Vixen

[AlaskaSnows]

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.

Wet: Woody patchouli, sharp ginger, almost initially like a more feminine Sin.

Dry: This smells like more than just patchouli, ginger and orange blossom. There is a woody smell that for me dims the patchouli and the orange blossom. It's a nice scent, but too incensy for me. Edited January 31, 2006 by Shollin

[theseagrows]

i looooove orange blossom (but mostly dont like patchouli), so i was excited about this one. i love the orange blossom, but the patchouli/ginger combination makes for a somewhat powdery-patchouli orange blossom scent. i had hoped the patchouli would have been mellower, and then maybe i would have liked this one better.

[Ayln]

*sigh*

Another patchouli blend that didn't work on me. I ended up smelling like an herbal medicine cabinet with some sugar dumped on it. Not sexy at all.

[Elanya]

In the vial:

Strong, alcoholic, but with incensy/spicyness to it

 

Wet: SOOOOOOOOOAP.

 

As it dries: Sharp incense, patchouli, vanilla, ginger underneath. I've tested this on the back of my wrist and it is kind of tingly/burny o_O Smells nice: worth the discomfort so far

 

more drying: Sharp ginger w/patchouli and a hunt of vanilla. Also this sucker has throw Burning has subsided (I'm blaming the ginger). The orange blossom note is present, but sort of powdery, and adds a little punch, but isn't dominant.

 

Impression: Ginger + Patchouli + Orange Blossom = Love!

[loves_requiem]

Vial: Woooo-Wheee! Bitter Orange Liquor

 

Wet: Still got that bitter smell...fighting the urge to wipe it off...

 

Drydown: Mellows out quickly...now its a deep amber type smell...slightly creamsicle.

 

It reminds me of the old fashioned ambers of the 20s and 30s era...and a lil bit of orange vanille.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Very heady patchouli

 

On me:

I'll admit, I was pretty scared by this one at first. When it went on it was such a heady patchouli that it was having a boozey effect on me and making me light headed. Luckily, it was only a few minutes before it hit a much more subtle and pleasant stage

 

This is a pretty straight up scent - you're getting exactly what it says you're getting. The patchouli is much softer in this than in a lot of other BPAL blends with patchouli that I've tried. I would say it's a lot like the patchouli in Blood Kiss. The orange blossom offers this a wonderfully sweet and fluid touch to this scent - it's softly powdery but delicious. The ginger offers just a tiny little kick to this, it's not in-your-face ginger, but it's definitely there. This is REALLY sexy.

 

Final note:

A super sexy blend that I would call the kin of Blood Kiss. It has that same vibe, and I think I'll probably need to get a bottle of this!

[Alchemy21599]

I was thrilled to receive this as a frimp from the Lab!

 

In the vial: a much more subtle blend than I expected.

 

Wet: again, much more subtle than expected. Where is the patchouli? I love patchouli!

 

Dry: This scent smells like vanilla extract on me! I get the tiniest hint of ginger in the background.

 

This is a very pleasant scent, but it doesn't make me feel like a Vixen. Still, I will have to take it for a road test to see how others react to it.

[graycat]

i ordered a bottle for a friend that i gave frimp to, i wasn't that into it at the time but i never tried it on. i just got our order that i put a small drop on my hand to see what she has been fussing over.

 

the blend is simple, i can pick out the ginger, orange blossom and patchouli. it's okay but as it drys down it reminds me more and more of lust but sweeter. then it take a funny turn, it get's kinda plastic/pasty smelling. dummer, i was starting to like it....

[Meg]

In the bottle: orange blossom over patchouli, and they seem to work nicely together.

 

Wet: orange blossom and patchouli are fighting for dominance, and they don't seem to be getting along all that well, anymore...

 

Drydown: for a while, it's quite nice, it smells like orange blossom scented wood. Then the mix goes rancid, the patchouli winning over everything and altering the orange blossom completely. And I find out that I don't really like the smell of patchouli. Specially not when it's made sweet by orange blossom, which makes the earthy patchouli very sickly.

 

Overall: This really doesn't work on me, the orange blossom is really disgusting and the patchouli is obnoxious. It doesn't smell sensual, on the contrary, it has decaying feel to it. Like a decomposing hippie. Yuck.

[smelly]

I had to edit this reiew, because originally I thought I smelled vanilla in this. That was my nose not recognizing the orange blossom, so mistaking it for another sweet thing.

 

I'm really liking Vixen, and orange blossom, now. The orange blossom is really tasty. Also, it did not take over as quickly the second time I tried it.

 

In the end, the orange blossom is pretty much all that is left, but that's fine with me -- it's sweet but not boring. A really yummy note.

Edited March 8, 2006 by smelly

[Carolyn]

This goes on strong and patchouli/orange blossom-ish, and then turns into straight up Snake Oil on me. In fact, I can't tell the difference between the two after they've both dried down.

 

I have 2 bottles of Snake Oil thank-you-very-much, so I don't need any more.

[nancybridget]

Sweet patchoulli and some cinnamon and pine is what I'm getting on my skin. Maybe a whiff of a bitter blossom or two, but the patchoulli overwhelms whatever else is swimming in here. Not that I'm complaining, I like patchoulli every now and again.

[aine]

I tried Vixen before I read the reviews and was not expecting the scent to turn out the way it did at all. I was expecting light and fresh with a woody undertone but instead got a warm, round, sensual fragrance ready to lure an unsuspecting plaything into its den.

