although I slathered this all over my wrists, heart, and throat, it was GONE 30 minutes later. My skin just ate it. Perhaps this is a sign that I really needed detoxing? Note to self: carry Detox in bag. Anyway, I wish it lasted a bit longer, but all in all, this oil serves its purpose beautifully. Fabulous aromatherapy.