Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller (2006)

[zillah37]

A colorless woman bursts from an elaborate gold and ruby tent and faints dead at your feet. Soft laughter emits from the dark entrance to the tent, and the scent of musk, black fruits and incense touches your senses. Looking up, you see that the sign hovering above the unconscious woman is adorned with images of the Major Arcana’s Tower and reads:

“Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller.
No fate too grim, no future too bleak.”

A tiny woman with floor-length black dreadlocks walks out of the tent, stepping over the prone body. She is clothed in deep red wrappings, and is bedecked in golden ornaments bearing alchemical symbols and charms representing eternity, chance, and wisdom. She pauses, looks you over slowly, and then flicks a tarot card at your feet.

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

In the bottle: Oh wow. I don't even know how to start. This is so complex! Everything blends so beautifully together to create this warm, sexy scent. It makes me think of a woman who knows what she wants and knows how to get it.

On my skin: This is a dark red oil because of the red musk. That's the first thing I noticed. *g* On my skin, it's a lot lighter than I expected. Honestly, it reminds me a lot of a very light Snake Oil mixed with just a hint of Queen of Spades. Considering those are two of my favourite scents ever, I'm over the moon right now. Can I please bathe in this? There's just a hint of something that reminds me of tobacco which I think is the patchouli leaf. It adds a certain rawness to the scent.

Final verdict: This is absolutely gorgeous. I'm going to have to stockpile this one before the run is over. I'm completely in love!

[korshka]

Complex is right. I was overwhelmed by the scent in the bottle. Quite lovely.

 

This goes through so many stages. For the first hour after putting it on, it smelt different each time I smelled it. I think it has finally settled down. I smell the patchouli leaf and musk the most, and the patchouli leaf does give it a tobacco-ish smell. The rest of the scents seem to temper and round out the scent. It is very sexy. I've never tested Snake Oil or Queen of Spades, so I can't account to that.

 

My final thought is that, while quite lovely, I think it is a bit strong and heavy for me.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Fruity incense and musk

 

On Skin: Yay! I get to review this scent first, oh wait never mind I need to repost it so now I'm third. And it’s Beth’s scent so I feel extra, extra special! First off, it says Mlle on the bottle but on the site it is Mme so I’ll stick with that. HOLY BEAUTIFUL SCENT BATMAN! Ok, I’m in love… and it’s with a scent that has patchouli! Wow! I have to admit, the patchouli scares me at first, but then the other notes come out to play. The musk is super sexy and dark and the vanilla bean really oozes creamy sweet goodness. I love that the pomegranate gives a nice fruity edge but is slightly tart in contrast to the deep sweetness of the plum. The fruits are light, they are not sticky or drippy ripe at all. I get a little of a herbal note which must be the patchouli since it’s the leaf and not just straight patchouli and I’m thinking that’s why it’s working with me in this blend. This scent reminds me of a more musky dark Snake Oil. It’s beyond sexy and very in your face. I have a feeling this scent is going to be hugely popular. It has a strong throw and a long wearlength.

[SueDonym]

In the beautiful bottle:

Lightly musky, something sweetish and dry, also something sharp/crisp/fresh riding on top.

 

On skin:

 

Wet:

A bit herbal, then goes smokey. Keeps alternating, herbal/smokey/herbal/smokey...woody/musky...sweet?

A bit like a chinese apothecary cabinet...but sexy. Used to store aphrodisiacs.

 

Drying:

Got a bunch on my lip and nose from smelling my forearm (d'oh!) which is making things a bit difficult, but pleasantly every time I rub my stinging nose I get a bit more scent. It's very spicy and warming. Actually I still have to put my nose to my arm to get a clear smell so either my nose is defunct or this is disappearing on me a bit...or else I'm just overwhelmed with scent right now.

 

The images that pass through my mind now are of velvet and tents.

 

I think patchouli leaf is really different from patchouli if that's what I'm smelling (although I like patchouli...hippie! ) because it has a certain smokey sharpness/crispness that reminds me of dried leaves (tobacco, bay, various herbs). It's really nice.

