Siren

[TheDarkMother]

Bewitching, tantalizing and dangerously seductive. A thrilling, exotic blend -- deceptively sweet, but spiked with malice. White ginger, jasmine, and a touch of vanilla and apricot.

In the Bottle: Siren is thick ginger with that ooey gooey vanilla smell, the kind that you just think of a vanilla bar.

On Me: The spricot comes out a little stonger now, and it is the same apricot that's in the Aprocot imp, a dried chewey apricot smell. Added to the tangy sweet ginger and the thick vanilla, its simply gorgeous. The ginger is so potent that it reminds me of the ginger slices that you get with sushi. Mmmm....sushi. Suddenly my over depessed self is hungry again. I haven't eaten in a few days, so this is really a blessing in diguise.

I am in love with this one. I'm gonna start slathering!

[stardreamer]

On first sniff: light and fruity, nice. After a few minutes: coconut?! That didn't last, and I *really* like the way this scent settles on me. Unfortunately, R. says it makes his eyes water -- an effect which didn't fade as the scent did, and is probably the jasmine. This is the first time we've been seriously in opposition over one of these. I'm not sure I can bring myself to get rid of it, but I won't order more. I can wear it on days when he's going to be out of town, or busy elsewhere.

 

Given that I liked this and March Hare, I suspect that apricot is a good component for me. Dammit, I just ordered 5 single notes last night because they're going away; looks like I'm going to have to place a second order.

 

ETA, the next day: I tried to wash this off before bed last night. Even after a scrub, I could still smell it faintly. On me at least, it has Super Staying Power!

 

Edit again, after wearing it several more times and comparing it with March Hare. This is rapidly becoming one of my favorite scents, although I have to be careful and not use it when R. and I are going to be running around in the car all day. I think it's the jasmine that gives it a little extra "zing" that March Hare lacks. The staying power continues to be superb, and if a little gets onto my T-shirt I can still smell it days later!

Edited September 29, 2005 by Shollin

[Ishtar]

In the vial, Siren smelled like an unlikely combination of acrid sharpness and tropical creaminess. Odd, but promising.

 

Unfortunately, it went really cloying as soon as it touched my skin. I think that, more than the vanilla, it is actually the ginger that makes it so heady and almost a little sickening to my nose. It is too bad, because the underlying notes of vanilla and jasmine are really nice.

 

I might keep it for fragrance crafting, but it will more likely be a swap.

[Falathwen]

Wet: This was surprisingly fruity and sweet at first sniff, almost like a cough syrup. Fortunately, it dried down rather quickly. I could immediately pick out the vanilla and jasmine, but was searching for the ginger. After looking at the reviews, I decided to try a sniff test and went out to the kitchen to cut a piece of fresh ginger root. Yes…that is definitely the scent underneath the others. It was interesting to me that I could not pick it out, because I had thought I "knew" the scent of ginger.

Unfortunately, while I adore each of the notes in this blend individually, they were overpoweringly sweet on me all together. I will find a good home for this one.

[Murron]

First sniff: I smell something similar to orange, that will probably be the apricot.

 

A few hours later: The apricot starts to fade a way a bit, and some other notes come forward, but I can't pick wich...

 

Final stage: The apricot has left and now I can smell a mix of vanilla and ginger (I think )

 

I am still a bit undecided about Siren, but I think I will use up the imp....

[goddessrobyn]

I got this as part of a WONDERFUL swap faerie gift... and it is full of notes I LOVE!!! vanilla... ginger...

mmmmm...

unfortunately... those are apparently blended with notes that smell like incense leftovers on me...

 

I so wanted to love this... but after 10 minutes... powder... smokey powder... but powder...

 

But... cest la vie

[leapylees]

I got this as a freebie. It's something I wouldn't have ordered myself. Unfortunately, I really do not like this at all. It smelt sharp but sweet in the vial and on it's just too sickly and foodie for me. The apricot and vanilla overpower the jasmine whch is only detectable by sniffing quite hard, and the ginger isn't there at all. Maybe I have odd skin chemistry. One for the swaps pile.

 

I may change my mind in a few hours once it starts to change, but first impressions really aren't good.

Edited November 28, 2004 by leapylees

[spaceprostitute]

In the vial it's sharp, reminds me almost of orange blossom. On my skin, it's a bit biting, with an underlying sweetness to it. But then it dries down. And first I thought I was going crazy when it started to smell sort of coconutty, like a creamy, buttery cookie with a tiny bit of unsweetened coconut. It's not a bad smell, but I personally despise most scents that smell like baked goods. It makes me feel like I'm locked in a bakery display case. And that's how I started to feel wearing this one.

 

 

I want to love this, but I can't. I like it enough that I wouldn't swap away an imp if I got it, but not enough to actually purchase this on my own. I don't get bewitching or dangerously seductive with this one. I get baking butter cookies on warm spring day with a vague light floral scent wafting in through the windows.

