Voodoo

[mymymai]

ITI: Nope. Clove and marzipan almond. Dang, I was hoping that the almond would be much less prevalent.

 

Wet: The almond is still in the forefront, but the clove and the patchouli combined with the vanilla is really rather nice together. It’s certainly growing on me.

 

Dry: Ah, the resinous bits become stronger as it dries, which makes me a happy gal. I love the clove, vanilla, myrrh and patchouli that are melding together. This may be a keeper yet.

[cosmoblue]

In the Imp, Lime jumps out at first with clove and patchouli coming from behind and pushing it out of the way.

 

Wet, I get warm and sweet almond and vetiver supported by pine. It is gorgeous.

 

Dry, myrrh, vanilla, vetiver and pine are hanging out with the clove. The patchouli is still there but it supports instead of standing out. This is a much softer scent than I thought it would be. I really wish the almond and lime would come back. The husband thinks it smells like Christmas. I think I prefer it wet over dry.

[stellamaris]

I realize it is an important tool in certain rituals, but almond I hate you. You ruin so much good stuff for me...stupid almond...

[cherrycherry]

Hello baby, where have you been all my life?

On me, this is straight-up vanilla coke with an almost cakey-almondy sweetness on the drydown.

 

EDIT : I finally opted to buy a full bottle of this and... woah. Fresh from the lab this is Dr Pepper with a twist of lime. This is so fizzy and fun and magical. I am so glad I have enough of this to slather every single day now.

Edited December 18, 2015 by cherrycherry

[Suzi1023]

First time wearing this one today. When I first applied it I was hit with the strong scent of clove, which I love.

I've had it on for a few hours now and the scent is still going strong but the clove isn't as strong. It smells

a bit sweet, perhaps the vanilla or almond or both, but I am definitely smelling patchouli and myrrh and it smells

sexy,and warm, and not anything I'd think I'd love in the Summer but since I am desperately craving for Autumn, and

everything that comes with that time of year, this scent is perfect.

I only have an imp that my sis in law gave me, but this is one that I will definitely purchase a full bottle of.

 

I can't stop sniffing myself

[theNursewhoLovedme]

Going on, Voodoo is potent and sweet, like fruit, cloves, and almost a bourbon scent (to my nose anyway). I was worried I'd be rushing to wash off it off in a half hour but not so, the bite simmers down quite quickly. The dry down is gorgeous- beautiful, warm, even hypnotic fragrance that I can't stop smelling on my wrist. I love how long the fragrance lasts on my skin also. This oil makes me feel calm and relaxed, and I'm in nursing school, so that is saying something. Will be getting a bottle. I heart this too much.

[fufu_berry]

Frimp from Ella LaRose, who can't unsmell Dr Pepper after reading the reviews. :/

 

In the imp: Dr Pepper (sorry, Ella LaRose!). But I like the smell of Dr Pepper -- it's the only soda I really enjoy, so not a problem.

Wet: Ugh, a big slap of sweaty, stale vanilla. I have come to the sad realization that vanilla and I are mortal enemies. It ruins everything I might otherwise love, and it's in so. many. things.

 

Drydown: Some pine and vetiver coming through, perhaps they can tame the cloud of vanilla nastiness emanating from my wrist?

 

Dry: Fizzy woods - I think that's a little bit of the lime. Vanilla seems to have been subdued by friendlier notes. Is this finally a vanilla scent I can wear?! I'll have to give it a few more tries, but right now I'm (shockingly) liking it!

[skyelyric]

On first application, this was a bizarrely gorgeous scent on me--like a glass of lemon-lime soda with a bottle of almond extract poured in: fizzy cool citrusy almond extract.

 

I'm not sure about it now that it's dried down; there's basically no throw, and what's left on the skin is very sweet, a little powdery/plasticky, a little almondy, a tiny bit spicy, but I think overall a bit too muddled for my tastes.

[musikmegs]

Voodoo was the second BPAL blend I tried, and I have a vivid memory of how when I put it on, the fragrance just unfurled around me in this mysterious, delicious cloud. I was blown away and my love affair with the Lab had begun.

 

I definitely understand the soda comparisons people have made. When I first put Voodoo on, it is rather bright with lime and cloves. As it dries it warms into a wonderful spicy, smoky vanilla. I don't get the cherry quality that other almond blends seem to have. Voodoo is complex and intruiging. It smells good on my husband as well.

