Dance of Death

[Nikki Scarlet]

A gloriously elegant representation of Lady Death. Dry, bone-white orris, black musk, serpentine patchouli and our murkiest myrrh.

 

Another frimp! While I like the name and theme, I'm not so sure about the notes. This could be a big no for me.

In the imp and on me, wet:
. . . Kind of syrupy. Sweeter than I was expecting, actually! There's definitely a smokiness to it as well, but we'll see how it plays as it dries.

On me, dry:
"Dance" is an appropriate descriptor for what this scent does. Sometimes it's sweet, sometimes it's bitter or sour. Sometimes it's smoky, sometimes it's fresh and airy. Sometimes it's a wet and musty smell, and sometimes it's dry and dusty. Every change just seems one step over from the previous sniff: related, but different each time. It doesn't seem to last very long on me, though, and it dies down to just kind of a faint powder. Perfumed ashes in the wind.

Verdict:
I don't exactly *like* this scent, but I find it really interesting. It absolutely reflects the idea of Lady Death in many forms. Part of me wants to swap it away to someone who'll appreciate it more than I do, but part of me wants to keep it just because of the experience it creates. Might keep it for now to see how or if it grows on me.

[achildoftime]

I'm actually pretty darn impressed with this. I usually turn myrrh to soap, but I'm not getting any of that from Dance of Death. It's mostly a pretty gritty patch and some really inky black musk. I think it stays pretty consistent on me with a light vein of powder pulsing in and out for the first hour. It's not my normal thing, but I like it anyway.

[strick9]

In the imp, everything is blended beautifully. Dusty patchouli, dusty orris, and if musk can be grey, this would be it. The black musk isn't strong in the imp at all but it's there in the background.

 

Wet, this smells like grey, damp dirt; lichen, oak moss. It quickly turns into something dusty and ancient, and the myrrh gets amped. I feel like this is the aftermath of Brimstone.

as this dries, a bit more orris comes forward and so does the black musk. oh man- this is decidedly dark, elegant, sexy, and almost sinister. It's gorgeous. There isn't a lot of patchouli here; it's creeping out in the background kinda anchoring and backing up everything else.

 

About 10 minutes in, and the orris has gone entirely too powdery. it's not elegant anymore- its too musty. It reminds me of something a grieving victorian widow would wear, and not in a good way. Apparently I amp orris pretty strongly. I might have the beginnings of a headache.

 

Sigh- the orris totally blew this for me. Into the trade pile it goes.

Edited October 8, 2017 by strick9

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: Super strong orris backed by myrrh.

 

Wet: The orris note dominates, followed by the myrrh, and then a bit of black musk and patchouli. The black musk note seems to be getting stronger as it sits on my skin.

 

Dry: Orris, myrrh, and black musk. It's really powdery on my skin. I'm not getting any patchouli at the moment. The myrrh is stronger during this phase, so that it's mostly orris and myrrh.

 

Verdict: Orris just turns to powder on me, and sadly, it was the main player here. The orris and myrrh combination just make it even more powdery than orris would be on its own. This one is not for me.

[Lucchesa]

Dance of Death, a frimp from a generous forumite, was not on my wishlist, maybe because all four notes can be iffy on me, orris in particular. So I'm a bit surprised that I am enjoying it this much. Yes, the orris is bone-dry, dusty, and overwhelms the blend when wet, but soon enough the myrrh and black musk emerge with a velvety quality. The patch is in hiding for the first hour and very subdued thereafter. This isn't the sort of thing I usually wear, but it is rich and strange, and I'm definitely keeping the imp.

[Minh Scent]

I just got into my imp of this and absolutely love it! Beautiful long lasting powdery orris supported by rich resins.

[monocainsheresy]

"dry, bone-white orris" is definitely the star here, with VERY clean patchouli. I'm not getting any myrrh or musk.

Not my thing. Smells like weird dirt.

[spookyumbrella]

This stuff is powdery. Very, very powdery - so much so that it reminds me of a spray on deodorant I used to use. Not that powdery deodorant is a bad smell, y'know.

[starbrow]

The first whiff on the skin was very ghostly indeed, like the ghost of black musk and resins...and then that orris went POOF and blew powder all over me for hours. Powdery deodorant is very, very apt. If I was looking for a scent to replicate that, this would definitely do it. But not really a fan of it as a perfume. Black musk is nowhere to be found! 

[Rane.]

In the bottle, & first application I get Orris. I don't like it. But as the Orris fades out, the other notes fully blossom, especially the Patchouli. It's also so gentle & has great throw. When I apply it with another, I can still smell this blend individually floating gently. A very interesting scent.

[roseus]

In the imp this is dark and syrupy. Not that it's sweet, but it just has that viscous, rich quality to my nose. I can get the black musk and myrrh in particular. On my skin I get the patchouli, making the blend much earthier, to me it is a somewhat gnarly patch. Not the gnarliest, but a bit dirty. I'm having a hard time picking out the orris but I'm getting a hint of the weird musty-sweetness it tends to turn to on me. The rest of the scent is quite interesting, shadowy but rich. Unfortunately orris just doesn't agree with me!

[gothteacup]

I held off on trying this because the black musk sounded intense, but it’s really smooth and inoffensive. Just a touch of powder from the orris keeps this from leaning into a full on incense and resin party, which would be an elegant and refined party, not a bong rippin incense party. A bit earthy on the dry down, almost a stone like note. 

It’s really lovely, and reminds me of Hexennacht without the smoke. 

[Sandara]

Oh Dance of Death, how I severely misjudged you and with that I must apologise! You are a true beauty and I have faithfully bought not one, but two, full size bottle in case you are ever discontinued because I cannot bear to be without you!

 

Received as a frimp with Snake Oil, my first introduction to the beauty that is BPAL. On first sniff, I must confess, I referred to you as 'Mrs Dracula's coffin' and was most bitterly disappointed and tucked you away in a dark corner, never to be opened again. 

 

Curiosity did not kill the cat and as the rest of the saying goes, satisfaction brought it (me) back. Bewitched by my initial mild horror of this oil, I decided to revisit and try it out on my skin and what can I say, it really is stunning. 

 

Wet: the white orris is all I can smell, as as someone who isn't particularly a fan of floral and violet notes, it doesn't do it for me hence my immediate dismay. 

Dry: the black musk dominates with a gentle tint of patchouli in the background. Having never worn black musk, or any musk heavy oils/frags before, I had no idea that my skin amps it like crazy and works just so beautifully with my chemistry. 

 

Dance of Death is an alluring and intoxicating scent, perfect for seducing a lover into long, candle-lit nights full of passion. And when the lover wakes in the morning, they are alone but the sensual musk remains on the sheets, the only sign that there was ever someone there. 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2023 by Sandara

[Ennikar]

Iris/orris can be tricky on me, but I ended up enjoying this a lot. Orris/iris, for sure, comes out hard and as it dries down I thought I was getting a strong black pepper. Looking at the actual notes, I'm fairly certain that's the patchouli and/or black musk, out here to have a good time. Drydown is still slightly floral, maybe a touch powdery, but much more about the dark & musky notes.