Perversion

[Colère]

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.

Bottle: Oh, Christ. It's a candle shop. And not just ANY candle shop, one that exclusively sells sickeningly sweet vanilla scented votives (why votives? who knows?).

Skin: Gag. Vanilla. I'm a walking, talking, bottle of vanilla extract. OH NO. There's something sweet and rich...CHOCOLATE? Dear God, please don't let this make me smell like a Godiva truffle! Now there's some coconut. Vanilla, chocolate, coconut. I'm smell like a fucking bottle of suntan lotion. The old, cheap kind you discover in the back of your cabinet that your mother bought in 1973.

Skin, Later: Chocolate turns into tobacco, I don't know if that's better or worse. The rich, cloying sweetness tapers into cigarette smoke. Actual cigarette smoke, which would be super terrific great if I ACTUALLY SMOKED (I retch just walking past the smoking sections of restaurants).

Verdict: Never. Ever. Not in a million years. I don't have that much experience with perfumes, but I know that I REALLY HATE SMELLING LIKE FOOD (truffles, cocktails, you name it). Now 'suntan lotion' has been added to the list. Worst of all THIS SCENT REFUSES TO GO AWAY. You'd think I had OCD with how many times I've washed my hands / taken a shower since putting it on...

[faifai]

I really can't tell what it smells like, since I have no experience with tonka/most alcohol notes. I do like leather notes, though [loved Loviatar], and really like rum notes, even though I can't pick it out here.

 

If Perversion was a color, to me it'd be a dark dark red, one that almost looks black but shimmers back to red in certain lights.

 

It's good for fall, kinda over the top during summer [when I got it] because it has good throw and everyone around me starts wondering who smells like she just got in at 5am.

 

I do enjoy it, and ordered Elegba on the thought that it's kind of like Perversion minus the wine-y aspect [even though I didn't notice a wine-y aspect at all].

Edited October 9, 2005 by faifai

[Miss Lynx]

OK, this is the polar opposite of Snake Charmer, which I tried earlier today. Snake Charmer was packed with notes I thought sounded really good, and yet it turned really unpleasant on my skin. Perversion is packed with notes I thought sounded awful, and yet it smells surprisingly nice on me.

 

Fortunately, I am getting none of the coconut scent other people have mentioned from this (I like eating coconut, but hate the scent in perfumes). It smells more herbal/incensey to me than anything -- I guess maybe that's the tobacco? Considering that I can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke, tobacco in a scent would normally be a deal-breaker for me, but if that's what this is, it's not bad. And there's a sweet, vanilla-y base that guess must be the tonka, and a slightly fruity/boozy overtone. It is absolutely not a foody scent, though.

 

I initially thought it was nice but not necessarily a "me" scent, but as it dries down, it's settling in nicely and has that warm aromatic fruity/incensey tone to it that some of my favourites do. I still don't think it's likely to become a favourite for me, but it's definitely a pleasant surprise. It's complex and hard to pin down, and seems to do a lot of slow shifting between different layers of scent. It's also relatively light, despite its richness. I had to put on a fair bit to get a strong impression of it. And there's a definite sensuality to it, that would probably work equally well on either gender.

 

Between this and the Snake Charmer experience, I'm really wondering if I can trust my judgement of what I'd like based on descriptions at all! Maybe I just have to try everything. Except strong/sweet florals. Those I know are bad news on me. It's nice to be able to be sure of one thing, I guess.

 

Grade: B, maybe B+

[Fefferbella]

This is so far my favorite BPAL scent.

It's so warm and delicious on my skin. The tobacco leaf and sweet vanilla-like tonka fragrance last for hours. Deffiantely the most staying-power of anything I've tried.

I don't pick up the chardonay from the discription, but I do smell something similar to opium poppies, giving Perversion a sweet, seductive and very arousing mix.

 

I LOVE this scent.

[SeaMonkey]

This is all booze. I was hoping for more of a tobacco, but its all booze and gave me a headache. I wound up having to wash it off. I set it aside and I'm going to give it a try again later, because I had such high hopes for this.

[lookingglass]

Love, love, love it...on the man. It is taking the place of Elegba in the top 10. It is quite like it, but darker, naughtier, not as sweet. The leather note is captivating.

[arabella]

First Impression: Vomit.

 

Dries down to: Within seconds, it changes to a lightly sugar-dusted vanilla scent. The tobacco and leather never make an appearance.

