Luxuria Bath Oil

[GypsyRoseRed]

Lust's passion will be served; it demands, it militates, it tyrannizes. -- the Marquis de Sade

Red musk, patchouli, pomegranate, red currant, bourbon vanilla, nutmeg, sweet orange.

As the de Sade quote might indicate, this is a very lusty scent. When I first added a little to my bathwater, the only notes I could pick out initially were the red musk, bourbon vanilla and red fruits. It did morph a little, darkening and ripening into something richer and sultry with a little help from the patchouli. This definitely smells and feels like a luxurious indulgence.

[jj_j]

I rarely put these bath oils in my bathtub. I'm so dry this winter that I slather them on right out of the shower, wander around the bedroom naked for five minutes or so, and then go on about my day. And no, I don't imagine this would be a good thing for people with normal skin. I have a well-moisturized glow, but I can imagine someone else sliding around in their clothes all day.

 

For me, it's worth getting up a little early because I no longer feel like a scaly, itchy pile of dr skin flakes, and I smell damn good all day long. It also means that I experience this more like a perfume, changing on my skin throughout the day, than a bath oil in the tub.

 

Sniffing from the lid, Luxuria is heavy on the red musk and patchouli. I realize the pomegranate and red currant were a little further down the list of components, but I'd hoped to have those on the surface of the oil from the get-go.

 

I hate to make scent comparisons, but I have to on this one. While it's not EXACTLY Madame Moriarty, Luxuria might be her older sister. A little more in your face (like every bossy big sister), Luxuria doesn't have the hint of sweetness that Madame Moriarty enjoys, and she's a little smokier, but they definitely share scent DNA. I'll be wearing Madame Moriarty in my scent locket when I use Luxuria to moisturize.

 

Where Gula is a sensual but mostly comfort scent for me, Luxuria growls lust and unbridled passion. No "take me now" here; this is "I'LL take YOU now."

[AEris]

I have a decant of this, so I am reviewing it for scent only:

 

I think it's fruity, red, and juicy, with an intoxicating swirl of red musk and rich patchouli, the slightest hint of orange, and a subtle underlying nutty foody tone from the nutmeg and vanilla. I agree that there is something very Mme. Moriarty about this, with just a little more going on.

 

Fantastic! Super sexahfied.

[naeelah]

I haven't actually used this in the bath tub yet, so just a general impression, so far:

 

The bath oils are light and thin in texture. They absorb into the skin very quickly and easily, without leaving an oily residue, when you put them straight on your body. I've used them in my hair (rubbing through in the shower, then rinsing well), and they made an excellent de-frizzer and de-tangler. (The parts of my hair that are closest to my face seemed to get oily/dirty more quickly than usual, since my hair already had oil in it. I probably wouldn't use this every time I wash my hair, so that I don't get any nasty buildup.)

 

The scent is about half currant and fruits, half patchouli and musk, to my nose. Since I haven't taken a bath, I haven't gotten the chance to experience the full bouquet yet. Comparisons to Mme. Moriarty are definitely apt, so if you love that scent, I think you will love this bath oil. I think it smells great in the bottle, but patchouli and I have a very poor history together, so I'm actually hoping this one won't stick to my skin too much, outside of the bath.

 

In my hair, mostly the red musk and patchouli stuck - which had a strangely cedar-y effect. So this may not be the best scent as a hair product.

Edited February 21, 2008 by naeelah

[heysunshine]

I had the chance to sample this thanks to GypsyRoseRed and used up the whole vial in my shower just now. After turning the water off and drip drying a bit I slathered this on before towelling off -- on my arms and shoulders where my skin is the dryest. Like in the vial I got super dirty patch, which very quickly faded to smelling near identical to how Red Moon amps on my skin -- all musk and fruit. Very pleasant and gives me the same ultra soothing feeling Red Moon has. Soon after I get a weird cedar smell like naeelah mentioned --a bit hamster cagey (fresh hampster cage)-- that is still sticking around. Obviously patchouli ain't my thing; still I'm glad I got to try this and it definitely makes me want to go buy a bottle of bath oil right now, instead of wanting it but never actually buying it as I have been doing since their release. The formula is amazing; soaks in super quick and my skin feels instantly nourished. Not at all greasy. Also, awesome throw.

