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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2018'.
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WOMB FURIE In the middle of the flanks of women lies the womb, a female viscus, closely resembling an animal; for it is moved of itself hither and thither in the flanks, also upwards in a direct line to below the cartilage of the thorax and also obliquely to the right or to the left, either to the liver or spleen; and it likewise is subject to falling downwards, and, in a word, it is altogether erratic. It delights, also, in fragrant smells, and advances towards them; and it has an aversion to fetid smells, and flees from them; and on the whole the womb is like an animal within an animal. -- Aretaeus the Cappadocian Oh, that wily womb! Hippocrates and his followers considered the womb a mobile creature, causing mayhem as it writhed its way through a woman's body. Sometimes this ornery organ, due to lack of sexual activity, would create conflicts within a woman's system or would become blocked itself, causing anxiety, nervousness, water retention, and sleeplessness. With the assistance of doctors, nursemaids, hand tools, or, occasionally, self-manipulation, this vexing condition could be alleviated through hysterical paroxysms. Or, as we call it nowadays: orgasm. An itch that needs to be scratched: Snake Oil and three types of honey. To be honest, and snake oil have a less than great record. Straight up snake oil makes me deal with two hours of annoying spice before it gives me the soft vanilla, and none of the Snake pit were a success. This however, has PROMISE!!! The honey cuts out the harshness that the indonesian oils do when they're on my skin, and they're not taking over. I can still tell i'm wearing snake oil, but it's got some honey underneath. The honey and the vanilla also last for a long time, so i'm definetly not getting the disappearing act that I usually associate with snake oil blends. I highly recommend giving it a try!!
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Wisteria and white clove, green tea leaf, and frankincense. So... unexpected. Wet, I get a bit of the clove, but only like the top part of it - medicinal, sharp. I also get a smell that reminds me of the inside of a dried ume plum, and also maybe... camphor? What? As this sits on my skin and dries down... It's still very clovey... oh, wait, what? White Necco wafer? This smells like a clove cigarette. There's maybe some kind of more non-sweet, crumbly and sticky frankincense, a little sharp-sweet smoke. I don't get much of the classic 'green tea' note. I'm also struggling to find any lush wisteria. The color I see is... browns/ochre, gray-white or even bone-white wisteria, thin, sharp, not like purple unfurled blossoms. If there is a bit of that note, it's only a faint accent over the clovey-resin nature of this scent. I'm so very confused. But if you like clove...
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Black oudh and carnation. I love the Lab's simpler blends. Give me a scent with just two notes that I happen to love. This is no exception. Of the Lupers I've tried this one is my favorite. The Black Oudh in this reminds me of a lighter version of the Motor Oil note in Streets of Detroit. Combine that with a spicy carnation that's present but not overpowering and you have an awesome combo that smells like a gritty, dark, spicy carnation.
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Body, remember not only how much you were loved, not only the beds on which you lay, but also those desires for you that glowed plainly in the eyes, and trembled in the voiceand some chance obstacle made futile. Now that all of them belong to the past, it almost seems as if you had yielded to those desireshow they glowed, remember, in the eyes gazing at you; how they trembled in the voice, for you, remember, body. - Constantine Cavafy translated by Rae Dalven Profoundly sensual. The echo of caresses: raw black coconut, ambergris accord, ambrette seed, champaca flower, and sugar cane. Profoundly sensual indeed. This is my favorite of the Lupers so far. Body, Remember starts out sweet and earthy, then suddenly it becomes heavy on the coconut, followed by a rush of champaca. After several minutes, everything settles into a perfect musky balance that stays close to my skin with no single dominating note. It's stunning.
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Sign of Sekkusu hair gloss or as Puddin’ affectionately likes to call it, I’ve got your nose!!! Bourbon vanilla, cardamom, fossilized amber resin, blonde tobacco, tonka bean, and labdanum. This one has some strong throw! Immediately, I got hit by the resins and tobacco, but not in a smoky, overpowering way. The tonka and vanilla temper the heady resins with their sweetness, and I think the cardamom added a bit of spice. It was difficult to pick out notes because they blended so well. I sprayed this on before bed and could still smell it when I woke up about 9 hours later.
