Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller (2006)

[LizzyLies]

Red musk, vanilla bean, pomegranate, patchouli leaf and wild plum.

So, admittedly Mme. Moriarty was a blind bottle buy for me since there seemed to be so much positive feedback on it. And no, I was definitely not disappointed.
In the bottle it's a smoky plum, wet it's a smoky vanilla, but once it's dry? I can't stop huffing at myself. I'm definitely getting red musk, vanilla, and smoky plum--and probably other scents I've yet to learn to identify. However! I shall keep myself from sputtering on about how much I love Mme. Moriarty and simply say that if you haven't tried it yet, you ought to. Secondly, I finally understand what it is to be unable to keep from huffing at yourself. To me, it's a comforting, sexy scent and I'm silently hitting myself on the head as I'll probably need to hoard at least one back-up bottle, possibly more. Edited January 9, 2009 by DeadlyDelicates

[topaz]

Oh. My.

 

This is fantastic! I bought it after reading the reviews and fell in love after just sniffing the bottle! It reminds me of something my mother used to wear back in the 70's...At first I smell the patchouli and then something a little tart and fruity came out to play. After an hour or so, I can pick up a touch of the vanilla that makes everything a bit creamy.

 

I think this one can actually take the place of my one perfume love (Victoria's Secret Original "Victoria") Must get more bottles!

 

eta: Oops- this one one of my early posts. This smells nothing like the original Victoria. I just meant I found a perfume I adore and could wear every day without getting sick of it.

Edited March 17, 2010 by topaz

[femmefatale]

So after reading all the hype I finally broke down and tracked down an aged decant.

 

I can't tell if I like it or not. At times I think....not so much, at other times it's interesting. It actually seems a bit more masculine to me, but not manly. I really think I would love this if it wasn't for the red musk as all the other notes are lovely (even the pomegranate, which I more often than not don't like). Also, I seem to like this more from a distance than up close. I have it in my locket right now since I wasn't sure how I feel about it on my skin, and I keep catching a wonderful sceent now and then. But when I sniff it up close....eh.

 

 

So the verdict is...I still have no idea. I'll keep trying it and might end up with a bottle, but won't need more than that, esp. since I have Snake Charmer.

 

 

ETA:

 

Ok, I don't know what was going on the first time I tried it, but OMG, I am in *love* now. It is really incredible. I need oh so many bottles of this.

Edited April 10, 2009 by Femme_Fatale

[crebbsgirl]

Much like the reviewer above, I wanted to see what they hype was about, so I managed to swap for a decant. I was a little suspicious of the pomegranate and plum as fruit and I don't have a wonderful scent relationship. I was right. This smelled like dirty fruit on my skin. I'm sure it's absolutely perfect on other people, but as someone who doesn't like to smell like fruit in the first place, this just isn't for me.

[Coldfire]

 

 

 

 

 

Bottle: oooooo dark, earthy, dark fruity and a dash of sweet from the vanilla

Wet On Me: more patchouli and musk now

Drying Down: Still Fabulous. Musk over patchouli but the sweetness of

the vanilla is darkened and tempered by the fruit.

Dry: Oh man this is awesome. I’m not normally a vanilla fan but this

is just awesome. It’s dark. The vanilla is tempered from being too sweet

by the musk and patchouli and the fruits. This is just what I expect a Misfortune

teller to wear. SOOOO glad I got at least one bottle of this. Might need more!

 

[nenia]

at very first sniff..it smelled exactly like snake oil to me. i was a bit bummed, while i like snake oil every once and awhile, i didn't want another one.

however, i tried it again and it became a more warm musk dark ripe fruit vanilla. and i adore it!

i kept sniffing it and thinking it reminded me of something else..

and i finally figured it out.

on me it smells like a mix of snake oil & bordello. bordello, i adored, however it was too strong on me.

mme moriarty is a gorgeous mix of both.

unfortunately for me mme moriarty doesn't last more than a few hours.

in the future i think i may purchase some bordello and mix a dab of snake oil or vanilla absolute with and see how that works

 

i've found that mme moriarty seems to stick around better & particularly if i dab a bit in my hair behind my ears. yummmy. perhaps i won't need to try the bordello + vanilla mix afterall..although it still might be fun to try ;P

Edited February 16, 2009 by nenia

[Yoginispirit]

I was SO sure that I was going to hate this because of the patchouli. In fact, a few months ago when it was fresh, I DID hate it. But when I tried it on today...I could smell a thick, almost honeyed fruit and vanilla! It's still a little patchouly heavy for me but it's *Alot* smoother than it was before and even has a clean scent mixing with the 'dirty' patchouly. Still a little sharp but I will see how it is in another few months.

