Red Lantern

[silver_dollar]

A tribute to the opium den cum bawdyhouses of Shanghai in the 1930’s. Golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium and delphinium laced with a sensual blend of Asian spice.

I just got my first big bottle ever - yay! This was purchased from Astrid. The label is really pretty.

In the vial: I'm smelling chocolate, cherries, and hazelnut. I can practically taste this in the back of my throat.

On my skin: Oh, this is yummy and rich. Coconut, but not really tropical-smelling, with chocolate and something fruity, and something that smells like maple syrup. Don't laugh, but I've eaten at a restaurant that served Carribean pancakes - banana, coconut, and pecans - and this smells like that with syrup poured all over them.

This makes me really happy.

Later: Yep, this definitely smells like a whorehouse, in a good way. Um, what I'd imagine one to smell like, anyway.

A few hours later, this is sugar and coconut and something a little boozy. I swear, I'm still smelling hazelnut, too.

Oh, that must be the caramel I'm smelling. I don't know why I smell caramel and think, "Hazelnut!", but there you go. Anyway, this is delicious.

Edited on 4/26/06:

Bleurgh. I don't know what it is, but the last couple times I've tried to wear this, I've had to wash it off almost immediately. It gives me a headache. Oh, Red Lantern, I loved you so much, but I guess it's time for you to go to somebody else. Edited November 22, 2007 by Shollin

[Thaleia]

I know I'd heard from the get-go when reviews started pouring in for Red Lantern that it was much sweeter than we all thought it would be. And wow, is it sweet. In the bottle, it has the same buttery-rum smell that Grog has, but more complex and exotic. There's a hint of Asian spice underlying the sweetness.

 

When I put it on, it's initially very sweet, like Gluttony layered over Grog or vice versa. It's definitely boozy-sweet, with exotic, Asian spices combined with Gluttony’s caramel, and then a sandalwood note comes out (what is it with me and being able to pick out the sandalwood more readily today than usual? I had this same thing happen when I reviewed Night's Pavilion) above everything. When the sandalwood comes out, the caramel fades to the back and the scent dries down to woods, booze, tobacco, and debauchery. Rawr! 8.5/10.

[salamandrina]

Yummy!

 

This starts out super sweet and caramelly. My husband said it smelled like good gingerbread cookies. I was getting a lot of caramel at first, and it made me a bit nervous, since smelling like food just makes me hungry (Great Sword of War had me binging on Fig Newtons, for some reason), but it's dried down to this gorgeous dark spice that reminds me of my favorite notes in Chanel's Coco. It's rich and sophisticated, and dead sexy in a black satin gown, champagne sipping kind of way.

 

I love this. I'm so glad I got a big bottle.

[donsixgun]

Smoky and Sweet! Caramel, coconut and spices. I actually like this a lot, but its just a bit too feminine and foody for me.

I bought it for my sweetie though, who I think is going to love it.

[LittleGreyKitten]

This is the one Lupercalia (except Smut) that I haven't gotten rid of. It is one I keep looking at, rereading the descrip of, and thinking "You should damn well work on me!"

 

After aging a bit, it's somewhat better than it was initially. The tobacco has mellowed, some, which is the part I wasn't loving. The notes have blended some more, and it smells less sharp to me too.

 

It is strongly coconut, a lot of caramel, a very noticeable hint of pipe tobacco, and exotic spiciness. The coconut is not a giant favorite. The caramel is nice. The tobacco I don't care for, but it is less harsh than when fresh.

 

It's definitely better after a month, much less tobacco-y. I'll definitely keep playing with it, perhaps it and I will eventually work out our differences.

 

For now, a 3 out of 5.

Edited March 29, 2006 by LittleGreyKitten

[theshapeshifter]

In the imp/initial application: At first, I'm just bowled over by the caramel. It's intense to the point where it makes me thirsty.

 

Drydown: At first I was thinking I smelled something vaguely reminiscent of sandalwood or very mild patchouli, but after refreshing my memory on the official description, I'm thinking that must be the tobacco. The sweetness really dies down into the background, and gets overtaken by this incredibly complex tobacco/opium/coconut tango. The coconut isn't the dealbreaker I usually expect - perhaps because it's black coconut, it's not making me think of suntan oil and pina coladas, thankfully, but it's still not quite 'me'.

 

A really fascinating scent, and I'm glad I got to try it, but not quite my style; I'm glad I listened to my instincts and just got an imp of this one.

