Nemesis

[maribouquet]

... Cypress, ginger, fig, dried rose, red patchouli, tonka bean and cyclamen.

This reminds me a whole lot of Sri Lanka because of the woods/patchouli combination, I think. As it dries I start to smell the fig and a little rose.

It's not really me, though - the fig is strangely too sweet and combined with the patchouli it's not working for me. I've tried this one several times and there is something about it that is almost amazing but it ends up being something I don't like. Er, how's that for a vague and unsatisfying conclusion? Nemesis! *shakes fist*

I think I could get something similar by layering Sri Lanka and Wanton...hmm. Edited November 5, 2007 by maribouquet

[nightchild80]

In the Imp (wet): I get the ginger and probably patchouli. Not liking it one bit.

 

On facial cotton (dry): The sweeter notes are making an appearance, but it's still not convincing me.

 

On me: There's something very acidic and antique about the scent on me. Sort of old attic lady that is definitely not me. On the dry-down, the rose gets stronger, but still very old lady.

[Lavada]

Two word review? Damn rose.

Wet: Sharp but earthy with a sweet/sour base. This could be good. I wouldn't have minded if it stayed like this forever.

Dry 1: Why, rose, why? Soap soap soap. Unlike Wicked and Lilith, I can still sniff out what had otherwise been a perfectly likeable blend. Still. It is rose and it is soap.

Dry 2: Skin-close and somewhat flat fig. Oh my god, yes, the rose went away! I'm not sure why, but I can sort of smell honey as well. It's nice, but it doesn't strike me as a 'Nemesis' sort of scent... and I am NOT going to wait for three hours for this barely detectable stage.

 

Sigh. Another tricksy imp that broke my heart after smelling so nummy unapplied...

[lainevierge]

I love the dried rose note in this, and I've never been into rose before. The rose is so elegant, but there's something making it all weird, either the ginger or the cypress. I wish I was getting some of the other notes like the fig, but they're just not coming to me.

 

(I'm on a search for more dried rose notes now that I know I like it!)

[Limelight]

Y'know what? I must be Nemesis herself, the Goddess of Divine Retribution, Justice and Vengeance herself. Y'know why? Cause when I applied this perfume, my skin ATE it. ATE IT. Gobble. It was gone within two minutes. This must be some kind of new record. All that's left is this bare, oily wisp of fig? maybe?

 

Hee hee. Vengeance is mine.

[ouch!]

Thinking about wiriting this review before now. I've been sitting there knowing this was going to be one of the hardest reviews I've had to write and it's because this scent just baffles me!

 

It's a whole load of stuff that I have no idea how to describe.

 

When wet, straight away it's sort of woody sort of smoky. This lasts about 20 seconds.

 

Then, as it's drying it smells EXACTLY like something that lush sells and I can't put my finger on it. It's driving me crazy. I used to work there and have smelled it hundreds of times before but I just can't figure it out. It's possibly one of the massage bars...possibly fever. It's that...or it's just that entire lush smell you get when you walk in. I've been applying and waiting for this stage over and over to try and figure it out but...nothing!

 

Anyway..it then morphs again to something MUCH sweeter. That must be the tonka...all of the spice goes away and it goes almost like sweet vanillary berries. It's so confusing haha.

 

I definately do not detect rose or ginger.

This is so bizzare, I also don't know whether I like it or not. Arrrgh!

 

I wouldn't buy a 5ml because until I figure out what that Lushness is I'll forget about it before I go insane!

 

*rocks back and forth holding knees to chest*

 

[tziporra]

Oh alas alack and woe....

 

I had such high hopes....

 

And in the imp it's a very well-blended lovely scent I couldn't wait to try.

 

But on, it's all patchouli. Not even patchouli rose, which is the usual for this type of blend on me. Just straight incense smell on my wrists.

 

Why oh why must my skin insist on taking a note and running with it, abandoning all other notes to their fate of never being sniffed outside the imp?

 

Best,

 

Tzi

[AEris]

Wet, this is sweetly piney from the cypress. The pine disappears almost instantly, and it quickly dries down into a powdery, sweet patchouli. The combination of fig, patchouli, and tonka bean is very interesting, and makes for a scent that's unique but still approachable - and somehow familiar.

