The Living Flame

[Ina Garten Davita]

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

First Impression: Do eyeballs rolling back in one's head considered a first impression?

Second Impression: Fruityfloralcandygorgeousness. This is the pinnacle of love and joy.

Final Analysis: How can one even review a scent such as this? "A luminescent red scent: breathless with passion, flickering with desire, and glowing with ardent and reverential love." That is what it is, there is no other way of describing.

[phaedrine]

After reading the eager reviews from QS and the other locals, I really thought I'd love this one.

 

Sniffing from the bottle, I got a definite redpink floral, but smelled a lot of O in it, so I was very excited.

 

Sadly...it was not to be.

 

It stayed mainly the redpink floral the entire time, getting very sweet and almost sickly on me.

 

After several hours, it did calm down and I got the warm notes I had hoped for, but still with an...almost an aftertaste of the sickly red/pinkness.

 

Ah well. Maybe next time!

[Belladonnastrap]

First Sniff

Mmm gentle honey,spices and something more...I can't place my finger on it, it's whatever the note is in O and Le Petit Mort that makes lower parts of my body clench in rememberance...yay for TMI! It smells red.

 

Wet

Mmmmmmmmm. This is nice. A bit heady and more spicy then I like (I normally steer clear of the overtly spicy scents) but it's nice. A little dab of this definitely goes a long way! Mmm.

 

Drydown

Hm. This has turned into a spicy floral. The only scent I would say this *vaguely* smells like is maybe Morocco but the warmth is different. It also vaugely reminds me of CK One oddly enough. I like it, it's heady without giving me a headache. Lasts pretty well too, I put it on at 10am and it's almost 12 hours later and still going strong.

 

Aftermath

Normally I'm not a fan of the spicy floral (I like either one or the other, not both) but The Living Flame is a great exeception. Heady without being cloying, seductive without being overbearing. Another great scent Plus the label's fab.

[shadow]

Here's another one I was worried I wouldn't like after raeding the reviews. It was the ones that mentioned it being "perfumey" that really gave me pause. Luckily it's wonderful!

 

When I open it, and even right after I put it on, it smells like red popsicles. It's very bright and clear red, and it doesn't seem very complex. At this point I'm thinking either I got the runt of the batch or everyone who's reviewed this so far is smoking crack.

 

But then the other notes come out and strengthen. And suddenly I understand the perfumey comments and the comparison to Venom. I don't know that it necessarily smells like Venom, but it certainly feels like it. It's grown up and expensive, seductive and playful all at once. At this point the florals have come into play as well as whatever it is that keeps it grounded. Musk? Amber? I'm not sure as both of those tend to make things seem similar. It's warm and almost like skin, just a bit powdery and dry, but not baby powdery.

 

After a few hours nearly all the fruit has gone away, there's just enough to keep the lingering scent sweet, and all the edge of the floral's are gone. All that's really left is that skin scent. Well, that scent that's sort of like skin, only better.

 

Another Limited Edition that I will treasure.

[sarada]

I didn't order this but received a generous amount in swap, for which I am very grateful!

 

I had wondered if it would come across very sweet, or very floral on me, though I hoped that I might have the same success with this that I have with some other "red" scents ... though usually, "red" for me means red musk or dragon's blood, neither of which appears to be in this blend (?)

 

In the bottle it is very strong and heady and I don't apply a whole lot because I don't want to knock anyone out at work today. It initially comes across as a pleasant, strong perfume like Venom, but without the ingredient that gave me a headache in Venom (jasmine?)...it definitely comes across as more of a red scent, than the green/purple that impressed me with Venom.

 

As it dries down it comes across more and more like Blood Countess, without the strong dark/juicy purple fruit. I feel like there is plum in this though...it's reminding me of the countess, and Queen of Spades a little but again, it isn't quite as dark. It's more of a medium scent...I feel as though there has to be some kind of berry in it, jazzed up with very fragrant but not cloying floral qualities. Again, I feel as though a lot of the ingredients are things that I would associate with the color purple (lilac perhaps?) but it never quite gets as deep and dark as those other fragrances.

 

This has a really nice drydown on me. Though I'm sure there are a lot of floral characteristics to this, the things that come out on me are a little more like plum, a little more like the incensy floral I get from Blood Countess.

 

I like it a lot! I will definitely wear this.

