The Infernal Lover

[Pepperminx]

A creamy, sensual, honeyed red musk.

I've always been wary of red musk, maybe even avoided a couple of scents because I thought it would be too sharp. Who knows, maybe it was.. But I knew I had to try this, just so I could swear it off once and for all.

Either red musk wasn't the horrible offender I thought it was, or my taste has radically changed. I think it might even be patchouli that is the actual offender in most red musk blends that I've tried.

On the skin this is a juicy musk. A bit sharp wet, but it quickly dried down to a sweet and bright musk. I can smell the honey! Lovely. Must have MOAR bottles!

Talk about surprise success

[DraloreShimare]

In the vial - Sweet, soft, musk with a juicy undercurrent.

On the skin - Sweet and soft, with just a hint of musk under the honey.

Dry - Honey musk.

 

I have had TERRIBLE luck with red musks. Most of them smell gross after the initial application, but Infernal Lover is a gorgeous scent that goes honey and fruity with just and undercurrent of musk that's completely bearable AND doesn't go gross on my skin.

[obsidienne]

I didn't review this when it first arrived in the mail because I was suspicious of how bland it was. Don't get me wrong, I love red musk, and red musk loves me back . But I think that most notes are best when playing with other notes, and the first test resulted in a single note red musk. A bit dry (not good). No creamyness, no honey.

 

Two weeks later, and our little Infernal Lover is becoming a woman! The sweetness of the honey is subtle, but it's there now. And it's exquisite! As it dries down the red musk moves to the background. Dryness: gone. Powder: negligible!

 

Red musk heading further to the background the longer it's on my skin. The resultant scent is soft, not terribly strong in strength or throw, but it does leave a very subtle smoky red-gold scented aura around me. Basically, it dried down to a softly creamy honeyed red musk... wait, isn't that exactly the notes list? ;D I wonder how this will age? Will it intensify? If it does, then this will be even more gorgeous. This is exactly the sort of seductress scent I love to wear!

 

Pros: Smells like teh sexay. Boyfriend approved.

Cons: Lighter scent than I expected (by far). Doesn't live long on my skin.

Conclusion... YUM.

 

YUM.

YUM.

YUM.

YUM.

 

... YUM.

 

I don't care that this is a slathering kind of blend. It smells good and that's why we're in this relationship!

 

Stock up. You'll regret it later if you don't.

 

 

edit for typo fail.

Edited September 15, 2010 by obsidienne

[Suu4LC]

I have yet to find a red musk that really works for me, so the reviews on this have me pretty excited!

 

Hmm...in the imp this smells to me sort of like a more patchouli-ish snake oil. I'm not a huge patchouli fan, so I'm not sure how well this will work on me. I do like the touch of sweet creamyness underneath the patchouli-ish kind of scent.

 

Huh...this is interesting-it's like juicier version of snake oil to me? I can definitely see why so many would love this considering how popular snake oil. I know others have said this fades fast, but on my skin it is really lasting. However, honestly, I find this to be sooo similar to snake oil on me. Like a slightly juicier snake oil. Again, I can see why this is and will be super duper popular, but I'm just not a snake oil fan *ducks* so its not for me!

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Oh, Matilda. Dear, crazy, sexy succubus Matilda. I so love the Gothic excess of The Monk; I had to have this. Besides, I knew from the notes that this would be a classic "sexy BPAL" and it is. It's the same family as Snake Oil, Smut, Storyville, etc: resinous, spicy and/or sweet musks. It reminds me a fair bit of Snake Charmer, actually. Warm and inviting, with the red musk prominent from the get-go and the honey coming out all yummy and O-like as it dries. I waved my wrist at my husband and said, "Do I smell like a succubus?" He said, "always!"

