Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller (2006)

[Toby]

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

Hmmm, interesting. A very well-blended, complex scent; it reminds me of something, definitely, but I can't quite think what. One of the leather scents, I think, without the leather.

It doesn't smell fruity at all to me; it's spicy, though I can pick up some vanilla undertones and quite a bit of patchouli. I can't quite decide if I like it; it's a beautiful scent, but patchouli always makes me wrinkle my nose, so I'll have to let it dry and see what I think then.

[jewelbug]

 

Imp: A red musk/patchouli combo. Very sexy, but I hope the fruits and nilla come out once it hits my skin!

 

Wet: Oh, wow! There is the vanilla. This is a really dark red vanilla. I can’t help but be reminded of Dragons milk (red nilla), but this has spicier earthier edge, which is perfect cuz Dragon's Milk is too sweet for me—Mme. is like Scherezade meets Dragon's Milk. I’m not detecting any fruits yet.

 

 

Dry: I’m starting to smell plum on the outside edges of the vanilla sexiness. It is a good thing indeed! Unfortunately, Mme. Moriarty is showing her relastionship to snake oil, because around the first 30-1hr mark, this does a weird syntheticy thing on me (like SO), but its not as strongly so as SO was. By 2-3 hours in its gone and I can seriously smell the plum/patchouli/musk/vanilla combo, and the plum is gorgeous once it makes its full appearance. Luckily, the syntheticy part is fairly short lived, so it just might be worth it…. Lasts about 7 hrs.

 

Verdict: I just know this one will age beautifully, and I think that will probably get rid of the syntheticy bit on me, too. I’m tempted to buy a bottle just to age it and see. I’d have a while to age it as a test before I need to decide on multiple bottles.

 

Edited to add: The red musk/patchouli in this turned out to be too much for me to grab for on a daily basis, and the syntheticy skin chem thing combined to make this a swap. Sent it along to a new home quite a while ago.

Edited August 4, 2014 by jewelbug

[abejita]

Wow. The things aging an oil, even a little bit, can really do.

 

I hated this one on first application. All I smelled was a jumble of notes, dominated by a dirty-smelling patchouli and indistinct red fruitiness. I put my decant away to try again. Second try was the same.

 

Tonight I thought I'd give it another whirl. It's like a totally different oil. The patchouli of Snake Oil is here, I think. The plum is deep and rich, the pomegranate tart and juicy. The vanilla is just luscious. And beneath it all, the musk sweetens and deepens.

 

So this goes off my "no way" list to my "buy one bottle to wear, one to age a long time."

[zombiegrrl]

On me it smells like musk with vanilla undertones at first, but then mellows to vanilla with fruity hints. Not an everyday scent for me, but I do like it. It starts off a bit stronger than I would ideally like, but is quite nice once it mellows.

[zankoku_zen]

Again, thanks to the wonderful jewelbug.

 

In the imp: Plumy and floral and patchouli.

 

On Skin: Patchouli and musky.

 

On Drydown: EWWWWWWWw. I smell like a sweaty man. This really breaks my heart, because out of the CD scents out there at the moment, this one was one of the one's I really wanted to try and hope it would work out. I don't understand. Red musk and me usually get along so well.

 

Verdict: Broken hearted. Honestly.

 

The boy: EWWW. What's that?

 

...

 

Still brokenhearted.

[Naamah_Darling]

Oh! Musk, musk, musk, nice to meet you! And patchouli.

 

On, this smooths from the initial rough and tumble into a throaty new-agey scent that is just slightly sweetened by the plum and vanilla. And . . . pomegranate! Yes, just a hint.

 

This is marvelously dark and swirling, complex and earthy, a close-in skin scent that is not overpowering but is certainly intoxicating. The sweet notes are all in the middle third, sandwiched between the musk and the patchouli, so this is not overly sugary or foody. A very close whiff brings up the sweetness of the vanilla and pomegranate along with a sharp, woody tingle of the patchouli.

