Delight and Consternation

[Aldercy]

Bourbon vanilla, custard accord, white rose, cocoa absolute, oudh, lemon blossom, and skin musk.

Head's up, everyone! Delight & Consternation is one of those BPAL oils with chocolate sludge, so be sure to mix and roll well! The sludge is not a huge percentage of the blend (like Boomslang), just a couple of millimeters at the bottom of the bottle. But it will smell different if you don't mix properly.

So... I love this. Immediately. The chocolate note is dry bittersweet cocoa powder with a hint of aged woodiness, maybe from the oudh. The balmy lemon blossom (very subtle-- creamy and fresh, but not strongly citrusy) blends well with the custard to make a kind of faint, mellow lemon curd impression. It reminds me a little of the custard/orange/floral thing going on in Huesos de Santo, though more gentle. But this is all clean and distinct from the cocoa somehow: they don't clash at all. The white rose takes several minutes to make an appearance, and it's a soft, almost honeyed rose. The skin musk and vanilla are both very lacy and delicate and stay in the background.

It's an unexpected combination of notes, but they are incredibly complementary. Delight & Consternation stays pretty close to the skin. It's not exactly foody or even overly sweet despite having several gourmand notes. The oudh and musk keep it grounded and give it a hint of sexiness. It's very unique, and I'm so glad I bought a bottle!

ETA: Okay, I see the cocoa sludge is not universal! Mine is very noticeable. When I overturn the bottle, it cascades down the sides, leaving streaks and globules floating around like a lava lamp. When I roll the bottle for awhile to mix it, it gets cloudy enough that light doesn't shine through. It will be interesting to see how everyone's individual bottles vary.

[AlectoFurious]

So first a little disclaimer. My bottle does not have any chocolate sludge. It is totally clear. Very curious to see subsequent reviews and whether my bottle is unique in this aspect. So with that in mind, on to the review.

In the bottle I get predominantly the custard and vanilla with a tiny very soft breath of lemon blossom. Not very sweet just rich and creamy. Wet, the lemonyness asserts itself briefly but it is very well behaved. Dry, it is the shy, quiet love child of Boo! and Lemon Scented Sticky Bat. Nice but too similar on me to other things. Very curious if my bottle is the only one sans sludge???

 

ETA: I took my bottle into my lab and decanted the entire thing into a small clear glass jar and I for sure have no nommy chocolate sludge. Poot I wonder if I just got a wonky bottle, it's yummy but I am wondering what I'm missing.

Edited February 14, 2013 by AlectoFurious

[amanderinorange]

Just got this!

 

For starters, I don't have much of the sludge that Aldercy has. There's a slight ribbon that I can see after I roll it, but it's not much. In the bottle, I smell the bourbon vanilla and lemon blossom and to a lesser extent what I think is the white rose. It's a very soft floral that tones down the bourbon vanilla and seems to smooth out the lemon blossom.

 

 

On the skin I definitely begin to pick up more of the rose as well as the custard, but it's not foody by any means. It's all very soft and fairly well blended, with not much throw, though my skin does tend to eat scents mind you. Overall it's a pleasant enough scent and I'm glad I was able to try it.

[Balame]

This DEFINITELY has chocolate sludge, at least in my bottle. I was in the process of decanting and the first vial I fill up has a clear, slightly yellow-ish oil.

 

Next squeeze is pure black. Whoops!

 

I have to disagree with amander in that I think this is foody. But it's light and wearable no doubt, and as it dries the rose makes it less like dessert. Upon first application it's a perfect match for vanilla lemon custard with a delicate chocolate syrup. Super yummy, but not as rich and overwhelming and as something like Cockaigne. Light, pretty and lickable.

 

I'm also loving the creaminess, because it's been tough to find something that has a foody sweetness similar to Glowing Vulva without getting too intensely sugary.

 

*edit* Now that I've worn this a few times I have to alter my notes. D&C starts off as it was in the bottle with a wonderful lemon/vanilla/choc cream, then turns almost purely into lemon. It's kind of harsh during this stage. About 20 minutes later it settles into a softer lemon with very light wafts of vanilla and cocoa.

 

Why is it that cream notes always disappear once they've traveled from bottles to my skin!? I hate that because I adore the note. This is still really pretty, but I wish it stayed truer to its wet stage and wasn't predominantly citrus-y.

