BPAL: Lupercalia Pt. 1

[gwydion]

The Frimps:

CHEROKEE ROSE SINGLE NOTE (LE, Single Note):

In bottle: It’s definitely a rose, but it reminds me of heirloom rose species instead of the more modern ones. I mean it’s very much ROSE, but it has a hint of the spiciness I associate with carnation. There is no point in skin testing, given what my skin chemistry does to roses, but if you like rose, this would be a good sample to add to your collection.

ENVY (Sin and Salvation): (Company says: Green herbs slithering through mint, lime and lavender.)

In bottle: Peppermint dominant. The lime and lavender are cleverly designed soft support, but the mint makes it unwearable for me, alas.

INFERNO (Bewitching Brews): (Company says: The Dark Side of Fire: cinnamon, bitter almond, and neroli. Heavily spiced, torrid, and possibly conflagrant.)

In bottle: Cinnamon dominant, but the almond is quite strong as well, the Neroli is soft and is tying the stronger scents together. Wet: Extremely strong cinnamon with a touch of almond and the ghost of neroli. Dry: Cinnamon. Lots of cinnamon, with a touch of neroli.

JULIET (Illyria): (Company says: Sweet pea with stargazer lily, calla lily, heliotrope, honeysuckle, white musk and a touch of fresh pear.)

In bottle: A delicate floral melange led by heliotrope dancing on a canvas of musk with a touch of pear. Wet: Still heliotrope dominant, but the other florals are better differentiated, with the lilies a strong second. The musk continues pervasive but understated. The Sweet pea is support to the lilies. The pear is more an accent than a strong note in itself. Dry: soft, generic florals over lots of musk.

LAWFUL (RPG): (Company says: Rigid oak, blue chamomile, rhubarb, and fig leaf.

In bottle: Oak dominant, with lots of smoke. I am not familiar with either rhubarb or fig leaf, but I’m getting two distinct leafy garden scents, one sharp and one sweet, so I’m guessing that must be them. I am hesitant to label either. Anyway, they are gorgeous and fascinating with the oak, the sharper note enhancing the oak, the sweeter smoothing the blend. The chamomille is unfortunately pervasive, but is playing well with the other elements while in the bottle. Wet: Still Smokey oak dominant, the chamomile, which is second strongest supporting the smoke. The other plant elements are a bit overwhelmed, but present. I really wish I could smell them better as I like new smells. This is possibly the best use of chamomile I’ve encountered, but I’d still have liked less of it. Dry: Chamomile with rhubarb and fig leaf support. I’m still not and likely never will be a chamomile fan, but this really works to the point I can actually wear it. This may not sound like an endorsement but it is.

LEAR (Illyria): (Company says: A regal, commanding scent, but poignant. White cedarwood, blue sage and bay leaf.)

In bottle: This is lovely and surprisingly delicate in an outdoors sort of way. The cedar is the backbone of this scent, is gentle woodiness blending beautifully with the powerful sage note and the softer bay. Wet: The cedar is much more assertive on the skin and the effect is touch more wood shavings here. The sage is still second strongest and plays beautifully with the bay, but the separation of the cedar and sage puts them slightly t odds. It’s not fatal, merely slightly less ideal than in the bottle. I have hopes of it working out as it calms down. Dry: I was right about it settling down. There was a long middle phase where the balance was closer to the bottle. It’s also absolutely lovely on the dry down, the sage and cedar twining like lovers as they soften. This is a keeper!

PERSEPHONE (Excolo): (Company says: Beautiful, radiant daughter of Demeter... her loveliness was so exquisite that even Hell itself could not resist her. Pomegranate and rose.)

In bottle: The pomegranate is strongest and the rose goes really well with it. I would drink this in a heartbeat if it were juice. Unfortunately my skin does nasty things with rose, but if you want a good pomegranate with a touch of the floral, this is your fragrance.

QUEEN GERTRUDE (Illyria): (Company says: Imperial violet softened by wisteria and chrysanthemum, but edged with the regal iciness of delphinium.)