 

The notes keep playing with each other, bouncing off each other, interacting in strange and unexpected ways. This patchouli is interesting – it's very green, with a hint of sap. That must be the leaf that I'm smelling, because it's almost evergreen in tone, while still retaining that patchouli purr. It's almost . . . almost like cedar. The sweetness of the fruit leavens it, but this is by no means a sweet scent. The sugary notes are definitely in the backseat here, adding atmosphere, not body.

 

It's a very sophisticated and adult blend, slightly heavier on the musk than the patchouli, and it's got a lot of stay. This one is light, but it lingers for hours, and the final phase of it is a simply gorgeous spiced patchouli musk that just begs for cuddling and pillow-talk. A little like Snake Oil, what with its depth and spiciness and strong patchouli.

[Monster]

Good GOD!!!! After reading all of the reviews, I knew I was going to like this and had really high expectations but I didn't expect it to smell THIS GOOD!!!!

 

Out of the bottle I smell I sweet, smoky plum with just a touch of pomegranate.

On my skin, wet this is a dark, dark plum with a warm resin scent holding everything together. The pomegranate isn't apparent on me at all.

 

As this dries the musk takes center stage and the vanilla starts to come out..but just a bit. The final dry down is a warm, resiny musk with just a hint of vanilla and the leftover sweetness from the fruit. This is absolutely incredible! The throw is amazing too.

 

Mme Moriarty is one of those scents I instantly fell in love with, much like Snake Charmer and Urd. I will be needing at least two additional bottles of this!

[storme]

In the imp: mm red musk and vanilla and plum. Ohboy that's nice.

 

On me, wet: RED MUSK and vanilla bean and a tiny hint of patchouli leaf making it even sultrier. Wow.

 

On me, dry: I can't talk logically about a scent where red musk is this prominent. It is very sexy and yummy and lovely, even though it fades a little fast for my liking.

 

Verdict: Delicious. I will be keeping this around, yes indeed.

[The_Merf]

In the bottle: This doesn't come off as a musk blend at all. If it reminds me of anything, it reminds me of Alecto, even though that scent uses olive and raspberry leaf. I can also detect the plum.

 

Wet: This is gorgeous! I can see why the scent has garnered such praise. It's very complex. The patchouli leaf gives it a bit of that patchouli earthiness, but the plum and vanilla work to keep it sweep and allow it to morph a little bit.

 

Drydown and wear: I'm sad to say that this is just gone after 30 minutes. I cannot detect it, and I marked where I put it on my skin. Given its short lifespan, and the fact that it does remind me a lot of Alecto, I decided to swap the bottle to one of this scent's many die-hard fans. It's still such a lovely blend though!

[azhure]

In the vial: A complex and heady blend. I get a lot of the patchouli leaf.

 

Wet: This seems a chaotic blend on me at first - the notes seem to fight with each other for dominance. The plum wins out.

 

Drydown: Faintly musky and not much else. I am sad, because I thought this would work on me.

[Dinah]

Weirdly medicinal, with a heavy whiff of patchouli and that same not that made Smut not work for me. There is something sweet and herbal and it all reminds me of cough syrup or some other concoction from my childhood. I guess my chemistry isn't too happy about the Madame.

 

I don't get plum or anything fruity, I don't get vanilla, and it is in fact getting very faint the more it dries. There are hints of red musk with patchouli, but that's the only thing lingering and it's barely there.

 

I just wish what it reminded me of, I cannot place it and it's driving me wild.

[luna65]

Thanks to Blood onmy hands for the decant.

 

Decant: Fruity and resinous, thoroughly sensuous.

 

Skin: The pomegranate is a nice high note, just a little bite. The red musk makes such a great base for all of this, amplifying the sweetness while keeping it somewhat earthy and thick (with the help of the patchouli and vanilla bean).

 

Drydown: This is so sexy in a darkly pretty sort of way, almost a subversion of expectations of the feminine principle (much as the subject is not quite the divinator we hope for). There's nothing entirely prevalent in the end save a sense of the juiciness of the plum. . .it's just a wall of lush splendor, dizzingly captivating.

