Jenjin Report post Posted September 16 (edited) Sweetness shadowed by danger: dark amber and ylang ylang gleams through smoky chestnut, cacao, mahogany, blackcurrant, and vanilla bean. She was slender, and wonderfully graceful. Except that her movements were languid—very languid—indeed, there was nothing in her appearance to indicate an invalid. Her complexion was rich and brilliant; her features were small and beautifully formed; her eyes large, dark, and lustrous; her hair was quite wonderful, I never saw hair so magnificently thick and long when it was down about her shoulders; I have often placed my hands under it, and laughed with wonder at its weight. It was exquisitely fine and soft, and in color a rich very dark brown, with something of gold. I loved to let it down, tumbling with its own weight, as, in her room, she lay back in her chair talking in her sweet low voice, I used to fold and braid it, and spread it out and play with it. Heavens! If I had but known all! Edited September 17 by Jenjin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
starbrow Report post Posted October 14 She's a dark, creamy mahogany in the bottle, with that little twang of ylang ylang winking from a masculine backdrop that's just shy of cologne. I don't get too many other notes from the bottle sniff! Once she's sprayed on, the tinge of sweetness emerges from the forbidding woods in a way that's not foodie but darkly sensual. Carmilla's hair gloss treads that androgynous line of tall dark and sexy regardless of gender. There's definitely danger here, and I think again it comes from the slightly discordant note of herbal ylang ylang plucking a tritone in the midst of familiar rich woody tones. I can smell more of the chestnut adding to the mahogany, and the dark amber plus the chestnut is probably responsible for the creaminess, but this is one that is so deeply blended, it really is hard to isolate notes, as I suspected. Like the cacao is just there to make things darker, not to make a chocolatey splash. I also don't get a big hit of blackcurrant, it's just swirled somewhere in there, revealed with a very close sniff in the later drydown. At first, I found Carmilla a little intimidating, even off-putting. It's a really different vibe for me. It stays dark and not very sweet to my nose, and stays smelling like danger and bad decisions rather than, you know, vanilla and cacao and amber comfort. However, I kept coming back to it night after night, spraying it in my hair to get another hit of danger. It doesn't linger past the 12 hour mark so far; she keeps you coming back for more. Subtly addictive. I've come to love it and am absolutely keeping at this stage! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Invidiana Report post Posted October 17 This is the smell of a shadowed room. Even the curtains are dark shades of amber and cacao and chestnut, with hardly a glimpse of light making it through. In the corner is an old mahogany piano that mysteriously plays itself, or maybe not so mysteriously, as a ghostly silhouette of ylang ylang and vanilla appears and disappears for fleeting moments. Enter this room and your daydreams will darken into the nightmares to come. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LavenderCoffee Report post Posted October 28 Carmilla is unexpectedly warm and earthy to me. Sensual, yes, but in a natural way as opposed to a vampiric way. An excellent interpretation of "rich very dark brown" hair "with something of gold" that I find quite accessible. I wasn't sure about the chestnut, and this is only my second time wearing it, so maybe it will change a bit, but none of the notes are sticking out especially. Seems like it will play really well with many of the perfume oils in the collection - I liked it the other day with You Are Mine, You Shall Be Mine, You and I Are One for Ever which also has the ylang ylang. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoseThornAndOak Report post Posted November 1 (edited) In the decant I get cacao vanilla woods with a touch of fresh clean floral amber surrounding. In my hair the fresh clean ylang ylang and amber comes out the most. There is a tad of black currant coming through. I don't really get smoke. Ultimately, I get a clean fruity floral amber that is feminine and pleasant. As of now, I don't need a full, but I'm hoping the cacao, vanilla, and mahogany come out more with age. Edited November 1 by RoseThornAndOak Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
