Anactoria

[Rouge]

The scent of the throes of violent passion: entangled limbs, teeth on flesh, furiously grasping hands, the taste of blood and sweat. Golden amber, white honey, red currant, daemonorops, kush, and Arabian musk.

This sounded so glorious that I thought I'd treat myself to a bottle of this untested.

In the bottle - Thick, sweet amber with an undertone of honey. It's luscious and thickly resinous.

Wet on the skin - More amber! It's spicy and dark, fairly oozing sexuality.

Next stages - In less than a minute, something primal and urgent emerges; not unlike vetiver but with a dirtier edge. I presume this is kush. Later, though the hauntingly sweet white honey note peeks out once more; the olfactory equivalent of lying in your lover's arms after a bout of aggressive, love-hate passion.

Dry down - While amber remains noticeable, the overall feel of the blend has darkened into an earthy and musky atmosphere.

Similar scents - The Lion, Blood Amber.

[Czarina]

Amber, musk, and honey. That's all I can smell, but that's all I need.

[alianthe]

In the imp: Mmmm, warm and sweet and round and sensual, with something high and bright and golden yellow on top.

 

On my skin: The first hit is amazingly sexy, hot, sweet and skin-musky. After a while, though, it settles into my skin in such a way that it's barely there, but in the same way that a little negligé is barely there. Definitely getting some of the daemonorops and honey, and the amber is there but not running the show.

 

Conclusion: I think I might need a bottle, just to see how it ages. Fresh in the imp it's lovey, as well. Definitely a keeper.

 

ETA: I've come to refer to this as the perfume that "smells like lesbian sex." It's as female-sexy as Br.om B.ones is male-sexy. Also, quite potent.

Edited December 29, 2008 by alianthe

[Narya]

Amber, musk and honey? it's got "dead sexy" written all over

and yeah, doesn't fail my expectations. this could very well be a signature scent, when dry it stays close to the skin with a fainter cloud allover. if there was a wearable snake skin or scale suit this would be it

 

while drying my skin amps up the musk a little bit, but later the other notes ballance it out perfectly. my only wish would be that the honey note was a bit more like in sed non satiata - a more herbal version, here it's more sweet than white honey. still good though.

 

and i swear it has some dragon's blood in there, although it's not listed.

soooo glad i got a bottle, anactoria is a big surprise in the sexy scent section, highly reccomend

[twilighteyes]

In the bottle I am reminded pleasantly of some other dark luscious bpal scents such as da.rk deli.cacies.

 

On my skin it doesn't disappoint -- dark and sexy, deep but sweet.

[Miss Lynx]

This was one of the scents I was most looking forward to in the Lupercalia update, in hopes that might be similar to last year's Svadhinoapatika, which I foolishly neglected to buy a bottle of. But sadly, I don't like it as much as I expected to.

 

It's just a little more... perfumey than I would have expected from the description. Which is generally not good thing, given that I dislike most conventional perfumes. It's way sweeter than I thought it would be -- sniffing it, at least when freshly applied, I would swear there was some kind of floral in here, and maybe even my nemesis, ozone.

 

After it settles in for a little while, that pseudo-floral edge seems to have faded, thankfully, and the other notes come out to play a bit more. There's a more resinous feel to it, and I can also pick up the sweetness of the currant. Much nicer like this.

 

But that perfumey edge -- maybe it's the dragon's blood? I think that's what daemonorops is, anyway -- does seem to keep creeping back from time to time. There's something in here that smells just a little too sweet and slightly synthetic, and is keeping me from enjoying it as much as I'd thought I would from the description. I don't dislike this scent -- I just don't like it as much as I'd thought I would.

 

The eventual drydown, after a couple of hours, is actually quite nice, and indeed a bit reminiscent of Svadhinoapatika, as I'd hoped it might be. But it takes an awfully long time to get there.

 

Grade: B

[enderfem]

Imp: Musky sweat. Sort of what they were going for, I think.

 

Wet: musky sweat and red currant. Not bad.

 

Drydown: A very interesting amber/currant/musk blend, but it is ridiculously faint on me.

[vividdreamer]

So funny that many of us agree on the "golden" aspect of this blend, because that is *exactly* what I thought when I first applied it, even before I'd read other reviews. It smells golden. It's sweet without being toothachey, floral without being cloying, musky without being feral, and just all around gorgeous. I should have KNOWN to buy another bottle of this one...it's just absolutely beautiful on me. And I totally agree about the similarities to O--it's O with just a hint of currant (which I normally don't care all that much for), and everything works together wonderfully.

