Jenesis

I just go with PayPal right at the start - I open two windows, one with either the Lab or this forum, and one with PayPal. I browse the Lab and the forum, writing down what I want and the cost in PayPal as I go, and at the end I count how many items, add the shipping, add the whole lot up (I'm a Physics student so I have a lot of calculators ) and press "Send".

Lilith’s monstrous dragon steed: dragon’s blood resin, patchouli, pomegranate, myrrh, mimosa, cassia, blood musk and smoke. Bottle: Sweet myrrh, and the slight soapiness of dragon's blood. Wet: Dragon's blood - sadly very soapy on me! Drydown: The smoke comes into play along with the patchouli, but no spices or fruits. Still soapy DB overwhelming everything. Dry: I think it's time to admit that DB doesn't work on me. A strong soap smell with a little smoky undertone. Verdict: Floral soap with myrrh and smoke. Rating: 1/5

Bottle: Liquidised coconut! Wet: SWEET. Very, very, very sweet. Smells like that Lush soap 'I Should Coco'. Rather Brown Jenkins-esque (another coconut scent) on me. The coconut is still very strong, although it is much lighter and less warming than Jenkins, and much better for summer! Drydown: A sweet, soft scent, light and "fluffy" for summer. I can smell a buttery smoothness under the coconut, evidently the shea butter. Dry: Oh no, where did that come from? The butter has gone rancid. It's not overpowering, but it's still rather unpleasant. Dry (20 mins): Well, it's gone. My skin ate this completely. I'd have loved this blend if it has stayed the same as in the drydown stage, however I think butter doesn't work on me (odd for a foodie eh ) Verdict: Lovely when first applied, but goes rancid and then disappears. Booo Rating: 3/5 (It will make an excellent room scent for me!)

Wet: Like Imp's younger sister; darker and muskier, but not as complex. Drydown: No strawberries that others seem to be getting Just straight-up musk. Dry: For some reason, I'm just not getting on with this. No idea why, it has notes I like - strawberry and white musk - it just doesn't leap out and go "SMELL ME!". It doesn't smell *bad*, but it's like a less complex and interesting version of my all-time favourite, Imp. So I'll keep my little implet of Mania, but it won't go in my top ten. Verdict: Like Imp's younger sister, who wears her clothes and tries her makeup, but doesn't manage to get her mood and complexity. Rating: 3/5

Bottle: Chanel No. 5. And not in a good way. Wet: I actually recoiled from my wrist when I smelt this. Strong, sickly, rotting flowers and sickeningly sweet coconut. Drydown: Doesn't change much from wet - still awfully strong coconut. I usually like coconut, but this is just too much. Dry: Smells *exactly* like the old lady next to you on the bus who must bathe in her cheap, shop-bought perfume. Final Verdict: I'm sorry, Lab, this one is actually nauseating on me. It would be lovely on the right person though Rating: 1/5

I got an actual CnS too, instead of a Lab email (I always pay by PayPal of course, and the last three orders I made all had "CnS"s from the Lab rather than USPS)...

I got this as a frimp (THANK YOU!) from someone I bought a decant from. Snake Oil was alright on me, nothing special though, so I hope this will be a good addition/mix on me. Bottle: A whoof of ginger and cinnamon clears out my sinuses. Wet: Pure, strong ginger. Drydown: For some reason I'm getting toast out of this! Little slices of toast with cinnamon and ginger sprinkled on top. Dry: A mixture of cinnamon, ginger and something smooth (presumably the Snake Oil) underneath. Delicious! Dry (30 minutes): Must. Get. A bottle. Sweet vanilla topped off with cinnamon and ginger. I can't stop inhaling! Gooooorgeous. Throw: Strong! Lasts a very long time too. Use sparingly, or the Viper will bite your nose off! Final Verdict: It's Snake Oil - but darker, spicier, more sinful and infinitely sexier. Rating: 5/5

