Marianne

[voodoocatwoman]

Red musk, bergamot, black currant, mimosa, orchid, patchouli, and lotus root.

In the imp: Sweet with a definite sharp edge.

Wet: The musk is beautiful! It's a bit sweeter, but not cloyingly so. I am picking up patchouli. I wish I knew the other notes...

Dry: Just gorgeous. Soft but with a decidedly wild streak lurking right beneath the surface.

[FandF]

I hate this.

 

I wanted to love it but I cannot.

 

I can see the resemblence to the idea of snake charmer. It smells a bit like snake oil with a cherry or berry undertone to it. It dries to a tea scent that is much more wearable and agreeable to my skin. But is smells hollow to me...lacking depth. It is a strong cherry snake oil scent that i just won't reach for. But i do wonder how it might age.

[Sapphiremo0n]

I confess to buying this one simply for the trading card, the picture of Marianne, the pose, the chemistry of the art was what enticed me to track down a bottle. I never even looked at the description of notes. When it arrived, we opened the bottle to a delightful aroma.

 

Dark and deep but also loght ans sweet. My wife put some on and it was an instant attractant for me so naturally I have to wear it as well. The Red Musk calls to my nose, with its husky darkness, making me think of passion and fur. The Orchid, black currant, and miamosa blend together sweetly continuing the seduction of my nose. MMmmm this smells sooooo very good. Sweet without being cloying or icky-sticky, a very Soft gentle brush of sweetness. I love the hints of the black currant that make me think of full luscious pouty berry stained lips, and the orchid that makes me think of soft wave after wave of silky brown hair tucked carefully behind the delicate flower, quite the exotic delight.

All of this just by scent alone.

 

When I read the description here I was quite supprised to discover the other two ingrediants, especially since I loathe and despise even the barest hint of one and strongly dislike the other. So my first reaction two the two things I can't stand was OMG there is patchouli in this????No Way! I can't smell any patchouli here, wicked cool, and lotus root? can't be. The two are so well blended and barely there that I couldn't detect them this is a very good thing, because I am adoring this oil. I think I may have to order a back up bottle before the Carnaval leaves town.

Edited October 7, 2008 by Sapphiremo0n

[velvet]

i put it on with out knowning what the notes were... its very strong, heady- and beautiful!

the red musk works on my in this scent much like it does in schrezade. i typically have bad luck with these kinds of scents like smut, mme moriarty, snake charmer.. and many others i cannot think of now.

this scent glows a deep red, its a heavy velvet that just lets the sexiness of your own scent peak through.

[rayvn1]

I love this one as much as I do the picture! I expected to love the patchouli and bergamot notes, but what made it really sparkle was the currant. I need a bottle of this!

[caitilarkin]

In the imp: Red musk and patchouli with heady florals (not sure if I'm smelling lotus or orchid)

 

Wet on skin: Very similar to in the bottle--the musk/patchouli blend is challenged by the florals. I think I'm getting more orchid than any other flower. No currant yet...

 

Dry on skin: Ah, here's the currant at last! Its arrival helps to temper the florals, which are getting a bit sharp.

 

Surprisingly, this only lasted about three hours on me, despite the presence of the patchouli (which usually takes up permanent residence on my skin). It was yummy while it lasted; I'm glad to have a decant of this.

[tinyvulture]

on first sniff, this reminds me a lot of glowing vulva at ryogoku bridge – it’s the strong lotus note that they share. the bold fruitiness of lotus matches perfectly with the copious, heady red musk. this particular grindhouse resident is definitely not a shy lady! i’m surprised, after seeing mimosa and bergamot on the description, that i don’t get any citrus out of this. really, the lotus and red musk pairing seems to overshadow all of the other notes. it’s a vibrant, sexy scent. but, i actually love red musk so much that i’m up to my ears in red musk blends and need some variety in my collection. it’s nothing personal, marianne.

[lainevierge]

Wow. In the imp this smells positively rank, but on my skin I'm getting this great spicy lotus scent. I agree with the above poster who likened it to Glowing Vulva, it's like a spicier version with a touch of orange. Even the bergamot comes out to play for me, and tea has never worked on my skin.

 

That being said, I'm not sure this is bottle worthy. I already have Vulva as my go to lotus scent, but it's nice to know that lotus works on my skin!

