Now Winter Nights Enlarge

[theseagrows]

Shorten those tedious nights with a surge of body heat: vanilla-infused red musk, champaca, petitgrain, ylang ylang, patchouli, nutmeg, honey, galbanum, and traces of caramel.

 

i was hoping i'd amp the vanilla-infused red musk and champaca, but i am getting more of a caramel with a weird sourish scent i've gotten before...reminds me of a "white paper" note in a scent i tried previously. my skin chemistry just doesn't do this justice. in the vial it smells much nicer, even if it's a bit too much nutmeg and caramel for my tastes. i should know to steer clear of caramel, as it tends to dominate blends with my skin chemistry.

[suki]

of my recent order, this was the one i was most excited about. let's see if it measures up to my expectations!

 

 

in the bottle: mostly the caramel. it reminds me of Hearth, but without the pine note that ruined it for me. *crosses fingers*

 

wet on skin: still strong on the carmel but there is something odd that i can't quite place. is it the nutmeg? the galbanum? i can't figure it. it smells a little like old mushrooms. man, i sure hope this resolves in the next phase.

 

dry down: it has stayed the same.

 

in all: i'm more than willing to age this and see how it changes. so many of the notes are pure win on me: the red musk, the vanilla, champaca, patchouli and honey. maybe some of those will come out to play in a month. for now, it'll just have to sit quietly in my box...

 

 

ETA: it's about 20 minutes later and the scent has *totally* changed. now it's the sweet earthy quality of Violin Resin (aka Rosin) and i'm SOOOOO loving it!

 

Edited January 14, 2010 by VioletChaos

[Schmoozy]

 

Unfortunately there is just too much going on in this blend, and it makes my stomach a little uneasy. It;s spicy, it's too sweet, the red musk is too dominant and then the traces of caramel actually turn into buckets of caramel and the whole thing just goes south.

For the most part caramel, honey and red musk are usually doom notes, and this blend they are no exception.

[inkaddict]

Well, this was a total gamble for me, and I mostly decided to give it (and Diable en Boite) a try because I wanted to get more familiar with red musk after discovering it *isn't* bound to turn into sickly sweet head-shop-ish fail on my skin.

I love ylang-yalang, nutmeg, honey and petitgrain, and even though caramel is a note of doom for me I thought I could deal with just a tiny bit of it.

Then the first reviews came in, and it was all CARAMEL! Super caramel on steroids!

 

When I received the imps I had convinced myself my half bottle would go into the swap pile at superspeed.

 

But after the first sniff...this was true caramel.

Yummy deep caramel, not the burnt sugar with a side of rubber I got from, let's say, Red Lantern.

And after the caramel came the red musk, yalang-yalang, patchouli and nutmeg, and....a really, really sexy scent. Spicy sweet and musky and slightly floral, with a dribble of honey, without much change from wet to dry aside from a slight amping of the musk.

A Harem full of stunning (and scantly clad) beauties eating caramelized fruits and honey-covered pastries? A brothel with heavy red velvet drapes and too much perfume in the air?

A bit of both.

 

After sitting for about about a week it became even better, with the red musk gaining strenght (but never that cola-sweet hippy feeling I got from other blends) and the caramel toning down a bit.

Now the first sniff is not pure caramel but a heady mix of caramel and musk, with the caramel more noticeable in the trhow and mostly red musk if I sniff directly from my wrist.

As the reviewer above said: sexy, sticky and gorgeous, and today my half bottle has been joined by a back up

[ImperatrixMundi]

Do you know that kind of disappointment when you read the notes in a blend and everythings is absolutely wonderful and sounds gorgeous until you get to the very last note and it is one of those non-negotiable death notes? "..., and traces of caramel." Argh.

 

Well, I tried it anyways.

 

Traces? Did you say traces? Caramel is pretty much all I can smell. At least in the vial. Once it hits my skin it turns into a mix of burnt sugar and celery. No kidding. Everything else is buried under that caramel avalanche. Damn my chemistry.

