Morocco

[Nadirah]

The intoxicating perfume of exotic incenses wafting on warm desert breezes. Arabian spices wind through a blend of warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood and cassia.

Mmm This is a yummy long lasting scent, but a bit more masculine than I would've thought. I imagine this scent coming from a packed hookah bar, with many different smokes wafting through. Very yummy, one of my favorites so far. And I'd have to second whomever said it is buttery, because it is.

[Becky]

this is delicious! It wasen't masculine on me at all, just soft and sweet and exotic smelling. I want to say spicy, but there was no bite to it, no sharp edges. smooth and creamy, yes, like butter. I absolutly must have a big bottle of this!

[Ishtar]

I expected Old Morocco to be quite on the spicy side, but I found it surprisingly soft and rounded, even a bit dusty. Not powdery-dusty, rather like an old, mellowed-out kind of scent. It was a bit faint when wet, then got stronger during drydown. Nice, warm and comforting.

 

I will definitely have to wear it more. I must be a late bloomer when it comes to ultra-popular scents. The first time I wore Snake Oil, I also thought "Well, that's nice, but not outstanding" and now I can't get enough of it!

I can already tell that Old Morocco is going to be brilliant for layering, either to give more oomph to lighter scents or to cut the sweetness in fruitier ones.

I am sure that after wearing this again on its own, I will come back to edit my review and I will kick myself for not seeing how beautiful this is right away

[amberbella]

When I first tried Old Morocco on my skin, I didn't get any spice at all....in fact it was a barely there scent. I thought vanilla and it almost undetectable.

 

Well, today I decided to try it in my scent locket and was surrounded by a lovely cloud of soft, warm, subtle sweetness all day long. It is a beautiful scent that I'm positive will fill my home in the cooler months. I think this is going to be amazing as a room scent.

 

Anyway....the scent lasted and remained beautiful all day. As the day continued it got spicier, fuller and warmer. What starts out as vanilla morphs into the most delectable combination of spicy warm notes. Though it is sweet, spicy and creamy, it is not foody on me at all.

 

At it's spiciest, I began to think it would probably smell delightful on hubby....but I'm not sure he'll agree.

 

It's not really masculine, just unisex I think. I'm going to go reapply for bed....then put it on my wish list for a BIG BOTTLE!!!!

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Barely perceptable in the bottle.

 

Second Impression: On my skin this is pure root beer. The best quality kind. I don't get any impressions of deep dry spices. Just lovely sweet root beer. But is it so very soft I have to struggle to smell it.

 

Final Analysis: I'll keep the imp and try it in my scent locket (thanks amberbella) because my skin seemed so slurp this up and not let go of the fragrance. After reading all of the wonderful reviews, I'm a bit disappointed.

 

ADDED Sept. 12:

 

Old Morocco Revisited: I am really impressed by the staying power of the scent. It's much stronger and longer lasting then my initial impressions led me to believe. It's quickly gaining on my top three.

This is one of Beth's most beautiful creations.

Edited December 10, 2004 by Shollin

[VelvetSky]

Very sweet and spicy at first, I'm definitely getting the musk and the cassia right away. There's something else here, maybe cardamom or nutmeg...definitely an extremely foody scent for the first 10 or 15 minutes. Something is making my sinuses hurt when I sniff my arm up close, although I'm liking the scent.

 

The dry sandalwood comes forward as it dries, and wow...the whole thing is getting really really strong as it warms up on my skin. I'm not detecting much of the carnation at all.

 

The drydown on Old Morocco is lovely, and very evocative of Snake Oil, only kicked up a notch, as Emeril would say.

[twistygirl]

Every time I receive a new batch of BPALs, I know that I'm going to find some new favorites, but I don't necessarily think that I am going to find my new *ABSOLUTE* favorite BPAL of all time... after all, how can I possibly love something more than Haunted?

 

Old Morocco is officially my favorite BPAL fragrance as of today.

