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Igor Drandic Fairy Forest

May 17  – Moon in Aries, VC 6:44 pm. This is a good day to fix problems, in the material world and in your emotions. If you reach a healing crisis, go for professional help. Seek counsel from one who has more experience than you. You want to work by yourself, as you don’t have the patience to wait for a consensus from a group.

May 18 – Moon in Taurus. Today and tomorrow are the days to plant. You’ll feel the energy become unstable as we approach Sunday and the solar eclipse. Use the last days of sensuous Taurus energy to pamper your body with massages, oils and bubble baths. Take advantage of Taurus’ ability to spot the bargain and shop for items you need and want.

May 19 – Moon in Taurus. Stay home and garden and rest and eat desserts today, the last day of Taurus. Hunt through the yard sales to find treasures. Don’t make any big changes or begin any new projects since tomorrow’s eclipse will wipe out today’s efforts. Think of today as being like a boat ride in choppy water.  Have a sensual evening with your partner.

May 20 – Moon VC Taurus, enters Gemini 7:05 pm. The Sun enters Gemini at 11:16 am. There is a solar eclipse today, which is coupled with a void-of-course moon. Just flow with the energy and enjoy a lazy Sunday. Let things happen. Relax and quiet down. Breathing exercises help you to focus so you can still your mind and get rid of old thoughts.

May 21 – Moon in Gemini. When you have to make a decision, opt for what’s new. You can do a mental inventory and discard any old thoughts, concepts, plans, that haven’t worked up to now. Try to start fresh with new plans. You can do the same account of the people in your life and decide whom you would like to stop seeing so you can make room for new friends.

May 22 – Moon in Gemini, VC 6:15 pm. It’s a lucky day to send in your written work – manuscripts, applications, grant proposals, and love letters. Your words are persuasive and you can further your cause with solid proof. It will be hard to sit still and you need to be in motion for a good part of the day. Talk to your siblings about family money issues.

May 23 – Moon in Cancer. Today and tomorrow are the most fertile days to plant in the coming month. Spend some serious time in the garden. The Sun has a conflict with Neptune today, which translates into thoughts vs. feelings. You can be fooled by someone’s words if you don’t recognize where you are stuck in wishful thinking.

May 24 – Moon in Cancer. Mercury enters Gemini and helps your thoughts and words pick up speed. It’s an easy day to communicate with others. Call Mom and check in on the family news. Plan your next family reunion.  Trade recipes. It’s a good day to shop for food staples, cookbooks and cookware, and then come home and cook.

May 25 – Moon in Cancer, VC 10:34 am until 6:11 pm when it enters Leo. It’s a catch-up day. Tie up loose ends and sort out your inbox and closets. Do some Spring-cleaning and discard winter debris. Your imagination is working overtime and you may hear what you want to hear instead of the truth of the matter. It’s a good weekend to take a short trip – leave early for the holiday if you can.

May 26 – Moon in Leo. This is not a good weekend for planting so leave the garden for another time and set off to have some fun. Take the kids, or a friend’s kids, to play at an amusement park or picnic in the park. Have fun working on an art project. Go to the theater or out to hear live music performances tonight.

May 27 – Moon in Leo, VC  7:54 pm. The Sun and Mercury meet and they offer you new ideas and insights into how you life is proceeding. You can see results from actions and also act on what you feel is necessary to reach your goals. Balance your creativity with practicality. This is not a day to sit home by yourself. You want get involved in many conversations so you can test your ideas. Seek out friends who are on the fringe and see what you can learn from them.

May 28 – Moon in Virgo. There’s a part of you that would rather work than be on holiday. You can attend to chores around the house and make further preparations for Summer. This is a barren moon so refrain from planting. It is a good time to till the soil, weed, and get rid of bugs. The day holds unexpected excitement so be ready to go with it.

May 29 – Moon in Virgo. Mercury rules the day so give a speech, lead a discussion, and write those words you need to get out of your head. You’re adept with your hands and know how to fix what’s broken.  Keep to short tasks, as you don’t have the concentration for sticking to one job all day. Try to stay focused and not lose the day in a whirl of gossip.

May 30 – Moon in Libra. Where there is friction in relationships between what’s known and what’s unspoken, push towards healing the rift. You can find the words that will cure the problems. Your mind is very active and you’ll speak before you think. When this causes and argument, bend and flex so you can diffuse any anger. Bring flowers to mend any misunderstandings.

May 31 – Moon in Libra, VC 9:31 pm. It’s a day to be social and meet with friends to toss ideas around. Have a luncheon, or make an impromptu picnic for lunch with your so-workers. Go to the nurseries and indulge yourself in buying flowering plants. Plant them today.  Keep it light and happy and leave the heavy stuff for another day.

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Note from Amanda Feeley, Perfumer Esscentual Alchemy:

I have to mention these perfumes are by far the most complex I have created.  And part of it was purposeful, as Devil, as a Character, is tremendously complex.   In someways, this made the process more difficult, as it forced me to be ruthless about what I was using.  How much I was using, and researching how it would react with everything else.  I also spent a good amount of time researching the etymology of the words you used to describe Dev’s scent.  As I also mentioned, I’m normally an intuitive perfumer.  This was a linear, left brained, and methodical process that I used to create these three perfumes.  That being said, it was quite gratifying to see the results of this process for me, as a perfumer.

I used several ancient recipes for Chypre’s from various books from the 18th century.  These formed “bases” for me to build upon.

