Ravenous

[Shollin]

Ravenous, from Love Potions:

An utterly feral, thoroughly rousing perfume. Red patchouli sweetened by orange blossom.

 

First sniff: Only thing I can think of is “it smells like an evil orange.” Made me giggle, but that might just be at my own craziness.

 

Wearing: Orange liqueur, but the sharpness seems to be less on my skin – not softened, but swallowed up in something warm and velvet-soft (if that's red patchouli I need to get me some more!). It’s a teensy bit reminiscent of the “feeling” of Snake Oil – not the same scent, but the same sort of warm slinky feeling. It’s definitely warm, but warm like drinking whiskey on a cold night, not warm like baking cookies in your grandmother’s kitchen. Ravenous and Lush's Karma are both orange and patchouli, but Karma is bright and bubbly and cheerful – this might be Karma’s older sister who wears black eyeliner and tall boots. I think I’m wearing this one to New Year’s Eve.

 

On second wearing (New Year’s Eve) this is now my official “wear when I want to feel sexy” perfume, and will probably go in my car for slinkiness emergencies. I want to roll around in the stuff. It’s still a bit sharp on first touch, but it gets warm and velvety so quickly… mmmmmm.

[jj_j]

Orange, but just barely. More of a creamsicle kind of orange, which I would detest if the red sandalwood didn't grab the reins and pull it back into the blend pretty quickly.

 

The two combine and even out pretty well, but this isn't something I'd wear.

 

Edited to add: Ordered several Imps for friends to try, and went back through some of them that I didn't care for originally. This one passed the re-testing of re-tested scents ... so soft and warm, with the orange keeping it light and smooth. I'm ordering this after all!

Edited May 17, 2004 by jj_j

[Polexia]

Delightfully orange when first put on. Not the earthy smelling patchouli but warm and sexy. Its a scent that lingers and floats as you move

[nevermore]

I just got this in a swap, and I already enjoy it. When I first put it on, it smelled alot like a creamsicle (almost to the post of smelling "artifical" - like the vanilla in LUSH's Rock Star soap - it's not a bad thing, that's just the way it smells). After it dries though, the "artificial-ness" of this really calms down and smells of oranges and sonething else I can't really place, with some darker notes underneath (which I assume is the pachouli). It's really quite a happy upbeat scent - not really "sexy" on me, but then again, it's really orange-y *nod*

[twistygirl]

Oh, god, this smelled DEADLY on me when I first put it on... I could smell neither orange nor patchouli, I smelled like metallic dead meat or something. But now it is a very lovely smell, I can detect the orange more than the patchouli... it does remind me of Karma's sexy older sister, although I think I'd prefer a bit less orange and a bit more patchouli... or something like musk or amber to quiet the orange down a bit. I'm funny with orange. In some blends it smells wonderful on me, in some blends it's not bad but not quite great... I'd put this somewhere in the middle.

 

Wait! I just got a whiff of baby aspirin! That can NEVER be a bad thing! I think I'm liking this more than I had thought just a few minutes ago (I've had it on about an hour).

[Tesseljoan]

The onrange stands out A LOT first, but calms down after a while and gets wrapped around in a beautiful deep, incense type smell. It's still there, but not as bright and bubbly.

 

The phase between wet and dry is a bit...odd though. I'll just have to keep my wrists down for 15 minutes or so.

[Vicious Mistress]

Out of the bottle: I smell oranges and cherries, and a touch of almonds. Hmm.. Yummy, fruity, but very strong and sweet.

 

Since I liked the other cherry/almond scents better on, I decided to wear it today.

 

Wearing: As much as I want to like it, this turns to cherry chapstick on my skin.

[savage_carrot]

When I put this on the scent was overpowering, then turned into orange and something else.. I could smell both notes at the same time, yet seperately...weird i know...but it was awful on me...i had to wash it off as i couldn't stand it...too overwhelming *whew*. Someone was right, it is like an evil orange...too much so for me.

[Vaniclion]

TwistyGirl sent me this as a little extra in a trade with her, having seen it on my wishlist. So sweet! Looking at the description, I'm unsure why it was on there. I'm glad I got to sniff tho, although my overall reaction is 'not really for me'.

 

Out of the imp, the first thing I smell is the orange blossom with a dark undertone. It's sweet, like candy. Precisely like the inside of orange creame chocolates, actually... that gooey orange liquer sugary filling. Things do have a tendancy to go sweet on me.

 

The scent is reddish orange with stripes of black.

 

I've suspected for a while that patchouli is the culprit when things go so baby powdery on me, and this just confirms it. It goes powdery but stays sweet. There's just a hint of the orange left, so... basically it becomes evil sweet baby powder with a hint of orange. So... not for me. Works for others, tho, so that's good

[fallow deer]

I received Ravenous as a bonus imp with an order that included Vixen. I fell head-over-heels in love with Vixen’s spicy warm sexiness, and Ravenous pales in comparison for me.

