Intrigue

[Fulltiltredhead]

A sultry, exotic scent that inspires devious plotting and clandestine affairs. It is a scent painted in artifice, veiled in deceit, and slithering with whispered secrets. Black palm, with cocoa, fig and shadowy wooded notes.

Oooo! This one's fun! Exhiliarating!

I don't sniff BPAL out of the bottle, I just put it on and see what happens. My first reaction was startled confusion. Pencils! Not shavings, but the smell of a big package of fresh pencils. Then, something sweet -- Figs! Fig jam. It's rick and thick and toothsome - you want to bite it. Someone whispered "Raspberry...." over it and then moved away.

I've never smelled anything like this before. I love the depth of it. I love it in the way that I love Velvet - I think I may layer it with Velvet.

For some reason, I find this one very sexy, and the play of scents in it makes me grin. It's creative; it's got ideas, this one.

A great fall/winter scent. This would make a great body lotion.

[tempete]

Intrigue initially exudes sharp woody notes which are then softened and smoothed out by the cocoa note. After about thirty minutes or so, I can detect the fig note, which brings sweetness and fruitiness to Intrigue. At this point, the fig and woody notes balance each other beautifully, and the cocoa is a faint whisper. It would be richer and deeper if the cocoa note were just a tad more obvious in the drydown, but for such an unusual and interesting combination, my description doesn't really do Intrigue justice.

 

This is one of the few BPALs I've tried with woody notes which doesn't make me smell like a piece of wood, which is pretty amazing! I'm not sure if I'll buy a bigger bottle of this, but I will definitely use up the imp.

[leslie260]

This is the smell of a black and white picture of an older woman sitting in an adirondak chair eating chocolate cookies. It's dusty and dry...but there is a definite hint of cocoa and a rich wood smell. I didn't like it at first, but after an hour, it has melded nicely into my skin.

[grrrlennyl]

intrigue

 

at first: this is another oil that beth included that i never would have picked for myself. it smells mostly of damp wood. it's interesting.

on: hmmm. i don't know. it smells sexy, but i'm not sure if i like it. kind of like generic perfume, but with some sweetness, possibly fruity, thrown in. the floral in this is quite biting. there's a lot going on. i think my nose in confused.

1 hour later: my skin has, once again, sweetened an oil. however, there is a bit of woodiness (if that's a word) to it, too, which is different and very, very nice. i'm still not sure if i like it very much, though.

3 hours later: the biting floral is still there. there's also the sweet note, which really helps to cut down the harshness of the floral.

5 hours later: really, really beautiful. like a really, really sweet pomegranate. there is still a hint of flowers, but they're in the background.

7 hours later: thicker and sweeter. very nice.

overall: this just isn't for me. i'll be swapping it.

[Northernminx]

Smokey and woodsy to start, this turned fruity and tart with the fig while still wet. As the oil dried down, myrrh crept in, softening and sweetening it. Unfortunately after about ten minutes of glorious interplay, the notes sort of all fell in on eachother on me and became that lovely but not really stand-out "generic fruityish BPAL" on me. Pretty but my chemistry didn't like it as much as I wanted it to. Off to swaps.

[Azrhiaz]

I was really looking forward to trying this one, and I was *not* disappointed. I love wood notes, and I love figs, and although I don't think I've ever smelled black palm before, I quite like it.

 

Wet, the cocoa and the fig predominate, and then on the drydown the woods come up gently, soft and warm. I agree with previous reviews that identify the scent as dark, rich brown-- it doesn't smell like chocolate on me, although I can identify the cocoa. It's too well blended for that. It makes me think of a brown velvet evening gown and stiletto heels.

 

I went to bed wearing it and eight hours later, when I woke up, I was still smelling this rich, warm loveliness. Definitely going on the big bottle list, although I don't see myself wearing it every day. It's a "going-out" perfume.

[pkwench]

Intrigue:

 

Vial: Dry creamy fig. I don't get any cocoa upfront-which I didn't expect

 

Wet: I can't quite explain it. It reminds me somehow of a barely scented suntan lotion slathered onto a piece of bamboo - it's rather peaceful.