[inurbanus]

Hmm...I can't make my mind up about this one. There's some lovely amber hidden in the background of this, but it's covered up with something musty and smoky. This is one of the more aggressively sexual blends I've tried, and I think I would enjoy something subtler. Still, this has potential. It's similar in feel to Smut, Midnight Kiss, and (strangely enough) Black Lace for me.

 

3.5/5

[LadyLuckDoubt]

In the Bottle

This is extremely soft and subtle, but very sexy, just like the description suggests.

 

On Me

I'm getting a pretty, soft twinge of amber amongst rose and almonds. And something akin to that "Playdoh" smell people have described, but it's still a pleasant, warm scent. There are herbs in there somewhere, but only a sprinkling, nothing too aggressive or out there.

[PurringPulsar]

Anactoria

 

In the imp: a slightly perfumey scent, I think it’s Arabian musk and kush?

Wet on skin: mmm, red currants wrapped in musk and a smoky note.

Dry: oh, I like this. This is a mature scent, classic in feel, with a golden-red tone to it. I smell the crisp currant note, underneath that is the musk, and I find Arabian musk to be the most ‘perfume-y’ musk in BPAL (and that’s no bad thing) and it’s very strong here. I smell the kush, which also has perfume-y tones but also adds a feel of smoky incense (no hash here) and the amber rounds everything off. I smell very little honey-just a touch of it, but white honey always seems more like flower nectar than honey on me…it’s sweetening up the scent very nicely.

After a while: this has now sweetened a lot! It’s almost sugary now. The currant note is reminiscent of the sweet red currant in Fairy Wine, and the amber has now strengthened a bit. The honey is still of the sweet nectar-y variety, the kush has become a little smokier (it actually smells like a tobacco perfume in here) and the musk gives the scent a very classy aura.

I must say, after an hour or so, the musk has merged with the amber and currant, to give an effect very much like the musk-plum-amber in Snake Charmer. Of course this doesn’t smell like SC, but there’s a slight resemblance which I love!

After some time I smell some of the dragon’s blood-and it’s not the resin that turns to red crayons/wilted lilacs on me, but the DB I like that was also in Red Moon 07 and Vampire from Planet X. The musk, kush, currant and amber are still going strong but now I smell the DB and also more honey.

Verdict: this is another sexy stunner of a scent! This smells very sophisticated and classy but with an undertone of something sensual and raunchy to it. My decant and my bottle smell a little different-in the decant it smelt at first like a perfumey currant scent, with the very grown up and perfume-like exotic scent of Arabian musk mixed with honey and tart currant boosted by the wonderful amber and with a smoky incense undertone. This then turned even more wonderful as the musk, amber and fruit notes went all Snake Charmer on me (not identical, but there’s a similarity-it’s SC without vanilla) at times. The bottle on the other hand has more of the SC-like scent to it, and as a result I am besotted with this scent. This is another one of those stunning blends of amber and musk and fruit with a bit of honey and smoke-it’s like Snake Charmer, but all dressed up for a night on the town. A new Lupercalia love. I bet it will be amazing when aged too.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes! I have two bottles.

If you like this, try: Nahemoth, Skuld, Bathsheba, O, Fairy Wine, Othello, Eat Me, Svadhopatika

[AEris]

Anactoria is gorgeous!!!!

 

There's a gentle hint of light honey, a sweet/incensey musk, a swirl of berry....It's addictively sexy and deep while being subtle and sly at the same time.

 

I understand the Black Lace connection, inurbanus - I think it's the deep musk note.

 

Damn it, now I have to seek out a bottle! Hope I can find one!

 

5 out of 5

 

Edit to add: I found a bottle, and I am soooo happy that I did! This scent is just a cloud of gold when I wear it. It's the perfect scent to anoint my Clockwork locket with, it is golden musky honeyed love!

Edited April 16, 2008 by AEris

[GoldenRubee]

From the description, I was looking forward to this one and purchased a bottle due to the amber and honey notes which I love. Something happens though when I wear it though. A perfumey scent comes out that I am not sure I like. I don't get the deep, dark, sensual scent that others get that I want. I get floral perfume. It has to be my skin chemistry. I do have a major headache right now, so I think I am going to try it another time when my head is not pounding.

