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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2018'.
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Algernon Charles Swinburne All the night sleep came not upon my eyelids, Shed not dew, nor shook nor unclosed a feather, Yet with lips shut close and with eyes of iron Stood and beheld me. Then to me so lying awake a vision Came without sleep over the seas and touched me, Softly touched mine eyelids and lips; and I too, Full of the vision, Saw the white implacable Aphrodite, Saw the hair unbound and the feet unsandalled Shine as fire of sunset on western waters; Saw the reluctant Feet, the straining plumes of the doves that drew her, Looking always, looking with necks reverted, Back to Lesbos, back to the hills whereunder Shone Mitylene; Heard the flying feet of the Loves behind her Make a sudden thunder upon the waters, As the thunder flung from the strong unclosing Wings of a great wind. So the goddess fled from her place, with awful Sound of feet and thunder of wings around her; While behind a clamour of singing women Severed the twilight. Ah the singing, ah the delight, the passion! All the Loves wept, listening; sick with anguish, Stood the crowned nine Muses about Apollo; Fear was upon them, While the tenth sang wonderful things they knew not. Ah the tenth, the Lesbian! the nine were silent, None endured the sound of her song for weeping; Laurel by laurel, Faded all their crowns; but about her forehead, Round her woven tresses and ashen temples White as dead snow, paler than grass in summer, Ravaged with kisses, Shone a light of fire as a crown for ever. Yea, almost the implacable Aphrodite Paused, and almost wept; such a song was that song. Yea, by her name too Called her, saying, "Turn to me, O my Sappho;" Yet she turned her face from the Loves, she saw not Tears for laughter darken immortal eyelids, Heard not about her Fearful fitful wings of the doves departing, Saw not how the bosom of Aphrodite Shook with weeping, saw not her shaken raiment, Saw not her hands wrung; Saw the Lesbians kissing across their smitten Lutes with lips more sweet than the sound of lute-strings, Mouth to mouth and hand upon hand, her chosen, Fairer than all men; Only saw the beautiful lips and fingers, Full of songs and kisses and little whispers, Full of music; only beheld among them Soar, as a bird soars Newly fledged, her visible song, a marvel, Made of perfect sound and exceeding passion, Sweetly shapen, terrible, full of thunders, Clothed with the wind's wings. Then rejoiced she, laughing with love, and scattered Roses, awful roses of holy blossom; Then the Loves thronged sadly with hidden faces Round Aphrodite, Then the Muses, stricken at heart, were silent; Yea, the gods waxed pale; such a song was that song. All reluctant, all with a fresh repulsion, Fled from before her. All withdrew long since, and the land was barren, Full of fruitless women and music only. Now perchance, when winds are assuaged at sunset, Lulled at the dewfall, By the grey sea-side, unassuaged, unheard of, Unbeloved, unseen in the ebb of twilight, Ghosts of outcast women return lamenting, Purged not in Lethe, Clothed about with flame and with tears, and singing Songs that move the heart of the shaken heaven, Songs that break the heart of the earth with pity, Hearing, to hear them. Tonka, oakmoss, tolu balsam, grey amber, myrrh, and muguet. In bottle: sweet and sensual. Amber, tanka, and myrrh on top. I looked up muguet, which seems to be French for lily of the valley, if so, I am guessing it’s responsible for the very faint floral tinge to this. I’d not encountered I am guessing that beautiful new resin overlay is the tolu balsam. In any case, in the bottle, I’m getting a gloriously unique resin blend. Wet: Heaven. If you like amber based resin scents, this may very well be the queen of them. Dry: Very gentle and somehow familiar, though I’m not able to put my finger on why. It is more feminine than anything I generally wear except Dia De Les Muertos, but I will likely where it anyway because it is that good.
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Demonic black musk, inky myrrh, black coconut, champaca blossom, and smoky clove bud. Whoaheee! This is demonic for sure. Smoky, black, inky. Yup. Its all of that. Wet phase is a huge black musk and myrrh burn off. Like tire smoke. Whoa. Drydown is sweeter, more earthy, with the coconut finally appearing. Fans of Streets of Detroit and Black Temple Burlesque Troupe, Brown Jenkin..or anything black musk, should try this.
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An Excerpt from Speculum Heroicum Principis Omnium Temporum Poëtarum Homeri
zankoku_zen posted a topic in Lupercalia
Brazilian vetiver, dark myrrh, peru balsam, laurel leaf, white sage, and cedar. Myrrh, balsam, cedar and a touch of vetiver. This one is a very resinous blend with enough whiffs of cedar and smoky vetiver. There's a curl of sage coming through in the drydown. Slightly masculine, but definitely a mainly myrrh and balsam blend. Good throw and wear length. -
Cacao-dusted red rose petals. Wet: OH, SO CACAO! The combination is interesting, because you can also smell the rose petals underneath, which are pink-soft and sweet, like Faith (or was it Hope?). Drydown: There's a too-short period where the two combine together in the most interesting way. I would love to stay in this unique and pretty place, but . . . After an hour: It's just soft rose with an occasional whiff of cacao if you breathe deeply enough. It's pretty enough and I may keep my imp, but I'm undecided. Strong throw, longevity.
