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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2010'.
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Honey, quince, vanilla, white cognac, Spanish mandarin, and golden tobacco. This started out reminding me of Peach Moon, a soft ripe fruit, but as it dried down, the fruit became less promient, but the softness continued. It's like......... as i'm smelling it, all my worries go away. It's like i'm being wrapped in a lovely blanket. And it's long lasting.....been going for 6 hours strong!
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THE GILMAN HOUSE HOTEL Innsmouth, MA The quintessential Valley vacation destination! With its distinctive bulging cupola pushing into the Massachusetts skyline, surrounded by gorgeous views of the majestic Manuxet River on the south and captivating swampland on the west, the Gilman House Hotel is an Innsmouth landmark. Built in 1750, this hotel is rich in Miskatonic Valley history, and is heralded as one of the Valley's most romantic getaways. By day, sail with the croaking, baying entities that lurk in the wharves, then come back to your room and bask in the many amenities that the hotel has to offer. Rest under the watchful eye of the Sleeping God, stroll through the boggy, vaporous central gardens, or unwind with your partner at the Gilman's House's renowned 4-star spa, famous for its sea salt scrubs and unique tentacle massage. The Gilman House's central location puts it easy reach of Innsmouth's open confluence of streets, its bustling downtown area, and the wharves, and it is a hop, skip, and jump from the Innsmouth Colony for the Insane. Banquet, convention, and ritual space available! Musty, dilapidated furnishings, peeling paint, swamp gas, and decay. Goodness me, first review! The whole last week I've been prowling the review boards hoping someone would write a review already, because I was waiting for my bottle to come in the mail, and wanted some inkling of what was awaiting me - but no. Oh well - then I'll do this service for any others out there who feel the same way I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about this bottle. I am a huge Lovecraft nut and came to BPAL through a Lovecraft community where there was talk of the Picnic in Arkham line. Disappointingly, of the entire line, only Herbert West really worked on me, Azathoth only barely, and The Deep Ones only barely now that I've aged the imp three months. Everything else failed. I wanted a musty, dark, foreboding scent, and I like to hope that this is finally going to be it. I do love Beth for making the Lovecraft Valentine's line though, because I can't get enough of Lovecraft-inspired oils and I love fun twists on Lovecraft's stories And the bottle designs are wonderful! Anyway, enough of my rambling! Onto the review. In the bottle - doesn't smell that awful, actually. A tad sour and there's some wetness to it, and I think I can smell a hint of the paint. On wet - lighter than I thought it would be. It's hard to nail definite notes. Still wet, still a hint of the paintwork. There's dust, and the swamp gas is definitely there as well. Being one of the few lucky (or unfortunate, depending on your opinion) people to have smelled actual swamp gas, this is a good representation - misty, organic, wet and gloomy. Drydown - I find it really curious that it's becoming more and more difficult to really pick out notes - it's so beautifully blended it's almost impossible. A hint of the sour note remains, but mostly it goes dusty - there might be some musk and amber there - and smells like taking a whiff of an old armchair at an antique store. Some of the paint smell remains behind as well, and it remains organic and green. I really like it, but I can see how some might not. Hours later, the sour edge has dissipated and the wood notes are playing up. Very nice.
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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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ENCHANTED WOOD FLORIST Arkham, MA Unmatched artistry! Skilled in terrestrial, extra-terrestrial, and dreamscape floristry, these are the only artisans on Earth that are qualified to work with Moon-trees. Please note: the Enchanted Wood Florist will not deliver to any residence or place of business where cats are present. A burst of sweet, strange flowers, luminous Moon-tree sap, and ornamental grasses. This is a really light, translucent green scent on me. It's slightly floral, but floral in a linden blossoms* type way rather than a jasmine type way - this is the type of floral I like, rather than the instantly headache-inducing white floral type that I don' t like. I can't pick out any particular note - it's just cool and soft and green and seems like it will be perfect on a rainy spring day. Very strong throw and wearlength - I only dabbed a little on my wrist and it's been wafting around me for hours. 5/5 - excellent *I don't know for sure that linden blossoms are actually one of the notes - the closest GC I can come up with is the Unicorn - this scent is very much in that vein.
