[Shollin]

Rapture, from Love Potions:

Sensual ecstasy, the blinding red fire of the apex of sexual pleasure: Moroccan rose, Sumatran rose, mandarin, Egyptian myrrh, night-blooming jasmine, bergamot and neroli thrust into Arabian musk.

First sniff: Mmmm… warm, soft and quietly sensual, like being wrapped in a longtime lover’s embrace just to enjoy each other's closeness with no fooling around. There’s a food scent in here too, a spicy/baked-goods sort that I can’t pin down.

Wearing: This scent absolutely screams afterglow to me… not the moment of the rapture in question, but later, when you cuddle up together and you’re all warm and breathless and sleepy in such a good way. I definitely smell rose, but what a rose… warm and velvety like the caress of petals across your skin, a big bold wide-open rose still warm from the sun in the garden, not the little buds from the florist. In that sense it reminds me of the feel of the flowers in Old Venice.

I’m wearing this to bed… we’ll see what sorts of dreams it brings. :P

[oceandessa]

gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! a much better version of anis anis, one of my mother's favorite perfumes.

the jasmine in this blend is a lust whore. it begs for attention, screams sex. the rose reins it in, makes it classy, alluring. i can smell a faint sweetness from the mandarins. i agree with shollin - this is afterglow. if there wasn't a rose note, the jasmine would fully dominate, and the scent would be more explicitly sexual, almost intolerably so. it's the rose that gives it the calming afterglowy feel. the scent is very similar to old venice, from which i make my favorite bath salts. but rapture is more wearable because it is a more simple floral combination.

[quantum spice]

wet: simply floral, but not overwhelmingly so

dry, it's still a simple floral. lightly balance, so it's not in your face like silentium amoris is.

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:
Very nice. Romantic and passionate scent, complex and impulsive. Like new love.

After Wearing It:
Gotta start off by saying that I majorly overapplied this scent. So I was enveloped by a strong cloud of this scent for several hours.

When I first put this on, I was so majorly disappointed. I loved it in the bottle, it was so gorgeous and complex but once on all I could smell was rose and musk. And I'm so not a fan of roses. It reminded me of Spellbound which so didn't work on me. But like always I persisted, hoping I would like it later.

It was the strangest thing as I was working later that night. I bent my head at one point and caught a whiff of this beautiful smell and wondered who the hell it was coming from and what were they wearing. But no one else was around. I was completely bewildered because all I could smell with my head up was that musk and rose scent I'd been smelling for hours. Testing, I bent my head again and there again was that gorgeous scent. Sniffed my wrist, it was there too. It was like all the other notes clung tight to my skin and only the rose and musk traveled farther out.

On my skin, Rapture smelled floral and rosey, but sweet, beautiful and warm too. The jasmine was beautiful and a bit powdery (though in a very good way). And I could have sworn there was some vanilla in there or something similar, but there's nothing on the note list to suggest that. I could smell the myrrh too and it was beautiful. Overall, when I smelled it close up, Rapture smelled much closer to the original smell I love the bottle. I just wish that's what the rest of the "cloud" smelled like.

Final Thoughts:
I need to experiment to find a way to work because the "good" part of the scent is just so addicting. And nonffensive to anyone else like me who is not too fond of rose scents.

[jj_j]

This is sexy.

I was surprised, you see, because I don't care for jasmine, and I got a very strong hit of the musk when I sniffed out of the bottle.

The mandarin is a big part of why this works, I think, as is the myrhh. They're such opposites, with the sweet sparkle and the bitter incense working with each other to bind the rose, jasmine, and musk together in a workable fashion, much to my delight.

Jasmine is never going to be something I care for, but that aside, this is really lovely. It smells like a lightly powdery, lightly floral, and very feminine perfume mixed with a softer, mascuine musk scent; very definitely a two-bodies-rubbing-against-each-other combination kind of smell.

