Shoggoth

[Delirium1009]

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 bottle/imp: Lime mixed with pulpy coconut and white, cool flowers.

Immediately on skin: At first, there’s an almost creamy coconut, and it blends into a bite of lime and lemongrass. Rounding out the scent are florals, mostly on the sweeter, airy side, but not really fruity. This scent smells almost radioactive green, glistening, and quivering.

After a little while: This gets a lot heavier on the coconut and flowers after just a little bit. It smells almost dusty now, with just hints of lime and white musk. It smells of powdery, warm, floral and slightly citrus-y coconut.

Overall Impressions: This scent is very bright at first, all lime, lemongrass, and coconut with a background of elegant white florals. After a while it settles down to a powdery, unremarkable coconut scent on me, unfortunately. A very interesting scent and perfectly suited for the name.

[INFJ4w3]

This one is truly weird. It starts off smelling like classic Raid, minty- nasty bug spray, and then sweet tropical fruit cocktail (canned, not fresh), then a nice, soft dry down smelling like sugar cookies and a tiny bit of coconut. It smells like almost everything you could think of. Very complicated. I got no lime, though. This isn't pleasing to me until several hours have passed. ( It's pretty long-lasting, by the way.) 3 1/2 stars out of 5, mostly for originality. Worth a try.

[rumandkerosene]

My first review! I was going to wait until I'd built up a bit more, er, scent vocabulary, but I had to review this.

 

Shoggoth smells like Hawai'i to me. Like walking down Waikiki and stopping in all the little tourist shops, but I mean it in the best way because everything smells gorgeous there. I hardly get any lemongrass or lime at all, just a very mellow, sweet coconut with mellow sweet florals that work together to make me think of white ginger leis, even though it's not quite the same scent. Normally I don't care very much for coconut, but it's somehow incredibly pleasant here. It's beautiful! And it's making me a bit homesick for my island.

[FathomBelow]

This is delightful! Shoggoth is coconut meat with some clean, sharpish flowers in the background; it's not a morpher, staying that way from the imp to drydown. This says beautiful and sophisticated but casual, approachable and warm. For some reason it reminds me of White Rabbit - it has that same creamy, sweet goodness. And it's from Lovecraft!! What more could you want?

 

Highly recommended. Definitely going to get a bottle.

[zagadka]

How have I not reviewed this yet? Its one of my favorites and a perfectly light spring/ summer scent. Very cooling without being an aquatic scent (ick). Fruity without being foodie, sweet without being cloying. Its wonderful when you want to smell good without being overwhelming.

 

 

Imp: Lime bombpop...the twin kind that you had to break apart. Makes me feel like I am 5 standing in front of the freezer with a popcicle in each hand.

 

Wet: The lime melds with the lemongrass into a really fresh, vibrant and slightly sweet citrus concoction. At times it is slightly sharp but still really lovely.

 

Dry down: The green coconut peeks through and plays with the white musk, its still really light and fresh but has lost the initial zing of the citrus.

 

Has great staying power and throw- I love putting it in my hair and catching whiffs of it throughout the day.

[Ella LaRose]

I have no idea what I am smelling but wow, citrus! and more citrus, and an after taste of sweet sugar citrus!

[lavenderfrost]

At first, it's TASTY GREEN JOLLY RANCHERS AND LIFESAVERS. Then, it dries down to something nice and light, cool and just fruity enough to keep it interesting.

 

I got this as a frimp and while I probably won't get a bottle, trying it out was fun and I might keep the imp.

[Honey]

Hello, awesome?

 

Imp: Fresh and light! I smell amber, coconut, lots of light white floral notes and lemongrass. Really great!

 

Wet: Creamy white flowers with coconut and lime. Almost like a delicious alcohol-free cocktail!

 

Dry: Yep, bottle wish. I'm a sucker for light creamy citrus blends!


2022 update:

10 years later, this smells a bit different to me.
It's still light and creamy white, but the coconut is more subdued and the lime much more prominent.

It's still very floral and enjoyable but less tropical, more spring-like perhaps?

I associate it more with a nice bright Easter Sunday walk in the grass I think.

Still a great scent, but the imp will be enough for me I think.

Edited January 22, 2022 by Honey

[WidgetAlley]

With a list of ingredients like that, who knows what this will smell like?

 

Imp: Whoa! Uh, I have no idea what that was, but it smelled great! Like freshly peeled fruit and a really nice soap and flowers, all at once. Definitely lemongrass, the greatest, juiciest, sweetest lime you have ever smelled, and mixed florals-- wisteria, peony, iris, muguet, and that awesome snowdrop that I liked so much in Prague. I hope my skin treats this one kindly because it could be a winner!

 

Wet: Oh man, I have so smelled something like this before, but I just don't remember what. Something else from the Lab that's a close cousin. I can't remember! But this is creamy and sweet and fruity and floral all at once; it's beautiful sugar-lime laid over aquatic florals and lemongrass and pale amber and translucent musk.

