ivyandpeony

B-pal, the lab, or black phoenix, all interchangeable... usually I say bpal or the lab only with Andra since she's the only labhead I actually SPEAK with. Black Phoenix around family or friends who aren't converts.

Yeah, Andra did bring up a valid point... I am kind of surprised you haven't been scared off of perfumes and fragranced products, period, Marty,since it's so hard to ascertain exactly what's in them. Have you considered obtaining pure essential oils that are guaranteed to contain nothing but that particular plant (as opposed to fragrance oils) and making your own perfumes, or scenting your own products, with those? Might be fun, definitely would be safe...

I can really appreciate your frustration... it made me think how difficult it must be for you to shop for all of your cosmetics, bath items and everything. At one point within the last year I thought I might have developed a peanut allergy and was just amazed reading how dangerous it could be, and how much it hindered the lives of families whose children were highly, highly allergic. I was very relieved to find out that I was not allergic to peanuts or any food products...

 

Echoing what everyone has said, I am sure the lab will be more than happy to help you - once you have found scents you are interested in that don't seem to have patchouli, rose or your other allergens, they should surely be able to eliminate any from your choices that have hidden ones, and who knows - they may be able to give you an entire ingredient list since you have unique circumstances. I believe their choice not to do so on the website is half poetry/marketing, half keeping their trade secrets. For example, Lush comes out and tells you that they lump a lot of the fragrance ingredients together and list it as "perfume" since it's legal to do so, in order to prevent competitors from duping their products - not that it's any comfort to someone with allergy issues like yours.

 

Good luck finding some blends that you like... so far, I hope you at least are having fun reading some of the descriptions

I recently got one of those little car scenters that uses the cotton pads - like the Scentballs for your home - Anyway, a drop or two of Snake Oil is fantastic and certainly won't deplete the precioussss too quickly since that stuff is so intense. The Hesperides is very nice in there too - fresh, woody, apply goodness. I don't think it would be intense enough for the large rooms in my house, so it's nice that I can enjoy it as a "room scent" while I drive around (I like it as a "me scent" too!)

Chupa, are we sharing a brain now? I noticed the same thing about Chimera and Sugar Cookie just about 10 days ago, while Jeff was in the hospital. I forgot about it until you posted though.

 

Shelldoo.... how can you NOT STAND KALI?! I have half a mind to come over to your house and hold you down and tickle you until you say you LOVE IT!! Only the fear of being attacked by an iguana or maybe even a whole army of small animals, and children, is keeping me away.

 

Kali is probably my favorite of all the regular catalog BPAL scents - can you tell? And I love DDLM too, but I haven't worn it very often. I will have to do a comparison of the two and see if my nose picks up any similarities.

Some of the ones that seem to get noticed and complimented by others when I wear them are Nemesis, Snake Oil and Le Serpent Qui Danse. Neither Rapture nor Desire really worked with my chemistry enough for me to love them, but both had lots of throw and staying power when I wore them (don't you love when that happens? I don't really like the way I smell, but I sure do smell... STRONG!) Other people liked my strong smell, however.

I never had the opportunity to try Rose Red 2003, but by the time I had discovered BPAL she was a legend. So I knew the moment I saw the Yule update that I would order a bottle, and it wasn't long before nagging thoughts led me back to order another "just in case..." And I'm so glad I did. This is my favorite of all Beth's rose blends that I have tried. The scent is almost eerily real in the bottle and I am so grateful that my skin refrains from screwing it up. Rose Red never seems to take on that powdery note that sometimes ambles along, trying to convince the world that I'm actually a 78 year old grandmother. Rose Red has even elbowed Havisham to the side as my favorite BPAL floral... for the moment. This is a beautiful, natural, intense rose that you can almost touch and taste if you close your eyes. I'm so thrilled that Beth chose to bring this back for 2004 so I could have the opportunity to try it!

I couldn't get the last remnants of the spicy baby powder smell off my hands at all last night. Then I cleaned up after the cats with Nature's Miracle.

