Phobos

[slave1]

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.

In Bottle: Extreme citrus

On Skin: Phobos is the most citrusy scent I have ever smelled. More lemon than grapefruit for sure. Wow! Very refreshing and this would be an absolute perfect scent to use as a “wake-up” aromatherapy oil. It’s lightly tart but the white musk sweetens it and also deepens it, what a great mix!! I also think the floral lemon verbena helps sweeten the scent. I am usually not a citrus fan, but this scent puts me in a good mood. It says summer to me… warm, bright, yummy. I also get a Lemondrop feel from it, candied goodness. And I love, love, LOVE the white musk in it. Such a soft note usually, but it really provides a nice base for all the citrus. Strong throw at first, but fades after about an hour, so short wearlength.

[Alchemy21599]

In the vial: lemon pledge

 

Wet: lemon drops

 

Dry: This scent is uber lemon on me. I love citrus, but this is just too much for me

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Lemon grass and something slightly woody/slightly soapy.

 

Wet on me - Soft and creamy, but highlighted by the citrus tang of the grapefruit and lemon verbena/grass.

 

Dry on me - A warm grapefruit scent. It fades quickly to become a barely there vanilla skin scent.

 

Overall - This is nice but a bit meh on me.

[stardreamer]

First impression: Citrus! That's the grapefruit, all right. Unfortunately, BPAL citrus scents have NO staying power on my skin, and once it's gone the rest blends into... soap. Nice soap, but still not something I really want to smell like. I've noticed before that florals of any kind plus musk produce soap on me, so I'm blaming the lemon verbena. :-) R's reaction: "What is that, eau de Tide?" *sigh* Swap pile for this one.

[cranberry]

I’m smelling this courtesy of the discontinued sniffing circle, so I know that this is an old imp as this circle has been going on for a while.

 

In the imp – lemon verbena and lemongrasss

 

On the skin – lemons, really I think a combination of lemon verbena and lemongrass. Tart and fresh smelling. Wonderful. This is starting to change strangely – it’s an element that I’ve smelled in Cheshire Cat or Satan and Death with Sin Intervening. It’s a bit doughy and like flour. Maybe it’s a skin chemistry thing right now. I don’t like how this has changed – I wonder if age has negatively affected this?

 

After it’s been on a bit, the white musk comes out and blends nicely with the lemon-ish scents. This is really nice – fresh with a touch of warmth.

 

ADDED 9/4/09:

 

Wet: lemons or lemongrass.

 

Dry: still smells of light citrus, but now there’s a weird note here that smells awful – maybe it’s the grapefruit combining with the lemongrass, but it reminds me of dough gone wrong.

[Toby]

On initial sniff, Phobos was very strongly lemony with something very familiar underneath. I thought cookies at first, but no, that wasn't what it was.

 

It reminded me of Lush's Lemony Flutter and its other lemongrass scents at first, but almost immediately morphed into... Fruit Loops. Fake and sweet.

[QueenFae]

This smells very much like a frozen lemon ice, escpecially when it is first applied. The very strong lemon note is on top, and it reminds me a little bit of June Gloom. On the dry down, the sweet floralness of the blend comes out a bit more, and it turns into a really fresh, citrus white musk scent. The grapefruit gives it a really yummy feel. This is light and lovely, but not right for me.

[Diva Urd]

In the imp: WHOA, CITRUS!

 

On me: Just that. Citrus, lemon dominating, every once in a while, I catch a whiff of something more bitter, which would be the grapefruit. I don't get any of the musk - it is all citrus, all the way.

 

While this isn't quite as cleanerish as some of the other citrus scents I've tried (it smells a little more natural than, say, Nyarlathotep), it's absolutely WAY too much citrus for my personal level of comfort. The husband doesn't like it, either.

 

Therefore... off to swaps with you, Phobos!

[LiberAmoris]

Phobos is definitely in the category of mind-clearing for me---this would be a great blend to wear when I need to get some work done, as it's so refreshing and eye-opening. Very rejuvenating.

 

The white musk and lemon together are really nice, and the grapefruit adds even more zest. It's bright and happy, not exactly the embodiment of mortal fear, but fearsomely alert.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

lemon pledge. with some lemon juice and lemon verbena.