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ENYALIOS Lord of War Patchouli, frankincense, olibanum, thyme, cocoa absolute, Peru balsam, oakmoss, and juniper. Enyalios was a surprise on me. It seemed very bright and high, not at all what I was expecting. At the same time, the many notes seemed well-blended in the bottle, and then on my skin while wet. As it dried down though, the juniper really amped, much to my chagrin. This will require further testing. I was so hoping that the cocoa and the Peru balsam would round out the other more intense notes in a detectable sort of way, and perhaps they did, but juniper trumped all.
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ANDREIPHONTÊS Destroyer of Men Tonka, benzoin, black sandalwood, and nutmeg. Truth to tell, I was somewhat concerned about the black sandalwood, as it's not a scent note that I have ever tried before, at least I think not. But no worries, as the sandalwood is present, but as a bottom note. Andreiphontes is yet another oil that's well-blended, and doesn't really morph, from the first sniff of the bottle, all the way to the dry-down. It's also another high and bright scent, which I attribute to the benzoin. The tonka adds a lovely sweetness, and the nutmeg a needed touch, just a hint mind you, of a rich spice. Another perfume oil that I would regard as unisex.
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WOMB FURIE In the middle of the flanks of women lies the womb, a female viscus, closely resembling an animal; for it is moved of itself hither and thither in the flanks, also upwards in a direct line to below the cartilage of the thorax and also obliquely to the right or to the left, either to the liver or spleen; and it likewise is subject to falling downwards, and, in a word, it is altogether erratic. It delights, also, in fragrant smells, and advances towards them; and it has an aversion to fetid smells, and flees from them; and on the whole the womb is like an animal within an animal. -- Aretaeus the Cappadocian Oh, that wily womb! Hippocrates and his followers considered the womb a mobile creature, causing mayhem as it writhed its way through a woman's body. Sometimes this ornery organ, due to lack of sexual activity, would create conflicts within a woman's system or would become blocked itself, causing anxiety, nervousness, water retention, and sleeplessness. With the assistance of doctors, nursemaids, hand tools, or, occasionally, self-manipulation, this vexing condition could be alleviated through hysterical paroxysms. Or, as we call it nowadays: orgasm. An itch that needs to be scratched: Snake Oil and three types of honey. To be honest, and snake oil have a less than great record. Straight up snake oil makes me deal with two hours of annoying spice before it gives me the soft vanilla, and none of the Snake pit were a success. This however, has PROMISE!!! The honey cuts out the harshness that the indonesian oils do when they're on my skin, and they're not taking over. I can still tell i'm wearing snake oil, but it's got some honey underneath. The honey and the vanilla also last for a long time, so i'm definetly not getting the disappearing act that I usually associate with snake oil blends. I highly recommend giving it a try!!
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Rice powder, osmanthus, rose geranium, magnolia, khus, and chestnut. bottle: a light, sweet soft nut scent. wet: i get no rose geranium or magnolia strangely. what i do get is a warm, sweet nut scent with a teesny touch of osmanthus. dry: this fades to something soft and sweet, almost powdery sweet, and dry. not exactly nutty any longer, it is still warm and rich.
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Vanilla, star anise, cherry blossom, peony, violet leaf, and neroli. Interesting! The first wave is vanilla-licorice (the star anise is almost exactly like black licorice), followed closely by fluffly pink florals, the cherry blossom and peony, really tactile. Then it finishes sharply with the neroli, and a bit of an herbal edge which I'd guess is the violet leaf. It has a pink floral-licorice candy feel. My skin absorbs this instantly despite repeated re-slathering, so there's no wet stage. The star anise is still front and centre, but it's more complex, a little more spicy-woody instead of straight black licorice, though it's still much more like regular anise - I wouldn't peg this as star anise blind. The vanilla's creamy and sweet but not too heavy or cloying, but it's overwhelmed by the anise, as are the flowers. Cherry blossom manages to sort-of assert itself, but the peony is struggling. I also get a distinct black tea note, even though none is listed. Definitely an asiatic feel. And sadly, the neroli is still sharp, and on my skin, as usual, a little plastic. ANISE ANISE ANISE! I do not believe this is star anise. I am getting pure ANISE/LICORICE, which is not a note I find wearable in perfume. Especially not when it beats all the other beautiful notes in the blend into a bloody pulp. I can't find a trace of the peony, and the cherry blossom is faint. The vanilla still sweetens the blend, but doesn't really stand out individually. But tea, I get intensely brewed black tea strongly, and the almost leathery sharpness of the neroli, though it's lighter than it was earlier. Maybe I'm confusing violet leaf with tea...otherwise, I'm not getting violet leaf, either. This reminds me a lot of Humbug, somewhat of l'Heure Verte, and a little of Manhattan. But it does still have a pink feel unlike any of those. Unfortunately it's developing the 'rotting floral' note that I associate with a particular iris, though it could be jasmine. The floral vibe is not dissimilar from Jingu, and this also reminds me of Hua Mulan - oh damn, I don't know which, but it reminds me of one of those. With huge walloping dose of LICORICE. Mostly sweet, anise-y LICORICE over rotting pink-white florals with a little sharp neroli and strong black tea. The anise was too strong even in the bottle, but this scent just gets worse and worse over time on my skin. I really think it has the same jasmine note as Jingu which took a similarly distressing turn on my skin. This is not at all what I expected, and I've never had star anise behave this way on my skin, so I maintain some other true anise is in here amping to high heaven. Where are my lovely pink blossoms? Good throw and longevity.
