Rapture

[joseybird]

Sensual ecstasy, the blinding red fire of the apex of sexual pleasure: Moroccan rose, Sumatran rose, mandarin, Egyptian myrrh, night-blooming jasmine, bergamot and neroli thrust into Arabian musk.

A sharp blend of rose, manderin, and myrrh. I detect a soft bed of jasmine and musk, but the blend is still pretty sharp and gains a medicinal edge during drydown.

This one smells pretty generic on me =( Pity, considering that I like most of the notes.

[pekeana]

Rapture is rose, rose, rose -- but a spicy, warm rose. It melds with my skin and breathes musk, spice, and rose. Alas... again with the skin allergy to the rose, and I have a giant red welt where I slashed the back of my hand with the imp wand. I really love it, but I can't justify the pain for the pleasure.

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Roses, mandarin, and musk. Intersting blend.

 

First on: This has blended together perfectly, no one scent is standing out to me, and the roses didn't go all gross on me either. Yay!!

 

Drydown: The musk has become more prominant, and the mandarin dissappeared. If it had stayed in that first stage I would have loved it to death. Now I know it's just headed down that rotting rose scent path for me.

[rivergdss]

I received this yesterday in my first-ever batch of imps. I knew I liked rose - I still have a tiny bottle of rose oil that I received almost half a lifetime ago for my 16th birthday.

 

The rose smell came out strongly to my untrained nose. As it dried, I could detect something warm and woody. I keep wanting to say it's something between cinnamon and sandalwood. I suppose that's the myrrh or musk?

 

I remember someone compared it to an afterglow, and I have to agree - a warm, snuggling afterglow.

 

After 3 hours, it's a faint, pleasant smell. This is one I'll definitely wear again.

[Scarlettfish]

This is just absolutely gorgeous on me. Jasmine is the strongest note, but there is a lovely underlying citrus and rose smell to it. It is so sexy...I agree that it is like afterglow, as it almost does seem to 'glow' on the skin. Love, love, love this.

[Ankhet]

Rapture:

In the bottle: I'm getting the musk...

Wet: Still smell the musk, but also something else.. the neroli? Myrrh?

Drydown: The neroli is just about the only thing coming through now, with just a hint of the musk. I'll have to wait a bit longer to see it I like this one enough to keep, as I'm not really a flower-type girl, unless it involves vanilla. *grin*

Conclusion: sell?

ETA: DEFINITELY sell. It started stinging/burning. I think there's lilac in this one.

[BlackDahlia]

Oh, my GOSH...

 

I dearly adore rapture. I smell roses and the jasmine, easily. Very rich, warm and seductive. I really love this scent ~ even more than Hymn. It is a less innocent fragrance that Hymn ~ darker, more brooding and far more elegant. Perfect for night or day time use.

 

I will be wearing this tomorrow.

I think that this and Jack are my favorites.

 

Absolutely lovely and GORGEOUS.

Very seductive.

Mmmmmmm...

[Voleuse]

On first application, this is a strong jasmine, but it's quickly overtaken by a sweet tumble of roses and citrus. As the scent dries, I begin to detect the myrrh, and I think the musk as well.

 

After the initial bloom, the scent kind of fades on me, and becomes a quiet, complex floral. The sweetness, by that point, is almost completely gone. This is a warm and languid scent, but I much prefer the way it smells in the vial.

[jazlyn]

Oo la la. Rapture is quite romantic and lovely... musky rose and jasmine with a bit of mandarin. While wearing this, I think of deserts and oases and of the movie Aladdin

[Chrysantza]

I swapped for this one.

 

In the bottle: Sweet blend of neroli, jasmine and rose with a spicy bite (the myrrh?).

 

On me: Starts off strong and sweet, dries down to a flowers-on-skin smell. The mandarin does NOT go sour on me (yay), and the myrrh does NOT amp up. It's a sultry, sexy, red-velvet-dress scent.

 

The only drawback is that it has faded rather fast; however, I'm about the worst scent-eater around and it's more remarkable if a scent does NOT fade on me.

 

Verdict: A winner! Bottle-worthy if I have any cash to spare after getting all those LE's.

