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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2018'.
Found 97 results
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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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No jokes here: who wouldn’t love a heart-shaped hot tub? A bubbling vat of red musk, sweet red wine, benzoin, red oudh, and lush magnolia. This is JUICY in the best way. Benzoin gives it the crackling pop of fizziness you might expect from a hot tub (though I always think soda when I think benzoin), and the red musk and magnolia blend together to make it velvety smooth with a hint of trailing smoke from the oudh. Ultimately, this is a candied (red wine note), fizzy musk, and I loves it, my precious.
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Cherry blossoms cascading onto a snowdrift, white wisteria buds, and ume petals. In the bottle: Pine and cherry blossoms Wet: A blast of minty pine sweetened by cherry blossoms Dry: As it dries, it becomes sweeter and creamier, the pine goes away. I don't get any wisteria, and I think the ume petals are adding to the sweetness. It eventually dries to a sweet, slightly vanilla cherry blossom scent. This scent seems to have a lot going on, but it dries to such a lovely scent. If you like Bpal's cherry blossom note you should give this a try. And if you're like me and don't like the Snow White snow note, this is the minty, piney snow note.
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Rice milk, warm myrrh, red currant, red amber cream, and a trickle of vetiver. Oh dear, I'm first! Well, this one I'm nervous about because it was a whim of a blind bottle. I'm gonna admit now I usually don't seek out vetiver, and I often outright avoid it. It can be a scent-hog and often drowns out the rest. But here I go! Fresh-from-the-mail testing: In the bottle: I am pleasantly surprised. This smells like an expensive, sophisticated unisex perfume/cologne to me in the bottle. I think the vetiver gives it a little push towards cologne but I also get a small sniff of the red currant too. Wet: I'm getting a cacophony of scent! I can't tell what I'm smelling but so far, so good...! My husband has tried to help me but is shaking his head no. He said it he smells powder, I think that's the amber. Dry down: I'm still having a hard time sniffing the individual notes. I can't really suss anything out other than I think the most dominant scent is myrrh and amber. I am getting the powdery scent too now and something a little creamy which is either the rice milk or amber cream. However, when I huff this for science ...I'm starting to get a little headachey... I can't find the red currants and I got it for that + rice milk. Honestly, there must only be a trickle of vetiver, because i can't find it's earthy astringent self anywhere on my skin. 3.1 RE-TEST: Okay, what a difference a few days make. The headache-inducing high-pitched note is calm, and it's a creamy, red-fruited myrrh scent on me...and now I love it. I need to stop testing fresh!
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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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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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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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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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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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Beeswax, white patchouli, and honey. Smells exactly as you would expect, except the patchouli is lighter than usual and does more to anchor, rather than overpower the scent. I like it, and I like all the ingredients, so this one is easy to wear and enjoy.
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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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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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Caramelized white sandalwood, tonka bean, and cassis liqueur. In The Bottle: The caramelized sandalwood is the first thing- and it's quite a surprise! I expected there to be, well, a caramel note in here. But instead it's this gloriously smoky sandalwood, and I AM INTO IT. Wet On Skin: The sandalwood is still the dominant note, but there's something a bit...unsettling...under it. I can't put my finger on it, though. At least not yet. Because I'm well acquainted with tonic and it's not that. Perhaps it is the cassis, which I had to look up to find out is a liquor made from black currants! Dry Down: This is BEAUTIFUL. And also really original! The cassis settled down upon drying and the fragrance has become one of mystery and sweet sexiness. It's not quite a resin, and it's not quite wood, but it's lovely and has a dry sweetness and a sophistication that I suspect, as often happens with resin and wood components, that this will only get better with age. I *might* require a backup bottle
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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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Leather, black pepper, cassis, khus, and black amber. My first review! And the first review of this scent! Im truly honored. The leather comes through first, then dies back a little while still acting as backdrop. Its an older kind of leather, well worn - it reminds me of baseball gloves or saddles. The amber fills that feeling out, as well as what I think is the khus (which is apparently vetiver? But a different part of the plant?); it rounds the leather note out and puts me in mind of more masculine cologne, though it stops short of being too in your face manly. At the very end I get something peppery and slightly acidic - the latter of which I think is the cassis. Its got a subtle throw on my skin that oscillates between being close and unobtrusive but when I turn it suddenly makes itself very apparent. I feel very mature wearing it as well, though its a kind of mature that starts in a blazer and ends in a leather corset, if you catch my meaning.
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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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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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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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Terebinth, hemp, and champaca resin. Yum, champaca. The Emerald Kaya atmo is champaca-heavy, with the terebinth and hemp rounding this out. On this balance this smells like champaca (white-yellow sweet-spicy flowers) with an earthy streak, and it is glorious. I need at least one moar bottle of this one.
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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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Salt-splashed silk, spiced cedar, hinoki wood, sea musk, a strand of kelp and a squeeze of lime. It starts out just as you are dreading it will, corn chips and dryer sheets. And its the DRYERSHEETS shrieky type scent that some aquatics are just determined to morph into. And then an hour later its all delightful warm salt soaked dried silk and you wonder why you were ever worried about the thing. My friend asked when I ordered it what silk smelled like and I said, I dont know except that it smells like silk. Which this does. Exactly and evocatively. I love it, and its even worth the pain of corn chips and dryer sheets to get there.
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Snap! Snap! Sugar crystals and tart candies with a splash of red musk. [DO NOT EAT] This is a candied cherry/strawberry sugary sweetness. Loud, strong, fruity and long wearing. Reminds me of the gummy smell in Lil's Motherhood. The musky redness only comes into play in the dry down. All in all playful and super fruity. Major throw. One bottle will go a long way.
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Blue lilac, white sage, orris root, sweet pea, a smear of crushed blueberry, and tobacco leaf. Very lilac when wet. A beautiful, light and sweet lilac. There's a hint of fruitiness. This reminds me of Blue Flasher, with its slightly berry floral. The blueberry is not terribly potent, though. A hint of squishy blue juice! There's a streak of brown-gray smoke, the tobacco adding a little darkness and depth. I can also smell a bit of a powdery sparkle, clay-like, but lighter. Must be the sage and orris! I think there are kisses of sweet pea dancing about as well. This is very complicated. Lilac lovers should try this. And if you liked Blue Flasher, you should definitely give this bolster a whirl.
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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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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.
