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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2013'.
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A haven of warmth glowing within tumultuous darkness: rose-infused amber, copal, and blood lily surrounded by labdanum, opoponax, and myrrh, and splashed by ozone and rain. I took a big risk on this, because it has a few death notes, such as 'rose infused amber,' yet has a few intriguing aspects like the combination of the promise of aquatics with warm resins. This is a very weird, yet interesting oil! This is a rich, deep orange/reddish oil and quite thick. From the bottle I'm getting tons of the resins - amber, copal, labdanum. Definitely getting tons of that costus note, it smells almost like some of dilute single labdanum I have at home for massage purposes. There's a dirty note of myrrh here that lends the true 'darkness' (wow!). Through this very murky blend of resins, the lily and rose are peeking through. Both of these flowers are the kind that would cut you, watch as you bled out, and then step over you, clove cigarette in one hand, martini in the other, and then laugh. Although neither is really dominant, you can tell that they are hanging out in the background, a little bit of burgundy and small flashes of crimson. It's a little confusing because the airy top note of both that may be 'dewy' actually may be the 'splash' of rain and ozone note. This is definitely not an airy, breezy ozone by any means. The drydown is super weird. It's not really 'pleasant' by the standard definition of the word, but for a person who loves bizarre scents, it's mostly a sweet resin with menacing florals. It's more biting than Cathedral, yet I get a hint of the 'church incense' from this. Over time there's a little bit of rain, a hint of storm in the background. I'm not sure I will need more than one bottle as this is really, really strong.
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Hemp, white honey, amber, black currant, beeswax, and wild honeysuckle. The hemp seems to leap out with a leafy green kick from the bottle and for the first few minutes after it's on my skin. As the oil begins to dry, I start to feel that A Mirror of Spring Pleasures on Kites could be a greener cousin to last year's Entangled, which is a favourite of mine. I don't really know where the similarity lies; maybe the honey? For the first five to ten minutes, the hemp makes me think of salad, but it's oddly not off-putting. That stage gives way to a creamier green scent as the honey, beeswax, honeysuckle, and just the faintest hint of amber emerge. Then the late arrival, black currant, slides in like a whisper after it's dry to mingle with the creamy notes. I probably need to let this rest, as it only came in the mail today. So far I do like it and can see myself wearing it when I need something subtle. ETA: I've worn it a few more times now and I really like it. Hemp is still the most prominent note on me, but it's already mellowed (I no longer think of salad while it's drying). The scent lasts all day and it's very much a springy fragrance that I think will appeal to people who like Entangled.
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THE DESIRE OF THY FURIOUS EMBRACES The desire of thy furious embraces Is more than the wisdom of years, On the blossom though blood lie in traces, Though the foliage be sodden with tears. For the lords in whose keeping the door is That opens on all who draw breath Gave the cypress to love, my Dolores, The myrtle to death. Cypress, honey myrtle, yew, peace lily, ivy, and black rose. In the bottle and wet on my skin this is a riot of soft florals. Absolutely the floraliest of flower fragrances. And it starts to dry down that way too before it turns entirely to soap on my skin. The soapiest of soaps. I am really heartbroken. I am going to try it in a scent locket and in a linen spray before I give up on it, it is that wonderful. Before the soap, anyway.
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Slender arrows lodged in my heart: red amber, benzoin, red musk, bourbon geranium, oak bark, Atlas cedar, and 13-year aged Sumatran patchouli. In The Bottle: The bourbon geranium is by far the most dominant note when opening the bottle. When I take a few additional sniffs, I also get a trace of the benzoin. but that geranium is hands-down the most dominant note. Wet On Skin: The germanium is still present but *much* less front and center. With this wet on my skin, I'm now also picking up the red amber and red musk (which are playing together in a really sexy way, and the patchouli, which is of the variety that has been in such favorites as Mme Moriarty Misfortune Teller and also Snake Charmer. Patchouli of the 'dirty hippy' variety this is not. Not a patchouli to fear, in other words. Dry Down: Very much the same as when still in the wet stage, and in the same proportions. In All: Medium to Strong throw, this scent has a deep, layered quality. There's a lot going on here, and because of the intensity of the individual notes, I really think this is one that will require some aging. That said, I'm *slightly* uncomfortable with how much geranium is coming through. However, I think there's a strong possibility, given the top-note quality of the geranium, that it'll fade further into the background, once it's had a chance to marinate further with the other notes. I'm really glad I have this bottle, but I think the one bottle will likely be enough. Still, I'm glad I have a few months to order a second, as that will give me a chance to see how this ages at least a little bit.
