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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2016'.
Found 94 results
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Strawberry cream, white musk, and orris root. Ooh it appears I'm first I tried Enveloped in silk yesterday but I've been dealing with a cold so I wasn't sure if my nose was being 100% honest with me. I can say however, that this HG smelled absolutely amazing regardless! It reminds me of strawberry ice cream and bizarrely... I get a slight whiff of dr.pepper lip smackers. This is a good thing though. I wonder if dr. pepper is made with orris root?! Upon waking up this morning I realized that my nose was finally working and my first instinct was to sniff my hair. AHHHH it smells so good. Sexy, creamy strawberry musk. It smells exactly like its description. Simple. I'm concerned that I'm gonna have to get several more bottles of this.
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Black poppy, rose-infused myrrh, and patchouli leaves steeped in indigo wine. In The Bottle: HELLO, ROSE AND INDIGO WINE. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!?!? Wet On Skin: Seriously? Whoa. Sweet wine touched by the rare, odd indigo note, which gives it a slight tang, and the red, red rose hanging in the back is actually, strangely, making my mouth :water: slightly. Dry Down: This is just...gorgeous. It's basically become the kyphi incense of my dreams- wine and dried fruit and incense all combined to make something sweet without being food and luscious...and luxurious...and sacred...and...just so...beautiful. In All: If you are a fan of wine scents or incense scents (or, like me- both!) then you not only need a bottle of this, but you might need a back up. It's. That. Good.
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Blue musk, white frankincense, wisteria blossoms, and lemon peel. This one smells like the most delightful spring night! The wisteria is blooming and there is a faint balmy breeze. It's soft but potent at the same time. I'm getting a bit of the lemon peel at first, but after a while it is gone, leaving only breaths of fresh dewy night air and clusters of beautiful wisteria blossoms. So lovely!
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Incense-blackened oudh and bourbon vanilla with tobacco absolute and 9-year aged patchouli. I'm a sucker for all of these notes, and the perfume they are brought together to create here is lovely. it is however on the soft side. if you are drawn to big delectable vanilla, gritty sweet tobacco or funky filthy patch, that's not what you'll find in this bottle. rather, P&D is more of a subtle experience with each of these notes. it's a little smokey at the start from the oudh, and after a few hours of wear, a soft and respectable patchouli can be sussed out. but overall, this is all about the blend, and it's one that I don't quite have the perfumer's vocabulary to do proper justice to in describing. it's very pretty and wearable and gentle. as I have and treasure so many fine bpals that showcase the big-n-dirty side to the listed notes, it's wonderful to experience this different side to them. a lot of vanilla blends and tobacco blends tend to have a sweetness to them, sometimes caramelly, sometimes plain old sugar-dusted, and this does not, which I am liking. it's a yin to many of my yang bottles.
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Wild plum, blackcurrant, honeyed green tea, wisteria, and a flutter of cherry blossoms. Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I will always pay attention when wisteria is in the mix. I love that scent and there are not nearly enough perfumes out there that feature it. There were no deal-breaker notes involved, though tea sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. I'm hoping for yet another distinctive oriental floral like other Shungas I've fallen for in past years. In the Bottle: Plum and blackcurrant are the strong notes here, with the other notes playing background. Almost juicy and fresh. Wet: I think I'm getting the wisteria and some tea, but the blackcurrant will not be budged from its place. It's a little darker and sexier now than in was in the bottle. Drydown: On the one hand, I'm getting more wisteria and cherry blossom as the fruits back down. On the other hand, something is smelling really musty all of a sudden and I can't figure out what. Verdict: I think I'm going to sit on this one a few days. I am getting over the flu and maybe the meds I'm taking are monkeying with my skin chemistry. I think it's got the potential to be a lovely spring scent heavy on the fruit and I want to love it.
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Mother of memories, mistress of mistresses, O thou, my pleasure, thou, all my desire, Thou shalt recall the beauty of caresses, The charm of evenings by the gentle fire, Mother of memories, mistress of mistresses! The eves illumined by the burning coal, The balcony where veiled rose-vapour clings— How soft your breast was then, how sweet your soul! Ah, and we said imperishable things, Those eves illumined by the burning coal. Lovely the suns were in those twilights warm, And space profound, and strong life’s pulsing flood, In bending o’er you, queen of every charm, I thought I breathed the perfume in your blood. The suns were beauteous in those twilights warm. The film of night flowed round and over us, And my eyes in the dark did your eyes meet; I drank your breath, ah! sweet and poisonous, And in my hands fraternal slept your feet— Night, like a film, flowed round and over us. I can recall those happy days forgot, And see, with head bowed on your knees, my past. Your languid beauties now would move me not Did not your gentle heart and body cast The old spell of those happy days forgot. Can vows and perfumes, kisses infinite, Be reborn from the gulf we cannot sound; As rise to heaven suns once again made bright After being plunged in deep seas and profound? Ah, vows and perfumes, kisses infinite! - Charles Baudelauire Voluptuous darkness: Bourbon vetiver, red patchouli, honey, helichrysum, and black rose. I bought this because of the reviews in the west coast will call thread. I had no idea what this would smell like, but I kept reading things about wood notes and they are some of my favorites, so I took a chance. The rose is deep, but it is not the starring player here. The dusty wood notes are dominant and when I look at the notes in the description, I'm not sure what is combining to form this. I suspect that it might be the helichrysum and the vetiver. I am not really smelling the red patchouli in this and the honey is helping to sweeten the rose which stays quietly in the background. This is very pretty and it is like smelling the dusty wood balcony with the rose in the garden beneath.
