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polymousecoco · 3 years ago

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Love - An Act of Resistance

January 27, 2022

Last week was really rough for me - I was really irritable and took a lot of things personally. I experienced a bunch of uncomfortable interactions that compounded into one huge pile of anger and frustration, which lead me to a series of days where it was really hard for me to hold it all together, so I didn't (I basically cried to every friend I talked to).

With regards to this blog, I felt the need to share about a particular instance that hurt me last week:

At my university, I've been attending this meeting where the special interest is anime and everyone in the meeting just so happens to be queer as well. During the meeting, somebody thought it would be a great idea to share any unpopular/controversial opinions we had on anime, which made me extremely uncomfortable because I knew there was a huge chance for someone to say something I disagreed with. And sure enough, somebody said it, "I hate <insert popular anime>. Don't engage in the fandom because it's terrible."

I know it's silly to get my feelings hurt over this, but the reason why it was so painful for me to hear that was because 1) I love that anime (it's difficult for me not to take things personally when someone outright says, "I hate something you love.") and 2) I actually don't know if I would be practicing polyamory if it wasn't for this particular anime.

Let me explain the second point in more depth. My platonic partner (who I have yet to meet in person, but I've been talking to on a daily basis for almost 3 years) loves to read and has excellent taste in fanfics (or at least, her taste heavily aligns with mine). For this particular anime, she came across a fanfic where polyamory was explored and recommended it to me, and I was in awe of how much I loved it and thought, "Wow, wouldn't it be nice if this polyamory thing was something people did in real life and not just in fiction?" (I really thought it was some fantasy concept lol) And then I found out that people really do practice polyamory. It is absolutely something that is practiced in real life haha...

SO if it wasn't for this anime and if it wasn't for the fandom that my partner and I chose to engage in, I don't know if I would have ever looked into polyamory as a lifestyle... or maybe it would just take a lot longer for me to get to where I'm at today, who knows.

Anyway, I really needed to get out of the rut that I was in this last week, so I decided to take action. I forgot where I heard this quote from, but I kept it in mind when I decided to take action, "In a time of hate, love is an act of resistance."

I decided to reach out to the author of the particular fanfic I had mentioned and just tell them what their writing meant to me. Whenever I do things like this, I always ask myself, "Am I doing this for fun and for free (or do I have an expectation)?"

I told myself that even if the author doesn't respond, I'll just be happy telling them that the way they explored polyamory in their story allowed me to realize that it was something that I wanted to explore in real life, which lead me to seeking out resources that were focused on educating people regarding this lifestyle.

They ended up responding and telling me that my message meant a lot to them. Apparently, the author was actually questioning their own feelings with regards to monogamy versus polyamory, so it was their outlet to explore those feelings without engaging in it in real life.

Another thing I decided to do was to engage in fandom even more (maybe out of spite) by just leaving a bunch of nice comments on people's fanart or short drabbles they posted on Twitter haha...

I was also going back and forth between talking to the president of the club about my discomfort revolving around a segment specifically dedicated to sharing unpopular/controversial opinions (because I feel like that segment is just asking for people to argue with each other), but when I thought about it more, I felt like if I didn't speak up, I would just let that resentment fester and that didn't feel good at all. So I ended up talking to them and politely expressed my discomfort and they took note of it and said that they won't let it happen again... and it felt like an act of love towards myself, for being able to speak up for myself.

In that same meeting, there was another person that had a tendency to make comments about me being Asian and I didn't take their last comment so well. A week after their last comment, they made a joke about how they play violin "because they're Asian" (yes, the person making jokes about me being Asian was also Asian) and I guess I got fed up, so in a half joking half serious tone, I responded to that comment with, "Can you not?"

They immediately changed their demeanor and said, "I will seriously stop with the Asian jokes from now on." And I felt confused, but good?

I just wanted to share that I struggle to speak up for myself when I'm uncomfortable, so I'm really proud that I decided to speak up for myself (even though it took a whole week after the incidents occurred).

