Dragon's Musk

[angelicruin]

Dominant, passionate, devastating. Dragon’s blood and five deep musks.

In the imp vial, it's mainly dragon's blood, but once applied to the skin, it's a beautiful sweet musk. Love it!

[V294]

So I got an imp of this over a year ago. I'm sure I smelt it and probably tried it on, but I couldn't remember much about it. I had vague memories of thinking it was to strong or something.

 

I just put it on...OMGOMGOMG LOVE! I am completely in love with this. I don't know if it was the aging or not, but my chemistry is in love with this smell. It doesn't go super spicy/overly heady on me like Lust and sometimes snake oil can (usually if I go out dancing or something).

 

It makes sense really since almost all my favorites so far seem to have some form of musk. I'm not sure about Dragon's blood since this is my first experience with it, but so far so good!

[acidrica]

I put this on right after I became acquainted with plain ol' dragon's blood, just so I could be sure to pick it out from the musk. I'm glad I did, because this is MUSK in flashing, Hollywood billboard letters. And musks? They do amazing things on my skin, and the dragon's blood resin just makes it even more amazing. It actually creates the illusion of a bit of saltiness. Please excuse me when I say, this smells like a huge dragon peen. In the best way possible. I only say this because this is a very hot smell, that comes in waves. Like it's throbbing. I literally want to lick my wrist, and kind of wish it'd had the decency to stain my skin so I didn't make that mistake. This makes me want to have my way with anyone and everyone. I *must* have a bottle of this.

 

Even so, I'm kind of afraid to wear this in public.

Edited December 25, 2008 by Acid

[crebbsgirl]

I didn't think it was possible, but I think I may have found a blend that was too musky for me. The dragon's blood was beautiful here, and it wasn't until the blend started to dry that I could smell something a little... off... on my skin. One of these musks clearly doesn't agree with me. I saw a forumite once refer to something as single note

cunt

musk before and that is totally the undertone here. I had to wash this off, it just made me too uncomfortable.

[fairnymph]

Dark orangish brown oil. Mostly musk - definitely the deep, dark sort - and maybe some amber, with a very light touch of dragon's blood. I can pick out red musk, black musk and I think Indian musk, but the musks are very well blended into a general muskiness.

 

Instantly much more dragon's blood, as always sweet-soapy fake cherry-lilac air freshener, but this much more floral-lilac, more heady floral soap and less fake fruit sweetness. The ratio is different than usual. This smells a lot fresher and brighter on my skin, and not totally in a bad way. I'm pretty sure there's some white musk in this, and it's actually dominating the darker ones, at least right now. It's toned down by those, however, so it's not sharp or piercing, just bright and clean. I also get an almost citrusy sort of herbal or woodsy note too...a very light touch of verbena, maybe?

 

Yep, I do think there is a touch of verbena or possibly lemon balm in this - it's not nearly as PLEDGE as verbena usually is, it's a much softer and hazier sort of note. Definitely some white musk, and some sexy Indian musk/ that musk from Galvanic Goggles - I was either wrong about the red and black musks or they're now very faint/dominated because I can't pick them out now. The dragon's blood is still light and lilac-forward, which sadly makes my face itch a bit.

 

Musks amping, and the red musk has returned suddenly and strongly adding a mentholic touch, along with black musk that's a little powdery and quite sweet in that almost-foody way. The white musk has faded to near-oblivion, but the Indian musk is still going strong and gorgeous. The lilac is more apparent than the dragon's blood, almost like it's a separate note here, and its headiness makes it seem to merge with the red musk which is why I think the latter seemed hidden for a while. This is only very faintly soapy and makes my face itch much less than most dragon's blood containing scents.

 

After a while, light lemony herb and red musk dominate over a light base of heady, slightly soapy, greatly lilac-based drgaon's blood, sexy deep Indian musk and a little powdery black musk and what I swear is an amber of some sort, I'm betting black amber, which is more musky and sweet and only faintly powdery on me, but still adds a feel of dark warmth. It's indeed quite a musky scent but yet very light and pretty unisex. It reminds me a bit of Smut, in terms of the musk mix. Better than expected but not for me. Very low throw but decent longevity.

Edited February 27, 2010 by fairnymph

[zankoku_zen]

Musky sweet dragon's blood....

 

It actually kinda smells like a plastic Barbie doll, but more masculine. Perhaps a Ken doll?

[bubblefish]

I was expecting a much heavier and muskier scent than I got from this one. In the bottle it was fairly tame, and on my skin it calmed even more before it turned sour and unpleasant on me.

[topazphoenix]

This is straightforward - dragon's blood with the grounded edge of musk. It's a good combination.

[femmefatale]

At first, it's all Dragon's Musk, but then a lovely sweet musk comes out. Starts to smell a bit powdery, though not in a bad way. Very pretty and much lighter than I expected. Might keep the imp, but can't see wearing it enough for a full bottle.

