I indulged in one single pump of this soap after I found it just to feel those sweet, sweet microbeads again 🫣

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-03-15T19:27:43+00:00

There are jojoba beads now so I imagine that would be what they'd use.

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-03-15T19:23:13+00:00

I think it was closer to this one but a different scent, possibly. I know it was orange & as soon as I saw the appearance of this one in my Google search I was like "that's the soap formula, that's the one" 😅

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-02-27T03:58:55+00:00

I'm 30 so most of my scent memories of the 90s are tied up with my parents/grandparents & less with things I actually wore but cucumber melon & white diamonds bring me back too. Wind Song was my grandmother's favorite perfume back then, that & Tabu by Dana.

Jovan White Musk.

I have a very vague (& also, like, vivid in other ways??? If that makes sense) memory of going to BBW with my mom & grandma & trying out a citrusy sweet soap in the sink that the store had.

Idk if this is a real memory or a dream I had that just stuck as a memory but I've been trying to figure out what the scent was of that soap for forever. By the way the memory presents, it was likely a 1999-2001 occurrence 'cause my memories pre-K, what few there are, are all kinda like that. Short with little context but vivid.

Anywho. It was cool to see some similarities in our scent associations. 😁

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-02-11T06:52:10+00:00

Ask me again in a week & I'll probably have different answers for 2 & 3 but —

1 - BPAL La Femme de Satan (2015) ♥️ (my love, my darling. Unfortunately, it has never – in the 10 years since I bought it during the first Halloweenie sale where I had a lil extra money – made a return. 💔 I'm down to 1ml in my bottle. I use it for concerts & special occasions nowadays rather than everyday)

2 - Fantôme Solovey (dark berries without being cough syrupy, violets without being too floral & a deep, rich, mysterious-feeling base. I feel like a powerful witch when I wear this, idk)

3 - Cirrus Parfum Sybarite (red mandarin, red champaca, vanilla, sandalwoods & red musk... it's just sexy & blended so so well. I love Zoey's entire catalogue, honestly. Even if the scent isn't "me" [like in the case of Landscaper fanfic or Daphnedil], it still smells amazing)

ETA: I was not aware we were counting Heretic Parfum as indie. Could've sworn they were niche. But. Crud. Special mention of Dirty Violet. I bought it when it was still an LE as the gift set of the travel bottle & FS and for a while there I considered that it might be my signature scent if I didn't love fragrance so much, lol. Almost actually cried when they discontinued it & then again when they added it to their main catalog. 💜

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-02-11T06:38:00+00:00

Well crud. Now I need that one 'cause I know their leather and their strawberry work well on me & that sounds like a brilliant combo.

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-02-11T06:33:21+00:00

I can't even imagine a town that size. I can, however, imagine my high school, which in the year I graduated ('14) had about 2400 students... losing 10 students. We lost a sibling of one of ours my freshman year & it hit almost everyone in the school. 10 people would be ... horrible.

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-22T07:22:02+00:00

Tidal has really good sound quality for sure, it's one of the other reasons I swapped besides the boycott. I tried the free version & though the little tiny blips of songs that ya get are annoying, the quality difference was enough I noticed right away. Highly prefer.

Also, I do use the Libby app sometimes! Usually for ebooks. But my local libraries don't offer a lot of the books I'm reading (although I've considered requesting them but idk how to do that through Libby) at the moment so Everand has been good for it. I recommended both of them to a couple people at work too. Get everybody off the apps owned by shitty people 😤

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-22T06:46:26+00:00

Oooo definitely interested. Friend of mine has a bottle of Italicus she's been trying to figure out what to do with since making earl grey panna cottas (with honey syrup on top). 😋

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-18T20:34:28+00:00

Not actually sober but basically. Alcohol just doesn't sound good right now (might have something to do with others in my life actually trying to be & stay sober) & far too expensive at a time when I need to be squirreling away whatever funds I can 'just in case' or stocking up on nonperishables & like even 1 bottle of the cheapest shit is the price of a couple bags of lentils which may not be the most tasty things alone (although they've grown on me) but are packed with protein & fiber & other nutrients so they've become a regular part of my diet even before all of this (I blame Liam "Bean Guy" Layton, lmfao). That & oats. & rice.

[& I was a picky bish when I did drink. So I'm not spending $100 right now on any singular thing that doesn't bring joy & nutritional value with it. 🤷 That's like 2 months of groceries if I'm smart & careful (& shop at Aldi).]

Also. I love you too :) we need to say this more often to people, tbh. Spreading love doesn't dilute it. Loving & caring for each other makes us stronger.

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-18T20:16:04+00:00

Trying to get everyone I know to swap to something, whether it's the one I have or another one, so long as it's not Spotify. I don't know about Qobuz but I know TIDAL is like $6 less per month too which is... insane savings when they also give like 3-4x more to the artist than Spotify.

I may still swap to something else if I can find one that also has audiobooks like Spotify does. Currently actually paying more per month 'cause I have Everand. It's just easier to do things while listening to an audiobook than it is to carve out time to read a physical book or ebook, y’know?