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And truly I was afraid, I was most afraid, But even so, honoured still more That he should seek my hospitality From out the dark door of the secret earth. Snake Oil with sugar, honeycomb, and thick vanilla cream. This was the scent I was hands-down most excited about, so I have very high hopes indeed! In The Bottle: I get the clean, crisp, almost-lemony scent of the Lab's sugar note right out of the gate. This is the same sugar that was in Sugar Moon from...2008, I think? It still stands out, because I like the almost-citrus aspect of the note, which is a delightful surprise. There's also a touch of the honeycomb bringing up the rear. Not a heavy honey like "O", this is lighter- certainly more "comb" than not. Wet On Skin: THERE'S the vanilla cream! Hello there! The Snake Oil is emerging as well, making this scent a true delight. Dry Down: I am *smitten*. I had frankly been hoping for something similar to my beloved Kwamie Cotton, and here it is! If you missed out on Kwamie or adore its sweet comfort, this is for you. An, knowing how well SO ages, I am certain this is going to go from "smitten" to "passionate love affair"- it's merely a matter of time. Hoard-worthy!!!
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Black tea, lavender buds, Italian bergamot, and Siamese benzoin. Bagatelles opens on me as equally an herbal lavender and a black tea. There's something borderline medicinal or astringent here, without being quite either. It brings to mind a Victorian doctor with a carpet bag carrying all-for-what-ails-you. The bergamot lifts the blend somewhat, but supportively, rather than as a strong force. I never smell benzoin significantly. This is charming and pleasant, with an old-fashioned mood. ETA: This reminds me a lot of Tyrannophobia. I think it's the same black tea.
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For he seemed to me again like a king, Like a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld, Now due to be crowned again. A sinuous leather variant of BPALs Snake Oil. Only side-by-side with Snake Oil can I tell the difference between these in the bottle. It really was appropriate to name this after the snake's skin -- the leather wraps around the familiar blend like a sheath. And it's a grower, constricting slowly until it just might become the thing someone notices about the scent if they just happened to catch it in passing. It also nicely amps the woods in Snake Oil, which probably don't get enough love. If you have a man in your life who loves Snake Oil but it's too sweet for him to wear, he will probably be unstoppable with this.
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Rice milk, white ginger, oakmoss, ti leaf, and cardamom pod. My label says vivid enjoyment of the memory of rapture which is a different thing entirely and slightly disappointing considering the art. But no matter, on to the scent. This is very chai tea on my skin, heavy on the green juicy ginger and cardamom. But it doesnt feel terribly edible to me. More like this is a morning shower scented by someone inspired by their ginger heavy chai tea with rice milk. Its incredibly bright and energizing but there are no citrus notes so doesnt do that bitter pithy thing that bright energizing scents usually do on my skin. Back in the day I had a ginger-heavy tea scented body spray that I loved, and this is definitely the closest Ive come to matching it. Delighted to have a bottle.
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When you need a change of pace from Strip Twister: lemon candies, orange suckers, and strawberry sugar. Super tart citrus candies. In the decant, the lemon has a little bit of a lemon-cleaner aspect that concerns me, but that fortunately disappears when I put it on my skin. This reminds me a lot of Lemon-Scented Sticky Bat, crossed with Bitches Love Unicorns. Immediately, it's sticky tart lemon candy with some other candy flavors. I'm not sure I'd say orange or strawberry, but it's definitely not just straight-up lemon. It has a very melting-hard-candies sort of feel, with the sharp tartness that lemon candies have despite being very sugary. It's a little too similar to Sticky Bat (which I have a bottle of) for me to want more of it, but it's more of a sharper, mixed-flavor candy scent. Sticky Bat has sort of a powdery-sugared aspect that this scent doesn't, although it does soften as it dries and the strawberry candy gets a little stronger. It has pretty good lasting power for a citrus scent and decent throw. In the long drydown, it's almost indistinguishable from Sticky Bat on my skin, as the other candy flavors stay mostly in the background.
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Mushroom musk, oakmoss, and rooibos leaf. Smells like a musk version of the lab's drier earth note. If you like the way they do dirt - I know some people go crazy for it - you really should get this one.