 

ETA: Ok, I can't seem to stop sniffing myself. I'm not getting a wonderful blend of red musk and a slightly powdery note. Sounds like it should be awful right, but it's actually wonderful. I might have to reconsider the bottle thing.

Edited August 19, 2009 by Femme_Fatale

[HamletsKeeper]

This is what aged snake oil would be like on my skin. All spice, a little sweet and absolutely amazing. I've not had the pleasure of trying aged snake oil yet (only fresh), but I have to say in the dry down both are very similar with Dragon's Musk being the more beautiful, complex and alive of the two. If you can't wear snake oil, try this instead.

 

Bottle Sniff Surprisingly floral and sweet. I had never smelt DB before and this is not what I expected at all. Beautiful ambery rose coloured oil.

 

Wet On Skin Musk hits me fullforce and smells tainted with feralness. I am fearing at this stage that it will go to animal pee and I will never again smell the amazing scent in the bottle. My fears were baseless as it turns out.

 

Drydown I really don't like this scent a great deal until extreme drydown (about 15mins+) but that's the same with many BPALs. In the beginning it's too sharp, animalic and the DB is drowned out by the musk. Once properly settled and heated by my skin however it's what people rave about snake oil being. Spicey (without screaming cinnamon), deep, warm and a whole lot of vanilla (even though there's none in there). This is skin musk times 10, bottled and aged into a fine liqueur. There's only a hint of something floral, in the manner of carnations. It doesn't scream flowers, but every now and again you think are there flowers in this? I love this scent and think I probably won't bother ordering a full bottle of snake oil now, this is everything snake oil is without needing the aging to make it wearable.

 

An excellent Snake Oil alternative...

 

Overall I think I've found love note #2 - Dragons Blood.

Edited October 21, 2009 by HamletsKeeper

[Altaira]

I received this as a frimp from the Lab. With no idea what to expect - but not finding any obviously offensive notes when sniffing the vial - I wore this to work yesterday.

 

At first I thought I had made a mistake because this goes on very strong. I don't like wearing scents with a long throw to the office. But I needn't have worried, after about a half hour the scent had backed down and became much lighter.

 

I have been wearing mostly foody scents lately, so this as a nice change. It is a more traditional perfume, verging on slightly floral, without any actual flower notes to bother me.

 

I quite like this and will keep the imp to wear on occasions where I want to seem more adult than can be accomplished while smelling like baked goods. I would recommend it to people who avoid florals but want something traditional and pretty.

[hlemonds]

I love this blend! I would never have guessed from the lab description that it would be such a lovely, soft, clean skin scent. The DB resin is almost a bit soapy or shampoo-y on me, but the musks soon warm and smooth the DB. I can't detect any one musk, the "five deep musks" blend together beautifully. Initially, when i sniffed the bottle i had ordered from the lab, i was afraid i'd be disappointed. But every time i wear this scent i catch gentle wafts of it, and for a moment i think "What smells so good?", then i realize it's my perfume. I think this one will age beautifully, the DB resin becoming smoother and less soapy, the musky becoming even more silken and warm.

[milo]

Dragon's Blood, only darker with the musks. After an hour, it goes powdery on me. Off to swaps with ya!

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Abolutely dragon's blood and musk. I might actually like this dragons blood blend

 

On Application

Straight, strong dragons blood

 

Dry Down

The musks very quickly assert themselves, thankfully, cutting through the dragons blood. And then the DB is back with a vengeance. The dry down is very nice though.

 

Rating (0-5)

4

 

[ralenth]

In the bottle, Dragon's Musk is lovely and deep darkness. Unfortunately on my skin, it becomes sharp, pungent floral. Boo, skin chemistry fail.

[impolight]

My, how this smell was missed...

The versions of Dragons Blood happened upon in most places has proven to be little more than a gooey concoction that smells as though it were better suited for dribbling atop reheated, frozen waffles. A nasty, generic sort of sweetness...

Back in the eeaarly 90's, essential oils seemed more readily available and of higher quality; before corporate pharmaceuticals squashed almost everything suspected of being affiliated in any way with holisticism.

The first whiff of the Lab's Dragons Blood turned on the waterworks...

THIS is what's been missing!

THIS Dragons Blood brings back so many memories!

THIS Dragons Blood is the violently red, radiant, divine sort of succulence that personifies the many irreplaceable qualities of this sacred and noble tree...Dragons Blood is SUPPOSED to smell similar to 3 pounds of Red Roses mashes into 5 gallons of Honey; The whole thing topped with a couple dozen thinly sliced Strawberries and a pinch of finely ground Black Pepper and the whole thing given a coquettish smooch by Vanilla dust.

The musks in this scent are golden and deep; remniscent of honey musk (the way a well taken care of ferret smells), tobacco flower, And talc. After wearing for a while on the skin, the musk emerges and intertwines perfectly with the Dragons Blood, Creating an almost reverent effect... Imagine loafing about on a big velvet pillow and basking in the light streaming through a stained glass window, listening to Gregorian chants.