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What a great freakin' word. BPAL LOVES TEH SMUT! Three swarthy, smutty musks sweetened with sugar and woozy with dark booze notes. BPAL loves teh smut! I know Beth warned us about this one, that it'd smell a bit aggressive in the bottle but is positively wonderful once on. I haven't smelt Sed Non Satiata yet, which is the scent Beth said this is a lot like, so I have no basis for comparison there. Sorry, guys? In the bottle, yes, it's definitely aggressive. It almost smells like Robitussin cough syrup - that same boozy, quasi-fruity medicinal quality. It has the potential to be sexy, though, I can definitely see/smell that. Smut immediately sweetens when it hits my skin. It's pretty much musky sugar sweetness after a few drinks, precisely what the description says. There's no more medicinal smell to be had, but it's definitely warmer - do I smell vanilla? Very sophisticated and womanly, almost reminiscent of Jean-Paul Gaultier, only without the headache J-P gives me. A seductive, sophisticated, heady, little-black-dress-and-stilettos, 'take me now' scent. I love teh smut. If you haven't already, GET SOME. 9/10. P.S. Throw is amazingly good.
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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 leather accord, Australian sandalwood, ambrette seed, incense ash, and tobacco absolute. This is very masculine. It started out very sandalwood heavy but then mellowed out with more of the tobacco absolute. On me this ends up smelling like a cleaner, more well to do Iago, with none of his dirty tricks. Everything blends together very seamlessly and it's hard to pick out one note from the extremely attractive scent wafting from my wrist. I cant wait to smell it on my partner, and this will work wonderfully on the days I need a little confidence booster! My only sadness is that I have to shove my face into my wrist to really smell it. I am hoping the throw will improve with age, as will the wear length.
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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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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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White tea, honeycomb, vanilla orchid, and a drop of soft sandalwood. I was not fortunate enough to try the Vanilla Orchid Single Note, but from reading the reviews, I can tell it's the vanilla orchid that dominates this scent while wet. It's heady and fragrant with a touch of green: perfect for balmy spring evenings. The dominance of the orchid eventually settles down into something much creamier due to the chewy, waxy honeycomb. While I never get any woodsiness from the sandalwood, it's creaminess plus the soft vanilla are now able to shine through all of the floral power and stop it from it's soapy tendencies. I think this is what most people wanted Vanilla Orchid SN to be. Creamy (have I said that enough?) comforting, and evocative of twilight walks around my late spring garden. I'm wrapped in a sweater warmed by my body heat and enjoying the return of the spring. I adore it!
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It’s not quite as fun when you lose the key. Pink cotton candy, candied rose, and vanilla sugar. I was expecting super duper sweet with these notes but it is really more rose foreward. I don't smell any cotton candy but the sugared rose paired with vanilla reminds me a lot of De Vos' Unicorn (which is one of my most favorite perfumes). There was a moment that it was a bit chemically, but that seems to have passed. Wish I got more of the sugary, cotton candyish notes from this but its not bad by any means. If you like De Vos' Unicorn then you will probably adore this.
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White amber and sheer vanilla, orris butter, Italian bergamot, and narcissus. This sounded too intriguing to pass up but I have *no* idea what it'll smell like. Let's see, shall we? In The Bottle: I get the narcissus and the sheer vanilla in abundance as soon as I sniff. There's something about the narcissus that tugs at my heart, like it reminds me of an era I didn't get to live through but miss just the same. Wet On Skin: As the oil warms on my skin the orris butter starts to come out and balances the floral quite well. I like orris root, though it can be a bit overwhelmingly "dusty". Doing an orris butter for this eliminates the 'dust' aspect and helps round out the sweetness of the narcissus without overpowering it. Dry Down: I get just a peek of the vanilla at this point, joined by equally small -but present- roles by the amber and bergamot. Though I'd been hoping for more bergamot when I made my decision to get this scent, I think any more than a drop would be overkill, because it would clash with the orris too much. The fragrance is light with a low-medium throw. I don't think it's good for the remains of winter, because it's not strong enough to stand up to winter's ravages. But I look forward to favoring this once spring's first blush shows itself in the next month or two.
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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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Kadu leaf, white lavender, plum and ume blossom, a drop of pale cedar and crystal musk. first applied there is a strong note of chemical but this burns off quickly, leaving a bright and elegant, classic-in-feel perfume that then holds true for the rest of the drydown. plum/ume fruit focused, with the lavender and kadu keeping it close in kin to fancy dept store perfume. although there is a touch of sweetness, this is a far cry from fruit syrup. I amp cedar always and forever, but not in this blend. the cedar grounds the scent without standing out. strong throw and lasts overnight and into the next day. I picked this scent as a random extra decant to try. I was curious about the kadu, wary of the cedar and a fan of the other notes. there was speculation in the luper thread about what the heck kadu would smell like. folks/google suggested a range of things from almond to bitter herb to squash blossom. I don't get almond, nor do I get anything forwardly foodie as pumpkin/squash. there is a hint of leafy bitterness that anchors the fruit that is completely removed from the dead leaves notes and the herbal notes (mugwort, sage, thyme, etc). this is a sophisticated beauty and one of my 2018 luper favorites.