[cupide430]

Rapture

 

A touch herbal and sharp at first and then straight into a powdery soft floral. This is actually quite a better on me than I thought it would be after reading what's in it. Neroli and rose don't usually work on me. I'm not having the usual problems with those, so that's a plus. I think that it is the Arabian Musk which is saving this as I am a musk fiend lately. Yum.

Edited January 22, 2006 by cupide430

[PirateMaggie]

This was a frimp from the Lab in the order I received today (the Lab was incredibly generous--in addition to the four big bottles I ordered, they sent me eight frimps). Because this is the one that spilled on my hand while opening the vial to take a whiff, this is getting reviewed first.

 

In the imp, I really wasn't sure what to make of it. It smelled very strong and harsh and almost headache-inducing, like the perfume section at a department store. Very "perfumey." Not "me" at all.

 

Wet--I'm not getting any of the rose or neroli; the jasmine and musk are both screaming and jumping up and down for attention. The jasmine is doing that unfortunate overpowering baby-powder thing and the musk is cloying.

 

On the drydown--this is nice. The jasmine has faded into the background; it's stopped smelling powdery and started smelling like fresh jasmine in the humidity. When I lived in New Orleans, the yard of one building I lived in had jasmine growing; on drydown the jasmine in this scent reminds me of early evening in summer, sitting on the balcony and enjoying the warm moist breezes off the river. I'm still not getting any rose, but the bergamot, neroli and myrrh have come out to play and toned the musk down into something gentle and sensual and mellow.

 

This blend was a horror when wet, but after about twenty minutes, it begins to smell soft and warm. This is an incredibly elegant, regal scent--not for everyday, but perfect for a dressy candle-lit dinner with a special someone or a formal party. It smells like my idea of a high-quality non-chemical "perfumey" perfume. (Which, come to think of it, it is!) I'm so glad I gave this a chance and didn't run screaming to wash it off. Thank you, Lab, for giving me a sample.

 

edited on 02/13.06 to add: I take back what I said about this blend being a horror when wet. When I first reviewed this, I was not an everyday perfume-wearer and was a bit tweaked about smelling something other than myself on me. My skin chemistry must have been really off that day, or maybe this is one of those blends that needs to age in order for its full beauty to come out. Now, when I put Rapture on, I immediately smell a nice round blend of all the notes, which get warmer and rounder as it dries--like my skin but better. The jasmine and musk no longer want to pummel all those present, but mingle nicely with the rest of the blend application. It's a scent that inspires confidence without brashness, grace, and a relaxed sense of presence. This and Hell's Belle are the only two musk blends I've encountered that my skin doesn't turn into "ew, I forgot deodorant." This is quickly becoming a signature scent and I have a big bottle on the way.

Edited February 13, 2006 by PirateMaggie

[LadyWilde]

Another generous frimp from the Lab. . .thanks!

 

All Jasmine, all the time, imp to drydown and beyond. Unlike, say, Venice, which also went all jasmine-y, Rapture never turned to soap. Not bad, really, and the second jasmine scent I've tried in the past couple of days (Ave Maria Gratia Plena being the other one) that I can actually wear without feeling like I'm knocking myself or others over the head with overwhelming jasmine-ness. This is a soft, sweetly floral, romantic jasmine. I don't need a bottle, but I'll hang on to the imp for the days when I feel extra-girly.

 

I think the imp will last me a while.

[Musamea]

In the imp: roses, tinged with jasmine and mandarin

 

Wet: Roses vying with jasmine… I really hope the rose or the mandarin wins out, as I'm completely unable to wear the Lab's jasmine (though my skin just LOVES it and tries to amp it up at every opportunity *shakes head in confusion*). I can recognize this rose as the Moroccan rose that Beth also uses in Harlot -- it gives me a slightly scorched scent, which I'm not too crazy about

 

Dry: Wow, finally a Lab blend with a jasmine that doesn't overwhelm me! Unfortunately, the final notes I get out of this are actually thick myrrh and musk, which make the scent a very generic, department store perfume.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: lots of rose and citrus.

on: a lovely floral bouquet with a bit of sharpness from the bergamot.

