Debauchery

[Etaven]

A sinful, licentious scent: self-indulgent and luxurious. Mingled heady civet and red Egyptian musk, thickened with opium.

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in the Old Lady opinion.

The first thought that came to mind when I sniffed this was that it smelled like my grandmother's house. Underneath but sort of mixed in are flowers and such. Sweet, cloying flowers. I only get a bit of the incense scent under the other smells, and only if I try really hard to ignore grandma.

A bit later on, it still smelled like my grandma, but it also reminded me of an old monostary I visited in Mexico. I guess what I'm getting from it is more musty than musky.

It doesn't necessarily smell terrible, in the I'm-going-to-wash-it-off-right-now sort of way, but this is definitely not a scent for me.

[mmcfa2]

I don't know why nor how but this one went all rootbeer on me. Sweet rootbeer and a traveling very present rootbeer. Not the gingery stuff, but the A and W sweet stuff. Oh well, this one is in the swapper!

[quinkel]

There are not many BPAL scents I cannot wear but this is one! On me it smells like a animal cage. Probably sexy for the lions to smell me but i prefer something less animalistic

After some hours it becomes more flowery, dried rosed and perhaps jasmine. Will skip this one

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the bottle: Smells like civet and roses with a hint of incense.

 

First on: Smells like roses, dust, civet and a slight note of musk.

 

After a few minutes: Still rather dusty smelling, the rose has faded to more of a tea rose, more of a warm musk coming out now, with a hint of something earthy/herbal.

 

A few more: The musk has become creamier with a slight note of soap, the rose and dusty notes are almost gone.

 

After an hour and a bit: A slight dusty scent is back, same with a bit of rose and a faint hint of musk. There is also a whisp of a peppery powder. Now it's only really noticable when I stick my nose right in close to my wrist.

[Macha]

I received this as a freebie from the lab. It was the first fragrance from BPAL I've tried where I knew for a fact, and not just speculation, that civet was an ingredient. So I was curious. Debauchery seems to be a love or hate it fragrance, with a lot of folks mentioning that civet goes to cat pee or fecal matter on them. That's the sort of reaction I want to know about for the future.

 

In the Vial: Thick musk, with several odors I can't identify for lack of familiarity. Rich, dark, very dark, and very strong. Yes, there is a slight tang to this that could almost be described as urine, but it's overwhelmed by the musk, and what I can only assume is opium.

 

Wet, on skin: This is quite strong. Only a tiny bit was required to create a healthy throw. There's something in this that's ever so slightly disagreeable. It's not bad, per se, but it's very active, very in your face, very difficult to ignore. This is very much a hedonistic scent, very wicked and sinful. There is no pee smell though, and nothing even approaching that. Thank god. This scent is intimidating, and very appropriate for the Victorian Opium den of your choice, but there's nothing to it so disgusting that I have to wash it off me right away. So I don't have that reaction with civet. Nice to know.

 

Dry, on skin: I love musks, and now that this is drying down to that predominantly, its become more tolerable, but no less debauched. This is truly a well-named scent. This scent reminds me quite a bit of De Sade. No, not the fragrance...the author. Specifically, 120 Days of Sodom. Real debauchery, without thought of consequences or victims: hedonism taken the level of capital crimes. This isn't any quaint perversion playing bondage games with safey words and no one ending up really hurt.

 

Conclusion: This is so strong, blackly sexual and wicked it makes me flinch. Its too dark and sinister for me to find it sexy, and if there is something in there that appeals to me, there is as much I find vaguely repellent. I think I can pass on this one.

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Mmmmm.....opium....I loooove opium.

 

Wet: Oh, hello musk. You do nicely here. Your friend civet is tolerable for now, as long as you both crawl to the back and let opium have more space.

 

Drydown: Civet, I hate you. You make me smell like rotten milk, and all I wanted was to smell like opium and musk.

 

In short, civet didn't go all urine-y on me, but I did smell of spoilt milk & had to go take a bath before the smell made me so nauseated I got sick. It does get points for staying power, because 5 hours later I could still smell it without trying, so if civet doesn't hate you, it's a brilliant scent.

