TheDarkMother

When I saw this name on the lists, I knew that I had to have it. My name is Selena, which is the ancient Greek spelling for the goddess of the Moon (the titaness and the actually literal word for the moon). Because of that, I have always been interested in mythology and the moon as a patron symbol. So, on principal alone, I had to have Endymion.

 

In the Bottle: MMMMM! Pears! Light, crisp, pears! Yummy! And a very purfumy floral scent following. This is gorgeous!

 

On Me: Oh wow! The pears are just coming right through on this and I just LOVE pears! This is very light and feminine, the smell of a woman's perfume, but these pears make it nearly edible! I am really slathering this one on and I will be getting a bigger bottle!

Another one that I got from da Minx. Forgive me if my review is a little muddled as I have the flu and my nose is all stuffy

 

In the Bottle: After nearly sticking the bottle up my nose, I can make out cherries and faint cinnamon. Yummy!

 

On Me: Le Purrrr! Le Swooon! I can really smell the Bayberries in this. I used t chew Bayberry gum all the time and I adore the scent! The cinnamon is chraging through this, but its a heady background with all those green scents and the berries! There is a mossiness there that is just gorgeous, and as it dries, the cinnamon is a great addition and not the ruler of this piece.

 

Art, that is what this is...art. Ok, big bottle for me...slathering now!

I'll do my best to review this one, but my nose is stuffy, so be warned.

 

In the Bottle: I smell the Rose and Cala Lily in Seraphim very strongly, sweet and angelic. Its a white scent, warm and glowing instead of bright and blinding. Maybe a little close to a golden color as well.

 

On Me: The Rose is completely overpowering in this scent, followed up by the sweetness of the lily. They both are teeter-tottering in this scent, first I'll only smell rose, and then only lily. This scent is innocence, pure and true. But its a haughtiness within that purity, a holier than thou attitude that gives this so much depth. The "Holier than thou" is coming from a faint sandalwood scent, not overpowering like regular sandalwood.

 

I love this fragrance! Yet another rose/floral scent. BPAL is the only producer that I actually like those scents. You guys rock my world!

I got Roman Chamomile in a swap with da minx, and I will do my best to review it with my nose stuffy.

 

In the Bottle: This is oddly more floral than the tea bags of chamomile that I have, so I am vaguely surprised. This is much better indeed!

 

On Me: A lot more medicinal than I thought, a very green Nyquil scent under the floral, or a eucalyptus-like scent. It fades quickly though, leaving a scent of earth and flowers, something that makes my tongue tingle on the sides.

 

I don't think I like this one. Off to the swaps with you, little imp.

I got this imp in a swap with da Minx!

 

In The Bottle: Through my heavily clogged nose I can smell the lemon soapy smell and that's about it. Actually, it reminds me more of shampoo than dishsoap. Yeah, I think someone else pegged Mystery right when they said "dog shampoo". Its an extremely nostalgic smell reminding me of washing my Mom's yorkie Rocky. Wow...that's been ten years now. Its amazing how much time flies.

 

On Me: Mind you, this is very hard to do with my nose so clogged, but Mystery is dog shampoo, that anise-lemon smell. The lemon isn't even as overpowering on me as usual, so I can get the whole scope of the scent. And the scope is...dog shampoo. But now there is something floral coming through which sweetens the mix just a bit. There is a smokiness in the back of my throat as I inhale...or is that just me being sick? I'm not sure. Right now I'm really having to stick my nose directly on my wrist to smell anything, so I'm not sure if it will even smell the same when I'm better.

 

I think I'm going to keep this one and at least use the imp. I like the smell for the nostalgia factor, and it really isn't that bad of a scent, but not something that I would wear everyday, as it really strongly reminds me of dog shampoo.

I got this in a swap from da Minx:)

 

Oh Wow! Warm, fuzzy, juicy apricot, but yeah, now that you mention it, it is a dead ringer for the dried, chewy variety. Mmm....or apricot leather. This is SO good. Of course, now I have to go and get some dried apricots.

