Cytherea

[Delirium1009]

White sandalwood, patchouli, white amber, orris, bourbon vanilla, champaca flower, and kush.

In bottle/imp: Something dry but a little sharp, plus a hint of patchouli and a background of soft vanilla.

Immediately on skin: This is the type of scent that I can feel in my nose more than I can smell. I see it wet on my skin but when I take a whiff all I smell is a light, sharp mix of sandalwood and patchouli with the violet-like orris wafting around a little. I feel something dry and a little sharp though.

After a little while: The orris in this just blooms on my skin so nicely as this settles and dries. This becomes a soft, creamy violet/orris scent with a nice amount of warm white sandalwood. I can smell the white amber and bourbon vanilla lending a soft, warm creamy quality to this. It smells almost like a whipped violet confection. Far in the background is an earthiness, which really grounds this and makes it a little less poofy.

Overall Impressions: This scent is feminine and lovely. It has a lot of things going on, but it’s complex enough that it’s very well balanced. The orris is the most identifiable, strongest note to me and to my nose always smells like a fainter violet scent. The orris blends with the amber and vanilla to create this solid, creamy violet fragrance that has a bit of sweetness, but not too much. The sandalwood is very evident, adding a perfume note to the violet/vanilla confection. The patchouli, which I was very worried about, barely comes out once this dries on me and adds a nice faint background note. There’s a lot going on here, but it comes together very beautifully. I think people who like violet scents and those who like sandalwood scents might enjoy this, but overall it’s just a nice complex girly fragrance.

[inurbanus]

I was expecting Cytherea to be dry, with the sandalwood, orris, and kush, but while I was right on that account, the blend was altogether different than I was expecting.

 

For the first fifteen minutes, all I could smell was incense smoke. I think the patchouli was responsible for this, and I was surprised how non-threatening it was! Usually patchouli and I don't get along, but here it was beautiful. It was very hazy, but sophisticated too.

 

The next stage was the dry one, and it was intense. The sandalwood became the star of the blend, but I could smell the orris and the kush as well. This is probably the driest BPAL scent I've ever smelled -- it was bone dry without any moisture. It was a little discomfiting. I have to say though, it really matched up with the picture -- very reminiscent of Cytherea's chiton -- because it had a really gauzy feeling.

 

Cytherea's last stage was my favorite, because the amber and vanilla came out, and transformed this into a creamy blend. The mood of the scent shifted a bit -- it wasn't so forboding anymore, and became more playful.

 

While I enjoyed this one, I feel like I've smelled a lot of blends similar to it before.

 

3.5/5

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Dry sandalwood and orris spiked with vanilla.

 

After Wearing It:

This smells of a really posh dusting powder on me(sort of reminds me of Lush's Silky Underwear!). Very powdery from the get go and remains so all the way to the dry down. Wet, it was a sweet and floral powder, with the champaca flower and vanilla being especially prominent. The sandalwood note is more dry and refined, but doesn't have much throw to it which is a shame. After an hour or so, the amber and the patchouli make an appearance, but are fairly subtle. Overall Cytherea smells of vanilla, crushed flowers and a puff of sweet incense smoke overlaying a deep powdery orris note that dominates the blend. It's exquisite, very elegant and gorgeous, but very powdery too. I don't mind powdery scents, but I prefer them to be less so than this. That doesn't keep me from liking Cytherea, but it makes it so this is a scent I'd have to be in the mood for whereas with less orris, I think I'd be wearing it all the time!

 

Final Thoughts:

Love it, but I think I'm going to have to test wearing this in a scent locket to see if wearing it off my skin will keep the powder in check. This one is just too lovely not to find a way to make it work.

[AliBabble]

first sniff out of the bottle gives me a good impression - it's not too sweet, and kinda sophisticated and subtle - the main thing i get upon application, is the orris. i get a bit of vanilla, and really not much patchouli...the scent strikes me as sort of refined and restrained - nothing really hits you over the head, and it is not at all overwhelming - a touch of champaca and kush...it is almost metallic in feeling, with something slightly candyish. hard to decribe actually, but i really like it..it reminds me of lucretia, from the salon.

