Shoggoth

[n3m3sis42]

An amorphous, radiant, incandescent scent. Ever changing, protoplasmic and primordial: white amber, green coconut meat, iris, palmarosa, Chinese peony, lime, water lily, snowdrop, muguet, lemongrass, osmanthus, wisteria, glassy musk, and hinoki.

In the imp:
Florals.

Wet:
Florals and lemon. I think today is an allergy day, and I'm not sure my nose is exactly working right. As this dries down a little bit, I realize that I am smelling lemongrass.

Dry:
Hmmm, this seems a little soapy on me, but it's still worth a full-on wear to decide for sure. I'm getting mostly light florals and coconut on the drydown.

[CrazyPretzel]

In the imp: delicious florals and coconut; very tropical!

 

Wet on me: Yes, it *is* hard to pin down. Notes I can smell include coconut, iris, lime, wisteria. It's awesome just because it's so *busy*.

 

After a few minutes: Eee! It makes me sneeze. Strong coconut and heady flowers; the citrus scents are present but thus far not amping very much on me.

 

Drydown: The early stages of the drydown are very strong coconut and iris on me, with a tiny bit of lime and lemongrass.

 

I'm not a huge fan of iris, so I'm a little disappointed with how this has dried, but I'm going to wait a bit longer and see what it does from here. I do really want to like this scent

 

ETA: Unfortunately this seems to be getting less complicated rather than more so as time goes by; it's just straight coconut-iris on me now.

Edited August 30, 2007 by Baitu

[ClareN]

Hmm, all the reviews on the first page say "LEMON!" but Shoggoth is mostly floral on me. Freshly applied, I smell the iris and coconut (last seen together in Black Pearl) quite strongly, but then the floral notes start to pick up steam and take over, and it smells like fresh pear. I've noticed that a combination of miscellaneous floral and plant notes often smells like pear to me; I don't know if it's a particular note doing this or if I just label things as pear too easily.

 

The overall scent of this is light green to me. I don't mean that it smells like sap or leaves or herbs, just that it is strongly evocative of the color light green. I guess that's the pear. Anyway, although I like the iris and coconut at the start I don't really wear light green florals, so this isn't for me.

 

EDIT: Second try, September 2 - I'm getting a "herbal tea" vibe in the topnotes this time, alongside the iris and coconut. It smells like hibiscus-lemon tea (so THERE'S the lemon) and something from Lush I can't put my finger on (perhaps a sweeter version of the sadly discontinued Spank Me With Saplings shower jelly). It still turns into pear soon after that...but I might have to keep this imp a while longer.

Edited September 2, 2007 by ClareN

[cranberry]

In the imp, this reminds me of the Asian moons from 2006. It’s light, bright, pretty. On the skin, this is citrus, lemongrass and something else I can’t put my finger on.

 

As it wears it becomes slightly creamy and it’s reminding me of Tamamo-No-Mae but with a lot more lemongrass and not nearly as creamy. The lemongrass is still the dominant note, and it’s killing this blend for me. I just don’t care much for it. After it’s been on a while, a bit of light musk and iris emerge. This is pretty but still not my kind of scent, though I do prefer this stage to the solid lemongrass that it once was.

 

Now after an hour or so, this is really nice. Creamy citrus musk. It’s like a not sweet Hungry Ghost Moon. It stays close so in order for this to really stick at this stage you’d really have to slather.

[crazyredhead17]

My nose was clogged when I first put this on, so the initial sniffs are probably off some.

 

In the imp, all I could smell was lemon. Wet, I got lemon pledge and flowers of death.

 

At this point, my nose decided to drain.

 

I got a few whiffs of a wonderful, perfect coconut scent, but it's been eaten by Peony of Doom. With a side of Lemon Pledge and a sinus headache that's making stabby pains at my temple.

 

note to self - peony is bad. look at descriptions first next time.

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: First I get amber & musk, then lime, and then the coconut meat.

 

First on: This is so complex & gorgeous! In no particular order I can pick out coconut meat, lime, amber, musk, and a floral note as well that I can't name. This is a great summer wear!

 

Drydown: OK now the resins are the strong point. It's sensual and cool, like in a secluded waterfall in a rainforest or something. The notes are still all over the place, but they blend so perfectly.

 

Overall: More please!

[dcmo]

Got this as a wonderfully generous addition to my order recently (Thank you lovely labbies!) and I am soo greatful. For some reason this never popped out at me before, but I'm so happy I got a chance to try it. I'm surprised there aren't more comparisions to The Star because there are a lot of similarities with my skin chemistry anyway. Main notes are Lime, lemongrass, with the coconut underneath. Nothing artificial or cleaning product here! Love this! Very fresh and tropical smelling. On the dry down, it does soften a lot (not that it was sharp to begin with) and loses most of it's throw. The only way I can smell it is to enhale my skin directly. I wish it had a little more throw and lasting power but this is perfect otherwise.