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I feel thy blood against my blood; my pain Pains thee, and lips bruise lips, and vein stings vein. Let fruit be crushed on fruit, let flower on flower Breast kindle breast, and either burn one hour. Why wilt thou follow lesser loves? are thine Too weak to bear these hands and lips of mine? The scent of the throes of violent passion: entangled limbs, teeth on flesh, furiously grasping hands, the taste of blood and sweat. Golden amber, white honey, red currant, daemonorops, kush, and Arabian musk. OMG, am I the first to review a scent? Awesome! This has to be my favorite so far of the new Lupercalias! It's actually not as heavy as I imagined it, but is a rather light, golden scent. This reminds me more of the afterglow of violent passion than the actual act itself. On the skin, the most prominent note is the golden amber, which smells very much like the amber in Aglaea. The currant isn't evident at all (unfortunately) while the honey only lends a tiny bit of sweetness to the blend. While the kush doesn't dominate the blend on my skin, it does lend a heady air to the scent. At drydown, this threatens to go a bit powdery on my skin, and now I can also detect the daemonorops in the background; however, the amber and musk remain the primary notes... which suits me just fine, because it's delicious. I think this will age very well, and hopefully the currant will come forward with time. This is going to warrant multiple bottles to put away to age, and I hope it becomes a returning favorite! ETA: After having aged for 8 months, I think I can safely say I was right about what a little age has done for this one -- it's amazing. The musk has (sadly) toned down a bit, but luckily so has the kush which was taking over during drydown. It's mellowed and rounded out, the honey's made it a tad sweeter... guh.
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SIGNIOR DILDO With thanks to Sir John Wilmot. This signior is sound, safe, ready, and dumb As ever was candle, carrot, or thumb; Then away with these nasty devices, and show How you rate the just merit of Signior Dildo. Count Cazzo, who carries his nose very high, In passion he swore his rival should die; Then shut himself up to let the world know Flesh and blood could not bear it from Signior Dildo. A rabble of pricks who were welcome before, Now finding the porter denied them the door, Maliciously waited his coming below And inhumanly fell on Signior Dildo. Nigh wearied out, the poor stranger did fly, And along the Pall Mall they followed full cry; The women concerned from every window Cried, 'For heaven's sake, save Signior Dildo.' The good Lady Sandys burst into a laughter To see how the ballocks came wobbling after, And had not their weight retarded the foe, Indeed't had gone hard with Signior Dildo. A scent of pearls and ivory: orris, violet leaf, narcissus, and Madagascar vanilla. This is a soft gorgeous violet scent. The orris root is not too dry as a matter of fact it keeps the violet from becoming too sweet and too floral. By no means is this a comparison to faith-sugared violets. I don't smell any narcissus either. This is straight up Madagascar vanilla, with hints of orris and violet. Just lovely. If you love vanilla and violet...this one is for you.