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THE PERFUMED GARDEN Under her neck my right hand Has served her for a cushion, And to draw her to me I have sent out my left hand, Which bore her up as a bed. The Perfumed Garden for the Soul's Recreation. This scent is based on a venerable Tunisian perfume that was used to excite the senses, inspire sensuality and inflame passion. Myrrh and Moroccan jasmine with apple peel, Indian sandalwood, myrtle, quince, citron, and thyme poured over soft musk. Sniffing from the bottle: The apple peel jumps out at me right away...which just about thrills me right out of my seat. Upon application: Sweet tart fruits (mostly apple!) with just the slightest hint of jasmine. Juicy and lovely. After a few minutes: The jasmine starts to peek out more, as does the myrhh. Usually I'm not a fan of myrhh, but this myrhh is SO soft and sweet and gentle that it's really just a nice complement to the fruity jasmine. It just smooths it out. A few minutes after that: Interestingly the jasmine just about disappears. I'm used to jasmine being an overpowering note, but it's not in this blend. I would say that the two dominant notes (on me) are apple and myrhh....although I can tell that they're wrapped up in a soft musk hug. Conclusion: Sweet and soft like a cloud. Surprisingly innocent. Romantic and lovely.
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Piss off, Saint Valentine! Lupercalia is an ancient Roman celebration, held on February 15th, that kicked in the advent of Spring with a very, very festive purification, fertility and sexuality ritual. The ritual began near the cave of Lupercal on the Palatine, an area sacred to Faunus, as well as Ruminia, Romulus and Remus. During Lupercalia, Vestal Virgins first made offerings of sacred cakes to the fig tree under which the she-wolf suckled the Sacred Twins. A dog and two goats were then offered in sacrifice to Faunus. The blood of the sacrifice was smeared onto two naked patrician youths, who were assisted by the Virgins, and the blood was wiped clean with sacred wool dipped in milk. The youths donned the skins of the sacrificial goats, wielding whips made from the goat skins, and then led the priests and the Virgins around the pomarium, and around the base hills of Rome. This was a ceremony of great happiness and merriment, and was of particular interest to young women: being touched by the goat-whips young men that led the procession ensured their fertility in the coming year. It is believed that, after the initial rite, male participants would draw the name of an available maiden, with whom he spent the rest of the night. This scent is for the Luperci, the Chosen of Faunus, the Brothers of the Wolf: raw, down and dirty patchouli, Gurjam balsam, and essence of Sampson Root sweetened with the heightened sexuality of beeswax, virile juniper, oakmoss, ambrette seed over honey and East African musk. ... am I really the first? Oh dear! Stage fright. In the bottle: Patchouli, smacking me in the nose! Beeswax, moss, earthy, dirty, powerful. The husband likes this. Wet on skin: Patchouli and juniper, with a honey-sweet undertone, but the sharp woody note is on top. Dry on skin: Patchouli and a heavy, sweet musk. Juniper's still there, but the musk is overpowering it. Over time: Woody and sweet and musky. This is a heavy, woody, honey-sweet scent; patchouli likes me, as usual, and is sticking around as the strongest note. The juniper has receded almost entirely, leaving me with only a quiet sharpness in the woody scent to remind me of its presence. Overall: I expected to like this, and I'm not disappointed. It's a very earthy, sexy kind of scent, not a pretty or delicate scent; this is precisely what I wanted and expected out of it. Elf still likes it, too. Bonus. I used to wear patchouli straight, but I like this more; it's more complex and appealing. 4.5/5 - not hoarding like I do with Geek, but I'm glad I got a bottle, so it will last me a nice long time.
