Sudha Segara

[revoless]

Named after the primordial ocean of milk where Lord Vishnu reclines upon the thousand-headed Naga. Sweet milk and warm, healing ginger with a touch of golden honey and our blend of Ambrosia.

I got this as a freebie in my second order, and it's a good thing because I never would've ordered it on my own. Milk? Yeuck.
That said, this is a definite favourite.
My first impression upon sniffing the bottle was that it smelled like orange. The exact thought was, 'Fruit? Hm... don't think I'm going to like this one.'
Eventually I put it on and realised that the orange smell was actually ginger (the giner is initially very stong, but calms on drydown), and incredibly yummy. The sweet milk note was creamy and added an opalescence to the scent. After some time I detected a faint, light floral underneath the milk, which I assume is ambrosia. I wanted to lick my wrist even after it felt the scent had become a part of my bodily makeup. On me this gives the impression of being skin, but better. Me, but spicier and creamier. It's positively gorgeous. It manages to last for about eight hours on me, so I feel quite blessed with this one.
The only downside of this scent is that it's so comforting, so soothingly relaxing to wear that I end up lazing about more often than I'm wont to do ordinarily. I end up with eyes half closed and a silly, vapid little smile on my face. ...Then again, that can hardly be taken for a true downside.
5/5. Nigh perfection.

[Silverstrike]

Upon first application, the scent I get is strong ginger and . . . bug repellant? I don't detect any milk or honey. As the scent wears, I get the carbonation of ginger ale, but still, no milk or honey, which is too bad, because the description sounds lovely. I may use up my imp, but I probably won't buy a whole bottle.

[squalorholla]

This came in my first-ever imp order. It's an intriguing scent. When I think about it I can isolate the ginger and honey, but the overall effect is elusive and evocative. This is going to sound kind of weird, but it has a waxy quality to it -- it reminds me of the art supplies I used as a kid, maybe expensive colored pencils? I don't know, but me likee, very much. It's soft and sensual but also clean.

 

I don't think I want to walk around smelling like a box of Prangs, but I'm using it as a room scent and loving it. (So is my husband; he keeps sniffing the air rapturously and going "Mmmmmmm.")

[matilda]

It's taken awhile for my nose to figure this out, but I can now officially say I admire it quite a bit. It starts out sharp and bright - a crisp gingered citrus- but quickly turns into a slightly spiced sweet cream. Beautiful. Unfortunately, my skin gobbles it up and in less than an hours it's gone. It fades too quickly for me to wear, but I would consider buying a bottle as a room scent.

[sophia_helix]

I turned this one down at the BB in June because I didn't like the bottle's smell, but I figured I'd give it another go-round on my actual skin.

 

In the bottle:

 

Yup, still not quite right -- watery and a little sour. I can vaguely pick out ginger and creamy notes.

 

Wet:

 

Yiiikes, soap. A gingery sort of soap, but still.

 

Drydown:

 

I gave this two trials, each time hoping it would warm up to something better, but the soap was still strong. I think the cream notes are what don't work on me, given my failures with Dana O'Shee and Snow White, but the ginger just isn't pulling its load either; it isn't the hot, spicy ginger I'm looking for, or even something soft and comforting, but just lies there in the middle of the watery, soapy cream with only a prickly hint of itself.

 

The scent makes me think of dishwater with pale yellow suds floating in it, full of someone's dishes with bits of gingerbread stuck to them, which is not what I'm going for. Alas, another for the swap pile.

[Ajila]

Wet on me this smells like very milky Earl Grey tea, very faint and delicately spicy, but with a creamy base. As it dries the ginger becomes more prominant, but it never takes over the blend. Dry on me it's like I've rubbed honey into my skin. There's just this sweet presence close to my skin, that doesn't particularly smell of anything, but is definitely there.

[urraca]

It's hard for me to describe this one. I think it is because it didn't really work on my skin. I think whatever is used to create the illusion of milk and of ginger just doesn't work with my chemistry and ends up smelling --- odd. Milk and honey usually work beautifully on me. I didn't get any honey from this and possibly it is a different milk note than I have tried before. Too bad.

[Diana]

I love any combination of milk, honey and ginger, so this was a good one for me to try. I especially want to (finally) go through all my imps and properly try *everything*. Hah.

 

In the vial it's a nice delicious aroma. Not quite as spiced as chai, but not just plain milk. Sweet.

 

Putting it on, I realized this wasn't very stronly scented. I put on HALF AN IMP. And I could still barely smell it.

 

The ginger warms up a bit and the milk/honey combination is really sweet and light in the background. There's another note here, but I cannot for the life of me name it. Someone somewhere mentioned "rice pudding," and that almost exactly hits the nail on the head.

