Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2013'.
Found 66 results
-
FEED ME AND FILL ME WITH PLEASURE For my heart too springs up at the pressure, Mine eyelids too moisten and burn; Ah, feed me and fill me with pleasure, Ere pain come in turn. Black patchouli, honey, and thick vanilla amber. Oh gosh, first review! No pressure here! I received this in the mail today, along with a plethora of other bottles, and had to test it immediately. Out of the bottle it's hard to pick up notes. It's been a little chilly, and the bottle was definitely *cold*, so I couldn't pick out any notes. I'll admit I was a little afraid: most of this year's Lupers (my first Lupercalia) have been a miss for me, so I took a chance ordering a bottle of this unsniffed. I'm so glad I did. Applied & drying it's still very light. I get something that reminds me vaguely of the Antikythera Mechanism, and instantly think "tobacco" ... except I know there's no tobacco in this. Looking over the scent notes, I suspect it's the vanilla amber / black vanilla. After an hour or so, I can't stop sniffing my wrist. It's a mix of woodsy, earthy resin with the sweet of the vanilla. The vanilla definitely warms up, perhaps sweetened by the honey. It's a very sexy, yet very soothing scent. I'm definitely going to have to get at least a second bottle. ETA: Seriously, if this wrist-sniffing keeps up, I'm going to have to have my wrist surgically removed from my nostrils.
-
Coconut, balsam, lemongrass, anise, vanilla orchid, mimosa. In bottles: This is really different. The coconut and balsam combine worth the lemongrass to create an effect I’m having trouble describing. It’s sort of tart and warm and toasty at the same time. The orchids and mimosa form a second strong faction, which goes really well with the balsam, which ties the factions together. The anise is soft and fun with the lemongrass. Wet: Lemongrass is now strongest, as my skin amps it. It is too strong really, though the coconut, balsam, and anise, try hard to hold firm. The flowers fade into a soft fuzzy background. It’s not bad even still, but there’s just too much lemongrass with my chemistry. Dry: Very pretty on the dry down. The lemongrass stays strongest, but calms down. Balsam is a strong second, with a touch of coconut and a kiss of florals.
-
Dark Chocolate with Wormwood, Fennel, Sweet Flag, and Lemon Verbena, Dusted with White Sugar whee! wow, my decant is mostly chocolate sludge love it! very hard to mix though. initially, there is a blast of chocolate, followed by a whiff of lemon and the slight hint of licorice. dry down seems to be a slightly smokey chocolate that's been kissed by sugar. pretty good, actually -
Orris root, rice paper, red chypre, Siamese benzoin, Moroccan jasmine. Wet, Intercourse Through Folding Screen starts with a creamy vanilla from the Siamese benzoin (yum!), but this is short-lived as the dry chypre notes push through. Orris is non-existent, which is fine since it has dominated other blends I've tried (I'm looking at you, Roses Pearls and Diamonds). As it dries the rice paper wraps itself around the blend with a soft-and-subtle powdery dryness that I often find in asian scents, accentuated the whole time with jasmine. Eventually the chypre fades into the background and I'm left with soft vanilla-tinged jasmine powder. Overall it's a clean powdery scent, but not baby powdery in the least bit...more like some expensive body powder you'd pick up in Kyoto made of crushed pearls. Since I know a lot of forumites are jasmine-averse, I'd categorize the jasmine in this as the sharper, greener, "cleaner" type--I recognize this note from Salome. Unfortunately it's not my favorite type of jasmine, as I like my jasmine borderline poopy ( ). We'll see what the blend's like in a couple of months, but as of now it's a scent I'd rather dust on me as a powder than wear as a skin oil. EDIT: After a few more weeks of aging the powdery elements have softened and deepened significantly. There's still powder, as Intercourse Through Folding Screen has the dry elements coming from the chypre and rice paper, but it the benzoin is much more prominent now and gives the blend a creamier feel. It's definitely more like a high-end body powder that just melts against your body heat, and the crushed pearls description I gave before is much more apt. I get hints of jasmine here and there but all sharpness is GONE. It's so well blended with the rest of the elements now that it doesn't particularly stand out but you know it's there. The blend stays pretty true wet through (long now!) drydown, and I even got a "mmm, you smell nice" from Mr. Elf. I'll be keeping my bottle, and definitely recommend at least trying this even if you're jasmine-averse.