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White chocolate, strawberry, and white pepper truffle. This is a bit different from last year's White Chocolate and Strawberry. The chocolate last year was more like a milk chocolate; this year's version is certainly the sweeter, less of the cocoa, white chocolate. The strawberry is not the same, either. I got more of a fresh strawberry note in WC&S; the strawberry in WC,S&WPT is more of a candied strawberry--still quite yummy, but more foodie and not so fruity. The white pepper is a nuance that keeps the truffle from becoming too overly sweet. However, this is still a wonderful perfume, although I don't think that I will hoard it like I did WC&S; but at least one back-up bottle will be required.
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SAINT FOUTIN DE VARAILLES Echoing the worship of ancient fertility gods, some early Christians attributed the power to grant blessings of reproductive fruitfulness to Christian saints through accidents of folk-etymology. A syncretic saint of questionable origin, he is possibly the result of a merging of the deity Priapus, or Mutinus Mutunus, and the sainted, semi-mythical first bishop of Lyons, Ponthius, often pronounced Fontin by the common folk of France where his veneration was concentrated. Saint Foutin's name is an amalgamation of Pothinus and the verb foutre, which means "to fuck", effectively granting this saint the prerogatives and powers of his predecessor, Priapus. Saint Foutin was said to cure venereal diseases and other genital maladies, grant fruitfulness to women, and restore potency to men. Scrapings of stone from the groin of one of the saint's statues in France was said to cure all sexual ailments. At other shrines, offerings of wine were poured onto the saint's penis, and worshippers molded ex votos in wax shaped to represent their afflicted body parts to leave in his care, either at the foot of his statue or hanging from the roof of his shrine. Beeswax, frankincense, dried rose petals, and a dribble of wine. So far, this is my 2nd favorite from the update. It's GORGEOUS. On me, it's predominantly a dark, tea-rose type scent that's bolstered by the smooth and sweet beeswax, the dark, resinous frankincense, and the tiniest hint of sweet, boozy, dark red wine. It's very feminine in a heavy, dark, and Victorian-gothic-romance type way. The throw is amazing for the first couple of hours, but at around the 2 hour point, it starts to fade quickly, leaving behind a weird after-scent on my skin that's kind of flat and powdery. But that's entirely beside the point because when it reaches that stage, I can just reapply a teeny tiny bit (since a little goes a very long way). This is really beautiful and I can't wait to dress up and wear it on a night out.
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TWO LOVES I dreamed I stood upon a little hill, And at my feet there lay a ground, that seemed Like a waste garden, flowering at its will With buds and blossoms. There were pools that dreamed Black and unruffled; there were white lilies A few, and crocuses, and violets Purple or pale, snake-like fritillaries Scarce seen for the rank grass, and through green nets Blue eyes of shy peryenche winked in the sun. And there were curious flowers, before unknown, Flowers that were stained with moonlight, or with shades Of Nature's willful moods; and here a one That had drunk in the transitory tone Of one brief moment in a sunset; blades Of grass that in an hundred springs had been Slowly but exquisitely nurtured by the stars, And watered with the scented dew long cupped In lilies, that for rays of sun had seen Only God's glory, for never a sunrise mars The luminous air of Heaven. Beyond, abrupt, A grey stone wall. o'ergrown with velvet moss Uprose; and gazing I stood long, all mazed To see a place so strange, so sweet, so fair. And as I stood and marvelled, lo! across The garden came a youth; one hand he raised To shield him from the sun, his wind-tossed hair Was twined with flowers, and in his hand he bore A purple bunch of bursting grapes, his eyes Were clear as crystal, naked all was he, White as the snow on pathless mountains frore, Red were his lips as red wine-spilith that dyes A marble floor, his brow chalcedony. And he came near me, with his lips uncurled And kind, and caught my hand and kissed my mouth, And gave me grapes to eat, and said, 'Sweet friend, Come I will show thee shadows of the world And images of life. See from the South Comes the pale pageant that hath never an end.' And lo! within the garden of my dream I saw two walking on a shining plain Of golden light. The one did joyous seem And fair and