Luperci

[Prolixity]

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.

[UltraViolet]

Luperci

In the bottle

Mmm...a golden honied musk.

On

Way better than I thought this would be. It's warm, golden, slightly sweet, soft honey and musk primarily. And the oakmoss is the background. I don't smell the juniper. And I've had Beth's sn juniper so I was looking for it, but it's not as noticeable. The patchouli is secondary and it is exquisite.

30 minutes

Doesn't morph much. I smell musk and patchouli primarily and a bit of light sweetness because of the honey.

Throw:

a bit more than average

Scent category:

Incensey/foody/Animalisic

Summary

This is so lovely. I normaly never equate patchouli with "lovely" but this blend certainly is that. It's blend that a woman would want to wear, and smell. And I believe Luperci is what a man would love to smell too.

It's somehwat perfumey, and warmly foody. Comforting and beautiful to wear.

Purchase again?

Yes.

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4

Edited January 30, 2006 by UltraViolet

[ivyandpeony]

I am one of those who have to try every LE... it's just in my blood. Of all the Lupercalia scents, Luperci was the one I feared most, or I guess looked forward to the least. So I am so pleasantly surprised that I love it and want to order another bottle!

 

For starters, it's much less masculine than I had anticipated. Not that it's girly, it's just one that I think is truly gender neutral. I don't pick up any juniper at all, which I find quite surprising since it's such an assertive note. I do get lots of oakmoss and patchouli, sweetened by the honey and musk. On me, I notice a loose resemblance to the scent of one of my favorite indulgences in the world - Tramp showergel from Lush. By no means am I saying it's a dupe, or that you will get the same results, but it has the same patchouli earthiness that's tempered with sweetness.

 

It's also surprisingly light on my skin - I will definitely have to treat myself to a slathering, but today was all about a swipe here and a swipe there so I could post reviews.

 

All in all, this one is beautiful and has me anticipating the greenness of spring!

[LiberAmoris]

Mmmm, honey. Luperci is much more honey-ed than I thought it would be, although duh, honey *and* beeswax. But it's not the bright sweet honey note I've found in other blends. Here's it's more about the beeswax than the honey. The patchouli is really balanced between the beeswax and the oakmoss. The juniper is similarly subdued and is really more present in the wet stage, at least on my skin. This is terrifically well-blended!

 

On the drydown, Luperci is honey and musk and patchouli, with an almost golden, ambered halo around it. It feels a little like Sed Non Satiata meets Geek (sans leather and cinnamon) to me, with the grassy notes from The Lion. But it defies comparison. A few hours later, it's a second-skin scent that smells like honey musk and the outdoors in the best way possible.

 

I can see this being fantastic on my boyfriend, but I will have no problem using up my bottle by myself!

[Voleuse]

In the bottle and on first application, this is sweet honey and musk, with a hint of earthiness behind it. It's much lighter than I expected, and nothing about the blend screams patchouli or honey at me, and I was nervous about both of those notes.

 

As this dries, it retains the initial sweet earthiness, but it takes on an outdoorsy glow, golden and a little dry. It's very light on me, something I'd need to slather, but it's lovely close to the skin. It's really starting to grow on me.

[nineveh]

I'm one of the people who can't do honey. I gambled on this in the hopes that the honey would be drowned out by everything else, and it is. This blend is just wonderful.

 

I'm getting the oakmoss of Greed and the juniper of Golden Priapus mixed with a warm, sweet musk and beeswax. There's also a hint of spice. The patchouli is rather subtle on me. Blended all together, this has an earthy incense quality that I adore.

 

It dries down into a skin scent that reminds me slightly of DSH's Hippie Chic, minus the coconut.

 

This is so good. I am considering multiple bottles.

 

Edit: Yep. I have three more on the way.

Edited February 3, 2006 by nineveh

[lysithea]

This is honeyed-patchouli musk. It is woodsy with muted greenery. Surprisingly, it's not as heavy as I thought it would be. It is gender-neutral, but does swing a bit closer to the masculine side.

 

I don't really know what to think of this blend just yet. I never knew patchouli could be so sweet and so earthy sensual at the same time. It would smell damn sexy on a guy. There is something primal and pulsating in this scent. Sexually-charged for sure.

 

The one image I keep getting in my mind was of a down and dirty romp in the forest - pressed between a very virile man and a tree - the smell of crushed leaves, wet earth, and clinging moss permeating my senses.

 

Seems like a reasonable fantasy to me.

[gingersnapp]

Hominahominahomina. Sweaty dusty musky musk. It's almost powdery, but in an "I've been rolling around in the dirt" kind of way. There's a definite sweetness to it at some points, but mostly it's just a deep, groin-tugging raw patchouli and musk blend.

 

Verrah verrah hott.

