Cytherea

[FandF]

White sandalwood, patchouli, white amber, orris, bourbon vanilla, champaca flower, and kush.

This is kind of a love it or hate it kind of scent. It's a strong, cold and masculine scent. But a dusty head shop patchouli the vibes the most when dry. As it further dries down, it gets a more green scent. I would say it's best on my skin about 4 hours later when all the strong stuff is burned off!!

[ankhfangirl72]

This smells a lot like tombstone, with the vanilla and the woodsy quality it has. I can smell what I think is the patchouli in the backgroung. It's very light and sort of smoky. The vanilla is alot less prominent than in tombstone.

[Wwindy]

So weird! If I weren't looking at the list of notes, I would swear this was gardenia with a hint of incense. Seriously, I get just about nothing but glossy, creamy white floral. Dunno why, but I do! Where it's most faded on my skin, I can pick out a very faint trace of vanilla.

 

It's a pretty scent, but very much not my kind of thing. Ah, skin chemistry...

[cinderfallen]

This smells like LUSH's American Cream, light on the vanilla and heavier on the herbal/woody notes.

[Schmoozy]

Wow. I was hesitant to try due to patchouli, but all the other notes with the exception of vanilla are surefire winners on me. This is truly a shapeshifter scent on me.

At first she is all woodsy and earthy with a hint of sweetness. After drying for a bit, it is still woodsy, a touch earthy, but has gotten sweeter, slightly creamy and very golden. In fact I feel warm. Sandalwood and amber, along with bourban vanilla and champaca flower create a magical blend. There is only a tiny hint of patchouli that lends the earthy vibe. Absolutely stunning.

[maryamblue]

I agree with those who say this one is terribly subtle: you put it on and then wonder if you put any on. But wait...I have sandalwood, and patchouli licking its edges (good thing; patchouli can overpower). There's a note I can't make out: it reminds me – in a good way – of baby lotion. I suspect it's the orris. I get a little bit of a vanilla edge from it, and a faint floral, but mostly...it's that lotiony note. Which is not at all unpleasant. Somehow, the scent of Cytherea reminds me of clean skin.

[Riahannon]

I must say the scent is a bit mystifying... I am a spice and musk type! In the bottle it is nice clean even.

First couple of wet Wow. It is tickling me nose! I was hesitant to try due to patchouli, but all the other notes with the exception of vanilla are winners on me. This is truly a shapeshifter scent on me.

At first she is all woodsy and earthy with a hint of sweetness. Though I must say I am still not picking up the foody scents...which to me is a good thing (The hubby who cannot smell a thing) Loved it after 4 hrs. or so I am no expert, but this 1 goes to the top 5! Mostly because it DOES have it's OWN personality!

[waternight]

In the bottle: Woody vanilla, and a tiny bit dirty.

Wet: Gentler than in the bottle - a very understated scent. Gentle vanilla poured over sandalwood, dirtied up a bit by patchouli. Oddly, it almost smells a bit alcoholic. There's a note that is pure criminal, which takes this otherwise classy and classic blend to a whole new level. Luckily the orris and sandalwood aren't going to powder. This is mainly vanilla and dirty, earthy herbs, with a bit of wood and booze.

Dry: Warm vanilla poured over sun-warmed sandalwood, with a sprig of patchouli on the side.

[theseagrows]

wow, this is totally unremarkable on me. i had hope for this one and was very excited about the vanilla, amber and champaca especially. on me however, it smells like watery pencil lead (which is the sandalwood i think.) it smells clean but earthy at the same time but my skin eats most of it right up.

 

 

it's been years since i tried this and was frimped the latest version:

 

it smells the same, apparently, though now i sort of appreciate the sandalwood which actually isn't as leadlike as frankincense can be. i smell sandalwood, amber and yes something that seems watery but is not aquatic. maybe kush? i'm not sure. The amber and vanilla come out after a few minutes and it smells quite nice- dry and warm, it reminds me of the desert.

Edited February 21, 2018 by theseagrows

[femmefatale]

Sadly, none of the bourbon vanilla I so wanted. It's mostly orris (which I amp), champaca, and sandalwood. It smells like a very pretty, light incense.

I like it, but I think the 2 decants I have will probably be enough.

[LizzyLies]

In the bottle:

There's something bitingly strong in there! But, I'm not entirely sure what it is. I think the sandalwood is trying to stay on top in there, but it's warring with one or two of the other scents and they're winning.

