Dorian

[kbrighton]

Inspired by and created for my beloved Tedwin: my eternal, beautiful, wicked Dorian Gray. Refined, elegant, and lovely, with a noble bearing and seemingly gentle air. This blend is an artful deception: a sweet gilded blossom lying over a twisted and corrupted core. A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea.

Oh Dorian, everyone else seems to love you so, why don't you love me?

I suppose I should not be surprised since I'm not crazy about tea as a drink, and lemon can go terribly wrong on me. This was super sweet and strong, hot dark tea with 5 heaping teaspoons of sugar.

[ClareDeLune]

I ordered this for my husband to try out because I read this

This is like having a cup of strong but sweet tea laced with a hint of lemon in a posh Victorian parlor whilst sitting opposite a very civilised Victoran gentleman. And as soon as the maid serving the tea is gone, this proper Victoran gentleman fucks you six ways from Sunday.

and it made me think of the Mister.

Anyways, I couldn't resist sneaking a quick smell...

 

... and I think I had an orgasm.

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. But I definitely DID exclaim "Oh God" and go a little cross eyed.

 

I'll add more once it's officially been tested.

[liquidtrance]

- In bottle, really nice. Too nice to believe?

On skin, initially.. This is amazing. Musky, yes.. But the vanilla tea keeps it real. We'll see how it dries.. Has the potential to get too musky.

This isn't -totally- dry yet, but its close. It's still musky, but there's a good balance of the 'vanilla tea' It is slightly masculine. There's a little twinge of something sharp to the tea, as well. Overall, though, this is lovely. Would certainly consider a bottle.

[Gardenia]

This is like having a cup of strong but sweet tea laced with a hint of lemon in a posh Victorian parlor whilst sitting opposite a very civilised Victoran gentleman. And as soon as the maid serving the tea is gone, this proper Victoran gentleman fucks you six ways from Sunday.

 

Ya know.. I don't think I could beat this review. It pretty much sums Dorian up nicely!

 

The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of my favorite books, so I knew I had to try this, and honestly, it was so long ago, I don't know why my review never made it here! I make my man wear this (yeah, alright, I wear it also at times ) , because very masculine scents just don't work out on him.. but this, this is elegant and light, and still slightly masculine at the same time. The tea is the main note on him, it's black tea but the sugar and vanilla keep it from being too strong. It's only slightly musky, just enough to add a bit of interest to the background of the scent. Perfect!

 

Not to mention, holy crap does this have staying power. It lasts for over 24 hours on the both of us. I wore it to bed one night, and the bed smelled of Dorian for a good while as well.. ahh.. now that's a good way to drift off to sleep..

[Yoginispirit]

oooo. So THIS is what everyone's been talking about. I don't have much luck with the 'popular' scents but this one is DELICIOUS.

 

On me it's all lemon cake. I don't know why but it is. A perfect slice of lemon cake with vanilla frosting. I smell only a hint of musk. Great lasting time and perfect amount of throw. And it doesn't turn bad or fade on me! So happy with this one. If only I could slather it on the boy. His chemistry tends to turn scents femanine but its worth a try.

 

Truly lovely scent and will join my rainy day collection with Annubis and Jezebel.

[sweetpessimism]

In the bottle: Clear in color. Scent - Mmm.. Sugared tea! Emphasis on the sugar. Very sweet, almost innocent.

 

Wet on skin: Something sharper is coming out. Like Dorian awakening to the world. Still very tea-like, in a good way.

 

Upon re-reading lab description: Precisely! Definitely musk with sugared vanilla tea.

 

On the drydown: Hmm, much darker.. But there's still a hint of tea in there! This is awesome - it's precisely what I would want out of a Dorian scent! And the scent goes through the stages of his story as well! Starts off sweet and innocent, then his worldview is pierced.. And corruption bleeds in.

 

A keeper for sure!

[Evengloam]

Bottle: Oh god. This smells delicious. And it's sexy! Definitely can smell the sugared vanilla tea spiked with lemon. It even makes me a bit thirsty, and my mouth a bit dry as if it were real tea. My reaction to it actually amuses me in a way, because it makes me think of how Hallward intially felt about Dorian.

 

Wet: More dark than it was in the bottle; more than likely the musks. Dorian is becoming corrupt.

 

Dry-down: A light, sweet musk. I and others near me can still smell it, though. Still in love. No more lemon, but I can't really complain. The tea has made a disappearing act and I'm a bit sad about that, though.

 

1 hour in: Here's the weird part. On my wrists, I apply it both on the inner and outer (the bony) sides. Dorian is a lot softer on my inner wrists. On my outer wrists, it's much more noticable and I can smell the tea again. I'm used to the scent being stronger on my outer wrists, but this kind of difference is something new to me.

 

Several hours in, I can only detect the barest traces of the musks and vanilla tea. I wish it lasted longer. But even so, I totally don't regret buying a bottle of this untested. I'm sure I can find a way to increase the wear-length.

