Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller (2006)

[violetblue]

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

I absolutely love it when Beth's oils are dark and thick, like this one. I am a huge fan of patchouli even though I've had bad luck with it in the past in some of Beth's blends where it was just too masculine on me. This is not the case for Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller. This is perfect for a night out, sexy, feminine, but with that earthy feel I LOVE. Putting the musk and patchouli with sweeter scents like the vanilla and plum was just pure genius. Now I need to figure out how many I will need to stockpile before this series goes away!

 

ETA Sadly this caused a bad reaction on my wrists - major welts, so I had to sell it shortly after this review in 2006, so sad!!!

Edited September 12, 2015 by violetblue

[Stephanie]

I love this!!!!! It's very reminiscent of my favorite, Snake Charmer, but a drier, smokier version. It's like Snake Charmer with some Formula 54 (which reminds me that I still mourn my wasted, precious bottle--I lost it all when I accidentally picked it up by its stopper and it dropped and split everywhere!! ).

 

I smell incense, smoke (tabacco?), plum, something resinous and sweet like vanilla (or tonka), a bit of Snake Oil, a lot of Snake Charmer and a smidgen of F54.

 

This is my new favorite and I plan on getting a bottle with every Lunacy order. I know this will age wonderfully. Another to the Lab.

[AliBabble]

this did remind me of smut at first, but the patchouli is very prominent on me, which is not the best thing to my nose. when it dries down it's a a bit spikey and smoky, i get a touch of the vanilla bean, but i was hoping for more. also, i'm not getting much plum or pomegranate - it's primarily patchouli with red musk, on my skin. i dunno...i love smut and snake charmer, but this one is a bit too patchouli for me, closer to snake oil which was not a favorite. it smells nice when it settles down - it's a strong one though - just a little dot of it gives all the scent i need, for this one.

 

eta: well, almost two months later, i've come to really love this one. i dunno if the patchouli has mellowed out or what, but it's become much more wearable for me, and a favorite for wearing to bed at night...it's dark, rich, smoky and sultry, but also much more comforting to me now than when i first smelt it! i've become sort of addicted to it...

Edited November 13, 2006 by AliBabble

[Aredhel]

Edited ETA 22 Oct '06: I take it all back, every negative thing I ever said about MME Moriarty. Below is my revised review.

 

Rating (on skin): 5/5

Summarised in a word or two: Love!

 

Pre-review thoughts: I think out of all the CD's, this one intrigues me most, especially because vanila bean, pomegranate and wild plum and I are very good friends.

 

In the bottle: ....Eek. Red musk. Beneath that, earthy patchouli. Not good; not good at all.

 

On skin, wet: The red musk is by far the strongest note, followed in order by patchouli, vanilla bean, plum, and pomegranate. It's a little woodsy, but a sort of woodsy I'm not terribly familiar with.

 

On skin, dry: Earthy, but not dirty. I recognise all of the listed notes, which is unusual indeed for me! I love the patchouli and vanilla bean in this, and the plum reminds me just a bit of Snake Charmer. The longer it wears, the fruitier it becomes, but it never loses that gorgeous musky-vanillic.. ness.

 

Conclusion/Notes: When I first tried this... well, it wasn't my thing. Too heavy on the patchouli. Just a month later, though, I'm heartily in love. Definitely a cousin of Snake Oil, Snake Charmer, and Smut, but like the others, not similar enough to any of them for me to be able to say "Oh, nice, but I'm happy with X." Nope: I need this as well.

Edited October 22, 2006 by Aredhel

[Inanna9]

dear god, this is beautiful.

 

It all depends on individual chemistry, obviously, but anyone who is usually scared of patchouli ought to take a chance on this. This is a very well-behaved patchouli, content to do its oomphing way in the background without being dirty or sharp, and instead becomes just a soft suggestion of earth and smoke. The red musk and the vanilla bean complement each other nicely, I'm thinking maybe the vanilla even helps to tone down the red musk, since that's another note that can go way over the top. But it stays right where it should in this blend.

