Lurid

[thebirdofhermes]

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.

In bottle: Lemon herbal. Candylike. Sweet, definitely sweet. Which is rather odd, given the notes. I was not expecting something to remind me of the scent of fresh lemon drops. I was expecting something a bit harsher.

Wet: Ah, very herbally. Somewhat soothing at first, but the soothing feeling goes away when the ozone strikes. Oh yeah, definitely ozone there. There is fruit hiding beneath all this; shyly peeking out and going, "Oh, hey, I'm here. Just so you know." Right now, mostly lavender and ozone. Whatever the ozone note is, it's very lemony to me. That could also be from the white musk, but I'm thinking it's the ozone since white musk has yet to develop effervescent qualities on my skin. Also, whooo are my sinuses feeling clearer. Definitely a chilly scent to inhale.

Dry: Okay, it seems to be that the ozone and lavender have the strongest throw of the notes. Which is quite fine, as neither are overpowering or make me feel headachey. Sometimes the currant likes to tag along, but all I'm really catching of that note unless I put my nose right against where I tried the oil is a vague fruity sweetness that reminds me somewhat of Candy Phoenix. The musk never develops much beyond a close, skin hugging warmth, which is a strange sort of contrast to the chill from the ozone. Then again, the herbal, almost bitter lavender is an interesting contrast to the sweetness of the currants. I admit that to my nose, sometimes this goes slightly industrial cleanser... but I have a very odd fondness for the smell of cleaning solutions, so this is not a complaint from me. However, I would caution those sensitive to such smells to find something else, especially if their skin likes to amp ozone and lavender.

I'd have more to say, but my brother decided now was an excellent time to make spicy noodles, so now that's all I can smell. (Well, that and the occasional hit of Lurid, but mostly the spices from the noodles. )

Edited to add scent description... and fix it when I discovered there were special tags for it. Edited February 12, 2010 by thebirdofhermes

[SophieCedar]

I kind a didn't know what to expect with this one and like others I'm still baffled by it! Currant lavender and ozone are what hit me upfront..it's strange, murky, stimulating and relaxing. Ugh! Uhm. can't compute. Confused. But I like it!

[follis]

IMP: Black currant and lavender

On skin: Quite soft on me which is a surprise. The lavender and musk works on me in this scent-- it usually doesn't.

Dry down: This scent faded very quickly on me. It ends on a musky note. Overall it smelt better on me than I thought, but won't be a bottle for me.

 

--

 

Just retesting this as an aged imp (10 years). My aged Lurid is very dark in colour. It doesn't get stronger but the black currant seems to have aged a bit like a wine and has a warmth to it. It's still ozone, musky and resiny, with maybe a hint of lavender in the background but it never did highlight itself when fresh either. Overall, Lurid has aged well in the imp and I actually think I prefer this warmer version. 

Edited April 20, 2019 by follis
Updated review

[reconditarmonia]

I get mostly blackcurrant and ozone, with what may be resin or musk. Disappointing, as I got this in the hope of finding a lavender blend, but apparently lavender is not very strong on me at all. Still pretty, but not what I was hoping.

 

Edit: Okay, I get a bit more lavender in the drydown. This blend is quite weak on me, but for what I can smell of it, I like it.

 

Edit 2: Apparently not as weak as I thought, I keep getting whiffs of it.

Edited July 13, 2010 by reconditarmonia

[ModderRhu]

Lurid

Not smelling the lavender much. I definitely get all the other notes, though. This is ozone and musk dripping with currant juice mixed with the funk of resin.

Edited June 7, 2010 by ModderRhu

[tailoredshirt]

This one is interesting. Wet, this smells a lot like a men's cologne, I think because of the ozone and musk. I can smell the currant, but it mostly just adds a sweet edge to the blend. I like this a lot more than I thought I would, actually. I don't think this is a bottle purchase, but I can see myself wanting to wear this again when I'm in the mood.

[Dharklady]

In Bottle: mint, lavender, and resin

Wet: Mint, ozone, and lavender.

Dry: The currant starts to come out just a touch under the mint and lavender.

Notes: I actually kinda like this one, it’s a fresh clean scent. It’s subtle but I think it would be nice on a hot day.

 

[sarielswish]

 

In the vial, it kinda reminds me of window cleaner. Helloooo, lavender and ozone. The black currant is surprisingly strong and sweet, too, and the resins present a nice strong base. Color, electric blue.

 

Wet on my skin, I'm getting black currant and lavender, almost exclusively. It smells like candy.

