Blood

[Monday]

A vital, bold scent, throbbing with sensuality. Essence of dragon’s blood resin, thickened with myrrh and cherry, with a trickle of clove.

The oil in the imp has got a nice deep orange color, in the vial it smells predominantly of bubblegum. It's a very sweet cherry smell with a hint of clove (the smell of clove always gives me a headache) and for some reason ?mint?
On my skin it evens out a bit, the clove disappears (thank goodness) and it changes to a very deep cherry (still) bubblegum-like scent with a bit of incense.
In short: Whoah powerful deep cherry.

[Ella LaRose]

metallic tang, a bit sweet, it does smell like blood drying. so strange.

[FoxMackenzie]

In Imp: Cinnamon, but like I'm sticking my nose into a jar of gingerbread spices.

 

Wet: Lots of cinnamon, metal, like a steampunk christmas.

 

Dry: It's a very dark cinnamon, and it smells like it's mixed with copper. Not a dead-on (har!) match for real blood, but a very interesting take on it.

 

Drydown: Spicy, like pepper got chucked in the gingerbread spices and metal shavings. I associate this more with something a guy in a leather coat ought to wear, definitely not a feminine scent to me. Might get my guy to start wearing it :-D

[yakiguri]

At first application I get a root beer/Dr. Pepper type scent, but as Blood dries more of the clove slips in with just the tiniest bit of cherry/red fruit in the background. An interesting spicy scent, almost like an oriental with no florals whatsoever. I'll keep my imp, but probably won't need a bottle unless I see a partial somewhere.

[Ghost of a Rose]

In the imp: The oil is a clear pinkish red. It does look a bit like real blood, but is less opaque, as well as paler and pinker. Über-sweet, 100% cherry when sniffed up close - cherry cough drops. But if I smell if from a few inches away, I get clove.

 

On me, wet: I can pick up all three scents, with cherry strongest, then clove, with a lighter backdrop of myrrh. (I'm not differentiating between the cherry and the dragon's blood, since they smell so similar.) It will be interesting to see if the myrrh comes out more strongly as time goes on. The incensey notes usually do, on me.

 

On me, drydown: I'm liking this a lot more than I thought I would from the way it smelled in the imp. I don't like super-fruity perfumes. But the fruitiness lightens up within the first five minutes, leaving just a nuance. I mostly smell clove now.

 

After 30 minutes: The clove is beautifully balanced with the cherry and myrrh, so that the overall impression isn't foody, or overly hot or spicy. I like this more and more as time goes by!

 

After one hour: Same as above, and still holding out nicely.

 

Verdict: A sophisticated unisex fragrance. It looks a little like real blood (in the vial, not on the skin.) But it doesn't smell anything like real blood. I don't get that metallic coppery odor that other reviewers have mentioned. Which is a good thing. If it really did smell like like blood, everyone around me would probably be barfing. This is so much nicer.

 

My rating: 4 stars

Edited August 15, 2011 by Ghost of a Rose

[sabrebabe]

In the bottle: Dragon’s blood, myrrh and clove. Light, not heavy scent, but slightly rich. Hint of sweetness.

On me: Ack! Cherries! Okay, the cherries are falling back and letting more of the dragon’s blood through now, with just a hint of the myrrh and cloves. Got the light bite of the cloves.

Dry: Hmm, the scent is very light now, no hint of anything other than cloves lightly blended with dragon’s blood. But I have to put my nose right on my arm to detect anything. Still pleasant, not headshop-y at all.

Later: Okay, it’s gaining strength, only in the clove and dragon’s blood. Cherry and myrrh have gone on vacation. That’s okay, I don’t care much for fruity scents. This *does* make me think of something bloody, though.

Much later: gone light and powdery, no longer “bloody”. Nice non-gender scent, could be either male of female. I think I’m going to hang on to the imp. Not sure if I’d buy a bottle, though.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: Hmm, spiced cherry and something that smells a bit like chlorine.

Wet: Cherry, clove, that unfortunate chlorine scent.

