Graveyard Dirt

[heartbeast]

A tribute to a somehat nefarious and truly notorious ingredient in New Orleans spellcrafting. It is employed in hoodoo rootwork for various reasons, primarily in spells of protection, “tricking” your enemies, binding, and even love magick. The graves are chosen based on the type of working, and are determined by the type of spirit that lies there and the manner of their demise. Payment is always required in the form of offerings to the deceased. This is the scent of pure graveyard dust, spattered with grave loam and dusted lightly with tombstone moss.

Normally, I don't review a scent until I've had it sit on my skin for at least one day, to get to know all its nuances. Often, that's not really enough; after using a scent for weeks I'm still finding new facets of its personality. But in this case, even though I've only sniffed Graveyard Dirt on the glass wand in the tester bottle, I simply must make an exception. (I didn't purchase only because I'm on a very tight budget and forced myself to pick just one 5 ml, and Bacchanalia is discontinued so Bacchanalia it had to be. Next visit.)

Graveyard Dirt is amazing. I'm convinced that actual bargaining with earth sprites must be involved here, because somehow Beth has captured that freshly turned loam, just before it rains scent in a bottle. Demeter's "Dirt" fragrance lies awake at night, crying, because it isn't Beth's Graveyard Dirt. She might have just as easily called it "Mother Earth". She might have called it "The Dark of the Grave and the Dark of the Womb are the Same Dark". It's rich, sensual, comforting; it's like chocolate cake if chocolate cake were made of earth. It makes me want to curl up in the bosom of the Mother and go to sleep. It's actually making me reconsider my wish to be cremated and scattered over the ocean as part of a fireworks display and look into green burial instead.

Usually, when people invite me to a ritual to invoke a particular element, it's Water; but if anyone ever asks me to "do" Earth you bet your booty I know what I'm going to wear. In fact, I may use this in meditation and spellwork to deepen my connection with that element. I'll also encourage my students to do the same, if they can get the bottle out of my grasping fist without me biting their hands off.


[description added & moved from black broom exclusives to limited editions after discussing it with beth ~qs]

[sarada]

I am lucky enough to have a bottle of this thanks to a wonderful forum member, and I hope that it becomes available for more to try, as this is simply amazing.

 

I keep looking down at my arm and expect to see it smeared with dark, fresh soil or mud from working in a garden all day. This is the pure scent of soil after rain. In terms of other BPAL fragrances, it is like Zombi, without the roses. I think it might be the very same rich earthy notes. I'm sitting here indoors on a bitterly cold day but when I sniff my wrist I am transported into a summer day where the moist soil is drying down in the sun and I am holding a little shovel and some tomato plants. It becomes slightly sweet, like the darkest patchouli, after the initial grittiness dies down and I think this is one that will cling to the skin for quite some time.

 

I can't say it better than the above review, that this is the epitome of deep, chocolatey earth. I imagine this is what the soil must smell like where patchouli grows. Please, lab, make this a catalog scent! We need to smell like Earth!

 

ETA: The above review is for the Black Broom version. The Limited Edition version smells the same to my nose...I think the BB version was a little dustier. I am taking back my patchouli comparison now though as I think that's just my own nose confusing earth scents.

Edited May 3, 2005 by sarada

[Penance]

Origin:

 

I got an imp of this from the wonderful Sarada.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I've been dying to try this one. It sounds perfect for me and I'm really looking forward to it. I expect something like Zombi without the rose, so I'm hoping I'm not too far off.

 

First sniff:

 

Mmm, this smells like Demeter's Earthworm only a million times better. This is wet, loamy soil at its finest. This is gorgeously earthy and just what I'd imagined.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Dirt, pure loamy dirt. I just love the smell of wet soil, so this is making me very happy. I already figured I'd be needing a bottle of this and now I know for absolute certain. I need as bottle of this!