[valentina]

When I got my order and opened the bottle of Luperci for my first sniff, my mind flashed on a werewolf. A rather handsome werewolf, but a werewolf nonetheless. It's a whiff of patchouli, green forest and a bit of musk, at least to my nose. On my skin, it really changes very little from drydown through the first 3 or 4 hours, and it's patchouli, forest greens and musk. Fairly masculine, but very understated and it's still something that I could wear without feeling aftershavey. After about 5 hours, the patchouli burned off and what's left is a sweeter, softer musk with a juniper undertone.

 

I put some on my DH and it's relatively similar on him -- amazingly so, as we usually amp very different components of a scent. It works well on him and it's truly a gender-neutral scent. I'm glad I took a chance and ordered a second bottle, so now he can have his stash of Luperci and I can have mine!

 

valentina

[Blood onmy hands]

*This review is for Luperci 06 before it aged/turned. For reviews of 2010 version, skip to the end of my review to the ETA.*

I was so looking forward to trying Luperci (first one that I tore out of my package), and I have not been disappointed. First on, it is shockingly similar to LUSH's Tramp showergel (which I love), though it does get sweeter and loses the close similarity in the drydown.

 

I love patchouli, but I think that this one would appeal to people who aren't so fond of it as well. It's a sweet and golden smelling patchouli that grounds the entire blend.

 

Luperci has a good deal of subtle throw, but it clings to my skin in a very sensual way. I don't know what most of the notes listed are supposed to smell like, but this is so damn good and sexy. It's one of the best perfumes that I have ever had the pleasure of sniffing. It's earthy, but has a unique and edible sweetness to it. I usually hate honey, but I think the honey-ish note that I smell here is the beeswax, and I love it.

 

Sweet patchouli, honeyish musk, and other sweet, exotic wafts of delightful, sensual things. I think this might be my favorite perfume *ever*. I can't even describe it well because I'm so in love with it. It's making me swoon. This would smell AMAZING on my boy, but he can't have any. It's all mine.

 

ETA:

I loved Luperci 06 (seriously thought that it was my ultimate signature scent and bought a dozen bottles of it), but it has aged terribly, much to my disappointment. After about 6 months, it turned into this weak, dry, powdery wood chip smell with hints of honey. Very bland and sad. I bought the later versions in the hope that it would smell good again, but I don't even recognize the scent. The most recent one, 2010, smells nothing like the original to me. It smells a little bit like a soapy, sharper version of Black Lace. It smells like sharp musk, intense soap, and gritty tobacco. Sucks

Edited April 10, 2010 by Little Bird

[hypatia]

I loved the description of this so much that I ordered a bottle despite fears that it would turn out to be too strong, too manly, and/or too sweet (I'm a bit leery of honey notes).

 

I should not have been worried at all. This is great.

 

In the bottle it's wood with a bit of a men's-cologne vibe to it. I think I catch a whiff of the oakmoss and juniper -- there's something green in there, and something sweet, but mostly, wood.

 

On first application: Foresty. Then the wood note comes out. It's very light; I have to hold my wrist right up to my nose to smell it.

 

A little later: Whoa. Is that the beeswax? Yes it is, and it's fabulous. My eyes are practically rolling back into my head. Oh my. The beeswax and honey are melding with everything else, making it hard to tell individual notes apart, but mmmmm.

 

Later still: The greenery comes back, very subtly. Oh, there's the patchouli at last! It's interesting to contrast this with the patchouli in Alone -- that was sweet-spicy patchouli, whereas this is outdoorsy evergreen-edged patchouli. Like a clearing in a conifer forest, only more perfumey.

 

Drydown a couple of hours later: Wow, it keeps morphing! Now it's woodsy-herbal with a faint floral tinge to it, with the earthier notes in the background. For some reason my nose is thinking "Lavender!" even though I know there's no lavender in it. Could that be the Samson root? And I can still smell the beeswax if I concentrate. It's as if Saint-Germain (aloof, dignified, lavender) had a one-night stand with Wilde (patchouli-laden herbal), in a room lit by beeswax candles. Aww yeah.

 

This is a definite thumbs-up, and I hope we see it again some future February!

[Fefferbella]

Warm rich dirty musk and earth... maybe a slight hint of sweet juniper berries...

 

I'm so glad I bought this scent. It's complex and thick, warm and animalistic. There is almost no change to it the longer I wear it.

[desu]

In the bottle: MMMM, SEXXXX. Patchouli with vaguely sweet and woodsy tones to it. I ordered another bottle of this smell unsniffed when I read the description. Smelling it for the first time, I want to bathe in this stuff and then run around naked.

 

On my skin: Patchouli is strong although I can definately smell the moss, juniper, and some other scents. Honey hasn't quite come out to play yet.

