Scherezade

[Spaztic]

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.

 

Starts off New Age shoppy

Then dries down to a nice spicy, dry, musky fragrance

 

Like I said with my Morocco review, I prefer the less dry spicy scents

[mermaidjeans]

Expectation: If any scent can conjure up an image, it's this one. Heat, spices, and a mysterious talent to enthrall.

First Impression (last year): warm, spice, male

I'm not usually one to gender things so it must have been quite a strong feeling for me to write that. When it came to finally doing these reviews one year on, Scherezade had a big exclamation mark on my list and I left it until last. This was because whenever I open the storage box it's the one scent that overpowers everything even from the closed imp. It's like it's shouting SPICE AND RED MUSK YEAH which is a bit intimidating.

However, the initial effect is misleading. Once on the skin, it does calm down a lot, and becomes more subdued than Sin, which is my "spicy" scent. So subdued, in fact, that I don't really get much from it. It's nice, but doesn't really grab me. I even wore it for writing once and wasn't really feeling it was inspiring in any way.

Verdict: I was hoping that it would work its magic, but ultimately it's not a keeper. For red musk, I prefer Fenris Wolf.

[lizabelle]

This is beautiful. It's very well-blended, to the point that it's hard for me to pick out any notes other than red musk. It's powdery in a warm, soft, sexy way, and whatever else is in here is softly spicy and just a touch sweet. It reminds me of sheer fabrics, warm nights, and red-orange. It's everything it aspires to be and I need to get myself a bottle.

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: I thought it would be very similar to Morocco or Sin, but this is exactly the scent of Yin Yang, a hippie/New Age store in my hometown. Hellooooo, memories!

 

Wet: The clear intention is sensual, but to me, this smells incredibly comforting. Red musk is first and foremost, and there's a spiciness that's not nose-biting - no cinnamon or cassia that I can detect. Instead, this is the scent of Sebastopol, CA, circa 2005 (pop. ~5,000): comfortably aging hippies, co-ops with barrels of spices out front, jewelry made up of little coins, and incense everywhere.

 

Dry: Gets a little spicier, but the drydown is pretty linear. I'm not sure whether anyone without this specific scent memory will love Scherezade as much as I do, but as it stands, I went through the whole day wrapped in the warmest, loveliest cloud of nostalgia.

[achildoftime]

I really love this scent. It's a stunning red musk that is warmed and elevated by spices. It's not spicy, but spiced. I think it gives off an air of confidence. It feels very bold to me and feels dangerously feminine. It only deepens with age and I adore it.

[Lucchesa]

Sensual red musk

stomping all over saffron

and Levant spices.

[monocainsheresy]

I wasn't wowed by this when i first tried it, but i just got my imp out after about eight months and now it is absolutely DIVINE. This smells exactly like a witchy shop, in the best possible way. It's cozy, it's nostalgic, and has a rare and wonderful subtlety for something that smells so much like incense. Verdict: I need a full bottle. Possibly two full bottles.

 

[Miss_Unicorn]

Wet, it smells very juicy and round, almost fruity. An image of red silk curtains blowing mysteriously and beckoningly in the night desert breeze.

 

Dry, still very juicy, with a spicy undertone. The spices come out less than I'd hoped, but it's still nice. It threatens to go a bit soapy, but the spices keep it in check.

The musk stays quite fresh, and doesn't go sour as I'd feared it might.

 

On the whole: nice. Red musk isn't really my thing, but this is one I could wear. Will probably save for nights out when I need something slightly louder and more seductive than usual.

[torischroeder9]

In the (aged) bottle: Red musk.

 

On my skin:

 

Immediately, it's red musk with throw for daaaaaays. It's probably Schaerezade's fault any time I'm disappointed by any other red musk blend. After the initial drydown, the scent profile is deepened by spices that I can't quite place. They're spices that I'd describe as "gentle" rather than sharp, and they're ones I don't typically associate with sweet or dessert foods.

 

I agree with reviewers who described this as a bold, round scent. It's not a scent that's overtly sexy or seductive on me, but it's still very much a scent that calls attention to itself. It's a scent that couldn't help but get me noticed in a smoky bar or crowded room.

[artisjok]

I reeeeallly want to like this scent, I love the story and the idea of the notes, but I just... Ugh. Can't do it! 

 

Starts off off with a sharp soap note that quickly gives way to a drrrrrrrrry animalic musk. I tend to like thick sweet musks with resins. This one is making me want to gag :/ I think there might be my new arch nemesis champaca in the spice blend, making this extra blek on my skin. *sigh*

Already washed off and covered with a comfort scent to ease my sadness. 