 

This is just absolutely perfect and glorious. It's sexy, warm, exotic, it's everything I look for in a fragrance. It takes about 5 mintues for the notes to really blend to their true potential after putting it on... when it's very wet, it seems a bit of a sweet, creamy fragrance to me... but when it morphs into its' full-on scent, I can detect the sandalwood, I can detect just a *tinge* of the sweetness of carnation, I can detect the touch of musk, I can detect the gorgeous blend of spices. All of the notes in this just blend perfectly into an amazing, lightly spicy blanket of heaven that transport me to places I've never been.

 

As I've been sniffing my wrist all night, I keep trying to figure out what fragrance this reminds me of... it's something that I used to love that is not made anymore... and I finally figured out what it is. It's somewhat reminiscent of Cher's "Uninhibited." There are definitely some of the same notes, although this is a much richer, smoother version.

 

I'll be getting a 10 ml of this with my first paycheck.

[Electra]

I'm definitely getting cardamom from this. On me this is a soft, clean spicy smell - there's something "green" about the spices, if that makes sense. "Clean spice" doesn't make a lot of sense in itself, actually, but it's the same way I felt about BCBG Sexy. I agree with the reviewer who said that on her it was more of a summer scent than a winter one - this is clean and fresh enough that it's definitely a hot-weather scent on me.

 

Nice. I'm not in love with it, but it's growing on me. Also very nice when layered with O - almost overwhelmed by the honey, but rounds it out nicely.

 

EDIT: How strange. Tried it again the other night and absolutely got the rootbeer scent that Andrabell mentions in her review.

 

ADDED Nov. 28:

 

So, review #2 of this scent for me.

 

I have just rediscovered (Old) Morocco after ignoring it for months.

 

Oh my. Oh lord. This is GOOD stuff.

 

How could I possibly have neglected it for so long? I quite liked it when I got it over the summer (in my first-ever order, actually!), but I got so caught up with trying a million new scents - and then with the glory that is Samhain - that I just forgot about it.

 

Sweet baby Jesus. I need a 10 mL bottle immediately. It doesn't smell like perfume on me - just smells like my skin is naturally softly spicy and exotic and gorgeous.

Edited December 10, 2004 by Shollin

[pekeana]

In the bottle: Warm, spicy but not foody, slightly acrid like sun-baked sand.

 

Wet: Very spicy, and the acrid note is melding with my skin.

 

Dry: It's spicy and sexy, slightly masculine, but with a hint of vanilla beneath the hot spice. The acrid note it still there, but it's just fueling the rest of it, making it smell like I wallowed in spice and went to go sunbathe.

 

This is the scent of an African market on the edge of the desert -- everything's sunburnt and hot, with all of the smells blending together and becoming the early evening. I love this one, and can't wait to get more!

[arachne]

I was immediately enamored with the sandalwood. That's all I really smelled when I first put this on my wrist. Within a few moments a different kind of spice emerged, not as dry as the sandalwood but sweeter, more pungent. Definately it was the carnation. This is very subtle. I'm captivated by this scent but already after only a couple of hours it seems to be fading. Quite frankly I'm bummed. My experience with Old Morroco, although wonderful was extremely short lived. *deep inhale of wrist* Nothing there *pout.* I really, really, really wish that this lasted longer on me!

[glampyre]

Now. I'm no pro at picking out the individual notes, so I won't even try to play. The previous posts all have delicious conjectures on that subject.

 

Old Morocco is the most unbelievably sultry scent I've ever had the pleasure of nose-ifying.

 

On days when I feel uglish or fattingly, I slather some of this dream serum on my forearms and am instantly transported to some lovely, warm place where beautiful young people are fanning me with palm fronds while I recieve a massage infused with fragrant oils native to their sultry land.

[Epona]

My first review

 

The first thing that comes through is the carnation with spice and an impression of heat. On my skin everything blends together to produce a truly sensual fragrance which on me seems to fade and then come back again. Lovely to wear and as a room scent

[AnnetteL]

Oh yes, I like this one very much, though I find it too complex and well-blended to really pick out notes to describe... I find that a lot of spicy blends have harsh edges, at the start especially, but this is perfectly mellow and smooth. I wouldn't exactly call it incensey (or at least not the particular slightly smoky notes I think of as incense) but it is warm and exotic and cosy, very enjoyable.

