Nosferatu

[Etaven]

We've finally caved in to years of requests for vampiric scents. As soft as grave dust and as dry as a breath drawn within a long forgotten crypt, this is Nosferatu: desiccated herbs and gritty earth brought to life with a swell of robust and sanguineous red wines.

Worn this twice... I'll be keeping it.

The first time I wore it, the boards were down but I ended up feeling the need to write about it anyway...

It changes a lot during the time when I wear it... at first it was sort of eerie, and I could smell the red wine. It does indeed strike me as a scent worth of Lestat. By now, a few hours after I put it on, it's really mellowed out, a lingering sort of sweetness, the aftermath of the bite of a vampire.

The second time I wore it...

Strong, wine like, almost tart... which reminds me a bit of blood.

After a while, it seems a bit, hmm, dustier, for lack of a better word; reminds me of gravestones and abandoned mansions, with a hint of the undead lurking about.


It's definitely a unique scent.

[Finny]

Wine, and a dry herby smell form the imp. This is genius, of course I usually think this about Beth's blends but...

 

It conjures up thoughts of vampirism, loneliness and eternal longing for the sunlight. I smell red wine, herbs, smoky dark, seductive, and dangerous, it blends together into one fragrance. It is eerie and wonderful.

[Gin]

This is really sweet and boozy, but there's definitely an earthen smell underneath. It smells like the wet earth one would find under a pile of damp leaves in the autumn, soaked with a sweet wine. I find it a little unsettling, really. Definitely not for me.

[sheepzeit]

I love Zombi so I knew this one would be good for me. And I just got an imp from a friend last night.

 

I definitely smell the freshly-turned earth, but I also smell cold, damp stone and... flowers and herbs? But not happy, light, sweet flowers. I am tempted to say I smell rose in it, but this is not at all like Zombi. I have no idea how Beth can capture such profound silence in a scent, but she has. It's disturbing to me, too (I have noticed a lot of people used that word for this scent), but because I feel as though I've somehow gotten lost from the group and am trapped in a maze of crypts and stone, suddenly alone in dead silence.

 

And I am not getting any red wine in here, at least red wine that I am familiar with in scents like Hunters Moon and Tintagel. Which is a bit of a shame but after reading the other reviews I was a little worried about the "blood" smell.

 

I like this scent a lot. I am not sure I would want to wear this every day because it's so amazingly unique and dark, but I definitely am loving this.

[misfitroxy]

In the imp this is very herbal and fresh smelling. Almost like a crisp green apple as it's cut into wedges. Once wet on my skin, the saturated dirt scent came through super strong. Though not the least bit offensive to my rather darkly-inclined brain. Just very different than anything I've worn before.

 

Once the dirt smell began to calm down, the wine (I guess it would be) came through. However, it's a totally different kind of wine scent than what I'm used to (mainly the one in Hunter Moon). It actually smells like vanilla on me. My mind keeps returning to an impression of vanilla dirt like a child's backyard "baking" experiment bottled and capped.

 

After a while, the sweetness becomes the most prominent out of all the elements in Nosferatu, with floral notes joining the "vanilla"/wine and that background of rich peat. Sadly, it's fading rather fast. That just means I need a big bottle for frequent reapplication purposes, right?

 

I don't see myself wearing this on anything close to a regular basis. But it's something unique to bring out for days when I'm feeling extra Aquarian and defiant of any and all things mainstream (including fragrances). It also makes for a nice spooky-meets-girly scent, which delights any and all of my goth parts to no end. ;}

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the bottle: Smells medicinal and carries note of dark herbs.

 

First on: I smell mint of maybe eucalyptus and it's apothecary scent is very strong.

 

After a few minutes: It still smells herbal but no longer in the dark green sorta way, it's growing rather warm on my skin with note of something similar to an Egyptian musk, but not quite. I'm also getting faint hints of red wine.

 

After an hour and more: If Ricola made a grape cough drop, this is what it would smell like. A light grape scent (not the over powering synthetic grape) and medicinal herbs.

 

Parts of me really likes this, and parts of me can't get passed the medicinal notes.

[starrykitten]

On first sniff, I wasn't sure how I felt. I think I was too busy taking it in to really think about my actual reaction.

 

The wine and the gritty, dirty, herby notes are present at the same time. It's not like one dies down and the other pops up, at least not on my skin. Instead, the wine is just there, this sexy, boozy swaying of blood-red over top the commanding desolation of the green-black.

 

I put it on, and for some reason decided promptly to do a lot of sit ups, and couldn't stop sniffing it.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: this is so true to the description. it smells a bit like dry earth and red wine. amazing.

on: an almost sour, thick wine smell. very odd and uncomfortable. pungent.

1 hour later: much, much nicer! more dusty/powdery, with the wine dripping behind. lovely.

3.5 hours later: dusty and light. very nice.

7.5 hours later: very, very soft. i would have to reapply this one.

overall: i like this, but i'm not sure i would buy a bottle. we'll see how things go with this imp.

