Wanda

[CitizenBree]

Along with Loviatar, she has become something of a Patron Goddess of all Dominatrixes, Wanda is the breathtakingly beautiful sable-wrapped marble queen of Sacher-Masoch's fantasies. Her scent is a deep red merlot with a faint hint of leather, sexual musk and body heat over crushed roses, violets and myrtle.

In the imp, Wanda is very boozey. This is the first time I've been able to really pick out the ~booze~ in something. It's got that little something that makes the back of your throat tingle. If you like booze, it's a good thing! That scent is coming from the wine, which takes on a very strong purple grape smell.

However, that's all somewhat lost once you put on. I can't tell exactly what it is, I think it's just a sweet blend of everything in the description. I kinda get Whip out of this, which makes sense since this has rose and leather also. Whip is much more rosey, while this is more generic floral.

It definitely makes me feel sexy though. Sweet musk. I might buy a bottle of this over a bottle of Whip. Edited February 16, 2010 by CitizenBree

[SophieCedar]

In imp: this comes across as that grape juice sugary sweetness and I really can't pick anything else out at this point

 

Wet: starts to open up and I can smell a touch of rose however still really sweet like horreur sympathique. Probably something about the musk combo that preserves the grape juice and amps it? The leather comes out but is dry and light.

 

Drydown: This is where it turns lovely on me. The flowers round out and I can smell elements of each plant: rose, violet, and myrtle. The leather stays in check similar to High Priest Not To Be Described or Bow and Crown of Conquest. The grape burst was fast and leaves only a slight heavy sweetness in the background. Very nice!

[melrose]

In imp and first on: Grape Nehi from my childhood. I am instantly back in my grandparents' neighborhood, going up the old brick steps of the general store, pushing open the screen door, pulling a cold Grape Nehi in a glass bottle from the large bucket of ice next to the cash register, and charging it to my grandfather's account - what a sweet memory. I might get a bottle of Wanda just to relive that.

 

Soon, the grape changes to wine rounded out by soft florals and a hint of something that must be the leather - this stage is lovely.

 

All too soon, my skin drank it all up.

[Lysi]

This, to me, smelled like someone took Whip out drinking. As inexperienced as my poor little nose is, I could smell the wine, leather, and rose right away. Mmm, sophisticated leathery roses. I love the combo but wish it had lasted longer. The longer I wore it, the more it faded into just soft rose with no other notes coming out. I'll definitely try it again though!

[sarielswish]

In the vial, it smells kind of like cherry cough syrup or really concentrated koolaid. Color, blood red.

 

Wet on my skin, it smells like ultra-sweet red wine and suede. I <3 that. The violet note is nowhere to be found and I'm perfectly happy with that.

 

10-15 minute drydown - Now I'm getting just a tiny bit of the musk and roses and I think this is, so far, the only blend with violets and roses that hasn't made me want to dig my sinus cavities out with a dremel tool. I <3 it muchly. Definitely on the bottle list.

[hersphinxness]

Wet, I get wine gums. This disgusts me, because I made the mistake of eating a wine gum once. After a little while, I get a whiff of something that reminds me of those awful "grape" flavored children's chewable Tylenol. This is Not Good on a grand scale.

 

Dry, the hideous "wine" scent (if real wine smelled like that, I'd never drink it!) is challenged by a perfectly decent musky floral bouquet. But with this syrupy, almost candy sweetness. And that nasty fake grape/wine gum scent is maybe just perceptable. Or I was so traumatized that I can't get the memory out of my nose.

 

This is not the worst BPAL I've smelled (here's looking at you, Saturnalia and Sophia), but the dry phase, while entirely okay, is just not enough to make up for the initial, lingering impression. This may have been bad enough to scare me off any red wine notes. I really wanted this to work, because it's Wanda! But, alas, I'm one of the unlucky ones.

[madscientistdh]

In Bottle: Very alcoholic, I've had people swear I'd opened a bottle of wine upon opening this.

