Les Passades

[doomsday_disco]

A heady swish of black velvet patchouli, ambre noir, silken musk, and bourbon vanilla.

[Amoraexcena]

Exquisite - and expensive - incense hits your nose as you enter the salon. The ladies stare at you, silent and inscrutable behind their perfumed silk lace fans. There is no sound except the soft swish of plush velvet as the most noble lady of the realm crosses her legs and deigns to look at you. You bow deeply to the Queen (Elizabeth).

 

This is such a gorgeous blend. The oil is just slightly cloudy in the bottle, and what hits my nose first and foremost is the ambre noir, which I believe is black amber. It's got attitude, an edge, almost bordering on sharp - but still somehow subdued and refined. The patchouli here is absolutely not the dirty variety, and it's a grounding, supporting note to everything else. I get little dash of something floral - the silk note, I'm guessing. The vanilla is also not foody in the slightest, though it offers complexity and a little sweetness to the blend. I also get a hint of something salty, almost like ambergris. This is a very powerful one - a tiny dab is enough for me. 

 

Divine, complex, luxurious incense, 13/10. I need another bottle before it goes down.

Edited April 18 by Amoraexcena

[forspecial_plate]

On me, I'd describe this as dark, incense + vanilla, and when I sniff up close there is something deep and a little earthy.  It's almost like the scent has an up-close layer and an outer layer.  I can't really say what silken musk smells like but I would guess it's in the family of black musk based on what I'm smelling here.  

 

I'm not picking out much in the way of individual notes.  It's incensey amber/musk/vanilla, not like Snake Oil, but if anything closer to King Cobra.  But it doesn't really have the Snake Pit family resemblance in my opinion (if anyone was wondering).  I think this is something special that non-foody vanilla fans are going to love.  Oh and like the person stated above, my oil in the bottle is slightly cloudy.  

 

Edit: tried this again today, ahh - THERE'S the patchouli!  For some reason it's showing up in full force now.  Not sure how I didn't notice it as much before, but maybe the scent is still getting over some travel shock or something.

Edited April 14 by forspecial_plate

[elissamay]

For me, this is a punched-up version of You May House Their Bodies But Not Their Souls. The patch is the same, the vanilla is the same, and I'd hazard to guess the amber is nearly the same. The musk might be the punched-up part, but it's still what I'd describe as a skin musk. If you love that one, you'll love this one.