Three Gorgons

[hkhm]

Egyptian amber, mandarin, tangerine, black pepper, tobacco, and vetiver.

imp: pepper mixed with amber and orange.

wet: tangy peppery orange, the amber warms up beautifully... i'm adding two bottles of this to my next order with the lab.

dry: a sweet, lightly peppered orange with a bare hint of amber. i never even got a hint of the vetiver or tobacco (whew!).

[alhbooks]

If I hadn't gotten the imp collection from the lab I would never have sniffed this...love tangerine and mandarin, not so much for pepper, vetiver and tobacco. That would have been very sad, because this is a perfectly lovely blend on me, starting with the holiday scent of tangerine, but not too sweet, and softening over time so that just a whiff of the citrus flashes up as I type but disappears when I try to chase it down. I'm so glad I got a bottle at the last Will Call. A relatively fast fade, but worth it to me.

[blu°]

This was a gorgeous surprise by ways of a frimp from the lovely Ahania!

 

I had always been curious about Three Gorgons but was a bit wary about the Egyptian Amber due to previous encounters with scents that shared that note and didn't work for me at all (Pumpkin Queen, I'm looking at you! )

 

This one took me so much by surprise, when I opened the lid and sniffed and it smelled just like Kweku Anansi! Or a lot like it, although I never really smelled citrus in Anansi, and this is definitely citrussy. As I didn't have the note listings for neither one of the two scents, I thought I might have overlooked a citrus note in Anansi.

 

In the end, I think it's the vetiver/pepper combination. The vetiver in this and Anansi must be a different one from the vetiver used in Death Adder or Lenore or other scents. This is a grassy, almost sparkly vetiver. Light and effervescent, if the term makes sense at all for a grassy scent.

 

But yes, Three Gorgons is sparkly, maybe even more so because of the citrus notes. It glitters.

 

On the drydown, the amber becomes stronger and the citrus notes become a bit weaker. This makes the scent quite a bit rounder and a tad more feminine than Anansi. It's golden-orange with light green inlays and a few brown-greyish shades.

 

I love it and will get a bottle as soon as I can!

[meaganola]

The notes sounded so promising: I *love* citrus, amber is lovely, and one of the major notes in one of the few department store scents I can stand is tobacco (still trying to figure out what vetiver does for me). I now understand what it means when someone says their skin amps something. In the imp, I smell pure tangerine with a tiny bit of spice. On my skin, I get nothing but pepper, although after about ten minutes it shifts to powdery pepper. Do not want! Off to the swap stash, and I really hope I can scrub all traces of this off before I go to bed since I put it on my wrists, and I've realized that I sleep with my hands tucked under my head/face. On the up side, between this, Bengal (no *wonder* this one set off a queasy headache!) and White Rabbit, now I know to avoid white or black (pink seems to be okay) pepper at all costs.

[savage_rose]

The imp smells very sweet. As it dries, it smells incensey and sweet, the fruits aren't distinct at all. Spicy...a nice, fairly complex scent.

[tastycactuar]

I was nervous to try this scent, as I've heard a lot of people say that vetiver can be tricksy and overwhelming, and I tend to really dislike the smell of tobacco. Luckily for me, I got a fruity but incredibly spicy and complex blend from Three Gorgons. I bought this as a partial, but I may add a bottle of it to my next order!

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Sweet and spicy! The ripe juicy citrus fruits, nose-tingling pepper, slightly bitter, very earthy vetiver and smoky,herbal tobacco are distinct. Unisex.

 

Wet: So sweet, almost vanilla-y - definitely very ripe orangey fruit with only light tartness. The pepper is a bit less harsh, while the tobacco has amped into a deep sexy note supported by the soft touch of vetiver.

 

Dry: Still too peppery for me - which always smells savory-foody to my nose, which is a shame, as the tobacco has taken on a sweet depth reminiscent of leather, and the vetiver is that sexy earthy sort that reminds me of the best types of patchouli. The sweet citruses hold.

