#20 Love Oil

[Lari]

A potent, enticing love formula, favored among Louisiana courtesans.

Okay, this is the most insane scent I've tried so far.

In the bottle, it's HORRIBLE. It smells to me like new sneakers and styrofoam. Just this awful plasticky smell. I put some on and wished that I hadn't. That kind of thing.

Then it dried... and suddenly it turned... nice. Not a sexual nice, though, or even an adult nice. It smelled like the basket of Crabtree and Evelyn bath products that I got for my sixth birthday. Now, that was one of my favorite birthday presents ever, because it was so exciting and I felt so grown-up having bubble bath that didn't have cartoon characters on it... but I am confused as all get out as to how this oil got from point A to point B.

[batsy]

In the vial: Bitter herbs.

 

On the skin: musky sweat. Well I guess I'm not surprised... Not me.

[em_h]

This is quite pleasant, as a scent, though not very special -- a high sweet slightly soapy rose. Maybe a faint hint of spice, and in the background that somewhat medicinal quality that all the Voodoo blends seem to have.

 

I can't speak to its effects, since I have spent all day completely alone in my house. Perhaps at some other time I'll see if it works as intended.

[alliekat13]

In the imp: it smells exactly like Jergens lotion, the cherry almond scent with a bit of an herbal undertone.

 

On my skin: the cherry almond scent goes away almost immediately, and this odd floral herb scent comes through. It smells like scented geraniums, the rose scented geranium and spice, almost like the pure essential oils. I don't find this blend to be particularly sexy, it smells more like an aromatherapy blend than a voodoo blend. After a while it becomes a soft powdery scent, nice, but not bottleworthy. I'll keep my imp though, and see if the voodoo properties work.

[filigree_shadow]

Very almond-cherry at first, and very sweet. Not at all a bad scent.

 

But then it starts to smell like lemons, and with whatever herbs are in this, it reminds me of a cough drop. When it's still at the lemon-almond stage I don't mind it so much. But after the almond fades out it turns kind of soapy. Like Fruit Loops and soap. Not so great.

 

This is not something I'd wear as perfume, and since I have a couple of the TAL oils that are specifically for love/passion, I don't think I need to keep this one around.

[Iceblink]

Riiiiicola! Lemon herbal candy. Lemons and my skin do not get along, so I will not be able to test the love properties of this. It would smell nice as a room scent though.

[Carmencita]

In the vial: Sweet marzipan, with a sharp bitterness behind it.

 

On my skin: Freshly spilled blood. This smells like my own blood. Hmm.

 

Later: Still smells like blood.

 

I don't think I'd have the balls to wear this alone, but I think it would be perfect to layer.

[mspixieears]

This is one of the less remarkable ones I’ve sampled – it’s dried down and smells very similar to Harlot. Beautiful rose fragrance. I cannot tell what it is wet and straight out of the vial. It almost has a hint of something gourmand and reminds me of yummy fattening Indian sweets and there is a prominent note of lemon balm, or verbena. I do love how this note is rarely antiseptic in BPAL blends and adds so much depth and freshness. On one arm this has faded to powdery sweetness. Though it’s lovely, it’s not essential and not yet sure if I’ll keep my imp, will definitely retest.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Is that HAY?

 

On me:

Having grown up in the Midwest (lived here my whole life) I know the smell of hay, and that's what this smells like to me. Dry, a little green and brown, and pungent like many outdoor smells.

 

It's very herbally now that it's sitting on my skin though.

 

It seems we are all getting vastly different scents from this one - some of us get herbal, some people get rose, some lemon, some cherry and almond. I had wanted to try this with hopes that I would be getting cherry and almond but I am getting no such smell from this.

 

I honestly can't imagine how anyone would have much of a positive reaction to this blend, it's pretty awful to me. I sense some rose in there somewhere, it's kind of green and watery smelling but definitely still pungent and herbal.