 

10-15 minute drydown - Ok, there's the ozone again. I was starting to wonder. :-) It smells very... clean, though. It almost reminds me of shampoo.

 

*ACK!!! Now I know what it reminds me of and why it bothers me. It's starting to smell more and more like Ultraviolet!!!!! GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!!!!!!!

[DifferentDances]

Imp: Clean, fruity scent.

Wet: Quiet ozone with a touch of sweet fruit.

Drydown: Shampoo-y.

Dry: Faint, faint shampoo.

 

Would I ever wear this? No

 

My rating: 2/5

[Deiicide]

Since my beloved Tempest is gone, it's now off to hunt what may smell as good as it did on myself in relations to the Ozone. Red Rose fits the bill, but it's an Le and I usually slather this stuff during night time. The Lavender is nice and subdued with the sparkling of the white musk coming up to pass. The ozone is there, and it's lovely giving a sharp edge but not as much as I liked it within tempest. I'm glad I got to try it, but unfortunately it's not what I was looking for. There is a hint of black current but not as much as anyone else is getting.

Edited August 13, 2010 by Deiicide

[starfish327]

in the imp:...nothing. nada. zip. i might as well be sniffing rubbing alcohol.

 

wet:...still nothing. huh.

 

dry: okay, this is better. this actually reminds me slightly of the coil, though the coil was much more floral on me. it's faintly fruity, faintly citrusy, faintly herbal, and slightly sharp. it's quite nice actually. i think what i'm interpreting as citrus is the white musk- if i sniff heavily i can get the skin-sour note i get from some white musks, but the rest of the blend is keeping it in check. there's definitely an ozone note in here, and it's definitely an electric style ozone. it's quite nice actually. i'm not sure about throw but it's rather faint to me.

Edited August 17, 2010 by starfish327

[theasylph]

smells like pastilles soaked in white musk. It's a fresh cool lavender with a serious powdered bleach edge. I want to like this but something about it gives me a headache. It does dry down super musky, muskier than my other white musks have.

 

This reminds me of Ultraviolet and an oakmoss/violet perfume by DSH called Veridian.

[milo]

I'm kind of surprised I don't get any lavender here. Maybe Bulgarian lavender is different? At any rate, this ends up being a light, soapy musk on the masculine side. Kind of like watery aftershave. Pleasant, but there is no 'wow' factor here.

[Veronica]

I predominantly get what I think must be the black currant--its sweet, heavy, honey and amber-y. If I sniff closely, I can get just the barest hint of ozone, and I can sense the lavendar in the background, but this is all heavy amber, almost a little musky on me, like O's older, darker cousin. I like it, but I think it might just be a little too rich for me.

 

I can see this working really well as a men's scent!

Edited December 3, 2010 by delighted

[calivianya]

This is a very clean, fresh scent. I smell mostly lavender and white musk, with ozone and a warm, ripe fruit - the blackcurrant, I'm guessing - in the background. It's prettier than I had thought it would be. This is a keeper.

[Altaira]

This reminds me of fresh sap; the resin? I will have to test longer to get a better idea of this.

[zagadka]

Why hellooooooo there, Lurid!

 

This was a frimp when I ordered Xmas presents, upon first sniff it smelled really masculine and ole timey cologne-like to me and immediately threw it in the box for my brother (which sadly, has STILL yet to be sent). For some reason tonight I saw it and tried it on.

 

In the imp it smells really heavy of resin in alcohol with a few bright notes of herbs. Looking at the description, it must be the lavender.

 

Wet, the ozone comes out and blends with the lavender. It is definitely not an aquatic scent, thankfully.

 

The dry down is absolutely AMAZING. There is a full on resin explosion that is lightened by the white musk and just a hint of the top notes. It is SO beautiful and very unisex.

 

I would never have guessed that it would smell like this based on the lab description. This is something that I would never have purchased for myself, but it surprised me in the best way. Its very sexy and would blend well with O, Charisma, or Snake Oil. I just may have to pick up a bottle of this delish scent.

[lilyliza]

In the bottle: Lavender and ozone. The combination is interesting.

 

Wet: The ozone and the lavender is blending further. It's strange- the lavender keeps this subtle, but the ozone makes you take notice. It really gives the sense of there being more than meets the eye to someone wearing it, but in a quiet, understated way. The resin, musk, and currant help round out the overall scent to a slightly fruity, soft but clear scent. I think this is a very nice blend of notes.

