Sleeping Nymph and Satyrs

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Wild woods, Bulgarian rose, tolu balsam, vanilla absolute, ambergris, honey, and vanilla.

This is so very, very smooth. The woods are pleasantly aromatic. The rose is really subtle. The vanilla is also laid back.

Surprisingly unisex. In fact, it's verging on masculine. Is there a touch of vetiver in here? Something vaguely feral.

Very little change from bottle to skin to wearing.

[edenssixthday]

Sleeping Nymph and Satyrs - On me, this is mostly dry woods (is that sandalwood?) that's blended beautifully with a touch of rose and a touch of vanilla. Despite the dryness of the woods, there's a warmth about the scent that I attribute to the ambergris and vanilla (and maybe the honey?). Unfortunately, there's something about this scent that's "not quite right", and I'm almost positive it's got to be the balsam note, as that's one that doesn't tend to work well on me and whatever's not working for me in this blend reminds me way too much of the Mutter Museum U scent, which went horribly awry on my skin, something I attributed to the balsam in that blend. So, if you like rose and vanilla in moderation along with beautiful, dry woods, and can get along well with balsam, I recommend this scent a lot. It definitely has the potential to be profoundly gorgeous with the right skin chemistry.

[Venneh]

Woods, rose, and honey in the bottle, not quite as MALE!! as I would have expected. On my skin, primarily woods, though the vanilla and honey are coming out unexpectedly and in pretty even balance. ...You know what this kind of reminds me of? The Boadicea bath oil, but in perfume form. It's the same sort of woodsy vanilla, but with a more floral tone underneath. I'm fine with the bath oil, personally, but if you missed out on the bath oil, or you really liked it, you're probably really gonna like this.

Edited February 14, 2011 by Venneh

[theseagrows]

hmm, when i first put this on, it was all woods and i wasn't too sure about it. however, after awhile the vanilla made itself known a bit more, along with the honey and ambergris-it turns to a very warm, spicy scent. i really can't detect any rose at all, but i suppose it's there, in the background. i like this scent a lot, i just don't love it as much as i expected i would...but maybe that's because i was expecting more rose and i've been in a big rose mood lately! i'll try this again in a few weeks and see what i think then...

 

eta: retried this on 4.20.11. now it's straight up vanilla and sandalwood, kind of smells cocoa-y and it's very faint. ahhh! i think maybe i'll wait and try this AGAIN later on.

Edited April 20, 2011 by theseagrows

[jizatt]

wet this does have that same balsam as U, but it smooths out and blends in as it dries. Wet, I wasnt sure I liked this. I agree with masculine and feral. I expected something more like woody/honeyed/vanilla/rose -- but that balsam note is stronger, maybe when combined with the ambergris. Its much prettier when dry - though it is still different than expected. I'll hang on to it for a little while in hopes that it ages to a thing of beauty =)

[ralenth]

Soft, dry woods, with sweet vanilla overtones. At first, I catch hints of something ferally musky, almost like vetiver, but not quite. After five minutes, the scent slips into a sweet, powdery phase over the wood base. After an hour, it has faded to a whisper, but it is soft, woodsy and unisex. I never heard anything from my dreaded nemesis rose on this one, thankfully.

[cherrycherry]

Wow, this not what I was expecting - the woods hit my nose first and rather sharp actually. There's something about it that reminds me of a cough syrup I had when I was a little girl. Thankfully, on my skin this blend works much better and the sharpness disappears during the drydown. The vanilla blooms then and I start huffing at my arm. This is actually very good... sweeter and sweeter, but still grounded by the wood notes. This is heavenly with my skin chemistry. Glad to have a bottle.

[Dark Alice]

This is a gorgeous evergreen/piney scent that for once has not made me sneeze. It is absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to get my partial so I can give this a full test run. The vanilla really keeps the balsam grounded but the balsam is so fresh and green. It's like smelling fresh juicy green pine with the barest hints of sweetness from the vanilla and honey. This is a keeper.

[Clavis]

This one is interesting...