Edited March 6, 2013 by Balame

[Teaotter]

Update 5/2/13: This is still one of my favorites! Over the last couple of months, the vanilla custard has deepened. The throw is now more of a vanilla-cocoa cloud, with the oud, rose, and lemon blossom playing back-up.

 

Original review:

 

No sludge at all for me! On the other hand, the chocolate/cocoa smell is pretty strong when I open the bottle, so I don't think I'm missing anything. Oh, and I should mention that I usually amp rose so loudly I can't wear it, but I found the white rose/oudh combo in Dream to be very wearable, so I'm hoping this one will have the same effect.

 

In the bottle: Vanilla and cocoa.

 

Wet: My nose gets really confused at first. There's a jumble of notes, a flare of custardy creaminess, then a blast of the kind of floral-shampoo smell I usually associate with certain kinds of amber. o.O

 

Dry: If I put my nose against my skin, I can identify all the notes. But I'm mostly just blown away by the gorgeous cloud of scent wafting around me, which is incredibly well blended. Sweet, not at all gourmand, a gentle creamy-floral with a woody backbone.

 

Overall: The vanilla isn't as strong as I expected it to be, it's more of a background player in this. The cocoa does that woody thing I like so much, the oudh keeps the rose from amping. I get no citrus out of this at all.

Edited May 2, 2013 by TeaOtter

[SophieCedar]

The bottles I received all have cocoa sludge, FYI..

 

The best way I can describe this is "mischievously cute". I agree with Tea Otter about how it forms a cloud around the wearer. I would say its a light elusive cloud of sweet floral and a deep cord of resin. Its the kind of perfume that'll drive people nuts saying "Where is that wonderful scent coming from?!"...becaaaauuusse they won't be able to directly pin it on you.

 

On me, the creamy sweet custard accord is most notable. 2nd most: bourbon vanilla, 3rd: a melange of cocoa, oud, and skin musk. The lemon blossom is definitely *very* light and floral, only offering a slight perky brightness to the rest. So, lemon fearers, don't fret. Same with the white rose. It just amps the rest. that's why I love white rose. Its rose without being all the rosey in your face YO I'M ROSE stuff.

 

I'd place this in the Daytime Date category. Its the coffeeshop date, under radar, alluring, only picked up in wafts when you're grabbing a sugar packet turning into that wonderfully feminine subtle smell left on your date's pillow which can only be described as "you" instead of "perfume".

[Shirel]

This is my first review here, hope I do well...

 

Anyways, my bottle also had quite a bit of sludge at the bottom (about a fifth of the bottle is my estimate) so this bottle will need a bit of rolling to blend properly which amuses me slightly, what with the picture and all *has a dirty mind*

 

So after rolling the bottle around for a bit I tipped it over and used what was left on the cap to test the perfume on my wrist. The first notes that hit me where the cocoa and the lemon blossom. The chocolate note the cocoa gave me was of a bitter-sweet chocolate and with the lemon blossom giving me that lemony hit the first thing I thought of was jaffa cakes! Not the normal citrus ones but the ones filled with lemon jelly and then covered in dark chocolate, if (like me) you like separating your food it smells like a lemon jaffa cake without the actual cake part, pretty nice but a bit too strong for me.

 

As it dried down I started to get more of a sharp floral scent from it, that I could identify as white rose (which isn't nearly as sweet as red rose). As you can tell I associate scent with taste, so when I breath the scent in the taste I get is of dark chocolate with a hint of lemon, breathing out gives me the floral taste with a hint of lemon tying the scent together.

At this point I was afraid I'd never get the custard accord I was so curious about

 

But as it reaches it's last stages of drying down properly on my skin (about 30 minutes in) the chocolate starts retreating into the background and the custard and vanilla come out to play with the white rose! It takes the slight sharp edge off the rose and leaves it lovely and creamy while still leaving a tiny bit of dark chocolate to cut off the sweetness at the back of my throat when I breath it in.

 

So once dry what I get from this scent is a lovely soft creamy white rose&lemon with a very very slight chocolaty edge, this scent would be lovely for summer garden parties (Reminder to self- host a summer garden party) or romantic picnic where you don't want to overwhelm your date with scent.

