Antonino, The Carny Talker

[Voleuse]

White musk, wild plum, vetiver, black coconut, verbena, fig, and lavender.

The verbena blooms first, quickly followed by the lavender. Pretty, though a little bath-gel-ish. As it dries, I get a bit of musk...but that's it. Alas! This is pretty, but not for what I'd hoped. Edited September 19, 2007 by Shollin

[ViolentKitten]

Antoninio is appropriately convivial, with just a hint of darkness. He starts out cool on my skin with a light and zesty verbena and a touch of lavender which combines perfectly with the tart (and a little sweet, but not candy sweet) wild plum. I don’t pick up any coconut, which is strange, because it usually amps on my skin big-time. Antoninio reminds me a little of The Bow and Crown of Conquest but with the tart plum note and no leather. I think Antoninio could be worn by either sex, it seems to be right in between. Final dry-down is lightly herbal, but mostly musky dark plum. I love this one.

Edited January 1, 2007 by ViolentKitten

[cranberry]

In the imp, I smell verbena, coconut and fig or plum.

 

On the skin, the verbena stands out most prominently. The fig and/or plum show themselves a bit and add a roundness and depth to this scent. There’s a sharpness here that I’m not sure is only attributable to the verbena. This is pretty, but the verbena is sooooo strong. I don’t generally care for lemon scents but I’m liking this one more than I would have thought.

 

After this has been on a while, the fig and plum become much more prominent, and the coconut makes a reappearance. Now the verbena is only a light tartness in the background. I like this stage much more and now this smells purple, and makes me think of Purple Phoenix even though they do smell very different.

 

I like this scent a lot but I’m not sure that I’d wear it much.

[emerald_ibis]

In the bottle: lemon. Lots of lemon, and a touch of something herbal. Maybe a dash of coconut.

 

on wet: still lemon. Verbena has taken over. There's still a touch of something herbal, which I take to be the lavender. No coconut whatsoever.

 

dry: at first there is nothing but sweetness and light. Antonio is cheerfully beckoning you towards his innocent little sideshow. However, that sweetness and light fades and the rich plum comes out to play. The plum has brought out the musk as well, and the scent is starting to go much deeper.

 

On me, Antonio dries down to a lighter cousin of Mme. Moriarty (which I take to be the fact that this is white musk instead of red). This would be much better suited for warmer weather than Mme. Moriarty, but they have the same feel on me. They share the same beautiful, rich plum note. I will be buying more of this.

[nikkoblue]

wet: verbena. again, i like verbena so this is OK

 

starting to dry: verbena, lavender, and a little musk poking through. this is a nice stage, very straightforward in a clean way.

 

Dry: oo! nice. I've got musk with a touch of plum and verbena....the lavender has taken the background and i'm getting the slightest touch of the vetiver to soften all the brightness. I'm not getting any fig or coconut, but that's good. i don't really like coconut.

 

THis is really nice! I got it as a swap and am oh so happy!

[Rheliwen]

I smelled this at a MnS a couple of months ago and was really intrigued despite my dreaded vetiver being listed in the note description. I hesitated to try it out for the longest time until and transaction placed an imp in my lap.

 

I have to say that I am going to have to re-evaluate my distaste for vetiver. I can really get to like it in small, light doses like it is represented here.

 

Immediately on my skin I almost get a fizzy cola vibe from it. The fizz is most definitely from the interaction between the powdery lavender and verbena. I really like it in this stage.

 

As it dried the verbena really kicks it up a notch and threatens to ruin the blend for me. However, I think the plum, musk and vetiver have teamed up against the little guy. I don't get much coconut and fig other than an unstated creaminess, a roundess if you will. Figs are so hard to describe but if you've ever eaten one and love the texture and really subtle taste then you'll know how its playing in this scent.

 

Overall I really like this and am glad I'm stepping outside my comfort zone. Perfumed Garden proved to me that jasmine can be nice. Antonino proved the same for vetiver.

[minnalavender]

Can't believe I've never reviewed this scent! It's one of my faves from the Carnavale.

