Menacing Ionospheric Research Instrument

[Invidiana]

MENACING IONOSPHERIC RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
Bright, gleaming weapons
Are housed out in broad daylight
Squishing my brain waves.

The HAARP research facility in Alaska houses top secret weaponry that is utilized to down aircraft and trigger massive power outages, for meteorological manipulation, and to instigate "natural" disasters. The power housed at HAARP can be used to control minds and produce effects in humans that are indistinguishable from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Gulf War Syndrome.

Electrically charged white amber, violet, sage, mint, and neroli flanked by dazzling metals and shining wires.

This starts out as a very sharp herbal metallic mint and pretty much stays that way through the drydown. I was hoping the white amber and violet would be able to save they day but they weren't able to do me any favors this time. They were both just completely overpowered by mint and sage and something very similar to the "electrical fire" note I described in Aurora Spacesihp Takes a Dive but with more of an electrical/ozoney rather than a burning feel. It does indeed evoke "dazzling metals and shining wires" , but the olfactory "shine" is so bright, at least on my skin, that it's almost blinding, much like Volt but without the leather and less masculine. As it dries down further, it settles into metal/ozone, mint and sage, in that order. I imagine it would be a brilliant scent for people who really like those blends that have you wide awake in half a second, but it's just not for me personally. Edited April 22, 2010 by Shollin

[impolight]

:::MENACING IONOSPHERIC RESEARCH INSTRUMENT:::

 

Hooray! Excitement! The first received in an order from the Black Helicopter series!

The additional purchase(s) of wooden cigar boxes helped to facilitate the room for this collection!

From the opened bottle: The first impression of Menacing Ionospheric Research Instrument might best be described as MOM (Mint, Ozone, Metal).

Mint and Metal are pretty neat when intermingled thus...

Mintally distoibed?

Mintally deranged?

Oh boy!

Menacing Ionospheric Research Instrument is quite like The Coil at this phase, but has yet to reveal the sweetness that is generated by the Passion Flower in the other blend.

On the skin: Jinxeez! The Sage has got some street-cred, yo! Wow. The tonsils received a whopping from the herb as though the trusty sleeping bag was pulled from storage, unused since the last foray into the scrub. This is clean, and dissuasive to Bad Juju.

This gets morphing pretty quick. Not much mucking about with the adaptive process!

Menacing Ionospheric Research Instrument seems all about the hybridization of notes. These crazy frequencies almost suggest fragrant Violet blossoms that have been grafted, somehow, onto an Orange Tree; the resultant mutated blooms unleashing a bizzarely beautific odiferousness into the air in wee puffs of pale, purplish fog! The mind's eye even summon's what this quasi-sentient flora would look like; almost alien petals of luminous purple, as though bioluminescing from within.

The Amber in this blend has the typically gorgeous glow that comes with the Lab's version of this note. It provides a strata of levity that prompts the wearer to virtually... Hover.

Menacing Ionospheric Research Instrument is impeccable and intriguing. As a first impression of the Black Helicopter series, this inspired only the most rabid levels of optimistic prospects for what is to come.

This blend has a civilised amount of throw and relatively average staying power.

It can be worn with confidence by Him or Her with the assurance that it will project an aura of one who is not to be trifled with... But, perhaps, tasted.

Menacing Ionospheric Research Instrument is glowing, swirling, pulsating, electrified purple.

This one gets and easy 5 out of 5.

Long live the Royals of Redolence!

The Aristocracy of Aromas!

The Fraternity of Fragrance and Sorority of Scent!

[Greenwoodtree]

A long-shot, I figured with these strange notes blended together...

 

Wet, its sinus clearing...it made me smile right off the bat, The mint was a sweet breath mint, with an overpowering ozone-y freshness. I thought that was vetiver in the background, holding this down, and I loved it! ...HOWEVER!

 

...It continuously morphed for about an hour.

 

The stages it went through, in order:

 

sweet minty, sinus-clearing freshness

grounded vetiver holding down the mint

vetiver morphing to too-refreshing green notes

now its Irish Spring

now its some strange men's cologne, worn by a man I want nothing to do with...

finally, where in hell did the vetiver go??? That was its saving grace for this vetiver lover...it ended up completely reminiscent of the smell of hair mousse, the kind used so often in the 80's & 90's...too fresh, too clean soapy, nothing grounded, and really artificial.

