Scherezade

[elphaba]

A master storyteller who possessed unfailing courage and compassion, a sharp, quick wit, and a true understanding of human nature. Saffron and Middle Eastern spices swirled through sensual red musk.

I shied away from Scherezade for a long time because of the musk note. Then, I tried a bit from a friend's collection and decided I needed to give it a chance. It turns out either I'm getting more comfortable with musks as I try more BPAL, or I'm getting better at picking blends where musk works on me.

Scherezade is warm and sweet on me. At first, it's quite strong and the musk is prominent, but that phase doesn't last long. Once things calm down and settle into my skin, the spices swirl gently around me, making me feel exotic and feminine. It seems to last quite a while (going on 5 hours now and still going strong) and throw is medium. This one won't announce your presence before you enter the room, but it ensures that once you're next to someone, they'll want to stay there!

[erina74]

This smells like incensy spice, with a little amber and musk.

 

When I first put this on, I wondered if the lab had accidentally put a scherezade label on an imp of snake oil. They smell very similar, I think they have the same spice blend. After a minute I decided it has less vanilla then snake oil, and it has some amber smell to it. The musk is lighter then I expected. I like this though. Even though its almost exactly like snake oil, I feel like I could study with this on. Snake oil makes me feel sexy, but distracts me from studying. This is like snake oil's smarter, slightly more serious, but still gorgeous sister.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, I get a rich, earthy smell from Scherezade - I'm getting the same note I got from Bastet - is it the saffron? It's very sharp and clear over top of that richness.

 

On, there's almost a smokiness to it; it's very unusual. This is very well-blended - at this point, I don't get any individual notes.

 

Thirty minutes later, it's very dark and strong - very sharply spicy. I'm unsure about this one - it's not me, but it might be fun.

[tartchef]

In the imp, this is a dead ringer for the used bookshop we frequented back in Chicago - the one that burned incense all day, every day, and any books that were bought from them slowly released the scent of a hundred difference incenses back into the air... super comforting & snuggly...

 

On, though, there's a sharp, soapy note that just won't back down. I can tell there are beautiful spices & a hint of smoky, musky vanilla hiding in the background, just dying to come out, but this piercing soapiness isn't having it. By all rights, this should be gorgeous on me, it's got nothing but proven-yummy notes, but something's going awry... Hmm... well, if nothing else, it'll be fantastic as a room scent!

 

ETA: OK, this is better - an hour in, and the sharpness is totally gone, and I smell incredible... I just want to bury my head in my sweater

Edited October 30, 2007 by tartchef

[KaliVerra]

OH GOOD LAWDY MISS CLAAAWDY!! This is love juice!!!

 

I put a smidge of this on and my dh went apesh*t!!! I WAS MAULED!!! SRLSLY!!! I am on the hunt for a GALLON!!! This works w/my skin chem. so well, it is UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!

 

I applied in the morning and it was still lingering late at night and then into the next morning after wild lustiness (TMI, but - well - you know... all in the name of science)

 

Sherezade is in my top 10 for sure... the scent is incredible and I really couldn't go into describing it... just the effect... yowza! Pure yum!

 

5/5!!!

[Jocelyn]

I don't think they share many notes, but on me this smells EXACTLY like Snake Oil, which is unfortunately a Patchouli type smell that I associate with BO. ( I grew up in Hippieville USA.)

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

Can I really not have reviewed this yet?? It hardly seems possible as this is one of my all time faves! A very heady blend of exotic saffron and swirling incense with warm musk and spices...this is so unbelievably sexy and unique! I'm like the pied piper of hot guys when I wear this scent, because they just follow me down the street. I'm serious, I get asked out a lot more when I wear this one!

 

(Someone said that the patchouli bothered them, but for peeps who hate patchouli like me, rest assured - I don't even think that there is a drop of patchouli in this one at all. I'm super sensitive to it and can almost always sniff it out of any blend, but I don't detect it here even remotely.)

 

Scherezade is all sexiness and allure. This should be a love potion. Definitely in my top five BPALs ever!

 

Rating out of ten: this blend just turned it up to eleven!

[Ceasg]

Another thumbs up for Scherezade.

 

This one came as a freebie imp with my order of The Atrocious Attic. My first impression of it right out of the bottle was an intriguing, spicy-smoky-sweet scent. I smell reeds, vanilla or benzoin, and opium smoke among others.

 

I was a touch disappointed as it went on wet as a very sharp, soapy scent. After 15 or 20 minutes, I noticed a sweet scent wafting around me. I sniffed and thought, "What's that?" Sure enough, it's Scherezade. She's morphed very slightly and isn't quite as spicy as she is in the imp, but gorgeous nonetheless. Like others have said, Scherezade's a sexy scent. I think she's going on my 5mL wishlist and will probably be a regular wear.

Edited December 8, 2007 by Ceasg

[Wwindy]

Mmm, yummy... for a brief while!

 

Wet, this was almost overpoweringly "New Age shop" on me, but as it dries down I'm getting what seems like some warm amber in there rounding out and mellowing the scent. I'm smelling predominantly incense and the amber-y note; I definitely don't get any patchouli at all and also not nearly as much of the musk as some people are reporting.

 

Just as I'm starting to really like this one, it seems to be fading out! Now I've just got slightly soapy warmth and not much else.

 

ETA: Myrrh! A couple of hours later, the "soapy warmth" is definitively myrrh. Pleasant, but not thrilling.

Edited December 10, 2007 by Wwindy

[mmcfa2]

Scherezade is almost too sweet initially. Not ugly or cloying, but to sweet for MY taste. But the weardown is a womanly sexy delight. On days that I want the spices and musk with a tempered base I'll apply something woodier and then scherezade on top. This one is a true classic and the life of the scent rivals snake oil in both wear length and also in aging beauty.

