Decadence

[hypothermya]

Decadence

 

First Impression

 

Yum! Almond booze with a kick! This smells incredibly sexy and really delicious all at once. It also seemed as though there was something thicker in there, although whether it was a buttery rum note or my imagination, I couldn't tell you. Also, if there were spices in there, they weren't terribly strong smelling.

 

Wearing It

 

It's hard to say whether my skin is disappointing me again or if I just sniffed too many perfumes today, but I swear that this scent disappeared the moment it hit my skin. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that it's got the same buttered rum note in Port-Au-Prince and in Perversion -- both of which failed to perform well on my skin. The almond comes out, but that's about it. So...scratch that. But it does smell just delicious out of the bottle. Mmmm...

[dreamwalkblue]

At first: almonds, orange liquor, and vanilla....this smells absolutely delicious, and not in a baking-goods type of way. Yuuum...

 

The cinnamon then quickly jumps in and overpowers the previous three flavors. I end up smelling like a christmas spice candle....I'm hoping that the released version will be a little bit lighter on the cinnamon!

[Shollin]

First sniff: Almond. Orange. Coconut? I can’t wait to see the “ingredients” when Decadence comes out.

 

Wearing: Very bright-sweet almond (or cherry) when wet on my skin. I’m wondering if what I’m smelling is dragon’s blood – the oil has the same reddish tint as the dragon blends, but much lighter. The orange creeps in around it after a moment, adding a lovely juicy tartness. It grew deeper and warmer as it dried, and the final version of this scent seems to be what Seraglio would smell like if you removed the rose and amped up the warmth and slinkiness… fanTASTIC stuff.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Cinnamon, orange, bubblegum, and berries/dragon's blood.

 

On me: Amber or dragon's blood? There's something resin-y, along a definite orange or bergamot note. There's some faint cinnamon as well. I'm not really getting the almond that others have mentioned; the sweetness seems to be coming from dragon's blood.

[summer]

This is so gorgeous. It's everything I hoped that Carnal would be. It's smooth, fruity, sweet, and spicy. Just perfect.

 

I get mostly cherry-orange-cinnamon, with a touch of root-beery vanilla. For some reason, it just settles in perfectly with my skin chemistry and makes me feel warm, yummy, and good about myself.

 

I can't wait to get a big bottle of this.

 

[surf-tormented]

I have a problem with nutty and cinnamon scents. This one smells like baked goods in the vial, but I thought I would try it out anyway. I normally don't like baked good smell.

 

Decadence is another one of those Jack-like perfumes that gives me a headache. It gets really sweet and nutty on me. After a while, I thought it would mellow out, but it started to get stronger, more nutty, more cinnamon, more sugar. Yipes. Then a tidal wave of buttery yet unknown scent.

 

At its best on my skin it smelled like a weak Snake Oil without the spices, with cinnamon mixed in. It faded fast, leaving a honey-ish glow behind. That was ok by me. I never have had to wash a BPAL oil off and I didn't want this to be my first.

 

Note to self: Need to know if that "buttery" scent is a nut oil, coconut or vanilla. I have a feeling some of my bad reactions to these oils comes from fig or nutty based oils.

 

Cinnamon burns my nose and if I apply it to my skin, I brake out sometimes. So off to trade this goes.

 

Overall, I am pretty apathetic to this scent. Not my thing. Too sweet. Too buttery. A lot of the notes I can't stand. Smells like a very buttery spicy fruitcake on me.

Edited January 7, 2005 by Madame Nyx

[pekeana]

In the vial, Decadence is all almond-cherry-orange & spice to my nose. Maybe a touch of something liquor?

 

On me, all I get it almondy-orange spice with a twist of rum.

 

I like this, but it's not outstanding in every way to make me squeal in delight like a little twerp and clamor for a bottle. However, it's far from being unpleasant.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: If one were to have an amaretto drink with a marachino cherry in it, and if one were to drink that drink slowly while conversing with friends in a bar that smells of clove cigarettes, this scent is the experience of eating that boozy sweet cherry. This is a little black dress and red lipstick in a friendly corner bar with a great jazz band. Very smooth.

Wearing: My fiance told me that I smelled like maraschino cherries immediately after I put this on, so my initial sniff has been validated! The heady smoky booziness dissipates almost immediately as it dries, and I do indeed smell like a maraschino cherry for a while. The more this dries, the more I am convinced that it contains a hint of dragon's blood. After a few hours, this has mellowed into a faintly spicy sweetness.

Final Impressions: I cannot wait for this to be released as a regular scent! I shall have a large bottle of it. I shall.

[Serenity]

In the bottle -- LOVELY Almond. Oh my god. Almond. I will love this!