 

How appropro!

[edenssixthday]

Menacing Ionospheric Research Instrument - This opens with a bright zap of super-fresh peppermint. It smells like a really delicious toothpaste. Mmmm! Yum! for toothpaste, but not so much for a perfume. The toothpaste mint dissipates super fast -- in about 3-5 minutes, leaving behind the scent of gleaming, slightly dusty, metal. I smell no sage, no violet, and no neroli. The dustiness of obviously the amber, and the rest is all metal. An hour after application, I can barely smell it on my skin even when I sniff up close and then, all I smell is metal. It's a fresh, clean, and nice scent, but not really for me.

[angelicruin]

Right after application, PEPPERMINT. The mint begins to soften to more spearmint on my skin, and I begin to pick up a metallic note and ozone. I can't smell the violet note and after sniffing this perfume for 10 minutes straight, I could taste it on the back of my throat. Another one for me stash away for next cold to clear the sinuses.

 

The mint never completely dissipated on my skin, other than softening a little bit as the metallic and ozone notes came out.

[thekittenkat]

This is metallic, but in a light, bright fashion. The mint and the sage are the dominant notes on me otherwise, with the florals as a faint base. Prettier than expected.

 

[Little Bird]

I don't normally like mint scents, so I'm surprised at how much I like this. It's mostly a creamy, sweet mint on my skin, but something about this is really awesome. It might be the dazzling metals and shining wires, but something in this smells so ethereal and magical to me (reminds me a bit of the lab's moonflower note), like a night sky full of stars. There's also little hint of dry sage adding an herbal, slightly masculine touch that I love here. After an hour, there's a soapy-clean edge to this, but I still like it quite a lot.

 

I like this, but I think that it's a scent that I'll enjoy even more on my husband. It's much better and more interesting than the powdery amber, sharp mint, and metallic cologne that I was expecting from the listed notes.

[CitizenBree]

The white amber and violet drew me in, but the most prominent scent on first application (and in the bottle) is the mint. Very fresh, very bright, very minty! it's so strong i feel like i'm chewing gum.

 

After a while, it turns into a generic floral perfume -- kinda strong. I can't figure out what flower it smells like to me, but it's not violet. Maybe the neroli.

 

After a few hours, it's very light. Almost like I used it as a bath oil last night.

 

I could see this being a good sleep scent or for meditation. Not for me for my daily perfume.

 

[musichappens]

Upon initial application, all I could smell was sinus-clearing mint. However, as it dries down it becomes less minty and slightly more florally (more violet than neroli). Unfortunately once it's completely dry, its practically non-existent on me. I think if this didn't contain mint I would still be able to detect it on my skin and it would smell glorious.

[fairnymph]

Clean, light, fresh and surprisingly soft, without barely any ozone or bright white amber peeking through, let alone sharp neroli. I do get some lovely silvetone metals, but I have to seek them out. It's the sweet white mint that leaps out at me most, though this is not a very leaping sort of scent, with violet just behind, making this feel like a ultraviolet glowstick. There's a bit of dry herbalness that must the best sage but it's not distinct as such.

 

Still very minty, definitely white mint, quite sweet. I get the neroli now a little, adding a bit of sharp edge as well as a rotting floral note, or else something else is giving that off. I get more white amber, more of a cologney feel, and more ozone - more tingly and zesty now, though checked a bit by the mint's sweetness.The sage is still light but has amped to be distinct, and the metal remains a rather vague background noise. The violet has a very feminine, classic, Victorian feel and a hint creamy-powderiness. This is SO different from what I expected, much more gentle and feminine, it reminds me of a mintier Violet Ray quite strongly.

 

Quite different within minutes; the mint doesn't hold and what was once the strongest note is now in the background, though this scent is even sweeter now - though still not sugary by any means - so something else must be adding this sweetness. I suspect it's the white amber, which is finally amping, and it's round, gleaming and softly sweet. I think the metals are adding sweetness too, I don't know why, the metals just have a sweet tone to them, maybe bc they seem to merge with the white amber. Beyond that, there is something more traditional sweet and creamy here, a very soft vanilla or maybe vanilla musk, that my skin is definitely amping. The neroli has faded a little, it's now a faint nagging sharp-rotten floral, but pretty tolerable. The sage is not longer distinct, and this feels less dry. The ozone, I'm pleased to say, is holding, and the violet has amped furher, turned a tad orris-like, but this is definitely my favourite violet BPAL blend so far.

