Day 1741 – BPAL’s Schrodinger’s Cat

Tags

bewitching brews, BPAL, chocolate peppermint, general catalog, geranium, grapefruit, lanvender, Lime, oakmoss, pink grapefruit, sugar, sugared lime, tangerine, zdravetz

Scent Name: Schrodinger’s Cat

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Bewitching Brews

Scent Description and Notes: “One can even set up quite ridiculous cases. A cat is penned up in a steel chamber, along with the following diabolical device (which must be secured against direct interference by the cat): in a Geiger counter there is a tiny bit of radioactive substance, so small that perhaps in the course of one hour one of the atoms decays, but also, with equal probability, perhaps none; if it happens, the counter tube discharges and through a relay releases a hammer which shatters a small flask of hydrocyanic acid. If one has left this entire system to itself for an hour, one would say that the cat still lives if meanwhile no atom has decayed. The first atomic decay would have poisoned it. The Psi function for the entire system would express this by having in it the living and the dead cat (pardon the expression) mixed or smeared out in equal parts. It is typical of these cases that an indeterminacy originally restricted to the atomic domain becomes transformed into macroscopic indeterminacy, which can then be resolved by direct observation. That prevents us from so naively accepting as valid a “blurred model” for representing reality. In itself it would not embody anything unclear or contradictory. There is a difference between a shaky or out-of-focus photograph and a snapshot of clouds and fog banks.

A paradoxical scent experiment! – tangerine, sugared lime, pink grapefruit, oakmoss, lavender, zdravetz, and chocolate peppermint.

No cats were mistreated during the formulation of this paradox, or in the process of creating this perfume.” -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general-catalog-perfume-oils/bewitching-brews/schrodingers-cat/

Oil Color: Colorless.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard vial / imp size (1/32 oz). The label wrapped around the bottle features an Art-Deco inspired phoenix with name of the company next to the phoenix. On the other side, the title of the scent written in large, clear black font outlined with red on the front. The label on the bottle is as follows:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general-catalog-perfume-oils/bewitching-brews/schrodingers-cat/

Scent:

• ITI: Okay, I was expecting the chocolate peppermint to be more forward, but instead I’m getting a fizzy limed grapefruit with green oakmoss and zdravetz undertones. It’s like citrus sunshine beaming down on springtime back yards.
• Wet: There’s that same fizzy, tart lime and grapefruit/tangerine followed by the zdravetz and oakmoss, but there’s something about this combination that reminds me of a white wine, but I can’t put my finger on it. Herbal lavender peaks through from time to time, but quickly hides behind the top notes like a shy house pet.
• Dry: 5 hours after application, a zdravetz-infused lime and grapefruit musk remains, but it’s very close to the skin. After 7 hours, I can’t really smell it at all. I didn’t pick up any chocolate or peppermint at all, sadly. While I like the scent, I think I prefer my citrus less herbal and more obnoxiously bright or musky.

Other Impressions: None.

Day 1739 – BPAL’s Bitches Love Unicorns

Tags

Art of the Unicorn, berry, black currant, blackcurrant, blood orange, blueberry, BPAL, currant, Forum Exclusive, forum only, lemon, lemon peel, Lime, orange, raspberry, strawberry

Scent Name: Bitches Love Unicorns

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Art of the Unicorn: Forum Exclusive

Scent Description and Notes: “We have a bpal.org unicorn-inspired forum scent, available exclusively to bpal.org forum members. See our announcements section there for details and the link to purchase! Please add your forum name to the notes when ordering.

BITCHES LOVE UNICORNS
BPAL.org Exclusive
A sugared rainbow: strawberry, blood orange, lemon peel, lime, blueberry, raspberry, and blackcurrant.” – https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/unicorns-pt-ii-unicorns-at-bptp-and-living-deliciously-for-emilys-list/

Oil Color: Colorless.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard brown apothecary bottle.  The label wrapped around the bottle features the name of the collection (forum exclusive) in small white block font along the top of the image.  The company name is located along in the bottom of the label in similar white block font to the collection information, while the scent name is in a much clearer, larger white calligraphy-inspired block font. The original label art is as follows:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/unicorns-pt-ii-unicorns-at-bptp-and-living-deliciously-for-emilys-list/

Scent:

• ITB: I tucked this one away intentionally to age because when it arrived, it was like over sugared fruity pebbles, daiquiris, and sugar.  It was just too sweet for me. While it still is a sweet, tropical fruit-fest, the lemon, raspberry, blueberry, and lime make me think of sparkling Jello flavors layered one on top of the other. Traces of strawberry, sugar-sweetened, linger far underneath the other fruit notes, but the strawberry isn’t enough to make the scent sickeningly sweet, thankfully.
• Wet: Skittles. It smells like I’ve doused my skin in skittles or even Nerds.  Images of my childhood and movie theater confections come rushing in.  Yes, the lime, lemon, blueberry, raspberry sparkling concoction is still there at first, but the orange and strawberry move forward, making me think this what Richard Sherman’s dream woman would smell like.
• Dry: After 12 hours, I’m left with a raspberry blueberry fruit musk that stays very close to the skin.  Aging has helped this one, I think.

