Rakshasa

[grrrlennyl]

rakshasa

This haunting, exotic scent is named in honor of the shapeshifting demons from Hindu mythology. Sandalwood with rose and patchouli.

 

at first: this was a freebie imp from the lab. i smell something along the lines of orange, i think. it's hard to pin down. it's pretty earthy.

on: pretty. almost smells citrussy. i also smell the rose. i really like this one.

1 hour later: this is going a bit pickly on me. i wonder if it's the sandalwood.

3 hours later: a soapy floral. i think all i smell is rose.

5 hours later: this is turning to pickle on me.

overall: i really wanted to like this one, but it isn't working on me. it's a swap.

[pkwench]

Rakshasa

 

As I love sandalwood and rose, I had high hopes for this one despite the patchouli. Patchouli goes funny on my skin and goes into a spicey, morphed BO kind of scent. Or, maybe that's what Patchouli smells like and it just doesn't agree with my tastes, I don't know.

 

In the vial, I got a strong whiff of headshop patchouli. After applying it, the rose barely, just barely started to creep out. Something about it reminded me very much of the KC Renfest. Something there and something in the scent of Rakshasa were very similar. After a bit, the rose does emerge even more, but the patchouli does as well. It smells nice enough and I think on another person it'd be okay. But that sweaty smell that patchouli does on me just really turned me off.

 

Which kinda made me sad since I tend to love rose and sandalwood so. *pout*

[Theravada]

A lovely forumite tossed an imp of this in with one of my recent swaps. I usually hate all rose scents, but I love sandalwood and patchouli so I thought I would give it a fair trial regardless of the rose note.

 

In the bottle Rakshasa smells very tart and astringent.

 

On, Rakshasa turned into rose dusted with baby powder. I didn't get any sandalwood or patchouli But the astringent quality faded quickly and this mellowed out very well. I just hate rose!

 

So this is a bad scent for me, but anyone who enjoys rose would probably like Rakshasa. Into the swap pile again she goes until a proper home is found!

[Azrhiaz]

Wet: roses and spice. Nice, can't wait to see what develops.

 

Drydown: oh, soooooo gorgeous! Spiced Indian roses, indeed. Sweet and spicy, like rose candy sprinkled with coriander. This smells so incredible, like Queen of Sheba with roses strewn around her divan, and it's lasting a lot better than the Queen did for me.

 

I want a big bottle of this in the worst way. I smell delicious. LOVE!

[JazzieCazzie]

IN THE BOTTLE: Though no such note is listed, I was hit with a scent of lemons. Not the "Lemon Pledge" yuckiness that ruins stuff like Embalming Fluid for me, but more like lemon drops, something that has been sweetened ... maybe more like "Love's Fresh Lemon" (currently in my daughter's high rotation but she is 14). I also get the sandalwood and patchouli wafting around that but no rose yet.

 

Applied lightly to wrists and crooks of arms.

 

WET: The lemon (or whatever it is) note is still predominant for the first 10 minutes oro so until drydown.

 

EARLY DRYDOWN: To me, this is just okay. I like it but I don't love it. I like all the notes in it and love sandalwood but to me it is so lightly blended that nothing really grabs me. It's sort of "Spellbound Lite" which is probably great for a lot of people who find Spellbound too strong. It's pretty, woody, floral but offhand I can't see it being something I'd choose to reach for ahead of some of my other BPALs of a similar genre.

 

LATER DRYDOWN: I like this enough to be willing to try applying it a little more heavily or perhaps adding in a second scent that has some cinnamon/cloves kick ... I have yet to try my Harlot or 3 Witches and am thinking that maybe one of those would layer nicely with this. Because I DO LIKE IT, I just don't LOVE it.

 

it is interesting to note, though, that it seems a few people who got bottles since the fall mention the citrus note that was never mentioned earlier ... has there been a tiny new note added to the mix, I wonder???

[sihaya09]

n the vial, this smelled very similar to Spellbound. However, on my skin, it is actually much lighter. Still a dusty rose scent, it has a bit more sweetness to it, with the earthiness of the patchouli gradually giving way to the sandalwood in the drydown phase. Very nice-- a floral I can wear in the daytime.

[leapylees]

Interesting.... in the vial I smell oranges with a hint of rose - at first I thought of Turkish Delight, but it isn't quite. For the first couple of hours I found it too heavy and sweet and the rose takes over. After a day it's almost gone but it smells like roses. I love patchouli and sandalwood scents but I didn't get any patchouli or sandalwood at all from this. My opinions on this are mixed. On the one hand the description sounded like something I'd love but it was too heavy and strong for the first few hours. Once that strength had faded it was wonderful. I think I'll need to come back to this before I can make a balanced judgement.

[Scylla]

In the vial: roses and patchouli. Uh oh.

 

Wet, on my skin: Yep, roses and patchouli. Very strong, but at least they're not "old lady" roses!

 

On drydown: The roses fade a bit and it becomes more of a patchouli and sandalwood scent. Very exotic.

