Khajuraho

[marzstar]

... This is a blissful, euphoric blend based on an ancient Indian love potion: honey, date palm, tuberose, davana blossom, amber, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, Damask rose, and champaca flower.

i have an imp of this
put some on this morning and it was warm and sweet yet slightly masculine, in a good way
not foody and slightly earthy green
by the end of the day i still smelled it on me and it was more green
or maybe even purple
i dunno
point being this one is a new love
i am amazed by it's staying power
i went to yoga after a looooong day and the newness of scent was a really good one for clarity and focus and strength, though in a new way
can't quite describe it just that i like it
hence the review
(i think i only write reviews for oils i absolutely love or absolutely can't stand)

of course it's an le & fzcking discontinued... knowing me... figures


(now to go read the new updates 18 times over and try to devise a plan on my next order. . . which will be the hardest to control, yet... and knowing that the hallow's eve update is a comin' very soon ... eeep!)

[Shollin]

Every time I see this bottle now I end up whispering “’Cause you’re a ho!” to myself and giggling. Thanks ever so to whichever Labbie brought us that particular pronunciation.

 

First sniff: Ooh. I saw flowers upon flowers upon flowers and was a bit nervous, but this is lovely, rich and deep and sweet.

 

Wearing: Thoroughly rich and round and wonderful. It’s an enveloping hug of a scent that leaves you wondering about the hugger’s intentions towards you. The floral is entirely afterthought – the ’ho is more gourmand than anything else, though it’s not something I’d describe as “foody.” It’s just rich and warm and happy.

[SultryWolf]

I am just in love with this one, and have been hoarding it while it's still fairly abundant.

If you like the sound of it, I recommend you to pick some up before I snag it all!

 

bottle: Wonderfully complex, smoky and spicy.

on: Spices, woods, and nuttiness (as opposed to zaniness). So complex, and so nicely balanced. The exact aroma at any one moment varies from incense, to heady florals, to nutty spices.

 

I've been making an emulsion and spraying it on my hair, to great effect.

[euterpe414]

I don't usually like blends with tuberose in them, or heavy floral blends in general, but I have to say, this is an exception! This is a gorgeous, sophisticated incense blend, perfect for when I want feel gorgeous and super feminine. I didn't get this one when it was up on the site, but I am certainly glad that my intuition told me to snag this one now.

 

As it dries, the amber and sandalwood come out more, balancing out the initial blast of tuberose. The blend mellow and sweetens with wear, making me like it more and more.

 

This is a bit heavy for everyday wear, but I will definitely wear it on special occasions.

[filigree_shadow]

This is okay, but it's a little too floral and a little too perfumey for my taste. It smells stinging to me, but not in a metallic way, in a floral way. Just based on the notes, I really should have liked this… I've tried it at least four or five times, just to be sure. But every time, I think, "Nope. I'm just not gonna wear that." It seems like it's a little bitter on my skin. There are several BPAL blends in addition to this one that I consider "perfumey," and I like several other ones better than this one. So... not going to hang on to my bottle of Khajuraho. I still have an imp of it that I'll keep, though.

[BrightRedScream]

I scored this off Ebay and was a very happy camper since the blend had caught my attention when I was skimming through reviews...

 

First smell in the bottle...honey, dates..mild florals and a LITTLE bit of sandalwood...

 

When I put this on, it transforms into a vanilla-honey-sandalwood blend.

It is VERY woody, but since it's white - it's very mild, which makes me happy because generally I cannot tolerate darker woods.

As it dries down the florals come out a bit more - but it's beautiful...

It's very complex - and I really really like it.

 

I think I want to look up what tuberose, davana blossom, Damask rose and champaca flowers smell like now.

 

EDIT: After about half an hour - this morphed into the most intense floral blend EVER..and I really can't stand it. It's too perfumey Oh darn. I guess I'll be selling this one.

Edited September 10, 2006 by BrightRedScream

[steffanina]

Khajuraho-

 

In Bottle: Hmm, woody and incensey.

 

Wet: Still that sweet incensey smell, kind of strong

 

Dry: Argh, no, I can't make it through to the dry-down on this. It has that "perfume gone off" sourness note that just doesn't work for me. Going to wash it off.

 

Overall: Not for me.

[maijasu]

In the bottle, this has an odd, herbal, slightly sharp smell to it--not what I was expecting at all!

 

On my skin, it still has a kind of "green-ness" to it, but it starts to smell like honey, too.

