Carnaval Diabolique

[jenleigh]

Straight from the twisted alleys of Dis, by way of the City of Angels: opium smoke, lemon flower, heliotrope, tuberose, black musk, vanilla, coconut, apricot flower.

 

I'm not sure why, but this reminds me of Et Lux Fuit at first. Must be the heliotrope and lemon, which are in both. And this is very, very lemony on me at first - I was afraid for a minute I was going to get the dreaded Lemon Pledge effect from this one.

 

It does settle down quickly, though, and the opium comes out, which I've figured out that I love. It's now a pretty and creamy fruit blend, and there's just a hint of incensiness in the background. It's kind of like ELF's darker twin in a way, and I like this.

[silver_dollar]

Most of the time lemon fades immediately on me, but not here - this is all soft lemon and coconut on me for a long time. I can actually smell the coconut in this, which is a surprise as that note usually never shows up on me. They blend well together and last for an extremely long time. It's almost like lemon cotton candy.

 

Later on, just when I think it's all faded and gone, a sudden smoky note comes out. I could have sworn it was tobacco flower, but I guess maybe it was the opium smoke. It's very strong and lasts all night. I like this blend a lot.

[pkthunder]

This was a lot of lemon at first, but as it dried down it became very diabolical. Evil. Dark. Spicy musk. I'm not getting any vanilla and coconut outright; they must just be there to reign in the musk. And I am learning that I love anything opium.

 

Verra nice.

[jesvet]

This is a really fun scent. In the bottle, ALL lemon. When I put it on I was sure I was going to suffer from the Lemon Pledge smell effect, and it tottered precariously close but wound up on the side of lively sweet lemon instead. phew.

 

As it dries, a sinister smoke note creeps up on the unsuspecting happy lemon. It is perfectly diabolical. Love it. The two meld together into a spicy sugary smoky smorgasbord of god knows what, but it's wonderful. So glad I picked up a bottle.

[bicyclette]

This was bright, sparkly lemon candy at first, and for the first 10 minutes or so. Now it's dried down to a lovely smokey lemon-coconut cream scent, and it's just gorgeous. BPAL coconut has never worked on me before now! It reminds me a bit of The Star, but that blend turned into key lime pie candy on me, which was ok but not a smell I want on me all day. CD, on the other hand, is subtle and lovely and doesn't clobber me with any one note after that initial burst of lemon. I ran right to swaps and scored a bottle. Yay instant gratification!

[astridclaire]

This is very lemon Pledge at first, but after a few minutes on my skin it turns to a lovely lemon smoke. However, the loveliness doesn't last very long and just about disapears completely after 15 minutes. My skin just eats this one up!

[nightbird]

this is citrusy with a some smoke in the background - I recognize the opium smoke from Chrysanthemum Moon. the smoke is a little overpowering for me, but it's a pretty scent overall.

[sofiaviolet]

Lemon bowls me over. On my skin, the opium comes through a little, but this still smells mainly like a lemon drop. The coconut is coming through as well, ick. I hate coconut.

[CoveredInRain]

In the vial: I'm hit by something woody, slighty piney. I'm not getting the lemon at all.

 

Wet on the skin: I'm getting a strong tobacco note. I almost washed it off, thinking it might be too masculine a scent.

 

Dry: A bit of floral has emerged to balance the stronger notes. Slightly smokey, incense effect.

 

Verdict: I like the scent, but imagine I would like it better on my guy.

Edited October 16, 2006 by CoveredInRain

[Quinara]

In the vial I get a hit of smoke, followed by some lovely sweet, lemony notes. On my skin, though, the smoke and the musk overwhelm the sweetness making it sharp and almost... rotting?

 

I don't think this likes me.

[Meechy]

Oh wow. I love this.

 

My first impression was not as pleasing; in the vial, it was intensely lemon -- a bit much so. I would agree with the Pledge comment above!

 

Wet on my skin, still pretty lemony; little subtler, but nothing but citrus.

 

However, after a bit of drying, the vanilla and smoke and musk come to the forefront with the lemon giving it a bit of a subtle edge. It's gorgeously creamy, without being too sweet.

 

Very, very nice.

[supremegoddessofall]

Another *very* odd combination. I simultaneously get the lemon, the heliotrope, and the coconut, with a hint of smokiness from the opium and the musk. It's sort of like someone cleaned a bathroom and then set it on fire.

[mandragora]

Sweet lemon candy, no wait, creamy lemon candy. Very brisk and invigorating. As it dries down, the florals emerges and the lemon hangs around to provide a lovely backdrop to them. Opium gives it a smokey quality.

[tempestteapot]

Lemon seems big with the Carnaval series in general. Either that or my nose just hones in on it.

 

It's a bright lovely lemon though. I keep waiting for the darker aspects but even after a while, it was just a light lemon scent.

