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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2012'.
Found 57 results
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WHITE CHOCOLATE WITH LEMONGRASS, CORIANDER, AND ALMOND CREAM This smells SO GOOD! I love the white chocolate note, the lemongrass is also really nice when mixed in with this. To be honest, I am not sure what coriander smells like, but I don't detect anything (on my skin) other than the white chocolate and lemongrass - I can't pick out the almond cream Either, but as someone else mentioned, it may be just lending a bit more creaminess to the white chocolate. Either way, it's really well blended, and a super comforting scent. So glad I caved! (It also does NOT go plastic on me!) ETA: apparently Coriander are the seeds from the sample plant which is Cilantro - some people think the seeds (coriander) smells similar to cilantro (the leaves) but a bit more citrusy. I personally didn't smell anything close to cilantro in this, but it may have just been so subtle that it blended in with the lemongrass. The lemongrass is a very refreshing lemon, and has that "green" quality to it, it does not Smell like Lemon pledge. (at least, not in my opinion!) Id rate this one: 4/5 (I personally love foodie scents, and the white chocolate note is good enough to EAT!)
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Milk Chocolate with Macadamia Nut, Coconut, Buttom Mushroom, and Marshmallow
Gwydion posted a topic in Lupercalia
MILK CHOCOLATE WITH MACADAMIA NUT, COCONUT, BUTTOM MUSHROOM, AND MARSHMALLOW In bottle: Coconut dominant with strong chocolate and marshmallow support. The mushroom is a sharp, strong, slightly acrid, and savory counterpoint to the sweetness. The nuts are understated but pleasant. Wet: More chocolate on the skin. Chocolate dominant with strong coconut and marshmallow support, with the coconut stronger than the marshmallow. The mushroom stays strong and honestly a bit disturbing. The nuts are still soft, but a bit stronger on the skin and supporting the sweeter elements. I’m not sure I like this as the mushrooms are a bit finger nails on chalk board for me, though as the scent wears, they settle down and start playing with the other elements instead of fighting them. Dry: Mostly coconut, with some marshmallow and the mushroom threaded through. The milk chocolate haunts the scent. It really is pretty, but I’d have liked it better without mushroom. -
DARK CHOCOLATE WITH TULSI, TUMERIC, AND WHITE GINGER In bottle: The dominant dark chocolate note works beautifully with the ginger and tumeric. Tumeric is a fairly gentle scent on it’s own, and here it works as a support and to aid blending just as the spice does in cooking. Tulsi is a strong counterpoint to the chocolate, giving a savory touch to a sweet blend. Wet: The basil scent of the tulsi really comes out on the skin, strong, fresh, green, delicious. It’s still chocolate dominant, but the tulsi is almost as strong as the ginger, assertive and unusual. I’m loving the way the sweet and savory blend and the creativity it took to even think of this combination blows me away. Dry: Mostly ginger and tulsi, with the chocolate and tumeric haunting it. I’d call the ginger dominent. It turns out ginger and tulsi is lovely. Who knew?
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Dark Chocolate with Sun-Dried Tomato, Pink Peppercorn, Thyme and Comfrey
Gwydion posted a topic in Lupercalia
DARK CHOCOLATE WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO, PINK PEPPERCORN, THYME, AND COMFREY In bottle: Sweet dark chocolate dominant. Comfrey turns out to go beautifully with chocolate. The sun dried tomato gives a soft, unexpected tang to the chocolate. The pepper gives it a hint of edge. Thyme is extremely understated. Really, this seems to be about giving more support and complexity to the chocolate than showing off the other notes. Wet: The comfrey is stronger on the skin, almost coequal with the rich dark chocolate. It’s a lovely effect. The peppercorn and thyme separate out a little, but play well with the dominant scents. The thyme brings a little more of the tomato out as it emerges, making it a touch more savory on the skin than in the bottle. The result is quite lovely and unusual. I love the way the sweet and savory work together, and can only marvel at the cleverness of the brain who thought to combine these scents, not usually associated. Dry: The dark chocolate fades to a ghost haunting the comfrey. The thyme fades back to just present, and I can’t find the tomato at all. Comfrey turns out to make a nice enough scent by itself, but this is not as exciting as it was wet. -
An exercise is unabashed sensuality: cacao absolute and a hint of oude. Mmmmm. This smells the same as the bath oil to my nose. Reminds me of the boxed brownie batter out of the bottle. I rubbed it into my skin on my hand and want to lick my hand so badly. It smells like just baked brownies when it went on my skin. Yes, there's a bit of a difference between batter and baked to me. Already think I need MORE! It's making me want to make brownies.