[fairnymph]

Deep root beer brownish oil. Super sweet, deep, resiny, musky. I get lots of honey and vanilla and red musk, the caramel and patchouli and galbanum, and a little champaca and ylang-ylang and quite a bit of nutmeg. The florals are deep and languid. And this is more than 'traces' of caramel. Not getting the petitgrain, however.

 

Almost nutty. This reminds me a lot of Snake Oil blends, with the vanilla & red musk & resins. Definitely a dark, earthy patchouli though it's not quite rooty or dirty - not quite. The ylang ylang is a lot stronger and headier on my skin, but the brigthness of the also-amped (though not quite as much) champaca tempers it. Still loads of honey and loads of caramel and this almost makes my teeth ache. The nutmeg is still quite present but playing nice so far.

 

The sweetness is fading really rapidly - this is calming down, smoothing out, and becoming much more unisex. My skin appears to be eating this (literally, can't see the spot where I applied the dark oil). It's hard to pick out notes because everything is so seamlessly blended at this point. I'd say the red musk and resins are in command, but the florals are definitely there too. This reminds me of the NVPR4 drydown!

 

If I didn't know it, I'd never guess there were patchouli at this point, it's been so integrated and lost its distinct earthiness. Also, I can finally detect a little petitgrain, a little spot of slightly sour, citrusy brightness, like a little candle shining in a dark velvet room. The nutmeg has lost its spicy bite, too, and is much gentler. Still plenty of vanilla and yes, red musk, but this is one of the nicest red musk blends I've tried (and I hate red musk).

 

In the end the caramel seems to amp back up, resulting in vanilla-caramel, red musk, soft nutmeg and resins, with a little sour petitgrain and some deep but not overwhelming florals - I imagine these would work well on those who can't normally wear most florals. It's a fantastically well-blended and balanced scent, but too dark, rich, sophisticated and resinous for me. Fantastic throw, and great longevity after initial fading.

[misscoldheart]

I tried this last night...I've quickly come to realize that I like foodier scents more in oil burners than perfumes.

I tried a small test on my hand and it is a nice, warm slightly spicy but sweet scent. After a while the spice comes out more and so does the caramel. It does have a lot of throw and is still slightly detectable today after showering and sleep. Unfortunately, this combo isn't quite right for me, so I think its destined for the swap box.

[naeelah]

The lab has so many of these sexy red musk blends, and they're all a little bit different, so it's awfully hard to predict how they'll turn out on the skin. Some of them I've loved, others I've been very "meh" on.

 

I wore this without looking at the notes. I remember it has red musk, caramel, and patchouli, but the rest was a mystery. Like all caramel blends, initially, the caramel is very strong. With very few exceptions, caramel (as well as almond) tends to burn off almost right away -- at least, on my skin it does. It never completely fades away from this blend, but it balances out very well, so even though I'm not a huge caramel fan, I really enjoy it in this blend.

 

The rest musk is bold and powerful, and it's one of the primary notes, for me. It has neither a latex edge nor a flat Dr. Pepper quality. It's just fabulous. The patchouli is also very strong, on my skin. (It's the fresh and light smelling patchouli as in the Grindhouse ladies.) Bizarrely, I LOVE it. Normally I hate patchouli. And I'm very worried, because any blend with strong patchouli that I like fresh tends to age into something that just ends up smelling like a single note Dirty Hippie. What can I say -- patchouli clings to me. I amp it like it's a pheromone that will get me free Phish tickets. (I don't even like jam bands!)

 

This feels like Snake Charmer's sister, on me. Where Snake Charmer has a dark, smoky resin core, Now Winter Nights has a warm, spicy wood core. I'm surprised to see there are no wood notes in the scent, because this has a very wood-y quality on me. It's earthy without smelling like earth, it that makes any sense. (It must be the combo of patchouli, nutmeg, petitgrain and galbanum.) It's quite different from other scents with earthy roots.

 

I didn't even register that it had champaca, and I don't pick out the honey over the caramel. It's pretty well blended. I can be iffy with petitgrain, but here it seems like it's the magical binding ingredient -- bright and sweet enough to pull in the honey and champaca, but rooted and grainy enough to pull in the patchouli and resin.

