Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Lupercalia 2014'.
Found 62 results
-
Many legends surround St. Valentine, and history has yet to show, conclusively, which ones are true and which are fiction. One tale claims that Valentine was a 3rd century Christian priest. When Emperor Claudius II declared that his soldiers were never to marry - the emperor believed that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and children - Valentine continued to perform wedding ceremonies in secret. When the emperor learned of Valentine's disobedience, he imprisoned the priest. The emperor chose to interrogate the priest himself, and despite his fury at his orders being flagrantly disobeyed, he was impressed with the priest's intelligence, wisdom, and passion. He attempted to convert the priest to the Roman faith, and was furious when he failed. While incarcerated, Valentine fell in love with his jailor's blind daughter. Through God's grace and the power of Valentine's pure and true love for this woman, he was able to cure her blindness with a touch. Before he was beaten and beheaded, he sent her a letter expressing his feelings for her, signed 'From Your Valentine'. Ecclesiastical incense, Roman flora, and the fruits of martyrdom: cypress, olive blossom, frankincense, myrrh, and blood accord. Wow, looks like I'm the first one on this? I searched and couldn't find it so here goes! Wet in the bottle, I got worried. It has a sharp, astringent, green quality that reminds me strongly of Ides of March 2007. I almost liked Ides but it went on and stayed sharp and was itchy in the sinuses. NO! Please behave, Roman flora! Wet on skin -- what's this? Almost as soon as it hits my skin the smell warms. It must be the incense, I smell what is almost cinnamon but can't be cinnamon because BPAL's cinnamon note makes me welt and burn. HOORAY! This is getting really good, very round-smelling, savory is a good word for it. Like compelling in a way that sweet usually is, but yet not sweet. For a minute, there is what oddly smells like a flash of minty?? But only for a moment then it blends back in. Not unpleasant, just startling. On drydown: Total love. I took a huge chance with this one unsniffed, without reviews, based on the notes because I am a resin nut and an incense fiend. I am so so glad! The cypress doesn't get woody, it only grounds it some, the herbal aspect goes from sharp smelling to sort of 'fresh', and I just want to curl up and huff my wrist. I smell amazingly good, as rich as when I am wearing Gypsy Queen even but with a cleaner feel, not so bump-and-grind, more soothing. Oh lord. Now all I need is to hit the Lotto so I can get five more bottles of this stuff before Lupercalia comes down!
-
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!!
-
Dark chocolate and lush, creamy vanilla and the honey of the sweetest kiss smeared with the vital throb of husky clove, swollen red cherries, but darkened with the vampiric sensuality of vetiver, soporific poppy and blood red wine, and a skin-light pulse of feral musk. Le sigh. I wanted to love blood kiss bonbon. I tend to do well with vampirically-themed scents- callidora, vilf, and of course blood kiss itself work magic on me. And, you know, vetiver can be a bit of a bully, so I got this just hoping that minus that vetiver tang, you'd be left with a dreamy dark cherry. And that's mostly what happened. And it was, well, kinda weak. Don't get me wrong, this scent does what it's supposed to do. It *is* a blood kiss Bonbon, cleverly executed, picked up at some exclusive chocolatier. I'm sure there are many who will LOVE this. But with my chemistry, it's all kiss and no blood. It reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer when Spike got that chip in his head so he couldn't bite anyone. And I felt just kind of sorry for him, he just skulked around the graveyard, not knowing what to do with himself. Oh, and somehow it has a note of tea, though that's not listed here. I guess I just like my Spike as the Big Bad. I will wear my blood kiss, and pass on this one. That said, I do predict it will be a hit. My fiancé even really likes it. But he recognized it isn't me.
