Storyville

[SevenSins]

Again thanks to Brienze for the sniffie!

 

In the bottle: Creamy, spicy, vanilla/musk

Wet: I only used a teensy drop from the end of a toothpick, but really, that's all I needed! This one went on spicy and smoky and creamy and maybe had a touch of fleeting pumpkin? Really just a fleeting glimpse of the pumpkin and then maybe more like a smoked sugar cookie.

Dry: This one morphed through a couple stages as it dried. Went into a very foodie vanilla rum cream cake kinda stage, at which point I was ready to write it off (not a foodie girl) and then it changed again! Turned into a beautiful, spicy rich scent with a touch of cream and a touch of booze and a touch of smoke - all well blended as if you were walking down the street and catching whiffs of scents from different shops. VERY nice!

 

I think again, I would love to have a little of this, but won't pay $300 a bottle for it. Or even $100! But it's a gorgeous scent and I hope everyone that has it really enjoys it!

[dimensia]

Bottle: Sweet, creamy spicyness. Vanilla, a bit of musk, and a touch of ginger.

 

Wet: Oh my. This one reminds me of bits and pieces of several different blends - it's lighter on the ginger than Shub, easier on the musk than Smut, and minus the sandalwood in Underpants. It's, at once, foody and spicy and musky and boozy.

 

Dry: That creamy vanilla note is more prominent, though it doesn't make the overall blend more foody at all, just enriches the rest of the notes. It morphs and morphs back again - just when I think I've hallucinated the ginger, I get a prominent waft of it. The musk underneath feels similar to Smut, but in conjunction with everything else in the blend, I get a lighter feel overall.

 

Storyville is sweet without being cloying and musky without going overboard, with just the right hint of booze. Great staying power and above average throw. Of the three, Voodoo Queen is still my favorite, but Storyville is something very very special.

[zenvodunista]

i managed to swap a generous forumite for an imp of this. you know who you are, and i thank you from the bottome of my heart

 

in the vial, it's all cocoa to my nose -- the same cocoa actually that is in Centzon Totochtin to my nose. i was surprised actually.

 

as soon as it hit my skin the hot leather of DeSade and Spanked rose up, graced by the notes of when Storyville finally burned. i was travelling back in time, from now, through the fire, and into the decadent rooms of Storyville itself. the slap of hot leather on a john's back, the sweet musk of the new girl, vanilla in sweets sold in the street, and the boozy haze of bourbon and tobacco.

 

utterly gorgeous. and very strong. two swipes of the wand, one on each wrist.

 

i'm thrilled.

 

i hope a NOLA line comes out as had been hinted at in earlier pre-moving times as an LE. if so, i'll be stocking up on Storyville. as it is, i'll cherish the imp i've got.

 

n.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 3/5

Summarised in a word or two: Ginger!

 

In the imp: Ginger, vanilla, musk and spices.

 

On skin, wet: Oh, this is gorgeous. Spiced vanilla, musk and ginger. There's also something a bit woodsy there — cedar, maybe? It really reminds me of Vernor's, a soda that tastes like ginger and vanilla (a bit smoother and slightly spicier than other Ginger Ales).

 

On skin, dry: Hmm. As it dries, it becomes almost dull; a stale, run-of-the-mill gingerbread, with maybe a hint of vanilla. Nothing spectacular. I'm really quite surprised, since it's divine while wet.

 

Conclusion/Notes: I would say I'm disappointed by how this dries on me, but really? I'm not. As scarce as Storyville is, I'm relieved that, while I love it at first, it's nothing spectacular dry. If it were general catalogue, I'd still buy a bottle (because I *do* love ginger), but it's not, and I won't fret over it.

[Lycanthrope]

First off, I'm tipping my hat off to minilux - without her generosity I would never have had this chance to try Storyville.

