Succubus

[filigree_shadow]

Bat-winged, flame-eyed, and possessed of an unearthly, perfect beauty: the Daughters of Lilith, the Succubi, invade the dreams of men and lie with them in rapturous, unholy sexual union. The scent of their skin is bittersweet, dusky and terminally seductive. Mimosa, orange blossom, neroli and bergamot with a drop of sweet clove.

 

Well, this is kind of an odd scent. Very orangey and kind of earthy too -- there's something dark about this scent, which surprises me given the notes. It's also going powdery on me. I'm not really sure I can handle this much orange in a perfume, and I'm not hugely fond of that powdery scent either.

 

This isn't bad, but it's just not my fave.

[mspixieears]

A very strong fragrance at frist and not really to my taste at first but some promising notes as it starts to dry down on my wrists. This has very similar notes to Maiden – the same gentle, sweet, floral notes without being cloying, like Maiden. It’s very pleasant and something I can imagine wearing for bedtime. Beautifully feminine.

[Victoria]

now i know what neroli smells like - raw leeks! this is the only BPAL i could not tolerate and had to wash off. i couldn't smell anything else.

[Lexie]

Wet: Bitter and sharp! I can smell mainly orange blossom and some mimosa too.

Dry : It becomes a little sweeter and darker.

 

Succubus reminds me an old-fashioned feminine perfume. It’s actually quite beautiful, but unfortunately too bitter and flowery to my liking. Off to the swap pile.

[naeelah]

Wet, this is very sharp and kind of unpleasant, which seems to be a recurring theme with blends containing bergamot, to my nose. Luckily, true to form, the bergamot calms right down. It quickly turns lightly lemon zesty, and the other notes begin to come through.

 

Dry, it's a beautifully balanced orange scent with light spice. What I love is that is manages to NOT smell like traditional holiday "orange spice" blends. It's not foody at all. There's a touch of bright citrus, from the bergamot, a touch of floral citrus, from the orange blossom, a touch of deep bitter citrus, from the neroli, and sweet orange from the mimosa. With a tiny pinch of clove, just adding a little bite.

 

After a little while, it seems to primarily be neroli and clove, which isn't altogether a bad thing, but it isn't as rich and well balanced as it was right after it dried.

 

At first, I was in love and thought that this is what I was hoping for when I bought Kunstkammer (which is all orange candy). The final drydown is a little disappointing, but I'll see if I have better luck with it on a different day or in a locket.

 

Throw is light to average, and lifespan seems shorter than average. After an hour, it's quite close to the skin.

 

Definitely give it a go if you like orange but don't necessarily want foody orange.

[modillian]

First it was an astringent green smell (bergamot!) plus oranges, but after ten minutes there's some spice and that otherworldly scent sans astringence, so I know it's the neroli again. Green in the background, and the spice is ramping up (clove shows itself!) Very nice.

 

Pending twenty minutes, there's almost no spice, almost no scent except green florals alone, very soft -not a scent with lots of throw. The green I'm smelling now is probably mimosa. No oranges after that first blast, just mimosa, neroli and a wee bit of clove. Delicious. The hard bite at first put me off, but it mellows into a lovely tasty scent that is a smidge too soft on me -let's see how a larger dose or some aging will affect the oil.

[CrazyPretzel]

In the imp: neroli!

Wet on me: still neroli! Oh god, this is lovely...there's the sweet silkiness of neroli made even softer by the orange blossom, and the clove is smelling like a touch of carnation.

Dry on me: Bergamot coming out now, and under it all the sweetness of mimosa, not cloying because the other notes are all tart. I LOVE this.

 

Citrus and spice, but most definitely floral.

 

Makes me think of LUSH's potion with orange blossom instead of roses. Unless this disappears within the next 20 minutes or pulls some really unexpected nasty morphing (and I don't think it will), it's going on my bottle list. I can see from the reviews that not everyone cares for it, but this is right up my alley.

 

ETA: Dammit. I spoke too soon. After 30 minutes, this smells very distinctly like...play-doh. Looks like my chemistry's warped it after all!

