VILF

[Geminirubyshoes]

Because isn’t that what this book is really about?

Vampire smut: patchouli-infused honey, red musk, red sandalwood, red ginger, pink pepper, Peru balsam, dark Eastern florals, Himalayan cedar, smoky vanilla, bitter clove, and leather.

In the bottle this is sweet, smoky and just a hint leathery. In my happy haze of recieving this, I semi-slathered it on my wrists and was met with MUSKY, SMOKEY, sexiness with the leather peeking through. I would have to say that the red musk, vanilla, clove and leather and the things that stand out to me the most in this oil. VILF is not for the faint of heart! I would say this is a Snake Oil- type scent with leather. I typically cannot wear anything that has leather in it ( they usually just make me nauseated) but I think I have found my diamond in the rough leather scent

BTW, the label art is super hot.

[femmefatale]

Normally I love many leather scents, but find I have a hard time wearing them. Often they are too masculine for my taste or they give me a headache. But yay! Not this one! At first it's rather...busy smelling. Don't get me wrong, it smells great, I just have a hard time picking out the notes. As it begins to dry though, I can catch the smoky vanilla, red musk, and of course, leather! I also think I'm picking up the honey at the end, but it's more a faint earthy sweetness. And those of you who are floral hates, have no fear, no noticeable flowers here. Mostly though it's leather, vanilla, and red musk with all the other notes mingling in the background. I'm not sure how much it'll change as it settles and ages, but I hope not too much. I really like it the way it is. It's quite sexy and powerful smelling. Just what I would expect a VILF to smell like!

[Venneh]

In the bottle (I GOT THE HOT GUY LABEL!), 'm getting leather, musk, and a bit of the wood and patchouli. Light application, just in case. On my skin, this is really sweet (though slightly chemically) leather, honey, red musk, and ginger. We'll see where this bad boy goes. Ends up being wood and cologne and chemically leather and URGH on me, sadly.

Edited July 15, 2010 by Venneh

[angelicruin]

This is mostly red musk, pink pepper, and leather on me. Oh! and wood. No sign of cloves or ginger anywhere.

 

It's dried down to a soft, faintly spicy vanilla leather. The vanilla emerged very late in the dry down. Very nice.

[yokaitenchi]

Pretty decent throw (about a foot, though it's light) Soft and gingery leather that's walked through some vanilla smoke. So far very masculine. Yeesh, this one will just not dry. After it finally dries, mostly soft leather...strong throw that's at least two feet. Unfortunately, it's a pretty straight leather on me despite the lovely beginning. Will give this a few days and re-test, 'cause that just doesn't make sense, given all the other notes and the fact that none of the other notes really did anything.

[Fury]

This one is very, very interesting. When wet, it's all red musk and ginger and sweetness- soft and warm and dark, somehow. In the same family as Crypt Queen or Mme Moriarty, and when it dries down it reminds me SOMUCH of a blend but I can't put my finger on it. Unfortunately, vanilla is eaten up almost entirely throughout my wearing experience. When it dries down the leather emerges- and swallows up almost everything in its path. Very reminescent in the drydown stage of Violens to me, almost single note leather with some spiciness and a breath of red musk. It's gorgeous, most definitely, though I have a feeling it will be getting less use and coveted as a blend.

[edenssixthday]

VILF - 80% of everything about this screamed WIN! but I wasn't sure about a small handful of the notes. Turns out it really is a WIN! It's predominantly leather on me with a delicious vanilla-clove thing going on behind it. The other notes all blend gorgeously well in the background, each contributing to the scent, yet barely identifiable as a unique component. This is an extremely well-blended scent, and one that is definitely gender-neutral. I would love to smell this on my vampire, on my human minion (a/k/a my husband), and on me.

[hlemonds]

I was a bit worried when I first applied this one. Initially I got a big hit of the sort of chemical leather note I associate with Banned in Boston (which unfortunately didn't work for me, but I think the booze and leather were a bad combination). Thankfully this dries down quite quickly into a rich, warm, sweet scent backed by a soft (almost suede or velvet-y) leather note. I think I'm smelling mostly the red musk, smoky vanilla, and perhaps the honey. The rich sweetness of this one reminds me of Now Winter Nights Enlarge, but without be quite so ubersweet. I can only wear Now Winter Nights Enlarge during cooler weather, it is just way too thick for warm weather. Vilf, on the other hand, isn't so overwhelming and should be a lovely, smutty alternative for this time of year.

[Anita]

I was so happy to get my book and smellies in the mail today.. I tore open the box and proceeded to open and sniff.

 

Even though the scent in the bottle was dark and almost dirty, I immediately put some on.