 

On my skin (wet) Still alcohol, some other herby note comes out, along with the faintest hint of blood red rose?

 

Drydown: Alcohol gives way completely to rose and a soft leather note, eventually becomes more of a leathery, musky, rose bouquet. Clean but dirty. This woman is in control!

 

Verdict: My body doesn't normally amp the rose this much! I originally got this as an imp with my first order, and at first thought the smell too strong. My initial thought had been "Oof! Gypsy whore much?" But I grew to love it once I discovered its power in smaller doses So much so that when I lost my imp at a convention, I just HAD to get a 5ml! It stays with me all day long, hugs close to my skin, and it works so well with my body chemistry. Smells especially yummy around my chest Perhaps because it warms up more there.

[Lydialove]

Oh my goodness, Wanda. Who ARE you? I can't help but compare you to Whip, whom I adore completely. You're certainly a more complicated creature and more balanced. Whip is all crazy rose with a throw, on me, that takes a wee tiny dab and spreads it around the room.

 

Wanda, though... she stays closer to my skin. The rose is there but so is the wine and the violet and ohmygod the leather. Wanda is more intimate, more womanly and very dangerous. The roses actually fade leaving violet, musk and leather on my skin.

 

My husband's reaction to Wanda? "Mmmmmmmmmmm!"

 

She's a keeper and I'm happy to report different enough from Whip that I feel justified in having a bottle of each.

[cherrycherry]

I cannot believe I haven't reviewed this little beauty yet. Well, here goes.

 

When I first got the bottle in an order (some 8-9 months ago) my instant reaction was 'meh, grapes' and that was about it. I sampled it a few times but couldn't get any other notes beyond the red wine. So, I put it away in a drawer in my scent wardrobe and forgot all about it.

 

Roll forward to today. HELLO WANDA!

 

Wearing this makes me want to lounge around in a dungeon, being served by gorgeous slave boys as I sip Merlot and have sado-masochistic daydreams. The roses are there, plumptious and red, the leather is a deep, dark undertone and the musks are just delicious. Personally, I think this is one hell of a sex or desire potion. Rawr!!

[blu°]

I absolutely fell in love with Wanda when I first tested her some years back. The purpley-pink fruit/wine and floral notes work great with the leather and musk to give the blend a haughty lady feel. My memory right now doesn't remember much more than that and that I loved it. However, when I ordered a bottle, it must've been from another badge or something, because the wine note in it smelled completely different. It was very bitter, with a vinegar-y edge, and it totally ruined the blend for me. So now, I hold on to imps that come my way to occasionally enjoy the blend, but I'm wary of getting another bottle.

[Poenari]

Unfortunately, this has an initial burst of leather followed by sweet sweet floral. Leather hates me, and I don't get any of the wine. This isn't for me.

 

 

[NaiadOreiad]

Wanda was sweet, with a hint of sexyness.

 

A little sweet for my tastes but beautifully complex on the drydown. Something with violet that doesn't crumble on me! Yay!

[Pynki]

So, I got an imp.

 

It's a very wine-y smell on me. Like dried sweet red wine. And leather and roses like previous posters have said. I get a strange cedar wood, or maybe pencil shavings like, smell up close, but not unless my nose is right up in it on my skin. But, I actually kind of like it. It gives a nice earthy base to the scent.

[Gargoyle]

Hey, my first review!

 

I really wanted to love Wanda. The description sounded lovely, the reviews were mostly positive... unfortunately, it just didn't work on me. My first impression when I opened the imp was of Robitussin, which I guess that was the merlot. Wet, I got a faint whiff of leather, lots of 'tussin, and lots of rose. Dry, it was overwhelmingly rose. Nothing sexy or sultry about it.

[Diva Urd]

In the vial: WINE! and LEATHER! Oh man, this stuff is pure SEX in the vial It smells like a more feminine version of "The Black Tower."

