Today from the Box of Squee: Labores Solis

I am taking a small risk reviewing, for despite a shower there is still the teeniest bit of TKO lingering on my wrists. Oh wait, no, it's my sweater, and it's not TKO--it's a whole bunch of BPALs all mingled together on the cuffs. Ah well, I'll take it off or something.

SO! Labores Solis:

Nothing there is beyond hope,
nothing that can be sworn impossible,
nothing wonderful, since Zeus,
father of the Olympians,
made night from mid-day,
hiding the light of the shining Sun,
and sore fear came upon men.

On July 22, we will be experiencing a total solar eclipse.

This is the Labores Solis: the sun’s rays expressed through frankincense, amber, heliotrope, saffron, and chamomile, crossed with Luna’s Artemisias, manifesting in darkness.

Me with the amber and frankincense, so high hopes.

In the bottle: Herbal. Bright. Frankincense, chamomile.

Wet: Sweeter, much sweeter. The heliotrope. Still herbal, but softer.

Dry: Amber is coming out, as is the chamomile. The heliotrope is there, but most of the sweet is from the chamomile now. And the frankincense is definitely at the base. Quite honestly, I don't know what artemisia smells like. Oh wait--maybe I do. There's a green woodiness that's coming out now. It's not sandalwood or rosewood. Perhaps that's the artmesia? Dunno.

As it dries, the "eclipse" becomes clearer, as it did with Lunar Eclipse--one of the most amazing pieces of technical perfume artistry I've ever experienced, that Lunar Eclipse. But it's not as dramatic, at least on me.

Overall: I love it. It's a bright, slightly sweet, slightly herbal resin. Yay! This might work extremely well on the right man, too.

So far of the Summers, Lawn Gnome big thumbs up, June Gloom big thumbs down (on me--good on No1 Daughter to whom the bottle went), and Labores Solis big thumbs up. Still to try: Smoky Moon (which I have tried but not written up--initial feeling is positive); and Metallic Multicolored Pinwheel, for which I have been waiting on a hotter day.

Last night's adventure was TKO, which is one of Beth's Panaceas; TKO is for sleep, and comes highly recommended from the crew at BPAL.org. But it's also $25.50 a bottle, and I rarely go for the more expensive bottles. I bought Somnus, another sleep aid part of a series of dream and sleep scents, instead, but lamented at BPAL.org that I couldn't buy TKO. I often have trouble sleeping and I'm always looking for non-chemical means of help.

Readers, someone on BPAL.org sent me a full bottle of TKO, just because. Let me know after it was shipped. I don't think she's a reader, but who knows. I tried it last night, and I'm not sure how much it helped me sleep, but it's a gorgeous, GORGEOUS scent and I'll wear it just because. I'll try to review it properly later.