War

[abejita]

She finished the drink, hefted the sword over one shoulder, and looked around at the puzzled factions, who now encircled her completely. 'Sorry to run out on you, chaps,' she said. 'Would love to stay and get to know you better.'

The men in the room suddenly realized they didn't want to know her better. She was beautiful, but she was beautiful in the way a forest fire was beautiful: something to be admired from a distance, but not up close.

And she held her sword, and she smiled like a knife.

Red ginger, black spices, patchouli, honeysuckle, and three blood-soaked red musks.

The label is a woman's face, smiling wickedly. She has long, red hair.

In the bottle: a mishmash of patchouli/spice/musk with a piping note of honeysuckle.

Wet: oh, my. This is gonna be a good one. The ginger is making its presence known, with everything else lying coiled beneath it.

Dry: Round, warm velvety red musks and red ginger, with a gentle patchouli. The honeysuckle sweetens it, but floral-haters, don't be afraid. Not foody, not floral. Spicy and round, rich.

There is something indolent, cat-like about this. It's a lioness who could lay you open from neck to groin, if she wanted, but for now she'd prefer to roll on her back and bask in the sun. For now.

Edited to add: A few days later, a sharp black peppery note has emerged. I really can't stand pepper, so this bottle has found a new home. Edited September 14, 2007 by quantum spice

[Athenae]

At first, this is all pepper. Black spices, indeed: sharp black pepper and something dirty, gritty, beneath.

 

As it dries the ginger comes out and the musks to soften the pepper/patchouli and the honeysuckle is there in the background. She's a lovely one, but I don't think she's for me.

 

A.

[flyingpizza]

Argh, as I was hurridly trying to test this out today, I spilled half the bottle all over my coffee table. Oh well, it goes to charity, right?

 

Anyway, I don't quite know what to think of this scent. I love patchouli, I love ginger, I love spicy scents, I ESPECIALLY love red musk, but there is a bitter note beneath everything I can't quite put my finger on. Perhaps it's a bitter clove, and on me, it overwhelms all I should like about the scent and replaces it with a scent that gives me the shudders. Now, I haven't read the book, but maybe this is appropriate. This scent certainly affects me on an emotional level, that's for sure.

 

I will let this age and see how it goes.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

That is the sharpest, dryest ginger I've ever smelled

 

On me:

The intial blast of ginger has me afraid, because it's really unpleasant to my nose. Too sharp, too dry, kind of funky actually. As someone else said already, it just has a really sort of bitter/funky tone to it. And it's odd, because I love every single note in this blend (well, I don't love ginger, but I don't mind it either). The result is a warm, fiery and deep scent but I'm just really thrown by that undertone.

 

Thankfully, that funky tone tones down a little bit after a while, and what I'm left with is much better than what it started as. It's smooth and warm, musky, deep and earthy - and a tiny little hint of sweetness from that honeysuckle.

 

 

 

Final note:

If you just get past that initial stage, it turns out a lot better and certainly more wearable. If I had judged this scent from it it's initial stage, I would be selling my bottle. But now that I've let it sit on me, I am definitely keeping my bottle, it's very nice!

[Em-]

Evidently War likes ginger. Or knives smell of ginger. Or something like that. Because, damn, if ginger and sweet patchouli are not pretty much all I smell in this blend.

 

There is some smouldering fire...black spicyness lurking in the background, and a sharp sweet tang of honeysuckle. But my beloved red musks are almost invisible on me...

 

This is a hot, spicy red blend - one of the more interesting I've smelled. But alas, for me the patchouli and spices are wrong, and my sinuses just cannot fight through the initial stages. War is hell. And Hell is for other people, I suppose.

[Medici]

In the bottle: Ginger and musk. Wait! Nope, ginger more ginger and musk. This does not bode well.

 

Wet: Dry ginger. Dry, woodsy ginger.

 

Drydown: Medicinal ginger. *cries* A little spice, a little wood, baking cookies? It smells like Gingerbread Poppet's evil twin. *cries some more* It's roasting my skin. This is coming off now.