 

Additional Comments: This reminds of the chrusciki my grandmother used to make - those deep-fried, flaky,dough twists that are covered in powdered sugar. Then, after some time, the chardonnay becomes more prominent and brings back memories of having a sweet wine, like Vin Santo, with delicate, homemade tiny cookies. I love this for all the memories it evokes but I'm not sure I'd ever wear it. I'll definitely keep it for the nostalgia factor.

 

Lasted: A few hours.

 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 as perfume; 4.5 out of 5 for nostalgia factor.

[arachne]

I received an imp ear of this quite some time ago. I kept sniffing the wand and thinking tobacco, pure tobacco, nah, not for me. But this morning I decided to take the plunge. OMGoddes! When I first put it on I am transported to a far, far away place. I'm led beneath the seventh veil, by a belly dancer and come face to face with the Goddess Innana. She is annointing me with thick resinous oil. I smell myrrh. Love myrrh! I purrrr for myrrh.

 

Then I slip through a portal and I'm at a nightclub....in Cuba? People are dressed like it's 1940. The smell of tobacco is predominant. But, rather than smelling stale, it was like the yummy moist pipe tobacco that my dad kept in a leather pouch. This is cool.

 

I keep sniffing, thinking, what else is in there. I didn't realize that it was coconut until I ran to the computer to read other peoples reviews. Yes, coconut. It's so obvious now, but a black coconut indeed. It's late and I'm on an island, standing at the foot of the ocean. I am naked and in my hands is a coconut that has been smashed. I raise hands to the full moon, rub the coconut all over my body and a man with a mask ravishes me.

 

How did Beth bottle such a fantasy??

 

I am getting a BIG bottle of this.

[Spring Snow]

When I first tried my frimp, it got me very nostalgic for some reason. I wandered around for about a half an hour, sniffing, wondering why the deja vu? Then I realized, it reminded me of vanilla incense I used to burn when I was fourteen! Brought back lots of memories of doing math homework while listening to Tori Amos, and my mother begging me to stop burning that stinky stuff! Unlike mom, I love the smell, but I don't think I want to smell like fourteen again... it's too weird. Off to swaps. Kudos though, for such an evocative scent!

[Voleuse]

This is sweet and dark on first application, and I definitely catch the notes of coconut and tobacco. It definitely has a masculine bent, and the leather note really blooms after a little while.

 

Over time, the scent becomes a little lighter, a little sweeter, but it never loses its complexity. This is sexy and smoldery--rather like what I wanted from Snake Oil, actually. I'm not convinced I'd actually wear this on a regular basis, but I really like it.

[ViolentKitten]

The party was in full swing; the chandeliers glittering, the music loud and the revellers letting their hair down...some dancing, some whispering not-so-sweet nothings in each other's ears, some disappearing into other rooms for their own private parties. But they stood at the bar mixing up a Kir Royal. He poured the Crème de Cassis into the glass. 'Not too much.' she said. 'Oh, ok..' He put the bottle down and swapped it for the champagne, poured with a slightly shaky hand, stirred, then handed her the glass. She took a sip, the bubbles tickling her lips as the sweet and tart taste of the blackcurrant liqueur hit her tongue. 'Too strong?' He asked anxiously. 'A little more cassis would be nice, after all.' He reached for the glass, but in his nervousness knocked it from her hand. It fell, the liquid splashing onto her tight leather pants on its way down. 'You've wet my pants.' She said, while reaching into her pocket and pulling out a sopping wet packet. 'And my tobacco!' He looked mortified. 'Oh! I...I'm sorry!' She fingered the tendrils of the whip set between her belt and pants. 'Don't worry,' she smiled, 'I'll be taking them off soon.'

 

Had to write that. Perversion is just so evocative to me. No fruits are listed, but I get a splash of blackcurrant liqueur, a hint of fizz that rises off my skin, mixed with a little tobacco (but it’s not an ashtray, it’s fresh and moist) and a wisp of leather. I also get a touch of vanilla, something almost salty, but not, and possibly some shredded coconut, which I guess could be the rum. A little sugary, a little tart, very bright, but with a dark, sexy undertone, which saves it from being too fruity or foody. Mouth-watering. Drydown is a softly sweet, musky tobacco. Love it. Must have full bottle.

 

PS: Perversion is a frimp (thanks Lab!) which I’ve had for over a year now, but because it reminded me a little of Sage Onyx (dark coconut, oakmoss, tobacco, vanilla nectar) which I have, I didn't think I needed it. I was wrong. Perversion has that sexy, fruity crystalline note, and a gorgeously light, soft leather. It’s been sitting in the box saying, ‘She’ll be back. Oh yes, she’ll be back.’

