Scherezade

[MercQ]

A master storyteller who possessed unfailing courage and compassion, a sharp, quick wit, and a true understanding of human nature. Saffron and Middle Eastern spices swirled through sensual red musk.

So I'll be honest. I stumbled while smelling and got this shit up my nose. I think it's starting to affect me - I've been moving my hips in very sexy ways and I've gotten lots of new story ideas - about a thousand, maybe one more - that are just popping into my head. I have an extremely strong aversion to death. My hair seems a bit blacker.

With that in mind, read on.

Why I got it - Because I damn love Scherezade the character, enough so that I have a character in a story with the code name Scherezade. I wanted to see if it would be something she would wear, and something kept drawing me back to it. So I imped that up.
In bottle - There's a pagan/wiccan bookstore and supply store near my house with lots of bags of various herbs and moon stuff and a lady who does fortune telling. It's a cool little shop. This is the smell of it.
On wrist - I'm definitely getting less of a middle eastern scent than I am of a more naturally wholesome herbal and spice scent. It's not bad, I think the association with the wiccan store is not helping it pass off as a middle eastern scent.
It starts out strong but after a while mellows. I can't quite identify much here.
And dry: Still the bookstore. I'm not quite getting any sort of spicy warmth or the middle eastern feel everyone else seems to be claiming, but then again maybe I just don't know what the middle east smells like. Could have used a little more sweetness and a little more maybe like...cinnamon or something? Could have used a spicy kick.

In Short: This is not really something neither me nor my Scherezade would wear. In fact I'm not sure if it's something the real Scherezade would wear if it came out smelling like this. HOWEVER that doesn't make it bad, it just makes it different. It's not as if the pagan bookstore smells BAD, after all. It's a very old feeling scent and honestly probably has a lot of healing, warm soothing qualities. And it sounds like a lot of people get re-seduced by it, so I'll hang on to it for now methinks. Perhaps i'll try it again once my nose is no longer burnt out.

[TurpentineChai]

Uptown from campus there's a store called Liquid Sunshine. They sell scented candles, oil bottles of patcholi, hemp skirts, incense and Grateful Dead stickers.

 

This smells exactly like that. *sniffs wrists* Oh my word, it smells like that place. This has led me to get tons of compliments on it as everybody in town loves the place...except me.

 

I really should learn that smokey and heavy scents won't work on me. I think this little imp will be going to my mom for when she's doing tarot readings.

[Alethia]

Thoughts before testing: I'm beginning to think that red musk is what gives me stabbing head pains, so I'm approaching Scherezade with caution.

 

Wet: Oh yeah. It's the red musk. Throbbing pain commences in 3....2.....1!

 

I couldn't even make it through the dry down stage because I had to wash this off.

[Incendiare]

The list of notes gave me the impression that this was going to be a surefire winner, but alas, I was wrong. In the imp, bug spray? Where's the sensual red musk? Or the Middle Eastern spices? Where are you, saffron? On my skin, it's the exact same. I cannot find any other words to describe it other than bug spray. I can't seem to pick this one apart and track down any individual notes here. I've even given this one nearly half a year to age and improve and it's still the same for me. On top of that, it lingers all day long. That's great if it smells marvelous on you, but not in my case. Boo-urns.

[Morsigne925]

Imp in my first order set, which I compiled after a survey of the "sexy" scent recommendations forum.

 

In imp: To me this smells almost exactly like Snake Oil to me right out of the bottle; must be the spices, not too familiar with the scent of red musk so I'm not sure I could pick it out.

 

On skin wet: It's definitely more distinguishable as a different scent from the two it smelled like right out of the bottle now; it's hard to describe - it's a very "warm" smell, with a hint of spice, and it's lightly sweet without smelling like vanilla or anything foody.

 

Drying: This scent is really intriguing - to me this is starting to smell something like the spicy kind of chai, maybe if chai were an incense, with just a hint of sweet but not too much; if this smell is a good example of a red musk scent, I have to say I'm definitely a fan. This is shaping up to be my favorite scent so far. Or at least in my top three (of the few scents I have tried .) As this mellows even further, one note becomes more prominent - it's a spice (possible the saffron?) that has a warm, almost nutty smell to it. I quite enjoy this scent - I can see myself wearing it quite a lot during the fall and winter.

 

End of the day: As I go through more of my first imp order it's becoming clear to me that at least one of my favorite groups of scents run along the warm, slightly musky, spicy scents, with vanilla or some other lightly sweet or nutty note; something sweet, but not in the Juicy Couture way - I like grown-up spicy sweet. And this is one of them - another for the list of big-bottles!

[KakashiMorph]

Frimp from my Samhain 2011 order. This one was on my wishlist, so I was excited to see the little bottle in the package.

In the bottle: Warm spices. I can't make out the saffron, but I think I can distinguish a bit of the red musk.

On my skin: Warm, sensual spices. I still can't make out the saffron (and I know what it smells/tastes like) and the red musk seems to be a very subtle mattress for the rest of the scent to rest upon. I get a warm, wooden note that makes me want to travel to the Baghdad of fairy tales and gives my mind a pleasant exotic

escape.

