Marianne

[starwild]

Red musk, bergamot, black currant, mimosa, orchid, patchouli, and lotus root.

My first impression of Marianne was "Wow, that's a dark colored oil." This is a good thing, as dark-colored oils usually smell great on me.

Tested it, and hoo boy. Licentious is the best way to describe this scent. Dead sexy and dangerous, it's pure red. It goes way sweet on me, but is grounded out by the red musk, which as usual amps on me. But the other notes bash it back down. Overall, sweet, rich, in-your-face and very red...musky and I guess fruity? Not so much floral. I do get the comparisons to Mme. Moriarty, but this is like a stripped-down version of that. Super strong scent, don't slather this one. I bet it lasts forever, too.

There is really no other way to say this...Marianne is a total slut.

I MEAN IT IN A GOOD WAY.

Bottle? Sheesh. I like it, but I think she's too much woman for me. I'll consider it though. Edited July 27, 2008 by Shollin
fixed BPAL tags --Shollin

[meeow712]

I have died and gone to heaven.

 

In the imp: Fruity sweet musk! A dark scent, just like I like them.

 

On me: (I picked it this morning without checking out the notes - after sniffing and HAVING to look them up I now know that she was made for me). These notes blend so beautifully on me. Lotus root is the base, giving the blend a delicious lotus sweetness that is absolutely heavenly. The orchid, black currant, and bergamot blend into a delicious sweet fruity gorgeousness and the red musk brings everything together to make it drop dead lusty. Wow.

They don't share notes, but she kind of reminds me of Temple Viper (another favorite).

I am going to have to hoarde this one!!!

[SeaLady]

Whooo boy.

 

At first, this was a little musky with a lot of blackcurrant. My initial thought was yum! Second thought was that maybe the blackcurrant was a little too sharp for my tastes.

 

But now the currant has gone away completely, and I'm left with MUSK!!!!1!

Marianne smells very Smutty, but less sweet and more musky. I get some patchouli, and a whole lot of darkness and inappropriate suggestions and possibly some panting. I'm assuming the musk is red, but it's so fiesty on my skin that it's almost civet.

I'm curious to see if this changes more or if I get any of the other notes more distinctly, but even if I don't Marianne and I are going to be very good friends.

[mazaru]

Wet, this is really deep, dark red, a lovely blended redcurrant and patchouli/bergamot. Dry, on me, sadly, the red musk goes a little soapy, and the flowers come out a little too much for my liking. It's an almost-but-not-quite for me; I think I'll wear it occasionally, when I'm out for a posh-ish evening and wearing a skirt and want to feel womanly in a way that doesn't happen very often, but I wouldn't use a bottle.

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle more perfume-y than i imagined, i'm getting a lot of the mimosa and orchid.

wet on skin still perfume-y and it's raising me a cloying.

dry on skin no, this just isn't me at all. it's so frekking sweet and there's something in this that i can taste, which is not terribly pleasant. it's bloody strong and has an ultra-long wearlength, like all oils that hate my guts. this is a decent dark-ish floral, but me≠floral. *sigh*

[ladyjc]

:D :D

 

This....

this is what I wanted Snake Charmer to smell like. So smooth and yum inducing. Marianne is very, very nice. I love red musk and patchouli and here they are definitely sweetened up by the currants, mimosa and lotus. I was worried about the orchid but I'm not getting a lot of "floral" out of this...so the orchid is either very nicely blended in or she just decided to behave herself for me. yay! Finally, a Grindhouse girl that works on me!

 

I hope my (upcoming) bottle smells as good as this imp. And I really think aging will only make Marianne better! Can't wait!

[zankoku_zen]

Hmm, I have to say that Marianne smells like sweet red musk (ah lotus) to me. I get occasional whiffs of bergamot on the dry down which lends it at citrusy edge.

 

This is very sexy, very sensual.

[innocent]

!!!

 

Marianne is amazing on me. Amazing. She's nothing like Mme Moriarty (which I like but is often a bit to murky and dirty for my taste). Marianne is a cool, smooth, clean scent with a musk base and hints of currant and patchouli playing at the edges. Nothing like I expected from the notes and the reviews.