 

Dry:

I can't really smell this that much now. It registers as a faint spicy warmness to me.

On the other hand, this is my first try at reviewing so I don't feel I can trust my nose.

...And I can't. Now it's very dry and it's wafting up to me in faint sparkles of scent. I really like it.

 

I got to smell some of CD early and this was one of the definites, even with just a faint sniff.

 

Sorry. I know this isn't a very helpful review, but that's what it like to me.

Edited September 1, 2006 by SueDonym

[Alchemy21599]

In the bottle: moderate musk, sweet herbs, dark fruit. The musk is the very first note that I smell.

 

Wet: Very complex with the musk still as the dominant note. To my nose this is in the Smut family, but not as smutty as Smut.

 

Dry: This is a warm, very sexy scent, but it is not over the top. This scent is long lasting and has great throw. The vanilla note becomes more dominant as the scent morphs over time. This is the perfect "empowered woman" scent.

[nineveh]

First, I'd like to point out that the Wikipedia article on patchouli states that the oil is obtained from the leaves. Therefore, any differences one notes in the patchouli in this blend would be due to other variables than the part of the patchouli plant that it comes from, I assume. I guess that "leaf" was included in the description for artistic reasons.

 

Wet on my skin, this blend reminds me of Frapin 1270, but not quite as fruity. It's darkly sweet with the fruits at the background and with patchouli (it's a nice, smooth one) and musk at the foreground.

 

As it dries, it becomes kind of hot-smelling without being noticeably spicy. I can pick out the vanilla bean, but it's being pretty quiet.

 

It's not changing that much in the drydown. For me, it has the same feel as Snake Charmer, without smelling that similar. It reminds me not at all of Smut, for which I'm thankful, as Smut turned pretty awful on my skin.

 

This is dark and musky while being very wearable and not overwhelming. A keeper!

[sarahmarie]

Wow. Just...wow! This is so nice! It does remind me very strongly of Smut, but it's a lighter, more varied scent. The musk is very similar - all deep and sexy and sweetened by the vanilla. But the other stuff going on in here makes it complex and very changeable. There's the patchouli, but it's blended so well that it doesn't bother me the way patchouli sometimes does. It just gives some slight edge to the sweet muskiness, and makes it just a bit tobacco-like, as others have said. And there's a touch of tartness in there too - the fruit notes. It reminds me at times of root beer, but only for a moment at a time and in a really sexy way, if you can imagine.

 

This is totally awesome...a scent worthy of our real-life Mme. Moriarty.

[sarada]

The notes listed for Mme. Moriarty are kind of a who's who of some of my favorite things, with the exception of vanilla though I am open to liking it sometimes. All of the red-purple family of scents that I love, backed up by the almighty patchouli! This looks promising.

 

As expected, in the bottle I smell first the wonderful red musk, one of my very favorite notes that the lab uses. It's shimmering like a red veil over what vaguely smells like Snake Charmer (minus the more coconutty parts of that scent). I immediately recognize those Snake Oil-family notes, whatever they are...syrupy, gritty and spicy, sensual and red-gold.

 

After a brief plasticky phase it becomes radiantly deep red-purple fruit with a shimmer of bleary golden haze. This is some strong stuff. I distinctly smell tobacco for a moment there...fruity pipe tobacco. I know this one will get me the "mmm, smells like pipe smoke" remarks that so many of my favorites do.

 

When it has moderately dried down this is nothing like the Snake Charmer/Snake Oil I had at first likened it to though it's a cousin. A fruity, pale spice lingers over deep tobacco, and red musk lingers like the flush on pale skin after lovemaking. Very strong, deeply sensual and certainly sure to be one of the lab's most well-loved creations.

[noumenon]

Oh this is so interesting! There's no misfortune in the bottle whatsoever. I'm not adept enough to pick out all the notes...the patchouli and vanilla that I know are in here kind of blend together into a sweet true cedar scent to my nose. But I only think that because I love cedar, so I guess I'm looking for it. If you hate cedar, think of it as patchouli and vanilla.

