Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller (2006)

[maijasu]

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

When I opened this one up and took a big whiff, I was really nervous because it smelled very sharply of patchouli and little else.

On my skin, though...to die for. Drop-dead sexy. Nose glued to wrist. The blend is so smooth, slightly sweet but spicy and musky and deep. It's not for the faint of heart, but I do think it's more subtle than its cousins Snake Charmer, Snake Oil, and Smut. And I think I've found a new favorite! This will be hoarded in mass quantities, oh yes!

[Eros]

First sniff from the bottle, the red musk is strong and sharp. The same thing I get from Smut which for some reason really irritates my sinuses, uh oh. Same thing applied to skin :/ However, I didn't jump to conclusions because I just happened to come down with a horrid cold the same day.

 

So...Gave it a couple of days so I could review it properly.

In the bottle, I definitely get a Snake Oil vibe. The red musk is there but this time, it's subtle. In fact, I'm having a difficult time picking out individual notes. Each time I've put it on it goes through a short period of cedar, which I'm guessing is the patchouli leaf? In any case, I adore cedar so no biggie there. I swiped some on my sweetie and he got cedar, too, after the same amount of time. Then the sweetness starts to strengthen but never overwhelms. It's not the thick, SEX sweetness of Snake Oil but it's more sweet than not. Becomes part of your skin. Well, mine, anyway, lol.

Wonderful throw and lasts for hours. Morning after I put it on, while I can't detect any on my skin really, I still catch whiffs of it on and off with vanilla peeking through a bit more than the other notes, however, again, beautifully blended.

Very exotic & sexy. Evocative of plush velvets and satins, dark and lush. Very like S.O. & teh SMUT, but different and beautiful enough to stand on it's own and well worthy of multiple bottles.

This afternoon before work the man was nuzzling my neck, "Mmmmm, I love this!!" It's pretty yummy on him, too.

[Kittyflop]

On first whiff and application: yep, definitely in the 'snake' family of scents. A few minutes later and it was gone! and I slathered, too.

 

So I switched to battery backup (aka scent locket). With a healthy dose nestled in my locket, I jumped in the car to go to my first appointment. The gentle breeze from the car heater blowing on my locket released a wonderful snake-ish scent, but it became more and more plum as it released. The vanilla is less strong, and it's definitely fruitier.

 

However, even the scent locket isn't holding up for me. I don't know if I'm adjusting quickly to the scent, or if it just is a fader. I love this, and it is very unique - but I'll be going through the bottle pretty quickly at this rate.

[Athenae]

Wet: heavy patchouli

 

Dry: the fruit sweetens this. I don't get vanilla at all, just a dark, spicy, dusky fruit that adores my skin. Most BPAL fruits turn plasticky on me. This is deep and mysterious and a friend leaned over at the wedding reception I wore it to and said, "Ooooh, what IS that?"

 

Definitely ordering another bottle when I get the chance. This is lovely.

 

A.

[olympia301]

I was really looking forward to Mme. Moriority, more so than any of the other bottles or imps in my order. I love the label, of course, the concept, the name, and from the descriptions it sounded like it would be perfect for me.

 

I can smell the subtle red musk, definitely a cedar/menthol sort of combination. I don't get any vanilla from it and I would not guess that it was part of the Snake Oil family.

 

What it does on me is amp the volatile menthol part and that overwhelms the rest of it. No plum or red fruit comes out at all. It does remind me a bit of Smut (as I remember Smut), but the overriding note is the menthol/cedar smell. I don't peg that as patchouli (or patchouli leaf) thought I do understand how it could be. I am not familiar with patchouli leaf.

 

Sad to say I think it's my nose that does not get the rest of it. Different people will pick up different parts of a perfume and I am overwhelmingly picking up the menthol type elements. I think this is one of those times where I am blind to the whole in the presence of one component which outdoes everything else for me.

 

I'm not making icons for CD because the images were so well done by Macha that they can't be improved on.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Mme. Moriarty, even more than Snake Oil, will always be "the Beth scent" in my mind. I notice that she is indeed the color of Snake Oil in the vial. On me, though, I get a cross between Snake Charmer and Smut--that heavy smut-musk that's a little sharp for me, but with a hint of the vanilla that I love in Charmer. Definitely a smoky, mysterious scent. But to be honest, Snake Charmer loves my skin a lot more than Mme. M. does. Now I'm torn--I kind of just want an empty bottle for the artwork.

[tartsquid]

I'm hoping that I'll be able to update this with a success story instead of the disappointed one I have to share now. I had high hopes for this since the scent family this is in is definitely one of my favorites. However, Mme. Moriarty smelled like nothing but woods and dirt on my skin, with no hint of spice, vanilla or red fruits. I'm hoping that this is just a temporary hormone issue and that if I try it again in a week or two it will be the wonderful scent that I was hoping for.

