Inez

[Miss Lynx]

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

It's funny -- this was not one of the Ladies of the Grindhouse that initially made me gasp "Oh my gods, YES!" upon reading the description -- those would be Clémence and Dionysia, and to a lesser extent Aeronwen. But it definitely caught my attention nonetheless, and I wasn't about to miss out on it. Amber and musk are pretty much my Holy Duality, and form the basis of many, many scents I like, and most of the other notes in here sounded good to me too, though vanilla can sometimes be dodgy.

However, I think I may actually like this one better than any of the others. There is a stage, right early on when it's first applied, when the vanilla is a bit excessive and threatens to go off in an unpleasantly foody direction -- it's almost like the caramel note that has killed many a scent for me (caramel in perfume smells like nasty artificial flavouring on my skin). But then that fades, and what is left is the most gorgeous, warm, resinous, musky incense scent. The cinnamon-like carnation gives it just a touch of spice, the myrrh gives it depth... It's just perfectly balanced.

It's very reminiscent in some ways of Fenris Wolf, which also has red sandalwood, amber and musk, but it's a touch sweeter and more feminine. It's also a little like a lighter, softer, Schwarzer Mond, and there are faint echoes of Al-Azif in there... or maybe a non-gingery Shub? And all of those scents are on my personal A-list.

Inez was the last of the Ladies that I ordered decants of that I tried, and yet it's the first I'm posting a review of, because I'm still trying to decide what I think of the others. But this one I'm pretty sure is love. At first I thought I probably wouldn't get a bottle since I do have other scents that it strongly resembled (i.e., all the ones I just compared it to above), but given that I've managed to use up half the imp already through repeated wearings, I may have to revisit that possibility...

Grade: A

[TereFaerie]

This is lovely, very warm and ambery with a just hint of what my DH calls "Yankee candle", which means the amber is about to go all play-dough on me. While this one definitely reminds me of Glowing Vulva, it is not as smooth and refined smelling, more foody candle than woody/cedar on me.

 

It lasted and lasted on my skin, but it had a short throw, the kind you have to be near to to smell.

 

The verdict is while I *like* this one, it isn't love. The play-dough is what is keeping me from falling in love.

[AEris]

I like everything except the cedar in Inez. The amber is luxurious, the vanilla musk is soothing and soft, the myrrh is deep and sexy, and the cedar is like wood-chips-soaking-up-puke-in-a-school-hallway.

 

: -(

 

I just can't get past it, it smells like pencil shavings and BO, ruining what would otherwise be one of my favorites.

 

Oh well, more for everyone else whose chemistry agrees with Inez!

 

2 out of 5

[oneiromantics]

I ordered a bottle of this unsniffed, despite the fact that I'm still enough of a BPAL newbie not to be able to predict with any accuracy which scents will work on me, and despite the fact that I was a little afraid the cedar would go all "omg moth repellant!"

 

Luckily, my worries were for naught!

 

I can definitely smell the cedar, but it's not overpowering or sharp. It's a nice counterpoint to the warm amber and myrrh thing that Inez has going on. Inez is strong and sweet, a little bit spicy, and, inexplicably, a little like caramel on my skin. (Unfortunately, the vanilla is nowhere to be found.) It's definitely sweeter on my skin than in the bottle.

 

Inez gives off a sophisticated vibe to me--very mature and womanly-- possibly even a little too sophisticated for me at 22 years of age. This would be great for a dressy night out, though.

 

Throw is pretty strong. I'll have to wait longer to see about wearlength. So far, it doesn't seem to be morphing at all.

 

4/5

[SeaMonkey]

This has all the right notes for me, except for pine, but I don't amp pine, so I wasn't worried. This turned to soap as soon as it dried on me......which is upsetting because most amber/vanilla blends work beautifully on me

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Vanilla and something that smells like scented tobacco, followed by amber and carnation. This may be too foody for me.

