Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller (2006)

[ClareDeLune]

Red musk, vanilla bean, pomegranate, patchouli leaf and wild plum.

After drying on my skin for about an hour, this smells exactly what I was expecting it to smell like. It's smooth, yet spicy. Creamy, spicy, sexy plum. So, so good. Edited June 24, 2009 by Shollin

[mallorylewis]

Disclaimer - I think my nose must be broken going by everyone else's reviews!

 

In the bottle this is exactly what I was hoping for. I smell a deep, slightly sweet and spicy smelly, the patchuli smells gorgeous and I couldnt wait to get it on.

 

Then it changes. Wet it smells pretty much as it did in the bottle, but after about a minute/ when it warms I start to get a slightly bitter waft coming from it that I cant describe.

 

Dry - after a while that bitterness turns into what I can only describe as gentlemans cologne. Strange. Behind it is a subtle softness, not vanilla, more earthy, but all sweetness has gone. I keep getting wafts of cologne and thiking ewww, whats that smell, sniffing my wrist and, oh, its me.

 

Now, yesterday I tried this and it was different, it was much more subtle and deeper on the dry down.

 

I think I need to try this again before I make a judgement

[Eucatastrophe]

I'm not a giant patchouli fan so I was a little worried when I put this on and was immediately hit y a wall of patchouliness. Happily, as it dries the patchouli backs down a bit and the other notes come out to play. I can smell some sweetness and fruit. Then...

 

The patchouli is back, but softer.

 

I kind of like it, but as I'm trying to cull the imp herd I'm not sure I like it enough to keep it.

[obsidienne]

I can certainly see what all the fuss is about: it starts off spicy earthy sweet pomegranate plums, without the "off" plum note I've experienced in Frumious Bandersnatch or Midwinter's Eve 2007. This is sort of like the essence of deepest darkest red, and slowly develops into a dark, warm, spicy, creamy enveloping vanilla with touches of red and black fire from the perfectly balanced patchouli. I usually fear and loathe pomegranate, but no fear, here! Wow. Wow. I cannot believe this scent. It skyrocketed into my top 10 within minutes of me putting it on, and cemented its place there when this luscious and spicy vanilla came to the fore. *drooling. all. over. the. place*

 

Overall, I'd say this blend is all at the same time: spicy, subtly fruity, earthy, deep red, black, creamy, and very warm thanks to the vanilla. My kind of scent. *drools some more* I can imagine how great this well become as it ages.

 

It will be a sin when this scent leaves town. In fact, the Carnaval really ought to stay...

 

 

 

Mme. Moriarty = &

Edited August 5, 2009 by obsidienne

[Gin]

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a WINNER!

Mme. Moriarty is ... I don't know that I have a superlative strong enough for her. She's in the Snake Charmer/Snake Oil family (I'd like to try to test all three together, just to compare), but IMO, she's the best of the three. Sexy patchouli-spicy, plummy-vanilla goodness. Seriously, this is awesome.

[sizigia]

I love Mme. Moriarty! It´s one of my sexy scents in winter with Snake Oil and Boomslang.

 

On my skin is very similar to Snake Oil but stronger at the patchouli and with plum added.

 

Please Beth, make the Carnival stay forever as GC

[sirensea]

This is definitely like Snake Oil with a deeper, richer twist. It's a sexy, smoldering sort of scent, but there's a hint of wickedness behind it that's fitting to the namesake.

[redderz]

In the bottle: Musk and plum! Quite nice.

 

Wet: Mm, this is turning delicious on me, and I'm so glad! There's a hint of something sharp and woody which I think is the patchouli, but it's not too strong.

 

Dry: It smells a bit like Snake Oil, I get a hint of vanilla. Nice!

[claudia6913]

I smell musk and spice in the bottle. Not bad, but really strong.

 

Wet on my skin is much of the same. This is a very heavy musky blend. The incense and the musk ride it hard, but on the dry down the sweetness of the vanilla, pomegranate, and plum sneak in, smoothing out the sharpness and rounding it all out.

 

When I had this on earlier, I could not stop sniffing my wrist once it was dry. It is complex and sultry, hiding behind a veil to surprise you at every turn. Very nice and so glad I lucked into a bottle!

[Aldercy]

Um... patchouli cola?

 

Why is red musk going all "stale root beer" on me? It's never done that before, and is usually mouthwatering. I don't sense even a drop of vanilla, pomegranate or plum (the notes I wanted). It's all big, dirty patchouli and eeevil red musk (I still can't get over the sudden betrayal). And it's giving me a headache, which is super-rare for BPAL.