 

And suddenly the baby powder was gone, as well.

 

Next time I have a "I need this off NOW" reaction, I'm reaching for the Nature's Miracle. *g*

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Now, they were out of that last time I was at the pet supply place so I bought some stuff called "Pee B Gone." But I wouldn't have thought to use it unless I had accidentally tried something with civet in it...

 

(For those like Velvetsky, perhaps, without the joy of pets pissing, and worse, in their homes, Nature's Miracle is an enzyme based cleaner that is designed to eliminate the odors of urine, vomit and feces! )

/end hijack

 

Oh, and Chupa, that's brilliant - I will have to try that next time. It makes such good sense, especially this time of year when we are all so dry and flaky to begin with.

Dishwashing soap seems to work especially well - you know, the kind that has grease-cutting power...

What an eagle eye you have, Tart! Thanks for finding that.

I've been wearing BPAL for about 2 months and pretty much wear nothing but natural fibers - I haven't noticed any stains, spots or other effects anywhere. I may not deliberately rub my clothing with BPAL or on my BPAL-scented skin like you do - but I do make little sprays with a lot of mine, and when I am doing my laundry I can definitely smell the perfume on my clothes. So I know BPAL oils are getting all over them.

 

My guess would be: as long as you do your laundry or have items cleaned within a reasonable time, take extra care with light colors or delicate fabrics like silk, watch out for dragon's blood blends or other dark colored ones that might be unusually prone to staining, and take care not to get a large amount in a concentrated area (i.e. a big ole grease spot) - you shouldn't have to worry any more than you would about your previous mass market fragrances. But I would love to hear from those who have been BPALlies for longer times, or (dare we dream) the ultimate goddess Beth if she ever gets a chance to take a breather from work!

There is something in Follow Me Boy that just doesn't agree with my system... Smells like a lovely, intense floral at first whiff, then there's this kind of dirty note, the olfactory equivalent of a bad aftertaste. Kind of like someone who hasn't showered in a while has tried to mask the fact with a lot of heavy perfume. So I never officially tried this one out on the DH. It didn't seem appropriate, given that I wasn't crazy about it and he just had this big blood pressure/heart murmur diagnosis he is still freaked out about. Somnus is more our speed right now!

I had been pining to try Gluttony for such a long time, and suddenly it fell into my lap! The lovely Andrabell gifted me with an imp after seeing it on my wishlist.

 

Woo-hoo, this is some of the most intense stuff I have ever sniffed. It is amazingly concentrated and smells strongly of butter, hazelnut and brown sugar in the bottle and when first applied. And no fake foody smell either, this all smells so real and made my mouth water. I didn't pick up a chocolate note from it in these initial stages.

 

Unfortunately, this was giving my DH a headache, so I washed it off after about 30 minutes. It may be too intense for me to use straight as a perfume oil, but I can only imagine how wonderful Gluttony would be to scent massage bars, lotions, shampoo and conditioner - or even as a room scent. Dilution seems like a very wise idea and I will definitely try that if using it in my oil diffuser. There is nothing unpleasant about it - but yes, Beth has perfectly achieved the olfactory depiction of gluttony and it can result in sensory overload. Proceed with caution!

Le Serpent Qui Danse is near the top of my favorites list these days. At first, in the bottle and on my skin, it's just wild, bright violets. But not the icky, sweet, little old lady violet scent I associate with my childhood Sunday school teachers - this is a really intense, smiling bright purple floral, like violets with their leafy green stems in the morning sun. It took a while for the violets to dry down, and I never really got a whiff of gardenia - but once the violets had faded somewhat, this scent became a deep, spicy vanilla melange, like Snake Oil with a deep herbal undertone and occasional reminders of its violet beginnings. From wet to dry it had a little bit of a split personality, but I liken it to the excitement of getting ready to go to a party, and your first hour or two there as you greet old friends you haven't seen in ages and sip champagne. As the night goes on, you are more and more comfortable and cozy, you settle into the couches and kick your high heels off and reminisce, maybe you have a big goblet of wine, you still look fabulous but you are a little more mellow and relaxed.

