BPAL: Lupercalia 2006: calikali

calikali

Feb 20, 2006 20:48

Khajuraho, 19 February 2006
This is honey and sandalwood on first application, with a strong floral note behind it. It's pretty and musky, but quite strong.

As it dries, I get more of a creamy floral note, though the honey and rose stays dominant in the blend. It's warm and golden, overall, and the sweetness isn't cloying so much as intriguing. I didn't expect to like this blend so much, but it's definitely a keeper.

Luperci, 30 January 2006
In the bottle and on first application, this is sweet honey and musk, with a hint of earthiness behind it. It's much lighter than I expected, and nothing about the blend screams patchouli or honey at me, and I was nervous about both of those notes.

As this dries, it retains the initial sweet earthiness, but it takes on an outdoorsy glow, golden and a little dry. It's very light on me, something I'd need to slather, but it's lovely close to the skin. It's really starting to grow on me.

Night's Pavilion, 20 February 2006
This wasn't really on my radar until I noticed a few reviews comparing this to Blue Moon, which I wouldn't have guessed from the description. Sure enough, on first application, I get a sweet cucumber note that is strongly reminiscent of Blue Moon.

As it dries, I begin to catch the lily--I'm not familiar with osmanthus, so I can't discern that note. The musk begins to come out as well, but the overall blend stays cool and sweet. There's a light smokiness behind it all that I suspect is the frankinscence. This is a lovely white floral on me, and definitely a keeper.

Parlement of Foules, 20 February 2006
At first, this is all resin, with barely detectable rose. Eek! I was hoping for more rose in this, as resins tend to make me sneeze.

As it dries, the resin mellows to a strong, golden glow, and the freshness of the rose starts to appear. Over time, the balance becomes more even, but the resins are always predominant on me. Alas!

The Perfumed Garden, 19 February 2006
What an odd scent--but in a good way! In the bottle, it's all apple peel to me, but on application, I get myrrh and musk, sweetened by apple. It's alternately cool and incensey when I sniff it, lovely in each, but never both at the same time. It's bright, but not warm. There's also a strong dollop of musk, to my nose, that's surprisingly animalistic.

I don't get strong jasmine, but it's definitely there. This is amazingly complex on me, lush and green and enchanting. I don't know what to make of it, but I'm definitely going to hang onto it until I figure it out.

Red Lantern, 30 January 2006
On first application, this does remind me of Misk U a little bit. There's rich, creamy caramel and a faint boozy note. The overall blend is rounded by the fruits--the black currant is what I notice first, but gradually, it's smoothed out by the coconut. They never take over the blend, though.

This is a light and sweet scent, but smoky as well, and complex enough that I'm hard-pressed to stop sniffing my wrist. It's not cloying, and it's not overpowering. It's warm and spicy, with the barest touch of cream. It's intoxicating. It's sensual. I love it.

Smut, 11 February 2006
In the bottle, this actually strikes me as kind of grape-ish. Weird. On first application, however, it's super-sweet, like coarse sugar melting behind my teeth. And I mean that in a really good way. *g* There's an echo of vanilla to the scent as well, though I can never pin it down long enough to say for certain.

As it dries, it gets earthier, but never loses its heady sweetness. Oddly, I don't get boozy notes from this at all--it's earthy musk and sugar, rolled into one. It's definitely a bold and slinky sort of scent, one that winks at you as it passes by. Brava!

Updated 20 February 2006.