Narcisse

In the bottle it certainly smells like spicy gingerbread with a hint of musk. The musk is more of a aqueous musk than animallic for those afraid of feral musk. On the skin it smells like in the bottle but there is a hint of something waxy. For about 2 hours after it dries it smells exactly like this vintage bright red lipstick my grandmother had from a 50's cosmetics set. If I smell my wrist it smells like a 50's bombshell bit into a ginger snap and then left it sitting on the plate, the waft though is musky lipstick . I am obviously smelling an aged bottle so it's early incarnation may have been different. Strangely after the 2 hour mark the lipstick recedes and what is left is a Shub Niggarauth, Morocco, and Pool of Tears Studio 54 after party you obviously attended and vigorously partook. It's become my warm weather gingerbread scent because, though I love my Shub; it's way to herbaceous in heat and humidity thus making me feel dirty (covered in mud from the garden dirty) rather than sultry. It smells as Betty from Mad Men would if her essence could be bottled.

The scent reminds me of the late 80's and early 90's Martha crafty Victorian rose pomanders. It's has the dry dusty smell of dried rose, but it's been doused with rose oil. Then the rose subsides a bit and you get the acrid smell of burnt incense, but it's stick incense that has a wood center. It has the sour note that follows burning green wood or paper. I certainly get the feel of a Victorian drawing room. I love the scent but I certainly get how it could be seen as tart and matriarchial.