Swank

[malanna]

Simply cool, the essence of Lounge: the scent of a crisp pomegranate martini.

I must first preface my review with the warning that I'm not that fond of pomegranate scents to begin with. Not that I dislike pomegranate, but I sniff it, and I go, Eh.

On: Juicy pomegranate. Bright and red.

Drying: Whomp! This is loud and so very tart. It makes me think of The Body Shop scents, how the fruity ones are always very, very loud. Now, it's not so much juicy, but, well, again loud and tart. I thought it would be hard to describe it, because if the flavor of a fruit is very distinct and clear, then it should be juicy, right? However, I think the martini aspect is where this comes to play. It's like pomegranate being magnified through some glass (martini glass). I think this is akin to having three or four drinks too many, and suddenly, things are so bright and clear and people are so loud....

Dried: It's pretty much the same, loud and tart, but the scent isn't so strong.

A nice scent for someone who is into tart, fruity scents, but not for me. Also, this was really strong when I applied a generous swipe, so that detracted from my experience.

[ChupaChup]

I'm another one that doesn't do well with most fruit scents, so keep that in mind as you read my review. I was really curious about pomegranate in a perfume as I love the taste of the fruit, so I had to give Swank a try. When I first applied it, the martini aspect of it gave it some tartness and I thought it had real possibilities. Great job, Beth, getting such a perfect martini scent! But after about 10 minutes, the alcohol buzz went away and I was left with an overly sweet, fruity smell, just not me. But I'm sure lovers of fruity perfumes will go nuts over this and it is STRONG and long lasting, another plus.

Edited October 19, 2004 by ChupaChup

[briteyes]

I don't know if it's my taste for cocktails or what, but the second I read the description, I knew I had to have this. I wasn't disappointed! Swank became an instant favourite the second I opened the bottle. Bright and bold pomegranate underscored by something... "fusty" and fermented. There's more to this than meets the nose--I'd love to know how Beth got that "boozy" smell in there!

 

After drying, the fruit notes expand, and it takes on an almost orange-y scent. It's like a drunken fruit cocktail, with oranges and raspberries and... I don't know what else. I've always loved fruit scents, and this is no exception. This is the 21-and-over version of all those fruity body sprays I used in high school and college.

 

This stuff makes me want to put on the Dean Martin and pull out a martini shaker. Cosmos all around!

[monet]

Well, I really like this one but I had to give it time to mellow. When I first put this on I got the VERY strong scent of odor eliminator air freshener. Not good and very very strong. BUT, after an hour it calmed down. Still air freshener and no pomegranate. Then after another hour the slightest whiff of pomegranate. Npw, several houd later it's all pomegranate. A gentle, smooth smell. Not loud at all. This would be a great scent for the summer.

[tempete]

I thought that I would like this because I enjoy the pomegranate note in Persephone so much. Unfortunately, Swank dries down to a very sweet fruity scent on me with little tartness (which would have been nice to offset the sweetness). I'll be swapping this one away.

[isyche]

I swapped with tempete for her imp of Swank, so it's appropriate that I review it after her...

Anyway, it smells totally different on me. I get barely any fruit at all.

 

In vial: smells like a vodka and tonic, crisp, and with that bubbly/boozy overtone.

On: the same, with maybe a very faint fruity smell.

 

My skin must just soak up pomegranate, as I couldn't really smell it in Persephone either. Anyway, it's interesting.

Edited November 1, 2004 by isyche

[phoefromelsewhere]

Another one that just doesn't like me. I should really get it that if it's sweet in any way it will most likely hate me.

 

In the bottle: sweet, fruity cosmo

 

Wet: Same as in bottle. Pomegrantate martini, all the way.

 

Drydown: Air freshener. Nice but I don’t want to smell like bathroom air freshener. For some reason it is making me think of the summer camp I went to for 3 summers. Which is a nice memory but I keep thinking of the bathrooms there…erm…

 

Later: I tried this on a cloth to see if it worked better off my skin. Nope, in fact, now all I smell is booze. *sigh* Just not me, off to the swaps with it.

[eadavenp]

so far, im enjoying this scent. its bright and fresh and loud, which for me, right now are all good things. i can't decide if i want a signature scent, or just to be known as the girl who smells really good... i think bc of bpal, i'll be the latter. Anyway, swank has a dryness to it that makes me think of the martini, and the fruit is beautiful. i really enjoy this fragrance, and i may be getting a 5 ml.

[Gin]

I really like this one, it's so distinctive.

 

This starts out very sharp on me. My brain tends to interpret the initial alcohol note as pine, but that fades on drydown, leaving a dry, boozy-fruity blend behind. I would never guess the fruity note to be pomegranate--tart cranberry maybe. This is definitely a cool, crisp, chic scent.

