Sayaka

I've been wanting to try this forever. I've got this weird love for catholic ritual weirdness! I was raised Catholic (until maybe 13 years old), so I expected to smell this and be like AHA! Nope. But here's the weird thing. This dove directly into one of my OTHER huge interests - eastern philosophy/culture (I was an East Asian Studies major and have spent a great deal of time in Japan) Out of the vial: Generic woodsy incense. A little of that "Church" smell, maybe? Something a bit resinous. Wet: Warm, dry woods. Cedar, sandalwood. Immediately transported to being inside an ancient, wooden temple in Nara or Kyoto in summer - old mature dry, rich, warm woods and Buddhist incense wafting through the air. But also new wood! A freshly hewed note. Like if someone was doing a repair to an ancient wooden structure - just the barest hint. Dry: Deepened old wood. Ancient wood. Not as much smoke as the scent of the woods themselves baking in the sun, with temple incense wafting over it for centuries. Something a little fruity, almost a plum note. Very warm and soft, but not powdery at all. Just warm, dry, old, time-worn cedar wood warming in the sun, a touch of resinous incense, a lot of woodsy sandalwood or cedar incense. I expected something very resin-heavy, very solemn and very "churchy." This is more contemplative and gentle, nothing about this is severe or solemn. Very sun-warmed where I expected cold stones. Almost languid, definitely unhurried. I want it even more now! It reminds me of visiting old old old temples all over Japan in summer. Absolutely want it.

At first all I got from this was white musk and a very strong scent that reminded me of fresh ivy vines. Once it dried down a little it smelled much more like dry autumn leaves with a little bit of a woodsmoke smell. It is rather masculine but I don't think it smells like men's cologne and it certainly wouldn't be WEIRD on a lady. Sort of androgynous. I was skeptical about buying a full size bottle of something unseen (un-smelled?) but I'm glad I did. I really like it, it's super unique. I'm always on the hunt for things that have autumn scents, without being spicy pumpkin or apple cider or what have you. I specifically am always on the lookout for something that smells like Burning Leaves (a la the Type O Negative song which says "Her perfume smells like burning leaves/every day is Halloween" - October is getting closer that scent but not quite there!

I love this, but I feel that I've had a very unique experience than many reviewers! When I put it on, it smells of damp wood, very strong on the patchouli. However as it dries, that fades into the background and the vetiver takes over. The smell "warms" a lot. Fully dry, I get a warm, woody, incense-y fragrance that reminds me of quiet old temples I visited when I lived in Japan. No hint of the Orange whatsoever on me. The ylang ylang is just a whisper of sweetness. I love vetiver in just about everything and this is so well balanced. Calm and dark without being overbearing or solemn. I often wear this to bed! Additionally, and I don't know what everyone else thinks, I rather feel that this is relatively unixex. It's definitely (in my experience) not overtly feminine.

I got a TON of samples with my recent order, and this was one of them. I am very pleased with it. I'm a lady who really doesn't like super-girly scents (some of my favorites are men's cologne, actually) and I was a little worried that this would be off the chain femme, what with the almond and vanilla. Thankfully, that's only the way it smelled in the vial. It actually went down a lot differently. When I first applied it, it smelled strongly of almond and of clove. I got some of the vetiver (my favorite note in colognes and perfumes), too. After it had dried, it had utterly transformed to a woodsy, incense-y VAGUELY vanilla/almond scent. Honestly, the thing I felt most was that it smelled (in a very good way) like clove cigarettes smell. That semi-sweet, semi-earthy, languid smell. Maybe a little boozy, too, I think that might be another reason I'm thinking of a nightclub here. Overall, it feels feminine, but has some strong masculine tones to it - I'd call it a badass b*tch scent. Totally can see wearing this out pub crawling or causing mischief. Also, i get a big mix of very androgynous other notes - the myrrh, vetiver and pine. Never got a lot of the patchouli except as a darkening/deepening agent. Definitely getting a bottle of this, I love it.

Hello, all! This is my first real post on the BPAL forum. I have to admit, while I do own a couple oils I' not really a "fan" per se. But, in the course of my life I've been given a bottle of a prototype (or, at least that's what the label says) formulation of a perfume I've been yet unable to identify. I did some searches and came up with plenty relating to the available perfume "Shoggoth" from the "Picnic in Arkham" collection (I think?) but nothing that seems to describe what I have here. The label is hand-written and was given to a friend, by someone of *ahem* moderate renown *ahem* at Neil Gaiman's house on the rock party to give to me as a gift. The label reads "Shoggoth's... The Saloon Bar #1" and other than that I have no ideas. I'm terrible at identifying the notes of perfumes so all I can tell you is that it is vaguely floral but not in an overpowering way - more in a sneaky, smelling lilies in someone's garden two houses away, green, creamy, slightly woodsy way. I have about a 3/4 full bottle, after spilling about 1/4 of the bottle on my counter trying to take a picture. Halp? Thanks ever so much, sayaka PS. As I'm new here, and mostly registered because not knowing what this perfume is (or is a prototype of) is driving me crazy, please direct me to the correct subforum if I posted in the wrong place. Thanks again!