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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2015'.
Found 76 results
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White rose marred by oakmoss, Spanish moss, slippery labdanum, and gurjum balsam. Another amazing rose scent from Beth! I usually do not like florals, and until last year I HATED all roses with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. But something happened and while decanting for others, I discovered a few rose scents that I not only can physically tolerate without nausea, but that I indeed enjoy LOL. This is another. I really dig moss and oak moss and they add a great non-quite green but real earthy vibe to the roses here. While there is no mistaking the rose in here, I think those who prefer rose to be dominated by other non-florals will enjoy this one.
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VENUS VICTRIX Venus the Victorious Peru balsam and aged patchouli with white sandalwood, red musk, red roses, and wood moss. Venus Victrix is much softer than she sounds—on me this is patchouli and peru balsam right out of the gates, with the red musk and red roses coming forward on the drydown. The wood moss and sandalwood keep things grounded. After about 20 minutes, it's still mostly a resiny and woody blend, but the red roses give it a rosy, lush roundness. From the note list, I thought this might be a strong blend, but it's very soft with little throw. Definitely an intimate scent—the victory here is personal.
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LURID BONBON Dark chocolate dotted by cacao nibs, laced with black currant, Bulgarian lavender, white musk, and thick resins. Terry Pratchett invented a color called octarine, described as "alive and glowing and vibrant, and incidentally a kind of greenish purple." So, if this analogy helps at all, Lurid Bonbon smells like octarine dark chocolate to my nose. Chocolate itself is warm and fuzzy and matte, while lavender and currant and white musk are sharp and scintillating, so you would logically expect this combination to fight itself, but it doesn't at all. The resins marry the two poles beautifully. The chocolate component is dark, and has the same feel as the chocolate in Chocolate Stout Cupcake, but where that was a brutal chemistry mishap, Lurid Bonbon was a bottle purchase after I skin-tested at Will Call. This reads as a musk/resin perfume with a chocolate haze, rather than a foody-forward chocolate blend, though YMMV. Very sexy and adult, with tons of throw. One of the very few chocolate BPALs that succeeds against my weird chemistry.
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A PECULIAR SPIRIT Tobacco absolute with neroli, oudh, benzoin, and black tea leaf. Black tea leaf = Licorice/anise. I sniffed the decant and knew it would go wrong because it always does. Interesting that black tea doesn't smell a bit like any black tea i've ever smelled. :-/ I had to atleast sniff it though, since the other notes sounded like a nice combo.
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Unhallowed passion. Weirdly, in the bottle this smelled salty! But in the air all I get from it is frankincense. Luckily, I like frankincense. 6/10
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MARS RIGONEMETIS Mars of the Sacred Grove Dark musk entwined with ivy, black pine, birch tar, cypress, black cedar, and black pepper. This one's a morpher. Wet: Starts out smelling like Rubber and Camphor. But, It quickly starts mellowing out during the dry down. Dry: I'm getting the musk, pine, tar, cedar and a touch of pepper. Smells like dark woods in the distance with a kick of spice. What really surprises me is the role Ivy plays. Not because its the dominant note but because it elevates this blend from dark and brooding to dark and contemplative. My mind is associating this scent with a dark green color. A lovely scent that is unisex and stays close to the skin.
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Osmanthus, linden, tuberose, carnation, ylang ylang, and lemon tree blossoms with Himalayan cedar and a drop of tobacco absolute. This is so beautiful. All flowers present and blended seamlessly...perfect for spring! I need another bottle. This reminds me of the Primavera atmo spray from a few years ago, which i also love. Bravo.
