Strangler Fig

[Rhowan]

A glorious parasite! Once the seeds of the Strangler Fig find root in the bark of a tree, snakelike roots erupt and reach graspingly at the sky. The Strangler Fig then sprouts numerous epiphytic vines that strangles and surrounds its unwilling host, and finally snuffs the life from it. Rooty, woody, with deep green tones.

Strangler Fig is absolutely gorgeous!! It is woodsy and very green and just fabulous! I got a hint of cedar wood when I first applied but it blended with the dark green note and now it smells just woody. No certain wood note to define.

Strangler Fig is thick and syrupy but not as thick as Mandrake. It has a good throw and great wear too. I will be wearing this year around! Just beautiful dark woody green.

[bristlecone]

This doesn't scream "green" to me; in fact, I'm testing a little bit of Glasgow on the back of one of my hands (while wearing Strangler Fig on my wrists and on my neck) and of the two, I think Glasgow is greener. At any rate, this review is for Strangler Fig, not Glasgow.

 

This is a golden-brown scent to me, rich and sweet but also kind of earthy and gritty. It's hard to describe, which is probably why I haven't attempted to do so until just now, despite having the imp for several weeks. I really enjoy this, but I can't decide if I'd ever invest in a bottle, because it seems like the type of scent I have to be in just the right mood to wear. It strikes me as having lots of layering potential, so I'm going to see how it works with some of my other scents.

[Miss Lynx]

Oh, this is really lovely! I think it may be my new favourite of the entire Rappaccini's Garden section. Fig is generally pretty good on me, though sometimes a little waxy, and this is by far the best fig scent I've yet found. Woody notes are kind of hit and miss on me -- sometimes they're nice and sometimes awful. But thankfully the wood here seems very nice -- I'm guessing it's sandalwood, at least in part.

 

The overall scent is deep, aromatic, and kind of incensey. There's an earthiness to it, but it's not too heavy. It's not so much green on me as woody and resinous . I'm actually picking up on a faint resemblance to Fenris Wolf, oddly enough -- maybe there's rosewood in there? And I'd almost swear that there was some kind of amber or musk -- it has that same warmth that all my amber/musk favourites have.

 

All in all, a definite winner. Not necessarily top ten, but very nice and likely a 5 mL candidate.

 

Grade: A

[midnight_aeval]

In the vial Strangler Fig is rooty, woody, and green. However, on me it's rooty, woody pencil shavings.

 

As it dries down the pencil shavings smell goes away and it turns into a woodsy powder smell. Not horrible, but not one I would buy a full bottle of.

[Meg]

In the bottle: A thick, golden brown scent, a bit ambery and woody.

 

Wet: The scent becomes fainter, convincing me there's amber in there. Then a very clear fig note starts emerging from the golden resin scent, very green. Dusty spices hover around, too.

 

Drydown: A green, very natural fig and herbs scent - nearly like figs in the grass. There's a lovely spice in there that I can't name, and the resins have disappeared into he background. As it develops, the spices become stronger, I wonder if it's ylang-ylang, or perhaps simply pepper. I also get hints of honey, which is just wonderful!

 

Overall: A beautiful fig, spice and wood blend, with lots of green, fruitiness and sweetness to it. It's a mellow, summery scent, sensual and lazy, with a hint of danger to it. A delicious blend that'll make fig fans very happy. It does remind me a bit of "Hetairae", but it's less fiery and more golden.

[edenssixthday]

Strangler Fig - My first impression about Strangler Fig is is incredibly bittersweet. It is sharply sweet, but has a biting bitterness balancing out the sweetness. Surrounding the bittersweet scent, is something that is very rich and green, and reminds me of the scent that lingers in the air when you trace the edge of the yard with a "weed whacker", shaving to bits and pieces thick, green weeds. The scent is moderately subtle, but it really lasts on my skin. It's still discernible at the 6 hour point; however, around the 3.5 hour point (or so), it loses its green weed scent, and the bittersweet scent fades into the distance, and what is left on my skin can only best be described as Elegba sans coconut. It's the strangest, most unexpected morph-job any BPAL oil has done on me. I am still a bit surprised by the way this blend changes into a completely different scent after it's been on my skin for a few hours. I don't dislike this scent, but it's not one I anticipate finding myself drawn to very often, although I will hang on to my imp and not pass it along.

