Allen Ginsberg--Howl

[Maya]

Possets' description: "Perhaps the iconic poem of the Beat Generation, Howl needed to be cast as a perfume. By "cast" I mean to make a mold of it, as in the lost wax process, so that you can feel the time it portrays with your mind through scent. This was a time of big perfumes, the discovery of patchouli, cigarette smoke, chypre with a wild touch of something from the east. There was sweat and sex, the world was discovered for the first time.

Possets' interpretation of Howl is unabashedly sexy, driven mad by welling passions. Black, red and amber musks wrestle furiously with sandalwood and opium tar resin. There is nothing light, sweet, or gentle about this scent. A burning incense backs it up, black patchouli stands in the forefront. Dark, musky, resinous.

Tremendously savage, dark and sweet like molasses rather than sugar.

...and yet, there is something innocent about it all."

[Boudicca]

Not quite what I expected but I am liking this!
In the bottle, this is making me think of The Mistress of Power or Cambienne:Velvet Lust. I think it is the black musk/patchouli combo.
On skin, this is almost gourmand on me. It's all about the musk, though the black and amber. Not really getting the red musk.
This one is the first I tried from my order. After about three hrs, the patchouli starts coming thru, followed by the incense about half an hour after that. Really decent throw.
I'm on my Nook. I'll be moving to the desktop now as I am going insane.

[Petticoats]

Uh oh. Mention Mistress of Power (which I was wearing today, in fact) and I am enslaved.

[Boudicca]

Either I am in love or I need to lay off the white wine. (I never drink white, always red, but it's frickin hot out there.)
Let's see what I am saying in 24hrs. (Though seriously, I'mpractically ready to order a couple big bottles. NOW!)
Decent throw, like I said. Not sure about longevity, though I really only put a drop on.

I hope someone else reviews this soon so I can get an idea whether it's just me or what.

[Boudicca]

Ok, been wearing this today and I'm pretty much sticking with everything I said yesterday. It's a nice one for the scent locket too. I really think if you're a fan of Mistress of Power &/or Cambienne: Velvet Lust you will like this one.
I'm at the point I don't even want to try to pick it apart and try to identify notes, it's well blended. I just want to enjoy it.

[hill78]

Gorgeous! Just wonderful. So deep, and musky, sweet, but not toothache sweet. I love the patchouli, it is the rich, dark variety. Smooth and woody and wonderful. This wraps me in a halo of sexy, smutty, wonderfulness. It isn't overpowering, mind you, but it has enough throw that you won't forget you're wearing it. I do agree that in the early application stage it is reminiscent of Velvet Lust, one of my favorite possets of all time, but it is different. I actually think I like Howl even more that Velvet Lust, and that is truly saying something. In the long dry down I find that the amber musk seems to have become the most detectable element. This will need to be voted permanent. I may resort to bribery to make certain it gets enough votes!

[Petticoats]

Oh yeah, baby. This is gorgeous! If it doesn't become permanent I will eat my hat (and it's a great big wide-brimmed Titanic hat, so you know I'm serious).

In the bottle it smells like one of my very favorite Possets, Mistress of Power. On me, it has a similar buttery-sexy quality to the delicious Mistress, plus a new softly sexy note--maybe musk? It gives it a whiff of something a little less goddessy and more approachable, sweet, and even tender. But as it dries down, some spiciness emerges to make it even more irresistibly sexy. I can imagine this bringing a man to his knees. Someone send me a man and I'll happily test the theory.

It's funny--given the source poem I expected something bitter, fierce, and not very sweet. Instead (on me, at least--your mileage may vary) this is lush, feminine, irresistibly sensual, and very me. Closer to "Rapturous Sigh" (or even, to get a little PG-13, "Passionate Moan") than Howl!
It is absolutely gorgeous. It has vaulted into my top five, maybe my top three, Possets. I am in love. :heartrain:

[Boudicca]

This must* become permanent! Who's with us?
In the words of Arlo Guthrie, more or less, if you've got one person singing it, they think he's sick. If you have two (I won't go there but feel free to google Alice's Restaurant). If you have three, they think it's an organization. If you have fifty, it's a Movement!
We need a Movement to make this one Permanent!

[Petticoats]

I totally agree. *sings* Allons, enfants de la patrie--le jour de gloire est arrivee! Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me?

(We need a 19th-century French waif smiley here waving a flag.)

Okay, I may have gotten *slightly* carried away... but really, it's that beautiful a fragrance.

[fabienne]

I pray you, read the whole thing and you will see the places where it's not bitter but STRONG sweetness and animal kindliness. No kidding, it's there. I had to have the mindset of a drunken 17 year old to find it. Fortunately for me, I can conjure that up.