 

Later on: There's the honey. Honey and patchouli -- two great tastes that go together! The patchouli backs off a bit to allow the honey to warm things up and round out that manly, raw spice.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: balsam and patchouli. very gritty-smelling.

on: still balsam and patchouli, but with a hint of musk. very nice.

half an hour later: much lighter. earthy, but fresh. very nice stuff.

1 hour later: mostly woods with hint of patchouli.

2 hours later: much lighter.

overall: i think that if this had been a bit stronger on the patchouli and lighter on the more "fresh" components, i'd like it more.

[wickedgoddess]

Even more so than Smut, this was the first blend in this release that screamed buy me. And it seems that for once, I was right.

 

Wet - pure sex in a bottle. Umm, I don't even know, I get patchouli and other stuff and it smells better than anything I have ever smelt before. I rub this eagerly on my wrists, and it still smells that good. Oh god, I may just have a new number one! And it doesn't even have ginger in it! Let's see, there's patchouli, but it's not the in-your-face patchouli, it's earthy but not sharp. Something grounding, oakmoss and juniper I presume. And just a trace of sweetness which could be the balsalm and/or the honey.

 

Dry - not a lot of change when dry, the juniper lightens up, musk comes out and the honey comes on a bit stronger. It doesn't have much throw when dry, it's almost a skin musk which is probably for the best, as this is something I'd like to keep close. To me this smells like passion and lust, and is something I would wear when I want someone to fuck me hard, and I don't want to be broadcasting it to every stranger on the street. And yes, I do believe this is my new #1 favorite scent. I'll be looking for more of this.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 5+ .

[The Perfumed Ferret]

Mmmmmmm! Booze and patchouli in the bottle.

 

On: Add juniper,musk, something sweet Balsam perhaps?

 

Dry Down: Musk and patchouli sweetened by honey.

 

 

Verdict: I wasn't sure what I would think about this one, but I this is one of the few sweet scents I like.

[Diana]

This one is very evocative. Like a past memory or life or something.

 

It's a honey-sweetened patchouli with just a hint of woodsy juniper. I can actually smell the beeswax at times. Sweetish, herbally. It's pretty and I am just not very eloquent today.

 

If you like the more "masculine" bpal scents, you should really give this a try.

[sarada]

The notes for Luperci made me almost insane with anticipation for this one. I am so glad I only had to wait three weeks for it!

 

In the bottle, strangely enough, I can't smell anything. I might just be befuddled from sniffing the very strong and potent Red Lantern shortly before, but I can barely smell anything in the bottle. Even the next day, on a 'clean slate' with no other scents to compete with I can just barely smell this when I put it on.

 

Slathering some on to get the full effect, it immediately strikes me as a light frankincense (even though I know that is not listed). Rather like a very light version of Cathedral with more greenery and candlewax...or a bit like Magus, but sweeter.

 

In fact, the greenery and beeswax put me in the mind of a green chapel...a cathedral in the forest, where dark trees form arches overhead and beeswax candles burn on mossy stones, the air faintly sweet with pollen and resins.

 

It is so very, very light on me though, why is this? Musks amp like crazy on me, and my skin naturally adores woods and resins.

 

Several hours later if I sniff deeply I can still get that sweet resin though, and it reminds me very much ofthe 1970s. I think about being a little girl playing on mom's yoga mat with natural wax candles burning and some of her meditation frankincense. It's just a very natural, outdoor smell, but it's so quiet and close to the skin that it won't knock people over. The honey is not sticky, the patchouli is not loud or in your face...the overall effect is of something you can just catch a glimpse of before it disappears back in the darkness of the woods.

 

Since I can barely smell it I don't know if it's going to jump into my Top Ten, but it's close. I'll have to keep wearing it and see if it is stronger on me during warmer weather or a different time of the month. It just got real cold here, real quick, and most subtle scents work best on me in fresh -- or warm -- air. I think I could wear this anytime of year but I suspect it will be a favorite in spring/summer walks in the woods.

[tinyvulture]

this reminds me of Geek with a stronger patchouli note. it’s quite mossy and earthy – the oakmoss and juniper notes are apparent -- and slightly sweet because of the honey. very masculine and i'd say it's a cold weather scent. comforting, spicy, warm and dark.

[ViolentKitten]

First on, Luperci is beeswax. Oh, YES! I've never smelt beeswax on my skin like this before, it's so true, so beautiful. Supporting it is the softest, lightest of light patchouli which fades into the background very quickly. There's also a very light peanut note, which reminds me a touch of Sed Non Satiata, but much, much softer. I wonder if that's coming from the Gurjam balsam as I've not smelt it before but read somewhere that it has a slightly nutty aroma.

 

The other notes? I don’t know. I can’t pick them. They're all subdued. I just know they’re combining to make this the beauty that it is. I can’t believe how soft it is, how nothing jumps out like I thought it would. I imagined Luperci to be a bit rough and ready, that it might be better on the man than me, that the Gurjam balsam or Sampson root might be too herbal or strong, the juniper too stark, and especially that the patchouli (which I love anyway) might be trying to have its dirty way with me, but they’re not. They're all just softly playing about.

