Crossroads

[septima_pica]

The forks of the road: an in-between place, sacred and tangibly magickal in innumerable cultures and faiths. This scent is dark with mystery, taut with power. A chill twilit garden of blooms over dry earth and mosses, heavily laden with incense and offertory herbs.

Kalirren: Complex herbal floral, blunt and piercing at the same time. All the layers are apparent: flowers, moss/herbs, incense. A little watery, maybe a tiny bit sour, but not jarringly so. Almost an old-fashioned lady's perfume, but somehow not quite. Probably the incense. At intervals rather soapy, but that goes away. Hurrah, jasmine wins! Probably sandalwood in there too; somewhat reminiscent of Dragon's Bone, but more subdued.
This is a great perfume looking for a context. If I were sixteen and female I would wear this to school every day; as it is, I'm not sure when I'll wear it but it's just too good not to keep. Lovely stuff.

Octopod: Damn, there's jasmine in this, isn't there? There go my chances of smelling anything else. Jasmine goes BOOM.

[mazikeen]

Despite a string of negative & lukewarm reviews for Crossroads, I had to try it for the name alone. (Ok, to be honest... for the World of Warcraft reference alone, since there's a town in that game named Crossroads.) Based on the notes, I didn't expect to like it much, but alas, I like it even less than expected. I hoped for incense, but instead I get a very strong lady-perfume. It's floral in the worst possible way (for me).

 

This stuff is strong. Now it's turning powdery, but not a soft gentle powder like other florals end up on me. Nope-- strong powder, the kind of powder scent that's used to mask nasty scents.

 

This is a no-go on me. Sorry, Crossroads. Now I have to decide if the geek-reference makes it worth keeping or not...

 

Fixed typo and edited for clarity.

Edited February 11, 2008 by mazikeen

[Brianne]

Predominantly a heady jasmine on my skin, and my chemistry turns it into a rather foul smell unfortunately. I am used to jasmine doing this, so this is no surprise. It drowns out most anything else in the blend, but I do detect something green and grassy smelling in this as well!

[Epiphany]

This is one of the first BPALs I've tried. My initial reaction, right out of the bottle, was one of 'oof, incense and...something'. I think the something was probably the floral notes edging through.

 

Wet on my skin it is very strong...The incense is a bit more demure, letting the florals come through (though I'm not sure exactly what they are, possibly the jasmine that everyone is talking about). I also can smell the earthyness more.

 

Dry: It has slowly morphed into a 'hello! cloying flowers!'. I am still so new to this, that I haven't yet learned to differentiate all of the flowers, though I seem to remember that jasmine smells like this. I feel like my quite little roadside shrine, filled with old flowers and smoking incense, was just invaded by huge boquets of fresh cut blossoms...and I am not pleased.

 

Later: The blossom-ness has faded a bit, allowing some of the earthy incense smell to return. Now it smells more like older flowers, drying at the feet of the crudely carved statue of the Crossroads God. Peace has returned to the temple....

 

Overall: Not a bad scent on me, after that initial dry stage of "oh god! FLOWERS!" (and I Like florals, just, perhaps, not these incensy-sweet ones). It is not, however, something that I would wear. This smell, which is wonderfully evocative of a little shrine, just doesn't speak to me.

 

Hm.

[Moryssa]

I'm beginning to think I'm the only person in the world who loves jasmine.

 

I don't specifically associate scents with colors, but I've noticed that I tend to pick out certain types of scents based on the colors or fabrics that I'm wearing on any given day. Since I was wearing browns today, I was in the mood for something evocative of "earth" and "dirt". It's been a while since I tried Crossroads, but in my mind, it was primarily dirt, with some herbs and maybe some light florals, so I grabbed it as I was running out the door.

 

In the bottle, it smells earthy, but not as much as I expected. I think I was expecting something more like Zombi or Yggdrasill (which I probably misspelled). So while I do smell the earth, it's softened-- probably by the florals.

 

Once I put it on, I kept getting a whiff of something that reminded me of Dragon's Blood. Since there aren't any notes listed in the lab's description, I just accepted that and kept going.

 

Half an hour later, I sniffed my wrist and said "Hey... this smells like New Orleans!" Since New Orleans is pretty much a single note of Jasmine on my skin, I'm ok with this.

 

It's been about 2 hours or so now, and I still smell jasmine, but it's muted somewhat. It's definitely not as strong as New Orleans, and it does have an undercurrent of something "earthy".

 

I really do love this. It's been on my list of "Wouldn't mind a bottle of this" from the beginning, and I'm thinking it might need to move up into "I WANT a bottle of this."

 

--M

[arsenicsauce]

Argh, I was hoping for something so different out of this. In the imp, soapy. On me, strong strong florals and a sharp edge of incense. Smells a lot like familiar department store perfumes, and my god does it have throw. I really don't get any of the earthy, mossy scent I was really looking for. I guess I should have taken a hint from the comparisons to Zombi, which went crazy floral on me too.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, this is all flowers and earth - there are no herbs at all.

 

The herbs come out on my skin; it smells slightly medicinal.

