VetchVesper

Yet another shunga I'm adoring from this years Luper release. Beautiful, smooth sandalwood and a rich, verging on foody vanilla at first. The opening stages smell almost nutty to me. As it dries down, the copal and patch come through, the foodiness subsides, and this becomes more of an earthy incense. Finally, the sandalwood and smooth patchouli take center stage. An unusual incense blend that smells very Asian to me. If you are a fan of copal or sandalwood, try this one. This will age gloriously, and a bottle goes on my list.

This is GLORIOUS! I do LOVE me some incense though. 😍 I get plenty of carnation from this. A big blast of the spicy, clovey kind right up front. It's a bit much for the first 15 mins, but then the spicy aspect calms down, and carnation's creamier, sweeter aspects come into play. The incense plays back up singer, making the whole thing hazy and smoky, creamy and clovey. I think there's some copal in here. I don't smell any nag champa. Actually, the incense in this (though the overall blend is quite different) reminds me of a Possets perfume, Sacred Smoke, which mentions incense with sandalwood, fragrant burning oude, a hiss of clove essence, and a bit of burning green bamboo. So maybe some sandalwood and non-funky oude? If you are wanting a demure, sweet, floral carnation, this is not her. This is a ball-stomping, bra-burning, clove cigarette smoking carnation who will NOT shut up, and I love her. Just give her a little dry down time to grow on you. Back up bottle for sure. ETA - Something about this also reminds me of Crimson, which would support the sandalwood and oude suspicion. Mmmmm.....

I really like the blood orange in this. It's zesty and tart, and the darker notes ground it nicely at first. Unfortunately, the vetiver starts to take over once I'm out of the water, and it smells harsh. I often like vetiver, but here it's too bitter and up front for me. I ended up slathering on some Eclipse, and so far I'm liking the combo. Might be fun to try it with Bliss too.

This is all about the honey. It's warm and wonderful, drizzled over fuzzy warm musk and earthy wood. There's something thar smells a tad bit menthol in the background. I'm guessing it's the hay note. It's unusual, but I really like the effect. Very comforting. These are the most cheerful, cuddly, Walt Disney oxen ever, and if you're a sucker for dark, rich, wild honey (like me) check this one out, stat.

Piquant. Very citrus, but more like the oil found in the peels than the juice. To me, this has more of an aromatherapy feel than something I'd wear as a perfume, but Artisjok's description is very apt. I was languishing at night in a ho-hum mood wondering how I'd wile away the hours before bed. I took a bath with this, got out, and got my sh*t done. If you want something more brightly citrus, (and you're ok with jasmine) I'd check out Invidia. They're both nice, but very different.

A milky sugar scent with tinges of vanilla. Delicate is a good word. I get a ghostly whisper of the citrus I've gotten from other sugar blends like Sugar Skull and March 2020's 13 at first, but it fades and is overwhelmed by vanilla. Rendezvous grows more pronounced as it warms up, but still stays very close to the skin. If you wanted Castitas to be sweeter, are a fan of Bath and Body Work's Warm Vanilla Sugar, or want a comforting, sugar skin scent, try this. This has a universal appeal and will probably be popular. This doesn't really remind me of A Vision of the Courtesan, though I suppose it shares a subtle, creamy tone. I would agree that they're different enough, they're both worth having.

This smells unabashedly girly to me, like Barbie's boudoir. The rose is perfumey, the kind I think of when I think of pink, fancy, rose-scented soaps. The cherry smells bright, candy red. This is not for me, but I can see how it would be a fun scent for rose lovers.

Do they still make those creme lifesavers? They came in orange (creamsicle) and strawberry (strawberrysicle?). This smells like those. Creamy, candy strawberry. Pink and girly, but enticing in an innocent way. I too have issues with strawberry going plasticy, and this one behaves itself. It's not really the kind of perfume I like to wear, but I see the allure.

2020 Version I would never have risked grabbing this one for myself. It triggered my p'oudephoboia. However, I'm happy to report, the oude is well behaved and lovely in this, a reminder of why I don't always scream and run when I see the note. Elizabeth of Bohemia has a very true rose with a rich, gently woody backdrop. It's perfumey and velvety, womanly and classic. While the Peacock Queen smells powerful and haughty, this one smells elegant and regal and lacks any fruity tones. If you love roses, fear not the p'oude. You need to give this one a try.

