Haunted

[Bean Rua]

A mournful, poignant scent, thick with foreboding. Soft golden amber darkened with a touch of murky black musk.

This smells like the bastard child of Shalimar and Aramis. It invokes intense, but vague scent memories for me.

Some moments I love it, some it just almost gives me a headache. Sometimes the sweet is just too...much...

The weird thing is that its throw is very substantial, but I can hardly smell it directly where I applied it at all. I'm in a cloud of it.

Yes, it is haunting me. Very definitely. I'm just not sure if I like the haunting or not.

Actually, it will probably go in the seldom used pile, as I have a real affinity to many other scents.

[empi girl]

Bright citrus, powder, musk, spices. Mix those all together and you have Haunted on me. The citrus and powder waft, the spice stays close to the skin, the musk lends warmth and a slight fuzzy softness. Eventually the citrus fades to just a slight note underneath everything else. It remains very powdery. Completely not what I was expecting, so the jury is out. I could see this being one I develop a love for, and want a big bottle of for winter (seems a warming and possibly comforting scent, even if it is in Funereal Oils!), or I could see this as one I decide to swap.

 

ETA: Ok, I've decided, this is not a scent for me. It reminds me of lemon gummy worms and amber scented dusting powder, together. Too much powdery sweetness. I will stick to the Lion for my spicy amber fix!

Edited August 19, 2005 by empi girl

[sophia_helix]

A frimp from Rheliwan -- thanks!

 

In the bottle:

 

Sweet and musky. Not so much with the amber.

 

Wet:

 

This is... clean? Really oddly so. Astringent clean with something like oranges, reminding me a lot of Bed of Nails. I am very confused. I mean, I like clean scents very much, but this isn't what I was expecting.

 

Drydown:

 

Clean fades within a few minutes, but the sweet scent of oranges remains. And, as I often find with Beth's perfumes, a hint of anise is sneaking in. I really wish I knew why that happens, but then, maybe it's my nose.

 

Eventually it boiled down to a sickly-sweet musk, with a hint of powdery, sour amber. I always think I like amber, because I love O so much, but it's very rarely worked on me in other blends. This is no exception.

 

This really reminds me of some kind of candle, maybe "vanilla musk" or something. It's rather foody, but foody isn't usually my thing, so I think I'll have to give this a miss. Dang. I'm really having a run of "miss" scents.

 

::is disgruntled, until she remembers the hordes of imps on their way to her::

 

Update: Woke up this morning with this still on. I had my wrists near my face, and I was wrinkling my nose because there was this cloying sweet smell I thought was from my roommate's shower or something. No... still Haunted... and after my shower and two handwashes I could still smell it. Of course.

Edited August 23, 2005 by sophia_helix

[Little Bird]

Of the several funereal oils that I've tried, I haven't really liked any of them. Haunted wasn't a winner with my skin chemistry either .

 

First on this is perfumey musk and something that smells like dry soil. Dirt and musk. I can already feel a headache coming on. I think that I can smell some amber in the background, but it seems to be going powdery.

 

I love amber. It usually works well on me. The amber in Haunted goes into baby powder mode. Musky baby powder = migraine headache.

[brownbear]

Wow, when I reread the description I couldn't believe that there were only two notes listed. It's so simple, but smells soooo goooooood.

 

It changes a lot for me. In the imp, or out of it I should say as it exploded all over the place it reminds me a lot of something that I like from lush, though now I can't remember what.

It starts out slightly strong and astringent, but mellows out into the tastiest skin type of scent. It is very warm. If it were a color it'd be a brownish red, like fox fur.

 

It gets a little sweeter as it dries more.

 

This just made it to my favorites list.

[aessedai]

To me this scent is very yellow, and of course, haunting. Kind of somber and not really my vibe.

I did get some for my mom, though, because she likes Shalimar, and they share some notes.

[Kittyflop]

For some reason I’m drawn to this at bedtime. It’s my favorite night scent, comforting. A soft, warm, amber rolled in moondust.

[~AmusedMuse~]

My Impression:

Wow, wasn't expecting this at all. Two of my favorite notes musk and amber together make this a true classic scent. This was a frimp and am I so happy to have had the chance to review this. I may buy a large bottle of this. My scale of 1-5....5

[stinkycretingurl]

i've had the imp for a while but i never tried it. something about the scent in the bottle--didn't seem interesting. but a friend told me last night she loved it so i gave it a try.

 

in the bottle it is unremarkable. once on, it blooms into a very beautiful powdery scent tempered with a deep musky sexiness. it truly is beautiful! on the big bottle list?

 

however, i slathered it on this morning--and i mean SLATHER. multiple dips into the imp, even put it on my ::hair::. and three hours on it has faded to nothing. if i sniff my wrists very closely i can smell it, but it has developed a slightly sour note and as a consequence it smells only vaguely they way it did the glorious first hour.

meh. it's off the big bottle list.