 

Luperci doesn’t just sit on me. Scent and skin rise to meet one another; they meld, become one, become part of me. Warm, beautiful and extremely sensual. As it dries down further, the beeswax becomes a little more waxy, like a pure beeswax candle, but the other notes are all around it: a light, golden coloured honey and a delicate, sweet musk among them.

 

Overall, Luperci is just stunning. I've loved many BPAL's lately, but I haven't fallen like I have for Luperci. It's incredibly gorgeously heavenly and if you haven't guessed by now, I'm pretty much taken by it. And to think I almost didn’t get this one! It's definitely the standout of the Lupercalia scents I've tried.

[Neely]

In the bottle: dark woodsy smell. Smells familiar, but what is it? Another pass under my nose, and it comes to me. It smells like a tincture of Echinacea I make for healing colds and flu. Called lovingly by my family, "swamp water!"

 

Wet: Juniper, and woods. Someone else said a werewolf. I agree. This is nice, "masculine," in a way.

 

Dry down: juniper and something sweet, beeswax I think. This is rounding out to a very lovely scent.

 

30 minutes: the earlier teasing of loveliness has grown into full blown promise. This is sexy, well blended, and ooh sooo beautiful. It hugs my skin, but that is all right. It's just you and me Luperci, just the way I like it. Yeah baby, you know what turns me on.

 

Conclusion: I should have bought two bottles of Luperci and skipped on teh Smut. Trade anyone? Luperci is my Valentine scent. Maybe number one, it is definitely in my top 10. This is like a more innocent but bawdy sister of Spanked. I can't wait to see how it ages. Trade ya Smut for Luprerci, anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

 

Rating on my skin, this is a 5+.

[zenvodunista]

i've been betrayed! betrayed by the tyranny of my own skin!

 

in the bottle this is so soft, far softer than you'd imagine from the notes listed. sensual, and skin like, slightly sweet -- the beeswax, and woodsy. sooo gorgeous.

 

however, there must be some cedar or cypress in here, because on me it goes to 100% cedar and stays there. and on me, cedar is somewhat bad-sweat. to be fair, it's a bit sweeter and nicer than most cedars, but still mostly all cedar.

 

my heart is broken!

 

*however*, i am going to try it out in my oil burner, as it's just SO lovely. i am also going to give my 2nd bottle to my BF, who can wear just about any BPAL and it doesn't morph on his skin.

 

those of you lucky enough to wear this gorgeous scent: i am jealous! it's really gorgeous, and i think it will age really beautifully.

 

ETA: this is just GORGEOUS in the oil burner. now i'll have to get a scent locket i guess i'm just glad there's a way for me to enjoy this one, even if i can't wear it!

 

n.

Edited February 11, 2006 by zenvodunista

[wolfie13]

Mmmmmmm - I get mostly balsam and beeswax from this with a touch of musk.

 

Another one that stays mostly the same and remains well-blended on me. It's woodsy (not piney, but more that combined scent of leaves, bark and the forest floor) and the oakmoss doesn't go swampy on me for a change. The musk never overpowers but it's there lending a sultry edge. The honey note develops a bit as it dries down, but it's never overly sweet or cloying (my skin often amps honey like crazy.)

 

It doesn't have a lot of throw, and does seem to fade on my rather quickly, but I do like that it's more of a skin scent on me.

 

This is Very nice and would be lovely on the fellas as well.

Edited February 14, 2006 by wolfie13

[sookster]

first let me start by saying the patchouli in luperci is fucking phenomenal

 

sniffed straight from bottle i get all dirty thick patchouli mixed with bitter, dark chocolate

 

upon application i get oodles of honeyed musk....soooooo beautiful!!!!

after awhile the patchouli comes through subtly but has enough kick

that you know it is there....i get a bit of a smoky note as well......i love this

to pieces!!

 

beth has outdone herself with this blend....

[fiddlehead]

Another amazing scent journey courtesy of BPAL

 

I put this on and was immediately transported to a shop I used to go to in Berkeley. They sold stuff from India, little boxes, incense and jewelry, those colorful skirts and dresses and Spiritual Sky oils. I'd wander around and wish I'd been born just a *bit* earlier so I could have been a hippie I still have a wooden box I bought from there, which I used to store some homemade runes.

 

I swear I smelled Sandalwood in this, but I don't see it listed. This is a gorgeous smelling oil and very comforting and warm. I'm glad I got to try it!

 

ETA This seems more and more masculine to me as I wear it. In fact, it reminds me of a classic men's scent but darned if I can remember which one. I'm going to try it on the husband.

Edited February 15, 2006 by fiddlehead