Eastwood22

No, I cannot remember notes like that, I only would if I had written them down. My hyper-focus skills are limited. My son can catalog his interests, he could tell you the value and special skills/abilities for each one of his 10,000 plus Magic the Gathering Cards. He doesn't take it personally when I straight up tell him that, "I've stopped listening", because he's aware he's giving me 150% more info that I could possibly need. I can fall into a time tunnel and not break concentration for a very long time, but haven't catalogued anything besides my lifelong rocks/minerals collection, and they are scattered. There are certain things my brain doesn't carry. Unfortunately, if a conversation is heavily charged, emotionally, I can remember every word verbatim. Makes me super duper un-fun to have an argument with, I interrupt and say, "No, you said...", quoting them, word for word, and then repeat what I said, and so on. It's the kind of skill that makes people want to punch me in my face. I try pretty hard not to be an ass these days.

With the exception of the few psychos, most men are awesome and mean well and struggle to walk the line of politically correct chivalry, I don't envy them. There are some odd leftover shenanigans built into our culture that we all subconsciously accept, like 99.99% of women will move aside when she and an unknown man would otherwise crash head on when walking towards each other on the sidewalk. Not because we are afraid, but because we are culturally accustomed to stepping aside and most likely learned it from our mothers. It's completely subconscious. When I read about it (or heard about it, I forget), I spent an entire year NOT moving, walking directly at the men and forcing them to move. The crazy thing was, they had no idea that women had always deferred and that they were accustomed to having the right of way. They weren't trying to bully or intimidate or assert anything, it was also subconscious and simply their experience on walking down the street. So almost every time I didn't move, the poor guy got embarrassed or flustered, and they always apologized. They didn't know what happened, other than they almost crashed directly into a woman. As they can normally walk down the street just fine without barreling into anyone, they were surprised, and as it was NOW obvious that they didn't move aside for the woman, they felt rude and foolish. I think I had intended to have a few standoffs with pompous men, instead just got a lot of genuinely nice, but now confused, guys sincerely apologizing. I felt bad for them and stopped, it wasn't their fault that the other 3.76 billion women in the world have conditioned them to assume the right of way. Okay, I had to get that out of the way, most men deserve the benefit of the doubt. But a man staring at your daughter? No. Fuck that. Sometimes we need to stand up and let the creepers know that they're on our radar. I think it's really important to not show fear in these situations. I have walked towards potential danger to diffuse it more than I've ever ran away, and it's more of an instinct than a decision. We can't back down or show fear, I think it's like dealing with a bear, get bigger and scarier. (Unless it's a grizzly and then you're just fucked, but you'll meet 1000 brown and black bears before you meet a grizzly.) Thanks for calling me hot AF, btw. You're real nice. I don't know if it was me or the pheros, I think he was bent on talking to me either way, but I think the trail of LFM and DHEAS behind me was what drew him down the street after me. I'm not naive, and I know I couldn't fight most men, but attitude/posture can get me out of most anything. I didn't know he followed me until I was already with my students. If it wasn't in front of my yoga studio I would've firmly told him to move along, but can you imagine how disturbing it would be if your yoga teacher walked out of class to get into an altercation and she did it in her big scary "I will cut you" persona? I'm guessing they come to yoga because there's already enough of that in the world. I did walk out with a wooden baton/tire kicker in my hand, though, when it was time to leave.

I was just thinking this morning that I don't think I'll be getting rid of any more trials unless someone is looking for in particular. I wore Devilish Thoughts to bed last night, I won't be needing a bottle, but cool to keep for reference. Like if I was like "what's benzoin again?" I could pull out all trials that contain benzoin and maybe isolate the note with my brain. Like Aurora, I won't reach for it, but why not keep it for comparison? Unless of course someone was asking on trades. This morning I wanted freesia, so just checked forum to see what it was in. I don't like Snugalicious enough to get a FB, but it satisfied my freesia need. Under different circumstances, I would've grabbed the Enduring Appeal. I'm clear on where all my FB's I've traded away have gone, so I do like that about the trades. I also have noted (and mostly remember) where all my pre-loved bottles have come from. I haven't traded/given away more than 10-15 bottles so I'm pretty sure I didn't make any mistakes. Sometimes I even put a sticker on the bottom with the person's name! My man told me he didn't think he "needed" #9, so I sent him a screen pic of @quietguy's review. I said, "look, you got Fang and Art of War and The Sand Box and the OG Girl Nip from him, let's listen to him." He said, "yeah, and Dark Desires and Sinner and the Saint, but you don't ever let me wear those."

