Baghdad

[filigree_shadow]

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

 

This kind of smells like a masculine cologne to me at first. It's spicy and has just a little bit of rose and bergamot. It's going a little bit powdery on me, but not overly. I like the scent of this, but it's a little too floral for me personally.

Edited February 4, 2007 by filigree_shadow

[forspecial_plate]

When I wear this, I smell a sharp, sweet, slightly woody incense scent with a little bit of citrus in the beginning. The citrus fades and sometimes a powdery note comes out. It's not too powdery though, so far.

 

I was very surprised when I read the notes. This isn't how I would expect it to smell, from the notes listed. It's good though. Amber is so weird...sometimes I can wear it, and sometimes I can't. It's doing well in this scent. I wouldn't have picked out rose in this blend at all. I think it's combining with the saffon and amber, contributing to the sharpness of the scent. Overall, it's good stuff. I'll keep it around for a while, see how it ages.

[outofrhyme]

In the bottle:

Very exotic. Sandalwood jumps out - it reminds me of a desert. I can pick out all of the other notes - they rush out together. Feels like some middle-eastern themed shop. The amber, saffron, bergamot and nutmeg are definitely noticeable.

 

Wet:

Here comes the mandarin! It's mostly mandarin and sandalwood at this stage. I'm also getting the rose and some of the spices. It's still very dry, but much fruitier than in the bottle. I hope that the mandarin and rose don't combine to go all sour on me, like they do in Hell's Belle.

 

Dry down:

Really lovely. This is sandalwood at its absolute finest, beautifully blended with the exotic. I really can't comment on any of the individual notes aside from the sandalwood and maybe the musk - it's just so well balanced. I mean, with a list in front of me, I can pick them out, but I definitely don't feel like I'm sensing them each on an individual level - I'm sensing instead the overall olfactory picture. The sandalwood mixed with the amber smells a little bit like cedar. It's a fine wood box in a middle eastern spice shop.

 

Final thoughts:

This is really, really, really nice. I think it's a little bit too exotic for *me* to wear all the time, but I am DEFINITELY not swapping this away. It's gorgeous. It strikes me as a really nice late summer/autumn scent. I wonder how it would smell layered with vanilla?

[Eemia]

This is mostly amber on me, with whiffs of saffron and musk. I don't smell rose or mandarin at all. It's just a warm, slightly spicy and musky fragrance. It stays close to my skin and isn't overpowering or overly strong. It does have amazing lasting power--I put it on last night and when I woke up today I can still smell it.

 

I do like this but it isn't wonderful or memorable on me. And it does have a masculine tinge to it that prevents me from wearing it again. It will probably smell much better on my boyfriend.

[Iceblink]

I'm getting mostly amber and sandalwood from this one, and maybe a little bit of mandarin. It conjures up a dry, hot landscape. Probably better on a man than on me.

[goth_huntress]

This just took my breath away. It is heavenly. I'm so going to be buying a bottle as soon as I can afford it. It's just beautiful.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: All saffron and amber

 

Wet: Saffron, amber, and hint of rose.

 

Drydown and wear: This is the same on drydown as it is wet. The rose becomes stronger as it wears down, but the amber is really, really overwhelming.

[Ophelia193]

In the bottle: Spicy! Strong nutmeg and sandalwood scent.

 

On the skit: Sandalwood and musk are strongest, very spicy still, but with some sweet and almost floral notes. Would be a great scent for my husband.

[metaldog32]

Frimp from the Labbies..thank you very much!!!

 

This sounds like something I should like..since saffron, amber, and sandalwood are usually notes that work well on me..so here goes nothing!!!

 

Initial sniff from frimp: Kind of spicy..reminds me of Bengal in some way..maybe it’s the nutmeg??? I smell the amber too..but not much else…amber and nutmeg..so let’s see how this plays out on the skin.

 

Applied wet on skin: Fainter…and dustier version of Bengal sort of..it’s the amber and the nutmeg..sandalwood in the back. I am not getting any mandarin or rose at this point..nothing on the musk either but it’s early.

 

Couple of minutes on skin: The amber is a bit more present..with the spices it makes for a good combo..however everything in here isn’t loud or super aggressive..it’s all very low-key but not invisible. This doesn’t have Bengal’s honey or ginger..but it still wafts out softly sweetness and subtle spice. I am still not getting the mandarin..or the rose..

 

Twenty minutes later: Man..my skin just eats this up…I REALLY have to shove my nose close to my wrist to get anything and when I do it’s basically the amber, sandalwood, and nutmeg. Softly spiced amber..no mandarin, no rose. The musk is kind of MIA too..but I am assuming that it’s here with the amber. It’s definitely a dry scent..and it’s pleasant..but I wish it would have stuck around longer..maybe it will show up in a little bit???

 

Three hours later: It’s all just a faint memory…faint spice and sweetness that I assume was the amber..tickle of sandalwood.

 

Lasting power 3+ hours with throw soft at best.

