Eisheth Zenunim

[Morrighana]

Honey, ambergris, neroli, white peach, patchouli, and cocoa absolute.

Just before I begin, I want to say thank you to Beth and Brian for inviting me to be a small part of this amazing collection, and thank you Jenn for creating such an amazing painting of "me" to go along with it! It is such an honour, I am perpetually bowled over when I think about it.

Okay, now let's get down to it: Eisheth Zenunim is one of four Qabalist angels of prostitution, sister to Lilith and fellow Grindhouse temptress Agrat Bat Mahlat. Conceptually, it tickles me that she and Agrat have hitched their wagons to the Carnaval train. They are often referred to as succubi, so working the Grindhouse is an absolutely appropriate way for these two oft-forgotten angels to continue getting their groove on with humanity!

Eisheth in perfume form is complex and beautiful. Opening the bottle, I can immediately pick out the peach and the cocoa dancing softly together. I often find that these two notes individually can be too sweet and overpowering, but here they are in perfect balance with their darker counterparts, the ambergris and patchouli. The latter pair prevent the peach and cocoa from leaping out and taking over, and they in turn pull the dark notes up and temper their edges. To my nose, no one note is permitted to dominate this blend.

As it develops on my skin, the honey, patchouli, and ambergris come more to the fore, folding the cocoa into their ranks and slowly mingling to become a sweet, spicy, sensual base so cohesive that is difficult to pull individual notes back out of. That mix stays really close to the skin. The peach and neroli begin to flit past the senses and become prominent as I move my wrist away from my nose, and are enthusiastically reported to be the first notes to greet those who enter my personal space.

Overall, I have to say that I am completely and totally in love with this scent, and I hope that everyone who is afraid of one note or another gives it a try anyway, because I think it will surprise a lot of people! It seems to be very different on different people, as you'll see in the reviews below.

Thank you, again, to the Lab!!!

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Straight up peach.

 

After Wearing It:

Wet, Eisheth Zenunium smells like cocoa powder. It's not a sweet, chocolatey scent, but like the dark, bittersweet cocoa powder you use to bake with. There's something earthy lingering behind it, either the ambergris or the patchouli. It's too subtle to really tell. After a few minutes, the peach and honey notes come out, which made me a bit edgy. I love me some honey, but the smell of peach makes me ill. Fortunately, the peach note isn't quite as aggressive smelling on as it is in the bottle. It's definitely present, but it's softer. Part of a choir rather than a soloist, which is how things should be. Still, given my aversion to peach (I think I associate the smell of peach with the taste of peach schnapps and that makes things unpleasant), it took about an hour to get used to smell enough to be able to appreciate the fragrance.

 

The honey note in this blend is gorgeous. Honey is one of my favorite notes in general, but not all honey notes are the same. Some are more floral, others herby, but the best (IMO) is the heady, variety and this is it. It's sweet and almost resinous, warm, dense and sticky. It complimented the dusty cocoa note well and helped keep the peach in check. Most of the time anyway. I could smell the patchouli, ambergris and neroli in the background, but they continued to be more subtle and elusive throughout the life of the fragrance. They helped to give the oil some depth, but didn't do much to define its character. The effect was lovely, but still, from time to time that peach note billowed up to consume my senses and I felt a bit queasy for a moment. I think when I rested my head on my hand is when it was the worst as the peach note is especially strong close to my skin. Not pleasant, but that's probably something I can work around.

 

Final Thoughts:

I'm very ambivalent about this scent. On one hand, the honey note is sublime. Probably better than in any other BPAL blend I've tried. And the cocoa/patchouli/ambergris combo helps to ground it so it doesn't get too cloying. But the peach!! It wasn't enough to ruin the scent for me, but still, I spent all day praying it'd fade away. No luck. I think I'll have to experiment with this one to see if I can further minimize the peachiness. If I can, Morrighana will be my favorite whore!

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Floral honey

 

Wet: The floral is making me sneeze. I'm not getting anything but neroli.

 

Drydown: I'm afraid this is a no go on me.

2.0 outta 5

[slave1]

EISHETH ZENUNIM

 

In Bottle: Light peach

 

On Skin: This is one of the lightest BPAL scents I have ever smelled. In the bottle I just sniff and sniff and can’t really smell anything but a light peach. As it develops on my skin I smell a subtle dusting of cocoa powder. I don’t think it comes across as an absolute I thought would. It seems like that sprinkle of cocoa powder on your whipped cream in a cup of hot cocoa. I don’t smell the patchouli in the slightest, which is good because I’m not fond of patchouli and it usually amps on me. The neroli is a nice velvet note that together with the peach give this scent a delightful peach fuzz feel. The honey, my favorite note, is very tame. Nothing overly sticky, sweet or cloying here. It’s just a drizzle to subdue any tartness the peach might have. The ambergris gives depth to the base and keeps the scent from being too fluffy or fruity. Overall it is a very pretty scent, one I’d wear all the time if it was stronger. The only complaint I have is how light it is. From the beginning it has the throw of how a normal BPAL scent smells after 4 hours or so… so faint. Very light throw and short wearlength.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

This is also light on me as well. Surprising considering the notes listed. I expected a variation on 13 but it turns out not to be the case.

