Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab released these limited edition perfumes last June when Paris Hilton was thrown (temporarily, unfortunately) into the slammer for her driving misdemeanors. They were to stay live on the site until she was released. I don’t know a lot about what Paris gets up to and don’t want to and at first I thought, but knew it wouldn't really be true, BPAL associate themselves with Paris Hilton?! Nooooooooo! I knew it wouldn’t be because they liked her, but still…UGH! Then I saw Beth’s reasoning, and thought it wasn’t such a bad idea after all…for BPAL and the shelters that would benefit. It’s funny though, since last June when they were released, I’ve noticed Privilege and Pruno are not quite as popular as Beth’s other scents. Quite a few BPALers still love the scents, including me (and happily I was able to get full 5mls of each), but I’ve seen people trying to sell the bottles and staying up on their list for a wee while… I wonder if attaching Paris’ name to them hurt them just a little? Although having said that, there are SO many BPAL scents, it's only natural a few aren't going to be as popular!
Privilege
I normally don’t go for big florals, though there are a good many in my collection that I love – commercial and otherwise, I'm always hesitant at first with them. I did like the sound of the notes though, especially th
e tiare so gave a decant a go. At first sniff, it almost seems to be a combination of the worst of the commercial perfumes, loud and overtly floral and vanilla with no substance…but a second sniff tells me there is some depth to it. A mix of it being Beth’s creation and an oil I think. It instantly lifts off my skin. Brisk citrus notes, abundant, rich florals, yet they somehow do not seem to assault my nose; a very light herbal greeness and underscoring it all, a non-foody vanilla and a very slight earthiness from the oakmoss (which goes against the emptiness). An hour later, it’s still going strong, albeit a little softened and I am enjoying the sillage quite a bit. It gets better the longer it wears on my skin and is quite a beautiful spiced floral with vanilla.
It reminds me a touch of BPAL's Yule LE of Stardust from a few years back too which makes sense, sort of a dry spiced smokiness, but without the bitterness of cigarettes and hairspray.
It is one of BPAL’s more ‘perfumey’ scents, a rich, feminine floral, yet it doesn’t knock you out.
I don’t find Privilege empty - unlike who it was named for - although I can see how it could be construed that way. Sometimes the description can be taken too much to heart and affect ones thoughts of a scent. I wonder what some people’s thoughts would have been of this scent if they’d not seen the description...
From BPAL: Polished party-girl sleaze. This is a shameless scent, devoid of caution, regret, or introspection. This perfume reeks of tabloid glamour, and has no substance whatsoever.
Armoise, tuberose, white citrus, rose absolute, oakmoss, tiare, vanilla, linden, and lemon tree blossom.
Although this scent originated with fine plants and the pure essences, the final result is a grotesque, eerily empty caricature of a debauched, narcissistic would-be debutante.
And then we have:
Pruno
I had to laugh at this one and even felt a little afraid. Chow line droppings? Distilled in toilets? Um. Nonetheless, the ketchup note intrigued me. It could be good. And yes, it is. It’s mouthwateringly fizzy! I read a review on the forum that said it reminded them a little of off orange juice, but in a good way and it does indeed. I think that would be the ketchup mixing with the oranges. It’s different; bright, fruity and effervescent. A couple of BPAL releases since then: Stardust’s Fairy Wine and the Halloween 07 Spiked Punch remind me of it a little, at least with their fizzy and boozy notes.
Description: Jailhouse hooch. Distilled in toilets, this vintage is comprised of chow line droppings, including oranges, apples, ketchup, and sugar.
From Beth:
"In addition to being a celebration of one irresponsible, horrid person’s comeuppance, these scents do go to a good cause… albeit, in BPAL’s crass, snotty fashion. A portion of each sale of Privilege and Pruno will be donated to Southern California women’s shelters.
Is it cruel to commemorate someone’s jail sentence with a festive set of fragrances? Maybe. But it is far fouler to drive drunk, endanger the lives of others, and expect to get away with it because your family has cash.
It is our opinion that everyone should be held accountable for their actions. Period.
These scents will be live for as long as Paris Hilton stays in jail.
Money shouldn’t exempt you from basic human decency, and it certainly shouldn’t shelter you from justice.
We’re not fooled by your brand new Bible, your pottery, or your practiced penitent pout, Miss Paris. Besides, you’re a resourceful girl. Or, at least, you have a resourceful PR rep. We’re sure you’ll find a way to turn this to her advantage. Memoirs from the Big House, perhaps?
(By the way -- Candy Spelling, we love you!)
In the interests of privacy and at least a sliver of good taste, the specific shelters are staying under a veil of anonymity. We hope you understand."
The next instalment of the naughty, hungry kitty!
and
Dr Horrible!!!