 

It's nice but doesn't take the place of snake Charmer and Boomslang for my sexy, night-time scent

 

 

[gingiemay]

In the bottle this smelled a little sharp to me, like fresh patchouli. After hearing all the wonderful reviews from people, however, I went ahead and daubed some on my wrists. When wet it still smelled like fresh patchouli, but mellowed and not so sharp. I got a little bit of vanilla but not a lot. No plum or musk. After about 20 minutes of settling, the red musk and vanilla really come into their own. After a few hours of wear, this is a vanilla, musky, sexy patchouli plum of a scent. It's pure amazing. Wrist-nibbling, man-catching deliciousness. Definitely a new favorite! I'm sure this will age amazingly as well, it's about 6 weeks aged currently.

[heavywhitewove]

In Bottle: Chocolate covered Snake Charmer (not Snake Oil). Very Boomslangish.

 

Wet: Subtle fruit (cherry?) and patchouli emerges from the chocolate snake charmer. Decent throw. This does not have the strong vanilla undercurrent of the charmer.

 

Dry: Hmm - a slight, weird chemical edge emerges (GO AWAY). 20 min later - chemical edge fades somewhat and I am left with a spicier boomslang. Interesting.

 

3.75 out of 5 - I'm going to let this age a bit. Perhaps chemical edge will fade completely and the scent will be smoother?

 

Dudes - the lab did not send me a tarot card - I am hurt.

 

My 80 year old mothers review of scent in bottle: weird but kinda interesting. She liked this better than the Shunga series.

[CynicalPink]

Eeeee! I've been coveting this scent since I first looked at the BPAL site and I finally get a decant! But I have to admit, the patchouli is scaring me.

 

Imp: Mmmm...interesting. Can't quite make anything out, really. Musky, but sharp at the same time

 

Wet: Oooo...smoky. But in a good way, not the "just blew out a candle now I'm choking" kind of smoke. The oil goes on thick, too

 

Drydown: Only an emoticon will do - It's so dark and complex, but gorgeous at the same time. The smoother, smokier vanilla didn't work for me in Snake Oil, but here's it just right. The red musk is awesome (I'm a Mania lover, anyway), the plum is nice and subtle (for once on my skin) and even the dreaded patchouli is doing something good for the scent.

 

It's not "pretty." That's not quite right. But it's got a really dark kind of beauty. As time goes by the "smokey" nature of the scent evens out and the more subtle notes really get time to shine. An awesome blend. Gotta get a full bottle

 

Addendum: I just went to go wash it off my wrist so I could try out some other new acquisitions....yeah not so much. My arm still smells smokey. She's a clinger!

Edited February 12, 2009 by CynicalPink

[ChloeKEvil]

One of the things that stood out for me for Mme. Moriarty is that she smelled like my favourite stage of Snake Oil all the way through- it's almost raw and medicinal and fizzy, and so unusual that I love it. I think it must be from the red musk and/or patchouli. That scent is very prominent at first, but the fruits gradually get stronger until it's very well-balanced and sexy.

 

This lasts a really long time- I could smell it on my wrist where I put a small dab well into the next day (I put it on about 8 pm) and it still smelled very nice! Definitely a new favourite.

[jencallisto]

In the imp: Patchouli!!!!

Fresh on the skin: Sharp, medicinal patchouli, with a little sweet undertone.

5 minutes later: Owwwwwwwww, it burns. The inside of my elbow, admittedly, which is way more sensitive than my wrist. But, ow. I think this much involve some amount of menthol? It's not listed in the notes, but I think both that the medicinal smell and the burning sensation. How exceedingly peculiar.

10 minutes later: Yup, menthol. And something sort of bitter than reminds me of bandaids. Ugh. That's probably the patchouli, doing that thing where it smells like armpit on my skin.

15 minutes later: The sillage has some nice hints to it, probably the fruit, but the patchouli stomps all over it, and that medicinal tinge is still hanging around.

20 minutes later: Okay, this is rounding a little as the fruits come out a little more. It's still too menthol-patchouli for my tastes, but it's not horrible. But that could just be in contrast to Pulcinella & Teresina going all PICKLES! on my other arm.

1 hour later: Sweet musky patchouli. Not my favorite thing, but truly not terrible.

4 hours later: PATCHOULI!!!!!!!! PATCHOULI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7 hours later: Patchouli. I realize that not everyone associates patchouli with armpit, but thanks to my years-long use of Lush deodorant, most of which includes patchouli as a main ingredient, I kind of do. Oops. It's not really that bad. But it's not great, either.