Other: “It smells like spearmint fruit-stripe gum. Or fruit-stripe gum with mint, definitely fruity, but there’s something cold there, too.”-Tony

Day 1627 – BPAL’s My Moon’s My Own

Tags

BPAL, frost, lemon, lemon peel, Lime, limited edition, moonflower, mugwort, Musk, water, white musk, yule, Yule 2019, Yules, Yules 2019

Scent Name: The Moon’s My Own

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Yule 2019

Scent Description and Notes: ”

Miles of frost –
On the lake
The moon’s my own
– Yosa Buson

A crescent glow of mugwort, white musk, lemon peel, and moonflower reflecting on a frost-limned lake.” -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/yule-2019/the-moons-my-own-perfume-oil/

Oil Color: Colorless.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard vial / imp size (1/32 oz). This is a decant from Yowahoshihime.  On the back, she has the notes of the scent and her decanting name. The front of the label has the phrase “Yules 2019.”  The label art on the bottle is as follows:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/yule-2019/the-moons-my-own-perfume-oil/

Scent:

• ITI: Hmm, this is much more herbal than I had anticipated, almost medicinal, but pleasantly so. I’m getting limed mugwort, mugwort being the heart here, followed by dried lemon peel, something that reminds me of cold white tea, and a faded drop of the lab’s sweet frost note.
• Wet: It’s very light on the skin, so much so that I had to re-examine my placement to make sure I was smelling the perfume. After a few seconds, the coldness of limed mugwort emerges hand-in-hand with the lemon-infused frost note.  There’s a hint of a white floral far in the distance, adding a sense of beauty to the mix.
• Dry: It’s definitely a chilly citrus after two minutes.  I like this iteration much more! After 5 hours, only a white floral musk lingers very close to the skin. It’s a pity that it’s so short lived.

Other Impressions: None.

Day 1620 – BPAL’s Hanksite Phoenix

Tags

balsam, BPAL, BPAL 17th Anniversary, BPAL Anniversary, BPAL Anniversary 2019, cistus, fougere, Geology, Geology 2019, ginger, ginger moss fougere, green mandarin, khus, Lime, lime peel, limited edition, mandarin, moss

Scent Name: Hanksite Phoenix

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – BPAL 17th Anniversary: Geology 2019

Scent Description and Notes: “An effervescent ginger moss fougere with cistus, lime peel, green mandarin, balsam, and khus.” -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/17th-anniversary/hanksite-phoenix-perfume-oil/

Oil Color: A cheery honeyed broth colored oil.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard vial / imp size (1/32 oz). This is a decant from Yowahoshihime.  On the back, she has the notes of the scent, the name in green, and her decanting name. The front of the label has the phrase “BPAL 17th Anniversary.” The label art appears as follows:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/17th-anniversary/hanksite-phoenix-perfume-oil/

Scent:

• ITI: Dish soap?  Specifically, the green Palmolive dish soap comes to mind. Once I sweet that image away, I get the lime peel, fizzed ginger, and khus. 
• Wet: I still am getting dish soap, but 3 seconds in, the mandarin starts to make itself known, adding some much needed sweetness.  The ginger has gone to powdered ginger on me, yet the lime and heady khus still thrive at the center of the scent.  The soap quality seems to lessen as it sits on my skin, thankfully.
• Dry: This doesn’t have the best staying power, although I did put it through its paces with the chores.  After two hours, the scent has faded into a faded lime fougere with impressions of ginger and headiness from the khus.

Other Impressions: None.

Day 1606 – BPAL’s Lime and White Musk

Tags

a little lunacy, A Little Lunacy 2019, BPAL, Duets, Duets 2019, Duets: A Little Lunacy 2019, In Memoriam, Lime, Musk, white musk

Scent Name:  Lime & White Musk

Manufacturer:  Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Duets: A Little Lunacy 2019

Scent Description and Notes: “Startlingly Invigorating!” -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/in-memoriam/a-little-lunacy/duets/lime-and-white-musk-perfume-oil/

Oil Color: Colorless on my skin.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a 5ml standard brown apothecary bottle.  The label extends just under halfway around the bottom.  The label features the name of the company in ombre shadowed cool light pink font along the bottom.  The name of the scent is positioned above that in a larger kaffir lime colored version of the same font shadowed along its borders. Image art is as follows:

Image courtesy of Tiah Schindelheim Rodriguez.

Scent:

• ITB: Yum!  I get tart Smarties or bright kaffir lime perfumed with a sugary white musk.  It makes my mouth water immediately.
• Wet: It’s that deliciously tart lime note for seconds before the white musk settles over it, tamping down that wonderful neon tartness, although now the lime strikes me as just lime juice underneath the musk.  It’s staying pretty close to the skin, which surprises me.  I was hoping for more throw.
• Dry:  After 6 hours, the scent has settled into a soft white musk with just an afterthought of lime.  It’s nice, but I wish that bright lime note has stayed around longer. 

Other Impressions: “It’s like lime, honeydew, and like Ajax or something like that.” -Tony

Day 1559 – BPAL’s Lilith’s First Concert

Tags

BPAL, Fatherhood, Fatherhood 2019, fougere, Lavender, Lilith, Lilith 2019, Lime, limited edition, Musk, pale musk, sugar, tea, tea leaf, vanilla, vanilla sugared tea, Victorian fougere, white musk

Scent Name: Lilith’s First Concert

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Lilith: Fatherhood 2019

Scent Description and Notes: “Lilith loves Billie Eilish, and when her concerts were announced earlier this year, I attempted (like every other parent) to get tickets for the local show at the Greek Theatre – but it sold out in a matter of minutes. Backstory time: I worked in concert ticketing for years, so I begged one of my ticketing friends to help get me house seats. She laughed and said it was not one of her shows, and that some of the people in her office tried and failed to get tickets to the Greek show. If ticketing people can’t get tickets, the show is a really, really hot ticket. After a few minutes of begging and pleading, she said that if I was willing to travel she might be able to get tickets for a show outside of Los Angeles. As everyone knows, I would move mountains for my Lilith, so of course I said yes. A few days later she emailed me to say that yes, she could get me tickets…but the choices were Red Rocks in CO, Portland, or San Diego. I chose San Diego and gave her my credit card info. As the date neared, Lilith was so excited about the show that she talked about it nonstop. The joy on her face when we arrived at our seats was worth all the hoops that I jumped through. It just goes to show that a father will do anything to make his baby happy.

