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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2009'.
Found 30 results
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Of the sea. Bergamot and French lavender. Am I really the first? Ooh! When I sniffed this straight out of the bottle, it hit me over the head with BIG BOLD SMELLY LAVENDER. This ain't no twinkly fae TKO lavender, this is LAVENDER, medicinal and swarthy. I was just a little scared. I'm a lavender lover, but this smelled like Somnus-style take-no-prisoners lavender. I put some on and prayed for a skin transformation, or, if I may put on my Shakespeare hat, a sea-change. And what a sea-change it was. Within moments, the OMFGLAVENDER began to back down, and in its place rose a slowly blooming citrus scent. You know that sweet, immediate scent you get when someone near you peels back the skin of an orange? It's that scent, slow to show at first but once it takes root, it becomes an airy and crystalline blend, fresh and breezy. Pontia is never sweet, so those looking for a sugary lavender blend might want to look elsewhere, but it's not bitter thanks to the presence of that juicy bergamot. It reminds me a little of Yvaine, but where Yvaine was a cold, twinkling lavender, this is a warm one, bringing visions of walking in the late afternoon sunshine on a small-town beach in France. Its delight left quickly, nay it was gone completely in a matter of three hours, so I'd advise slathering. It's simple, gorgeous, and evocative.
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White chocolate and sugared violets. Disclaimer: I have a terrible head cold, but I have been waiting for reviews for the box of chocolates myself and thought any review in a storm, eh? In the bottle: Faith-a bit of spicy violet and a violet flavored rock-candy lolipop. On my skin: This is pretty much my beloved Faith, only lounging about in the nude covered in whipped cream. Verdict: Beautiful creamy spicy sweet violets, no powder, and as time goes on, seems to gain staying power. Do I need 20 bottles? Maybe.
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Dark chocolate and cherry. I smell like someone cracked open a cherry cordial and smeared it all over my body. I'm delicious!
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Sake, apricot, and blonde wood. bottle: this is mostly apricot with a light sake scent in the background. wet: this is very apricoty! the wood note is lovely here and reminds me of the scent of drinking sake out of wooden cups. dry: this dries to simply a lightly boozy apricot. not nearly as boozy as grand guignol though.
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Leather, cognac, fig, ripe berry, and cream, stuffed into a plain brown paper bag. I read these notes and thought to myself, well, i'm a foody, I'll probably get the berries and cream as the dominant notes, and get fig and cognac and leather underneath. I put it on at the lab, and then drove home, and sniffed my arm an hour later. And I get leather, from this, very sexy dirty leather. The cognac and fig are underneath it, and it's really really nice. This is a seducers scent, and wow it is delectable. It's one of those dig your nose into your arm and can't drag it away scents.
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Rice paper, white gardenia, and raw honey. bottle: this is pure, sweet honeyed gardenia. wet: this is mega-sweet, almost too sweet for me. i don't get rice paper just hyper gardenia slathered in honey. dry: as this dries, it really does take on a light, tissue-y sort of feel. the honey fades to make this a more tame gardenia
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Skin musk, sugar cane, honey, beeswax, vanilla flower, and copal. In the bottle: Warm, glowing, creamy, the color of fine ivory silk. Similar to the color of the label, but with less green. Wet: Sweet, like the aroma of making sugar cookies...sugar cane, honey and vanilla flower melding together, the skin musk, honey and beeswax keeping it grounded, with copal ever-so-slightly raising its head. Dry: The copal is most predominate on me as it dries. Copal lovers, like me, rejoice! for the warmth of the copal will warm you when the nights are cold. The honey and beeswax are subtle; they help to keep this grounded. Earthy (not like dirt. Sensual). The scent is sweet, but not cloying. It wants to stay close, but not so close it goes unannounced. Gently wafting, surrounding my space with gentle nudges of desire. This scent makes me imagine lying in a large, feather bed, with sheets of the finest Egyptian cotton, natural in color, so smooth on my skin. Resins burning, filling my space with their smoke. Candles burning low, creating soft amber light. Soft, silky and with the promise of secrets not yet spoken. I believe this will age beautifully. If you were hoping for Glowing Vulva Redux, this is not that scent. But it is a glorious, sultry and sensual scent on its own. So glad I purchased a bottle, and will be adding at least one more to my collection.