blooming, and a sweet refrain Came from his lips; he sang of pretty maids And joyous love of comely girl and boy, His eyes were bright, and 'mid the dancing blades Of golden grass his feet did trip for joy; And in his hand he held an ivory lute With strings of gold that were as maidens' hair, And sang with voice as tuneful as a flute, And round his neck three chains of roses were. But he that was his comrade walked aside; He was full sad and sweet, and his large eyes Were strange with wondrous brightness, staring wide With gazing; and he sighed with many sighs That moved me, and his cheeks were wan and white Like pallid lilies, and his lips were red Like poppies, and his hands he clenched tight, And yet again unclenched, and his head Was wreathed with moon-flowers pale as lips of death. A purple robe he wore, o'erwrought in gold With the device of a great snake, whose breath Was fiery flame: which when I did behold I fell a-weeping, and I cried, 'Sweet youth, Tell me why, sad and sighing, thou dost rove These pleasent realms? I pray thee speak me sooth What is thy name?' He said, 'My name is Love.' Then straight the first did turn himself to me And cried, 'He lieth, for his name is Shame, But I am Love, and I was wont to be Alone in this fair garden, till he came Unasked by night; I am true Love, I fill The hearts of boy and girl with mutual flame.' Then sighing, said the other, 'Have thy will, I am the love that dare not speak its name.' Love beyond reach: sunset tones of amber, red musk, and blood orange with three chains of roses, velvet moss, white lilies, crocuses, violets, poppies, blue musk, neroli, angel's trumpet, frankincense, benzoin, and night-blooming flowers. Two Loves - With the exception of angel's trumpet, which I've never smelled, and possibly the white lilies, everything in this list of ingredients should have been a total and complete WIN!!! for me. Sadly, this scent was a huge, giant F.A.I.L. from beginning to end. It went on floral and soapy, and then the blue musk and violets and rose tried really, really hard to come out, but the soapiness won and in the end, for several hours, it was nothing but icky old lady floral soap on my skin. So sad, because it had so much potential!
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ENKHESPALOS Spear-Wielding Elder wood, leather, blonde tobacco, and cognac. Enkhespalos is an interesting aspect of Ares--he obviously like blondes. Well, blonde tobacco, that is. That really is the dominant note for me here. The leather and wood are present, but more in the middle of things. And I was rather pleased that the cognac was not screamingly obvious; instead it serves to help blend and round out all the other notes. This is, I think, a scent that can work well on me, and even better on the bf.
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Skin musk, white amber, ambergris, orange blossom, ylang ylang, and coconut milk. As incredibly pumped as I am for this year's Shungas (my absolute favorite favorite favorite thing and I am SO happy they came back for another year), my ability to go nutz and write for pages on end likening scents to boy band boys and unicorns is at an all-time low. So this review may actually have to be somewhat substantive. I tried for a while to think of what this smelled like to me. What I want to say is powdered skin, but that sounds much more boring than this actually is. It's extremely expansive powdered skin - the beanfolk are not so much in the vaginal vicinity as they are elsewhere, preparing. The scent is very evocative of clean upper thigh skin. I can't say I've ever noticed the smell of upper thigh skin and thought "I want to smell like this," to be honest, but like many BPALs this is how it OUGHT to smell, even if it doesn't in practice generally smell this nice. I really like that this is suggestive without being SUGGESTIVE. I loved Giant Vulva last year, and this is about as opposite of that as you can get in mood, though it actually smells a little bit similar to it. This is softer and gentler. It's really beautiful and I actually will probably end up wearing it a lot more often than Giant Vulva, considering that it is more, shall we say, subtle, and there are many times when you really don't want to smell like a giant vulva. Edited to add: two seconds after hitting post, I just realized what this reminds me of, that I couldn't quite put my finger on - snow white. It's a springier, slightly skankier snow white. Snow white's upper thigh, perhaps? I also realized that, despite my best intentions, this still wasn't all that substantive. But hey, comparisons to snow white and giant vulva - it's exciting at least, if not specific!
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Lilac, ho wood, smoky vanilla, galbanum, and tonka. This one is a morpher on me. First on I get sweet, almost caramel for some reason. Then HELLO lilac with something a bit sinister in the back (galbanum?). The dry down is much more ethereal and complex though, the lilac is barely there and the smoky vanilla and ho wood come out. On me it's definitely in the same family as Fairy Market. Really happy with this one finally!
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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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Dark chocolate and key lime truffle. The Chocolatier series is very straight-forward, as I think they should be. This one is exactly as described, down to the specific (very juicy) key lime note. It's no other kind of lime, it's very much that breed. The chocolate takes more of a background here, but I think that's the nature of a citrus note in perfumery. I anticipate the lime losing its aggression just a little bit. The longer I wear it, the sweeter it gets, though it's still not a blend I'd describe primarily as sweet (not sugary at all).
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Blackberry, white gardenia, burnt mandarin rind, Indian musk, khus, and white musk. Dark, intense, a little smoky, masculine. Not what I was expecting! This is all about the musk and the khus (vetiver), though it's a nice light vetiver, not gritty or overwhelming. I definitely get the burnt mandarin rind, though it's light, and a bit of a 'cologne' feel which is probably due to the white musk. Some very light, fresh, and not at all sharp or sour gardenia. It makes me think on the whole of expensive financier's cologne, maybe one who does a lot of business in Japan. No blackberry. Wayyyyyy more mandarin, mandarin galore! As well as some definite lime. Lots of tart, juicy, delicious citrus. Only a lingering hint of smoke. The musk is immediately more apparent, and I also get some sort of a tea note - black or green, it's both herbal and a little citrusy. I get the very faintest hint of unripe blackberries, the kind that make your mouth pucker, that are still hard. And the gardenia remains light, and while bright is not at all piercing but well-behaved. It's sort of a masculine Tis the Voice of the Lobster, but with way more citrus and must less jammy-sweet fruit, and more...suave refinement. Hmmmm. I suspect a sake note in here as well as the tea, because this reminds me a fair bit of The Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, except much more delicious. And definitely black tea. I am getting both more of the vetiver and the white musk, so this is going quite manly, but everything's well balanced, no one note is dominating. Other than the fruit - the lime and mandarin and unripe tart blackberries continue to just blast on my skin - amazing! My skin NEVER holds citrus! Btw, if it's not obvious, this is not a blackberry note I've ever smelled before, and I don't know I'd even peg it as blackberry if I hadn't read the notes. The musk does remind me of Black Lace's, in that it's sexy, sophisticated, and incredibly smooth. It has depth but also subtlety. Some of the citrus/fruit - well, the tarter, juicier aspects - is burning off, but a lovely bittersweet mandarin peel note remains, and the sake has burned off, leaving the mandarin peel, some light cologne-y vetiver, very faint unripe blackberries, and amped black tea (same note from Lantern Ghost, Severin, Famine etc to my nose), over that subtle, masculine Indian musk. I'm surprised because I usually amp musk but this musk, while definitely present, stays close to my skin. The white musk is brighter and more like cologne, and blends with the vetiver note to my nose. Strongly brewed black tea, fainty smoky mandarin rind (and yes, eventually the peel turns to rind, a dried peel note), smooth Indian musk and clean, bright but light white musk-vetiver man-cologne with a whisper of tart, unripe blackberries. I'm not sure I can pull this off - and I like many a manly scent - but I put this in the James Bond category of uber sexy manfume. But more cerebral, much more sly. Another fabulous winner amongst this year's Shunga! Vetiver, blackberry, and white musk fearers - fear not. This blend WORKS and is, like all I've tested in the line so far except for Pink Mood, incredibly well-balanced, seamlessly blended, and complex. Brava, Beth!
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RHINOTOROS Skin-Piercing Vetiver, patchouli, white pepper, and grapefruit. I must admit that I was a little hesitant to try Rhinotoros. Pepper, patch, and vetiver? I imagined that they would all combine to overwhelm the yummy grapefruit. My fears were somewhat unfounded. The grapefruit tames those three notes to such an extent that this is not a dark and dusky scent. Strangely enough, for what I might consider a somewhat masculine perfume oil, this dries down to a balancing act amongst the four notes, with the sparkle of the grapefruit giving Rhinotoros a lighter feeling than expected. (This is not sweet at all; remember that a lot of people put sugar or honey on grapefruit sections to eat them. I'm reminded more of unsweetened pink grapefruit juice in the carton. No sugar or honey here, just the juice. Btw, I like unsweetened grapefruit juice.)
