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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2010'.
Found 47 results
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Rice powder, osmanthus, rose geranium, magnolia, khus, and chestnut. bottle: a light, sweet soft nut scent. wet: i get no rose geranium or magnolia strangely. what i do get is a warm, sweet nut scent with a teesny touch of osmanthus. dry: this fades to something soft and sweet, almost powdery sweet, and dry. not exactly nutty any longer, it is still warm and rich.
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White chocolate, strawberry, and white pepper truffle. This is a bit different from last year's White Chocolate and Strawberry. The chocolate last year was more like a milk chocolate; this year's version is certainly the sweeter, less of the cocoa, white chocolate. The strawberry is not the same, either. I got more of a fresh strawberry note in WC&S; the strawberry in WC,S&WPT is more of a candied strawberry--still quite yummy, but more foodie and not so fruity. The white pepper is a nuance that keeps the truffle from becoming too overly sweet. However, this is still a wonderful perfume, although I don't think that I will hoard it like I did WC&S; but at least one back-up bottle will be required.
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TWO LOVES I dreamed I stood upon a little hill, And at my feet there lay a ground, that seemed Like a waste garden, flowering at its will With buds and blossoms. There were pools that dreamed Black and unruffled; there were white lilies A few, and crocuses, and violets Purple or pale, snake-like fritillaries Scarce seen for the rank grass, and through green nets Blue eyes of shy peryenche winked in the sun. And there were curious flowers, before unknown, Flowers that were stained with moonlight, or with shades Of Nature's willful moods; and here a one That had drunk in the transitory tone Of one brief moment in a sunset; blades Of grass that in an hundred springs had been Slowly but exquisitely nurtured by the stars, And watered with the scented dew long cupped In lilies, that for rays of sun had seen Only God's glory, for never a sunrise mars The luminous air of Heaven. Beyond, abrupt, A grey stone wall. o'ergrown with velvet moss Uprose; and gazing I stood long, all mazed To see a place so strange, so sweet, so fair. And as I stood and marvelled, lo! across The garden came a youth; one hand he raised To shield him from the sun, his wind-tossed hair Was twined with flowers, and in his hand he bore A purple bunch of bursting grapes, his eyes Were clear as crystal, naked all was he, White as the snow on pathless mountains frore, Red were his lips as red wine-spilith that dyes A marble floor, his brow chalcedony. And he came near me, with his lips uncurled And kind, and caught my hand and kissed my mouth, And gave me grapes to eat, and said, 'Sweet friend, Come I will show thee shadows of the world And images of life. See from the South Comes the pale pageant that hath never an end.' And lo! within the garden of my dream I saw two walking on a shining plain Of golden light. The one did joyous seem And fair and blooming, and a sweet refrain Came from his lips; he sang of pretty maids And joyous love of comely girl and boy, His eyes were bright, and 'mid the dancing blades Of golden grass his feet did trip for joy; And in his hand he held an ivory lute With strings of gold that were as maidens' hair, And sang with voice as tuneful as a flute, And round his neck three chains of roses were. But he that was his comrade walked aside; He was full sad and sweet, and his large eyes Were strange with wondrous brightness, staring wide With gazing; and he sighed with many sighs That moved me, and his cheeks were wan and white Like pallid lilies, and his lips were red Like poppies, and his hands he clenched tight, And yet again unclenched, and his head Was wreathed with moon-flowers pale as lips of death. A purple robe he wore, o'erwrought in gold With the device of a great snake, whose breath Was fiery flame: which when I did behold I fell a-weeping, and I cried, 'Sweet youth, Tell me why, sad and sighing, thou dost rove These pleasent realms? I pray thee speak me sooth What is thy name?' He said, 'My name is Love.' Then straight the first did turn himself to me And cried, 'He lieth, for his name is Shame, But I am Love, and I was wont to be Alone in this fair garden, till he came Unasked by night; I am true Love, I fill The hearts of boy and girl with mutual flame.' Then sighing, said the other, 'Have thy will, I am the love that dare not speak its name.' Love beyond reach: sunset tones of amber, red musk, and blood orange with three chains of roses, velvet moss, white lilies, crocuses, violets, poppies, blue musk, neroli, angel's trumpet, frankincense, benzoin, and night-blooming flowers. Two Loves - With the exception of angel's trumpet, which I've never smelled, and possibly the white lilies, everything in this list of ingredients should have been a total and complete WIN!!! for me. Sadly, this scent was a huge, giant F.A.I.L. from beginning to end. It went on floral and soapy, and then the blue musk and violets and rose tried really, really hard to come out, but the soapiness won and in the end, for several hours, it was nothing but icky old lady floral soap on my skin. So sad, because it had so much potential!
