Siren

[ipb]

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.

it kind reminds me of flowery pinesol on me and NOT in a pleasant way
however, on my friend, it's a very pretty jasmine with a spike of baking (the ginger and vanilla).

NOTE: This review thread is for the BPAL Love Potion named Siren. The Twilight Alchemy Lab blend of the same name is reviewed here. --Shollin

[Shollin]

First sniff: Warm, sweet, gingery. Bakery smell. Made me go “ooh!”

 

Wearing: Sweet but not unpleasantly so. Definite vanilla. After several hours it’s reminiscent of Angel Innocent, but definitely not as WHOA! strong. Really, really like. Topping off before I go out tonight.

 

One of my favourites. I kept smelling it at work all day yesterday when I wasn’t wearing it – maybe my brain just smells like Siren now. It really smells like the ginger root, not like gingersnaps or ginger in cooking, but ginger itself.

 

Overall, I worship and adore this scent just as it was, but I can understand why it was changed - I know the gingermania was a bit much for several people. I have an extra sample of the old variety coming in a swap and I'm thrilled.

 

ADDED June 29 - let's have a review of the new version too, for completeness' sake!

 

First sniff: It’s just not the same scent at all. I have the original gingermania version, pre-apricot, and I adore it. This is nice, but… it’s just not the same scent at all, and something about it smells rather “off,” like the ginger and apricot don’t really like each other.

 

Wearing: Nope. Pardon the ongoing nostalgia, but… this isn’t the Siren that makes my guy growl and bury his face in my neck… this isn’t the Siren I was wearing the day I first made him my Black Phoenix guinea pig, when he smelled like the king of the faeries with every errant breeze as we stood hand-in-hand on the corner waiting for the streetlight to change. I’m not sure whether I’d like it enough as a scent on its own without the previous Siren haunting it.

 

So... yeah. I'll stick with the nonfruity version.

Edited June 30, 2005 by Shollin

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Sharp ginger with a touch of jasmine in the background. Really strong in the vial, will have to see how this mellows on my skin.

 

After Wearing It:

When I first put this on, the ginger note was so sharp it almost stung. I really like ginger, but it was too much. Thankfully, however, the scent gradually mellowed out, allowing the back notes to poke through. The end result is a soft, sweet and pretty scent that's still deep and a bit biting. Very slightly fruity too.

 

Final Thoughts:

I really liked this scent. I will definitely have to wear it again in the near future.

[twistygirl]

Hated the way this smelled in the vial. Hated the way it smelled for the first minute or two until it dried down. Then it mellowed into something totally gorgeous. I barely detect the ginger, and I think what made me hate it wet is that jasmine stinks on me until it dries down. It's a strong one, strikes me as one that will last all day long. Very warm and almost a soft coconutty smell on me.

[magpiedee]

Oh, how I hate to admit it, but Siren is the first one that really didn't agree with me. Every ingredient mentioned is something I love, but in the vial and on my body, it's just not happy. Smells like the bottom of a shoe that walked in sour earth and squished a moldy apricot, makes me think of clay slurry and dying worms after a rain. I'm going to have to go scrub it off and put it up for swap. Funny how body chemistry works! I can tell it must be lovely on others, and I feel kinda guilty for not liking it.

 

How is it that the oils I chose and ordered are okay, but the ones that Elizabeth sent as samples are really mindblowingly amazing? As Chris on the Family Guy shrieks, GET OUT OF MY HEAD!! I'm going to go scrape it off and find some Queen of Hearts... YUM.

[Becky]

I'm kind of on the fence about this one. when I smelled it in the vial I though it smelled very strongly of ginger. it was all I could smell. when on it very gradually toned down and became slightly sweeter. I liked the sweeter scent more, and it was nice because there was still a bit of the ginger bite to it. I may have to wear it longer to get the full effect. so far I don't hate it, but I don't love it either.

[xoe]

In the vial, and when first on my skin it smelled kind of like Kool-Aid to me, and somehow evoked a sort of amusement park feel. A little while later, it mellowed and now it just smells really nice. A sort of refined and ladylike scent to me. No longer like Kool-Aid at all.

[Red_Hot_Mama]

Updated 7-9-04

 

In the vial, "Oh, I don't know about this..sharp smelling."

 

On the skin, "FANTASTIC!" I generally prefer jasmine scents & this is exquisite.

 

Next morning, "Creamy, light & delicious."

 

This is the first Imp Ear I've ever tried. Siren was the only Imp that did not pass the initial "sniff" test. I really did not like the way it smelled in the vial, as other reviewers have already said. Don't be fooled. Upon wearing, the oil morphs into a deliciously feminine aura.

 

If this is my reaction to the only oil I didn't like (at first sniff), then I'm in really BIG trouble with the rest of them.

 

But I'm VERY Happy!

