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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2011'.
Found 55 results
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RED LANTERN A tribute to the opium den cum bawdyhouses of Shanghai in the 1930’s. Golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium and delphinium laced with a sensual blend of Asian spice. This is everything that I hoped it would be- the rich, sweet decadence of Red Lantern transmuted into a *mood* for one's living space. It's not different from Red Lantern perfume in any way I can detect, scent-wise, and yet there's something here that changes it, makes it a scent for atmosphere. I don't have a compulsion to spray this on my body, even if that were possible, and, interestingly, I don't feel some compulsion to dab on the oil while this wafts through the air. Instead I want to transform my living space, make it into something more befitting this scent. In the same way that a good spritz of Cathouse in my bedroom encourages me to hang pink gauzy curtains in the windows and turn on a sexy lamp with a red bulb in it next to my bed, so too does Red Lantern implore me to hang velvet tapestries on my walls, string tiny lights across my ceiling and invite my most lacivious friends over for a risque game of truth AND consequence. Oh yes, this is one to stock up on
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SPANKED REVISITED Whip leather, cardamom, patchouli, and bourbon. I tested Spanked Revisited at Will Call last weekend with much apprehension. Leather? However, if there is leather in this scent, I couldn't find it. To me, Spanked in the vial smells like a warm cinnamon deepened by a trickle of patchouli, and it stayed consistent through all stages on my skin. It was pretty, but too simple to keep me wanting more. In fact, it could almost be a single note of cinnamon, even though that note wasn't even listed (points finger at cardamom). If I had been excited for the leather note, I would be disappointed, however fans of spicy, foody scents might like this.
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She Who Expels Sinful Lusts A complex Eastern musk with orange blossom, peppermint, lime peel, spikenard, petitgrain, and white cedar. Wet: ooh wow. Strong spicy eastern musk with a multitude of ingredients that heighten my senses. The eastern musk is beautiful, sweet, spicy, slightly watery, and a little mournful. How romantic! The additions, oddly enough, stand apart on my skin instead of blending and amplifying the musk. I can smell the peppermint, orange blossom, lime rind, and petitgrain.. (aka: zzzing!! I'm awake!) Very green, with watery spicy notes from the musk. Drydown: ok everything is settling and melding with the musk finally. I think the wet phase caused me to experience a new level of clarity and awareness...Thanks bpal! wheeee! The petitgrain and spikenard stick around, adding brown and orange color impressions, and the eastern musk is pretty damn gorgeous with some lasting power. the orange blossom went slightly powdery, but that's fine and expected. Strange.. each time I sniff my wrist, I feel refreshed and release a nice sigh.
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Rubbed sage, ti leaf, osmanthus, immortelle, patchouli, amber, and mandarin. Festival Mask - This is a pretty scent. It's mostly amber and patchouli on me, but the patchouli isn't a strong, heavy, dirty patchouli, it's balanced very nicely by the sage and ti leaf. The immortelle, like the sage, gives this blend a bit of a dry, herbal scent, and blends beautifully with the other notes. The mandarin is present initially, but it wicks off my skin fairly quickly, and is barely discernible upon drydown. Overall, this is a pretty, dry, asian scent.
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Wild plum, lemongrass, frankincense, honeysuckle, and teak. I find this one a resiny, mildly fruity, tart, floral blend. I get soft, but very present, frankincense, lemongrass (I don't find it quite as sharp as it usually is), plum, and soft honeysuckle. ETA: After a short while the plum really amps up and it started to remind me of Dionysia.
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Dark musk, linen, and red chypre. Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I immediately had to order a bottle of Male Nude even though I'm not entirely sure exactly what it's going to smell like. I'm finding that I really enjoy dark musk and I generally like the Lab's linen note. The questionable factor here is going to be the "red chypre," which I'm not quite sure about. Chypre-based scents can go wrong on me because of the floral and citrus, although I love moss and musks. First sniff: Very chypre..y? I know, that's not a word, but I'm making it one. I get a very cologne-type vibe from this that I associate with chypre-based scents. It reminds me a bit of Dracul in that it has the same sort of oddly musky, mossy, citrusy, powdery thing going on. Wet on skin: Basically the same as in the bottle. It's hard for me to describe exactly what Male Nude smells like, except to say that it's (all at the same time) mossy, powdery musky, dry and papery. It reminds me a little bit of The Wild Men of Jezirat Al Tennyn and a bit of Dracul. Unfortunately, neither one really works all that well on me and both ended up finding new homes when I owned them. Dry down: Still smells like the lovechild of Wild Men and Dracul on me. I wouldn't call this chypre "red," personally, but that's probably because I have strong color/scent associations in my head that don't necessarily reflect the actual notes (which I'm unsure of in this case). To me, if Male Nude had a color, it would be a lichen-like grey-green with hints of brown. Totally unhelpful, I'm sure, but I feel like I need to say what color it smells like since I don't think it smells red. Basically, Male Nude smells like...well, a chypre blend. It's mossy and musky with an almost mint-like smell to it underneath (like Dracul does to my nose). The bottom line: This is just too cologne-like for me. I'm learning that chypre scents are misses more often than hits for me, but it doesn't stop me from trying them. This one's moving on to a new home with someone who loves it.
