Desire

[septima_pica]

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.

This is awesome when wet -- the apple works surprisingly well, the vanilla is appropriately subdued, and the complicated dark notes jumped out in the best way. However, after 15 seconds on my skin, *everything disappears*. The faintest ghost of vanilla musk lingers a moment longer, and then? Nothing. Well, maybe a slight suggestion of powder, but nothing else at all. Weirdest one I've had yet. Damn.

ADDED 12/20/07:

Oh, we had such hopes for this one!

Octopod: Something bizarrely nose-twisting happens, and then black musk turns into baby powder. I have no idea what's going on in this perfume. The bitterness must be bergamot, maybe?

Kalirren: Generally quite mild and pleasant. After some time, it becomes less bitter and more sweet. And then something babypowdery comes out and makes it too powdery to be good.

[juniperus]

Bottle: in order: apple, vanilla, neroli, patchouli. seriously - the notes pinged up in order like that: bing, bing, bing, bing. Like the bells in a pinball machine, only for the nose.

Wet: the teak is definitely present, the vanilla taking charge, and the neroli starting to do it's dreaded neroli thing. no musk or rose. buuummmer.

Dry: I'm catching hint ofthe musk, now, but none of the rose, and everything si still behind a nearly-opaque wall of vanilla. damndamndamn.

Later: vanilla agony. yes, it often is. *sigh*

[Melantha]

In the imp, it was sweet with a tang to it. On, it was more creamy, and less sweet. I like it, but it doesn't rock my world.

[edenssixthday]

Desire was almost pretty on me – it has some of my favorite scents, rose and vanilla, which blended together beautifully, but the patchouli note was strong and darkened the soft sweet and creamy vanilla-rose blend, and turned it into something altogether disastrous on my skin. I smelled like a really cheap men’s drugstore cologne mixed with soil. I could smell the potential in it, and I could tell that it was the patchouli ruining it for me, so if patchouli is a scent that works well with your skin chemistry, this might be a gorgeous blend on you.

[WidgetAlley]

Oh, Desire, I have been aching to try you for absolutely ages now (not least because of The Sandman associations!), and now I finally can. Thanks to the awesome Juniperus Intrepidus!

 

In the Imp: Whoa. This..... is..... wow. Strong, disturbingly feral black musk, layered over dirty, bitter patchouli and something piercingly sweet and powdery, with a touch of citrus and fruit and, at the very back, the dangerous softness of rose and vanilla. Damn. Heavy and dark and complex.

 

Wet: Completely different. Vaguely soapy rose and spiced vanilla: now, nice but nothing exceptional, with only the faintest, whispery background of musk and patchouli and fruit. Oh, how I hope they rise again... what I have now is pleasant but just not the same. There is a definite similarity to Snake Oil at this stage, but it's... different. Older. More curtained. It's a soft, second-skin scent.

 

Dry: The rose has turned into a faint hint of.... baby wipes? Not enough to ruin the whole thing, just a very odd little background smidge of aloe-esque soap. I think if I could get past the rose (and the fact the black musk is creeping me out a little), I would love this-- it's very unified in presentation, and actually reminds me of a cross between Hexennacht and Snake Oil. Mostly I smell musk and patchouli and vanilla and what must be teak, overlayed with wafts of rose. It's not quite strong enough for my taste, either.

 

Verdict: Desire, rather appropriately, is full of almosts. It's almost fabulous, almost what I wanted, almost works on me. However, I'm sort of getting the sense that it would benefit, much like Snake Oil, from aging. The label style on the Imp indicates it can't be older than a month or two, so I think I will stick it in my box for a few more mooons and leave it to mature.

[ouch!]

Desire to me is one of the most feminine of all of the BPAL scents I've smelled so far. Once dry, it's extremely powdery and sweet, almot like baby powder.

 

It does turn after a while into a more sharp smell, but still very powdery. That's all I can say really.

 

It's feminine, sweet and quite a comforting smell. I gave it to a female friend to try, and 3 men in the office asked what she was wearing.