[Finny]

Fruity, spicy, sweet, lightly floral.

 

This is very fruity wet, and it is warm and lively. There is a floral here, but it doesn't overpower the blend. The bit of spice is wonderful. It is a very strong blend too, a little dab gave long wear and lots of throw.

 

I was a bit worried when I saw the initial reviews, florals don't like me. But this blend is wonderful.

[jessamynit]

I do like it. but I don't LOVE it.

it is very difficult for me to pinpoint notes in this blend. it does kind of smell like candied perfume, like florals, like musk. it's nice, lovely, and at first I liked it very well.

then, however, I realized that it was just way too perfumey for me. and THEN I got chaste moon, which was slightly perfumey but perfect for me. so, off to ebay the living flame goes, though I like it and I love the label.

I think if this had been one of the first bottles I'd ordered, I would've loved it. since I already have more oils than I can wear, I'm learning to be more choosey, and knew someone else would just love this one.

[alston78]

In the bottle: light, spicy, and slightly citrussy? It gives off a bit more of an orange than red impression to me.

 

On application: Very warm scent- it actually warms my wrist slightly, but not in a bad way. I smell something like amber, or maybe a lighter musk, and the citrus scent is still lingering in the background. I also smell a heavy floral, which I think is possibly gardenia- jasmine usually develops a slightly soapy smell on me, and this doesn't smell soapy at all. I had a lot of red-orange associations when smelling this. It wafts a bit around me- a warm, feminine, slightly heavy floral smell.

 

A few hours later- umm...I was asleep. So I can't say how long it lasted- not extremely long, because I was able to reapply with something else when I went out six hours after first application. The warmth of the scent did remain, though, while it lasted- I didn't notice too many changes in the overall scent, just a gradual fading that remained pretty true to the initial wrist test.

 

Final verdict: I like it. I'm not crazy about it, as I tend to like things with a touch more of sweetness or spice- but it's a mature, warm, womanly scent that I would feel good about wearing on days when I need to be that way myself. I'll probably hang on to my bottle and swap an imp or two out of it.

[darkling]

In the bottle, this was hardcore flowers and perfume.

 

On my wrist, The Living Flame was soft, muted flowers. Definitely some rose. Nothing else that I could identify.

 

There is an underlying sweetness that may come from the fruit notes that others have identified. I couldn't pick up on any fruit in the scent unless I was actively seeking it out.

 

I am not a fan of floral scents but The Living Flame was sweet and light and pleasant.

[Reinaluna]

The Living Flame; The is BEAUTIFUL! I get fruit and just a little floral and I really cant tell yet if I can detect any spice. When first applied it is warm then it kind of lightens up after about 20 min. It is indeed a red scent, I love it and Im glade I chose to get this one.

[Longstofly]

Wet - I think this is what some people would call a buttery floral. I had an imp of a Chaos Theory someone sent me that smells kind of like this. Definitely a musk in there. Right now it is smelling mostly of baby powder on my skin. More like the grown up version of baby powder smell though. That probably makes no sense at all but that's what I smell.

 

I was SO glad to not have cinnamon or almond in this blend.

 

I think this almost reminds me of Zephyr a little bit too. I don't really get vanilla like other people have but it still has some time to dry down.

 

This is definitely an oil you can apply sparingly! It is very powerful!

[UltraViolet]

In the bottle

Berry floral

 

On

Mmm, the floral is more pronounced now so that the berry scent and the floral are just about equal. There's something familiar here, musk?

I think I smell heliotrope too. It's a bright herby citrus smell that I'm smelling in addition to the berry, lots of floral and spice. Can't place the specifics though but there may be lotus in here or even lily.

 

30 minutes

As it dries, it gets more bitter from the mystery herb but it also gets sweeter at the same time. The floral actually lessens as it dries, which is nice for me.

 

Throw:

Medium

 

Scent category:

Floral/Fruity/Spicy

 

Summary

A sweet and strong floral, the berry is red and warm and holds down the floral from becoming too much for me. There's an almost sticky sweetness coming from amber maybe? The spices keep the berry notes from making the scent too muted.

The berry part of this scent is similar to Bordello or Swank, a warm sensous deep red berry. But it differs because of the florals and the spices.

As it dries the florals morph to more of a general fresh Spring flower scent.