Dragons Blood is a magnificent, regal scent...The fragrance is unisex. It would lend airs of leonine prowess for a man and it would transform a breathtaking beauty into a ravishing enchantress.The remainder of the Ars Draconis line will more than likely be added to the collection based on Dragons Musk alone. Thank you, BPAL!!!

Edited March 29, 2010 by impolight

[Finch]

I think the imp I have must be at least three years old. The color of the oil is the deepest red, the scent straight from the imp is very heady Dragon's Blood, and once it dries a bit it becomes a warm, tempting, sinister musk. It doesn't last very long on my skin, but I absolutely love the way it lingers in my clothing and hair.

Edited February 2, 2010 by Finch

[Saya]

Starts off as Dragon's Blood with a floral touch (lilac, I think). After a while the musks start to come out. Nice blend. I'd have to be in the mood for this one, but it's not bad.

[Sinmara]

I've still got to get the hang of the imps as when I tried that one today a little bit too much came out (well, I turned my hand around whilst holding it, bad idea...) - boyfriend said he could smell it from outside the door

 

I love it though, I can't stop sniffing my wrist - very heady and sensual.

[doublehelix]

in the bottle: I don't know what the dragon's blood note smells like on it's own. but this is very strong funky musk in the bottle.

 

wet on skin: ...it honestly smells like old ladies. very floraly with some musk. It kinda reminds me of the smell of mothballs...

 

dry on skin: old ladies.... this is way too strong for me, and not a smell i like, at all.

[Venneh]

In the imp, it's pretty straight forward; dragon's blood and musk, and it's the same on my skin. Interesting, we'll see how it goes. Ends up being a darker scent, fades quickly on me. Not for me.

Edited March 6, 2010 by Venneh

[odalisque]

Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I do believe there's red musk in here -- and yet I don't reek. That would be a first. This scent has also achieved the impossible in that the dragon's blood doesn't overwhelm everything in clouds of lily-like floral.

 

Wet, it has a floral and very slightly resinous dragon's blood edge with lots of faintly powdery, rich muskiness. It's a sweet, perfumy musk (I think this is the red stuff at the forefront). As the dragon's blood fades, the musk shifts closer to the warm musk notes in Morocco and Anactoria. It's a long-lasting scent and the last phase is hours of lingering, gradually blackening musk that eventually whispers away into sweet babyish powder.

 

This is powerful stuff and I'm not sure exactly how "me" it is but it packs a wallop. It's immensely, ridiculously, headily sexy. I can see how in the right situation, someone exposed to it wouldn't know whether they were coming or going (words like "helpless" and "babbling" suggest themselves). This is the big guns, ladies and gentlemen.

Edited April 29, 2010 by odalisque

[laslibres]

This is a dark red, very slow-moving oil. A very fruity and slightly resiny scent. I enjoy dragon's blood in this scent, whereas I didn't in Dragon's...oh, I forget which one, Dragon's Bone I think. Whichever one that amped sandalwood on me. So I thought I didn't like dragon's blood based on that, but now...I think I do!

 

And these musks are lovely, and a great complement to the dragon's blood. I smell a bit like a headshop denizen in this scent, but a very sexy one. Dragon's blood makes this a very round, red scent, almost fruity...like red Mike and Ikes. Except the musks make this a bit more grown-up than Mike and Ike candy. I kinda dig this scent...it's different, and different than what I'd expected.

[Vega]

Disclaimer: My nose is completely untrained and I've an abysmal scent memory, so my impressions are just impressions.

 

A frimp from the Lab, thank you!

 

In imp: Warm, perhaps spicy, a "high", maybe perfumy feel. There's a sharp bite in here too.

 

On skin: Wet, the high perfumy aspect is initially strong, but goes away as the oil dries. Overall, this is spicy, heady, warmly red and musky; I gather this is dragon's blood. There's a touch of sweetness (perhaps from the musks) that tempers the sharpness. Over time, Dragon's Musk ends up being warm and spicy-musky, but I can't distinguish the dragon's blood from the musks yet. It's also unusually long-lasting and has a significant throw, ie. I can smell it at arms' length. (Which is unusual because my skin tends to swallow up perfume oils.) It doesn't morph, but does have body and depth, and definitely evokes power and passion.

 

Verdict: Dragon's Musk is a bold, incisive, intense scent tempered by a pleasant musky sweetness. I quite like it, though I don't see it becoming an everyday scent. This is my first Ars Draconis scent; if this is dragon's blood, I definitely want to try more!

[sarielswish]

In the vial, rich and sweet. Almost reminiscent of good leather. Color, dark red.

 

Wet on my skin, I'm hoping either there's no red musk in this or that it plays nicely. So far, so good.

 

10-15 minute drydown - Hmm. I seem to have eaten all of the dragon's blood. All I can smell is musk. Not unpleasant, but not something I particularly *want*.

 

1 hour drydown - Red musk. Ugh. My head hurts.