Prurience

[lahdeedah]

An unwholesome scent. A craving, an itch. This scent smoulders with a lust that singes the edge of your nerves and leaves your soul chilled: red amber and scorched musk with voluptuous carnation, charred vetiver, sensuous tonka, and orris.

The lab must have been on a vetiver and woods kick; with my last order I was frimped Prurience, Little Wooden Doll and Rumplestilzchen. I thought I liked vetiver, but Prurience in the vial was overpoweringly black and charred to me. Nasty, and definitely unwholesome. That's not something I care to smell like (well, not usually). Nonetheless, armed with some positive reviews here, I finally sucked it up and skin tested it today as I didn't have anywhere important to be.

On wet, there's a short phase of ewww.... bonfire/charcoal briquets. Not looking good. But it calms down after twenty minutes or so, and then sweetness of the tonka and orris and the spice of carnation (I think) emerge. What the what? I got none of these in the vial, but I'm glad they showed up and the vetiver decided to chill out. In terms of wear: it's hours later and the scent's still going strong on my wrists, but the throw has been minimal throughout.

Overall, I doubt I'd go for a bottle of this, but I might keep the imp around and see how that vetiver ages. It's an interesting change of pace, that's for sure.

[surf-tormented]

In imp: No strong impression, just spicy

On skin: At first this smells like dark chocolate on me. Later on, it really smells like a lot of other oils I have tried in the same grouping, like Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller or Mircalla, Countess Karnstein, where the patchouli becomes the final note at the end. Except this blend doesn't have patchouli in it, but it really smells that way to me.

 

It's good, I just think I've smelled it before. Disappears within an hour on my skin. A little bit disappointing but might work on someone better with a different skin type. I have pale dry skin.

Edited February 18, 2010 by Madame Nyx

[RhinestoneHousewife]

A frimp of this has broken just a bit to so that it wasn't saveable but I wanted to give it a shot before I tossed it.

 

In the imp: Ew...just ew. It smelled like burned, smokey urine.

 

On the skin: Same but morphed into a medicinal smell. I got a bit nauseous and had to wash it off.

 

Verdict: Definitely not for me.

[hkhm]

imp: sweet, creamy vetiver.

 

wet: this is a very even mix of tonka and vetiver. the vetiver is very sweet while the tonka is creamy.

 

dry: once dry, this is a light mix of tonka and orris with a beautiful backnote of vetiver. i never once got carnation from this blend but perhaps it's what's keeping the overall sweetness of this blend.

[Lethran]

In bottle: this is full of death notes, so I’m not skin testing. The charred vetiver and tonka are strongest here. This gives the impression of a scorched devastated landscape with creepy musk. Not my thing, but as charred scents go, it’s kind of cool.

[skudge]

In the (fr)imp: The amber jumped out at me the most, then a bit of vetiver, which I haven't had good experiences with so far. To be honest I have never smelled most of the other things in this, so I don't know what I am smelling.

 

Wet: Smelled purely of amber.

 

Dry: Really burnt, smoky smell, but there is something sweet and powdery underneath. Surprisingly, I kind of like it.

[Dharklady]

In bottle: Scorched and charred are good adjectives for this. Smells likes something musky and floral lit on fire and this is the remains.

Wet: Okay the burned smell is present but more of a background haze. I'm not super familiar with the separate smells of most of the notes, but it's much more mellow then in the bottle. Leaning towards the amber/musk and darker notes then the light florals.

Dry: The haze is gone leaving behind a complex amber/musk concoction. It is much lighter then I thought it would be.

Notes: Definitely a unisex scent, for me anyways. It's got a hint of bite and could work well for someone not keen on florals and into the bpal musk or vetiver notes.

 

[FelicityTwitchell]

Wet: dirty potatoes, floral

 

Dry: slightly sweet and slightly soapy dirty potatoes, mostly soap and dirt

 

Verdict: I'm wondering if vetiver smells like potatoes to me

 

[filigree_shadow]

Goodness. Urine, potatoes, and stank. Maybe I shouldn't have read through the reviews before I put this on!

 

Ha, it's okay, though, because it smells nothing like that on me. Vetiver is usually my friend -- a lot of you guys got lucky and can wear chocolate and cream and honey notes. I can't. They smell like plastic or play-doh on me. Vetiver, though? Yep. I can do that one.

 

This is not the dank musty thick kind of vetiver, it's the dry reedy kind. I'm having trouble putting my finger on what else I'm smelling in this. It's sweet -- I was looking for some sort of fruit in the notes and was surprised that there isn't one. The musk and tonka are nice with this vetiver, they keep it from being too dry and give it a deepness. I can't seem to lose that sweet note, though. This almost smells like vetiver-flavored candy on my skin. It's a little strange.

 

I don't object to this scent at all, but I really only need a couple of vetiver scents and I already have some other ones I like better than this one.

[SophieCedar]

Wet: red amber, the "scorched" musk, vetivert, and tonka are what I can smell first. Carnation comes out quickly. It's creamy, not sharp. Ooh I like unwholesome! Hahahah!

