Luperci

[dierne]

... 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.

In the bottle - Eathy, no warmth here in the bottle. Something animalistic there to be sure.

Wet on skin - Much warmer. You can really smell the honey but with a healthy dose of earthy musk. Good so far

Dry on skin - The Juniper is really taking centre stage now but those wonderful warm, earthy musks are still there.

Later - Gentling down now but still wonderfully woodlandy and earty and I love it!

[birdiefu]

In the bottle- Sweet and slightly 'perfumey' patchoutli. Wasn't sure if this would turn out well on my skin.

 

Wet- Patchouli, oakmoss, a touch of juniper, and just a hint of honey.

 

Dry- OMG soooo wonderful!! Mostly oakmoss and musk with a good dose of honey and beeswax. The patchouli is still there, but not very obvious and rounds the blend out well. I think I'm getting a balsam note here too if it's a sweet resiny thing, but I'm not terribly familiar with that so I could be imagining things. I love this scent! It's very earthy without being 'dirty' (Burial was too much dirt for me) and that honey note compliments the darkness beautifully!

 

I am soooo happy I got a bottle of this! It's a very sexy scent in a dark way, and just my style with that bit 'o honey.

[Em-]

I have loved this scent since it first came out and have not reviewed it, in part, I think, because it is so hard for me to capture it in words.

 

Luperci is the woods, the wild, the crisp musky air of the hunt. It is sweet, it is rich, it is savory. When I sniff it directly on my wrists it smells manly and dark, but the scent that wafts in little breezes as I wander through the day when I wear it is soft and alluring and sensual.

 

There is no way that I could begin to describe the notes. That would destry Luperci's mystery.

[azhure]

In the vial: Hmm, interesting. Vaguely musky, and I get a little of the honey.

 

Wet: The musk amps up now. I can't stop sniffing my wrist.

 

Drydown: This is where this blend becomes truly beautiful. I find it hard to believe that there is patchouli in this, because my skin usually amps that incredibly. But it behaves in this blend, the notes combining to smell something like Nag Champa incense.

[supremegoddessofall]

In bottle: Mostly juniper with a touch of something amber-like.

 

On me: Interesting and very subtle. Honey is amping up quickly on me, and the juniper is fading, being replaced by a warm musk. But there's still enough juniper left to take the edge of sweetness off the honey.

[Mountaingrrl00]

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet! This is my favorite BPAL scent of all. It's earthy, woodsy and subtly sweet, with a soft animalic base. It just smells so alive and natural - but in a soft, wearable way. I don't get the super-sexiness some reviewers do, but it's definitely attractive. It's warm, complex and original.

 

Luperci strikes me as a blend with higher-quality versions of many of BPAL's frequent ingredients. I like the honey better than that in any other blend; it's more of a round smell. The patchouli doesn't announce itself, but mixes with the oakmoss to create a dirt/outdoors aura. The balsam smells slightly sweet, woody, real.

 

I'd wear this more frequently if it weren't an LE. It's such a beautiful, comfortable skin scent on me. Please make more of this!

[juniperus]

Bottle: musky juniper. (that sounds diiirty. )

Wet: the same, and I can barely detect the patchouli behind the evergreen tang.

Dry: raw, yes, and musky and earthy. but no sign of my usual reaction to honey! very masculine in tone.

Later: the patchouli is lending itself to be almost dirty as it oft does, but what floats above it is so nice...it's right on that edge of wearable for me, I might need to test-drive it again before I lament...

[Electra]

Review is for Luperci 2006.

 

This almost smells like a ritual oil to me. It certainly smells like it *could* be a ritual oil, at any rate. It doesn't smell so much like that that it can't also be worn as a daily scent, if that makes any sense -- but what it does NOT smell like is perfume. It doesn't smell like perfume at all. When I wear Luperci, I smell as though this earthy, powdery, somewhat sweet scent is my natural scent. It's very outdoorsy, very natural, and it DOES smell ancient, in a way -- as though it would not be at all out of place on someone wearing a toga.

 

On to the actual scent itself. When I first apply, I get a very strong honeyed beeswax note. That recedes somewhat. The eventual "final" scent that I get on drydown is a slightly powdery patchouli that does not smell anything like the standard "hippie patchouli" -- instead it calls to mind dirt and pine needles and forests without actually smelling like any of the above. There's a slightly sweet overtone to the scent as well. This one is better from a bit of a distance. When I put my nose right to my wrist I smell mostly powderiness, but the scent on the throw/waft is truly gorgeous.

