Perfume Review: Conjure Oils Marie Laveau

By Unknown

Purchased

I recently returned from visiting New Orleans for the first time, and thought I'd review a New Orleans-themed perfume that has been in my stash for a while, Conjure Oils Marie Laveau. This perfume is named after the legendary 19th century Voodoo practitioner whose grave in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is one of the most visited gravesites in the world.

Price: $15 for a 5 mL amber glass bottle of perfume oil with polyseal cap, $25 for a 10 mL roll-on or apothecary bottle.
Samples: $3.50 for a 1/32 oz vial.
Description from the website: "Sarsaparilla, French vanilla bourbon, a handmade lace shawl and a shot of rum for Papa Legba."

To be honest, despite all its history and romance, I found much of the French Quarter to smell of old booze and bodily fluids of various kinds, intermingled with the smells of deep-fried seafood and beignets--thankfully, this perfume is much nicer than that distinctive Bourbon Street atmosphere.

I've had my vial of Marie Laveau for a few years now, so it may smell a bit different from a fresh bottle of perfume, but it's extremely smooth right out of the vial, without that sharp awkward period some perfumes can have when wet on the skin. The main note I get is the distinctive root beer sweetness of sarsaparilla, mixed with spiced rum and tempered with tobacco, giving it an earthy, sexy dry note that makes me think this would work well on men as well as women. The sarsaparilla/rum mixture rests on a creamy base of vanilla and a light, clean white musk/linen-type scent.

My husband walked into the room while I was testing it and said, "What smells like cloves? Make sure you mention that this smells like cloves! If you leave that out, you're leaving out something huge!" This tells me (and you, readers) two things: the first and biggest impression about this perfume is definitely the spices in the rum, and this perfume, despite its general gentleness and lack of bite, has some serious throw.

So--a gentle yet powerful scent of spiced rum, tobacco, and root beer, fading to smooth vanilla underneath. We visited Marie Laveau's grave and visited a practicing Voodoo temple while on our visit, and though I spent only a few days in New Orleans, not enough time to really get to know the city well, it smells appropriate to me as a tribute to the Voodoo priestess. I'll wear it next time I return for a visit.

For other reviews, you can also check out the Conjure Forums.

Note: this scent is vegan.