Bordello

[Galatea]

A decadent, deep perfume, lusty and luxuriant. The scent evokes images of velvet-lined Old West cathouses, tightly laced corsets, rustling petticoats and coquettish snarls of pleasure. Bawdy plum with amaretto, burgundy wine and black currant.

 

 

In the Imp: Very sweet. Black cherries?

 

Wet: Wet, sweet, dark plums and currants, with maybe a hint of musk, or vanilla. Must be the almond in the amaretto that smells that way to me.

 

Dry: Still sweet, still smells like cherries to me, still musky. This blend is staying very true from bottle all the way through the wear cycle.

 

Throw: Pretty good, on a scale of 1-10, I'd say it's a 7 or 8.

 

Overall: A very sweet yet sensual oil. Lovely, sexy, slinky, and edible. It's kind of like an alcoholic drink that doesn't taste the least bit alcoholic, but more like a forbidden dessert.

The best part? Eight plus hours and it's still hanging around!

 

Edited July 6, 2006 by Galatea

[edenssixthday]

Bordello - On me, this instantly had the overwhelming scent of Cherry Robitussin cough medicine. Overpoweringly strong and sweet. Reminds me a lot of the discontinued AZW scent called "Cherries Jubilee" -- something I threw away after the first couple of tries. When the Bordello dried down, it left me with a cherry-lollipop-stuck-in-a-sweaty-gym-bag odor. Nope. I don't care for it at all. I am very disappointed because I really thought I was going to like this one based on the BPAL description. Oh well... I'll try again! With BPAL, it seems you win some (and win big!) and you lose some.

[nerdcraft]

in the imp:

Super crazy candy sweet...like an expensive, boozy kind of candy.

 

wet:

This is incredibly sweet, with a slight "perfumy" scent. It's a deep kind of fruity candy, not a bright fresh fruity scent like Titania. Very plummy, like plums soaked in wine.

 

dry:

This dries less sweet. It's a very deep, velvety scent that does remind me a lot of its description. A tiny bit powdery. Overall, Bordello is sweet, loud, heavy, and very aggresively flirty. A fun scent, for sure.

[moon_lemming]

I really like Bordello, which surprised me, as I'm not a big fan of BPAL plum scents. In the imp, Bordello smells like watermelon-strawberry Bubble Yum, super sweet and fruity and heady as hell.

 

When it's on me I smell like watermelon Jolly Ranchers. Scrumptious sweetness. I'm not sure how often I'll reach for it, but it's one of the most fun scents I've smelled in a while.

[Miseraya]

Bordello: Initial impression: Boozy and fruity! Yum! I think I am going to like this one. It's sweet and naughty smelling.

 

On the wrist, wet: More fruity than boozy now, and definitely sexy. The sweetness gets sharper the longer I wear it.

 

Drydown: Almost a bubblegum sweetness now, with no booze at the moment. But still sharper than your typical sweet and fruity. After another 5 minutes, the boozy is making a comeback. This one is morphing quite a lot and quickly!

 

Final analysis: Too sweet for me. Not boozy enough. It's a very pretty scent, but it's not a "me" scent. Off to the swaps.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

impsniff: red candy -- not quite cherry, just that red flavour

 

skinsniff, wet: generic Berry

 

skinsniff, dry: medicine-y, very berrylicious, and sometimes almost bubblegummy. sweet, but not sweet enough.

 

reminds me of the smell of the plastic doll from when i was little... she is no longer scented, sadly, the years have taken their toll... Raspberry Tart, one of Strawberry Shortcake's gang.

[cabinwench]

Bordello was an imp in my very first order. I had doubts about it for about a month, (my notes then just said "plummy, better on drydown, SWEET) then a re-trying has gotten me 10-ml-bottle hooked.

