Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller (2006)

[eggplant]

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

 

On my skin this is just a more masculine version of snake charmer. I smell leather, too, and a bit of smoke. It's nice, but I don't need a botte.

 

Edited to add: A few hours later this has mellowed out a LOT. It's now very subtle and much more of a skin scent than snake charmer. Yum. Maybe I do need a bottle.

Edited November 24, 2006 by Shollin

[aimeceleste]

I thought, wow this is herbal as I sniffed the bottle, but wearing it, it's greener than I normally like, but the complexity and sweetness is challenging and delicious. Yay! Love it.

[juniperus]

Bottle: musk and plum (I'm learning to love the plummeh), a hint of vanilla

Wet:more of the vanilla, and hints of the pom joins in.

Dry: More of the pom's sweetness, but the vanilla isn't taking over yet.there is a bottom I can't quite get, must be the leaf..I'm unfamiliar with it.

Later: unexpectedly lovely on me! vanilla very present, but not morphed or amped to the edge of insanity, the plum faded quite a bit, alas. first hit of the carnival group, however!

[cuervosueno]

When I read the description of this, I was scared off by the pomegranite and plum. I haven't been crazy about blends with either note, so I decided just to try a decant of this.

 

Which turns out to be fine, not that I don't love this.

 

I should say that I really liked Snake Oil and Snake Charmer, but I didn't keep bottles of either one. The reason is I have a special experimental blend that I was even more crazy about. (some of you may remember a couple of years ago when Beth swapped experimental blends for Lush? I swapped with someone who had what she called a "snake oil-like" experimental blend). The blend I got is gorgeous--sweet with vanilla and mysterious pachouli. Its a heavy, dark sexy blend that I get many many compliments on when I wear it. In fact, one time someone asked what the perfume was called. I didn't want to explain the whole story, nor that it had no name, so I just said it was a blend from a perfumer in LA. The man said, that is so sexy you should really thank her for it. All women should be able to wear that.

 

Well, now more people can. And now the scent has a name. It's Mme. Moriarty.

 

As soon as I opened the imp, I recognized it. That seductive sweetness with the dark mystery of pachouli beneath it. I don't smell the fruit notes per se, but this is rich and sweet and provocative.

 

To make sure I wasn't wrong about the two being pretty much the same, I put Mme M. from the im on my wrist and the experimental blend on my forearm. Yup, they're the same, though my bottle is just slightly less sweet in the bottle (perhaps because it has aged). They are the same on.

 

So, as it turns out, I didn't need a bottle of Mme. M (though I'm very sad I didn't get the Tarot card!).

 

And now the gorgeous scent has a name. Thanks Beth, and somewhere in ABQ there is a man who will thank you for making this scent available.

 

ps. for those who are interested, this WILL age beautifully. My bottle is two years old and gorgeous, though not much changed.

Edited September 30, 2006 by cuervosueno

[Miss Lynx]

I was relatively sure from the initial description that I'd love this, and was almost ready to buy a 5 mL unsniffed, but I've been wrong about that sort of thing too many times before, so I played it safe and went with a decant circle. I did start to get a little nervous as the Snake Oil/Snake Charmer comparisons began to roll in, but on the whole I was still looking forward to it.

 

And once I finally got to experience Mme. Moriarty is on my skin, my first thought was that I should have just followed my intuition and gone for a bottle, because it was absolutely gorgeous.

 

I can definitely see where the comparisons come from -- this is kind of like the way I thought Snake Oil would smell, before I actually tried it and discovered it turned to Play-Doh and drugstore perfume on my skin. And I can smell the similarity to Snake Charmer, which was not too bad on me, though I eventually ended up swapping it. But this is like a considerably improved Snake Charmer. It's got that whole heady, intoxicating, vanilla-musk incense thing going, but with a layer of lush, dark fruitiness that gives it a lot more depth.

 

The one thing I was afraid of is that the vanilla would turn to Play-Doh on my skin as it dried down, and it did veer a little close to that at times when I first tried it. Thankfully it never fully went there, but the vanill did seem to get a little -- I don't know, acrid? -- in the later stages, so I began to have doubts about the scent. But then the second time, when I applied it to more places than my wrists, it stayed very nice all the way through. Vanilla does fall into the category of somewhat dodgy notes for me, and its behaviour can sometimes be unpredictable on my skin. But the other notes are lovely, and when I apply it to anything other than my skin (such accidentally getting it on a sweater yesterday), it's exquisite.

