Morocco

[semuelle77]

The intoxicating perfume of exotic incenses wafting on warm desert breezes. Arabian spices wind through a blend of warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood and cassia.

Oh noes!!! The note of doom!!!

I'm not sure what it is. Vanilla? Cream? Saffron? Whatever it is, it's also in Love's Philosophy. Sweet, sticky, putrid spoiled plastic milk. Blech!

I'm sure this is lovely one someone else, but I could not wash it off fast enough.

[theandorran]

Oh, Morocco. How I love you. You are like the pajamas just out of the drier of perfumes. No, it doesn't smell like that, but that's the feeling that smelling Morocco gives me. Warm and cozy and clean. Someone else said that it was a pink scent to them. To me, it's a soft, creamy white color.

 

Like many others, I smell vanilla, but it's not too sweet. It's just slightly spicy. Creamy. Also kind of dry. If I close my eyes, I can picture a warm, dry Arabian wind licking my face. One of my all-time favorites.

[emily2531]

This might be one of the best things I've ever smelled. It's a perfect combination of spicy/sweet/musky. It stays close to you and doesn't over-project. It's cozy and makes me want to hug myself.

[sarielswish]

In the vial, I get spice and sandalwood and carnation. Color associations are saffron and rust red. It's beautiful. It's almost what I think an oasis would smell like - dusty and a little dry and sweet and verdant at the same time.

 

Wet on my skin, the carnation is a little more than I'd like. The sandalwood and musk are there, but almost overpowered by the carnation. The cassia is almost non-existant, unfortunately. However, while I can't pick it out individually, it gives the whole a spicy, sweet undertone.

 

10-15 minute dry-down - Still, too much carnation for me, but the sandalwood is starting to come out more. The musk and cassia are still hiding, though.

 

1 hour dry-down - That's better. The carnation is starting to blend back into the mix and the sandalwood and musk are coming out more. Actually, I think the musk is starting to overpower the sandalwood. Cassia's still in the background, though.

 

2 hour dry-down - There's the cassia! The carnation has blended better, so now I'm getting all the notes without one dominating. I like it. Dunno that I'll order a whole bottle, but I like it nonetheless.

 

3 hour dry-down - Oddly enough, the carnation and cassia have gone to vanilla. Not a reaction I would have expected, but not unpleasant. Now it's musk, sandalwood, and vanilla.

[Seismogenic]

Morocco is one of those scents with such a reputation that I really should have gotten around to testing it sooner. I have even less of an excuse considering how many of the notes sound awesome to me.

 

In the imp: Vanilla-ish musk with sweet spices and a little bit of carnation.

 

Wet on skin: Still predominantly a vanilla-ish musk that actually reminds me a bit of Black Opal but without the rocks, interspersed with sweet spices and only a very little bit of carnation.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry isn't much of a change from wet - it's still a sweet spiced vanilla musk, very smooth. At one hour in, there still very little change from the wet stage. The spices are perhaps less prominent, though it's also possible that they've simply blended in better, as opposed to disappearing.

 

Five hours later: Sweet vanilla musk, not so much on the spices. Fainter than before, but still definitely present.

 

End of the day: Gone.

 

Overall: I hate to say it, but I'm a little disappointed. I certainly don't think this smells bad, not at all. The vanilla musk is a pleasant smell, but it is the main note in all of this, to the point where the others are only noticeable if I think about it. That does imply that it's well blended, on the one hand, but on the other hand, I was still hoping for more on the spices, and perhaps more of the desert. I actually feel kind of weird saying I'm pretty indifferent on such a popular scent, and even weirder given that I expected to love it, but so it goes. I think I will, however, keep the imp and see what aging does to it.

[kerikeri]

On me Morocco is warm, sweet and lightly spiced, but not at all foody. The spices are very muted, just a wafting hint of spice on the breeze, and the musk adds a powdery undertone to the scent. I can see where everyone is getting the idea of vanilla, but I think that's just because it has that creamy sweetness to it that usually suggests vanilla.

 

It smells far more like a traditional perfume to me than most BPALs, probably because of the musk. I'm not usually a big fan of musk, but it's more or less behaving here-- there's still the vaguest hint of that chemical-y hairspray/baby powder thing musk usually likes to do on me, but the spices and woods keep it mostly in check. This isn't something I'd wear every day, but it's nice to have around as a womanly, sophisticated blend that's more traditional without being flowery or overwhelming.

[Beckiemort]

First I will preface this with the fact that I absolutely despise carnation but the other notes and review intrigued me enough to buy an imp. Thankfully I detect no carnations at any point in wearing this scent. I detect no morphing on me really at all, I really like the warmth that happens when it is on my skin but mostly it just smells like spicy vanilla. It's smells tasty.

 

It seems to fade fairly quickly on my skin as well.