[kaelei]

OMG, one way to sum up this scent: CARAMELLO!!!!!!

 

I am not getting any woodsy or tabacco scent like others describe. All I am getting is steady caramello scent that is going on strong for hours NUMMM

 

*gnaws her wrist* NUMM..

[Rhowan]

*~* RED LANTERN *~*

 

In the bottle: Caramel! Overpowering, almost headache inducing sweetness. urg.

 

Wet: Caramel but not so overpowering as in the bottle. I am getting hints of spice and berries too.. Can't wait for the dry down!

 

Drydown: oh beauty of beauties! When this is thoroughly dry, Red Lantern is so complex and Oh - so - lucious! This is warm, sweet, and sensual. The notes blend so well but if I concentrate and inhale deeply, I can pick out all of the notes: warm amber, a hint of fresh coconut (as opposed to sugary flaked coconut), a PERKY shot of currant, a quick whiff of tobacco and opium, and finally just the barest hint of a floral note. All notes are supported by a base of the wonerful caramel.

 

Conclusion: I love Red Lantern. It is unusual and I am suprised at how "perfume-y" this smells. Like I said, this is a very warm and sensual blend of notes. The wear on this is pretty much nil on me as after 15 mins. I can't smell is at all - maybe other people will be able to smell it but I don't have anyone around to test that theory out. I think this bottle will go fast as I am afraid I will be reapplying quite frequently.

[Countrymouse]

In the bottle: Sweet, creamy caramel! Yum!

 

Wet: All coconut.

 

Dry down: Coconut with a faint floral undertone.

 

3 hours: Still mostly coconut.

 

6 hours: This has totally changed. Sweet, spicy amber with a touch of caramel. The coconut is gone and this has turned out more beautiful than I'd hoped for. Here I was thinking I might have to save this for summer since that's the only time I like to wear coconut scents. Now I can't wait to wear it again and see how it morphs next time!

Edited February 17, 2006 by Countrymouse

[niter]

Imp

Mmm. This is thick caramel wrapped up in creamy spices and sugars. This almost might be too sweet to wear but it is sooo foody yum.

 

Wet

Awwww. The foody yum is way strong on my wrist and then something smells a bit off. Almost smokey...yet plastic. Overall, though, this is still fun!

 

After a few minutes, a typical coconut smell comes out. The blend rapidly becomes sun tan lotion on me. It smells great, but not something I look for in a perfume.

 

After more time passes, I start to get the edge of an insence type of smell. The way this blend changes on me is fancinating.

 

 

Dry

 

This morphed into a spicy insence with subtle suntan lotion hints. It smells great, but not the type of scent I would wear regularly. It was quite fun to try out though!

[Neely]

In the bottle: caramel, but not a sweet Brach's candy caramel.

 

Wet: not too sweet caramel, with a hint of florals or currant underneath. It is richer on my skin. Still not foody but perfumey.

 

Dry down: the caramel takes a supporting role and the currant, amber, opium and tobacco all blended so perfectly become the main scent. Florals are there, but also in the background, which for me is good. I can't wear most florals as the become aggressive and punch me in the nose, take my wallet and leave me smelling like an old lady rolled me for my purse. Red Lantern doesn't do that, she makes me feel sultry and sexy, like I should be wearing a chinese collared silk dress with dragons embroidered on, red lacquered nails and a cigarette in a long holder.

 

30 minutes: Oh my, this is the stuff! This is decadant, naughty, haughty and wonderful. I want to visit an opium den or a speak easy in the 20's. Stoopid me, I bought Smut (which I traded) should have bought two bottles of Red Lantern!

 

Conclusion: This scent is complex and warm. It morphs into honeyed perfumey goodness. I would love another bottle of this! Anyone have one they want to unload?

 

Rating on my skin, this is a 5.

[Alchemy21599]

In the bottle: caramel and coconut with the tiniest hint of booziness. Did I accidently open an old bottle of Captain Morgan?

 

Wet: Caramel, coconut and some distant spiciness. Much sweeter than I expected.

 

Dry: After about an hour, the other notes come out to play. I love the tobacco and the spiciness. Back in the day I would have worn this for clubbing, sans doubt.

 

Oh, when I wear this I can just imagine Samuel Tayer Coleridge reclining in an opium den doing his, um, research. I like this scent, but it isn't something that I would wear every day.

[Rackham's Vanity]

This did start out very sweet and Grog-esque, but almost immediately settled into tobacco on me.