 

Desire is aptly named because it attracts attention!!!!

[PurringPulsar]

Desire

 

In the imp: sharp neroli, but with a darker, sweeter, musk-patchouli-vanilla background.

Wet on skin: this sweetens as the musk starts to creep forward, and I can just about make out the apple.

Dry on skin: oh wow, this is amazing. Complex, dark, sexy and mysterious. I get the sharp, fruity notes of apple, bergamot and neroli contrasting with the darker backdrop of sleek black musk, patchouli and vanilla, and a hint of wood, which must be the teak. The rose is barely there but I can just about make it out. It's a very interesting combination, very unique.

After a while: it's not long-maybe about five minutes-before the scent becomes even nicer. No longer a scent of clearly contrasting note layers, now I get something even nicer…apple musk. It may seem an odd combination but it works, oh yeah, it works. The apple note-which smells like the gorgeous apple in Verdandi-has merged wonderfully with the dark patchouli-musk and vanilla wraps around it all (and of course, vanilla and musk are scent soul mates). I get little hints of rose around the edges but for now I adore this sweet, vanilla-apple-musk scent I have here. It's so unique and I've not encountered such a note combo anywhere else. Wow.

Then the scent takes on an almost caramelised feel (although it isn't caramel-scented, it just sweetens and darkens so nicely) and all the notes are even smoother and more delightful.

The late drydown is a deep, seductive vanilla-musk with just a bare, bare hint of patchouli.

Verdict: this is a scent that really took me by surprise, in a good way. I knew it would be nice, but not this good. Desire is the sexier version of Verdandi to me-it has the same sweet, gorgeous apple note, but it's paired up with a sweet black musk and vanilla, and this combination is so irresistible. I've never smelt apple and a darker musk together in a perfume until now-and they work fantastically together. And the vanilla just makes this scent even more delicious. This scent is very biteable, sensual and also very unique-I think I will need a bottle of this.

Emoticon rating:

[portalkat]

Rose, filled in with the neroli, but basically rose. I'm not really in a rose phase right now so this distresses me. It is lush, though, and made more interesting with the addition of the vanilla. It's so pretty that I keep sniffing my wrist for about an hour until the florals settle down. When they do, I can smell the fruit, wood and the musk mixing with the vanilla. I want to slather myself in this perfume because it is so beautiful. I need at least a couple of bottles of this - now!

 

ETA: I wrote this review from an imp that I was testing. I bought a bottle on the forum and thought that I would add some thoughts after trying the oil in the bottle

 

The rose does not seems as strong and is more evenly balanced with the fruits. I can smell the vanilla a bit more here which is nice because it is a rather nice vanilla extract sort of note. The teak is more evident, but still resides in the background. If I thought that I liked Desire before, I love it even more now. Perhaps these slight changes are due to oil aging.

Edited August 27, 2006 by portalkat

[Demeter]

Source: Imp (I bought a bottle of Snow White off someone, and they included this for free)

 

Bottle: Okay, this is going to sound weird, but it smells like Chanel’s Chance perfume oil. It really does. Why do I think so? Well, I received a bottle of the stuff as a present, left it in my bag, and it promptly unscrewed itself and spilled all over the place. Luckily, it was in it’s own little pocket. Drat. My bag smelled and still smells like it, even a month later. So yes. Desire smells like Chanel’s Chance.

 

Wet: Definitely less so now. There’s something smoky on my skin and I love it. Also… something vaguely familiar. Wood? No, not wood. I think it’s a food scent, but I can’t be sure. Darn… chili? Oh man, I can’t tell. Whatever it is, it makes me want to roll around naked in a spacious kitchen.

 

Drydown: Okay, the first time I tried it, it was all powdery (which I adored) and vanilla like. The second time, less so. Erg. It might have something to do with the leftover Bliss scent, though I did scrub my wrists. Yeah. Definitely something not right. I mean, it still smells wonderful, but it’s different between my wrists. There’s something sweet on my right (smells closer to what I originally tried) and the left is just like… AH. That’s it! Incense!