Sudha Segara is one of my favorites - maybe one of my top 3 even - definitely one that had me at hello. I went from one imp to buying a 5 ml on ebay to ordering a 10 ml and I really would shower in this if I could. I love the spicy ginger, the creamy milk and sweet honey, and there is never a moment that I find a note has turned on me or that I get a whiff of something odd.

Being a lighter frangrance, Sudha Segara does seem to fade as most all its fans have previously noted. I made a purse-sized spray with a little of the Body Time perfume and cologne base, and I take that or an imp with me on days I'm wearing this so I can add a little more fragrance during the day. Other blends might not be worth the extra trouble but this one definitely is. I just love it so...

I have loved every BPAL oil I have tried with red wine notes, and Lady MacBeth is no exception. Out of the bottle and wet on my skin, I get bright, luscious red wine and fresh berry notes, like a beaujolais nouveau or a light red wine you enjoy in summer - with just a hint of something herbal/woody. Unfortunately, my skin seemed to guzzle this blend like nothing I have ever seen before! Within an hour, I can scarcely smell anything on my wrist where I slathered L.MacB., just a very faint memory of perfume there. I will have to try again after putting some unscented shea butter or an unscented body cream on first, to see if that will give this gorgeous scent some staying power.

I'm surprised at how creamy, mellow and downright innocent Lilith smells on me after reading most of the reviews, but nonetheless I really like it. I have enjoyed all of Beth's blends with red wine notes, and I did get a very assertive, fruity red wine top note when I first applied Lilith. However, as it's dried down, it has mellowed to a smooth, sweet-but-not-TOO-sweet and spicy blend. I may not rush to get a big bottle, but only because I have a gazillion on order right now including what I ordered in today's Cold Moon update before putting on Lilith! She's definitely being moved to the big bottle wishlist though.

Normally, my first thought upon reading that a perfume consisted of violet and rose would be, "let's just skip that one so the old ladies won't run out of it." But BPAL has changed many of my scent prejudices, and Marie really blew me away - I have it on my big bottle wishlist now!

 

I have always loved the scent of violets when it's married to the right elements (like with a spicy note in Lush Skinny Dip), and I adore the scent of real roses although it is hard to find in a perfume. I didn't think the two florals together could really add up to much more than a powdery, Aunt Louise's sachet-type smell. But in this tiny imp, these two somehow combine to create something that is so much more than rose and violet. Something that seems powerful and delicate at the same time. I'd really recommend an imp of this to anyone who continues to suffer from those preconceived, ageist ideas about these two florals - Marie just might set you free!

For me, the jury is still out on Hunter Moon. I absolutely looooove it in the bottle - so many vivid autumn scents seem to be blended in harmony, the spice, the smoke, crunchy leaves, a deep overripe fruit or wine note. But once it's on my skin, it becomes screaming black pepper with smoky undertones. I want to try it on the DH - it will be his first BPAL if he will submit - and as a home scent before I give up on it, but I don't want to hoard it too long if there are people out there pining for more. We'll see what happens.

I tried Somnus for the first time last night and I am so in love. It is such a beautiful scent to me - I was surprised that so many reviewers have picked up unpleasant notes, but then again, I should never be surprised at the differences that we all perceive from different BPAL blends.

 

I had not read any reviews prior to trying Somnus and was dreading a strong lavender smell - ah, how could I have so little faith in Beth or expect her to be so predictable? Yes, there's lavender, but it's blended with gorgeous soft, soothing florals. At first the scent is indeed bright and I don't know that it necessarily made me fall asleep any faster than normal, but I did wake feeling refreshed and restored today. Since staying asleep and getting quality, deep sleep have been problems for me over the last 6 -8 months, I do believe I should order a 5 ml and/or snatch up as many imps of Somnus as I can in swaps. Then perhaps I can move along to some of the other dream formulas after my sleep quality is restored.

 

Thank you, Beth, for making this blend beautiful as well as effective. It's so much easier to take your medicine when it smells good!

