Mata Hari

[Mermaid-on-Land]

... Her scent is striking and bold with a delicate yet dark undertone: five roses with soft jasmine, warmed by vanilla, fig, tonka bean and mahogany, spiced with a drop of coffee bean.

 

I first notice the fig and a bit of coffee right on application. After about 5 minutes a spice comes out that I assumed was some type of cinnamon until I looked at the description. Now I'm not sure what it is, maybe the tonka or coffee? This is a very heavy and rich scent. The jasmine in this reminds me quite a bit of Obsidian Widow (I love jasmine, even though it's a pretty hated note lol), it has that same definitive "dark oriental floral" feel. The rose is a dark, almost wine-like note forming a soft undercurrent. Didn't realize it was roses until I read the description then it's like, duh, but it blended really well with the jasmine and I couldn't quite pick it out until I knew to look. The vanilla and what I'm assuming is tonka gives it a warm sweetness, along with the fig, which blends in well. Something is also reminding me of Darkness but I'm not sure what; maybe just the overall heavy, almost-smoky quality of the scent? The throw is fairly good, and so is the staying power. Overall I think it's like a sister scent to Obsidian Widow. They are both a spin on jasmine and rose, with Mata Hari being more coffee/chocolate-spiced and Obsidian Widow being more sweet winey/incensey/woodsy. I may have to death match them to pick a fave if it ever came to a bottle choice lol Color association is a dark, cool-toned burnt sepia, probably because of the coffee.

[maudlinrose]

I didnt really pick up any coffee on my skin - maybe it had already dried down a little, but all I remember is a classic well-blended, rose dominated floral. Just a good, simple rose perfume.

[roseus]

This is so heady and wonderful. The rose and jasmine combination is heavenly, and it's sweetened gently and very seductively by the fig and vanilla. The tonka, mahogany and coffee ground it really nicely. It's a dark, warm base for all of the florals and fig to play on. It's very sensual, but not heavy.

[VetchVesper]

Starts out as a nutty, sweet coffee. I'm guessing that's from the blend of vanilla, tonka, amd coffee. The rose appears on my skin pretty quickly. It's a perfumey rose with a hint of fruitiness, perhaps from the fig. This dries down into a dusky, rose/jasmine floral. It's not my jam, but it's different enough that if you like oriental florals, it's worth a try.

[ianastar]

Weird - out of bottle and wet on skin I don't get any of these notes. Where's the jasmine? Where's the rose? Where's the coffee?

 

They dry down is more earthy and incensy than florals for me.

 

Final thoughts, the florals have started to come out and this is quite lovely. I still never really got that coffee note though. Its a lovely scent but not one that has really blown me over or anything.

[Lucchesa]

I got a Mata Hari frimp from the Lab today and realized I had never reviewed it, so I gave it another shot. Yep, Mata Hari is still weird and awful on me. Even though there are jasmine blends I love, I'm coming to the conclusion that jasmine is often a disaster on my skin. In the imp it's sultry and dark, like something a damaged Philip Marlowe heroine might wear, but on my skin there's something about the combination of jasmine and coffee and rose that goes dramatically wrong. So sad as I can see how it would be so beautiful on others...

 

ETA I had to wash it off then douse myself in Irish Coffee Buttercream to counteract the coffee oddness.

Edited December 15, 2017 by Lucchesa

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: I'm mostly getting the jasmine and rose, followed by the coffee bean, fig, and a touch of mahogany if I inhale really deeply.

 

Wet: The rose and jasmine are the most prominent notes, followed by the coffee bean and fig. I am getting more coffee bean from this on my skin than I did in the imp, but this is by no means a coffee scent.

 

Dry: This is jasmine-dominant on me, followed by the rose, and then the fig. My boyfriend thinks this smells like “a relatively clean butt has been wiped with a flower petal”. Well, I guess this is not a jasmine-variety that works on me.

 

After a few hours, the rose, which was somewhat sour on me, fades away, and what is left is a much calmer jasmine note and a bit of vanilla and coffee bean.

 

Verdict: I was hoping to get coffee bean, tonka bean, and vanilla out of this, but this was a floral party on my skin (with the jasmine in particular being pretty strong). This one just doesn't work with my skin chemistry.

[faylie]

I had an imp of this many years ago (10+) and tried it once and gave it away, it thought a bit like many people have found, that the coffee was stale. A few years ago I felt a need to try it again and ordered an imp, but promptly misplaced it. It resurfaced in a bag I've not used for a good 2-3 years. I tried it on and fell in love. It is like drinking a milky coffee in a rose garden while wearing a soft vanilla perfume on a sunny day with a cool breeze. I can't say for certain how long this will last on me as I applied when going to bed, but I could still smell a touch when I woke in the morning so I think it should last well for day wear. I didn't get much jasmine if any, but it could have given the roses a bit of oomph and I think the mahogany lent it a bit of warmth, no figs but I don't mind, it was beautiful and I will be ordering a bottle of this goodness.

