The Phantom Calliope

[Vampy]

Ghostly, glowing, sweet and dark: black cherry, patchouli, cassis, cardamom and verbena.

Oh man. Oh man. I just got a decant of Phantom Calliope today and it is wow.

This is only the second case of a perfume that's somewhat foody that doesn't set off my "blah - food," aversion. (I don't have a problem with smelling like edible things per se - it's just that why would I need a perfume that smells like, say, cookies, when I can just bake some cookies for that? Foody scents are boring scents.) Like the previous foody I've liked (Tarot: the Star), I like this one because despite smelling of edible things, it doesn't smell simply of cake or chocolate or something simple like that - it's complex and strange and interesting. (Plus it has an incensey edge, and I adore incensey perfumes.)

In the bottle it was almost all cherry syrup to me - I could smell a little spice, but it was drowned beneath the syrup. Right after applying it there's an absolute explosion of cinnamon/cassia over the cherry - the BF said, "smells like Christmas!" At this point, it was nice but not particularly sensational. But after a few minutes, all the other notes start coming out - a nutty base welling up from the cardamom and a touch of dusty incense wafting from the patchouli, and the cherry mellows out into this strange, whispy specter. Somehow it really smells like the ambient scents from a fairground in late summer/early fall, earthy and spicy and something that resembles a whiff of funnel cakes.

While I was initially dubious of the idea of a cherry/foodie scent being ghostly or eerie, this totally, totally is. This is bottled atmosphere. It's absolutely exquisite.


(edited to add description) Edited October 11, 2007 by Shollin

[Tulliver]

Oooh... very cherry indeed in the bottle, but I can smell the verbena in the background, too.

 

On the skin wet - SOMUCHCHERRY! I like this, but I'm not sure if I like it in a perfume. It'd be a lovely room scent, though from what I'm getting so far.

 

Drydown - Oooh. wow... still cherry, but it's died back a little and is letting the verbena back through along with something that... >.< is a teeny bit soapy. Let's hope this vanishes fairly soon.

 

After an hour - The Soap has gone. The predominant scents here are definitely the cherry and verbena. This is another one of the oddities where the resident patchouli doesn't take over as it's often likely to do with me. Don't get me wrong, I DO like patchouli, of all varieties, a great deal. But it's nice to have the other scents be maintained instead.

 

This is a very odd scent. It really doesn't smell at all as I expected although I'm not completely sure what I expected. I don't dislike it, and I will wear it, but not regularly. I still think this will be used as a room scent.

[heathercaley]

Oh yummmy!! Cherry and Verbena! I love both of those notes, and combined it reminds me of those bags of cherry bomb candies you get at Disneyland on Main street. Tart and sweet.. it makes your mouth water. I almost get a bit of cinnamon in there? Even though it isn't listed... doesn't matter because this effing rocks!!!!

 

 

 

Yumyumyumyum!!!

 

Update 6 years later: The patchouli has come out to play and the cherry went byebye - or is at least hiding out. LOVE this even more now that it's REALLY FREAKING AGED!

Edited June 18, 2013 by Purrsnikety

[Skirt]

Marry me, bottle. Truly.

 

Okay, I'd bought a third of a bottle off of a forum member because I wasn't sure if it'd like me. I put some on and I die for it. Truly, okay.. My favorite smell in the WHOLE world is my Dark Candles candle in "Haunted House," it is bliss to me, I want to smell like it all the time, I love it. This is, on me, the BPAL equivalent with a hint of cherry. I don't know why, but it smells exactly like it and I LOVE that.

 

MUST stock up on this, because really, it's heaven in a bottle. It's what I've wanted in a long, long while - and the throw is incredible.

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle kind of a thick, turgid cherry with something murky

wet on skin evil bubblegum? it's sort of bazooka joe with the devil inside.

dry on skin well, this is fascinating. after a brief foray into red hots candy, it settled down into a dark, fruity, spicy blend of pure love. the cherry is softer and less blackly ripe than MB: bloody mary, more like the bright cherry of queen of hearts. i think it's the verbena that brightens it, although it could be the cassis. both, mebbe. however, the spicy cardamom note drags it back down to the darkness and creates this incredibly well-rounded scent that is so evocative and sexy. with all those food notes, you'd think it'd smell edible, but this is far too evil to want to eat.

