garden 2011

last night i was thinking about what i wanted in my garden this spring. seems like i'll actually have 3 gardens - vegetable, herb, and flower. veggies i want - cucumber, lettuce, tomato, squash, zucchini, some kind of melon, strawberries, beets, onions, green onions, bell peppers, hot peppers, pumpkin, and turnips. maybe some cabbage. i'd like to grow broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, but those don't do well in this soil. herbs - basil, chives, sage, lemon verbena, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, spearmint, peppermint, catnip, dill, savory, sweet marjoram, anise, black cohosh, blue cohosh, chamomile, boneset, burdock, chickweed, coltsfoot, horehound, comfrey, damiana, dong quai, fenugreek, feverfew, garlic, lemongrass, licorice, lobelia, marshmallow, mugwort, mullein, mustard, nettle, pennyroyal, st. john's wort, seneca, shepherd's purse, valerian, vervain, wintergreen, wood betony, and woodruff. flowers - hyssop, english lavender, aloe, thistle (blessed and milk), golden marigold (calendula), cornflower, dandelion, coneflower (echinacea), goldenrod, goldenseal, hawthorn, hydrangea, juniper, lady's slipper, passion flower, periwinkle, red clover, safflower, violet, and yellow dock. now i've got to figure out which of those will grow in this area and which ones are kind of duplicates, function-wise.

i'd also like to start a stand of blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, and raspberries. witch hazel, too.

stuff i want to try to make

flan
sugar plums
fig pudding
salted caramel
savory cheesecake
pad thai (from scratch)
korean BBQ
rugelach
texas lizzies
lemon ricotta cookies
pumpkin cheesecake
bread pudding

goals v.2

ok, today i have to:

clean the living room
finish the laundry
finish paperwork
exercise


*sigh* this stuff sucks.

goals

I think it's about time that i start setting some goals for myself. Might help motivate me.

Today:

clean the living room
finish laundry
go work on the new house
fill out & mail housing paperwork
file UC paperwork

This week:

pack
finish packing up the old house
find 2 jobs to apply for

Before the end of November:

move
buy a physical journal
make three new recipes
plan garden for next year
fix up the trailer

Thanksgiving menu

Turkey
Stuffing
Whipped Potatoes
Green beans
Candied yams w/marshmallows
Broccoli casserole
Green salad
Cranberry salad
Pecan pie
Pumpkin pie
Rolls

bpal yule 2010

I need to try the following:

Nutcracker: *Herr Drosselmeyer 2010, Harlequin and Columbine, *The Waltz of the Snowflakes

Christmas Carol: Christmas Eve in the Counting House, *Incessant Torture of Remorse, The Chained Phantoms, A Game Called Yes and No, Whoop

Yules: Autumn and Winter, *Gingerbread Poppet 2010, *Lick It Vigorously, *Winter-time, Woods in Winter, Yule 2010

The Last Unicorn: The Butterfly, *Arachne of Lydia, Mommy Fortuna

I also need the Beaver Moon shirt... and these Weenies:

Weenies: All Souls 2010, Boo 2010, The Hag, *Lambs-wool 2010, *October 2010, Punkie Night 2010, *Samhain 2010, Sugar Skull 2010

Halloween:Mnemosyne: Halloween:Los Angeles, Halloween:San Francisco

Pomegranate Patch: Pomegranate II

Halloween: Gothic Literature Vol. I: *The Decrepit House, Encroaching Madness, The Madwoman, The Unsavory Grave-diggers



*Starred ones are the ones I want to try most.

heraldry

http://dragon_azure.tripod.com/UoA/AnimalBlazonry.html
http://www.modaruniversity.org/Newcomer-Packet-11-Heraldry.pdf

other links

http://www.sunara.com/tasselbelt.html
http://www.cookieartexchange.com/shortbread_pans.htm
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/friendsandfamily?key=z4xstIF6w0gU56XuAyqaTCxaAlBAZXrvS2anDXU4hLQ%253D&cm_mmc=DCE-_-FF-_-20100414-_-AM228466
http://heruniverseshop.com/
http://www.tarinatarantino.com/shop/pc/viewcategories.asp
http://www.recollections.biz/
http://www.retroscopefashions.com/lolita4.html
http://steampunkthreads.com/Merchant5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=S&Product_Code=SPREC091004&Category_Code=D4
http://heartbreakerfashion.com/
http://www.rebelgirlz.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_Sprint_f.cfm
http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/tools.measures/Measures.cfm
http://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp?map=1&lat=38.381638&lon=-81.823224&scale=9&ty=-1&nm=&zip=25177
http://www.internet-taxprep.com/
http://www.sighco.com/store/home.php?cat=5

sca links

http://www.livingpast.com/
http://www.pepper.gallowglass.org/
http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/names/arabic-naming2.htm
http://www.dragonbear.com/pennlink.html#packing
http://users.forthnet.gr/ath/vasard/uk1.html
http://medievalcooking.org/
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Andalusian/andalusian_contents.htm
http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/mediaeval/drink.php
http://www.medievalcookery.com/
http://www.auntiearwenspices.com/search.php
http://home.earthlink.net/~al-tabbakhah/
http://historicalfoods.com/
http://www.craftycelts.com/index.html
http://www.metalsmiths.com/
http://www.fetteredcockpewters.com/
http://scores-sca.org/home/index.php?R=3
http://www.3riversarchery.com/Product.asp?show=info&c=53&s=250&p=0&i=8548X#full
http://hightowercrossbows.com/
http://www.kellswood.com/krafts/leatherwork.php
http://www.woodlandarchery.com/prod00.htm
http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~lwittie/sca/garb/
http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Greeks/costume/costume.html
http://www.timeless-trends.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=StoreHome.htm
http://www.feoragdubh.eastkingdom.org/GarbWorkshops.php
http://www.kamam.org/
http://valkyrja.shawwebspace.ca/asset/view/20675/intro_to_ottoman_turkish_clothing-_web_version_july_2009.pdf
http://www.forest.gen.nz/Medieval/articles/Tunics/TUNICS.HTML
http://www.stringpage.com/tw/bag.html
http://members.shaw.ca/holding/middle_eastern.htm
http://www.nycmongol.com/clothing.html
http://www.ottoman-traders.com/costume2.html
http://www.revivalclothing.com/
http://safiye.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album18
http://www.ravenswoodleather.net/shop/store/index.php
http://www.turkishculture.org/pages.php?ListImage=1&ChildID=161&ParentID=14&ID=66&ChildID1=161&miMore=&&pageno=0#PageImage
http://www.lucente-stella.moonfruit.com/#/wimple-and-veil/4512194731

More tea, your Majesty?

Although some of this I already knew, I thought it interesting...


Queen Elizabeth II's husband actually *gave up* the title of Prince when he married her, rather than taking it. He was born Prince of Greece and Denmark but was required to renounce titles and allegiances to marry the Princess.

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Phillip, are twice cousins. Elizabeth is Phillip's second cousin, once removed (through Christian IX of Denmark), as well as third cousin (through Queen Victoria).

Until WWI, the British Royal Family actually didn't have a last name. The name House of Windsor was invented during WWI, because the House of Prince Albert, House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, was 'far too Germanic sounding'.

The Queen Mother was not actually Queen, she was Queen consort, which means she was the King's wife. Conversely, the husband of a Queen is a Prince or Prince consort, not a King. On the other hand, a Queen Regnant reigns in her own right on the death of a previous monarch and is much rarer. A Queen dowager is a widow of a king who reigned in his own right and a Queen mother is a queen dowager who is also the mother of a reigning sovereign.

No Queen regnant has ever reigned over France because Salic law excludes females from inheritance of throne or fief. This was at least one motive for the Hundred Years' War and one factor leading to the Battle of Agincourt. A side note - the Meiji Constitution in Japan similarly excludes women from the Chrysanthemum Throne since 1889.

In some countries, the female ruler is still called King.

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, loathed being called a dowager queen.

Two of Henry VII's wives were also his cousins. Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, was his third cousin once removed and Catherine Parr, his sixth wife, was also a third cousin once removed.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were first cousins.

Certain Middle Eastern countries have a cousin (1st and 2nd) marriage rate of over 50%... Qatar's is 54%.


It's still legal to marry your first cousin in 14 states. WV is not one of them.

About 55% of Pakistani immigrants to Britain marry a first cousin.


The concept of parallel and cross cousins is bizarre and confusing.

Arrgh!

Slightly late for Talk Like a Pirate Day, but this still amuses me greatly. ;-)


THE PIRATES WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING

we are the pirates we don't do anything
we just stay at home, and lie around
and if you ask us, to do anything
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything

well I've never been to Greenland
and I've never been to Denver
and I've never buried treasure in ST Louie or ST Paul
and I've never been to Moscow
and I've never been to Tampa
and I've never been to Boston in the fall

we are the pirates we don't do anything
we just stay at home, and lie around
and if you ask us, to do anything
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything

and I've never hoist the main sail
and I've never swabbed the poop deck
and I've never veered starboard, cause I've never sailed at all
and I've never walked the gang plank
and I've never owned a parrot.
and I've never been to Boston in the fall

we are the pirates we don't do anything
we just stay at home, and lie around
and if you ask us, to do anything
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything

I've never plucked a rooster
and I am not too good at ping-pong
and I've never thrown my mashed potatoes up against the wall
and I've never kissed a chipmunk,
and I've never gotten head lice
and I have never been to Boston in the fall

(pirate captains log 2002
who be this band relient k
and why they be so full of contradictions)

we don't know what he did
but we're down with captain kidd
we don't wake up before lunch
but we all eat captain crunch
we don't smoke, we don't chew
we watch captain kangaroo

and I've never licked a spark-plug
and I've never sniffed a stink bug
and I've never painted daisies on a big red rubber ball
and I've never bathed in yogurt
and I don't look good in leggings
and I've never been to Boston in the fall

we are the pirates who don't do anything
we just stay at home, and lie around
and if you ask us, to do anything
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything

we are the pirates we don't do anything
we just stay at home, and lie around
and if you ask us, to do anything
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything

Blargh.

I don't know why, but vanilla tea is revolting. One would think that vanilla chai would go well together, but no. Vanilla tea in general is revolting. I've tried to like it on multiple occasions, but to no avail.

Here's the keys, Uncle-Daddy....

Consanguinity is confusing..... double cousins and one and a half cousins and and and.... my head hurts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consanguinity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin

Calling Dr. House....

Cataplexy - the sudden loss of muscle tone that is triggered by the experience of an intense emotion. The word cataplexy comes from the Latin word “cataplessa” which means, “to strike down with fear or the like”. A debilitating medical condition in which a person suddenly feels weak and collapses at moments of strong emotion such as laughter, anger, fear or surprise.


The rarest known genetic disease has only one diagnosed patient.


Rare diseases are also referred to as orphan diseases and sometimes, neglected diseases and include everything from leprosy and cholera to roundworm to bubonic plague and Ondine's curse.


There are about 40 rare diseases that are regarded as Finnish heritage diseases and have a markedly increased frequency among those of ethnic Finnish descent. However, other genetic diseases, particularly cystic fibrosis and PKU, are markedly absent. Only about 1 in 80 carry the markers for these, as opposed to an average of 1 in 25 in the rest of the EU.