In bottle: This reminds me of floral pastilles. Violet dominent. I don’t know the other flowers well enough to tell you which is which as far as second and support. They are individually percievable and go together well with the violet. No skin test as I am a couple decades past being able to carry off violet, but it is pretty.

TRICK OR TREAT 2012 (LE, Halloweenie Soap): (Company says: The sticky sweet scent of candy corn!)

The lab frimped me a whole bar of soap! Previously, I have not been impressed with the soaps, but clearly the soap quality has dramatically increased since… 2007? Something like that. The soap is pleasant on the skin and if not as soft as zum, it also doesn’t melt as fast, so it’s a fair trade off: still comfortable to use but long lasting. Unlike the long ago soap I tried, this has reasonable throw, both dry and wet. Not knowing what it was meant to smell like when I opened it, I thought it was rather like sweeter, waxier play dough. Come to think of it, that’s not a bad description of candy corn, so it’s a fair cop. This is not a scent I’d have chosen for myself, but it’s pleasant enough and I’m happy enough to use it. While this isn’t the ideal scent to lure me back to BPAL soaps, the over all quality has convinced me that other soaps might be worth purchasing in future.

ULALUME (Bewitching Brews): (Company says: Starry white lilies lend an eerie brightness to the deep black wooded scents of cypress and oak, layered with a touch of crushed dried leaves and the faintest aquatic note.)

In bottle: Dried leaves dominant with strong cypress and oak support. The aquatic blends beautifully with the leaves and dirt. The lilies are indeed a bright strong note floating above the woody darkness of the autumn ground. This is absolutely lovely. Wet: The Leaves and the lily blend surprisingly well on the skin. It’s still leaves dominant, but the lilies raise the register the scent equivalent of at least an octave. It’s still a beautiful woody autumnal scent, but the lilies give it a will o’ the wisp feel. It’s a little odd on me, but that’s my skin chemistry. Wet: Damp leaves and loam.

Ordered:
ALIEN INVASION 2009 (LE, Dark Delicacies: Summer Blockbusters): (Company says: Slick, spiced space fruits and residual tentacle goo.)

In bottle: It’s fruit dominant with a pleasantly green abstract touch that works well as goo. The goo is less shrill here than say ectoplasm in the Paranorman series. I’m guess that grapefruit or a near relative is strongest among the fruit with maybe berries, starfruit, and/or and lime rounding it out. I say starfruit, but it could easily be a different exotic fruit I have little or no experience with. I ate a lot of starfruit in college, but that was the mid-90’s and I can’t swear to a flavour tasted so long ago. I’m liking iot so far, but worried about how well the citrus will play with my skin. Wet: Still Grapefruit dominant, with the green goo stronger on the skin. The fruit is less nuanced and now third strongest and the blend is now mildly spicy. It’s still quite pleasant. Dry: Soft, but lovely fruit with the e3xotic stronger than the maybe berries. I like it.

BELGIAN CHOCOLATE, HONEY, CUBEB BERRIES, BLACK MISSION FIG AND AVOCADO 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Box of Chocolates):

In bottle: This is the richest dark chocolate not I’ve ever smelled in a fragrance. The honey is strong support. I expected the cubeb berries to be peppery, but I’m getting a strong citrus vibe from this. I can’t swear it’s the cubeb, but I don’t see what else it could be except maybe avocado. There is something soft and avocado like tying things together, but I could be mistaken, not having smelled avocado in a fragrance before. The fig is soft support for the chocolate. Wet: It is actually peppery on the skin with the chocolate still dominant. It is still citrusy, but it’s softer and better blended. The honey and fig still go beautifully with the chocolate. It’s quite nice, and reminds me of the green tea ganache in a previous box of chocolates collection. Dry: Whatever is making the citrusy (avocado? Cubeb?) scent is strongest on the dry down. There is something berrylike and figlike in there. It’s pleasant enough, but hard to parse.

