Bordello

[melange]

A decadent, deep perfume, lusty and luxuriant. The scent evokes images of velvet-lined Old West cathouses, tightly laced corsets, rustling petticoats and coquettish snarls of pleasure. Bawdy plum with amaretto, burgundy wine and black currant.

Wet (as best I can tell*): Red Vines + Smarties.

Drydown: plum/currant juiciness comes out to play, deepened by the burgundy wine; I can't smell the amaretto yet, and I'm grateful for that.

Worn: I'm trying to pick out the amaretto, and on my skin, I think it just adds a little sharpness without really being noticeable on its own, just leavening the sweetness. I wouldn't call the fragrance deep or luxuriant at this point, but bawdy works. It's as though it refuses to be too heavy, and has a sense of humor instead. After a little while, the wine starts to smell just a little sour and the currants head toward Red Vines again, so I give it another swipe to freshen it up and this time let it sit. The Red Vines fade, and there's a faint sort of greenness, and it reminds me of booze-free cherry lollipops. After a while, it's more like strawberry lip gloss, and it seems to be staying there.

Conclusion: when it comes to sweetness, my skin apparently seems to like amber and vanilla better than berries and plums, at least in this combination. While this fragrance isn't "me," it was fun to get to experiment with it, and I think I'll try the frimp again in a couple of weeks and see what my body chemistry does with it then. If it's noticeably different, I'll edit.

(* Caveat lector: the label was soaked in Casanova + Snake Charmer due to a mishap in mail, so I can't get an accurate smell by sniffing the imp directly, and C+SC rubs off onto my fingers just a little.)

[sookster]

fruity, vivaciously sweet and sugary....i

had higher hopes for this blend....it lasted a good

long time but the scent just turned almost

doughy...dang....dumb ol' chemistry

[Rhowan]

Bordello

 

In the bottle: Very fruity but with the hint of amaretto lurking in the background.

Almost reminds me of the drink Sour Ameretto.

 

 

Wet: just swiped and I am smelling playdough? That's weird - never had that happen before.

 

Dry Down: about a minute after the playdough smell, sweet sugary berries started emerging. It is a sweetness that kind of reminds me of the sugary scent I get in Snake Oil. In fact, this smells like Berry Snake Oil to me.

 

 

Conclusion: This is a wonderful scent! The longer I wore it the more sugary the berries became and the more the berries come out. It lasted a goodly amount of time too - maybe 5 hrs and I could stll catch a bit on my skin. This is definitely a big bottle for me - Love It!

[grrrlennyl]

at first: i got this as a freebie, and i'm not sure why i haven't tried it before. definitely boozy and sweet. interesting.

on: boozy, sweet, and candyish. a very dark purple scent. there's almost a sour note to it, too. this is fabulous.

1.5 hours later: this isn't as young and candy-like anymore. it seems more mature and muted. fruity, but sophisticated. still a deep scent.

2.5 hours later: still sweet and boozy, with a hint of fruity. really beautiful.

overall: i love this. i might eventually end up buying a bottle of it.

[Katinka]

I was SO CERTAIN I would love Bordello, but it's not meant to be. On me, it smells like a Pier 1 candle, which isn't too bad, but it's not what I'm looking for in a perfume. It lasted all day, though, and became more pleasant at about Hour 9, when the amaretto came to the forefront, but I wouldn't want to have to wait that long each time I wore it.

[Em-]

Bordello smells of ripe juicy sweet berries to me, almost a little overripe to the point of fermentation - that must be the wine and the cherry scent of the amaretto coming out...

 

I like this a lot, but it is a very strong, powerful blend, that is perhaps not the best thing for the office.

[AngellicMystique]

This is boozy, sweet, and seductive. This stays sweet and little fruity and a little floral, always showing a little leg, then taking it back.

 

I love the smell, but it doesn't stay on my skin long. Thirty minutes after application, I couldn't even get a hint of it.

 

This is a gorgeous blend, but I don't get any staying power from it.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

A frimp from the Lab. I'm slightly surprised that the color is pale, almost transparent, despite the plum/black imagery the notes evoke--but then, my favorite plum-heavy oil is Queen of Spades, which is dark in color as well as scent.

