Anactoria

[phantasmmysteria]

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.

[naeelah]

In the bottle, I smell mostly amber and arabian musk.

 

On the skin, the amber definitely dominates this blend. It's a pure, clear, golden resin -- doesn't strike me as creamy as, say, Egyptian amber. The white honey blends right into the amber, adding a little sweetness. The white honey is definitely a bit lighter, less thick and sweet, than plain "honey". As a whole, it all blends very well, so I can pick out different notes, but it's all contributing to the amber.

 

Almost immediately, a dry, grassy quality comes out. I suppose that's the kush - it smells sort of like hemp rope. (It definitely does NOT smell like someone smoking weed, so stop worrying about that.) Some of the grassiness could also be coming from the daemonorops. The Arabian musk seems to be lingering as a base note. I think the dry edge of the kush is blending, to my nose, with the dry edge of the musk, so I have trouble distinguishing them.

 

Like the previous reviewer, I, alas, find no currant anywhere. Not even a hint of red fruit. The longer this dries, the stronger the grassy quality becomes for me.

 

ETA: Now it's about 2 months old, and the grassy quality hasn't gone away. It's not a grassiness, I've realized, it's a soapiness. Wet, this is beautiful and not grassy at all, but as it dries, something disagrees with my skin. I think I can smell more of the red currant now, though. It's just a hint of fruit, coloring the musky, creamy amber.

 

Over the life, the balance of the amber and kush see-saws a little, but other than that, it morphs very little for me.

 

I think it smells nicer from a distance than under nose, as from a distance, the amber and honey aren't taken over by the kush -- but the throw is a bit soft. I think I'd like this better if it were stronger, so I'd say this will be a slatherer. Wear life is a little below average.

 

If you're looking for a brighter, creamy golden afterglow kind of scent, try Defututa. This one is a little bit more down and dirty.

Edited March 20, 2008 by naeelah

[Eros]

This is very similar to Midnight Kiss on me...Urd, a bit of Hellion and Ecstasy of True Love. Mostly what I get is the currant coming through as grape. Perhaps a hint of musk & soft, woodsy background, but not much else. It's lovely, nonetheless, but similar enough to others I have that it's going to a new home.

[Court Analyst/Strategist]

When first applied this is really pretty. Sweet, golden and rich. What has to be the kush lends an enriching, heady note to the scent as some other reviewers have mentioned. The honey in here is definately different from the regular honey in the bpal blends I've tried with the note--this honey is lighter and more creamy in feel. This stage in the scent is just sexy.

 

After about ten minutes of wear, however, a slightly soapy note peeks out and the overall feel of the scent becomes dryer. I'm pretty sure the soapy hint is coming from the daemonorops. The currant sadly doesn't seem to come out to play. He could be there, but I'm not identifying the note if he is. At this stage I would describe the scent as dry and musky with a slightly 'brittle' quality as the scent itself has thinned out a bit, wheras the first stage of wear was fuller-bodied and more luscious. The change in the two stages could be likened to how a leaf changes on a tree and finally falls to the ground in the Autumn, the leaf slowly drying out and changing color before detaching from the tree to drift towards the earth, with the end result visibly altered but not without its charms.

 

Verdict: I like Anactoria but not as much as I did in the first ten or so minutes of wearing it. Still, I'm willing to age this bottle to see where it goes and if the daemonorops can't be mellowed somewhat so the note causes less trouble.

 

Court

[slave1]

ANACTORIA

 

In Bottle: Clean musk

 

On Skin: This scent starts out quite masculine but as it develops on me… I begin to like and it and wouldn’t mind wearing it myself to make me feel stronger and in control. The Arabian musk is strong and very sexy. The kush is both deep and earthy. The amber is warm, and combined with the honey provides a golden tone that is light and a bit powdery. The honey isn’t sticky sweet at all… just a light glaze. I smell no red currant… This scent has a perfumey/cologne quality to it, quite strong and noticeable. This blend also has a mellow elegance about it that I enjoy. I would love to smell this on my husband too… it’s very much a come hither scent. It has a medium thorw and long wearlength.

[Luxari]

In the bottle: Definitely smelling wet musk. daemonorops, kush? Never smelled these before, but I'm sure that's what I'm smelling, and it's exotic. =D

 

Wet: Warmer, and smelling the honey and the Kush- earthy but enouhg amber and honey to make it sexy =D

 

Dry: Smelling something light and sweet, thinking it's the currant, but there is enough kush and musk to make it smell lusty- the overall scent reminds me of Lolita- very innocent but lustful at the same time.

 

I think this will age well, and seems neutral enough to be worn on most skin types. Definitely a keeper- glad i got the 5ML. <3

[hkhm]

bottle: amber and musk. two of my most favourite scents.

 

wet: this almost has a leathey scent that remids me of krampus or crowley or de sade. very sexy leathery, musky amber.

 

dry: this is uber-sexy once dry. it's the musk that is most pronounced and boy does it smell sexy.