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GLOWING VULVA BATH OIL Cream accord, amber, teak, and lotus blossom. Shea oil, olive oil, apricot kernel oil, fractionated coconut oil, rosehip seed, evening primrose oil, vitamin E, isopropyl myristate, glycereth-7-cocoate (derived from coconut), oleth 3, and Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfume blends. OMG cream! This smelled sooo good! I wanted to jank the tester!!! (of course i never would) It seemed a lot creamier then the perfume, but it has been a while since I've tested it. This was a very luxurious scent, that honestly I might just buy 5 bottles of, because it was that good! teak and blossom were there, but definitely a lightly ambered cream was the main player. Mmmmm, cant wait!
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TEARS, IDLE TEARS Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean, Tears from the depth of some divine despair Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes, In looking on the happy Autumn-fields, And thinking of the days that are no more. Fresh as the first beam glittering on a sail, That brings our friends up from the underworld, Sad as the last which reddens over one That sinks with all we love below the verge; So sad, so fresh, the days that are no more. Ah, sad and strange as in dark summer dawns The earliest pipe of half-awakened birds To dying ears, when unto dying eyes The casement slowly grows a glimmering square; So sad, so strange, the days that are no more. Dear as remembered kisses after death, And sweet as those by hopeless fancy feigned On lips that are for others; deep as love, Deep as first love, and wild with all regret; O Death in Life, the days that are no more! (Lord Alfred Tennyson) A bittersweet aquatic lifted by white rose, olibanum, amber, orris root, davana, and oude. I can't believe I am the first to review this. This aquatic is the same note on my skin as Festival of Anukhet. Light, clear blue water with hints of orris. I like this...but not enough to purchase another bottle. Many thanks to a gorgeous Forumite for gifting this to me. I will be using this until it is all gone.
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Warlike Dragon's blood resin, pimento berry, olive wood, rosemary, black cherry, persimmon, red musk, and red rose. Mmm, this is lovely. I get mostly black cherries, rose and red musk... and that's fine by me! It's a dark perfume that definitely changes during the drydown. The flowers lift and it becomes a throbbingly sensual blend. Nom.
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Frankincense, leather accord, sandalwood, Himalayan cedar, nutmeg, and violet leaf. In the bottle: I smell sharp leather. There's a warmth of resin just beneath it, probably the frankincense. I think I just got a touch of the nutmeg, but it was so fleeting, I'm not certain. Wet on my skin: Immediate: LEATHER! It's so leather. Yet even as I sniff, it's blooming. The sandalwood and cedar are coming out to play, and the frankincense is wafting between them with just a touch of the nutmeg. The nutmeg is so fleeting… yet I keep sniffing, hoping I will smell it again! Dry: The leather has softened. The woods and frankincense have merged together, yet the leather still has enough presense to keep this from being a traditional incensy blend. This is different from everything I wear, yet lovely.
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She Who Spies Tuberose, mandarin, jonquil, black sandalwood, green musk, styrax, hyacinth, and violet musk. Strong tuberose on application, with a airy background, sappy florals. It's quite 'wet' and the violet part of the musk adds a bit of depth. On drydown this is mostly a sweet, sharper floral, tending towards tuberose waxy but kept less cloying by some of the other notes. Drydown is stemmy, with the top note of tuberose. I am a fan of this, may be getting one bottle. Very strong throw, but a thin scent, if that makes sense.
