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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2013'.
Found 66 results
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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.
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THE FROTH OF THE SERPENTS OF PLEASURE All thine the new wine of desire, The fruit of four lips as they clung Till the hair and the eyelids took fire, The foam of a serpentine tongue, The froth of the serpents of pleasure, More salt than the foam of the sea, Now felt as a flame, now at leisure As wine shed for me. Sweet red wine, oakmoss, ambergris accord, ylang ylang, and Spanish mandarin. This is so beautiful! It's smells like a really good sangria tastes. The wine is brightened by a citrus note, and it makes it really sweet. But this is still really rich and deep underneath the bright fruity notes. It's very well blended, because it never gets too fruit-punch smelling. I'm assuming that's due to the oakmoss and ambergris, but I can't really pick them out individually. Like all BPTP oils, this leaves my skin soft and sweet-smelling.
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QUICKEN THE SOUL THROUGH THE BLOOD Thou shalt touch and make redder his roses With juice not of fruit nor of bud; When the sense in the spirit reposes, Thou shalt quicken the soul through the blood. Thine, thine the one grace we implore is, Who would live and not languish or feign, O sleepless and deadly Dolores, Our Lady of Pain. Cacao, red patchouli, night-blooming jasmine, Roman chamomile, and white tea. This is so gorgeous! In the bottle I get cacao on the beginning of the inhale and red patchouli at the end of the inhale. Rubbed a drop between my fingers and it became a kaleidoscope of scents: cocoa, red patchouli, jasmine, chamomile-white tea. In the bath I mainly smelled jasmine-chamomile-white tea, while cacao and patchouli were off to the side. Very relaxing and pleasant. It kept reminding me of something I have had before, something from LUSH or L'Occitane. May have to order a backup bottle before this is gone!
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IN THE DARKNESS THEY MURMURED AND MINGLED And they laughed, changing hands in the measure, And they mixed and made peace after strife; Pain melted in tears, and was pleasure; Death tingled with blood, and was life. Like lovers they melted and tingled, In the dusk of thine innermost fane; In the darkness they murmured and mingled, Our Lady of Pain. Labdanum, black plum, black currant, violet, and champaca flower. Burns great, and has great throw cold, too. Smells like a brown-golden resin, and juicy, dark berries and plum. The violet is quite apparent and is adding a subtle powdery velvet scent. If I sniff hard enough, the champaca adds an incensy element to the entire thing. On fire, this is resin/fruit dominant, but you can still tell the violet is there. I love this! MOAR! ETA: My candle appears to be tunneling real bad - I did burn it out the first time, but maybe it's dense perfume oils? It has a good rim of 1 cm of wax all around and the wick is drowning / shrinking independently. Hrm.
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DRIED IS THE BLOOD OF THY LOVER What broke off the garlands that girt you? What sundered you spirit and clay? Weak sins yet alive are as virtue To the strength of the sins of that day. For dried is the blood of thy lover, Ipsithilla, contracted the vein; Cry aloud, “Will he rise and recover, Our Lady of Pain?” Dragon’s blood resin, myrrh, red musk, vetiver, black clove, and cassia. I've been wanting to try one of the BPTP candles for a while now. It has only recently been cold enough in my area to want to take a chance on having it delivered without finding a big blob o' wax in my metal mailbox. Wonky weather! Anyway, very pretty label and votive, smoked glass, and the candle is a nice, natural beige tone. The scent is VERY strong. If you're not a fan of burning candles, you could have this sitting in a room, and it would still pack a scent punch. It's strongest on the red musk and the dragon's blood, a very sweet, sharp, incensy fragrance. Burning it brings out a warmer, spicy note that doesn't really read as clove to me but also not generic spice cabinet. The heat lessens the overall sharpness of the musk and rounds out and balances the blend. I like it lit better than not and can still smell it when it's all the way across the room from me unlit. It burns smoothly and evenly. It's not creating a wax pit in the center of the candle. There is minimal smoke or soot from the wick and no funky scent after dousing. I rarely burn candles because I'm really picky about them and get a headache from most synthetic fragrance blends. Natural candles are often too weak to bother with. It's great to have an option that makes the room smell fantastic and that doesn't cause me problems. I don't think I'll need more than one at a time, but I can safely say I will buy more BPTP candles in the future.
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WHEN THY WILL STUNG THE WORLD INTO STRIFE Dost thou dream, in a respite of slumber, In a lull of the fires of thy life, Of the days without name, without number, When thy will stung the world into strife; When, a goddess, the pulse of thy passion Smote kings as they revelled in Rome; And they hailed thee re-risen, O Thalassian, Foam-white, from the foam? Dragon's blood resin, red ginger, bourbon geranium, thorny rosemary, red sandalwood, pink pepper, and green coffee bean. Herbal, spicy, dry. I forgot that this has geranium in it - which is an amping note. The geranium and rosemary together make this into a more 'therapeutic' smelling herbal blend. After it is on the skin for a little while, the pepper and ginger lend it a cool but spicy heat, which is a hint sweet. This does not have much 'coffee' note, nor is it a very strong dragon's blood. I think the sandalwood is grounding a few otherwise flighty, airy notes. I would say this is a scent that represents a 'sting' beautifully! I'm going to have to try it a few more times.
