Update on the perfume allergy...
The perfume I posted sadly about on Jan 1st is BPAL's Phantom Time Hypothesis, which I, unfortunately, love. It's a limited edition, so at least it won't sit there, tempting me, every time I go to the site.
I have no idea what component it is that hates me now. The description reads: A traditional Medieval perfume that never existed: balm, benzoin, damask rose, gumdragon, lignum aloes, orange water, ambergris, and vegetal musk., but (a) that won't be all the components in it, because they don't want people copying their perfumes, and (b) I have no clue if BPAL follows the practice of some perfumers and lists notes that appear in the perfume out of combinations of other notes, and not from the actual component, i.e. if you combine A and B and C and the result is rather close to D, you might list D as a note, even though you didn't put component D in there.
The allergy came on with an odd (to me) symptom: you know how when you go outside on a freezing day, breathe in, and your nose hairs freeze? It was that sensation. In the middle of a crowded restaurant. And my nose started running. The next night, when I realized at a party that the symptoms went away after I got home and showered but came back even worse - lots of sneezing, and majorly runny nose as well as that prickly feeling - after I put it on again, I connected it with the perfume.
So, oh well. I'm reeeeeeally hoping that it's not a common component like benzoin or ambergris*, because that's going to make my own perfume-making hobby rather ... interesting. I plan on doing sniff tests of various perfumes and perfume components I have in order to narrow it down so I can avoid it in the future. It may take some time, as it doesn't seem to come on immediately after applying the perfume, but a while later.
Also, I managed to put a shirt on today that had traces of the perfume still on it, and I didn't realize it until I was sniffing and sneezing in a morning meeting. Luckily, it was faint enough that it wasn't bothering me near as much as it was this weekend, so I got through the day with occasional sneezes, a half-stuffy nose, and some those prickly feelings inside my nose.
* Probably a synthetic in this perfume: the real stuff is damn expensive. But I could be wrong.
I have no idea what component it is that hates me now. The description reads: A traditional Medieval perfume that never existed: balm, benzoin, damask rose, gumdragon, lignum aloes, orange water, ambergris, and vegetal musk., but (a) that won't be all the components in it, because they don't want people copying their perfumes, and (b) I have no clue if BPAL follows the practice of some perfumers and lists notes that appear in the perfume out of combinations of other notes, and not from the actual component, i.e. if you combine A and B and C and the result is rather close to D, you might list D as a note, even though you didn't put component D in there.
The allergy came on with an odd (to me) symptom: you know how when you go outside on a freezing day, breathe in, and your nose hairs freeze? It was that sensation. In the middle of a crowded restaurant. And my nose started running. The next night, when I realized at a party that the symptoms went away after I got home and showered but came back even worse - lots of sneezing, and majorly runny nose as well as that prickly feeling - after I put it on again, I connected it with the perfume.
So, oh well. I'm reeeeeeally hoping that it's not a common component like benzoin or ambergris*, because that's going to make my own perfume-making hobby rather ... interesting. I plan on doing sniff tests of various perfumes and perfume components I have in order to narrow it down so I can avoid it in the future. It may take some time, as it doesn't seem to come on immediately after applying the perfume, but a while later.
Also, I managed to put a shirt on today that had traces of the perfume still on it, and I didn't realize it until I was sniffing and sneezing in a morning meeting. Luckily, it was faint enough that it wasn't bothering me near as much as it was this weekend, so I got through the day with occasional sneezes, a half-stuffy nose, and some those prickly feelings inside my nose.
* Probably a synthetic in this perfume: the real stuff is damn expensive. But I could be wrong.

FWIW
Re: FWIW
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If you're looking to recoup the cost, I'd be happy to buy the remaining perfume from you. It sounds right up my alley.
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And I love it - it goes to a soft, complex, warm rose on me that people comment approvingly on. :D
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Mind you, it didn't occur until after I went to bed that I think it's a middle or base note doing it, as the symptoms don't come on immediately, but take a while, and it managed to linger on a shirt well enough to affect me three or four days later.
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I've got a couple of allergies, as you know Bob, and I have emailed BPAL in the past to ask if the perfume had XYZ, and they were super nice about it. You could email them and ask/explain that you're trying to figure out what to avoid in future.
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*pleasedon'tbebenzoinpleasedon'tbebenzoinpleasedon'tbebenzoinpleasedon'tbebenzoin*