--scg

[BlackDahlia]

Haunted ~

 

From the Imp: A sort of sickly sweet aroma... not altogether unpleasant ~ just not what I was expecting. It is a lighter fragrance with a top note that i just can't place.

 

Wet on the skin: A sweet musk. On me NOT a good thing.

 

Dry down: Ick. I really, really detest this one. It smells like a musky baby. (On my skin I get baby powder and musk scent. I don't like musky aromas.

 

In closing:

Off for sale or trade.

[cranberry]

Well I definitely know that some ambers are not my friend. Haunted proves it. I wasn't quite sure before. Haunted was not what I was expecting. I think I expected something like the Lion with a blast of musk. Not what I got at all.

 

In the Imp, I was surprised by its smell, not too musky but a dry, not-sweet amber. It reminds me of some kinda food that I can't place right now.

On the Skin, that dry smell continues. As I wear it, I get the Play-Dough scent. Uggg. Not good. And that this weird almost foody scent continues. For the life of me I can't think of it - some sort of dessert it must be.

 

Final Thought, Haunted is not for me. There's plenty of other BPAL to love.

 

edited: Ah ha! I think it's marzipan. Some sort of almond concoction. That's the foody scent I get!

Edited October 10, 2005 by cranberry

[lookingglass]

I do love this, and will be using up the imp. I just won't be buying a big bottle right now...If I could only choose 1 BPAL scent for all eternity, though, Haunted would probably be it...She is a combination of some of my favorites.

 

Haunted seems to be the conception from an unholy union of Scherezade and O, with a dark, Snake Oil-y feel. I love them all at different times...

 

If you liked the musk in Scherezade, but not the incense, or wanted to love O or Snake Oil but didn't because the vanilla turned to "play dough", then you will want to try Haunted. It is truly lovely...

[bloodlotus1]

Exactly like the description. A sweet, musky, golden amber.

 

Way better than the other golden ambers I've tried from other sources.

 

This is rich, deep, has a ton of throw & lasts almost forever. Very smooth & the musk is indeed dark while somehow never diminishing the amber glow. (I get something slightly citrus-like which may account for that.)

 

I was hesitant on the 'black musk' since vetiver & myrrh both go psychotic on me but I detect neither in this blend. Yes!

 

Definite top ten for me!

[Freyja Lux]

Whoa, strong amber! This is a dark, heavy smell with the blackest amber and musk. Nothing "soft" about it, as is claimed by the description. It is delicious though, just a tad too heavy for me. Conjured images of dark corridors and heavy, dusty curtains drawn tight over windows, with not a sliver of light. Brooding.

[Fishwomon]

The final drydown, after a few hours, is pure, warm amber on me, and it lasts and lasts on my skin.

 

But to get there.... I fear Haunted smells too much like an expensive, conventional perfume on me - not floral at all, but strong. When it's wet, I get the citrus that many other reviewers have mentioned. Then I get a strong, black scent that I think is the black musk, with golden amber beneath it. I think this phase is just too strong for me. Finally I get the rich amber layer, as if the musk has burned off.

 

I can imagine anointing black candles with this in ritual.

[Fefferbella]

Haunted fades instantly to nothing but amber on me

It's really delightful, but I was hoping for a little more musk.

[parrot_suspect]

The description sounded awesome, and in general I love amber. So I ordered Haunted unsniffed. But alas, it just isn't right for me. I'm sure on some people this is awesome, but on me, the lemon/citrus note was overpowering. Haunted reminded me a lot of Shalimar, which is another fragrance that almost works for me, if I weren't put off by the initial citrus notes. The drydown of Haunted is lovely, but the first few hours aren't good. I would say that if you like Oriental-type fragrances and you don't mind citrus notes mingling with amber and heavier notes, Haunted may be just what you're looking for.

[em_h]

Wet: kind of sweet, kind of sharp; oddly, makes me think of dried grasses. Nice. As other reviews have noted, there's also a bit of a lemony scent for some reason.

 

Dry: a lot of sweet amber, with a little thread of a quite sharp musk. Seems to waft a fair bit. I quite like it, though it's a bit powdery. There's something kind of luxuriant about it that I like. I definitely wouldn't pass up a chance to get more of this one, as the imp I have came to me already half empty.

[PurringPulsar]

Haunted

 

In the imp: deep, dark, sweet, glistening, slightly tangy amber-musk.

Wet on skin: ooh, this is now a dark, slightly smoky and resinous scent.

