Vixen

[MaidrinRua]

Lascivious, flirtatious, and vampy as hell. A true heartbreaker’s perfume. The innocence of orange blossom tainted by the beguiling scents of ginger and patchouli.

In the imp: PATCHOULI IN YOUR FACE. --But also something a little sweet and slightly spicy, without being cloying. I like the earthiness of patchouli, so even in the imp this appeals to me.

Wet: Patchouli and orange blossom. There's a little bit of a smokey sweetness going on as soon as I swab it on my wrist. I reckon that's the ginger? It's hard for me to describe exactly, but there's something in Vixen that's sexy and femme without being very floral or super girly.

After dry-down: So far Vixen hasn't been entirely predictable on me once it starts to dry down. If I'm wearing it and then just going about my daily business or chilling, it turns rather creamy and both the patchouli and orange blossom scents seem to linger. Usually the two scents are pretty balanced, but every now and then I'll be catching more whiffs of PATCHOULI IN YOUR FACE for the first hour or two.

If I go out-out and either do a lot of walking, dancing or have a little wine or whisky, this scent seems to "heat up" and the ginger comes forward a little more. The scent still "creams up a little", but retains more of the smokey sweetness it possesses when first applied. I feel pretty foxy (pun intended y'all) when I wear it, and it's definitely my first choice for an "evening scent" out of the first six imps I ordered.

Overall: I looove Vixen! It's a very warm scent though, and I don't know how much I'll be wearing it in the coming months outside of the club nights. I'm almost certain I'll be ordering a 5ml bottle in the next couple of months though.

[neuilly]

This is definitely a warm sexy scent. There's definitely patchouli in the forefront, but the bakcground is orange blossom and what feels like vanilla. I personally don't really enjoy wearing patchouli, but of all the scents containing it, this is one of the ones I like the best. There's definitely a deceptively innocent edge to this but that coquette has a much darker side - truly perfect for itself namesake, a vixen.

[kythe]

I get spicy orange and chocolate over warm, sunny dirt. The dirt started to dominate during the drydown. Nothing appalling, just not my type.

[fufu_berry]

On wet: Red musk? Seriously, this smells exactly like red musk.

 

Drydown: Ginger, specifically red ginger (as in Inextinguishable Hatred) which is light and effervescent on me.

 

Dry: Red musk and ginger. Somehow the patch+orange blossom combo = red musk on me, which is fine, but it does dominate the scent.

 

Hour plus: Still red musk and ginger. I like it, but it's not terribly complex. I'll stick with my imp for now, but it's quite nice.

[vthesiren]

This is the first BPAL I've tried that well and truly turned to Play-Doh on me. It was SO NICE for the first few hours, too! Waahhh.

[Coldfire]

Imp: heavy orange blossom

Wet on Me: sweet heavy orange blossom with a faint earthy spicy background

Drying Down: heavy heavy orange blossom like the orange groves in the south after a rain storm on a hot humid day

Dry: spicy blossom-y patchouli. Very heavy good stay.

[beachbabealways]

Not sure if I have posted a review on this one or not but last night I went into one of my boxes because I haven't worn perfume in quite some time and I just grabbed a bottle ... it was Vixen. I put a lil' on and put it back in the box. 20 mins later I am smelling this glorious smell but it smells like AGED Snake Oil. Thinking this must have been a mistake (maybe I misread the label) I went back today and pulled it out and tested it again. Yep, smells like aged Snake Oil but maybe better. My bottle is from early 2006 (and I also have a bottle of Snake Oil 2006). I was amazed that the orange blossom wasn't as strong and no longer was the front runner in this perfume.

 

My suggestion ... buy a bottle for aging. You will be surprised!

[Aviatrix]

This is one of the only patchouli blends I would wear on a regular basis. It's sharp and orange blossomy goodness with only a hint of the smokiness from the patchouli. Now, this is just how I like my patch!

The ginger really gives it a nice fresh kick, but mainly I'm getting the orange blossoms that I love.

 

An indeed very flirtatious and yummy scent!

[keltiejean]

For being a scent that has a number of characteristics I dislike (including patchouli and sweet notes) this is surprisingly lovely. I think it's gorgeous with a loovely smokey undertone, but I don't see myself wearing it, despite my ever loved floral and orange bossom notes present.