Day-Glo green lime and tea leaf with lavender, white musk, and a bit of Dorian.” -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/autumn-collection/lilith-2019/fatherhood-2019/liliths-first-concert-perfume-oil/

Oil Color: Colorless.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard 5ml BPAL brown apothecary bottle.  The label wrapped around the bottle features the name of the scent in large shadowed block, white letters along the top of the bottle, while the name of the company is at the bottom in smaller white block font.  The name of the collection and year are situated just about the company name in an electric blue color. The label art is as follows:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/autumn-collection/lilith-2019/fatherhood-2019/liliths-first-concert-perfume-oil/

Scent:

• ITB: That smells like an amped lime-green fougere, heavy on the day-glow green, although the tea leaves temper the citrus elements, reminding me of limed lights though the rolling fog. 
• Wet: The lime is a bit clearer on the skin, eclipsing the fougere for a few minutes before the brightness starts to settle against the tea leaf and musks.  I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something here that reminds me of paper just below the line.
• Dry:  This mellows pretty quickly  After 6 hours, the scent  is a lime tinged fougere musk laced with gentle tea leaf and the subtle warmth of vanilla without the foody sweetness.

Other Impressions: None.

Day 1465 – Haus of Gloi’s Sanctum

Tags

benzoin, bergamot, bergamot flower, coconut, coconut water, Haus of Gloi, ho, ho wood, kaffir lime, Lime, limited edition, melon, muskmelon, polish, polished ho wood, Summer Collection, Summer Collection 2019, wood

Scent Name: Sanctum

Manufacturer: Haus of Gloi – Summer Collection 2019

Scent Description and Notes: “A welcome respite: Muskmelon, coconut water infused with bergamot flower, kaffir lime, polished ho wood and sticky benzoin.” -https://www.hausofgloi.com/collections/summer-perfume-oils/products/sanctum-perfume-oil

Oil Color: Colorless.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard 1/32 ml imp straight from the company. The front features a bi-color design in parchment and black, framed by opposite decorative elements.  The parchment section features the name in a black bolded font, while the black section contains “Perfume Oil 5ml Vegan” in small parchment font. The name of the company is set in negative font against a black silhouette of trees on the tap of the label.

Image courtesy of Tiah Schindelheim Rodriguez.

Scent:

• ITI: Oh my goodness, that IS muskmelon!  Juicy and delicious, the melon is followed by kaffir lime, making my mouth water.  There’s a faint undertone of polished wood, but not enough to detract from the beauty of the muskmelon note. 
• Wet: The kaffir lemon is a little strong, but that muskmelon is just mouth-watering near the top of this scent. As the oil starts to dry, I’m getting just a hint of coconut and a hint of bergamot just under.
• Dry: After 7 hours, the scent has mellowed into a nice combination of kaffir lemon and polished ho wood perfumed with a hit of benzoin and the ghost of coconut.  I wish the muskmelon were a little more long-lived, but I still enjoy the scent in this state.

Other Impressions: None.

Day 1390 – BPAL’s Mx. Nobody

Tags

BPAL, cannabis, cracked leather, green slime, Leather, Lime, limited edition, Nobodies Watching Wrestling, slime, vapor, weed, weed smoke

Scent Name: Mx. Nobody

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Nobodies Watching Wrestling

Scent Description and Notes: “Weed-smoke and lime-tinged vapors rising from a cauldron of green slime, suspended by cracked leather straps above the heads of an unsuspecting audience.“ -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/collaborations/nobodies-watching-wrestling/mx-nobody-perfume-oil/

Oil Color: Colorless.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard 1/32 ml imp that has been decanted for me by Absinthetics. Her label features the scent notes on the back along with her decanting information and the scent name. The label art is as follows on the front:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/collaborations/nobodies-watching-wrestling/mx-nobody-perfume-oil/

• ITI: Oh, well that smells exactly like Scrubbing Bubbles Foaming Shower Cleaner, maybe with a tad more lime.  Um, I’m not sure how I feel about that.  I’ve never disliked the cleaning solution, but I don’t know if I want to smell like it.
• Wet:  Yep, it is a more limey version of Scrubbing Bubbles.
• Dry: It’s a bit less cleaning solution and now more lime slushy with Scrubbing Bubbles vapor and a hint of soft leather under that.

