Horreur Sympathique

[Victoria]

The perfume of a hellbound soul, gleefully lost to iniquity: blood musk, golden honey, thick black wine, champagne grapes, tobacco flower, plum blossom, tonka bean, oakmoss, carnation, benzoin, opoponax, and sugar cane.

this is a pooh-bear's paradise - should be called HONEY Sympathique! I can't get anything else, but I highly recommend this for all the Queen Bees out there! Edited November 17, 2007 by Shollin

[thecaitycat]

In the bottle: Oh wow, this is dark! Wine and musk with some fruity florals in the background.

 

Wet on skin: Still dark (yay!). The musk is noticeable but no so heavy that it overpowers whatever it accompanies. I can definitely smell the wine. There's a sweet, non-fruity quality to this as well, along with some fruitiness. Very complex.

 

Dry on skin: This doesn't morph a whole lot on drydown. However, it mellows out a bit; the musk isn't as heavy and everything is a little sweeter.

 

Verdict: This is a very "me" scent. Dark, sweet, and sexy (like I wish I were, haha). There's something powerful behind it.

[sedona]

This is my first try of the Lab's wine blends and I must admit I am impressed!

 

In the vial it was a rush of sweet floral I'm not very good at distinguishing which notes yet

 

Wet on the skin the sweetness is still there I think I detect some honey but it's not the overpowering foody kind, along with a note I don't think I've used before.

 

As it dries there is an edge of spiciness coming into play which settles nicely with the plum. This is a very difficult oil to pick individual notes from as it is so skillfully blended, thank you, Beth!

 

On the whole this reminds me a sweeter, lighter Bathsheba, which I adore. I'll definitely consider a 5ml on my next Lab order

[dorothy humbird]

Sweeeeet fruit. Very grapey. I can smell something musky and warm beneath that, but not really a sharp tang of wine that I would expect.

 

I'm sad that above all, I get just SWEETNESS instead of a sense of the individual notes. The oakmoss, blood musk, tobacco flower, opoponax... not really evident except vaguely as a background, or a cushion for the dripping-sweet grapes, honey, and plum. This smells on me, as others have said, a heck of a lot like grape Jolly Ranchers/Dimetap/Kool-Aid.

 

I think (hope) a friend of mine will appreciate this more than I do.

[asciident]

Wet: Sweet and fruity, with something heavier in the background.

 

First on: Gorgeous musk, not too heavy: sweetened by honey, plum blossom and champagne grapes.

 

Dry: Honey and rich plum-grape wine, with the musk and oakmoss adding depth. This is a wonderful balance of fruity-sweet, floral, and musk!

[azhriaz]

I really liked this one at first, sweet berry with complexity to it.. but then I wore it to work one day and my incorrigibly blunt coworker enquired 'why could I smell salt and vinegar as soon as you walked in here?'. hmm maybe it's the wine note.

[filigree_shadow]

Sweet like candy at first (it was reminding me of Eris there for a little while), and then it dries down into a lovely smooth sweet scent. The honey in this doesn't turn into play-doh on me like it usually does, to my everlasting relief. I don't really smell grapes per se in this; the sweetness seems to be coming from the sugar cane because it's kind of an all-purpose sweetness rather than being sweet from a specific fruit. The musk and the deeper notes (like opoponax and oakmoss) give it a good grounding.

 

It smells cute and springlike, while being warm and smooth and the same time. Quite nice. I like it a lot.

[Naamah_Darling]

Hellbound soul, lost to iniquity? Hey! Beth made a perfume just for me!

 

Wine's sugary grape boozes it up with lush musk and a trickle of oozing honey. This has a floral chaser, like perfume tasted on the lips after taking a drink from a glass handed to you by some gorgeous creature.

 

On, honey drips from it. The spilled wine has soaked away, leaving the room in a fog of wispy tobacco flower and sugar. The benzoin and opoponax are resinous, a miasma of the sensual, incense burned to hide the smell of f**king.

 

It starts throaty and rasping, but it becomes more traditional as it wears. The honey and wine glue this together, but as they back down, it becomes a subtle combination of delicate, spicy florals, traditional resin notes, and the thick brew of musk. It's very well-balanced, sweet without being foody, and undeniably sensual.

 

This is highly reminiscent of Sed Non Satiata, only more complicated. Chrysanthemum Moon had a touch of this as well, though this is far less incensey and much more sugary.

 

Intense, lickable, and far beyond naughty. Yeah, this is the scent of a libertine. It's pure debauchery, start to finish.

[cassandrakfreaq]

at first putting this on I had forgotten the notes but I immediately smelled the wines/grape aspect....not as strongly as other oils from bpal but it was a delightful scent because the tobacco flower and carnation added a deep dark depth to the scent. on the drydown the honey and musk really shine for me. I do not know what opoponax smells like so that doesn't aid in my description but I really enjoy this scent. its a murky sweet oil with a lot of bits and pieces that make a gorgeous whole.