[neuilly]

This is a bit too heavy on the patchouli for me, it's simply not a note I can pull off. However, I love the scent without the patchouli note! Red musk with a touch of plum and vanilla, mmm. But the patchouli gives it a gritty earthy feel that really isn't my style.

[Phaedra]

Wet- ahhh...red musk which I love. It's very reminiscent of Scherezade and Snake Oil at this point. When first on it's a much softer red musk and warm vanilla. There's also a floral quality to it. This is another one of Beth's complex, exotic blends that she does so well. Resins, incense, musk, patchouli, mysterious and sensual. Fans of Scherezade and Snake Oil are sure to love this one. Wonderful!

[biernaise]

Now that this bottle has aged a little, I get the distinct aroma of Dr. Pepper! Anyone else smell this?

[chrisann]

Oh my GOD!! This is insanely devine. I can hardly get my thoughts togeather. MUST buy more. Holy Schnikie....

 

Wet: I can hardly remember wet. I'm fainting and goggley eyed by the '30 minutes into it' phase. I seem to recall, spicey/ musky/patchouli with a softer twist.

 

Can I talk about how it is now???? Holy crowley batman. I'm INTOXICATED!!! Sniff. sigh. sniff.

 

Go buy some now!! It's what I wished Snake Charmer was on me. I have to do some clever mixing with SC to get it to make magic on me, but this is truely hands down, drool worthy.

[Pookstrell]

OMG!

 

Flying Pizza very kindly sent me an imp of this when she spotted it on my wishlist

 

This is absolutely fabulous. As someone else has already suggested, it is a cross between Dragon's Milk and Snake Oil. Snake Oil is somewhat strong on me, and Dragon's Milk can be a little bit 'gooey' so they are both occasional scents on me.

 

But... this

 

Red musk is my absolute favourite note, and it gives this blend a warm sexy feel. The vanilla makes this deliciously sweet, and the patchouli stops it from becoming too girly. If there are fruits in this, they are milky and subtly blended and I am unable to identify them separately. I will wear this a lot!

 

I immediately ordered 5ml even though I CANNOT afford it. I will also be trawling swap boards for more. Ah, I wish that I had the money to buy multiples right now. (And I never buy multiples!)

Edited December 4, 2006 by Pookstrell

[Dymphna]

In the imp: Very strong, reminds me of incense and heavy ritual oils. The red musk is there, but drowned out by a dark, fruity note (the pomegranate and plum).

 

Wet: Whoa, red musk. Not rampant, but very much present, thick and oily (that's how red musk usually goes on me) and predictably reminiscent of Snake Oil. There's something almost piney along with it, too.

 

Dry: In addition to the red musk, there's now a sharp, woodsy scent like pencil shavings. It's weird and not much fun to smell at all.

 

I knew this would probably smell a bit like Snake Oil, but I needed to try it anyway. I mean, a card reader scent! How could I not? But this is no good on me. It actually smells rather bad on me--just like Snake Oil. Sigh.

 

Edit: I'm editing this two years later, though I'm not sure anyone will see the edit. Does anyone but me read the long review threads from the beginning? Anyway, two and a half years after I got the decant, I tried it again and fell. in. love. I've hardly been able to wear anything but this since it started working for me...hmmm...eleven days ago. The red musk is sort of there in the imp and for the first minute or two after I put it on, but it's very subdued. And the patchouli leaf is DIVINE, like spicy herbal incense. The plum and pomegranate aren't very prominent, more a rich, velvety, purple-red background. The vanilla only appears far into the drydown, and it smells like cookies! OMG, this scent rocks. It morphs from sexy to cozy and back again. Mmmm, I love it! I've already begun hoarding more so I can age it.

Edited December 6, 2008 by Dymphna

[gingersnapp]

Snake Oil. But as if Snake Oil had been made into incense and burned on my flesh.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Fruity tobacco, kind of like cough medicine. I hope this smells as good on me as it does in the bottle.

 

Wet on me - Very faint, but dark and spicy. The red musk is prevelant, but I also get a hint of cocoa.

 

Dry on me - First I get red musk and leather and then the vanilla/rubber/leather scent I get from Tombstone, before finally settling doen to a barely there sweet musk, with a dash of coconut.

