tinyvulture

Florals, mostly rose. Stuffy florals...stuffy, like a vase of flowers in a warm, poorly ventilated library. With the chemical tang of...laudanum? Mercury ointment? I don't know what those smell like. Pass on this one.

Tea notes - strong black tea and lemony bergamot - combine intriguingly with woodsy peru balsam. No vanilla or patchouli for me. The lemon is so strong and it really starts to take over. I'll have to stick with a tea blend that's lighter on the citrus.

At first, I get almond extract and lavender. As it dries, the honey-sweetened nougat comes forward, but there's still sharp lavender note. Finally, when dry, it's nougat with a much softer lavender. I love this unique combination of foody and herbal notes. Not picking up thyme, but that's ok.

Spicy, buttery cake with lots of orange zest, and tons of RUM! Think a boozy Huesos de Santo. It's been awhile since I tried Butter Rum Cookie but, for comparison, I'd say this is heavier on the orange zest, lighter on the almond (as in, I don't smell any), and about equal in terms of being extremely boozy! Although, after a few minutes, the rum does die down considerably. I'm left with a sweet, buttery, festive foody scent. This scent does not last long at all...that's the only drawback.

On me, this perfume is dried rose petals and red wine, smoothed out by sweet beeswax. I'm not noticing the frankincense. I just adore the beeswax -- it makes this blend special. I wish it was a bit stronger; it's one of those scents that stays very close to the skin. A grown up, womanly scent -- there's a quiet seductiveness to it.

Dry rose, a little soapy and powdery, with sweet resins. Well, I guess according to the scent description, there are resins, and then there is sweet honey. But I'm not getting a distinct honey note. Just general sweetness. Which is a bummer, because I love honey. A soft, pretty, understated rose scent, but does not really stand out for me.

OMG, this story is heartbreaking. Was expecting something beautifully sad, but instead I got pickles? No idea what that could be. After a minute, it dies down, and the rose is there. But something salty/sour remains, confusing my nose. Will have to pass.

I'm loving this combination of sweet benzoin, patchouli, and soft rose notes. Perfect for my hippie/resinous blend-loving ways. Ahh, I love benzoin and patchouli together, so much! The rose keeps it from being totally "head shop" and brings it into feminine, romantic territory. I received a sniffie and now I'll have to seek out more.

Strong spicy chai tea, with a good amount of fruity pumpkin. I love how the pumpkin is present without being overwhelming. It really does have that distinct full-bodied red rooibos scent. I'm getting hints of cardamom and licorice, and sweetness from the jaggery. I just really love it! Although I'm reviewing it in May, it instantly takes me to chilly fall evenings.

I get mostly woods. Very dry, parched. I've always loved Carfax Abbey as my go-to "haunted house" scent. This isn't as rich, or as strong. Haunted Houses is subtle, soft. Ghostly...yes, maybe. Very soft musks, feminine somehow. Gentle ghosts, not posing a threat.

As LiberAmoris said, a very retro and glam floral blend. Like something worn by a super cool and mysterious woman from another era. The roses and orchid are bold and strong, and the patchouli and frankincense bring a sexy hippie vibe. But I agree with Magycmyste, there's some unnameable note that's sharp, astringent, like cleaning products. The cistus or styrax, maybe...I'm not too familiar with them. Takes away from an overall pleasant perfume.

Strong pine and juniper notes put Ranger in the same family as my beloved Black Forest (reminiscent of The Illustrated Woman, as well!) Though quite similar, Ranger's not as sharp/crisp. More smooth and mellow, and I am loving all the various woods. The buckskin accord translates as an earthy, raw leather note that's not super strong, but really nice when it pops up from time to time. I am just getting around to trying all these RPG scents and love them all so far!

This is the first Courtesan blend I've had the chance to try. My goodness! Heavenly. A rich, heady cloud of warm vanilla (like a bolder Antique Lace), enhanced with breaths of orris (think Black Pearl) and gentle saffron. The perfect balance of sophisticated and sexy. I appreciate how strong it is. Immediately adding to my "bottle wanted" list. I will have to try them all now. That's how it goes.

A green tea blend, like Diversions in the Chashitsu. While Diversions combines tea and apple blossom, K&S is almost a green tea single note. Lemony, bright, fresh. I'm not even getting the slightest kiss of tobacco here, and I'm not sure what agarwood adds, but I wouldn't call this a woodsy blend. I am waiting to see if the other notes come out...nope. Pure green tea! I prefer the tea and floral combo of Shanghai.