FRENCH TOBACCO 2013 (LE, Single Note): (Company says: This tobacco accord is soulful, earthy, and multifaceted: the scent reverberates like a deep bass note, possessing a very faint citrus-like twang and an almost animalic caramel richness.)

In bottle: Wow that is strong rich patchouli kissed tobacco. Animalistic richness sounds about right. The touch of citrus adds a lovely little sting. It is smoky and earthy. Wet: It breaks down a little on my skin, alas. The touch of citrus breaks out taking some of the accord elements with it. It still reads as tobacco, but it is less rich and smoky and more dissecting my father’s merit as a child to see what unburned cigarette tobacco smells like. (Look I was a weird kid who liked smells, okay?) Given a couple of minutes it reforms as a delightful woody tobacco scent that makes me think of quality cigar boxes, which works fine for me. The citrus settles down to a quiet tangy edge. I was a little worried at first, but I think this will be fine. Dry: mmmm… long lasting tobacco single note.

LEIPREACHAN 2009 (LE, Unreleased scents):

In bottle: This is an odd one. I’m having a hard time pinning it down. It vaguely reminds me of a fragrance my Mom used to wear in the ‘70’s, but I couldn’t tell you which one. I’m calling it musk dominant with a metallic second in support. There’s a well blended earthy leather ubiquitous but not calling attention to itself and a moss, I think. There’s a soft a green grassy note supporting the metallic that I’m going to call clover for thematic reasons and the ghost of a soft floral.. Wet: The metal is now strongest. Iron would be illogical, but it makes me think of that. The leather goes a bit plasticky like a Band-Aid and is now second strongest with the musk in strong support. I’m now getting resin rather than clover and florals. It’s interesting, but hasn’t much throw. Dry: Wow, the leather really comes out as the rest fades. I’d call musk a strong second, blending well with the leather. It’s still a touch plastic, but it’s faint and blends better. There’s a touch of something herbal, I think.

LURID (Bewitching Brews): (Company says: Shocking, horrific, fierce, savage, sensationalized, luminous and hazy: black currant, Bulgarian lavender and white musk with a dollop of thick resin and a voltaic charge of ozone notes.)

In bottle: The currant and musk are strongest. It’s a surprise to the nose, but a pleasant one. Rich, slightly sharp resin gives strong support, with the touch of lavender and ozone blending beautifully with the other elements. Wet: The musk is strongest with the currant falling back to dance with the resin. The lavender is a bit more noticeable while the ozone stays an accent rather than standing alone. This is very sexy and a bit decadent. Dry: This is long lasting and ends up mostly musk and resin with a touch of lavender. It’s a bit heavy for me, but would be sexy on someone with less natural musk.

MADAGASCAN VANILLA RUM 2013 (LE, Single Note): (Company says: A complex single note accord that melds pure bourbon vanilla with the scent of fermented molasses. The scent is dark, thick, sweet, heavy and rich, with a slight spicy smokiness.)

In bottle: This is mildly vanilla dominant. The smoky boozy deliciousness of bourbon and rum dances through it. Wet: The rum is now strongest, with the bourbon vanilla providing strong support. It perfectly evokes its concept. Omnomnom. Dry: It has lots of throw and maintains it’s qualities through most of the wear down process. The vanilla fades slightly faster, but really, this wears well.

MAYAN CHOCOLATE WITH ANNATTO SEED, ANAHEIM PEPPER, CINNAMON, AND VANILLA BEAN 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Box of Chocolates):

In bottle: Note bene: I have no previous exposure to annatto seed, so my review may be imprecise. This is lovely with a spicy chocolate affect. It is chocolate dominant. The pepper and I think annatto seed give it a strong peppery nutty scent with a surprisingly green feel. The cinnamon plays beautifully with the stronger pepper and annatto seed combination. The vanilla fills in the cracks between the chocolate and the spice. The composition is startling in its beauty. Wet: The vanilla comes out more on the skin. It is still chocolate dominant. The pepper and annatto separate more, but stay allied with cinnamon support. I think I love this. I’d never have thought to put Anaheim peppers with chocolate, but it works and the unusual scent of the annatto seeds is perfect here. Dry: Less foody on the dry down as the pepper and annatto linger longest. This changes like a sunset as it wears, revealing different combinations. Lovely.

