Black Cat

Oh how funny, I somehow thought you had! And oh, yeah, I guess I could give you guys a heads up about mine! Let's see -- Opal's Joie de Vivre is a variant on my Opal that Mara made me last year. I asked for the furry musk from my Olivia's Comfort and Joy. Then linen (because despite almost never being bathed she always smells like fresh laundry!) and grasses (because she loves to roll around in it!). And then I spent a long time meditating on a fourth note to capture her blackness, and finally inspiration struck and I asked for the black coconut from Tyvey's Eternal Summer because I loved that so much! The Aphrodite potions... it felt so strange asking for these! As most folks here know, I've been in a pretty "dark goddess at the crossroads" type of space for a while now! But when Memorare got me onto Beth Wodandis's Etsy shop, I found myself being pulled really hard to a couple of Aphrodite items... and with spring coming, it seemed like a good time to invoke an energy that would be go along with that "Nourishing the Sensuous Self" thread in my journal. I think I'm going to wait for Mara's notes on those, because I gave her more general thoughts for those than for the Opal one. Suffice to say though that Aphrodite in Vermont will be a more natural daytime kind of scent, while Inviting Aphrodite is going to be for night time use. And both will feature rose. :-) ETA: On second thought, why not! Here is what I sent to Mara: Aphrodite in Vermont -- pink roses, spring strawberries, and fresh lettuce, all straight from the garden with rich loamy dirt still clinging to the roots.... my usual organic, not too sweet, with the dirt as an actual note Inviting Aphrodite -- rose attar, coffee/espresso, cocoa absolute and either myrrh or the richest booziest vanilla note available, whichever you think better serves the scent. As always I told her that she was welcome to make any changes she thought would be better!

Oh oh oh oh oh oh!!!!!!!! I am grabbing Opal and telling her that she has achieved immortality by taking part in a Luna scribing! Luna, this is sheer genius. I am always in awe of your writing but this is so clever and fun! And Mara.... as always I love my labels! Thank you for putting the little punk's mug front and center... and the Aphrodite labels are perfect! Now I will settle down and happily stalk for notes! ETA: I was so overcome by this feast of fun I forgot to say how sorry I am you got hit with the flu! I was afraid something really icky had happened to slow you down. I hope you are taking good care of yourself and feeling better! ETA: JLisa, dying to know which one is yours and what you were up to this time!

Lovely review, Rose! I always like to hear about the sleeper PE hits.... sometimes those where there were just a few bottles turn out to be such treasures!

Welcome to the forum! Sounds as if you are off to a great start!

Male! I don't know if I would think to use PM with a female -- usually I go for H&S or TH for the ladies.

I know! This one is such a good example of how pheros are great, but hand some intent over to Mara and she can craft something just as powerful out of scent alone. I confess most of my scents are designed with attraction/bonding stuff in mind. What I love about BCM is that it is just about me. I feel like I'm awesome and that's totally enough for me when I wear it. It makes me want to pop the dog in the car, put some great music on and just hit the road for Terrifyingly Amazing Single Lady Adventures.

OK, I've been meaning to pop back here for a while because there have been some really lovely reviews... somehow this one has been at the back of my closet for a while. I'm not sure why, but today I pulled out my spray and spritzed up with it and I could not believe my nose. This must have hit some milestone for being perfectly aged because, while I've always loved it, I feel as if it has hit a new level of amazingness. Luna talks about being sweetened up for her -- on me, it's that the cream in coffee has somehow come forward while the leather and musk are a bit softer. There is unbelievably sensuous creamy depth to it now that I don't remember from before! And as always, this is such a personal power scent. I am feeling a bit of swagger in my step and really wanting to get up to some mischief. Not sure there are any opportunities for it, but even to want to is such a great feeling after some rather rugged months!

Oh, man, Perfect Match! I confess I can go for months without using this one because it tends to be a quiet one, but when I need it -- yesterday I had to have a really intense conversation with someone (not a romantic relationship but an important and intimate one) that had the potential to go south really badly. I bathed in PM ahead of time and it couldn't have gone better -- both of us stayed open and nondefensive and really worked it through.

See above!!!!! Happy dance at Black Cat Cottage tonight!

Mine are paid for! Thanks so much for making this happen, BG!!!

Oh, wow, invoice just paid and 3 PEs in the making! Plus I got in on LV's Sweet Pussy rebrew, which phrase kind of makes my brain explode if I think too long about it. :-)

Hey BG, so sorry I'm just getting caught up here! I'd love to get 2 bottles.

It really is!

