Dorian

[Miseraya]

Dorian: The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself. Inspired by and created for my beloved Tedwin: my eternal, beautiful, wicked Dorian Gray. Refined, elegant, and lovely, with a noble bearing and seemingly gentle air. This blend is an artful deception: a sweet gilded blossom lying over a twisted and corrupted core. A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea.

 

In the imp: Mmm. Don't ask me about notes, I can't pick out any specific ones. But I think if eroticism was a note it would be in this. There is something spicy sweet lurking in there, waiting to take advantage of the casual nose....

 

On the wrist, wet: This smells great.... I can definitely get sweet tea with lemon. There's something else though. This is really sexy... Ooh, I want Anubis to wear this.... It's similar to Severin, to my nose, but deeper and infinitely sexier. The man is this smell is much more in control. Thankfully I am not getting the lavender in this.

 

Drydown: More of same, but with something more masculine in there now. Something even more sexy and forceful, lurking beneath all the sexy sweetness. Something waiting to take advantage of you in all the right ways.

 

Final Analysis: I second everything Andrabell said in her review on the first page. Oh yeah. Where's Anubis when I need him?!

Edited July 26, 2006 by Miseraya

[mermaidrage]

Did I seriously NOT review Dorian? Must have been too busy swooning.

 

I don't even know how to describe it. Dorian is intoxicating, just a whiff of it is enough to make my head spin a little bit.

 

Okay, for the first minute or so, it is overwhelmingly lemon-y, but that settles down quickly into a lush, sweetly musky lemon tea cookie orgy. It's like I'm baking in the kitchen, swaying a bit in my stilettos, when all of a sudden there are arms circling my waist and a devastatingly gorgeous man with a beautiful British accent purrs sweet nothings in my ear. And he nibbles it. And we forget the baking and uh... yes. That's it.

 

Dorian is more than lovely. And no, I don't want to slather it on a boy. I just want to wear it and appreciate the beauty that is me.

[Natch]

in the bottle: amazingly, sexily, sweet and subtle... vanilla, lemon, and wonderful.

 

wet: Strong lemon for a split second and then... mmmm! Delicious, lightly musky vanilla tea. Can I eat my wrist?

 

dry down: This really absorbs into my skin... but somehow, is still there. It's really like a yummy vanilla cake with very light, lemon frosting... there are a few flower petals sprinkled around the cake... but they are hardly apparent. The bit in my hair got a little bit bitter... like maybe someone was smoking a cigarette in the next room.

 

overall impression: Mmmm... I love this. Unfortunetely, my skin eats it up, ... exactly like I want to... It does stay for a long time... but it gets so light that I'm burying my nose into my wrists and hair to get a whiff. Of course, I tested lightly and spent the past few hours doing messy work that involved lots of scrubbing and hand washing, so maybe this guy is good at sticking around after all

 

A+

Edited August 1, 2006 by Natch

[maijasu]

*swoons*

 

OK, I'm back. This scent is much more subtle than what I usually go for, but it's just so beautiful! I smell creamy, sweet tea with a gentle musk clinging close to my skin. Not much throw, but it does inspire definite nose-to-wrist action, followed by the aforementioned swooning. I can see myself wearing it every day, if that were possible (I am a perfume addict, after all). I am once again amazed by Beth's talent!

[nsomniak6]

All I have to say is... Whoa. This is definetly in my top 5 along with Freak Show, Pink Phoenix, Eat Me and 13. I think even though they are all very different, there is still a bit of "spicyness" that I can't pinpoint but it works so nice on me.

 

This is the only 10 ML bottle I have ordered.

[fairy]

Oh my. WOW. I bought a 5ml bottle of this, unsniffed, because it came highly recommended. I am so happy I did. This is absolutely amazing. I smell warm luscious creamy vanilla. The prettiest vanilla scent I've ever smelled. I keep saying this but I found a new favorite. I can't put into words how amazing this oil smells.

[whitecrow0]

In the bottle: Mmmmmmmmm! Sweet; thick, rich and heavy, yet not overpowering. It's buttery in consistency; a deep foody scent that I could smell all day. It makes me smile in a slow, serotonin-induced manner. There's something dark in it; this is not a sunny kitchen. Perhaps a night-kitchen lit with a fire, however. It's languidly predatory; confident and come-hither. And yet - contradiction! - I don't get a sense of "badness" in it, as I do with, say, Absinthe. Dorian is a sleek, well-fed cat, not a man-eating tiger. Dorian is sensual and oozes contentment.

