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Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2013'.
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HAIR LOOSENED AND SOILED IN MID ORGIES All shrines that were Vestal are flameless, But the flame has not fallen from this; Though obscure be the god, and though nameless The eyes and the hair that we kiss; Low fires that love sits by and forges Fresh heads for his arrows and thine; Hair loosened and soiled in mid orgies With kisses and wine. White honey, warm musk, and ambrette seed. :wub2: This is seriously amazing. Ah-may-zing! I put on way too much, because I couldn't tell how much was coming out at first. There's nothing wet or greasy about the gloss as you put it on. I've got pretty long hair and I put on about 6 squirts, which is WAY too much. I can't regret it, though, since I'm totally in love. I definitely smell the honey and it's a sweeter, lighter honey than I've gotten from other blends. And the ambrette adds a little bite to the blend. But the musk ties it all together and really makes it pop. The honey is the dominant note for me, but I definitely get the other two ingredients. And it lasts forever! I was distracted all day at work, because I smelled so good. It was still there when I went to sleep. Though a bit of caution for people who get powder from honey or amber blends... One of my co-workers said it smelled like baby powder. I don't get that at all, but... Other people may get that. Sorry!
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THE RAPTURES AND ROSES OF VICE Red roses, heady Moroccan musk, cinnamon, lobelia, coconut flesh, magnolia blossoms, and tobacco tar. Creamy, dewy, fleshy rose in the bottle, swirling rapidly towards a smooth, exuberant and beautiful musk - definitely has some hint of Morocco, the scent, however, there's a very deep, thrummy, almost resinous / churchlike element to this. I can lightly detect the tobacco in the background adding a hint of grit. The coconut and magnolia together add a butter-yellow creamy tone to the overall scent. The cinnamon and tobacco meld great with the rose... this is a beautiful, non-amping rose. It's breaking up my usual rose amp fail This reminds me a bit of White Rose (the BPTP) scent, but less rose and more spices and rose unguent. Yes. Like... a lot.
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OUR LADY OF PAIN Cold eyelids that hide like a jewel Hard eyes that grow soft for an hour; The heavy white limbs, and the cruel Red mouth like a venomous flower; When these are gone by with their glories, What shall rest of thee then, what remain, O mystic and sombre Dolores, Our Lady of Pain? Sumatran patchouli, blood musk, white lavender, opium tar, and black orchid. Um whoa...I think this one was made for me. I will be honest- I literally tore through my package 10 minutes ago and immediately put this one on...immediate love and I can only imagine how beautiful this will smell when it has had even a day to settle. Dark, sorta sharp (its brand new...) opium tar laced black orchid with a GORGEOUS soft, dark patchouli underneath. When I first applied, it was mostly lavender and opium tar...the lavender almost disappears and morphs into black orchid...I suspect she will resurface in an hour or so! After 20 minutes...opium poppy laced black orchid over soft patchouli...not the patch from mme. moriarty or #occupy...soft, and sultry. This perfume is sultry ad infinitum. I cannot possibly do this perfume justice with the words that exist...yes, its that frickin' good. Hoard worthy indeed... ETA: I reapplied just a touch and it dried down with a bit more lavender. Yeah...200000/10. ETA again: I can't compare this to anything I've ever smelled because it is truly unique, in my humble opinion. If this scent had a song double, it would be: "The Moment I Said It" by Imogen Heap especially the end, beginning with "Don't..."
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THE WORM SHALL REVIVE THEE WITH KISSES But the worm shall revive thee with kisses; Thou shalt change and transmute as a god, As the rod to a serpent that hisses, As the serpent again to a rod. Thy life shall not cease though thou doff it; Thou shalt live until evil be slain, And good shall die first, said thy prophet, Our Lady of Pain. Bourbon vetiver, oakmoss, and pomegranate. So... weird... Starts off this very dischordant blend of dark dark vetiver and moss, with the fruity blast of pomegranate. On the skin, the pomegranate turns more to candy, like candy dipped in vetiver oil. Oh, no... not playing well in my skin, it's both syrupy sweet yet fundamentally spicy and gritty. I'm not sure I'm liking the two together, it smells on my skin at least like a scorched pomegranate. Sorry!