Edited December 7, 2005 by ViolentKitten

[kakiphony]

This came in my Christmas card from Liber_Amoris. I tried it last night, and liked it so much I'm wearing it again today!

 

In the imp: I smell rum and something slightly fruity. Tonka? It's sweet and very rich.

 

Wet: Mmm. This is sinfully good. The rum is rich and sweetened by a deep vanilla scent. (I do wish I knew if that was the tonka! If I knew for sure I'd start ordering every scent with tonka in it.) Both the boy and I were sniffing my wrists like crazy.

 

Early dry down: The tobacco starts to develop as this dries, and like so many of the lab's tobaccos on me, it's a sweet, pipe tobacco scent. Combined with the rum, this is what I imagine butter-rum flavored pipe tobacco would smell like. I'm not getting leather or chardonnay yet, but what is there is divine. I also catch just a whiff of something like ginger spice in there. I don't smell any of the coconut that other reviewers mentioned.

 

Late dry down: Unfortunately, this one does not have the best staying power on me. After about two and a half hours, there's little to no throw left. If I sniff my wrist, I still get just a little of the awesome butter-rum tobacco smell. It's as if I used the yummiest lotion in the world this morning. The scent is that subtle and has soaked into my skin that well.

 

I am sooooooo glad I have another imp of this on the way in my Yule order. I'm restraining myself from buying a bottle, but we'll see how long that lasts.

[furygrrl]

In the Imp: A faintly fruity smell - like dirty or dusty fruit. I'm wondering if I really want to wear this.

 

Wet: Starts out kind of sharp, reminding me of how Medicine Show begins, but without the greenish/herbal tinge MS has. Perversion's got more of a "brownish" feel to it, and again I find myself thinking it smells a little like dirty fruit - possibly cherries.

 

Drydown: Oooh... Less than a minute later, it's TOTALLY morphed. That strange swampy fruit smell has completely dissipated, and now it's become this softly sweet, almost powdery whisper against my skin. The rum, tobacco, and vanilla (tonka?) are the predominant scents I'm getting at this point, all gently swirling together like some decadent brand of butterscotch ripple ice cream. So YUM!

 

Verdict: I'm so glad I decided to take the plunge and try this fragrance, despite my initial trepidation. The results I got definitely prove you can't judge a scent by imp-sniffing alone. I will definitely be wearing this again.

 

Overall Rating: 4 happy noses out of 5.

[elphaba]

My first thought on sniffing Perversion on my skin was, "Oh man, what am I going to have to take off the top ten list to make room for this?" I adore this scent.

 

Wet, the tonka (or maybe the rum) is extremely sweet, enough so that I generally wait a few minutes for sniffing, just to aoid that initial sickly sweet blast. Within a minute or two, though, it becomes this glorious blend, like a woman walking into a cigar store and her sweet perfume blending with the ambient scent of unsmoked tobacco. The leather is there too, but it is subtle. If I didn't love the scent of leather, I suspect I'd notice it more, but at it is, it just wafts around becoming part of the perfect whole.

 

This is definitely a keeper.

[Chantarelle]

I don't think this works for me at all. It's oddly sweet and powdery, with a weird undertone that I think is the rum. Not even remotely what I was expecting. I'll try it again, but I'm not impressed.

[kourika]

I freely admit that I bummed an imp of this off a friend simply because I <I>had</I> to try a perfume called "Perversion". I wasn't sure how it would work on me, and I was pleasantly surprised when it turned into something sweet with a sharper edge. The tonka definitely is the strongest note on me, and it definitely gets people's attention!

[Ayln]

This is one of my favorite catalog scents.

 

I get a lot of leather from this, with a backdrop of vanilla-like sweetness. It's not bitter but it's not phlegm-inducing, and it's perfect when you're feeling a little wicked or just badass. Maybe it's the leather...

[The_Merf]

In the imp: I could cry tears of joy--this is gorgeous. How elegant, how sophisticated and strong. The tobacco, tonka and rum (I believe, as something smells a bit like Baron Samedi) are strongest.

 

Wet: Oh, this is so fabulous! It remains smoky, but the alcohol notes (they are far too sophisticated to be called "booze notes" in this blend! ) provide an interesting backdrop. The leather is mysteriously absent.