 

This would be a great fragrance for patchouli enthusiasts to try out, as it brings out a different edge to patch. The sweetness of the fig really complements the dryness and smokiness of the patchouli and the balance that is struck between creamy/sweet/fruity and woodsy/smoky creates almost a powdery scent.

 

Fascinating. I don't need to keep it, because it's not really my style, but it's a well-executed, finely tuned perfume.

 

4.1 out of 5

[agnusdei]

Nemesis starts out mostly woodsy with a unique sort of sharpness that slightly stings my nose to smell. It has a little of that 'wood chips' vibe and a nice dose of ginger, with patchouli peeking out just enough to be noticeable behind them. Only after giving it time to settle do the other notes make themselves known. There’s still that fervent layer of cypress, but within it I keep catching bits of smooth tonka and delicate rose petals, with maybe a hint of fig. It’s a very interesting blend at this stage, soft and refined on one level and hard-edged and fierce on another, without much unity between them.

 

As more time passes the cypress finally succumbs and the whole scent becomes much more gentle. It’s a dry type of blend to be sure, but now there’s a warmth to it as well that definitely wasn’t present in the beginning. The woods have become an inviting and balanced counterpart to the rose and tonka, and the fig and cyclamen have finally gotten over their shyness to help round everything out. The ginger adds just a touch of spice to keep things from getting boring.

 

I think I’ll have to wear it a few more times to determine if it’s really a ‘me’ sort of scent, but one thing is for sure – there’s something beautiful hiding under all that cypress!

[soonyi]

wet, a burst of smoke amkes way for cypress and patchouli, the combination coming off as spicy crayon wax to my nose. i dont much like patchouli and luckily the wax is stifling all of it from coming out.

 

dry, i guess the wax was the fig note developing cos i detect that with the cypress as the strong notes (patchouli way in the background) with the dried rose, as in a bouquet of roses that was turned upside down and left to dry for a month. i love roses but in this dried form, it is not cutting it for me.

[savage_rose]

I really wanted to like this one, but the good components are too much at war with the bad. It smells like beautifully perfumed castile soap, but patchouli or something like it is doing funky things to it. So there's this light loveliness, and this stinky heaviness. I smell like a bathroom .

[fairnymph]

Sniffed in imp: Piercingly strong cypress and patchouli. Hints of ginger and fig. Masculine.

[Lamia]

It's sweet without being cloying, there's a juiciness to it.

[sparkybish]

Sadly this was all patchouli on me and not in a good way. *scrubs*

[mhickle]

In the imp, this is pretty sharp. Definitely getting the ginger. On my skin, it deepens a little bit, with some sweetness coming out. The ginger loses its bite, becoming softer. Surprisingly, the rose isn't being its usual dealbreaker self in this one. It hangs out in the background, lending a little floral, but is held down by the patcholi and spice.

 

The only bad thing? On me, there's nearly zero throw, and it lasts a very, very short time.

[Iceblink]

Lots of patchouli and cypress with spiced figs. The woodiness is a little too strong for the rest of the notes; I wish I could get more of the rose and tonka! Nice enough; nothing outstanding.

[skepticism]

This wasn't quite what I was expecting it to be, nor do I associate the scent with the description, but it still smells heavenly.

 

If academia had a smell then this would be it. The tonka bean, cypress, and patchouli mix so well together. I feel like I'm in a giant room full of freshly sharpened Ticonderoga pencils. It's such a soothing, woody scent. I can't pick up any sweet or sugary notes at all, which is fine by me.

 

I decided to go a little crazy and layer Cthulhu over it. Now I feel like I'm flirting with a hot, tentacled librarian.

[Coldfire]

Imp: Cypress and something I can’t put my nose on.

Wet On Me: Cypress and patchouli

Drying Down: Cypress and ginger over the patchouli

Dry: Mostly the woodiness of the Cypress…the

patchouli haunting underneath and the ginger breathing a whisper

thru it all. Interesting….nice…..I think I’ll keep the imp.

[diamondstars]

I really can't stand patchouli, it makes me feel sick. Luckily I don't detect any at all here!

 

Strangely, to me this smells like chocolate-raspberry sweets! The ones I used to get when I was younger in pick 'n' mix with the red wrappers.

 

[loladae]

A WOODY PATCHOULI SCENT I LIKE! *1 second later* where did it go?