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LITHE AND LASCIVIOUS REGRET Thou wert fair in the fearless old fashion, And thy limbs are as melodies yet, And move to the music of passion With lithe and lascivious regret. What ailed us, O gods, to desert you For creeds that refuse and restrain? Come down and redeem us from virtue, Our Lady of Pain. Blackberry hops, blackened raspberry gum, purple chypre, and myrrh. Sniffing from the bottle, I get the raspberry note from Berry Moon '09, but it's muddled and darkened somewhat. When first applied to freshly-washed skin, it's mostly myrrh softened by the purple chypre (I do want to know what makes it purple!). That's a bit off-putting, as much I love myrrh, but as the minutes tick by, the fruity notes bloom and rise to the top. I this, and will be pairing it with my precious and lovely Berry Moon '09. Or, I could wear the moon in summer's daytime, and touch it up with this rich bath oil for summer evenings. ETA: I use bath oils as after-shower lotions. My skin is dryish and tends towards the acidic. ETA2: Why oh why do I get Berry Moon and Fruit Moon mixed up? Review now corrected.
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Orris, luminous ambergris, and golden amber illuminated by a sunlit golden musk. In The Bottle: The dusty-sweet scent of the orris is sharing a spotlight with the ambergris as soon as I put my nose close to the mouth of the bottle. I do not get anything else at this stage. Wet On Skin: More of the same, with a slight powder edge coming out of the orris. This has definitely got a similar vibe similar to what was in Silver Haired Bat. It's a subtle scent, but has a strong presence as well. Dry Down: Pure orris and ambergris. I get no musk or amber, which honestly is a relief as golden amber can go powdery on me and golden musk often smells like syrup on my skin (in a bit of an unpleasant way). In All: Low to medium throw. Dry, sweet and dusty, this almost comes across to me as a desert scent. It also smells like a pared-down version of Silver-Haired Bat, which is great, because I love that scent quite a bit. I'm glad I have a bottle- I will definitely wear this sometimes in place of Silver Haired Bat!
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The First Love: Moroccan rose, white fig, honey, hay absolute, vanilla, chamomile, white musk, pomegranate juice, and morning dew. I'm not the best about picking out individual notes or even describing scents very well, but I will say that this stuff is absolutely heavenly. I can definitely smell the rose, but it does not completely overwhelm. It's also fruity, I can smell the pomegranate. I don't usually like fruity scents so don't let that scare you away. There is something... natural in there too. I don't know if it's the hay or what but it makes this scent not at all "perfumey" and very organic. Ok, enough technical stuff... on to the gushing! I can't stop huffing my wrists. I love this scent with a passion. Eve, to Adam in Paradise is the perfect name for it because like the Garden of Eden it is beautiful and perfect. I have been hoarding rose scents and this is right up there with my favorites. I can see someone who doesn't usually go for rose scents loving this one too though. Seriously, get it while you can people.
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O DAUGHTER OF DEATH AND PRIAPUS They were purple of raiment and golden, Filled full of thee, fiery with wine, Thy lovers, in haunts unbeholden, In marvellous chambers of thine. They are fled, and their footprints escape us, Who appraise thee, adore, and abstain, O daughter of Death and Priapus, Our Lady of Pain. Black opium, wild plum, cypress tar, Bulgarian rose, olibanum, black orchid, and tobacco. Yay! I am the first! This is straight out of the box, so I may come back and edit after this settles.... In the bottle this is straight up Opium and Orchid, very similar to Black Orchid v3 to my nose, strong and heady. Wet on skin- still very strong opium and orchid, with something lurking underneath, I think its the cypress and plum..... mmmm.... I like this. No rose detectable yet, but as rose isn't always my friend just fine by me. Dry- this softens up considerably. The rose does start coming out slightly, but its still behind the orchid and opium. Not much plum detected, which is slightly disappointing, but I am such an orchid fan I don't really care I would definitely categorize this in the same vein as Black Orchid v3, or if your a fan of Great Vampire Bat. Smokey Orchid fans rejoice! This will be used quite a bit this summer on steamy evenings as I see this being a beautiful wafter.