[Shimmershadow]

In the bottle: Very patchouli. And roses, FRESH roses. This is promising, as these are two scents that never fail to work at least to some degree with me...

 

On me: Holy patchouli, Batman. Dries down to a scrummy rosey scent though...this is definitely an offering scent. The rose sweetens out and de-hippies the patchouli. Very, very strong though, as with most patchouli scents on me. Patchouli seems to strengthen on my skin, screaming out, "HEY! COME SMELL ME, I HAVEN'T SHOWERED IN TWO DAYS AND I'M COVERING IT UP!!" But this I like.

 

And so... Mmmm nummers. This is going on at least the 5ml list for sure.

[with coffee spoons]

After a less than pleasant run-in with Creed's Fleur de The Rose Bulgaire, I was convinced upon finding BPAL and reading all the reviews that I would have to avoid roses, sure that I'd be among those whose chemistries make roses loudly misbehave.

 

This has been not at all the case, as Rakshasa yet again demonstrates--white roses are hardly detectable on me, and any rose in the blends is so well blended that I don't sniff and say "Hey, it's a rose!" It's rather the smooth richness of the petals underpinning the scent coupled with the spice of the rose heart opened to the sun.

 

Here, the scent is predominately sandlewood, sweet and spicy, but touched with faint earthy patchouli and smoothed out with the rose petals. I haven't reached for my imp often, although given the number I have to sort through nowadays, that's hardly surprising, but I think I'll keep it. It's exotic, sweet but dry, and quite lovely. With an imp's worth of wear, it may grow on me such that I'll buy, if not a bottle, then at least another imp. It is quite beautiful, and well worth a try, especially if you're a fan of sandlewood.

[sarahjay]

I really love this one

 

it's quite orangey on me at first but morphs into rose/sandalwood/spicy blend - it must be the patchouli providing the spices I guess, but it's not too much in my face.

 

I ordered a 5ml size at once, which I hope will arrive soon. rakshasa was a real OMFG THIS IS GORGEOUS blend for me (but don't bother if you don't like rose or sandalwood)

 

update sept 05 - I was sitting with my boxes of bottles & imps today choosing some to gift away to someone, and I was blown away all over again by how gorgeous this blend is. I haven't worn it for a while but I think I'll be wearing it a lot more into autumn.

Edited September 9, 2005 by sarahjay

[Gin]

I can smell the rose, but Rakshasa smells like an orange & spice tea to me. As it dries, the spices take over. As Morrighana mentioned, this smells delicious enough to drink. Lovely, but do I detect a soapy note? I think I smell something soapy, but then when I *try* to smell it, it's gone. Weird. Either way, I like this enough to keep the imp around, and maybe even order more. I think I'm going to try it on Mr. Gin, too.

[VelvetSky]

Rakshasa has made it's way into my life by mistake....it was sent to me by the Lab instead of another bottle I'd ordered. I love it, and I now realize this wasn't a mistake....I think I was meant to have it in my collection.

 

The topnote is all creamy sandalwood, woody and mellow. As it warms, I start to get the patchouli. The rose is lurking underneath, but it lends more of a vague floral sweetness to the overall blend, rather than a clear rose, for me

 

The most interesting and beautiful thing about Rakshasa on my skin is the lemon. From the top all the way through the drydown, a can detect an ever-so-slight tangy freshness of lemon. It's barely noticeable, but just enough.

 

I think this might just make it on my Top Ten. The Lab doesn't make mistakes.

[phoefromelsewhere]

In the bottle: rose and patchouli.

 

Wet: Mainly rose. I do get a smidge of sandalwood and patchouli. Sweet and spicy and warm.

 

Drydown: The rose is there but not as sickeningly sweet as it normally goes. I think this is because my skin loves patchouli even more than rose. Still too sweet and rosey for me tho.

[Sheila]

Very, very strong patchouli and very, very strong rose. This scent is sharp and bitter on me...and did I say strong? Wow is it ever.

 

Unfortunately not for me. I swapped my imp.

 

ETA: Description from lab.

[anmorata]

Rakshasa:

Wet: Very sweet.. perhaps the patchouli? It's a gorgeous smell.

Drydown: The sandalwood and the rose come out to play. This is a very different sort of rose smell, though.. not at all what I was expecting. It's a very spicy rose.

Longterm wear: the combination of patchouli, rose and sandalwood almost create a scent that reminds me of jasmine trees in the summertime. This is a fabulous scent. It stays light, which is perfect.

[Julilla Regina]

I really like this, but it isn't going to be for everyone.

 

The patchouli and sandalwood smooth out into a soapy sandalwood blend, and the rose just barely peeks out. It smells like a milled sandalwood soap to me. Something one would buy in an incense shop. It was very gentle on me, and clean. The patchouli is not overwhelming at all on my skin. Very smooth and mellow.

[mmcfa2]

If you like sandalwood and patchouli, this one is for you!

 

Luckily I realy love both and the rose is just a soft underscoring to add to the wonderful woody smells I can smell all three individually if I try, and yet they blend so smoothly that I can also smell the scent as a whole of warm gentle wood. Now I know patchouli is not a wool, but it smells woody to me! This is NOT headshop, it's more somber than that, but also sexy, VERY NICE!

