Lilith

[feline.by.design]

Mother of Demons, Vengeful Fury, Darkest Seductress, Queen of the Djinn, Goddess of the Gate. Red wine, myrrh, black musk, and attar of rose.

 

My word, who knew the Mother of Demons smelled like sugar? Seriously, this has got to be hands-down the sweetest oil I've ever tried from the Lab. It's like wet cotton candy, or the coloured sugar atop cookies. Sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet. Is this safe for diabetics? Am I getting cavities just wearing this?

 

After about a minute, during which the oil has calmed down on the sugar rush, I'm starting to note a different note that's a little darker, but nothing as drastic as, say, patchouli or heavy cedar or the like. Nope, Lilith smells like honey now. I can sense the rose attar, but it just kind of gives the affect of powdered sugar, though the floral grows a bit stronger during wear.

 

Okay, five minutes into the Lilith experience gives me a rose that seems to be coated in sugar, though the sugar is gently sweet, not the intense high fructose I was getting upon the first application. Ten minutes later, I have a rose floral that seems a little on the powdery side.

 

Overall, I doubt I'd ever get a bottle of this, but in my year+ of BPAL addiction, I have never come across something this sugary. Part of me wants to pass the imp on, knowing I'd never really wear it, but another part is thinking that this oil is just too weird to let go. Well, in the end, it's best to pass it along to someone else who might like it rather than horde it for no reason. Still, I'm quite pleased to try something that made me knock my head back and go "say what?!"

 

-doreen

Edited December 10, 2005 by feline.by.design

[LiberAmoris]

Lilith has been on wishlist for so long, and the lovely Lab threw in a frimp with my latest order. Straight out of the imp, it reminds me of both Nosferatu and Lady Macbeth. It has that high sweet wine note that smells a bit like nail polish remover.

 

Once the wine note dies down a little though, I get the roses and myrrh. For some reason, this combination is working for me. It's very sexy, very take-no-prisoners. Mmmm, the days of wine of roses. But after about an hour, it's completely gone. I wish this lasted longer, but that's ok, the next time I wear it I'll just slather.

[kilobytesprite]

I could smell as soon as I opened it something sweet but I could not place it until it hit my skin and I briskly rubbed my wrists together. The heat made a wild flower honey scent pop out and hangs out strong over anything floral. I'm not drowinging in it but everyone has said that I smell like wild honey.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Wine - similar to Lady Macbeth - and myrrh, I think

 

Wet: The myrrh takes front place and overpowers the wine (phew!), and roses appear in the background - this smells very Oriental, like an esoteric incense shop.

 

Drydown: A softly sweet scent of spicy myrrh and soft dried roses, with hints of musk that smell slightly like vanilla. It's a dark scent, very thick and heavy.

 

Overall: Potent and seductive, and a scent that makes me think of esoteric shops that sell all kinds of incenses. It's become rather sweet on me, but it still has a mysterious and dark aura. I really expected to hate this, but finally I think it's quite enjoyable. Reminds me of "Wicked" (unsurprisingly, the myrrh/rose combo) with a darker twist. Wouldn't buy a big bottle, but the imp's a keeper. Besides, once it's on, it lasts for hours and hours and hours...

[ancilla_morte]

very deeply fruity. like dark red fruit in the sun. very seductive and warm.

I can definitely smell red wine. It is a bit too overpowering after a couple of minutes.

but there's almost a citronella smell to it as well? maybe that is why it reminds me of summer.

 

not a winner for me.

[valentina]

In the imp, Lilith is a very fruity red wine, a lot like the initial red wine note that hits me when I sniff Wanda. Once it was on me, that '80's "Red, Red Wine" song by UB-40 got stuck in my head. (I actually was replaying the video my brain -- it was in black and white and it had a funny little dog in it, who followed the lead singer around. I barely remember anything important that happened to me in the '80's, but I have a great memory for MTV videos.) Back to my review: Lilith was very sweet, fruity red wine on my skin, that after a time, developed a subtle smoky background. It lasts nicely and doesn't morph at all on my skin after the first few minutes.

 

Lilith reminds me a lot of Wanda without the leather whip.

 

valentina

[merebrillante]

Disclaimer: I note my initial impressions before looking at the description from the Lab. My notes may not be your notes, nor anyone else's.

 

In the vial: Cough syrup, but whether cherry or grape I can't distinguish.

 

Wet: Chocolate and spices.

 

Drydown: Chocolate, sandalwood and wine, maybe?

 

Dry: Okay, so I got the wine part right. I don't know where I got the chocolate impression. I still can't distinguish spices like sandalwood, frankincense and myrrh from each other. Right now, this is all myrrh on me and nothing else. If I really concentrate, I can maybe pick up a little bit of rose way back there. Ten minutes later, and the rose is rising up to blend with the myrrh. Let's hope it doesn't overtake it, because rose and I just do not get along.