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RIDING IN THE PALANQUIN Lacquered wood, mother of pearl, bamboo, silk, ho leaf, and jasmine blossoms. In the imp: Bright and fresh, slightly lemony, with echoes of jasmine and bamboo (I think). It really does convey the impression of lacquer, which I think is awesome. Wet: Straight out, it is still very green and crisp, although the lemon seems to be just about staying in check. Somewhere in the depths, I can catch the animalic undertones of the jasmine. It's very strong at this stage (indeed, it seems to be clearing my cold somewhat...), but luckily it starts calming slowly and getting more multi-dimensional rather than just GREEN. Drying: Jasmine is hiding somewhere inside the thick veil of greenery. It definitely brings to mind green bamboo shoots; there are also undertones of other unidentified grasses somewhere in there. I'm not very good at identifying green notes yet, but I find this mix sophisticated and reminiscent of some classic perfumes. I think at this stage it is also rather unisex. I got some of it smeared on my fingers and here, while on my wrist it is still overwhelmingly green, I am getting a sweeter, polished kind of white flower scent. Dry: This really morphs! This is where the 'mother of pearl' and silk kick in. Somewhere in the drydown, a creaminess appears and suddenly, it's no longer a green lacquer scent but something very smooth, sophisticated and a touch sweet. I'm having trouble identifying this accord - it's cream with something animalic underneath so at first I thought it might perhaps be ambergris. Equally, however, it might be a combination of some tonka over a really earthy, woody base (like damp earth or driftwood - but dry at the same time.. :/). I feel like I should really know what this is, but can't quite put my finger on it. This blend stays quite close to the skin, strangely I think even in the intense opening stage (although this might be my cold). It's unusual in all the best ways - clean, sophisticated, complex and above all surprising. I'm really liking it!
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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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Honey streaked with red musk and saffron. Utterly perfect. The hair gloss really has some shine and scent power to back itself up. This is what I wish the Sin Hair Gloss had been more like in its usage of red musk and throw. This one has an amazingly strong scent for me, even in this cold weather. The red musk is very smooth, enhanced with the usage of honey to it. The saffron adds a warming quality, but also something unexpected. It makes it almost have a dry woody vibe like I find in Shiny Furball. Despite that particular Halloween HG being a cedar wood note. It really utilizes what I love about those other hair glosses quite well. I may have to get a back-up as I may use this practically daily.
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MARS LOUCETIUS Mars of the Thunderstorm A white tea chypre with rockrose, white sandalwood, and champaca flower. Partial to the pretty muscular guy, and there's... a very interesting scent here! It's very sharply cologney and masculine initially, although once it hits the skin, it starts to go immediately towards a very nice white tea, kind of like The Unsteady Governess, and then it goes more towards a slightly sweet costus (rockrose), with a little bit of dryness from the sandalwood. The Champaca is subtle but makes this not completely an absolute chypre, it adds a nice unisexuality to this scent. This is a refined tea. With a little bit of resin. Drying down on me the champaca adds a dryness, and once the tea settles, it's a little bit of a gritty (yet light, or white, if that makes sense) scent.
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EMBALMING FLUID BONBON Chocolate and embalming fluid: perhaps an acquired taste? This reminds me very much of a Chaos I have, and treasure. Pretty much what it says on the tin--chocolate embalming fluid. The chocolate is rich and fudgey, like a very rich chocolate brownie. Combined with embalming fluid, it reminds me of candied citrus dipped in chocolate. The chocolate is quite strong at first, fading into the background as it dries. Throw is medium to light. Very much a winner in my book, I can't stop huffing my wrists!
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A feral beauty. I saw some requests for reviews of this one, so I will give it a shot. I'm not really familiar with red patchouli, but it seems to be the kind of patch that reminds me that it's in the mint family. Not that it's minty, but it's definitely not "hippy/headshop" patch. Not that I have anything against that sort, I like it. I'm not getting a lot of fig, but I think what I am getting is green fig, not really ripe. OK, overall impression is that it's fizzy somehow. Not quite cola, but similar Effervescent and a little spicy. A little bit earthy and less fizzy after a while. "Feral" is not the first adjective that comes to my mind. I'm liking it. It's not that strong but I have dry hair and there is pretty much no humidity in the atmosphere here right now so no surprise. YMMV.
