Faiza, the Black Mamba (2006)

[Rheliwen]

A sensual blend of twisting, exotic, serpentine oils: black amber, caraway, oakmoss, green sandalwood, bergamot, jasmine sambac, gardenia, orange pulp, vanilla, blackberry, black musk, white honey, ti leaf, and ginger.

Hmm...

I can't decide if I like this yet.

Initially on it has a sharp bamboo/citrus quality along with dry woods. Not really into the citrus thing.

As it dries down some fuzzy green notes start to pop along with some pulpy florals. The drydown phase is so much more pleasant. It's not the most tropical BPAL scent I've tried but it is vibrant and different.

The florals are really muted. They lend their tartness only. The green notes smell like a just broken off baby branch.

Overall I think I like this as long as I can tell my brain to stop smelling bamboo (cause I hates bamboo )

[ilona]

Gah! Wet, this is super sharp green candle wax. It’s piercing and perfumy.

 

As it dries it loses some of it’s sharpness, but none of it’s perfumey-ness. Very commercial floral musk.

 

Even later, it goes to a powdery floral, losing the in-your-face green-ness, and gaining a bit of earthiness. Definitely rounds out to something softer. Like someone above said, this one is a morpher.

[wikkidraven]

faiza has my vote for strangest act III blend---she does some amazing tricks. i was so overwhelmed with mossy, damp GREEN when i put it on, i could taste the stuff. not cool. faiza is strong, it almost smelled like men's cologne...aspen or something horrible comes to mind.

 

on the drydown though, i get honey and ginger, still with that tinge of greenery, but a lot more pleasant. i believe during faiza's morphing stages you can smell every note that was used. superb blending, so much that even if i won't wear her often, i may keep her after all.

[melissadragon]

Imp: Smoky sweetness - applied to rightside of the back of the right hand

Wet: Still sweet and smokey

Dry: Nice, very soft, mostly I can pick up the vanilla and ginger.

1 hour later: Quite faded, I do like it though.

Verdict: Keeper.

[dronzeka]

I kept looking at the notes when I tried this, and it's so well blended, I couldn't tell you what any of them were - this combines into something seamless and glorious and unique. It's kind of green, and kind of bronze, and rich, spicy, and deep floral. Very very gorgeous - dark without being heavy. MUST get a bottle!

[Fyre_in_Winter]

Despite the caraway, jasmine, and gardenia, I had to try Faiza because it has a whole bunch of my absolute favorite notes. It smells quite odd to my nose, and I wouldn't wear it everyday, but I find it very appealing for those occasions when I want a rich "perfumey" perfume. It smells really expensive and a bit piercing, but still unique and unusual.

[lightgatherer]

Citrus and sharp - likely the bergamot and perhaps a floral or two? The sharp edge dies back after a while, but the scent is still overwhelmingly citrus. After several hours it blends into a general sweet-ish scent - the blending is so complete that I'm not able to pinpoint any particular notes. This stage isn't bad, but I don't like it enough to make up for the hours of citrus.

[Browneyes]

In the decant: Dark green, fresh, spicy perhaps, bergamot citrus-ness

Wet: Retains those qualities, but now with added fruitiness and sweetness. I guess that is the berry/floral/vanilla/honey combination. It has an interesting "damp vegetation" quality as a top note - but in a good way for sure!

Dry: Somehow this reminds me ever so slightly of Luperci. It must be the oakmoss, giving it a perfumey/cologney quality on my skin. But not in a bad way. The darker notes must be giving this a certain earthiness too, because in spite of the "sweet", "wet" and "floating" notes, it remains well grounded. The citrus has all but disappeared, but I seem to catch whiffs of ginger now and then.

Bottom line: This is a beautiful blend, it is most definately - as others have mentioned - seamless, making it hard to identify the notes. I would say that it is gender neutral. I'm going to have to ponder whether or not I need a bottle of this. The artwork makes me go "yesyesyes!", but I would like to get better acquainted with the scent too. Will definately use my imp though!