[t_for_tau]

I wouldn't have tried this on my own, being made wary by the grapes and the plum blossom, but I was frimped it by a friend, and am very glad! The honey really dominates this blend, but despite the description it's not a golden honey on me: it's dark, dark, dark, rounded out and deepened by the oak moss. The grapes and sugar cane are doing their best to go sickly on me, but so far they're being held off by the other notes; I can just catch the tobacco flower, the tonka and the opoponax (the last of which is one of my favourite of Beth's notes).

 

It's more feminine a scent than I usually wear, but it has something that really grabs me, and really captures the feel of the Baudelaire poem (réponds, libertin!).

[Magda]

In the imp it's all sweet fruitiness. This does not bode well as my skin amps up fruit like mad.

 

When I put it on, it smells like grapes. I check the vial because this smells happy and light, not at all like the poem. After a minute I think I get some strawberry but, no, still grapes.

 

Hmmm, is that a little bit of tobacco? Nope. Grapes. Not fat purple grapes but tiny little white grapes. I kind of want to eat them. Maybe this is what that snozberry wallpaper in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory smelled like. It's very nice.

 

After a while I get a tiny little smidge of honey, a hint of musk, but mostly just grapes. Luckily, I like grapes. I'm definitely keeping this one for the days when I want to smell lighthearted and fun.

[styro]

Testing: Lab frimp, received June 2007

 

Skin Chemistry/Scent Preferences: My skin keeps scents fresh and topnote-y and amps their sweetness. My ideal BPAL is probably a fresh woodsy/outdoorsy floral, but I can also do sweet, fruity, vanilla, aquatic, and spicy.

 

My friend Verona's skin softens scents and frequently swallows them up entirely in the first few minutes. Verona likes spicy and rose scents, hates most foody scents, and is much, much pickier than I am when it comes to BPAL (she frequently has to wash scents off or simply refuses to try them).

 

Results: On me, Horreur Sympathique had some interesting notes, but was too sweet, verging on cloying, in the wet stage (which, on me, is very long). The wine aspect of it reminded me a bit of The Black Tower and, like The Black Tower, Horreur Sympathique was a mild "no" for me--say, a 2.5 out of 6.

 

On Verona, Horreur Sympathique wasn't too sweet at all, and she enjoyed the fact that it seemed to have some staying power (i.e., didn't disappear into her skin right away). It smelled better-blended on her skin than on mine. She gave it a 3 out of 6--which for her is really positive--and is keeping the imp to try further.

[Delirium1009]

When I first applied this, I could smell the wine very strongly mixed with the honey, carnations, and some musk. It was a very grape-y and spicy floral scent. The heavy grape note disappeared pretty quickly and this turned into a musky, spicy floral.

 

After a little while, the sweetness amped up a LOT on me. The musky, spicy floral tone was nice, but there was a huge dose of sweet wine and honey which turned too sweet on me.

[Trish]

In the imp: Honey and wine, deepened by something. But predominantly honey. Uh-oh. When honey is this strong in the imp it usually doesn't bode well for me. However all the other notes are at least good on me, and some (opoponax, musk, wine) are favourites.

 

Wet: Within 30 seconds the honey is subdued, and the wine comes out stronger.

 

Drydown: Within 2 minutes the most glorious scent is wafting around my nose. This has serious throw considering I only lightly swiped it on one wrist. The wine is glorious (yes, I'm repeating myself but it's a very apt word) and warm and musky and deep, with the honey sweetening it without overpowering it. There's some grapes and musk too, and just a hint of plum blossom.

 

Dry: This is just getting better. Now the tonka and benzoin are lending a warm rich smoothness to it, and the tobacco flower is present underneath giving it a touch more darkness. It's not a heavy scent, yet it's still rich and deep and a bit dark. The honey is fading rather rapidly (weird, even when it works for me it tends to stick around for a long time), along with a fair bit of the throw. The wine does remind me a little of Bordello, yet it's quite different too. This is darker, richer, muskier and more subdued. Sexy as opposed to Bordello's playful flirtatiousness. A bit more complex too, with the plum blossom dancing over the top and the musk deepening it.

 

 

Let me put it this way - I knew there would be a bottle of this in my next order within 30 minutes.

[Medici]

In the imp: Boozy, sweet, and lush.

 

Wet: Honey, red wine, something faintly floral that reminds me of the hibiscus in Kali. As it warms, there's something faintly smoky and drying about the blend - leveling off the initial boozy rush.

 

Drydown: Unfortunately, it rapidly turns to candle wax as it dries. It turns into a faintly powdered plastic.

[Lyrical]

In the vial: fruity and alcoholic.

 

Wet on skin: fruity and musky and floral. This is beautiful!

 

Dry on skin: a sweet, light blend of fruit, flowers and musk. And it lasts well. The throw is fruity red wine, but close to the skin you can smell the honey. Definitely bottle-worthy!