[ghosttown]

A sweet, little dancing fig scooted up to some moss and twig. Together they danced and sparkled all around me. Wear it to a tea party, wear it to mom's house, wear it with a twin set and pearls. Make it into a linen spray. Put some in your glove box. This is a bit of lovely.

[Caltha]

Strangler Fig

I suppose this is a fig scent, what I've learned to expect from a fig scent - (grassy) green and (coconut) milky. I like it better than most fig scents I've tried though, it's lusher and sweeter, not so stale and flat. The tart, sweet greenness of it reminds me of a juicy, sour green apple. It almost has a citrus freshness too, and a certain creamy basenote. Unexpectedly sweet, but I don't mind, it's a rather nice honey or nectar sweetness. It would seem more like lush, fresh green leaves and plants if it was less sweet though. Still refreshing, but I think it dries a little less fresh and green and a little more sweet and powdery.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i'm sure this echoes what others have said, but this is creamy-green-milky.

 

rather smells like the outside of a coconut (not the white meat part inside) but

then again it doesn't.

 

i don't get fig from this, either (we had fig plants, once upon a time...) but it certainly does have a green/foresty scent -- not entirely unlike an orchid, really.

 

it.... actually smells kind of dangerous, to me. like if someone caught a whiff of this off me, they might be a little more wary of me than if i, say, smelled like roses.

..... like maybe i dabble in things i shouldn't.

 

i know what this reminds me of! Mandrake...fresh from the ground mandrake root!

[yeahbutnobut]

Strangler Fig

 

In the imp: deep green and figgy sweetness…

Wet on skin: honey? there's something almost honeyed about the sweetness in here…

Dry on skin: mmm, this is nice. I think the best description for this is a darker version of Eden. It's fig leaf, but darker, deeper, less astringent, with a deep, rich, earthy fig note which is riper and sweeter than most fig notes I've encountered in BPAL. In fact, it's like honeyed ripe brown figs covered with torn fig leaves. This is deep green with a hint of leaf juice and a hint of earth to it, and a whole lot of ripe fig.

After a while: eventually the leaves take a back seat and the scent is like a lovely honeyed-fig paste. Ripe or dried figs, deep and sweet, all mashed up with honey, maybe some almonds thrown in for good measure. Sun dried honey figs bought from a market stand in Greece. A fig filled dessert, like a tart or a stewed fig compote or a fruit cake made with figs. It's decadent and gorgeous and is has the truest fig note ever.

Eventually, I'm sure I can smell sandalwood in here too, or maybe cedar. And that's a good thing…it really goes nicely with the fig. Darker Eden, indeed, with a hint of Hetairae. Maybe some spices mixed in too just to make it even more yummy. This smooth honey-fig-wood scent lasts until the end, and I love it.

Verdict: this really is like Eden's darker side. Less green and more figgy on me, this is probably the most genuine smelling fig scent ever. I was a little let down by the Fig SN because that smelt a bit like unripe figs at times but this smells like ripe-to-bursting, sweet, plump figs, or a fig paste made from sun dried figs. And I also smell honey in here, delicious sweet sticky honey, and then I get a wood note (cedar or sandalwood), making the scent earthier and richer. I love this scent a lot more than I was expecting-it's delicious honey-drizzled fig scent and beautiful sweet warm wood drydown, I'm impressed by this. In fact, this does to figs what Death Cap did to mushrooms and soil. I might get a bottle one day-not yet, but the imp is mine for the keeping.

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Intrigue, Death Cap

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[juniperus]

Bottle: dark green and brown, earthy without smelling of dirt.

Wet: the same, a little greener.

Dry: rooty, yes, and damp. the green remains dark, doesn't make it to an herbal-smelling green..this is viney and undergrowth in feel.

Later: I had really looked forward to this one, but it just smells...kinda dirty on me.

[maijasu]

This starts out as a vaguely green and woodsy blend on me--no fig though. Then, it turns into powder! Why, oh why? I had high hopes for this one, but it's going on top of the swap pile.