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L'EAU DE LA FOLIE Cacao, frankincense, gurjum balsam, red tea, vetiver, and myrrh. The strongest notes I'm getting from this bath oil are balsam, vetiver and red tea. Frankincense and myrrh are light, and I'm getting almost no cacao although there is a soft sweetness to this. Not candy-like, but a sweet musk. I wish this was the perfume--it's gorgeous. Layered with the perfume though, it becomes a deeper chocolate sweet resin with a bit of spice. Both the oil and perfume complement each other very well.
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Mulberry leaf, juniper berries, cypress, Himalayan cedar, neroli, night-blooming jasmine, galbanum, and wisteria. This scent is primarily juniper berry. That said I can easily pick out most of the other notes listed. A good amount of cedar is noticeable, and the juniper/cedar blends really well with the neroli and jasmine. Its definitely not a floral blend, but the slight pungency of the juniper berry does meld with the heady qualities of them both. I also get a touch of wisteria that adds a nice subtle coolness and freshens the other peppery woody heady notes. It is nice, but a bit too medicinal for this gourmand lover.
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Blood orange, ylang ylang, red musk, jasmine, and mimosa. This stuff is da bomb! I have been using this since I got it last Thursday and I can safely say this bottle will be gone soon, so I need to order more asap! Initially I get the orange with the jasmine/ylang combo giving it a slightly heady floral feel. The red musk is lurking in the background at first. On drydown (on my sheets and blankets), the red musk is the star! Slightly dirty but warm and glorious. I literally grin ear to ear when smelling this! This combo is just fantastic. Very sexy! (a perfume version of this would be great! *hint hint*) =)
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Dost thou wonder that I flew Charm’d to meet my Leila’s view? Dost thou wonder that I hung Raptur’d on my Leila’s tongue?— If her ghost’s funereal screech Thro’ the earth my grave should reach, On that voice I lov’d so well My transported ghost would dwell: If in death I can descry Where my Leila’s relics lie, Saher’s dust will flit away, There to join his Leila’s clay. - Abu Sahet Alhedhily Plum musk, ambergris accord, matcha tea, oakmoss, patchouli, violet leaf, and cypress. This scent went from dark, bitter wood to bright lemons in less than five minutes on my skin. My chemistry does seem to amplify anything remotely related to the lemon family, in this case I'm guessing it must be the matcha tea. In the end it smells like a mix of very gentle musk and lemon/verbena. Not at all what I expected from sniffing the decant!
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L'EAU DU CHAGRIN French Lavender, rose geranium, white rose, vanilla orchid, benzoin, and carrot seed. You know... I never keep a bath oil when I order inquisitions....but with this stuff this I think I will be making an exception. Lavender and rose geranium are the two strongest notes. The vanilla orchid barely makes an appearance but it does briefly waft in and out. This is so relaxing and calming. I think I will keep this and use this as a sleep aid b/c the lavender and geranium smell completely amazing. It's also soft without being harsh and intrusive. This truly is an amazing scent.
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An exercise is unabashed sensuality: cacao absolute and a hint of oude. Just tested this in the bath! In the bottle, it smells like rich dark chocolate In the bath once diluted a bit, it smells like straight up Brownie Batter! I want to eat it! I also rubbed a bit on my skin before getting out of the bath, and it smells on the skin, like a creamier chocolate...this is SO GOOD. All three bath oils I bought from the lupers were a complete WIN!
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L'ESSENCE DU CHAGRIN White chypre, French lavender, rose geranium, opopponax, Peru balsam, bois de rose, lime, and vanilla absolute. This is the one of the five that I was least sure about, but the note combination intrigued me enough to take a chance- let's see how it is! In the Bottle: The lavender is of the 19th Century Men's Cologne variety. Very dapper. In the bottle, this is the dominant note. So much so, that I don't smell anything else. Wet On Skin: the Rose Geranium is starting to show itself now. It's interesting- this is shaping up to be *very* floral, but it definitely reads to my nose as masculine. I'm curious to see what shifts happen next! Dry Down: This is *really* interesting. I feel like this scent has two levels going on, neither of which have ANY thing to do with the other. On the top more obvious level, there's the gentlemen's floral- here is where the lavender, geranium, bois de rose and chypre reside. But then there's this *under* current, and it's the rich sweet balsam, vanilla and opopponax live, and that under current creates the experience- I kid you not - of standing in an English garden with the smell of pancakes wafting in from the neighbor's kitchen. In All: Low to moderate throw, too light for the end of winter, but I anticipate it being a nice daytime scent for early to mid spring. I also plan on having my bf wear this scent, as I have a feeling I'll like it more on him than on myself. A nice counter point to the rest of the series.