 

Later: The pepper has faded, but so has pretty much everything else, and the leathery-ness of the tobacco is so distinct I think there may be actual leather in this. The only note that has held or amped is the vetiver, making this rather masculine, but still not overly bitter or dirty.

 

Summary: Very faint sweet orange citrus, slick and darkly sexy, leathery tobacco, spicy black pepper, and earthy vetiver. Well balanced; unisex to masculine. I'd actually probably really love this without the pepper, and it'd be even better like that on a man. Decent throw but dismal lasting power.

 

This is much how I'd love Crypt Queen without the black pepper. It's just not a note I like in perfume. *sigh*

[zankoku_zen]

On me, I get this resinous peppery orange smell. The amber turns just a hint of powder as it dries, the orange fades a bit, but in general it is a spicy resinous scent.

 

Not my kind of thing, but it's really gorgeous.

[greenranger]

Wet, it is all citrus and pepper. The tangerines and mandarin lose their punch fairly fast, though. I think it's the vetiver and tobacco coming forward now. The amber is warming up on my skin and blending it all together...

 

The citrus is still present as a background sweetness, and the scent is becoming a lovely deep spicy scent, unlike anything else I have smelled so far. Yum!

[theseagrows]

ooh so pretty. it starts off a peppery amber with a bit of tangerine to liven it up, then the deeper notes of tobacco and maybe a hint of vetiver come out after being on the skin about 30 minutes. the vetiver is pretty subtle in this one. it ends up being mostly amber, pepper and tangerine. it's so rich and pretty.

Edited January 26, 2016 by theseagrows

[gchris]

In Vial: smells like a freshly sharpened pencil and perfume

 

Wet: Sweet, this has bpals "snow note". Also smell a hint of lemon. This is nice. Fades to the snow note, wish I knew what it was.

[butcherbaby]

PEPPERY!! then a beautiful rich scent with amazing throw. this is full of notes that are iffy for me, i don't know how it works so well. the amber is just so gorgeous here and i think that + the vetiver (the kind that likes me) are what ground this and also make it soar. it's rich thick gooey resin amber, hot spicy delicious amber, breathtakingly juicy citrus amber, dark sultry seductive amber- all at once.

if this is what gorgons smell like, sign me up for a hissing hairdo STAT. no wonder they were irresistable. i'm thinking that the "turning men to stone" thing may just be a thinly veiled sexual metaphor ;-D

 

if this ever gets discontinued, i'm hoarding. it's just too damn good.

[birdiefu]

Wow, this is amazing! Well, first off I should say that this imp is over a year old, so it is aged already. I loved it from the moment I swiped it on!

 

In the imp, this is a sweet amber.

 

On, mmmm! Spicy, beautiful, sensual amber with just a hint of the mandarin giving it some sweetness. I can tell the citrus is there, but it is not "Hai! Oranges!", very mellow and not sharp. This is an exquisitely blended scent, and really is a masterpiece. This scent is bright and dark at the same time- the vetiver and tobacco are giving it a dark edge without being too noticeable, and this glorious amber and touch of citrus makes it golden. Smells like there is another dark resin like opoponax in here, as with a deep sniff I get that fuzzy cola feel from it like Schwarzer Mond.

 

Overall, a wonderful, swoon-worthy, sexy scent! My only complaint is that it fades to a light skin scent quickly, I would love to enjoy it's throw longer.

[tziporra]

Three Gorgons is why I love the forums (hey! I'm a poet!).

 

I got a bottle of this in a swap. Didn't have anything particular that I wanted, and thoughts the notes looked like win for me (except the citrus, but more on that in a moment), so I took a chance.

 

And OOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

 

To my nose this is one of those so-well-blended-bpals that I couldn't pick out any of the notes. I can tell straight off that it's an amber blend because of the overall "golden" feel.... but what's that round spicy sweetness (citrus and pepper, I'm thinking)? Or the smoky undertones (probably tobacco and vetiver)?

 

Overall this is amazingly sweet without being the least bit foody (on me, I can't pick out the citrus at all unless I concentrate and really huff), with a wonderful spiciness to ground it.