[Penance]

Got this as a generous freebie from the Lab in my most recent order.

 

First sniff:

 

I'll be the first to admit I have no idea what pomegranates smell like. My parents swear that when I was little I loved them, but I have absolutely no memory of that at all and I haven't eaten a pomegranate in as long as I can remember, so I can't say if this is accurate. What I can say is that this is sweet and fruity and pulpy and red smelling if that makes sense. I thought I'd hate this based on the description, but this actually quite nice.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Slightly boozy smelling, but the predominant impression I'm getting is one of gummy bears for some reason!

 

Dry down:

 

Yep, that's gummy bears, alright. I'd know that smell anywhere. I, of all people, know what gummies smell like a little better than would probably be considered normal since I used to play with them on a daily basis when I was little (I was a weird kid, don't ask). This is a nice, strong, pleasant scent, but I'm not sure that it's for me since I don't generally care for super fruity scents.

 

The bottom line:

 

I'll have to give this one another go before I decide if I want to keep it or swap it. I don't think fruit works on me, I prefer woodsy or resiny scents, personally.

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Yep. Pomegranate martini. Very crisp, very fruity and very sweet with just the slightest tinge of alcohol. I have this image of a martini glass filled with a rich, deep red liquid and a cherry rather than an olive in it.

 

Wet: Release the fruit. Seriously strong, sweet pomegranate with just the tinge of something citrus, like pineapple or grapefruit.

 

Dry down: Gummy worms. Pomegranate flavored gummy worms. This has the same chemical fruit smell that gummy worms do, which is fine because I love me some gummy worms. Still that faint alcohol scent to the back of it. Also sweet and fruity still.

 

Dry: Gummy worms. Hmmm. I like gummy worms. I love to eat them. I also like pomegranates and martinis and sugar. But the prevailing scent on my is gummy worms. The pomegranate stayed much more true on my mother's skin when I let her try it. It's not that I don't like the scent. I just confused as to whether I should start eating myself or enjoy the scent. This goes into the "Try it again because I like it but I haven't decided whether I want to smell like it category."

[spaceprostitute]

Love it, but love Persephone more.

 

This one is fairly strong and long lasting. It reminds me of the Demeter Cosmopolitan fragrance, but more tart.

 

It stays true to the vial while on the skin, like a fresh pomegranate, a bit sweet, a bit tart, with the underlying astringent note of gin or vodka. That astringency mellows, but I still get that sort of tangy quality that you get from those air fresheners that they use in public restrooms.

 

Overall, I love it, but it's so fruity that I don't know if I'm inclined to wear it a lot, as I usually like my fruit to be in blends either with woods or spices or florals. But it stays true to the pomegranate scent and is quite refreshing. Of the four I have tested out tonight (Pain, Siren, Desire, and now Swank), I like Swank the best.

[pekeana]

In the imp, Swank is all luscious pomegranates and deep, bitterly effervescent booze. Yummeh! On me, strangely enough, I can't smell any pomegranate at all -- everyone else can smell it, but I can't. And the booze notes become vaguely floral. So I smell like a floral martini. Everyone else thinks I smell like a pomegranate martini, but I can't smell the pomegranate on me at all. I have no idea what's the matter with my nose, but I do rather like it.

[stardreamer]

Well, I have no idea what a pomegranate smells like; what I get from this is sort of orangey, but not a heavy sweet orange like Carnal. In fact, you could almost call it tangerine -- it's lighter and "yellower" than the average orange scent. Not very long-lasting; I've already reapplied it once, and it's still fading faster than most of BPAL's scents do on me. R. is neutral, which is about the best reaction I'm going to get. I think this will be a nice light summer fragrance; I may try layering it with something else if I want to wear it during cooler weather. Mixed with cinnamon, it might be a "cloved orange pomander" scent which would be good for the holiday season.

[Nyx's Phoenix]

First sniff smells like something very fruity with a spicy accent in the background. Doesn't smell like pomegranate to me, which is a bit disappointing.

 

On it smells like a nice perfumy candle. Has the bitterness of the white of the pomegranate. Don't smell the alcohol.. It's getting a little powdery.. I'm saddened that it doesn't smell like pom.. I was really waiting on this one.

[rainbow]

In the bottle and wet on my skin- like a pomegranate martini- crisp and fruity. I'm imagining the fresh, juicy pomegranate seeds, as well as the sparkling martini glass full of booze. It's hard to explain- I'd definitely describe this scent as boozy, but not in the traditional heavy way. It's boozy in a lighter, clear alcohol sort of way.

 

As I'm wearing it the scent develops into a real fresh and fruity blend. It's still pomegranate, but there seems to be a citrus note as well- possibly grapefruit or tangerine. This scent stays relatively constant on me.

