puck_nc

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I just grabbed all the Lupers. I wasn't completely sold on the shade of pink, but other iridescent glitter Claw Polishes have been lovely. In the Bottle: A delicate, almost seashell pink dusted with fine glitter. One coat: Sparkly, but not much for coverage. Two coats: Much better. Kind of like Buried Secrets in the Crimson Peak collection with a Milky Way band of tiny stars. Three coats: Because I was putting an extra coat on for other colors, I tried it here. It didn't make much difference, but I noticed that it tends to dry to a slightly dull finish. A top coat for shine might not be a bad idea. is totally needed to bring out the full sparkle of the glitter. Verdict: Maybe. I can see wanting a sparkly pink that is subtler than Womb Furie. ETA: Doing a full manicure on this makes me think a bit more of the original Hell's Belle formulation with the sparkly fine glitter, but more pink and opaque than peach and sheer.

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I just grabbed all the Lupers. In the Bottle: Pink, but a shade I'm not sure of. A bit like a pencil eraser, a bit skin-like. One coat: Possibly enough for full coverage. It's quiet but shiny. Two coats: Silky-smooth and shiny, pretty quick to dry. Verdict: I'm not sure I'll keep this one. I think I've finally placed it - this shade of pink is screaming 1950s kitchen at me. I like my pinks with a little more kick to them. But it's definitely a quality polish and a good shade for work.

A shocking hot pink glitter with opalescent purply glitter bits! Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I just grabbed all the Lupers. Hot pink glitter seemed fun. In the Bottle: Bright magenta-pink shot through with sparkle. One coat: Translucent pink with glitter scattered through it. Two coats: A little more pink and a little more glitter. Smooth enough not to need a top coat. Three Coats: Adds some oomph to the base color and more glitter sparkle. But I'm not getting quite as much of the purple as I hoped. Verdict: Maybe. Between Womb Furie and Bright Red Dildo I have plenty of glitter to go around. This is more like Eldritch Drunken Constellations with the polish base hanging onto a see-through impression. However, I admit I kept Eldritch Drunken Constellations in the end, so this one might have its forever home after all. ETA: One more note to add - this one may be prone to chipping/peeling. If there are base coats out there that help prevent peeling, this one could probably use the help. After I did my initial swatch, about a third of it came off in one strip (no base coat used). This morning I tried a base coat and a top coat with it and during dinner I noticed that I already had some serious chippage and one nail had lost a chunk of coverage. So, if you have any trusted products that help prevent such wear & tear, Sugarcane Me might need it.