Dry: Almost entirely clove. The chlorine smell never really goes away. Le bummer

[Wildwoodflower]

Blood is all cherries and spice on me, with a soft, warm base of incense and woods. I get a hint of floral from it - carnations or roses - maybe that's an effect of the dragon's blood? It's sweet but it's definitely not overly feminine. I know a boy who wears Blood and it's extremely sexy on him. Whenever I wear it I always make sure to take the bottle with me so I can apply more after a 5 - 6 hours because it turns into a yucky powder as it's wearing off. Still, it's one of my favorite blends - spicy, sexy, sweet, dark, dangerous, and androgynous. It would be perfect for the slightly androgynous and dead sexy Victorian vampire in your life.

[miss_rynn]

I think I want to get a bottle of this. The dragon's blood isn't as syrupy sweet on me as it is normally, I expect because it's nicely tempered by the clove to help ground it. The cherry is there if you look for it, but the myrrh keeps it from being too bright, sweet or candy-like. This feels to me like a masculine cousin to Dragon's Milk, possibly because it reminds me of my brother (who wears a lot of clove scents). It clings to the skin, and adds a subtle spicy-and-sweet note without being overpowering like a lot of Dragon's Blood scents can be. It doesn't smell at all 'fussy' or over-complicated - it is fabulously well-blended and smooth.

 

I am seriously, deeply impressed.

[elinox]

First Sniff: Heavy ozone with light iron.

 

Wet: On wet it definitely has a metallic scent to it.

 

Dry: As it dried, it became lighter and had an almost flowery quality to it. I think either the myrrh or the clove is making me think there are lilies in this. I wanted this to be dark and musky, but it was light and calming instead. Once it dried completely though there was something spicy and biting in it, perhaps the clove? I feel as if there's no metal in this anymore though which is disappointing.

 

My Reaction: The color of the imp was delightful in that it was reminiscent of actual blood (although a tad lighter in color). I was worried that something in my skin chemistry wasn’t working with BPAL scents since I kept getting such light and flowery results, but Blood eventually turns dark and spicy which is nice. I’m betting that the ‘cinnamon’ scent I’m picking up on is actually black cherries, and it’s darker than the cinnamon in Chimera I’m used to. While not something I need a bottle of, Blood was interesting despite being overly sweet. I’d prefer something more metallic, but perhaps in an hour or so it will change even more for me.

 

Rating 1-5: 3

[Deliciousness]

In the imp: dragons blood with something else, darker, maybe the cherry? Definitely smell clove in this one.
Wet on wrist: Smells very much like dragons blood, slightly floral ... but then it turns darker
Wet on chest: Smells much like the imp, a light dragons blood with clove
Dry on wrist: CLOVE! Its screaming at me!
Dry on chest: Dragon's Blood. Period.

Hummm, I have weird body chemistry. My wrists smell like clove and my cleavage (if thats what you call it after 2 kids - haha), smells like dragons blood. Very odd. I wonder what would happen if I put this somewhere on my leg, would I get a different scent entirely? Anyway, this is an interesting scent, too bad I don't get the cherry.

[Atrous]

Working through imps that I bought recently...next up, Blood.

In the Bottle: Yep, that's dragon's blood! and a bit of cherry.

Wet: Whoa, dragon's blood in a big way and the myrrh starts to come out. Promising

Dry: Cherry is starting to appear. Not a big, juicy cherry. More of a dry cherry, if that makes any sense. Oh, and there's the clove. As it continues to dry the clove becomes stronger and there's a smokiness underneath. Clove cigarettes! mixed with dragons blood, myrrh, and just a hint of the cherry. This scent would rate a 5 if it wasn't for the fact that I taste clove in the back of my throat every time I take a whiff. So, I give this a 4.

[JasminDreams2010]

I agree with the above reviewer, that there is sort of a clove after-whiff that kind of sticks in my throat. This is one I have to avoid sometimes if I feel like I'm catching a cold.

 

That said, this is wonderful. I received this as a freebie from the lab, fell in love and had to buy a bottle.

It's all a blast of !cherries! right when I first apply. It fades quickly to the deep, sultry dragons blood resin I get from dragons heart, but it doesn't have the currant bite like dragons heart. It's very warm and resiny- like a smoky cherry incense. There's a musky feeling to this one too, but I'm not catching any actual musks in it. Just a cloud of warmth. Big love.