[Rayleigh]

So cuddly. Soooooooo cuddly. Reading reviews made me a little wary to try this, since I'm not a fan of incense, and it smelled sharp in the bottle. And it definitely has an incense vibe to it, but this isn't any cheap and overpowering incense. The sharpness vanishes completely once applied, and it's all saffron-colored silk from there. Spicy, warm, not too sweet. I'm still a little nervous about smelling like incense, but the more it dries, the less I care about that because it's just so dang soothing. I'm really glad to like this as much as I do, since it's named for a character I idolized since childhood. Really does make me want to curl up and listen to stories read out loud.

 

ETA: (Hah, I once thought I didn't like incense...) Scherezade is one of my GC favorites. This is THE red musk to me. Other red musk scents usually make me wish I was wearing Scherezade instead. The spices bring so much depth, but this is all about that smooth, rich red musk. Well blended and long lasting. If you're a fan of red musk at all, this is a good one.

Edited July 20, 2020 by Rayleigh

[Kmichh]

I do like this one. Something about it reminds me a bit of Snake Oil. It seems to have pretty good throw in the early stages of wear. I just wish it lasted longer on me! It seems to last 4-6 hours and then poof! Gone.

[Brigdh]

In bottle: Mainly patchouli, I believe. There’s a woody note too - cedar?

Wet: Almond and a soft, well-rounded patchouli.

Dry: Patchouli and almond and an almost honey-sweet musk. It’s a dry, powdery scent though, not oily, like the inside of a spice shop rather than foody notes. It’s not particularly sexy, but a gorgeous, mature combination. It makes me think of a woman who is confident in herself and not looking for anyone else’s attention.

It would be one of my favorite scents, but unfortunately my skin just sucks it right up. I’m lucky if there’s anything left after 2-3 hours.

[spookyumbrella]

The spices and musk in this are blended beautifully. So blended together in fact, that I can't really pick out any notes - it's just a big ol' blob of sensual, spicy goodness. It also lasts a long, long time. It's sweet, but not enough to make it a gourmand - it definitely belongs to the musk and spice families, so if you want sweetness without the sugar, this is the one for you. 10/10 - Scherezade can tell me her tale anytime

[feyofthefellwood]

I was excited to get this as a frimp! It's not really my "type" of scent (I'm that kind of introvert who usually prefers more subtle scents to notice-me ones), but it's still beautiful. Red musk might not be "me" but I'm definitely learning to appreciate all of the lab's musks. This one is sensual and daring, and smells exactly like what I'd imagine a Scherezade perfume to smell like: red musk with just a touch of spice. If my sister doesn't fall in love with it and snatch it up, maybe I will use it for creative writing inspiration someday.

[RoseThornAndOak]

I received an aged frimp from a lovely forumite and this is gorgeous! Red musk is a player, but I get more of a dry desert sands, musks, and incensey spices from this, very sensual. This is more like what I wanted out of Morocco, which is nice, but goes plasticy powdery on me juuuust enough for me to say skip it. Scherezade never goes powdery thankfully. 

 

I'm on a Conan: The Barbarian kick recently and this is what I would imagine Valeria would wear. F*ing badass, sexy, sensual, spices, and musks in the desert wind.

 

Do you want to live forever?

 

[queenshaboo]

V lovely, spicy resinous florals with a backbone of soft velvety musk, after an hour or so it settles down to Nag Champa, no shit this is STRAIGHT UP NAG CHAMPA on me. If you're looking for a Nag champa dupe this is for you! Unfortunately I don't enjoy nag champa anymore, reminds me too much of my miss spent youth 😜 

[myrrhmyrrh]

 

In the vial: sensual musk of a smokey red feel, incense in the chamber of the Sultan. The scene is set.

 

On me, wet: The story proper begins: sultry, sulfurous (not the smell of sulfur, just the heat of it) the red hot coals upon which a resin burns and desire too-

 

On me, just dried: is the cinnamon? I am reminded of red hot cinnamon hearts I delighted in as a child, if such could be translated into the rarefied atmosphere I feel with this scent, that climbs sinuous white smoke from a stick of of incense. This is a very sexy number, this one.

 

After 15 minutes: The cinnamon fades but the story teller draws you in just like the burning resin that smoulders in the incense holder – all musk now floating in waves, you cannot resist.