-
Amber, bergamot, champaca flower, centifolia rose absolute, tolu balsam. I am not very good with the notes and I haven't really spent today trying to tease out the wet, dry, deep dry down that I do when I plan on reviewing but I cannot resist starting Gorgeous. I put it on and I felt that it was a bit sharp to begin. Honestly I was a wee bit underwhelmed. The bergamot was really strong I guess and there was something oddly plastic about it BUT THEN and isn't there almost always a But Then? I am sitting there minding my own business and my daughter says mom you smell really really good. To which I respond hmmm still trying to decide if I like it which causes an I'll take it. uhhhhh Shunga Then the Husband comments about how pretty and feminine it is and how much he likes it. So .. I bring my wrist up to huff and I get a very feminine slightly spicy scent but no clear rose, amber, champaca or bergamot. VERY well blended to present a delicate lushness~ does that sound contrary? Well it is gentle and sensual and warm and rich and creamy and all those other things I look for. I tend not to smell a lot of stuff after I wear them for a while cus they blend in with me but judging on comments it has decent throw. I think I need another bottle crossposting this to ravelry
-
A haven of warmth glowing within tumultuous darkness: rose-infused amber, copal, and blood lily surrounded by labdanum, opoponax, and myrrh, and splashed by ozone and rain. I took a big risk on this, because it has a few death notes, such as 'rose infused amber,' yet has a few intriguing aspects like the combination of the promise of aquatics with warm resins. This is a very weird, yet interesting oil! This is a rich, deep orange/reddish oil and quite thick. From the bottle I'm getting tons of the resins - amber, copal, labdanum. Definitely getting tons of that costus note, it smells almost like some of dilute single labdanum I have at home for massage purposes. There's a dirty note of myrrh here that lends the true 'darkness' (wow!). Through this very murky blend of resins, the lily and rose are peeking through. Both of these flowers are the kind that would cut you, watch as you bled out, and then step over you, clove cigarette in one hand, martini in the other, and then laugh. Although neither is really dominant, you can tell that they are hanging out in the background, a little bit of burgundy and small flashes of crimson. It's a little confusing because the airy top note of both that may be 'dewy' actually may be the 'splash' of rain and ozone note. This is definitely not an airy, breezy ozone by any means. The drydown is super weird. It's not really 'pleasant' by the standard definition of the word, but for a person who loves bizarre scents, it's mostly a sweet resin with menacing florals. It's more biting than Cathedral, yet I get a hint of the 'church incense' from this. Over time there's a little bit of rain, a hint of storm in the background. I'm not sure I will need more than one bottle as this is really, really strong.
-
Ambergris accord, kelp, pale oakmoss, sea buckthorn berry, mugwort, petitgrain, frankincense, and salt. In the bottle, it smells like salt and sea air, definitely less ozonic and 'breeze' and more of the sandy/salty ocean scent. I've got high hopes. I love aquatics! Especially when they are CRAB PEOPLE. On, wet, it really morphs, I still get the salty quality but there's definitely a strong petitgrain scent - I can pull that note, stems, leaves, twigs and all, to the forefront. The kelp then steps in to add a very slightly fishy quality (Kani? Kani??? I love yoooooo), and now, mysteriously, it smells a little like those imitation crab sticks. Or maybe that's my brain. I don't know. After a little bit the cologney ambergris accord sidles up the front going 'HI I'M A WHALE. WHO DIS CRAB.' And... over a little more time, the whale and crab accords kinda hit it off, so I'm left with a very watery, extremely oceanic, breezy citrus tree/plant scent. I think, like salty petitgrain made of oranges. In time, the resins (frank) and smokey scent (mugwort) make this a little stormy. This is not a replacement for my much missed Kingsport, but it's a good, roiling oceanic marine that doesn't depend upon florals or lily to make it fresh. Do not use if you don't like petitgrain, because yup, it's a strong dominant note! After a few hours, this dries down to a mysterious salty cologne. Not a sweet or heady perfume drydown, salt salt salt. Very nice, if you're a marine aquatics fan.
