Diwali

[akw]

Lotus root, mogra, mango, tamarind, cardamom, clove, almond milk, cashew, rice flower, coconut, supari, raisins, and incense crafted from aloeswood, red sandalwood, cedar, and spikenard.

Diwali has been a lesson in patience for me. When I bought it new, it was too fruity, and I wasn't getting the spicy, incensey bit. It wasn't yet integrated, and I couldn't quite figure out what it was about. I tried to sell it two or three times since then with no takers.

Now . . . it's just amazing. Everything is integrated, and it's spicy, incensey and exotic. The fruit adds roundness rather than excessive sweetness, keeps the incense and spice from being too dry.

I need to be careful about slathering though. If it's on too thick, I like it less. Less is more! Edited May 3, 2010 by Shollin

[loubric]

Creamy orange dark chocolate candy!! This is what I smell like.

a little while later I can smell hints of coconut and something green!!

Edited December 30, 2009 by Lilly

[Venneh]

In the imp, I'm getting lotus and citrus and herbs. Hrm. On my skin, the lotus and citrus comes forward, and is really sweet. We'll see what this does. Ends up going supersweet baby powder. Not for me.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Venneh

[SophieCedar]

I got this as part of a wonderful surprise giftie pack. I dabbed it then said "I smell like Christmas!... at Lush!" Meaning it has a mingling of snowcake, spicy mulled bathbombs, and heady self-indulgent plant and floral mixtures. This is a winner!

 

Spicy cake foodiness with slight incense wet. Very foody as it develops. Soft and lovely on drydown. It's like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket and sipping warm spiced almond milk. mmmmm.....

[milica]

I get sweet fruit and smoke from this, that kind of scent works for me, I like it a lot! Interesting blend, but it faded away after 30 min. Not for my skin.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Deep golden fruits in a liquid pool of sunset. I can’t pick out any distinct notes—it’s all just deep, warm, golden, fruity, beautiful.

 

Wearing: Stays very true to the first-scent sniff for the whole of its wearing, and it was still going strong as I headed off to a concert that night. Just fantastic.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Richly spiced and pleasingly sweet. The almond milk and cocoanut make a smooth canvass on which the complex of other elements can be beautifully displayed. I think the raisins in this is the best use of any grape related scent I’ve encound=tered. The lotus blends well with the other elements, while remaining distinct. The woods ground the blend. The spices are perfect with the other elements. Wet: Less stunning on my skin, where the coconut, cedar/sandalwood, and cardamom/clove are the main elements. It’s still quite nice, but my skin steals the nuance. Dry: Mostly sandalwood and cardamom with almond milk.

[1010nabulation]

Man am I glad I decided to purchase this imp from a kind BPALer on the forums.

 

Wet: I smell a sweet, warm fruity tanginess.

 

Drydown: It's somewhat perfumey, but not overbearingly so. Still warm and fruity, but the tanginess is mellowing fast. A few minutes in there's a light spiciness to it--cardamom? cloves? YUMMY.

 

Dry: Mmm, this mellowed into a sweet, soft, warm, round incense with a touch of musk and floral (but not in a bad way--florals and I usually don't get along, but here it's just a nice high note). It's a keeper!

[Magycmyste]

In the bottle: Sweet fruit, pretty much.

 

Wet on skin: A nuttier scent, probably the almond milk and cashew comes out now, with still a bit of sweet fruit in the background - the tamarind and the mango, I think.

 

Dried down: Much less sweet now - I think this is the mogra (jasmine sambac) and red sandalwood mostly now, with maybe a little cedar. There's a tiny bit of sweetness, but only in the background.

 

Throw: I'm not really getting much of a throw here - just when I sniff my wrists.

 

Verdict: ***** I would have sought out a bottle just for the name, really - Diwali is one of my favorite festivals of the year, and I have fond memories of it growing up (which include getting hit in the lip by a firework. Yes, still fond). I'm not sure how much this perfume evokes those memories for me, but it plays beautifully on my skin, morphing from sweet mango all the way to sandalwood. Almost all the notes recall aspects of my childhood, and as far as I can tell, none of them smell bad on me. I'll be happy with my bottle, and I might seek out another if I can get one for a good price.

Edited August 15, 2013 by Magycmyste

[Aviatrix]

It is difficult for me to distinguish that many notes, as they blend together to create a general soft, creamy sweetness. Perhaps the most prominent is a whiff of almond, the different fruits, and incense.

It stays really close to the skin, and I needed to put on a LOT before I could properly smell it. But it is very sweet and festive

[Pixie-elf]

I am having a particularly hard day / night, and Diwali is a wonderfully comforting scent.

 

It's like lightly spiced cream. Sweet, fruity, but not overly so. It's so comforting and feels like a warm hug.

 

My fiance has suggested I wear this scent when I need to appear professional, oddly enough. It's not sweet in a childish manner, the sandalwood and cardamom make it an adult scent. I love it. When I'm having a rough day I like to put it on and snuggle up.

[doomsday_disco]

This is a super aged decant, but I'm mostly getting creamy almond milk and dusty woods with touches of florals and a hint of raisin. The spices and fruits in this are super light, and the scent itself is pretty light, too... I'm thinking it is due to age. If I had to compare this to another BPAL scent, it would probably be Lilith Nightingale, although that scent's fig is much more prominent than the fruits in this one are on me.

 

I'm glad I got a chance to try this, but I can't see myself reaching for it over Lilith Nightingale since that one is stronger on me.