Inez

[heathercaley]

Golden amber, vanilla musk, myrrh, cedar, carnation, and red sandalwood.

Mmmmm.. I am starting to experiment with more of Beth's woodier blends. I usually have whiskey face when it comes to blends with even the smallest amount of woods in them.. but this one??? BLISS!

Spicy sweet musk with a touch of woods. The carnations hide the part of the wood note that would usually remind me of the many manly mens restrooms at a bar or something. But this one? No mens restrooms! It's beautiful! So clean and most definitely feminine.

The more this dries the more it grows on me.. I'm lovin it! I might have to spring for a bottle.. we'll see what the huzband thinks of me spending some (or all) of our stimulus check on bottled happiness ::bats eyelashes in his general direction::


edited to add scent description Edited July 9, 2008 by Purrsnikety

[LadyLuckDoubt]

(I was frimped with this when I bought a bottle of War from Strangemodgirl: thankyou SO much!)

 

In the Imp

Warm, delicious amber and woods. It's making me think of a brighter version of The Antikythera Mechanism, which I absolutely adore. I knew I'd love this when I saw the description. (It was on my WL even though I couldn't get in on a decant circle with it-- I was always planning on getting a bottle.)

 

On Me

Oh, hello gorgeous! You wanna kill me? Sure, go ahead, anything you like, m'dear. This is amazing: decadent and beautiful, and increasingly complex the longer it stays on my skin. Yep, there's still the amber note dominating, and the teak, but other, more subtle influences are hanging around, too-- the sandalwood in combination with the other stuff means that it's there and detectable, but it's muted a fair bit: it isn't that earthy sandalwood I'm used to, but a polished, sexy sandalwood. I haven't placed the carnation, but I'm wondering if it's doing its job quietly and behind the scenes, and just helping balance everything out.

 

The overall effect? It's warm and playful and lush, but also insanely beautiful. I'm glad I got to try the decant, and glad I ordered a bottle. There is, of course, a possibility of me getting backup bottles up the wazoo here, because I suspect it'll age beautifully, too.

[kakiphony]

In the imp: Strangely, in the imp this smells nutty to me. It reminds me of Queen of Sheba or Wezwanie/Hold.

 

Wet on skin: This is very sweet and rich at first application. The vanilla is a dark, sultry vanilla and the carnation is immediately present on me as a very spicy undertone to the sweetness. On my left wrist there is still that nutty note from the decant, but it is not present on my right wrist.

 

Early dry down (10 minutes): Pretty. The amber is developing into something subtle and golden that blends very nicely into my skin. The woods re anot detectable as separate notes, but have evened out the heavy vanilla sweetness and mde this into something less sticky sweet and more grown-up and grounded.

 

Late dry down (45 minutes): This is subtle, skin hugging amber and red sandalwood scent on me. The vanilla, so strong in the bottle and in the earliest stages, has almost entirely disappeared leaving dry, golden amber and the slightly musky men's cologne scent that I sometimes get from red sandalwood. It's pleasant and unobtrusive, but doesn't knock my socks off.

 

I can see myself keeping this imp and reaching for it when I want to smell good, but undetectable (as when I wear O). But I don't think I need a bottle or have any hording impulse. This is very similar on me to the Lion (which I actually like better) and to the dry down phase of Wezwanie/Hold (I think it's the red sandalwood amping on me).

[Eemia]

From the notes I would have thought this was a sure thing. I do sometimes have a hit or miss relationship with amber, but with all the other *love* notes surrounding it in this I wasn't too worried. This just didn't work on me afterall though. None of the beautiful woody notes appeared, and the spiciness of the carnation wasn't visible at all either. Usually carnation amps on myskin like crazy, and I love the smell of it. But it never shows.

 

This is all creamy, thick, sweetness. It's like an odd sticky powdery scent. It smells old. Like some sort of ancient lotion that has been saved for decades. My skin must be wonking this one up. I so was hoping for it to be sexy like others have mentioned! Instead I had to scrub it off my skin b/c I couldn't stand smelling it. I rarely have to do that. Usually it's more of a simple not liking a scent feeling. I seldom recoil from anything but this was just nauseating on my skin. At least I only had an imp of it so I don't have to give up an entire bottle.

[Indigo78]

I loved the idea of the Grindhouse SO much, that I figured every woman under the canopy would love me, & I'd love them all right back! 'Twasn't meant to be, I'm afraid.

 

In the imp this is nutty nuts & softly buttered something... Then, abruptly, (no less than thirty seconds after applying) she almost immediately turned sharp on me, to the point that I actually reapplied on the inside of the other arm. I just couldn't believe how much difference there was from imp to arm. How the...?

 

The drydown is steadily sharp & slightly bitter. This Carnation doesn't soak into my skin correctly, and it isn't just hormones or skn chem (although I haven't ruled out my weird taste in scents). Well, hopefully someone else will love her more than I ever could.

[Chatrient]

I won't repeat the notes~ if you have gotten this far in the review pages for this blend by now you know the ingredients

 

Inez!! Oh you Grand Glorious Grindhouse Gal!

 

 

I love Inez. it so very much.

