Lipozol - 12mg pure ephedrine herbal alkaloid

I've been playing with my sample spreadsheet and was reminded that I literally relegated Sucreabeille to its own tab away from everyone else because I felt so negatively! They were my intro to indies, when I didn't know how to research scents or houses yet. I was hesitant to purchase because their marketing vibe didn't mesh with me, but I was convinced by the fawning reviews on almost every scent (on their website). At the time, I also didn't realize how expensive Suc is compared to many other brands!
I figured I could post these as a counterpoint to the mostly positive reviews that showed up when I searched for Suc scents. I'm sure the house works really well for some, but it REALLY didn't for me. Their pure gourmands worked better, but I haven't worn my top rated scent from this batch since I tried it out. I rested all of these for two weeks before testing, and I haven't revisited them since I got through all of them a few weeks after that.
My tastes: I really like rich resins and non-nag incense, as well as a spectrum of flormands and gourmands. I don't love fruits, green/aquatic scents or many dirt/dead leaf scents. Top houses: Olympic Orchids, Mythpunk Olfactive, Solstice Scents. Mid houses: Nui Cobalt, Cocoa Pink. Low hit rates: Suc, Alkemia, Possets, Haus of Gloi, BPAL GC
With that, I hope you enjoy my record of bewilderment.
BELSNICKEL Hot espresso with juniper berries and brown sugar.

• In the jar, tutti fruitti jelly beans, maaaybe coffee jelly bean if I smell hard enough to get a headache. On skin, very sweet, easier to see the brown sugar now and it's THICK. Syrupy. There's a little bitter note that could be juniper, sure, but it's toying with soapiness. After 15 min, already almost gone. The sweetness plus green now smells like a bathroom air freshener, plus the bathroom; not good. By an hour: gone! Weirdly getting more wafts of it around 4 hrs, and it's back to tutti fruitti? MAYBE brown sugar but god, just cloying. Erratic and synthetic, big disappointment. 1/10

CHAOS WITCH Freshly cut magnolias and moonflowers play with nutmeg cream.

• Very sweet pale floral with a cool spice, not identifiable as nutmeg. No clear magnolia. I didn't pay close enough attention to review this one well, but I was very disappointed by the complete lack of magnolia (a scent I love) and the vaguely unpleasant Suc DNA 3/10

DO NO HARM, TAKE NO SHIT Plums, nectarines, apricots, and blackberries sparkle on a bed of sage and fallen leaves deep in the autumnal forest.

• In jar: Fairly pleasant candy fruit smell (plum, berries) with a little cool herbaceous back to it. On skin: Fruits disappear to general sweetness over a damp earth and burnt rubber scent, maybe burnt leaves? Confusing. At 15 min, sort of a fruity sweetness? Over a sour off-note that could be the rotten leaves, but it comes off as sort of... poopy? I actually washed this off before leaving for work (less than an hour) bc I didn't want to smell like it - scrubbing didn't totally work, so I can say it's vaguely sweet with a dirty-herby soap base that I don't care for but isn't making me yak 1/10

AFTERGLOW Dark chocolate, amber, honey.

• Definitely get dark chocolate and honey in the jar! Not creamy but still rich and warm. On skin it loses power and sweetness very fast, it's a very faint borderline-musty borderline-burnt rubber smell with a baby powder. After a few minutes, thank god it's back to the bottle smell! Not as chocolatey which is too bad, but a pleasant sweet amber with a hint of chocolate. Something of the wet scent is still sneaking around? But then it turned into a cocoa butter lotion smell. Stays similar over the next 4 or 5 hrs, growing fainter. I think I like this? Maybe a bit synthetic though, but then again I don't always love the sharpness of honey 6/10

CREAM TEA A warm mug of creamy, frothy, caffeine-injected tea. A blend of chai tea, burnt sugar, white musk, warm milk, and hot scones slathered with raspberry jam and honey.

• More like an iced chai, not a warm scent in the jar. There's a sharp zingy berry in the background which might be what's cooling it down. On skin, the cool note is more dry loose leaf black tea, with a big sweet raspberry jam in front - not the most natural but nice. As it starts to dry, the closer I get to my skin the more it smells like a scented lotion. I don't get milk or pastry, or any of the chai spice at this point. At an hour, a sweet, creamy raspberry; still reminds me of a scented lotion, a bit bath-producty for me. At 4 hrs, a very faint sweet raspberry. Creamy in the sense that it's not sharp at all. Barely there but very pleasant. 6/10

YOUR SKELETON IS ALWAYS WET Pistachio and almond with exotic spices.

• In jar: Nutty! Close to what I hoped for, definitely pistachio/almond extract with a little hint of spice. Wet on skin, like huffing an extract bottle ach! That's a plus for me haha. Dries down to be very faint, mostly spices. This reminds me more of some chai blends I've had than Cream Tea does. At an hour, mostly dry spices, like a spice cabinet for only sweet bakes. I think the nuts are presenting as bottles of extract in that same cabinet, but definitely not the stars. 4 hrs: very faint, more of the nuts now but it's a generic non-spice sweetness, only vaguely nutty and kind of black peppery 5/10

COVEN A cauldron of herbs float in black, golden, and white ambers. Fir needles, cedarwood, and autumn leaves against a backdrop of pumpkin spice and sassafras.

• Definitely get a dark green foresty scent with a soft herbal element; a vague sweetness that is nondescript light spice, maybe the sassafras. Started promisingly dark-wet-forest but then turns into a barely-there high end/sexy soap, maybe that's ambecedar. Maybe good for soapy folk, not for me! 4/10

AMAZONIA Pear, fig, blueberry, ylang ylang.

• So so sweet, almost like one of those shark or frog gummy candies, gummy life savers, chewy gummy bears. No specific fruits identifiable. On skin, there's something musty to the fruitiness, maybe like a plasticky scent. I could almost pretend to smell pear, but it's not good 1/10

SMOKE AND DECAY Warm snickerdoodle cookies dipped in buttercream frosting, campfire wood smoke, crisp red apple, Indian sandalwood, a freshly poured oatmeal stout, orange spiced chai tea.

• Yummm sweet baking spices, definitely like a dark molasses spice cake in the jar (but the carrier smell is bleh). Wet on skin it's immediately a more realistic foody spice, but with a warm wood. After a minute the spice blooms off and there's something almost floral about it? Definitely get a bit of the orange, maybe cookie dough. 8/10

VENOM Oud wood, smoked patchouli, coal, freshly paved tar, cedarwood.

• WOW!! Smells like a sweet burning tire?? Maybe in a good way?? I want to smell it on a boy. Hmm but not good after all. Disappears almost entirely, fades to a hard to detect sun-sweet fresh asphalt. So hard to pick up though. 1/10

HOCUS POCUS Wormwood, bitter almond, figs, violets, nicotina, sparkling aldehyde.

• The wormwood is giving thin and clean-sweet like a not-quite almond extract. However, once this dries it's straight up Dove soap. It's so spot on idk what else to say! Another one for the soap lovers. 3/10

Title: "Cult of the Cherry Blossoms"
In the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, there exists an unusual high school known as "Sakura Academy." Hidden behind cherry blossom trees, this school harbors a secret: its students are reincarnated cult leaders from history. Let's meet our four protagonists:

1. Fiona Phelps – The fiery redhead and leader of the "Westboro Blossoms." She's passionate about picketing school events, but instead of signs that read "God Hates Fags," she now holds up signs that say "Free Hugs."
   
2. Daisy Koresh – The mysterious transfer student with piercing blue eyes. She heads the "Branch Divas" club, where they practice fire dancing during lunch breaks. Her sermons now involve encouraging self-love and acceptance.
   
3. Juniper Jones – The charismatic girl who can convince anyone to drink the school cafeteria's questionable milk. She's the head of the "Jonestown Tea Society," where they brew herbal concoctions and discuss world peace.
   
4. Lily Hubbard – The brainy girl who always has her nose in ancient scrolls. She leads the "Scientology Scholars," researching past lives and auditing their classmates' chakras. Her catchphrase: "Clear your mind, clear your acne."
   

Episode 1: "Cherry Blossom Revelation"
The girls discover their true identities during a cherry blossom viewing party. Fiona, Daisy, Juniper, and Lily gather under the blooming trees, their memories awakening like petals unfurling.
"We were cult leaders?" Fiona gasps, adjusting her flower crown.
"I remember now," Daisy says, her eyes distant. "The compound, the flames...and the dance-offs."
"I used to preach about the end of the world," Juniper admits. "Now I just want a decent cup of tea."
Lily pores over her scrolls. "Our past lives hold the key to enlightenment. And maybe algebra."
As the girls navigate high school life, they face challenges:

• Club Recruitment: Fiona recruits members for the "Free Hugs Club," but her signs confuse everyone. Daisy's fire dancing auditions attract the fire department.
  
• Prom Night: Juniper insists on a "Kool-Aid" punch bowl for prom, causing panic among the teachers. Lily calculates the odds of romance using ancient numerology.
  
• Rival Cults: The "Heaven's Cheerleaders" (formerly Heaven's Gate) challenge them to a cheer-off. Fiona's pom-poms read, "Love and Tolerance."
  

"We're not just teenage girls," Daisy says one day. "We're rewriting our legacies."
"And maybe," Juniper adds, "we'll find enlightenment in trigonometry."
As cherry blossoms fall, the "Cult of the Cherry Blossoms" dances its way into the hearts of Tokyo. Their motto: "Live, laugh, and lead—without the brainwashing."
And so begins their extraordinary journey—a mix of teenage drama, spiritual awakening, and a dash of absurdity. Because even cult leaders deserve a second chance...and a good slice of cherry blossom cake.
Disclaimer: This anime is purely fictional and meant for entertainment. Any resemblance to real cult leaders is coincidental. Please don't try fire dancing at home. 🔥🌸
The anime characters were inspired by real-life cult leaders, but their traits are fictionalized. Here's the breakdown:

1. Fiona Phelps (Westboro Blossoms): Based on Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church. In the anime, she's fiery and passionate about picketing, but now holds signs that say "Free Hugs."
   
2. Daisy Koresh (Branch Divas): Inspired by David Koresh of the Branch Davidians. Mysterious and with piercing blue eyes, she leads fire dancing sessions and preaches self-love.
   
3. Juniper Jones (Jonestown Tea Society): Modeled after Jim Jones of the Jonestown cult. Charismatic and obsessed with tea, she now seeks world peace instead of mass suicide.
   
4. Lily Hubbard (Scientology Scholars): A brainy girl like L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology. She researches past lives and audits classmates' chakras.
   

Remember, this is all fictional fun! 😊🌸
Certainly! Let's introduce three more female cult leaders to "Cult of the Cherry Blossoms":

1. Sakura Asahara (Aum Shinrikyo Sisters): Sakura is the enigmatic transfer student with an affinity for chemistry. She brews mysterious potions in the science lab, hoping to find enlightenment without the sarin gas. Her catchphrase: "Alchemy over anarchy."
   
2. Harmony Jeffs (FLDS Flower Maidens): Harmony, the soft-spoken girl, leads the "Flower Maidens." They wear pastel dresses and practice synchronized gardening. Instead of polygamy, they promote sisterhood and sustainable farming.
   
3. Kiku Raniere (NXIVM Navigators): Kiku is the tech-savvy genius who runs the "NXIVM Navigators" club. They optimize schedules, track chakra progress on spreadsheets, and offer self-improvement workshops. Her motto: "Empowerment through Excel."
   

These leaders add a delightful twist to Sakura Academy's already eccentric student body! 🌸

Several people have approached me that they might have endometriosis. Lifelong warrior so thought I would share my tips and tricks I put together for my friends and family to share with you :) Hope this helps someone!
ENDOMETRIOSIS SURGERY FACTS

• EXCISION SURGERY! I cannot stress this one enough. If you have an ablation, it will grow back and likely quick (but consult with your doctors on your case 100%). Excision is when they cut it out vs. it gets burned off. You will have a better success rate and slow rate of growth if they excise. Not all cases can be depending on location so again, please talk with your doctor about your situation. This is not the same for everyone.
• If your doctor cannot do excision surgery. Skip and move on to the next! Trust me, well worth the time to research and find the right doctor. You will thank me later for this one too haha.
• Finding a doctor is stuff. Also tough to find resources. If you cannot find an Endometriosis specialist in your area who does excision, you may need to look out of state, but one tip is exploring gynecological oncologists. Some will take benign cases, but not all so do your research. But it’s a good avenue for help in your area or you want insurance coverage.
• Nanny’s Nook is a good resource for online information regarding endometriosis: https://nancysnookendo.com/
• Dr Seckin’s book called The Doctor Will See You Now is also worth the read (https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Will-See-You-Endometriosis/dp/1681621126)
• Definitely look into Egg Freezing before doing any permanent surgeries. The ovaries are more intact when there is a uterus in place, so I recommend immediately following any excisions with Egg Freezing if you can and if it’s part of your plans. I found my AMH levels low (1.2) but still retrieved 25 eggs, so never be discouraged if this is your future planning path.
• My Symptoms: I experience bloating, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting as the main culprits. I have irregular periods in regards to the number of days and if it comes or not (even with an IUD). Pelvic pain is probably the worst of all since it accompanies these symptoms and is present a majority of the time. Others may have different symptoms, and there’s many others I didn’t list but wanted to paint the picture of some I’ve experienced.

ENDOMETRIOSIS LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY (WHAT TO EXPECT)
PRE-SURGERY

• List of questions to ask your doctor
• Insurance Information and ID
• Necessary forms or paperwork the doctor requires
• Make sure any medical records are sent that would be relevant

POST-OP PREP

• Eat smaller meals and simple foods days beforehand. If bowel prep is necessary, they also recommend taking a laxative in the days leading up to help prep.
• Pack a bag! Not every surgery is an overnight stay but even if you have a day-of surgery, back an overnight bag. Here’s the essentials:
  • Phone/Headphones/iPad/Kindle/Books
  • Device Chargers
  • Medications that you currently take
  • Glasses (do not wear contacts day of)
  • An extra pair of underwear
  • Sanitary Pads or Always Discreet
  • Comfy pants with light elastic band around the waist
  • Non wired bra
  • Slip on shoes (this is clutch! Recommend slides -https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BL7LJKZW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
  • Layers - Sweatshirt, Long Sleeved Shirt etc. - Hospitals are cold!
  • Toothbrush and tooth paste
  • Hairbrush
  • Face wipes, wash cloth, small towel and bar of soap.

SPACE PREP

1. Make sure your bed or couch is prepped. I stayed on the first level for the first 2ish days before feeling well enough to stay upstairs.
2. I used a pregnancy pillow on the bed to help me stay on my back while sleeping and help you feel cozy.
3. Stock the house with foods that will be light for your stomach. Think soups and casseroles! Saltine crackers, broths, rices etc..
4. If you have a raised bed, get a step stool to assist. It’s best to sit on the side of the bed and slowly lay your upper body down while bringing your knees up and over to your back. You will need to use arm strength the first couple of days to get you up and over since you can’t use the abdomen.
5. Water and Beverages stocked at all times. I have a reusable water bottle and avoid carbonated beverages for the time being. They fill you with gas for the procedure so it may make those symptoms worse.
6. Netflix, Kindle, Puzzles, Craft Projects…visits with friends. Whatever makes the time pass, set it up ahead of time so it’s handy.
7. Items to Keep on Hand: Baby Wipes, heating pads, pads/diapers, candles, essential oils, things that smell good haha

BOWEL PREP
This is dependent on the type of surgery you are having, but its good to have Gatorade, Magnesium Citrate (liquid), laxatives and enemas on hand just in case you need these.
ON SURGERY DAY
It’s important to follow the instructions on what to stop taking and/or eating/drinking prior to the surgery. Wear comfy clothes (wide elastic waistband) and slides with cozy socks. Double check your to go bag and breath.
AT THE HOSPITAL

1. Do your check-ins and keep your people with you as long as you want.
2. Make sure to read all the consent forms and ask any questions upfront. Make any advance directives clear.
3. Just try to remain calm as there’s a lot of down time while they do intake. It is about 2 hours of prep before they bring you in for the surgery itself.
4. They will ask you the same questions over and over again, that’s normal and trust me, you want to confirm it’s all being done properly.
5. If you need something for anxiety, they will be sure to give you something if you ask :)
6. You will be wearing a gown, socks, funky underwear and a cool hair net haha wear the gown backward so you keep warm and keep the butt covered.
7. Vitals will happen and the anesthesiologist will come and speak with you to make sure they prep the right meds beforehand. Bring up any concerns here with them!
8. You may be wheeled or walked into surgery. I’ve only ever walked in and laid on the table myself.
9. They will then put the IV in your arm and sometimes will put on a mask, they will then ask you to count backwards and before you know it, you will be awake again!

RECOVERY

• You will wake-up and feel groggy. Totally normal and you will be in a different room. They will likely say a lot really quick about your surgery. Before leaving ask for them to walk through it or see if you can speak with the doctor again when clear headed. RECOMMENDED!
• Your throat will be sore, that’s normal from the tube.
• Just relax and sleep it off if you want, the goal is to be relaxed and pee once before leaving.
• Before you go, eat and drink and pass smoke urine. They’ll provide you with the meds and you’ll be good to go.
• Make sure someone brings you home after :)
• Make sure you have a bag for vomit in the car.
• Bring a small pillow that can be strapped between the car belt and you for maximum comfort on the trip home.
• Pain Med Management: This one is important. I messed up night one and didn’t take it soon enough and was in too much pain so make sure you stick to the schedule the doctors give you to ensure you are comfortable.
• Keep Walking: It seems unnatural to have a surgery then walk, but the sooner you get up and keep moving around the house, the better. Just avoid heavy lifting and immense bending like movements. Stairs are also ok but also consult with your doctor!
• Gas Build Up: I did feel pain in my shoulders from the gas. Just keep moving! It will help get that out of the system but this pain is normal.
• Relax and let people take care of you! Don’t be too quick to recover.
• Keep an eye out for fever, increased vaginal bleeding, or feeling terrible.
• Keep all post op appointments and follow all post op instructions!