 

And this lasted forever. It went pretty strong all day, with none of the notes completely fading away. I fear for the way the patchouli will age, but as it stands, I LOVE this and hope that it will continue to be gorgeous.

[Geminirubyshoes]

Hands down on the sexiest smells I have worn. Bottle worthy, swoon worthy, everything worthy! smoky and sweet like the scent of creme brule being burnt, you know when they hold the flame thingy over it and stuff? ok that's a bad description but its so good I can't think straight.

[zankoku_zen]

Oh lord, this so didn't work out. It was musky cedar and caramel on me. Musky, heavy and just... some things didn't play out well with my skin...

[skylarkza]

In the bottle: SWEET! It smells like concentrated english toffee syrup!

 

Wet: Burnt sugar, caramel and a floral something...

 

Dry: Oh ylang ylang! This is sexy flowers strewn over a wooden table with a box of sweets on it...

 

A while later: This has good throw! It is sweet and sexy. Like honey and crushed flower petals.

[Dark Alice]

There is just something wrong with this scent. One of my most hated notes and one of my most favorite notes have been combined in a perfume and my SKIN HATES IT! The caramel...just comes out and tussels the red musk and everything else to the ground and stomps it into nothing. Then it gets evil. Really evil and just turns into burnt caramel. I can't stand this. It must come off NOW!

[donnatron]

Imp: My old nemesis, caramel, comes out swinging. There is a little red musk underneath it.

 

Wet: CARAMEL! Screaming, loudass caramel. And some patchouli. But mostly caramel.

 

Dry: Huh. The caramel never goes away, per se, but it does STFU after a while. The vanilla/patchouli combo is gorgeous as per usual and the red musk and champaca add a nice sensuality to this. It smells like a perfume concocted by a Victorian perfumer who has never been to the Orient but is trying to evoke the feeling of the Orient. The caramel is lurking behind a really lovely and warm perfume cackling to itself and occasionally sending bursts of grotesque sweetness out. It weaves between being a really beautiful red musk/vanilla/patchouli perfume and being ungodly sweet. It's like a caramel dipped Raven Moon.

 

Throw: Good. There's a lot of caramel, though.

 

Overall: Almost but not quite. Caramel simply does not agree with my skin and if I want to capture that gorgeous red musk/patchouli/vanilla combo, that's what Mme. Moriarty is for.

[heathercaley]

This isn't exactly what I thought it would smell like. It's totally different... but good in its own way.

 

Once applied I get vanilla, wood, caramel, and red musk underneath (oh how I love you red musk). There's also that ylang-ylang poking its head around, and a bit of patchouli that hasn't had a chance to age yet. I have a feeling that this will be amazing in a couple of years.

 

On dry down, it's caramel flavored red musk. 'snot so bad really. I kinda like it.

 

I think that I'm going to have to hunt down a bottle

 

Throw: A strong medium

 

Verdict: Not for popcorn.

[cyanidenoir]

In the bottle: purely nutmeg. On my skin: a lovely, spicy, warming blend of nutmeg, ginger, and musk. There was no caramel for me but this scent is beautiful. It is warm, satisfying and comforting.

This scent reminds me of cuddling up in your home on a winter's night and spending time with family. I love it!

[SophieCedar]

OMG. Never use this but..*humps arm*

 

Seriously, this is pure unghhh. The honey, caramel, and vanilla amp at first, but the nutmeg and musk comes out later in drydown. There's a sweet boozy touch to it as well. Not frangelico strong.. more like aperitif drizzled cake. I attribute this to the ylang ylang and patchouli.. I can tell the champaca is the piece that ties this all together to make it an enigmatic haze of ecstatic sweet joy for me. 10 out of 10. T(this is rare for me, so says a lot...)