Extremely smooth and sleek. It's reminding me a little of Lace Phoenix. Very mellow patch. Definitely getting that champaca, and I get whiffs of a very nice oudh and black tea. Black tea with champaca usually smells odd to me, but I'm liking it here. Reminds me of the combo in Blacker Than the Raven Wings of Midnight and Sluagh too. I like this a lot, but I think I have several comparable blends, so I'll probably pass on a bottle.

I gambled on a bottle of this because it should age divinely, and all those notes are win - as long as the oudh decides to behave. ... And it does. Dry, rich, woody incense. Glorious. I will be stowing this one away, like a fine wine, to revel in later.

Watery without being aquatic. Gentle and luminous with the soft quality often found in lunar blends. Very pretty and serene. Definitely violet LEAF as opposed to the flower. Not sure what I would add this too, but it's beautiful by itself.

Oude no. I got it distinctly upon first whiff. Also, the dried leaf note is very pronounced and cologney on me, semi soapy. So yeah, soapy poop cologne. Not a win. 😕 That said, my chemistry makes dead leaves meh, skin musk smell funky (warm skin?), and leather - though I love it - soften to a background note. So maybe I'm not the best judge of this one. In the very least, those rustley leaves stand out a whole lot more than those other notes, which I love. Very curious to see how this works on others.

Odd at first. I get dark rooibus and a dusty mushroom note. Mushroom tends to go very baby powder on me, and though I love drinking rooibus, I haven't found any perfumes that have sold me on the note, so I'm wary. I'm also getting some musky honey. The patchouli and the spices become pronounced as this warms on my skin. I can still smell the rooibus, which is adding an interesting melange to the spices. No baby powder in sight. I'm rather enjoying this. This dries down to a smooth, gingery patchouli on me with the rooibus adding a ruddy tang. It's earthy, a touch woody, gently spicy, and unisex. I'm not getting much sweetness from the honey. Maybe leans a little masculine? I like it! I think my decant will be enough though. I really love that artwork. Unusual and worth a whirl for those who like woody patch. P.S. I love Lin's description. And yes - that.

The peach and amber are pretty, but something in here is screeeeeching on my skin. Very chemical, sort of hair-sprayish note. Must be something in the musk? Egoyomi will have to fulfill my Luper, peachy needs. ETA 2020 version

I ran a decant circle this year, and this one sold out, but I will be buying my own bottle to hoard covetously. This is super lovely. Just a hint of sandalwood to the cream, maybe a titch of orris, but mostly, this is the cream in La Prostitution et la Folie Dominent le Monde and Coupling Women without the jasmine. It's definitely got a gourmand vibe, but stops short of smelling like strait up vanilla frosting. I think it will pair gorgeously with a lot of other fragrances, making it versatile in the HG wardrobe. Comparing it to Pickle (A gleaming vanilla cream poof of coconut with a hint of tiare) and Vigourous Dragon Hugs (Burnt marshmallows, sweet almond, coconut milk, caramelized benzoin, and smoked vanilla) ... Well... it doesn't. This is it's own thing. There's not the candy vibe going on here like in VDH and there's a lot more creamy thickness than in Pickle. Vanilla cream lovers, check it out. I'd almost call this a single note.

I had no idea what to expect from this odd combo, but it's really nice. Possibly my favorite of the chocolates. If you like moss, you should check this one out. If you liked How Doth the Little Crocodile, but then those darn pencil shavings screwed it up - you should check this out. The chocolate is dry, sweet and blends with the moss to create something akin to a dusky chocolate mint. The fragrance grows creamier as it dries down, and I find it profoundly comforting. I suspect there's a little hint of black musk in here making things fuzzy in the dry down. I get a little more moss than cocao, keeping this from something I'd call foody, but the chocolate is present. Happy I was introduced to this one.

A sweet, syrupy, heady floral-musk. My brain keeps jumping to neroli. The red musk is apparent, but it smells more neon pink, with its sugary aspects played up more than its lusty aspects. The amber comes out more as this dries down, warms it up and cuts the sweetness a bit. A good thing, in my view, as I'm starting to think "abalone" is too sweet as a main player for my tastes. If you liked Clinichlore and/or sweet red musk, check this one out. If you like Abalone Vulva, this shares the shimmery pink vibe and the soft amber, but lacks the cream and the salty aspect. This is the mermaid's more flirtatious sister.

