The Ifrit

[Little Bird]

Desert sand, red musk, blackened ginger, dragon's blood resin, black pepper, cinnamon, and tobacco.

I had high hopes for The Ifrit. I love red musk and the spices appealed to me, but this goes all wrong on my skin. At first there was a sexy burst of cinnamon and it reminded me a bit of Priala, but then it went sharp and a little soapy, making me think of opium. In the drydown, I think the tobacco completely ruins this for me. It's smoky, sharp, gritty, and smells sort of soured and off. All of the lovely spices disappear and I'm left with sour, smoky tobacco . This isn't a keeper at all for me.

[starwild]

This is almost precisely like Ozymandias on me, but with less of a traditional perfume-y edge and more of a spicy swirl of dry heat. Ozymandias is a scent of dead places in the desert, whereas the Ifrit is more like the essence of the desert itself. Extremely dry, very red, not as intense as I thought it would be. Sexy scent. I don't get any dragon's blood from this, but it may be mixed up in the muddle of "hot" that I'm smelling.

 

Will definitely use the decant, debating a bottle.

[Brianne]

A very incensey blend - oddly enough none of the notes really stick out to me - I don't get any distinct cinnamon, or dragon's blood, or tobacco. The red musk is mingled with a strong "incense" note (frankincense it smells like?) and the result is slightly powdery, a smidge sweet and really sort of a prime example of an incense blend I think. If someone was going to ask, "What exactly makes an incense blend smell like an incense blend?" I would have them smell this blend lol.

 

When I go to our local Ren Faire, and you sort of stand around the stalls and you get that smell of about 200 different incenses combined - that's this smell lol. It's lovely and appealing in it's own way, just perhaps too incensey for my tastes!

[Miss Lynx]

I knew I had to try this one as soon as I saw the notes, as spicy-musky scents are nearly always heaven on me. The only possibly dodgy note in here was the dragon's blood, which is kind of hit and miss on my skin, depending on its company, but with these notes as companions it seemed pretty safe .

 

And it really is very nice. Warm, dry and definitely very evocative of a desert baking under the hot sun -- a perfect summer scent! It's not too aggressively spicy -- I didn't get any skin burn from it. The spices are just enough to give the dominant musk/resin/tobacco combo a gentle kick.

 

Very reminiscent of a fair number of other spicy-musk BPAL scents, though. I kept thinking "It's like a toned-down Plunder... No, it's Red Phoenix without the fruity sweetness... No, it's a deeper, dryer version of The Lion... No, it's a more butch version of Scherezade, or maybe Morocco... No, it's Leo with a touch more spice and without the lemony note..." Really, it's a little bit of all of these, which lends it a strong sense of familiarity for anyone who collects spicy scents.

 

And that is the one reason I'm likely not about to spring for a bottle of it -- I really like it, but it's so strongly similar to many other scents I already have! I'm a sucker for scents in that general ballpark, and I have at least an imp if not a bottle of all of the above (two bottles, in the case of Red Phoneix), so I have to ask myself: do I really need yet another bottle of spicy musk?

 

Still, for anyone out there who hasn't found their perfect spicy musk scent yet, and particularly for male BPALers (or women who tend to favour scents that would normally be considered masculine) who find some of the others a little too sweet, this one is highly recommended.

 

Grade: A

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Rich musky gingerbread. Seriously, I don’t know whether to eat this or kiss it. The dragon’s blood turns it vaguely ethereal. Wet: OMG! The scent is incredibly rich and spicey and alluring. This is hard to describe adequately, but trust me when I say that this speaks directly to the kind brain and does wicked little things. I have know idea why it smells faintly of cocoanut milk, but this isn’t a bad thing.. Dry: This gets more exciting as it wears blending interesting things with ones skin chemistry. The richness of the blend allows it to shift and change, yet maintain the delicious essence that is utterly itself. I usually can’t carry red musk, but the other elements somehow make this work on me. This does have a lot of throw.

[PurringPulsar]

The Ifrit

 

In the imp: soft powdery sweet musk with a hint of spice. A bit like Morocco, but redder.

Wet on skin: interesting. It smells soft and powdery with hints of cinnamon, musk and DB.

Dry on skin: mmm, I like this. It reminds me somewhat of the Darkswan soap, Egyptian Dragon, which I love the smell of. It’s a powdery sweet spice with a pleasant dragon’s blood note and a hint of deep red musk and tobacco underneath. The sand note seems to be more of a sweet golden dust, dry and powdery but really nice, almost reminiscent of Morocco’s sweet spicy musk. The spices are incredibly subtle, cinnamon is there but I can’t smell much pepper or ginger.

After a while: ah, now this gets a little spicier, a little bit warmer, a bit more fiery. It’s still that gentle sandy powdery musk, warm and golden-pink like dunes in the sunset. But now I can smell more of the ginger and just a hint of pepper. The dragon’s blood seems to be the kind from the likes of Red Moon that agrees with my skin. This is a lovely warm desert scent, dry and dusty and exotic. This to me is the more masculine (but not too masculine) version of Bilquis.