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Crushed grass, dandelion sap, green oakmoss, lettuce leaf, and white pepper. Opening the bottle, greeted immediately with a splorty wet blade of grass, and definitely a little bit of that milkiness of dandelion sap. I love Beth's grassy scents, so I'm very excited that there's so much GREEN in the description. Applied to the skin, it's definitely like wow, like more mushed crushed grass leaves, and as it continues to dry down, it gets rounder. I really like the Blade of Grass Halloweenie that appears on occasion, but that is more of a 'cold wet grass,' whereas as this sits on the skin, I can get a tiny prickle of heat, the vegetable note is more than just 'park grass,' I think it gets a bit more fullness from the addition of the lettuce. I kind of smells like when you chew on an unseasoned leaf of lettuce. Wet, cool, crisp. With more time, this doesn't evaporate as fast as Blade of Grass does on me. That's a very brief-lived, environmental scent. Tennis Match seems to have a bit more staying power, and a bit more 'dirtiness' (oakmoss?) My verdict: slightly different, more wet/full-leafy Blade of Grass, without dried leaf note, and with a little spicy mossy base, but still reads forward as grassy.
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Star jasmine, oppoponax, sweet oudh, tuberose absolute, ambrette seed, and oakmoss. If you like heady florals and funk this is the scent for you. I happen to like both so all's good. Jasmine and Tuberose combine for a nose full of flower. There's quite a bit of funk I think because there's both Tuberose and Oudh adding to this dimension of the scent. This one's pretty sweet too - It's almost too much for me but it manages to stay just shy of being off-putting. I'm very happy with this scent but I'd be happier if there was more Oakmoss to ground it. I think some aging should do the trick.
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Red rose petals dusted with a trove of ancient spices. I always love the spicey rose blends, and this one is no exception. Here the rose and spices blend into something sophisticated and lovely; in fact, this reminds me of something that I can't quite put my finger on. It has a very classic feel to it, and would be appropriate for the office as well as a night out on the town.
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Red roses, agarwood, red patchouli, benzoin, and black currant. In the bottle: nice mix of rose, wood, and the patchouli/benzoin to round it out. Wet: agarwood starts to come out more Dry: Scent dominated by the agarwood with the patchouli playing a supporting role. I can barely smell benzoin, but, unfortunately, the rose goes away somewhat quickly and is never the star of the scent. Overall, I think this makes a nice, rounded wood scent and it had good longevity on my skin. I would not describe this as a rose scent at all.
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Black terebinth, tamil nadu sandalwood, frankincense, black chestnut, and myrrh. Wet: Smooth myrrh, frankincense and chestnuts. Dry: Something unbelievably pleasant and gorgeous. The pine peeks out for just a minute and then it is fades beautifully with the rest of the notes. I love it!
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A tumble of cherry blossoms falling into a pool of white musk and crushed strawberries. Ooh- this one is pretty! Very PINK, very GIRLY, but manages to walk that line and not be too twee. Its a dance with the notes holding each other in check- fresh, jammy strawberries, soft, floral cherry blossoms and a grounding, light musk. The strawberries are not too kool aid, the cherry blossoms are not too soapy. Just balanced enough to make this very wearable. I think you could do daytime office with this one if you wanted, brunch with friends, or even better, a spring picnic! This is like a more sophisticated version of something youd get at Victorias Secret or bath and body works. It would be a good entry scent for someone new to BPAL ETA: this is a bit younger or something than my usual deal but while I probably wont get a backup I am glad I bought a bottle
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Poppy smoke, velvet jasmine, sweet three-year aged patchouli, and black plum. Remember how Blood Countess was all opium smoke and plum and some florals? Yeah. This is like that. Smoky. Plummy. Florals to make it smell like perfume instead of a beverage. I was hoping for a bit more patchouli, since this could be a little dirtier and Id be a little happier. I dont like the scent of plums after theyve been on my skin 8 hours, they smell like crumbled dusty jolly ranchers. But its ok because I verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry much that smoky poppy top note and Ill just wash it or whatever at the four hour mark. Chosen by my friend and stolen by me because it smelled much too clean on her skin chemistry.
