Holy Grail. Mod 3. Marina’s Review
This concludes Marina’s Round 3 with mod R3/H.
I have received my third Mod, Holy Grail R3/H, and these are my impressions…Actually, I have received it several weeks ago, it just took me this long to make up my mind about it. The more I tested it the more I liked it and I am happy to say that I feel like we are on the right track now. It has spice, it has warm, slightly animalic musk and it even has a strong leather note in the drydown.
What I would love to happen next is …I can’t believe I am saying this…I want the spicy note (which, on my skin, is mostly saffron) to become subdued. Right now, the note is very prominent; it overshadows other ingredients and makes the scent feel almost like saffron “soliflore”. In fact, perhaps we could try it without any saffron at all, just to see what it would be like? I know I asked for saffron in my proposal, and I am sorry to change my mind, but somehow the note just isn’t working for me, it is too strong, too persistent. I am over saffron. Perhaps, we could even have two mods next time, one without any spice, one with a different spice, for example cardamom?
In general, I would love for the scent to become a little softer, even warmer, sort of “rounder” in feel, perhaps even a little sweeter. I was wondering if adding more vanilla wouldn’t achieve that comforting, soft effect? I know I am asking too much, but I’d love for Holy Grail be to simultaneously intense and soft. Right now it is a little sharp, and I would like it to lose that spicy edge a little. So this time I am not asking for more “skank” and more “darkness”, I am asking for more “comfort”.
10 Comments
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Marina
Judith,
I’d love to see what would happen with cardamom too. I thought saffron would be great, but it is kind of grating…or perhaps I just don’t like saffron anymore. Fickle is my middle name. I think the level of animalic-ness here is basically what I am looking for. Now I just want everything to be “rounded”, softened and made prettier 🙂 -
Victoria
I am glad that you posted too, because like J, I was waiting with my own comments. I like how the mods progressed to reflect the kind of raw and sensual warmth that you were seeking. I am sure Clement would be able to access what is needed to lend the composition further softness. I wore my sample a few times, and I received three compliments on it. It has a lovely sillage.
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Marina
Victoria, thank you! I also think we progressed and progressed in the right direction. Now to get rid of that saffron (or whatever I think is saffron) and we’ll be really on the right track. And your comment about sillage reminded me what I forgot to say in my review, that the Mod has awesome staying power, literally stays all day.
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kuri
Yay, it’s so interesting to read your impressions! The Mod does have great staying power and sillage. So this is the level of “skank” you like. I don’t find it too skanky 😀 I think you’re right about the saffron; there’s something about the Mod that is overpowering everything, so I don’t notice a lot of the complexity that I recall from ealier Mods. It’ll be very interesting to find out what “round” and soft means!
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Marina
C,
This is the level of skank I’d like for this particular scent 🙂 I came to the conslusion that I have enough Of Real Skanky Ones already and need something that is has *some* skank but cannot be definied by that skank alone. Heh.
I agree about that overpowering note of saffron. One has to dig under it to smell anything else. I want it gone for good. I am so over saffron 🙂 -
Anya
Someone wrote me the other day that they liked the “stank” of one of my perfumes, and I guess one woman’s stank is another’s skank.
Hmmm….rounded, soft note…if you’re in an herbaly mood, Seville lavender. Not your mother’s lavender, full-bodied, fruity, soft, round, luscious. Intoxicating in a way, and not a skank way. Combined with a touch of vanilla it would add the softness without the overpowering sweetness that vanilla alone might.
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Marina
Anya,
Pan certainly has skank in abundance. And I say that very happily 🙂
That lavender-vanilla combo sounds great, thank you! -
kuri
Hrm.. I’ll have to try out the bonafide Real Skanky Ones some day. So, what evokes Darkness for you?
Fruity lavender sounds fascinating.
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Marina
C,
When do decide to try the bonafide skanky ones, do try Muscs Koublai Khan. Even skankier than that is CB I Hate Perfume Musk. Too skanky even for me 🙂As for darkness, leather, incense, spicy woods and endolic jasmine evoke darkness for me.
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lilybp
Yay! I was waiting for you to post something so I could comment! I really like this; I would wear this perfume. Nice animalic feel to it. But I do know what you mean about the saffron. It still does smell like a relative of LT Saffram (not that that’s a bad thing). It will be interesting to see what will happen with a different or no spice, as you suggested. Cardamom always sounds good to me, but what do I know?