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BPAL Madness!

dronzeka

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Everything posted by dronzeka

  1. dronzeka

    CCNow or PayPal

    Well, I would imagine they get e-mail notifications the same way that I do when I get money sent to me via Paypal. But even if for some reason they didn't, I'm sure they monitor that account pretty closely - a lot of people pay with Paypal!
  2. dronzeka

    Lemon, Lemon, Lemony Goodness

    Embalming Fluid and Phobos are very lemony.
  3. dronzeka

    Scents turning to bubblegum?

    Hee, I instantly thought "lotus," too! Coyote and the Lion definitely have amber - I wonder if it's the myrrh in Anubis? I've heard people talk about that going sweet on them. Also, this is pure speculation, but if it is amber, I wonder if it's Egyptian amber? I have also seen people talk about that as a particularly sweet form of amber (I think in recent reviews of Red Moon/Leo/Sportive Sun - whichever one has that in it). And if it is, I wonder if it's sneaked into Anubis as well - the whole Egyptian theme... In Brisingamen, if there are five distinct kinds of amber, the bad one might be drowned out! (Edited to fix repeating post.)
  4. dronzeka

    Pinched With Four Aces

    Thank you so much to an awesome co-purchaser for putting a sniffie of this in my package - I was sure I'd never get to try it! Anyway, initially the coffee went to that sort of sickly fake hazelnut that ruins Misk U for me, and I thought, "Oh, good, I don't like it." But that goes away, hallelujah! I get a kind of very faintly coffee, warm, slightly-caramel-y scent with just a hint of wood and maybe just a tiny hint of tobacco. It's soft, warm, comforting, and one of those scents that smells a little bit like you, but better. Perhaps a teeny tiny bit of spice. It is *really* nice. But I'm not sure I'm enough in love with it to go crazy trying to track it down. I'd definitely take more if it were offered to me, but that's not going to happen! I think it's a scent I'd really like if I could slather, and of course, this tester is lovely, but I can't afford to slather. Maybe I'll just have to deem one day a special day, and slather the little I have, and be done with it!
  5. dronzeka

    CCNow or PayPal

    I didn't really understood what all that meant (for some reason) until after reading on the forums about it though. I'm not sure how blonde that makes me. Don't worry - what you're referring too just asks you not to use CCNow to then pay via Paypal, because the lab ends up paying CCNow's fees AND Paypal's fees. (If you pay via credit card on CCNow they just get CCNow's fees, which are bad enough.) Or in other words, if you're using a paypal balance, don't do it through CCNow. It doesn't explain that CCNow charges the lab more than Paypal does - that's not mentioned anywhere. ETA - I think the lab probably has the CCNow link and so on because it's more courteous to the customer/efficient/professional to have a shopping cart and not to make people head over to Paypal (especially with the issue of calculating shipping). I don't think they've ever complained about the fees - it's just the cost of doing business - it's just that we on the forum have figured out the difference. I also suspect they may have set up the shopping cart prior to the Paypal shopping carts that are now available, and it's more of a problem to change than not (can Paypal calculate the shipping costs, for instance?).
  6. dronzeka

    What do bottles and labels look like?

    The Muses have different labels, too - I'm away from my bottle of Clio so I can't quite remember what it DOES look like, but the labels are colored, the lettering is different, and I'd imagine there are images relating to the muse's sphere of influence (I think Clio has papers/books - muse of history). They're very pretty.
  7. dronzeka

    Privilege

    I'm getting what a lot of other people have described. Wet, I get GREEN. There are all these florals in Privilege, and all I get is what must be oakmoss (maybe armoise also?) because it's just plain green. I think I kind of amp oakmoss, but others are getting the same thing, so it's not just me. It's very green and herbal initially, more like a grassy aquatic than anything else. As it dries, I think I'm starting to get a hint of vanilla underneath. And after a bit, some of the florals do come to the fore and this is a kind of commercial-perfume-y paen to vapidness. Wow - really interesting. Not something I'll probably wear, but I'm glad I have it!
  8. dronzeka

    Obatala

    Oooh, something that can almost serve as a substitute for one of my favorite scents ever, the original Milk Moon! On me, Obatala has a creamy, milk note mingled with coconut - but FRESH coconut, like you can get on the street in Greece and Turkey, cut into chunks and displayed under a fountain of fresh water, something that's cool and refreshing and only mildly sweet - NOT the vile suntan lotion or bad beachside drink kind of coconut that so often shows up in perfumes. This is the note that's at the center of Milk Moon 2005, and which I adore. It's fresh and light and sweet and tropical without being heavy or sickly or overdone. What makes this slightly different from Milk Moon 2005 is the shea - I can just catch it as an undertone, and it makes me think of the shea I use on my heels before bedtime, which is not exactly the world's most exciting scent, it is certainly inoffensive - and the water, which is also there in the background as a very faint undertone. This is cool clear rain water, not something oceanic or marshy, and it's something else that makes this a very mild but bright and pure scent. The only complaint I have (well, apart from the fact that it's not QUITE Milk Moon 2005, which isn't really a fair complaint!) is that it's strangely faint on me. (I say strangely because both Milk Moons are strong and last on me.) It's a real skin scent. I haven't had it on long enough to say if it lasts, but it seems promising. This is LOVELY. I'm so glad I took the risk on a big bottle unsniffed. It's not quite as good as Milk Moon 2005, but it will serve admirably as a substitute and allow me to eek out my Milk Moon bottle a while longer.
  9. Hi folks - I'm bumping this to ask if anyone has found any good BPALs (or TALs for that matter) for coping with dizziness? A medication I'm on (or possibly one I'm going off...it's not quite clear...) is giving me awful dizzy spells and it's driving me nuts. I read through the recommendations here and have made note of various things people have suggested for headaches/nausea, because the light-headedness kind of makes me feel nauseous in a kind of sick-headachey way. But if anyone has found any scents helpful in easing dizziness, I would love to hear it! Thanks!
  10. dronzeka