 

Not for me. Think I would have liked this one better without the vanilla.

[inkstone]

This was a gift from red_hot_mama, because I wanted to try it.

 

In the imp: Jasmine & vanilla.

 

Wet: Jasmine overpowers everything else and it's the only thing that comes out on my skin.

 

Drydown: Jasmine blended nicely with a layer of vanilla. It's sweet in a way that's reminiscent of coca cola. There's a faint edge of ginger that adds a spike. It gives character.

 

Final thoughts: I wish the apricot had come out more. It's a little strange it didn't, because fruits usually come out more on my skin. Maybe it's just being wonky, so I'll try it in a couple weeks. RHM assures me that the apricot comes out much much more in warmer weather.

 

On a side note, I tested this out before I went off to the store to get a new cell phone. Four different salesmen were falling all over themselves trying to help me. Craziness.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab.

 

First sniff:

 

Oh, wow, I can smell a little bit of everything in this. I smell the white ginger first, then the vanilla and apricot (which I never used to like and now I can't get enough of) and finally the barest breath of jasmine. This isn't quite foody or floral, it's somewhere in between and utterly gorgeous.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Apricot and vanilla are the most prominent, but there's a hint of ginger and jasmine underneath. I recognize the apricot immediately because of my love of March Hare; the others are vaguely familiar smelling but somehow still recognizable. This is feminine without being too girly and I actually really like it!

 

Dry down:

 

Vanilla and ginger are the most prominent, with the apricot and jasmine in the background. I really like this one. It manages to be feminie without being girly, which I greatly appreciate.

 

The bottom line:

 

I'll be keeping this one for when I want to smell a little more feminine. I really love the ginger, apricot and vanilla in this.

[jj_j]

Ginger and I only get along in the most minimal of quantities, so when I opened Siren and took a whiff, I was reluctant even to try it; it's heavy on the ginger.

 

I hate saying that I didn't like one of Beth's scents, and I'll tell you that it's simply the overwhelming ginger in this. The apricot peeks through and is delightful, really sweetening things up, and the jasmine helps out, too - it adds a very creamy tone to the blend.

 

The ginger never goes away or fades enough for me, though, and my stomach turns every time I sniff my wrist (thus the rather abrupt review) If you like ginger, I would tell you to disregard all of this review except the italicized lines above, because if I enjoyed ginger in the slightest, this would be a fabulous, distinctive scent.

[VorpalBunny]

When it first goes on, it's overpoweringly sweet and fruity. After a bit, the overwheming fruitiness calms down, and on me it turns into a strong combination of apricot and vanilla. I can hardly smell the ginger or jasmine at all. It's not unpleasant but it's not for me either.

[pekeana]

I really love Siren -- it's very similar to Sudha Segara, only without the milk + honey notes that made my bottle of Sudha Segara go sour and rancid on me.

 

In the vial, Siren is all ginger and sharp, sharp jasmine, but once on my skin, it's a sweet, mellow spice with a hint of fruit. It's very well-rounded, and doesn't take very long to dry down and beautify on my skin, unlike some of the other BPAL blends.

[sh1mm3r]

Wet: SO very sweet. At the very top of the application, a sharp twang of ginger comes out, but then the sweetness overpowers it.

 

Drying: Still sweet, but it smells musky (this is not in the description).

 

Dry: Um, no other way to describe it: cannabis? Pot! I smell like a pot smoker! Was not the best choice for today, when I had two staff meetings, but I didn't think it would end up smelling like that!!!

 

Definitely in the swap pile.

[luxuria]

Initially: Siren is ginger, ginger, ginger! I like ginger, so this is okay. I primarily smell the jasmine underneath and it doesn't meld that well with the ginger, so this is a very peculiar smelling blend.

 

The apricot comes out shortly, but never manages to come out ahead of the ginger. I never smell the barest hint of vanilla.

 

This smell reminds me of an organic grocery store around here. WHY, I have no idea, but that's the impression the drydown gives me (and it's a very clear impression!). Maybe because of the fruit and spice combination? Who knows!

 

I don't dislike this but I don't particularly like it, either. I'm not sure what I want to do with it.

 

[edit] I forgot to mention the crrrrazy lasting power. This would NOT COME OFF! Even after many, many hours, it still would not wash off!

Edited January 6, 2005 by luxuria

[voodoobaby]

In the bottle: Wowee, that's strong! I'm afraid of this. I don't get the light scent you would expect from a vanilla-apricot scent, this is sharp! Oh, and may I add that this is a beautiful color red in the bottle?

 

Wearing: Hmm. It's still strong, especially when I sniff directly from my arm. There's something here that's kind of dark and...sandalwood! Sandalwood? Am I crazy? I swear it's here, though. In addition to that, there also seems to be a musk in here. Maybe this is just the ginger playing tricks on me? It doesn't smell like any ginger I've ever sniffed.