[Victory]

Wow, Marianne is one of a kind- I don't smell the red musk at all! Red musk tends to smell like rabid peanut butter on me until the oil is several years old, and it's not a shy note, so this is a new thing. Marianne is a burgundy scent, much like the color of the actual oil, but almost all of what I smell is fruitiness. Looking at other reviews, I think it's the lotus root. Sometimes I think I smell bubblegum, which I haven't smelled with before in lotus blends, but it's not predominant. I think the other notes are creating the beautiful burgundy smell, but I can't separate them out. Sometimes, the lotus/fruitiness is too much for me, a bit cloying, which I haven't noticed when it's off my skin. I think I'll try aging Marianne to see if some of the other notes come out, but I'm just so pleased to have found a red musk scent that isn't peanut butter gone bad!

[zomathesadist]

this is a very red, ripe scent.

 

In the bottle: rich damp red that almost seems alive. shimmery, almost.

 

On skin: red musk love. red musk is a hate it or love it note, and my skin (and nose) love it. the lotus and currant make it quite sweet, which I wasn't expecting.

 

Dry: bergamot peeks out here and there, but behaves, as it can sometimes go acrid on me. the currant chills as well. still fruity rich red musk.

 

I won't say I love it yet, as I'll have to see how it wears, but I'm glad I have a bottle.

 

wearlength: unsure. throw: strong.

[Saya]

In the Imp

This has a lot of red musk and patchouli, the other notes are simply drowned out.

 

On My Skin

Not a whole lot of morphing right now, the smell on my skin is very similar to what the oil smelled like in the imp.

 

After a Bit

Still heavy on the red musk note. I wish there was a bit of depth to this blend, but all I’m getting is SN red musk.

 

Rating 1-5 (5 being the best)

Scent - 2 Throw - 4 Longevity – 3.5

Overall (not an average) – 2.5

 

Final thoughts

This isn’t a blend I’d reach for very often, it would be wonderful on somebody else, but I just amp the red musk.

[waternight]

In the bottle: Oh yes, red musk. But I smell black currant as well.

Wet: Miracle of miracles, the red musk is UNDETECTABLE. I don't smell it AT ALL here! Just juicy, fruity black currant and a watery floral note! This is unprecedented.

Dry: Alas, as Marianne dries, the red musk creeps back in and steadily amps until all I smell is its dark evil.

[tajana]

Oh, yum! I got this as a frimp, and I am so lucky that I did! This scent is in my top two for sure. This is my first experience with BPAL red musk and now I'm sure that I love it! On my skin, it was beautiful, delicately earthy patchouli and this sensuous red smell... spicy, gently sweet, and definitely sexy. I detect a bright touch of bergamot as well as the sweet, clean scent of lotus (a bit different from lotus like I've tried in Bastet; perhaps because this one is lotus root) that brightens this up and keeps Marianne from being too dirty. There's some other soft floral notes in there rounding the scent out, and the currant, thank god, is almost lost in the mix: there's just a touch of fruitiness, which largely dissipates as the hours wear on. And wow, does this oil last and last and last... even after ten (!) hours and using just a dab of oil, a noticeable hint of scent remained: rich and spicy patchouli melded with red musk, sweetened delicately by lotus. So good!

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Currents and sugar candy with heady flowers. Wet: The bergamot and musk come out more strongly as it warms up. The mimosa is surprisingly strong. Dry: fruity, musky candy with a hint of flower. Not my think, but nice enough if you want a sexy fruity floral.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Red musk, with a slightly sweetened edge

 

Wet on me – The red musk still sits on top of the blend, but is now backed by the earthy patchouli

 

Dry on me – Initially it’s just straight up red musk, but eventually it settles into a sweet, custardy skin musk (no, I have know idea where that combination is coming from, either)

 

Overall – Not what I expected, but still the sort of scent I could happily wear all the time

 

[cinderfallen]

This one does a disappearing act that's hard to beat! I slathered this everywhere, including over scents I'd previously tried: wrists, forearms, crook of my elbow.... Gone. In 15 minutes. Even more amazing is that I can smell the scents that had been previously under Marianne.

 

Goes on with as much red musk as Scheherezade, with patchouli and a thin sweetness. And as my nose strains more and more to catch some scent, poof. At most, I get an aura of red musk, which I amp, because that's all I got out of Smut, too, though deeper.

[catattack]

Imp: Sweet, dark, dirty musk.

Wet: The musk is dark and sweet. The patchouli is giving it a "dirty" note (in a good way). When wet, I don't smell anything but the musk and patchouli.

Drydown: The patchouli really fades and the musk lightens up. What others have described as "bubblegum" appears. I quite like it. I can also detect a berry scent. After an hour, it is a sweet, floral musk. This is a sweet feminine scent on my skin.

