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WOMB FURIE In the middle of the flanks of women lies the womb, a female viscus, closely resembling an animal; for it is moved of itself hither and thither in the flanks, also upwards in a direct line to below the cartilage of the thorax and also obliquely to the right or to the left, either to the liver or spleen; and it likewise is subject to falling downwards, and, in a word, it is altogether erratic. It delights, also, in fragrant smells, and advances towards them; and it has an aversion to fetid smells, and flees from them; and on the whole the womb is like an animal within an animal. -- Aretaeus the Cappadocian Oh, that wily womb! Hippocrates and his followers considered the womb a mobile creature, causing mayhem as it writhed its way through a woman's body. Sometimes this ornery organ, due to lack of sexual activity, would create conflicts within a woman's system or would become blocked itself, causing anxiety, nervousness, water retention, and sleeplessness. With the assistance of doctors, nursemaids, hand tools, or, occasionally, self-manipulation, this vexing condition could be alleviated through hysterical paroxysms. Or, as we call it nowadays: orgasm. An itch that needs to be scratched: Snake Oil and three types of honey. To be honest, and snake oil have a less than great record. Straight up snake oil makes me deal with two hours of annoying spice before it gives me the soft vanilla, and none of the Snake pit were a success. This however, has PROMISE!!! The honey cuts out the harshness that the indonesian oils do when they're on my skin, and they're not taking over. I can still tell i'm wearing snake oil, but it's got some honey underneath. The honey and the vanilla also last for a long time, so i'm definetly not getting the disappearing act that I usually associate with snake oil blends. I highly recommend giving it a try!!
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Blackened amber, cardamom, cumin, labdanum, tobacco tar, patchouli, and raw honey. Ecstatic Revelry is such a curious blend. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I scanned the list of ingredients and figured, well, ding dong. Everything there is something that smells wonderful on me. Hooray, I thought--this will be the Sexiest Best Thing Ever! Oh, the follies of youth. I don't know what ingredient it is, but something in this--I suspect the tobacco tar, but I am honestly not sure, takes this odd, mentholated cast on my skin, so that I smell a bit like Vicks Vapo Rub. I figured, maybe it's a fluke. Waited a day, gave it a second try. After hours, and hours, it settles down into something where I can smell the amber, and the labdanum, and a trace of something smokey--like the smoke of a fireplace, not tobacco smoke. It's actually quite pretty at this point--close to the Sexiest Best Thing Ever! I'd figured I was going to get. But there's still a trace of the weird acridity that reminded me of Vicks, and I doubt I'd wait the hours it took for it to get to this point, either. I might try a scent locket, or an oil burner; I smell a hint of something like the menthol sort of scent in the bottle, but not much. Either way, though, I'm pretty bummed about how this one turned out, especially now that I've smelled what it turns into after 4 hours or so. I'm jealous of those of you who can wear it. Now excuse me, while I go weep softly to myself.
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Rum, frankincense, leather accord, bourbon vanilla, champaca flower, and ambrette seed. This is an interesting scent. In the bottle, and first on the skin, I would have sworn that this had some manner of white floral in it, reminiscent of magnolia or gardenia or something. Those are florals that don't generally work on my skin, and I was a bit apprehensive. Perhaps this is what champaca flower smells like? I sort of imagined something a bit...grittier, I suppose. After an hour or two, however, it settles into a musky sort of scent--a hint of the vanilla, a hint, still, of the floral, and the leather and frankincense. It's soft, and a bit sexy, but with a bit of sweetness from that floral still hovering around. Now, hours after first application, it has settled into something more of a second-skin sort of scent; I can barely detect it when I put my nose to my wrist, though it had a fair bit of throw earlier, so that I caught whiffs of it from my wrist as the afternoon went on. In the end...I like this, the dry-down is lovely. But the initial hit of floral scent in the wet phase might be a bit much for me, I fear.
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What a great freakin' word. BPAL LOVES TEH SMUT! Three swarthy, smutty musks sweetened with sugar and woozy with dark booze notes. BPAL loves teh smut! I know Beth warned us about this one, that it'd smell a bit aggressive in the bottle but is positively wonderful once on. I haven't smelt Sed Non Satiata yet, which is the scent Beth said this is a lot like, so I have no basis for comparison there. Sorry, guys? In the bottle, yes, it's definitely aggressive. It almost smells like Robitussin cough syrup - that same boozy, quasi-fruity medicinal quality. It has the potential to be sexy, though, I can definitely see/smell that. Smut immediately sweetens when it hits my skin. It's pretty much musky sugar sweetness after a few drinks, precisely what the description says. There's no more medicinal smell to be had, but it's definitely warmer - do I smell vanilla? Very sophisticated and womanly, almost reminiscent of Jean-Paul Gaultier, only without the headache J-P gives me. A seductive, sophisticated, heady, little-black-dress-and-stilettos, 'take me now' scent. I love teh smut. If you haven't already, GET SOME. 9/10. P.S. Throw is amazingly good.