 

I love the BPALs that smell very "commercial" and this definitely qualifies. It's like an expensive sweet Paris blend, but without the expense.

 

Love. Top Ten.

 

Tzi

[Coldfire]

 

 

 

 

 

Imp: mandarin, tangerine and the pepper

Wet on Me: Mandarin, Tangerine and the pepper

Drying Down: no more citrus, slight pepper but the sweetness

of the amber is around. So far no sign of vetiver! YAY!

Dry: soap. This went to soap. I guess it could have been worse.

I could have amped the vetiver.

 

[caitilarkin]

In the bottle: Citrus with suprisingly light amber, spiced with black pepper

 

Wet on skin: Peppery citrus, made sweeter by the amber and tobacco, but nary a hint of vetiver

 

Dry on skin: The black pepper receeds into the background while the citrus/tobacco/amber meld into...fresh squeezed orange juice.

 

Definitely lighter and less complex than I expected, but very lovely, especially since I adore the Lab's citrus notes. Perhaps it will deepen with age...in any case, I like this very well right now as a springtime scent.

[totheo]

This scent is gorgeous. Besides the fact I love the painting (and the label has framed a section beautifully), the oil is a really wonderful balance of foody and perfume. The tangerine and mandarine (I don't like to say 'citrus' because when I think 'citrus', I think grapefruit and lemon and I'm not a huge fan of those) add a lovely edible quality to a refined perfume. You can imagine a very classy, intriguing woman wandering around a gallery, wearing slightly offbeat but very beautiful clothes, smelling like this.

This would be an acceptable perfume for those non-BPAL people who have trouble with the scents. You know, the ones who pull faces and don't want to consider the idea of perfume without the alcohol tang, that actually smells like things instead of 'perfume'. They'd smell this on you and go "Oh, that's from that Lab place you order from? Weird, it's so nice!"

Philistines. But they'll like it!

[Evilynn]

When I first received my imp I thought I would swap it away, because it was all sharp and a bit scary (I think tobacco is the culprit, maybe in combo with the pepper), but about 8 months in my swap box has tamed it, and it's turned into this glorious sweet, round, bright and slightly spice-y scent that I really like! I think tangerine and mandarin are the only citrus scents I really like that work on me.

[Juushika]

Reviews of this blend have so intrigued me for so long (and I'm quite fond of the art as well) that I thought I'd splurge on a bottle, though I'm wary of tobacco.

 

In the vial: Plentiful citrus, a bit sharp—citrus peel, really, with the aromatic, airy quality of evaporating citrus-skin oils.

 

On me: Immediately on the skin this is citrus and Egyptian amber, the former golden and bold, the latter taming it and providing a warm, smooth base. A lot of the citrus burns off pretty quickly, shedding the sharpness to leave behind a subtle warm golden glow. The darker notes kick in during drydown—I mostly get a spicy, dark, beautiful black pepper, but there's also a broader sense of grounding shadows from the vetiver. The tobacco may contribute to this sense of shadows, but thankfully I can't pinpoint it specifically. Scent-color is, well—just look at the Klimt image. Throw is low, and wear-length is short, dying down to just a whisper after an hour, disappearing completely after three.

 

Verdict: This is nearly exactly what I imagined from the notes and the image the scent is based on. It's subtle golden citrus on warm amber, shadowed over by pepper and a touch of vetiver. The citrus fades a bit more than I'd like, but other than that this is what I hoped for and expected—except that the scent has such a low throw and short wearlength that's it's a bit of a letdown. Glorious as it is, it blossoms and fades so fast that it's more of an experience in scent than a wearable perfume. I may have to try applying more next time, but as it is my only regret about this scent is that it's gone so quickly.

[CitizenBree]

I bought the imp pack for Salon II so that's how I got this. I probably wouldn't have purchased it otherwise. I try to stay away from vetiver but I'll give it a chance since I do have it.

 

I'm not really getting anything that the others seem to mention. I think it's the Egyptian amber that I smell strongly and I don't really like it. I usually like amber though. It smells like an old woman's baby powder. So it's not straight up baby powder, it's a more regal kinda. It's very perfume-y to me. No citrus, no pepper, no tobacco. It's almost creamy.

