Shub-Niggurath

[acidrica]

The lust incense of a corrupted Astarte. A blend of ritual herbs and dark resins, shot through with three gingers and aphrodisiacal spices.

This starts as gingerbread. Very nummy, very foody, but NOT what I think of when I read 'the beast with a thousand young'. I start to get disappointed.

Then it morphs.

I'm, er, feeling kind of hot now, if you get me. It's sexy, but evil. Evil ginger. Now we're talking. This makes my mouth water, and not just for food. Edited January 1, 2009 by Acid

[beturtlement]

The first words out of my mouth when I opened the imp was, "Hm.. interesting." Not at all a bad interesting, though, not by a long shot. After it has a few moments to settle and mingle with my skin, mmmm mmmm.... ginger. And just a touch of cloves. I love me some ginger, but there's something very dark, almost smoky, behind it... though, it doesn't overpower the lovely gingerness at all. As Acid had said in her post, this is definitely "Evil Ginger". At one point, I got the very faintest hints of patchouli somewhere hidden amongst the herbs, but I'm probably wrong. Usually, once anything with patchouli hits my skin, it just goes awry and takes over completely, but this is very nice.

 

This smells like what those spicy ginger Altoids taste like. Dammit, now I want some.

 

Overall, I really like this. It's not particularly foody in a bakery sort of way, but I'm getting the oddest urge to lick my arm. Nomminy-nom-nom.

 

EDIT: After this fades for a while, the incensey notes even out with the ginger. A little smokier than I would usually enjoy, but I still like it.

Edited January 10, 2009 by beturtlement

[Suu4LC]

Whoa, very VERY sharp, spicy ginger in the imp. Almost a bit sour it's so sharp. I can see where people get "evil gingersnaps" from this, but it might be a bit TOO evil for me.

 

Ok, it is better on my skin, but it is still too much-there's that darn sour undertone that turns my stomach almost. Maybe it's reminding me of War.

 

Unfortunately, I just have to wash this off. I will stick to Gingerbread Poppet for my gingerbread fix.

Edited January 19, 2009 by Suu4LC

[obsidienne]

Oh my god.

 

At first I was all like, "Why does this smell so familiar (and good!)?" Then, when I went to post a review, I read another review here that mentioned "Sugar Cookie". And that's it! This smells like an evil Sugar Cookie that had sex with a spicy ginger snap. This is their baby.

 

There is a hint of Rum Butter Cookie as well, but without the curry-note that somehow happened to me. Just barely.

 

I really had no idea this would smell so foodie from the description.

 

It started off a little different, of course. At first there was a kind of weird incensey-dirty undertone that was not so much my thing. As it dried down, the spices started to amp, especially clove and cinnamon (wee bit of burning where I applied it, too). Eventually, the delicious cookie-spawn scent emerged. The resinous notes persist beneath the apparent foodiness, but very subtly. And sometimes, I think I get a whiff of those ritual herbs, but it's really hard to be sure.

 

Great throw. Great smell! It's sexy and kind of relaxing.

Edited January 24, 2009 by obsidienne

[tdgnika]

In the imp, this has a strong ginger note. Wet on the skin, the ginger is even stronger and throws pretty strongly as well.

 

As it dries, more of the incense comes out but it's made too tangy by the ginger for my tastes.

 

I'm going to pass on this one.

[isisonearth]

Imp: Ginger but also something a bit herbal and musty.

 

Wet: Very unusual. I get something syrupy and sweet plus the gingersnaps and those odd herbs. Maybe a bit of frankincense.

 

Dry: I actually can't decide if I like it or not. This is one to think on. I'm going to have to give it a full day's wearing to decide.

[kohaisama]

In the bottle: wow. dark, rich spices and warm ginger

 

Wet: oh yeah. gingerbread men and fresh from the oven. still warm and spicy.

 

Dry: all warm gingerbread, but softer and a hint of smoky resin in the background

 

this is a GREAT scent that has decent throw. I'm so glad I got to try this year old Shub and I'm totally addicted.

[dane666]

This is now on my list of best things ever. Feeling a bit down and out or long in the tooth? A few dabs of this black goat of the woods and things just seem a little bit better all around. As an added bonus my gal likes to sniff me more than usual. Very VERY ginger with something lurking in the background that you can't really place

[simpsonmeredith]

This was frimped to me last year. No idea how old it was but it's definitely changed since I first got it.

 

Wet: This is nice! Very spicy and deep. Love the resins with the ginger. This isn't foody at all but it does have some of the gingerbread spice mix going on: cloves, allspice, mace but without a hint of cinnamon that usually ads brings a bit of sweetness. This isn't clean, fresh ginger. This is the smell of ginger that is dirty and raw and burning. Wicked, naughty Shub!

 

Dry: Just when Shub was about to seduce me for a dinner sacrifice for her kids -- I ate her first. And all of her children. There is nothing left. My skin chemistry annihilated her in less that 10 minutes.

 

*CHOMP* All gone.

[Yoginispirit]

On me this is truly warm, freshly baked gingerbread cookies. YUM. I want to nom myself. It's dry and spicy but not TOO spicy. Reading the reviews I thought this was going to be like snake-oil ginger pie or something. This is probably my favorite foody so far and is much better than butter rum cookie IMO which was too spicy and not enough cookie. I really love this and everyone around me attests to the gingerbread association. So glad it's GC!!!

[angelicruin]

This is spicy gingerbread with a dash of incense as it dries down.

 

Gingerbread Poppet lovers will enjoy this blend.

