I fell asleep on the couch last night. I woke up on the couch this morning. Something about that is just so refreshing. It's one of my favorite guilty pleasures.
Budding Moon:: Budding Moon shines as Spring moves with its first breath, and this scent expresses that burst of life-affirming joy through an olfactory interpretation of Huang Quan’s flower-and-bird paintings. Plum blossom, peony, lotus root, Chinese musk and a hint of white ginger.
For certain. Peach blossom is the scent of spring, so I'm hoping that plum blossom will be similar. All of these notes work on my skin, and I can really see this being a wonderful springtime scent. My first purchase of the Asian-inspired moons.
Khajuraho:: The fabled Khajuraho temples of India are shrines of love in all its myriad forms. They are a celebration of love itself – transcendental, spiritual and erotic. This is a rejection of sorrow, spiritual ennui and despair. The sexual motifs that adorn the temples, and the temples themselves, are monuments to ecstasy and to passion, and through that, they are also monuments to spiritual fulfillment. It is believed that the realization of moksha by dedicating oneself to adhyatma and dharma can be attained only by first experiencing sexual satisfaction. In the midst of the drudgery and struggle that we sometimes endure during the course of our Earthly lives, it is vitally important that we remember the joy found in kama, and that in kama we can achieve transformation of the body and soul. This is a blissful, euphoric blend based on an ancient Indian love potion: honey, date palm, tuberose, davana blossom, amber, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, Damask rose, and champaca flower.
Yes. Beth's Indian-inspired blends always smell absolutely divine on my skin, so I'm trusting that this will be no different. The imagery in the description also really speaks to me.
Luperci:: Piss off, Saint Valentine! Lupercalia is an ancient Roman celebration, held on February 15th, that kicked in the advent of Spring with a very, very festive purification, fertility and sexuality ritual. The ritual began near the cave of Lupercal on the Palatine, an area sacred to Faunus, as well as Ruminia, Romulus and Remus. During Lupercalia, Vestal Virgins first made offerings of sacred cakes to the fig tree under which the she-wolf suckled the Sacred Twins. A dog and two goats were then offered in sacrifice to Faunus. The blood of the sacrifice was smeared onto two naked patrician youths, who were assisted by the Virgins, and the blood was wiped clean with sacred wool dipped in milk. The youths donned the skins of the sacrificial goats, wielding whips made from the goat skins, and then led the priests and the Virgins around the pomarium, and around the base hills of Rome. This was a ceremony of great happiness and merriment, and was of particular interest to young women: being touched by the goat-whips young men that led the procession ensured their fertility in the coming year. It is believed that, after the initial rite, male participants would draw the name of an available maiden, with whom he spent the rest of the night. This scent is for the Luperci, the Chosen of Faunus, the Brothers of the Wolf: raw, down and dirty patchouli, Gurjam balsam, and essence of Sampson Root sweetened with the heightened sexuality of beeswax, virile juniper, oakmoss, ambrette seed over honey and East African musk.
The patchouli is making me uneasy. Patchouli doesn't go awry on me, but I haven't really been in a patchouli kind of mood of late. The Lupercalia scents are up for the month, though, so I think I have time to ponder this over. This sounds like it will be divine on a man. I might search out a decant.
Night's Pavilion:: Not the desperation, desolation and anguish of unrequited love, but the distant, chill and pitiless scent of the object of that doomed desire. White musk, osmanthus, Nile lily and frankincense.
Lily. Nope. It tends to smell like soap on me.
Parlement of Foules::
For the Valentine’s Day purists. Medieval romance and courtly love. White rose and soft resins.
Eh. This could be pretty, but I could easily layer one of my rose scents over one of my amber scents.
The Perfumed Garden:: The Perfumed Garden for the Soul’s Recreation. This scent is based on a venerable Tunisian perfume that was used to excite the senses, inspire sensuality and inflame passion. Myrrh and Moroccan jasmine with apple peel, Indian sandalwood, myrtle, quince, citron, and thyme poured over soft musk.
Damn you, jasmine. I cannot wear you!
Red Lantern:: A tribute to the opium den cum bawdyhouses of Shanghai in the 1930’s. Golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium and delphinium laced with a sensual blend of Asian spice.
Yessssss.
Smut:: What a great freakin’ word. BPAL LOVES TEH SMUT! Three swarthy, smutty musks sweetened with sugar and woozy with dark booze notes.
I was totally onboard until I hit "booze." Nonono. Also, this seems really similar to Devil's Night. Hmm. A decant it shall be, despite the cute name.
My order: Budding Moon, Khajuraho, Red Lantern. Pretty restained, thank god.