 

Wet: The vanilla recedes quickly, overcome by cedar. This smells very woody and sharp right now. Will tiptoe away quietly and give it time to develop.

 

Twenty minutes: Sandalwood, cedar, musk, and a bit of resin. Where did all that caramely vanilla go? Somehow, this smells sort of masculine to me.

 

Two hours: Got busy and stopped paying attention. Amber, myrrh, cedar, hey! This smells good now! It's still a little woodier than I wanted, though.

 

Three hours: Amber, vanilla, musk, myrrh, cedar. The wood has died back some. Although this smells really nice, it's still a little more vanilla than I wanted.

 

Four hours: Not much change. I still like it, but it's too vanilla. I don't think I'm going to need any more of it.

[Apple]

This... is... so odd.

 

With the exception of vanilla musk, all of the notes in Inez thrill me. Vanilla has a tendency to amp on my skin, and musky vanillas either smell like very generic teen body sprays or they go horribly, horribly wrong on me and end up smelling like wintergreen (which I detest). I had my fingers crossed that the spicy carnation and glorious resins would counteract this tendency, and, in fact, Inez does not smell like Pepto-Bismol or a teen girl... nope, instead she smells exactly like my grandmother.

 

I have no idea what note or combination of notes is giving this effect, but it is so striking that I feel like I borrowed a sweater from my Nana (who is now deceased) that still had the remnants of her perfume clinging to it. Does anyone know what commercial fragrance smells similar to Inez?

 

At any rate, here's what I smell:

 

In the imp, Inez is both powdery and foody... not a good sign. On the skin, the powdery-foodiness fades and something sharp and chemically pokes through. I keep thinking I smell dryer sheets, but not dryer sheets... something to do with laundry/clothes... my grandmother's clothes...

 

WAIT! That's it! It smells like Magic Sizing! You know, that spray starch you can use for ironing? My grandmother ironed everything, and everything got a liberal application of Magic Sizing. Inez smells like freshly laundered clothes misted with Magic Sizing and crisply ironed. With some added vanilla.

 

As you can imagine, while not an unpleasant scent memory (or even an unpleasant scent), this is not what I was expecting or hoping for with Inez. And since the vanilla continued to escalate and morph into platiscky nastiness, this one is off to swaps. Sigh.

Edited August 27, 2008 by Apple

[Scanmike]

This smells very close to Glowing Vulva on me, although in my case, not initially as sweet. I can smell a hint of the cedar and after a few minutes it's a lovely golden amber smell. Very clean, light on the vanilla. I can see where some may say it's similar to a masculine scent. But then, I like cleaner, less floral scents. The throw isn't that strong. It stays close to the skin. This is a bottle order for me. Love it, and I don't say that about most BPAL scents.

[nevermore]

Inez smells an awful lot like Morocco on steroids on me. It's somewhat sweeter when I initially put it on, but that dies down after a couple of hours. From there on out, it's Super-Morocco. Which, incidentally, I'm okay with. More than okay with, actually, because Morocco tends to fade very quickly on my skin.

[milo]

I've had Inez for about a month now, and have gone from love to hate to grudgingly love again. Don't know if it's me, but in the hate stage, it turned awfully commercially old lady perfume on me. In the love stage, it is so vanilla spicy, and a bit foody without being too much so. In the bottle, it smells just like Underpants to me. On, the only difference is that Underpants is more creamier, bolder and lasts longer. Inez is the shy cousin of Underpants, and I'm betting she'll get more like her cousin with a bit of aging.

[ravenrigan]

In the bottle

Vanilla, and amber with a hint of spice

Wet on skin

Still vanilla, but the carnation comes out to play, all spicy and dark red with a hint of green, and just a touch of rot at the very heart.