-
Mayan Chocolate with Annatto Seed, Anaheim Pepper, Cinnamon, and Vanilla Bean
DJ Sin posted a topic in Lupercalia
First scent in the bottle: Holy cow this is chocolate! Wet on the skin: still very much chocolate with the annatto seed coming out Dry: the vanilla bean comes out and marries with the chocolate. I get a slight swiff of the cinnamon and anaheim pepper. Its very strong and I posted this on my fb tonight "I smell like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory! I think I want to age this one a bit and I think it will layer nicely with Snake Oil. I shall call the marriage of the two Mayan Snake Bite! -
Milk accord, tuberose, oakmoss, Asian pear, opoponax, and carrot seed. High pressure, not just because I'm the first to review but because this is such a complicated symphony of smells. From the bottle, this smells vegetal and medicinal. I wasn't sure what to expect from this and I'm not exactly feeling great about my purchase. On application, this is just shrieking, high, herbal weirdness (in fairness, it was literally delivered a half hour before wearing). I want it OFF. BUT THEN..... The pear comes into play. Not a juicy, sweet pear, more like the smell through the skin of the pear before you take the first bite. And the IDEA of milk. The opoponax then comes to the forefront as a sharp, myrrh-like incense. This smells expensive, like vintage Cartier. Everything quiets down and becomes smooth, sweet and resiny. It's gorgeous and I think it will age beautifully. So if you've ordered this don't freak out when you open the bottle and first put it on. Your patience will be richly rewarded. Lovely, unexpected, and I'm very happy to have added this to my bpal menagerie.
-
Mandarin, lime, red currant, black tea, ginger. Pretty and fruity in the bottle. Bland and fruity on my skin...almost like shampoo. Rats! I'm sure this will be really nice on the right person.
-
Three brown musks, galbnum, saffron, golden honey, myrrh, cumin, and patchouli. Funny mental association with this one. You know magazine ads where you can tell some hoity toity photographer wanted to do an "edgy" photoshoot, and so there are all these "muddy" supermodels in varying states of disarray despite their chic dresses and suits? Their perfectly coiffed hair is just so slightly out of place and they have "dirt" smeared on their faces? Yeah. This is like that. It's an eye roll and a, "There's no way these high class people were sweating or uncomfortable in the slightest." This is definitely heavy on the musk. I imagine a lot of people will think of cologne because of that. But, behind it, there's a zap of green from the galbanum, a full sweetness from the honey and bite of woods from the patch. The combo of honey and woodsiness almost makes me think of chocolate, in fact... and this comes out more and more as the musk calms down. This is in your face, but simultaneously "fancy." Like a spoiled rich boy trying to be intimidating but failing miserably because there's not a thread out of place on his tailored suit. You kind of just want to pinch his cheeks. I like it.
-
Infinite kisses: white honey, red currant, sugar cane, and ginger. In the bottle: Red currants and sweet (not spicy) ginger. Uh-oh. I really wanted the honey to dominate this. Wet: Oh, that's different! Something tree-sap like takes the forefront, probably a mix of the sugar cane and ginger. It smells like vines to me, green and leafy and sappy. The honey is just barely there right now, and I don't get any currant at all. Dry: Once it settles in, it blooms gorgeously on my skin. The ginger takes a back seat to the honey and currants. The sugar cane is definitely present, but there's also a mild waxiness from the honey -- not as waxy as the usual beeswax note, but definitely there. This is a subtle scent but it wafts around me gently. It fades pretty quickly, but I find a lot of scents do when they're brand new. If this is like other honey scents I have, it'll have a lot more lasting power once it's aged a month or so. Summary: Not as fruity as I thought it would be when I sniffed it in the bottle. The final scent is a soft, fruity-floral honey with just a tang of green sap to it. If it were a color, it would be the translucent green-champagne-pink of ripening pink currants. It's gorgeous!