I'm pretty sure that my bottle is the 05 version. Bottle: ARGH! A blast of pure "perfume" smell. Wet: A strong pepperminty smell with a sticky sweetness (maybe the rum?) behind it. Drydown: Still very minty, but not unpleasantly so. Refreshing and "light" in a scent way - but definitely not in a throw way! This is very strong on me. Dry: Still mint and sticky rum. Not much of a morpher as yet. UPDATE: I'm so happy! After about an hour, this turns into sweet vanilla with hints of coconut, splashed over with mint rum. Definitely a foody, and going into my top ten. The only reason it doesn't get 5/5 from me is the "waiting" period before it turns gorgeous. Last: This is the other downer about Spooky! After it's mellowed, it lasts about an hour, tops. And that's with slathering. So two hours total after slathering. I'm going to get through my bottle so fast My skin obviously thinks this is as tasty as it smells, because it eats it! Throw: Again, after it's mellowed, there's hardly any throw at all. Definitely a skin scent, and a very pleasant one, but someone sitting near me on a train probably wouldn't be able to smell it. Final Verdict: Vanilla ice cream, topped with sprinkles of coconut and a drizzle of mint rum. Not much throw or lasting power, though. Rating: 4/5

Gosh, Rose Moon is so lovely! I'll be after a bottle for my cabinet - an EMPTY one though Roses and I do NOT get on.

I've never had a skin reaction, but Somnus gave me a terrible migraine I don't know the notes, but anything that smells similar to Somnus (and I think things with lavender in) all give me headaches. A shame, but not as bad as some of the poor people on this thread react!

Bottle: A light, refreshing floral (oh dear, florals = soap) Wet: Smells like my Mum's shower gel, an inoffensive yet plasticky flowery smell. Drydown: More like soap than gel. I should have learned my lesson about flowers by now. Dry: Nope, afraid the piggy just doesn't like me! I'm sure this would smell far better on someone who likes florals. It seems to be a very light, refreshing and energising scent for those it works on. Final verdict: Flowers hate me, and this was no exception. Given an extra point for not making me want to vomit like peony usually does. Rating: 2/5

Bottle: All I get from this is "cheap cologne". Wet: Very sweet, sticky berry, rather like candyfloss. I feel like my nose will become stuck to my wrist if I get too close! Drydown: Still the sweet berry, but with an undertone of florals. I must admit I was scared by the carnation in the description (flowers hate me), but it seems to be working out so far. Dry: As always on me, the musk appears. No spices, but the florals are behaving, and that's all I ask! The sweet fruity note is still top of the heap, and the whole thing definitely reminds me of a carnival or fair. Or a sweet shop. Not exactly an everyday scent, but definitely one for Hallow's Eve, Christmas or other Winter festival! (Or just for when I'm feeling indulgent ) Final verdict: Rich, sensual and sweet, this is truly a decadent scent. Rating: 4/5

Wet: Rather nice cherries, not very sweet, more "real" cherries than those glace ones drenched in syrup. Drydown: A weird mix of sour, tart currants and cherries. Dry: Sadly, it was not meant to be. It's not an "Eugh!" scent, but it's nowhere near as nice as, say, Bloody Mary. The cherries remain, but there is no sign of the rich woods, and the currants smell like they could use a few more spoonfuls of sugar on top. Final Verdict: Fruity, slightly tart pie with no sugar. Rating: 3/5

Wet: Cherry cough medicine. Drydown: Getting more interesting, a cherry scent (real cherries, so not too sweet) with a creaminess underneath. Dry: What every summer fruits pudding aspires to be! A gorgeous, sexy blend of cherries, lifted by the sugar and warmed by the cream. Yum yum. It's like a less sweet version of Vice (which suits me just fine!). Final Verdict: After the drydown, a cherry pudding sweetened by sugar and drizzled over with cream. Rating: 4.5/5 (Loses half a point for the bad wet smell )

Wet: Smells like paint. Oh dear. Drydown: Smells like cheap shampoo. Equally, oh dear. Dry: Oh, thank goodness for that! The musk (always good on me) and the coconut come out to play. The sweet coconut balances the dryness of the woods, and the mellow musk and spicy incense add complexity to the blend. Not an everyday scent, but definitely one for when I feel particularly enigmatic! I also agree with the above review that it's very warm and comforting, not at all like its namesake! Final Verdict: Once it dries, it's a sweet, musky blend complicated by spices and woods. Gorgeous and comforting. Rating: 4.5/5 ETA: This has great staying power, albeit in a softer, muskier way than the initial coconut and wood mix.