 

Overall: It's still that lotion over wood sensation. Which isn't to say that it's woody like Aureus or anything. It's more of a hint. Something that has me going "oh, that's what that is".

[pekeana]

I've been sitting here for hours trying to figure out what Intrigue reminds me of. I came up with three things -- fig newtons, these gummy candy + nuts things I used to eat, and suntan lotion.

 

In the vial, Intrigue is very strongly wood and cocoa with just a smattering of fig to sweeten it up.

 

On me, for the longest time, it's all wood. Then it's all fig. Then the woods and figs have a catfight and end up knocking each other to the ground and letting the cocoa shine for a while before all settling into a nice, sweet balance.

 

My mother smelled it and said it smells very old-fashioned, like what you would imagine a benevolent queen to wear on a day when she didn't want to lop off your head with a rusty axe. *raises an eyebrow*

 

All in all, I really like it -- it might even rank high enough for a big bottle.

[yellowrose]

FIRST TIME AROUND

 

Enjoyed it. Couldn't sniff out the notes because busy sniffing other things. Seemed to fade fairly rapidly.

 

SECOND TIME AROUND

 

Wet: FIGS and lots of them.

 

Drying: sharp smell of freshly cut timber. Mmmm. Lumberyard. Alternates between wood and figs.

 

Hey! Where's the cocoa!? The more deeply I breath it in, the more cedar I get. Grrrr. Very heady and rich as it evolves. Unfortunately, very similar to Tombstone, only Intrigue is fruity rather than vanilla-sarsparilla.

 

This is definitely a scent for a special night out, but when pressed, would I choose this over Tamora? Still pondering.

[Penance]

Got an imp of this as a gift from fallow deer.

 

First sniff:

 

Cocoa and fig are the most prominent notes in this for me. It reminds me of Nephilim, which must be the fig. I don't know what black palm smells like, but there's something that smells vaguely like a date in the background that's either another level of the fig or the palm. This is a dark scent; it's not sweet or fruity in spite of the cocoa and fig, it's dark and deep and sophisticated smelling.

 

Wet on skin:

 

I smell fig very strongly now that it's on my skin; it has the same feel and (inexplicably) somewhat the same scent as March Hare, which I absolutely adore. It's fruity without being juicy or feminine smelling (on me, anyway). It reminds me of dried figs dipped in cocoa powder. The cocoa is mainly lingering in the background, with the fig taking the dominant place at the front.

 

Dry down:

 

This scent is making me crave Fig Newton's something awful.

 

It still reminds me of March Hare for some reason I can't put my finger on. I smell mainly dried fig and a light dusting of cocoa powder. I don't smell the "wooded notes" in this and I'm not sure what black palm smells like, but this is gorgeous just the way it is.

 

The bottom line:

 

I love this one! Fig works very well on me and the cocoa isn't overwhelmingly chocolatey the way I had feared it would be. This is definitely a very grown-up, beautiful scent.

[k00kaburra]

INTRIGUE: In bottle: Wood and hints of fig. Smoky too...it reminds me of patchouli, at least a bit. Buried deep in the fragrance is the cocoa note.

 

On me: Dark. It's like chocolate-powdered figs sitting on a metal dish in a room with a roaring fire in a great brick fireplace. No lights, save for the blazing flames. You can smell smoke and wooden logs, with that thin fruity note and dusty chocolate sweetening things up. It's very mysterious and it smells and feels utterly decadent.

[Lit Chick]

OMFG!!!! BPAL orgasm.

 

At first sniff, I was in love. Cocoa, but not candy-bar. I figured it would go rottenly sweet on me (as almost all food scents do), but had to try it anyway.

Oh... oh.... oh.....

It is smooth, rich, lovely. I smell the cocoa throughout the wearing, but it is grounded with the ripeness of fig. Hmm - not ripeness exactly - maturity. There's none of the sticky death smell of ripe fruit.

I get a touch of creamy coconut - is that Black Palm? It't more buttery than tropical, whatever it is.

I do not get any wood at all - not even the faintest hint. It must be what is keeping this oil from going foody on me - it is luxurious and earthy.