-
Hemp, white honey, amber, black currant, beeswax, and wild honeysuckle. The hemp seems to leap out with a leafy green kick from the bottle and for the first few minutes after it's on my skin. As the oil begins to dry, I start to feel that A Mirror of Spring Pleasures on Kites could be a greener cousin to last year's Entangled, which is a favourite of mine. I don't really know where the similarity lies; maybe the honey? For the first five to ten minutes, the hemp makes me think of salad, but it's oddly not off-putting. That stage gives way to a creamier green scent as the honey, beeswax, honeysuckle, and just the faintest hint of amber emerge. Then the late arrival, black currant, slides in like a whisper after it's dry to mingle with the creamy notes. I probably need to let this rest, as it only came in the mail today. So far I do like it and can see myself wearing it when I need something subtle. ETA: I've worn it a few more times now and I really like it. Hemp is still the most prominent note on me, but it's already mellowed (I no longer think of salad while it's drying). The scent lasts all day and it's very much a springy fragrance that I think will appeal to people who like Entangled.
-
Okay, to start out with I love BPAL's white chocolate note as it tends to be the one that goes least wonky on my skin and stays true to form. That said, I cannot smell much of the white chocolate at all! This is sharp green in the bottle and citrusy mate on the skin with just a hint of hazelnut and banana cream. After it dries down a bit, the mate lessens and I can start to smell a somewhat creamy chocolate, but it's not prevelant. At least fresh, this is not a very foody scent, so if you're worried about smelling like chocolate or bananas, I think you're safe here. There is also not a lot of throw, but I should mention that my skin tends to eat scents. All in all I'm curious to see how it ages and if it'll get more foody and less mate-y.
-
Bourbon vanilla, custard accord, white rose, cocoa absolute, oudh, lemon blossom, and skin musk. Head's up, everyone! Delight & Consternation is one of those BPAL oils with chocolate sludge, so be sure to mix and roll well! The sludge is not a huge percentage of the blend (like Boomslang), just a couple of millimeters at the bottom of the bottle. But it will smell different if you don't mix properly. So... I love this. Immediately. The chocolate note is dry bittersweet cocoa powder with a hint of aged woodiness, maybe from the oudh. The balmy lemon blossom (very subtle-- creamy and fresh, but not strongly citrusy) blends well with the custard to make a kind of faint, mellow lemon curd impression. It reminds me a little of the custard/orange/floral thing going on in Huesos de Santo, though more gentle. But this is all clean and distinct from the cocoa somehow: they don't clash at all. The white rose takes several minutes to make an appearance, and it's a soft, almost honeyed rose. The skin musk and vanilla are both very lacy and delicate and stay in the background. It's an unexpected combination of notes, but they are incredibly complementary. Delight & Consternation stays pretty close to the skin. It's not exactly foody or even overly sweet despite having several gourmand notes. The oudh and musk keep it grounded and give it a hint of sexiness. It's very unique, and I'm so glad I bought a bottle! ETA: Okay, I see the cocoa sludge is not universal! Mine is very noticeable. When I overturn the bottle, it cascades down the sides, leaving streaks and globules floating around like a lava lamp. When I roll the bottle for awhile to mix it, it gets cloudy enough that light doesn't shine through. It will be interesting to see how everyone's individual bottles vary.
-
The First Love: Moroccan rose, white fig, honey, hay absolute, vanilla, chamomile, white musk, pomegranate juice, and morning dew. I'm not the best about picking out individual notes or even describing scents very well, but I will say that this stuff is absolutely heavenly. I can definitely smell the rose, but it does not completely overwhelm. It's also fruity, I can smell the pomegranate. I don't usually like fruity scents so don't let that scare you away. There is something... natural in there too. I don't know if it's the hay or what but it makes this scent not at all "perfumey" and very organic. Ok, enough technical stuff... on to the gushing! I can't stop huffing my wrists. I love this scent with a passion. Eve, to Adam in Paradise is the perfect name for it because like the Garden of Eden it is beautiful and perfect. I have been hoarding rose scents and this is right up there with my favorites. I can see someone who doesn't usually go for rose scents loving this one too though. Seriously, get it while you can people.