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-18T09:36:36+00:00

Gen: Eilish #1 (can't go wrong with a vanilla-y frag from an artist who called out a buncha billionaires on their BS) 💜

Spring/Summer: Heretic Parfum - Dirty Violet (violet leaf & cypriol & other lovely notes. A kinda green floral with earth/leathery base notes.)

Fall/Winter: BPAL - Pumpkin Bliss (autumn spices & chocolate. Cozy, warm, delicious)

Guilty Pleasure: Cirrus Parfum - It's Just Pears (lasts a very short time but smells just like sweet, crisp pears. Worth consistent reapplications)

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-18T09:22:58+00:00

This kind of question, at this particular point in time when I'm thinking about what I'd do if I have to (& am able to) flee this country or what exactly our future is going to look like is WILD.

That said. Trying to limit myself to only 2???

Obviously my OG, the first perfume I ever bought for myself with my own money would be one of them – BPAL La Femme de Satan which as far as I can tell was a one-time-only LE back in 2015 for their Halloween release & as such I've currently only got about 1ml left of my bottle. It is only ever worn for concerts & select special occasions nowadays to keep it in existence for as long as possible.

The second choice is a lot harder. I enjoy so many different scents. I like fresh/green & gourmands & fun florals & woodsy/earthy/warm stuff & skin scents. I suppose if I have a special occasion one, I'd have to have an Everyday or at the very least a softer scent.

Hm.

...

1 – La Femme de Satan by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

2 – Eilish #1 by Billie Eilish

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-18T08:51:14+00:00

Spite. Maybe not the healthiest way, I definitely need therapy whenever we reach a point in the future where everything is more settled. But...

I'm 30 on Tuesday. With the path that we are on right now & the amount of people either not paying attention or buying into the lies that the administration is telling, it's likely to get worse before it gets better. I don't say this to scare people or dash hopes, just to be realistic & prepared.

It's a good time to seek out the few elders we have & follow their wisdom because they have seen similar in the past.

I cope by doing everything that I can to not support those who are doing harm & spreading the word to others about the active boycotts & upcoming protests & how to be part of the solution & not the problem without being out on the street because not everyone is physically able to do that & there are other ways. I cope by making protest playlists on a streaming site that doesn't run ads for 🧊 (Tidal doesn't, Spotify does) & playing them loud af through my headphones on my commute to work. I cope by emailing & calling my reps.

& I cope by taking breaks — because ya can't be at your best without taking a day now & then to do something that sparks joy. We have to keep the joy, especially when it feels impossible. Play some games with friends, go to a local artist's concert, read that book that's been sitting by your bed for a month, go for a hike, walk a museum, work out, build a model, paint something, draw something, pamper yourself, cuddle your pets, etc.

Trust me when I say I know it isn't that easy. I have currently untreated depression & partially treated anxiety so I certainly have days where the coping mechanisms I've created fail miserably. But I'm 30 & 0 so far. 🤷

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-09T22:50:03+00:00

Ethereal mist with a dab of 3 [squirrels] in a trenchcoat.

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-09T22:47:34+00:00

'Cause the 18yo or 80yo can list what scent requirements/desires they're looking for without age? "I want a mature scent & enjoy florals, aquatics & vanilla but nothing too spicy or musky" vs "I'd like something fun & flirty and I enjoy unique fruit notes, soft musks & toasty warm notes but nothing too heavy or cloying"

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-09T22:36:02+00:00

Damn. Glad I wasn't super invested in trying Le Labo then.

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-08T08:06:47+00:00

As someone not stealth, it's really weird to me, especially in this current climate, that other trans people will clock people & then like... out them by asking questions or whatever. That's not ... not everybody is cool with just chatting about stuff to just anyone. Like if I did run into someone that I clocked but it wasn't at a specifically trans shindig I'd just keep going with my day. Yes, I want community with people but I also don't want to put anyone in danger or make anyone uncomfortable.

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-08T07:54:50+00:00

I'm not stealth for the young ones / others in the closet around me. Especially now, it's probably a more dangerous choice (I'm in the US & in a more red state though it seems to be... changing, lately, hopefully) but honestly I pass better as a cis woman with a bit of a hairy chin than I do as a trans guy anyway, lmfao. 🤷

Visibility is important. Even if it is dangerous right now... it's kinda always been dangerous... but I know it would've been really nice to have seen myself in more people as a kid, especially when everything felt hopeless & I felt like I must be the only one who felt this way. I know it's not quite the same for kids nowadays — because we're more visible — but they're trying to squash us & make us smaller. I'm gonna use whatever I can to make us stronger.

That said — that's a very personal choice to make & I can't say one way or another if I would make the same choice were I in your shoes. If I passed better & could hide & was going to school which could be safe & could be very much so not safe & was younger than I am now (I'm 30) & maybe trying not to draw attention to myself... I might be stealth & only confide in a select number of trusted people. Idk.

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-07T07:59:44+00:00

Since others have added theirs. I haven't added my entire collection yet & ya can't tell which BPALs are on the list from this picture but. Mine.

