Rakshasa

[Teamama]

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

 

Almost colorless oil. Wet, I almost think I smell almonds and oranges, but I'm pretty sure that's patchouli being a trickster. Cinnamon seems to have a small walk on part in Rakshasa, but no lines. By the time it dries, Rose & Sandal are the stars, and they're very sweet. Spicy patchouli warms them up, and keeps things from getting too sedate or powdery. I'm glad I got a bottle.

[Kay Torres]

Patch has been hurting my feelings lately with how offensive it's become to my nose...

 

In the imp this smells beautiful; all woody, spicy rose.

 

Wet: Sandalwood and patchouli. A very strong sandalwood and patchouli.

 

Dry: The sandalwood is gone and I'm left with just patchouli in all its nauseating, headache inspiring glory. I got absolutely no rose from this whatsoever. I tried scrubbing it off with rubbing alcohol and it just ended up spreading the patch smell. Tried hand sanitizer, Cetaphil, lemon Ajax, Dove, Shea butter, kojic acid and in a fit of desperation, I even tried putting Vicks under my nose. It doesn't go away. So, plus one point for being long lasting, I guess. Otherwise, this scent is my worst nightmare.

Edited July 18, 2016 by SunsetKay

[roseus]

This is a very dry and unsweet sandalwood to me. Very woody. I get rose and patchouli behind it, but it's mostly sandalwood. This is really pretty, there is something about it that is just so natural. It feels like something I would wear to the beach.

[lizabelle]

GUH. This is a gorgeous sandalwood, similar to Palmyra's but less resinous and more spicy. There's definitely something fruity in here, although I don't think it's the rose; that's showing up as a soft powdery note on me. Maybe it's just that the sandalwood is so intense that it reads as fruity. I feel like I'm standing in a wooden room (ship's hold?) and I'm sitting on a box of spices, or something. As it starts to dry down there's more rose. It's definitely not a red rose; probably closer to pink or yellow. It's very gentle and soft and continues to be a supporting note to the sandalwood.

 

I can only imagine how gorgeous this will be as it ages. I absolutely must get a bottle.

 

ETA: I spoke too soon! Mere minutes after posting this the rose amped quite a bit. It's now a sweet, spicy pink rose with a rich wood base. Still absolutely gorgeous, but a surprise morpher. I love it in all its stages and may have to hoard it!

Edited January 13, 2017 by lizabelle

[joopjoop]

Wet. Wow that's a lot of patchouli. So very much patchouli. With some sandalwood in the mix too. A few minutes after application the rose emerges and it is really nice, but my hot take is that this is a patchouli scent for patchouli lovers. Did I mention there was patchouli?

 

If you like patchouli and rose, this is the scent for you. It is really well done, but it is a bit much for me. It reminds me of less complex Taurus (minus the jasmine) and while I do like to wear this kind of scent sometimes, I already have a bottle of Taurus that will scratch that itch just fine.

[gloame]

Ooooh. This reminds me of something. Like... I don't want to say "This reminds me of Goo-Gone" because I don't want to come off like it smells like a cleaning product, but... it reminds me of Goo-Gone. In the best way. I know there are no citrus notes listed, but I swear I sniff some. I love the rose here. The patchouli is really rounding it out well. What a unique blend! So glad I got to try it! I think I want a bottle. (And after 10 minutes, the Goo-Gone vibe is totally gone, no worries!)

 

Where I'd wear this: To the botanical gardens

[achildoftime]

Very warm patchouli and sandalwood with a touch of rose. It reminds me of the hippy shops with all the fresh incense and oils. The incense doesn't feel too overwhelming, but the rose is getting stronger. In fact, after 30 minutes of wear I almost exclusively get a slightly powdery rose. I'm a little sad because it was a beautiful sandalwood, it was nice an warm but the rose just took over. Boo.

[Lucchesa]

Rakshasa is mostly bright rose and sandalwood on me; the patch stays in the background. Like Teamama and gloame, I get a citrusy feel when it's wet, and this is one of those roses that keeps threatening to turn sour on me but doesn't quite. It's funny, gloame would wear this to the botanical gardens; I just came home from the botanical gardens. And Trader Joe's. So I guess I'd wear this to the botanical gardens and Trader Joe's. It's a very pleasant daytime scent but doesn't knock my socks off.

[SoundlessEchoes]

In the imp: Sandalwood and roses and... Christmas? I have no idea why this particular combination makes me think Christmas, but it does.

 

Worn: On me, sandalwood is strongest, with patchouli and rose supporting it. It still smells like Christmas. That said, my skin tends to amp up sandalwood, although only part of the time, so it's unpredictable.

 

Long term: As I wear it, the rose gets stronger and grows more even with the sandalwood while the patchouli hangs back behind. At this point, it stops feeling too strongly like Christmas. It's smooth and pleasant. After another hour or two, the rose wisps away, leaving the sandalwood and patchouli, and the patchouli becomes the dominant note, but it's still a very smooth mix. Long term, the sandalwood gains a slightly musty-sharp unpleasant edge, which is something it does on me at erratic intervals, but I'd consider it a very pleasing scent overall.

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: I swear this smells like oranges, with some spice, sandalwood, rose, and patchouli behind the unexpected orange.

 

Wet: Yes, there is an unlisted orange note here as well as some spices. Then, I get the rose and sandalwood, and lastly, the patchouli.

 

Dry: It stays that way for a while, with the citrus calming down over time until it almost disappears. The rose, spices, sandalwood, and patchouli are mainly what I get from this now, with the soft, red rose being quite prominent at first, and the patchouli and sandalwood gaining strength after a few hours.

 

Verdict: I really enjoyed the wet phase of the scent with the unexpected orange! I just wish it had decided to stick around, as I don’t enjoy the dry phase nearly as much. I am glad I got to try it and don’t think I need more of this, but I think I will hang on to the imp and try it in a wax warmer to see if I get that initial scent wafting through my livingroom.