Siren Song Elixirs: Dangerous Women Part II Review

For part I of the Dangerous Women collection, information about the brand, shipping and breakdown of the prices, click here! 

One thing I absolutely love about Siren Songs, and probably one of their trademark qualities is how much their scents shift. Out of all the indie brands I've tried, Siren Songs has the most amount of shift from the vial to the skin, and whilst wearing it, there's often this amazingly complex and multilayered quality to it, so there's definitely a fun ride ahead with this review!

Demimondaine - Pistachio pudding, Coconut cream, Sugar cane, Coconut milk, Vanilla, White musk, Orchid

Wet: The scent opens on my skin with a sharp blend of almond and green pistachio, followed with the demanding creamy, green coconut milk. It takes a leisurely walk through the dense sand of desiccated coconut and stripped green coconuts, but after emerging on the other side of the woods, the coconut clings like an afterthought, wafting in and out.

Dried down: The pistachio and coconut milk pudding ebb away softly, and as the green coconut washes away, a cloudy haze of white musk comes to shore. It's a soft and fluffy musk, blended with pure white sugar and seeped in vanilla essence, and reminds me a lot of Belsnickel (Sugar and Spite), except with a sprinkle of ground pistachio and a modest pump of coconut syrup. After an hour or two, the lingering scent is marked with the creamy shades of vanilla and white musk, a sweet and soft affair decorated in linen, eggshell and blanc curtains of white musk fluttering in the wind. The sweet white musk is a blanket of cloud like fuzziness, all soft to the touch, pale and delicate. Very much an explosive green gourmand that fades into an oriental tinged sweet white musk.

Perfect for: Lovers of a soft and pretty musk. This would probably smell amazing with a cream cashmere jumper.  

Courtesan - Coconut macaroon, Espresso, Confectioner’s sugar, Crem Brûlée, Vanilla

Wet: A whole load of coconut, coconut cream and sweet desiccated coconut, thick condensed milk, piles of custard and cream with a kick of banana. 

Dried down: This absolutely bursts to life with an intensely rich coconut, wrapped in pandan leaves and peeled green stems, and balanced with a rich full bodied heliotrope. The coconut is rich and creamy, drizzled with sticky condensed milk dotted with vanilla bean seeds, and brings to mind Cocco alla Vaniglia (Kyse Perfumes)'s young coconut notes. The coconut bounces on the top of the scent as sweetened top notes, draped on a much full heart of green, streaks with the scent of green bananas, and savoury plantain. For a gourmand, this scent leans towards a heavier, and more of an opaque richness.
I must confess - I'm definitely left puzzled as to where the strong green note came from. SSE's espresso/mocha note (Enchant) is wonderfully bitter and intensely nutty and dark, so I would suspect that perhaps either the coconut or the sugar lend this scent its unexpected green and floral elements. For me, I found this scent hard to wear because of its heaviness. The scent is dense and somewhat hard to digest, and its rich greenness dominates all aspects of this scent. I would prefer a lighter touch with application, but personally I don't think this is for me. 

Perfect for: A beach party, where even the heavy scent of lit torches isn't going to dampen this scent's attention demanding profile. Those who found Cocco Alla Vaniglia too light and airy, will enjoy the darker, denser take on the typical coconut. 

Inamorata - Chocolate, Hazelnut, sweet cream, Shortbread, Dark cocoa

Wet: On application, this brings to mind crisp chocolate shortbread, mounds of whipped cream dusted with dark cocoa and topped with candied hazelnuts, and the opening delivers a cloud of dusty dark chocolate powder, with thin and runny creme anglaise. Puzzlingly enough, sharp almond also pops up, sitting on the top of the cake, but it fades within half an hour.

Dried down: This scent is fascinating, despite being very much a pure gourmand in terms of listed notes, there's a floral element that starts to grow and flourish on my skin, like a full bodied blend of wisteria and peony. The longer I wore this, the florals blossomed on top of the subtle chocolate notes. The gourmand aspect of this scent, a dry cocoa, nutella piped on top of chocolate shortbread, and the aroma of wheat and baked biscuits became increasingly subtle, overtaken by the intoxicating bloom of shampoo friendly florals. The scent stays firmly linear after the gourmand and florals reach equilibrium, and ended up wearing for about 4 hours on my skin.

Perfect for: Going to a party. It's floral enough that people aren't going to mistake you for the dense chocolate cake, but it's just sweet enough to remind you that you're worth that extra slice. 

Maîtresse-en-titre - Pistachio, Macaroon, Double vanilla cream, Blush peony

Wet: The scent starts with a burst of pistachio, with its strong nuttiness, and its signature sharp green creaminess, and is amplified by nutty, raw almond. The strong, savoury nuttiness of the scent is sits and nestles with a smooth vanilla base, and a subtle hint of macaroon's ground almond meal and the scent of baked cookies peek through every so often. 

