abejita

I almost didn't bother with this one, since I dislike black pepper. I was afraid it would end up like War (delicious for a little bit, then all pungent bitey black pepperness). As I was opening the decants from the Lupercalia circle to sniff, Burning Vulva just didn't stand out to me particularly. I put all the decants to the side for later. And then I kept smelling something vanilla-amber-tonka-waxy rich delicious. I figured out that I had smeared a little Burning Vulva on my finger from the cap of the decant vial. It does have a fiery aspect. The ginger is assertive and the black pepper is present, though it's just restrained enough that it doesn't bother me. But something about the leather, wax, vanilla, etc is so perfect a balance. The floral is the merest hint on me, just enough to give a little fresh sweetness. It has a long wear time and pretty good throw. This will be my surprise bottle purchase of the Lupercalia series this year, as it has turned out to be my favorite of them all. Edit: I totally forgot to mention, this has some similarity to No. 93 Engine, just much warmer.

This reminds me of Love's Philosophy, but with a stronger character. The ginger note is very fresh, with a good bite to it. The cream is the other dominant note, it's very rich. The clove gives a slight velvety texture and the honey sweetens it (though I don't get a strong honey note here, it seems to play a more supporting role). The wear length is not very long, sadly, but I like the scent enough to overlook that.

Oh, this is really nice. I mean, niiiice. I sat down next to one of my students in English class a few days ago and she inhaled and said, "Someone smells SOOOOO good!" It's definitely a gourmand scent, but I wouldn't call it foodie. The balsam and benzoin are very present, which I think keeps it from going in the direction of candy-like. The cherry note really is Rainier cherry-- it has that distinctness and is nothing like the cherry in other blends I have sampled. The high notes of sugar and lemon burn off quickly on me. The almond, vanilla, and honey notes are well-balanced and the rosewater is not distinctly rose, for those of you who aren't rose fans, it just adds a bit of freshness and supports the general blush-y feeling the cherry note gives me. In fact, I think that "blush-y" is a good word to describe the character of the scent overall. The description of "She Who Furnishes Pregnancy" fits this well, the scent has that blushing glow to it.

As my collection is huge (four years is a long time to hoard), I rarely do multiple bottle purchases anymore. My last one was Womb Furie, and before that it was as far back as Mead Moon. I broke that rule for Fledgling Raptor Moon, and I'm glad I did. My first impression, opening the bottle right out of the mail box, was dry heat. I wrinkled my nose and waited a day. Today in the bottle it's very clove and wood heavy, sharp, but on the skin that impression quickly diminishes and alters into softness. If this scent were a tactile impression, I would say it is like brushing soft down feathers againts your cheek. The feathers are bronze with traces of gold. The sandalwood is definitely toasted, which softens the sometimes sharp woody character it can have. It blends very well with the patchouli, which has the aged character indicated in the scent description. The two notes bring out the best in each other. The vanilla is not currently prominent, but I suspect it will emerge with aging. It seems the type of vanilla that does. The clove and carnation seem to be balancing each other well, too. The massoia bark adds a roundness that I never recognzed until I started trying as many blends with that note as I could. It always sort of makes everything richer. I love this one and it will only get better with time.

Ha! That is so apt! This is a very joyful, bright and playful scent. I typically don't find myself drawn to the candy or fruity scents, but I really like this one. I get mostly lemon blossom (which I love in Carnaval Diabolique) and candyfloss. The vanilla gives it a good base, while the rose sugar and fruits add a piping chorus that I'd imagine is singing Ode to Joy.

On me, this scent is unremarkable. It's like a simpler version of a bunch of other bpal scents, but has nothing to give it character or make it stand out. I think I would have liked thus more when I first discovered bpal, but now I'm spoiled by other richer, more complex blends. It smells pretty much like its description. Straight up vanilla musk with a touch of spice.

I'm not at all into green herbal scents, and this is much more green than it is golden honey. Not for me!