I can't possibly top WendyLynne's gorgeous review, but I have to come on here and rave about this. I've had the same experience every time I've tested this: I sniff the bottle and get the smoky vanilla mystery goodness and my eyes roll back in my head. then I apply it and lower my head to sniff and think, damn, where did the perfume go? The closer I get and the harder I snuffle the more it eludes me. Then I philosophically tell myself that I can't love them all and go about my business. About 15 minutes later I am *ambushed* by a haunting, evocative, utterly classic and deeply nostalgic scent that wisps up. All the elements are so well-blended that I can't really pick one out. It reminds me a bit of Glamour Puss -- that kind of complexity and that kind of emotional whammy. It just smells SO GOOD in some way that goes much deeper than just liking the scent; it really answers some emotional hunger I wasn't aware that I had. I wore it to bed last night and kept waking from weird dreams and then wondering what the amazing smell was and then remembering Tantalize and feeling safe to drift back into sleep. Magical!

So I initially was having some sadface over Creamed Honey -- this was the one I was most looking forward too, and in my first few forays, I got something very wonky and curry like. But after having forced myself to set it aside for a week to settle, I brought it out today and OHMYGOD this is what I dreamed of! It's totally buttered honey with just a lick of coconut to make it extra creamy. The amber gives it great body and depth. My only complaint is that the scent is so huffable I'm tempted to start licking my arm, and I know that's not recommended. :-) JLisa, Perfect Match is an inspired choice! I'm wearing it with Gotcha! today and that also feels very congruent.

Oh, wow, bargain Sweet Pussy? Please could I get one?

OMG this sounds absolutely wonderful! I am finding that I really enjoy having a bit more time between the collections to really sample and savor, and you know I LOVE me some PEs! Both mine and other people's, so this is really sounding like a dream!

Mmm, this one is very lovely and different from what I usually go full bottle on, so thank you full bottle set for taking that decision out of my hands! As others have said, very clean, but at the same time very complex, and I am not getting soapiness with it. It really does conjure up visions of a lotus pool, the stillness of water with koi flashing through below and gorgeous bedewed water lilies. I am so thrilled to have an LFN enhanced scent that works for me! ETA: Ohhhhhh, the long drydown of this is fantastic! It somehow both gets softer and more intense. There is a prickly rustle to it, like a field full of reeds rustling in a strong breeze...

And I already have a shipping notice for my new caps and labels -- sent last night! Mara, your professionalism and commitment to customer service astounds me. And since I am a girl, unlike QG , I could unabashedly ooh and ahh over the most gorgeous bags I have EVER SEEN. So seriously squee worthy even without the incredible bottles they contained!!

I love this -- I am not sure what the passionfruit note would smell like on its own, what my nose is instantly picking out and loving is the grapefruit -- this is another of Mara's gorgeously complex and sophisticated grapefruit glamour potions! To me it almost reads like the spring/summer version of Sparkle Frost, which I loved. It's fruity and warm and I think the vetiver is adding a delicious grassiness to it, so while it is one of those hauntingly complex blends, it has a very natural (rather than perfurme-y) vibe. I was a little afraid the spices and woods would make it too heavy and dark and that is not at all the case. They provide grounding but the scent as a whole is bright and delicious. Stacy, I think you're going to love this one! It's a perfect complement to H&S.

Oh, my goodness, this is so lovely! It might be my favorite Love Potion variant so far.... on me I get the delicious rich vanilla and apricot entwined with the most perfect orange blossom I have ever sniffed -- it's so soft yet tangible and there is a creaminess that is just to die for. It's delicate, sweet, mouthwatering and soooooooooooo pretty! The perfect Valentine. :-)

Oh, yesssssssssssssssssssss. This is dark and slinky, I can see how it would work for a guy, but this is definitely one for the women! The tobacco and oud are deep and smoky, while the vanilla is a cool streak running through it and the orchid just informs the whole bouquet. What a great scent for PM! As Luna says, it has a classic feel to it, elegant, but with a subversive edge.

This is to die for! I was really unsure of how rose geranium was going to meld with the slinky animalic cat's eye/ moggie base, what introducing a floral note into the La Maison du Chat would bring -- and I shouldn't have worried, I think it's stunning! Wet, I am almost reading it like a champagne note -- there is a fizzy quality that reminds me of Peach Sparkle. As it dries down though, the fizz becomes fuzz in the best possible way -- like the guard hairs inside a cat's delicate velvet ear. The animalic musks are edgy and, well, animalic! And the catnip is delectable... I get that grassy outdoors thing I had with Eye of the Moggie, and anyone who loved that one will, I think, adore this! Prowling indeed, Ms. NuTrix!

This is one of the NRs I was most excited to try, since I recognized some notes from Patty's Gypsy Traveler, one of my all time favorite PEs. I love this! Nutrix nailed it when she said "earthy clean." The orris root keeps the cedar and vetiver from reading as masculine or too heavy, and this is perfectly named. It's a very subtle scent, very close-wearing on me, and it has an elusive "now you smell me now you don't" quality. In some ways, the texture reminds me of Hauntings -- this is a lighter and at the same time earthier vibe than that, but it has that tantalizing wisp of coolness. Just gorgeous!

Mara, thanks so much for providing so many options! I emailed you about the repair kit as it sounds like a way to have my LPs on hand but get to have the gorgeous labels fixed. I am so sorry you have to deal with this!