Dried down: After the scent settles into the skin and breathes a little, the soft, nutty pistachio develops into a lovely pistachio cake, packed with the grainy roughness of desiccated coconut. The pistachio, which edges on too sharp, is tempered with the introduction of the laconic elements, most of all by the sweet vanilla cream. This period of wear is definitely my favorite, where the blush peony is a subtle characteristic that suspends the blend from being too cloying, and those familiar with Luvmilk's catalogue might find similarities, as the peony adds a delicate tint to the scent, not too strong, just infused enough to provide a milder, lighter texture to the scent. After two hours, the blush peony blooms, and the demure floral blooms into a pale pink hue that paints the scent slightly more herbaceous. The rest of the wear sees a balance between the sweet vanilla and the blush peony, but it's a delight to wear while it paints translucent scenes of soft pastel chiffon tea time and Sunday brunch flower bouquets. 

Perfect for: A floral print silk dress. Brunch at the golf club on Sundays with a pistachio cream cake. The perfect balance in a flormand. 

Odalisque - White chocolate, Maple glazed pecan, Amaretto, Black rose, Orange zest, Cinnamon leaf, Double vanilla

Wet: From the vial, a creamy white chocolate which instantly dwarfed by the spoonfuls of heaped cinnamon power, and a fresh grating of orange zest. On opening, almond essence and its sharp, sliced note demands attention, but breezes through on my skin quickly. As Odalisque itself comes from Turkish, I wanted a lot of beautiful natural aromas and light spices, and once the almond becomes a little more restrained, this scent takes on a wonderful swarthy, golden tone.

Dried down: The pecan is placed at the heart of the scent, featuring a gorgeous, warm nuttiness, with a generous amount of toasting on the edges, and a lovely dryness and feel of crunch, like the first bite of pecan pie. The closer to the skin I was, the more I could pick out the almond concentrate, but the heart of the scent is a golden brown cup of nutty, raw pecans, trailed by the slightest note of syrup and bubbling caramel. The scent is dotted with a sparing amount of orange zest, with its minuscule traces of astringent rind, and a light touch of cinnamon. On my skin, the longer I wore this scent, the more the orange zest and the cinnamon leaf dominated the scent, seeping into the skin and filling the landscape. The dryness of the spices and richness of their aroma is lightly infused with the lighter top notes of chocolate and almond, which flicker in and out depending on the heaviness of application, and how perceptive you are to the scent itself. Surprisingly, the black rose isn't very noticeable at all, but perhaps lends a floral dryness to balance out the heavier spices.
I personally enjoyed this scent, it's a lovely lighter take on cinnamon, and prominently features a wonderfully nuanced depiction of pecan. The scent isn't as heavy as the notes would suggest, and pinned against the backdrop of light, translucent vanilla flecked with spices, and a comforting nutty base, it's definitely a treat I enjoy wearing.

Perfect for: Going outside when the weather is lovely. When you're wearing flowy pants, practicing self care and enjoying the feeling of the sun and the cool breeze against your skin. 

Vamp - Bourbon, Scotch, Aged vanilla, Tobacco, Dark cocoa, Coffee, Rum, Patchouli, Labdanum, Amber, Woods accord

When I look back on these notes, I'm surprised at my own order. I do sometimes enjoy resinous and woody scents, but retrospectively I was expecting this to be more of a cocoa/coffee dominant scent with mainstream nuances. 

Wet: On my skin, an aged, vintage note springs forth. It's a demanding note, with sticky port and the last of last night's dark rum, and a rich, molasses like texture that edges on the side of balsamic vinegar. The overall color of the scent is dark, and incredible masculine, and as my skin tends to pull out sweeter notes, it allows more of a warm, spicy, smoky richness to develop. However, the strongly nostalgic scent of aged books, leftover rum and the fusion of patchouli lend an earthy, musky element to the scent, like a muddied palette of paint, or an empty flask from a garage sale.

Dried down: Aspects of this scent are incredibly nostalgic to me, with all of its mish mash of alcoholic notes, yet the strongest note to me in this blend is the dark rum. Dark rum has this lovely sticky, caramel-scented element to its more bitter, biting boozy content, while the bourbon and scotch add a layer of dizzying sharpness. Paired with the sticky, sap like resinous qualities of the labdanum, this scent feels incredibly heavy and thick, and trailing along is a touch of tannin. In addition, the musky, soil-like patchouli stays a strong presence, splattered on top of slightly sweeter, and lighter amber. With an undercurrent of earthy, woody roots in the base, the whole scent is feels strangely claustrophobic. On my skin, all I experienced was gnarled woods, musky earth, black sap and sticky molasses, and vintage bottles of dark rum gone rancid, and at best, a dizzying and confusing affair in the haunted woods and one I won't be revisiting any time soon. 

Perfect for: Trawling forests at night. Intoxicating the unsuspecting with your scent. Actual vampires.

Disclaimer: This content was not sponsored or sent to me for review. All views or opinions represented in this blog belong to me and are not affiliated with any brand.