 

ETA: the honey or whatever gives this a sour last breath on my skin.

Edited March 20, 2007 by Browneyes

[Miss Lynx]

This was one of the ones I was most looking forward to of the 13-in-1 collection... There are a number of notes listed that I love, though also a few I had doubts about. With any scent this complex, it really depends how things balance out.

 

In this case, they did not balance out well. There are a lot of things I like in here -- amber, oakmoss, sandalwood, bergamot, orange, blackberry, musk... But there are also a couple of killer florals, and as it turns out, those stomp everything else into submission, at least on my floral-amping skin. It's still got a lot of depth and complexity to it, and all kinds of shifting layers, but on the whole it is way, way more conventionally "perfumey" than I can cope with.

 

Initially it didn't seem so bad, but in the process of decanting two full bottles of it, it quickly reached headache-inducing proportions and got to the point where I couldn't stand there merest whiff. Maybe after a period of recovery I'll feel differently, but right now, the Black Mamba and I are not friends.

 

Grade: C+

[grrrlennyl]

at first: a powdery, spicy, exotic floral with a bit of sweetness.

on: powdery, fresh notes. it's hard to pick anything out.

half an hour later: sweet fruits and smoth, powdery flowers.

1 hour later:a bit soapy, but with lovely fruity, green notes and florals.

7 hours later: powdery flowers.

overall: this floral blend just doesn't do it for me.

[theseagrows]

this is very well blended, and i really am having difficulty picking out notes. it's a bit perfumy to me and it's a warm, ambery floral with herbs and a touch of coolness. i think that mostly the amber, orange pulp and gardenia are coming out on my skin. i like this and will keep my imp but probably won't buy a bottle.

[yeahbutnobut]

Faiza

 

In the imp: honey and deep, woodsy, lightly spiced, earthy fruit.

Wet on skin: honey and ginger pop out first, followed by blackberry and caraway, and flowers.

Dry: ooh, I like this. It is honey and blackberry at first, with a little hint of orange, over a warm spicy woodsy green floral layer. Very complex and twisting. It’s dark and black-green and a little damp, but also warm, scaly and dry. The flowers then come to the fore, blossoming beautifully (and the gardenia in here is of the gorgeous variety!) amongst a light sandalwood note covered in moss and with the gritty spice of caraway and ginger. Underneath it all, amber and vanilla and musk add their deep sleek sweetness.

After a while: the florals tone down a little, and the scent becomes almost masculine, but definitely unisex. The wood, musk and spices are dominant now. It’s almost green but now quite, more like a green sheen on a black-tan-gold scent. It smells predominantly of toasted caraway (which is more gorgeous than I expected), fresh sandalwood, dark viscous musk and a very pleasant blackberry (this isn’t the infamous ‘cat pee’ blackberry). This is very mysterious, and the notes seem to merge into each other-it’s hard to make individual notes out.

The sandalwood, heated softly by ginger, topped with gentle moss and caraway, gradually becomes the dominant note. I don’t smell as much honey or flowers at this point. It’s a murky fragrance but not oppressive. There are moments when the amber peeks out of this exotic woodsy berry darkness, and the musk adds its slick black depth to it all. Such an unusual but very wearable scent. The drydown is where the honey and amber come out again and the scent gains an earthy, almost dirty feel reminiscent of some of the patchouli scents, even though patch isn’t listed as a note…maybe the musk is giving this an almost sweaty (but not in a bad way! More like clean sexy sweat) feel to this scent. It also reminds me of a feminine Luperci at this point, with it’s honey and musk and moss and woodsy greenness.

