byrdie

Note ~ an imp I ordered along with Pink Moon. Vial ~ a slightly astringent, purple floral note. Wet ~ Hrm. A leafy, green astringent. Very sharp and not my thing. Drying ~ Spring-fresh detergent. Oh, lordy -- and this is the imp I'd been waiting for eagerly? Drydown ~ The astringent / detergent quality is starting to back down into what I could call a powdery floral. what I'm getting reminds me of the cloying undertones of Lush's Bathos bubble bar. It's starting to turn sweet, but is still hanging onto the sharp tang. This is just unfortunate. Dry ~ Soap. Ivory frickin' soap. As it lightens, it turns more fresh and sweet. Maybe that's finally the violet peeking through. Fade ~ I never fully smelled the violet. I think this oil lasted a little over eight hours before it gave up. At nearly my bedtime, I smell almost nothing on my wrists -- if anything, a vague powderiness. Strange. Final thoughts ~ I can't imagine my cycle or lack thereof making this any worse. 5ml ~ No.

Note ~ I don't think I've ever started writing a review just after having gone to bed. Vial ~ The smell on my hands after I've brushed them over a neighbor's lavender plant: herbal, medicinal, a little green but definitely lavender in the end. Wet ~ There's some weird citrus-like note in this ... it borders on the Pledge-like, and I think it's what builds up the medicinal factor of the initial sniff. Problem is, its hard to tell if it's a citrus, let alone what sort, so I was loathe to mention it initially. Drying ~ I'm no really smelling pepper, am I? Lemon pepper? It's a clean, fresh citrus with a biting but pleasant undertone. Yep, I bet that's black pepper under there. The lavender has backed off almost completely. Drydown ~ The green is coming back as lavender leaf freshly rubbed between the fingers. It's rather faint and the lemon pepper is all but gone from the first wrist I swiped. Dry ~ Wow. Now its mainly pepper and green lavender. It's herby and strong. Mmmm. I'm feelin' kinda mellow ... Fade ~ If I sniff really hard, there's a trace of something dark on the first wrist I tested. For now, though, nightie night. Morning after ~ Both wrists are lightly powdered with vague baker spice. Wow. I wouldn't have expected that. Hmmm. Could be remnants of Pink Moon in there, too, I guess. Dreams ~ None that I can remember. Sleep ~ Pretty solid. I was up a few hours later for a bathroom break, but went back to sleep almost immediately afterwards, which is nearly unheard of for me. Final thoughts ~ I've tried this one a few times before, and found myself nodding off quickly and sleeping soundly. If I could get into the habit, I'd rely on this oil when stressed to get me through bouts of insomnia. Layers ~ I'd be curious to see what Nanshe and Laudanum could do together ... perhaps as a last-ever review. 5ml * ~ For practical purposes, almost certainly. I couldn't picture wearing this as a regular perfume, but it's a great sleep aid. * With a tip o' the nib to UltraViolet.

TMI ~ Aunt Flow is resting a bit now. Vial ~ Strawberry creamsicle. *cough* Oh dear, this strong. I've never been so inspired to root for a floral note in my life. Wet ~ Something scared the strawberry and made it back up a few feet. Either it's a floral and an incense, or it's a soft but insistent floral. Drying ~ Hrm. Is this the "Pink Sugar" effect that people keep writing about? It's very bright and happy, and it's definitely edging toward the end of my sweet tolerance. Ooookay, something's changed. This is unnerving. It's still very pink, but it's a sexy pink. I would have pegged Lolita as smelling like this. There's either a light musk or the florals got together and decided they'd had enough of this. Drydown ~ Um. Goodness. Strawberry sugar cookies, maybe? After a while, the florals started turning this into a deeper, sexier smell that was still lightened by the sheer pinkness of it. As far as I can tell, my skin ate and spat out the strawberry a long time ago. Dry ~ Back up to a sexy pink -- almost a hot pink, really. It's starting to turn a little powdery, which ... good lord. The pink is almost gone on one wrist! I've had this on for little over an hour, and it's fading to a mildly sweet, non-offensive powder. The other wrist -- the second to get swiped -- is still just starting to come out of the deep/hot pink phase. Fade ~ I'm getting a little chalk in with my sweet powder, now, but that's about it. This ... just kinda goes away. Immediately. I think it spent all it's energy trying to crawl out of the bottle at me upon first sniff. Final thoughts ~ Well, it calms down nicely, but I'm not sure if it's me. Luckily, I decanted myself an imp, so I can see how things change at other times of the month. The bottle has a pink edged label, with a widdle pink moon drawn on it. Awww!