Joss Whedon! Nathon Fillion! Neil Patrick Harris! ... A sing-along!
Yes!!! Watch it now! Is only up for a few days.
Thank ye ![[info]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
eviltofu :D
- Mood:
sore
This was our Dolphin Quest day at the Kahala Resort !
We started with a healthy, hearty breakfast at the Hula Grill again.
Love that place! Excellent food and surroundings. 
Sis had Honey Roasted Granola with tropical dried fruit medley with vanilla yoghurt 
I had Hula Eggs Benedict with Portuguese sausage, lemon hollandaise and papaya relish 
After breakfast, we caught the tail-end of the 16th Filipino Parade and Fiesta 
I liked the walking boxing ring 
The local police reminded me of Queen’s Bicycle Race song.
Ready… Set… 
GO!
Ding Ding! 
( Go forth! And find more pictures - especially of dolphins! - under here! )
- Mood:
chipper - Music:Sonne ~ Rammstein
- Mood: amused
The making of the Salmon en Croute
Ingredients 
Mixing up the butter, ginger, currants and nutmeg 
Preparing the salmon 
Salmon sammich! 
Onto the pastry it goes. Then a brush with some butter. 
Covering with the second layer of pastry and trimming the edges. Albeit, not very delicately! 
More butter and clumsily decorating the pastry. 
Ta da! 
Give me some. Seriously. I don't roll over like this for everyone. 
Well, I'm not sure there'll be any left, Miss Monkey Pants! Maybe just a tid bit... 
Dessert: Pecan Tarts.
Recipe coming in separate post as this one has become unwieldly. 
It's Rum, me mateys! 
Buttery pecan tarts and buttery hot sweet rum. 
- Music:Caught By The Fuzz ~ Supergrass
I'm cheating again. It's something I wrote a few years back (just a bit o' fun) and I've been meaning to post it here for a while. I wrote it for a competition for Perfumery.com.au when they had a Christmas competition. You had to create a story using as many perfume names as possible from their site. Surprisingly, I won!!! The perfumes are all in caps and bold.
273 RODEO DRIVE: LAUREN checked the address as she pulled up to the curb in her FERRARI. She felt a tad ostentatious in such a car, but the assignment demanded it. Her outfit, which was usually CHEAP AND CHIC , had to be of a certain EXTRAVAGANCE as well. She was wearing a DOLCE & GABBANA dress, which showed off her creamy WHITE SHOULDERS to perfection, a fresh GARDENIA in her hair and a little pinch of her cheeks gave them a subtle GLOW. She walked alone up the front steps to the RED DOOR. She would be meeting her partner RALPH separately - who tonight would be going by the name of MICHAEL. There was some scuffling at the door and when it opened, the RED DOOR REVEALED a huge hallway lined with mirrors. A petite young woman stood before her.
‘Ah, you are the FIRST to arrive. Welcome, I am Lulu, the maid.’ Lulu led Lauren into a room filled with absolute SPLENDOR . There were flowers everywhere, brightly-lit twinkling chandeliers and tables covered with every conceivable edible delight. It was so amazing, Lauren wished she could take a PHOTO of it.
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the door. Ralph had entered the room. Lauren glanced over quickly. He looked excruciatingly handsome in BLACK JEANS and a WHITE LINEN shirt. She made her way over to him, but before she could make it, a tall woman pushed by her, held a long taloned hand out to Ralph, then kissed him in greeting, totally ignoring Lauren.
‘I am zee hostess of zis party and so HAPPY you could come! My name eez POPY MORENI!’ her accent was thick and dripping with insincerity. It was then that Lulu the maid showed more guests into the room and Popy was momentarily distracted to welcome them.
Lauren smiled sideways at Ralph, ‘Oh, eez eet?’ she said mimicking Popy, then leaned into Ralph’s ear and whispered, ‘Don't trust her, Ralph, she's an AGENT PROVOCATEUR! Not that she dresses like one, you'd think it was HALLOWEEN!’ Popy was dressed outrageously, wearing a black floor-length ANNA SUI skirt with huge ruffles all over it (it looked like it was from a 1981 collection), an extremely sheer BLACK ORGANZA blouse, a VIVID PURPLE ORCHID in her hair, which was long and black, and blood-red lipstick. 'You'd think she was some kind of DIVA ! She’s got HOT COUTURE ? More like Pot Shot Couture!'
But Ralph wasn’t listening; something seemed to have mesmorised him. ‘Don't worry, I can handle this.’ he said distractedly. ‘Oh, she is so BEAUTIFUL ! So GLAMOROUS !! So…so, SO PRETTY !!! Her ALLURE cannot be denied!'
