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The weak customer chooses the understandable rack.

"Scintillating" Soap Smells Simply Superb!

As you continue to peruse the vials and bottles on the table, you see another collection of items a little further down.  Deciding to return to the BPAL bottles later, you move on to the next set.


Above this end of the table, a large sign hangs on the wall.  It has a crisp, dark image of a beautiful but evil looking woman, and at the bottom is a caption:  Villainess. On the table underneath the sign, there is a sizable collection of soaps, creams, scrubs, and scents.  The proprietor slides up behind you: 


"Ah, I see you've found my collection of Villainess items.  Crafted by a truly remarkable individual, these cleansing items care for your skin as well as-if not better than-any store-bought cosmetics.  If you like, I have samples set aside next to the collection."


Looking to where the proprietor indicates, you see small squares of soap next to a bowl of water.  Picking up a square, you notice a tag with a name and description underneath.


'Scintillating.'
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This week, I'm reviewing one of my favorite bar soaps:  Scintillating, by Villainess Soaps!

According to the site (and the label), Scintillating is:

Teasing touches of revitalising mints - spearmint, cornmint, peppermint - grounded with a rich base note of black tea, and barely sweetened with soft vanilla.

Absolutely delectable!  The bar is a beautiful bi-color soap, with the top half being a chocolate brown, deep, dark and rich, and the bottom half being a brilliant, soft green.  At first, you get a strong whiff of mint-we're talking sinus-clearing here!  But it's not harsh or chemical, like artificial mints scents tend to be.  Rather, it's the sweet, natural fragrance of freshly crushed mint leaves.  Upon exposure to water (and a bit of scrubbing with a washcloth or loofa), the mint is slowly replaced by a gentle, but powerful vanilla, with a hint of tea swirling underneath.  Soft and cold, this is the scent of a rich, powerful evil!

As for how the soap feels, it creates a very rich, smooth lather that feels like you are rubbing your skin with silk.  It cleans great and doesn't burn, itch, or irritate! And best of all, it doesn't leave scum or stains in the shower-all it takes a little water to wash it all away.

So, in the end, Scintillating is a soap that, despite being made by a company named for evil women, works far any man or woman (or anyone in-between) that wants to smell like an evil, sexy mastermind.

Check out Villainess, and all their great products, at this link:  Villainess Soaps

Product Grade:
5/5, A+++!

You Don't Know Jack (But You Need To!)

Next to the book, you see a collection of bottles.  Some are rather large, while others are tiny.  Each has a label, printed in lovely, flowing script, and some of the larger bottles have pictures on them as well.  You realize that these bottles contain the fragrances described in the book.  Curious, you reach out and pick up the first bottle.  It's labeled with the word "Jack".  You remove the lid and raise the bottle to your nose to take a whiff....

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First review time!  Let’s start with a good one:

This time I’m discussing a fragrance from Black Phoenix (BPAL), called “Jack”.  According to the website, Jack is:

The scent of warm, glowing jack o’lanterns on a warm autumn night: true Halloween pumpkin, spiced with nutmeg, glowing peach and murky clove.

Mmmm, sounds delish, no?  Well, in fact it is.  Jack is not so much the actual smell of pumpkin (which, in my experience, is a sweetish, stringy, fruity smell), but more of what theidea of pumpkin smells like.  You know the smell that comes to mind when you see pumpkin pie in a cartoon?  Yeah, that’s what BPAL has managed to encapsulate in Jack.  Pumpkin pie and peach in a bottle.

When I tried Jack, I noticed two things:  One, this is NOT something you should wear when you’re hungry.  Seriously, I wanted to eat my arm.  In fact the only thing that stopped me (other than not being a fan of self-mutilation and PAIN), was knowing that it just wouldn’t taste like it smelled.  And two, this puppy is S-T-R-O-N-G.  As in, Jack O’Lantern himself appears before you and punches you in the face, strong.  But it’s a pleasant punch, one that you wouldn’t mind experiencing again and again.  (Does that contradict my not liking pain?  Great, now I’m going to go into an existential crisis…)

Jack is a scent I prefer for dark, cold fall and winter days.  The combination of pumpkin with peach, and especially the bright spice of the nutmeg and clove, creates a warm scent that envelopes you like a soft blanket, and lights your way through even the darkest, spookiest Halloween night.

