The Lurid Library

[Miss Lynx]

The incense-tinged scent of forbidden tomes and the musk-laden remnants of infernal servants.

This smelled pleasant enough in the vial, and when first applied to my skin, but it's disappearing extremely quickly. What there is of it seems to be a nice, soft, incensey scent with undertones of musk, much as the description promises, but it's a very light scent and fading extremely fast.

Hmm, perhaps I spoke too soon. It actually does seem to be hanging in there, just at a very soft level, more of a skin-scent than anything. I can definitely see the similarity to Clio that some people have mentioned - it's got that same occult-shop feel to it. I could see wearing this while copying out Books of Shadows or something.

On the whole, not a standout, but quite nice. I don't think I'm about to go searching for a bottle, but I'll keep & enjoy my decant imp.

Grade: B+

[LadyMedb]

This is incredibly evocative - I am pulling a near all-nighter tonight, and my wrists' scent make a strange identity with the book I'm reading. There is something damp to this scent, but in a mysteriously comforting way. However, the muskiness of this is just a touch too masculine for me to wear on an everyday basis.

Edited November 7, 2007 by LadyMedb

[greymatter]

This is sex in the restricted section of the Hogwart's Library.

[jewelbug]

Imp: Sweet, slightly powdery resins.

 

Wet: A dusty dirt over sweet resins and even a hint of citrus. I think maybe some orris??

 

Dry: This is definitely a powdery, dusty scent. I still think there is orris in here along with the incense/resins.

 

Overall: A soft, subtle, powdery incense blend. Very pretty, and stays very close to my skin--not much throw. This is a nice blend, but not my cup of tea.

Edited October 1, 2008 by jewelbug

[forspecial_plate]

Not much to add here.....this is a dry and slightly dusty scent. For me it's more papery than anything else, although the musk and incense do give it some weight, I think. There is a slight powdery note that drifts in and out, but doesn't ruin the scent for me.

 

I think I prefer the more incense-y blends, like Midnight Mass, but I also understand that's not what the Lurid Library was supposed to convey. For what it is, it's quite interesting and accurate.

[Northernskygal]

This is what the library smells like after they cleaned all the wood in the place. It really, really has a chemical cleaner type of scent to me. Not such a fan, though I know many people love it so, off it shall be sold or swapped!

[The_Merf]

This scent actually has good staying power on me, but it's really sharp. The musk is obviously a light one, and it's behaving here like musk behaved on me in Water of Notre Dame and Dorian and a few others--going very sharp and lemony. I'm sure that the incense/resin is also contributing to the lemony sharpness on my skin. The scent does calm down after about 20 minutes, but it remains very lemon-soapy on me, and I don't get any of the warmth that tends to come with paper notes (I loves me paper notes), which is a shame.

[taramarie]

In the bottle and wet on my skin, The Lurid Library is books and musk, almost cologne. I love it, so of course that phase only lasts ten minutes. Then it turns to patchouli and a hint of musk. I'll age this and see if I can get the initial phase to last longer.

[SarahScent44]

In the bottle, this smells like moldering pages, but in a good way. It's definitely old books - like wandering through Powell's on a rainy day (which is my idea of heaven)! I get the incense and something else...

 

When I put it on, it's sharply incense at first, but something really warm and nice in the background.

 

Once it dries, the slight weirdness from the bottle is gone - it's light, clear, and warm. I really like this! Glad I have two bottles!

[eloiseattheplaza]

I've been looking for a great paper scent since I heard about Christopher Brosius's In the Library. I thought about Miskatonic U, but I wasn't really after the coffee scent. I swapped for an imp of Aziraphale, and in the meantime, I ordered a 5 mL Lurid Library with my Yules and 'Weenies. Well, Aziraphale arrived, and while I didn't hate it, it didn't really give me paper, and it was a little sharp and cologney for me. I was pretty nervous that The Lurid Library would do the same thing.

 

Not so! This is perfect.

 

In the imp: it's hard to tell what's going on, but nothing scary...

 

Wet: Instant incensey paper, not cologney or over-the-top at all.

 

Dry: A very soft, skin-scented paper, literally like wandering around an old library. The musk just serves to blend the notes and create a lovely, long-lasting scent.

 

So glad I have a bottle--I'll wear this often.

[n3m3sis42]

In the bottle:

It's fairly light, with a hint of sweetness and old book pages.

 

Wet:

Hmmm, soapy. Well, maybe not, but it's a very soft, somewhat floral and clean scent.

 

Dry:

A little soft and weak... I will wear it and see what happens.

