Vixen

[mmmitchell]

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.

I totally get the comparisons to Snake Oil.....same church, same side of the aisle, different pew. This reminds me of the love child of Snake Oil and LUSH's Karma.....the comparisons to a sexed-up Karma are dead on.

In the Vial: Orange-y patchouliness. With something else lurking beneath that turns out to be......

Wet:.....GINGER! At first, in all-caps-shouting-style, but that calms down as it dries and the scent becomes very nicely blended. I get a bit of the chocolate/ginger-y thang during the drydown......totally triggered a poignant scent-memory for me of making chocolate dipped candied ginger a few years back as a treat for my mother, who was undergoing some VERY rough chemo at the time.

Dry: Nice lasting power, better than average for a BPAL scent. I thought this scent might be superfluous for me, as I have plenty of Karma on hand, but this does have a totally slinkier feel to it......I have a feeling I will go big-bottle on this in the near future. I'm such a slut for LEs, it's always good for me to find a GC scent that makes me go YAY!

For those on whom Snake Oil goes plastick-y or Play-Doh, you should give this a try....even if you don't normally cotton to patchouli scents you may well find that this "works" for you. I'm looking forward to trying out the Love Potion aspects of this.....perhaps after pre-school daughter's bedtime tonight I'll arrange for my husband to meet up with a Vixen........

[The_Merf]

In the imp: This is a very light scent in the imp, which, given the notes, is surprising to me.

 

Wet: This is very orangey at first, and I can't really smell the ginger or the patchouli. I hope this changes, as I don't really like orange as a main note.

 

Drydown and wear: The scent does blend, and the patchouli emerges as I wear this. I don't get the ginger as a distinct note, but something makes for a very creamy and light patchouli...whereas I picture most patchouli oils as a dark brown or red cream, this one is sandstone or orangey in character. The orange really vanishes as it dries. I don't see the comparisons to Snake Oil, and I'm not sure if I'm going to hold onto this, but it is an interesting blend.

[princessbeena]

Oh Vixen how happy I am that I decided to buy a bottle of you unsniffed I definitely see the comparison to Snake Oil....this is like a girly version of Snake Oil..snake oil plus orange blossom=LOVE Unfortunately....this doesn't last as long on me as snake oil does...but I love it just the same! In the end...vixen is everything she claims to be.....a big ole bottle of girly snake oil love for me!!

[steffanina]

Vixen-

 

In Bottle: Sweet. Floral and a hint of resin.

 

Wet: A chocolate-and-wood note--sure there's no vetiver in there? Hmm. This smells rather masculine to me!

 

Dry: Powdery; there's that roasted-potato smell I get in Masquerade and Krampus. This one's quite a morpher! It's almost a little amberish after about half an hour.

 

Overall: Interesting; will try again.

[kaori]

oooh, vixen...

 

wet: spicy and sharp, tangy, quick vapor.

 

dry: warms up fast! hot, spicy patchouli. deep, dark, smooth vanilla. mischievous orange blossom. and a quick snap of ginger.

 

honestly, i didn't think i would like this one...but when i opened up the imp, she knocked me down and threw me in the corner, and i just couldn't say no.

 

she does fade rather quickly on me, however...i'll be going thru my bottle a ml a minute...

[KassiK]

I got this one because I was attracted to the orange/ginger combination.

 

in the imp: definitely orange/ginger with a sharp bite to it

wet on the skin: like orange spice cream cake

dry on the skin (after about 15 minutes): the bite is coming out and it has morphed into a much more warm and sexy and womanly scent, every so often the orange and ginger fight for recognition. And it's VERY strong. Gave me a headache.

 

This scent is very strong on me, so I mixed a half of an imp with 2 oz of sweet almond massage oil so that I could use that instead to apply the scent. It watered it down enough so that I didn't get headaches from it being over-powering and also so that I could appreciate the scent more. I wouldn't order a big bottle of this one, but I'd like an extra imp lying around if I ever run out of the massage oil blend that I made.

 

Also, it's important to mention that the husband loves this one.

[GlowJob]

This smells like pure patchouli to me.Maybe a bit juicier than most patchouli I've tried though.Nice but only when I want to smell like an occult store.

[luna65]

Thanks to Rheliwen for the imp.

 

Imp: The earthiness of the patchouli versus the piquant ginger; it's kind of like smelling dirt which has some kind of tangy quality.

 

Skin: This is very thick oil, wow! At first it smells exactly the same on my skin as in the vial, that great earthy dirty quality with a little bite. The ginger really comes through in the beginning.

 

Drydown: Unfortunately, I eventually get the play-doh effect; usually these notes work on me, but there's something in their combination that doesn't like me. But I do understand the Snake Oil evocations, because SO has that same effect on me.

[dorothy humbird]

A friend and I had a two-person Meet 'n Sniff earlier today after a class we both take. I came away with it one imp of Vixen richer (while she relieved me of my imp of Dragon's Milk). What fun!