-
Sweet honey, white apricot, and a touch of cayenne pepper. Thoughts before testing: This was an instant unsniffed bottle purchase. I absolutely adore each of the three notes listed, but I am slightly concerned that the "touch" of cayenne won't be enough to cut the super sweetness of honey and apricot. Wet: Oh my god. This is fabulous. It's very much like March Hare, minus the sweet clove and plus the spiciness of cayenne. March Hare is one of my all-time top 10 blends, but at first sniff, I like this better. The cayenne pepper is more interesting than the sweet clove, and I think the addition of the honey is making this more unique. The honey and apricot aren't cloyingly sweet, and they're balanced nicely by the spice of the pepper. Dry down: The sweetness has backed off considerably and now it's a nice spicy/sweet scent. It's harder to pick out each individual note, but this is really beautiful. Dry: The beautiful spicy and sweet melding has stayed consistent from the dry down to several hours into the wear time. Final thoughts: So. Much. LOVE. Seriously. This wore for about 5 hours before I needed to really try and smell it. The throw is decent, but definitely not overpowering. I just don't even have enough words for how much I love this blend. I love that it's not a typical "fruity" perfume; it smells much more sophisticated and interesting to my nose, and I can't recommend it highly enough! Verdict: Hoarding
-
Sandalwood, plum, white mint, and agarwood. oh god. it is SO GOOD. this is SO GOOD. in the bottle: nondescript sandalwood with...something behind it. the oudh? it didn't smell exciting in the bottle. wet on my skin: MINT! with a backdrop of sandalwood. spicy and woodsy. dry on my skin: just delicious. spicy and sophisticated with just a hint of sweetness. what an unexpected and beautiful mix of scents. i foresee several bottles of this in my future.
-
Hinoki wood, ho wood, white clove, and suminagashi maple leaf. in the bottle: whoa UBERGREEN! it's like someone sliced a tiny branch of a tree open with a pocket knife and let the watery sap drip out. freshly cut grass! dandelion stems! green green green! wet on my skin: more green! it is being grounded a tiny bit by what i assume are the woods and there is a TINY bit of spice from the clove...but boy, this is mostly just bright, fresh green to me. dry on my skin: the clove is coming forward a bit now and the greenness of the maple leaf has subsided enough for me to start getting whiffs of a nice, well-rounded spicy, green woodsy scent. unfortunately my skin seems to be having a bit of a reaction to this. it is absolutely lovely, but i'm not sure i will keep it around due to my skin being sensitive to it.
-
White amber, mimosa, orris root, osmanthus, labdanum, Siamese benzoin, and jasmine sambac. very white-smelling to me. a lovely, light, floating scent, with the jasmine leading the charge on my skin. this reminds me of easter, april showers and the first blooms of spring. it's absolutely lovely...even though i'm not a fan of florals, i may hang on to this one, as all these appear to play nicely on my skin. i would definitely wear this one on the occasion that i want a girly, floral scent. for me, it stays true from bottle to dry down.
-
Belgian Chocolate, Honey, Cubeb Berries, Black Mission Fig, and Avocado
VioletChaos posted a topic in Lupercalia
I am most intrigued by the inclusion of an avocado note in here- let's see how it goes! In The Bottle: I'm getting a tart citrus note here, and, mixed with the sweetness, is actually reminding me slightly of Christmas at my aunt and uncle's house as a kid, playing with my Strawberry Shortcake dolls. That's not to say this scent smells plasticky, because it doesn't. but there's just that amalgam of sweet and tart and warmth...it's off to a good start. Wet On Skin: The sharp citrus of what I can only imagine to be the cubeb berries is thoroughly embedded amidst the chocolate and the creaminess of the avocado. It's odd, but it's working. Dry Down: This is reminding me a bit of the Dark Chocolate, Chocomint and Lime of Box O' Chocolates Past. It's like this is that scent's 2nd cousin. I like both for their dark chocolate note that stays true, and for the odd tang that the other notes are lending to it. Low throw, this is a strange but likeable scent. It shall have a nice place amid my Chocolate Scent collection. -
Dark Chocolate with Merlot-Infused Black Cherries and Star Anise
VioletChaos posted a topic in Lupercalia