 

Let's see... in the bottle, this is very familiar, warm, and definitely spiked with some of the more herbal spices like clove, maybe some fennel, ginger, definitely. Initially on my skin Storyville is a dead ringer for Devil's Night (which I love!) but then goes through a series of changes that pull it away from that scent. Where DN is smokier, and more candy sweet, Storyville's sweetness derives from a Snake-Oil like, deep and sticky vanilla. I also smells something beyond the veil of spices, something... muskier, and dark. It's quite nice.

 

A few minutes later the back of my hand smells like a gingerbread-oatmeal cookie. It's not bad, mind you, but I think Devil's Night fits this scent niche already in my strange little BPAL world.

 

Thrilled beyond belief that I got to try this! Also quite thrilled that I don't love it, because that means I don't have to test my luck trying to snag a bottle.

 

ETA: about an hour in, there emerges a very potent white musk note, like in Dorian. It was the muskiness I was detecting earlier.

Edited May 24, 2006 by Lycanthrope

[PurringPulsar]

Storyville

 

Thanks to Blood onmy hands for letting me try this!

In the imp: mmm, cocoa and ginger! This smells delicious, a bit like a softer version of Shub with added chocolate! yum!

Wet on skin: chocolate ginger with hints of nuts and woods, maybe some vanilla as well…and coffee!

Dry on skin: dear gods, this is really delicious! Think the woody vanilla-cocoa of Velvet merged with the sweet, incensy, lemony ginger of Shub Niggurath, with hints of tobacco and coffee! this is a wonderful scent, indeed. It's warmly spicy, sweet, slightly smoky, decadent and rich. there may also be a touch of rum to this, as after a while I get a deep booze note to the scent, maybe it's bay rum. I also get the lovely scent of cinnamon in here. The musk, if there is any, is very discreet for now (not Smut like at all) and there's a delightful vanilla-brown sugar sweetness smoothing the scent down.

After a while: eventually, this becomes the lovechild of Shub and Misk U. A muted version of Shub's spicy ginger with a background of dark caramelised coffee. This is goooood.

Then it becomes a smoother scent, a soft vanilla musk spiked with ginger and dusted with cocoa and a hint of coffee, giving the impression of a gingerbread mocha.

Verdict: this is fantastic stuff! Why do I always fall for the rarities? This is a lovely mix of citrus like ginger and sweet warm cinnamon crackling away with a dusting of nutty chocolate praline, a splash of mocha mingled with rum, vanilla and caramel. A decadent and delicious scent, indulgent and comforting, this is one of those 'must resist urge to eat wrist' scents. This is even better than Gluttony as the 'ultimate chocolate foody scent' since it's not as overly rich and there's a lovely spicy side to the scent to stop it becoming cloying. This scent is just as wonderful as I expected, and since I don't think I'd be willing to sell my soul on Ebay for a bottle, I'll cherish the precious little half imp I have.

Emoticon rating:

[elspeth]

I can smell the rich warmness of booze and vanilla when I first apply this to my skin. It is very foody and rich to my nose. It reminds me a bit of Misk U because it seems to also have coffee and cocoa hints in it. It is a very sweet and musky scent that seems to cling to my skin and adapt itself to it. I can imagine that it would smell lovely on anyone because it seems to bring out the best in even my skin. I just can't get over the comfort that I get from this scent. Where Misk U turned out to be not so lovely to me Storyville seems to be very loving. I can see how this fits the idea and legend of Storyville perfectly!

[absinthetics]

To be honest, I was somewhat disappointed by Storyville. There is a lot of musk in it, more than foody in my opinion. The cocoa and vanilla wafts in and out, but the musk is still there and strong. I do like it, but the hype of it is beyond me-- Especially since, at least on me, it didn't last for that long at all. (I put it on before work, it's 10am and I can barely smell it on my wrist.) I must say though, the notes in it throw me off. I can't quite put my finger on the others.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: spicy and sweet in the bottle. very much like sugar cookie.

on: wow. dark patchouli and tons of musks, with that lovely sugar cookie-esque base. lovely.

3 hours later: faintly musky and sweet.