 

Dry: HOLY MOLY. There it is. It apparently takes about fifteen minutes for the spicy scents to die away and now the vanilla and powder and a bit of musk are in full play. The scent is what I fell in love with! Yay!

 

Overall: I ordered a 5ml of this after the first time I tried it! I was a bit apprehensive after trying it a second time, but now with it fully dry on my wrists, it smells divine and it makes me hungry.

[Aiglet]

This is now my second-favorite scent (after Whip).

 

In the bottle: Hrm, it's a bit sweet, but the sweet ones do okay on me, let's see how it goes.

 

Wet: It's a bit astringent. I think that's the lemon coming out.

 

Half-dry: The vanilla starts to come out, but it still smells a bit too sharp for me.

 

Dry: Okay, this is wonderful. This is what I wanted Snake Oil to be -- a sexy, sophisticated vanilla that isn't taking any prisoners.

 

I don't know why the roses didn't come out on me -- everything *else* I've tried that had roses went immediately straight to "I've been rolling around in rose petals all day, can't you tell?" (except for Ouija, which went to "glycerin-based rose-scented soap"), but they just don't show at all on me in Desire.

 

I'm exceedingly pleased, and will probably order a bottle of this.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

*siGh*

 

i put a little of this on, sniffed it (dark musk and patchouli. yum) and then got an email, and i've been working on that for awhile. and now i've sniffed again.

 

and whatever else is in this, so is the Evil Vanilla. The band-aid/plastic vanilla... and some powder.

 

the smell reminds me of fresh snake oil....but then again not.

 

there's the faintest hint of patchouli ( ) but if i didn't know it was there, i probably wouldn't be able to smell it.

 

nice, but for someone else.

[Caltha]

Desire

Apple scents have never been my friend, they sound good in theory but I always find them horribly artificial. In Desire I get such an artificial apple note (is there even apple in it?) and the soapy sharpness of some spicy/herbal florals. And the musty sweetness of a powdery vanilla. Not my cuppa. At all.

Edited August 17, 2006 by Caltha

[faerywolfe]

In the bottle: Bergamot and neroli, but not sharp at all as these two can sometimes be. Smooth and cold, but wrapped in soft mink fur. Icy vanilla lends a rich, aged sophistication. The patchouli, apple, and black musk blend beautifully to create a deep dark lush background. No rose at all yet. This is so richly blended that no one note takes higher precedence than the rest.

 

Wet: Almost traditionally perfumey and then it settles down and an exotic vanilla begins to make more of an entrance. I’m having a hell of a time distinguishing individual notes! This is truly perfectly blended. My nose is unreasonably attracted (desirous?) to this oil. I didn’t think on first sniff that I’d like it, but it’s slowly proving more and more irresistible.

 

After a while: Desire becomes more addicting by the second. She is a rich and extravagant tapestry, traditional and yet so very provocative. It’s mysterious and wholly original, smelling like none of its original parts but instead becoming something new and individual. This is a very voluptuous, womanly oil. There’s nothing innocent or demure about it.

 

Drydown: Indescribable. Desire softens and becomes a deep delicious creamy warmth that I cannot get enough of. It’s heady and lavish and shadowed. I get images of a forbidden masque – torrid lusty affairs hidden behind gilded facades.

 

Final thought: Mmmm, yummy. This is a toe curling scent. It’s lusty yet cold, passionate yet spiteful, all the tempestuous moods of love in one tiny bottle. It is a very mature scent. It evokes old Hollywood glamour and shaded burlesque of the 40’s. Predatory while being very proper. She could love you or rip your heart from your chest and smile as she decides. Desire is my ultimate Femme Fatale scent.

 

Rating: 7/10

Edited August 22, 2006 by faerywolfe

[jarvenpa]

An imp of Desire came to me in a package from a kind forumite, but I have just tried it for the second time (first time, distracted, grabbed imp, slashed a bit of Desire across wrists and ran imp wand through hair, and forgot it till I went out to the tiny coffee place across the way. The sweet young thing who poured my Sumatra said "oh, god, you smell so great, what is it??" When I mentioned Black Phoenix she was all "oh yes, my friend had some of their perfume, it's so great" (I am plotting a stop with a carefully chosen set of imps for her soon).

