Hetairae

[karlajean]

The sublimely beautiful, fiercely independent, impeccably cultured, fascinatingly worldly and witty courtesans of ancient Greece. A seductive and dazzling blend of golden honey, fiery patchouli, sweet fig and clove, and a blushing touch of ylang ylang.

Wet, this had a very "generic perfume" smell. Sort of like when you walk into a department store perfume section and everything's mingling together.

Once it dried, it still had a bit of the same smell to it, but something slightly smoky is coming out now. I can't smell the patchouli or the clove at all, which is suprising considering how strong both of those are usually.

Later, it mellowed out into a combination of musk and soap, although a fairly sedated musk. I had thought I'd love this because of the fig, clove and patchouli, but in the end I don't find it to be anything special.

[evil_laugher]

Something about this smelled like pure DEATH on me. I wanted to like it, for sure, but I don't know what it was... Petit Mort had a similar feel, the scent of metallic blood that came from the honey, I believe, but there's something more in Hetairae that makes it more intense. I don't dislike it, but I don't want to smell like it.

[Janie]

Ylang-ylang always seems like a golden floral to me, so no surprise that it teams up so nicely with the honey in this one. I don't get patchouli at all, and the clove and fig are background notes. Nonetheless, this is another lovely golden honeyed scent that wears ever so beautifully. If you like golden honeyed scents!

 

Only moderate sillage - it's a scent that stays close to home.

[yeahbutnobut]

Hetairae

 

In the imp: sweet fig and patchouli. Quite nice.

Wet on skin: the fig note turns quite tart, which isn't bad. I think I can also smell the ylang ylang. The honey sweetens it, and the patchouli deepens it.

Dry on skin: this is quite nice! This is the most figgy smell I've tried-it's like an almost ripe fig and fig leaf smell-it's actually slightly green, or tart…This scent reminds me of when I was in Crete, and there were fig trees by the side of the road, bursting with ripe fruit, and I could simply pick the fruit off for eating, and they were so delicious. there's a hint of honey but it isn't too much, but it adds a gorgeous sweetness. I think I can just make out the clove, but it's not blatantly apparent, but the patchouli adds a nice earthy twist to this, and the ylang makes it a tad floral, but not overly so.

After a while: the honey is mellowing out, becoming more prominent, and making this blend lovelier. Oh honey, how I love thee and your sticky sweet syrupy yumminess. Now it's honeyed fig with a bit of patchouli and the barest whisper of ylang-can't smell the clove much though. I've also come to the conclusion that the Lab uses many honey notes, because this one smells like real Greek honey, which is one of my favourite honeys.

And then, after about 20-30 minutes, the patchouli makes another appearance, mingling nicely with the honeyed fig and adding mystery and depth. And the fig note strengthens once more.

Verdict: this is an interesting, changeable blend which is predominantly like tart, fresh figs (and not just the fruit, but the leaves too) but with an interesting background of patchouli which add a sensual warmth, and honey that sweetens the blend. This changes a lot-first it's like tart figs, then the honey strengthens and makes the blend smell quite yummy. And then the patchouli comes out and adds it's earthy smell as a nice backdrop to the honey and figs. I'm not sure if I'll 'big bottle' this, but I quite like it for now.

 

edit: I really wanted to love this, but after about an hour, it smells a bit weird on me. Not really repulsive and yucky, but a bit odd and a bit off, I smell it and think 'what the?'

And then after about two hours, it becomes pure patchouli with a tiny bit of honey. I smell like a hippy! But that's not a bad thing!

Edited June 22, 2005 by yeahbutnobut

[theshapeshifter]

In the imp: Honey and herbs.

 

Initial application: HONEY, and lots of it! It took a while for any other notes to come out.

 

Drydown: I briefly got an almost apple-y whiff from it, then something richer and deeper but still sweet - although I had to refresh my memory on the scent description before I realized this must be the fig. In the early drydown stages, I also got occasional wafts of floral. After it settles in, the clove comes in and combines with the fig to give a lovely spicy-fruityness to it, but the honey is the dominant note all the way through. I don't really get any patchouli out of this, except perhaps to deepen the blend

 

This is really wonderful on me, better than I expected, actually! I've had it on for five hours now and it's got great staying power.

[~AmusedMuse~]

Honey, fig and something else herbal or maybe more floral....Totally loved it especiall the staying power it had, it seemed to smell just as lovely at the end of the day as when it was first applied

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 0/5

Summarised in a word or two: Burnt wax.

 

In the imp/bottle: Thick patchouli and sugary honey. The fig and clove are there as well, but very bitter. Of course, the ylang ylang rears its head, in a sickly sweet way.

 

On skin, wet: Ylang ylang. This reeks of cheap candles, or the plastic flowers aisle in a craft shop.