[Faerykin]

Rakshasa

 

Swiped across wrists and along collarbone.

 

Initial Wet (8-8:30am): This blend really plays a game with my nose. I could swear I smell orange. Then I recognize it as the rose, and how the patchouli and sandalwood attempt to ring it in … just to have it escape again. It is really interesting how the orange comes back, and then just as I contemplate, ‘there isn’t any orange in here’, it morphs into rose, and then I detect sandalwood and patchouli, then right back to orange. Odd indeed.

 

Initial Dry (8:30-10am): I think my brain has finally decided that the orange is really the sandalwood and patchouli tempering the rose – because it is no longer identifying an orange scent. The rose is finally moving to the back while the patchouli moves up to the forefront. The sandalwood lies under it all, bringing the scent together and preventing any of the individual notes from completely overpowering the overall scent. I like how I can detect each note, yet it all blends so masterfully – truly amazing.

 

Throughout the Day (10am-on): I’m not sure I like the way the rose is trying to sour. Though, just as soon as it turns my nose, the patchouli and sandalwood temper it. Why is the rose so obstinate in this scent? Though, after reading the description again, I can certainly appreciate how Beth captured ‘shapeshifting’ in a scent.

 

End of the day and it is still going strong. I fear I will have to place this in the Swap Pile, as I don’t like how the rose is coming out on my skin. It is indeed a lovely, ever-shifting scent, just not for me.

[Aurelius]

A gimp from the lab...

 

Mmm...rose and patchouli. Both of these notes tend to be very strong on my skin, but luckily they behaved. It's actually fairly light on me. Wonderful, calm, and earthy.

[cricketshay]

I think I ordered this scent for the mixture of sandlewood and rose. It sounded like a lovely combination.

 

In the vial I can't really distinguish any notes, but the blend has a soft inviting smell. It's not overpowering. I'm eager to see how this blend works with my chemistry.

 

Wet-I'm getting a soft rose scent, like new roses fresh with the morning dew. My skin usually eats the rose notes in blends. I'm curious to see how this one measures up to past experiences.

 

Dry-Yep, my skin is eating the roses. Darn! What is left is slightly sour and resembles household cleaner. Ick!

[Lady_Ell]

OK, so I had to try this because I used to wear a generic version of this combination of oils from some hippie store back in high school.

 

From BPAL experience, certain rose types amp themselves up on my skin and become soapy, and sandalwood goes straight to powder, and patchouli smells great. Put these together and all these things occur, although not in an unpleasant way. This is a STRONG blend that has throw and persistence. I ended up getting it on the sleeves of my sweatshirt yesterday and today it's still there, smelling much nicer (i.e. like what it's supposed to smell like - no powder, no soap) on my clothes than on me.

 

This has lots of nostalgic appeal, and when I wear it again it'll be applied to my clothing rather than to my body.

[ChupaChup]

I held off trying Rakshasa for a long time because sandalwood usually doesn't work on me, it sucks all the sweetness out of a blend. And patchouli can be a little scary if it's the black variety . But I had good luck with Jezebel, which has sandalwood, and Samhain and Desire, which have black patchouli, so I finally got an imp of Rakshasa. Strangely enough, the sandalwood is the strongest note in this blend on me and I like it . Eventually, a little rose comes out and I could swear there is some orange blossom in here as well. It's a very nice warm, spicy, long-lasting blend. I actually wish the patchouli were a little stronger, I can't pick it out by itself but I assume that is what is adding the warmth and spice to the blend. I don't think I would ever get a bottle of this but I'll enjoy the imp.

[cormeretrix]

i was pleasantly surprised by this one; it was a gift from a friend. she said she was picking out scents that made her think of me, so i suppose it could have been worse! (damned good thing that the lab doesn't make "screeching fishwife", i suppose. of course, i could make it my signature scent...)

 

the spicyness hits me before the roses. is that the sandlewood, perhaps? it's very spicy, but i like it. after a bit, i get a hint of roses, but it's not as overwhelmingly rose as say, moon rose.

 

i'm not sure i'm going to order a big bottle of this, but i do enjoy the ...not musky, but deep, kinda, and nicely not overbearingly floral scent rakshasa has.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

I got an imp of this from tropicalstorm.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This has been on my wishlist for pretty much the whole time I've had a wishlist but I never got around to trying it because of the rose, so I'm curious to see if I'll like it or not (my guess is I won't).

 

First sniff:

 

What the...? I smell oranges for some inexplicable reason. Oranges complete with the skin. Very weird.

 

Wet on skin:

 

I still smell oranges, but now it's oranges and sandalwood with a hint of rose. I have no clue where the orange smell is coming from, but it's weird.

 

Dry down:

 

Citrusy roses. I'd love to know what's in here that smells like oranges because it's almost dead-on accurate and it's really making me wonder. I don't particularly care for this because of the rose, but it's definitely interesting.

 

The bottom line:

 

The rose did me in, but Rakshasa is definitely interesting.