 

 

Edit added 7-9-04

Siren remains my #1 favorite BPAL. However, I have learned that too much is NOT a good thing. In tiny applications it is a magical blend that lasts all day & gathers tons of compliments. Too much & it gives me a headache. fyi

 

Christine

 

ADDED Nov. 10:

 

Siren is my first BPAL & my first BPAL love.

 

I've already reviewed this but wish to gently remind anyone trying this that a little goes a long, long, long way.

 

Too much & it will be overpowering (I'm being kind).

 

A tiny bit & you'll have found a real treasure. Well....for me anyway.

 

I love Siren.

 

Can you tell I love Siren?

 

 

 

I'll be quiet now.

Edited December 7, 2004 by Shollin

[sarabeegee]

I really did not like this in the bottle, and for the first few minutes after putting it on my skin. However, after the overpowering initial blast of ginger burned off, I loved it--Siren became a very soft jasmine/vanilla blend that smells great (I have a bottle of the old formula, without apricot).

 

It is sweet, but not overly so, and not a particularly foodie vanilla (which is a good thing in my book) because of the jasmine. Siren is one of the BPAL oils I always go back to.

[Astarte]

Siren smelt very sharp in the bottle and for the first minute it was put on.

 

As it dried down, it became too sweet for me. After an hour or so, it does smell remniscent of Angel (Thierry Muggler), when the vanilla jasmine notes are apparent. This part is gorgeous and worth the wait for.

 

I think that the apricot makes it too sweet, I really wish I could smell the older version.

[renaissancerouge]

The first thing I loved about Siren is it's deep orange hue; even the color is sexy and fertile.

 

In the vial it is very deep and strong, all ginger and citrus and musk. I can see why some might find it a little too organic smelling, but I haven't found a BPAL scent I don't appreciate, and the earthiness just made it even sexier to me.

 

Wet, it retains the spicy orange but then on me mellowed into sweet (but not cloying) incense, with a little bit of fruit that kept it interesting.

 

Maybe I like Siren so much because I drenched myself in it before watching a beautiful sunset on a very hot humid night with a very hot guy...I can't wear it on work days now, makes me blush!

[Tesseljoan]

This smelled in the vial like.... dare I say it?.... poo.

 

That faded quickly on my skin, luckily. It's a very fruity sweet jasmine smell.

Suddenly I remembered what it smelled of to me. It smelled like my grandmother's house, when we found her after she died. The house smelled different, as it was a very hot day (this was 13 years ago, by hte way). Thank goodness there are alcoholic wipes and strong scents like Gluttony. I really can't comment on the niceness of the scent, because I don't want to smell it because of the memory.

[malanna]

Smelled like incense-y Coke in the vial to me, which would be pleasant if it smelled a bit more like Coke.

 

On, it seems sensual, especially in that the majority of the scent stays close to the skin, with bits wafting up. It's fruity and jasmine, which seems to clash, as jasmine is a bit of an "old lady" smell to me (not that Siren smells like "old lady"). So it isn't really fruity, nor is it really floral, or a lot of things. Its indecisiveness bugs me, because I can't quite pin down why I don't like it.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Juicy, tropical and lush.

 

Second Impression: It's almost coconutty, I like this.

 

Final Analysis: I'm wearing a sarong and a flower in my hair, the tropical breeze blows over me as the waiter hands me a drink with an umbrella in it. Thank you!

[any_old_actress]

FIRST SNIFF: cherry cola...

 

WEARING IT: woah is this stuff sticky sweet! has a fizz to it in the background, must be the ginger. unique and different, but very powerful. an extremely confident scent that i didn't much care for the first time around, but i can really smell the ginger coming through and it makes it less sweet and a lot more exotic and wearable.

 

VERDICT: keeping the imp for sure.

[isyche]

On me, Siren starts out as warm apricot-ginger-vanilla, sweet but not horribly so, and the ginger isn't biting at all - more like ginger cookies than fresh ginger. The apricot and ginger kind of clash, and the combination is like some odd kind of baked good. Then, the vanilla gets stronger until it ends up as lightly spiced vanilla that's vaguely coconutty/tropical.

I don't think it's working for me - the apricot/ginger combination is too weird and tropical scents aren't really my thing. Another to swap.

[Northernminx]

in the bottle: Orange pine sol. EEEK!

 

On me: For a minute or two it smelled like a chocolate covered orange - like those oranges made of chocoalte at the store - I presume this was the vanilla and ginger doing a tango on my wrists.

 

A tango definitly works for this one. Ginger seems to go rather citrusy on me but it was a nice, bold refreshing smell. the vanilla tones it down a little and as it mellows the Jasmine kicks in. Very tropical and bright, but not so bold as to be strangling me.

 

I'm going to have to go put imp on my elbow so I can figure out which of these I like better as they are rather similar in evocation of mood for me.

[Donnababe]

First Sniff

 

Floral ginger! Not aggressive at all. Strangely alluring actually.

