BPAL: Lupercalia Pt. 2

[gwydion]

Ordered:

ANGRY CRAB 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Novel Ideas for Secret Amusements V): (Company says: Ambergris accord, kelp, pale oakmoss, sea buckthorn berry, mugwort, petitgrain, frankincense, and salt.)

In bottles: This is very sea vegetation. I don’t know several of these elements, which means I can’t tell you which of the plants is which. Just trust that it is beautifully blended and strangely sexy. The oakmoss complements to sea vegetables and salt beautifully. The frankincense is lovely here, well blended with the other elements and cleverly thought of. I’m not a frankincense fan, but this is perfect here. The ambergris is thematically appropriate and really sexes it up. Lovely. Wet: Sexily oceanic and cologne like. Sweet and touch bitter at the same time. It’s a beautiful poem with a metaphoric resonance to the original art. I’m not good with ocean scents anymore, but this is actually working for me, maybe because it’s rooted in the plants instead of being abstract ocean. It’s anchored in a way that an abstract isn’t. Dry: Oceany oakmoss cologne. I can just wear this. I think it would be complex and amazing on someone with different skin chemistry who can carry the sea plants longer in a more differentiated form.

CHINTAMANI-DHUPA 2013 (LE, Lupercalia): (Company says: Pound well together sandal-wood, Kunku, costus, Krishnaguru, Suvasika-puspha, white vala and the bark of the Deodaru pine; and, after reducing them to fine powder, mix it with honey and thoroughly dry. )

In bottles: A was not expecting apple. Like, a lot of apple. I am not familiar with most of these elements, so I’m going to have trouble tracking impressions to sources. Kunku should be turmeric or saffron and maybe alum. Costus is related to ginger. Krishnaguru appears to be related to basil. Suvasika-puspha and white vala are mysterious. One of these things could be apple adjacent, or it might be an accidental accord. This is lovely, juicy and pale. It makes me think of crisp apples and sandalwood dominant incense with soft spiciness appropriate to Kunku and costus. Wet: Ah, there is the pine. It is an unusual pine and I think it mike form part of the accidental accord with the honey and one or more mystery elements, that reads as floral. The accord separates and reforms on my skin, over nd over. The pale floral element is lovely here. I am generally getting more of what I suspect is the kunku here. The thing I think is costus is definitely more distinct. Just generally, the elements are easier to separate out as individuals on my skin. It is still lovely, but not as pretty as in the bottle. It has a more distinctly subcontinental and incense feel out in the wild. Dry: Mostly sandalwood with some pine and what smells like balsam to me and is likely one of the mystery notes.

DARK CHOCOLATE WITH WORMWOOD, FENNEL, SWEET FLAG, AND LEMON VERBENA, DUSTED WITH WHITE SUGAR. 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Box of Chocolates):

In bottles: Strong dark chocolate and lemon verbena. The smooth darkness of the chocoate contrasts beautifully with the sharp bright tang of the verbena. The sugar sweetens and softens it. I am not entirely sure what sweet flag smells like, but I’m betting it’s the soft grassy note in the background. The wormwood is dancing with the chocolate, understated, but adding an extra dimension to the stronger scent. Fennel ids equally understated, both dancing with the verbena, and through it’s ties to the wormwood, helping the sugar and flag to hold it all together. It’s interesting, but I m worried how my chemistry will blend if at all. Wet: The verbena may be a little too strong on my skin, pushing everything else more into the background, which loses the nuance. Given time to warm, the chocolate and sugar push back a little and the sweet flag comes out a little more than in the bottle. It’s heartbreaking in that if I didn’t amp the verbena, I’d be in love. I still would want to eat this if it were actual food. Dry: Really pretty with dark chocolate strongest, powdered sugar second, and sweet flag thir. If it had smelled like this all through, I’d be buying a bottle.

FEED ME AND FILL ME WITH PLEASURE 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Our Lady of Pain): (Company says: Black patchouli, honey, and thick vanilla amber.)

In bottle: Lot’s of patchouli. It’s not quite at the #Occupy level of intensity, but close. The vanilla amber and honey soften it a little, but I suspect this will be too much for me. Wet: The patchouli itself is on the more complex end of the patchouli scale, and I do like the way the vanilla amber plays with it, and the honey is soft and tangles pleasantly with the stronger notes. The vanilla amber is stronger on the skin, less overwhelmed, but still not strong enough for my tastes. I suspect this will improve with age. Dry: It develops a woody quality as it ages, which I find apealing. It also balances better as it wears, so that the amber comes out more as the patchouli mellows. Normally, I’d swap it, but I think I’ll age it a while and see if aging will make fresh more like the drydown.

A MIRROR OF SPRING PLEASURES ON KITES 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Novel Ideas for Secret Amusements V): (Company says: Hemp, white honey, amber, black currant, beeswax, and wild honeysuckle.)

In bottles: This is gorgeous in a pale early spring floral sort of way. The help, honey, and amber create a beautiful backdrop on which the delicate beauty of the honey suckle can shine. Black currant is a juicy and sweet undercurrent threading through the help and amber. The beeswax does a quiet humming dance with the honey. If you like honeysuckle, help, and honey, this is the blend for you. Wet: Really different on me as my skin brings out the amber, drastically altering the proportions. The honeysuckle/hemp alliance stays strong, as does the amber/honey/beeswax alliance, but now there is this powerful currant/amber nexus moving to the front and pushing the honeysuckle, hemp, and honey into second. It changes the feel. It’s lovely, but less unusual. Dry: Black currant and amber with a little hemp, and a touch of honey.

RIGOROUS LOVE 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Novel Ideas for Secret Amusements V): (Company says: Coconut, balsam, lemongrass, anise, vanilla orchid, mimosa.)

In bottles: This is really different. The coconut and balsam combine worth the lemongrass to create an effect I’m having trouble describing. It’s sort of tart and warm and toasty at the same time. The orchids and mimosa form a second strong faction, which goes really well with the balsam, which ties the factions together. The anise is soft and fun with the lemongrass. Wet: Lemongrass is now strongest, as my skin amps it. It is too strong really, though the coconut, balsam, and anise, try hard to hold firm. The flowers fade into a soft fuzzy background. It’s not bad even still, but there’s just too much lemongrass with my chemistry. Dry: Very pretty on the dry down. The lemongrass stays strongest, but calms down. Balsam is a strong second, with a touch of coconut and a kiss of florals.

VIVAMUS, MEA LESBIA, ATQUE AMEMUS 2013 (LE, Lupercalia): (Company says: Ethiopian ambrette seed, summer honey, Alpine lavender, cognac, mate resinoid, peru balsam, and red musk.)

In bottle: Fascinating. The lavender is quite strong, but there’s an ambrette, balsam, and musk faction that gives it a sensuous feel. The mate is unusual and gorgeous support to the lavender. The honey is ubiquitous and smoothes out the incense and musk faction. The cognac is understated but stunning as it plays with the honey and the mate. Wet: The balsam comes out stronger on the skin and starts arm wrestling the lavender for the dominant position. Red musk does much the same with the ambrette for the next most powerful spot. This is my skin chemistry at fault, as it does poorly with balsam and amps red musk. The more gentle elements get pushed into the background, which is unfortunate. I loved this in the bottle and my skin ruined it. Dry: Balsam mostly, with some musk.


Winners: None
Runners UP: