Nemesis

[LiberAmoris]

The whip-wielding Goddess of Divine Retribution, Justice and Vengeance, and is the force that balances the scales of Tyche's fortune. She is also called Adrasteia, 'she whom none can escape', and Erinys, 'implacable'. Nemesis is the executrix of Olympian justice, and her primary duty is to punish hubris and mankind's offenses against the natural order with inflexible, remorseless and raging fury. Her symbols are a sword and scourge, a measuring rod and scales. Cypress, ginger, fig, dried rose, red patchouli, tonka bean and cyclamen.

After experiencing the wonder that is Kali, and the effect of wearing an oil named after a deliverer of retribution (I kind of went on a tear the first night I wore Kali), I thought perhaps I would try my luck with Nemesis.

The cypress and patchouli vie for attention at first, but underneath them the rose, ginger, fig and tonka tumble restlessly. The ginger and rose win out on my skin, and the effect is of a black opal, where bright colored pink and yellow glints play out across the darkness. But overall the scents are so balanced that every time I sniff my arm I catch a different note order. Those who are not fans of patchouli, never fear. The patchouli is like a velvet backdrop to the delightful tumult of the other notes. (If I didn't know it was in here, I don't know if I would guess.)

I love this blend and it's good for me personally, as I probably need to get in touch with my sense of fury. But I think I will also turn to it when I want to feel feminine and strong. This is for wearing with my knee-high boots and cashmere sweaters.

It's gorgeous and I'm taking no prisoners.

ETA: Because of the delicious tonka/rose mix, this reminds me a little of Mata Hari but is much smoother (and lacks the espresso scent!). Edited September 15, 2007 by Shollin

[Scylla]

In the vial: Smells like gingered figs and vanilla.

 

Wet, on my skin: The cyclamen quickly takes over this scent, but it winds beautifully through the cypress and tonka. The patchouli and rose (which I normally don't care very much for) are WAY in the background, but are pleasantly detectable. I am not detecting any ginger or fig.

 

On drydown: Wow, this one is strong, so apply sparingly! But I guess a perfume oil named for a Goddess of Divine Retribution had BETTER be strong! On drydown, the rose came out a bit more, although the cyclamen still dominates. Still no ginger or fig.

 

I would have to agree with LiberAmoris that this is definitely a blend you'd want to wear if you want to feel both feminine AND strong. BUT...

 

I can also see (or maybe that's SMELL) how this would be an intriguing scent on a man. I'll have to put some on my husband and report back.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Bright ginger, fig and cypress.

 

Second Impression: The ginger and the fig really burst out when Nemesis is wet, it's bright and very juicy. But once it's dry it gets much drier and sweeter.

 

Final Analysis: It smells *exactly* like Intruigue without the cocoa! This is a mysterious and beautiful scent.

[Astburygrrl]

In Bottle: Very strong, biting..sweet black pepper (ginger) smell.

On skin: Still very gingery/peppery w/ a softness looming in the background

Afterhours: Mmmm!! Let's just say the drydown was worth the wait..this is absolutely gorgeous! The red patchouli and tonka bean have me under its spell..very creamy in the final stage. YAY!

Edited November 10, 2004 by Astburygrrl

[JazzieCazzie]

Oh. My. God. OhMyGod OhMyGod OhMyGod. omgomgomgomgomgomg.

 

I don't think I ever would have ordered this on my own based on the description and my my my, what I would have missed out on!!!

 

6 a.m. application of this, prior to leaving for a very long day ...

 

IN THE BOTTLE: Sharp, red, a slightly hot scent. I couldn't remember what the notes were and was thinking this might be cinnamon but am guessing now that was the ginger screaming for my attention.

 

Applied to wrists and crooks of arms, but pretty lightly.

 

WET: It burnt a tiny bit upon application but that subsided quickly, no redness. Within a few minutes, this somehow morphed several times, like a Willy Wonka everlasting gobstopper or something ... the patchouli rushed to the forefront (maybe not good for some people since I know there are a lot of patchouli hatahs here but I love it), and then something mroe woody ... maybe the cypress?

 

DRYDOWN: This is a BPAL first for me ... trumpets please ... the scent got fruity (am guessing it was the figs) but it was GREAT on me!!! Suit yet spicy sugary fruit ... sort of like a dessert my grandmother used to make where she would use fresh figs and bananas and then pour kirsche over it.

 

It dried down a very warm, somehow really comforting smell. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists until it disappeared. Foody, warm, festive, slightly spicy ... my only complaint was it didn't last long enough but, as I mentioned, I used it sparingly not knowing what to expect ... I will be more lavish from now on and this is SO going on my 2005 big bottle list! (Beth, please don't discontinue this one until I get a chance to order a big bottle!!!!!)

 

This has zoomed to my top five unexpectedly.

 

REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED IN UNUSUAL FASHION, MARCH 30, 2013:

 

So, here's the thing. I'm working my way through ALL of my BPALs, imps old and new, big bottles, frimps and lagniappes, in the process of finally sorting out which are keepers, which will go into a massive swap list, etc. With just droplets left in my old imp of Nemesis, I ordered a new 5 ML bottle hit past week and decanted a new imp while putting aside the rest of the bottle to cure/age.

 

I decided to actually test drive the old imp on one arm and the new one on the other to see how they compared, 8 years apart. I'm not sure if the difference is due to aging or whether the blend has changed at all.

 

IN THE OLD IMP: Visually, this is a much deeper golden amber and almost viscuous. The scent in the imp is a deep dark marriage of wood and fruit, almost regal.

 

IN THE NEW IMP: If the old Nemesis was a deep red, this is a light green. Visually, the oil is a much paler color, not quite clear but not quite amber, and has much more liquidity. In the imp, the cypress is notable, a bright fresh almost sharp light green, almost slightly fizzy.

 

I applied the old imp to my left wrist and arm crook and the new imp to my right wrist and arm crook.

 

OLD OIL WET: This is definitely less "figgy" than it was years ago, but the deep and morphy complexity is still there. The wood notes, the rose, the ginger are all fighting for my attention. I think I imagine it as regal because the colors it brings to mind are deep gold and crimson, like a monarch's velvet robes.

 

NEW OIL WET: VERY green and fresh and bright! I think the cypress is the primary note here with the ginger adding the fizz and kick. This is very much a fresh spring blooming green and floral scent upon application, rather than a deep rich complex one.

 

OLD OIL DRYDOWN: The fig is really prominent and long-lasting and divine. I feel like I can sense all of the notes beautifully and artfully combined.

 

NEW OIL DRYDOWN: Almost NO fig in this at all and minimal ginger. Even the cypress fades. Light, slightly powdery but not in a bad way ... the florals are lovely and the rose is subtle enough to not make it wonky in the slightest.

 

OVERALL: I am not sure if the blend itself is new and different or if it's a matter of aging. The two scents are really different, though both wonderful. My thought would automatically be that the old Nemesis has aged however, my read on it is pretty faithful to how I reviewed it back in November 2004. Now, it's possible that even THAT batch was slightly older from the Lab and this one is new since there is probably a bigger customer base.

 

Either way, I really, really like the new Nemesis but I think I preferred the old one in terms of its complex drydown. That said, I also have Nephilim which is probably more like the old Nemesis than the new Nemesis is.

 

Does that all make sense?

 

On a scale of 1-5, I'd give my old Nemesis a 5 and the new one about a 4.7 because I did love my figgy ginger.

Edited March 30, 2013 by JazzieCazzie

[Rheliwen]

In the bottle:

 

Pine and Patchouli. It smells a bit like Anne Bonny in the bottle to me. My friends and I all thought it wasn't so special.

 

Wet:

 

Ooooooooooooooo! Spicy cypress/pine and ginger to the max! The woodsy notes aren't as strong as they are in Anne Bonny, which lends to a more blended subtle mixture I think. This smells a lot more sweet than it did in the bottle...very different. About a minute later I can detect the rose, tonka and fig as well.

 

Dry:

 

This is blended so beautifully! It's earthy, musky, spicey, and floraly all at the same time. I have not gone wrong with any of the lab's tonka bean scents. It reminds me a little of R'Lyeh but instead of the aquatic, it's just slighty aquatic with the woodsy notes taking over the empty space. It's a bit more musky.

