Poor Monkey

[Blood onmy hands]

cold first winter rain
poor monkey, you too could use
a woven straw cape

Compassion: pink lotus root and fig milk with ylang ylang, bourbon vanilla, soft myrrh, fir, khus, and sandalwood incense.

I bought this mostly because of the adorable monkey on the label and the cute description, but it has wound up being one of my favorites of the Yule scents I purchased this year.
Poor Monkey is a very foodie fragrance on my skin. I love the lab's fig note, and the fig and lovely bourbon vanilla are the strongest notes on my skin. It's like figs drenched in milky vanilla cream with a slice of moist vanilla cake and slight, sweet spice to it.
There's a soft swirl of sweet lotus floral perfume, temple incense and sweet myrrh, and a hint of fir that fades in and out of the fragrance. But it's mostly fig milk and bourbon vanilla, with the other notes keeping things interesting and more perfume-like in the background.
I really love this one <3

[Eemia]

So… absolutely love the label art, the name, and the scent. But I'll admit my main reason for wanting this was because I have a little rescue cat named Monkey, and I wanted to display this bottle on my TP Skeleton Shelf.

 

Anyway, this is really pretty and feels like a skin scent in a way. It’s very light, easy to wear, and lightly creamy. It starts out with a cheerful but not too sharp fig, and a tropical smelling lotus. Sometimes lotus can smell bubblegum tinged to me, but this lotus only smells floral and exotic and weirdly soothing. There’s a creamy, milky undertone that thankfully doesn’t go sour on my skin.

 

Overall this feels so smooth and balanced. It doesn’t last on my skin very long, only a couple hours, but there’s a lingering semi-sweet sandalwood dry down that I’m obsessed with because it’s similar to Tushnamatay, a long time favorite. The bourbon vanilla is rich and a little smokey, and just so good. This is really unique, and definitely a stand out from my typical snowy Yule favorites.

 

I feel like this might be an underdog Yule this year, but I truly love it.

[absinthetics]

This is definitely a skin scent, as said above, and the creaminess of it is rather surprising. I guess it's the fig and lotus milk. The vanilla is foody if only because of the cream note. This is a great scent!

[ellocentipede]

While wet, this is primarily juicy (bubblegum-esque) lotus with a background of creamy sandlewood. At this point, it smells like mashed bananas in a bowl of spicy milk. The lotus very quickly (within a few minutes) burns off to leave a spicy, figgy cream scent. The khus in the scent likely deepens it a bit (perhaps adding to the spiciness), since I don't detect strong vetiver. This scent is very pretty and playful, resembling the monkey on the label in my mind.

Edited January 2, 2016 by ellocentipede

[elbow]

This didn't strike me as foody at all on first test. I think on my skin, the fig milk primarily softened the lotus and warded it away from bubble-gum land. Once the lotus faded, ylang ylang and sandalwood incense were what I noticed most. But all the notes are subtle, harmonious, and muted like the light on a rainy winter day. A very pretty, understated blend.

[VetchVesper]

Poor Monkey is heavenly in the bottle, like rich, golden fig syrup. I catch the bourbon vanilla sweetness and a faint hint of sandalwood in the background. This smells almost like something you'd drizzle over a dessert, but it's not foody in the traditional sense.

 

On my skin this loses some of it's foody quality. The resins start to balance out the sweetness. I can still smell the fig but it smells softer. Khus is apparently vetiver, and I can smell it now, but its the sweet warm kind vs. the smoky, charred kind. This is very smooth, soft, sweet and incensey on me. I like it, but not as much I did in the bottle.

 

I will enjoy my imp of this, but probably not spring for a bottle. It's very pleasant, but just lacks oomph on my skin.

Edited January 5, 2016 by VetchVesper

[LizziesLuck]

Since this has fig milk, vanilla, and Myrrh, I could not pass it up, despite the fir, which will be terrible on me if I amp it.

 

Wet: Sweet. Lotus forward. Pretty, feminine and creamy. Almost tropical. I'm getting something slightly fruity, maybe the fig milk? Nice. Soft.

 

 

Dry: So here's where things get weird. Dry, this smells identical to Jiggery Pokery on me. Identical. WTF? That makes SO SENSE with the listed notes. I will have to test them against each other, but right now I feel like I'm going nuts.

[cyborgcap]

This was a surprise win for me, the scent I was most unsure of when buying Yules that I've ended up totally in love with. This is a softly woody, sweet, creamy scent. A wonderful balance, as it's not overly sweet or a terribly sharp wood (though I do love stronger wood scents), it's absolutely beautiful. It's warm and golden and one I will happily wear year round.

[MCS4096]

I was surprised how much I liked this straight out of the decant. I got it because it seemed like a slightly strange collection of notes with the fir and khus mixed in there, and I like experiencing odd ducks. After application this is absolutely gorgeous and so well balanced-- sweet, creamy, a tad figgy.. every now and then a whiff of vanilla or fir passes through. Very dynamic and unusual but easy to wear. The "cream" never goes sour or plasticy.

