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Showing results for tags 'Ode to Aphrodite'.
Found 24 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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She Who Blesses Brides White rose, apple blossom, spun sugar, mango, cucumber, freesia, coconut, and lavender. If you are a fan of the Tikis, odds are good you'll enjoy Nymphia. It started off very coconut-heavy (sweet, fruity drink coconut). Mango was instantly noticeable, as well. As it dries, the other notes start to poke out. The coconut and the mango are still prominent, but they relax into a creamy-sweet, less potent form. The rose isn't obvious, but serves as a base note, with the apple blossom peeking out every once in a while. The spun sugar gives it a general sort of sweetness, rather than CANDY. Overall, on me, this is like Katrina Von Tassel took a tropical vacation. Sweet without being candy-like, fruity and creamy florals.
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Deceptive One Black fig, green tea, opoponax, ciste absolute, myrrh, carnation, nutmeg, and Brazilian vetiver. Apatouros is definitely not what I expected! I'm getting mostly green tea (kind of warm and vegetal, not light or clean) and fig (thick, chewy, dry) with a bit of dusty nutmeg. So it's a green and fruity scent (but neither fresh nor sweet) with spice. Rather an odd combination. The darker resins and vetiver are, surprisingly, almost entirely absent (maybe a bit of myrrh peeks through). Not a sign of carnation either, as far as I can tell. It doesn't seem to change very much between the bottle and my skin. Well, it's not really what I was hoping for (a smoky carnation resinfest), but I like the black fig note. I can't see myself wearing it often enough to warrant the bottle, but I'll hold on to it for awhile to see.
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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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She Who Expels Sinful Lusts A complex Eastern musk with orange blossom, peppermint, lime peel, spikenard, petitgrain, and white cedar. Wet: ooh wow. Strong spicy eastern musk with a multitude of ingredients that heighten my senses. The eastern musk is beautiful, sweet, spicy, slightly watery, and a little mournful. How romantic! The additions, oddly enough, stand apart on my skin instead of blending and amplifying the musk. I can smell the peppermint, orange blossom, lime rind, and petitgrain.. (aka: zzzing!! I'm awake!) Very green, with watery spicy notes from the musk. Drydown: ok everything is settling and melding with the musk finally. I think the wet phase caused me to experience a new level of clarity and awareness...Thanks bpal! wheeee! The petitgrain and spikenard stick around, adding brown and orange color impressions, and the eastern musk is pretty damn gorgeous with some lasting power. the orange blossom went slightly powdery, but that's fine and expected. Strange.. each time I sniff my wrist, I feel refreshed and release a nice sigh.
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She Who Strikes From a Distance Red patchouli, myrrh, lemongrass, gurjum balsam, lemongrass, lavender, and honey. In the bottle, this is patchouli and myrrh to me, maybe a bit of the sharpness of the lavender. On my skin, definitely patchouli and myrrh amping, as they tend to do on me. Very dark, very militaristic. The lavender's mellowing it out, but not killing it like it usually does on my skin. Very interesting.
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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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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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Foam Born Orris root, iris, white honey, white sandalwood, coconut, and cherry blossom. Aphrogenes is nice. It starts off smelling of iris and coconut, similar to Black Pearl from the Bewitching Brews category, only without the hazelnut or musk. There is an airy cherry blossom note floating behind the iris and coconut. The florals are not sharp. The honey note is light and closely tied to the floral notes, unlike other honey scents where the honey smells golden and viscous (e.g. Door or Valse Finale et Apothéose). I was worried that the white sandalwood note would take over and smell unpleasantly dry, but it is not a note that stands out. The white sandalwood tempers the coconut, keeping the coconut from smelling tropical or gourmand. This perfume makes me think of pale silk, or a very expensive face cream. It is light and soft. The perfume lasted on my skin through most of my workday. After about nine hours I can smell coconut, sandalwood, and a faint trace of honey lingering on my wrist. The iris and cherry blossom went away within the first few hours.
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She Who Furnishes Pregnancy Peru balsam, vanilla bean, Rainier cherry, bitter almond, golden honey, rose water, lemon peel, sugar cane, and benzoin. While Kypris is wet I can smell cherry, almond, and a bit of lemon. It dries down to a pleasant, soft skin scent. It's nice.
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She Who Conceals Love-Affairs Black narcissus, purple orchid, neroli, white sandalwood, ambergris, plum musk, jonquil, thyme, oakmoss, and grapefruit. I can't believe I'm the first to review this! In the bottle: sort of clean but fruity. I'm getting mainly plum and grapefruit with maybe some jonquil. First on: Not very strong. Very clean and sort of cold. I think I'm picking up oakmoss. Much less fruity, with the narcissus, orchid, and sandalwood starting to peek out. It's sort of a haughty floral. Definitely on the sophisticated side of things. Very well blended, and nothing really stands out and screams "I'm X note, look at me!" when I wear it. I was worried about the thyme, but I'm not picking up it at all. The ambergris is also very low key on me, although it does come to play more once it's fully dry. Dry I'd say it reminds me a tiny bit of Lamia, which could be the orchid Overall verdict: I really like this one. It's a somewhat muted floral that smells both clean and dark at the same time.