-
Champaca flower gilded with golden amber, Madagascar vanilla, Roman chamomile, and black nutmeg. In the bottle: sweet floral On my skin it changes and the light sweet ambery vanilla is more predominant than the floral was in the bottle. After warming up more, a more fragrant floral comes out, not overpowering by any means, but it's presence is there. This is more of a golden-y vanilla amber scent that's not too sweet or thick. I smell a glint of smokiness perhaps from the nutmeg, it's not spicy, but there is a certain edge to it that makes this a unique scent and very wearable. If you like amber and light vanilla then you will probably love this scent,
-
Champaca magnolia, bourbon vanilla, blonde tobacco, and white honey. This is from a bottle straight from the lab. First impression- Wow. Definitely a cousin of Red Lantern, or maybe even a closer family member. That's the blonde tobacco, and it's all sweet and lovely on the first skin application. Next on the dry down, I'm really getting a sugared floral, which must be from the champaca magnolia. It reminds of something BPAL that I've smelled before and loved, and can't quite place. I hate when this happens. The tobacco and honey seem to anchor this with a warm heat- there's no giant honey overtone like Womb Fury, and the vanilla is not sticking out, it's an all around player. At this point it just seems to be a Day Walker, or lighter, version of Red Lantern. I tried this last night before I went to bed, and this morning right when I woke up, I thought, Midnight on the Midway. That's the other BPAL this reminds me of, and on today's retest, I can definitely say they share similarities. Overall, it's a fantastic blend and I'm glad I didn't hesitate on this blind bottle purchase. Since it's lighter than Red Lantern I'll get more wear out of it, so a backup may be necessary before the lupers come down.
-
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.
-
Rice flower, white cream, tea roses, abalone accord, white moss, beeswax, tuberose, and red currant. I think this might be my favorite of the Lupers I ordered this year. It feels opalescent to me, with hints of color—like white streaked with fine pinks and reds. The rice flower, cream, and rose are the most recognizable notes, with the abalone adding a hint of salty tang and the moss gently grounding everything. The beeswax, tuberose, and red currant are very subtle. In the bottle I can smell the florals much more clearly than on my skin. On the drydown it's absolutely beautiful and incredibly delicate—and the kind of blend that even people who are a little wary of floral notes might enjoy, because everything is so well-blended. It has cream, but it's not foody. It has florals, but it's not stridently floral (at least on me!). It has abalone and red currant, but it doesn't smell of the sea or dark berries. It smells like cloudy light through white, pulled-down shades, and the intimacy of skin on skin. The closest comp I can think of is To Helen, from the 2008 Lupers...also a favorite of mine. And it reminds me a bit of Chaste Moon. It shares a creamy, dreamy quality with both of those blends—and yet, of course, it has a distinct and luminous voice of its own. Tough to describe but definitely worth trying. ETA: Absolutely my favorite from my Lupers order, and it's hard to keep myself from wearing this every day!
-
Peach blossoms and cherry blossoms with red musk, Oaxacan amber, copal, lilac, and white sandalwood. In the bottle: lovely soft peach and amber, yum. On my skin: soft peach mixed with soft cherry with my favorite red musk. The red musk is not screaming here but rather playing nicely with the peach and cherry blossoms. So far everything is going very well. The amber is also light and so is the copal (resin) and the sandalwood. Only at the very end do I smell lilac at all and that swirls in and out. This reminds me of walking through the tea gardens in San Francisco, a very calming and peaceful blend. Not only would I wear this during the day, I would wear this to bed to help me sleep. It it soft and comforting.
-
Oman frankincense, grape flowers, sweet myrrh, black currant bud, and Haitian vetiver stained by red wine. The first sniff from the vial is sickly sweet vetiver. Be strong, you know it'll open up when it hits the skin! Not going to lie, when it first hits the skin it smells like my local recycling center Old wine and garbage. BE STRONG! This is a complex, layered blend-- Sweet myrrh and a moderately aggressive vetiver, here damp and smokey, form the base. Above them is a slightly sour and juicy purple fruit, the wine I suppose, but I don't find it boozy at all. And at the top an indistinct white-smelling floral mixed with bright frankincense. It's a little high-pitched. I got this decant for the 'grape flower," which I had never seen before, but I cant say I'm able to distinguish it here. I'm not sure if the floral aspect I smell also includes the currant bud, or if that note is contributing more to the fruitiness. The vetiver is prominent but not dominating as time goes by. I would call this a wine and florals blend primarily, but the influence of the vetiver does give it a sort of decayed vibe. The florals become less and less obvious during dry down, allowing the blend to lose that high-pitched top note and mellow out. Fully dried down it's got a medium throw and is fairly soft-- lightly floral purple fruit, with every now and then a whiff of well-behaved smokey vetiver. Quite a change from the bold opening upon first application.