 

Edit: Years later I'm coming back to say that aged Mme. Moriarty is my favorite oil! It's my go to scent with delicious red fruit ripeness, grounded by the patchouli leaf and with wonderful throw and staying power thanks to the red musk.

Edited October 30, 2010 by tartsquid

[Bagfish]

O.M.G

 

Mme Moriarty is stunning.

 

I have just received my CD decant set from GypsyRoseRed, and this was the first to be opened and slathered on. The scent is fantastic. I too think it is in the Snake Charmer/Oil school of scent with a little of Smut's musk which is a relief as Smut didn't work on me. But for me the most amazing thing about Mme Moriarty is the scent similarity on me to Hermes Hermenesscences Ambre Narguile which is one of my favourite non-BPAL scents (but is just too expensive to buy).

 

MM is a slithery, sweet, spicy, wafty delight. I can pick out the Patchouli Leaf at close quarters, but if I don't have my arm to my nose, the whole lot melds into a sensual, sweet, pudding-y waft. I just want to BATHE in this, I am so in love with it. This will be my first lab two bottle order for definite. Now I just have to hurry through the rest of the CD decants to decide if any of them also deserve a bottle.

 

*Dies of nosegasm*

[lysithea]

Red musk always gives me the Snake Oil vibe. This is in the same class as Snake Oil, Snake Charmer, and just a wee bit: Smut - but it stands on its own.

 

Balanced, spicy, mellow round fruits. This is a scent that blooms on the skin and wraps itself around all the edges. Barely sweetened with the vanilla and pomegrante, this scent exudes sexiness with all sultry slithering hip shimmying. You can't catch it. You can't pin this one down. The patchouli is lovely and so warm. Yet, unless you knew that that's what it is, you'd probably never be able to determine it.

 

I believe we all picked this out to be the early favorite of the first two acts of the Carnaval. It falls right in with some of my favorite BPAL blends: Snake Charmer, Snake Oil, Smut, & Queen of Clubs - and finds itself now among them.

[Nadirah]

Of course as everyone most likely can agree this is in the Snake family of scents. Right away I can notice this, as it begins to work with my skin chemistry , I smell Cedar and lemongrass but not overpoweringly so. Maybe it doesnt have these two ingredients, its just what it brings forth on me. It really is beautiful, There is no question that I will be getting more of this and it may just replace Snake Charmer as my most favorite scent of all time. Its sweet, Its smokey, Its spicey, and just a little dirty smelling, everything I love in Bpal together in one bottle. It kind of goes without saying that if you are a Snake Oil/Snake Charmer lover, you need to try Mme. Moriarty. two thumbs up, five stars and ten fuckin' hats.

[em_h]

Wow, this is fascinating. It starts off with a surprisingly sharp woodsy or herbal note, which I didn't expect. Could this be the patchouli leaf, perhaps? Anyway, it very soon mellows down into the red musk/incense/spice gestalt, just adding a woody note that makes it different from its close scent relatives. Probably more like Snake Charmer than anything else, but darker somehow.

 

Very deep and rich and full. I'm not sure yet if it will displace Smut as my absolute favourite in this general scent category, but a few more wearings may tell. At any rate, it is a winner right out of the gate.

Edited September 12, 2006 by em_h

[theseagrows]

let me start off by saying that i am not a big patchouli or fruit fan, but i often love red musk, so i thought i might be able to rock this scent.

 

mme. moriarty is kind of a spicy-musky-earthy scent. in the imp it smells nearly medicinal to me. at first it's REALLY strong and the plum and patchouli are the prominent notes. the red musk comes out more as it's fading, but the patchouli and plum are far too prominent for my tastes. also the musk is more animalistic musky than skin-musky.

 

i don't note any similarities between this and snake charmer or smut as others have said. i love those 2 scents, but this one is just not me, and i'll probably swap my decant. i was hoping i would love this, so i could buy a bottle too, and get a tarot card, but i guess i won't now. damn you, patchouli.

Edited September 12, 2006 by theseagrows

[yeahbutnobut]

Mme Moriarty, Misfortune Teller

 

In the bottle: mmm, fruity sweet red musk. It does remind me of what Smut smelt like in the bottle.

Wet on skin: I see what others mean by the 'woody smoky' smell this has, which I'm getting now, as well as some fruit notes.

Dry on skin: this is gorgeous. Oh yeah, this is good stuff. It's actually very different to the Snake Oil family, as there's a smoky scent to this, maybe it's the patchouli, which makes this very much a unisex scent-this would be just as sexy on a man as it is on me. There are, indeed, tobacco and cedar undertones to this. The red musk is different too, I think-different to Snake Oil or Smut's red musk, this reminds me of the RM in Great Cry in Egypt, actually. It's a woodsy musk, sweetened by plum and vanilla, deepened by patchouli, with a light touch of pomegranate. So good.