 

When it dries, the flowers come out - but it's still not for me.

[MaeKitty]

In the bottle: VERY similar to my lovely Coyote, which I adore so much. Warm, dusty, a little mossy

On me: Still warm and dusty, like a dirt road in the summer. Lasted all day too! Love this. It reminds me of dusk.

[heysunshine]

When applied Crossroads is strong dirty earth; it smells ritualistic. The earth scent is extremely evocative of digging up a dirt road. Shortly after becomes a strangely sweet floral, rose and something else that I think is a jasmine note, a little diaper-y. The wet stage is not my kind of scent but definitely amazing re: evocativeness, but once it dries down I'm reaching for something to cover up the rotten flowers.

[donnatron]

Imp: Erm... almond-y incense. Where on earth am I drawing almond from?

 

Wet: I try with the earth scents, I really do. But I put this on and it smells like dirt. And a wee little ping of incense in the back.

 

Dry: But the incense wins out. Thankfully my skin seems more into incense than it is into dirt, and the incense wrestles the earthy notes down into the ground (where they belong!). There's a sweet, heady touch of jasmine over top of the entire scent. This comes together in a really lush, complex way. It's really complex, really pretty, but does feel very... sacred. I can't see myself wearing this on a lazy Sunday afternoon or to class. It has a sense of smiting-from-above to it.

 

Throw: Quite nice. The jasmine has the furthest throw followed by the incense.

 

Overall: Crossroads is a gorgeous perfume. It's well-blended, and seems to be good at reigning in notes that go haywire on my skin otherwise. My own scent associations with it prevent me from ever using a full bottle but I think it's definitely a neat one to try.

[djsiberia]

wet: dirt

dry: dirt and band-aids & stinky feet smell

 

reminds me of zombi - must wash off to stop dirt smell

[coldandsleepy]

In the imp: a watery floral that reminds me of anointing oil my mom used to make. Smells a little like violets? There's a slight bitterness that I think is the moss.

 

On me, wet: about the same as in the imp, but now I get the tiniest hint of incense in the background.

 

On me, dry: exactly the same, while it lasts.

 

Throw and duration: almost no throw, and duration under an hour. Yikes.

 

Overall: It's not a bad scent, it's just not what I wanted. I wanted a big, deep, dark incensey scent that would make me think about being at a crossroads in my life, etcetera. What I got is a watery floral that sorta vaguely remembers the concept of incense from its childhood. Not only does it not meet my (admittedly illogical) expectations, it doesn't last on me at all. Sadness. But I'll swap it on to someone who will love it more.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Peachy-orange oill. Strong, dusty floral. Dirt and incense, some sharp plant notes, traditional florals. Jasmine for sure.

 

Wet: Jasmine amping majorly, as well as something sweet, almost honeyed, and some creamy magnolia and heady ylang-ylang, less sharp/planty, but still a strong soil note. A touch of herbal soap.

 

Dry: The soil has amped like crazy, as has the honeyed note, which I strongly suspect it benzoin. Ylang ylang is the dominant floral now, and I can pick out a little moss and maybe some incensey amber (very light).

 

Later: This becomes nicer and nicer on my skin, oddly. The magnolia comes to the fore and blends beautifullly with the benzoin, and the soil note settles into the moss for an earthy base. The greenery loses its sharpness.

 

Summary: Final drydown brings out something rotten - IRIS! - over a mingling creamy magnolia, rich ylang ylang and slightly soap jasmine, mixed with wet leaves, soil, and faded benzoin. Smells funereal to me. Good throw & longevity.

Edited June 16, 2009 by fairnymph

[stardreamer]

Well, that description wasn't promising -- I don't generally like florals, and I don't like not having a list of components. Fresh on, I thought it was indeed going to be too floral. However, the primary floral note appears to be jasmine (which I do like, in moderation), and the herbs and earthy undernotes are keeping it under control. I found myself thinking that this would be very nice to wear for working out. Over the long term, the incense note comes up more and (as usual) is the last thing to fade. Staying power is moderate, very faint after 6 hours.

 

Bottom line: I like this better than I thought I was going to; it won't be a top favorite, but it's well worth keeping and using up the imp. Since my main association to the name "Crossroads" is this trilogy (of which I'm very fond), that makes me even happier.

[charshark]

In the imp: Smells like aged perfume you'd find in your grandma's closet 50 years later. Ick.

 

Wet: Mossy and earthy with lots of incense and a lavender quality to it.

 

Dry: *cough* Lots of incense and lots of earthy overtones. Soapy.

 

Overall: This is one of my least favorite scents. It actually made me cough. The name makes me think of that awful movie so I kept thinking it was going to smell like bubblegum and sunshine. Alas, this was a frimp, and I do think I know of someone who'll appreciate this scent more than I have.

[VioletChaos]

in the imp: a very sweet, very perfumy rose.

 

wet on skin: same, with a little perfume-laden neroli tossed in.

 

dry down: same.

