Kali

[azhure]

... This perfume is a blend of the sacred blooms of cassia, hibiscus, musk rose, Himalayan wild tulip, lotus and osmanthus swirled with offertory dark chocolate, red wine, tobacco, balsam and honey.

In the vial: I can definitely smell the wine - there's no sweetness to the scent.

Wet: The wine amps up initially - it's gorgeous and it sweetens slightly after a while. The florals come out more and more.

Drydown: The florals are dominant now - what I presume to be the musk rose is the one I get most of, tempered by the balsam and the honey. Absolutely gorgeous.

[aquazoo]

Pretty. Floral, yummy, this is the destroyer with a necklace of skulls? Beautiful and mysterious. It’s settling into a rose scent that is very pleasant. I’m getting the florals but the foody part is very low-key.

[QueenFae]

When first applied, Kali smells very strongly of red wine, so I thought it was going to be a dark, heavy type scent. As it dries down, the chocolate note starts to sweeten the blend a little, and the florals start to show themselves. About 10 minutes after its applied, Kali is almost totally tulip and lotus, with the slightest hint of honey lingering beneath. The red wine and chocolate have completely disappeared. This is a lovely blend, but not enough throw or sticking power for me.

[lilfaerywingz]

Kali could be a beautiful scent, but my skin turned it into sludge. It's definitly a powerful woman scent.

When it dried down I could mostly only smell tobacco and very bitter chocolate, also a bit of a dry merlot.

deep throw, staying power lasted

[supremegoddessofall]

Mostly florals, which a hint of honey underneath. This is not amping honey on me, which is surprising. I'm getting mostly the non-rose florals, but I can't pick any out specifically. I get a touch of a boozy note underneath, which I presume is the wine, but the chocolate and tobacco are nowhere to be found.

[Ilex]

Strange and sweet, I couldn't pick out any notes on their own at first.

 

It really goes up and down in intensity and changes a lot while I wear it, which is appropriate for Kali, I think. I once got a pleasant chocolate smell before it went poof, but only once.

 

I thought this was okay, if fantastically short lived. My picky husband said he didn't like it a bit.

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the imp: Chocolate and honey-lemon Vicks drops.. O_o

 

First on: Still the same, I'm not sure what is giving it that menthol aspect, the balsam I guess.

 

After a bit: Slightly floral now, very soft and gentle, not what I was expecting, it's very young woman.. dainty flowers, slightly dusty with a hint of sweetness lingering in her youth.

 

A bit more: Neither the wine, chocolate or honey are coming out in any force, the balsam is there, but acts more like a cold breeze, this is all floral on me, slightyly sweet, dusty and tart.

[Delight]

First sniff: Chocolate and red wine. There is a honey liquor smell, like Bordello without the candy aftershock.

 

First applied: Floral with the wine and chocolate taking a backseat.

 

Drying: Something sweet and red in the background. Maybe it is the tobacco? I'm not familiar with whatever it is.

 

I agree with everyone that commented on this particular vial being an "adult" scent. I don't think it is something that would appeal to the younger crowd. I am very positive on Kali, sort of a grown up and less boozy version of Bordello which I also like a great deal.

 

I received this one as a freebie with my last imp order and couldn't be more pleased with it.

[lanablade]

In the imp: Wine and chocolate.

 

Wet: More chocolate and wine. Good wine. Really expensive wine. I do wish the chocolate would back off a bit. There's sweet flowers, specifically rose, and I think honey under the wine.

 

Dry: Rose, other sweet flowers, sweet things, and that really fabulous wine. The rose and the wine are most obvious. It kinda smells like a really good date. You know, red roses, a bottle of the good stuff, some sweet desert with honey or whipped cream...

 

I didn't think I'd like this one at first, but once the chocolate went away, we got along smashingly. I'm wearing this out to my birthday dinner (a really good, expensive date), and I think it's going to be a winner.

[evilbee]

In the bottle:

Dark powdery cocoa and honey. I’m a little nervous because it smells sickly.

 

Wet: Cocoa and cough syrup. Seriously. Ugh.

 

Drying: The rose is blooming through the cocoa and appears to be grounded by some kind of resin without actually smelling of resin.

 

Dry: Smooth and silky and perfectly blended. I can no longer distinguish any notes – it’s just a fantastically dark and creamy rose scent that feels warm and womanly. This will be a useful confidence scent – maybe for my interview on Monday!