 

Purchase again?

Yes.

 

1-5 rating, 5 being best:

4 if you like florals, 3 if you don't.

Edited April 13, 2005 by UltraViolet

[Aurelius]

Wow, this is an odd blend. Lovely, but a little wild. The Living Flame (like Blue Moon) morphs while on my skin. Not just on the drydown, it seems to always be in flux even after it has dried. Last night when I wore it it was RED flowers, spicy redness, juicy fruit punch, light floral, rich floral, and back again. It was strong and it had throw. Today it has disappeared from my skin. Just poof! Gone! In the little time it was present I could smell a rich thick bouquet. That's it. Strange little blend. But fantastic.

[Penance]

Preconceived notions:

 

I'm fully prepared not to like this one. Having read QS's original review, I decided it was pretty unlikely that I'd like this, so if I don't it won't be a disappointment, at least.

 

First sniff:

 

Oh, wow, so far I like this! I smell red musk, vanilla and a hint of something spicy with some sort of floral in the background that's just enough to soften this without making it girly. This could work!

 

Wet on skin:

 

Way more floral now, but my skin does tend to amp up florals like crazy, so maybe that's why. It's not a bad floral, though, which is good. I'd prefer if it stayed true to the way it smelled in the bottle, but it's still not bad. I'm no good with florals, so I can't say what this is apart from saying it's floral and it's not rose, lilac or honeysuckle.

 

Dry down:

 

Huh? Wha...? Damn! Something in this has turned into pure baby powder once The Living Flame dries. I don't know what the culprit is, but whatever it is, it ruined this one for me. I can't tolerate smelling like baby powder, unfortunately.

 

The bottom line:

 

Another potentially great scent ruined by skin chemistry.

[sh1mm3r]

Every once in a while a scent comes out that if I could only freeze it's initial reaction on my skin, I'd be so happy! But sadly, the main stage of The Living Flame was not my style.

 

The first stage - spicy, with a touch of sweetness and fushia florals

 

As it dried, the spiciness was replaced with a sweet, thick floral. I could picture an older lady with long brown hair, but not me.

 

So I swapped it! For something I haven't seen yet, but the adventure continues!

[grrrlennyl]

at first: i can't really pin anything down in this. it's warm.

on: i can't describe this. it's perfumey. warm. but, above all, soft. very soft.

1 hour later: more of a biting floral now. i think i'm getting musk or amber or something else that's powedery.

3 hours later: a biting floral. why oh why is this turning on me?

6 hours later: softer now, thankfully. i'm still having trouble picking out any notes.

overall: i'm not sure about this. i like it, but...i don't know. i'll have to give it another shot.

[oatmealneko]

Bottle: There's some berries in here! Ack. Florals. Can't pick out what kind. Smells promising.

Wet: Florals. LOTS of them. But wait...it's an orchid. I like orchids. Orchid & slightly berry. Just a hint of berries, which are rapidly giving way to the orchid.

Dry: Orchid has disappeared. There's rose, & I think a little bit of gardenia. Mostly rose. The berry scent is back again. Ten minutes later, the gardenia isn't there anymore & it's rose & berries, but mostly rose.

 

I wished & hoped this would be a fruity scent on me. Alas, it was not meant for me. It's good, but a tad too floral for me. Unfortunately, rose ruins every scent I've tried simply because it becomes too strong & overwhelms everything else. It's not overwhelming in this, but overall it's too floral for me. Even the bit of berries in the drydown doesn't save this one. It's a lovely scent, but it's lovely on someone else.

[Elanya]

I like this alright. This is the first limited edition scent that I've bought, and I don't remember now why I decided to take the plunge, so to speak. It is pretty rosey, but with a nice musk at the bottom. At first, and in the bottle, it is very rosey and fruity, but after a little while, the musk undertone starts to stand out. It really is like a fire: the rose and fruit are like the tongues of the flames dancing over the top, and the musk is the burning hot embers underneath. It also has pretty good staying power.

 

I think I'm going to hold on to it for now

[bookfaery]

This was pure florals to me, not much at all of vanilla or musk. Just pure florals, which is really not good for me as that's something that really becomes strong on my skin.

 

I will agree, this was very red in its scent, but sadly due to the level of florals it just never quite agreed with me. It seemed warm and beguiling in its scent as well, and would be the scent of a true lady.

