Khandita

[Heretic]

She, whose lover has been unfaithful. She lashes out in rage, and her heart is filled with fury: fiery saffron, neroli, severe black musk, rose otto, and a harsh splinter of rosemary.

In the bottle: Saffron and a bit of rosemary, slightly musky and a little medicinal.
On my wrist, wet: I was leery after the impression from the bottle, but once this hit my skin, it changed into something lovely and complex. The individual notes do not smell the way they usually do to me. The rose otto and neroli, usually so soft and rounded to my nose, are sharpened by what must be the rosemary. The black musk seems to provide a slightly sweet base that holds everything together.
After 20 minutes: I swear there's just a touch of cassia in this-- something almost spicy. It must be the saffron. Such an odd blend. From reading the description, I was expecting a fiery, musky floral, but this is more of a spicy herbal incense, neither masculine nor feminine, neither soft nor hard. It's vaguely...threatening.
After 40 minutes: Khandita ended up being very much an incense blend on me that I like very much, although I'm having trouble expressing exactly why. This is not a passive blend. Considering the description that accompanies Khandita, I think this blend is exceptionally well-realized. It seems just one the verge of erupting into something fiery and uncontrollable. I wouldn't call it a beautiful scent, but it's powerful and commanding, and quite unlike anything I've ever smelled before. I like it right now, but I think this will be a blend that will become outstanding with age.

[korshka]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but I do believe it will become a favorite!

 

Wet, when first put on: soft spicy

As it dries: It doesn't stay soft for long. It quickly catches fire and explodes into a spicy saffron party. I don't really pick up much of the other notes, but I can tell there are other notes rounding out the scent. My skin chemistry tends to amp spices pretty well, so I'm not really surprised by this. The spicy borders on incense spicy, which kinda confused my nose a little.

 

Overall, I say that this is a bold, spicy love fest. It is fiery and strong. I really do like it.

[phedre]

In bottle: neroli and rosemary, something almost licorice-like.

 

Wet: root beer how very odd.

 

Dry: pure root beer No good, no good at all.

Edited February 2, 2007 by phedre

[Little Bird]

I expected this blend to be really sharp on my skin, but the drydown isn't so bad. At first it is sharp and bitter from the rosemary and rose otto, and I don’t like the cheap men’s cologne vibe that I get from the black musk.

 

After a few minutes though, those unpleasant notes seem to burn up in a sudden blaze of fiery spices and this scent gets much better for me. It turns into something of a slightly smoky, sweeter incense and bold smack of a spice. It does remind me a bit of cassia and a bit of rootbeer from the saffron at first – but it’s not as sweet as either of those things on my skin.

 

I probably wouldn’t wear this, but it’s rather interesting anyhow. It’s not quite a sweet enough scent, more of a bitter spice to me that gets more herbal and a pinch soapy over time. Not what I was expecting from the scent description.

 

Out of all of the Faces of the Heroine scents, I think this is the one that I like the most, but I still don’t see myself keeping my decant.

[hepkitten]

Oh. My. GODDESS.

 

This blend is amazing. I definitely smell the sharpness of the anger, but it's balanced by something round, sexy, and womanly (possibly rose otto and neroli?). I also smell the saffron, but I'm not completely sure what role it's playing. This blend is unbelievably sophisticated in the blending of elements; it reminds me of Black Moon in the sheer virtuosity of its composition.

 

Beth is a genius, and I need a vat of this oil.

[Em-]

My nose is doing something odd with this one, as I am almost certain I smell honey here - rich deep spicy honey, almost like honey drenched aged Snake Oil, stirred with saffron and musk, but definitely honey.

 

Not that there's anything wrong with that - I am in honey lover heaven, whether a bee has been near this blend or not.

 

Odd how chemistries interpret scent, eh?

[em_h]

Wet: Root beer. Or maybe a root beer float? Not what I was expecting, I must say; but I suspect it'll change quite quickly.

 

Drying: Well, this is clearly a real morpher depending who it's on, because to me at this stage it smells very resinous, despite the entire lack of resin in the listed notes. I guess it's somehow the synergy of the black musk and the saffron. Nice spiciness, and just a bit sweet in a thick resiny way. I get the rosemary if I hold my nose very close to my wrist; no trace of rose otto that I can detect at all.