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Love always finds shelter in the gentle heart. Dolce Stil Nuovo is a 13th & 14th century Florentine literary style that celebrates love and womanhood through heartfelt, delicate, and melodious sonnets, ballate, and canzones. This is fin'amor, Courtly Love, in its most moving form, and the emotions that these words express reflect love that both spiritual and idealized. Within this literary movement, earthly love reaches for the Divine. Who is she coming, whom all gaze upon, Who makes the air tremulous with light, And at whose side is Love himself? that none Dare speak, but each man's sighs are infinite. Ah me! how she looks round from left to right, Let Love discourse: I may not speak thereon. Lady she seems of such high benison As makes all others graceless in men's sight. The honor which is hers cannot be said; To whom are subject all things virtuous, While all things beauteous own her deity. Ne'er was the mind of man so nobly led Nor yet was such redemption granted us That we should ever know her perfectly. Our interpretation of Dolce Stil Nuovo is a blend of rose otto, carnation, vanilla flower, lavender and jasmine with the clarity of crystalline white musk and the warmth of golden amber. In the bottle: A very clean floral. On my wrist, wet: Sweet and floral with an almost candy-like muskiness. After 20 minutes: Creamy, subtle floral with the amber providing a little warm powderiness. This doesn't smell like flowers as much as it smells like the ghosts of flowers. After 40 minutes: Dolce Stil Nuovo is primarily a subdued floral, but there is also a warm creaminess to the blend that adds an entirely different dimension to it in all stages of drydown. The choice of muted floral components is complimented by the subtle musk and amber notes. This is a blend that suits a woman who is feminine, understated and confident. Lovely!
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THE WORM SHALL REVIVE THEE WITH KISSES But the worm shall revive thee with kisses; Thou shalt change and transmute as a god, As the rod to a serpent that hisses, As the serpent again to a rod. Thy life shall not cease though thou doff it; Thou shalt live until evil be slain, And good shall die first, said thy prophet, Our Lady of Pain. Bourbon vetiver, oakmoss, and pomegranate. So... weird... Starts off this very dischordant blend of dark dark vetiver and moss, with the fruity blast of pomegranate. On the skin, the pomegranate turns more to candy, like candy dipped in vetiver oil. Oh, no... not playing well in my skin, it's both syrupy sweet yet fundamentally spicy and gritty. I'm not sure I'm liking the two together, it smells on my skin at least like a scorched pomegranate. Sorry!
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The fabled Khajuraho temples of India are shrines of love in all its myriad forms. They are a celebration of love itself -- transcendental, spiritual and erotic. This is a rejection of sorrow, spiritual ennui and despair. The sexual motifs that adorn the temples, and the temples themselves, are monuments to ecstasy and to passion, and through that, they are also monuments to spiritual fulfillment. It is believed that the realization of moksha by dedicating oneself to adhyatma and dharma can be attained only by first experiencing sexual satisfaction. In the midst of the drudgery and struggle that we sometimes endure during the course of our Earthly lives, it is vitally important that we remember the joy found in kama, and that in kama we can achieve transformation of the body and soul. This is a blissful, euphoric blend based on an ancient Indian love potion: honey, date palm, tuberose, davana blossom, amber, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, Damask rose, and champaca flower. I'm the first to review this one! Before we begin, I would like to note that on the forum, it's spelled "Khajuraho" but it says "Khajurajo" on my bottle. In the bottle it smells very woodsy--more sandalwood than anything else. Same goes for initial application, but then the rose starts to come out. Something about it smells a little bit tropical to me--it may be the tuberose (which does funny things on me) but I don't know what some of the other notes even smell like. As it starts to dry, the sandalwood fades to a more comfortable "throw" and the earthy sweetness of honey comes out. This blend is very complex. I'm going to keep testing it but so far I like it!