Other Impressions: None

Day 1389 – BPAL’s Carnaval Rat

Tags

absinthe, acai, acai berry, aconite, aftershave, almond, almond milk, Amber, Ambergris, ambrette, ambrette seed, apple, apple blossom, apricot, apricot flower, Babylonian musk, balsam, Baltic amber, bark, bay, bay rum, beeswax, benzoin, bergamot, berry, bhay, bile, birch, birch tar, bitter almond, bitter wine, bittersweet chocolate, black amber, black cardamom, black cherry, black coconut, black copal, black currant, black incense, black lotus, black musk, black myrrh, black orchid, black oudh, black patchouli, black pine, black wine, blackberry, blackberry leaf, blackcurrant, blackened vanilla husk, blood apple, blood orange, blood-creme, blossoms, blue lilac, blue musk, bone, bourbon, bourbon vanilla, bourbon vetiver, BPAL, bread crumbs, brimstone, bubblegum, Burmese oudh, calla lily, candied apple, caramel, cardamom, carnation, carnaval diabolique, cassis, Cedar, cedar smoke, champaca, champaca attar, champaca flower, chaparral, cherry, chocolate, chocolate truffles, chrome, chrysanthemum, cinnamon, cinnamon leaf, cistus, clary sage, coapl, cocoa, cocoa absolute, coconut, coconut hull, coffee, coffee bean, cologne, copal, coral, corsage, cream, cream accord, creme, crushed candies, currant, Damascus rose, dark musk, dragon's blood, dragon's blood resin, dry bone, dry flowers, dust, embalming herbs, English ivy, fig, fir, fir needle, flickering blue musk, Florentine iris, flytraps, fougere, Frankincense, French gardenia, French vanilla, gardenia, ginger, ginger lily, golden musk, green sandalwood, green tea, guava, hay bale, heliotrope, hemlock, henbane, herbs, hibiscus, High John the Conqueror root, honey, honeyed leather, honeysuckle, hot metals, hyssop, ice-cold skin, Incense, Indian resins, Indonesian oil, Indonesian patchouli, iris, jasmine, jasmine sambac, Kashmiri tea, kelp, king mandarin, kush, labdanum, Lavender, Leather, lemon, lemon balm, lemon flower, lemon peel, lightening, lilac blossoms, lilies, lily, lily of the valley, Lime, lime fougere, limited edition, linden, linden blossom, lotus, lotus root, magnolia, mahogany, mallow, mallow root, mandarin, milk, mimosa, Mint, Moroccan jasmine, moss, mucilage, muguet, mushroom, Musk, myrrh, narcissus, nectarine, neroli, netmeg, nicotiana, night-blooming flowers, oakmoss, ocean spray, oleander, olibanum, olive, olive blossom, olive leaf, opium smoke, opium., opoponax, orange, orange blossom, orange blossom water, orange peel, orange pulp, orchid, orris, orris root, osmanthus, oud wood, ozone, Pale bergamot, pale white berries, palm, palm frond, palmarosa, paperwhites, papyrus, passion flower, pastries, patchouli, patchouli leaf, pear, pepper, Peru balsam, pine, pine bark, pine pitch, plum, plum blossom, plumeria, pomegranate, poppy, raspberry, red amber, red currant, red gardenia, red ginger, red musk, red patchouli, red pepper, red rose, red sandalwood, reeds, rice, rice milk, river reeds, rockrose, Rose, rose geranium, rose otto, rosewater, rosewood, rum, rust, saffron, Sage, salt, sambac, sandalwood, sarsaparilla, sawdust, sea moss, seaweed, sheer musk, Siamese benzoin, singed straw, skin musk, Snake Oil, snow, Spanish moss, spun sugar, star jasmine, Sudanese myrrh, sugar, sugar cane, Sugared coffee bean, sugared cream, sugared incense, sugared nuts, sugared violet, sweet oudh, tar, tarragon, tea, tea leaf, tea oudh, teak, teakwood, Tempranillo grape, ti leaf, tobacco, tobacco smoke, tobacco tar, tomb dust, Tonka, tonka bean, trees, tuberose, vanila flower, vanilla, vanilla bean, vanilla husk, vanilla mint, Verbena, vetiver, violet, violet water, wet tobacco, white amber, white carnation, white clove, white frankincense, white hemlock, white honey, white mint, white moss, white musk, white peach, white pear, white pepper, white sandalwood, white tea, wild plum, wine, wisteria, wood, wormwood, ylang ylang

Scent Name: Carnaval Rat

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Limited Edition

Scent Description and Notes: “Derived from the same pseudo-scientific process as last year’s LAB RAT blend, but constrained to the Lab’s Carnaval Diabolique collection. Each bottle contains a slosh of every Carnaval scent currently in stock. The result? An inhalation of the miasma hovering over the midway after a busy, near-endless night of debauchery.

In the interest of peer review, here are our internal notes from the blending process, tracking how the scent evolved as through the collection alphabetically.

A-C: “Chocolate truffles filled with blood-creme, rolled in sawdust.”

D-G. “Two… no, THREE corsaged puppeteers screwing in a hay bale.”

H-L. “Rusty barber’s shears sterilizing overnight in a jar full of rum and rosewater.”

M-P “This is eerily reminiscent of lightning striking a gondola full of off-duty showgirls.”

O-Z “Luminous, opalescent bat wings serving as the bellows for a lunatic calliope, whooshing gusts of wind through blossoms on dying trees, the bark sticky with blood that is, for some mysterious reason, flowing upward. The music! can you hear the music?”

[Sadly, we have been unable to elaborate on these findings as the intern in question abruptly left their post shortly thereafter.]

Eau de Carnaval Diabolique. The cumulative weight of dozens of scents — a cacophony of carnies, haunts, snakes, grindhouse dancers, and other attractions, all simultaneously clamoring for your attention.“ -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/limited-edition/carnaval-rat-perfume-oil/

Note:  I tried my best to distill all the available Carnaval Diabolque notes into the scent note section.

Oil Color: A beautiful bay colored oil.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard 1/32 ml imp that has been decanted for me by Absinthetics. Her label features the scent notes on the back along with her decanting information and the scent name. The label art is as follows on the front:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/limited-edition/carnaval-rat-perfume-oil/

Scent:

• ITI: What a melange of notes! Thick, aggressive chocolate cherries, cocoa, black tea, hay, reeds, and brittle bone give way to honeyed hibiscus, cinnamon, atop swaying moss and wild herbs and a hint of fiery patchouli.
• Wet:  The most clear impressions are of red patchouli, chocolate cherries, vanilla mint swirled with bourbon musk and a sinuous trail of kush and cedar smoke.
• Dry: After 17 hours, the scent is still present, although now a subdued tinkling of lavender, lemon balm, cocoa, faint, faded white florals, the subtle tang of metal, and a smidgen of fougere.  I’m intrigued to see how this might shift on someone else, but I actually like.