[cherrycherry]

I'm not sure I can add too much in terms of a review, but I'm going to try anyway The bottle I have is approximately 7 years old and in a cobalt bottle. The oil is dark and thick, leaving a slight stain on the skin but nothing unsightly or that can't be rubbed in. I get all the notes listed but the patch and the orange blossom are by far the loudest. The patchouli must be the same one in Snake Oil, because it reminds me of it a lot. I get the ginger far more on the drydown and it's subtle but warming. This is a sexy scent, not one of my top ten, but one I wear now and again when I fancy a change.

[anaengel]

I got this particular imp as part of my last trading post package. I have a couple of imps that are older, but I grabbed this one and wore it today, so this is the one I'm reviewing.

I have no idea of the smell in the imp. I didn't sniff it before putting it on as I was going to work. It's too far away for me to sniff at the moment to get any impressions.

When I first put it on, it was very light and floral. I kept realising that it was the orange blossom that was showing up. I also noticed the patchouli very faintly. It kept the orange blossom from going soapy, which it does on me normally.

As I kept it on, I noticed that it was trying to get powdery, but the patchouli was still keeping it from going there. Maybe this is what I don't really like about the scent. Otherwise, it is very floral to me. But, it does last. It took all day of my hands being in and out of soap for it to get off of my wrists, but it still is going strong on my other points after nine hours.

I think that the lack of ginger coming from this, plus the fight over whether or not it will go to powder, is why I don't like this as much as I would otherwise. I also have to admit that this patchouli is a lighter one, which can make me forget that I have one on. I don't see myself buying a bottle, but I will use any imps that come my way without too much concern.

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: The ginger note stands out the most to my nose. Patchouli and I aren't generally friends, but this doesn't seem to be screaming patchouli in the imp. Orange blossom can be iffy on me, but it doesn't seem to be bitter in the imp. Something in this reminds me of Snake Oil. I'm not sure if it is the ginger or the patchouli. There is almost a creaminess to this. I expected it to be sharp, but it's not. Maybe this imp has aged a while.

Wet: Mostly ginger on me. The patchouli is present, but it is not a dirty, hippie patchouli, and for that, I am grateful. I can't help wondering if this ginger or patchouli note (or both) is found in Snake Oil. The orange blossom starts to emerge more over time, but it isn't turning really bitter or cough syrup-like and stomping all over the other notes.

Drying down: I am getting more of the patchouli now, and I think it is what is reminding me of Snake Oil. (Or maybe it really is both the ginger and the patchouli...). The orange blossom is stronger now, but it still isn't being problematic on my skin.

Dry: Reminiscent of Snake Oil. The ginger and the patchouli are the main players on my skin. The orange blossom is light in the background.

Verdict: I would never have expected this to work on me from the notes, but it does. I won't be grabbing a bottle of this because it reminds me of Snake Oil, and I prefer Snake Oil (especially with its vanilla note). However, I am glad I gave this one a chance.

[greeneyedgirl]

In the imp it's a very pointy patchouli, I can just barely detect the ginger. Then the scent reminded me of the mop water from camp hahaha. I set this aside in my "no" box. However, when it dries down I get the orange blossom with ginger and patch in the background. Much nicer than I expected!

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: Like so many people here are saying: Snake Oil with a floral, orange blossom-y edge. I'm even getting the sweet, almost syrupy vanilla edge! There's also some patchouli evident, but this is a much sweeter, mellower, sexier patchouli than I'm used to.

 

Wet: Ironically, less like Snake Oil now, but no less lovely. It's sharper, brighter, and sweeter, with the patchouli coming on stronger and the ginger actually a distinct note of its own. There's less of the languorous, sensual, boudoir feel of SO, but this is still so very much "a true heartbreaker's perfume." After a few minutes, it settles down into about equal measures floral-citrus orange blossom and zingy ginger, over a lovely smooth patchouli base.

 

Dry: Gets more boudoir-y over time, with what I SWEAR is Snake Oil's vanilla note creeping in. The ginger softens way up, but the orange blossom note stays dominant, making the whole thing sort of floral-citrus-sweet, rather than dominantly spicy-vanilla-sweet. The patchouli is also a bit more noticeable, so if patchouli has a tendency to go dirty-hippie on you then you may want to be careful of this one, but patchouli tends to A) amp a little bit and smell awesome on me, so this is a big plus in my opinion.