The benzoin and tobacco make this a surprisingly tough, bold blend. Nothing courtly or demure about it! It's almost like a masculine cologne. I really like it; for some odd reason it makes me think of what a stylish Italian gentleman would wear. Others get lots of bergamot, but there's nothing about it that screams Earl Grey to me. Just a very light, vague citrus that brightens things up. Mainly tobacco and benzoin notes.

Opium and smoke, dark and lovely. Reminds me of Night Hag, which I love, although they only note they share is smoke. I get a flash of sweet vanilla, then it's gone. Not finding the clove or cognac. Oh no, it's fading so fast...much too short-lived, this one.

As a lover of Blake I was excited for this one, and it does not disappoint. Lush, vibrant red rose (to me, like Rose Red) and dark, earthy vetiver are the only notes I'm getting, and what a dramatic pair they are. I can't really put into words how well it captures the poem. Life and death. My favorite rose blend of this year's Lupers.

My first impression is peach and...weed? I guess it's just the lab's peach note -- very earthy! Red musk often amps on me, but it's barely noticeable here, so I get to appreciate the peach, cherry blossom, lilac, and sandalwood. All the notes are easy to pick out -- it's nicely balanced. (Oh, and after 30 seconds, it doesn't smell like weed at all. That was weird.) Elephant dries down as a blend of lush fruit, pretty florals, and gorgeous sultry amber and warm copal. Coy and flirtatious, cheery and lovely, no shrinking violet either. Considering a bottle.

Chapapote translates as asphalt, but I'm smelling a strong vetiver note, with cocoa powder and perhaps patchouli. I'm excited for the copal, honey, and corn to make their presence known. A few minutes later...well, the copal is here, along with the clean, fresh cotton blossom. Sadness over the lack of honey and corn, but it's still a nice blend thanks to the copal and patchouli, fave notes of mine. Don't think I need a bottle since it doesn't really stand out, somehow.

Tons of cream, and beeswax, and just the lightest hint of feminine florals. No moss or currant here, and I'm not sure what abalone smells like, but I'm not picking up anything distinctly aquatic. It's a very light scent. Kind of like Chaste Moon, in that it is predominantly cream. A nice creamy/floral backup Luper for those (like me) who missed out on Reflected Vulva.

Perfect vanilla cupcakes, buttery and rich and piled high with white frosting. It's sooooo sweet and intense. I know lots of people love Eat Me, but it didn't work for me, so I'm thrilled to have found a cake scent that I love!

Sweet strawberries with grass and dandelion sap. Reminds me of being a kid, when we would peel the dandelion stems and knot them together. That unique smell. The grass note makes me a little sneezy at first, but then it mellows out. While I'd also love a straight-up sugared strawberries blend, this one's nice too because of its complexity. Perfect for this time of year -- strawberry-pickin' time!

I had so much luck with Somnus that I decided to try another Somnium blend. For me, Oneiroi isn't quite as potent; it doesn't guarantee a good night's sleep as much as Somnus. It's more hit or miss, I guess. But it does have a calming effect, so I still enjoy having it, for when I'm not particularly anxious at bedtime and just feel like changing it up. Scentwise, Somnus is more medicinal lavender and herbs, while Oneiroi is softer...green herbal notes, yes, but also floral ones (jasmine, especially.) The lavender isn't really that noticeable, whereas it's the focal point of Somnus.

Bamboo and cedary/rosy/soapy rosewood (I know rosewood isn't roses, but I swear every rosewood blend I've tried smells at least a little rosy on me...power of suggestion much?) are what I notice. I'm also smelling some intriguing things that I don't have a name for. Silk? Bone? Is the bamboo smoky? Hard to say, it's a jumble of new scents for my nose to puzzle over. Bamboo seems to be the dominant note -- green, reedy, clean, fresh.

Lovely combo of honey and amber. There's also something "baking spices" about it as Alphakitty mentioned upthread, like a cinnamony floral potpourri. I'm not sure what mimosa smells like on its own, so maybe that's what I am smelling. I love honey and amber, but I guess this is one of those BPAL blends that turns into potpourri on me. Also it's not very strong. Oh well - all the Shungas can't be winners for me!