Edited August 18, 2007 by Shollin
Removed Lab description --Shollin

[cinderfallen]

Seems more suited for aromatherapy or spa uses than for perfume. A little sharp, thin scent.

[mlleglass]

Dark headshop with dried orange peel. Gothpalooza. To be worn with black velvet and long drapey black dresses. Add heaps of black eyeliner and serve hot. I don't smell much bergamot here. A dark, smoky neroli is very strong and blots out most anything else. Come near me and be knocked over by a cloud of it. Come closer so I can stuff cloves up your nose.

 

This is not a subtle scent. I have a 5ml bottle, which I will keep, though from which I might be happy to decant an imp or two... I don't wear it often but when I want it, I want it. Very powerful and sexy.

[Iceblink]

This goes on as the strongest, sharpest neroli EVER. Holy neroli!! A few minutes later I'm getting bergamot, which is calming down the neroli a bit, and orange blossom, to sweeten things up. This is delicious!

I'll be on watch for skin irritation with this one (the bergamot) but if I don't get any redness or itchiness by tomorrow, this is a keeper.

[mudspinr]

I really wanted to like this scent, both for the general slinky, sexy, coolness of the name and for the orange blossom which I usually love. Unfortunately, no such luck.

 

In the imp: sharp neroli with a little of the mimosa/orange blossom sweetness

 

Wet on skin: ouch! lots of neroli. Lots and lots of neroli, with something sort of powdery

 

Drydown: the neroli backs down a little and there are hints of the lovely mimosa/orange/clove, but the powdery smell gets stronger too

 

Dry on skin: sharp neroli with powder. ick. I think I'm going to have to wash it off as it also has pretty good throw and I'm getting a headache.

 

Verdict: I don't like neroli, and it doesn't seem to like me. It absolutely overpowered all the other notes

Too bad, I guess I'll keep this to swap sometime.

[euterpe414]

This is an odd one, fore sure! At first it is powerful neroli with a touch of orange blossom and mimosa. The bergamot and clove enter during the drydown, creating the 'bittersweet' part of the fragrance. However somewhere in there enters a soapy smell too, leaving me with orange and mimosa soap. This was a highly unpleasant smell to my nose, and made me want to wash it off immediately. I waited for a while to see if the soap would subside but it didn't. Alas, I am unsure what did not work for me in this blend, perhaps the mimosa? Maybe the combination of notes? Anyhow, this lovely will surely be going to a new home!

[JenM]

In the imp: sweetness with a bit of woody undertone.

 

On the wrist: I’m getting flowers. I’m hoping that’s the orange blossom, and that the neroli is deepening it the way it deepens jasmine. AS it dries, the clove comes out. So lovely. Orange and clove have always been a good combination. It’s nice and warm, so I’m not getting “pomander” from it at all.

 

There is a faint scent of soap. I don’t know where that has come from.

 

Oh, the soap has gotten stronger, and the clove can’t combat it. What a shame. I was enjoying this.

[GoldenRubee]

I really like Succubus-it reminds me of the time when I helped my son in a class project. We took a whole orange and put as many whole cloves in it as we could. Then we let it dry and it had the best aroma. That's what this smells like to me. I love the tanginess and the sharp clove scent. It is light and crisp and lovely. This will go on my want a bottle list!

[ravenfeathers]

in the bottle you'd think with all the orange-y and spicy... but it just smells floral to me.

wet on skin floral. and possibly... clean cat litter. which is weird, because violet goes to cat litter on me, but this doesn't have any violet in it.

dry on skin plastic and floral. orange blossom really hates me.

two hours later same, just quieter.

 

i gave this one to my mum, who likes florals. and doesn't turn orange blossom into polyethylene.

[hkhm]

imp: neroil and bergamot. very strong, almost bitter.

 

wet: this smells like thick, soapy lather. to be sure it is good-smelling soap, but soap all the same. not quite what id' expect a succubus to smell like.

 

dry: i can pick out the clove a bit but the soapy scent lingers.

[akiko]

I can't decide if I like this one.

 

Imp: orangey, bitter, dark

 

Wet: Hello, orange blossoms. It smells like orange flower water.