A friend in recovery told me that I should give myself more credit too. She pointed out that it only took me a week to speak up whereas other people may take years or may never speak up after an incident occurs. So yay me ^^;

#reflection #reflections #polyamory #ethical non monogamy #queer #dealing with discomfort #standing up for myself #self love

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yurtletheturtlehenderson · 5 years ago

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Unbelievable || Dustin H. x Fem!Reader

Requested: @im-eating-rn Hi!hello!May I request? A little Dustin x reader where nobody of Dustin's friends believe that he got a girlfriend who goes to a different school but he actually does? they always meet in the arcade? And then maybe Dustin finally set up a meet up with his friends and his little gf at a party? And everybody is start asking since when and how? And Dustin's mother (bless her sweet soul I love her) is just like "oh yeah they are together since idk... hi y/n sweetheart!" I just love them.

A//N: this prompt is absolutely freaking adorable and I love it but I apologize in advance if any of the interactions between reader and Dustin seem forced. I'm so used to writing the reader as Dustin's sibling so this was tricky to write😂

"Come on, Dustin! I bet they're just teasing you. They're your friends, I'm sure they believe you," You rubbed your boyfriend's back soothingly, trying to comfort him.

"You'd think so," he sighed, putting his head in his hands. "But I know those assholes and I can tell when they're teasing and this is not it."

You continued tracing circles in his back, falling silent but still offering your support.

He took his head out of his hands and smiled, looking at you.

"Then again, I can't say I blame them."

"What do you mean, hun?" You asked, brow furrowed.

"You are pretty unbelievable"

You blushed furiously and you felt your chest grow warm.

"Oh, Dustin." You smiled brightly and leaned in giving him a tender kiss.

The two of you pulled away, and you intertwined your fingers with his and rested your head on his shoulder.

"So why don't we set something up?" You said simply. "A little get together at your house. You can invite your friends over. And I can swing by and meet them. Besides some homework I gotta get done, I'm free Friday. What do you say?"

He looked at you adoringly, as usual, and smiled.

"That sounds perfect. Have I ever told you how awesome you are?"

Your face scrunched up in a playful manner, you peered up at him. "Not today, you haven't."

Your head moved with his shoulders as he chuckled. "You are unbelievably awesome."

You could hear the smirk in his voice, and you smiled as your eyes focused on a random spot on the wall.

"I can't wait for you to meet them" he said contently. "And for you to wipe those smug smiles off their faces."

You giggled picturing the sight. You couldn't wait either.

+++

"No offence Dustin, but do you want to head to the arcade or something?" Will asked timidly. "There's not exactly a lot to do here,"

Dustin, whose eyes kept flickering to the door, something his friends picked up on, brushed off the comment.

"Uh yeah, maybe later though" his voice sounded distant, he was distracted.

"Dude, what is up with you?" Lucas asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Dustin mumbled.

He shook his head briefly, taking his eyes off the front door and stood up. "I'm gonna get something to drink, does anyone want anything? I've got cola,"

"I'm good," Mike shrugged.

"Same here," Lucas said.

"I'll have a cola," Will said.

Dustin nodded and retreated to the kitchen, leaving the three boys who looked at one another.

"Something's not right, man." Lucas whispered.

"Yeah something's definitely up," Will said.

The boys fell silent when they heard footsteps approaching and sure enough Dustin emerged holding two cans of cola. He handed the can to Will who mumbled a thanks.

Dustin made his way to the couch and just before he could sit, the doorbell rang. He jumped up quickly and scrambled to the door, his friends sharing weary looks.

"I think you guys will find my guest very interesting." He said smugly, over his shoulder.

He grasped the doorknob and swung the door open, Dustin spoke confidently. "Hello, my lo-"

In front of him stood a very confused mailman holding a package.

Lucas and Mike stifled their laughter and Will was having difficulties keeping the amused grin off his face. He hid behind his drink and took a sip.

"Um, package for Mrs. Henderson?"

"Great, thanks, okay bye." Dustin took the package swiftly and reached for the door to close it but the man spoke up.

"Sir, you have to sign for it."

Letting out a weak chuckle, Dustin quickly grabbed the clipboard and scribbled his signature with the attached pen on a chain, and shoved the clipboard back into the man's hands and hurriedly shut the door.

Sighing, he leaned against the door, thankful that the exchange was over with. But when he saw the peculiar look on his friends faces he knew what was coming.

"Just save it alright?" He grumbled.

He trudged back to the couch and landed on the cushions and let himself sink into the pillows.

"You were saying?" Lucas quipped, quirking an eyebrow and smirking.

"Shut it, Sinclair."

Lucas chuckled and Mike got up and took a seat next Dustin on the couch.

