Lurid

[HennaFairy]

Shocking, horrific, fierce, savage, sensationalized, luminous and hazy: black currant, Bulgarian lavender and white musk with a dollop of thick resin and a voltaic charge of ozone notes.

bottle:
musky lavender

wet:
musky (but not too much for me), resiny, herbal (lavender), some ozone peeking out

dry:
a very neutral (in gender sense) scent - but so intriguing! Lavender and light ozone and musk… nothing really strong. Very unique!

overall:
nice - borders on masculine, but I can see myself wearing it at certain times

rating: 7/10

[themerrybaker]

Lurid is pleasantly sweet, musky and spicy on me. Definitely keeping the imp but due to bottle overload ....

[Eunice]

This is so incredibly lovely! I was worried about the black currant being a bit too fruity on me but the musk and lavander keep this from becoming too sticky of a smell. I didn't get the "Shocking, horrific, fierce, savage, sensationalized, luminous and hazy" part until I let this sit on my skin longer. Lurid is totally sexy!

[abberlaine]

Fresh on the skin, Lurid brings to mind a low-lying, thick, lazy smoke curling around my ankles. I'd describe it as a sweet, musky resin, though no one note stands out above the rest.

 

A few moments later, the separation begins. There's the lavender, sharp and loud. The ozones fly in and take over the scent, giving the impression of a strong-scented dryer sheet. I can still smell the resins down below, somewhat murky. It's like spillling ether on the ground below and watching it fog up and become more and more indistinct.

 

I never do get the black currant, nor do I think of the scent as "shocking, horrific, fierce, savage, sensationalized, luminous." It's not bad at all. Not something that I'd wear as a perfume, likely, but not bad at all.

Edited June 13, 2006 by Abberlaine Arrol

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Summarised in a word or two: Ozone-y lavender.

 

Preconceived notions: The lavender makes me wary, but I'll give it a go if only for the white musk and ozone notes. I'm hoping for a slightly fruity, ozone-y white musk.

 

In the imp: White Musk! Oy, but I do so love BPAL's white musk. A hint of lavender as well, but oddly enough, it's not unpleasant in the imp.

 

On skin, wet: White muuuusk. Unfortunately, the lavender's very strong from the off. No sign of currant or ozone.

 

On skin, dry: Very weird. Ozone-y and fruity, with strong lavender and resin notes and a background of white musk. Unique and not unpleasant but... very weird.

 

Conclusion/Notes: Were the lavender weaker and the white musk stronger, who knows. As it is.... no.

[theseagrows]

wow what an interesting scent. i am mostly getting the blackcurrant, lavender and ozone, i think. it reminds me of something but i cant place it. almost like those blackcurrant candies that come in a tin-berry plus something slightly sharp/tart, which i believe is the ozone.

 

the only downside is, i feel like this is fading fast on my skin.

[edenssixthday]

Lurid smells nothing on me like it does wet in the vial or compared to what I expected from the description. In the vial, it's deep, rich, and resinous. When I applied it to my skin, it was initially deep, rich, and resinous, but it dried down to a soft and sweet floral. The lavendar note doesn't stand out on me like BPAL lavendar usually does, and this is one BPAL lavendar I can say I really, really like. The scent reminds me of a Bath & Body Works scent, but I can't figure out which one and it's frustrating me to no end because whichever one it is, it would layer really well with Lurid! This has a really nice amount of throw. It's not overpowering, and it's soft, so I occasionally catch a waft of it and think, "Wow, something smells really pretty around here!" and as always, am thrilled to realize that it's me that smells so pretty! Most BPAL oils disappear on me fairly quickly, but I continue to get throw from Lurid a good 4 hours after applying, and can still faintly smell it on my skin at the 8 hour point. This is a definite winner in my book!

[provocateur]

In bottle: Ozone.

 

On skin, wet: Musky, resin ozone.

On skin, dry: Ozone, pure ozone.

 

Conclusion: I'm not an ozone fan, but I was hoping more of the notes in this blend would be strong than the ozone note.

 

Rating: 1/5

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Creamy lavender.

 

On me: It smells like an extremely sweet lavender with a bit of musk and a lot of ozone... and oh, maybe a hint of vanilla too, giving it the same creamy lavender that I got from the vial. Yum! It smells like lavender candy. I want to eat it.