Vial ~ Saline, with an old, sturdy grapefruit backing it. My dad used to suggest gargling with "salt water" (salt added to water that had been boiled hot enough to dissolve it a bit) for a sore throat -- this reminds me of that taste. Wet ~ The musty citrus is there, but the musk took over quickly. No, wait; the musk and the grapefruit are battling it out. Drying ~ Citrus seems to be a common ingredient in aquatics, and the musk -- I think -- is standing in for skin. Add in the saline and this is where the scent of freshly tear-stained cheeks comes in. It's still morphing on me, though, so sometimes one note rises above the others. I can tell which wrist I swiped first because that one is morphing less, now. Drydown ~ Mmm, the freshness is coming through. I think the salt and the citrus are really settling down into each other. it's quite refreshing, through in a different way than a truly cathartic cry. Dry ~ The separate notes are starting to stand out again, but each has an obviously unique job. It's like looking at one the sort of picture that's simultaneously a while candle-stick holder and two black faces. The grapefruit is the dampness. The musk is the skin. The salt is the proof of sorrow or pain. This simply works. Fade ~ I can almost taste tears on my tongue. This oil is beautiful. Final thoughts ~ If I'd have discovered Tears earlier, it would have been my first 10ml purchase. If I could effectively lobby for the return of one scent, it'd be this one. It just works.

Vial ~ Strawberry bubblegum on a warm summer day. Wet ~ The mojo has started working. There's a pencil-shaving backbone to this scent that keeps it from being cripplingly cloying. Yep, wearing strawberry lipgloss while emptying the pencil sharpener. People who thought that their compulsory school years were the best of their lives may well appreciate this stage. Drying ~ argh. Natural strawberry seems to come across as artificial on me, so as the strawberry note takes over I find myself getting more and more annoyed. Only my tiny increments: Aunt Caroline's has yet to get so bad that I've wanted to run and wash it off. But ... yargh? Drydown ~ Wow, this is lightening quickly. The strawberry and the woodish notes have merged. The first time I tired this oil, I thought I was smelling incense behind the fruit note, but I don't think that's it. It's almost chalky, but that's not quite it. I think that this might be the most pleasant of the Voodoo Blends I've tried, though, just because sharp underscent doesn't distract unpleasantly from the top notes. Actually, it distracts quite pleasantly. Dry ~ Strawberry lipgloss that was applied hours ago. After another half hour, it's starting to develop a slight plastic undertone, whch suggests that there was a resin in the mix. Fade ~ A light, sweet, powdery finish. If I really concentrate, I can smell the strawberry, still. Final thoughts ~ I stand by a statement a made months ago: Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo smells exactly like what it is: artificial, pre-packaged joy. There are other scents I can sniff that can make me grin or even giggle. This ... isn't one of them. I understand that the intent is to make me happy, but it takes more than intent with me. I'm stubborn. It's the difference between being depressed and hanging out with a friend who can say the right snarky or witty thing and actually make me smile or even laugh; as opposed to having a stranger walk up to me and say, "Smile, it can't be that bad!" or "Turn that frown upside down!" or "I know there's a smile in there somewhere!" This latter could generate a startled, automatic smile in reaction; but it's not genuine happiness or release. It's the difference between hearing a song on the radio that brings back pleasant memories or that generates wonderful daydreams; and having something as overplayed and relentlessly cheerful as Don't Worry, Be Happy come through the airwaves. I'm glad that this oil actually does manage to bring joy to others. Alas, when I wear it, I feel as though I've failed to get the joke -- or joy, as the case may be.