[alicia_stardust]

ANACTORIA

 

In the bottle this smells like golden musk and amber.

 

When this dries I smell an intoxicating and sultry mix of golden amber and musk, but they are now tinged with an herbal, dry grassy quality which I think might be the kush. The honey is very present to my nose and it is, indeed, a white honey. (I have been obsessed with eating white honey for a number of months now so I recognized the difference easily.) White honey is lighter, almost sweeter, and usually thicker; it still retains its characteristic honey scent but there is no golden strong quality to it. I believe that the currant and daemonorops, while not easily picked out of this blend, are lending a touch of depth and shadow.

 

Overall this is a very heady fragrance that I find to be gender neutral, highly sensual, and very gorgeous. The amber and musk warm this, the kush adds the intoxicating quality to this, and the honey adds just the right amount of natural sweetness. This one is unique and difficult to really categorize other than being sultry and sensual. It's another new favorite.

[dawndie]

In bottle: clean soapy musk

 

On skin: creamy sweet honey, lighter than the "normal" golden BPAL honey

 

Half-hour later: a nice blend of light musk and honey, with the kush and amber adding a bit of aloof dust

 

In conclusion: this ends up so pretty, like a cousin of Snow White and Snow-Flakes. A light blend, but not girly and innocent. Sophisticated, smooth and very very confident.

[Dymphna]

At first sniff, I get a strong, "scratchy" musk, which I always think of as a sort of "whiskey and honey" musk, that reminds me of Spanked (which I adore), Black Lace (which I also love, and which reminds me a bit of Spanked), and The Lurid Library (which has a lovely musk that unfortunately turns icky on me). I would say that it's most like the musk in Black Lace, and that if you really wanted to attempt to recreate BL, you could start with this and then maybe add some Antique Lace.

 

Anyway! I don't think anything else is really recognizable for me, at least, in the bottle. Once on my skin, and especially dried down a bit, I do think I can smell some of the golden amber, which is apparently an amber that loves my skin, and the slightest bit of honey. I think the kush might also be adding to the overall dry, sweet huskiness of this blend. I don't smell any red currant or daemonorops. That's not true, I just reapplied and this time I got hit with a zingy little tingle of currant and something that reminds me of the sweet-spicy dragon's blood in Tintagel (the only DB blend so far in which the DB is noticeable but not flowery on my skin). The musk really takes the lead in this one very quickly, though. And I certainly don't mind because it's one of the best musks I've ever smelled, deeply sexy but somehow also clean. This is a very golden blend.

 

All in all, I'd say that this blend does a truly astounding job of reflecting the theme it's meant to represent. To be a bit crude, my initial reaction on opening the bottle and sniffing for the first time was, "Oh...fuck!" And that about sums it up, really.

 

I'll definitely be getting another bottle or two or three to hoard. And I LOVE the blue label!

[Lyrical]

In the vial: it's hard to pick out any particular notes. It's perfumy and there's something grassy which I think must be the kush, but it doesn't dominate.

 

Wet on skin: it's rather dry and musky. I can't smell any redcurrant, but I can smell daemonorops (dragon's blood, right?) and what I believe to be kush. It's very, very dark - a mesmerising scent!

 

Dry on skin: subtle and smoky and just a little sweet. It's very dark and sexy, particularly the Arabian musk. Nice!

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Amber and honey

 

Wet: Amber, honey and red currant.

 

Drydown: Unfortunately this blend is not working on me at all. The honey and kush are overwhelming the other scents.

3.0 outta 5

[lmaunu]

On my skin, the amber and kush boldly look out, but the musk also peeks out and gives the scent a darker feel. It's a very warm, very sensual scent, and my skin isn't picking up on the grassiness that some other reviewers have pointed out. It's rich, warm, and inviting -- and I love it!

 

The throw is a bit under-average, and, very sadly, it has a very short wear length on me. It's one that I'll have to slather or wear in my CD scent locket, but it's definitely worth it!

Edited February 15, 2008 by BookGirl

[valentina]

In the bottle, Anactoria barely had a scent to me -- it seemed very mild, but in a pretty, sweet way. On my skin, things change... I do blame the daemondrops and currant, since florals and fruit are iffy things on me, and sure enough, they amp up when I apply the scent. The scent does not morph on me, and it smells very traditionally floral-perfume. DAMN MY BODY CHEMISTRY. I guess if I'd ever wanted to cover up the smell of kush, all I would have had to do was lay a bit of daemondrops and currant on my skin My bottle will go to someone who can appreciate the beauty and sex appeal that this scent does most certainly hold.

[sfsassy]

Honey, Amber and woods with a touch of redness. This one is my fave of all the new ones this round.