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Golden. Vanilla amber and orange blossom. Okay, seriously, nobody has posted on this yet? I ordered it hoping it would be similar to my beloved Vixen, and it is. In the bottle, major orange blossom, mixing with the sweetness of the amber, and a whiff of vanilla. On, even more orange blossomy, though not overpoweringly so. As it dries down, it takes on a spicy note--not sure where that comes from. But it's lovely stuff, and I'm glad I sprang for a bottle.
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Chrysanthemum, marigold, golden sandalwood, vanilla, cinnamon, and amber incense. bottle: i get light sandalwood and a sweet vanilla-y amber scent. wet: this is very light on the chrysanthemum, the sandalwood and amber wake this a warm golden scent. and i normally have a terrible reaction to cinnamon but there is absolutely no burn here (whew!). dry: this dries to a sweet and faintly spicy amber scent. very lovely.
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Smoky musk, ambergris, tonka bean, brown sandalwood, daemonorops, black currant, and honey. in the bottle: definitely getting the daemondrops, a bit of the black currant and some musk. it's sweet, dark, and rich wet on skin: the daemondrops and ambergris dominate at this stage. incense-y for sure. dry down: wow. very powerful, non gender specific and quite strong on the incense. this reminds me of Jacob's Ladder a LOT, and that's good, because that's my favorite incense scent from the Lab. in all: if you like the incense-type scents, this is a total winner.
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Orange blossom, blackberry, amber mint, and red sandalwood. Oh, my. Am I really the first to review this? Oh, the pressure. Here goes. I should add that it is That Time of the Month for me, so this may go completely insane on my skin right now and then be great later on. In the bottle: Oh, wow. This is a lot darker and smokier than I thought it would be-- the scent description makes it sound playful, light, and fruity, but it's much stronger and more sensual than I anticipated. Sandalwood and amber are predominant, with a rich deep blackberry note and somewhere a tingly, beautiful mint. No orange blossom as of yet. Oh God this is good. Smells like a really good fruit incense with a charge of mint. Wet: The oil is reddish-orange, and the smell is almost all sexy red sandalwood at first. Slowly, oh-so-slowly, the other things start to emerge: amber, and blackberry, and something that smells a lot like tea, and maybe just a tiny little bit of orange blossom. The throw is lighter and fruitier than right up close, clean and fresh but still intriguing. This is absolutely gorgeous. The combination of fruit far away and then incredibly sensual smoke up close... Dry: I'm really not giving this much time to dry because I have to rush off somewhere and I want to post a review before I do, but holy God. If you are looking for a sexy "red" incense scent with fresh, fruity component rather than, say, the usual plum, this is it right here. I would highly recommend this if you're a Red Phoenix, Snake Charmer type fan, and are looking for something in that vein but at the same time... oh so deliciously different. [edit] Now that it is dry, I can figure out what it reminds me of-- The Haunted Palace! Same beautiful light notes over a red-gold base. Replace the orange, vanilla and flowers with sophisticated fruit, tea and a fresh splash of mint, and you've got Couple Consulting an Enpon.
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Laughter loving. Peach wine, carnation, lemon peel, osmanthus, blood orange, wood violet, and tuberose. In the bottle Philommeides is all fresh peach, and when wet it's all peach. But boy is it ever the sexiest peach I've ever smelled. As it's drying I'm getting similarities to Gladdener of All Hearts. Where is that coming from? I don't think they share any of the same notes. It's pretty and feminine. As it's drying I'm getting some carnation, but it's still mostly peach and something dark, maybe the wood violet. I can smell a tiny bit of lemon now. It smells like a really good drink. I could fall for this one. It's a fabulous scent.
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White chocolate and strawberry. Tried this at will call, and it's really pretty. Wet and after drying, it smells literally like white chocolate and strawberries, and it's decently balanced between the two, neither was overpowering the other. It was like a sugar rush on my hand, and I had just eaten some delectable strawberries covered in a nice thin coat of white chocolate, enough to taste, but not overpower. I would recommend this scent for a night alone with a nice bottle of wine, sit up in a nice chair, and sink in the richness. Or, rather, for you men out there, for your lady. Trust me, this will be far cheaper than getting actually white chocolate covered strawberries. Dab some on her, and let the night go from there. ^_~ Also, it lasts! It's been on for 4 hours, and while it's faded a bit, I can definetly still tell it's there.
