Sacred Whore of Babylon

[jarvenpa]

An ancient formula that inspires unrepentant decadence, lechery and debauch.

 

Well, who knew. The Sacred Whore is quite a refined lady.

 

The imp was a gift from a forumite (thank you).

 

Finally got around to trying it out. There is something really kind of delightful about going around thinking "yes, I'm smelling like The Sacred Whore of Babylon"

 

I think at first--jasmine? soft white flowers? something like that. And definitely honey with a touch of spice, and perhaps musk. It reminds me a little of O but without the naughty bits.

 

Which is odd in a sacred whore, but oh well.

 

It's very pretty, very sweet, rather light, and really very genteel. Perhaps our civilization has been so very debauched that the fragrance of The Sacred Whore is like a lady's lunch club now?

editing to add the lab description, since this is a new page.

And that, upon thought, this really, really reminds me of my mother...Hmmm.

Edited September 4, 2006 by Shollin

[buzz23666]

holy moly is this one sweet and sticky.

 

Wet - a combo of tuberose and gardenia - and wet this one throws like no tomorrow.

 

Dry - the florals calm down and I seem to get a bit of very soft amber I think. I am surprised that this doesn't stay strong on my because I seem to amp tuberose and I used to wear Fracas which is sooooo full of tuberose. But after about an hour this one just walks away leaving only its shadow... sad really.

[gloom bear]

Sacred Whore of Babylon is a nice gardenia scent. Not a fresh true gardenia flower scent really, but more of a rich gardenia perfume smell, but with a bit of spiciness. the spice sort of fades and comes back and then goes away again. The oil irritates my skin a bit, but the smell is really nice. Not a perfume scent for me, but I'm sure there will be uses for this unusual scent.

[storme]

In the imp: sharp gardenia over cloying sweetness. Hrrrrrm.

 

On me, wet: some spices over a really cloying floral - jasmine, mostly - base, with powder and ick all mixed in. Gah, this is not nice on me.

 

On me, dry: still primarily jasmine, cloying and soapy and nasty on me, with some sweet sugary vanilla and spices behind it. It's actually making my stomach turn up close, although sniffing from further away all I get is mild sweet spices and it's much more pleasant.

 

Verdict: I wanted to like this for the name alone. Alas, it seems I am not cut out for sacred whoredom. Swap pile.

[gypsybaby1]

wet: rose? some kind of floral... and incensey honey... does that make any sense? it's slightly sweet and incensey after it dries down

 

it's OK. I'll keep the imp, but it won't translate to a big bottle.

[zombiegrrl]

I smell really dense, heavy florals in this one when it is in the bottle. As soon as I put it on me it's like, *hello*, gardenia! This one was a freebie, which I really appreciate, but I am going to have to pass on to someone else because it doesn't smell good on me --- I'm going to blame the gardenia, which just doesn't suit me at all, apparently. I could totally see this one smelling good on someone else though.

[Dinerdulcinea]

Eewwwwww...in the vial, I think this is stinky.

Wet: same. ble.

Dry: MOST of this scent is now a GORGEOUS warmness. But there is still one note that smells SOUR like something rotten (gardenia?).

 

 

I am not sure whether gardenia or jasmine don't like me...maybe both.

[supremegoddessofall]

This is...different...I think there's dirt in here, also some ginger. It's very earthy and makes me think of a farm in the morning just after the soil's been turned over for planting. It sort of reminds me of a cinnamon granola bar. Something about it is off-putting, but I don't know what.

[Tess]

The main note that gets thrown around with this scent is gardenia, so I'm thinking I may like it; gardenia is one of the few florals I can wear. However, it has also been compaired to the vanilla in Dragon's Milk which could be doom.

 

In the vial - STRONG floral, much stronger than I had hoped. I'm getting the barest whiff of vanilla and no spice, especially no cinnamin.

 

Wet - Yup, gardenia backing just like it always does on me and letting spice through.

 

Drying - This doesn't remind me of cinnamin, as that's more of a "front of the nose" spice and this is a "back of the nose" spice. (Does that make any sense?) The floral is coming out strong and it does have a hint of that sticky vanilla in Dragon's Milk. It's just a strong, strong scent and it reminds me of something else I've had the chance to try, but I don't remember what...

