Khajuraho

[gangstaknitta]

The fabled Khajuraho temples of India are shrines of love in all its myriad forms. They are a celebration of love itself -- transcendental, spiritual and erotic. This is a rejection of sorrow, spiritual ennui and despair. The sexual motifs that adorn the temples, and the temples themselves, are monuments to ecstasy and to passion, and through that, they are also monuments to spiritual fulfillment. It is believed that the realization of moksha by dedicating oneself to adhyatma and dharma can be attained only by first experiencing sexual satisfaction. In the midst of the drudgery and struggle that we sometimes endure during the course of our Earthly lives, it is vitally important that we remember the joy found in kama, and that in kama we can achieve transformation of the body and soul. This is a blissful, euphoric blend based on an ancient Indian love potion: honey, date palm, tuberose, davana blossom, amber, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, Damask rose, and champaca flower.

I'm the first to review this one!

Before we begin, I would like to note that on the forum, it's spelled "Khajuraho" but it says "Khajurajo" on my bottle.

In the bottle it smells very woodsy--more sandalwood than anything else. Same goes for initial application, but then the rose starts to come out. Something about it smells a little bit tropical to me--it may be the tuberose (which does funny things on me) but I don't know what some of the other notes even smell like. As it starts to dry, the sandalwood fades to a more comfortable "throw" and the earthy sweetness of honey comes out. This blend is very complex. I'm going to keep testing it but so far I like it!

[kimmer]

I purchased this one based mainly on the foody aspects (honey, date palm(?), vanilla bean).

 

My body chemistry seems to bring out the florals, particularly the tuberose.

 

Slightly off topic - is tuberose the same flower as stephanotis? This blend reminds me very much of my wedding boquet, which was primarily roses and stephanotis.

 

In any event, this one is a lovely warm floral blend (but I think I'm going to have to stick with the Smut )

[TheMuses]

I purchased this because I was actully in Khajuraho last year around Vaentines Day and could NOT pass up buying a bottle to bring back my fond memories of India.

 

IMAGES:

Picture of my bottle * Note the mispelling on the label: Khajurajo

[Warning 18+] Picture I took in India of the actual statue used on the label. (It's the top one.)

 

REVIEW:

Wet: Wow..ok, starts out strong and musky and oh, so very exotic. But it is subtle so I slather more on to really get a feel for the scent.

 

Dry Down: 10 minutes later it sweetens and becomes less musky and more perfumy. There is this end note that sorta reminds me of something in Aunt Caroline Joy Mojo. But alas, since there are no notes listed for ACJM I don't know which ingredient is potentially mutual. But maybe this is my association for the “blissful, euphoric” aspect of this scent. And by golly it is!

 

Complexity: This oil is very well layered. Other than the first second it goes on, once it settles on the skin none of the notes fight with each other. But neither can I pick out any of the notes individually.

 

Overall: It is lovely; earthy and sweet and everything nice. Thankfully whatever florals may be here lurk in the background and support this blend, not overtake it. Low throw on me as it sticks close to the skin. I’m glad I have a bottle. Every now and then a girl needs a subtle, comforting, happy, exotic scent to call her own.

 

* Sticks nose to wrist...inhales.....ah heaven. *

Edited January 30, 2006 by TheMuses

[Tramp]

Khajurajo - you are breaking my heart here. I thought I would be safe from the roses because of all the other yummy scents piled on top of it but alas it is not to be. On my this smells like burnt plastic, maybe microwaved plastic. Despite the horror of that I get whiffs of a really pretty honey sandalwood scent that would be nice if it were not for the evil roses.

 

To the roses all I can say is (in homage to my avatar) "you bastards!"

[UltraViolet]

In the bottle

Sweet mother of God I don't think I can take much more of this much goodness.

On

It would seem this is now the 3rd BPAL rose blend (only) that I like, and which likes me. I've smelled the sn Tuberose and it isn't real primary in here to my nose (yay).

This is such a different blend than any bpal blend I've tried. There is no blend to compare this to. It's so beautiful. I would say Khajurajo and Night's Pavilion are in the lead for best Lupercalia blends, with Luperci and Smut tuied for 3rd best IMO.

How is it possible that I don't smell rose in here? Just lucky I guess.

30 minutes

Nose twins: This is a six-bottle scent (as Night's P is too I believe).

It smells like light, vanilla sugared sunshine with a vague creamy floral in the background. Dries down to a totally tropical smelling blend.

I've never smelled date palm nor davana blossom nor champaca so I can only imagine these are what I'm smelling.

Throw:

average, you really have to put your nose to your skin to get at the goodness.

Scent category:

foody/floral/incense/resin

Summary

Foody incensey floral. Very different and surpringly out of this world fantastic on my skin.

Khajurajo/Night's Pavilion/Smut/Luperci are all multiple bottle blends. You've created a handful of absolutely classic blends Beth.

Purchase again?

Yes!

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4.5

[spanishviolet]

Sandalwood and very white florals. First on, I'm a little worried, but it's warming up by the second and now I can smell hints of honey & some of the beautiful tuberose that worked so well on me in Dia de los Muertos ... Yum. It's sticking close to the skin, but is definitely worth frequent wrist-sniffing. I love it more with each whiff!