 

Verdict: Beh. Not for me. I see from other reviews that the patchouli might calm down a bit upon aging, so perhaps I'll try it again in a few months. I did like the fruity hints, so.

 

One word: Patchouli.

 

 

[Ceri]

In the vial: Fruity patchouli.

 

Wet: Musk and patchouli.

 

Dry: Oh my, what a change. This has morph into a gorgeous blend of fruity, musky vanilla with just a hint of patchouli.

 

Overall: I love it! A bottle or two for me before CD leaves town!

Edited February 26, 2009 by Ceri

[tajana]

I definitely get the Snake Charmer comparison (not so much Snake Oil), but this is smokier and fruitier than Snake Oil.

 

Patchouli leaf is very prominent. There's a dark, juicy red feel from the pomegranate. Mme. Moriarty is a bit sharp, raw and a touch herbaceous. That aspect gets smoothed over by the other notes later, but the patchouli is wonderful, and definitely more prominent than the musk. It's very smoky, which is definitely the key word for this scent. Not like burnt black smoke, but the fragrant smoke of the best incense you've never smelled before. It dries down and that dense and dark smokiness is infused with lots of vanilla and dark red/purple fruit. It has good lasting power and throw. It's strong and it is dramatic, and also definitely not a summer perfume, as it's heavy enough to be cloying in the heat.

 

I really liked this when I first tried it, but since then I've sort of... fallen out of love... I swapped away a back up bottle I got, and I'll probably swap away the bottle I have now, too. It might be a skin chemistry thing, as sometimes it just smells sharp-powdery, like the fruit is going a bit too noisy and the vanilla just isn't sitting well, but I think it's also a taste preference thing.

Edited December 1, 2009 by tajana

[WidgetAlley]

This is a fresh bottle and everyone says I should age it for a bit, but I just have to try it!

 

Bottle: PLUMMY PLUM MCPLUMPANTS, with a small side-order of red musk. Snake Charmer, Smut and Mme. Moriarty all smell the same in the bottle to me, just all plum all the time with a touch of musk, like the sexiest bubblegum ever. Mme. Moriarty isn't quite overripe and sweet, and I can definitely catch hints of patchouli and vanilla bean. Mmmmmmm.

 

Wet: The plum dies down immediately, becoming a sweet purple overtone to the incredibly sexy red musk, the dark patchouli leaf, and the round incredible base of vanilla bean. There's a lighter, tarter fruitiness to it as well-- the pomegranate, I suppose. This is frackin' gorgeous-- sweet and deep and round and dripping sex. I think I might like it even better than Snake Charmer (which is intensely fruity on me) or Smut (which is so musky as to be almost inappropriate.) It doesn't smell like perfume, it smells like a mystery, beckoning you to come closer.

 

Dry: The vanilla comes up more as this dries, eventually leading to an absolutely gorgeous vanilla-swirled patchouli-musk with touches of the ripest fruit. This is GORGEOUS, the perfect midway point between Smut and Snake Charmer. Aging is only going to make this more amazing and more unified. Definitely going into heavy rotation.

 

Verdict? YES YES YES.

[TilHelvete]

Damn, I can see why this is so many people's favorite!

 

In the bottle I was worried because it smells a lot like my bottle of Snake Oil, but on it morphs into everything I loved about all of my favorite BPAL scents, and then some. It has a light sweetness to it like in Lilith and Dorian, and the beautiful vanilla I smell in Snake Oil when it's in my favorite stage. I can smell the purple fruit in it, I'm not sure which one I'm smelling.. the plum or the pomegranate but it's adding a richness to it that is amazing. It is a mature, sexy, dark scent. Dark without smelling like dirt and patchouli, mature without smelling old lady-ish, and sexy without smelling too much like an animalistic musk. It is just the perfect blend of everything. I'm glad I have a big bottle of it, because I can see myself wearing this absolutely every day.

[thewondersmith]

Bottle (ages about three months): Medicinal. Patchouli, pomegranate, something sharp and nose-tickling.

 

Wet: Pomegranate, sweetness in the background (probably the plum). Quite nice, though the patchouli is a little too heavy for my taste.

 

Dry: Smokey vanilla and patchouli. The musk is giving this a dirty, gritty edge. Very reminiscent of Snake Oil on me. Hmm. Not too sure if I like this lovely lady. I really like the pomegranate mixed with the vanilla, and I wish the musk and patchouli would back off so those notes could come to the fore. As it is, I don’t really think this is for me. I’ll keep an imp, just to see how it ages, but the bottle’s going off into the swap/sell pile.

[caitilarkin]

This review is for a bottle from the Lab, aged for about four months.