I picked up a 3-in-1 in Spiced Cider and Eggnog, plus Gingerbread Man, hoping they'd complement Beth's LEs.  Drugstore.com had a great special that included a tub of the Gingerbread Souffle with purchase (they typically have great freebies on Philosophy orders, among other things).

 

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jj_j, I did the drugstore.com deal too - only I ordered the Gingerman bubble bath & 3-in-1 Spiced Cider. And a while back there was a promo to get a 4 ounce 3-in-1 Pumpkin Pie so that's in our shower too.

 

I haven't tried any Yule LEs since I've only been around since September of this year. But to me, the Gingerman smells just like ginger ale and the Gingerbread souffle smells like Sudha Segara. The Spiced Cider stuff smells great although I haven't really figured out a BPAL companion for it - it's fruity and cinnamony.

 

The Pumpkin Pie smells just like it sounds and would obviously be a great complement to Jack, or anything that falls in the spicy-vanilla-buttery- and/or nutty families in my opinion.

 

Personally, I tend not to focus on my bath and shower products as part of my scent layering - I leave that job to the lotions, creams, body oils and such. I love scented body wash, bath gel, etc. but I'm fine if the scent doesn't linger on me, as long as I can really enjoy the moment. Unless of course, I paid a lot for something that was supposed to linger and it doesn't. But I am getting away from that a lot of that kind of stuff these days and just scenting my own stuff with my BPAL!

I don't know about the freezing issue - I was just going to suggest that you have the PO hold your mail while you are gone, then deliver it when you return. If you go to:

 

http://www.usps.com/forms/_pdf/ps8076.pdf

 

(sorry, having trouble with hyperlinks today), print out the form and leave it for your mail carrier a few days before you are planning to leave, they will hold it and bring it all to you on the day you specify. I usually do this even when we have a dog-sitter so they don't have to fret about collecting the mail and can focus on the baby.

 

If you aren't in the US, your PO probably provides a similar form and service.

I find "O" to have lots of rich vanilla when I wear it, very creamy rather than the kind of strident, icky faux-vanilla smell I associate with cheap vanilla candles.

It may just be me but I get something "chocolate" from Mata Hari. Of course, I am a wimp and never drink coffee unless it's a mocha - so I may have some permanently wired association of the two in my brain that's making MH's coffee note inspire false chocolaty goodness in my nose.

 

Oh, by the way, MMU has the yummiest chocolate-orange lip balm. I haven't tried the Lush Whipstick yet - trying to decide whether to wait for all the Christmas goodies to hit the NA site so I can get free shipping, or just go ahead and order from the UK. But I am looking forward to comparing the $4.25 MMU (it's in stick form, has a very light but moisturizing feel to me) to the slightly more posh Lush stuff. mmmmmmmwwwwwwaaaaaaaahhhhh! (that's my version of a kissy sound)

Lora, I was really sorry to see your post & hear what you are going through. I have a dear friend who suffers with disc problems so I know from her that it can be beyond painful. I just had a couple thoughts that I hope might be helpful...

 

Don't know if you have ever seen a magazine called Natural Health on the newstand, but the most recent issue (I just got it in the mail) has several articles about spinal pain/health. I have only skimmed them so far - one is about a doctor with a controversial theory that 90% of back problems are caused by emotional tension (I do think this is largely the case with my husband but wonder about the generalization!), another is about exercises to keep your spine healthy... If you happen to be in a bookstore or Whole Foods/Wild Oats type grocery, you might want to take a look.

 

My other idea was acupuncture - I first consulted an acupuncturist for some hormonal issues and she has really helped me with several other nagging things that I had pretty much accepted as part of my makeup. If anything, acupuncture might get you some pain relief from your bulging discs without the grogginess, upset stomach, etc. you get from prescription painkillers (or the lack of relief you probably finf from OTC stuff!). My husband recently began seeing this acupuncturist as well and his complaints about backaches, neckaches and headaches seem to be less frequent.

 

Wishing you the best of luck in overcoming this!