This was a freebie in my last order. Its got the little black frillies on it and everything;)

 

In the Bottle: Light almond oil and peppermint. I wonder if all of the tarot oils have almond oil as thier base? I love the mint though, its light, not completely overpowering like most mint scents. This is very fresh and clears the sinuses, which was something that I needed at the moment.

 

On Me: As its wet, I'm really not certain if I like the base oils that the trot blends use but...WOAH....MINT! Mmm...Ok, I forgive them. Wow, this is chilly. Artic even. A total fresh, white blast of mint that makes me shiver. There is a hint of a floral in the background, but its so light when compared to the mint that it makes me think of a flower frozen in ice. Feminine and chilly, the ultimate cold shoulder. This is gorgeous! I am SO slathering this one.

In the Bottle: Sweet honeysuckle. If I could smell something behind it, I probably blocked it out!

 

On Me: Wow...baby powder and honeysuckle. Nope...just baby powder. There is the fainest of smells afterwards, but it is mostly just baby powder. I like this a lot, though it was nothing like I was thinking that it would be. I was hoping that this was going to be a dark scent on me. It could just be that time of the month, though. Maybe I should review this again later.

In the Bottle: The Frankensense in there is the most powerful scent, floowed by the cinnamon, with an aftersmell of violet. Oooooh!

 

On Me: I can't smell the cinnamon yet, so it is very heavy franksence and violet. Mmmm....violet! This is an amazing scent, very powerful and condescending. Then, here comes the cinnamon that just hightens the power of the scent. This commands attention. My hubby was sitting next to me playing City of Heroes and this is the first time he has turned to me and said, "What is that scent that you just put on?" He likes this one a lot, he says that it smells very good on me.

 

Its nice to be noticed!

I recieved this imp just now from a swap:)

 

In the Bottle: Eternal is gardenias, magnolias, and jasmine. I can't tell what heliotrope is, so it could be in there. I love the smell of these flowers, but usually the pollen is just murder on me. Let's see how it goes without the pollen.

 

On Me: Still very true to the bottle scent, and no adverse reactions yet. This reminds me of Ultraviolet for some odd reason, but without the frigidness. Yummy! I'm very happy with this one! This is just great!

I am the very HAPPY owner of Chaos Theory CXV!

 

I cheated. Normally on my reviews I don't sniff them until I get ready to do the actual review, but this time I cheated. I sniffed my Chaos Theory as soon as I had it out of the box, so I know I love it already. I haven't tried it on yet, because I wanted to try my up-and-comings first, but I can't WAIT!!

 

In the Bottle: CXV is all cinnamon and white sandalwood. In fact, I've been looking for a good spice scent all along, and I think I just found it! Is it possible that Beth and the other Angels at BPAL actually looked at our reviews first to determine what they thought would work for us, because I can't believe how perfect for me this smells!

 

On Me: This is a slick, golden colored liquid and just POURS out red-hot cinnamon. Delicious, delicious cinnamon. Ok, no slathering in the cleavage for this one, but under the ears and such should be fine. Mild tingling sensation in my wrists, a little itchy, but not too bad....I LOVE my cinnamon!!

 

As it'd drying down, it is still VERY cinnamon, like I just slathered a wet Red Hot on my wrist and popped it back into my mouth. There may be something else coming in, but my nose is still full of cinnamony goodness. Wait...on the exhale there is the sandalwood, hiding behind the cinnamon. And....wait...what's that? Why, its vanilla!! Rich and creamy vanilla, thick and warm. Oh...Oh heaven! Its Tombstone with cinnamon! Could this possibly get any better???

 

Ow...my wrists are all red from the cinnamon oil. They aren't really too uncomfortable, but they are red. Oh well:) I'm not going to let that bother me, been there done that! This oil is too perfect to worry about that! And boy does it last!