[pseedie]

~~dorian~~

 

Ok, this is a handsome guy in the avatar thingies of fragrances that everyone has at the bottom of their posts (that i can't seem to figure out how to do yet)....and when i opened the vial, I thought "ah...this is why everyone loves this fragrance so very much...i got tea and vanilla....and I LOVE tea and vanilla. I put it on and during the wet phase, it smelled very much the same...lovely. Then...well.....it dried. And on me, it died. To me, on my arm, it smelled like dorian is a smoker. I get a very strong tobacco smell.....so much so that I had to wash it off. Sigh. Sorry, Dorian, but i don't do smokers.....but you're still good at distance!!!

[Aldercy]

Firstly, let me say that the wonderful forumite who frimped me this sniffie tells me that this particular oil is aged about 3 years.

 

I don't know how much difference there is between Mature Dorian and Young Dorian, but he smells good. As in my eyes are rolling back in my head good. This is a heavenly tea scent. Very different from my other favorite tea blend, The Apothecary, but possibly better. It's kind of a thin, golden brown tea-- not strong or dark. It's sweet, and might even have a drop of bashful lemon or grapefruit (it's a really subtle citrus note that reminds me of Cheshire Cat, but it never fully comes out to play, just kind of flits in and out around the edges). The vanilla and musks are not very thick on me, but they serve to warm up the scent.

 

Also, my cat's name is Dorian (trust me, he looks like one), so I guess I had to try this one sooner or later.

 

So. Yeah. A delectable sugared weak tea with a lot going on in the background. Warmly aristocratic and an overall great oil.

[aquazoo]

Yummy-spicy-this-is-what-a-man-should-smell-like! Sweet hot and complicated, just like I like my tea.

[femmefatale]

On me this smells like vanilla powder with a bit of soft musk and the barest hint of lemon. It's a very clean and comforting scent.

I can't believe it took me so long to try this!

[redderz]

I'm not sure why it took me so long to love Dorian, but I'm definitely making up for lost time!

 

In the bottle I smell tea. Slightly spicy tea! On my skin, it seems I also amp tea. But that's a good thing! It's such a lovely sugary tea, just how I love tea myself! Then after a while, a hint of lemon peeks through, along with the vanilla. At the moment I'm getting florals too, and it's just...GUH. *dies* I love it.

 

It's such a divine scent! Getting a 5ml with my next order!

Edited August 12, 2009 by redderz

[comearoundruby]

it's actually terribly tricky to review something i love so so dearly. and dorian might be my absolute favourite bpal scent.

 

i was expecting something slightly masculine with all of the musk notes, especially as i cannot at all wear most musks. so it was a hell of a wonderful surprise when on my skin dorian becomes this amazingly comfortable sweet tea - hot tea, real tea, proper tea - but yet utterly complicated by some deeply lurking vanilla. it's absolutely wonderful, and quite feminine, at least to me.

Edited August 13, 2009 by comearoundruby

[ladyhyacinthe]

Oh my.

 

I only just ordered Dorian for the first time with my Sunbird order, after having been a BPAL fan for two and a half years or so...

 

This is what my skin wishes it smelled like all the time. Everything else I put on turns slightly musky and vanilla-y after about four hours...and I love that, I really do. I've always been happy that my skin amps resins and vanilla and musk, because I love those scents - even the scents I can't stand turn tolerable after about six hours.

 

But Dorian's like that from the beginning. Soft, silky, warm dark vanilla and tea with the undertone of Man. I don't get any citrus from this like everyone else - probably because it's hiding under the tablecloth while Dorian ravishes me.

 

This is a definite keeper. I'll be getting a 5mL with my next order.

[jennythereader]

First Worn On: 6/30/2009

 

In Imp: Lemony vanilla

 

At Application: Stronger lemon, still some vanilla

 

When Dry: There was a faint tea scent for a little while, but it went away

 

Rating: 2 (use up but don't replace; tradeable for something amazing.)

[MamaMoth]

... soap?

 

Really, Dorian? No tea? No vanilla? Just soap??

 

*wistful sigh*

 

I hope this is not an indicator of what tea notes will do for me, but now I'm ascairt.

[eclecticaurora]

Oh, my goodness...within minutes this has skyrocketed to my number one spot! It's absolutely breathtaking - feels almost like I'm sniffing a cloud of scent rather than an oil. Like another reviewer here said - my eyes literally rolled into the back of my head with delight when I sniffed this. Ok, enough about that...onto the smell. As I said - it feels more like I'm sniffing a cloud of scent than an oil and that cloud reminds me of what a mix of lavender, vanilla and lemon flavored gourmet cotton candy (I guess that's the sugared part of the scent) would smell like.

 

Edited to clarify.

