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June 18, 2005
sensory overload
i spent a lot of the day researching and ordering BPAL scents. well, and sleeping, and cleaning the kitchen, and watching the R2k webcam.
each imp is so inexpensive that it's possible to try many, many scents... especially knowing that if it doesn't work, you can always swap it or sell it. which, if you'll forgive me for being a bit of a capitalist for a moment, is an absolutely brilliant marketing strategy as compared to good quality commercial perfumes. for instance, a bottle of chanel no. 5 on sephora.com runs about $95. the only way to try before you buy is to go to a department store and use a tester, or maybe try one of the less expensive, more diluted versions (eau de toilette - $42 for 1.2 oz). i'd have to be pretty devoted to go to a department store over and over again to find a commercial scent i liked on me, and then the investment once i had decided would be significant. and then i'd only have one scent... not a huge variety to fit different moods, occasions, times of year... etc.
no, i think creating hundreds of unusual scents, making the cost of entry and the risk involved really low, and playing nice with the thriving online community that supports you is a much better business model.
anyway. so what did i get?
orders from LJ, that should come very quickly:
- VAN VAN - A venerable voodoo blend, used for purification of the spirit and to amplify positive personal power.
- NOCNITSA - Her scent is that of a lightless fir wood, nighttime air, wet forest mosses and upturned earth.
- ARACHNE - A gossamer scent, as light as a spider’s footfall, touched with sighing mists: pallid flowers, dusty woods and soft herbs.
- DREAM FORMULA V: SOMNUS - Named after the Roman God of Sleep. This blend helps bring on deep, restful, natural sleep.
- ULTRAVIOLET - gentle violet and mint
- BLACK ANNIS - Black Annis' perfume is a mixture of damp cave lichen and oak leaf with a hint of vetiver, civet and anise.
- GLASGOW - The rich scent of wild blackberry breezing over gentle rosy heather.
from BPAL, so i won't see these for a couple of months:
- R'LYEH - A hellishly dark aquatic scent, evocative of fathomless oceanic deeps, the mysteries of madness buried under crushing black waters, and the brooding eternal evil that lies beneath the waves.
- NOSFERATU - desiccated herbs and gritty earth brought to life with a swell of robust and sanguineous red wines.
- SHROUD - Dry white sandalwood wrapped in thin woods, soft grasses and the lightest white flowers layered over cajeput and the warm, deep scent of embalming herbs.
- EMBALMING FLUID - A light, pure scent: white musk, green tea, aloe and lemon.
- WHITE RABBIT - Strong black tea and milk with white pepper, ginger, honey and vanilla, spilled over the crisp scent of clean linen.
- SCHEREZADE - Saffron and Middle Eastern spices swirled through sensual red musk.
i'm realizing that, although i am not as adventurous as i think i should be about food, i feel perfectly adventuresome when it comes to scent. i look forward to smelling these things the way i think foodies must look forward to a new and unusual taste.
:|:
in other sensory news, i took a spur of the moment trip out to the farmer's market in raleigh. given sarah and georg's devotion to the place, i thought it might be a good source for more herb plants. indeed! in fact, it's incredible. i could have spent a lot more if i'd wanted to, on things other than herbs that i know my yard needs. maybe next month.
so i bought basil, garlic chives, and an incredibly fragrant rosemary plant, and got them into the ground. during the last week i had also gotten new sprayers to go with a new hose i'd gotten, and what i like to call a "hose house"... a hose reel that is inside a little plastic box. the house house is kind of a pain, mainly because it's a cheap piece of crap, but it's probably still an improvement over not having a reel at all. when i want to move the hose to the front of the house to wash the car, it'll be great.
my thyme, lavender, and mint all seem to be thriving although i'm realizing that soil is a little clay-ey and heavy. were i to be ambitious, i suppose i would dig out that whole bed and work something into the soil to condition it. this year, i am most certainly not ambitious with the garden. i already have a van and a basement to be ambitious with. perhaps in some future year.
the basement, btw, is almost completely dry. must make self either work there or with the van or both tomorrow. must not be completely slack....
Posted by lisa at June 18, 2005 09:40 PM | TrackBack
Comments
That's funny because we went to the Durham farmer's market yesterday. It's tiny and has hardly any plant sellers, but it's a nice outing for the dogs. Raleigh is too crowded and too far away to take them.
do you remember where you bought the herbs? There are a couple of herb sellers we really like.
Posted by: Sarah on June 19, 2005 08:26 AM
ok, so a) your comment won't post right away because i have to approve it first and b) you might get a server error but your comment probably posted anyway and c) previewing doesn't work so i've removed the preview button.