Dry: whoa. Is that black musk? Holy crap, this is powerful stuff. It’s intense, that’s for sure. A deep, rich, dark smoky yet slightly tangy musk-it’s not animalistic though, at least not on me, or in this. It has a slight darkly golden and ‘oily’ feel to it-the person who described black musk as smelling similar to WD40 is not far off! However, this scent is a lot more exotic and sensuous smelling than that!!! The amber is giving this a lovely resinous sweetness.

After a while: this stays consistent-if anything the musk note gets sweeter and bonds more with the amber, and it smells so much nicer!

Verdict: this is incredible stuff. This is my first brush with black musk-and it smells lovely…a really unusual scent, dark, mysterious, intense and slightly smoky…the amber enhances this and gives it a sweet resinous glaze. This is a scent that I think will grow on me, it's wonderful for winter-I’m not sure if I want a bottle for now, but I really like it and now I’m eager to try more black musk scents.

[Voleuse]

This is very "perfume" to my nose on first application. The initial throw of musk seemed very generic to my nose. As the scent dried down, however, I was able to pick out the complexities. It's sweet and hazy, not heavy, but not light, either.

 

There's a hint of soapy citrus behind it, the slightest spice, but overall, it's generally nice, cloudy musk.

 

Over time, however, the soapy citrus gets stronger, and somehow, it begins to remind me of formaldehyde. It's nice for a long while, though, before it gets weird on me.

[theseagrows]

i love this one. it smells sexy and a bit vanilla/spicy. it seems more complex than the 2 notes it claims to have. i swear i smell vanilla! but maybe it's just the way it reacts on my skin. i may have to get a large bottle of this...

[Silverstrike]

This is the second BPAL amber fragrance I've tried (The Lion being the first), and I'm afraid my skin just eats amber and makes it disappear. The Lion, for instance, is just Big Red cinnamon gum on me. Haunted is interesting--upon initial application, it smelled really perfumey in a powdery sort of way, but then I think it's the musk that got really strong. It overpowered everything else and I actually had to try to wash it off with soap to tone it down (now it isn't stinging my nose as bad; I didn't think I'd put that much on either). I don't get any citrus from this at all. Something about it seems similar to O--for me, it's the powdery aspect of Haunted, so maybe that's the amber? I think I'm going to eventually gift the imp to a friend I've been BPAL-enabling; I get the feeling she'd enjoy Haunted much more than I have.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: watery, with an odd sharpness to it.

on: wow, musk and a slightly sweet / sour note.

45 minutes later: this smells like baby on me...with al ittle bit of maple syrup through in. gross.

1.5 hours later: i can't deal with this.

overall: this is so not a scent for me. blech.

[Pachelbel]

Ok, wow. I've never had a scent change so drastically from the bottle/wetdown to the drydown.

 

Bottle: I sort of liked it, but musks aren't really my thing. In fact, before I got into BPAL and got musky scents with my first order, I hated musks...but that's what I get for trying out commercial scents In the bottle, it reminds me of smoke a few days after a big fire.

 

Wet: The same. It's nice, but...meh.

 

Drydown: Is this the same perfume? It's...so sweet, and sharp. It reminds me of something...I keep thinking of old shops and sand. Sort of exotic, something I'd find in the desert. And I think I smell...cornflakes? Well, either way, I love it.

 

EDIT: Showed the dry result to my mum (she didn't like it in the bottle). She says it smells just like her grandmother's perfume did--which doesn't mean this is a "granny scent" at all. My 'Papoo' was the most fashionable 94 year old lady you would ever meet.

 

Anyway, mum's right...so now on top of the other things I mentioned, it reminds me of days spent playing in the sand in Papoo's strawberry patch. I need a big bottle now.

Edited December 7, 2005 by Pachelbel

[kitty_stockings]

Haunted

 

In the Imp:

Lemon herbal medicine ... almost like Halls throat drops, complete with menthol finish.

 

Wet on skin:

YUM!! The lemon scent has mellowed such that it is no longer that of fresh-cut fruit, but rather of some sort of warm lemon drink (neocitrin? lemon tea? warm lemon juice?)

Drying:

It smells like what a lemon ginger cookie might smell like: warm and bright, slightly sweet, with a mellow hint of vanilla in the background. This scent is somehow managing to be refreshingly citrus, yet warm and comforting at the same time.

 

Dry:

A very warm, feminine combination of light musk and ... babypowder? Yes, but not in an unpleasant way: it is quite strong, though. The lemon is gone! It didn't last beyond hour two.

 

Overall:

Nice, but I am not sure whether this is a scent for me. The loss of the lemony-goodness was unfortunate, because that was what initially drew me into the scent. The babypowderish smell is all-too common the end result for me with scents that are warm and lightly sweet. Ah well, the refreshing burst of the first two hours was quite a pleasant experience! But i feel that being haunted by babypowder is a strange ending.