 

There is nothing win about this scent for me. Almost immediately my nose started screaming to wash it off. But I braved it out to see what would happen.

 

And nothing good happened. It stayed the same dirt smell, which I can't even really classify as dirt (I think its the clove), with a touch of leather and something the very tiniest bit sweet. The sweet being more of an aftersmell, after I had taken a big whiff and then got the vanilla on the exhale.

 

I am extremely sad about it, as I had high hopes. So the plan is to shelve it a bit, and see what comes of it then.

[CitizenBree]

This is the first time i've smelled a leather scent that I actually liked. It's too strong in everything else. This is pretty light. I think the pink pepper comes out the strongest. I really don't know. It's not that musky for me and I don't smell vanilla or clove. It's actually a nice soft leather but i still get that peppery. Again, i think Tombeur is still sexier.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

I have to say that I'm just a teensy bit disappointed in this one - with the notes listed, I was expecting a real WHAM BAM dark smutty sexy thing.. and sadly, that's not what I'm getting.

 

In its wet stage, it's mostly sandalwood and ginger with a hint of clove and a fair slap of sharp leather. But not particularly rich or deep - it's all quite light. Once it starts to dry down, the leather softens up but keeps a slightly sharp edge, the honey and sandalwood come out - making it all go a little powdery. I can also start to smell the cedar and balsam at this stage.

 

When fully dry, it's reminding me of another BPAL but I can't make the connection.. which is extremely annoying! Maybe it's Raven Moon.. I dunno. Ultimately, this ends up being a rather soft and subdued scent that's mostly leather, sandalwood and musk. Sadly, the smoky vanilla never really makes an appearance and that's what I was most excited about getting from this. So overall, VILF is *nice*, but not the OMG I LOVE THIS blend that I thought it would be. I do, however, suspect it might develop some fangs once it's aged a bit. Vampires are in their prime after a couple of hundred years, right?

[Eros]

What Duskinhereyes said for the most part. On me, though, it started out strong leather(which is never good). It did quiet down after about an hour and turned into a lovely, creamy-musky-smoky honeyed vanilla incense with just a touch of clove. The other notes are so well-blended it's hard to distinguish them individually.

Very reminiscent of Snake Oil and Snake Charmer(minus coconut), and like those two, I think is going to be one that ages beautifully. I've only had it a few days and already it's only getting better and better.

 

Very glad I took a risk on this one and thrilled I've found not only a leather blend I can wear but one that I absolutely LOVE.

 

DH's reaction? "Mmmmmm"

[whisperstilled]

Oh my lord, this is LEATHER. Strong enough for a woman, made for a vampire. MMMM.

 

In the bottle: LEATHER TOWN! Delicious, nutty, sweet leather. I get backing stuff here as well - just the tiniest bit of patchouli, definitely honey sweetening it up. I think I get the eastern florals, but almost nothing else - no ginger, really, except as a hint of spiciness.

 

Wet: Now I'm getting the florals, but interestingly enough only on the throw. When my wrist is up to my nose, it's leather. When I start typing, the florals waft along with the leather. Very interesting. The vanilla is there now, but I'm not getting any clove, really.

 

Dry: This is just as undead-sexy now as it was when I opened the bottle. Killer. Leather, vanilla, florals, but with a real masculine kick from what I assume is probably the balsam. Reminds me of The Illustrated Woman and Crowley, with some Liz thrown in there for good measure. A new favorite leather scent for me - lighter than Liz, so I can wear it in the summer, but with more leather punch than Crowley. Instant classic! 5/5

Edited August 11, 2010 by Whisperstilled

[brilliantcat]

I took a sniff of the decant, got LEATHER and proceeded to slather this all over. It is definitely absolute love on me. Early on I get soft patchouli, ginger, clove, and woods over leather then it warms to a very Raven Moon-esque spicy patchouli with smoky vanilla with the addition of leather. As Raven Moon is one of my absolute FAVORITE scents, I was in full-on lust for this! Perfection, at least for me. Bottles. Plural. I am going to hoard this one. VILF indeed.

[cyberpuff]

Wet: This is leather right away, the chemical smell. It smells that way in the decant and fresh on my skin.

 

Drydown: The leather definitely calms down, and quickly. I can smell the red musk, sandalwood and clove.

 

An hour later: So far I've seen comparisons to Raven Moon, but what I get out of this is Romantigoth Lite^tm. Dark eastern florals? Maybe? Maybe VILF was in the same room that an incense burning romantigoth was in, and laughed and walked out but some of the incense crept into the leather jacket VILF was wearing? The honey/smokey vanilla combination is in the background, and it's nice, and I wish it would come forward a bit more.

