Tisiphone

[jj_j]

Oleander with black patchouli, ylang ylang, and neroli.

Damn it. I just waxed poetic about this scent, then somehow managed not to submit the post. You'll have to suffer through the re-posted version, which is never as good as the first one.

Prefaced with a reminder that I have funkified body chemistry in the areas of jasmine, ylang-ylang, and musks; so funkified, you may want to totally disregard my reviews of scents with these notes unless you're the same way.

That stated, Tisiphone is fantastic, even on me.

Creamy, biting neroli lifted by a heady white floral that can only be oleander, and ylang-ylang that sweetens and intensifies the southern flower-garden I keep sniffing on my arm. The black patchouli seems to be missing in action, as I never once get a sense of it.

I am surprised ... well, amazed, if the truth be told ... at how contrary this is to my usual scent preferences, and how lovely it is. It's tough and bold, soft-skinned and curvy, brash and delicate all at the same time.

I'll be ordering this one, which I'd put up there with Ophelia and Unseelie as atypical florals.

[Shollin]

First sniff: The faint glow of a burning stick of incense in the close darkness of a tomb.

 

Wearing: There’s a peppery bite to Tisiphone, and it’s warmed up a lot – still very dry though. It clings very close to my skin – I can hardly smell it at all unless I have my nose right up against my wrist. After giving it a couple of minutes to settle, I do smell flowers – it’s more like floral soap, actually, and still very faint.

[Fulltiltredhead]

I got this as a sample in my order that arrived today. The only note it that my nose is really familiar with is the neroli, and I know I love neroli ... I hate ylang ylang and am not crazy about patchouli -- but I AM crazy about Tisiphone. I want the big bottle. I get the incense thing, too - as well as something yummy, creamy, almost edible about the flowers. I get the image of tropical flowers for some reason.

 

Really, you have to try this one. Another masterpiece.

[TygherRayn]

In the bottle: This is the Furies scent I was most looking forward to. It's wicked, in all the right ways. The ylang ylang makes it womanly, the oleander dangerous, and the patchouli makes it dark.

 

Wet: Sweet, wicked and dangerous, this is the perfume of a female serial killer whose method-of-choice is poison.

 

Wearing: I really like this one, though I think as it wears the patchouli makes it less 'poisonous' and more just dark. Brian is a genius, however, and I have to definitely thank him for this trio.

[MissAnthropy]

First whiff: Oh Oleander! It jumped right out at me, probably because I'm very familiar with that particular scent. So far, so good. Everything seems to be complimenting everything else, and nothing is uncomfortably overpowering - even though this is one of the 'three furies'. However, don't be fooled. There's defiantly a sinister side to this scent - it's all in the total blend, and how it comes together.

 

On: The oleander is simmering down more now, and the black patchouli is becoming more of a front runner. My chemistry always seems to latch on to patchouli, and bright it out. But it's going that with the neroli, too.

 

An hour or so later: Still pretty noticeable, no need to top it off with a reapplication. With some time on my skin, it's really become a very warm, pleasing scent.

 

Much later: This scent, oddly, has gone very light, and almost watery on me. I don't mind, considering it's been on my skin for more than a few hours, and has lasting power. But, I never thought it would go watery. I'm not disappointed, just, well... surprised at what my chemistry pulls on me sometimes!

 

I have all 3 of Beth's "Kindly Ones" creations, so I'll be reviewing those later.

 

 

-Leslie

[twistygirl]

This is the first of Brian's creations that I have tried, and I must concur with Tygher... the man is a genius.

 

As Jenny said, this is a most untypical floral. This is a creamy, buttery-smooth scent with a bite, but it's not a *sharp* bite... the creaminess of the oleander and the slightest tinge of sweetness that the ylang-ylang adds (and it's the *perfect* amount of ylang-ylang - I often find ylang-ylang to be too sweet, but this is just ever-so-slightly-sweet) blend in absolutely perfect harmony with the gorgeous neroli and patchouli. This is a spicy smooth floral that is really unique and totally intoxicating. It doesn't seem to waft very much at all - like Hollie, I have to really press my nose up against my wrist to get a good sniff. It really evokes images of secrecy and contradiction, it's feminine and wicked, and it's totally fantastic. Yet another new masterpiece that I am adding to my get-a-big-bottle-of-this list.