 

All in all, while I don't know yet if this is quite a top-tier scent for me, it does seem to be in the running. But more experimentation may be needed before I know for certain if I want a bottle.

 

Grade: B+/A-

[stellaforstar]

I really can only review based on what I feel or see or intuit when I put on these scents--I am no good yet at picking out notes. The Misfortune Teller is woodsy and earthy and sweet and sexy, all balanced perfectly. I wear her and feel at one with my body, at one with my soul, at one with my path in life. She is deep and complex--no simplicity here! Her power lasts almost all day--from 8 am until around 5; she fades and morphs and becomes many things, but at core she is strong and of the earth. My kinda woman.

[filigree_shadow]

OK, I think I'm finally ready to review this scent. I've had the bottle for about a month now, and I've been wearing Mme. Moriarty exclusively for the past three days. (I even had a dream about it two nights ago!)

 

I've been having a hard time figuring out what I'd say in a review of this scent. When I wore it on my wrists and put my nose to my wrist, I really didn't think it smelled much like the Snake Charmer or Snake Oil scent I was expecting. There's a leafiness to it that makes it a little drier. (At times I thought the leafiness made it smell a bit musty, too.) Plus I could smell the pomegranate when I got close to my wrists, and that's not one of my favorite notes because it tends to smell artificial on me. Also it's not as strong as Snake Charmer is; it's more subtle.

 

The first couple of times I tried it, I only put it on my wrists. I wasn't all that thrilled with it, to tell you the truth. I thought it was nice, but it wasn't the OMG scent I was expecting. But then one day I decided to WEAR it, rather than just test it, and I gave myself a good-going over with it (neck, cleavage, arms, wrists). That's when I realized the OMG aspect of it. One small test didn't do it for me, I had to practically envelop myself in the scent. See, up close it's not what I was wanting. But the scent this oil throws is amazing.

 

When I put it on my throat, the scent that wafts up to my nose is an enchanting blend of red musk and vanilla -- two of my favorite notes. There's a tiny bit of plum in there too, giving it an extra juiciness. I can definitely see the similarity to Snake Charmer, but I think this is a little darker. A little more mysterious. And wow, does it ever last. For hours!

 

And that's why I've been wearing it nonstop for three days.

[Taniwha]

I don't think my eyes can roll any further back up into my head. I've only been wearing this amazing scent for about an hour, but I had to rush to sing its praises. I don't know Snake Charmer, so I'm missing that analogy, but this does remind me very much of Snake Oil, but even better. It's less sweet, maybe a little smokier and drier. The vanilla's not so in-your-face like it is in SO. I don't really get a fruity note, but when I offered my arm and neck to my husband he said "I like it better than Snake Oil - it's plummy." (I hate that he can detect BPAL notes better than I can. ).

 

This is far and away my new favorite scent, and I feel so outrageously happy that I found an LE that loves me, and I have plenty of time to hoard it! I can only image how scrumptious this is going to smell in a year, given how good it is now.

[jenleigh]

The Snake Oil "family" of scents has been a big surprise for me. I didn't think I could pull them off at all at first, but count me in as a fan.

 

And this one is my favorite of the bunch. I get lots of the plum here, and pomegranate. Not so much vanilla to my nose, though the Mr. got it when he smelled my wrist up close. And the patchouli here isn't that generic hippie smell, but it's very leafy, almost like really good tea.

 

That said, I'm still waiting a bit on a bottle. I don't reach for scents like this as much as I do others, and I want to wait and see if I actually use up the decant first.

[silver_dollar]

Ooooh. Love this. It's like a sexy candy apple without the apple. It's like a redder, sweeter Snake Oil. On me the main notes are red musk and plum with a bit of vanilla. No hint of patchouli or anything like that, but it's so complex maybe it's there but I'm missing it.

 

Beth, you smell good :searching desperately for a drool smilie:

[tinyvulture]

nothing’s going to replace athens as my #1 favorite bpal scent… but this is now a strong #2. i adore it. it reminds me of a less-spicy scherezade (must be the warm red musk that my skin loves), or a sweeter snake oil. there’s also a similarity to snake charmer – the plum maybe? i thought it would be fruity due to the pomegranate and plum, but those notes just add a lovely sweetness…as does the vanilla. there’s no juicy fresh fruit aspect to it. the patchouli is there but it doesn’t hit you over the head. it’s really subtle and grounds the other notes. my words really can’t do justice this lovely, seductive scent. one more thing…it lasts all day

[crescentwench]

At first it's all patchouli, but not dirty hippy patchouli, a really nice smooth patchouli, spicey with a soft hint of the vanilla and musk and just the faintest hint of plum. after a few hours the patchouli is gone and it's all delicious vanilla (almost identical to the SN vanilla bean i have, but with just a touch of musk). I'm so glad the patchouli faded out a bit, but i'm even more glad i kept this bottle on pure faith. it's delicious, and sure to be one of my year round favorites.