 

On the skin:

So ah, first time I tried this, it had me stumped and I wasn't all that impressed. Moving away from that, I tried it again today and I'm definitely pulling the sandalwood note out--which is good, I like sandalwood--along with the patchouli and the bourbon vanilla.

 

Overall:

It's not my usually sort of fragrance, but it's definitely interesting and I can't wait to see how this one ages.

[filigree_shadow]

I like all the notes in Cytherea, so I assumed I'd like this a lot. I do like it, but it's not what I expected. It's much sweeter than I thought it would be -- it smells like sweet patchouli at first. Then some of the drier notes come in and make it smell a bit husky. (Not husky like thick, but husky like... um, a husk. Dry like that.) I was expecting something soft and deep, and instead this smells sweet and woody. The wood part of it seems more subdued after it's dry, and the vanilla is a little stronger. I like it better when it's dry.

 

I'll have to try this a little bit more to figure out whether it's going to grow on me.

 

EDITED 23 Dec 09:

I set this aside to let it age a while and see whether I like it better later. I thought it had potential but it just wasn't there yet. Well, I'm still not sold on it. It's one of those scents that I like, and I can see why other people love it, but it's just not a me scent.

 

The review I wrote initially still applies now. Except now it smells a bit more like dusting powder. The dryness and the woody feel is still there, but ... I don't know. I'm just not into this scent, I guess.

Edited December 23, 2009 by filigree_shadow

[rayvn1]

Lovely sandalwood with pale amber and a light floral touch. Very, very nice! Sweet and feminine but smoky enough to keep me interested

[Monster]

First of all, I LOVE the art for this one. It's my favorite (art-wise) out of all the Gridhouse Ladies. Now, onto the smell...

 

In the imp: I can't put my finger on it, but this reminds me of something! Library books! That's it, this smells just like old library books to me! Weird!

 

On my skin: Yup, library books, herbs and patchouli. Actually, come to think of it this smells like the entire library, with all of the old, musky, papery books and faint wafts of other peoples perfume and cologne...wood polish..etc.. Maybe I'm just a weirdo but that's what I'm smelling. There is also a fresh, herb-like quality to this and thankfully, the champaca flower doesn't smell like old lady diapers to me at all, I actually can't detect it at all.

 

Dry: As this dries it almost disappears on my skin. This is one that will definitely require reapplication. I'm barley smelling anything at all at this point, just the faint memory of white sandalwood. It's very ghostly feeling! Like a haunted library (not the BPAL scent but an actual haunted library).

 

Overall: Why to all of the Grindhouse Ladies have to be so damn gorgeous. I can't afford all of these oils but i MUST have a bottle of this one as well. There is some magic voodoo going on in this scent, I freaking love this stuff.

 

[crebbsgirl]

This was quite a morpher on me. Wet, the white sandalwood and orris combined to form a bit of a sharp scent. The patchouli was very faintly present underneath. But as it dried, this blend really blossomed. The vanilla came out more to blend with the patchouli, creating a warm creamy and earthy base. I get a touch of incense smoke as well. The champaca flower behaves here and doesn't overtake the blend for me. The resulting scent is altogether more mysterious then I first experienced. I surprisingly really like this.

[Stareena]

In the Bottle: The Amber is apparent and something else I can identify. I'm not sure what Kush smells like. But this other scent both softens the amber and makes it very apparent. I think it is the Sandalwood.

 

On me, Wet: The Amber is a bit softer, almost like it is laying in a bed of baby powder. The Patchouli is also starting to show up, but you really have to be looking for it.

 

On me, Dry: Baby powder.

 

Feelings: Over all I am not that thrilled with this scent.

 

Rating: 2

 

1-5

1 being "Never again"

5 being "I am buying in bulk!"

Edited March 7, 2009 by Stareena

[asciident]

Wet: Sour florals.

 

First on: Creamy vanilla on a background of florals.

 

Dry: It almost smells like carnation, without the spice.

[cinnamonster]

I had great hopes for this but it seems quite weak, it's close to the skin, and smells to me like a weak Black Pearl, which I think I probably prefer. I don't think I've ever had such a bland reaction before.

 

Whatever it should be doing, it's not doing it on me.

 

 

oh...hang on, there's a sniff of sandalwood coming out now. It's dilute black pearl with faint dry sandalwood.

 

I will note on me Black Pearl has little white musk at first, getting stronger later, but this is sooo similar I would buy the GC instead.