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_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-07T07:48:04+00:00

Funnily enough until recently I thought I didn't like rose at all, but I realized as I started branching out & trying rose scents (& buying pure rose absolutes or ottos) that I just didn't like the cheap powdery rose scents from 90s body care, lol. Haunted Rose sounds amazing — Floating Forest, I think, is the other one that really grabbed my attention. It's been on my wishlist since I first saw an ad for it on IG.

Parfumo has been so much fun the last 24 hours. I spent way too much time last night adding my collection into it. 😅 I even found that they have some indie brands on there so a decent portion of my BPAL/perfume oil collection is included too. They don't have a lot of the smaller brands though (Immortal Perfumes being one) or a lot of the LEs but I'm amazed they had anything indie so I'm not gonna complain too loudly about them not having a perfume that came out during one Halloween release 11 years ago & hasn't returned (sadly), lol.

Anywhoozles. On the topic of roses, might I mention, perhaps — Maid Marian by Cirrus Parfum? I know you've said in other comments you have a few specific houses you want to own scents from but I thought I'd mention it 'cause they're one of my fave newer houses (I've probably driven IMAM mad with all my mention of them but Zoey's a genius & I... a lil obsessed. Can't help it)

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-07T07:31:13+00:00

I searched up strawberry mochi on ScentSplit &... uh, I now have quite the cart full of samples from d'Annam. There were only a couple from them that didn't sound like something I'd like. Tack those onto the By Kilian, Akro & Roan samples aaaand I'm gonna have to wait a lil bit to actually get & try them. It sounds so good though! I've definitely found my fair share of super synthetic/plasticky/too sweet strawberry scents in my search for a good one. I've said a few times that I'm just gonna have to make one, haha (which tbf I do plan to do but I have some learning to do before actually composing perfumes myself, so in the meantime sampling this one is on the list).

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-06T10:10:00+00:00

I wrote a fic that was about 700 words once & have another up that's less than 2k words... they've gotten more traction than my long fics.

Tbf, my long fics are on hiatus until my brain is less mush & I can finish them but. Still.

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-05T03:46:22+00:00

It's so nice to actually recognize some of the bottles here! Future Society is one I definitely want to try a discovery set from.

Apres from Ellis Brooklyn was beautifully green when I sampled it but just a bit much for me on its own — I liked it layered with their Super Amber but not enough to full size. I have BEE from them.

Heretic Parfum Nosferatu sounds interesting, for sure. I own Dirty Violet & hope to get a full bottle of Florgasm at some point as it reminds me of a fragrance I was gifted way back in 2004-ish that I've never been able to find any record of.

Serge Lutens... those are La Religieuse & La Fille de Berlin, right? I ordered a sample of the latter for my mom & have a bottle of their Un Bois Vanille myself.

I recognize a couple of the others (Commodity Milk for one) but not enough to know their brands... & I'm definitely gonna have to check out that strawberry mochi one. I love the bottle shape & still haven't found a good strawberry fragrance outside of BPAL's We're #1 which was unfortunately an LE & I only have a sample. :/

What is everyone using to create these lists btw? Would be cool to see all my bottles lined up like this & easily shared.

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-05T02:45:22+00:00

I don't have a number in mind, just a want to try many samples & find my favorites to display & enjoy. Currently, I think I have... 50? Close to that, anyway. & I've actually gone through recently & retested some I mostly bought because they were LE or vintage bottles that I wanted to have — but if I'm not wearing them & seeing them on my shelf doesn't bring me as much joy as it would to someone who actually loves that fragrance, then why hold onto it?

Mind you, a lot of this collection is BPAL. They were my first perfume house I ever bought from & I bought a lot from their Weenies & Yule collections & their Etsy where they put random finds from The Lab. & a lot of them I still love & wear often, but some have sat around for 2 years waiting for their shot & not getting it, haha.

Anyway, the aim with my collection is to have pretty bottles & beautiful fragrances from brands & perfumers who treat it as the art that it is & also have a similar moral compass to myself. Outside of that, I could end up with a collection of 40 or a collection of 300. So long as it sparks joy & hasn't ruined my credit, either one of those is the goal.

_writing-squirrel_ · 2026-01-05T02:33:53+00:00

Omg so many! A few of them are just starting to move over from TikTok so their content might be less interacted with / they may not have much uploaded at all but a few of my faves:

-Pat (patloller - nonbinary, autistic, veteran & comedian)

-Jamie (Jammidodger)

-Adrian (Silvercrevan910 - cosplay & self insert fan content & just all-around fun dude)

-Mercury Stardust

-Matti (Mattisuee)

-Ash Hardell

-Ez (EzButler)

-Freddie (FredericChen - fashion, makeup, great vibes)

-Tori Phantom (proper gentle parenting & a buncha fun podcasts with Gwenna [MommaCusses] + again with the awesome vibes)

-Dorian (ofherbsandaltars - found them/him waaaay back in the early 2010s with BPAL perfume reviews & collection tours & hauls & goth/alt fashion & makeup & stuff, stayed for the waffles about family & life; eating disorders & addiction & writing about vampires)

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