 

Wet: I definitely get the "sugar" and "vanilla" in the bottle; the lemon comes out as soon as it touches my skin. My poor nose always has trouble picking up tea scents; I don't know if that's my sense of smell and / or simply the way my body reacts to BPAL. I'm supposing the musks were what gave me the darker feeling in the bottle, and I think they're giving the imp a bit of "bite" on my skin. What the heck is a fougere? Okay, ummm... apparently http://www.m-w.com isn't just giving up info anymore... a http://www.basenotes.net/ article states that "Fougere fragrances are one of the most popular men's families. These will often contain Lavender and Oakmoss." Oh. I've never been a lavender fan, but I do seem to like oakmoss. It's in several of my favorite scents. I think I might even be able to detect it on my wrist with a deep sniff. I think I might be detecting some lavender, too, but it's not giving me the willies I usually get, possibly because it's blended so nicely with all of these other yummy smells.

 

Drying: Lemon, sadly, goes away. I do like citrus scents. I'm mostly sugary vanilla now, and that's quite okay. I'm getting the urge to curl up with my cat in the sunlight; this is a smell that invites one to gentle hedonism. Or, perhaps, not so gentle hedonism. It's delicious; I want to lick and bite my wrist. At the same time, I am still not getting any sort of deliberate calculation; it just is. Although, of course, that "it just is" is not going to be changing in any way, shape or form because that's the way it is supposed to be, Puny Human. Very catlike.

Closing my eyes, I see a warm, rich brown liquid - kind of like my cooking vanilla extract, I guess.

This scent is very indulgent and of-the-moment, with perhaps a touch of playful anticipation. It's nonchalant, and yet it promotes a sense of mindfulness in me; it slows me down and gives me appreciation of ... life, I guess.

 

Afternotes: After some time, the lemon comes back, very faintly. Yay lemon! (Particularly lemon that is not too sharp and oily.) It's a very sweet scent, but I don't find it cloying or sickening (as I do with powdery florals.) It throws well and lasts and lasts and lasts.

Gender-neutral; I put some on Scott and loved it; it's a dab muskier on him, yet still sugary and delicious. Alas, he doesn't like wearing BPAL because it's "heavy."

[EDIT: He should like it more. It tends to make me very close and cuddly and ... well, we won't get into the rest of it! o.O]

 

Scott-sniff: "That really does smell good."

 

Verdict: Oh, I think this one needs to always be in my collection. I want more Dorian! (And that, I suppose, is one reason he's such a bad boy.)

[gypsybaby1]

Second Impression: Oh. My. God. This is like having a cup of strong but sweet tea laced with a hint of lemon in a posh Victorian parlor whilst sitting opposite a very civilised Victoran gentleman. And as soon as the maid serving the tea is gone, this proper Victoran gentleman fucks you six ways from Sunday.

 

Final Analysis: Very sexy and sexual but at first sniff, oh so proper. This blend is gorgeous, a must try. Not too masculine that a woman couldn't pull off. Wear this and you will feel sexy.

 

I have to admit, it was this review that made me get a bottle of Dorian.

 

and sweet mother of GOD am I glad I did!

 

It's gorgeous! I'm all over the creaminess that this dries down into. Sweet, creamy tea.

 

Oh definitely... yeah.. Dorian's got me and I'm not leaving!

 

[mountainwitch]

OK, so there are already 13 pages devoted to the love (and, on occasion, the dislike) of Dorian. But I have to add my own mash note . . . OMG why didn't I buy 10 ml of this when I still could?! (I hadn't tried it yet, but that's not the point.)

 

Dorian is just divine. At first he’s all warm sugar; then the pale musks slink out, sexy and seductive. Dorian is distinctive, long-lasting, and utterly perfect. What a sinful success.

[Taniwha]

I toyed with Dorian once or twice before, but it didn't bowl me over. Wha?????

 

I've been reapplying it all day, and I'm purring, I think. This is just so lovely. Musky, sweet, vanilla with a hint of the tea's sharpness. It's kind of like my review of Snake Oil. I'm not saying anything new - I just have to say it!!!!

 

I'm waiting to order Theodosius at the next update, and if it doesn't quite rock my world like Dorian does, I'll be getting a big bottle of this.

[jenrandom]

Yay first review!

 

Initial impression smelling from the imp: Mmmm. Tea. Sweet earl grey.

 

Initial impression applied to skin: Ack! Tea! It kind of overwhelmed me, and I felt as if I were

in a haze of Earl Grey.

 

Once it dried: So very awesome. It settled down to sweet black tea, sweet and almost milky.

 

I could see myself wearing this to work.

[porcelain72]

And now we get to use the phrase "love at first sniff."

 

Dorian came as part of my first lab-direct order, and the funny thing was that I wasn't sure about ordering that one at first. But I did, and...wow. I'm still in the relatively newbie testing phase, but this has the standing vote so far as my signature scent.

 

In bottle: sugared vanilla tea, happily what I was hoping it would smell like. The three musks aspect is what made me a bit tentative about ordering it at first, but they're very subtle, emphasizing the tea and vanilla rather than overpowering it.