I love how it deepens as the day goes by and how it lasts for hours and hours on my skin

I love how it's throw is medium and thus I could wear it daily in my office and never fear that it will overpower or offend sensitive noses around me

I love it the way I love Snake Charmer and Madame Moriarty and Gypsy Queen

I love it the way a fat kid loves a cupcake

(no offense to fat kids because I am one!)

 

 

It's kind of odd...I just noticed that my three, and now, four favorite blends, are all from either Carnival Noir or Carnival Diabolique

I must be a side show geek at heart

 

This is a multiple bottle, stock up and hoard blend for me, and IMHO is a 5 out of 5!

 

Chatrient

[alicia_stardust]

Inez is beautiful! She's very amber-centric with oodles of carnation. As the oil dries it starts out as a blast of amber and carnation and then, for about five minutes, it takes on this almost spicy quality. I think it's probably the carnation. After that, there's a sort of musky quality that enhances the amber and carnation.

 

It isn't until a while later that I things settle out enough to pick up the cedar and red sandalwood, and later, the myrrh. They add a nice oomph and depth to this blend. Definitely a keeper!

[Pottersville]

At first, Inez was all cloying sweetness on me ("Oh no .... it's O!!!"), then she dried down to something that resembled a commercial perfume I've sniffed. An hour later, she's just beautiful and BPAL-unique. There's definitely something sweet there, but it's rounded out by the warm woods - reminding me ever so slightly of Glowing Vulva. The scent has little throw, so it's fine for today's hot, humid weather. Bottle worthy? I'm not so sure yet!

[Loligo]

For the first half hour this is pure pencil shavings (cedar does that on me), but it eventually settles down into the warmest, darkest vanilla you can imagine, like if you could make a mink coat out of vanilla.

[Wwindy]

Kinder, gentler Snake Oil! Call me crazy, but that's all I can think about Inez right now...

 

On me Inez is almost entirely vanilla shaded by musk and a touch of amber. I got a hint of the woods and possibly the faintest ghost of myrrh from applying to drier areas of skin (like the backs of my hands), but those notes faded very quickly.

 

Overall, a lovely, warm, sexy vanilla. Nice!

[lostluckkitten]

Inez went on with a harsh note, then mellowed into an unimpressive vanilla wood on me. She was barely there, then faded away. I tried twice, both times to the same effect.

 

Soooooo bummed Ah well, can't win them all...

[Jilara]

Oh, Instant Love! The same qualities that make me love Glowing Vulva and Sed Non Satiata seem to be immediately recognisable in Inez. Makes me think of one of my favorite poems, though the name is spelled slightly differently:

 

"Oh saw ye not fair Ines?

She's gone into the West,

To dazzle when the sun is down

And rob the world of rest.

She took our daylight with her,

The smiles that we loved best,

With morning blushes on her cheeks

And pearls upon her breast."

 

Ahem, anyway, back to fair lady Inez...she is Dead Sexy! I put this on last night before bed, and it was an immediate hit with the boyfriend who was sniffing and saying "Okay, that's a new Black Phoenix, and I really like it!"

 

Wet, the spiciness of the carnation and the red sandalwood seems at the forefront, with a crispness that might be the cedar. It's a very sweet cedar, if so, very nicely blended with the carnation and sandalwood. It's very sweet, but not quite honey. Drying down, the amber blooms out. Amber often goes "meh..." on me, so it's nice to have it be so noticable. The myrrh comes out later on drydown, as the cedar (if it is the cedar) crispness drops out. The sweetness is still a major player, like flowers in the dark. It stays spicy and woody for hours. Mmm, a sexy woman having a tryst in the warm darkness of a bower in the woods...

 

After a few hours, she dries down to a soft sweet myrrh with a background of vanilla musk and very slight waft of sandalwood.

 

Inez has shot straight to the top of my All-Time Favorites!

[tinyvulture]

amber’s the strongest note, immediately recognizable. the perfect amber – sweet and warm and a little powdery. the vanilla musk is its ideal companion, since it is also warm and sweet. i don’t really smell the myrrh or cedar or sandalwood individually. there’s just a general woodsy, spicy undertone that is quite pleasant, but doesn’t make me go “whoa!” i think i’d enjoy it more and be able to pick out the notes better if it had more throw. it’s just not as strong as i’d like.

[Chapanis]

Almost foody at first, but calms down into sandlewoody, vanilla musk, amber, with a drop of carnation floating in the back ground. Office appropriate, and yet sexy at the same time. I need a few bottles of this one.

[Ravenclaw79]

In the imp: Candy? It's almost like bubblegum and peanut brittle, a sugary candy sort of smell.

 

Wet: Bubblegum... then a hint of carnation.

 

Drying: Sort of like my mom (which isn't how I expect a Grindhouse lady to smell!)... sweet and floral. It's not offensive, but it's unremarkable.

[akiko]

Oh, Inez, I want to like you. It's not you, it's me. It just isn't meant to be.

 

Imp: Nice, soft, slightly powdery sweet with a hint of something spicy in it

 

Wet: Sweet powder.

