Hollywood Babylon

[missnightshade]

The essence of innocence shattered: glittering Egyptian amber and heliotrope, infused with the sweetness of strawberry and vanilla - dragged into debauch by lusty red musk and a dribble of black cherry.

When I first smelled this, I tried in an oil diffuser. I really liked it! So I decided to try it on me. Initially I could smell lots of BERRIES! Sugary, syrupy, candy-like. After a while I'm able to smell the amber, which isn't usually something I'm fond of. I think maybe this one irritates my skin, it made me a bit itchy. Sadly I don't think this is one I can wear. But when I use it to scent a room, it really does remind me of Hollywood in some ways. Maybe it's the glamorous aspect. I don't think it suits me, I'm usually into scents that are more elegant, mysterious or sweet/playful/innocent.

EDIT: I just keep on going back to sniffing this imp... I think it's the ripe, sugary berries going on that really has me hooked! I think I might want a 5ml of this for a room scent! Edited May 21, 2007 by MissNightshade
Added Lab description

[rockchickie]

When my skin's really dry I can barely smell this at all.

 

Wet: Strawberries. Yum.

 

Dry, moisturized skin: Sweet creamy, cherries. There's something reminiscent of O in this, I believe it's the way the vanilla and amber are mixing together in a way that my nose just loves. I can't really identify them on their own but oh, I know that mixture.

 

Oh wait!!! I know what this is! So when I was back in high school, I used to have this lip gloss from Victoria's Secret. Strawberries and Champagne, though not really champagne-y. Tasted divine. The boys loved it. Discontinued in 1999 or 2000.

 

This is a keeper. Mainly for the nostalgia factor but it's still a scent that works with me.

[willowtreeling]

in the bottle: blech. cherry cough syrup.

wet: strawberry incense and baby powder

dry down: strawberry incense from that summer after I graduated highschool, listening to Mazzy Star.

 

It's nicer on than in the bottle, but I doubt I would ever wear it. It's just not something I would want me or my home to smell like, though the trip down memory lane was nice. It reminds me of a hippie-esque gift shop smell...I guess I will let my cousin try this one:)

[CiCi]

I received this as a frimp from the lab in my last order. This smelled really nice in the imp-very fruity with spices. But once I apply it something happens and it turns very plastic-y on me. The strawberry doesn't like me but the spices do. If I could have one without the other I would and could actually wear this. How could something that smells so good in the imp go so wrong on me?

[naeelah]

This one is really lovely. It's feminine, womanly and girly at the same time. Grounded and confident, and a little bit flirty.

 

The first things I smell are the fruit notes with the red musk and I think the heliotrope, which have a prickly, sweet, slightly husky quality. As it dries, the amber comes out and balances things a bit better, adding a soft and grounding element. The amber is very warm. After it has dried, I get just a touch of the vanilla, which blends well with the amber.

 

I love amber because it's one of the few earthy bottom notes that smells good on me and doesn't get amped totally out of proportion. Unfortunately, my skin seems to eat the lab's amber or something, because this fades really, really fast on me. Almost all amber based scents go pretty soft, and I tend to like things with greater throw and strength. In less than hour, I can only smell it right under nose. The good news is that, even though amber is the main note, I can still smell all of the other notes in pretty good measure.

 

It would be a winner if it didn't fade so much. Boo.

 

This one reminds me of John Seward and Blood Countess, for the mixture of musky/smoky and sweet qualities. Although the notes are fairly different between them, the overall character is somewhat similar, on my skin. (YMMV) Hollywood Babylon is definitely the softest and warmest of those three.

[porcelina]

this smells like the most delicious strawberry incense ever... it is intensely fruity, sweet and makes me want to lick my arm. damn this is good stuff!

[bryghtrose]

That slight dribble of black cherry turned me off. It smelled strongly of cherry cough syrup when wet. As it dried the vanilla and strawberry came out. It ended up smelling like shampoo.

[starryharlequin]

Got this one as a freebie in my recent order. In the bottle, it smells amazing--kind of fruity and sweet, with some kind of sexy undertone--putting it on made me feel vampiric, like I wanted to start eating my wrist, and the skin scent was part of that desire....a bit creepy actually. But good.