 

My list of must haves is swelling so much! This went from "maybe I'll keep the imp (from the smell from the bottle) to "omg I need a giganto bottle of this one!" It's dark, slightly floral, slightly aquatic, and earthy. A beautiful scent for people who don't like heavy florals and are tired of the standard patchouli/spicey scents. This is far from standard!!

 

A guy at work who likes to sniff all the lab's creations just kind of sighed and groaned a bit when sniffing this. I think he liked it

[ChupaChup]

I ordered Nemesis because the description sounded so good. I should have been leery of the fig since I don't do well with fruits, but Intrigue worked on me, somehow the cedar and cocoa in that toned the fig down. But sadly, the fig in Nemesis, at least on me, is the strongest note, it overwhelms even the patchouli and I never got a hint of the tonka. A little bit of the ginger comes out but it's not enough to reign in the fig. Dang, wish I could do fruits

[ebonykawai]

FIG!!!!

 

*cough* Sorry...

 

This is the fig in Nephilim that I adored, but faded so quickly on me. It seems to be stabalized for me in this blend and I AM THRILLED!!

 

Ahhh...fig, I've finally found you.

 

OK, so anyway. After about a 15 minute drydown, I get delicious fig, a bit of patchouli, just a hint of rose, and a staying power that I have to attribute to the tonka bean (blends with vanilla and tonka last a long time on me). Another one to add to my bottles list!

Edited November 23, 2004 by ebonykawai

[tempete]

I love how fig smells on me, which is why I ordered an imp of Nemesis from the Lab and snatched another from ChupaChup...

 

Initially, Nemesis was very sharp-smelling, probably because of the ginger notes, possibly in combination with the cypress notes. However, the sharpness slowly fades away, letting the full sweetness of the fig emerge. At this stage, I can detect tonka bean giving a smoothness to the overall scent and dried roses giving a faint floral aroma. It's a gorgeous combination.

 

Yay!!! For once, my instincts were right! While I think that Apocathery is still my favourite fig scent, Nemesis has edged out Intrigue as #2 in my top fig scents (mostly because Nemesis is less woody smelling overall). I will save the other imp to give as a Christmas present to one of my sisters and I will likely be ordering a bottle of this!

Edited November 29, 2004 by tempete

[Shollin]

First sniff: Dark, rich, fruity-musky and slightly sweet. The fig is very apparent.

 

Wearing: Another strong-confident-woman scent that I absolutely adore. Nemesis is the colour of dark red crushed velvet, and there’s a fruity sweetness lingering around the rich round core.

[shadow]

I haven't completely let it dried down, it's only been about an hour, but I don't think it's going to morph too much more, except maybe in my favor.

 

At the beginning all I get is... Bengay? What? It's a very sharp, strong, muscle rub-ish scent. Then that goes away and it's like sharp cinnamon and clove. That's like 5 minutes, and then I get a really pungent wood. Like cedar only on roid rage. I'm going to guess that's the cypress. Then the patchouli comes out, and I'm thinking I'm going to have to wash it off. So far this has not been a good me scent. But then I wait 10 more minutes, and the fig comes out. Normally fig goes too sweet on me, but here there's just enough to balance and round out the other earthy scents. Then I think I get a bit of ginger, and it lightens the entire blend.

 

I now cannot stop smelling my wrists, as this may be the first patchouli blend I've liked. It's very dark and very gorgeous, and all the scents have blended together into a mysterious, sexy, vampy smell.

[antimony]

This was all prickles on me... it was a very pretty scent except for that needles-in-nostrils feeling I got the whole time. Maybe it was from the cyprus. Oh well.

[Penance]

First sniff:

 

Mmm, fig, ginger, cypress and something vaguely floral that must be the cyclamen. I love ginger, fig and cypress...this smells wonderful already! I'm hoping the flowers won't be too overpowering since I don't normally do floral scents, but so far this looks like it's going to be a winner.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Fig, ginger, cypress and the smallest hint of patchouli. This is really complex and absolutely gorgeous. The flowers seem to have disappeared, thankfully, and the result is vaguely fruity and woodsy and earthy all at the same time. This is just the kind of scent I reach for when I'm feeling a little more girly than usual.