 

Once it's dry, it's a very subtle, honeyed-sandalwood skin scent that's really beautiful. I'm so glad to have a bottle of this!

[supremegoddessofall]

In bottle: Amber and wet flowers, no rose.

 

On me: Still wet florals, but there's...something else...I'm getting more rose, but it's mixing very strangely with the others.

[luna65]

Thanks to Sidonie for the decant.

 

Vial: Very green, and a little woody.

 

Skin: Amazing flowery sweetness; I can visualize walking into a temple and being overwhelmed by the scent of flowers and offerings of food.

 

Drydown: This doesn't last too long on me, only a couple hours, but it remains consistent in the sense I described. This is quite romantic in its' way, but I think I'd have to be in a very feminine mood to wear it.

[Meg]

This is the 2006 version

 

In the bottle: Sandalwood and rather sour green florals.

 

Wet: Perfumy (ambery?) sandalwood, a bit sour. There's a floral here but I can't identify which.

 

Drydown: Very strong sandalwood, that has a bit of a pencil-shaving quality. I think that the sour yet slightly creamy floral is tuberose, I had the same effect with Delight. Aha, and now at last the champaca starts blossoming, a very beautiful scent. After a while, there's a vanilla softness in there, and a hint of honey. It becomes more creamy, but still very much based on sandalwood. There's something nearly foody and thick, but I can't put my finger on it - probably the vanilla, still.

 

Overall: This is not at all as sweet and soft as I'd hoped or anticipated. The sandalwood is very cool and harsh, the tuberose is tart, and the end result is a woody, floral blend that smells like a classical perfume. I don't think that I can wear sandalwood in these proportions, unfortunately, and I wish that it was more floral and less woody.

[dawndie]

I am trying the 2006 version, thanks to the lovely valentina!

 

In bottle: dusty florals

 

On skin: blast of flowers, almost making me sneeze

 

Half-hour later: patience is a virtue with this one -- the slightly sweet honey combines beautifully with the champaca flower, which is quickly becoming a favorite floral (nothing can beat the BPAL Rose, however ). Amber is dusty and instead of disappearing it's hanging out with the flowers and honey

 

In conclusion: I love almost every BPAL blend with honey, and this doesn't disappoint. It's sweet without being too foody, dusty without being too sneezy, floral without being too migraine-y. Really nice!

[salamandrina]

This is the 2007 version.

 

In the bottle, it's all Nag Champa incense.

 

Wet, it's sweet, heady florals grounded by a resin. It hass a wonderful exotic, incensy feel to it.

 

On me, the initial burst of florals die down quickly, and become sweet, honeyed champaca.

 

I steered away from this one last year - the florals scared me, but I'm glad I got to try this at a meet and sniff, and I'm really glad that it came back.

[sd357]

This is from a decant of the 07 blend:

 

In the bottle: A wonderfully complex smell, but I was almost afraid that it wouldn't work on me. I was picking up a bit too much incense, and I don't tend to like to wear scents that smell like I've just walked into a New Age bookstore.

 

On me, however? It's made it to my favorites list very, very quickly.

 

It's a very, very complex scent, with no particular note controlling at any one time. From wet through dry-down, it's warm and deep. While I would love to be able to specify specific notes (I usually can recognize at least a strong top note and a strong base note) - on me, this doesn't ever really settle into anything in particular. And yet it's not constantly morphing. When I read the description, I can tell there's vanilla and amber and sandalwood and musk under honey and florals, but nothing dominates. They just blend.

 

This one loves my skin chemistry with only one exception - it disappears far too quickly.

 

I'll be buying a 5ml before it goes discontinued.

Edited February 12, 2007 by Nebibit

[Eemia]

I am reviewing the 2007 version.....

 

This is so rich, and heavy....languid and dripping with strong flowers. I've been wanting a very powerful floral blend, but the only floral that seems to overwhelm in the way I want it to is jasmine, which I don't always feel in the mood for. This seems to be what I've been wanting though....it's so full bodied and extremely weighty.

 

Oh I love BPAL florals! Tuberose and honey are the standouts here, but amber is a close runner up. I like the feeling of this--it almost (almost, but not quite) has a slight powdery aspect. But it's so faint that I could barely notice it. It has to be the vanilla bean that is creating that softer, powder-like undertone.

 

This is not a casual fragrance....I'm always very aware of it on my skin at all times. I would agree that it does have a timeless, classic perfume quality. I can see this being a signature scent. Fantastic in my scent locket BTW.

[cecelle]

2007 version...