 

i bought this on a lark. it was an add-on to another bottle i bought from a forum member. it's fabulous and now i think i might need to hoard it a little. this and zarita have also gotten me more interested in the CD in general, which could be very bad for my wallet.

 

eta i wore this to work today and one of my coworkers now wants to add a bottle of it to my next order for herself. enabling, ahoy!

Edited May 20, 2008 by ravenfeathers

[taramarie]

Wet on my skin, The Phantom Calliope is black cherry and patchouli. They don't smell well together on me. Dry, it starts to burn so I had to wash it off. Someone else can have this.

[Lyrical]

In vial: almond essence, almond essence, and something a little woody.

 

Wet on skin: cherries and smoke and orange(!). The cardamom is spicy without being heavy, and the verbena adds a lemony freshness. It's fresh and fruity and floral and I think I'm in love!

 

Dry on skin: a wonderful, warm fruity-spicy scent, very much like Frumious Bandersnatch, only subtler and more complex!

 

ETA: after further testing I really do love this one. The only problem is IT BURNS US, PRECIOUS! So I guess no bottle for me.

 

another ETA: I've decided I need a bottle anyway. It's marvellous in my hair, where it stays very true - predominantly cherry and cardamom, rich, warm and wonderful!

Edited June 11, 2008 by Lyrical

[strangemodegirl]

The black cherry, casis and cardamom are really amping on me. YUM! I do get a little of the patchouli, but thankfully not enough to bother me, and I don't get any of the verbena.

I am glad I took the chance and got a bottle. I like it quite a bit, but I probably won't be hoarding it.

[suki]

in the bottle: like a spicy cherry candy!

 

wet on skin: the cherry and the cassis are both in the forefront. so far so good...

 

dry down: the cherry takes a step back, the cassis amps a bit and i detect the patchoulli only faintly in the background. it reminds me of spicy chocolate covered cherries!

 

in all: i'm glad i got it as a trade and will likely wear it when i'm feel a little impish and sexy, but it probably won't be an everyday scent for me.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp - mmm, cardamom and cassis.

 

On my skin, it's all cardamom, cassis, and cherry - this is SOOOO good.

 

When it dries, the cherry comes out front, but the cardamom is so present and wonderful - I will need a bunch of this!

[donnatron]

Bottle: Cassis and cherry dominate. I catch whiffs of verbena and cardamom with just a hint of the patchouli lurking in there.

 

Wet: The cassis shifts into a cinnamon/clove scent and the scent becomes almost unbearably spicy.

 

Dry: A mixture of verbena and cherry are the dominant notes with the cassis and patchouli trailing behind. The cardamom makes appearances at times but doesn't seem fussed about being involved.

 

Throw: Really good.

 

Overall: The Phantom Calliope was my first bottle of BPAL and I'm so glad it was. This is a gorgeous, spicy delicious scent that manages to be fruity and spicy without being edible. It's completely lovely and compelling and I just adore it. I'd hoard more bottles of it, but I've barely put a dent in the one I have.

[arabella]

First Impression: Patchouli.

 

Dries down to: The patchouli settles back onto a pillow of fruits and spice until it's enveloped.

 

Additional Comments: While I don't think this is a scent I would wear, I quite like smelling it and I'll keep it for home use.

 

Lasted: Several hours.

 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

[CreamyJade]

In the imp: Black cherries, but spiced up.

Wet on skin: The patchouli and cardamom come out, the sweetness of the cherries lingers.

Dry on skin: Cherries and patchouli still, the spices mellows.

Final thoughts: After thinking "It's impossible that this blend is wrong for me" many times, I decided to purchase an aged bottle, since I had given away my decant. I finally was pleased with the results I had on that second try! To me, it smells similar to Alone on my skin, without the dark dirt note, but with cherries & red fruits instead. It's fun to layer!

Edited April 14, 2009 by CreamyJade

[fireflower]

In the bottle and on my skin, I'm getting a whole lot of black cherry. The other notes are in there, but I'm having a hard time picking any of them out. It's like the rest of the notes are teaming together and blending well while the cherry insists on taking the spotlight. It's reminding me of what would come from mixing Dr. Pepper and Cherry Coke. Not really to my liking, unfortunately.