I almost didn't bother with this one because of the orris. Orris isn't a dealbreaker necessarily, but it does tend to lower my interested in a blend. Something about the coconut takes the orris from powdery-perfumey hell to rich and smooth. The rose is definitely red and velvety, the musks are *just* short of too high-pitched. I could see wearing this just as a day to day blend, or to a formal event. It's not over the top or inaccessible to the average nose, I think. This has become my go-to rose blend. I've wanted one for years, and none of them have really done it for me. I've traded away Peacock Queen, Rose Red, Two, Five, and Seven, Rose Moon, and almost everything else I'd hoped would be my perfect rose scent. Now I've found it. I'll be buying a full bottle next lunacy!

Um, yeah. Roses, Pearls, and Diamonds. I'm about to go review it. I have found my perfect rose blend.

I was really hoping that this one would have the notes listed from greatest strength to least. Meaning, it would be a primarily beeswax and frankincense scent. Unfortunately, I tend to amp grape/wine notes. This might as well be grape candy single note on me. Dammit. I don't even get a wine-like note. It's super sugary grape.

Oh, wow. If I love this so much already, what's it going to be like with some aging, especially with notes that are so prone to deepening with age? I don't find this to be green at all. I find it to be golden sunbeams from high windows with dustmotes floating in the air. The vanilla has a strong raw characteristic, as described in the notes. This is only raw vanilla-- not bean, not orchid, not foodie. It has its own distinct character. The balsams are sweet and have a nice texture to them, as does the leather. It's an odd mix of nappy suede and smooth, worn leathers. I love it. I really, really love it. I ordered this for a librarian friend in my life and I'm so glad I got one for me as well. I hope she adores it like I do!

This is very much Snake Oil and O, and in a very good way. The Snake Oil is not a component in the background, and it does seem to have that rawness that fresh SO has. The longer I have it on, the more I can smell the nuance of the honey(s), and it starts to take on a character unique to itself, rather than just smelling like I layered SO + O (would that be SO2, with the 2 as subscript? chemistry!). I love it fresh and I am absolutely certain that I will love it even more aged. I rarely break my "no multiple bottle hoarding" rule, but I will get at least two more of this one. This is a long-term keeper and will be a BPAL classic. Note: The longer I wear this, the more throw it has, too. Nice waft to it. Edit: In less than two weeks of having this blend, it's already started deepening in that Snake Oil way. Oh my. So good.

I don't like this in the bottle on first sniff, it's very bitter. Wet, this starts out as all leather on me, and it's a little too raw. As it dries down, it quickly smoothes and softens, letting the blonde (and it's definitely blonde) tobacco emerge, followed by the wood. Finally, the cognac comes forth to round it out. There is no real booziness or liquor-y smell. This is a masculine scent, but of the sort I still very much enjoy on myself. I like this, but for now it feels unfinished or unsettled to me. There is an aspect to it that I associate with transport shock or whatever. I'll revisit it in a couple of weeks, but I'm pretty sure it will be a keeper.

The Other Woman. The scent of dark desire, heady with intrigue, shadowy with deception: black opium, Haitian patchouli, jasmine sambac, French magnolia and kush. From the bottle: Creamy blossoms and a whiff of my beloved opium. On, wet: The French magnolia just bloomed. Hell, it burst into bloom. The jasmine is strong. I have never had a particular problem with jasmine in general, but I can see how the sambac is more... tempered, somehow. This is seriously a lush floral, everything else is hiding right now. Dry: Mmmm, there it is. Ooooopiummmm. So smooth. I am not a big floral person, but the lushness of the magnolia, the clarion sweetness of the jasmine, and that smooth black opium are really doing it for me right now. The patchouli and kush have a light touch. I suspect they are part of what is grounding the jasmine. I love the sweetness of this scent, it's so velvety The Verdict: A keeper. To me, this scent speaks confidence, sensuality, and a very mature breed of audacity. I can really see how it is meant to evoke the Other Woman. I get a feel of independence. This is the scent of the Mistress, but she is no kept woman. She just can't be bothered with drab social convention. The men who know it want her all the more for it, but she won't be tamed. I don't usually go nuts reading a lot into a scent, but this one is tugging at my imagination. Medium to strong throw.