[PilotKitten]

Yummy lemon! It's a wonderful sugary lemon with a touch of creamy vanilla coconut milk. And I normally hate

 

coconut, but this is so creamy and foody goodness, I can't help it. I practically want to drink the bottle! After the drydown I get a

 

definite opium smoke note but it's not too heavy like I was afraid it would be. Just a sweet smokiness, actually *slightly* reminscent

 

of Cagliostro. Will definitely have to buy up another bottle of this one!

[Natch]

in the bottle: lemon zest with darker undertones and some hidden florals. It's pretty and yellow too

 

wet: BAM! LEMON! Sugary lemon. Lemon candies. There's something else underneath, but wet, it's really just lemon.

 

dry: Lemon Pledge

 

overall impression: This is the second lemon scent which has gone lemon pledge on me, and it's sad, since I do like lemon. With Carnaval Diabolique I can sense a lovely depth-dark florals and smoke- underneath that darn pledge, so it makes me sad that the top note is furniture cleaner. This merits another try, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. It's ok, since this isn't one that I was counting on being in love with anyway (I'm generally adverse to darker, smoky things)

[Koumori]

This is one amazing scent, of the "can't stop sniffing my wrists" variety. Lemon is often an iffy note on me, but in this blend it warms into the rest of the notes into a complex, creamy warm whole. No one note overwhelms, though the coconut seems to be the most constant base scent; the florals aren't too floral, the citrus isn't too citrus, the resins aren't too incensey. An awesome unisex scent. I need a whole bottle, I think.

[the_cat_goddess]

Wow! A wake me up scent... I love lemon ; )

 

On, it stays true to its lemony promise. Yummy lemon candy... After about 10 mins I get some floral added to it. It's a really pretty scent. I like Tarot: The Sun better, but this is still beautiful.

[sophia_helix]

This was a surprise hit with me -- I didn't pay much attention to it when the Carnaval first went up, but it's really fantastic. A very sugary-sweet, fruity lemon, with a strong coconut-musk base, it's incredibly girly and pretty.

 

I'd put it in the same scent category as Sundew, since it's creamy and yellow, though it' got that nice lemon zing and that nice smooth coconut to differentiate it, and it's maybe a little sexier than Sundew. I will consider this as my first CD bottle.

[theseagrows]

ooh i like this a lot. i love coconut, and when i first put this on it's all sweet-lemony coconut, if not a little too sweet. once it dries a bit, the smoke and musk comes out and i now i absolutely love it. i don't get any tuberose at all, which is strange because i think my skin generally amps it, so this must have very little in it.

 

must add it to the big bottle list!

[Loligo]

The opening notes of this blend are amazing: a cool, smoky lemon. I'll have to keep an eye out for lemon flower; usually citrus oils go sour and heavy on me, but this one is ethereal and beautiful. Then the rest of the flowers show up -- I get a lot of heliotrope, which I love. But then the opium starts doing that Band-Aid smell that it often does on me, and the black musk goes skunky, and it's all over. Woe! And I never picked up even a hint of coconut.

[Naamah_Darling]

Citrus, vanilla and coconut front this in the bottle, chased with a dark lash of musk.

 

It goes on fresh but foody, sweetness tinged with florals and a hint of incense that's diabolical in a most delectable way. The notes blend perfectly, from the dark base notes straight up to the light lemon zing at the top. A wonderful opening to the series.

 

The lemon backs off after a while, leaving a husky mix of coconut, musk, and vanilla deviled up with some creeping opium, that smoky, spicy, crumbly and venomous smell that threads through the background of this complicated and unlikely scent.

 

The notes here harmonize beautifully. Flawlessly. This has decent throw, but not as much stay as I might wish. The finish is powdery, resinous smoke and grimy musk with a touch of vanilla and coconut. Though it contains a lot of florals, I'm classing this as gender neutral – it's sweet and a bit foody, but the opium and musk in it is enough to tip it back the other way. A fine scent with a great deal of character.

[moon_lemming]

This one is very pretty! At first, I get nothing but lemon drops, but the coconut shows up to the party quickly, followed by a swoosh of vanilla. It would almost be too sweet, but there's a musky anchor holding it all down; I'm not sure if it's the black musk or the opium. Either way, it's quite lovely.

[The_Merf]

In the decant: This smells a lot like lemon, as many others have said.

 

Wet: This is more complex than I thought it would be. I can smell the coconut and vanilla

 

Drydown and wear: This is a very powerful lemon, and it is certainly quite evocative. The combination of lemon, coconut and vanilla, which remain the strongest notes on me, is that of "food and bodies." This really does smell like a carnival late at night, while people have been walking around for hours and sticky food is on their hands. While this may not sound all that appealing, it is very hypnotic, and I will certainly keep the decant.

[lookingglass]

Leeeemonyyy! I really have to get off of this one and let it mellow out.

 

Comming back to it a few minutes later:

The heliotrope and coconut are letting the lemon get creamy and sweet. There is a deep smoke wafting up behind it. It turns into a slightly musky floral, but there is still a lemon freshness and dust all around. Very strange. I was hopeing for more tuberose, but alas!