Every spring, around Valentine's Day, I look forward to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Lupercalia releases. They typically include a subseries called the Shungas that are based on old Japanese erotic art. The scent I'm reviewing today, Aristocratic Couple, is part of the 2015 Shunga series. (Click through with caution, as the bottle artwork shown on the BPAL site is not safe for work.)
Price: $24 for a 5 mL amber glass bottle of perfume oil with polyseal cap.
Samples: Not available for this scent.
(More details about price and shipping can be found in our Company Overview post about Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab.)
Description from the website: "Bourbon vanilla, preserved apricot, and cardamom."
When wet, this perfume has the mellow, sweet scent of dried apricots--there is a slight, mouthwatering tanginess to it, but it's a soft, full scent that lacks the juicy and almost green freshness of fresh apricots.
The sweet, smooth vanilla becomes more noticeable as the apricot topnote fades away a bit. It's not a terribly rich gourmand vanilla, but comes across as a smooth, creamy base underlying the apricot.
The cardamom doesn't smell especially strong to me--it's just present as a hint of spice, and I don't think I would have been able to identify which one without the scent notes--which is interesting since several reviewers on the BPAL forums said the cardamom was a dominant note on them. It seems like this note may vary a lot by individual or by the bottle.
The throw is rather weak--this perfume lingers very close to the skin, and the longevity isn't very high. It stays on the skin as a general sweetness several hours later, but the apricot becomes indistinct over time.
This is a light, fruity, and not particularly complex or sexy scent, but it smells absolutely delicious. If you're looking for a simple, almost one-note apricot perfume, I would definitely recommend this one.
For other reviews of Aristocratic Couple, you can also check out the BPAL forums or ethaisa.
Note: this scent is vegan.
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