GoldenRubee

The face of all the world is changed, I think, Since first I heard the footsteps of thy soul Move still, oh, still, beside me, as they stole Betwixt me and the dreadful outer brink Of obvious death, where I, who thought to sink, Was caught up into love, and taught the whole Of life in a new rhythm. The cup of dole God gave for baptism, I am fain to drink, And praise its sweetness, Sweet, with thee anear. The names of country, heaven, are changed away For where thou art or shalt be, there or here; And this …this lute and song…loved yesterday, (The singing angels know) are only dear Because thy name moves right in what they say. - Elizabeth Barrett Browning Absinthe accord, opoponax, green cardamom, olibanum, honey, prickly juniper, and rockrose. This scent is gorgeous and has a presence to it. It is a strong scent but it is not heavy at all. I smell a woodiness and sweetness to it that goes well with my skin chemistry. The wood is mild and not overly masculine. I was somewhat leery of this fragrance because of the Absinthe but it only adds to the brightness of this blend and prevents it from being to much of a skin scent. The honey is beautiful, and is not powdery, and adds some golden sweetness. There is a very mild spiciness and the dry down is beautiful and smooth. I didn't expect this to smell as wonderful as it does, especially as there is a floral in here. But this really stands out to me as something really unique that I could wear often.

White sandalwood, Italian bergamot, Siamese benzoin, tobacco flower, and caramelized honey. In the bottle this smells so familiar to me but I just can't place it. It is warm and inviting, tantalizing with an underlying subtle sweetness probably from the caramelized honey. After wearing it I find that it is very light and not as heavy as I expected it to be after smelling it in the bottle. There is a light (very light) spice, some gentle whiff of citrus that is really soft and pretty. The warm sandalwood combined with the other notes makes this a beautiful fragrance that wears almost like a high end perfume. This is light and airy and delightful!

Green tea, tobacco absolute, and agarwood. In the bottle this smells very rich and tobacco like. On my skin, it lightens up and it is warm, woody, a bit resinous and earthy. The green tea gives it the lightness and airiness it needs to make this a great Spring and Summer fragrance. The touch of warm tobacco and rich agarwood (Oud) gives it richness and depth. This is a gorgeous scent and will get better with age. I might need a second bottle of this.

When thou art hidden fears throng into my heart: I am as one who has found a treasure of gold Whom the stars watch And the winds threaten And swords wait in the dark. Or can the dream break, Curithir, into the cold dawn? Do not even the angels tremble gazing on us? For only within God's Dún such joy can live. Come let us dream, love, that we sail to the west And in enchanted islands are free of the sun And the cold blind eyes of the years that pass unheeding sorrow. O by the sweetness of love and joy like the piercing of spears I have known the vain life that dies beaten back to the sod, And the moan of all impotent things cries in my heart; For that which can wither the budding trees can wither love. O Curithir hast thou bidden the birds to sing of thee? They have awoken me to the grey sweet skies And the out-breathed light stealing over the stars. There is no bird whose song is not of thy love No laughter of sudden dawn winds whose joy thou art not – O that the world could know thou lovest me, Curithir! - Moireen Fox An hour of love, all-too-fleeting, set against the tumble and crash of the somber seaside: honeysuckle, ivy, white moss, and salty spray. When wet, this is so pretty-soft honeysuckle with really crisp greens, like I just broke a sprig of ivy right off the ground. The green was so sharp and had almost a sweetish sap smell to it. It was quite lovely mixed with the honeysuckle. Imagine being out in your garden early in the morning and picking a bouquet of honeysuckles and greenery for the table. You arrange them in the vase but before you wash up you notice an enticing fragrance-it's coming from you! Unfortunately, my skin ate this one right up and after an hour I couldn't smell anything. I really love this too. Is it worth carrying it around with me and reapplying? You betcha!

This is so so good that my son tried to take my bottle. It is going to age beautifully so I immediately ordered a backup bottle and a bottle for my son. It starts out with a whiff of barely there chocolate and spice with just a beautifully soft tobacco that anyone can wear. The chocolate fades immediately and I get left with a gorgeous lingering spicy tobacco scent. Really, one of my favorite of the SN's.

