Midnight Kiss

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

Eternal desire, unquenchable passion: red musk, cocoa absolute, Nepalese amber, red sandalwood, aged patchouli, nicotiana, and blood wine.

impsniff: dark-chocolate-covered Smut.

on skin: one of the rare ones that doesn't change on me. at all.

an hour later: dark-chocolate-covered-Smut and a glass of red wine.

i'm so glad i got a bottle of this, i think it should age interestingly...
maybe i'll get another as backup.

[AliBabble]

from the frimp it smells a bit like chocolate covered cherries...reminds me of kali, but not as complex. on my skin it changes quickly - all kinds of woody spices come out, beneath the cocoa. it reminds me of tezcatlipoca, but not exactly. there's something in there which reminds me of snake oil or boomslang or something -- sorry to be making so many comparisons of other oils, but it does seem to have some similarity. somewhere there's a hint of grape-y wine, but not much. i like the kali/tezcatlipoca part of it, but i don't like the snake oil/boomslang-ness of it, which always reminds me of old leather shoes/feet. no it's not actually that bad, but there's something here which doesn't quite work on me.

[beachbabealways]

Very nice! This is a lot like Shango in ways and maybe a touch of Smut. I have bottles of all three and I think they are related.

[TPOD]

The lab sent me TWO frimps of this with my last order and it's a darned good thing. I've already ordered a bottle and I should've ordered more. Please, please don't run out of this before I can get more!!!!

 

BTW, this breaks my rule of not ordering imps of limited editions. I don't didn't want to get all addicted to something that I might not be able to get. See how the fates conspire against me. I also would not have ordered this because of the wine note and a bad experience with cocoa. In general, the lab is doing a better job of picking winners for me than I am. I think my next sample order will just say "you choose for me please".

 

Anyway, on to the review. This is everything I had hoped Boomslang would be and just wasn't (it was plastic chocolate band-aid). However, Midnight Kiss is yummy chocolate (more milk than dark) when wet. As it dries I get a lovely floral fruitiness (uh, fruit?) that is grounded by a smoky woody wine. I'm in love.

 

This has patchouli in it, and I'm going to have to quit saying I hate patchouli, because Beth is proving me oh so wrong.

[akiko]

A frimp in my first lab order.

 

Imp: This smells like cherry coke. I don't know where it comes from, either.

 

Wet: This smells fizzy. I don't know how perfume can smell fizzy, but this does.

 

Dry: It's starting to grow on me, I suppose. It reminds me of War, except fruitier and without the kick. I like it well enough not to trade it away, but not enough to buy a bottle.

[blu°]

I thought I had already reviewed this scent but it looks like I haven't.

 

When I first got my bottle a few weeks ago, I didn't much like Midnight Kiss. The nicotiana was very sharp, the cocoa very dusty, and altogether there seemed to be missing something that grounded it.

 

Looks like a bit of aging did the trick. When I yesterday re-tested it to see if I really should be swapping it, it blew my socks away. The cocoa and musk and blood wine have blended into each other and have totally rounded the scent out. The nicotiana is still noticable and heady but with the new roundness to the blend doesn't feel as agressive anymore.

 

This scent is so RED!!! A deep deep wine-berry red that I really enjoy.

 

As for comparisons, this feels a bit like the hypothetical offspring of The Tell-Tale Heart and Arachnina to me.

[ImperatrixMundi]

What to say? Smut with chocolate and dark grapes is the nice part of this blend. I suppose nicotiana means tobacco? Because there comes the bad part: underneath all the other notes I sometimes get a whiff of cold cigarette ash.

 

I also hope mine improves with age, because everything else about this blend is quite nice. Not a number one favourite but very rounded, dark and sexy, definitely not a daytime scent.

 

Update: Tried it out in a locket two months later. It smells smoother than before, the notes blend into each other a bit better. No cigarette ash. I think my skin was to blame... Good thing I kept it after all

Edited February 14, 2008 by ImperatrixMundi

[naeelah]

Wet and in the bottle, Midnight Kiss is all syrupy cherries, dragon's blood, and cocoa. It kind of makes me a little hungry. But that's appropriate, isn't it? On the skin, the dragon's blood remains heavy as it dries, but the dry red musk comes out for balance. There is also a tart quality with the dryness, perhaps from the way the musk and resin are blending, perhaps from a separate cherry note. (This note reminds me of Bloody Mary.) The cocoa is there, but it doesn't dominate. The initial stage of this scent is definitely RED. It's sweet, but I think well-balanced. I can also pick out a whiff of the patchouli in the background. It behaves very well, providing depth but not taking over the blend. I'm unable to pick out the sandalwood or the amber, but I'm sure they're there.