[alsatia]

Expectations: Mmm, spicy with a hint of fruit. All of the notes are in the range of "like" to "love". I have a feeling it will need to be worn for quite a while before it blends well though.

 

In vial: All the notes quickly make an appearance. Black cherry is, to my surprise, the first thing I smell, along with a bit of patchouli which makes it a little musky. Then the verbena pops up, followed by cardamom. I'm not all that familiar with cassis, so it didn't hit me as clearly as the others, but if I keep sniffing I can tell it's there.

 

On skin, wet: Strongly cardamom with a side of patchouli. Verbena hides until I inhale deeply. There's a fruity undertone, but for now it's primarily spice.

 

On skin, dry: The bastard love-child of cardamom and verbena. They're starting to blend, and it's just not as good as the two notes individually. I really hope the spiciness will back off a bit and let me have some of the fruit too.

 

After time: Oooh! I think I smell some fruit again! It's been 20 minutes. *keeps waiting* 30 minutes now, almost entirely patchouli and cardamom. If I get up close, there's a slightly "off" scent that I think might be caused by the verbena interacting with another note.

 

Conclusion: I'm kind of waffly about this. I know that means that, by my standards, I don't like it. But I want so much to like it! I think I'll hold onto the imp for a little while, until I can make another round through all the ones I kept.

[brennamor]

This is a scent I really wanted to like. The description sounded so amazing and I'm a real fan of cassis (I'm a sucker for black currant). I was thrilled when the 5ml arrived and couldn't wait to open it. I took a deep sniff and the cherries definitely hit first. They were rich and deep, reminding me of a cherries jubilee or something. But then I got the cassia and I got nervous. Cassia is actually a cinnamon-type scent (think red hots) and very different from cassis. So I though maybe I'd read the description wrong or that the cassis would come out after the red hots scent died down.

 

I tried it on and unfortunately for me, the cassia doesn't go away. I smelled like a box of cherry-scented red hots all day. The cassis never made an appearance (I wonder if that's a typo).

 

But I really want to like this scent so I'll give it another try in a few days and see how it goes.

[naeelah]

I was expecting a lemony cherry scent, and so I was pretty confused when I put it on and smelled cinnamon. Actually, I'm still confused, because cassia isn't one of the notes. I would guess that I'm smelling the cardamom, but that doesn't make sense, because cardamom does not smell like cinnamon. It has a minty quality.

 

I guess I amp whatever is causing the cinnamon/cassia-like note, because I really get almost nothing else out of this. I can detect faint traces of patchouli, verbena, and a bit of sweetness from the cherry. From a distance, I can also catch a whiff of the cardamom. But they're like echoes behind the spice.

 

FWIW, I believe my imp is NOT fresh, so apparently the spicy quality gets stronger with age.

 

ETA: The review above mine references a fresh bottle, and hers also smells of cassia. The oil tingled on my skin and now I have a full-blown rash, so there is DEFNITELY cassia or something in this that is not listed in the notes.

 

ETA again: I e-mailed the lab, and they say there is no cassia in this. I don't think it's the cardamom that smells like cinnamon, because I've tried several blends with cardamom and never had this cinnamony scent. It's a mystery. But I would recommend avoiding this if you have a history of contact dermatitis, especially with cinnamon or cassia. It looks like bad reactions with this blend are fairly common.

Edited May 22, 2008 by naeelah

[Lamia]

Wet, it is a painful citrus (verbena?). It quickly turns to cinnamon (cinnamon-lemon?). A constantly evolving scent, I can't pin this down, and now the cherry is peeking out. Interesting and mutable A fairly quick fade.

[djsiberia]

wet: black cherry & cassis & powdery - and sharp.

 

dry: black cherry and cassis & powdery.

 

this one started to give me a headache after a few hours.

 

it's very very sweet and sometimes it's too sweet and none of the other notes have made an appearance at all.

[Lavada]

I don't remember why I wanted to try this blend, but I'm glad I did. Very glad.

 

Dark cherry sharpened by the verbena is what I get when it's wet. This lasts maybe five minutes before the citrus-sharpness backs off and everything darkens just a little more. You know, I did read 'cassia' when I glanced at the note list... so I wasn't surprised when the spice started to warm everything up. Well. Now I've realised my mistake, but I still definitely smell the spice.