 

But I hadn't been paying enough attention to scent notes and such to review it, except to note "yeah, it does smell great---and it lasts and lasts and lasts". Which it did.

 

So I put it on today again, and...well, drat, another scent I really need to have a bottle of. It is warm and enveloping, which must have something to do with musk (later I saw black musk is a note in it; I seem to amp and adore all the musks)--and there is spice and sweetness and definitely a lot of vanilla.

 

It is sexy in a classic way, a very confident perfume, combining musk and resin and vanilla and indefinable nicenesses. (I am surprised, when I actually check out the lab's description, to find roses; the patchouli is quite well behaved, or overwhelmed by the other notes.). It does go to a powdery sweetness (and I love the fragrances that do this), lasting into the night.

 

And beyond, if you've put a bit in your hair. Lovely, lovely, lovely.

[kryshki]

In the bottle smells overly sweet (vanilla) with some apple undertones. OK

 

At first on, wet: very strong, almost (not quite) sickly sweet (again vanilla and apple but now you can smell the florals).

 

Later: powdery, soapy, sweet, pleasant scent, not too overpowering. Anything with musk smells the same on me after drydown.

 

I like it in the final analysis, but would probably not buy a quantity of it.

[lady_pandora]

Beth manages again to concoct a blend that smells good on me despite the presence of my No. 4 nemesis, black patchouli. (Nos. 1-3 being ozone, vetiver, and lemon, lol.)

 

Wet, this smells "green." I can't pick out any notes; it just smells...planty. Herby. If that makes any sense.

 

I'd resigned myself to thinking it was sort of "eh..."--then I smelled my wrist again ten minutes later.

 

Oh. My. God.

 

Again, I can't seem to pick out the notes and tell you exactly what is so amazing on me, but this is spicy and earthy and sexy as hell. I could have just sniffed my wrist all night long. I love, love, love this.

 

 

Edit, six years later.

 

I've had the wildest range of experiences wearing Desire, from my initial swoony reaction to the time I made the mistake of trying to wear it during my monthly and the patchouli acted up and made me want to yak. I felt like I'd finally gotten enough distance from both extreme reactions that I could retry the scent and see if it was worth keeping around.

 

Desire starts out with a beautiful, sexy combination of the neroli and patchouli, with what smells like spices accenting it. I love it. It's a "compulsive wrist-sniffing scent."

 

...For about an hour. And then something in it turns to powder and wipes out the rest of the notes. I can't tell what note is going powdery. Maybe it's the musk? The powdery effect is most noticeable at my wrists, and not even just my mousepad wrist, but both of them. It stays truer at the neck, and over the next few hours I would occasionally get a waft of the neroli/patch combo if I turned my neck. That was nice. But to combat the powder at the wrists, I found myself reapplying it often to get back that sexy effect, and the constant reapplying got a little annoying.

 

My overall impression of Desire is that it's like filmy, diaphanous lingerie that's really only meant to last long enough to be torn off. It's a great sexy pick-me-up to put on just before jumping the boyfriend. But it doesn't have the durability to be worn all day as an everyday item.

Edited December 3, 2012 by lady_pandora

[olympia301]

 

The frilly frilly cousin to Haunted, I can really smell the Black Musk in this blend. I think it is super, a comforting and somehow familiar concoction. Without overstating it, I think it should be considered one of the "backbone" scents in Black Phoenix and part of a "newbie's intro kit". Beautiful and classic.

[steffanina]

Desire-

 

In Bottle: Flowers and sweetness and a little vanilla.

 

Wet: I'm not sure, but I think the sharp scent is the neroli. I'm starting to be able to recognize when it shows up. It's lemony.

 

Dry: This doesn't work for me. The lemony floral in here isn't a happy scent for me.

 

Overall: Not for me.

