Cerberus

[clover]

CERBERUS

Proceeds go to the Animal Assistance League of Orange County. Cerberus, the Three-Headed watchdog that guards the gate to Hades. Loyal, dutiful and ferocious to its master's enemies, but possessed of a distracting fondness for honey cakes and the song of the lyre. A deep, rumbling scent, warm, soft and as cozy as a dog by a hearthfire, but with a fierce and feral soul: deep chocolate, deeper musks, with a dash of fig, bittersweet walnut, and the wild essences of juniper berry, cubeb and rum.

 

Upon first application: Cerberus smells like a chocolate covered cherry. It really does - or one of those candies whose name I can't think of, that are cherry cream and walnuts and covered with chocolate. This completely takes me by surprise, because, despite the chocolate in the description, I wasn't expecting a sweet scent. I'm not sure why I'm picking up cherry, unless walnut oil, like almond oil, has a sweet scent.

 

After a few minutes: The scent completely morphs. It slowly gets less sweet, grows stronger and slightly bitter - but bitter in a good way. I assume that's the combination of juniper berry, cubeb and fig. (See how I just throw cubeb in, like I know what it smells like? Of course I don't know what it smells like. The extent of my knowledge of cubeb is that you can make cigarettes out of it - so I assumed it was tobacco-like. Well, I looked it up and it turns out it's a pepper berry. A-ha!)

 

A few minutes after that: Mostly fig, but a round, full, earthy fig rolled in sugar and spices. It's quite a transformation, but it's really nice.

[any_old_actress]

FIRST SNIFF - chocolate and molasses

 

WEARING IT - mingled in with the extreme sweetness are figs and rum with an underlying tang of berries. this reminds me a lot of dia de los muertos. very syrupy & sweet. if you can stand the initial power of it, it is very comforting.

 

VERDICT - if it were more figgy i think i would have enjoyed this more. i may swap it.

Edited December 21, 2004 by any_old_actress

[UltraViolet]

Wet

Mmm, yummy. Initially the fig and rum were right in the front, the fig being very nice smelling.

10 minutes

I smell berries and chocolate. The fig and the rum are sometimes primary and other times it's the berries and subtle dark chocolate smell that is at the forefront.

It's the berries and the chocolate that make this blend nice for me.

I would buy more of this.

[ChupaChup]

Cerberus is a very mysterious scent to me. At first it is a gorgeous, almost citrus scent, somewhere between lemon and lime, soft and ethereal. After about five minutes on, it deepens and the chocolate, walnuts and something very spicy emerge. This is my favorite stage, it's quite strong and intoxicating. I love it for about half an hour more until too much fig comes out for my taste, still it's a wonderful, complex scent.

[FireInCairo]

This scent smells of celery mixed with citrus fruits IMO. It's almost like...smelling a Bloody Mary coctail that has a celery stick and a wedge of lemon on the side. It is highly unusual indeed.

[Scylla]

In the vial: Syrupy, sweet and figgy

 

Wet, on my skin: Where the heck did these out of control lemons come from? Smells like figs that have been soaked in lemon oil. I wonder if it's the juniper berry? Hmmm....

 

On drydown: I can still smell citrus in the background, but the chocolate has really come to the forefront, along with the figs and rum.

 

This is definitely a "warm and cozy" curl up on the couch in front of the fire kind of scent. I think I'd like it a lot more if I didn't keep picking up that lemony smell.

[Diana]

I bought this 5ml unsniffed. Ooh mystery!

 

oh, and in case you're wondering what cubeb is; it's a pepper: Pungent and bitter with a strong terpene aroma. The aroma is variously described dry-woody, warm-camphoraceous and spicey-peppery

 

In the bottle, it is a deeeeeep murky fig scent. Slightly chocolately.

 

Putting it on, the figs really come to the foreground even more. Not fresh, sweet figs, but the heady smell of dried figs. Dare I say it, somewhat similar to fig newtons.

 

As it wears, a lemony scent appears and mingles with the fig. Fruity and light and dark & deep at the same time. For an unsniffed scent, I done good! I really like it.

 

I don't think it lasted more than 4-5 hours, but that could be my boyfriend's fault.