 

Plain old sandalwood usually does badly on me -- it gets amped out of control, but sometimes different varieties do ok. Red sandalwood seems to be one that behaves itself a little better. Likewise, I'm usually very afraid of patchouli. I don't like it and I amp it horribly. Aged patchouli is supposed to be a lot smoother and nicer, so I took the chance.

 

For the most part, it pays off. The patchouli never goes crazy, and I don't mind it at all at a base note. The first few hours of the scent are really nice. But after a few hours, the cocoa is long gone, and some of the sweetness wears off. Dragon's Blood tends to last forever on my skin, but with so much else going on, it doesn't stay as dominant. The latter half of this scent's life is very dry, husky, and a little bit dirty. It reminds me of King Cobra, only without the snake oil. Unfortunately, I didn't like King Cobra and I'm not a huge fan of earthy scents. But it's ok, because a light reapplication to freshen up the scent does the trick.

 

Throw and wear life are both on the good side of average.

 

If you like scents like Tezcatlipoca, The Great Sword of War, or Smut with cherries, then you might like this. If you normally don't like sweet scents, give it a try anyway, because there's plenty of counterbalance, and it doesn't get too syrupy. The cocoa is noticeable but not nearly as strong as in, say, Vice, so don't get this expecting it to be "CHOCOLATE.. and some other stuff".

 

If you were hoping for something less dry or complex, or more chocolatey, give Love-Lies-Bleeding a try. It's all dragon's blood, cocoa, and rose

 

I can't help but find it amusing that a "while supplies last" scent is being given out as a freebie with every order. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it, because I have managed to acquire an ENTIRE extra bottle's worth of Midnight Kiss in imps.

Edited December 18, 2007 by naeelah

[Juushika]

I didn't have any luck with the sister scent, Vampire Tears, so I was a bit hesitant about Midnight Kiss. I'm glad to say, my concerns were way off the mark. This was a wonderful surprise, and a perfect frimp to receive from a seller.

 

On me: Midnight Kiss is a rich red scent, bordered around the edges with dark cocoa, undercut by a low, fuzzy darkness that reminds me of the color and texture of powdered cloves. The red heart to the scent is definitely fruit, but it doesn't feel fruity, and it certainly doesn't feel foody. Instead, it tends more towards the nose of a red wine and the thick wetness of blood. The cocoa is a bit more gourmand but again isn't foody, and it rounds out the scent and makes it a bit more palatable, not bitter like real wine smells to me. The fuzzy dark not-quite-powdery undercurrent (edit to say: heh, this is probably the musk, isn't it?) gives the scent a decent throw, and it almost makes it feel tactile. It's hard to explain, and my attempts are a bit contrived, but on the whole, this is a red-and-brown scent, colorful but not simple or exaggerated.

 

Over time: Unlike most BPAL, this scent seems to hover over the skin, around the nose, around the wearer (me) rather than rising up from the skin. In fact, after the drydown period I couldn't lean in and pinpoint precisely where I had applied it, or smell the scent rising from my skin. It floated, like an aura. A rich chocolate and blood red aura. It also stuck around for quite some time, without morphing or fading until, six/seven hours in, it finally quieted and disappeared. I've never had a BPAL scent act quite like that, and I really enjoyed it. It meant I could constantly catch one more smell of the scent without leaning in towards my wrists or my chest like a crazy person, which really is the best of both worlds.

 

Verdict: I feel very thankful that I was gifted with this, and I see myself reaching for the imp quite frequently. It feels a bit like Enraged Groundhog Musk, without the animal connotations or the heavy musk. Rich, red, cocoa, and just on this side of gourmand, it's slightly sweet, fruity, and chocolate without ever feeling like food. The way the scent hovers is so pleasant, and it makes this a good perfume when you want others to smell you without leaning in, but not be scared away as soon as you enter the room. I'm so pleased. I love this.