South Indian sandalwood, amber-encrusted wood, white grains, massoia bark, and hops. This smells so delicious, almost familiar, foody even. It is the grains and hops that is making it seem foody but not bread like. The sandalwood and amber-encrusted wood blend effortlessly together with the deep massoia bark and turn this into deep, rich, almost sweet scent. It almost smells familiar, but I just can't place it, like honey crackers, or caramel corn. The drydown is not heavy at all, but light sweet sandalwood. This lasts a long time and people who like foody scents will really enjoy it.

BLACKBEAR MOON The bear puts both arms around the tree above her And draws it down as if it were a lover And its chokecherries lips to kiss good-by, Then lets it snap back upright in the sky. Her next step rocks a boulder on the wall (She's making her cross-country in the fall). Her great weight creaks the barbed wire in its staples As she flings over and off down through the maples, Leaving on one wire tooth a lock of hair. Such is the uncaged progress of the bear. The world has room to make a bear feel free; The universe seems cramped to you and me. In February, black bears give birth to their cubs, nurturing and protecting them as the snow melts, the days grow warmer, and winter gives way to spring. Hazelnuts, acorns, black cherries, wild winter berries, and warm black fur dusted by moonlight, honey, and pine needles. I received my bottle of Blackbear Moon yesterday. I love Hazelnut and honey and that is the reason why I was so excited about this blend. When I first applied it all I could smell was the hazelnut but as it dried down (half hour) it morphed into a very soft, dreamy scent. I could not detect any honey at all just a lovely sweetness so if you aren't able to wear honey, I would still give this a try with a decant-it is worth it! I didn't ever detect cherries or pine, perhaps the sweetness I got was the berries? A friend can't wear hazelnut at all and she tried this and after the initial dry down loved it and is going to order a bottle of her own. Even after hours of wear I could still smell the soft, musky smell. Blackbear Moon is deep, rich and will age wonderfully! I wish I had ordered another bottle when I placed my Lupercalia order-it is that good!

My sweetest Lesbia, let us live and love, And though the sager sort our deeds reprove, Let us not weigh them. Heaven’s great lamps do dive Into their west, and straight again revive. But, soon as once set our little light, Then must we sleep one ever-during night. If all would lead their lives in love like me, Then bloody swords and armor should not be; No drum or trumpet peaceful sleeps should move, Unless alarm came from the camp of Love: But fools do live and waste their little light, And seek with pain their ever-during night. When timely death my life and fortune ends, Let not my hearse be vext with mourning friends, But let all lovers rich in triumph come And with sweet pastimes grace my happy tomb: And, Lesbia, close up thou my little light, And crown with love my ever-during night. - Caius Valerius Catullus Osmanthus, hay absolute, ambergris accord, catnip, and Egyptian musk. This is a beautifully soft subtle fragrance that is light and refreshing. It is not heavy or overpowering in the least. Osmanthus is a white flower originally from China and is a traditional symbol of Love and Romance, True Love and Faithfulness. This is a pure fragrance with light musk and a soft woody note ( from the ambergris accord) that floats and swirls and grounds the sweetness of the Osmanthus. On the drydown I do get a little whiff of grassy tones, but it is way in the background on me. It is like that gorgeous smell in a meadow after a soft rain. My Sweet Lesbia is beguiling and one of those scents that people will stop you and ask what you are wearing.

Uncontrollable passion and insatiable sexual desire: red musk, patchouli, ylang ylang and myrrh, surrounded by smoky cinnamon-dusted cacao. In the bottle:subtle patchouli and delicious cacao. On my skin:beautiful red musk (my favorite) light myrrh, cacao, some spice and the patchouli takes a back seat. The notes blend effortlessly together into a very smooth delicious scent. This has everything in it to make it a fabulous oil. It has everything anyone could ask for, musk, spice, the beautiful custard-y note of ylang ylang. It's hard to decide which note is predominate here, the patchouli or the cacao. They are so intricately intertwined that they keep swirling around until they meld together. This is really an outstanding blend that if you like even one note in here, you must give it a try!