ENDOMETRIOSIS MAINTENANCE
Here’s the tips and tricks I found helpful for maintaining my pain and symptoms (GI and back pain related):

1. Pelvic Floor Therapy: This is important for keeping the muscles in your pelvis healthy and strong to maintain your structure and also help manage pain. Consult with your doctor on whether this is right for you.
2. Physical Therapy: I do PT for my back and pelvic floor since it’s all related. We focus on Myofascial Release Therapy to help break up the adhesions and give me more mobility. This helps with temporary pain relief (reduction in number), but that is always welcome :)
3. Acupuncture: I swear by Acupuncture. I don’t know what it does or why, but it works. It’s not a cure by any means, but it's great for relaxation, fertility, digestion, endometriosis, sleep, etc.. I can go on, but it’s not covered by insurance plans all the time so you will need to check and see what you’re able to take on.
4. Diet/Exercise:
   1. Eating high protein, lower fat/carbs (not none just low) helps your body, but overall learn your trigger foods! This will go a long way.
   2. Ginger, turmeric and fennel all help with bloating. I like to drink them in tea form when I’m feeling particularly hard stomached as it’s a good natural way to decrease the bloat. Peppermint also works for some, for me it irritates my GERD.
   3. Chamomile for relaxation
   4. Walking and movement are important. I cannot do anything high impact due to my sacroiliitis diagnosis, so I stick with light yoga and walking.
5. Alcohol/Other Substances: Don’t do it. Don’t touch it. You’ll thank me later on this point.
6. Sleep: Insomnia is a very real thing. I think I went 2 or 3 days at its worst one time and I cannot say enough how important trying to keep the same sleep schedule will benefit you. Waking and sleeping around the same time each day will still feel exhausting but at least you know your body is getting the most sleep it can get.
7. Medications/Supplements:
   1. Ibprofuern: This does NOT work for me. I have GERD and ulcers so I cannot take NSAIDs, but with that in mind, NSAIDs are supposedly the best pain medication over the counter to help you manage it.
   2. Pain Killers: These are AS NEEDED. I try to refrain and leave these for the TRULY bad days which I try to spread out. Not even worth it sometimes, because I don’t like how I feel and sometimes vomit after taking them. But they do help the pain!
   3. IUD/Orilissa: An IUD will NOT do anything. If you are diagnosed, ask your doctor about Orilissa or similar medicines instead of birth control methods. This will not stop the growth, just suppress it. There are side effects and it is only a short term solution.
   4. Linzess: This worked well for me for constipation symptoms when they got severe. Definitely recommend bringing this to your doctor if you’re truly suffering and they have not yet mentioned. I also resorted after trying magnesium citrate
   5. CBD Lotions/Salves: For my pelvis, I use Healing Rose CBD Salve in Orange and Lavender (https://www.thehealingroseco.com/product/orange-lavender-with-chamomile-herbal-salve-300mg-cbd/). For my back, I use a medical grade CBD lotion with menthol (https://cbdclinic.co/clinical-strength-series/). I also use a CBD massage oil from Healing Rose of the same scent when doing myofascial release at home. I also use Somedays Cramp Cream (https://somedays.com/products/period-cramp-cream?variant=42062153842853).
8. Heating Pads and Ice Pack: I have several varieties of heating pads. A cordless travel heating pad (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FPTJL4G?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details), a plug-in heating pad (lhttps://www.hsn.com/products/pure-enrichment-purerelief-xxl-heating-pad-with-9-cord/22188460) and stick on patches (https://www.thermacare.com/ - I use the back patches but reverse them to the front for better coverage). For hot flashes and night sweats (also if you need to relax while anxious) place an ice pack over your chest to help cool or calm down.
9. Self-Care: No joke, massages, facials, epsom salt baths, sound baths, reiki….anything that you find relaxing. Do it. Try it! They also make CBD bath bombs Ive been wanting to check out.
10. TENs Machine: I really want one, don’t have one, but people swear by them (the heating pad linked to MyObi has a TENs version - https://myobistore.com/en-us/collections/my-obi-belts/products/apollo-2-0).
11. Pregnancy Pillow: This one sounds so lame, but I bought a pregnancy pillow for my first endometriosis surgery since I’m a side sleeper to help keep me on my back during recovery. It changed by life! It helps my anxiety and makes me comfortable while sleeping. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08YYVRXLM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)..
12. Heated Blankets/Cozy Blankets: Make yourself feel better with a cozy blanket. Do it, I dare you!
13. Endo To-Go Bag: Includes heating pads (travel, plug-in and patches), medications, balms/salves, essential oils and pads/protection items, change of clothes, wet wipes.
14. Sex Life: I’m single, I don’t have a partner to worry about communicating this issue with at this point, but go slow and communicate given eventually this will have to be a conversation. What I have learned is that if you do have sex and feel pain. Immediately stop! If you associate sex with pain mentally in that moment, it may cause fear in doing so down the line so it’s best to stop the moment you feel any pain occur.
15. Work Life: I work a demanding job so it was not working with the appointments and care I needed to manage pain. Always get FMLA from your doctor for intermittent leave based on your company's policies. This protects you from flare-ups and appointments. Short Term Disability is based on your situation with work so talk with them about any leave of absence for surgery and recovery and ensure the medical providers fill out the paperwork appropriately.
16. Friends/Family: This one is the worst. I have to cancel and make plans all the time based on how I feel. I like to line up a bunch of plans for three months out and do my best to make them happen at the beginning of the month when I know I’m most likely to feel good. I just say I’ll make things up to them when I get better and those who have stuck around have been truly amazing friends, but don’t be upset that some might be over the day in and out of what you’re going through. It’s hard for you and sometimes others and it’s just a part of the relationships we’re meant to experience in life. Most people (unless they have endometriosis) don’t understand it so it can feel isolating, but there’s others out there who know what you’re going through and are willing to chat. Just gotta find them and reach out on social media, online etc..
17. Journaling Symptoms: Guilty of not being the best at this always, but it's good to track your symptoms to see how they work and operate. It helps not only you plan for it, but also your doctors in how best to handle your care. Take photos of things that make sense to show your doctors! Discharge, bowels etc..can sometimes help diagnose or judge with the images.
18. Next to Bed Kit: Make sure your nightstand is stocked with the essentials for your bad days. Makes it easier to access the items you need when you just can’t get up and get it.
19. Squatty Potty: Another thing that is majorly life changing on constipation days! Get one or you can make your own :) Take a stack of books and stack them at equal heights on each side and put your feet up. The trick is making sure you’re in a squat with your knees high to your ears.
20. Clothing: Dressing for this is key but you still want to look cute! Joggers with a stretchy waist are my go to pants, but wide leg trousers with a stretchy waist help with ease of removal but also comfort and brings some style to the look.
21. Pads: I wear Always Discreet vs. pads. I find when you need to wear them full time for incontinence it just makes it more comfortable. They have different cuts and styles so definitely check them out!

Several people have approached me that they might have endometriosis. Lifelong warrior so thought I would share my tips and tricks I put together for my friends and family to share with you :) Hope this helps someone!
ENDOMETRIOSIS SURGERY FACTS

• EXCISION SURGERY! I cannot stress this one enough. If you have an ablation, it will grow back and likely quick (but consult with your doctors on your case 100%). Excision is when they cut it out vs. it gets burned off. You will have a better success rate and slow rate of growth if they excise. Not all cases can be depending on location so again, please talk with your doctor about your situation. This is not the same for everyone.
• If your doctor cannot do excision surgery. Skip and move on to the next! Trust me, well worth the time to research and find the right doctor. You will thank me later for this one too haha.
• Finding a doctor is stuff. Also tough to find resources. If you cannot find an Endometriosis specialist in your area who does excision, you may need to look out of state, but one tip is exploring gynecological oncologists. Some will take benign cases, but not all so do your research. But it’s a good avenue for help in your area or you want insurance coverage.
• Nanny’s Nook is a good resource for online information regarding endometriosis: https://nancysnookendo.com/
• Dr Seckin’s book called The Doctor Will See You Now is also worth the read (https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Will-See-You-Endometriosis/dp/1681621126)
• Definitely look into Egg Freezing before doing any permanent surgeries. The ovaries are more intact when there is a uterus in place, so I recommend immediately following any excisions with Egg Freezing if you can and if it’s part of your plans. I found my AMH levels low (1.2) but still retrieved 25 eggs, so never be discouraged if this is your future planning path.
• My Symptoms: I experience bloating, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting as the main culprits. I have irregular periods in regards to the number of days and if it comes or not (even with an IUD). Pelvic pain is probably the worst of all since it accompanies these symptoms and is present a majority of the time. Others may have different symptoms, and there’s many others I didn’t list but wanted to paint the picture of some I’ve experienced.

ENDOMETRIOSIS LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY (WHAT TO EXPECT)
PRE-SURGERY

• List of questions to ask your doctor
• Insurance Information and ID
• Necessary forms or paperwork the doctor requires
• Make sure any medical records are sent that would be relevant

POST-OP PREP

• Eat smaller meals and simple foods days beforehand. If bowel prep is necessary, they also recommend taking a laxative in the days leading up to help prep.
• Pack a bag! Not every surgery is an overnight stay but even if you have a day-of surgery, back an overnight bag. Here’s the essentials:
  • Phone/Headphones/iPad/Kindle/Books
  • Device Chargers
  • Medications that you currently take
  • Glasses (do not wear contacts day of)
  • An extra pair of underwear
  • Sanitary Pads or Always Discreet
  • Comfy pants with light elastic band around the waist
  • Non wired bra
  • Slip on shoes (this is clutch! Recommend slides -https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BL7LJKZW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
  • Layers - Sweatshirt, Long Sleeved Shirt etc. - Hospitals are cold!
  • Toothbrush and tooth paste
  • Hairbrush
  • Face wipes, wash cloth, small towel and bar of soap.

SPACE PREP

1. Make sure your bed or couch is prepped. I stayed on the first level for the first 2ish days before feeling well enough to stay upstairs.
2. I used a pregnancy pillow on the bed to help me stay on my back while sleeping and help you feel cozy.
3. Stock the house with foods that will be light for your stomach. Think soups and casseroles! Saltine crackers, broths, rices etc..
4. If you have a raised bed, get a step stool to assist. It’s best to sit on the side of the bed and slowly lay your upper body down while bringing your knees up and over to your back. You will need to use arm strength the first couple of days to get you up and over since you can’t use the abdomen.
5. Water and Beverages stocked at all times. I have a reusable water bottle and avoid carbonated beverages for the time being. They fill you with gas for the procedure so it may make those symptoms worse.
6. Netflix, Kindle, Puzzles, Craft Projects…visits with friends. Whatever makes the time pass, set it up ahead of time so it’s handy.
7. Items to Keep on Hand: Baby Wipes, heating pads, pads/diapers, candles, essential oils, things that smell good haha

BOWEL PREP
This is dependent on the type of surgery you are having, but its good to have Gatorade, Magnesium Citrate (liquid), laxatives and enemas on hand just in case you need these.
ON SURGERY DAY
It’s important to follow the instructions on what to stop taking and/or eating/drinking prior to the surgery. Wear comfy clothes (wide elastic waistband) and slides with cozy socks. Double check your to go bag and breath.
AT THE HOSPITAL

1. Do your check-ins and keep your people with you as long as you want.
2. Make sure to read all the consent forms and ask any questions upfront. Make any advance directives clear.
3. Just try to remain calm as there’s a lot of down time while they do intake. It is about 2 hours of prep before they bring you in for the surgery itself.
4. They will ask you the same questions over and over again, that’s normal and trust me, you want to confirm it’s all being done properly.
5. If you need something for anxiety, they will be sure to give you something if you ask :)
6. You will be wearing a gown, socks, funky underwear and a cool hair net haha wear the gown backward so you keep warm and keep the butt covered.
7. Vitals will happen and the anesthesiologist will come and speak with you to make sure they prep the right meds beforehand. Bring up any concerns here with them!
8. You may be wheeled or walked into surgery. I’ve only ever walked in and laid on the table myself.
9. They will then put the IV in your arm and sometimes will put on a mask, they will then ask you to count backwards and before you know it, you will be awake again!

RECOVERY

• You will wake-up and feel groggy. Totally normal and you will be in a different room. They will likely say a lot really quick about your surgery. Before leaving ask for them to walk through it or see if you can speak with the doctor again when clear headed. RECOMMENDED!
• Your throat will be sore, that’s normal from the tube.
• Just relax and sleep it off if you want, the goal is to be relaxed and pee once before leaving.
• Before you go, eat and drink and pass smoke urine. They’ll provide you with the meds and you’ll be good to go.
• Make sure someone brings you home after :)
• Make sure you have a bag for vomit in the car.
• Bring a small pillow that can be strapped between the car belt and you for maximum comfort on the trip home.
• Pain Med Management: This one is important. I messed up night one and didn’t take it soon enough and was in too much pain so make sure you stick to the schedule the doctors give you to ensure you are comfortable.
• Keep Walking: It seems unnatural to have a surgery then walk, but the sooner you get up and keep moving around the house, the better. Just avoid heavy lifting and immense bending like movements. Stairs are also ok but also consult with your doctor!
• Gas Build Up: I did feel pain in my shoulders from the gas. Just keep moving! It will help get that out of the system but this pain is normal.
• Relax and let people take care of you! Don’t be too quick to recover.
• Keep an eye out for fever, increased vaginal bleeding, or feeling terrible.
• Keep all post op appointments and follow all post op instructions!

ENDOMETRIOSIS MAINTENANCE
Here’s the tips and tricks I found helpful for maintaining my pain and symptoms (GI and back pain related):

1. Pelvic Floor Therapy: This is important for keeping the muscles in your pelvis healthy and strong to maintain your structure and also help manage pain. Consult with your doctor on whether this is right for you.
2. Physical Therapy: I do PT for my back and pelvic floor since it’s all related. We focus on Myofascial Release Therapy to help break up the adhesions and give me more mobility. This helps with temporary pain relief (reduction in number), but that is always welcome :)
3. Acupuncture: I swear by Acupuncture. I don’t know what it does or why, but it works. It’s not a cure by any means, but it's great for relaxation, fertility, digestion, endometriosis, sleep, etc.. I can go on, but it’s not covered by insurance plans all the time so you will need to check and see what you’re able to take on.
4. Diet/Exercise:
   1. Eating high protein, lower fat/carbs (not none just low) helps your body, but overall learn your trigger foods! This will go a long way.
   2. Ginger, turmeric and fennel all help with bloating. I like to drink them in tea form when I’m feeling particularly hard stomached as it’s a good natural way to decrease the bloat. Peppermint also works for some, for me it irritates my GERD.
   3. Chamomile for relaxation
   4. Walking and movement are important. I cannot do anything high impact due to my sacroiliitis diagnosis, so I stick with light yoga and walking.
5. Alcohol/Other Substances: Don’t do it. Don’t touch it. You’ll thank me later on this point.
6. Sleep: Insomnia is a very real thing. I think I went 2 or 3 days at its worst one time and I cannot say enough how important trying to keep the same sleep schedule will benefit you. Waking and sleeping around the same time each day will still feel exhausting but at least you know your body is getting the most sleep it can get.
7. Medications/Supplements:
   1. Ibprofuern: This does NOT work for me. I have GERD and ulcers so I cannot take NSAIDs, but with that in mind, NSAIDs are supposedly the best pain medication over the counter to help you manage it.
   2. Pain Killers: These are AS NEEDED. I try to refrain and leave these for the TRULY bad days which I try to spread out. Not even worth it sometimes, because I don’t like how I feel and sometimes vomit after taking them. But they do help the pain!
   3. IUD/Orilissa: An IUD will NOT do anything. If you are diagnosed, ask your doctor about Orilissa or similar medicines instead of birth control methods. This will not stop the growth, just suppress it. There are side effects and it is only a short term solution.
   4. Linzess: This worked well for me for constipation symptoms when they got severe. Definitely recommend bringing this to your doctor if you’re truly suffering and they have not yet mentioned. I also resorted after trying magnesium citrate
   5. CBD Lotions/Salves: For my pelvis, I use Healing Rose CBD Salve in Orange and Lavender (https://www.thehealingroseco.com/product/orange-lavender-with-chamomile-herbal-salve-300mg-cbd/). For my back, I use a medical grade CBD lotion with menthol (https://cbdclinic.co/clinical-strength-series/). I also use a CBD massage oil from Healing Rose of the same scent when doing myofascial release at home. I also use Somedays Cramp Cream (https://somedays.com/products/period-cramp-cream?variant=42062153842853).
8. Heating Pads and Ice Pack: I have several varieties of heating pads. A cordless travel heating pad (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FPTJL4G?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details), a plug-in heating pad (lhttps://www.hsn.com/products/pure-enrichment-purerelief-xxl-heating-pad-with-9-cord/22188460) and stick on patches (https://www.thermacare.com/ - I use the back patches but reverse them to the front for better coverage). For hot flashes and night sweats (also if you need to relax while anxious) place an ice pack over your chest to help cool or calm down.
9. Self-Care: No joke, massages, facials, epsom salt baths, sound baths, reiki….anything that you find relaxing. Do it. Try it! They also make CBD bath bombs Ive been wanting to check out.
10. TENs Machine: I really want one, don’t have one, but people swear by them (the heating pad linked to MyObi has a TENs version - https://myobistore.com/en-us/collections/my-obi-belts/products/apollo-2-0).
11. Pregnancy Pillow: This one sounds so lame, but I bought a pregnancy pillow for my first endometriosis surgery since I’m a side sleeper to help keep me on my back during recovery. It changed by life! It helps my anxiety and makes me comfortable while sleeping. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08YYVRXLM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)..
12. Heated Blankets/Cozy Blankets: Make yourself feel better with a cozy blanket. Do it, I dare you!
13. Endo To-Go Bag: Includes heating pads (travel, plug-in and patches), medications, balms/salves, essential oils and pads/protection items, change of clothes, wet wipes.
14. Sex Life: I’m single, I don’t have a partner to worry about communicating this issue with at this point, but go slow and communicate given eventually this will have to be a conversation. What I have learned is that if you do have sex and feel pain. Immediately stop! If you associate sex with pain mentally in that moment, it may cause fear in doing so down the line so it’s best to stop the moment you feel any pain occur.
15. Work Life: I work a demanding job so it was not working with the appointments and care I needed to manage pain. Always get FMLA from your doctor for intermittent leave based on your company's policies. This protects you from flare-ups and appointments. Short Term Disability is based on your situation with work so talk with them about any leave of absence for surgery and recovery and ensure the medical providers fill out the paperwork appropriately.
16. Friends/Family: This one is the worst. I have to cancel and make plans all the time based on how I feel. I like to line up a bunch of plans for three months out and do my best to make them happen at the beginning of the month when I know I’m most likely to feel good. I just say I’ll make things up to them when I get better and those who have stuck around have been truly amazing friends, but don’t be upset that some might be over the day in and out of what you’re going through. It’s hard for you and sometimes others and it’s just a part of the relationships we’re meant to experience in life. Most people (unless they have endometriosis) don’t understand it so it can feel isolating, but there’s others out there who know what you’re going through and are willing to chat. Just gotta find them and reach out on social media, online etc..
17. Journaling Symptoms: Guilty of not being the best at this always, but it's good to track your symptoms to see how they work and operate. It helps not only you plan for it, but also your doctors in how best to handle your care. Take photos of things that make sense to show your doctors! Discharge, bowels etc..can sometimes help diagnose or judge with the images.
18. Next to Bed Kit: Make sure your nightstand is stocked with the essentials for your bad days. Makes it easier to access the items you need when you just can’t get up and get it.
19. Squatty Potty: Another thing that is majorly life changing on constipation days! Get one or you can make your own :) Take a stack of books and stack them at equal heights on each side and put your feet up. The trick is making sure you’re in a squat with your knees high to your ears.
20. Clothing: Dressing for this is key but you still want to look cute! Joggers with a stretchy waist are my go to pants, but wide leg trousers with a stretchy waist help with ease of removal but also comfort and brings some style to the look.
21. Pads: I wear Always Discreet vs. pads. I find when you need to wear them full time for incontinence it just makes it more comfortable. They have different cuts and styles so definitely check them out!