I went shopping last night, and I learned that "shop 'til you drop" is not just a cutesy catchphrase.
By the time I got home, my feet were killing me. I had to get some more work clothes, because I'd been wearing the same four collared shirts over and over and over again. I got a few more basic black pieces-- one tuxedo shirt, one linen shirt, plus two tuxedo vests-- one pinstriped, one not. I'm trying a new look, one that I'd always thought would look terrible on me. However, the tuxedo vest over a wide-collared shirt actually minimizes my curvy chest, which is really nice, because now I can go for a sleeker sillhouette. I also got a gauzy mesh tuxedo shirt for dressing the look up at night. It makes me look like Bette Porter on The L Word. Either that, or Johnny Cash's astral lovechild.
As for play clothes, I got a teal blue dress shirt, a cherry blossom-colored pullover, a kimono-inspired dress, and a thin jersey dress for spring with a totally 70's pattern on it. I got a red cardigan wrap for a cover-up, and a black lace shell to dress up some of my lower-cut tops. Layering pieces, mostly, since I've found that that's the key to building a wardrobe. I'm actually beginning to have one of those nowadays, and it makes me feel much more adult than it should. Gone are the days of the one "nice" skirt and the single dress shirt that looked like a muu muu on me because of my chest size. In with the business dressy look. I kind of like it.
To top it off, I got a silver accent belt and a gorgeous pair of dress heels. The problem with my shoe collection is that it's totally bi-polar. I have combat boots and knee-high heeled boots, a pair of nearly-flats for swing dancing, plus a neglected pair of sneakers for whenever I have to move heavy things. Everything else is strictly dominatrix-gear only. You know-- 5" heels with the buckle enclosure, razor-thin stilettos with the pointy toe. I needed something more refined for knee-length dresses and skirts. I picked up the sweetest round-toe, ankle strap shoes last night. You can tell that they're well made, and they go with just about everything in my closet. They will be a core piece, so I think it's money well spent.
But boy. Wallet in pain. Wallet knows it's good pain, and all bills are paid, but pain nonetheless.
Oh, and Heather? We have to go to NY&Co. soon. Their new shirts are so adorable. I saw you in shirt-form-- pale green stripes with thin gold accent lines. I might pick up the mauve one, and a spring-green shirt. They just came out, though, so they're kind of expensive. Next sale, though? I could use some more color.
Off I go. I have to pull girlfriend duty because Skyler is best-manning a wedding. Time to look all snazzy.
Budding Moon:: Budding Moon shines as Spring moves with its first breath, and this scent expresses that burst of life-affirming joy through an olfactory interpretation of Huang Quan’s flower-and-bird paintings. Plum blossom, peony, lotus root, Chinese musk and a hint of white ginger.
For certain. Peach blossom is the scent of spring, so I'm hoping that plum blossom will be similar. All of these notes work on my skin, and I can really see this being a wonderful springtime scent. My first purchase of the Asian-inspired moons.
Khajuraho:: The fabled Khajuraho temples of India are shrines of love in all its myriad forms. They are a celebration of love itself – transcendental, spiritual and erotic. This is a rejection of sorrow, spiritual ennui and despair. The sexual motifs that adorn the temples, and the temples themselves, are monuments to ecstasy and to passion, and through that, they are also monuments to spiritual fulfillment. It is believed that the realization of moksha by dedicating oneself to adhyatma and dharma can be attained only by first experiencing sexual satisfaction. In the midst of the drudgery and struggle that we sometimes endure during the course of our Earthly lives, it is vitally important that we remember the joy found in kama, and that in kama we can achieve transformation of the body and soul. This is a blissful, euphoric blend based on an ancient Indian love potion: honey, date palm, tuberose, davana blossom, amber, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, Damask rose, and champaca flower.
Yes. Beth's Indian-inspired blends always smell absolutely divine on my skin, so I'm trusting that this will be no different. The imagery in the description also really speaks to me.
Luperci:: Piss off, Saint Valentine! Lupercalia is an ancient Roman celebration, held on February 15th, that kicked in the advent of Spring with a very, very festive purification, fertility and sexuality ritual. The ritual began near the cave of Lupercal on the Palatine, an area sacred to Faunus, as well as Ruminia, Romulus and Remus. During Lupercalia, Vestal Virgins first made offerings of sacred cakes to the fig tree under which the she-wolf suckled the Sacred Twins. A dog and two goats were then offered in sacrifice to Faunus. The blood of the sacrifice was smeared onto two naked patrician youths, who were assisted by the Virgins, and the blood was wiped clean with sacred wool dipped in milk. The youths donned the skins of the sacrificial goats, wielding whips made from the goat skins, and then led the priests and the Virgins around the pomarium, and around the base hills of Rome. This was a ceremony of great happiness and merriment, and was of particular interest to young women: being touched by the goat-whips young men that led the procession ensured their fertility in the coming year. It is believed that, after the initial rite, male participants would draw the name of an available maiden, with whom he spent the rest of the night. This scent is for the Luperci, the Chosen of Faunus, the Brothers of the Wolf: raw, down and dirty patchouli, Gurjam balsam, and essence of Sampson Root sweetened with the heightened sexuality of beeswax, virile juniper, oakmoss, ambrette seed over honey and East African musk.
