My collaborator Asali came with a very good question today, one I haven’t yet seen posed anywhere and I like the challenge of answering it. 🙂
So, the question is, what would be the notes of your nightmare fragrance?
Here is Asali’s nightmare fragrance:
Top: Aquatic/ ozone/ tequila (or the wodka note of Ambre Russe!)
Heart: lychee, watermelon, Lily (the indolic-cats-piss-one) and an overdosed Tuberose (like the IPdF)
Base: OUD, and the synthetic white musk. Somewhere in there you can throw some dill and star anise, and I’ll be sure to get ill from sniffing it.
I’m almost with her on the notes of her nightmare fragrance, but I adore Ambre Russe (and have to re-smell it now because I’ve missed the wodka part). 🙂
Here is mine:
Top: aquatic note, synthetic fruit (berries and peaches usually),
Heart: watermelon, cheap almond note, milk
Base: Synthetic white musk
I shudder just thinking about it.
So, let’s hear it – we look forward to the possibilities out there. 🙂
P.S. I reserve the right to add a note or two to my original thoughts.
Tagged: nightmare fragrance
All I am - a redhead 
Hmm, interesting question! Top: unbalanced aldehydesHeart: muguet/lily of the valley, roseBase: cumin, pale synthetic musk that lasts for days, cheap synthetic vetiver a la Bond no. 9
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Top: lots of bergamot (I just don't like it. Any other kind of citrus note please – I'm looking at you Guerlain.)Heart: lavender, lily, banana (Has anyone ever done a banana note in perfume? I just hate synthetic banana fragrance/flavor.)Base: Oud (bandaids)
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Yep has been done, Banana amongst others in CSP Vanille Banane, you're right, vile!Ooh, this is fun, great nightmare scents so far, although I wonder, maybe the horror notes cancel each other out, like (- X -) = +
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Ugh, unbalanced aldehyeds, a good one Carrie. 🙂 I know exactly what you mean.Although I was lucky so far to have missed cheap, snythetic vetiver…Hope it stays that way. 🙂
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Kjanicki, I feel lucky never to have come across a banana note (except I think in Givenchy Organza Harvest of 2008, or one of those 2008 harvests, but it smells great there).Thanks to Asali, now I know what to skip in my smellscapades.
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Hmm…Galbanum, Choya Nakh, and umm…toss in some sickly sweet fruity/floral notes.Oh gag.
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Fun!Mine would be:Top: harsh aldehydes and aquatic notesHeart: cumin, melon, tuberose (full on tuberose)Base: synthetic musk, sythetic oudshudder.
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Oh, escentualalchemy, I'm gagging at the sickly fruity notes. Yuck.It seems that luckily, I have no idea what Choya Nakh smells like (or come to think of it, what it is…). 🙂
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Olfactoria, I see that aquatics and synthetic musk aren't getting much love. :)Oh, I should have included melon as well, I can't stand it in real life, let alone smelling of it.
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Oooh this is too much fun Ines, thanks!Mine would be -Top: Body Odour grapefruit, aquatic Melon, harsh aldehydes, hellish heliotrope/almond, licorice, saltHeart: Sweaty cumin, rubbery tuberose, banana, scary black hemlock, coconut, milk, peanuts, greasy butter Base: Stabby plasticky musk, strong weedy vetiverThat felt very cathartic! I'd quite like someone to create it then give it me so I can keep it under lock and key and be sure it never sees the light of day!Tara
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OMG, Tara, yours is going to give me a nightmare! For real. :)I shudder just contemplating it. *shudders again*
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Great idea!Top: plastic ozone and aquatics swirled with synthetic apple and pear and a splash of mint.Middle: very shrill LOTV and hit-you-over-the-head-with-a-sledgehammer synthetic rose. Some more mint. Toss in a heavy handful of slightly off mate.Bottom: cedar, loads of tobacco, oud (extra band-aid, please!), synthetic white musk (which I can't really smell but always sets the scent off oddly anyway), and some mint. I actually like some of those notes (like cedar, a great rose, a well-done oud) but the rest isn't great on me no matter what and the combo strikes me as truly terrible. I agree with Tara – that was cathartic! 🙂
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Most Terrifying Query EVAH, Asali 'n Ines!! LOVE all these crafty horror-scents! Here goes:Top: Rotten-syrup-Amber-booze bleeding into Middle: burnt-sandalwood-dying-a-creamy-milk-death whileBottom: screechy tuberose and nag champa spawn cumin-headed step-almondsGags & Cheers!Zanne :)(p.s. I Way Dig the new look of your blog – you redecorated for Fall! 🙂 )
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*jen, ooh, your top notes are perfect to make people run away screaming. :)What exactly is the smell of band-aid that so many people associate it with oud? I don't think I ever smelled band-aid so I have no idea what's it like…
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Zanne, I see amber found its way into your nightmare fragrance. :DYour description actually sounds like a horror movie scene. :)And, yes, I did redecorate a bit (finally!).
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I thought all suggestions terrificly nightmarish:-) Somehow, I though these combinations might make for a great CB-I hate perfume fragrance;-)
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Aquatic notes, sweet plastic notes, flesh eating tuberose, whatever notes that make Gucci Rush smell like Gucci Rush, truck loads of cinnamon and clove, too much white musk.
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Oh, I'm so late to the party and I don't even know what to choose – all your creations are soooo yummy… :)First I wanted to pretend to be the Master and come up with my own Pentachord – let's say, Ecru (synthetic peach, tuberose, licorice, cumin and oud). But then I decided to go for a kill – mine will have just one note and will be called really simple: Le Durian 01.
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Marie, your nigthmare fragrance would be nightmare-ish to a large gathering of people around you as well.I can imagine it having monstrous sillage. 🙂
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Undina, your Pentachord sounds like you mastered the nightmare. :)I'm scared to contemplate Le Durian though…
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I am also late to the party, but will chime in anyway. 🙂 The notes in my nightmare are: aquatic notes, grapefruit, cumin, jasmine overload, dirty patchouli, and broom. I feel sick just thinking about it!
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anotherperfumeblog, I feel sick too. :SUuugh. Very well combined for a nightmare fragrance though. 🙂
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Laughing here. especially at "Body Odour grapefruit" and "sweaty cumin." I abhor synthetic, cheap fruit top notes — why, why, why are they so prolific nowadays? Absolutely hate fake peach and so-called "cassis." My choice? Bath and Body works *anything* combined with any celebrity-named fragrance. Blargh.Ona
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PS: How about a parmesan synthetic peach and fake vanilla perfume? As a candle … to burn into your sinuses.Cheers!Ona
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Ona, I see your stand on the synthetic fruits rivals my own. 😦 *shudder*I feel lucky to have a cold now so I can convince myself I can't smell much of the imagined parmesan synthetic peach. 🙂
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