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A gentle musk suffused with red roses, neroli, Moroccan jasmine, tuberose, white tobacco, and bourbon vanilla. In the Bottle: I get soft, sweet rose, some of the tuberose and a bit of the bourbon vanilla. In the bottle like this, it smells like a cousin of my favorite atmosphere spray, Cathouse. I really hope that vibe persists! Wet On Skin: I'm not getting any of the jasmine, neroli or tobacco. However, the musk is starting to come through some and make this sweet floral even sweeter. Dry Down: Wow. This has gotten really interesting. There is somehow the same kind of candy-like sweetness that I get from Midwinter's Eve or Sugar Plum Fairy. I think it's the combination of the tuberose and the vanilla. I'm not much for florals, generally, I'm really picky about them- but this is really quite nice. In All: Medium throw, and rather aggressive for a floral, but the vanilla really pulls it together. If you are a fan of Cathouse Atmo Spray and you've been pining for a perfume to match, I would strongly recommend giving this a try.
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THE SHRINE WHERE SIN IS A PRAYER I have passed from the outermost portal To the shrine where a sin is a prayer; What care though the service be mortal? O our Lady of Torture, what care? All thine the last wine that I pour is, The last in the chalice we drain, O fierce and luxurious Dolores, Our Lady of Pain. Deep purple Syrah, calamus, myrrh smoke, hyssop, opoponax, bitter clove, burgundy pitch, opium poppy, and violet leaf. Yikes, this is an evil, rich deep wine scent, with lots of smoky evil. It starts off quite sharp, with the tang of bitter grapes, and then the clove and opoponax run away to make everything crackle with a deep blackness. There is a touch of dried, dead flowers and sleepy opium. My house is a tomb! Yikes!
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LA VITA NUOVA Dante Alighieri In that book which is My memory... On the first page That is the chapter when I first met you Appear the words... Here begins a new life Apple blossom, white rose, lemon balm, and champagne grape. This is a bubbly, fruity scent with bite: Not too floral or citrussy, not too warm or too cold. A perfect springtime scent, very fresh and clean and unobtrusive.
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Belgian Chocolate, Honey, Cubeb Berries, Black Mission Fig, and Avocado
suki posted a topic in Lupercalia
I am most intrigued by the inclusion of an avocado note in here- let's see how it goes! In The Bottle: I'm getting a tart citrus note here, and, mixed with the sweetness, is actually reminding me slightly of Christmas at my aunt and uncle's house as a kid, playing with my Strawberry Shortcake dolls. That's not to say this scent smells plasticky, because it doesn't. but there's just that amalgam of sweet and tart and warmth...it's off to a good start. Wet On Skin: The sharp citrus of what I can only imagine to be the cubeb berries is thoroughly embedded amidst the chocolate and the creaminess of the avocado. It's odd, but it's working. Dry Down: This is reminding me a bit of the Dark Chocolate, Chocomint and Lime of Box O' Chocolates Past. It's like this is that scent's 2nd cousin. I like both for their dark chocolate note that stays true, and for the odd tang that the other notes are lending to it. Low throw, this is a strange but likeable scent. It shall have a nice place amid my Chocolate Scent collection. -
Scorn the foolishness of others and love, for life is too brief, and death brings everlasting sleep: Ethiopian ambrette seed, summer honey, Alpine lavender, cognac, mate resinoid, peru balsam, and red musk. In the Bottle: The Astringent quality of the Alpine Lavender is the first thing I get upon sniffing the bottle, followed closely by both the mate resinoid and the Ethiopian ambrette seed, which both add a "green" and pungent smell. Wet On Skin: Ah, hello cognac, *there* you are! and red musk- so nice to see you! This is most certainly the red musk note from Smut, and here at this stage it's grounding the lavender and those 'green' notes nicely, as they all seem like they're operating on a higher frequency. So the red musk is acting very earthy in this context. It's a surprise, but I'm liking it. Dry Down: This is one of those scents that has completely morphed from the time it was in the bottle to settling into my skin. I'm getting the cognac and the balsam of Peru both making something dark and a little smoky-sweet, and then the red musk twisting in over that, with a touch of that mate resinoid coming in with a slight citrus finish, almost as an afterthought. This is a somewhat heady, rather complex scent, and I'm betting it's only going to get better with age. In All: Low to medium throw. I've been wanting a secondary scent that had the red musk note I adore so much in my beloved Smut, as smut can be a little overwhelming in some environments, like a day at work. Red Lace had a bit of it, but I always felt like I wanted more red musk than Red Lace could really live up to. But with Vivamus here, I really feel like I've got something that I'll want to wear again and again through the remaining dark winter months. Love!