The scent then goes back to it’s soft, dusty musk scent, almost ethereal, like a wisp of sand caught in the wind, with a spicy warmth behind it.

Verdict: this one surprised me, pleasantly. I was expecting something a lot more fiery, spicy and desert-y, but what I got is a gentle powdery spicy musk with a red undertone. I was very intrigued by the sand note, and it’s really nice, dusty and powdery and dry as expected. Different to the scent of airy heat hazes radiating from rocks and desert breezes from Ozymandias, this is powdery and crumbly, almost like ash from incense, still fragrant. The spices are gentle, cinnamon being strongest, and the red musk is the soft kind, not the raunchy red musk. It almost has a Morocco-ish feel to it at times. I was very pleased by the dragon’s blood though, it’s not turning to floral of doom/red crayons on me like usual. It just adds a dry redness to the whole scent. Definitely a keeper and it’s very wearable, maybe a little too soft, maybe could do with a bit more bite and heat to it, but I really love it all the same, as it evokes the colours of a desert sunset.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes! So glad to have a dragon’s blood scent work on me.

If you like this, try: Morocco, Ozymandias, Red Moon, Vampire from Planet X, Bilquis, Plunder, Mr Jacquel

[slave1]

THE IFRIT

 

In Bottle: Warm and resinous

 

On Skin: Soft warm red musk turned even more red in feel by the sweet sticky dragon’s blood. The black pepper adds heat from spice along with the cinnamon, which gives even more warmth. This scent is warm and sweet beyond any measure. The tobacco helps give a deep and dark base, with a bit of smoke that draws out the scent even further. The ginger adds another spicy dimension and is a very nice layer in this exciting blend. It has a light throw on me, even with the strong notes. Average wearlength.

[NatCatz]

This one goes straight into my top ten.

 

Its resin, musk and sweetness.. I Love it!

[filigree_shadow]

This smells like everything I expected it would... except: there's a sweetness to it that I wasn't expecting. I thought it would be all awesome and musky and spicy -- and it is! -- but it's also sweet. I can smell the red musk in it, but it's more subdued than it usually is. I don't think I can pick out the cinnamon, but I can tell there's pepper and tobacco in it. The "desert sand" and tobacco give the scent a dryness that I like a lot.

 

On me, it went through a strange phase after about 30 minutes while the dragon's blood resin tried to decide what the hell it was going to do ("Gee, do I turn into ultra-sweet powder this time, or will I let the other notes drown me out? Hmmm, let's give that powder thing a whirl!"), but then it settled back into a dark, warm, slightly spicy musk.

 

I would definitely consider getting a bottle of this if my skin chemistry would behave in a predictable fashion, but that headachy-sweet powder problem is a little too risky for me.

Edited June 26, 2008 by filigree_shadow

[delicate_fangs]

Hayet's right: this is sexy evil baby powder -- and I mean that in a GOOD way.

 

The ginger and the tobacco do wild sweet naughty things in this one. And the dragon's blood is dancing with the red musk.

 

This is a wild thing. Confusing swirling dizzying and yet soft and enfolding. Sexy evil baby powder.

 

And now I want an Ifrit cab air freshener thingie! Might have to make one, as soon as I decide what shape to cut out and scent with the oil.

[ImperatrixMundi]

The passage with the cab-driving Ifrit was maybe my favourite part of the book, one of the passages where I know exactly why Neil is my favourite writer of all times.

 

Hmm. Give this a bit of time to dry down because wet it is light and indefinite.

 

I expected a much heavier red scent. More on the lines of something like Bloodlust.

But it is really airy, sweet musk. Dry and powdery with hints of something spicy and mysterious. Swirling and sweet and hard to describe. It manages to feel more like a summer scent - something I would never expect from the notes. I'll wear it on dry, hot days and imagine that I have cool burning red eyes hidden under my sunglassrs too.

[Nimthiriel]

Initial impression:

Red musk and something fiery – spices, tobacco? All I know is that it's a hot and scorching scent, with a touch of softness through the musk.

 

First on:

It's mostly pepper and ginger on me at first.

 

Dry:

After about 10 mins, the scent is mainly resin and tobacco as far as I can tell, with the lightest touch of musk. It's a lot fainter than I expected, given the amount I slathered on. I get a general impression of something hot and dry when I sniff my wrist – like a desert.

 

After an hour, the scent is gone entirely. No throw, no staying power. It was creamy and sexy for a while before it faded, but now it's all gone.

 

Finally:

Bought this because of the notes rather than fandom. Alas, it had no throw on me, so I'll pass it on – it was lovely while it lasted.

[young_devilry]

This was standing on the crest of the red dunes in the middle of the desert, the hot sand shifting between your bare toes while the wind brings the scent of soft, red musk and incense that drifts from a passing breeze that gently plays with your hair while you stare out into the sunset, divided yet determined.