-
Vanilla orchid, black amber, coffee bean, labdanum, champaca, and oudh. In the bottle: a soft creamy floral followed by a resiny light coffee note-yum. On my skin, I first smell a light creamy, resiny cafe mocha like scent mixed with a woody note. Surprisingly, I get no orchid here at all. I thought that this would be a heavier scent on me but it is predominantly a light creamy, lightly resinous, slightly sweet, scent. When it completely dries down I am left with the essence of the cafe mocha scent with a touch of the vanilla orchid ( more very light vanilla really)finally making an appearance and blending with the woody goodness of a simplistic Oudh. I can't believe that with all of what seems like dark notes, this can be such a light and airy scent on me. Another beautiful scent!
-
King mandarin, green mint, green tea leaf, and white musk. I was very excited for this as I have fallen hard for King mandarin and must try everything that has it as an ingredient. I have tried this three unique times and each I get something different, so hold on, it's going to be a bumpy ride! In the bottle, mint is the most prominent. I'm not a mint lover (but I don't hate it, either) and not very familiar all the varieties. It's not soft like Go To Sleep, Darlings, Ded Moroz, Green Tree Viper or Snow, Glass, Apples, but sharper, ice-inducing mint, take-a-deep-breathe-and-feel-it-in-your-nose and the back of your throat. But the mandarin is there, tempering the cool with sunshine. I was most worried about the tea as it seems to overtake most scents on me, but this is not the case. It wants to hide, buried deep under the mint. Right now I'm not getting any musk (white musk, like in Fae, is one of my favorite notes). Now for a caveat: I always step outside to test my perfumes. Normally, it's very humid here (Florida) and it helps me judge sillage. But a wonderful thing happens as I step out (and it's cold for Florida today with low humidity); the mandarin steps up and now I am getting a perfect balance of mint and mandarin. A perfect scent for summer; cooling and refreshing. As this dries, there is a battle for dominance between the mint and mandarin, each in time taking the lead. The mandarin stays on top; the mint closer to the skin. The mandarin is crisp, clean; the mint, cooling; a perfect reflection of the battle of nature and season, yin and yang, finally melding together as one. Tea is making a quick appearance and stays close to mint; very fragile leaves needing a slow, steady warmth to expose its true nature, too afraid to take the lead. I am hoping with a little age the musk will help to temper and keep everything in check. The first time I tested (right out of the mailbox) I thought this needed less mint and more mandarin/musk, but today, after sitting for three days, it feels absolutely perfect and is an accurate representation of the image chosen for the label; quickly aggressive, calming, soothing and then, surrender and passion. eta: After several hours of being on my skin, the tea made itself know. A light, close-to-the-skin scent of tea, orange and a hint of musk. No mint to be found.
-
A kiss of fire and frankincense: exquisite Hojari frankincense painted with red benzoin, Ceylon cinnamon, blood rose, pimento, and jasmine hedoine. Frankincense and rose are 2 of my favourite notes, so when I read the description for this one, I definitely needed a bottle. In the bottle, a strong resin-y scent is most prominent. Wet on my skin, the frankincense dominates and for a brief time, it seems as though it is the only note present. After about 20 minutes, the rose takes over and beats the frankincense until it abdicates its resinous throne. There is a secondary note that peeks up in the drydown that I believe is jasmine hedione -- it doesn't scream true jasmine to my nose, but does seem to be in the same family. I can't detect any cinnamon or pimento, but perhaps with some aging, they might make their presence known as well. Overall this is more a pretty floral on my skin rather than a resin-heavy blend. It is very nice and light and seems perfect for those wanting a fresh spring scent.
-
A soft raiment of woven sighs: gossamer orris root and silken white magnolia over a sheer dove-grey musk. I purchased this mainly for the musk, I love musk anything. So I wasn't disappointed when I smelled the bottle and it was...musk! On my skin I smell what I believe to be violets-soft, dewy, just budding violets. Then the violets intertwine among the baby soft magnolia and then heavens opened up and skies rain gently down droplets of dove grey musk upon these baby flowers. That's what this scent is like, the gentlest of floral scents. The magnolia and orris root (violets) and musk together are soft, gentle, subtle, delicate, graceful, truly an elegant scent.