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ENKHESPALOS Spear-Wielding Elder wood, leather, blonde tobacco, and cognac. Enkhespalos is an interesting aspect of Ares--he obviously like blondes. Well, blonde tobacco, that is. That really is the dominant note for me here. The leather and wood are present, but more in the middle of things. And I was rather pleased that the cognac was not screamingly obvious; instead it serves to help blend and round out all the other notes. This is, I think, a scent that can work well on me, and even better on the bf.
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Dark chocolate and key lime truffle. The Chocolatier series is very straight-forward, as I think they should be. This one is exactly as described, down to the specific (very juicy) key lime note. It's no other kind of lime, it's very much that breed. The chocolate takes more of a background here, but I think that's the nature of a citrus note in perfumery. I anticipate the lime losing its aggression just a little bit. The longer I wear it, the sweeter it gets, though it's still not a blend I'd describe primarily as sweet (not sugary at all).
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Blackberry, white gardenia, burnt mandarin rind, Indian musk, khus, and white musk. Dark, intense, a little smoky, masculine. Not what I was expecting! This is all about the musk and the khus (vetiver), though it's a nice light vetiver, not gritty or overwhelming. I definitely get the burnt mandarin rind, though it's light, and a bit of a 'cologne' feel which is probably due to the white musk. Some very light, fresh, and not at all sharp or sour gardenia. It makes me think on the whole of expensive financier's cologne, maybe one who does a lot of business in Japan. No blackberry. Wayyyyyy more mandarin, mandarin galore! As well as some definite lime. Lots of tart, juicy, delicious citrus. Only a lingering hint of smoke. The musk is immediately more apparent, and I also get some sort of a tea note - black or green, it's both herbal and a little citrusy. I get the very faintest hint of unripe blackberries, the kind that make your mouth pucker, that are still hard. And the gardenia remains light, and while bright is not at all piercing but well-behaved. It's sort of a masculine Tis the Voice of the Lobster, but with way more citrus and must less jammy-sweet fruit, and more...suave refinement. Hmmmm. I suspect a sake note in here as well as the tea, because this reminds me a fair bit of The Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, except much more delicious. And definitely black tea. I am getting both more of the vetiver and the white musk, so this is going quite manly, but everything's well balanced, no one note is dominating. Other than the fruit - the lime and mandarin and unripe tart blackberries continue to just blast on my skin - amazing! My skin NEVER holds citrus! Btw, if it's not obvious, this is not a blackberry note I've ever smelled before, and I don't know I'd even peg it as blackberry if I hadn't read the notes. The musk does remind me of Black Lace's, in that it's sexy, sophisticated, and incredibly smooth. It has depth but also subtlety. Some of the citrus/fruit - well, the tarter, juicier aspects - is burning off, but a lovely bittersweet mandarin peel note remains, and the sake has burned off, leaving the mandarin peel, some light cologne-y vetiver, very faint unripe blackberries, and amped black tea (same note from Lantern Ghost, Severin, Famine etc to my nose), over that subtle, masculine Indian musk. I'm surprised because I usually amp musk but this musk, while definitely present, stays close to my skin. The white musk is brighter and more like cologne, and blends with the vetiver note to my nose. Strongly brewed black tea, fainty smoky mandarin rind (and yes, eventually the peel turns to rind, a dried peel note), smooth Indian musk and clean, bright but light white musk-vetiver man-cologne with a whisper of tart, unripe blackberries. I'm not sure I can pull this off - and I like many a manly scent - but I put this in the James Bond category of uber sexy manfume. But more cerebral, much more sly. Another fabulous winner amongst this year's Shunga! Vetiver, blackberry, and white musk fearers - fear not. This blend WORKS and is, like all I've tested in the line so far except for Pink Mood, incredibly well-balanced, seamlessly blended, and complex. Brava, Beth!
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RHINOTOROS Skin-Piercing Vetiver, patchouli, white pepper, and grapefruit. I must admit that I was a little hesitant to try Rhinotoros. Pepper, patch, and vetiver? I imagined that they would all combine to overwhelm the yummy grapefruit. My fears were somewhat unfounded. The grapefruit tames those three notes to such an extent that this is not a dark and dusky scent. Strangely enough, for what I might consider a somewhat masculine perfume oil, this dries down to a balancing act amongst the four notes, with the sparkle of the grapefruit giving Rhinotoros a lighter feeling than expected. (This is not sweet at all; remember that a lot of people put sugar or honey on grapefruit sections to eat them. I'm reminded more of unsweetened pink grapefruit juice in the carton. No sugar or honey here, just the juice. Btw, I like unsweetened grapefruit juice.)