 

This is a scent I could wear anywhere - it's sexy enough for going out but not too sexy for work - which it good because I'm going to be wearing it everywhere.

 

Best of all - whatever note is making Marianne so cool and clean on my skin (lotus root maybe?) is the SAME note that dominates my CT: IV (and I love). *does the happy dance*

 

I had no idea. I almost skipped this decant in my decant circle to save money. I'm so stunned that I almost missed this wonderful scent that I'm going to go and find decants of the few grindhouse ladies I decided not to try - just in case.

 

When I place my lunacy order Marianne will be coming home to me.

[furygrrl]

In the imp: Mmm...smells very similar to Mme. Moriarty! Sweet and musky and fruity.

 

On wet: A much higher-pitched sweetness than Moriarty - due to a lotus-y culprit, methinks.

 

Drydown: Sweet-sweet-sweeeeet! And kinda perfumey, too. The musky, fruity aspects of the blend are great - and even the usually-awful-orchid is behaving - but this uber sweetness (lotus *and* mimosa? Not familiar with the latter to know) just isn't working for me.

 

Overall: With only a scant few exceptions, BPAL's mega sweet stuff doesn't seem to jive with my chemistry, my nose, or my health (headaches! tummy aches! toothaches - seriously!). Marianne isn't making me queasy, thankfully, but I think wearing it in full force for most of the day, rather than just the wee test spot I've got going on right now, definitely would - it's just that heady and sweet. For anyone who wanted a kick of candy in their Moriarty, this scent's for you! 3/5

[Lyrical]

In the vial: liquorice?!!! The oil is really dark, and it smells dark too, with way too much patchouli! Kind of murky and horrible!

 

Wet on skin: nasty! Very dark with lots of patchouli. I can't make out the other notes.

 

Dry on skin: not for me at all!

[Rouge]

I have a quite serious crush on the picture-version of Marianne. Heartbeast, take it as a compliment! I'm a huge fan of BPAL's red musk and blackcurrant notes, so I've really been looking forwards to trying this one.

 

In the vial - Red musk is unsurprisingly dominant, with a peppery background that I can only assume is a mixture of patchouli and lotus root.

 

Wet on the skin - Once more, this is a thick and sensual musk blend. The bergamot lends a lovely brightness, and when combined with the blackcurrant, gives it an almost juicy edge.

 

Next stages - This quietens down into a very sophisticated oriental. There's still a hint of fruit and flowers around the edges, but the main theme of the blend seems to be to be resinous.

 

Dry down - I love this. It's going to be a perfect autumnal scent; dusky and sensual but not quite as rich as Mme Moriarty.

 

Similar scents - Scherezade

[hepkitten]

This is like "Scherezade Goes to France," and I mean that in the best possible way: the same red musk base, but with sweet (but not cloying) fruits and flowers over the top. I completely agree with Heartbeast's review at the top of the thread...and I'm a bit envious of her for this one. What an absolutely lovely scent to have played a role in.

 

The staying power is really impressive on this scent; I'm still smelling it as a soft, sweet musk the next morning, and it's luscious! This is my surprise win of the Grindhouse, and I'll definitely get a bottle or two.

[MeiLin]

In the imp: At first, a rich, sweet tropical floral and then a sharp patchouli.

 

Wet: Wow, this is way different than I expected. Dry patchouli, almost bone-dry, with a whiff of Chinese restaurant--that's the only words I have for it.

 

Dry: Soap. No1 and No2 like it but Sir has pronounced it soap and I rather concur. I think it's the orchid.

 

Into the trade box.

[trollgirl]

In the bottle: Marianne is red musk with just a hint of sweetness. And yes, very, very dark.

 

On me: Oh, yes.... I see why everyone says this is like Scherezade. It smells very similar on me. I get mostly red musk as first, and then some patchouli. I smell no flowers. This is very dry and sweet, very much like incense. I'm really baffled because I get absolutely no bergamot and usually citrus overwhelms everything else on my skin, especially for the first fifteen minutes or so.