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Plum blossom, vanilla sandalwood, nutmeg, and wild rice. bottle: this is very, very sweet plum blossom. wet: this is all plum blossom heaven with a nice swirl of that vanilla sandalwood. there is a hint of spice which might be the nutmeg (though it doesn't really smell nutmeg-ish). dry: the plum blossom fades but the lovely vanilla sandalwood scent remains. along with whatever that nice spicy hint is. heady and beautiful.
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The dark, of night. Teak, frankincense, caramel, oakmoss, red currant, labdanum absolute, bitter clove, patchouli, star anise, tobacco, and black musk. in the bottle: while i totally get hints of caramel, currant and lots of clove, i feel the need to emphasize at this point, this is NOT a foodie scent in any way shape or form. it's spicy and rich, but not food like at all. wet on skin: the black musk is gaining strength now, and the oakmoss is lending an earthy note that reminds me of vetiver, without the smoke. dry down: it's become labdanum, frankincense and tobacco with hints of the musk and clove wafting in and out. in all: as a tribute to a Dark Goddess, this is absolutely brilliant. it's sexy and deep and intense. given time to age, this can only get better.
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Mother of Desire. Rose absolute, caramel, ripe red berries, pink pepper, Balsam of Peru, cognac, and benzoin. Ooh, my first time doing a first review. I got my package of new BPAL this morning, and in my haste before school I quickly grabbed a shiny new bottle and slathered some on before class. It smelled very green and sharp at first, and I drew my nose back from my wet wrist in confusion. I almost thought the lab had made a mistake and sent me Hemlock or some other spicy green from Rapaccini's Garden, but no, it was Pothon Meter with her pale skin and perky breasts smiling back at me. I didn't really have time to think about it, I grabbed my bag and went. I was in the middle of a Lit class when I suddenly caught a whiff of something lush and rosey and just absolutely divine. I looked around for a moment before realizing that it was me. The sharp greenery was gone, leaving something so delicious I had to restrain myself from sniffing conspicuously while in public. Now that I'm at home and can sniff to my heart's content, I am astounded. This has become something deep red, juicy and so sexy that I am just in love. I can definitely smell the roses and the red berries on top, giving this a sultry sweetness, while the smooth caramel lends a deep, delicious quality to it. Despite having foody elements, this is not a foody scent, at all. The closest thing I can think of to describe this is a wild Valentine's night; the candies and rose petals have been crushed in a sea of red satin sheets as two cognac-drunk lovers entwine amidst them. Oh man, this stuff is good.
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Richly crowned. Antiqued amber, frankincense, pomegranate, myrrh, rose absolute, and bois de rose. am i really first in line to review this one? i don't even know how to do the magic boxy lab description thingy.... somebody fix it [does not normally get stage fright] in the bottle, which has the beautiful photo too!, this is lovely bright rose and pomegranate. the moment i put it on, i get the sharp edge of the frankincense. how to explain? rose + frankincense on me = more rose than rose (in a good way). rose + red fruit (like in les bijoux) also = more rose than rose. so rose + frankincense + pomegranate + rosewood = definitely not for those who don't like rose! as it continues to dry, the amber is sort of spreading out around the edges, warming the scent. i don't get any myrrh thus far. this is extremely womanly and classy. timeless. grandma would have worn it... well, both my grandmas were serious hotties back in the day! would be perfect on a bride or with an elegant evening gown... but i'm pretty sure i will be wearing it quite a bit more than just for special occasions.
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Dark chocolate and pepper-smoked caramel. Disclaimer: I have a terrible head cold, but I have been waiting for reviews for the box of chocolates myself and thought any review in a storm, eh? In the bottle: Out of my embarrasingly large order, this is the one bottle that made me swoon when I opened it for the first time. Deep dark chocolate- not dusty cocoa, and a sexy caramel that makes my tiddly wink. On my skin: Great throw- stonger than the white chocolate blends. I cannot get over how unbelievably rich the dark chocolate is. It reminds me a bit of Gula bath oil. Definitely a cousin to Arrival at the Sabbath and Homage to the Devil with the caramel. In time the pepper smoked aspect lends a woody aspect to the blend, and this is just. so. hot. The least straight-up foody blend in the box in terms of complexity, but stil so very very coated in molten chocolate. Verdict: We are talking 90% cacao here. With smoked orgasms. Put it on your man or woman, and proceed to get your daily antioxidants.