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Pink rose, red musk, red sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, nectarine, black tea, ambrette, jasmine, and blackcurrant bud. First of all... i would like to say the wear length on this is phenomenal. This sort of reminds me of ponthia meter from last year, except on a tea and musk back ground. Not that they are super alike or anything, just the rose note used between the two of them that shows up at first is similar. At first its very sandalwood, rose and a touch of the yummy type of vetiver (okay... i am a freak and admit i have some EO of it I smell whenever i want to chillax). The combo almost makes me think of a warmer, slightly more sophisticated rakasha. Then as it dries down, the tea and musk become more prominate, mixing with the sandalwood and vetiver to make a very yummy subtle black tea scent. Its both sophisticated and natural at the same time. For those of you scared of red musk... even fresh it isnt very prominent or rough, its alot softer and less there than most of the red musk blends, but still works its magic. For those of you scared of vetiver... it might just be my skin, but you might wanna watch out a little more. Its not prominent, in fact its very well blended and a supporting note, but at least on my skin it sticks around the whole journey. The fruit shows up just a little, not to make it fruity, but to lend a slight sweetness. Like a fruit tea, being sipped in a pagan brothel as a lady unwinds from a night of passion. Its not overwhelmingly sexy that one could not wear it on a normal day, the earthiness and sexiness and sophistication are all very well blended, just like the notes, to make it pretty much appropriate for whenever. Today the rose is sticking around a little more and its more like smokey black rose tea. I am guessing as it sits a few days the musks and rose might get a lil more prominent over the woods.
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Cranberry, thyme, teakwood, mint, cedar, tobacco flower, and red currant. Fresh! Tart red fruits and bright green herbs, with some warm exotic depths. It's absolutely unlike anything else in BPAL and I want to keep sniffing it addictively. The red currant, thyme, mint and cranberry all pop out, roughly in that order but all strongly and yet in harmony. Then comes the tobacco flower, which adds a feminine floral richness - without overpowering, and the teak and lastly and mostly faintly cedar linger warmly below. A fascinating and delicious mishmash. This is sooooo delicious, so refreshing and bright. I'm getting some geranium here, and some sake, and the mint is most definitely spearmint. I get cranberry more strongly than I've ever gotten it in a bpal, in fact on my skin it's almost as strong as the juicy-tart red currant. The sake acts as salt does to food - it brightens and enhances these almost-sparkling notes. The tobacco flower, despite being a heady, rather intense floral in general, stays below these fresh red & green top notes, and the woods too remain distant, though they still add warmth, continuing that interesting juxtaposition of the fresh/bright and warm/dry. Cedar and teak are notes that scare me, but they are behaving beautifully as supporting cast here. There is a very faint cologney soapiness, possibly from the mint (I'm reminded vaguely of Usher), but it's not too soapy - just clean, and another aspect of this very complex and intriguing blend. I am so amazed by how well those bright top notes are holding - they are so persistent, and so utterly addictive - I haven't glued my nose to my wrist like this in ages. Invigorating. The woods have decided to emerge more while the tobacco flower amps a little, and the top notes are losing a bit of their dominance, though they are by no means faint. It's more that the scent is gaining depth and power; oomph. Recall again that I am not generally a fan of either teak or cedar, but they work SO well here - warm, exotic, almost spicy - they add tremendous sophistication to what would otherwise be delicious, but ephemeral and rather simplistic.The mint has faded more than the other top notes, and thyme has held on the best, while both tart red fruits have faded only slightly. Several hours later most of the fruits wear off leaving bright green herbs and rich feminine tobacco flower over warm exotic woods. This scent just blends into itself more and more seamlessly over time; it's totally unique, sort of paradoxical, and yet so incredibly well-blended and wonderfully complex. I love that it's both 'fresh' and sophisticated - scent categories that I find rarely overlap for me. A smashing success far beyond my expectations! Also, great throw and longevity.