Lauren sighed impatiently, 'Yes, yes, Ralph, I get the point...you like her!' Lauren took a sniff of the air. Something smelled like OPIUM . The air was thick with it, and whatever it was, it seemed Ralph couldn’t get enough of it.
Ralph himself wasn’t quite sure what was going on, not that he particularly cared. His PHEROMONE s had gone wild, they were all over the place. He was SPELLBOUND, HEAD OVER HEELS, IN LOVE AGAIN , well, you get the drift…
‘Ohhh, J'ADORE J'adore! I am just filled with JOY!’ he babbled.
Lauren rolled her eyes and cast a suspicious glance at Popy. ‘My INTUITION tells me something is wrong here.’ she thought. ‘He’s in a trance, it’s like that SCENT of hers is some kind of HYPNOTIC POISON, no one could CRAVE this woman that much.’
‘RALPH COOL it will you!’ she whispered urgently. ‘She's obviously entranced you somehow!'
Suddenly Popy was with them again, snapping her fingers. Lulu appeared at her side. ‘LULU - GUINNESS for our lovely Michael, please. You would like a Guinness to drink wouldn’t you? A lovely refreshing stout to quench your thirst?’
‘A SILVER MOUNTAIN WATER for me please.’ Lauren said to Lulu. No alcohol for her, she needed her wits about her.
Ralph’s finger was tracing the CURVE of Popy’s hip. ‘I leave for SICILY tomorrow.’ he said, ‘Come with me. Afterwards, we could go on a gondola in VENEZIA for the WEEKEND ; I'll buy you a VERSACE dress! Or the Isle of CAPRI , or ROMA ? Oh, but PARIS is beautiful this time of year, how about a CABARET or a stroll along the CHAMPS-ELYSEES ? And then there’s New York, shopping on 5TH AVENUE, or L.A., to meet the stars in HOLLYWOOD … I’ll buy you the world! I shall ROMANCE you, like you've never been romanced before!’
She giggled coquettishly, ‘Oh, you ANIMALE ! Stop, stop!’ She cooed, ‘We couldn’t do all that in ONE SUMMER , let alone one week! But we do have a CONNEXION, no? Say, would you like to come upstairs and see my PRIVATE COLLECTION?’
‘Private Collection of what?’ Lauren sniggered, ‘Hideous outfits?' As she watched the two of them wander away, she felt something metallic pointing into her back.
'Move it.' Was all she heard, as a hand guided her outside. Very soon, she found herself in the back garden shed, tied up.
'Great. Just great.' she mumbled to herself.
( Meanwhile... )
- Mood:
crazy - Music:Watching the Detectives ~ Elvis Costello
Even though I have fragrance reviews, recipes, food reviews and Hawaii/Europe pics coming out of my ears that I want to do, work and other personal stuff is getting in the way (how rude!) so I post a bunch of someone else's stuff. But it makes me happy. :P
I don’t really follow celebrities, but I love Go Fug Yourself. Heather and Jessica are funny and not necessarily mean (well, not all the time) about their subjects…
A few of my favourites from the last month or so. All the text in teal below, is from Go Fug Yourself.
Fug the Cover: Scarlett Johansson
This is just sad, I'm sorry. I mean, I guess I'm kind of glad to see her trussed up in something new -- even if it is pleather leggings and a vest and hideous lipstick and a painfully fake-ass pouty expression -- but COME ON. ScarJo. You are not a rock star. We all know that this album of yours is nothing but a vanity project. Period. If it isn't, then why does the video to your first single basically seem to be about how depressed and truly pensive you are while people are putting eye make-up on you? Ooooh, poor sad angel clown. Life is so hard when you're the center of attention. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS YOUR PAIN. There, there -- dry your professionally made-up eyes with a hundred dollar bill. It IS hard to be a beautiful, successful millionaire. You feel all ALONE, despite being newly engaged to someone totally dreamy. You just sit alone and stare at your reflection in your black AmEx card and you cry cry cry in your lonely heart, I get it. But can't you just make these little videos and dress up like an erstwhile emo frontwoman and prance around with instruments in the privacy of your own backyard and leave the rest of us free to live in peace without having to likewise pretend you can sing?
Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Fug
There are times when I wonder if Cate Blanchett is actually incapable of bowing her head, because she always looks so supremely confident in everything she wears. On occasions like this, I keep expecting her to snap to consciousness and do what any of the rest of us would do: look down at herself and jump ten feet in the air and go, "AAK! DISCO BATHROBE!" and then borrow the doorman's coat and hide at the open bar. But no. [Photo: Splash News]
Instead she's standing there quietly transcending it, like she does with everything she wears: "Yeah, I'm awesome-looking. And talented. I could be wearing a mother'f'ing disco bathrobe and it wouldn't matter. Wait, I am? Whatever. Have you seen my skin?" Not that I think Cate Blanchett is a cocky beeyotch -- just that, you know, she COULD be. I would be.