Edited September 25, 2009 by eclecticaurora

[MellowCello]

Nomally I hate sugary sweet smells and I was afraid that Dorian would be one of those. It wasn't first on my list of oils to buy but after reading about all the hype and then seeing it appear up on eBay, my curiosity got the best of me and I gave in.

 

When I received it in the mail I opened the bottle and took a whiff. I smelled the sweet sugary vanilla tea, expecting it to become the nauseating, headache-inducing smell that all sweet scents tend to morph into when I smell them. But no, the musks and the clean crispness of what is probably the lemon everyone is talking about stop the sweetness from turning on me and it evolves into the sexiest, most addicting scent. I can see why Dorian is a unisex scent. This dark sensual musky scent would work wonders on either gender. Masculine smells are wonderful but many times I only would like to smell them on a man. However, while Dorian is a scent I would LOVE to smell on my boyfriend (I would jump him even more, and that's saying a lot because I'm already all over him all the time!!), it is a masculine smell I also want all over me. To me, this scent is the embodiment of an insatiable sexual appetite. This is now my absolute favorite and I just can't get enough of Dorian.

[marared]

Oddly enough, I had never tried Dorian until this evening. It was about 95% what I expected from the notes given, but it was a little more cologney than I thought it would be. It has virtually no throw - it sticks close to my skin and is barely noticeable. The cream is the most noticeable, with a vague hint of citrus in the background, and it smells quite tasty, but I can't convince myself of whether or not to get a bottle. If I do, it'll g straight into the aging box...

[tunedtochords]

Sugary vanilla tea, exactly. And oh, the musk! But not that scary and overbearing musk that gives me a headache. A lighter one. But oh so good. Love love love Dorian. Actually, this was the first bottle of BPAL that I ever finished. It's my go-to blend. The empty lives in my purse now so I can sniff it every now and again until I get another bottle. It's masculine, yes, but not overly so. Ah, I just love it. (Can ya tell?

[Ruffian]

Add me to the majority! I'm a serious tea drinker and vanilla black teas is one of my favorites. It's definitely what I smell in Dorian. I also like my tea straight, so I'm happy that I don't get lemon at all and only a hint of sweetness. Beautiful and very pleasant. I can see this one becoming one of my go to blends.

[Altaira]

Dorian was a lighter smell than I expected. Quite nice, but very little throw on my skin.

 

When wet I can smell the sugared tea, but it has now faded to something more traditionally "perfumey" but thankfully not floral.

I usually go for stronger, spicy scents, so this will be a good option for days I want to be more subtle.

 

ETA: Gave this a longer try this weekend and decided it's not for me. There is too much vanilla cologne, not nearly enough tea and lemon. I suggested to my husband that it might be better on him and he wrinkled his nose and said "Just because I like vanilla ice cream doesn't mean I want to smell like a vanilla bean!"

Edited November 30, 2009 by Altaira

[Klepz]

Oh. My. God. Is it possible to marry inanimate objects? Because I don't mind forever with this one...

 

When wet, Dorian definitely has a bit of that lemon that people mention. I was surprised to find that I adored the lemon. Once it dries, the lemon vanishes and Dorian only gets better. I definitely get vanilla tea and victorian gentleman from it. I expected Dorian to be too sweet on me, but it turned out perfect - just a mild sweetness that made the scent feminine enough for me, while still being wearable by the boyfriend.

 

It also seems to have amazing staying power - at least 7 hours yesterday (I went to bed afterwards so I can't really tell). This is amazing for me, as I seem to eat a lot of lighter scents.

5/5, definitely getting a bottle. Or two. Or three.

[Suusje]

There's so much I can say about Dorian but a few little words will be enough:

Sex in a bottle!

 

[Alexanne]

• If this oil had a color, it would be a clear with sugar crystals floating.
• The notes I smell while drying is a gorgeous white vanilla. The musks follow behind humbly. Its a light and innocent scent. Lots of sugar, too. Am already in love with this. *Swoon*
• Dry, it smells more rich, more dark, with a hint of water. The morph that took place totally describes the character of Dorian, innocent at first, but soon corrupted into darkness and shallowness. This is such a wonderfully blended oil, all of the notes chasing each other whimsically in circles. It is exactly what the description describes it as. I don't understand how this could be masculine, its too sweet for a man IMO.
• The scent made me feel uniquely underrated. And I mean that in the best way possible. This is the scent that I go to when I don't want to stand out, but still feel the need to be anyways. This is my compromise.
• This lasts for a LONG time. It lasts for about five hours before its fades. It fades for about half an hour.
• The throw was like a subliminal message. I catch a faint wiff of it every once in awhile, but unless I go looking for it, or if people come up close to me, it is only underlying.
• Verdict: Just ordered a full bottle a couple of days ago! I can't wait to try slathering it, to see if maybe I can get it to throw better - but its fine just the way it is, too. If you love vanilla, and you haven't tried this yet, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Edited June 1, 2010 by Alexanne