NOTES for Devilscent #1

Chypre Base #1 (Bergamot, Oakmoss, Ambrette, Labdanum Absolute, Vetyver, Dark Patchouli, Sandalwood)

Muhuhu, Frankincense (carterri and serrata), Labdanum Absolute, Nookta, Vetyver, Civet, Castoreum, Comniphora wildii, Myrrh, Amber resin, Styrax, Tobacco, Sugandha kokila, Cinnamon leaf, Rosewood, Galbanum, Wormwood, Antique Lavender, Holy Basil, Ginger Lily, Antique Rose Geranium, Horse Chestnut tincture

Carrier:  alcohol

Summary, Monica Miller: I would describe DEV #1 by Esscentual Alchemy as *furry*. It is animalic, leathery, heavy funk, musk and sweat. I think it would be very sexy for the right nose and the right wearer. I definitely recommend a sniff for your olfactory workout. Dev #1 is full of the real stuff when it comes to the natural animalic notes and Amanda has not been shy in the dosage. Please try it, it’s fun, I mean really, smell my finger! try it on your neighbors, your cats, yourself in public and in large doses. You only live once (that we know of).

Sheila Eggenberger’s novel Quantum Demonology is full of sexual fun, frivolity, funk and sweat- just like this perfume. It goes well with the story, well done Amanda!!!

Pros: if you really like heavy animalic scents and you want it all natural this is for you.

Cons: Too *furry* for some.

Number of times tested: Twice.

Fragrance Strength: Parfum

Development: (Linear / Average / Complex)

Longevity: (Short / Average / Long-lasting):

Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot):

All Natural or Natural/Mixed Media Materials Used: All Natural.

Website: Esscentual Alchemy

Disclosure: Perfume Pharmer was given a free sample for review.

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image: Dark lovers by sifudragonfly)

Designer’s Description:Notes: “By Satanic Decree, the essences in this elixir are not to be divulged to mortals. As sealed by Dev.”

and “The secrets of the Succubi are bound in blood. The contents of this vial shall not be known to mankind. As sealed by Lilith.”

Summary: So there you have it. A duo of Dark Lover perfumes with mysterious magical ingredients… I have only my impression, my nose, my experience of these elixirs to go on. I will say Otherworldly. I will say floral (Lil perhaps more…dare I say Tuberose?), Dev perhaps more Ambery notes? Both warm, both floral ambery, heavy heat in the dry down. I feel like these get stronger with wear. They last for days on my clothes, many many hours on skin. I see bright colors with these perfumes, bright pinks, oranges, reds, umbers, ambers. They are not shy fragrances, you would definitely make your presence known in these- and remembered. They are rich powerful scents, definitely related to each other sharing some of the same blood so to speak. These scents linger on the wearer and in your mind. They waft, creeping tendrils of scent finding your nose at unexpected moments and have me thinking “wow, what’s that totally sexy scent?” Then I search around for what I am wearing. Dev on my right wrist, Lil on my left.

Pros: Totally sexy “holds no prisoners” perfumes.

Cons: Both Dev and Lil may be too powerful a fragrance for some (that’s a con?) It’s all about taste and skin ph.

Number of times tested: several.

Number of sprays applied for this review: several dabs over several days.

Fragrance Strength: Unknown.

Development: (Linear / Average / Complex): There are many facets to these perfumes.

Longevity: (Short / Average / Long-lasting)

Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot)

Note About the Packaging: Maria And Alexis come up with innovative artistic packaging. Always lovely.

All Natural or Natural/Mixed Media Materials Used: Mixed media.

Website: Cherry Bomb Killer Perfumes.

Disclosure: Perfume Pharmer was kindly given free samples.

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image by Saffet Tuncle

Summary: I would describe Neil Morris’s ode to LILITH for Sheila Eggenberger’s Devilscent project as “cherubim on the outside, deadly on the inside”. The perfume opens clean, translucent, fresh washed clean and then lasts for days leaving a delicately musky never ending dry down. Personally I got lots of compliments wearing LILITH, from many people on Martha’s Vineyard where I live- proving the fragrance could have a far reaching appeal, for the young and old, male and female. It is a feminine fragrance, powerfully so. It reminds me of a story I was told from the 60’s of a young, very beautiful woman wandering down the road on Partington Ridge in Big Sur dressed in nothing but a lacy negligee slip… she was a wisp of a girl, short wavy hair, light brown. This described image stood out in my mind to illustrate this fragrance. I heard that part of what made this young woman so attractive was the way she spoke, she didn’t talk very much but her whole aura/energy was that of “wanting to have sex”. She moved like she knew her body, like a dancer, with a freedom, a litheness. She had a habit of touching you when she spoke…

Pros: All is pro. Lilith is a great fragrance. It always comes down to the taste of the wearer and skin ph (how it works on you)

Cons: taste? no cons.

Notes:/ Designer’s Description: There was no description or notes given for this perfume, leaving the sniffer’s  a “clean slate” without any prompting. The perfume is not yet for sale.

Number of times tested: 5

Number of sprays applied for this review: one

Fragrance Strength: EDP I presume

Development: (Linear / Average / Complex): Beautifully complex

Longevity: (Short / Average / Long-lasting): Lasts for days on a shirt sleeve, definitely a day and more on the skin.

Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot): People really notice this fragrance in public. In a good way.

Note About the Packaging: Clean lines, functional nice looking spray bottles.

All Natural or Natural/Mixed Media Materials Used: Lilith is a mixed media synthetic/natural materials fragrance.

Website: Neil Morris Fragrances

Disclosure: Perfume Pharmer received a free sample.

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