 

Overall - This is a diverse blend. I like the various parts, but it changes so much I don't know if I would every wear it.

[Iceblink]

So this is red musk. WOW. This is an amazing blend. I get a bit of the "Is that Snake Oil?" whiff in the first 5 minutes and it's a heady mix of fruit, vanilla, and musk from then on. Sexy and complex and...it smells *expensive*. And lasts for hours! I need more.

[jessiesquash]

I thought there was no way this would smell good on me. People were comparing it to Snake Oil and Smut (both of which hated me) but I got myself an imp so that I could try. I am SO glad that I did! It's amazing! In the bottle, I swear it smells just like Voodoo. I second the Dr. Pepper thing because that's exactly what it smells like to me. Fortunately, on me, it doesn't stay that way. Wet on I got a lot of spice and definitely red musk with just a touch of patchouli. As it dries, the spices mellow and the vanilla emerges along with what I swear is sandalwood...although I've been known to smell sandalwood all over the place whether its actually there or not. It's in the background but it's the same note that I love in Underpants. I don't get any of the fruit, which is a blessing for me since we don't get along at all.

 

Conclusion: I LOVE this. It's not as long lasting as I had hoped but it's amazing and I can always apply. I'm going to need a couple of bottles. This is also the first CD scent that has truly worked. Hurray!

Edited December 13, 2006 by Jessie

[L-z_Empress]

When I first opened my bottle of Mme Moriarty, I said to myself "This! This is what everyone has been raving about!". Fortunately, I know that sniffing oils from the bottle can be deceiving so I put the oil on and it still did not smell like anything that I wanted to smell like. It was just this musky scent. Luckily, what I got in the end was not at all similar to the scent when wet. Mme Moriarty is a fruity without being immature scent. It has a base of deep vanilla and it smells like the sexiest, most feminine tease that you ever did meet. I love this one and am glad that it's going to be around until September 2007.

 

Adding these comments 24 hours after the first review: I am wearing the scent again today and it's a bit of a cross between Black Phoenix, Lampades, and Snake Charmer. It has this strange quality where it's creates a cloud of wafty, lovely scent around me, but when I smell my skin, it's only a very light scent. I'm not sure how such a light scent can have so much throw, but it's very warm and sexy It also lasted on my skin all day yesterday until I bathed.

Edited December 28, 2006 by L-z_Empress

[elka_knits]

Oh No! I purchased multiple bottles of this unsniffed and in the bottle~ yummmmm but on me.... My left wrist smells like Salmiakki which has to be one of the nastiest tastes ever. Actually it doesn't smell like Salmiakki it smells like how Salmiakki tastes. Meanwhile my left elbow is burning and smells kinda good~ lemony but good. Why in the world am I getting lemon? Nope the lemon faded and there is the Salmiakki again. Thankfully my right wrist and elbow just ate up the frangrance and nothing is discenable. I can only pray that this stuff will age into something reasonably wearable because I have 4 bottles of it.... Cursed skin chemistry turning goodness into Salmiakki that has fallen into a dusty pit of musty dusty grossness... It just keeps turning uglier and uglier as I type. Please fade *fast*

 

I will edit this if it gets reasonable within the hour otherwise I'm taking a bath then cause I think I deserve a medal for wearing this that long

 

 

It has been 3 days and I keep wearing this hoping it will work~ I get extremely ill for the first few hours and then it mellows into yumm. I hope aging will get rid of the ill part because the mellowed version is unbelievably beautiful

Edited December 29, 2006 by elka

[Vampy]

I like this, but I wish I got a little more patchouli out of it and a little less vanilla. My skin always amps vanilla, and I'm rather sensitive to it (gives me a headache if it's too strong,) so I'll only be able to wear this in very small amounts.

 

Those who said it was like a milder snake oil are right, I think - it's got that smoky sweetness, but less overpoweringly sweet.

 

I get VANILLA in all caps, with a dark, tart fruitiness underscoring it, and just a breath of musky patchouli and smoke.