Masquerade

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

A festive, dazzling blend, layered in mystery and intrigue. Patchouli, ambergris, carnation and orange blossom.

there's good patchouli, bad patchouli and hippie patchouli...

whichever one's in this, i don't think i care for... or maybe its the ambergris and carnation that make it go all wrong.

i don't get oranges... or if i do, they're very very very ancient, old, decrepit oranges. like they've tried to dehydrate themselves to see if they could become the orange equivalent to a grape's shriveled leftovers.

this smells dark and murky, vaguely woody and is very hard to describe.

my favourite club/venue in high school was the Masquerade in Atlanta, so i thought i'd try this scent out of nostalgia.... the Masq today is nothing like it was back then, and i don't much care for how it is now.... likewise, i don't much care for this blend. but on the right person, i can see how it would be lovely.


edit: since i seem to have begun a new page, i'll add the lab's description Edited September 30, 2007 by Shollin

[kunoichi]

I keep thinking of the song from the Phantom of the Opera when I see the name of this scent!!

 

Sniffing it from the vial, Masquerade smells of sweet orange blossom mixed with something darker, the patchouli I would guess – it is a smell that lingers, and quite pleasant though it isn’t like Ravenous. On my skin, the patchouli comes through more than the floral sweetness, but it starts to meld together into a rather subtle blend. After a few hours on my skin, it fades to a dark yet sweet and ‘fuzzy’ lingering scent, reminiscent of tea, which could be the florals mixed with the ambergris (though I’m not sure what ambergris smells like)!

[fictiontragedy]

So this is one of those things where I got it free and set it aside because of a note I didn't care for when I opened the Imp.

 

Then I got brave and thought, oh I will try this maybe the patchouli won't hate me and go on all strong.

 

 

Yeah I was wrong and I can see why a lot of people really love this. I think I like Ambergris though and I know I like orange blossom though I smell no carnation. Had there been no patchouli I probably would have really liked it but as it is it's just not for me. I'm not a patchouli person so this imp will be finding a new home shortly.

[lookingglass]

I am not diggin' this patchouli. I don't know if it is the KIND of patchouli, if it is just how it is playing with the other notes. I LOVE the patchouli in Snake Oil, but this is like how it behaves in lots of BPAL's like Anne Bonny and Depraved: kinda woody and snarkey. I love most headshopy patchoulies so I don't know what the deal is. The carnation is nice and spicy, and the ambergris is dark and musky. I just feel...dirty. Not that I wear perfume oil to feel clean, but it just smells like...I hate to say it...a dirty hippie that is wearing perfume...GOOD perfume...but still...

Edited November 30, 2008 by lookingglass

[NoirRosaleen]

After reading another review I finally noticed the incense-ish scent to Masquerade...before I could just baaaarely smell it on my skin, as sort of a very faint lilac. It's very close to my natural scent, I guess, or maybe I've just burned too much incense in here It's nice, but my boy immediately went "UGH!", so out it goes. Oh, well...

 

Ooh. Actually, I just noticed a bit of Coca-cola in it, too. Maybe that's why he "ugh!"ed?

 

Maytbe I'll try again with him after waiting an hour for drydown - I made him smell it 5 minutes after.

 

Edit:

...you know what, he can bite me, the more I sniff this the more I like it.

Edited September 6, 2006 by NoirRosaleen

[steffanina]

Masquerade-

 

In Bottle: I smell orange blossom and something musty, but maybe it won't be musty once it's on.

 

Wet: Hmm, wood...and orange...and something resinous...Cedar. Yes, I can call this cedarish.

 

Dry: I would have bet I wouldn't have liked this one first off, but, surprise, the cedar is kind of nice! I smell...roasted potatoes. Shut up, I do. Normally I don't like cedar as it reminds me of hamster cages. I think this is not likely to be one I use a lot but when I remember that roasting-potato smell and want it again I'll pull this one out.

 

Overall: Interesting.

[myoubi]

at first when I smelled this leaky frimp I thought 'oh! it must be one of the voodoo blends.' then I saw the label and realised no, it's supposed to smell like this. oh.

 

I didn't get to actually try this on my skin, as the entire frimp had leaked out of the container. but based on the scent of the vial and the rest of my package, I'm not sure I'd want to.

[Clementine]

I received this as a Lab freebie. It is strong but not overbearing. It has AMAZING staying power on me (going on 12 hours now). It smells of patchouli with a hint of freshness (must be the orange). It's an interesting, rich scent, and I will not buy a bottle, but I will use up the imp within the coming autumn months.

[changeling]

In the bottle: Dark and strong; the patchouli comes in loud and clear. Orange blossom seems to waft lightly around it.

 

Wet: Ye Gods and Little Fishes, talk about throw! The scent seems to fill all my "personal space" and then some. Wet smells much the same as in the bottle for me; strong patchouli but with a nice undertone.

 

On drydown: The ambergris is starting to come through. I can't detect much of the carnation note at all. It still has plenty of throw, and overall reminds me of an old favorite sandalwood fan.