A couple of minutes later the musk comes more to the front and blends with the spices. There is a smell that reminds me of incense and a gothic store I visit every time I pass by the co-capital and gives my head a light buzz, reminding me that heavy spices need to be handled with care.

Cooldown: The sharp spicyness fades out and mellows, leaving behind a pleasant warm musk.The gothic store slowly fades away to leave the musk behind, but I am still feeling Scherezade as a presence on my skin.

Overall: Spicy, musky, warm, Scherezade is ensnaring the senses and dangerous in big doses. I like it.

[n3m3sis42]

I reviewed this blend back in 2007, but I am now retrying all of my bottles and imps because of major body chemistry changes.

 

On me, this blend now turns to nothing but nag champa incense sticks. BAD nag champa incense sticks. Of course, because it's a smell I don't like, it also has major throw. I was not even in the same room with my husband when I told him I didn't like the perfume I was testing, and he said, "Oh, thank God."

 

Guess I won't be wearing this one again.

[Larinessa]

Source: 2 year old imp.

 

Wet: some spicy red musk. Fortunately not the grape wine type.

 

Dry: almost exactly like my 3 year old Snake Oil. I had to check the imp to make sure. Still spicy, but a slightly vanilla undertone. I like it alright, but I will stick with Snake Oil.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

This imp finally made its way to me via the Lab. I love red musk but I didn't seek this perfume out because the reviews were so different. It smells very perfumey in the vial. On my skin, it's pure nag champa incense, like if I ground up some Super Hit and smeared it on my skin. It's not grapey like some nag champa scents are (I'm looking at you, Urd) but just slightly sandalwoody incense. Red musk is non existent. I'll keep my imp, but I won't bother with a bottle.

[Cthulhuesque]

This was a frimp from the Lab. I agree that it's very Nag Champa-y, and I like it way better than I expected to (I'm usually not too into dark, heavy, incensey smells). It dries down to a scent that is similar to Snake Oil, but without the vanilla. Really quite lovely and wearable.

 

It reminds me very much of the scent of a hippie-ish import store I used to frequent in Flagstaff, AZ, and I have very fond memories of that place. So Scherezade is warm, comforting, and evocative for me. I might be purchasing a 5ml with my next order.

[Doc M]

Not as heavy as I expected, considering the notes. Not smoky. Was hoping for a shout from the saffron but it's really more of a whisper. Sweet on me, with a slight play-doh/plasticky waft.

[KittyHawk]

Yum, red musk. I first fell in love with the Lab's red musk note in Hollywood Babylon, and it's happened again with Scherezade.

 

This blend is very straightforward: it has the same spices I recall from Snake Oil, Othello, and Morocco, but this time they're swathed in sensual, heated red musk. I was frimped a sample of this from a generous forumite, and I will certainly use it. I've added this to my bottle list, but given I have 5 MLs of both Hollywood Babylon (with red musk) and Othello (the delicious spices), I think I can wait awhile. Still, this is a beautiful, sexy scent. It's popular for good reason.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Lots and lots of red musk. The saffron is a strong second and it does smell like the spices in the air at my neighborhood greek restaurant/grocery store. The red musk is already too strong for me in the bottle, so no skin test. I find it a little cloying rather than sexy.

[gingersnap]

At last...this is what I've been searching for. Snake Oil doesn't work for me; neither does Morocco; neither does O. I've been longing for something warm, rich, spicy, sensual, with maybe a touch of vanilla and/or saffron and/or musk. Scherezade is perfectly balanced, to me. The musk doesn't leap out at me, and the spices are soft and rounded, and the saffron is just this gorgeous tantalizing hint of exotic mystery. There's something lusciously creamy about it, too. Perfection. I only wish it lasted longer and had a bit more throw, but I'll gladly keep reapplying!

[detritius]

This is warm, spicy, and smokey with a hint of something cooling, almost minty, in the background. Definitely mysterious and exotic. I like it.

[Dusk]

I was hesitant to get this because so many reviews described it as "feminine" or "womanly," but I love incense and musk, and I didn't see how the listed notes could throw it too far from unisex territory. I don't regret trying it, especially as I got the imp at a good price, but I probably should have trusted the other reviewers more with their assertion of its femininity.

 

First on, it's mostly floral, though not in a typically sweet way. More garden floral than fake floral. I'm very bad at identifying florals, but maybe lilies? I'm surprised no flowers are listed, it has a definite greenness not explained by the spices. I smell what might be saffron, and the warmth of musk. The spices hang in the background, but emerge more as time passes. These aren't notes I'm familiar with, and they all blend together so it's difficult to distinguish between them. After the initial impression, it turns to more of a light incense - still something floral about it, but not as green, more like the floral you'd get from certain incense sticks. I'm getting vanilla, too, as a deep, sweet note beneath the spicier incense. It's very pleasant, though not as musky and spicy as I was hoping. Definitely appropriate for Scheherezade - a womanly, mysterious Middle Eastern scent.