We haven't had any more LFM giggling incidents, and I've been wearing it a lot, mostly at work and out and about, it puts the proper and respectful distance between me and most people. Unfortunately, I did meet a low-filter and possibly mentally unstable person at the corner store while wearing LFM with some extra DHEAS earlier this evening. I had a little time to kill and decided to go buy a rockstar and drink half of it before teaching class, sometimes I like to give them a little extra challenge. While I was in line, dude started mumbling about how he liked my hair, and he had said hi to me at least twice in the store. Now, I was wearing yoga pants, super cute white ones with black skulls all over, and the rest of my outfit was cute FOR YOGA. Maybe not so much for walking around Oakland. The corner store is a block from my studio. Right before I started teaching, I noticed him right outside, he followed me there AND waited outside for at least 45 minutes. I have no idea if it was the pheros or my pants or my hair that he was so fond of, or he's just crazy and it was my lucky night, but he clearly felt a need to pursue me and wait for me. I don't think I was wearing an inappropriate phero or that my intent was off, it was just a reminder for me that even though our collective intended people/"targets" have good filters, it doesn't mean that they don't feel like following you down the street and waiting like psycho puppies outside your workplace, they're just better at not showing it.

It's funny how scents settle over time, especially how they settle in my house after surviving the USPS abuse before they arrive. Six months ago, my man wasn't sold on this. Which is weird, vanilla and butter and cake and lavender? That's his jam. I got distracted with so many other perfumes, I kind of forgot what was in Fuzzy Wuzzy, plus we're both so infatuated with Liebchen, and the notes seem similar, although they smell nothing alike on my skin. On me, FW has a heavier vibe, almost like it's related to BBM, as if it has some cocoa butter or even a chocolate note. But tonight, he was already asleep when I came to bed, so I opened my "little" box, looking for a phero to wake him up. I decided on Gotcha, since straight sexual phero blends won't quite turn the key if he's already out. But as soon as I put on Fuzzy Wuzzy he woke up, said "Ummmm, you smell good" before I was anywhere near the bed. Once I got in bed, he said, "it reminds me of how much I enjoy vagina." He then added, "we can cuddle if you want, and then...." Geez, Gotcha. Way to work exactly as intended.

Well, Bella, I wore this for you. Immediately after dry down, I put my wrist under my man's nose. He's like a hound dog, can pick out individual scents immediately, so I figured he'd say something about the jasmine. He said, "It reminds me of my River and Rain." Huh??? I was like, "um, what about the jasmine?" He was like, "yeah, I smell that, of course, but it reminds me of River and Rain." So I looked up R&R, they both have aloe and clover. He was focusing on the aloe note. He likes watery clean stuff, I'm not big on watery florals, except maybe Mermaid's Kiss, but the flowers are tempered with melons and teakwood. Paradisi is the other "watery," one I might want a bottle of this summer, but again, that's fruit and teakwood. This one just wasn't my thing, I guess I'm just too food motivated! No fruit, vanilla, coconut or spice, I'm not interested. I can't eat flowers, at least very few of them. If I was a panda, I'd be stoked on the bamboo, I suppose. The jasmine, however, did not pick a fight with me. I frequently read jasmine as "clean,' so clean that it almost feels like an astringent cleaning product, but it didn't bother me at all. An hour or two later, I spied a sniffle of Petals of Silk in my car and put that on. I can eat blackberries, and I needed a little LFN. So no evilness in the jasmine, but no need for more than what I sampled today. And thank goodness for that! There are too many that I NEED!

I was trying to say that statement made me giggle, "I'm always worried about jasmine." Wouldn't it be cool if life was so easy breezy that jasmine was super high up on your list of daily concerns? I know that's not what you meant and I'm just being a jackass. My man is extremely allergic to jasmine, and yet he likes it. I sometimes find it oppressive, so haven't tested it yet, but Bella your review makes me less fearful. Even though I'm always fearful and cautious with jasmine. Always.

Depending on the label, I've had MOSTLY good luck removing the labels from roller bottles and moving them to spray bottles, but most of the time I originally had the idea to make into a spray after the label had oil leak onto it, which softens the glue. My man has allowed bottles to leak enough that 3 labels were sliding clean off. I removed them, left them in some flour for a few days, cleaned the bottles, and was able to scrape flour and oil off labels and put them back on with clear tape. If I wanted to go one step further (I didn't), I could've used clear packing tape.

I don't have this, but I am currently on the hunt for a strong teakwood scent. All of the other notes in here agree with me, but how prominent is the teakwood?

It really is so cool. I remember the ONE time my man said "I think you have a problem" when a package came, and I was able to say "but it's your blah blah blah," that he had been eagerly awaiting. He's never said another word!

I love Juicy Lucy, I don't get to wear it enough on account of not needing to put out the "asking for it" vibe, I keep my "asking for it" adventures at home. Last night, I kept getting more of s spicy note drifting off of myself, maybe it was the saffron and the woods combined? I really don't know, I just know that I noticed another dimension that I really enjoyed. If I had any kind of will power, after I ordered FB's of stuff, I'd let them sit 6 months before trying them again. One of the things I've gotten to witness from scarfing up so many scents off the trade boards is that so many of Mara's creations don't just bloom on the skin, they bloom in the bottles, and it seems like they might do so for years. I do realize they can also go past their prime, I've had a few that I thought I may have missed their sweet spot, but I think Juicy Lucy might be another one that gets better and better the longer it sits, so I suppose it's fine that I only cycle it in every two months!