 

Dry down:

 

Ginger, cypress and a hint of patchouli...the fig appears to be making a comeback, too, although it's coming and going by the second. This is beautiful. It's deep and complex and subtly fruity and perfect for someone like me who doesn't like to smell too girly.

 

The bottom line:

 

I'm glad I took a chance on this one, it's absolutely gorgeous!

[Donnababe]

Nemesis

 

When wet it's all patchouli but after just a little while it's yummy figgy gorgeousness with a lovely gingery bite. It doesn't change much once it's dried, just a touch of tonka bean if I really pay attention to what I'm wearing (but I don't get cypress or rose.)

 

Slightly spicy, very warming, a bit mischievous and totally lovely. I'm so glad I'll get another imp with my Cold Moon order.

[Reinaluna]

Nemesis, I was really excited about this one, but now I dont know When I apply this all im getting is streight Pepper! I dont get any sweetness at all, Maybe if I could get more fig abd tonka bean this would be ok. I think I will let my brother have this one.

[VorpalBunny]

When Nemesis first goes on, it's complex and too "perfumey". As it mellows out more, the tonka bean and rose come to the forefront. On me, it's mainly tonka bean with a hint of floral, way different from how it smelled in the imp. This is definitely one of those wait-and-see scents, after I first put it on I was ready to swap it but now I definitely want to keep it. The florals balance out the tonka bean and make it more feminine than say Perversion (which is a scent I love but you have to be in the right mood to wear). Perversion in a dress.

[jj_j]

I can't believe I just wiped out my whole review. Lucky for you, it means you get the condensed version, rather than my usual rambling.

 

The individual notes in Nemesis sounded so good I couldn't resist. So many good things, this is bound to be wonderful. All I got when I put it on, though, was soapy wood - ack! The wood doesn't even smell like balsam on me. Some days I hate my skin.

 

Okay. I admit I wasn't rational about the scent at first. I hated the idea of Nemesis ending up on the "Scents That Broke Your Heart" posting, because I soooo wanted to love it. I managed to take a deep breath, sit back, and give it a couple of minutes before sniffing again.

 

Thank goodness I have that tiniest bit of patience. While I'm still soap and wood, the fig and dried rose have made an appearance. Sweet and juicy, this is a much nicer combination with the soapy wood scent. Mellow, clean, and lush. This stays for quite a while, and I figure I'm just not going to get the other notes out of Nemesis; they're mostly "top" notes, and would have come out in the early stages of the scent.

 

There I go, thinking again. Ginger suddenly jumps out at me, sharp and biting. There's a creamy white floral to the blend now, although it's much kinder and gentler on me than jasmine or ylang-ylang. Oddly, the two balance each other out and give this an edge and a softening simultaneously. Very nice, actually.

 

In the end, Nemesis goes back to soapy wood on me - and mostly soap, at that. It didn't have the best staying power on me, either (which was probably a good thing considering what my body chemistry did to it), and it's definitely a bottle I'll swap away. In spite of that, I'd recommend it. There are such gorgeous ingredients in this, and it's such a hit for other reviewers, that I know it just has to be my body causing the problem.

[feline.by.design]

If only Nemesis would've stayed with the red patchouli/cypress form when wet, we would've been such good friends. We'd hang around, watch MST3000 and eat pizza together.

 

But alas, once Nemesis begins to dry down, the patchouli says "see ya" and the cypress goes "peace out" and I am left with... roses.

 

Well, accurately, roses with ginger and fig arm-wrestling with each other. I don't know exactly what tonka bean and cyclamen are supposed to smell like, so I can't really be sure if they were prominent or not. I was fixated on my arch-nemesis in Nemesis... the dried rose note.

 

I only put a couple swipes on the inside of my elbow, but the roses were making me a bit nauseated (Aunt Flo's in town, folks), so I went to wash it off. Despite my soap action, the soapy smell of the roses lingers, and so it's off for round two with Nemesis versus Rubbing Alcohol.