Vial ~ A wood desk freshly gone over with a citrus furniture polish. Wet ~ It reminds me a lot of the drydown of Intrigue. If there's tobacco in this, it's a fruity blend. *sniff* Oh, lordy. This scent is brining to mind the first time I laid eyes on the glory that is the Graduate Reading Room of the University of Washington's Suzzalo Library: a near cathedral of stained glass, leather chairs and leather-bound books; barely occupied on a Spring morning. Drying ~ It's blending together well. If I walked into an old money den and it smelled like this, I would be surprised ... or appalled. Despite the name, it's not striking me as particularly masculine. It could be unisex, but I'm picturing more the library of a rich and powerful woman. It could be the muted citrus note or the fact that it's starting to turn powdery at the edges. Drydown ~ The powder is starting to develop into an incense, which is at tug of war with the perfume-ish state that the oil wants to venture towards. Despite the frolicking, the scent now gives the impression of really being settled into the roo-- er, skin. Faint, aged and established. Not threatening or even imposing so much as dignified and confident. Whether you belong is irrelevant: it does belong. Dry ~ While I wasn't expecting Dracul to smell, say, of offal and other ick; I'm downright surprised by now pretty it is. Thinking back to portraits I've seen of Vlad Tepes, I could imagine him smelling like this in his less bloody moments. A well dressed, clean person, after a smoke of lovely pipe tobacco. I don't smoke, but this is tempting me towards doing some thrift store hunting for a smoking jacket. Fade ~ It's fading towards a sweet, plastic-type scent -- that sorta dorky, round scent that can make a respectable resin turn into the perfume equivalent of Goofy. Great, now I've got a mental image of Bela Lugosi in full Count regalia saying, "Duh'ho! Hello, boys and girls!" After a few hours, it's evened out into a slightly creamy sweet scent that's both light and rich at the same time. How delightfully odd. Final thoughts ~ I'm not sure if this is a big bottle oil for me. If so, I'd use it as a room scent at least half the time. The dry phase makes me wonder if I've found a non-alcohol replacement for Demeter's Pipe Tobacco. This will definitely require a few experiments with skin chemistry and amounts used.

Note ~ I just won a 2.5ml decant of this oil on Ebay! *boogie* Considering that it was the waiting to see if blaqpearlgirl would like it and the ongoing descriptions that convinced me to try it, I'm really glad that I did. Vial ~ Creamy, warm coconut. It reminds me of the more determinedly coconut-flavored tropical cocktail drinks. Wet ~ Upon first sniff, it feels almost fizzy. It's a little sweet and a little less creamy than it was in the vial. For a second there, it reminded me of Lush's Coolaulin conditioner, but it's slowly thickening into its creamy stage again. Drying ~ I'm tempted to say that there's a musk going on behind this one, but I can't quite make it out. That's the problem, here. If there was such a thing as a "creamy coconut" single note, I'd say this is it. It's basically coconut and cream most of the way down. Of course, after a sniff, I just got a whiff of the beginnings of that weird wet cardboard scent some people pick up off of coconut. Hence my disclaimer word of "basically." Drydown ~ Creamy coconut and ... sugar cane? I have dim recollection of tasting sugar cane in elementary school, and the scent that came from it while I was biting down. There's a tiny bit of that beneath the coconut. Dry ~ A softer, creamy coconut. It's reacting enough with my body heat to waft, and is thus feeling more perfume-like than smelling perfume-like. Fade ~ A delicate sweetness has come out, and the coconut has faded to barely a hint of itself. I mainly get a light, sweet cream now. Indeed, if I didn't already know that there's coconut in this oil, I'd be hard-pressed to recognize it. The sweetness has flirted off and on with turning towards a pink candy as I write, but never commits to it. Near my bedtime, the scent has pretty much disappeared and been trounced by a fruity hand soap, though I didn't purposefully wash my wrists. Final thoughts ~ I didn't think I liked coconut for the longest time, and am still not fond of it shaved onto or minced into things. However, through Indian food I've learned to love coconut milk, and through Lush and BPAL I'm coming to love it as a scent. whee! I'd say that I wore this for about seven hours before I noticed that it'd disappeared. Not bad.