 

Initial application: good lord, this is amazing. The sweetness is just enough to tickle my nose, maybe even make my mouth water a little. How in the world did they come up with this?

 

Drydown: it just keeps getting better. The musk is coming out a little bit, and making the scent just slightly more masculine than it was in the bottle, but it's still a beautiful, warm scent. The throw is nice, I can smell it lingering lightly about me. It shouldn't have a strong throw anyway, there's something, I don't know...intimate about this scent, it should really be enjoyed mainly by you and someone you'd like to have nuzzling at your neck.

 

Fantastic. My favorite so far.

Edited August 21, 2006 by porcelain72

[jenleigh]

I want to lick the hand I'm wearing this on.

 

Oh, Dorian. You're a beautiful one. On me, this is all vanilla tea with the bergamot just creeping around the edges. I keep burying my nose in the scent, and I'm having trouble resisting drinking my imp.

 

I definitely see what the hype was about with this one now. I love this. (And I suspect it will layer gorgeously with Breathe:Comfort lotion from Bath and Body Works.)

[steffanina]

Dorian-

 

In Bottle: God, that's delicious. Sugary cotton candy with milk and just a hint of lemon. (Oh, please please work on my skin!)

 

Wet: Oh, yum. Oh, that musk is starting to announce itself but I love white musk and so that's great. Still sugary. Just a teensy bit masculine, with that musk (I don't think of white musk as masculine but something about this blend, despite all the sweetness, makes it just a bit so). And the lemon lingers in the faintest, non-overwhelming way.

 

Dry: Less cotton candy and more of a pure, lovely warm vanilla. With the white musk. And still the lemon. This is DAMNED sexy. Most foodie smells make feel happy but not sexy; this is such a beautiful exception. Must be the white musk. I feel like I have turned into a naughty piece of candy, waiting to be eaten up. I want to apply this between my breasts and find a divan to recline on. This stayed lovely all the way through, and had decent staying power.

 

Overall: I love. Wow.

[forspecial_plate]

Sugary, spicy vanilla...but light and airy somehow. Sort of like Snake Oil's lighter cousin. I smell ginger too, similar to the ginger in Sudha Segara. The musks come out more as it dries, this is a long lasting oil with a sweetness that hangs around for hours on me. I do like this and will enjoy wearing it again.

[Alchemy21599]

In the vial: vanilla and tea.

 

Wet: Why did I wait so long to try this? This is the vanilla scent that I have been searching for!

 

Dry: Absolutely gorgeous and intoxicating! I wish I had tried this before the 10mls were discontinued. I must have a big bottle of this *swoon*

[blackfelicula]

In the bottle: This smells sweet with a touch of floral. The dominant note I get is the vanilla tea.

 

Wet: Lavender overlays the tea. This is a gentle scent, yet subtly masculine. Thankfully I can often pull off wearing masculine scents.

 

Drying down: The musks are coming out more now. I am fond of musks.

 

Dry: Wow, yeah. The surface of Dorian is so sweet, but it allows a flash of corruption. So far I’m enjoying it heartily. I also want to ambush my husband and put some on him.

 

Later: I did put some on my husband. It’s yummy on him too. It fades after a couple of hours. My skin amps the vanilla, which makes for a tasty finish.

[kwsix]

Oh Dorian, you heartless bastard. You went and done me wrong.

 

In the imp and wet on my skin, Dorian is simply gorgeous, all sweet tea and creamy vanilla. But something terrible happens to me on the drydown. My skin turns the loveliness into cloying artificial vanilla, reminiscent of Vanilla Fields (which I loathe). I tried to call his bluff and wait it out, hoping that he would show me his good side again, but it was no use.

 

I really, really tried to love him. Based on the word on the street, I almost made the ultimate commitment (10 ml!) before I even knew what he was all about. I'm glad I waited. Dorian may be a beautiful, seductive devil, and he may be going all around town satisfyin' all the other ladies and gents, but for me was just a big tease.

Edited August 28, 2006 by evilmistressoftoast

[BronteJD]

This may be my favorite BPAL so far. Oh. My.

 

In bottle: Not *that* lemony, even though it's definitely there. It's just this swirl of light lemon and some musk and a faint powdery vanilla scent.

 

Wet: Some lavendar showing up, but squarely mixed with vanilla and something else I can't identify. It's bizarre, but this is an almost androgynous scent - it's squarely masculine, but with a suggestion of femininity.

 

Dry: I can't stop sniffing my arm. This is utterly gorgeous. There isn't anything which comes out on me as a predominant note, but everything is existing in perfect balance. Plus, it seems to last, which is Of the Good.

