Pomegranate IV

[Aldercy]

POMEGRANATE IV
Pomegranate, cognac, red musk, cocoa, tobacco absolute, star anise, and thyme.

So: I opened my bottle of Pomegranate IV, cautiously sniffed, squee'd (thus frightening the cat out of the room), and immediately slathered myself.

I am really into this and don't think I will regret buying a 5ml unsniffed at all. After ordering, I began getting concerned about the cocoa (which almost never works on me) and then even more concerned when Will Call reviews were like "Woah chocolate!" but I am actually not getting a lot of chocolate from this. There is a hint of dry cocoa powder hovering around the base of the scent, but it's mostly a tart pomegranate/silky red musk blend with a bit of dark, brown, smoky spice and anise. It's ever-so-slightly foody, but not in an obvious way. It's one that would be difficult to place in a "family" or category.

Reminds me of a lighter, sweeter version of Mme. Moriarty (no patch, less musk, stronger pom)-- they could be cousins. Also reminds me a little of BBW "Midnight Pomegranate" but smoother and richer.

I am seriously so excited about this one. For me, it totally makes up for the lack of a Pumpkin Patch. It is in no way a "traditional" autumn scent full of mulling spices and such, but to me it resonates as autumnal on an emotional level. I am going to bathe in this this fall.

ETA: Oh, just noticed the thick layer of Boomslang-like cocoa sediment lurking at the bottom of the bottle. I did roll this bottle around before applying and there's some cloudiness, but I obviously didn't mix in all the heavy chocolately oil. Which is probably why I'm not getting the full force of cocoa. I'll try it again after a serious mixing, but considering I like it so much this way, I may end up deliberately avoiding integrating the chocolate too much....

[mxtine]

The scent is very light in the bottle. I smell a boozy pomegranate, star anise and a bit of thyme.

 

When I put it on, I was instantly reminded of Mme. Moriarty, which must be from the red musk. It's barely sweet, I smell a bit of cocoa, and the thyme and tobacco are giving this a masculine vibe. I'm really smelling a lot of thyme. It's not bad, I just expected this to be more sweet.

 

Aldercy...I read your post as I was writing my review and I also noticed the dark sludge at the bottom. I shook it up like crazy and re-opened/applied and it made a huge difference in the scent! It definitely has more of a cocoa smell now, and it made the blend more balanced.

 

All in all, this is a beautifully complex scent. I'm looking forward to wearing it if it ever cools down.

Edited August 31, 2010 by mxtine

[hlemonds]

Grrr....trying this again. Just typed out my whole review and the forum fritzed and it didn't post.

 

In a nut shell, I have discovered that, unfortunately, star anise is a deal breaker note for me. I'm discovering via this scent and my previous experience with Pink Mood that I amp star anise and I just can't tolerate the results. Granted, this scent is nowhere near as in-you-face anise as Pink Mood, which was all anise all the time on my skin. The anise here is more subtle, and for someone who doesn't amp this note, it will likely be a gorgeous blend. But...yeah, not so much on me. The anise stomps all over everything except the Pom, and maybe the red musk. And the result just isn't for me. I haven't decided yet if I want to give it time and see if things will balance with age. I really think this is more of a skin chemistry issue. My guess is that this one will end up in my swap/sales post.

[Poenari]

I ordered a bottle of this hoping for something that would wear well during the remaining 90 degree days and into the late summer as we slowly cool down. September is usually quite warm here in southern Ohio, and even though I'll wear my dark "Halloween" scents any time, I was looking for a change. Pom IV does not disappoint! This is an interesting blend. Immediately on my skin, there is at first a sweet-tart, fruity scent immediately followed by the red musk. No cocoa (thanks for the reminder to be sure it's blended in the bottle, Aldercy) but there is a sort of dryness that I can tell comes from the cocoa. Pom and red musk remained the main notes on me until about two hours in, after which the thyme poked its head up. Altogether, a nice blend and it serves its purpose, but one bottle is plenty.

[angelicruin]

This one is heaven on my skin. Soft, smoky anise & pomegranate on me. The thyme and cocoa notes are very very subtle on my skin and I cannot even smell the red musk which usually amps on me, nor can I smell the cognac.

 

In short, I this scent!

[Dark Alice]

Bitter Pom, hints of red musk, cocoa and nasty funky star anise. PASS.

[Ondine]

This is really interesting. I can definitely smell the star anise and so it reminds me of Pink Mood, but deeper and more fall-like.

 

....annnnnnnd then I tested it on my skin and washed it off desperately after five seconds. It was absolutely awful on me!

Edited September 17, 2010 by Ondine

[ladyjc]

I like this one! What's weird is that something in it is registering as cedar to me. Could be the anise, could be the thyme... I don't have much experience with either.

 

In the imp and on wet: very much a cedary pomegranate (which is yum to me)

 

dry/about 5 mins. in: more pomegranate tartness comes out, the cedar fades into the background

 

It's bright, happy and I really like it. Must seek out a partial!