 

This is a scent that gives off bright red and orange vibes. Like many fruity blends it didn't last long on me, but it was lovely while it lasted. I'll get a big bottle.

[FireInCairo]

This blend is very fun and fruity. The blend is also very energizing. I love this!

[rhubarbbear]

kool-aid! powdery, red, kool-aid. i don't know what a pomegranite martini smells like, but this is what i smell in swank! its a very upbeat scent, and very strong. it does explain the candy scent i get from persephone, but doesn't really remind me of pomegranite (the fruit) at all.

[Amaryllia]

Sharp! Zesty! Kind of lemony! Sweetness with a bite. This one started fresh, but even several hours later there is a crisp zing to the smell that seems to keep going strong - perhaps the pomegranate? The citrusy tang to it might make this something I can't wear too much... however it does smell very much like something you'd sniff or put in an oil diffuser for a mood-lifter. While the scent is certainly interesting it's not one I feel comfortable smelling on /myself/ every day, so since I've still got a list about 50 long of scents to try, this one is going on the swaplist.

[vampygirl77]

On me, this smells very tart and sharply fruity indeed! A friend who smelled this on me said raspberry, another said grapefruit. DH eats pomegranates, so I will ask him later. But it is definitely a sharp smell on me, even dried down. I do not smell any alcohol at all.

 

Honestly, this smelled to me like Smarties candies, remember those? YUM.

 

This is a keeper, as it lightens my mood and keeps me awake sniffing it.

[Gwallahay]

Okay, as soon as I smelled it wet I got the feeling like when you put soda under your nose, the little bubbles that kind of tickle your nose and throat? Very tingly. First adjectives that come to mind: bubbly, fruity/citrus, sparkly, bright. I can picture a hip young woman at a posh bar sipping on a fruity, carbonated cocktail, just looking very sophisticated yet approachable, ready to have a fun, carefree night out on the town.

[Caitfish]

What can I add to this? Not much. It's crisp and effervescent in the bottle, plus the fruity, juicy tang of the pomegranate. On me, the crisp scent fades, and this becomes almost exclusively the delicious, juicy scent of ripe pomegranates. It doesn't last very long, but it's exquisite. I MUST have a big bottle of this scent - it would be excellent layered with MMU's body butters in Pomegranite. Yeah, I need this one.

[surf-tormented]

Not bad. My boyfriend says it smells like fruit punch with a spicy kick. I like it too, the fresh pomegranate is very strong on my skin, but I don't know if it is worth a bottle or not. The base notes remind me of Bon Vivant, like maybe the sophisticated cousin to the oil about town. I'll have to try it again to add to this review.

Edited January 15, 2005 by Madame Nyx

[diabolique]

this has made the list of my least favorite scents. not because of the smell, mind you, but because there's some nostalgic association i have with this that i'm not sure what's causing it. i don't even know what this reminds me of, but it's particularly gloomy and dreary, which seems to be the total antithesis of what this scent smells like. in fact, now that i keep smelling the bottle (which is for hypothermya), i feel a bit horrified.

 

it's aquatic and "weird" in the bottle, although the more i smell it, the more it appeals to me; i've never had nor smelled a martini, so i can't vouch for how true the smell is. i dabbed a bit on my thumb from the reducer cap, and it immediately turned into a very different smell on my skin. it was sweet and round and berryish, and i suppose it's crisp just as everyone else has reported. it eventually turns into a very, very soapy smell.

 

luckily, it faded in about an hour, and it was a tiny dab of oil to begin with.

 

i have no idea what's making me feel so panicky and.. hopeless. this is honestly scaring me. i think it reminds me of my ex-step-father's house. it may be the soap smell i'm getting from this. this is definitely not making me feel happy. unfortunately, when i smelled it earlier to write my review, i got a bit on my nose. i'm about to go see if i can wash it off. sorry, swank, but you're really giving me the creeps.

 

there's something very plasticy that reeks of lost innocence about this, and i think i'm starting to figure out why.

Edited January 15, 2005 by diabolique

[anshara]

 

In the Bottle: Oooh frozen sweetened Pommegranate with a topping of tart (vermouth? Vodka?) yummi!

On me: Swiped generously on both wrists: Yum, yum, yum... Crisp pommegranate dusted with sugar, and, yup, that's vermouth. The whole thing smells "just out of the freezer"... A very summery scent

 

Drydown 5-10 minutes: stays true to initial application, for the most part, except my skin is warming the pommegranate, while the Vermouth stays cool! Interesting, uexpected and lovely!

 

Final thoughts: This is a scent that makes me feel "fresh out of a shower" for some reason, it's clean, crisp, and, in my opinion a great scent to wear to a job interview if applied sparingly. Definite 10 ml in the future. Hooray for foody scents!!!

-Miriam