Seraglio

[Bethany]

In long-ago Arabia, harem girls rubbed an herbal poultice formed from a blend of sensual, luxuriant herbs and oils onto their bodies to prepare themselves for the Sultan’s pleasure. This lush, indulgent perfume is based on that ancient formula. Sweet almond and Mysor sandalwood enveloped by a heady veil of Bulgarian Rose, neroli, nutmeg, clove and orange peel.

Here’s my review of Seraglio; I hope the format isn't too strange. It's what came to mind when I smelled it on my wrist.

Candlelight flickered on either side of my mirror as I applied khol to my eyes and carmine to my lips. The dancing light made my reflection seem to shimmer in the polished metal of the mirror, my eyes staring back at me like terrified pools of blackness. Shaking hands made a disaster of my attempts at beautification, and lest the Kapi Agha be displeased at my efforts and beat me, I made quick repair. Tonight would be the first night that I served the sultan, here within the lush cage that is the Topkapı Sarayı.

A small bottle carved of precious lapis, inlaid with mother of pearl and silver, held Süleyman’s favorite perfume -- one so precious that it was the form of taxes he demanded be supplied by a certain distant alchemist. Removing the stopper, I was overcome by a complex scent. I closed my eyes and breathed it in, a single tear streaking down my cheek as the overwhelming first note of almond caressed my senses. It was sweet, like the first pressing of oil from the groves in my native Jordan, and blended with the same spices and incense that the winds carried from the markets beyond the palace walls into my gilded prison. I applied the golden liquid to my wrists and the tender spot behind my knees. I knew that if I applied it to all of the places suggested in the Kama Sutra, that I would be punished for waste, but did not want to displease the Sultan by not applying enough.

The intensity of the almonds faded into soft sweetness upon my flesh, and a second fragrance, that of lush roses came to the fore; deep, heavy crimson blossoms, like those in the gardens that surround my new home. It called to mind a scene I had glimpsed from the window: the clear, cloudless skies of Constantinople illuminated by a fiery golden moon, its light dappling upon the flowers below. It looked like something out of a dream, warm breezes made hazy with the smoke of the insense burners at each corner of the enclosure, and laden with complexities of scent like the colors of a Bedouin tapestry.

It was too easy to lose myself in such a decadent expression of the senses, and ignore my surroundings. Such distractions could prove my undoing, however, so I steeled myself and donned the silk garments provided for me. I could not help but muse that their texture was much like the scents upon my wrists; complex and lovely, with a soft weight that made me feel somehow more feminine.

I nervously ran one hand through my hair, and my dark locks hungrily absorbed the perfumed oil. I allowed the strands and their scent to surround me like a cloud, rather than pin them back. Perhaps it would provide an escape from the duties that lay ahead of me…

Head bowed, I allowed the Kapi Agha to lead me down the stone passageway that led out of the seraglio, and into the sultan’s chambers beyond…

-bethany

[PilotKitten]

The almond in the blend is very sweet and slightly overtoned by the spicy clove. The Bulgarian rose lends a slight soapy note on me though... strange, since roses usually always agree with me. Truly not a bad scent. I'm on the fence with this one though... keep it or let it go... ? Hrm... I guess I'll keep it for awhile longer and perhaps test it again to see the results.

[supremegoddessofall]

All rose and citrus. Not my favorite combination. I also get a lot of neroli, which always goes rancid on my skin. Not getting the spices, sandalwood, or almond at all.

[wikkidraven]

the description from the lab hit all my pressure points, so i was expecting a lot more from this scent. unfortunately seraglio thumbed its nose at me, and faded almost to nothing in a very short time. i didn't get any of the clove out of it either, just some citrus and unidentifyable notes. i'm not really sure why, i may give it another go.

[swilde]

In the bottle, this is a very edible almond.

 

On my skin, it just turns to and Indian headshop, all clove and sandalwood incense.

[blackfelicula]

In the bottle: This reminds me of Cherry Coke or Dr. Pepper but sweeter.

 

Wet: This has a similar cherry/almond note as in Bastet, but smoothed out as if by vanilla. I smell orange and possibly neroli.

 

Drying down: It is smelling more like orange than cherry/almond. This is sweeter and more mellow, as if swirled with a giant marshmallow.

 

Dry: The blend does have a mysterious, come-and-find-out quality to it. It is fruity yet perfume-y.

 

Later: The more it mellows, the more smooth, sweet, and sensual this gets. However, I think it is too perfume-y for my taste.

[snapesbabe]

In the Bottle: Marzipan

 

On skin: Rose-flavoured Turkish Delight

 

Drydown: Rose and Lemon flavoured Turkish Delight

 

I quite like it. Not getting any cloveyness or sandalwood, though.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: I can smell the cherry note that must be the almond. There are many other notes in the background. I think I can pick out the clove and orange notes.

 

Wet: Whoo--cherry overload!

 

Drydown and wear: The cherry note dries down to something more palatable, a la King of Hearts, but the other notes in the background don't really do anything substantial.