[miss apple]

This smells of incense, a smokey floral that's neither girly nor sweet but dark and mysterious. It makes me think of shadowy corners and and flickering firelight. I'm surpised at how much I like this as I don't really care for patchouli but it works really well in this scent and it's even better once applied. This is one of the few oils that I can still smell on my wrist hours later. I just may have to purchase a bigger bottle.

[reina]

What miss apple said.

dark, very grown up floral. and something with Patchouli that doesn't reek on me! that's something!

it's strong, like top-quality incense, my mom gets a reaction to this in her overly sensitive eyes, which sucks.

I think it would suit me to a T 15 years from now. I think I can go with fresher, younger scent.

But I do like this. it's kind of new on my skin so I'll add more to this post in a few hours, see how how it develops. I have a feeling that this will survive even the smokiest nights out. I might wear this to salsa tomorrow.

[Donnababe]

First Sniff

 

Resin like, slightly dusty. A touch of neroli.

 

Drydown

 

As above. Surprisingly nice.

 

After a While

 

Sorry to be boring but this hasn't changed at all at any stage.

 

Final Verdict

 

Not at all bitter like I expected it to be. Slightly dark but very

pleasant. This has excellent staying power. Not a scent I would have

chosen but I will consider more imps in the future.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: fabulous. i love black patchouli and this definitely smells like that. however, there's a sweetness, a floral bit, and some sharpness to it, too, which make it a wonderful blend. i hope this smells half as good on me as it does in the bottle.

on: interesting. sharper than in the bottle. i'm not sure if i'm getting the black patchouli. hopefully, that will come out once it dries.

2 hours later: this has sweetened up on me. no surprise there. however, there is a bit of darkness to it, which i'm assuming the black patchouli. i hope it comes out more, though, since this isn't smelling very interesting on me so far.

3 hours later: it's definitely a bit darker, but i want more patchouli. like i feared, this isn't a very interesting scent on me. however, there is a wetness to it now that is making me hopeful.

4.5 hours later: this has turned into an almost-nutty sweetness on me. no fun.

overall: definitely won't be keeping this one.

[AlectoNox]

In the bottle - This smells very 'white' and almost clean, if not for the buttery undertone giving it a hint of darkness and a smidgeon of bite.

 

Wet - Yum! It's scent has deepened out on my skin and lost some of the airyness, like the heavier undertone is starting to ground it more. This must be the oleander at work. But the creaminess is really starting to kick in. I can smell something astringent hovering over the surface of my skin...this is interesting.

 

Dry - The neroli is dominant now. It smells like a powdery floral scent, very clean and fresh. The buttery bite is all but gone, leaving behind a soft white scent…very nice, but I wish the creamy undertone had stuck around longer. 5 hours later it's a lovely light floral scent, not too overpowering but very solid. For anyone else who lives in a hot climate, this perfume is a great summertime scent - I just came in from 107 degree heat and the scent didn't go wonky or knock me out at all.

 

This scent was wonderful in all of it's stages, even in the drydown. Neroli must work well with my skin chemistry because most of the other perfume oils on my top ten list contain neroli. I will definitely be buying a bigger bottle of this, if I have any money left over from collecting the lunacy oils.

[malanna]

This smelled like Venom to me. It's a white floral with a bit of edge. Like Venom, it's a stand-offish scent. Very formal and distant. After several hours, it's just a white floral. I could see a mom from The Nanny Diaries wearing this. Polite and stays within the rules, but can be quite malicious. The staying power of this is okay--it fades, but I can still smell it.

