Perversion

[meredevachon]

The perfect scent to wear to your next bondage ball, dungeon adventure or sojourn to your favorite pleasure dome. Smoky rum and black tobacco with a whisper of steamy leather with a splash of crystalline chardonnay, layered over a sensual, sweet, and deceptively magnetic base of tonka.

This was a freebie with my last order, and I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about it. But from some of the reviews, I had to give it a try.

In the imp: Mostly what I'm getting is burnt sugar. I don't get any of the chemically scent I'm starting to associate with leather notes (that luckily changes on the skin, but is rather unpleasant in the bottle). No real boozy notes either, although the burnt sugar is probably connected to the rum (and possibly tonka).

Wet: Burnt sugar's gone, and I'm starting to pick up some subtle hints of leather now. A really soft, broken-in leather. And there's the tonka, almost vanilla, but not quite.

Dry: I like this. It's hard to pull out individual notes (something I'm not very skilled at anyway), but there's the tobacco (like walking into a tobacco shop and getting a whiff of all the pipe tobacco's mingling together, and a sense of leather and rum, but more like a rum flavoring than actual rum because it doesn't seem boozy at all. I still don't get any of the chardonnay, but I don't feel like the scent needs anything else. And I'm pleased to find I don't get any of the coconut so many of the reviewers did, as I'm not fond of coconut, and don't feel the need to smell like suntan lotion.

Moderate throw and lasted for a decent amount of time.

Overall I like this. I'm not sure it will go into my first tier of scents I wear most often and can't resist getting a bottle of, but I'll wear it often enough, I think, and will definitely use the imp.

ETA: What a difference even 6 months of aging can make! Some time over the summer I went from the occasional dab of Perversion to reaching for it almost as often as my other faves. And when I started worrying the imp would run out before I could get some more (and rationing what was left along with the worrying), I knew this was a keeper. Got my bottle yesterday and have set it aside for now. But Perversion is definitely in my top 5 (for now... who knows what the next shipment might bring *g*) Edited September 25, 2008 by meredevachon

[tziporra]

I was really worried about this one because I liked it SO much in the bottle, and I love many of the listed notes (especially the RUM!), but I knew the smirky knowing looks I'd get from my friends if anyone asked what I was wearing and I had to tell them "Perversion". I was trying to come up with a "cover" name just in case.

 

Anyway, luckily or unluckily for me, it just doesn't work.

 

It seems to me that "tonka bean" doesn't exactly spell "vanilla" but my skin doesn't seem to care. It amps the notes exactly the same way. After about 30 seconds of wonderful RUM, soft leather and a hint of tobacco, all I got was vanilla. For hours. And while there are lots of notes my skin amps that I don't mind, vanilla actually bothers me. I know, who can get bothered about smelling like a cookie? Well, me, that's who. I finally gave up and washed it off.

 

My husband gave the same verdict, so I know it's not just my nose. "That's not as interesting as some of the stuff you've been trying. It just smells vanilla-y." Which is not, in my book, how Perversion ought to smell

 

Chalk another one up to bad skin chemistry.

 

Tzi

Edited January 15, 2008 by tziporra

[alicia_stardust]

Perversion? *lick*

 

What can I say beyond that? It's a lovely gender-neutral blend of decadence and debauch. I love the way the rich tonka mingles with the leather and there's just the right amount of chardonnay in there. My skin chemistry doesn't really change or morph the fragrance and it has a very strong throw and long wear-length.

[gwynethr]

I swear to god I smell something... minty in here. I can't figure out what it could be. I guess either the leather or the coconut, both of which often do not react especially well on me. But I like this quite a bit, I wish the vanilla was a bit more prominent just because it might help mitigate whatever that minty or vetivery smell is. I seem to have off reactions of some of the most popular scents. Waaah.

[MaeKitty]

In the bottle: Leather, tonka and rum

On Me: Amusingly, the rum makes me think of my time in Cuba, though this scent seems to be more naughty than I was. Oh, it's yummy! The tobacco comes out and gives it balance. I think I love tonka. This is tasty and yummy and I want to roll around in it. It's bringing up thoughts of naughtiness from my past! Haha. This is great.