"You wanna tell us what all that was all about?" He asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Before he could answer, a brief series of rhythmic and gentle knocks came from the front door.

Dustin, who recognized your pattern of knocks - something he picked up on somewhere along the way - and he knew this was Y/n.

Plastering on a smug smile, he looked to Mike.

"Why don't you find out yourself?"

Mike frowned, and looked over his shoulder to the door, briefly making eye contact with Will and Lucas before looking back to Dustin.

"Please, be my guest." He urged.

Dustin gestured to the front door and Mike stood, making his way over to answer it.

Mike had no idea what to expect, but when he opened the door he was still surprised to see a girl their age, standing on the front porch. You looked as if you were just as confused to see Mike as he was to see you.

You recognized him almost immediately from the pictures you had seen. It was just odd having someone else answer the door that wasn't Dustin.

He always answered the door when he was expecting you. Even the times where you could hear Mrs. Henderson call out to you that she would get it, it would usually be followed by a muffled thud and a slew of curses as Dustin scrambled to get there first.

You smiled politely. You recognized Mike from the pictures around Dustin's house and you figured they had been giving him crap or something and that's why Mike answered the door.

"Hi, you're Mike right? I'm Y/n," you stuck our your hand out for him to shake and in his confused daze he shook your hand as if he was on autopilot. "Where's Dustin?"

"Over here, Y/n/n." Dustin called wistfully.

You smiled, and rather than wait for Mike to let you in - it didn't look like the thought ever occurred to him - you stepped passed him, knowing you were invited anyway.

You stepped into the front room and you noted the delayed sound of Mike closing the door behind you and he wandered past you and back to his seat.

You looked at each of the boys, Will and Lucas gaping at you as well.

"Hi there," You met Will's eye and smiled. "You must be Will and that would make you Lucas?"

They each nodded respectively and Dustin got up, joining your side. He gently put his arm around you, a gesture you welcomed.

"Gentlemen, this is Y/n," He wore a beaming smile, looking at you fondly before looking back to his friends. "My girlfriend"

"Wait, seriously?" Lucas asked, dumbfounded.

Your smile grew brighter, albeit a bit smug, and you nodded proudly. "It's true. We've been together for some time now."

"So," Will spoke up. "You're the Y/n?"

"The one and only. And it's my understanding that you guys have been a bit "skeptical", you made air quotes as you said this, but out of politeness you kept them hidden at your sides. "about me and Dustin?"

Lucas opened his mouth to speak but the words seemed to have died on his tongue.

The guys did believe you existed of course. You and Dustin had met at the arcade, fighting over who got to play dig dug first. You had both gotten to the machine at the same time, but fought over it.

Dustin didn't argue that much, and gave the machine up to you. Not that he thought you couldn't win on your own or anything, but because he was more than fine waiting his turn for it if it meant having a reason to spend more time with you. A fact he had kept to himself. You two ended up taking turns on the game, each of you trying to beat each other's scores. Dustin had caught his friends up the next day at school, inadvertently gushing about the awesome girl he met at the arcade the previous day.

This adoration for you continued for weeks, the guys quickly lost interest and got fairly annoyed. He would find a way to bring you up in any conversation. "Y/n said the funniest thing today," and "I wish Y/n was here, she'd know just what to do," or "It's funny you say that, Y/n was just telling me about..." Eventually, one of them snapped one day, making some comment about he needed to get over her and Dustin retorted that as a matter of fact, he asked you out for a lunch date and you said yes.

A mixture of bad timing and irritation from the guys' side is what caused their disbelief. That and how highly he spoke of you. Surely no one was that perfect.

Any time he mentioned you from then on, something you did or said, anything involving you his girlfriend, they just assumed he didn't want to be caught in an embarrassing lie and kept up the act. For the sake of his dignity.

Yet they still couldn't quite shake the doubt that had taken root in their minds. Small parts in the back of their brian fed them alternate scenarios, any suggestion that could possible make sense all because if they admitted they were wrong they knew they had been bad friends.

Maybe you were just doing Dustin a favor by coming here and saying these things. Hell, maybe you found out he liked you and you didn't recproacte the feeling and as an act of pity, you agreed to lying for him just to shut them up. It was a definite stretch, but it was possible right?

