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Showing results for tags 'Shungas 2012'.
Found 23 results
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Indonesian patchouli, tonka bean, red musk, natural hedoine accord, black opium, cassis, styrax, costus, oakmoss, frankincense, and kief accord. in the bottle: cinnamon, spicy! wet on my skin: ungh...all cinnamon, all the time. a little dusty, musky undertone to it, but mostly: lots 'o cinnamon. dry on my skin: wow, i guess my skin has just decided to amp the hell out of the cassis, because i really can't smell anything besides cinnamon. it's a vaguely sexy cinnamon, and my boyfriend really likes it, but it's a bit overwhelming to think about wearing it all day. i am going to give it a few days to recover from shipping and try it again to see if it calms down a little bit.
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Vanilla bean and vanilla blossom, golden honey, antiqued amber, beeswax, copal, lotus blossom, and helichrysum. I bought this because it shared so many notes with Glowing Vulva (lotus blossom and amber) and Giant Vulva (vanilla blossom, copal, honey and beeswax), and it did not disappoint! It's a sans-teak Glowing Vulva on wet - all amber and lotus blossom backed by vanilla and a very domesticated honey. Honey can go sexy or rancid/funky on me, but this is very tame and structured, if that makes sense. It has a slight floral quality to it - I suppose the helichrysum, which I looked up and got immortelle, which explains it. This is one of very few florals that I can wear and enjoy. It's just sweet enough without being too sweet; the best descriptive word I can think for it is stunning. It's a bit cleaner of a scent than I thought it would be, and the helichrysum supports this gorgeous amber/lotus/honey scent that's clean and a tiny bit resinous . I wish I could go more in detail about individual notes, but they blend together very well. It's just a gorgeous perfume, and I think a little age will smooth/mellow it out into a universally loved scent.
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Mulberry leaf, juniper berries, cypress, Himalayan cedar, neroli, night-blooming jasmine, galbanum, and wisteria. This scent is primarily juniper berry. That said I can easily pick out most of the other notes listed. A good amount of cedar is noticeable, and the juniper/cedar blends really well with the neroli and jasmine. Its definitely not a floral blend, but the slight pungency of the juniper berry does meld with the heady qualities of them both. I also get a touch of wisteria that adds a nice subtle coolness and freshens the other peppery woody heady notes. It is nice, but a bit too medicinal for this gourmand lover.
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South Indian sandalwood, amber-encrusted wood, white grains, massoia bark, and hops. This smells so delicious, almost familiar, foody even. It is the grains and hops that is making it seem foody but not bread like. The sandalwood and amber-encrusted wood blend effortlessly together with the deep massoia bark and turn this into deep, rich, almost sweet scent. It almost smells familiar, but I just can't place it, like honey crackers, or caramel corn. The drydown is not heavy at all, but light sweet sandalwood. This lasts a long time and people who like foody scents will really enjoy it.
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Linen, tobacco flower, white sandalwood, and dragon's blood resin. I love Beth's dragon blood blends and that's one of the reasons why I was so interested in this and purchased it unsniffed. For those of you who like dragon's blood-you will be happy, for those of you who don't-you will be happy too. This is dragon's blood resin which is much, much lighter and very wearable. It is almost an ambery, musky scent and when combined with the sandalwood gives off a remarkably gorgeous woody note. The linen and floral are light on me but do combine to tone down the dragon's blood. This is heavier than some of the other Lupercalia's I have reviewed this year but still with trying. Not at all too heavy or cloying.
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King mandarin, tuberose, white sandalwood, white moss, yerba mate, tangerine, and styrax. I get strong mandarin and tuberose from this. It's very reminiscent of Night Gaunt, but the citrus definitely has that mandarin "edge," which reads to my nose like a hint of lime. It's greener and sharper than the citrus in Night Gaunt, and it lasts longer. Unlike so many ephemeral citrus blends, this does seem to hold on to that tang for an hour or more, with the tuberose coming forward and holding down the fort. Usually I amp wood like crazy, but I can't detect any sandalwood in this. I think I get a hint of the resinous styrax (benzoin), and the moss supports that green edge to the mandarin. This is very pretty, and could be a good option if you like citrus and want it to stick around a bit, as long as you like tuberose too. Sadly for me, something in it gives me a sore throat, so I think I'm going to have to give this one up, and live with re-applying my Night Gaunt and Phantasm.
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Himalayan cedar, rum absolute, bay leaf, teakwood, orange peel, wooly thyme, and tobacco absolute. The opening on Kagema is stunning and everything I had hoped for: deep wood notes from the teakwood, and the gorgeous scent of tobacco absolute. There is also a very faint underlying spicy note that I find extremely appealing. The Himalayan cedar is thankfully light and not overpowering since that note alone would have killed this for me. I amp cedar above all other notes. The scrumptious rum absolute swirls around to mix together with the orange peel and doesn't disappoint to conjure up romantic visions of naked bodies and sweaty nights. This is a wonderfully deep, dark, sexy scent that will age spectacularly. A must try for all.