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DESIRE BONBON Belgian chocolate with neroli, black patchouli and black musk, gilded by apple, bergamot, blood red rose, teak, and vanilla. Oh man, I get orange chocolate (hi neroli!) with musky black patch, and hints of rose and vanilla. I got a whiff of apple on wet, but that was short lived. This one again puts me in mind o f the Lurid Bonbon. Somehow, all of the elements are oddly discordant to me. It sort of smells like the crime scene for a Valentine's day murder. Strewn chocolates, charred Vday cards, and a woman's perfume all over a bedroom.
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Blackened vanilla, white sandalwood, crushed lavender, and oudh. oh wow, this is so beautiful. it does have a TKO sort of thing going on in the very beginning, which is nice, as TKO is one of my favorites, but the white sandalwood and oudh add this lovely soft musky-woodiness that makes this less sweet and gourmand than TKO. i get lavender, then vanilla, the the oudh, which adds a gorgeous depth, then they sort of blend together, and i swear i am getting something kind of like white musk from this, but maybe that's the white sandalwood, which i have tried in scents, but i admit, am not too great at picking it out. whatever it is, it's heavenly, but very soft. this scent smells very luxurious to me and it is relaxing due to the lavender. the woods/oudh add a depth to this that i really love. i find it to be one of the more subtle room sprays, and it's a very "me" scent so i think this will be getting a lot of everyday use from me. i would love this in a perfume.
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LAUDANUM BONBON Nicely narcotic: bittersweet chocolate with nutmeg, sassafras, black poppy and myrrh. So, I am sure I probably smelled the GC of this, but don't remember if I liked it. But here goes with this one.... In imp: I don't smell any chocolate....just a harsh blast of sassafras and a hint of myrrh. On Skin: Pretty much stays the same. Sadly, I get zero chocolate from this. I think the other notes are just too powerful and drowns it out. Dry down: Gets a bit sharp....maybe that is the poppy?? Not sure, but to me, since I get no choco out of this, it is just the GC bottle scent.
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THE ONNAGATA AND THE PILLOW ROLL White musk and Himalayan cedar with bergamot, rose absolute, white patchouli, pink peppercorn, and hay absolute. The cedarwood, oh the cedarwood! It was all i could smell two nights ago, and it is still very heavy. (I think this is a softer handed use of the cedar used in Our Hearts Condemn Us?) Dry, the white patchouli, hay and white musk are starting to peak through. This is beautiful but i want to smell the pink pepper...i am hoping some age will allow it to surface. As of right now, the rose, bergamot and pepper are mia. Eta 01 March 2024 Wow, I was the first reviewer for this one, too?! Anyhow. I'm wearing this today and it is just so beautiful. The cedar is very prominent but the hay is what I'm smelling most with a bit of the white patchouli. Still no rose, bergamot or pink pepper for me and this is a different bottle from my original review, so it must just wear this way on me since folks after me got those notes. Almost a decade later, this is still so lovely. The hay absolute really shines here.
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MARS ALATOR Mars the Huntsman Sweet fig and vetiver. This one is interesting for sure, but is definitely more masculine in my opinion and not wearable for me. The vetiver is very pungent and is the first thing I smell. The fig is barely there, and it's having a very strange effect on the vetiver. I am smelling smoke, woods, figgy wine and roasted meat? I know, that sounds very strange, and it may just be my skin chemistry. My verdict is that I'm interested to see how well it plays with others, but because of the strong vetiver and the roasted meat effect, this guy is going to swaps.
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VENUS CALLIPYGE Venus With the Pretty Bottom Iris root, carnation, and grandiflorum jasmine with violet leaf, muguet, and peach blossom. Iris, carnation and jasmine. This smells like powdery iris, spicy carnation, and a whiff of jasmine and violet leaf. This smells like a grand dame of grandmother perfumes. And I mean this in the best way possible. This is Lady Violet Crawley of Downtown Abbey. Unapologetically floral, grand, and you can just feel it rooted in tradition. A force unto herself. The other analogy I have to offer is that this is the floral perfume of a crone. Think of Grandma Hempstock in Neil Gaiman's Ocean at the End of the Lane. Old, female, powerful. If my grandmother was still alive, I'd get her a bottle of this. It would be the type of scent she appreciates wearing for herself.