 

Dry (45 minutes) - Okay, I don't know WHERE it came from, but I'm getting a very cool mint from this, to go along with the spiced floral. It's truly a strange combo.

 

Overall - This just isn't for me. I thought the floral would be lighter, but it's overpowering and with the addition of the mint... Just, not for me.

[phedre]

This one's florals and spice, all wrapped up in a delicate package that belies the name. I expected something quite different, muskier and sultrier perhaps, but in any event it doesn't disappoint!

 

I get nice, light florals as it dries with cinnamon coming in to spice things up. I didn't get vanilla in this at all. I quite like it! Not to mention there's a subtle thrill in telling people the name of the oil I'm wearing.

[theseagrows]

florals, cinnamon and vanilla. when i first put this on, i did not think i would like it, because the florals were too strong. however, now that it's faded a bit, the vanilla has come out more, softening it into a spicy-vanilla-floral. i think this is a keeper.

Edited April 13, 2018 by theseagrows

[Ajila]

In the botlle - Sweet florals with the sourness of jasmine

 

Wet on me - Bittter and smokey herbs still backed with jasmine

 

Dry on me - Soft powdery florals that dry down into a sweet vanilla musk

 

Overall - I like the dry down, and as florals go the wet stages were pleasant enough, but this blend is so far away from being something i would wear.

[Deiicide]

A beautifully dried honeyed sweet florals with a hint of spice, nothing really eventful upon my skin. I had such high hopes forf it.

[jasmine]

I don’t know what is in this, but it’s quite distinctive... musky, yet a second-skin scent all at once when it is first applied. A very physical scent.

 

After a bit, something higher pitched manifests, and I am reasonably sure that I smell frankincense -- or some other high, cool mint, at least. Beneath the frankincense is a faintly spicy melange of resins and musks. With a name like this, I had been afraid that Sacred Whorewould be obnoxiously loud, but it isn’t. It isn’t soft, either; it’s a medium-strength scent that possesses confidence and grace all at once.

 

What this reminds me of, actually, is Lucy’s Kiss. I tried it recently and concluded that the rose seemed out of place in the midst of the spices. By contrast, this is a beautifully balanced blend in which no note is obtrusive. I very much approve.

 

The throw gains power as time passes. After a while, the lower part of the blend tapers out, and most of what I can smell is resin and frankincense. At this point, what remains is very reminiscent of Penitence, and that raw physicality from the beginning has entirely evaporated. I won’t complain; it’s nice, though I’m not sure it’s me.

[juniperus]

Bottle: yo. abominations. sweet and husky.

Wet: er, make that vanilla, maybe? and a spicy floral, maybe cinnamon, maybe carnation..

Dry: gotta be vanilla here, or tonka, because I'm amping it. yay me and my peculiar skin! *sigh*

Later: cheap vanilla drugstore swill. man, but my chemistry is a bitch.

[chrisann]

Okay... I do get some gardenia in this perfume, but I also get paperwhites on me. I have an almost allergic reaction to paperwhites, so that kinda kills this scent for me. I did brave through it, and the drydown is a soft powdery, vanilla, white floral w/ a trickle of spice. Very feminine and pretty. More innocent smelling than the name implies

[Bagfish]

I wish I was better at identifying notes in perfume, but here goes.

 

Sacred whore was a frimp as I would never ordinarily have ordered something so floral. All I can identify is a white floral - not an overtly tropical floral, but very white like gardenia or jasmine or both.

 

On me, this smells like old ladies high quality old fashioned soap. The longer it is on the more pleasant it becomes as it stops being so dusty and powdery and throat choking and becomes smoother and rounder and slightly greener, but it really isn't my type of perfume.

[filigree_shadow]

This is the kind of floral I don't like. It smells like gardenia or plumeria or something like that. And there's something else in it that's distorting it into something sour. I'm not really eager to sniff this further to try to determine what else is in it because I don't like it.