[MaeKitty]

In the bottle: Golden amber, musk and some kind of plant. Ha, I just looked up kush. Didn't expect to have that included!

On me: Uh-oh. My skin eats this one up immediately. Lasted maybe 5 minutes. I vaguely smell a very resinous amber and musk. Time to reapply and try again. On the second try, I get almost entirely musk and amber. There is a bit of honey in the background, making this scent golden. I can faintly smell the currant too. It's a pretty blend, but doesn't seem to like me too much.

[VioletChaos]

in the bottle: heavy, resinous, spicy.

 

wet on skin: the resin evens out, becomes more musky. i'm getting hints of the kush, which i personally love.

 

dry down: the honey, amber and kush mix into this sexy, deep musky skin scent. i get a bit of the currant, but it's not obvious, it just adds a little spice to the blend.

 

in all: not sure how i missed this when it was out but i just got it in a swap and am *very* glad i did!

 

 

 

[NinjaCowboy]

Amazing scent. I don't know what half of the notes smell like, but all together it is spectacular. I definately get the comparison to the scent of sweaty skin, which sounds weird, but is really fantastic. Just warm and intimate. I can't really pick out individual notes in this one, as its one of hte most complex scents that I've tried. Evokes all kinds of memories and thoughts of intimate moments with the significant other, which I suppose is exactly what its intended for ;P.

 

in the bottle: weird, but I almost get a creamy orange scent. Very faint in the bottle though.

 

wet: This is where that skin scent comes in, but I still get a faint trace of orange. Very smooth and intimate.

 

dry: All of the notes mingle perfectly, just using my own scent and amping it up with creamy, sexy, musk. I really can't pick out any individual notes at all anymore, but I just know that its GOOD. Lots of throw, and lots of staying power. After 6 hours, I could still smell it going strong.

 

A must try scent! I think by its nature, its one that would work on most skin types.

Edited April 12, 2008 by NinjaCowboy

[Victory]

In some ways, it's hard to review Anactoria, because it hasn't worn the same on my skin any of the times I've worn it. Some days, the scent is so soft (even from the moment I apply) that I have to press my nose to my skin and breathe deeply to smell it, other times it broadcasts. Some days, the Arabian musk is in my face, other days I smell the planty-ness of the kush, other days it's amber. I haven't smelled the currant or dragon's blood, but maybe those are up next! In the late dry down, Anactoria is sometimes so very like O- which I love- and sometimes still the same as it was before. Anactoria is always golden, but the shades change. It's strange- usually after the travel shock has worn off, an oil wears roughly the same on my skin. This morphing all the time is throwing me off. I like it, though, for all the uncertainty.

[savage_rose]

Such a sexy scent! Spicy musk, rich and redolent with warmth and skin. Mmmm...

[lilirose]

I've worn this four times now. The bottle is about 1/6 gone, and though I know I love it, I've only just now pinned it down enough to write a review.

 

In the bottle: sweet, almost "standard perfume" without the headache.

 

On skin, wet: Honey and amber.

 

On skin, dry: Honey and amber and light, light musk and something that leaves a salty tang in the back of my throat. Maybe just barely fruity, but barely. Not foody, unless you're thinking of "food" in terms of that scene in 9 1/2 Weeks where "Bread and Butter" is playing in the background. (Am I dating myself here?) I don't get any of this "kush", even though I used to be Ms. Super-Stoner before I had kids.

 

Throw: medium. Staying power: medium.

 

Final judgement: 5 out of 5. Now that I've managed to write a satisfying review, it Shall Be Hoarded.

Edited April 16, 2008 by lilirose

[ophidiae]

In the bottle: Amber and something bright and herbal, almost like lemongrass.

 

Wet on skin: Amber and a light, sweet note. I suspect it's the honey, but it's mingled with that same herbal note I smelled in the bottle. From what others have said, I'm guessing this is the kush. There's no sign of the musk, or of the red currant, either. As I've never smelled daemonorops before, I have no idea if that is detectable or not.

 

Drydown: Honey and amber still. The herbal note has gone dry, like grass in summer.

 

Dry: Soft, golden amber, pale honey infused with dry sweet herbs, and the faintest whiff of musk. NICE.

 

 

ETA: Three hours later, the herbs and honey have faded and what's left is musk overlaid with amber.