Edited February 9, 2008 by MaevanKayt

[galleywest]

Okay, I admit it. When I ordered it after reading all the reviews I couldn't wait, but when I smelled it in the imp for the first time I wondered if I had made a horrible mistake. Did I? Read on to find out! (I know the suspense is killing you...)

 

Wet, in the imp: Whoa. A little overpowering. I definitely smell the tobacco and the rum. It's...strong. Masculine, maybe. Not a fragile scent.

 

Wet, on skin: Ooooooh, I smell that tobacco now. It's sweeter, though, kind of smoky. Heady. The strong perfumy-smell isn't quite so strong now.

 

Dry, on skin: I'm in love. IN LOVE. The tobacco and the tonka work together wonderfully on my skin. You have no idea how hard it is to find a perfume that works on me. My skin lets it stick around for hours, too. The smell of the tobacco gets lighter over time, leaving just that smoky "edge" around the tonka. I don't know what the other ingredients are doing, but I assume they're in there, also adding that special voodoo that I love so well about this scent.

 

It's now my signature scent. I've never smelled anything like it and I'm so delighted it works on me. It fits my personality too, surprisingly. It's a little...odd. But nice! I'm getting a big bottle.

[sirsaber]

When I tried this I could definitely smell the boozy bits. It later smoothed over with the leather and tobacco and became just.......damn.....good stuff.

 

I am going to have to get a tun of this hehehehe. I'd bathe in it if I coul.

[Octavius]

My first review! I got this and Gluttony as imp's ears at Dances of Vice last month. A friend was handing them out to the patrons and at the end of the night handed me two. I felt that Gluttony was too sweet, but I felt maybe, just maybe this would work. It did and now *sniff* I *sniff* can't *sniff* stop

 

In the bottle: wow, this is strong. Sweet, but not overpoweringly so. Vanilla, coconut, definite tobacco but I couldn't find the rum, nor could I smell the tonka.

 

Wet on the skin: Oh my. Very nice, vanilla is definitely there, some coconut, dark fruit (I presume that's the tonka?) and tobacco.

 

As it dried, I couldn't find the leather. It's like the leather didn't want to show up

It was a the typical bad boy and flipped off the vanilla and coconut, opting instead to stay with rum.

The rum showed up betwixt the vanilla and a vague, fruity citrus (?!) smell on my skin, then the rum.The leather finally showed up, lasting and creating something vaguely sweet, somehow very interesting and incredibly nice, dark fruit (again, perhaps the tonka?), with an intermingling scent of vanilla and that coconut, playing about in the background but not too sweet at all with a final note of tobacco. All in all, amazing!

Edited March 11, 2008 by Octavius

[scarletgenesis]

Rawwwrrrrr! I got to test this and even was gifted an imp at the MnS I hosted today, and wow....

 

I get all kinds of hot leather and tobacco. The tonka also curls out of a dust parchment note....weird, but amazing.

 

This is a hot, dark, bad boy/girl, in a long leather coat, black leather pants, and with a thin cigarette hanging out of a sneering mouth. They stalk through the aisles of a chained library, purring like a big cat. You catch a glimpse of them from time to time, as you rush deeper into the library, knocking into the shelves as you pass, stirring up dust from the disintegrating tomes that mixes with the hot tobacco. The smoke curls through the building, preceding your predator. You keep glancing behind you, hoping deep in your heart that they will catch you.

 

Um...yeah. Can you tell I find Perversion ridiculously sexy? I'll be getting a bottle of this soon, most definitely. We decided it smells like sexy libraries, or was that library sex? Either way...it's hot.

[twilighteyes]

I actually go to a lot of bondage balls, fetish clubs, goth clubs, you name it, we live it.

 

This is NOT a scent I like nor does it remind me of dungeons.

 

Number 1, you can't drink during bondage. It's dangerous because you're not getting an accurate reading of pain levels. This smells a LOT like cheap wine.

 

Number 2, I don't smoke and I don't like kissing or playing with people that do. I like the smell of pipe tobacco, but the blend in this just smells like cigarette smoke to me.

 

This perfume to me is totally cheap wine and nasty cigarettes. I don't smell the leather or tonka. Or rum for that matter. The wine scent in this reminds me of the smell of a drunk's vomit.