No matter the doubt, however crazy the scenario, it didn't do anything to help the guilt that settled heavily on their concious. But in the whirlwind of it all, their attention was pulled to the front door for the third time that day to see Mrs. Henderson walk through the door, coat on, groceries and her keys in her hands.

She smiled brightly and greeted the boys, who politely greeted her back and when she saw you her lips stretched into a big grin.

"Y/n, honey! What a lovely surprise!" She set down the grocery bag and walked over to you.

She enveloped you with her signature mama bear hug and you gladly accepted the familiar embrace.

Pulling back, she inspected you, plucking a few cat hairs from your shoulder that had attached themselves to you during her hug. You were not fazed by this, you had gotten quite familiar with her motherly behavior. She went nuts for you when you met her and everytime you were around she doted on you more than she did Dustin if at at possible.

"Oh, how have you been sweetheart?"

You smiled warmly. "I'm great thank you. How are you?"

She gushed. "Oh I'm just fine, thank you sweetie. So tell me, what are you kids up to? Dusty, have you offered your friends a drink yet?"

"Yes mom," he said, a hint of impatience in his tone. "I was just introducing them to Y/n,"

Dustin made firm eye contact with each of his friends, reveling in the fact that they were finally listening.

"In fact, we were just clearing up some questions they had." He smiled smugly at his friends and they struggled maintaining eye contact.

"Oh, I remember when Dusty here was so excited when he first told me you guys had finally planned a first date. Gosh, he could not stop talking about you honey," Her loving gaze shifted from you to the other boys. "He was so nervous too."

"Mom!"

"It was so adorable," She giggled. "Hard to believe it's been almost a whole year now, isn't it?"

When they heard this from Mrs. Henderson, that was the final confirmation. Lucas, Mike and Will all felt immediately crushed by guilt and sent their friend many apologetic looks and apologized profusely the rest of the night.

In fact, it took them a very long time before they finally stopped apologizing. Even a scattered one here and there months after it happened.

Of course, that may or may not have had something to do with the fact that you never let them forget it.

#requested #dustin x reader #dustin henderson x reader #dustin henderson imagine #dustin henderson x fem!reader #dustin henderson #will byers #lucas sinclair #mike wheeler #stranger things x reader #stranger things imagine #imagine #reader insert #self insert

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zombiiesque · 3 years ago

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Nocturne Alchemy Seth's Dinosaur Collection - PART ONE

Originally published on 6/27/2017

Hello, everyone! I've been wanting to write some reviews for a while now, but we moved, and then I promptly came down with a really bad case of bronchitis, that did not seem to want to go away. I ended up with two different antibiotics and almost went to the hospital at one point, but it's mostly dissipated finally. Well, then I had to put my house together and get everything situated here, and I'm sure anyone that has moved understands how much effort that takes. I haven't moved in over four years, and I felt really bad about not getting my house organized! And here I am, going on and on. Anyway, I had intentions of reviewing Seth's Dinosaur Collection for quite a while, but I think it's particularly relevant now. Nocturne Alchemy is reopening in 4 days, on June 30th! *squeeing and flailing* I'm so excited to see the site redesign. Also, they've been working on new label art, and from what I understand, they'll be adding new scents to the various Permanent Collections. So much fun. I'm sure it's going to be beautiful. If you'd like to keep up with them in the meantime, they have been posting fun things on their Facebook Business page, including a sneak peek video of the new logo, which is absolutely elegant.

Well, I started this last night, and ended up having things to do that needed my immediate intention - so I had to put it down and come back to it in the morning! It seems like that's the way things have been going lately, so now this review is even more timely. Before I delve into it, I want to make mention that I had an email conversation with the NA crew, because I wanted to address some of the rumors I'd seen going around since they'd been closed. I saw that folks were concerned that they wouldn't be reopening, because they've been gone so long, and I also saw that many were worried that the catalogue as it was known might not be returning, so I wrote to see if they'd give me something to share with people - and they did! Such lovely, kindhearted people, and that is the reason I am such a huge "fangirl". I mean, don't get me wrong - they make the most exquisite perfume oils, and of course that drew me in, but once I began to see how much heart they pour into their company, and how much they care about their customers, that really made me fall head over heels. Honestly, in the world of indie perfumes, NA is a pretty good sized company. They've been making perfumes for 10 years now - actually, as it's June, they're into their 11th year, and they have a pretty extensive catalogue! So in their own words, I'll use a direct quote here from Nocturne Alchemy.