Founder Effect - the loss of genetic variation that occurs when a new population is established by a very small number of individuals from a larger population. Basically forces inbreeding and reduces biodiversity. Founder effects can also occur when lines naturally die out, such as the Neanderthal Man.

Familial dysautonomia causes insensitivity to pain, inability to produce tears, poor growth, problems with blood pressure, etc. and is found almost exclusively in Ashkenazi Jews.

The only self-reported ancestral group larger than the Irish Americans are the German Americans.

The ships that brought Irish immigrants over during the Potato Famine were commonly known as 'coffin ships'.

People of Irish descent are at higher risk of developing or carrying Tay-Sachs and Celiac Diseases, hematochomatosis, and rosacea.

Lotus Moon update

Of the new update, I want to try the following:

Banned In Boston
Chaos Theory VI - Amber
Chaos Theory VI: Eris' Tilt-A-Whirl
The Moths: Gypsy
The Butterflies: Common Jezebel

and Paduan Killer Swarm and Pyramus from the last update.

BPAL sniffing notes 68 - Veritas, Wicked, Somnus, Gula bath oil

Veritas -

PROMETHEUS AND TRUTH
Olim Prometheus saeculi figulus noui
cura subtili Veritatem fecerat,
ut iura posset inter homines reddere.
Subito accersitus nuntio magni Iouis
commendat officinam fallaci Dolo,
in disciplinam nuper quem receperat.
Hic studio accensus, facie simulacrum pari,
una statura, simile et membris omnibus,
dum tempus habuit callida finxit manu.
Quod prope iam totum mire cum positum foret,
lutum ad faciendos illi defecit pedes.
Redit magister, quo festinanter Dolus
metu turbatus in suo sedit loco.
Mirans Prometheus tantam similitudinem
propriae uideri uoluit gloriam.
Igitur fornaci pariter duo signa intulit;
quibus percoctis atque infuso spiritu
modesto gressu sancta incessit Veritas,
at trunca species haesit in uestigio.
Tunc falsa imago atque operis furtiui labor
Mendacium appellatum est, quod negantibus
pedes habere facile et ipse adsentio.
Simulata interdum initio prosunt hominibus,
sed tempore ipsa tamen apparet ueritas.

Prometheus, the Titan of forethought and clever counsel, was a divine potter that was assigned the task of molding mankind out of clay. One day, he decided to dedicate his skill to sculpting the form of the spirit Veritas — Truth — so that he would be able to instill men with virtue. As he toiled, he was called away from his workshop by a sudden summons from the King of the Gods. Dolus — Trickery — had recently become one of Prometheus' apprentices, and was left in charge of the workshop in the titan's absence. Dolus used his time in the workshop to create a figure with the same size and possessing the same features as Veritas with his crafty, sly hands. When he was almost finished with his sculpture, which was truly almost identical to Prometheus' work, he ran out of clay to use for her feet. The divine potter returned, and Dolus scurried to his seat, trembling with fear that his master should discover what he had done and punish him. Prometheus was startled by the similarities between the two clay figures and decided he would take credit for both as a testament to his own skill. He put both statues in the kiln, and after they had been fired, he breathed life into them. Veritas walked with measured, steady steps, while her twin was immobile, stuck in her tracks. The imitation Veritas, a forgery and product of deception and artifice, aquired the name Mendacium — Falsehood. Falsehood has no feet: now and again something that is false can start off successfully, but with time, Truth will always prevail.


VERITAS The essence of honesty, integrity, and veracity: frankincense, white carnation, angelica, chamomile, and heliotrope.

In the vial, it's a pretty heady floral. Lots of carnation, frankincense, and chamomile. Color, gold.

Wet on my skin, it's mostly chamomile and carnation. An almost sickeningly sweet floral. Not liking this at all.

10-15 minute drydown - And now the frankincense comes out and becomes overpowering. There's also a sickly 'rotting flowers' scent to it. Not pleasant at all.

30 minute drydown - Not so nauseating now, but still not something I *want* to smell like.

*****

Wicked - A paean to all the Wicked Queens, Evil Stepmothers, and other misunderstood villainesses throughout history and lore. Lends an aura of majesty, refinement, strength, and a deep, brooding malice. A sophisticated, womanly scent: rich myrrh and jasmine draped in the subtlest rose.

In the vial, that smells like pure myrrh. Color, dirt brown.

Wet on my skin, GACK! Nothing but myrrh. It smells almost like spicy dirt. Mind you, I *like* myrrh, but not by itself.

10-15 minute drydown - Ok, not nearly as offensive now. I'm starting to get the jasmine and rose. It's not painful, but it's not me.

30 minute drydown - It's very... perfume-y. Like old lady perfume. Not my thing.

*****

Somnus - Named after the Roman God of Sleep. This blend helps bring on deep, restful, natural sleep.

In the vial, of course it's lavender heavy. But I'm also picking up juniper(?) and maybe sandalwood or something a little woody. Color, lilac.

Wet on my skin, it's a little greener than I care for. Kinda makes me want to sneeze, actually.

10-15 minute drydown - I'm thinking there might be some lilac in here as well. I'm smelling something very similar to Needlework that I didn't care for. I like lilac, but only in certain blends.

30 minute drydown - I don't think I care for the scent of this one. I'll have to try it for its intended purpose later to give it a full review.

*****

Gula bath oil - It is the just doom of laziness and gluttony to be inactive without ease and drowsy without tranquility. — Samuel Johnson

Cocoa absolute, sugar cane, honey, black currant, vanilla, and caramel.

In the vial, hellooo cocoa. Straight out of the box cocoa powder. Color, chocolate brown.

Wet on my skin, much better. This smells like caramel, milk chocolate, and just a hint of black currant. I could definitely bathe in this. :-)

BPAL sniffing notes 67 - Dragon's Reverie, Melpomene

Dragon's Reverie - Opium-laced dreams of flame, plunder, power and fury: dragon's blood resin, poppy, amber and ylang ylang.

In the vial, it's highly resinous, sweet and heady. Very nice, but hopefully not too strong. Color, flame red.

Wet on my skin, I'm mostly getting amber and ylang ylang, which is a pleasant surprise. It's a very womanly scent - something I'd imagine a Chinese empress wearing or something. :-)

10-15 minute drydown - Slight powderyness coming from the amber, but that is expected, especially with my chemistry. Now I'm starting to get a little more of the cherryish sweetness of the dragon's blood and the depth of the poppy. So far, I have to say that this is my favorite of the Ars Draconis line.

*****

Melpomene -

But oh Melpomene! thy lyre of woe —
To what a mournful pitch its keys were strung,
And when thou badest its tones of sorrow flow,
Each weeping Muse, enamoured, o'er thee hung:
How sweet — how heavenly sweet, when faintly rose
The song of grief, and at its dying close
The soul seemed melting in the trembling breast;
The eye in dews of pity flowed away,
And every heart, by sorrow's load opprest,
To infant softness sunk, as breathed thy mournful lay.

Melpomene is Tragedy, and the sound of Her voice is filled with beauty, power and strength. She is crowned in cypress branches, holds the mask of tragedy, wears the cothurnus and wields a knife or club. Her scent is rife with pathos, and inspires us with the ability to express our grief, loss, and the pain in our souls in a cathartic, creative fashion: dark cypress with mint, geranium, Bulgar lavender, orange blossom and passion flower.

In the vial, wow. That is unpleasantness in a bottle. Something in this is actually making my throat want to close up some. I'll not be trying this one on my skin.

BPAL sniffing notes 66 - White Rabbit, Rhinotoros, Undertow, Niflheim, Bengal, No. 93 Engine

White Rabbit - Strong black tea and milk with white pepper, ginger, honey and vanilla, spilled over the crisp scent of clean linen.

In the vial, odd. It smells like nothing so much as a pizzelle to me. Question is, what will it smell like *on*? Color, pastel yellow.

Wet on my skin, I'm getting honey, slightly sour milk, ginger, and white pepper. Not exactly what I want to smell like.

10-15 minute drydown - Now it's white pepper and ginger and nothing else. Eh, you win some, you lose some.

*****

Rhinotoros - Skin-Piercing

Vetiver, patchouli, white pepper, and grapefruit.

In the vial, *waaay* too much vetiver and I actually *like* vetiver. Color, bronze.

Wet on my skin, the amount of vetiver in this actually makes my throat itch and my nose burn a little. Oof. Too much for me.

10-15 minute drydown - I dunno about Skin-Piercing, but Nostril-Piercing is definitely accurate. The vetiver starts to take on a resinous, almost pine-y smell that I like, but it's just overpowering. No thanks.

*****

Undertow - The Dark Side of Water: clean and purifying, yet menacing — lotus and juniper with a hint of mint. A scent dragged up from the depths to the Stygian shore.

In the vial, the bubblegum lotus is the first thing that pops out at me, with just a hint of mint behind. Nothing of the juniper yet, but that may come when I put it on. Color, sea foam green.

Wet on my skin, there's much more mint. It's a pretty even balance of the lotus and mint. Still no juniper, but that could be in the drydown.

10-15 minute drydown - THERE's the juniper... I'm starting to get a slightly herbal/resinous note under the sweetness - juniper berry! At least, what I associate as juniper berry - the distinct 'piney' note in gin. Not something I'd wear on a regular basis, but not unpleasant.

*****

Niflheim - The House of Mists, a land of icy fog, shadowy darkness and soul-chilling cold. Dark, damp blossoms winding through an impenetrable, murky gloom.

In the vial, I'm getting bitter herbs and crushed blooms. Unhappy is definitely a good descriptor for it. Color, pastel green.

Wet on my skin, I'm smelling strong, bitter flowers and maybe moss or greenery. Someone else had mentioned an ammonia smell in a review and, unfortunately, I have to agree.

10-15 minute drydown - Fortunately, that ammonia smell is starting to taper off, but it's still not me.

*****

Bengal - A sultry and unruly blend that emulates the ambient scent of the markets in ancient Bengal: skin musk with honey, peppers, clove, cinnamon bark and ginger.

In the vial, it smells like wildfire honey I used to buy from a merchant at Pennsic. Spicy and sweet. Dunno what kind of flower it was from, but damn it tasted good. Color, crimson.

Wet on my skin, I'm getting honey, clove, cinnamon, and ginger. I smell thoroughly edible, but in a good way. It's spicy foody, not sugary foody.

10-15 minute drydown - Ohhh.... There's the musk..... Ok. I need like 5 bottles of this one, STAT.

*****

No. 93 Engine - Beeswax candles reflect flickering light onto a brass-coated boiler engraved with the words "Solve Et Coagula". The gargantuan boiler sends torrents of steam into rigid pipes that exert force onto innumerable pistons and turbine blades. The motion is harnessed to propel energy into gargantuan cogs and gears that move liquid metals, herbs, and resins into a series of alembics.

Balm of Gilead, benzoin, frankincense, balsam of peru, beeswax, saffron, galbanum, calamus, hyssop, mastic, lemon balm, and white sage.

In the vial, it's very resinous. I'm going to give it a chance, but I don't have high hopes. Color, copper.