[aedes]

I'm blown away by the beauty of this scent. It's a complex, rapturous work that comes in stages. I agree that the initial smell is, I think, sandalwood and heady white flowers, then sweetness emerges, pink and golden flowers bloom, evolving into the lasting aroma of vanilla, honey, and a symphony of blossoms. It can be heady in its initial stages, but as it dries, this really becomes what I think Paradise would smell like. The vanilla also doesn't hog the stage, which is unusual for me. It plays nicely with the other scents and doesn't smell like I doused myself in vanilla extract. For this and Perfumed Garden especially, I really have to congraulate Beth.

 

PS - I love the bottle designs, too! They're just gorgeous!

[ivyandpeony]

So beautiful! This blend is very floral on me, but I adore florals so I find that wonderful. Tuberose is one of my favorite notes ever, and I do pick that up, but there are other gorgeous floral notes here that I am not familar with. Most likely those are the davana blossom and champaca flower - the overall effect is a lush, tropical, white floral topnote. The florals are anchored by something sweet and a little woody - perhaps the combination of the amber, honey, sandalwood and vanilla. The effect is positively intoxicating. A multiple bottle candidate in every way!

[paradoxicaljlb]

On the skin the florals bloom right away; it reminds me a bit of Delight. Tuberose is definitely present. Whiffs alternate between florals and incense...lit incense, as I'm picking up just the tiniest suggestion of smoke. Could be my imagination, but the smokiness is completely plesant. Warm, musky. Ok, Maybe just a teensy bit heady.

 

Thirty minutes or so after application and it's becoming sweeter and more subdued by the minute, but I'm still getting the aforementioned whiffs. Amber and vanilla are coming out to play. Now the smell is creamier, milkier, honeyed. An incensey moist white warm vanilla exotic floral orgy has commenced, as promised.

 

Throw is strong initially but as it fades it clings more closely to the skin. Khajuraho is absolutely seductive. When I run out of it and die from hearbreak they will have to pry the empty bottle from my cold, dead hands.

Edited January 31, 2006 by paradoxicaljlb

[themerrybaker]

Love At First Sniff:

 

Maybe something green (palm?) in the bottle, but dry a very well balanced. First 10 minutes: amber, honey, vanilla, floral (no overpowering rose). After about 15 minutes the herbaceous notes start to kick in. This is not overpoweringly sweet and just wonderfully complex.

 

Would be on my top 10 if I weren't a lazy slob who just posted one.

[LiberAmoris]

Khajuraho is like incense in heaven. White flowers, tuberose, and sandalwood, all sweetened with the vanilla and honey and amber. The longer this wears on my skin, the more gorgeous it becomes. Sandalwood is not always my favorite note, but it stays in check and does not take over.

 

This is exotic and seductive, but I can also see myself reaching for it when I want something after a long and tiring day. It's very relaxing. The longer I wear it, the more the vanilla comes out. It gets lighter and lighter, like it's drifting away and taking me with it. Some combination of the notes is coming across as strawberry to me, and that's a good thing.

 

Meditational and sensual. It's an amazing combination.

[lysithea]

At first, this is exotic woodsy spice - along the vein of Morocco perhaps - but it softens up to a honey sandalwood scent. It has a particularly "waxy" or candle-like feel on my skin. I can't really explain that oddity. The throw is medium -to- low as it sticks mostly to the skin. I didn't pick up too many of the florals. I could tell they were there, but nothing struck me as identifiable. It is balanced and complex. There is a slight smokiness and incense feel in the bottom notes.

 

A nice complement to both Red Lantern and Smut. This is their quieter, sexy cousin.

[gingersnapp]

At first, I could smell similarities to Snake Oil. It was smooth and spicy and liquid sex in a bottle. But as it's dried, there came this sickly sweet rancid fruit smell, and I don't know what that is.

 

I'm hoping this mellows and morphs as it continues to dry. Either that or I just need to age it a little bit. I'm not ready to give up on this blend just yet.

[Diana]

In the bottle, it smells Nag Champa-ish. Resiny.

 

Wet, the sandalwood is the prominent note.

 

As it dries, it smells like spicy sandalwood incense. Just a touch of floral notes in the background. I love this blend!

[Macha]

When I first put this on, it is all sandalwood and incense, and very much reminds me of walking into the Psychic Eye on Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley, or any other occult/metaphysical bookstore of the same type.

 

Ah, how quickly that changes.

 

I have a peculiar relationship with honey, you see. I may have mentioned that before. I can't wear "O" or well, really any strongly honey fragrance. It doesn't just amplify on my skin, but goes very very rank and nasty. So there are a few BPAL fragrances that I have simply resigned myself to never being able to properly experience, and while I ordered Khajuraho, I certainly didn't expect it would work on me.

 

So about 5 minutes after application, when my skin started to amp the honey, I assumed that was pretty much the end of it. But I must admit: Khajuraho surprised me. Yes, it does turn into sweet honey on me, almost single-note in strength, but to my amazement, it did not turn rancid. This honey is evidentally grounded enough by the florals and sandalwood to stay lovely, sweet and fresh.