 

Luperci is pretty spectacular.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

sexy, raw, masculine

 

On me:

I bought a partial bottle from another forumite and as soon as I opened the package, I could smell like Luperci. I mean, I could smell it CLEARLY. And it hadn't leaked, it's just a very potent blend.

 

It smells masculine to me, but not in a way that makes me feel like I couldn't wear it. Quite the opposite, I find it to be comforting, warm, sexy. Like having your husbands favorite shirt to sniff while he is away. It makes you think of him and you cannot stop sniffing it.

 

When I first put on Luperci, I got a very strong juniper and oakmoss scent. Sort of mixed with the raw, earthy patchouli. It does settle down into something with a faint honey sweetness though. The honey is slightly powdery and doesn't get too sweet with the edgier notes like juniper keeping it down. It all works very well together to make a scent that is outdoorsy and raw without being pine and wood. It's earthy and musky, mildly sweet, slightly edgy. Just wonderful.

 

Final note:

I might normally be inclined to pass on a scent this masculine, but I find it strangely comforting and I'd like to keep it around. Definitely nice - masculine but I could see either sex wearing it anyways.

[PixieSkull]

Oh, dark and earthy. I love the way it smells like an earthy celebration.

 

Very few words to describe this scent, but it's pretty amazing for painting a mental picture.

[minnalavender]

God - I am SO SO jealous of all of the reviewers before me who got what sounds like multiple orgasms in a bottle from Luperci! It's pure men's aftershave on me - lovely, expensive, sexy men's aftershave, but not something I'll ever wear. And I do so well with unisex scents!!

 

I will pass this decant along to my husband, who I'm sure will smell wonderful wearing it, the fucker. lol

[strangefrontier]

This is for the 2007 blend.

 

With my strange predilection for wolfy scents, the brothers of the wolf was obviously my first choice from the Lupercalia range. I was ambivalent about most of the notes apart from yummy juniper, but I was happily suprised as it's a stunning blend. The beeswax is initially strong, but once it calms down and allows the sweet honey and foresty notes to come out to play, it's very earthy and sexy in a masculine, animalistic way. It's smelt better and more complex and sexier every time I've worn it!

[fiddledragon]

Luperci 2007

 

I'm so glad I ordered this one! The first time it came around I thought "enticing description; not my notes". Now I know better!

 

On me, it's a wonderfully wild but calm earthy blend. The beeswax is just at the edges, with a very earthy patchouli and some hints of juniper. The juniper isn't going wild like it usually does -- yay! The strongest note I'm getting is actually vetiver. Several notes I'm not familliar with, so I'm assuming it's either one of those or part of the patchouli. It's almost pepper-like. The honey and beeswax tone it down and sweeten it. I find beeswax an incredibly sensual scent; I'm so glad Beth's been using it!

 

It's very similar on my boyfriend, and I should not be held accountable for my actions after putting it on him

[empi girl]

This is for Luperci 2007, which I had to get, since I missed last year's and always wished I'd gotten it!

 

On the hubby (and on me, actually)-beeswax that rapidly dries down leaving just the hint of sweetness behind, mixed with a musky patchouli/juniper that smells sexy and confident, but not aggressive or brash. It is definitly masculine, but not so much that a woman couldn't wear it on occasion too. My husband likes it, and for both of us we are reminded of a similarity to Scarecrow. Unfortunately, there is also a note that doesn't sit well with me, and so, while my husband likes it, thankfully he doesn't love it, and it can go into swaps.

Edited February 12, 2007 by empi girl

[Lionesse]

Luperci 2007

 

In the bottle, it smells warm, snuggly, masculine & foresty to me.

 

wet: where is it? hmmm i cannot smell it on my skin...slather slather slather .... ok, I can't pick out any notes, but its VERY nice on me. true to form actually, since masculine scents work best for me.

 

dry: ok finally, I can smell it. musky, sweet, earthy, forest, is that juniper peeking through? if it is, its really behaving itself. ok, NOW I can smell the beeswax

 

I'm afraid my skin may completely devour this scent. If it lasts though, I'm pretty danged sure I will need a full bottle of this!

