Arachnina, The Spider Girl (2006)

[kirakira]

A swirling, hypnotic perfume of black currant, poppy, red and black musk, lilies, nicotiana, and patchouli.

I bought this because of all the reviews describing Arachnina as "perfumey". Well, it does not smell like perfume on me! This is a smoky patchouli scent on my skin. I wish that I could smell more of the black currant but cannot smell it at all. I like that it is very strong and has great throw because there are times I want people to smell me before they see me and I will wear this on those days.

[arabella]

First Impression: Floral over musk with a hint of fruit.

 

Dries down to: A bare whisper of patchouli joins the mix. Then, in the end, the currant starts to scream.

 

Additional Comments: Initially, this blend is very soft on me. "Hypnotic" is a good description as I find it very soothing and relaxing at this stage. A perfect sleeping scent. Then, all currant hell breaks loose and ruins everything.

 

Lasted: Fortunately, only about an hour.

 

Rating: 2 out of 5.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Slightly sweet resin and incense. Hippy-ish, a bit bitter. Strong.

 

Wet: Okay, softer and less incense-y. Lilies and musk and the patchouli is playing nice. Still a little bitter. Fairly faint!

 

Dry: Lilies and other flowers over light patchouli, strong musk, and that bitter note. Much stronger than when wet.

 

Summary: Slightly bitter, spicy musk and patchouli with hints of floral.

 

I don't think I like poppy.

[Lyrical]

In vial: rich and heady. Mostly dark musk and patchouli, but with fruits and flowers too.

 

Wet on skin: the musk reminds me of the dark musks in well-aged Spellbound. It's in the same scent family as Mme Moriarty and Phantom Calliope, but richer, more perfumey, more feminine, and the patchouli, while evident, is behaving itself and staying in the background. I can't smell blackcurrant, but the rich dark fruitiness indicates its presence.

 

Dry on skin: it stays fairly constant - warm, just sweet enough, deep and heady. Not much throw. This is unusual in that it gets sweeter the longer I wear it. A bit too much patchouli for me to love it, though.

[Lamia]

Wet, makes me think of the sitting room of a Lady Of A Certain Age who has one cigarette every day at 4pm, with a cocktail - quite floral with a light touch of a freshly-opened box of fags. The nicotine faded quickly and became even more floral. Hm, "Old Woman-y", I thought. The currants grew in strength, making me think of Frumious Bandersnatch, which I love, and I smelled juicier instead of flowery. Sitting on the sofa across the room from the husband, I got an uncoached and unsolicited "You smell pretty" at a time when the cycle was Old Woman Flowers instead of Ripe Fruits, so I call that a bonus. It pulses, evolving, and is extremely evasive. Fascinating!

[penemuel]

I really wanted this to be a combination of its notes on me, but all I seem to be getting is the musk and patchouli. There's possibly a bit of the tobacco in the background, and a smidge of fruit, but beyond that, it's all eaten by musk and patchouli. Lovely art and concept, but I don't see a bottle in my future.

[butcherbaby]

bought a partial bottle of this on ebay, since i wasn't too sure how it would work. most of the notes are right on for me- poppy is a sure fire winner, lilies usually get along very well with my chemistry, and i love musks. the labs patchouli *usually* works for me too, though not always. the nicotiana had me worried, as tobacco notes can easily turn to wet stale ashtray on me, and fruits are always iffy, either fading right away or turning 'sour'.

 

besides that, several of the CD blends i thought would be no brainers sdue to the notes either smelled awful or just blah on me.

i'll go ahead and say right now that this one is an exception to the CD rule- i LOVE it!

 

in the bottle it *is*, as some people have said, a little reminiscent of department store perfumes. however, i also detect a creamy beauty which i have some to recognize as the poppy.

on, i am quite pleased, for some reason, by the darkness of the oil. it is reminscent of motor oil or brackish water, but i like it. and the scent is gorgeous as well. i can't detect the fruit or tobacco at all, but the poppy, lily and musks i can detect even though they are doing their magic and blending almost seamlessly. aftre some time of wear, i get a creamy smokiness, rather like incense though i haven't ever smelled one quite like this. the throw is great, and it lasts VERY well on my scent suctioning skin. and it doesn't 'morph' so much as just keep getting more complex and lovely.

 

i'm probably going to buy a 'backup' bottle of this (i have a feeling it will age VERY well), and search for a few more decants to fill this bottle.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Sharp, soapy floral.

 

Immediately on skin: I can smell the poppy and lilies very strongly, as well as a solid base of musk.

 

After a few minutes: This has sweetened up, but the lily is still very strong and the poppy and musk give it a dark base. This is definitely a complex scent.

 

Later on: This fades into a gentler, hypnotic scent. The sweet currant mixes nicely with the poppy, musk, and other notes, but it has a slight bitterness to it that I don’t love. I have to try this again… I can see myself getting in the mood to wear this every so often.