 

Whew, this is candy-sweet! Strong amaretto, which I really like, but it quickly becomes so syrupy that it's just too much for me. I can detect the wine note from Wanda--sweet and grapey--but it would need some spice or other balancing notes to calm it down enough for me to wear. I do like some sweet scents, but this is just a little too much. I wouldn't expect a bordello to be subtle with its sexiness, and this certainly isn't!

[Fury]

Bordello is, simply, decadence in a bottle.

 

'Fruity' is possibly the last adjective I'd use to describe my tastes in fragrances, though it is testimony to the mood set by Bordello contrary to scents like Lady Macbeth and Jailbait. There's a richness that's rather enticing, th flirtation of the amaretto with the plum, which is a scent just dark enough to offset it as sensual contrary to foody, ripe rather than bursting. Syrup, yes, but not in a way that the overall blend falls as a main stage to display a solitary note on me.

 

Ah! There it is- a sour, sharp green apple just hedging the currant, cutting it beneath and mellowing the fragrance. Rather it begins and leaves very well rounded, delicious without being edible, a dark purple with flashes of red and moments of green- in the sense of envy, or poison, I suppose.

[AlaskaSnows]

Wet: Plum and very dry wine.

 

Dry: Bitter orange lollipops.

[magikalcrab]

There are too many scents throwing themselves at me from the bottle of Bordello to name them all, but it's amazing ... the best I can think of is perhaps a riot - 5 or 6 different women in close quarters, all wearing different perfumes and clothes and everything just blending together to create chaotic harmony, or something.

 

On skin, it smells like ripe, heavy berries, maybe a little of sweet liqour and something else that I can't name that seems to draw everything together nicely.

 

As it dries, it takes on a gorgeous sweet vanilla tone to it.

 

Actually, this is one of my top 10 scents - I can't believe that I haven't reviewed it yet! The number of times I've gotten compliments on it is amazing. I wore it to a wedding last week and had one of the groomsmen following me around the entire night, claiming that I was luring him with the perfume.

[Voleuse]

On first application, this is a rich and juicy plum, with the barest hint of wine and berries. It's delicious, but dark and seductive as well.

 

Over time, the amaretto becomes evident. This is a heady blend. It starts to get the tiniest bit plastic after a while, but overall, it's lovely

[oceangirl]

In the imp: Wine and a sweet fruit. Slightly cherry-like. Not bad.

 

Wet: Fruity, tart, and a bit sweet. There's a bit of boozy vanilla to it, too. Like someone said above, it's like a riot of scents that mix perfectly.

 

Dry: Smells like a tart wine you'd get in a dusty bar out west. I love this! Very seductive and earthy.

[tansil]

This goes on smelling just like strawberry bubble gum. Then it goes through this weird rotten fruit phase. It settles down into this fun fruit. Oh I love it.

 

I went through my imp in just over a week because I kept reapplying and putting it in my hair and.. you name it. My 5ml came yesterday along with all my Yule blends but guess which one I ended up sniffing first? The Bordello. It's truly a boozy romp.

[lysithea]

This is a sweet and fruity scent. More grounded and refined than some of the other bright fruity scents that I've liked (Agalea, Katharina). There is a definitely boozy undertone to it, but it's not in your face. More of a fruity red wine spilled on a lace tablecloth. My skin picks up the burgandy wine and plum the most. Faintly, I get the barest wisps of amaretto - but not so much as to be able to identify it without sniffing my skin up close.

 

I can see the association with cathouses and loose women. This makes me want to grab my man and push his face into my ample bosom as I throw back my head laughing with unbridled delight.

 

All in all it's been a delightful, fiendish romp - and don't forget to leave my money on the table, dar'lin.

Edited January 18, 2006 by Shollin

[Jocelyn]

This one doesnt work on me, its pretty and smells nice in the imp.

But on me it smells like booze and cheap air freshener.

[mandragora]

In the vial: Heavy, sugary plum. Luscious and luxurious.

 

On me: Smells like candied fruits, a little sweet and a little tart. And something in the background, the amaretto or the burgundy wine perhaps.