[maijasu]

Luperci 2007

 

Mmmm...earthy and musky, with just a hint of honey and beeswax. This is subtler than I expected, and very smooth. I like it a lot.

[SeaLady]

Alas, I too get men's aftershave/cologne. Very classy, very sexy, and very sharp, but too masculine for me. It is very earthy. I'll probably have to try this on the boy, as I think he'll like it, and I'd certainly like it on him.

[Browneyes]

Bottle: Uh-oh this smells like generic men's cologne to me too...

Wet: Quite sweet - waxy beeswax/honeyed balsam stands out especially over a layer of patchouli

Dry: Hm, it seems to dry back down into men's cologne. Lingers close to the skin. After poking around on the forum, I have discovered that it's probably the oakmoss that amps up to become the cologne smell. Could also be the balsam.

 

But I have my heart set on this, so damnit, I'm going to like it! I do in fact like it, it's a lovely smell, even though it's so masculine on me. I've also liked to wear men's perfume before, so this one will be my "masculine BPAL scent" for days when I feel like I need to counteract my girliness. So I'm happy to have a bottle of this anyway!

 

ETA: I have grown to love this. I love the fact that the beeswax smells honey-ish, but doesn't go off and sour on me like some honey smells do. I love the warm, earthy, golden, masculine feeling that I get from this. I find that I don't mind too much that it smells a bit like a cologne/man's perfume, because it is still quite a unique kind of smell (much in the same way that I don't mind Opium Poppy smelling a bit soapish, because the soapishness is overruled by the uniqueness... / end ramble ) And I look so much forward to seeing what a little bit of aging will do to the patchouli - hopefully it will make it even more gritty and feral. Rawr.

Edited August 16, 2007 by Browneyes

[SultryWolf]

in the decant: Patchouli and juniper. I would never have imagined that these two could smell well together! Yet they do.

on: Extremely complex: warm and earthy.

[edenssixthday]

My review for Luperci 2006 can be found here.

 

Luperci 2007 - I like this so much more than last year's blend, although it's still highly masculine to me. It smells like an absolutely gorgeous and sexy men's cologne. The patchouli is the dominant note, but it's not heavy, as it's sweetened and lightened up by the evident presence of honey and oakmoss. It's not one I'll wear myself, but it makes me wish I could convince my husband to wear BPAL! It's long-lasting and even hours after application, I'll still catch faint wafts of this scent around me.

[PurringPulsar]

Luperci 07

 

In the imp: fresh earthy damp patchouli with a hint of honey.

Wet on skin: mossy patchouli with honey and beeswax.

Dry: mmm, this is very similar to last year’s, only a little more mossy. I smell mainly moss, patchouli, and something woody or rooty (Sampson root?) with a slight hint of sweetness from sandalwood, mingled with a skin musk. It is an incredibly earthy scent, it seems to evoke nature, the wild, the forest. The moss is surprisingly strong and seems to remind me more of the heavier, more oppressive Spanish moss than the usual softly powdery oak moss I got in the 06 version.

After a while: the moss never develops the overwhelming quality of Spanish moss but it is the dominant note. it strengthens more upon drydown as the scent gains an almost dirty quality…the patch sure is strong in here! but the honey/beeswax are nowhere to be seen, or smelt, not now at least. Earthy, dirty, masculine and wild, I also smell a hint of something darkly woody, almost like vetiver, and also something musky to it as well, like warm skin.

It gets darker and smokier over time, and I swear that this really does have a drop of unlisted vetiver hidden under all that moss and patchouli, as my skin is amping that note up, as usual. It also has a similar ‘root and soil’ scent to Mandrake.

Verdict: this is very similar to last year’s, but I find it a little less honeyed and sweet, and a lot more mossy and dark, and masculine. It does have the same honeyed mossy patchouli to start with but I think the moss used in here is much more potent than the softer moss in 06, though not as overwhelming as the moss in Renfield. The dirty, earthy scent is also more evident, it is quite a wild scent but doesn’t smell animalistic, and it is very much a scent of the forest, mossy dirt and tree roots. Very evocative, and a little bit more virile than last year’s. the drydown is oddly like vetiver, dark and heavy and clinging to the skin for a long time. I like this, but I prefer the 06 version which has more honey/beeswax, a softer moss note, and also has a gorgeous incense scent running through, which I don’t get as much of in this one. I also find this version a little too manly for me, so I think I’ll sell/swap my decant and make the most of my bottle of Luperci 06.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? I have a bottle of 06, which I like enough so I think I’ll pass this decant on.