Huh. This is interesting. My first bottle of Black Lace was good, but not spectacular. It should have been awesome on me, but just not quite. I aged it and it's nicer now, but still not what I was hoping for. However, the new batch is exactly what I was hoping for. It's not an aging thing, I don't think, it must be a slight batch variation. This is more like the dark Antique Lace I'd been wanting. The vanilla cream is sweeter, the tobacco and incense contrast perfectly. Now I finally get Black Lace.

I agree with hackess. Hazelnut. It's very warm, sweet, and comforting. I wonder if there is some kind of fruit note in here. I detect a hint of something red (cherry?) at the beginning, but it's not present on dry down. Hazelnuts and warmed brown sugar.

On me, this is so close to Boomslang that it's not worth having a bottle of both. The chocolate note is identical on my skin. Boomslang has the added benefit of a Snake Oil background, so it wins. Nice scent, but not for me.

"Traces of caramel?" Really? I don't have a huge problem with amping certain scents. Now and then I find something, but caramel hasn't generally been an issue. Until now. Yikes. I get nothing but burnt caramel. I really wanted to perceive the other notes, but caramel is upstaging them all.

This scent should be awesome on me. However, something in it is amping sweet like nothing ever amps on me. Holy moly. I usually have cooperative skin chemistry and smoky vanilla is one of my favorite things. But I'm getting nothing but a sickly sweet note. Pimento berry? I have no idea.

I suddenly understand why people kept insisting Shub is citrus/lemony. I never interpreted the cubeb in Shub as lemon, but in Crib Girls, it's super-tart. Right now, this is not the most balanced blend. The cubeb is the strongest note, drowning out the honey partially, and the cardamom entirely. However, I am pretty certain aging will temper it. As it is now, I actually really like it, but I'm looking forward to more honey and cardamom.

This one was instant love for me. I immediately went and found a backup bottle, and I am really not doing that much these days. It smells like the color red, which happens to be my favorite since before I could speak. Regal, rich, velvety-textured, stately red. Super-saturated and intense. Carnation and clove dominate, which is fine by me. The musk and incense give it depth while the pomegranate balances the rose. I love it.

This may be one of the best BPAL scents ever. The vanilla, musk, spices, etc, are so very smooth and rich. I don't know what I could say that hasn't already been said. I ended up wearing this to my wedding, despite having to use the last of my tiny stash of it. I am hoping very much for a re-release.

I'm pregnant and I still wear my oils. Things smell a little stronger to me, but nothing is triggering nausea. My "morning sickness" (such a lie, it's all damn day) is more the reflux variety than puking. I feel like I should be "good" and not wear perfume, but I liiiiike them. Maybe it's time to just haul out the scent locket. I have Miss Lupescu on right now.

Nepalese amber, vanilla infused amber, golden musk, sandalwood, orange rind, ginger, frankincense, and cardamom. I can't believe no one's reviewed this yet. This spray is much like the L'Estate oil. Just subtract the florals and add spice. It has the same dizzyingly bright, sunny, high noon at high summer feel to it. I usually balk at citrus, but the orange rind is perfect here, especially coupled with the ginger. I've never tried any of BPAL's room sprays before, and if this one is indicative of their quality, I'll be buying more of them. My only small regret is that I like this so much that I wish it had been the perfume instead of the room spray! I love the perfume, don't get me wrong, but the spice and resin here is strikingly beautiful.

I'm getting married at the end of September. It's going to be casual, just friends and that kind of thing. I'm going to wear a knee-length intensely RED silk dupioni dress. I'm thinking that whatever BPAL I wear is going to have to be anything but tender blossoms and lilies. Ha.