 

But then the same thing happens that happens with Love and Sleep (fig milk, vanilla, orchid, ylang ylang) and as time passes it gets sweeter, and stronger, and sweeter and stronger, until it's this overwhelming and high pitched and blasting sweetness that's very unpleasant. I'm not sure if it's the fig or ylang ylang doing that on my skin.. I'd have guessed lotus because it's an almost bubblegummy sweetness, but it's not listed in Love and Sleep.

 

Anyway, I really love this for the first hour or so, but I'm not sure I can handle that far dry down.

Edited January 15, 2016 by MCS4096

[milo]

First off, creamy fruit, I'm guessing that is the fig, but there is a citrus quality here as well. After a bit, some spice comes out, and it smells like a delicious dessert. This strongly reminds me of a luper a few years back, but I can't quite remember the name, maybe it's Autumn Moon of the Mirror Stand. Whatever the case, it's bit too foody for me. I'd sure like to try a dessert that smells like this, though.

[DiesMali]

In the bottle: Faint, creamy lotus.

 

Wet on my skin: Sweet, juicy, creamy fig and lotus.

 

Dry: This is just beautiful on me. It's mostly sweet, creamy vanilla and fig with soft lotus wafting about. There's a hint of something almost a little citrusy, and I think that's the ylang ylang, but thankfully it's not quite as sharp on me as ylang ylang often is. There's just a hint of incense in the background, and keeps this from going TOO sweet and fluffy on my skin. I love this scent, and I think it may be a go-to for when I need to calm down or cheer up a little. Soft, sweet, fuzzy, comforting. Oh, and it's pastel blue and pastel pink in my mind.

[kakiphony]

In the imp: Very faint. Mild even. One of the least aggressive oils I have smelled in the imp in ages.

 

Wet on skin: A quick sharp jolt of cologne, that very quickly mellows in the nose. There is a bit of high and sweet from the lotus, and then a really soft vanilla-sandalwood under it.

 

Early dry down (5-10 minutes): This is bizarre to me. I expected something complex and rich, and instead I'm getting something really gentle and mild. I don't get the creamy note others have mentioned, but it might come out with time. As it starts to settle, I am catching more of the floral ylang ylang and a little more sweet bubble gum from the lotus. It's a very poppy bubble gum -- more bubbles than glob if that makes sense. There's also just a tiny bit of something plastic (like a Strawberry Shortcake doll) in there which I have occasionally gotten from vanilla.

 

Late dry down (45+ minutes): A delicate skin scent, most ylang ylang and sandalwood. This is soft, warm, and comforting. Very pretty and subtly feminine,

[zankoku_zen]

Softly foodie. I get creamy vanilla, fig, lotus and some sandalwood incense. It's creamy, sugary but both the sandalwood and khus give it a slight smoky edge.

 

ETA: And on the drydown, I get an edge of ylang ylang which is kinda offputting to me in this blend. It brings a soft floral that seems discordant with everything else.

Edited February 11, 2016 by zankoku_zen

[theseagrows]

this is one of those soft, sweet comforting scents to me. it starts off with fig, ylang ylang and vanilla. the lotus and incense strengthen with time adding more depth and rounding out the scent. this is so pretty! my skin continues to amp the lotus and fig which gets a bit sweet but eventually calms back down. i don't seem to get much of the fir or khus or any earthiness here, it must be subtle. overall it's a soft floral-fig scent. so pretty. perfect for winter or spring.

[Aviatrix]

This reminds me of Love and Sleep, with a slightly dustier edge that's probably the sandalwood. Luckily I am getting none of the vetiver! It is soft and creamy litus + fig milk. Might get a big bottle.

[violetblue]

So happy I had a chance to get this one - a blind buy after reading the reviews here, and it is a gorgeous as I had hoped! The fig sweetens up the sandalwood - those are the notes I smell the most. LOVE!!!!

[Jenjin]

Blind bottle purchase from the Dirty South Lunacy Event-wanting more figs.

IN THE BOTTLE:

Bourbon vanilla mingles with rich, creamy black figs.

WET:

Evergreen (Fir) sweetness tops and I can also detect the lotus and milky figs. The sandalwood peeks out to balance out the notes. YUM!

DRY:

Sharp, fuchsia florals blossom from the steam after 30-40 minutes, but the woody resin notes balance things out and bookend the gorgeous, sugary fig mash in the middle.

NOTES:

Complex and delicious, this reminds me of a fancy tart filling. All dark, creamy and smooth melting warm across my skin. This poor monkey has climbed into my lap and is feeding me diamond studded fruit. I will treasure my bottle.

RATING:

9

Edited June 12, 2016 by Jenjin

[tinyvulture]

Favorite BPAL name ever. "Poor monkey," is what I call my kids when they are sick.

