Tiresias, the Androgyne

[Heretic]

Upon the next stage, a spotlight is focused on a mammoth bronze sculpture of two snakes entwined. Their bodies are wrapped around each other in an intimate embrace, and their tongues touch suggestively. The deep, somber boom of a standing bass leads into a twelve-string guitar's plaintive moan, and as the music swells, a stunning, statuesque woman steps out from behind the statue, her fierce and regal face in profile. The spotlight dims to a deep amber-red, and shines a dark, sanguine light onto her, tinting her long, wild hair the color of blood. She sings:

Sunday is gloomy, my hours are slumberless.
Dearest, the shadows I live with are numberless.
Little white flowers will never awaken you,
Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you.
Angels have no thought of ever returning you.
Would they be angry if I thought of joining you?
Gloomy Sunday.

She turns, and abruptly faces left. Her features are coarser, more masculine, and you notice the rough, dusky shadow of an evening beard on the singer's face. On this side, the hair is cropped short, and as s/he sighs and begins the next verse, you hear the voice deepen to a weathered, sorrowful baritone.

Gloomy is Sunday; with shadows I spend it all.
My heart and I have decided to end it all.
Soon there'll be candles and prayers that are sad, I know.
Death is no dream, for in death I'm caressing you.
With the last breath of my soul I'll be blessing you.
Gloomy Sunday.

The singer turns to face the audience, and your senses reel. On the left side, the features are sharp, but feminine. You can see the curve of her breast, the soft fullness of her hips, the arch of her fine brow. On the right, it is the body of an Adonis, muscular and commanding. You see that a thick seam runs down the center of the body, stitched roughly.

Though the vision is disconcerting, the warmth and passion in the singer's voice swells inside your heart, and you are spellbound. Enraptured, you realize that though the gender is opposed on either side, one soul binds the whole.

Dark, moody, and bittersweet: black currant, patchouli, tobacco, cinnamon leaf, caramel, muguet, and red sandalwood.

In the bottle: Caramel
On my wrist, wet: Caramel and red sandalwood. This opened my sinuses right up!
After 20 minutes: A spicy caramel with major throw. The sandalwood is taking right over.
After 40 minutes: Tiresias has major throw. The caramel outshines everything else in the blend, but at the end of drydown the sandalwood mellows and some of the other notes come out. The pathchouli appears only as a woody note, so if you are put off by its inclusion, don't be. This is a strong scent with some light, subtle touches. It is indeed both masculine and feminine.

[Little Bird]

Tiresias (the blend that I've just been calling "Manboob") was my most coveted of the new releases. Currant, patchouli, caramel, and red sandalwood are all some of my absolute favorite notes from the lab. Sign me up.

 

In the bottle this is sexy-woodsy in a way that reminds me of Luperci, my most favorite perfume EVER.

 

Tiresias is like Luperci with a slinky, sexy caramel licking at its edges. It has the same honeyed, edible sweetness, the same SEX bare hint of an almost woody patchouli, and the same overall sex-in-the-woods vibe.

 

I wish that I could describe this better. Why is it that it's always easier to describe something that I don't like? This blend is so sexy and gorgeous that it stuns me. It is like Luperci with caramel, even on my skin. But the caramel here isn't just plainly sweet, foodie, and one dimensional either. Sexy caramel.

 

 

Honeyed, caramel woods... with a slap of the most exotic and sexual something.

 

If you like Luperci, try this one. This has shot straight to the top of my favorites list. Luperci & Tiresias are total aphrodisiacs to me, they scream sex and just melt into my skin so beautifully. And there are no florals here in sight to muck anything up. It's heaven for me because it seems to combine Luperci (my favorite) with a strong, warm caramel note. Love. Did I mention that I love this blend?