 

In the imp: Oh Ick. Sharp, cheap old-lady perfume, heavy on the sandalwood. I could have sworn that my grandmother had something like this in a diffuser on her dressing table...

 

Wet: Still not happy. There is something sharply incense-ish that smells like our local hippie festival. Something in there is giving me a headache, too.

 

Half an hour later: Now we are talking. The scent has softened to a honey sweetened floral with some vanilla peaking through. Now, THIS, I like. It still smells 'perfumy', but not in a cheap, sharp way the way it does wet. This is really very nice, soft and feminine.

 

Sadly this fades on me quickly, leaving just a faint, sweet, vanilla-ish scent that is barely detectable after a couple of hours.

 

End Verdict: Hate this out of the starting gate, love it when it hits its stride, wish it lasted longer.

[grifyn_whiffs]

Oh! At first imp-sniff, this was nothing but roses. Roses, roses, roses. Now, I don't mind roses per se, but with all of those other notes, I wanted more.

 

On my skin for the first five minutes: More roses!

 

Within a few minutes after that, though: HEAVEN. The honey comes out and really (to me) amps the rose a bit more for a moment (I was worried there!), but then everything starts to work together.

 

I thought the sandalwood would be a bit more obvious, but it's almost as if the sandalwood is the anchoring note that's keeping any of the other notes from taking over completely.

 

(Something in here reminds me of Pisces. But there's no notes named in that one, so I have to trust my nose that there's some similarity.)

 

The honey is more prominent on the drydown, and it just gets lovelier and lovelier. If one more coworker catches me inhaling my wrist, I'm probably going to have to explain myself.

 

On me, this is a fresh, sweet, densely lush floral... bordering on exotic and tropical. Not for everyone, but definitely for me! This is SO on my next must-buy list -- I have to get it before it's gone again on the 14th!!

[jasmine]

2007 blend...

 

First reaction: "That would be incense, all right." Except that it isn’t. I checked the notes. The sandalwood is really dominating the scent, and there’s something lower in here, too -- I would accuse it of having patchouli save for the part where it doesn’t.

 

Given a few minutes, something round and fruity comes through, and the sandalwood backs off to a polite level. There’s a darkness that still remains underneath, though, something not quite smoky, but very incensy. I think the fruit must be dates, though I don’t know for sure.

 

The fruit is manifesting more, and I appreciate it. It’s very nice, whatever it might be... appealing and spicy. I think the florals are supporting it, as there’s no overt floral presence in the scent. The incense smell has retreated behind the fruit, but it’s still there. I wish it weren’t -- the fruit is nice, but the sandalwood just smells... not ashtray-smoky, but... a bit like charcoal, I suppose -- just somehow off when compared to what I’m reaching for.

 

A good six hours later, Khajuraho has impressed me. The incense that I disliked lasted for half an hour, but the spicy fruit aftermath has lingered on for a good length of time, and I appreciate endurance in a scent that I enjoy.

[lightgatherer]

(This is the 2007 version.)

 

This one was so close. I got a delicious sweetness from it; I'm not certain if it was the honey or the date or something else or a bit of it all, but it was lovely. Unfortunately, there was a chemical note, presumably one of the florals, that kept stinging my nose. Chemical nose stinging is a deal breaker for me, so I won't be getting any more of this.

[SultryWolf]

I am a big, big fan of the original Khajura(j)ho, so I was excited to see it come back. This review is for the more recent release (though they do smell approximately the same to me.)

 

Jan-Mar07 Version

in the decant: A nutty floral. A bit woodier than the original, though whether that's an artefact of age, or a true difference, I can't say.

on: Wonderful, complex, smoky, woody, nutty floral. Very brown.

[Miss Lynx]

I hadn't ordered any last year because it sounded like death-by-florals, but after reading so many reviews that emphasized the incensiness of it, I decided to try a decant this year. And I'm glad I did, even though ultimately I don't think it's really "me".

 

On, it's very, very sweet, and with a sort of soapiness to it, though not unpleasantly so. It smells both fruity and floral, with faint incensey tones underlying it. It definitely is evocative of India - there are many notes in here that I've smelled in Indian stores that stock a lot of incense.

 

As it dries down, it stays strongly sweet, not to a death-by-florals extent, but to a level where it's really not something I'd want to wear on any kind of regular basis. It's still interesting at this stage, but sweet verging on cloying.

 

Overall, it's an interesting scent, and I can see why so many people like it, but althogh I can appreciate the complexity, it's really not for me.