I'll open this review by saying I've not had much luck with cherry as a note in the past, but I'm always interested in giving iffy notes another chance, so here goes! In The Bottle: Yep, that's dark chocolate-covered boozy cherries, alright! Wet On Skin: The same notes, but toned down a bit. It still reads as foody, but not in the HAI CHOCO-LUSH! capacity it did before Dry Down: I think I'm getting the star anise now. It's not black-licorice variety, thank goodness, as that type just smells like NyQuil to me But this is adding something...woodsy to this mix. wet and also in the bottle it was just straight-up food all the way. But now the chocolate note AND the cherry have both mellowed, the wine note isn't amping on me the way it usually does, and the anise is grounding it, giving it all a nice base to drop anchor on. In All: A surprisingly understated offering from the Box o' Chocolates this year, this is a chocolate scent that's- dare I say it?- sophisticated. I just think I found my first cherry scent! -
Fossilized amber, juniper berry, wild musk, oudh, vetiver, white cedar, black currant, oakmoss, and leather. I want to preface this review by saying this has at least one death note for me and one or two other ones that can be kinda iffy, but I'm really intrigued by it all the same, so I'm going to be open-minded about this review and hope for the best. In the Bottle: Cedar, juniper, oakmoss and black currant. They all slip over each other, not actually mixing, but just taking turns at being the fore-front note. Wet On Skin: The cedar is still in the mix, though, to my relief, this variety is (so far) NOT becoming hamster cage on me- hurray! In fact, the white cedar and the amber are combining to make something very similar to the beautiful desert-sweetness of Tombstone. This is starting to really come together. Dry Down: This has turned into a slightly sweeter (because of a teeny, tiny bit of juniper coming through) version of Tombstone. Which is great, because I really appreciate the warmth of a good desert scent, and this will fill that space in my collection. In All: Low throw. A nice daytime scent that will bring a lovely warmth through the rest of the blustery winter months and then be welcome again come high summer.
-
A gentle musk suffused with red roses, neroli, Moroccan jasmine, tuberose, white tobacco, and bourbon vanilla. In the Bottle: I get soft, sweet rose, some of the tuberose and a bit of the bourbon vanilla. In the bottle like this, it smells like a cousin of my favorite atmosphere spray, Cathouse. I really hope that vibe persists! Wet On Skin: I'm not getting any of the jasmine, neroli or tobacco. However, the musk is starting to come through some and make this sweet floral even sweeter. Dry Down: Wow. This has gotten really interesting. There is somehow the same kind of candy-like sweetness that I get from Midwinter's Eve or Sugar Plum Fairy. I think it's the combination of the tuberose and the vanilla. I'm not much for florals, generally, I'm really picky about them- but this is really quite nice. In All: Medium throw, and rather aggressive for a floral, but the vanilla really pulls it together. If you are a fan of Cathouse Atmo Spray and you've been pining for a perfume to match, I would strongly recommend giving this a try.
-
Slender arrows lodged in my heart: red amber, benzoin, red musk, bourbon geranium, oak bark, Atlas cedar, and 13-year aged Sumatran patchouli. In The Bottle: The bourbon geranium is by far the most dominant note when opening the bottle. When I take a few additional sniffs, I also get a trace of the benzoin. but that geranium is hands-down the most dominant note. Wet On Skin: The germanium is still present but *much* less front and center. With this wet on my skin, I'm now also picking up the red amber and red musk (which are playing together in a really sexy way, and the patchouli, which is of the variety that has been in such favorites as Mme Moriarty Misfortune Teller and also Snake Charmer. Patchouli of the 'dirty hippy' variety this is not. Not a patchouli to fear, in other words. Dry Down: Very much the same as when still in the wet stage, and in the same proportions. In All: Medium to Strong throw, this scent has a deep, layered quality. There's a lot going on here, and because of the intensity of the individual notes, I really think this is one that will require some aging. That said, I'm *slightly* uncomfortable with how much geranium is coming through. However, I think there's a strong possibility, given the top-note quality of the geranium, that it'll fade further into the background, once it's had a chance to marinate further with the other notes. I'm really glad I have this bottle, but I think the one bottle will likely be enough. Still, I'm glad I have a few months to order a second, as that will give me a chance to see how this ages at least a little bit.