 

For some inexplicable reason, this smells very much like Schwarzer Mond on me. It's not quite as perfect, but really strangely similar.

 

Dry: Ah, sadly this fades rather fast. Still, it's a fascinating quirky one for my skin, and if it continues to behave like this, could substitute for Schwarzer Mond in a pinch. I'll have to consider a bottle.

[shelldoo]

in the bottle: soft, sweetness, slightly musky

 

wet: almost nothing....the great disappearing oil. a barely there whisper of something slightly sweet....but i mean BARELY there

 

after a few minutes, i start getting whiffs of something, but it is a light, faint touch of scent, soft. feminine. there is something honey-like, or sugar coated in my nose....sweet. powdered sugar maybe, and yes something reminding me of cassia. but it is the faintest touch of cassia...not sharp, not harsh, just a whisper and all that lovilness, sweet, spicey... is wrapped up in the gentlest musk imaginable. the scent doess get stronger as it dries, but it never becomes a "strong" scent. it is a skin hugger. soft and sweet enveloping me like a lovers sigh. i adore this scent. really really adore it!

[siddal]

In the imp, this is very much rosemary, neroli and rose, to me. I know this sounds odd, but I almost get an impression of gingerale from it. On my skin I can smell the saffron mixing in with the other notes. The rose otto is there but just barely.

[theseagrows]

the black musk is strong in this one, and slightly powdery. there is warmth from the saffron and a hint of rose, and a sort of nutty scent going on? not sure what that is. it reminds me of haunted but a little murkier on my skin. i think it is fairly unisex and would smell great on any sex.

Edited March 2, 2007 by theseagrows

[edenssixthday]

Khandita - I got a decant of this and loved it so much I went back and bought a full bottle. This starts out with a really strong kick of sweet saffron and heavy black musk. The neroli and rose give it depth, and it’s got a bit of an earthy touch that’s lent by the sharp, herbal rosemary. This scent is definitely "fiery" and while it’s bold and strong, it’s also sweet and feminine. Wow, I really, really love this one!

[savage_rose]

This blend started out as a sloppy floral...kinda clumsy and unbalanced. And as it dries, it screams "licorice", and I totally get the root beer note that someone else did. Now I don't like drinking root beer, but it's an interesting scent. Although even that seems to be fading away into...nothing? I don't know about this one. It does remind me how I feel after flying into a rage though: embarassed, and very silly.

[maijasu]

On me, this is a bright, sweet floral which dries down to a beautiful musky spice. The rose and neroli behave themselves very nicely, never turning soapy or powdery. I'm in love with this scent and definitely need a bottle.

[midnight_aeval]

The first time I tried this I detected a "burning" smell... I wondered what note would be causing it. It settled down into a creamy, sweet scent, but that burnt note was still in there. In the vial the scent is very sharp; I get mostly saffron, black musk, and rose.

 

The second time I tried it there was no burning. The notes that were most prevalent on me were the saffron (yay!), black musk, and neroli (although subdued). I didn't detect a bit of rose or rosemary. The end result is a scent I just can't stop sniffing... mmm - definite bottle purchase!

[supremegoddessofall]

In bottle: Mostly neroli with a touch of musk.

 

On me: Very spicy, actually! I get mostly the saffron and spice. Not really getting the florals, and only a touch of the rosemary. Moderately musky.

[slave1]

KHANDITA

 

In Bottle: Soft and spicy

 

On Skin: Wow, this scnet is so soft and spicy… it feels like a blanket of beautiful musky warmth. The black musk is dominant and I LOVE it… the neroli is second in line, resinous and warm. The saffron gives a delicous sweet spice. The rose is light, I barely smell it and the rosemary is also faint. Nice because those two notes are usually very sharp on me and here the other notes tame them into submission. I really like this scent and the warmth it exudes. I feel sexy yet comforted. It’s an intriguing scent for sure… people will be asking you about it. Exotic, soft, musky and sensual. Medium throw and average to long wearlength.