NA will return June 30th. We asked our customers last year what they thought of the old NA site. Constructive criticism concluded that it was dated. The truth is, we knew this and had been looking for the right host site for the past two years. We knew it would take time to migrate and create a new site but we'd have to be 100% involved and the focus of a new site would mean we'd have to shut down the old site. In the process, we decided to recreate the art for the labels of the Permanent Collection (we call it the PC because we view perfume as you would at an art gallery, where there is a Permanent Collection and a Limited Collection or the temporary exhibit if you will). In the past six months we've taken some much needed time off after a decade of perfume making, perfume soul-searching, travel for more unique perfume, and also back in the Studio for months now working on new PC, new art for new labels and a new look for NA. It took two years prior to opening NA in 2006 creating a small collection of PC and Limited perfumes, designing labels, the site...the fact that we can do this in six months, means we are at the top of our game. We know what we want to create but you can't rush art. NA will return June 30th. Find us on Facebook to stay up with current information. The PC and Studio Limited will return, as well as the beloved VApothecary line that has been rebranded under Nocturne Alchemy to facilitate cohesiveness at the new site.

So, there you have it! In addition to completely redesigning the site from the ground up, including a different type of "shopping cart", they've been working on all kinds of wonderful things. I am not sure I will even know where to start on Friday! I'm certainly looking forward to digging through the new site - bad pun intended? And now, I have to apologize. As I said, I'd meant to get this posted a few weeks ago, but life sort of threw me under the bus, and I just couldn't give it the proper time it deserved, as the Dinosaur collection, and the eNVie review, both deserve a bit more depth than just reviewing a single perfume. I'll be working on the latter today, to get it posted up hopefully by tomorrow.

So, roughly two summers ago, Nocturne Alchemy released the original Dinosaur collection, which was Seth's baby, as his other passion, from his early childhood, was dinosaurs, and he wanted to do a collection with that theme. I must tell you, it's been one of my very favorite collections, and I'm only missing a few of them. Last summer, they released a Resurgence, and added some new perfumes to the collection. It's alternatively been called the Prehistoric collection, but the name "Seth's Dinosaurs" has kind of become the popular name among the fans, and often gets shortened to "the Dinos". A little note about this collection: "These dinosaur perfumes are created with the beauty of resin in mind for each of them. The concept to this perfume, the label and the respect of the dinosaur is built on imagination. If you look at the label, there is an egg to the left. It is the same color as the Dinosaur. Apply the perfume on wrist and inner elbow and allow the scent to bind with your chemistry. Once this has occurred, inhale. This conceptually, is the egg. To allow the dinosaur to hatch, we wanted you to go to your Studio Limited Library and pull as many as you want, especially your favorites. The magic in layering the dino's with your Studio Limited Library will give your library a new NAVAlchemy aspect of layering and creating your own personal Dino scent. The fun in NAVAlchemy and hatching the dino eggs is all up to you!" - note from Seth. So, I've seen a few comments floating around the internet that say these oils seem to be rather linear, or flat - and I hope that people will read this, because if they don't realize that these were created specifically to be layered, then they'll miss the beauty of these. I do like them on their own, but I find that when they are layered with other perfumes, the beauty and versatility really shines through. I was never adventurous about layering until I was introduced to these beauties, and they really taught me to branch out, because the possibilities are quite endless. What's interesting is that a lot of the SL (Studio Line) is also fantastic for layering, so I'll make some suggestions for these together for you to try. I believe, from the hints that they've been dropping on the Facebook page, that we'll once again be graced with new Dinos this summer. I don't know if it will be happening with the grand reopening, or at some later time in the summer, but it seems that we'll be getting new Dinosaurs to play with! I cannot wait.

So, let's get started! I'll go with the first round of Dinosaurs that I have, and then the second round will be in a separate post. All of the Dinosaurs also make this mention: "*tiny bits of resin may occur in the Dino blends, these will only enrich the blend even more with aging!"