 

They smelt very similar in the bottle, but when applied, Ravenous just fell flat. It was as if the notes were boring guests at a party, droning on at the same time, ‘hello, I’m patchouli’ and ‘hello, I’m orange blossom’ and never really talking or listening to each other. I felt like they were waiting for bright, sociable ginger to come along and liven things up.

 

I would never choose Ravenous over Vixen

 

I used the whole imp up in a bath (I do love patchouli) and have no regrets whatsoever!!

 

-fallow deer

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: Yep, that's patchouli and orange.

 

Wearing: The patchouli and orange are well-balanced, and the drydown is sweet with a bit of spice. Nice.

 

Final Impressions: I am a huge fan of Vixen and this is just a whole lot of nothing special. Like someone else said it is like something is missing in this blend. It is perfectly nice though.

[malanna]

On application and the first hour, I get an orange creamsicle smell--orange and vanilla--yum!

 

However, over time, it gets drier and drier and what my nose was telling me was vanilla (or just mixed with orange seemed like it should be vanilla) turns into (or takes off its mask) patchouli. I don't like this so much. After the initial impression, the orange recedes, with the patchouli taking greater prominence.

 

After two or three hours and the orange is sufficiently well into the background, I get the impression of Snake Oil, but without vanilla. It's spicy with a bit of incense, but just very dry and smoky. It's not quite what I imagine Snake Oil would be without vanilla, though. It smells more like I'm burning a piece of wood that has been doused with Snake Oil minus the vanilla. Just dry and not so comforting.

Edited July 6, 2004 by malanna

[grrrlennyl]

at first: the first thing i smell is zoo. ewww. however, i can smell the orange blosson, which is beautiful. i hope this is better on than in the vial.

on: this is disgusting on me. all i'm smelling is wax; like the kind you smell burning in those machines at museums and zoos that make animals or other things out of a mold.

1 hour later: well, it isn't as waxy now, but it still doesn't smell good...at all. i really am starting to hate this one. i think it may be the red patchouli.

1.5 hours later: this has softened quite a lot, but i still don't like the scent at all.

overall: needless to say, i won't be getting this one ever again. i'm clearly not very good at picking oils for myself. i'll be getting rid of my imp; i never want to smell this again.

[TygherRayn]

In the bottle: How odd! It separated! I had two distinct layers in my imp, swapped from supasonicsage .. I'm sure it's not her fault .. it probably settled. (Great packing job, by the way .. kept everything nicely upright .. no seepage!) Anyway .. it's a light citrus/orance scent .. not at all unpleasant. In fact, I can rather see already why this one earned the name 'Ravenous'.

 

Wet: Red Patchouli isn't something I'm very familiar with, scent wise .. but I imagine that's what's making this spicier than a plain citrus note. Evil orange indeed, Shollin. I can totally get that. It's darker somehow .. more mellow and yet more foreboding. Yum.

 

Side note: 2 minutes after shaking this up to mix it again, it's beginning to separate. Odd!

 

Wearing: I don't think I have many imps of citrus notes .. and this is one I can see getting much more of. Like the lime I love in venom, this one is delicious, but not in the same way. Where Venom is cool and crisp, Ravenous is warm and .. tempting.

[pekeana]

In the bottle: I can smell the orange, and I can smell the patchouli both -- the orange is way too sweet and the patchouli is way too strong.

 

On me: Patchouli and sugar.

 

After 15 minutes: There's this almost-acidic-acrid smell like a plastic band-aid coming off of my arm that's completely removed from the patchouli and orange. I'm not sure I like it.

 

After 30 minutes: I smell like a vanilla flower with patchouli.

 

After 60 minutes: The acrid note is back, but with a twist of orange.

 

After 75 minutes: It's very tame patchouli and vanilla flower.

 

 

Heh. I'm beginning to think that my skin just doesn't like Beth's citrus oils -- but the end result is very sweet and comforting. I'll definitely be trying it again a couple of times before I make any keep it or swap it decisions.

[lixolux]

ooh i love this! At first sniff out of the bottle i didnt get the orange, the patchouli seems overwhelming. It smelled exactly like a piercing/tatoo shop in santa cruz 10 years ago (very strange instant association, they must have always burnt a warm patchouli incense) but upon wearing it it has morphed into the softest most velvety "sophisticated" orange creamsicle. which is so yummy i want to eat it! I think in the depths of "winter" in LA this would be a good match with a knitted plum capelet and fancy brown gloves.

[VelvetSky]

Wow. This is a very interesting scent, two strong distinct notes that sort of battle it out for attention in the first 15 minutes that this is on my skin.

 

The orange is sharp, sweet and fruity, and gives the patchouli a metallic tang. I also get that orange creamsicle/baby aspirin thing while the scent tries to decide which way it's going to go.

 

In the end, the patchouli ends up pushing thru and winning the battle, but the orange never really lets go.

 

This is a very unusual, distinct scent. I'm looking forward to using this in my oil burner, but I'm not sure whether it will be a scent I'll wear.

[darkling]

This was a freebie that I received from the lab in my last order.