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Just yesterday, Licinius, at leisure, we played around for hours with my tablets writing erotic verse as we’d agreed to, each of us taking turns at improvising line after line in meter after meter, adjuncts to wine & witty conversation. And when I left you, I was so on fire with all your brilliant & ironic humor that after dinner I was still excited, and sleep refused to touch my eyes with quiet. In bed & totally unstrung by passion, tossing in agony, I prayed for sunrise, when I could be with you in conversation. But when my limbs, exhausted by their labor, lay on the bed in nearly fatal stillness, I made this poem for you, my beloved, so you could take the measure of my sorrow. I beg you to be kind to my petition, darling, for if you aren’t, if you’re cruel, then Nemesis will turn on you in outrage. Don’t rile her up, please – she’s a bitch, that goddess. – Catullus, translated by Charles Martin Olive leaf, osmanthus, bois de rose, and lemon verbena. I get mostly lemon verbena from this (not much of a morpher) A very fresh, rejuvenating fragrance. I don't think I'll need a full bottle of this, but I will enjoy the decant I have while it lasts.
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White sandalwood, orris root, wood violet, sugared violet blossom, and violet leaf. Well hello orris root and sugared violet! Woohoo! The white sandalwood is incense-like (to me) next to the violet (sweet) and orris root (creamy)...there is a bit of bitter green from the violet leaf and it all combines to smell exactly as I had hoped from reading the notes and dreaming about a violet/iris perfume that I can actually wear! Just, yes.
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French lavender, red patchouli, saffron, dried wildflowers, agarwood, and oudh. First, there's a big blast of lavender, grounded by oudh. The patchouli lays close to the skin and I can only tell that it is there by huffing my skin. Wildflowers are not noticeable but hang out with the patch. As this dries, The Dream reminds me of The First Love Fades, Too, but that is only because of the lavender and oudh (or agarwood). It's not as sweet as First Love (because I had to test them side by side; my scent memory had these similar, but not really).. The patch, only for a moment, leans towards earthy, but is them absorbed into the whole. There must be a little vanilla (bourbon vanilla? tonka?) as it sweetens up, reminding me of Lush's Twilight or A Moment in Time. Lavender and oudh on the drydown, wafting downy softness, like snuggling in bed with big pillows and fluffy blankets to chase the cold away, and drifting off to sleep on a lilac-colored cloud.
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Cherry blossoms falling into folds of red musk, bourbon vanilla, and strawberry cream. I'm going to sound like a broken record but the Lupers this year are so expertly and perfectly blended and the Instructional Manual is no different. The first things I smell are strawberry and red musk. All 4 components of this perfume are equal though...I can smell all of them but no one stands out to me. I think lovers of Hollywood Babylon, Mania and Smut will be really happy with this one...I know I am. It verges on being a tad foody but never gets there. I feel like this is the same strawberry from Strawberry Sufganiyot. A very beautiful blend, and the cherry blossom doesn't fight with the strawberry. If you think you might love this, you're probably right. Eta: The cherry blossoms seem to come forward more in the dry down...this one morphs! :-)
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White gardenia, frangipani, rose peony, plumeria, and vanilla orchid. On first whiff, straight from the bottle, this was VERY perfumey, in an "Avon fragrance" way. I think it's the peony and plumeria, combined with gardenia that gives it a very feminine, floral edge. Almost old fashioned, and a bit unexpected for BPAL--almost a commercial, traditional fragrance, although with most fashion houses today going to either very aquatic stuff or gourmand fantasies, this harkens back to an earlier age, like that of Elizabeth Arden or Estee Lauder fragrances. Very feminine and dainty. Dry down is a creamy, refined white floral. Overall, a nice scent, but not one I'm blown away by. A solid 3 out of 5.
