Mama-Ji

[supremegoddessofall]

Spices, cardamom, nutmeg, and flowers.

In bottle: Spicy goodness.

On me: Spicy with light florals. Pretty.

[pastrydeity]

This is pretty sexy stuff. On me, it's a dark, spicy incense--I don't really get florals, and I can't pick out individual spice notes in it. It'd make a great evening scent.

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Spicy

 

On Skin: spicy orangey carnation-like floral. Did I say incensey? It's got that vibe. It kinda reminds me to Frumious Bandersnatch

 

Drydown: Spicy loveliness

 

Verdict: This is what I was hoping Bakeneko would be. Love it.

[surlygurl]

I wasn't sure what to expect with spicy florals/ flowery spices.

 

When first applied it was strong spices with lots of rose. I don't like rose . But as it dried down, either the rose dissipated or I got used to it, because the spices came to the forefront.

 

When dry, this is soft spices without much throw. It wafts a little when I move my arms or when a breeze blows. Spices on a blanket of 'proud' florals (I don't know how else to describe it). Mysterious and sexy

[oakmoss]

This is a goddess-worthy perfume indeed -- rich and warm and generous, many-layered like a rose rolled in fine spices, the petals touched with cinnamon and sandalwood, wafted through aromatic incense. It just kept getting better and better, from the first sniff to the last fade-out. I need more than one bottle of this.

[bryghtrose]

Maybe I shouldn't do a review when I'm this stuffy and allergic, but I want to get my first impressions down.

 

It's rich, warm and spicy. My first thought is cloves, but that quickly blends with the rest of the spices. I don't get the cardamom, but that's ok.

 

This would make a very good winter perfume. It seems to exude warmth. It would also work in the very heart of summer. It's just not working for me now in the beginning of spring.

 

This is definitely something I want to come back to.

[jarvenpa]

O my goodness. northatlantic just gifted me with a decant of Mama Ji (decanted by maribouquet, and I am impressed with how nicely the label was done).

 

There have been a few Black Phoenix scents that seem to bloom on my skin; that is they start out quite nicely but then expand and deepen and sweeten and become something even more wonderful. The Sleeper does this for me; Phantom Calliope also does..and there have been a few others escaping my tired mind.

 

This is exquisite. Beautifully balanced spice and creamy floral, a touch of caramel or vanilla perhaps? (not listed in the notes; maybe it is simply the nutmeg and cardamon). It is wonderfully long lasting and curiously comforting and has rocketed immediately to just about the top of my crazily varied list of BPAL favorites.

[Nisaba]

I'm wearing Mama Ji right now, and oh boy, it's heavenly. If I sniff my wrist, I get dry spices, but this is not a scent to be ruined by mashing your nose up against it. What makes this scent is the way it wafts - rich, deep florals, the sweetness tempered and grounded with lovely spicy goodness. The spices and florals balance out so well, I can't identify one note over another. It's just stunning

 

I suspect what I'm wearing is aged quite a lot, as it was the final dribble left in the bottle after a decant circle, that's been sitting in my BPAL cupboard since I ran it a month or so back. If Mama Ji isn't working for you, I'd highly recommend letting her age; I liked her first time round, but she was lighter then. Now she's mellowed and all the notes have blended together beautifully

[LadyCrow]

Mama-ji is causing me to part with hard-earned dollars. She may be the matron in the red sari, rather than the full-on raging goddess of destruction, but she's a damn persuasive old lady! *sighs deeply, examines empty wallet*

 

I was curious to see (smell!) how this scent would differ from Kali, since it's the same goddess. For me, wearing Kali, the spices are strong but still ultimately subordinate to the honey; Mama-ji smells richer, more layered, more complex. That said, I still fall into the category of people who can smell the florals in the imp but who don't get them with skin wear. I do get a trace of something vanilla-like, and it's not that there's no sweetness to Mama-ji -- it's just that her sweetness is more like that in a proper chai masala tea, not like a Starbucks "chai latte" (note: I'm not comparing Kali to the former). That is, the cardamom, for example, doesn't vanish.

 

I don't know why Mama-ji makes me think of dark woods, like mahogany, but that's definitely part of the overall impression I get. That may be more synaesthetic (or even influenced by Gaiman's character?) than related to the actual notes, but it's there.

 

Rich, dark, deep, spicy, complex, lovely. Mama-ji is a superb example of perfumery as art.

[filigree_shadow]

Eek. Spicy air freshener.

 

Where's the warm exotic golden spicy loveliness everyone else is getting?

Blast my treacherous skin chemistry!

*shakes fists at sky*

 

ETA: After it's been on for an hour, it smells almost exactly like nag champa incense. ??? My skin has problems. But at least it smells good now!