 

Oh man. I had such high hopes. Will test again in a few days just because I refuse to believe Mme. Moriarty could really be this bad.

 

ETA: Tested again today with significantly better results. Still not a favorite, but it was wearable and I kept curiously sniffing myself. Maybe this is an acquired taste.

Edited September 16, 2009 by Aldercy

[MamaMoth]

WOW. Just wow.

 

With this oil, I've found something my nose has been searching for a long time. Musky incense, earthy patchouli, luscious vanilla, and juicy plum/pom. They all blend perfectly, with this wonderful system of checks and balances. Each one shines without being overwhelming. My god, this is just too good for words.

 

Knowing this is an LE, I'm feeling my first ever impulse to hoard. I may have to get an extra bottle or two of this to tuck away, as I can tell it will only get better with a little age on it.

[patina]

 

I love it! No, I don't like it. Yes, I love it! No...

The reisens, patcholi and vanilla and musk are wonderful. It's soft and spicy.

But something in here smells like cough medicine just a tiny bit. Too sharp, in a choking perfume sort of way. I think the pomegranite is responsible.

 

I'll have to come back to this one later.

 

EDIT:

I should have waited longer. It's smoothed out something wonderful.

 

Why are there so many temptations, why?

Edited September 30, 2009 by patina

[ajwong755]

For the first few months I had Mme. Moriarty, it smelled exactly like Dr. Pepper on me. Now, after aging for a while, it smells like rich, musky, red fruit with a hint of incense. It's a little sweet, but not overwhelming.

 

ETA: After aging some more, it now smells like candy. For me this is not a good thing because it reminds me of those super sweet teenage perfumes they try to sell you in clothing stores or something. So sad...

Edited March 17, 2010 by Kyoko

[myoubi]

First of all: this is the only scent that my boyfriend has ever reacted to unprompted. He, um, really likes it. so it could smell like cat pee and I would still wear it since it gets that kind of a reaction.

 

That aside, Mme Moriarty really does smell good.

 

My bottle is from early 2007, so it's had quite a while to settle in. The Snake Oil comparison is apt -- it really does smell like a warmer, more lush and fruity Snake Oil right out of the bottle. As the two have aged they have gotten closer together IMO -- when I first got Mme Moriarty, I remember there being a lot more red fruit at the top of the scent. The drydown has that wonderful warm, lazy sexiness that Snake Oil has, but it doesn't /smell/ like Snake Oil -- it just has a similar feeling.

 

If Snake Oil hates you, I would give Mme Moriarty a try -- you get a similar effect. Snake Oil was uncomfortably sharp on me at first (before I aged my bottle) so Mme Moriarty might be a better bet for those who don't want to wait 2+ years. Mme Moriarty is a rounder, warmer, redder version of SO, but the comparisons are apt. Yumm.

 

_____

As an aside, I need to stop buying variations of the same scent. Snake Oil, Mme Moriarty and Snake Charmer are definitely in the same scent family. They're different scents, but if you have one or two of them, you may want to give the others a miss, as they smell pretty siilar (at least on me).

Edited October 13, 2009 by myoubi

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Musky, spicy plum. Potent.

 

On Application

Quite sharply perfumey but starts to mellow quite quickly as the vanilla emerges.

 

Dry Down

I absolutely love this. Musky patchouli with the slight fruity edge of plum. It dries down to quite a dusty, dry scent. The overall effect is of musky incense mixed with a woman's perfume.

 

Rating (0-5)

5

 

[KesHiro]

I wanted to find a nice pomegranate/patchouli fragrance for the colder months and after searching through the reviews, I decided that Mme. Moriarty would be the best option. I bought a bottle unsniffed and have no regrets. None whatsoever.

 

In the bottle and wet, this oil scared the bejeebus out of me. First it smelled like smokey patchouli fruit medicine and then it went ashy and musky. Yikes! Fortunately, after about three minutes it settled into dark juicy fruits, patchouli, something smoky or musky (can't tell it's the patchouli or red musk creating this), and vanilla. I do get that weird cola note some people have mentioned, but it fades within an hour and I'm left with smoky vanilla with a touch of plum. I can't wait for this to age because if it's so fabulous now, I suspect my nose will sing high praises in about six months.

 

I really like this scent and wear it on the days I feel super confident (or on the days when I'm not feeling so sure and need a super boost). This is definitely sexy but in a warm caring way, as opposed the mysterious, possibly dangerous, temptress/siren (I have Mircalla for those days).

 

Mme. Moriarty may be a misfortune teller, but she strikes me as the kind who will put a comforting arm around your shoulders, give your arm a squeeze, and assure you that you'll survive and end up a stronger, better person because of it.