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A vibrant green chypre with orange blossom, pine needles, and violet leaf. Oh, my. This is 'sweet green' wet to my nose, and goes on with a jade-green smoothness, like a bunch of mosses, kissed with orange blossom. It's even a little cooling on the skin. Then, sitting present on the skin, pine needles emerge! It's a touch of fir. Dangerously close to a Yule moment for a bit, but instead of going full christmas tree mode, the pine needles remain present, under the glowy haze of orange blossom. I don't get any violet petals (it's all just violet leaf, I take it), which keeps this more 'noonday mountain fir' as opposed to 'Santa's Here!' Pretty gender neutral although I take it the pine does make it a bit more masculine. Straddles the line as the chypre and pine move it more 'masculine' but the orange blossom still flirts about to blur the strength of the green.
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Crystalline azure musk, orange blossom, water lily, hinoki wood, Texas cedar, and night-blooming jasmine. Was super interested in this melange of scents all together. I have no idea what to expect. Wet and in bottle, it's a weird mix of orange blossom and... maybe the sweetness of blue musk? Applied to the skin, it's a very strong thrwoosh of something very similar to fabric softener? Maybe it's the orange blossom. As it has a bit more time to settle down on the skin... I'm getting the two florals mixing together - orange blossom and water lily. Definitely getting a very beachy aquatic floral vibe. The jasmine is adding a little bit of ferocity in the background, a bit of depth, however the floral stays a... um, Mediterranean floral? Crisp/clear, and high. The blue musk kind of evens everything out and it's a little sugary. Hinoki and cedar really aren't too apparent. There may be a little 'sandiness' or 'woodsiness' at the base, but it's definitely not cedar-shavings/pencil cedar. Very subtle. It keeps this from being purely a floral scent. I'd say this is one of the more surprisingly 'beachy' scents. Light, airy, and somehow a little 'salty' without having the salt note (which on me turns into tortillas). I like this one a lot!
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Mushroom, tomato leaf, brown oakmoss, and pink pepper. If anyone was wondering, this does not smell like matsutake at all, (I am very familiar with the smell, as I mushroom pick them), or even anything resembling a fungus. I'm getting something like a green, vegetal herbal smell, with maybe a touch of dirt. It smells airy and clean. Great for spring. BUT IT DOES NOT SMELL LIKE MATSUTAKE!
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Polished tortoiseshell, ivory, and mahogany gleaming with amber cream. The notes in this one sold me instantly, it sounded expensive and definitely poked at my curiosity with notes like Tortoiseshell and Ivory. Fresh from the mail today, it does not disappoint! Its stunning and beautiful and definitely has that expensive polished mahogany ballroom vibe. It's more "feminine" than I had anticipated which was a pleasant surprise. There's a lovely creamy sweetness bursting from it that I would attribute to both a beautiful Amber Cream note and what I'm guessing to be the Ivory. The Ivory immediately reminds me of Signiour Dildo, this may be Narcissus? It has a sweet light floral quality that sings over a rich polished wood base. It's so goooood. Signiour Dildo's older richer finer aristocratic cousin at a Ball. Heaven.
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Black fig and orange blossom with tonka, black vanilla, and a gust of spiced sandalwood incense. This is a gorgeous, light sandalwood blend. I'm hoping next use I pick up more of the fig and vanilla...but for now, upon first application, it's very light with just a hint of sandalwood. Perfect for work or when you'd like a lighter scent. So good!! <3
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White rose, gilded carnation, brown oakmoss, and velvet oudh. Smooth, soft, and stays close to the skin. As it dries, I can smell each ingredient taking its turn to come forward. First is the rose; I can tell it's a light-colored rose, not necessarily white but pale in color. I get no discernible Carnation but instead something golden. Next comes oakmoss. I was worried that the brown would be stronger and overtake everything but this is not the case. The oudh is very soft and smooth. They all blend together to create a seamless skin scent. Occasionally I get a nice soft waft of rose but it isn't overpowering and continues to stay close to the skin. On my skin this is a more masculine scent it would be great to snuggle up next to someone who smelled like this.
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Black rose, dried apricot, and black fig. I bought both the perfume and the hair gloss, because I love Black Rose best of all the roses. And apricot! And fig! That will be sweet and powerful and spicy, I thought. I was wrong; it went really bitter on me. It had moments of greatness at the beginning but there was a good hour of unpleasantness before it went back to a simple and lovely Black Rose. I can not tell you how much of a fail this was for me, because I was so sure it would be divine. And BPAL has too many perfect from the get-go scents on me for me to suffer through an hour of nasty. I am looking forward to reading other reviews, because my skin can be really funky.