 

But then, ten minutes in.....wtf, patchouli?

 

At first I thought it might be the amber, but I checked a couple of other scents I have which include amber, and this hasn't happened with them. But it did happen with Scherezade, which doesn't have patchouli listed either--but which does have red musk . My bet is that there's patchouli in the red musk blend, and because my skin looooooooves patchouli (a drop of Ravenous can give me a headache, it's so strong) I'm just amping that scent up way beyond all others.

 

About four hours later, now, the patchouli is finally fading, and I think I'm getting the berries and amber (oh, that's what it smells like!). It's very nice again. But I don't think I can handle the 100% patchouli that long just for ten good minutes at the beginning and a couple of very faded hours at the end. Alas!

[Bagfish]

Bah, typical. What should be an amazing scent on me (Amber! Heliotrope! Vanilla!) is ruined yet again by red musk. Red musk is my BPAL nemesis making Hollywood Babylon smell like a scented eraser, all the nice things with a horrid plastic overtone. Not good

 

Off to swaps, what a shame

[alicia_stardust]

This is not something I'd normally expect to want to smell like, and yet it is attention grabbing.

 

Above all else, I get red musk. The strawberries and cherry give it a syrupy, sweet, almost effervescent quality, and the vanilla sort of smooths the edges between the musk and the red fruits and envelopes it in a soft cloud. After a while the amber comes out to play with the vanilla.

 

Lovely!

[Carmencita]

In the vial: Maenad all grown up

 

On me: A smooth blend of sun-warmed strawberries in a bowl of honeyed milk, but with the other elements making this more sophisticated and sexy.

 

Later: Honey Amber Strawberry Sex. Mmmm.

[CrazyPretzel]

This is an imp I got in a swap and it looks pretty old (nearly empty too), so I'm guessing it's quite well-aged.

 

In the imp: musk. Not too much else going on.

 

On skin: still musk.

 

Drydown: Now it gets more interesting. Some spices are coming to the fore that *really* remind me of Snake Oil.

 

After a little while, a cherry note appears that gradually gets deeper as time passes -- think big black cherries cut in half and you've got the cherry note.

 

I couldn't pick out any strawberry in this one; amber and heliotrope aren't really obvious either, unless those combined with the vanilla are what's reminding me of Snake Oil.

 

Basically, it's Snake Oil + cherries. If you like this one you'll like Snake Oil and Lust.

[maribouquet]

If Mme. Moriarty were a Strawberry Shortcake doll...

[brit_brat100]

Imp: Sweet like candy. Wow. Almost like a jolly rancher

 

Wet: Cough syrup...weird.

 

Dry: A little sweeter again, but still a bit dizzy-making.

[usamimi]

In the bottle: Flowery and elegant.

 

Wet: Berries! Lots of berries! Strawberry was the dominating berry scent, though. It smelled like jam, almost.

 

Dry: The berries and heliotrope worked very well together, I think. It started out smelling almost too sweet, but the flowers help it smell a little less "OMG, CANDY!".

 

Overall: A nice light, feminine scent. I dunno if I'd buy a big bottle, but I'll probably wear it again.

[n1k1ta]

Heliotrope and strawberry with a bite of musk is what I first catch from Hollywood Babylon. It’s very juicy and dark red like overripe fruit. After about two hours, the vanilla and amber slither out to darken Hollywood Babylon – very sexy and corrupted.

 

By four hours, Hollywood Babylon was mostly musky amber with dark flowers. The berries were completely gone and the perfume lost its personality. I’m pretty sure that this would work better on someone else.

[gwynethr]

The amber and the musk make this border on sickly for my nose, unfortunately. (Not as bad as Gluttony, though, which actually makes me feel nauseated.) I like the scent wet much more than dry. If it were straight fruity and vanilla-y, I think I might like this one better. I will definitely finish off the imp, eventually, but it's not one I'd want to wear much.

[Mixxi]

In the bottle: Strawberries & something sort of synthetic smelling.

 

Wet on skin: Strawberry & black cherry are at the forefront now with a vanilla rounding it off and sweetening it. I can also smell something floral and soft in the background which is probably the heliotrope.