[dawndie]

Wet: incensey red musk

 

On skin: faint Snake Charmer-esque resins

 

Half-hour later: hanging around and getting a bit stronger, but more spicy like Sunbird

 

In conclusion: I was looking forward to this one, the description was so lovely. But I wish this was 100X stronger on me, it seemed to vanish away. Reminds me of Sunbird more than anything else, slightly spicy red musk.

[zankoku_zen]

This reminds me slightly to Snake Charmer. It's got honey and red musk, and in some ways its if you took Snake Oil and amped up the red musk, and instead of vanilla you had honey.

 

I can't pull off SC/SO type blends, so if you can... give this a whirl.

[talula_fairie]

This is sweet, sexy, decadent, strong, powerful. It smells a little like Sin and a little like Smut, but not quite. It smells like an amazing, sweaty romp in bed.

 

LOVE IT. Must have bottle.

[karihan]

I wasn't at all sure what to expect from Infernal Lover, but honey loves me and I've liked Beth's red musk blends lately, so I had to give it a try.

 

IN BOTTLE: Definitely RED MUSK with some honey. Not a whole lot of complexity, as others have observed.

 

ON WET: This settles down almost immediately on me. I definitely get honey in addition to the musk, but this blend is far more subtle than I expected. Touches of fruitiness drift in and out, but the overall effect is deep, sweet musk.

 

DRYDOWN: A hint of powder comes out, but it's very slight. The scent goes smooth and almost-creamy on me, and clings close to the skin. The honey doesn't amp as much as it usually does on me, but there's still enough to sweeten the musk.

 

CONCLUSION: Definitely a coy, close-to-the-skin blend, the kind of thing to share with someone up close and personal. I like it very much on its own, but I'll also try layering it with O as an earlier reviewer suggested, to bring out the honey a little more. I'll probably also try it with Ravenous, which is drop-dead sexy on me and has a bit more throw.

[mimosa]

First sniff strong powerful red musk. This is the same red musk in Snake oil, the same red musk that makes me not love snake oil but stronger more powdery and frankly nauseating.

I'm sorry Infernal Lover you will have to go.

[Invidiana]

Red musk has always been one of my favorite notes (I'd put being embalmed in Snake Oil as my final wish if I could), so it's not a surprise that this ended up being love at first sniff and an instant holy grail. Wet it's a sweet red musk at first, and as it dries down the cream and honey really show themselves and blend in perfect proportion to the red musk to create something that is pure decadence. I would say this is Snake Oil and Misfortune Teller v3's fraternal triplet; while the first is more of a resinous vanillaed red musk and the second is more of a cakey vanilla and red musk, this is their creamy, honeyed sister. Definitely a trademark scent for me.

[vividdreamer]

When I saw the description of this, I knew I had to have it. Tell me that red musk--especially with honey--is in a blend, and I usually have to try it. Sometimes it can go horrifically wrong, like in Smut and Blood Kiss--those smell too animalistic and "musky" for me--but I love it in Snake Oil, Snake Charmer, and Womb Furie. In fact, one of the reasons I really wanted this was because I'm about halfway through my last bottle of Womb Furie, and I figured they'd be pretty similar.

 

They are.

 

But for some reason, this is just....oomph. This is dead sexy, but soft. I put it on and immediately swoon, and as it begins to dry and meld with my skin chemistry, I just keep swooning. There is a very, very brief period where it threatens to go to Play-doh, but that passes quickly enough, and I'm left with exactly what the description states, "a creamy, sensual, honeyed red musk." And it is GOOD. Man, is it good.

 

I've been buying BPAL long enough to appreciate the artistry in everything Beth does even if it's not my cup of tea, but it's blends like this that completely fuel my fire and make me want to shout from the rooftops. There's no way you can find a scent like this in commercial perfumes, no matter how hard you try. They'd take this and add fifteen more notes and alchohol (of course) instead of recognizing this for the simple, perfect, beautiful scent that it actually is.

 

I'm in love with The Infernal Lover, and she's in love with me. I need three more bottles!