    Days of the Week BPAL

    Well, for me, Saturday is a day of relaxation and fun - the day of the week when hooray, I can relax and do what I like! So it would have to be a scent that embodies that kind of casual relaxation (I realize this doesn't work with the mythological/word origins of Saturday, but it's what I think of). I think for me, maybe Alice or Cheshire Cat? Mad Tea Party scents seem right for a Saturday!
  11. dronzeka

    Dark Delicacies

    Heh, I had rather a different reaction than Juniperus. In the bottle: BLACK MUSK. (This might not be so bad except that on me, black musk = dark, heavy, harsh, a little like turpentine!) Wet: BLACK MUSK. Dry: BLACK MUSK. Hours later, somehow the black musk backs off and there's a very pretty warm, slightly fruity floral, and I can kind of see why people who like black musk actually like it. But wow, I'm not prepared to wait out the black musk to get there, sigh.
  12. dronzeka

    Hermia

    MMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm! This is so lovely! It's very pink -almost sort of coral or fuschia (in my head, not in the imp!). I definitely get the pepper, but again, it's pink - it's got a little bit of softness, not that harshness of black pepper. A spicy zing, but not harsh. The honeysuckle and passionfruit combine for a beautifully sweet fruitiness, grounded by that golden powder of amber. Gorgeous. MUST have this in a big bottle!!
  13. dronzeka

    Selkie

    In the bottle – hmm! water? some flowers and maybe honey? Wet – I have no idea how to describe this – my nose is attached to my arm but I’m still baffled. It’s wet, and flowery, in a light wildflower way. Dry – this is kind of a light and juicy scent? It's wet and flowery (duh, I said that already! Sorry!). There's almost a spiciness to the flowers, a little like carnation? Quite a bit later - this is very different on final drydown! This is where the touch of honey becomes evident - it's a very light, floral honey, but it's there. This final drydown is quite lovely!
  14. dronzeka

    Schlafende Baigneuse

    Sooooooo pretty! Okay, how best can I describe this? It's a very soft, skin-scent floral. In the bottle, I smell mostly yellow rose and honeysuckle - very sweet and fresh and clear - with maybe a tiny bit of honey. On, the musk and the chrysanthemum start to appear, and add a warm, light spiciness and depth to the other flowers. Amber brings a sort of golden powderiness to the party, to underpin everything else. There's a little hint of mandarin as well, bringing another layer to the whole. I don't really get cream or honey particularly on the drydown, but it's such a lovely complex blend of notes that I have a hard time distinguishing anything, really. (Unfortunately I still have no idea what wide-throated yellow monkey-flower accord smells like, but it must be beautiful, because this blend is so lovely!) This is very soft and subtle, but also definitely there - it's not a vanisher on me - it's soft but not faint, if that makes sense. And it's just LOVELY. It's very sweet, creamy, golden, and I want to bathe in it. I am SO GLAD I bought this unsniffed!!
  15. dronzeka

    Tamamo-no-Mae

    Mmmmmmmm, this is delicious! Man, I completely misjudged the latest update, because this is by far my favorite one, and I didn't even buy it initially - I just got confused by all the notes ("too many notes!"). Anyway, in the bottle this smells like some kind of fruity ginger hard candy. On, it gets smoother and creamier and makes me think completely of rice pudding - an exotic rice pudding, kind of like the Indian kind that has cardamom and spices in it, except that this is an east Asian pudding with citrus and ginger and a little bit of tea. It is a lot like Hungry Ghost Moon, which is also one of my favorite scents (and Mattie, I love lavender too, so we must be scent twins!). I don't get any sandalwood/smoke at all, which is fine by me. Such a lovely scent! (And I realize I've made it sound very foody here, but that's not how it feels on at all - I am sort of the anti-foody, so if you don't like foody scents, you shouldn't worry about this one.)
  16. dronzeka

    Gemini 2007

    This starts out entirely lavender, and stronger than even I usually like lavender (I love the stuff) - almost harsh, I think maybe because there's a little frankincense? But that harshness quickly goes away, and as it dries town, this transforms from lavender almost-SN to a light and airy orchid. It's very pretty, but sadly it seems to vanish on me - after about an hour I can only get a hint of orchid if I practically inhale my wrist. I'm bummed, because the notes sounded wonderful, like a dream come true, but on me it's not that wonderful. (It is really lovely, but for other people, I think.)
  17. dronzeka