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Choice soul, in whom, as in a glass, we see, Mirrored in thy pure form and delicate, What beauties heaven and nature can create, The paragon of all their works to be! Fair soul, in whom love, pity, piety, Have found a home, as from thy outward state We clearly read, and are so rare and great That they adorn none other like to thee! Love takes me captive; beauty binds my soul; Pity and mercy with their gentle eyes Wake in my heart a hope that cannot cheat. What law, what destiny, what fell control, What cruelty, or late or soon, denies That death should spare perfection so complete? - Michelangelo Buonarroti An opulent, bittersweet Renaissance-inspired fragrance: Hungary water, parma violets, and roseated oil. Totally not what I was expecting! The overall effect is a very herbal, slightly floral (but mostly green, herby herbs) aroma. The violet is not strong at all, but does lend a subtle powderiness to the overall blend. Goes on sharp, with a strong almost oregano-like note, with lavender, reminds me of... herbes de Provence? Drydown is again herbal, without much in terms of flowers or petals. From wikipedia: "The oldest surviving recipes call for distilling fresh rosemary (and possibly thyme) with strong brandy, while later formulations contain lavender, mint, sage, marjoram, costus, orange blossom and lemon." Oh, no wonder! Tons of rosemary here. This reminds me of the now discontinued LUSH 13 Soap: Unlucky for Dirt.
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Honey, leather, tobacco, and myrrh. This is a nicely balanced mix of all the notes listed. At first I get more honey and leather/tobacco. Then the myrrh comes in and veils it all in spice. Still, after 30 minutes I can pick out the other notes. The tobacco note is well behaved in this, at least on me. I'll have to wear it a few times to see if it's a keeper. I think it might age really well.
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Body, remember not only how much you were loved, not only the beds on which you lay, but also those desires for you that glowed plainly in the eyes, and trembled in the voiceand some chance obstacle made futile. Now that all of them belong to the past, it almost seems as if you had yielded to those desireshow they glowed, remember, in the eyes gazing at you; how they trembled in the voice, for you, remember, body. - Constantine Cavafy translated by Rae Dalven Profoundly sensual. The echo of caresses: raw black coconut, ambergris accord, ambrette seed, champaca flower, and sugar cane. Profoundly sensual indeed. This is my favorite of the Lupers so far. Body, Remember starts out sweet and earthy, then suddenly it becomes heavy on the coconut, followed by a rush of champaca. After several minutes, everything settles into a perfect musky balance that stays close to my skin with no single dominating note. It's stunning.
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White sandalwood, beeswax, clary sage, olibanum, opoponax, violet leaf, and oudh. Wet on my skin, it smells like light clean sandalwood with an underlying floral. It is very uplifting and almost pure smelling. This has a lot of balance because it doesn't veer towards too much wood or too much floral. There is a very light hint of sweetness and almost a very vague creamy base which I suspect is from the beeswax. This doesn't feel too clingy rather it's like a EDT. It wafts hints of something, simple and pretty, every time I move my arm. As it dries down, I notice more of the wood in that it has more depth and softness. Even with these deeper wood notes showing up now, it still remains very fresh in some way, like you could see through it. This is a good anyday scent. I can imagine wearing this during an interview or around a friend who hates scents. Overall, a beautifully optimistic well rounded scent.
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Black musk and Ceylon cinnamon. This is almost a single note black musk on me. It never goes powdery as black musk sometimes does, but, like fresh Black Temple Burlesque Troupe, it is quite lemony. The cinnamon is really soft and unobtrusive - not sharp or red-hots like at all. In fact, I can barely smell it.