Edited April 20, 2008 by ophidiae

[QueenFae]

On me, this is mostly musk, amber, and a touch of the white honey note. I ordered this because I love the lab's white honey note, and I was hoping it would take the front seat in this blend, but no such luck. The amber in this goes very, very powdery on me, which doesn't usually happen with my skin chemistry. I think it might be the amber in combination with the musk that's creating a powder effect. This is a very soft, gentle, feminine scent. Not a lot of throw, but it does last for a few hours.

 

Very pretty, not quite my thing though.

[forspecial_plate]

I really like this! It took me a few tries for it to sink in. Nothing stands out to me. Not one note. It's sweet but not powdery in the least. There is a crisp quality that might be coming from the currant. Best of all, the honey seems to be working. Honey notes tend to go wrong on me, but I can't smell it here, or it's a nice, light supporting note. I think this is a gender neutral scent, not overly feminine or masculine.

 

Again, I just can't pick out individual notes in this, which is not a bad thing. I love amber and I was excited about Arabian musk, but everything's just blended in a superb way. I wouldn't call it a big amber scent or a big musk scent. Very light throw, but that's not bad. That can actually be great sometimes. The scent seems to veer towards a woodiness, but it's not quite woody. Perhaps that's the kush playing on the scent. Overall, I really like this and I wish I could describe it in more detail. I'll definitely edit if anything comes to me.

 

Edit......Tea. This has a note that reminds me of tea. Don't know why, but it was pretty persistent when I wore this today. I wonder what's doing that? Other than that, this does verge on soapy, but it's something that I can be in the mood for every now and then. Still like it! I considered wearing it to work tonight but then I thought "Hmm, might be a little too sexed-up for work!", so I didn't. : )

Edited September 8, 2009 by Forspecial Plate

[edenssixthday]

Anactoria 2008 – I don’t know what 1/3 of the notes in this blend smell like as individual notes, so I’m probably not a good reviewer of this blend! Still, I’ll try. Overall, it’s a sweet, resinous blend, juiced up with a bolt of red currant zipping through it. I love the way white honey smells on me and while it’s not dominant in this blend, it adds a lovely, soft sweetness that tempers the ripe, juiciness of the red currant. The amber is subtle, but provides depth to the scent and the musk is even more subtle and barely discernible to my nose (which often does not smell lighter musks at all). Overall, it’s a very pretty scent, a slightly resinous, sweet, juicy blend, but definitely not your typical fruit-type blend. It’s somewhat of a subtle scent on me, although it lasts much longer than I anticipated.

 

Anactoria 2010 – I don't know if this blend is different from 2008 or if it just smells differently on me since my skin chemistry has definitely changed since I tried the original version of this scent, but it's more of an amber and kush scent on me than the original version. I don't smell the red currant at all, and the honey is much lighter, while the musk is stronger and more masculine than the 2008 version. It's more of a lightly sweet, wood-resin blend to me and doesn't have any of the juicy sweetness of the 2008 version.

Edited May 7, 2010 by Edens Sixth Day

[LiberAmoris]

I think I was predisposed to like Anactoria because I have an unholy love for Beth's daemonorops note. It's in Wilhelmina Murray, which was one of those bottles that I got, wore a couple of times, put away, then tried again and wore every day for like two weeks straight because I just couldn't get enough. It's hard to describe how it smells to me, but it's very distinct, and I can smell it in Anactoria and I it.

 

This is one of those blends whose project is overtly and unabashedly sexy, and for some reason I was anticipating something more like Smut I think, because I was really surprised by how light it was when I first opened the bottle to test it. The anchors in the blend feel almost translucent---the amber and the honey feel clear and thin, as opposed to opaque and thick. The kush and currants and Arabian musk feel as though they've been steeped in this clear mixture and then removed, giving some warmth to the blend, like bare skin and the lingering remnants of a tryst on the air---a wood bed frame, candle wax, a bowl full of berries, and maybe some honey wine?

 

Overall, it feels to me like O's sophisticated sister, carnal but more subtle somehow, like O if it drew the curtains around the bed first.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, this is amber, honey, and a just a touch of the floral - it's very sun-streaming-in-the-window.

 

On my skin, the musk comes out a little more - and there's definitely something light, almost bright here - perhaps the currant?

 

When it's dry, this definitely smells like warm, sweet skin - amber and musk. Nice!