Monster Bait: Underpants

[OctoberGwen]

Who doesn't want a monster in their pants? Sexy sugar-smeared saffron sandalwood over lickable vanilla cream with a splash of butter rum.

I've been wanting to try Underpants since I first became a BPALista, but since all the other Monsterbaits seemed to have a plasticky undertone (sometimes OVERtone) on my skin, I figured it was no big deal whether I ever tried it out or not. I'm also very picky about sweet scents: sugar is awful on my skin, and things that are overly gourmand or sickly-sweet actually make me sort of nauseous when I wear them.

Still, I was delighted to find a surprise sniffie included in a recent swap with the lovely Glambie - especially since there was just enough to test!

Sniffing from the tiny amber vial she gave me, I got a pleasant enough vanilla smell. Okay. *shrug*

I put it on, smugly waiting for the anticipated Nasty Plastic to develop so I could say, "The hell with you, Underpants."

Sniff. Oh, my. Sniff. OH MY.

Vanilla, yes, but a daaaaaaaark, rich, syrupy vanilla that manages to stay just this side of too sweet. The saffron and sandalwood are not identifiable to me as separate notes, but they have to be doing something here to make Underpants greater than the sum of its parts. YUM-ola. I can't stop huffing my wrists. A couple hours later I get just a faint whiff of "wow, your skin smells delicious." Oh, that's my skin.

So, yeah. Underpants smells fabulous. Fortunately, vanilla isn't a note that makes my eyes roll back in my head, so I will leave the quest for Underpants to those who really do consider it their Holy Grail vanilla scent.

My wallet thanks me.

[ih8perfume]

I got to try this scent through an amazing LE/DC swap (thanks!)

 

Good lord, is it getting hot in here or is it just Underpants? So fricken sexy. Sweet and vanilla-y without being foody. Feminine, but not too girly. It is dirty-minded and a little innocent at the same time.

 

It smells quite a bit different in the bottle than on the skin. In the imp, it smelled overly sweet, but that settled down as the saffron warmed up and made it all musky and grounded. I can feel the sandalwood more than actually smell it. It's probably one of the elements that keeps this from being foody. The butter rum is quiet, but I can sense it just rounding out the sharp edges and adding a hint of buttery saltiness.

 

Mmmmm. So good. So nomnomnomnom. So mmmm. Nomnomnomnom. Gooooood. Please leave us alone now... We would like some privacy.

[brilliantcat]

I've been after this one for ages and I finally got a tester. I'm not sure whether I'm hoping it blows my mind like I expect it to, or whether I'm hoping it somehow doesn't work given the rarity. I guess we'll just have to see! In the vial, it's super sweet and reminds me of Boo quite a bit as they're both that super-sticky-sweet clouds of sugar. Both also have a kind of cottony or linen-y vibe to me, I get the vibe of scented clothing that's been in a trunk in an attic for years and has been forgotten, lost to time. On me, there's an oddly cologne-y aspect to MB: Underpants though. I have no idea where that's coming from as sandalwood has never given me that vibe, though I know it can for others. I'm going to blame the saffron. It's definitely a relative of the Lace blends, and really is evocative of um... a pair of lacy underthings I've never been much of a fan of the Lace series precisely for the fabric note, it's just never appealed to me. This is not quite as insistently fabric-y and is actually quite delicious. I do love it, but I haven't fallen for it the way I have, say, Silver-Haired Bat. I like it but I don't think I'll go to the lengths necessary to obtain it. Not that I'd complain a bit if a bottle happened to drop into my lap from the sky!

[lookingglass]

I kicked myself in the pants back in the day for never getting a bottle of this. Well, I found a sniffie. Glowy golden sweet...saffron infused vanilla cream...lightly spiced wood note, all snuggley warm...It's really that good.

 

Ya know what it smells a lot like...? Hesiod's Phoenix.

Edited February 8, 2014 by lookingglass

[Magycmyste]

So, I managed to get a nice full decant of this.

 

In the imp: Sugar, and sandalwood, I think, that keeps it from getting too sweet.

 

Wet on skin: This makes me think of a slightly spicy sugar cookie! Like a cinnamon sugar cookie. The sandalwood just adds this gorgeous spice to it.

 

Dried down: Same as wet.

 

Throw: I'm not getting much on me, but I'm not being patient enough today, as I need to go out.

 

Verdict: **** 1/* I get why people love this so much. It's complex and beautiful. But - maybe it's because I know I'll probably never get a bottle for a decent price - I don't think I'm going to drive myself insane looking for one. I will, however, HOARD my decant.

[Bassmastadroog]

I found a cool pack of Monster Bait imps on eBay from a fellow BPAL'r, so time to test them out!

 

I was initially most excited about Underpants...

 

Bottle: Creamy, warm vanilla with ginger

 

On Skin: Once it blends with my skin its less general as ginger...and I can smell the buttery, creamy spice. Also with vanilla. This is (for me) where it starts to go wonky. I still like the sweetness and gourmand-y scent, but I do get what other people describe as 'burnt plastic.' Is this what wet sandalwood before its drydown smells like?

 

Dry: Just vanilla and sandalwood. This is my favorite stage. Really, the weird wet stage doesn't last very long...its worth the wait. Here, I think I smell the saffron peeking out. I have never smelled saffron single note...but the drydown has the pink warmth of Morocco, and I know there is saffron in that. Its similar to Morocco once dry, but just with added sandalwood to temper the sweetness. This is my favorite stage!

 

3/5, only because its sillage is low on me...and also the beginning is...meh. I'll use all the imp though, and fat chance of me finding a bottle now anyway

[LizziesLuck]

As if I haven't written up a review??

 

I have this sort of love-hate relationship with Underpants. When it first came out from the Lab, I foolishly thought gourmand scents were my favourite, and that things like sandalwood and saffron were "icky". So I ignored this and just got Closet and Underbed (which I do love).

 

 

Then, many years later when I realize how much I love vanilla cream, rum, saffron AND sandalwood, I am kicking myself because I could have had this straight from the La and not be having to try to hunt down the off partial or decant here and there, at steep prices.

 

Anyway, I love this scent. It is as described, lots of saffron and rum on wet, settling into a lovely vanilla cream sandalwood with just hints of the rum and saffron remaining to give it depth and interest. It's amazing and special and I am glad to have some.