[nekogrrl]

In imp: Lilies of DEATH

 

Wet on skin: Lilies of DEATH plus an undertone of poppy. Ooooh, will the other notes come out to play too, or are the Lilies of DEATH the bullies of the playground?

 

Dry on skin: Apparently there was a fight on the playground and the Lilies of DEATH just barely beat the others down. Lily is still the dominant note, but it is very close to the skin, and about equal to the poppy. Can't particularly pick out any of the other notes.

 

Verdict: Probably won't wear it due to the lily note. Otherwise, nice scent.

[mazaru]

Wet: dark, rich, narcotic and slightly evil. Dry: smooth, rounded, red and black, interesting and deep. A keeper.

[innocent]

((First off <3 to Ms. Tania for her lovely lot of CD decants, as I've mentioned elsewhere they arrived on a day when I sorely needed a pick-me-up.))

 

Arachnina was one of those decants you decide to try, but aren't expecting to actually like. While none of the notes screamed DEATH to me, the frequent mentions of this one smelling "perfumey" made me wary.

 

And people are right, Arachnina does smell perfumey. But it's a good perfume. The notes combine to be greater than the sum of their parts and the scent seems to evolve constantly - I couldn't even smell the patchouli (which normally POPS on me) until I'd had it on an hour. This is a full-bodied scent, mature, rich, and (as others have said) a touch malevolent. I agree that this scent is evocative of an older woman - but once it begins to dry it softens a touch, and honestly I think anyone could wear it (and if you like it, you definitely SHOULD wear it!).

 

I'm not decided on a bottle yet, mainly due to lack of storage and budget (my next order is already looking HUGE and I'm still waiting on some decants to try ). Reality being what it is, I'm not sure I'll wear this one enough to warrent a bottle, especially as it reminds me a bit of Penumbra and the Misfortune Teller. I'll have to test it against those two (and against Ashlultum, my other potential "adult lady" scent) before I decide.

[Deyja7]

In an effort to try more CD scents before they disappear, Arachina was one i grabbed in a decant circle.

 

In the vial: I don't actually get much of a scent, but what i can catch seems to be mostly the musk and patchouli.

 

Wet: Head spin! The description swirling, hypnotic is definitely accurate. I get poppies, then next breath, musks & the patchouli is nicely tempered.

 

Dry: As it dries, i can smell the black currents, but they're earthed by the patchouli.

 

Overall, this is a strange one for me.. but i think i like it. Might test a few more times before deciding on a bottle though.

[eyeska]

Lovely, very feminine, floral with something earthy to drag it down. The fruit is not nearly strong enough to seem at all foody or light, and while sweet, she's not remotely cloying or problematic. I adore Arachnina and am lucky enough to be able to wear her. (Also: she seems to age fairly well, with 6 months not making a discernible difference.)

 

Some serious throw on me, though - I need to be careful applying Arachnina, lest she reach out and bind others in her smothering web. I may even cave and get a backup bottle of her before the Carnaval leaves, which I ordinarily would resist.

[brsis]

Initial thoughts: Hmm... there's a lot of killer notes in there for me (Patchouli, red musk, possibly lilies, poppy and black currant as well) so I'm really not expecting something even wearable.

 

In the bottle: Musky poppy, patchouli and nicotiana, with the slightest hint of fruit.

 

On the wrist, wet: Poppy, lily, fruit... a bit of musk and patchouli... this is unexpectedly more floral that I expected, but still predominantly a dark, musky/resinous scent with a bit of fruit.

 

Drydown: MUSK - which goes funny on my skin. Quite a bit of the nicotiana too, and a hint of patchouli and the currant. Not something I'm going to wear, alas.

[zankoku_zen]

This is more feminine and works better on my skin than I thought it would. The main participants are the black currant, the musks and the lilies. It has this softly hypnotic effect. I find it slightly 'hairy' and foreboding, kind of like the prickle of a tarantula. It's feminine, yet vaguely feral.

 

It actually kinda spooks me a little.

[maika]

In the imp, this is kind of a smoky cologne scent...with the cologne note both predominating and lingering.

 

Wet, I smell poppies. Beautiful poppies at that. And musk...deep black musk. Very nice!

 

Dry, this is interesting. The cologne note is back, but it's not overpowering...more an undertone. Oddly, it makes me think of my father, which is not a bad thing, but not something I would ever be considering when it comes to associations with perfume. I finally get the patchouli now too. This is gorgeous and I can foresee it smelling just as good on a man as on a woman. This is the sort of complex thing that makes me want to spend hours ignoring the world so that I can sniff my wrist and process what I'm smelling. Ultimately, I love it and will definitely be requiring more before the Carnaval leaves town.

Edited November 24, 2008 by maikastar

[Indigo78]

In the imp and on the skin this went cologne-ish and soapy in an Aquavelva sort of way. Not good, but to be fair, lately I've been turning many, many scents to soap at the initial app. Tart currants surface after twenty-odd minutes, blood red and fiesty as they push that damned soapiness out of the spotlight. This patchouli is very subtle on me, more so than with any patchouli in recent memory. Slight but detectable lilies are there, too.