1 hour later: soft and a bit sweet. i think i get a hint of jasmine.

2 hours later: very, very soft. a green floral.

4 hours later: still very soft and green.

overall: this is pretty. i'm not sure what else to say. hehe...

[AlaskaSnows]

I find this curiously cool, pale and remote for something called Rapture. For me this is a light, cool rose on a bed of soft musk. Very "cool night air" feeling. Maybe a bit too much musk for me.

[Medici]

In the imp: Neroli, myrrh and musky musk musk.

 

Wet: Much the same, with a hint of rose and a weee bit of citrus.

 

Drydown: Jasmine finally makes an appearance, but at this point, its all swirling together happily and its become difficult to pick out any particular note. The roses do gain some amperage here, but they're forcing this blend into the sort of floral that I don't really care for. It's beautiful, though - just not for me. It's a bit on the heavy side.

 

Verdict: Gorgeous, but not me at all.

[PilotKitten]

Rose, rose, rose and jasmine. Need I say more?

[brownbear]

The myrrh keeps the jasmine from totally taking over. It is still a bit strong and weird on my skin though. Before that happened, it was very pretty and orangey and floral. oh well

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 0/5

Summarised in a word or two: Rose.

 

Preconceived notions: Rose, rose, myrrh, and neroli? I'm curious, but wary.

 

In the imp: Rose! Citrusy, sour rose.

 

On skin, wet: Rose and jasmine. Very incensey, dry and dusty.

 

On skin, dry: Musky rose and jasmine. Flat, un-remarkable and just plain unpleasant to me.

 

Conclusion/Notes: Rose notes are the bane of my BPAL-related existance, yet as I really do like fresh rose scents, I keep trying these, and they keep bombing. Damn it all.

[juniperus]

Bottle: initially all I get are the florals, further sniffing leads me to detect the mandarin note, but none ofthe others.

Wet: erg. slightly soapy. hoe it passes. I can catch the bergamot (maybe that's leading me to fear soap?), but the floral still presides with a firm hand.

Dry: yep, soap. very pretty floral soap. so sad. no musk, no myrrh, no hope.

Later: for me, sexual ecstasy is extremely clean and soapy-smelling. it's like 50's beach party clean. with ukuleles.

[WidgetAlley]

Frimp from the Lab. The sweet, sweet Lab. I already know this isn't going to work on me, since mandarin tends to turn to slick, orange baby-powder, and nothing goes to soap faster than rose.... but "thrust into Arabian musk!" A tiny spark of hope burns deep within my soul, contrary to all previous experience.

 

In the Imp: Whoa, weird. Cleanser? Soap? A citrus-floral, surprisingly delicate, with the smooth background of Arabian musk that I liked so much in Othello, but the overall effect is very.... it smells like a cross between a really good soap and a really good, light cocktail. Honestly. There's a hint of Sweet Tarts, too, from the neroli. It's nowhere near as bad as my nose makes it sound, though.

 

Wet: Light, tartly orange... soap. With a hint of lovely, watery jasmine, over a bed of transparent musk. No myrrh, which might help ground things, and no detectable bergamot, which is too bad. I think I'd really like it if my soap smelled like this, but on my wrist...?

 

Dry: Fading already! I just don't get the richness other people are describing. To me it smells kind of thin and generic... probably a side effect of the damn roses! *sigh* Oh well. You can't win them all. To the swaps with ye!

[Melantha]

Hmm. Maybe there's something wrong with my imp.... I could barely smell anything at all.

[Eunice]

This is lovely! Musk, jasmine and rose but no one scent is overpowering the others. The scent is so heady and adult. I used to think of florals as a girly, young scent but the Lab makes florals smell mature. Rapture is not exception. This is incredibly sexy.

[provocateur]

in bottle: Sharp floral

on skin, wet: floral with mandarin. It's citrusy.

 

on skin, dry: Very sharp, yet undistinct floral.

 

conclusion: while i'm surprised that neither the rose nor the jasmine came out and tried to kill each other (they have a tendency to do that with me) I couldn't really find anything I liked about this blend 1/5