An ejaculation of red glitter. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I just grabbed all the Lupers. I may have wished for a red or pink version of Pumpkin Spice Everything and this was always going to go in my cart. In the Bottle: Devil-red shiny glitter. One coat: I'd forgotten how the base of a lot of the glitter polishes is pale, but this one is clear. So I got an uneven coat of red glitter. Two coats: That's a bit more like it. But still... Three coats: Now we're cooking! Sexy, sparkly, deep red glitter for everyone! Verdict: This is a bit smoother in texture than Pumpkin Spice Everything or Nuclear Winter, but I'd probably still want a top coat for super-smoothness and shine. But I love it and I will probably be getting more.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I always pay attention when wisteria is a note, because it's one of my favorite florals. I have learned that I can wear white frankincense and blue musk without them amping the other notes out of existence. The lemon peel gives me pause, but perhaps it won't be that strong. In the Bottle: Gentle musk and incense with wisteria wafting over it. I agree with "soft but potent" and a lovely spring night in The Forest Floor's review above. Wet: The strongest note out of the gate seems to be the frankincense, but it's maintaining that gentle quality. I'm picking up traces of lemon, but it's staying in the background. Drydown: The wisteria emerges and it is everything I wanted when I saw several Lupers featuring wisteria. Rich, full wisteria blossoms backed by musk and incense.No lemon to speak of by now. Verdict: Yay! At least one of the Shungas has wisteria front and center and gorgeous. I may have to swap around or buy a second bottle.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I am a sucker for both wisteria and magnolia. Having both in the same blend is like winning a perfume jackpot (adding stargazer lily would be the powerball). Peony often works for me. Plum is usually good. I tend to have decent luck with benzoin as a lighter, non-ampy resinous scent. Not sure about the ho wood, but among the rest hopefully it will enhance, not disrupt. In the Bottle: Light, bright, and delicate florals. I'm thinking the peony is standing front and center, with a subtle thread of sweetness running through it. Wet: The first notes seem to be the ho wood and benzoin. I'm getting a pale wood, a hint of resin, and that something almost sour that OctoberGwen mentioned. I'm not yet getting florals. Drydown: On me, the benzoin is staying put. The florals start coming out and I'm getting hints of my desired wisteria and magnolia, but only hints. That sourness is also lingering, but not prominent. Verdict: I will hang onto this and try again in a few days, because I really, really want this to be gorgeous on me.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I know I love four of these five flowers. I'm hoping the peony doesn't live up to the rose in it's name. In the Bottle: Guh...fresh, lush florals with a tropical bent. Definitely hearkens back to classic floral perfumes from the past, in a very good way. I'm not sure that any one floral stands out other than maybe the frangipani. Wet: I agree with heady floral, although something is producing a trace of greenery that is keeping it from being too sweet. Drydown: The green fades, but the scent as a whole veers into fresh floral more than sweet floral, which is where I thought it might be headed. A really well-blended mix of floral notes, rich and clean. Verdict: This might wind up being my favorite Luper of the year - we'll see what the rest smell like first. But I definitely see myself wearing this on formal occasions and when I want to feel classy.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: Vanilla cream is good. *White* sandalwood can be good. Lotus has worked for me in some scents before, but I fear it going a bit bubblegum. In the Bottle: Very heavy on the vanilla and cream. I can't really tell the other notes are there right now. Wet: Again, strongly vanilla and cream, but the sandalwood starts emerging. Drydown: For me, very little morph to this one. Fresh, clean wood and sweet creamy vanilla. I'm not getting any lotus root at all that I can tell. I agree with VioletChaos that this has very little throw. Verdict: A good option for a work scent or a subtle scent.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: Benzoin is the one member of the incense/musk/amber/patch conglomerate that doesn't seem to amp hugely on me. White frankincense is less likely to amp hugely than normal or dark. This may be the one opportunity for me to wear a pure incense-y scent without it dialing to 11. Wet: Pure incense and resin, but yes, shining brilliantly somehow instead of being sultry or mysterious. Wet: Very true to the bottle. Incense and resin that I can enjoy, because I'm not worrying about another beloved note being swallowed up. Drydown: I agree with annemathematics - this does develop an earthy aspect. It's still light, but maybe not as gleaming as before. It's staying fairly close to the skin. Verdict: If you love frankincense, but have felt you couldn't wear it much because of its strength, give this a try. This could be work-appropriate.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I will always consider a scent with magnolia. Vanilla chiffon sounds divine. I hope the honey musk will be light enough not to amp like musk often does on me. In the Bottle: Interesting. Lush vanilla musk with a creamy quality. My first thought was that I was smelling something like Ivory Vulva or even the famed Monsterbait: Underpants. It's surprisingly sexy. Wet: The honey musk comes charging out of the gate. A very come-hither scent with a "white" quality rather than red or dark. Drydown: The magnolia emerges to add a floral character to the scent, which is interesting because I would have thought the reverse: magnolia=top note and musk=base note. But I'm not going to argue. I agree with ellocentipede that the vanilla seems to be a sweetening element holding things together rather than out front. Verdict: This is not the virginal bride before the ceremony. This is the bride on her wedding night, all dolled up in white lingerie and ready for some action.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: This was the one that jumped out at me when I first read the list of Yules. I loved making clove oranges when I was small and have had trouble finding scented products that could capture that aroma. In the Bottle: Fruit and spice, though I'm getting apple rather than orange on the first whiff. The spice is very gentle. Wet: It still can't make up its mind, but now it's more orange than before. I do get clove rising up pretty quickly. (My husband's verdict was "orange", so I guess my own nose was out of whack there.) Drydown: The fruit mostly gives way to the spice and I get the same dusty/earthy characteristic that a few others have described. Mostly clove with a hint of the orange. Verdict: I think I would have liked the orange to be a bit stronger, but the spice aftermath is quite nice. Think I'll play with the bottle for a while.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: At first I didn't even give this one a second glance. I have several BPALs with lovely evergreen bases that I treasure. And then I started reading the reviews. And I jumped. In the Bottle: In-your-face fresh evergreen. I don't know if it's fir or pine or spruce or what, but it's full-on woodsy green. Wet: Same as the bottle on initial application, possibly tilting strongly enough to be nostril-clearing. Is there something minty lurking in here? Drydown: It quiets down a bit, softening into a cozy pure evergreen scent. I can see myself putting this in my scent locket whenever I want a hint of winter/Christmas. Verdict: Definitely keeping this one. Totally a Christmas tree single note scent.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I'm a florals girl, always have been. I've almost always tried scents that combined snow and florals, though I don't think I've ever gone beyond a decant for those. This time I blind-bought a bottle with my Weenies/Yule order. In the Bottle: Light, cool and airy. Mostly neroli to my nose with a dash of something that makes it "classic" perfume, aka my mom's Chanel No. 5 and other things she had on her dresser when I was small. Wet: Hm. Something is tilting in the fake-flowers direction on me. Possibly the orange blossom, or maybe I'm getting it confused with what is supposed to be the snow note. Drydown: Darn. That craft-store floral section impression sticks around - I hoped it would morph away. But something in here definitely doesn't appreciate my skin. Verdict: I may try again in a few days just in case, but based on this test, the bottle needs a better home than mine.