    Rose Moon

    This is just beautiful! In the bottle, and wet, it smells primarily of rose, but a gentle rose rather than the haughty fresh Peacock Queen. As it dries, more florals come out - lilac, something violet-y, just general soft sweet flowers. I don't get any patchouli scent from the patchouli leaf, which is a relief since patchouli doesn't agree with me. A hint of lemon brightens the blend, and honey adds a slight syrup-y sweetness. This is gorgeous - a kind of deep-pink-light-purple color, lovely and sweet and not heavy.
  18. dronzeka

    Lyonesse

    Weird. I was really surprised when I read the notes for this, because I don't get vanilla from this at all - I get a very perfume-y aquatic kind of scent; all I could think of was the ocean. Maybe I'll have to try it again and see if I was just insane or chemically off that day, but it may be simply that I amp the sea moss to high heaven. It's just really really ocean blue on me, and a little too strong and leaning toward the masculine.
  19. dronzeka

    Monster Bait: biggerCritters

    A deceptively sweet scent; just like the Critters themselves, the perfume is fluffy, poofy, soft, snuggly, and googly! Five vanillas with Moroccan jasmine, white gardenia, and pink grapefruit. I just am not at all sure what to make of this... in the bottle, I smell grapefruit, which I usually like, but this is really tart. And there's something behind it... on, wet and initially, it smells rather nasty. I think some of it is the jasmine, which is usually fine on me but not always my favorite smell. It's kind of harsh initially, with a smell almost like something is burning??? If I wait long enough, it dries down into a light, sweet vanilla that makes me think a little of Antique Lace. I like it quite a lot at this point, but am not sure it's worth keeping the bottle just for this, because it takes a while to get here. Plus it's somewhat faint, and since it reminds me of Antique Lace, and I LOVE Antique Lace from the get-go, this may have to be swapped. I'm so disappointed, though, because the notes all sounded wonderful!
  20. dronzeka

    Typical time...

    If you pay with CCNow, it will say that the order has "shipped" when it really means that the order has reached the lab (since CCNow is a separate company from the lab, the order doesn't go from one to the other instantly). So all that means is that the lab now knows what you want - the order won't actually ship until you get a Click'N'Ship notice from the lab.
  21. dronzeka

    Antique Lace

    This is wonderful, and I completely understand why it's one of the more popular scents. It took me a while to try it, because the description sounded a little meh - a little staid and boring - and I didn't read the reviews. Anyway, for me the description completely doesn't evoke this scent at all. It's primarily vanilla, but a very creamy, floral-y vanilla, not foody at all (even though I too get a hint of vanilla mint, which sounds like it would be foody, but it's not!). It's soft and creamy in texture, and it's also creamy in color for me (though that's probably because of the name? I'm sort of suggestible). I get strong but not heavy or overwhelming vanilla, with a hint of something drier (maybe slightly powdery?) underneath - perhaps the linens; it does evoke textile imagery to me (again, the name...). It's incredibly warm and comforting without smothering or going sickly. It's kind of like a great big soft white Gund teddy bear (okay, that's just weird, but hey, I'm running on little sleep these days!). It's like a beautifully hand-knit cashmere shawl, soft and thick and warm but weightless. It's like a bed made up with wonderful fine-woven sheets, washed and worn till they feel almost like suede, with a light and warm down comforter on top. Anyway, I love this, and will always have to have a bottle on hand!
  22. dronzeka

    What do bottles and labels look like?

    There's a pic in the first review in the reviews thread. It's an excellent label! Of course, I envision a woman in Tudor dress, because that's what "Bloody Mary" says to me, but I'm kind of a history geek. ETA: ooops, beachbabealways beat me!
  23. dronzeka

    Monster Bait: Tokyo Stomp

    I completely get the mint chocolate chip or Peppermint Patty comparison - I get some kind of ghost-chocolate thing with this, too! But it is extremely yummy and refreshing. For me, it's not as smooth and creamy as Lick It Again gets - it's almost rougher, if that makes sense. Definitely crisp, refreshing, peppermint vanilla.
  24. dronzeka

    Taurus 2007

    I get a lovely herbal mint from this, underpinned by soft florals, though I can't really pick out any specifically. It's a very pale kind of scent, making me think of the pale clear pastels that follow a setting sun down the sky. Beautiful.
  25. dronzeka

    Monster Bait: Bloody Mary

    This is what it sounds like from the description - sweet, cherry, cream and sugar. I get glimpses of powdered sugar, and I agree with the description of it wet as cherry bubblegum. It seems a little overwhelming wet, but it dries down into something softer. If you like cherry, you'll like this. I find it a little too sweet, but I'm not much of a cherry fan - I was wondering if the "chunky, red, glistening fruits" might include something other than cherry, but cherry is all I get out of this.
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