[faded_stranger]

Straight out of the bottle, Kali was all rose and honey touched by wine.

 

Wet, all the other notes instantly gave way to a very strong, very sweet floral that was absolutely dominated by rose. After dry down, Kali softened considerably. On me, rose and honey were still the standout scents, but the tobacco came in to round it out with a smoky sweetness that gave this oil a dark underbelly.

 

A half hour later the wine came back out, faint but rich, and then after about two hours Kali was totally gone. I never got any chocolate. Overall, this is a very feminine, decadent scent. It didn’t ever go soapy on me like so many roses do, and if I were a fan of womanly florals, this would definitely be a keeper. Lovely.

 

Edit: I passed this imp off to a tranny friend on whom perfume oils have an unfortunate tendency to shirk into masculine territory. Not this one. It stayed floral and feminine and she adores it.

Edited March 4, 2008 by Caspian Gray

[maijasu]

Kali is rich, complex, and very feminine. The wine is most apparent at first, then the florals, honey, and tobacco take over. The overall effect is smooth and slightly decadent. I like it, but I'm not sure it's "me." Still, it's one I'm glad to have tried.

[forspecial_plate]

Kali smells smooth, velvety and brown to me. I was a little surprised when I re-read the list of notes....this smells more simple to me, I'm really not picking up half of those notes but I'm not great at picking out florals anyway. I can smell mostly cocoa or chocolate, maybe some rose and lotus, and a little honey and a *smidge* of tobacco. The rest, I'm not sure I would recognize even if I did smell them. Not sure I'm getting any balsam at all...although looking it up, that could be a kind of wood or a kind of flower (another name for impatiens apparently). I keep thinking I smell coffee in it, but that might just be the chocolate.

 

Anyway, without picking it apart, it's dark, smooth, quiet, and 'brown' smelling to me, and that's not in a bad way. Kind of reminds me of what I'm expecting Velvet to smell like. Kind of a sexy scent, and I think I might give this imp to my friend Kevin because he has a cat named Kali. I like it but not enough to seek out a whole bottle of it.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Chocolate, honey, and wine, with light florals over it.

 

Wet: Something a bit like camphor, possibly tobacco and balsam, over the honey/chocolate. It fades and softens as it dries down.

 

Drydown: Hmm, this is a complex floral/foody blend. I get a number of flowers including rose and hibiscus, some herby scents, and deep in the background, the chocolate/honey combination. It smells light and fragrant, and reminds me a bit of tea, somehow.

 

Overall: This is a truly lovely scent, not that far from Dia De Los Muertos, in that it has a backdrop of foody chocolate and honey, with flowers and smoke as main components. It contains one of my iffy notes, lotus, but I don't even smell it. I think I mainly get rose and hibiscus over tasty offerings. A delicious, comforting blend.

Edited January 12, 2007 by Meg

[MissMelysse]

Got this in my very first mystery pack bought here on the forum. Am totally in love with it.

 

In the imp: Chocolate, pipe tobacco, and something sweet.

 

Wet: Oh, there's the wine, and the sweet seems honey-ish now.

 

Drydown: I can't pick out individual floral notes, but I can tell they're there, and the chocolate and tobacco have softened a lot.

 

Overall: This imp had leaked a bit in the package despite being taped. As I was opening everything, I was trying to figure out that enticing smell, and it was this. I'm still brand new to bpal, but I'm thinking this will be a favorite. I really like it - it's a very grown-up scent, but can still be either feisty or flirty.

[Bagfish]

Kali is an extremely complex scent which has morphed and morphed on my skin. First up when wet, I definitely smell the chocolate and possibly the tobacco. It dries down to an almost savoury spiciness. It is not at all sweet on my skin, but I do get a sense of honey as an undertone.

 

There are lots of ingredients in Kali that I don't know, and therefore can't recognise which makes it quite hard to describe, but I do know that it reminds me a bit of both Santa Muerte and Dia De Los Muertos.

[filigree_shadow]

The florals in this are particularly sweet in this, I think from the wine. It seems like the last time I tried this a few months ago it was darker. It's definitely sweeter than I remember. The wine is a little much for me, and the honey is doing that wonky thing that honey usually does on me. I bet this is very pretty on people who can wear the honey note just fine, though.

[femmefatale]

This one sounded so good, but unfortunately my skin makes it smell like a bad, stale drugstore rose perfume.