[allidavie]

This smells more like fig leaf to me than it does fig (although to be fair I'm basing my impressions on an old fig leaf perfume I had - Demeter, i think). It is a beautiful fresh, woodsy, mellow green scent that gets slightly sweeter on drydown.

 

For the record Strangler Fig + Obtala = HEAVEN!! This combo would be great for anyone who found Eden too foody.

 

All in all, Strangler Fig is one of my go-to, wear everyday scents. It's subtle and not overpowering, but still a bit sexy and warm. Love it.

[fiddlehead]

Strangler Fig is lovely and green smelling at first. I was really excited when I first put it on. If it had stayed like that it would be a keeper. But after about 30 minutes it dries into a sweet amber-y, powdery scent. Not at all like a vine or tree.

[QueenFae]

This is indeed Eden's scent brother. I didn't realize how strong the fig note in Eden is until I sniffed this one. The only difference is Strangler Fig has a slight herbal note underneath, as opposed to the super foody undertone in Eden. I love Eden, and therefore I love this one. The lab has an amazing fig note, I can't wait to see it pop up in more blends. Gorgeous

[Emma2403]

In the bottle: fig yes, but along with something very sweet and even creamy.

 

On my skin: quite weird, a mix of something deep green and something very sweet. I like it. It's very different from what I wear usually but I like it a lot so far.

 

After a couple of hours: something close to pure sugar, with the tiniest hint of fig. Not green at all.

 

Verdict: I'm not sure. I quite like the fig (although I thought I hated this scent), but together with the sugar, it makes the whole scent very foody, probably too foody for me. It's a lovely one, but I'm not certain it's a right one for me

[nevermore]

Not at all what I was expecting. I hardly get any fig from this one, but instead a creamy/herbal scent is coming out. I love it. It kinda reminds me of the baby bee stuff from Burt's Bees. I never thought I'd say this about a fig scent (which I normally detest), but I need a bigger bottle of this!

[mmcfa2]

OH YUMMY! I smell fig, and i think olive leaf and then something creamy. it's lovely! earthy, sweet, warm and herbal all at the same time! between this and ceathcap I think I have fould my two very favorite scents!

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp this is a fresh fig; very earthy note

once applied this has a somewhat milky and cocoa butter edge...this blend is

definitely subdued and subtle and quite interesting...i will be keeping this

around for awhile to try a few more times before making my final

conclusion

[supremegoddessofall]

Unsurprisingly, smells fig-like. Has an incense-like quality and reminds me somehow of India. Definitely very organic and very rich. I like this one very much.

 

Score: 5 out of 5

[Bagfish]

This is hyper-figgy Eden without the coconut. Its loud and shouty with a massive throw. Its a sweet fruity almost sharp scent, with a bit of green too.

 

I can appreciate the artistry of this oil, but don't appreciate the headache it caused This one is off to swaps.

[sofiaviolet]

Woody. There's a hint of fruit about this, but it's very fleeting. I also get some dirt.

Edited October 17, 2006 by Sofia Blackthorne

[tarotgirl99]

All the Rappaccini's Garden scents seem so incredibly potent to me--they're like the nth degree aromas. I either love them passionately or scrape at my arm to remove them from my body.

 

Strangler Fig is a passionate love. This is serious FIG, bold and sweet and warm and rooty. I like fig as a rule, and BPAL fig very much, though, so it's not a surprise that I think this is a real winner. Major throw and longevity, too.

[steffanina]

Strangler Fig-

 

In Bottle: Oh, sweet and kind of...milky neutralness, in a nice way.

 

Wet: That neutral mossy smell, interesting.

 

Dry: Hm. This neutral smell smells kind of like clay to me; it's not uninteresting but it's not a smell I want on me. It's a little cloyingly milky-neutral.

 

Overall: Not quite for me.

[shellyshells]

Strangler Fig-

 

In the vial I get a herbal & grassy smell. After awhile the fig shows up along with some sugary sweetness.

It doesn't seem to last very long but has a good amount of throw.

During the drydown, the grass smell dissipates but I still get a creamy mossy fig.

I like it just fine, its nice and fresh... keepin the imp!