Baghdad

[juniperus]

Amber, saffron and bergamot with mandarin, nutmeg, Bulgar rose, musk and sandalwood.

Bottle: the nutmeg is immediate. if I try I can catch the mandarin and sandalwood behind.
Wet: the saffron and bergamot are hints at the rear, the nutmeg still leading the procession.
Dry: still very food-spicy. I'vd love it if the amber, musk, and sandalwood really came out to play.
Later: I can now catch some of the amber, but it's still mainly spicy-foody. even so, it's pleasant, and not that sweet-foody that I seem to have the greatest difficulty wearing, so I think I'll hold on to this - I bet I'll enjoy it more in Nov and Dec as I'm in nutmeg mode.

[czuba]

Procured: Frimp

 

In Imp: Soapy, like Safeguard

 

On Skin, Wet: Soapy then fading into amber then fading away.

 

Disappeared into my skin before it got to "dry".

 

Will be swapping or passing this on.

[Meg]

In the bottle: amber, rose, musk and some mellow spices.

 

Wet: Saffron, nutmeg and amber, a very warm combination.

 

Drydown: Over the saffron, nutmeg and very thick amber, I get a bit of bergamot - which I still don't like - and tiny hints of rose from the background that takes a while to develop. After a while I get a full-bodied ambery rose, with hints of citrus. It has a thick, nutty scent to it, possibly from the saffron, and lots of sweetness comes out, probably from the musk.

 

Overall: It's a very mellow spicy blend, that reminds me of a softly spiced dessert, it's rather foody. It's mostly spicy amber, it reminds me a bit of The Lion without the cinammon, and actually this would probably layer wonderfully with it. I find it a little bit too bland to wear on its own, but it's warm and homey.

[Luhtarian]

It reminds me of spiced Middle Eastern food. It's a very sharp blend of spices. I can't distinguish any individual notes, it just smells like a bunch of spices and sandalwood. I can't really smell any roses, but I suspect the musk is lurking in there and I just can't pick it out. (I'm not good at notes!)

[maijasu]

This is a very spicy scent, but the drydown is sweet and dusty. It's pleasant, but I prefer Bengal and Scherezade for my spicy scents, so I think I'll pass this one on to a more loving home.

[storme]

In the imp: powdery amber over sandalwood.

 

On me, wet: mmm, sandalwood and saffron, much warmer than in the imp, and the nutmeg and musk mingling in a sultry way behind it.

 

On me, dry: a soft, gentle sweetly-spiced warm sandalwood scent. Subtle and well-blended - it's hard to pick out the individual notes now. Very light, very mellow, very pretty.

 

Verdict: this isn't an attention-seeking scent, but it's beautiful nonetheless. One to consider getting a bottle of.

[Trish]

This had the potential to be so right (sandalwood, musk, saffron, nutmeg) or so wrong (rose, bergamot, amber) on me. But it sounded good!

 

In the imp: light floral woods, I can barely smell it.

 

Wet: rose and citrus, quite light and not very strong.

 

Drydown: It gets a whole lot stronger, especially the rose. This isn't a good sign as rose tends to amp on me and I don't particularly like it. However after 10 minutes or so the sandalwood appears. The citrus has gone. In the case of bergamot this is a good thing as it can sometimes turn very sharp and almost sour on me.

 

30 minutes: This is still mainly rose on me, but it's a rather lovely light rose. The sandalwood and musk are keeping it under control and make me keep sniffing my wrists (I'm somewhat obsessed with sandalwood). The saffron and nutmeg finally make an appearance, lending a light soft fragrant spice to it. There's a dry sweetness appearing too, I think this is the amber which is otherwise undetectable to me.

 

1 hour: Rose and amber, with a touch of sandalwood. It's threatening to go powdery on me.

 

2 hours: Pretty well all rose now, with just a touch of sandalwood and amber (which thankfully hasn't gone to powder afterall).

 

 

I won't get a 5ml of this, but I'll probably keep the imp. This is definitely the best rose blend I have ever tried, but I can't help but wish I got the spicier version.