 

Dorian Gray has always been one of my absolute favorite novels, and now his scent matches perfectly. Outstanding.

[akabob]

I tried this 3 times before reviewing. What I'm not saying is that I was so turned on by my skin smelling so good that I ended up distracted by much sniffing on my own behalf. I literally cannot stop sniffing myself ALL DAY when this is on. Which is tough, because I have to sneak sniffs when my college mates aren't looking, or I'll look like a loon.

 

Anyway, this smells gorgeous. It isn't how I imagined it would smell on me. I had imagined something with less lavender fougere, but I am glad I can smell more of it. The vanilla is beautiful. Nothing artificial on my skin...I think the tea and musk and touch of lemon keep it from going nuts. The scent is androgynous. I don't get "man" or "woman" from the scent at all. I feel like I need to put a suit on, slick my hair down with pomade, and take a walking stick to the backside of a girly boy.

 

Yep.

 

Needless to say, this smell is the perfect balance of sweet and just a littttle tang with a nice soothing whiff of the beautiful fougere. Not TOO lavendery...it has more of a creamy scent in this mixture. The tea is hard to find on my skin....not surprising...my skin LOVES vanilla and burns everything else off quick.

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE this one.

 

My poor manfriend is in for a shocking evening if he gets into this vial.

[Punkylarue]

WOW! This is absolutely Gorgeous! Mmm! Milky tea, with a musky, citrusy untertone but not nasty citrus. A beautiful light non offensive citrus that is barely detectible. It is just enough to grab you and make you think twice about it. This is interesting. A bit mysterious and yet beautiful. This is my absolute favorite so far hands down.

[sofiaviolet]

Dorian smells really sweet and gentle. It makes me think of milky tea, and it a quintessentially English sort of perfume.

[indicolite]

Um...tea with a hint of lemon cookie?

 

Why do almost all of the debauchery scents not work debauchery on me (except for Satyr, which worked TOO well)?

 

When I sniffed Dorian at a meet n' sniff, the smell in the imp fitted perfectly a review of Abberlaine Arrol's: "being held down and ravished by a lemon cookie." But for me on my skin it is just - tea with a hint of lemon cookie. Being ravished over tea might be fun, but Dorian is not doing it for me.

 

I will try him in a scent locket.

Edited September 13, 2006 by indicolite

[Trish]

I'm yet another person who ordered this purely because of Andrabell's review.

 

In the Imp: Musky vanilla with a hint of lemon. Yum!

 

Wet: Sweet creamy lemon with vanilla and a hint of musk

 

Drydown: This gets quite a bit stronger, and I can detect a definite herbal note briefly before it gets swamped by sugared vanilla and another note I'm unfamiliar with which I assume is the tea. The lemon is still present but much fainter.

 

Dry: The musks have really made an appearance now, lending a warmth and depth to the lighter vanilla and tea. There's a decent amount of throw even though I only applied it to one wrist. It's very androgynous which suits me as I generally prefer the more neutral or masculine scents. And yes, it is rather sexy indeed. Not so much in an overt, brash way, but in.. well, yes, in that Victorian gentleman way! And that gentleman looks a lot like Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in my head (and yes I know that's not Victorian, but this is my fantasy! ).

 

Musky sugared vanilla tea with the odd whiff of creamy lemon - I only wish tea tasted as good as this smells because I hate the stuff! I also wish it lasted a little longer, after two hours it's starting to noticeably fade.

 

 

This is the second time I've tested Dorian. The first time I thought it was nice but soon forgot it as I indulged in a orgy of testing my first order. Now I'm revisiting the ones I tested in the first few days and Dorian has definitely moved into my favourites list. Maybe not the top 10 but very close, and I have a suspicion that the more I wear it the more I'll fall for it, in fact even as I'm typing this it's already happening. This is going to be perfect in the warmer months when I want to wear a lighter musk than my other heavier blends.

 

 

 

ETA:

I've now worn it a couple of days, and forget top 10, this is top 5! I LOVE this!

Edited September 23, 2006 by Trishek

[myoubi]

Okay, I gave this one a second try because I figured, well, everyone else loves it so... and I do like it. I'm not over the moon, but I'm certainly happy I have a bottle. A little Dorian goes a very long way, but this time I'm getting a bit more lemon, which is nice -- it cuts the sweetsweet of the vanilla -- and while I don't get as much musk as I'd like (and a little more vanilla than I usually am a fan of) the musk comes out more on the drydown. It's a very comforting scent, and it's very English major-y on me (don't ask me why, that's just the feeling I get from it). This is good, because I am in fact a lit major. I wouldn't call it debauched, but there's definately something demure about it, the particularly manipulative way some women have of pretending ignorance of their own sexiness (which is, of course, all the more attractive). A good one for the chillier months.

Edited November 13, 2006 by myoubi