TMI ~ This is the third day of my period, and the heaviness thereof is just starting to recede. Vial ~ A little sweet, a little smoky and a little chocolately. Molé? Wet ~ A sharp, herbal incense. Rather dry and dusty. Drying ~ The incense is receding, and now I'm getting spice: particularly cinnamon. It's interesting, though -- I like cinnamon, but there's something in this combination that's making my nose hairs stand on end. Drydown ~ My nostrils have calmed down a bit during the transition. I'm getting cinnamon incense now. This could have been worse. Dry ~ My boss, who has a head-cold, said that I smell stinky like jasmine. She doesn't like florals either. I checked the ingredients: there are no florals in this puppy. I was getting a bit of plasticy resin for a while, but that's faded away a bit. The skin on my face is starting to tingle, though. Fade ~ Okay, this is fading into funky import/headshop incense on me. Funny how I tend to do that to scents. Final thoughts ~ I'm really beginning to wonder if most dragon's blood blends simply make my skin prickle and my nose hairs try to escape through my sinuses? Luckily, I got this: as part of a swap to give to someone else as a sample, per a "creepy scents" thread on the BPAL forum ... so my not loving Serpent's Kiss isn't hurting my feelings. It's a little bit of a pity, though -- I like snakes and wouldn't mind owning an appropriately titled oil. Maybe I should wait around to see if Elizabeth makes one called Medusa. It'd match my hair.

<div class="bpal" style="background-color:transparent; border: 1px dotted #000033; color: #000099; padding: 5px; width: 90%; align:center;margin:0 auto 0 auto"><i>A bawdy, gleefully wicked and unruly scent: Kentucky Bourbon, sugar and a sprig of mint.<!-- bpal scent end --></i></div> TMI ~ Hrm. I should really remember to do my breast exam tomorrow morning: I'm in that zone, cycle-wise. Note ~ When I first heard about this one, I went nuts. A poor mint julep was enough to make me happy, so a scent based on good ones was too good to be true. Vial ~ Either as sharp as peppermint, or mint backed by some serious bourbon. Wet ~ Wow. This is nearly medicinal. The mint is still unpleasantly sharp, and the booze is really strong. A musk coming out is toning them both down, but I'm still unhappy. Drying ~ Minty band-aids. Dammit! Drydown ~ I was hoping for mint julep. What my skin is extracting from the oil is mint funk. Oh, goodie -- now it's turning powdery. Intermission ~ Take 2. I didn't finish this review on the day I started it, so I tried this oil again during a different part of my cycle. Dry ~ Okay, now there are mint juleps: mostly a cool, liquid mint with a boozy kick semi-disguised beneath. Fade ~ This changes from a slightly minty resin into a musty, muted mint. Final thoughts ~I don't love it, but I like it. I can't imagine craving to wear this scent, which is a pity. I wonder if there's a way to hurry and then prolong the dry stage? I'm simply not together enough to figure out which oils to wear during certain times of the month. :|

Note ~ A frimp from vitawash99. Vial ~ A smoky resin -- possibly with a touch of green herbs behind it. Wet ~ There has got to be cherry in this. Indeed, it reminds me of the cherry wood note in Hearth. Yep, the incense is definitely putting the "wood" in "cherry wood". Drying ~ It's turning a little dusty and the cherry is either muted or morphing into something else. Hrm. The skin on my face is prickling, yet my nose is okay with the scent. Odd. Drydown ~ The sweetness of the cherry has picked back up, but it's not quite a cherry scent I'm getting. Maybe more of a berry? Either that, or it keeps fading in and out. Dry ~ Smoky berries. It's blended well, but that's what I'm getting off of this one. Fade ~ Smoky berries, all the way down. Final thoughts ~ At work, one of the administrative assistants told me that I smell exactly like Imperial Leather Soap, which his mother used to use. * He was born in Scotland, and I guess the scent association was really strong for him. I may have him try Intrigue himself. If it goes the same way on him, I'll probably give him the imp. I found it okay, but such a strong association beats out an "okay" from me every time. * He insists that this is a good thing.

