Shango

[500ml]

... The Master of Lightning's ofrenda contains red apples, banana, chili pepper, coconut, pineapple, pomegranate and sugar cane.

Gorgeous tropical fruits. I can't get any of the red apples, but that's a very good thing for me. This is very well blended I find and has amazing depth. Very rich and slightly spicy. Edited June 17, 2007 by porcelain

[hackess]

Imp: Pineapple LifeSavers candy

 

Wet: Grilled pineapple with caramel. It's sweet and tangy, and slightly buttery. It reminds me so strongly of my grandmother's house, but I can't figure out why.

 

Dry: Creamy and sweet. The pineapple has died off for the most part, but the sugary caramel remains. I can't stop sniffing my wrist, even though pineapple is not usually a scent I drool over, and butter/caramel/vanilla tends to turn into rancid sugar on me.

[mystery213]

Wow. In the vial this is pure, sweet tropical fruit madness! It reminds me of a tropical fruit smoothie like the kind you would get at Orange Julius.

When first applied this smells to me like a combination of a sweet, mild coconut and the banana scratch-and-sniff stickers I had as a kid. There are other notes there for certain, but lurking pretty far in the background.

Upon drydown the banana takes a backseat and the coconut comes up front, dragging along its friends, red apple and pineapple, with pomegranite lurking shyly behind. The whole mix is strongly accented by a sugary sweetness that may be to much for some, but I personally love the sugared blends, and really adore this note. Balancing the sweetness a bit is a touch of sharpness (but only a little tiny bit) that I am attributing to the cayenne. The coconut seems to pop in and out of the party (never being too pushy though), at times being much more prominent that others, and other times allowing pineapple to have some of the focus. In the meantime, red apple and pomegranite seem to just kinda dance together quietly in the background. Normally coconut in blends just takes over for me, but this one is very well balanced.

This is a tropical fruity party on my arm... absolutely excellent!

[Ishtar]

I was very much looking forward to trying Shango. It is always exciting to see a new (or seldom used) note such as banana in a blend, plus I am a big fan of coconut.

 

In the imp and right after applying, Shango was a thick, dark, sweet fruity scent... a little overpoweringly so, actually, but very often this type of blend opens up and mellows beautifully after a few minutes, so let's wait and see.

Throughout the wet stage, the banana is easily recognizable as one of the most prominent notes and it is quite enjoyable.

After a few minutes, the banana recedes in the background and the coconut makes a brief appearance. Unfortunately, after complete drydown Shango turns into a strangely artificial scent that is simply not working on my skin. I do not even know how to describe it, really. It is not that it is plasticky, or cloying, or sharp... it just ends up smelling, well, weird and overpowering on me.

Off to the swap box, alas.

Edited July 26, 2007 by Ishtar

[usamimi]

In the bottle: Very sweet and juicy.

 

Wet: Like some kind of amazing fruit cocktail drink!

 

Dry: Fruity, but not overly so. The chili powder added a great little kick to it, too.

 

Overall: Very fun and fresh. This is a great summer scent!

[naiade]

All I get is grape! Not even a nice grape, but a grape medicine type of smell. Only BPAL I've had to wash off.

 

(Grape is not even listed as a note! Bah.)

 

Er... so. don't think I'll buy a bottle of this.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: Apples and bananas

 

Wet: Bananas and pineapples--very juicy fruity. There's the slightest hint of the "dry juice" of the pomengranate in the background, and there's a rich base here that might come from the cocoa and sugar being really well-blended.

 

Drydown and wear: This doesn't morph much--perhaps the pineapple becomes stronger and the dusting of cocoa becomes just a bit more noticeable. However, I'm not really a fan of pineapple (except in Tzadikim Nistarim), so I think I'll send this imp to swaps. It's interesting though, and seems pretty unique among fruity scents in the catalog, so if that's a family that appeals to you, I'd give this one a go.

[modernsaints]

Strongly apple/pomegranate, but there's a powdery dry undernote - sort of like pouring too many pixie stix in your mouth at once, but not as sweet, just POWDERY. Strange comparison here, but it's like a really 'meh' version of Mme. Moriarty.

 

Not for me, sadly.

[Pendragon]

Shango... wet smells like a deep, thick, dark and spicy bananna + coconut blend. It smelled interesting enough in the imp to try, although I was a little unsure at first, I can now say with a big fat ICK that this one is no good for me sadly.