 

The violet is amping and amping, and this has become a very much violet-dominated blend with a strong orris tone, but the pleasant faintly powdery, creamy sort not the rooty type, and though it's clearly in command, it doesn't clash with the rest of the scent, it stands apart but it complements the background, which is now mostly comprised of a sweet, rounded, shiny blend of white amber, silver metal, and faint white mint. It's a pale gleaming scent that reminds me of a brighter, more metallic Silver Phoenix now, though again, it still has much in common with the Violet Ray - the feel is a bit more like SP's drydown, even though the actual scent is more like VR's. The neroli and sage are gone, and the ozone has amped further, strangely since that's usually a note that fades on me. I could be confusing the metal and the ozone, which often aren't dramatically different to my nose.

 

After the initial drydown this doesn't really evolve, beyond the violet and the white amber calling a truce for dominance, and the metal amping up to a distinct chrome note, the one from Torture Queeen. It is a pleasant scent that blends beautifully over time, and has a distinct feel and colour of rounded, gleaming, pale metallic lavender. The mint doesn't fade away completely and it adds coolness and sweetness despite being totally indisinct. The neroli and sage however are just GONE totally after maybe half and hour. The throw of this scent fluctuates oddly on my skin, but is never strong; overall, it has a very low throw, but the longevity after it settles down is good.

 

I like this scent, but it's rather generic, and at this point I just have so many other scents that I prefer and give me a similar feel and/or have similar notes. So I'm just not wowed enough nor do I find this unique enough to wear. Meh.

[papermaker]

At first this is dusty white mint. All mint nothing else. Oh here's a little violet and the metal. It reads as shiny to my nose.

It fades really fast.

Probably not worth a bottle

[anomie]

Imp: Metallic mint.

 

Wet: Definitely smell the sage now, and the grounding (haha) of the amber.

 

Quick drydown: There's something about this that reminds me a lot of Ether. That same clear, calm, yet sinister quality.

 

Dry: Cool light, like shimmering reflections. Probably keeping the sample, but I don't feel a need for a full bottle.

[Kimbernunk]

I get a super strong, very herbal mint to start off with. It dries down to a fairly strong white amber with a minty, slightly sweet undertone, and the tiniest, tiniest hints of neroli and violet. I was hoping this would be a strong neroli, but what I've got is still nice. I love the Lab's white amber note.

[milo]

Wet, this is mint. Kind of like the chewing gum mint that has been chewed for awhile. Sounds gross, I know, but it really smells 'wet' to me. This one is a morpher, and sometimes it smells minty/metallic/aquatic, or morphs to powdery violet aquatic when dry. Neverthless, it is not bottle worthy to me. It's kind of bland, and fades rather quickly. I have other violet or mint blends that I like better. Violet Ray is much better if you want a violet mint blend. I don't get any amber or sage, notes that I love.

[IridiumFlash]

Minty goodness. I can't really tease out any of the other notes, but something is there supporting the mint. But the other notes are letting the mint go front & center.

 

I actually like this the best of the half-dozen Helicopters I've tried, even if my nose can't "unblend" it.

 

ETA: After a few hours, the flowers shove their way to the front. Still lovely.

 

 

Edited May 27, 2010 by IridiumFlash

[zankoku_zen]

Odd. This starts out as superfresh peppermint, but then with the violet mixed in and starting to amp up during the drydown, combined with sage - this ends up smelling powdery and oddly smelling like b.o.

 

Made.of.lose

[crebbsgirl]

Yes, there was something distinctly funky on my skin here. On me, this started out with mint and sage, and a hint of violet. As it dried, the neroli came out and added a bit of citrus and depth to the mix. The metals were very light here, and did not get sharp on my skin. Overall the effect on me was a little disjointed. It just didn't mesh well on my skin.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: so much mint. I’m not good with mint, so there will be no skin test. This is making me a little queasy and is reminding me of dental polish. Violet seems second strongest. I can’t sniff long enough safely to give a coherent set of impressions beyond that. It is definitely menacing.

