Nemesis

[Blood onmy hands]

... Cypress, ginger, fig, dried rose, red patchouli, tonka bean and cyclamen.

I love falling in love with a new imp . I love most of the notes in this, so I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to try this one.

First on, this is all cypress. It reminds me of standing in the forest and leaning up against the trunk of a tree, breathing in the spicy wooden scent. Then my beloved patchouli comes in and rounds out the cypress. I am in heaven. This is the sort of fragrance that makes me dizzy from sniffing it so much.

15 minutes later. This hasn't changed much at all. I'm not getting any ginger, fig, rose, or cyclamen. The patchouli has gotten a bit stronger, but it still isn't overpowering the cypress.

Half hour later. Fig smells dark, dry and woodsy on me; and it is starting to come through between the cypress and patchouli. The fig is also adding a light sweetness to the blend. I'm still in love. The blend is rounding out and getting better every minute.

After about an hour, the cypress has mostly faded. This is primarily patchouli and fig, with a smooth whisp of tonka in the background.

This is so good. The rose and floral never come out on me (yay). This is a dark, amazing blend. I love this on me, and I would devour a man who was wearing Nemesis

[Fefferbella]

This is a sweet light patchouli, woodsy blend. Very nice.

 

I was hoping for more tonka bean, but sadly it was barely a hint in this blend. The cypress is a little overpoewering, but still very nice.

[ABrokenAngel]

In the Bottle:I can’t smell any one of these ingredients specifically. They’ve all fused together majestically. I’m very impressed with this scent. I had high hopes for this one since it’s my namesake. I think I can pick out the cypress but I’m not sure. It’s far too muted to tell if that is indeed the cypress or if it’s something else, I don’t know what cyclamen smells like.

 

Wet: Uh oh….. patchouli. I hope it goes away….please go away!

 

Drydown: WHY!?!??!!! I hat eyou patchouli! I hate you with a violent rage. If I could destroy you with a large stick I would. …. Yep….all patchouli with a bit of fig and cypress in the background.

[Fleurdelys]

OMFG! I'm completely enthralled by this scent...fascinated...ensorcelled....not enough adjectives in the dictionary.

I've just spent the last thirty minutes with my nose attached to my arm, trying to figure out WHY I adore this scent the way I do.

 

I mean, c'mon, there's patchouli in this... normally any and all patchouli turns to stinky feet on me, and my skin amps it like no tomorrow. Here, it's nonexistent. YAY! Even the ginger is Good Ginger, and not evil Siren Ginger.

 

Oh god, it's so spicy and dark and smooth. I want to run off and lock myself in a room with my box of *ahem* toys... and not come out for as long as this scent lasts on me. And this is coming from a person who wears predominantly florals. I've tried a ton of scents from the Love Potions category, looking for something that makes me feel and smell sooo sexy. This is it. This is not a scent for wilting, graceful women. This is a scent for a woman who attacks her guy when he walks in the door, leaves scratches while ripping his clothes off, and says "I'm going to have you, all night, however I want...and you're going to enjoy every second of it!"

 

The woodsy note in here is dry and brown, with little to no green. The spices aren't foody to me at all. Just a dry ginger smoothed and sweetened just a bit by the fig and tonka. I don't get tons of rose or cyclamen out of this. This is in no way a sweet scent. It is nudging the line of masculine on me, but it's like being with a guy, and having his cologne on you later - just blending into your skin. You get whiffs of it, and think (dirty thoughts) of him sporadically all day long. This doesn't morph too much, and has good staying power.

 

I tried it on my guy first, and it was awful...smelled like a dead possum stuck in a log. Before I swapped it off, I tried it on a whim, and I am sooo glad I did.

Definitely a big bottle!