 

I was worried that it was a bit too smoky, but I grew it enjoy it, especially as the scent warmed into a garden of exotic spices.

 

The coconut is very fait, but rounds out the spices softly and tempers the tobacco.

 

This is a very naughty yet sophisticated and complex scent. The more I wear it, the more I like it!

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

In the vial: golden caramel color. Smells boozy and sweet, much like Grog.

 

On me: Werther's candies! Doing a quick morph-dance into tobacco and coconut! After the initial sweet blast, the caramel floats on top and the notes emerging smell like...Black Opal. It took me a moment to figure out what smelled familiar, but that's it: that distinctive powder / musk (even though those notes aren't listed). I smell as though I had layered Grog on top of Black Opal. And...well, I can't quite decide if I like it or not. So far my experience of BPAL bawdyhouse scents has been that they smell like a candy-shop: Bordello struck me as hyper-sweet, but not sexy, and that's how I feel about Red Lantern as well. I think this will suit DH better than me, since he loves foody scents and coconut.

Edited February 18, 2006 by Laurel the Woodfairy

[GemmaCat]

In the bottle: really strong, rich caramel and creamy coffee with a woody undertone.

 

On my skin, initial: woah! this is a surprise. Suddenly there's almost no caramel and just a strong wood note. It's kind of spicy, even resinous, with a creamy undertone that can only be the caramel struggling to reappear.

 

Drydown: the caramel comes back to the fore, but it's light and sweet; not too rich. That weird woody (sandalwood?) note is still lurking around, and it's making me think of really old, dusty libraries filled with ancient texts. This smells a lot like what I imagined Miskatonic Uni would have.

 

Overall: I actually don't like this at all, but that old book smell makes me want to keep it around (I'm a nerd, what can I say?). This'll probably be swapped/sold in the future, though.

[Reinaluna]

Red Lantern: I really like this one also. When first applied I get the spice, Coconut and Opium. Then it mellows a little to this decadent spiced caramel aroma that is not foody to me at all. Definetly a keeper!

[tartsquid]

In the bottle: Butterscotch schnapps. It's so sweet and boozy that it turns my stomach at the first whiff.

 

Wet: Thankfully doesn't smell like butterscotch but instead almost entirely of tobacco with only a slight hint of caramel.

 

Drydown: The sweetness starts coming back and taking over the tobacco. A hint of spice and floral notes also comes out.

 

It ends up being mostly sweet caramel with some spice. The tobacco comes out some more after I've worn it for a while, but I really wish that my skin amped that up more because it's a scent that I love.

 

Edit: I also get that note of playdoh that someone else mentioned after a while, but for some reason I really like it. After a few hours that turns into a sort of sex scent that I adore, so I ended up swapping for another bottle of this.

Edited February 20, 2006 by tartsquid

[hologhost]

In the bottle: Butterscotch with something under it I can't identify

 

On me initially: Wow. An extremely strong headache inducing ozone note. Even my hubby, who can hardly smell things, noticed it from across the room. And not in a good way.

 

Drydown: The ozone has faded and left a vaguely sweet, slighty play doh smell.

 

For me this is a big disappointment. I'm going to let it ride out and see how it morphs, but I don't think I'll be keeping it.

[seamor]

In the bottle: A sweetish odor I can’t quite place – opium?

Wet: Musky, with a hint of brown sugar and something a little flowery

15 minutes: Sweet pipe tobacco and smoke

1 hour: Sweet pipe tobacco and smoke.

2 hours: gone

A very interesting fragrance. Not for me, but I can think of a man or two I’d like to try it on…

[Muppetk]

Wet: An exotically spiced butter cookie

 

Drying: most of the butter is gone. It's an interesting blend of spices on me. It reminds me of gingerbread poppet, but less sweet and with a touch of exotic spices, probably anise, maybe a touch of curry?

 

Dry: The spice has eased off a bit, so it's a bit like an exotic GP lite, though relatively unfoody. It's nice, and seems like it might be nice for layering, but the other layers don't come through enough on my skin to wear it on its own. I'll have to try it another day to confirm. Maybe my skin is wonky today.

 

EDIT: Dry later: Ooooh, I take it back. It still smells the same close to the skin, but when my wrist is further away, I keep getting whiffs of something gorgeous and sensual and decadent. This scent has officially sold me on tobacco, as that's one of the main notes in the throw, and it's just lovely! This is definitely a scent meant to be experienced from a litle distance!