 

Later: This settles down very nicely. The rose has come out more, but rather than overpowering the myrrh, it's blended with it, and the black musk helps hold it down. It's mellowed into something softly sweet, the wine re-emerging. After seven hours, it's really morphed. This is perhaps the most complicated scent I've gotten from the Lab. The wine has reasserted itself in cahoots with the musk. It's like Bordello's older, classier sister. Very sophisticated and mysterious. I'll keep the imp, but I don't like it well enough to spring for a bottle.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: mostly sweet red wine.

on: this smells very heavy and dark. very interesting.

half an hour later: the wine is a bit sour, but the overall feeling is very dark and beautiful.

1.5 hours later: the myrrh has really started to come out.

overall: i like this at first, but i have other red wine scents that smell better on me.

[zenvodunista]

somewhat like Wanda, some notes similar, but on me the Black Musk isn't noticible at all, and this is all syrupy sweetness. Too sweet for my blood!

 

n.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 1/5

Summarised in a word or two: Black musky rose.

 

In the imp: Thick black musk, berry-ish wine and rose. Not good.

 

On skin, wet: Wine and spiced rose. Nice, but the rose is very strong, and I don't dig rose...

 

On skin, dry: Oy, and there's the black musk, ruining everything as it does. Syrupy, thick and dark musk, spice and rose. Definitely not liking this.

 

Conclusion: There was a moment or two while wet that, if the rose weren't so strong, this could've had promise. I just don't like rose, and black musk and my skin don't ever agree.

[PirateMaggie]

I wanted to love this. Lilith is one of my favourite mythological figures.

 

Wet, this scent was incredible: red wine (not at all alocholic so much as the very essence of bitter grape) and myrrh with the slightest hint of musk and rich red rose. It reminds me of drinking tej, which is Ethiopian honey wine, in a rose garden by an East African bazaar. Delicious.

 

Unfortunately, after about twenty minutes the myrrh and wine had completely disappeared. So had the musk, oddly--my skin usually amps musk so that it overpowers everything else. All that remained was a slight hint of sour, powdery rose. This is disappointing. I'm going to experiment with this again at another point in my cycle in hopes that the way it smelled wet will be the way it smells dry when my body chemistry isn't being PMS-y and perverse.

[smallvoice]

I love the concept behind the fragrance, and I also wanted to love it. I got lucky, and I do love it. It smells like warm, spicy wine with a hint of roses floating nearby. I will agree that it does start out extremely sugary, but on my skin it calms down fairly rapidly to this lovely, rich scent. Possibly some incense burning along with it... very compelling. I like it, and.. whew!

[batsy]

In the bottle: ripe berries in the summer sun

 

On the skin: Myrrh and musk for sure, mixed with wine. The berries are very strong with a smokey tint from the myrrh. It's like some twisted Catholic incense for a Black mass... I did catch almost what's akin to tea rose.

 

I like this, which surprised me. Yay!

[sarahj]

Lilith

 

in vial: sweet red wine

 

wet: wine and myrrh

 

dry: lovely blend of myrrh, musk, and rose, with a hint of wine...lasts about 3 hours

 

verdict: fades too fast for me, unfortunately

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

In the vial, the first thing I smell is the wine note from Wanda, which is a very fruity wine--almost more of a sparkling grape-juice (like our cheap-ass friends served at their wedding reception instead of champagne, thus pissing everyone off. I digress). Underneath it, though, is a blend quite similar to Spellbound--dark rose and ambery musk. I kind of like it, but both Wanda and Spellbound are more distinct on me, whereas Lilith is a murky blend that's neither one nor the other.

[aedes]

My boyfriend took one whiff of it on me and went

 

Not "eek" but definitely some going on.

 

His words: "That's a $1,000 hooker scent right there."

 

I agree with him. And I love it. Starts off like bubble gum, which I notice a lot of notes do for me. Weird. Anyway, it mellows out within a minute or two of hitting the skin. The first time I tried, the wine note was strong, but this time just the sweetness. It mellows out into a wholly indescribable, seductive scent. Honestly, the closest thing I can think of to the smell is peanut butter. But it doesn't smell like peanut butter. And a whole lot of throw going on, much more than anything else on my arms at the moment.

 

Best image I can think of is Julianne Moore in a gorgeous, brown silk gown. Only I can imagine she'd be much more expensive than $1k.

 

But this will turn heads

[Cielamara]

Lilith was recommended to me by Laurel the Woodfairy when I told her I was in search of a good passive-aggressive fragrance to wear to work to express my general anger with the whole situation.

 

In the imp: I smell...musk! Musk is good. I like musk, and musk LOVES me right back. It's one of those notes that grabs hold of my skin, expands, and absolutely throbs with delight at being on my skin. This has promise. Lilith might be appropriately badass.

 

Wet: Hmm. Sweeter than I'd anticipated. I don't see any of that red wine. That might have been interesting. I liked the booziness of the wine in Kali; I want to see Lilith's boozy side too.

 

A few minutes later:

 

Me: *sniff sniff* "Oh my God. I smell like..." *sniffsniffsniff* "...A FIG NEWTON!"