Linen, tobacco flower, white sandalwood, and dragon's blood resin. I love Beth's dragon blood blends and that's one of the reasons why I was so interested in this and purchased it unsniffed. For those of you who like dragon's blood-you will be happy, for those of you who don't-you will be happy too. This is dragon's blood resin which is much, much lighter and very wearable. It is almost an ambery, musky scent and when combined with the sandalwood gives off a remarkably gorgeous woody note. The linen and floral are light on me but do combine to tone down the dragon's blood. This is heavier than some of the other Lupercalia's I have reviewed this year but still with trying. Not at all too heavy or cloying.

Wormwood essence, light mints, cardamom, anise, hyssop, and the barest hint of lemon embraced by white chocolate. I almost didn't purchase this because of the mint, mint doesn't like me at all. But I love wormwood and everything else listed and when it said " light mint", I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. It has the lightest mint, just a touch, both in the bottle and on my skin. It is very refreshing. All the notes listed are very light so after applying I can detect light spice, light anise, very light floral, no lemon at all on me, and hardly any white chocolate. The dry down was pretty much the same but a little bit lighter with just the mint standing out a little more. I do like this scent and think it perfect for hot summer days. I did notice that I sensed a cooling affect (not burning) on my skin where I applied it so it would be perfect when it hits the 90 degree mark or higher.

Caraway is an herb whose usage as a culinary spice, a digestive aid, and ritual herb traces back to the Stone Age. In modern aromatherapy, it is used to banish mental fatigue, relieve emotional strain, and soothe frazzled nerves. Caraway inflames love and preserves fidelity, protects valuables from theft, and is used in gris gris bags to safeguard children. In the bottle this is very herbal and smells sharp and almost like dill. I have preserved my own pickles before and this reminds me somewhat of the juice or brine of that but not quite as strong. Upon dry down I can detect a light floral, perhaps white, but the sharpness still seems to want to take over and drown out everything. After half an hour or so there is a light spice or peppery vibe that I can detect and warms up the herbal base. This isn't a bottle I would reach for on an everyday use but it is interesting. The description says it helps with mental fatigue and emotional strain so I might try this in a tea lamp instead during bath time.

Himalayan cedar, rum absolute, bay leaf, teakwood, orange peel, wooly thyme, and tobacco absolute. The opening on Kagema is stunning and everything I had hoped for: deep wood notes from the teakwood, and the gorgeous scent of tobacco absolute. There is also a very faint underlying spicy note that I find extremely appealing. The Himalayan cedar is thankfully light and not overpowering since that note alone would have killed this for me. I amp cedar above all other notes. The scrumptious rum absolute swirls around to mix together with the orange peel and doesn't disappoint to conjure up romantic visions of naked bodies and sweaty nights. This is a wonderfully deep, dark, sexy scent that will age spectacularly. A must try for all.

It's funny what different body chemistry does to perfume oils. I applied this today for the first time and thought how absolutely lovely it was. This is probably the creamiest and most authentic coconut I have ever worn. It isn't plastic smelling or nauseating to me at all. After 30 minutes or so a little of the lemongrass becomes apparent for just a brief moment and then disappears completely. The creamy coconut then reappears with light vanilla orchid and maybe a touch of mimosa fizziness. I did not detect any anise at all. All in all, my favorite Shuna so far this year!

I was a little worried about the mint but loved all the other notes so purchased this unsniffed and am so glad I did. I love Beth's wood note blends and this is no exception. No one single note jumps out, they work together amazingly well and I get a smooth, light, woody, sweet scent with a slight spicy undertone. I think this can be worn any season.

Wet on the skin: lush, sweet, apricots. Dry: still sweet but a little apricot and cayenne are starting to come through. I was excited to try this and purchased this unsniffed. All three ingredients are favorites for me and if apricot is in one of Beth' s creations, I will buy it. This really a very light, soft, blend and can be worn anytime or place. The longer I wore it, the more defined the different scents became but at the same time blending together beautifully. Personally, I would have liked it to be a touch more spicy, but that's just me. Lasts hours!

I was worried that this would be too chocolatety but it is really is not too sweet or chocolatety. I was excited to try this because of the wormwood which I like. I am not disappointed in this at all. It is not overpoweringly chocolate, it is light and subdued, with a light woody aroma, and even a slight tart from the lemon verbena. Add a sprinkle of sweet at the end and you have a well rounded scent for use day or night. A very pleasant surprise!