 

I so wanted this one to work on me because I love opium so much. I nearly cried when I realized civet is evil.

[shelldoo]

hmmmm this one went very very metalic bad breath on me same as entropy could it be civet? i ahve tried some civet blends and like them but ewww not this time, all i get it teh metalic bad breath smell swaps for sure

 

ok after a bit of time the metalic goes away and it isn't too bad i can smell the musky type smell it still wouldn't be big bottle but it isn't aweful either

Edited March 3, 2005 by shelldoo

[tempete]

I have to echo dreadeddragon's review and say that I would have done nicely with just the musk and opium. The civet note is gaining strength as I type out this review, and I'm beginning to resemble my cat's litterbox more and more

[anmorata]

Debauchery:

 

I seem to be one of the few that doesn't get amped-up civet on my skin. I smell it, but it's lurking in the background. There's a faint ammonia tinge to Debauchery, but not enough to overwhelm me.

 

When wet, Debauchery is all musk and incense. After the drydown, I smell the opium hiding in the background, too, along with the civet.

 

All in all, it's not a *horrible* scent, but it's one I could do without.

[surf-tormented]

It's my favorite friend, musty attic smell. But it is full of really nasty things and I can't wait to walk back down the stairs. Not for me.

[Scarica]

Ah, Debauchery, aka The Great Civet Experiment. I had heard so many bad things about civet that I just had to try it (I also really like vetiver, which elicits a strong reaction from many). I really must say, I think if most people find a scent repellent, it really turns my crank. I can't stop smelling it. I can see how it could be really disgusting, just a little too animal for comfort. But in small doses, I think this would be incredibly sexy. Hmmm. What a bold statement.

Edited April 6, 2005 by Scarica

[any_old_actress]

FIRST SNIFF - heavy and zoo-like

 

WEARING IT - it smells like the poopy pavillions in a zoo. that's all i get, wish i could add more!

 

VERDICT - another scent that just isn't for me.

[cuervosueno]

Ok, so I got this in a swap (thanks byrdie!) and see it must have been around for awhile because the imp is tarted. I opened it up to try it with my friend Marisa who I'm enabling, and we both said, oh, civet--we've already tried this!

Except we hadn't. That was another civet scent.

I'm not a civet-hater. I like it ok in allegory, and I love it in the special lord of the forest blend I have....but I'm also not a civet-lover. Oddly enough, when I still took birthcontrol pills, civet really worked on me...it turned sweet musky. Once I stopped...well, it doesn't like me quite as much, though its not bad.

As for this, well Caterpillar with civet. I love caterpillar, so i don't mind the extra civet note, and I think I may even keep the imp, but I admit I don't love this.

it does catch the name exactly however. this is a very heavy, incensey blend--very sexual. Totally debauched. Hints at things that are an acquired taste--things that would repel many, but draw some....

Interesting!

But if civet doesn't work for you, this sure won't!

[totalimmoral]

Ah Debauchery.

 

In the bottle: I love it. Its all opium and musk, dark and sensual. Cant wait to try it on!

 

Wet on skin: Hmmm, where did the opium go?

 

Dry: Wow. There is something in here that I am going to assume to be civet that is making my eyes water. This is too overpowering and I'm going to wash it off...

 

Five minutes later: This is going to sound really weird but after washing my wrists with dishsoap, I can smell the opium and musk again. It's a barely there smell that I keep getting a hint of when my hand is close to my face.

 

Maybe this scent would smell better watered down.

[wickedgoddess]

In the bottle and wet, incredible!! I don't even know what to say about this one. On me, the civet and musk are perfectly blended and smell is decandent. As it dries the opium comes out to play. Oh yeah, this one's a new favorite!

 

I don't know if it's because I am a Scorpio, but while the milky fragrances don't work on me at all, I love the dark, sexy, earthy scents. Bring 'em on!

 

On the wickedgoddess 5 point scale (5 being the best) I give this a 5 .

Edited April 15, 2005 by wickedgoddess

[metaldog32]

I received an imp of this as a *freebie* from an Ebay forumite when I acquired another BPAL oil...so although not on my official list of oils to try, I figured I might as well be open minded and try something different.