 

Dry down:

 

I'm a country girl through and through and this is the smell of working in a garden or in the fields after a summer rain, with the wet soil coating your hands and knees. This isn't dry, dusty dirt...it's rich soil, the kind you need if you plan on growing anything. I don't think of a graveyard when I smell this, I think of a plowed field after a summer downpour.

 

The bottom line:

 

I love, love, love this. I might very well sell my soul for a bottle of this one.

[jett perilous]

Damn. That is all I can really say! It does smell exactly like rich, moist soil. Zombi was close, but Graveyard Dirt is just...rad. It's the perfect earthy smell.

 

Reminded me wandering down a foggy, misty dirt road after it has rained, cool air, and intermittent sunlight.

 

I can't get over how it smells so perfectly like freshly turned soil.

Edited April 4, 2005 by jett perilous

[scourgeotheseas]

Graveyard Dirt

 

In the bottle: Dirt.

 

On me: Dirt. Clean, fresh dirt. Wet dirt. This is so amazing because it is actually the essence of soil. Of course, I don’t want to smell of soil, but evidently lots of people do. They’ll be completely blown away by this scent, because the craftmanship is unbelievable.

[brownbat]

(I believe the imp I've tried is the Black Broom version)

 

If you are a dirt sniffer, you are going to love this. This is the scent on your hands after spring planting. The scent of the forest floor when you get down on hands and knees to look at something closer and you get a deep whiff. This is the scent of gardening, mushroom hunts and rainy days slogging through the woods. It is more glorious then I imagined, and I'm going to have to find more of it. Soon

Edited April 8, 2005 by brownbat

[sheepzeit]

Reminded me wandering down a foggy, misty dirt road after it has rained, cool air, and intermittent sunlight.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I have never agreed with anyone more! This brought the exact same image to mind. I had expected Graveyard Dirt to be a dark scent, but to me it's actually not. I feel like I am walking down a wet dirt path in the woods, perhaps in the summer where the rain was brief and fog remains.

 

Clean, pure, fresh, wet dirt. I had expected this to be like Zombi sans rose, but I think this is more earth than moss. I can't get my nose away from my wrist!

 

Edited to add: I have trouble wearing this all by itself as it tends to dry to a very very light earth scent fairly quickly, but this is absolutely phenomenal when layered with pretty much any floral I've got. I might burn through my 5 ml after all.

Edited May 3, 2005 by sheepzeit

[astrid]

I just got my bottle of Graveyard Dirt in today's mail. It's dirt plain and simple. Dirt dirt dirt! I have no clue as to how Beth could possibly concoct this scent! It's so true to nature it's scarey! I think this would be quite potent with spell work, but whether or not I try it for that remains to be seen!

[girlmadasbirds]

i tested this at the black broom and i am in LOVE with this scent!

it's a wonderful moist dirt and dust smell... i can't wait to receive the 5mL don ordered for me!

 

edited 5/20 to add.. i got my 5mL yesterday and it's just wonderful! moist earth and dust. wow! this reminds me of working in the garden.

beth really outdid herself of this one.

Edited May 20, 2005 by angel sixgun

[harlequin]

uhm. yeah. smells just like wet, upturned earth crawling with earthworms. not much more to say about it, from me..

 

other than... well definitely not something I want to smell like. I didn't really imagine it would be when I ordered it, but it was one of those things you just have to try.

 

 

I do have a sudden urge to go fishing, though. hehe!

Edited May 2, 2005 by harlequin

[Northernminx]

It smells like...dirt.

 

Wow.

 

Right up there in the Rose Red, Dirty, and Dead Man's Hand - "How the hell did she DO that??" list. Rich loamy, dark brown, soft freshly turned dirt right down to the earthy metallic hint.

 

Wow.

 

I'm not sure if I'm keeping this as I'm not much of a dirt fan I guess but I'm still bloody impressed.

[shelldoo]

hmmm the le graveyard dirt is somewhat like the twilight blend and yet nothing like it.