[cfrancesca]

Oh, not a fan of this one. I get lots of thyme and star anise, with red musk in the background. I usually don't mind star anise, so I'm not sure what happened here, it must be the blend of the other notes with the star anise, but it's not working for me all. I think this is my least favorite Weenie. Need to wash off now.

[dawndie]

Wet: bitter cocoa

 

On skin: slightly sweetened red musk

 

Half-hour later: the star anise and thyme has appeared, dusty and herbal

 

In conclusion: I really like the combo of red musk and cocoa, similar to Black Temple Burlesque Troupe -- this decant even had little floaty bits of cocoa! I'm unsure about the end though, a little too herbal. This was my favorite of the 5 poms though.

[Iceblink]

Pomegranate and a TON of thyme. I don't think I've ever sniffed a blend where the thyme was so dominant. I get zero red musk here, weirdly, and I had a hard time getting even my little decant blended so the cocoa may not be representing here like it should. Mostly it's just fruit and thyme. I do like the pom note here though.

[lahdeedah]

Having tested this one a couple of times at Seattle WC, I knew this was the first Weenie on my list. Testing out of the bottle there it turned on my skin into a complex beauty--cocoa, thyme, anise, and juicy pom all interwoven into a beautiful gourmand. Just my thing.

 

Fast forward to receiving my very own bottle of this from the lovely Hillary. I try it on eagerly and.... all pom, all the time. Que? I thought maybe it just needs a rest, it's suffering from mail trauma. So I wait a couple of days and try it again. Same deal. Rats. Then I started reading a bit more, and found a forumite's post about the thick cocoa at the bottom and how it perhaps needed a shake up. So I shook my little bottle rather vigorously. Let me tell you, that stuff is THICK, and it does not want to move. But I soon saw little gobbets floating around and decided to give it another go. Much closer to my original test, thankfully. At last the pom is tempered and the other notes have a chance to mingle and sparkle. I really love this scent, it's one of the most interesting and complex I feel I have in my BPAL collection. I'll just have to remember to give that baby a good shake before applying.

[obsidienne]

This smells like a rather even blend of everything that is in the notes list.... well, equal in parts except for two things: the thyme is light, providing a herbal note (not too overpowering, but still faintly medicinal smelling), and then there is the star anise. That darn anise is either amping, or it's just a touch too strong for the other notes to complete with on my skin. Star anise ends up smelling like medicinal licorice to me. That's two notes that make me think of medicine! If I could isolate the thyme and star anise and take them out, I'd be all over this blend. Then it would be all lusciousness. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

 

I can't find it in me to review this in more detail because I really do feel that it's just very well blended and not much of a morpher on me. This is definitely an autumnal scent, warm and cozy. Just not for me.

[edenssixthday]

Pomegranate IV - This was the one scent of the Pom Patch I was most excited about -- everything about it sounded like a win. But something about it is really, really wrong on my skin. I don't at all like the way the pomegranate blends with the cocoa and thyme. The rest of the notes are there and smell nice, but it's obvious that with my particular skin chemistry, those three notes synergize to create a spectacular funk on my skin. It smells like a chocolate bar died and rotted to hell on me.

[megank4]

First impression- cocoa, followed by icky icky black licorice. Ahhh! (runs screaming to wash it off)

[Blood onmy hands]

The red musk and pom must amp up like crazy on my skin, because I don't smell any of the anise or cocoa that others have mentioned (which is a shame, because I love both of those notes). The pom smells like sweet tarts candies on me and the red musk is warm, juicy, slightly fruity/red wine smelling musk. In the drydown I can smell a bit of a dry, herbal note that must be the thyme. Mostly this is red, fruity, and tart smelling, and the drydown is too dry and tart smelling for me...

[fairestrocza]

In the Bottle: I had to do some mixing with the pipette, even after rolling the bottle for a good 2-3 minutes, before the cocoa flakes integrated into the oil. In the bottle, the oil has an oddly neutral scent. If I work at it, I can pull out the cocoa and maybe a bit of thyme, but the scents are pretty well balanced and all seem to blend together.

 

Wet on Skin: Here too, it is hard to pull out individual notes. Second test: tobacco & thyme, now that I know what I'm looking for.

 

While Drying: cocoa, but not super chocolatey, tobacco but not super tobacco-y, thyme… no distinct cognac, anise, or red musk... Ahh, there's the anise, and just the right amount too… hmm, still no Pom. Second test: thyme, tobacco, and just a touch of anise. I occasionally catch a hint of cocoa, but not much. I am definitely not getting any red musk, which is a shame.

 

After a Little While: Seems to be all the second half of the note list, and none of the first half, with an emphasis on the thyme. Second test: thyme with an undercurrent of tobacco and a hint of anise once in a while.