If you like this, try: Mandrake, Hetiarae, RM Renfield, Cathode, Gnome, Samhainophobia, Omen, the Wild Men of Jezirat Al Tennyn

[stellans]

OK, after reading all the reviews (old and new), I was really looking forward to this blend last night. It had all kinds of notes that I love, and well, I just really looked forward to smelling it all night.

 

What happened??? Where were the glorious notes of patchouli? Of honey (ok, beeswax)? Of juniper? I feel almost like I was sold a pig-in-a-poke!

 

In the imp: Vaguely pleasant, somewhat oil-scented. I know that sounds funny-peculiar, but it smells like oil, no other scent really apparent.

 

Wet on skin: Kind of floral, but still very vague. No throw at all, I have to really put my nose right on my skin. Not the kind of scent I was expecting, by a long shot..

 

Dry: This didn't ever really dry, but the scent (such as it was) was gone before I fell asleep.

 

Verdict: I'm going to try to find an imp from someone, because I just cannot believe what I tried last night is the same oil all of you wrote about, even the pans! I didn't smell much of anything, much less "men's aftershave," for instance. It's a mystery...

 

ETA: The above is reviewing the '07 blend.

 

OK, I've fallen in total love with the '06 version of this blend! It has the lovely dark patchouli that I love, and with wonderful green, herbal notes plus the muskiness...well. Let's just say this is really, really me, and I've so far managed to buy 3 bottles of it. That's how much I love it. I'm going to write a review for the '08 blend which I also love, but I'm going to make a separate entry for it.

Edited May 2, 2008 by stellans

[hipslike___cinderella]

Good lord, this is deep, sexy, warm and robust.

I agree with someone a couple of spots ahead of me... this is a classic patchouli-lovers DREAM. Perfect, thick, green patchouli, and a sidekick of juniper. I can see how this is being called supremely masculine; the juniper adds a classy, dapper feel, and yes, it's kinda like a good cologne. But I'm a lover of masculine scents, in general and on myself, and this is no exception. As this wears on, sadly I had a hard time placing any honey or beeswax (and I was really looking forward to it). I waited forever. BUT, this blend gets even more gorgeous over time in another direction; whatever East African musk is, IT IS LOVELY. My skin swells into this cloud of sexy, musky pathcouli.

 

This is A+. I'm a little uneasy over having only one lonely bottle of this, but I will covet it for sure.

[Extispex]

I was a little wary of such a strong patchouli note, and the phrase "down and dirty". I feared I might get the same 'barbeque pit' smell I get from Coil Serpent.

 

But in the bottle, I didn't smell any patchouli at all. Mostly juniper with just a whiff of fresh-turned earth and maybe something herby. (I have no idea what Samson-root smells like, but maybe thats the herby smell).

 

The second it hits my skin, dirt. Pure, fresh strong dirt. Surprising, but I kind of like it. It isn't the burnt dirt of Coiled Serpent, but something much purer.

 

The dirt smell lasts a split second, then fades to a wild and feral sex smell. The wolves come running and they're lookin' for love. The patchouli is there, but softened somewhat by the balsam, with the sharp, toothy bite of juniper and the grasping, hungry claw of musk.

 

As it dries, it sweetens into a honeyed musk, the lush and langorous after-play that follows an orgiastic romp in the forest.

 

"Sexy" isn't a word I use much, nor is it something I feel much since my divorce, but Luperci is 'sexy' and I feel kinda sexy wearing it. Kinda dirty. This one is definitely making its way to my top ten.

[elfmaiden]

The reviews here sold me on buying a bottle. I originally took a brief sniff from a bottle of a friend's of mine and didn't like it. Something got me started reading reviews and I grabbed a bottle after they came down from Will Call.

 

 

It's a weird love! I really am not fond of how this smells straight up from the bottle. It's so juniper and patchouli. On my skin it's very earthy and musky. I love it. It gets slowly sweeter as the hours go by (I generally amp sweeter smells). It is definitely a "down & dirty" scent! I think I'm slowly moving over to loving patchouli. hee hee.

 

Amazing blend and not for the those looking for something delicate.

 

Jenn