 

Drydown

I'm getting a bit of myrrh, and some red sandalwood but mostly carnation and vanilla. It's going a bit powdery and the throw has a hint of Play doh. Up close to the skin it smells just magical, and the resins and woods come forward but I'm not sure I like the way it smells wafting around me, the carnation seems a bit headachey. Will try this again properly, and not just on the back of my hand, especially while I'm cooking dinner, washing hands and chopping herbs.

 

Tried again, and I do like it! Th play doh is only a brief passing phase, then there's a golden amber scent under the vanilla, and all in all it reminds me of Lushes Karma without the pungency and the evil orangey smell. Karma when she's grown up, got a job and swapped her hippy tat for Monsoon and Marks and Spencer. Perfect for this ageing hippy!

Finish

After 2-3 hours, faint vanilla amber, with a hint of spiced fruit. Makes me think of a really good rich creamy spicy bread and butter pudding, fragrant, creamy and understated.

 

Wearlength and throw

Not the longest wearlength, but certainly long enough to be worth reapplying during the day. Wears fairly close to the skin, like a gentle secret.

 

Mood

Languid, sultry and self indulgent. A courtesan, perfumed with the most costly essences available, sipping creamy Chai while lying on a bed of deep red carnation petals, replenished daily until the lowest layers begin to decompose......

Verdict

May be another bottle before the carnival leaves.

[maika]

In the imp, this mostly smells of honey, but honey with a kick. This is good...

 

Wet, the cedar predominates, but I can sense the myrrh there as well

 

Dry, the amber and musk are vaguely there...I don't get any carnation...but the resiny, incense-y thing that this turns into is beautiful. All that said, I'm not entirely sure I could wear this too often, but I'm keeping my imp, and am contemplating another bottle.

[slittlecrowrussell]

The first hit of fragrance is almost identical to the first "offertory cakes" sniff of All Soul's. From there, vanilla begins to emerge, a skin-musky vanilla, not unlike the musky note in Ivanushka, but anchored by sweet myrrh. I was hoping for a morpher with this one, but the only thing that really moves around is the vanilla. I was worried by the amber, since amber has about a 75-25% chance of going waaay baby powder on me, but here it's kept firmly in line by the myrrh. Thankfully, the musky resinous goodness stays stable - with little wafts of vanilla and light spices breezing through. Sadly no carnations are in evidence...

 

This doesn't have a lot of throw - great for wearing in summer or during times when you don't want to be too obvious with your perfume. The only downside is that it only lasts a couple of hours and then you have to reapply. If you like Mama-Ji, Morocco, Ivanushka, or similar scents, you'll like this one...

 

 

PS - I got the Play-Doh phase too... it doesn't last long though... thankfully...

Edited September 19, 2008 by 13magpies

[dansemacabre]

There is something very foody about Inez. It's almost like warm gooey vanilla sugar. It's very sweet, warm and inviting. On the dry down, it's almost very warm but with a hint of spiciness. While I can't picture this to be an every day scent, there is something seductive and inviting about this scent that says "come a little closer".. sweet yet tempting. The final dry down, it gets a little powdery on me, the spice is still there but it's lost the initial foodiness.

[Lamia]

I'd gotten to try Inez back in August, and loved it. This weekend, I tested it again prior to purchase, and instead of smelling like the intoxicating sensual feminine scent it was the first glorious time, it smelled like stale saliva.

 

If someone licked my wrist, it would be the same smell, and it stayed for HOURS. I was so sad So I bought Temple Viper instead

[jade_starlight]

This is absolutely beautiful. It's sweet, warm amber and vanilla that just seems to get even more delicious smelling as it dries. *huffs wrist* I love it.

[Electric Maenad]

Oh gods... this is fantastic. Got an imp of this from Eyeska, who said it didn't work on her. On me, it's absolutely gorgeous - even ze man says it's the best thing I've tried to date. It's smooth and dark and fantastically blended - it smells like a very old, polished cedar spice cabinet with gilded accents. I promptly went out and snagged two bottles off the forum, and I might just have to get another before the Carnival leaves town. It's that damn good.