 

On my skin -- This turned into something that reminds me of cinammon red hots, and all the lovely almond has ceased to exist.

 

 

Sadness.

[shelldoo]

OHHHHHH OHHHHHH OHHHHHHH

 

i the vial it smelled of amoretto and citrus

 

wet almonds strong sweet almonds

 

dry: there has to be dragons blood, almonds, citrus(which citrus bergamont? grapefruit? unsure) there is a definite boozy scent, and possibly vanilla. this is simply devie i adore it and can't wait to get a big bottle when i can!

[sun_set_bravely]

Decadence

 

In the bottle: sweet, lemony. Smells like a cleaning product. Very strong. Smells like a hard candy, something like a mix between a Jolly Rancher and something else. Is there a hint of cinnamon underneath this?

 

Wet, on skin: Yuck -- the cleaning product scent is super-strong on me. There is some sort of citric sharpness at the back of my nose when I inhale deeply. Lots of hard candy scent here. It's not very warm scented, as I thought "decadence" would be. Maybe some almond in here, as well as a light touch of orange. At a few minutes, it turns into Home Sweet Home from Yankee Candle.

 

1.5 Hours on skin: Still strong and fruity. For a moment, it smelled like pine, very wintry, but then the scent slipped away from me. I smell one of the undertones of Kali, but I don't know which one. As it settles, I get an almost resin-y scent from it.

 

Drydown: Weird! It has a very similar drydown to Kali. I don't know what note is left. Maybe it's something of the balsam?

 

Conclusion: Although the drydown is fine on me, the start is just too fruity and strong for me.

[closedacct]

This starts out strong almonds, but fades fast. Turns into cinnamon...reminds me of Block Buster. Which is good, but I really am not getting any boozy or vanilla-y whiffs. Oh well, I know of some one who will want this!!

[LupaWulf]

I'm SO in love!

 

Cherries start off with vanilla and maybe a little touch of either almond or rum in the background!!!!!!

 

I wish this one was actully released. *cherishes impling*

 

A yummy food-ish scent. Playful too. Doesn't tickle my nose in a bad way at all.

[darkling]

Decadence strikes me as the heavier version of Bon Vivant.

 

It is rich and red and fruity with a touch of alcohol (perhaps a light red wine or champagne).

 

The fruits are difficult to identify but they are definitely red: cherries, strawberries, raspberries, maybe even passion fruit underneath. The fruits are ripe and juicy and very sweet.

 

This is a decadent and sexy scent.

 

I adore Decadence and hope that it makes its way into the regular collection so I can buy a bottle.

[Julilla Regina]

Out of the vial I smelled maraschino cherries, as well. This really smelled fun and fruity and rich.

 

And then "The Amber Curse". Now it's an almond-y baby powder. Rats.

[anmorata]

In the bottle and wet on my skin: Holy Red Maraschino Cherries! Almonds, too! Oh, this is yummy.

 

Drydown: Spicyness. Hints of fruit and rum punch.

 

Goddess, I love this scent. Please, please PLEASE release it! I don't think I've ever grovelled before now, but this scent is *amazing*.

[violetblue]

I feel very honored to be gifted with this one in my order today.

The strength of it reminds me a bit of the Red Queen when I sniff it from the bottle. I have always loved almondy scents and I love the red hue to this one. I adore the cinnamon peeking out behind the almond scent, with the orange backround. Lovely!

Edited March 14, 2005 by violetblue

[tempete]

Unfortunately, my skin likes to amp up cinnamon, as Decadence amply demonstrates. I smelled like a cinnamon cookie from start to finish, except for one phase where a weird plasticky note emerged for a while (but then became engulfed in the cinnamon tide). I'm glad that I got to try this scent before its release, because I know not to buy it when it becomes available.

Edited March 21, 2005 by tempete

[Pixie-elf]

Decadence

 

In the Vial: Limey Almonds I think...

 

Wet: Lime with a little bit of Amaretto or Almonds... Nice.

 

Dry: Lime. Lots of Lime and Almonds / Amaretto is pretty much all I get!

 

Conclusion: While it's nice, it's not for me... though if you like Lime I'd reccomend it It's going to swaps for now!

[Sheila]

Thank you, lab, so much for this giftimp! I feel honored to try it. I love you guys.

 

It's been fun to read everyone's reviews--they're all so different!

 

In the bottle, I smell orange tootsie roll pops (like Black Phoenix smells like cherry tootsies). Sweet and orange--yum! On, it smells like orange liqueur. Then it smells like a chocolate orange. Then it smells like a spiced orange--is that clove? Then it's gone. An hour later, and I can barely smell the last traces on my skin if I press my nose into my arm (however--TMI alert!--this may be a PMS thing. I'll try it again in a week or two). I never smelled any almond or cinnamon (which is good--I don't usually like either). What I can (barely) smell, though, is a slightly incensey orange--the orange version of Black Phoenix. This is very yummy, and those who love foody scents are going to go nuts when/if this is released.