The patchouli is making me uneasy. Patchouli doesn't go awry on me, but I haven't really been in a patchouli kind of mood of late. The Lupercalia scents are up for the month, though, so I think I have time to ponder this over. This sounds like it will be divine on a man. I might search out a decant.
Night's Pavilion:: Not the desperation, desolation and anguish of unrequited love, but the distant, chill and pitiless scent of the object of that doomed desire. White musk, osmanthus, Nile lily and frankincense.
Lily. Nope. It tends to smell like soap on me.
Parlement of Foules::
For the Valentine’s Day purists. Medieval romance and courtly love. White rose and soft resins.
Eh. This could be pretty, but I could easily layer one of my rose scents over one of my amber scents.
The Perfumed Garden:: The Perfumed Garden for the Soul’s Recreation. This scent is based on a venerable Tunisian perfume that was used to excite the senses, inspire sensuality and inflame passion. Myrrh and Moroccan jasmine with apple peel, Indian sandalwood, myrtle, quince, citron, and thyme poured over soft musk.
Damn you, jasmine. I cannot wear you!
Red Lantern:: A tribute to the opium den cum bawdyhouses of Shanghai in the 1930’s. Golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium and delphinium laced with a sensual blend of Asian spice.
Yessssss.
Smut:: What a great freakin’ word. BPAL LOVES TEH SMUT! Three swarthy, smutty musks sweetened with sugar and woozy with dark booze notes.
I was totally onboard until I hit "booze." Nonono. Also, this seems really similar to Devil's Night. Hmm. A decant it shall be, despite the cute name.
My order: Budding Moon, Khajuraho, Red Lantern. Pretty restained, thank god.
I went shopping last night, and I learned that "shop 'til you drop" is not just a cutesy catchphrase.
By the time I got home, my feet were killing me. I had to get some more work clothes, because I'd been wearing the same four collared shirts over and over and over again. I got a few more basic black pieces-- one tuxedo shirt, one linen shirt, plus two tuxedo vests-- one pinstriped, one not. I'm trying a new look, one that I'd always thought would look terrible on me. However, the tuxedo vest over a wide-collared shirt actually minimizes my curvy chest, which is really nice, because now I can go for a sleeker sillhouette. I also got a gauzy mesh tuxedo shirt for dressing the look up at night. It makes me look like Bette Porter on The L Word. Either that, or Johnny Cash's astral lovechild.
As for play clothes, I got a teal blue dress shirt, a cherry blossom-colored pullover, a kimono-inspired dress, and a thin jersey dress for spring with a totally 70's pattern on it. I got a red cardigan wrap for a cover-up, and a black lace shell to dress up some of my lower-cut tops. Layering pieces, mostly, since I've found that that's the key to building a wardrobe. I'm actually beginning to have one of those nowadays, and it makes me feel much more adult than it should. Gone are the days of the one "nice" skirt and the single dress shirt that looked like a muu muu on me because of my chest size. In with the business dressy look. I kind of like it.
To top it off, I got a silver accent belt and a gorgeous pair of dress heels. The problem with my shoe collection is that it's totally bi-polar. I have combat boots and knee-high heeled boots, a pair of nearly-flats for swing dancing, plus a neglected pair of sneakers for whenever I have to move heavy things. Everything else is strictly dominatrix-gear only. You know-- 5" heels with the buckle enclosure, razor-thin stilettos with the pointy toe. I needed something more refined for knee-length dresses and skirts. I picked up the sweetest round-toe, ankle strap shoes last night. You can tell that they're well made, and they go with just about everything in my closet. They will be a core piece, so I think it's money well spent.
But boy. Wallet in pain. Wallet knows it's good pain, and all bills are paid, but pain nonetheless.
Oh, and Heather? We have to go to NY&Co. soon. Their new shirts are so adorable. I saw you in shirt-form-- pale green stripes with thin gold accent lines. I might pick up the mauve one, and a spring-green shirt. They just came out, though, so they're kind of expensive. Next sale, though? I could use some more color.
Off I go. I have to pull girlfriend duty because Skyler is best-manning a wedding. Time to look all snazzy.