Edited December 6, 2009 by Kejiaron

[arlith]

I was a bit afraid of this scent, the notes sounded lovely, but I seem to warp and twist most of the really popular scents.

 

That's not the case here.

 

I was given a tester of some year old Mme. Moriarty, and its fantastic! All vanilla, musk and patchouli. Its musky, and dark, a little spicy and delicious. I get a little hint of smoke from it as well. Its completely amazing and I need to get a bottle of it.

[slayheim]

Decant: Heavy! I'm really getting the musk and patchouli. If I give it a loooooong sniff, I can smell vanilla, the plum is definitely there, too!

On: Patchouli, patchouli, resin/incense-y!

About 10-15 minutes: Sweeter, now! The patchouli is heading the the back, giving the musk a chance to come forth with the rest of the scent.

2+ hours later: The patchouli and musk are a thing of the past. It still is there, but a spicy plum with a bit of vanilla (or another creamy, sweet sort of scent?) is in the forefront.

 

Didn't think I liked it enough to buy a bottle first try, but it's really begun to grow on me. I might just pick up a bottle (or partial) now!

[theandorran]

I was hoping that 'patchouli leaf' would be better than patchouli for me. But alas no. In the bottle, it smells sexy and vanilla and musk. On me, it smells like a patchouli farm.

 

I guess this is one for the scent locket.

[reynardine]

In bottle: Musk and patchouli

 

Wet: Getting mostly patchouli at first.

 

Drydown: Patchouli, patchouli uber alles…wait, there’s some plum, I think? Maybe? A Little?

 

Later: Ah, now THAT’S more like it. The patchouli finally backed down a bit and I’m getting the red fruity scent that everyone is raving about. With musk and patchouli to give it some depth. Still, this is a new bottle—I’d like to age it some and revisit, since that OMGPATCHOULI halflife was way too long.

 

[whisperstilled]

I get really strong patchouli and musk. Tiny, tiny bit of vanilla, but I don't get the plum or the pomegranate at all. I amp the vanilla the more it dries. Not something I'd wear, though, too soapy patchouli.

Edited March 18, 2017 by Whisperstilled

[Geminirubyshoes]

I have crazy love for the Madame Moriarty. This is actually one of the Bpal's I own that gets me the most compliments when I go out. It must be the carnival sorcery that Beth put into here LOL. Red musk, you and I are such good friends sometimes and this is one of those times. It's mega-incensy, a little sharp from the patchouli I think but it somehow works. It just works. I don't know what else to say. I'm willing to bet this is one of the most hyped (and well deserving of such) Black Phoenix's yet because so many people love it. I bought it based on reading these reviews actually so well done commrads!

[megank4]

hmm, I like this but don't love it. If I have to pick one of Act 2 to keep forever, I guess it would be this one, but of all the acts, it would be something else. (like Coral Snake). Reminds me of Snake Charmer but much more patchouli. Almost entirely patchouli. Very longlasting and very distinctive.

 

ETA: My bottle is from 2008. It has aged well, very nice. Will get more when the Carnaval comes back. I have to be careful what skin I put it on though, because sometimes it burns. Also, not for warm weather, more like fall.

Edited August 28, 2011 by Megank4

[Deiicide]

I haven't tried a lot of the crazy favorites, O, Snake Oil to name a few that haven't really crossed my wrists. I was a bit weary of patchouli, I don't know of it too well and only can really associate it with deep incensed vibe. I was hoping more of the fruit to amp because fruit scents tend to go very well with my skin. Well the fruit doesn't amp, but it turns into a very mellow red musk vibe. I normally can't wear red musk because it'll turn to powder or amp something crazy on my skin. Madame turns that note, and twists it into a very subtle. It doesn't turn outright sexy on me, in fact it just seems like part of my everyday smell. Nothing too pronounced but nothing really different. Just a deep red musk that had a spark of plum and a bit more patchouli.

[CitizenBree]

I had to try this one since it is a forum favorite, but looking at the notes...yea i like vanilla and plum. Not so much on patchouli and musk though.

 

It smells very much like a perfume. I can't really pick out any of the notes i like or the notes I don't like. It's just a mix of everything.

 

Where this really gets me is that is just smells EXACTLY like the room of the older girl that lived on my street. I looked up to her and she was cool and popular. She gave me a sweater once (it was Gap and I was poor so it was so amazing for me to have something ~designer~ haha!). Anyway, her sweater smelled like this. I didn't wash it for a long time. I just liked to smell it.

 

I am not joking when I say this smells exactly like that. It really takes me to this place in my childhood and now *I* can be that girl. :-) Thanks, Beth!