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IN HIS HANDS ALL THY CRUELTIES THRIVE Thou shalt blind his bright eyes though he wrestle, Thou shalt chain his light limbs though he strive; In his lips all thy serpents shall nestle, In his hands all thy cruelties thrive. In the daytime thy voice shall go through him, In his dreams he shall feel thee and ache; Thou shalt kindle by night and subdue him Asleep and awake. Gleaming black vetiver, bay laurel, opoponax, hiba wood, Spanish moss, clove, and leather accord. My bottle arrived today . I usually don't do reviews of scents until they've had a day or two to settle , but I couldn't wait to try this so here goes . And this will be a short simple review . CLOVE ! And not a whole lot else . At least , not at this time . So , I will be back to see if this changes in the near future . I certainly hope it does , cause this'll be a huge disappointment if it doesn't . And I'm back to slightly change my opinion . I do now get something more than clove , thank god . I now get some leather and definitely some smoke . Have to agree with others about the clove cigarette match . Maybe not as sweet as those though . I think if I really work my nose on this I might get a slight whiff of the wood and moss . But I may be imagining / wanting it to be there and am just hoping I'm actually getting those .
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Amber, bergamot, champaca flower, centifolia rose absolute, tolu balsam. I am not very good with the notes and I haven't really spent today trying to tease out the wet, dry, deep dry down that I do when I plan on reviewing but I cannot resist starting Gorgeous. I put it on and I felt that it was a bit sharp to begin. Honestly I was a wee bit underwhelmed. The bergamot was really strong I guess and there was something oddly plastic about it BUT THEN and isn't there almost always a But Then? I am sitting there minding my own business and my daughter says mom you smell really really good. To which I respond hmmm still trying to decide if I like it which causes an I'll take it. uhhhhh Shunga Then the Husband comments about how pretty and feminine it is and how much he likes it. So .. I bring my wrist up to huff and I get a very feminine slightly spicy scent but no clear rose, amber, champaca or bergamot. VERY well blended to present a delicate lushness~ does that sound contrary? Well it is gentle and sensual and warm and rich and creamy and all those other things I look for. I tend not to smell a lot of stuff after I wear them for a while cus they blend in with me but judging on comments it has decent throw. I think I need another bottle crossposting this to ravelry
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FEED ME AND FILL ME WITH PLEASURE For my heart too springs up at the pressure, Mine eyelids too moisten and burn; Ah, feed me and fill me with pleasure, Ere pain come in turn. Black patchouli, honey, and thick vanilla amber. Oh gosh, first review! No pressure here! I received this in the mail today, along with a plethora of other bottles, and had to test it immediately. Out of the bottle it's hard to pick up notes. It's been a little chilly, and the bottle was definitely *cold*, so I couldn't pick out any notes. I'll admit I was a little afraid: most of this year's Lupers (my first Lupercalia) have been a miss for me, so I took a chance ordering a bottle of this unsniffed. I'm so glad I did. Applied & drying it's still very light. I get something that reminds me vaguely of the Antikythera Mechanism, and instantly think "tobacco" ... except I know there's no tobacco in this. Looking over the scent notes, I suspect it's the vanilla amber / black vanilla. After an hour or so, I can't stop sniffing my wrist. It's a mix of woodsy, earthy resin with the sweet of the vanilla. The vanilla definitely warms up, perhaps sweetened by the honey. It's a very sexy, yet very soothing scent. I'm definitely going to have to get at least a second bottle. ETA: Seriously, if this wrist-sniffing keeps up, I'm going to have to have my wrist surgically removed from my nostrils.
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Okay, to start out with I love BPAL's white chocolate note as it tends to be the one that goes least wonky on my skin and stays true to form. That said, I cannot smell much of the white chocolate at all! This is sharp green in the bottle and citrusy mate on the skin with just a hint of hazelnut and banana cream. After it dries down a bit, the mate lessens and I can start to smell a somewhat creamy chocolate, but it's not prevelant. At least fresh, this is not a very foody scent, so if you're worried about smelling like chocolate or bananas, I think you're safe here. There is also not a lot of throw, but I should mention that my skin tends to eat scents. All in all I'm curious to see how it ages and if it'll get more foody and less mate-y.
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LA VITA NUOVA Dante Alighieri In that book which is My memory... On the first page That is the chapter when I first met you Appear the words... Here begins a new life Apple blossom, white rose, lemon balm, and champagne grape. This is a bubbly, fruity scent with bite: Not too floral or citrussy, not too warm or too cold. A perfect springtime scent, very fresh and clean and unobtrusive.