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White juniper, Italian cypress, and yew bush brushed by a veil of white rose, oudh, armoise, lavender, and vanilla sandalwood. the invitation is a bright and pretty juniper blend. juniper is the the only note that sticks out on its own. everything else just swirls together perfectly. this reminds me of the bptp hg, sleeping at the feet of the snow queen, only this is is clean and bright, lacking the smokey tobacco from the other. it's not a scent that I think of as being sexy or seductive, but I can't deny as I huff my wrist that it is inviting. intriguing and beautiful.
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Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. – Oscar Wilde Pink roses, sugared pomegranate, apple blossom, white ginger, and velvet-white vanilla. The pink roses, sugared pomegranate, and vanilla notes are the most prominent notes in the jar. In use, I get all of those notes, as well as the apple blossom. I didn't really smell the white ginger when I used it. It's a rather scrubby scrub, as it is comprised of sugar and actual pomegranate seeds. The scent does linger after use, but it stays really close to the skin. it is mostly the vanilla, pink roses, and sugared pomegranate. I'm glad I bought it!
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White tea, neroli, and slivered ginger. In the bottle: I'm immediately reminded of Kumiho. Wet on skin: Yes, it's in the same family as Kumiho but this is definitely different. The neroli adds a pretty punch of floral brightness here! The white tea is crisp and the ginger is sharp but not overly so. This is refreshing! Dry down: This is sparkly. It's crisp, clean, bright, just as I imagined it would be. This will wear well for me in hotter temps. If you like Kumiho, you should give this a try! The neroli sets it apart and adds a very pretty dimension to the tea and ginger. I love this!!
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3-year aged patchouli, tree moss, rose thorn, leather, and vanilla oudh. The Thorny Path is mostly leather to my nose, but's a sophisticated leather with the other notes giving it a lot of dimension. The tree moss and rose thorn smell like oakmoss, a touch of rose, and a bit of some wood—and they make the leather smell outdoorsy and refined. The vanilla oudh gives a tang and warp to the blend, and I swear I can't detect the patchouli at all! I think I might be coming down with a cold, so it's entirely possible that my nose is broken right now. I sprayed our front hallway and it smells like a clean leather, upscale and rounded out by the other notes. Very nice!
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Lemon peel and white sandalwood with sweet amber and black tea. This one is a bit of an odd duck. From the tester, it smells like an oily paper umbrella to the point that I was questioning whether to spritz or not. I ended up using a tiny bit, and the strongest note you get is lemon, sandalwood and then amber. It actually smells pretty clean and fresh. Very spring-like. If you simply went with what it smelled like at first sniff from the spritzer, you probably wouldn't spray it!
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Iris root, gleaming orris, pearlescent white vanilla, sweet coconut milk, and pear stem. I'm very into creamy white scents so I jumped on bottle! The pear stem and coconut milk were what I was looking most forward to about this scent. In the bottle: Very light and sweet. The orris root gives it a soft violet-like vibe. There's a little green from the pear steam. It's creamy but I can't detect the coconut or vanilla specifically. On wet: The orris develops, and is strongly iris. The vanilla is floating around but it's not super sweet either. The testing patch on my chest has apparent coconut where my wrist does not. Dry: Creamy, and delicate. The orris root is the star but it's subdued, soft and reminiscent of candy. The coconut milk and vanilla creates a creamy base, and the pear stem adds a freshness. It's just the tiniest bit of green tartness. So perfect for spring. Overall: Very beautiful, and if I didn't have so many creamy scents already I'd definitely keep it! If the pear stem was more prominent it'd be no question. Since orris is similar to violet I think those fans will be into this, it's definitely an interesting variation on that tune. This could also be for people who want to like violet but find it too bold.
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Shimmering French pink with a mist of silver. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I just grabbed all the Lupers. This one seemed a simple, straight-up pink. In the Bottle: A rich rose-pink with a few ghostly streaks of silver. One coat: One coat is probably enough for most people. This goes on beautifully, a lush and shiny satin. The color stays pretty close to the bottle - maybe a smidge lighter. Two coats: Just adds more to the party. No top coat necessary as far as shine. Verdict: Definitely keeping this one and maybe getting a backup. ETA: I put this on last night, only one coat and no top coat. Again, this is the sleekest, lushest polish for applying. This afternoon, I have a hint of wear at several tips, but no chipping. I am definitely getting more of this one.