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L'EAU DE LA PASSION Carnation, orange blossom honey, myrrh, and neroli. Huh. I expected this to be a honeyed carnation with myrrh, but it's like a really dirty-beeswaxy & sour floral. I'm not really used to neroli, so maybe that's what's going wrong here? I keep smelling it and I want to like it, but I can't. Something is just really not working on my skin at all and I'm thinking it's the neroli and I hate to give bad reviews but this is making me nauseated. Sorry. eta...I tried layering it with the perfume oil like OctoberGwen did, and it's slightly better. I noticed the funky flower kept fighting to get out still...
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L’Essence du Cœur Libéré des Ténèbres Extrait
Gold Dust Kitten posted a topic in Black Phoenix Trading Post
L'essence du Cœur Libéré des Ténèbres Extrait Sweet vanilla orchid, red sandalwood, and ylang ylang emerging from a dark shroud of fossilized amber, East Indian black patchouli, black pomegranate, guaiac wood, Peru balsam, and oudh. This is my first time testing an extrait. The first spray was a shock because I smelled a blast of alcohol. It burned off after a couple seconds and left the scent of fresh woods, balsam, and ylang ylang. Further drying revealed sweet orchid and fleeting pomegranate. As it dried completely, the sandalwood, amber and patchouli base notes shine through. The end result is a sweet, woody patchouli on my skin. This is exquisite! -
Deceptively sweet: bourbon vanilla oleoresin and benzoin resinoid. This is a gorgeous bourbon vanilla, with, like the bath oil, has some sort of sarsaparilla, but not wintergreen at all, smell to it - it must be the other notes I am not familiar with in this base. Either way, it's not sickeningly sweet or uber vanilla, but a pleasant almost earthy vanilla (?) Very different and very pretty. Way to go lab.ETA:I hope this can resurface one of these days? It's all gone and I miss it!
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Egyptian musk, Ceylon cinnamon, cassia, and bourbon vanilla. I hadn't bought an atmo spray in a while so I figured I was due one. This smells great! The cinnamon is of the foody/bake style variety to my nose, not candle store smelling, it's strong but good, and I am not the biggest cinnamon fan. Spraying this makes me think of snickerdoodle cookies. In fact I am dying for one now. The musk is very behind the scenes in this, for those who may be wondering, at least in my bottle.
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L'EAU DE L'ENGOUEMENT Pink strawberries, sugar cane, and candy floss. This smelled very high end the moment it hit the tub - I've never smelled Jo Malone bath oils, but I know they are pricey, and if you put this in a Jo Malone bottle, I'd believe it was theirs, just from what I have read about them. This is just....luxurious. It's sweet strawberry candy scent with an expensive underlying perfume essence to it, and best of all, it lingers on the skin, which many softer scents don't do on me. This is not a generic cotton candy smell or synthetic strawberry - this is upscale, baby. Love! ETA: I have almost used this all up. I have never used up a whole bottle of bath oil, or even made a dent in one like I did with this. Off to DISOs I go! Love this bath oil!!!!!!!!!! I have been mixing it with Moonalisa's Snow Ice bath brew and it's an awesome cocktail.
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L'ESSENCE DE LA PASSION Red musk, carnation, myrrh, and honey. In the Bottle: Myrrh & red musk - with a touch of carnations. On my Skin, Wet: The Myrrh blossoms with a center of red musk. There is also a prominent honey note in this stage...like carnation infused honey. On my Skin, Dry: A very nice balance of red musk & Myrrh. The carnation infused honey adds a touch of flirtyness to this sensual blend Verdict: this is a lovely blend indeed. very well balanced and with just the right amount of youthful girly-ness to an otherwise womanly scent.
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L'ESSENCE DE L'ENGOUEMENT French vanilla, pink candies, strawberry sugar, and orange blossom. This is everything I had wanted and expected Celeste to be! First applied it's all sweet, pink, gentle strawberry sugar (and not fake smelling to me at all)! The orange blossom is fairly strong and has an odd, tiny sourish note but somehow, it works on me and I keep sniffing my wrists. I can detect the vanilla, faint, but it's there. I really like this, and depending on the staying power, I may consider an additional bottle.
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Deceptively sweet: bourbon vanilla oleoresin and benzoin resinoid. I tested this one out in the shower, and I'm in LOVE! In the bottle, It didn't seem very strong, almost like I could barely smell it. In the shower, I poured a little in my hand to rub in on my skin, and I could smell the sweet rich vanilla! It's not a buttery vanilla, it's a gourmand, grown up vanilla. On my skin, (not sure if this is just my skin chemistry) but there is almost the slightest undertone of sassafrass! It's absolutely DIVINE!