 

Dry: I can get a hint of vanilla and amber, but mostly it's powdery. Must be the myrrh? *sigh*

[kelpsoda]

first 15 min: gorgeous, creamy vanilla, with a touch of spice and musk. I might need a bottle of this, it's so good. Yum. The amber reminds me slightly of baked goods, or maybe mouse's long sad tale.

 

after that: powder! no! maybe from the amber? I think I'll keep the imp, but no bottle for me.

[dorothy humbird]

Inez starts out fairly cedary on me, but underneath that I can smell the delicious marriage of carnation with the amber and myrrh. This works well on my skin, to be sure, and even reminds me powerfully of Morocco at times -- they have enough notes in common (carnation, red sandalwood, musk) that this shouldn't be surprising at all, but I think the myrrh and cedar notes take Inez in a slightly different direction. It's a good direction to take. By the time this dries down, everything is melded so completely that it's just a warm, slightly spicy, heavenly dose of wonderful on my skin. In fact, aside from Morocco, the other scent that Inez reminds me of is Heavenly Love and Earthly Love. Good company to keep, says I!

 

At any rate, this dries down really close to my skin, and I don't notice much of a throw. I think I'd like to wear it when I don't want to have a strong olfactory presence, but do want to know that I'm awesome, anyway.

[moon_lemming]

Mmmmm carnation. Hmmmmm amber. Unfortunately the amber takes over pretty quickly. Powdery ick. (Amber and I are sort of enemies.)

[astarinel]

Absolutely gorgeous. By far my favorite of the Grindhouse ladies I tried!

 

On me, this is primarily about the amber. And, to my nose, it seems to be the same amber that's in Jacob's Ladder, which is absolutely phenomenal now that it's aged some (I have a bottle of JL '05 which is spectacular now). Swirling around the amber are spicy carnation, an underlying musky note, and hints of woodiness. My skin, which generally amps vanilla in a good way, does not seem to find anything especially vanilla about Inez.

 

I also want to note, this is probably the closest substitute I've found for Et Lux Fuit, my all time favorite. It has the same sunshiny golden warmth, although the woods make this a bit "drier" feeling than ELF. A winner and definite multiple bottle purchase for me before the carnival leaves town!

[nekogrrl]

Wet, this blend was LOVE. The amber and teak were just perfect.

 

Drydown, the cedar and carnation came up, and.. it just was off to me. I think it was going from 'sweet' to 'spicy' just didn't work right for me.

 

Dry: Just cedar now. Makes me think of mothballs.

[GeorgeJr]

Will have to agree with others that in the bottle I'm not getting much beyond vanilla . However , as soon as applied , it becomes a sultry combo of the wood notes & a smoky vanilla . I really need to find a good , strong amber blend so I can pick it out better in the future . As the vanilla fades more , I do believe I do notice the amber now .

A few hours later this has become the usual amber blend powder smell . I really don't mind this , because we are talking a good 5-6 hours later . While it was still in play , the woods & amber did blend wonderfully with the vanilla hiding in the back .

[veronicafranco]

yup. a lot like morocco, as others have said. a nicer morocco in my opinion... but still, vanilla-carnation-musk is just not my thing.

[sprocket21]

I third/fourth/whatever the Morocco comparison. They're both very similar, but Morocco actually behaves a bit better on my skin - Inez is a bit sharper and very very faint once she dries. Still, it's an exceedingly pretty, quite feminine scent. And I think it's my favorite art of the Grindhouse.

[Akurarei]

Ladies of the Grindhouse: Inez

 

In the Bottle:

Vanilla and woods - something akin to hot sand(!?)

 

On my Skin, Wet:

SUNTAN LOTION!!!

Oh no!

 

On my Skin, Dry:

Weird - now it smells like bronzing oil.

You know that stuff from the 80's that was just an excuse to saute yourself on the beach with? that stuff.

 

Verdict:

Befuddled.

All the notes sounded so promising too!

I have no idea how well this will age, but I'll give it a shot and see if that helps any.

if things do not improve after three months, I'll likely find a new home for Inez.

2 of 10 Ranking!

 

ADDED Oct. 23:

 

Inez: Carnaval Diabolique

 

I thought I posted a review for this one already, I did a search for my screename but nothing came back.

If this is the second post, my apologies!

 

In the Bottle:

Red Sandalwood ALL THE TIME.

Quite potent too!

 

On my Skin, Wet:

Strong, sharp red sandalwood mixed with pungent cedar.

There is nothing soft and inviting about Inez in this stage - I was hoping for vanilla and amber with touches of sandalwood.

 

On my Skin, Dry:

Mostly red sandalwood, but less sharp now.

The cedar is still hanging out but has calmed down some as well.

I *think* I can smell some vanilla now, but it's so smothered by the sandalwood and cedar I can't really tell for sure.

 

2 hours later:

OMG!

Sweetly spiced vanilla cookies!

Totally random but so good!

I really hope this deliciousness lingers the rest of the day

 

Verdict:

Very strong of woods at the beginning, almost *too* strong.

Drydown is nice, but nothing spectacular.

Then BAM! the best bakery cookies I have come across to date

 

8 of 10 Ranking!