[Alethia]

This is one of my favorite BPALs of all time, so I'm not sure how I haven't written a review for it yet! My bottle was a gift back in August of 2014, and I remember not really being crazy about it when I first got it because the patchouli was sharp. But then around Halloween it changed and I started wearing it at least twice a week.

 

I love ginger in perfume and was really hoping for a ginger-heavy, patch-light, knockout orange blossom scent. What I got was even better This is a creamy, almost vanilla-isn orange blossom/patchouli combination that is lifted by the ginger. It smells remarkably like a floral Snake Oil, and I love it. I feel sexy and glamorous when I wear Vixen and get more compliments on this than on any other perfume I own period.

[Inscrutable]

All I get is musty Play-Doh that grows and keeps on growing like expanding foam insulation. This one's not for me.

[DiesMali]

In the imp: Juicy, smutty patchouli.

 

Wet on my skin: ...Snake Oil? What? This smells very reminiscent of my 2009 Snake Oil!

 

Dry: Okay, I'm gonna need a bottle of this. My skin loves patchouli as much as patchouli loves it, and my skin just takes this and RUNS with it. This is sexy, spicy, warmly-sweet patchouli with just a hint of ginger. The orange blossom turns to spicy vanilla on me, and it smells so gooood. Oh my. It's definitely not stinky/dirty hippie patchouli, oh no. This is SEXY and I love it. It really does all combine to smell similar to aged Snake Oil, but just patchouli-earthy enough that it is its own scent. Need. Instant love.

Edited January 15, 2016 by DiesMali

[joopjoop]

Whoever said upthread that this smells like Poison by Dior is right on the money. Unfortunately, for me that is not a compliment - I had a roommate who used to slather on the Poison in our tiny shared bathroom every morning and it always gave me a headache.

But if patchouli and ginger is your jam (I don't smell the orange blossom), you will probably love it. My imp will be going to a new home.

[LizziesLuck]

I love ginger and patchouli, but unfortunately orange blossom hates me, and makes this bitter and unwearable on me.

[torikitty]

In the imp: smells a lot like Snake Oil.

 

Drydown: I think someone nailed it with "Grand Marnier spiked with patchouli". Funny, because, orange isn't the first thing that comes to mind, but a boozy, orange liquor does. Also, I don't know that I'd categorize this as "strong", as many others have. Subtlety sensual seems to be how I'm amping it. And I'm also surprised by how much the orange is downplaying the sharpness of the patchouli for me. This is such an awesome blend.

[freyasfae]

I could have sworn when I first smelled this wet on me it had cherry or something, then the patch came out, but I am not picking up the other two. As it dries down, it gets a lot earthier. Yet another patch that I probably won't wear, but will pass off to my BFF who wears patch so very well.

[RobberBaroness]

First impressions: Very hippie, putting me in mind of a new age store. There are light flowers and an odd vegetable scent. I have to hunt hard for the spice.

 

After drying down: This fades into something more foody and honey scented, though not as strong as Snake Oil. It's a pleasant scent, but since I already have a full bottle of Snake Oil I doubt I'd buy a full bottle of Vixen.

[CluckingBell]

I've had pretty good experiences with patchouli so far, but Vixen showed me how it can go wrong. As soon as it hit my skin, it began to smell like musty outhouse toilet paper, which just got stronger and stronger as time passed. An hour later I was removing several layers of skin trying to get the smell off of me. Fortunately, I seem to be in a minority. CluckingBell

[dramedy65]

I wore this for the first time tonight as I'm trying to sort out if there are imps i want to keep vs pass on.

 

In Bottle: Eh, I'm not wild about it. There's something I love and something I hate in here with another scent and I can't place it all.

 

Wet: Something smells dank and orange. I like orange. Let's roll with it.

 

Dry: It's a freaking roller coaster. After about ten minutes, it's sweet orange and some spice but two hours later that danky gross smell is back.

 

On Forums: OH IT'S GOT PATCHOULI, patchouli tends to hate my skin. and my nose. But I'd def try something with orange or ginger again. It was just that one.... note. IDK. Definitely going in the swap/sale pile.

[ramblingrambler]

Review from a very aged Vixen:

 

This is phenomenal (still). It smells like a beautiful but linear red musk wet, and then as it begins to dry, it morphs into Snake Oil. Unless slathered, aged Vixen stays a skin scent, perfect for close, intimate moments with the significant other or heating up a more innocent date.