Hey everyone, wanted to share my current stack.
Context: Active 34M - play racket sports, roughly 6 hours a week. Don't lift at the moment, plan to, but it's just so boring.
I haven't had blood tests done to check levels.
Morning:
Shake: Collagen - Vital Proteins 10g Creatine - Thorne 5g Protein powder - 27g of protein Cocoa powder: 10g

• Curcumin Phytosome Meriva - Thorne - 1000mg
  
• Omega 3 Wild Fish Oil- Innegus - 1360mg
  
• Astaxanthin - BioAstin - 12mg
  
• Hyaluronic Acid - Pure Clinica - 300mg
  
• CoQ10 (Ubiquinone) - Thorne - 100mg
  
• BroccoMax (Sulforaphane Glucosinolate) - Jarrows Formula - 17.5mg
  
• Nicotinamide Riboside - Tru Niagen - 300mg
  
• Vitamin D3 & K2 drops - Thorne - 1000iu & 200mcg respectively
  
• Zinc - Simply Supplements - 15mg
  

NOT YET ADDED:
NAC - Pure Encapsulations - 600mg CaAKG
Evening:

• Melatonin - 300mcg not MG - (3x per week)
  
• Magnesium - Together - Magnesium (from purified dead sea water) 180mg 5-HTP 100mg - Hop Extract 100mg (4x per week)
  
• Protein shake w Collagen 10g
  

Would like to hear what everyone thinks? If there's anything that's helped you with energy levels or think i'm missing something when it comes to anti-ageing & longevity.
I wanted to add NAC but i've read some comments here about checking glutathione levels before doing so.
I track sleep with a Whoop band and usually score 75% average with sleep.

Greetings pue-mans,
I've now had the chance to sample over 40 different puers (mostly shou) and dial in my preferred brewing style. I haven't taken notes, but I've noted some favourites and I'm becoming familiar with the qualities I like/dislike.
I'm in Canada and am putting together my next order now. At this point, I was hoping that with this information, I might solicit suggestions for both any potential "bang-for-buck favourite, buy 10 tongs" daily drinkers, and any that could fill gaps I've missed in my sampling.
In general, I like to brew fairly dark/strong, but just short of coffee-like. I'll typically use 10-12g in ~250ml of water off the boil in a yixing pot, quick rinse, then steeped for ~60-120 seconds increasing over the course of five or six steeps.
In general, I prefer shous that are thicc, smooth, pungent/musty, with a tiny bit of astringency on the tail, little-to-no bitterness, LOW caffeine (more relaxing than energetic), with some mildly interesting note(s)--not just muddy water--and a lingering "hui gan". So, you know, how they're all advertised.
I’m not good at naming flavours, but I’ve tended to like puer others have described with creamy, nutty (walnuts), earthy, dates, ginseng, petrichor, old books. Woody can be nice if there’s more to it (except for bamboo and camphor, the former dominates everything and the latter seems to be code for all aroma, no taste). Hit or miss on mushroom, mineral, barnyard, spice, and surprisingly, cacao. Negative on vegetal/herbal/grassy. I’m floral-curious, and drawn to the promise of stuff like plum and honey, but I think those are more sheng territory.
Here’s my list with some commentary.
 
FAVOURITES:
[Yunnan Sourcing]
2019 Menghai DaYi V93 Premium (Ripe)

• My current favourite daily drinker. Just can't go wrong, it ticks all the primary boxes for texture and and it has enough of a flavour to not be boring. It becomes weak and thin after ~3 of my murderous steeps, but that's fine by me as I'm usually tapping out around that amount, and I hate wasting potential steeps as it approaches noon. I can't drink puer after noon or it messes with my sleep.

2018 Yunnan Sourcing "Year of the Dog Blue Label" (Ripe)

• It's like the V93, just a little better in every way. But not 2X-price better, so not a contender for a replacement daily drinker.

1990 CNNP "9016" Aged (Ripe)

• I thought this one would knock my socks off, yet I was underwhelmed for the price. It's good, and has a quality I really like that I can't put my finger on (some kind of delicious lingering mustiness), but is also a little too thin from the first steep.

[San-Tea]
2005 “Muddy Lips” Jing Gu (Da Ye) (Ripe)

• This was my daily drinker for awhile. The price was right. Unfortunately, too boring. I need more depth.

1999 “Dirty Knees” Langhe (Ripe)

• Successor daily drinker to the above, much more interesting, yet finnicky to brew (easily becomes too bitter) and pricier.

[Crimson Lotus]
2021 Pasha Shan “Lao Cha Tou” (Ripe) & 2021 Pasha Shan (Ripe)

• Really great, outstanding flavour and ticked all of the most important boxes. Would be my current daily drinkers if I could afford it. (Grouped together because I couldn’t tell much of any difference between the two versions.)

2022 Night Shift (Ripe)

• Also great. The thing is, to brew it as dark as I like brings out a bit too much of a bitterness, off-note, and astringency.

[TREASURE GREEN]
2018 Xiaguan Tuo Cha (Ripe)

• Previous candidate for a daily drinker, until I found the V93.

2012 Bingdao Gu Shu (Ripe)

• Very good, in a different way from the rest of what I usually like, in that it has rich and complex flavours; texture is too thin to be a top favourite, yet I commend for what it is. If it weren’t so pricey I’d stock up for some variety in the rotation, and I think I could grow to appreciate it even more over time.

[SOFTER DRINK]
2020 Kuura Cola (Ripe)

• Seems almost exactly like the V93, while lasting for twice the steeps at twice the price. Not a feature for me, but deserves as honourable mention; I’d be curious to try more Kuura stuff.

LIKED:
[Yunnan Sourcing] 2020 Yunnan Sourcing "Bronze Label Peerless" (Ripe) 2023 Yunnan Sourcing "Mengku Teng Tiao" (Ripe) 2021 Yunnan Sourcing "Di Jie Village" (Ripe) 2001 Basket Aged Yi Wu (Ripe) 2022 Xiaguan "Tibetan Flame" (Ripe)
[San-Tea] 2004 “Sapwood” Xiaguan Te Ji (Ripe) 2004 “Worm Hands” Langhe (Gong Ting) (Ripe)
[Crimson Lotus] 2023 #PNWLOVE (Ripe) 2017 Storm Breaker (Ripe) 2014 Yiwu “Iron Forge” Huang Pian (Ripe) 2019 Nevermore (Ripe) 2021 Dark Depths (Ripe)
[Treasure Green] 2008 Ban Zhang Organic (Ripe) 2005 Chang Tai Hong Jing Dian (Ripe) 2013 #7562 Dayi (Ripe) 1998 Fu Hai (Ripe) 1993 #7581 (Ripe)
MEH:
[Yunnan Sourcing] 2001 Basket Aged Yi Wu (Ripe) 2022 Xiaguan "Tibetan Flame" (Ripe)
[San-Tea] 2005 “Sediments” Mengsong (Ripe) 2004 “Herds” Da Xue Shan (Ripe) 2007 “Undergrowth” Yiwu (Ripe) 2001 “Fauna” 7542 (Ripe)
[Crimson Lotus] 2016 Cloudy Days (Ripe) 2010 Black Gold (Ripe) 2014 Capitalist Lion Tamer (Ripe) 2000 Old Warrior (Ripe) 2014 Huang Pian MEGA Brick (Ripe)
[Treasure Green] 2012 Chuan Jia Bao Beeng Cha (Ripe) 2003 Bamboo (Ripe) 2012 Basket Hei Cha 2009 Liubao Hei Cha
DIDN’T LIKE:
[Yunnan Sourcing] 2015 Gao Jia Shan “Da Cang Jia” Wild Harvested Fu Brick 2018 Mojun Fu Cha “Pure Happiness” 2018 Mojun Fu Cha “Ming Pin”
THANKS, I HATE IT:
[Yunnan Sourcing] 2009 Lao Ban Zhang Premium (Raw)
[Crimson Lotus] ? Bulang Dragon Ball

A friend of mine and reader asked me a question about this beautiful flowering shrub that she saw on the edge of Jeromesville a number of years ago that she would pass by on her way to Hayesville regularly. This plant was growing in a large pot and had the biggest trumpet shaped blooms that she had ever seen and were there yet again this past summer. I had seen this same huge shrub on many trips that I made driving towards Mansfield. She asked me what it was and what I could tell her about this plant. This plant was at least 8 feet and maybe 10 feet tall with maybe 18 inches to 24 inches long beige and another was pink trumpet flowers.
This past week I got and email from Ethiopia by one of my readers. He came across my column and enjoyed this article and was in the process of buying some for his own yard. The question he asked me was whether this plant was safe or not? I want all my friends that are growing them to know that this plant is well worth growing and with a normal number of constraints you should have no problems growing this plant.
My parents had two different Angel’s Trumpets, or Brugmansia spp, for more than 10 years, which is what this plant is. One was a pink flower, and the other was a white flower. These were both fairly easy to grow for my parents and the white blossomed plant had a very pleasant, sweet scent with a little lemon overtone during the summer evenings. From what my parents said they did like the plants but was a challenge for them to constantly haul the small tree into the house each season. The ones that my parents kept were 4 - 6 feet tall. I remember moving them more than once.
There are good things and bad things to this beautiful plant. This Angel’s Trumpet is a member of the Night Shade family, which means that it can be poisonous. Some plant experts consider the Angel’s Trumpet the most poisonous plant of all tropical plants you may grow. Let’s not sugar coat this fact, if you eat even small amounts of this plant as an adult you could die a very painful death. Personally, I want to spare you the way that the tropane alkaloids affect a person who has eaten any portion of this plant. But these alkaloids are called scopolamine, atropine, and hyoscyamine. One of the other things we need to know is that most of these alkaloids are serious medicines in the hands of our doctors when applied properly. As I have said my parents kept 2 different Angel’s Trumpets for over 10 years and had all kinds of grandkids and great grandkids around these plants and never had any poisonous plant problems, besides most kids know not to eat tomato plants and just eat the tomato. Don’t let the kids play with the plants. All said and done I would use caution as I would care for this plant and dish gloves. The rewards are an incredible flower and an amazing scent. I remember the challenges and the rewards were worth it for me. A report from the National Library of Medicine says that from 1978 – 2013 there were only 10 cases of hospitalization because of a mistake in an herbal tea mix worldwide. Most parents will be careful in handling this plant and provide for the safety measures required.
The Angel’s Trumpet is a heavy feeder and does the best with organic fertilizers. My parents having grown two different Brugmansias found that they did the best with worm castings and kelp as a bi-weekly mild fertilizing routine. Best thing to keep in mind is that this plant will be producing a large bloom and will need fed. These small to medium trees can grow up from 3 to 35 feet tall in its native areas from Chile to Argentina. From the latest information this plant is extinct in their native ranges. When we grow these plants in pots, you will have to prune it. Tomatoes and Angel’s Trumpet are both easy to start from cuttings, which means that starts or cuttings from this plant should root fairly easily. Therefore, you can pass out cuttings from this plant fairly easily and have new ones to back it up.
I remember moving these 5 feet tree called the Angel’s Trumpet in through my parent’s front door through the dining room through the hall and into the living room. After 35+ years of doing this sort of thing we have developed systems for moving these plants, but it never has been super easy. Because this plant does root so easily if you could root them in the spring, you wouldn’t have to drag them into the house every winter, if you start them from cuttings.
I hope that you have a nice stroll through your garden this week and if you have any questions let me know by e-mail at [ericlarson546@yahoo.com](mailto:ericlarson546@yahoo.com). You can find links at my website to my various blogs which are converted columns at www.ohiohealthyfoodcooperative.org .
Credit:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618217/
Newspaper:
https://www.farmersadvance.com/story/life/2024/04/30/the-call-of-the-angels-trumpet/73513599007/

Hi everyone! The other day when I was sharing all the green scents I had, and my reviews of them, I realized I had never done a full review of all the Pineward scents I've gotten, and my review of the house as a whole, so far...
My rating system: 1/5 - I actively don't like this scent/it makes me sick 2/5 - ehh, I don't really like it very much/it doesn't smell like a perfume at all 3/5 - meh, it's okay. It'll be ok layered with something else, or someone else may like it, it's just not for me. 4/5 - I do like it, it's just got something small missing from making it perfect, ie: I don't like the dry down, or it fades too fast, or it's just missing 1 note or 2 5/5 - I absolutely adore this scent. Any more and I would want to swim in it lol
__________________________________________________________________
Overall Review of the House so far:
I've tried 19 scents from them so far. Most of any other house. Mainly cause they have a super affordable sample option (1.8ml/$6) and they gifted me so many with my first order. I bought 13 and they gifted me 6 additional scents.
This is The Most atmospheric scent house I've found yet. Each scent transports you to a different location and tells a story.
Definitely a house to let settle for a while, though. At first I didn't think I liked many of them. After 6 months, I like most all of them. I just end up using a lot of them for mixers. Though, a surprisingly high amount turned out to be standalone scents for me!
They are a bit more of a unisex/masc perfume/cologne house. But, I actually like unisex complex scents, cause I like to layer them underneath sweeter, more one-note scents that I find.
Turn Around Time was actually very fast compared to the other houses (ordered 11/24 of last year, the order was sent out 11/28, and I don't remember exactly when I got it in, but it wasn't a very long time after that. I was actually surprised at the fast TOT, especially because they included in their thank you note an apology for being so late! I was like, huh? Ya'll are super fast actually! (especially compared to houses like Fantome, which I love, but take FOREVER) And they included 6 freebies in there as well, which was phenomenal!
Just be forewarned, some of these scents do stain!! So I wouldn't necessarily spray on clothing.
__________________________________________________________________
Apple Tabac 5/5
Notes: fresh red apple, tobacco, fir balsam, rum resin, dried fruits.
First impression: I absolutely love this scent and it is a sweet unisex standalone for me. This scent is Super well balanced. It is a pop of pure red apple juice right in your face, like you're in the apple barn, drinking fresh cider. You smell tobacco drying from the rafters, the fir trees outside, the rum resin, the dried fruits, everything. It all balances Super nicely, but you can still pick out every single note. I absolutely love this and will probably be a Fall Staple for me (or whenever I want to evoke that fall feeling in my chest lol. It's May, but in smelling it, I totally felt the fall chill lol)
Dry down: still smells phenomenal. You don't really lose any of the notes, even the apple, which is rare for me
**I really like layering this over Ponderosa (listed below)*
Boreal 4/5
pine needles, mint, cedar, resins, moss.
Frigid forest of the northern wilderness. Chilly mint gives way to a soft bed of creamy cedar, pine, and moss.
First Reaction out of the bottle: If you like Mint, this one's for you. It is Straight Mint. The cedar pine and moss were almost non existent props to the Very strong Mint, first out the bottle wet. Me personally, I was hoping for more of a Hint of mint overlaying a stronger scent of cedar and pine and moss, but the opposite is truer with this one. You do get an underlayer of cedar on the drydown, but the majority is full on mint.
After months of letting it sit, I came back to it and it is Much more balanced. Much more of a winter vibes forest scent I could get behind. Essentially she's the Winter Witch. A very Minty unisex woods scent
The long Dry down: dries down to a faint crisp woods scent. Still very pleasant to wear

