Pulse Points

[Voleuse]

A profoundly erotic, lascivious scent. Black poppy, narcissus and civet.

This is very "perfumey" in the vial, but musty and a little sneeze-inducing upon application. The combination of the floral and the musk goes weird with my chemistry, and a little plasticky. Every once in a while, I'll get a hint something very lovely, warm and enticing, but it never sticks around.

[desu]

I've been wanting to try this one for awhile because I'm friends with civet, and the civet with florals just sounded interesting.

 

In the imp: I can see where the plastic/band-aid comparisons come from, but giving it a deeper sniff, that's definately narcissus. Oddly, I don't really smell the civet in this at all. Usually that's the first note I pick up in a civet-containing oil.

 

On the skin: Still smelling the narcissus. My skin usually amps civet a bit, but it's not doing it with this one.

 

Later on: The civet has gradually skulked its way out of the shadows to make an appearance. It's not very strong, but it does give the narcissus a little oomph. I kinda like this one even if it is a bit soft for my tastes. It seems to take its sweet time coming around, like a lady playing hard-to-get.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: strong and pungent. i don't think i'll like this.

on: very, very dark and pungent.

1 hour later: sweeter with a smooth floral note.

4 hours later: lots of narcissus with a hint of civet.

overall: this is definitely better after it dries down on me, but i still don't like it enough to keep it around.

[edenssixthday]

Pulse Points - I was dying to try this blend since it has two notes in it that are simply divine on my skin (and one that I'm still not certain about). I can definitely smell a touch of sweet, warm, musky civet in this blend that seems to be backing up the lovely sweet, hypnotic murkiness of black poppy. The narcissus is lending a heady floral scent that reminds me a bit too much of jasmine, yet I find that this scent is still just gorgeous. This is a very sweet scent, but not in a cloying, foody-candy-sweet way. The huskiness of the black poppy definitely tempers the sweetness of the musk and the florals and brings it down a few notches. This scent is most definitely "lascivious" and "erotic." I wish it weren't discontinued. The throw is moderate, but it lasts longer than most BPAL does on my skin.

[tidesong]

In the Bottle: Ack. Civet. Dirty.

 

On Application: Civet, civet, civet. A little dark floral, but mostly nauseating civet.

 

On Drydown: Dirt, and cat pee. Otherwise known as civet. Oh well.

 

Comments: Not erotic at all, this just smells really bad on me.

 

Verdict: Swap.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Primal floral

 

On Skin: This scent is quite heavy at first and I smell the civet right away. I love musky scents, but civet and I really don’t get along. It turns very animalistic on me, and not in a good way. This smells like soapy cat pee on me. Odd yes… the soapy note is VERY strong… then it turns into the band-aid scent. Yikes! Sadly this is anything but erotic on me. Every once in a while, depending on how deeply I sniff, it actually smells pretty… but if I breathe in too long the band-aid scent takes over. I am so devestated this doesn’t work on me. Moderate to strong throw and short to average wearlength.

[filigree_shadow]

Right now I have Pulse Points on one wrist and Debauchery on the other, in order to compare the two.

 

They seemed very similar to each other for the first half hour or so; in fact, I was thinking that Pulse Points smelled like Debauchery Lite. But then Pulse Points got a soapy scent to it, and I didn't like that very much. That lasted for about an hour or so. Also at one point it smelled a little bit like band-aids, but that was only for about 20 minutes. It's been a couple of hours now since I applied the oil, and right now it smells like a nice, gentle floral with a little bit of civet behind it giving it some depth.

 

It's pretty, and I probably would have thought I liked it more if I hadn't done the side-by-side comparison. However, to my nose, Debauchery is the winner.

 

 

ETA: I just read slave1's previous review and saw that she said the same thing about the soapiness and the band-aids. We must have similar skin chemistry.

Edited November 8, 2006 by filigree_shadow

[supremegoddessofall]

Old women knitting. Seriously, this is a very "old" scent. The civet is giving a slightly musk-like quality to it, but mostly this is the florals. Even with the "old lady" aspect, I like this very much.

[Reedsong]

Pulse Points makes me think of a deep, lascivious, pouting plum hue; it's an extremely sophisticated, mature scent, almost too posh and brooding for me to get away with wearing. Clearly, these are evil pulse points being anointed here. This is a pulse that quickens only slightly as its owner kills people. Pulses that quicken a lot more as everyone in the vicinity gets evilly seduced and then has their wallets rifled.

 

Obviously, I really love this scent. I look like a librarian, so it takes something extraordinary to make me feel dangerously sexy; Pulse Points is it. I'm going to treasure this imp, and hunt down more if I can. (Hey, here's where the 'wallet rifling' above could come in handy... )

[zankoku_zen]

This one begins as a little spicy, powdery musk. Definitely a warm scent. It has a bit of a soapy overtone on wet, but that evaporates quickly and I'm left with can only described as a musky, pulsating, blend.