 

I've acquired a few imps of this but a bottle is certainly in my future

[Foxdreams]

So in the imp I got HEADY INCENSE, LIME AND A STRANGE ‘BITE’—probably vertiver. And pine too.

 

On application—this is STRONG. Heady incense, but almost an earthly bite (pine and lime, likely) as if the wood is preparing to eat you. It’s creaky doors and alcohol, too. I definitely get almost a booze, but it feels so “deep” and complex, it’s crazy.

 

On the dry-down it becomes spice: clove and vertiver later. It loses the almond and vanilla somewhat. But I still get the feeling of “depth”. This is a verrrrryyy “deep” smell for me. I can SEE this building.

 

Also a lot of the BPAL reviews for Snake Oil, Lust, Dorian, O, etc, are like ‘Omg this scent is SEX. PURE SEX.’ And I was like I dunno, I’ve tried Dorian, Snake Oil, and the other scents people flip out about. Lust smelled like feet. Am I just not getting it?

 

NOPE

 

THIS SCENT IS SEX. THE REST ARE PLAYING AT IT, BUT THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THE REAL SEDUCTION IS. VOODOO DOES. (It’s like Snake Oil and Dorian think they’re sexy, but they’re so vanilla voodoo is the real hardcore stuff they have never thought about.)

 

Dry: It really dries down to a lovely, creamy vanilla pine vetiver. The throw is still insane.

[kashmira]

Never in a million years would I have guessed that not one but 2 scents with vetiver actually work on my skin.

 

This is simply lovely -- slightly resinous, slightly sweet, with an undertone of something dark and ever so sharp.

[lucycat]

I'm so glad I gave this a second test, a couple of months after the first one.

 

In the imp, and for the first few seconds after applying, I smelled cherry Coke. The cherry was just like that in Horn of Plenty, which on me is herbal cherry tobacco.

 

Then I smelled clove. I've learned from other scents that I amp clove like nobody's business. I couldn't smell some of the notes, such as almond, at all, but eventually Voodoo became a lovely clove incense. I think I may be smelling the vetiver, but this scent contains so many notes and they're so well-blended that it's hard to pick out any one note. It's just spicy and resinous.

 

Voodoo proved to be an unexpectedly good choice for a very hot day: it's actually cooling. I applied two swipes of the imp wand to the crooks of my elbows, and even now, a good eight hours later, those spots feel cool. The only other scents I've experienced that with contain mint. Though it isn't listed in the notes, other reviews mention smelling mint in this. While I don't smell it, I feel it.

 

The throw on this is terrific considering how little I applied. I keep getting little wafts of sweet, dark spice as I move around. Mmmm.

[heyjjudette]

I just received Voodoo in the mail. I bought it on a blind buy, just from the name (I know, I know) and from the scent description. It sounded amazing! I wasn't a fan of almond, but I thought, everything else sounds beautiful!

 

Well I put it on and all I smell is almond. And medicine. I'm not sure what kind of medicine, but it's not a good kind.

 

On the dry down, I'm still not liking it! I wish I had read the reviews on here that mentioned cherry coke, dr. pepper, etc. I HATE coke and any other dark sodas, and now all I can smell is a cherry coke. Grr. The label is absolutely beautiful though!

[Zii]

This is all patchouli, vetiver and pine, plus a dash of lime. The almond was super strong at first, but died down quickly. Myrrh, which doesn't tend to agree with me, is showing it's head in the dry down, but it's playing second fiddle to the incenses I prefer that are in this blend. I miss the lime from the wet stage, but it's lingering around the edges quite nicely. It's a very warm rich scent.

[brilliantcat]

Strongly almond backed by vetiver, or perhaps the patchouli. Almond and dirty, dark notes. Huh. As it starts warming up, I do get a very strong Dr. Pepper/Cherry-Vanilla Coke vibe. I'm a total foodie so I'm not bothered by the association and it shouldn't be surprisingly since almond can go a bit cherry-ish on me and the blend does contain vanilla. I think it's the myrrh in combination with those two notes creating the cola vibe. The more it warms, the more I get myrrh, almost to the exclusion of everything else. Yep, ends up smelling very similar to my SN Golgothan Myrrh. Nope from me.

