I got my cute, tiny little sample bottle of Clinique Simply today. (: I know I've spoken about it a lot on this blog, so I won't elaborate lots, but...what I noticed about it first was white florals, then immediately after for a little while, the thick sweetness of soymilk. Then the woodiness starts to come through..a pleasant sandalwood smell...before the white floral came back to stick with me. I do like this, and I think once my little bottle runs out (it won't take long...) I might have to indulge myself in a 1.7 oz bottle. I've always wanted a full bottle anyway - look at my last entry! They're so pretty!
I rediscovered
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab last night, and I've been gripped with obsession ever since. To internet perfumistas, BPAL is usually very well known, but I'll talk about them for those of us that don't quite belong to the scene yet...
BPAL is a gothically-themed internet perfume house that caters to witches and Pagans, as well as fans of HP Lovecraft, Steampunk, Neil Gaiman, Twilight, and assorted comic books. Their perfumes seem to have a dark, even macabre flavor, as seen in their perfume. For instance, check out Yorick (on the
Illyria page), named after the dead character in Shakespeare's Hamlet:
"Grave dirt, bone, decay, angel's trumpet, and moldering scraps of shroud: the essence of finality." Or "Nosferatu" under their
Diabolus page:
"As soft as grave dust and as dry as a breath drawn within a long forgotten crypt, this is Nosferatu: desiccated herbs and gritty earth brought to life with a swell of robust and sanguineous red wines."Epic, isn't it? There's more, especially if you're a witch! For followers of Freyja, there's "Brisingamen" (
Ars Amatoria section):
"When Brisingamen graces your throat, no man can resist your charms. A glittering mantle of rich golden notes: five ambers, soft myrtle and apple blossom, myrtle, and carnation.", if you're a tease, there's "Forbidden Fruit" (same section):
"As light and innocent as your first time should have been. The fresh scent of lotus hidden behind lightly scented flowers, amber, and citrus." Oh, but one of my favorite sections (I am a witch, after all) is the "Conjure Bag" section of
Bewitching Brews. These seem to be actual magickal recipes I've seen mentioned elsewhere, some dating back quite a long time: Follow Me Boy and Come To Me, oils for attracting wealth like "Horn Of Plenty", and even one called "All Night Long", whose meaning seems obvious. The site also features oils named after deities, mythological figures, oils reminiscent of pirate ships or actual pirates, characters or places from Lovecraft stories, other real or mythological places, and even storybook characters.
They sell 5ml bottles for $17.50, or 1/32 oz sample bottles for $4.00.
When I'm able, I fully intend to return to the site and check out some of the oils I mentioned...and I for one would *love* to know what "All Night Long", "Brisingamen", "Fire of Love", or "Queen" smell like, but then again, I have the feeling this site might be sending me a *lot* of samples in the future. I am absolutely ravenous with curiosity. (:
