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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2016'.
Found 94 results
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We possess a very sophisticated sense of humor! Dragons blood resin, white cream, pear blossom, and white honey. On me this is a very sweet, strong dragon's blood resin. Not getting a lot of cream or honey- but I can see how everything ties in together. I get an inscensy vibe from it. There's a slight simlilarity to Midnight on the Midway on drydown. Reminds me of a local shop full of candles, inscense, powders, lotions, and other lovely things. Totally wearable and looks to be a keeper!
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Golden amber and mahogany with frankincense, ho wood, and frothed white honey. The Gift is a warm, radiant scent. It glows softly but surely--a burnished golden fragrance that is strong but not overwhelming. I was worried that the honey might be too sweet or gooey, but the wood notes keep both the honey and amber from getting too sticky or powdery. It's the olfactory equivalent of sitting in front of a gently crackling fireplace on a chilly night (without any of the bonfire/burning scent associations, if that makes sense). Or maybe snuggling up under the covers with someone you love--waves of comforting, cozy body heat. Truly lovely.
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Golden amber and bourbon vanilla with sweet oak, blue lotus, and tea blossom. This ended up being very heavy on the blue lotus for me-the overall scent reminded me of Poor Monkey from the recent Yules (which sadly didn't work on me)-I know Poor Monkey had a different lotus in it and I was really hoping the blue lotus here would play nicer but for me, it ended up taking over this otherwise soft and pretty scent. I smell a little bit of the tea blossom as well and for me, it seems like the amber and vanilla just kind of helped blend it all together (I don't get a lot of amber or vanilla is what I'm trying to say here).
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Pink strawberry, gardenia, blackberry wine, vanilla frankincense, and champaca absolute. Finally, I get to check off a strawberry scent from my list, and this could not be more perfect. Oddly (given the label and the spirit of smut that inspires the Shunga collection), I get a strong sense of nostalgia from this scent for childhood summers at my grandmother's house, which is exactly what I was looking for. The overall impression is not just strawberry; the blackberry wine and the vanilla frankincense bring it a sweet, slightly creamy berry scent. Gardenia and champaca are definitely there as well, but more in the background on me, like sitting in a garden and catching the scent of flowers on the odd breeze. They play more in the drydown but overall the blend stays pretty steady all day. This is definitely candy-like, and playful (fitting to the image, although what the hell are they doing), and may be too unsophisticated for some, but I often wear scents to evoke a mood and wow...this is perfect. Hubby review: "you smell like fake fruit" so...not the same scent for everyone Edited for readability
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Brown leather, tonka, vanilla bourbon tar, and a thin whiff of rose. This is the Luper I was looking most forward to try, because I have been raving about a book+rose scent for ages I love it! The rose is dewy and quite prominent, while the leather and tonka takes a backseat, so rather than a pressed-rose-petal-between-pages-of-an-old-book this is like reading an old book with a vase of fresh roses on the side table. The rose feels reminiscent of the one from The Bear Prince, actually. I can see this morphing a lot with age as well, so I definitely look forward to seeing what has happened in a year from now
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Gunpowder tea, yellow bergamot, white thyme, blackcurrant, red mandarin, wormwood, neroli, and green musk. This scent came across as a bright citrus on me. The wormwood(? I think, I'm not very familiar with it) comes across in the dry down making it a little more green. The currant is light, but present. Overall, a sweet, citrusy green scent. Doesn't last too long on my skin, but it's worth carrying around to reapply!
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Black amber, Ceylon cinnamon, Somalian myrrh, and pale incense laced with star anise. Very much star anise over a lovely myrrh and a hint of cinnamon. It's quite close to skin, which is odd for me (I amp most of these notes). I think this one is going to need some time to smooth out - I'm going to hold onto it and see if the anise will quiet a little over time.
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Sweet brown leather, cacao absolute, coffee bean absolute, and teakwood. Blind tested on my right wrist, and accidentally slathered instead of dabbed. In Vitro Pleasant but not strong. Wet Immediate deep sniffing: sweet and spicy. An earthy note joined in a few minutes later for a very nice scent overall. Unfortunately it faded significantly by the twenty minute mark despite the relatively large amount still gleaming on my skin. Drying Again with the plastic note. It's now one hour and twenty five minutes since application and what remains is vague and sweet with a faint whiff of plastic. Despite the disappointing drydown I have high hopes for this on my hair and/or clothing, and I will edit to reflect further tests. Even on my wretched skin, the wet phase started out beautifully.
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Blush amber, wild carnation, French lavender, hay absolute, strawberry candyfloss, and vanilla cream. In the bottle, this didn't seem like anything I'd like. On my wrist it was a 180 - I loved this and it's my favorite Luper so far. These notes are blended together so expertly it's hard to pick them apart. However, lavender is eventually what predominates, graced with an underlying note of amber. I get no strawberry or vanilla at all for the first half hour and then slowly the vanilla comes out. It's a very light, feminine scent, more of a traditional perfume than one of the Lab's more experimental blends. Highly recommended.
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Vanilla-infused cardamom and sleek black patchouli. On me this is a very dark patchouli lightly misted with the vanilla cardamom. With it being in my hair for a while the vanilla cardamom is a bit more obvious and I'm in love. The patch in this almost reminds me of revenant rhythms but slightly darker, however it isn't sweet...nowhere as sweet as RR but it is def. in the same family. If you love patch you will love this.
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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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White sandalwood, ti leaf, osmanthus, pink pepper, and white vanilla bark. This is heavy on the tea and pink pepper! I don't get a lot of osmanthus. The sandalwood sits in the background and makes the scent a little more soft and dusty, although I wouldn't characterize this as powdery at all. It is a very spring-like and fresh scent with a little kick from the pepper, and it would also work very well for summer, I think.
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Lemon peel and white incense. Sometimes the simpler blends can be really stunning, and I've been hoping for a lemon-based one because citrus notes always improve my mood. This is very, very pretty; especially when first applied. The lemon peel lifts and brightens while the incense note gives it depth - I'm not sure how Beth achieved the "white" quality with this incense but that is most definitely what it is. And it's not "lemon Pledge" at all, nor is it juicy, fleshy lemon; it's a bright hint of lemon zest. There is a point about midway through the drydown when it threatens to go funky on my skin, but that hint of funk quickly dissipates and it's back to being light and pretty. The far drydown is a slightly spicy lemon peel. Really nice. A very early-Springtime type of fragrance.
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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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Vanilla silk, patchouli leaf, sweet benzoin, and smoked honey. This was one of the ones I was MOST excited about. Let's see if my premonition holds true! In The Bottle: Sweet without being cloying and, yes, I detect that silk note that was in Black Silk. And it's just as lovely and hard to pin down as before. Wet On Skin: The benzoin is showing up now that it's got a surface to bloom on. The vanilla silk is holding steady. It's *really* hard to describe- something like if you put vanilla musk in a steamer and then steamed your delicate underwear with it. THAT'S what it would smell like. Dry Down: The smoked honey and patch combo has, strangely, made this go a bit powdery on me. I don't mind, because I can tell that when this scent has had a chance to warm up and age a little, that it's all going to meld and blend a LOT more.
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Whipped vanilla cream and white sandalwood with a touch of lotus root. In The Bottle: Cream and dusty wood- like a sweeter, gentler version of Glowing Vulva Wet On Skin: Okay, the GV part doesn't last, but that's okay, because this is great on it's own- now it's that glorious sandalwood note from Tombstone, with the sweet cream note from Love's Philosophy. This is...awesome. Dry Down: A beautiful, warm creamy-woodsy fragrance. Lovely for daytime use, as it's not too imposing, and it's definitely a skin scent, that stays close. But I can also seeing it be a little sexy on some people. *Definitely* glad to have a bottle!
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Red wine and vanilla pod infused with caramel, peach, tobacco flower, and coconut. Woohoo! Can't believe I'm first, as this scent is abso-freaking-lutely mind-blowing!! Bottle: Bold, exquisite red wine hits me at first. I seriously love this note (it's very similar to the wine note in all of my all-time favorites, Blood Sangria), and it's exactly what I was hoping to get when I decided to blind-bottle. It's backed up by something fruity-floral, which I'm assuming is the peach and tobacco flower. I can lightly detect some caramel, too. Wet: Now this is just pure, unadulterated romance. I really wish it came in time for Valentine's day, but something tells me that this will be my go-to scent for fancy, lovey-dovey dates with my man. The caramel note is very prominent, with a little vanilla that is giving it a box-of-chocolates feel - but this is an expensive, artisanal box, meant for pairing with strong, dark wine. The fruity-booze note fades to the background during this stage. I can detect a little coconut, though, which is a little worrying as it sometimes goes bugspray on me later on in the dry stage. Dry: VERY happy to report that the dark, fruity wine that I was picking up straight from the bottle is back and better than ever!! I'm getting even more of the peach, too! The caramel fades to balance out the other notes, but still lends a delicious, warm quality to the scent. Thankfully I'm not getting the slightest bit of bugspray - just a gorgeous, toasty hint of coconut. I'm completely blown away. Everything in here is magical. This is a classy, romantic, sexy love potion that just lasts for hours on me. Verdict: I NEED to order a backup bottle (or two, or three!) of this. Seriously. It's that good, and I can't wait to wear it for my boyfriend!! In truth, it's definitely more of a colder-month oil, and I can see myself swapping this out for Blood Sangria in the warmer months. All in all, though, I could sing The Initiation's praises all day long. I'm so, so, so happy I blind-bought this one - all my intuitions checked out, and then some!
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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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Vanilla chiffon, honey musk, and pale magnolia. This is the one Luper that I was sure I would love, and therefore my only blind bottle purchase. The Bride is absolutely stunning! At first I get the same honey musk that is in Lady Una, but then it is joined by the magnolia, which is beautiful, lush, and realistic. I have been searching and searching for a magnolia perfume with no luck, and this one is just heavenly. I don't distinctly smell the vanilla chiffon, but I feel like it's sweetening (and making more realistic) the magnolia note. This is like sticking my face in a magnolia blossom--gently sweet, musky, and heady. Thank you, Beth, for such a beautiful scent!