4 hours later: there's a sharp floral note to this now, but it's still mostly something sweet (maybe vanilla) and musk. lovely stuff.

overall: i think this is what i wanted smut to smell like on me. i love that it's sweet and musky at the same time.

[edenssixthday]

Storyville - This is a terrific scent! I don't normally like foody scents, but this one, despite being foody, isn't "bakery" foody in the least. It's dry from the bitter cocoa, yet I detect a ribbon of something sweet and creamy, perhaps vanilla? The scent is musky and seductive, and definitely leaves me with images in my head of corsets and heavy bustle skirts raised provocatively to reveal sexy black garters beneath. Although the scent is soft and subtle, it's a scent evocative of decadence and hedonism and it reeks of sex. This is definitely one of the better "foody" scents in Beth's repertoire. I just wish it were a tad bit less subtle and that it had more staying power.

[Ryvre]

I got a sniffie of this, and whoa is it strong! I opened the imp to sniff it, and the fragrance lingered in the room for 5 minutes!

 

In the imp: Cocoa, candy, and musk. There's something sweet that I think is vanilla, but I can't really tell.

 

Wet: Vanilla, musk, and bay rum. It's sweet, boozy, and quite sexy. I think this is what you'd get if you layered Smut and Monsterbait: Underbed.

 

After five minutes: Tobacco? Something smoky and woodsy has come to the forefront. The sweet note is buried way underneath, which is weird since vanilla usually dominates any blend on my skin.

 

After 30 minutes: The smoky note has let up a bit, but it's still there. It smells like a blend of tobacco smoke, vanilla, and a dark musk.

 

After 3 hours: Still tobacco smoke, vanilla, and musk, just softer.

 

Storyville lasts and lasts on my skin. I like it, but not enough to pay the going rate for it. There are other sweet, foody blends that I like much better.

[cybra111]

Storyville

 

In the bottle: Hazelnut, but elusive.

 

On me: Hazelnut and smoke. But almost immediately it changes to a cologne scent, almost masculine. By the end of the evening, creamy vanilla notes have emerged. On me this one is like the Haunted Palace.

 

Thank you Wench 457 for the swap!

[crescentwench]

courtesy of the convergence sniffies circle -

 

in the vial - smells exactly like Smut and Devil's Night had an illicit love child.

 

on, wet - pretty much the same, but with a touch of creamy/buttery note I didn't smell in the vial

 

on, dry - yup. Smut and Devil's Night's love child. I'll have to try combining the two on my arm to see if I get the same result.

 

1hr later - still not much change, it's gone a bit softer, a touch powdery,but still the same.

[Voleuse]

This is a really foody scent on first sniff, my first sniff reminding me of a bakery, sweet butter and vanilla-tinted richness. Actually, it reminds me of Sugar Cookie, but without the plastic I inevitably end up with. As it dries, I get a note of cocoa from Storyville, as well as a hint of something boozy. There's also a hint of the musk, a little reminiscent of Smut. It doesn't smell sexy to me, but seductive, definitely.

 

The scent doesn't morph on me over time, it simply fades beautifully, gradually, ending up a bit like Devil's Night, except with less smoke. Yum! If this was a GC scent, I'd buy a bottle. As a rarity, I'm a little relieved this isn't a MUST HAVE OMG scent for me.

[Melantha]

GypsyRoseRed sent me a sniffie of this, with just enough for a couple of applications. I fall at her feet in gratitude.

 

What a gorgeous, gorgeous scent. I thought everyone might be exaggerating, but no. There's a hint of Smut in there (how apropos), with some chocolate, some spice, I'm not sure what all, but oh! that I had a bottle of this. I shall content myself with sniffing it every once in a while, because I don't want it to disappear.....

[cranberry]

I got to try this via the US Convergence Sniffies circle. Thanks so much Brienze!!!!

 

Imp: smells like Shub Niggurath! Foody ginger, spices and incense. Yum!

