Two-Barred Flasher

I was going to leave my new butterfly decants untouched until they would have recovered from their travels. This sounds like nonsense, perfume is not wine. Yet I have found new scents not very interesting at first try and then later discovered I loved them. However, Two-Barred Flasher did not agree and literally flowed out of its vial to make me try it.


This year's Metamorphosis was inspired by the butterflies in the Yucatan and Quintana Roo. The Two-Barred Flasher is a southern butterfly, this is about as much north as it will live. But let me introduce this butterfly to you the way the wikipedia page introduces it:

The Two-Barred Flasher (Astraptes fulgerator) is a cryptic species complex in the spread-wing skipper butterfly genus Astraptus.

If you understand what that means, you probably have a degree in biology. But fortunately wikipedia had links under all the cryptic parts so I can now tell you that a cryptic species complex is a group of different species (meaning they don't interbreed) that look very similar, and a spread-wing skipper butterfly is a butterfly that has quick darting flying habits (skippers) and that widely opens its wings when it basks (spread-wing) but closes them when it rests. 

The BPAL perfume is based on its appearance rather than on its biology, I would say. The notes are:

Orris root, lilac, galbanum, white tea, Italian bergamot, and blueberry.

From what I saw at the reviews the scent surprises most people, not only me. The drops that were spilled first smelled almost soapy to me, not bad, but not like something I would want to wear either. But once applied to my skin the smell changed. Which at first didn't make it better, as I smelled a cologne note and something that made me check back if there really wasn't any tobacco in this one. Of course it could still be in there, as there are only six notes mentioned, but at least it is not in the list. 
After a while all smoothed out and I smelled tea and orris root and perhaps something that must be the lilac. I don't think there is an essential oil of lilac and accords often smell different to my nose than they smell to most, but it could be there.


I'll give this one a second chance after it has really rested, the two-barred flasher really managed to get my attention.