 

Dry it turned overpoweringly sweet yet spicy bananna. Like a fruit smoothy left in the corner of a beachside cafe for a week to go rancid.

[aquazoo]

Fruity, cherry. Goes into coconut & rum. Then sandy saltwater. Back to lovely tropical fruitiness. Nice one, a complex fruity that’s not too “foodie”!

[Trish]

I got this from the Lab, and it's not something I would ever have picked for myself. Tropical fruits don't always work for me, I'm not overly fond of coconut, and even though I LOVE bananas I'm really not sure about smelling like one! The chilli however is very intriguing.

 

In the imp: Apple, a hint of spice, and maybe pineapple. Juicy and sweet and rather yummy.

 

Wet: Fruit smoothie!

 

Drydown: Well hellooooo apple! This is all apple now. I like apple but it reminds me of the apple scented fabric softener I use little too much.

 

Dry: Still mainly apple, but with the other notes peeking through. I can't distinuish any of them except the chilli, which is just giving it a touch of spice. I love the taste of chilli and the scent of it is working nicely in this too. Wish it were stronger though - it's a very mild chilli!

 

Later the apple subsides somewhat and all the fruits blend together nicely. I can't pick any out except the apple, pineapple and a little coconut.

 

Very nice, especially once the apple subsides, but not really me either.

[Miseraya]

In the imp: Sugary sweet, like a blow pop.

 

On the wrist: At first it maintains that blow pop scent, but as it starts to dry it gets a bit peppery and a bit coconutty. It starts to turn into hot chili oil, suntan lotion and a blow pop. Like eating a blow-pop while heating oil in a skillet for dinner, after coming in out of the sun. Tropical in a living in the tropics sort of way, like you're a resident, not a tourist. With the smell of all that tropical goodness wafting through your kitchen windows. This burns my nose when I sniff it, I should mention that.

 

Drydown: This just gets hotter and hotter, until it's slightly painful to sniff. It's not a me smell at all at this point. Swapped.

[sithwitch13]

This is one of those where I wasn't sure I would like it, and ended up occasionally loving it. It's too bold to be an everyday scent on me, but it does give me confidence and keep my spirits up when I do wear it.

 

In the imp and wet, it's juicy banana and chili pepper. As it dries, I occasionally get apple and something fruity that I can't quite identify and can usually smell the sugar cane poking through, but it mostly stays banana and chili pepper. Tropical, strong, and sweet. Not girly sweet, though. It's got a lot of bite to it.

[YoakeNoKami]

A stray, impetuous youth--mercurial and unsettled. Wood and cola swings through sharpened stakes of bubblegum into high ceilinged palaces.

 

This is a tasty one, at the very least. I get stray bits of banana, pomegranate, and pineapple... a heady tropical fruit sort of smell which is almost dangerously sweet. But I love it anyway--a fun scent for anyone with a sweet tooth.

[hkhm]

bottle: wet, sexy apples and bananas with a slathering of coconut. this blend smells so suggestive to me... like a really subtle, really dirty joke.

 

wet: the banana hits right away and then is completely gone in a few minutes while the coconut and apple seem to vy against the pineapple. this is a most confusing scent because it seems like everything in it makes an appearance at some point when i first put in on. it's like a crazy party full of all sorts of interesting guests.

 

dry: i think the party metaphor is apt, all the guests have gone and there's just the detritus of a fantastic party left behind. the pineapple and coconut are the last lingering wisps.

 

this is one of my top two favourites (imp is the other). this scent puts me in such a happy, bubbly mood. and when it gets on my clothes the lingering scent is so dreamy.

[MaidenGenevive]

Shango

 

Fruit explosion! This is fruit candy, where you have a vague sense of familiarity, but it's such a mash of scents you can't really pull them apart. I start to smell the tartness of apples, but it's up against something else, pineapple perhaps, and it's sweetened. There's more to it than that. This is sweet but not cloying, fun, and energetic.

 

[3 - Like]

[aleciarivas]

Whoa!!!! Shango is to me what Midnight Kiss is to my DH. Straaaaange!!! Seriously, that's how they work!!! I don't think they even share one common ingredient!!! But that's ok because I LOVE Midnight Kiss on my DH!!!!!!! Nice!!!!