[Theravada]

I ordered a 5ml of this the day the update went up. I was more excited about this scent than most of the Yule LEs, honestly. Not only are the notes so unique and yummy, it's for the puppies! So I just had to buy it.

 

I'm very glad that I took the chance on this one, because it's wonderful. It's very rich and heavy in the bottle, with the walnut and pepper notes biting through. I was really curious what the walnut note would be like because I am not a fan of either hazlenut or almond. Luckily, walnut is not at all like either. The walnut is very bitter, and for me it is one of the most prominent notes in this blend.

 

The rum, musks and fig bring in a thick sweetness that really rounds out the bitter chocolate, cubeb and walnut nicely. This isn't an overly sweet scent. It is very strong and has significant throw and staying power.

 

I love it

Edited January 12, 2005 by Theravada

[aessedai]

Smells so much like curry. Really! The dry down seems to be fading curry, but still curry.

[Sushwa]

This is a heavy scent, spicy & fruity. Very, very sweet. & not to my taste (there's sweet, & then there's icky-sweet; & on me this comes out the latter).

[rhubarbbear]

in the bottle this smells fabulous! its sweet and dark and bitter and just so cozy. the minute it hit my skin tho...celery! so disappointing

 

with someone else's chemistry tho, this would be a winner!

[sarada]

I received this as a gift -- it was a surprise, and I wasn't sure what to expect! From the description I thought it would be very foody, but this came out to be entirely different than any of my expectations. In the bottle there are swirls of citrus, a dark syrupy smell and something that I can actually taste on the back of my tongue when I smell it...something sharp and bitter but pleasant. Perhaps that is one of the musks? None of the notes mentioned in the description are present to my nose, as the overwhelming scent both in the bottle and on my skin, are lemony citrus notes combined with a bit of smoky darkness. That is a good thing, because while I do not like foody scents, I do like citrus.

 

Cubeb and juniper must be responsible for the bitter spikes that come through in this...like the fangs on a sweet, gentle dog! I don't even smell rum, and since rum is not something that works for me, I am very glad that it incorporates so well into this fragrance and entirely loses any boozy quality.

 

Over an hour or two the lemons die down and it becomes more of a rich, hearty, brown smell -- musk and fig probably dominate for me, and I have a sense of very dark berries in the mix. This is long lasting, and strong, and quite wonderful.

 

If you have an aversion to lemony smells this will definitely surprise you, because I was not expecting that either, but I LOVE it. If you are expecting a very foody smell, you might get those notes out of this, but I didn't actually smell chocolate at all. I like chocolate but I would not want to smell like chocolate, so I am DELIGHTED that the notes in this work the way that they do, with the different dark elements deepening the sharp, spiky scents.

 

And since I received this as a gift, I will make a donation to the charity on my own!

[The Ace of Spades]

Eye-wateringly strong in the vial and on first application; the musks are the first bits you smell. Very complex, and probably a bit more masculine than I like for regular wear. It fades to something warm and fairly mellow with a strong musk undertone, and I think on a guy, this would be irresistible.

[Rheliwen]

In the bottle: Smells like chocolate sugar. Very rich and tasty.

 

Wet: Maple syrup! I want to drizzle it over pancakes and eat it! It's very rich.

 

Dry: The chocolate is coming out more and the rum is turning this into spiked maple syrup. Boozy chocolate with a bit of cropped walnut. It's like a gourmet chocolate liqueor truffle. The musk is turning it a bit spicey, with is turning it into a dark, slightly sweet, spicey scent.

 

This gets better and better the longer I wear it. But this comes from a woman that doesn't like smelling like food.

 

It would be an interesting scent for a man that likes to walk on the wild side. It's definitely dark enough for a guy, but isn't your typical men's fragrance. Any guy that wore this would get a lot of attention

[Jasminepearls]

Wet on my skin, this smelled like chocolate and cherry pipe tobacco.

I love this...now it smells like bittersweet chocolate walnut brownies with a warm figgy scent underneath. I could smell myself for days and not get tired of it.

Someone mentioned curry..the last lingering whiff was pure curry. Wierd.