 

Verdict: Nope, I knew this would be a risky blend for me, and it goes way to fiery for my liking. I was hoping the patchouli might dominate like it usually does, my skin grabbing the note and making everything else play second fiddle to it, but it's not happening here.

[maijasu]

I'm a ginger fan, and I War. On me, there is no bitterness at all, and it's not even that dry. It's sweet but not foody (I turn to Shub for my foody ginger needs). I sometimes can't wear patchouli, but it doesn't turn dirty in this blend; instead, it melds with the musks and ginger into something very smooth. I wouldn't call it particularly fiery.

 

Now, bear in mind that I'm pregnant, so my nose and hormones are a little off from normal. Still, if you like ginger, this is definitely a blend worth trying.

[t_for_tau]

In the imp: ginger and honeysuckle. Uh-oh - I hope the latter isn't going to kill this the way it killed Aries '07 for me...

 

On skin: the honeysuckle's died down somewhat; now it's a very sweet ginger. Not exactly foody, though the sweetness is almost syrupy, with a musky overlay. I can't smell the patch at all; I catch occasional glimpses of the "black spices". However, that honeysuckle's just hanging around and making it a *little* too feminine, a little too floral for me.

 

If you like the ginger in Shub but find that blend a little too fierce and foody, and prefer something more feminine and "perfumey", this should suit you. A very lovely blend, though probably not something I'll wear much.

[Diana]

On application, this scent is really spicy—kind of like a spice rack. It's kind of abrasive & aggressive rather than a comforting smell, but not unpleasant.

 

As it dries, the musk notes take over and it becomes a long-lasting sweet musk scent that is just gorgeous. Perfect.

[zenvodunista]

I'm wondering if the patchouli in this is black patchouli. Black patchouli always smells very head shop to me, while red patchouli is warm and delicious. War, oddly enough, smells like a head shop that has a big tie dyed purple peace sign banner hanging in the window. Whoops!

 

I'm going to age this one a bit and see what happens because there are interesting things happening here - a dark sort of fruit that reminds me of black plums, and thick musk. I think some time to mellow and mingle will help this oil come into her own.

 

N.

[PurpleHeather]

In the bottle: Honeyed ginger, like lovely cakes. Delicious, and wonderful - I'm in love already. For me this is extra gorgeous because, although not strong, the honeysuckle is noticeable, and as a vegan I don't get to enjoy honey scents often.

Wet: The spices are warming up, adding to the warmth of the ginger, with the honeysuckle sweetness fading back a little. Gorgeous!

Later: The musk has come out now, sweetened a little by the honeysuckle. Absolutely wonderful and a big bottle for sure.

 

ETA - very worth a 9/10.

Edited July 25, 2007 by PurpleHeather

[isyche]

I could barely even open my decant of War because something in it smells so off to me. It's like a thin gingery sweetness over twisted evil.

 

I put some on, but it didn't change -- whatever that bitter dark medicinal note is really does not like me and the feeling is mutual. I suppose it works for the character, though, since War isn't what you'd call nice. I shall send her on to someone who gets along with her better.

[shadesong]

In bottle: Ai-ya, this *bites*! In a good way!

 

On me: It's all swirling about. Red musk is riding high, its foot upon the neck of the struggling patchouli. Honeysuckle's not even trying... maybe it'll show up later. I'm hoping for the ginger to stage a comeback.

 

And later - yes, the ginger permeates it beautifully.

[olympia301]

This one the the most red musk of the dusty and deep variety I have ever smelled. If you love teh smut, you will adore War. I can smell ginger in here but I pick up red musk to the limit for the most part.

[ceiswyn]

In the imp: Ooh. Spicy. Warm. Slightly edible. Definitely ginger, but damped down slightly in a way that reminds me a little of Gluttony.

 

On the wrist: Where the hell did the chocolate come from?! There's a hint of Gluttony-like chocolate in the foreground of this scent that I can't figure out at all. The ginger isn't quite so strong on the wrist; the other spices have come through, and now the patchouli starts to make itself known as the 'chocolate' gives way to honeysuckle, making the scent pleasantly spicy-sweet.

