The Tell-Tale Heart

[yeahbutnobut]

The Telltale Heart

This is a swollen, pulsating, thudding scent, heavy with dread; a steady, unceasing, throbbing harbinger of retribution and doom: blood musk, cocoa, black pepper, allspice, dragon’s blood resin and vetiver.

 

In the imp: chocolate and spicy dragon's blood! An unusual, but very nice combination. Slightly reminiscent of the Great Sword of War.

Wet on skin: now the musk comes out to mingle with the cocoa and strong dragon's blood notes.

Dry on skin: what an intriguing combination. A red, sanguine mix of gorgeous smooth red musk with the sharp resin of dragon's blood, spiked with fiery pepper, with a topping of dry cocoa. This is along similar lines to Great Sword, but still individual-different spices, no herbs, and there's a prominent dragon's blood note here adding it's metallic redness to it all.

After a while: the dragon's blood is very strong in this! It seems to be taking over the scent at times, sharply red and metallic, it seems to overtake the smooth, lovely musk but this still lingers in the background, trying it's best to temper the blood. The cocoa is gone, the spices are toned down.

Eventually, the scent becomes raw, sharp and almost feral in tone. The dragon's blood has taken the musk hostage but the musk tries to fight back and calm the dragon down, and it joins up with cocoa which has returned to sweeten the scent, so the scent is almost a battle between the two notes. I can't smell the spices any more…and I think vetiver is starting to creep in, lurking around, watching the action but not taking over. In other words, I adore the musk in this but the dragon's blood is a bit too strong in here for me. But I admit the two notes do go together well, despite one wanting to take over the other!

Verdict: this is another one of those lovely and well crafted 'blood' themed scents, but I'm unsure as to whether I love it or just like it. I adore the red musk in this-I really do. It is sweet, rich, sexy, spicy, smooth, and works really well with the cocoa. The spices add a lovely crackling warmth to the first part of the scent. and then there's the dragon's blood-in here it's a lot stronger than I expected-it's sharp, red, and metallic-in here it smells almost like real blood, and this increases over time, at odds with the smooth cocoa-musk. The scent is a deep velvety red, rich and dark, sweet and smooth at times but then cut through with raw accents of dragon's blood and a sinister vetiver undertone that is much fainter than most vetivers, but can just be perceived. I'm not sure if I love it enough to want a bottle-it is on similar lines to the Great Sword of War, Blood Moon and the Cracked Bell, which I prefer. I will keep the decant though.

[sixthsentinel]

This is my favorite scent of the Maelstrom series, hands down. It was also one I never would have bought if I hadn't gone ahead & tackled the entire set. Just goes to further my theory that you never can tell!

 

I get the Dragon's blood & the cocoa mostly, and I think I can pull out the blood musk, maybe.....all the other stuff (pepper, allspice, & vetiver) does a nice job of pulling the whole sent together. I would've thought it would all add up to a raucous cacophony of scents, but oddly enough, it smells like waffle cone on my skin! Ice cream, anyone?

 

Oh, also, this is really odd, but....it kind of puts me in the mind of Snake Charmer, though it really doesn't smell like it to me. I can't figure out the similarites, if any, but.....there seem to be some. Although I have to wonder if maybe it isn't all just in my head. It does, though, smell quite a bit like Dragon's Heart to me; that same deep, dark, rich type of Dragon's Blood scent, as opposed to straight-up DB, which goes floral on me in a really bad way.

Edited March 31, 2006 by sixthsentinel

[arabella]

First Impression: Nutty crème brulee.

 

Dries down to: A multi-layered confection.

 

Additional Comments: Dragon's blood works beautifully as usual and the cocoa, spices and vetiver positively sing - another winner.

 

Lasted: Several hours.

 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

[gangstaknitta]

Woooo, whatever the musk used in Smut is smells like it's in here too! Yum! It smells like Smut with Dragon's Blood, but not as sweaty and sweet. I really like it. Sometimes Smut's a little heavy in the daytime, so this would be a good "sub" for it. Although I have to note that it does fade very quickly on me (it starts fading before it dries!). The DB comes out more on the dry-down and the musk or whatever fades into the background.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

(I swore I wouldn't review my lovely Poe bottles until I had reviewed the pile of imps that accrued while the Forum was down. At last, the time has come!)

 

In the bottle: mmm, cocoa and dragon's blood! What a great combo.