 

The plum...between my first trying and now, I experienced fresh, homemade Damson Plum sorbet--there was that tang of sweet, almost slutty plum, brightened by lemon and ice. This doesn't have a lemon note per se, but other notes (boozy wine? amaretto?) cut the sweetness of the plum like the lemon did in the sorbet, if that makes any sense.

 

The burgundy note is maybe what keeps it from being too much--some tannins at the back of the throat. Keeps the plum/black current from getting too flaccid--the grit of experience in the heart-of-gold Old West hooker.

 

I can see this in winter--berry-wine and amaretto notes, but it is working really well in 90+ degree heat (black-currant/plum wine on ice?) . AND it lasted on the wrists through an hour on lounging in a chlorinated pool, so while the throw may be small, it has staying power.

 

There is some note that says "decadance", reminincent of "New Orleans". Can't quite put my finger on it, though. This is pretty girly/sexy/whorish...probably not a work scent--good for evenings and private lazy Sundays.

 

Someone who likes this would like to savor a small glass of the port that comes in the bottle shaped like a Hershey's Kiss.

[neuilly]

I have to agree with an earlier review that this smelled like the red jolly ranchers at first. The scent actually remains but some of the other notes come out to play (although they stay in the background). I can smell the amaretto in the background which is lovely. Very playful scent, but the jolly rancher part is a bit too dominant for me to completely fall in love with the scent.

[akabob]

In the bottle: I think what I picked up most was the currant. It definitely smelled like a sweet, sticky cherry syrup that had been splashed with liqueur. Sweet, but not childish.

 

Wet: Oh man. The amaretto gives the fruit this awesome, sexual scent to it. I'm picking up the boozy note, but only lightly. I smell mostly currants, plum, and amaretto bleeding through. This has a nice throw...I put barely a dab on and I can smell my self just enough to think I smell darn good.

 

Dry: An hour later I'm in love. The name of the scent is perfect for how it smells on me; I smell like I ate sticky, fruity desserts with my hands and then spilled my port wine on my petticoat. Amazing. This is definitely going on my 5ml to buy list.

 

[Eris]

I never really knew what plum smelled like, so this must be it--kind of a fruity, lush smell. It does remind of the cherry in...what was it, Kyoto maybe? That one didn't work, but I kind of like this one. It definitely has a sexy edge to it, inspiring images of red and purple velvet for me. I'm not sure it's one I'd wear myself (more of a vanilla gal), but it smells divine in an oil heater.

[serenpie]

In the bottle: Sweet, sweet cherries, dusty saloons, wine and boudoirs full of pretty girls

 

Drydown: Not as sweet now, turning into a lovely plum/musk combination. I can definitely start to smell the amaretto.

 

1 hour later: Oh my, I'm want to bathe in this. You could lean in close to someone while wearing this and it would definitely get their attention. Yum. This is SUCH a keeper!

[lilfaerywingz]

In the bottle: dark wine and a tinge of sweet plum

 

On wet: plumplumplum

 

On dry: amaretto and a dash of plum

 

 

I am in love w/this scent!

Edited August 20, 2006 by lilfaerywingz

[Naamah_Darling]

Plum and almond cream dominate this in the bottle. It's fruity, sweet, and syrupy, very female and, yes, blindingly sexy.

 

I'm wary of fruity notes because I typically don't enjoy smelling like hand lotion or candles, but on giving this one a chance it's just lovely. It goes on as a super-sweet mix of wine and plums, with a faint hint of tartness that gives it some distinction. The almond recedes quickly to a background creaminess that keeps the plum wine from smelling too fruity, while not reducing its tastiness in the least. Biteable, edible, pinchable, flushed and eager. If your tastes run to sweet, fruity scents, this girl's a goer.

 

It's a powerfully sweet blend, and it has respectable throw, but the scent itself is not so high-pitched that it's painful. The sweet fruitiness of it verges on the obscene, though; it's an almost artificial scent, it's so potent and vigorous. Blatant, a little tawdry, and very forthcoming about its intentions. It's like a glittery pink jelly sex toy sticking out of a Hello Kitty handbag. "Oh, how cute!" you say, before you can stop yourself. Even though you know what it's for.