[audesapere]

In Imp: Clean and lemony

 

Wet: Lemony and sweet, a little spicy. Really lemony.

 

Dry: Lemon pledge. Damn.

 

After: It turned into a very subtle blend of spices, but the lemon is still prominant and was too much for me. To swaps it goes.

[PilotKitten]

Lemon verbena and a herbal lemongrass dominate this scent for me. Along with a faint white musk this *almost* smells like some sort of herbal lemon tea. Not too shabby... if only the durn imp cap hadn't broken...

[jasmine]

Initially, this is lemon Pledge, and I can’t imagine why this name was chosen for it. Later, the grapefruit comes out, and then it pales away into something hollow that must be the musk. I can still sense the grapefruit, but very faintly. Though the lab’s artistry was hidden during the Pledge phase, I almost think I liked it better when it was Pledge -- this is not an unpleasant smell, but not a pleasant one either. It is a hollow, reticient scent now, with only the barest wisp of lemon and grapefruit above the musk.

 

Throughout the day, it metamorphosed slowly and grew on me gradually. It endured detectably through ten hours of work. By the end, the lemon was gone entirely, and the result was haunting and gentle with just a hint of bite. Still, while I rather liked it by the end, I’m hesitant on circumstances where I would actually want to wear it. The name and mystique are to blame, perhaps -- in no part of my life do I want to be afraid or to induce fear. If the cap hadn’t torn, I would make plans for swapping it, but as it is, it will have to wait until I have a new container for it.

[RaeiNarcissus]

I wish Phobos was stronger. On me, it turns into a rather pleasant lemon scent, but, it's very light. The plus side it that it lasts all day on me.

[Thaleia]

Wow, that's some sinus-clearing Lemon Pledge right there. Eventually, the blend is sweetened by the white musk, which I like about it, since white musk is a note I like. But, I think that the overpowering citrus notes might be a bit much for me. The initial Lemon Pledge-ness eventually gives way to something akin to Lemonheads sour lemon candy, but I still get whiffs of wood spray. The grapefruit, which I like in other blends (e.g. Baobhan Sith and Cheshire Cat) sharpens Phobos to the point where it's too sharp, what with the lemon elements.

 

I hoped that on the drydown it’d let up a bit, but it just doesn’t give up.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Summarised in a few words/smilie: Lemon!

 

Pre-review thoughts: Rarely a fan of lemon, I'm trying this merely because I haven't yet.

 

In the imp: Lemon verbena and lemongrass.

 

On skin, wet: Lemon drops! Slightly sweet, sugared lemon verbena and grapefruit, actually, but it really brings lemon drops to mind.

 

On skin, dry: Lemon, lemon, and lemon. My skin amps lemon to the nth degree, so this is strong lemon drop candy. Sugary, musky, sweet lemon candy.

 

Conclusion/Notes: As mentioned above, I very rarely care for lemon notes in perfumes, so this isn't a winner for me.

[RougeNoir]

In the imp: pure lemon

 

On me: lemon sherbet sweeties! That's all I can smell at the moment - sugary lemons. I'll edit later for the drydown.

 

Edit - the drydown was just lemon on me. Unfortunately I just smelled like I'd been cleaning. Not a keeper for me.

Edited November 23, 2006 by RougeNoir

[eanewsom]

Wow, Phobos makes me smell like someone could use me to take care of their wood furniture. I tried to tough it out, hoping for that musk/vanilla that other reviews mentioned, but I couldn't wait, and had to go wash.

I do have to give it some points for determination, as it took a whole lot of work to wash it off!

[supremegoddessofall]

All that citrus in the catalog description does not bode well for me. Yup. Lemon citrus death. Sale/swap pile.

[hjourdenjackson]

This is my first review, so lets see if it's any good.

 

It took me awhile to get around to my frimp of Phobos, but I was looking for something different to wear today, so I put it on just before I rushed out of the house this evening. It was VERY Lemony... but with something else. I asked DH to smell it, he immediately said "wrist" (haha) but upon pestering, he said "Baby Powder".