Edited February 21, 2008 by heysunshine

[mooncityminx]

Mmmm! Luxuria is mostly the fruits and some incense from Mme Moriarty. It smells more like aged MM than fresh, and the main difference is that it is missing the patchouli. I haven't put this into a bath yet, as I just got it in the mail, but put a few drops on my hands which sank in immediately. I can see this stuff being the perfect base for those of us who want to slather because we want to smell like BPAL all over, but don't want to go through a 5ml per week.

 

As it continues to sink in it gets even more fruity. Delicious!

[edenssixthday]

Luxuria - This is a gorgeous scent! I was curious how red musk would work as a bath oil since I use my bath time to relax and unwind, and red musk sort of revs me up. For me, it's not a great scent for a bath oil. However, since I have extremely dry skin, especially in the winters here in our dry, arid climate, I have applied the bath oil a couple times now directly to my skin as a scented moisturizer. It has wonderful moisturizing properties and the scent lasts and lasts, but not as long as Castitas lasts on me. I applied it before bed and couldn't smell it when I woke up in the morning. Still, it's gorgeous on me. It's mostly a red musk, patchouli and pomegranate scent, but there's a hint of the nutmeg and orange, as well. The scent that lasts and lingers is the red musk and patchouli and could be construed as fairly masculine. It layers gorgeously with Tanin 'iver, too.

[willowtreeling]

this is a pretty scent. I liked it--it smells very familiar...I get a musky vanilla from it and a dark ruby fruit scent. It didn't dry me out, nor did it make me super oily--it was a very pleasant bath:) I will be ordering more bath oils soon!

 

ETA: I think I know what it smells like now--Eat Me:) Black currant, I think?

Edited March 12, 2008 by willowtreeling

[PurringPulsar]

Luxuria

 

In bottle: a mix of red musk, incense (nag champa), orange and something oddly grainy.

On skin: I’m giving this oil a quick skin test…and it smells nicer on the skin. It now reminds me a bit of Mme Moriarty, only there’s a note here that smells really toasty, not burnt but reminiscent of bread or corn. Other than the musk and the ‘toast’, I also smell pomegranate and patchouli (again, very similar to Mme) and the tangy orange and currant, it also smells spicy, thanks to the nutmeg. There’s a hint of vanilla as well. I really like this, but the ‘toast’ smell then starts to smell a bit like popcorn. Not a bad thing but I’m not sure what to make of it. I do love the musky rich sweet-spicy exotic scent this has though, it reminds me of Scherezade and Mme Moriarty with a hint of incense (I smell saffron or sandalwood here too, even though it’s not listed). Over time this becomes less red-musky and more of a spicy patchouli scent with a crisp pomegranate-currant note to it. The ‘popcorn’ note still lingers a bit but not as strongly as before. I do think this is nicer as a skin scent than a bath oil (maybe as an after-bath oil?) but I’m surprised that this isn’t wowing me as much as expected-since I normally love all the notes here and I’m a huge fan of the red musk scents. But I think I prefer Mme Moriarty and Scherezade.

[zankoku_zen]

You know, I didn't think I'd like this one. But I do. The patchouli is like Lush's Blue Skies, but it's a little more citrus. I was surprised that the most noticeable note on my actual skin was the citrus. It was patchouli/citrus love.

 

I really liked it. In fact, I liked it more than Castitas. I wouldn't call it in your face sexy, but a very sensual coy kind of sexy.

 

Oh yes.

[sookster]

bourbon vanilla and patchouli...a hint of orange...when i first squirt this i do get

that oddball tortilla chip note but it fades quickly and this leaves my skin absolutely

luxurious and pampered

[Miss Lynx]

Absolutely heavenly... This is a silky, light bath oil which disperses in the water rather than just floating on top, with a scent I really wish I could get just as a perfume! It's like the love child of Madame Moriarty and Midnight Kiss. The latter is pretty much my all-time favourite BPAL scent, and the former is a top ten contender, so the scent of Luxuria could well have been formulated specifically for me. It's rich, decadent, sexy and almost edible -- definitely lives up to the name!