 

Some people have called it masculine or unisex- on me it's very femme. But it's bold, warm, mature, not little-girly.

My fiancé loves it too.

If you want to sweeten it up- try layering it with O, that is prettier on me than either dragons milk or blood kiss.

[alyelle]

This is a scent I'd never have chosen for me; the lab sent it as a frimp in my last order. It's intriguing, and slightly bizarre. In the imp and wet on my skin, it's almost entirely cherry and clove, with hints of the dragon's blood. Uusally I amp cherry but as this one dries, the cherry vanishes entirely. It moves from clove to wet salt to a warm, sticky scent that is the embodiment of its name. It's not unpleasant, just odd. And probably not one for me, but then, most of the dragon's blood scents aren't.

 

Stars: ★★★

Edited February 4, 2014 by alyelle

[squidhearts]

In the imp, sweet sweet cherry with a hint of spicy clove. It reminds me a little of the Baron Samedi scent, which I love so much it was once my every day wear for two months straight. All right, let's do this! (slather, slather)

 

Wet, it stays sweet, but the punching power definitely lessens. The clove is still there but it's a very laid back, soft clove, more like cloves in yummy baked goods rather than, say, clove cigarettes. I like myrrh, but it's largely absent from the wet stage. Overall, I like this a lot--it's very pleasant.

 

Dry: this is when things get interesting. The myrrh peeks out coyly, then disappears again, taking all but the barest wisp of clove with it. The cherry mellows even further...and then BAM, blood. Seriously. Tangy, coppery blood. Have you ever shoved your nose up against a fresh scab, and gotten a whiff of (hopefully) clean skin and blood? This smells like that. EXACTLY like that, with a hint of sweetness behind it. I think--*think*--that the myrrh and the clove eventually combine somehow to appear to disappear, making the metallic note, but really, I have no idea. This might as well be magic.

 

Brilliant! I want a big bottle. I thought I hated dragon's blood, but this blend is convincing me to give it another try.

 

Oh, and I'd say this isn't really a dark scent. At least, most people won't read it as dark. Someone who knows what blood smells like, however, would get it...

 

edit: I've been meaning to try this forever, and ended up getting it frimped! yaaay, labbies!

Edited December 2, 2014 by squidhearts

[loubric]

I love Dragon's blood and cherry so I was excited and hopeful when I got an Imp of this.

 

In the imp I smell thick syrupy bubblegum! On my skin its smells like a juicy cherry lollypop with warm spicy undertones. If the sweet cherry stayed it would be perfect but it fades too quickly and the spicyness is a lot to take, it goes a little powdery on me too.

[Veronica]

Dragon's blood--rich and warm--and incense-y myrrh. Way better than expected, but not something I would wear.

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: The clove note jumps out to my nose at first, followed by the resins, and then a bit of cherry.

 

Wet: A rush of clove, and then the dragon's blood note, which adds more spice to the blend. The myrrh note is also present, but it isn't as strong as the other two notes. The cherry note is the last to emerge, but it seems to be getting stronger now that it has made its presence known. The clove is the strongest note, and I'm glad that it is, since it is the note I was looking forward to the most.

 

Dry: Clove and dragon's blood reign. The cherry seems to have disappeared now. I'm not getting much myrrh at this point, either.

 

Verdict: This is a nice, spicy resin blend. I like the prominence of the clove in this one, but I'm not sure how I feel about the sweetness of the dragon's blood. I don't need a bottle of this, but I must say that this is one of the few scents that I like containing dragon's blood.

 

*edit* Many hours later, the cherry note has emerged once more to join the dragon's blood and clove.

Edited September 17, 2015 by dementia_divine

[LizziesLuck]

So, I've been operating under the assumption that I hate Dragon's Blood. I can remember, when I started collecting back in 2005, trying something with it in it (Can't remember now, and I wasn't a good note taker back then, but it was Dragon's something) and I hated it with a passion and have avoided it since.

 

That being said, I also have a rule that if someone is generous enough to frimp me something I WILL try it. No matter what. Even if there's violets. Or jasmine. Or troll vomit.

 

So I'm testing Blood. AND IT'S GOOD. See? This is why I have this rule. Apparently, with the right notes along with it, I can, in fact, enjoy Dragon's Blood.