Verdict: this is a very complex scent, it could have gone in a spicy, fruity, woodsy, floral or sweetly musky direction, but overall the scent is both moistly dark green, and also scaly and dry, it is an exotic scent where the woods and moss are dominant, with spices adding warmth here and there, and a hint of musk and fruit at the base. In fact, all the notes blend so well that it’s hard to pick any one note out. The honey makes a fleeting appearance on first application but fades away to make way for low-key flowers, green woods and dry spices, though it returns at drydown. It’s surprisingly unisex-anyone who fears the jasmine and gardenia need not worry-they are very subtle here. Indeed, there are moments when it smells almost masculine but thankfully not too much. It is totally different to the other serpentine scents like Snake Oil, Charmer and the Pit scents, in fact it reminds me a little bit of Luperci, but really and truly this is scent is quite unique…very BPAL but different to most BPALs I’ve tried. It’s not my favourite snake-themed scent but I like this a lot and will eventually get a bottle of this seductive, snaky lady before she slithers away.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Sure it is, I think I’ll get a bottle some day.

If you like this, try: The Oblation, Snake Oil, Luperci, Kanishta, Bitter Moon

[Ohmaude]

I was very excited about this blend, but when I first tried the scent it was overshadowed by the fantastic snake pit.

 

However, this spring morning while selecting what scent to wear, my mind went "orange pulp" and I reached for Faiza.

 

I agree with most of the previous reviews. This is bergamot, orange pulp (as opposed to the sharper, stronger peel) and amber, the other notes are there too, I just can't seperate them all. It is a green, wet scent, living, tropical but not bright. Envoking green vines and serpentine associations. Totally unique from every other bpal I have tried. It is quiet, soft, like the jungle floor. I'm glad I got a bottle of this.

[ForeverLastcXs]

I'm absolutely IN LOVE with Faiza! The more I wear her, the more I love her. *sigh*

 

I feel like some sort of feral jungle woman with this on. It's reminiscent of the hot, wet jungle - leafy green trees, lush orange pulp, and fragrant flowers. It's very sexy and slinky, and a perfect representation of who Faiza is. I feel so seductive and predatory with this on.

[supremegoddessofall]

Lots of amber and very rich. Nice.

[juniperus]

Bottle: green, light florals...very fresh

Wet: the same, a bit greener

Dry: lighter, no sign of overwhelming fruit like I feared - this is very subtle.

Later: gorgeous, and defying all laws of skin chemistry - the honey and jasmine, vanilla and fruit Played Nice With Others. a frikkin miracle, I tell you!

[Naamah_Darling]

This is lighter than you think. It's green and spicy, the easiest things to smell are the ti, the bergamot, and the jasmine, with a dash of gardenia and a little bit of ginger. Think pale and spicy instead of dark and dirty.

 

On, orange, jasmine, ginger, softened by a little vanilla and a very smooth musk. This has a sensual base, but the green notes here give it a cold-blooded feel. I find it very hard to believe this is coincidental. The Lab are very good at what they do.

 

I can see the right kind of person going for this scent in a big way. It reminds me of Rakshasa, Goneril, Dragon Moon, Mantis . . . clean, sweet, light scents, scents with a little coolness, and maybe a little spice. This isn't my sort of smell, but it's really beautiful.

 

On me, it goes a bit sour, turns yellowish like venom. Crushed flowers, soured with just a touch of rot. This is a hypnotic and deceptive scent, thick with the cold breath of reptiles.

 

Well-done. Not my thing, but well-done.

[filigree_shadow]

This is a much lighter and prettier scent than I would have imagined for Faiza. It has kind of a white floral feel to it with a fruity sweetness, too. I like this quite a lot – I don’t think I’ll buy a bottle because I already have scents similar to this and I’m currently on a budget. I’m glad I had a chance to try it, though.

[cuervosueno]

Not at all what I expected. this smells like some of the tea scents on me, but it is greener, and there is a hint of gardenia or another white flower in there. What I get is lovely jungley tea scent. Like sipping a very pale and delicate tea in a garden of hot house flowers.

 

Nice!

[sarada]

Oh, man, is this beautiful.

 

I didn't think that the queen of the Snake Pit would be so light, floral and fruity, but there is an underlying, pulsating strength beneath these gentle fragrances that makes them just writhe around my skin.