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The Blooming / Friend of Flowers Grandiflorum jasmine, Damask rose, ylang ylang, gardenia, sweetbriar, and apple blossom dusted by golden amber. Am I the first one to review? Cool! I don't know how to do the report thing!! If someone wants to report it for me, or show me how to do that, that would be nice. - wait, never mind, saw the button.. duh. I just got this in the mail yesterday, a cool thing for Valentine's Day! I love, love love love this! Disclaimer: I am a huge jasmine fanatic (obviously), so if you're one of those people that has a Jasmine aversion be careful, the force is pretty strong with this one. It does settle after a few minutes of wear, though, so if you're on the fence it might be worth a try. In the bottle: Jasmine, straight up. Such a sharp smell, it almost becomes anosmic On- This is amazingly blended. The Jasmine stands out, sometimes I get hints of the gardenia and ylang. I am a little wary of anything apple related, but this apple blossom is sweet and not apple-green sharp if that makes any sense. I don't pick out the rose, and I don't know what sweetbriar is. The amber is soft and sweet, it is more noticeable as you wear it. I might have to run out and get another bottle before they stop making it. It will be great for spring. The effect of all the notes seemed to be more than just the sum of the ingredients, it's really a unique smell, doesn't remind me of anything else. Also, the boy seemed to like it This manages to be soft, warm, sexy and almost sparkling, like champagne and sunshine and flowers. Revisiting after a few days- just wanted to say that this might be my very favorite fragrance, of any brand, ever- tied with Delight! I love this more and more every day. I really wish this were not a limited edition and that they would make it part of their basic lineup! It is so sparkling and soft, and pleasant- I'm getting compliments on it. For reference, since my favorite BPAL is Delight, after smelling it for a while I realized it is like a less tropical cousin of Delight with more emphasis on the jasmine, less on the rose.
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Green and brown musks, coconut husk, wisteria, lemongrass, hydrangea, cranberry, woody sandalwood, and ripe squash. In the bottle, this is green musk, cranberry, wisteria and hydrangea, just a very bright, very playful scent. On my skin, green musk and cranberry and wisteria and hydrangea, though the coconut husk and brown musk appear to be coming out. We'll see what this does... Sadly, the coconut husk and brown musk and sandalwood come out and overtake the rest of the scent. I wish the wet stage had been the final drydown for me.
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Vetiver, guiac wood, peru of balsam, two musks, labdanum, saffron, and rum accord. In the bottle, unexpectedly rummy and musky, with a bit of sweetness from the saffron. On my skin, rum and saffron, very sweet, though the woods and vetiver are starting to come out. The vetiver and wood comes out to balance and slightly overpower the rum sweetness. A bit more sexily masculine, would prolly be better on a guy.
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Antiqued amber, frankincense, patchouli, hay, oakmoss, skin musk, and white mint. In the bottle, I'm getting amber, skin musk, and hay. On my skin, primarily skin musk and hay. Huh. It's actually so realistic that it's triggering my hay fever. The rest is kind of dusty, and very evocative of a barn (in a good way). Not quite my thing.
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She Who Strikes From a Distance Red patchouli, myrrh, lemongrass, gurjum balsam, lemongrass, lavender, and honey. In the bottle, this is patchouli and myrrh to me, maybe a bit of the sharpness of the lavender. On my skin, definitely patchouli and myrrh amping, as they tend to do on me. Very dark, very militaristic. The lavender's mellowing it out, but not killing it like it usually does on my skin. Very interesting.
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White chocolate mango buttercream. In the bottle, this is a nice mix of white chocolate and mango, and I don't get much buttercream. On, and wet it was ALL mango. It was actually more tart than I was expecting it to be. The white chocolate and the buttercream made it slightly less sharp, but not enough that I actually would call it a 'creamy' scent. On, and dry - total plastic. My skin tends to do this to creamy scents. I'm not too upset, as I wasn't a total fan of what I smelled before the plastic took over.
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Calla lily, honeysuckle, Turkish jasmine, ambrette seed, galbanum, iris, and bourbon vanilla. Oh wow...I've never been first to review! I did not like this at all when I applied it this morning...not at all. Something was too sharp, or bitter, or both. THEN an hour went by and I started wondering what was smelling glorious: yup, it was Nude Woman Reclining. Wet - sharp, biting florals with something musky (ambrette seed?) lurking in the background...not good... Honeysuckle identifies herself after about an hour and is perfectly balanced by the Galbanum and Vanilla (a hint of green and some cream). There's a hint of Jasmine (a clean Jasmine though) here and the muskiness is enveloping the entire perfume like a cozy scarf... THIS is a perfume, folks. I feel weird posting a similarity, but: does anyone remember the amazing discontinued Mania (for women) with the black cap? This doesn't smell identical, but it gives off the same vibe. Mania is still one of my favorite perfumes, and I would say that Nude Woman Reclining outshines the Armani...buries it, in fact. This perfume gets a 5++/5 for me. Multiple bottle purchase for certain.