Wet on my skin, I smell beeswax, saffron, hyssop, lemon balm, and sage. Problem is, 99% of the time saffron will turn to melted plastic with my body chemistry. Here's hoping it doesn't.

10-15 minute drydown - And there's the melted plastic. Damn. It smelled quite nice, too. I'll try it out on Josh - the Steamworks stuff seems to work on him quite nicely.

BPAL sniffing notes 65 - The Sluggard, Wanda, Enyalios, Edin, Tavern of Hell, Aizen-Myoo

The Sluggard -

'Tis the voice of the sluggard; I heard him complain,
"You have waked me too soon, I must slumber again."
As the door on its hinges, so he on his bed,
Turns his sides and his shoulders and his heavy head.

"A little more sleep, and a little more slumber;"
Thus he wastes half his days, and his hours without number,
And when he gets up, he sits folding his hands,
Or walks about sauntering, or trifling he stands.

I pass'd by his garden, and saw the wild brier,
The thorn and the thistle grow broader and higher;
The clothes that hang on him are turning to rags;
And his money still wastes till he starves or he begs.
I made him a visit, still hoping to find
That he took better care for improving his mind:
He told me his dreams, talked of eating and drinking;
But scarce reads his Bible, and never loves thinking.

Said I then to my heart, "Here's a lesson for me,"
This man's but a picture of what I might be:
But thanks to my friends for their care in my breeding,
Who taught me betimes to love working and reading.

Pious frankincense, angelic gardenia, unsoiled pear, and staunch ho wood conflict with prickly, overgrown thistle, idle labdanum, and lethargic lavender.

In the vial, I *think* I'm smelling gardenia, pear, and lavender, but for some reason it seems to be hitting an olfactory blind spot of some sort. Weird. Color, pale lavender.

Wet on my skin, I'm almost afraid of this one. I think it's going to be a bit too floral for me. Very distinct pear, frankincense, and gardenia. Odd combination, I must say.

10-15 minute drydown - Yup. Floral floral floral frankincense. Not for me.

*****

Wanda - And yet a restless, always unsatisfied craving for the nudity of paganism, she interrupted, but that love, which is the highest joy, which is divine simplicity itself, is not for you moderns, you children of reflection. It works only evil in you. As soon as you wish to be natural, you become common. To you nature seems something hostile; you have made devils out of the smiling gods of Greece, and out of me a demon. You can only exorcise and curse me, or slay yourselves in bacchantic madness before my altar. And if ever one of you has had the courage to kiss my red mouth, he makes a barefoot pilgrimage to Rome in penitential robes and expects flowers to grow from his withered staff, while under my feet roses, violets, and myrtles spring up every hour, but their fragrance does not agree with you. Stay among your northern fogs and Christian incense; let us pagans remain under the debris, beneath the lava; do not disinter us. Pompeii was not built for you, nor our villas, our baths, our temples. You do not require gods. We are chilled in your world.

Along with Loviatar, she has become something of a Patron Goddess of all Dominatrixes, Wanda is the breathtakingly beautiful sable-wrapped marble queen of Sacher-Masoch's fantasies. Her scent is a deep red merlot with a faint hint of leather, sexual musk and body heat over crushed roses, violets and myrtle.

In the vial, it smells kind of like cherry cough syrup or really concentrated koolaid. Color, blood red.

Wet on my skin, it smells like ultra-sweet red wine and suede. I <3 that. The violet note is nowhere to be found and I'm perfectly happy with that.

10-15 minute drydown - Now I'm getting just a tiny bit of the musk and roses and I think this is, so far, the only blend with violets and roses that hasn't made me want to dig my sinus cavities out with a dremel tool. I <3 it muchly. Definitely on the bottle list.

*****

Enyalios - Lord of War

Patchouli, frankincense, olibanum, thyme, cocoa absolute, Peru balsam, oakmoss, and juniper.

In the vial, that is just plain odd. Cocoa, patchouli, oakmoss, and juniper. I really don't know what to think about this one yet. Color, bronze.

Wet on my skin, Well. That is *very* masculine. Not unpleasant, just very masculine. Mostly patchouli...

10-15 minute drydown - Huh. Now it's patchouli, cocoa, oakmoss, juniper, and balsam. And it's quite nice. Not *bottle* nice, but not bad.

*****

Odin - Odin is highest and eldest of the AEsir: he rules all things, and mighty as are the other gods, they all serve him as children obey a father. The All-Father, Lord of Wisdom and War. Odin's name itself translates to "fury", "excitation" and "poetry" and that is the core of His essence. He is the God of Victory, and holds sway over hunting, verse, war-lust and berserkers, magic, illumination, foresight, death, plots and machinations, and He dispenses the Mead of Inspiration to poets from his sacred vessel, Irri. He gifted mankind with runes, both sacred and mundane, and the ability to use them for both communication and magical work. He grants glory and madness, inspiration and courage, power and wisdom. He commands the einheriar of his Hall, Valhalla, and the Valkyries that claim the souls of valiant warriors. Lord Odin's favored weapon is the spear Gugnir, which he uses to claim those chosen to die in battle. He is accompanied by his ravens, Hugin and Munin [thought and memory], and his wolves, Geri and Freki [the Greedy], and rides an eight-legged horse, Sleipner, that is, in itself, symbolic of death. His scent is dry elm bark, amaranth, warrior's musk, and Odin's Nine Herbs of Power.

In the vial, it's very herbal. Then again, there's supposed to be nine herbs in it! Color, yellow.

Wet on my skin, it's musky, herbal, and almost sweet. I don't know what those herbs are but omg, do they smell good.

10-15 minute drydown - *sigh*.... And Odin just turned to generic men's cologne on me.

*****

Tavern of Hell - Sometimes I would venture from my sepulchre to the jazz of night Paris, where having gathered the colours, I would think them over in front of the fire. I could be seen walking through a funeral corridor of my house and descending down a black spiral of steep stairs; rushing underground to Montmartre, all impatience to see the fiery rubies of the Moulin Rouge cross. I wondered thereabouts, then bought a ticket to watch frenzied delirium of feathers, vulgar painted lips and eyelashes of black and blue.

Naked feet, and thighs, and arms, and breasts were being flung on me from bloody-red foam of translucent clothes. The tuxedoed goatees and crooked noses in white vests and toppers would line the hall, with their hands posed on canes. Then I found myself in a pub, where the liqueurs were served on a coffin (not a table) by the nickering devil: "Drink it, you wretched!" Having drunk, I returned under the black sky split by the flaming vanes, which the radiant needles of my eyelashes cross-hatched. In front of my nose a stream of bowler hats and black veils was still pulsing, foamy with bluish green and warm orange of feathers worn by the night beauties: to me they were all one, as I had to narrow my eyes for insupportable radiance of electric lamps, whose hectic fires would be dancing beneath my nervous eyelids for many a night to come.

White gardenia, ambergris bouquet, lavender fougere, orange blossom, melissa, tobacco flower, coriander, ebony wood, ylang ylang, absinthe and aged whiskey.

In the vial, it's all gardenia and orange blossom. I'm not even going to put this one on. It's already starting to make my head hurt.

*****

Aizen-Myoo - A bright, bittersweet scent honoring the Japanese Deity of Love and Passion. Aizen-Myoo is one of the vidyarajas, the Shingon's Radiant Kings of Wisdom. Though Aizen-Myoo possesses the lust, grace and passion of both genders, he most often appears to his followers as male. His face is screwed into a fearsome demonic mask, but this is only the wrathful, fierce countenance he places over himself to guide and empower his children. Aizen-Myoo is the patron of prostitutes, of joyous, unbridled sexuality and of all forms of erotic love and is worshipped by all those in the sex industry, musicians, and — oddly — landlords. Yuzu, kaki, and mikan with cherry blossom and black tea.

In the vial, it smells very green and sharp. That would make sense, given that kaki is Japanese persimmon and mikan is satsuma. Color, yellow-green.

Wet on my skin, it smells like bitter citrus. I get a *little* of the tea and cherry blossom, but not much.

10-15 minute drydown - Really, it just reminds me of dishwashing liquid. Not what I'm looking for.

BPAL sniffing notes 64 - Arkham, Dove's Heart, Tin Foil Hat, Dorian, Dragon's Hide

Arkham - Behind everything crouched the brooding, festering horror of the ancient town, and of the mouldy, unhallowed garret gable where he wrote and studied and wrestled with figures and formulae when he was not tossing on the meager iron bed. His ears were growing sensitive to a preternatural and intolerable degree, and he had long ago stopped the cheap mantel clock whose ticking had come to seem like a thunder of artillery. At night the subtle stirring of the black city outside, the sinister scurrying of rats in the wormy partitions, and the creaking of hidden timbers in the centuried house, were enough to give him a sense of strident pandemonium. The darkness always teemed with unexplained sound — and yet he sometimes shook with fear lest the noises he heard should subside and allow him to hear certain other fainter noises which he suspected were lurking behind them.

He was in the changeless, legend-haunted city of Arkham, with its clustering gambrel roofs that sway and sag over attics where witches hid from the King's men in the dark, olden years of the Province.

A shadowy, unapproachable forest of maple, birch, dogwood, cypress and pine softened by a garland of New England wildflowers: bergamot, columbine, rue anemone, blue violet, creeping phlox, bloodroot, toadflax, and pixie moss.

In the vial, this reminds me of freshly raked leaves. It has the smell of wet leaves and turned soil that you get when you get a little too energetic with the rake. Color, brown.

Wet on my skin, the bergamot pops out first, then the pixie moss. And then the damn violet. This would be quite nice if it weren't for the violet.

10-15 minute drydown - Well, the violet isn't nauseating like in some of the others, but it's definitely not a keeper.

*****

Dove's Heart - A gentle, healing love blend, often used to help mend a broken heart. Brings peace of mind, soothes the sting of loss, and aids in finding closure.

I couldn't even put this one on... my eyes started watering upon opening the imp. I *think* it's jasmine and rose but in such concentration that it hurts.

*****

Tin Foil Hat - No description.

In the vial, I'm getting a metallic, ozone-y citrus. Color, silver.

Wet on my skin, HELLO COLOGNE. This just screams generic 'mountain rain' cologne on me. You know the type I'm talking about. The stuff you get from like B&BW. It smells good, but it's definitely not me.

*****

Dorian - The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself. Inspired by and created for my beloved Tedwin: my eternal, beautiful, wicked Dorian Gray. Refined, elegant, and lovely, with a noble bearing and seemingly gentle air. This blend is an artful deception: a sweet gilded blossom lying over a twisted and corrupted core. A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea.

In the vial, I get lavender, vanilla, and tea... This is promising. VERY promising. Color - cream.

Wet on my skin, Oh my. I am in love. Vanilla and tea and lavender and I think white musk.... If this stays like this, it's certainly in bottle territory.

10-15 minute drydown - Hrm... At first, I adored it. Then something struck me as unpleasant. I realized it was the same note that ruined Needlework for me. The lilac. I like lilac in some things, but not in this, apparently. Oh well.

*****

Dragon's Hide - Flame-kissed, warm, smooth, and highly protective. Dragon's blood, leather and a hint of smoke.

In the vial, it's all dragon's blood and leather. Color, red.