Other Impressions: None

Day 1307 – BPAL’s Thought Photography

Tags

ambrette, ambrette seed, An Evening with the Spirits, BPAL, In Memoriam, Incense, Lavender, Lime, limed lavender, limited edition, mercruy, Mercury-limned lavender, palo santo, yule, Yule 2018, Yule 2018: An Evening With the Spirits, Yules, Yules 2018

Scent Name: Thought Photography

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Yule 2018: An Evening with The Spirits

Scent Description and Notes: “During the year 1896 considerable stir was created by the investigation of Dr. Hippolyte Baraduc, of Paris, in the line of “Thought Photography,” which is of interest to psychic investigators generally. Dr. Baraduc claimed to have gotten photographic impressions of his thoughts, “made without sunlight or electricity or contact of any material kind.” These impressions he declared to be subjective, being his own personal vibrations, the result of a force emanating from the human personality, supra-mechanical, or spiritual. The experiments were carried on in a dark room, and according to his statement were highly successful. In a communication to an American correspondent, printed in the New York Herald, January 3, 1897, he writes: “I have discovered a human, invisible light, differing altogether from the cathode rays discovered by Prof. Roentgen.” Dr. Baraduc advanced the theory that our souls must be considered as centers of luminous forces, owing their existence partly to the attraction and partly to the repulsion of special and potent forces bred of the invisible cosmos.

A number of French scientific journals took up the matter, and discussed “Thought Photography” at length, publishing numerous reproductions of the physician’s photographs; but the more conservative journals of England, Germany and America remained silent on the subject, as it seemed to be on the borderland [Pg 199]between science and charlatanry. On January 11, 1897, the American newspapers contained an item to the effect that Drs. S. Millington Miller and Carleton Simon, of New York City, the former a specialist in brain physiology, and the latter an expert hypnotist, had succeeded in obtaining successful thought photographs on dry plates from two hypnotized subjects. When the subjects were not hypnotized, the physicians reported no results.

As “Thought Photography” is without the pale of known physical laws, stronger evidence is needed to support the claims made for it than that which has been adduced by the French and American investigators. “Thought Photography” once established as a scientific fact, we shall have, perhaps, an explanation of genuine spirit photographs, if such there be.
– Hours With the Ghosts; Or XIX Century Witchcraft by Henry R. Evans

Mercury-limned lavender, palo santo, and ambrette seed.”  -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/winter-collection/yule-2018/an_evening_with_the_spirits/thought-photography/

Oil Color: A very dilute wheat color.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard 1/32 ml imp that has been decanted for me by Yowahoshihime. Her label features the scent notes and her decanter information on the back. The front has the name of the  scent and company name along with the label art, which is as below:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/winter-collection/yule-2018/an_evening_with_the_spirits/thought-photography/

• ITI: Herbaceous spike lavender sprinkled with freshly squeezed lime juice, complicated with a note that is reflective and the tiniest bit forlorn, which I’m picking up from the ambrette seed, I think.
• Wet: Oh, that’s most certainly limed-lavender.
• Dry: Okay, that shifted in a way that I was not anticipating.  Just 10 minutes in, and I’m getting slightly desiccated lime next to a beautiful palo santo incense, toned lilac with the very subdued lavender.  It’s skewing just a little soapy for me, too.

Other Impressions: None.

Day 1288 – BPTP’s Super Spies

Tags

bergamot, BPAL, bptp, eucalyptus, eucalyptus leaf, lemon, lemon peel, lemon zest, Lilith, Lilith's Winter Travelogue, Lilith's Winter Travelogue - Yuletide with Lilith, Lime, limited edition, Musk, pepper, red musk, white pepper, yule, Yule 2018, Yule 2018: Lilith's Winter Travelogue - Yuletide with Lilith, Yules, Yules 2018, Yuletide with Lilith

Scent Name: Super Spies

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Trading Post – Yule 2018: Lilith’s Winter Travelogue – Yuletide with Lilith

Scent Description and Notes: “Ted: “This is in the Spy Museum of Berlin and believe me, it is full of spy stuff. There was a game of trying to sneak under and over lasers and here is an infrared image of me attempting it. It is hard to concentrate and be sneaky when a 9 year old is laughing and yelling behind you that the lasers are going to get you.”

Pulses of infrared: red musk and electric bergamot with eucalyptus leaf, white pepper, lime, and lemon peel.” -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/winter-collection/liliths-winter-travelogue/yuletide-with-lilith/super-spies-perfume-oil/

Oil Color: A bright almost highlighter yellow oil with tones of goldenrod toward to bottom of the imp vial.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard 1/32 ml imp that has been decanted for me by Yowahoshihime. Her label features the scent notes and her decanter information on the back. The front has the name of the  scent and company name along with the label art, which is as below:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/winter-collection/liliths-winter-travelogue/yuletide-with-lilith/super-spies-perfume-oil/

• ITI: Electric is right!  I am actually surprised at the warmth of the bergamot next to the delicious lemon peel and bright lime notes.  It’s bright, fragrant, and uplifting with an edge of pleasant muskiness. So far, this isn’t a scent I’d normally associate with winter, but after some decent snow fall, it’s the scent I needed to lift my spirits.
• Wet: Lime candy (like Hi-chews), lemon peel, and musk bloom first on my skin, yet the red musk is followed by white pepper, that helps create a the roundness alongside the bergamot.  It’s warm, fragrant, brightly citrusy, and faintly spicy.  I’m a fan so far.
• Dry:  A medium-wear scent. The individual notes reduce down to a faintly bright lime-spritzed musk topped with a dash of white pepper.