 

Over the day, it's still very faint & light, but I can occasionally catch small whiffs of it. The ginger becomes sharper & greener over time, and there's another spice note, which I think reminds me of cardamom.

 

This is oh so lovely, but sadly, it just didn't last and didn't have enough throw for me. This is a nice cuddle scent, though.

[erikasilverstein]

BOTTLE SNIFF: Sweet, citrusy ginger. A bit of floral (the ambrosia?)

 

WET ON SKIN: Smells like sweet, milky vanilla-flavored tea. With a bit of something spicy in the background -- probably the ginger.

 

DRYDOWN: The ginger (bit sharp, quite delicious) and honey come out more and stay prominent for a while. Then it all softens to a creamier honeyed -- almost fruity -- scent. Though that might be some leftover Strawberry Moon....

 

FINAL THOUGHTS: Lovely. Wish it was more saturated and wafted around me more, as I kept addictively sniffing my wrists, and people were looking at my strangely on the subway.

 

ETA: Layers extremely well with Shub-Niggaruth. Also seems to add more wafting AND lasting power. Delicious!

Edited November 4, 2005 by erikasilverstein

[faifai]

I had the same impression. Sudha Segara was creamy, had a delicate bite, and had no throw whatsoever. If you smashed your nose right against my inner elbow, you'd smell the same delicious thing that I think I'm wearing. Unfortunately, it has so little throw that you and I both can't really tell.

 

I'd think it'd be good for sleeping with your lover, as it's gentle and relaxing. Kissing each other goodnight and then actually sleeping. The scent is so soft it'd just evaporate if you did anything more, ahem, active than sleep.

[jewelbug]

Bottle: I'm surprised by how faint this is, even with my nose practically in the imp. Mostly I smell orange, but it's very light. There is a touch of honey.

 

Wet: orange peel, very faint. It’s a warm, cozy orange, rather than bright and energetic.

 

Drying: Very faint. Orange and warm vanilla. I like this, but it will never last on me. I wish this was stronger, cuz it’s a lovely cuddly warm orange.

It's still at the same faint stage in 1 hour so, its not fading, it just starts out weak and stays there. Nope, I was wrong, it's completely gone in 2 hrs.

 

Overall: This was a beautiful scent, but very faint and had little staying power. I will consider this for light lotions and shower gels, though.

[AlaskaSnows]

In the Bottle: Faint sweet orange with cream and a bit of honey. Not quite as luscious as it sounds, though, more like a Creamsicle, which I am not fond of. The smell is very faint.

 

Dry: Basically the same but much less artificial smelling. The orange was changed into much more a orange blossom smell - not a neroli smell, a real orange blossom smell. It's sweet and very faint. This might be pretty if stronger.

[aedes]

Yiiikes, soap. A gingery sort of soap, but still.

 

Drydown:

 

I gave this two trials, each time hoping it would warm up to something better, but the soap was still strong. I think the cream notes are what don't work on me, given my failures with Dana O'Shee and Snow White, but the ginger just isn't pulling its load either; it isn't the hot, spicy ginger I'm looking for, or even something soft and comforting, but just lies there in the middle of the watery, soapy cream with only a prickly hint of itself.

 

The scent makes me think of dishwater with pale yellow suds floating in it, full of someone's dishes with bits of gingerbread stuck to them, which is not what I'm going for. Alas, another for the swap pile.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This was exactly my experience, too, I'm afraid. I even tried it twice thinking I had messed it up somehow. I had very high hopes for this scent, but:

In the vial and wet - Soap. ginger? well, a little, but mostly soap.

Dry - More soap!

Honestly, I have trouble telling this from Dial. And it's hard to tell whether or not it's still on because after a few minutes my arm smells, well, like clean arm.

[maewitch]

This was very light. Especially in comparison to the whomp on the head that is the ginger in Shub. Whereas Shub is all rolling sensuality, this is dewy innocence.

 

Creamy milk dashed with ginger more than anything. I don't get the honey, which is weird because it seems like my skin usually amps that up. Lovely and gentle, almost something I would wear to bed as a calming fragrance.

 

As a day scent, I prefer something with a little more waft and some more staying power. This barely made it through the train ride. I'll try slathering it on next time I wear it.

[Miss Lynx]

Well, this is frustrating. I really like this scent, what I can get of it, but it's so faint! Even freshly on, I have to put my nose right down to it to smell it all, and of course it fades even more on drydown. It's like this one was somehow prepared at 1/4 strength or something. I'd be wondering if I got a diluted imp, were it not for the other people who’ve posted about this scent being weak.