 

Beautiful.

[Sapphy]

This is actually pretty soft and dusty on me--I think that's from the red musk, and I can also smell a bit of the black pepper. I don't get the ginger note that ruined War (and possibly the L'Estate atmospheric spray ), and I don't get much cinnamon or tobacco, but it's REALLY well blended, so it's hard to tell. In any case, I really like it It's a hot, dry, sort of shifting scent. Which I suppose would make sense.

[savage_rose]

By all means this should be a dream scent for me, a dusty, fiery blend. And...it's not. There's not much cinnamon or tobacco, mostly it's just red musk and...erasers? Not for me.

[milo]

Well, I've found that Dragon's Blood resin loves me, but I don't love it. Whatever spices and musk that I love was taken over by the nasty DBR. Not for me.

[theseagrows]

not sure what notes makes desert sand, but there is definitely something airy and dry in this. i get some cinnamon, ginger and black pepper, maybe a hint of red musk. i don't detect any dragon's blood or tobacco. this seems sort of masculine to me, in a boyish way. something about it is almost powdery, giving it a more youthful feel. this one is very hard for me to describe. it's not really something i would wear so i will swap it.

[Lunaliquid]

The Ifrit - how I love Thee!!!

 

Got to sniff a bottle at a M&S but was too shy to ask for a skin test. It smelled so good that I just had to order a bottle even though it contains notes that usually don't work on me at all (pepper, ginger, and especially cinnamon). Based on the note description The Ifrit and I would have been ships passing in the night for all eternity.

 

I'm thinking back 13 years. I'd been with my boyfriend for a couple of months and we decided to take a trip together to find out just how compatible we were. Off we went to trek through Morocco for a month. We rented a Renault 4 and headed for the northern part of the Sahara desert. The area is so desolate that we had to check in at guard posts along the way (complete with the wonderful tea ceremony) so they would know if our car broke down somewhere and come to our rescue.

The Ifrit brings back memories of sleeping on the roof of a boarding house in the middle of nowhere under a full moon and millions of stars. It takes me back to a small oasis called Tata where we got invited inside for a traditional meal by a regular family, just because we walked past their house. It reminds me of scorching sand under the hot sun and the intriguing smells of a caravan. And finally, it makes me smile because this vacation was the perfect start to my wonderful marriage to my husband.

 

Beth; thank you for creating this olfactory journey down memory lane!

[tartchef]

I lunged for a bottle of the Ifrit as soon as it was released - ginger, pepper, tobacco, red musk?! It wasn't until my bottle was shipping that I started worrying about the dread Dragon's Blood - it is a very hard note for me to wear, tending to amp to high heaven & morph into a horrible lilac-scented bathroom cleanser. I tested it as soon as it arrived, and WHAMMO - industrial soapy disaster Meanwhile, all these reviews of "dusty/dry/hot/muskyYUM" start rolling in, and dammit, I just couldn't give up. So I've aged my bottle for nearly 3 months, and I think we may have something here... Today's testing is revealing all the lovely sweet-hot ginger that was missing, and a tantalising whiff of pepper & musk. The dragon's blood is putting up a good fight, but I think given another few months of aging, the Ifrit will finally be what I had imagined.

[voodoocatwoman]

Mmmmm... spicy ginger and musk. Pretty pretty.

[herbhealer]

I love this - it's warm, nutty, dry, resinous and sweet all at once. I don't detect the pepper, tobacco or ginger overtly but I'm sure they are adding their magic to the blend. What I do detect is the red musk and the cinnamon in a soft and sexy blend. Very long lasting without being overwhelming, and like War, so unique I doubt I will smell it on anyone else.

[Wwindy]

This should have been so fabulous on me!

 

The dragon's blood is stomping all over everything else. In addition, the dragon's blood in combination with (I think) the sand note winds up perilously close to soapy. I don't get dry or spicy or fiery at all -- no tobacco, no ginger, just floral dragon's blood with a bit of red musk sweetness and soapy-clean overtones. *sigh*

 

My decant has already been sitting for a while, but maybe I'll put it back for another chunk of time and see if the dragon's blood will die back a bit.

[Ina Garten Davita]

Sex in the spice drawer!

 

Gah, speechless, so good.

[Czarina]

In the imp: head shop. Would that be the musk, or the dragon's blood? I don't see my friend patchouli listed as a note.

Wet: oh, the head shop is on fire!

Drydown: yup, the sand and the blackened elements are definitely there. But I mostly smell tobacco and ginger now.

 

This reminds me a lot of Scherezade, without the off note in Scherezade that makes me wrinkle my nose in displeasure.

 

I don't know whether I like this or not, but it's certainly well-done. I'm giving the Ifrit a test ride in my Clocket today.

Edited September 9, 2008 by Czarina

[femmefatale]

Sadly, this go straight powdery perfume on me. No ginger, cinnamon, tobacco...nothing but powdery perfume. Granted not a bad powdery perfume, but still.