 

Overall: It's nice. It's a good "dark" for warmer weather (what is that, anyway, it's been 59 degrees all summer here). This one reinforced the "don't be afraid to skin test!" rule I have for bpals that don't speak to me in the wet stage. It's unisex leaning toward masculine with a light throw.

[Little Bird]

VILF kinda reminds me of Romanti.Goth in the bottle. In the bottle, it has an overall dark, exotic, incensey feel with just the right amount of sweetness, a little spice from the clove, and a dry floral edge.

 

On my skin, this instantly morphs into a sharper scent that I'm not as crazy about. It has a sharp, white, chemical-floral edge to it that makes me wonder if there's opium poppy in this blend. I'm getting a lot of that perfumey white floral sharpness . As it dries down, I still get that sharp floral feel most strongly, but I can pick up hints of the other notes as well. Every once in a while I'll smell red musk, perfumey honey, smoky leather, or spicy clove underneath the perfumey floral.

 

I love most of the listed notes in this, so I'm sad that it's so sharp and floral on my skin. I think that this is a blend that will improve with some age, though, and it's definitely complex underneath the strong floral. VILF is a little too sharp and dry/perfumey for me at the moment.

[crebbsgirl]

This went screaming LEATHER on my skin when I first applied. For awhile it was all I could smell, it was a little chemically and sharp. Eventually it calmed down and the pink pepper came out with the patchouli and a hint of sweetness, but this virtually disappeared on my skin at the two hour mark.

[gypsyjolie]

Wet, this smells like Smut 2010 plus leather. As it dries, more sandalwood and honey come out. There is something to this that reminds me of Hellhound, especially after it's been on a bit. Also, this is like Violens but red musk instead of white musk and strong leather. A cowboy violens?

 

I think this will age very well, and I can tell you after wearing it to the gym that it LOVES it when your body heat goes up. I had it on one wrist for about six hours and thought it had disappeared, but 15 mins of the treadmill and suddenly I was getting gorgeous wafts of red musk and leather and sandalwood. It made me reconsider and pull this back out of my swap pile.

[killerklown]

I was almost disappointed with this. I get a real strong LEATHER OMG when this is wet, nothing else comes through at all. Thankfully it dries down quickly and goes slightly powdery, which isn't all that unpleasant really. It goes slightly sweet a little later, but its still powdery leather.

 

May have to let this one sit and age a bit.

[bloody sore]

This is really horrid. Straight up chemical fake leather from application to dry down. Ugh.

[meredevachon]

In the bottle: Honey, musk, just a hint if I try to find it of the chemical scent that the Lab's leather note almost always smells like to me in the bottle.

 

Wet: Spiced honey and musk. Still only faint hints of leather, now more like your skin smells after you've been wearing leather for awhile.

 

Dry down: As it dries, I start to get smoky hints of florals over a sweet skin scent. Even beyond what I normally do while testing, I keep sniffing my wrist for just a little bit more, a little bit longer. After a while the leather note gets sharper, skin-warmed.

 

Dry: More of the same, although after about an hour it's very difficult to pull out individual notes (even more than it usually is for me). As a blend it's wonderful how it melds together.

 

Overall: This is definitely one sexy vampire. (and the lady VILF on the label isn't bad either ) From the description there were a lot of notes in here I normally like, and VILF didn't disappoint.

 

Impressions: Fur-lined/trimmed leather. Dusty red. Spiral.

[rinster]

Although this doesn't have vetiver, on me it's reminiscent of the Haitian type voodoo blends - sharp and medicinal. For some reason, the labbies tend to frimp me VERY heavily with voodoo scents(they must know something I don't), but every time I try one it becomes an independent evil entity on my skin. Oh well.

[Dark Alice]

I have no idea how these notes make this smell like clean, dirty honey. But it does. There is such a strong clean feel about this scent. And then the patchouli comes out along with the honey to make it dirty and sexy. I will keep the imp as I feel it will be amazing aged. And for an honey I can actually wear!

[lookingglass]

This is a heartbreaker- ALL leather on my skin. Le sigh. I wanted so much more.

[ravenscanary]

Source: Decant

 

In the decant: Patchouli and sandalwood and leather. Bitter.

 

Wet: This reminds me forcefully of Nanny Ashtoreth, a favorite blend of mine, and they do share some notes in common - leather, honey, eastern flowers, wood. I get less leather here with VILF, more patchouli, and for some reason the leather just doesn't feel as smoothly-blended as it is in Nanny Ashtoreth.

 

Dry: Leather and patchouli remain prominent. Not really getting the red musk at all, only a faintest edge of sandalwood. A nice scent - and it has to be to make me fond of something with patchouli that doesn't stay in the background - but not something I need a bottle of.