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I love the Grave Pig too! Strangler Fig doesn't smell very figgy to me, though I like it. It is green like entering a hothouse or greenhouse to me.

 

Doesn't Intrigue have fig? I remember liking that, too.

They're in the Conjure bag now, since they're really conjure blends (hoodoo), not voodoo, but they might be a good way to start. I find them mildly effective, but honestly not more effective than any other perfume I like that makes me happy. The TAL blends are more effective as you noted, since they are produced with ritual effects in mind.

 

(And on that note, you really should get a bottle of white light even unscented, because it is one of the best--cheering, and also helps with bravery, and just all around makes you feel better. It's also a lovely scent. Really worth it!)

 

But of the scents in the conjure bag, I'd suggest Has No Hanna and Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo. The problem with Aunt Caroline might be the scent--I think it's a bit candyish, but honestly, I think that's part of what makes it joyful--to me, it contains some of the joy of a kid with candy, just that immediate happiness.

 

Van Van is good, as you noted.

 

You might also try an ISO for some TAL decants. People do sell them, and that would give you an opportunity to try some of the more powerful blends, before you buy a bottle.

Most of my suggestions were TALs--Lion's Heart in particular is a favorite of mine, though it smells as if it might have a touch of cinnamon.

 

Wolf's heart is also good, and Van Van and yes, High John. Also, things like Ogoun, since Ogoun is a warrior. Any of the warrior queens, too. When I want to feel strong, but don't feel I need a magical oil, I sometimes wear a scent by Arcana (Eleanor of Aquitaine) because the scent is strong and green with vetiver and makes me feel strong.

 

I've had to have too many meetings with people who wished me harm, unfortunately, so a not scent suggestion is one you likely know, but shielding is important! I visualize myself in a protective space that nothing can get into.

 

And to you, and be strong, and I hope it goes as smoothly as possible.

The lion!! Wow!

That reminded me, there's also Lionheart, but I haven't personally tried that one.

 

For TALs: I like Lionheart. I do wear it when I feel scared/nervous. It is soft, warm, ambery, and feels comforting, rather than "roar" so it helps me in those kind of situations. Brass Balls is even better if you really need to be super confident! I tend to layer that under something else, though, because Lionheart and a few others aside, I'm usually no taken with the scent of the TALs!

 

I gave Wolfsheart to my friend when she was grieving for losing her father and she felt it helped.

 

 

I also find Chimera very comforting.

 

I sometimes wear Alecto for power, but more because on me it smells like the best christmas trees ever!

 

 

I have some scents from other companies I tend to wear if I want to just feel confident, and I have some magical oils from other companies that I wear if the situation needs it. (My favorite is a blend for Maman Brigitte).

Since my first swap was a great success, I've been thinking about what I would like to try next!

 

Anyone interested in a candy/sweets swap? I was thinking of something where everyone sends a small (under $5 a package before shipping) package to 3 different people, and gets three packages of goodies in return. I'm thinking small bubblelopes with a little treat inside.

 

Nitty gritty, I thought open to internationals, 10-15 player limit, and quick turn-around time since the packages are to be small.

 

I'd join in a heartbeat.

 

Me too! That one sounds manageable to me!

Interesting how scents are different on people. I didn't even realize Tombstone HAD cedar. It's all rootbeer and vanilla on me.

 

And VILF is mostly patch on me. Love it, but it's not a wood scent on me.

 

But Alecto is fabulous, and thought it has an almost evergreen top note on me, it quickly becomes a very nice cedar. When I was craving a straight up cedar scent awhile ago, I was happy to go to it.

I really love resins, especially frankincense, though BPAL's frank does not always play nice with me, and is not actually my preferred frankincense (I like mine to smell very true to the way the resin smells burning, which is bright and sometime with a hint of citrus).

 

But this sounded so good, I really thought about just buying a bottle. Luckily, a lovely forumite was willing to swap a decant with me, so I got to try it.

 

It's interesting, but not bottle worthy for me. It's got a nice, dry resin note in the opening, and I do get both the frankincense and myrrh, but somehow they aren't quite as strong as I would like. I would compare this to the smell of the resins themselves, unburned. The scent doesn't quite have that bloom to it that the burned resins have, and it is not at all sweet at first. It does remind me of Midnight Mass a lot at this stage, which was nice, but not a keeper for me, because again, I was looking for the scent of burning resins (which I know so well, because I burn them on my woodstove all winter).

