Mara sent me a 2 ml sample of her famous RED. What a gorgeous, rich, complex perfume this is! From her website it contains: Vanilla, Amber, Patchouli, Cinnamon, Dark Sugars and Woods and Resins. From the vial strangely, it smelled like butterscotch!

I diluted this with 8 ml Artisan's alcohol and spiked it with cops. I tried it last night. (I didn't charge this or anything, just sprayed one spray to my chest and one to the back of my hair.)

Hubby had a strange response to it. First he told me it smelled like candy. (To me it is a little reminiscent of cinnamon toast with a dark syrup.) But then he wanted to go to bed early . Normally in bed he's either sweet, or a caveman. Last night he was a little of both and more. He was solicitous and sweet, and caveman-like and controlling... and a little crazy. I felt like I was in bed with a bunch of different people. It brought out all his maleness but in distinct chunks... if that makes sense. For me, it was just intense and wild.

RED has a kind of reputation for stranger obsession... Mara said she had tried to sweeten it a bit, and it seems that is effective... but there is still this element of craziness in this potion.

So, caution is advised!

Diane

(08-22-2009 10:12 AM)Diane999 Wrote:  RED has a kind of reputation for stranger obsession... Mara said she had tried to sweeten it a bit, and it seems that is effective... but there is still this element of craziness in this potion.

Oh...I absolutely adore Love Potion Red! It's one of my all time fave's The scent is sooo lovely! I always get compliments when wearing this....and lots of looks from guys I love the way it smells on me, I can't stop sniffing myself when I wear it. Creamy cinnamon vanilla....

This too is one of my staples and absolute loves. I have a Instant Sexiness/A amped one that is my go to. I also have it in bath products which is amazing and the massage oil....hehehe.

This should be in every woman's arsenal!

I feel so bad *sigh* I wanted to love this...but I get the woody super spicy cinnamon note like mad!!! :S

When did you try this one esme? I know there has been slightly different versions (the newest is a lil richer on the sweetness)...they are generally the same, but one may have less cinnamon. I watch you to love this one it is so delicious ;)

oh I'd truly love to love this one too!!

I think I might give it another try.

I tried it twice and you're right the batches do vary. Last year when I tried a sample, it smelled more fruity and super strong cinnamon. And a month ago I decided to get a full bottle of it but it still smelled like strong woodie cinnamon but not as fruity or sweet so I gave it way o Djac.

But if it had more sugar in it...wow that would make some difference!!

(08-22-2009 2:26 PM)esmeralda Wrote:  Last year when I tried a sample, it smelled more fruity and super strong cinnamon. And a month ago I decided to get a full bottle of it but it still smelled like strong woodie cinnamon but not as fruity or sweet

Maybe you just amp cinnamon & woody notes? I get super rich & creamy vanilla & amber with cinnamon...Like a lovely melt-in-your-mouth Krispy Kreme sprinkled with cinnamon...

I tried Red and didn't care for it either, My husband didn't really like it much either. I used it for a while hoping it would grow on me. Its to cloying for me but my sister loved it so I gave her my bottle. No reaction, other then you smell good with it though. This was last years batch. That's OK though every scent doesn't work with every chemistry or taste.

Selva, I wouldnt try to force the scent if its not to your liking. Go with the ones that match your persona and tastes. There are so many great scents I have bought over the years and some that Mara has sent me that took me by surprise. She has made something that can appeal to everyone. The only problem with the scents there is I cant keep up with how fast new ones I want to buy come out LOL

Tisha

It sounds like you have given it a great shot Esme. I get no wood with this one, thankfully.

Tisha reminded me: I know when I first tried this one I didnt like it and traded of my samples. It was way to sweet and yes cloying. I went out on a limb and ordered the Instant Sexiness/A amped Love Potion RED and I fell in love. The amped version was less sweet and not so strong. It was almost like the addition of Pheromones "watered" down the scent to a perfect level for me. I am now addicted to it and happy that I have two Instant Sexiness/A amped bottles.

Wanted to add my review of this scent! Copied from my LPMP forum review:


When I first opened it, I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either. It had an almost harsh herbal smell. I think it's the Patchouli. I was thinking, oh man, and it sounded so promising too and inside I was a bit let down honestly. But it did have promise. I did smell something sweet in there.

I read reviews where people said they weren't taken with it either until they put it on and let it dry down. SO GLAD I read those reviews. It really does MELD with your skin and chemistry. It's strong but there isn't great sillage. You won't smell me from across the room and I'm not sure if you would smell me when I pass by. I think I have to be standing near you for you to smell me, but when you do, it will hit you! And not in an annoying way either. In a way that says, "what is that? I need to smell it more, I need to know what this is" kind of way.

Once it melds with you, for me at least, it's sweet but sexy. I honestly don't know how else to describe it. Some people previously mentioned "christmas dinner" hahah that kind of rings true. It's sweet but slightly dark, but not too woody.

It took me some time to get used to and you really do have to try it on. This is my first time not wearing commercial scents, so I tried to keep an open mind. With commercial scents too there is a difference in notes after the dry down, so I was aware this would happen for these perfumes, but man it's on a different level. It's not only that different notes come out, but really it's that the scent embeds with your natural chemistry or something and seeps into you.

Also I read somewhere, the scent becomes you, and you wear it and not the other way around. I didn't know what that meant, but now I do. It's almost like someone would say YOU smell nice and think it's your personal scent. Not just, "Hey, what perfume are you wearing?" That kind of thing. Commercial scents almost SIT ON you and wave flags... But LPMP... the scents kind of meld INTO your skin almost!