 

Final thoughts: Just a dab of Masquerade lasts a good 18 hours on me. As time goes on, the spicier notes calm down and let the florals come out a bit. Good for extroverted moods, never wear on a plane, train, or (long) automobile ride.

[Elemcee]

This started out as being just patchouli. Then the orange blossom and carnation show themselves.

 

It is mysterious, I could imagine wearing this with an ornate venetian mask.

[supremegoddessofall]

Now this is interesting. I definitely smell the orange, and I normally hate *all* things citrus. But the effect here is like those Christmas decorations you used to make when you were in elementary school by sticking cloves into an orange. It's spicy and sweet and citrus-y all at the same time. The ambergris adds an earthy quality. The carnation is barely there, but is balancing some of the sharpness of the orange.

[PurringPulsar]

Masquerade

 

In the imp: orange blossom, but with something dark and sweet underneath.

Wet on skin: sweet orange blossom, with hints of spicy carnation.

Dry: mmm, not bad. It’s predominantly orange blossom, that tangy, sharp floral, but there’s a dark patchouli undertone to it as well, just a little hint of ambergris but that’s well hidden under the patch for now. The carnation adds a hint of warmth to it all, I can just about make that out. But for now it’s mainly orange blossom.

After a while: once the OB calms down a little, I can smell more patchouli, and ambergris too which is more discernable now. There’s a nice carnation scent to it all as well. Eventually this settles down to a nice spiced patchouli with a hint of citrus-like orange blossom. There’s something almost effervescent about the scent too. the patchouli gets stronger over time but it’s a very nice patch note. It reminds me of Vixen at times, but less sweet, and the patch here seems darker than in Ravenous, but there’s a similarity to that as well.

Verdict: this is a very pleasant scent-a mix of tangy and deep earthy notes. at first it’s orange blossom-and loads of it, but when it softens and fades the patchouli comes to join the party along with the ambergris and carnation. The scent at that point is an orange-tinged scent which is indeed mysterious and intriguing but the carnation gives it a fizzy, spicy scent which is very ‘festive and dazzling’ to me-it brings to mind dark purple and orange masks covered in gold sequins. it’s a nice fragrance but I’m not sure if I like it enough to keep it.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Probably for the imp.

If you like this, try: Ravenous, Vixen, Maenad

[melrose]

Masquerade is constantly morphing - I love scents that do this. Sometimes the patchouli is predominant, sometimes the ambergris and carnation combine, etc. - and each time, it smells different.

 

It has good throw and lasting power.

 

It's a little masculine even for me, though - I love masculine scents (can't stand super-sweet). My favorite BPAL so far is Dee. I think at least half the BPALers who've reviewed Dee referred to it as being too masculine. I obviously don't agree, but Masquerade makes Dee seem like a girly-girl scent.

 

It's still yummy, though - will try it on DH.

[phedre]

in vial: tons of patchouli and a bit of spicy carnation and orange blossom. mainly patchouli though.

 

wet on skin: orange blossom amps up almost immediately. patchouli dominates, but in a nice, soft way.

 

drydown: lovely! the patchouli mellows and the florals come out to balance it. Patchouli can so easily be overpowering, but not in this blend. it harmonizes perfectly with the other notes.

[Voleuse]

Hm. This is rather soapy to my nose, clean and roundly sweet. The orange blossom brightens a lot, and it feels...more than cheerful. A hint of mad grinning, maniacal grinning. Swirling fabric and dust and heels tapping. The patchouli is grounding the blend, the earthiness warming the blend, keeping it from going completely to fancy soap. I like this.

[AliBabble]

a frimp from the lab..love the name, don't know anything about this oil...

in the vial it smells pleasant and familiar, tho i can't place it..looking at the notes, i see that it is mostly the orange blossom i'm getting, and the patchouli, but it's a very light and sweet patchouli - not the down and dirty dark kind.

on my skin, this, again, is mostly orange blossom. something is lurking beneath it tho, and as it develops, it doesn't do well w/ my chemistry...carnations are usually not a problem...could this be ambergris? i hate to be negative, but it's almost like a stinky sock smell...eventually, as this dries down, the strange odor disipates, and settles on a nice, spicy-ish orange scent. it's fairly pleasant, but something is still not quite right with this on my skin. oh well - i can see how this would be good on someone, i just don't think it's my cup o' tea (tho it does remind me of celestial seasonings madarin orange spice..)

[PixieSkull]

Vial: The patchouli and orange blossom and carnation are blaring here. There's also an unspoken darkness to this one. Pretty nice.

 

On: Dark and spicy at first. The carnations are in bloom and the orange blossoms have just bloomed but there's something growing underneath that is dark and spicy at the same time. Very interesting.

 

Overall: I do like how dark it is in a more pleasant manner. This would make a perfect manly cologne. I think I'll keep it, I should wear it sometime. It's quite yummy!