 

Opening the imp of Vixen for me is like getting a facefull of orangecicle. The orange blossom has a sweetness and a softness very different from straight up orange, and while it's nice, I'm glad it changes.

 

Applied to my skin, Vixen amps up the patchouli and I get a sharp tang that I realize now must be the ginger. This stage lasts for a bit, and then the whole mix mellows out. I was sniffing my wrist while trying to have a class discussion on the reading, and then I finally realized it reminded me of... Snake Oil! I see that I'm not alone in making this comparison.

 

After a few hours it was hard for me to smell the blend any more on my wrist, although I was wearing something like 5 other blends at the time... it might have been too much competition.

 

Final impression: Vixen is a little like Snake Oil Lite + Orange Creamcicle. I like it well enough to wear occasionally, and it certainly works better on me than straight up Snake Oil... mostly, though I'm just curious if it'll live up to its reputation as a head-turner.

[DEMONDAHLIA]

Vixen what an exotic bad girl scent .. Boozy burbon notes over patchouli with a hint of orange and a splash of bittersweet chocolate...dry down softens the patchouli and the rest of the scents blend into a dreamy haze almost undistinguishable from one another ... very decadent indeed.. sweet yet naughty

[black_and_bloom]

This starts off with a whoosh of patchouli!

 

But the orange blossom is lurking there too, and within 5 minutes Vixen moderates a bit and the ginger starts to spice things up. This scent must have the same patchouli that (I guess) is in Snake Oil, because that note seems common between the two.

 

After it dries, the woody patchouli calms and is balanced beautifully by the orange and ginger. My final impression is of a rich, energetic blend that keeps me happy for the rest of the evening...

[euterpe414]

Man, this is fantastic stuff! I was surprised to find out that on my skin, though, Vixen is quite the gingery scent (meaning that this is the most prominent note). Actually, it makes me happy cause I like Ravenous for my orange and patchouli fix. This is such a sexy, sultry scent that really blooms on your skin- it starts out a bit sharp and biting at first, but after it dries it becomes creamy, warm and inviting- and very reminiscent of Snake Oil, indeed. I don't know what else to say about this that hasn't been said in these pages of reviews, but seriously- go try this one if you like exotic, sultry scents. You won't be let down! I suspect this one may wiggle its way into my GC top 10...and i can only imagine how orgasmic this one will be with a little aging.

 

 

[bombus]

I don’t think this one is for me, for some reason all I can smell is the patchouli, I get no ginger or orange blossom. This one is going in the sale pile, it is making my nose itch.

[laslibres]

In the bottle: very sharp, it has that "drugstore perfume" feel to it, but fortunately that's the kind of thing that usually fades on me...which this does, phew. Now, patchouli...it's the dominant note for me, and it tends to go through some really weird gross phases on me as it dries, which it did in Mme Moriarty and it's doing again in this. Oh...great.

 

I have to give patchouli half an hour, though, and then it mellows down...get a little bit of spicy ginger, though I wish there was more of that. I get about zero orange blossom, maybe a vague sweet smell but that's it. It still feels like a very "orange" scent (the color, not the fruit). Very earthy-spicy, which is kind of nice, I just wish that either it was stronger or it had more orange blossom. I like my spiciness to be balanced out with sweetness, and more orange blossom would do it.

[hipslike___cinderella]

For me, orange blossom and ginger are the dominant notes. This one smells sweet and light in the vial, definitely orange blossom, and I can smell the hint of ginger. Once it wears on me the ginger warms up, and for awhile patchouli comes out and balances it. Over time orange blossom comes back as the dominant note. So pretty! Sweet and spicy.

 

I really love this one, as I have a soft spot for ginger. It's sweeter than I expected; I was thinking this would be sexy and maybe a little sinister, but this smells just happy on me. I wouldn't mind a big bottle of this.

[Rock Geisha]

In the bottle: Patchouli is strong, as usual. But it's tempered by the sweetness of the orange blossom.

 

Wet: Like a good synaesthete, scents have colors to me. Not surprisingly, Vixen is orange. And if I can stretch my synaesthetic impressions, it smells like orange blossom is giving patchouli a hug.

 

Drydown: The notes settle into a nice balance and this scent goes all night long. It is strong and spicy and you have to have confidence to wear a scent like this. Luckily, I do.

[stellans]

Vixen had me at first sniff. I mean, what's not to love, right? There's patchouli, there's ginger, there's orange blossom. My only fear is that a new bottle won't smell as luscious as the imp, at least not right away. This is definitely one of BPAL's 'even better with age' blends.

 

In the imp: I'm in heaven! Patchouli is there, but tempered into behaving by the sweet note of orange blossom and the riotous note of ginger.

 

Wet on skin: Remained the same from imp to skin, and I'm practically swooning in appreciation of the notes in this blend.

 

Dry: If Mr. Stellans had been home, he would have been a very lucky man, if you know what I mean and I think you do.