 

On: WINE! LEATHER! MUSK! There's a hint of dustiness, which may be due to the rose, but so far, it behaves. This scent is STRONG on me - I can easily smell the waft from my wrist while I am typing on my laptop approx. 2 1/2 feet away from me. As it completely dries down, the wine turns into a background note, leaving me with sexy, sexy leather. I think I need to compare this with "The Black Tower" later - I'm planning to order a bottle of that soon, and if they're actually dissimilar enough, I might need some "Wanda," too, if it continues smelling like this!

 

Later: Leather on a background of red wine. Thankfully, the flowers don't seem to want to interfere (I was fearing the rose). I also just put on some "Black Tower" to compare them, and while that one is not nearly as heavy on the leather on me, there are similarities in the drydown. I'll keep the imp for now and ponder a bottle later.

[ami226]

On the skin: A grapey wine. This smells like beautiful dark fruits to me! Maybe with a slight alcoholic tinge, but really this is the first wine scent that has worked on me! I can smell some of the florals as well, but they really take more of a supportive role in this blend.

 

The only way I can really describe this scent is.... dark yet pretty. Definitely a deep purple scent.

 

Sadly not for me though. Never get any of the leather I was hoping for!

[Verios]

I wasn't sure I liked this when I first put it on-a lot of the notes are ones I usually love, but for some reason it was sharp and uninviting in the imp and when I first applied it. However, because I know that most of these notes are usually ones that work well on me/I love, I figured I'd give it a try, wait it out and see (and truthfully, lately I've had a number of new scents smell way different/not as good as I'd hoped in the bottle, but when I've applied and waited a few minutes, they've settled down nicely)

 

On drydown, the rose is present, the leather's not harsh or in-your-face, but definitely is there...mostly I think I get the rose, musk, and a faintly, sweetly spicy sort've thing (it's a spicy rose on my skin with musk and leather peeking through to keep it interestng). Very much a dark scent, and one that makes me feel confident and ready for anything--but it's not overpowering, or too heavy. If anything, I was expecting this to be more...outspoken than it turned out to be. It's lovely, though!

[Gateau]

In the imp -- sweet and surprisingly chocolatey.

 

Wet -- I get that grapey sweetness and a chocolate sort of note, not a bad combination, but not what I really expected. No leather or much floral.

 

Dry -- this turns to mostly musk on me, and I don't like what the heavier musks do on my skin. I get that sour play-doh sensation. Overall, the blend is not as interesting as expected.

[Ghost of a Rose]

Thank you for the frimp, labbies!

 

In the imp: Oil is clear and light yellow. Winey and cloyingly sweet.

 

On me, wet: The extreme sweetness dissipates almost immediately, although it does remain basically sweet. The wine is still there, and now I can smell the leather and possibly the musk. This wine note seems closer to cherry than to grape. The leather smells clean and new. I don't notice the roses and violets - the sweetness is fruity rather than floral. This is indeed a sexy scent, although it doesn't smell like actual sexual musk to me, which is a good thing.

 

On me, just dried: New leather and cherry candy. I totally get the dominatrix theme.

 

After 45 minutes: The scent is now mostly gone. What remains is the faded leather dominating over the faintest wisp of flowers.

 

After 1 1/2 hours: Only a very soft, powdery, floral with sweet musk scent is left.

 

Verdict: This scent is a real morpher! It's pleasant, but not really my thing. I'm more of a flower child, and the flowers don't show up until after 45 minutes on my skin and even then they are quite faint. But it will be nice to have around to add some variety to my collection and I will wear it from time to time. In spite of the leather, I think this blend is sweeter than most guys would want to wear. So this is a feminine leather scent, and the name describes it perfectly.

 

My rating: 3 stars

Edited September 12, 2011 by Ghost of a Rose

[ziggystardust13]

Unbelievable...A rose scent I can wear! No soap?! woah

First Impression out of the bottle: Grape

Wet on skin: Bpals familiar wine note. Reminds me of Bordello. Very juicy with a hint of spicy lingering in the background...something wants to come out and play!