[brownbear]

While wet this one smelled very strongly of almond. Bitter almond. Then as it dried it went floral. Then more specifically, it went rose. Rose always amps on my skin. The final result was light rose with a little spice and a tiny bit of orange. It's nice, but there's others that I like more.

[Musamea]

wet: very citrusy, which was unexpected, just the gentlest hints of sandalwood and almond, and a teeny tiny bit of nutmeg... I'm not sure what neroli smells like, but I'm guessing that's what's giving this scent its sharpness

 

drydown: oh, there's the rose; the orange peel has begun to fade into the background

dry: it's pure rose now, with just a bit of sharpness leftover from the neroli and the orange peel... the drift is a lot sweeter. This rose is a little lighter than the tea rose in London -- less murky and more straightforward. It reminds me a bit of Lucy's Kiss, but somewhat soapier...

 

overall: I've got it! This blend on me, dry, smells like the early stages of Come to Me, with the orange complicating matters. That actually makes a lot of sense, since Come to Me is a voodoo oil that's an attractant and Beth's description for Seraglio includes harem girls. It's pleasant, but I prefer Come to Me's eventual drydown more.

[jasmine]

Disclaimer: I have an old imp of Seraglio, sufficiently old that it has the black-bordered label with a black satin cord instead of the paper flag label. It may have aged funny, and, as a result, this may not be characteristic of a fresh imp.

 

Sweet. Sharp. Strange, yet not exotic. It’s a blast of high-pitched fruity floral straight to the brain -- not actually fruit, but something sweet enough to be fruit. Eek. This is way too powerful. Fortunately, first impressions are just that, or I would be scraping my wrist raw in terror.

 

After a moment, it settles down into a darker, lower floral, and something spicy manifests. The rose is quite detectable. Above the floral, however, there is still an astringent draft of alcohol that seems misplaced -- this would be very elegant and seductive without it, but as it is... not so much. The entire effect is a bit artificial. The artificiality doesn’t stop it from hinting at sex but it’s a clumsy, pawing kind of sexiness instead of a seduction.

 

In the end, I just don’t see myself wearing this again. It’s too blatant for what it is, and it seems a bit off. If I wind up with another Seraglio imp, I’ll test that one separately to see whether this is attributable to age, or whether it is simply a failing of the blend.

[dart]

For the first few minutes, I love this scent.

 

Sweet, spicy. Almond, rose and Clove. But the first two fade almost immediately and I am left with this strange, plasticy smell. It reminds me of the smell of a new shoe sole. I'm serious. I've gotten this with a few others. I have a bad feeling it's the clove, which I love. Could be the Sandalwood. Underneath, I can just about get a bit of the orange. But it's just not meant to be. Sigh.

[cranberry]

In the imp: almonds

 

On the skin, a combination of almonds and soft roses. I don’t really care for rose scents, so I’m not liking this one. It reminds of a Voodoo Oil. It’s a powdery rose. I’m not getting any of the sandalwood, spices or orange peel.

 

After it’s been on an hour or so, the rose is very soft and gentle. There’s still not much more going on, just soft, powdery rose. This is not a scent for me.

[lapillus]

In bottle: Yellow, somewhat thick

Citrus with something calmer underneath

 

Wet: Still mostly citrus but the florals (non- nose-tingling ones so far) start to play and the almond and the sandalwood make for nice smooth base.

 

Dry: the orange stays on top and the rest for a nice solid base, including the spices that had been in hiding. Literally makes my mouth water. Much brighter and clearer than I expected. If it stays like this it may go on the bottle the list (much to my surprise).

 

 

Later: faint but still there and relatively balanced (minus the orange) 6 hours later. Stays crisp, not powdery.

 

 

Bright clear, sweet, spicy citrus. Definitely will keep and consider a big bottle.

[belegwen]

Initially I got the almondy-sandalwood scent.

 

Then I got the spices and the orange.

 

But then the rose and the orange interacted with my skin to do something vile and it smelled pickley-sour and unpleasant.

 

Near the end of the day it settled down to a mildly pleasant mixture of smells, but it wasn't worth the miserable sour phase. This one is not for me.

[Rouge]

I asked for an imp of Seraglio in a swap because I'm trying to narrow down the notes which specifically don't work on my skin. I'm experimenting with different rose blends at the moment. I have to be quite careful with rose - tearose and tuberose are usually fine but other varieties often take unspeakable liberties with my skin chemistry.

 

In the vial - the rich and sweet scent of almonds. It reminds me a little of Queen of Sheba, although Seraglio has a definite floral edge to it and a deeper, more mellow tone in the background.

 

Wet on skin - Orange blossom! It's thick and sweet and while very pleasant, I think it could become quite overpowering in a close, warm room. The rose lends this a very sensual atmosphere but I'm concerned about a strange sharpness which I can't quite identify... possibly the nutmeg.