Edited January 27, 2007 by Blood onmy hands

[LittleGreyKitten]

This requires more contemplation, and wearing at different times. So far I have really liked it twice and found it stomach turning once, and been completely undecided once. The caramel and tobacco are the culprets for my not immediately loving it. Caramel can be very good or very bad on me, and if I can smell the tobacco it's never a good thing. (See: the heartbreak of Red Lantern). Anyway the caramel is definitely the most prominent note... I prefer the Arrival at the Sabbath and Homage to the Devil in the Salon for this type of scent to be honest. The two are quite similar on my skin but Homage lacks the iffy tobacco-ness of Tiresias. That being said if you can wear tobacco this could be drop dead sexy. I am not yet declaring it a bust though- that's for sure!

[edenssixthday]

Tiresias, The Androgyne - This opens up as a very promising, sweet, foody scent. For a minute I'm positive that caramel might finally work on me. Then, almost instantly, the red sandalwood and patchouli blast out above the sweet caramel scent, and it's pungent and piercing. The throw is incredibly strong, harsh, and bitter. This is a really weird scent: it's bitter and woody, yet there's a strong current of sweetness swirling among the dark scents. There's the slight scent of cinnamon spice in this blend. I'm sure this may work on the right person, but it's really wonky on me.

[QueenFae]

Holy freakin' schmoly this is fabulous!! God, I never imagined it would smell this good!! The top notes are caramel and black currant. The caramel is strong, sweet and gooey; delicious. There is an amazing woodsy undertone; like a spicy, sexy wood note. The tobacco leaf is subtle, but it gives the blend a really complex, sultry feel.

 

On the dry down, the caramel relaxes a little and becomes a really mellow sweetness.

 

This is amazingly sweet but spicy and sexy all at the same time. I just LOVE this blend, y'all just need to sniff this one yourselves to truly appreciate it.

 

Fabulous, original, I will definitely be purchasing a 5 ml

[minnalavender]

ITA w/the previous reviewer! Tiresias is another unique and complex scent. (The 13-n-1 has just blown me away with the originality of it all.)

 

In the vial: caramel, patchouli, and cinnamon leaf. Ooooh - I love this caramel! It's deeply browned sugar and a perfect top note for the darker notes. On my skin the red sandalwood amps, yet is kept from too much spicy woodiness by the other notes, beautiful patchouli and caramel most of all. In this middle phase the currant waves hello too. The tobacco, red sandalwood, and patchouli give this just enough bitterness and masculine feel to keep it from going all soft and girlie on me like Wulric does. I do love how the caramel gives it a "foodie" feel.

 

Boy, the darker scents in this Carnavale rock my socks off. Tiresias is completely androgynous on me. I love that it's that assertive, too. One of my first GC loves was Bow & Crown, as it was so butch, yet I could wear it like I owned it.

 

Tiresias is like a really badass MB: Underpants to me! In that scent the sandalwood amped so much it overwhelmed the sweet notes - in Tiresias, sandalwood complements the sweet notes, highlighting them by contrast, if that makes any sense! If Undies had smelled like this on me I would have wept at the beating on my wallet. lol!

 

Gah. Yet another CD I'm going to have to buy!

[Gale]

Tiresias is very interesting.

 

In the bottle and on wet: Sweet caramel and patchouli, a combination I never smelled before.

 

Dry: This reminds me of Miskatonic U. more than anything, with the sweetness and woods--but with some dark spiciness thrown in. I don't really notice the tobacco, but then again, I like the Lab's tobacco notes. Tiresias is warm and dry and perfect for a freezing cold winter day.

 

As with nearly everything I've gotten from the Lab recently, I'm really glad I have a bottle!

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Sweet caramel

 

On me:

Man, I loooooove Beth's caramel note. It is utterly delicious! For anyone who thinks this might not work on them because of the patchouli - don't worry too much, it's a barely there note. I personally love patchouli but I'm happy with this blend even though it barely peeks it's head out.

 

Plain and simple this scent is sweet caramel and woodsy sandalwood. It's very straightforward. It's super sexy, wonderfully deep and deceptively simple. I got compliments on this every time I walked by someone in the house.