Cryolophosaurus: Resinous Amber Accord, Limestone Amber, Aged Organic Studio created Patchouli, Black Patchouli, SL Crimson and only a drop of fine aged Egyptian White peppercorn eo. So, this was my first love of the Dinosaurs. I was pretty new to NAVA at the time the first collection came out, so I was still trying everything via decants before I sprung for full bottles, because I hadn't learned what worked on me and what didn't yet. I think I ordered decants of everything but Spinosaurus, because I had learned at that point that black honey and I don't get on. Still salty about that! Anyway. The decants arrived, and I tried them all out - and fell madly in love with Cryolophosaurus, and promptly ordered a full bottle. It's....what are words! I feel as though I'm going to be repeating myself here with this collection, but I'll do my best for y'all. The patchoulis in this blend are bright and sort of herbal, almost minty? I don't know if that's a proper patchouli trait, but as a bit of a hippie, I've been a lifelong fan of patchouli (thanks, mom!) and was exposed to the dark and dirty hippie type patchouli early on in life. This was the first time I was exposed to patchouli as a more herbal note, and I was absolutely blown away. I often find NAVA ambers to have a "fresh" sort of quality, and the two ambers used in the Dinosaur collection definitely seem to have that, so it keeps any of these blends from being overly dark. There's definitely a depth and a sort of stoney feel to each one of these, but as I've mentioned, that seems to come out more once you layer them with another perfume, and Cryolophosaurus is no exception. I can wear this happily alone, it's quite different than say Hessonite, which can be a little overwhelming if you're new to patchouli, the ambers lift this up and seem to give the patchoulis a different nuance. You don't get the red musk (Crimson) or pepper aspect very much until you wear this one layered, but those aspects come out and shine once you pair this with another oil. Also, this oil is red! As I've had my bottle for 2 years, there's definitely some resinous bits forming now, but I couldn't seem to capture a picture of it.

I could rave and rave about this one. Goals: If they bring this back as a Resurrection again this year, GET A BACKUP BOTTLE. Hah!

TL;DR A fresh, sort of bright, herbal patchouli. The nuances of the ambers, red musk, and pepper come out to play when you layer this, but you probably won't notice them while wearing it solo.

Layering suggestions: Try this with Kashmir, Crystalline, Amethyst, Santalum, Crystal, White Ambre Ombre. If you have Labyrinth Oudh, this pairs beautifully with that. If you are a patchouli fiend, you might try hatching it with Patchouli Ombre or Hessonite. I like it with Sekhmet Amber and Black Raven, also.

Diplodocus: Resinous Amber Accord, Limestone Amber, a drop of Cacao, Boswellia carterii Frankincense from United Arab Emirates and a drop of steam distilled Oman Frankincense tears we picked from the actual Frankincense tree.

Believe it or not, although I tried all of my decants the summer that the Dinosaur Collection came out, I did not really pursue full bottles of any except Cryolophosaurus. When I heard that the collection was to be resurrected last summer, I decided I needed to try my decants again, and came to the conclusion that I would have to acquire full sizes of all the originals that I had decants of - oh boy! And then there were new ones joining them. I was in trouble. So, I was trying to decide which of these I absolutely had to have, and at first, I had decided since I had Holiday Egyptian Frankincense, I probably didn't need Diplodocus. Well, I fell pretty hard for HEF last summer and found myself layering it with everything, and before I knew it, I had gone through a half a bottle. Panic set in, and I decided I was probably going to need an alternative frankincense, as it was a note I was falling more and more in love with. Diplodocus became a must have, and I am glad I was able to sneak it in my last order before the collection came down. As a stand alone perfume, this is pretty much a linear frankincense - albeit a lovely one. Beautifully woody, you could wear this alone if you were in the mood to wear a sort of single note frankincense, but this lends a wonderful aspect with so many perfumes, I prefer to layer it. Once I layer it with another perfume, the bright, resinous, stony amber comes out to play with the woodiness of the frankincense, and it's heavenly. The cacao is not a starring note, I can find it with my nose only if I keep sniffing, but it plays a lovely supporting role.

TL;DR A perfect frankincense layering note, it does well with adding a sort of grounding to perfumes that might ordinarily be too bright or feminine for my particular tastes, and is lovely paired with the SLs as well to create a duality.

Layering suggestions: Kobalt Dark, Santal Ombre, Egyptian Musk, Crystal, Diamond, or even to add a tad more frankincense to Ember. I've also paired this and love it with Gabriel, Eternal Egypt, and Ozymandias. I love it with several LC perfumes as well; Black Velvet, Black Crystalline Black Fig, Vamp, Anticipation, Blue Lotus, Snow Amber.