Wet on my skin, that's *really* strong. Very sweet dragon's blood and leather, no smoke to speak of. Don't care for it on myself - it's kind of one dimensional. Might be nice on Josh, though.

10-15 minute drydown - Weird... It's turned to leathery dragon's blood powder. *shrug*

BPAL sniffing notes 63 - The Montauk Project, Reptoid Dominion, Phantom Time Hypothesis, Teatime in Roswell

Reptoid Dominion -

Reptile overlords
We serve you unknowingly.
Hello, Antichrist.

Some 300,000 or so years ago, bipedal reptilians from the constellation Draco (who are also, coincidentally, from the lower level of the fourth dimension) came to Earth in order to pillage the planet's monoatomic gold supply. Monoatomic gold enables these reptiles, who appear exactly like humans, to process unthinkable amounts of data, travel trans-dimensionally, and shapeshift. The Reptoids, who formed the basis of the race of Gods known to the Babylonians as the Annunaki, made their homes in the bowels of the planet. These reptilian beings are also called the Watchers, the Fallen Angels, the Sons of God, Nephilim, or Grigori, and their evil machinations have been recorded as far back as Biblical apocrypha.

Monoatomic gold isn't the only thing that fuels their formidable powers; they can also utilize human fear, aggression, guilt, frustration, and anger to the same end. In order to promote the chaos and discord necessary for generating as much of these negative human emotions as possible, the Watchers crossbred with specifically selected influential humans. There were three primary breeding programs: the first resulted in the creation of the creature that the Bible calls Adam. To date, the vast majority of political and financial leaders of the world are half-reptile, and they have a vice-grip on all aspects of human society. The prophesied False Messiah, (the Antichrist, or Dajjal), will be a product of the unholy union of Watcher and human.

Malevolent superintelligent para-dimensional shapeshifting reptoid musk.

In the vial, musty, malevolent musk. Say that three times fast! :-) Color, brown/green.

Wet on my skin, oh HELL no. 30 seconds of that was enough to tell me to take it off. Frankincense frankincense frankincense or something like it. Migraine trigger of the highest order in that concentration. Let's hope I got it off fast enough.

*****

The Montauk Project -

Vile weapons spawned in
A mysterious sanctum
Yes, Tesla still lives.

The government's most dangerous and fantastic experiments are conducted in Montauk, home to the real Men in Black. Mind-shattering psychological weapons are developed in top-secret facilities, where researchers also investigate invisibility, psychic and psionic power, and travel through hyperspace, alternate dimensions, and time.

Breathtaking native flora concealing a bastion of covert government experiments: shagbark hickory, sassafras, black gum, bald cypress, pine, dogwood, wild comfrey, swamp sunflower, and trumpet creeper.

In the vial, it smells like the good parts of a swamp. Dark, damp, green, and blooming. Color, dark green.

Wet on my skin, it's oddly sweet. Overly sweet, really. I don't know if it's the sassafras and sunflower or what, but it smells almost like candy.

10-15 minute drydown - I think the sweetness is from the sassafras, because I'm starting to get an almost root beer kinda smell from it. There's also a floral in there that's kinda making my eyes water - I'm thinking it's the sunflower. Not fond of it.

*****

Phantom Time Hypothesis -

Charlemagne? Fiction.
What is the date anyway?
Three-hundred year lie.

All archaeological evidence that the years AD 614-911 took place is fabricated, and these years were added to our contemporary version of history due to the deliberate falsification of documents and manufactured artifacts.

This year is, in actuality, AD 1713.

A traditional Medieval perfume that never existed: balm, benzoin, damask rose, gumdragon, lignum aloes, orange water, ambergris, and vegetal musk.

In the vial, it's a very traditional smelling perfume, as the description says. Mostly, I'm getting orange water and rose. Ugh. Color, pale rose.

Wet on my skin, it's all orange water. Maybe a little bit of musk. Not a good scent on me.

10-15 minute drydown - Huh. It's turned to straight powder. Not unpleasant, but I'm not buying a bottle of it.

*****

Teatime in Roswell -

Weather balloon? No.
An alien autopsy,
A cover story.

In July of 1947, the US Air Force recovered the crash debris of multiple alien spacecrafts from a ranch close to Roswell, NM. Several aliens survived, but many perished. Both the living and the dead extraterrestrials were transported, in secret, to Hangar 18 at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, along with the flying saucer wreckage. The US government performed a quick, efficient cover-up: witnesses were silenced, and a press release was issued the next day claiming that the fallen craft was a weather balloon.

Aliens at high tea: Earl Grey, biscuits, Battenberg cake, and strangely-glowing cucumber sandwiches.

In the vial, cucumbers and sugar! It definitely smells edible. Color, pastel green.

Wet on my skin, it smells like the raspberry filling and icing from the Battenberg cake on me. This is one of the few foody scents I've liked, I think.

10-15 minute drydown - Starting to get a little of the biscuits - smells kinda like shortbread. Still smell raspberry and icing, though. I don't think I'll be buying a bottle, but I'll keep the imp.

BPAL sniffing notes 62 - Traipsing Through the Crop Circles, The Aurora Spaceship Takes a Dive, Committee of 300, Skytyping with Chemtrails

Traipsing Through the Crop Circles -

Mystery doodle
Vast: in corn, maize, or barley
Aliens or what?

Alien navigational landmarks? Extraterrestrial communications? Plasma vortices? Manifestations of the mystic power of ley lines?

Miles and miles of flattened wheat, barley, and maize.

In the vial, it reminds me of freshly shucked corn and cut grass. It's a very fresh scent. Color, green.

Wet on my skin, HELLOOO CORNFIELD. It really does smell exactly like fresh corn. If you like very green, fresh scents with a hint of dust and pollen, this would be perfect, I'd think.

10-15 minute drydown - Pretty, but I can see where this could actually give me a sinus headache... Allergies, HO! It's not really me, either. But, I was curious.

*****

The Aurora Spaceship Takes a Dive -

Alas, poor spaceman!
We hardly knew you before
You smashed the windmill

On April 17, 1897, an alien spaceship appeared in the skies over Aurora, Texas. It came in too low, flying through the Aurora town square, and then hobbled north towards Judge Proctor's farm. There, it smashed into a windmill and exploded, destroying the judge's house and flower garden in a deluge of tons of debris and wreckage. The townspeople hurried to the scene, where they found the horribly burnt and disfigured corpse of the alien pilot. The kindly people of Aurora buried the unfortunate alien, keeping his gravesite a secret from curious onlookers.

Texas thistle, bluebell, red corn poppy, magnolia, sunflower, cedar sage, and smashed, flaming windmill.

In the vial, I'm getting *lots* of wildflowers... I think mostly sage, poppy, and sunflower. Unfortunately, it has a distinct soapiness to it, even in the imp. Color, powder blue.

Wet on my skin, it's magnolia, sage, sunflower, and bluebell. In other words, laundry detergent. Meh. It's really not far from Dirty, to my nose.

10-15 minute drydown - Eh. Just smells like dryer sheets or laundry detergent to me, really. Not that that's a bad smell, I'd just rather my *clothes* smell like it - not me.

*****

The Committee of 300: Meeting Minutes -

Who knows who you are?
You control all of the world,
Shadow government.

The East India Trading Company, in cahoots with the British aristocracy, founded the Committee of 300, or Olympians, in 1727. Utilizing wealth amassed via the burgeoning opium trade, the Olympians began to control worldwide commerce, politics, media, and the military forces of countless nations to further their vision of a New World Order. Through media manipulation, the instigation of limited, concentrated wars, the destruction of natural resources, the annihilation of religious beliefs and practices, international political and social convulsions, and the forced collapse of national economies through artificial depressions and market exploitation, the Olympians plan on subjugating the "surplus population" of the world.

An ominous round table for the quintessential Round Table Group: polished wood, tobacco smoke, faded cologne, and neon discharge.

In the vial, I'm getting good polished wood and tobacco, like someone's study. Color, mahogany.

Wet on my skin, it smells like a very harsh version of The Illustrated Woman. Thankfully, that 'neon discharge' isn't the ozone note I was afraid it would be.

10-15 minute drydown - I don't know why, but for some reason this just smells like cologne to me. The wood, neon, and tobacco are all but gone.

*****

Skytyping with Chemtrails -

Debilitating
Biological agents
Chemtrails are skydoom

Those slashes of white vapor in the sky aren't harmless condensation trails caused by aircraft engine exhaust and wingtip vortices; they are streams of biological agents deliberately dispersed into the atmosphere by government agencies in order to destabilize society by diminishing the physical and mental capacities of the proletariat. The chemicals in these so-called contrails serve multiple purposes that all work to further the agenda of the New World Order: electromagnetic mind control and bio-tracking, low-level population culling, and inducing physical weakness and mental apathy. All these effects move towards the goal of making the world's people malleable and complacent so they will, in the end, prostrate themselves willingly to the One Government.

Incapacitating poofiness: spun sugar, white amber, white musk, citron, and lemongrass masking a sinister, almost chemical undernote of elemi, zdravetz, and ravintsara.

In the vial, it's very citrusy and sweet-tart. Almost reminds me of orange Pez. :-) Color, orange-white.

Wet on my skin, I am in love. Citrus and musk and sugar and resins... If it stays like this, I need like a dozen bottles.

10-15 minute drydown - <3<3<3<3<3 I don't think I can *put* enough hearts on this one. This is the citrus I've been looking for.

BPAL sniffing notes 61 - Gluttony, Euphrosyne, House of Night, Fenris Wolf

Gluttony - Thick, sugared and bloated with sweetness. Dark chocolate, vanilla, buttercream, and hops with pralines, hazelnut, toffee and caramel.

In the vial, it smells like I should be drinking it, not wearing it. >.< Heavy on the caramel, hazelnut, and buttercream. Tasty, though. Hopefully, it doesn't turn burnt on me. Color, caramel.

Wet on my skin, HELLOOO TOFFEE AND BUTTERCREAM! I smell like nothing so much as butter and sugar and hazelnut. While I smell *edible*, it's too foody for me, I think. Thankfully, the chocolate isn't horrendous in this one, though.

10-15 minute drydown - I smell like the inside of a Yankee Candle shop. No thanks. I guess I'm not a foodie person, huh?

*****

Euphrosyne - Mirth - Gardenia, tea rose, vanilla and jasmine.

In the vial, I smell lemons. Huh? There's no lemon in this. Weird. Color, yellow.

Wet on my skin, Ok. Now I can pick out actual notes. I have no idea why this smelled like lemons in the imp. Bizarre. I'm still getting hints of lemon every once in a while, though. Mostly getting jasmine, vanilla, and gardenia.

10-15 minute drydown - Now it's all jasmine and gardenia, with a little lemon. Unfortunately, WAAAY too floral for me.

*****

House of Night - And by that light around the dome appear'd
A mournful garden of autumnal hue,
Its lately pleasing flowers all drooping stood
Amidst high weeds that rank in plenty grew.

The Primrose there, the violet darkly blue,
Daisies and fair Narcissus ceas'd to rise,
Gay spotted pinks their charming bloom withdrew.
And Polyanthus quench'd its thousand dyes.

No pleasant fruit or blossoms gaily smil'd,
Nought but unhappy plants or trees were seen,
The yew, the myrtle, and the church-yard elm,
The cypress, with its melancholy green.

