The Living Flame

[Lit Chick]

A luminescent red scent: breathless with passion, flickering with desire, and glowing with ardent and reverential love.

omg, I smell like my mom!

Now don't get me wrong, my mom is an amazing woman. But I need to smell like me!

That was my experience EXACTLY. I'm not sure if I'm going to swap it or see if my mom will like it.... because I need to smell like me, too.

ETA: I'm wearing it again today. As it got to full-dry, I adored it. It passed out of mom-ness into pretty, pretty. But, after many hours of wear, I'm back to mom. It's a gorgeous scent, MUCH better than the perfume which she wears (I find that way too heavy and flat). Living Flame has all of the pretty notes of her favored perfume, and none of the ack factor.
She's so getting this bottle from me - between this, Aeval, and Chaste Moon, I think I have a convert!

[theshapeshifter]

Wow, this is really well blended... I'm having a challenge pulling notes out of it, but I'll try:

 

In the bottle: Very floral, but sexy-floral, not "OMG I'm a bouquet!" floral.

 

Initial application: Wow... I'm not sure what specifically I'm smelling, but it certainly IS luminescent red. There are loads of flowers here, and a good kick of sweetness and spice.

 

After about 15 minutes: Okay, I think there's a little jasmine, but more of some other kind of flower that I know I should recognize, but don't. There's a sort of cherry-vanilla sweetness underlying it that reminds me of Dragon's Milk, and then there's this spiciness that wafts its way through everything. Not a strong spice, but definitely there, warming everything else up. It's not quite cinnamon, not quite clove - somewhere in between.

 

After an hour: The bit of sugary-ness has died down, leaving a rich, warm incensey floral that I still can't quite nail down. There's a bit of powder creeping in, but so far it's a good powder. I can see that vague resemblance to the original 'Poison', but in a much less in-your-face way. Looking forward to seeing what this does the rest of the day!

[eadavenp]

At first whiff the living flame smelled like grape pez or someother dry, hard grapey candy. I smelled an underlying sweetness that was more floral, and a bit of spice, but not cinammon which i had been a bit afraid of.

 

On me, this makes me feel similar to Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo. It doesn't smell similar, this is much more floral, and IMHO a more complex scent, but it has the same "feel" if that makes sense. Its definitely a good thing. Overall, i love this scent, it dries down to florals and vanilla on me.

[quimerula]

It's a spicy floral on my skin, very special, with romantic and independence feelings at the same time. Beautiful and complex.

 

May I dare to guess some notes?

Red musk, ginger, clove and a touch of dragon's blood, maybe carnation too.

 

It remembers me the sky just before the first firework.

[blaqpearl]

I am really loving this scent. It is a warm and inviting. I smell florals, but with my untrained nose I cant pick out any notes. It then turns into incense on me. I dont know which one, but it smells gorgeous.

 

And after 11 hours this still smells good. This one is a keeper for sure.

[Sheila]

In the bottle: something burnt and sharp: flame-like.

 

On: A very sweet floral that dries into a very posh perfume. I can't really pick out notes, except that I'm pretty sure there's sweet pea in here and probably musk. I see where others have smelled vanilla, but I think it's a sweet floral (?) rather than vanilla. But I'm not sure! It's taken me three wearings to really come to like this. It is sophisticated and worldy--womanly rather than girlish. And it's gotten unsolicited compliments from my husband, who usually says "that smells nice" when I shove my wrist under his nose but doesn't otherwise notice my perfumes.

[SoapyRN]

Like a goofy girl I was put off the the name when it was released, thinking flame, meant smoke. So, after reading the reviews and wanting a bottle, I got one, thnks to Astrid.

 

On wet. This is where people are getting that grape/sweet candy like note. It goes away fast though and up comes the musk? Vanilla musk. I want to eat my arm.

 

As it drys, the floral and musk all just intensify. This is not a red hot flame scent, more of a blush, on your cheeks if you are doing something yummy!

 

I adore this. Want another bottle as I know people who would love this too.

Must learn to trust Beth and just buy the blends when released.

 

Edited May 2, 2005 by SoapyRN

[Shollin]

First sniff: The Living Flame smells fruity to me – sweet red berries with a hint of something deeper and the barest brushing of soft petals. It’s not an aggressive red; it’s a softer red, like red tulips or those gorgeous coral-coloured azalea blossoms.

 

Wearing: Fantastically warm and sweet, deepening to soft furry musk. This is just wonderful.

[Nisaba]

I wanted to love this, I really did. The description was just so breathtaking...

 

But my skin just eats it. Gobbles it right up. This is the first time I've had a scent disappear so fast on me. I've slathered my wrists today in an attempt to smell something, and all I get is a very faint air-freshener floral scent, if I put my nose right to my wrist. And within half an hour it's gone. Oh well - next!

[Digital_Hypoxia]

Very floral, very much the smell I associate with the perfume my mother wore when I was a child.

The notes do blend seamlessly, and I can see the various sweet/ musk/floral bits that have already been mentioned.