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Divine, shining. White amber, coconut, white musk, oakmoss, and tobacco flower. mmmm....very pretty and very light. This is definitely not a "Look at me!" scent. It's also very well blended. I can pick out the individual notes without any one overwhelming the others. I actually don't get much coconut (which I was hoping for more of), it just gives it a touch of sweetness. As it dries further the notes seem to take turns coming out. At times I get more a touch more oakmoss, at others a touch more tobacco flower, and then sometimes a touch more amber. Under it all though is a gorgeous white musk. I really like it, though it doesn't have much throw and stays close to the skin. It definitely has the "divine" part down. I am so happy I got a bottle of this unsniffed. ETA: I wore this in my locket and after a little while it becomes more complex and it has a bit of a watery feel. Very interesting. I have a feeling this will age well and be really wonderful this summer when I want something that isn't too strong, but still quite sexy.
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She who turns to love. Florentine iris, frankincense, violet, ylang ylang, amber, and orchid. Dry ethreal flowers. Definatly get the ylang ylang and a clear orchid note that reminds me of Black Orchid. A very elegant and sophisicated blend with just a hint of lemon in the background
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Vanilla, red ginger, oakmoss, palm date, and oud. bottle: i'm getting vanilla, ginger and date. this is pleasantly sweet-smelling. wet: what a change. now i'm getting ginger and moss with a tiny smidgen of the oud. dry: the ginger fades a bit while the moss stays a bit more constant. the vanilla also re-appears to make this a little more creamy sweet on the drydown.
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Soft moss, vanilla musk, and cherry blossom. bottle: i'm getting mostly cherry blossom on first sniff. the moss is more of an afterthought here. wet: very nice. the moss is much stronger once applied, mixing beautifully with the cherry blossom. i'm not getting anything in the way of vanilla musk though. dry: this dries to a soft moss and very light floral scent. it is less cherry blossom-ish than, say, hanami but still very nice.
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Milk chocolate buttercream. Was anyone hoping this would be a substitute for The Candy Butcher? If so, it's not. It's a million times better than The Candy Butcher, and I'm saying this as someone who liked CB. This might be the most delicious BPAL foodie blend I've ever smelled. Yes, it's that good. And I don't even like the Lab's chocolate blends half the time. Thick, rich chocolate over a layer of sweet sugary cream. If you don't like sugary scents, this isn't for you. But for those who do, this is awesome!
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Ally in love. Vanilla, heliotrope, red sandalwood, pear, black lily, white wine grape, and white rose. In the bottle, I'll be honest, I feel like I can't smell anything! However, when wet on the skin it smells like roses predominantly. Once it actually settles down I get the pear mingling with the rose, the vanilla slowly starts to come out, but the sandalwood is either blended so well I can't pull it out, or non-existent on my skin. I do love it though, but I'll war with myself for the next month or so to see if I really need a back-up bottle.
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Limb-loosener. Ambergris, pale musk, peru balsam, golden amber, cedar, lavender, spikenard, narcissus, vanilla caramel, white sandalwood, and woodmoss. Bottle sniff. Sweet. Very faint. Seems kind of pale. It's funny 'cause the guy on the label has the 'i' going up a very particularly odd place! The label is also spelled 'Glukupikros.' Wet, this is still very light. Over time there is a tiny bit more of a sweet sharpness, definitely a pale musky sandalwood. There is not too much flagrant cedar, narcissus, or lavender... this is all very smoothly herbal with a touch of translucent musk. The vanilla caramel is perhaps what is giving this a little sugary sweetness, but by no means is it foody caramel. This scent is striking me as very androgynous, actually. Hrm. I'm puzzled by this scent, I thought it'd be more uniformly ferocious, given some of the notes in it - vanilla caramel, or lavender, for example, but again this is a very tight skin-scent which has hints of all of its ingredients, but doesn't really showcase any one of its components. If I'd have to sum it up, Glukuprikos is a slightly mossy dry herbal wood with light throw.