 

VERY strong. Too much for me and i'm usually one that can't get enough. Stays pretty strong even after an hour of wear. I'd expect it to last long on me.

 

[donnatron]

I slapped some of this on earlier, forgot it was there and then now am smelling it dry without my usual notes on the drydown.

 

Dry, this smells exactly like San Pellegrino brand chinotto. It is uncanny and also a little unnerving. I have to go wash it off now.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Dry, dark wood, with a glaze of vanilla or tonka.

 

Wearing: Wow, is that the tobacco that smells like tonka to me? It swirls up in a warm haze as soon as I put this on my skin. The wrist-scent is still dry wood and whatever that warm dark slightly-sweet-ness is. I like this one more than I expected to.

[SophieCedar]

Wet: warm musky egyptian amber with a touch of black pepper and mandarin. I like the black pepper and vetivert notes, which I see as representing the hag in the background of this painting. Slightly biting and ominous. The tobacco is medium throw, kinda blonde.

 

Drydown: still warm, fragrant and spicy, but of course tuned down. The wet muskiness of the egyptian amber is still present mixed with tobacco but the other notes, particularly the citrus, have given out significantly. I can barely smell the large amount I applied. This one may be better for sensitive snooters, not mine, which loves to be dramatically overwhelmed and enveloped in my own stench.

Edited November 21, 2010 by SophieCedar

[metaldog32]

I bought a 5ml because I love Klimt’s work; he was one of my parents’ favorites.

 

Also keep in mind that the 5ml bottle I have is at least 2 years old..I have A LOT of fragrance and well I took a hiatus from buying BPAL due to some personal and financial challenges.

 

Initial sniff from bottle: I get the citrus with a tinge of something dry..could be the pepper.

 

I typically like the idea of pepper but it really depends on my skin chemistry..sometimes it’s just too aggressive and it just overwhelms everything else in its path.

 

Applied wet on skin: It’s the citrus with the amber and a grit which has to be the vetiver..when I first tried it I felt that the pepper was just too damn dominant..eclipsing everything with a dryness but this 2nd time around it seems to be a bit more friendly with the warmth of the amber and the wisps of citrus that weave in.

 

Interestingly enough this doesn’t waft out on me..the throw is actually a bit soft.

 

Couple of minutes later and it’s actually the tobacco that I smell in tandem with the vetiver..pepper and citrus have kind of disappeared and the general roundness that I get has to be that amber. It’s not bad actually.

 

30 minutes later: It’s the above muted..almost becoming something akin to a skin scent on me. I almost think I can’t smell anything specific anymore…hmph..interesting.

 

So the throw on me is actually quite low and the lasting power is short..surprisingly so because typically notes like vetiver and amber do last HOURS on me..while this kind of disappears in less than 3 hours.

 

Bottom Line:I was ready to write off Three Gorgons regretfully because I thought the pepper initially had been too aggressive and overwhelmed everything but upon repeat tries I was rewarded with a bit more depth. This is not a holy grail type of scent for me and I almost think it’s a bit too gender neutral for me to pull it off. The amber and vetiver and tobacco actually work well with each other and together they translate on my skin a scent that quietly wafts without sceaming its presence. I think I need a couple more tries with this to decide if I can wear this…

[Incendiare]

I'm actually kind of glad that I waited a year to review this because a year of aging has really changed this. Lab-fresh, it was like an orange-tangerine creamsicle. A lot like Huesos de Santo but more orangey and without the fennel. The pepper gave it a nice punch too. Plus, I normally hate vetiever and was absolutely delighted that it was nowhere in sight. Now, it's by far less orangey than a year ago and it's now on the drier side, possibly from the vetiver. Wet, it remains a bit stale and smoky with a touch of orange. As it's drying though, it's getting better in my opinion. The orange is making a comeback and reminds me of how it was a year ago, except there's a prominent dry note that wasn't there before. It's still nice, but now I'm glad that I didn't jump to buy a bottle.