 

This is one of *the only* bpal scents that I have NOT liked. I even did the "well, ok, it doesn't smell the great in the imp but it might morph on my skin..." test. Nope, if anything, it just smelled even MORE like cigarette smoke on my skin.

 

[iiinterstate]

Perversion started out as tobacco and rum on me, which I don't find particularly thrilling. I left the test spot on my arm though and didn't think about it until about 5 minutes later.

 

I think this is probably the first BPAL blend that has literally made me gasp. While I never would have thought this combo would work on me (although I had hoped!), its fantastic. My mouth is actually watering.

 

The tobacco and rum have faded to the background, I think they're having an orgy with leather in the back room. Leather is clearly the Dominatrix type though. Tonka is the clearest note I get, with just enough chardonnay to sweeten things up. That's good. One should never mix alcohol and BDSM.

 

I want a bottle. probably several.

 

 

 

(thank you arcticghost!)

[goth_huntress]

I love this. I don't get a female vibe off of it at all though. Unisex yes. I can't wait to smell it on a guy.

[taramarie]

I'm a little amazed by Perversion -- it's a blend of more than three notes where I can actually smell every note that's listed, instead of my skin eating half of them. And it smells pretty good on me. I'm getting rum and chardonnay the most (booze loves my skin), but the tobacco, leather, and tonka are there too, in the back. It's neutral, bordering on masculine, but not so much that a woman can't wear it.

[CrazyPretzel]

Hmmm... mostly getting smooth leather and tonka from this, and the tonka is unfortunately just a bit too foosty on my skin for me to really wear this one successfully. Interestingly (or not) I don't get any of the listed booze notes at all.

[savage_rose]

I don't smell the chardonnay at all, but this is a balanced scent...very unisex. It smells sweet yet earthy, very grounded. And something is powdering out (maybe the chardonnay), but THAT even smells great in this blend. It's that good.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed in imp: Smoky, sharp and spicy; a little sweet. Vanilla and tobacco dominate - I can barely pick out anything else.

 

Wet: Sweeter, almost syrupy - lots of the white grape and more vanilla, but there's still a lot of the delicious spicy-rich tobacco note. I do get a bit of creaminess from the coconut, but it's very light.

 

Dry: The tobacco really amps, and is the star of this blend (I agree that it's the same note from Black Lace); I'm getting a bit of light oakmoss too which supports the unisex feel, though it's still pretty sweet. A slightly soapy edge, almost?

 

Later: A bit more coconut is starting to emerge, such that I don't have to strain to detect it so much. Otherwise, all the notes are melding together very nicely. For some reason this reminds me of Quincy Morris in feel at this stage, in a good way naturally.

 

Summary: The tobacco just amps and amps, taking on an increasingly dark and smoky feel, almost the the point of bitterness & masculinity. The vanilla holds and merges with the soft coconut, while the wine nearly entirely fades away, and the oakmoss remains faint. Moderate throw & good longevity.

Edited June 24, 2009 by fairnymph

[AEris]

I get a creamy vanilla tobacco from this. Maybe a swirl of musk...I can't pick up on the leather.

 

I bet if this was layered with Antique Lace, it would be reminiscent of Black Lace.

 

It's pleasantly decent, and simple. It's unremarkable and plays it safe with my chemistry. I like it, but I'm not swooning.

 

3.5 out of 5

[hkhm]

imp: rum and tobacco and tonka... it almost smells coconutty.

 

wet: this is sweet, creamy tobacco rum yumminess. need a bottle.

 

dry: this stays on my skin forever and it smells fantastic! the leathery note is finally appearing and with the rum and tobacco creaminess... at least one bottle will be in my next order.

[whisperingmachines]

This is my favorite blend with leather in it, by far. It blends in so smoothly here, and the chardonnay is a little bit fruity and sweet. I don't get any smoke from this, except maybe a weee bit of that really lovely smelling pipe smoke I sometimes smell when walking out and about the city. Next time I have a boyfriend, I'm making him try this! WHY DOES MY DISCOVERY OF BPAL SO PAINFULLY COINCIDE WITH MY BEING SINGLE

 

It could work really nicely on someone who was submissive or dominant. I'm half asleep so I'm really not sure where the hell I'm going with that, but I guess it could work either way with the scenario below...

