Carnal

[lilirose]

Bold, bright mandarin paired with the sweet, sensual earthiness of fig.

Woohoo! Finally, an orangey scent that works on me!!!

This reminds me of my favorite orange soda, fizz included, but at the same time, I wouldn't exactly call it foody (or "drinky" ). The fig is there along with the orange, but it seems to add depth and staying power to the orange without being overtly "omg fig newtons".

Bold and bright this definitely is. I'm in a better mood just from having it on. I'm just on my way to add to my 5ml wishlist. Edited September 20, 2007 by lilirose

[jade_starlight]

The orange is light and soft, which is a surprise given my chemistry. I can smell the fig underneath the orange, and they blend together really well. I don't know that I'd wear this, but it is really nice and fruity without being foody.

[funkmoppet]

Oooooooh yum!

 

Orangey deliciousness with fig - simple and awesome! I was worried that the mandarin note would go to Tang on me, like it has in other blends, but this time it's behaving!

 

The fig keeps it deep and lovely. Wonderous summery citrus, to go hand-in-hand with Baobhan Sith!

 

[melissima]

I am new to BPAL, and Carnal was one of he first imps I tried. Please keep that in mind.

 

On me Carnal is super sweet, like fig newtons spread with marmalade. I don't perceive this as a sexy blend; it smells guileless and excessive. I imagine a toddler playing in the kitchen, mixing together her favorite treats. I'm sure that's due to the famous "amping" effect. Layering with something sharper or drier might help--I didn't have the right sort of thing in my tiny stash, so Ill have to try that later.

 

This is a pretty blend, even though it doesn't work on my skin. Toddler images aside, I enjoyed trying it and I think it would make a yummy candle.

[hkhm]

bottle: oranges. well, not really oranges, more like tangerines. juicy tangerines.

 

wet: this smells like yummy tangerine candy on me.

 

dry: still tangeriney. there is a sort of earthy note that doesn't smell like fig to me but doesn't seem to have any other explanation.

 

i absolutely love this scent. i only wear it when i plan to be dressed in only white because it smells like a very 'white' scent to me.

[Gwydion]

This one is very citrusy, but less annoyingly so than some of the others, I've sniffed. It is way to young and female for me. I can imagine the teenager it would smell good on, but so not me. This was never me. I am wondering why this is the scent of carnality, though.

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle sweet and fruity, but somehow not fruity, a light, dusky mandarin

wet on skin about the same, but warmer and somehow muskier

dry on skin this is the scent that most closely matches the actual scent of my skin. it's like me, only better. the mandarin and fig blend so well into a vaguely apricot, highly skin musk scent. it's almost powdery, but not in an unpleasant, talcum way, just a very dry, serious, sexy perfume. it doesn't have a lot of throw, so it's also a very personal, close-to-the-skin smell.

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Bright oranges

 

Wet: Mmm, spicy oranges. I smell what I guess is fig. It lends an earthiness to this scent grounding it.

 

Drydown: Almost similar to moxie, but brighter.

4.0 outta 5

[aleciarivas]

I SWEAR that I smell honey with this orange!! I used to make a honey-fruit salad that smelled JUST like this!! Mmmm... I don't think I would wear this all the time, but it does smell good!! Again, sniffing myself, I must be mistaking the fig for honey..... It's driving me nuts!

[joojifish]

This is a bright, sweet, candy-like orange to my nose. Carnal actually reminds me of orange-flavored Triaminic syrup. If you like sweet citrus, you might give this a try. I found it too one-dimensional to keep.

[SarahScent44]

I knew that, barring any chemistry mishaps, Carnal and I would be good friends - I'm a total citrus fiend!!

 

First thing I get in the imp: orange! Not an overly-sweet candy orange, but an actual orange, the whole orange, peel and all.

 

Wet, it's still orange, but sweeter - must be the fig coming out. The fig is definitely a background note, though - wet, it's still orange-o-rama.

 

Once it dries, the sweetness of the fig comes out, and it's so beautiful with the orange. This is a new favorite!

[dnagirl]

I don't get much of a mandarin scent out of Carnal. However, I do smell fig which is lovely, syrupy and warm. There is a bit of zing to it though, which may be the orange coming out to play.

 

Really a lovely fruity scent. It's luscious and warm.

[maribouquet]

Ultimately, this dries down too sweet for my tastes, but I do love orange, and I will always love this scent for helping me figure out what fig smells like as a note.

 

It's a yummy scent, though - I am tempted to get the Carnal soap.

[fireflower]

In the imp: Creamy orange with an undertone of fig.

 

First applied: Little been more sharper orange with an undertone of fig. Mandarin and fig are two of my favorite notes, so this has been good so far.

 

Drydown: Very orangey. Trying to be creamy with the help of the fig, but threatening to go citrus cleaning pads on me. Please don't, Carnal.

 

Verdict: I like this, but I'm not crazy about it. I don't think this is big bottle worthy. Mainly because I already have Tweedledee, which is very citrusy, and am getting Moxie, which has been my favorite mandarin scent I've tried so far. I'll definitely use my imp, but no big bottle for me.

[lainevierge]

This is a nice warm, cozy scent that is much more suited to winter than I thought it would be. It's light and citrusy but warm and figgy too. I really like fig scents now, though the orange in this one is bordering on the too-sweet side.