 

Drydown

 

Immediately on the skin it was delicious gingerbread, it's the bakery smell I was hoping for. After a few seconds the wet jasmine took over. I don't like wet jasmine.

 

After a While

 

Thankfully when the jasmine dries off Siren is lovely. The 'bite' from the ginger doesn't last long enough for me but it's still a bakery smell. The jasmine stops it from being overly foody. There maybe a touch of apricot and vanilla here but as it's such a smooth blend it's hard to pick out. Oddily though every now and again I get a hit of coconut!

 

Final Verdict

 

Very different. I like this a lot but I'm not sure I can pull it off. I look forward to trying it again.

 

PS The colour of this oil is wonderful!

[bootso'rourk]

Ooh! This is an exciting scent!

 

In imp vial

 

It smells sweet and syrupy, with a bit of the powdery smell I associate with an incense counter at a store when all the scents mingle.

 

Wet on wrist

 

The syrupy incense is suddenly having some personality kicked into it by the ginger. Sweet and refreshing by turns.

 

Dry

 

The ginger is blending into the powdery scent. The sweetness and light would be too innocent without it.

 

This is a scent for a woman who is lovely to the senses and very dangerous.

 

Works for me!

[eclecticaurora]

I was a bit afraid to try this scent as when I first smelled it in the imp I was overblown by it's scent. I was afraid that this would just be too much or that I was wrong when I thought jasmine was a good scent on me. Well, my fears were unfounded once I put it on. The mixture of the oils on my skin worked wonders and somehow in my car on my way to work (without an air conditioner that works) I ended up feeling cooled and refreshed - especially on my skin where the scent lay. I will definitely be keeping this imp and I hope to be buying a bottle!

 

~eclecticaura~

[omly]

I stayed over my mother's the other day and tossed in my bag a bunch of clothes and this imp which I hadn't tried or even opened. In the bottle this was so sweet that I wasn't sure if I wanted to wear it. On my skin it was still sweet but strangely familiar. I knew that I knew that faintly powdery sweet, slightly tart smell. It smelled just like SweetTarts! Disturbingly it randomly coordinated with my outfit: hello kitty socks, floral skirt, plastic headband and mary janes. If I was a "little" then I think this would be perfect. Since I am not I don't think I could wear this on a regular basis, but I will try to pass it on to someone who could.

 

edited for spelling

Edited August 6, 2004 by omly

[Scylla]

In the vial: Does anyone remember Blammo gum? This stuff smells just like it at first! HYPER fruity!

 

Wet: Um, unfortunately I am getting the same sharp "urinal cake" smell I got with Tamora. Must be the apricot--I think that's the only thing they have in common.

 

Drydown: Better, but very sweet and kinda old lady/powdery. I'll give it another chance in a few days, but I'll probably be swapping it.

[Ailgwyn]

When I opened the vial and smelled it, my nose was telling me completely different things than what the ingredients actually were-- I smelled rose, and honey, and cinnamon. I must have thought it was something else.

Anyway, the "cinnamon," or ginger, overwhelmed practically everything at first to me-- at the end of the sniff I detected a little more sweetness, the apricot (though I thought it was honey) and the jasmine (I guess this was what I thought was rose).

 

On me, wet: The ginger was quite strong. It sweetened up a little on my skin, but it still had the effect of smelling like a candle...sweet but as if the smoke was mixed in, in a way. Like fire.

 

Dry: it's sweetened up a LOT more, though the ginger still wants to be the prominent note. I can pick out the jasmine and apricot now, and the vanilla is hardly detectable. It's not so bad at this stage, sort of like some sort of cinammony cake baking, but I'm not sure if I like it.

 

It's quite long-lasting on me-- lasted a good six hours.

 

Verdict: The boyfriend didn't care for it-- said, and I quote, "it's okay, but it makes you smell like a candle." I agree-- I think the ginger was a tad too much for me. Odd, because I normally like the way ginger smells. At least I know now that ginger will probably come forth in any scent I choose, so I'll be able to pick my next order a little more informedly. Off to the swap pile with you.

[Lady Ravenglass]

Coconut vanilla. *sigh* I love ginger, but I didn't get any of that. On my skin it smelled like I'd smeared myself in coconut body butter or something cheap from the Body Shop et al. I tried it in a burner in case it was just me being odd, but it made the room smell like coconut candles.

 

It gets one more go to try and pick out the notes and hold onto them, then into the swap pile it goes. I really wanted to be able to wear something called Siren! It sounds a lot more seductive, both from the name and in the reviews than it turned out on me.

[Morrighana]

I bought this for a friend of mine, so I really haven't had the chance to fully test-drive this blend, but I really can't abide by Siren.

 

It smells good on her, but in the bottle and on me, the ginger/jasmine combination is incredibly...off...to my nose. I think I have bad ginger memory associations, or something, because it is not an unpleasant scent, it is just makes me want to run and hide.

 

Very odd, but interesting nonetheless.