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Piss off, Saint Valentine! Lupercalia is an ancient Roman celebration, held on February 15th, that kicked in the advent of Spring with a very, very festive purification, fertility and sexuality ritual. The ritual began near the cave of Lupercal on the Palatine, an area sacred to Faunus, as well as Ruminia, Romulus and Remus. During Lupercalia, Vestal Virgins first made offerings of sacred cakes to the fig tree under which the she-wolf suckled the Sacred Twins. A dog and two goats were then offered in sacrifice to Faunus. The blood of the sacrifice was smeared onto two naked patrician youths, who were assisted by the Virgins, and the blood was wiped clean with sacred wool dipped in milk. The youths donned the skins of the sacrificial goats, wielding whips made from the goat skins, and then led the priests and the Virgins around the pomarium, and around the base hills of Rome. This was a ceremony of great happiness and merriment, and was of particular interest to young women: being touched by the goat-whips young men that led the procession ensured their fertility in the coming year. It is believed that, after the initial rite, male participants would draw the name of an available maiden, with whom he spent the rest of the night. This scent is for the Luperci, the Chosen of Faunus, the Brothers of the Wolf: raw, down and dirty patchouli, Gurjam balsam, and essence of Sampson Root sweetened with the heightened sexuality of beeswax, virile juniper, oakmoss, ambrette seed over honey and East African musk. ... am I really the first? Oh dear! Stage fright. In the bottle: Patchouli, smacking me in the nose! Beeswax, moss, earthy, dirty, powerful. The husband likes this. Wet on skin: Patchouli and juniper, with a honey-sweet undertone, but the sharp woody note is on top. Dry on skin: Patchouli and a heavy, sweet musk. Juniper's still there, but the musk is overpowering it. Over time: Woody and sweet and musky. This is a heavy, woody, honey-sweet scent; patchouli likes me, as usual, and is sticking around as the strongest note. The juniper has receded almost entirely, leaving me with only a quiet sharpness in the woody scent to remind me of its presence. Overall: I expected to like this, and I'm not disappointed. It's a very earthy, sexy kind of scent, not a pretty or delicate scent; this is precisely what I wanted and expected out of it. Elf still likes it, too. Bonus. I used to wear patchouli straight, but I like this more; it's more complex and appealing. 4.5/5 - not hoarding like I do with Geek, but I'm glad I got a bottle, so it will last me a nice long time.
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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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THE PERFUMED GARDEN Under her neck my right hand Has served her for a cushion, And to draw her to me I have sent out my left hand, Which bore her up as a bed. The Perfumed Garden for the Soul's Recreation. This scent is based on a venerable Tunisian perfume that was used to excite the senses, inspire sensuality and inflame passion. Myrrh and Moroccan jasmine with apple peel, Indian sandalwood, myrtle, quince, citron, and thyme poured over soft musk. Sniffing from the bottle: The apple peel jumps out at me right away...which just about thrills me right out of my seat. Upon application: Sweet tart fruits (mostly apple!) with just the slightest hint of jasmine. Juicy and lovely. After a few minutes: The jasmine starts to peek out more, as does the myrhh. Usually I'm not a fan of myrhh, but this myrhh is SO soft and sweet and gentle that it's really just a nice complement to the fruity jasmine. It just smooths it out. A few minutes after that: Interestingly the jasmine just about disappears. I'm used to jasmine being an overpowering note, but it's not in this blend. I would say that the two dominant notes (on me) are apple and myrhh....although I can tell that they're wrapped up in a soft musk hug. Conclusion: Sweet and soft like a cloud. Surprisingly innocent. Romantic and lovely.
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Love always finds shelter in the gentle heart. Dolce Stil Nuovo is a 13th & 14th century Florentine literary style that celebrates love and womanhood through heartfelt, delicate, and melodious sonnets, ballate, and canzones. This is fin'amor, Courtly Love, in its most moving form, and the emotions that these words express reflect love that both spiritual and idealized. Within this literary movement, earthly love reaches for the Divine. Who is she coming, whom all gaze upon, Who makes the air tremulous with light, And at whose side is Love himself? that none Dare speak, but each man's sighs are infinite. Ah me! how she looks round from left to right, Let Love discourse: I may not speak thereon. Lady she seems of such high benison As makes all others graceless in men's sight. The honor which is hers cannot be said; To whom are subject all things virtuous, While all things beauteous own her deity. Ne'er was the mind of man so nobly led Nor yet was such redemption granted us That we should ever know her perfectly. Our interpretation of Dolce Stil Nuovo is a blend of rose otto, carnation, vanilla flower, lavender and jasmine with the clarity of crystalline white musk and the warmth of golden amber. In the bottle: A very clean floral. On my wrist, wet: Sweet and floral with an almost candy-like muskiness. After 20 minutes: Creamy, subtle floral with the amber providing a little warm powderiness. This doesn't smell like flowers as much as it smells like the ghosts of flowers. After 40 minutes: Dolce Stil Nuovo is primarily a subdued floral, but there is also a warm creaminess to the blend that adds an entirely different dimension to it in all stages of drydown. The choice of muted floral components is complimented by the subtle musk and amber notes. This is a blend that suits a woman who is feminine, understated and confident. Lovely!