 

Different is putting it mildly. And with that...here I go with my review. Let me preface this by saying I have tried it 3 times...and tonight will be the 4th..so without further ado:

 

From the vial/imp: I totally get the opium...and I guess the musk..and that's all I get. Not exactly what I usually gravitate towards..but it is very sexy smelling..very heady and dark.

 

Applied wet on sking: First whiff again is of opium and red musk...and almost immediately following this heady/sexy combo...coming up strong from behind is the civet. I have to say..the very first time I tried this on my wrist..the civet seemed overwhelming..I guess I never smelled this note so strongly in a fragrance before..and yeah...it IS carnal...a bit feral/feline-like...definitely animalistic. I don't know if because this is the 4th time around my nose has acclimated to the civet or not..but it doesn't seem so aggressive and angry...

 

Dry on skin (3 min)-The headiness is still quite strong...all the notes on me are definitely pulling their weight. No fading going on here...this is some SERIOUS fragrance...heavy on the sex....

 

30 minutes later: The civet has softened a BIT...but I still smell it with the other notes...and I have to say..it isn't a bad formula...

 

Bottom line: The first time I tried this.. I didn't even have the guts to wear it out..I actually wore it to bed....and when I did I was CONVINCED this was just a fragrance that was so NOT ME...and I still stick with that statement. HOWEVER:that being said...I wore this 3 times previously...and today is the 4th...there is SOMETHING about this oil...cuervosueno aptly described to some extent how I feel about Debauchery-meaning the following:

 

In my opinion, this fragrance is the type of fragrance I would envision me wearing when I wanted to repel certain type of people...the type of people who are mainstream, the type of people who I can *read* easily. I would wear this fragrance if I wanted to go somewhere edgey and uncomfortable..if I wanted to meet or attract a person whose fancies and preferences ran along the lines *exotic*...I wouldn't wear this on a date...but more so if I wanted something more..shall we say....fast and physical??? To me, this fragrance can help one step outside of what feels normal and safe and slip into a more adventurous side of oneself...where there are no supposed rules

 

Since I have worn this to bed, I have had the most interesting dreams...dreams of things that I normally don't think about...extremely vivid..and a bit graphic..in a very carnal manner. So...I have to admit this is indeed a very sexual scent...but for me it isn't a very intimate scent...but more animal/carnal. I can't say I would buy...but I will admit the imp is indeed very provocative...it hints of dark pleasures...anybody who isn't afraid of *pushing the envelope* might very well find this particular oil right up their alley.

[Orodemniades]

Oh. My.

 

Imp: The first time I sniffed the imp I thought the scent was gorgeous, and I was looking forward to it very much. The second time I sniffed it, a day later, I thought it smelled just like Cod Liver Oil.

 

People, this is not a good thing.

 

Wet : Just a whiff of cod liver, lots of floral, but there's an undertone of...bitter?...something unpleasant, underneath.

 

Drydown : Oh, something's making my stomach very unhappy. Reading the reviews, I think it's the civet. It doesn't smell like poo or urine or an old people's home to me, but still...

 

15 minutes later: I have to wash it off. I really want to like this scent, and there are parts of it that I do, but that rank undertone is simply too unpleasant.

 

Overall I'm keeping the imp. I'll try it again at some point, but I suspect it might go on the swaps list.

 

Oro

[coulrophobe]

Erm... I was hoping for another blatantly sexy going-out scent, but it just wasn't to be. I've now isolated civet as the worst note ever on me - I get the poo effect like a few others do.

 

This blend reminded me of softer version of Czernobog; unfortunately, that's not a good comparison (i.e., Czernobog was strongly poopy on me, while this is a more subtle baby-powder poopy... I know civet wasn't listed as a note in Czernobog, but after smelling Debauchery, it *has* to be there!). The musk does its best to make this blend work on me, but the undercurrent of fecal matter just refuses to be conquered.

 

So, sadly... that poor little imp of Debauchery is never touching my skin again!