Edited February 20, 2006 by Muppetk

[Ciircee]

My first big bottle! Yay! And it has SUCH a pretty label.

 

In the imp: Caramel and anise. Mostly caramel.

 

Wet: Straight up caramel. Well, maybe a bit of opium because there's an edge to teh sweetness that came with all my other opium scents.

 

Dry 5 min: Caramel. A rich, golden scent that is sticky sweet.

 

Dry 10 min: Still caramel with that edge.

 

Dry 45 min: The caramel is calming down. It's still the most dominant note, but there is other stuff now, too. The richness of coconut is there to tame the sweet of caramel and there's something that is almost sandalwood--which I'm going to assume is the tobacco.

 

Dry 1 1/2 hours: The caramel is still the top note but the sticky-sweetness is gone. It's a rich sweetness, with amber and coconut (sadly, my skin just EATS the opium) and there is the spice of the tobacco and delphiniums.

 

Dry 3 hours: This is still very sweet but it's not so 'foody'. It's like a sweet incense, warm and...pretty. There's a firm, spicy note that grounds the caramel sweetness.

 

Dry 5 hours: Mr. Circe has commented that there is a boozy layer to this scent, under the warm caramel and amber. Could be that I'm too close to this, though, because it has a great throw.

 

Final notes: I don't know. Sister of Circe hated it...but she was only around for the first half hour or so when it was treacly sweet. I didn't care much for the 'foody' overtone but....I don't know! There's something intriguing about this scent as it dries down. I'm going to give it another try at a later date and see what's what.

[Chrysantza]

I was gifted with an imp of this and it's been sitting around for a while, so I thought I'd try it.

 

In the bottle: Very foody, coconut/caramel/butterscotch.

 

On me: Ugh. Tobacco with a sharp note, plus stale smoke. I do smell like a nightclub but not in a good way.

 

Off to the swap pile.

[Naamah_Darling]

My! Caramel coconut! This smells lickable in the bottle. The longer I smell it, the more depth I detect – a little incense, some spice way down in there. I slap it on and oh, God, this is a smell I just want to loll around in. Sweet and golden and melting. I've learned; that first flash of a scent after it goes on, that's where I get made or broken, that's when love happens, when everything is still wet and volatile. Here, the opium is clear and bright in the background, along with something floral but wet. It's all drizzled with caramel, though. Enough so that this scent is primarily foody. I suspect that's my chemistry latching onto one note.

 

This ends up smelling very much like Miskatonic University did on me, only instead of fading, the caramel smell sticks around and sort of lazes in the background, while the opium and the tobacco and the spice play around on top of it, like dirty little fingertips.

 

It's a womanly smell, a warm, sated smell, like a nice fat wench who's just made you buy her dessert, and is now licking her lips and looking at you out of her slightly feline eyes like you're maybe next. In its own way, it's very me.

 

This is just scrumptious, and I'm feeling real pain at the sad thought that my poor noseblind husband isn't going to get the subtlety of it.

[smallvoice]

In the bottle it smells like Grog and Gluttony, and it's just SO buttery. I immediately feel sad, because it's not at all how I wanted it to smell... but I take a deep breath (away from the bottle) and dab some on my wrist.

 

I'm confused by the bottles, because Smut smells how I wanted Red Lantern to smell, and Red Lantern smells somewhat the way I expected Smut to smell... but it turns out that I was just wrong about them. Heh.

 

Once on my skin it sort of blossoms and becomes this heady, spicy scent. It's still sweet, but there's coconut and some spices and it's just lovely. I'm sad to say that it's not immediate love, but glad to say that I surely do like it enough to test it again. Also: Coconut! I've been needing a coconut fix! So I'm hoping it comes out and makes itself known.

 

EDIT: So, I wore this out tonight, and as I'm walking out of the room, my fiancee sniffs at me and goes, "Is that Gluttony?" because he knows how obsessed I am with BPAL, and it earns him bonus points when he can identify what I'm wearing. It was a good call, though. Partial credit! However, this calms down a lot after a short while and the tobacco and spices come out... not so much with the coconut, sadly. I'm sort of torn about whether I like this enough to wear it very often.

Edited February 24, 2006 by cordia

[theseagrows]

oh man, i was almost completely sure i'd love this one. alas, the caramel is way too strong for my liking. all i can really make out is the asian spice, caramel, black currant and amber, i think. it smells VERY foody and a bit smoky-fruity on me. it doesn't smell bad by any means, it is really just not 'me'.