 

Verdict: Bottle. Now, please.

 

Rating: 5/5

[forspecial_plate]

My very first thought was: 'this is a lady's perfume. I can't wear this'. I gave it a while than decided to wash it off. Then just before washing it off it slightly changed on me and became something I felt I could live with. Kind of like the scent was telling me in this silky voice, 'don't be so hasty. We might just get along if you give me a chance'. I washed it off anyway but tried it again a few days later.

 

On second try I liked it much more. For me it's a slightly smokey, very berry or fruity scent. Kind of purring and sultry. I can't smell the lavender at all. I think what's happening to me is I get one note out of a scent and can't pick out the other, more subtle notes. My nose is still learning. Eventually this dies down and the berry turns into elderberry cough syrup to me (the currant, I'm sure). Not unpleasant mind you. Overall something that smells nice to me, but I honeslty can't see myself wanting to wear this out in public. I may keep it around just for rainy days, or maybe some situation will present itself where I want to wear it out somewhere.

[lookingglass]

This is one of the few perfumes EVER that are like an instant olfactory orgasm to me. It really is the beauty of Beth's blending. Just when I think that certain notes don't work on me, I get completely blown away... I love that. It keeps me coming back for more.

 

A bit sharp and sweet in the bottle, but beautiful and fresh. The ozone (which I NEVER do) blends seamlessly with the lavender, while the currants (oh, divinity!)quirt their sour juice all over it. The resin (which is it? amber...oh, I don't care~just keep it coming!) is rich...dripping with sensuous sweetness. The white musk keeps the clean ozone quality through the drydown and combines with my skin in that way that only Beth's white musk can do... At the end it is powdery and musky, like the curtain call of a can-can show.

 

MUST...have...a BIG....bottle....(pant, pant...).

 

I have been wearing this blend to bed. Lavender does not usually relax me, but this blend really seems to. Plus, DH likes it, too. He says it smells like lavender and ass, and that is a good thing!

 

Edited to add:

 

From Dracula by Bram Stoker(1897):

 

"But the Count! Never did I imagine such wrath and fury, even in the demons of the pit. His eyes were positively blazing. The red light in them was lurid, as if the flames of hell-fire blazed behind them. His face was deathly pale, and the lines of it were hard like drawn wires; the thick eyebrows that met over the nose now seemed like a heaving bar of white-hot metal. With a fierce sweep of his arm, he hurled the woman from him, and then motioned to the others..." (pg. 36).

 

The hell-fire of currents and smoke, the white-hot combination of musk and ozone...the fierce power and sexual magnitude...this is the perfect scent description. Thank you, Beth. I think you did your homework!

Edited September 20, 2006 by lookingglass

[PurringPulsar]

Lurid

 

In the imp: soapy lavender, but not a bad soapy scent. I can totally get where the Lush 'It's a Date' comparisons are coming (thanks, Lush NA forumites!) from because I get a similar scent here.

Wet on skin: oh yeah, it really is a cross between It's a Date and Twas the Night Before Christmas. And that's a good thing.

Dry on skin: I like this a lot. There are some soapy-ozone scents that I don't like but there are others that are lovely-and this is one of them. I love this because, as I expected from the notes, it smells like Lush Black Pearl (not BPAL Black Pearl) or Twas the Night, with a little bit of It's a Date/Sugar Plum. It's an effervescent lavender-currant scent with airy musk and fresh ozone-I swear there's some citrus here too. maybe some sweet resins as well.

After a while: yup, it still smells like Twas the Night, or maybe Blackberry Bomb. It's a lovely 'purple' scent of blackcurrant (but surprisingly, it seems the lavender is still sticking around) with a very pleasant, clean ozone and light musk note…I think I'm getting some resin underneath, maybe it's benzoin? It's a sweet resin note.

The only problem with this scent is that it fades very fast…it's so faint after a short time, leaving just a trace of currant-musk.

