My well-beloved was stripped. Knowing my whim,
She wore her tinkling gems, but naught besides:
And showed such pride as, while her luck betides,
A sultan’s favored slave may show to him.
When it lets off its lively, crackling sound,
This blazing blend of metal crossed with stone
Gives me an ecstasy I’ve only known
Where league of sound and lustre can be found.
She let herself be loved: then, drowsy-eyed,
Smiled down from her high couch in languid ease.
My love was deep and gentle as the seas
And rose to her as to a cliff the tide.
My own approval of each dreamy pose,
Like a tamed tiger, cunningly she sighted:
And candour, with lubricity united,
Gave piquancy to every one she chose.
Her limbs and hips, burnished with changing lustres
Before my eyes, clairvoyant and serene,
Swanned themselves, undulating in their sheen;
Her breasts and belly, of my vine the clusters,
Like evil angels rose, my fancy twitting,
To kill the peace which over me she’d thrown,
And to disturb her from the crystal throne
Where, calm and solitary, she was sitting.
So swerved her pelvis that, in one design,
Antiope’s white rump it seemed to graft
To a boy’s torso, merging fore and aft.
The talc on her brown tan seemed half-divine.
The lamp resigned its dying flame. Within,
The hearth alone lit up the darkened air,
And every time it sighed a crimson flare
It drowned in blood that amber-coloured skin.
Skin musk and honey, blood-red rose, orange blossom, white peach, red apple, frankincense and myrrh.
twopeople007 –
The anise is front and centre when this first goes on my skin, until it dries and the cherry starts to come through, bringing a hint of sweetness with it. The musk makes for a subtle yet solid base. All up a good scent! Makes me think of fancy hardwood floors, all polished.
JuniperGaze –
At first sniff it is cherry starburst sweet with which the musk transforms into a tuberose redolence that is stunning and moreish.
After settling, it is cherry incense .. not smoky as such, but delightfully headshop-esque with a touch of that anise darkness to the composition anchored and fro becoming too loud, too animalic.
I really like this one and is probably one of my top five BPAL’s.. I’ll definitely be buying a FB.
It is fine for daytime but would make a great date night/night out scent, too!
Yekupa –
Among my favorite scents from BPAL, I had to buy the full size after my imp ran out. I was attracted by its blood red color when I got it as a frimp years ago and didn’t really start using it until recently and my partner adores it.
It’s complex, soft and sensual and makes me feel beautiful.
Elizabeth –
I did not care for this at first, but the cherry and anise really grew on me, in fact I like this better than Hideous Heart! It is sophisticated, sexy, and spicy-sweet.
Gloame –
Smells like cherry coke in the imp. Dries down to an incense-y licorice with a touch of cherry. If you like anise or licorice, give this one a shot.
mopsylemon –
Wet (on tester strip): musk, cherry, anise
Dry (on tester strip): musk, vanilla? …and rice?!
Wet (on skin): cherry, musk, anise
Dry (on skin): musk, rice, vanilla, cherry
What a strange, intoxicating scent! I am definitely smelling something almost…treacle-y, or like steamed rice with sugar on top. The cherry mellows out pretty quickly on my skin and the vanilla and musk become very prominent in the mix.
This is really nice and I wish I could enjoy the evolution of it because it smells like something very special, but it is giving me a terrible headache. So sad, but I’m very sensitive to certain smells, like vanilla.
On the plus side, it lingered even after a scrubbing so probably has great longevity!
jessecake –
Kabuki is a deep cherry scent with something kinda sickly-sweet in the background.
On dry down the cherry scent seems to fade and the musk/star anise step forward.
It isn’t a bad scent, just not right for me. I could see this smelling amazing on someone else.
Sara –
Cherries and anise, an unusual combination. Spicy, yet cool. Strong and long-lasting – the anise’s licorice scent lingers for hours.