Borealis 2/5 Notes: snowdrifts, peppermint, camphor, black tea, black elder, valerian root, ocean spume, fir balsam, orris root, pine needles, incense, sandalwood, Irish ambergris, cedarmoss, patchouli, deer musk (botanic accord), ashes.
First Reaction: I REALLY did not like this one. It was a freebie given (which they were amazing to include so many freebies), but this one, to me had a very stringent vibe with an underlayer of almost urine smell. I don't get very much of the pine or any of the snowdrifts or peppermint. But it does have a very 'black apothecary' vibe to the smell. Like it's the smell of an old trappegatherer's cabin in the woods. A witch in the woods that you go to, to trade with when you're desperate. If you like musk and dark foresty herbs and dirt, then this one is for you. It's like the dark chaotic marshlands sister witch to Boreal
This is the poster child for letting a scent rest lol.
Dry down: It Definitely softens on the drydown, but there's still that weird note in there, for me, that makes it not so pleasant as its sister Boreal
Also, to note about this scent, the first listed notes are snowdrifts and peppermint, but I do NOT get those notes at all. It's very much more 'Marshland forests by the sea maybe in winter...when winter is year round lol like Alaska....which makes sense with the name now that I think of it lol
Steading 4/5
Notes: tobacco, hay, beeswax, barley, dried needles, poplar, hops, maple, and wisps of peat smoke. A dense wheaty tobacco perfume with dried fir needles and honeyed maple sweetness.
First Reaction: If you like fresh natural straight out the tree, maple syrup, then this is the scent for you! I do definitely get the honey and maple, that is FOR SURE. At first straight out the bottle, I didn't think I liked this scent. It was a Strong Maple front.
BUT, after letting it settle, I tried it again, and it is now strangely becoming one of my fast favorites! The maple has mellowed out a bit and now I almost smell straight honey. The longer I smell it, the more I feel like I've been taking a autumn drive and stopped in at one of those side orchards that are selling homemade honey and maple syrup and you take a tasting tour. Personally, though, I'll still probably layer it onto something a bit more foresty/woodsy/cedar smelling to even out that super strong sweet maple. Cause on the Drydown it still completely smells like Maple honey. It's a really good honey scent though. A lot of honey's come off strangely urine-y on me. This one doesn't. It's like a true maple honey. Really nice. Almost nostalgic when it dries down
Eldritch 3.5/5 (I'll use it as a mixer, but not on it's own. It's a bit much on its own lol)
Notes: Leather, Myrrh, patchouli, fir, oolong tea, opoponax, smoke, pine needles, oakmoss.
Lair of ancient eldritch abominations, a resinous and dark perfume for the bold and unafraid.
this Fall 2023 Version included additional tea & moss
This was a Curiosity's sake purchase when I saw this on a list of 'If you want to smell like a witch' suggestions (very accurate for this to be on that list). First on my skin I definitely get the sharp leather notes and I think the myrrh. It is definitely a challenging scent and more of a unisex or masculine scent, but me as a witchy woman, I love it. I think I'm totally getting the Opoponax (resin that smells like oak honey powder and leather), the smoke and the fir. First out of the gate I feel like it makes me smell like a dark and mysterious witchy apothecary owner during the 1700s in a port town, with gunpowder and fire tinging the air. And you're making poisons and special magical bullets. And I think I do really like the addition of tea and moss into the scent, otherwise, I think it'd be more of a pirate-y unisex/masc scent. With the Leather and Myrrh and oolong tea and smoke, it has a bit of a 'Buccanneepirate' vibe to it. But with the Patchouli and oak moss and pine needles, it gives witchy and slightly southern vibes, which leads my head to go Bayou pirate/witch lol. Right after I got it, though, it was definitely a challenging scent. But, trust me, let it sit, it will get so much better with time.
First dry down it softens beautifully, so if you think it's too strong and overpowering at first, don't worry. It'll mellow
Long dry down, it does get a bit musty and stale herbally after a bit. But, it is Just perfect if you want a remnant scent of 'I just walked through a witchy Apothecary in Savannah'
Just keep in mind, right out the bottle, it is a very challenging scent. Make sure to let it rest a bit, and then try it on your skin, too, before judging.
*note: if you're not an herbally/witchy person, this may be more of a masculine scent pull. I could totally see giving this scent to a guy friend/family member, if you get it and it's not for you. For me personally, though, I love it as a dark wet witchy base layer under something super fruity (like SF&F's Lilac & Gooseberries, or Lorelai from Fantome), to give me the perfect fruity darkly complex witchy scents.
Sadly, the top notes are a fast faders on me (but I think it may just be that my skin gobbles scents ). After about 2 hours it had faded to a Very soft dried herbs, leather, and smoke. It really does perfectly pair w/ Strange Fire & Fumery's Lilac & Gooseberries, though, to give a fruity floral witch vibe. That soft dried herbs, leather, and smoke scent, though lasted a Very long time, till the end of the day pretty much

Ponderosa 5/5
Notes: Ponderosa resin, ponderosa needles, cedar, vanilla, strawberry, cinnamon, butterscotch, beeswax, raisin cookies
First Impressions: definitely another atmospheric scent. I get sweet resins and wood, like I'm in a wood barn or wood lodge. It's a very sweet woodsy scent. Think a wood lodge up in Gatlinburg, where you can get all you can eat pancakes and sweet pastries all day with fresh syrups. I don't get too much strawberry in there, but almost like you can smell someone's strawberry pancakes with maple syrup in this wood lodge.
I feel like this would be a WONDERFUL deepening layer underneath a strawberry vanilla scent that seems too one-note, to really give a full bodied complex scent. But, quite honestly, It's actually a fine stand alone scent for me, too
Dry down: It still smells really great! More into the wood/resin smell with a touch of butterscotch and vanilla, rather than super gourmand-y. But, the drydown is still a super pleasant scent I don't mind wearing
**I actually really like layering this under Apple Tabac**

Hayloft 4/5
Notes: hay, lavender honey, crocus, sweet vernal grass, bison grass, toasted almond, hazelnut, oats, dusty wheat.
Another atmospheric barn scent, but more a springtime barn: fresh sweet grasses and flowers hanging from the rafters, the warm sweet hot cross buns in your basket from breakfast. You're having breakfast in the loft, overlooking your garden. I do wish there was a bit 'more(?)' to this scent though? Like either bring in some more vanilla notes to make it a true gourmand OR bring in more lavender and herbs to make it a more green scent. I think though, because of that, that makes this a perfect layering scent. So, depending on how I want to smell that day, I can layer this under a more gourmand scent. Or, I can layer it under a more floral or green scent
though, after smelling it again after the drydown....nah, it balances out super nicely to a light spring wood barn scent. I don't think you even need to mix it with something. You can wear it on its own. I'll bring it up to a 4.5/5 rating-wise

White Fir 5/5
Notes: orange, ginger, white fir, clove, anise, pine, musk, vetiver, oakmoss
The PERFECT wintery citrus scent. Super crisp. You definitely get the citrus and ginger and white fir. The only more perfect addition would be to maybe layer it with a patchouli or deeper woodsy/cedar scent, I think, to give it a bit more depth and less 'Winter Cleaning day' vibe.
*For a sweeter vibe, though, I layer this under Kinmokusei from Fantome, and it gives me pretty much a perfect witchy lemon citrus green herbal scent*
Clemenpine 1.5/5
Notes: Clementine, Blood Orange, Maritime Pine, Night-Blooming Jasmine, Saffron Flower, Rough Suede, Passion Fruit, White Lotus, Fir Balsam, Tobacco Leaf, Cedar Planks, Leather, Sandalwood, Pacific Ambergris.
I really wish I had had the chance to let this one settle for a few months like the others, but sadly it got dropped onto my cement floor and shattered, so I only had my first impressions of it, which was that it smelled like PURE cleaning fluid. Which really sucks, cause I love orange and citrusy scents and was very hopeful for this one. I may eventually order a sample again, just to give it a second shot, since all the rest of these benefited so much from letting them sit and rest
Meadowmoss 1.5/5
Oakmoss, Alpine Sandwort, Wild grass, Green Wheat, Orange Blossom, Fir Balsam, Tomato Leaf, Azure Bluet, Mountain Wildflowers
First impressions: This one is one of those scents I wouldn't actually wear. BUT, one I would use on like my dryer balls or as a room spray on furniture in spring. It really is like you're standing out in an open field in the Swiss alps singing, the Hills are Alive, next to a wayward nun. If that's what you'd like to smell like? This one is for you! It just screamed 'linen sheet' to me, rather than perfume. Also, I unfortunately have an autoimmune allergy to nightshades and I didn't realize this had Tomato leaf in it :/
So, it's one I'm gifting to my mom
Ivymoss 3.5/5
Notes: Climbing Ivy, Green Tea, Spearmint, Lime Rind, Lemon Verbena, Waterlily, Emerald Cypress, Mugo Pine, Cedarwood, Oakmoss, Treemoss, Cedarmoss.
Another one that DEFINITELY needs rest before you judge. At first it was purely going to be another dryer ball scent. But after Months of letting it rest (like legit half a year), I actually think I like the scent enough to maybe wear it! (at least as an undertone, if not as a standalone). It's a very Bright Green early Springtime vibes scent. Fresh, without smelling overtly like cleaning fluid or laundry detergent. It's truly like walking through a forest in very early spring, with the air still crisp, but new plants starting to grow.
It's not one I would wear a Lot, I don't think....but maybe in early spring layered under an apple-y scent. Or maybe as an undertone layer with something like a honeysuckle scent, to balance it out for me.

Greymist 5/5
Notes: Noble Fir, Scotch Pine, Expressed Citron, Blond Tobacco, Botanical Musk, Vetiver.
Another one that Really needs to rest, before you try, cause I'm pretty sure it was on the list of (I REALLY don't like) when I first scented these, but now months after, this one's gonna be one of my favorite winter scents, I think. It legit smells like Christmas time. The fir and pine Really stands out, and you get that little bit of tobacco in there too, almost like you're hugging Santa and he smokes a pipe lol.
Acadian 3.5/5
Sweet Yuzu, Bergamot, Juniper Berry, Ivy, Eucalyptus, Waterlily, Goldenrod, Heliotrope, Seaweed, Cedar, Oakmoss
This scent reminds me of trips to the Lost sea or Rock city. Smelling the damp mossy forests and wet mountain stone. That smell of caves found along hikes in damp foggy weather. I kinda flip between loving this and not so loving this one. I can't really pick out any of the individual notes at all, which is sad, cause I do like a lot of those individual scents. But, it is a really nice general unisex/masculine scent
A little goes a Very long way, though. It's got a very lengthy throw. I like pairing a DOT of it underneath one of my sweeter fruity or floral scents. If I use too much, there's a note in there that's a bit wonky and it goes a bit powdery and strong and gives me a headache. And I don't like this one as much on the drydown. Powder notes tend to last the longest on me (and they're the worst for me) and it gets very strong and weirdly powdery/perfumey on the drydown, sadly, which is why I put it at a 3.5 for me. It may be great for someone else though. My brother says it smells like a generic male cologne lol
Akero 5/5
Notes: green apple, benzoin, patchouli, sandalwood, cedar.
The first bit of a freshly picked green apple. When I smell this, it transports me to a green apple orchard, with the apples just getting ripe. It's definitely got a Green earthy undertone, but the bright apple evens it out a bunch. I really love this, even alone, or layered with a sweeter fruit scent, like Kinmousekai from fantome. I do wish the Cedasandalwood stood out a bit more, though. I may have to try putting a drop of this onto an actual cedar chip. See how it smells

Caravansary 5/5 freebie
Notes: fir balsam, deer musk (botanic accord), vanilla, black tea, lavender, blue spruce, blue chamomile, treemoss, incense, mulched pinecone, campfire smoke.
First impressions: Like Olle+Max's Summer Witch is like a summer roadtrip for me, hitting up all the hippy/witchy side shops and thrift shops along the way….This is the winter version. Again a super atmospheric scent, it instantly transports me to my car in winter, riding along the backroads, smelling the fresh fir and pine trees, the smell of camp smoke in the distance and the herbs I smoke cleansed the car with before the trip, along with the hot tea I have in my traveler mug for the journey ahead. It's definitely unisex, but honestly, I could probably wear this in winter by itself. Or, I'll use it as a layering element, to bring a bit of smoke/incense/winter travel vibes to a blend
Gingerbread 5/5 freebie
Notes: ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, wheat absolute, butter co2, molasses distillate, brown sugar, black walnut, milk, cream, vanilla.
This one was a freebie thrown in (They included a Ton of freebies, which was so phenomenal!)
First impressions, another very well balanced set for late fall/winter. It smells like a fresh gingerbread snap (those hard old school ginger cookies), you can smell the cinnamon and cloves so much that it almost comes off as fresh cut wood which is definitely a complimentary vibe for this scent. Though, that may also be the wheat absolute and black walnut coming out, too. The sharpness from the ginger is mellowed out by the milk and cream and brown sugar and molasses. Another scent that blends very well, but you can still pick out all the individual notes and they tell a story. It's really cool how this house does that!
Christmas Wine Freebie 3.5/5
Notes: cranberry, plum, blood orange, cloves, nutmeg, fir balsam
It's definitely got the vibe of mulled Christmas wine. I'm kind of meh about it, though? There's a note in there I'm not fond of (I think the nutmeg) and I wish there was a bit of a crisp forest underlayer in there and maybe a bit more fruit, less mulled wine spices. BUT, this does make for a perfect mulled wine top note mixer on one of my more winter woods scents, like Grey Mist and Caravansary…and then maybe getting a winter berry scent to layer over top everything. This is a great mid layer scent for me.
Glühwein Pinewardperfume Freebie 5/5
Notes: Cranberry, champaca, cherry compote, rasberry, fir balsam, chocolate, davana attar, oakmoss, frankincense
Quite honestly everything I want Christmas Wine to be. In the description it says it was actually built on a base of the christmas wine scent, but with additional festive nuance, and this 2023 version is less sweet with more cocoa and champaca. This is actually pretty sweet, so I can't imagine what it was before. It's like sweet winter berries, and you can pretty distinctly scent the fir and frankincense and oakmoss. So, basically, all my notes from Christmas wine and how to improve it…they did it in this lol, it is Gluhwein. Just get this one lol
Then last but not least, they also included another freebie that isn't listed in their scent collection for sale. It's a Mint Cocoa. Which, honestly is Another poster child for letting rest lol. At first it was a bit chemically and I didn't like it at all. Now, it fluctuates from being a photorealistic mint chocolate….to weirdly smelling like my dad's alcoholic egg nogg that he loves every year at after Thanksgiving-New Years. I think it'll be a great mixer or even standalone this winter for me. Very nostalgic vibes.
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So, I hope anyone looking for Pineward reviews! They're a really cool house, so I hope they keep growing!