 

On my skin, however, everything quickly morphs to generic perfume smell ™ .

 

I envy those of you with compatible chemistry. Mom should love it though

Edited May 6, 2005 by Digital_Hypoxia

[Tesseljoan]

On my skin, however, everything quickly morphs to generic perfume smell ™ .

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's exactly what it does on my skin. It sounded so gorgeous, but it really isn't my thing. I can't even make this review more useful by picking out some notes, because I can't detect any.

Hrmph. A red scent sounds so beautiful.

[fallow deer]

I'm enjoying this oil. It starts off very berryish, and dries to a red vanilla-musk scent.

 

It very much reminds me of a (cheap but still very nice) perfume my friend used to have when I was a teenager, I think Charlie Red?

 

It's sweet and quite sexy.

[LiberAmoris]

If Morocco and the Queen of Spades had a love child, it would be The Living Flame! I love this blend---spicy vanilla, sandalwood, those mysterious eastern spices, berries, and sexy musk. On my way home from work, not one, but TWO complete strangers complimented me on my perfume on the subway...both nice-looking gentlemen, I should add...

 

That's really all it takes to sell me on a blend. I'm so glad I bought two bottles of this stuff---one is going to a good friend for her birthday present, and I know she's going to love it!

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Smells like a perfume counter. If I were to associate just one smell with the idea of perfume, this would be it.

 

After Wearing It:

Smelling this wet on my skin, I'm very much remind playing around in my grandmother's bathroom with her perfume collection. My love of perfume was found there and I always spent time sniffing there since my mom wasn't much of a perfume gal and she had only a bottle of Charlie at home. But my paternal grandmother loved perfume, wild costume jewelry, and makeup so I loved spending time playing in her room while the adults talked (and fortunately, she was only too happy to allow me). I don't remember what particular perfumes she had, but they were all heavy floral oriental scents. High on the jasmine & musk, which I definitely can smell here. I feel like I can smell some some perfumer's alcohol here sure, though I'm not sure where that'd come from.

 

As time wore on, the musk softened and the stiffer floral notes folded back to reveal a berry scent. Not quite sure what it is exactly, I don't think it's plum but it may be. The berry note is warmed by musk and spice. It sort of reminds me of an older, far less innocent version of Bathsheba. Where Bathsheba was a sensuous, but obviously young and somewhat innocent beauty, The Living Flame is her scheming, hardener mother. She's learned the sacrifices you've got to make in life to come on top, the games she has to play, and that you can't make an omelet about breaking some eggs. There's something cynical about her, and perhaps even slightly wicked and cruel. She certainly has a hot fire burning within her, but her passion isn't for love and loved ones, but for her own brand of victory. She's cunning, loves to win and only plays for her own team.

 

The Living Flame lasts for a long time, has a decent amount of throw and while it sweetens a bit, never loses its edge with me. Fascinating blend.

 

Final Thoughts:

This definitely wasn't what I was expecting from the description but I like it all the same. The images it evokes for me are very odd though. The feelings I get from this in its early stages are very much opposed to the tough woman images I got later. My grandmother, who was so clearly evoked while the oil was wet, was one of the kindest, most generous women I've known, so it was strange that this scent morphed into a Wicked Queen from Snow White sort of scent. But it did it seemlessly. Interesting is definitely the word that keeps popping up when I try to describe this blend. It's puzzle, for sure.

[Muppetk]

Interesting: in the bottle, very floral.

 

On me: floral with that same hint of food in the wet stage from all saints. (The hint of foodiness disappears quicky.)

 

Later: *Very* well blended florals, very smooth, difficult to pick out the notes. Very pretty. No spices or musk for me though. Looking forward to testing it again in a few days to see what my body chemistry does with it.

[helarctos]

I would characterize this less as a "red" scent than a "warm" one. Red makes me think of cinnamon (and the welts it can cause!), cherries, roses -- none of which I get from the Living Flame.

 

What this is, is a sophisticated floral of deep and compelling warmth. Its sophistication might explain some reviewers' feeling that it made them smell more mature than they wanted. To me, this wouldn't be an everyday scent, but something I'd wear for a special occasion when I wanted to feel especially poised and elegant.

[empi girl]

All the reviews sounded so nice, that when Chaste Moon didn't work for me, I swapped for this.

 

I find it to be very "perfumey", in the nose-tingling way, which I believe is jasmine coming out to play with me. However, beneath that, I do get sweet fruit, and a soft richness. On my test q-tip, when dry, it smells absolutely beautiful-floral and fruity and sweet all at once. If it had done that on me, it would have been a keeper. But no, it has the jasmine... I swapped it away again, to a hopefully happier home.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Ooh! Sweet. And fresh. Maybe flowers, but just a bit? 2nd try: Yup, I do smell flowers. But it's mostly sweet and fresh.

 

Just On: A little bit of sharpness, a hint of flowers, freshness, a sense of the sweetness still. 2nd Try: Sweet flowers with that sharp tinge that I can't identify.