 

The Neroli is biting and it takes over the Peach and Cocoa.

 

The Honey and Ambergris also aren't strong enough to overcome the Patchouli which is a problematic note for me.

 

Even with aging, this won't work on me. Patchouli is often hit or miss for me.

Edited June 9, 2008 by Heavenlyrabbit

[tativa]

its tamora the dominatrix... peach totally takes over in this blend on me... like a chocolate covered peach. Its a little too foodie for me... but I will hold on to it and age it and see if it gets any less foodie.

 

Edit: its alot less foodie now that its had a few days to mellow... reminding me more of les bijoux now. A darker version of it, but similar. Neroli is coming out to play now.

 

Edit a month later: Its really smoothed out to match the picture. I smell it and think... slippy snake! At first i thought it to be too similar to les bijoux to require hoarding... but its turned into something completely different, alas beautiful. The scent is starting to balance itself out with age... neroli, peach and just a hint of cocoa patchouli. I need more!

Edited July 13, 2008 by tativa

[Mamacat]

A very fresh and peachy blend. I can tell the patchouli is grounding it just a little bit and as I wear it the cocoa comes out in a lovely nutty and dusty way so the peach doesn't get too sweet and syrupy. The scent smells very real to me and just beautiful. I think I'll be hunting down a bottle.

[Scylla]

In the bottle, Eisheth Zenunim smells of honey, peaches and chocolate. Neither of the notes really dominates. But I still wouldn't say this is a foody blend. It is, however, a SWEET blend.

 

Wet, on my skin it's still honey, peaches and chocolate with a bit of patchouli in the background. On drydown, the ambergris and neroli step forward and the peach almost disappears.

 

This is one of the most unusual BPAL blends I have tried. It's really like no other. And I like it!

[naeelah]

Eisheth morphs a lot as she settles down. Like several other grindhouse ladies, she starts out with a surprising sharpness. I think a lot of this is coming from the patchouli, because I've noticed the same quality in a couple of other patchouli heavy ladies. There's also a strong floral quality starting off, which must be the neroli.

 

As it begins to dry and warm on the skin, the sharpness immediately begins to burn away and let a wonderful, sweet liqueur through. I can smell just a hint of cocoa (I never saw any droplets in the bottle, so I think it's low in the blend), with honey and light peach.

 

The honey is light and sweet, a lot like Fairy Wine -- not thick and cloying, not waxy. The peach is also light, fresh, and juicy. It's in good balance with the honey, so you can distinguish them, but at a casual sniff, they play together and form a fae sweetness.

 

The patchouli is light, even on me, and I amp patchouli like woah. So THIS is what patchouli blends are supposed to smell like! It has a grounding effect, in the background, without taking over and making it smell dirty. The neroli is still pretty strong, but I think it provides good balance for the sweetness. By now, I can't really pick out the cocoa.

 

Finally, it's a lightly fruit, sweet blend, balanced out by the patchouli and neroli. Don't get this expecting it to be overly chocolaty. It's a great one for honey or peach lovers!

 

Try it if you like: La Vague, Fairy Wine, Lady Una, Imp...

[savage_rose]

For some reason I smell neroli really strongly in the bottle. But on, it's a light floral-herbal blend with a hint of chocolate. It's very light, summery, and beautiful. Surprisingly, it's not too sweet. The neroli and ambergris are probably why...possibly the patchouli too, but I'm not smelling any at all though.

 

Overall, this is a lovely, light, fruity scent.

[SurrealReality]

In the bottle/imp (and wet on skin): Mostly patchouli with a bit of neroli and a hint of amber and cocoa

 

Dry: Very green. Mostly patchouli with a hint of neroli and amber. I smell no honey or cocoa. The peach does come out a bit, but only much later into the drydown

 

My rating in the bottle/imp: 3 out of 5

My rating on my skin: 2 out of 5

 

I have an intense dislike of patchouli (and all things green), so I am disappointed to find out that it dominates this scent

Edited November 19, 2008 by SurrealReality

[portalkat]

*chuckles* That's what I get for having extremely neutral chemistry because my review is going to sound so different from the others. The strongest note at the opening is the honey, but after about 10 minutes, the rest of the notes arrive, all equally strong and make this a deep, sexy, fruity patchouli with the salty aquatic note from the ambergris. I absolutely love this and I am as taken with this as I was with Trick 2 which is in my top 5 BPAL blends. I think that this is incredibly sexy.

[lostluckkitten]

At first, this is completely peach. Very lovely, new, not-too-pulpy peach. It's a very realistic note; not syrupy or fake at all.

 

Directly on my skin: the honey amps and the peach falls back after a bit. This is a thick, golden honey. The cocoa is powdered and dusted over the top. There is a definite salty tang to this after two or so hours.