 

I agree that this is a personal scent. Not because I think it might smell odd to others, but because it puts me in a private mood. It's an oil for all the little things you need to be alone for - curling up with a good book, watching a film DH would never sit through, pampering yourself with a long bath....

 

Thank you, thank you Beth - this is heavenly.

[shelldoo]

in the bottle i smelled smoke...not much else just kind of a cig smoke butalas was gonna try it anyway

 

wet still smoke...odd

 

dry- after abt 30 min omg this is beautiful i do not smell cocoa at all i do smell thye figs and woody smell maybe teak? it is very dark ad mature and became one fo my top 3 i already ordered a 5ml justgoes to show try the oil on do not judge by the in the bottle smell or i would have missed this lovely lovely scent

[jj_j]

Out of the bottle, Intrigue is heavy on the wood notes. My skin seems to like the dry wood scents a bit too much, and as a result, I'm learning to stick with the blends that are light on these. I had hoped that seeing them at the end of the scent description meant there were less of them, but it may be that my skin has amped them up more than they're really in the mix.

 

I wasn't a fan of Beth's single note in fig, so I'm surprised at how much I enjoy it in Intrigue. It adds a sweetness that mellows the wood notes out beautifully, and lets the cocoa shine through. All in all, I smell like an edible piece of old wood - and that's a good thing.

 

I'm not sure what black palm smells like, but there's a waxy undertone to Intrigue. It's not artificial, but it's very much like the scent my hand-dipped tapers give off when I light them. It's an interesting note, and whatever it is, it seems to work well with the other notes in here.

 

In the dry-down, sandalwood seems to be the prominent note. By the time this is in its final stage, I have a slightly figgy sandalwood, and nothing else. I always hate to say that one of Beth's scents isn't for me, but Intrigue is one of them, sadly.

[Theravada]

This was my first fig scent, and I'm not too sure that fig is a note I'm going to try again. I was really excited about this one because I love cocoa and wood notes, but the fig overwhelmed everything. The heavy wood/fig scent was vaguely plastic smelling to me. Luckily, Phaedrine loved it so I gave it to her! Just goes to show that while reviews can be helpful, everyone's reactions to BPAL blends are so unique and personal.

[aimeceleste]

I really enjoy this one. I thought, coming into buying all of these imps, that I would like the fruit (cherries, currants) and food (cocoa, vanilla) but not woods. I happen to think I hate sandalwood, cedar reminds me of my dad's military clothes, etc. Not so great, right?

 

But the sweetness of the fig and cocoa made me really react to this one. A lot of scents on me just end up sweet with no personality, like I've dipped myself into powdered sugar and wandered around. This one was sweet, but with an invigorating bite of cedar.

 

I really like it.

 

EDIT: oddly enough, my cat will NOT stop licking my hand/wrist where I applied intrigue!

Edited January 8, 2005 by aimeceleste

[lunalight7]

After about 15 minutes, this smells like damp wood that has been cleaned with Lemon Pledge. I will edit this post if it morphs later (which I expect it too). I do not detect any cocoa or vanilla...a slight herbally incense maybe....but mainly wood.

[Fyre_in_Winter]

On me, Intrigue smells like sweet and very expensive pencil shavings. The cocoa, the fig, a hint of vanilla in the background- it smells utterly gorgeous. The fig really makes this wonderful and different.

 

But the darned pencil shavings are still there!

 

I love this too much to admit defeat! I will try it again in a week or so, or maybe layer it. Gods I hope the pencil shavings are a fluke!

[Finny]

In the bottle it smells sweet, but on... the woods are the strongest note I smell. The fig, cocoa, and palm just add a subtle sweetness to this blend. After wearing for hours, it is soft, sweet and woodsy. I really like this one at all stages. It is subtle and not over-powering.

 

I may have to add this one to my list of top ten favorites.

[Falathwen]

This was a gift from the lab. On impulse I tried it on my husband. Not only was it fabulous with is skin chemistry, it actually lasted for over an hour. (Usually his skin eats scents.) On him it was a smooth and deep , with the slight bitterness of a very dark chocolate. This was the first cocoa blend that really smelled like chocolate to him. It was sweetened as the fig came out, juicy but subtle. Neither of us could detect the other notes and it remained consistent as it dried down.