[Electra]

Kali is so sweet that it makes my teeth hurt. It's the red wine (which always goes sweet on me) combined with the honey. Killer. It's not an unpleasant scent, it's just -- too much. Overpowering. Way too sweet for me. I don't smell any of the flowers, or the chocolate or tobacco or balsam -- just wine and honey. If I liked sweet scents, this would be a home run -- it's interesting and unusual, not at all gourmand. Unfortunately it's just too much for me.

 

When it dries down, it gets less sweet and more complex. I like it better at this stage, but it's still too sweet for me, and not worth sitting through the dizzying wet stage.

[ariosa]

I just couldn't handle Kali. I was looking forward to the chocolate, but I think there is too much going on here, and it reacts strangely with my body chemistry. I smell like stale alcohol and old tobacco and unwashed body. And something just too sweet. I wanted to like this one, but I just can't.

[dart]

Another winner for me.

 

The chocolate (not one that always works on me) is there, strong but in a very deep way. I can pick up the wine - it's just a bit, right on top of the chocolate. It's like a drop in a dark chocolate. And I think the tobacco and honey. Honey is another scent that I love.

 

The florals in this one are very light on me. Actually I really don't think I can smell them but I'm not sure what tulips smell like! I never thought of them as scented flowers.

 

I love it, keep sniffing, trying to pick out each note - they blend so well for me.

[mspixieears]

This smells like rum or whisky wet in the vial and has the gourmand scent I dislike in many of the Fyrinnae perfume oils that I've had occasion to sample. Thankfully, this does not remain the case for very long. On drydown, more florals emerge and it becomes more pleasing but this also seems to be less long-lasting than most BPAL fragrances. The notes of the gourmand and floral begin to mingle more harmoniously and reminds me of a very subtle Harlot even though the beginning is so different. A few hours later and the Harlot-like similarities fade. It eventually dies to pure soapiness. Very disappointed as I had high expectations for this scent.

[Pika]

This was an imp I got from the lab, not sure I would have picked it out myself with all those seemingly unmatched ingredients! But (see below) sure glad I tried it!

 

In the bottle: Complex! Bright. The wine is bright and fruity-sour, and I think there's honey in there too.

 

Wet on skin: Still intricate! A bit darker, muskier, but a little floral, and still a spark of brightness. I'll second or third the very "grown-up" impression. I'm not really getting the chocolate others have, but I'm not really into overly foody scents anyway.

 

A little while later… Definitely sexy. More florals coming out now, very nice. The honey scent is lingering as well, yummy!

 

Much later… Still manages to be sexy! Actually very long lasting on me, and I smelled it on the sheets the next morning. The honey, especially, seems to be long lasting on my skin. Delicious all the way through, even as it morphs!

 

 

I love it! This is a lovely, feminine, powerful, and sexy scent. A night scent for sure, but something that could probably go for either a night out on the town or maybe even a formal dinner. Prolly gonna have to order more of this...

[Browneyes]

Imp: Wine, fruits and flowers, quite tropical/lush in feeling

Wet: It's official: I amp rose. The winey note is the only other note prominent besides the rose, although if I really really try, I might be able to detect a hint of honey. Good thing is that the honey is behaving! No cocoa to speak of really.

Dry: This ends up as a lovely bright and strong rose, amplified by the wine and other notes. But it is all about the rose on me.

[Nia]

in the imp, it smells of... Buttery roses. This is not a bad thing.

 

On me, it is the most complex thing I have tried so far. The mental image is of a square of the best dark chocolate, left on a huge bouquet of roses strewn on the ground. I want to paint the walls in this. After a few seconds, I get the wine and the rose becomes more important than the other flowers.

 

Best Chocolate Scent, Best Rose, Best God/dess-Inspired . Does not win Best Sweet or Best foody-floral combination by a narrow margin.

 

I must add that when I try several imps in one day, if the first one is wonderful or a disaster it influences all the others and I have tried this on the same morning as Hymn (which I hated). So, if I had tried this uninfluenced by Hymn, I would have been even more enthusiastic.

 

ETA: Now I have a bottle of aged Kali. It changes dramatically. For some mysterious reason it smelss of bananas. Bananas, chocolate, roses. In that order. The bananas fade into something indefinably fruity and very sweet: the interaction of lotus, wine and honey? Finally, when it is completely dry, It is more clearly a lotus-rose combination.

Edited August 22, 2007 by Nia