 

Later: Another note is starting to come out, and I'm assuming it is the cognac, because this is starting to remind me vaguely of Autumn Moon of the Mirror Stand. I caught a brief hint of sweet pom, but then it disappeared again. At least the scent isn't as high and sharp as it was earlier, but it is still making me a bit queasy.

 

Final Thoughts: I had such high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it was the red musk that was the major draw, and that is the one thing that never appears for me. I'll keep a decant around to see if something amazing happens with time, but for now I am less than impressed.

This blend seems to be highly dependent on skin (and nose?) chemistry, because one friend thinks it is very heavy on the cocoa, and another got lots of red musk and a reasonable amount of cocoa (all from the same well-mixed bottle).

Pomegranate IV earns a 2/5 on my skin.

[Roogna]

pomegranate with red musk and something sharp. it's not a bad scent, just not me

[surlygurl]

Woohoo!! This is very Snake Charmer-esque, but more fruits and less sex. I get no cocoa or tobacco. As it dried I get a funky sharp herbal that blends well with the musky fruits. This is nice.

 

Unfortunately for me, it dries down to just-plain-red-musk, which still hates me. But I tried!

[CreamyJade]

In the decant: Musky pomegranate and cocoa blend.

Wet on skin: Slightly fruity red musk, a bit of tobacco, a bit of booze from the cognac.

Dry on skin: Musky, very slightly herbal (it's really not that strong, so don't be afraid if you don't dig herbal blends), I get the distinctive smell of star anise and tobacco.

Final thoughts: I tried to roll my decant as much as I could to incorporate the cocoa sediment at the bottom, but I don't get much cocoa from this skin test. Otherwise, it's a nice musky anised blend, but the star anise is kinda ruining it for me (even though the blend was boyfriend approved on me!). It's one of the notes I'm not too keen on and I was hoping it would not be too strong.

Try if you like: Panther Moon

 

ETA: Now that the blend has aged a bit (and that I rolled my decant and finally could get to the cocoa), I get smoother pomegranate and cocoa, along with star anise, tobacco and red musk.

 

ETA more: A friend of mine spilled my decant not long after I made this review and I became obsessed with finding another one. I ended up buying a bottle at a very good price, and with some aging, the blend has definately lost the overwhelming star anise note that my skin amped. It's still there, but less present. The pomegranate and red musk are lush, the thyme adds a herbal touch, the cocoa and tobacco add a drier side to the blend - I'm quite happy with it.

Edited February 10, 2011 by CreamyJade

[milo]

Wet, this is bright, cheerful pomegranate. There's a bit of red musk and cocoa floating around, the cocoa really is floating around, and I have to roll the imp. This is kind of reminding me of Hollywood Babylonian, as it ends up being a fruity red musk blend. The cocoa is making this dusty somehow, and as with Hollywood Babylon, this blend is pretty much a failure. Pom is kind of iffy on my skin anyways, so no surprise. It's much to candylike, and musty. Like a swedish berry left in an old couch. Not for me.

[ami226]

Very interesting. Definitely have to swirl this bottle around a bit to mix the cocoa that collects at the bottom. I smell cocoa and musk. A light scent that is really starting to grow on me.

 

I think I will need to test this one again!

[SueTigger]

I tried this at NYCC last weekend and bought a bottle then and there. Pomegranate is one of my favorite notes. The other notes in IV round it out and give it a smooth tartness that doesn't smell candy sweet. It's a lovely autumnal scent and one that I'm sure to wear a lot. Yay!

[Coldfire]

Decant: lovely dark autumnal colored oil I get deep cocoa and the pomegranate and the cognac and wee whiffs of the tobacco absolute

Wet on me: more pomegranate now and the cocoa and tobacco. this is deep, sultry, warm, coccooning, blending and swirling under my nose

Drying down: Getting a 'woody' type note from this. still loving this!

Dry: Still getting a woody vibe which may translate to the tobacco absolute. But the deep cognac and cocoa and pomegranate have wooed me to buy at least a bottle or more and hoard hoard hoard!

[Edeniade]

I was super intrigued by the notes listed for this Pomegranate blend because I had never tried anything with tobacco in it before. I determined this note would be make-or-break with me, but was determined to try it as I adore red musk and pomegranates are delicious fruits therefore the scent should be just as delicious!

 

When I got my decant I noticed how thick it was (like sludge!) and the amount of sediment at the bottom. I shook it vigorously before applying and it provides the best outcome for the scent. My first sniff in the decant made me think it would be far too strong on me as I smelled intense thyme and anise! But forging ahead...

 

OMG. I adore this! Once on my skin it became more tame and smooth. I have a tendency to super-amp musks of any kind, and in this case it helped a lot to tone down the anise but bring out the tobacco a bit. In whiffs I would get boozy pomegranate-laced tobacco with touches of cocoa which made me want a cigarillo. The cocoa has not been strong with this scent on me but I feel like if it was, this scent would be way too heady and potent for me to handle. I freaking love this Pom and want a 5ml of it!!