 

For a while I was just sort of "meh" about Marianne, just as I was about Scherezade, but then over the course of the day I kept getting whiffs of this wonderful evocative scent--sweet, velvety, seductive. And I only applied a testing amount, from a toothpick! Wow. So gorgeous. It smells exactly like a carved sandalwood fan I remember my mother bought while we were on holiday somewhere. And I can imagine the lady in the artwork carrying a carved fan like that. She's elegant, sophisticated, mysterious, and absolutely beautiful, like her scent.

Edited August 15, 2008 by trollgirl

[Phaedra]

Wet this is big, bold, sexy red musk! It's very similar to Scherezade in the wet stage. When first on this is sharp and bitter red musk with a strange almost peanut note. There a sweet floral note far in the background. After a couple of minutes the floral note gets stronger. After about half an hour this softens quite a bit and is mainly red musk now. Although this starts out strong, this stays a soft, sweet red musk and floral blend. This is very sexy! A must for anyone who loves Scherezade, Snake Charmer or Madame Moriarty! Gorgeous!!

[TereFaerie]

I really want to like this one, but the red musk is so all encompassing. All I really get is the musk smell, and so I think I'll have to pass on a bottle.

I wish I smelled the other note, but I do amp red musk almost as much as jasmine.

[Schmoozy]

First Sniff: Dark, mysterious, loud, earthy red musk.

 

On Skin: Wow, hello red musk, and hello patchouli. Uncertain of myself, I think I can detect, black currant, orchid and lotus root. Unfortunately the darkness and earthiness of patchouli is drowning out everything else. However, there is a sweetness lurking underneath and I wonder if it will stay or get eaten up.

 

Drydown: Thankfully the obnoxious red musk is mellowing out, but to be honest, this is doing nothing for me.

 

Final Thoughts: Meh. I am going to have to try this again some other time.

Edited August 20, 2008 by Schmoozy

[theseagrows]

initially, the red musk is the strongest. in the imp it reminds me of smut, but a clearer, less murky smut. on my skin the other notes blossom in a few minutes. the black currant and orchid become more prominent, but red musk remains the strongest note. all the other are in the background as supporting notes. i quite like this- a more subtle, everyday-wearable smut on my skin.

[grashopper8]

I agree that this smells like Smut, a darkly sweet musk.

 

The florals give Marianne a slightly lighter feel than Smut, but this is most certainly not a 'light' scent.

 

I especially like the black currant note, it glides into this blend perfectly!

 

I love Marianne. It's my favorite of the Carnaval Acts IV & V so far (I'm about halfway through), and the only one that I will buy 5mL of.

 

Gorgeous! Super-sexy, too!

 

4.8 out of 5

[suki]

in the vial: dark, musky, sweet. like wearing black musk while drinking a rich, red wine.

 

wet on skin: there's a slight aqua note that's coming out. it seems weird in this blend as it is now.

 

dry down: the red-grape-wine thing has stayed, which is lovely. unfortunately, that aqua note has persisted as well.

 

in all: a strangely masculine scent- i'd like to see how this would smell on the gents before i give up on it entirely.

[dorothy humbird]

Like other prominent red musk blends, Marianne seems to play nicely with my skin chemistry. I get the deep, sweet sensuality of the red musk front and center when I first apply it, underscored by the earthiness of the patchouli, and honed a little by the bergamot. There is an almost dusty quality to this blend that I can't account for except through speculation -- I suspect it's mostly the patch, but also perhaps the rootiness of the lotus root is what I'm picking up on. The floral feel is hard for me to pin down -- I'm sure it's both the mimosa and the orchid, but I'm not familiar enough with both to say whether one is more dominant than the other.

 

This isn't a sweet, fruity scent to me in the way that Mme. Moriarty and Snake Charmer are on my skin. While the swarthy licentiousness of the red musk is immediately familiar, Marianne takes this concept to slightly more calculating, straightlaced (and I mean that in the kinky tight-laced corsetting sense), and austere place. I think it'd be the perfect scent to inspire a sense of dread in awe in one's underlings, or potential submissives. Or anyone, really.