[Iceblink]

Sweet red musk. I'm one of those who loves the BPAL red musk note so this is wonderful to my nose! The honey comes out more and more the longer this dries, and the musk isn't rubbery like it is in fresh Smut. Very nice and of course this will age magnificently.

[sarahmarie]

A lot of people have been saying this is a very red-musk-SN type scent on them, and I was braced for a musk smack-in-the-face when I put it on. But people! Oh my goodness. Infernal Lover doesn't wear that way on me at ALL. It goes on almost completely NON-musky, just honey and cream (perfectly blended, sweet and soft). The musk does bloom after a few seconds, but it remains light, soft, and well-balanced. It's exactly as Beth described it.

 

I smelled Infernal Lover again a few minutes after it dried and then a few times throughout the day. All day, it remained true - red musk, honey, and cream. The cream played nicely on my skin even though cream does not always do that, same with the honey (and the musk, for that matter, though red musk tends to wear well on me). I am a very happy camper.

[whisperstilled]

In bottle: Red musk single note. As I exclaimed when I smelled it, "Hot dayamn." Infernal lover, you are one evil, sexy lady.

 

Wet: I don't know why, but I feel like I smell patchouli in this somewhere. Regardless, it's creamy and sweet and glorious. It reminds me of Smut without so much of the booze. This is sex in its purest form.

 

Dry: What more is there to say? Simple perfection. This is one scent that may even be improved by layering because of its simple but lovely nature. As it is, I will take a tumble with The Infernal Lover any time, even if it may cost me my soul. 5/5

Edited September 29, 2012 by Whisperstilled

[fairestrocza]

In the Bottle: Delicious, spicy red musk - spicy-sweet in contrast with Smut's syrupy-sweetness.

 

Wet on Skin: Holy BPAL, Batman! This smells like my Amber Chaos blend, with added red musk.

 

While Drying: Golden, spiced amber, sweetened by red musk. I get occasional bits of the sourness I associate with dairy notes, but only in the elbows and only while wet.

 

After a Little While: The creamy honey aspect is more apparent in my elbows. My wrists emphasize the delicious spicy amber scent along with the red musk.

 

Later: Sweetly spiced amber and red musk, with an aspect that I associate with scents with "golden" in their descriptions. Good throw. Good lasting power. Even late in the game when the major throw has died down, this still has a significant presence close to the skin.

 

Final Thoughts: This blend thrills me. It doesn't have quite the depth that my favorite Amber Chaos possesses, but is similar enough that I'll be able to use it as a replacement (layered with The Lion to give it a bit more depth) once my chaos is gone. TIL has more depth than Smut (which can occasionally be too sweet for me). The Boy wanted to try some, and his skin just ate it up - I couldn't smell anything on him. When he smelled me, however, he started singing "I smell sex and candy..." Oh yes, The Infernal Lover lives up to my expectations.

I imagine this one would be great in an oil burner too - I apparently transferred a bit of oil from my wrists to my laptop. It took me a while to figure out where the awesome smell was coming from, then I realized that when the laptop warms up, it smells like TIL.

 

The Infernal Lover earns a 5/5 on my skin, and I'll be needing to update my Top Ten list.

 

ETA: I am not sure what is in here that is reading as red musk to me (it reminds be a bit of Smut, and a bit of Fenris Wolf at times) but I have one of the bottles with the clear oil that is rumored to have been mixed without the red musk. Who knows. I just know I need more of this one.

Edited October 20, 2010 by Rocza

[ami226]

On the skin: Such a nice scent. I think this reminds me a bit of Scheherazade and a bit of Smut? A bit spicy/smooth with a slight hint of grape almost. After only a little bit, the slight fruit hint is completely gone and this scent turns a little more... powdery on my skin. Quite pleasant.

 

I like this one, and I think I am going to keep it around. I would love to see how this scent smells in a year or so.