 

On my skin it smelled like patchouli mixed with baby powder. It was so strong that it was distracting. Even after I tried to wash it off, the faint scent lingered for many hours.

 

I am not a fan of patchouli and this may have impacted my dislike for the scent but I did not get any of the spicy and orange notes that others have described.

[octopusgrrl]

In the bottle: orange liquor and spicy incense.

 

Wet: it keeps reminding me of some herb or spice they sell in Asian groceries, I can’t tell what it is, but it’s not altogether pleasant. It doesn’t last long, then the scent turns into a buttery caramel.

 

Dry: an hour in and this has become Lolita Lempicka on me now - I love it! I keep sniffing my delicious spicy vanilla and caramel wrists

 

Verdict: I don’t think I’d like to wear it all the time, as it’s a bit too sweet and intense for everyday, but it’s really lovely.

[hypothermya]

First Impression

 

Smells sweet, like bubble gum balls. There's that dry oriental smell behind it a bit, which is the main difference that I've been able to notice between red patchouli and regular patchouli...it's drier and spicier. This smells like candy and exotic dancers.

 

Wearing It

 

Wow. This almost does have a vanilla smell to it when it dries down. It blends perfectly, so that you can't tell you're smelling patchouli and you can't tell that you're smelling orange blossom. Instead, it's like you're smelling some sweet & spicy exotic pastry with the slightest hint of orange. It's not as sweet as it was in the bottle, but still a little too sweet for my tastes. Although I love the red patchouli and orange notes together: this citrus spice, that kinda reminds me of Dark Swan Indulgence's Blood Orange soap bar, but less juicy and with a more woodsy spice. This would be simply delicious if it were to be just a bit less sweet... (incidently, I'm not a fan of vanilla scents, or any overly sweet scents, so I might be a bit biased about this one...)

 

I really like this one -- except for how sweet it is. I wish that I could pull off wearing scents with straight orange in them, cause then I'd be tempted to order a single note of red patchouli and of orange and just wear them that way. Except that I'd never get the perfect mix that the Lab is able to achieve. Either way, this one is not for me. It's way too sweet.

[omly]

This one was very sweet both in the bottle and on my skin. For reasons unknown to me this smells like an earther more adult version of Siren. Both smell on my skin like SweetTarts. Although Siren is more like the white ones, while Ravenous would be the orange.

Bewitching, tantalizing and dangerously seductive. A thrilling, exotic blend -- deceptively sweet, but spiked with malice. White ginger, jasmine, and a touch of vanilla.

No they have absolutely no notes in common. They both blended incredibly well until you can't seperate the notes in them though. That and their sweetness is my only possible explanation for the apparent similarity. If you like sweet scents this would definately be one to try.

Edited September 29, 2005 by Shollin

[renaissancerouge]

This one makes my mouth water. I mix it in unscented lotion and wear Siren on top because they're very complementary. The orange pops out on me, and the note anchoring it is effervescent and sweet, but not patchouli to my nose. I like this one a lot, it mixes well with both the foody and fruity oils, and lasts a long time without becoming a cloying mess.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Thick creamy orange smell. This is what I wanted Hunger to be.

 

Second Impression: It's delicious without being foody, sexy without being dirty and it's juicy with the barest hint of spice. Dreamy sexy creamsicle!

 

Final Analysis: Can't stop smelling my wrist. I wonder if hubby will like this one.

[sarahmarie]

This is my very first review - whoo hoo! I made my first orders recently, but won't be seeing those for a while, so I bought a couple of things from the swap boards to tide me over. This imp was generously included as a freebie (thank you!).

 

In the imp: my initial impression was that this oil is *really* strong and kind of overwhelming. It smelled really sweet and the orange (a scent I'm not really fond of) was pretty sharp. I'm fairly sensitive to smells, and certain ones give me a headache - I worried that this would be one of those, but I decided to give it a try and see how it went.

 

Wet - already better, the scent warmed up a lot and the orange died down a bit. Still a bit strong, but we'll see how it goes as it dries.

 

After a while - I really like the warmth of this scent, and I like the way it ended up sweetness-wise - still sweet, but not sickening, softer and comforting. It's also a little bit spicey, which is nice. The sweet spiceyness is my favorite aspect of this scent. I'm afraid it's just too strong for me though, and I 'm still not crazy about the orange, which is still a bit sharp on my skin even though it's died down a lot. I think I'll give this one more try, but I may end up swapping it. I do like it, and I can certainly see great qualities in it, but I don't love it and I think it's probably better suited for someone else.

[LiberAmoris]

Like Hunger, this one was almost overwhelming sweet on me (must be the orange blossom). Like another reviewer, I smelled Sweet Tarts, or more specifically, a powdery sweet tart-type lollipop I used to get after swim lessons when I was a kid. Also, I smell ylang ylang for some reason, though it must be the patchouli.

 

Regardless, I think I’ve decided that blends with orange blossom are too strong on my skin. I will keep the imp, though, simply because this is the first BPAL blend to evoke childhood memories for me (I thought it would never happen!).