 

Verdict: I am known to be a lover of most things containing patchouli, and Vixen is no exception. This imp will last me a while because it doesn't take much of this oil to smell delightful for several hours, but I still want a bottle. Or two.

Edited May 23, 2010 by stellans

[morganwolf]

A favorite scent of mine, and absolutely the sexiest I own. My fiance, who rarely notices my perfume, always comments when I put this on. He loves the smell of it. I definitely feel vampier the moment I open the bottle.

 

I not much more a fan of patchouli than I am of orange blossom (I'm not one for florals at all), but for some reason the way the blend on me is just divine. A little sweet, a little smoky, all sexy. The spicy kick of ginger, one of my favorite smells, makes it even more of a knock-out. It's decidedly feminine, but in a feral way: it really does remind me of a lady fox, strutting around her den, driving all the boy foxes wild.

 

I find that Vixen has a heavy throw and I can always get a few hours of wear before she fades away. It's a confidence-boosting scent, and I do notice the way men react to me changes when I'm wearing it. This is my default "I am going to wear my bedroom eyes and slinky red dress and stiletto heels and get some serious action tonight" fragrance.

 

--Morgan

[crazyredhead17]

This was a frimp in my last lab order so I tried it on today without even knowing the scent description.

 

Wet, it was very woody and earthy, with wafts of vanilla. There's no mention of vanilla in the description, and my skin usually eats vanilla, so I go hunting for a description and get it into my head that I'm wearing Velvet. There is a tiny hint of chocolate in there, which added to the confusion.

 

Something is toning down the patchouli, the ginger maybe? (I think this is my first blend with ginger). It's also a bit tingly, on and off in places where I've applied it, so I'll keep an eye out to see if I get some sort of reaction to it.

 

Overall, this is a very slinky, sexy scent. I will have to see what my husband thinks of it when he comes home from work soon.

[Jheya]

Ooh wow, that was unexpected!

 

Wet on skin I was immediately reminded of Vice, which I adore. I'm guessing it's the orange blossom dominating the wet stage as that's the only thing listed as a common note. The two are very, very similar at this stage, softly sweet with a fruitiness to it. So similar that after applying it I wondered if I'd accidentally gotten a mislabelled imp.

 

However on drydown Vixen changes, and though an edge of similarity remains the two are no longer dead ringers for each other. There's still a bit of that gorgeous sweetness, but something spicier is now coming through.

 

Dry it's mainly spicy with just a hint of a sweet kick, and something deep and earthy underneath. Quite different from how it started out.

 

I think I'm going to be keeping my imp of Vixen, but I'm not sure it'll become a bottle purchase.

[GoldenRubee]

Vixen is surprisingly lovely with notes of ginger, patchouli, orange blossom and a little spice thrown in for good measure. At first I didn't think I would like it because all I could smell was the patchouli, but after it dried down, the gorgeous scents started blending together and I found that I must order a bottle. The ginger is not bitter at all but tends to be on the sweeter side. There is a little bit of smoke in here too which gives this a mysterious sexiness to it. After about an hour there is a hint of the orange blossom, but not enough to know really what it was unless I knew what to look for. All in all, a delightful scent!

[roxyhead]

At first this one smelled a tiny bit floral and a tiny bit musty on top of something else, but then it rapidly dried to...Snake Oil! Yep, another one goes Snake Oil on me...good thing I like it. I don't seem to get any patchouli from this, and usually if a scent says it's got patchouli in it, I smell it. Not anything particularly recognizable as ginger, either. Just Snake Oil. Same color, too.

[cchampio]

I was cautious about Vixen, due to the patchouli. I associated it with, well, hippies and headshops. Silly me. I just smell delightful!

 

It seems to me like a light floral with a deep underpinning of spice and sweetness. Hubby says I smell like vanilla, but I don't get a foody vibe off this one. Just roundness and warmth and smoothness. And sexiness. I think there's definite sexiness in this one... Something I'll wear around the house on a cozy, lazy, bed day.

 

Damn, the 5ml list is getting long.

[dixiehellcat]

Wow, I thought I'd reviewed this...LOVE it. It is mostly ginger & patchouli on me, spicy & warm & yummy. I hope short & to the point is ok. *g*

[Victory]

Orange blossom, ginger and patchouli? No WAY should this work for me, but it does. I hadn't read the review thread before, so I wasn't aware that others smelled a Snake Oil comparison- I'm glad I'm not the only one! But I think that this is, for me, a much more wearable Snake Oil. Snake Oil, to my nose, is a bit too headshoppy but Vixen manages to have the sexy, slinky feel of Snake Oil (and boy, does it) without the headshop. I was well on my way to considering a 5 mL, but then it goes powdery. Powder isn't a real problem, but I'd have preferred if Vixen had stayed sexy and patchouli rather than powdery. Guess I'll enjoy my imp and wait and see how I feel.