[Aurelius]

This was a freebie from Macha. And now go read her review (upthread) because I'm sure mine won't be nearly as helpful.

 

in the vial: Whoa. Thick, dark, and sinister. Everything mingles and I can't really catch any single notes.

 

wet, on skin: Why do I smell dragon's blood? I swear, this is very familiar. Aha! This smells very similar to Dragon's Heart, which has notes in common with Debauchery.

 

drying: Opium! Lots of opium. Musk too. Now I can smell single notes appearing. This is very rich.

 

dry: Uh oh. Something has gone just a bit sour. That must be the civet. I'm certainly glad it hasn't had the icky reactions with my skin that others have gotten, but this still isn't quite right.

 

overall: not for me, what with the sourness, plus the overall heaviness of the scent. This really is *too* wicked for me. I like my hedonism to come with a side of whimsy, not death.

[Ishtar]

Let's admit to it: I had very low expectations when I tried Debauchery. Between the presence of the oh-so-controversial civet and the majority of negative reviews, the plan was to suffer through 20 mn of nastiness in the interest of science and reviewing and then disappear behind the shower curtain to scrub Debauchery off.

 

Well, it was a rather pleasant surprise. I am not going to say that I loved this blend, it is way too dark, murky and earthy for me, but I am pleased to report that the civet behaved itself.

*Pats civet on head*

 

Yes, there is something sexy about Debauchery and there is something disturbing about it too. It is all about excess and hedonism. Yet another blend that brilliantly lives up to its name. It is not something I could really wear, though.

[QueenFae]

I know this scent doesn't work on a lot of people, but it's absolutely fantastic on me! The civet really works with my body chemistry. It smells heady, sexy, thick, luscious and indulgent on me, like sex in a bottle! On my man, it smells like cat pee! Oh well, more for me! Everyone should at least give this one a shot, because if it works with you skin, it's so worth it! I put this on the be seductive and naughty.

[gangstaknitta]

In Bottle: This is a wonderful musky scent. Kind of heavy, but light enough for me. It's something I wold wear in the winter.

 

Wet: It's definitely strong. I really like the opium and musk. I'm not familiar with civet, but it seems to add depth.

 

Dry: Oh, no, no, no. On the dry-down it starts smelling like whatever my granddad used to wear. Very musky-cologne-y. I do not dig it. On the upside (for those of you who like it), it has good staying power.

[FireInCairo]

I was lucky enough to recieve a generous imp of this with one of my various BPAL orders. I'm not really keen on this blend though. It's rather heady and strong. It's resinish and full of smokey incense. Unfortunately - it's one of those blends that gives me a bit of a headache. I will say that it lasts a long time on the skin. I put it on and it was there at least half the day.

[Dark Sparkle]

Initially, this is very patchouli on me, and then it started to smell like Sin!

 

A couple of minutes later: Now it settles into something woody with a hint of, oh dear bad breath... Please no, civet worked just fine for me in Black Annis .

 

Oh, seriously, this is the first time an imp has gone bad on me, it smells like poop and bad breath, I am actually frigthened by this scent - I never thought this would happen to me !

 

Edited later: I bought Debauchery from a fellow forumite (thanks! ), because I really wanted to try it as civet works great in Black Annis for me - maybe it is just the combination of notes in Debauchery that do not correspond with my skin chemistry, very odd!

Edited June 19, 2005 by Dark Sparkle

[yaluna]

I received this imp as a gift from the lab in my SiA order. So kind!

 

Anywho, I must be one of the few that this seems to work on. I've never smelled opium before, and I'm unfamiliar with civit, so this was a totally new experience for me.

 

When I put it on wet, it smelled rather floral, like rose or jasmine, quite heady yet with some earthiness that seemed to ground it out a bit. At first I thought it smelled like foral soap, but that quickly faded away as it dried.

 

Once dry, it is still a bit strong, but now I think what I thought was floral was really the sweetness of opium. The other smell that I just can't seem to pick out must be the civet, it is pretty faint. The musk is nice as well, pulling everything together.

 

Now while I like this smell, I don't know if it fits my personality. Hmm. I'll try it out again in a few days, and see what happens.