 

eta: wow! this is a morpher! another couple of hours later the patchouli is back, but much much subtler and the rest is all musk, with just the slightest hint of vanilla sweetness.

Edited October 8, 2006 by crescentwench

[saralaughs]

With MME I'm getting mostly red musk and patchouli when first applied...about an hour down the road the plum peaks in to add a light fruitiness to the mix as well as a little creaminess....I think that may be the vanilla too..but they both are happy to sit in the background while the musk runs the show.

 

It's a nice show. I like...it's not overbearing but very there...this scent has a presence that makes you sit up and take notice.

[indicolite]

A lot of patchouli and musk.

 

I was not completely floored by the Misfortune Teller, but after wearing her in my locket for a while, I am still not tired of her. She is getting to be my comfort scent (although there are GC comfort scents too) and I think I shall need to get more bottles to stock up before the end of the carnival.

[Galatea]

In the Imp: Woodsy-sweet and incense, this is gonna be good...

 

Wet: Warm, musky, woodsy, vanilla, smoky, with just a hint of sharp tangy fruitiness to it. This is so perfect a blend you can nearly smell all the elements of it from the start. No "HI! I"M THE TOP NOTE" happening at all.

 

Dry: I get the impression that the tartness of the pomegranate has burned off a bit, but the blend is otherwise the same. The patchouli leaf is such a unique element. It's mostly woodsy-leafy-smoky, with just a hint of the pungent balsamic fragrance of patchouli. It mixes so perfectly with the red musk and vanilla. Like they were meant for each other.

 

Throw: I'd say the throw is medium in grade. If some perfumers alcohol was added to this blend it would make for a bit better sillage, but as it is this is a long lasting, close-but-not-too-close to the skin scent.

 

Overall: Love, love, love. I can see why this is Beth's signature scent. We must have similar tastes.

I must have a bottle asap.

 

Rating: +++

Edited October 8, 2006 by Galatea

[Teggy]

I tried this on at will-call and decided to purchase the bottle. I like it a lot and I could definately tell there was a resemblance to Snake Charmer, especially the perfume spray I made which tends to make the top notes pop.

 

So I wore them both today for a side-by-side comparison. It seemed like the only logical thing to do.

 

No, they are not alike, but I would definately call them cousins. MM has the vanilla/patchouli quality of Snake Oil, with the fruitiness of Snake Charmer. Wearing them at the same time, MM leaned greatly to the fruity side where SC tends to be more balanced on my skin, note wise.

 

I'm liking it because it's a femenine scent without being floral, and I have a tough time finding such things. I wish it was a little more balanced towards the vanilla/patchouli on me, but I can still enjoy it for what it is.

[pkthunder]

In the vial: Musky fruit. Yum!

 

On wet: this is so delicious, and very heady. When I take a big whiff of my skin, I feel like I might almost "faint dead" in my chair.

 

Drydown: Um, this smells like the very old Monopoly set that belongs to my mother that had little painted wooden pieces and was in a cedar box. I have no idea where that came from, but it takes me back to when I was eight years old playing board games in my brother's room. God, that is so weird! I keep sniffing and it's still that box! It's not a bad smell. Still yummy, just strange, that's all.

[Ohmaude]

I don't know if there is much to add after the other reviews. This stuff is liquid yummy, of the snake oil family.

 

I get the pom and much plum, woodsy patchouli and a wee bit of smoky vanilla. After a few hours it fades, and becomes this subtle hint of a scent that is quiet but very becoming, like something you can't see unless you look with the corner of your eye. It's like the scent that remains after something big went down. It is an echo, but not in a bad way.

 

What I am most excited for, is what it is going to smell like with a bit of aging. It seems like the scent can only ripen and deepen.

[euterpe414]

Oh, this is incredible. I got this early in September but for some reason put off trying it. I don't know why, silly me!