 

I get a lot of cherry (which is also an iffy note on me, but I love it when it stays true and doesn't turn to plastic and/or cough syrup), a bit of Myrrh (love) and a hint of clove (love). I'm not even sure I can pick out the Dragon's Blood.

 

I'm not actually sure if I would wear this, and I don't think I need a bottle, but that's not the point. The point is, I don't have to avoid Dragon's Blood like the plague anymore!!!!

 

(I keep huffing my wrist. I may even full-day test this. How astonishing)

[LexieBlom]

Blood imp

 

Wet/Bottle - Dragons blood, myrrh and clove, with just a little sweetness from the cherry. Very...Red? It doesn't smell anything like real blood.

 

Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Dragons Blood and myrrh. Very resiny, thick and slightly sweet. No hint of cherry, thank goodness!

 

Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - The same beautiful, thick resin goodness it was during the drydown. Still no cherry, bless the stars. No clove either, really, which i slightly disappointing.

 

Overall, I like this. If a bottle happens upon me, I'll love and cherish, but until then I'm happy with just having an imp.

[cherrycherry]

I blind bought this mainly because I felt like trying a new GC after years of sticking to my long-time favourites and also because I enjoyed the concept of a blood perfume.

 

On me, the blend is mainly dragon's blood but with a kick of spicy clove. I get much more cherry on the drydown, but it's the dragon's blood note that sings the loudest by far.

 

Very sultry and sexy. Love it.

[Scarlet Woodland]

The first time I tried this it was far too sweet for me but quickly realised I was having an anti-sweet week, so tucked it away to try again later. The second try was soooo much better.

 

Wet: There's a brief moment of something medicinal but it quickly settles into sweet, cherry, clove incense. Loads of throw at this point.

 

Drying: Less throw now but still giving good wisp whenever I move, from just a little swipe on one wrist. Can definitely smell the clove, cherry and dragon's blood... not so sure if I'm picking up the myrrh but may be mingling with the Dragon's blood into one resin. Still thoroughly sweet but stops short of being cloying.

 

Dry: I can definitely pick up the something carnation-like that somebody mentioned upthread. So clove, cherry, carnation and dragon's blood incense. The sweetness softens considerably after it's dry. There's something decidedly sexy about this in a blonde, lipgloss, lollipop way. If Sookie Stackhouse were ever turned into a vampire, this scent is what her blood would taste like.

 

I really rather like this but it's definitely a sexy night out sort of scent. After 10+ years with Mr SW, such nights out are so rare though, I think the imp will last me just fine!

 

ETA: Stuff the right occasion...I need a bottle of this

Edited November 3, 2016 by Scarlet Woodland

[Casablanca]

At first, this couldn't smell more like I imagined it from the notes list if I had brewed it myself. Am I imagining the little tang of a metallic something here, too?

Blood manages a syrupy thickness without becoming too sweet. For me, the clove and resins keep it well away from smelling like cough syrup, but some may find the cherry syrup part of it too close.

After drydown, I seem to smell just a little unlisted red rose in this, or maybe carnation... soft petals hiding under the softening cherry and myrrh.

Blood isn't very me, but I like it. The balance is nicely done.

[Beary Strange]

In the imp: very sweet cherry

Wet: sweet cherry with an undercurrent of dragon's blood

Dry: The dragon's blood is more obvious while the cherry is still there, but not at the forefront like it was. There's something else that I don't quite recognize that has an incense-y, heady quality which I take to be the myrrh.

 

For a scent named Blood, it's not as hard-hitting as I was expecting--even for the amount I slathered on, I think a person would have to get very close to smell it. But overall, I really like it and will definitely be getting a full-size bottle. It'd be a good perfume for days when I don't want my scent to be overwhelming.

Edited November 16, 2016 by BearyStrange

[achildoftime]

Cherry scents historically don't jive with me, but I'll try anything that crosses my threshold. Unfortunately, this one doesn't work out. The clove portion is lovely, but the dragon's blood makes the cherry smell even more like cough syrup that it usually does on me. It's a spicy cough syrup, which is a bummer but not necessarily a surprise. I'm really glad to have tried it, but I'll be passing the imp along to someone who can do cherries more readily than me.