Edited December 15, 2009 by Beckie

[FathomBelow]

In imp: Sandalwood and something like vanilla. My (emphatically) untrained nose can't pick out the carnation/cassia/spices, but they are probably responsible for the vanilla.

On skin: Initially, strong sandalwood with the rest of the notes in the background. This is wonderful - dry and dusty-sweet and exactly how sandalwood should smell. Later, the "vanilla" sweetness gets stronger and as the scent dies, vanilla is all I can smell. Unfortunately, on me the throw is not very good and it doesn't last as long as I'd hoped (2 hours?).

 

This is a lovely, lovely scent. I will definitely be getting a bottle!

[Amoraexcena]

In Imp: warm spices and musk, oh it's beautiful already....

Wet on Skin: I want to say tonka, but I'm suspecting it's the spices+sandalwood that's creating that lovely, glowing gold spicy-vanilla-wood scent. A welcome stroll through an exotic town in Morocco, with the sun warming my skin, with smiling street vendors offering their sweet-smelling wares.

Drydown: Not a morpher for me, it's staying quite true. There is barely any floral for me, just a hint of carnation that blends itself so well with the Arabian spices. Gorgeous!

[copperwick]

this is my first experience with bpal, and what a lovely experience it's been! morocco was one of the imps i was most excited to try, and i think i'll most likely be getting a bottle.

 

in the imp: spicy and sweet, but with an almost resinous incense hint.

wet on skin: again, mostly spice. a little sandalwood, but more intensely spicy. i'm not sure what carnation smells like, but i didn't get any florals.

dry: it began to warm up on my skin, turning sweeter. there's a lovely vanilla-esque scent but not baked goods vanilla; more like golden sunshine-y vanilla. i guess that must be the tonka? really lovely smelling. also, i get a lot of sandalwood, which i adore!

 

it lasted a really long time on me; it's been on for about eight hours now and i can still get a hint of warm spice when i sniff my wrist. not too much throw, but in an enclosed space (like a car) i could really feel it.

 

beautiful beautiful scent. it's so different from conventional perfumes, too. initially i'd been hesitant about vanillas since they're pretty common in the young-scent world (i'm seventeen) but morocco is very different. i'm definitely getting a full size when i can.

Edited January 6, 2010 by copperwick

[Redillon]

I was thrilled to receive an imp of this, THANKS SHANNON! It's a very nice scent.

 

IN the imp: spicy & warm

 

On skin: Spicy with a hint of carnation and pepper. I'm diggin it!

 

Dry down: Sandalwood comes out to play. Very light. I needed to reapply. It doesn't have a lot of throw. My skin eats it up a bit. But I like it a lot. I may buy a bottle. I'll just have to bathe in it to keep the scent on me!

 

[heathercaley]

Well then... maybe it's about time I reviewed Morocco?

 

I forgot how lovely this is. This is a hit for a reason. Soft musk with delicate and warm sandalwood.. savory spices and just a subtle touch of a spicy floral note mingle up and swirl together to make a gorgeous perfume that everybody can't help but to love. Pretty much... that is all I can say

Edited January 9, 2010 by Purrsnikety

[Violaine]

Morocco has immediately shot into my top ten favorite blends, and into quite a high position, too. I can't believe I waited so long to try this, but it just never seemed like something I'd like from the description alone. I'm know I'm echoing a lot of other people in saying that, but it's true.

 

I totally see the comparison to Antique Lace. They're very similar on my skin, but I have to say that I much prefer Morocco. Antique Lace is sharper to me, more cologney, while Morocco is warmer and spicier, but still with that gorgeous vanilla backdrop.

 

This is a cozy fragrance, like you're being wrapped up in a warm blanket that smells of sandalwood and vanilla. Just one drop on my chest keeps me smelling it with every breath, and THAT is a lovely thing, my dears. I never get carnation or cassia, but I feel like all the notes in Morocco just blend together so seamlessly to make a perfect, close scent that it's hard to pick out any one thing in general.

 

Basically? Gorgeous. An automatic 10/10 on my BPAL scale, and so few get that rating from me. If you like Antique Lace, you should totally try Morocco!

[bonny]

this was immediately familiar and it took me a while to figure out what it smelled like that i already wore a lot- it's queen alice! without looking at the notes there's the same warm creaminess with a little but of dark fruit, maybe wine, and just a hint of spice. i don't get as much depth or wear length with this, though, i'm going to slather sometime this week and see how it plays out.

[Schmoozy]

 

Dry woodsy sandalwood, combines with spicy carnation, musk and resiny arabian spices. It is is soft, comforting, yet sexy all at the same time. Smoky wafts of incense along with musk and creamy carnation give the impression of spicy vanilla musk. Absolutely lovely.