 

In the bottle and on my skin, Antonino is mostly lemon verbena, fig, and a touch of lavender. No coconut and no vetiver, which is quite strange as my skin amps vetiver. In this stage, it reminds me of a grownup lemon drop, sugary sweet and tart, but with something herbal, almost sage-ish, and mature beneath the sweetness. Very unisex - this would smell delicious on the right man, too.

 

The throw is slight to none - this is definitely a nuzzling type of fragrance - but it lasts forever. This is one I'd love to smell a trace of on the pillowcases in the morning.

 

As it dries down it becomes the most delicious wisp of figgy lemon sweetness, kept from innocence by the musk. Oh, how I love musk! It's got to be the sexiest note in the world; combined with the delicious lemon verbena it's both crisp and erotic. Antonino smells so good I could eat my arm. This scent will be in heavy rotation this summer during the warm evenings when I want to feel alluring, yet need something that isn't too heavy. We have a winnar!

[everanything]

In the imp: lemon pledge GAH. I blame the verbena. Apparently, anything with verbena overwhelms the rest of the scent.

 

Wet, it smelled like lemon pledge still, with the bitter note I got from the coconut in MB:Underbed. I waited for the fig and the plum to come in with the help of the lavender, which I normally dislike, but anything would've been better than the citrus, even a floral. Sadly, no.

 

Dry: citrus, soap powder and dirt. Ah, white musk and vetiver, how you unite in your hatred of me.

 

Two hours later, the pledge smell is finally gone, but I hate the verbena. Damn it and its citrusy dominance on my skin!

[Mimicake]

I am so glad I got this one! It is definitely complex and interesting. The notes prevalent to me are the lavender, and something which smells like lemon-orange. It is sharp and citrus, and I don't get any of the other notes that are mentioned. Where for art thou, fig? I could see myself wearing this one daily though. It is bright and uplifting. The bottle art is great too.

[poisons_sanity]

This one freaks me out a bit. Oh yes, pun totally intended. In my scent locket it smells aquatic for some reason, but on my skin it smells like nothing but lemon and sugar. It reminds me of lemonade. I like it, I'm just very confused to the point where I keep sniffing my wrist, then my locket, then my wrist, then my locket. Pouts. I have a headache now.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

lavender and sharp vetiver

 

On me:

Goes on zesty and bright with a clean vibe. It says fig, plum and coconut but I'm getting a sort of lemony smell to be honest. I do start to get a fig/coconut combo, which is airy and bright and a little green (not very coconut-y) - it makes me think of Eden quite a bit actually. It's kind of like Eden with an herbal and clean/citrus edge. Like a lot of other people are getting - the verbena is bright, lemony and zesty for me.

 

This scent is definitely unisex and pleasant - it seems like the kind of scent people would want to wear in summer and it's very uplifting.

 

Final note:

Not at all what I expected from the notes listed - this is a bright and zesty summer scent that makes me think "clean"

[harmonyfb]

I confess, this was a huge surprise. I expected it to be uber-masculine - between the vetiver and the lavender, I thought it would be much like any other 'gentleman's blend'. Boy, was I wrong!

 

In the imp it was kind of sharp-smelling, and I wrinkled my nose at it, expecting it to be godawful on my skin.

 

Wet, it resolved into loud lavender.

 

Dry? It's this gorgeous complex lavender scent, sweet without being cloying, old-fashioned without being old-ladyish. It has a faint suggestion of dusting powder that serves to keep it soft and gentle without slipping into baby powder. Just beautiful. I traded for the bottle thinking it would be good for my husband, but I'm keeping it for me.

 

ETA: Today, I went to put it on, seeking the lovely complex lavender, and got...lemon. This seriously smells like a lemon drop. I picked the bottle up three times to make sure I had the right one. It's just another lesson that I should try perfumes periodically all month, and not just make decisions based on one day's wear.

Edited July 25, 2007 by harmonyfb

[alicia_stardust]

Antonino is definitely a men's scent, to my nose at least. I get a sweet kick of verbena on top of all else, with a touch of musk and coconut and lavender. The fig is there, albeit faintly. This has a nice charismatic charm to it.

[angelfish323]

Whoa. This is a serious morpher on me. It dries as if it were a completely different blend than when I initially put it on. I sniffed it every couple of minutes for 10-15 . . .