Overall: The throw is medium. This is a cooler/cold weather scent. I think it's too sexy for work But perfect for date night with the hubby.

 

[CynicalPink]

I *love* Mme. Moriarity, and Marianne seems to be her more feminine counterpart

 

Imp: Wow this is dark oil. Smokey and bright at the same time

 

Wet: Nearly choking on patchouli smokiness, but that's normal for me. The red musk is out in force, and the mimosa and bergamont are keeping it from getting too carried away.

 

Drydown: Round 1 - Okay, red musk and patchouli, you can calm down now. I know there are other notes in this. I can find the fun lotus root fizziness when I get right up to the skin, but that's tough to do when I've got that burnt patchouli note searing my nostrils

Round 2 - MUSKMUSKMUSKMUSKPATCHOULI!

Round 3 - Patchouli and Musk don't seem interested in letting anyone else in on the party.

 

Overall: Oh well. I'm still glad I tried it before flying off the handle and just buying a bottle! Mme. Moriarity it is, then

[ouch!]

Oh Marianne I love you!

 

You remind me of my beloved Scherezade, except you have touch of fruit & flowers. Gorgeous.

This is another scent that makes me feel like it's wearing me rather than me wearing it and Scherezade is one of the other few that has done that. It's a wonderful feeling! This stuff is powerful and if Scherezade wasn't around I would be hoarding this like mad.

 

There's definately a blackcurrant/blackberry feel to it on the drydown, and then the floral element kicks in when it's almost dry. I will have to get at least one bottle of this.

 

This is Scherezade No2!

[stellans]

Marianne is even better than it was last summer! I love the patchouli in this, even though it’s a bit muted by the other notes. And it has aged amazingly well, for such a relatively short period since purchase (8/08). This is one of the few blends which contain red musk which works on me, and it’s the 1st ingredient, yet! I think the other notes (mimosa, bergamot, black currant, etc.) help keep both the red musk and the patchouli in check, so that neither strong ingredient overwhelms the others. In any case, this is a sexy strong woman of a scent, a real show-stopper...

 

The reason I wore Marianne today instead of the scent I had planned was I sold my back-up bottle, and the buyer rhapsodized over it so much I broke out the bottle I kept and 'discovered' Marianne all over again. Not that I'm sorry I sold the back-up; I have enough to last me a while, even though it's just one bottle of this scent now.

Edited April 19, 2011 by stellans

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

Wet, this is like, "Smut? Is that you?" It even has the same exact coloration and viscosity as Smut oil, but I lurves Smut, so I'm ready for the skin test! Still so Smutty...but like Smut mixed with Scherezade...hmmm...Scherezade with less champa and a dash o' Smut + currant, methinks! I like both of those blends a lot, and I like this one as well, so I'll be hanging onto my decant for sure!

[Gin]

Marianne

 

Red musk + patchouli + fruity sweetness. For a few moments, I feel like I can smell every component listed. Then it settles down and smooths out to a sexy musk/patchouli + black currant/orchid.

[crebbsgirl]

HELLOOOOOO red musk! This smacks you right in the face when I first apply. The mimosa adds a little sharpness here, and as it dries, the black currant and the orchid come out beautifully, working together to soften the musk. The patchouli adds a little earthy depth. Honestly, I thought it was nice, but not overly amazing - until my husband came home. Of the over 500 blends I've tried, nothing elicited a reaction like this. He made a beeline for me from across the house and started huffing my wrists, asking what I was wearing. Apparently, he really enjoyed it. Of course, we discover this NOW after she's been d/c'd. Damn.

[Monster]

In the bottle: Lovely red musk!

 

Wet: Ooohhh the color of this is a VERY dark, rich reddish brown. Resin galore! First swipe on my skin this is a rich, sexy red musk with a bright edge of bergamot. I can't smell patchouli...very faintly maybe. I think it's just holding everything together, giving it a nice earthy base. I can't stop sniffing my arm. I already love this.

 

Dry: Dry, this pretty much stays the same on me. All of the notes mix together so so well, creating a wonderful red musk incense on my skin. This is a dark, sulty red musk, just the perfect version of it I've ever sniffed. I've never got any mimosa or lotus.

 

Overall: I'm so so happy I decided to pick up a bottle of this. I'm probably going to have to order back ups.

[angelicruin]

On my skin, heavy red musk and patchouli. The bergamot and lotus root emerge as it dries, but the red musk is definitely the major note on my skin. I like the blend and will be content to keep a decant of this.