Velvet

[sylvanusurban]

Envelop yourself in the soft, sensual embrace of gentle sandalwood warmed by cocoa vanilla and a veil of deep myrrh.

In bottle: Warm, sweet cocoa vanilla.

On me, wet: The cocoa component has become dry and bittersweet, almost like pencil shavings.

On me, drying: Hmmm, I can smell the sandalwood/myrrh now and they’re really nice! I thought it was kind of weird to combine incense smells with dessert smells, but I quite like the mysterious incense wound around the warm cocoa. It’s weird but intriguing and sniffable.

On me, dry: Ah, the vanilla receded for a while there, but now it’s coming back. It’s warm and sweet and spicy, not too powerful or cloying, reined in and augmented nicely by the myrrh and sandalwood.

Verdict: This scent reminds me of gently perfumed keepsakes in a cedar chest. It’s deep, warm, comforting, mysterious, a little sexy. Like very much!

[Yoginispirit]

My imp appears to be a bit aged just to clarify...

 

Wet: Oh no- it's the stinky wet dog cocoa smell from Gelt

Dry: Hmm. Ok, this is nice! The wet dog has ran away and left a lovely golden incense which I assume is the myrrh. Mixed with the ever softening cocoa note this is heaven.

 

I let the boy smell when wet and he replied "It smells like crap." lol. But when it dried he liked it much more. Not more than some of the other bpal scents but whenever he doesnt run away from me because of a scent thats normally a good sign.

This is what I had hoped Gelt would be and I think it may be a bottle purchase. Its comforting and foody yet sophisticated.

Plus I could still smell this on my wrists this morning! Though the longer it wears the more it does resemble hershey's scented pencils (remember those?). But its lovely enough in the dry down stage that I can always reapply. Win!

[Tanya]

Love this in the imp. Gorgeous cocoa-y vanilla exotic type scent. Not your usual everyday scent.

I plastered some on.

What's that smell- is something burning? Oh, crap. This smells as if someone threw some cocoa on a set of tires and set them on fire. Maybe a little pine-sol (original) tossed in. Now starting to take on a little public loo stink. Yep, this'll scare the boys off big-time. Damn my chemistry. I'll just have to sniff the imp. Doesn't that sound naughty?

[Coldfire]

 

 

Imp: sandalwood and myrrh that feel like the Cocoa Powder Fairy left wispy traces floating over all

Wet on Me: a touch more cocoa powder over sandalwood and myrrh

Drying Down: the cocoa dustings have simmered down…a touch of the vanilla comes forward and dances with the sandalwood.

Dry: this dried to a soft vanilla infused sandalwood with faint memories of the cocoa fairy

 

[loladae]

I recently acquired a bottle of Velvet from 2006. It's cocoa with myrrh (which is more pronounced) and it doesn't go funky like most chocolate blends do on my skin. It's a more wearable chocolate blend, but a little too sophisticated. It seems like the throw is low, but my nose is kind of stuffed so, maybe not. I'll have to see how much I wear this, and test it a few more times before I decide if I want to keep it or not.

[quigza]

Note: I tend not not be able to smell sandalwood unless it's very strong. So, We'll see what I end up sniffing here

 

In the bottle: I'm not sure what I'm smelling. Chocolate & vanilla definitely, but something that's there but isn't. It's sharp & a little sweet.

 

Wet: OMG, now I smell the sandalwood. Kinda punches you in the face, right? The myrrh is now recognizable. The two are battling & the chocolate & vanilla are hiding in fear.

 

Dry: incense, but not the stuff that sets off my allergies. This has to be the myrrh & sandalwood blending with the cocoa. The vanilla still is absent.

 

1/2 hour later: see dry, but the vanilla comes out occasionally as vanilla incense- which makes me want to hurl. And, curiously, sometimes the sandalwood beats everything down, and I can't smell anything at all then.

 

aftermath: I was going to wash this off. Then got caught up in work. It's been a few hours now. It smells almost spicy-floral & vanilla on me now. Very strange morphing there. I do like the end result.

Edited July 31, 2009 by Lemonlife

[donnatron]

Bottle: Cocoa. Very strong cocoa and a touch of vanilla.