 

But there was a surprise: about an hour later, I sniffed my wrist, and thought, that's wierd, I thought I was wearing Heretic, but this smells like Sin (which I had had on earlier). I thought I'd just forgotten which I'd put on which wrist, but then I tried Heretic again, and sure enough, an hour later, it smelled like Sin again--sweet, incensey, with a hint of spice. Granted, my Sin is very well aged (my bottle is from 2004) so new Sin probably smells nothing like this, but really, I compared them again, and yep, very similar. heretic is not quite as sweet, and is a bit drier, but they are very close.

 

(My bottle of Sin is very rich, thick and dark these days, btw).

 

So that saves me buying a bottle of Heretic, I guess!

Sharp green wood at first, not like "wood" as in lumber, but wood as in a green tree, still alive with sap. I do get the acorn note too, which is interesting. There is something slightly cologney in this when it is wet.

 

But it dries down to the softest, most lovely vanilla, with just a hint of wood. Lately, a lot of BPAL vanillas have gone plasticky on me, but this one does not....it is just beautiful and soft as a cloud.

 

This is quite a morpher, and really lovely.

I love the scent of carnations, and so was thrilled to see this in the return of the SN, so of course I got it!

 

It is gorgeous, true red carnation scent. In the opening, when it is wet on the skin, it even smells wet, like walking into a florist's shop and picking a carnation out of the refrigerated area. I was amazed by how true to carnations it smelled--it has that lovely sweet almost clove like note that they are famous for.

 

So I absolutely LOVE the scent.

 

unfortunately, on me, it is super fleeting as a perfume. Put it on, enjoyed it, took a nap and 2 hours later, nada. Put more on and it's fading fast too. That's usually a deal breaker in perfumes for me: I am not interested in having to reapply. But this is so special and so true to the scent of carnations, that I'm going to have to overlook it. I'm delighted to have my bottle, but do wish the scent had more longevity.

 

I bet it will be gorgeous layered with Possets Silver Carnations, which I also love, but which is not carnation heavy enough for me.

So sad.....Some of my huge favorites are from the Salon. I have always been meaning to get bottles of The Smiling Spider and Cleopatra. Favorites that I do have bottles of are Carceri D'Invenzione, Love and Pain, Madonna, and Philosopher in Meditation. I should also probably think about Arrival of the Sabbath, The Great He-Goat and Satan and Death. I love deep dark resiny blends and the Salon has a lot of those.

 

Oh, I hadn't even seen this news til I saw this.

 

I also have some favorites and unsurprisingly, they are quite like portalkat's! My faves are Carceri D'Invenzione and The Great He Goat. I liked Sailor's Den quite a bit too, though I rarely wore it. Love and Pain is also quite lovely.

 

I will have to mull over whether I need more the Great He-Goat (best vetivert scent ever) or Carceri.....

I have four dogs. I am around many more dogs. Dogs, like people, are individuals, and would have different likes/dislikes about scent. Most dogs don't like STRONG scents of a perfume nature, but that's about it. My dogs have shown no more or less interest in any BPAL scent, though they do sneeze if I use a lot of Samhain atmosphere spray. That's it.

 

I'd suggest learning how to deal with dogs, rather than trying to find a universal dog despised scent, since there likely isn't one.

 

There are scents that do effect dogs--but they are not likely to be found in perfume (dog appeasing pheremones for example). Some people think lavender EO is calming to animals too--I'm not sure, as I haven't tried it out much, but who knows.

I've noticed this on Van Van oil too--even some of my old imps vary in scent.

 

That said, Van Van is an old hoodoo oil and there are many recipes. Some are heavy on lemongrass, some on vetiver, some use entirely different notes all together. I've seen some that are almost all lemongrass (which I don't think is a good recipe for this oil). Personally, I like the vetiver, but.....I had one favorite imp of Van Van that had an almost powdery feel to it that I quite liked.