 

ETA: I wore this again today, now that whatever hormone spike was going on is over..., just to reevaluate the scent. I still like it very much. It's spicy and just treads the line of masculine. For women, I want to say it's austere and severe, almost, because of how dry it is, but in a strong, intelligent woman sort of way. Today I wore my hair all pulled back and a black turtleneck, and the scent fit - gave me more presence. Turning me from librarian girl into a Martha Graham clone ::fake European grand dame accent:: "NO NO NO... you vill not quit. Your feet.. they are not bleeding yet!" Wearing it will definitely tilt your chin up a notch or two, and woe to the person who would cross you wearing this scent. Very aptly named, I think. </edit>

Edited December 1, 2005 by Fleurdelys

[Guest Titania]

This is an odd oil on me. The patchouli is strong and I only used one small drop. On me it smells like a furniture store. One with musty carpets and little in the way of leather furniture.

 

As far as any revenge element, the scent is making me want to kick someones ass, even my own, to get this scent out of my nose. This just didn't work on me. Poo.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: i can catch hints of the ginger, rose, and red patchouli, but it's mostly cypress.

on: very sharp. i can definitely smell the cypress and ginger. an angry scent.

half an hour later: this is making my nose itchy. it's warmer now. i can smell the fig and patchouli in addition to the ginger and cypress. a generally warm scent, calmer than when i first put it on.

1.5 hours later: more of a hot scent than a warm one.

2.5 hours later: soft, powdery, woodsy, and warm.

4.5 hours later: almost gone.

overall: this just isn't my type of scent.

[mdargen]

This is one of the very first scents I received and it is GORGEOUS!

 

I usually hate patchouli, but this is different. It is such an amazing scent. The ginger, fig, patchouli, and rose are perfectly balanced.

 

It is the kind of scent that will get you noticed.

[arabella]

First Impression: Sharp herbs and wood, a tad medicinal.

 

Dries down to: A mild Vick's Vapo-rub with a hint of sage and cedar plus a dollop of chutney.

 

Additional Comments: Initially, I think it's the cypress and ginger that I'm getting. Rose usuallly amps on me but I'm not picking it up at all so the other notes are masking it well and I can't find the patchouli anywhere. The "chutney" note must be the fig coming through. For some reason, this becomes very light on me after the first five minutes. Unfortunately, this particular combination of notes on my skin doesn't do much for me.

 

Lasted : Less than an hour.

 

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

[Aurelius]

I love all the notes in Nemesis but together they don't work particularly well on my skin.

 

This switches from a woodsy scent to one of figs and dirt. In fact, it's an awful lot like Nephilim was on my skin.

 

It's nice, but it's not one of my favorites. Off to swap with someone who has skin chemistry that will agree with this.

[darkitysnark]

Nemesis

 

Two words: candied man.

 

OK. Maybe a few more words: this was a gimp from the Lab. The patchouli is what kept me from trying this in the first place, but I'm not really getting it at all here.

 

I MUST try this on The Mister tonight. I will pin him down with elbows, knees, and thighs if I have to.

[Caltha]

Nemesis

After I fell in love with Siren I've decided to try all the other apricot scents as well, although I know it's really the ginger that got me hooked. Nemesis is a morpher, it starts out sharp, bitter, smoky, herbal, ashen, poisonous and woody, and morphs into sweet candy fruits with perhaps vanilla even.

 

...and then I read the description, which I always do after writing the review, and realized this was one of the scents I tried out because of the ginger, not because of the apricot. Funny. Then where does the candy fruit come from?

 

 

Edited February 11, 2006 by Caltha

[donsixgun]

At first it was cypress, pine, and patchouli...not bad. But after it dried and settled, the rose came out. And like usual, it dominated. So it slowly turned to soft, dry rose.

Shame

[girlmadasbirds]

hmm.. this is a lot more woodsy than i thought it would be. it's smelling like a woodsy-spicy soap with a hint of dried rose.

eh, off to the swaps.

[yeahbutnobut]

Nemesis

 

Note-my nose is recovering from a cold as I write this. I may update when I’m better.