 

Final note:

This is so straightforward and such a unique combination I ADORE it. It's definitely a favorite now!!

[forspecial_plate]

This is an unusual scent that doessn't quite work on my skin, but I knew it was a long shot. In the vial it smells like scratch 'n sniff stickers from when I was little, sugary caramel. When it touches my skin, right away there seems to be a hazelnutty aspect to it. It's still caramel with an herbal backdrop. After that it slowly becomes more herbal, and the caramel becomes just a little 'off' on my skin. Basically it's big on caramel and the other notes aren't enhancing the blend for me...the whole thing turns to a plastic-like smell. About an hour later, I can smell the cinnamon leaf and patchouli fighting to come out, but they are not helping the cause much.

[Alchemy21599]

In the vial: luscious gooey caramel.

 

Wet on skin: caramel, a hint of cinnamon, woodsiness of sandalwood.

 

Dry: This scent is a morpher. It started out as caramel and cinnamon, then the sweet tobacco and sandalwood come out. The patchouli stayed in the background and gave this scent lovely depth. The throw is really strong and the scent is long lasting. I will have to test this a few more times to decide if I need a big bottle.

[The_Witching_Hour]

Tiresias opens up as a very foody, caramel-oozing scent. It stays almost all caramel until about 20 minutes into the blend tobacco just plain ole' takes over.

 

Man, I didn't get any of the black currant or sandalwood I was looking for unfortunately----this one sure was pretty for 20 minutes, though!!!!

[Em-]

I should love everything about this. Well almost everything - sometimes caramel scents get a little syrupy on me (Red Lantern), and muguet...well, I don't know anything about that one.

 

Turns out it is the "delicate floral scent of lily-of-the-valley" and I evidently spin it as jasmine and amp it like crazy.

 

Sob.

[ilona]

Yep, this starts out very caramely - sweet and a little bit cloying, but dries to something somewhat reminiscent of Red Lantern. But different...

 

This is a smooth, sweet tobacco scent that isn't too masculine.

[zenvodunista]

I can't believe I didn't review this one.

 

I wasn't going to get it. I amp sweet like nobody's business and it had caramel. Caramel is a no-go for me usually. And sandalwood? Sooo iffy. But I love tobacco... I wanted to sniff it, and I did, at at MnS and put a dab on. I liked it.

 

THe next day I couldn't stop thinking about it.

 

Two weeks later I go to a MnS (yes, another one!) and swap a bottle I'm not wearing for a Dark Delicacies and an vial of Tireseas.

 

I slathered it on.

 

In the first moments, this is all caramel, and then the sandalwood comes by and asks who's on it's turf. While sandalwood and caramel are having a catfight, tobacco steps up, takes the ringleader's mike and starts crooning a love song. The audience goes crazy and Tireseas is a big winner!

 

I have a feeling this one is going to age well, so I'll be getting a few backups. Just GORGEOUS!

 

N.

[wikkidraven]

wet: burnt caramel and wet tobacco

dry: burnt caramel

 

i am hoping that this one does better on my boyfriend...tiresias hates me.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Somehow I didn't expect "androgynous" to translate into "foody"! Not that I expected Beth to produce a knockoff of CK One or something, but the blast of Caramel! Power! caught me off guard. Heavy, heavy sweet caramel with incredible lasting power, and a smoky patchouli/sandalwood/tobacco base creeping up from beneath. I actually think I would quite like this on a guy, although it doesn't really suit me.

[GlowJob]

This is definately caramel.But it's sophisticated caramel.I smell something "aged",like a fine caramel tobacco or rum.Doesn't last long but has a pretty powerful throw.

[jade_starlight]

Oh, wow. This is yummy. The caramel is readily apparent, but the sandalwood and tobacco mellow it out a lot, leaving the final scent warm and slightly spicy and only very slightly foody. Plus, the tobacco gives it a very slight masculine edge without being too manly. I think a bottle is definitely in my future.