 

On skin, dry: The honey, patchouli, fig and clove don't play well together, but they might have turned out better, without the ylang ylang. Ylang Ylang almost always ruins scents for me, because it turns into that cheap candle smell. Bitter, burnt wax.

 

Conclusion: Burnt wax? What weird skin.

Edited December 19, 2005 by Aredhel

[aidenraine]

This reminds me of fresh, local honey. It's not as sweet as most store-bought honeys, and is slightly herbal as well. I want to mix this with Lush's Honey Bee Have powder and BNever shower gel.

 

Wet, I can smell the patchouli. I'm a fan of the way it ads a musky layer to the honey. This is better than honey, and smells so familar at first before drying down into something unique.

 

As this dries it actually becomes a bit more herbal. Mmm spicy!

 

I thought this would be too sweet for me but it's a versatile and consistently morphing scent.

 

Overall I guess I have to say YUM!

[emzebel]

This is just a yummy, yummy scent. In the vial, it smells sweet and thick...almost syrupy with honey, darkened with ylang ylang and patchouli, with the bitterness of the fig and the clove...just delightful.

 

This blend did not morph much on my skin. The patchouli plays nice and stays in the background and lets the other notes come out and play. The honey is definitely a strong force here, which is fine with me, and I love the way the otehr notes round it out and keep it from being just HONEY. Absolutely a keeper in the imp, and a strong candidate for a big bottle...

[Elisabeth-Anne]

I had such high hopes for this one. Being half Greek myself, I thought Hetairae would be the scent of some of my more glamorous ancestresses. And from the sound of the notes, it should have been perfect.

 

But alas, it wasn't meant to be. I couldn't make out any of the notes. This scent was all one big "gothic-store-where-they-do-tattooing-and-piercing-in-the-back-room-you-know-what-I'm-talking-about" smell. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just not for me.

[Ajila]

Wet on me this was predominantly very spicy patchouli, sweetened slightly by honey, nice but a bit heavy for me. It fades to reveal the fig, but that spiciness is always in the foreground. On the whole this is a very sexy blend, but I don't see me wearing it.

[metaldog32]

Received this golden colored imp complements of the Lab..thank you

 

Not on my original list of oils to try, so I had to look it up to figure out exactly what makes this up. I always like to look at the Lab description first just so that I have an idea..my nose isn't the most sophisticated as of yet to be able to pick the notes out dead on..

 

WOW..these chicks have got it all. I happen to love fig and clove..with the honey this seems like a slam-dunk of a fragrance. Am not TOO excited about patchouli but perhaps with the ylang ylang this will all work out.

 

Initial sniff from imp: Honey sweetness..yum!! I don't know if my nose can discern the sweet fig from the golden honey..or if it is all just golden honey..but this is what I am registering. It smells wonderful.

 

Applied wet on skin: Honey is still there..but coming up fast is what I think is the patchouli..trailing is the clove...am not too sure if I am smelling the ylang ylang. The patchouli gives this a bit of an *earthy* quality which actually works..at least to me.

 

Dry on skin: Honey and fig are blended well...a very warm fragrance with the patchouli playing nice on me and the clove still peeking through every now and then. Sweet golden goodness tempered with a bit of fiery warmth of the patchouli/clove team. I am enjoying this very much.

 

Throw and staying power are good. Hetairae doesn't need re-application on me till at least the 6hour mark.

 

Drydown: A bit of honey and clove and patchouli...very nice. I am sure the ylang ylang is here..but since I am unfamiliar with it's fragrance, I can't say I smell it..but I am sure it has to be here...am just a neophyte with notes still..mea culpa!!!

 

Bottom Line: I like Hetairae. VERY MUCH. The only other fragrance I have tried with clove in it is Blood Kiss..and right now if I had to put them in a pecking order Hetaire would be first. It is a warm sensual scent that sort of reminds me of Bastet..sans amber..and since I love Bastet, Hetairae is on my list for possible big bottle(s). To me Hetairae is a late summer/early fall to winter scent.

[wickedgoddess]

Wet - sweetness and patchouli combined. Nice!

 

Dry - Primarily, I am getting patchouli and ylang ylang. A little fig has come out to join us, but it's very subtle. Hmmm…I expected to either love this or hate it, and this is pleasant, but not earth-shaking. I want to try this again, but at this point I am rather ambivalent about it.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 3.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: i'm getting a very warm, golden scent. an interesting blend of sweetness from the fig and honey and the earthiness of the patchouli. not quite sure about this one.

on: weird. this is...odd on me. i don't think the patchouli, which i normally love, is playing well with the other notes. it just seems "off" to my nose. i'll have to let it settle down for a while.