[kraken]

In the Imp: It's a spicey floral that really reminded me of commercial colognes. I knew it had to be better than that, so...

 

Initial Wet: Saffron and roses and a bit of bergamot. The spice fades to the background and I can't pick out nutmeg specifically. There's a citrus scent as well that begins to come to the forefront.

 

Initial Dry: The citrus is strong and the sandalwood begins to come through as the florals fade. The bergamot is gone and still nothing that I would call nutmeg. The amber and musk begin to warm up, especially the musk.

 

Drier Dry: The sandalwood really comes to the forefront, reminding me a lot of my love, Velvet. In the background is the spice of the amber and musk. The rose has vanished altogether, which makes me sad as I was looking forward to a spicy rose blend.

 

Overall a very complex and lovely scent. The ending drydown reminds me so much of Velvet though... yes, it's like a spicy version of Velvet. ... And now something in it has triggered my allergies and I'm sneezing like crazy.

Edited September 15, 2006 by kraken

[Miseraya]

Received this as a generous frimp from the lab. I did this review without having read the description, so it's a bit vague.

 

In the imp: A heavy, musky 80's perfume. It's slightly spicy and pungent.

 

On the wrist, wet: My skin seems to immediately amp the spicy notes. I'm really getting musk from this, and possibly... cinnamon? Something spicy sharp.

 

On the wrist, dry: This continues to be very musky and very spicy on me. It's a very heavy scent. After it sits for about 45 minutes it starts to get powdery and sweet, which makes me think either roses or sandalwood.

 

Final Analysis: I think someone who is a fan of the heavy, spicy musks would love this, but it just doesn't work on me. Off to the swaps.

[bodegaselkie]

On me, Baghdad's rose note was dominant from the beginning, but was not a clear, fresh-smelling rose like the one in Alice or Zombi... it was much softer and sweeter, a little too faux-rose. There was a soapy undertone that then morphed into baby powder, at which point I realized Baghdad had musk in it, which almost always does that to me. Baghdad is definitely not for me.

[supremegoddessofall]

Yummy! Sandalwood is hiding in the middle, and the amber and saffron are on top. Not getting the mandarin, which is a good thing, since I hate all things orange. The rose is dancing around, but not predominant. And the nutmeg adds a touch of spicey-ness. I like this almost as much as Blood.

 

Score: 5 out of 5

[CoveredInRain]

In the bottle: The musk hits me first, with an undertone of rose. Uh-oh, rose and I are not friends.

 

Wet on skin: The spices start to emerge almost immediately. Nice, complex mix.

 

Drydown: Lovely spice notes dominate; the rose has faded to an almost undetectable supporting role.

 

Verdict: I'm definitely asking it out on a second date.

[lookingglass]

Upon application, my first thought is that this is a soapy, less sweet Bengal, or a more perfumey sister to Morocco.

 

The blending is expert. On the drydown, it becomes seamless: Fresh, slightly spicy, deep, complex, insense.

 

If you are afraid of orange, burning spices, cloying roses, or pencily sandalwood, pull up your bootstraps and try this! I did, and fell in love...

[sofiaviolet]

I smell what must be nutmeg, and the bergamot and musk. This is quite lovely if you like spicier scents, but they don't really suit me at all.

[PilotKitten]

Hot and dry, dusty, with a sour spice hanging in the air. This not only smells like some desert town, it smells like some deserted desert town. Musky and dry, the sandalwood and saffron keep it from being good on me. Off to the swap pile.

[fiddledragon]

This starts out somewhat sharp with a kick of what might be mandarin and/or bergamot, but that quickly fades to a warm, spicy amber-musk scent. I can just pick out the saffron, sandalwood, and maybe a hint of rose, but otherwise it all blends into a lovely unified scent. It's a bit like Bastet without the almonds, or like a muskier, warmer The Lion. While it's the kind of warm and spicy I generally go for, it's not really an exciting or distinctive scent, and I was hoping for some of the nutmeg to show up. I'll enjoy using up my half-imp, but probably won't get any more.