 

Bottom Line: Baghdad had some promise..but unfortunately had no staying power. It’s a a bit of a dry sweet/spicy scent that hints along the lines of Bengal…but I think is a bit more subdued. I am glad I had the chance to try it though. It would be a nice option for fall or winter-if I need a fix of the exotic I can dab on Bengal for my fix. I hope my imp of Baghdad finds a home where it can be appreciated properly.

[AmyAngel]

This one was sharply perfumey in the imp, and at first on my skin. It quickly dried a bit and began to have a bit of nice warm dry spicy sweetness, but then just as quickly went to powder. It's a very nice lightly spicy, slightly rosy perfumed powder, but powder nonetheless. This is pretty, and getting nicer (and a bit less powdery) as time goes on, but it's not me.

[Pika]

In the vial: oooh, this smells very good! Complex, spicy, brightened by orange. It does seem a bit masculine.

 

Wet on skin: mmm, sweet, smooth, and spicy. My skin doesn't seem to be bumping up the citrus in this one the way it sometimes does.

 

A little while later... Sexy! A bit mysterious, intriguing, and definitely opulent. Where are my silk cushions and fan-boys? The citrus has actually faded, and now rose has come out!

 

Much later... aww, it faded pretty fast after that last entry. The dry, incensy sandalwood is the last bit to hang on. But it was beautiful while it lasted!

 

I really like this one. Doesn't seem masculine after it hits my skin, although it's obviously not candy or pale white floral. Dramatic and sexy. I wonder how I can make it last longer...

[isisonearth]

In the imp: I get a lot of very sharp bergamot & mandarin along with a warm golden amber. The scent in the imp feels rather masculine.

 

On: The citrusy notes dissapear and I mainly get a soft sandalwood with just a hint of powdery musk and amber.

 

Drydown: Later in the day all that is left is nice sandalwood.

 

Before I started using BPAL I would have liked Baghdad a lot. It is the sort of scent I gravitate towards. Now that my horizons are expanding it seems sort of ordinary. Nice but I don't love it. I'll try it one more time then pass it on to my husband who is addicted to sandalwood. I'd be curious to see of some of the other notes develop on him.

[alliekat13]

This is a rich, deep, rose incense scent. It reminds me of spellbound in a way, but with the addition of mandarin and nutmeg. The mandarin adds a sweetness to the scent, but the nutmeg counters it with its' earthy dryness. This scent is quite exotic, and wearing it makes me think of an exotic bazaar filled with swirling incenses, fresh flowers, spices, and fruits.

[Schnax]

In the imp and wet on me, this is SANDALWOOD! Fortunately as it dries it becomes softer and more complex. I can definitely catch the rose peeking out, and there's a slightly powdery scent that might be the amber. (I'm still not so good at picking out individual notes )

 

This sucker lasts and lasts on me, I can still smell it clearly after 8 hours. Not my favourite, but a definite keeper.

[porcelina]

it's like a manly cologne with saffron and rose. alas, not my style.

[Naamah_Darling]

This blend smells of citrus and sandalwood and amber in the bottle, a fresh and yet simultaneously old scent. The combination of citrus plus sandalwood is a bit cedary.

 

It doesn't smell cedary on, though. It's all sandalwood and amber with a fine and fleeting overlay of citrus fruits and a touch of sweet powder. The musk fills the gaps in and brings this to body temperature. This is a beautiful, fragile scent that I'm all too afraid isn't going to work on me because of the strength of the sandalwood.

 

It settles to a musky, amber, sandalwoody blend; my skin eats citrus, and though this supposedly has rose in it, it's a low, spiced rose, which means it blends almost invisibly into the sandalwood and amber. It's not assertive at all, and is barely there.

 

This never goes to sandalwood skank on me, so it's either a light sandalwood or it's adequately offset by the amber and the other notes. The citrus is gone completely, and it's just sort of a warm, incensey, spicy smell. Lovely.

[sabina_k]

This was a frimp, and I left it for last because in the imp it was NOTHING but nutmeg, and while I like spice smells, this was far too intense. I actually said to my sister as I was applying it, "I'm probably gonna hate this, but you have to try them all because sometimes they change."

 

...Yep. This is beautiful!

 

It reminds me of a really nice, expensive, spicy pastry from a bakery. I'm getting the amber, saffron, nutmeg and sandalwood mostly, and I think the amber and sandalwood are provinding the sugar and dough to my imaginary pastry, somehow. It's a weird idea, I guess, but I love it! I'm not getting any citrus though.

 

Actually... this sort of reminds me of my beloved single imp of Three Witches, with the sugary cinnamon and clove. This could be the GC substitute Ive been looking for!

[icing]

SUPER!Nutmeg stomping on a giant citrus gumdrop… I think the spices in the Wanderlust blends really like me.