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L'EAU DE L'ARDEUR French vanilla, tea rose, champaca flower, and white chocolate. Got this today! and OH. MY. GOD is this gorgeous. This smells exactly like how I imagined (hoped) it would smell! In the bottle, it smells like creamy white chocolate covered roses...I almost wanted to eat it! as it diluted in the bath, this still smelled creamy, and like roses, but not overbearing roses...gentle, very subtle roses. and every now and again, a whiff of creamy white chocolate. The image this evokes in my mind is soaking in a large Victorian bathroom, with cherub statues all around - it truly is the essence of Love! I think I need a gallon of this!!!
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Crisp ozone-tinged snow, muguet, white moss, sandalwood musk, white amber, honeysuckle, and white pear. Alrighty, so: I will admit that a large part of me getting a bottle of this untested/unreviewed was that I adored the art. I do love all of the notes listed, but I had no idea what I actually wanted this to smell like. This review is mainly of my second test, done after roughly a week of bottle-settling. Wet this is ozone, and a lot of it. But, the florals, and amber make it sweeter and warmer. The sandalwood makes it a little spicy/musky. It's fresh smelling, but not in-your-face bright. After a bit of drying, the ozone fades a lot, although it is still present. It adds a "fizzy" quality to the blend. The scent is definitely cool, but it's not frosty in the way that I associate with "snow" scents. More like a brisk wind than a snow storm. I can smell the sweetness and floral aspect, but the musk and the amber keep it from being too ephemeral. It has a depth. I don't think any note really stands out once it's dry. I've tried this a couple times now and my general impression is a very fresh, feminine scent with a hint of sophisticated sexiness. On my skin, it gets warmer/skin-musky after a while. In my hair, it has a very green tinge, like fresh-cut stems. It lasts about average, which is more than I can say for most ozone-scents. If you're afraid of the florals: I don't find them to be a huge component, but they are present. If you like the lab's ozone perfumes and are looking for an unusual take on that - or even one with more lasting power - I really suggest this blend. As far as it being a spring scent, it's very evocative of the beginning of spring when the ground isn't quite thawed yet, but the plants are starting to revive. Because of the sandalwood and amber, I think this will age into something really regal and sexy. I wouldn't have sought this scent out on my own based on its notes, but I am very glad to have it. One of the reasons I love the Lab is that their descriptions/imagery for their perfumes get me to try things I never would have otherwise. 4/5 in for my tastes, and 5/5 for being exactly what it should be. (Update: Feb 2015: Still adore this. One of my go-to scents when I wanna smell sweet, but not like a little girl. Probably like it even more now than I did then, heh.)
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L'ESSENCE DE L'ARDEUR Centifolia rose absolute, tea rose, bourbon vanilla, bittersweet chocolate, champaca resinoid, myrrh, nutmeg, pomegranate, and benzoin. In the bottle: dark chocolate, rich vanilla, rose, and nutmeg are what I smell. Once this hits my skin I pick up the benzoin and champaca and a zingy pomegranate! This is one of those oils where every note listed makes an appearance at some point...it's incredibly rich and heady, but not overwhelming at all. The drydown is primarily pomegranate and nutmeg and myrrh...really nice, although I wish that gorgeous chocolate note had lingered a little more. There's still a little rose floating on top of it all. This is *really* gorgeous and decadent--I'm glad I took a chance on this one.
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You meaner beauties of the night, That poorly satisfy our eyes More by your number than your light, You common people of the skies; What are you when the moon shall rise? You curious chanters of the wood, That warble forth Dame Nature’s lays, Thinking your passions understood By your weak accents; what’s your praise When Philomel her voice shall raise? You violets that first appear, By your purple mantles known Like the proud virgins of the year, As if the spring were all your own; What are you when the rose is blown? So, when my mistress shall be seen In form and beauty of her mind, By virtue first, then choice, a Queen, Tell me, if she were not design’d Th’eclipse and glory of her kind? - Sir Henry Wotton Incomparable loveliness: the perfect rose oude. Elizabeth of Bohemia is kind of what I was wanting out of The Rose -- it's a little dark, a little playful, and pure rose beauty. It stays close to the skin (at least on me) and smells so amazingly like both dried and fresh roses at the same time. Wet is where it's really a playful, dewy scent, and as it dries the more mature, slightly dark air emerges. Three hours and it's still just as gorgeous as when I first put it on. I really adore this and could see it being worn any time of the year. While I still like The Rose very much, this one makes me think of red and white roses all woven into Elizabeth's hair like a queen's crown. If you're a rose lover, this one really delivers.
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Black tea, mango blossom, wolfberry, oakmoss, and star anise. This opens up wet with strong black tea and little else on me. After half an hour it starts to mellow out and some of the other notes start blending together and making themselves known a little more. Wolfberry is another name for goji berry and adds a little minor spice to this this as does the star anise, but not licorice per se. An Omen of Good Fortune is very light, not cloying at all and the drydown is woody, fresh, slightly sweet and soft.