Signior Dildo

[Antoinette]

A scent of pearls and ivory: orris, violet leaf, narcissus, and Madagascar vanilla.

This review is for the 2013 version:

I owned the older version of this previously and sold it because it turned to pure powder on me, so I went into this new 2013 bottle with a little trepidation. All the notes in this are ones I love and that generally work good with my chemistry, so optimistic thinking!

This 2013 version smells different to me right from the start. I suspect it's a fresh vs. aged thing going on. This smells much sharper and less dusty in the bottle than what I remembered.

On my skin this is quite different, I can actually pick out each of the notes and it's not going straight to powder! There is a dry, powdery aspect to it from the orris, but I love it here because it isn't overwhelming. I can smell the vanilla a whole lot more in this fresh bottle and it's extremely pretty. The sharpness fades as it dries, but doesn't go away completely. In the end it becomes a very lovely dusty vanilla with a slight floral backdrop, the violet and narcissus blend together nicely for me. I am really happy I took a second chance on it!

[becca_s]

This is the 2013 version

 

This starts out with all violet - very sweet and sugary violet. When I first put it on it actually reminded of High Strung Daisies, that is how sweet and sugary it is on me. I think that it must be the madagascan vanilla and my skin translating it into sugar. There are times when I can smell the narcissus - it's kind of sharp and doesn't really seem to fit with the other notes. The sugaryness does calm down after a while and this becomes a very soft, violet and orris scent. Overall, this is nice especialy when that sweetness settles down and I can no longer smell the narcissus

Edited March 4, 2013 by becca_s

[mymymai]

ITI: It's clear, clean floral from the narcissus and violet leaf. I can't pick up the other scents, but I like it as it is.

 

Wet: Light, bright narcissus, thicker violet leaf, orris root, and jut a tender hint of vanilla to sweeten the florals. It's a sweetly innocent scent, oddly enough.

 

Dry: I kept getting gentle whiffs of narcissus and violet throughout the day. It was lovely and pleasant - a feminine floral scent that isn't overpowering or overtly "old."

[lohengrin]

In the decant: Light, sweet florals with a hint of a heavier, darker floral underneath. No vanilla.

 

On skin, wet: Same as in the decant, except a little heavier on the stronger floral. Pretty, but generic.

 

On skin, dry: Heavy floral perfume.

 

After an hour: Stays true to the initial drydown, unfortunately. Not for me.

[milo]

Strong floral perfume at first. Fades into a wispy, crystalline orris scent. This is a clear pond, with lovely orris growing along the edge. Threatens to go powdery, but never does. This is quite lovely, but a little strong at first.

[Eemia]

2013 version...

 

I could wear this anytime. It's one of those easy to grab scents that I don't have to over think. I can't quite figure out what it smells like on me other than a sort of dry, papery, smooth, pale type of blend. Not quite woody even though it leans that way. I keep relating it to some random idea of white trees. I don't get any vanilla until it's worn down after a few hours, and then it's sweeter. This has been one of my staples since I got it. Love.

[Lorna Brigid]

2013 version:

I looked so forward to getting this one. Crystalline musk and I are good friends.

However, this is one of those cases where Beth captures the scent of something so perfectly and titles it aptly!

Signor Dildo smells exactly like a rubber dildo or a condom covered dick to my nose.

*sigh* My perfume is getting more action than I am.

[Quillifer]

Hmm. It's becoming clear to me that I don't like the Lab's narcissus note. A pity, since I love the smell of fresh daffodils, but I bet next time I get a chance to inhale that deeply I'll be able to smell the kinship between them.

Anyway the bottom line is Signior Dildo on me smells mainly of a note I don't like, combined with hints of ones I prefer in other blends (eg Brusque Violet, or Lyonesse).

 

This seems to be a blend that is interestingly different on/to various people. Well worth trying if you fancy it because of this variation.