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Tangerine, black currant, white musk, honey, and tagetes. In the bottle: Sweet and tangy, with a very light floral smell. Wet: I can smell the tangerine right off, the oil is a little zesty on me..but also sweet. With the tagetes sort of floating in the background. Dry: Bright, summery, orange! Gorgeous! The Tagetes never amped or became overly strong in this. It's mostly a sweet tangy orange with touches of tart current and honey drizzled on top. Beth is really amazing The throw isn't far, it's a very close to the skin scent, but my skin isn't eating it up either. So I think it'll last some.
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Wild mushrooms, hay absolute, ginger root, hiba wood, and ginseng. I saw Hay and Wild Mushrooms in the notes and I had to have this oil. My dial up internet made it very difficult to see the art on which this was based, and when I got my bottle I had a laugh! What a picture! This starts off VERY heavy on the hiba wood and a cloying ginger (not sweet cloying but heavy) with a nice bit of the dirty ginseng underneath giving it a golden vibe. I never smell mushrooms and I was looking for them...I'm not disappointed because this is quite a lovely scent in it's own unique way. About an hour on, this has stopped morphing on my skin and it is now the lightest, golden hay scent with a touch of ginger and grounded by the ginseng and wood. Gathering Wild Mushrooms sticks around for at least 4 hours. I recoiled when I smelled it in the bottle last night...but it's actually quite nice on my skin after the first 15 minutes. I love that dirty ginseng smell...it pairs really nicely with the hay. Wild mushrooms, hay absolute, ginger root, hiba wood, and ginseng So, I get all of the notes except for the mushrooms...but I get the vibe. 8/10 because it's beautiful and unique, but I can tell it will be difficult to wear - even for an earthy "hippie" type like me. I hope that made sense. ETA: This does not smell similar to Hay Moon at all IMHO.
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Fig, pink grapefruit, Egyptian white musk, ambergris accord, muguet, ylang ylang, Hawaiian white ginger, jonquil, and khus. My first thought when I first applied and smelled this on my wrist was how light and fresh it was. It opens up with light citrus followed up with skin musk and light floral. It is fresh and tangy, perhaps the ginger is lending it the lightness it needs here. It seems like there are many ingredients listed so it would be a heavy scent, but it isn't. There is a juicy sweetness from the fig but there is not heavy here, just the presence of it. The spiciness is minimal with the ginger giving it the initial burst of mild peppery sweetness and then becoming mild and light, but not overly sweet. Drydown is gingery and golden pale spice but very light in an understated way. It is so perfect for Spring and Summer.
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Crisp ozone-tinged snow, muguet, white moss, sandalwood musk, white amber, honeysuckle, and white pear. Alrighty, so: I will admit that a large part of me getting a bottle of this untested/unreviewed was that I adored the art. I do love all of the notes listed, but I had no idea what I actually wanted this to smell like. This review is mainly of my second test, done after roughly a week of bottle-settling. Wet this is ozone, and a lot of it. But, the florals, and amber make it sweeter and warmer. The sandalwood makes it a little spicy/musky. It's fresh smelling, but not in-your-face bright. After a bit of drying, the ozone fades a lot, although it is still present. It adds a "fizzy" quality to the blend. The scent is definitely cool, but it's not frosty in the way that I associate with "snow" scents. More like a brisk wind than a snow storm. I can smell the sweetness and floral aspect, but the musk and the amber keep it from being too ephemeral. It has a depth. I don't think any note really stands out once it's dry. I've tried this a couple times now and my general impression is a very fresh, feminine scent with a hint of sophisticated sexiness. On my skin, it gets warmer/skin-musky after a while. In my hair, it has a very green tinge, like fresh-cut stems. It lasts about average, which is more than I can say for most ozone-scents. If you're afraid of the florals: I don't find them to be a huge component, but they are present. If you like the lab's ozone perfumes and are looking for an unusual take on that - or even one with more lasting power - I really suggest this blend. As far as it being a spring scent, it's very evocative of the beginning of spring when the ground isn't quite thawed yet, but the plants are starting to revive. Because of the sandalwood and amber, I think this will age into something really regal and sexy. I wouldn't have sought this scent out on my own based on its notes, but I am very glad to have it. One of the reasons I love the Lab is that their descriptions/imagery for their perfumes get me to try things I never would have otherwise. 4/5 in for my tastes, and 5/5 for being exactly what it should be. (Update: Feb 2015: Still adore this. One of my go-to scents when I wanna smell sweet, but not like a little girl. Probably like it even more now than I did then, heh.)
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Black tea, mango blossom, wolfberry, oakmoss, and star anise. This opens up wet with strong black tea and little else on me. After half an hour it starts to mellow out and some of the other notes start blending together and making themselves known a little more. Wolfberry is another name for goji berry and adds a little minor spice to this this as does the star anise, but not licorice per se. An Omen of Good Fortune is very light, not cloying at all and the drydown is woody, fresh, slightly sweet and soft.
