Mircalla, Countess Karnstein

[Blood onmy hands]

Languid, melancholy fire: red musk, purple orchid, frankincense, smoky vanilla, Styrian herbs, peru balsam, tonka, Zanzibar clove, and patchouli.

In the bottle, this reminds me of Hellhound on my Trail. I get a not-sweet vanilla with smoky frankincense and herbs.

On my skin, it's much the same, except the purple orchid and red musk also come in to join the party. I'm surprised that I'm not amping up the red musk more and that this is rather smoky on me. I also don't get any clove, and I normally amp up spices.

This scent conjures up an image of a woman burning a stack of love letters and not showing any emotion over the act. Her perfume isn't sweet and neither is she. She's wearing a grownup, herbal vanilla with a hint of dark floral and musk, and her hair smells like the smoke from those burning letters.

Mircalla is very smoky on me, and really smells like burning paper. Then I pick up an herbal vanilla that reminds me of Hellhound and hints of dark, womanly perfume. This doesn't smell sensual to me so much as it smells like the scent of a woman that you *really* do not want to mess with, because she will mess you up and leave you bleeding on the floor.

That said, it's really not a 'me' fragrance. I like sweeter scents, and this one is a bit too smoky and bitter for my tastes.

[Hestia]

 

Well, I think I just found my new No. 1 fragrance. Damn LE's...

 

In the bottle- Huh. Very rich. I can't pick out one note really, but it's heady and a little spicy with some incense.

 

Wet- Rush of warm patchouli!!!! I realize that I am catching more than just patchouli, but my brain just says "patchouli" with different adjectives. Warm, Soft, Round, Sweet.

 

Drydown- this doesn't change much for me, just softens and warms up more! I think I am catching the Clove(warm) and tonka and vanilla (sweet) I can't differentiate the red musk, but musk is usually nasty on me, so if it's there and doing it's business quietly, then we are all happy.

 

5 hours later- Still can smell this on my wrists though it doens't have a ton of throw. None do for me, usually though. It has a long staying power for me though, most blends are all skin/sweet/soft within 2-3 hours.

 

Verdict- Sweet Holy Fiery goddess! I only have a decant but I may have to break down and get a bottle before it's gone. This is seriously the best blend I have ever used with my chemistry. I have to remember to actually try the rest of the 'weenies and vamps I got. !!! Yay!

[cuervosueno]

Note to self: YOU DO NOT LIKE RED MUSK!

 

phew! got that out of the way, but could someone remind me of that everytime I'm tempted by a scent with red musk?

 

Because look at all those lovely notes: frankincense, tonka, vanilla, clove, balsam. I love all that, and would very much have enjoyed a scent with those things in them.

 

But I sniff it in the imp: Whoa! Red musk! Still, I've got to try it. I put it on. Red Musk, Red Musk, Red musk (please say this like "redrum redrum redrum" from The Shining). After quite awhile, during which time I resist my urge to either wash it off or cover it with something more appealing (as if that would help!), I sniff my arm, and, yep. RED MUSK. This time with a little bit of clove.

 

Cruel. Very cruel indeed. And not nearly as seductive as Mircalla should be. And I love that story, too.....

[pinkusmaximus]

Love this blend. I suspected I'd like it, based on the notes and my affection for Snake Charmer, Mme. Moriarty, Marianne, and others in the same family, but I didn't expect to love it immediately, and I do. It's more evocative of Snake Charmer than similar to it, but if you like one I imagine you'll like the other.

 

Mircalla manages all at once to be warm and sharp, aggressive and feminine, spicy and sweet. It's definitely a sexy scent and one that's noticeable, but it's not overpowering, and I might consider wearing a light application to work. The spicy clove gives the musk a homey, almost foody innocence and saves it from being an exclusively sexy scent, as Smut is for me. The drydown is an amazing, muted blend of all of the notes, and I'd be hard pressed to say which stage of this scent is my favorite--I like it in all stages.

 

Mircalla is definitely multiple-bottle-worthy, and I can hardly wait to see how she ages--magnificently, I suspect.

[lilacea]

Mmm, delicious. The red musk stops just short of heavy burnt musk on my skin, the other smells there hold it in check enough for it to stand but not overtake the blend. But it is at the forefront, a red musk driven scent. Reminicent of the gorgeous resinous undertones of Schwarzer Mond, it's sexy and seductive. A lovely warm skin loving vanilla, and a slightly sweeter clove make this such a warm and sexy thing to behold. Orchid is normally a huge no go for me, but here, it just lends richness, not overpowers at all, I can barely pick it. It's like a Snake Oil, sans spice. I can imagine aging this into a thing of perfection.

[tartchef]

In the vial, Mircalla reminds me very much of a sort of Scherezade/Red Phoenix hybrid - that unctuous red musk with a bit of sweet spice... I'm bracing myself for a heady, sticky & voluptuous scent, but as usual, Beth's got something far more interesting up her sleeve...