[Lethran]

In the bottle: Musk! Lots of musk! With something papery underneath. Wet: Starts soft. I am surprised there is no patchouli in this, since it's got a musk/patchouli thing going on. Incense and paper emerge slowly. I think I would have liked this better with wood and leather. I'm rather bummed. I do get the musky remains consistently, with other notes fading in an out. This is a real disappointment. I so wanted to love it. Dry: Very weak, but the incense comes out, blending with the musk. This is a genuine improvement. still, under whelming.

[ImperatrixMundi]

Wet and in the bottle the scent is a bit sharp and almost lemony, I need to put it on and wait a few minutes for the notes to blend on my skin.

 

It dries down to a very dry and musky scent, but surprisingly not powdery at all. It is light, sweet, soft and very dry. A clean scent somehow too.

 

It reminded me of Dance of Death, both perfumes have a dry, a resinous and a musky component (DoD has orris, myrrh and dark musk plus patchouli which I can not smell at all in my old bottle). But this is a lot muskier and less resinous on me and has very little throw. Which is the only downside, actually. I can barely smell it when I am wearing it and need to sniff very closely.

I reach for this when I want something warm and comforting that stays close to my skin.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

This is sex in the restricted section of the Hogwart's Library.

 

Well, I can't really add much to that! Library has the remarkable "old books" smell from Misk. U., but without the coffee and with the addition of musk. I found it a little odd...I guess, as a grad student, I associated the smell of library books with coffee-fueld all-nighters, so that seems a natural fit. I may or may not have done anything naughty in a library ( ), but that's not a smell I'm really seeking.

[Jenesis]

I don't have a very sophisticated nose, so on me this is exactly like Aziraphale. The "dusty books" note present in both is a bit dodgy and perfumey on me, but it settles down to a nice, light, wearable musky scent. I'll hang on to it to see if it ages.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

sniffed from the bottle: a faint pale musk of some sort

on skin: oh, teh YUM... i really don't get books or incense or really even much musk out of this. it turns into the scent i associate with the "coffin wood" or "rotting ebony wood" or "teak" or some such like that in several scent descriptions.

i'd probably have thought this was a Rappaccini's Garden blend, or an orchid, if i had sniffed it blindfolded.

that being said, i bought three bottles. and that won't be enough.

[pensarepink]

In the bottle: Floral

Wet: Lightly floral, more of a traditional perfume-y scent

Drying: There's more of a smell of incense as it drys with the faintest whiff of musk. I keep waiting for a dusty paper scent to emerge, but there's nothing dusty going on with this combo and my skin chemistry.

 

This is more bright on me than warm. Much cleaner and floral than I like. Not one of my favorites even though I'm the biggest fan of the library.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Cologne? I guess it’s the combination of the incense and the musk laden remains

 

Wet on me – Really sharp slightly stale smelling musk (black if I had to guess)

 

Dry on me – Slightly musky, slightly sweet and very faint

 

Overall – I love libraries so I desperately wanted to love this, but my skin just ate it

[Czarina]

In the bottle: musk.

Wet: dusty books and caraway.

Drydown: leather, musk, dusty books. And caraway.

 

Wonderful, wonderful.

[slave1]

THE LURID LIBRARY

 

In Bottle: Woody incense

 

On Skin: A soft velvety incense with a slightly powdery sour paper tone. The incense is spicy and has a light sweetness to it. The paper is dry and the powdery feel of it also has a sharp edge that just peeks through. Much more refined and not foody like Misk U. I smell dried flowers turning into dust, light shining through the window and highlighting the little specks of dust floating around. This is a library that has been hiding and only just now discovered again. It’s warm, quiet and inviting. A very petty and delicate scent, like a “Incense–Lite” scent. Very light throw and average wearlength.

[bryghtrose]

This is just kind of dry and powdery on me.

[mystery213]

Wow, how one is to bottle the scent of incense-dust covered books, I may never know. Dry paper and leather bound volumes with years of incense seeped into them... This is such a novelty scent, but so lovely at the same time. I may have to find a bottle of this one somewhere down the road, and I am curious to see how this ages!

[olive]

At first this smelled like a dirty leather, but as it dries the sweet incense arises and, like magic, the smell of old paper comes alive. The Lurid Library really lives up to the name and description.

 

10 minutes later and the paper is even more alive. This scent is so thought provoking.. it puts such clandestine images in the mind.

 

30 minutes later and it is dense aisles of old books, earthy leather and some super warm resins (think Cathedral) -- all within the dusty confines of a silent and dimly lit cavern. Quite lovely and very poetic smelling.

[mspixieears]

Smells of a mild male cologne. I don’t really get the incense or the musk that is mentioned in the notes – I don’t really like it all that much to be honest. As it dries it does start to take on the mustiness of books and becomes a bit more old-world refined.

[Lamia]

Paper, and soft dust.

 

A friend says it smells like clean diapers. Fooey on her, *I* like it!