After a while: this has such amazing throw, and the scent that wafts is that of the vanilla and plum, sweet and richly fruity. Close to the skin, the woody patchouli and musk is strongest. It smells like mystical, exotic incense mingled with the sweet smell lingering on Mme Moriarty's skin. This is a very intense scent-it just exudes confidence, to me.

Over time, this does start to develop a Snake Charmer-esque plum-vanilla-musk scent which is sublime. It still keeps that gritty, earthy patchouli but it now smells sweeter and softer.

Verdict: as I expected, Beth's own scent is really wonderful. It is definitely the Snake Charmer of CD, especially after an hour when the vanilla-plum-musk does become reminiscent of SC. But this is also very different to the Snake scents and Smut etc. There's an earthy, deep, smoky base to the scent-maybe the patchouli and musk, but it has nuances of cedar and tobacco to it. This gives the scent a lot of presence and oomph. It's full of confidence and strength. It's the scent of a powerful woman who doesn't take shit from anyone. Totally appropriate for Beth. It's also a dark scent, shrouded in mystery, and a scent that would suit men as well as women. This is a scent that has grown on me with a beautiful drydown, one I will want to stock up on. Another CD winner.

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Snake Charmer and Snake Oil (of course), Smut, Lust, Scherezade, Bathsheba

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[kakiphony]

In the bottle: Deep woods and a bit of sweet behind them. (I assume I'm smelling the red musk as woods.)

 

Wet on skin: Deep, dry, resinous and woody. On me, the red musk and patchouli leaf combine into something almost like a cedar or a really deep, dry sandalwood, or possibly a not-too-sweet pipe tobacco blend. It's like the inside of a humidor after the cigars have been removed for a while.

 

Early dry down: This is all about the red musk and patchouli leaf. It begins to soften a bit around the edges, but it's still a very deep, resinous and woody scent. The boy gives it a thumbs up, but we both agree that after Organ Grinder it's hard to be objective. (After you've smelled perfection, it's hard to be open minded about other scents.)

 

Late dry down: Two hours after I put this on, it hasn't morphed very much at all. It has faded, but the scent is essentially the same woody, deep resin with which I started out. There's a little bit of sweet which lends it a kind of pipe tobacco feel, but there's no fruit of which to speak. Apparently, the red musk and patchouli ate the plum and pomegranate.

 

Conclusion: This is nice. I'll probably use the whole bottle, but I won't be ordering more and stockpiling like a mad fiend. It's too close to some other scents I already have and like (Vixen, Red Lantern, and my woodsy Chaos Theory), and not spectacular and original the way Organ Grinder is.

[CapricornSister]

I had high hopes for this one. I absolutely adore red musk, plum and vanilla. On the fence about pomegranate and patchouli. I do like patchouli, but for some reason BPAL blends with patchouli in it make my throat itch

I was nervous going in for the first sniff if Mme. Moriarty because of that. Sure enough, that tickle in my throat appeared. Darn! I tried it anyway, then promptly knocked the bottle over. I was able to get most of the oil back in the bottle and used a cotton ball to get the rest. Anyway...I see the similarity to the Snake Oil/Charmer family, but this is much less sweet to my nose. On the drydown I get a very earthy/woodsy vibe from this one. I don't really smell the fruit or vanilla bean, but I'm sure they are there softening up the patchouli and musk. It is very sexy and warm scent, I will give it more time before making my final decision. My boy loves it He may wear it more than me!

[theshapeshifter]

Mme. Moriarty stayed remarkably true for me from in-the-bottle all the way through drydown: primarily red musk and the same luscious vanilla as Snake Oil. The pomegranate and plum are hard to distinguish from one another, but they give the scent a beautiful 'roundness', without ever making it 'fruity'. The patchouli stays in the background, but I think it helps ground the whole thing, give it depth.

 

Clearly, this is destined to be one of the mega-hits of CD - I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist all day!

[valentina]

Mme. Moriarty, in the bottle, has that same musky scent as Smut, only not as strong, with some very fruity-plum undertones. Once it hits my skin, the red musk amps up, again very much like Smut. Then the patchouli leaf takes over, and I do think that the patchouli leaf scent is different, because it smells the way a patchouli leaf smells when you pick it off of a live plant and break it open. It has that patchouli oil smell, but there's also a lot of green leafiness. I also pick up the vanilla bean, and it's not a sweet, creamy vanilla, it's the pungent bean. I'd agree with kakiphony's prior review, that this brings an almost sandalwood-like smell to the mix.