There cedars dark, the osier, and the pine,
Shorn tamarisks, and weeping willows grew,
The poplar tall, the lotos, and the lime,
And Pyracantha did her leaves renew.

The poppy there, companion to repose,
Display'd her blossoms that began to fall,
And here the purple amaranthus rose
With mint strong-scented, for the funeral.

And here and there with laurel shrubs between
A tombstone lay, inscrib'd with stains of woe,
And stanzas sad, throughout the dismal green,
Lamented for the dead that slept below.

A sorrowful graveyard bouquet of somber blooms, funereal boughs, dismal green and laden with grief.

In the vial, heavy white blooms and ivy are dominant to my nose. I have a feeling this one is going to be too much for me. Color, white.

Wet on my skin, fresh cut ivy is the first note I catch. That *very* wet, green note that almost drowns out everything else initially. Flowerwise, I'm getting maybe gardenia and carnation, because I'm smelling something similar to Euphrosyne and I know it's not jasmine or rose and I'm getting a spiciness that I can only associate with carnation. Not a favorite of mine.

10-15 minute drydown - Ok, I don't know what flowers are in here, but I was wrong and I am in love. They're the same beautiful sweet flowers from Worm Moon and I want MORE.

30 minute drydown - Whew... phenomenal scent, but I don't think I need a bottle of this one. An imp or two is probably MORE than sufficient. It's just THAT strong.

*****

Fenris Wolf - The raw, untamable power of chaos. Rosewood, amber, red musk and a dribble of red sandalwood.

In the vial, the rosewood and red musk are strongest. I don't know that I'll care much for this one because of that. I'm usually on the fence with red musk - it can go either way with me. It can make or break a fabulous scent. Color - red, but not primary red. Fur red.

Wet on my skin, red musk. I might have to wash this one off before I give it much of a chance, unfortunately. It smells almost like the red oil I've mentioned before.

10-15 minute drydown - Nope. Red musk headache territory. Needs to go now.

BPAL sniffing notes 60 - Lurid, The Black Rider, The Robotic Scarab, Alecto

The Black Rider - As she stood there a third man on horseback came galloping up. His face was black, he was dressed all in black, and the horse he rode was coal-black. He galloped up to the gate of the hut and disappeared there as if he had sunk through the ground and at that moment the night came and the forest grew dark.

But it was not dark on the green lawn, for instantly the eyes of all the skulls on the wall were lighted up and shone till the place was as bright as day. When she saw this Vasilissa trembled so with fear that she could not run away.

Black leather, oppoponax, tobacco, and black amber.

In the vial, I swear to god there's rose in this. I smell leather and roses. This is what I expected Whip to smell like. Color, red so dark it's almost indistinguishable from black.

Wet on my skin, I can smell the leather distinctly, which is unusual. I'm wondering if the 'rose' note I'm picking up is a combination of the oppoponax and the black amber, though. The tobacco is standing out nicely, which I like. I'm usually pretty fond of tobacco notes, though.

10-15 minute drydown - So far, it's drying to leather and tobacco. Very nice. If it stays like this, it's a definite bottle purchase. It's reminiscent of Parliament of Monsters, but without the incense-y notes, so a little softer.

30 minute drydown - Slightly powdery, but not in a bad way. Amber has a tendency to dry that way, but it wasn't unexpected. I think this is a definite bottle.

*****

Lurid - Shocking, horrific, fierce, savage, sensationalized, luminous and hazy: black currant, Bulgarian lavender and white musk with a dollop of thick resin and a voltaic charge of ozone notes.

In the vial, it kinda reminds me of window cleaner. Helloooo, lavender and ozone. The black currant is surprisingly strong and sweet, too, and the resins present a nice strong base. Color, electric blue.

Wet on my skin, I'm getting black currant and lavender, almost exclusively. It smells like candy.

10-15 minute drydown - Ok, there's the ozone again. I was starting to wonder. :-) It smells very... clean, though. It almost reminds me of shampoo.

*ACK!!! Now I know what it reminds me of and why it bothers me. It's starting to smell more and more like Ultraviolet!!!!! GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!!!!!!!

*****

Alecto - Unceasing In Anger - Olive leaf, raspberry leaf, vetiver and cedarwood.

In the vial, it smells like furniture polish. What is it with me and cleaning products today? I think it's the olive leaf - Olisbos gave me a very similar feeling. Color - olive.

Wet on my skin, it's nowhere *near* as unpleasant on. This is a pretty masculine feeling scent, IMO, though. I think the cedar is giving that impression. Hopefully it doesn't turn to straight pencil shavings on me.

10-15 minute drydown - Now, it's almost all cedar and vetiver. Not a bad combo, either. I think this would be nicer on Josh, though.

*****

The Robotic Scarab - Pinpoints of red light beaming from its eyes scan the room, and in a flutter of leather wings, it scuttles across the wooden floorboards.

Polished metallic notes, glossy leather, frankincense, star anise, and thin lubricating oils.

In the vial, it reminds me of a machine shop or a garage. It has a tinge of 'generic cologne' - probably the leather and star anise, something vaguely petroleum based, and a hint of exhaust. I know it sounds weird, but that's what it smelled like when I opened the imp. Color, oilslick black.

Wet on my skin, oh wow. I'm getting leather and frankincense, with a little sweetness from the anise and a bit of the acridness from the 'lubricating oils'. This is so much better than I expected.

10-15 minute drydown - There's a little bit of sharpness coming out from the metallic notes, which is nice. That keeps the frank from being too heavy. This is soooo much nicer than I anticipated. Definite bottle material.

30 minute drydown - Spoke too soon. Apparently, I amp mineral/metal/oil notes. Erk. All of a sudden, I smell like a gas station. That interesting, not unpleasant petroleum acridity I was smelling... now smells like I spilled half a gallon of Unleaded on myself. Same thing happened with Inganok Jewelers, but not as bad. Whew! Stinky!

BPAL sniffing notes 59 - Burial, Casanova, Scarecrow, Red Devil

Burial - The Dark Side of Earth: deep, brooding forest scents, including juniper and patchouli. The scent of upturned cemetary loam mingling with floral offerings to the dead.

In the vial, I'm getting vetiver, patchouli, and juniper. *Very* earthy. Nice. Color - black loam.

Wet on my skin, this has a caramelized, almost sweet smell to it. Odd. Reminds me of vinegar and sugar, a little. The floral offerings seem to be the same ones from Worm Moon - one of the few florals that don't hate me.

10-15 minute drydown - Unfortunately, I think there's some violet in here because there's a weird soapy/alcohol-y note that does *not* agree with me. Pity, because it smelled REALLY nice.

30 minute drydown - After wiping some of it off, I'm getting a *very* soft floral, maybe iris, and the juniper/patchouli/vetiver combo. Nice. I doubt I'll order a bottle, but this makes me want to try Graveyard Dirt, Deep in Earth, and The Potter's Field. I really like the 'dirt' scent, but I want it without the flowers.

*****

Casanova - A name synonymous with seduction and licentiousness. From childhood aspirations of seclusion and priesthood came Giacomo Casanova, the self-styled Chevalier de Seingalt, the most notorious debauchee and playboy of all time. His memoirs, Histoire de Ma Vie, enflamed the Enlightenment with scandal and tales of sexual conquest. His restless nature and flair for sensationalizing his adventures drew him into and out of fortune, through numerous careers and affairs, and led him into a brief altercation with the Inquisition and a conviction on the charge of witchcraft. Though he had a life rife with drama and intrigue, he died peacefully at the age of 73, librarian to the Count of Waldstein. Who says librarians can't be sexy? A rakish blend of leather, anise, lavender, bergamot and amber with tonka, lemon peel and lusty patchouli.

In the vial, it's all anise, lavender, and bergamot. Herbal, herbal, herbal. And talk about MASCULINE! Color - redwood.

Wet on my skin - Still *very* herbal, but now I'm getting some of the leather. No patchouli, amber or tonka, though.

10-15 minute drydown - There's the tonka. Very warm. Most definitely more for Josh than me, but it smells quite nice. Very clean and herbal.

*****

Scarecrow - An agricultural gargoyle. Though he is the Guardian of the Crops and Keeper of the Fields, his visage is still the stuff of nightmares. The scent of a hot wind blowing through desolate, scorched, barren fields.

In the vial, it smells like fresh cut hay and corn husks. Color, gold.

Wet on my skin, it's very sweet, like freshly husked white corn and almost milky.

10-15 minute drydown - Too sweet. Like, corn syrup sweet. Not for me. I mean, that's ALL I can smell - corn syrup.

30 minute drydown - Ok, now it's corn mash and musk. Not unpleasant, but still a little too sweet. I think I still prefer the sun-dried musk in Coyote to this one.


*****

Red Devil - A sinfully playful lust blend. Inspires sexual spontaneity, a little bit of kinkiness, and new and inventive ways to get dirty.

In the vial, it smells dead on like Orange Bubbleyum bubble gum. Yummy! Playful, indeed. Color, red-orange.

Wet on my skin, it smells like orange gum, but with spices. And I dunno about kinky or sexual spontaneity, but it definitely makes me feel a little feisty! >:-)

10-15 minute drydown - I can't stop sniffing my wrist and I've got a big stupid grin on my face... hehe. Nice. I think I need a bottle of this one.

BPAL sniffing notes 58 - Templum Victoriae room spray

Templum Victoriae room spray - Frankincense, olive leaf, champaca, beeswax, amber, and bay myrtle.

Ack. Ack ack ack. I don't know if it was the bay myrtle, since I've never smelled it before, the frankincense that I know I'm sensitive to, or the perfumer's alcohol but *one* little spray of this stuff and I was coughing and choking like someone had stuck a spoon down my throat and my nose burned for a good hour. NOT fun.

BPAL sniffing notes 57 - Mr. Nancy, Serpents with Glittering Eyes and Forky Tongues

Mr. Nancy - Before Fat Charlie's father had come into the bar, the barman had been of the opinion that the whole karaoke evening was going to be an utter bust; but then the little old man had sashayed into the room, walked past the table of several blonde women with the fresh sunburns and smiles of tourists...He had tipped his hat to them, for he wore a hat, a spotless green fedora, and lemon-yellow gloves, and then he walked over to their table. They giggled....He was older than they were, much, much older; but he was charm itself, like something from a bygone age when fine manners and courtly gestures were worth something. The barman relaxed. With someone like this in the bar, it was going to be a good evening.

Sugar cookies with bay rum, tobacco, and lime.

In the vial, nothing but lime and tobacco. Not a pleasant scent... but I've been fooled before. :-) Color, mahogany.

Wet on my skin, it's Scurvy without the peppery note and with tobacco! I was right! On another note... I'm getting a *lot* of lime, some tobacco and rum, but not much of the 'sugar cookies'.

10-15 minute drydown - I like the bay rum and lime, the tobacco in this one I could do without. I generally *like* tobacco notes, but it just doesn't add anything TO this one IMO.

30 minute drydown - I'm starting to smell the sugar cookies, but it still doesn't impress me like I'd hoped it would.