This is going to be part scent Request, part scent Review of all the green/lemony scents I've tried so far....
I'm a bit of a green witch and I love having green undernotes to my perfumes. Generally, I've just been layering other scents over either For Strange Women's French Oakmoss or Pineward's Eldritch, but I would love to find some more standalone green scents. As well a some citrus scents!! I absolutely Love citrus, but scent-wise (the same with the Green scents) have been turning out smelling more like cleaning fluid or something I'd put on my dryer ball or a room spray, not necessarily use as a perfume. There are a few that have worked out, though, so I thought I'd share my reviews of those too!
_______________________________________________________________________ My rating system: 1/5 - I will never wear it and I actively don't like/hate this scent. 2/5 - It doesn't really smell like a perfume or I don't really like it 3/5 - meh, it's okay. It'll be an okay mixing agent, or someone else may like it, it's just not for me by itself 4/5 - I do like it, it's just got something small missing from making it perfect, ie: It dries down weird, or it fades fast 5/5 - I absolutely adore this scent. Any more and I want to swim in it lol
Here's what I've tried so far and how they smelled to me:
Alkemia
Moss Maiden ( Ferns, bark, lichen, crushed autumnal greens, and moss) - 2/5 - I May use this as a green layering note, but mainly I'd probably use it as a dryer ball scent or room spray. It does smell like a mossy cave...but if that mossy cave was SUPER clean lol. It's got this weird cleaning spray vibe in there
Green Witch ( oakmoss, Diviner's sage, lemon verbena, orchid, nightshade, winterhazel, rowen bark) - 2/5 - This one's got some lemon in with the green, but again, just screams 'This is laundry detergent!' to me when I smell it :/
Baccante (Blueberries, Oakmoss, wild ivy, lavender, tonka, and forest fungi) - 6/5 - I will be totally buying a full bottle of this. It's one of the first perfumes that could be a total standalone for me. It's like you're standing in a blueberry field, full of ripe fresh blueberries. I would legit rate it a 10/5 if it didn't disappear so fast on me. That may just be my skin, though.
Sucreabeille
Vodka & Swearing - (Sedona, sage, lemongrass, mojito, and juniper) 3/5 - Doesn't quite give off 'Cleaning fluid' but it does give off Very photorealistic 'Mojito'. I just sadly don't really get anything else. Just lemon mojito. Like, smelling it is akin to holding a lemon mojito up to your nose, quite literally. Not sure if I'd like to smell like that alone. If the green herbs were better in there, maybe I'd wear it...I may actually overlayer it with Green Witch and see how it does, after writing out these....
**OH MY GOODNESS OKAY I FOUND THE MIX lol...layer on For Strange Women's French Oakmoss under Alkemia's Green Witch, and top with Suc's Vodka & Swearing lol. No lie...It's a pretty great lemony Green witch scent, without being too 'Cleaner Fluid-y'. later, after the drydown, It does dry down a bit too perfumey/powdery, though, so later throughout the day, I layer on Baccante or Where the Wild things Grow (look down below), to bring in a fruity element to the mix. Unfortunately, my skin does suck those up, so I've gotta reapply like every 2 hours
haha love when that works out, though lol.... Hope that scent combo helps someone else **
Pineward
Boreal - 3/5 - (pine needles, mint, cedar, resins, moss. Frigid forest of the northern wilderness. Chilly mint gives way to a soft bed of creamy cedar, pine, and moss.)
If you like Mint, this one's for you. It is Straight Mint. The cedar pine and moss are almost non existent props to the Very strong Mint. Me personally, I was hoping for more of a Hint of mint overlaying a stronger scent of cedar and pine and moss, but the opposite was more true with this one. You do get a good underlayer of cedar on the drydown, but even in the drydown, you still get that wintery mint. It'll be a great mint additive to some of my stronger foresty scents, though! And I think, layered with Krampus it will be really nice winteyule scent. After the Drydown, you can really tell it's a softer minty version of Borealis lol. Like Boreal is the pale, shy dark woods winter witch, while Borealis is the wild and chaotic summer dark swamp witch sister
Borealis - was a 1/5, now a 3/5 - (Notes: snowdrifts, peppermint, camphor, black tea, black elder, valerian root, ocean spume, fir balsam, orris root, pine needles, incense, sandalwood, Irish ambergris, cedarmoss, patchouli, deer musk (botanic accord), ashes)
First Reaction: I REALLY did not like this one. It was a freebie given (which they were amazing to include so many freebies), but this one, to me has a very stringent vibe with an underlayer of almost urine smell( the musk, I think). I don't get very much of the pine, but it does have a black apothecary vibe to the smell. Like it's the smell of an old trappegatherer's cabin. A witch in the woods that you go to, to trade when you're desperate. If you like musk and dark foresty herbs and dirt, then this one is for you. It is STRONG on the musk, though
BUT, Okay, just fyi this is the poster child for letting a scent rest lol. I didn't much like it at first, but After a few months I tried it again and now it's going to be a great dark green witch undertone scent lol. I don't get much winter vibes, though lol. Just dark forest ones. Like it's a bit more Swamp witch then Eldritch (next down below), but it could be a sister to the "Bella Lestrange would wear me as perfume" vibe
Eldritch - 4/5 -
Notes: Leather, Myrrh, patchouli, fir, oolong tea, opoponax, smoke, pine needles, oakmoss.
Lair of ancient eldritch abominations, a resinous and dark perfume for the bold and unafraid. Fall 2023 Version: additional tea & moss
This was a Curiosity's sake purchase when I saw this on a list of 'If you want to smell like a witch' suggestions (very accurate just fyi). First on my skin I definitely get the sharp leather notes and I think the myrrh. It is definitely a challenging scent and more of a unisex or masculine scent, but me as a witchy woman, I love it as a green undertone. I think I'm totally getting the Opoponax (resin that smells like oak honey powder and leather), the smoke and the fir. First out of the gate I feel like it makes me smell like a dark and mysterious apothecary witch, with her shop at a dock in the middle of a dark swampy bayou. And I think I do really like the addition of tea and moss into the scent, otherwise, I think it'd be more of a straight, almost pirate-y, unisex/masc scent
First dry down it softens beautifully, so if you think it's too strong and overpowering at first, don't worry. It'll mellow
Long dry down, it does get a bit musty and stale herbally after a bit. But it is Just perfect if you want a remnant scent of 'I just walked through a witchy herbal shop in the Bayou' vibe
Just keep in mind, right out the bottle, it is a very challenging scent. Make sure to let it rest a bit, and then try it on your skin, too, before judging.
*note: if you're not an herbally/witchy woman, this may be more of a masculine scent pull. I could totally see giving this scent to a guy friend/family member, if you get it and it's not for you. For me personally, though, I love it as my witchy base layer under something super fruity (like SF&F's Lilac & Gooseberries), to give me the perfect fruity complex green witchy scent.
White Fir 5/5 - Notes of orange, ginger, white fir, clove, anise, pine, musk, vetiver, oakmoss
The PERFECT wintery citrus scent. The only more perfect addition would be to layer it with a patchouli or more of a 'dark forest' scent, to give it a bit more depth and less 'Winter Cleaning day' vibe
Clemenpine -2/5 - (Notes Clementine, Blood Orange, Maritime Pine, Night-Blooming Jasmine, Saffron Flower, Rough Suede, Passion Fruit, White Lotus, Fir Balsam, Tobacco Leaf, Cedar Planks, Leather, Sandalwood, Pacific Ambergris)
I really wish I had had the chance to let this one settle for a few months like the others (pineward really needs some settle time to fully bloom, just fyi), but sadly it got dropped onto my cement floor and shattered, so I only had my first impressions of it, which was that it smelled like PURE cleaning fluid. I'm talking orange Pine-sol :/ . Which really sucks, cause I love orange and citrusy scents and was very hopeful for this one. Eventually I may get another sample of it, to try again, but I was really disappointed in it.
Meadowmoss 2/5
Notes: Oakmoss, Alpine Sandwort, Wild grass, Green Wheat, Orange Blossom, Fir Balsam, Tomato Leaf, Azure Bluet, Mountain Wildflowers.
This one is one of those scents I wouldn't actually wear. BUT, one I may use on like my dryer balls or as a room spray on furniture in spring. It really is like you're standing out in an open field in the Swiss alps singing the Hills are Alive next to a wayward nun. If that's what you'd like to smell like? This one is for you! Not really for wearing on me, though. It smells like a dryer sheet.
Ivymoss 3/5
Notes: Climbing Ivy, Green Tea, Spearmint, Lime Rind, Lemon Verbena, Waterlily, Emerald Cypress, Mugo Pine, Cedarwood, Oakmoss, Treemoss, Cedarmoss.
This is one that DEFINITELY needs rest. At first it was purely going to be another dryer ball scent. But after Months of letting it rest (like legit half a year), I actually think I like the scent enough to maybe wear it! (at least as an undertone, if not as a standalone). It's a very Bright Green scent. Fresh, without smelling overtly like cleaning fluid or laundry detergent. But, it does give that hint. Like Irish Soap almost. It's truly like walking through a forest in very early spring, with the air still crisp, but new plants starting to grow....and you're wearing freshly laundered clothes lol
It's not one I would wear a Lot, I don't think....but maybe in early spring with a apple-y scent. Or maybe as an undertone layer with something like a sweet honeysuckle scent

Greymist 5/5
Notes: Noble Fir, Scotch Pine, Expressed Citron, Blond Tobacco, Botanical Musk, Vetiver.
Another one that Really needs to rest, before you try, cause I'm pretty sure it was on the list of scents I REALLY don't like, when I first scented these. But now months after, this one's gonna be one of my favorite winter scents, I think. It legit smells like Christmas time. The fir and pine Really stands out, and you get that little bit of tobacco in there too, almost like you're hugging Santa and he smokes a pipe lol. Quite honestly, it may actually be a standalone scent for me, for winter time
Acadian 3.5/5
Notes: Sweet Yuzu, Bergamot, Juniper Berry, Ivy, Eucalyptus, Waterlily, Goldenrod, Heliotrope, Seaweed, Cedar, Oakmoss
This scent reminds me of trips to the Lost sea or Rock city. Smelling the damp mossy forests and wet mountain stone. That smell of caves found along hikes in damp foggy weather. I can't really pick out any of the individual notes at all, which is sad, cause I do like a lot of those individual scents. But, it is a really nice combination into a unisex/masculine scent. All of Pineward, so far has leaned more to the Unisex/masc cologne side of things. But, this one I do like to pair with something like Lorelei from Fantome, which is a strawberry over seawater and seaweed scent
A little goes a Very long way. It's got a very long throw. I like pairing a DOT of it with one of my sweeter fruity or floral scents. If I use too much, it does dry down a bit powdery and strong and gives me a headache, which is why I put it at 3.5 instead of 4/5
Akero 4/5
Notes: green apple, benzoin, patchouli, sandalwood, cedar.
The first bit of a freshly picked green apple. When I smell this, it transports me to a green apple orchard, with the apples just getting ripe. It's definitely got a Green earthy undertone, but the bright apple evens it out a bunch. I really love this, even alone, or layered with a sweeter fruit scent, like Kinmousekai from fantome. I do wish the Cedasandalwood stood out a bit more, though. I may have to try putting a drop of this onto an actual cedar chip. See how it smells
Ollie & Max
Spring Witch 2/5 Notes: an enchanting blend of rosewater, jasmine and lily top notes, middle notes of clover and greenery, finishing with citrus and herbs
This one is another dryer ball scent for me, unfortunately. A really nice dryer scent, though! Perfect for springtime. I just more expect this scent with detergent, not a perfume
Sorcellerie Apothecary
Where the Wild Things Grow 3/5 1: the Sweet version.
Notes: Late spring strawberries still on the vine and vanilla cream soda slowly fade to strawberry blossoms, fresh green grass with morning dew, and ambrette seed.
I do like this, but not on its own. It's got a bit of a chemically tone in there (from the 'cream soda' I think). It does give fizzy strawberry drink, vibe, though. I like layering it over Fantome's Lorelei and FSW's French Oakmoss for a strawberry witch vibe
II: The fruity green version. Notes:
Late spring strawberries still on the vine and vanilla cream soda slowly fade to strawberry blossoms, fresh green grass with morning dew, and ambrette seed.
I do like this one, but it's a bit Too much artificial candy and green grass for me, if that makes sense. It reminds me of sucking on a strawberry candy as a kid, running around in the fresh cut grass. I do like it, I just have to layer it with Lorelei and other green/fruity notes, otherwise it gives me a headache
Fantome
Lorelei - 4/5
Notes: Tart wild strawberries, basil, black narcissus, entangling seaweed, watery graves
It starts off with a punch of fruity strawberry, but has bottom notes of salty seaweed and sweet basil. And I absolutely love it when basil finds its way into perfumes. I absolutely love that scent. I just wish there was More basil and other herbs, maybe
I do love this scent, but not on its own. I love it as a mid level mixing layer, though. Usually I'll layer it above something like Eldritch or Acadian or French Oakmoss (see all three above), and then top off with one or both of the Where the Wild Things Are scents (also look above), for a more full bodied Strawberry Witch vibe scent.
____________________________________________________________________________ TL;DR:
So, essentially, I've had some hits and some misses. I love Fruity scents and I want green witch/kitchen witch herbal vibes with my scents. I like gourmands. I sometimes like florals (just more on the fruity floral side, not the powdery floral side). I HATE with a passion powdery scents and scents that go cleanedetergent vibes.
Can ya'll help with some recommendations for any lemon or orange citrusy perfumes that don't go 'cleaner fluid or detergent' vibes? And/or any herbal or Green scents that I may like?
Please & Thank you!!

Top Notes: Citron, Orange, Mint, Lemon, Black Currant, Coriander
Middle Notes: Apricot, Basil, Carrot Seeds, May Rose
Base Notes: Fig, Dates, Ambrette
ALCOHOL, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), LIMONENE, AQUA (WATER), LINALOOL, CITRAL,
BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE, GERANIOL, CITRONELLOL, FARNESOL, CI
60730 (EXT. VIOLET 2)
AMBRETTOLIDE HC SUPREME 21.60
Musk, floral, ambrette, fruity-berry. Radiant and excellent fixative
HEDIONE HC/70 19.10
Fresh, floral-jasmine, sweet, clean. Diffusive and fixative
ORANGE BRASIL 15.50
Orange-peel, fresh, aldehydic, sweet, sharp
LEMON SICILIAN 12.00
Fresh-lemon, citrus, sharp, aldehydic
AMAROCIT 6.90
grapefruit peel, fresh-herbal, green-fruity; citrusy, vetiveryl acetate, ionone
CARROT SEEDS 5.00
fruity-earthy, sweetish, woody and powdery nuances
GALAXOLIDE PURE 4.00
Musk, sweet, fresh, powdery, clean. Fixative
D.P.G. 1.84
Minimal odour - used as a solvent
AMBROXAN 1.46
Amber, Ambergris, very diffusive , excellent fixative and exalting agent
VELOUTONE 1.34
Floral-jasmine, fruity-peach, and apricot, lactonic, lavender
PEPPERMINT USP 1.16
Sweet-minty-cool, clean, fresh-herbal, penetrating, camphoraceous, balsamic, woody
MUSCENONE 1.00
Musk, nitro-musk, animal, rich-soft, woody. Exalting
LINALOOL 0.96
Fresh, floral-woody, sweet, citrus
GAMMA DECALACTONE 0.94
fruity-peach, creamy, sweet
TRIPLAL 0.88
Green-herbal, citrus-aldehydic, soapy
EVERNYL 0.80
mossy, earthy, soft, oakmoss, woody, powdery
RHUBOFIX 0.64
Complex woody, spicy, floral and fruity note. It has a zesty freshness and unique green
rhubarb effect.
COSMONE 0.50
musky, powdery, grey ambergris and anise nuances
LEMONGRASS 0.44
Sharp, fresh-lemon, citrus, grassy, earthy
CITRONELLAL 10% DPG 0.36
Powerful fresh green citrusy, slight woody odoumusky rose.
MALTOL 0.36
Powerful, warm, fruity,caramel sweet odour, fruity in dilution.
HEPTANOATE ALLYL 142-19-8 0.30
sweet pineapple fruity waxy banana fusel cognac
OPOPONAX 10% DPG 0.28
woody-balsamic, old wood, slightly leather, spicy, liqueur and animal nuances
ALDEHYDE C-14 0.24
sweet, peach, creamy, lactonic, coconut nuances
NERYL ACETATE 0.22
Sweet, floral-rose, fresh, fruity-raspberry
GERANYL ACETATE 0.20
Sweet, fruity-floral, rosy, green, slightly lavender-like
CORIANDER SEEDS 0.20
warm, spicy, sweet, floral, woody, balsamic, peppery
NONADIENAL ACETATE? 557-48-2 10? Maybe 68555-65-7 % DPG 0.16
(green, natural, fresh, cucumber, violet leaf, melon nuances)
green leafy fatty nutty
BASIL SWEET 0.16
Basil, sweet, herbal-green, spicy,anise
HEXENOL CIS-3 0.16
Green, grassy, foliage. Powerful
NEROL 10% DPG 0.16
Sweet, floral-rose and neroli, refreshing, wet, seashore
CARYOPHYLLENE OXIDE 0.16
Woody-spicy.
DAMASCENONE TOTAL 0.14
Floral, Rose, Plum, Berry and Tobacco
A very powerful floral fruity note. DAMASCENONE TOTAL smells intensely natural, rose,
plum, berry and tobacco (close to DAMASCENONE).
PERILLALDEHYDE 2111-75-3 10% DPG 0.10
fresh green herbal grassy sweet minty cumin spicy citrus
CITRONELLOL 10% DPG 0.10
Floral-rose, fresh, sweet, green, waxy, leather
ISOEUGENOL METHYL ETHER 10% DPG 0.10
spicy clove floral carnation woody (93-16-3)
BLACKCURRANT ABS (Burgundy) 10% DEP 0.08
fruity-green, penetrating, tart, liqueur nuances
LINALYL ACETATE 0.06
Sweet, fresh, green-pear, floral-bergamot
ALDEHYDE C-10 0.06
citrus-aldehyde (citrus peel), fresh, sweetish
CASCALONE 0.06
aquatic, mineral, marine, fresh, fruity (melon) and floral nuances
CITRONELLYL ACETATE 10% DPG 0.04
floral-fruity, rose, geranium, apple, pear, citrus nuances
ALCANFO CAMPHOR / CAMPHRE RACEMIC 76-22-2 0.04
Camphoreous
PHENYLETHYL ALCOHOL 50% DPG 0.04
Floral-rose, fresh, rosewater, honey
PINK PEPPER 0.04
Fresh, spicy-pepper, lemony, sweet, balsamic
ALLYL AMYL GLYCOLATE 10% DPG 0.02
fruity green, galbanum, pineapple AAG adds a modern sparkle to any fragrance.
CINNAMON LEAFS 10% DPG 0.02
Dry Spice and Musk
GERANIOL SUPRA 0.02
Floral, sweet, rosey, fruity and citronella-like with a citrus nuance
METHYL BUTYRATE ETHYL? Ethyl 2-methylbutyrate 10% DPG 0.02
sharp sweet green apple fruity
METHYL HEPTENONE 10% DPG 0.02
citrus green musty lemongrass apple
TERPINEOL ALPHA 0.02 98-55-5
turpentine, floral (lilac, linden), conifers, resinous, cool, citrus nuances
100
Perillaldehyde 0.02 (in lemon italy , source revive-eo)
Perillaldehyde 0.01
Perillaldehyde 0.01 orange organic
Perillaldehyde 0.03 wild orange
Perillaldehyde 0.04
Perillaldehyde 0.02 blood orange
Perillaldehyde 0.03
Perillaldehyde 0.04

Recently, I got the Loremaster of Outland achievement by leveling 1-59 in Burning Crusade and then freezing XP at 59 so I could complete as much of it as I could using Chromie Time. This post is to share details of how that went for anyone interested in doing the same. Or perhaps this'll help you decide not to. Either way, it'll have been helpful and overall I enjoyed doing this immensely and want to share!
Why I Did This

1. Catching up on the story - I played through Dragonflight and felt I did not entirely understand some lore moments. I figured I'd appreciate having more context of current content after playing through World of Warcraft from scratch, oldest expansions to new (which is why I'm starting Burning Crusade and not Cataclysm-revamped Azeroth).
2. More of a challenge - Running through Chromie Time made this feel more "real" and less trivial. I had to be careful what I was doing, particularly with BC mob density & the difficulty level of some of the later quests. The forever options to run old content dungeons with others via dungeon finder was also super engaging and the queue as DOS never took too long.
3. Profiting off old content - I was curious to see if running Mining/Herbalism would make this experience a lucrative one, along with any rare transmogs picked up along the way. Curiously looking at every item that dropped with the TSM add-on (to ascertain value in the AH) was also pretty cool & helped keep me interested throughout.
4. Building Faction Reps - I figured this would be helpful to my future self if I decided to do any rep grinds in the future, as running Loremaster tends to get you at least to Honored with the average expansion faction.