[kunoichi]

In the bottle this has the smell of sweet, sugared vanilla and caramel covered nuts! Something like sugared almonds, though the nuts certainly aren't almonds. On my skin, this warms and morphs into a sweet, yet dark, caramel-honey-musk scent which is tempered by the nutty background smell, with just a touch of patchouli; it's a lovely comforting scent that belongs in front of a toasty open fire on a cold winters night. After a few hours all of the warm, comforting and lovely smells take on a very slightly smoky edge. This is a lovely, warming winter perfume.

 

My boyfriend commented that I smelled like maple syrup!

[nekogrrl]

Oh, this scent works so well it's almost scary. The vanilla red musk is the prominent note in this for me, and is supported by the patchouli and ylang ylang. The patchouli and musk keep the ylang ylang, caramel and honey from running away to sugarland. This is so sexy, I love it.

[mxtine]

ETA...I finally got a bottle of this and realized I reviewed it before I realized I LOVE red musk.

 

I've noticed a few comparisons to Red Lantern, which I thought was overpoweringly sweet, buttery and unwearable. This is smoky-sweet carmel and thick golden honey perfectly balanced with red musk, ylang ylang, champaca flower, and patchouli.

Edited October 8, 2010 by mxtine

[wren08]

I have smelled this before! Yes, I have- and I get no caramel at all. It's EXACTLY like the 4-5 year old bottle of Sin I bought from a forumite with about half the throw of that powerful blend.

 

So, on me, Now Winter Nights Enlarge = Whispers of Well Aged Sin. Which, I guess, it should.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Warm, rich, caramel

 

Wet on me - The ylang yland and the patchouli peak out from beneath the caramel

 

Dry on me - A deep resinous scent with hints of the caramel

 

Overall - The scent is a little heavy for me and I would have liked more of the vanilla infused red musk

[angburfield]

This blend is indication that BPAL has scents that you should not write off. This blend was way to much for me a year ago and the caramel note was burnt and a little off. This has aged and maybe I have grown in to the blend as well (or my skin chemistry changed) because this has got to be the SEXIEST smell I have ever smelled. I have only been brave enough to wear this twice and the reaction from people has been "OMG". Only Beth can bottle hot, sticky sex this way: the vanilla red musk (red musk apparently works for me) with the sticky honey and caramel with the nutmeg for a bit of edgt spice in unforgettable. This blend has lost a "off edge" but has matured in to this beyond..there are no words...blend; all the while retaining it's original personality (Stright up sexy, intense, intelligent, well- rounded, sweet, spicy, warm, and a little boho).

[gchris]

at first sniff, the honey, is strong. There is a scent lingering that is somewhat of vinegar, but quickly dissipates. I smell the richness of the red musk. I may be getting some of the vanilla with it but the honey is so strong it is hard to tell. I smell the patchouli but it is very light and has none of the 'dirtiness' usually associated, simply adds to the depth of the blend. The nutmeg is dancing around in the middle of all this and lends a spicy quality that reminds me of cookies with the sweetness of the honey. I don't specifically get any of the other notes. This is very sweet, slightly perfumey and a little foodie.

[porcelina]

in the bottle... all i smell is caramel. the red musk and caramel sort of reminds me of red lantern, which is one of those scents that frustrate me to no end because they should be perfect but the caramel goes all plasticky on me and ruins everything. i am apprehensive.

 

on me... ok, yum. lightly spiced red musk and honey, with earthy patchouli and traces of sticky caramel. it's quite sexy, and honestly i like it, but i'm glad i don't have a full bottle because after a while it just sort of devolves into generic sexy red musk perfume, of which i'm sure i have about a billion.

[subtlesiren]

In the bottle: Chanukkiyah with a dribble of caramel. Slight trace of musk.

 

Wet on wrist: The patchouli is emerging, along with a woodiness. The caramel is fading, not too sad about that.

 

Dry on wrist: There are some scents that, when you put your nose near your skin where you've applied the oil, you feel an actual, physical warmth radiated upwards. This is one of those scents.

 

This scent is as comforting as a warm bath with candles lining the rim of the tub as the only source of light. Or a deep massage on a plush rug in front of the fire.