Tried “Whip.” Roses and leather, theoretically, but it vanished almost completely on my skin–I got a floral whiff, made a mental note to sniff again later, and then poof! nada. It wasn’t an obnoxious floral, suspicious as I am of them, it just…went away immediately.

I tend not to lather on the perfume, of course, so possibly this is one that just requires heavier application. Will try on a day when I’m not going out of the house, and am unlikely to gag random passers-by if I overcompensate.

Also tried “Hellfire.” It’s an oddly pleasant smell–tobacco and cologne kinda, hint of leather, but it’s not coming across as insanely masculine on me. It’s not ragingly sexual. (Named after the “Hellfire Club,” beloved of Victorian writers.) Seems to go a bit powdery on me after awhile, though, a bit like the Snake Oil did. (Is powdery something that actually happens? Am I on crack thinking this?) So once it dries, I smell a bit like a grandmother who took up smoking and vice. While this image appeals to me, I’m not so sure about the evolution of the smell…

As a follow-up, a male friend of mine obligingly guinea-pigged the De Sade (It’s nice to have friends who will also do things “for SCIENCE!”) andI’d say it’s definitely a scent that works better on men.*

I gotta remember to blog these as I do them–I tried Nyarlathotep over the weekend, and bugger if I can remember it. Something incensey, not unpleasant, but I gotta try it again to jog my memory.

*He then wanted more. The crack-like potential of this stuff is scary.