 

ETA, some months later: Unfortunately, as it aged Midnight Kiss became increasingly sweet until it smelled like sticky red candies on my skin. Cloying, sickly, a touch artificial, and glaring bright red in tone, I just couldn't wear it any more. I recently swapped it away.

Edited December 30, 2008 by Juushika

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Chocolate & patchouli mostly, with a hint of wine. Very odd.

 

First on: 90% patchouli now, I smell like sweet dirt.

 

Drydown: The patchouli isn't quite as strong, and I can smell the other componants now. It's still a sweet dry dirt scent, but the blend is much more balanced.

 

Overall: Sweet dirty hippy. Patchouli just isn't for me.

[violetflower]

I was frimped this in a lab order!

 

In the vial cocoa!

 

Wet: The cocoa isn't as prominent, the musk and sandalwood, and patchouli are there now!

 

Dry: The cocoa has gone, but the sweetness is still there. The Sandalwood and patchouli have become one, and this is a very rich, beautiful scent! I am not a fan of patchouli, but in this blend, it is lovely!

 

No wonder I have already obtained one bottle with a further two on the way!

[Tulliver]

Oooooh... patchouli and cocoa and nicotiana and wine and and and... all swirling together in a wonderful, heady, sexy, musky mist. This is PERFECT as a companion scent to Vampire Tears. It's the absolute polar opposite, note-wise. I'd like for it to last a little longer, I confess, but then that's down to me, not the blend.

 

I wasn't sure if I'd like the Shojo Beat blends, but I thought I'd take a risk because I KNEW I'd have no trouble finding loving homes for them if they didn't work on me.

 

I'm SO glad I took that chance. This is incredible.

[batsy]

In the vial: Blood wine, very Lilith. With a tiny whiff of cocoa.

 

On the skin: Whoa... amber and cocoa and red wine. This is actually very very foodie. Eventually on the dry down the nicotiana comes out and amazingly I am not put off by the faint bit of patchouli. This is quite an intricate blend on me. The amber and nicotiana are making this for me. I'm delightfully surprised by this one.

[purplemoonshoes]

In the bottle, it's musky cough syrup. On my skin, it's musk and sandalwood with a slight chocolate overtone. Deep and rich, a good gourmand scent for non-foodies.

[damiel42]

I. Love. This.

 

I got an imp of this in an eBay order. Man, am I ever grateful it was in the lot... I've bought two bottles now!

 

It's something that I would be interested in, but doesn't at all smell like what I'd think based solely on the description. I'm still learning my smells! Neveryoumind that I never actually LOOKED at the scent on the BPAL page, until I got the imp... Biased against Shojo Beat, I guess, which is a little weird, considering how much I love girl-manga... *shrug*

 

At any rate ...

 

In the bottle, this has a sort of berry-cocoa smell, like... well, cheap raspberry cocoa mix! Sorry! It's that weird fake chocolate, fake berry smell!

 

Once it's on me, it stays pretty much the same from wet through drydown - patchouli, cocoa, and a berry-fruity smell. Certain times, the patchouli comes out a little stronger, and certain times the berry. The "dirtiness" of the patchouli is balanced nicely with the fruity smell, with the cocoa just rounding everything out. I really, really, really like this, because it's not too resiny, not too fruity, not too foody... Guh. It's one of the few smells that I haven't flip-flopped on - It's been True Lub since the first sniff.

[lmaunu]

I got this as a frimp from the Lab with my first order, and loved it so much that I had to order a bottle!

 

It does have that cherry/chocolate cola scent when you first smell it in the bottle, but once I apply it on my skin, the nicotiana and red wine really come out. The patchouli isn't as noticeable on me, but the nicotiana and wine blend into a rich, musky scent. It has really nice throw and staying power on me, and the scent becomes richer and more complex the longer it is on.

 

I love it and am thinking about ordering a second bottle since it's a LE and won't be around for too long!

[Czarina]

Lab frimp.

 

In the imp: chocolate-covered cherries.

Wet: cherrywood.

Drydown: cherries, wood, and tobacco.

 

Very sweet scent, but well-balanced. Average throw and wearlength.