Edited December 3, 2006 by Shollin

[ashbloem]

In the bottle: All I smell is Red Hots candy.

 

Wet: Really spicy; strong nutmeg scent. Oh, yeah, and MY GOD IT BURNS! First BPAL allergic reaction.

 

Dry: The stinging part of the reaction only lasted about 3 minutes, and now is completely gone, which is great, though I am left with red blotches on my wrists and elbows. Wah. Anyway, it is still very spicy - I know the spice used is nutmeg, but I'm still getting a spicy Red Hots cinnamony smell, with some sandlewood peeking through.

 

I like it, though maybe a little too candy-ish on me. And of course the allergic reaction is a bummer. I'll try it a few more times before I give up on it.

[tempestteapot]

This one reminds me a lot of the Phantom Caliope. Dark wood with a faint scent of varnish. It's probably much better in the oil burner than on my skin.

[lunareclipse]

In the bottle: strong, stereotypically 'perfumey.' Before I wore BPAL, I wore Guerlain's Samsara a lot, and Baghdad has several similar notes... which might explain it.

 

On, wet: on first application, the similarity to Samsara continues, but as it interacts with my skin, the notes change... the floral/spicy accord fades, and a dry, powdery amber/sandalwood one rises to the fore.

 

Drydown: After about 15 minutes, everything's gone but the powdery amber and sandalwood accord.

 

Overall, this is an evocative and pleasant scent.

[moon_lemming]

What sounds like a lovely combination of spices and other goodies turns to generic powdery men's cologne with an undertone of sandalwood on my skin. I can't really make out any notes except the sandalwood.

 

Oh skin chemistry. I think it's safe to say this one just isn't gonna work.

[for_the_nonce]

This was pure nutmeg on me. It might as well have been a single-note nutmeg, because I got *nothing* else. Apparently, I amp nutmeg. Good to know, and now I can send Baghdad to a happier hope.

[klavierbarrette]

imp: woah hello nutmeg.

 

skin: nutmeg...very spicy. reminds me a LOT of bengal. i love bengal.

Edited December 3, 2006 by klavierbarrette

[oh_the_horror]

In the bottle: Sweet and sharply spicy. It makes me think of fresh ginger.

 

Wet and drying down: The sharpness is going away and I smell the sweetness of the rose and/or the bergamot. Slightly powdery but in such a pretty way.

 

Dry: Spicy, sweet, pretty. It's heavenly. After about a half hour or so the rose starts to smell kind of old and dry but the whole scent has faded quite a bit at this point.

 

I got this in a circular swap, so I had to order an imp for myself. I feel tempted to use more than is polite. Overall, I think it's yummy.

 

-------

 

ETA: This and Alice are tied as my favorite BPAL. It's wonderful. Spicy, sweet, exotic, rich, but it also has a lightness to it. HEAVEN!! It smells like exotic sugar.

 

The less I put on, the better it smells. I put on too much once, and it just smelled different and bad and I couldn't stand to smell it for several days. A tiny bit of this blend goes a long way, as opposed to Alice which I slather.

Edited January 18, 2007 by oh_the_horror

[mtlaise]

I'll preface this to say that my body chemistry tends to turn anything with rose awry. That being said, on with the review:

 

This starts out smelling like a bad commercial perfume on me when it's wet - that's got to be the rose. I'm not liking it at all at this point. After about 30 minutes or so, this settles into a more pleasant scent for me... the rose (or what my body interprets rose as) begins to fade, and I get more of the sandalwood, mandarin and nutmeg peeking through. This stage is nice, but I won't be getting this one due to the initial stage on me...

[Lit Chick]

This reminds me of an oil blend I wore a bit in college. Sweet and slightly spicy amber and sandalwood. It's not bad at all, just really not making a statement. It's boring me because of the association with college - but instead of friends and parties and intellectual stimulation - this smell makes me remember the hallways, desks, and all the dull bits. It's not Baghdad - it's Damen Hall between periods circa 1997.