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I've had my eye on a bottle of Castitas for ages. Vanilla is a favorite note. Rice flower works in things like Aunt Rosie's and the odd Shunga. Cream can work in the right setting. In the Bottle: A very soft and gentle creamy vanilla floral. As advertised. On the Skin: I don't have a tub big enough for a proper soak, so I use the bath oils as moisturizers during or after my shower. There's not any morph to speak of - it hugs my skin in that gentle, lightly sweet, creamy vanilla with an airiness from the rice flower. Verdict: Keeper!

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I have developed an appreciation of sweet foody scents through some of the Trading Post products. I was more interested in Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookie, but that one sold out and didn't come back by the time I was ready to place my Weenie/Yule order. So we'll try this one. In the Bottle: Very sweet, very buttery, very pumpkin, lightly spicy. Wet: Very cheesecake with a hint of spice. I'm not getting much pumpkin or cake at the moment. Drydown: Okay, I think this is the spices emerging, but Houston, we have a problem. Something smells burnt. It's not at all pleasant. I don't think I've ever experienced this problem before ever. Verdict: I'm going to give it one more try in a few days, just in case something's off with my skin or nose. But if that sense of burned-beyond-rescue cake persists, this will need to find a better home than mine.

Origin: Goblin squirt tossed into my order Initial Thoughts: The room sprays are the least-used format of divine BPAL/BPTP scent in my house - I tend to burn candles if I want a scent in the air. But if this is akin to a shot of Christmas tree I'm willing to try it. Sniffing the Squirt: Gentle and soft pine. An interesting contrast to a lot of evergreen scents that shout "GREEN AND COLD". It definitely fits the "fae" part of the forest. In the Air: I get the lemony impression that others mentioned, but it does not (as I feared) go to spray furniture polish. All the notes - floral, citrus, evergreen - seem to flow into each other. It's light and harmonious. Verdict: I think I like it. I may try the sheets suggestion and see if it makes itself indispensable enough for a bottle.

A vivid memory of injuries long-ago inflicted, of unforgiven horrors and unspeakable hatreds: a metallic sangria-purple, the color of blood welling—not under the skin, but within the soul. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: Looks like a promising pink when I want a pop of color. In the bottle: A rich wine-pink with a subtle shimmer. One coat: Potentially enough. It's quite a bit brighter on the nail than in the bottle. The shimmer is very subtle and it's more like a classic high-gloss polish. Two coats: Definite coverage and a definite statement of PINK. Verdict: I can see myself wearing this one occasionally. Think I'll hang onto it.

Molten silver: the spark of one mind touching another in perfect understanding. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: It's silver glitter! Of course I'm going to try it. In the bottle: Bright silver sparkle. Side-by-side with Unseelie, it's like Fascination is sterling silver and Unseelie is pewter. One coat: Potentially enough if you get it even. Two coats: Excellent coverage and it's like I'm wearing tinsel on my fingers. It's also a very smooth coat - no need for a top coat unless you just want it. Verdict: This one may need a backup bottle or two. I will wear this a LOT.