[Mamacat]

One of my favorite ladies so far.

 

On first sniff I get mostly orris, amber and sandalwood. It smells great so I put some on my skin. I do start getting some champaca. As it dries down I get more sandalwood and maybe just a hint of the vanilla. It dries down beautifully.

 

On my skin it smells very similar to Florence from Wanderlust (which I also love).

[Diana_Herrmann]

Skinny dip, skinny dip y'all!

 

In the bottle: first impression kicked off a frustrating misplaced "smell memory"- what is this? Where do I know this from? It smells spicy and yummy and soothing. Very earthy and I can pick out the patchouli and sandalwood on the background of vanilla.

 

Wet: Even more frustrating. This is one of the holy grails of scent. This is one of the "ones"--I know it is just really "me". It is becoming even smoother and rounds out more so than in the bottle.

 

Dry down: I've got it! This smells EXACTLY like Lush's dearly departed skinny dip shower gel on me. (I know LUSH has the shower creme thingy or whatever they call it but I can't stand the slippery vehicle that dissolves after 2 seconds in the shower.). Throw is not very far (stays close to the skin). I can still smell it a few hours after I apply it but only if I smell closely. No matter, this is worth reapplying. Yummy yummy Yummy!

Edited June 14, 2008 by Tricksy

[Brianne]

This was hard for me to get at first, because it kept morphing so quickly on me - from sweet and warm, to super dry woods, to iris and pale woods. Eventually though, it settles quite definitely into a pale, pretty iris with soft and dry woods. It's nice and very wearable

[alicia_stardust]

In the bottle this smells so much like the long-gone LUSH Skinny Dip shower gel. Oh, beloved.

 

The white sandalwood is gentle and light, yet dry. It sort of blankets a smooth layer of itself over the top of the amber and orris. There is a touch of a dry powder quality but it's not sweet or baby-powder-like. It's more of a sophisticated perfume powder that's airy, dry, and sexy. The patchouli keeps this blend anchored well and it really melds well with the sandalwood, amber, and orris. Beyond that, the bourbon vanilla and champaca seem to add a rich warmth that is truly to die for.

 

I really love this one! It's so sophisticated and sexy and seems to stay true for a long while.

[savage_rose]

At first I'm completely disappointed. I can't smell anything, and suspect that some sort of sandalwood-vanilla conspiracy is afoot. Come back with my perfume! And then it dries, and settles into this light, dry, faintly bitter note. Is that orris? Orris with a hint of the bourbon vanilla?

 

It's very light, but it has promise. I'm also going to try it in a scent locket!

[samarablackcat]

First impression: sweet, but not cloying

 

Wet on skin: sandalwood, a little vanilla

 

Drying: sandalwood, vanilla, bourbon and iris

 

Dry: What a beautiful scent! Soft, feminine, inviting...stays close to the skin. Delicious waves of subtle incense are surrounding me. A very well-blended oil, as I strain to pick out one individual note. I don't know what white amber smells like or what kind of patchouli is in this, but I would love to more.

 

This is not a typical scent for me; I prefer heavier, more masculine and longer lasting smells. But Cytherea has totally captured my imagination and nose; I have already ordered a bottle.

[Josh]

Sandalwood and orris. Can't go wrong there.

 

This is a very light scent in my opinion with pretty much no throw at all... but if you bury your nose into your arm its easy to see this is unquestionably a complex scent. The amber does go a little powdery on me (a peeve of mine that doesnt seem to affect others).

 

After a little while the vanilla comes out.. and yes, it really does smell like a wee bit of bourbon (heaven) in there. If this was stronger it'd be awesome... but even with my wrist 12 inches from my nose I still can't smell anything. Maybe aging will liven up the vanilla?

 

Until aging, you'll likely either need to slather or use a locket.

[ForeverLastcXs]

Oh my god, this is GORGEOUS!