 

Early drydown, and I start smelling what I initially read as raisins, but is more likely dates. There's still the incense smell, but there's something decidedly sugary and mildly fruity beneath it. I don't see any other reviewers mentioning this, so I've no clue where it's coming from. I'd doubt my nose, but it's really prominent - maybe there's a spice I'm unfamiliar with. If there's a really sweet anise or clove note, it might be blending with something else to create the fruit impression.

 

Unlike many blends that merge into fewer notes as time passes, this one gains more dimension - there are layers of sweet, floral, spicy, and musk. It remains basically the same for the rest of the hour, though the fruit note dries out a bit. It has decent throw... might stay a bit close, but it's powerful in range. It's also not fading as quickly as most do.

 

After two hours, it gets a bit like powdery Nag Champa and dried flowers. The powder is turning it into old lady perfume, which seems strange. After reviewing the notes of my other imps, I'm pretty sure it's the saffron that's at fault, because I had exactly the same thing happen with The Great Sword of War, and red musk (the only listed note that I can imagine they share) usually works on me. Which is unfortunate, because I have two imps on the way that I had high hopes for that also list saffron notes. Oh well. Maybe the other components will cover it.

 

This is the most feminine incense I've ever smelled. Even after an hour the floral notes are lingering, and there's the hint of vanilla and the sweet, borderline fruit note that I just can't place. It's all very sweet, and remains as such, rather than fading to spiciness or wood like most blends do on me. All in all, until it gets powdery, it's very nice and rather sensual, but veeeery far from unisex, and I don't think I can wear it. 4/5 on the right woman (whose chemistry likes saffron more), 2/5 on me.

 

ETA: This stuff is STRONG. I've tried washing it off twice now and it's still here loud and clear nearly 7 hours later. The powder has eased a bit so it's just sweet incense, but holy crap! I'm glad I only tested lightly.

Edited April 7, 2012 by Dusk

[ami226]

Definitely red musk with a hint of spices. Is that some vetiver or patchouli? Smells a little dirty. I think I like this one.

 

Later: Lovely, sweet kinda vanillaish spice. I really like this one!

[becca_s]

This is all red musk on me, much muskier than I expected. It's a spicy kind of musk, but it's not heavy. It's actually quite light and I could imagine wearing it in summer - it's warm and exotic.

[AmethystDahlia]

In Bottle: Lightly spicy and sweet. I'd give more details, except every time I go to open the imp ear again to try to give a better description, I manage to get some of the oil on my fingers. >:

 

On Skin: Thankfully this one doesn't seem to have cinnamon (I love the smell of cinnamon, but I'm one of those people whose skin breaks out with it unfortunately). It does have lots of other lovely, subtle spice notes though.

 

Dry-Down: Continues to be nice and subtly spicy. I'd still be pressed to figure out exactly which spices are in this mix, but I really enjoy this scent.

[jkfagtongpun]

I ordered this last summer. I wore it to a bbq festival and I had to come home and wash it off. It was saffron, lots of saffron and an underlying hint of red musk. Too much saffron for me.

 

Now, here I am a year later going through imps seeing what I can sell/frimp/swap and I thought I'd give her another try.

 

WOW. Straight up juicy, red musk with a mingling of spice. Not too much saffron, ageing has kept it in check for me. I think I'll keep this one for now. It'll be lovely to wear when the summer is starting to cool down into autumn. Yum.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: Musky spice.

Wet: Something quite woodsy, mixed with spice.

Dry: Very sweet musk with a slight spiciness. This reminded me quite a bit of Morocco. My family actually complained when I wore this, so yeah.

[SkySamuelle]

I wanted so badly to love this because I love Sherazade the chracter and I loved the presentation of the scent.

 

Unfortunately... while this oil is indeed warm, spicy and exotict, it keeps changing on me way too much. It's been one different result each time I tried it on - the saffron note comes on strongly and often I can smell nothing else. And I like it very much but... in general Sherazade lasts never more that a couple of hours on tops. Watch me as I pout. No bottle for me.

[undream]

as a previous reviewer noted, i too am surprised there are no flowers listed in this beautiful perfume! i detected a subtle but very specific clean note that i usually associate with lily. application & drydown morphed into a very sweet, warm, exotic & powdery (musk) scent, but that clean, humid note remains, very demure & almost creamy. overall a gorgeous perfume.

[theNursewhoLovedme]

My very first post on my very first set of imps belongs to Scherezade.

 

Warm and comforting, I love this oil and am thoroughly addicted already. It definitely gives the impression of subdued incense smoke, not at all harsh, and to me it smells very clean and dry. I will need more of this when I run out of my imp and I will be buying a larger bottle.

[ResinManiac]

Soft and sultry, warm red musk and spices with a tiny musty patchouli undertone thrown in. The patch makes it feel very alternative and headshoppy, that's about the only thing I don't particularly care for about it. On the positive side, the minute I walked into the mall wearing this a woman working at a little kiosk a distance away from the doors remarked on what a lovely scent I had (Now if only it could provoke the same reaction in the menfolk, *grumble grumble*). Very attention getting.