 

The civet mostly behaves in this blend, smelling sexy and musky, but with a faint trace of cat pee to it.

 

Fairly animalistic. I don't typically enjoy blends like this one... but erm, yeah, I can totally see this being effective. Perhaps too effective...

[schackjj]

I picked this up at the trunk show because it sounded like such an interesting scent, and I wanted to try it

 

In the Bottle: Just plain raw smelling. Has to be the civet, clobbering the florals.

 

Wet: Definitely not my thing. This would have to smooth out a lot for me to love it.

 

Drydown: I was pretty surprised, actually. It smooths out and softens, but it's still not a great scent for me. It did turn out much prettier than I expected, though, and it's very wearable

[totheo]

Reminds me of Sacred Whore of Babylon. Which I feel like I should like, like I KNOW it's a lovely scent, but I hate it.

 

Same here. It starts out so nice but it just morphs into this faintly icky smell... and when you get hints of it from they great throw, it makes you think you've left some food out or a little milk in the bottom of the glass... something rotten. Which is a SHAME, because I was really looking forward to this one! Nyaaaa.

 

 

[parrot_suspect]

(Note: I am reviewing the DD "vintage" Aug. 2009 release of this blend)

 

I've always been interested in Pulse Points. Based on the reviews, it sounded like something I might like. I'm not afraid of civet or musks, and "band-aid" notes usually disappear on me after the first 15 minutes.

 

So imagine my surprise when I opened my Pulse Points bottle and got...a soft floral. No civet, no musk (that I could detect), but just plain floral. Yet, it's a *wet* floral. A dark, quiet floral (yet not heady, creamy or heavy, like tuberose or gardenia). It brings to mind sitting around on a humid summer night in a garden full of honeysuckle bushes and other flowers. By "wet" floral, please note that I do not mean it is aquatic, because it's not. It just has a humid, lazy, "flower garden at night" feel to it. I'm guessing that must be the narcissus.

 

Pulse Points is actually kind of nice, but florals aren't really my thing. I think I'll let it age for a while and see if the civet or musk notes come out more. If not, maybe I'll layer it with Debauchery, which is all civet on me.

[jizatt]

I am also reviewing the Vintage version. I've also written this review out three times now (daughters and keyboards and whatnot keep interfering)

 

 

I've tried Debauchery and didnt get anythign raunchy or dirty, but I didnt like the oranginess and wanted to try Civet somewhere else. Since I like poppy and narcissus, I thought this might be a great option =) THis is definitely the same note from Debauchery, but without the heavy orange thing I didnt like (not a citrus fan). The florals arent sweet pretty floral, but I can smell both distinctly. THis is raw and feminine, but I wouldnt call it erotic. THe musk isnt heavy either, its thick but not oppressively musky. I like musks, and animal musks especially, but this doesnt have that animalic wild sense. This smells somehow like the humid South to my nose. Freshly showered, hot skin, and bitter, barely sweet flowers. THe air is thick like just before it rains, thick and charged with promise. Hmm, maybe this is a bit erotic after all....

 

I think civet translates on me to a heavier skin musk.

Edited August 31, 2010 by CaudaPavonis

[cuervosueno]

I don't know if this the original pulse points, or if this is the DD version, but no matter. Pulse Points is something I'd long wanted to try, just because I like to try the rare things, and this one was rare when I joined in 04, as it was discontinued then.

 

Granted, there's nothing in it I particularly like. I don't DISLIKE civet, but I can't say I'm a huge fan either, but I don't like poppy and pretty much detest narcissus. Still, had to try it, and thanks to the wonderful Stellans for making that possible!

 

So here's the thing: in the imp, I kind of like it. It's not a "me" scent, as it is very floral, but it's a nice, sweet narcissus, not the stinky feet narcissus. It smells pretty much like a floral perfume, traditional and feminine. After I put it on, the civet asserts itself a bit: not the raw animalistic note I sometimes get in civet--it is more like a musk here. And the scent doesn't change much from the imp to the skin, even after a few (ok 20) minutes....it's still a somewhat intoxicating white floral, with a hint of hairspray that makes it not for me. It reminds just a bit of Formula 54, only in the sexiness of it, and the slight hairspray aspect, like the seductive beauty whose been out all night and smells of hairspray and second hand smoke, and a bit of alcohol seeping out of her pores. That's not what this smells like (much more like what F54 smells like!) but it is the impression I get, though this might be the sister who didn't go out, but stayed in for some naughty fun with a beloved.

 

Overall, it's not me, but I'm glad to get to try it, and also to get to try a narcissus that works! (I don't even like the smell of the flower, so I'm really a narcissus-phobe!)

[grashopper8]

Reviewing an ancient lab imp from '04:

 

A simple BPAL opium/narcissus floral perfume with a little musk. Reminds me of some of the other Love Potion florals (Opium Poppy, Debauchery, Hunger). Powdery and pleasant, old-fashioned perfume. It's ok, but I don't have a strong connection to it.