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Ambergris accord, water lily, freesia, sea spray, molluscan seashell accord, and driftwood. Very light and fresh - almost foamy sea water, a fresh blue-green-white floral note that I assume is the water lily (it's almost aquatic, very clean and cool), and a little bit of fruity-fresh freesia. This has a much lighter and greener feel than I expected. It's cool, gentle, tranquil. I don't get wood, but this has a faint cologne aspect. Still extremely light on my skin - it's just a very demure sort of scent - and what must be water lily really shines. It's a bit brighter and headier, 'whiter' in feel, but still cool and aquatic with an almost cucumbery, grassy aspect. This scent on the whole reminds me a bit of Anais Anais (which I love), but more delicate and innocent. It's only very barely oceanic - it's definitely aquatic, but it's only lightly salty - this isn't ocean water, it's ocean MIST. A bit of ambergris comes out on my skin, adding some musky depth, and a little more freesia, which is very lightly soapy-clean (in a good way) - still no driftwood. Slow to dry, but becoming more floral and definitively feminine as it does so. I *know* this water lily note from somewhere...I think the Black Swan? The grassy note has amped; this is greener, stemmier, and almost a little spicy, while still being cucumbery-fresh. The freesia has gone a bit more soapy, but still within tolerable limits. While I'm not sure what seashell accord is meant to smell like, there IS a sort of chalky, crushed-stone note that reminds me of the note in Julia Stone, or in Sarah (both scents I love), a sort of smooth stony whiteness. And this still smells a little cologney. This remains subdued, and while for a brief period there's a bit of turbulence as notes emerge and submerge, everything settles down quickly into a beautiful harmonious blend. The almost-troublesome soapiness dissipates as does the nearly-sharp greenness of the water lily, while the smooth white stony note amps, and the ambergris softens into a gentle but rather sexy musk. This is not a scary BAM ambergris note - it's a backup player, not a diva as it was in say, Lilith vs the Giant Crab. If there's wood here, it never emerges on my skin distinctly. My only qualm with this scent - which is more beautiful than I'd hoped, so it's a very minor qualm - is that it's only so very faintly salty. I'd love a really BRISKLY salty scent without a lot of overpowering notes, and I've yet to find such a scent in BPAL. As I said earlier, this is sea mist, not ocean water. It's not a strongly aquatic scent by any means. I'd describe it more as clean, soft, green-white feminine floral and smooth polished stone with a bit of salty musk. Sutble and lovely, but with good throw and excellent longevity. Another winner!
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Red bush tea, vanilla, white peach, golden amber, mandarin, lotus root, and myrrh. I can't believe I am the first to review this. This is just absolutely beautiful. All of the notes blend together to make a soft, slightly fruit scent. The white peach and golden amber blend gently with the red bush tea leaving you with a soft red fruity tea scent. The Lotus root gives this a slight perfumey quality that keeps wafting in and out with the peach and amber. The mandarin is barely there. The myrrh keeps everything in check and as I said before...keeps it soft. Not powdery....just soft at least on my skin. I now see why this is called unveiled. It invokes the image of a woman running a soft, silky scarf across her face. This scent is truly a winner and I am glad to have a bottle.
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White Chocolate, Black Raspberry, and Apricot Cordial Truffle
thekittenkat posted a topic in Lupercalia
White chocolate, black raspberry, and apricot cordial truffle. Another Chocolate Box winner for me. Again, this is pretty much as advertised. However, the white chocolate and the apricot take a back seat to the black raspberry, from first sniff of the bottle to a long-time dry-down. If you wanted to like Berry Moon and didn't care for the musk that was the base note, you might like WC,BP&ACT. Btw, if the cordial was indicating a boozy note, I didn't pick that up, for which I'm grateful. -
Oolong tea, lilac, sheer musk, crushed ginger, wisteria, delphinium, and lavender. it smells like wet, spring flowers, the freesia and musk mixing together to make an almost light honey scent. I can't smell the ginger at all, nor much of the tea. Lilac, wisteria and light musk are def the stars here. Lilac normally hates my skin, but its quite lovely in this blend. Needlework isnt the lovely lavender i had hoped for, but I think it'll get alot of use for those spring days I am feeling girly and wearing a dress.
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KHRYSOPÊLÊX Helmed in Gold Caraway, amber, saffron, bergamot, and neroli. Here's another that I was dubious of trying. Only the neroli is a good note on me under usual circumstances. Amber is a love, but sometimes turns to powder, and bergamot can become sharpish. Now that I've gone over the failings of my skin chemistry, no surprise here, this really didn't work on me. As expected the neroli sweetened the blend up, but the caraway was very very present, with its usual anise-like scent. (One that I don't like nor does it like me.) As this dried down, the amber became powdery. A ote seemingly missing was the bergamot, so that was surprising. I will say that this has a golden quality to it, because of the saffron, but I would not compare it to, say, Gold Phoenix. If the amber and the neroli had been more dominant, this could have been very nice. Anything like a little anise on me goes a long way.