[Carolyn]

I agree with all the reviews that describe this scent's deep earthiness. Yes, it is earthy, loamy, mildewy. Yes, it is a mostly mausoleum, graveyard-at-dusk kind of scent. Yes, death and decay did come to mind, as well as something sour and ancient.

 

The problem for me is, I do not want to smell like a corpse. So this will be my first definite swapper. Too bad. Love the name.

[girlmadasbirds]

a wonderful earth and wine smell with a touch of herbs. this scent is dead sexy.

[theshapeshifter]

I will probably come back and edit this later, as I've only had the scent on for about an hour at this point, but wanted to review while it's fresh in my mind. Or on my skin, as the case may be.

 

Nosferatu was a generous lagniappe (sp?) in my very first Lab order, and it's one I had been kind of curious about.

 

In the imp: Sharp, almost astringent, much more 'fresh' than I would expect.

 

Initial application: Wow, it's so... CLEAN. A blast of something strong, herbal, and sharp. Almost like cleaning fluid, but the kind you'd get from an environmental/health food shop, not the chemically kind.

 

After 15 minutes: My mind is boggling trying to figure this out. I keep sniffing myself, feeling like there's something there I SHOULD recognize, but can't. It's a bit floral, very herbal, and the earth is starting to barely peek out.

 

After 30 minutes: It's super-green now, like a bundle of medicinal herbs (and I think I smell something like sage?), but there's a warm-yet-sharp tang starting to come in, like a thick red wine.

 

After an hour: It just keeps evolving! Now I think it's starting to come into its own. The herbs are still predominant, but the earth is really coming into play now, like working in a medicinal garden. The wine's still an undertone.

 

Interestingly, it seems to have already mostly faded from my wrists, but the drop I applied to my cleavage is going STRONG. (I had the opposite experience yesterday with Severin)

 

Edited to add: As the day wore on, the scent revived on my wrists, and wound up having great staying power. It's mellowed over the course of the day... it's still got that herbal tang, and the earthiness and wine have kicked in more. The wine's not sharp at all; it seems thick and almost sweet, like a port. Every now and then I catch a breath of something like leather, but I think that's the earth and wine coming together.

 

I just adore this scent. It's so COMPLICATED - every time I sniff myself I swear it's something different. I love that it's clean and green and yet dark and dangerous all at once.

Edited April 6, 2005 by theshapeshifter

[Lucretia]

I got a 5ml of this unsniffed from a swap, and I'm very pleased!

 

I get clean herbs, a traaaace of wet dirt, and not really wine, but I can tell there is something boozy hiding in there somewhere.

 

This smells light yellow to me, very very clean and fresh. But not sharp, and not musty. This is fresh wet dirt. But not dirt in the same way as GothRosary's graveyard. This is much more blended with herbs. My favorite herb scent to date and will be great in the summer!

[Bard]

This one caught me by surprise. I expected something deeper, drier, and more pungent. Something that truly smelled of the dead. Instead, on application, I get a sweet dark floral scent with a hint of earthiness and decay. I have no idea what the florals in this are, but I had the impression of death lilies.

 

It isn't what I expected, but I'd be hard-pressed to say it isn't necrotic. There's something that says "funereal" in this scent, and yet another element that pulses with life. Or perhaps that second aspect is merely the scent's nature warring with the warmth and life of my skin chemistry.

 

I don't get either the herbal scent, nor the red wine scent, and I'll probably try it again to see if I can pick those out. As it stands this is a fabulous scent: something that oozes otherworldly power. It's not me, but I can definitely appreciate its qualities. As a bonus, it's gender neutral and it lasts for several hours: perfect for a night of clubbing or LARPing, and those are precisely the groups to whom I'd recommend this.

 

 

Nosferatu Haiku,

See them in the clubs

Living sunset to sunrise:

Children of the Night.

[shelldoo]

i have never had an extreme physical, emotional reaction to a scent until now, i can't describe the notes, it went very odd on me and made me feel extremely nauseous, and then i went into a panic attack, i scrubbed and scrubbed but couldn't get it to wash off, this was totally weird, i would like to say i will try it again but i don't think i am up for it

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Herbs and wine with the dirt in the background. This is fairly overwhelming in the bottle. It also has a vaguely sweet smell to it that I can't really detect where it's coming from. I hope it calms down on my skin.

 

Wet: Herbs and wine with a little bit of dirt in the background. And something that's sweet. This does have a very mature, refined air to it. Though I have to be very careful with herb blends.

 

Dry down: On me, this smells a little bit like dish soap. It's not bad, but it's kinda strange. I mean, I can detect the herbs and a slightly sweet scent when I try but the prevading smell is one of dish soap. Odd. Ummm...uh oh. eldritch just mentioned the fact that this is slightly aquatic and here comes the fabric softener scent.