*****

Serpents with Glittering Eyes and Forky Tongues - It was a long way to her own house, and the chest seemed to grow heavier at every step. Sometimes she felt as if it would be impossible for her to get on at all, but her greed gave her strength, and at last she arrived at her own door. She sank down on the threshold, overcome with weariness, but in a moment was on her feet again, fumbling with the lock of the chest. But by this time night had come, and there was no light in the house, and the woman was in too much hurry to get to her treasures, to go and look for one. At length, however, the lock gave way, and the lid flew open, when, O horror! instead of gold and jewels, she saw before her serpents with glittering eyes and forky tongues. And they twined themselves about her and darted poison into her veins, and she died, and no man regretted her.

Serpentine green herbs, glistening red currant, sparkling yellow lemon rind, green musk, lime, and snakeskin.

In the vial, it's lemon, lime, herbs, and musk. I'm in love. Color, deep scale green.

Wet on my skin, I'm getting lemon, lime, red currant, green musk, and something herbal. It smells very bright and clean, almost like something I'd expect from a dishwashing liquid or something.

10-15 minute drydown - When Beth described one of the notes as 'snakeskin', she nailed it. There's something in there that's cool and sinuous and slithery and I <3<3<3 it. I want to bathe in it.

BPAL sniffing notes 56 - Scurvy, Embalming Fluid

Scurvy - no notes.

In the vial, I'm getting lime, definitely, and maybe bay rum and sugar of some sort. Reminds me of a boat drink! Hello, Mr. Buffett! Color, lime green.

Wet on my skin, I'm getting lemon, lime, some sort of sugar, possibly that bay rum and another citrus. I'm smelling something peppery - I can't quite place it but it's very reminiscent of cardamom or the slightly effervescent peppery scent of grapefruit rind.

10-15 minute drydown - Hrm. I'm now fairly certain that that pepper note is cardamom. I dunno how I feel about smelling like cardamom. Love the way it tastes, not so sure about the scent. There might be some almond in here too because I'm getting a 'baked goods' note every once in a while that I've come to associate with the Lab's almond.

30 minute drydown - Ok, I don't think I'll be hunting down a bottle, but it's not painful.

*****

Embalming Fluid - A light, pure scent: white musk, green tea, aloe and lemon.

In the vial, very nice. I'm getting mostly green tea, aloe and lemon - not much of the musk. Color, spring green.

Wet on my skin, aloe and tea. Maybe a *touch* of lemon, but not much. I'm really not getting any musk at all. Very bright.

10-15 minute drydown - Hrm. Tea. Nothing But Tea. This really just smells like Kumiho on me... maybe a little more depth, but that's about it.

BPAL sniffing notes 55 - Xiuhtecuhtli

Xiuhtecuhtli - Patron of the Aztec pantheon, he is the personification of light within darkness, warmth in the cold, and life in, and after, death. He is a creative and destructive God of Fire and Light, and is appeased only by sacrifice, trial, and the slaughter of his people's enemies. Copal, plumeria and sweet orange and the smoke of South American incense and crushed jungle blooms.

In the vial, it's a beautiful orange and plumeria. I <3 it. I hope it stays this beautiful on. Serious deep jungle life. Very nice. Color, fuschia.

Wet on my skin, so far so good. I'm getting sweet orange and plumeria, with a hint of incense smoke. God, I wish there was more plumeria in the catalogue. :-)

10-15 minute drydown - Well, hell. I think the copal is disagreeing with me, because something smells distinctly like tree sap and I'm not talking about the good pine sap smell and it's overtaking EVERYTHING. No more plumeria, no more orange, no more incense. Just sap. *pout*

all kinds of new smellies!

I have *lots* I need to do reviews on. My nose is going to be busy. This *isn't* including whatever frimps I get with my massive lab order I placed a couple of weeks ago, though.

Moon Rose
Dragon’s Reverie
Gula (bath oil)
Castitas (bath oil)
Bat of Good Death (sniffie)
Giant Vulva (sniffie)
Melpomene
Q7
Lunar Eclipse
Andreiphontes
Lightning
Wicked
Veritas
Somnus
Snooty Rose


Dangerous Oil (Possets)
Issota and Sigismundo (Possets)
Animato (Good Judy)

BPAL sniffing notes 54 - Yemaya, Vixen, Thorns, Green Tree Viper

Yemaya - Lady of the Ocean, Queen of Mothers, Mother of the Children of the Fishes. She is the River of Life, the ocean is her womb, and she is the mother of many of the Orishas. Yemaya shares the oceans with her lover/brother/son/brother-self, Olokun, and She governs the uppermost part of the waters where the sun's rays mingle with Her waters to promote life and growth. Yemaya is everlasting, She is motherhood, the universal drive for the survival of a species, the procreative urge, the instinct of a mother protecting her young, and She is the governess of all life on Earth. She is the Most Fruitful of Women, and both She and Olokun are the protectors and benefactors of those who wish to conceive. Yemaya, being the mother of Shango, also has jurisdiction over rain and snow. She has seven roads and seven manifestations, all corresponding to the Seven Seas. She is the blood that pumps through our veins, and the sound of our blood rushing through our bodies is Her lullaby. She is in constant motion, never resting, ever vigilant and though she may seem calm on the surface, there is always activity within Her waters. The Great Mother possesses breathtaking beauty, patience and a gentle hand, yet She is also fearsome, temperamental, moody and stern. She nurtures her children, but She is also a disciplinarian. She is symbolized by the fish, mermaid, seagull, wharf rat, ibis, vulture and duck, and She shares the beauty of the peacock feather with Oshun. Her ofrenda is a bounty of melons and grapes, strewn with the petals of the flowers of motherhood, draped with sea mosses.

In the vial, it reminds me of the melon flavored Air Heads taffy. Not a bad smell, but I don't know if I want to go around smelling like melon candy. Color, watermelon pink.

Wet on my skin, it's melon and grape juice and moss. Kinda like the sweet stuff you'd have at a picnic. Tasty, but not my idea of a perfume. Thankfully, the 'flowers of motherhood' aren't going haywire, either.

10-15 minute drydown - It's a candied floral now, but with a distinct melon note. Not unpleasant to say the least, but not really my thing.

30 minute drydown - Spoke too soon. Now I smell like flower-flavored jellybeans. Don't ask. I just do. It's not terribly pleasant.

*****

Vixen - Lascivious, flirtatious, and vampy as hell. A true heartbreaker's perfume. The innocence of orange blossom tainted by the beguiling scents of ginger and patchouli.

In the vial, it's almost all patchouli. It's also one of the more bitter patchoulis I've smelled - probably due, in part, to the ginger and neroli. Color, bronze.

Wet on my skin, here goes nothing. Orange blossom doesn't usually agree with me, but patchouli does, so we'll see how this behaves. So far, not bad. The patchouli is nice and dark on me, with the tanginess of the ginger. Unfortunately, I'm already starting to pick up that damn neroli.

10-15 minute drydown - It smells like patchouli scented play-doh. I don't know why. It just does. Not a fan.

*****

Thorns - `Ah, ah! you thought to find your lady love, but the pretty bird has flown and its song is dumb; the cat caught it, and will scratch out your eyes too. Rapunzel is lost to you for ever — you will never see her more.'

The Prince was beside himself with grief, and in his despair he jumped right down from the tower, and, though he escaped with his life, the thorns among which he fell pierced his eyes out. Then he wandered, blind and miserable, through the wood, eating nothing but roots and berries, and weeping and lamenting the loss of his lovely bride.

Thorn-spiked vines, blood, and tears.

In the vial, holy vetiver! Seriously, it smells like potting soil. Wow. Color, loam black.

Wet on my skin, I'm almost afraid to try it. I mean, I like vetiver, but the initial smell scared even me. Hrm.... vetiver, maybe some pine or juniper, and something salty. I can't say I'm liking it on myself, but it could prove very nice on Josh.

10 minute drydown - OMG. This smells like gin on me. Honestly, like I upended a bottle of Beefeater on myself. No thanks.

30 minute drydown - I wish the initial drydown didn't suck so bad because this smells awesome now. Woods and I think patchouli... probably be really nice for DH. I keep huffing my arm. ;-)

*****

Green Tree Viper - four mints, bergamot, and green tea.

In the vial, it smells like a mint cookie! I think that's because of the tea. Color, tan with a tinge of light green.

Wet on my skin, OH HAI MINT! I seriously smell like a mint Milano cookie! So far, this is the one Snake Pit scent I've really dug. It has a slightly medicinal scent, but sometimes you'll get that with mints and I don't mind at all. :-)

10-15 minute drydown - Very nice. Minty vanilla-y goodness. I can see a bottle of this being added to the list, too.

1 hour drydown - Most definitely getting a bottle of this. Very nice indeed.

April Fools update

ok, THESE are the ones I want to try:

The Aurora Spaceship Takes A Dive
The Committee of 300: Meeting Minutes
The Montauk Project
Phantom Time Hypothesis
Reptoid Dominion
Skytyping With Chemtrails
Teatime in Roswell
Traipsing Through The Crop Circles

out of 11, I want to try 8. *sigh* Beth is trying to Kill Me.

BPAL sniffing notes 53 - Parthenope, Dragon's Tears

Parthenope - Honeysuckle, orris, moss, musk, benzoin, oakmoss, and star jasmine.

In the imp, it's very sharp, almost bitter. Not at all what I was expecting. Must be the benzoin and oakmoss. Color, green-brown.

Wet on my skin, there's the honeysuckle and a bit of the jasmine. Hopefully, the orris doesn't turn this into soap on me.

10-15 minute drydown - Ugh. This is Worm Moon, without all of the good parts.

30 minute drydown - Hi, Old Lady Powder/Perfume/Soap. On me, this smells almost dead on like Evening in Paris - you know, the one in the big blue glass bottle that sat on grandma's dresser.

*****

Dragon's Tears - Bittersweet yet powerful: salty aquatic notes and bursting with dragon's blood.


In the vial, it smells like dragon's blood and sea spray. Not a bad combo. Color, that muddy green you see when there's blood in sea water.

Wet on my skin, this reminds me somewhat of Calico Jack with dragon's blood added, I think. Not sure how this will react to my body chemistry, but it could be promising. Very tangy, though.

10-15 minute drydown - Weird. This smells almost like burnt hair.

20 minute drydown - Ok, no more burnt hair smell. Thank god. LOL. Now it's slightly salty dragon's blood, like good skin musk. Nice.

1 hour drydown - This almost smells like there's myrrh in it, but I don't see where there would be any by the notes. I'm not complaining, though. It's very nice.

BPAL sniffing notes 52 - Aeronwen, The Parliament of Monsters

Aeronwen - Fig, dark myrrh, amber, redwood, nutmeg, tarragon, black musk, and sweet orange.

In the vial, I really get nothing beyond good, polished wood and herbs. Not a bad scent, but I don't know how it will react to my body chemistry. Color, honey gold.

Wet on my skin, that tarragon is really strong. The redwood and amber are a nice combo, though. The fig lends it a nice earthy sweetness, though. Surprisingly enough, I can't smell any of the myrrh, musk, or orange at all.

10-15 minute drydown - I am just not digging this one. I think the tarragon is killing it for me. Oh well. That's why we have imps, no?