 

Wet: A lot of cedar with a bit of pine, vanilla and honey. BUT... the pine, vanilla, and honey combine to smell rather like tobacco. Maybe a touch of rose in there too.

 

Dry: this is a lot like the wet phase but smoother and warmer with a bit of spice added. Very well blended!

 

I'll give it 5/5.

 

So far I haven't hit a single dud in the Lupercalia scents... I still have Dancing Koi and Burning Vulva to try but I can already tell from their reviews that they're good. I just have to wonder it they can measure up to Manilus Hurled from the Rock and Sleeping Nymph and Satyrs... I look forward to finding out.

Edited February 19, 2011 by Clavis

[cfrancesca]

In the decant this smelled like tobacco to me. On my skin I still get an almost harsh smokey tobacco scent (smells slightly ashy), soft vetiver, woods (I think cedar), and hints of rose, honey and vanilla that soften it up just slightly.

Edited February 21, 2011 by cfrancesca

[strahlend]

It's kind of funny because the only thing I can detect from the listed notes are "woods" which is pretty vague. I am totally rose paranoid - even in the smallest of amounts it will ruin a blend for me - but I can't smell it at all here.

(edited after further testing)

I've tested this several more times and it seems like in the imp there's a sharp wood smell like maybe teak. On my skin for the first couple minutes there's an almost cherry/almond smell that reminds me of Joy Mojo. It's a strange phase and it doesn't last long, but consistently that seems to be what happens. When that fades out it starts getting a feeling of warmer woods - or maybe it's how the wood is interacting with the ambergris, and what seems to be some red musk. Perhaps that's the "wild" part of the wild woods? There is some sweetness to this blend, but if the idea of double vanillas and honey freaks you out it shouldn't, it's not cloyingly sweet at all. I've never detected any rose whatsoever during any of the skin tests I've done. There's a soft, woody, softly musky, warmth to this scent that is really beautiful. This is the Luper I've been reaching for the most often. It also seems to have fantastic longevity as well, and since most scents fade off of me so quickly that's a welcome bonus.

Edited February 28, 2011 by strahlend

[meaganola]

This one is very frustrating to me. It smells lovely (it's a somewhat herbal (I'm not sure where that comes from, but that's just how my nose works sometimes) woody scent with a it of honey that drifts in and out), and it doesn't change very much on me for the first few hours (now that it's six or seven hours later, all I'm smelling is the pine, but it took a while for the other notes to burn off), but there's something about it that makes me unable to handle wearing it. If this was a room scent or a candle, it would be wonderful, but as a skin scent, it comes close to giving me a headache, although it doesn't *quite* bring the pain. Pine is an iffy note for me, so I'm really not surprised it's a no-go. I'm glad I tried it, but I'm also glad I tried it on a day off.

[sqwook]

Smoother & sexier than expected! I agree with whoever said it smells more like tobacco than typical woods (though not the overly-sugary-ness of some of bpal's tobacco notes), even a tinge of smoke while it's wet. I get absolutely no rose at all, and I am extremely susceptible to it. I'm not getting any pine at all, either. Smooth, tobacco, and a sweetness that must come from either vanilla or honey. Fantastic!

 

I'm surprised I'm not hearing more chatter about this - it seems like it would be ridiculously popular. I wonder if the woods-and-balsam listed notes have made some people think it would be more masculine than it is.

 

I think it's the unisex (and awesome on a woman) equivalent of Moxie Nouveau's Girls With Cigars (blond tobacco, amyris, and ambergris, sweetness of blackberry, and the earthy spice of clove).

 

Really great.

[arrow]

In the bottle, I get a sharp, tangy, quite bitter scent. Very woodsy, with a sort of stale, old chocolatey-tobacco flavor. Not at all what I was looking for when I purchased it scent unsniffed! Feral is definitely a good word.

 

On my skin, however, this changes completely. I get a pine smell, but one that reminds me of actually being in a forest. The vanilla comes through clean and soft, reminding of the vanilla in one of my favorites, Lyonesse. I smell my wrist and I am walking through a pine forest in the winter with a mug of vanilla chai, or a warm sugar cookie.