[melissadragon]

Imp: Damn, the caramel comes through strongly. I have no hope for this one. - applied to middle of right forearm

Wet: all caramel

Dry: caramel with a hint of cinnamon, damnit.

1 hour later: damn caramel. One stupid note blocks the currant, patchouli, tobacco, cinnamon, sandalwood and whatever tf muguet is.

Verdict: Not a keeper. I don't like foody scents but since it was only one note in a blend with so many other notes I love, I hoped it would be drowned out. Nope.

[dronzeka]

In the imp: CARAMEL. This is what caramel SHOULD smell like (and on me, never does): rich, thick, sweet but not sickly.

 

On me: CARAMEL! But I think I get a little wee bit of tobacco, too, which is still sort of sweet, but a different sweetness from the caramel. Sadly, as always, the caramel isn't quite as sublime on me as it is in the imp. The other notes are so far keeping it from going completely off, but it just doesn't like me very much. It's primarily caramel, but if I huff hard I think I can smell the cinnamon leaf as well. Very intriguing.

 

Later: okay, the caramel has turned into hazelnut as it normally does. It's not as bad in Tiresias as it is in scents like Gluttony (or Misk U), because there are enough other notes that the hazelnut is not as dominating or sickly. I can especially smell the tobacco; am not really getting any of the muguet or even the patchouli (I think). But it's still not really for me, since that caramel note is so strong and just doesn't really work. If you like BPAL's caramel note, you'll LOVE this.

 

I have to say that this really does smell androgynous to me, which is kind of funny given how sweet it is, but it's not an especially feminine sweetness. It's intriguing, and I'm glad I got to try it, but off to the swaps.

[jiggahava]

On me, this is all caramel and nothing else. Sigh. After experiencing the same dissapointment with Red Lantern, I have come to the conclusion that I don't like caramel on my skin. I love the taste, but as a scent on me....it's a no go. Tiresias is sickly sweet and the caramel amps so much that I don't get the subtlety of the other notes. Such a shame, because the other notes made it sound really delicous. This will be better on someone who doesn't amp caramel, or else someone who REALLY likes caramel. That is all.

[maijasu]

Tiresias starts out with a big caramel blast, but on my skin, it's caramel with deep, dark patchouli and spices. Sexy and . Love it!

[Tesseljoan]

Tiresias smelles like warm caramel, with a hint of patchouli from the bottle.

 

On my skin, it morphs into a dark skin scent (mainly patchouli tobacco). The caramel is lodged between the darkness of the other notes and gets a bit more chocolate-y the longer I wear it. I don't get the currant, the cinnamon-leaf isn't really noticeable either. It is simply gorgeous in a dark moody way.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: a sark caramel scent.

on: mostly caramel with a hint of dry cinnamon.

1 hour later: i think the red sandalwood is going funky on me. i'm getting a bit of a vegetable-like scent to this under the spices.

3.5 hours later: the tobacco is coming out more and mixing with the cinnamon and caramel. i'm still getting a vegetable undertone to this, though.

4.5 hours later: a dark spicy scent, but still with some of that vegetable note int he background.

overall: a lovely, dark, spicy, sweet scent. unfortunately, my skin does something odd to one of the notes.

[lightgatherer]

I had high hopes for this, such that I was tempted to buy a bottle unsniffed, but I must say I'm glad that I didn't. That being said, I think this scent is an incredibly brilliant execution of its concept. On application I get a flash of yummy caramel. After a bit of wear, the tobacco starts to poke out. The tobacco starts to deepen and gain dominance in the blend until it's equal with the caramel. For that time, the scent is the masculine and the feminine, together as one. At this stage it also reminds me of a darker, deeper version of Red Lantern. The patchouli starts to come out after a few hours. Even though this is one of the bad patchoulis on me, it thankfully doesn't go to single note on me as many of the bad patchoulis tend to. However, the patchouli does have a long, sour stay on my skin. This scent stopped working for me when the tobacco became as dominant as the caramel, but the patchouli sealed the deal.