 

I could wear this every day, I swear! it is a cross to me nose between Smut and Bordello, with a bit of Snake Charmer. I don't really smell too many resemblances to Snake Oil, actually. Perhaps because Snake Oil isn't very sweet on my skin like this is. It has fabulous lasting power and medium throw.

 

I don't think i could have enough bottles of this, although at some point I will have to restrain myself!

 

Gorgeous, gorgeous blend, and a must have for those who love Bordello, Smut and Snake Charmer!

 

Thanks Beth!!!

[empi girl]

I'm in the distinct minority here, but Mme. Moriarty just isn't quite the thing for me. Most strong on me are the patchouli, musk and plum, and it all combines in a very sultry, smoky way. It is a thick scent, soft, incensy, muted and yet with a distinctly bitter bite on my skin from the patchouli, that I just can't get over. For me it is not like Snake Oil at all, more akin to Snake Charmer, because of the plum note. Not a keeper, but I'm sure it will find a happy home!

[Christine Daae]

In the bottle: Why hello there, Snake Oil!

 

Wet: It's only in the bottle that this smells like Snake Oil to me, cos as soon as it hits my skin, instead of getting warmer and more vanilla, this gets cooler and sharper. The only thing I can think that would make this so would be the patchouli leaf (as opposed to patchouli itself). It's very slightly herbal.

 

Drydown: This is much "drier" than Snake Oil is, but I can see where the comparison is.

 

While wearing: Something in this really, really doesn't like me. I'm going to have to give it a second try, but...eek. This went very...icky on me. With my luck it's the pomegranate.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Very perfumy musk and patchouli, I think. It's hard to describe, other than very rich.

 

Wet: Plum pops up immediately over a base of red musk and woody spicy patchouli. Vanilla starts coming out, too.

 

Drydown: Hmm, a subtle mix of patchouli and vanilla, with hints of dark fruit but nothing really stands out as obvious. It's a deep mysterious perfume, a little bit smoky, somber, sensual. It sometimes smells a bit... muddy, nearly, from the patchouli and possibly the pomegranate seeds, that are a bit bitter. It ends up as a slightly murky vanilla.

 

Overall: It's a very beautiful, elegant blend, dark and mysterious, sensual, not cloying at all. I usually dislike red musk but it's apparently extremely faint in this blend, because I didn't smell it at all. It's really a very rich blend, wearable to big occasions and extremely womanly. It's one of those BPALs that remind you very slightly of commercial perfumes with a BPAL twist. Excellent.

[nightbird]

I think I am in the minority here, but the Misfortune Teller is not for me! it starts out smelling promising, reminding me a teeny bit of Snake Charmer and Snake Oil (must be the spices), but quickly dries down to something that reminds me of tea. while tea is nice, I don't like the way tea smells on me.

[blu°]

I really had been hoping, I would be part of the minority, too, but alas... la Mme is one of the loveliest blends I've smelled so far.

 

It really doesn't remind so much of either Snake Oil or Snake Charmer on my skin, though, but rather makes me think of the Thanatos/Séance/Ouija-posse. It's got this very woodsy quality, probably from the patchouli leaf, and has a similar kind of red-pink the way I perceive it.

 

It's really a lot more woodsy, smooth but fizzy than the other Snake family scents. Definitely refined and quite feminine. The patchouli leaf is just gorgeous, and the whole scent triggers some early childhood memory for me that I can't quite put my finger on.

 

Whatever, it's great, even more so as I don't usually wear plum well. When I sniff this close to my skin, I can smell the plum clashing with my chemistry a bit, but not too much so, and the throw is delicious.

 

Also, the wear length for me isn't all that bad. I put some on (ok, I slathered some on... lower arms, cleavage, neck) around 11 in the morning, and I can still smell it, especially when I move, now at a quarter to 7 pm.

 

This will definitely be a bottle purchase, I might even get two actually. Very well done, Beth!

 

ETA: I almost forgot: At some point I got this vivid fizzy juicy candy scent, which I think was pomegranate, probably in combination with the musk and patchouli.

 

ETA yet another time: Is it possible that the vanilla in here is rather like the one in Antique Lace than the one in Snake Oil? Elsewise, it could be the woodsy patchouli and red musk softening it or something. But it's very soft and subdued for me.

Edited October 12, 2006 by blu°

[dnipbhsw]

I'm so in love with this right now. It's everything I expected it to be: sexy and warm, a little smokey and leathery, and just downright beautiful. It's sophisticated and smart, and very mysterious. Love it!