Desire

[Phaedra]

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.

Wet in the imp this smells sweet and citrusy. When first applied it goes on bitter, herbal and floral with a faint orange note. I'm guessing this is the neroli. The bitterness fades fairly quickly on me. After about five minutes this starts to sweeten an warm up with the rose note coming through. This is a very nice blend- feminine and sensual. I really like the constrast of the bitter and citrus notes with the rose- that is what makes this an interesting and more complex blend. This might be one for my ever growing bottle list.

[Witch's Dagger]

Desire

 

Preconceived notions: Heady, dark, lemony, and mysterious.

 

In the vial:

Green herbs with brown spice (cinnamon, I think, but the brown version, as in Harlot, not the “red hot” version).

 

On me:

Cinnamon, herbs . . . vanilla? Amber? The herb and spice notes are strongest - this is very green, very hot, yet they are softened and sweetened by something else.

 

In 15 minutes:

Vanilla, cinnamon, I can pick out. There’s something else. This is lush, fiery. Definitely appropriate for Desire.

 

In 40 minutes:

Sweeter, definitely. And fading. Still quite lovely.

 

In 55 minutes:

It’s completely absent on my left wrist, but my right smells about the same. I think there might be some clove in this.

 

Overall:

Wow is my nose off. The only thing I got that was actually listed was the vanilla. This is very nice and lovely, but I don’t think I’d use it enough, so I’ll probably swap it.

 

Edited for spelling.

Edited June 16, 2005 by Witch's Dagger

[bodegaselkie]

Ohhh... wow. I wasn't expecting to like Desire this much, but I put it on and within seconds I was like, "I want to smell like this ALL THE TIME." But it's fairly soft, so I went to put on more, and a few hours later I'm ready to re-apply.

 

Freshly applied, Desire smells like many of its elements to me, particularly the musk, patchouli, teak, vanilla and apple. Apple *always* fades quickly on me. The patchouli and teak faded soon after, and what remains is vanillamusk, which is also delicious. I wish more of the notes stuck around, but I'll have to try this again when I'm not at the tail-end of my menstrual cycle to see whether it's different. Either way, I adore Desire and hope to get a bigger bottle at some point.

[Eros]

In the vial and when first applied, reminds me a lot of Snake Oil. Then within minutes it turns into this weird nursery, baby not plants/flowers, thing. That generic, baby powder, diaper(clean), etc. smell? A baby's room. Another forumite stated the same thing.

Think I'll pass on this one. Baby smells

Too bad, it held such promise. Oh well.

[QueenFae]

This one comes out smelling nice and foody on me! Yea! Squee! The top note is vanilla, and it's complimented by a lovely combination of the musk and the black patchouli. I can't really smell the apple or any of the other notes, but that's fine by me. I love it; it's heady and sexy and alluring. Definitely a scent for hot, sweaty nights and first dates.

[Ajila]

Wet on me this is very nutty, like a creamy hazelnut to be precise. It's also got the definate feel of Snake Oil. When it dries it keeps the same feel, but the musk is present in the background and makes the entire thing have a slightly soapy edge. I could see this being a lovely close to skin scent, but it doesn't work on or for me.

[nineveh]

Why did I not try this sooner? This is very nice. At first, I smell moderately sweet (but not overwhelmingly so) vanilla and apple. This feels very dense. Maybe that's the black musk.

 

This fades down to a musky patchouli vanilla rose scent. It's warm, smooth, and confident. This is going on my big bottle list.

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Patchouli and neroli mostly. It's something of an oddly soft scent in the vial, but I'm guessing this is another one that's not me.

 

Wet: Patchouli and musk on me right now with a little bit of burning I probably should have prepared myself for. I can pick up on the vanilla and maybe the teak beneath the other scents but this isn't wowing me yet.

 

Dry down: Teak and apple with the odd patchouli and muck scents. This is a very interesting blend really. I just wish it would stop burning. I won't be able to keep this based on the burning alone. Also occasional wafts of vanilla in it, but it does bled together to smell like...wood and yet not wood. Thsi smells like the memory of wood if that makes any sense. And then the patchouli rises back to the front of it, and I run away from my hand.

 

Dry: Patchouli and musk mostly as the other scents have been devoured by my skin. Nothing I'm gonna be able to wea since these are some of my scent enemies.

[DarkMouse]

In the bottle: lemon furniture polish- I'm guessing this is the bergamot and patchouli mixed together making this smell.. its odd.

 

on my skin: lemon furniture polished wood. This is the first BPAL scent to actually burn when I put it on.. its not comfortable. As it dries down I can smell more of the musk and the vanilla.. the 'furniture polish' smell is gone. Its actually a really nice scent now.. mellow, musky, warm & comfortable.

