Desire

[tempete]

The overwhelming agony of passion crystallized into a singularly dark and magnetic blend: bittersweet neroli, black patchouli and black musk, gilded by apple, bergamot, blood red rose, teak, and vanilla.

Desire began in a promising manner - initially, it was a vanilla scent tempered by the various notes. However, as it dried down, an odd note emerged that was vaguely reminiscent of my experience with Regan. Desire and Regan have nothing in common except vanilla, and I can wear other BPALs with vanilla (most notably Snake Oil) so I am unsure of the cause of this strange olfactory experience. So unfortunately, this relegated Desire to the swap pile.

[VorpalBunny]

Desire reminds me of Red Moon without the spiciness – almost like Red Moon crossed with Snake Oil. It’s mildly fruity and sweet and smoky and sexy. I don’t get any of the notes people are picking out: rose, apple, or lemon. It smells dark red to me, if that makes any sense… I am mostly picking out the vanilla and the fruitiness of the neroli and apple without the specific notes of them, and maybe a hint of the musk. I love it. It will be a good second-best replacement for my Red Moon when it runs out.

[RocketMelee]

First review!

 

In the bottle: Sweet, sweet, sweet! I'm new to trying to pick notes out, but I can say that, though very pleasant, this would be sweet to the point of giving me a headache -- if it wasn't backed by a deep, mellow creaminess that is thoroughly intriguing. Maybe it's the teak and vanilla, grounded by the patchouli -- whatever it is, the overall effect is quite magnetic.

 

Wet: It starts off almost overly sweet and strong, with a barely perceptible underlying bite of -- well, not apple in the juicy and crunchy sense, but in an apple peel sense. You know, like when you sniff an apple right before you bite into it? (Maybe I'm the only one who does that...) Anyway, just a trace of apple peel. A spikey bit of patchouli rears its head next. Within two to five minutes equal parts vanilla, teak, and rose rise up a little and start to blend, supplying the creaminess hinted at in the bottle. Within seven minutes, the creamy scent is perfectly merged with the patchouli. And rising. After ten to twelve minutes, I can no longer even vaguely pick out any individual notes.

 

Dry: Simply divine. It's not foody, i's not floral (not in a Hey! Flowers! kind of way, at any rate), it's just pure wafty goodness. If it were a color, it would hover between dusky pink and deep lavendar -- is it possible to smell mauve?

 

This one caught me by surprise, just because I normally favor a completely different sort of smell -- but this is so beautifully balanced, thick, and silky. It smells very rich, using any sense of the word. I was also surprised that it smelled so perfectly blended on me, because my chemistry tends to grab on to roses and super amp them. Not this, though. It has the honor of being the first BPAL oil to go on my 5 ml list.

Edited November 13, 2004 by RocketMelee

[goddessrobyn]

So... I didn't initially buy this becuase of the patchouli (I love it and want to bathe in it... husband hates the smell and can pick it out of ANYTHING)

 

But... I met some gals for Sniffin' and smelled this one and loved it... I had no recollections of the site description at the time so since I couldn't smell my beloved patchouli in the bottle, I didn't guess it was there...

 

When I got home with this I tried it on... and at first it was very strong and very heady... like too much perfume, smogged up the house with incense heady... almost to the point of being stinky... but not... just REALLY strong (and I didn't put more than a dab on my neck...)

 

After about 30 minutes it settled down nicely... I couldn't pick out any specific notes... its sweet... so that's gotta be the vanilla... theres a spice (beloved patchouli and musk??) but not the biting cinnamon smell of chimera and snake oil more mellow... sexy with out being overly sexual...

four hours or so later... I think its gone... but the husband tells me I smell good... mental note

 

Last night... I'm picking out something to go with my outfit for Willie Nelson's show at the Music Hall (I LOVE Willie Nelson!!!!!) and I decide on Desire... just seemed fitting but not sure why... just wanted something special since for the first (and probably only) time I got to say "I'm on Willie's guest list"...

but all I can say is GREAT CHOICE!!!!