 

I have no idea where the rose is, though I would note that I've been looking for a Hanae Mori-esque BPAL scent-- both HM and this contain Bulgarian Rose, which is why I ordered Sleeping Nymph and Satyrs. I don't smell the rose, but I do note a kind of similarity, so perhaps I am just not sensitive enough to pick it out.

 

I just re-smelled on my skin (love) and re-smelled in bottle (ack!). So either this one is a real morpher or my body chemistry loves it. I don't think it is too masculine, although I could see it being great on a guy (boyfriend has now unknowingly signed up for this duty. I will update with his results!).

 

I am so happy I purchased a bottle and may buy another one or even two to have on hand. I have had mixed luck with BPAL imps in the past (in the sense that things I thought would be surefire winners have been disappointing), but this time around I purchased two un-impable bottles and am now in love with both!

 

I wouldn't wear this on a night out with friends, or to a nice restaurant with my boyfriend. It's not that it's not sexy, it's just more of an outdoorsy or sitting-on-the-couch-and-one-thing-leads-to-another sexy--a bit of the feral feeling from the bottle-scent. I would and will wear this particular scent on a day to day basis. It is beautiful, but unobtrusive, especially because the woodsiness doesn't seem too 'perfumey,' just natural--I hate it when people wear reallyreally strong, obvious perfumes to class/work.

 

Love!

 

EDIT: As promised, I tackled my boyfriend wielding this lovely oil. I regret doing so, because it smells even better on him than it does on me, a nice woodsy vanilla (still no rose). While he used to request to use "that one smell you bought for yourself but smells nicer on me," a suspicious sniff this morning confirmed that he has now taken over the bottle. At least I still get to enjoy it!

Edited March 15, 2011 by arrow

[Blood onmy hands]

This actually reminds me of The Zadok Allen Vinyard, and I'm not sure why, because this doesn't seem to have any fruity/wine-like notes in it. But it smells rather like a dark, rich, spiced wine in the bottle and on my skin. It goes through a stage where it's sort of potpourri spicy, cough syrup-esque, and slightly cloying. On minute I kinda like it and then the next it's oddly cheap/potpourri smelling or cloying. After 3 hours, I'm left with a sweet, creamy vanilla and dry, dark woods, but it's very faded and subtle.

 

I'll probably keep my decant of this one and see how it ages, but I don't think I'll need more.

[dreamingjune]

In bottle: Woods/pine with vanilla and rose. Very strong.

 

Wet: Like a pine forest and the smell of sex! The vanilla in here is very strong, yet quite perfect. I am also smelling the same sort of strong green balsam sweetness here that I get from U Mutter Museum. The rose is in the background adding to the sexy quality of this.

 

Dry: Mmm, as if someone mixed U Mutter Museum with Dancing Koi and Red Rose, only better. If you are afraid of rose do not be afraid of this blend. The rose is very well blended in here and just keeps things feminine and not too heavy on the "wild woods". The honey is adding sweetness and sex appeal here without doing the dirty honey thing it likes to do on me. There is something very wet and syrupy about the vanilla in this blend, yet somehow it doesn't get too sweet.

 

Overall: Sleeping Nymphs and Satyrs has some serious throw and lasting power. It is also an extremely sexy blend. Like a wild, forest equivalent of Snake Oil, that is also highly feminine. For me this blend is evocative of sex in the woods on a sunny spring day .

[Deek]

Bottle: Woodsy pinesy.The balsam is very over powering for me.

Wet on Skin: Much softer on the skin, definitely get more of the ambergris/honey/vanilla. There's still a bit of a sharp pine note that I don't like, though.

Dry: I wish I was getting the rose, but I'm just not really getting it. It's more dry woods for me.

Overall: 2/5. Definitely not for me, which makes me sad because of the name. I'm going to try it on my boyfriend though, I think.

[crebbsgirl]

Yeah, this one is not working for me at all. I think the rose is too predominant on my skin, so it's turning this very rose-heavy. It's kind of sharp on me. The woods aren't as smooth as I would have thought.