I know I will use most if not all of this up, it is musky enough to add an air of mystery while cozy and foody enough to still stay a *snuggly* scent.

[shriekingviolet]

Initial Impression:

Musty yet sweet woody scent

 

After Wearing It:

Wet and for the first half hour, Cerberus smelled really masculine on me. It was a strong, sharp juniper note spiking out from a musky base. I could smell some woody, bitter notes as well but I couldn't pinpoint what they were. It was a really nice scent, but disappointing, because it smelled way too masculine for my taste and is something I would rather smell on someone else.

 

Since I put this on before running off to the movies with a friend, I sort of "lost track" of the scent for about half an hour as I was surrounded by the smell of popcorn and got distracted. So imagine my surprise when I sniffed my wrist about ten minutes into the movie and smelled something gorgeously foody. Mmmmmm lots of really warm chocolate and rum! Still could smell a bit of the juniper at this point, but when combined with the chocolate it smelled a bit minty. If I really tried I could smell the fig and the walnut, though only subtly, and the musk just presented itself as a deep warmth. God I wanted to eat my wrist! I kept sniffing my wrist so often that I started to feel self-conscious about my freakish looking behavior even though I was in a dark movie theater. But it was so yummy! Good thing I love foody scents!

 

The chocolate-rum scent stuck around for the rest of the evening until fading about eight hours after the first application. So happy the the scent morphed from the masculine juniper scent!

 

Final Thoughts:

Such a warm, comforting blend. Would be fab for those days when you feel like you need to stay in bed because you don't think you can stand leaving the level of warmth and comfort you have underneath you blankets. I've been having lots of those days lately so this may get a good amount of use!

[harlequin]

In the bottle:

Syrupy chocolate with a hint of rum, I think. not too bad.

 

On: Hmm.. Mostly the same, but with what is either the fig or cubeb coming out a bit too. It reminds me of "something", but I can't figure out what..

 

After a couple minutes: uhp. there goes the chocolate.

 

Verdict: This one is pretty nice, yeah. I was afraid after trying gluttony that this one would make me feel queasy, but it doesn't.. It's nothing spectacular on my skin, but it's very nice in the bottle.

Edited May 11, 2005 by harlequin

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Lemon buttercream chocolate truffle.

 

Second Impression: Very sweet lemon, almost a Limoncello scent. I'm very surprised that there is no lemon listed in the description. Although I get 99% Limoncello scent, underneath I can detect the slightly bitter walnut, the ripeness of the fig and that chocolate.

 

Final Analysis: It's a rare lemon scent that I enjoy, but I really enjoyed the drydown of this. I don't know if I love it enough to purchase a bottle, but I will wear the imp that Donna shared with me.

[surf-tormented]

Is this supposed to smell "doggy"?

 

That is what I get from this oil...warm dog fur. Maybe a freshly washed dog?

 

The idea is crazy, yet delightful in concept.

 

After the dog like smell, it turns into a loud nut and fig scent on me. I don't like fig or nut scents and it kept getting stronger within the first hour I wore it, like I was being chased by a large fruitcake.

 

Then it became a beautiful chocolate scent. Bliss. Shortlived, because it faded within minutes to nothing.

 

Three hours later, it is all gone. Farewell, little three headed doggie.

 

I loved experiencing this, but the first notes are a bit too doggy for me to wear and the middle notes are too foody for my tastes. The last, base notes are wonderful, yet they come to late and disappear too fast on me. A bit disappointing. Glad I didn't buy a bottle of it unsmelled. My imp is going to be traded to.

 

I would suggest trying in though, if only for the doggy scent in the beginning. Or if you love foody/chocolate light scents with a little doggy in them.

Edited January 23, 2005 by Madame Nyx

[fallow deer]

Wow: this is one of those oils which make me feel like my bounderies of experience have been pushed outwards a little.

 

I've just had a bath with Cerberus and it was one of the most deeply calming and relaxing baths I've ever had. I lay with just my nose sticking out of the water inhaling deeply for about five minutes, and then just wallowed around trying to get my nose as close to the water as possible

 

The pleasantly medicinal juniper berries encourage an almost involuntary deep deep breath, and as the breath goes in, all the other dark brown notes come flooding in, making me want to breath in further and further, right down to my diaphragm. The dark greeny browny picture is complete then and I let go, heaving in another, equally wonderful, calming breath.