[alyelle]

Imp: slightly talc-like, jasmine that borders on orris, and a tonka that insist on impersonating sandalwood. It reminds me a little of Follow Me Boy.

 

Wet: much more rosey (I get none from the imp) - so much so that it drowns out any other note.

 

Dry: a soft, unfortunately generic, rose and talcum powder, though thankfully without ever turning into the rancid baby smell I got from Follow Me Boy. Not really one I'd wear, or repurchase, as it smells like many others I've turned into atmos sprays.

 

Throw is strong, with a life of 10+ hours.

 

Stars: ★★★

[monocainsheresy]

This one is such a disappointment. Lots of notes that are either very good or very very bad - and unfortunately in Mata Hari they all go bad. Stinky roses, stinky jasmine, dirty coffee, aquatic fig  - with the vanilla, tonka, and mahogany trying very hard to smell lovely.

Like Miskatonic University in a sewer.

[torischroeder9]

In the imp: Rose and vanilla as individual notes. Also something that comes across with a powdery quality. 

 

On my skin:

 

Wet, it's rose and powder, with the sharper jasmine trying to break through. As it dries, the jasmine fades, and fig emerges, deepening and sweetening the scent. At this point, the powdery quality also decreases. 

 

Oops. False alarm. Given time to warm and develop on my skin, the scent morphs again. The fig disappears (sad, but expected on me), the powdery rose (this time I'm sure the powder quality is linked to one of the roses) reemerges, and the jasmine also strengthens. 

 

Fifteen minutes later, and it's all rose again. It's like rose and jasmine are fighting for dominance on my elbow. 

 

Another fifteen, and it's rose and jasmine equally. I can finally also detect just a hint of mahogany grounding the scent. 

 

Every round I sniff, rose is the winner of the battle, though jasmine sometimes makes a greater or a lesser showing. 

 

However, there are many BPALs that are mostly or totally rose on me. I can't justify keeping another one. Strong throw on me -- because rose.  

[spookyumbrella]

I didn't get any roses from this, which is weird because there's supposed to be five of them! Instead, I got a lot of jasmine, backed by tonka and a depth that I'm thinking might come from the mahogany. That "drop of coffee bean" is only there while this oil is wet, sadly. I would have liked this more had it stayed, as jasmine and coffee is not a combo I've ever seen before, and they complimented each other nicely. After the coffee burns off, we're left with a nice, warm jasmine blend that's sweet without being foodie. 6/10 - unique with out being too "experimental"

[Alisha_SBC]

Received an imp, which thrilled me since I'd been wanting to try this one.

 

This is lovely. In the imp I worried it might be too floral or too bitter, not quite certain what I was picking up scent wise. On my skin this is a soft, pretty jasmine that is keeping itself mellow rather than screamingly announcing its presence. The rose is also subdued here and not too heady. The coffee I think I pick up, if I put my nose to my wrist. A slight slight bitterness that's probably keeping this blend grounded. 

[Zorra]

On 3/4/2016 at 2:04 PM, Zorra said:

I went to a very good performance about the life of Mata Hari and I thought BPAL should have a scent named after her. Then I discovered there was one and a friend sent me an imp she had.

 

I wasn't sure if I would like it, because I have tried some scents with a mahogany note that I didn't really like. I should not have feared the mahogany, for me it isn't there in this scent. What is more surprising, the roses only make a very short appearance. They disappear in no time at all, drowned in jasmine. I even tried layering with A Parliament of Foules because that is like nothing but roses on me. Forget it, Mata Hari made it disappear in seconds. I do get a mix of jasmine with something sweet that must be the tonka and vanilla and perhaps even the fig, just enough to take the edge of the jasmine. But where did the roses go? I mean, if a scent description starts with five roses one does expect to smell them.

 

I am going to leave my imp alone for a week and see if anything changes with a bit more rest. I really want to love this scent because of the memory of that performance.

 

2020 edit to add that I soon loved the scent enough to buy a bottle. This is what I get from it now:

I still don't get rose from Mata Hari. Five roses and I notice none. I still get a lot of jasmine. And, at the start, definitely coffee. I think the mahogany, tonka, fig and vanilla, though I do not smell them separately, are what is keeping Mata Hari from just enveloping me in a cloud of jasmine (with a hint of coffee). I would say that on me Mata Hari is jasmine with something dark below it that never really allows the jasmine to fly. Reading the notes I think I smell the fig note, which no doubt has part in the dark side of this scent. Tonka and vanilla I do not really smell, but I suppose they are responsible for the slight sweetness in the dark. I am not sure if I smell the mahogany. Although I have tried several scents with a mahogany note, I never managed to get a good idea of what that note was in the blend (probably because I did not like the blends).