[GardenCat]

Kinda sharp & tangy in the imp, soft and creamy on the arm. Seemed to dissappear quickly, but very nice.

[Little Bird]

I like red musk, but it's usually really strong and overpowering on me. It smells like a warm, dark, juicy, fruity (almost red wine-like), animalistic musk on me. The red musk here is strong at first, but settles down after about 15 minutes. And I actually don't get a strong honey note. It smells like vanilla cream with a dash of honey on my skin, and a background of sultry red musk. I'm pleasantly surprised at how creamy and gentle the blend is.

 

I expected intense red musk and super-sweet honey, but this isn't aggressive or heavily sweet at all. It's creamy, warm, cuddly, subtle, and lovely <3.

[fieryredhead]

Oh I LoveLoveLove this scent! When I first really started with BPAL I thought I was going to swoon over any honey scent there was as I loved the smell. Unfortunately I came to realize that honey ON my skin wasn't my favorite. Musks I've never been a huge fan of to begin with but this? Ohhhhh I looooove it. It's not too much honey, not too musky; just totally a sensual, creamy goodness that I want to soak in. Will definitely need at least one bore bottle if not two!!

[inurbanus]

Oh, man. This is good stuff. I thought this might be too simplistic for me, but I'm okay with just smelling like red musk, because that's essentially what this is. There's a little bit of sweetness that comes out the longer you wear it, but this isn't going to turn into the vanilla n' honey show anytime soon. That's fine, though. This is warm and primal, like feeling hot blood throb through your veins. I have a lot of red musk blends already, but I think I'll have to go ahead and get a bottle of IL.

 

4 / 5

Edited January 9, 2011 by Shollin
Removed Lab description

[Venneh]

Yeppers, red musk all right, a bit creamier and a touch of honey, but still, almost Red Musk SN, and it's a touch too strong and sharp for me. Pass.

[lilacea]

This is AWESOME. I knew from the description it would be nice, but dear, this is just damn lovely. It's deliciously simple. First up, yup, red musk, wasn't expecting anything else. But it's not such an intense red musk as I was expecting after reading earlier reviews. It's softer on the "red" part than I was expecting, far more emphasis on the basic musk itself than the element that makes it red musk. But don't confuse that with it not being definitively red musk, because it is so very musky! I also pick up a touch of anise like spice initially, although this is probably the safron that my uneducated nose is picking up. Any hint of that anise quality disappears immediately once the oil hits my skin. It's soft, interesting spice. As this wears, it's musky, of course it's so very musky. Very lusty and ripe. And then the honey shows. It's an interesting honey used here, a light nectar like honey which teams beautifully with the softness of the safron spice. As time goes on, this melds with my skin to create a full, passionate sweet musk. I'd also go as far as to guess a tiny of drop of patchouli has been used here, it's got that lovely earthy quality, just a touch. This is going to age so well, I can only imagine what this will be like in a years time. Stock up, I think this may be something that will be very sought after once age has played its part.

 

 

If you're a fan of blends such as Schezerade, Smut, Womb Furie, Mme Moriarty, Snake Oil, Snake Charmer, give this a try.

Edited September 24, 2010 by lilacea

[Schmoozy]

Spicy, creamy red musk drizzled with honey. I don't mind red musk so much, as long as the other notes involved work with my skin chemistry. This is earthy, spicy, comforting red musk that is almost single note, until the honey comes in to play. It softens it, adds a velvety smoothness and overall tends to round out the musk. Sensual is right yet it's also soothing and utterly sexy.

[milo]

This is AMAZING!! I really wished I ordered this unsniffed, but I chickened out at the last minute. This is a gentler Scherezade, kind of sweetened up a bit with the honey. It almost doesnt even smell like red musk to me, or my thoughts of what red musk smelled like may have been wrong all along. A bit spicy, juicy, VERY sexy, and definitely bottle worthy, perhaps even multi bottle worthy. WIN!