 

The brown notes most noticeable are walnut and chocolate, but not foody chocolate - more like sleepy pod powder cocoa.

 

This isn't just a cosy relaxing scent; for me it seems to undone a deep knot of tension that I didn't even know was there (I'm relating Cerberus to my root chakra), making it especially spiritually valuable.

 

If you have a 5ml of Cerberus, or an imp you don't think you'll wear, I implore you to put 10 drops in a hot bath, light candles and breath deeply!

[Splendid Molerat]

It was late summer, approaching dusk, and I was taking a laneway from my house to the grocery. The leaves rustled, the tall grass smelled like baked bread, winter sky.

 

An unleashed dog came up from behind me, I caught him in my peripheral vision. Very large, cocoa brown, possibly a mastiff, his pointed ears were easily shoulder-height on me.

 

Not even turning his head, the dog made a deep sound: 'Whuff'.

 

'I see you', I said.

 

We walked together around a curve, and the dog loped away into some nearby alley.

 

I wasn't afraid, and Cerberus reminds me of that day. Warm, earthy, and comforting.

[Nadirah]

This smells like candy, or a new strawberry shortcake doll. If I was to say what I thought was in it before reading the description, I would say strawberrys chocolate and musk, maybe a bit of peppermint. This is a really lovely smell. The juniper isnt overpowering on me like juniper can be, it doesnt smell like juniper at all. It does make me think of a dog, not the scent of a dog, but the feeling a dog can bring you. In fact this really makes me want a dog.

[kimmer]

Hmm. The first thing that comes to my mind are those chocolate-dipped candied orange slices from Godiva.

 

I was worried about this one becoming bittersweet on the drydown, but instead it mellows into a lovely smoky scent, with just a hint of chocolate.

 

Absolutely beautiful--I really like it.

[tart]

Cerberus, we finally meet!

 

While wet, this smells like a soft forest. The scent of trees is strong, sweetened by the juniper berries. Nice, but not my style at all. At this stage, I'm thinking The Boy might have better luck with Cerberus.

 

Suddenly, yes, suddenly, this changes! The chocolate decides to make an entrance, pushing the juniper aside. The "tree" scent from earlier reveals itself as fig in disguise. Cerberus gets sweeter and sweeter with every sniff, becoming something like the sugary residue left from faded Gingerbread Poppet.

 

From the description, I thought I'd like (if not love Cerberus). Upon first sniff, I figured we wouldn't really get along. As it dries, I grow to like it, although the foresty smell is nothing like what I'd usually wear. I'm still not sure about it, but I'll keep it and perhaps wear it today.

 

ETA: Hours later, after having layered Dana O'shee and Gingerbread Poppet on my wrists after wearing Cerberus, I think I still smell traces of it. I couldn't smell any musk while this was wet and still going strong, but there is something left on my wrist that smells sexual, I think. Hmm.

Edited February 1, 2005 by tart

[byrdie]

TMI ~ According to my calendar, I'm ovulating today. This could explain a few things.

 

Bottle ~ Huh. I'm not sure of how to describe the smell. It's somewhat medicinal and sharp, yet sweet. Something also seems rather minty-greenish, but strong. Menthol? Oooh! I just placed it! Booze! Like brandy or whiskey, one of the brown ones that isn't sweet!

 

Wet ~ If pledge came in a taffy scent, that's what I'd be smelling right now. Gosh, that was ... different.

 

Drying ~ Now I'm getting fruit-candy scented band-aids. If "Hello, Kitty" adhesive bandages had a smell, this would be it.

 

Drydown ~ A faint memory of cherry-flavored cough-drops.

 

Dry ~ It's dried down into a mature woman's cherry scent. A little candy-ish, but not terribly. It's also not particularly sinister.

 

Fade ~ Oh, lordy. I'm getting wafts of the make-up sections of chain drug stores. The ones where I walk by and it smells like someone's been into the flavored lip-gloss again.

 

Final thoughts ~ The dry stage is highly okay, but not for me. The rest of it was just plain weird.