 

ETA: After a couple of hours, the most delicious smell was wafting up. It was coming from where I had tested Voodoo! It's a rich, smooth patchouli and vanilla. I guess I should be more patient. Pretty sure I need a big bottle!

Edited December 7, 2013 by brilliantcat

[symbiosis]

The lime and almond are what jump out immediately to me in Voodoo. But after just a few minutes the spices start to come out and play - this scent is SUPER well-blended. The clove is kept from being dusty by the vanilla, the patchouli isn't dirty because of the almond, the resins aren't dry thanks to the lime.

 

This blend is intensely wearable - for anyone, I think. I'm about to go attack my husband with it.

[Deliciousness]

Initial reaction: Ah, spicy clove, we meet again! And here comes the patchouli, making wood out of everything. Oh vetiver, nice to see you came along too.

 

Oncet once this blend starts to dry down, it morphs into a lovely scent of deep spices and a touch of woods ... reminds me of an expensive, warm cologne, leaning more toward the masculine side. The earthy patchouli-vetiver combo subsided and has become a lovely backdrop to this scent. After a bit, the masculine cologne smell morphs again into a sweeter vanilla/tonka blend.

 

Wow, Voodoo is a complex scent. It's seems to be constantly in flux, changing with time and body heat. I like the blend, but I kind of wish it didn't morph so often. Also, I think I may be getting a hint of something that is reminding me of BO, it's oh so very faint, and I can only smell it occasionally. No, it's not me. I did shower today. Upon further inspection, I think it's the underside of my forearm which smells faintly like this, but not the top (I tested on both the top and bottom of my forearm). I'd like to re-test and see what happens. Hopefully it's just a hormonal fluke. If not, maybe I can convince my hubby to try this one out, because I think it would smell sexy as hell on him.

[Morsigne925]

Hroom...I want to love this, and it smells quite nice right out of the imp and before it dries, but when it dries it becomes so powdery on me. Many BPAL scents seem to do this on me, which makes me sad it is a different kind of powdery, at least, than some others that do this; it has a fresh pine smelling powderiness to it, but on my skin it definitely smells like some combination of Old Spice and deodorant once it's dried. Phooey! Maybe I will try it again with a scent locket at some point and see if that helps, because I do love the smell when it's still in the imp. Almost an herbal-caramel scent. Probably give it 3 stars for now, until I try it with a locket.

[Sayaka]

I got a TON of samples with my recent order, and this was one of them. I am very pleased with it.

 

I'm a lady who really doesn't like super-girly scents (some of my favorites are men's cologne, actually) and I was a little worried that this would be off the chain femme, what with the almond and vanilla.

 

Thankfully, that's only the way it smelled in the vial. It actually went down a lot differently.

 

When I first applied it, it smelled strongly of almond and of clove. I got some of the vetiver (my favorite note in colognes and perfumes), too.

 

After it had dried, it had utterly transformed to a woodsy, incense-y VAGUELY vanilla/almond scent. Honestly, the thing I felt most was that it smelled (in a very good way) like clove cigarettes smell. That semi-sweet, semi-earthy, languid smell. Maybe a little boozy, too, I think that might be another reason I'm thinking of a nightclub here. Overall, it feels feminine, but has some strong masculine tones to it - I'd call it a badass b*tch scent. Totally can see wearing this out pub crawling or causing mischief.

Also, i get a big mix of very androgynous other notes - the myrrh, vetiver and pine. Never got a lot of the patchouli except as a darkening/deepening agent.

 

Definitely getting a bottle of this, I love it.

[anaengel]

This is for both aged and fresh voodoo. I love both. My aged is so much more red than fresh.

Fresh, I get more of a fresh bubbly feel, which I'm finally realizing is the lime blending with the almond and myrrh. Aged gets me much more of the myrrh and patchouli. Pretty soon, faster with the aged, I get the cola feel. I realize that must be the clove coming out. The aged lasts much longer than the fresh so that. I do get a patchouli and powdery feel from the myrrh and clove blending together.

I really should buy a bottle to age some day in the future.

[ziggystardust13]

Voodoo is my perfect scent (totally in love). UNTIL the dry down. Once it has been sitting on my skin for a while, some strange, off putting scent appears. I don't know what the culprit is. Perhaps vetiver? Or maybe a combo of notes. But I need to find more scents like voodoo that wont go rancid on me. This could have been my holy grail ....