 

On my skin, the clove pops for just a second, and then the orchid & herbs & balsam of Peru chime in - it's a much cooler scent than I was expecting... As usual, my skin's eaten the tonka & vanilla to the point that they're barely discernible, just a faint breath of sweetness in the background. The patchouli is a deep, earthy, very smokey shadow, faintly bitter, and the red musk is strangely oily - I hate to even mention it, but there's a faint eau de cod liver oil about Mircalla It fades quickly, but leaves a definite oily smudge.

 

Little Bird & I are getting a similar vibe from this, I think - lots of smoke, a faint medicinal air, and the impression that Mircalla is not one to be f*cked with.

[astarinel]

I should have known this blend wasn't going to be for me when people started comparing it to Mme Moriarty and Snake Charmer, both of which I find kind of meh. The dark red sexy scents are just not my genre, and I need to remember that. However, while those were just "okay" to me, Mircalla actually went kind of ick on me due to skin chemistry issues.

 

I like red musk, but I tend to prefer it when the background notes are sweeter and brighter. The first thing that hit me about this scent was whoa red musk, reminding me of the red musk in Mme. In the vial I could smell the other notes sort of hovering around the musk, but as soon as it hit my skin, the primary other notes I got were patchouli and clove.

 

Clove and my skin do not play nicely, ever. It makes me a bit sad because I love smelling it on other people, but on my skin it goes very loud and almost bitter, and that's what it's doing here.

 

I actually ended up finding this scent kind of unpleasant on me, which was disappointing. If you have chemistry issues with red musk or clove, this may not be for you, either.

[annanwater]

Man, this one lived up to the hype. It's like Sunbird and Snake Oil had a beautiful, beautiful love child. It's spicy, but doesn't strike me as foodie--like warm red musk and cloves. Absolutely love this blend, and will have to order another bottle before it goes down.

[MeiLin]

In the imp: Dark like whoa. Orchid and patchouli.

 

Wet: Initially the same, but rapidly my skin amps the smoky vanilla (definitely smoky) and clove. Yikes, this is awesome.

 

Dry: The orchid comes back. For some reason, if Kool-aid made an orchid flavor this would be it. I have no idea what that means. I think this stuff might be hallucinatory.

 

This is a nighttime scent. I see vivid purple gloom, which is a contradiction in terms, but hey. Way, way in the back is a melancholy sweet note that keeps the whole thing from over-gothing itself. I think it's the balsam.

 

I'm really torn. Sometimes this stuff is astonishingly good, sometimes it's meh! patchouli funk! We'll see how it dries down further.

 

Further drydown: Up comes the musk, which always amps on me. It's settling into musk, clove, vanilla and patchouli. I don't know how different enough this is to justify an entire bottle, but it is lovely.

Edited September 25, 2009 by MeiLin

[Aldercy]

CLOVE

 

Mircalla, at least wet, just drips bitter clove. The patchouli, red musk and maybe a little frankincense appear after a few minutes, but it's still strong, dark clove. And if it weren't for the clove, this would be almost indistinguishable from Mme. Moriarty.

 

Very powerful and commanding. Blackly spicy. Kind of a don't-fuck-with-me scent. Interesting, but someone else would probably appreciate it more.

[Iceblink]

Red musk, red musk...I do love it so!...and then I smell smoke! How interesting...then the clove and patchouli pop up. This initially does remind me of Mme. Moriarty but that smokiness adds a new dimension so this is darker and not as sweet. A bit unsettling, even. I do like it but I'm going to have to give it some wear before I decide if it's bottle-worthy. Very fitting for Halloween!

[surlygurl]

When ordering decants I passed this one by because red musk & I don't get along. No harm done - or so I thought. When people started comparing it it Mme Moriarty I felt justified; then the comparisons to Snake Charmer came in and I had to get a bottle. So.....

 

In the bottle: Not much of anything. Sort of like Giallo, which I didn't like. But then .......

 

On skin: A cross between Snake Charmer and something brown & spicy, like maybe a touch of Sin or fresh Anne Bonney. Sweetish clove is the main spice. The red musk is a bit player and not the evil that it normally is on my skin.

 

The drydown, which starts almost immediately, sees something fruity come out. It blends with the musk and spice, creating a lush red spicy scent. I really am glad I got a bottle; this is gorgeous!

[crebbsgirl]

All right, this should have been full of win on me. And it wasn't. It was full of fail. And it made me sad. All of the notes should have been awesome, but instead, the red musk amped to smell like dirty feet. (Red musk always works. ALWAYS.) Where is the orchid? Tonka?? Balsam??? Nothing, but stinky feet. My DH actually asked me to wash it off. So so sad.

[zankoku_zen]

Mircalla on me begins with a giant wet slap of red musk. Like aggressively, sensual red musk. Almost like the Red Musk SN. As it dries, I get the barest hint of cloves and vanilla. On the drydown, I get the balsam mixing with the red musk, and that's pretty much it.

 

I get the 'cool' notion that other do, but at the same time, the large doses of red musk make this a very sensual blend.

[kakiphony]

In the imp: The red musk is dominant, but I get a sweet, purple undertone which is probably coming from the orchid and the herbs. Oddly, it reminds me of Tintagel.