 

If there was ever a signature scent for me, this would be it. Sweet and Spicy, with more spice than sweet;)

Ah Miss Spider....How do you get an oil to live up to the expectations that I have? I shall resist the urge to pull out Anansi tales, resist the urge to spin more, and resist the urge to compare this with those expectations....for now at least.

 

In the Bottle: Kweku Anansi is dark woods and pepper. This is exactly what I was expecting. I wonder why I always think of pepper when I think of spiders. I LIKE pepper!

 

On Me: VERY peppery and dark, with a hint of something sweet in the background. What is that sweetness? Is it a musk? Its so hard to tell. It smells vaguely fruity as it begins to change. A spider luring a fly into its web with bait before it pounces.

 

It has a vague dryer sheet quality now, though. Oh darkness, come back!!! Wait...more pepper. Ahhh, the spider snatches the fly. Flawless victory.

 

Oh I can't wait till this comes out and I'm done with the imp. A big bottle for me!

 

Slathering now!

After Blood Lotus, I am really excited about Blood Amber. Let's see if it lives up to my expectations.

 

In the Bottle: A lighter cherry smell than Blood Lotus, and a warmish glow to the bottle as well. I guess that must be the amber.

 

On Me: This has a "rain" quality to it, a soft aquatic scent. The amber is a lot sharper than I imagined, giving the oil a spicy scent as well. But its a whisper, a light scent. And it fades fast.

 

I love the scent. I wish it would linger more, although it does take some time to play peek-a-boo before leaving entirely.

I couldn't find this one anywhere on the site so...YAY! New scent!!!

 

In the Bottle: Almond oil and cinnamon, I think. Yummy cinnamon. Mmm...cinnamon.

 

On Me: Definately cinnamon...and there is a sort of powdery smell afterwards. There is a hint of citrus there as well...could it be lime? The baby powder is sort of taking over this scent and everything else is in the background...

 

A walk into a woman room, her vanity cluttered with several pots and tins of various things, her powder for her face open, the brush lying askew leaving spots of powder on the vanity. On the vanity is a martini glass that only has the dredgs at the bottom left in it. The lime peel that was on the glass is carelessly discarded on the vanity, lying amongst the drops of powder. The incense stick of cinnamon is still slightly smoldering, the tiny curls of smoke wafting in the air past the discarded sheer robe on the back of her chair.

 

That looks like a pretty still live scene, don't you think? I think I might try to paint that one.

 

I'd get this one in a Big bottle. Yum!

I got this one yesterday (along with 3 others) that I was just chomping at the bit to try.

 

In The Bottle: Obeah is very hard to describe...something citrusy (I'm hoping not lemon verbena), but it smells like a light orange, with a darker quality around it. Is that amber? A faint pine scent lingers on my fingers as well. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? Now, to put it to the test.

 

On Me: Nope, that's definately lemon verbena. But...it isn't totally taking my wrist over like usual! Ok, this is good. No, there is definatly a green smell to this, a pione scent without being Pine-Sol. Oh my gosh, this is like walking through the backyard in Germany, with the crisp smell of the firs and the bitterness of the lemon trees.

 

There's something more there too. Is that eucalyptus? Something medicinal...I think its eucalyptus. But that vision of my mostly forgotten youth (I had to have been 4 at the time) still keeps coming in.

 

When this comes out this is a big bottle for me! This is gorgeous!!

 

This was another freebie in my last order.

 

In the Bottle: A nice fruity cranberry with just a hint of musk. I love this smell already. I hope that it stays true on me!

 

On Me: I can smell the cranberries as long as my nose isn't to my wrist. Otherwise there is this citrus smell backed by a fantastic mustiness. Almost the smell of tangerines that have fallen from the tree and ripened on the ground.