Other Impressions: None.

Day 1279 – BPAL’s Protoplasmic Ooze

Tags

An Evening with the Spirits, BPAL, fougere, gin, green musk, Lavender, Lime, limited edition, oakmoss, protoplasmic greenness, snuff, tobacco, yule, Yule 2018, Yules, Yules 2018

Scent Name: Protoplasmic Ooze

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Yule 2018: An Evening with The Spirits

Scent Description and Notes: “The protoplasmic ooze results in man. It arrives at thoughts and emotions, it builds lofty ideals and great civilisations. The objector urges that this proof of progress is no proof of the permanence of any personality. No proof, but certainly no suggestion of disproof. Again, we find no trace of waste. Change and the revolution of one form of matter into another are evident to us, but no waste, no loss, is anywhere discoverable. The noblest product of the universe so far as we are certain of it is the rounded and accomplished personality of man. Why should nature everywhere display her absolute incapacity to cast away an atom of her lowest product, and yet be able to plunge into nothingness her very greatest?
– the Occult Review, January 1905

A pretense of civility, the height of anthropocentric arrogance: a lime-washed gentleman’s fougere with a pinch of snuff, an insouciant whiff of gin, and the memory of an amorphous, sluggish, protoplasmic greenness.” -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/winter-collection/yule-2018/an_evening_with_the_spirits/protoplasmic-ooze/

Oil Color: Colorless.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard brown apothecary bottle.  The label wrapped around the bottle features the name of the company in faintly ombre white, shadowed font along the bottom.  Above that is the name of the scent in ornate lime green script.  The name of the collection is in same font as the company name along the top of the label.  The label art is as featured below:

Image courtesy of Tiah Schindelheim Rodriguez

• ITB:  Bright lime and gin pleasantly meet my nose upon first sniff. If I really concentrate, there is a warmth just below the lime and the gin, but the other two notes are so prominent that it’s hard to tease out from where that warmth originates.
• Wet:  The gin is a little less forward, yet the lime still shines brilliantly on the skin.  I am now getting faint fougere and dashes of snuff.
• Dry: I’m surprised at the longevity of this one.  After 14 hours, the gin and lime scents were clearly discernible and enjoyable.  I do with the fougere was a bit more present throughout (or at least the lavender).

Other Impressions: None.

Day 1246 – BPAL’s Bagpipe Dog Alchemy Lab

Tags

BPAL, BPAL Anniversary, BPAL Anniversary 2018, gin, gine, juniper, Lime, limited edition, pine, pine needle, Sweet Sixteen, white juniper

Scent Name: Bagpipe Dog Alchemy Lab

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – BPAL Anniversary: Sweet Sixteen

Scent Description and Notes: “Loyal. Faithful. Perpetually rehearsing “Scotland the Brave.” This is a mascot with real staying power. Bagpipe Dog will outlive us all.

Gin and pine needle with lime and white juniper.”  -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/winter-collection/sweet-sixteen/bagpipe-dog-alchemy-lab/

Oil Color:  Colorless.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard 1/32 ml imp that has been decanted for me by Yowahoshihime. Her label features the scent notes and her decanter information on the back. The front has the name of the  scent and company name along with the label art, which is as below:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/winter-collection/sweet-sixteen/bagpipe-dog-alchemy-lab/

• ITI: I expect this to be a snoot-full of cold evergreens.  Instead, it’s heavy gin and lime, sparkling cocktails poured over muddled pine and juniper.  It’s rather festive, honestly.
• Wet: It’s much the same on my skin, sparking, green, refreshing gin and juniper with a spritz of lime, garnished with fresh pine needles.
• Dry:  Very light, almost powdery juniper gin after 6 hours. I think this would be a great scent for celebrating the new year.

Other Impressions: “Yep, that’s gin.  That’s juniper.” -Tony

Day 1241 – BPAL’s A Group of Pale Courtiers

Tags

BPAL, fougere, green musk, green musk fougere, Halloween, Halloween 2018, Halloweenie, Halloweenie 2018, Halloweenies, Halloweenies 2018, In Memoriam, Lime, Masque of Red Death, Musk, Powder, Rose, Weenies, Weenies 2018, wig powder

Scent Name: A Group of Pale Courtiers

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Halloweenie 2018: Masque of Red Death

Scent Description and Notes: “It was in the eastern or blue chamber in which stood the Prince Prospero as he uttered these words. They rang throughout the seven rooms loudly and clearly — for the prince was a bold and robust man, and the music had become hushed at the waving of his hand.

It was in the blue room where stood the prince, with a group of pale courtiers by his side. At first, as he spoke, there was a slight rushing movement of this group in the direction of the intruder, who at the moment was also near at hand, and now, with deliberate and stately step, made closer approach to the speaker.