All in all, I give this an A+!

And, if you’re interested in picking up a bottle, or even getting a tester (called “Imp’s Ears” by the lab folk), you can check them out here:  Black Phoenix, and navigate to the “Bewitching Brews” category.

(By the way, thanks to the lovely Black Phoenix forumites for the image that goes with this post!)

Fragrance Production Companies: Black Phoenix Alchemical Laboritories

You first walk over to a tall table, upon which is a lone book. The tome is large, more than a foot in thickness. The binding is some sort of leather-you almost think it might be skin, but you banish the thought from your mind. Opening the cover, you see many entries, all written in a beautiful ink that fades from vibrant crimson to midnight purple as each entry progresses.

As you begin to read, you realize that this is a hand-written version of a catalog. Described within are hundreds of scents, taken from all manner of fancies and dreams. Each new description brings new fascination, and you are soon engrossed within the pages...

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So, first off, I'll be reviewing some products from the Black Phoenix Alchemical Laboratories (BPAL). But first, I'll give everyone a brief overview of the company itself.

To quote the BPAL homepage:

Welcome to the Lab! We specialize in formulating body and household blends with a dark, romantic Gothic tone. Our scents run the aesthetic gamut of magickal, pagan and mythological blends, Renaissance, Medieval and Victorian formulas, and horror / Gothic-themed scents. By utilizing our knowledge of homeopathy and aromatherapy, the conceptual theories of hermetic alchemy, and the aesthetic artistry of perfumery, we have mastered the art of encapsulating allegorical ideas into singular olfactory experiences. We are the first of our kind, and have over fifteen years of practical experience in the field. Our expertise shows.

We pride ourselves on the artistry of our products, and our skill in their creation. All of our products are hand-blended here in our laboratory. Integrity and dedication is vitally important to us, and we do our best to provide the best possible product and slavishly good service to all our clients.

The "Labbies" (the name given by the BPAL community to the lab workers), are dedicated to creating  the best scents available in the modern market.  The lab is also involved in several charities, including the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund**, which works to protect the first amendment rights of comic book artists nation-wide, and indirectly, to protect the First Amendment in general.

BPAL products, with the exception of honey-based blends, are completely vegan-so no need to feel bad about exploited animals!  Also, the Labbies refuse to use animal testing (even going so far as to call it abhorrent), so they test on themselves, and willing family and friends.

The blends from the Lab are made of natural ingredients, such as extracts and essences.  They are also free of preservatives and other chemicals commonly found in modern perfumes and colognes.

Finally, BPAL fragrances are almost uniformly unisexual, so men and women can wear the same scents and still feel good!  And, since each bottle is hand-blended, you can rest assured that yours will be just different enough from the others to be as unique as you!

With lines like "Mad Tea Party", based on the books Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, "Marchen", based on famous fairy tales, and many others, there's sure to be a scent or two for even the most discriminatory of noses.  So stop on by their website at http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/ today, and smell the world in a whole new way!

*quote taken from the BPAL homepage
**For more information about the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, check out their website:  http://cbldf.org/

Welcomes and Introductions

You're strolling through a carnival at night. Amid the darkness and the forboding shadows, a strange building catches your eye. Surrounded by a slight mist, and covered in strange, archaic symbols, it seems to draw you in.

As you enter the building, you look around you. On all sides are shelves and tables, covered in odd items, bubbling cauldrons, and dusty tomes. Suddenly, from the shadows at the far end of the room, a person steps out. They are covered in a black cloak, and all that you can see is the mouth of the figure. He speaks.

"Welcome, traveler! You've come a long way. This is my domain. Here I collect the strange, the unusual, the arcane, and the esoteric things from the world. Feel free to look around. With each item is a description of the item itself, as well as my thoughts and impressions regarding it. If you find something interesting, I will be glad to assist you in finding your own version-for a price, of course."

The man fades back into the shadows, and you are left to look around to your heart's content.

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Well, hello! Glad you found my little blog! Here I'll review random things, such as fragrances, games, movies, TV shows, books, and music. Keep in mind that, unless otherwise noted, all reviews are my opinion, and may not necessarily apply to your experience! And if you find an item that I've reviewed to be particularly interesting, let me know, and I shall be more than happy to help you find one for yourself-and no, there's no finder's fee.