 

It's fruit-flavored lip gloss on a 15-year-old girl who has a crush on you. It's being in the department store and unexpectedly stumbling across the brand of body wash your first girlfriend used, and getting a stiffy that alarms the sales clerks. It's cheap novelty perfume on the collarbones of the only girl you wanted to dance with all damn night. It's sloppy kisses and below-the-belt groping while Mandy Moore music plays in the background.

 

There is something relentlessly . . . youthful about this scent, which is what makes it nine kinds of wrong. Whether it's the candylike sweetness or its complete guilelessness, this is the essence of the youthful libido: unsubtle, unrestrained, innocent still, but definitely not pure of body. A nice summary of all that is venal and wanton in girls. And make no mistake: this is a very girly scent.

 

I will note that it has enormous potential to go horribly, horribly awry; this could easily become sickly or cloying on the wrong person, and it does seesaw in between appealingly tasty and alarmingly fake. It's also persistent and long-lasting, so apply with caution. If your chemistry plays nicely with strongly fruity/candylike scents, this one most certainly deserves a try.

 

In a word: tarty!

[gypsybaby1]

I don't get the feeling of a deep and luxuriant perfume... this is all sweetness and light on me.

 

I can't really sniff anything out of the imp, but on the crook of my elbow, something stings for a few minutes.

 

Once dried (and even when wet) I get sweet whiffs of fruit. My first thought was mulberry candles you find in craft stores. I don't get any amaretto nor do I get the tartness of black currant. Or course, my sniffer could be playing nine kinds of havoc with the scents.

 

It's nice in a light way. Now that I know in my head I don't smell like a candle, I feel better about the scent. Perhaps what I'm perceiving as candle is the plum or currant in another form.

 

I'll have to give this another try before I say yay or nay on it.

[copyshopclerk]

Love this! I put it on hours ago and it's one of those "Geez, what smells so good in here? Oh wait, that's me!" scents Fantastic staying power!

 

In the imp: Sweet, fruity, candy-ish almost, berries

 

Wet: Sweet like berries. Something underneath that's not chocolate but a heavy sweetness similar to it - perhaps the amaretto?

 

Dry: Oh this is gorgeous - sweet, ripe plums, dark cherries, currants, spiced wine. And something under that that's reminding me of rich, dark chocolate.

 

Hours later - Amaretto with a dark plum and a couple of dark cherries in the background

 

Bordello is very strong - a tiny dab is plenty! This is beautiful

[Ghost_Light]

In the imp, I thought it smelled like a slightly darker, stronger version of Swank.

 

Putting it on, I became more convinced that this was Swank on Steroids. Huuugely boozy/bubbly. Huuugely sweet. I was kind of grooving on that for the first couple of hours.

 

But after about 2 or 3 hours, the bubbly/boozy died down and the sweet? It just kept getting bigger. And bigger. And bigger...

 

Anyone remember that Calvin and Hobbes cartoon where Hobbes tries Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs for the first time?

 

Yeah, that is an exact portrait of Ghost_Light on Bordello.

 

After about 4 or 5 hours it mellowed down to a pretty fruity scent.

 

At about 6 to 8 hours, I smelled like cotton candy. Luckily my husband thought it smelled like pastries, so he didn't mind it too much.

[Trish]

I nearly ordered a 5ml of this unsniffed, but I was a little doubtful of the amaretto.

 

In the imp: Sweet, juicy berries and wine. Why didn't I get that bottle?!

 

Wet: Sweet, juicy berries, wine and plum. Plum loves me. Why didn't I get that bottle?!

 

Drydown: More of the same, almost dangerously sweet but there's something just stopping it crossing the line. Drinkable and intoxicating. Then the sweetness starts to back off and an almost musky note appears. Why didn't I get that bottle?!