[mspixieears]

To my nose, this smells an awful lot like Salome but with 'kick'. More something...more jasmine, more heady florals, more ylang ylang, perhaps a touch of rum or whisky? Again, that antiseptic note that bugs me so but thankfully it drops out of the composition fairly quickly. For a fragrance oil, it smells remarkably alcoholic - could be minty, even, not entirely sure. It definitely oozes pure sex like the florals I love so much. Some leathery or woody scents come up in hints and that antiseptic note now seems to be either cinnamon or camphor? Either one of those or even balsam - whatever it is, it has a 'Deep Heat' (warming muscle rub) quality about it! I detect a rose note trying to poke through but not strongly enough for me. I can also detect a gourmand vanilla but again, not strong enough for me. Overall, this is not really for me though it is intensely complex. If not for the 'Deep Heat' reminder, I would love this more.

[ariosa]

I am not a floral girl in the least -- at least I don't think so! But gardenia is the one floral scent I absolutely love. I ordered this imp on the advice of folks who said it was gardenia heavy. And they were right! I'm not sure it's the -perfect- gardenia fragrance for me, but as it's drying down and mellowing out, I'm really, really liking it. Decent throw, but not overbearing and just enough spices to keep it from being a purely floral scent.

[vegasblueblood]

In the imp: something sweet and lots of jasmine (or maybe it's gardenia? or both?). I didn't pick up much of the vanilla some people had mentioned and no cinnamon at all.

 

First 10 minutes on my wrist, I got a very strong floral scent which surprised me because I thought this scent would be more spicy and smoky.

 

An hour after applying, it keeps changing. Right now, I'm getting a lot of vanilla which is nice and the jasmine/floral scent remains strong. There is slightly spicy undertone now emerging. I love how this keeps morphing! For a minute there, before the vanilla came out, it went a bit soapy which freaked me out. But right now, it's very pretty. I thought this scent would have a more incense-y note to it though.

[Browneyes]

Imp: Uh-oh... I fear this is the heady kind of floral that goes sharp and sour on me alas. (Jasmine, gardenia, etc.)

Wet: Hmm. Not as bad as I was fearing. This is actually surprisingly round and sweet without being cloying, with a faint breath of spices (soft cinnamon I think). This might actually be working on me I LOVE real tropical flowers that smell gorgeous and thick in the heat, but I have had a hard time trying them on here at BPAL. This might be the blend that works for me when I am in that mood.

Dry: This remains that sweet, round, lush floral with spices. Very sexy, quite provocative! I might actually get a bottle of this one

 

eta: top 10!! just don't try and explain to your co-workers why you are wearing a perfume called Sacred Whore of Babylon lol.

Edited August 3, 2007 by Browneyes

[mtlaise]

I guess body chemistry is a huge player in this one... I was worried when I read all the reviews that mentioned heavy gardenia or florals, but I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it on.

 

I did detect a floral close to the skin, but it pretty much stayed there, which is excellent in my opinion. The scent that wafted up to me was sweet, mildly spicy in an incensy kind of way (though not smelling like incense). As it dried, I thought I picked up a bit of cinnamon, and something creamy-sweet like honey or vanilla. The spicy side seemed to develop a bit more to, leaving me with a slightly sweet, slightly spicy blend, with just a hint of floral. This is really nice, and one of the few scents with a floral note that I will be keeping.

[oedipa]

I should really, really just give up the ghost on jasmine scents. It doesn't matter where it's listed in the blend, or what other notes are with it...if someone has so much as waved jasmine over the bottle before closing the lid, that's all I can smell.

 

Jasmine.

 

Jasmine.

 

JASMINE.

 

It is the ruiner of worlds!

 

 

Suffice to say I've had Sacred Whore on for half an hour and that sickly-sweet, cloying jasmine scent is clogging up my nose. Gah! Into the swap bin with you!

[euterpe414]

Is there jasmine in this? I don't know...it would be strange if there was because this blend is really working well on me and jasmine blends (or BPAL's jasmine) usually do not. I definitely detect lots of honey- very sticky and glistening. Maybe gardenia- but I am not so great at picking out specific floral notes. This reminds me a lot of Follow Me Boy except for the rancid stage that FMB went through on me (i.e. Sacred Whore smells a lot like the drydown of FMB with my chemistry). It's incredibly sexy, yet stays close to the skin. Definitely a "come hither" scent. I really must track down a bottle of this ASAP, b/c my imp is not going to last long!