IRIDESCENT Ever-shifting dreams. An opalescent haze of grey and lavender on the westward horizon. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: This was the first polish I wanted to try because I thought it might be the closest to my beloved Hell's Belle (glittery, pale peach nude). In the bottle: A metallic gray-ish purple. One coat: This one went on beautifully, smooth as silk. One coat produces a lavender purple, light and feminine, shot through with very fine pink and silver glitter. It's opaque at this point, I guess, but not very. Two coats: Mostly takes care of the opaque and is a little more pink than gray. Verdict: Love it. It's not quite the opaque stunner of Hell's Belle, but it will be perfect for work

When the holidays roll around, not everyone has mistletoe, caroling and cookies on their minds. This lacquer is a paean to celebrating hard: nights covered in glitter and dusted with cocaine, flutes of Cristal clutched in shaky hands, leather and lace, the Spiders From Mars in the background, and twisting, sweaty limbs entangled in dark corners. Hairspray and cigarette smoke is the incense in this temple to decadence, strobe and mirrors replace the devotional candles, and Bolan sings the hymns. Stardust is for everyone that has every drifted off into Quaalude-induced reverie to the beat of a tribal 4-on-the-floor: the sound of Mott the Hoople, Sweet, Slade or the Dolls. Futurism, self-indulgence and excess: electric violet-plum shimmer, seething with iridescent glitter. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I love the full-spectrum splash of glitter in Pumpkin Spice Everything. This looked to be a purple version of that. In the bottle:A shiny purple glitterbomb. One coat: Opaque light purple with glitter dancing through it. Two coats: Yep. A purple version of Pumpkin Spice Everything. The result has a slightly gritty surface - I'd wear this with a top coat. Verdict: Sold! And buying another bottle before they go away. ETA: Carried my bottle to the nail salon. They thought it was a very pretty color. I am getting a bit of chipping/wear at the nail tips, even with the top coat. I will probably touch it up before New Year's Eve festivities.

Sniffing from the bottle just now. I'll edit in a full review after I've had the chance to apply it to wet, clean hair. In the Bottle: this is a gorgeous warm apple absolutely laden with spices. I do get the impression of pastry, but it's not very strong. I think I'm going to love wearing this. ETA: Applying: For the briefest moment I get a surge of pastry. Drying: And it's back to baked apple, redolent with sweet spices. Wearing: Hm. This one seems to have very little staying power on my hair. I have to really bury my nose in and chuff to get an impression of spice and maybe a hint of apple. Verdict: I'll try a few more times to see if I can get the scent to stick around. If not, at least I have a guaranteed work-safe hair gloss.

Held on December 5th, this is the festival of the Horned God of the Forest, one of the di indigetes of Rome, god of cattle, fertility, wild, untamed nature, and prophecy through dreams. The deep, shadowy green of hemlock leaves crouching under a dark oaken canopy. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I didn't have any greens in my collection. This one looked like it might be a good Christmasy option. In the bottle: A rich deep green with a gentle shimmer. One coat: This goes on smoothly, like one of the crèmes in the regular BPTP selection, but has that subtle shimmer to it. Two coats: Better for full coverage and velvety smooth. Verdict: I like this color a lot. We'll see how much I reach for it.

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I'm always looking for pretty blue polishes. In the bottle: I've heard of the phrase l'heure bleue to describe a certain shade of the evening sky (and it happens to also be a famous perfume). This looks to me like l'heure bleue full of twinkling rainbow glitter stars. One coat: This is more electric blue on my nails than I was expecting. It's opaque blue and glittery. Two coats: It retains that electric-blue tint but does go richer and darker than at first. It looks much darker in the photo than it does in person. It doesn't have to have a top coat - nowhere near the thickness of glitter like in Nuclear Winter or Stardust - but it helps add a bit of shine. Verdict: Not sure. It's not the shade of blue I was expecting from the bottle, but it's very pretty.

A sky blue crème, touched with a strange hope, and given depth by an inexplicable, profound sorrow. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I tried almost all the blues from Crimson Peak, looking for that elusive UNC Carolina blue. In the bottle: This one strikes me as close to what I think of as Carolina Panther blue - originally it hearkened toward teal. Sky blue with a definite tilt toward green. One coat: Not enough for full coverage. A very opaque, kind of muddy green. Two coats: Much better, although this one perhaps could use three coats. Still very greenish for a sky blue on me. Verdict: Not sure whether I'll keep this one or not. Between it and Lullaby and Moth Shadow, it's just not quite as pretty a shade to me.

The enigmatic blue of a starless night, the moon a cold sliver on the horizon. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I was trying most of the blues and tossed this one in as well. In the bottle: A bit more inky than a royal blue. One coat: It probably takes either two coats or a very practiced hand. The blue holds true to the bottle to me. Two coats: Excellent coverage and now darker than in the bottle, tilting toward navy. Verdict: I need to take this one out for a full test drive before I decide. The formula is lovely but I'm not quite sure about the shade of blue.