 

Dry: A beautiful, citrussy, tropical floral with strong overlays of fruit and musk and incense. What a fabulous scent for summer! This may be a bottle purchase. I think it would be great in a diffuser too!

[lohengrin]

In the imp: Hard to pin down, really. A bit floral, a bit sweet, nothing standing out. Not surprising, given the number of notes in this.

 

On skin, wet: Similar to the imp smell, but with the beginnings of soap. Peony soap, less harsh than jasmine soap, but soap nonetheless.

 

On skin, dry: Floral with soap.

 

After an hour: Even soapier, with a slightly harsher soap note joining the milder peony soap note. Probably one of the lilies, though I suppose it could also be one of the other flowers. :/

[mymymai]

In the Imp (ITI): Very strongly floral (water lily and wisteria, hello). It’s so strong that I have difficulty smelling secondary notes. I try for a second or a third sniff, but I’m completely overpowered.

 

Wet: I get a floral overtone, with lemongrass and lime coming through as slightly dominant. I can certainly smell the peony and iris on second sniff with just a bit of musk. I’m pleased it is not as strong of a floral as it was in the bottle.

 

Dry: Ambered lilac, peony, and other florals. There is just a hint of coconut and the tiniest flourish of lemongrass. It certainly it a morphing scent, so I would imagine it would smell significantly different on another person.

[Dani87]

Imp: coconut, not ripe though.

Wet: lime, and coconut.

Drydowm: lime, coconut, musk, and florals.

Dry: the florals, and musk come out more with the lime, and coconut hanging out in the background. There is a slightly soapy scent to this, but it's not overwhelming.

Overall: this is a clean, light scent. I don't really dislike, but I don't see myself ever reaching for it. So it's off to swaps.

[becca_s]

This was a frimp from the lab

 

In the imp I can smell the florals and the lime. When I first put it on I could smell the wisteria and something sharp. After a few minutes it turned into sugary lime. I can smell a bit of musk and coconut in there, it's a green fresh coconut rather than a creamy one. Amber normally doesn't work on me and turns powdery but it seems to be behaving itself in Shoggoth, maybe because it's white amber or just overpowered by lime. It's refreshing and original it's not like any other bpal scent that I have tried before.

 

Edited to Add: After about an hour the final drydown is a really pretty musky floral with a hint of lime. I can see myself using the imp alot.

Edited March 31, 2012 by becca_s

[Freikugel]

There must be something wrong with my nose, because the only thing that comes to mind when I smell it - wet in the imp or on my skin, after it dries, anything- is margarita mix. Salty, chemical lime. I don't get flowers, let alone coconut meat, which is part of why I ordered it. I wanted something light and sweet. For me, Shoggoth was neither.

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention that I thought it was funny that Shoggoth smelled horrifying on me, considering the subject matter.

Edited May 19, 2012 by Freikugel

[madscientistdh]

Purchased from Babypopje!

 

In imp: Lemongrass gummy-bears-lime-hazelnut-what?? Watch out, we've got a morpher!

 

On skin: Lemongrass coconut peach mumblemumble but it's wonderful! I feel fresh fruity and pretty. Not exactly the amorphous beast I would have imagined.

 

Drydown: Rose soap?? What on earth.

 

VERDICT: VERY weird! But I LOVE IT. I'll need to take more time to really admire the nuances in this perfume but holy cow!

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Sweet, bright floral notes.

 

Drydown: Sweet citrus and creamy florals. The lemongrass and wisteria are most noticeable, with the iris, cypress, and coconut just behind them. The last layer is a flurry of florals spritzed with lime. The overall effect is effervescent and tropical.

 

Dry: A cool and refreshing semi-aquatic floral. The iris, lime, cypress, and coconut create a chilly fizziness that reminds me of sipping chilled drinks in paradise. The florals are warm and sweet with a hint of a sun-kissed glow from the amber. Effervescent and tropical still sums it up perfectly.

 

 

 

I enjoy this quite a bit, but I should note that it was responsible for a terror moment when a friend of got a bit on her hand (when sniffing) and then insanely sharp iris began to amp like crazy nearly ruining our game night. I sometimes have issues with iris myself, so I was really scared to try it after that, but luckily it behaved just fine on me. So I guess the message is, proceed with caution - but do not rule it out, if you have iris issues.

 

7.5 out of 10 bones

Edited August 15, 2013 by BoneBone24

[holborne]

When I sniffed the imp of this, I have to say I smelled basically nothing.

 

Wet on my skin, it was lemon lemon lemon. I don't really favor lemon scents, as even the nice ones remind me of either Pledge or Lemon Diet Coke.

 

However, once it dried down, I was surprised how much I liked it. The lemon faded quite a bit, and it left a soft floral scent extremely reminiscent of "Pat the Bunny" (that's a good thing).