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INGANOK JEWELERS Arkham, MA Are you looking for the perfect ring to express your everlasting love? How about an amulet representing your sweetheart's devotion to Zo-Kalar, Hargag Ryonis, Tamash, or Nyarlathotep? Inganok Jewelers carries a vast selection of onyx jewelry, mined in Inganok, designed by the natives of Y'Pawfrm e'din Leng, and crafted by the skilled artisans of Celephaïs! Each piece is as unique as your last psychotic break! Gleaming stone and silver. The scent notes say it all: silvery stone. I am reminded a little bit of Silver Phoenix, Shanghai Tunnel, and The Ghosts of the Arroyo Seco Bridge, and yet none of those are really anything near this. It's a unique blend, indeed, that I like but would only be trotted out for special occasions.
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Apple blossom, champaca, fir needle, cistus, myrrh, Peru balsam, and Tan Xiang. bottle: mostly champaca with a touch of myrrh and a bit of sweet apple blossom. wet: there is a rich, creamy woody/piney note with the champaca now, the apple blossom has vanished though. dry: the apple blossom has resurfaced! this has a rich woody feel with the sweet softness of light flowers. this is a beautiful early spring scent.
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Dark chocolate, whiskey, and cognac truffle. This is pretty much what you'd expect from the description. Foodie, but with a certain refinement. The dark chocolate is full of rich, deep, velvety cocoa. The whiskey darkens it further, while the cognac offers a higher, ever-so-slightly sweeter note. The booze is very forthright. This is exactly what I wanted
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White sandalwood, rice flower, honey, black pepper, and oakmoss. This was kind of like incense-flavored mochi ice cream on me - largely a sweet, honey-rice affair with just a hint of earthiness. It is quite light, which is fine, but I was hoping for the oakmoss to be a little more prominent, or for the sandalwood to do more than just contribute to the overall sweetness of the blend. In short, I was hoping for a little more body to this blend, so I'll pass it to someone who can better appreciate its lighthearted nature (appropriate to the artwork I suppose)!
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Frankincense, orris root, asuhi, leather, and ginger-infused cream accord. This actually makes me think of a masculine glowing vulva... the cream almost comes across as a very mild coconut, but is at the same time milky. Neither of leather or ginger is over powering... tho together with the cream make up the dominate notes of this scent. It doesn't strike me so much as a 'pretty' scent as a raw animalistic scent. Its soft enough to be worn by a woman, but rugged enough to be worn by a manly man. But like glowing vulva, the scent blends together to a warm coming off the skin glow. I am not sure how self conscious I would be wearing this to class ect... because I don't know how well it would be received as its more along the lines of an true earthy scent, but its perfect for cuddling up with a book.
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THE STEEPLE Aylesbury, MA Specializing in mycological delights and housed in a converted church that was once dedicated to Saint Anthony the Abbot, this charming hideaway sits high atop Zaman's Hill and boasts a lovely view of the abandoned village below. Otherworldly fungus, Provençal herbs, and dark, shadowy woods. In bottle: It does smell like woods, fungus, and herb garden. It’s dark green crushed vegetation and surprisingly perky herbs. Wet: Gentler and a touch chalky on the skin with the fungus rising to more prominence. The scent of crushed vegetation holds it’s own within the new balance. Dry: It’s generally softer as the more volitile bits burn off. It ends up mostly powdery fungus, random herbs , and one sharp ivy note. Not bad, but not as interesting as it was.
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AATOS POLEMOIO Insatiate of War Cedar, black currant, and saffron. I'm so impressed by how many of these Ode to Ares oils are so well blended, and Aatos Polemoio is no exception. It may be seemingly a simple scent with three notes, but it is gorgeous. It's exactly as advertised, with aromatic cedar wood, a rich currant (very much like in one of the Motley trio), and the saffron just rounding the other two notes out. This strikes me as an autumnal scent, just right for when the leaves start their change in colors.
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KHALKOKORUSTÊS Armed With Bronze Champaca, pear, cedar, black pepper, jasmine, and red sandalwood. I love pear, and I haven't tried many blends with it as a note, so I was anxious to try Khalkokorustes. Mostly what I got out of this was the pear, the cedar (lovely aroma), and the red sandalwood. There was a hint of pepper, and that was what was probably keeping this oil from being too (not the best word, but I can't think of anything better at the moment) sweet (not foodie sweet) and maybe the champaca as well, so that everything seem to be blended beautifully in the bottle, and stayed that way throughout. I did not detect jasmine, so those of you who amp jasmine might try testing this. For me, I think this will be bottle-worthy.