For me this is a 4/5 and I'm glad I got a bottle unsniffed

[livingdead71]

My bottle seems pretty sludgeless...I don't get much chocolate from this scent either, for that matter. In the bottle and on my skin, I get mostly lemon cream and soft white rose. This is a beautiful scent and my favorite 2013 Luper so far!

[ltrittipoe]

No sludge in mine at all!

 

In the bottle, I get a lot of lemon blossom - custardy lemon blossom.

 

Wet, I can pick out an edge of cocoa and rose, but still mostly light custardy lemon blossom.

 

As it starts drying down, the rose and oudh come forward a little, but it stays light, with nothing really dominating the blend.

 

Dry, no chocolate or bourbon vanilla. Very close to the skin, mostly rose and lemon blossom at this point.

 

Overall, I get light, fresh lemony, creamy floral. It's lovely, and I am so glad I have a bottle, but I have to admit that I was hoping to be able to pick out tons of chocolate and bourbon vanilla! I think this will be perfect for summer.

[pinkstardust420]

No sludge in mine! I absolutely love is scent! It's incredibly sexy and has long wear on the skin. To me, this is a soft musky vanilla custard with a bit of lemon blossom to keep it interesting! Not getting any rose, and not foody by any means. Just sexy and light. Love!

[Cinder and Smoke]

Mine has hella sludge. Like, my imp is basically black. Definitely getting chocolate dusted lemon custard out of this. It's interesting, but goes sour on my skin after a while. Not for me.

[plainjean]

There's no sludge in my bottle—that I can see, anyway. However, I do still get the dry cocoa powder scent, though mostly only up close. Overall, the scent is a custardy white rose and skin musk scent. So, so pretty and sexy, but sexy in a way that doesn't seem like it's trying to be sexy. It just is.

[tinyvulture]

Total morpher, this one. In the imp, it smells like lovely, creamy vanilla custard. Once applied, the cocoa and lemon are super strong. I don't think I've ever had a perfume change so much from bottle to skin! I can't smell the vanilla or custard at all. I suppose this was to be expected since my skin amps lemon. Ten minutes later, the chocolate has now completely vanished and it's all soft lemon blossom. If you can get past all the changes, this would be nice when you just want a very light, fresh lemony scent.

[cherrycherry]

Mine is sludgeless. I adore the smell and it's easily one of my favourites from this year's Lupes.

 

Sweet, floral and creamy without being cloying. It has a fair amount of throw but doesn't last all that long on me. Good job I don't mind slathering I don't think I need a back-up bottle, but this one is definitely a keeper and one I've returned to a couple of times since receiving my order.

[windbourne]

Mine is full-on sludge, too; at least one imp's-worth of cocoa absolute, if not one and a half, if my experience is any judge. I kind of want to try a bottle that lacks it, just to see if there's actually a difference. But anyway.

 

I experience this scent as a lemony-fresh custard blob at first, with some mildly soapy florals, followed by the skin musk, and a deep whiff of oudh appearing after about ten minutes. The cocoa is very strong in the bottle, but even well-rolled (and the bottle does turn practically black with sludgey cocoa goodness), it doesn't stand out on my skin. The oudh gives it more depth and longevity, but I can never decide what I think about skin musk. I have a whole discussion about it skittering around in my head, as it's so distinctive and not quite like anything else, and it can practically ruin (Ebisu; Beanman & Beanwoman) or make (Tamamo-no-Mae) a scent for me. Clearly I have strong feelings about it.

 

BUT I DIGRESS.

 

In this scent the skin musk is lithe and creamy and, I think, is acting partially as a foil for the custard and vanilla while accenting the flowers and oudh. It kind of toes a line right between the two, between the sweet and slightly sour, and I think it's pretty perfect. After a while (maybe an hour?) it all settles down into a mildly sweet skin scent, and I think previous reviewers have been right on the money about it being an excellent early date perfume. The waft is gentle and on me it lasts about four hours before I feel like I can't smell it at all. It's a very bright, adorable perfume.

 

A++ would wear again.

[theseagrows]

i admit, i was apprehensive about this one. custard and cocoa often don't work for me (or i just don't like foody scents) and white rose can be hit or miss, even though red rose works well for me. anyway, i really like this! i like it the best out of this year's lupercalia's that i've tried so far for this year. i don't even smell the rose, but it's mostly cocoa, vanilla and oudh with skin musk. very sensual and warm-one of those kind of foody sexy scents (how thirteen from june '06 is on me.) i may need a bottle of this.