[glampyre]

Tisiphone makes me feel like a beautiful princess.

It's musky, floral, sweet, deep, dark, warm...beautiful and edgy and perfect.

[Morrighana]

In the bottle: Herbs with just the faintest kick of...spice?

 

Wet: Neroli, with the faintest kick of herbs.

 

Dry: Hmm. This is a lot sweeter than I expected it to be. Not to say that it is sweet, per se, but from my initial sniff I expected more...bite...from this one. The neroli is no longer distinguishable, sadly, but the patchouli has come out a bit more.

 

Overall: Sadly, the end result of Tisiphone on my skin reminds me of sunscreen. Very nice sunscreen, but sunscreen nonetheless. I'm not sure if that is the Oleander's contribution, as I'm not exactly sure what Oleander smells like on its own, but I am familiar with the other listed notes, and they certainly aren't what I am smelling now. It is not at all unpleasant, and probably just a quirk of my chemistry, but there you go. Off to the swap pile, methinks!

[lixolux]

tisiphone upon wearing for me is a very intense rose scent - i had to double check the description as i felt like i had perhaps mistaken it for queen mab (perhaps its the mix of heady oleander + neroli that makes the faux rose) but then tisiphone races past queen mab and settles into the softest, incensy, rich, yet not sweet ylang ylang with a very subtle yet severe ground of black patchouli (which is what i think gives the "edgy" aspect to the scent - i usually cannot handle black patchouli but it is really light in this mix) its a little powdery but not the tea rose sort of tooth chatteringly powder, it is the sweet and sniff your wrists for hours kind.....and 2 hours later im still feeling like a VICIOUS SOFTIE....this is my new favorite!!

[Northernminx]

Creamy, herbal, and incensey in the vial. On me the Patchuolli and neroli were the predominant notes, a strong, dark incensey smell that is at once dangerous and dark. The neroli smooths this out a little so it's not cloying or too heavy, just dark and menacing. Add the oleander under this for some femininity and it's a lovely, complex scent that bespeaks of danger and vengance. I love this one, but it's not really me, per say, so I'll be swapping it off.

[OdetteOdile]

Light, a little soapy. Oddly, this reminded me of a bad day in spring - the kind of day where it's beautiful outside, and the birds are singing, but you just got bad news, or have the flu, and can't enjoy it. It smells like cough syrup under the spring flowers, too.

...But there's something I like about it too...it really evolves.. figuring out what it smells like is like trying to remember a dream just as you're forgetting it.

It's really elusive and makes me curious to try it again. A haunting scent.

[hypothermya]

First Impression

 

A very white floral. With something...familiar... That's the problem with trying so many scents -- your nose starts to recognize the individual notes, and you forget the overall impression. Anyhow, this is mainly floral but sweetened somehow and a little tart.

 

Wearing It

 

The patchouli picks up a lot once it hits my skin, and it smells just like oleander bushes and bits of fresh dirt. Like a real garden floral, and not something you'd get at a floral shop. There's a bit of warmth and sweetness that ylang-ylang always adds to a scent, which always makes it somehow a little more appealing than it was to begin with. And then the neroli -- hardly noticeable -- seems to add a bit of class and sophistication. Seems to me that this is the sort of scent that a conservative lady with a streak of sexuality would wear...almost an intimidating, earthy sensuality that's hidden beneath that white, floral exterior. Very elegant and sexy.

 

Once again, florals are not my thing... I was wondering if the patchouli might be stronger in this, but it isn't. It acts more as a base. It's a nice scent, but not for me.

[everybabycries]

At first I really liked this scent, but as it fades, its just too formal for me.

 

On me its Too Flowery, Too Powdery. I need something Deeper.

[VorpalBunny]

Tisiphone is a lovely dark floral. I love all the individual elements, although I don't smell most of the notes on me, just the oleander and then an underlying dark muskiness. Some of the darker scents have a hint of bitterness on me, but this one had none of that. It is a great scent for wearing to work or some other formal occasion without smelling too cheerful and girlie. I am enjoying it a lot.