 

Edit: me can spell.

Edited April 15, 2005 by Sheila

[Falathwen]

This was a gift from the lab. I felt especially curious about this imp since it is an unreleased blend.

When wet, sweet orange and almond jumped out at me for a few moments, then faded back. There was a light spicy sweetness, like the cinnamon in Chimera that came forward as it dried down. This definitely reminded me of an orange spice tea I enjoy drinking…and some almond cookies.

Unfortunately, my skin ate this up about as quickly as I would eat that snack, so if wear this I will put some on my clothes or reapply fairly often.

[subbes]

I got this imp from eBay, from a kind Canadian who I suspect is on this forum. Hello, if you are! I bid first on the lot for High John, and then read the reviews of Decadence and that turned into my reason for driving the bids ever higher because oh, orange spices. I'm bad. And I was always thinking in the back of my mind "well, if it doesn't work with your chemistry, unreleased scents means extra demand when you swap or sell, or you could give it to mother, she likes almonds." Bad girl.

 

 

In The Bottle & On The Wand: Marzipan. Definitely that almond marzipan.

 

First Application (3:23PM): Marzipan. Oh gods, why did I want this so much? I hate almond.

 

Drying down: Oooh, there's orange. Orange marzipan. Wait, the marzipan's right at the back, now. This is mostly orange. Sharp orange, with a 'candy' feel. Is that... is that cinnamon? It doesn't have the nose-bite of cinnamon, but it has the back of the tongue spice feel. Some powder, too? The orange is dying down into a spiced-orange combination... and, oh, another wave of marzipan. Now I'm smelling mulled wine. Not so much the cloves, but the rest of the scents. Mellow cinnamon and nutmeg, maybe? I don't know what goes into mulled wine. Definitely an orange in there, but it's an orange bobbing in a vat of rich alcohol, not the candy Terry's Chocolate Orange orange. Spiced orange warm alcoholic drinks. In a big warm room full of other people. I'm reminded of a Christmas party when I was twelve, everyone drinking mulled wine and talking to one another, and me feeling very special to be the only kid allowed with the adults.

 

T+5: Spiced orange. Alcohol. I had a kit of "mulled wine spices" one Christmas, and it's those spices. There's a little almond at the back, but amazingly, it isn't annoying me (I hate almond, you can tell). Doesn't have much throw, I should apply more so I can smell it.

 

I'm applying more. To my other [L] wrist. Thank goodness the almond vanishes within minutes of application!

 

 

T+12: Why am I having to shove my nose hard against my [R] wrist to smell this? Not fair!

 

T+14: Oh, there it is. Don't scare me like that! The spices that hit me at +5 seem to be moving back away, and... is that vanilla in the spices? Waving it's little bean-pod hands at me? Hello vanilla! Comparing with the other wrist, that's 10 minutes behind -- definitely smells more mellow. The crisp orange has gone, now it's dried orange peel on top of a load of spices. Almost spiced cider spices (the US incantation of "cider," not the Woodpecker Cider in the 2L bottles that Year 7 kids drink in tracksuits instead of going to school), but not apple cider but orange cider. Even though it isn't cider if it's not apple.

 

T+20: Now it smells like a Lush soap I had (Red Rooster), but with more boozy tones. I hoarded that soap so hard. It smelt so good so I never used it. I'm the same way with candles. Turns out the Lush store has Red Rooster (I thought they discontinued it) -- Decadence would be very good for layering with it.

Wrist L still has bits of almond in the scenting. Die, almond, die.

 

T+23: Oh, hello almond. You saw Wrist L had almond, and you wanted to come say hi. Go away. both of you. Don't ruin this.

 

T+26: Both almonds ran away when I glowered nasally at them. Throw seems a litle bigger; I don't have to press my nose so close. Still not huge throw, which is sad, because everyone should smell this.

 

T+33: The spices are getting more mellow, if that's possible! The drink with the spices and the orange seems red to me. Berry-red? Berries aren't very obvious in this, but try to ignore the orange, and there's something red-black-purple in there. Blackberry, maybe. No real cloves yet, but something behind the berries (is that even possible? The berries are so faint!) is making me think of a pack of Djarum specials (not the Blacks, the Specials with the brown wrapping) freshly opened. The filter ends. It's making me want one.