*****

The Parliament of Monsters - You pass through the golden mouth, and find yourself inside a narrow, cramped corridor. Large wooden paintings of skeletal hands crook their bony fingers, leading you forwards. At the first turn, you hear a bizarre jumble of sounds: the high-pitched sound of gears grinding, metal on metal, the sound of sultry, low-pitched laughter, a clattering, wings flapping, soft hissing. Suddenly, a sharp howl pierces the darkness. As you make your way around the corner you are momentarily blinded as floodlights flicker to life, and thirteen gold-gilded stages are illuminated, bathed from beneath in sinister, caramel-colored light.

Dust, incense, wet tobacco, and a curl of opium smoke.

In the imp, Oooh that smells nice. Dusty, smoky, and slightly sweet/sharp from the tobacco. Here's hoping it plays nice with my body chemistry. Color, parchment.

Wet on my skin, wow. I hope this one stays just like it is. OMG. I really can't describe it other than *guh*.

10-15 minute drydown - It's strong, but this smells sooooo good. This another 'I NEED A BOTTLE NOW' scent!

BPAL sniffing notes 51 - The Illustrated Woman, The Torture Queen

A cluster of wooden wagons stands off to the side of the Midway, removed from the bustle of the dirt-caked makeshift street. A bonfire burns in the center of the lot, shining its light on a tattoo-covered woman. The images embedded in her skin writhe like living things, and the sigils that mark her glow faintly. She is filing her nails and smoking a cheroot while chatting idly with an impassive naked blonde who has been hoisted into the air by thick, gleaming meathooks. The blonde is pinioned; the blackened metal cables that bind her hang tightly from the branches of a massive grey oak. Her skin seems strangely translucent, and her veins and arteries are boldly visible. Two painted signs are propped, sideways, against the side of the tree:

THE ILLUSTRATED WOMAN
THE TORTURE QUEEN

The tattoo'd woman winks at you as you pass by. "Break time, honey," she growls, as she blows a smoke ring in your direction.

*****

THE ILLUSTRATED WOMAN
Skin musk, smoky vanilla, pine pitch, patchouli, Indian resins, golden honey, and tobacco.

In the vial, it's musky, resinous, and a little sweet. I'm actually pretty excited about this one. Here's hoping the honey doesn't take over and ruin the whole thing. Color, pick one. :-)

Wet on my skin, musk, patchouli, vanilla, and pine pitch. Interesting combo. It's got an interesting sweetness on the underside. I like it so far.

10-15 minute drydown - I could see buying a bottle of this one. :-) I really like this one. I think Josh will too. Very musky, but sweet at the same time. The pine pitch dies off and I get mostly patchouli, vanilla, tobacco, musk, and honey. Nice.

---

THE TORTURE QUEEN
White amber, vanilla musk, white tea, ambergris, gardenia, and chrome.

In the vial, it's very sweet, almost innocent. I have a feeling there's something more to this one. Question is - what? Color, chrome.

Wet on my skin, amber, white tea, and gardenia with a little bit of a tang - the 'chrome' note. Smells almost like citrus to me. I'm just hoping the gardenia doesn't amp to painful levels.

10-15 minute drydown - Very nice. Not too floral at all. This is a very light, feminine musk with a bit of a bite. I wouldn't mind a bottle of this, either.

BPAL sniffing notes 50 - Dragon's Milk, Psychological Horror

Dragon's Milk - A truly fae nectar! Dragon's blood resin and honeyed vanilla.

In the vial, Holy Sugared Incense, Batman! Wow, that's sweet. Color, RED.

Wet on my skin, certainly sweet, but not cloyingly so. I can see actually wearing this. I'll have to see how the honey develops in this one because I tend not to care much for the heavier BPAL honey scents.

10-15 minute drydown - Eh, the honey seems to have taken over. I can't smell much of anything other than that. A pity, really.

*****

Psychological Horror - This is not the Monstrous Other; this is the fiend next door. Examples: Psycho, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, the Collector, and Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte It smells perfectly normal: a lovely, unassuming, traditional mid-20th century musk with something not quite right lying underneath.

In the vial, it smells like celery and coffee?! WTF?! I'm almost afraid to try this one. Color, light green.

Wet on my skin, it's a crisp musky aquatic. *Almost* smells like celery, but not quite, thankfully. Man, that threw me for a minute.

10-15 minute drydown - Ech. There's some weird aquatic floral in here that smells like celery and I don't like it. No thanks.

BPAL sniffing notes 49 - Anactoria, Penis Admiration, Unveiled, Needlework, Al-Shairan

Anactoria - I feel thy blood against my blood; my pain
Pains thee, and lips bruise lips, and vein stings vein.
Let fruit be crushed on fruit, let flower on flower
Breast kindle breast, and either burn one hour.
Why wilt thou follow lesser loves? are thine
Too weak to bear these hands and lips of mine?

The scent of the throes of violent passion: entangled limbs, teeth on flesh, furiously grasping hands, the taste of blood and sweat. Golden amber, white honey, red currant, daemonorops, kush, and Arabian musk.

In the vial, it's rich and sweet without being sickening. Color, red gold.

Wet on my skin, it's musky, sweet, and golden. Almost soporific.

10-15 minute drydown - It's musky-sweet, with an incense-y edge. Heaven.

6 hour drydown - This is a definite Pennsic Party Night scent. ;-)

*****

Penis Admiration - Lilac, ho wood, smoky vanilla, galbanum, and tonka.

In the vial, it smells like movie popcorn butter. WTF?! Color, cream yellow.

Wet on my skin, kettle corn. Huh? This is, by far, the weirdest smelling perfume I've ever found.

10-15 minute drydown - Creamy vanilla lilac. Ok, that's better. That initial scent was something else...

1 hour drydown - There's something kinda addictive about this one... I keep sniffing my arm.

6 hour drydown - There's just something inherently comforting about this one... I think it's the vanilla/tonka combination - it's very warm.

*****

Unveiled - Red bush tea, vanilla, white peach, golden amber, mandarin, lotus root, and myrrh.

In the vial, it's peach and lotus root and myrrh. Color, red gold.

Wet on my skin, this is the myrrh I like. The tea, amber, and peach temper it to the point that it doesn't give me a headache. This I could see going well with my garb (Ottoman Turkish), but I don't know if I could wear it to summer events or if it would be too heavy for War. Maybe at night?

10-15 minute drydown - Very nice. Feminine without the florals. I like this a lot.

*****

Needlework - Oolong tea, lilac, sheer musk, crushed ginger, wisteria, delphinium, and lavender.

In the vial, this is a *very* herbal, green scent. Color, light purple-green.

Wet on my skin, it smells like fresh cut herbs - the ginger, lilac, and lavender are prominent with my chemistry. The herbs are very appropriate - it's a very spring-ish scent.

10-15 minute drydown - It's very pretty, but I don't see myself wearing it much. Something just doesn't seem 'me' about it.

*****

Al-Shairan - The enemy of God, also named Iblis, He Who Despaired of the Mercy of God. Al-Shairan is the leader of the Jinn, a tempter who whispers false suggestions to men enticing them into evil and perfidious acts, and is the sworn enemy of all of Adam's children. His scent is fiery, bright and thick with sweet sinfulness: clove, peach and orange with cinnamon, patchouli and dark incense notes.

In the vial, Oh, My. It's spices and patchouli and orange. I think I'm in love. :-)

Wet on my skin, :-( I am teh sad. It's cinnamon, clove, and incense on me. I seem to have eaten the oranges and patchouli. It's a plainer, darker version of Plunder on me.

10-15 minute drydown - Unfortunately, I think the only way I would be able to wear this one would be in a locket... However, this may be my excuse to buy one. Heh.

BPAL sniffing notes 48 - Ronin, Luperci, Olisbos, Inganok Jewelers, Smut, Okayaki

Ronin - White sandalwood, rice flower, honey, black pepper, and oakmoss.
-
Peppery honey. No thanks.

*****

Luperci - Piss off, Saint Valentine! Lupercalia is an ancient Roman celebration, held on February 15th, that kicked in the advent of Spring with a very, very festive purification, fertility and sexuality ritual. The ritual began near the cave of Lupercal on the Palatine, an area sacred to Faunus, as well as Ruminia, Romulus and Remus. During Lupercalia, Vestal Virgins first made offerings of sacred cakes to the fig tree under which the she-wolf suckled the Sacred Twins. A dog and two goats were then offered in sacrifice to Faunus. The blood of the sacrifice was smeared onto two naked patrician youths, who were assisted by the Virgins, and the blood was wiped clean with sacred wool dipped in milk. The youths donned the skins of the sacrificial goats, wielding whips made from the goat skins, and then led the priests and the Virgins around the pomarium, and around the base hills of Rome. This was a ceremony of great happiness and merriment, and was of particular interest to young women: being touched by the goat-whips young men that led the procession ensured their fertility in the coming year. It is believed that, after the initial rite, male participants would draw the name of an available maiden, with whom he spent the rest of the night. This scent is for the Luperci, the Chosen of Faunus, the Brothers of the Wolf: raw, down and dirty patchouli, Gurjam balsam, and essence of Sampson Root sweetened with the heightened sexuality of beeswax, virile juniper, oakmoss, ambrette seed over honey and East African musk.
-
Department store men's cologne. Expensive department store men's cologne, but department store cologne nonetheless.

*****

Olisbos - As for old flames and lovers-they're none left.
And since Milesians went against us,
I've not seen a decent eight-fingered dildo.
Yes, it's just leather, but it helps us out.

The ancient Greeks sure weren't shy about taking care of business. The port city of Miletus was once famed throughout the Mediterranean as a source of excellent stone, wood, and padded leather dildos. This scent is the celebration of an age-old pastime: polished wood, well-loved leather, and olive oil.
-
You know how there's a distinct difference between the scent of black and yellow leather? This is definitely tanned *yellow* leather and it doesn't agree with my body chemistry. It's far too sweet for me. Also, it kinda reminds me of a hospital, for some odd reason. No thanks.

*****

Inganok Jewelers - Arkham, MA
Are you looking for the perfect ring to express your everlasting love? How about an amulet representing your sweetheart's devotion to Zo-Kalar, Hargag Ryonis, Tamash, or Nyarlathotep? Inganok Jewelers carries a vast selection of onyx jewelry, mined in Inganok, designed by the natives of Y'Pawfrm e'din Leng, and crafted by the skilled artisans of Celephaïs! Each piece is as unique as your last psychotic break!

Gleaming stone and silver.
-
While not unpleasant, I can't say I particularly care for the *very* minerally smell of this one. It is definitely the scent of wet semiprecious stones. Bravo, Beth.

*****

Smut - After all these years, BPAL is smuttier than ever.

Three swarthy, smutty musks sweetened with sugar and woozy with dark booze notes.

In the vial, sugary musk. Color, leathery brown.

Wet on my skin, sugar and vanilla-y musk. This is, so far, one of the few red musk blends that hasn't made me physically ill. I <3 it bunches.

10-15 drydown - Whoo, mama is this strong! But I like it. And I have to say, Smut is an appropriate name for this one... It just makes ya feel kinda naughty. ;-)

*****

Okayaki - Olive blossom, cardamom pod, amber, morning star lily, bergamot, and a well-aimed snowball.