[JennyGardener]

Baghdad makes me feel feline, langourous, and lovely. It's Indiana Jones laying me down on the above-mentioned incense chest, which is large and covered with a red and gold cloth. It's lying about warm and luxurious afterwards. It's desert pleasure, the inside of a rich Bedouin tent, spice and welcoming shelter. The surprising life of a desert sietch (think the Fremen strongholds on Dune). I cannot wait to try this out on my husband, who does not get home until Sunday. Mmmmrroww!

 

(a Faerygirl, age 8, review)

 

I don't like Baghdad!! It doesn't smell right on me. My mom is strange with it. She went around meowing like a cat!

[maribouquet]

This reminds me of Sri Lanka - I think that must be the sandalwood - but with the softness of rose and a warm waft of nutmeg...spicy. I might get this to replace my Sri Lanka when I've finished my bottle.

[fatalbellydance]

In the vial: I'm getting the amber and the sandlewood, maybe a hint of the mandarin. It really reminds me of my grandmother's perfume Shalimar (maybe it's my untrained nose?)

 

Wet: Yup, Shalimar, which I don't mind at all. I always loved the way my grandmother smelled. The spices come out a bit more here, and it's all spicy resiny goodness. LOVE! After a few minutes the mandarin and bergamot move up and while it doesn't shout CITRUS! or FRUIT! it does get slightly sweeter, and really lovely. I'm completely in love with this.

 

Dry: I get the mandarin, some spices, and a bit of amber in the background. It's really well blended though so no one note is taking over the whole thing. I wouldn't call it fruity or spicy, maybe musky and resiny. Truly unisex, and very sexy. It only smells like Shalimar for the first minute or two, so if you hate Shalimar don't let that turn you off. This gets big bottle status.

 

ETA: I was sitting in my math class catching little whiffs of rose, I thought it couldn't be me, but sure enough when I smelled my wrist the rose in Baghdad had come out. It must be a really shy rose because I didn't smell it until the very end, when it said "hi.....ok bye now" and I had to reapply.

Edited July 10, 2007 by fatalbellydance

[Neely]

In the bottle: rose and nutmeg and saffron.

 

Wet: rose and nutmeg and saffron.... yummy!

 

Dry down: rose saffron, nutmeg with a creamy sandalwood base, and musk wafting in and out bringing it all together. The mandarin and bergamot really hides way down beneaht the sandalwood, barely there, giving this a hint of tartness. This is utterly femme, exotic, and totally beautiful.

 

30 minutes: lovely true rose (which is hit or miss on me, can we say old lady? I knew that you could). So lovely true dewy rose, nutmeg, saffron, amber and musk, with a hint of mandarin and bergamot. In fact, I think the bergamot, is actually what is keeping the rose from turning into powder on me. Whip that rose, beat it, make it say the f-word... fragrant! What f-word did you think I meant you dirty birds!

 

Conclusion: Beth's nutmeg note rocks my world, every oil I have tried with it in it, has worked like a charm on me. I love this, LOVE I tell you! <---- see? This is exotic, beautiful, complex and feme. This is elegant and erotic. In fact, I may not be deserving to wear this, no haute coutuer here, but I must have a big bottle. This is a top ten for sure. Beth, thank you, for this perfume you get a , because that is what I did when I tried this.

 

Rating 1-5: 5 ++++

Edited July 18, 2007 by atropos

[MissLily]

In the bottle: Amber and sandalwood.

 

Wet: Amber, sandalwood, and oranges.

 

Drydown: Amber, sandalwood, tiny hint of nutmeg, turning soapy.

 

I am sure this would be nice on other people, but I'm disappointed. It's just boring on me. Maybe it would be better if it smelled like Baghdad 2007 - eau de Dick Cheney and Al Quaeda. No, wait, probably not.

[Magda]

In the imp it's all powdery spices. When I put it on -- whoa sandalwood! I sort of like the way head shops smell, but I don't want to smell like that. Thankfully the head shop-y sandalwood fades almost immediately.

 

After about five minutes, I get a hint of rose when I sniff my wrists. The throw is still all sandalwood, now dry and elegant.

 

Ten minutes later and it's changed a lot. It's a fantastic blend of floral and resins and spice, difficult to pick out any one note though if I think about it I can identify the amber, sandalwood, and rose. After about an hour I get a little touch of bergamot.

 

It doesn't have much throw, which is both surprising and nice. Sometimes I just don't want to club people over the head with my sandalwood blends, and this will do very nicely on those days.

 

As an overall vibe, this makes me think of going out to a very nice restaurant with people who read a lot and order very good red wine and can probably speak French. For some reason, this also smells expensive. I can't put my finger on why, exactly, but if I smelled this on someone else I'd assume it was far too pricey for my little wallet.

[stasha]

I looove this in the imp. It's exactly like a Middle Eastern market place and I couldn't wait to slather it on. Unfortunately without vanilla sandalwood seems to turn into powdery wood chips on my skin. Then it gives me a headache! Woe. I'll test it out as a room scent and see if that gives me a headache as well. It's rough when a scent doesn't live you back as much as you love it!