 

One hour later: The traces of scent I get as I move my head still seem slightly... off. A hint of not-quite-right chocolate. Sniffing my wrists, however, this is lovely; honeysuckle-sweet tempered and dried by musk, spiced by ginger and other scents.

 

I cry bitter tears.

[sookster]

straight sniff from the imp is wicked hot red ginger...painful

 

once applied this is quite earthy, dirty...on me this is simply

a ginger SN until 10 minutes or so...i get spicy honeysuckle which is

very subtle...oddly enuff i never get the patchouli or blood soaked musks

which is a shame...stoopid chemistry

 

quite an interesting blend i do believe our resident perfume arteest

captured this one perfectly

[edenssixthday]

War - Oh wow, wow, wow! This rocks! When I first sniffed it in the bottle, I thought it was going to be horrible. The dominant note in the bottle is red ginger, and I am not so keen on red ginger. However, once it touches my skin, the honeysuckle, patchouli, and red musk notes begin to blend with the ginger and mellow it out while simultaneously turning into a really well-blended and complex scent. Every single note in the scent description is present, yet none dominate. It's a heavy scent, and could be as easily worn by both men and women. It's a sexy scent for nighttime wear that smells of seduction and danger. When sniffing this one initially, I thought I'd have to pass it on, but having tried it on, I've totally changed my mind. A little goes a very long way -- great throw and wear length.

[tindome]

Wet: I love this, I love ginger and this is ginger.

 

Drydown: As it dries it gets sweeter, ginger candy. There may be some musk in the backround but its so faint I may be imagining it.

 

Dry: This is very similar to shub on me but a tad sweeter. Shub has it's days where it hates me and wants to smell sweaty so this should sub nicely.

[filigree_shadow]

Lots of spices at first -- I think that's the red ginger. It's a little too much for me, to be honest, and this oil is making my skin feel itchy for some reason. I wonder if I'm allergic to something in this. Yeah, it's starting to turn splotchy red. I need to wash this off.

[kawaiiferreto]

I'm so sad. I really wanted to love this but all I get is ginger! Luckily it doesn't have a super strong throw, because I'm not overly fond of ginger. For someone who amps things differently and gets any of the other notes, I imagine this would be a nice scent.

[bookofblues]

In the bottle this is an amazingly sharp ginger! Very dry, with maybe some black pepper underneath. Masculine and not the least bit sweet. The ginger simply overpowers everything else. This is an *angry* ginger.

On the skin, musk comes out a little, and there's a spiciness, maybe from patchouli. Ginger still overpowers though. My husband has already claimed this one for himself and squirrelled it away somewhere.

Not for me, but very sexy on him.

[Dinerdulcinea]

remotely foody but also very rancid-smelling.

 

Made me SOOO NAUSEAUS I had to have hubby wash it off.

 

None of the ones from this update seem to love me so far.

 

Well, can't win 'em all!

[Ahania]

War is hell.

 

...and I love it so. In the imp and wet, it smelled almost exactly like Siren- that same sharp nasty ginger. Once it was on and dry, though, it turned gorgeous. The ginger stays dominant, but the honeysuckle pops up and evens it out. There isn't enough for me to smell it and go, "yup, that's honeysuckle," just a nice sweet floral. I usually don't care for red musk, since it tends to take over on me, but it stays put in a nice supporting role here. Even without vanilla, it reminds me a lot of Siren except less sweet.

[alicia_stardust]

War scares me, but it is so very accurate a scent! Wow!

 

Wet, I smell lots of red ginger and a touch of patchouli. Overall is smells red, wet, cavernous.

 

Dry, my skin amps the patchouli. This scent is anger, seduction, blood. The red musk and red ginger combination is my favorite part of this blend.

[bryghtrose]

Wet: War smells of warm woods and bitter baker's chocolate that's been burnt in the double boiler.

On my skin: Ranchid Chinese food. Something here does not like my skin chemistry, and it smells rancid and rotting. And it throws.

Ugh. I couldn't wash it off fast enough.