BPAL Reviews: Chaotic, Crypt Queen, L'Essence de la Passion, L'Essence de la Folie

CHAOTIC (GC, RPG)
A whirling mélange of multicolored musks with wasabi, rooibos, heliotrope, and mastic
( Review. )

Verdict: I find myself reaching for Chaotic far more than I expect. It's too unusual to be called understated, but it has an unassuming smoothness that belies surprising warmth and distinction. I admire it more than I love it, but sometimes it's the perfect thing to wear, and I'm glad for my decant.


CRYPT QUEEN (LE, Black Phoenix Trading Post)
As sweet as death, as deep as the grave: pomegranate, raspberry, gardenia, plum, and rose with patchouli, black pepper, rose musk, and a hint of blood accord.
( Review. )

Verdict: Queen of Clubs wowed me with its wearable rose and dark, dirty fruits; Crypt Queen is in many ways similar, but never passes from "good" to "great"—whatever magic marks QoC, it isn't here. And that's fine! It's a beautifully realized scent on the whole, dark and round and complex, but I'm not in love and don't need to keep my decant.


L'ESSENCE DE LA PASSION (LE, Trading Post: Lupercalia 2012: The Eros Inquisition)
Red musk, carnation, myrrh, and honey.
( Review. )

Verdict: Carnation is my beloved, so I'm sad to see this one fade; red musk amps on me, so La Passion reads a bit like every other red musk blend. Nonetheless this is lovely: the notes are beautiful in concert, and the scent is a warm red beauty. I'll keep my decant, but don't need more.


L'ESSENCE DE LA FOLIE (LE, Trading Post: Lupercalia 2012: The Eros Inquisition)
Pink pepper, black pepper, clove, myrrh, dark chocolate, labdanum, and Daemonorops draco.
( Review. )

Verdict: While not actively unpleasant, this is far from my style; I washed it off. I wasn't expecting such a sweet scent; as it is, it's full-bodied and tolerable despite my avid dislike of everything it stands for, but, no, I don't need to keep my decant.

Meet Gillian, another porch stray cat.

If it were reasonable to take in a hundred billion cats, or if we didn't have our hearts set on giving Mamakitty a home, I would adopt Gillian. I can't tell you much about this cat other than it turned up on the porch about the time we started putting cat food there. I've been calling her a she in part because of her small size, and named her Gillian after the Practical Magic character and the black cat she sometimes carries. As far as I can figure Gillian's not yet full grown; she must at some point have been domestic because this is the friendliest cat you have ever met. She comes to the porch and meows in the window so that I will go out and pet her; she jumps in my lap. She gives lovebites, honest to goodness, and I adore her. In many ways she's also a fascinating mirror to August—I just really, really wish she could be mine; in the meantime, I'm looking into having her spayed/vaccinated/ear tipped, and, well, we'll put out food.

Every good picture I could get was of her on my lap. Guys, she's a lovely cat.

( +3 )

Don't let the Japanese maple tree in the background fool you: autumn is just starting, and not yet in full swing. But Devon was here this weekend while Dee went out of town, and we went into St. Johns proper for lunch, and I ran out halfway into the meal in order to stand in the thick full raindrops that I'd seen through the window. It is here.