I may order a bottle in spite of the jasmine note, if that tells you anything about how good it is. :P

[Koumori]

I want to like rose/jasmine florals. I really do. But it seems that few and far between are the roses and jasmines that really appeal to me, and sadly, this isn't one of them. On first application, I got jasmine very strongly, but as the morning went on, the musk became more prominent, which I think greatly contributed to the potential sexiness of the scent, tying the florals together; but there's nothing that really makes this scent stand out to me. For a rose scent, I prefer Othello; and for a jasmine... well, jasmine's too sweet for me on the whole. :P Another "nice, but nothing special" for me.

[cookie]

Out of the vial this is a very exotic jasmine.

BUT THEN... Rapture does what all my favorite BPAL scents do: its settles in on my skin so well that it smells natural. Like I wake up smelling like that. This is so pretty and feminine - a warm, easy floral. Sigh. The jasmine still stands out a little more than everything else, but the rose, musk, myrrh & rest take the edge off the jas and create a little mystery.

As with all BPAL, don't judge this one straight out of the bottle.

[clephan]

I read the reviews here this morning, after already putting on a dab of Old New Orleans and thought, hmm.. I wonder.

It layers over O.N.E beautifully. The two jasmines seem to hold hands and dance together well, with the rose floating over the top. The background of honeysuckle in O.N.E seems mellowed by the rose notes and all together it's made for a very beautifully scented spring day :D

ADDED June 3:

I was expecting the rose to be lot more prominent in this: I love Pride and Old London so was looking forward to another rose-attack.

The rose definitely takes a back seat. The jasmine is a lot more noticeable on me than the rose is, and after a couple of hours this mellows to something that I'm sure is just odd on me: it smells of freshly baked bread!

It's a curious scent, but not a favourite. I have enjoyed wearing it though. Not just a perfume, an experience :P

This post has been edited by Shollin: 06 December 2004 - 08:13 PM

[Andra]

First Impression: Another beauty. I get the roses, jasmine and musk. Beautifully blended.

Second Impression: The jasmine is subtle, perfectly subtle and doesn't take over the whole scent. The rose is subtle as well, with the musk being the backbone.

Final Analysis: I loved this more the longer I wore it. I don't get huge, lush roses, more of petals blowing on a breeze. The musk keeps this warm floral from being flowery and innocent. Sexy, sexy, sexy.

[with coffee spoons]

In the vial this smells like complicated jasmine, with a bit of musk. On my skin this combination does not work terribly well. It's a very dry jasmine, but for a few hours after application I get something that smells of public restroom to me--ick! It's in the background of the scent, and I don't notice it unless I smell it up close, but it's definitely there. I think that it's the jasmine and the musk, although it may have something to do with the myrrh. After those few hours, the scent slowly begins to fade, and at that point it turns very nice--a warm jasmine scent? Who knew there could be such a thing. It's not sweet, but it does turn warm and relatively nice, for a jasmine. I did not get any rose, which might have helped temper the scent--apparently my chemistry is unduly fond of kicking up stinky jasmine. Oh well. Into the swap pile Rapture goes...

[Ishtar]

In the bottle, the first note I smell is jasmine, then mandarin & neroli, then myrrh. Sensual, gorgeous, can you say love at first sniff? :P

I got Rapture in a swap together with Old Venice, and I agree with Shollin, these two oils have a lot in common. To me Rapture smells like a darker, bolder, nighttime version of Old Venice. I love it.

I will update after I wear it.

[Fulltiltredhead]

My first impression was overwhelmingly negative. I've stopped smelling the imps in the vial - I put them straight on and wait to see what happens. What happened with this one was, I said OH BLECH :P . Indole, I got a very strong indole note right off the bat, from the jasmine and orange blossom.

So it smelled poopy.

But THEN

The mysterious alchemy that is BPAL started to happen. The longer I wore it, the more I liked it, until after about two hours, I have to say, this one knocks my socks off. To me, this is as fine a perfume as any French perfume house ever put out. Sophisticated, feminine, sexy but not in a flashy, flirty way, more in an experienced woman, understated, way.

I like it so much I'm not going to wear it around the boy. If he shrugged this one off, I really think I might get upset.

Gorgeous, and maybe just for my very own pleasure.