 

In the throw: The neroli is detectable here. The throw is peaches and something familiar that I can't place. It's driving me bonkers. It puts me in mind of Southern California orange blossoms during summer, but also being outdoors with them. And the Orange Blossom Festival, where you can get honey sticks and orange blossom everything.

 

In my locket: This stays mainly peach and neroli, with a whisper of honey.

 

This is a very interesting smell. The salty tang makes it a little weird, but it's not unpleasant. I am originally from So Cal and have been transplanted into the Midwest for the time being, and this reminds me of home in the summer (I used to live near orange groves).

[scarletgenesis]

In the decant: mostly honeyed peach with a little bit of cocoa.

 

On skin: ohhhh yessss. This is an amazingly warm scent. The honey and peach give it a golden smell, and the cocoa darkens it a bit. As it dries, I get the tiniest floral, but very little which is fine with me. Also barely any patchouli coming out on this one.

 

It has food notes without being a foody scent, and is really perfect and light for a summer comfort scent.

 

I definitely have not smelled another BPAL like this and may need to end up with a bottle.

[euterpe414]

This is a very peach-centric scent on me, too. At first it is all peach with a hint of patchouli and cocoa in the background, but as it dries, the neroli and ambergris come out and cut into the sweetness of the blend. This reminds me a tiny bit of Masquerade, only a much lighter and sweeter summer version (this is definitely not as patchouli heavy as Masquerade is, that is for sure, but I feel like they are related). This blend, after it is dry, has a very natural sweetness to it- I think it can be enjoyed by many people- foody lovers (although it is not foody), those who love fruit and those who love earthy scents. It's a wonderful blend, and fits the artwork perfectly!

[Iceblink]

Mmm peaches and honey, delicious! The patchouli and cocoa make this very sexy and earthy so it doesn't smell like fruit salad. No ambergris to my nose, just darkly fruity goodness. I might need a bottle.

[maribouquet]

This reminds me of Faiza when wet, which seems odd to me since they don't really share any notes - except maybe honey. I love the light, fruity scent of the peach, but something in here becomes acrid when dry. I will try this again to be sure, but I don't think it's a keeper for me. So pretty and light, though!

[SilverSerenity]

As it dries it gets sweeter. At first it's mostly peach with an herbal green scent, but then the honey starts to come out to lighten things up a bit. The patchouli stays to the back, which is fine with me.

 

Definitely a good summer scent - I don't think it's a favorite of mine, but I can definitely see it getting plenty of wear during the summer

[crazyredhead17]

In the vial, this is a sweet peach scent.

 

Wet, it's all peach and patchouli.

 

Unfortunately, as it dries the peach and patchouli is completely obliterated by the neroli. So much so that it gave me a sinus headache.

 

And then, about an hour or so of a neroli enhanced headache, the cocoa absolute came by and did it's thing. Saying that my skin eats cocoa absolute is a bit of an understatement - blends with cocoa absolute in them just get swallowed up whole within an hour or two (sometimes a lot less if there's a lot of it in a blend), after which point sticking my nose to my wrist only got a very light whiff of neroli.

 

If only I could keep it wet forever.

[QueenFae]

This is very sexy! On me it mainly smells like peaches, patchouli and honey with the barest hint of cocoa in the background. I absolutely love the lab's patchouli note in conjunction with anything sweet; that seals the deal for me! the reminds me a bit of a combination of Depraved and Fae, with a touch more smoothness from the honey note.

 

This is an awesome scent! None of the ladies I have tried so far have let me down!!

[LunaLovegood]

Eisheth Z goes Floral on me. Its nice and soft, but nothing that would blow me away. I'll pass.

[theal8r]

Bottle: PEACH!

 

Wet: ooo a honied peach... sort of golden richness. this is promising. *fingers crossed* It's a very nice, light sort of innocent scent.

 

Dry: The sweet is amping amping amping and going floral. I think my DD is going to LURVE this.

[sookster]

straight sniff from bottle is soft, sweet, ripe peach with vanilla and neroli...yum!

 

once applied loads of honey comes forefront with the faintest breath of patchouli and cocoa...

the peach still present is really lovely...

 

this is scrumptious and beautiful and i do adore it

[filigree_shadow]

Straight away, I smell a dark, honeyed peach. Then the honey seems to mix up with patchouli and deepen, and the peach gets sweeter.

 

When it's dry, it mostly smells the same as when it was wet: A thick, smooth scent that's a little dark but has a peach kick. I like this one!

[pamplemousse]

This is the first CD Act IV scent that's loved me back!

 

To me this is very much like a peach version of Vice. Soft, delicate, fruity, chocolatey. It smells wetly delectable.

 

Unfortunately, it doesn't have a lot of staying power on me -- maybe 2 hours, max. I'm going to try it in a scent locket to see if I can make it last longer, and will also try making a parfum spray. This will be a bottle purchase for me.