 

Well, Nemesis didn't work for me. But if you like dark rose scents that last, maybe it will work for you.

 

-doreen

[Unseelie]

i'd had imps of this, and held off review until larger bottle arrived; it was so good i had to *know* it wasn't a flukey imp.

 

Wow, the ever-green and woods are strong in the bottle, and there’s some gentle spice, something warmer, that can almost be sniffed out. it’s teasing, the sweet notes drifting in there somewhere among the green. swiping it on it warms even more, woody, gently spicy, and sweetness rising.

 

usually i’m not so thrilled with patcholi blends due to bad chemistry, i turn it to dirty/dank smell.. but a rounding sweet fig type scent seems to be more dominant. that and the base notes just win overall; a wonderfully ever-green and woody note seems to be the strongest component, touched up by the sweeter elements. given time it’s mellowing and more floral wafts are lifting, i’d swear i smell sweet fruit on a slightly broken green branch, YUM. complex. it takes a while but eventually, unexpectedly, the rose appears.

 

when it's nearly gone there’s the occasional whiff of rose, and that seems to be the way this one ends its life. it’s long-lasting though, takes its time mellowing, wafts well and is a real head-turner during the day. this turned into a big-bottle order almost immediately.

[Fyre_in_Winter]

Nemesis is a very interesting blend. I would definitely recommend it for fig-lovers, since that is the note that dominates this blend (on my skin at least). The rose is only briefly present at the outset, then vanishes. The ginger adds a bit of warm spice to the fig, and the cypress added in makes this smell reminiscent of Intrigue (woods+ fig). I wanted to try this blend because of the rose/tonka combination, which thus far has worked well for me, but the tonka never does come out on my skin. Warm, spicy, and dry are words I would use to characterize this blend. It really isn't my style, but I think this would be a great scent to try out on a guy.

[pkwench]

Nemesis

 

I'm not sure what I expected from Nemesis, but creamy and sweet probably wasn't it. Nemesis was the blend that taught me that red patchouli is an entirely different beast than it's darker and hairier cousin. The tonka bean gives it a happy creamy sort of thing going on, but the overall blend is so delish. I can pick out ginger and fig layered over the woody sandalwood and that beguiling red patch which is almost smelling like a spicey amber to me. It's a serious, happy high. If I haven't gotten off my can to add it to my bottle list, I will be soon.

[isyche]

at first: whoa, this smells just like Anne Bonny! That must be the red patchouli and maybe the cypress. Salty, woody, and red. I can't smell anything else in it when it's wet.

 

After it dries for a while the patchouli backs off and I start to smell the ginger, fig, and tonka, and maybe rose, but they're elusive – one minute it smells creamy and figgy, the next salty wood again.

 

On me, Nemesis is kind of like Anne Bonny's more land-bound, more feminine, but no less bad-ass sister. I love the name, I like all the notes, and it may be a big bottle for me.

Edited January 25, 2005 by isyche

[tart]

First sniff: Wow, this is... ::cough:: Potent! I smell the patchouli and fig in Nemesis right away.

Drying: Okay, I know there's rose in here because I get a soapy smell, but it's only here for a flash.

Dry: Nemesis is radiating a "foresty" smell, perhaps the cypress. I'm surprised that I like this -- I hate most cedar/pine/forest scents, but I don't mind this at all.

 

This smells thick. I never wear woody scents but this is pretty good!

[shelldoo]

wet: all cypress

 

on: cypress remains the most striking note, the patchouli is fainter but there and a wee hello from tonka, but that is abt it, it is a dark woodsy, resinous smell w/ a hint of patchouli. nice but not my favorite.

[Lina]

In the imp: Smells more like man made purfume than any of Beth's other scents I have tried. It is spicy and to me I think of carnations. I never get the ginger or cypress but maybe I just don't know what to sniff for? I am suprised that the ginger has not put me into allergic fits because I am highly allergic to it.

 

After dry down: Still commercial perfume for me with spicey fragrance playing with me.

 

Three hours: This is still with me and while it is a nice scent, it isn't me and I admit I fear the ginger. FEAR!