In the imp: sharp cypress and sweetish, greenish fig, and a hint of hot ginger.

Wet on skin: the scent sweetens a bit, the fig ‘ripens’ and I think I get a hint of something floral…

Dry: mmm, not bad! This is unique, earthy, and with an interesting bite to it, but on the skin, it mellows out very nicely. I smell ripe sweet fig with a hint of dry, woody cypress, the tonka sweetening the scent, the ginger adding warmth, and just the barest hint of rose and patchouli and another soft floral note which I can’t recognise, but it may be the cyclamen. It’s a lovely combination of complex notes that seems to work really well!

After a while: oh, I really like what happens after 30 mins-1 hour. The scent is now a gorgeous mixture of rose, ripe sweet fig, and tonka, with a little bit of patchouli and ginger. I love this stage of the scent-it’s got that smoky, fruity, almost autumnal background that I like, and that I’ve noticed in other BPAL scents. It also reminds me very much of another one of my favourite scents-Queen of Clubs, but without the wet soil note and with different fruit notes.

Verdict: I’ve been looking all over for a good substitute for Queen of Clubs (for when I run out) and whilst this isn’t identical, it’s the closest to QoC that I’ve smelt so far. I wasn’t sure about the beginning since the cypress was a bit harsh but not too off putting…and this eventually faded, letting the sweet fig, tonka, and rich rose come out, with hints of ginger and patchouli. The drydown this scent has is that wonderful fruity-floral smoky earthy scent which reminds me of autumn-but in here, there’s a lovely rose note that adds something extra to the scent. I love this scent-I’m not sure if I need a bottle yet but I’m keeping the imp and I’m sure that one day I’ll get a bottle (and possibly try layering this scent with Graveyard Dirt to replicate QoC!)

[Nekomata]

The cypress is very strong in the bottle. On my skin there are more hints of the ginger and patchouli. Crisp, dry scent, very refreshing.

[themerrybaker]

Woood. Cedaaar… and then it morphs into something woodier but similar to my beloved Khajura-Joe!! Nemesis is a little sharper and woodier, though. It eventually loses the conifer blast altogether and a mellow sweetness creeps out.

 

 

 

Another nice surprise.

[trins-ravengirl]

Mmmm patchouli, ginger and rose is mostly what this smells like when dried on my skin.

 

Not as woodsy as I first expected, I think it's toned down by the rose and tonka. I'm impressed. A slightly sweet woodsy smell.

[rosesinmotion]

My fiance got this as a frimp with an order of Czernoborg (mmm, great stuff, that!).

 

I was interested to see that a few of the reviewers mentioned wanting to try this on the men in their life, and since the only experience I have from it is from my fiance... I thought I'd give this a go.

 

In a few words:

 

Intense desert heartbreak.

 

(Not that that particular description is helpful, but that is what I associate the scent with.)

 

A few more words:

 

Damn sexy. ^.^

 

I think that the red patchouli really made this blend. That spicy, musky smell is what really popped out to me--but not in a harassing, overpowering way. This is a fairly complex scent. It made me go--"Hmm...what's in that? Something woody? SPICY. Not quite cinnamon"--and in the few seconds that those thoughts took to muster up and come to the surface, I was hooked.

 

I think I prefer the woods of Czernoborg on him, but his is a very sexy change--and he adored it.

 

(And I thought from the name that this would really work on -females-! This is why I love BPAL ladies and gents---it breaks down those gender expectations.)

[Eunice]

Cypress and red patchouli in the bottle. I get a little bit of cedar also. This smells a lot stronger in the bottle than it does on my skin. I don't get any of the fig at all. The ginger comes out once the oil gets heated up on my skin. The patchouli is still there (yay) but turns to a brighter scent with the addition of the ginger. I really really enjoy Nemesis! The only thing I can smell after it dries is the patchouli, rose and ginger. The combination is invigorating! This is a nice, clean summer scent for me, something I can wear that is the tiniest bit floral but not enough to make the bees follow me. This too goes on my large bottle list!