 

This isn't nearly as fruity as I imagined it would be, in fact I don't get much of that at all. It has the musky sweetness of Smut minus the booze, and the spicy sweetness of Snake Charmer with a little more red musk in the mix than vanilla. It's suggestively sexy - more "mysterious and sensual" than "sex-in-a-bottle". But it's really hot. Might even make my Top Ten.

 

Well done, Beth!

Edited September 20, 2006 by Inanna9

[LittleGreyKitten]

Damn, this is nice. For me, it's a lighter, fruitier Snake Charmer. The plum and pomegranate and vanilla are noticeable on me, with the patchouli and musk a polite background that smells amazing. I think it's going to age like whoa, and get extraordinary, but lab fresh it is definitely lighter by far than Snake Charmer. I get no Smuttiness from it, thank god, since Smut is not my friend. Yum. Need more! Some needs to be in the Sock Drawer of BPAL Aging with my bottles of Snake Charmer

 

5 out of 5.

[tarotgirl99]

I really wanted this to be THE ONE (BPAL-wise). The image on the bottle is so fetching, and I'm a professional tarot reader.

 

But I intuited otherwise (okay, I read the ingredients...) and the bad news couldn't be gainsaid.

 

In the vial this was Smut with a lighter edge of Snake Oil/Snake Charmer. But I still had hopes that it would be less Smutty and more Snaky when applied to my skin.

 

But no. Smut would have its way with me, its plastic peanut buttery booziness destroying my wanna be snakiness.

 

I eventually used alcohol to remove it.

 

OTOH, Midnight on the Midway proved to be the loveliest scent ever. So I suppose it all evens out.

[ND¢]

The second I put this on I thought, 'This is Snake Charmer's smarter, darker, wryer older sister,' and my first impression stands. The patchouli and red musk make this so worldly without ever venturing into the hippie stereotype patchouli seems to have. It is a bit reminiscent of menthol cigarettes on application, which bothers me, but balances itself out on my skin with the sweetness of plum and vanilla. (I wish it was a little less like menthol cigarettes, but feel confident that impression will change with the aging of the musk & patchouli.) I can only smell the notes when I concentrate on them specifically; this doesn't scream any one note, and I look forward to owning it by the bottle, having tried a decant.

[steffanina]

Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller-

 

In Bottle: Spicy-floral-fruity. I think I smell cedar.

 

Wet: Yes, I smell cedar. This is the sort of thing that could be a little cloying if I sniffed it too much; wonder if it's the red musk? Real heavy on the cedar, too. Hamster cage city.

 

Dry: An interesting scent but the cedarish smell is just too heavy and cloying for me.

 

Overall: Not for me.

[lookingglass]

When I saw the description of this scent, I was so excited. I have been whining for a DARK pomegranate scent. So many pomegranate scents are too bright for this "dark" loving woman. I wanted something that smelled like the musky, bitter pomegranate seed, some surrounding juice, and Snake Oil.

 

First sniff the Misfortune Teller is sour and flaring, almost like fresh wood or herbs, or composted fruit, almost alcoholic, and off putting. I try not to smell my skin too closely. I remember that, "Hey! You don't oversniff your beloved Snake Oil like that! Get off it and let her get to know you!!!".

 

The drydown is quick and welcomed. She immediatly warms on my skin into a creamy, musky, sweet vanilla with a juicy bite of fruit. Oh, this is EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is like Snake Oil, Smut, and Hunger (only with dark red fruits and no flowers...but definately a similar dark, sexy, haughty, fruity feel) together, but and entity entirely her own. The notes blend beautifully...magically. I keep getting wafts of pomegranate as if I had just been eating one.

 

Totally dried out, this is just DIVINITY! It's transformative. My absolute favorite BPAL by far. I mean it. I am not just jumping on the bandwagon. I have found my signature scent. DH says it is PERFECTION, and that HE wants to wear it, too. Go for it, baby! Let's bathe in it together!

