Shadow Witch Orchid

[Delirium1009]

Orchid tubers have been used extensively by witches in their love philtres, both to promote amorous attention and the attainment of true love, and, conversely, to wither misplaced passions and sever romantic bonds. This perfume is a dusky orchid, subdued and ethereal.

In bottle/imp: Purple, sweet powdery orchid.

Immediately on skin: This is pure orchid, through and through. It smells very purple to me, and very sweet. It’s a very thick, feminine floral scent.

After a little while: This just gets thicker and stronger as I wear it. It’s a flowery, pure orchid scent… almost single-note in its directness. It’s cool and sweet with a tropical, juicy feel.

Overall Impression: In complex blends, I love orchid notes. But in this, I get something cloying to it, and it’s just too much for me. I can still appreciate this scent though, and I can say that orchid lovers will adore this. It’s sweet and floral with a tropical, almost fruity tone. It’s very wearable, though will stand out from traditional floral perfumes. This one will turn heads for sure. Edited August 21, 2008 by Delirium1009

[Iceblink]

This a beautifully straightforward orchid. It's sweet but not too sweet and makes me think of Regan without the vanilla. Good staying power and good throw, too...very pretty!

[Ohmaude]

This is tropical, warm orchid. Do orchids smell though? I don't know of any that really have a scent, minus the vampire and vanilla orchids. (the former smells lightly of rotting meat, the other of vanilla, of course)

 

So this orchid is a strong, dark, sweet floral, falling somewhere between violet, jasmine and gardenia. Despite being close to those notorious notes, it never turns to soap. Very lovely.

 

Ponthieva racemosa, the shadow witch orchid.

Edited November 12, 2008 by Ohmaude

[Yoginispirit]

Wow- this scent is very unique from the others I've tried!

 

I'm not much of a floral person but I love the juicy purple, almost tart scent of this. It's very dark and rich without being sickening and while I can't smell it constantly, I get nice whiffs when I move. When I first put it on it reminded me of when I was a teen- I finally figured out why: it's just like a fairy perfume I got from Hot Topic when I was younger. I love this scent and so does my hard-to-please BF who smelled my neck and said "mmm."

This calls for a bottle!

 

Emoticon rating:

[CynicalPink]

Disclaimer: I have never actually been able to smell an orchid. I've tried, but the shop owners tend to get a little...grumpy... when someone is putting their nose on the more expensive flowers. So, operating in a vacuum, here we go

 

Imp: Something...sour? Oh no

 

Wet: Still on the Uh Oh side of "wtf is this smell"

 

Literally one second after hitting the skin: Why hello there, pretty smell!

 

Drydown: This is beautiful. A really unique, definitely not old lady style, floral. It's got a sugar sweetness to it that doesn't go syrupy. It think it smells more like an actual flower than most floral perfumes I smell. It's certainly not a cutesy scent, but it is sweet. I *really* like this. This would totally be a big bottle buy if I wasn't up to 9 big bottles already. Future list, it is, then

[pinkstardust420]

Sweet, powdery-soft orchid. A touch of sparkley vanilla in there. This is amazing!

[othelloperrello]

This is positively a flower in a bottle.

 

So I could not recall what an orchid smelled like, not being real great on my flowers, but as soon as I opened the vial I knew it. A strong, heady floral, very wet with a huge blossum. Part of the scent of this orchid is not what I'd call traditionally "nice" smelling - there's almost an animalistic quality that gives it the feeling of being not just a floral scent but a particular flower.

 

I would say it's as HEAVY a scent as gardenia, but not nearly as sweet. The throw is better than average, and it's solid for the duration.

 

Impressive.

[Monster]

Out of the imp: Bubble bath!

 

On my skin: Creamy floral bubble bath.

 

Dry: Still bubble bath...which isn't a bad thing! This is really pretty, clean-smelling and girly. This reminds me of taking a hot bath with my sister as a kid, getting wrapped up in a big, fluffy towel and snuggling with my Mom in my jammies.

 

Overall: This is really pretty, soft, femenine and snuggly. This is VERY floral but doesn't give me a headache or make me want to sneeze. it's a wet, soft and pretty flower. I can see this one as being very popular. I like it a lot but it's just not for me (as a perfume). I will, however keep my imp because it reminds me so much of wonderful times with my Mom and baby sister.

