Venenum Kiss

Wow! I thought I loved Venenum kiss for one reason and it turns out I actually love it for another. When I tried it in store I was treated to what I perceived as quite a kitsch, pastiche of a fluffy, pink fragrance echoed by the colour of the perfume itself. It still is this hot pink Cadillac of a scent with an extremely fruity, Jammy rose accord in the opening clearly backed with vanilla, it’s crystal clear and almost too cloying and too much to bare after about 30 minutes. I’m not one for labelling a fragrance too feminine for being sweet and rosy but VK nearly had me beat. However it’s when the Base notes of creamy sweet sandalwood and vanilla and a heart of leathery and opulent saffron take over this fragrance transforms (and not even in smell because all this is there from the get go) with the rose dying back and everything else chiming in, exuding quality. There’s something modern about it that I love, it has an almost pop art attitude, technicolour and unabashed. I really like it, I must say.

Very nice. My chemistry sometimes dislikes the saffron note but not here. It is the dominant note but it's closely followed by the sandalwood and nutmeg. It's way better than the Aramis Calligraphy! It only smells lia bit like Calligraphy saffron when it's starting to wain. I think the rose and artemisia add an interesting twist along with the often used amber and vanilla. The result makes me think of red wine. A sort of warm, perfumey wine. Ironic since I don't drink alcohol. It surrounds me in this warm room. Good sillage. The styrax remains far in the background.

I'm always moved to either love or strong dislike with this brand. This one is a love with a capital L. I seriously dislike most saffron forward/dominant fragrances, but this one is very well done. Somehow it comes across as a creamy, slightly spiced, sweetish rose. I think it's all the base notes playing well with the saffron and nutmeg, but somehow rose is an equal player and not overpowered. Not sure how that was accomplished with such strong supporting notes, but it is what it is, to my nose at least. Thanks Annie, for giving me the rest of your bottle❤

Oh this is delicious but you need 3 sprays - on the neck and behind the ears then in 2-3 min the surrounding fragrance reminds of freshly baked spicy cookies. Although the opening is rose forward and up close I can feel a sharp floral note, the surrounding fragrance is sweet, comforting and slightly spicy, probably the nutmeg and not very rose forward, reminds me more of rosewater than a green or musty rose. Warm and scrumptious, way better than I expected! Perfect for colder months

A denser scherzo by Miller Harris. They have the same DNA and smell really similar. Venenum Kiss is a bit dirtier and spicier while Scherzo is a bit more light and innocent. One if for mom and the other is the daughter. It is a feminine oud and it is stunning on a woman. Very different scent that what you usually smell. Performance is great and Fall/Winter/Spring scent. I love them both. Ex Nihilo didn't disappoint me till now with any of their scents.

It is a nice scent, but quite boring. It is sopy rose-oud scent. It is not sweet at all to my nose. Edit. I tried this with adding some molecules. I adored the one with rose de mai and with orange blossom...those were stunning stunning stunning. I'd get the one with orange blossom someday! It is more wearable through any seasons! Hence, my rating 5 is for the one with orange blossom not the original one!

Working through my travel size set of the Addiction Ex Nihilo fragrances. This one is my favorite. It's a gourmand without smelling like food. I get a little spice, a little rose, a little sweetness. Reminds me of Delina Exclusif but a bit spicier and sweeter while less powdery. Good sillage and mediocre longevity. Overall, FBW for me. Love it.

OMG so good and NO OUD!! I swear I can sense it but have to believe the pyramid in here - no Oud!! Amzing, very stylish elegant scent , close to skin oriental - I personally tried to overlay it with Burberry London Women and got Bond Street 9 Indigo (a creamier and more rounded version - seemed to me)...

I like this a lot. As a spicy and amber rose this is actually very subtle, somehow even smells powdery, softly dusted. It reminds me of Honore Delights by that subtlety, not as a scent, just by that not dramatized composition. +

It’s a huge LOVE from the first sniff to me! I expected for it to be more spicy with the top notes of saffron and nutmeg. It’s not. It’s very balanced, no one thing is too loud, everything sounds so harmonious. Perfection.

one of my top 2 from the ex nihilo line. i dont know why a previous reviewer called this scent 'faint'--- it's definitely one of the louder smells in the collection. it definitely stays on the skin for a long time.

Reminds me of Noir de noir by TF, both are mouthwatering and sexy night scents. Love it so much, Venenum Kiss is more pure ingredients than noir de noir and screams luxury.

A unique metallic floral scent. Not a safe blind buy.