 

Vixen is the sticky liquer of seduction. I wouldn't have guessed the notes if I hadn't known them and I am still finding it difficult to isolate them. Masterfully blended.

[dragonryder]

Very much a patchouli scent, the orange is great at first, but soon wore off on me and all was left was the patchouli. Not really one for me as I am not much of a patchouli fan.

[Ryvre]

I got this as a frimp from the lab. I generally don't like patchouli, but I decided to try it anyway since I like orange a lot. In the imp it smelled nice enough, but the orange started to fade as soon as I put it on. After a couple minutes, it was just patchouli.

[Chrysantza]

This arrived as a frimp.

 

In the bottle - orange blossom and patchouli with a hint of spice.

 

On me: Pure patchouli. It's drowned out the orange blossom. I smell less like a vampy vixen than like Miss Haight-Ashbury 1967.

 

Off to the swaps.

[lunareclipse]

I got an imp of this as part of my Great Wedding Perfume Hunt, since orange blossoms are very traditional for weddings and I'm fond of patchouli.

 

In the vial, it's very bitter-smelling and sharp, but not in an unpleasant way - it's that gingery bite, I think. On my skin, the ginger is almost unnoticable. Mum says I smell like incense (think that's the patchouli). I really like the way the citrus and bitterness 'lighten' the deep earthyness of the patchouli. It smells warm and orangey-brown to me, and is the perfect olfactory compliment to this great brown, black gold and orange brass-bell-trimmed coat of my beloved's that I steal every time he's not wearing.

[angstkitten]

Vixen

3/15/06

 

Wet: patchouli and wood. Very headshoppy.

Dry: Playdough headshop. No good.

[MistressTera]

Fresh From The Imp: Sweet patcholi. And damn, this is a dark colored oil.

 

Wet On My Flesh: I've got an orange patch on my wrist, but it still smells like sweetened patcholi.

 

Drying Down: A hint of spice, very little of the patcholi, and I haven't gotten any of the orange blossom. My wrist is still a faint orange.

 

Hour To Integrate: It reminds me of Scherezade now, with a similar spicy smoke to it, but not as sultry.

 

End Of Day/Final Report: I don't like the scent enough to put up with being a funky color after putting the oil on. Swap-a-rooni!

[Caltha]

Vixen

To me, Vixen is a "vintage" scent. I think something about BPAL's ginger makes me think vintage, but I also love ginger and wish they would use it more. It reminds me of my beloved Siren, which is also a sort of "vintage ginger"-scent. Siren and Vixen, what a good match. While Siren is a true siren Vixen is the paler human copy though. It's basically a warm and powdery scent, more bitter than Siren and not as round and full. It's also more artifical and I think I can detect amber (not that I ever knew what amber smells like pre-BPAL so I might be imagining things) It's in the oriental scent family which goes well with the vintage vibe.

Edited April 3, 2006 by Caltha

[tajana]

The other oils I have (which are very few) range from clear to clear yellow. Vixen is dark dark red brown. On my skin, it leaves a yellow-orange stain. I didn't like this when I first used it but it grew on me after a few uses. As it dries down it has a phase in which it seems almost fruity rather than floral, but in the end I get orange blossoms and the sharp bite of ginger, blended smoothly into a base of deep patchouli. Even though it feels like there's a scrap of orange fruit in here, the overall scent is not sweet. It's long lasting and has intense throw. It's not bad but it's not my favorite thing, for some reason. It smells a bit too simple, too brash. As a side note, my boyfriend sniffed the imp and thought of Indian food!

Edited December 17, 2008 by tajana

[Voleuse]

This blend is a strong and sweet patchouli on first application, and faintly boozy to my nose. For some reason, the throw reminds me of Blood Moon--I get the same almost-vanilla echo from this. As it dries, the ginger peeks in, lending a bit of spice to the blend. The blend mellows out nicely, though the patchouli never really fades. It's a great blend, but a little too strong for me.

[QueenFae]

The orange is definitely on top here. It's the same sort of orange note that is in Ravenous; and it's lovely and creamy without being overwhelming. The patchouli is the undertone, but it is somewhat subtle and incredibly scrumptious. In combination with the ginger, it's an amazingly lovely partner for the orange. Sometimes this one doesn't agree with my body chemistry, but today it smells quite pretty.

[Eunice]

Oh yes!!! Ginger and orange blossom right off the bat. Lovelovelove the ginger! The patchouli doesn't come out until later and it helps to make the headiness of the ginger a more earthy, dirty scent (in a good way of course). Ginger is always so refreshing and the combination of ginger with everything else in Vixen is just downright wicked! Lovely!

[gwyllgi]

Just when I think I know what notes play nice with my skin, they play switch-up and slap me silly. I've not had many (if any) problems in the past with orange blossom, ginger, or patchouli, yet something in this blend goes... off... on my skin.

 

When I was younger, I worked at a gas station. My most hated duty was changing the garbage cans outside; they filled up with half-filled soda bottles and started to ferment. This smell takes me back to yanking the bag out of the can and trying not to gag at the sickly-sweet boozy smell. It's not necessarily something I want to revisit.

 

If I let it sit for a while, the orange blossom comes out more and edges it away a bit from the smell of fermented soda, but I don't think that I can hang on through the nostalgic stage to be able to appreciate it.