I get lots of clove and carnation over vanilla cream and a hint of heady ylang ylang. Then the clove hijacks the whole caboodle. Surprisingly. I don't get much cinnamon, which I usually amp. I amp clove too though, so I guess it won the death match. I prefer the gentler Wan Wan for my clove and carnation fix, but this does end up having a nice depth supporting the spice.

Creamy, sweet, a wee bit salty. There's a fresh milkiness and a touch of muskiness to the scent. Though it doesn't specifically list "ablone" as a note, I recognize the smell from other fragrances, such as Riding in the Palanquin's "mother of pearl" and this year's Awake, and Clinochlore. Abalone Vulva smells pink, shimmery, gentle, and very feminine. Perfect for spring. And yeah... I'll jump on the mermaid musk band wagon. I get the Poor Monkey comparisons too, though I think this one's a little more unique b/c of the salty vibe.

This immediately reminded me of Gloomy Day (February), from the Art of Winter Yule release a few years ago. Gloomy Day contains dry balsams, wind-smooth woods, ambergris-grey clouds, and autumn hay, so it seems my nose is in the know. Gloomy Day was beautiful, and so is Resuscitation. This is a dry, warm, calming incense on me, with the amber being the most prominent note and the frankincense and balsam gently backing it up. I have no idea what choya ral is. I smell the hay as a weird funk at the beginning stages of the perfume, but it soon blends in seamlessly and lends the fragrance its warmth. Overall, there's a raspy, almost powdery feel to this one, but it never goes baby powder. It makes me think of the soft glow oil paintings seem to have. I need to compare it directly to Gloomy Day to see if I really need a bottle of this one, but I'm at least very happy to have a partial of it. ETA: Comparing GD and Resus directly, they still smell very similar to my nose, but GD has something a tiny bit sharp in it, kind of like a hint of biting wind, and I think the frankincense in Resus makes it a touch more incensey. Also, if you liked Gloomy Day, but it was a tad too masculine for you, Resus might be a better fit.

This is far gentler than I would expect from all those strong notes. I think the sandalwood and amber comprise most of what I'm smelling, though I do get a bit of cognac. Honestly, the impression I get is more of a skin musk sort of scent than the incense I was expecting. I do detect a hint of gardenia, in the background, but it's not a main player at first. This reminds me a little bit of Sed Non Satiata. That changes as this dries down and the fragrance begins to bloom. The gardenia comes to the forefront. It's still not a super heady white floral scent though. The incense tames it into sort of a "gardenias at dusk" sort of vibe. Something keeps threatening to go sour, making me suspect there's some unlisted skin musk in the mix - unfortunate for my chemistry. 😕 I'm not getting much champaca. Mostly soft, musky gardenia and sandalwood. I do love me some gardenia, and I have several versions of it that are of the lush, waxy, tropical variety. This is a nice alternative, but Meshimori can't quite decide if it's going to behave itself for me, so I don't need a bottle. I'll enjoy my decant and trust other gardenia lovers to have better luck. ETA I stand corrected. This just gets better over time. It takes an hour or so, but this does finally settle in, and it's a beautiful incense gardenia that last 8 hours plus on me. I'm also hoping, with aging, that wait time will shorten. I will be grabbing a bottle.

This one is gonna be popular. It's really gorgeous. Smooth and gentle, but still manages to have depth and presence, which seems quite appropriate for a courtesan. I get equal parts creamy rice milk and frankincense up front, with the frankincense having almost a lemony edge at first. I don't get much tobacco, but after this has been on a while - going on 5 hours now - I'm starting to get a rich, but dry vanilla note. Perhaps part of the tobacco? It reminds me of something in Edith Cushing and Pediophobia, though the overall fragrance is quite different. Anyway, this is beautiful, and I will be needing moar.

Salty. The aquatics this Luper release all have heaping helpings of saltiness. I can smell the patchouli underneath, along with the oceany fresh smell that I guess is the kelp. It's interesting at first, and sea brined driftwood comes to mind easily. There's no sweetness, but it's not particularly heavy or dark. It would be nice on a guy. It unfortunately does go to soap on me, though it takes longer than most aquatics do. For a good half hour, I thought this might work for me, but then chemistry said nope.

A genteel rose over moss and woody patchouli. It dries down to a spicy chypre after a few hours. Stately, plush, and more gender neutral than I would typically expect for a rose blend. The florals are present here, but the chypre is what's most prominent to me.