[Brianne]

This goes on smooth and musky - very much what I imagine when I am thinking of an Arabian musk scent. You can definitely smell the honey too, making this slightly sweet and golden but predominantly musky. After a few minutes, it does start to turn slightly soapy though - not a big deal, since the musk is still going strong, but I would love it more if it weren't there. I was really worried about the kush, because - who wants to smell like pot? Anytime someone smells like that, I always think they should go take a serious bath because it's an unappealing smell. Luckily, I am not getting anything like that from this scent. Which is great, because it would be such a shame.

 

 

 

Overall, I would call this mostly a honey musk scent with a slight resin and floral background. It's not a favorite, but it's a decent scent and I could see myself wearing it. It makes me think of scents like Black Lace or Krampus so if you like those, you might want to give this one a shot

 

edit: Just wanted to add that it eventually becomes quite bitter and sharp on me. Not for me with that stage, it's too sharp and harsh at that point. I do like the earlier stages though!

Edited February 17, 2008 by Brianne

[etienne]

I really want to love this and amber and musk are certainly some of my very favourite notes.

 

The initial stages are lovely. Sweet, sensual, golden amber. There is something similar to Tamora and Aglaea, and even Hymn to Proserpine, but without the fruity notes of those. Something even reminds me of Angeronalia when they are both wet. I don't really get any honey or currant at all in this.

But very quickly on drydown this develops a very soapy, powdery quality on me. This is the second time I'm testing it and it has happened both times.

 

I almost sold on my decant but now I'm still considering a bottle just in case it would age really well, or maybe to wear in a scent locket.

[euterpe414]

On my skin, Anactoria is musky, earthy and very animalistic. At first when it's wet it is completely musk, amber and honey. After a while the sweetness from the currant and the sharper herbal quality of the kush appear and make it even sexier than it was before- I love the touch of currant with the honey- it keeps the blend form getting too heavy on my skin. This lasts for a quite a long while and just seems to glow on my skin, I love it!

[tarotgirl99]

On initial application, the florals were too high-pitched for me; I'm a floral girl and even I found the scent painful.

 

On dry-down, there's the gentle honey sweetness of Al-Araaf on me, but with a tiny underlying bitter note.

 

I don't think this is a bottle-worthy scent for me, but I'll try it one more time before deciding.

[tartchef]

I agree with Dymphna - this is definitely similar to Black Lace's musk, which made me a bit Fortunately, BL's cotton note seems to have been the main culprit that made it all wrong on me, because Anactoria is much better... There's that same slightly sharp, soapy intro, but it fades qucikly in Anactoria, leaving a really interesting musk - lightly perfumed, with a bit of honey, & something that makes me think of tobacco, but not - that must be the kush. This is really similar to O on my skin, minus the honey overload - the grassiness that I'm getting really cuts through the sweetness. Researching daemonorops, I get the feeling this note refers to the leaves & stems, rather than dragon's blood resin - there's none of the choking floral that dragon's blood tends to morph into when combined with my chemistry.

 

It's funny, but Anactoria reminds me of Caliban - that same botanical feel, but instead of verdant ferns & undergrowth, Anactoria is dried tropical grasses. No currants in sight, just a trace of clear honey... like lying on a reed mat in the middle of a field of tall dry grass, nibbling on a honey stick, with your hair spread out & warming in the sun...

 

ETA: Wow - hours later, this has shifted & mellowed to a gorgeous honey amber, akin to the Lion, with the tiniest hint of currant...

Edited February 22, 2008 by tartchef

[pinkstardust420]

Wow..this is a very pretty scent! I definitely note the Golden Amber, Musk and white honey. It gives this gorgeous sensual scent a unique sweetness to it. As it dries down, the sweetness comes out even more. Very nice!

[Kimocean]

I really, really, really want this one to work on me, but I'm afraid my hope may be in vain I should know better because scents like O and others with amber and honey turn absolutely nasty on me and this seems to be following that pattern. It starts off absolutely gorgeous on me. The musk is perfect, the currant adds a hint of sharpness that really works against the sweetness of the amber and honey but then...about two hours into wearing, the daemondrops and the amber/honey start amping up like someone poured bottles of them over my head. They get sickly sweet and so so strong. It's such a strange reaction but seems to always happen with my skin. It's practically nauseating and makes me VERY, VERY sad and jealous of all of you who can pull off honey and amber and smell so dang sexy!

[GreenSpine]

Liquid sex.

 

In the bottle, it smells like the color orange with a smattering of gold dust.

 

On, by far the strongest note is musk like in Black Lace, yum. Except for the honey and amber, the other notes are hard to pick out individually unless you're really looking for them. Colorwise, it's a golden, light-brown skin color, still with a smattering of gold dust.

Edited March 3, 2008 by GreenSpine

[visualworlds]

This reminds me of Geek.

[hellomoonglow]

I positively LOVE this! I really cling to anything with red currant, as it's one of my all time fave scents. Wet this has a sweet scent. On my skin, after only a few minutes it morphs into something very similar to Atrocious Attic, which I also really like. I've found myself swabbing this on my wrists before bed every night since it arrived! I say swab because I have a stash of wand caps and only the truly worthy scents are given the wand. Love it!