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Sweet amber and rosewood, wet oak beams, smoky vanilla husk, ambrette seed, and hinoki wood. I'm in heaven....this is (so far) simply a lovely rosewood amber with a slight bit of complex backdrop of the other notes. In the first few seconds it smells very much like baby-oil but that is very short. After that it just kind of smolders sweetly on my skin for hours. I'm not getting a lot of wood which is surprising. Nothing more to say, this just works for me!
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A russet chypre slathered in vintage patchouli and black tea with golden amber, hiba wood, and iris root. This one feels like an instant classic, sophisticated and gorgeous. I first smell the tannin-heavy black tea, the mossy chypre and the strong wood - an earthy but somehow sparkling combination. The patchouli then comes into play, and it reminds me of rich fragrances my grandmother's generation wore before hippie patchouli existed. The amber is sweet and has almost a citrus quality, which plays back and forth with the soft dryness of the iris root. The resulting combination is an assertive, long-lasting dress-up kind of perfume. It's definitely a nose-glued-to-the-wrist one for me.
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White sage and patchouli with Himalayan cedarwood, sweet labdanum, and brown sugar. Sorry, this one ended up a bit stream of consciousness! In the bottle it is a very sharp sage with an edge of the cedarwood. Wet on my skin I get a peatiness that makes me think of a good whiskey, but the patchouli is just behind it peeking out from under. Drinking whiskey in a long established library on a rainy day somewhere in Ireland. As it dries I'm having a problem tearing my nose away from the scent, it is gorgeous. There's a slight citrus fizz to it and the sage has softened a lot. Gradually it softens out to a smooth herbal patchouli, so mellow and comforting that I think I will fall asleep with my wrist pressed to my nose. There's still a faint trace in the morning.
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Basically fruit roll-ups for your naughty bits: wild cherry and sugared up strawberry with hot pink peppercorn. DO NOT ACTUALLY PUT THIS ON YOUR NAUGHTY BITS. Fruity candy! Specifically, fruity gummy candy with maybe a hint of marshmallow? It’s reminding me heavily of a Lilith scent—maybe The Devil Will Work for Idle Hands or Battle Fairy in Training? The fruit note is also similar to what I get in Rajnbow Swirk. This is a fun and lighthearted fruity scent!
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Intoxication of the First Kiss French vanilla, pink candies, strawberry sugar, and orange blossom. OK I suck at reviews. But since there still aren't any posted for this I feel that SOMEONE has to do it. This one is GORGEOUS. Dark pink strawberry candy, with just enough vanilla to calm it down some. The orange blossom is just the glue between the other notes. I had such high hopes for enveloped in silk, but I was in the minority and was let down. THIS is what I had hoped for. Even the man thing adores this and he's not easily impressed with my smellies. Will be getting a backup after my decants arrive and I decide on other full size purchases. This was one of two full size blind buys.
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Sweet pea and vanilla orchid, plum blossom, Aglaia flower, orris root, osmanthus, and violet leaf. i don't wanna be first, because this isn't so much a review as rambling thoughts (which most of my reviews are i admit), but i've been waiting for weeks for someone else to post and i need to get this out of my system before i forget. somewhere around 89/90 (or, rather, 7th grade) a drugstore scent called Malibu Musk came out. i don't think it was ever all that popular, but it had been around up until last year i think it was finally discontinued. i liked it, i've always liked it, and an older guy i knew, in my best friend's band, well, Malibu Musk made him a little nuts. in what probably would have been delightful ways, if we'd ever gone there, but i had a boyfriend. every few months whenever i'd wear Malibu Musk, i'd think of him and grin, even if i hadn't seen or even talked to him in a decade. freakishly, a few years ago, when i did happen to be wearing Malibu Musk, my husband and i ran into him at a BBQ place. the hug i got turned a little awkward, but 20+ years of friendship kinda smoothed things out, i think. anyhow. i ordered Discarded Silks because the plum blossom, orris root, and violet leaf sounded nice. sweet pea i can do without, vanilla orchid and osmanthus can be amazing or meh, and like everyone else i have no idea what an aglaia flower is. i haven't used this on my hair, but i've worn it sprayed on my skin like perfume. at first, it really was more sweet pea and orchid than anything else. but after a couple of hours? it smells like i wore Malibu Musk last night. there's something a little sweeter hovering around the edges, but this smells so very much like the early 90s in all the best ways. so my graduated-from-high-school-in-the-90s girls? (and boys, of course) you might dig this.
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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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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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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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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.