 

Wet on skin: Red musk is dominant on my skin, but it always is in a wet application. After a few moments the sweetness starts to rise and I get a a whiff of sweet, high, slightly bitter herbs on the back of my palate. It smells poisonous, but in a way that might trick someone into drinking the poison and think it's just an odd mulling spice. It's deceptive. Spicy, sweet and bitter all at once.

 

Early dry down (10 minutes): The red musk is still mainly dominant in this, but the spices are quickly rising to the surface to join it. The clove is what reminds me of Tintagel I think. It's definitely got a mulled spices sort of vibe mingling with the red musk. It's very sensual and becoming just a bit dry and powdery as it dries. The bitter herbal note is giving way to a crushed/powdered herb note like a medicinal tea (in it's dry form) that has been sweetened with a bit of vanilla. This scent seduces, but also seems like something soporific.

 

Late dry down (45 minutes to an hour): This is definitely a red musk/spice blend on me with just touches of vanilla and a little deepening from tonka. The orchid, which scared me, seems to be pretty non-present or perhaps the have blended so subtly with the herbs that it is more bitter than floral on me. The blend reminds me of Tintagel (the spices), Madame Moriarity (the red musk with vanilla) and Red Lantern (I can't quite pinpoint why, but as it dries this comparison comes more and more to mind -- I suspect it may be the tonka, orchid and the sensual nature of the scent). I rather like this and think I need more of it. Maybe not a whole bottle but a half bottle or some additional decants would probably get worn.

[Jammies]

It starts off as a spicy-sweet clove and cinnamon scent, and then settles down to straight red musk. I need to try it in a scent locket to see if I need a bottle.

[Katherynne]

All right, this should have been full of win on me. And it wasn't. It was full of fail. And it made me sad.

Dude. Same. I am honestly shocked by the fact that I don't like this.

 

On me it smells like anise. And that's all. Wow.

[Schmoozy]

 

Yup there's some red musk inside. But with a bunch of powerhouse notes in it, it sure doesn't amount to much on my skin. I can barely detect balsam, clove and even pacthouli for that matter. It does have an earthy vibe, but seriously it's like my skin ate this the moment it was applied. Hmmm, I am going to have to try this again some other time.

[Cheri]

On me Mircalla smells like a lighter, sweeter Smut. I think my decant will be enough, unless I test it again and find some clove next time. Its nice and seemed to last a while, but I was really looking forward to cloves.

[Venneh]

This smells... I'm not sure. I think I get a kick of herbs and incense smelling it in the bottle. And with a light application, it's the same on my skin. ...And I think it's stinging. The skin on my wrists. That's... not a good sign.

 

EDIT: OW OW F***ITY OW. Yeah. This girl's going bye-bye. Sorry, Mircalla, but you were too intense for me.

Edited October 6, 2009 by Venneh

[theal8r]

In the bottle I thought this would never, ever work. Too dark, too heavy...

 

Wet: the vanilla amps out just enough to cover the plastic-weirdness I usually get with musks. I was surprised the florals didn't jump out and tweak my nose unto sneezing ferociously, but they played nice!

 

Dry down: the musk comes out a bit more, but not offensively. I'm fond of this -- it has a dark, sexy note to it, but it doesn't amp so badly that it makes me self-conscious. I don't like wondering if you can smell me 15 minutes after I've left the room

 

This one I won't wear frequently, but I think I need a bottle (or lots of imps, to fill my sniffie bottle).

[thekittenkat]

In the imp: There's tonka, balsam, frankincense, and red musk.

 

Wet: This is very strong on the red musk, with more than a hint of clove and patch, but there's also the sweetness of vanilla to round it out and up --spicy and a tad sweet, but not overly so on the latter.

 

The dry-down: I'm not sure about the orchid or herbs, but all the other notes are blending into something just sexy, very grown-up, somewhat sensual. I shall put this on when I want to feel elegant.

 

Much later: Something has happened, and it's not good. I think those herbs have made an appearance, or else this is getting overwhelmed by some weird combination in the blend. I'm not sure that I like this anymore. I think that if the herbs and the orchid had been left out, this would have lovely on me. Scent locket may be the only way to go.

 

[wl552]

I can't really break down this wonderful scent by notes, but I can say this has to be one of the most beautiful scents I've smelled in a very long time. I was looking forward to testing it and it was so worth the wait. The Mr. said that if I made him sniff it one more time he was going to take a bite out of my arm. LOL

 

What I think I'm smelling is a soft, sweet floralish feel with the barest wisp of a smoky musk that makes this extremely sexy. Wearing it makes me want to slink, so yeah. Definite for sure bottle purchase... probably two.

[saralaughs]

Mircalla is crazy sexy love. Yes, red musk amps on me in this but the orchid makes it sweet I think. Also, the patchouli and clove hold it down and keep it from going feral on me. It's a really nice, rich red musk blend and reminds me A LOT of Ecstasy of Passion. As I like EofP more, I don't think I'll need Mircalla.

[aquazoo]

Starts sweet and oily. Deep and bloody. This is a hypnotic scent, almost like wine.