 

When I first put it on it gave off a rich red scent - patchouli and pomegranate were the strongest sensations. In less than an hour, the scent became very delicate and warm, like a cedar log sitting in the sunlight. Now, about 3 hours in, it's almost of metallic...I think I'm picking up the red musk all by itself.

 

Going in expecting a strong, overbearing and dark figure, and finding something warm, intriguing, thoughtful and beautiful instead, I would believe anything Mme Moriarty the Misfortune Teller told me.

[savage_rose]

In the bottle: So complex I can't pick out notes. But it smells like Gregorian Chants sound...layered, a sense of solemnity, a sense of being present in the moment but with a strong foundation of the past. If any of that makes sense to anyone but me

 

Wet: Buttery musk! Whoa, can musk be buttery?

 

Dry: Creamy musk...a bit of patchouli...and something spicy I adore but can't quite place. Hmmm, I'll come back to the review later and let you know. But this smells wonderful...it reminds me of what people have termed more "masculine" scents, but it's perfect for me ("strong enough for a man..."). Creamy, subtly spiced, like a late Summer afternoon. Hey, like right now .

 

Dry after 5 minutes: No idea what that spice was. It's just creamy musk now, with occasional hints of what I'm guessing is wild plum and pomegranate. Although they smell sweet here, and not very "typically fruity" at all. I like this a lot!

 

Dry after 4 hours(!): Still there! Very lightly...very lasting .

Edited September 2, 2006 by savage_rose

[blueroses]

Mme. Moriarty is a redder, plummier Snake Oil. I love patchouli, and here it prevents the scent from being too fruity and makes it a little darker. After a few minutes, though, I have the same problem that I do with most vanilla bean scents: it gets a plastic, chemical smell. The red musk almost overpowers it, but it's still there. I do like this enough to keep it around to age, to see if it gets better.

 

ETA that my mother loved the way this smelled on me and didn't pick up any vanilla nastiness. My mother normally is not interested in perfume at all and never thinks about it, but she could smell Mme. Moriarty as soon as I got in the car. I think you can only smell the plastic-y smell if you smell my wrists. So I think I'm holding onto this one.

Edited September 3, 2006 by blueroses

[Diana]

In the bottle: It smells a lot like Snake Oil/Snake Charmer to me. But I figured it would, so no big surprise here.

 

Wet: smells less like Snake Oil. The patchouli really stands out, with just a tiny hint of the musk & vanilla.

 

Drydown: Wow, this smells a lot like Snake Charmer. It's like Snake Oil with just a tiny burst of more fruit than SC had. The fruit notes are a lot stronger and noticable on me than they ever were in SC. The pomegranite especially really comes to the foreground for a nice bright top note, with the sultry sugared & spiced vanilla as the basenote.

 

I love all the Snake Oil variants, so this is a total win for me.

[alizarin]

I rescinded my moratorium on BPAL for this scent, and it was entirely worth it.

 

In the bottle the musk is most prominent, with a little bit of spice. Once on me the fruits start to appear and then the patchouli takes over. It doesn't take long for everything to smooth out, though, and the result is a lovely creamy-with-edge sort of scent. It's lighter and drier than I'd expected, but still sultry and complex. It's almost edible, in a sexy way.

 

Completely loving this, it's ethereal and mysterious with just the right amount of complexity and warmth to wear just about anywhere. Also, I put this on almost 12 hours ago, and it still smells gorgeous. Drier and creamier and not quite so strong, but still positively gorgeous. Love.

[grifyn_whiffs]

On me, this one starts out very dusky, almost woodsy. It reminds me of Red Phoenix, but this has sweet AND sultry, where as Red Phoenix is just sultry (and, an aloof "I'm sorry, were you speaking to me?" fragrance... I mean that in a good way!)

 

It does share two exact notes (red musk and wild plum) and a patchouli-type note. Because of the other notes here, though, the scent goes more mischievious on the skin and less "grown-up" like Red Phoenix (a scent I had categorized as being "for job interviews/professional meetings" because it smells refined). The vanilla bean and pomegranate take this one to a completely different level. One whiff smells pretty and the next whiff smells dark. I like the fight between the two, one luring you in and one putting you on guard. *grin* One note will come out on top for just a moment, but then it combines seamlessly with the others again. My nose isn't picking up the pomegranante, but I'm chalking that up to the artistry of the blend. The "dark fruits" undertone of the scent tells me the pomegranate is present.