[sarada]

My first review here!

 

Tisiphone is a very special fragrance to me, as the first time I sniffed it I immediately recognized the scent of a favorite incense of mine, which was made by a store that no longer exists. That scent was called "Sunshine Daydream" and although I don't know the ingredients I have to assume that black patchouli, ylang ylang, neroli and/or oleander may have been a part of it!

 

This does not change much from the bottle to the drydown on me -- a deep, dark floral with a creamy, sensual muskiness. It impresses me as a buttery gold scent. Not being familiar with oleander on its own I have to assume that the note I don't recognize is probably oleander -- no one note stands out, but they assimilate perfectly into a really unique blend unlike any others I have tried.

 

If patchouli or ylang ylang are not your thing, fear not -- they transform in this blend and it does not smell like either, but you can catch the hint of that earthy tang around the edges. The warmth of my skin seems to "bake" incensey oils, making them last and linger for hours, so I feel like a walking stick of incense! This is a good thing! Tisiphone lasts for hours on me but I keep reapplying it because I just can't get enough of that heady aroma.

 

I have a few imps of this and have asked for a big bottle for Christmas...keep your fingers crossed for me! I don't think I ever want to be without this scent, now that I have found it.

[pekeana]

In the vial, I get sweet, but bitter, orange (neroli?) and white floral.

 

On me, it's all patchouli and white floral, and I really can't stand the combination -- it smells strangely dirty for a floral, and strangely sweet for patchouli. And I'm going to go wash it off now.

[Lucretia]

clean and dusty, dominant ylang ylang and neroli on me.

Soft and creamy but with an edge, I'd say there was amber in it but it must just be the neroli acting curious on my skin.

It took me a while to figure out what it reminded me of, but it's got to be silentium amoris.

I like this one quite a bit, as it is very soft and sort of wicked all the same time, but it doesn't really feel like me. I'll keep the imp though for sure.

[Faerykin]

Tisiphone

 

Swiped across wrists and along collarbone.

 

Initial Wet (8-8:30am): This is warm, earthy, a bit spicy and a bit sweet. Very comforting.

 

Initial Dry (8:30-10am): This continues to warm and become a bit spicier. Still a very comforting scent. The main note I detect is the patchouli, but the other notes form such a veil behind it that it is unlike any other patchouli I have ever smelled – this is lovely, deep, earthy and comforting.

 

Throughout the Day (10am-on): I had been avoiding patchouli scents (aside from my precious Samhain) because of my husband’s negative association of it to ‘dirty hippy’. But, I should have known better. Beth is truly an Alchemical Goddess! The Lab added this in as an extra with my last order, and it has totally changed my view. This scent is just so warm and comforting. I think it is time to open my mind (and my Wish List) to BPAL’s patchouli.

 

Another one for the Big Bottle List! If this keeps up, I’m gonna have more big bottles than I’ll know what to do with.

[voodoobaby]

In the bottle: Hmm. This is certainly the cleanest patchouli blend I've smelled. That's not to say that it's airy or fresh in any way, it just doesn't smell like mold to me. It's kind of light, yet has a deepness to it. Of course, when I sniffed it out of the bottle I had a fresh piece of minty gum in my mouth, so that might kind of obscure the scent.

 

On: Wow. A very dark floral. The patchouli, almost artificial smelling in this blend, oddly remains in the background as the ylang ylang adds a sinister sensuality to the blend. The oleander adds a kind of softness and brooding feel to it. Oh, and if it helps, I have no idea what neroli smells like. Still, everything here blends together so very well.

 

Later: Well darn. Nothing today has been lasting very long on me. I think it might just be my skin chemistry lately, as I think I'm coming down with something. Still, love it. I wore a lot of black lace today, and it seemed to fit my outfit very well. It will be a nice addition to my more dark, feminine outfits.