 

In general: its a really nice sweet musk smell on the dry down.. and it seems to have good staying power. There isn't much throw to it though, so its a very personal scent. I could see it worn in winter with a nice fluffy sweater.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

My first sniff of the imp reminded me of O--the vanilla and musk, no doubt. Definitely a sweet scent, which is fine by me! Once on, Desire lost most of the O resemblance as the other notes came out--I can't distinguish rose (alas), but the neroli is interesting. Desire is a rot-your-teeth-sweet scent for adults--much more mature notes than Lolita, but this could be the Lolita for people who, like me, can't stand heliotrope. There's something acrid underneath in the base notes that comes out on the drydown--not sure if it's the patchouli or the teak, but it's not pleasing me. I'm glad I could swap for Desire and try it, but I don't think I'm enamored enough to keep it; I'm being really picky about which scents I keep now, as I want them all to fit in my imp box. Off to re-swap, then!

Edited July 26, 2005 by Laurel the Woodfairy

[Little Bird]

When I first tried this in 2005, it smelled mostly of neroli (sweet orange) and bergamot (sweet lemon). The recent imps I've gotten have been heavier on the patchouli and rose notes. Dry, earthy patchouli, sour neroli and perfumey rose.

Edited April 3, 2013 by Little Bird

[Firewaver]

Sniffing the bottle, I smelled a dark and tart smell, probably the neroli?

On, its much softer.. it's definitely spicy and musky, but in a fleeting, feminine way.

 

The rose is there, the rose is always there on oils I try.. but it's a nice, red rose. White roses and I don't usually like each other, but red ones seem to be deeper and richer.

 

The vanilla in the perfume smells like amber to me. Before I looked up the ingredients, I was going to comment on the pretty amber note. I guess that's vanilla instead! MM.

 

 

 

All in all, this is a well blended oil. None of the notes stick out so much that they overpower the others. It's a spicy, sweet mixture, it reminds me a bit of Decadence. I really like it, and would wear this often.

Edited August 1, 2005 by Firewaver

[magdalene]

in the bottle: spicy lemons.

 

wet on skin: this is really unusual, it's very dark, but running neck-in-neck with sweet. Underneath it all is this beautiful rose. Very warm.

 

dry: the rose has intensified, shouldering the lemon-ness out of the way. Not completely, but it's more in the background now. Now it's just a warm, spiced rose with a tiny hint of the lemon tartness.

[sarahj]

Desire

 

in vial: bergamot and rose

 

wet: bergamot and wood (this must be the teak?)

 

dry: musk and vanilla...the patchouli and apple never show...lasts about 5 hours

 

verdict: a nice scent but not that exciting...I will use up the imp but probably won't be buying a bigger bottle

[arabella]

First Impression: Melting vanilla ice cream.

 

Dries down to: Vanilla ice cream with some cinnamon sprinkled on top along with finely chopped almonds. I really like this one, it's reminiscent of Snake Oil. I'm guessing, again, that there's amber in it.

 

Additional Comments: Looks like I was way off on this one, except for the vanilla. What a wonderful, intricate blend this is. Rose didn't overwhelm every other note as she almost always does on me. I didn't pick up on the neroli, patchouli, musk or the apple, which surprises me because I can usually pick them out, or at least feel their presence. I think the teak contributes a lot to this one in terms of richness and stability. The bergamot and neroli stop it from being too sweet. This one's heading straight for my "Big Bottle" list.

 

Lasted: Several hours.

 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

[valentina]

In the imp: Very complex, sweet, citrus and spices. Rather alluring.

 

Initial application: Strong citrus and rose. I have come to realize what a gorilla rose seems to be when combined with my body chemistry. It tends to take over everything else.

 

Drydown: Big giant rose, very sweet, a little too sweet.

 

2 or 3 hours later: Finally, the rose gives way to patchouli. Thank you! It's a very spicy patchouli with a background of florals, a smidge powdery(probably the musk working its way into the blend), but not in a bad way. There's kind of a slutty Victorian vibe to it.

 

5 hours later: This has staying power -- serious staying power. However, the patchouli fades down and a soft musky floral aroma lingers, a much gentler scent that the initial application/drydown phases.

 

I really thought this would work... the next time I plan to use it, I'm using a lot less and layering it with some of my Tunisian patchouli, which has a bit of a natural rosy overtone.

 

valentina

[fathom]

Dark but sweet. The patchouli in this scent never dominates the blend. It’s well married to the musk, I think. There is a slight fruityness to the scent, and especially as it dries I can smell the apple. This could definitely be a good everyday fragrance, I think—it doesn’t really make a giant statement or jump out at you, but is very appealing and lasts forever. It’s like a good pair of jeans that fit perfectly. Really, a lovely unique scent, a very wearable, masterful blend from the lab.

[Miss Lynx]

Looking at the past reviews for this, everyone seems to have gotten something different -- I guess because there are so many different notes in this that a different one stands out to each person. I really like the complexity of scents like this -- they always seem full of mystery.

 

On me, Desire is predominantly floral, but it's got enough other stuff going on that the flowers are never overpowering. I think my skin tends to amp up sweet florals, so they need to be balanced with other, less sweet notes in order not to be cloying. This blend accomplishes that nicely.

 

It's very hard to pull out the individual notes, for me -- I can't even really say what kind of floral it is that I'm getting as dominant. It's really well-blended. The overall effect is complex, mysterious... and sexy, but in an elegant way. It's a scent I could picture on some torch singer diva, or film noir mystery woman.