 

It starts out as a sweet lemon, with a hint of lavender and maybe some vetiver in the background. (I am shocked that this barely comes out at all during all of its phases!) As it starts to dry, but while still wet, it gets sweeter. This is my favorite stage - it's almost a light sugary lemon. The plum starts to come out after several minutes, along with a faint powdery note. 15 minutes or so in, almost completely dry, and it's a plum/fig/white musk blend. Pretty, but I have other fig/plum related blends that I like more. It's much less masculine, more gender neutral, than I expected it to be. I keep looking for a lemon blend that I love, and if this had stayed somewhere in the middle of its metamorphosis, this could have been a contender . . . Ah well.

[jsn]

This really does smell like the carnival to me. Not a big throw and I have to agree with an earlier post the dry down does smell alot like a lemfast onon drop just a tad less sweet. I like it alot but it just fades to much on my skin. After an hour I have to try to smell it.

[Shollin]

First sniff: From the vial this is bright and playful, a liberal dousing of verbena grounded by a little something earthier, but exactly what that might be isn’t apparent just yet.

 

Wearing: Still very citrus. The fig hangs out behind trying to make itself known, but for now the verbena is just too loud for anyone else to get a sniff in edgewise. After a few minutes the verbena chills out a bit and the musk starts to smolder through from underneath, all warm and round and seductive… mmm. The coconut keeps peeking out from time to time, but for the most part it’s musky lemon.

 

Unfortunately, after it dries all the way, the vetiver shows up and does its swampy thing. It’s faint, but definitely noticeable on my wrists.

[mspixieears]

When I first apply this I get the lemon verbena and a freshness that I assume is the lavender. Because of the lavender, it is a very calming, soporific blend. The lemon verbena note protrudes a little too much for my liking – I know that citrus notes tend to be quite volatile so perhaps it’ll die down later on? It’s beginning to dry down and the wild plum is emerging which adds to the sensuality of this fragrance as it’s becoming really dominant. I can smell it better from afar than up close (when I put my nose close to my wrist I still get the lemon verbena). Finally, I recall what it reminds me of – a milder Bathsheba which I much prefer to this, I think. This does however have excellent throw.

[taramarie]

Wet on my skin, Antonino is lemon and coconut over musk. That quickly changes to just lemon. Someone with more compatible skin chemistry can enjoy this.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, Antonino starts with the sharpness of vetiver and lavender - light and refreshing.

 

On my skin, it's mostly lemon verbena at first - very light and clear.

 

Dry, it's all plum and fig - rich, sweet - with just the faintest backing of musk (depth, warmth) and lavender (light, a little sharp). Definitely a winner!

[alianthe]

In the imp: Sharp and high, almost piney, with a bitterness that is bright (shiny!) in character. Underneath is just a hint of a thread of a smidgen of sweetness. Sharply and gratingly unpleasant, but strangely attractive.

 

On my skin: Starts out burstingly sweet and sharp and almost woody. Definitely getting the fruityness, but it doesn't quite smell like actual fruit. After a while it gets woodier and less sweet, and finally settles down to a soft, orangy (color, not fruit) musky woody warmth.

 

Conclusions: Definitely a keeper! The idea of mixing vetiver with sweetie fruits and musk was a very good one - it's not so bitter it bites you, not so sweet it amps up and becomes tooth-rotting on me, and has a delightful depth and well-blended dichotomy of character.

[arabella]

First Impression: Barely there musk.

 

Dries down to: Watery fruit custard.

 

Additional Comments: I don't know why but I can barely smell this at all. It's as if the blend were watered down; yet, it's not aquatic in the least. Too bad because what's there is pretty but not worth the effort.

 

Lasted: Less than an hour.

 

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

[alsatia]

Expectations: Rich musky fruits.

 

In vial: Spicy fig on a bed of flowers.

 

On skin, wet: Oh, ew. Musky and way too much lavender. This is the worst case of toilet paper roll holder I've ever experienced.

 

On skin, dry: I get it now. It's lavender and verbena combined that causes problems for me. That's all I'm smelling in this.