[jcdracon]

In the Bottle: Sweet manderin oranges

 

On Wet: Gummy orange candy, not bad but I was hoping for something a bit fresher.

 

Dry: I kept sniffing on my bus ride to work trying to figure out who was chewing fruity gum.

 

All in all, not bad, but not nice enough to merrit a big bottle.

 

6/10

[AEris]

This is a soft, fruity blend that's not too juicy or intense - just soft and sweet!

 

The mandarin oranges are gentle and not sour or tangy in the slightest. Some people have mentioned orange candy, which is a valid comparison.

 

The fig is super-soft and subdued. It doesn't go coconutty on me like fig always does; rather, it goes as far as having a fruity smell and stops there. It's almost a berry note to my nose.

 

It almost smells fizzy, like it could be soda or a tasty mixed drink. Very candy-like, but not exactly sugary.

 

It's a happy, childlike scent, and is putting me in a good mood on this gloomy winter day. I didn't think I would like Carnal from the reviews, because I don't always like fruity scents, but this one will be slathered and keeping my spirits up today!

 

4.2 out of 5

[Northernskygal]

Carnal is... tart on me, really tart. It is candy-like but.. a dry candy.. a sweet tart or something.. The mandarin and fig combo is good, it is really kind of.. unusual and uplifting.. sadly, I get this kind of.. powderyness from it. .. like one of those giant chewy sweet tarts.. it smells like that.. only better, due to the fig.

[coldandsleepy]

In the imp: mmm. Figs. And citrus. Exactly what i was hoping for.

 

On me, wet: hello? Where did you go, mister fig? The fig note's completely disappeared on me. The citrus is still going strong, and is joined by a scent of... candle wax? That must be the fig transformed some how.

 

On me, dry: faint orange conversation hearts and candle wax.

 

Throw and duration: throw on me is probably the worst of any BPAL i've tried other than Harlot, but duration is about average.

 

Overall: This does smell exactly like conversation hearts and candle wax to me, but i like the smell. It seems kinda romantic, especially around this time of year.

 

Unfortunately, this is really barely noticeable on me. I'm really surprised by how faint this is on me. And i usually do citrus so well. :/ I've tried it on a couple occasions and the result's been about the same each time. Bummer, because Carnal is a really beautiful smell... just not one that'll stay on my skin.

[whisperingmachines]

Oooh, I wish this was a bit stronger on me. It's really lovely, but I don't think that unless I was, uh, doing things that live up to the scents namesake anyone else would notice it! *whistles* Fig newtons and sweet tarts, a weird but really nice smelling combination. Maybe I'll slosh on more later or wear it when it will be warmer out and see if my body heat makes it throw more.

[goth_huntress]

Just got an Imp of Carnal the other day. I'm so getting a bottle.

[tziporra]

This was a frimp from the lab, which I am deeply grateful for because while I have largely given up on the BPAL fig note ever working on me, hope does still spring, especially when I'm reading scent descriptions.

 

There are quite a few scents that I will slather on my wrists and think - "I LOVE THIS! It smells FANTASTIC!!!!"

 

And quite a few of those scents are fruity.

 

But then, when it comes time to actually wear a scent I never put a fruity one on. It's always something with resins and flowers. MAYBE a little berry or something dark and halfway rotting.

 

Carnal falls squarely into the category of fruity-scents-I-enjoy-but-can't-imagine-wearing. I like the nice deep dried-orange-peel and fig drydown so much, but I don't really want to smell like fruits. And this particular combination of fruits reminds me not of carnality, but of Christmas. It's just not me, you know?

 

Best,

 

Tzi

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Very sweet sugary citrus candy.

 

Immediately on skin: This smells like citrus candy (heavy on the sugar, light on the citrus), plus a slight soft smooth fruit note. It’s a very sweet scent, and bright and happy.

 

After a little while: This has gotten more defined as I wear it. It’s still a very sweet, bright mandarin candy scent, but it has just a touch of warm, smooth fig in the background. It’s not very complex, but it is nicely blended. The notes go together seamlessly.

 

Overall Impressions: This is such a fun scent. It’s candy-like and definitely for those who like sweeter scents. I’d say that if you liked March Hare, you might like this blend as well. Personally I like a little more depth in the perfumes I wear but I could see being in the mood for something like this every so often.

[archaeopteryx]

When I first tried a bit of this, I smelled something fruity that I couldn't place at first. I had my husband smell it, and together we decided that it smelled like SweeTarts, that candy that tastes kind of sour and fruity and sweet all at the same time. I was kind of puzzled, since that didn't seem like a scent befitting of the name "Carnal," so I went and washed it off and tried it again. Same fruity smell, only this time I smelled tangerines. The SweeTart scent died down most of the way after I'd had it on for ten minutes or so and was replaced by the tangerine scent. This is a very light scent.

 

My opinion: I like it, but I don't foresee buying a bottle of it. I might buy another imp, though.

[savage_rose]

Did you play with Strawberry Shortcake dolls as a child? This smells like a cross between "Apple Dumpling" and "Lemon Meringue"...and I loved those dolls, you'd think I'd love this, too. But it just smells off somehow...like one of the dolls went "bad". It's interesting, but not me.