[Floria]

This isn't a terribly strong scent on me, but then, my skin eats chocolate notes and I have a slight stuffy nose at the moment, so ymmv.

 

I see where the lemon jaffa cake comparison comes from. The two standout notes, to my nose, are the cocoa and the lemon blossom. Everything else is pretty well-blended and unobtrusive. I often amp rose, but the white rose here is pretty subtle and doesn't go shrill or try to take over the whole blend. I also have mixed luck with light musks, and I can report that the skin musk in this is fairly low-pitched and doesn't go sharp or cologny. This all may sound like damning with faint praise, but this is a genuinely enjoyable scent, and one I'm looking forward to trying again when my nose is fully functional.

 

ETA: It takes a while, but the vanilla is fairly strong once it finally comes out.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Floria

[violetblue]

Mine is full-on sludge, too; at least one imp's-worth of cocoa absolute, if not one and a half, if my experience is any judge.

 

Mine is too, if not more! It looks so cool when you roll the bottle, I hadn't even noticed until I read this thread the other day! Honestly though, rolled or not, the scent is the same on me. Sweet, custardy, with light chocolate, some floral, and something sharp that reminds me a little of Lilith Vs the Giant Crab. I like it but that sharp stage I don't.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Mmmmm, this is all delight and no consternation for me! My decant imp is sludge-free, but there is a dry cocoa note like Velvet. In fact, this reminds me of a more vanilla-y Velvet. It stays close to the skin and makes me smell delicious but very delicate. This is the sort of scent that I think only Beth can do right: gourmand but not "giant cupcakes of dooooom" like some foody scents. It's a sophisticated dessert.

[AmyO'Shields]

Soft, lemony chocolate custard! This is gorgeous and will be worn quite often this spring and summer. Yum.

[hecate_jones]

I wanted to love this so much... but I don't.

My bottle did have a glob of cocoa sludge, so I rolled well before trying it. In the bottle, it's all lemon custard pie. VERY lemony.

Wet on skin... weirdly aquatic lemony citrus. Very... unexpectedly fresh smelling. Then it's all rose, rose, rose. Aquatic, slightly lemony rose.

 

Drydown... sweet rose.

 

I'm sure lovers of sweet, discreet florals will love this, but it's too floral for me.

[stellamaris]

ok, surely I hope to revisit this review, as Mother Nature is still not done having her little joke with me...and yes, I can hardly smell this.

First, I got a clear one, and the cocoa smelled very much like one of the 13s from last year, with a coffee tinged edge, and then pouf it was gone. By next week, who can say?

 

OK later in the day I could smell this, and it was fantastic, surprisingly less foodie than I would have thought. This is quite wearable, I like it.

Edited March 2, 2013 by stellamaris

[crebbsgirl]

This was rich cocoa and vanilla, with a delicious oudh note. This surprisingly doesn't get foody on me! The rose is very well behaved, I only get a subtle hint if it. It wears very close to the skin for me. It's very soft and lovely.

[oncominbeige]

Wet, I get mostly cocoa, but a dry, nice kind that doesn't actually make me smell like a chocolate bar. It's gourmand, not foody.

Dry down: The cocoa starts receeding into the background and the vanilla starts taking over the show. Rose makes a breif appearance, but isn't particularly noticable.

Dry: ...Hi vanilla SN? I think the custard might be backing it up a little, and I have no idea if the oud or skin musk are doing anything. I'm going to have to retest this to see if there's anything making this a more complicated scent, but I wish the cocoa had stuck around, or that the rose was more prominent.

 

I didn't smell lemons AT ALL, but my skin gobbles up most citrus notes so that's no surprise.

[Quillifer]

My bottle has sludge in the bottom. If I mix it in, the scent is basically just cocoa to me, from start to finish. If I leave the sludge at the bottom, the scent is a little more mixed - a little vanilla with the cocoa, some white rose; I get virtually no lemon blossom which disappoints me but I guess it's a note at the end of a list with some hefty competition. I wouldn't have bought a bottle had I tried an imp first but I think I'll still grow to enjoy the un-shaken version. We live and learn I guess - I was just so certain that the notes would work for me