I wonder if this particular essence blend has been somewhat challenging for me based on the fact that I'm pretty "closed off" in general, and despite consciously working on this aspect of myself for the past year or so, I'm continually discovering old patterning and deep-seated beliefs that contribute to this recurring behavior. There have been breakthroughs, leading to powerful states of open-heartedness that felt very transformative, though that state of being never quite "stuck." Maybe it's not supposed to; maybe being in that state all the time could be problematic, at least for me... Whatever the case, I enjoy the feeling and have been chasing after it through various methods, most recently through this aptly-named flower essence blend. I'll write about the elixir in a separate review -- as for the mist, my initial reaction to the scent was "yuck." It had an undertone that I would describe as "dirty," like wet laundry that sat around too long after you forgot to put it in the dryer. This, I would later discover, was the cardamom, which was initially overpowering to my nose (I used a cardamom essential oil recently and it had the same scent profile). Likewise, the way I seemed to emotionally/energetically react to the blend itself was a bit yucky: I felt sort of grumpy, perhaps even more closed off than before, or at least more openly critical of myself and others. The tricky astrological timing that coincided with my experimenting might've factored into this. But it wasn't what I was expecting, to say the least. I then went back and re-watched Katie's video post and read others' reviews, and decided to try pairing the mist/elixir with Infinite Love mist/elixir, which I happened to have on hand (i.e. taking them simultaneously). This definitely seemed to soften the impact. Over time, I have come to appreciate the scent of the mist in a new way, and it's grown on me to the point that I now salivate a bit when I encounter it. The underlying sweetness has opened up for me and the "dirtiness" has dissipated, or at least taken on a new association; what once was off-putting has become charming. It lingers on my skin not like mildewy wash water, but like a secret that wants to be shared (not "stay away from me," but "come closer"). I've noticed subtle shifts in my behavior, more likely to make light-hearted jokes about my own bad habits and call myself out on them in a compassionate way. Self-discovery comes easily and without much (if any) accompanying "heaviness" in the process. Feeling pretty transparent in my interactions with others, and absolutely okay with that. It's like the characteristic "storm clouds" that usually follow me around have parted, and I'm feeling sunlight on my back now, instead.
I still haven't ventured to try the Open Heart solo (sans Infinite Love) after my initial experience, but I'm now considering doing so. It's been well over a month. Now that I can appreciate the scent by itself, I think I can handle the effects on their own without my Infinite Love security blanket. I'll follow up with a review of the elixir after trying this out for awhile.