 

After 30 minutes: what happens next you wonder? The plot thickens as the cinnamon resurrects from its recent past, twisting &and turning from musk to incense and back again(and omg is that just a strand of vanilla now?), ever-shifting as though under a dinn’s spell

 

 

After 1 hour: a djinn’s kiss, still smouldering on

 

After 3 hours: djinn breath, faint but still hot.

[Something_Diabolical]

Red musk and spices. I have no idea what saffron smells like. It stays pretty much the same after application and is really long lasting. I smelled it on my shirt the day after I wore Scherezade. 

 

It's a really pretty and unusual scent. Also a bit sweet but not too much. 

 

I'll probably get a bottle after my imp ran out. 

[skyturtles]

Straight from the frimp, I am immediately reminded of Le Lethe, due to red musk being a pillar in both scents. I think I'm finding that red musk has a bit of an old, luxurious lady feel to it. You know the sort, who wears an excessive number of gold rings. On my skin, Scherezade calms down a bit as the earthier spices begin to shine. It's still quite sharp to my nose, almost irritatingly so, and I don't think I would feel confident wearing this at work nor at play.

[Rane.]

I've had this bottle since 2019. After getting an imp in an order I had to buy it. One problem tho. It is so faint I barely smell it. The imp was a blast, but this bottle is too quiet for my enjoyment. Maybe aging longer will make it sing louder. That being said, I do love the scent. It is a spicy incense in a bottle. Soft, gentle smoke of incense floating on the air.

[Freya778]

At the time of this review, my imp of Scherezade is 10+ years old, so my review of this aged scent might differ from reviews made by others of the new and fresh scent.

In the imp I smell sweet incensy, musky goodness.

On skin I first smell the incense and the musk and some sweetness. The combination of the red musk with the Middle Eastern spices is very lovely. The red musk is probably what is creating a little sweetness in this scent when applied to the skin, though it isn't a lot. A few minutes in I can also detect the spices more clearly.

This scent might not be the best for use in a scent locket. I put some on the shirt I am wearing and I can barely smell it on the fabric. With most of BPAL'S scents the scent is strong on fabric, but that is not the case with Scherezade. I even applied some more on my shirt about 15 minutes later just to make sure. On fabric the effect is a bit of a spicy clean scent. You can smell it but the effect isn't impressive. Apparently Scherezade needs to be applied to skin to really blossom. That is where the musk, the incensyness and the sweetness really come out to play.

On skin it really is a beautiful scent. It is comforting and warm and makes me feel balanced and relaxed and also sensual if I wear this in the right mood. Throw is good but not as strong as you might expect with an incensy scent. When it comes to spices, it isn't cinnamony. There is saffron and I am pretty sure there is clove in this. Clove has that special characteristic  where it is spicy but also very clean smelling, which can sometimes even smell soapy or floral. On my shirt I can definitely smell the clean smell of the clove and on my skin I can smell the spicyness combined with the clean edge. There might also be pepper and perhaps some cardamom and spices I can't identify. The spices aren't spicy/hot though, and it doesn't make my skin red or give a burning sensation. The spices are not like a curry either.

I applied this before bed and about 10 hours later there is only a light scent left on my skin but the scent on my shirt has actually become stronger and much more noticeable. The scent on my shirt now smells like gorgeous incense.

So in short: incensy, musky, spicy/spiced (but not hot, cinnamon or curry) and just a little bit of sweetness. Decent throw but perhaps not the best for use in a scent locket, though it gets stronger on fabric later in the wear.

Like all BPAL scents I feel this is great for all genders, nothing is masculine or feminine, it is whatever and however it makes you feel. In the same way all BPAL scents are also innocent and sensual at the same time because it depends on the wearers personality, mood and vibe. And it is suitable for all ages (most BPAL scents are in my opinion, perhaps only the ones with alcoholic notes and tobacco/smoke notes are not).

[dancingchair]

Wet, this is mostly sharp red musk. Dry, it's red musk with spices peeking through. I seem to usually get a sort of jasmine smell from the Lab's red musk and this is no exception. It's lovely but not for me.

[Cali]

Just a really good sexy spicy, incensy red musk. It's odd, because I remember an old imp I once (like 6-7yrs ago at this point) had was SO STRONG my whole workplace started smelling like it. My coworkers at the time didn't love it (I did) but the more recent bottle I have is not as strong by any means. Still, it's very good (iconic) and I hope it ages to what the other one was. 😍

[FebruaryOwen]

Received as a lil extra with an order

In bottle: floral! Interesting! 

On skin: Patchouli.... though I like the smell I prefer to smell it on other people and not on me I think.  

After a few hours: stays the same