Phobos

[jj_j]

Twin to Deimos and child of War, Phobos is the embodiment of terror and mortal fear. Chilling white musk, lemon verbena, white grapefruit and lemongrass.

I love lemon, and Phobos is good for my lemon needs. Lemon verbena really dominates this scent, and it's a good way to enjoy lemon notes without smelling like some sort of cleaning fluid. In fact, the white grapefruit adds a very clear, barely tart but distinctly grapefruit sort of citrus tone - basically, all the good things about grapefruit - and the lemongrass makes it exotically grassy without tainting the clarity of the citrus. Cool, clear, and crisp - the white musk is really the bow around the package, tying it all together, rather than standing out on its own - perfect for warm weather wear.

[darklorelei]

I really, really, really wanted to love this one.

 

On opening the bottle, very citrus. The Lemon Verbena really pops out, but a faint sweetness lingers underneath.

 

As it dries, the bitterness of the grapefruit comes out some, but the sweetness really pops.

 

Once dry it was vaguely powdery but smelled for all the world like Bazooka bubblegum. I'm giving this another try, but this one may have to go.

 

 

Edit: Still bubble gummy. From reading the other reviews, I think this means no musk for me!

Edited March 1, 2004 by darklorelei

[Shollin]

First sniff: Phobos is aggressively lemony, with something sweet and smooth, almost buttery, sliding underneath.

 

Wearing: I tend to compare all lemon scents to Phantasm, and this one is sharper and brighter, more definite – where Phantasm is a soft clean lemon scent, this is more like slicing a lemon open and sticking your nose in. Around the lemon I can smell the faint bitterness of the inside of a grapefruit peel.

 

I like it, and it seems to have better staying power on me than Phantasm (which my skin just soaks right up, alas).

[Sistinas]

Smelling it out of the vial, the lemon scent pops out at you. To me it was not a tangy lemon, but more of the sweeter version. Like smelling a big pitcher of fresh lemonade, very refreshing. After the drydown the scent pretty much remained the same. I really love this scent, it will be a wonderful pick me up durning the upcoming hot summer months.

[Fulltiltredhead]

It smells like lemon Mr. Clean to me. All I can think about is washing floors.

[amberbella]

In the bottle....Lemon Pledge.

 

First on....Lemon Heads Candy

 

Dry Down....Lemon Heads Candy rolled in baby powder.

 

This one just kept making me giggle. I really enjoyed the smell of Lemon Heads, but it's just not for me.

[Midnight Kiss]

When first applied, it's very lemony, but not chemical lemony, it's like lemon sherbert, sweet and icy. After it dries, about an hour into it, the white musk comes creeping in very warmly, making it a very sweetly warm sexy smell. Fresh and warm at the same time. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists all day!

[ismene]

I got the lemon-scented cleaning fluid smell like some others did, which was most unpleasant. The perfume didn't make me as ill as cleaning solutions usually do, but I still couldn't wait to get it off my wrists.

[Vaniclion]

Just as a start, I have to say I LOVE PHOBOS!! It's incredible. Wearing it today and the more I sniff it, the better it is. Like crack in a bottle. Beth is such a dealer, I swear. I also find it vaguely ironic that I love a scent that represents the god of Fear & Phobias.

 

Fresh out of the Imp it's /pure lemon/. Somehow it's more lemon than the other lemon scents. Brighter, I suppose. Perhaps it's the combination of the lemongrass and the lemon verbena with the grapefruit. I dunno, but I like it.

 

On drydown, the lemon and the white musk combine into a comfortably cool scent. Still, every now and again, I catch a sour whiff that might be the grapefruit that reminds me of stale sweat. It's just now and again, not a prominent note at all. Apropos I think, being Phobos and all.

 

Guess I like scary men.

[Tesseljoan]

With the temperature hitting 30 for the first time in the year, I thought it would be a good idea to wear Phobos.

 

It smells like a citrus fruit coctail. And afer a while...whoops, it's gone. Will have to try again when it's a bit cooler and scents don't fade so ridiculously fast.

