Velvet Tiger

[cyanidenoir]

Spiced Satsuma orange, tangerine, rich amber, black licorice, teak, cinnamon, and vetiver.

This scent would have so much potential if vetiver weren't in the mix. The only note I can detect is vetiver. No orange, cinnamon, licorice, or anything else. Just vetiver.

I think I'd be happy if vetiver was never used in another blend ever again.

[yamiko]

In Bottle: Cinnamon! And I think vetiver, though my knowledge of what vetiver smells like is limited to the soaps we sell at work.

 

Wet on skin: I can smell the citrus now in the background, but it's still pretty spicy and herby.

 

Drydown (3 minutes): The cinnamon has definitely quieted down a bit, and it's gotten really citrusy.

 

Drydown (5 minutes): No spice, all citrus. Vetiver maaaaybe hiding a bit in the background.

 

Overall Impression: I have this thing with citrus. I like to smell citrus, but I don't like to smell like citrus. And yet, I always forget this when I buy perfume that has citrus in it. I'd like this if there was some vetiver, amber, and cinnamon to be found after it dries on me, but right now I'm not a big fan. I'll have to try a bit more than just testing it, but I think this one is not for me.

[tartchef]

I'm on a licorice kick lately, & Apple kindly sent me Velvet Tiger, one I would not have thought to try. Vetiver & I have a rocky relationship, & I don't tend to be fond of orange/tangerine...

 

Well. Just shows you should take a risk now & then.

 

Vetiver & teak are the standout notes for me, with licorice right behind them - it's a dry, grassy, woody, herbal scent, not too far from Oya on my skin. Once it dries a bit, I get this lovely fuzzy orange halo around my wrists - tangerine & spices, warmed by non-powdery amber, but underscored by deep herby deliciousness. It's a quiet, prowling scent, warm & spicy, but cast in shadows. Decidedly feline, of the large cat variety. It shares a lot of ground with Bakeneko, but is a much quieter, darker scent, without the playfulness of Bakeneko's cherry blossom.

 

Really quite delicious - not one I see wearing often, but this could be magnificent in late summer...

 

ETA: Aw dammit The vetiver got out its stompyboots. And it's the Bad Vetiver, the one that gives me headaches )

Edited June 17, 2010 by tartchef

[impolight]

:::VELVET TIGER:::

 

The artwork on the Label of Velvet Tiger is crazy...

The eyes not only follow your position, they glow and they quiver. This could have been named, aptly, Velvet Tyger.

From the Bottle: Mmmm, Vetiver! This Vetiver bypasses the septum and Two-fisted-punches you in the tonsils for sport.

Assertive!

For those who aren't fans of Vetiver, there are doubts that this would make it to the, 'put it on the skin' phase. Morpher or no, confidence would be finite at best.

What might be a bit of Cedar seems as though it is in here somewhere. Cedar has also been recognised for it's subtlety.

In some cultures.

On the Skin: Hey, what happened? Vetiver has taken a jet-propelled nose-dive; a brilliant ripple of citrus now showcasing itsself in the footlights.

There's no Cedar in this afterall; it's just they way that the Cinnamon and the Teak unify for a spot of Hellraising in this blend. Sneaky!

The Black Licorice in this is... Shiny. One can almost feel a smoothly laquered pastel of the stuff sitting dead-center in the tongue, waiting to be savored.

The more that Velvet Tiger develops, the more glamorous it becomes.

Here, the idea had been that it would be something masculine in a virile, almost tropically earthy way. Actually, this emerges languidly from a velvety-orange chrysalis, it's serpentine hips all asway, it's navel bejeweled.

This could be a unisex fragrance, but there is no small measure of dread that this would linger on His skin with a sparkly sort of lisp.

 

The Wife is a sworn enemy of Vetiver and refuses to participate. From across the room, the opening of the bottle elicited cries of, "Wet ashtray!" and "Get out!"

My motives are in question. There are allusions that I am on a quest for celibacy...

 

*sigh*

 

Velvet Tiger is gorgeous.

It still earns a 5 out of 5.

[forspecial_plate]

I've had this little decant in my "to be swapped eventually" pile for months, and just decided on a whim to try it again. I can't remember what I didn't like about it, but now I really like it.

 

It's odd because I think of orange and tangerine as top notes, and vetiver as more of a heart or base note. But in Velvet Tiger, those roles are flip-flopped. When first applied, I smell this herbal, slightly ashy vetiver, with almost zero orange. But as the scent dries, this warm, glowing, spicy citrus comes out and it strikes me as wonderful and delicious, round, but still kept dry with the spice. Later I can smell black licorice, too, but not very strongly. The throw seems to be about medium.

 

I do like vetiver, and the vetiver in Velvet Tiger reminds me of that in Baron Samedi (one of my favorite GC scents). So it's no surprise to me that this is kind of a love-it-or-hate it scent, based on a few other reviews that I read. I'm really glad I gave it another chance and I might even hunt down a partial bottle. It's in the same family as Baron Samedi and Mad Meg, so I may not need more than the decant that I have, but I do enjoy it.

[gchris]

Oh wow! Be afraid, be very afraid. The vetiver is so strong. I'm trying this anyway but I hate vetiver and I know it is going to kill it for me.

Strong and spicy and dirty.

Slowly the tangerine/orange is surfacing.

Later, not much has changed. The orange has remained faint while the vetiver gives off an earthy woody quality that seems to carry this blend.

[Gin]

Velvet Tiger gives me a lot of vetiver, black licorice, and cinnamon. The orange and tangerine aren't nearly strong enough for my liking.

[Verios]

Surprisingly, I really don't get much vetiver in this--I do, however, get the most exquisitely spiced orange (and with some impressive throw!)--the licorice was present in the imp, but seems to have disappeared when it hits me (which is fine, since licorice was the iffiest note in the description, for me)...the teak seems to fade in and out. I really, really like this. Thinking this may be a must-hunt-down-a-bottle for me.

[mymymai]

In the Imp (ITI): I initially get the scent of lightly candied oranges and tangerines. There is a bit of spiciness from the cinnamon and just a touch of woodiness from the teak. It’s an interesting scent so far.

 

Wet:On my skin, the teak and amber begin to make themselves known, but there entrance is flanked my the candied citrus, the cinnamon, and the sweetly spicy licorice. There is the faintest hint of vetiver, but not enough to pull the scent in any one direction. I like it so far.

 

Dry: Yum! Sweet amber that hasn’t turned to powder with hints of orange, tangerine, and cinnamon. It’s delicious on my skin. Hmm, getting more might be troublesome though.

[a_llb]

In bottle: Deep, exotic vetiver and orange-laced teak.

 

Wet: Initially there is a strong dark wash of vetiver, but it fades soon enough into a rather impressive citrine glow. Tangerine and satsuma are sweet and sultry, spiced with just a touch of cinnamon.

 

Dry: The licorice peeks out, just a quick flash before slipping into a velvety blend of amber and teak. Very smooth, dangerous and intense.

 

Verdict: Aptly named, Velvet Tiger is powerful, lithe, and shadowed. I am not sure I can pull off such a 'masculine' blend with my skin chemistry, and citrus can be iffy - but I love the idea of this blend.

[Lucchesa]

I have about half an imp of Velvet Tiger and will probably never see it again, but it's worth seeking out. Nine years of aging have mellowed any sharp edges. It's a gorgeous rich spiced citrus, perfect for fall/winter, against a backdrop of dark woods and warm amber. The vetiver is far more cuddly than scary, and the licorice just melds with the spices. I got terrific throw from this (which I usually do not), and it lasted a long time. I would absolutely love to have more of this.