Fug or Fab: Liv Tyler
When I saw this, I was like, "She looks so PRETTY! Is that a pillow case? But she's so pretty! But IS it a pillowcase? But it might be a GOOD pillowcase. My head hurts."
So tell me:
~ She IS so pretty.
~ It is a pillowcase.
~ It is a PRETTY pillowcase.
~ Ew.
I chose the first one – and it IS a pretty pillowcase… I wouldn't mind looking like that in a pillowcase!!!
- Mood: crappy
You know the type of night. The ones that are extra cold and dreary. Rain battering against the window. Wind winding its way under the door so icy that you have to shove the door snake up against the gap a little harder. Your fingers are starting to freeze, you're thinking you should put on another pair of socks.
And you're craving something warm. Something to warm you from the inside out.
In my case it was something warm, sweet and cakey. Something like what Grandma used to make. I knew just what it was...Golden Syrup Dumplings. But I wanted them now! I figured pudding might be easier so I Googled, found a quick microwave recipe and set to making it.
Thick and sticky golden syrup heaven 
We miss out on the exciting
creaming of the butter and sugar action,
but here we are pouring the creamed mixture on top 
Into the microwave and Out of the microwave 
What the top looked like before it became the bottom 
Turned out. Oop. Flopsy! 
And inside... 
Having said that though, it still hit the comfort spot...and erm, I'm still eating it two nights later! I have to add extra syrup to it each time before I heat it up, otherwise it's just a little bit too dry. But when I do that, it truly is delish!!
There's a few reasons I think it didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped:
1. I used the microwave...oven dishes more often than not seem to turn out better. Maybe this microwave one was meant to turn out this way.
2. It wasn't steamed (not that I've ever steamed a pudding!)
3. Some moisture dripped onto it when I took the plate off, making some bits a wee bit mushy
4. I should have used room temperature butter. It took forever to cream due to the butter being so cold, but a finer sugar may have helped too.
5. It needed a bit more vanilla, and I didn't add lemon because I didn't have it. I think lemon would have added beautifully to the flavour.
6. I rushed it. But then, I was impatient to satisfy that craving!
I think the recipe is definitely worth trying again though.
Making the pudding got me remembering Grandma's cooking. Creamy, super sweet neopolitan slice, flavoursome chicken wings with soy and tomato sauce, served with spaghetti, ox tail soup, pasties, tomato soup, spaghetti and meatballs, chokos in white sauce. How I wish I could go back in time to my Grandparent's cozy dining room and eat her wonderful old-fashioned cooking while listening to Grandad's stories.
There was my mum's too: toad in the hole, sweet and sour pork, bbq pork, beef lasagne, chicken wings, corn croquettes, pavlova and baklava, and today, she makes the best baked dinners. Would love to hear your favourites from your parents and grandparents!
( Oooh, and the puddin' recipe is under here :) )
- Music:Day of Wrong Moves ~ D-A-D
She's always good company, but while M's been away, even more so. Except when she's scratching the crap out of the bed in the morning to try to get me up.
We were playing tonight when she dived into the bean bag. I thought it would freak her out, and she'd jump right back out again, but no, she just stayed in there awhile and munched on her piece of string. As you do.
Feeling a bit random tonight. So there you go. :)
- Mood:
meh - Music:Best Days ~ Blur
Here we are at Day Three. :D
We were very much looking forward to a visit to the Ala Moana Centre today. It's one of the largest shopping centres in the world and the world’s largest outdoor shopping centre. My Hawaiian friends, please correct me if I’m wrong! :)
First a wee walk on the way to breakfast past King’s Village 
A little shopping centre in the style of how shops might have looked at the turn of the century in Honolulu. It's "guarded" by the King's Guard who wear uniforms the same as those worn by the Hawaiian Royal Palace Guard for King Kalakaua in 1875. The original guards were the Royal House old Guards, soldiers who guarded the kings of Hawaii in the 1800's at the royal palace in Honolulu. The "Changing of the Guard" is at 6:15pm every night and the shopping centre also has Waikiki's version of Hollywood's "Walk of Fame.".
One of my only meals that wasn't too crash hot. The egg was terribly undercooked
as in the white was runny....ick! When I returned it to be cooked some more I was
sure she was going to say, "Oh, you'd like a cooked one?"
Poor sis wasn't feeling too well this day, so she just had coffee and my toast.
On the way to Ala Moana on handy trolley service 
One of the many ridiculously long limousines around Waikiki 
Ala Moana Beach Park 
- Mood:
irresolute - Music:So Many Nights ~ The Cat Empire
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thefragrantelf- Violet Lily
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