 

I imagine a woman, beautiful, sexy, flirty standing in an orchard with a come hither look on her face. The young man pauses, obviously enraptured by her playful eyes. She motions him towards her and he follows the simple grace of her twirling fingers. Onward he comes, oblivious to the cracking of the leaves and twigs at his feet, the dry crunching noises beneath his boots. He comes to her, and she opens her arms wide for him to enter her embrace. He steps into that sacred circle and takes her into his arms, thier lips meeting, bruising against one another. Her lips are warm, moist...then dry like paper.

 

He looks up, startled, and find that her eyes are pitch black, like the darkest obliette. He steps back as she begins to smile, her lips peeling back like the petals of a dead onion, her teeth sharp and jagged like rocky peaks surrounded by a red, spongy sea. His feet crunch once more and he looks down in horror. It was not leaves that he walked across, but bones...human bones.

 

He looks into those dead eyes and tries to scream, but no scream comes. The scent of the orchard is still in the air, tantalizingly sweet, but the lingering scent of a tomb just beyond his full comprehension. The creature steps towards him, her once delicate fingers now like sharp branches and hitches in a breath for the final keen.

 

And then...she shall feed.

This was a freebie in my last order and I'm the first to review it!

In the Bottle: A musty scent, a dark almond oil maybe with something with a sharp tang in the background. Maybe tabacco? Maybe a slight bit of vanilla in there as well. It has an acidic smell to it, as when I smell it the back of my tongue tingles a bit. Odd.

On Me: The texture is a little different than her normal oils. Usually once I rub my wrists together, they are a little slick. This time they are mostly dry. The almond oil is very prevalent and slightly sweet, but a forest fire quality hangs in the background. However, this is a sweet fire, sweet smoke. If there is tabacco in it, it is very slight and overpowered by a sweetness. Is it floral, is it something else? Its hard to say. Its not citrus...maybe hycanth or honeysuckle? Not straight honey, because that glows like vanilla, which I may have been mistaken about in the bottle. But as I say that, the smell of vanilla is in the air as long as my nose isn't on my wrist. The fire smell dies down leaving a slight cinnamon scent, but very slight.

I love this! This is a big bottle for me!!

This is the other scent that my Swap Faerie (Tygher) sent me! I've been waiting paitently to try it! *bounce bounce*

 

In the Bottle: Lemon dishwashing detergent. It has that powdered smell of the tabs when you put them in the dishwasher, the ones with the Jet Dry in the center. Not at all what I was expecting, although my hubby should be thrilled that there is something out there that makes me think of the dishes.

 

On Me: Lemon candy again. :whine: I think I have enough of these already. Although, this is fairly different suddenly, not a thick candy smell, but something lingering in the background. Double Bubble Bubble Gum? Lemon bubble gum. Ew.

 

No, this is going to the swaps. I found a friend of mine that isn't so succeptible to the lemon verbena in the oils and she gets all of the complexity of them instead of just lemon candy. She would love this one.

This was a freebie in my last order! Yay!

 

In The Bottle: Dragon's blood but with a salty sea spray undertone. Mmm.

 

On Me: The Dragon's blood is more floral than it usually is on me. Normally its a bright cherry smell, but this time it is a lily-ish floral scent that is VERY strong. There is also a bright salty scent that reminds me of the beach.

 

This is a tropical bush on the top of the dune of the beach, with the salt spray blowing into the blossoms. The flowers are that thick smelling scent that makes me think of night-blooming flowers for some odd reason.

 

Big bottle time!

I got this from Tygher and I am SO thrilled about it. I missed it when it first came out (I was still a newbie and tried to buy an imp of it, silly me.) and I was really upset about it. So she decanted me a bottle of this and June Gloom!! YAY! This is the first one that I've gotten to so far.

 

In the Bottle: WHITE. A Crisp white scent that is very hard to describe otherwise.

 

On Me: This is definately a very elegant fragrance, something to be worn with a dress and your head held high. In fact, this reminds me exactly of my bridal bouquet: White Stargazer lilies with delicate white tearoses, greens that are delicate and droop almost like green lace, small bits of lemon leaves, the light purple/white of waxflower, all of it tapering down towards the floor. It was heavy too!