Pteranodon: Resinous Amber Accord, Limestone Amber, a drop of Cacao, Pure Sandalwood left to age in the perfume, Santalum Gold, Santalum and a drop of Blue Santalum.

GODS. Gods. This was the one that made me sit up and take notice, why had I missed out on ordering a full bottle, and I need to rectify this immediately! All of the Dinosaurs are fantastic, versatile little workhorses when playing with layering, but Pteranodon became a quick favorite of mine, and dare I say? Yes, I dare, it became my favorite sandalwood thus far. Don't get me wrong, you'll be prying my gloriously aged bottle of SL Santalum out of my cold, dead hands, I absolutely adore Santalum White, especially when spring and summer roll around, but really I can see using it all year...but this, this is special. Samantha tells me that's because it has the most precious of precious, Santalum Gold. Since she sent me a little sample of her precious bottle, I can understand the obsession - there's something pretty amazing about Santalum Gold. It's a little more woody and resinous, more fully sandalwood than the new version Santalum. I love mine, don't get me wrong, but I can see why Santalum Gold is so popular that if one pops up in the secondary market, it is gone within minutes. Ah well, one day I will be quick enough! Until then - Pteranodon. Yes, I can and have worn this alone, and I absolutely adore it. I like it in my hair, it's one of my favorite layering components when I pair it with something and add a few drops of unscented hair oil and run my fingers through my hair. Hnnnnggg. It's hauntingly familiar, it reminds me of when I lived briefly in Minneapolis in the early nineties and I hung out in the head shops and the kitschy little knicknack shops of uptown and the fantastic thrift stores....ahhhh the nineties, it brings me a feeling of nostalgia, for that's when I discovered how glorious sandalwood was. Oddly enough, my mother is a darker creature, and I don't remember her wearing sandalwood during her hippie days, mostly patchouli and musk and especially dragon's blood. She was missing out, I tell you. This. This really evokes some strong emotions in me. So, once layered, again the ambers come out to play, and the cacao is there as a supporting note, but the star is the variety of sandalwoods. You really get a sense of the four once this is layered. I don't know what to say other than IF THIS COMES BACK AND YOU DON'T HAVE IT YOU'D BETTER GET ONE. I'll be picking up a backup. I might not be able to get my hands on Santalum Gold, but this will do.

TL;DR HNNNGGGG GORGEOUS INCREDIBLE SANDALWOOD.

Layering suggestions: Gods, it goes with everything. Seriously. One of my favorite things is to hatch this with a combination of Diamond, Crystalline, and Tibetan Crystalline. Alternately, I'll do Bloodstone, Egyptian Musk, and this (maybe some Amethyst too). It's fantastic with Ember Vanilla or from the LC, Phantasm Kiss. I love it with Egyptian Temple Oudh. Umm, Eternal Egypt, Bastet Amber, Raphael, Black Raven. Ambre Ombre, or even Santal Ombre. I love it with the OPs, Baba, Tawaret, Pakhet, Hathor. I've got a smidgen of my sample of Egyptian Peach Blossom left and it's lovely with that. Polichenelle. Cecilia, Adele, Music, Snow Amber, Patchouli Ombre. There hasn't been a layering combination with this one I haven't loved, so be adventurous. If a perfume seems a bit too sweet or floral, this makes a nice "grounding" effect. Just do yourself a favor and nab this if it comes back!

Tyrannosaurus: Resinous Amber Accord, Limestone Amber, a drop of Cacao, Dracaena Draco of Morocco (Dragon's Blood resin) and Sangre de Grado Dragon's Blood.

One of the things I don't think I've talked about a lot is exactly how much I love NAVA's dragon's blood. I seem to like dark, red, resinous things quite a bit, I mean, Kashmir is practically my signature, followed closely by Bloodstone. So, what is their dragon's blood like? It's that perfect mixture of spicy and fruity. It's so, so well balanced. I don't really like it when a db note veers too much into either territory, leaving the other territory well behind. I want that combination, just a little spicy, just a little fruity, almost delicious. This is another workhorse. Alone, it's a beautifully resinous, juicy dragon's blood with a little kick of spice. It might be too dark alone if you're not into db, but layer this big boy - did Seth name this one well or WHAT? Layer Tyrannosaurus, and it becomes bright and lifted with the amber, and it's possibly even more beautiful than Bloodstone. Wait, what? Blasphemy. Okay, maybe not my bottle of aged, thick, glorious Bloodstone, but it's pretty amazing. Worn alone, T-Rex is a hint of the amber, and the two dragon's bloods. Layered, and he comes into his full glory, the amber comes out to really play, and that lovely supporting cacao becoes just a little bit evident, to give it a little more depth.