-
SAINT FOUTIN DE VARAILLES Echoing the worship of ancient fertility gods, some early Christians attributed the power to grant blessings of reproductive fruitfulness to Christian saints through accidents of folk-etymology. A syncretic saint of questionable origin, he is possibly the result of a merging of the deity Priapus, or Mutinus Mutunus, and the sainted, semi-mythical first bishop of Lyons, Ponthius, often pronounced Fontin by the common folk of France where his veneration was concentrated. Saint Foutin's name is an amalgamation of Pothinus and the verb foutre, which means "to fuck", effectively granting this saint the prerogatives and powers of his predecessor, Priapus. Saint Foutin was said to cure venereal diseases and other genital maladies, grant fruitfulness to women, and restore potency to men. Scrapings of stone from the groin of one of the saint's statues in France was said to cure all sexual ailments. At other shrines, offerings of wine were poured onto the saint's penis, and worshippers molded ex votos in wax shaped to represent their afflicted body parts to leave in his care, either at the foot of his statue or hanging from the roof of his shrine. Beeswax, frankincense, dried rose petals, and a dribble of wine. So far, this is my 2nd favorite from the update. It's GORGEOUS. On me, it's predominantly a dark, tea-rose type scent that's bolstered by the smooth and sweet beeswax, the dark, resinous frankincense, and the tiniest hint of sweet, boozy, dark red wine. It's very feminine in a heavy, dark, and Victorian-gothic-romance type way. The throw is amazing for the first couple of hours, but at around the 2 hour point, it starts to fade quickly, leaving behind a weird after-scent on my skin that's kind of flat and powdery. But that's entirely beside the point because when it reaches that stage, I can just reapply a teeny tiny bit (since a little goes a very long way). This is really beautiful and I can't wait to dress up and wear it on a night out.
-
Blood red lilies, white frankincense, black pepper, and tuberose. In the bottle: creamy lilies and a bit of pepper with an afterthought of the tuberose. On my skin the first scent is the light resiny goodness of the frankincense and the subdued red lilies mixed with the tuberose. These two flowers are paired well with each other. They are both, on their own, a strong scent but brought together they meld well. This is not a strong overpowering scent but a lingering scent that seems to waft on the breeze. The black pepper adds only a touch of needed spice to round out what would be a too floral scent without it. I expected it to be strong and bold but it is a neither a very light scent not cloying scent. It is more a scent that leaves someone asking for another whiff of you.
-
Vanilla orchid, vanilla absolute, and black tea leaf. When I read the description of this one, I thought for sure it was going to be a multiple bottle purchase. The scent sounds gorgeous, and I'm sure it is, but it's so light that I feel like I really have to work to smell pretty much anything at all. I'll use the single bottle I have and get more Castitas instead.
-
Florentine iris, white almond, and golden honey. I am using testing this on my skin as opposed to using it in the bath. In the decant: This smells like Dr. Pepper to me. Letting it sit for a few days didn't change that. It still smells like Dr. Pepper to me! If I inhale really deeply, I can detect a trace of the almond. The boy originally thought it smelled like “really good cough syrup.” I don't get that at all, and besides, how could cough syrup smell good? Wet: Dr. Pepper. It starts off that way and stays that way for a really long time. I am not familiar with Florentine Iris, but I think it must be that note giving me that impression. I looked it up online and discovered that it used to be used to flavor soft drinks. Dry: The honey has emerged, and the Dr. Pepper scent seems to have dissipated. It is now a very light floral scent that stays close to the skin. Verdict: Well, that was interesting! I won't be needing a bottle of this one, but I am glad that I was able to try it.
-
White amber and Bulgarian rose. Oh God, I am so glad I bought a bottle of this unsniffed! It is absolutely beautiful. A perfect blend of clean, white (non-powdery) soft amber and a really exquisite rose. This is a classic, very pretty perfume that sticks close to the skin. I really love it.