 

So this turned out to be a nice floral, very good for people like me who don't care all that much for the overpowering florals. It's a little light for my taste, is the only thing. I probably won't buy a bottle, but certainly wouldn't turn one down in a swap.

[urbantravels]

This was a frimp - it wouldn't have occurred to me to try it on my own. If I had read the description I would have pictured something way too sweet - I have issues with sweet florals, and I would have seen "muguet" (lily of the valley) and "osmanthus" and "water lily" and so forth, and flipped right past with a "not me." And I'd also be afraid of a fakey coconut smell, which is all too easy to do - even *real* coconut can smell fakey at times!

 

But I did not expect to become totally fascinated with it. To me, the coconut is dominant, but it's a very fresh, edible coconut smell - not like dried coconut. Even though the coconut is always there for me, the other notes really do seem to burble around and take turns appearing and disappearing. Does what it says on the tin! It's not totally coconut, and it's not totally flowery, and the lime is there sort of in the background - you can't pin it down, but it's all good. On me, this is one of those "I can't stop smelling myself" varieties.

 

I have no idea what "glassy musk" is but I think I like it.

[SophieCedar]

In the vial and wet this smells like a host of Archipelago candles. Basically, you'll understand exactly what I'm saying if you've ever found them in a shop. Stand in front of the collection and just breathe in then try to tell me I'm wrong... I dare you.

 

Overall, well blended. perfect cascade of sweet watery notes. Verbena and lime burn off in drydown leaving a sweet green white yellow watery impression. I'd have to say it reminds me most of Enfleurage and Charleston.

[titania]

Wow, a lot of ingredients in this. It smells sitting outside, close to the beach, eating or drinking something lemon lime. It's not so much white sand and fizzy pop though. More like... Hmm. Lime margaritas and beach towns and tide pools and lake beaches. Idk. But anyway, it's decent. The lemon lime is the main note. I haven't had much luck with Lovecraft scents, so this is a nice surprise.

[IambicDearie]

Lime and coconut and lovely delicate florals. Definitely didn't expect that, given the name.

 

This was a perfect contrast to a cold and foggy autumn day, though it's faded rather quickly. I'll have to reapply and snap up a few imps, I think this one will come in handy when winter comes.

[anaengel]

In the bottle, I'm getting woods and a tanning leather. Maybe not a good idea. Here goes nothing.

Putting it on, I get tea with foresty and a dash of citrus. As it stays on, it goes all furniture polish. From a distance, I get more of an orange type scent. Really, I'm wondering if my nose is off or my skin is morphing this weirdly.

This definitely needs to be reviewed again. I do think my nose is off on this one.

ETA- This is definitely the play on my skin. It is how the florals mix with the lime for the furniture polish. The woodsy is just the coconut husk with the lime. Yeah, I wish I got what everyone else did.

Edited December 7, 2013 by anaengel

[DryasMeliai]

I spent many years attempting to find a perfume that contained even a glimpse of the quintessential central Texas June scent….frilly pink Mimosa blooms. Although I never gave up; until Dior Addict reformulated in 2012 my mission was a total bust (admittedly it was probably hampered by the fact that what Texans call “Mimosa trees” perfumers call “Silk trees” – but alas…) However, during my search one day (many years ago) I eagerly purchased a bottle of Voluspa Mimosa Martini from Anthropologie. Understandably it smelled NOTHING like my beloved pink blooms – but it DID smell delicious!

 

Long segue aside, SHOGGOTH smells A LOT like Mimosa Martini’s older professional bohemian sister. Mimosa Martini had that faint-alcohol tinge of most cheaper perfumes – plus, like many other candle-like scents, it’s staying power was MAYBE 45 minutes – on a cool day with prolific application. Even though Shoggoth has a relatively small throw, with generous application it lasts all day. “Amorphous, radiant, incandescent” is PERFECT. Although the scent doesn’t really morph from bottle to dry down; the various individual elements manage to somehow maintain their own personalities while still marrying into one cohesive fragrance.

 

The end result is warm, sweet, glowing deliciousness.

[Aviatrix]

This one is heavy on the lime while wet! I'm not able to distinguish all the different flowers, so to me there's just an overall floralness to the blend, but the citrus is definitely dominant. An almost dark citrus, even! Very befitting of Lovecraft.

As it dries, it disappears almost completely on me, which is a little sad. What remains is a light muskiness and a teensy bit of flowers that for some reason seem "white" to me.

 

Overall, it's a very delicious and fresh floral scent, but unfortunately it has almost no lasting power on me.

[GirlDetective]

This is everything I wanted from Comptoir Sud Pacifique Aloha Tiare but could not have due to my skin chemistry. It's tropical, refreshing, bright, coconutty and complex, but it doesn't turn hot and artificial on my skin. Shoggoth wafts up to me as I work with my hands, like the breeze caresses one through palm fronds. This was a frimp, it'll definitely be a bottle.