[MonkeysInk]

This smelled very minty when I opened my imp - quite eye-opening! It smelled minty and metallic on my hand, then dried down to a dusty violet-amber blend (dare I saw it? almost like an old lady perfume...). I'm glad I got an imp, as it was interesting to smell something go through such a dramatic evolution, but this is not one that I would order in full size.

[Coldfire]

 

 

 

Decant: I get the mint, and metal/ozone. Also faint trails of neroli

Wet on Me: mint, less metal now, less ozone and more of the neroli and violet

Drying Down: the mint seems to be hiding mostly. Getting the violet, neroli and sage more than anything.

Dry: different. not a true floral, not overly herbal, Smells a bit like my garden.

[brilliantcat]

The other reviewers are NOT kidding when they say this one is a morpher! I got a bottle as a birthday gift and I was smiling just sniffing the bottle. It smells minty and metallic and slightly floral and aquatic all at once. I ADORE the smell in the bottle.

 

Wet, it smells minty, vaguely aquatic, and very slightly floral. I love this stage! I wish it lasted longer because tricksy Menacing Ionospheric Research Instrument decided to start morphing almost immediately. He went metallic, and still slightly minty. Then there was a bit of floral playing with my nose and the mint faded completely. Then he went strongly aquatic with a men's cologne vibe and stayed that way for quite a bit. Luckily I like that smell, though generally on men... but it reminded a bit of Cthulhu which is juuuuust this side of too masculine for me to wear. I may end up sharing this with my husband, we have a bunch of BPAL we share.

 

After the cologne-ish stage, he calmed down into a sage-y, slightly herbal scent that lasted for quite awhile but was very very faint. The longest stage was the "cologne" stage. Overall, very glad I asked for this blend! The crazy morphing suits me Especially on those crazy days when I need the minty pick-me-up and the cooling effects of the metallic ozone and aquatic stages.

[voorishsign]

Reading I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream made me crave a scent that might be reminiscent of AM, the mad supercomputer. If anything, this should be it

 

In the decant - mint! And how!

 

On wet - I think I'll have to keep looking for an AM scent - this is too pleasant powdery amber, tasty mint, neroli and violet and the dry medicinal quality of sage . . . but I was kin dof hoping for ozone, which I'm not getting at all.

 

Drydown - slightly sharper. More sage, more mint, less florals and amber. Still not quite what I was looking for, but nice enough.

[whisperstilled]

In Imp: Herbal mint, a touch bitter on the back of my throat. Some metal, and a definite ozone background. I don't get any violet, but the sage is there somwhere.

 

Wet: A lot calmer on the skin. The mint is a little better blended and sweetens some on the skin. I'm getting neroli and violet, still background, but there. Mint dominates, however, paired with metal notes and ozone.

 

Dry: This scent is fresh and herbal and minty. Kind of reminds me of the few times I attempted organic toothpaste, and like that product, it's ultimately not for me even though I love mint scents. 2/5

[Sultaana]

It's a shock of mint in the imp and a sad lather of soap on the skin. Mint is always such a wonderful touch to a perfume but always leaves only a few minutes in. It doesn't smell bad, but after loving Violet Ray so much, I think I had set myself up for a bit higher expectations.

[virusq]

In the Bottle: I think one of the imps I purchased leaked into the packaging, because everything I picked up smelled floral and powdery. I wiped everything down and took a nose break before returning to MIRI. The floral smell was still there, but now it was much more ... violet? I really wanted to smell that shiny metal and ozone, but all I smell are those little purple flowers in gift shops. Violets. Not big on them.

 

Wet: Okay, on me, there's something far less violet and far more green. Soft green. Not mint. I think it's the sage. It smells light and powdery, but not in a baby-powder way, which is a good thing. Still no metals or ozone, though.

 

Dry: The violet's back. The green is gone. My nose tickles now, though, which I'm pretty sure is the mint. I usually pick up on mint really quickly, though, and I don't smell it.

 

Hour Later: I'm catching whiffs of violet and sage. Still no ozone or metal.

 

I expected much more mint and metal from this blend, so I'm disappointed. My boyfriend says it's nice, though, so I'll give it another shot.