-
Rosewood, red currant, green tea, and caramelized sugar. I'm horrible at reviews but thought I should write one because no one else has yet. Lovely, simply lovely. I used it as an after shower moisturizer. I was a bit nervous about the rosewood taking over because it really isn't my favorite but it was nicely balanced. I could smell each individual note and they blended well. I feel cuddly like I want to go hide under my covers but it isn't a heavy scent. It definitely has a early spring feel to it. I have a decant right now but am strongly considering a bottle should I have the funds before they go down.
-
White frankincense, ho wood, Himalayan cedar, sweet myrrh, beeswax, and bamboo. In the bottle this smells very woody and sweet. I love ho wood scents so this really interested me and I was anxious to try it. I am not disappointed at all. It is warm and sweet on, with the predominate notes being the ho wood, sweet myrrh and beeswax. I amp cedar like crazy so I was a little leery of that note but I am happy to report that it is almost non existent on me. There is a soft, rich, earthy spiciness that makes this one of my favorites of this year Lupers the and I will definitely be getting a second bottle.
-
White honey, camellia, and tobacco. Whoa my goodness is this lovely. It's very rich, like a gathered bouquet of camellias and tobacco leaves dipped in honey. It's pretty dern sexy and I think that it will pair very well with Dolly Kei.
-
Love and Time and Sin: red rose, Saturnian opoponax, and red musk. The red musk is mostly dominant when wet, but once dry, the opoponax comes out and takes over. There is a hint of rose, but for once, it is not taking over the entire scent as it usually does. Overall, this stays pretty much resinous on my skin, though whiffs of red roses and red musk come out every so often. To me, this combination of scents is very deep and sophisticated, mournful and sexy. It captures the essence of deep ardent love that has come and left; now only the memories and scars from those passionate days and nights remain. While this one isn't quite as complex note-wise as some other Luper scents, it does reflect the title of the poem perfectly. This one is definitely a keeper in my book.
-
Aged patchouli and ambrette with burgundy pitch, labdanum, orange blossom, gurjum balsam, and white sandalwood. I'll pretty much try anything with patchouli, so this hopped right into my cart. The patch pulls ahead with the ambrette, but it's brightened and softened by the orange blossom and the sandalwood. The balsam gives it a tangy touch that keeps it from being too relaxing and sleepy—make no mistake, this is a sexy spray. But I can also see myself spritzing a room just to be surrounded by its happy, hazy radiance. I think a lot of people will dig the incensy vibe of this atmo spray—it reminds me of some of the wonderful Fred Soll sticks I've burned. Earthy, sensuous, blood pressure-lowering stuff. Like the spray equivalent of a smoky eye done in copper, gold, bronze, and dark brown—smudged a little after a long kiss. Or y'know, a tortoiseshell dildo. One of my favorite atmos yet.
-
Rose oudh with fossilized amber, benzoin, blackened labdanum, golden myrrh, and dark musk. Ah, pressure's on! Wet, this is the dark musks with a hint of red rose. There's mostly the sweet resins and amber, all a deep, thrummy, spicy melange that provides a nice base for the subtle rose in this scent. I am mostly getting a rich, chewy, deep and delicious amber/myrrh base. The rose is just a gentle hint, but it provides a touch of lighter floral in this resinous choir. Worth a try! ETA: This reminds me of the rose in Elizabeth of Bohemia, but more resins. Also, strangely, the rose amps MORE over time, so different from my first impression.
-
Opium poppy, smoke, and tar with green cognac, brittle white vanilla pod, white sandalwood, and clove bud. If I would have smelled this at WC I may not have tried it at all, the notes smell raw in the bottle. But once I tried it on and let it rest for a half hour it really started to warm to my skin and it really made a difference. The smokey sandalwood is the first note that comes to me tinged with vanilla. I really am enjoying this since I like a little vanilla but not overpowering vanilla. This is perfect so far. Next up is a fleeting whiff of the clove, just enough to let you know that it is there but not enough to take over everything. I can also detect a sweet, light fruity scent, not much, but it's there and I believe that it is from the green cognac. Overall, a nice, lightly sweet, woody scent, that will age well and be appropriate for day time or night time wear.