 

Later: Ah, wow. Smelling directly from the skin it's still spicy, musky sandalwood, but there's this absolutely gorgeous "aura" scent around me that's apricot and vanilla. Oh, I love it. If the air around me was edible when wearing this, I would totally eat it, and the blend isn't even that foody. This I will definitely wear again. Yum!

[gdogs]

uhm. i did not like this in the vial. it smelled like the cleaner they use in the bathroom at work. i didn't want to be a wimp, however, and so i put it on. . . .

 

 

 

uhm. i do not like this on me. . . . . the scent isn't calming down any. but still, not wanting to be a wimp, i'm not washing it off. . .i'm just holding my wrist as far away from my body as i can. i give it a sniff every once in a while.

 

after about an hour. . . it is not as bad now. it is starting to mellow out and i'm getting a candy scent. the vanilla is starting to warm up, and i think the fizzy, smarty candy scent must be the ginger. . . although i wouldn't have expected ginger to smell like this.

 

i think i just don't like ginger on me. i didn't like sudha segara or pele very much, either, and i'm just now getting the connection. . .

 

of to the swaps pile with ye!

[dcmo]

An earlier poster was definitely correct that a little goes a long way! Wish I had read these reviews before I put this on going to work! It's a lovely scent. Very feminine, floral, sweet, vanilla, and I get a musky scent with it as well. I think it can be overpowering though when applied with a heavier touch. Every so often my nose tries to protest!

 

This is the first oil that I have found to have really good staying power. Any previous scents I've tried have dried down very faint so I have got to apply more to have staying power. Not for this one!

 

Very nice, sweet, feminine, but strong! Definitely reminds me of the 40's and 50's female movie star sirens!

[JazzieCazzie]

Ordered this as an imp based on the notes, feeling a bit daring because vanilla and apricot could be too fruity-sweet for me but the descriptions/reviews seemed promising ...

BOTTLE: Odd. Unusual Very interesting. Sort of spicy and sweet and foody. I'm not getting the jasmine floral vibe at all.

WET: The fruity/apricot note rises but more as dried sweet apricots, not brightly fruity at all. Very complex scent, dark and sugary. Something remotely maple syrup to it also ...

DRYDOWN: This had very nice legs all day. Not too strong, but constant. I don't think it's something I would wear every day ... but on a cold, gray wet day it was comforting and warm. My daughter liked it a lot too, and she is not a big fan of a lot of my perfume testing.

[Batgirl]

This must have been seriously reformulated, because I don't get ginger or floral at all and it seems others got ginger very strongly. On me, Siren is almost single note apricot (very similar to Katharina). It's very pretty and fruity, but not particularly complex. That's too bad, I actually really wanted the ginger to come out in this.

Edited February 21, 2005 by Batgirl

[requieminblack]

First sniff from the bottle- Yummy! Apricots!

 

After 10 minutes- Siren smells exactly how I imagined Old New Orleans would smell. Is is jasmine, but it is blended so beautifully with the apricot, ginger and vanilla that the jasmine is not overwhelming on me like the other jasmine scents.

 

 

After 30 minutes- This is a gorgeous grown up scent. I think apricot is definitely one of my favorite notes.

 

Summery- Siren gets two thumbs up.

[shelldoo]

this one is odd for me wet it was weird i can't even describe the smell...i didn't get any of the notes mentioned just an odd like cabinet type smell...weird

 

as it dried it became very ginger and a touch of vanilla, w/ a hint of the cabinet smell...very different, i will try it again before really making up my mind

[Mayfair]

This is my ultimate sexy scent! Very seductive with a sinister aura. The different notes are blended so well that it's hard to make them out.

 

Wet I get an almost herby scent, like throat lozenges with lemon and mint. But there is also something aquatic lurking in the background.

 

Overall it smells very beach like: saltwater, sand and a hint of coconut. The jasmine makes this even more exotic. Love it!

[pkwench]

I'm very glad that I'm swapped for this. It's initially incensey in all of the best of ways. Then out comes creamy vanilla, drenched in apricot and a sharp, gingery floral. I LOVE it. I wasn't sure at first, but after having it on all day, it's a definate winner. It seems to stay spicy on me, compared to what a few others have said, but I find that I really, really like that incense and spice note lately. And the sweetness of the fruit adds to it. I could go for more of this!

[oatmealneko]

Vial: Fruity. Apricot, definitely.

Wet: Apricot & ginger, with a hint of jasmine. I can't pick up any vanilla in this blend. Very fruity. Apricot is fading fast though. The ginger adds a bit of bite.

Dry: SOAPY. Ginger's still hangiing on, but it smells like jasmine soap.

 

This one is going back into the swap pile. It started out great, I love apricot, but it has zero lasting power on me. Jasmine overwhelmed me yet again.