 

Grade: A+

[twilighteyes]

I love the bath oils!

 

This one I expected to be patchouli/citrus (a combination that I adore!) but the red musk surprised me. It reminds me a lot of Mme. Moriarty or Snake Charmer.

 

I love to slather in it after I get out of the shower and bask in the lovely scent all day. Long lasting and large throw.

[myth]

This is insanely gorgeous. To me it is Mme Moriarty with a kick; it is that sextastic red musk with a velvety patchouli lining, and a brighter spiced overtone of orange and nutmeg. It is a sexy scent that is deep red with golden-purple edges.

 

I don't even have a tub for bathing, ours is just a shower, but I'd already discovered the bath oils are fabulous rubbed into the skin while still damp after showering, so that is what I do with this. The scent stays on your towel when you dry off and makes it and the bathroom smell good. I don't find it super-moisturizing even rubbing it directly in as I do, so it is not too heavy for year-round use, but I do need to apply a moisturizer afterward in the cold dry months because my skin is parchment. I use Villainess Ennui [unscented so it doesn't compete] Whipped for this purpose and it works great while still letting me smell the bath oil scent.

 

And if you like Mme you definitely want to smell this. It is GUH. I definitely see myself using this up and getting more.

[Little Bird]

This smells great in the bottle and in my bath water, but I'm not so sure about the scent that it leaves on my skin after the bath (or if I just rub it directly on to my skin). In the bottle, this is ultra sexy, exotic vanilla. In the bath, the red musk warms up the vanilla and the patchouli adds a gorgeous earthiness. It really is a sexy fragrance.

 

On my skin, though, the fruits make this kind of sour and off smelling, and I get the weird tortilla chip note that others have mentioned. Then, after about ten minutes, it softens again and just leaves hints of red musk and patchouli.

 

All in all, I like this once I get past the sour fruit stage.

[tartchef]

Oh jeebus, that's distracting... I'm opening my package from the rare sniffies circle, and all I can smell is the decant of Luxuria, and I don't care. I want to drink it, wallow around in it, do all manner of unmentionable things to it... It's akin to well-aged Mme Moriarty, with a twist of orange zest, bitter & pithy...

 

Instant Damndamndamn. I need a better bath tub.

[meaganola]

This is fascinating. I'm another use-it-after-a-shower person. In the bottle, it smells like popcorn. Maybe with a dash of barley, except I'm thinking barley from that certain stage of making beer that the lobby of Hale's Ales brewpub always smells like and that reminds me of Spaghettios for some reason. That's pretty much all I smell. But since we're talking about something from the Post, I gave it a try to see how it changes. And it changes dramatically. Once on, it goes completely Mme Moriarty (I don't get the spices, orange, or anything else Mme doesn't have, though) on me. I love Mme, but I have to confess that I do hope that it fades overnight because I wasn't expecting it to go in this direction, and it's not something that will be good to be smelling tomorrow. It just doesn't mesh very well when I have to spend the day sending, like, a thousand emails. It would be amazing for a lovely spring afternoon wandering the most awesome bookstore in the world, but, alas, that's going to have to wait until May. On the up side, that just means that this decant will last much longer!

[fairnymph]

Due to sensitive skin I can't use these bath oils, so this is sniffed only:

 

Pale beigey-amber coloured oil. Very sweet and rich, with boozy bourbon vanilla taking the lead. Creamy, decadent, and edible. I get some nutmeg and sweet orange which only enhance the foody vibe, tart-sweet, juicy pomegranate, and red currant in the distance.

 

The red musk here reminds me of snake oil, but it's more musky than sharp or medicinal, though it does have both those qualities (minorly). I don't get any patchouli, although I do find this vaguely incensey. But I do get a creamy, nutty grain-like note - like rice milk in Boomslang, and the grain notes in Dana O'Shee - that's really rich and delicious.

 

This seems like it would be wildly popular as both a bath product and a skin perfume for many BPAL folk.

Edited April 12, 2009 by fairnymph

[amanderinorange]

I love this bath oil!