 

ETA: After several hours, the cherry morphs into more of a cranberry scent--I am reminded of Lampades, and the patchouli peers out, but faintly. Very very nice.

Edited December 29, 2007 by Czarina

[suki]

in the bottle: all cocoa, all the time

 

wet on skin: a chocolate-almondy thing, very reminicient of Tell Tale Heart.

 

dry down: a fruity undercurrent makes it's appearance, and i agree that it's more cranberry than cherry.

 

later: a gorgeous balance between fruit and cocoa without being foodie. a total keeper!

[Pendragon]

*cough* my DF told me that Midnight Kiss smelt like sex and asked me to wear it last night *cough*

 

To ME it doesn't smell like sex, more like warm milky chocolate mixed with sweet berries and musk.

 

But now whenever I think of wearing it I will not be able to get past the fact that other people might think I smell like sex. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing

[Rovylern]

One of my resolutions for the new year is to be more on top of testing and reviewing my BPAL, especially the approximately 100 untried imps sitting in my imp box. So I've started randomly grabbing two each night and testing them out, whether I thought I would like the notes or not.

 

Wet and Initial Drydown: Ew. EWW. I smell like BO and something flowery. Normally musks work with my skin, so maybe it's the nicotiana or the patchouli.

 

Complete Drydown: Oh yes. This is finally coming together and smells wonderful. Now I get the cherry cola-ish scent that people mention. It's dark, but sparkling and not overpowering. I'm in awe, the lab made something that is dark and light at the same time. It's very sexy, in a commanding way. I think that I could get past the initial funky stage and wear this, but it's definitely not an office scent.

[agnusdei]

I'm not sure what the deal is, but on my skin Midnight Kiss isn't a blast of cherries or grapes or any kind of fruit like a lot of other reviewers have mentioned. There's almost the 'feel' of fruit, but it doesn't register as juicy, it's all dry, dry, dry... but oh-so-good! At first I get mostly cocoa, sandalwood and patchouli, a mix that manages to be both warm and dry at once. I love the smell of cocoa but it's not something I think suits me very well, as it tends to be with other ingredients that showcase it's foody side. MK is a lovely surprise in that regard, this cocoa makes me think of unsweetened cocoa powder, not a creamy chocolate cake. A cocoa that I feel comfortable in! After a bit of wear the amber and musk really start to round out the blend, keeping everything grounded and smouldering. I swear I get a hint of spice or something 'fizzy' as well. There's so much depth to this scent, every time I sniff it a different note will jump out at me. Sometimes it's the blood wine, sometimes it's the sandalwood, sometimes it's the cocoa... but mostly it's just yummy!

 

I've had an imp of Midnight Kiss sitting around for a while, and while I've always liked it I never really thought I'd need to get a bottle. The more I wear it however, the more sad I think I'll be if I ever run out... oh no, this can't be good...

[donkehpoo]

Wet: Chocolate and grapes.

 

Dry: Chocolate, grapes.. and something a little bit smokey, or musky. I'm not a big fan of the scent of wine/grapes, so this blend really wasn't for me. I'm glad that so many people love it more than I do though, because it really is nice! The scent stays on the skin for a long time, but the throw was pretty short.

 

 

On a scale of 1-5, I'd give this a 2.5.

A great blend, just not for me!

[gchris]

In the vial: smells of chocolate and wine

 

Wet:Has a nutty scent mixed with the chocolate and the richness of wine as a backdrop

 

Drydown: Smells like a box of chocolates with the different fillings exposed, though not as sweet.

 

Rich and interesting.

 

Later... smells a bit like cherry coke, but more complex. Lasts a really long time. I could still smell it on my wrist into the next day without reapplication.

Edited January 16, 2008 by gchris

[azhriaz]

Midnight Kiss reminds me of both Blood Kiss and Centzon Totochtin; it smells like spicy cocoa and bloody wine.

 

The drydown is dominated by sandalwood and patchouli, but the throw is still juicy and red. I'm enjoying it but I don't think I need more than an imp.

Edited January 19, 2008 by Azhriaz

[megank4]

I don't like this one. I think the only red musk I like is in Lust. This gave me a headache soon after application. It was just too heavy.