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OLISBOS As for old flames and lovers-they're none left. And since Milesians went against us, I've not seen a decent eight-fingered dildo. Yes, it's just leather, but it helps us out. The ancient Greeks sure weren't shy about taking care of business. The port city of Miletus was once famed throughout the Mediterranean as a source of excellent stone, wood, and padded leather dildos. This scent is the celebration of an age-old pastime: polished wood, well-loved leather, and olive oil. Old leather (!!!!!), aka Dead Man's Hand style leather, some sort of delicious fruity-tart-citrusy note, and a deep wood note - oak, or mahogany, or maybe a sandalwood, or a mixture? Definitely smells polished. But instead of olive oil, I'm getting some sort of delicious fruit. Not that I'm complaining! Ohhhhh myyy godddddd I missed you so, old delicious worn leather. *rolls around like a cat with catnip* Still that delicious citrusy note, though it's somewhat smothered by the leather which is first and foremost - I think it's got to be sweet orange. Yes. This is like Dead Man's Hand layered over Gaiman's Orange with an extra jolt of fresh squeezed OJ. Which may sound strange but it is DELICIOUS. The wood is much lighter on my skin, and sort of musky, so I'm guessing it's either sandalwood or oak, as those are the nicest, sexiest woods on my skin. Still no olive oil, unless it's super fruity oiive oil! Not much morphing here - maybe a little fading of the OJ, but otherwise not much. This has fantastic throw (much like Dead Man's Hand) and I'm really surprised by how faint (and thus unidentifiable) the wood is. I'm leaning towards white sandalwood because it's so light and because this has a musky sort of feel to me, as white sandalwood often does. I completely took a random chance on this bottle and it was a brilliant risk. I am huffing my arm here! Yeah, this is really not a morpher. After a couple hours it's Dead Man's Hand with hints of orange juice and musky sandalwood. All which I adore so it's pretty much a slightly feminized, even more delicious DMH. I am over the moon! Great throw, but it does fade fairly quickly. I have now tried 6 Lupers, and all but one have been fabulous.
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I'll open this review by saying I've not had much luck with cherry as a note in the past, but I'm always interested in giving iffy notes another chance, so here goes! In The Bottle: Yep, that's dark chocolate-covered boozy cherries, alright! Wet On Skin: The same notes, but toned down a bit. It still reads as foody, but not in the HAI CHOCO-LUSH! capacity it did before Dry Down: I think I'm getting the star anise now. It's not black-licorice variety, thank goodness, as that type just smells like NyQuil to me But this is adding something...woodsy to this mix. wet and also in the bottle it was just straight-up food all the way. But now the chocolate note AND the cherry have both mellowed, the wine note isn't amping on me the way it usually does, and the anise is grounding it, giving it all a nice base to drop anchor on. In All: A surprisingly understated offering from the Box o' Chocolates this year, this is a chocolate scent that's- dare I say it?- sophisticated. I just think I found my first cherry scent!
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Sandalwood, plum, white mint, and agarwood. oh god. it is SO GOOD. this is SO GOOD. in the bottle: nondescript sandalwood with...something behind it. the oudh? it didn't smell exciting in the bottle. wet on my skin: MINT! with a backdrop of sandalwood. spicy and woodsy. dry on my skin: just delicious. spicy and sophisticated with just a hint of sweetness. what an unexpected and beautiful mix of scents. i foresee several bottles of this in my future.