 

I still have it, dried and in my china cabinet, displayed for everyone to see. This is that feeling that I get, a woman looking over the dried bridal bouquet and thinking of that beautiful day when she was wed and full of newness, the nostalgic tear that runs down her cheek as she remembers the first time that they danced as husband and wife.

 

I am in love with this scent!!! I wish I had gotten a bigger bottle.

I've only driven through Louisanna, and that was a long time ago. I've thought about staying a little longer one time, but who knows. I think I see enough swamps here to last me a lifetime;)

 

In the Bottle: There was a heavy floral sweetness...is it gardenias, magnolias...I'm not sure. And a musky background that could just be the Spanish Moss. It blends so well together.

 

On Me: This kinda reminds me of a tropical rain candle or laundry detergent. Yeah, definately laundry detergent. Great, my hubby finds another scent that reminds me that I have got to do laundry;) I like the scent though, I like it a lot. I'll definately finish the imp and decide from there.

In the Bottle: Morella is definately green, though very light. The iris keeps it from having a crisper medicinal quality, thank goodness. Its floral sweet in the bottle with the tinge of grounded sage.

 

On Me: Argh! I don't remember seeing anything in the description about lemon verbena! Why, oh why, is my skin smelling like lemons now? Well, at least it isn't as potent as normal.

 

In fact, the lemon smell fades quickly and it leaves in its wake a light floral sweetness that is the iris. I have yet to smell the sage on my skin, and already it is beginning to smell as if it is fading fast. I enjoy the smell of iris though, so I am pretty happy with this scent, though I still wonder where the lemons came from.

I got The Red Queen as a freebie, and had already ordered it for my next order that's coming in. This means I have two imps, so I will be sharing. I'm halfway tempted to keep them both, though.

 

In the Bottle: Cherry! And not the candy sweet cherry like Dragon's Blood, but a dark black cherry that you get in season and eat off of the stem. I love cherries like that, even if I am just pitting them and making them into a cherry tart, which is also what this reminds me of. This is natural cherries, not marchino, and I am loving every minute of it.

 

On Me: At first it does come up thick and powerful, like cherry cordial, or straight grenadine. There is a slight acidic twinge to it, that blends it all together so perfectly. This is beautiful and I am spared the cought syrup scent that most other people have been sniffing. A big bottle for me, please!

In the Bottle: Chocolate! Deep chocolate with an almost hazlenut tinge to it. When my nose lifts from the vial I can smell the thick, creamy vanilla in my nose. Oh...oh my. Is it possible that you can be swept away by a scent?

 

On Me: Now the sandalwood begins to come out, but the chocolate and vanilla blend together with it perfectly. With my nose to my wrist, I smell sandalwood, but take it away and all I can smell is a decadent chocolate and vanilla swirl. Oh...this is divine. It reminds me that I have three balls of chocolate/hazlenut in the hotel room to eat later.

 

Yum.

 

I'd bathe in this stuff. This is a BIG BOTTLE coming soon.

Another scent I can't wear in front of da Dragon, but da Minx should bathe in it;)

 

In The Bottle: The sandlewood brings the sweetness of the cherry smell of the Dragon's Blood very easily and blends it all together. I can see why this is called Dragon's Bone, because I envision large bones of some mythical, gargantuan beast in a desert, bleached by the sun's hot rays. Its the smell of the past, the skeletal remains of things long forgotten, dug up and refusing to dust on general principal.

 

On Me: The Sandlewood is at the forefront at the moment, and the dragon's blood adds a spicy/sweet smell that is just perfect. The above vision still stands true, in fact even more so now. There is a sort of peppery smell to the blend that just solidifies it. No, not pepper...salt. A salty smell. This is what I imagine when I think of bones to begin with.

 

And then...is this the orris root? Its vaguely floral, a light violet scent. Now in my vision, there are flowers blooming in small quantities within the belly of the beast. This is very inspirational. Very. Big bottle for me!