Note ~ From a swap with cuervosueno. I've been waiting to try this since I first read through the BPAL catalog. Vial ~ Gingerbread and pumpkin cookies. Wet ~ Yick. Something sharp and ... pine? Dunno, but it just muscled the pumpkin and gingerbread out of the way. Drying ~ Eating warm pumpkin pie outdoors during the autumn, and washing it down with even warmer apple cider. Drydown ~ Pumpkin and spice with a musk undertone. Is this what jack-o-lanterns smell like after a few candle lightings? Wait, now I'm getting ... apples. Drinking apple cider between pumpkin pie burps. Dry ~ Post-burp autumn days, with a strong scent of brown, crunchy leaves. They're possibly being burned somewhere nearby, or perhaps that's just chimney smoke. Now there’s some note that's trying to turn this into a wafting perfume. Odd. Fade ~ Continues to be light autumn leaves with a whiff of pumpkin. Final thoughts ~ I love foody scents, and this one will be perfect for my birthday order (October). I don't know why I never got around to ordering it before, but I'm thrilled to have received it in a swap. Wow!

Also, I'd add Corazon (port) and Blood Rose (sangria) to that list. My favorite aquatic scents include: Sea of Glass, Water of Notre Dame, R'lyeh and -- if you can get it -- Tears. For a random tropical, I'd recommend Tempest: it smells like heady tropical blooms after a hot rain.

Note ~ My card for 2004. Vial ~ A sweet, slightly muted berry. Wet ~ eee! I got a tiny bit on my finger and could smell it wafting already. Definitely a berry bubble gum scent. Drying ~ This scent is developing a musky backbone, which is merging well with the sweetness. Drydown ~ Hrm. The musk and the berry seem to be battling it out, and the musk is winning. It's still got a sweet edge to it, but its not quite as happy-go-lucky as it started out. Dry ~ The sweetness came back, but a little muted by the musk. Hmmm. For me, this is a successful version of other such blends that Beth has made, as generally sweet vs. musk doesn't work well on me. The only other one I can think of off the top of my head is Dorian (and supposedly O, though I don't really notice the musk that much). Fade ~ Fades pretty quickly, but stays true to its dry phase. I think that liberal amounts of this oil lower on the body would be a good idea. Final thoughts ~ Thus far, this is the first Tarot Oil I've found of which I'd I'd consider purchasing a large bottle. While others may have been true to their card's art or meanings, they haven't agreed with my skin chemistry or nose. Wow. I wish I'd actually gotten this in 2004.

Note ~ My card for 2005. Vial ~ Dark and smoky. Makes me think of charcoal or glowing barbeque embers. Wet ~ Same reaction with more smoke to it. Drying ~ Yeech. I'm not sure what I'm smelling, but I don't like it. I wouldn't be surprised if there were posies in this just based on the card art and the fact that it's an unfamiliar smell: Ring around the rosey A pocket full of poseys Ashes! Ashes! We all fall down! - a nursery rhyme about, I've been told, the Black Plague Drydown ~ Oh, yes: this is definitely a smoke-ridden floral assult. *wheeze* It might contain a type of rose as well, but if so it's very light and only helping to support this alleged posey. Dry ~ Yep, ashes. No doubt, the more pleasant scents from those times when combined with breathing through a handfull of flower/posey petals. The scents are blending together well, merging; but it's not a good experience for me. The Death card symbolizes change, so I guess that's part of the ash note. Fade ~ It stayed at floral ashes for hours. I woke up the next morning to find a smooth, light, dusty floral on my wrist. I finally found a version of Tarot: Death I liked, but nearly 24 hours is a bit of a wait. Final thoughts ~ Ack. Talk about a necessary evil. This will be a keeper through the end of the year, at least, just for the sake of ritual. However, I'm not going to be happy about it. Oh, ick. Maybe it'll smell better in an oil burner.