TL;DR: T-Rex is a big boy, and this perfume more than lives up to its name. I find it apropos that his scent is dragon's blood. Layered, he is just the right amount of resinous, spicy, juicy dragon's blood and glorious, fresh stony amber. Mmmm. Mm. It makes me hum with happiness.

Layering suggestions: Ember Vanilla, Ambre Ombre, Patchouli Ombre, Santalum, Ember, Black Raven, Mists of Arcacia, OP Anubis, OP Pakhet. From the LC, try it with Phantasm Kiss, Blood Moon, Egyptian Temple Oudh, Copal Oudh, or Pandora.

Utahraptor: Resinous Amber Accord, Limestone Amber, hungry chomps of Kashmir and Black Musk Absolutes, Egyptian Musk and a drop of Crimson and Sri Lankan Black Peppercorn eo.

Oh, Utahraptor. I've listed this last, but not because I love it least. In fact, I adore it, and it's quite versatile - different layering options bring out different facets of this one. I'm sure I've made mention of the fact that I really, really love NAVA musks. Kashmir is probably one of my favorite perfumes. So naturally, I had to have this. Worn alone, this comes across as mostly Kashmir, with a breath of Black Musk underneath, and the amber lifts it up - it might seem like a heavy blend, but it's saved from that by the beautifully clean Egyptian Musk and ambers. Start playing with layering, and while Kashmir, a bold red musk, remains the star, Black Musk and Egyptian Musk come out to play a bit more vocally, and I love that little kick of spiciness in the background of peppercorn. I'm a big fan of pepper in perfumes - Music is a great example of this, I feel, and it's kind of a surprising note, I think that many people would envision it from a cooking spice standpoint, but it's a bit different when added as a component of perfume. It adds a little kick, and it's quite fun. If you've never had the experience, I highly recommend giving it a chance. Anyway, enough about pepper, it's a supporting note here, and gives this "egg" a bit of pizzazz when you hatch it with another perfume.

TL;DR: Kashmir, a bold red musk, is the star here but plays beautifully with the other two musks, Black and Egyptian, when layered. Don't be afraid of the pepper. Despite the musk heavy blend, it's not nearly as heavy as you might think, the ambers lift and brighten this perfectly, and it's quite fun with a variety of different types.

Layering suggestions: Crystalline, Tibetan Crystalline, Santalum White, Egyptian Musk, Ozymandias, Pharaoh Anniversary, OP Baba, OP Set. For LC options, I absolutely am nuts over hatching this with California Redwood Crystal Musk. Also, Underlord Akhenaten, Pyewacket Cat, Pumpkin #2, Copal Oudh, Enigma, and it's amazing with the Byzantium Amber from their 9th Anniversary perfumes.

Okay, whew! That was pretty extensive, I am sorry for the wall of text, but I do hope you'll find my "hatching" suggestions helpful. This really did provide me with the courage to really branch out and become a layering fiend, and now I will layer various perfumes in with my unscented hair oils too, and I get a lot of compliments about how amazing my hair smells. Tomorrow, I'll get the second half of this posted for you, with last year's additions. From the first year, I do not have Spinosaurus, Stegasaurus, or Styracosaurus. Feel free to offer up your own layering combinations with these amazing perfumes! I want to mention one more thing in closing, these are another collection that do even better with age, they become richer and seem to come into their own even more. Have a wonderful evening!

Editing to add a note, and a link to part two! I forgot to mention previously, is that these are lovely when you pair them together! And I've done this several times with different combinations. Pteranodon with Protoceratops or Deinonychus, Velociraptor with Utahraptor, Diplodocus with Giganotosaurus, Protoceratops with almost anything! Hah.

Another thing to mention, if you have eNVie Saphir, many of these are stunning when hatched with Saphir. Definitely worth experimenting with - I have Saphir, Ambre Saphir, and Encens Saphir, and they all do well with the Dinosaurs.

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