 

I have had this bottle of Mata Hari for several years now, and I still love the scent. 

Quoting my own post of 2016, which I already edited in February of this year. But I must make my love for Mata Hari more visible now that she is in the #tournementofunderdogs. 

 

On first sniff, I still don't smell a single rose in Mata Hari. But then I reconsidered and really, the roses are there and it's the roses that soften the jasmine! I do not smell a bright rose, but I do smell a soft jasmine and softness is not exactly something one would usually describe jasmine with. It's the roses that soften her! And then there is the coffee as a dark bitter balance to the florals, and the tonka and vanilla sweetening up the coffee without making this is sweet scent. Mata Hari is not sweet, she is dark and strong with a floral edge. There is a woody base (which no doubt includes the fig note) on which the flowers move elegantly with the coffee. There is no doubt that Mata Hari is one of my most favorite BPAL scents. I can wear her in any season and in any situation. I can take her to the opera or she can accompany me to bed. She really deserves more attention!

[hepkitten]

I was so sad to see this on the list for Tournament of Underdogs...but maybe its inclusion will get it some more well-deserved love? I never thought that coffee, rose, and jasmine belonged together until I smelled this; I'm so grateful that Beth saw the connection, because this scent is gorgeous. It's something a bit different from your more mass-market scents, but it's not so radically out there that you couldn't safely lure in a floral-loving BPAL newbie with it. 

[LilBaephomet]

The Tournament of the Underdogs inspired me to finally purchase this fragrance. She has made it into my cart more times than I can count, only to just barely miss the final cut. Now that she has joined my repertoire, she is an instant classic and a core fragrance of mine. I HIGHLY recommend for any lovers of voluptuous florals, Smokey undertones, and lustrous, jammy fruit.

 

Disclaimer: For the sake of those reading this, I promise not I will not make this a love letter to the historical Mata Hari, whose name alone inspires so much admiration in me that I bought this perfume almost equally out of fandom and the pleasing fragrance notes.*

 

Straight out of the bottle, she is bold, seductive, and provocative. The florals come directly to the forefront, with the mahogany creating a rich smoky undercurrent. It truly smells exactly like a stick or cone of bold rose incense fresh from a newly opened package. As she blooms, the sweetness of the vanilla and the jammy notes of the fig make themselves known. The femme fatale melts away to reveal the heartfelt lover, honey-sweet and amorous. Finally, she leaves us with the rich, bitter mingling of the coffee bean with last gasps of fruit. The sanguine kiss blown at her own fate to fade beautifully and drift away.

*For those reading this, I have failed to keep my promise. I’m not sorry.

[a_bear]

When still wet, this is a really surprising and delicious blend of sweet, creamy coffee and florals. Dry, though, it's mostly ever so slightly indolic jasmine and with a bit of perfumey rose (not the lovely fresh rose from The Rose). I can't pick out the other notes at this stage, but I think they're there in the background. Ultimately, not really my thing, but I'm glad I tried it.

[crystaltongue]

A rich, sweet floral, blooming with rose and jasmine. The coffee and tonka give it a richness and base to add interest to keep it from going potpourri. This one that is VERY different in the bottle than one the skin for me, so maybe don't judge it until it dries down. It has a lot of throwz though, so be prepared for that!

[MolyH]

I couldn't smell this imp at all, because as soon as I opened it, I could not stop sneezing. I'm not entirely sure what note is causing that--my best guess is the jasmine. Alas, this one will have to be gifted away to my MIL. It sounded so intriguing too!

[asoursweetsixteen]

~~frimp review~~

 

right away, it comes out smelling like jasmine with a hint of other florals and rose in the background. smells like a nice botanical garden in spring when everything's bloomed. I can kinda smell a hint of vanilla, but not much else at the moment. it's kind of a granny smell currently, but that's the risk we floral scent lovers take.

 

after drying, it smells mostly the same. the roses have come out more so the scent is mainly jasmine and rose together. I think I can smell a hint of the mahogany, which just adds to the outdoorsy garden smell. the vanilla makes it a tad sweet. I can't pick out anything else individually, but all the other notes are working out of sight and contributing in their own way to the overall scent.

 

unfortunately it is a tad grandma-y, but definitely not as bad as some other BPAL florals (looking at YOU Water Rabbit). it's a nice spring scent.