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Honey and daemonorops draco with rum absolute, tobacco, and vetiver. It is no secret that I adore vetiver in all forms. So when I saw this I knew I had to try it! In the imp it was a big burst of vetiver and honey so it was seeming to be very promising. Wet on the skin the vetiver took center stage and the honey was there as well but it was in the background. To my nose it's smelling like the honey note in O and I like it. When it began to dry the dragon's blood made it's appearances and brought a soft powdery quality to the entire blend and made everything soften, even the harshness of the vetiver. Fully dry it's a sexy blend of vetiver, dragon's blood and a tiny hint of tobacco. I can detect the honey if I inhale deep enough and it's melting into the skin so nicely. I never got any rum which saddens me a little because I would of liked to see how it changed the overall feel of the blend. All in all though I like this and I will enjoy my decant for a night out or when I want to feel just warm and cozy at home.
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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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Sensual, robust, and silken: voluptuous red rose bursting with lascivious red wine and sultry dragons blood resin. In the bottle this smells almost exactly like the GC Blood Rose...there is more wine here. I will update this review as soon as i can skin test. It smells beautiful so far! ETA: i slathered this all over and, while i love it, my guy hates it. I guess there is no middle ground here! Deliciously wicked roses and wine. Love it.
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MINAMOTO NO YORIMASA AND THE LOTUS FLOWER Lotus root, lotus petals, and blue lotus absolute with frankincense, black amber, and blackcurrant. I love me some Lotus so a scent with the first three notes listed as Lotus was a no-brainer. Doesn't really morph from wet to dry but there were a few moments where this scent threatened to go in the direction of Lotus scented soap. Thankfully, it pulled away from going in that direction. So, yes, the star is Lotus. Quiet, serene Lotus with a very, very light dose of Frank and Amber supporting it. Currant is my favorite of the Lab's fruit notes and it's perfect in Minamoto. It lends some fruity sweetness. It's not fruit candy but candy-ish in the sense that I smell the fruit and the candy aspects together. Also, this scent oscillates between powdery and slightly creamy. Light, close to the skin, feminine.
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Orange blossom and vanilla orchid with frankincense, rockrose, golden sandalwood, gilded cedar, and yellow lily. Short review of first impressions: in bottle: orange blossom and cedar on skin: cedar. Maybe a hint of sandalwood and frankincense Dry on skin: cedar, lily, sandalwood and frankincense, orange blossom in that order from strongest to lightest. I love cedar but i think this blend would have been perfect without it...seems to be out of place and needily screaming for attention. :-/ i am hoping it will age out a bit...will do a full after shower moisturizer test tomorrow. :-) ETA: this is beautiful as a moisturizer and about as spring-like as it gets! The cedar is a bit more subdued now...its all about the lily, sandalwood and orange blossom. I layered Black Lily over this two days ago and it was beautiful. Honestly i am surprised there isn't more love!
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Honeyed Golden Musk, Rosewater, and Red Sandalwood Atmosphere Spray
theseagrows posted a topic in Atmosphere
A haze of skin, silk, and taffeta. this is one of those thick and rich honeyed rose scents. it starts off with something kind of nutty. the nuttiness dissipates quickly and then it's deep red rose and as it settles the honey, musk and sandalwood come out. it's one of the more potent atmosphere sprays and a little goes a long way. it gives me a bid of a headache if i spray too much. i really like this one, but am not a fan of that nutty scent in it (not sure what it could be) but luckily it's pretty subtle and does fade. this scent is very warm and romantic, and i think the rose and honey are the dominant notes that tend to last.