Note ~ Ultraviolet, who obviously wuvs me, let me share in the spoils of her recent Havisham win on Ebay. Vial ~ Melon and a strong floral, possibly *ulp* gardenia, with a mint in there somewhere. Wet ~ Melon! Floral! Mint! Aieee! Not bad, but rather alarming. Drying ~ Good grief. If I keep typing, I can smell the melon gliding around on what seems to be a lighter floral. Yep, the same if I bring my wrists up for a sniff. The mint has faded for now. Drydown ~ The wafting has stopped. I have to sniff my wrists directly for mostly melon and a teeny bit of floral. Both this and the drying state are pretty pleasant, actually. Dry ~ It's fading a little, but I also think that the floral is blending with the melon well, and that the mint is trying to make a teeny bit of a comeback. Fade ~ Good grief, it's nearly gone. What's left is still mostly melon, though. Final thoughts ~ I can see why someone thought I'd like this. If Elizabeth makes this blend again I may well order a bottle. I'll have to try it a few more times over the next month to be sure, though.

Note ~ From the wonderful Gin's sale! Vial ~ Strawberry cream lip gloss. Wet ~ Creamy mint that briefly brought back the strawberry note. Wow. This smells like cotton candy on me. Drying ~ Still fluctuates between a light mint and a super-sticky cotton candy. Sine my main experience has been with Silk Nog, I'm starting to wonder if I remember what egg nog is actually supposed to smell like? Drydown ~ Cotton candy with bakery spices. (I've gone mad, I tell you!) Dry ~ Wow, this has faded a lot. It's beginning to smell a little more like I remember egg nog smelling, though. Fade ~ Huh. This fades into a dusty marzipan. Weird. Final thoughts ~ Highly okay, but I was expecting more creamy spice than candy. If I were a bigger fan of the Creamy Candy / Candy Fluff / Rockstar line of Lush products, I'd be all over this oil.

Vial ~ Sugary strawberry bubblegum. Wet ~ The best, most flavorful chews of original flavor Hubba Bubba bubblegum. Query ~ Is there something I'm missing about Christmas treats? Are some subset of them supposed to be a crossbreed of pink bubblegum and Hawaiian Punch? Or am I experiencing sugar plum for the first time? Yowsa. Drying ~ It's starting to mellow and deepen a bit, as if there's a light musk behind all the sweetness. Or perhaps, a less hyperactive fruit, like mango. Drydown ~ *hee* This is starting to smell on me the way that Lush's Angel's Delight soap does during a shower. There's still much bubblegum to the scent, but it's definitely leaning towards fruit punch. Dry ~ And we have firmly achieved the Angel's Delight / fruit punch stage! Fade ~ Something pink and fruity happened on my wrists hours ago. It's rather blunted and almost plasticy smelling, but without the plastic As though there was a firm, clear barrier between the fruit scent and my nose. Final thoughts ~ I think that fans of Lush's Think Pink / Angel's Delight or Creamy Candy / Rockstar / Candy Fluff lines will find this oil to be a wonderful accompaniment. If you love one but hate the others, beware: it may well morph on your skin between product lines.

Vial ~ Smells wet, a little citrus, a little floral. Wet ~ This smells like the Zoo. Have you ever been to the Woodland Park Zoo in the Spring or Summer, when the plants are in the bloom and the Butterfly Garden is at full throttle? Or perhaps at the Conservatory in Volunteer Park? This is a slightly humid but very realistic floral. Drying ~ Oh, lordy. It'd become a nasty, overpoweringly strong floral. I bet that my three main florals -- gardenia, rose and jasmine -- were dumped into this puppy. waah! Drydown ~ Well, the jumble has died down into something coherent -- a single floral note has risen above the rest. Problem is, I don't know enough about flowers to do it justice. A narcissus? Lotus backed with a very light rose? It's okay for a floral, though I don't have a bead on it. Dry ~ Now I'm beginning to understand the name: this is coming off as an aquatic floral, waters still enough to have flowers growing on top. Again, lotus? Seems a little strong for that ... oh, hey - I bet that this is narcissus. Oh, yum. This may have been worth putting up with the drying stage. Fade ~ Narcissus and aquatics, all the way down. How I flippin' suffer. Final thoughts ~ This is not going in my swaps pile, but I need to play with it at other times of the month before I can tell how plagued Ill be by the strong floral attack. Yummy payoff, though.