A sycophant’s polished stench: green musk fougere, lime, and rose-tufted wig powder.”  -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/autumn-collection/halloween-2018/masque-of-the-red-death/a-group-of-pale-courtiers/

Oil Color:  The color of champagne.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard 1/32 ml imp that has been decanted for me by Yowahoshihime. Her label features the scent notes and her decanter information on the back. The front has the name of the  scent and company name along with the label art, which is as below:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/autumn-collection/halloween-2018/masque-of-the-red-death/a-group-of-pale-courtiers/

Scent:

• ITI: It does remind me of snuff boxes and perfumed, powdered wigs.  I get cool, musky fougere, powder, faded incense (although it isn’t in the note descriptions), and a sliver of faded florals.
• Wet:  Green and mossy, the fougere has an air of sophistication to it.  There’s something that almost seems root-like for me, like licorice root from afar mingled with spices and powder.  The rose, which comes and goes depending on how I concentrate, flits softly around the edges.
• Dry:  Six hours later, the scent is a lightly rose-powdered musk tinged slightly green.  I wish this lasted a bit longer, but I’d go through reapplying for this one.

Other Impressions: None.

Day 1202 – BPAL’s Venom Resurrected

Tags

berries, BPAL, dark wild berries, diabolus, Diabolus: Resurrected, galbanum, In Memoriam, jasmine, Lime, oponax, opopponax, resurrected, wild berries

Name:  Venom Resurrected

Manufacturer:  Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab –  Diabolus: Resurrected

Scent Description and Notes: “Darkly seductive and lethally compelling: sinuous oponax, galbanum, dark wild berries, a drop of lush jasmine and a sliver of lime.” –https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/limited-edition/resurrected/venom-resurrected/

Oil Color: Highlighter yellow oil.

Bottle Design and Artwork:  This is a standard vial / imp size (1/32 oz).  The label wrapped around the bottle features an Art-Deco inspired phoenix with the name of the company next to the phoenix. On the other side, the title of the scent written in large, clear black font outlined with red on the front.

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/limited-edition/resurrected/venom-resurrected/

• ITI: Yum, sweet and exotic, like a lush jungle right after the rain, berries dripping onto upturned, fresh florals.  There’s a cleanliness to this scent which is strangely soothing next to the very light resins. Over the last hour, I’ve been trying to put my finger on the quality of the berry note.  It doesn’t remind me of strawberries or raspberries for that matter.  Finally, it struck me:  Dewberry!  If you’ve ever smelled The Body Shop’s Dewberry perfume, the berry note in venom is a slightly lighter version of it.
• Wet: Clean, fresh, dark berries swirl around heady jasmine and bits of lime while galbanum undulates from the base notes to support the berried floral.  It’s sensuous, dark, feminine, and almost deceptive in its progression.  I would say that this certainly lives up to its name.
• Dry:  Slightly soapy but resinous round black berries, both extremely alluring but equally poisonous.  The resin certainly does bloom after it has had a chance to settle, making this a lovely scent for those who enjoy fruity orientals. Even after the initial dry-down, this scent has a decent throw – roughly 3.5″ from my wrist 2 hours after application.

Other Impressions: I tried this before really sitting down with my notes and I liked it, quite a bit!  I’m honestly debating ordering myself a bottle before it disappears again.

Day 1186 – BPAL’s Drag on a Slime

Tags

BPAL, DragCon, DragCon2018, event exclusive, guava, guava pulp, Lime, liquid sugar, pink lime, pink orchid, prchid, rum, sugar, white rum

Scent Name: Drag on a Slime

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Event Exclusive: DragCon 2018

Scent Description and Notes: “She’s the reason the club now has rules like “No liquids onstage unless you bring your own tarp.”

Blobs of guava pulp with pink orchid, a splatter of liquid sugar, white rum, and a squeeze of pink lime.“-bpal.org

Oil Color: Colorless on my skin.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard 5ml brown glass vial.  The label features the name of the scent along the top, centered, in a bold yellow font.  The company name is in the same font along the bottom.  The image is of a crowned queen with a pink bouffant, dripping in slime, almost like she is made out of it.

DragCon 2018 bottles. Image (c) courtesy of Tiah Schindelheim Rodriguez.

• ITB: Delicious! It’s the perfect blend of fruits and light floral to keep it from going B**ches Love Unicorn fruity or Pink Fuzzy Handcuffs sweet.
• Wet: Sweet guava and pink limeade muddled together with a dash of rum, rimmed in sugar, and garnished with a soft flower.  This scent reminds me of a tropical vacation daiquiri.
• Dry: After a few hours, the scent isn’t as sweet.  Thankfully, it still very much retains the guava, soft floral, and faint pink lime tones swathed under a sweet musk.  I really like it!

Other Impressions:  None.

Day 1131 – BPAL’s Odic Force

Tags

Amber, An Evening with the Spirits, BPAL, eucalyptus, eucalyptus blossom, green amber, Lime, lime rind, limited edition, Mint, white mint, yule, Yule 2017, Yule 2017: An Evening with the Spirits, Yules, Yules 2017

Scent Name: Odic Force

Manufacturer:  Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab –  Yule 2017: An Evening with the Spirits

Scent Description and Notes: “The desire to inflict a mortal wound on the monster, Superstition, which, from a similar origin, a few centuries ago, inflicted on European society so vast an amount of misery, and by whose influence not hundreds, but thousands, of innocent persons died in tortures, on the rack and at the stake; — the desire made me wish to make the experiment, if possible, of bringing a highly sensitive person, by night, to a churchyard. I thought it possible that they might see, over graves where mouldering bodies lay, something like that which Billing had seen.

Eucalyptus blossom, lime rind, and white mint coalescing into a green-tinged amber glow.”  -https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/limited-edition/yule-2017/odic-force/

Oil Color: Colorless.