[Astarte]

All I can describe this scent is... Lemon sherbet. But to me that's an ace factor, I do love lemon scents. If you like your citrus, this one's your imp.

^^!

[xoe]

Verrrry Lemony. Lemon Meringue Pie!

 

editing to add that as it dries down the lemon really softens up. I guess that must be the white musk doing that. Though I could swear there is heliotrope in this as well. It's really cheering and soft.

Edited September 10, 2004 by xoe

[serafina pekkala]

Hmm, wet this is lemony sweet, like Napoleon lemondrops when applying. Then it turns spicy and the musk comes through.

I don't really like the turn the white musk is taking, it seems dusty.

 

After a while it becomes better, like the lemon sherbet mentioned above. Although this is a soft, light scent, it's still there four hours on. I liked the lemon stage at the beginning a lot, but the white musk not so much.

[hypothermya]

Initial Impression

 

Bitter. I smell the pith of the grapefruit, and the sourness of lemongrass. It's actually past citrusy goodness and into that harsh, bitter sourness that makes citrus so hard to deal with. Still, I like it.

 

Wearing It

 

This is quite good. About a couple of minutes into wearing it, it looses the harshness, and breathes its way into a buttery, warm, citrus embrace. It reminds me a bit of breakfast, simply because it smells like warm buttery bread from far off, and the tang of grapefruit (my father used to eat them for breakfast), and a little bit of springtime (must be the lemon grass and the lemon verbena).

 

It's very faint on my skin, and so its a very slight scent, one that you catch wisps of but can never smell directly without hunting around with your nose. It reminds me a bit of Baobhan Sidhe, but not as sweet...Instead of the sweet apples blossoms that B.S. has, this has a buttery musk behind it. And it is a bit like Zephyr also, but again, not as sweet. While Zephyr has some florals and that very lovely bit of vanilla underneath it, this is pure citrus warmth, with not a bit of apology, nor the attempt to cover it up.

 

Lasting Power

 

Eh. Not so good. The citrus lasts a bit longer than most, but it's still pretty short lived.

 

I like this. I've been trying as many citrus/white musk blends as possible, and Phobos was the last on the list. Of all of them, I think I prefer Embalming Fluid and White Chapel... But I'd say that Phobos is a close third. I definitely prefer Phobos to Zephyr, and to Kuang Shi.

[chin]

Very lemony but not sharp, citrusy, "white" and cold, if that makes sense. A clear, refreshing scent that still seems grounded (the white musk?). If Phantasm is a cashmere sweater, this one is the palest yellow bias-cut gossamer silk slip dress. On second wearing, I notice a middle note that doesn't agree with me. It reminds me of the taste of blood and metal ... hard to explain.

[Ishtar]

Extremely lemony in the vial and wet, Phobos almost starts off as lemon single note on me, bitter peel and all.

 

When Phobos starts drying, the white musk becomes a little more prominent, imparting a slightly powdery quality to the scent.

 

I absolutely love the wet stage, but this is probably the BPAL oil with the least staying power on my skin. The lemon is gone in a matter of minutes, leaving me with a faint citronella/bug repellent smell that itself vanishes in 30 minutes.

 

Since I can't really see myself reapplying every 15 minutes, this will have to be a swap, sadly.

[feline.by.design]

:::pines:::

 

If only I had ordered Phobos before Deimos, I would have a bottle in my collection before this gorgeous scent was discontinued.

 

Sure, I have lemony scents. Embalming Fluid, Shadow and Phantasm are there for me when I need them. But this... *this* was lemon ice on a stick. It's the smell of an Italian ice... cold, bitingly gorgeous.

 

It fades fast, but thus is the nature of citrus smells. However, I still can faintly smell a trace of it three hours after application.

 

Call me a bit curious, but I love wearing lemony scents in the winter chilly time. Phobos will be the scent of the season, so long as I can make my meagre little imp last.

 

:::sigh:::

 

-doreen

[TheDarkMother]

UhOh! Lemon Verbena and Lemongrass. Why do I get the feeling like I'm going to be scrubbing off my wrists here in a little bit?