On me: I can see the comparison to Smut--similarly "swarthy" musk base. However, Smut was too harsh on me, whereas the wonderful dragon's blood, spices, and cocoa are providing some warmth here. Every time I smell dragon's blood I'm reminded of the description of Tintagel--it really does provide a "magical tingle" to a scent! This is yummy and gender-neutral; I bet DH and I will both wear it for autumn, especially.

[blu°]

The Tell-Tale Heart was another surprise from the Maelström series. I really hadn't thought I'd like this at all from the notes listed. Cocoa especially seems to turn corn starch on my skin.

 

Ok, here goes what I had written then in my spreadsheet:

 

At first:

Hm. That isn't as bad as I had thought, neither. Reminds me of Serpent's Kiss, though a bit weaker on the vetiver and with more spices instead. I think I could probably endure the cocoa in this. Although it's perceptible, it's embedded quite nicely into the other ingredients and doesn't get too loud in this blend. It's rather giving structure to the scent, making it a bit smoky.

 

Also, this is pretty high-pitched and high-in-the-nostrils to me. Something sharp, prickly, metallic. Something is also slightly menthol-y in here. Maybe the pepper. It reminds me of some of the essential oils I carried around on a trip to Italy some years ago, basically to aid me in laying the cards then.

 

I quite like the way it reminds me of that trip to Italy. It almost is smelling green now, that I've got that association in my head. Sort of menthol-y green. Maybe it's the dragon's blood plus pepper and vetiver that combine for that effect. At least vetiver is often described as a green scent, though I rather think of it as anthracite/black.

 

Well, it seems to be a bit perfumey, too. I know blood musk from Blood Pearl which I didn't like much. It was too pink and dusty for me. Possibly that perfuminess comes from the blood musk.

 

After Drydown:

Ah, no... this is turning to heavy on the vetiver-dragon's blood for my taste. Those are the two components that keep getting stronger in The Tell-Tale Heart on my skin. It's almost making me nauseous, now.

 

Final conclusion:

I think I should be happy to not like every one of the Maelströms, as I'm too skint to spend a lot of money on them anyway. I'm glad others like it, though.

[gwyllgi]

The pepper is what sold me on this scent; most of the notes listed are things that I hadn't liked in the past, which led to a kneejerk reaction of "Ewh..."

 

I'm so, so glad that I let the pepper suck me in.

 

My love affair with The Tell-Tale Heart began when I opened the bottle; it enveloped me in a spicy, warm scent, but one that wasn't so strong as to make my nose burn with the initial sniff. On me, it warmed up even more and became, for lack of a better word, round. The pepper was there, much to my delight, but was kept from being powdery by the other notes, which wove themselves through it with an easy decadence. I generally avoid cocoa like the plague, but I could barely detect it; it was just a hint of bittersweet that added to the impression of the scent being full-bodied.

 

An added bonus is that the musk in this worked on me. Lately, I've been finding that most scents with musk in them are migraine triggers (much to my dismay), but The Tell-Tale Heart was one where I could go all day with it without any adverse side-effects.

[jidabug]

I remember the first time my mother gave me a piece of "real" chocolate, the bittersweet kind. It smelled so good, and then I bit into it. So not my thing. The Tell-Tale Heart was a lot like that. Right away I detected cocoa and something bitter. Then it really became bittersweet chocolate, with a sweetly cloying overtone, and a nasty, spicy, sharp afterbite. Still not my thing, unfortunately.

[QueenFae]

This is lovely! The top notes on me are definitely the dragon's blood and the blood musk. This is a very "red" scent, as the name is well suited. I can't smell the vetiver at all, thank goodness, because that note never works out on me. The cocoa is there, but it's subtle, and it gives the scent a very unique undertone. The spicier notes gives it a little bit of a kick, but nothing overpowering. On the dry down, it actually begins to soften up a lot, and I could swear there was amber in it. (Although I know there's not) Basically, a dragon's blood blend with a nice kick. I love it, I'm definitely going to buy at least one bottle. Beautiful!

[mandragora]

In the imp: Smells a lot like Smut without the boozy note.

Wet on me: Turned into spicy-smelling bittersweet cocoa.

Drydown: Dragon's blood with the cocoa and musk providing a lovely background.

Verdict: Just a lovely, warm and gender-neutral scent. Definitely bottle-worthy.

[GemmaCat]

Wow, this is a perfectly blended scent!

 

At first, it's all rich, dark cocoa; gooey and a little bitter, but it quickly sweetens into a throbbing, muted floral blend that gets stronger with time.

 

Usually dragon's blood resin gives me a headache, but the cocoa and musk in this keeps it under control. Very complex and perfumey.