 

I don't know if there was a reformulation--Beth usually keeps people informed of such things--but I imagine over the years the supplies have changed and even using the same oils but from different places might effect the scent. Also it might be there that has had to be a change over the years, who knows? I know Beth changed the names of the section they were in--it used to be Voodoo blends, but Beth (rightly!) changed it to Conjure Bag, which more accurately reflects the history of these oils.

 

So, yeah, it could be a lot of things....

I like pear scents, but it is hard to find a good one, so I decided to try this. It is what I wanted: pear and vanilla cream, and starts off just lovely! But then something odd happens--it gets kind of yeasty, for lack of better word, and smells like fermenting pears. Which is not what I wanted. That phase passes, but it's the middle phase and it makes this much less appealing to me. Plus, as others have said, it doesn't really last.

 

Sad!

I got decants of a couple of the glosses, including this one. Of the two I got, I like this scent the best. It is a wonderful warm sandalwood with a hint of fruitiness from the fig. It's kind of like a dried fig scent--more sweet than the kind of heady greenish fig scent in some other blends. It smells glorious when I first put it on or when I spritz it into my hand before put it on my hair.

I wish the scent last longer though. My hair just sucks it up, and it's good for a couple of hours, but that's it. I don't put a lot though--maybe three spritzes mixed with another hair gloss I have.

It does straighten my hair a bit, as all glosses with silicones in them seem to do. It also makes my hair quite soft and silky. I think it does add to the flyaway staticky effect, though.

Overall, I don't think the hair glosses are any better as a product as any other glosses I can buy. Even the cheap drugstore ones seem to have about the same effect on my hair, which is only fair to middlin'. But of course they smell divine, while the scent lasts!

I got decants of a couple of the glosses, including this one. I like the scent, which is typical of the lab's frankincense note, and the clove shows up too. It's a warm scent, good for winter, and smells glorious when I first put it on or when I spritz it into my hand before put it on my hair.

 

I wish the scent last longer though. My hair just sucks it up, and it's good for a couple of hours, but that's it. I don't put a lot though--maybe three spritzes mixed with another hair gloss I have.

 

It does straighten my hair a bit, as all glosses with silicones in them seem to do. It also makes my hair quite soft and silky. I think it does add to the flyaway staticky effect, though.

 

Overall, I don't think the hair glosses are any better as a product as any other glosses I can buy. Even the cheap drugstore ones seem to have about the same effect on my hair, which is only fair to middlin'. But of course they smell divine, while the scent lasts!

I'm being super unhelpful in these comparisons lately, but.....

 

Neither Sudha Segara or Cockaigne smells anything like Madame Lapin. Madame Lapin really does smell like sweet toast, with a dose of cedar in the background, and Arcana honey is totally different than BPAL honey. I like them both, but they are very different. BPAL honey is heady, almost overwhelming, and it shows up strong in a blend, while Arcana honey is drier and a bit less sweet to my nose.

 

I haven't tried Bread and Butterfly yet, so can't speak to that.

Oh I forgot about Masquerade! I don't know that I think it smells like the candle, but I forgot it existed, and I like it!

Just so you're not disappointed, I will say that I don't think Vixen, Shub or Ravenous smell ANYTHING like that candle. I love Vixen, but it is all orange blossom, all the time, so it doesn't have the woody, incensy scent of the candle. Shub is just totally different, and Ravenous is closer to Vixen.

I haven't found one yet. I'll be checking in to see if anyone has any suggestions. I'd really like one too--I love that scent, but the Pacifica perfumes don't last long on (and even their perfumes don't smell as good as the candles in my opinion!)

 

I don't think the violet shows up much in that blend--I was surprised to read it was even in there! To my nose it also has something slightly woody in it, so that might be a possiblity too.

 

I'll be checking in to see what people think too!

I've been wanting to try this forever, and finally was able to get a decant in a swap!

I don't know why I wanted to try it so badly, as I'm not even remotely a lover of musks. In fact, I mostly don't like musk. But something about this scent kept calling to me, and when I had the opportunity to get it, I did.

And I'm glad I did. It is a lovely scent, and I can see the comparisons to Coyote, though this is softer, warmer, more fey. In the vial, I also got the slightly sour note, but I put it on anyway, and noted that it does not show up on me at all. Instead, this is soft, slightly powdery scent that has a hint of green in it too. I can't pull out any individual notes, but this does have a comforting scent: a bit dry, slightly powdery, and it does remind me of fur. After awhile, a hint of a soft buckskin note comes in, but it is much softer than in other scents.