[Czarina]

In the imp: soap and patchouli.

Wet: strong soapy patchouli.

Drydown: nice musky scent, but strong.

 

This has great wearlength and incredible throw--but I have a migraine today and my nose is extra-sensitive. On normal days this might seem like a normal scent and not overpowering.

[TereFaerie]

This is one scent that is so-so on me, but WOW on my DH (and in the oil burner)

 

Sultry Middle Eastern Spices without any floral, I smell earthy incensy spice as well as that clearer "yellow' scent which I assume to be saffron, and a deeper muskier scent. I agree it does have great throw and lasts and lasts on my DH. It goes a little too sweet on me, bordering on baby powder.

[angelicdemise]

Very nice spicy musk! To me it smells somewhere imbetween Snake Oil and Blinding Glory of Love. It's lighter than Snake Oil and without the vanilla and sweeter than Blinding Glory of Love. I just got the imp today and this will probably be the next 5ml that I buy.

[tziporra]

I've been putting this one off because, like others, I was afraid of the musk. Also, it didn't jump out of the bottle at me like some of the others that Shollin enabled me to sniff.

 

Wet: Lots of incense. Like a big old incense stick. And sneezing. Woo-hoo! Let me get a hankerchief and maybe I can finish the review.

 

Drydown: Still incencey. Still sneezey. No bad musk smell on me - for sure I thought that was the "red musk" note, but apparently not. Still trying to track down what it might be.

 

My husband likes it for the warm spicy smell, but I prefer something with less incense and less sneezing and maybe a few flowers. Baghdad, for instance. Achoo! Drat, I'm gonna have to wash this one off before it's completely dry, I can't handle the allergic reaction.

 

Best,

 

Tzi

[ShadowsDance]

This goes on very nicely, it reminds me a lot of walking into an Asian gift store. You know the kind, they sell all sorts of statues, swords, clothing, and of course incense! Somewhat sweet, but deep and spicy at the same time. Warm, and definietly sensual.

 

The only down side would be the few points where it becomes dangerously close to baby powder. However, that doesn't happen often or last long.

[MaeKitty]

In the Bottle: Smells exactly like one of the pagan shops in town that closed down a few years ago. A dark mix of spice and musk

On Me: A lovely swirling of scents. Spicey, musky, and so perfect as a bellydance blend. I think I smell Sandalwood in here. It makes me feel mysterious and beautiful

[akiko]

Yay, nice red musk. Red musk is my friend.

 

Imp: Red musk and spices.

 

Wet: Same, with a lot of the spice coming out

 

Dry: Red musk. I can also get the spices if I hold my arm the right way.

[fourspecialgirls]

Smooth, warm...slighly dusty sweet. Im keepin it!!!

[NatCatz]

Its a warm and sexy smell, the musk is beautiful and deep and the spices compliment it greatly.

 

It sits next to both Morocco and Lust in my head.. Its like a deeper morocco, and lust without the amber-powder trick my chemistry plays on me.

 

Definitely a 5ml!

[etienne]

I'm glad I got the imp of this in a swap the day before placing my Lab order, because I need a 5ml of this!

 

I love red musk in general, and I love spicy scents. This is gorgeous - very warm and sweet, as well as extremely sexy. Something about the spice reminds me of Snake Oil - this is almost like a softer, sweeter version of Snake Oil to me.

 

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Dry red musk with a bit of subtle spiciness.

 

Immediately on skin: The red musk is very strong, but not sharp. On me, this type of musk is almost fruity sometimes, or floral like dragon’s blood. Here it’s just lightly sweet. The saffron is blending in nicely, and adds a warm spiced feeling that blends in very well. This blend right now smells of lightly spiced red musk.

 

After a little while: This has gotten a little sweeter, and the spiciness has separated a little from the red musk. It’s a soft spiciness though… not harsh at all.

 

Overall Impressions: The red musk and spices are nice, but not fantastic on me. But this blend has a nice subtle sweetness and a very warm, comfy feel.

[Josh]

This is shockingly weak in strength. I've never had a bpal scent that is so faint.. I literally had to spill 1/3rd of the imp onto my wrist just to smell something. I'm completely vexxed as to how this could be so weak.

 

Anyway I get a little something that smells like Satyr but it's still difficult to tell due to how nonexistent this scent is. Weird.

[puddingirl]

At first sniff I'm reminded of my local New Age shop; very incensy. There's a slight fruityness about it. As it dries it smells lighter but I really like it! Once dry, my fiance commented on how it smelled like a joss stick! By the evening it smelled very similar to Dior's Hypnotic Poison; a hint of vanilla perhaps? It didn't have much throw, but I still liked it.

[djsiberia]

omg! this scent is to die for! i put it on, went to the club and got lots of compliments! its such a complex scent and it reminds me of aveda...i loved this in the imp so much i ordered two bottles right away.

[NinjaCowboy]

Gorgeous perfume!! One of the scents that I've tried that best compliments my skin chemistry.

 

Bottle: Red musk, lots of it. I can catch a whiff of spices, but its mostly red musk, which is fine, as it is a scent that I love.

 

Wet: On my skin, the red musk is still there, but it warms more, and the spices start to come out. Just amazing!

 

Dry: Interesting scent... after about 15 minutes it seems to have absorbed right into my skin. I can't smell it on my wrist where I applied it anymore. But, there is this sweet aura that follows me around everywhere. Its strong and subtle at the same time. It follows me around in a cloud of soft scent with lots of throw.

 

I love this scent a lot!! I have my aged bottle, and when that runs out, I'll have to buy another one.