 

Drydown and wear: This scent doesn't do anything really odd as it dries down--the longer lasting notes like amber and tonka begin to emerge. I wish this lasted longer (then again, my perception of its strength may be affected by my multiple-testing penchant), but I don't care--it's just that lovely. This one zooms to my buy list.

[this machine]

I have one thing to say at this point...

 

The name? It is not.kidding. WOW.

 

Leather and rum are my two new look-out-for-and-retrieve-at-all-costs scents. Damn. (alright, that was two things)

[Caltha]

Perversion

Perversely sweet on me, a sugar overdose with none of the darkness the name might hint to except maybe for a hint of leather. I get candy, chocolate, caramel with a choking cloud of roses lingering in the air around me. My girlfriend said "apple pie!" when she met me, and although I don't get any apples I see where she got the sweet cake association from. This is strong and lasting, beware of the sugared rose vapours, they might knock people around you dead, and not merely from excitation.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 5/5

Summarised in a word or two: Perverse!

 

In the imp: Tonka, leather and something almost berryish.

 

On skin, wet: ...Interesting. The leather isn't as strong as I'd expected it to be, and the tonka is sweeter and smoother than in the imp. It's actually fairly confusing: soft, but sharp; smooth, but distinctly rough; sweet, but very, well, almost sweaty.

 

On skin, dry: Tobacco! I've been liking tobacco more and more lately, and the tobacco becomes a strong player as this dries. I'm liking this much more than I ever expected it. It's smoky, thick and smooth, but not sharp. The leather doesn't smell like cow-ass for once, and the tobacco doesn't smell like stale cigarettes. After an hour or so, it's a bit sweeter, which makes it that much better.

 

Conclusion: Actually, I was sure I'd reviewed/tested and hated it, but apparently not. I get no rum or chardonnay, which I'm glad of, as I'm not a fan of booze notes. What I do get is a smoky tonka/leather/tobacco/musk kind of scent that, while lovely, is really very intense. It is the perfect kind of thing to wear to a club or (bondage) ball, and while I can't see myself wearing it daily, I may need a 5ml to keep for special aforementioned occasions. To hell with that -- 5ml in my next order, definitely.

Edited February 15, 2006 by Aredhel

[strawberry_star]

Take the best sex you've ever had or would hope to have and put it in a bottle. That's Perversion. Or maybe I'm just perverted. Nevertheless, it is perfection. I think it narrowly beats out Bordello as my favorite scent... oh the review? Sorry yes, I was getting to that.

 

Well first off, I can't smell the tonka on me at all. I smell leather, booze, and tobacco (pipe of course). There is a sweetness there and maybe a slight spice, but I don't like spices so it can't be too much. I smell DIRTY, but in a very good way. It makes me want to go out and do devious things. It makes my mind wander off into the gutter (more than usual) with no hope of returning. It makes me feel like the sexiest woman alive, the ultimate seductress and I think that's everything I could hope for in a perfume.

[josja]

This is something I would never ever wear to work, a visit to the parents or anything formal at all. This is pure sex, lust, whatever you wanna call it. Leather, booze, tobacco, it's all there. And damn does it last!

 

This is the one I never want to be without!

[jewelbug]

Imp: In the imp it is all sweet wonderful tonka and coconut (though that's not a listed note). Maybe the barest hint of tobacco.

 

Wet: Mmm, mostly gloriously sweet tonka/coconut with a bit of leather. Lovely.

 

Drying: Uh, oh, I'm getting a playdoh/plasticyness out of this. That REALLY makes me think there is coconut in here, cuz this happened to me with red lantern and elegba, too. I'd hate to think there are more notes that go playdoh on me. All three share tobacco, too, so that could also be a culprit. I hope not!

Underneath the plastic/play-doh, there is a spicy creamy smell. Also something smells like bay leaves, perhaps the Chardonnay-- it smells like a stale Chardonnay, though. I think. In the late dry-down it's an incense sweet tonka and a bit of leather. By this point there is no more plastic, but its very faint overall.

 

Overall: Sigh…I hate when they go playdoh on me. I think this had great potential on someone with more agreeable skin chem. To the swaps with this one….

[loves_requiem]

this is my club scent...i always wear it to my b/fs concerts and out to dance...nd i constantly get very good reviews on it.

 

its not bad for business either...i was able to hook up a couple of shows just becasue a band member from another group would start a conversation because they liked the smell.

 

boys bloody love it.