[AmyAngel]

Masquerade: I've got that song from Phantom of the Opera in my head too.

 

This one was kind of sharpish and very strong in the imp.

 

On, I put just a tiny dab because it was strong in the imp, but now I can barely smell anything up close, but I'm getting wafts of something spicy, maybe incensey. What I can smell up close is almost minty-cold feeling in my nose. I'm off to check the note list – this reminds me a little of a non-BPAL blend of patchouli, cedar, and sandalwood that I like, but it's not quite the same.

 

OK, so I was right on the patchouli! Other patchouli blends have smelled minty-fresh to me at first, so that's probably what this is. I'm not sure what ambergris smells like, but maybe that's what's keeping it from being pure patchouli, and I'm guessing the slight spiciness is the carnation. I have a slight cold, and I think I need to try this again when my nose is totally clear, and probably put a tiny bit more on. Not TOO much though, because this has some throw to it! I can't smell much when I try to, then I get a whiff of patchouli all of a sudden! I'm not sure what orange blossom smells like, but I'm pretty sure I'm not smelling it.

 

This seems to be mostly patchouli and not much else, just a hint here and there of something else. I do like it, just don't know if I'd wear it much.

 

After about 3 hours or so, this is still about the same strength it was before, only fading slightly, and is mostly patchouli but with a just a hint of sweetness - not like it's blended in, though, just like it's there coincidentally finding its way into your nose when you sniff the patchouli. I like it, but my patchouli-hating friends will not want to be around me when I'm wearing this! I'll keep the imp, but probably won't buy a bottle unless this really impresses me on another wearing or two.

 

I'm wondering if this might not be really good for layering under a floral or something that's too sweet and light?

 

ETA:

Whatever kind of patchouli is in this, my skin REALLY likes. After over 20 hours there is still a scent of patchouli on my wrist that I can smell when I'm brushing back my hair. This after several hand washings, a scrubbing in an attempt to remove it, and a shower! This gets a definite "A" for staying power!

Edited February 8, 2007 by AmyAngel

[Carmencita]

In the bottle: Slight almond, slight orange sweetness, and bookstore incense.

 

On my skin: Weird. Candle wax and a charred wick. Some sweet incense behind it.

 

Dry down: It gets a little powdery but still has that smoke-and-wax essence wafting. It gets a little playdoughesque on me, however, so I don't think I'll be keeping it.

[hypatia]

I've never smelled Lush's Icon fragrance, but Masquerade definitely reminds me of Karma -- it almost smells like Karma's twin. I grabbed my Karma shampoo bar out of the shower to compare, and decided that Masquerade is a bit less "perfumey" and more straight-up orange and patchouli. But the earthiness and the sweet citrus quality of Karma are definitely there. Very nice -- it's a citrus scent that's not too fresh or aquatic, which, I'm starting to realize, is what I look for in a citrus scent.

[Alseides]

I'm going to keep this short before I go on a tangent about how much I despise patchouli.

 

Ahem.

 

This was a freebie in my imp order, so I didn't know quite what to expect. As soon as I applied it, I kept sniffing it, wondering why it smelled so FAMILIAR to me. So inexplicably nostalgic. It was bringing back memories of an hold head shop I used to frequent, but with a prominent citrusy note that made me scrunch my nose in disgust.

 

I was not surprised to find the notes listed as having patchouli and orange blossom. I narrowed my eyes at the screen when I saw that. "Patchouli. You little bugger."

 

It's not terrible about half an hour after application, but the mellow-ed out version does not atone for the blast of patchouli and orange.

 

Ugh, I hate patchouli...

[isabella]

ths, strangely enuff, smelled like candied oranges dropped int he dirt.

 

its intersting....wish i could et some more of the notes.

[Victoria]

normally i wouldn't have ordered this because normally i don't like patchouli, but i received this as a frimp, and was very pleasantly surprised. this is an evening scent, and what i would call a unisex goth floral - which is exactly what i have been looking for to wear at Convergence 13!

Edited April 13, 2007 by Tragic Thalia

[mtlaise]

hmm... I'm not typically fond of patchouli, but this was a frimp and the ambergris intrigued me, so I thought I'd take it for a spin.

 

Wet, this was orange blossom, and what I'm guessing is the ambergris note/bouquet. As it dries, the patchouli comes out a bit, but it's definitely in the background. This is very interesting! I don't know that I'd think to pull it out often as I have so many scents that I love, though.

[cranberry]

In the imp and on the skin wet, this is strongly orange blossom. There’s a slightly doughy scent here that I’m thinking is either the orange blossom or the ambergris, or a combination of the two. Based on past experiences, I’m thinking it’s the orange blossom. As it wears, the doughy scent goes away for the most part, but still remains faintly in the background. There’s a touch of patch and I’m not getting any carnation at all. The patch and orange blossom combination is not a good one on me.

 

It’s funny because sometime I just love orange blossom and neroli, but it’s often a toss-up it seems. In this case it’s not working for me.