Vial ~ Uh-oh. What the week before reminded me of rum, tobacco and ashes brings to mind -- as of this writing -- cherry incense. Wet ~ There's cedar in this. Oh, mmm! And spice! It's sharp -- spice and pine? Rather Christmas-like, really. It keeps morphing. On a later try, I found that it could be a cinnamon mint, or perhaps a spiced rum. I'm not perceiving it as booze, because when I think of the smell of alcohol its usually in terms of whiskey or beer (yeech). Drying ~ Well, that initial blast died down quickly. The pine is now very mellow. The cedar immediately twisted into an almost plasticy resin. Wait, the spice is coming back again! This is changing so fast. Drydown ~ I wonder if there's tobacco in this oil? The scent is blending well and I'm finding it both masculine and comfortable. The pine stings my nose a bit, but not so much that I want to stop sniffing. Dry ~ Mmmm. It smells crisp and smokey at the same time. I suspect that this is now I'd want the oil to smell all the time. Fade ~ A very light pine and cedar, like what you might smell on sleeping bags as you first unpack them from a camping trip. Final thoughts ~ Very strong and very masculine. Not me, and I'm not sure if I'd like smelling it on someone else. It's not bad, per se, but it's too strong a scent not to do anything for me. I'd say that this is definitely a ritual oil. Oil burner ~ As a house scent, this is more boozy and less pine-like, but only by a matter of degree. Again, I'd be willing to burn it as a ritual scent, but not much else.

Vial ~ A sweet rose, rich and red. Wet ~ *cough* Rose. It's dying down a bit, though. It's gone from strong to a cloying powder scent. Drying ~ The powderiness is fading, and its being replaced with something that's cutting the rose. Drydown ~ The Days of Wine and Roses. The oil is called Blood Rose, so I'm assuming that Sangria is being implied here? Dry ~ The wine and the rose have merged a bit into their "sniffed from the imp" states. Fade ~ The same, just lighter. Final thoughts ~ Past the initial blast of Rose, this is a perfectly acceptable oil. I'd rank it right up there with a new imp of Zombi for best rose, as anything that can cut the scent of distilled rose and bring it closer it its natural state is a winner in my book.

Vial ~ A sweet, aquatic floral over some sort of incense, resin or spice. Wet ~ Mostly incense dampened with aquatic flower water. Drying ~ Grapefruit, kinda. Not the way that R'lyeh was described -- "evil grapefruit; the grapefruit of unholy deeds." This is uplifted, ritual grapefruit. (What does Beth put in this stuff? Obviously, I've gone mad.) Drydown ~ Dusky, sugar-topped pink grapefruit. (Mad, I tell you.) Dry ~ Okay, the grapefruit I obviously hallucinated has faded away, and I'm mainly left with a faint, soft, sweetly floral incense. Fade ~ Huh. This fades into a dusty marzipan. Final thoughts ~ Hrm. Nothing about this really reminds me of the sun. It's okay, but not doing anything for me. Alas, me and my weird skin.