[Erinofhere]

Wet: yup, just like others have said, Cherry Coke (with a whiff of pine)

 

Dry: Amaretto (not so much Almond) boozy Amaretto, vanilla and cherries with pine. Yum! The pine is strong. Usually I don't care for pine at all especially when it's this strong, but this is very nice. Clove was there the whole time but not very strong.

Later: Fading faster than I would like. The Patch and myrrh showed up and did add a certain dept to this blend. Blessedly never picked up on the vetiver or lime, so yay

 

This lasted a few solid hours on my skin. The wet stage was so yummy, but the dry stage was very wearable and sexy.

 

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: A spicy-woodsy scent. It's dark and mysterious, but not in the sexy way a lot of my "dark and mysterious" BPALs are - this one is more than a touch menacing. But not necessarily in a bad way, if that makes sense?

 

Wet: A masculine, don't-mess-with-me smell - sort of a male equivalent of my usual "power bitch" scents. The vanilla is making an appearance to sweeten up the base, but this is still primarily a dark, *very* complex, spicy-woodsy-almost-incensey blend.

 

Dry: It's settled down to primarily patchouli, but still unusually complex. I'm getting definite hints of clove and probably myrrh, and there's still something subtly sweet (vanilla or almond) hanging around.

 

EDIT: ...So apparently I'm allergic/sensitive to clove oil. I noticed a bit of itching around my collarbones when I first applied it, but that could have easily been the chain of my necklace, my shirt, etc. But when I got out of the shower the next morning, there were patches of angry red bumps, sort of poison oak-looking (but, thankfully, without the FIREY ITCH OF DEATH I was so familiar with as a kid), where I had applied it on my wrists. Interesting that these didn't appear when I applied the perfume itself... Maybe some combination of the hot water, scrubbing, and body wash brought out the worst in it?

 

This is such a lovely scent that I'll hang onto it and see if I can layer it over lotion or something - the rash looks pretty nasty, but doesn't really hurt. I guess I'm just mostly annoyed that I'll have to be extra-careful instead of just slathering it on any old way, especially since my skin doesn't react to cinnamon-based scents at all.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Lunasariel

[hammy]

In the imp - Cola.

 

Wet - Spicy cherry cola. I’m guessing it’s the interaction of the almond, clove and myrrh.

 

Drydown - Wow, there’s some vetiver in this baby. It’s really coming to the forefront as this dries. Happily, I don’t smell patchouli. There’s a vague impression of resiny incense, but I don’t hate it the way I usually hate incense.

 

Verdict - This one is a little powerful for my taste and the vetiver might be a dealbreaker. Swap.

[lady_pandora]

A midnight scent, evoking images of flickering golden firelight reflecting off the sheen of glistening skin and the jerking shadows of bodies suffused with spiritual ecstasy. A deep, powerful, resonant blend of myrrh, patchouli, vetiver, lime, vanilla, pine, almond and clove.

 

I guess I used up my soda-scent allotment the other night with Antikythera Mechanism, because I don't get that at all from Voodoo.

 

This was fruit and patchouli in the imp, but changed as soon as I put it on. I wasn't looking at the notes at first, and I was sure I smelled tobacco smoke and rum. Ah, we're making an offering to Papa Legba, I thought. But apparently neither of these things is supposed to be in the blend. I smelled them nonetheless. A slight morph then, and then...an episode of Scent Memory Theatre!

 

So my grandfather, RIP, used to own a barbershop. This was an old skool barbershop where there was pretty much just one haircut on the "menu" and where Grandpa would chain-smoke, and probably sneak booze he wasn't supposed to be drinking, and of course you had the scent of men's grooming products wafting around. That's what this smells like on me: stale smoke and booze and aftershave. I washed it off after about an hour, because it didn't really change, it just faded from Strong Grandpa's Barbershop to Somewhat Fainter Grandpa's Barbershop. I guess my theory is true: I can wear vetiver, and I can wear patchouli, but not in the same oil.

 

As a perfume, Voodoo is a fail on me, but I feel compelled to keep it around. Who knows, maybe I'll need to make an offering to Papa Legba sometime, or use it in some ancestor work. I do already have an oil that smells like my grandmother (Psyche); I don't wear that one either, but I like having it around.

Edited March 27, 2015 by lady_pandora