 

It's not one I'll wear often, but it's so beautifully blended that I'll be keeping hold of my decant.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Red musk and DBR, red, spicy and metallic.

Wet on me - The more floral aspect of DBR and digestive buscuits?

Dry on me - Gorgeous red musk sexiness, much akin to my beloved Great Sword of War

[Voleuse]

I love this. It's cocoa sweetened by dragon's blood deepened by a hint of vetiver and sharpened by spice. I don't get a lot of musk, but a warm halo of it, surrounding the other notes. This is beautiful--not as complex on me as, say, Freak Show, but gorgeous in its own right. Definitely a keeper.

 

I am all kinds of thrilled with this scent, because I've loved the story for years now. I was determined to purchase a bottle, regardless of the notes, and then the notes were all ones I liked! And they all work on me, to boot! Yay! I think I might need a second bottle.

[girlmadasbirds]

dragon's blood, musk, and cocoa... it's very sweet on me, no pepper at all. i love the story, so i had to try the scent. the scent is OK.. i'm on the fence as to whether i want to keep it.

[cuervosueno]

Hmmm....I thought I reviewed this, but either I simply imagined that (entirely likely) or my review got lost in the forum downtime.

 

Anyway, I'm glad I didn't review it before because I have a new appreciation for it. When I first got my maelstrom set decants, I went through and tried everything. I immediately fell in love with The Masque of Red Death and Usher, and immediately disliked some (The Premature Burial). But some others simply fell by the wayside.

 

The Tell-Tale Heart was one of these.

 

So I've worn it three nights in a row, now, and am seriously thinking of getting a bottle before it goes away. When I sniff it, I also get cocoa right away--cocoa powder, dusty and brown. Before I checked the notes, I noticed a sort of earthy scent, which was familiar but I couldn't name. I thought it might be pachouli, though that didn't seem right. Still, unsweetened cocoa and something earthy, then a red sweetness that makes the buried heart beat and burn. (That's the Dragon's Blood, of course, but since I didn't remember what was in this, I didn't think of that immediately). It also has a lovely spice that is not cinnamon, but something softer and more alluring (Allspice which I adore).

 

Once I looked at the notes, I thought, oh, of course! Why didn't I recognize the Dragon's Blood? And it must be the vetiver mixed with musk that is giving it an earthy and delightfully pungent scent.

 

Overall, I really like this. It does remind me slightly of Centzon....but not entirely. Less blood, more spice. For me its more a brown than a red scent, and it is very warm and comforting. And it lasts, but in a gentle, not in your face sort of way...sort of like the soft thud of a buried heart. I put it on at 2 am, and now, nearly 12 hours later, if I press my nose to my skin I get just the slightest of sweet, spiced cocoa.

 

A winner!

[brownbear]

At first this is a delicious peppery chocolate. Then it goes to musk on my skin. Then the cocoa goes away and it's kind of powdery and soft and dusty. I wish it didn't change so much, but it isn't bad at all.

[Neely]

In the bottle: metallic tinged, bloody chocolate. This is the most true to blood smell that I have ever experienced with the "bloody" BPAL scents.

 

Wet: bloody cocoa. This is alot like The Cracked Bell but with chocolate.

 

Dry down: cocoa tempers down a bit and I get incense like in CB. Nag Champa to be precise. Mama likey!

 

30 minutes: the cocoa has come back but blends beautifully with the incense. Wow, this smells like The Cracked Bell and Velvet had an illicit love child together. This is like CB but darker, and bloodier. Like the snow melts from the broken and burnt down cathedral in the woods, revealing more blood, and dark throbbing forboding. I am in love.

 

Conclusion: wish I had a second bottle. I love this. This is my beloved CB but dark and tormented.

 

Rating 1-5, on my skin this is a 5.

[Mary Mayhem]

Holy!

 

Favorite scent of the Maelstrom! LOVE!

 

Mmm, sexy, spicey chocolate. That's what it smells like to me. A light weight Red Lantern. (for those who found Red Lantern to be too much, but liked the idea of it, this is great!) I will be getting more!

Edited April 20, 2006 by Mary Mayhem

[Nekomata]

This isn't at all how I picture it. It's very cocoa to start with but dries down to my mother-in-law's favorite perfume, Primo(A Giorgio knockoff). very depressing. Looks like I'll have a bottle to part with in the future. ;_;

Edited April 21, 2006 by Nekomata

[Diana]

In the bottle: Warm, chocolately, spicey notes.