[darestodream]

I got Old Morocco in a trade with a friend. On her, it smelled like a butter cookie, for which I am very grateful, because I love this scent. Although I can see how it might turn too foody on some people, on me it was just warm and spicy. If I close my eyes, I can imagine myself drinking tea on an old red magic carpet in the middle of the desert, with breezes wafting the scent of spices from the market toward me. It is absolutely beautiful, soft and rounded and not at all masculine on me. I think I might have to get a larger bottle of this one. My only complaint is that it just doesn’t last long enough, and I want to smell this good all day!

[Nepthys]

I'm beginning to love so many BPAL oils that I'm having a hard time ranking my ultimate favorites, but this is definitely one of my top-tier ones. I think I can pick out cinnamon or cardamon, sandalwood, almond and spices, but really it all comes together in a perfect blend that dries down on me to smell exactly as it did wet: warm, sophisticated, inviting and exotic. I love that it is spicy without being bitter. It does fade quickly on me halfway, and then the ghost of it lingers on all day. But I don't mind reapplying because this is just so beautiful.

[asa805]

This is very lovely but i dont love it. The spices are nice but there just isnt enough oompf here. I guess i like my oils and fragrance to be really strong. I want to catch wafts of it all day long. That is not the case with Old Morocco. This one fades super fast and never really has anything more than a very close to the skin, spicy scent. Im going to try layering this over O as i think this will give O a nice new dimension to it. I alredy ordered a big bottle of this unsniffed based on all the reviews and my love for carnation and spices (Alice and Scherezade are my favorite scents). Alas i am left with dissapointment. Though a lovely scent this was just too much like BCBG Sexy for me (which i already own and never wear) and lasted just as long (not very) . Ill probably end up swapping or selling my 5ml.

 

This also turned burnt on me after 2 hours. I hate my darn chemistry sometimes.

Edited August 24, 2004 by asa805

[darkitysnark]

Old Morocco

 

Ohhhh....

 

I've tried six of my ten imps from my virgin order and this is the one that is the most simpatico with everything I thought I wanted in a fragrance.

 

In the bottle I got the same creamy spiciness a lot of y'all seem to be picking up.

 

Once on me I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists. The spice was still there, but smooth and rounded like a warm river pebble under my tongue. A floral lushness blossomed as well. I'm not normally one for flowers, but the overall effect was so sensual and made the perfect antidote for this rainy grey day. I felt like a woman walking through the world with a delicious secret kept close to her heart.

 

The lasting power is pretty good on me. I can still (now almost 12 hours later) smell the ghost of it if I breathe deep. Which I do. Often.

 

The Mr., probably tired of my five day "How's this?" "What about this?" "And this?" test-a-thon, had this to say: "S'good. Not obnoxious."

 

I think this is going to be my first 5 ml bottle order. No. I know it is.

 

ETA: name of oil

Edited September 15, 2004 by darkitysnark

[LiberAmoris]

Old Morocco has turned out to be one of the blends I go to when I want comforting, along with Velvet and Bordello.

 

It is sexy in a bedroom eyes sort of way. But it’s also tremendously mellow. There’s nothing sharp or jarring about it and the golden spices simmer on the skin but don’t demand overt attention. I put it on at night when I get home from work and the most amazing blend of buttery carnation and what smells like hazelnut/vanilla lulls me into a relaxed state, usually against my will.

 

I love it.

[ChupaChup]

I love everything about Old Morocco except the sandalwood. For some reason, that note on my skin just sucks all the sweetness out of a blend. I love the spices and the carnation in this, but it's just too dry and masculine on me. It's funny, Queen of Sheba on me is what I hoped Old Morocco would be and others find QOS too dry Good thing Beth makes both of them, we're all happy

[Dolly Dimple]

When I was little, I used to love My Little Pony. Each My Little Pony came with a puffy vinyl scratch-and-sniff sticker that smelled like a warm vanilla - a surprisingly comforting fragrance. I spent a lot of time, aged eight, with my nose stuck to the wardrobe door, sniffing those stickers.