[sedona]

This was a frimp (thank you, labbies ) and one I grabbed for an evening testing not knowing the notes.

 

In the imp- light, floral, slightly sweet

 

Wet - Still a light floral but as it warms a creamy note pokes out its head, I'm assuming from the coconut meat. There's also a citrusy tang hiding there underneath. Unfortunately I also get a plasticky note, darn skin chemistry

 

I'll try this again another time. On the whole this is a quiet, unassuming lemon floral, probably perfect for those times when you don't want to be known for wearing a perfume.

[mhickle]

Upon first sniff, I can't really place the scent, but am more apprehensive about trying it than the other two I've reviewed in the past two days (Arcana and Severin). It's a sweet smell, and I'm worried it will be too sweet for me.

 

Applied and wet, the sweetness stays, and I'm afraid it will be one of those headache scents for me. As it dries, it softens up, but is definitely a "perfumey" scent on me - I'm getting a lot of licorice from it, which is weird, because in scanning the other reviews, it looks like I'm a bit strange there. It reminds me of a perfume I had a sample of once...

 

As it dries, the scent softens and I start to pick up the coconut. I'm trying to sniff my wrists without drawing much attention to myself at work. Luckily, my office mates are all pretty much crazy anyhow.

 

Just sniffed again, and I'm getting the coconut but now the musky smell.

 

Overall, I don't like it when it's wet, but once it dries I'm really digging it. I might have to put it away for a while, though, because I'm not feeling it for autumn.

[MaidenGenevive]

Shoggoth

 

Overall, this is a heavy floral with a sweet-tart layer that feels candy-like and waxy.

 

[ 3 - Like ]

[Ravenclaw79]

In the imp: Frozen lemongrass, like a lemon Italian ice.

 

Wet: Lemon Pledge. There's a fine line between "ooh, lemons!" and "oh, furniture polish."

 

Drying: Still lemony. I wonder if I amp lemon? Maybe.

[Salsa Shark]

This had been lingering on the bottom of my wishlist for a while, because although it sounded beautiful and complex and a great citrus scent...... iris.

 

Straight out of the imp, the iris is there alongside a burst of lime. It doesn't change much on my skin ; no sign of the amber, coconut, lemongrass, peony or muguet - just unholy green iris-y doom. If I inhale deeply close to my skin (which I try not to do too much because hey, iris!) there's a sweet, sparkling green scent hiding somewhere under all the evil. I can see this being absolutely beautiful on someone who didn't have Immense Iris Issues, especially in the summer.

[Torrain]

In bottle: a chill and peachy floral. On skin: promptly warms up; I think that's the amber and a little very pale musk coming out. 3 min: crisp and warm, like flowers with stiff thick stalks and juicy insides. I don't know enough of these scents to pick out precisely which ones are coming out; call it a pale amber floral with cool watery notes in the background? 5 min: more crisp, less warm. Still much the same.

 

I can see how this evokes shoggoths--some pale clear and shifting jelly, surrounded above by white landscapes under Antarctic sun, and perhaps water running secretly beneath the ice. It's not a *cold* scent, just a bright and pale one, cool and self-contained and remote. (Honestly, this is what I'd expect from the description of Lady of Shalott.)

 

10 min: pale florals (with amber?), with an undertone of something I can't quite smell--I keep imagining glass. It reminds me a lot of Kataniya, how there's a "space" in the scent where my nose hardly picks up anything but my mind is *sure* of exactly what's there. In Kataniya, it's hot metal; here, it's glass with a thin puddle of clear water overtop. Like looking at a fountain installation where blossoms are strewn across glass that has a very fine stream of pure clear water running silently overtop, keeping them fresh and cool.

 

20 min: same, although the impression of glass has faded a bit. I think I might be picking up a *faint* tease of lime.

 

30 min: pale cool floral, slightly warmed by ambery musk.

 

1 hr: pale cool floral, with slightly spicy (?? maybe the lime doing something odd?) musk in the background.

 

1.5 hours: warmed up nicely to a pale golden floral. There's an odd hint of something cold-hot running through it, like the spice burn you'd get biting into cold food. (Shoggoths dissolving victims in acid, yesssssss...)

 

I like it very much. Sadly, it makes my husband sneeze, so I'll be keeping it for days when we aren't going to see each other.

 

Love and coffee,

Frances

[ophidiae]

IN THE BOTTLE: Heady, bright florals.

 

WET ON SKIN: White flowers. Lily, mainly, and palmarosa, with a breath of lime and the faintest hint of coconut beneath it all.

 

DRYDOWN: I can smell the amber now, but it's still mostly flowers.

 

DRY: Yep, still flowers.

 

Shoggoth reminds me of a "girly" liquid hand soap I was given a few years ago. And yes, it does have a slight soapiness on my skin. It's also starting to give me a headache. So, off to the swap pile it goes.

[willowtreeling]

Pretty much all I get is Lemongrass...which is pretty but I don't really want to smell like a lemon drop, you know?

[iiinterstate]

In the bottle: Musky with a hint of lime.

