BPAL reviews
My Yule order arrived today, along with two Luper scents that I ordered unsniffed because the listed notes were so persuasive; I am not disappointed!
TIME DOES NOT BRING RELIEF
Parma violet and leather accord with beeswax, Egyptian musk, orange blossom, white tea, lavender, myrrh, and copal.
Inspired by an Edna St.Vincent Millay poem, this is lovely, almost soothing. Wet, there's an initial hit of lavender, and the violet and musk are strong, but neither overbalances the other and somehow they work very well with the sharper tea and lavender notes. Beneath that, the leather is gentle: a ladies' fawn leather gloves, well worn, and the beeswax is sweet and mingled with the orange. It all mellows into a soft spring floral with rich resin underneath. I think this one will be a must-try for violet fans, and I suspect it will age very well.
THE ARBOR
Red musk, East African patchouli, tonka, white gardenia, black narcissus, champaca, Roman chamomile & massoia bark.
This one was more of a risk to me; while I have to watch gardenia and I'm sensitive to chamomile, it has many notes I love and it's inspired by a favourite Sappho poem. But this looks to be a winner, especially for red-musk lovers like me. The musk and patchouli are upfront and loud, but mellow quickly, allowing the flowers to rise: the gardenia and champaca are lush but nicely darkened by the narcissus). I get a hint of spicy woody cream (hello, tonka! massoia!); I suspect the late drydown will be a waltz between the musk and mossoia. I don't get the chamomile at all. Another one that will age well, I think.
Very well pleased with both these scents, and I suspect I'll be wearing TDNBR a lot this spring.
TIME DOES NOT BRING RELIEF
Parma violet and leather accord with beeswax, Egyptian musk, orange blossom, white tea, lavender, myrrh, and copal.
Inspired by an Edna St.Vincent Millay poem, this is lovely, almost soothing. Wet, there's an initial hit of lavender, and the violet and musk are strong, but neither overbalances the other and somehow they work very well with the sharper tea and lavender notes. Beneath that, the leather is gentle: a ladies' fawn leather gloves, well worn, and the beeswax is sweet and mingled with the orange. It all mellows into a soft spring floral with rich resin underneath. I think this one will be a must-try for violet fans, and I suspect it will age very well.
THE ARBOR
Red musk, East African patchouli, tonka, white gardenia, black narcissus, champaca, Roman chamomile & massoia bark.
This one was more of a risk to me; while I have to watch gardenia and I'm sensitive to chamomile, it has many notes I love and it's inspired by a favourite Sappho poem. But this looks to be a winner, especially for red-musk lovers like me. The musk and patchouli are upfront and loud, but mellow quickly, allowing the flowers to rise: the gardenia and champaca are lush but nicely darkened by the narcissus). I get a hint of spicy woody cream (hello, tonka! massoia!); I suspect the late drydown will be a waltz between the musk and mossoia. I don't get the chamomile at all. Another one that will age well, I think.
Very well pleased with both these scents, and I suspect I'll be wearing TDNBR a lot this spring.