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Dark Chocolate with Sun-Dried Tomato, Pink Peppercorn, Thyme and Comfrey
Gwydion posted a topic in Lupercalia
DARK CHOCOLATE WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO, PINK PEPPERCORN, THYME, AND COMFREY In bottle: Sweet dark chocolate dominant. Comfrey turns out to go beautifully with chocolate. The sun dried tomato gives a soft, unexpected tang to the chocolate. The pepper gives it a hint of edge. Thyme is extremely understated. Really, this seems to be about giving more support and complexity to the chocolate than showing off the other notes. Wet: The comfrey is stronger on the skin, almost coequal with the rich dark chocolate. It’s a lovely effect. The peppercorn and thyme separate out a little, but play well with the dominant scents. The thyme brings a little more of the tomato out as it emerges, making it a touch more savory on the skin than in the bottle. The result is quite lovely and unusual. I love the way the sweet and savory work together, and can only marvel at the cleverness of the brain who thought to combine these scents, not usually associated. Dry: The dark chocolate fades to a ghost haunting the comfrey. The thyme fades back to just present, and I can’t find the tomato at all. Comfrey turns out to make a nice enough scent by itself, but this is not as exciting as it was wet. -
A big bud of moon hangs out of the twilight, Star-spiders spinning their thread Hang high suspended, withouten respite Watching us overhead. Come then under the trees, where the leaf-cloths Curtain us in so dark That here we’re safe from even the ermin-moth’s Flitting remark. Here in this swarthy, secret tent, Where black boughs flap the ground, You shall draw the thorn from my discontent, Surgeon me sound. This rare, rich night! For in here Under the yew-tree tent The darkness is loveliest where I could sear You like frankincense into scent. Here not even the stars can spy us, Not even the white moths write With their little pale signs on the wall, to try us And set us affright. Kiss but then the dust from off my lips, But draw the turgid pain From my breast to your bosom, eclipse My soul again. Waste me not, I beg you, waste Not the inner night: Taste, oh taste and let me taste The core of delight. - DH Lawrence The loveliest darkness, the core of delight: Moroccan black musk, white tea leaf, Indonesian black sandalwood, frankincense, honeycomb, jonquil, and clove. in the bottle: musk and clove, yet this somehow feels MUCH lighter than other scents with those notes. kind of odd. wet on my skin: baby powder. all baby powder. dry on my skin: no change, just baby powder. i had someone else confirm that it wasn't just my nose...damn my skin chemistry! i am so sad...based on the notes this should be amazing on me. perhaps it's the honey/clove combination?
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You meaner beauties of the night, That poorly satisfy our eyes More by your number than your light, You common people of the skies; What are you when the moon shall rise? You curious chanters of the wood, That warble forth Dame Nature’s lays, Thinking your passions understood By your weak accents; what’s your praise When Philomel her voice shall raise? You violets that first appear, By your purple mantles known Like the proud virgins of the year, As if the spring were all your own; What are you when the rose is blown? So, when my mistress shall be seen In form and beauty of her mind, By virtue first, then choice, a Queen, Tell me, if she were not design’d Th’eclipse and glory of her kind? - Sir Henry Wotton Incomparable loveliness: the perfect rose oude. Elizabeth of Bohemia is kind of what I was wanting out of The Rose -- it's a little dark, a little playful, and pure rose beauty. It stays close to the skin (at least on me) and smells so amazingly like both dried and fresh roses at the same time. Wet is where it's really a playful, dewy scent, and as it dries the more mature, slightly dark air emerges. Three hours and it's still just as gorgeous as when I first put it on. I really adore this and could see it being worn any time of the year. While I still like The Rose very much, this one makes me think of red and white roses all woven into Elizabeth's hair like a queen's crown. If you're a rose lover, this one really delivers.
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I dream’d this mortal part of mine Was Metamorphoz’d to a Vine; Which crawling one and every way Enthralled my dainty Lucia. Me thought, her long small legs & thighs I with my Tendrils did surprize; Her Belly, Buttocks, and her Waste By my soft Nerv’lits were embrac’d: About her head I writhing hung, And with rich clusters (hid among The leaves) her temples I behung: So that my Lucia seem’d to me Young Bacchus ravisht by his tree. My curles about her neck did craule, And armes and hands they did enthrall: So that she could not freely stir, (All parts there made one prisoner.) But when I crept with leaves to hide Those parts, which maids keep unespy’d, Such fleeting pleasures there I took, That with the fancie I awook; And found (Ah me!) this flesh of mine More like a Stock, than like a Vine. - Robert Herrick Bradford pear, honey, and vanilla cream. in the bottle: pear pear pear! sparkling, sweet, crisp and delicious! wet on my skin: getting the honey now. it melds with the pear very nicely, i must say...a good match. starting to get creamy notes, which keep this from turning into all-fruit-all-the-time. almost overwhelmingly sweet upon first applying it, but it's already died down after a few minutes, so i imagine that will continue. dry on my skin: crisp and comforting. it has faded significantly though and is now a faint, sweet, creamy cloud. i really like this, it's lovely. i am not usually into fruity scents (besides berries), but this is soft and inviting and appropriately evocative of springtime. i tend to enjoy scents with fewer notes and this one is no exception. i'm glad i picked it up...i can see this getting a lot of wear in spring and early summer!
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Pink roses, rice flower, peony, lilac, and white honey. JUST GOT THEM IN!!! In the Bottle: light florals and something sharp, but not acidic sharp. Thinking maybe the peony or lilac? Wet: I was THRILLED the blooming rose was soft and lightly rosy, with that nice creamy rice flower feel to it. Never smelled any honey, but it was lovely! Dry: *sad panda* first time I've ever gotten this reaction. It's halfway between dishsoap and baby powder of doom. I definitely smell like soap first and foremost, but it's a very powdery scented soap. :-( I weep!! To the swap pile you go! :-(
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Plum honey, passion fruit, pomegranate, benzoin, French lavender, blonde tobacco, black currant, vanilla bean, lemon balm, Tunisian opium, violet sugar, clove, and white grapefruit. This is a jumble of scents which matches the Shunga perfectly. Slightly sweet and juicy fruits with a hint of spice and smokiness. This wafts off my skin giving an uplifting and energetic mood. Definitely unisex in the best possible way. I read this as a casual, daytime scent.
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L'EAU DE LA FOLIE Cacao, frankincense, gurjum balsam, red tea, vetiver, and myrrh. The strongest notes I'm getting from this bath oil are balsam, vetiver and red tea. Frankincense and myrrh are light, and I'm getting almost no cacao although there is a soft sweetness to this. Not candy-like, but a sweet musk. I wish this was the perfume--it's gorgeous. Layered with the perfume though, it becomes a deeper chocolate sweet resin with a bit of spice. Both the oil and perfume complement each other very well.
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L'ESSENCE DE LA PASSION Red musk, carnation, myrrh, and honey. In the Bottle: Myrrh & red musk - with a touch of carnations. On my Skin, Wet: The Myrrh blossoms with a center of red musk. There is also a prominent honey note in this stage...like carnation infused honey. On my Skin, Dry: A very nice balance of red musk & Myrrh. The carnation infused honey adds a touch of flirtyness to this sensual blend Verdict: this is a lovely blend indeed. very well balanced and with just the right amount of youthful girly-ness to an otherwise womanly scent.
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L'ESSENCE DE L'ENGOUEMENT French vanilla, pink candies, strawberry sugar, and orange blossom. This is everything I had wanted and expected Celeste to be! First applied it's all sweet, pink, gentle strawberry sugar (and not fake smelling to me at all)! The orange blossom is fairly strong and has an odd, tiny sourish note but somehow, it works on me and I keep sniffing my wrists. I can detect the vanilla, faint, but it's there. I really like this, and depending on the staying power, I may consider an additional bottle.
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Kudzu vine, raw honey, ginger cream, and gingergrass. At first, Entangled is all sharp kudzu with the occasional hint of sweetness that I assume is the honey. After a few minutes, the spicy ginger comes through and neutralizes the kudzu a bit. It dries down into a very fresh, cool scent, with very little of the initial greenness. I don't get much more of the honey, but think it's there as a subtle grounding note. At first I didn't care for it, but I can't seem to stop sniffing my wrist now. The longer I have Entangled on, the more I like it. I'd like to see how it smells on my boyfriend as well.
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Dost thou wonder that I flew Charm’d to meet my Leila’s view? Dost thou wonder that I hung Raptur’d on my Leila’s tongue?— If her ghost’s funereal screech Thro’ the earth my grave should reach, On that voice I lov’d so well My transported ghost would dwell: If in death I can descry Where my Leila’s relics lie, Saher’s dust will flit away, There to join his Leila’s clay. - Abu Sahet Alhedhily Plum musk, ambergris accord, matcha tea, oakmoss, patchouli, violet leaf, and cypress. This scent went from dark, bitter wood to bright lemons in less than five minutes on my skin. My chemistry does seem to amplify anything remotely related to the lemon family, in this case I'm guessing it must be the matcha tea. In the end it smells like a mix of very gentle musk and lemon/verbena. Not at all what I expected from sniffing the decant!
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Peony blossoms and vanilla orchid. We used to grow these huge fluffy peonies out back when I was a kid so this will always have some nostalgic connection for me. I remember sticking my nose in them and just inhaling, and the peony note here reminds me of just that: an airy yet sweet and unmistakably pink floral, a "pink" scent in the way that sweet pea and tea rose smell "pink" but a different type of pink fragrance than either. I hope I am making some semblance of sense so far. Now I cannot imagine this delicate scent being blended with a heavy buttery vanilla, but vanilla orchid is its perfect match. It adds that creamy sensual sweetness that I recognize from scents like Moonshine and Mist and Opuhi. The more it dries down, the more the vanilla orchid emerges to entwine with the peony into one harmonious creamy pink whole, thus the more I keep falling for it, right to my knees like that lady in the pink kimono.