Wet: Smells like aftershave. Not unpleasant, but I'm questioning the long-term use of this scent. Patchouli AMPS on me so that's all I can smell at the moment. Drydown: Ooh this is getting lovely! A warm scent, green and plant-y but without being herbal. Dry: Hubba hubba! Sexy woods lifted by a little spice. A rather more masculine scent than I'm used to, but perfect for when I'm either PMSing or just in the mood to feel powerful. Rawr! Final verdict: 5/5 A sexy cedar and pine blend, made fun by cinnamon bark, and darkened by opopanax. Edit: Just wanted to say that this has become my favourite scent ever. Period. I guard my bottle-and-a-bit with my life.

Just wanted to say and I know how you feel! I fight with my mother when I'm at home too. I'm afraid I don't have any experience or advice to offer you, but your parents will still love and respect you even when you think you've disappointed them. Suddenly blurting out that you're moving to a new state won't help matters, explain to them that you need new opportunities in life and independence, and bring into that the fact that you're moving. Just my 2c Good luck!

Me too I placed an order May 10th, no news as yet, but they tend to send out Internationals in one big bunch. Hopefully that'll be soon! (I neeeeed my 5ml of Imp )

As anyone who knows me or has seen me around the forums can tell, I LOVE Imp. The blend of peach and a musk works very well on me. I also like the spiciness of Shub and Chimera, which I guess means I like cinnamon and ginger. So my question is this: Are there any BPAL blends people could recommend which give a sort of spicy-fruity scent? The idea of peach or something and cinnamon sounds divine on me. I tried layering Imp, but alas, the musk in Imp drowns everything else out

It took more time putting in all the data than it did to make the database, once I'd mastered the art of drop-down lists in databases! I had to spend a day or so reading through the OO.org forums for help on that one, but if you'd rather just type the collection every time (rather than create a separate form like I did and use it as a drop-down list) you don't need to worry about that. As for the text on the bottom and right of the screen, that's static and remains there no matter what record is showing. I have to edit that text in the same editor that can edit the form itself - text boxes, check boxes, lists, mouse-over labels, etc. I've found that for organisation, when simply browsing or reading records I sort them alphabetically, by Collection primarily and Name secondarily. This puts them in the order they appear on the BPAL website, so it's a bit easier to check for updates/discons/additions in the general catalog. And yes, I believe OpenOffice will run on a Mac Hop over to OpenOffice.org to download!

I just had to post a picture of this as I'm so proud of it I don't get on with Excel, I prefer databases. I don't have the MS Office database program, so I used the OpenOffice (a completely free suite) one. Here is an image showing a day's solid work. Just a thought if you don't like Excel! Although I do admire all the work people put into spreadsheets! ETA: The database has all the GC collections plus the Carousel and Carnaval Diabolique. I've included LEs only if I have them myself - no use filling up disk space with the Lunacies as I never buy them It needs updating actually, haven't put the last two updates in yet. Oh well, after exams...

I would absolutely love this if I could get the spiced pear that others get On me, it's not offensive, it's not bad-smelling, it's just... meh. A pleasant scent, but it neither matches my character nor captures my imagination. I'm getting a bright, yellow fruitness from this, with a green, slightly floral background.

Two words: OH NO! Because this goes immediately to dry, dusty, choking woods (even my eyes started watering after a big sniff). See my blog for details, but I basically ended up getting two bottles of this. Now both of them are going to have to go on the swap pile I feel like such a tool...

Bottle: A big WHOOF of ginger. Wet: A jar of ginger tied round with herbs. Drydown: Phew, that's better! A little more mellow, incensey-type ginger and herbs underneath. This is nothing like any of my other scents. Dry: Now this smells like ginger beer or ginger ale. A little too boozy for my taste - perhaps it could be layered with a chocolate scent (my cure-all for weird morphs ). Dry (after 10 mins): Thank goodness for that! The boozy/smokey note has gone away leaving pure ginger. Nice stuff. Final verdict: A very unique and unusual scent. Ginger, yes, herbs, yes, nice, yes. Signature scent? No. Rating: 4/5 I got two bottles of this (from two different sources). I'll keep one but the other one is almost definitely going up for sale in the near future! Keep an eye out for me