 

Oh...oh...oh...do I buy a ton or wait until I run out of one bottle????!!! Calm, calm...calming. It will be up for a year...up for a year...I can buy a bottle every month...and then 100 bottles at the end of the year!? I have never hoarded en mass. I am concerned about the fruit and red musk ageing(souring? fading?) but I must have a lifetime supply!

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you Beth. This is a dream come true!!!!!!!!!

 

ETA nearly a year later: this baby ages wonderfully...it just gets deeper, all of the edges round out. Just divine.

ETA Seven...omg...seven years later, she's still going strong. All the sharp edges rounded out...a juicy, smooth, dark fruity red musk, with sweet, sweet patchouli. I have bottles hoarded en mass.

Edited February 1, 2014 by lookingglass

[QueenFae]

A dark, intriguing scent. Definitely fitting for the "misfortune" teller. The red musk is on top, followed closely behind by the vanilla bean, which gives it a sexy yet smooth feel. The patchouli leaf is a rather strong note as well, and is definitely different from just a straight patchouli note. It reminds me a bit of tobacco leaf, but I do like it. I can't smell the pomegranate or the plum at all, which is a shame because those are two of my very favorites. But, I really like this scent. It's mysterious and knock - you - out sexy.

[smallvoice]

Patchouli and red musk do not like me. However, I knew I would hate myself if I didn't try this one and then ended up loving it way later. So I did a light swipe, and all I can smell is patchouli. It reminds me of Snake Oil, in that it's pretty much all I could smell in that blend, too. And I mean ALL. No amount of time brought any other note to the front, and it doesn't smell pretty on me. It smells like I've been rolling around in a pool of mud. Red musk usually makes friends with my allergies. However, as time lapses, I can smell other notes surfacing and gently soothing the patchouli. The musk takes a turn dominating the blend, with the patchouli sitting it out for a while, but... Hmm! It's sort of evening out! I can catch the fruitiness and a hint of vanilla, and this is interesting to me; I've never been able to wear patchouli. It's still a little bit earthier than I care for, but I must wear this out at least once before I pass final judgement- unless it goes wonky on me later. The blend itself is fantastic, though.

 

ETA: It doesn't go wonky on me! I like it, but I'm not sure I love it yet. Will add more later.

Edited September 27, 2006 by cordia

[portalkat]

I am not a huge fan of red musk, so I was a bit worried about this, but the minute it hits my skin, the vanilla comes out to add sweetness and creaminess. The juiciness of the fruits combine so beautifully with everything and I can't stop smelling my wrist. I would have bought it anyway, but the fact that I love it is a huge plus. It would have been so sad to not be able to wear Beth's blend.

[Capriquarius]

I was hoping with fingers crossed that this would be my perfect Snake Oil variant, since it is inspired by Beth herself, and I was not disappointed. This is just so creamy, spicy, and beautiful. I can't really describe it further than that, but I do know I need a couple more bottles of this before it is gone. Bravo!!

[Shannihilation]

In the bottle I get lots of musk and patchouli. But a soft patchouli. Not the overpowering bold patchouli. And behind that I can pick up just a touch of vanilla.

 

On my skin, Snake Oil. A darker, slightly bolder Snake Oil. It's bolder, but softer somehow. This is such a complex scent and while each sniff makes me think "Snake Oil" it's also not that exactly. It smells a bit different each time I sniff it. The different notes take turns being the dominant scent and they play hie and seek a bit. This is very sexy and soft dominant at the same time. Mysterious and enchanting. It's incredible.

[Little Bird]

I've gotten several bottles of this one over the last couple years, and every bottle smells different (which I've gotten from most of the Carnaval blends, they don't seem to be consistently blended at all, or it's like they ran out of components midway through the run and substituted something?). I have bottles that smell like all red musk, bottles that smell like red musk and pine, patchouli heavy bottles, and a bottle that smells like nothing but red fruit candy. They even all have different oil colors (from clear to intensely dark red)...

Edited November 8, 2012 by Little Bird

[Dinerdulcinea]

imp:earth and pale wood like Destroying Angel smells to me, with some far away sweet fruit.

 

wet: it's funny, but my skin seems to suck it all up. It becomes faint.

