Black Cat

Aw, NuTrix, it's so nice to be known here! I was very curious when I saw the notes on this one, as I was a huge fan of Totem Bat. The first time I tried this I thought them so similar that I decided I could skip this one. Today, though, I am getting a different experience. As I think others have described, this feels like a much sunnier, open air scent. Bat to me was dark forest with an ancient cemetery with crumbling headstones. This is much more fresh air, newly mowed grass and well-tended vegetable garden, with laundry hanging on the line to dry. I am actually put much more in mind of Summer Belle with it today, and I adored that one. I don't get the earth as nearly prominent in this one as in either of those. On me, it's more of a texture here and less of a scent. The greens are more predominant. Oh, and I just went back and looked at the notes and there really aren't greens, except for maybe vetiver! The woods are leafy, then. The fruit is ripe. I might need a FB after all!

Bawdy Babe and 2 bottles of Inspire Desire. The power of the sampler is amazing -- these were the two I was most sure I WOULDN'T end up loving. Can't wait to smell like spring!

Now that I have placed my order and secured my bottles, I can come rave about this. This is why I must always get the sampler because when I read the notes I knew I would be able to pass this one up. I loved Atomic Mandarin, but it's gotten a little wonky on my skin recently, and besides, I am not a cupcake girl, not a pink girl, none of these things. But I got the sampler so felt duty bound to test all. This is so delicious it literally makes me gasp when I first put it on. It is the most perfect bakery scent I have yet encountered at LP. It is so delicate and rich and mouth-wateringly evocative of the most stunning frosted fairy cupcake... I picture tiny petit-four-sized cupcakes, with elaborately ornamental buttercream frosting. I am writing this looking outside at the sun just starting to go down. I must have this scent as we head into spring. This is one of the lightest and brightest scents I can imagine. It feels like edible sunshine.

This one is interesting! There is an element I can't quite put my finger on, that I assume must be the benzoin? I get the berries and the musk, and there is something else that is not leather but almost reads like it to my nose? It's haunting and somehow both ethereal and earthy at the same time. I love chelle's description of it as "fantastic and fierce"! It makes me think of a film heroine sitting down to an elegant state banquet in her silk evening gown, with a stiletto strapped to her thigh in case she needs to assassinate anyone later. Powerful stuff!

Mmm. Wet, this is like the world's most high-end, expensive Tootsie Pop (I mean that in the best possible way!). Gorgeous hard cherry candy surrounding a chewy chocolate center. And then the drydown.... In drydown this a mind-blowing soft sultry musk. It lies very close to the skin -- one of the best stealth sexy scents I've come across. Ever!

Take no prisoners, Tyvey!!!!

She is a genius! In addition to the scent being so extraordinary, I loved hearing about your approach to making it!

Um, FANTASTIC!!

This one truly is amazing! I also was a little unsure what pushed me to order since I couldn't imagine how those notes would work together, but the label was my favorite and I also know that Tyvey is a PE goddess. This one is so nommable! My world makes sense now that I know Compromising Positions was a reference because in amidst the pudding-y goodness I was getting an eggnog vibe, but eggnog made with full cream. This is chewy amazement and deeply sexy (got mine copped, FWIW!). Love it! Congrats Tyvey for a genius idea and Mara for spectacular execution!

Hooray for the rebrew! I no longer have to feel like a selfish pig for jumping on 2 bottles of the original! :-) Just wanted to come over here and take a moment to squee loudly over Wendy's Liquid Mystery and Tyvey's Chewy Patch, since review threads are not yet up..... Extraordinary creations! Hats off to you ladies and Mara for more treasures!

I was having so much trouble translating this list of notes into an SLF scent.... foolish Blackcat, remember to trust Mara! This is GORGEOUS. It has that wonderful warm slightly nose-prickling edge that all my favorite SLFs have had. I was worried that the florals would make it a bit head-achy for me (orchid, I'm looking at you) but everything is so perfectly blended that I really don't pick out individual notes. Except for the civit, which I adore. To my nose, this is very similar to Dom Noir, but that one ended up being frighteningly overpowering to me. This is a quieter, subtler version. Wonderful!

PLEASE MAKE THIS!!!!!!! That sounds beyond amazing! :-) ETA: And duh, I actually have all those sugareds on hand so will try that combo out at some point when I am not testing a NR sampler!

Heh!! Don't tempt me!!!

Dear Mara and all the lovely people at LP -- I am just reveling in my goodies today! I am blown away by the generous extras and I can't get over the magic of the PEs. No doubt I will not be able to get over the magic of NRs either but I haven't even gotten to those yet!! Thank you for the craft and the dedication and the spirit of joy that pervades it all. You guys rock!!!!! And humble bows to the Potion Master for making magic on request, every time.

Oh, Seaj, that's a way more beautiful way of describing it! I'm so glad you like it... and Miss Opal thanks you for the compliment as well!