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THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS LOVE Christopher Marlowe Come live with me and be my love, And we will all the pleasures prove, That valleys, groves, hills and fields, Woods or steepy mountains yields. And we will sit upon the rocks, Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks By shallow rivers, to whose falls Melodious birds sing madrigals. And I will make thee beds of roses, And a thousand fragrant posies, A cap of flowers and a kirtle Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle; A gown made of the finest wool, Which from our pretty lambs we pull; Fair-lined slippers for the cold, With buckles of the purest gold; A belt of straw and ivy buds, With coral clasps and amber studs; And if these pleasures may thee move, Come live with me and be my love. The shepherd swains shall dance and sing For thy delight each May morning; If these delights thy mind may move, Then live with me and be my love. Heather, clover, Irish moss, English ivy, tea rose, and carnation. So often I start reviews with "this is not how I was expecting this to smell", but in the case of The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, it smells *exactly* as I was expecting (and hoping for) it to smell like. Sniffing from the bottle the first thing that hits me is green grass - the scent of standing in a field. It must be the clover, it smells exactly like standing in a clover field. I almost feel like my allergies are going to start acting up. I always think of heather as smelling ever-so-slightly-like-curry on me, in a floral way. And I like it, but only in very small doses or it can be overwhelming. This is staying pretty true on me - after a bit I can start to sense a very light rose if I think about it hard enough, but not enough rose for the scent to go soapy. Overwhelmingly it's the scent of nature and spring - green and pastoral with just a hint of floral to balance it out. Just perfect.
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The fabled Khajuraho temples of India are shrines of love in all its myriad forms. They are a celebration of love itself -- transcendental, spiritual and erotic. This is a rejection of sorrow, spiritual ennui and despair. The sexual motifs that adorn the temples, and the temples themselves, are monuments to ecstasy and to passion, and through that, they are also monuments to spiritual fulfillment. It is believed that the realization of moksha by dedicating oneself to adhyatma and dharma can be attained only by first experiencing sexual satisfaction. In the midst of the drudgery and struggle that we sometimes endure during the course of our Earthly lives, it is vitally important that we remember the joy found in kama, and that in kama we can achieve transformation of the body and soul. This is a blissful, euphoric blend based on an ancient Indian love potion: honey, date palm, tuberose, davana blossom, amber, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, Damask rose, and champaca flower. I'm the first to review this one! Before we begin, I would like to note that on the forum, it's spelled "Khajuraho" but it says "Khajurajo" on my bottle. In the bottle it smells very woodsy--more sandalwood than anything else. Same goes for initial application, but then the rose starts to come out. Something about it smells a little bit tropical to me--it may be the tuberose (which does funny things on me) but I don't know what some of the other notes even smell like. As it starts to dry, the sandalwood fades to a more comfortable "throw" and the earthy sweetness of honey comes out. This blend is very complex. I'm going to keep testing it but so far I like it!