 

Wet: This goes on with a strong rush of the cocoa. The dragon's blood is definitely evident, adding a level of sweetness to the warmer cocoa. There is a very brief appearance of the vetiver, which lasts maybe 15 minutes, but it totally disappears after that (vetiver-haters take note!).

 

Drydown: The cocoa never lasts through the drydown on me, sadly. The chocolately goodness has been replaced by the blood musk, which is a bit on the perfumey side, but not bad. The dragon's blood has died down in intensity quite a bit, but it adds a powdery softness to the basenotes.

 

This is really pretty. =)

[Eunice]

In the bottle: Cocoa and what I am guessing is the blood musk. At the very end I can detect just a bit of citrus.

 

Wet: This smells like those chocolate oranges taste. Very yummy!

 

Dry: Still chocolate and orange but the black pepper has come out to play and mixes nicely with the other scents. And the musk! It takes all those strong scents and mellows them out.

 

Overall: I wasn't sure I would like this for wearing because it is rather sweet in the bottle, but oh my! This is amazing as it dries.

[gingersnapp]

All dragon's blood blends on me are entirely dragon's blood, regardless of the other notes. This one is no exception. Except there is a tiny bit of something sour and bitter underneath, which is the vetiver that my skin also amps to the nth degree. I guess I'm just grateful that it's being overwhelmed by the dragon's blood in this case.

 

I'm sad. I really wanted to smell the musk, cocoa, and spices.

[chapatti]

First whiff: Woof. Dark, bitter, dirty, unsweet cocoa, on a strong layer of vetiver... and a dark, background murkiness.

 

Drydown: The cocoa has receded down into the background, while the vetiver is still obvious, and the blood musk smells like... the funky note from Smut, actually. It smells like red musk with a bad twist

The murkiness is taming down half an hour in; it now smells a bit "brighter" (though not bright by any means) and, frankly, it's extremely close to Smut on me. A dark, be-vetivered Smut.

After hours, the very end of the drydown is... heaven. Sheer heaven. A wonderful, dry spiciness (maybe the allspice and pepper?) that reminds me quite a bit of my beloved Kingdom, by Alexander McQueen, and its beautiful, sensual headiness. If the scent could be like that through its entire life, I'd buy galleons.

 

Verdict: Smut lovers should really like this, methinks. If on you, Smut develops this muskyfunky note, though, you might want to be careful, as that note is especially strong here. A very unusual, dark and complex scent.

 

7.5/10

[Miss Lynx]

This was the scent I had the highest hopes for from the Maelstrom collection, and it did not disappoint. Thus far the Maelstrom has worked out much better for me than the Demon in my View did, probably because florals are much less prominent in this collection, and incensey/boozy scents much more so. There wasn't a single one among my five Maelstrom decants that I actually disliked, though not all of them merited a bottle purchase. But this one definitely did.

 

When first applied, the scent was softer, dryer and less intense than I'd expected -- I'd expected something more along the lines of Red Phoenix, which is a very heavy scent, though a nice one. But this one starts out soft and subtle -- a dry, softly spicy scent like the inside of a herb and spice cabinet.

 

But over time on my skin it develops all kinds of depth, and becomes, if not exactly stronger, at least a lot richer and more complex. The cocoa note doesn't come out until after it's been on my skin for an hour or two, and the musk blends everything together and warms it all. And the vetiver is the type of vetiver I like, an earthy, woodsy, slightly spicy base anchoring the scent, not the harsh and grating note it can sometimes be in other blends.

 

All in all, it's warm, rich, beautifully spiced, and seems to blend in with my skin as though it was made for it. This might even be my favourite LE to date, though it's up against some stiff competition there.

 

Maybe I should have bought two bottles...

 

Grade: A+

[ladymissspyder]

Quick review from memory (3 days ago), so please forgive the lack of detail. (Actually, after reading this, it has about as little information as any of my reviews, heh.)

 

When I sniffed the Tell-Tale Heart, I was immediately struck by its resemblance to Centzon Totochin, so I did a side-by-side test of both scents. I'm going to this review as a comparison since Centzon is still available from the lab, and might be easier to get at this point.

 

In bottle, Centzon smells a bit more vanilla-y

 

Wet, Centzon explodes with a sweet chocolate/incense/vanilla high note that doesn't show up in the Tell-Tale Heart. The Tell-Tale Heart goes into a more laid-back incense/chocolate stage that doesn't have that much throw.

 

Dry, however, I really couldn't tell much difference between the two except that Centzon lasted a bit longer on me and had more throw. They both went into an incensey/cocoa phase that was really lovely.

 

Since I go for the foodier/sweeter scents, I decided to just stick with Centzon.