 

Husband could not keep his hands off me!!!! Thought we were going to be asked to leave!!! He was constantly nibbling my neck telling me how wonderful I smelled...

This is my new "date night" perfume!!! This is the scent of marital consumation!!!!!

WOW!!! all from my beloved patchouli!!!

but what I don't smell is the lemon or the apple... oh well... when it gets this reaction... WHO CARES!!!

[LaLisa]

Swet, light, frothy with a sexy undercurrent when I whiffed it, and once I put it on, well, it worked like Spanish fly--I was in a desirous mood, hard core throb, instant aphrodisiac. Dried out to patchouli/musk which is not my fave combo, but I topped that with some Black Rose and all was well.

[zapevaj]

Man, as much as I like apple and vanilla, -all- I can smell here is patchouli. This must go to a patchouli lover, and that would not be me.

 

-Rae

 

(edited to fix spelling)

Edited November 24, 2004 by zapevaj

[Ishtar]

In the vial and wet, Desire was very sweet. I usually enjoy sweet scents, but for some reason this was almost cloying to my nose.

 

On my skin, a distinct fruitiness (I assume it was the patchouli) started coming through, together with some musky and woody notes. Far from grounding the blend and making it headier, this actually turned it into a nice, fruity sweet scent that ended up smelling rather innocent, in spite of the name.

 

Nice but not outstanding on me. I think it will be a swap.

[luxuria]

This is creamy, delicious, exciting, and other wonderful things..except for the patchouli. I HATE PATCHOULI! It makes me sick and I was hoping I would be able to ignore it here. Besides that, I can't really make out any of the individual notes, but it is very pleasing.

 

The final phase is patchouli and musk so I ran for the dish soap and scrubbed this off as best I could.

 

Watch out if you're not a patchouli fan. I would adore this without it, but it's such a screaming presence.

 

[edit] I forgot to add one distinct impression I got as it dried some- Incense battling with that creamy sweetness.

Edited December 3, 2004 by luxuria

[spaceprostitute]

I'm debating on whether I really like this one, or just like this one.

 

I'm a bit confused because I could swear this had ylang ylang. It's the first thing I could smell in the vial and the only thing I could smell on my skin for the first 15 minutes. Then a bit of fruitiness peeked out, that apple orchard scent of The Hesperides and Desire reminded me very much of La Petit Mort, with just that hint of sweet fruitiness in the background.

 

About a half hour into this oil, became confused again because I smelled baked goods. And I thought maybe something was off with my body chemistry because I had Siren on the other wrist and I got the same thing. Turns out they share a note...vanilla. And apparently my body or my nose interprets this note as butter cookies. Love to eat them, hate to smell like them. And thus, begins my disappointment with Desire. But wait...

 

It morphs again, the rose and bergamot finally start to come out and mix with the butter cookies. It's actually kind of nice at this point because that trapped in the bakery display case actually fades a bit, but still, I can't help but wish that it was ylang ylang instead of vanilla and maybe the bergamot and/or patchouli could be a touch stronger because I don't get any patchouli.

 

Nice, I would order an imp every now and again. This could possibly be worthy of a 5mL bottle, but I can't seem to make up my mind. I will say though, that this is one of the only oils that I have worn to work and gotten a compliment on, so if nothing else, another imp is in my future.

[Northernminx]

Sweet in the vial, vaguely sticky. This was sweet and a little cloying on me, lots of neroli and teak and vanilla, but the floral scents in this and the lemon aren't peeking through on me. Lots and lots of vanilla though. It's pretty but I'm not a big vanilla fan when it over-rides everything else so off to swaps for this one.

[sarada]

Um, wow....this is interesting. I need to look at the description again to wrap my head around this one:

 

This is what I would characterize as one of the lab's Complex scents, in my mind. There is a LOT going on here, to the point where no single notes pop out at me but it forms something entirely different unto itself. Sometimes the scents that I find complex, wind up losing me because I can't focus on anything. But this one...I can't stop sniffing it. I need to get deeper into it. If it was a kiss it would be a long, tongue-probing, sensual, four-hour-long kiss. You want to feel every texture of this scent and then go back for more.