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Bourbon vanilla, custard accord, white rose, cocoa absolute, oudh, lemon blossom, and skin musk. Head's up, everyone! Delight & Consternation is one of those BPAL oils with chocolate sludge, so be sure to mix and roll well! The sludge is not a huge percentage of the blend (like Boomslang), just a couple of millimeters at the bottom of the bottle. But it will smell different if you don't mix properly. So... I love this. Immediately. The chocolate note is dry bittersweet cocoa powder with a hint of aged woodiness, maybe from the oudh. The balmy lemon blossom (very subtle-- creamy and fresh, but not strongly citrusy) blends well with the custard to make a kind of faint, mellow lemon curd impression. It reminds me a little of the custard/orange/floral thing going on in Huesos de Santo, though more gentle. But this is all clean and distinct from the cocoa somehow: they don't clash at all. The white rose takes several minutes to make an appearance, and it's a soft, almost honeyed rose. The skin musk and vanilla are both very lacy and delicate and stay in the background. It's an unexpected combination of notes, but they are incredibly complementary. Delight & Consternation stays pretty close to the skin. It's not exactly foody or even overly sweet despite having several gourmand notes. The oudh and musk keep it grounded and give it a hint of sexiness. It's very unique, and I'm so glad I bought a bottle! ETA: Okay, I see the cocoa sludge is not universal! Mine is very noticeable. When I overturn the bottle, it cascades down the sides, leaving streaks and globules floating around like a lava lamp. When I roll the bottle for awhile to mix it, it gets cloudy enough that light doesn't shine through. It will be interesting to see how everyone's individual bottles vary.
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I feel thy blood against my blood; my pain Pains thee, and lips bruise lips, and vein stings vein. Let fruit be crushed on fruit, let flower on flower Breast kindle breast, and either burn one hour. Why wilt thou follow lesser loves? are thine Too weak to bear these hands and lips of mine? The scent of the throes of violent passion: entangled limbs, teeth on flesh, furiously grasping hands, the taste of blood and sweat. Golden amber, white honey, red currant, daemonorops, kush, and Arabian musk. OMG, am I the first to review a scent? Awesome! This has to be my favorite so far of the new Lupercalias! It's actually not as heavy as I imagined it, but is a rather light, golden scent. This reminds me more of the afterglow of violent passion than the actual act itself. On the skin, the most prominent note is the golden amber, which smells very much like the amber in Aglaea. The currant isn't evident at all (unfortunately) while the honey only lends a tiny bit of sweetness to the blend. While the kush doesn't dominate the blend on my skin, it does lend a heady air to the scent. At drydown, this threatens to go a bit powdery on my skin, and now I can also detect the daemonorops in the background; however, the amber and musk remain the primary notes... which suits me just fine, because it's delicious. I think this will age very well, and hopefully the currant will come forward with time. This is going to warrant multiple bottles to put away to age, and I hope it becomes a returning favorite! ETA: After having aged for 8 months, I think I can safely say I was right about what a little age has done for this one -- it's amazing. The musk has (sadly) toned down a bit, but luckily so has the kush which was taking over during drydown. It's mellowed and rounded out, the honey's made it a tad sweeter... guh.
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SIGNIOR DILDO With thanks to Sir John Wilmot. This signior is sound, safe, ready, and dumb As ever was candle, carrot, or thumb; Then away with these nasty devices, and show How you rate the just merit of Signior Dildo. Count Cazzo, who carries his nose very high, In passion he swore his rival should die; Then shut himself up to let the world know Flesh and blood could not bear it from Signior Dildo. A rabble of pricks who were welcome before, Now finding the porter denied them the door, Maliciously waited his coming below And inhumanly fell on Signior Dildo. Nigh wearied out, the poor stranger did fly, And along the Pall Mall they followed full cry; The women concerned from every window Cried, 'For heaven's sake, save Signior Dildo.' The good Lady Sandys burst into a laughter To see how the ballocks came wobbling after, And had not their weight retarded the foe, Indeed't had gone hard with Signior Dildo. A scent of pearls and ivory: orris, violet leaf, narcissus, and Madagascar vanilla. This is a soft gorgeous violet scent. The orris root is not too dry as a matter of fact it keeps the violet from becoming too sweet and too floral. By no means is this a comparison to faith-sugared violets. I don't smell any narcissus either. This is straight up Madagascar vanilla, with hints of orris and violet. Just lovely. If you love vanilla and violet...this one is for you.
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IMPLACABLE BEAUTIFUL TYRANT When, with flame all around him aspirant, Stood flushed, as a harp-player stands, The implacable beautiful tyrant, Rose-crowned, having death in his hands; And a sound as the sound of loud water Smote far through the flight of the fires, And mixed with the lightning of slaughter A thunder of lyres. Golden amber, frankincense, white ginger, and oudh. In honor of apparently being the first review, I unscrewed my bottle to sniff the hair gloss (which I've never done before). It smells almost like a very sweet patchouli in the bottle. It definitely sent me back to the notes saying, "is there patch in there?". I wanted this as an alternate (less sexy) hair gloss to wear to work and patch is definitely not my-office-friendly. In my hair, it's sweet but with an almost watery quality to it. The oudh is very strong at first and there is a smokey note that I was hoping would stick around (it didn't). The ginger is definitely what's contributing to the "almost watery" quality I'm getting. Now that my hair is drying, it's got a watery/earthy/peaty sweet quality. The biggest standout notes for me are white ginger and oudh. The frankincense is calling in support from way back in the back (it's a note that tends to disappear on me) and the amber lays out a nice sweetness to pull everything together. It feels like a very feminine gloss, definitely more work friendly than Snake Oil (my current go-to gloss). And definitely very spring/summery -- almost floral or tropical in its sweetness. Also, work appropriate! Yay!