 

What's fascinating about this scent is that it can smell very different if I catch a quick whiff of it, or if I hold my arm up to my nose and take a longer, more detailed inhalation. The quick whiff brings more musk and plum, and if I smell it at closer range, the patchouli leaf and vanilla bean take over my impressions. While this scent has been frequently compared to both Smut and Snake Oil (and Snake Charmer, but I've never smelled that one), it's very different to me, because it doesn't have the sweetness of either blend. Everything in Mme. Moriarty has a bit more of an edge.

 

I never write reviews that are this long, but damn, this scent is fascinating, and to get to the point, I do like it! It has layers in it that intrigue me, and it's a multi-bottle keeper!

[akw]

I've held off reviewing this because it is complex, and what I might want to say about it is added to, day by day.

 

I haven't been around BPAL long enough to know Snake Charmer, but I get the comparisons to Snake Oil. However, if I were to make a comparison, it would be to say that this is Snake Oil all grown up. Not as sweet, not as forward, more subtle, deep and mysterious. It wears a slinky, sophisticated grown woman's evening dress rather than a mini skirt and boots, but the same essential spirit lives inside.

 

I find that less is better. I tried tiny dabs first and fell in love. Later, I slathered and realized that had I slathered first, I might have concluded that it wouldn't work on me. Subtle allows it to really shine forth. More like emanate

 

I see multiple bottles in my future.

[Melantha]

I took a chance and ordered a bottle of this, even before I got my decant set.

 

I'm not sure I'm happy I did. There are notes in here that I love, but there is something sweet and cloying that is really bothering me. Normally I would love all the notes that are listed, but I'm wondering if there's something else here, too. Or maybe it's the combination that's getting to me.

 

I really want to like it, so I'll give it a few more tries, though.

[gaai]

I can see how this scent is related to Snake Charmer/ Oil......but it's very different too.

The patchouli leaf smells kinda sharp to me, a little woodsy, smoky..... I don't get much of the fruits or the vanilla bean. I guess my skin amps the patchouli.

It's a very grown up, sophisticated scent and I'm getting another bottle just for aging purposes, because I just know this will get even better!

[Beatrice33]

On me this is very woodsy and softly spicy. It doesn't smell really similar to Snake Charmer or Snake Oil to me, although I can get a bit of the Snake Oil vanilla or spice underneath if I sniff deeply at my wrist. I like this, and hubby loves it. I'm thinking, as a couple other people have mentioned, that this will smell divine on him. He's willing but hasn't sampled it yet.

[Lorencita]

This is like a plummy snake charmer, just deliscious!!!! These CD blends have been amazing. THis is musky fruit at first, then as it dires, vanilla peeks out calms the musk down & leaves this crazy beautiful scent behind. It has the perfect amount of throw and juiciness. I love this scent & I will buy many bottles until its gone!

[dawndie]

In bottle: patchouli, slightly sweetened

 

On skin: yummy sweet incense. The dark fruit really balances the smutty musk and patchouli.

 

Half-hour later: dead ringer for the Snakes (Charmer and Oil), sophisticated incensey fruity YUM

 

In conclusion: another top-of-the-line BPAL blend. This was the first CD bottle ordered and it's a guaranteed winner. I'm in love!

[birdiefu]

In the bottle- Patchouli and musk

 

Wet- Initial blast of patchouli, followed closely by plum. The Patchouli loses it's edge quickly but is still quite noticeable. Pomegranate shows up and mingles with the plum. Although it doesn't *really* smell like it, this makes me think a little of Hollywood Babylon + Snake Oil.

 

Dry- The plum is the main character, though it's a very dark and brooding plum. I can just smell something that is trying to trigger a memory, but I can't figure out what it is- sorta sweet and making me hungry without being foody. The musk comes out to play and the patchouli is much more mellow. Once the scent has faded quite a bit, only the musk remains and it's a glorious musk!! I never end up catching vanilla.

 

Overall- Nice scent, but I think it needs to age for me to wear well. Most patchouli blends don't round out nicely on me or last long until they are at least a couple of months old. Similar to Snake Oil- I don't like it fresh but love it aged where the notes blend nicely and are more noticeable. But if this ages as I forsee, it might become my favorite!

 

ETA: 2 months later, this has aged very nicely! The patchouli isn't as sharp and the fruits aren't as sweet and out there. Everything is mingling well and it has a dark, smooth, and almost smoky edge to it. The musk is very luscious and overall Mme Moriarty is a swoon-worthy blend!

Edited November 16, 2006 by birdiefu

[GemmaCat]

This decant is a very generous gift from Zillah37. Many thanks again, hon!

 

At first sniff, I knew this was familiar but just couldn't place it. The predominant note is patchouli leaf and that full-bodied red musk; very sensual and a little spicy. As I sniffed it more, I finally realised why this is so familiar: it smells exactly like Snake Oil, but without the vanilla!

 

This is one helluva of a sexy scent! I'm not sure if it's something I could wear on its own, but I'm very eager to try this layered with a sweeter, creamier scent to see what happens.