 

But I do like it... It's slightly reminiscent of the white tea and ginger hand soap from Bath & Body Works, but softer, and more real-smelling. It's almost like the natural skin scent of a really nice-smelling person, with just a hint of ginger over it... And it actually does hang in there for a while, albeit at the same really subtle and faint level that it initially dries down to. Maybe if I slathered it on really heavily it might actually work for me. But as it stands, it's more of a tease than anything.

 

Grade: B

[LyndaM]

I can't smell this. I got a very faint suggestion of something, maybe something sweet, when I first applied (slathered) but then nothing. I put so much on that my arm was glistening like a basted turkey; but nada.

 

It sounds really nice from what others have said, though!

 

EDIT: Fully dry I do get the faintest whiff of fragrance, as if I had bathed with a good quality bar of sweet ginger soap. I like it, but it's just too light.

Edited October 22, 2005 by LyndaM

[brownbear]

That's weird. After reading the description I had to go back and check that I really did try the right one. I wouldn't have guessed any of these notes. It's a scent that is swirling with odd, but interesting notes. I thought I was getting some kind of tea note from here. It's slightly sweet and light and a little bit of light peppery spice. It's a tad gingery, but not like food ginger. This is a really hard one to describe. I can't decide how I feel about it. I'll have to try it again on another day.

 

ETA: Tried it again. I still only get ginger and pepper. Then it turned a little soapy. Not going to keep it.

Edited November 10, 2005 by brownbear

[dubh_ceol]

Yummy. Beautiful ginger...that disappears after hitting my skin. There's a mocking hint of scent, but my nose has to be pressed against my wrist to get even that.

Edited October 22, 2005 by dubh_ceol

[Wench457]

On me, this smells exactly like Southern sweet tea with lemon. My super power seems to be amping honey notes, so I am very happy that isn't happening with Sudha Segara. I also find this to be a "close skin" scent, with almost no throw. I'll have to try again, putting more on, or it would make a fabulous scent for linens. Definitely a keeper either way!

 

(Edited because I can't spell today!)

Edited October 28, 2005 by Wench457

[PurringPulsar]

Sudha Segara

 

In the imp: a very light ginger tea!

Wet on skin: warm ginger starts to strengthen but not too strongly.

Dry on skin: oh, this is lovely. This is like a warm, soothing cup of ginger tea, slightly creamy but not too much. This isn't a powerful, fiery, fierce ginger scent, neither is it really foody. This is a soft, gentle ginger that is comforting. I swear that there is a tea note to this, despite it not being listed. I cannot smell the honey in here either-it's not very sweet. However, along with Alice and Dana O'Shee, this is one of the milk-honey scents I can handle and which I really enjoy.

After a while: this stays consistent-it remains the same gentle ginger scent with a hint of milk and tea about it.

Verdict: this was a very nice surprise. I was a bit worried the milk would be a bit too much, but this is the light milk that I like, the kind you get in Alice and Dana O'Shee. And then there's the ginger-this isn't the biting, hot ginger of Shub. Nor is it the foody, doughy gingerbread scent of Gingerbread Poppet. Sudha is a gentle, light ginger scent that is comforting and warming, like a warm drink at bedtime. I definitely detect something very tea-like in this as well, making this a lovely ginger-tea scent. This is an understated, simple, yet very soothing spice scent. This is a great scent for the lazy winter days when I want to just curl up in bed with a warm cup of tea, away from the cold outside. I love it.

[PrettyPenny]

I recieved an imp of this from a very generous forum member (Thanks!)

 

At first, when I sniffed the imp, I was afraid it wouldn't work on me. Too much spice, not enough creaminess. However, the moment it touched my skin...heaven. This is the most beautiful, creamy scent. It's very light, but luckily I'm really bad about slathering, so that works really well for me. I must get a big bottle immediately! 5/5

[Mnemosyne]

This smells like a bar of Ivory soap still in the packaging. Sweetly soapy with a little bite that reminds me of the slightly acrid odor of paper or cardboard. It's OK, but not really for me. It's a bit too mild for my taste.

[Scarlettfish]

To me, this smelt just like tea. A nice, fragrant cup of black tea with a touch of milk. It disappeared rather quickly, but it was lovely whilst it lasted. This is a very soothing scent that would be lovely in winter.

[emmacrew]

Very light, a little bit sweet. With some gentle spiciness from the ginger. This isn't a sharp, zingy ginger, but a soft, warm one. It reminds me very much of the hand-made goat milk soap with ginger that's been in my shower this past month. It's very cozy and comforting, with little throw; a scent for the wearer but not one that's likely to get much notice.

[SeaMonkey]

This was all ginger on me. Freshly peeled ginger. I was hoping the milk and honey would come out a little more, but this is a good ginger scent. I like to use ginger when I'm nauseated and this scent is a great at relieving it.