Verdict: I really like this a lot-despite it having a definite 'soapy ozone' scent to it. I like it because it reminds me of so many Lush products-including one of my all time favourites, Sugar Plum, but it's lavender-blackcurrant-resin-soap scent does make it smell like Lush Black Pearl as well. a very purple scent, fizzy and lively, fruity, very clean and refreshing, with that delightful white musk smoothing it out. I wish it was a bit stronger and lasted longer on me, because I like this a lot better than I expected. I'm not getting a bottle yet but I'm keeping the imp thanks to it's resemblance to Sugar Plum.

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Villain, Ode on Melancholy, King of Hearts

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[cabinwench]

This was a frimp (Thanks!) that I wondered about because I still don't have a feel for "ozone" and am iffy on lavender. In the bottle--whoa. That's strong something in there! But fruity.

 

Wet on skin: a jack-slapped berry/herbal scent. Took the man two deep whiffs to form an opinion--a good sign?

 

initial drydown: the lavender seems to cut some of the "berryness". I loved the review that referenced those sugary black current tins--I loved those, and I can smell the connection. It's feminine for me, but for someone much younger, maybe too sharp?

 

Soothing, but some happy energy, too. If you loved Bordello, this could be a less, um...saloon-slutty version?

 

Getting some surgary plum, but still that backbone, plus the floral. The ozone is keeping it from getting too sweet. There's some earth in there.

 

A Shiraz lover would like this, I think. Or a properly red zinfindel lover.

 

I can make an emotional, but non-verbal connection between the images "Lurid" conjures up, and the scent. It's out there with no apologies. Not half-hearted. There's still some soothing, but that's not what this is about. It wants too much attention.

 

I would wear this if I were needing to transition from a draining day at work, to a dressed-in-black evening out. Energy, some soothing, then ramping up the sophistication, while maintaining some dirty thoughts.

 

Update: after an hour, this is very "grown-up perfume" in a good way. The white musk note, maybe?

Edited July 22, 2006 by cabinwench

[fiddledragon]

From the GC Circle Swap.

 

Lurid -- This is nicely refreshing -- not at all "lurid". On me, it's mainly a sort of soapy-floral ozone, which is nice, but not me. I could see myself wearing it if I wanted a more "formal" perfume, or possibly as a room scent on a hot day, but I don't think it would get enough love to warrant actually buying it.

[SoapyRN]

Not a huge ozone fan which is why I avoided getting it. That said, I get no ozone from this. Going through a cast aside box of frimps, I came across two imps of this.

 

Temps outside 101, HOT for Minnesota. I thought perhaps this would cool me off. Placed a scant amount on my arm and smelled....Fee!

 

Kinda soapy, but thats my name! LOL

 

I really like this. Very bright and nearly lemon. I remember when this was released, I totally dug every note except that mention of ozone. That was enough not to order. Over two years on this forum and three of sampling Beth's magic and this is a perfect example of why, you really out to try EVERYTHING.

 

Love it. A possible pre CD order.

[Tess]

There are such mixed reviews with this one! Part of me is saying "oh, look at those yum notes!" and part of me is going "uh, ozone bad." Let's see what happens.

 

In the vial - I barely smell anything... A faint fruity currant, maybe.

 

Wet - Ooo, light currant and white musk, with a touch of the floral!

 

Drying - I'm getting just a touch of the ozone, but it's working with the other scents just wonderfully. This really is coming across as mostly the berry-musk, with the other notes lingering in the background, but it's LOVELY.

 

Dry (45 minutes) - Bah, the first thing that happened was that the currant stopped being as sweet smelling and then it started to fade. I can still smell it, sure, but it's not as strong. The throw is barely there at all by this time.

 

Overall - I do ADORE the scent, but I really wish my skin didn't soak it up as much. This might be a scent locket oil. Because there's lots of love for it.

[mermaiden]

Lurid, to me, is an almost indescribable scent.

 

I got this as a frimp with my very first BPAL order some 6+ months ago. I keep reaching for it time and time again, like an old photograph I can't stop staring at.

 

In the bottle, it's intriguiging, ozone, something organic.

 

On my skin, it's like the feeling I get when I put on a favorite baby tshirt - soft but sexy. Draws attention to itself without hitting people over the head.

 

I think the most overpowering part of Lurid for me is the ozone mixed with whatever resin might be in there. I don't smell the black current at all, or it manifests itself to me in the soft sweetness that I smell.