 

I guess that black patchouli and neroli must be pretty exciting to me, as they are components of Tisiphone which tops my Can't Stop Sniffing list. They just draw you in and, for me, are an endlessly intriguing puzzle.

 

But what does it smell like, exactly?? This is a perfect BPAL blend because I feel as though I can sense fruit, flowers and incense all at once but I don't know where they are coming from. Someone is throwing apples, flowers, and sticks of incense at me and I don't know what to do! There is a very strong powdery note in this though when I put it on, but it's not off-putting. I guess it might be from the rose, because while I don't smell ROSES I get the impression of...dusty rose petals. While I can't stand vanilla, it doesn't not smell vanilly in this. Just a vague impression of smoothness. How do they do it?? The way that the apple and bergamot mixed in with patchouli and neroli create this perfect fruity incense smell...

 

It's just beyond description. It's not even one of my very favorites that I've tried -- it comes across as too pink-orange in my mind and I like darker scents, but I think that I've invented a new classification in my mind, which is Fruit Incense. And this fits the bill. Doesn't last as long as the thicker incense smells but I won't mind slathering more on.

 

OK, so yeah, I want a 5 ml. Or at least some more imps. I can see me getting along with this great in the summer, too. Gimme!!

 

ETA: Trying this again a year later, I bought a bottle. It goes through a very powdery, apple blossom phase in the beginning that is almost off-putting and a bit of a fruity phase afterwards but the drydown is an incredible dusty wooden incense that I keep getting wafts of. It has a lot of staying power and dries down to a lasting scent that is unlike any other I've tried. A nice, light soft wood incense with a bit of a rosy/fruity scent.

Edited January 20, 2006 by sarada

[cuervosueno]

Wow. I say this in nearly every review it seems, but it really is fascinating to me how different these oils play out on different skin.

and different noses.

I opened the bottle and thought acckk! its narcissus! I hate narcissus....of to the swap pile this goes.

found someone to swap with, then thought well, I ought to at least try it and see what the descrip says is in it....

Of course there is no narcissus in it at all.

And one me, truthfully, it didn't smell like that, though I'm guessing patchouli and florals may have combined very oddly on me indeed.

Like some others have noted, what I got was ROSE! Another note I'm not fond of. I though there might be jasmine in it, but there wasn't. somehow, the things I do like such as musk and the fruit smells and vanilla just didn't show up at all. It was just this wierd sort of dirty floral smell....no incense either. Luckily it faded very quickly on me.

It certainly did not inspire desire in me, alas.

And it was so strange to note that several other forumites compared it to snake oil, which is one of my all time favorites, because on me the two couldn't be further apart.

Wierd huh?

eta: tried it again--because I'd forgotten I'd tried it and rejected it-- and discovered that after it dries the musk comes out on me in that powdery sweet way musk does, and also a hint of pachouli. This is a nice stage, but I can't stand the earlier stage so....

Edited May 20, 2005 by cuervosueno

[feline.by.design]

I didn't get any apple or lemon from my trial with Desire.

 

Instead, Desire came off oddly spicey and musty. The notes seem interesting at first, but as it begins to dry, the oil changes to be a more floral-sweet fragrance, as if you are dipping your nose directly into the nectar of a flower. Nice, well-made, but not my cup of tea.

 

The end result came off as something resembling "flower-sweat." I was reminded of the smell of ripe papaya, a fruit I don't like much anyway. It became powdery as well, which I attribute to the inclusion of the rose.

 

Desire isn't something I really need, so the imp will be given away somehow in some way, shape or form.

 

-doreen

 

ADDED May 15:

 

The bergamot in Desire reminds me a lot of scents like Hakkotsu and Shadow, two oils I like, but not quite love. Desire definitely isn't as dark as Shadow in the beginning. In fact, if you told me there was patchouli in this oil, I wouldn't believe you.