 

More comparisons: this is halfway to Scherezade from Mme. Moriarty's tent. Some day I will do a visual X/Y chart (like this one) representing my feelings on the red musk blends (Smut, Mme. Moriarty, Scherezade, Marianne, The Grindhouse, Irrelevant and Disturbing Surreal Crawdad Dream, The Great Sword of War, etc. etc.) of my acquaintance, and then all will be made clear.

 

Anyway, verdict: I'm keeping the decant, I think. Probably. It's a nice switch-up from the Madame on occasion. But, I might be fickle about it down the line. Time will tell.

Edited August 28, 2008 by dorothy humbird

[sadtomato]

This is lovely!

I am a patchouli lover but this isn't a very strong pathouli scent for me. I get more of the red musk, tempered by the currant for a tidbit of a sweet note.

overall, it's warm and musky with a wee hint of sweetness and has a very berry pink/red smell to it.

i can't smell it real strong on my skin, but when i walk into a room and have been there a minute or two, i get a real strong scent of Marianne whirling around me and am loving it! sexy sweet musk. mmm.

[Stephanie]

This has the same "redness" of Snake Charmer, but it's totally different. While Snake Charmer is thick and rich with vanilla and plum, Marianne is dry and "dusty" and sexy. At first it's almost like peanut butter on my skin and Smut-like (I'm guessing because of the musk), but then the drydown is all red musk and patchouli. This is like Snake Charmer's "experienced" aunt--serious, calculating and drop dead sexy.

 

eta: on a whim, I just layered Madini's Vanille on top and it's so yummy now! It's totally sweetened up and gorgeous! Just FYI for those who are into vanilla.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Stephanie

[donnatron]

Bottle: Red musk. Red musk. REEEEEEEEED MUUUUUSK!!!! It sounds like I'm criticizing, but I'm not. This is a whole lotta red musk and I am ready for it.

 

Wet: The florals and the bergamot peak out very briefly and burn off/get overpowered pretty quickly. Something--I think it's the orchid--is lending a soft spiciness to this. The red musk is blooming and the patchouli is starting to assert itself.

 

Dry: The longer this goes, the sweeter and more skin-like the red musk becomes and the dirtier and more depraved the patchouli becomes. Marianne is raunchy and she will not let you forget it.

 

Throw: It's a skin-hugging scent and it's a good thing because there is something distinctly biological and sexual about Marianne that would be completely gross if she was everywhere.

 

Overall: Like a lot of people, I'm drawing comparisons to Scherezade. While Scherezade beguils, Marianne ravages. She's an intense, interesting, complex scent, and like every woman she is only going to get better with age. I am definitely picking up a back up bottle before the Carnival leaves town.

[dansemacabre]

There is something sharp and sweet when it's wet. Almost like a tart candy wrapped in patchouli (which I love) Red musk is a favorite of mine, but there is no sign of the red musk yet. I am not very good with picking out scents, so I don't know what's at play here but as it's drying down, I get a slight hint of powder mingled with tart ripeness of spiceness -- it's almost like a musky oriental perfume (which I happen to like a lot). It's unusual, not something I would immediately pick had I smelled it in the vial. As it's drying down, it still remains sharply sweet but with a hint of powder -- I suspect something with this and my chemistry is turning it.

 

The scent lingers in my nose, it's almost reminds me of red & black with lots of lace and feathers, like an old spanish dancer complete with her lace fan. It's very floral but not a light floral, something sinister lurking behind it. I really want to get a full bottle of this before it's gone for good. It's very alluring and I can picture myself wearing this on a dark and intriguing night, sometime in October and November, when it's not too cold, the leaves are swirling, the air is crisp and there is something evil lurking in the shadows. This intensifies on my skin on the final dry down and it lingers, enveloping me but not quite cloying. Btw, the powder stage is gone. It only lasts a few moments while the scent is settling.