 

Wet: Lime! but not overpowering. I like it. There's a sharper note underneath that my fiance thought was "almost minty."

 

Dry: More musk, and the green coconut is the perfect undertone. The florals add a hint of sweetness that is a nice balance. The lime seems to come and go, but now that its been on an hour or so I think its mostly gone. That's too bad, I liked it.

 

Overall: A scent I could easily wear to work. Its light, but distinctive. The musk seems to have a lot of staying power but the florals add just enough sweetness that I don't get sick of it. This will probably be a bottle buy.

 

(P.S. this is my first ever review. woohoo!)

[Lyrical]

In vial: gorgeous white musk, coconut and lime. I can't wait to put some on!

 

Wet on skin: cold yet with a subtle, dusty warmth! It's similar to my favourite Black Pearl (white musk and coconut) but with the added freshness of lime and lemongrass.

 

Dry on skin: icy yet beautiful! Still a subtle blend of white musk, coconut and lime - the other notes are just a cool, pale background. This one's a winner!

[gchris]

In Vial: medicinal *second sniff* smell the lime

 

Wet: ooh! pretty, not at all what I was expecting. Soft. I smell a hint of lime and florals, then something warm. It may be the amber. Very nice!

 

Drydown: Well it is now all amber and powdery. I will make this one into a spray so I can keep the wet notes longer because those were my fave.

 

Evoking Color: In the begining, citrusy green. Drydown-soft candlelight.

[AEris]

I smell lemon candy and tuberose.

 

The lemon quiets down some, and all I can smell is tuberose. It's probably because of the creaminess of coconut contrasting with the florals, but it all comes together to be distinctly single-note tuberose on me.

 

Did I say tuberose?

 

: -)

 

3 out of 5

 

ADDED Nov. 1:

 

Creamy coconut and lime, with heady tropical flowers.

 

Kind of reminds me of B&BW Lime Verbena.

 

It's a little sweet for cool weather, I would classify this as a summer scent.

 

Fun, but not quite me....

 

3 out of 5

[arsenicsauce]

In the imp, lime and something I kind of think of as traditionally "perfume-y" which is probably the mixed florals. A little something else that I think is musk makes it darker than it sounds.

 

On me: This is drying down really nice. Citrus and musk stand out the most, but usually musk goes really unpleasantly sour on me and this isn't so far. As it dries I get less citrus and a little more coconut, it starts smelling like sunscreen when I sniff close to my skin but the citrus kind of keeps it down from further out. The musk lasts the longest, but since it's not smelling like sweaty socks this time I don't mind.

 

Overall not something I would wear a lot, it's more musky than I expected, but it's nice to have something citrus-y and sharp that doesn't smell like a bathroom spray.

[twilighteyes]

Lime and coconut. But no rum, sorry. The amber and musk are strong and heavy. Well blended.

[furygrrl]

In the imp: Sweet candy, lemon, and coconut - yum!

 

On wet: Lime and coconut, a titch of floral goodness - mostly the iris, which I love.

 

Drydown: The lemongrass has emerged. It's very distinct from the lime (which is still very present), and they're both sitting on top of the iris and coconut. There's something dusty or powdery hanging around, too - I'm thinking it's one of the florals I'm not very familiar with (snowdrop, wisteria), possibly the amber, which doesn't tend to like me. I don't normally care for even the slightess bit of dust/powder, but it doesn't seem to last very long, and all the other notes are pleasantly distracting.

 

Overall: Definitely a wild - but lovely - scent! It's bright and warm, sweet and sharp, saved from being too fruity or foody because of the florals, and not too floral thanks to the coconut and citrus! A gorgeous summer or party blend, suitable for a wide range of ages, too. I feel like I'm wearing a rainbow on my wrist! 4.5/5

 

 

edit: Needed to upgrade my overall score from 3.5 to 4.5 - I haven't been able to stop sniffing myself all day! I smell freaking *awesome* - like lemon-lime, sweet-tart, glittery coconut musk. LOVE!

Edited March 27, 2008 by furygrrl

[Ajila]

In the bottle – The lime and the lemongrass and something very sweet

 

Wet on me – An oddly creamy citrus, with a hint of menthol

 

Dry on me – A thick creamy layer backed by musks and heightened by tiny hints of the florals

 

Overall – I’m surprised by how warm and inviting this is. I guess it may just be weird skin chemistry on my part. It’s a bit faint for my liking, but other than that it’s a very pleasant blend

[eatingthesea]

this scent makes me sad it's almost 100% pure lime on me...what became of the amber, the coconut, the wisteria? i had such high hopes. i really do truly give up on citrus. it just dislikes me through and through. other than the lime in envy, i'm banning myself from the lot of it. poo.

[noirisnoir]

This is the fourth imp I've tried from my first order and the fourth one I'm going to have to wash off. This is discouraging.

 

It smells much more coconutty when it dries on paper. On me it's lemon and powder and is making my wrists itch.