 

The neroli and bergamot dominate Desire at first. It's a mix of crisp citrus with something sinisterly syrupy in the background. Another sniff about three minutes later reveals the neroli and bergamot duo knocked off their pedistal, replaced by rose tempered with vanilla. In this stage, it's not too bad for a roseaphobe like me.

 

During the drydown, about twenty minutes later or so, the scent is primarily vanilla, with mere hints of the rose and bergamot. The musk helps the vanilla stay away from its sweet, foody side. It's more of a comforting type of vanilla, comforting like a plushy sofa near a sunny window.

 

Desire might be appreciated by those who liked Zephyr. The two scents are a little similar, but not too much. As for my verdict, I don't think I'll get Desire as a bottle, but I will keep my imp for a while.

 

-doreen

[lunalight7]

This is my first post so I wanted to doffer a positive review...that's why I chose to review Desire first....

 

I am new at this so I am not as familiar with the individual notes as most of you are...but I do not get any fruity or vanilla notes in this scent....Desire is smoky, incense-y, and musky on me...but in a soft, powdery way...this must be the patchouli and bergamot I guess...in any event, it has great throw and I can't wait to try it again after Aunt Rosie from Redbank has left town...

Edited January 8, 2005 by lunalight7

[fairywingmaker]

The Patchouli (which I love) and Musk are very strong, and come to the surface for me. There is a sweetness that is just under the muskiness, which must be the vanilla. The apple starts to come up after this is on my skin for awhile. I really like this. Musky, but sweet. A very interesting combination!

[Finny]

Ah vanilla, I love the smell of it, but not as much as my skin does...

I could only wear this a short while, it is beautiful though while it is wet. I can smell the patchouli, neroli, and musk. It is woody, musky and delightful. On my hubby it is wonderful.

 

But on me, my rotten skin chemistry says "Vanilla, do I smell vanilla here?"

 

Skin answers back, "Yes, and we love vanilla, please skin chemistry, take the vanilla note and amp it up by 1000!"

 

Skin chemistry adds, "Yeah, great idea, we will smell like vanilla, and nothing else!"

 

And I have to go wash it off...

[aimeceleste]

I enjoyed how complex this perfume was. I never identified a single note and had it pinned down for any length of time. There was spice, there was wood, there was some citrus, there was some sweetness.

 

But there was never too much of any one thing. This is another one I just sniffed and sniffed throughout the day. And loved while it was happening.

 

I have to mention here that I thought I hate patchouli. But I didn't ever pin it down as a scent, it was so well blended with the other notes. Yay!

[orangepaas]

Desire goes perfectly with my body chemistry--and smells almost identical to Le Petit Mort (in the bottle and on me).

 

In the bottle it smells like Cherry Coke. Really sweet and fruity.

 

On, the cherry scent disappears and is replaced by a warm, sweet, golden but deep blanket of scent. There are too many notes in this blend for me to identify, but it is so far the only BPAL i can wear with rose in it, probably because it is mixed with musk and/or patchouli. There's definitely something spicy in there, but it's not herbal or even clove/cinnamon, it's the sharpness of the sweetness. In a good way.

 

Bravo to BPAL on this one!

Edited January 17, 2005 by orangepaas

[Fyre_in_Winter]

What a complex and just outright pretty blend! As per the usual with my skin, the rose dominates at first, though tempered by the other notes. I'm guessing it's the apple that is adding a nice round juiciness to the rose-almost makes my mouth water! I can't detect the patchouli or musk or bergamot, but there is some lingering bitterness that keeps it from being too "happy fluffy." Though Desire is definitely sweet... as time goes on, it becomes similar to Mata Hari on me in that I get a delicious roses-steeped-in-cream kind of smell. Desire is different in that a hint of juicy fruit remains with the rose, and the bitterness has shifted into more of a spice. Now I can smell just a hint of citrus adding some freshness and keeping the vanilla smooth and not cloying. Now about an hour later Desire is a very complex vanilla-but-better scent. Again the words fresh and pretty spring to mind.