This was the first bottle that jumped into my cart, all the notes in it seemed to be calling out my name. Smelling the bottle I get a very sharp greenish garden odor that is more like the geranium stem than the flower. Not quite what I was expecting at all. After applying though that green calms down and the red musk and the patchouli come out along with the cedar note that always changes everything on my skin. I was hoping that it would be more of a minor player here but even after an hour the cedar is more of a dominate note on me. This is also slightly spicy and I think that this is one that will really age well. For now I think that it is one bottle that I will put to the back of the closet and see if perhaps some aging and time will be more to my liking.

I just tried this today and it is really amazing. The caramel and tobacco blend together so flawlessly and smoothly and it reminds me of my childhood sitting around watching TV while my dad smoked his pipe. It is not overpowering or heavy, but light and deliciously fragrant with only a slight touch of vanilla making this a perfect scent for me. This is going to age beautifully and I am so glad that I purchased two bottles!

I have had my bottle a month now and it just keeps getting better and better. The first time I tried it on it was good but not the deep, resinous oil I was expecting. I knew from Beth' s description at it would only get better with age, plus it was right out of the box. I tried it about a week later and it was a deeper, richer, more developed oil than the week before. It was sweeter and smoother. Now a good month later, I love it. It lasts all day, it is deep and spicy and everything I had hoped it would be. It really warms up as I wear it and I have gotten compliments every time I have worn it. It is just hauntingly beautiful and will age wonderfully.

On first applying I get rum and vanilla, heavy on the rum. After a few hours, I still can smell the vanilla very faintly and the yummy rum which I like but was hoping was stronger. I think this is going to age nicely and in a few months is going to be very gorgeous! The rum and vanilla combo will really warm up and mix together and be beautiful- can't wait!

I was very pleasantly surprised when I first smelled this in the bottle. It is not not foodie to me but has a lovely sweet ginger spice scent. I am a big fan of ginger scents in general and this is soft and very wearable. The honey note combined with the ginger and spices make this very crisp and compelling and leaves me wanting more. It stops short of being powdery and the scent lingers for hours. It is very enticing and I am happy I purchased a bottle of this without testing it first.

I really wanted to love this but unfortunately all I got from this is heavy floral and mostly rose. I do amp rose so if there is any rosé at all in a blend, my chemistry will find it. I had to wash this off immediately.

Fig, pink grapefruit, Egyptian white musk, ambergris accord, muguet, ylang ylang, Hawaiian white ginger, jonquil, and khus. My first thought when I first applied and smelled this on my wrist was how light and fresh it was. It opens up with light citrus followed up with skin musk and light floral. It is fresh and tangy, perhaps the ginger is lending it the lightness it needs here. It seems like there are many ingredients listed so it would be a heavy scent, but it isn't. There is a juicy sweetness from the fig but there is not heavy here, just the presence of it. The spiciness is minimal with the ginger giving it the initial burst of mild peppery sweetness and then becoming mild and light, but not overly sweet. Drydown is gingery and golden pale spice but very light in an understated way. It is so perfect for Spring and Summer.

Strings in the earth and air Make music sweet; Strings by the river where The willows meet. There's music along the river For Love wanders there, Pale flowers on his mantle, Dark leaves on his hair. All softly playing, With head to the music bent, And fingers straying Upon an instrument. - James Joyce White sage, white musk, honey myrtle, galbanum, lilac, and everlasting flower. In the bottle and when first applied I can smell citrus. This is from the honey myrtle. Is is light, fresh and soft, surrounded by an equally soft ethereal musk. I can smell more sage and musk with the honey myrtle than I can smell lilac (which is normally very fragrant) although it could be my skin chemistry. I have been wearing it for an hour now and it is still as strong as when I first tried it. Everlasting flower (according to wiki) is any number of flowers that can be used in dried bouquets. But again, I smell a fresh, crisp citrus with sweet, warm honey and musk, not powdery in the least. I am not disappointed in the least. I am not big on florals so this is a wonderful addition to my Spring and Summer collection.