Edited September 30, 2008 by Electric Maenad

[curly girl fla]

I usually don't post reviews, but felt compelled because I initially didn't care for Inez. It was just too light to make an impact at all. I've had it sitting in my swap box for ages, and saw the card sticking out, so I decided to give it another go. While still soft, Inez has flourished into a swirl of rich amber and musky vanilla with just a hint of cedar coming through. I wish she was stronger, but I just adore her now. Out of the swap pile she comes....

[Persephone76]

Oh, how I adore Inez. I get none of the feared cedar at all. It's just pure, creamy resin gorgeousness with a hint of carnation (which I adore). Like a golden light. I love Morocco, and this IS very similar to my nose, but different enough that I must have them both!! I have 2 bottles so far and I'm thinking I will need more. This is just beautiful.

[tacey]

Oh, Inez, I knew I'd love you! The only Grindhouse lady I've tried so far, Inez is the most wonderful amber/vanilla gorgeousness. Too sweet for just a moment at application, I think she'll settle down nicely with a bit of time. And maybe I'll pick up those woods next time...

 

 

 

ETA: Nov 3, 2008. Sadly, I think I will have to let Inez go. That's a gorgeous amber, but the vanilla hasn't put in a second appearance, and I've never yet caught any of the other notes, unless it was carnation for a moment. Nice, but not amazing. I need to swap her for something I'll really love...

Edited November 5, 2008 by tacey

[Sapphiremo0n]

Mmmm buttery rich warm and dark like baking cookies. In the bottle, the cedar hits me first, that and the carnation, it is very deepp and spicy.

 

Fresh application brings up myrrh and amber and vanilla. The carnation doesn't stick arround, but that is ok with me, the sandalwood and vanilla are coming up behind Musk, myrrh and amber.

 

This is a little heavy and dark for the day, but it would be a fabulous night time scent. It is very appropriate that this combination is used for a woman of the grindhouse. Beth really hit a home run with this one. I can't wait to see how many heads turn when I wear this out.

[crebbsgirl]

At first application, Inez is all amber and vanilla. As she dries, the myrrh comes out as does the red sandalwood. They remain undertones to the blend, with the amber/vanilla predominating. After about an hour or so, the carnation can be detected, but it lends a soft spice to the blend. This is a magnificent scent, and exquisitely blended. I may be hoarding this one.

[maryamblue]

I have to preface this by saying Inez, although she looked appealling, was going to have to prove herself to me. Why? Because I am deeply suspicious of amber.

 

Too many amber scents evoke this highly neurotic and misogynistic boy I dated years ago; I immediately stuck Brisingamen on the "no" pile and washed it off when I realized it smelled just like him. Nevertheless, sometimes amber doesn't do that. But I'm gunshy.

 

Still, Inez looked like she might be one of the good ambers.

 

She's very ambery at first. Oh, dear. But wait: now she's going vanilla. Inez is very edible-smelling. I'm not getting any floral note – I expected the spicy edge of carnation to cut the amber/vanilla scent, and it's just not there. The myrrh is there, but what it does is turn the blend into something that smells to me like a honeycomb. It's nice, but...It smells like something I'd love to eat, but not necessarily something I want to wear. I kind of think this smells like something I would love to wear if I were actually a bee. Which I am not.

 

Sorry, Inez, I wanted to love you but you're just not the girl for me.

[porcelina]

inez is like a softer hay moon on my skin. i like it a lot, but it doesn't last nearly as long as hay moon and i have three bottles of that, so i will be swapping this.

[rayvn1]

I'd have to second that review of "nice, but not amazing". Which is too bad because I had really high hopes for all of those notes in Inez! All these notes should have added up to an amazing amount of win. The amber was there in its golden glory, but the whole thing was ruined by an overpowering powdery smell with a little non-descript carnation in the background. This reminds me of why it's good to try out decants before buying a bottle.