 

After time: After 15 minutes the verbena and lavender are calming down a bit and blending with the rest of the notes. It's actually close to a lighter version of how it smelled in the vial. Not bad from a distance. After 30 minutes, I'm having trouble smelling anything at all.

 

Conclusion: This would require heavy application, and with the ickiness of the initial stages that would be very unpleasant.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Medium amber coloured oil. Verbena, white musk, lavender, and coconut. Hints of smoke and fruit. Fresh, clean, exotic, and pretty unisex.

 

Wet: Coconut and lavender amp to be on par with those first two notes in the wet stage, and I'm getting a little of that deep earthy fig. It's a tad sweeter, but still not what I'd call sweet; it's just more rounded with fruit and grounded by herb.

 

Dry: Okay, the verbena has amped, or the other notes have faded, because it's totally in command right now, even though the 3 other power notes are holding strong below it, vying for a somewhat distant 3-way tied second place. Plum, where are you? There's a bit more fig, but that faint suggestion of smoky vetiver never progressed further, and to me it sort of seems merged with the coconut, which is definitely dark and not foody.

 

Later: Ahh, finally, about an hour later, the verbena has blended with the other strong notes, almost but not quite seamlessly. It's still quite a citrusy and fresh blend, but a much smoother one now. Vetiver, too, has appeared, adding a lovely light smoky earthiness that blends with the rich, slightly sweet fig. A tiny, tiny glimmer of almost grapey-plum flits through; sort of tart yet very ripe, I guess that's the 'wild' part - it's almost a bit herbal and blends with the lavender. Lots of matched pairs here, like a complex but well executed courtly dance.

 

Summary: The vetiver and tartly fruity wild plum take over after a few hours, bizarrely, though the former never becomes unpleasant, just stays darkly earthy and bit smoky-spicy, but not acrid or overwhelming. Some bright musk, herbal lavender, smooth coconut, deep fig and a faint touch of lemony verbena do remain though, making this very well-balanced, if not an incredible morpher. Sexy, dark, and very unisex. Brilliant balancing of notes and layers of complexity. Decent throw but rather poor lasting power.

 

I like the mid stage best, but I enjoyed all the stages; they intrigued me. I don't quite think this is *me*, but I like smelling it. It could be ravishing on the right person, so I think I'll hang onto it for people in my life who could pull this off just right.

Edited May 21, 2008 by fairnymph

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Soft and slightly sweetened white musk and lavender.

 

Immediately on skin: As soon as I put this on, I can smell the dry black coconut, verbena, and plum which mix with the musk and lavender I got straight from the imp. This is deep, herbal, and slightly musky, with hints of sweet and dry notes. There is a slight bitterness creeping about the scent though.

 

After a little while: This deepens to a dark, musky herbal scent with an overtone of plum and verbena. I can smell hints of the black coconut and vetiver swirling throughout. This almost has an earthy feel to it, but not in a dirt sort of way. The black coconut gives it a very grounded feel when combined with the vetiver.

 

Overall Impressions: This is a dark scent. It’s very complex, but it’s one of those scents that are so well blended that it’s hard to pick out the notes individually. I can sense what most of them add to the blend though. This is rich and deep with a slight bitterness and nice subtly sweet overtone. I think this might work on a man, especially if the plum doesn’t come out as much as it did on me. This scent actually reminds me a bit of Dark Delicacies, only this isn’t as smoky and Antonino has that nice plum note. They only have the coconut in common possibly, so I’m not sure how similar they would smell to anyone else. Personally though I am a fan of DD, and I really enjoy this scent as well.

[motdakasha]

In the bottle:

Rating: 3

Notes: lavender, verbena, wild plum

Comment: Very sharp floral.

Wet on skin:

Rating: 4

Notes: lavender, verbena, wild plum, vetiver, black coconut

Comment: The lavender is more obvious than anything else. I think I tend to amp floral notes.

Dry on skin:

Rating: 5

Notes: white musk, black coconut, verbena

Scent Intensity: 4

Comment: Warm musk and creamy coconut, so delicious.

Misc:

Duration: ~3 Hrs

Keyword(s): musk, cream

Color: N/A

Smells like: N/A

Edited July 2, 2008 by Akasha Tsang
Removed Lab description --Shollin