 

This is fantastically moisturizing and the scent is very yummy. It's a musky, deep-red fruit that is very warm.

 

It also stays for a long time, especially on the towels that I use to dry off with.

 

Definitely getting a second bottle of this.

[donnatron]

Reviewing for scent purposes. Have an imp. That would be a lousy bath now, wouldn't it

 

Imp: Warm red musk and a bright fruity note.

 

Wet: This initially goes very sweet and almost foody on me. The red musk starts to assert itself and I can start to smell the currant.

 

Dry: I definitely get the Mme. Moriarty comparisons but on my skin this smells more like Eat Me. The currants are the dominant note but they're tempered by all these heavy, sultry, kind of creamy ingredients and I definitely get an Eat Me vibe. It's sexier, definitely. Thick red musk, a bit of patchouli and then the entwined currant and pomegranate. This smells luscious.

 

Throw: I could easily see wearing this as perfume itself.

 

Overall: Hot damn! This is awesome!

[ravenfeathers]

holy crap.

 

in the bottle the sweet filthiness of red musk, only amped up with spice and fruit and OM NOM NOM. nutmeggggggggg, my goodness.

wet on skin red musk! nutmeg! red musk! nutmeg! vanilla! OM NOM NOM.

dry on skin same as wet, only maybe more nutmeg. something a teensy, tinesy bit soapy here that i'm not adoring, but only very close to the skin. i want to smell like this every day of my life forevermore.

[sirensea]

My immediate thought upon smelling Luxuria for the first time was that it smelled very much like my imp of Smut 06: sexy and dark. Sweet, sugary vanilla in a slinky red dress.

 

I tried it the first time two or three days ago, and the oil soaked right into my skin, leaving behind a wonderful fragrance that I could still smell for hours after my shower. The oil leaves my skin smooth, but not at all greasy, which is a big plus for me because I have sensitive skin prone to acne.

 

After trying it again tonight, I can honestly say there is something luxurious and self-indulgent about this bath oil. I'll definitely be taking some of this with me when I go to visit my girlfriend. And if I could afford it, there'd be a bottle of this in my bathroom right now... guess I'll have to make due with smaller decants of it for now!

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial it was all vanilla cake, so much so that I was afraid my decant was mislabeled. But the minute it hit my skin there was an explosion of musk and very intense patchouli. Ahhh, now that's the Mme Moriarty-like scent I was hoping for!

 

On my skin it left patchouli and fruit over musk, just as I had hoped; the vanilla was completely swept away.

 

I could see using this all winter, alternating with Semiramis. The patchouli is particularly delicious, although rather heavy and a bit on the menthol side. I think this blend a little heavy for sultry hot summer nights, but definitely in order for cold nights.

 

ETA: Overnight the scent grew fruitier and much smokier on my skin, winding up somewhere in Snake Charmer territory. It is very persistent on my skin and felt almost as though it was radiating off me. This one's quite amazing.

 

Edited August 25, 2009 by hlinspjalda

[Nisaba]

This is a bit bright at first, but give it some time to age, just a few weeks, and ohmygod it deepens and becomes beautifully warm, slightly spicy, even slightly foody with a dark caramel/biscuit tang. I normally hate "foody" but this is lush. I've gone through two bottles of this and am working on my third, because although I love many of the other oils, this is the one I keep going back to. And this scent has real staying power, lasts for ages on my skin and in the bathroom (and my towels!)

[Aldercy]

I have the strangest impression of this as smelling of chocolate oranges. I don't think it's literally a chocolate note, but something about the vanilla, nutmeg, and possibly patchouli is translating to something smooth, earthy and chocolaty. I don't sense much of the pomegranate or redcurrant, and the red musk is definitely there, though not as strong as I expected. There is something of Mme. Moriarty in Luxuria, but it's a softer, more gourmand scent.

 

Very nice, round, serenely sexy scent. I especially love that the nutmeg is really distinguishable and not lost among other, stronger spices.

 

And, as always, the bath oil formula is wonderful in the bath or shower-- sheer, mildly moisturizing, not in the least sticky or greasy.