 

With sandalwood, amber, patchouli, and vanilla, it's hard to go wrong with my skin chemistry. From my first sniff of Cytherea from the bottle, she made me swoon, and the dry-down is just as lovely. This scent is very complex; the layers compliment each other perfectly, IMO.

 

I love this scent! *cradles Cytherea close*

[Iceblink]

Another oil that's so well-blended that picking out individual notes is tough. It's beautiful! Feminine, sweet, a little powdery (hello amber)...but there's no note that really jumps out at you. Just a lovely perfume, and it's also nice and light and will be gorgeous in this summer weather!

[indybear]

I want to bathe in this stuff, I want to scent my sheets with it, I want to buy vats of it!

 

I don't even know what notes I'm smelling, I am so befuddled with love for this scent.

[theal8r]

Bottle: OMG. I can roll in this?

 

Wet: SEX. just pure sex. I knew this would have to be a winner. So woody and warm, but with a touch of naughty sweetness. mmmm come to mama!

 

Dry down: oh God. This is soooo sexy. I can't stand it.

[TooMuchTemptation]

I got a decant of this from one of the Grindhouse Decant Circles. It wasn't my first choice, and possibly wasn't even my second. I think I chose it because it had sandalwood and vanilla, two things I'm interested in right now.

 

To me in the vial, there's something almost astringent smelling about it. I can't pick out any individual notes right now, except for the light astringency, which is surprising considering how many dry and woody elements there are in this.

 

Wet on my skin, the astringency falls back, and there are the dry woods. I recently tried Tombstone which I thought I was going to love, but which turned to freshly sharpened pencil on my skin. Cytherea on my skin smells just how I was hoping Tombstone would. It's dry, faintly powdery and yes, ever so slightly astringent, but not sharp. Soft, and smooth.

 

As the oil dries on my skin, this gets a touch more sweet and resiny. It's not sugar sweet or candy sweet by any means. I think it's the amber and perhaps the vanilla. Normally, I experience vanilla as a distinct note, but this time I can't pull it out from the other notes. It's very harmonious. dry woods, a bit of dried resin sweetness, and a hint of soft floral. It's incensey, but not head shop-y. It's absolutely gorgeous. I'm so glad I got this. I don't know if I would have jumped on this blend on my own, but I'm loving it. I think this would smell awesome on a man too. In fact, I have a specific man in mind But it also smells wunderbar on me!

[aine]

With every BPAL order, whether direct from the Lab or decants, I try to include one 'outsider' oil. One that I know probably won't work, but contains notes or a concept that sparks my interest nonetheless. For these new Carnaval acts Cytherea was the 'outsider' oil.

 

I'm not even sure I remember my reasoning behind including it, but I'm immensely pleased that I did. It's completely different from anything I'd usually wear and quieter and faster-fading than I'd usually tolerate. But it so beautiful that I tend to forgive its shortcomings and reach for it anyway.

 

Cytherea is the scent of the captivating woman that you meet at an awards dinner and you know her ritual in the hours preceding the event has involved languishing in an impossibly deep bathtub. Wafts of the softest scent of luxurious bubbles.

 

I understand the comparisons to Skinny Dip shower gel but I think Cytherea is far more elegant and understated. Not a hint of brashness, just soft, creamy, bubbly beauty.

[hipslike___cinderella]

I feel so sad reading reviews of Cytherea, as I was sure this would be one of the biggest winners of the Grindhouse. However, the underlying problem is that this is one of THE LIGHTEST BPAL's I have ever tested. I couldn't place barely any discernible scent in the imp, but enough to describe it as a pale sandalwood. On my skin, Cytherea hits its peak at 10 minutes, where the kush, champaca, and patchouli is most prominent. Then it vapors away. The extent of the wear is mostly white amber and vanilla... too much amber and vanilla for me and not enough woods. Ack! So disappointing. I've sniffed it 1,000 times, on different days, just in case my sinuses were blocked or anything else. No dice. I have one full decant but also a 1/4 decant coming to me; I think I'm putting the full one for swap and saving the bitty one as a clinging hope that aging might give Cytherea more depth.