Chosen Class
Death Knight. Alliance Kul Tiran. Never played DK and knew the self-regen skills would help me if I got bored at any point and wanted to challenge myself with bigger pulls to speed things up. Ran Frost for this particular expansion & may change that in the future. I also spent much of my WoW life as Horde (been playing off and on since Vanilla), so choosing Alliance helped this feel fresh.
How Long Did This Take?
/played by the end of this was 2 days, 1 hour, and 24 minutes. I tried to be diligent in always logging off if I had to go away from my keyboard. But worth noting is that I was not trying to speedrun, read all the quest text, and did not pay much attention to what was needed for Loremaster in each zone unless I started to feel I was doing something wrong (examples include more time than was necessary doing quests in Skettis and Ogri'la, neither of which were required for Loremaster). The end quests of Netherstorm & Shadowmoon were also a time waster given how many dungeons & traveling across the map was required. I was not expecting those and so probably did not travel optimally. I did have to leave Chromie Time at the very end to complete every Group (4) or Group (5) quest I had acquired in Outland. Anything Group (3) or under I was able to solo within Chromie Time.
Route Taken
Hellfire -> Zangarmarsh -> Terrokar -> Nagrand -> Blade's Edge -> Netherstorm -> Shadowmoon. I hit lvl 59 by the end of Terrokar and then froze xp.
Thoughts on each Zone
Hellfire Peninsula - Visually and lorewise not terribly appealing, but felt fun to do circles around the map completing quests en masse. Greedily sucked up a lot of Fel Iron here too. Zangarmarsh - My favorite of this run. I adored the vibes of Telredor & the Sporeggar. Made me wish for player housing in WoW so I could get more soft pink & purple architecture in my life. Terrokar Forest - Loved the music and vibes here as well. Haunting. Was time consuming running quests between Shattrath & around here though. Nagrand - Still a gorgeous area. Was relaxing to listen to podcasts while grinding through the Nesingwary & elemental kill quests. I feel like this zone went by the fastest. Blade's Edge Mountains - While awe-inspiring at a distance, up close the textures of this area were really ugly. Endless ogre killing quests also made this area tedious. Netherstorm - Loved running quests with the Consortium. The juxtaposition of eco-zones & apocalyptic storm was fantastic. Guilty of many end quests requiring a group (or, in my case, temporarily exiting Chromie Time) to complete. Shadowmoon Valley - Felt like quite an intense finale zone. I initially liked how you quest & expand across the zone relatively fast... but then get stuck doing LONG questlines demanding a lot of backtracking across Outland. Lorewise they were impactful though.
Conclusion - Attaining Loremaster of Outland could often be fun & challenging on a gameplay basis. On a lore basis, I found myself really getting into it once I switched mindset away from expecting character-driven stories and more to it being about the world that you explore. For example, I loved the recurrent theme of driving enemies against one another to give allies breathing space. Expeditions to supply Telredor with food & the means to survive. The goblins sneakily trying to steal tech & money from the Consortium without detection & risking their wrath.
Money & Materials Acquired
I gave myself just enough money at the start to buy big bags and then otherwise started from scratch. I had ~18k gold by the end of the run. That is purely quest rewards, picking up loot, and vendoring - no Auction House. Materials acquired by the end (notable amounts included only):
2468 Netherweave 588 Fel Iron Ore 128 Motes of Fire 239 Dreaming Glory 499 Felweed 169 Golden Sansam Leaf 148 Dreamfoil Blade 55 Runecloth 108 Eternium Ore 151 Motes of Life 607 Motes of Earth 28 Motes of Shadow 15 Fel Lotus 111 Ragveil 636 Adamantite Ore 33 Blindweed 27 Ghost Mushroom Cap 53 Ancient Lichen 71 Terocone 34 Motes of Water 11 Motes of Air 31 Khorium Ore 84 Nightmare Vine 110 Netherbloom 38 Motes of Mana 47 Liferoot Stem
Worth noting is that I went out of my way to go after resource nodes whenever they popped up on the minimap unless they were surrounded by 4+ mobs unrelated to any quest I was running (in which case I often couldn't be bothered). As for transmogs, I wasn't interested in holding onto anything unless TSM said it was worth over a thousand gold and would trade in a reasonable amount of time. Nothing fit both of those parameters. Most weapons/armors would theoretically have sold on the AH for a couple dozen to a few hundred gold, but possibly not for weeks, and that didn't feel worth my time. So I ended up vendoring everything after adding them to my own growing transmog library.
Conclusion - I have yet to go to the trouble of putting all of this on the Auction House but, based on TSM's projections of value for each material, I think that this will have helped make the Loremaster run several thousand gold more profitable than it would have been otherwise. That being said, it's worth noting that simply running current content world quests would be a better use of one's time if gold-per-hour is the goal.
Final Thoughts
All in all, I really enjoyed doing Loremaster in Chromie Time. I was able to take it at my own speed, not feel like I had to race through things to be at the cutting edge of content, and I had to be careful to some extent as I explored Outland. It also felt almost like playing the expansion fresh for the first time given other people always running around (though later zones were sparser). And being able to run dungeons with others again was a blast and I could do that any time I wanted as a break! Though the gold making side of things wasn’t quite as impressive as I’d hoped, it was still fun to scrutinize the items I got and amass materials to sell later on when I get the time.
Given that Burning Crusade is reputedly the toughest Loremaster, I’m psyched to keep going and enjoy WotlK and expansions to come. The increased quality of quests & writing will be an added bonus too. If anyone has any questions about this experience, please let me know and I’m happy to answer. Otherwise this can just be a reference point for the Loremasters of the future who may not want to do it with just trivial content. Cheers!

So I realize it’s a lot. But I’ll list why I take each one. I wanted to provide my honest anecdotal review of them and I guess I’m wondering if you all recommend stopping one and/or replacing it with something better.
Some things to note: I have long term protracted withdrawal symptoms from benzo use and I have an inflammatory disease which affects my saliva glands.
Magnesium Glycinate - 1 morning and night Vitamin D3 with K2 - blood test showed severely low Copper - trying to reduce premature grey hair Catalase - reduce peroxide and therefore grey hair Fish oil - overall health and to reduce my genetically high cholesterol Niacin - reduce high cholesterol Bio-Fisetin - anti aging Vitamin C - help with immune system and easy bruising Vitamin K2 - ignore this, I bought because I had a bottle of just D3 I wanted to take together NAC - mood support, and balance of GABA/Glutamate because of prior Benzo use Green Tea Extract - anti inflammatory Taurine - calm my over active nervous system due to prior benzo use Fo-Ti - reduce grey hair Lithium Orotate - further help GABA/Glutamate ratio from prior benzo use L- Theanine - not pictured - take at night for sleep 5HTP - not pictured - take at night for sleep Citrus Bergamot - reduce cholesterol Red yeast rice and Cholest-off - at meals for reduction of cholesterol. Fiber - at two biggest meals
Things that I know help: Vitamin D made a big difference. After taking that and fiber, I lost 20 lbs without changing anything else.
My cholesterol is better (but still high) and my blood pressure is now normal from the cholesterol supplements.
Magnesium has helped bathroom regularity and sleep.
Anything I’m trying for grey hair reduction I’ve JUST started so I have no review yet.
Nothing seems to calm my nervous system down. Maybe the Taurine but even NAC doesn’t seem to have much of an effect on my mood.
So please be honest (but kind) about this stack. Too much? Suggestions? Replacements? Thanks!

Howdy, howdy! I've posted a few times before with long yapping reviews; the format below is slightly more streamlined than what I've posted previously, because some perfume houses don't always feel like they need the whole kit and caboodle, for a multitude of reasons. The point is still to review these perfumes with a note-free first impression, so as to not muddy the waters of my opinion with notes.
The format:
Noteless Impression: A description of the scent after being applied to skin, before knowing any notes. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: Listing and cross-referencing the notes, as provided by the shop, with my observations. Projection Strength: How strong and broad the scent bubble is on a scale of 1-10. Final Verdict: How much I like it on a scale of 1-10, and why.
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab
13 (Though I first tried this several months before writing this review and looked at the notes back then, I forgot literally all but one, so this review is almost entirely blind. Thanks, memory!) Noteless Impression: I know I'm in good company when I say that intrigue begets adoration. At first whiff, I wouldn't say 13 is exactly pleasant, but it does pique the curiosity - and that only deepens during the drydown. Close to the skin, this smells like cinnamon, incense, and DARK chocolate. When I get whiffs of it through the air it's more of the impression of a dark autumn evening. Howling wind. Something scratching at the door. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: "Smoky cacao, with thirteen jubilant, uplifting companions: white carnation, pimento, whiskey, Madagascar vanilla cream, sugar cane, almond, coffee bean, perigord truffle, tea leaf, nutmeg, cardamom, orris butter, and coconut." Smoky cacao YES, coffee been YES, nutmeg YES, whiskey YES, and the rest just sort of swirl behind phantomlike in the background. I can't say I pick any notes out in particular, try as I might. I can't believe there's no incense note, because at a distance, it just smells like high quality handmade incense. Projection Strength: 8/10; with some of these notes, you really would think it'd be louder, but it's at least somewhat formidable! Final Verdict: 9/10... but not because I think it's the best scent ever. She just gets the brain going! This was the scent that turned me around on chocolate perfumes. I talk about it literally any chance I get. And honestly, I should say it has made me a bit softer on boozy scents too, because that whiskey note is so fire. On a baddie, this perfume would be diabolical. She's the witchy aunt who plays it fast and loose with hexes. She's the werewolf in the darkest corner of the bar. She's a kiss on the cheek that leaves a mark. 13 is that bitch.
Aperotos Eros Noteless Impression: Oooh, bright candied oranges at the top! This is bringing to mind Sorcellerie's "I Think About You, Too" in a big way, but then that brightness and complexity settles into something more akin to the docile nature of Death & Floral's "Color Me Blood Orange". It's like the perfume version of watching a wide-eyed young person with big dreams learn about taxes. I like it even more after that melancholy phase when it gets herby and medicinal. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: “Unloving love: benzoin, Indian musk, massoia bark, myrrh, ambrette seed, galbanum, bergamot, and fir.” Oh, interesting! I want to attribute like, the majority of this scent to the bergamot and fir, but that's mostly because I have no idea what most of the other notes are meant to smell like. I'm typically a huge fan of myrrh, but I can't really pick it out of this one. Projection Strength: 5/10 Final Verdict: Once she's gone through all the stages of life and grief, she gets hot in the way your family dentist is hot. You get it. 5/10
Baku Noteless Impression: I really like this, and a particular note is at the forefront that I can't quite place, but is extremely common in lotion and hair products; think something like "verbena" or "lavender" (though not necessarily either of those). I smell this, and I know that if I go digging far enough in my shower, I'll find that same note on the front of a bottle. In the deepest drydown when it was almost all faded, it maintained this lovely perfume-y scent on my wrist that was very mature and pleasant. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: None. That's fun! Projection Strength: 3/10. After two hours, 'tis but a pleasant memory. Final Verdict: 6/10. I did like this quite a bit, but I'm not really looking for shampoo as perfume, and this one is giving Herbal Essence.
Bliss Noteless Impression: So, I first tried this on a few months ago, and I was so delighted by how chocolatey it was, even though chocolate isn't usually my thing. Just yummy marshmallowy hot cocoa-smelling, really rich and lactonic and perfect for winter. Since then, I've been spending a lot of time with an infant, and trying Bliss on now, after all that baby time... well, she smells like a big ol' fat chocolate baby. It turns less so over time, and more cocoa-pebbles-y, but that first hit was a shocker. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: "A shot of pure, self-indulgent euphoria! A scent that is very, very wicked in its own way: the serotonin-slathered scent of pure milk chocolate." Whatever that milk chocolate note is, is very marshmallow-y. At first super rich, and then over time more of a cute young breakfast cereal milky chocolate. Projection Strength: 8/10 Final Verdict: 7/10; this is such a treat in a very real sense, just totally pleasant and delightful, but I don't think I could ever get over the baby-lactonic quality and FS her.
Dead Leaves and Cinnamon Buns Noteless Impression: There's a lovely deep red fruity smell and cinnamon, and it's all really intense. This smells like sitting in a room on a rainy autumn day with a season-appropriate Yankee Candle burning. There's a hyper specific product this brings to mind, and I'm trying desperately to place it; my brain places it over a decade ago, like a product used pretty often, but it won't leave the tip of my tongue. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: I tried searching for the notes, but they remain elusive! Projection Strength: 7/10 Final Verdict: 5/10. While I do technically like this one, it's just so... reed diffuser oil. I don't want it as a perfume.
Desire Noteless Impression: At first blush, plastic-herby with some kid medicine fake fruitiness. But after a little while, it turns into something that smells very intentionally "vintage". The drydown is very nice if you like old-timey powdery floral goodness, and I do! However, there's something else lurking underneath that's kinda funky which, if you're sniffing right against it, smells like your grandma in her youth slapping some baby powder over her sweaty armpit. BO and baby powder isn't exactly my thing, but it's so realistic that I can't help but appreciate it. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: "The overwhelming agony of passion crystallized into a singularly dark and magnetic blend: bittersweet neroli, black patchouli and black musk, gilded by apple, bergamot, blood red rose, teak, and vanilla." That's a lot of fun notes to crack! Among them I can pick out musks, though they aren't nearly as dark and sexy to my nose as this description says, definitely the apple, and the rose. Maybe the sexy sexy sex part is the BO undertone. Projection Strength: 4/10. It's such a soft, gentle scent that you could mistake a whiff of it for just about any creamy body product. Final Verdict: 4/10. This is the first time in a while I've had the opportunity to smell a perfume with an intentional powdery vibe, so that bumps my rating up a little. It's not precisely my style, but I think it would definitely suit a sapphic femme for date night with her lady, or right before bed.
Dove’s Heart Noteless Impression: It's giving "vintage perfume made by someone who has never seen the outside of a metaphysical shop". I really like this! It smells incense-y and mature, like an older woman is embracing me and then I'm becoming her. The closest I can get to describing the scent itself is like... incense soap. I want to bathe in it. I want to put this on my loved ones so I can smell them wearing it and hold them tight. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: This is discontinued from their Bewitching Brews: Conjure Bag collection, and the only information I can find from BPAL is: "A gentle, healing love blend, often used to help mend a broken heart. Brings peace of mind, soothes the sting of loss, and aids in finding closure." It definitely makes me feel soft-hearted and affectionate, so that's amazing. Very well done. I don't know that I would want this to be a bitterweet sort of scent memory, because it genuinely makes me feel super happy and content. Projection Strength: 8/10 Final Verdict: 8/10. I was genuinely so enchanted by this one, and it's a shame that it's discontinued. I don't know if I would have purchased a FS, just because the DNA isn't exactly unique, but if someone had the opportunity to get their hands on a sample of this, I would 100% recommend it.
Half-Elf Noteless Impression: My childhood friend had a relatively famous painter stepfather and a hippie mother who, despite their own fringe identities, were outrageously bigoted, to the point where my friend was terrified to even hint at an LGBT subject, an identity we shared, in the lowest whispers, even behind closed doors. Anyway, this smells like their house. I honestly just get dank patchouli and old cigarettes. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: “White sandalwood, beeswax, white tea leaf, oud, and a hint of sophisticated urban musk.” I'm shocked that there's no patchouli in this, because that's almost all I smell, aside from the aforementioned pinch of ol' ciggy. Projection Strength: 2/10, but thank Christ for it. Final Verdict: 1/10; even without the negative scent association, "van life chainsmoker who rejects the harsh chemicals in deodorant and swears instead by the power of all-purpose patchouli oil" isn't my personal schtick.
Halfling Noteless Impression: This is EXACTLY what I would want from a halfling-inspired perfume! Gorgeous gourmand right in your face! This is warm and bready, rich desserty vanilla. This is a happy happy scent, almost buttery without necessarily smelling like butter... although now that I'm thinking of it, it's hard not to think I'm smelling butter. Rich. Decadent. Joyful. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: “Porridge, kukui nuts, and pastry crumbs.” If this is porridge, I've been doing porridge all wrong. I didn't realize that porridge was meant to be a religious experience. Projection Strength: 8/10 Final Verdict: 9/10. I've begun to realize that a full ten for me is "I'm going to full size/buy a backup of this, I simply can't live without it." And when I asked myself if I needed a full size of this one, I wasn't convinced. It is one of my top favorites among what I've tried of BPAL, and an amazing gourmand; I truly love this one, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a comforting, joyful scent in their collection.
Incubus Noteless Impression: This bad boy is extremely subtle, like the incubus himself is still lurking in another realm. "Herb candy" is the first thing that comes to mind as I'm whiffing, and then "bubblegum fruit". After a few minutes, she's almost completely gone, leaving the faint scent of grandma's nice hand cream, or the dust you find on a candy wrapper. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: "Spectral white musk and the heart-stopping chill of sheared mint, fanned by caramel-touched body heat, and the diabolical sensuality of black musk, nicotiana, and sage." That mint is the only thing that really sticks around, and its lingering is so sweet. The musks - sure! What little scent is left behind certainly is a lovely skin-type essence. Projection Strength: 1/10, on a scale where 0/10 is totally anosomatic. Final Verdict: The thing is, I'm obsessed with what little of this I can smell. I keep huffing away at my wrist because it's so beautiful. A gorgeous, a dreamy calming minty clean cream vibe. I wish to god I could still smell it thirty minutes later. If it had any power at all, I think this would be a nine, but as it stands, 5/10.
Nocturne Noteless Impression: Right at application, this smelled so similar to Andromeda's Curse's Ouija, a little cousinly. I'm doing my best to not allow what I know of Ouija to affect my impression of Nocturne. This is so so so nice, floral and incense-y. It's definitely a darker "purple" floral, maybe violet? This is a sapphic seductress for sure, the love, yearning, and devotion of a witch who does not realise that her love is requited. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: “An olfactory serenede. A somber, contemplative scent — dreamy and subdued. Deepest violet touched with lilac and tuberose.” They absolutely nailed it. I'm a little shook. While I can sort of find the lilac and tuberose, I think the dominant scent here is violet. It's the one I get a whiff of the most when just going about my business. Projection Strength: 7/10 Final Verdict: 9/10. I would consider full-sizing this one, but if I had to choose to FS either Nocturne or AC's Ouija, I'm not entirely sure I'd choose Nocturne.
Oberon Noteless Impression: At the initial application, this was wholly unpleasant; I wondered if the oil had gone bad. Fortunately, the dry down came pretty quickly, and this transformed into something very fresh and clean! I'm getting generic but cozy dryer sheets from this, or any kid shampoo called something like "Sudsy Bubbles". It's gotta be floral too, but again in a supermarket laundry product sort of way. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: “Orchid, white musk, and bergamot wafting over juniper berries, with a gentle touch of soft, earthy patchouli.” Huh! I don't typically think of orchids when I'm hit with "generic floral scent", but in the deep deep drydown after a few hours, I can maybe get that earthy patchouli. I'm glad it stayed far, far in the background. Projection Strength: 5/10. This projected modestly but decently, and it lasted around three hours. Final Verdict: 6/10. It's nice, but the fanciful name doesn't particularly save it from its generic vibes.
Port-au-Prince Noteless Impression: Oh my gosh. At first I got one of the prettiest cherries I've ever smelled; it faded pretty quickly, as cherry (if indeed it was cherry) is wont to do, but in its place is this unbelievably photorealistic cinnamon. Like, it smells like taking a huge whiff of a cinnamon stick. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: “Dark, decadent and incomparably exotic: the rich scent of buttered rum flavored with almond, bay, clove and sassafras.” Well, what the hell do I know about cinnamon! She's clove, baby! I can get the buttered rum vibe now that I know it's there, a smooth undercurrent, and the almond note is probably to credit for that gorgeous cherry in the beginning. Projection Strength: 4/10. I'm sad this isn't stronger now that I see the notes; unless your skin chemistry amps up and projects any of these notes like crazy, it's unfortunately quite faint. Final Verdict: 9/10. This would have been a ten if only it was stronger and longer-lasting, because I'm truly in love with it.
Prototype MMHXI Noteless Impression: The first hit of this is so potent and incensey, but sniffing deeper it smells like brown sugar and old timey soda. Like the perfect cusp between summer and autumn. Sipping sarsaparilla in a metaphysical shop. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: I couldn't find any notes for this bad boy, try as I might! Projection Strength: 4/10 - it's a STRONG scent, but does not project from my skin particularly well. Final Verdict: 7/10. I really like this! It's super interesting, and the rating would definitely be higher if I could smell it better. This perfume smells like how I imagine the home that every late 90s-early 2000s kids' networks Halloween specials' witch grandma lived in. Don't pick apart that Frankensteinian grammar, I've already tried.
Pumpkin Patch Noteless Impression: This one is so so faint, even after a generous application. The more I sniff, the more it smells like clean laundry With A Twist. Like an empty pack of dryer sheets. Two Roads Converged in the Notes: None notes with left beef. Projection Strength: 1/10 Final Verdict: 3/10
Wilde Noteless Impression: On first opening, I desperately want to say this is lavender, the super herby kind, and my god this thing just blooms into an intense pet shampoo smell. It smells like walking directly into a fully packed pet salon. It's lovely! I had my husband smell this without telling him my impression, and he said it smells like "an air freshener, or the Trader Joe's laundry detergent". We use their lavender detergent, so that makes sense. If I convince myself to get back into perfumeland with this one, there's something classically masc underneath, almost like aftershave? Two Roads Converged in the Notes: “A sophisticated traditional gentleman’s cologne, with just the slightest taint of patchouli’s passion, tonka bean’s decadence, the philanthropy of bergamot, moss’ cynicism, the sharp wit of lavender, and the hopeless romantic longing of jasmine and thyme.” Heavy on the cologne and lavender, and I can definitely see how other herbs are thrown in there for good measure! Projection Strength: 5/10 Final Verdict: 6/10. I do like it quite a bit, but I'm not sure if Doggie Spa is my personal vibe. Mad funny that she had taint in the description.
House Review: I can see why BPAL is the powerhouse of the cell. Now that all the reviews are done, it's fun to see what kept coming up for me - regular incense vibes, and what unfortunately feels like a comparable number of more generic product scents. There were enough winners for me to want to keep trying more, and hopefully one day find my holy grail that I want to fullsize. If I had to pick one of the perfumes I've reviewed above to FS, I think it'd have to be 13. I'd keep her to wear during DnD night where I'm wooing a werewolf in Curse of Strahd, and nothing could get me into character faster. This hypothetical is starting to feel more like an inevitability.
Let me know if you've tried any of these, and what your experiences were like!