 

 

 

[femmefatale]

Initial Impression: old lady perfume....ew

 

On Wet: tropical floral with a hint of green and just a touch of soap.

 

On Dry: The same. The soapiness comes and goes. There is something about this that reminds me of of living in S. Fla. I've tried a couple other scents that remind me of Fla also, but with those it was the humidity or grass. Not with this. This reminds me of walking near some of the gardens in Palm Beach in the late afternoon. I'm not altogether sure why, but it's all I think of when smelling this.

Dh says it smells exotic and "pretty".

 

Final Impression: I will definitely keep my imps and enjoy the nostalgia.

[ElinaMakropulos]

Gorgeous deep, dark floral. Never too sharp, but it does have an edge. I definitely get "orchid" from this (although frankly I've never had an orchid that smelled like anything) - it paints a picture in scent, all dark reds and purples

 

It has AMAZING throw and lasts forever. One of my favorites now, for sure

[WidgetAlley]

Imp: A sweetly spiced, sheer, transparent orchid with a hint of Sweet Tarts and... cinnamon? Some kind of lovely sugar-spice.

 

Wet: Orchids always smell "wet" to me, and this is no exception. It's a strong, lovely, straight-up orchid, extremely femme and classically sexy. I agree with whoever said this has a tropical fruit vibe, except without the actual fruit smell, if that makes sense. It's definitely a "come hither" scent, but in a summery, floral way. It makes you think it's not all that strong, and then pop! You're catching unexpected hints of it. Works for me, as orchids are one of the few florals I really like. The smell of this orchid is full of "almosts"-- it's "almost" like water, almost like pears, almost a little like vanilla, there's almost an incense vibe to it as well. And I'm almost getting a headache from it. Damn!

 

Dry: A little more fruity, a little more powdery. This is quite nice-- assuming it doesn't continue the headache pattern, I will certainly be keeping my Imp!

[Bluestocking]

In the imp: Sweet, clear floral, with that clean, lightly aquatic quality that orchids have. Yup, this is pure orchid, just the way I like it. It has a silky quality to it, and it isn’t as dark as the Black Orchid in Phantom Queen… but it isn't quite as light and airy as the orchid in some other blends, either. If this has a color, it would be a pale, pinky-lilac.

On, wet: …Wow, I can actually smell the tuber part of the orchid tuber! Seriously, this has an almost rooty quality at first, which reminds me of the first stages of Florence. It's like a greenhouse filled with cultivated orchids, so you get flowers, but also the planty smells. It's also surprisingly powerful, and yet still floaty and light, if that makes any sense. Like, the throw is wonderful, but it's not going to punch anybody in the nose with ORCHID.

On, dry: The rooty smell went anyway quickly, so now it's just clean, silky, very purple orchid, sweet and somewhat fruity, almost plum-like. I recognize this orchid! It's a similar note to the one in Epistrophia, and I love it there, too. This is beautiful, very elegant and cool and feminine.

Later: Unchanged. Slightly softer and less fruity, but basically the same. A bit ethereal.

Overall: Thoroughly gorgeous! This isn't a morpher, but it's a wonderful pure orchid scent, with a slightly watery, silky quality, and just a hint of darkness and mystery. It's perfectly purple, and extremely feminine. I imagine that for some, this might seem a bit "perfumey" for their tastes, but lovers of orchids would like this one. The throw was excellent but not overpowering, and as a bonus, it appeared to lure all sorts of male attention! Guess there was something to all those witchs' love philtres after all…

 

Anyway, almost certainly a big bottle purchase, and a nice GC alternative to Epistrophia--not a twin, but close.

 

 

[angelicruin]

Inside the imp, orchid.

 

Wet on my skin, soft sweet orchid and aquatic notes.

 

As it dries, I'm also getting a fruit note like plum.

 

It's nice, but I am not sure it's worth a bottle for me. I may hang onto the imp though and see how it ages.

[laslibres]

I wasn't sure what orchid smelled like before, but I guess this is it, then...? It comes across as very tropical, and to me it smells like _expensive_ sort of perfume. A snooty lady perfume.

 

It dries very light on me, though, just leaving a pleasant tropical aura...it would probably be nice to layer this with something to add a bit of floral, because on its own, on me anyway, it isn't really...much.

[aquazoo]

Starts soft. It's a sweet floral smell. Just average, not a huge impact on me.