 

In the bottle: Plummy, musky patchouli

 

Wet on skin: The fruit and musk are amping and the patchouli is receeding--this is incredibly strong but very, very delicious.

 

Dry on skin: The fruit/musk becomes sweeter with time (I'm not really getting any vanilla from this blend) and the patchouli fades quite a bit, adding just a touch of dirty spice in the background.

 

Loads of throw and long wearlength (8+ hours)--I've gotten oodles of compliments on this the few times I've worn it because it is TEH SEXAY. (Sadly, I wouldn't dare to wear this at my extremely conservative job.) This is a BPAL classic that everyone should at least sniff once.

[Andrea912]

With 317 reviews and lots of talk on the CD thread, I thought I should sample the fortune teller myself... I know that I like vanilla bean, pomegranate wild plum, but I don't like Red musk, patchouli leaf.

 

Impression: Medicine; eucalyptus; not good

 

Laydown: medicine smell is fading, but I still don't quite get the fuss; ah well, such is the fun of BPAL scents

[Babette]

This is my first time ever trying anything that smells as strong as this. It certainly does give off a dark impression most befitting of a strong, confident and immensely sexy woman who knows what she wants and will take it, no questions asked. I normally veer towards the lighter, floral scents but I can definitely see the appeal in Mme. Moriarty. I am definitely keeping the bottle and will wear it on those days when I feel like having everything done completely my way and not caring what others think.

 

Call me greedy, but I think I might even get another bottle.

[amanderinorange]

I had to order this based partly on the notes, but mostly on the reviews. There was some apprehension due to the patchouli note, but decided to order anyway.

 

In the bottle: Okay, whew. The patchouli isn't as in your face as I was worried it would be. Also, there is a hint of something dark and fruity which would be really nice if it showed up more on drydown.

 

On me: this sorta scared me as there is about ten to twenty minutes where the patchouli turns a bit menthol-y on me. Fortunately it tones down and the plum shows up more along with the pomegranate. This has a definite throw, the most that any of the oils that I've worn has.

 

Overall: I like this and am glad that I ordered it. I can't wait for it to age though and see what happens. In fact I might have to order another bottle because I might use most of this up before letting it age much.

 

 

[vegasblueblood]

Something about this one reminds me a grape-y Snake Oil. This is a purple plummy spicy exotic blend that has so much going on that it's hard to know where to begin to describe it! My bottle is nicely aged and I've found that the patchouli has come more to the forefront as time has gone by. I don't get a whole lot of vanilla other than a soft underlying sweetness. This is heady and smoky yet very feminine. The red musk is probably what gives it that heady feeling. I like it but I think I liked it more when it wasn't aged. I'm not the biggest patchouli fan.

[pinkusmaximus]

Most of the notes in Mme. Moriarty are fail notes for me, or at least notes I have to be careful of. I really resisted trying it, despite all of the glowing reviews, but I finally gave in and I'm so glad I did. This is another of Beth's magical blends that works beautifully on me even though it shouldn't.

 

It's also another of her patchouli blends that I can actually wear, and that speaks volumes to how well the scent is blended. I used to avoid patchouli like the plague because I amp it so much, but I'm learning that I can trust, and will sometimes love, Beth's patchouli scents. How does she do that?

 

I can't really discern any distinct notes in MM. I get the fruitiness of the plum and the richness of the patchouli, but everything is very smoothly blended and yields a sexy, dark, faintly sweet scent. It's extremely feminine to me but saved from girliness by a very slight "dirty" note that gives it some grit and edge. I like to wear this one when I go out--it makes me feel sexy and confident.

 

I will be stashing Mme. Moriarty in preparation for the Carnival's departure.

[Ravenclaw79]

Spicy and musky and smoky, almost sinister. This scent is perfect for a misfortune teller... not so perfect for me.

[donnatron]

Bottle: Warm patchouli and vanilla. Red musk. Plum. Pomegranate! Basically everything listed in this scent is easily identifiable. The whole scent has an overall smoky quality.

 

Wet: A bit warmer than the bottle scent but pretty true to the bottle.

 

Dry: Mme. Moriarty just... blooms on the skin. She's fabulous in the bottle but she's intoxicating on the skin. The red musk and patchouli blend together into a gorgeous, sensual woody base and then the vanilla twines overtop in a smoky trail. The fruits are just beautiful and give this a needed boost of higher pitched notes. The whole thing comes together into something that despite all the top notch ingredients still manages to be much, much more than the sum of its parts.

 

Throw: For miles and miles.

 

Overall: What more can I say? Mme. Moriarty is amazing. She deserves all the hype she gets and one most post on a thirteen page thread probably isn't going to change anyone's mind. That said: try it. Mme. Moriarty is AMAZING.