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French lavender, white frankincense, Himalayan cedar, and jasmine sambac absolute. I was hesitant to be the first to review this (such a responsibility!) since I am laid VERY low by the flu and suspect my sniffer is not up to par. That said, I received my order yesterday (including this and Recollection bath oil and a jar of Lust Smooch) and when I am sick, a hot bath is truly the ONLY thing that makes me feel better (and even then only when I'm in the tub) ... I figured even if I couldn't smell it, the therapeutic properties of lavender would be good for me so I poured a little bit of this into the tub. And, amazingly, I ABSOLUTELY could smell it ... and it is divine! I've always been a little bit bummed that there are not more lavender products (any lavender products?) in the BPTP thermae line because the Lab's lavender scent is so fabulous, alone and in combinations with other scents (still hoping for a lavender/chocolate blend!). This is VERY lavender-heavy, at least to my flu-burnt-out nose. I actually got zero jasmine from it (and I like jasmine) ... I suspect the sandalwood and cedar contributed to the soft, round fullness of the overall scent. But basically I was able to float in a soft, hot bathtub with lovely lavender wafting into my sinuses ... and for about a half-hour I was painfree. Maybe when I'm healthy I will be able to pick out the other notes as well ... but if it stays like this, lavender with benefits, I'll be very happy. I realize I will probably never get my dream bath oil, Envy, but this is by far the next best thing!
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Damask rose, white carnation, lychee, Himalayan cedar, and white honey. In a final battle with The Dream at Will Call last night, this came out on top. Fresh on my skin this was all rose. After a bit the carnation poked up a bit, a pleasant surprise because the Spanish Red Carnation single note of a few years ago was nearly odorless on me. Later on I got bits of the cedar, and although rose remained dominant it combined with the other notes to make an overall lovely scent. It lasted a good while on my skin, all through the drive home and long after the smell of The Dream had faded away from my other arm. I don't know what lychee smells like - I only know it's an Asian fruit - but possibly it was reinforcing the citrusy quality that I get from some rose blossoms. Whatever it was doing in the Large Harem, it can keep on doing it. I'm delighted to have a bottle of this.
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Sugared red musk, cardamom, and honey. I ADORE all three of the notes in this, and have never had any of them go "wrong" on me, so I was hoping this would be divine... And it friggin well is, like I can't even tell you. Like, eyes roll back up in your head good. The red musk and honey are perfectly balanced, and the cardamom makes this unique and interesting. I LOVE it. Love. It will pair beautifully with any sweeter perfumes containing red musk - I can't wait to wear it with Now Winter Nights Enlarge. Make no mistake, this is sexy. Like, verging on not being able to wear it to work because no one (including me) who smelled it would be able to concentrate... Red musk lovers, go get you some, and spray it on all the things.
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White lilies gilded by sparkling grey amber, Oman frankincense, pink pepper, raw white clove, and white musk. Perfumey, soapy white floral with golden, powdery amber-frankincense and a glassy, cool quality to it. My skin usually amps up spices, but I can't really pick out the pepper or clove in this. Too much muskiness for me, and it veers too much into powdery and soapy territory for my tastes.
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A white chypre drenched in soft spring rain against a backdrop of gently swaying bamboo reeds. Definitely aquatic but the bitterness that usually happens on my skin with most aquatics (except There's Water Here) is not happening here! This is a beautiful springtime perfume. If you kept trying to like Wild Swans at Coole (like me) but it never quite sat well (muguet possibly?) give this a try...it is riveting. Also...this was reminding me of a (sorry!) favorite drugstore cologne that I wore in the early 90's... thanks to TTP for helping me remember - Naturistics Botanical - the stuff in the pretty green bottle...this is quite similar, in all the right ways, and I am so excited! This is deeper and more exquisite, but they are similar to me :-) trying to be as helpful as possible - first review!
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Sandalwood, tiare, white oudh, and white amber. Origin: Straight from the Post Original Thoughts: I love tiare. I like the idea of sandalwood, though it often amps on my skin. Amber is in that family of frankincense/musk/patchouli notes that amp massively on me if they're dark but can work if they're light. I haven't seen white amber listed as a note and definitely not white oudh before. In the Bottle: Rich and evocative sweet sandalwood and amber with a thread of tiare. Applying: All the sandalwood and amber. But they are light rather than heavy. Very like the smoke in the name. Drying: The tiare develops and blends beautifully with the other notes. It's a bit more amber than sandalwood now. Wearing: This doesn't seem to have a lot of throw, which is okay with me since I like wearing my hair glosses to work. It's very subtle but really sexy. Verdict: I cannot stop sniffing my hair. This suggests that I might need a backup bottle or two, especially with an amber scent I can wear without amping.
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Ivy-green crème. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I just grabbed all the Lupers. I wasn't quite sure how a green ended up in a Valentine collection, but got it anyway. In the Bottle: Leaf-petal green, as advertised. One coat: This is a pretty thin formula. One coat just sort of stained my nail grass-green. Two coats: Getting there, but still awfully sheer. Shiny, though. Three coats: That's more like it. A smooth and satiny green that evokes springtime rather than Christmas. Verdict: I'll have to think about this one. It's a lovely formula and a pretty green, but I already have Faunalia for a shiny (if darker) green and Titan Toadstools for my spring green in a glitterbomb. We'll have to see if I reach for this one.