I admit I have a guilty pleasure, sandalwood is one of my favorite notes and I was really happy to get a travel spray of this but now I'm puzzled. Somehow this unisex fragrance smells more feminine than Bond no 9's chinatown-which is screechy as hell compared to venenum Kiss. In this fragrance I get 40% creamy fuzzy ghostly sandalwood, 40% "refridgerated" generic roses (nothing spicy and moist like kazimi or dry and naturally sweet like lyric), and maybe 10% vanilla and 5% nutmeg and 5% dryer sheet fabric softener. It's weird and more feminine than I anticipated and Im in love with Xerjoff richwood for comparison. In it's defense, the nutmeg with a touch of vanilla does kick into higher gear around the 3.5-4 hour mark at the expense of the rose which is an interesting transition and frankly much nicer than the opening and early dry down. Scent: 8.5/10 if you like sandalwood and rose, this could be a really big hit for you. The eccentricities of the fragrance make it memorable to an experienced nose and there is nothing offensive about it so it could be a signature scent. Projection: 6/10 actually has some push, for a Nihilo which surprised me. Tight bubble but well balanced. Sillage: 8/10 for the first hour. I was shocked that this sweet little frag from Ex Nihilo had the kind of train this composition leaves behind you, and how long it lingers in the air. Calms down a lot by hour 3 but what a surprise. Longevity: 6/10 I only get about 6-7 hours onmy skin as point blank range but actual usefulness for me would require reapplication mid-day. Not terrible but not ideal. Would I buy a full bottle? ...yes at a steeply discounted price. It is a wonderful sandalwood/rose combo and worthy of your attention. Definitely sample it. Just on a personal note it does feel more feminine than I'm used to pulling off so I would have to be in a particular kind of setting and mood to grab for this-hence the need for a steep discount to say yes.

This is yet another winner from the house, my 4th and not one dissapointed, and have Love Shot on the way. This is a vey typical Oud & Rose combo, nothing new here. All the ones I've smelled from the house are nothing groundbreaking yet extremely well done with gorgeous raw materials and impeccible blending, rendering these remakes of smells of the past, however due to the craftsmanship and materials used put this in a category of it's own, and Bisch yet again does not disappoint. I can smell the Oud, and I can smell the Rose as well as the Amber and a hint of vanilla giving it a slightly sweet touch, *but* (to me) I can detect something of an accord that hints to whiskey in the background, peaking around the corner every now and then, giving this blend sightly new breathe of life from the regular Oud/Rose combos. If you're a fan of this genre then it would be a welcome addition, however that being said it might render some other composition in that genre redundant, so might be worth a smell before you fork out on this. If on the other hand you wish to dip your toes, then this would be an elegant blind buy, for either genders. No point in going over the versatility and/or seasons, gender etc for this combo, it goes down the same line as many other predecessors. A remake of a well rehearsed combo, but so pleasantly done, it is indeed very welcome. God bless and enjoy :)

Now I haven’t left a review in...years I think, so forgive my brevity. Id call this a poor man’s “Portrait of a lady” if it wasn’t so dang expensive. Right off the bat it has a jammy vibrant pink floral component that is sweet without being sickening but quickly settles in to a nearly saffron and nutmeg dusted candied rose. As it dries down that vanilla sticks around without going into a cotton candy territory that certainly highlights the quality I come to expect from Ex Nihlo but it fails to push past the realm of competent into surprising or groundbreaking. Mature but not quite mature enough to be inaccessible to a younger wearer. I think this is an imminently fine fragrance and bottle worthy if you like POAL but want something more translucent and agreeable for more versatile occasions. Ex Nihlo is great generally and I think if you can get it at a discount it’s worth it but at full price it’s going to be a tough sell to my palate.

Am I the only 1 getting Side Effect in the opening? Like exactly the same? And then it's a less sweet scherzo, but exactly the same DNA. Less sweet, and powdery in the drydown as well but smell very very similar. This has a sandalwood-y drydown and scherzo has more of an oud-y(non animalic) drydown which comes across more powdery than sandalwood. To me, it's like you spray scherzo on your skin first, wait few mins, spray half a spray of side effect and it's Venenum kiss. I love( absolutely❤️) and own both side effect and scherzo so even though this is a truly beautiful fragrance, I won't spring for a full bottle as it's not filling any voids in my collection!

Venenum Kiss by Ex Nihilo is a wonderful perfume. Quentin Bisch has created a gorgeous scent. Probably one of his best for the brand. Venenum Kiss combines the timeless elegance of roses with the warmth of amber and the rich, resinous notes of styrax. The way these notes have been blended is perfect. The rose brings a delicate sweetness, while the amber adds a cozy and comforting touch. The styrax brings depth and complexity, giving the fragrance a unique and intriguing character. Overall, this fragrance is perfect for those who appreciate a blend of classic floral notes with a hint of warmth and intrigue. I give this 8/10.

I just purchased a 100 ml bottle@Skins Cosmetics. What I initially went for was MFK’s Oud Satin Mood. However, when my bf and I went there and sniffed, he didn’t like it.. we sniffed quite a few others and then I saw the Ex Nihilo display. I sniffed it and at the same momen the sa advised me to try that one instead, since it is in a way comparable to OSM, but less sweet and dark, more fresh. I loved it and so did my bf. I bought it and next time I’ll purchase OSM.

This one is interesting. At first I sprayed it and it smelled like a mix of spices and amber, reminded me of Sensual Instinct by Montale, but not as synthetic. After few hours I started smelling something sweet, creamy. and simply amazing (it was the sandalwood and vanilla I guess). I couldn't believe that it was the same perfume. It transformed completely on my skin. One of the most underrated Ex Nihilo creations IMO