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THE FROTH OF THE SERPENTS OF PLEASURE All thine the new wine of desire, The fruit of four lips as they clung Till the hair and the eyelids took fire, The foam of a serpentine tongue, The froth of the serpents of pleasure, More salt than the foam of the sea, Now felt as a flame, now at leisure As wine shed for me. Sweet red wine, oakmoss, ambergris accord, ylang ylang, and Spanish mandarin. This is so beautiful! It's smells like a really good sangria tastes. The wine is brightened by a citrus note, and it makes it really sweet. But this is still really rich and deep underneath the bright fruity notes. It's very well blended, because it never gets too fruit-punch smelling. I'm assuming that's due to the oakmoss and ambergris, but I can't really pick them out individually. Like all BPTP oils, this leaves my skin soft and sweet-smelling.
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QUICKEN THE SOUL THROUGH THE BLOOD Thou shalt touch and make redder his roses With juice not of fruit nor of bud; When the sense in the spirit reposes, Thou shalt quicken the soul through the blood. Thine, thine the one grace we implore is, Who would live and not languish or feign, O sleepless and deadly Dolores, Our Lady of Pain. Cacao, red patchouli, night-blooming jasmine, Roman chamomile, and white tea. This is so gorgeous! In the bottle I get cacao on the beginning of the inhale and red patchouli at the end of the inhale. Rubbed a drop between my fingers and it became a kaleidoscope of scents: cocoa, red patchouli, jasmine, chamomile-white tea. In the bath I mainly smelled jasmine-chamomile-white tea, while cacao and patchouli were off to the side. Very relaxing and pleasant. It kept reminding me of something I have had before, something from LUSH or L'Occitane. May have to order a backup bottle before this is gone!
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IN THE DARKNESS THEY MURMURED AND MINGLED And they laughed, changing hands in the measure, And they mixed and made peace after strife; Pain melted in tears, and was pleasure; Death tingled with blood, and was life. Like lovers they melted and tingled, In the dusk of thine innermost fane; In the darkness they murmured and mingled, Our Lady of Pain. Labdanum, black plum, black currant, violet, and champaca flower. Burns great, and has great throw cold, too. Smells like a brown-golden resin, and juicy, dark berries and plum. The violet is quite apparent and is adding a subtle powdery velvet scent. If I sniff hard enough, the champaca adds an incensy element to the entire thing. On fire, this is resin/fruit dominant, but you can still tell the violet is there. I love this! MOAR! ETA: My candle appears to be tunneling real bad - I did burn it out the first time, but maybe it's dense perfume oils? It has a good rim of 1 cm of wax all around and the wick is drowning / shrinking independently. Hrm.
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DRIED IS THE BLOOD OF THY LOVER What broke off the garlands that girt you? What sundered you spirit and clay? Weak sins yet alive are as virtue To the strength of the sins of that day. For dried is the blood of thy lover, Ipsithilla, contracted the vein; Cry aloud, “Will he rise and recover, Our Lady of Pain?” Dragon’s blood resin, myrrh, red musk, vetiver, black clove, and cassia. I've been wanting to try one of the BPTP candles for a while now. It has only recently been cold enough in my area to want to take a chance on having it delivered without finding a big blob o' wax in my metal mailbox. Wonky weather! Anyway, very pretty label and votive, smoked glass, and the candle is a nice, natural beige tone. The scent is VERY strong. If you're not a fan of burning candles, you could have this sitting in a room, and it would still pack a scent punch. It's strongest on the red musk and the dragon's blood, a very sweet, sharp, incensy fragrance. Burning it brings out a warmer, spicy note that doesn't really read as clove to me but also not generic spice cabinet. The heat lessens the overall sharpness of the musk and rounds out and balances the blend. I like it lit better than not and can still smell it when it's all the way across the room from me unlit. It burns smoothly and evenly. It's not creating a wax pit in the center of the candle. There is minimal smoke or soot from the wick and no funky scent after dousing. I rarely burn candles because I'm really picky about them and get a headache from most synthetic fragrance blends. Natural candles are often too weak to bother with. It's great to have an option that makes the room smell fantastic and that doesn't cause me problems. I don't think I'll need more than one at a time, but I can safely say I will buy more BPTP candles in the future.