QAERIS QUOT MIHI BASIATIONES 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Aeacidae Chiron, ego sum praeceptor Amoris): (Company says: Infinite kisses: white honey, red currant, sugar cane, and ginger.)

In bottle: Surprisingly light and sharp The ginger here is fresh and bright, doing a stunning dance with the honey and sugar cane. The red currant has a rich red sensual undertow. The ginger gives a sharpness to the sweet kisses dancing over the hard pull of desire. Perfect for the poem, really. Wet: It’s a little less peculiar on the skin, as the red currant finds a common cause with the honey and the ginger is less sharp. It’s still startling and it still embodies the poem beautifully, but somehow the balance is more sensual. I’d call it honey dominant with ginger and red currant second and the sugar cane providing soft support. Dry: Rather like a water color wash on the dry down. Red current stands out from the muddle of sweet. Less exciting than when fresh applied.

A THOUGHT FROM PROPERTIUS 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Aeacidae Chiron, ego sum praeceptor Amoris): (Company says: Sweet honey, white apricot, and a touch of cayenne pepper.)

In bottle: Apricot dominant, softened by a strong honey second. The touch of pepper gives it an interesting sharpness. Wet: The pepper is stronger on the skin and is fascinating with the dominant apricot note, adding a strong counter current to the flow of the sweeter elements. It’s almost floral, in an apricot flowers sort of way. It is nothing like my lost beloved, the March hare, being creamy and sharp rather than bright and spicy. I don’t mind as this has a unique sublime beauty of it’s own. Dry: Sweetly pretty honey kissed by pepper and a touch of apricot.

WOLF SPIDER 2012 (LE, Halloween: Arachnaphobia): (Company says: Tonka bean, patchouli, bourbon vanilla, Cuban tobacco, coconut, clary sage, galbanum, white musk, and chamomile.)

In bottle: I’m guessing the strongest note is the clary sage blending with galbanum and patchouli, as I’m not parsing it properly, but it seems sage adjacent, if that makes sense. I’m not sure I like it. Once I got over the initial shock, I could pick out the strong alliance of musk, tonksa, and vanilla. This is lovely and makes a sweet and beautiful setting for the herbal shock that is the centerpiece of the scent. Chamomile is supporting the herbs and I’m calling it third. The tobacco is ubiquitous and plays well with everybody else. The ghost of cocoanut haunts the vanilla/tonka/musk complex. It’s growing on me as I get used to it. Wet: The herbal elements separate more on the skin. I’m coming around to the clary sage/galbanum/chamomile alliance even though chamomile is not a friend to my skin chemistry. On my skin the effect is almost mossy and definitely sage dominant. The softening effect of the tonka and vanilla is understated, but lovely. The musk, patchouli, and tobacco are sexing it up. The coconut mostly supports the tonka and is more noticeable now. Dry: This is lovely on the dry down, with the herbal notes softening and playing better with the sweet. The musk is strongest and does a lovely dance with the surviving notes. From the bottle, I thought I’d hate this, but I kind of like it on my skin despite my long standing trouble with chamomille.

WHITE CHOCOLATE WITH MATE, HAZELNUT, AND BANANA CREAM. 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Box of Chocolates):

In bottle: Almost overwhelming on first sniff. I’m calling the banana cream nominal boss, but it’s doung a dance with the strong mate counter current. The white chocolate is powerful support to the banana cream while the hazelnut supports the mate. The swirling effect makes my head spin rather. Wet: So much banana cream. So much mate. The supporting notes are proportionally softer, but still noticeable. Dry: Mostly mate with a touch of white chocolate.


Winners: Madagascan Vanilla Rum, Mayan Chocolate etc., A Thought from Prospertus
Runners UP: Alien Invasion, Lear, French Tobacco