 

On: Once applied, it’s initially spicy, gingery. There’s resins there, adding a dose of incense to the scent. This is wonderful. It’s sweet and sugary. It doesn’t remind me of Sugar Cookie, which to me, was more boozy. This doesn’t have any booze, just wonderful ginger, vanilla, incense. It’s like a mix of Shub Niggurath and a strongly vanilla scent. Or maybe Shub and Sugar Cookie (minus the rum). This is remaining pretty true – ginger, vanilla, spices & incense.

 

Conclusion: It’s not a strong scent on me, and slathering would be necessary if I had this scent. I’m enjoying it tremendously and have loved all of the Convergence scents. This is no exception. This and Voodoo Queen are duking it out for my favorite. But this reminds me very much of Shub Niggurath, which I already have, so no need to hunt down a bottle of this. (Of course if one dropped on my doorstep I'd be eternally grateful!)

[olympia301]

 

I got to try this one thanks to em and her generosity. Surprisingly well mannered and resinous, even more astounding that it is light enough to be a stunning summer scent. If it reminds me of anything, it reminds me of Tezcatlapoca in it's hint of chocolate in the beginning. But the chocolate is bolstering up the rest of Storyville, it's not a particularly foody scent but the elements of sweetness and suavity are very much there.

 

It dries down to an alluring mix which you need to get very close to to smell. Sounds like a dream for a high class lady of the night who would exercise a certain amount of discretion.

 

Storyville is not real strong. I think it would be great in a scent locket, or on a cotton ball tucked discreetly in your fancy expensive bra. It's also wonderful dabbed on the backs of your hands, that way you can smell it as you type or rest your head in your hand.

 

Most beautiful.

[sophia_helix]

The last of the Convergence scents -- thanks again to Brienze!

 

This one was quite a surprise. I expected it would be something strong, super-musky/sweet, and long-lasting, like Snake Oil or any of Beth's other sexy blends. I got a very different "story," which I will tell because I pretty much never get strong visual impressions from BPAL other than colors.

 

A sweet-faced young blonde girl is reclining on a plush red velvet chesterfield in the lounge of a famous brothel, fanning herself with an creamy white ostrich-feather fan. She smells pretty and innocent, like vanilla and cookies, with a hint of baking spice. The warm afternoon sun slants in and catches the dust in the air of the stuffy lounge. A customer strolls up and takes her by the hand; he's paid extra for an "inexperienced" lady of the night. He takes her upstairs to her little back room, decorated in pink and yellow. He pours them each a glass of aged rum; she drinks it with surprising ease. We fade to black... and come in a few hours later. The room smells like stale, sweet honey now. The man is asleep on the bed, his black, pomaded hair rumpled, his mouth open beneath his handlebar mustache. The girl is awake, resting back on the pillows. Her eyes are green, and catlike, and much more knowing that a girl who's supposed to have just been deflowered. She gets up and pours herself a little more rum, applies some sweet, cloying perfume, and leaves the man asleep in her bed. She has more customers waiting downstairs, after all.

 

In other words, cookie-sweet like Sugar Cookie, than stale-sweet like O, then a hint of booze, then -- nothing but a faint memory.

[shadesong]

In bottle: Sweetly musky.

 

On me: Oh hell. Y'know how some of BPAL's scents are not-you, and some are wonderful, and some are completely made for your skin chemistry - it's as if Beth studied you and made something that blossoms just on/for you, that smells nice on everyone but on you, it's just... you? Gorgeous and amazing and made for you? Yeah. On me, that's Kathmandu, Drink Me, Beaver Moon, Blood Moon, Torture King... and Storyville, rarest of the rare.

 

There's creamy sweetness in here, and a thread of skin musk and a winding trail of tobacco, and a hint of sex, a touch of booze - like hungrily kissing someone who's just partaken of some really good whiskey.

 

EDIT: And some foodiness - small cakes eaten between clients. Beignets? Are there beignets in here? Holy crap, I smell like musk and a whiff of chocolate and a touch of a really good cigar and licking really good booze off someone's body and beignets. *whimper*

 

I need more of this, and I can in no way afford it!

