Fourteenth Lash

[doomsday_disco]

Cacao, scorched patchouli, roasted chestnuts, and champaca absolute.

[flumphlord]

The cocoa and patchouli blend in Tezcatlipoca does wondrous things on my skin, so I gambled and went for a bottle here.

 

In the bottle: Cocoa predominates for me. There are actually what appears to be little globs of cocoa floating in the oil. The patchouli and a faint woody scent that must be the chestnut are present though. I don’t really get the champaca here.

 

Wet on skin: On skin, this transforms into a realistic approximation of chestnuts roasting on an open fire. As the lab description implies but does not directly state, there is smoke here. Not an overpowering amount to my nose, but enough that anyone who dislikes that note will probably want to steer clear. The patchouli and cocoa are still there in the background, but they serve mostly to give body to the chestnut.

 

Dry: The champaca finally shows itself. I’m torn on whether I like it here. It gives more of a holiday vibe, but in doing so it significantly narrows down the seasonal window in which I’d want to wear this scent. It’s pleasant, though. I’ll be wearing this for cozy December nights in. If I was more inclined to wear perfume to bed I’d be using it as a sleep scent. It’s very unisex, with average sillage.

 

Post-workout: This isn’t something I’d normally be wearing during physical activity, aside from perhaps some less metaphorical lashes or other activities that would land me on the naughty list, but I tried it for the sake of completeness. I'm pleased to report that it has that same wonderful alchemy as Tezcatlipoca. They’re different enough that I wouldn’t say liking one means you’ll be into the other, but they are both in the same vaguely earthy, vaguely gourmand ballpark.

 

It’s definitely a niche vibe, but I like it enough that I’m glad I got a bottle. Given the straightforwardness of the concept and BPAL's massive catalog there's probably been a nigh-identical release sometime during past years, but I'm not familiar enough with BPAL to know for sure or make comparisons.

[RoseThornAndOak]

Ooo this is nice. In the bottle, it is toasted and not super sweet, the patchouli base is there, but this doesn't read as errmagerd patchouli, but there is a base there that is dark and gritty. The nuts are also not too sweet like nut butter, this is roasted and dry. There is cacao running throughout, dry again, with champaca adding +3 glamour and keeping this from being strictly foody. 

 

On the skin the toasty foody notes chill out and the patch sits down. The champaca brings this into Melancholy of Goths territory, and I really like it. It's a nice glamorous incense champaca with a touch of the other notes now, although I feel like the other notes will come out in time. This feels like 13 decided to go full goth.