2 hours later: sweeter. nice, but...that's about all. the ylang ylang is a nice touch, though.

overall: nice, but not really me.

[Gypsy]

This was a scent I really really wanted to work for me. It had everything I wanted in it and it was the first one I ordered. At first sniff in the bottle I got honey and soap for some reason and the flowery smell curling around my nose must be the ylang ylang. Not really a good start.

 

On my skin- YES! The soapy smell completely dissappears and the cloves come to the front. I can still smell the honey but the patchouli isn't very strong. It's turning out very nice, a dark and smokey scent that makes me feel absolutely wicked.

 

My final review is that I love this scent. No, not just love..I lurrrve it. It's the beginning of a very good relationship with me and bpal.

[Undine]

The description is very accurate: this is a dazzling and golden scent.

 

When applying, I mostly smell honey, but the scent is definitely spicier than the pure sweetness I get from the bottle.. As it dries down, the patchouli and clove become stronger; they then die down and the honey comes out again, with an underlying deeper scent that I think must be the ylang ylang. I like this very much.

 

Mostly honey, with accompanying spiciness, and it makes me feel sexy and golden. It also has good throw initially, though it wears off after a couple hours.

 

This is one of my current favorites.

[tart]

Hetairae smells hot! Fiery patchouli indeed...

 

Upon first application, Hetairae reminds me a lot of O. The scent cycles through honey and ylang ylang, settling on the clove. Oh, and I smelled the dandelion thing too, but only briefly. I think it's a sexy scent but probably a little too dry for me. I'd consider a bottle if it were stronger on the honey. I'd recommend Hetairae to someone who likes Morocco but wants something even warmer with more floral and less cream.

[Lycanthrope]

In the Bottle or Imp:

Very interesting. A sweet, honey tea with a touch of herbs.

Wet, on Skin:

Deep fleshy fruits, perfumey, figgy honey. A drydown of said crushed herbs...

Drying/Drydown:

Vaguely reminds me of LUSH's Jungle conditioner, and is very sweet and perfumey. Florals and feminine, which may not work so well with me.

Over Time/Longterm:

Ends up very faintly floral, mostly figs and honey. Kind of like a fruit leather smells like...

Final Verdict?

Pleasant, but I don't think this makes my list of favorites.

[QueenFae]

Ughh, clove blends just never work for me. I smell a bit of a lovely honeyed fig, but that darn clove just swoops in and poops on all the yumminess. Ahh well, I'm sure on the right skin this would be extraordinarily delectible. Not for me

[gdogs]

in the vial....smells like my single note honey. yum!

 

wet on my skin: honey. . plus. there's a spice to it. . almost cinnamon, but a sweet cinnamon. i get a wiff of cardamom in here, too. it makes my head spin with its thick lusciousness!

 

as it dries, i get a woody scent, that to me smells like cedar, but it must be the patchuli. i'm learning that i love patchuli sweetened with honey. ..makes the perfect resinous blend. thick and golden.

 

this doesn't change much on my skin. it stays sweet, but not as sweet as sn honey, and spicy. it lasts for HOURS on me, which is very unusual.

 

verdict: YUM!!! this is so lovely. i will consider getting a big bottle, as it will be great in the fall.

[herdivineshadow]

This starts of very honeyish and then develops into a more spicy sweet. The honey scent sticks around for quite a while though. I really love this scent, mostly because of the strenght of the honey on me.

[quikslvr]

Bright at first. Then sweet and darker. The patchouli darkens it nicely, although it's mostly honey/clove, I think. Goes more patchouli/clove as dries. Softens some later.

[Ishtar]

Honey blends usually work well on me, I love fig and cloves and since finding BPAL, I realised that patchouli can smell delicious... needless to say, I promptly ordered Hetairae when it got released!

 

The honey is by far the most prominent note on me in this blend and, as is sometimes the case, it goes slightly sour after a little while. Which I actually do not mind... unless it is underscored by another sharp note and that is the role that the clove seems to be playing here.

The fig adds a touch of earthiness but mostly it reinforces the sweetness of the honey and the ylang-ylang.

 

The result is a very sweet yet sharp blend that never really found its pace on my skin. Not unpleasant but lacking balance.

Edited August 24, 2005 by Ishtar

[sarahj]

Hetairae

 

in vial: patchouli, fig, and honey

 

wet: mainly ylang ylang with a bit of honey

 

dry: almost pure ylang ylang...very floral

 

verdict: nice, but not what I was expecting. I'll use the imp, but won't be buying a big bottle.

[lixolux]

Hetairae for me is O without the funk. i dont know what it lacks from O but it smells identical wet upon application and where O goes - oh no!! funkytown - Hetairae seems to make a quick detour thru craft store and then back to a delightful honeyed musk for me.