TMI ~ My nose is stuffed-up from packing, but I'm taking a break to do one more review before I go off-line for the weekend. Note ~ I barely have enough of this left to dampen my pretty perfume bottle, but at least I can give it a go before I pack it away. Vial ~ A sweet, womanly perfume. It reminds me of the combined scent of soaps and shampoos one can smell in women's locker rooms at swimming pools. Wet ~ Somewhat sharp and chemical at first. Almost a chlorine smell, which could explain the swimming pool association. Drying ~ It has a weird, almost daisy-like smell to me. Considering that daisies can sometimes smell awful, that's not a good thing. Why did I buy a 5ml of this again? I'm wondering if the recipe had to change substantially after I'd tried my imp. Drydown ~ A light, sweet floral. Oddly, it's not turning my stomach today. However, it is turning a little powdery. Dry ~ Okay, now it's developing into the scent I remember it being. This is the oil I suspect was made with black narcissus. It's a light, but tropical seeming floral. Sexy, but not overbearing. The sweetness has dimmed some, but what remains is enchanting the floral rather than standing on its own. Fade ~ Lighter, but not much change. Final thoughts ~ It takes a while for this one to become what I remember it being. While I'm sorry that I fell out of love with it, this last hurrah only made me a little nostalgic. It was an ill-fated fling, and I'm glad that both the imp and my first-ever 5ml purchase went to good homes.

Note ~ As a treat to help me recover from Hurricane. Vial ~ Coconut and mint! Wet ~ When I shampoo my dreads, I use a combination of Lush's Washaday Greens shampoo and Coolaulin conditioner. This smells exactly like that mixture. Drying ~ Something sharp just rose, and I can't figure out what it was. Could be the coconut, could be the mint, could be a third player. If it is a different note, it's not much on its own: it seems to intensify what it's mixed with. Problem is, I don't know what it was intensifying! Oooh, we're back to my dreadlock smell, now! Drydown ~ The coconut has completely taken over and does indeed smell exactly like Coolaulin conditioner. For those who get a "wet cardboard" vibe off of Coolaulin, this might not be the best stage for you. I'm still pretty happy, m'self. Dry ~ Mmmmm. The coconut has snuggled down into my skin so that the whole effect is much warmer. This smells just like my freshly shampooed, dry dreads. Mmmm. Fade ~ This briefly gave off a soapy, wet cardboard aroma; but has since faded into a sweet, light coconut. Final thoughts ~ Oddly, I was never fond of coconut for most of my life, and tended to avoid even the smell of it. I think that between Thai food and Coolaulin, I've started to develop an appreciation for it. Spooky is great!

Vial ~ Freshly opened, wet, ripe fruit. Wet ~ Sweet with a light floral. Very round scent, can't quite place it. Drying ~ It's turning powdery. It's still round, but there's an odd sharpness starting. Drydown ~ A soft, sweet, powdery floral. Dry ~ A soft, sweet powder. I don't know where the heck the flowers went, but all I'm getting is *poof* now. Fade ~ The floral seems to have glided back, but only slightly. Final thoughts ~ I think I'll keep this imp, but I'll have to try it a few times to see if it grows on me further. It's okay, but not amazing on me right now.

Vial ~ Lemon juice squirted into a pond! Wet ~ Lemon with something sharp and floral beneath it. It's slowly starting to morph into an aquatic. I suspect that there's something about Beth's aquatics that start off with a citrus and then start to turn watery. Odd. Drying ~ Aquatic plants -- water lilies? lotus? -- over rushing water. How does Beth do this? It smells a bit crystalline, which makes sense given the name. Does any body of water actually smell like this, or is this just all the pleasant memories of lakes and streams and rivers and oceans bottled up? Huh, actually -- that's a point. This is like coming upon a river on a warm day after leaving a flowering woods -- the scent of water is an amazing contrast. Drydown ~ The floral is coming back with a vengeance. It's as if I stuck my face into the floating blooms: the wateriness has faded, but not completely left. Hmmm. Pretty and subtle. Dry ~ The aquatic notes have surged back and the floral notes have toned down until they've blended pretty perfectly. Or maybe they haven't: my right wrist is more floral, while my left is more crystalline. Whatever -- the overall effect is wonderful. Fade ~ The flowers and some greenery have been plucked out of the water and are drying in the sun. There's now a powdery, musty note that's rising above the crystalline aquatic, which makes me a little sad. It's almost as if I've finally found a stagnant pool close to shore. Final thoughts ~ This is probably my third wearing of Sea of Glass and I love it to death. While it won't completely replace Tears for me, it's a beautiful enough aquatic, and subtle enough floral, that I'll somehow cope.