 

I think it might be the scent equivalent of cocaine, because I CAN'T STOP SNIFFING IT.

[edenssixthday]

Mme. Moriarty, the Misfortune Teller - Upon reading the scent description, this was the blend from Carnaval Diabolique that I have been the most excited about. It is full of my favorite notes. Sniffing it in the bottle, I knew I was going to love it. As soon as it touched my skin, it instantly reminded me of my favorite layering combo: Snake Oil + Smut. I was absolutely enthralled that Beth created a blend that smells like my two favorite blends combined! Any time vanilla and red musk are combined I’m in sheer heaven. Add to it two of my favorite fruit scents, and I’m over-the-top with joy. The patchouli leaf provides a slightly earthy touch to the overall scent, but it doesn’t smell like outright patchouli: it’s softer and more subtle. I am surprised, however, upon drydown, how soft this scent becomes on my skin. It is surprisingly subtle, and after about 30 minutes, I get the slightest touch of a Play-Doh scent when I sniff my skin up close. I absolutely love the way this one smells before it "turns" on me, so it's most definitely a keeper, but will need to be used in a scent locket or made into a spray that I can spritz my clothing with, and hopefully that Play-Doh bit will go away as this ages, because it's quite evident from the notes in this blend that it's going to age really damn well.

 

Edited to note that since I wrote this review, I have had had much better luck with both throw and wear length with this blend. Also, while I still get the "play-doh" smell when I sniff my skin up close, it doesn't have a play-doh scent as it wafts about me. I'm guessing my earlier experience with this was just a weird hormonal thing. I'm just loving it to pieces now!

Edited September 5, 2006 by edenssixthday

[LiberAmoris]

Mme. Moriarty is another instant Carnavale classic! I had the same experience as most people above---it has parallels to Snake Oil, Snake Charmer, and Smut. If you like those oils, Mme. Moriarty is a fairly safe bet!

 

The thing I'm loving about this oil is that it has all the appeal of BPAL's sexpot classics but the throw isn't as strong. I've worn Snake Oil to work before and people down the hall can smell it. But Mme. Moriarty seems to allow me to smell the patchouli-laced goodness without knocking out my coworkers.

 

I'm also a red musk lover, so that with the vanilla bean is heaven to me.

[shelldoo]

in the bottle:musky patchouli

 

wet: it is a strong, musky scent w/ hints of fruitiness, and patchouli, and incense smoke.

 

as it dries the vanilla comes out a bit: this is somewhat like voodoo queen and snake oil's love child. it is sweet, but not in an innocent "sweet" way, more like a sultry, sweet. like a long, slow, juicy kiss with your soulmate. the kind of sweet that leaves your heart feeling easier. i love this scent and can only imagine how it will age.

[Rosaleen Dhu]

This is gorgeous! A tad bit fruity in a sea of musky sweetness. Add me to the list of those who cannot wait for this to age.

[lorajc]

This is another good one.....although since it's so unique, it did take a few hours for my nose to adjust and for it to really grow on me. Today, when I put my hoodie on that I was wearing yesterday when wearing this, it smelled sooooooo good. If you can't wear patchouli, you can wear this cuz the leaf smells nothing like real patchouli (to me at least). It does have a strange musty smell that is oddly alluring and grows on you. The plum is not strong at all, nor is the red musk (as I've noticed in some other blends). I don't know how Beth does it....but this is perfection in a bottle. I love this one, as I knew I would.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Minty? It smells like icy hot @_@

 

On me:

In the bottle it smells oddly minty, but that disappears once it hits my skin. Then it's a very strong patchouli. And I mean STRONG patchouli. I did not smell like anything else for several minutes and during that stage I was worried that this was going to be a swapper.