[PilotKitten]

Oooh.. heay on the neroli here! It even overpowers the patchouli out on me at first, which is hard to do with my skin chemistry. I smell a very faint hint of a tart green apple, but it's very brief and not very strong. After the initial drydown a hint of citrussy bergamont come out, but no roses or vanilla in sight. An interesting blend. On wet, I didn't like it at all, but after this drydown, it's kinda grown on me a little bit. Probably won't buy a bottle but may keep the imp around.

[akw]

Desire was sharp and pungent first out of the bottle. This was short-lived though, and soon the vanilla, neroli and bergamot emerged. This is well enough blended that I couldn't detect either patchouli or musk -- just the presence of something deep and dark in a very subtle way. The darker notes support rather than overpower.

 

I'm pleasantly surprised that the bergamot and rose are not doing their usual overpowering amp on my skin. Perhaps the vanilla keeps them in check.

 

This isn't a style that I would wear, but it could be perfect for someone who enjoys elegance and sophistication. It's well-blended, balanced and pretty.

[supremegoddessofall]

Interesting. Every time I sniff my arm I get a different note. Mostly it seems to be alternating between rose (slightly chemically) and teak. It's pretty faint. I'm not really getting much of the apple, but the other notes are all coming and going at will. The overall feel is slightly floral, slightly spicy.

[anshara]

Note: I'm baaaack!!! First review in forever! I was playing with my imps deciding if I should slather in a comfort scent or review something new... This isn't new to me technically I've had it forever, but it just grabbed my nose tonight, and screamed "REVIEW ME!" Who am I to deny the precious? Here goes....

 

In the imp: Cherries, vanilla, and honey.... I love this already, I think I'm smelling the musk, apple, and vanilla combining.

 

Initial application to wrist wet: teak and apple, I really like this, it's so warm and comforting. It's throwing Rose and a sweet floral maybe neroli.

 

Innitial drydown: Hmmm this is troubling close to the skin I'm getting an odd burnt plastic note that isn't there in the throw.

 

Final drydown: The burnt plastic note is intensifying a little, I think it's the teak, but the throw is wonderful, much truer to the complexity I got out of the imp.... I really like the throw in this, I think I'll have to try it again later to see if there are changes in my skin chemistry... Huh, I just noticed something, the burnt plastic note I'm getting could be from my laptop because I noticed that the perfume rubbed off on it and might have left me smelling like heated computer......

 

 

ETA: Burnt plastic note definitely heated computer, I was typing as I did the review, and actually ended up reviewing the scent of my computer for a minute, or two, which was not a note I particularly liked... It WASN'T the teak... Desire is wonderful, I'm glad I have a bottle, and I suspect that my mother might abscond with this one.

Edited February 1, 2007 by Shollin

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Green and herbal. Ergh?

 

On Skin: Green and herbal still, with a hint of coconut. After about five minutes, I can smell some of the patchouli, because it smells "incensey" to me.

 

After another few minutes, it smells like suntan lotion to me.

 

On Drydown: I can finally smell the rose and get vanilla whiffs. However the combination of the other notes plus the patchouli remind me strongly of suntan lotion and the plasticky coconut smell that has.

 

Verdict: Skin Chemistry knocks Desire out in five minutes cold. The loser: ME. The notes sounded fantastic but my skin has decided that Patchouli puts on big black stomping boots and trashes the rest of the notes. *sigh*

[Druby]

Not very strong smelling on me. Can smell vanilla maybe the musk and patchouli, the neroli makes it sweeter, not sure whether or not it's a scent for me so I might give it a second shot.

[tinyvulture]

i mostly smell the rose and patchouli and that amazing, powdery black musk. thank god the neroli and bergamot aren’t going into citrus overload as usual – i really can’t smell them at all! there’s just a bit of tart apple when i first apply it, that quickly fades. then the vanilla pops up in its place, adding sweetness. 10 minutes later the patchouli’s faded and i’m left with sweet musky vanilla rose…very alluring and sexy but in a soft, understated kind of way...might need a big bottle of this.