 

To me it's the smell of my favorite copal incense (a crystalline, resin incense that you burn over charcoal) combined with the smell of the air after a summer storm. The musk combines beautifully with the other elements - this is a musk that I can actually wear (because my skin amps up most musks and I end up smelling like old gym clothes)

 

Definitely very sexy. Definitely buying a bottle.

[melrose]

In imp - dark and fruity.

 

On, wet - The currant and lavender take turns wafting at me - they don't blend - I get the sweet, then the fresh herbs one after the other. I never smelled the musk, which is my favorite. Never smelled the ozone either. Maybe the resins are what's making the currants smell dark.

 

Near drydown - the lavender is gone. It's soft, dark currants. Pleasant, but that's about it.

 

After an hour - no trace of it whatever. This happened 3 times. My skin just eats it up.

[sarahj]

Lurid

 

in imp: medicinal lavender and currant

 

wet: the currant becomes more predominant

 

dry: a nice blend of currant, lavender, and musk

 

verdict: nice, but I don't need a bottle

[sofaking6]

I ordered a 5ml from ebay just based on the description and how much I liked the ozone notes in my Neo-Tokyo imp.

 

I just love Lurid.

 

Bottle: like a candy necklace

 

Wet: at first sniff, lavender overload. But that fades right away and I get a sharp ozone charge with a very fruity overall scent.

 

Dry: this is like a dance of currant and lavender and ozone. I really think this is masterful. On me the notes retain their indivuality but balance one another, with the musk calming the sharpest parts of each. Long lasting, strong throw. Bright and active.

 

Love it!

[buzz23666]

I'm not fond of this one.

 

Wet - Lavender with almost no throw at all.

 

Dry - still lavender with something that is sicky sweet. And then there's the crazyglue smell. What the hell is that? It must have something to do with the ozone - but I have never had an ozone note react like this.

 

ICK

[steffanina]

Lurid-

 

In Bottle: A sharp cologne-y aquatic note.

 

Wet: A bit more sweetly fruity! Cherry-like. And the white musk is coming out and that's pretty too.

 

Dry: Cherry-powder! Like wearing Kool-Aid on your skin without all that sneezy dust! And there's that soft soft hint of white musk mellowing it from under. Oh, this is delicious. I love it.

 

Overall: I love.

 

Added 5/8/07: Addendum: I'm wearing Lurid today and we are not agreeing. I don't know why, but what smelled like cherries and white musk before smells like baby powder and plastic and sour orange baby aspirins today. Ugh. I think I will have to take this off my favorites list and put it in the "conditionals." Too bad.

Edited May 8, 2007 by steffanina

[Eros]

Both in the imp and on skin~soap/shampoo that tickles my nose :/ After a few minutes, the currant makes a short appearance while I wait, and hope, for the resin and musk. Alas, 'twas not to be.

[maijasu]

Fruity and candyish, but also a little bit musky, and the lavender is very sharp. It's interesting, but not something I'd wear often enough to keep my imp.

[mmmitchell]

OK, not even remotely CLOSE to what I was expecting......

 

This was just, well, sort of a bunch of nuthin', on me anyway. I got this as a Lab imp gifty, and was looking forward to trying it, as I haven't tried any of the "ozone" notes as of yet.

 

In the Bottle: I have to work at taking a serious nose hit on this to get much of anything with this....I tried "wafting" the wand around.....still very subtle. What I do get is sort of a vague fruitiness with a hint of herbal-something, and maybe a VERY tiny "zing" if I really try.

 

Wet: This just pretty much clings to my skin, very little throw and not much smell to it, either. Mostly just the "fruity" smell, which seems like sort of an artifical blackberry scent. No musk. None of the thick/rich notes I'd anticipated from other reviewers.....dammit!!!

 

Dry: I can really barely smell this.....I've not yet had the experience of having my skin just EAT a scent like this, but hey!!! there's always a first time. Just part of the adventure of BPAL.....it's so cool that there really IS something for everyone....

 

Next day......This didn't have much scent, but it DID have staying power, if that makes sense. I tried this in the evening, not too long before bedtime, and this a.m., I can still snuff it on the back of my hand. Interesting.

 

I have to wonder if maybe my imp is just so lab-fresh-and-new that the notes need some time to get aquainted and do their thing? I'll let this sit and trytry again....