 

The layers of herbal, wood, fruit and rich, lush flowers shift back and forth, making a constantly-rearranging palette of green, golden and orange colors that adjusts to the temperature and mood with every moment.

 

Some of my favorites are here: a crisp, pungent sandalwood, warm green moss, the incomparable beauty of honey paired with blackberry (see also the Oblation for how much I love that combo), but brought back from the edge of sweetness with the bitter tang of bergamot, ginger and ti leaf. It surprises me the way Bitter Moon surprised me: how can these disparate elements work together so beautifully?

 

Meanwhile, dark amber and musk anchor everything and give it a lot of throw and staying power since those are really good notes for me. The flowers add their touches of color and lightness without ever being overpowering.

 

I had no idea I would love this so much but I do...this has got to be a bottle, and preferably in the summertime. Gor-gee-ous!

[Keslynn]

In the imp, Faiza smells very medicinal to me. It's similar to the orangey cough medicine I took last time I had a cold.

 

On my skin, Faiza remains strongly medicinal with an almost fruity overtone. I keep waiting for the scent to morph but it never does. I so wanted this to work because I love snakes. Unfortunately, Faiza and her companions just haven't been working with my chemistry.

 

Verdict: Cough syrupy.

[isabella]

I put Faiza upon my wrist about 20 minutes ago.

About 30 seconds after doing so, my heart almost stopped.

 

I actually began to panic a bit, and realized it was something in the notes that was throwing me into a PTSD downward spiral.

 

So, I grabbed my blanket and tried to rub my own skin off to get the scent off of me....

 

then, as suddenly as it happened...the scent that triggered such a tortured response fro me was gone...in its place was a soft, vaguely spicy, vaguely vanilla-y, light floral.

 

It also seems to have the same sugared resiny note that I like in Snake oil, Dorian and Smut. Its actually really pretty.

 

So...I dunno if im gonna keep this, even though I have another imp of it coming in another swap....I think ill give it another try later, now that I know what kind of reaction I may have.

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Sharp green shoots smell

 

On Skin: The sharp green shoots smell that kind of reminds me a little of how BPAL iris smells on my skin. After a minute, I get jasmine wafting out at me.

 

On Drydown: Smoky like and sexy. It's a heady floral without being too floral. It's musky without being musky.

 

Verdict: Perfectly blended because I can't seem to pick out any of the individual notes. Dark? Check. Dangerous? Check. Exotic? Check. Sexy? Check.

 

Overall though, it may be a smidge too dark on me. If I was more prone to vamping it out, I would love this in a heartbeat. Knowing myself, this is more in your face dark and sexy than I think I can pull off. It's a gorgeous scent though.

[Meg]

In the bottle: A deliciously warm woody tropical scent with a hint of bergamot.

 

Wet: it smells lovely and green, I'm guessing green sandalwood and ti leaf, as well as honey and possibly hints of blackberry. All very yum.

 

Drydown: this is really nice... green and woodsy, exotic, a bit spicy, a bit earthy, with fruit and florals all mixing together. The honey is lovely, as is the blackberry and the various woods. I think the black musk supports the vanilla and honey extremely well, making them deep and lovely.

 

Overall: it's a fresh and warm scent, sort of humid and languid, with woods and greenery - it really puts the drawing of Faiza with its dark green shades into my mind, and this dark hollowness that can be seen in the painting. Extreme drydown isn't so wonderful, as it becomes sort of dry and musty, a bit on the masculine aftershave side.

[LadyCrow]

In the imp: Sharp, green floral -- jasmine and gardenia. It looks so innocent when it's sleeping!

 

Wet: More of the bamboo-tea notes.

 

Drying down: Dark, dark. The musk comes out here -- and enough of these ingredients would be drinkable together in the same cup of tea (a jasmine-ginger chai isn't far outside the realm of imagination) to make Faiza subversively delicious at this stage, a very tempting snake indeed when the honey emerges. The scent picture is somber but very much alive, comparable to some recent Salons -- and in the same way, seductive even to the Kind of Person Who Doesn't Normally Wear Florals .