Dry: I'm barely getting the florals, but I do get more violet than rose. The leather is very playful in the background, but my skin doesn't amp it like crazy. This is awesome. The sexy musk and leather keep the wine in check.

Overall I really like Wanda. Something about her smells familiar, not sure what. Definitely will keep my imp. Undecided if I'd want a bottle. But hooray for a rose scent that works for me

Edited May 29, 2015 by ziggystardust13

[Pynki]

Unbelievable...A rose scent I can wear! No soap?! woah

 

First Impression out of the bottle: Grape

 

Wet on skin: Bpals familiar wine note. Reminds me of Bordello. Very juicy with a hint of spicy lingering in the background...something wants to come out and play!

 

Dry: I'm barely getting the florals, but I do get more violet than rose. The leather is very playful in the background, but my skin doesn't amp it like crazy. This is awesome. The sexy musk and leather keep the wine in check. I can't believe there is rose in here. No way...

 

Overall I really like Wanda. Something about her smells familiar, not sure what. Definitely will keep my imp. Undecided if I'd want a bottle. But hooray for a rose scent that works for me

I've been describing Wanda as the more feminine version of VILF.

[persephonehazard]

In the imp this is all sexy, sexy merlot and I love it. I'm getting a hint of the roses, too, which I hope don't amp too much - the other rose scent I've tried, Persephone, went all ROSE ROSE on me. I like roses, but I hope that's not a thing my skin chemistry does!

 

I swipe a bit on wet and...oh, hello roses. I like you. Now GO AWAY I want my leathery wine sex please. But no, the roses refuse to leave me alone. They're joined occasionally by violets, but mostly...roses. Oh dear. I think I may be doomed to avoid everything ever with a rose note in it for ever more. It's lovely having one very rosy scent, but I don't need, you know, twelve. Sigh. I shall hang on and see how this one dries down, I suppose.

 

A handful of hours later it's basically vanished, having been pretty much a non-event. To say I am unhappy would be a perfumista's understatement. I freaking love this in the imp. Maybe I should buy a scent locket after all...

[Maartje]

I remember that the first time I tried this, about a year ago, I was turned off by the bourbon scent. I am going to try again to see if I have better luck this time... I want to like Wanda, to be honest.

 

In the imp: ugh, alcohol. Very strong, bitter, nose-burning alcohol too.

Wet: Wow, this one makes its presence known! Still bitter, but I start to smell other scents too.

Drying: The scent is still strong, still bitter, but a sweetness is emerging. This scent is getting more complex the longer I wait. I am starting to actually like this one! It's very different from other scents I have tried.

 

I'm not sure if I like this scent, but it sure likes me. It keeps on demanding I pay attention to it!

 

20-30 minutes in: settles down to a nice 'red' scent, with the booze calmed down to a pleasant buzz. Not sure yet whether I'll be getting a bottle, but I AM going to see if one young man of my acquaintance likes it.

[sunlitgarden]

Got this as a lab frimp in my recent order.

 

In the imp: Sweet grapey-wine, and a bit of leather... the "sexual musk and body heat" kind of smells like sweat to me, unfortunately. And I think I can smell that darn violet again... giving it a bit of a chemical-y smell. (I don't like violet; was hoping I wouldn't smell it here, but alas, I do, a bit.)

 

Small skin test: Sweat and grape-bubblegum-fakey smelling "wine". Yikes, this is not good on me. O_O

[AlectoFurious]

Oh how I wanted this to work but alas, Wanda spanked me

 

It all started so lovely in the imp... smelled of a really good sangria with something herbal lurking in the background.

 

However, the second she hit my skin, she went sour at light speed. Very sour, like urinal cake sour.

 

After a few minutes I got a very faint soapy, floral. Sadly the sour stuck around too.