[kmasden]

Can't believe I forgot to review this one! It is very "red" isn't it. Wet, I do feel like there is just a tinge of some sweet fruit, plumish as someone said, although it goes away very quickly for me and I don't seem to smell it again at all. There's a softness I usually associate with amber and an almost creaminess to it that I get from heliotrope. Interesting. I am sure I am sooo way off base. I don't know enough about flowers to say which they are, but at first I thought there was a slight rose smell, rosewood...something along those lines, although again, I don't get an actual rose after that at all...hmmm, some reviewer I am!

 

I think this is a very sexy scent. It is a bit "heady" or "perfumy" since I am a headache gal and I'm not sure I can wear it (just as I get with Kali and Lust and Zephyr). But it really is cozy and sexy and red baby doll with really high heels!

[cuervosueno]

I've been reading the reviews and worrying ever since I got my click n ship notifcation that this was on the way....florals? Oh no! Smells like Wolf Moon (which I have a bottle of no one seems to want to buy or swap away)? Le Serpent Qui Danse? oh no!

So let me say it: I LOVE THIS! thank you beth!

In the bottle: a boozy floral, which I found intriguing. Its not at all red to me, but it is intriguing....

Wet, that holds for a moment on me. Someone described it as buttery floral and that makes sense. I'd go with Penance's thought of it having vanilla and red musk, esp. because it does turn a bit powdery on me, as most musk does, but I like that.

Still, that alone wouldn't be enough to convert me. But you know what does? On me, this smells as close to Dia de Los Muertes as anything else the lab has come up with, and I adore ddlm! It smells like Dia if the lovely smoky sugar note of that LE had been stripped away...

Or so I thought all day.

funny, as I now have them both on and compare, I see ddlm is a bit more...funky/fruity in its floral notes, if that makes any sense, and the Living Flame is more true floral....but a floral that is full of boozy, musky notes that make it complex and sensuous--florals with heat, perhaps.

Very very nice.

edited to add that I wore it all day yesterday. My only disappointment is that I like to be able to smell the scent I'm wearing myself, and it is gorgeous but not strong on me. A couple of hours later I couldn't smell it, but then one of my friends said my god you smell good--so while I didn't think it had staying power, perhaps it is just lighter than I'm what used to. bonus on that: he said do they make any scents for guys? yay, another chance to enable!

Edited April 16, 2005 by cuervosueno

[wickedgoddess]

Wet, I can't pick out any individual notes at all, but it smells floral and slightly fruity. As it dries the fruity scent, which appears to be berries or maybe plum, becomes more prominent. Since I am not a fan of fruity scents, and I think I am getting a mild headeache from this one as well, it's off to the swap pile.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the best) 1.

[Phaedra]

In the bottle this smells very familiar to me. It smell like this perfume my mom used to wear called Jean Nate. When first applied this is very floral and definately smells like some generic department store perfume. It's fairly light. After a few minutes it intensifies and almost smells a bit like the original version of "Poison". This dries down very nicely and is similar to Athens at that stage. I'm still undecided on this one. It's very very nice and seems like a great nighttime scent. I'll have to try this a few more times before I decide if I want to keep it or not.

 

*update- I only wore this one twice and decided it wasn't for me. I didn't find myself reaching for it again. It's nice but just so-so for me. I ended up giving it to a friend for her birthday and she loves it. She said it was similar to Wildfire- I've never tried Wildfire so I can't compare it myself. I'm glad it went to a good home though- my friend is already halfway through the bottle!

Edited August 15, 2005 by Phaedra

[anmorata]

The Living Flame:

Wet: Comes on with a slightly floral, slightly foody tone.

Drydown: All floral.. mostly lilies and white florals, I'd guess. Slightly musky, too. I get no vanilla out of this, like others have.

Long-term wear: The Living Flame ends up being a bit too floral for my tastes. Sad, I really had hopes for this one.

[pranashakti]

It took me a bit to put my thumb on why I didn't fall in love with the living flame. I didn't get any musk or vanilla on like some of the other reviewers and I thought that might be it. Florals and I need a bridge in the form of some spice or fruit or foody note to get along. I was intrigued during the wet stage, because there were definite possibilities...some spice with the intense and amazing florals, but during the drydown...

 

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!