[SultryWolf]

in the decant: Sweet, like a buttercream but without being foody (!?).

on: The musk, and just a hint of the rose otto, rise to darken the sweetness. As it settles in, a spiciness - almost cinnamony - appears.

[Miss Lynx]

*swoons*

 

OK, this is the hands-down winner of the Ashtanyika/Lupercalias for me. Gorgeous, musky-sweet spicy saffron - like Scherezade's more sophisticated older sister. It's sexy, powerful, fiery, sensual, spicy and incensey... Instant top 10 candidate

 

I wasn't sure something with rose and rosemary in it could ever work on me, but whoa does it! The rose never amps to the extent it usually does on my skin, and the rosemary gets over its harsh medicinal phase very quickly and settles in nicely to the mix.

 

For hours after I put this on, I kept catching little whiffs of it and thinking "Wow! What smells so great in here? Oh hey, it's me!"

 

Must. Get. Bottle. NOW.

 

Grade: A

[PurringPulsar]

Khandita

 

In the imp: a spicy yet bitterly herbal black musk scent.

Wet on skin: whoa, the rosemary is harsh here, and I smell something almost medicinal as well.

Dry: what an unusual fragrance! This is a bitter, harsh and heated scent. The neroli is of the bittersweet kind, not the citrus-floral kind, and the rosemary gives this a sharp herbal bite. The saffron is hot and fiery, but there’s a sweet black musk behind these notes. After about a minute the notes no longer seem to clash, though I do smell something almost like anise to this. This is an odd mix of smooth and slickly sweet musk with a seething bitter herbal-spice layer on top.

After a while: the initial anise aspect of the scent does calm down, letting the musk through. For now saffron and musk dominate this scent, with saffron dancing like sparks from a fire over the black musk, and it’s not as angry any more-it’s still hot, spicy and sharp, but the musk seems to soothe the scent out very nicely with it’s dark, smooth sweetness.

There are times when the musk mellows out very beautifully in here and it’s like Haunted with saffron sprinkled on top. Mmm. Indeed, this is what the scent settles into at the end-a sweet, almost amber/vanilla like black musk, sleek and sweet and dark, touched with saffron’s warmth. It’s still slightly edgy but not as fierce…it seems this irate lady has been anger-managed quite nicely now.

Verdict: this does seem like a very ‘hell hath no fury’ scent, indeed. At first she bites and hisses with sharp stabbing notes of bitter neroli and rosemary with seething saffron over a deceptively sweet musk, overall there’s a scent of ‘enraged liquorice’ to this scent. (I suppose another name for this would be ‘Enraged Ex Musk’?). The tempestuous melee of notes is quite a jumble of scents, confusing and edgy, hot spices and herbs with jagged edges. But over time it all calms, as this scent’s temper cools, the musk starts to smooth everything out with a sweet, almost syrupy-sleek, and richly dark. It turns to pure black musk spiked gently with saffron, a spicy version of Haunted, I even smell something like amber to it which adds a golden sheen to this slick black musk…and it wafts nicely and lasts for ages on the skin as well. I’m not sure I love the first stage of this scent much-a little too harsh for my liking so I don’t need a bottle, but the drydown is worth the wait and worth keeping the decant for. It's one of the nicer, more wearable 'angry' scents, to me.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Definitely the imp, not really a bottle scent-the drydown is lovely though.

If you like this, try: Chokmah, Phantom, Haunted, Wicked, Wrath, Great Sword of War

[lightgatherer]

I got an imp of this from a decant circle simply because I couldn't imagine what that combination of notes smelled like. I didn't expect I would actually like it, but I was very, very wrong. The musk in this is soft and sweet and gorgeous. The rosemary spikes up briefly during the wet stage, but it doesn't make itself known for the rest of the time. The saffron does what saffron generally does on me - weaves in and out of perception during wear. The rose and neroli are background notes here, only adding to the sweetness. If I hadn't known there was rose in here, I would have never been able to pick it out. Overall, this reminds of of a sweet, musky, slightly spiced incense. I'm sorry this blend doesn't seem to be getting more attention because it's very well done. I'd already placed my Lupercalia/Heroines order, but I'm going to need to place a separate order just for a bottle of Khandita.