 

it definitely smells like dirt moist, freshly turned dirt. but it is not a sharp and face slapping as the twilight version.

[Finny]

Dirt.

 

Fresh upturned, gardening in the sunlight after a rainshower, dirt.

 

[Serenity]

Oh my god. Do people really wear this? It smells like.. dirt. Like grave soil. Like decomposing material in dirt.

 

Kudos to Beth for capturing this so well... I hope that other people like it so it will find a home other than mine!

[wolfie13]

Yup - it smells EXACTLY like fresh, upturned, moist DIRT.

 

Previously, Demeter had the best Dirt fragrance I could find. This is very reminiscent of that, but even richer and more "real" smelling. And it lasts

WAY longer.

 

And yes - people do wear it. I'm wearing it now!

 

When combined with your own natural skin scent it warms it up a bit and can be very sexy, I think. (Though I can totally see how this idea is not shared by the majority of folks. I tend to veer off the beaten path in terms of the scents that I find sexy - as I mentioned a bit just recently in my Gomorrah post as well.)

[darkling]

It really does smell like dirt.

 

My first thought when I put this on was "it smells like earthworms." I didn't like Graveyard Dirt in the wet stage. The dirt was overpowering.

 

When it began to dry, a more musty note crept in that I enjoy. It became reminiscent of the earth in Zombi and Nosferatu.

 

I am not sure if I like this dirt note plain without any rose or wine. I will have to try it a few more times.

[miss apple]

Ahh Graveyard Dirt is so fresh and clean! I was hoping it would smell like Lush's Middle Earth soap and I'm not disappointed. It's not really the same scent but it has that wonderful earthy quality that ME does and is a nice change from heavy floral or foody oils. This isn't a dead, dry, dust but rather a rich loamy soil. Wonderful

[amrita]

Honestly-- as a gardening nerd, I was skeptical when others claimed this smelled like real dirt. Well... ho-lee-crap, it really does.

 

If you walk out into one of the northwest pine forests, kick your foot deep under the layer of moist, decomposing pine needles, this is what you'd smell. (Rich earth and a hint of pine. )

 

This also smells like the bags full of organic mushrooms I get that are still dirty. I've been racking my brain to try and figure out how Beth could've possibly done this. Are mushrooms involved? (Always a wise question to ask oneself.)

 

I keep laughing in surprise every time I put this on. The only down side is that my skin drinks this up very quickly. Well, whatever... I'll find a way to make it last. This totally made my night!

[Penance]

This time I'm drying the Limited Edition version of Graveyard Dirt, rather than the BB Exclusive version.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I love the BB version of Graveyard Dirt and if Beth says the two are almost identical then that's good enough for me! I'm looking forward to trying this.

 

First sniff:

 

This smells lighter than the BB version. Not by much, but lighter...more like dusty dirt than wet loam (for those who are familiar with Demeter, think Dirt instead of Earthworm). This strikes me as more wearable than the BB version (as a perfume, I mean) if only because it smells less intensely loamy and more subdued with a gorgeous dusting of dry moss. This smells like the forest floor to me, which is just fine because I love that sort of smell.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Definitely lighter than the BB version. More mossy and dusty and less intensely wet and loamy. My mom took one sniff of me and said, "You smell like peat moss! I don't know how they did it, but you do!" which I take as a compliment.

 

Dry down:

 

As it dries, this version becomes almost sweet, which must be the moss changing as it dries. This is definitely much more wearable (I mean every day wearable, not ritual wearable) than the BB version, even for me. I actually like this version better, which is great since I've got enough to last me now.

 

The bottom line:

 

Gorgeous! Not for everyone, I'm sure, but I love it and I couldn't care less whether anyone else around me does.

[anmorata]

Graveyard Dirt (BPAL March '05 LE Edition):

 

Wet: yep, that's dirt.

Drydown: potting soil style dirt.