Drydown: this continues to get creamier and the amber becomes more prominent. It's now a smoky amber, tonka, carnation and orris mix with a touch of charred vetivert in the background. Either my nose adjusts to this quickly or it fades fast. Either way, this is a short ride.

[Suu4LC]

SO much of this sounds good-amber, musk, carnation...but vetiver is SUCH a doom note on me. In the imp, ALL I smell is vetiver. It overpowers all of the other notes.

 

Same on my skin. All I get is the charred vetiver note. NOTHING else.

 

Same on full drydown. On me, unfortunately, this was just straight vetiver To the swaps pile you go, little imp.

[Rouge]

In the vial - Woah. All vetiver, all the time!

 

Wet on the skin - Still almost nothing but vetiver, with a tiny hint of musk behind it. It's dark and licquorice-like and a little too masculine for my tastes.

 

Next stages and dry down - While I can see the slight resemblance to Snake Oil (one of my fvourite scents), ultimately there's too much dark vetiver for me to want to keep this. It's totally crowding out the other notes. Off to the swaps box with you, Prurience!

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: Oh god. Yuck. Vetiver.

 

Wet on Skin: Nothing but vetiver. I really despise vetiver. 'Charred/scorched' notes tend to hate me too. This is coming off. Even if it is amazing later, I don't think I'd be able to get past the evil vetiver stage.

 

Other Thoughts: I love amber, carnation and orris. After reading through reviews, I think this might be worth keeping around for a (long) while to see if the vetiver calms down. There have been a few vetiver blends that I couldn't even stand opening while fresh, but had some potential after 6 to 12 months of aging.

 

For now, Prurience earns a 1/5 on my skin.

[puddingirl]

I am recovering from a cold so my nose may not be up to scratch. Frimp. From first sniff I knew this had vertiver in it. I loathe vertiver, it ruins perfectly good blends and turnes them into a bitter smokey green mess. I'll test this anyway just to say I have. I think I can just about pick out carnation under the vertiver. Ths vertiver isn't as harsh as others I have tried, but it's still not for me.

[Ella LaRose]

I really dont like vetiver so I didn't like this one.

[Helas]

I'm getting to the point where I have a lot of blends of my favourite notes - vetiver, vanilla, leather, sea moss - and so blends that may have enthused me at the beginning of my BPAL journey just rate a "meh" today. Prurience is one of those mildly disappointing middle-of-the-road blends on me. I get a soft and fairly low-key vetiver and some dry tonka that reins in the exuberant greenness of the vetiver and adds a bit of sweetness. The carnation has a pleasant peppery bite and revives my interest a bit, but as the scent dries down a tinny, metallic, vaguely raspberry-like scent that I have begun to associate with orris emerges and kills any remaining positive feelings. Overall Prurience makes me think of a weaker, dryer, less interesting version of Love's Torments. I have plenty of that one and therefore do not need Prurience.

 

Two out of five stars.

[Diva Urd]

In the vial: Ohh yeah, this has a vetiver punch. There is a musky freshness to it, as well, but vetiver is front and center in the vial.

 

On: Vetiver. Strong, overpowering, pretty much single note. I was hoping the other notes would calm it down a bit on me, but no, at least at first, this is VETIVER! Upon drydown, I get hints of the other notes, but vetiver punches them all into submission like the resident schoolyard bully.

 

Later: Vetiver with undefinable sweetness on top. If I want somewhat powdery-sweet vetiver that works a lot better on me, I'll grab "Van Van." This goes up for swaps.

[halation]

I was kindly frimped this, but when I first sniffed it all I got was... filbert. Sour, sharp, slightly-over-roasted filbert. It smelled like the taste of those nuts everyone eats around in cans of mixed nuts.

 

But then yesterday, going through the box, I was curious, so I decided to give it a try. Indeed, while wet, it still smells unpleasantly sharp and nutty, but the drydown is rich and dark and surprisingly like the LE Death of Autumn, which I love. The carnation is spicier and not quite as deep and elegant as the chrysanthemum in DoA, and it doesn't have the oud, and the throw is lower, but it's not half-bad as a GC equivalent, and I'm surprised it doesn't get more love. I guess the vetiver scares people off. My frimp is a bit aged, but the vetiver doesn't entirely overwhelm: the amber is deep and doesn't turn to powder on me (a rarity!), the musk and orris add depth and richness, and the tonka does a lot to tame the vetiver and sweeten the blend.

 

I do wish it had a bit more throw, and that it lasted longer, but I rather like it in the end. I don't want to take a bath in the stuff, the way I do with Death of Autumn, but now I'm not quite so afraid of finishing off my half-bottle.

[WidgetAlley]

Imp: Holy crap vetiver, deep and dark and swampy, and a charred smell like burned marsh grass. Wow! That's some heavy dark stuff right there.

 

Wet: Uh.... popcorn? Wait, no. Now it's something different. A clear carnation laid over the deepest, darkest, ashiest vetiver of all time. There's kind of a nut smell too, I think that's what was giving me the popcorn. No musk, tonka, orris, or amber yet.

