suki

in the bottle: heavy on the chocolate. this is the chocolate of the white label 13 of years gone by. yup. wet on skin: ahhhh- the violets are starting to emerge. dry down: the violets are subtle in here, though they are *definitely* the sugared violets of Faith, and the chocolate has become cocoa butter- which is essentially white chocolate without all the sweet crap added to it. in all: medium throw, and a great interplay between the two notes. i personally love violet above all other florals, AND i'm a foodie, so this scent will require a back up bottle for me. if you feel the same- stock up!!! :wub:

in the bottle: totally STUNNING vanilla/sandalwood combination. wet on skin: plum rises to dominate at this stage. dry down: a light sandalwood, with notes of vanilla and plum, and sweet ricemilk poured over the whole affair. wonderful. in all: a close to the skin scent without a lot of thrown, this is a really special scent, the kind that will ensure i sniff myself all day long, and also ensure anyone close by will be pulled in for a closer sniff as well

in the bottle: tart passionfruit, sweet base guava, and cream. yum! wet on skin: i'm getting some apple now, but not the green apples of SGA, more the red apples of early fall when you pick them yourself in the orchards. mmmmm. dry down: alas, the cream had all but vanished. however, it's a lovely mix of sweet juicy fruits, and that's lovely. in all: this turned in total Hanami on my partner so i was nervous, because i DON'T like Hanami. but it has stayed a sweet fruity blend that i think 1. will be great for the warmer months and 2. will likely get more interesting as it ages. huzzah!

in the imp: this is really, really well blended. i can't say that i can pick out any individual notes at all here. it's just mildly sweet, but not foody. wet on skin: the leather is poking it's nose out a bit, but mostly this is still VERY blended. dry down: i get more of the leather, but not the overpowering leather of, say, De Sade. like a worn chair kind of leather. and something that's vaguely sweet-maybe the anise?-that's keeping the leather in check. but i get no metal or lube oil notes from this, as i did with Needle In a Haystack or something like that. in all: a mellow leather for daytime wear, should you be so inclined.

in the imp:yup- that's graveyard dirt and green moss, alright! wet on skin: there's an undercurrent of the same note that always shows up as Mr Clean on my skin. i don't know what it is, but it was in Pruno, too, and a few others. i hope this goes away... dry down: nope. it's staying. sigh. in all: like sitting in a graveyard, under a mossy tree, and someone comes along and dumps industrial floor cleaner on the whole placid scene. me? i'll stick to straight up Graveyard Dirt, thanks.

in the imp: sharp frankincense, rich myrrh. wet on skin: same. dry down: both have softened, but are basically the same. in all: a softer daytime version of Jacob's Ladder. so much like it, in fact, that had i know this blend existed as a GC, i might not have gotten the bottle of Ladder when i did.

in the imp: salty aquatic note dominates, with an undercurrent of juniper berry (must be the fir) wet on skin: same, with the juniper coming out a touch more. dry down: the juniper/fir is in the lead now, but the aqua still definitely has presence. in all: not my cup of tea, but if you like the above-mentioned notes, you'll dig this one.

in the imp: strong indian jasmine- the rich, dark kind, not the pale essential oil kind. wet on skin: same. dry down: same. in all: consistent, average throw. a solid, steady jasmine. i get nothing more from this oil. but if jasmine is your favorite, get a few bottles of this- you won't be disappointed.

although i wanted to try Stardust enough to get a bottle from another forumite, I had serious reservations about it working well on me because of the champagne notes amping out of control on me in Bon Vivant and also in all the Yule Champagne scents that came out this past December. All around, though, i've been pleasantly surprised! Finally, a scent with champagne that WORKS on me! this is because that note stays put in the mix, and doesn't start screaming. later, well after dry down, the darker aspect of this scent evaporates and what's left is a beautiful floral musk that is reminiscent of very expensive perfumes as one might wear out to the opera or a gala function or new year's eve. celebratory, extravagant, and high class, this is a floral for those of us who don't like florals!

in the bottle: honey wheat and rosehips (NOT rose, not yet, anyway) wet on skin: same- sweet, heady and delicious dry down: the rose- a sweet pink variety- has taken the lead, though the wheat and honey are still certainly present, given me the feeling of being in a field of wheat, while eating fresh honey of a thorny rose. in all: honeyed rose and ripe august wheat. sound good? you'll LOVE it! interesting post script: *combined* with her partner Silas, is a close approximation of Crypt Queen- though niether alone gives any hint of it. interesting, no?

Based solely on prior reviews, I decided to go ahead and get a bottle of Lupanar. I am NOT disappointed! This stuff is GORGEOUS. The Honey note is the Single Note variety that I got from a Forumite about 18 months ago- sweet, delicious, and warm. This is richer, in my opinion, than either the honey in O or Mead Moon, as both of those seemed to have a slight bitter edge (possibly from other notes with them, but it came off seeming like it was the honey note). In any event, Honey is dominant here, in a big way. I get no ylang ylang from this, but the almond and myrrh-though VERY subtle compared to the honey-add a nice warm roundness to to the scent overall. in all: while Cathouse remains my preferred scent for the boudoir , Lupanar is perfect for cozy evenings (or days!) at home with my beloved, snuggled up and eating delectable foods by candlelight together. :wub2:

in the imp: this is a weird thing to say, but this smells like Candied Brine to me, at least while still bottled. totally weird, but i SWEAR, that's the smell! wet on skin: more of the (strange) same! dry down: it's stayed THE. SAME. in all: the sexy company Kama Sutra used to make this blue bath salt that came with a little shell scoop. i don't know if they still have it, but this oil smells EXACTLY like that- sweet and seawater-y. totally weird, but it works somehow.