[juniperus]

Bottle: patchouli, patchouli, patchouli. And a hint of cypress and some sweet note topping it off.

Wet: the cypress is getting a little footing, I think that sweet is the tonka. a hint of green.

Dry: hints of the fig and ginger as the patchouli finally backs off a bit. barest hint of the dried rose, and the sweet isn't as sharp.

Later: not my nemesis, I guess I didn't need any punishment today - a very nice patchuli blend that doesn't get all hippy-shop on me.

[septima_pica]

Hah! The first burst of this smells like gin. Cute.

 

Within thirty seconds, though, the cypress has spent its fury and begun to blend with ginger -- hey, that's the first time I've actually smelt a BPAL ginger note, and it's niiiiice. And there's the patchouli, nice and woody and vaguely reminiscent of perilla leaves, and the fig sweetening everything up like whoa...and there's tonka, low-pitched and indescribable, but still one of my very favourite notes. Woot.

 

Wow, this is a really complex scent, in the best BPAL tradition, where I can find all the notes out -- a bit sweet fig and some unrecognisable other sweet note, a bit woody-piney with the cypress and patchouli, spicy ginger and deep rich brown tonka -- and still I can back off and recognise how all the smells go together, and be amazed at how they come in one by one like a fugue. I don't even think this is evoking a single scent memory for me, but it's marvelously complicated and dark. Doesn't smell so terribly vengeful, I must admit, but I still love it.

 

Many thanks to the people who pointed this one out to me -- it's like Gomorrah except way more my style. Awesome. I may need a bottle of this one too.

[kunoichi]

This is a strong blend, with something primal about it; tt reminds me a touch of Ravenous, when I sniff it from the vial. It's a musky sort of smell, but it's also herbal. It starts to become a sweeter scent on my skin after a short time, yet there is still something raw about it, something feral (as in wild). After a few hours on my skin, it the sweetness takes over and the animalistic-like note fades... until everything has faded a couple of hours later.

[ladymissspyder]

Wet: cypress, with the rose and tonka underneath.

 

Drydown: it gets a little menthol-y. :?

 

Top notes: Ginger, cypress and patchouli. Verrreh nice.

 

Middle notes: Ginger, cypress, tonka and patchouli. It has an almost cedar-y effect.

 

Base notes: It's kind of a powder-y cedar now.

 

Throw: medium

 

Rating: 4 out of 5

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i don't like ginger or tonka so this makes me wary.... but cypress, fig, patchouli, rose...maybe they'll outweigh the bad?

 

wet, fresh from the imp on my skin: Cypress, with the cedary tang that's so yummy.

 

initial impression: this smells like the inside of my gramma's cedar chest (that's a good thing) decades of bath powder, chanel no 5 & cedar.

 

hours later, that's still what i smell. gramma's cedar chest. Chanel no#5 with a little bit of the powdery/talc-y smell and cedar.

 

i fully expected to hate this... so much that i only put the tiniest, teensiest droplet on the far side of my arm so i have to twist rather strangely to sniff it....

 

i think maybe i'll slather some more on now, and go to bed....

 

and remember being little and spending the night at gramma's house.

(except, being from the south, its Mawmaw's house)

[edenssixthday]

Nemesis is a perfectly nice blend, but it doesn't really stand out to me. The cypress is the dominant note, but it's soft. The other notes are even softer, and some I can't detect in the least. I smell a bit of rose and fig, as well. This scent reminds me of what I imagine Greece would smell like (I've never been, but would love to someday!) It's has a strong Mediterranean scent to it. As soft as the blend is, the throw is fabulous, so I can smell the soft trees and flowers and fruits around me, but they are not overwhelming, they're just softly present. As I said, there is nothing wrong with this blend at all, but it doesn't jump out at me as being particularly unique or something that makes me stand up and pay attention.