[marared]

This is a very ... insubstantial scent. It's not very strong, and the vanilla comes out and takes over the sandalwood after five minutes. It's sort of like a daydream scent, going la la la with your head in the clouds, but it doesn't take much to snap you out of it.

[forspecial_plate]

The Ladies of the Grindhouse have been a tricky bunch for me. I've had trouble predicting which ones I would like, and I thought I might like this scent more than I do. I have to admit I tried it while testing a few other scents, and Cytherea kind of got lost in the maelstrom.

 

There is a dry, papery quality that I'm guessing comes from orris and/or white sandalwood. I thought that with vanilla, champaca, and kush, the scent would be more rich and substantial. Usually champaca takes off like crazy on me but I don't remember smelling it at all. Mainly this reminds me a bit of Heavenly Love And Earthly Love, with less incense and more powder/floral notes. It's also very faint on my skin (but, again, it might have been crowded out by the other scents I was wearing). Generally I don't like the scents that remind me of paper, so this would not get much wear from me, I'm afraid. More for everyone else to love and hoard. : )

[ImperatrixMundi]

A surprise winner! When picking decants I was not sure about taking this at all. Now I am really glad that I went for it!

 

Cytherea is a very soft and smooth sandalwood and orris scent. Here and there I get a waft of sweetness from the vanilla and a very light amber. The other notes are in there but never stick out on me.

 

Soft, smooth, creamy and a little sweet but with the distict scent of nice sandalwood and orris. Two of my favourite notes perfectly combined. No pencil shavings to be smelled anywhere.

[HappyLoveJoy]

Mmmmmm!!!! I wish I could come up with a more detailed description but for now I will say that I get that Lush vibe as well, but on me it's more of the scent of American Cream because I'm not getting the clove that Skinny Dip has. I get a sassafrass-tinged vanilla and I'm guessing that's the orris? It's a sweet root smell with the soil still on it. I want a bottle but I'm hoping to swap for one instead of ordering one. Oh, and I tried layering Clemence with Cytherea to see if it would mimic the spicy scent of Skinny Dip a little more and it did but then it seemed to make Cytherea smell more like Black Opal, too. I'm going to try layering Cytherea with some more spicy scents that I have, like Khandita, Baghdad and Over-the-Rhine by Possets. I miss the rich scent of Skinny Dip gel so much and would love to hit upon a dead ringer. Maybe all my experimenting will pay off one of these days.

 

I love Cytherea and I think it'd smell yummy on a guy, too.

 

*edited for spelling

Edited July 9, 2008 by HappyLoveJoy

[rosebud]

I can't figure this one out (I'm bad at picking out notes, and I can't pick out a single one with Cytherea ), but it's becoming more and more gorgeous...In the bottle it smelled sort of sharp and more masculine that I'd expected, but it's become so smooth, with a nice, dry sweetness. It makes me feel fuzzy and pretty, and it is perfect for Summer

[heathercaley]

In the imp it's a sweet vanilla incense. It's very feminine and pretty with a light throw. As it dries down it actually warms up a bit. to me it's all vanilla sandalwood with a touch of something creamy. I like it a lot it but I don't think I'll be buying a bottle. I wouldn't see myself reaching for the bottle to often. I'll cherish my imp though!!

[Blood onmy hands]

In the vial, this smells white and clean, with a bit of a powdery vanilla edge. I can definitely pick out the smooth woodiness of the white sandalwood.

 

On my skin, this continues to smell clean and subtle. I get dry, cool woods with a tiny hint of vanilla sweetening things up and an edge of something herbal-floral.

 

After about fifteen minutes on my skin, all I can smell are subtle, dry, slightly powdery woods. And it completely disappears after an hour, no matter how much I slather on.

 

I have sandalwood blends that I like much more, so I doubt I'll be keeping my decant of Cytherea or buying more of this one. It's just a rather soft and boring scent on me.