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White amber, mimosa, orris root, osmanthus, labdanum, Siamese benzoin, and jasmine sambac. very white-smelling to me. a lovely, light, floating scent, with the jasmine leading the charge on my skin. this reminds me of easter, april showers and the first blooms of spring. it's absolutely lovely...even though i'm not a fan of florals, i may hang on to this one, as all these appear to play nicely on my skin. i would definitely wear this one on the occasion that i want a girly, floral scent. for me, it stays true from bottle to dry down.
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O DAUGHTER OF DEATH AND PRIAPUS They were purple of raiment and golden, Filled full of thee, fiery with wine, Thy lovers, in haunts unbeholden, In marvellous chambers of thine. They are fled, and their footprints escape us, Who appraise thee, adore, and abstain, O daughter of Death and Priapus, Our Lady of Pain. Black opium, wild plum, cypress tar, Bulgarian rose, olibanum, black orchid, and tobacco. Yay! I am the first! This is straight out of the box, so I may come back and edit after this settles.... In the bottle this is straight up Opium and Orchid, very similar to Black Orchid v3 to my nose, strong and heady. Wet on skin- still very strong opium and orchid, with something lurking underneath, I think its the cypress and plum..... mmmm.... I like this. No rose detectable yet, but as rose isn't always my friend just fine by me. Dry- this softens up considerably. The rose does start coming out slightly, but its still behind the orchid and opium. Not much plum detected, which is slightly disappointing, but I am such an orchid fan I don't really care I would definitely categorize this in the same vein as Black Orchid v3, or if your a fan of Great Vampire Bat. Smokey Orchid fans rejoice! This will be used quite a bit this summer on steamy evenings as I see this being a beautiful wafter.
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A FAREWELL TO FALSE LOVE Sir Walter Raleigh Farewell, false love, the oracle of lies, A mortal foe and enemy to rest, An envious boy, from whom all cares arise, A bastard vile, a beast with rage possessed, A way of error, a temple full of treason, In all effects contrary unto reason. A poisoned serpent covered all with flowers, Mother of sighs, and murderer of repose, A sea of sorrows whence are drawn such showers As moisture lend to every grief that grows; A school of guile, a net of deep deceit, A gilded hook that holds a poisoned bait. A fortress foiled, which reason did defend, A siren song, a fever of the mind, A maze wherein affection finds no end, A raging cloud that runs before the wind, A substance like the shadow of the sun, A goal of grief for which the wisest run. A quenchless fire, a nurse of trembling fear, A path that leads to peril and mishap, A true retreat of sorrow and despair, An idle boy that sleeps in pleasure's lap, A deep mistrust of that which certain seems, A hope of that which reason doubtful deems. Sith then thy trains my younger years betrayed, And for my faith ingratitude I find; And sith repentance hath my wrongs bewrayed, Whose course was ever contrary to kind: False love, desire, and beauty frail, adieu. Dead is the root whence all these fancies grew. Pale lavender, sweet violet, balsam of Peru, and paperwhite narcissus. Sniffing from the bottle: it's hard for any note to stand up to lavender, and when I sniff this from the bottle, that's pretty much all I smell. On first application, it's pure lavender, as well - though a very wearable lavender, not medicinal at all. Slowly I start to sense a gentle sweetness start to glow through, and I assume it's the balsam of peru. Which, to be honest, I knew was sweet, but I didn't really think was going to be this sweet. Of course, the description says "sweet violet" as well, so although I'm not really getting Violet out of the scent, perhaps that's lending to the sweetness. It's interesting...after half an hour or so when I put my nose to my wrist I still smell strong lavender, but the scent cloud floating around me is almost like purple candy. Paperwhite is not one of my favorite florals, and so I'm very pleased that it doesn't seem to make much of an appearance on me. I think this is a very adult, smoothing, elegant scent, but not particularly mournful. And now that I'm concluding the review, I'm just noticing that I'm starting to get whiffs of violet. It's an elegant purple, this scent. Maybe not for everyday, but really lovely.