Edited May 14, 2007 by filigree_shadow

[Rouge]

I've been looking forwards to trying Mama-ji ever since the Carousel made its first appearance at BPAL.

 

In the vial - Mama-ji smells not unlike Silk Road, which is rather fortunate as it's one of my very favourite scents! The spices and nutmeg are somehow dry and sweet at the same time, and have a rich, warm undertone.

 

Wet on the skin - Absolutely beautiful - strong, rich cardamom and nutmeg are underscored by a rich floral I can't quite identify. Again, it reminds me of Silk Road, but is a good deal sweeter.

 

Dry down - a few minutes into wear, the shadow of Kali herself behind the old woman in the red sari begins to make her presence felt. There's a dark, brooding note of thick spices that very soon start to overtake the sweetness felt in the initial stages.

 

An hour later, the sweetness is back, creating a rich, warm and strong blend. I'll definitely be buying more of this!

[Naamah_Darling]

This is nice. It's a deep, thick scent, heady. The spices are in front, the flowers in back. Now, most spice blends I've smelled contain something else, like musk, amber, patchouli, sandalwood, etc. This is apparently a spice blend without those things, and as such, it bears investigating. It's much purer, a much clearer scent than I would have expected, without that murky tinge that ruins a lot of otherwise nice blends once they hit my skin.

 

And yet, it does smell quite a bit like incense. There might be a bit of sandalwood in there, but if there is, there isn't much.

 

It goes on with cardamom leading. I definitely smell rose or rose carnation, and ginger too. The florals are subtle.

 

The closest thing this reminds me of is Voodoo Queen or Chrysanthemum Moon.

 

This is not a harsh or overly dark scent, as I had expected. It's very warm and pleasant, welcoming even. I love this. It's what Mme. Moriarty should have been on me.

 

As it dries, the florals launch tendrils up through the bed of spices. Carnation comes out, leading a hint of some other spice. Saffron, perhaps, or ginger? I can't say. More florals . . . myrtle? Wow.

 

It's utterly delicious, a very distinctive scent that you could leave behind you like a signature or a fingerprint. Lovely. Utterly lovely. The best of the lot.

[TheIceMaiden]

Mama-Ji starts out spices, but its not foody spice cabinet spices. Rather, as other reviewers have noted, its an incensey-spice scent. After a bit, the florals come out and mix with the spiced incense. I can smell a touch of rose in there but can't pick out any other floral notes. The drydown is a spicy-floral. Incense scents normally don't work on me, but Mama-Ji does. Also, spicy scents sometimes irritate my skin, but this one doesn't. So yay for Mama-Ji!!

[Mamacat]

I was very sure that Mama-Ji would work on me. So sure.

 

In the decant: not bad - flowery, spicy. Let's see what happens

 

On my skin: bad . . . real bad. Soapy potporri combined with cheap perfume. Bad skin chemistry!

 

Already swapped to a better home!

[jewelbug]

Bottle: Heady florals and an undercurrant of sexy spice.

 

I'll preface this review by saying that I'm not huge on florals, and since I avoid them, I don't review them very well cuz I never get any better at identifying them....But I was drawn to this scent after reading all the reviews about spiciness, so I had to give it a try.

 

Wet: I'm pretty certain this has rose in it. It has that rose twinge, but so far its not getting soapy on me (like rose often does). There's also another floral, and I'm guessing its carnation, since it sort of reminds me of alice. So, wet, this is strong rose and carnation with some spice underneath (nutmeg or cardamom if i had to guess). *eta* hehe, I got that without reading the description first. Go me!

 

Drying: The rose threatens to take over, but never actually manages too. Huzzah, take that, rose!

Dry: The florals become the undernotes on my skin chemistry--still rose and carnation, but so well balanced that a non-florally gal like me can adore them. In the middle, there a sweet creaminess, similar to the slight creamy/buttery foodiness I get from Shub Niggurath. (Neither blend is really foody to me at all, but that is the best way I know to describe it). And over the grounding florals and slight creaminess, I get a honeyed spicy incense sort of smell.

Overall: The balance of the florals with the incense/honey/spice is superb, and I'm glad I risked the rose/florals. The effect is womanly, warm, rich, and just out and out sexy. To me this is an evening scent for a woman who can handle the attentions of many (which will no doubt be turning her way as she wafts past). For me, its an evening at home with my hubby scent.

Edited June 8, 2007 by jewelbug

[Tesseljoan]

I'm also someone who chooses to avoid florals, but I couldn't resist getting decants of the entire Gaiman set. The flowers in Mam-Ji are of the headier, almost soporific kind. Combined with the incense and hint of spices, this actually *gasps* works on my skin!