 

An hour or two later: A really sweet floral scent that I like! (If you've read my reviews, you'll know I don't often care much for floral scents.) Rather heady, not quite intoxicating. 2nd Try: I can't believe I smell like flowers, and I like it! This rocks.

 

Around 6 hours: A flowery, powdery smell that I quite like. I could certainly get to like this one! 2nd Try: I'm already planning to get more of this. The flowers turn to a very flowery powder that smells wonderful.

 

12 hours: It's almost all gone, but it lasted quite a while, and it never went all flower-yuck on me, which is awesome. I've wanted something full of flowers that *I* could wear, and it seems this is it. Doesn't it always figure that the discontinueds, LE's, and otherwise unavailable ones appeal to me the most? It leaves a faint hint of powder at this point, which is till good for me. 2nd Try: Yes, this fades into a beautiful powder, and I really want to smell this more often.

 

Overall: I really like this, and I'll be hoarding this scent as much as I can, because it's the first floral that I can truly wear all the way through. Of course all I get from The Mate is, "It's nice," as usual, but I'm resigned to the fact that he just doesn't appreciate the precious. Matter of fact, I just made a deal to buy a big bottle, and I may seek out another. I would have expected cinnamon, clove, smoke, all kinds of things, but not sweet flowers that WORKED ON ME!!!

 

After reading other reviews: I didn't get musk or vanilla or amber or berry or anything besides flowers, and for once, I don't mind. This is the perfume I wanted when I was single, and wanted to smell really good and confident and sweet and all that when I went out, but couldn't find in the department store crap.

[laochodia]

O.o If I knew this scent would react this well to my skin, I'd have bought a bottle instead of swapping for an imp.

On me, this is vanilla, musk and very very light florals. Its more complex than that, but thats what I can identify. Someone mentioned the sky before fireworks- to me this is the sky after the fireworks. Warm, with sparks of heat floating around and a sense of satisfaction.

[etherealchild]

In the Bottle Pulsating floral

 

Wet This is...... different. It's not damp or warm, but HOT. Never smelled a hot floral. Orchid, a dark orchid, very musky........ gardenia and jasmine in there somewhere. Other florals I can't pick out or recognize.... something fluid and juicy.... And something kinda spicey and resiny..... cross between saffron and cinnamon..... I don't know what it is.

 

Drydown PLUM! Aha! Fleshy hot plum. You guys were right. The floral is fading and whatever that spice is is taking over....... the plum is dripping.......

 

2 Hours Later The smell simmers down to it's base elements...... juicy fruits, spice, orchid...... nice.

 

Verdict One of the most interesting blends I have ever tried. I like it.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Red and juicy. It seems to be red wine and berries? Almost like...Lady Macbeth, if she was a young woman instead of an aged matron. Under the bright juice I smell wisps of smoky patchouli.

 

On me: Still very juicy. Flowers are starting to appear now; I can't identify any of them though. This is a very well-blended fragrance; I can't pick out specific notes very well, just a general feel. Like Red Moon it goes weak on the skin; that doesn't surprise me as I'm sure these share more than a few notes.

[ashtonrose]

OOOOH this is sooo gooooood!!!! At first I thought it was very perfumey, but it has dried down so soft, powdery floral. It's not too powdery. More like the pretty scented powder you dust on before sex.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 1/5

Summarised in a word or two: Musky flowers.

 

In the imp/bottle: Something musky and floral; very "red" indeed.

 

On skin, wet: This is starting to become too floral for me already. Rose, maybe?

 

On skin, dry: I don't get anything *remotely* foody from this, so far -- just light musk and flowers.

 

Conclusion: A warm, heavy floral. It strikes me as rose, more than anything. I'd hoped it would stay as "red" as it was in the bottle, but no such luck.

Edited December 18, 2005 by Aredhel

[Eros]

This is lovely!!

 

In the bottle(1st time), boozy & slightly spicy w/an undertone of generic, designer perfume(if that makes any sense). It quickly morphs to a slightly sweet creaminess & I pick up what seems to be honeysuckle, rose, and a hint of vanilla, YUM! Also a bit of sharp musk &...gardenia?? Goes a bit powdery for a bit but that stage doesn't last too long nor is it bad at all, other than threatening to bring on a bout of sneezing, lol. It seems to want to go generic perfume on me but doesn't quite make it

Second time wearing~Put a bit more on and although still boozy at first, I'm definitely picking up some kind of sweet, spicy berry along with what I mentioned above. Nice throw and stays on for hours. Softens a bit as time goes by but once it dries down to creamy, spicy, sweet & subtle floral/berry & vanilla goodness, stays that way.

 

Took me a bit to decide to get this but glad I did! I'll probably look to grab another bottle in the near future if I can.

Beautifully done!

[quikslvr]

Definitely floral--reminds me a bit of my dad's girlfriend's preferred perfume tones. Beautiful, but may be too floral/perfume-y for me. There's a commercial scent this is JUST LIKE, but I can't remember what it is and it's driving me batty. Hmm.