 

There is an undercurrent of something kind of funky in this that makes me think of a swimming pool - sort of chlorine-y to my nose. Someone above mentioned Crabtree and Evelyn and I have to agree, it does sort of remind me of some of their scents, and yet I don't find this to be nearly as pleasant, in fact it's distinctly "off" smelling to me.

 

Final note:

I don't like this, at all. There is just something wierd on me about this blend, it smells completely off on my skin.

[dreadeddragon]

This will be a scent description only, as I haven't worn it out yet.

 

In the bottle: Almonds. Lots of almonds.

 

First on: No almonds? Very green scent, with a very cologne-y scent to it, I think that's what I though was almonds in the bottle (they smell like liquor to me sometimes). I can't detect any particular notes.

 

Drydown: This has faded to a nice green rose scent on me. Most roses go all cloying and sour on me, but I really like this one.

[Elemcee]

#20 Love Oil is odd. It's not unpleasant, it's not really anything at first. Then it's this sharp, green scent. I think it's one I might try layering.

 

I might try it at a different time of the month.

[jasmine]

Sharp! There seems to be musk in this, but it’s a high-pitched musk... green or white, perhaps. I detect a hint of fruit, but it’s nothing so clear as a citrus or cherry... I would hazard that there’s bergamont oil in this.

 

The sharpness goes away promptly, but the faint hint of almost-lemony fruit does not. Aside from the musk beneath it, I really have no clue what I’m smelling. It’s a greenish-yellow smell, like the skin of an unripe banana (but that’s a color match only -- there’s no banana in it.)

 

If this were a Rappacini’s Garden scent, I would be unsurprised. It’s like the scent of some fleshy fruit, with the consistency of a mango or pear, that has been cut open while it’s still too green to eat.

 

As time passes, the fruit aspect fades, and I start picking up a definite soapiness. The soapiness heralds blossoming rose, and, after a while, the soapy rose is dominating most of the scent. Even though it’s soapy, it’s not bad, but it’s very unexpected.

 

And then the soap fades, and it's simply a rose scent with peculiar yellowish-green layers. I am puzzled, but not dismayed. It just isn't what I expected at all.

 

#20 Love Oil is metamorphic and strange, and there are unappealing things about it, but I can’t find it in myself to dislike it. I will probably try it again another time and see if the verdict changes.

[Naamah_Darling]

Thick and medicinal, swampy almost, with a hint of almond, bitter herbs, and . . . I don't know what that is.

 

On, the herbs die back a bit and this is pretty strongly almondy, with all the cherry cough syrup goodness that implies. I'm not sure about the fact that most reviews are citing rose as an influence, but sure enough, after just a little while, a rose scent comes out that is more candylike than anything else. There's a strong green element to this, too, like crushed stems.

 

I can't say this is a very enticing perfume. It smells very raw, very unfinished, and yet it has some strange, unvarnished appeal that transcends its non-perfuminess. It's nice.

Edited May 17, 2007 by Naamah_Darling

[303marlena]

This is my first review and let me just say I am not that experienced at picking out individual notes, but when I describe something I am smelling, which is kinda hard if you think about it, I can only compare it to things I have smelled before, and I try to compare it to common stuff other sniffers would have sniffed before, so here it goes..

 

first, this was odd, and not at all what I expected (i purposefully did not read any other reviews first before smelling) not super sexy as I would have predicted. in the imp: sickeningly sweet, somewhat almondy and cherry like amaretto liqueur

 

on the wrist, wet, more almonds, less cherry and sweet but not drop dead sexy either

 

dry, a few minutes later, it smells like snickerdoodle cookies inside a wooden cigar box

 

drier, about 20 minutes later, this was the phaze I liked the best, it was like dried herbs, cinnamon toast, with the roses starting to peak through

 

30 minutes, roses predominate, getting a little soapy (damn, I hate it when that happens )

 