 

Overall, this wears like a ghost. With the cologn-y (read: just got ravaged) undertones, it feels like I spritzed myself with the perfume bottle sitting on another woman's nightstand. Sorta unnerving. While I'll keep the imp, I don't forsee a bottle.

 

ETA: This is weirdly strong for how close it wears to the skin. I don't think it has mega throw, but it's definitely not faint.

Edited January 14, 2009 by Indig0

[rayvn1]

I've been waiting to try this one for some time and it was well worth it! Rich and heady poppy with the currant having a vague plummy vibe. For all that musk and patchouli it's pretty soft and feminine. Antonino pairs well with this one for me as the masculine counterpart. Lovely and subtle. Great for wearing out.

[milo]

To me, Arachnina belongs to the family of Mme Moriarty and Crypt Queen. The difference being that the Mme and CQ feature fruits and patchouli, while Arachnina features the incensey florals and patchouli. It is not as "dirty" as CQ as well, I actually like it better, she is less dusty and more desirable. I really don't get lilies at all, and this is not "perfumey" on me either. I'm surprised that she does not get more love...She is one sexy arachnid with one hell of a bite!! This would be a blend that you'd wear when your out on the town, looking for your next "victim" This scent is very empowering to me, and works extremely well with my skin chemistry. Basically, heaven in a bottle. Another CD "must purchase soon".

 

Ugh, my bottle is MUCH different than the sniffy I had. I think I need to age her a year or two. Overpowering, screaming, musky floral.

Edited September 23, 2009 by milo

[angelicruin]

Inside the imp, definitely red musk and maybe cologne?

 

Wet on the skin, poppy & red musk to begin with. Nicotiana and lilies a couple minutes after application.

 

Dries down to a resinous floral musk with a tobacco twist.

Edited August 10, 2009 by angelicruin

[NoinHime]

This is another one I didn't think I'd like but I do.

 

In the bottle it was off-putting to me because it's very strong; smelling mostly of musk and patchouli.

 

Right away on my skin it mellowed out a little. I could now smell the florals, especially the lily. After a while I began to smell the current just a little bit with the patchouli and musk fading some.

 

Overall this is a musky heady floral on me. It's a very nice scent that I will keep but not one of my loves.

[hkhm]

bottle: all musk, dark and heavy.

 

wet: musk and nicotiana, very strong and almost a bit sharp. the florals in the background just make this more pointy. but i do have high hopes for what aging will accomplish.

 

dry: as this dries, the patchouli appears, so it's a very deep musk and patchoul scent. i like it a great deal now and think it will age into something fantastic.

[thecaitycat]

In the bottle: Sharp musk and patchouli. This makes me nervous, because my skin tends to amp these up to the point where I can't smell anything else. However, this was a thoughtful gift from someone, and I'm determined to like this. We'll try it!

 

Wet on skin: Still musk and patchouli. Not as sharp, though.

 

Dry on skin: I'm glad I didn't wash this off, because while I still smell musk and patchouli, I also smell something floral peeking out. This softens a lot without being soft. If that makes any sense.

 

After an hour: Wow! This is a lot more complex than it was wet or in the bottle. Musk and patchouli are still strong, but so is the poppy and currant.

 

Overall: I don't think I would have bought my own bottle, but I'm very glad it was a gift. I will definitely wear it. It takes a while to morph into something I like, but the wait is worth it. I give it an 8/10.

[Venneh]

Just got a hold of a decant of this. In the decant, I get a similar smell to Opium Poppy; bittersweet, with what I think might be the patchouli underneath. On my skin, I'm getting the black currant and the poppy and lilies with the musk, and the patchouli and nicotania don't appear to be showing up. But it's starting to take on a similar nature to a more feminine version of my father's cologne, which I'm pinning on the nicotania. ...And yeah, this is a more feminine version of my father's cologne on me. Something tells me this has a lot to do with the nicotania/tobacco flower note; should watch out for that. Swaps.

Edited October 21, 2009 by Venneh

[Dharklady]

In bottle: Very much a light clean perfume scent. I’m not familiar with most of the notes (except patchouli) but it seems to have little in the way of fruit or floral notes.

 

Wet: A hazy green scent (maybe from the poppy?), with a creamy patchouli (not an adjective I normally use with that note!) and a light sweet note that is trying to decide if it wants to be a floral and musk or fruit and musk. Overall the combination is very engaging.

 

Dry: Poppy and musk with just a hint of that creamy earth from the patchouli. The florals are playing a delicate balancing act with the nicotiana. It feels mature, seductive, and just a touch dangerous.

 

Notes: To me it evokes imagery of silky cobwebs, and a tantalizing figure just barely glimpsed behind them. And you know if you go in you’ll never come back out…