 

Basically, Khajuraho seems to be a honey alternative to "O" that I can actually wear, which makes me very, very happy.

[Thorne]

Elegantly, divinely beautiful. This is almost purely sandalwood, amber, and honey on me, and I am absolutely ok with that.

 

When I was young, my father's best friend was from India, and we spent a lot of time at his apartment. I loved it there, because it always smelled so great, curry and incense and so different from most everywhere else I'd ever been. Khajuraho smells very much like the Indian incense he used to burn.

[rhubarbbear]

in the bottle: oh ick!! really?? medicinal and sharp and just plain not pretty.

 

but i perservered, and put it on.

 

it softened right away, thankfully! the amber came out and i think i've finally realized that amber and i don't really get along. within five minutes, however, the amber had faded and the florals were out, along with some honey. when everything settled down, i had a lovely, creamy floral (mainly tuberose) over a base of incense.

 

very pretty and exotic...but i'm not sure it's very "me"- not a scent that really melds with my skin.

[sookster]

honeyed amber and sandalwood are the notes

that immediately pop out...thick and rich....incensey and spicy as well....

this is one that evokes images of egypt to me....as it

melds with my chemistry this just keeps getting more and more complex; beautiful.

beth's honey notes are winners with me and this is no exception....

i am elated that i made this purchase and will cherish my bottle with

all my heart and soul......

[slave1]

In Bottle: Woody floral

 

On Skin: The sandalwood jumps off my wrist followed by some extreme florals. This scent is quite strong at first. The rose is quite noticable, a bit tart. The honey is there, but sweetening the background, not the actual dominant notes. After 10 minutes, it still seems to be quite woody and floral, not really me. It also takes on a slightly green note which is pretty and lightens the scent up a bit. This is a very pretty feminine scent. It’s quite heady so I prefer small whiffs instead of breathing it in deeply.

[empi girl]

Alas, Khajuraho is not for me. I had great hopes, and wanted to get the tuberose and honey combination that some seem to get.

 

I get a thick, fairly heavy, slightly perfumy incense. The tuberose is present underneath it all for about 30 seconds, then it is gone. I don't smell rose at all. What I seem to get is some honey and sandalwood (I assume this is the "incensy" note), over traces of baby powder (probably the amber). Plus it makes my head ache a bit. It is nice, but not me, and I am definitely a little sad about this one.

 

So, off to swaps, and with another bottle coming, that will be off to swap too.

Edited February 4, 2006 by empi girl

[Little Bird]

At first, the main thing that I smell in this blend is the sandalwood. It is a spicy wooden scent. After a few minutes, the sharp tuberose comes out and starts making my head ache.

 

Sandalwood, perfumery tuberose, and a golden powdery amber. It stays pretty true to that as well. The tuberose calms down a bit after 15 minutes or so (thankfully) but this still has a very perfumey floral scent going on. The sandalwood stays in the background, and the amber rounds out the blend. Khajuraho has a lot of throw and is really overpowering on me.

 

I don't like florals or amber. This one gives me a headache.

Edited February 4, 2006 by Blood onmy hands

[zenvodunista]

i should note that sometimes sandalwood makes a weird b/o thing on me, and sadly, that happens here. however, because of this update, i now know that white sandalwood is not great, but indian sandawood is. so that's a blessing.

 

Khajuraho is far less sweet than i worried it would be. it's masterfully blended, and has some kind of bitter herbal that keeps the sweetness of the vanilla, tuberose, and honey, from becoming overwhelming. if my skin didn't make the white sandalwood become somewhat funky, i'd be in love.

 

n.

[amrita]

Wet, I smell tuberose, champaca, and high dry sandalwood. This is so beautiful and unusual! I think this might be an exotic floral that I can actually wear. On the drydown, the florals fade back a bit and the notes balance. I do eventually smell vanilla, but I never get honey or amber. Another missing note is the Damask rose-- I was fearful of the rose but don't detect it at all. I think this is just a really well balanced oil.

 

Khajuraho tugs at my emotions. It makes me feel nostalgic, peaceful, hopeful, and loving. *happy sigh*

[shelldoo]

in the bottle:hmm not what i expected. it almost smells a bit smokey or like campfire. definitely not expected

 

wet: on it becomes a bit floral, tuberose for sure the gritty smoke like smell fades so fast.

 

as it dries it mellows a bit and becomes a sweet fresh floral w/ an incensy backdrop that just peeks in occassionally.

Edited February 5, 2006 by shelldoo

[desu]

In the bottle: I can't pick out any one note whiel sniffing. It's just pure blissful, exotic love to my olfactory nerves.

 

On my skin: Still can't pick anything out yet -- wonderful! It's a dreamy, heavy-lidded delight on my skin. I'm so glad I have another bottle on the way. I was a little wary of trying this one due to the rose notes (rose = SOAP on me), but the two in this blend are behaving splendidly so far.

 

Later on: The amber becomes more prominent now, turning a little powdery, but overall, this one is still delicious.