 

dry: this is VERY much like Destroying Angel on me. I can't believe it! Whatever in in Destroying Angel...I am getting the same note here VERY strongly with some extra notes very faintly.

 

I am shocked this is not more different on me! How odd!

 

UPDATE: I did a quick small test on the other arm and I got a lot more musk and some plum, which was nice...but the same woody note was still there too much. All in all, it makes it too manly on me.

Edited October 1, 2006 by Dinerdulcinea

[Nemesister]

wet this smells medicinal. herby and green but with snake oil in the background. it's like layering snake oil over muscle linament!

 

not sure i like this. i'm going to age it a bit and see whether as usually happens the medicinal, earthy scents fade and the spices come out stronger.

[Electra]

I smell like pencils.

 

Damnit.

 

Stupid body chemistry.

[minnalavender]

I love Mme. Moriarty not just because it's so beautiful, but because it marks the first time in my short BPAL addiction that I knew a scent would work perfectly me on me due to the notes listed.

I can identify some notes!!

*ahem* Sorry, but I think that's cool.

 

I knew the Mme. would be beautiful, and she is. Oh. If my beloved Snake Charmer had a lovechild with Smut, it would be this scent - except she's lighter and more plum/fruity than either of her parents. As in Schwarzer Mond, the patchouli is wonderfully understated and rich.

 

This is a multiple-bottle hoarder, for sure.

[pekeana]

Mme. Moriarty... oh, you are such a card.

 

Every time I put her on, she immediately reeks to high heaven of patchouli and fig leaf -- it's dark, earthy, and overwhelmingly green. But then, after an hour or so, the pomegranate and musk peek out and tame the patchouli and fig leaf to a gentle scent reminiscent of Snake Charmer: but with patchouli instead of amber.

 

But to give you an idea -- my skin amps pomegranate to the point that that's all you can smell in a blend. For the patchouli to beat it out at any stage in the game tells you just how much my skin amps patchouli in comparison.

[ocicat]

Patchouli. Full stop.

 

No matter how much I put on, or how long I leave it, this never changes into anything but straight up patchouli.

 

So sad because I ADORE the other notes in this!!

[ladygwyn]

I agree with a lot of the comparisions to Smut on this one. I kind of hate Snake Oil, but I might have to give it another shot now, if it's similar.

 

In the bottle, this smells fantastic. It reminds me of being in college and incense and ren faire and a bunch of other lovely things all rolled into one. It's exactly what walking into a fortune teller's tent should smell like. However, BPAL patchouli and I have a notorious history. I actually like the smell of patchouli, but BPAL's does something bad on me, so I was a little wary of the patchouli leaf.

 

Once I put this on, the first thing that pops out is the red musk, which I recognize from Smut, and is lovely and dark on me. Then the patchouli comes out to play, and I got a little concerned. Eventually it mellowed out into the same smell as in the bottle, the fruits and vanilla keeping the musk and patchouli in check. I definitely like this one, and was lucky enough to get the empty bottle from the decant circle I was in, so I think I will be looking for an extra imp or two to add to it. It's a little darker scent than I wear everyday, but definitely a keeper.

[fiddlehead]

I knew this would be a favorite. Wafts of Snake Oil, Snake Charmer, patchouli (nice, like tea leaves not hippie) and plum with red musk. Can't smell the pomagranate. It morphs like crazy. It's a very complex scent, for sure.

 

I may need a bottle of this if I get through my imp. Thank goodness it's up until 2007!

 

 

 

ETA: I've been wearing this a lot lately and I've decided that it is better and more interesting than either Snake Oil or Snake Charmer. I compared it with Snake Charmer today and though SC is nice it really doesn't have the depth and complexity of Mme. Moriarty. When I'm done with my imp I'm ordering a bottle, no question

Edited October 3, 2006 by fiddlehead

[Reinaluna]

Misfortune Teller: Well, I do not see a whole lot of difference between this one and Snake Charmer, just a hair of off. This is like Snake Charmers fraternal twin lo. I like it though.