 

Some hours later, the patchouli starts to make itself heard (smelled?); and I swear to you, it's the patchouli that I love in the Tramp shower gel. Awesome much? It drifts in and out so that the cherry/spice never gets boring or monotonous.

 

Reasonable throw and wearlength. I must have a small hoard of this before it trots away.

[gnl]

Just got a frimp decant of this off the forum and had to try it on ASAP.

 

In the bottle: WOW dark cherries! No need to even think of what smells like, just totally dark cherries. Yum.

 

On, wet: Cherry cola. Well. Cherry cola, but with something a little spicier.

 

As it dries: The spicyness has really grown. The smell reminds me of those red hot candies, but it a good way if that makes sense.

 

Later: Still red hots, but calmed down some and not as sharp. Nothing has really brought to mind the calliope, personally, but is lovely. Thank God I haven't had the burning problem some people seem to have because I would be SO disappointed if I couldn't wear this lovely scent. Definitely buying a bottle or two before it disappears!

 

5/5

Edited October 18, 2008 by gnl

[jupiternf]

In Imp: juicy black cherries, spice and possibly a verbena/citrus edge

 

On Skin: Cherry red hots. I am enjoying the juicy red fruit stage when:

 

ACK. RED welts of doom. My first oil with this reaction.

 

Perhaps a room scent then...

[motdakasha]

In the bottle:

Rating: 4

Notes: cassis, cardamom, patchouli, black cherry

Comment: Very strong on the cassis and cardamom as a close second.

Wet on skin:

Rating: 4

Notes: cassis, cardamom, patchouli

Comment: My skin turned pink and burned a little; must be from the cassis.

Dry on skin:

Rating: 4

Notes: patchouli, cardamom, cassis, black cherry

Scent Intensity: 2

Comment: Slightly baby powder-ish smell to it and not very long lasting on me. Not as cherry or gourmand smelling as I would have liked.

Misc:

Duration: 2-3 Hrs.

Keyword(s): N/A

Color: N/A

Smells like: N/A

Edited July 2, 2008 by Akasha Tsang

[trollgirl]

In vial: Patchouli and sweet cherry. But mostly patchouli. It's dark and sweet. It's not unpleasant but I'm not completely sold yet. My mind is trying desperately to avoid coming to the "this is cherry cough drops" conclusion.

 

Wet: On my skin the patchouli recedes and I get a whiff of something that can only be described as juicy. It's not cherry, and the cherry scent I detected in the vial is M.I.A.. This strikes me as being very citrus-y. It's not as sharp as lemon, and not as sweet as mandarin. It's very bright. Now, looking at the scent notes I believe I am smelling verbena, and the verbena mixed with the cassis is making my nose think juicy citrus.

 

Dry: A while later, the verbena calms down and I'm getting more black fruit. It's sparkling and refreshing, but grounded with the patchouli. I smell amazing. And, this is probably my skin, my nose or a peculiar mix of both but this is almost exactly how Lush's Karma smelled on me. Lovely bright juice with an earthy patchouli base. But it's a lot more subtle than I remember Karma being, and there's a hint of sweet cardamom. I can't stop sniffing myself.

 

Overall: I want to bathe in this stuff. I'm amazed at how it smells so dark and syrupy in the vial and turned to bright light happy summer scent on my skin. Oodles of love. Going to throw money at the lab to stockpile Phantom Calliope before it disappears into the mist forever.

 

Two months later: I put this on today and I have no idea what's happened. Either my skin chemistry is all wonky today or aging has done something to the blend because after about fifteen minutes of lemony fruity heaven, I get play-doh and something that smells almost like the pencil shavings smell that I get from anything with cedar in it. Whyyyyyyyy? I have a bottle on the way too. *heartbroken*

Edited August 6, 2008 by trollgirl

[thomasblackthorne]

I don't know what it is, but my body is amping spiciness in everything I test tonight, wtf?

 

Imp: Lotsa cherry and florals, but not in the old lady kinda way.

 

Wet: Very interesting, can't even think of words for it...

 

Drydown: Where the hell is lemon in the description? That's what I'm smelling now, lemon and sadness...

 

Overall: I gave it to my wifey, since it's WAY too flemmony (combine femmy and lemon) on me...

 

Edit: I seem to have broken out in the spot I applied this...I hope this is the one and only time I break out from BPAL.

Edited July 2, 2008 by CaptainBlackthorne