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Green banana

 

Wet: Banana, and other fruits with greenness at the forefront. At the back there's a touch of pepper. It's very odd.

 

Drydown: The greenness stays at the forefront which I did not expect. May have to try this another time to see if I like it, I'm hormonal.

3.0 outta 5

[tinyvulture]

on me, this is like a pina colada – strong pineapple and coconut notes. apple and banana too. is there melon in this? something in it reminds me of ogun. unlike ogun, though, i don’t detect any chili pepper in this. there’s no spice, just a ton of tropical fruits. it’s a fun, summery scent.

[Ravenclaw79]

In the imp: Banana -- not real bananas, but the fake-banana smell of banana-flavored candy.

 

Wet: Geez, this makes me want to lick my arm. Sweet, fruity in a tropical way, but not like a mango (eew) kind of way. There's an odd sweetness in the background, too ... maybe the sugar cane. Seriously, this smells delicious. It's almost like fruit punch.

 

Drying: It's gone to a more ... perfumy smell, is the best way I can put it. It's nice, though, still a pleasant, sweet smell, slightly fruity. I have a feeling that fruity smells are gonna be my thing.

[ranyart]

In the imp: a wet mix of apple, pomegranate, and a hint of chili.

 

Wet: Ow! I think I had a teensy scratch on the back of my right hand, or something, because it burns just a bit. I suppose that's the pepper. It doesn't smell very strong on me, and most of what I'm getting is a bright red apple with just a hint of other fruits (it's tough to pick them out individually, but I can just barely pick out the pom and a hint of pineapple) and the slight spike of the chili. I'm not smelling the banana, which is fine by me. I love to eat them but don't want to smell like them.

 

Dry: This has settled into a rather odd spicy apple scent - there's still other fruit around but it's tough to pick out. I'm surprised I like this so much, and while I don't think I'll ever need a bottle of Shango, I'll definitley use up the imp. Most likely this will be saved for warmer months.

[dirtytrip]

Love the apples and bananas in this - I immediately saw this as a pure summer scent. As it goes on the depth increases and it stays fairly fruity. It also develops something along the lines of a pink or black pepper tinged musk with slightly dusty overtones. Very pretty, a keeper!

[persephanise]

I would never ever ever have ordered this based on the notes. I got it as a frimp from the lab.

 

In fact, the first time I sniffed this I laughed out loud becuase it smelled ridiculous. I said it smelled like a room full of baby goths who were trying too hard.

 

That's what I thought of Shango: trying too hard.

 

Then one night I was wearing Midway and I was trying to think of ways to amp the caramel apple in the blend and I Thought, "Hmmm, there is that weird Shango in my swap box...."

 

Shango + Midway: YUM YUM!

 

A little Shango goes a long way, but man, it smells really nice with Midway. By itself I think I"m still not sold. It is kind of a ridiculous scent, and it's something I would very rarely be in the mood for. But sometimes, ridiculous can be good. And ya know, I'm thinking of keeping this imp and maybe even getting another one. I can't imagine ever using up a whole bottle, but it's definitely grown on me. funny how that happens.

[Rovylern]

I got this as a lab frimp. It's been on my "things I might want to try, but has a scary note so there are other things I want more at the moment" list for a few months now, so I was glad for a chance to try it out.

 

Wet: OMGFRUIT. Banana, coconut, pineapple, apples, I can pick out each one. I adore really juicy fruit scents, the kind that make you thirsty for some fresh juice when you sniff them, and this seems to be one of those.

 

Drydown: This isn't something I can stick my nose in and inhale, the chili pepper makes sure of that (if I try, my nose starts to twitch, heh). It's got a good throw, though, so I don't have to. I was nervous about the chili, but it didn't irritate the skin on my wrist at all. It did burn my face where I accidentally touched the test spot to my cheek, so I think it's a wrist-only scent for me. It only lasted a few hours, but I know that my skin drinks oils up and very few last longer than that. I will definitely be nabbing a bottle of this in the future.

[DARKBEAUTY28]

Smells fruity in the bottle. Wet it is very tropical, I get a touch of pineapple and banana. The fruits are blended well.

 

As I'm wearing it I still smell the mix of fruits, but the scent is kind of tangy, which I am assuming is the peppers.

 

Overall, it is so good! One of my BPAL faves!

 

Only thing is it doesn't last long on me.

Edited January 28, 2008 by DARKBEAUTY28