 

 

I'm editing this now because I have tried it again, both alone and in comparison with Black Pearl. I like it more now, it's softer and more sophisticated than Black Pearl yet still something similar there (unless my skin is warping everything and my nose is broken!). I think I'd go against my normal dab, and spread this on thick. It also had a positive reaction from someone who only really enthuses about one perfume (Angel by T Mugler), so it must have something good!

 

I do prefer this to Black Pearl now, just wish it had more strength!

Edited April 3, 2009 by cinnamonmel

[Andrea912]

wet: so-so; kind of clean; lightly floral; perhaps the amber and orris peeking through mostly...subtle

[CynicalPink]

Imp: Vanilla Arkham. Weird. There're like no notes in common, but that's what I get

 

Wet: A poof of sandalwood and the lady's vanished

 

Dry: Really dry sandalwood with a bit of the vanilla and amber. It's not powdery, but very dry.

 

Overall: It's very subtle, but I think I like it! A decant should be plenty, though.

[donnatron]

Imp: Orris predominates in the imp with a sliver of white sandalwood and patchouli in the background.

 

Wet: Cytherea goes on very dark and woodsy and I for one really like that. The sandalwood and patchouli become the dominant scents and the orris adds a powdery quality.

 

Dry: Although I love and usualy amp vanilla and nag champa, I really don't get a good sense of them here. The orris is really strong and predominant and gives the scent an overall really dry, powdery vibe. I feel like I'm sifting through a trunk full of fine silks and cotton brought back from India during the height of the British Empire. The orris is very classical, I'm getting a faint sense of the sandalwood and then the rest of the notes blend together into this exotic and sensual incense.

 

Throw: Very skin close.

 

Overall: I like this one. It has a great evocative quality and a sort of quiet sense of mystery and intrigue. Definitely hanging onto the imp and will see where that takes me.

Edited May 30, 2009 by paperrose

[Bluestocking]

In the bottle: Cool, white and sweet. The orris really stands out, very smooth and silky, along with the white amber, but I can smell the dry sandalwood and subtle patchouli beneath. Really pretty and sort of delicate—not especially floral, but rather a little bit incensey/head shoppy in a way that I love. It makes me think of Cytherea's gauzy, see-through tunic in the art, because the scent has a similarly sheer feel.

On, wet: Even more woody and incensey. The sandalwood is stronger here than white sandalwood normally is on me, which is a pleasant surprise, and the patchouli is much more prominent. It's the woody, very dry sort of patchouli, so it blends nicely with the sandalwood. The orris has retreated to the background, but some champaca flower is peeking through, too. The kush… I have no freaking idea what kush is, but I do know that I loved the only other scent that I tried with it (Manhattan). Wherever it is, it certainly isn't offensive.

On, dry: Softer, smoother, sweeter, but still with a decidedly woody, incense-like character from the sandalwood. The orris, vanilla and amber seem to have blended together, which sounds like it should be heavy, but it isn't at all—it's very pale, light and silky, sweet but not cloying. The patchouli is still hanging out; it's extremely subtle, just adding a touch of darker woodiness and depth. Really pretty, restrained and surprisingly elegant. The throw isn't massive, but I keep getting lovely whiffs of it.

Later: Orris, vanilla, amber and champaca. Sweet and creamy-smooth and slightly floral, without the dry, woody vibe of the earlier stages.

Overall: This is a surprise hit for me, although now that I'm really looking at the notes, I wonder why I'm surprised. Anyway, the orris and amber make this a very pale, smooth, sweet perfume (with a subtle assist from the vanilla and champaca), but the sandalwood and particularly the patchouli balance out that silkiness with a distinctly dry, woody character and some grounding depth. This is not unlike Smoky Moon in its gauzy, diaphanous feel, although this is sweeter and more orris-centric. It's a light and complicated but nicely balanced sort of perfume—a little bit floral, a little bit incense-y, a little bit creamy, a little woody. Those who hate/can't wear orris should steer clear, but for me, this is really very lovely!

 

 

[Gin]

Cytherea is violets on me. My first test = violets. I read the descripton and thought, that can't be right. Second test, oh! hey orris! nice to see... you ...and the violets. Weird.

[Siberia]

On me, this was mostly sandalwood with a beautiful light floral. I really like this scent, but it was frustratingly light despite fairly heavy application. I pretty much slathered it on and it had almost no throw.

[Andrea912]

A bit dark and smokey...maybe that's the kush and orris. Nice. Well blended.