[Ms. MSGirl]

This is a pretty nondescript rose to me, though the musk and the other things make it a bit deeper and spicier without me being able to actually smell them as notes behind the rose. It isn't as crisp as Old London or as sweet as Eve -- actually, I don't like it that much because it's dry but not crisp, and a bit dusty to my nose. If you really love rose and jasmine and musk, if they're 3 of your favorite notes in the world, you would love this. I'm really glad I tried it, but I was hoping for something sweeter. It *is* sexy, but somehow just not quite in the exact way that I want to be sexy. I feel a lot sexier in vanilla-y scents than in this. It's not that it's not growing on me; it is, and I'll enjoy wearing it tonight, I just like others better.

Hm, some slight honeysuckle-y notes are coming out as it dries, making it a bit crisper/juicier, which is what I thought it was lacking. I might like this after all!

eta: it dries down to a faint, powdery jasmine. I did enjoy this, it has better staying power on me than a lot of the oils, and it smells to me like very expensive traditional French perfume. A little too perfumey and not foody enough for my tastes, but lovely.

This post has been edited by Ms. MSGirl: 20 May 2004 - 10:01 PM

[nevermore]

This was one of the freebies in my first order, and while I didn’t mind it, it was a bit too floral for me, if you know what I mean. I’m not a floral person, so when I do wear floral perfumes, I want them to be subtly floral, not hit-me-in-the-face floral, which is what Rapture was on my skin. I could smell jasmine very strongly and some rose, and that was about it. This one is another swap for me.

[Donnababe]

First Sniff

Oh dear, loads of jasmine. I hope it mellows out.

Drydown

Thankfully the jasmine isn't so strong once it's on my skin. I hate to make so many comparisons but this reminds me of a less green version of The Caterpillar. I'm surprised the rose is so quiet. I keep thinking I do smell the bergamot but I am drinking Lady Grey at the moment so it may be that.

After a While

The scent is very quiet now all round. Orangey rose tea. Very nice. 6 hours on I can only smell it on my right wrist.

Final Verdict

Another lovely blend. It's not a must have for me but I would consider a bigger bottle and certainly further imps. I will search out more jasmine blends now I think I'm OK with them once they have dried down.

[darestodream]

I’ve been experimenting a bit with florals, trying to find one that really works on my skin. The description for Rapture was irresistible, so it seemed like a good place to start.

In the bottle, this is lovely. Rich and gentle at the same time. I felt transported to a small outdoor café, sitting in a square surrounded by flowers, watching beautiful people walk past. It was wonderful.

On my skin, it remained gorgeous. The jasmine definitely overtakes the rose, but the scent is still complex enough to remain interesting. The dry down was nearly perfect, although a touch too sweet for my taste. To me, it is a very feminine scent without being over the top. It is perfect for warm weekend days when I feel like wearing pretty skirts and dresses instead of shorts or tank tops.

In the end, that extra sweetness will keep me from ordering a larger bottle, but I will likely use up my imp.

[roisnoir]

I've loved this one since I got it as an imp forever and a half ago. I have no idea why I never wrote it up.

If I hadn't seen it listed in the notes, I'd never have guessed that there is rose in here. The jasmine and myrrh are by far the strongest notes on me. The first few hours, I'm in my own little cloud of jasmine, and finally the myrrh takes over, making me feel candylike.

I feel womanly, rather than feminine.

[sarahmarie]

I feel like I should write a review of this, and I've wanted to - but I honestly don't know what to say about it! I like it, but I'm having a hard time describing it. The first time I wore it, it really didn't agree with me - but I wasn't feeling well that day, so I tried it again and it was much better. Let's see:

In the imp: I think this smells very good - floral, but warm and sort of...round. That's what comes to my mind for me anyway, that it's sort of a rounded scent and that's why it's not overwhelmingly floral to me. It seems to start in one place, and arch up and around, and come back to where it was in the first place - if that makes any sense. It's sort of a floral-spiceysweet-floral arch.