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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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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.
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Deviser, contriver. Black plum, burgundy wine, sandalwood, and champaca. A dark plum with almost a vetiver vibe. This is the plum in my beloved Hellion. Definatly with a wine vibe and I think I am getting that heavy spice/incense vibe from the champaca. The plum mellows into the background and the mellow spices really start to come through.
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Of shapely form. Jasmine, honey, labdanum, rosehip, ambrette seed, delphinium, and white ginger. This is my first time starting a thread ... I hope I did it right! On my skin she kind of reminds me of the refrigerator at the flower shop where I used to work, which always smelled of fresh cut flowers. The jasmine comes forth first strongly, then I can pick out the rose and honey with other very fresh flowers. I'm not too familiar with the other listed notes, so I can't pick them out, but they do fill out the bouquet nicely. There is something green and fresh underneath that I really like. As the oil dries, rose kind of takes over, but I think I amp rose (how do you know for sure?). The greenness seems to fade away, but rest of the notes are still there, just more subtle. Morphô is fresh blooms, very elegant and feminine. I can't see myself wearing this every day, but I'll keep her around for special occasions. Four out of five stars.
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Whispering. Lily of the valley, tea rose, orris, ambergris, and plumeria. A very ethereal blend. The lily of the valley makes this an airy floral with just a breath of roses in the background. There is something almost lemony in the background.
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She Who Spies Tuberose, mandarin, jonquil, black sandalwood, green musk, styrax, hyacinth, and violet musk. Strong tuberose on application, with a airy background, sappy florals. It's quite 'wet' and the violet part of the musk adds a bit of depth. On drydown this is mostly a sweet, sharper floral, tending towards tuberose waxy but kept less cloying by some of the other notes. Drydown is stemmy, with the top note of tuberose. I am a fan of this, may be getting one bottle. Very strong throw, but a thin scent, if that makes sense.
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The Blooming / Friend of Flowers Grandiflorum jasmine, Damask rose, ylang ylang, gardenia, sweetbriar, and apple blossom dusted by golden amber. Am I the first one to review? Cool! I don't know how to do the report thing!! If someone wants to report it for me, or show me how to do that, that would be nice. - wait, never mind, saw the button.. duh. I just got this in the mail yesterday, a cool thing for Valentine's Day! I love, love love love this! Disclaimer: I am a huge jasmine fanatic (obviously), so if you're one of those people that has a Jasmine aversion be careful, the force is pretty strong with this one. It does settle after a few minutes of wear, though, so if you're on the fence it might be worth a try. In the bottle: Jasmine, straight up. Such a sharp smell, it almost becomes anosmic On- This is amazingly blended. The Jasmine stands out, sometimes I get hints of the gardenia and ylang. I am a little wary of anything apple related, but this apple blossom is sweet and not apple-green sharp if that makes any sense. I don't pick out the rose, and I don't know what sweetbriar is. The amber is soft and sweet, it is more noticeable as you wear it. I might have to run out and get another bottle before they stop making it. It will be great for spring. The effect of all the notes seemed to be more than just the sum of the ingredients, it's really a unique smell, doesn't remind me of anything else. Also, the boy seemed to like it This manages to be soft, warm, sexy and almost sparkling, like champagne and sunshine and flowers. Revisiting after a few days- just wanted to say that this might be my very favorite fragrance, of any brand, ever- tied with Delight! I love this more and more every day. I really wish this were not a limited edition and that they would make it part of their basic lineup! It is so sparkling and soft, and pleasant- I'm getting compliments on it. For reference, since my favorite BPAL is Delight, after smelling it for a while I realized it is like a less tropical cousin of Delight with more emphasis on the jasmine, less on the rose.
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Warlike Dragon's blood resin, pimento berry, olive wood, rosemary, black cherry, persimmon, red musk, and red rose. Mmm, this is lovely. I get mostly black cherries, rose and red musk... and that's fine by me! It's a dark perfume that definitely changes during the drydown. The flowers lift and it becomes a throbbingly sensual blend. Nom.
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Bringer of victory Black currant, patchouli, blood orange, oakmoss, galbanum, benzoin, and white mint. When I first opened the bottle I was a bit worried about this scent, as the oakmoss was VERY strong. When I put it on, however, Nikephoros became an instant love. This is exactly the scent I'd been digging through my collection looking for and not finding. The oakmoss and patchouli ground the scent, and they are very well balanced by the orange and blackcurrant. The balance keeps this from being too sweet or too earthy/dry. The white mint isn't really detectable, but makes this scent is cold like the end of winter meeting early spring. This is a complex scent that is mostly cool and dry with a hint of warm and juicy.