In the vial, it's very clean and almost green smelling. Pretty appropriate, given the notes. Color, very light green.

Wet on my skin, I quite like this. It's feminine without being cloying and overly floral. Josh actually asked what this one was before I had a chance to ask his opinion of it! Good sign. It has a nice citrus note to it that's not overpowering - enough to lift the whole thing up but not enough to bowl you over. I think I like the olive blossom, too.

10-15 minute drydown - Wow. Morning star lily and olive blossom have been added to the list of flowers that don't make me want to cringe in terror and I have confirmed that I <3 snow notes.

garb for munchkins

Well... At some point I'm going to have to figure out at least two sets of garb for Lily, especially if she's coming to Blackstone, even for just one day. I'd probably better have 3 or 4 - she *is* two, after all. So, I figured I'd at least put her measurements here for reference.

Chest - 23
Nape of neck to back of knee - 23
Arm, bent, from middle of back - 14
Head - 20
Mid-back to heel - 19
Inseam - 13
Waist - 21

I'm thinking, at very least, t-tunic and pants. I don't think I want to put her in anything much longer than that because, to be honest, she's not much more coordinated than I am and I don't feel like having to nurse bruises and knots all day.

I *think* that's everything I need to make basic garb for a toddler. I should probably make her a doll and a pouch or something too. She'd like that. :-)

BPAL sniffing notes 47 - Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller, Western Diamondback, Temple Viper, Champagne bath oil

Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller - A colorless woman bursts from an elaborate gold and ruby tent and faints dead at your feet. Soft laughter emits from the dark entrance to the tent, and the scent of musk, black fruits and incense touches your senses. Looking up, you see that the sign hovering above the unconscious woman is adorned with images of the Major Arcana"s Tower and reads:

"Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller.
No fate too grim, no future too bleak."

A tiny woman with floor-length black dreadlocks walks out of the tent, stepping over the prone body. She is clothed in deep red wrappings, and is bedecked in golden ornaments bearing alchemical symbols and charms representing eternity, chance, and wisdom. She pauses, looks you over slowly, and then flicks a tarot card at your feet.

Red musk, vanilla bean, pomegranate, patchouli leaf and wild plum.

In the vial, sweet and musky and just slightly medicinal. Color, dusty black.

Wet on my skin, I'm anxious to see if aged red musk plays any more nicely than fresh. Oh, my. Mme. Moriarty is very persuasive. I like this... Now to see if the red musk agrees with me.

10-15 minute drydown - Holy Patchouli! It's sweet and resinous and I love it. It reminds me of these black patchouli scented candles I used to buy that I adored.

1 hour drydown - Hrmm... I dunno if I'll be able to wear this. The red musk is starting to amp. I quite like it, but it's starting to take on an overly heavy medicinal quality I've started to associate with red musk and my body chemistry. We'll see how this goes.

2 hour drydown - Ok, I think Mme. Moriarty has won me over. I need a bottle of this one. The notes are playing well, which is what I was worried about, and I think after some aging, she'll work quite well.

*****

Western Diamondback - Snake Oil with leather, tonka bean, red sandalwood, and sage.

In the vial, it smells clean. Like leather polish. I think that's the sage and the tonka. Color, butter yellow, like leather.

Wet on my skin, it's *very* sweet. Gotta be the tonka. This reminds me of yellow tanned leather - that sweet, slightly acrid leathery smell.

10-15 minute drydown - This smells EXACTLY like brand new yellow leather work boots boots on me, right down to the slight oily acridity of the rubber lug soles. Crazy.

*****

Temple Viper - Snake Oil with with sugar cane, frankincense, champaca, opoponax, labdanum, and hyssop.

In the vial, it smells almost like an herbal brown sugar, oddly enough. Colorwise, red gold.

Wet on my skin, ack. I was hoping that age would temper Frank a little... Not so. It smells beautiful, but I can already feel a headache coming on. It's gotta go.

*****

Champagne bath oil - Unreleased prototype bath oil from the Black Phoenix Trunk Show at Dark Delicacies on Sunday, November 29th, 2009.

In the vial, sparkly! It kinda reminds me faintly of ginger ale. I like it! Color, ginger cream.

Wet on my skin, it smells like ginger and limes, with a sparkliness in your nose! OMG I NEED LIKE A GALLON OF THIS as long as it doesn't go to lily of the valley on me, which I suspect it might.

10-15 minute drydown - It's still sparkly and clean and I <3 it.

BPAL sniffing notes 46 - Lick It Till It's Sticky

Lick It Till It's Sticky - The stickiest thing you shouldn't lick this winter. Peppermint candy cane with an extra jolt of sugar.

In the vial, it smells like the guts of a Peppermint Patty! I like that. Color, WHITE!

Wet on my skin, it smells like I've got a candy cane stuck to one arm! HEHE! This would work for Christmas with my daughter or something. It's very *cute*. But seriously, I'm getting nothing but straight peppermint.

10-15 minute drydown - No change. Still straight peppermint. Not bad, but I would have liked a little more depth. Maybe I need to search out some of the other Lick Its and see how they compare.

1 hour drydown - Hah! Now, for some odd reason, it smells like Ben-Gay. Now, go ahead, think I'm weird... I actually like the smell of Ben-Gay. But perfume, it is not.

BPAL sniffing notes 45 - Troll, Dragon's Musk, Belle Vinu, Loup Garou, Clemence, Cytherea

Troll - They call me Troll;
Gnawer of the Moon,
Giant of the Gale-blasts,
Curse of the rain-hall,
Companion of the Sibyl,
Nightroaming hag,
Swallower of the loaf of heaven.
What is a Troll but that?

A lurching, hateful, bitter scent. This is a gruesome blend of ghastly greens and blacks: vetiver, pine pitch, troll musk, black basil, clove smoke, and scorched cumin.

In the vial, a little dry and acrid. Reminds me of dried leaves. Color, dark brown.

Wet on my skin, it's vetiver and clove and pine and I'm in love. All I can think of is early fall days at an SCA event when it's warm enough not to freeze but cool enough to have a good fire and not burn up.

10-15 minute drydown - Wow... it's very... pungent. I love the way it smells, but it's very strong. I don't know that I'd wear it as a perfume but it's one hell of a mood piece.

1 hour drydown - It's fall leaves and woodsmoke. I dunno that I'll wear it because it's a little heavy on the pine, but it's definitely getting a trial run on the hubby. :-)

*****

Dragon's Musk - Dominant, passionate, devastating. Dragon's blood and five deep musks.

In the vial, rich and sweet. Almost reminiscent of good leather. Color, dark red.

Wet on my skin, I'm hoping either there's no red musk in this or that it plays nicely. So far, so good.

10-15 minute drydown - Hmm. I seem to have eaten all of the dragon's blood. All I can smell is musk. Not unpleasant, but not something I particularly *want*.

1 hour drydown - Red musk. Ugh. My head hurts.

*****

Belle Vinu - There was once a very rich merchant, who had six children, three boys and three girls. As he was himself a man of great sense, he spared no expense for their education. The three daughters were all handsome, but particularly the youngest; indeed, she was so very beautiful, that in her childhood every one called her the Little Beauty; and being equally lovely when she was grown up, nobody called her by any other name, which made her sisters very jealous of her. This youngest daughter was not only more handsome than her sisters, but also was better tempered. The two eldest were vain of their wealth and position. They gave themselves a thousand airs, and refused to visit other merchants' daughters; nor would they condescend to be seen except with persons of quality. They went every day to balls, plays, and public walks, and always made game of their youngest sister for spending her time in reading or other useful employments. As it was well known that these young ladies would have large fortunes, many great merchants wished to get them for wives; but the two eldest always answered, that, for their parts, they had no thoughts of marrying any one below a duke or an earl at least. Beauty had quite as many offers as her sisters, but she always answered, with the greatest civility, that though she was much obliged to her lovers, she would rather live some years longer with her father, as she thought herself too young to marry.

It happened that, by some unlucky accident, the merchant suddenly lost all his fortune, and had nothing left but a small cottage in the country. Upon this he said to his daughters, while the tears ran down his cheeks, "My children, we must now go and dwell in the cottage, and try to get a living by labour, for we have no other means of support." The two eldest replied that they did not know how to work, and would not leave town; for they had lovers enough who would be glad to marry them, though they had no longer any fortune. But in this they were mistaken; for when the lovers heard what had happened, they said, "The girls were so proud and ill-tempered, that all we wanted was their fortune: we are not sorry at all to see their pride brought down: let them show off their airs to their cows and sheep." But everybody pitied poor Beauty, because she was so sweet-tempered and kind to all, and several gentlemen offered to marry her, though she had not a penny; but Beauty still refused, and said she could not think of leaving her poor father in this trouble. At first Beauty could not help sometimes crying in secret for the hardships she was now obliged to suffer; but in a very short time she said to herself, "All the crying in the world will do me no good, so I will try to be happy without a fortune."

Red sandalwood, vanilla, rosewood, osmanthus, and white peach.

In the vial, I can actually smell some of the slight bitterness I usually associate with fresh roses, for some reason. Probably from the peach. Color, peach!

Wet on my skin, it's very light. Vanilla, peach, and rosewood come out most. I quite like this. It's a lot more feminine than I would normally go for, but has a depth that makes it not too girly.

10-15 minute drydown - Odd. Now it's smells very *green*, like freshly cut greenery or flowers. Almost like ivy or muguet, but without the cloying quality.

1 hour drydown - I'm not sure if I like this one or not... It's got a very *perfumey* quality that I'm having a hard time dealing with. Might have to try this one more than once.

*****

Loup Garou - The wild, untamed essence of lycanthropy. Primeval in its raw power and insatiable hunger: juniper, cypress and galangal with the barest touch of eucalyptus.

In the vial, it smells like freshly cut wood. Very pleasant smell, in my opinion. Color, very light yellow-white.

Wet on my skin, I think there's a little more juniper than I'd like in this blend. All I can smell is GIN. Maybe that will calm down on the drydown.

10-15 minute drydown - Lol... I smell like I rubbed against a pine tree. Very faint, but quite pleasant. Kinda like I've been on a hike or something.

*****

Clemence - Patchouli, Kashmiri tea, cardamom, black pepper, carnation, and clove.

In the vial, it smells oddly almost edible. Must be the spices. It reminds me of something I'd find on a plate at an SCA feast. Color, carnation red.

Wet on my skin, I'm taking a chance. I didn't realize this one had carnation in it until just now. Here goes nothing. At first I'm getting nothing but a faintly spiced tea. Not unpleasant, but not really what I'm looking for in a perfume.

10-15 minute drydown - Now it smells like bittersweet chocolate that's gone somewhat *off* and it's kind of making my head hurt.

*****

Cytherea - White sandalwood, patchouli, white amber, orris, bourbon vanilla, champaca flower, and kush.

In the vial, it smells like dishwashing liquid! Color, for some reason, day glow orange.

Wet on my skin, I'm getting a lot of amber, orris, and bourbon vanilla. Not bad, so far.

10-15 minute drydown - *gag* Flowers... too many flowers.... I would have thought the patchouli and sandalwood would have toned down the flowers but noooooo. The kush, vanilla orchid, champaca flower, and orris(iris) just overpower. Erk.