 

Dry down - A few minutes into wear, I can smell a faintly soapy and not entirely pleasant note emerging, which I think may be the rose. Some time later, the sharpness mellows a little but not enough to lift ther perfume into my list of favourite blends.

 

I think I may need to test Seraglio again before making a decision on whther to keep it. I suspect it would be wonderful in a body lotion or as an ingredient for scented dusting powder.

[lightgatherer]

Rose. More rose. Rose some more. This isn't a bad rose, but it's still just rose and nothing but rose.

[Spring Snow]

When I got this blend as a frimp, I almost decided to put it in the swap pile without trying it, because it seemed so similar to Queen of Sheba, which I hated. But I tried it, and I'm glad I did. On me this blend is absolutely perfect, with none of the notes overpowering the others. They all meld into this wonderful, exotic miasma of sexy. The rose and almond are a great mix with the orange keeping things from getting sickly sweet, and the spices are very grounding. Kind of a grown up Alice in a belly dancing costume. Sultan (well, fiance anyway) here I come!

[Rat The Unloved]

Bottle Impressions: Too bright. Snowy. A tinge of cola.

On the skin: GAK! Clove, rose, and Eucalyptus!

Dry: Bitter roses. Sharp metallic twangs.

Mature: A mellow, but overly rosey, scent.

Several Hours Later: Almost gone, a faint hint of rose otto.

Over All: Too strong, too rosey.

Buyability: This is not one I would pick up for myself.

[loverstreet]

Started out with a lovely almondy sandlewood, then immediately the EVIL rose came out, and its all baby lotion. (ggrrrrrose! I should know better by now!)

[Pika]

I got this as a free sample from the lab, but the list of ingredients makes me think I would have gotten around to trying it sooner or later.

 

In the bottle:

A confusing scent, definitely orange and spicy, but not too "bright" like some citrus.

 

Wet on skin:

Orangey and almondy, bitter, still complex, and sharp.

 

A little while later...

Fading down to a toned down, but still complex, spicy scent. Still a bit bitter, and confusing to my nose.

 

Much later...

Fades away to a subtle incensy smell (maybe the sandalwood hanging on?) but not as nice on me as some other scents.

 

Eh. It's not terrible, but definitely not one of my favorites. I found the blend a bit odd on me, and my nose is not particularly fond of being constantly puzzled over what is going on in a scent. Not the sexy scent I had hoped for, and I'll probably end up swapping it. More for someone else to love!

[penemuel]

I got this as a frimp -- I wasn't even familiar with it and had to search around to find where it was in the catalog. Reading the notes, I think I'd like this very much, as long as it comes out kind of spicy.

 

In the bottle: Eeek Cherry Coke/Cough syrup! Even more Cherry Coke/cough syrup than the Phantom Calliope. But then again, Phantom Calliope turned out really nice on my skin, so I'm brave enough to give it a try.

 

Wet on skin: Plastic?! What? No, cherry plastic! Or... almonds? Or cherry almond plastic? Not a clue where this comes from, but it's a strong, almost nasty plastic scent.

 

Drydown: Oh wait -- this is starting to smell really nice. Kind of soft almondy mixed with rose, and a little smidge of orange and spice. Not at ALL like it smelled when it was wet. It's a soft, subtle scent, with what seems to be virtually no throw at all (I'm learning these terms now )

 

Overall, I could actually take it or leave it, but it isn't an instant swap like I thought it might be on the initial sniffs.

[batsy]

In the vial: almond, clove, orange peel. Kinda yummy.

 

On the skin: I dunno what it is with neroli but it hates me. The sandalwood is warm and the orange peel is very strong on me. Unfortunately, this is the type of blend that would give me a headache. Bummer. (I wonder if the Sultan got a headache too?)

[CrazyPretzel]

Wet: beautiful beautiful almonds. Marzipan is about my favourite stuff in the world so I REALLY love this.

 

First five minutes: noooo!! The almonds vanish! Initially I get sort of rose + synthetic fruit smell; not too keen on this stage.

 

But then after another ten minutes or so the fakeness goes away, and I can mostly smell roses, orange, and subtle spice. If I could sum this up in one word, it would be *silky*. Also the throw increases enormously at this stage, and for a couple of hours I can smell it very strongly on myself, which I like.

 

This might not be quite nice enough for a bottle -- though if I had all the money in the world it would be -- but I'm going to hang on to this imp for sure!

 

ETA: I topped this up before coming to the computer lab and have been sitting here feeling vampy as hell in my plain ol' blue jeans. This might have to make the bottle list after all...

Edited May 10, 2007 by Baitu

[RemAkimichi]

In the bottle: Something very simular to Hellcat. Warm and sweet

 

On me (wet): Roses, neroli, and cloves. Very sweet, and very lucious. I can see this as something you'd use to entice a lover.

 

On me (dry): Faded roses and a warm wood scent. Very soft, and a bit powdery sadly.

 

Overall: I love it wet, but dry doesn't impress me. Maybe as a scent locket only oil?