 

Dry: Yep, still orange flowers, but not as strong. I can maybe catch a bit of spice, but mostly orange.

[Kimbernunk]

In Imp: Sweet, freshly cut orange.

Wet: Cloves come out to play, and there’s a sharp tang from the neroli and bergamot that is really nice.

Initial drydown: Still getting the bitter orange scents, but they’re sweetened by the clove a bit and there’s a hint of the mimosa. It’s an oddly cheery scent for the name.

Dry: The drier this gets, the more I notice the mimosa. I’m losing the wonderful orange scent and it’s only been about 15 minutes! After a while though, the orange seems to be returning a bit to balance things out. This is really lovely.

Color: shades of orange

Throw: medium

Overall: I may need a bottle as a mood lifter – the bright smack of orange is just too good and does bring me up wonderfully. I’m all smiles right now!

[tehriaz]

this is quite exceptional...

 

so far I've I tried 16 other oils, all of which HATED my skin or gave me a headache, except maybe one or two others, which faded within ten minutes (?!).

 

but this one... this is fantastic. applied, it's a straight up chocolate orange, mouthwateringly delicious, which fades to a slightly spicy slightly orangey chocolately muskiness. it's delicious. I just wish it lasted a little longer.

 

oddly enough, I loooove it layered with blood countess. you wouldn't think, right? but it's fantastic.

[djsiberia]

i decided ths reminds me of the soap grandma puts on the back of the toilet for decoration. I like the undertone scent, but the main scent = soap

 

i tried this because i thought it might smell like sakura bath bombs from lush. it really doesn't which is disappointing.

[alicia_stardust]

When wet, this is a bright and juicy orange fragrance, but as it dries the bergamot and neroli come out and give it more of a sharp and biting aspect. It's perfectly fitting for the concept, and the touch of sweet clove adds just enough spice and darkness to this. Lovely!

[AEris]

This scent was one of the first BPALs I ever tried (I bought a 6-imp mix pack to start), and when I opened Succubus, I had no interest in even trying it on. All I could smell was bitter orange peel, and I didn't really care for it - wet....

 

I think I actually put it on my skin a week or two later, and I fell in love after it dried down to a soft, romantic neroli/orange blossom and mimosa blend. The hint of clove is tastefully balanced and therefore quietly in the background, serving as the spine of the overall fragrance, keeping it from becoming too high-pitched or powdery.

 

It's one of my true favorites! I might be biased because it's one of my first BPALs, but it has a special place in my heart and it was the first BPAL I considered buying a 5mL of. Since I didn't write a review initially, I'm doing so now, as I sit here wondering why the heck I don't wear this more often. It's totally my style! Plus, spring is coming, and it's perfect when seeking out for a fresh, happy scent that isn't sharp or cologne-y.

 

Succubus has seduced me!

 

4.7 out of 5

[donnatron]

Imp: Orange oil. The type you buy at the drugstore or wherever where they don't tell you whether it's blood, sweet or another variety of orange.

 

Wet: Dirty water. Like a janitor's mop water.

 

Dry: Well, it certainly comes around. It does smell dusky--on my skin it gains this kind of gross, musky attic scent. Not attractive. I can pick out a general orange citrus with a bit of bergamot and clove. It kind of smells like dried pomanders in an attic with an old cup that was once full of earl grey tea.

 

Throw: Thankfully it stays close to me.

 

Overall: I am neither a fan of pomanders nor deranged Miss Havisham style tea parties in my attic with imaginary guests. That's what this scent brings to mind for me and I can't shake it. It's pretty in a distinct way, and I can see it working on others, but this scent just does not like me.

[Nimthiriel]

Initial impression:

It's very floral and citrusy. Hmm. I have my reservations about this one!

 

First on:

It smells like... dirt. Dirty roots, and flowers. It makes me think of gardening, not unholy unions.

 

Dry:

After about 10 mins, it's considerably sexier – it's very faint, and primarily it's neroli and clove on me. Very yummy, though rather innocent.

 

Finally:

Not a keeper, for me. Passing it on!

[goth_huntress]

All the stuff that makes me smile. Loved it.