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: definitely spicy

 

Wet on Skin: heavy, a bit perfumey behind the spicy incense

 

While Drying: gets sucked into my skin and dries quite quickly; a bit of soapiness toward the end

 

After a Little While: I can pull out the scent of the carnation, but I have to work for it. I can definitely smell the cassia and other spices. There is also a touch of sweetness.

 

Later: This fades fairly quickly, but the skin-close scent retains the spicy-sweetness of carnation, which I love.

 

Final Thoughts: like, but not love; final scent is nice, but too weak, and the earlier major-spice phase is a touch too much for me (burns the nose a bit)

Morocco earns a 3.5/5... maybe a 4/5.

[Geminirubyshoes]

Morocco is ok on me but it's not as strong as I like in a BPAL scent. I mainly use it to diffuse in my oil burner to make the house smell luscious. It works really well for that!

[CitizenBree]

Morocco is a lovely, sexy scent that I want to last longer or be stronger. It actually did last a decent time, but it doesn't stay strong. *I* can smell it but not sure everyone else can. It smells like a smoky vanilla but not smoke and not vanilla. That's the feeling I get out of this. It's a very warm scent -- not hot, just comforting. I finally know what people are saying when they feel wrapped up in a scent. This does that for me.

 

There is an underlying incense smell but not harsh, not strong, and not heavy...it's just a perfect balance.

 

[i read some reviews after I wrote this and find it so funny that others have mentioned warm and cozy and vanilla (when vanilla is not in it)]

[Unicorncupcake]

With a name like Morocco I think I was expecting something totally different. This took me by surprise. It is a very sweet perfume, I wish my untrained nose could pick up the different notes. It is very pretty, but it reminds me a little too much of bubblegum.

[Vervaine]

In the bottle, my first impression of it was the incense section of an old dusty new age store. On my skin it smelled the same, but as it dried it turned floral on me, like a sweeter incense, instead of a heavier one. Vanilla is definitely in there on my skin and it makes me happy, though I know I risked this one, because floral scents don't particularly like me, and I can tell that the carnation and cassia are looming ominously underneath it all.

It's very very pleasant, though, and I can't wait to wear it out in the open. It's very calming and happy.

 

EDIT: GOD, but it's so good to have this on while drinking tea...If only I could make some more tea biscuits now, and I could add cardamom to the "vanilla incense" on my wrist and the Twining's Irish Breakfast Tea in my cup. =D

Edited February 17, 2010 by Vervaine

[doublehelix]

in the imp: very light spices and vanilla

 

wet on skin: This is a very light scent. I can see why many people like this! it's a lot sweeter now while wet, but I can't quite pick out the individual notes. It just smells light and comforting.

 

dry on skin: even lighter. This is a great scent if you don't like strong bpals, but not so good if you like ones with a good throw. I still get the vanilla, but it's very soft. I don't get any of the incense, either.

[Victory]

Morocco is indeed a dry, desert-like scent. It's in the same sort of family, to me, as Inez and is faintly similar to Western Diamondback. As a comparison, I find Western Diamondback to be bleached skulls deathly dry, and my bottle of Inez makes me think of a vanilla musk perfume worn by a desert-dwelling lady (as opposed to someone else's bottle I sniffed, which was a warm blanket of glorious gold amber, but that's another discussion). I don't really smell the spices separately. As a side note, I think it's amazing how different we perceive the scent "colors". I'd say hands down this is an off-white, so when I see people describing it as red or saffron or pink I think, really? wow. I want to smell it on you and see for myself!

[kohimame]

Yay, I finally joined the bandwagon and tried Morocco. Originally I was hesitant to try it, since I'm not much of a carnation person, but I was actually quite impressed!

 

Morocco is a soft, spicy scent layered over vanilla. The two main players in this scent is carnation and vanilla. It has good throw, and lasted for around 5 hours, not too shabby. Haha, honestly I can't think of much else to say. It's a beautiful, well-made scent that is good for any time of the day, any season. Well done, Lab!

[mari4212]

In the Imp: sweet and light spice, reminds me a bit of Alice. That must be the carnation there.

 

Wet on skin: This is blooming with the same vanilla musk scent as Antique Lace on me, but with a hint of spices in the backdrop. The carnation from the imp is hidden under that vanilla.

 

Drydown: Yep, this is a doppelganger for Antique Lace on me. No carnation or spices here, just the warm musty vanilla sweetness I got from Antique Lace.

 

On balance, this wasn't really what I was hoping for out of this blend, as I wanted something with more of the carnation and spice, but this is still nice. And now I know what to get Mom when she wipes out her imp of Antique Lace in a year or two.

 

ETA: Darn it! I tried it on Mom, and she gets the edge of carnation that I so wanted on me. And of course, she'd probably prefer the straight Antique Lace that I get.

Edited March 26, 2010 by mari4212

[jayne]

First there is plastic.

 

Under the plastic is soap.

 

Under the soap is spice.

 

flat, linear, boring.