[tragedy]

Very orchid and ylang ylang... I dont get dusty, although dusty to this would be nice.

Its more sharp and floral and green.

Goes on strong and fades pretty quickly.

Doesnt morph at all.

[redderz]

In the imp: Very sweet, a dark orchid scent.

 

Wet: I can smell violets too. They go very nicely together. I agree that it's a very sweet candy scent.

[jeanette_culver]

Once I used up the imp of Shadow Witch Orchid and found I was still pining for it, I invested in a bottle. This is a heady-sweet, dusky and mysterious orchid with class! There is something heavy and damp smelling in there along with the sweet orchid flower which gives it a feeling of depth, even though it’s not really a complex scent. Maybe even rooty, without actually smelling literally of roots. Achingly elegant! Perhaps my bias showing, but there is something very Art Deco about this perfume. It’s refined, dark and exotic and maybe even a little otherworldly! I often get compliments on Shadow Witch Orchid which is a nice bonus

[revinn]

In the Imp: A nice, sweet floral. I actually like this, and I'm not a big floral person. It almost smells a bit fruity.

 

Wet: Oh, it's a little too perfumey now. A heady, old-fashioned floral. Not as nice at all.

 

Dry: A mixture of the two. I'll probably keep my imp, but I won't need any more. It's just alright.

 

Out of 10: 5

Edited November 7, 2009 by revinn

[Caerphilly]

In the imp: Soapy, fruity, floral. I'm not too familiar with orchid, but this smells familiar. A bit of lily, perhaps.

 

Wet: Soapy, like gardenia or lilies. But there's something underneath that I'm enjoying. Won't wash it off just yet.

 

Dry: The soap fades and I faintly smell raspberries and sweet pea? Strange. Smells a bit like lipstick.

 

Overall: Morphs strangely. It's an interesting smell, especially the lipstick. Don't dislike it, don't love it. I'll have to wear it again to fully decide.

[donnatron]

Imp: Thin and a little watery. Touch of orchid.

 

Wet: Watery. Not aquatic but like water running out of a tap.

 

Dry: Drier sheets? Odd, because orchid is usually decently behaved on my skin. I smell potential in here but there is a sour/drier sheet thing going on that just is not nice. I don't totally hate this but it's not really doing wonders for me. Has enough potential to stick around for another test.

 

Throw: Mild.

 

Overall: There is potential but I'm not going to be heartbroken if this one doesn't work.

[kohimame]

I got Shadow Witch Orchid as a frimp from the lab today. Since I don't think I've ever smelled an orchid before, you might want to take this review with a grain of salt

 

In the imp, it mostly smelled fruity, with a hint of perfume. Very nice!

 

Going on my skin, it turns to a.. hmm, it's hard to describe. It smells like sticking your nose into a bottle of flowery shower gel, I guess. It's definitely a light purple/pink sort of scent, very gentle. It seems to be fading pretty quickly on me.

 

I like it somewhat; it smells nice and it has a very flowery tone to it, but I don't know it it's me. I'll probably hang onto it and try it later.

[Invidiana]

I'm not a huge orchid fanatic myself--I don't hate it, I'm just not insane about it--but I resolve to try every imp that comes my way, so I gave this a chance. If I was to wear an orchid-dominant fragrance, this definitely beats the pants off any other orchid scent I've ever come across; it's got an intriguing purplish darkness to it. While it's not my holy grail, I can tell it would be for diehard orchid lovers.

[Venneh]

In the imp, this is what I'm going to bet is orchid, a really dusky, sweet flower. And it's pretty much exactly the same on my skin. I'm liking this on the back of my thumb, but I think I'm going to give it the both wrists test too, just to see if I like it enough to order a bottle. Suspecting I might be.

[tajana]

Wet: Fresh on the skin, there's a fleeting, high, tart note, which quickly dissipates into a sweet purple, fainty fruity velvety soft floral, tropical and lush. There's something lurking at the edges that makes me uneasy, though.

 

Dry: Oh no, ylang ylang, that's what it was! The sharp, sour-sweet, generally bad-news ylang ylang gets stronger with time. It's tragic, because I'm still getting wafts of dusky orchid, beautifully realistic and a bit heady... but when I take a closer sniff, the ylang ylang assaults my nose.

 

Overall: This would be a lovely floral fragrance, if only I didn't fare so badly with ylang ylang (I both amp and warp it).