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Scorn the foolishness of others and love, for life is too brief, and death brings everlasting sleep: Ethiopian ambrette seed, summer honey, Alpine lavender, cognac, mate resinoid, peru balsam, and red musk. In the Bottle: The Astringent quality of the Alpine Lavender is the first thing I get upon sniffing the bottle, followed closely by both the mate resinoid and the Ethiopian ambrette seed, which both add a "green" and pungent smell. Wet On Skin: Ah, hello cognac, *there* you are! and red musk- so nice to see you! This is most certainly the red musk note from Smut, and here at this stage it's grounding the lavender and those 'green' notes nicely, as they all seem like they're operating on a higher frequency. So the red musk is acting very earthy in this context. It's a surprise, but I'm liking it. Dry Down: This is one of those scents that has completely morphed from the time it was in the bottle to settling into my skin. I'm getting the cognac and the balsam of Peru both making something dark and a little smoky-sweet, and then the red musk twisting in over that, with a touch of that mate resinoid coming in with a slight citrus finish, almost as an afterthought. This is a somewhat heady, rather complex scent, and I'm betting it's only going to get better with age. In All: Low to medium throw. I've been wanting a secondary scent that had the red musk note I adore so much in my beloved Smut, as smut can be a little overwhelming in some environments, like a day at work. Red Lace had a bit of it, but I always felt like I wanted more red musk than Red Lace could really live up to. But with Vivamus here, I really feel like I've got something that I'll want to wear again and again through the remaining dark winter months. Love!
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NIGHT THOUGHTS Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Stars, you are unfortunate, I pity you, Beautiful as you are, shining in your glory, Who guide seafaring men through stress and peril And have no recompense from gods or mortals, Love you do not, nor do you know what love is. Hours that are aeons urgently conducting Your figures in a dance through the vast heaven, What journey have you ended in this moment, Since lingering in the arms of my beloved I lost all memory of you and midnight. Lilac, blue musk, dianthus, cedar, neroli, ozone, and luminous Eastern herbs. So exited that this is my first review! I waited a few days to see if anyone had gotten this scent since I'm not great at describing, but I'll make an attempt. When I first opened the bottle I got a mysterious, sexy scent (similar to what would be a combination between red and black moon). The ozone make itself known (and I had no idea I would like it so much), there's a hint of herbs or maybe the neroli and sweetness from the lilacs and flowers. When applied the scent instantly reminded me of the shivering boy. Its sweet and lovely and a bit cold but in a good way. However where boy is herbal, NT is sweeter, but not sickly so. As it dries down, the scent is not similar to "boy" as it was when wet. Its a femenine scent, creamy, reminds me a bit of hints of coconut (even though it has none) and sexy. I must also add, this is not a "happy or cheery" scent. Its a mysterious, nightly, passionate scent (and I really hope that makes sense to some of you). The scent is divine! I am officially in love with Night Thoughts
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Sweet honey, white apricot, and a touch of cayenne pepper. Thoughts before testing: This was an instant unsniffed bottle purchase. I absolutely adore each of the three notes listed, but I am slightly concerned that the "touch" of cayenne won't be enough to cut the super sweetness of honey and apricot. Wet: Oh my god. This is fabulous. It's very much like March Hare, minus the sweet clove and plus the spiciness of cayenne. March Hare is one of my all-time top 10 blends, but at first sniff, I like this better. The cayenne pepper is more interesting than the sweet clove, and I think the addition of the honey is making this more unique. The honey and apricot aren't cloyingly sweet, and they're balanced nicely by the spice of the pepper. Dry down: The sweetness has backed off considerably and now it's a nice spicy/sweet scent. It's harder to pick out each individual note, but this is really beautiful. Dry: The beautiful spicy and sweet melding has stayed consistent from the dry down to several hours into the wear time. Final thoughts: So. Much. LOVE. Seriously. This wore for about 5 hours before I needed to really try and smell it. The throw is decent, but definitely not overpowering. I just don't even have enough words for how much I love this blend. I love that it's not a typical "fruity" perfume; it smells much more sophisticated and interesting to my nose, and I can't recommend it highly enough! Verdict: Hoarding