Overall: .. it smells like earth. I ordered this bottle to see what all the fuss was about, but truthfully I can't ever imagine wanting to smell like this. I love the smell of soil when I'm gardening, but not as a personal scent.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Freshly turned dirt with a hint of moss...exactly, identically, amazingly.

 

Second Impression: Not for one second did I think that this would smell good on me, but I was ever so wrong. I don't think it's something I'd like to smell like all the time, but I was completely blindsided by the way this smells on my skin. I'm even getting whiffs of wood flecks (mmm cedar) that you sometimes find in freshly turned earth.

 

Final Analysis: How does Beth do it?

[Scylla]

I'm not a fan of earthy "dirt" smells (like Zombi), so I pretty much knew I wouldn't like this one, but I am grateful for Lab giving me the chance to try it!

 

This is amazing in that it TOTALLY smells just like potting soil and peat moss. Not something that I want to smell like, but it's really amazing that Beth was able to encapsulate that smell!

 

I let my husband smell it, thinking he would turn up his nose--and he LOVED it! He put it on and kept sniffing his arm all night! I guess Graveyard Dirt is his now!

[DameBecca]

In the bottle with the cap on, it smells like sticking your face in a bag of potting soil. It's insane how much this smells like real dirt. It has a tiny tiny hint of wood in it. Like a couple of pieces of bark mixed into the soil.

 

Taking the cap off and smelling it in the bottle changes the scent quite a bit. It ages it, taking on a slightly dusty scent, the moss and loam come out. It smells more like potting soil that has been on the ground for a few days, not quite as fresh and clean, but still very much alive.

 

Lightens a lot when wet on skin, but stays very true. Wood starts to come out a little more. After a few minutes, it sweetens up just a tiny bit. It's still very very fresh. Smells just like a nursery.

 

Drydown: Most scents warm up a lot on me, but this stays very fresh and cool, more like dirt in the morning, with dew on it. You can sense the life in this scent, the spirits wriggling and pushing up through the soil. Sadly, it does fade quickly and I have to press my nose to my skin to smell it less than half an hour after application.

 

Overall/Comments: I have been very anxious to get this scent. I really, really wanted it to smell like dirt and started worrying that I might be dissapointed. But, it blew me (and my expectations) away. I could not have imagined this scent any better than it actually is. I wasn't sure that I would actually like wearing this (it does seem odd to want to smell like dirt), but I can't stop smelling my wrist! This is something that I would save for a day of gardening or cleaning around the house, but I most likely will not wear it out much. I am so impressed by this scent that I will be decanting imps becasue I want everyone to experience it.

Edited May 7, 2005 by DameBecca

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: DIRT. Dark and rife with decomposing matter.

 

Wearing: I dabbed this on my arm and shivers literally ran up my spine. This reeks of graveside ritual. This is not garden soil, this is the scent of the soil inside a circle created with sacrificial blood. The powerful charge of this scent is FREAKING ME OUT. But I continue to wear it and it does dry down more mossy and less freaky, but my spine still feels funny.

 

Final Impressions: I like the mossy drydown, but the power of this oil scares me way too much. I do not do ritual work, so this will probably go to a better home.

[Thorne]

This smells exactly like a freshly opened, damp bag of potting soil. I don't know how Beth did it.

 

However...the initial phase of this oil on my skin is...not good. It almost made me gag, it was so strong. I felt like I'd inhaled potting soil and couldn't breathe. It lasted for about 20-25 minutes, of me taking shallow breaths and avoiding sniffing my wrists.

 

After that, it mellowed into a nice crisp cedary scent, like fresh wood chips. It reminded me a lot of Anne Bonny, only not as sweet. This nice phase only lasts about 10 minutes on me, though, and then fades away to nothing. Rather like Anne Bonny, actually, although I like the wet and drydown experience of that oil a lot more. I think my bottle will be finding a new home with someone who will appreciate it.

Edited May 8, 2005 by Thorne