[puck_nc]

Origin - finally, my own bottle from the Lab

 

Initial Thoughts - When the Carousel first debuted, I was torn between Bilquis and Mama-Ji. I finally chose Bilquis, which was too cherry-fruity for me, and tried in vain to swap for weeks after getting to try Mama-Ji at a meet & sniff. Since very few incense-y blends work on me, I was rabid for more of this.

 

In the Bottle: dark, rich floral base just dripping with incense and spices.

 

Wet: A wave of rich, layered incense, laden with sweet and spicy notes.

 

Drydown: Uh oh. This is not the decadently spicy floral I remember from the M&S. At the moment what I'm getting is harsh and dry, dusty incense on a back shelf in a dingy store. I'm getting almost no floral at the moment...this is not the scent that kept me raising my hand to sniff again and again... dare I hope that it's the wrong time of the month?

 

Verdict: Well, I'll try again in a week or two. I'll also put it in my scent locket and see how that goes. And I'll be glad that a little more money went to the CBLDF.

[kwsix]

Sorry for being crude, but holy crap! On my skin, Mama-Ji smells just like Blood does on my husband. I love the way Blood smells on me, but I really love the way it smells on my husband. Now I've found something that smells that way on me!

 

It's really hard to describe the way Mama-Ji smells on me, but I'll give it a shot. It's deep, rich, spiced woods over warm florals. The florals smell like carnation and rose to me, more accurately described as how dragon's blood smells on some people (not on me). It's a very subdued yet heady floral scent that doesn't scream FLOWERS. The spices really add depth to the blend. They aren't exactly foody spices, but they still make me drool. There definitely is an incense quality to the blend, but it's a dark woodsy incense instead of a perfumey sneezey one, if that makes any sense at all. This is a complex, beautiful scent that, despite the florals, would be lovely on either sex.

 

If you like this, give Blood a try. Conversely, if you like Blood, don't let Mama-Ji go untested.

[wikkidraven]

i picked up on the cardamom immediately--this is a close to the skin, dusty spiced smell. quite nice, and not overpoweringly floral.

[angelfish323]

Oh yum! Another floral I love! And this time, instead of my usual sugary, sweet florals, it's sexy and spicey.

 

Wet, right after it's on, I didn't get much of the flowers, but definitely got cardamom and nutmeg. Once it dried, I sniffed again - it was slightly sweeter (but hardly sugary sweet) and the florals start to come out. Not overwhelmingly so, just nicely balanced with the spices. I was glad the initial spice phase was short - while I love both, I'm not sure I want to smell like them.

 

It seems to fade fairly quickly, however, which is sad. I think this will be one of the blends I reach for (and slather, apparently) when I want to feel strong and sexy. Beautiful.

[angharad]

This smells absolutely stunning in the bottle. It's a gorgeous spiced flower, soft and subtle with an exotic, slightly menacing flair. It goes on smoothly, the spice fading back a bit to let the florals come more to the front. And then...soap. There must be lily of some sort in here. This turns into pure soap on my skin. No pretty flowers, no exotic spices, just soap.

[Nidaba]

Wow, I've had these decants sitting around forever, and never bothered to try them. Why did I wait? I'm loving the Gaiman scents.

 

Wet: Very heady and full of spices. It smells like a cloud of fragrance around me when I breathe it in. Its hard to explain. It feels very full.

 

Dry: That same strong full sense is there, but now this is an almost smoky incense. It smells incredible. Just the right balance of spices and barely there florals and something sweet on me that ties them all together.

 

This is the first "powdery" scent that has worked on me. Maybe that is because it is more smoky than powdery.

[jolarocknrolla]

incense, cooking spices and spicy carnation to me When i say cooking spices i mean something like a slight kick of Indian masala but witha very rich, full warmth behind it. spicy incense in there like woah and the floral is very much in the background. The spice almost has a peppery kick to it.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Wood paint?

 

Wet on me – It’s hard to put a finger on it. Sweet, milky, with a touch of cinnamon

 

Dry on me – Very similar to Boomslang, but the very final stage has warmth and spice

 

Overall – I like this but not as much as I expected to. I think I need to try it a few more times before I can assess it without my expectations counting against it

[hackess]

Bottle: Books and distinguished gentlemen's cologne.

Wet: Sweet woods. Like tea, but nutty. If a good spice/herb shop (mm, Penzeys) suddenly ran out of their green leafy stock, leaving just the spices, and then mated with a good tea shop that specialized in herbal teas, their sex would smell like this. I wasn't sure I'd like Mama-Ji but I think it'd smell even better with a dash of cinnamon or a touch of milk.

 

Dry: A little like spice candies. Just sweet enough to smooth out the dry spices, and the cardamom gives it a nice swift kick. This might be another one I have to try on the boyfiend.

 

15 minutes later, the spices are dying - literally. It's stale and a little plasticky.