[Shollin]

First sniff: Rich and red, plums and berries and wine.

 

Wearing: It’s very very winey; I can’t smell much else.

[hkhm]

imp: sugar, honey, wine, fruit... this is intoxicating just sniffing it!

 

wet: mmm... grapey! honey-covered, sugar-dusted, ripe-to-bursting grapes. i think there's also some honeyed, sugary plums here as well, but this is mostly just grapes on me.

 

dry: after a bit this turns to syrupy, fruit booze. still very nice but the fruit scents are less distinct.

[Rouge]

I'm in a "purple" phase at the moment and am trying lots of blends witn wine and dark fruits, particualrly plum. This blend sounded so complex and luscious that I couldn't pass it up!

 

In the vial - This is a sharp, thick scent drenched in rich wine notes, with the pale floral note of plum blossom on top.

 

Wet on the skin - The first stages of this blend seem incredibly complex. While the wine and grape notes are the most noticeable, there's also a sharp and almost stinging floral on the surface of the blend that lasts only a few seconds before darkening.

 

Next stages - This blend dries quickly and its throw is noticeably reduced after a few minutes of wear, though the musk becomes apparent once the initial fruitiness has stepped back. Soon afterwards the honey note oozes forwards in a thick, dark drip of scent.

 

Dry down - Sweet and dark, this is a sinister and sensual blend that would lend itself very well to a decadent evening involving seamed stockings, a black silk dress and a glass or three of good wine.

 

Similar blends - Something in the wine note reminds me of Lady Macbeth, though the Illyria blend is somewhat cooler and more herbal. The honey is more reminiscent of Osun and Skuld than the more spicy blends such as Bengal or Hetairae.

[alicia_stardust]

This comes across as bold and red, yet the musk is softly blended. There is a strong vein of bright, berry-like redness that pairs well with the blood musk. The tonka enriches this and the other notes... the mix of florals and resins... all seem to add a nice complex, yet muted background to the dominant notes. Overall this is red and musky, sultry, complex, feminine.

[zomathesadist]

oh, i so, so, so wanted to like this.

 

in the imp: sweet. very sweet. fruity. very fruity. no tobacco, not really honey, either; the sweetness is more of an undistinctive sweetness instead of anything specific.

 

wet on skin: grapey. sweet. sour. =/ still none of the gorgeous BPAL honey.

 

drydown: here comes the wine! but unfortunately, on me, it smells like wine that's been left out to sour for about a week. talk about sour grapes. (bad pun, I know.)

 

after an hour: mad grapey spoiled wine. so not my thing. it started to smell more spoiled. in a word: on me, it smells like prison hooch; like something someone's brewing in a garbage bag under their toilet. my SO hated it on me, too. It's going to go live with a friend.

 

In a nutshell: very sweet sour wine, with a strong plummy grapey smell.

[maribouquet]

I like the complexity and the banked warmth I get from this, but it is too heavy on the grape and wine to work for me, sadly.

[voodoocatwoman]

This started out bold and brightly screaming fruit and wine. What it settled into is probably one of THE most gorgeous scents I have tried so far. Someone described it as sultry. Exactement!! I feel like Greta Garbo. It's exotic and warm and quite sexy. WOW.

 

I would like to buy a liter of this oil, please?

[matokie]

Horreur Sympathique smells exactly like grape soda on my skin. The grapes were the first thing I smelled when I cracked the imp, and they got even sticky sweeter on my wrist. I do detect hints of the more musky notes lurking somewhere below, but they're fairly well buried. Don't get me wrong, I do like grade soda, but it reminds me more of being stuck with my brother in the back of the car on a summer road trip rather than first crush in a Napa vineyard. Nostalgic rather than sexy.

[emily2531]

I opened the imp and sniffed... I got the grape Kool-Aid note, fruity and cloying, and sharp note almost like bleach. A few days later, I sniffed it again, and the tobacco flower really hit me again. I was intrigued and decided to give it a shot.

 

When first applied to my skin, I still get that sharp dry acrid note that tickles and burns my nose... I think it's a combination of the oakmoss and the tobacco flower. Underneath that is a layer of wine, honey and vanilla (or is it the tonka bean?). I almost washed it off my skin at that point.

 

15 to 20 minutes after applying, this blend really comes into it's own. The dry sharpness mostlly subsides, and what's left is just sinfully hedonistic. I still get the grapes, but it's not Kool-Aid anymore. It's like ambrosia. It's ripe grapes and honey wine, but it's tempered with a dry earthiness. A hint of the flowers lingers. It makes me think of an ancient Greek orgy.

 

I've been wearing Horreur Sympathique every day for 3 days now, and I still don't know if I'd buy a whole bottle, but I'm really enjoying this sinfully decadent blend.

Edited April 8, 2008 by Soledad