 

Wet: More cocoa. Slightly gritty. The sandalwood is coming out and is, natch, also a bit gritty.

 

Dry: Lovely. The sandalwood is actually the dominant note, preventing this from being exceedingly foody. The cocoa is underneath giving it a sweet warmth. Not getting a lot of myrrh but there is spice and there is also a vanilla/sweet component. This is very simple, very outside my comfort zone (I am not one who is comfortable smelling like food) but also something I love wearing in the winter.

 

Throw: Mild.

 

Overall: It will never be a die without essential but it's also a scent that I like to have on hand. It's cuddly and cozy and warm on cold days. On a 30+ day like today it's really not my bag but I'll be wearing it like crazy come September.

[topazphoenix]

This is pretty...it's like chocolate and cedar shavings...fresh...slightly astringent. It reminds me of those truffles you get in the little foil gold wrappers...heady and rich yet with an dry, crumbly airiness.

[rayvn1]

Dry, dark cocoa while wet. Now that it's drying there's a sweet touch of vanilla. Smells like I climbed into my baking goods in the pantry and went wild

[femmefatale]

I was really really looking forward to trying this and I finally got an imp of it, but the problem is....I can't smell anything. At first I thought it was just my nose since my allergies are bothering me, but I had dh sniff my arm also and he said it's so light he can't tell what it is.

 

After it sits a while I can smell it a bit more, but it's very light. It smells like a dark vanilla lotion I once had. Very pretty, but I'm hoping if I try it again it might be stronger and maybe I'll get more of the scents other posters have mentioned.

 

 

[milo]

This is a bit heavy on the sandalwood for me, and the myrrh is actually pretty strong too. The effect is too medicinal for my tastes, as the cocoa is barely there at all. I will see how this one ages, though and keep my imp.

 

eta: The sweetness of the cocoa is coming out, and the sandalwood/cedar note is not as strong. This has turned into a gorgeous non-foody cocoa blend, just the kind I love. I just may spring for a bottle. This will be phenomenal aged.

Edited October 13, 2009 by milo

[Luhtarian]

Sandalwood. Sweet sandalwood, but just sandalwood all the same.

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: something off-putting; the BFF says "It smells like B.O."

 

Wet on Skin: Chocolate with something sickly sweet - cloying

 

While Drying: I don't like this phase... it emphasizes the cloying aspect

 

After a Little While: I haven't had good luck with Sandalwood so far, and this is the first scent with a chocolate note that I have tried... not sure which to blame, but this is not working.

 

Later: mellows a bit after a few hours, but too incense-y (specifically too sandalwoody - in general, I like the scents with a strong incense note)

 

Final Thoughts: Velvet smells delicious on my personal Enabler. Unfortunately, it does nothing good on my skin. I was testing from an aged imp, so I may have to try Velvet again from her fresher 5ml bottle and see if age is affecting my results... but as it stands, Velvet earns a 2/5.

 

[HamletsKeeper]

This starts off as Baci chocolates and quickly becomes wood. Now if that doesn't turn you off one of the worlds nicest chocolately treats I don't know what will. I will forever now be frightened that my beloved Baci's will break my teeth and become a chunk of wood, ramming splinters into my gums. The wood is fairly camphorous and reminds me a lot Huon Pine. Lets just say I don't think cocoa and sandalwood are really at home together here.

[Schmoozy]

 

Warm vanilla'd cocoa with dry, dusty sandalwood and traces of resin. Upon initial application this appears to be all cocoa, and I am slightly disappointed. After drydown the cocoa kinda vanishes and in it's place vanilla and sandalwood make an entrance followed by myrrh that darkens and deepens the overall scent. The myrrh also helps to temper the sweetness of the vanilla cocoa. This is such a comforting scent, and I am so happy that the cocoa is practically non-existent on my skin.