 

The most faintest blend ever. *Kicks dirt*

[annerqm]

In the bottle: Sharp and snappy! The cypress is front and center, as is a clean, light patchouli scent and a touch of ginger. Not at all fruity. Very sharp and green.

 

Wet on skin: About the same – I really smell the cypress, over everything else, then the patchouli (it’s very clean-smelling patchouli) and that hit of ginger – but it’s sharp, fresh-grated ginger root rather than the warm dry spice. I’m not getting any fig or cyclamen…which is too bad.

 

Drying: The rose is coming out now, which I didn’t notice at all until now. Still not much change from when first applied...

 

…wait! Ok, now it’s starting to change a bit…it’s getting warmer and sweeter, but without losing the fresh cypress and ginger notes from before.

I think I smell the tonka, which from what I remember smells a bit like vanilla, right? There is green fig coming through, too.

 

Dry: Wow, this really changes from the first impression to final drydown. It’s absolutely beautiful and very hard to describe or categorize. It’s warm yet fresh at the same time. A touch sweet and fruity, but not at all cloying or foody. A hint of very subtle rose, but nowhere near a floral scent. A bit spicy, but not at all a typical spice scent. This is an utterly unique blend.

 

The final product is very well-balanced and something you could wear during any season, any time of day and type of occasion.

 

(A bit later) This fades quickly on me, too. Not quite as bad as some reviewers above described, but I would need a re-apply every few hours, for sure.

[taramarie]

Wet on my skin, Nemesis is all red patchouli. As it dries, the rose and what I think is the cyclamen start to come through. This is nice, but I was really hoping for the cypress. I'll age this and see if it comes out.

[Seismogenic]

Certain software in my lab has been evil lately. It only works when things are not urgent, and goes all error message when the work is due by the end of the week. It keeps coming up with. I am starting to feel remorseless raging fury at it, with two days left before my presentation and another two after that before the big conference. Just because it knows it's the best software for this application doesn't mean it's allowed days off! If this interferes, vengeance shall be had, and it shall be inescapable, for the computer on which it is installed is parked on my desk.

Er, yes. I'm annoyed with the computer, so I'm gonna test Nemesis today.

 

In the imp: Dry, cutting, and herbal, but still slightly sweet. Definitely getting the ginger already, and I think that other thing is the cypress.

 

Wet on skin: There's the patchouli. I couldn't smell it in the imp! The possibly-cypress has diminished, though there's still plenty of ginger. I think the sweetness is from fig rather than tonka, but I can't tell yet. No roses yet.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry, patchouli has calmed down, and cypress is back. It's not quite as sweet now, though I can still detect the fig in the background. Still no tonka or rose, and I haven't a clue what cyclamen smells like. At an hour in, this is definitely one of those scents that has a different smell depending on how close you are to it. On my wrist, it's still dry and herbal, with the cypress in charge, some ginger, and maybe some patchouli. Further away, there's rose and fig and perhaps also tonka; much sweeter, in general.

 

Five hours layer: The sweet layer has pretty much dissipated, and what's left is something very dry, herbal, and perhaps even properly dusty very close to my wrist.

 

End of the day: Gone.

 

Overall: I have to admit, I'm rather indifferent to this one! At no time was it unpleasant, nor was it run-of-the-mill in any form. I'm just not particularly excited by it, but neither am I turned off by it at all. I always think it's cool when scents work in layers, as they do in this one. And hey, the computer problem got fixed, so the threat of justice aspect seems to work!

[MCS4096]

Little scared to try this frimp since I see it contains "red patchouli" which I've come to believe is death note on me that generally results in nausea

 

In the imp: I CAN smell the patchouli, but the cypress is the predominant note. I can also smell the rose. This is sweet woods and evergreen greenery. Tis ok... so far

 

Wet: ah yes, the patchouli has started it's little BO contribution. The cypress has died down a lot, and the fig is now distinguishable.

 

Dry: The patchouli in this is reeeally light, and isn't doing it's death note dance. At this point it's actually mostly roses on me.. the cypress just adds a evergreen bite, and the patchouli is almost cedary.. and it's vaguely sweet. Way different than in the imp! But not a love at first sniff scent for me.

[zankoku_zen]

It's dirty pencil shavings and rose cologne.

 

Sad.