in the imp: very musty and herb-y. wet on skin: same, with some sweet iris tossed in. dry down: i'm getting quite a bit of "green" plant smell- i can only assume it's the herbs. and the recurring Iris. that's all, though- no sandalwood, or anything else. in all: a simple scent, light and "clean" without being soapy. good for day use, but nothing fancy.

in the imp: yup, that's an aqua, alright. wet on skin: more of the same. dry down: there Is a "green" note in here, as others have mentioned. not briny, either, like siting in a boat out at sea, eating cucumbers. that's what it's like. in all: if seawater and cukes are a combo that makes you swoon, stock up on this one

... Thick black currant with the darkest, deepest myrrh, a drop of bitter mimosa and the slightest touch of mandrake dust. in the imp: the myrrh and the mimosa are strong from the outset- so much so that it almost smells like a doctor's office! wet on skin: it's myrrh all the way at this point. dry down: straight myrrh. in all: medium throw and the resinous quality one would expect from myrrh. if you're a fan, invest in a bottle, just to age for later.

in the imp: a really rich and heady wood, like sandalwood, mixed with a tree that grew frankincense, if such a tree existed. wet on skin: more of the same, thankfully. dry down: this is magnificent. that is all you need to know. in all: for those days when i need both strength and protection and feel it's essential to cover up in my longest cotton skirts and soft head wraps, that is the type of day that this scent commands. one of those days when people step out of the way in deference of Supreme Crone Power. oh, YES. :wub:

One of the Biblical Cities on the Plain, destroyed by God with fire and brimstone because of its people’s pride, prosperous ease, deceit, hedonism and indolence, and their callous, uncharitable hearts. A gritty, sordid and languid scent: ripe fig, date and currant with black herbs. in the imp: mostly the herbs, with a fine hint of currant. very "dark" smelling so far. wet on skin:same, with a little fig wafting in and out. dry down: back to the "dark" herbs. in all: certainly a "noir" sort of oil, the type you wear when you plan to walk on the foggy moors brooding all day and then go home to drink sherry and spill it down your lace gown. THAT kind of scent.

in the bottle: yeah, there's certainly something in here that close to Candy Phoenix, at least in the bottle. i used to have the yule 2007 pomegranate scent and it didnt smell like this, this is more sugary-sweet. wet on skin:like drinking wine while eating candy dry down: this is all blood wine and fruit on me. in all: a great mix, because i love all those notes. this is more of a "desert" wine than, say, Gluwhein, so those of you who sometimes find BPAL wine notes too "grapey" probably should skip this. but if you're a BPAL wine lover the way i am, this is a total keeper.

in the bottle: definitely getting that fig in a big way. it's not like Eden, but the note is easy to pick out. i'm also getting a bit of the berry and just a dash of the cognac. wet on skin: more of the same, but with leather creeping in to the mix. if the leather stays where it is and doesnt start to dominate, this could be my new favorite scent. dry down: the leather is salty, rich. the berry is sweet and ripe, much like the berry note in Bloody Mary. the fig is still present, but more in the background. and the cognac is adding the right amount of class. in all: a sexy thing for anyone of any gender to wear, this is a scent of seduction, talking dirty and fooling around in the back of a classy movie theater. total win. :heart:

in the bottle: a "wet" floral, with a bit of spice. i assume this aqua note will evaporate, since there's nothing close to it listed in the notes. wet on skin: much the same dry down: i think it's the skin musk note i was reading as aquatic earlier. in fact, it's pretty much the only note i'm getting- no beeswax, no vanilla flower, just the skin musk. in all: i agree with samarablackcat: if you were hoping for something along the lines of Glowing Vulva, this is not it. as a close to the skin white musk, there's potential. but it's a scent i feel needs to age before i'll really know what it's all about. ETA:a while after writing this review, the musk npote went from being close to the skin to amping incredibly- so the throw is a morpher. i only put on a tiny drop, so beware- this is NOT an oil to slather, or you'll be sorry!

clove, tonka and a bit of the red musk battle it out both in the bottle and on my skin. as with it's sister, White Rose, this Red stays pretty true from bottle to skin through drydown. as i said in it's sister's review, the real magic comes in the transformation that happens when these two oils are combined on the skin. something beautiful and fairly unexpected occurs at that point, and for that, i wouldn't trade either bottle for the world. :wub:

i cant say i'm getting much in the way of anything other than sweet cream and rose with this oil. i, too am curious to see how this will age. it reminds me strongly of Hope, but not quite as sugary. the *real* magic comes in layering this scent with Red Rose- after a few short moments it becomes absolutely heavelny- more than worth it to get this set. :wub2:

in the imp: vetiver. wet on skin: same, with a slight edge of cactus. the combination smells like a doctor's office, for som reason. antiseptic and coffee, perhaps? dry down: all doctor's office, all the time. in all: except for the cactus, i've had success with all the other notes. maybe this one is a dealbreaker, because this scent sure doesnt like me.

in the imp: yup. that's leather and rose alright! strangely, it reminds me of London (the actual city). something about the quality of the scent, it's like being near Hyde Park. strange. wet on skin: the rose comes into the lead a little bit. dry down: all rose- the leather has vanished! in all: usually leather notes stay rather tenacious on me, so it's a surprise to find one disappear. the rose in this is deep, dark and lush. so, if you like rose, check this out-you may find a new love in your life.

in the imp: pure gentleman's lavender. wet on skin: same, but with a strange dollop of tonka added in. dry down: the lavender has toned down considerably and the tonka and amber have taken over. in all: a fine gender-neutral scent for a chilly late afternoon.