zankoku_zen

Woodsy, a tinge grassy and very dirty. Vetiver for me is such a dirty note, and I mean, it smells dirty and earthy, and gritty. The sandalwood kinda polishes it out a bit, smooths the grittiness of the vetiver over, but it's not enough.

This one is a minty/herbally lavender blend. The mint is pretty bracing at the beginning. And my skin completely eats this up. Half an hour later and it's GONE. ... Grr.

I agree with jewelbug in that this is a black pepper cologne. I get huge wafts of leather. This is MANLY, sexy, domineering. A little spicy, just enough sweetness to entice. Overall, very appealing. Black pepper is a death note on mr. zee_zee, and I have to agree with jewelbug, he wouldn't like me slathering sexy on some other guy. Which means this most excellent blend has to find a new home...

Okay, so I really get buttercream vanilla icing from this. Makes me think of cupcakes and that delicious icing.... Mind you, there is no CAKE in this. Just icing. It's a little on the sweet side on me, and just a little plasticky (either the vanilla or cream) but it isn't as bad as I thought it could turn out (cream is usually a death note). I think the saffron adds just the right amount of 'spice' to keep this from being too sugar sweet. If you're a foodie/sugary/sweet lover, I would definitely recommend this one to you.

I definitely get the tobacco and pepper on this, esp. when wet. After that, I get the berries and the pine. This is a darker, spicier scent than I typically go for. Esp. with the tobacco and pepper being so amped up. I think I'll pass this on to a more loving home.

Yes, I can see the comparisons to Numb in that cold, powdery violet way. Except I get a little more ozone. But I also agree that this is like Dirty, if you took Dirty and made cleaning fluid out of Satan. I mean, it smells like vast air... and just menacing threat. It's like something you recognize, but utterly corrupted and non-human. At all. If I found an animal that smelled like this, I'd run far far away. If some other human smelled like this, I'd also run far far away. ETA: Apparently, the review above is NOT for Yog-Shoggoth (although I maintain it is), and I have since received another decant that is in fact, vastly different. This one is NOT cold and powdery. It is in fact, ozone, airy and with a bit of vetiver thrown in. On wet, it kinda reminded me to certain blends that have the word 'goat' in the description. Definitely masculine. It dries down to a very masculine blend. Again, perhaps I should dab on the hubby.

This one is a plummy lilac. I don't really get the leather at all, perhaps as a 'base' note, but it's the plum and lilac that take center stage. I'm neither a fan of plum nor lilac, but it's pretty nonetheless. If you love either note, I seriously recommend trying this out.

I agree with the Milk Moon 07 comparison - it's got that milky, slightly tropical feel to it. I actually think I smell coconut milk and maybe that's the aquatics coming through. After about an hour, the aquatic part turns into dryer sheets.

I agree with ZZ on this, and I would never have known had not a kind forumite sent me a sniffie of Voodoo Queen not too long before the Lupercalia was released. Oh good, so I'm not crazy, nor is it simply a matter about my skin chemistry acting this way.

I feel I should post here, since I am currently obsessed with Voodoo Queen. The Lupercalia LE, Sapphics, is like a base sketch for Voodoo Queen. It lacks some of the complexity of VQ, and the hint of rum, but it gives you a pretty good idea of what VQ smells like. That, and it's easier to find that VQ.

I get this odd mix of fir and jasmine. However, this jasmine is softer and not quite as sharp and as cat-pee-like as in other blends. It's a soft, pretty aquatic.

This one is a sweet cocoa/sandalwood scent with an almost candy like gleam to it. I can smell the spices in this, but this isn't as fabulous to me as the Purple label is. The original, white label, thirteen was a watery graham chocolate. This one the chocolate isn't really there, it's more of a ghostly kind of presence. Now I have to find the Pink and Orange ones...

The essence of nobility, brutality and true Will made flesh and propelled through the eons by an ever-burning hatred: black patchouli, neroli, tonka, cinnamon, bitter clove, leather, black musk, coffin wood and fiery ginger. I get predominantly clove and musk with a hint of leather. Nice, spicy, and it it wasn't so difficult, maybe I'd try to score a decant. I really wish this was True Will Made Flesh. It sounds like a great concept. This smell isn't quite so... nefarious. It's actually fairly laid back. I'd think nice guy before I thought of someone so... driven.

This one is a manly oceanic/ozoney sort of scent. It also ends up smelling like industrial bathroom cleaner on me. Citrus blast that ends up in soapy aquatic clean. Not for me.

I really liked how citrusy and parsley this was, and it almost has a cool melon hint to it. As it dries, it has become slightly more floral and yes I do detect a rosy edge to it... but it isn't overhwhelming. Nice.

Okay, here is where my obsession with Voodoo Queen is gonna come through... but a lot of the components here seem to act on my skin like the base of VQ smells like. I think it's the amber/myrrh resinous of it. Whereas VQ is spicy, this one seems to have a sweetness. VQ is more complex, and the Sapphics is more of a sketch. On the other hand, Sapphics can give you an idea of what VQ kinda smells like. And it's the closest dupe in BPAL that I've gotten to. Warm, sensual amber/myrrh resinous goodness. I prefer VQ, but Sapphics might do in a pinch.

Oh god, this is like honey powdery doom on me. It just doesn't work out. The honey is thick and sweet and cloying, and I have no idea what turned into baby powder on me, but it's really honey powder. If that's your thing, more for you then.

This one is such a golden and regal scent. I get a womanly perfume, on a base of sandalwood. It's like skin musk. It stays close to the skin, enveloping you. There's a teeny touch of honey that I could really smell when I put it on, but other than that, this is a scent that is more than it's components. Regal, sexual, sensual, commanding. This is indeed, fit for a queen.

This one is a dirty gin like scent on me. At the beginning, it kinda smelled like old spice... but as it dries, both the gin from the juniper berries and the bitterness of the oakmoss come to the forefront. I would classify this as a manly scent.

On me, this one was a sweet dragon's blood resin scent... DBR tends to be overwhelming on me, and it was spicy with just a touch of patchouli. Not my kind of blend.

Oh man, gardenia and leather --- which really just means wet wool and leather. This is the scent of a dashing young man, off doing horribly debauched things, like holding up people and wenching. Oh, but he's so dashing...

This one is some buttery rum. Rich butterscotch with just a hint of rum. Tasty.

Gah, this was such a dark and musky patchouli. And I think the muskiness might be civet. *sigh*

This one smelled like cedar... and pencil shavings. It's like the base of Ventriloquist Dummy... but without the caramel.

This one is odd - but I get a greenish kind of cologne - something kinda sharp, but green, and overall masculine. Crazy loonie bin it doesn't smell like. A little unhinged? Perhaps. But if a little crazy smells like this, I think I can cope with that!