Laurel: "What?" *tilts head* "It sure as hell didn't do that on me."

Me: "SMELL! I smell like a FIG NEWTON!"

Laurel: *sniffs* "Oh my God! You DO!"

Me: "What the FUCK?"

 

A little while later:

 

Me: "I STILL SMELL LIKE A FIG NEWTON!!!" *laughs like a loon* "I'm going to have someone very strange gnawing on my wrist!"

 

Sadly, the essence of Fig Newtons is not what I consider a desirable trait in a perfume. But Lilith sure did give us both a good giggle.

Edited April 11, 2006 by Cielamara

[klio]

Quick sniffy impressions:

 

Booze, deep and thick, like a West-Indian Groom's cake that's been soaking in dark rum in preparation for Easter. Fruits heavy with boozy absorption. A scent you could chew. This scent makes me think of breasts. Go figure.

[theseagrows]

at first lilith is really strong. i smell the wine and musk and the rose in the background, as it fades it turns into a spicy-wine-floral. kind of..warm dark and sexy.

 

now that it's faded the wine has faded a bit and a soft dry spicy rose sent prevails.

[juniperus]

Bottle: Red wine and something dark, possibly the myrrh. I'm not sure what altar of rose will turn out to be..

Wet: Myrrh steps forward, wine a step back. I can pick up some of the musk. It's a dark, almost peppery scent.

Dry: First the musk then myrrh and the fermentation-sweet note of the wine...dark, yes, but not sultry nor sinister, exactly..something I can't quite put my finger on. It's seductive, but not sexy.... Complex.

Later: More musky, less wine. I still don't know how the altar of rose fit into this, but it's rather nice...dark, but more of a golden dark than a blackest-night-black-as-pitch dark.

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Red wine, musk, fig.

 

On me: This smells exactly like caramel apples! Just like other red wine BPAL scents, it turns apple on me. I actually think this is a really gorgeous scent.

 

Verdict: Great blend, but I'm not sure yet if I need a bottle. It might be nice once fall rolls around, since it really smells like caramel apples to me!

 

Rating: 5/5

[mountainwitch]

Very rich, almost candy-like at first, but one of the darkest fragrances from BPAL I've ever tried. Unbelievably feminine and sweetly wicked, this is NOT something I would wear everyday . . . But I don't wear black heels or wine-red velvet every day, either. I might not ever buy a bottle, but I'd love to keep an imp on hand, just for the right occasion.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

this was one of the first few BPAL scents i tried... and i must say, it was a good indication of things to come.

 

full of notes that i love... but apparently not when they are all put together.

 

i *wanted* rose petals and red wine.

 

i got dog soaked in apple juice.

[cranberry]

I’ve been wanting to try this scent forever, so I was thrilled when Lilith in the GC swap reached me. In the imp, it smells like corrupted, ruined fruit. Not wine, but fruit in general. Once on, the musk comes out to play, as does the rose. This is a dark, murky scent. I’m not getting much wine, I wonder if this is an older imp? It reminds me more of red musk rather than black musk; black musk always seems to go powdery on me but it’s not happening this time around. I’m liking this scent. After it’s been on a bit, the black musk does go a bit powdery on me.

 

Overall impression is that is reminds me a bit of a commercial perfume, sophisticated, and naturally dark brown in color. It remains mainly musk, with a touch of spicy myrrh and a touch of rose. I never see the wine at all.

 

Huh, I just got it. You know what, for some reason it reminds me of Youth Dew by Estee Lauder. I know there’s a YD oil, I wonder if it’s similar…

[septima_pica]

Sexy and incredibly *dark*. The first note I smell is that high pinching odor of red wine, same as for Nosferatu, and mercifully (as in Nosferatu) it fades away within seconds. After that the roses come in -- wine and roses have a much stranger smell together than I'd expected! -- and then the myrrh shows up, warming and sweetening the blend, but keeping it as sinister as it was. The musk -- red or black as it may be, both usually turn to powder -- is nowhere to be smelt, thankfully. The whole blend conveys a distinct colour impression -- the colour of the petals of the darkest blood-clot-red roses you've ever been inclined to eat. (Or is that just me?)

 

This blend reminds me most of Dracul, somehow, although the only common note (the musk) is one that I can't smell at all here and don't like in Dracul. There's just a similar feel -- though Dracul smokes and wears piney cologne, while Lilith drinks and wears rose attar perfume, one gets a sense that they definitely like to cause trouble at the same joints. And I like 'em both. The increased musk in Dracul means I have to use it as a leather scent only, while this makes a good body scent, but Lilith may be going on the bottle list too.

 

ADDED 12/2/07:

 

I had two imps of this, so I gave one to my boyfriend after a night of testing all the perfumes to see how they smelt on him... Well, anyhow, he wore this out on Friday night and it was just amazing. I mean, I thought it was pretty nice on me but WOW, yeah. In conclusion, this isn't just a feminine scent. He smelt like dark purple roses all night and into the next day. Utterly unfair.