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Chinese peach, bergamot, cranberry, red vegetal musk, carnation, white coconut, and Nepalese amber. I purchased this because I wanted a carnation scent. Unfortunately, I can't detect the carnation in here at all. The fruits are all one jumble like a fruit drink, not unpleasant at all, but indistinguishable from each other. The musk and bergamot comes in waves which is nice and the amber finally kicks in after half an hour or so. I don't know what the red vegetal musk is made up of but it works. There is an earthiness to this blend that is warm and pleasant. The drydown is very lovely and there is a soft spiciness that finally appears that is worth waiting for. I believe this is one that will be better with some aging.
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Snow-dusted cherry blossom, passion flower, peach musk, and tuberose. wet and in bottle- fir/evergreenish scent with some vague florals waaaay in the background. drydown- tree and florals start to mix. Can pick out softness I get from cherry blossoms, but the others mix together with the musk. It's a bit tree-y for my liking, although the drydown wasn't bad. I'll let it age and see how it goes!
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L'ESSENCE DE LA FOLIE Pink pepper, black pepper, clove, myrrh, dark chocolate, labdanum, and Daemonorops draco. L'Essence de la Folie is a surprising mix of notes. It's a little lighter than I would have expected, and I detect almost no dark resin or chocolate at all (I checked to make sure there wasn't a cocoa sludge on the bottom of the bottle failing to get incorporated, as sometimes happens-- there's not). It's actually like... spiced bubblegum. I think the pink pepper, clove (which is very mild) and Daemonorops are playing the largest roles in this impression I'm getting. I know that some people's skin/nose chemistry interprets dragon's blood resin as bubblegum, but I've tried a hell of a lot of BPAL dragon's blood scents and have never once thought it smelled like bubblegum before... maybe it's something to do with a difference between the Dracaena draco and Daemonorops draco varieties? Anyway, this isn't a bad turn of events. The longer it dries, the more a little wisp of myrrh smoke comes out as well, softening things and making for a neat, quirky, well-blended scent. I like it.
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She was only half-dressed And equally bare trees tossed Their few leaves against the window pane Playfully and with reckless abandon. Sprawling half naked in my desk chair, Hands pressed modestly against her pale breasts, She tapped small, delicate feet on the floor Betraying sweet anticipation. Her body was the colour of wax, and I watched As an eager little ray of light Fluttered across her laughing lips, Across her peeking breast, like an insect on the rose-bush. I knelt and kissed her little ankles. She laughed softly and produced A perfect string of clear trills, A delightful crystal laugh. Her delicate feet disappeared Underneath her: “Stop! You’re so naughty!” Yet the first act of daring permitted, She pretended to punish me only with a laugh! I rose and kissed her eyelids softly. They trembled beneath my lips, poor things: And she tossed her head back, eyes shining… “You’re not trying to take advantage of me…are you? “If you are, darling, you know I’ll have to–” But I silenced the protest, dipping my mouth to her breast, Which caused an explosion of ringing laughter And she opened herself willingly… She was only half-dressed And equally bare trees tossed Their few leaves against the window pane Playfully and with reckless abandon. - Arthur Rimbaud Candied apricot and orange blossom honey with grandiflorum jasmine, orris C02, tonka, patchouli, quince, and skin musk. Ooh, yay! First review! I may have to come back to edit this later, because this one seems like it could be changeable. In the bottle, it's deceptively mild. Of course, I love jasmine, most particularly the grandiflorum variety, so this was a must for me, despite the patchouli note which is iffy at best. here, the jasmine is bright and sunny, blending nicely with the apricot/honey for a candied flowers effect. It's sweet and almost simple- I say almost because I really get none of the orris, quince, or tonka- but not quite because there's something a little dark, a little mysterious under the flowers and candy. The skin musk adds a soft quality, and the patchouli does not clobber me, but rather just grounds the blend. Like! I do wish it were a little more potent on the jasmine, but others who hate jasmine might easily disagree. Jasmine haters, I'm not sure how to warn y'all- the candy might be enough to drown out the other stuff for a nice fruity effect. There is something in it not unlike Peitho, but interestingly enough what this calls to mind on me is a more natural-scented Gucci's Guilty. Nice for springtime! There is indeed something in this that captures the innocence of a first encounter. Keeping the Bottle!
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