 

On me, as usual, the wood notes were amplified. I do not know what palm smells like, other than Easter palms, but these notes were rather sharp and dry. The cocoa and fig gradually moved forward. On me this blend was not foody. It was tropical but not at all languorous. In fact, though you may laugh, it brought to mind watching Magnum PI as a child…dark doings, offices with large desks and slowly spinning fans, light colored suits and lush scenery. Very appropriate to the concept, but I liked it even better on my husband. As it dried down on me, the cocoa became more prominent. A great blend which I never would have tried. Kudos to Beth and her crew.

[VelvetSky]

Intrigue is a gift from the Lab, and I just adore them for giving me the chance to try this beautiful scent, as I never would have chosen it for myself.

 

This is a sexy, mysterious, ripe and incensey blend. The notes are absolutely perfectly balanced....the chocolate isn't too foody, the fig isn't too sweet, and the Black Palm....my goddess, what the hell is that? I don't know but it's awesome and gives Intrigue an evilly tropical kick.

 

This stays fairly true thru the drydown. Nice and strong. I feel like a witch when I wear this. I've added it to my big bottle list.

[Rheliwen]

:D

I am so surprised I like this one since food scents are definitely not my thing

 

In the bottle:

 

Dry and woodsy. I could not pick out any distinct notes other than the woody ones.

 

Wet:

 

Cocoa and woods...omg! The cocoa is NOT chocolate. It's more like bakers unsweetened cocoa. It's like a lake of hot chocolate in the middle of a cold, damp forest.

 

Dry:

 

The cocoa has blended more with the woods and now I get something fainly floral. Sniffing again, I notice it's a fresh, green scent...I'm thinking this is the palm (how lovely!). The fig is starting to come out as well. All the pieces blend together so well! The cocoa and fig temper the woodsy notes. The woods and cocoa temper the fruity sweetness of the fig. And, the fig and woods balance out the foodiness of the cocoa.

 

Verdict:

 

I've been drawn to sweeter scents this past month and have been looking for darker blends that aren't completely resinous or biting. Intrigue is perfect! It's sweet and deep. Imagine the most decadent pure chocolate (no added sugar), put it in a cedar treasure chest, bury it in the ground for a decade and then dig it up...Intrigue smells like that to me.

[JazzieCazzie]

I ordered this because for some reason I thought it would be like a combination of Nemesis and Velvet ...

BOTTLE: The Nemesis vibe from the fig is definitely there, a complex spicy woody scent.

WET: Upon application the cocoa really rises and it is very "chocolate-fruity," sort of like I imagined Vice to smell from the descriptions and reviews I read of it ... but also with a liqueur kick to it. This is definitely more "fruity" than Nemesis and I got very minimal woody vibes.

DRYDOWN: I just can't make up my mind about this. It is the oddest thing. I keep getting two very separate and distinct throws from it, and I like one and don't like the other ... the one I like is spicy and subtle. The one I don't has a very fruity-rich smell that reminds me of my grandfather's office where all the scents and essences he worked with jumbled together. Alone each was fine but combined they were overwhelming to me ... it just kept distracting me all day.

[luxuria]

This smells woody with a slight bit of cocoa and something smokey.

 

On my skin, it just smells like pencil shavings, as someone said.

 

I decided to sit this out anyway..nope, the pencil shaving smell doesn't change, it just fades.

 

In conclusion: This had potential but my skin turned it into pencil shavings and thus, is not for me.

[nevermore]

This one wasn't really on my radar - most of the notes mentioned in the description don't really work for me (fig and cocoa), so there wasn't much use in my ordering some. However, the lab was nice enough to include an imp in my last order, so I had to try it. As I feared, my skin makes the fig predominant, with a background of woody cocoa. Eventually, the fig calms down a little, but by then, the cocoa has turned slightly plasticy (as my skin tend to do to chocolate). Anyway, I think this would be a nice perfume on someone else, but I don't really care for it at all.