[sarada]

I tried this about a month ago and was completely blown away by how amazing it is. Just when you think you've tried everything, another incredible scent comes along to knock your socks off...

 

This is a lush, thick, smoky spicy incense on me. Oh wow, the review right above me says almost the same thing! But it's true! The musk comes to life on my skin and it absolutely burns and wafts this incredible dark, sulty spiciness. I can smell spices that are not listed in this, I swear! It's almost clovey, really. But a sultry, slow burn, not a sharp flash of heat.

 

When I put this in my cleavage I just want to lean forward and bury my face in it, but that's a bit weird, so I just slather it and catch as much of this as I can.

 

As it dries down, the initial blast is tempered by an almost medicinal, calm, soothing fragrance, like something that might burn while you're getting a nice massage, or in the oil they're using to relax your muscles. Ahh, but it's got just enough heat in it to make it a sensual massage...

 

I came very close to buying a bottle of this but just didn't have the money at the time. I will probably try to track one down eventually.

[naeelah]

This is definitely a sharp and herbal scent, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

 

It reminds me of 13 ('07), but where 13 is more shadowy green, this has a warmer edge to it. It morphs slightly as it dries, but to my nose, the top notes remain saffron and rosemary. I think it's the saffron, anyway. I can smell musk here, and I was shocked to see that it's black musk, because it really smells more like red musk -- it's dry and husky, almost like cinnamon bark.

 

After sniffing at it a good while, I can recognize the black musk and realize that I'm getting the combined effect of the black musk and saffron. So, there you go- together, they smell a bit like red musk. On my skin, musk comes out more and more as the scent wears, and Khandita is no exception.

 

After a brief while, I can just begin to pick out the rose otto. On a whiff you wouldn't think, "rose!", but it's there if you look for it. Mostly it just provides balance for the harsher notes. So far, I haven't been able to pick out the neroli.

 

The throw is surprisingly light. Not sure about the life span yet.

 

This one realizes the concept very well -- it's sharp and warm (almost hot), with a certain sinking depth behind it. On my skin, it becomes warmer and warmer as it wears and loses some of the sharp, splintering quality. I'd really recommend this to anyone who likes herbal scents or who likes warm, spicy scents, but doesn't necessarily care for cinnamon, cassia, and other "red" things. This one isn't so prickly as cinnamon, etc, but it definitely has a bit of bite. I can feel a slight warm spot on the back of my hand, an the more I sniff myself, the more I start to feel a slight prickle in my nose and throat.

[filigree_shadow]

The saffron and musk in this blend are amazing. The combination smells really good. I'm not fond of rosemary at all, and I don't like it in this scent, but I do like the rest of it. If it didn't have that rosemary in it I probably would have wanted a bottle of Khandita. But it has an herbal edge that I don't care for. I totally get it being part of the entire scent because it really does make the scent angrier and harsher. It's just not for me.

[Ishtar]

Received this imp from the lovely Alterosen- thank you!

 

I tried Khandita for the first time tonight. As I was applying it, my eyes widened in delight: I had been telling myself that I should find myself a good incense scent for when the weather gets cooler and this oil happens to be an exact match to my favourite incense, Goa chocolate-orange. Wonderful coincidence!

 

I must say that I would never have guessed the actual notes. It may well be because of the association with the incense, but I keep thinking of this blend as sweet, spicy (clove) and almost fruity. The delicious scent wafting from my skin is incredibly smooth, soft and sensual, definitely not harsh nor fiery. The end result is pretty unexpected given the way notes like rosemary and saffron usually behave on me. Yet against all odds, Khandita works beautifully with my chemistry.

Hopefully someone will be willing to part with a bottle, as this scent instantly made it to my Top 10!

[QueenFae]

First impressions: Spicy, bold, strong, herbal, dark musk.

 

This is a very ballsy scent; it makes me wanna kick ass! The black musk note is divine; smooth, delicious, yet with a temper.

There is a hint of soft rose, warmed over with rosemary that has an almost wooded feel to it. The spices are somewhat cinnamony on me.

 

This is a little too hotly spicy to be one of my favorites, but it's a very sexy scent. This would be perfect for a night on the town. Very lovely!