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Strawberry cream, white musk, and orris root. Ooh it appears I'm first I tried Enveloped in silk yesterday but I've been dealing with a cold so I wasn't sure if my nose was being 100% honest with me. I can say however, that this HG smelled absolutely amazing regardless! It reminds me of strawberry ice cream and bizarrely... I get a slight whiff of dr.pepper lip smackers. This is a good thing though. I wonder if dr. pepper is made with orris root?! Upon waking up this morning I realized that my nose was finally working and my first instinct was to sniff my hair. AHHHH it smells so good. Sexy, creamy strawberry musk. It smells exactly like its description. Simple. I'm concerned that I'm gonna have to get several more bottles of this.
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Dark chocolate and clove bud with smoked amber, bourbon vanilla tar, and black and pink peppers. Whoa. This is a little weird from the bottle, definitely spicy, and peppery. I definitely get a potent black pepper vibe, like black pepper essential oil. The chocolate is a dusky, dusty dark cocoa thing, definitely not sugary sweet! On my skin the pepper and cloves bloom immediately into a cloud of potent heat, with the cocoa riding along. After a few minutes, the immediate spiciness recedes, leaving a very sexy gourmand, cocoa-kissed incensy resin. I'm still getting a good deal of clove, kissed with depth with the amber and vanilla, which are not front and center. The cocoa always remains a slight foody twang on an otherwise beautifully sensual spice blend. Over a bit more time, this actually is veering towards Gelt (but like, sexier?) Grandma's handing out fake coin candies but watch out! She's dangerous (and in lingerie). I like this! I'll have to give it a few wears, but I do have my single bottle now lol. #blindbottlelifeyolo
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Black poppy, rose-infused myrrh, and patchouli leaves steeped in indigo wine. In The Bottle: HELLO, ROSE AND INDIGO WINE. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!?!? Wet On Skin: Seriously? Whoa. Sweet wine touched by the rare, odd indigo note, which gives it a slight tang, and the red, red rose hanging in the back is actually, strangely, making my mouth :water: slightly. Dry Down: This is just...gorgeous. It's basically become the kyphi incense of my dreams- wine and dried fruit and incense all combined to make something sweet without being food and luscious...and luxurious...and sacred...and...just so...beautiful. In All: If you are a fan of wine scents or incense scents (or, like me- both!) then you not only need a bottle of this, but you might need a back up. It's. That. Good.
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LOVE'S PHILOSOPHY Percy Bysshe Shelley The fountains mingle with the river, And the rivers with the ocean; The winds of heaven mix forever, With a sweet emotion; Nothing in the world is single; All things by a law divine In one another's being mingle; -- Why not I with thine? See! the mountains kiss high heaven, And the waves clasp one another; No sister flower would be forgiven, If it disdained it's brother; And the sunlight clasps the earth, And the moonbeams kiss the sea; -- What are all these kissings worth, If thou kiss not me? Vanilla, saffron, and cream. In the bottle: Creamy vanilla. I can tell this is going to be really nice. Wet: A face full of creamy vanilla. There is a hint of Black Lace here. I think it's the same vanilla. The cream is also very apparent. Saffron is just a breath. Dry: This is more or less what I wished Underpants had been. Underpants had a really high-pitched, hairspray kind of note to it that just killed the blend for me. The blend is fairly simple and straightforward. From the notes, I feel like it should be a seriously foody blend, but while that gourmand element is there, this is not a foody like, say, Día de los reyes. I am a vanilla lover, and this is a great vanilla. Saffron is always a winner, too. Cream, though, is hit or miss (though when it hits, it hits BIG). I am pleased to say that the cream in this blend is just gorgeous. No sour milk or buttery weirdness whatsoever. I predict that this blend will be wildly popular.
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Blue musk, white frankincense, wisteria blossoms, and lemon peel. This one smells like the most delightful spring night! The wisteria is blooming and there is a faint balmy breeze. It's soft but potent at the same time. I'm getting a bit of the lemon peel at first, but after a while it is gone, leaving only breaths of fresh dewy night air and clusters of beautiful wisteria blossoms. So lovely!
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Incense-blackened oudh and bourbon vanilla with tobacco absolute and 9-year aged patchouli. I'm a sucker for all of these notes, and the perfume they are brought together to create here is lovely. it is however on the soft side. if you are drawn to big delectable vanilla, gritty sweet tobacco or funky filthy patch, that's not what you'll find in this bottle. rather, P&D is more of a subtle experience with each of these notes. it's a little smokey at the start from the oudh, and after a few hours of wear, a soft and respectable patchouli can be sussed out. but overall, this is all about the blend, and it's one that I don't quite have the perfumer's vocabulary to do proper justice to in describing. it's very pretty and wearable and gentle. as I have and treasure so many fine bpals that showcase the big-n-dirty side to the listed notes, it's wonderful to experience this different side to them. a lot of vanilla blends and tobacco blends tend to have a sweetness to them, sometimes caramelly, sometimes plain old sugar-dusted, and this does not, which I am liking. it's a yin to many of my yang bottles.
