Roses, Pearls, and Sapphires

[Jenjin]

Lavender rose petals, coconut husk, cerulean blue musk, agave, and blueberry resin.

Edited February 17 by Jenjin

[VioletChaos]

I splurged on two from the Roses and Pearls line, and this is one of them (the other being Rubies). Neither had disappointed, but Roses, Pearls, and Sapphires may prove to be my favorite, not just of this mini series, but Lupercalia 2024 as a whole (apart from the triumphant return of Glowing Vulva, but c'mon. That's a whole other realm.)

In the bottle, the lavender rose (the 'rose' is a formality- this reads as lavender to my nose) and blueberry play elegantly together in a surprisingly delicate dance. Not that either note is known for being so aggressive, but I've certainly encountered scents where one of these two could be quite loud given the chance. 

Wet, then warming, on the skin both notes blossom and unfurl some, with lavender gently edging blueberry out for top spot, for a spell, until the coconut husk comes to reign lavender back in. "Husk" is important here: this is NOT coconut-coconut. Not the candied coconut or suntan lotion coconut you might be anticipating, so you must do away with such notions immediately. This is the scratchy, earthy bit outside of all that and here it has the not-insubstantial task of grounding this scent, to keep it from all floating away, too high, into the stratosphere. Only after husk and fully done that task does the cerulean musk stroll in, and not a moment too soon.

I've been on a big ol' blue musk deep dive for about the past year, and it was THE note that made me snatch up a bottle of this here elixir and it does NOT disappoint. Every blend I try a blue musk variant in is wildly different than the last, so there's no direct comparisons here, except to say that I continue to feel vindicated by each new exploration into this lesser-known entry into the musk family. 

It's not a mistake that nearly all the notes in a scent with "Sapphires" in the name would have a blue allusion, but here its especially overt, a sparkling blue gem of a scent, it has a shine and hardness that align it with the crystalline icicles of late winter, but there's also a warmth here that slinks in once the scent has settled in completely, something to snuggle into when the ice outside all seems a bit too much.

[Geminirubyshoes]

Honestly, none of the notes listed in here are my usual bag (sometimes lavender and rose separately but never together) except coconut but I really wanted to try it. In the bottle it’s a bomb of blueberry & lavender but on the skin I am getting allll the lavender and rose and not so much blueberry anyone. I feel like the coconut husk helps to “dry it out) so it’s like dried lavender and rose instead of wet medicinal lavender. It reminds me of this little black velvet dream pillow I had when I was a teenager that definitely had dried lavender and some other herbs in it. It’s really pretty and intresting.

[samanare]

Blue coconut! The coconut is the strongest note on me, with the blue musk not far behind. The blueberry and agave add to the blue musk, deepening it slightly and adding a sweet, slightly fruity quality to the scent. The florals are there, but just slightly, and it's more lavender than rose. Overall, a sweet, fruity blue coconut scent with just the a whiff of florals.

[doomsday_disco]

This starts off strongest on the blueberry on me, followed by the lavender and rose. The rose quickly overtakes the lavender, and eventually, the blueberry, so that it is mainly a rose-dominant scent backed by a bit of sweetness from the coconut and agave, and the hint of blueberry that remains, on a bed of musk.

 

I really enjoyed the wet phase of this when the lavender and blueberry were stronger than the rose. I'll likely retest this before it goes away to see if it has changed at all/if my feelings have changed on it, but at the moment, I'm thinking the decant is a keeper, but I don't need a full bottle.

Edited April 17 by doomsday_disco

[Tamarinda]

In the decant: Blueberries, roses, and lavender.

 

Wet: Lots and lots of blueberry! Roses and lavender play supporting roles along with some background sweetness.

 

Dry: The blueberry has left the building and now I'm left with a sweet, rosey lavender scent. I normally hate the smell of lavender but this perfume seems to be the exception. Lavender is the dominant smell and I'm not sure if I'm just sensitive to it or if I amp it. The roses in the background are very lovely and it's overall a beautiful pefume with strong projection and an 8 hour plus lifespan.

 

[Fancyfetus]

I haven't tried any of the others from this collection, so can't make any direct comparisons. On first whiff, I get coconut, lavender, and something acidic. I think this must be the blueberry, though it's difficult to say.

 

As it dries down, the blueberry becomes more distinct. I trust that the rose is in there somewhere, but I can't quite distinguish it. The blue musk is fresh and bright, which balances the fattiness of the coconut beautifully. 

 

While this never goes fully tropical, it is a really lovely choice for a hot summer day. 

[Ceux]

In the bottle: Blueberries!!!  lots of blueberries and lavender

Wet: The lavender takes the front stage, it's a soft and velvety, not herbaceous lavender. I can still get the blueberries and the musk is also very soft.

Dry: My skin amps up the musk (as always) and the coconut husk. It's really the husk and not the flesh of the coconut, getting us aways from sunscreen territories.

 

It makes me feel like: I am in a liminal space vaporwave album cover. With a single frog swimming in an infinite pool made of marble.

[frizzlechicken]

The lovely paperflowers included this in a recent decant package and I am so glad…I might not have tried this otherwise, and it is so lovely. The lavender and coconut blend so beautifully with the blue musk; it’s like an elegant coconut perfume and fades beautifully to a soft musky blueberry/musk/coconut. No one note ever overpowers. I love it so much I added a bottle to my final Lupers order.