 

Dry: This is an odd mix of dish soap in the throw and fabric softener on my wrist. It's not bad except for the fact that it seems to have kicked my allergies on. It was worth a try, though.

[anmorata]

Nosferatu:

 

I wasn't really sure if I'd like Nosferatu or not. I received it as a freebie in a swap some time ago. The best way I can describe it on my skin, though, is greens, wine, and Pine-Sol. Not a pleasant experience.

[jj_j]

Nosferatu didn't end up particularly "dry" on my skin. Although the the herbs went on wet and green, they dried down only to the state of the fern in my living room, which gets limp and floopy to tell me it needs a drink.

 

The wine, very definitely red, took a while to show up, but when it did, I felt like I had spilled a fabulous herb-infused red wine on myself (and smelled pretty good as a result).

 

Unfortunately, the "new" wine note tends to go overly sweet on my skin, and the grassy notes that are left behind as the herbs fade start to smell like a nice guest soap. Nosferatu's not a scent that I see myself adding to the collection any time soon, but I'd recommend it for testing to those who like the green grass scent and/or the red wine.

[oatmealneko]

Vial: Herbs mixed with red wine.

Wet: Herbs & red wine. Same.

Dry: This is where I realized I didn't like Nosferatu. Sweet tangy wine note disappeared. The herbs turned spicy & sweet. Then I started to smell dirt. Dirt. Lots of it. Then I ran to scrub this off.

 

Tried it since I received it as a freebie. It was interesting, but most definitely not my type of scent.

[LiberAmoris]

Nosferatu is really quite an accomplishment. I love Murnau's film for its technical brilliance and innovation, and was eagerly anticipating this blend.

 

I was initially surprised at how fresh and grassy it smelled, as I thought it would be darker somehow. But really, the florals and wine are perfect, as there is a sensuality and inverted pleasure that is invoked by these decadent notes. The slinky malevolence comes out much later on my skin, as the grassiness recedes and the smell of the ground and earth rises up against it. Somehow it smells like being cornered, like a threat that is both fearsome and desired.

 

There is that one shot in the Murnau film in which the bedroom door opens on its own, and Count Orlok ghosts down the hallway and into the room in one smooth foregone conclusion. Yeah, that's what this blend reminds me of.

 

Vampiric associations aside, Nosferatu also reminds me of summer days spent outside all day and night, and the memory of sunlight still trapped on the skin and clothes and hair of one's beloved, hours after the sun has gone down.

 

A sexy, strange, provoking blend that I'm glad I have a bottle of.

[OdetteOdile]

Wow, I don't think a scent has ever disagreed with my chemistry more.

The smell wasn't too bad - a clean-soapy-herbal-earth smell that sort of reminded me of a friend's basement after it had been washed and disinfected. It eventually dried down to a sweet, kind of interesting earth smell.

However.

A few moments after applying it I started getting a racing pulse - an adrenaline rush that wouldn't stop. Then I got nauseated. Now, an hour later, my pulse is still racing and my hands are shaking. I feel a little like I'm getting the flu

Weird.

I assume I'm having an allergic reaction to one of the oils in it - I wonder which one it is.

No more Nosferatu for me.

[pensive]

sniff: Whoo. I cannot wear that to work today. I don't care how much it is raining. It smells like dirt - fresh dirt, soaked dirt. It smells like sadness, gloom, and death.

Verdict: I'm not sure I'm up for this one in my present frame of mind. For the swap pile.

[13bodies]

in the imp: strong sweet red wine.

 

wet: still wine, but there's an undertone of something dark and a hint of herbs.

 

drydown: I'd smell a wave of dried herbs and dirt, and then a wave of sweet wine. The scent changed every time I sniffed my wrist.

 

dry: sweet dried herbs.

 

Very complex scent. I"ll use the imp and this may go on my big bottle list.

[moukin]

This reminded me of Zombi but with wine and spice instead of dried rose. The earth/dirt smell was overpowering at first, but then the spices came through and evened things out a bit.

 

My fiance seems to like how it ends up on his skin, but doesn't think he really wants a 5ml.

 

I wonder how this would burn in an oil burner? On his skin, the wines went away depressingly fast. I imagine they'd stick around better if we burned it.

 

Will have to experiment with that.

[nineveh]

I had never heard of a dirt perfume before, but the idea immediately appealed to me.

 

I was expecting something dark and somber from the description, but Nosferatu is light and airy while still definitely being dirt and wine. It's like a fun vampire with a wry and cheerful sense of humor.

 

I love how this smells, but it also seems like it's a quick fader. If turning my imp into a spray makes it last longer, I may get a bottle of this.

 

edit: It still fades rather quickly, but I bought a 5mL anyway because I like it so much. I will just have to slather and reapply.

Edited June 25, 2005 by nineveh

[olympia301]

A good blend that would be perfect for someone who was new to BPAL. It doesn't need any getting used to and is pretty much the same after applied as it is in the bottle. I don't recall any wildly unusual parts to this blend other than a hint of dirt and spice.