On me: the first few minutes are what I like best when I wear this scent. It's still floral, but very spicey, warm and also sweet in a calming way. It's not cloying or sharp. I think I'm probably smelling the jasmine at this point, and the bergamot underneath. It's delicious.

After a while: It's still very nice, but this is when I start to like it a bit less. It sharpens and takes a slight turn towards...something that makes me feel sneezy. It's still warm, and still not cloying, but it's a little too sharply floral and kind of soapy on me. I like it though, and I will definitely be using up this imp. It's not a dramatic change, but it's a bit of a shame anyway since I like the first few minutes so much!

[Northernminx]

A golden, warm glowing floral, the rose in this made elusive appearances beneath the jasmine. The musk warmed this up, definitly an afterglow scent, but more of a lovemaking one than pure sex. This was alluring in a beautiful way but in the end didn't last overly long on me. I prefer a little more oomph to my jasmine blends so off to swaps.

[Faerykin]

Rapture

Swiped across wrists and along collarbone.

Initial Wet (8-8:30am): Roses and jasmine, with an underlying thickness. Very sensual.

Initial Dry (8:30-10am): The jasmine takes a front seat while the roses and that thickness surround it. Indeed, this is still quite sensual. It is difficult to detect any specifics under the jasmine as they blend rather well, but I know they are there. The other notes are just this thick blanket surrounding the jasmine.

Throughout the Day (10am-on): This softens considerably. The underlying thickness is actually quite a lovely backdrop to the fading jasmine and mild rose.

Hmmm … no headache. I was very leery to try this scent due to the fact that I had thought that I was allergic to myrrh. After both Chimera and Nyx gave me awful headaches – and the only note that appeared in both was myrrh. *shrugs* Mayhaps there is something else present in those two scents … mayhaps I can start looking for scents with myrrh in them, as I am quite pleased that I am not getting a headache here. :P

It is a long-lasting scent, as it is still present as I leave work. Overall, a rather pleasant scent, but not one that stands out to me – so off to the swap pile.

[Azrhiaz]

Another one I was sure I would like...that I don't.

I adore all the notes, except jasmine-- I'm not usually nuts about jasmine, and it is one of those "soapy" smells to me. So, of course, this, on me, smells like nothing but jasmine. I can't get the roses, the musk, or anything else.

Off to swaps...

[AnnetteL]

This is fiendishly floral on me, too - interestingly I *don't* get the soapy note that I do with a lot of jasmine-based scents, so it fares better than many other florals, but it's still not something I'd really want to wear. Another imp off to the "nice, but not my thing" swap list.

[feline.by.design]

I get a LOT of jasmine off of this one, but the rose kind of stays in the background (yes!!). Unlike some of the reviewers on this page, I really love jasmine and jasmine loves me, so this is a happy combination.

This seems to smell a lot like Virgo, I'll really have to do a comparison between the two because they seem so similar. The only thing that Rapture seems to be missing is the patchouli note, which makes it lighter, yet still not "light."

When I run out of the two bottles of Virgo I have on order (eek!), I'll likely turn to Rapture. For now, though, I'll rock the imp well.

-doreen

[tempete]

Rapture was initially all rose on me, though I could tell that there was another note tempering the blast (unsure of whether it was the myrrh or the musk). As it dries down, the rose note quietly gives way to the jasmine note. Normally, jasmine drowns out all other notes on me, but in this phase, the musk and myrrh notes make their presence felt more strongly than in the initial rose phase. The final drydown of Rapture reminds me somewhat of La Petite Mort, albeit a less aggressive version. Since I really love La Petite Mort and already have a bottle of it, I'm unsure if I will also get a bottle of Rapture, although I think that I will enjoy using up the imp or giving it to one of my sisters as a Christmas present.

[octopusgrrl]

In the bottle: jasmine

Wet: more jasmine

Dry: yet still more jasmine

Verdict: I really need to steer clear of jasmine in oils: my skin grabs on to it and amps it up, and it's really not my favourite scent to start with. This is not as overwhelming as Black Widow on me but it's ultimately disappointing - all the other notes sound lovely and they're completely drowned by the jasmine :P