 

T+50: Definite Djarum Specials, and the orange is back in front. I must make clear that these changes are somewhat subtle -- not like the dramatic disappearance of the almond. It's more like the notes are all there, but some of them step forwards from time to time. I'm noticing them because I'm so enamoured of this scent that I keep sniffing at my wrist. Oh, the cigarettes have stepped back into the mix again.

 

 

T+1 hour: Seems to have settled into a lasting scent. I must say, I really do love the way that different scents pop out at different times through the first hour. Doesn't have much throw, though, so I may have to slather this one repeatedly in order to get any real lasting smell effects. Wicked, my first imp experiment, has permanently warped my sense of throw. I now want everything to throw as far as Wicked did.

 

Many many layers on this one, all moving around in the nose. Orange, mulled wine spices, some sort of berry-ish alcohol, and clove-cigarettes. Yummy.

 

 

Final Verdict: Beth, please please release this so I can get a big huge 10ml bottle!

 

Actually, that makes me wonder. What would aging Decadence do? I'm thinking it would enhance the boozes and spices and the citrus would fade. Maybe we'd be back to Port au Prince or some other spicy boozy scent, or maybe Snake Oil with less incense. Whiiiiiiich.. makes me think I should get some Port Au Prince and find an orange single note, and see if combining the two would be a way to fake Decadence. I'm serious, yo. I want this scent in my hot little hands.

 

ADDED May 11:

 

I can pick up something powdery and somewhat floral. Probably dragon's blood, since it tends to go powdery-floral on my skin.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have to disagree on the dragon's blood (sorry), because dragon's blood is a note I can't wear in any blend without the "I'm gonna barf" feeling, and I can definitely wear Decadence.

 

I wore it again the other day, and the almond seems to be hanging around a little longer during the drydown. Even so, it's still a fabulous scent -- the spices are coming forwards more in the older imp I got a hold of, as the citrus ages (and fades) so it's turning into more of a rummy spicy scent. Not Snake Oil spicy, but Xmas spicy.

 

I'm still not sure on that 'berry' note -- I couldn't seem to smell it at all the last time I wore Decadence. Was it just a figment, tied in to my visual of what the scent was?

[Ishtar]

Decadence got such unanimous rave reviews that I was very much looking forward to trying it. Thank you Lab!

 

In the vial, this smelled like your typical almondy/spicy BPAL: very similar to Eclipse, with a hint of Three Witches for the cinnamon.

After applying, the almond immediately morphed into a fruity scent. At first, out of habit, my nose thought "Oh, this is the old almond-morphs-into-cherry trick once again!", but after sniffing my wrist more carefully, it turns out that it is orange that I am smelling. Interesting.

After a few minutes, a definite booze smell comes out of nowhere and the cinnamon note gets stronger. This is all becoming very mulled wine-esque, but in a lighter and fresher way than, say, Tintagel. Festive but not Christmassy.

 

Half an hour into drydown, probably exhausted by such a busy first stage, Decadence decides to settle down and turns into Black Phoenix-Lite, minus the cherry. It also reminds me of a Lush product that I used to get fairly regularly, but the name escapes me. I will edit if I can remember what it is.

 

Although Decadence did not really enthrall me the way I hoped it would, it is a very enjoyable scent. I think it would also be a good introduction to BPAL for people who are new to it (provided that they like foody scents), as it has that "quintessential BPAL smell" to it. If it is released, I think it has the potential to become a classic

Edited May 10, 2005 by Ishtar

[ismene]

Initially this smells like a cherry phosphate, if anyone else knows what that is. (I'm craving one right now, which is a shame since in my entire life I've only found two places that know how to make one.) After an hour or so, the cherry begins to fade and I can pick up something powdery and somewhat floral. Probably dragon's blood, since it tends to go powdery-floral on my skin.

 

Decadence is a red scent similar to Red Moon and The Living Flame. They're all pretty good, but they smell so similar on me I'm trying to convince my pack-rat side I don't need to keep them all.

[wickedgoddess]

Origins - Imp received in a swap

 

This imp leaked in shipping. I was going to wait to test it tomorrow, but it is sitting on my desk and I can smell it. At first I get almonds, but then I smell cherry, oranges, clove, cinnamon, and honey. Oh godddess, this one's calling my name! Must try it now!

 

Wet - cherry-almond.

 

Dry - luckily the cherry-almond fades quuickly into spicy orange honey. Most of the BPAL oils with honey haven't worked on me for one reason or another, but on this the honey is coming through strong, and I love honey! It smells like an orange clove ball sitting in a dish of honey.

 

After about half an hour it's turned into fruit punch, with a little bit of rum. This is a near miss; I could have loved the orange spice version of this, but it's too fruity/foody for me the rest of the time.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 3.