hello everyone!
i wanted to write a review about 3 decants i got a month ago, as well as some other thoughts about how surprisingly long it actually took me, a beginner, to collect my thoughts on these fragrances. i hope someone will find this helpful or at least interesting! i will start from the one i hated and don't really have a lot to say about:
lemon tart by theodoros kalotinis - i wanted to like this sooo bad. i love lemon and i love sweets! sadly, this has a butter note which is incredibly intense and ACRID! i hated it, my family hated it, my boyfriend hated it. i just couldn't get around it, and when i finally mustered up the courage to wear it outside to give it a chance i ended up removing it not 20-30 minutes after. the lemon amps this godawful note up even more with its sharpness, and though i hate it i must admit it does smell realistic... if the tart in question is sort of underbaked and gooey and not made by a very experienced baker.
now... the next two fragrances i had very different thoughts about when i first tried them and today, and i have learned so much about my tastes just based on them! so here are my thoughts the night i got them and first tried them:
ile pourpre by liquides imaginaires - this one i was sure i'd like the most before i got it. and i did! it is a very interesting mix of different notes - spicy, herbal, fruity (but a fruit that is both sweet and tart), musky, etc. for me the star here is most definitely the ginger, followed by the soft fig. the ginger is beautiful and balanced, it does have the characteristic sharp spiciness of ginger but without the kind of burning strength for example ginger throat lozenges can have - it's more like ginger tea, and it is beautifully supported by the soft jammy fig. it is completely unisex, and even though i don't get the mental image the perfumer inteded from it (the smell of an unknown fruit from a mysterious purple island) i do imagine a really interesting, confident person wearing this. sadly, the longevity is not very good, at least on me.
the infamous bianco latte by giardini di toscana - this... i was pretty disappointed by. i got it because of the internet hype, of course. when i first smelled it, i got pure vanilla, not even caramel, just straight vanilla... and a hint of a mysterious bitter note which is pretty faint but present, which i cannot identify to this day - it's soft and hides in the background, but is noticeable enough to be irritating for disrupting the calmness of the linear vanilla. i felt it was quite body lotion-y and boring and dismissed it quickly.
now... noses are definitely very strange. i must admit that 5 weeks later my opinion of these is the complete opposite. what happened, i don't know - i think it's mostly my sensitivity (i am prone to migraines and my sense of smell is my biggest trigger, even more so than intense sounds or light) having a preference for simple scents. i smell ile pourpre now and though i can appreciate its strange complexity, i cannot ignore a sharpness which envelops it - i don't know if it's the ginger, the musk or just overall a kind of synthetic vibe but it is just too harsh for me. bianco latte on the other hand feels like getting into soft, warm sheets after having a hot shower in december. although i still feel the mysterious bitter note now and again, i have grown to love the simple vanilla + caramel combo. plus, it truly is a BEAST! honestly, if it was some other offensive smell i would have a problem with the fact that it clings to and lingers so much on clothes, hair, pillows, the couch, everything - but it's just such a beautiful soft vanilla that i don't mind at all! i wouldn't say it's the fragrance of my dreams but i definitely like it and will go through my 5ml soon. i just feel so put together when i wear it, and the fact that it's a crowd pleaser is quite nice too. though it technically is a gourmand, i don't find it to be delectable - i still think it's more like a beautiful body lotion, but not in a bad way at all. it's a combination of incredibly simple and a bit complex that i just can't explain.
anyway, that's it! being a beginner my own tastes are still a mystery to me so sampling really helps and makes for some quite interesting observations. sadly, where i'm from there aren't a lot of decants available... if anyone found this interesting in any way i'd love to hear your thoughts, and also recs for simple fragrances for noses which are fickle and sensitive like mine :)