 

Old Morocco smells like those stickers to me.

 

This is actually what I expected Snake Oil to smell like. It's sweet and warm and comforting and makes me feel like I'm a little kid getting a hug from my mum again. The ultimate comfort scent. And surprisingly reminiscent of small plastic horses.

[tempete]

I was excited to try Old Morroco, because the spices in this BPAL blend are supposed to be similar to those in Snake Oil, one of my faves. However, Old Morroco dries down to a creamy floral (I presume this is the carnation note) with a softly spiced backdrop. Musk is less obvious here than in Scherezade, which is a shame because I need the musk to ground the floral notes as I'm not overly fond of pure floral fragrances. On the other hand, it is a small miracle that the sandalwood doesn't dominate Old Morroco on me, since my skin loves to seize onto sandalwood notes.

 

I will probably use up the imp I received in a swap, but pass the one that is part of a recently placed BPAL order onto one of my sisters and not buy any larger bottles.

[ViolentKitten]

An intimate tearoom in Morocco filled with the scent of delicately spiced edible delights, warm steam rising from my teacup mixing with the softest carnation perfume. I've never been but I feel like I'm there.

 

On the other hand, Old Morocco evokes another feeling in me. Am not completely sure what it is... ah, something to do with a man. Not any particular man I know of, just an image of a chiseled face, a tanned and hunky, smooth-chested man (the kind you see on the cover of a Mills and Boon novel, wind-blown long hair, that sort of thing)....just out of the shower, huge white fluffy towel tied about his waist. He's all warm, clean and fresh………and this is what he smells like. Apologies to those who don't go for the chiseled face, tanned, hunky man thing...insert own whimsy here:______________ I don't really go for them myself, but they do serve well in certain fantasies!

 

Ahem…having said all that, I wouldn't say Old Morocco is all that masculine, though it could go rather nicely on a man. It’s just a gorgeous gorgeous scent…smells old in the most beautiful warm and clean way. It starts out soft and stays soft, but it's never weak. Soft, smooth and comforting, yet sexy. The notes melded together most exquisitely...warm musk and red sandalwood, the softest sweet spice of carnation, kind of like a dusky rose. I can't smell much of the cassia but I guess it's in there helping to make this divine scent what it is. And those Arabian spices, mmmm....there's no one spice that pokes out to my nose though and they don’t dominate the scent at all. The man likes it on me, he said it made him think of roses and got a dreamy look in his eyes.

 

PS: Only problem I have with this one is that I wish it were stronger on me. I put quite a bit on and the sillage is wonderful for about half an hour before I have to put more on. Up very, very close it’s still there though…I think I might drift away.

[Miggins]

In the bottle, I was convinced I wasn’t going to like Old Morocco. However, I have learned that you should never judge a bottle by its smell (or its description).

 

Old Morocco is a hot dry wind at sunset - beautiful reds and oranges shot through with gold. As it dries down, it becomes more festive and rich, although still warm and dry. It is spicy, rich and sweet (but never sickly), and has strength but is not overpowering. It is definitely one of my favourite blends and I am so glad I have a big bottle of it because I need to slather.

[grrrlennyl]

old morocco

 

at first: beautiful. spicy and floral. i really like this.

on: very interesting. powdery. can't really describe it beyond that.

1 hour later: powdery, but floral. i like this.

4 hours later: i can barely smell this anymore. what i can smell is still powdery.

pverall: i just don't know. i guess this is one that i'll need to apply a lot of. i'll be keeping the imp, but probably won't be buying another.

[Lucretia]

ooh, I like the spices in this, and this is my first carnation scent so I'm not quite sure as being able to pinpoint it, but I think I like it.

I'll have to give this one another try, cause the musk leaves me sort of undecided.

 

ADDED April 9:

 

This smells manly on me! Very manly. Like some rugged, sweaty guy w/ a spicy cologne. I like the spices ok, but the musk is just way to masculine for me. In the swap pile you go.

Edited October 21, 2004 by Lucretia