Bottle Design and Artwork:  This is a decanted imp.  It features the collection name and notes on the back of the label and a copy of the label art on front:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/limited-edition/yule-2017/odic-force/

• ITI:  It smells like lime Hi-Chew candies!  The lime is bright and effervescent, the amber sweet while the mint and eucalyptus add a sense of coolness, like the chill that comes over you when entering a dark. slightly creepy room in the middle of the night.
• Wet: It reminds me of fresh lime gelato garnished with mint.  No eucalypti or amber yet, but I’d be thrilled to pieces if this scent doesn’t change. Yet as I type, the scent begins to shift, taking on a more powder tone from the amber that softens the crisp sharpness of the lime.
• Dry: Wow, that does shift.  The powdery green amber wraps around the lime, diffusing its acidity and fruitiness, leaving me instead with the sweetness of faint lime candy infused with a hint of faded mint.

Other Impressions: “It’s like car air freshener and cider.” -Tony

Day 1122 – BPAL’s The Wild Audacity of My Perfect Triumph

Tags

absinthe, BPAL, Halloween, Halloween 2017, Halloweenie, Halloweenie 2017, Halloweenies, Halloweenies 2017, Lime, The Tell-Tale Heart, Weenies, Weenies 2017

Scent Name: The Wild Audacity of My Perfect Triumph

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Halloweenies 2017:  The Tell-Tale Heart

Scent Description and Notes:  “I smiled, — for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search — search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.

A jubilant and deranged lime absinthe.”-https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/limited-edition/weenies-2017/the-wild-audacity-of-my-perfect-triumph/

Oil Color: Clear.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard vial / imp size (1/32 oz).  This is a decant which features the  scent information on back and the image that would be on the bottle on front.  The label art is as featured:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/limited-edition/weenies-2017/the-wild-audacity-of-my-perfect-triumph/

• ITI: Oh, it smells like lime rind and fizzy champagne.  While I’m not getting absinthe in its entirety, the effervescent nature the note lends to the scent makes me feel like I’m celebrating New Years with the best vodka, lime, and soda water drink possible.
• Wet:  It stays pretty true to form on my skin – uplifting zesty lime with a hint of fizzy adult beverage.  The darker green notes of the absinthe begin to develop as it settles on my skin, not not enough to take away from the effervescent and fun impression I have when smelling it.
• Dry: I had to reapply this one after some cooking as the smell had all but dissipated. On second dry-down, The scent reminds me of a perfume-y version of watered down lime essence  with a bit of tonic water underneath.  It’s nice, but it doesn’t last on my skin.

Other Impressions: None.

Day 1090 – BPAL’s Lily Witch

Tags

almond, anise, BPAL, herb, herbs, Leather, Lilith, Lilith 2014, lily, Lime, limited edition, Princesses Ghosts and Superheroes, Spice

Scent Name: Lily Witch

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Lilith 2014: Princesses, Ghosts & Superheroes

Scent Description and Notes: “Lilith named this scent, and said this perfume should smell like witches. Her interpretation is swathed in anise, lime, almond, and witchin’ herbs, and holds a bouquet of pale, graceful lilies. The end result is a sweet, nutty absinthe’d lime with a hint of spice and leather.” – https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/in-memoriam/liliths/lilith-2014-princesses-ghosts-superheroes/lily-witch/

Oil Color:  Slightly yellow on my skin.

Bottle Design and Artwork: his is a standard BPAL brown apothecary bottle.  The label wrapped around the bottle features the name of the scent in bold, pale lavender font at the top of the image.  At the bottom of the image is the collection date in very small plum font just above the company name, wich is in a slightly larger purpled grey font. The label art is as follows:

Image from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/in-memoriam/liliths/lilith-2014-princesses-ghosts-superheroes/lily-witch/

• ITI:  It smells like lime marzipan with a touch of seasonal spices like cardamom and all spice.  I’m not a fan of marzipan at all.
• Wet:  The lime is much stronger on my skin (thank goodness!), followed by marzipan mingled with anise.  Below the surface, notes of leather, something effervescent, and slightly spicy brew.
• Dry: It’s so much better dried.  Now, I get lime, soft anise, a gentle dusting of spice, and actual almond slivers rather than the dreaded marzipan.

Other Impressions: The throw on this scent is pretty good and the intensity of the wet version of the scent lasted for about 3 hours before finally settling down.

Day 1065 – BPAL’s Botticelli’s Unicorn

Tags

Amber, amber-limned rose, Art of the Unicorn, Art of the Unicorn Part 2, BPAL, In Memoriam, Leather, Lime, Musk, opal, opal musk, Rose, white leather

Scent Name:  Botticelli’s Unicorn

Manufacturer: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab – Art of the Unicorn Part 2

Scent Description and Notes: “White leather, opal musk, and amber-limned rose.”  – https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/limited-edition/boticellis-unicorn/

Oil Color: A peached rose color.

Bottle Design and Artwork: This is a standard vial / imp size (1/32 oz).  This is a sample from Mystery213.  The label features the name of the company and the name of the scent.  The bottle art is as follows:

Image by Alessandro Boticelli from https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/limited-edition/boticellis-unicorn/

Scent:

• ITI: Hmm, light, sweetly fruity with muskiness that reminds me more of a freshly cleaned B&B, amber,  and a dusting of old-fashioned rose decolletage powder.
• Wet: Ah, there’s the rose, rich and reg, it’s fragrance imperially set off by the lightly dusky opal musk and rich, resinous sandalwood.  There’s only a touch of leather in the background, which seems to frame the richness of the rose. Nice!
• Dry:  Sweet, powdered amber, gentle musk, and dried, deep red roses. I like it.  It’s on the subdued, feminine side, it it is a really lovely rose scent for those of you who enjoy that particular note.

Other Impressions: None.