[midnight_aeval]

Oh Storyville... the second love of my BPAL life.. why must you be so elusive and expensive..

 

I received a sniffie of this from a sweet forum member and the minute I smelled the bit in the vial I was in love

 

To me, this is sultry Underpants meets seductive Morocco and they have a lovely night twirling on cocoa dusted satin sheets. It's titillating

 

The drydown is remarkable, but this is one of those blends where you aren't sure if you like the wet stage or the dry stage better; they both rock.

 

I will wish upon a star that one day this one might show up again.

[savage_rose]

Yay for sniffy circles! Thanks GypsyRoseRed!

 

In the imp: I have never eaten, seen, or tasted a beignet, but that has to be what that smell is! Mmmmmmm...

 

Wet: Just as delicious as it was in the bottle!

 

Dry: Tobacco, perfume, and powder duking it out. My husband likes the "smoking baby prostitute" combo, but I didn't like it...until I washed it off, leaving just a hint of tobacco and perfume. That smells pretty good!

 

It has staying power, not that that was a good thing on me. I'm glad I got to try this, and the bottle scent is certainly wonderful, but it's not me. Whew!

[crazyredhead17]

I haven't tried most of the scents everyone else is comparing this too, so I will muddle through the notes as best I can.

 

Wet on me, I can smell a deep chocolatey and nuttiness, with something sweet and resinous in the background, with a teeny bit of ginger. As it dries, something else comes out - maybe the smoke/tobacco? All I know is that it gives me a sinus headache.

 

Once it's dry, it's a wonderful creaminess (the vanilla probably) with something deeper and trickier behind it (possibly a musk?) - Sweet and innocent up front, and sort of a knowing and overseeing in the background.

 

I like this, but I don't know how often I'd reach for it, which is just as well as I only have a sniffie.

[graycat]

this smells so similar to monster bait underpants in the bottle, i would think it was almost the same thing if i didn't know any better.

 

it does change on the skin a bit as it dries down, it has a little more bite to it. i would be tempted to say it has a little cinnamon or cassia in it but since i didn't get any big crazy red spots maybe not.

 

if i where to guess the notes i would say something boozy, something spicy (maybe this is the ginger everyone is talking about), vanilla and sandalwood for sure. it is a little on the foody side.

 

all in all i really enjoyed this one, it didn't have super lasting power but i did get a whiff here and there through out the day.....

[maijasu]

Funny, I don't get the Underpants similarity at all...to me, this is a less gingery, more musky, and equally delicious version of Shub, and I LOVE it. Of course, I'd never spend over $100 for a bottle of BPAL, no matter how wonderful it smells, so it looks like I will never own this one, but it was fabulous to try it out, if only once.

 

Throw was pronounced at first, but receded rather quickly to a sweetly musky skin scent. Mmmm...

 

Thanks to GypsyRoseRed for the sniffie circle!

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

A wonderful Forum friend has sent me some Storyville as a surprise! And there was a great squee in Egypt...er, the Carolinas...

 

Oh wow. I can see why people would place obscene bids for this one. This is FANTASTIC! Definitely ginger and other spices, on top of a rich vanilla-musk that isn't the least bit cloying or overkill. This is a subtle blend--not in terms of throw, which is strong, but in the sense of the notes blending perfectly in a more *refined* way than, say, Smut, which knocked me on my ass with musky-musk-muskington, or the gooey-sweet of some of the Monsterbaits. I adore Snake Oil, but I'd have to say Storyville is what Snake Oil wants to be when it grows up. Drop-dead sexy, spicy as a Poppet but not too foody...just gorgeous.

 

I will be hoarding this little bottle, but tonight we're celebrating my sister's birthday with a fancy night out, so I think I'm justified in a slather.

 

ETA: this has rocketed to the top of my Favorites list; it's divine! My sister asked me to describe it, so I said, "a spicy pudding. And sex."

Edited September 17, 2006 by Laurel the Woodfairy