[MamaMoth]

Hmmm! I've been craving a foody-incense kind of scent lately, and Velvet really hits the sweet spot! The cocoa keeps the sandalwood from being too dry and cedary, and the sandalwood keeps the cocoa from being too chocolatey and foody. The myrrh gives it a little bit more of an incense kick (but not much. The myrrh is verrah subtle in this one,) and the vanilla sweetens up the whole deal with a touch of creaminess. Very cosy, and yummy without smelling straight up edible. I'm sure I'll be dipping into this imp a good bit, and time will tell if I find myself in need of a bottle.

[SophieCedar]

Someone else sensed BO.. I did too. Smelled great in the bottle but upon applicaton to my wrist it wreaked.

 

I was relieved when the cocoa, myrrh, and sandalwood spread out a bit to allow a nice experience. Nice woody chocolate smell! Only 3 elements and all can be clearly identified.

[Sawasdee]

Brief chocolate smell mingled with sandalwood and myrrh which creates a slight smokiness. Did not smell any vanilla. Then the sandalwood really took over heavily, and mixed with the chocolate, just smelled dirty to me. Pass.

[doublehelix]

in the imp: very strong chocolate and vanilla, and a woodsy note

 

wet on skin: i'm getting pure cocoa and vanilla... if I take a deep whiff there is a little bit of the sandalwood, but it's mostly masked by all that cocoa!

 

dry on skin: I'm still getting cocoa and vanilla. This reminds me of a less spicey boomslang!

[mari4212]

First one of my new imps. I know I should wait a bit and let the oil settle after traveling, but I'm being impatient and in need of instant gratification.

 

Opening the vial, and on wet: This smells like making chocolate cookies, the stage where you start adding in the cocoa powder and the blades on the mixer send some of it up to float in the air. It's a very dry cocoa powder scent. I'm already in love.

 

Drying down a little (3-5 minutes on): The woods are coming out more, and the cocoa powder has settled back down to earth, like a light dusting over a sandalwood table. Not bad.

 

And that second stage is what's staying around. I'm not finding much at all in the way of vanilla here. Not great at picking up myrrh, but that's probably what's sticking with the sandalwood and providing the base for the cocoa.

[impolight]

:::VELVET:::

 

Positively indecent!

Velvet is voluptuary living.

The unmistakable presence of chocolate tingles each and every pore...

Yet this is also hand-carved furniture from a wood that also smells of Chocolate...The Sandalwood is all that keeps Velvet from being greedily gulped down... But just barely.

The Myrrh and Vanilla get along like two peas in a pod, giving velvet yet another not quite dessert feel.

This is a hyper-sweet combo.

This is a no contest fragrance for Her.

The duskiness of Velvet seems as though it would favor darker skin.

The tropical complected Goddess.

Very nice.

4/5.

[ami226]

 

Loads of cocoa! Yummy!! A bit later I can smell the myrrh. It makes this scent a bit sour.... *sigh* Not for me.

[shadowdoll]

Mm...this is a good one. Definitely 5ML worthy. Cocoa vanilla definitely captured by the word envelop. Even remembering this scent evokes feelings of being wrapped in warm, fuzzy velvet. Its deep, plush, decadent, rich ... heavy and sweet, but not at all cloying. its a scent that captures many of the qualities of velvet - really quite extraordinary. I can see why this is such a popular one. I don't see this one aging well but I'll definitely get a 5ML to slather on for a few months when I feel a rich, luxurious winter coming on.

[cherrycherry]

Velvet is what I wanted Vice to be. I still enjoy Vice and wear it regularly, but Velvet seems stronger, darker and richer to me. In the bottle it smells of dark chocolate syrup and wet on my wrist it settles instantly to a woodier and sweeter confection. I was concerned before buying it that the woody elements would be too dry when blended with cocoa, but it seems to work wonderfully on me. Somehow I get an occasional whiff of cherries in there too, not sure where that is coming from.

 

In conclusion, Velvet is beautifully blended and a real pleasure to wear. Definitely inspires regular bouts of wrist-sniffing and re-application.

[Invidiana]

I knew this would be a winner for me and had no qualms about ordering a bottle unsniffed. I was more than right; the rich cocoa vanilla stays at the forefront the entire time, but as it dries down gradually gets deepened by the myrrh and warmed up by the sultry sandalwood. I can't wait to see how it ages.