 

It took me a few minutes to put "Lemon" to what I was smelling, but once it clicked, I knew that's what it was. It reminded me of Lemon Madeleines, and I just really liked it. As I came home about 90 minutes later, I said, "This smells like Lemon Verbena"... again, good, because I ADORE Lemon Verbena... it's my fave home scent from B&BW, and it's in the "Couvent de Minimes" Hand cream I'm using. But then I sniffed my wrist closer... pure powder. So "around me" it smells of the Lemon Verbana, but when I get down to sniff where it is on my skin, it's a very soft Baby Powder scent.

 

I LOVE THIS. I ADORE the smell of baby powder; it has always struck me as being very feminine, soft, gentle, without being overwhelming, so to have one perfume hit so many of the notes I love as well as this does is awesome. I'll be buy a (few?) 5ml of this one to add to my meager collection.

 

And like some of the other reviewers... I was surprised to see the connection to fear here. Me and fear don't get along well... but me and Phobos are hitting it off like feinds!

 

ADDED Jan. 23:

 

In the imp: Citrus. Yum...

 

On Skin: Upon immediate contact, I get lemon fumes. It's sharp and nose clearing. I thought I smelled grapefruit but it's more lime than grapefruit... which I think may be the lemon verbena.

 

On Drydown: The lemon smell tones down a bit. I get a bit of a ginger smell to it. It's very sharp. It's a very 'clean' sort of smell, crystalline and a tad bitter.

 

Verdict: I'll see what it smells on the boy. On me, it's a bit of a lime-ginger smell, too sharp for me to be comfortable with. I was hoping for more grapefruit... but I guess I should stick to Mania and Baobhan Sith for that.

 

funny that you said lime and ginger, because I thought I might have smelled those, too, but dismissed both when I hit on the lemon verbena... perhaps my dismissal was premature!

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Citrus. Yum...

 

On Skin: Upon immediate contact, I get lemon fumes. It's sharp and nose clearing. I thought I smelled grapefruit but it's more lime than grapefruit... which I think may be the lemon verbena.

 

On Drydown: The lemon smell tones down a bit. I get a bit of a ginger smell to it. It's very sharp. It's a very 'clean' sort of smell, crystalline and a tad bitter.

 

Verdict: I'll see what it smells on the boy. On me, it's a bit of a lime-ginger smell, too sharp for me to be comfortable with. I was hoping for more grapefruit... but I guess I should stick to Mania and Baobhan Sith for that.

[Elrianra]

In the imp, lemon verbena and lemongrass: citrus with a twist of white musk that ices this over. Once on my skin, it's all citrus and clean cool sharpness. Not at all terrifying on my skin but smooth and sexy like a good lemon drop martini. This is just so heavenly citrus crisp! Keeper. I need a bottle.

[wanderingredhead]

When this first hit my skin it was a fresh bright lemon/citrus scent. Then it suddenly turned "shampoo-y".

I didn't know the notes when I was trying it on, an experiment I've been trying lately. this is what I said at the time: dries down into citrus "skin" to me it smells like a sweaty child, with a hint of shampoo, like hot skin without the B.O.

 

Looking at the components now, I think that my skin must just be amping up the white musk a lot. It's almost entirely white musk on dry down, with barely even a hint of citrus, and that only if I bury my nose against my arm.

 

I got the imp hoping it would be all lemongrassy and that clearly did not happen, so while this isn't particularly offensive, it's really not me and it's off to the swaps.

[mtlaise]

I typically love light, refreshing citrusy scents, and Phobos is by far the most citrusy you can get in a scent! My initial note was "almost wet and green, because it's SO grapefruity and lemony". Each time I try it on, that's what I come back to... Definitely not something I'd wear year round, but when it's hot a sticky out, I can see myself reaching for this. I'd definitely have to pre-apply though... the first minute or so is sort of "lemon wetnaps" on me...

[bristlecone]

Smells a lot like Whitechapel to me. I think I prefer Whitechapel because of the lilac, but this is nice too. Refreshing and crisp. I don't really get much grapefruit- it's mostly just the verbena and white musk.

 

I don't get Lemon Pledge from this, but it takes a lot for a scent to remind me of Pledge. Just being lemony is not enough; there has to be some kind of chemically, artificial quality to it. I guess I'm lucky that I don't make that association.