 

Oddly enough though, after 3-5 minutes it totally morphs into something else. THe patchouli is there but much more mild suddenly and there is a sweet and soft fruity note coming through. It's very pretty and feminine but exotic.

 

In the long run, this smells like a cross between Snake Oil and Blood Kiss. The patchouli and fruit note together make me think very much of Blood Kiss and the vanilla and smooth musk make me think of Snake Oil. It does literally smell like a cross between those two, which is fine by me since I love both

 

Final note:

The first stage is a bit off putting in it's strength, but stick around and it turns lovely. If you liked Snake Oil or Blood Kiss, you will probably enjoy this one too

[themerrybaker]

Everyone knew this would be wonderful and it is. One thing that surprised me is that it is wearable without aging. Ahh instant gratification!!

 

I get musk and plum and patchouli leaf with little noticable vanilla. On and off there is a little "fermenty thing" going on for added interest.

[salamandrina]

I knew I'd love this, and I was right.

 

It was wonderfully musky and fruity, and then the patchouli came out to play. I couldn't stop sniffing my arm. This one's definitely going to get better with time, and I might have to order a second bottle, I love it so much.

[zenvodunista]

I keep looking at that list and trying to figure out why the heck my bottle of Mme Moriarty smells like sandalwood?! Then again, I keep thinking I got Snake Oil minus Vanilla.

 

For a long time, this smells awfully sharp and woody on me, which is a sadness since I don't do well with sharp and woody. After about 4 hours though, it settles down into something soft and round and sweet and lovely. A definite marriage between Snake Charmer and Snake Oil, this is Snake Madame.

 

Two of my favorites of all time are SC and SO, so I'm not sure if I should keep this one -- plus the 4 hour drydown is a bitch. But if it's the red musk doing it -- if that's the sharp thing -- or the patchouli -- it ought to die down with a bit of aging. ANd if that's the case, then I ought to stock up!

 

The good thing about CD being around for so long, it means that I can age Mme Moriarty for a full year, before I decide to invest in a second bottle. And if the Mme. ages well, well then, please add her to my list of favorites.

 

ETA: My second day wearing this, the rough edges smoothed out much much faster - 1 hour, not 4 .

 

It is Teh YUM. Reminiscent in some ways of QUeen of CLubs, though without the dirt, natch. In fact, I think the drydown is more lik QoC than SC or SO. LOVELY! I see a second bottle in my future.

 

 

ETA: I wore this a third time. That time I got all structured patchouli for *hours* and then it faded to nothingness. I'm feeling like Mme. keeps shuffling the cards on me, and I never know what the reading is going to be.

 

Right now I'm leaning towards bad. I have the feeling this patchouli leaf is closer to black patchouli on the patchouli scale and not red. Red is beautiful on me, whereas black patchouli gives me flashbacks to camping trips with stuck up rich girls playing at being enlightened. Standard Northeast "hippiegirl" fare on the boarding school circut. No thanks.

 

My only hope now is that age evens everything out. Calms down the biting sharpness of that leaf and the red musk, and allows the vanilla and plum to come to the fore a bit more. It's only been about 20 days now. Must. Have. Patience.

 

Perhaps I should hide it under the bed to help me from obsessing.

 

 

n.

Edited October 15, 2006 by Shollin

[thecaitycat]

In the bottle: Whoa, musk! I can also smell some vanilla and plum way in the background, but this is mostly musk so far.

 

Wet on skin: It's already much different from when it was in the bottle. I can smell more patchouli and less musk, and also more plum.

 

Dry on skin: Patchouli, musk and fruitiness with a little hint of vanilla. This dries down wonderfully for me.

 

Verdict: Smoky, sultry and sexy. It goes through a lot of changes as it dries down and the changes are for the better, I think. I don't want to stop smelling my wrists! Not as awesome on me as Xanthe, but I still might end up getting another bottle so I don't run out.

[Tramp]

Wow - musky, vanilla with a hint of Hellion plum in the background. This is delicious. So very sexy - the vanilla musk with the patchouli leaf is amazing. There is something herbal in here too. The scent really morphs all over the place. One minute herbal the next vanilla, the next musk. Yummy.