Stealing your good smellies surely proves she was evil! I read the notes and reviews for that one, sounds intriguing.

Well, at least I'm consistent! Wearing this again today, I am having the same experience. When slathering this morning, I felt like no matter how much I put on, it would never be too much! There was one moment as I walked around the room teaching that I wondered if I had gone overboard, because my application was not subtle, but quickly recovered from that split second of doubt. LP Summer Solstice 2015 feels really well blended, I don't find either the pineapple or the freesia standing out too much, it's just smooth to me. I'm now at the 6 hour mark and really glad I slathered. There's a hint of the pineapple summer happiness still, but mostly it's an addicting warm vanilla amber now.

I think if I were going today, I might reach for the new Carta d'Amor. Whatever you decide, I'd say throw on some extra DHEAS or Topper.

Phew on the Fairy Cakes! Regarding marshmallow, I might be one of the only people on here that isn't marshmallow crazed. (Shhhh. Don't tell anyone.) I love Liebchen, I have it in spray and have an unopened backup roller, and Aurora's in the "just okay" category for me. I've heard the headache thing in relation to BI on here before, or maybe it was you, but I'm lucky and BI is a win for me. I don't do good with some chocolates, they get weird on my skin. My man's even said, "that is the exact kind of chocolate I don't want to eat." I dislike Howl on me but I'll wear it at the kid's bedtime sometimes anyway because they love it and the MLH works on them. Goblin Tamer is the only thing I've ever put in a scent locket specifically for phero purposes. But I love the wax melt option! Chocolates in the kitchen make me happy. I don't mind "wasting" the scent if it doesn't work on my skin. I should try Aurora in the kitchen, maybe it's my skin that doesn't do great with marshmallow.

I have Cowabunga, Deliciae, and Lisa's Creamy Ylang ordered, plus designs on a PE!

I turn civit, and some other things, into cat pee. But does this mean you have Fairy Cake trouble, too? Or you can do some frosting but no dairy? What about Liebchen?

I handed my man six trials this am and told him to pick one. After I took back the Deliciae from Mr. Butter, this was his number two choice. I must have a blank empty spot where this Orchid's receptors are meant to be. An hour in, he could smell it and I could not, he said it was a pretty floral and smelled like summer to him. Six hours later, I can smell a faint huff-able amber, but that's it. I'll try it again in a few weeks.

I'm so sorry!

I wore this to bed last night, to test it out on my man. I already have a FB on the way, and I'm excited about it no matter his opinion, but I was glad he drifted off to sleep after giving it the extra second grab of my wrist. Sometimes when I ask him to smell something new on my wrists, he says, "I just smell oranges," because the scent is often on my hands. I can eat 5 lb of citrus a day no problem, but it will be nice to have it on my neck and be intentional, instead of just on sticky fingers.

Wow! Another summer winner!!! I'm not always a berry fan, sometimes they're a little too cutesy, and sometimes they remind of cheap body sprays and the headaches I get from over-exposure to them. Someone mentioned hearing someone (maybe a teacher) saying that they hate both Vanilla and Rose on this forum last week. I'm guessing that person had been traumatized at the mall, standing in line behind some member of the body spray army. Carta de Amor is NOTHING like any berry body spray on the planet, and smells nothing like a shopping teenager. As far as a grown up currant and berry, it's perfect. There's a nice even blend of berries, and I like the clover. The oakmoss with the clover allow it to be fresh and bright with no little girl vibe. I don't know if anyone else would call this "clean," but I think it's a great stepping-out-of-the-shower/ "I'm excited for my brunch plans" kind of scent. I'd be so happy if my clothes smelled like this when I put them on. It does have that "youthful exuberance" vibe, but in a natural happy way, not forced. I grabbed it this morning without putting much thought into the pheros, and I was in a great mood for my morning class. I was playing a Beatles heavy set list for my am class, and it just so happened that most of the class was alive and enjoying music in 1967, so we had a lot of fun. Maybe this blend is similar to Topper? I've had good results with that one. I feel like I would reach for a spray of this one like I do with Drive By Fruiting, its uplifting and would put even Oscar the Grouch in a good mood. This trial set is rough for me because, so far, I want them all. I've yet to find one "not for me!" I hope to finding several that I DON'T want, but it's not going well.

I really must have more of this tiare. I know you love Peach so this must be good for you, too.

Yeah, don't think it's for me. If I ever met Practical, I don't remember them. I could never pick them out in a line-up. I need Sereena Virgin or with something I will benefit from phero-wise. It smells so good I cannot imagine not surrounding myself with impenetrable cloud of it.

I'm waiting for it to settle a little more, it was the first one I opened and it was mostly cocoa butter, and then I fell asleep within 10 or 15 minutes so I decided to wait a whole week before investigating again.

Would it be possible to get Sereena without the Lace? I love this stuff.