 

in all: cloying, floral perfume scent. reminds me of the type of stuff my grandmother's sisters would wear to family gatherings. not for me. :shrugs:

[carrickfergus]

Fruity with undertones of what seems like vanilla fades to sweet, slightly floral-soapy sandalwood. It's a truly androgynous scent, befitting of its name -- I can't decide whether it's more masculine or feminine. It could go either way.

[Rouge]

In the vial - This one is fascinating. It holds the chilly, hollow note that I've never been able to identify but that is a key component of Fallen. This is a dark, empty crossroads and while you sit there with your guitar waiting for the devil to teach you how to play the blues, you're totally alone with the scent of damp earth and the night wind swinging the spanish moss above your head

 

Wet on the skin - This scent is utterly bewitching. It's dark green and herbal, but with a powerful, earthy undertone that simply throbs.

 

Next stages - The blend is constantly shifting from a mossy to an earthy to a floral scent. It's hard to define.

 

Dry down - Crossroads seems to have finally settled into a heavy, mossy scent with a floral edge. It's powerful but too deeply green for me. Off to trudge the long road to the swaps pile it goes.

 

Similar scents - Bayou, Shroud

[Argentwolf]

It's a strong, pungeant, incensey scent on me...sort of like frankinsence, maybe. Something very woody and cedar-y. Unfortunately, incense just does not seem to love my skin. There's also a sweet note, or pack of them, lurking underneath the smokey, dust-covered surface of it all; and though sometimes the sweetness comes out to assert itself, it never quite reveals just what the heck it is. Could be florals, could be herbs, I really can't tell.

 

While redolant and persistant, it's just not doing anything for me. Off to a home that will appreciate you, little imp.

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Earthy and cold. I can detect some jasmine in the imp. I hope it behaves.

 

On Application

Floral. Quite strong dirty jasmine scent.

 

Dry Down

The floral aspect starts to become more refined and works better with the other elements after about 5 minutes. Becomes more earthy and the incense wafts in. Later bemomes quite green with the flowers and earthy. Worth retrying but suspect will not be a favourite.

 

Rating (0-5)

3.5

[mgrazulis]

In the imp: smoky dry, florals, mosses and dusty earth. Gentle dry herbs, no green.

 

Wet: A little greener; the florals and herbs mix over the earth and mosses. The incense is wetter and heavier with crisp jasmine. It reminds me of LUSH's Flying Fox a bit.

 

Dry, the greens have settled - cool florals, dusty mosses, faint herbs and a thin veil of incense and smoke. This scent lightens. After a few hours, it becomes a complex and subtle blend of faint florals and mosses and spices up.

 

Reminds me of the ruins of an old abandoned building, stepping into a sunny garden long untended, but alive with unfamiliar herbs. Great atmosphere captured in the scent!

 

Edited August 12, 2008 by mineralfairy

[zankoku_zen]

This started out as sweet grass, and I thought it might have a little lotus in it, then it becomes a jasmine incense. Boo. I liked the grass stage.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Lots and lots of jasmine with a background of incense and moss.

 

Immediately on skin: This is very smoky and floral. The main night flower I smell is jasmine, but there’s also a bit of champaca flower and some incense. This has a slithery type of note in the background… probably the moss. This is a very bitter scent on me.

 

After a little while: This settled into a very smoky and dark jasmine and champaca scent. It has a slightly wet, mossy feel to the base of the scent.

 

Overall Impressions: This scent is quite a disappointment on me because the jasmine is so heavy. It’s rather bitter and smoky on me, and there’s also champaca flower which tends to be equally smoky (though I actually like that note). The incense smoke swirls in the background, but the floral notes are dominant.

[odalisque]

Wow! Wet on the skin this is OMG dirt! and moss! It's the first one of Beth's dirt-type scents I've tried so it really blew me away when I stuck my nose in my wrist and it was like sticking my nose into, well, dirt and moss.

 

It sweetens up really really fast. The throw is ... incense? spicy? sweet, and closer up it's kind of warm nonsharp herby sweet, with more mossiness below. I can't say that I like it, but it keeps me coming back to try and figure it out.

 

ETA: smoky! yes! that's the element I keep trying to grasp, it meshes with the moss so well. It's getting slightly more floral now, too, in a way that reminds me of The Caterpillar.

 

This one was a total surprise. I almost didn't try it, and I think I might really like it.

 

ETA again: sure enough, Crossroads has become a favorite. The more I wear it the more I like it, it's just so delightfully different and mysterious and intriguing (but so wearable, the spicy warm incense notes take care of that). It's very me. Completely dry, I get a spicy smoky myrrh and champa flowers, so it reminds me of nag champa -- but with a twist that to my nose makes it more sophisticated.

 

If you have trouble getting along with the dirt/moss notes, avoid mixing Crossroads with alcohol and/or spraying it -- this makes those notes, at least for me, more shortlived but also much more aggressive for the time they last.

Edited September 8, 2008 by odalisque

[gingiemay]

Wet in imp - Floral moss, a tiny bit of soap.

 

Wet on skin - The same floral moss, with almost a sense of aquatic notes.

 

Dry on skin - Definitely just floral and moss. No herbs or incense. Pretty, but not me.