Asmodeous (the demon who kills bridegrooms)

[Boudicca]

Deepest pumpkin, brightest suave French lavender, and a thrill of cardamom, light skin musk to hold it all together and keep it going for hours. The sweet and the suave aromatic. This perfume is bound to be a real crowdpleaser.

Seductive and dangerous, Asmodeous was a demon who killed SEVEN of the bridegrooms of the lovely Sara in the olden days of the Bible. She was put under great suspicion, even thought to have strangled the men herself which it was the dreadful devil Asmodeous hiding under her bed to leap out with murderous intent. The Bible does not say if this was from jealousy and possessiveness or just plain old blood lust. Asmodeous was vanquished by the brave and favored Tobias who wed and kept the Sara and they lived happily ever after and Asmodeous fled to Egypt and stayed there. And, Tobias and Sara were fabulously happy together for ever.

For some reason, Goya produced one of the scariest paintings of all time and named it Asmodeous, the image seems to have nothing to do with the demon but plenty to do with terror. I suspect that it is a picture of two huddled miserable scared people painted on top of a surreal bellicose landscape (one having nothing to do with the other) but it works and is one of the most mysterious of all Goya's paintings none the less.

[Anoxia]

I was expecting this to smell like a lighter, amber-free version of Heka, maybe something sort of softly herbal with a smooth background from the musk and pumpkin. I was wondering if it would have a pheromone note in it after it warmed up for a while, but if it does I can't tell.

Upon opening the bottle I was surprised at how buttery it smelled. Almost salty, even. It reminded me of the Big Black Cat, which is one of my top five Possets, so I got all frenzied and recklessly slathered myself with it. Unfortunately the scrumptious part disappeared almost as soon as it touched my skin, and I was left with nothing but the spices. STRONG spices, just like the ones in Chai Tea, minus the tea part. I hoped maybe if I just waited out the spice, some of the other scents would be detectable, like musk and lavender, but that never happened, and I was asked by the people I'm staying with to please rinse some of it off. Hmm, not a good sign. Even after scrubbing, I got comments about how I smelled of cloves and Christmas while we were out at a restaurant.

This morning after my shower I wanted to give this new perfume a second chance. Maybe the problem last night was simply with how much I had unwisely applied, so I decided to put just the lightest little touch on my wrists. Nope, still overpowering, still nothing but Spicy McSpicerton. Foo. I came downstairs to make my morning tea and was told by the lady of the house in very clear terms that she does not like it, and that "nobody likes it". So I will have to give up on this scent for the rest of my trip. I don't want to make myself unwelcome. Oh well. I will try it again as a room scent when I get back home, but I don't think I will attempt to wear it any more.

[hill78]

Thankfully my skin doesn't amp the spice like Anoxia experienced. This is a wonderfully smooth blend of pumpkin, beautiful musk, and a hint of lavender and spice. This could end up being a fav pumpkin of mine, it is a great take on pumpkin, not strictly foodie, but a great balance of foodie and perfumey. Really, really good!

[mina]

Pumpkin and spice (but not too much) with a hint of fresh lavender.
Strong, you will only need a few drops.

[Anoxia]

Yes, I should add that mine is almost certainly a personal problem. Asmodeus and my skin chemistry just don't get along I guess. It is probably very beautiful on everybody else!

[fabienne]

's just the demon coming out in it. That ingredient is a little hard to control --->

[katiushka]

This actually works out really well for me! I put it on and get a warm goodness of something between sugar cookies and gingerbread, with a smooth touch of herbal lavender to prevent it from going buttery. It snuggles around me like a gentle, warm blanket in this cold weather. Perhaps my favorite gourmand ever.

It IS potent stuff, so perhaps it helps that I was wearing it outside in the just-above-freezing Boston temperatures. Inside it's a warm and now-buttery scent: also very nice, very heartwarming and home-warming. But I can see how too much of this indoors might not be very pleasant.

[Petticoats]

In the bottle, a lot foodier and spicier than I'd anticipated. My skin amps cinnamon, so that's mainly what I get when I wear it. It's nice, just not what I was hoping for. Heka hasn't been knocked out of rotation after all!

[Anoxia]

I am still under orders not to wear this scent during the day (I'm going home tomorrow thankfully) but I have been secretly putting some on right before bedtime just to be rebellious. Tee hee! By morning the cardamom spice attack is over, and what remains is very attractive I must say. I am a huge fan of most musks, and the skin musk in this is especially nice. Together with the lavender and the last remaining echo from the cardamom, it has a slightly masculine edge. My pajamas smell darn good.

[jackieo]

This scent is out of my normal perfume wheelhouse, but I absolutely love it. It is warm and cozy and perfect for fall. It is exactly what I was looking for when I requested lavender and pumpkin.