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THE THIRST OF UNBEARABLE THINGS By the hunger of change and emotion, By the thirst of unbearable things, By despair, the twin-born of devotion, By the pleasure that winces and stings, The delight that consumes the desire, The desire that outruns the delight, By the cruelty deaf as a fire And blind as the night, Lavender, white fig, and Atlas cedar. Unburned: Lavender! Lot’s of glorious lavender with fig for sweetness and cedar for backbone. It’s beautifully designed, perfectly blended. Burned: Perfection! Each of the elements separates more as it burns while still playing together beautifully. It’s still lavender dominant, woth a simpliar balance as it had unburned. The heat is only making it richer and better defined. I’m utterly happy with this and with it were general catalog.
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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.
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FIERCE MIDNIGHTS AND FAMISHING MORROWS Seven sorrows the priests give their Virgin; But thy sins, which are seventy times seven, Seven ages would fail thee to purge in, And then they would haunt thee in heaven: Fierce midnights and famishing morrows, And the loves that complete and control All the joys of the flesh, all the sorrows That wear out the soul. Black plum, wild lily, and tobacco. This is truly beautiful...the plum is dark but not "jammy" to me, the lily is deep yet pretty, the tobacco is faint but grounding. For some reason this smells really similar to oak leaves and kyphi to me which is the only reason i don't need a full bottle. Great stuff though! ETA: different enough for a full bottle...possibly two
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THERE YET SHALL BE SORROWS In yesterday’s reach and to-morrow’s, Out of sight though they lie of to-day, There have been and there yet shall be sorrows That smite not and bite not in play. The life and the love thou despisest, These hurt us indeed, and in vain, O wise among women, and wisest, Our Lady of Pain. White sandalwood, black cypress, wormwood, creeping willow, and rue. Unburned: The first impression is bitter wood. My note impressions are tentative, as I only know about half of the well enough to be sure of identification. Either the cypress or the willow or both are dominant. The wormwood and rue form a second strong faction. The sandalwood is soft, tying them together. Burned: Fairly delicate, slightly sweeter though still essentially a bitter wood. The wood mix shifts a little as the sandalwood comes out a little more, and if it was cypress dominant before, it’s now willow or vica versa. Meanwhile, the thing I suspect of being rue moves in front of the thing I’m pretty sure is wormwood, but it could be the opposite. It’s pretty, but I wish there were more throw.
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THE TWILIGHT WHERE VIRTUES ARE VICES In a twilight where virtues are vices, In thy chapels, unknown of the sun, To a tune that enthralls and entices, They were wed, and the twain were as one. For the tune from thine altar hath sounded Since God bade the world’s work begin, And the fume of thine incense abounded, To sweeten the sin. Honeysuckle, Moroccan jasmine, and opium smoke. I've had this candle sitting next to my seat on the sofa for a few days now, and let me tell you, it's a marvelous scent even w/o being burnt. The honeysuckle, Moroccan jasmine, and opium smoke just mingle and meld together in the most amazing fashion. So I burnt it for a while last night, and the living room's air had a lovely and delicate scent about it that wasn't too floral, but wasn't too "dirty" (that's the only word that can apply) either from the opium smoke. Just a wonderful blend. If this was a perfume oil, I'd happily wear it, but only when would be just me and the SO, maybe out dancing. It really evokes twilight time in some silken boudoir, before the lamps are lit, and when one has lazed about in bed all day.
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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.
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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
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KHAJURAHO The fabled Khajuraho temples of India are shrines of love in all its myriad forms. They are a celebration of love itself – transcendental, spiritual and erotic. This is a rejection of sorrow, spiritual ennui and despair. The sexual motifs that adorn the temples, and the temples themselves, are monuments to ecstasy and to passion, and through that, they are also monuments to spiritual fulfillment. It is believed that the realization of moksha by dedicating oneself to adhyatma and dharma can be attained only by first experiencing sexual satisfaction. In the midst of the drudgery and struggle that we sometimes endure during the course of our Earthly lives, it is vitally important that we remember the joy found in kama, and that in kama we can achieve transformation of the body and soul. This is a blissful, euphoric blend based on an ancient Indian love potion: honey, date palm, tuberose, davana blossom, amber, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, Damask rose, and champaca flower. This is one of my favourite candles to have next to me while taking a nice long soak in the bath. It has a light to medium throw that is comprised of mostly sweet honey with wafts of amber and sandalwood. Just like the scent description mentions, it does have a certain euphoria about it and dare I say, a sexual overtone. But don't be misled -- this is not a "one night quickie" type of scent or candle. Instead, it represents a long joyous celebration of love that allows true understanding the world and its beauty through both physical and spiritual journeys. It reminds us that we can become truly fulfilled even when the world seems to pull us down.
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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.
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THE LILIES AND LANGUORS OF VIRTUE Calla lilies and lily of the valley with white lilac, narcissus, osmanthus, asphodel, and Egyptian musk. Yowza! This is strong and very floral! I get tons of the lilies pushing to the surface, all like "DOOOOD WE ARE LILIES," and then the sharp, off skatole of lilac kicks in. After the immediately sharp parts of the floral, the airy asphodel and osmanthus + musk appears to provide an airy base that is very pretty. This smells remarkably airy and innocent. Like... in a wedding dress, or what a bouquet lying on the table smells like. It's strong, though, light, almost citrussy white floral.