 

I don't really see it as being a top favourite for me, but I definitely like it, and can think of occasions when it would be a great choice to wear.

 

Grade: B

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Summarised in a word or two: Rose.

 

In the imp/bottle: A tart, musky and rosy apple-patchouli scent.

 

On skin, wet: This is an altogether faint scent from the off. A dark red scent -- tart red apples and dark-red roses atop a black blanket of patchouli and musk. An apple-rose flower, blackened around the edges.

 

On skin, dry: This dries down into a very earthy rose, not unlike Zombi, but dryer. A cemetery rose in the middle of summer. No sign at all, in any stage, of my beloved vanilla.

 

Conclusion: Interesting and fierce, but not for me. I mourn for the vanilla that could have been, and wish rose didn't ruin most blends for me.

Edited December 19, 2005 by Aredhel

[Galen]

this one twists and changes on me until I can't make up my mind what I think of it...

 

Wet - the sharp yet mellow smell of neroli zaps me, and I check the description to confirm my guess.

 

Slow dry down - the neroli is still there but it has morphed imperceptibly to something more grounded/woody yet just as smooth

 

now I can smell something more sharp and floral pushing its way bossily to the surface; the roses have arrived! It's still a rather mellow and rounded fragrance throughout.

 

it's maybe half an hour since I dabbed this on, and I've got powdery sweet darkness; that's the only way I can describe this! Neroli has been known to go powdery on me after a while, but this neroli is being pinned down by all the other notes, rosey, sweet and woody.

 

and then I realise that the black musk is at least partially responsible for the warm cuddly powdery note, finely balanced with all the other, slightly sharper notes. And that the vanilla note will come out to play only hours later to continue the evolution of a continually shape shifting perfume.

 

Overall, it's a dark blend balanced beautifully between powdery musk, and floral and woody sweetness.

 

beautiful, and guaranteed to haunt me with my inability to pin it down into one smell memory

[Lori]

Sniffing the imp: I smell oranges! Must be the Neroli.

 

Wet on wrist: Wow! This is very perfumey!

 

Dry down: Nice, but maybe too perfumey for me

 

After it dried, it was gentler, but still smells like a perfume and similar to a lot of other blends. The musk and the vanilla take over and while nice, I am finding that I like the ones that are really different, most of all, and this isn’t one of them.

[AlaskaSnows]

In the Bottle: Musk and incense and a bit of flowers.

 

Dry: A sweet musky incense overlaid on honey. This is very dusky and sensual, no bitterness. Sexy and adult, more a nighttime fragrance.

[Sistinas]

a review of Desire

 

Vial ~ Sweet, but dark. Initially I picked up on the apple and vanilla, but

as I keep smelling it I get the patchouli and the dark musk.

 

Wet ~ Now I am getting the patchouli and teak, it barely has any sweetness

to it all. Occaisionally I pick up some lemon, which must be the neroli and

there is no apple to found at all.

 

Drying ~ The rose is there now, I can smell it along with the mixture

of patchouli, musk and neroli. The rose and neroli seem to temper

the patchouli, but if you are not a fan of patchouli or pungent ( I mean

this in a good way) smells, then this scent will not be for you.

 

Dry ~ This is a very stong scent, and the blend is wonderful blend, some

may refer to it as headshopey, but I am a big fan of such scents. The

lemon seems to weave in and out as well as the vanilla, but the consistent

components are the patchouli, musk and teak.

 

Fade ~ 40 mins later, the scent is still very strong and lasting. yum

 

Final thoughts ~ I am really looking forward to see how this turned out on

me, it has so many components that I like. Desire is full bodied, heady

and delicious. This is a heavier scent that works really well with my skin

chemistry. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it 5.

Edited October 20, 2005 by Sistinas

[niter]

Imp

A very seductive scent from the imp due to the musk...but I can pick out the patchouli lying in wait for me. I hope this works, especially since the imp smells quite good!!

 

Wet

Patchouli!!! This is way to early for you. At least there is room for hints of the other notes.

 

The musk is starting to beat the patchouli into submission. Go musk. On the edge of each breath, a sweetness is becoming exposed.

 

This is a very full bodied, sexy scent. It might not be for me, but I can appreciate it very much. This is one patchouli blend I might conceed to liking.

 

Drier

Stupid patchouli (well more like stupid skin chemistry that loves to amp patchouli like a beacon) won out. I smell nothing else. For those who do not amplify patchouli like a fiend, I highly recommend this one--it had some very intriquing notes that I would have loved to find more of. Though it did not work for me, I believe this is a fantastic blend.

[quikslvr]

Neroli/patchouli start. Not too impressed so far. As it dries, it's growing on me: the counterpoint of vanilla/apple comes out. Enchanting. A vanilla/musk results. Oh, I like! That's magic. It's a matter of toughing out the beginning for me (patchouli's not my favorite). Turns darker, more sultry, as it dries further: mostly neroli/vanilla.

Edited October 28, 2005 by quikslvr