[DifferentDances]

Decant!

 

Imp: Oh! Surprisingly mellow. Sandalwood and balsam, a touch of vanilla creaminess.

 

Wet: Sharper, more bitter woods. Slight floral tint, but mainly balanced by the vanilla.

 

Drydown: Blending back together - this is such a richly layered but light and frothy scent. Not terribly strong, sadly, because I think I'd love to smell like this.

 

Dry: So very faint, but so very delicious. Slight piney edge is tickling my allergies, though.

 

My rating: 3/5 Wish it were stronger...

[ih8perfume]

w. o. w.

 

Whale vomit, why do you have to smell so good? How can something so very wrong be so very right?

 

 

I did not know there was room in my heart for two favorites. But I suppose, just like a Mom always has enough love for the new baby and the older child, I have enough love in my heart for Nymphs & Satyrs and Boomslang.

 

This reminds me very much of Parfum d'Empire's Equistrius (named after a racehorse) whose notes are listed as: orris, violet, rice powder, chocolate, ambrette, sandalwood, vetiver, and grey amber. A Wood, vetiver according to other reviewers, grey amber/ambergris, a sweet foodie note, and a sweet floral. No wonder they smell similar!!

 

I'm guessing that it is the balsam that hits my nose as a kind of minty/woodsy hay note. It is refreshing and lifts this so it isn't quite so heavy. I don't get "Woods" on first wearing, I get lots and lots of ambergris. I remembered reading rose in the description, but nary a whiff on my skin, although there is a very sweet (but not cloying) layer that lingers in the background and keeps things from being too oily and resinous.

 

It's perfect and very different from the other BPALs I've tried so far and I am buying a bottle at first opportunity.

[pinkgyrl]

This is so subtle and delicate. I get an indistinguishable - to my nose - mix of soft florals - a heavier dose of vanilla and just a smattering of something almost minty and green - which could be the woods or the balsam. I definitely do not get any distinctive hint of rose which is what worried me. It's just utterly lovely - but would definitely have to be reapplied; it's a close skin scent.

[thekittenkat]

In the decant: All the notes are present when sniffed.

 

Wet: The rose, alas, amps immediately.

 

The dry-down: The balsam, vanilla, and honey conspire to tame the rose. Yet another scent that hugs the skin.

 

Some wild woods appear in the distance. One may assume that the nymphs and satyrs (knowing how satyrs behaves, I refuse to believe that there is only one nymph present) have fallen asleep amongst the roses hidden in the woods, after partaking of honey flavoured with vanilla. The balsam is of course what they anointed their bodies with.

[midnight_aeval]

This one reminds me just slightly of Red Lace, odd because it really doesn't look like they share notes. I think I'm picking up tobacco, odd again because it's not listed as a note...

 

I'm generally a fan of balsam + vanilla and honey + rose are usually death notes. This blend could really go either way, but the verdict is I DO like it! It has a cider-esque feel to it, reminds me of this Dorian CT I have. I suppose the wild woods could be the note rocking this blend; whatever it is, it's delicious!

[milo]

This is mostly sweet woods and vanilla tobacco. Very (very) much like The Antikythera Mechanism, only there is more woods and less tobacco. The same black vanilla is there, though, and it is a bit more feminine, though I'd say this was a unisex blend. Hmm, I really like this, but don't know how much I'd wear it, as I did swap my AM away, it being too masculine for me.

[CreamyJade]

In the bottle: Woods (think oak), balsam, ambergris, something smoky (like vetiver) in the background.

Wet on skin: Dry sharp blonde woods, balsam, ambergris, golden honey, hint of rose.

Dry on skin: Woods, vanilla, ambergris, honey, rose (just a bit, not overwhelming).

Final thoughts: I wasn't expecting to like this very much (mainly because of the rose), but I couldn't resist the theme and painting. I'm happy with it - it is a lovely, romantic blend for spring and summer.

Try if you like: Haloes, Heavenly Love and Earthly Love