 

Dry on skin: This is where the magic happens . The red musk & amber race to the front and sex the whole blend up! There's the gorgeous creamy, fruity sweetness going on underneath this sexy musky scent.

 

Overall: This is just what I wanted! It's another favorite of mine I'd put in the sweet/foody but sexy category. Absolutley gorgeous

Edited August 4, 2007 by Mixxi

[stasha]

In the imp: Cherry cough syrup. I've found that I typically smell cough syrup in all berry scents until it hits my skin though. There's spices underneath that the berries seem to smooth out.

 

Wet on skin: It's a creamy strawberry vanilla laid over the seductive scent of red musk. The black cherry keeps trying to emerge but I'm really hoping it stays covert.

 

Dry down: Unfortunately the black cherry wins the race and turns my wrist into plastic. I'm typically not good with fruit notes unless it's wine so I was kind of expecting this.

[dydan]

One of these days I'll learn my lesson and not sniff the bottle. Hollywood Babylon started out way too tootie fruitie for me. It was all strawberry and made me feel like I should redecorate my house in a Strawberry Shortcake theme.

 

Thankfully, Hollywood Babylon grows up. And how. As it dried it lost the sugary little girl feel and became grown up...wanton. I've often made jokes about being the Whore of Babylon and I imagine if I WERE her this is what I'd wear. Its sweet enough to draw the bees to my honey, and then naughty enough to ensnare them in my clutches.

 

I think this may be a good scent for seducing the boyfriend. Rawr!!

[cinderfallen]

This is what the Black Broom smelled like, and it epitomizes the scent of BPAL for me. It seemed like a lot of the early blends I tried smelled like this for some reason, especially considering the fact that BPAL has come a long way. It instantly smacks me of incense and artificial fruit, but slightly creamy, too. I seem to get the slightest tinge of sandalwood. Wearing this while incense hunting on Venice Beach wouldn't be wholly out of place.

[ravenfeathers]

hollywood babylon

 

in the bottle this is sweet and saucy. my initial impression: "evil fruit, dark and vaguely musky".

wet on skin strawberry and cherry, but very ripe and heady. i can't smell the vanilla, but i can feel it in my nose.

dry on skin amber, amber, amber. and a little fruit.

two hours later it smells a bit candle-y, but it's a nice candle. not sure if i'd actually wear this. i think it would make a really nice incense.

[abejita]

I got ahold of this in my quest to try everything with Egyptian amber (one of my all time favorite bpal notes).

 

This is what I wanted Hymn To Proserpine to smell like. I get the dark fruits, but the strawberry is bright as well. The Egyptian amber is deliciously resiny, almost edible. I think I like my Egyptian amber best with spices and resins, but this is still a fun, effervescent, bouncy kind of blend.

[Ravenclaw79]

In the imp: Louden's cherry cough drops. Weird how a lot of these smells remind me of a specific commercial product right off the bat, but that's exactly what it smells like.

 

Wet: Cherry cough drops with a hint of strawberry. The fruits have gone into the background quickly, though -- now, I'm getting something calm and a little flowery, with a hint of vanilla in the very back of my sinuses.

 

Drying: Come back, happy fruity-ness! It's a very subdued, soft, powdery sweetness, with the very teenyest hint of cherry if I focus really hard. Overall, though, what started off as a very distinctive and fun scent turned into something very ho-hum and bland.

[n3m3sis42]

I had wanted to try this forever, but never gotten around to ordering an imp. Since the lovely ladyjc sent me one, I figured I would review it posthaste.

 

In the imp:

Something incensey, which sort of surprises me, given that I've heard how sweet and nearly foody this blend is. I'm guessing it's the amber?

 

Wet:

Ah, here is the sugary bit... vanilla with something else sweet. It becomes almost bubble-gummy as it dries down a bit, and I am smelling the amber again.

 

Dry:

On me, this is a sugary, cherry-y (don't you love how I make up my own words?) red musk blend. Gorgeous, and prett much everythign I was hoping it would be. I want to wear this for a full day once or twice before I decide on a full-bottle purchase, but if it works then I will definitely be buying a full bottle.