Previous First Next
(Story is available on Royal Road and for pre-order on Amazon.)
I held the practice blade out in front of myself, just as mother had taught me.
I liked the way a sword felt in my hand in general, but not the way the grip she’d drilled into me did; but mother was ever a believer in learning the basics. I’d practiced with a weapon every day since I could remember, and she’d still refused to teach me anything but the first form of her chosen sword style.
“…”
She charged at me. My mother that is. She wore very little. A brown leather jerkin, sloping down from the collarbones and ending just at the mid-ribs, and a pair of cloth-sack training shorts.
The swords we used were just wooden; she didn’t need armor to protect herself from them. Not when I hardly had the strength to threaten her, but this would have held true even had the blades been steel instead of the baneoak practice weapons my father had meticulously shaped for his wife.
Mother jump-stepped directly in towards me; she moved linearly at first and then shifted to strike sidelong, planting her non-dominant left foot at the end of her initial lunge into my range. Only to then use that leading foot to spin-pivot and to step out towards my right side.
I inhaled deeply.
In theory, the first form of the fiend-hunter style should allow one to be evenly protected on both sides. Still, something about mother’s movements kept me from feeling protected at all, even if I knew she was holding back.
I just didn’t have the skill to face the woman who’d brought me into the world. I hadn’t, no matter how much I’d practiced it, mastered the first form of the fiend hunter style, or unlocked its corresponding skill ability—but not for a lack of trying on the part of my mother Celis.
I want to impress my parent turned teacher, but a familiar and primal tingling at the base of my neck informed me that I was outclassed. When I’d once brought the feeling up to her, mother had explained it was a warrior’s instinct—something to be trusted and followed, but not controlled by.
So, I endeavored to do what was expected, to react in the way that was expected, even though my instincts told me it was futile.
Despite not truly having unlocked the skill, my hands still had the muscle memory of my countless hours of imitating my mother’s use of her style’s first form, along with her advice to never allow fear to freeze you when you can do something against what you feared. Thanks to this advice, when faced with the picture of mother’s shining carmine hair blowing in the morning breeze as she raised her weapon to strike down at me, my arms did move.
Strike Redirection, my mind silently spoke the name of the skill that I was trying to imitate, as I’d been trained to do. It was a practice that was not strictly necessary, but one that meant to center the mind further into the movements of the body—to align the two into unison.
My wrists twisted, my left hand opened momentarily and gave free reign to my right hand, which was now the only hand of the two wielding my practice blade by the handle; by this motion I swept my sword into the start of a wide arc meant to intercept and then redirect my mother’s horizontal slash.
My heart jumped a bit. I could see it: the movement of the two blades of myself and my opponent, their arcs set to intercept in a loud harmony that would force the weapon that was determined to strike me to instead fly haphazardly away as I pivoted around its wielder to gain a better position. If I could pull everything off perfectly that was.
My heart quickened in anticipation. It was all going to work out; an exchange between my mother and myself was finally going to end in my favor and, more importantly, in that moment where my mind froze the two blades in my gaze, I finally felt like I was almost understanding the first form of my mother’s fighting style.
I didn't believe it. Surely, she would stop me, as she had done so many times before. Could I truly beat her, even if only in one, small exchange?
A loud wooden clang strained my ears a half-moment later.
“…!”
I could hardly believe it.
Our swords had actually connected; I felt the weight of my mother’s blade shift along my own in a way I could manipulate. I’d never gotten this far in an actual spar, only in practice drills where she’d allowed me to get a feel for the movement—but those didn’t count.
In that moment of collision between our blades, I searched my mother’s beautiful, cherubic face. I saw the upturning of a smirk on her lips.
What was that? Was she proud of me?
I felt the surge in my chest rise up further at that. Finally, I’d done something right when it came to wielding this darn sword.
Mother's smile quickly faltered, however, as I did the same. My mind had wandered with my mother’s approval, and I forgotten to take the final, proper step of footwork to solidify my movement.
“Disarming Parry,” my mother spoke the words and I felt the battle aura leak out of her, just in the smallest of fractions. It was an energy that smelled like life and vibrancy, sweat and hot springs.
All at once--as my mother spoke the name of her skill, as she always did for my benefit, but didn’t need to do to activate her abilities—her arm twisted, and I lost the upper hand when it came to the battle of leverages between our two weapons.
No! I was so close.
My blade was ripped from my hand, as my mother returned her second hand to the back of her sword for added leverage, and her arms became a perfected whirlwind.
I stumbled backwards, my confidence leaving me as mother’s body flowed like a surging animal, shifting from the third form of her sword-fighting style to another—one I feared much more than the first or third.
“Direct Execution,” mother spoke.
“…!”
My eyes widened. I saw death. I knew she wouldn’t kill me, couldn’t kill her own child—or should’ve known it, but her battle aura was emotionless. It felt curt, shameless, efficient. Unable to be channeled into anything but swift, humble murder.
Mother had demonstrated the three most basic forms of the fiend-hunter style—and used them to soundly defeat me.
A form to redirect a strike. Which I’d failed to utilize when she’d struck my blade.
A more exertion heavy form to reclaim the upper hand in a clash of weapons, should the first form fail to give it to you, as my mother had used when I’d failed to deflect her attack.
And a form to immediately and swiftly end a fight once the first or third forms left the enemy open. A straightforward killing strike designed not to injure or maim, but to finish a fight as quickly as possible.
It was the second form [direct execution], that was perhaps the most lethal of them all, and, just as she’d said, it was the skill that she was now using against me, and another my mother’s fighting style boasted and that she had completely mastered. Direct Execution didn’t pretend to be anything that it wasn’t. It was not showy or flashy, not meant to protect as was the first form. The second form was purified, simplistic violence carefully sharpened to a harsh utility.
And it was coming to end me, or so it felt like.
Mother's blade shot towards my face, faster than I could stumble backwards.
I felt the weapon tap my forehead and my entire body clenched and convulsed.
The killing intent was palpable. My mother wasn’t my mother to me then, but a killer. My killer, or so my mind screamed.
My backside hit the lush grass and I blinked. The aura that ran my body cold dissipated as quickly as the strike itself was pulled back. I wasn’t dead.
Of course, I wasn’t dead.
I scowled. I never died when she beat me… and yet I always thought that I would.
I was afraid each time she struck me. I was ashamed of that fear. I could lie to myself, but in those moments when it reared its head, the terror of death controlled me and not I it.
My mother’s face, now smiling and sweet filled my vision as she leaned down in front of me.
She reached out to squeeze my cheeks together with her palms. “You’re so silly. I’ve told you a thousand times that I'm not going to hurt you.”
“Mom,” I blushed and waited for her to remove her hands.
She did so. The mother I knew in the hours that we weren’t sparring was back. The sweet, bubbly, oftentimes sarcastic woman that had been with me every day since I could remember. She didn’t scare me, not like the other mother did, the mother whose eyes were devoid of anything but focus and violence.
Celis removed her hands from my cheeks and ruffled my red hair, a slightly lighter shade than her own though speckled with bits of my father’s blonde.
“Did you learn anything?” Celis asked me.
Just that I can’t even manage to stay focused even when I’m doing good.
“Maybe,” I replied.
Her smile turned into a nod, and we stood. “You almost had it, you know.”
She didn’t help me up. She never did.
“I messed up,” I said looking at the ground.
“If you learned then it’s okay, this time,” she said and laughed. “Stop sulking. You remind me of your father.”
“You love dad,” I said, feeling a bit offended at her mocking of her life partner.
“Yes, but he’s always like you are now before he figures something out that’s bothering him,” she said, “but maybe it’s good. He was like that before he created his first expert level spell. It could mean you’re close to mastering the first form.”
“Really?” I looked up to her.
I really loved my mom, but my dad was so smart. If he was like I was, then maybe I wasn’t hopeless just because I wasn’t as good as mom.
“Mhm,” Celis replied and motioned for me to follow beside her; she’d retrieved our practice swords and was carrying both in her hands. “He’s probably in the garden now. Go help him; maybe he’ll tell you about it, but don’t let him show you anything too advanced. It’ll discourage you. You have to be happy with the small skills before the big ones, or you’ll never get good enough to pull off the big ones.”
“Mom… you’re lecturing me again,” I said, before feeling a wooden bonk on the back of my head. “Ow!”
Celis smiled devishly, the wooden sword she’d just half-smacked me with was still in her hand. She wasn’t even trying to hide what she’d just done! “I’m your sword master. We lecture.”
“That hurt,” I said rubbing my head as we walked.
“You’ll get good enough to dodge strikes from behind someday,” Celis said, “until then you’re going to get bonked when you say dumb things.”
“You’re so mean,” I said, keeping my eyes on her hands.
She just smiled at me, looking particularly carefree and beautiful under the twin suns of Arden. “Yep.”
We continued on to the house, a large manor, chiseled from white stone, framed in dark wood, and accented by carefully maintained withervine ivy among other floral dashes of color. The house was a product of my father’s learning, skill, money, and magic. Mother shooed me away to find the man himself and told me she’d meet us both later when it came time for our midday meal.
Father helped our maid to cook. I’d never really thought it was odd. He was the one who was so good with plants. We ate a lot of meat too, of course, which was something mom provided. She’d hunt in the morning, drop it off with my dad, since he tended to sleep in, and then wake me up for a few hours of sword practice; by then our maid would have consulted with father about how he wanted the meat butchered and prepared while he went out to tend to the garden and collect whatever he might want from it to garnish the day’s meal.
I brushed through the double doors of our house and into its main foyer.
Usually, I’d have been met with the sight of the village blacksmith’s large hunting dog waiting for me outside our home, hoping for a pet or two and maybe a snack from my dad. The hound didn’t like dad as much as she liked me, but had surprisingly really taken to mom, but dad still often tossed her a treat or two and a few polite words. The hound didn’t like the blistering heat or fire of her master’s forge, not since she’d been stuck in a small house fire as a young pup, so she generally explored while he was working during the day and returned to sleep at his feet at night, but she had just had puppies a while back, so I assumed she was still resting or taking care of them. Apparently, it had taken a lot out of her, but I’d asked the dog not to give me too many details—not that dogs, in my experience, were generally detailed focused creatures, unless they were working of course.
Instead of taking the time to talk to the lazy canine, since she wasn’t around, I continued walking through the reception hall and beneath the twinned staircases that led to the second level balcony and sleeping quarters of our home, and then went further on through the back door that connected to the stone-walled garden behind our manor.
I was met with a world of verdant green and rich, edible color. Well-watered flowers, gliding songbirds, and trees with normal and multi-hued leaves alike all filled my field of vision. The smell of fruits, foreign and domestic, all grown and touched by my father’s hands and mana, danced across my nose. The garden was one of my favorite places in the world.
A hum of magic pulsed in the oxygen rich air. It wasn’t burnt or scary, but was the scent and sensation of potential and nurtured-intentions. The plants and shrubbery of the garden, my father’s walled world, were apart from those outside it; they were healthier, thicker, and more plentiful—each one also gave off a hum of tingling energy that was mixed into the very oxygen they produced and wasn’t intrusive at all, but more peacefully energizing than anything else as it slipped into your lungs and revitalized them.
I looked for my father as I stepped onto the earth-cobble path that led into the many trails of the garden. The path was walled by sections of uneven boulders stacked atop one another that occasionally gave way to groupings of vegetable-bearing vines or mini-orchards of fruit-bearing trees.
The garden was rather big—no, it could probably be considered massive; the hewn-stone walls that enclosed it were as wide, and twice as deep, as the white manor that they were built firmly against.
I pulled up my status sheet as I casually walked and looked for dad. The garden was safe, and its pathways were almost always cleanly free of obstacles and thus easy to navigate. This was because the trees very rarely shed either seeds or branches and were supremely healthy specimens, preternaturally so in fact.
The semi-opaque character sheet filled out in front of me. I could mentally shift its position or dismiss it with but a thought. It was entirely user-friendly and only I could see it, unless I chose to show it, or parts of it, to others.
<<<>>>
Peregrine Borncrest
Body: N/A
Mind: N/A
Soul: N/A
Attributes
Brawn: 1 (20/100) (Novice)
Dexterity: 1 (60/100) (Novice)
Endurance: 1 (40/100) (Novice)
Magic Potency: 1 (20/100) (Novice)
Magic Control: 1 (50/100) (Novice)
Magic Efficiency: 1 (60/100) (Novice)
Proficiencies
Acrobatics: 1 (80/100) (Novice)
Archery (No Style): 1 (40/100) (Novice)
Alchemy (Potion-Making): 1 (70/100) (Novice)
Animal Husbandry: 1 (60/100) (Novice)
Butchering: 1 (50/100) (Novice)
Cooking: 1 (50/100) (Novice)
Druidry: 1 (98/100) (Novice)
Herbalism: 1 (90/100) (Novice)
One-Handed (Fiend-Hunter): 1 (90/100) (Novice)
Traits
Mind of Memories: With effort, you can perfectly visualize anything that you have felt, seen, tasted, or heard. You can relive the moments of your life, as you perceived them exactly, at will. The more focused you are on something, in the moment a memory is created, the easier it is to recall it. (Born)
Titles
None.
Skills
None.
Spells
Growth: Use your mana to influence the growth of plant-life that you are physically touching. Mana cost is determined by the level, scale, and rate of growth. (Nature) (Novice) (Upgradeable)
Mending: Lay your hands on anything that is or was living. You may accelerate the healing of living things or repair damage to natural fibers and crafts. Mana cost is determined by the extent of the mending done. (Nature) (Novice) (Upgradeable)
Minor Beast-Tongue: Through extensive practice and understanding, you can learn to speak the tongue of beasts and plant-life fluently. The fluency of communication is based upon the understanding and druidic resonance with individual’s species. Mana drain is negligible. (Nature) (Novice) (Upgradeable)
<<<>>>
I’d brought up my character sheet because, despite the beauty of the garden all around me and how much I really did like it, it was a place I was used to and that I’d seen all my life. I couldn’t stop my thoughts from wandering away from it and back to my bout with my mother--and thus to my skills.
I was getting better. She always told me that when I asked, but, despite her paradoxically both bubbly and sometimes prickly personality, she wasn’t the kind of person to ever offer praise unprompted. It was there if I asked for it, but that almost made it feel cheaper.
I wanted to become so good that she’d compliment me without me having to ask. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to beat her… but surely I could make enough progress to make her proud?
I was approaching the point where my one-handed skill, in my mother’s sword style, would reach one-hundred proficiency points. It’d taken my whole life to get to that point. I was just eleven now, but I couldn’t ever remember not training with mother. It seemed like it was taking a long time to get better.
Mother had also mentioned that swordsmen without talent could bottleneck once they’d reached the peak of the novice level. This was apparently enough for some and devasting for others.
I didn’t really care about what other people did, however. I just knew mother would be disappointed if I didn’t’ have any talent. She spent so much time teaching me… I really didn’t want to fail her.
Just as I was thinking this, a yellow and black creature fluttered down onto my shoulder.
I glanced at the songbird as it chirped and stared intently into my eyes. Not a bit of fear or skittishness radiated off the confident. tiny avian as it hopped twice on my shoulder.
“Okay, I’ll follow you,” I said, not at all surprised by the intelligence in the creature’s beady, cute little eyes.
The yellow thing chirped happily and gave another small bounce, before counterbalancing itself with its tail and flapping away from me and onto the breeze, trailing along the garden path I was walking on.
I mentally closed my status screen and followed after the bird. Normally, it’d be too fast a flyer for me to keep up with, even by running, but I was familiar with the path and my guide didn’t rush along to the fullest of its capabilities.
The bird slipped between two white-droop willow trees, fluttering gracefully between the low-hanging, squat trunked, purple and white blossomed flora.
I smiled a bit as I saw the bird settle onto the shoulder of a man who was picking berries methodically from a large row of bushes--bushes that sat just beyond the willow trees that made a natural gateway along the garden path.
The bird chirped excitedly to the man, who slowly turned his attention to the creature with recognition in his gaze.
“Oh, you found him for me? Thank you,” the man, in a plain, cream-colored work shirt and surprisingly clean, brown sack-cotton pants said to the bird, listening politely as the avian chirped in reply.
Nodding in understanding, he lifted a berry to the bird’s beak and allowed the thing to take it and then fly off happily.
The man’s face was bookish, but handsome. His hair was a shoulder-blade length and straight; the length of it was a naturally hay-colored mane in places, and in others it mixed and intertwined with what appeared to almost be a thick moss that also grew from his scalp. He often pulled up his mana-touched locks into a pale, untanned leather strap when he was working or studying. His nose was a mix between thick and thin, leaning towards the latter, with a dash of longness. His jaw was angular, but not too pointy, but it was definitely a bit more feminine than it was rugged. His eyes were a grey cobalt, ringed around the iris by a near-glowing and ever-shifting gold, that contrasted my mother’s naturally vibrant, but more mundane looking green. His eyes—also unlike my mother’s always energetic gaze--appeared perpetually tired in a way that didn’t quite seem to reach too much deeper than the surface or the purple-bagged skin that set around those intelligent orbs themselves. The most interesting thing about my dad's appearance, of course, were the velvety and truly large stag horns that grew from his forehead, a mark of his mastery over nature magics.
“Dad,” I said as I approached the man. “What are you picking today?”
The man looked at me softly and gently lifted up another berry, between his thumb and index finger, towards me. “You tell me, Pery?”
The berry was mostly a golden orange; it was a little bigger than a pea or medium-sized lentil. There was a burnt pumpkin gradient that blended into the rest of its hue towards where it grew on the bush. I glanced towards said bush, noting the heart-shaped leaves that could look slightly like ovals from a distance or if you squinted a little.
“Those are heartberries,” I said confidently.
“Very good,” my father said, “and what are they used for?”
“They can be brewed into weaker health potions to allow the veins to better tolerate the mana inherent in the stronger ingredients,” I offered.
Dad nodded but didn’t smile. I could still tell he was pleased though.
“True, but we’re not brewing potions for lunch,” he prompted me.
“Um,” I paused, “are they for a sauce?” I asked. “Mom loves them.”
“She isn’t the only one who loves them,” father replied.
I blinked. I didn’t really like heartberries. Despite their citrus-like coloring they were more tart than tangy and created a thick, creamy taste--that I didn’t find appealing--when you added water and flour to them, before thickening that mix’s consistency through reduction.
So, who else liked them? Oh, really?
“Brother is coming?” I asked with excitement.
My brother was a knight, much like my mother--though he belonged to an actual knightly order and she didn’t really; mostly anyway--it definitely wasn’t a traditionally structured order that mother had been granted induction into at least. As far as allegiances went, my brother served Duke Vembrandt as one of his men-at-arms, in the nearby city of Highseat. The city was about a week-and-a-half’s ride away from the fief that my father managed under the authority of the castellan of said same city.
“Bastion should be here sometime tonight,” my father answered. “I’ve already picked some greenroot and spryleaves for lunch, but these are for dinner.”
Bastion was amazing; I was very happy to hear that he was coming. He’d reached the competent level in mother’s fighting style by the time he was eight and the journeyman tier a half-decade later. I was jealous, at least a little, but mostly I just wanted to be more like him. He’d also gone on to also become a journeyman rank in his order’s more defensive fighting style by the time he was twenty. He was now twenty-four, married to his lord’s second daughter, and very much a local up and comer as far as I understood.
“Is he here for my birthday?” I asked.
It was tomorrow, my birthday that is. The twelfth year of one’s life was a big milestone in the kingdoms of man. It was the pre-cursor to the final milestone of being fifteen, which marked the official entryway into adulthood. A person was still seen as a child at twelve, but they were expected to take up training in a life path or trade so they could prepare themselves for the fast-coming future.
“He is,” my father nodded and handed me the basket of berries he’d collected. “He wrote me some time ago and said he wouldn’t miss it for anything. I think he has a present for you.”
“What’s the present?” I asked shamelessly.
“I can’t tell you that,” father said and shrugged. “Bastion might be cross with me if I did,” he appeared to reconsider that statement for a moment, “or, rather, I just don’t want to ruin the surprise for you, I suppose.”
“Aw,” I was still smiling, but my mind drifted again as I thought about how amazing my big brother was and my smile faded. “Dad? Do you think he’s going to be disappointed when he sees me again?”
It’d been a year since I’d seen Bastion. He’d been busy in the service of his lord during the majority of the previous months. I honestly hadn’t even known he’d returned from the borderlands until dad had mentioned he’d be coming soon.
My father shook his head. “Why would you think that?”
“Well, he was a lot better than I am at everything when he was my age. Mom always brags about him,” I replied.
It was true. My mother never seemed prouder than when she was talking about her eldest son and all his accomplishments and exploits.
“Hm,” my father hummed and gestured towards a nearby bench that appeared as if it’d grown from the soil itself—mostly because it had. “Let’s sit down for a second.”
“Okay,” I said and followed to rest myself beside him on the spell-grown, root-constructed bench.
“How’s your sword training going?” he asked me.
“It’s hard,” I replied. “I’m almost twelve and I'm still not competent level like brother was at eight--and I haven’t even unlocked a skill yet.”
“Oh, I see,” he sighed.
“What is it?” I asked him.
“Has your mother told you that most adults don’t even have any skills unlocked?” he asked me.
“Huh? They don’t?” I asked.
This was news to me. Mother, father, and Bastion all had skills or spells. All the heroes in the storybooks also had extremely powerful and leveled skills. I’d just assumed it was normal and expected for adults.
He shook his head. “They don’t. Most people never even get beyond the competent level in their life-long trade. I’m guessing she at least mentioned that leveling up from novice to competent doesn’t guarantee a skill to be unlocked either?”
“Well, yeah. She said I had to work really hard and lay a good foundation, or I’d mess up my breakthrough to competent and ruin my chance to get one,” I replied, in a bit of dour tone.
This knowledge was something that bothered me even more than the fact that I felt so slow to progress beyond the novice level. What if I reached the next tier in my swordsmanship, but still messed it up by not unlocking a skill? What would mother think? That I’d wasted all her time when it came to training me up through the lowest proficiency tier?
“Celis, I swear,” my father said with a bit of exasperation as he mentioned my mother’s name. “Pery, your mother loves you very much and is very proud of you, but she’s a little… oblivious to how her high standards put pressure on the ones who look to her for approval. She’s very good at bringing out the best in people because of that and is an amazing warrior, but I honestly don’t think she understands that some of us stress over things more than she does.”
“She’s proud of me? Why doesn’t she say it if I don’t ask her then?” I asked.
“Probably because she thinks you already know, or doesn’t consider that you might not,” my father replied, “but she tells me how good you’re doing every time I ask. Almost being at the peak of the novice level in swordsmanship at your age is almost unheard of. You’re doing just fine, son.”
“How is it unheard of if Bastion did it when he was just eight?” I inquired.
“Not that you didn’t get it too, but your brother inherited all of your mother’s talent and, honestly, I think a little extra,” my father said thoughtfully, “but, you know, Bastion has zero talent for or interest in magic. It used to make me a little sad that he just didn’t want to learn anything from me. Call it a father’s pride, but I wanted my son to look to me and want to be like me. Still, you have talent for both magic and swordsmanship, even if the sword also runs a little deeper in you because of your mother’s strong genes.”
I didn’t feel like I was particularly great at magic, but I was well over halfway to the competent level in what my father had taught me of his druidry.
“I’m not very good at magic either, though,” I said.
“That little bird told me it found you and led you to me, before it harassed me for a berry as a reward. Did you understand it when it spoke to you?” my father asked me.
“I didn’t understand what it was saying exactly,” I admitted, “but I understood what it was trying to get across. I understand dogs a lot better than birds”
“There are far fewer people who can understand the meaning of an animal than can swing a sword,” my father explained. “I’ve already mentioned it to you, but the novice level of magical disciplines all deal with basic manipulation of a type of energy or concept. It's honestly impressive that you can resonate with animals enough to understand some of them beyond vague impressions at all at your level; your passive spell that allows you to do so is like a warrior having a beginner tier, passive body-reinforcing aura.”
“So, I’m not bad at magic?” I asked.
“I always tell you that you’re doing very well,” my father replied.
“I know. I just forget I guess,” I replied, realizing that my father did praise me a lot; however, I guess I’d just not noticed it since it was such a common thing and he did it so casually and calmly. Whereas my mother was loud and mischievous, but pretty much never offered me any words of praise freely.
“You’re a very smart young man,” my father said calmly. “I’m not sure how much of it is your born trait, since it makes your memory simply incredible, but you seem like you could be a very proficient mage if you put your mind to it.”
“I do like the sword though,” I said, gently resting my sore head on the bench behind it.
“You should never give up any of your passions, as long as you have enough talent and time to make something of them,” my father said. “When I was an adventurer, I knew magicians who wielded swords and swordsmen who weaved magic. It doesn’t have to be one or the other if you work hard.”
It almost seemed too good to be true: being good at both magic and swordsmanship--but I couldn’t say I didn’t want that. I liked the sword more, but I didn’t want to just forget everything my dad had taught me either. He’d spent so much time teaching me what the plants in his gardens and the nearby roadsides, fields, and forests did. He’d been so patient as I’d learned to summon my mana from my soulcore and connect it with the ambient magical energy of the natural world. It was also really cool to be able to at least sorta talk to the local animals, like I could now--and dad could do much more amazing things than that with his magic.
“Were they ever any good at both?” I asked, inquiring about the warrior mages and mage knights he’d met.
“Hmm. I won’t lie and say that some of them weren’t seriously lacking and unbalanced,” my father replied. “I knew one rogue-like fighter who depended on creating illusionary afterimages of himself to confuse his enemies in a fight. It made him incredibly effective at doing a lot of damage very quickly, before an opponent could pin him down. However, when we faced a blind devil who fought based off sound and not sight… well, he didn’t have the pure fighting skills needed to be a damage dealer without his illusions providing him a smokescreen against the devil’s attacks. A few of our party got hurt somewhat badly once the thing got past him before we realized what was happening." My father paused, thoughtfully. "But Pery, with your talent, I don’t think there would be much of a problem as long as you remembered to never rely on just tricks."
"What do you mean, not relying on tricks?" I asked. "That I should be more versatile than that fighter you mentioned?"
"Magc is about versatility and swordfighters usually value a form of simpler utility, if that makes sense, but magic isn’t versatile if you only learn a shallow bit of it and swordsmanship doesn’t provide much utility if you don’t hone the basics enough to rely on them—somewhat like your mother always says, honestly." he explained. "Like I said, though, you have talent for both, and if you work very hard. I think you could pull it off. Just don't forget to find time to live a little too; that was a lesson your mother had to teach me, but life would have been a little better if I hadn't waited so long to learn it.”
“You really think so?” I asked my dad.
“I do,” he nodded.
“Thanks, dad. I feel a little better,” I replied. “I guess I’m not doing that bad, then?”
“Not at all,” he confirmed. “I’m very proud of you; I only say it so often because it’s very true, not to make it mean any less than it does to me.”
I smiled. I was about to say something else to my father when a loud metallic clanging echoed from the direction of the manor. Then there was a feminine shouting, but not the terrified kind--it was the taunting kind instead.
My father sighed again. “We were having such a good father-son conversation. Oh well, I suppose. It seems your brother is here early, Pery, and your mother got to him first. Why does that always happen…?”
(Story is available on Royal Road and for pre-order on Amazon.)
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Hello Everyone-
For over three weeks I've been treating my Candida. (I don't have SIBO) With guidance from a functional medicine doc, I'm on the candida diet and I'm taking:
Herbal antifungals caprylic, Oregano, Garlic (NFH Candida SAP)
Milk Thistle, Turmeric, NAC (Pure encap. Liver GI Detox)
Binders Aloe Vera, Activ. Charcoal (GI Detox)
Diatomaceous earth
Magnesium
Probiotic
My body is swollen from either water retention? or some weight gain. And I don't feel good. It isn't nearly as bad as other people have recounted - I can function ok. But I feel like it's also making me depressed and tired and my memory and mind isn't as sharp.
I'm really struggling to believe that this will pass because things seem to be at a plateau. I'm also wondering if this is affecting my hormones because my breasts are swollen.
Does lymphatic massage help? Saunas? I'm trying to keep working out three/four times a week but my body feels disgusting.
Looking for any other people's experiences here - and when things started to get better for you. I really feel like giving up.
Thank you 🙏