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THE ARBOR He seems to be a god, that man Facing you, who leans to be close, Smiles, and, alert and glad, listens To your mellow voice And quickens in love at your laughter That stings my breasts, jolts my heart If I dare the shock of a glance. I cannot speak, My tongue sticks to my dry mouth, Thin fire spreads beneath my skin, My eyes cannot see and my aching ears Roar in their labyrinths. Chill sweat glides down my back, I shake, I turn greener than grass. I am neither living nor dead and cry From the narrow between. (Sappho, translation by Guy Davenport) Shuddering, thundering, passionate: red musk, East African red patchouli, tonka bean, white gardenia, black narcissus, champaca flower, Roman chamomile, and massoia bark. This throbs with passion like the poem: the initial thunderclap of red musk remains prominent throughout, but as it dries down it allows the beauty of the other elements to shine. The floral element here holds its own, with the shadows of black narcissus counterbalanced by the lovely humid exotic feel lent to it by the white gardenia and champaca flower, all shot through with a vein of sensuous red patchouli. The tonka and massoia bark make for a warm, slightly sweet and slightly woody undertone. I don't really amp chamomile, so it isn't that prominent on my skin; it's probably intermingling with the florals. Red musk lovers, you cannot miss this one. Cannot.
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Red rose and red currant with amber, blood orange, myrrh, and golden musk. Wet: straight-up rose, almost a wet rose. Dew-kissed and watery. Amber starts to show up almost immediately, going slightly powdery but thankfully not for long. Getting a bit of myrrh on the edges, but still mostly a soft rose. As it settles, it's warm and soft and the notes are almost indistinguishable. I've had this comment window open for hours trying to describe this. It's not quite floral, it's not quite fruity. It's this lovely soft rosy amber with something sweet and almost creamy playing around the edges. I only get a hint of the orange glowing brightly somewhere just out of reach, like a hidden juicy center. Really, just lovely.
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Wild woods, Bulgarian rose, tolu balsam, vanilla absolute, ambergris, honey, and vanilla. This is so very, very smooth. The woods are pleasantly aromatic. The rose is really subtle. The vanilla is also laid back. Surprisingly unisex. In fact, it's verging on masculine. Is there a touch of vetiver in here? Something vaguely feral. Very little change from bottle to skin to wearing.
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Milk chocolate, raw ginger, and butterscotch. In the bottle: chocolate and ginger On me wet: yummy ginger and chocolate, followed by rich butterscotch. Dry: just like its says, ginger, chocolate, and butterscotch.
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White chocolate martini. In the bottle: creamy and kind of effervescent. On me wet: the gin leaps out at first then the white chocolate comes out. Dry: kinda a delicate balance between the gin and the white chocolate. On me the gin stands out more and smells kinda fizzy.
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Milk chocolate, cassia, and bacon. OOOOO! I guess I was one of the few brave enough to give this one a try! In the bottle: mostly I get the cassia with smokey goodness. On me wet: at first it mostly cassia with the smokey bacon in the background. Dry: Finally getting the chocolate now that the cassia has died down. Overall I really like this one! However people with sensitive skin shouldn't use this on delicate areas. I used the back of my hand and the cassia burned my skin a little.
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Foam Born Orris root, iris, white honey, white sandalwood, coconut, and cherry blossom. Aphrogenes is nice. It starts off smelling of iris and coconut, similar to Black Pearl from the Bewitching Brews category, only without the hazelnut or musk. There is an airy cherry blossom note floating behind the iris and coconut. The florals are not sharp. The honey note is light and closely tied to the floral notes, unlike other honey scents where the honey smells golden and viscous (e.g. Door or Valse Finale et Apothéose). I was worried that the white sandalwood note would take over and smell unpleasantly dry, but it is not a note that stands out. The white sandalwood tempers the coconut, keeping the coconut from smelling tropical or gourmand. This perfume makes me think of pale silk, or a very expensive face cream. It is light and soft. The perfume lasted on my skin through most of my workday. After about nine hours I can smell coconut, sandalwood, and a faint trace of honey lingering on my wrist. The iris and cherry blossom went away within the first few hours.