Mmm, after devoting the morning to testing my own PE, I am trying out the other wonderful creations I ordered. This is fantastic! As others have described, it starts as dark cherry that is very juicy, not candied. Then as it dries down the resins start to bloom and I get the vanilla bean paste -- wonderfully dark swirly textures here! I got one bottle copped and the other virgin so I could pair it with phero-heavy cops. I was tempted to get this boosted with Sexpionage but figured it would make me too dangerous to leave the house. This one has plenty of SLF come-and-get-it vibe all on its own! Congrats to Storemy and Mara!

OK, this is the second time this has happened to me! I am copying and pasting the link... is there some further step to make it appear here? ANd thanks for the kind words! http://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/opal ETA: OK, success! Apparently it has to go on its own line.

Jennifer's Opal Beautiful blending of ylang-ylang, woodsmoke, grassy greens and a drop of fresh linen, over a gentle layer of soft white sugar. YLANG YLANG ~ (also known as Cananga) Strongly sensual, attraction, attention, irresistibly, soothes marital problems. Aphrodisiac, mood balancing, relaxation. SMOKE ~ In addition to the attributes of whatever is being burned (resins, woods, etc), smoke is for cleansing, purification, renewal, consecration, concealment and celebration. It is also the foremost mode of communication from this world to the realm of spirits and the gods. GRASSES ~ Wishes granted, enhances psychic powers, protection. LINEN ~ Luck, healing, protection, return of lost love. Of course this was the first thing I pulled out of the box, and I have been so excited for it that I actually haven't opened and sniffed ANYTHING else yet. Just sitting with this one. As I mentioned elsewhere, this is a combination of notes I came up with through playing with my sugareds. While it was great fun to experiment, putting on four different notes (and not always remembering the ratios that work) can be a bit tedious, so I wanted a blend with all of them. In addition, quite separately I wanted to ask Mara to craft something for me to be an aid in some very deep internal work I am doing with someone. Even though it is not a romantic partnership, I need to build intimacy and loving trust. When I looked up the meanings of these notes, they seemed like a good match. And finally, the name! I have a history of doing PEs based on the familiars in my life, and I have a new little furbaby in the house. Two days after the home visit where I first met her, my sister sent me a beautiful opal bracelet with a lovely letter about how important the symbolism of the stone was to her. When I went and googled "magical meanings opal" I found this link: It spoke so powerfully to me that I knew the new pup would be Opal! And since I am hoping she is very much going to be a touchstone/companion for all this transformative work, it seemed very fitting to lend the name as well to this scent. Plus, the scent I envisioned was a kind of shimmer, with the ylang and grasses flashing out between the smoke and the linen, so that seemed right, too. Well, it is no surprise that even in this first testing I feel as if Mara hit a home run! This is already very lovely and I bet with a few months aging it is going to be spectacular. It's very soft and rides close to the skin. Wet I get predominantly grassy floral, which is beautiful, and as it dries down, I get little wisps of the smoke and just a hint of the linen, which is exactly what I asked for. I can't wait to wear it to my appointment tomorrow. For pheros, I think this will go really well with Gotcha and maybe Perfect Match. Thank you so much, Mara! This one is a treasure!

Congrats to all!!! As I type I realized I haven't kept track of my current level -- posting and reading immediately!

And.... just hiked over to the PO in nippy weather and picked up my HUGE box (wax tarts!!!!) and even though it's a work day I am working from home and am taking an early lunch at quarter of ten in the morning to go upstairs and unwrap! YAY!!!!!

Oh, man, package has reached town! Probably the dreaded peach slip today and pick up tomorrow, but maybe I'll get home in time to intercept the mail man. Super squee for PEs and sampler! ETA: Damn it! Just got home and already peach slipped. Ah, well. Makes tomorrow very exciting!

I do not expect this to happen, but if by any chance an extra bottle of Lina's Woodland Romance should appear, could you put me down for it? I was hovering on that one and now her review has me kicking myself for not jumping on it!

Can't believe how fast you guys are!!!! Shipping notice to let me know that PEs and wax melts are winging their way towards me.... YAY!!!!!!

Oooh, I think that is the one I'm most excited to try! I simply CANNOT imagine how those notes might combine, and those are often my favorites!

Mmm, I got a sniffy of this from a generous forum member, and it's delicious! When it goes on I mostly get a pine-iness, but then the apple and pumpkin slide in gracefully and it becomes something wonderfully complex. It's got a warm burry feel to it, and I definitely get a total evocation of autumn, with crackling leaves underfoot and cool brisk air! Absolutely lovely, and I may need a bottle for next fall! ETA: Oh, man, the long drydown of this is FANTASTIC!!! It morphs into something so subtle and... PALPABLE. Like I could reach out and stroke the scent.