 

Dry: There's the amaretto, just lending a smoothness and creaminess. It's still sweet wine and plum though. Why didn't I get that bottle?!

 

 

This barely changes on me from start to finish which is good! It also lasts a lot longer than I thought it would. This is another that after a few hours I can barely smell it on my wrists, yet I still get occasional wafts around my nose. To me it's more flirty and suggestive than bawdy, not to mention happy. This is also one I can wear year round, not like my other faves that are more suited to the cooler months.

 

Needless to say a 5ml of this is definitely the very first thing I order next time. If I can wait that long!

[Jerre]

Bordello

 

An intensely sweet, “gummy bear” scent that lacks any hint of "sour", as often gummy bears do, and it lasts! I opened the bottle quite a while ago and it still smells like a candy shop in here!

 

Summary: an uber-fruity sweet aroma that's not-for-kids, even though it would make a good Pied Piper’s Perfume! (This is what I imagined Jailbait would be like!)

[Dinerdulcinea]

imp: bubblegum fruit.

 

wet: soapy bubblegum fruit

 

dry: plastic bubblegum fruit.

 

Verdict: tooooo bubblegum on me. Hubby wrinkled nose and said, "ick."

 

Away, away!

[nightbird]

I got this as a frimp in my latest order. something smelled weird in the box and I couldn't figure out what it was. this morning I inspected the four frimps I got and discovered that Bordello had a leaky cap - eek! this is only my second decapitated imp so far (knock on wood).

 

anyway, Bordello smells terrible to me. it's cloying and something in it makes me go "yuck." unfortunately I think I may have gotten a little bit on my clothes this morning while I inspected the imps, so I can smell it every now and then... and now I'm worried that I reek. blah.

[Iceblink]

OMG this is good. It's nothing like I was expecting; I was thinking "boozy" but this is more fruit and cream. And it's STRONG. I have, um, six scents on me right now and this one is the one I keep smelling. And it's stayed very true since I put it on hours ago.

Bottle! Now!

[urbanruralferal]

Perhaps my review will be somewhat tattered this time. I wore this yesterday, and my remembered impressions are not all together in my mind.

 

My first impression of this when wet was of starburst candy, the red variety, I think. Juicy and fruity and sweet! Pleasant enough. Certainly not evocative of a bordello. Only later into the drydown did it pick up sort of a salt scent, just barely there, almost like cucumber, or like the faintest whiff of sea. That certainly would account!

Later still, I smelled honey in it, and something akin to something about Osun, without it really smelling golden.

It faded away to a simple candy scent, faded faded faded...

I will swap this now. Thanks to the lab for the frimp!

[LittleGreyKitten]

Dude. I always kind of blew this scent off. Not sure if it was because the imps I tried were too new, or if I just never spent enough quality time with Bordello, but I got a swap-extra decant of Bordello that obviously had been through many hands and was thus quite aged. OH MY GOD. So so so good! It's deep, creamy, sexy and awesome. The plum is deep, velvety and amazing. There's this wonderful under-scent I can't even describe. Creamy is close. Boozy maybe. Just YUM qualifies.

 

5 out of 5.

[Precis]

Imp: On first sniff, Bordello is delicious and on second, a little bawdy too. This smells like an oil that should be thick, dark, and purple.

 

On, wet: It's juicy and purple and it really is evocative of the cheesy cramped bordellos you see in western movies. It's all juice and no booze or amaretto, though.

 

On, dry: Blahhh it dries to Nerds on me. I'd heard such good things about this one, too.

 

Verdict: Swapping or aging this, I guess.

[RaeiNarcissus]

MMM...... Bordello is a very purple scent.

 

The ammaretto doesn't come out on me, but, the plum and black currant blend witht eh burgandy wine to create a very pleasant scent of fruits and wine. Too bad I have no cheese right now.......

 

Also, this scent works extremly well when paired with Verdandi. It will make you smell like you have a candied apple on your skin.