50 minutes, the soap is gone, thank goodness, all i can smell is soft roses

 

this was nice, I liked the way it morphed but it did not really last. Definitely keeping the imp. Whether or not I buy a bottle will depend on whether or not it delivers later on the voodoo properties, hee hee . Had my sweetums sniff it, he did not seem particularly amorous (any more than usual, I was on my way to work after all) We will have to see. If there is a dramatic love potion effect, then I will post again, otherwise, nada...but it is a nice smell and I am keeping the imp

 

marla

[underline2]

I adore the descriptions of the Voodoo blends, but #20 Love Oil just turned rancid on my skin. In the imp, it smells like herbal soap, which isn't fantastic, but it's not bad either. As soon as it touched my skin though, it turned on me. I hoped it would change after time, but after about thirty minutes, I couldn't stand it anymore and had to wash it off (and it took three washings). Very disappointing.

 

I think I'll try it once more just in case before sending it off to the swap pile.

Edited June 22, 2007 by Underline2

[Mimicake]

The reviews say that most get spicy licorice scent from this, but I didn't. It was more of an almond herbal to me, and only very lightly herbal to me. There is a touch of sweet, but it is not a sweet fragrance. I like it much better than the other almond ones I've tried, but I don't think I'd want a large bottle of this.

[sedona]

In the imp - Very strong and pungent.

 

Wet - Herbal, bitter and green. Not very pleasant at this stage. Has notes of other Voodoo blends I've tried though it's hard to pinpoint them.

 

Drydown - As it wears the notes soften and blend together, and hold on, what's this? Rose. A very definite rose. Definitely with thorns, a huge black rose just tempting anyone to try to pick it.

 

On the whole it's far better as it dries and although I wouldn't wear it as a scent I'll try it dabbed in secretive places to test its Voodoo qualities

[storme]

In the imp: tea rose and almonds and pepper.

 

On me, wet: herby almond-marzipan with dusty pepper.

 

On me, dry: grassy herby greenery with dry dusty pepper and a wafting of sweet tea rose.

 

Verdict: I'm being fairly picky these days, so I'll swap this - but it's not at all unpleasant. Just not quite me, either.

[poisons_sanity]

Cedar?

Lame.

[bombus]

ummm... no.

 

It smells way to medicinal on me, like I pulled a muscle or something, even the dry down and waiting isn't making it any better.

[hackess]

I wasn't expecting rose out of the herbal almond notes I detected in the imp, but lo and behold, I definitely had roses on my arms once it dried. It's the rose that's in Rose Moon - a softer, almost powdery, floral. I'll have to test its "effectiveness" at another time.

[madeleine]

The first impression I received was definitely herbal - almost a spicy, soapy clean. Once on, it mellowed eventually into a powdery, sweeter scent. However, the herbs were still quite strong, almost like the core of the scent. It reminds me of chili powder mixed with rose petals. That's not how it smells, but that is the sensation it conveyed to me.

 

Overall, I liked it but it's probably not a scent for me. 3/5

[303marlena]

This voodoo oil is another winner, in fact I am loving all of the voodoo blends. I have to agree with an earlier review, Gothabillywench:

 

it's almost licoricey on me at first, kind of in a sickly way (like hoe Old Kyoto goes on me) but within seconds it goes freshly herby/citrus & at fist I thought "no way" But then, about 40 mins or so later, this gorgeous soft powdery feminine smell is wafting up...could it be? Yep. It was. If you don't like this one at first, wait a while, it may surprise you!

 

Like it, but Come to Me is still the ultimate voodoo blend per moi.

 

 

This one definitely morphs in a good way. The scents are odd, seem like they would be an olfactory cacaphony--but they work. And the aromatic effects are astounding, it made me feel loving alright! Powdery, almost floral, herbal in the lightest of ways, and slightly smokey, sexy femme is how it comes across.

 

Bottle worthy--you bet

[Lunaratu]

This is herbal in a minty way with a slightly sweet edge. It is soapy in a tiny way and becomes almost solely soapy by the dry down which leads me to believe this relies heavily on rose, which doesn’t like me.

Rating: 2/5

[Dinerdulcinea]

nooooooooooooo...

 

The flowers, they do not love me!