 

In the Bottle: Lemon Pledge. Yuck...but I should try it just to be certain.

 

On Me: Yup, lemon pledge. I was hoping that the grapefruit would come through a little bit more to make it interesting, but nope. Just lemon candy/pledge. Off to the swaps.

[rainbow]

In the bottle and wet on the skin- lemony goodness! This smells like lemon candy- someone else mentioned lemon heads and that's exactly it! It's a somewhat sweet lemon, with the slightest undercurrent of musk. Nice!

 

As I'm wearing this begins to smell more and more like lemon muffins. I don't know if it's just me, but this oil is giving off a definite foody vibe. Hmmmm...I preferred the lemon candy. It's still lemon, but it's lemon bread, cookies, and muffins, freshly-baked and steaming.

 

The only part of this oil I'm really disappointed in is the drydown, when the baed goods scent well and truly takes over the lemon scent. I'm not a baked goods person (well I am, but for eating, not for smelling). Probably just as well that I didn't fall in love, as this is discontinued, and I shall continue to look for the perfect lemon BPAL.

[Gin]

My first thought is Lemon Pledge, but not quite... more like Lemonheads candy. It's somehow tart and sweet at the same time. As it dries, it gets sweeter and eventually takes on an almost floral tone. I think Phobos is my favorite BPAL lemon so far. Too bad I discovered it too late.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: a very sharp citrus scent, but with a bit of musk mellowing it out.

on: an almost sweet lemon scent. nice.

half an hour later: wonderful. a sweet, musky lemon.

1.5 hours later: i can't believe the lemon is still so strong. this is great. still nice and musky, too.

overall: i really, really like this. it's nice and strong, and manages to be refreshing and comforting at the same time. just a great scent.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Lemongrass + lemon verbena = Superlemon! Like, so super that it should fight crime. It's brighter lemon than June Gloom, which I attribute to the white musk, but it is still very pure. There are hints of a herbiness that I attribute to the lemongrass.

On me: It smells like a lemon Starburst. Candy does not quite match Phobos in my mind. Ill-named or not, the scent itself is pleasant enough. It's not cleaning-fluid lemon, which is a relief. I actually REALLY like this, something I never expected!

[yellowrose]

Phobos

 

In the Bottle: GOOD MORNING! It's a wakey-wakey citrus blast.

 

Wet: all lemons. No grapefruit. White grapefruit is among my favorite notes. I was so hoping to get some from this scent.

 

Drying: lemongrass predominant. Fades almost instantly to light lemon oil or tart lemon sorbet. What's odd is that it was applied to both wrists. One is scented; the other smells of skin only -- as if it had never been applied. Some skin reaction. Not much. Disappointed. I need a white grapefruit scent for the inevitable day when Queen of Diamonds is no more.

 

ETA: for clarity's sake ... the lemon-musk Phobos becomes is very, very nice. with white grapefruit mentioned as a note, my expectations were high, probably unnaturally so and only because i wanted white grapefruit. should not let one's pouty preferences muck up a review of a perfectly fine scent.

Edited June 14, 2005 by yellowrose

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Oooh, beautiful citrus!

 

Just On: Okay, this is the lemon from lemon pledge, but without all the other crap in it, and I *really* like it.

 

An hour or two later: Lemon pledge. I'm enjoying.

 

Around 6 hours: Ooh, furniture polish scent. How very odd. Quite interesting as well. I think I might like this a lot. Too bad it's discontinued.

 

12 hours: No more of any of it.

 

Overall: I like it, but probably not well enough to have bought a big bottle if it were available.

 

After reading other reviews: I sure didn't get the sweetness that others did out of this.

[lohengrin]

In the imp: Holy citrus, Batman!

 

On, wet: Oh my good god. The citrus, it is POWERFUL!

 

Later: I weep for the discontinuation of this scent. *sob* This is the most powerful, lasting, kick-ass citrus I have ever smelled. Citrus on crack. DOOM CITRUS. I will treasure my pitiful little imp for all my days. *clings, weeps some more*