I can't really explain what this is like--just that it is soft, a close skin scent, but doesn't have the skin musk/white musk note I detest. It reminds me of a deerskin or even another type of tanned animal hide--soft, with a hint of animal musk, and a hint of tanned hide. I like it!

Yeah, it is very like Skadi/Snow Moon to me. Later today I'll compare it side by side with Skadi, but right now, it is quite similar. Snow Moon has a slight bit of a sweeter edge, and after they've both been on a few hours, I like the dry down on Snow Moon better: it is slightly sweeter, and this is slightly sharper.

 

I had to try it, but as I suspected, I'm happy with my bottle of Snow Moon. Still, for those that don't have Skadi or Snow Moon, it is a great substitute and very similar.

 

eta: Ok, finally tried all three at the same time. I do think this is different than Snow Moon and Skadi now,but in unexpected ways.

 

All three have a similar sharp opening--pine, the lab's "snow" note, and in all three something sharp, almost menthol. When I first smelled all three in the bottle and wet, they smelled almost identical to me, though Ondurdis was by far the weakest of the three in terms of scent. I put them all on. Skadi had the most throw, and stayed very strong and sharpish with that menthol note for the longest time. Ondurdis had very little throw and the sharpness started to fade quickly.

 

The biggest difference was on the dry down, though. On me, Skadi and Snow Moon are very similar in the dry down--in fact, I can't really tell the difference between the two on me. But Ondurdis was quite different: about an hour in, it had turned to a soft, slightly vanilla-ish white musk sort of scent. I don't get that at all from the other two. It also was very faint.

 

Two hours later, Skadi and Snow Moon were still strong, and Ondurdis was basically gone.

 

So...it's for sure not a keeper for me.

I remember seeing the description of this and thinking, hmm...this does not sound like a "me" scent, but I got an unexpected surprise via my switch witch, who included some hard to get imps like this, so I'm trying it!

 

In the imp: a very nice green scent with a touch of BO. Hmmm.. Not good so far!

 

On: thankfully the BO scent goes away! Now, it is a very alluring green scent. I see the comparison to cucumber, but it's not quite that, as VioletChaos noted. (I don't like cucumber as a scent, so I'm glad it's not that!) It is in the same family as cucumber in terms of being a pale green, moist scent, so cuke lovers might like it, but it's not quite that. I can see the aloe vera comparison. To me, the easiest way to describe it would be to say it smells like the sap if you broke a thick-stem of a plant, or that smell of a twig if you peeled the bark off. Pale green and fresh.

 

I got nothing sharp from this at all--no pine, no eucalyptus. I can see the floral shop reference too--wet greenery.

 

It's a nice summery scent, and reminds me of growing green things. I don't know that I'll reach for it often, but I am delighted to get to try it, and to discover that it is quite lovely, unlike my initial thought when I read the description!

This is nice! It reminds me of a sweetbread or a not too sweet cake. It does kind of remind me of a yeast cake or one of those ring breads that have glazed fruit and spice in it, as it has a light sweet note, vanilla, spices, but also does have a kind of light, bready feel rather than a rich cake. I also think it has a slight lemon note, like a lemon glaze, or lemon zest or something.

 

It does hit a bit of a plasticky note after it's been on for awhile, but thankfully, that it short lived. Mostly, it's a pleasant, slightly citrus and spice bakery blend that is quite enjoyable, but has little throw.

I was hoping for a nice pumpkin-y scent, but this is pretty much straight up pumpkin pie spices on me. It reminds me a lot of pumpkin latte without the coffee. Not what I was hoping for at all....I have plenty of scents that are pumpkin spice (heavy on spice) none of which I wear. Off to swaps with this one!

I got a decant of this, and couldnt' honestly remember what was in it, but it was an odd combo of a scent: grains and sap that was almost like pine resin. Alternately soft and warm and sharp and green. I couldn't decide what I thought

 

But then it turns. the dry down on this goes straight to powder. It's a nice enough powder, more incense ash than baby powder, but it is still very powdery.

 

Don't need more of this.