 

Verdict: A bit heavy for my usual taste but will keep the imp. This would be great as a room scent!

Edited January 19, 2006 by mandragora

[fiddledragon]

Smell in bottle: Fruity, with the almond at the back. I normally don't like the smell of sweet almond, but this isn't overpowering. Maybe I mind the smell less when I'm not eating it. This smell is weird, in a way I wouldn't expect from the ingredients.

 

Smell on me:

Wet-- Stays about the same, and remains compeltely bizzare, yet works somehow on me.

Dry-- Dries to a faint, lovely wet fruit smell with some of the earthiness of the almond (which has become almond rather than amaretto) beneath it.

 

Smells utterly unlike anything I'd imagine something with that name to smell like. Rich and wet, but not at all sexual. More like the smell of sitting in an orchard on a hot summer day.

 

This one is strong and long-lasting. If I wear too much, the fruit-sweetness starts to get to me. It's still nice, though.

 

(later) And when I say "strong" I mean that I've taken a shower and still smell like it. It's lovely, but it sort of scares me. I really want to know what's in it that bonds to my skin chemistry like that, so I know not to get anything else with it. Maybe the plum? Or currant? The wine in Kali didn't stick around like this.

[angharad]

Very sweet and fruity at first, reminds me of bubblegum. After drydown it deepens; the amaretto peeks out every now and then, and the wine comes to the surface to blend well with the plum. It remains very sweet, though, a bit more sweet than I usually prefer. I like Bordello better on my skin than in the imp, and I will wear it, but I don't think I'll get a big bottle of it.

[Sheila]

Yum, yum, yum.

This is sweet and candy-like. It smells like blackberries and black currant to me, with a light touch of plum. It reminds me of Bewitched a bit, but with no sage or tea.

I was worried that the wine note would take over, but I can't smell it at all.

This is light and pretty on me. Glad I got a bottle.

[Lizzie]

In The Bottle disgusting plasticy fake strawberry smell...like really old gum that's lost all it's flavour...oh gawd!

 

Wet On Skin A little better, still plasticy, but much more fruity and rich.

 

DryAll the notes are fairly well balanced, but somehow it doesn't really smell boozy, really rich and fruity though. It smells like fruit and Cool Whip!?! How weird is that? Very strong, and still a little plastic. I need to wear it for a while and then decide how I feel about it.

 

ETA: the drydown is sort of nice, much softer and not plastic, but it has a slight musty smell. I think I'll use the imp, but I won't be buying a bottle. I really wanted to love this.

Edited February 4, 2006 by Lizzie

[kaelei]

OMG *dies from ecstacy*

This scent is so yummy. It smells like sweet candies on my wrist and now wishing for a big bottle of it ^^

 

This is not overpowering sweet which is a plus for me =)

I am smelling more of blackcurrent than anything else.

[abbycomix]

I was very curious about this one. Thanks to Mandragora for the chance to try it! This started off dark and fruity with a little wine which I liked. Also very sweet. Then I could smell a little almond. Then it became a sweet warm vanilla. I wasn't expecting that at all! Smells good and yummy, but as I love fruit scents, I was sad that the fruit didn't stay. I think this one morphed the most on me out of all the imps I've tried so far. I'll have to try it in a locket.

[ladynoah74]

In the Bottle: all sweet plum wine, deep in color and heady.

 

Wet: Hmm, the wine has taken a backseat and it's become more nutty and fruity.

 

Dry: It's not bad, but I smell like a car freshener. Kinda sweet and soft. Pretty, but not overwhelming on me.

[thedragoncharmer]

Bordello is in my top 5 favorites (along with March Hare and Elegba).

Wet: Very sugary/fruity. (I can see the relation to Smarties) Kind of reminds me of when I first open a box of Jell-o. Mmmm...love that scent.

Drying: Scent remains the same on me, very sweet fruit.

Hours later: Still pretty much the same. I smell like gummy lifesavers (yum).

 

One of my favorite scents because it stays light and fruity all day on me. It is not an overpowering fruit smell. More of a lingering fruit scent. It's a great everyday scent.

 

On a scale of 1-5 (5 being I MUST buy a 5ml):

5 (and, yes, I did buy a 5ml.)