 

I know they don't share any notes, but this reminds me of Pink Snowballs. Both are sweet, creamy, lingering vanilla florals. My favorite kind of BPAL floral! Lotus and ylang ylang are always toothache-inducing sweet notes on me, and they're much stronger than the earthy fig which remains just under the surface.

 

Lotus + vanilla + cream = bottle!

[sarahmarie]

This is an unusual choice for me, and it wears very differently on me than it does on others here, it seems. For me, the lotus (and ylang ylang?) are very prominent, with some sandalwood for grounding...and it remains not foody at all for me. I was hoping for fig but don't smell it. But, the creaminess does keep the florals rich and soft, and I can see this being a very pretty warm winter floral scent. I'll have to wear it again before I decide whether it's for me, but it is very nice.

[Elspethdixon]

Wet/in imp – Crisp, ripe fruit in the imp, but then a stale note appears on skin (like Skuld but nowhere near as bad)

 

Five-ten minutes in – The stale note is gone and crisp, juicy lotus/fig reigns. Clean and fresh rather than rich/cloying/lush. Smells more like a Luper than a Yule; a really nice Luper. Several inches of throw (more than Jacob's Ladder, which I'm testing on my other arm).

 

30 minutes in – the crisp juiciness is starting to fade, but it’s still a light, sweet, not-quite tropical scent. I can’t distinguish either the coconut or the fig; I think they’re blending in smoothly with the lotus, making it creamier and less floral.

 

1 Hour in - creamier now; the coconut has come forward a little as the crisp/juicy fruit note from the lotus fades. So far, my favorite of the two I'm testing. Throw is about half what it was initially, but still there.

 

2 hours in – becomes creamier (more fig & coconut, less lotus), then by two hours has begun to fade.

[Casablanca]

2016

 

On the wand, I smell ylang ylang and lotus made creamy in vanilla fig milk. And just a little grey-green coolness from the fir.

 

On my skin, the creamy milk comes forward, swirled with sweet vanilla, alongside lotus and fig. I don’t catch fir at all on my skin, and the ylang ylang ebbs into subtlety. I can find myrrh and a pale incense now, though.

 

Low-medium throw becomes low throw as this dries. It settles down to perhaps the most innocently comforting skin scent I know of. It reminds me of clean babies, but better. Baby++.

[kajacana]

This is a light, soft, creamy, powdery floral on me. Definitely reminiscent of baby powder, but not quite a dead ringer for it. Wears very close to the skin. I don't get any bourbon vanilla or fir at all, and it's very different from the other myrrh blends I've tried. This would be really nice on the right person but it just doesn't suit me.

[SophieCedar]

2016

 

The 2015 release of Poor Monkey was smooth mostly fig milk but soooo faint.

 

This. 2016 is excellent. Much stronger and more notable on everything. Its perfect. Opens with sweet yet earthy pink lotus, sandalwood incense and ylang ylang. Settles into a sweet resinous wonder. Overall, soothing, pleasant, comforting, pink, ylang ylang fig scent with nice grounding notes. Very balanced. 2016's version will be my hoarding scent. Even if lupers disappoint me, I'll still have this to roll around in.

[Pyretta]

Bottle: This is a lot more oriental than what I usually go for, and I typically stay as far away from ylang ylang as I can, but in the imp this is really nice! Lotus is one of my favorite notes and it comes out here in a really comforting way.

 

Wet: Annnndddd there's the ylang ylang. It's extra-sweet, too - it tickles my nose if I bring my wrist close. The other notes are very well-blended, though, and have a creamy quality to them.

 

Dry: The ylang ylang won't go away, which is really too bad. Otherwise this reminds me of a warmer and spicier version of Blossoming Vulva, which is definitely in my Top 5.

 

UPDATE: After 10-ish minutes... the ylang ylang is gone!!! It's all creamy fig and vanilla, with notes of warm, slightly spiced milk underneath. I'm still getting that wonderful lotus, too. It has all the good qualities of Fire Monkey from last year's Chinese New Year release. Very, very soothing.

 

Verdict: I don't think I love it enough to buy a bottle at the moment, but I'll keep wearing my decant and see if I need more when I run out. I'll admit that this is partly because I like the 2015 label art way better

[lizabelle]

Cozy! This is sort of fig/milk/cinnamon (...or, uh, sandalwood?) on me, with a soft undertone of ylang/vanilla thrown in too. I get no fir at all, and while there's a hint of something kind of bubblegum-sweet, it's not overpowering or sickening like lotus flowers are on me. Good to know. The fig has a jammy quality to it, and there's some definite cream going on--I would almost believe almond milk is in this. The aspects of this that I was worried would take over aren't, and I quite like it.

 

Since Yules come down today and I already have a fig/ylang blend in my cart (Hetairae), I'm promising myself that I'll get a bottle if it comes back again or if someone swaps it to me. Otherwise I'll enjoy my imp.