 

This scent is someone dark, beautiful and maybe a little dangerous coming up behind you. The warm smell of a recently-shed leather coat lingers on their skin, and there's the smell of sweet booze on their lips. They snake an arm around your waist and delicately wrap their fingers around your neck, and breathe "You're mine." into your ear, in an accent you can't quite place. A breath of smoke from somewhere in the room, the faint waft of a vanilla candle, and flushed skin pressed against an exquisite leather sofa.

 

 

So pretty much it's like sex in a bottle.

[Lamia]

HOLY CRAP YUM!

 

This scent can be described best as "scrummy", with an astringent bite at the back of my throat. Regretfully, a fairly quick fade but not as fast as some.

 

Dark and thick and damn good.

[greenranger]

In the imp, vanilla and ...something alcoholic.

 

 

Wet on me, vanilla, white wine of some kind, and leather?

 

Drying on me, I smell the tobacco coming out. There's still leather. The vanilla and wine are reduced to stains on the leather. The scent is getting dryer.

 

Oh, yum. Sweet vanilla tobacco and leather. The wine and rum have faded, though. =(

It does smell like a rather decadent good time has been had by all, and now you are lying, relaxed, and possibly spent, on the leather couch, too comfortable to move.

 

 

 

I tried it a second time on a swatch of cotton.

 

Wet on cotton, sweeter than on me. Vanilla and wine. Ah, there's the rum. The fruityness of the wine and the sweetness behind the rum and vanilla are more apparent than on me.

 

Drying, the liquors stay apparent longer on the cotton. The scents are more blended, and I really like this scent even if I am having trouble picking out the different notes from one another. I'm getting a hint of coconut, though...*checks the notes* *checks Wikipedia* Aha! Tonka may be like vanilla, but, it is different enough to explain the possibilty of getting a faint coconut feel from it.

Edited May 22, 2008 by Aerinha

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Tobacco and musk but a but more sparkly

 

On Application

The rums peeks through 5 minutes into the drydown.

 

Dry Down

I have been trying to find a scent reminiscent of my father's pipe tobacco which was sweet, vanillary with rum. This comes very close in the drydown and then turns very, very spicey. This goes through a very smokey, burning stage before softening out to rum, coconut and spice. Lovely

 

Rating (0-5)

4.5

[voodoocatwoman]

No booze at all for me. I smell vanilla and tobacco and leather. The vanilla is steady and the other two pop in and out, weaving and competing to be the last note I detect in any one sniff (and there have been many since I put this one on this morning). I also get a little spice with that tobacco now.

 

LOVE.

[undream]

omg, what a beautiful, unique scent! in the imp it was all creamy & sweet for me, rummy but not overly so - in fact it took me a few minutes to realize that it was a coconut that i was detecting - with just a hint of tobacco hitting me high up in my nose (as opposed to being able to really smell it directly?). once applied it becomes a gorgeous blend of mostly tonka and tobacco, a deliciously lovely sweetened pipe tobacco. exactly what i was hoping it would do on me. i am seriously swooning here.

 

i love love looove this. wearing it, i feel kittenish and sexy, as though i should be ensconced in long and slinky red satin gown, my hair tumbled high, lipstick smile playing along my lips and a playful, knowing glint in my eye, drink in hand; entirely bent on having a little dirty fun with the handsome card dealer at the blackjack table. altogether a very elegant, mischievous, naughty girl!

Edited July 10, 2008 by undream

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Smoky and sweet smooth leather.

 

Immediately on skin: This is surprisingly nice on me… at least so far * knock on wood * This is a sweet, smoky, creamy and slightly boozy leather scent. The leather is not overly strong or masculine though. It’s a very thick scent though so I hope it lightens up a bit on my skin.

 

After a little while: This is a creamy, smoky, and subtly sweet tonka and leather scent on my skin. I’m very surprised at how well the tonka and leather notes blend together… it’s really nice. This blend doesn’t really have “levels” to it; everything seems to be mixing to create a very interesting, unique singular scent.

 

Overall Impressions: This was quite a surprise, but I really love it. It’s so naughty and sexy, and blended gorgeously. I’d say this could probably be a man’s scent as well as a woman since the leather strikes me as more masculine, but the sweetness is a little playful to me. I definitely love this scent… I just hope it’s one that’ll get some wear!