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Pink rose, red musk, red sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, nectarine, black tea, ambrette, jasmine, and blackcurrant bud. First of all... i would like to say the wear length on this is phenomenal. This sort of reminds me of ponthia meter from last year, except on a tea and musk back ground. Not that they are super alike or anything, just the rose note used between the two of them that shows up at first is similar. At first its very sandalwood, rose and a touch of the yummy type of vetiver (okay... i am a freak and admit i have some EO of it I smell whenever i want to chillax). The combo almost makes me think of a warmer, slightly more sophisticated rakasha. Then as it dries down, the tea and musk become more prominate, mixing with the sandalwood and vetiver to make a very yummy subtle black tea scent. Its both sophisticated and natural at the same time. For those of you scared of red musk... even fresh it isnt very prominent or rough, its alot softer and less there than most of the red musk blends, but still works its magic. For those of you scared of vetiver... it might just be my skin, but you might wanna watch out a little more. Its not prominent, in fact its very well blended and a supporting note, but at least on my skin it sticks around the whole journey. The fruit shows up just a little, not to make it fruity, but to lend a slight sweetness. Like a fruit tea, being sipped in a pagan brothel as a lady unwinds from a night of passion. Its not overwhelmingly sexy that one could not wear it on a normal day, the earthiness and sexiness and sophistication are all very well blended, just like the notes, to make it pretty much appropriate for whenever. Today the rose is sticking around a little more and its more like smokey black rose tea. I am guessing as it sits a few days the musks and rose might get a lil more prominent over the woods.
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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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BIJOUX Y'HA-NTHLEI Innsmouth, MA New England's most exclusive jewelers since 1778. The Darlings first opened their shop in 1772 under the name Lower Innsmouth Ritual Implement and Fancy Goods Emporium, constructing sturdy household wares and cultists tools in their workshop and importing strange and fanciful items from all over the globe and points beyond. In 1777, Prudence Marsh, matriarch of the venerable Marsh family, came to the Darling twins with a request. She had obtained a sizable quantity of a strange metal alloy that her brother had acquired from an extraterrestrial ocean trench by mysterious means. She asked Absalom and Zephania Darling, twin brothers, favored disciples of Dagon, and youngest of the Darling clan-who happened to dabble in metalwork-if they could fashion a set of diadems for ceremonial use in a very important high festival honoring Mother Hydra. The brothers complied, and found that they had found that they had unparalleled natural skill with jewelry crafting, particularly with rare and strange materials. Within a generation, their graceful, fantastic, odd, and provocative bangles, bracelets, pendants, and tiaras were prized the world over by the most illustrious and nefarious princes and priests. To this day, Bijoux Y'ha-Nthlei is still family-owned and operated. Mathematically impossible, curiously irregular adornments fit to please the most discerning collector. A strangely proportioned, opulent, lustrous scent: neroli, Hawaiian ginger, white musk, tarragon, beeswax, heliotrope, yellow rose, oud, coriander, amber, and lime peel. So this was the scent from the Lupers update that I was absolutely and completely most excited for. I mean neroli, ginger, beeswax, what's not to like? What I wasn't expecting was that it would be absolutely dead sexy. I figured it would be light and bright and cheerful. And it is all those things. But it's also ridiculously sexy. Sexy in a spaghetti-strap-falling-off-the-shoulder type sexy - sexy where the sexy comes through in a flirty smile or a lifted eyebrow and a wink. This is not in-your-face sexy; this is subtle and confident. As far as the actual scent goes, it's slightly reminiscent of Vixen but without the patchouli, in that the neroli and ginger are both prominent. The beeswax is also noticeable in and of itself. The amber and musk give it a rich background. I do notice the rose, but it's not a loud rose (and I often amp rose) - the rose stays tucked in with the other florals. I don't really notice the coriander at all. Anyway, it's AMAZING, I love it, and I'm really happy to have a bottle of it. This will get a lot of use. 5/5