 

Dry: This softens and sweetens considerably as it dries, letting the amber, musk, and lovely tonka come out to play. The carnation gives a lovely, floral-peppery bite to the whole thing. Unfortunately, my two nemeses, orris and vetiver, are still there, stomping on the other partygoers. Ultimately this one's a little too harsh for me, but I'm glad I tried it.

[jkfagtongpun]

Reading other posts, I, too, share the vetiver experience!

 

In the imp it is full on vetiver, nothing else. I have a love-hate relationship with vetiver.

 

On wet, it's still vetiver but the amber does come through a little.

 

At first, I thought I was losing my mind and had too many pink ladies last night but seriously, this smelled just like Atlas on me, just a bit more smoky and bitter. After some research, khus is a wild Indian variety of vetiver! Aha!

 

Drydown, it fades, the vetiver is still top dog but it is sweetened just a touch by the tonka.

 

Overall, I prefer Atlas with the sweeter mallow and wood feel. Prurience is just too much vetiver for me.

[AmyO'Shields]

Ah Prurience! This was a frimp in my last Lab order (thank you Lab!) and I decided to try it out today because the oil is a bright red...like Dragon's Blood red.

 

I had no clue what the notes were the first time I applied this morning...and I really liked it. I guessed there was Carnation, Red Musk, maybe Saffron and a bit of Patchouli in it...after 20 minutes it reminded me of a cross between Snake Oil and Morocco! Lovely!

 

Then, I came here and saw the notes...I was happy I guessed somewhat close, but I was very surprised about the Vetiver...I hate Vetiver (except in The Balcony where it is absolutely lovely) and I really like the juice in this imp. I'm hoping that there isn't a huge batch variation or something. I'm not ready to buy a bottle at this point, but I know I would love one in the future. The second time I applied (after I looked at the notes) I got the Vetiver, but it disappeared within 10 minutes. The longer I have this on, the creamier it gets. I really like this one... 8/10

[mimieux]

I really like this one. The longer it ages, the better it gets, too. Plus, I am one of the rare fans of vetiver. But, this is creamy and sexy, but has a bit of edge. Like a little black dress with your most eclectic jewelry and fuck me heels. And it lasts and lasts. Great throw, too.

[rhubarb3point14]

I had a few moments of real unhappiness with this one while it was wet, because it smelled like PEANUT BUTTER.

 

But when it calmed down, it became rich, spicy, vaguely aquatic (!?) and maybe a tad smoky. Really pleasant on me. I like it a lot -- my only complaint is that it blends in with my skin a little too much. At times, I can barely smell it.

[Balame]

I get the "scorched and charred" sensation right off the bat. Not pleasant. There's a juicy red musk behind the ashes, with a rich and sweet carnation wafting around. It's an unusual combo, simultaneously repulsing and attracting me (good for its namesake, I suppose).

 

As the burning note dies down it morphs into Tiger Balm. YES, almost exactly. Sweet, spicy and powdery all at once. The warm scent of muscles being eased under a heating patch. So very strange to find in a perfume.

 

I really love vetiver, but with it being it in its ashy/dry form here along with the weird musk and floofy carnation, it's not at its finest. It almost becomes candy-ish the longer it dries, which is definitely not for me. Bummer.

 

*edit* I feel like I should add, for the numerous BPALites out there who dislike vetiver, that you may actually dig this scent. Don't let my lack of enjoyment throw you off, because it was actually the sweetness near the end that turned me off, not the "burn." The vet in this actually falls way back amongst the notes within about 15 minutes. Try and outlast it to see if you like the drydown.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Balame

[JazzieCazzie]

Purchased this during one of my "let's make a list of scents I want to try and buy a bunch of imp ears from the Lab" buy but not the most recent one, so not quite sure how long I've had this. Working my wait through all of my BPAL scents to sort through and create a comprehensive swaplist AND wishlist. I know I've tried this but couldn't really remember what I thought so it was sort of "new again to me."

 

IN THE IMP: Surprisingly foody. The first word that came to mind in terms of a description was "velvety." Kind of sharp and red and spicy.

 

Dabbed on wrist and into crook of arm. Despite my description of it as "red," it leaves a distinctly amber-colored sheen kind of like medicine.

 

WET: Interesting that I used word "velvety" because, upon application, it reminds me SO much of Velvet. Despite the apparent lack of foody notes, to me it is very foody. It's like Velvet with red amber. Rich, spicy, creamy.

 

DRYDOWN: Probably not that surprisingly, this is where the listed notes become more predominant and it goes more powdery and resiny. I'm surprised not to see myrrh because I am getting a little of that as well. I can definitely note the amber, but find that red amber does not have the same "comfort note" I get from golden amber.

 

OVERALL: I like this a lot. It morphs a lot on me from wet to dry, but both scents work for me. It wouldn't be an every-day scent for me, but whereas I considered putting it into the swap box because I do indeed have other scents that are similar and probably preferable, I will keep it in the keeper box because I really DO like it and you never know (however, it's that kind of on-the-bubble scent that, if I saw it on the ISO list of someone who had something I wanted, I wouldn't hesitate to offer it up in a swap).

 

On a scale of 1-5, about a 4+.