 

Grade: B-

[slave1]

KHAJURAHO 2007

 

In Bottle: Woody Floral

 

On Skin: Well this starts out just like last years blend. As a matter of fact, the scent is a dead ringer… I don’t notice anything different. The rose is there but sweetened up nicely by the honey and vanilla. The woods are dominant and the resins provide a perfect soft and slightly smoky background. I love this scent, I still have a bottle of last years though. A gorgeous scent everyone should try at least once. Medium throw and good wearlength.

[PurringPulsar]

Khajuraho 07

 

In the imp: this smells like the 06 version…sandalwood incense and flowers.

Wet on skin: now the flowers really come out! They smell intoxicating, almost boozy.

Dry: mmm, now I smell the dry sandalwood incense I remember from last year’s fresh Khaj. It’s similar to many the ‘honeyed woods’ scents that have come out this Lupercalia, this year there’s a theme of India and honeyed woodsy incense to the Lupercalia scents (and that’s a good thing!) so this scent fits right in. I smell flowers in here (mainly rose and tuberose), but I smell more of the dates, honey, sandalwood and maybe a bit of vanilla too. Very exotic and complex.

After a while: oh, this gets better! Last year’s one went a little cloying after a while but this one doesn’t, I think the champaca in this year’s Lupercalias is softer. Now this smells like a beautiful warm honeyed amber sandalwood spice incense, with just a little bit of floral to it. But then the champaca does return with renewed force…will it overtake? It is very, very sweet, like very ripe fruit. But the champaca doesn’t go crazy, and I like that. This scent does have some truly beautiful moments when the champaca calms down and the amber, date, vanilla, honey and sandalwood come out and do their thing, mingling into a smooth, slightly fruity, soft and sweet gorgeous fragrance, warm and sensual. The sort of scent I want to nuzzle up to. It dries down as a feminine version of Luperci, with soft sweet notes taking the place of the patchouli and moss and juniper, but with the same honey-incense feel. I swear I even catch a hint of vetiver.

Verdict: I actually prefer this version of Khajuraho to last year’s. This is all the best bits of Khaj 06, but whilst the champaca in last year’s seemed a little overwhelming at times, this is much nicer-it’s sweet, but there’s just the right amount of champaca in here, I think. Or maybe Beth is using a batch of champaca which doesn’t turn cloying on me this year, as other scents with this note are working much better on me than expected. But apart from that, the other notes get a chance to really show off a lot more-the honey, the vanilla, the amber and sandalwood, the floral notes as well. All those other notes are fabulous in here and there are some drop dead gorgeous moments when the amber, vanilla, honey and sandalwood, maybe the date too, merge into a gorgeous incense-y sweetness, honeyed and soft and smooth, comforting and exotic. This really is the feminine counterpart to Luperci, I think. I liked the original Khaj but was a little disappointed at the sweeter moments, but this new and improved version is perfect!

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? I think I might like this better than 06. I’ve ordered a bottle.

If you like this, try: Temple Viper, Luperci, Vasakasajja, Svadhopatika, Dr John Seward

[edenssixthday]

Here's my review for Khajuraho 2006.

 

Khajuraho 2007 is very similar, but not exactly the same. I feel like the "perfumey" quality last year's blend had isn't nearly as heavy in this year's blend, and while the sandalwood is still the dominant note, the amber really comes out in this year's blend, mixing with the sandalwood to give this blend an overall very arid and dry scent. The honey, date palm, and rose aren't nearly as strong this year. Still, despite all of these differences, it's basically the same blend. I just happen to like 2007 a lot better. I can't stop sniffing my wrists when I wear this. The throw is strong and this scent lasts almost all day without reapplication.

Edited March 15, 2007 by edenssixthday

[Doomramen]

I tested a tiny sniffie frimp of this.

I hadn't tried white sandalwood before. I don't think I like it, since I'm getting incense and thinking "yik" instead of my usual "mmm"

There is a floral component that is sour and milky at the same time. Not like sour milk, but like unripe plums in cream (gorgeous). The honey adds sweetness without being cloying. The throw seems sweet and fresh and lovely.

It's going powdery on my skin. I've been waiting for the amber to assert itself (violently, as it does on me), but it hasn't yet.

Sniffing it up close bothers my nose. The throw is warm and lightly foody.

I'm finding it to be much more scholastic than a foody floral incense blend ought reasonably to be. It makes me feel like going to class, but I'm not in school anymore, so I can't. That's probably just weird scent associations.

I don't think I'll be seeking more out, but if it comes to me, I might wear it and it would make for a lovely bath.