[stellamaris]

Well. I had this for a year or so and did not even touch it, because it was just sort of faint and nothing in the bottle. I actually read the notes for the new version and said whoa, wait a minute, there's violet here??? Today I skin tested, and wow it's amazing. Lovely pretty violets, soft but deep, very long lasting.

I love this one...

[Tal Shachar]

2015 version: Okay, I feel like there's something wrong with my nose/body/brain/universe because in the bottle I get horse. A happy horse in the sunshine, munching on some violets. I cannot account for the happy horsey in any way from the notes.

 

On skin, the horse immediately gallops away and I get Ivory soap. At no time do I get the smallest whiff of any vanilla at all, and I'm trying. I love orris and violet, narcissus is not my favourite but can that really be responsible for what's happening here? Like it doesn't smell actively bad (even the horse doesn't smell like a dirty horse or anything) but the vanilla should be the star player here and it's missing in action.

 

So this isn't going to work for me the way it is. I have to decide whether to try aging it or to just swap and make room in my BPAL box.

[agirlnamedfury]

2015 version:

 

I'm pretty picky about florals, so I'll admit I got this mostly because of the name.

 

However, I don't think I've tried a violet scent before and it's surprisingly interesting. Unfortunately I'm having a hard time describing the scent and i can't quite decide if I like it or not yet. It may take a few more tries!

Edited August 6, 2015 by agirlnamedfury

[Shealynne]

I want to love this scent so much I keep buying decants, forgetting that it just doesn't like me.

Things are just dandy in the decant. It is floral, but not in a whack you in the face, fragrance counter kind of way.

Then after skin contact everything goes awry, and I'm guessing it is the fault of either violet leaf or narcissus.

I have an ongoing love affair with all orris fragrances. Madagascar vanilla, wonderful.

Either narcissus or the violet leaf violently hate me.

Such a pity.

[Magycmyste]

So, narcissus is one of my death notes. But I've been eyeing Signior Dildo since my first BPAL days, long before I discovered narcissus hated me. And I've found one other blend where narcissus doesn't stink it up, so I'm going to give it a shot.

 

In the imp: Sweet flowers and... crap. I don't think this will work.

 

Wet on skin: That's interesting. Rubber.

 

Dried down: Fresh flowers dog poop. I'm glad I went really light on this one.

 

Throw: Not smelling anything from my elbow, and I don't really care to.

 

Verdict: * Yeah, this one is going on the swap pile. At least I can say I tried it now. Hopefully, I'll remember for next time.

[bulletslc]

2015

Piercing floral bandaids. Nope, not for me.

[LizziesLuck]

2013

 

Violet and I aren't friends. But I have found that violet leaf is not the same as the flower, so I am hopeful this will be ok! Orris can be iffy too....why did I think this would work? I love narcissus and vanilla. 50/50 chances, I guess!

 

Wet: Umm...green? Earthy. Odd. Tough to describe. Soapy. Kind of plastic/rubbery. Ha ha ha ha ha. That's funny, if you think of the name of this. Where's the vanilla?

 

 

Dry: Well., this just proved me wrong. Either the violet leaf or orris smells like violet (actually likely the orris). It's not giving me a headache, like violet flower does, but I don't care for it either.

[Haltija]

NO NO NO!

 

I am just bumfuzzled by this one because I enjoy every single note in here and yet it smells just awful on me, I am sad. It smells like a medicine and it honestly kind of turns my stomach ):

[alyelle]

2015 version

 

Imp: Musky, sweet, and somehow plastic-y. Yes, okay, it kind of does smell like (impending?) sex.

 

Wet: Pale, thin, and white; mainly orris and narcissus. It's very sweet and sickly floral, not a big fan so far.

 

Dry: I actually couldn't stand wearing this long enough to wait for a dry-down analysis; I ended up scrubbing for ten minutes in the shower to get rid of it and switched to Mt. Fuji.

 

The throw is mid to strong, and individually the notes should work on me, but in combination.. Nope. Sale pile immediately.

 

Stars: ★½