 

For some reason this blend really screams "date" to me... it has a very classic feel to me, and is pretty and feminine without being juvenile or cloying. And I am so pleased to find a rose blend I can wear! Another masterpiece from the Lab.

[Rhian]

In the bottle

Sweet, sweet, sweet. Like cherry coke. Or is that strawberry?

 

On me

Wet, I can smell something fruity that could possibly be lemon? The musk is quite dominant and I'm getting spikes of something dark and earthy, which I imagine is the teak and/or patchouli.

 

Dry... nngh. This is one of those divine smells that makes me want to eat my wrists because it's so yummy and heavenly and mmmm. It's sweet and the patchouli's gone all powdery, but it's kept from being too dry by the smoky musk and the bright, ripe fruity smell. This is a perfect blend, and it's hard for me to pick out individual notes, but the apple and rose and vanilla seem to have blended to a perfectly fruity cream, and then in the background is an earthy smokiness that I can only assume is a mixture of the rest of the ingredients. I feel delectable, and as though someone should be trying to eat me, I'm just that good.

 

Conclusion

I really wouldn't have picked this out for myself ordinarily, but it's addictive, heady yet also sweet, and strong! It's not a quiet scent by any means, which is exactly what I like. I find it very unusual and could imagine it getting many comments, if worn out. It lasts beautifully, wafts well, and is my new favourite.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab!

 

First sniff:

 

I expected this to be much darker for some reason. I smell bergamot, apple and vanilla first and then teak, musk and a hint of patchouli. I don't think I'm going to like this, to tell the truth. Something about it (probably the neroli) isn't sitting right with me right now.

 

Wet on skin:

 

No change from the way it smelled in the imp. Desire is somewhat fruity, somewhat musky and instantaneously headache inducing. It's the neroli that's doing it, I know it is, but it still surprises me somewhat. I'm quickly learning to avoid neroli, but I keep hoping that it will work for me.

 

Dry down:

 

Oh wow, I'm apparently allergic to something in this because I'm breaking out in hives where I applied the oils. Before I was this off, this is what it smells like now: rose, neroli, bergamot and that strange powdery version of musk that my skin likes to create.

 

The bottom line:

 

It's a good thing I dislike Desire because I'm apparently allergic to it. This is getting swapped with a quickness.

[ashtonrose]

It smelled so sweet in the bottle and the description was making me hope that the patchouli would be ok. Alas, I am on the bad side of the patchouli. I got an immediate headache. Maybe I will learn to keep patchouli at bay.

[dcmo]

Desire was once again proof not to judge based on the smell in the bottle. I couldn't really make out any of the individual scents, except to describe it as tart or very sharp smelling. I didn't have my hopes up, but once applied it dried down really nice. I really make out this scent as vanilla baby powder. Very soft scent.

I was pleasantly surprised.

[xochitl]

Mostly I get the patchouli and musk out of this, but the neroli and vanilla sweeten it up a lot. I like it - it is such a blend of oils that I can hardly discern any single notes out of it. It dries down to almost all musk, but it is still a little sweet. Nice. The sweetness and musk/patchouli combination almost give it an amber-y effect. If the notes weren't listed I'd swear it had amber in it.

[aurianrose]

When I first smelled this in the bottle, it was very sweet. The minute I put it on, though, I was overwhelmed by a really earthy scent which smelled horrible on me... (I would guess that it's the patchouli.) The smell was really conflicting with my body chemistry. I guess I should have known, since I've never really been a patchouli person, but... After about 20 minutes, the patchouli faded, and was replaced more by the rose/vanilla scents. Still, there's that little hint of an earthy smell which is just not working for me. Into the swap pile for this one.

 

Edit: Now I'm sneezing... This can't be good.

Edited February 9, 2005 by aurianrose