 

Drydown: The currant comes out a lot more to make an almost candy-sweet scent, but not quite. The lavender and musk help keep it from being too cloying and girlish. From there, it blends with the lavender more to create a hard-to-describe but very pleasant scent. It fades to musk and resin with a little bit of lavender and ozone left behind to add a slight air of mystery.

 

It's an interesting scent, blending together what might seem like opposite impressions in a pleasant way. I think this is the closest to what I've been looking for out of what I got in my first imp pack, but it's not quite there. I think that's just because I seem to be fond of lavender, but not when it's the main note of a fragrance- I seem to want something more. If you're a fan of lavender and want to try something a little different though, I'd recommend this- it's a great blend.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

I had an imp of this previously, but never reviewed. I get the resins, black currant and a lavender note that doesn't smell diaper-y. It's kind of cologneish because of the ozone and white musk.

[a_llb]

In vial: Green lavender, resins.

Wet: A burst of ozone, not tingly as it usually ends up on me, but very bright & clean.

Dry: ...A very very faint tang of copper? But other than that, nothing. If I hadn't just seen myself slather this on, I would think I hadn't applied any!

 

Verdict: Seeing as how it hit my skin & went poof, I don't really have a verdict! How odd.

[Incendiare]

To my nose, Lurid is quite medicinal due to the lavender. The thick resin smells a lot more like patchouli for me. It's musty and almost humid. Smells not much different on me. I was hoping to get an lighter, airy, ozoney atmosphere from Lurid.

[jkfagtongpun]

I'm confused as to why I ordered this... I never buy lavender scents because it reminds me of grandmas. This was no exception. The main note in this on me is lavender, VERY strong lavender. Nothing else comes out, even after drying down.

 

Must remember: me + lavender= no no

[Ghost of a Rose]

In the imp: Clear, brownish-amber oil. Lavender is strongest, with the resin and the sharpness of ozone also making their presence obvious. I don't pick up any currant.

 

On me, wet: I love this! Very elegant and beautifully balanced so that no one particular note overpowers the others. Even the lavender is sharing the spotlight equally. Now I do get just a hint of currant - just the right amount to add interest without making this a fruity scent (which I wouldn't like.)

 

After 30 minutes: Musk is strongest now, but everything is still so well-balanced that fragrance doesn't come across as musky overall. It really doesn't smell like anything in particular, just its own gorgeous self. The black currant only made a cameo appearance and is gone now. I would have missed it entirely if I wasn't paying attention.

 

Wow, this is a rare (for me) non-floral scent that makes it into the 5-star category. I'd put it in the incense family of scent blends, but the musk and resins are so well balanced with the other notes that it isn't in the least reminiscent of head shops or temples. I don't relate to the description at all (and that's a good thing.) This is anything but shocking - it is classy and understated (in mood, that is - the strength/throw/longevity is average.) So much so that you could wear it anywhere, to any type of activity. And it would work equally well for for both women and men. I'm thinking that maybe in a scent locket (which would retain the initial sharp ozone note) it might lean more towards a masculine scent.

 

My rating: 5 stars

[Helas]

Lurid has, in my opinion, the most well-written description of the whole General Catalogue. I am terribly vulnerable to marketing and had to try it just on that basis.

 

Unfortunately, on me, it is neither luminous, nor sensationalistic, nor hazy. I just get a subdued, lady-like lavender with a slight fruitiness rounding it out. I am beginning to wonder if my skin eats ozone, since I've tried a few blends lately in which the promised ozone did not show. (That would be unfortunate, since I seem to be one of the very few fans of that note around here.)

 

I tried two different samples of Lurid, since I was heartbroken by the first and hoped that the failure might be simply be because the imp was aged. The first was all lavender and very faint. The second was a bit brighter and louder, but still much duller and less complex than I hoped for. I'm afraid Lurid is just not for me.

[curlsandpearls]

Bottle: I definitely get the currant—it’s a musky floral scent that’s really thick and promising. I'm nervous about the currant and purported lavender, but it's so interesting that I have to put it on...

 

Wet: Here come the resins. I’m liking this more than I thought I would. It has currant and lavender but the musk is working on them in a really interesting way.

 

Dry: This is blending beautifully. The musk and resin work to darken the currant and lavender in layered, lovely ways. It’s just so well blended, I can hardly pick things out, but I like it. It’s flirting with the edge of being too fruity with the currant, but I really have liked it so far and am hopeful that it’s a doable scent.

 

Later: It airs out into a spicier currant-musk smell. Thankfully, it retreated from the edge of fruitiness. This scent was a pleasant surprise; hanging onto this one.

Edited February 21, 2012 by curlsandpearls