[mhickle]

I get a little ginger at first, but more than anything, this smells like cinnamon candy on me for the first half hour or so - to the point it had me craving Red Hots. In fact, I thought it might be a good sub for All Night Long - loved the cinnamon, hated the burning redness on my skin! This is all the spice without the pain.

 

Later, though, it becomes dark and sharp, with a heavy dose of freshcut ginger root. I didn't think it could get better, but it does. This is one sexy oil.

[tapestry]

I was very generously given a decant of Shub that seems to be mighty aged. It's a bright orangey-red -- mostly red -- which is gorgeous to look at. Actually, in terms of aging re: color and consistency, Shub reminds me a little bit of Snake Oil.

 

When I open the imp it's all about the ginger. Not the astringent sinus-clearing kind, but a sweet ginger tempered by some heavy duty resins. I don't pick up specific herbs, but I can see how they'd further ground the scent and prevent it from possibly becoming too sweet. This is something I'm unsure about associating with Lovecraft, but still, no complaints from my corner.

 

During wear... Well, that's a harder one. The first time I wore this was last November, and I loved it. It reminded me a little bit of my late grandmother, a very detached and distant woman whose primary culinary love was ginger, ginger, ginger. We had very little time together, so Shub made me smile at the connection. But then -- and maybe this was just my skin chemistry at the time -- I got something weird from the blend. Something which made me think of cleaning products. In retrospect, I wonder if that's the lemon note other folks have mentioned.

 

Regardless, it was weird and unsettling and I decided to not wear Shub again for awhile if ever. Well, four months later I gave it another shot, and hooray! No cleaning products! What I walked away with yesterday was a decent wear length -- probably about five or six hours -- and that deep, dark, sweet ginger all day. There wasn't much morphing, which was lovely. Still unsure about how I feel re: Shub the perfume and Lovecraft, but this is so much nicer now.

[Saya]

A wonderfully warm, spicy gingerbread scent. It's a bit buttery without being overly foody. Smells like Christmas. This is a keeper, I'll use up the imp and the decided it I wear it enough to merit a bottle.

 

Rating (1-5) - 4

[LyndaSLP]

Yum.... all I smell is gingerbread... a tangy gingerbread. Someone earlier in this thread called it "evil gingerbread" -- and I can see that. This is a gingerbread smell with a bit of a kick.

 

That said, hubby says it smells floral-cinnamon to him. *shrug*

 

Definitely a keeper for me. To me, it's more of a winter/Christmas scent -- so I might have to ask Santa to bring me some!

[March]

This scent is a testament to my dislike of foody scents. It doesn't even smell like any food I can make out (but I've never had any gingerbread, so that may help), but it's extremely cloyingly sweet and rich to my nose. Intellectually, it smells pretty good, but the impact is just too much for my stomach.

 

After a while it settles to something resiny and gingery, and that's nice, but not worth the initial stages!

 

Pity, all the other reviews sound lovely. Off to swaps and a more appreciative owner!

[CreamyJade]

In the bottle: Citrus, herbal, sweet ginger blend.

Wet on skin: Fresh lemon, sweet ginger, some herbs in the background.

Dry on skin: The same, but toned down. Not really a morpher.

Final thoughts: Despite my legendary hatred of foody blends, I decide to seek another sweet gingery blend out after being seduced by the gingery notes I smelled in Devil's Night. I managed to get a hold on half a bottle and I think it will be sufficient for me. I like how the lemon & ginger pan out, but I like muskier & spicier blends. It'll be cool for layering with something more resinous or even an incense blend.

[janelle_hell]

Shub smells like crystalized gingerroot and a Chinese herbal shop on me. I could see how someone would say it smells like spicy gingerbread, but to me it's more "medicinal" (but in a good way). Herbal and spicy and yummy, but it gave me a headache after awhile. Still, I'm glad that I got to try it.

[bubblefish]

I got this as an imp after reading the reviews, because I also love the smell of ginger. However, I was rather disappointed by this scent though I wanted to love it. When I smelled it, it was overwhelmingly more coconut-y than ginger-y. It also had a slightly sharp tanginess to it that wore off when it dried. However, by the time I got to work (1hr) the scent was completely gone, which was another disappointment.

[sirensea]

Someone else described this as 'evil gingersnaps' and I agree. It's gingery and sexy and if I could, I'd bathe in it. I love smelling like an evil cookie. *g*

[donnatron]

Bottle: Warm resins, a bit of citrus and straight up ginger oil.

 

Wet: The aformentioned evil gingerbread scent. This is a warm, almost foody ginger blend and under the warmth and sweetness, there is something dark, dusty and a little evil.

 

Dry: Evil gingerbread. Not surprising, I guess.

 

Throw: Strong.

 

Overall: I love wearing this one on cold days. Shub is warm and comforting and a bit maternal. I think it's sexy but more in that nuturing earth goddess sort of way than the ravenous sex goddess vibe. Sweet and cozy. So happy this is GC.

[CynicalPink]

Imp: That's some ginger right there. Feels a lot like the Feb 09 13 with all the spice

 

Wet: Some herbs, I think. Resin as well. But they're chorus girls to ginger's main attraction

 

Drydown: I like where this is going. The ginger is very light with the resins. It feels smells almost fizzy to me. It's definitely a ginger scent, but don't count out the contributions of resins and spices

 

Overall: Ia! I'm a fan. Not sure i need a whole bottle right this minute, but I'll hang on to the imp and see if the Black Beast With A Thousand Young becomes a star player in the colder months

[unlaced]

I want to love this one so much, but I just don't think it's working out. In the imp it smelled just like War (one of, if not my number one, favorite BPAL) and on my skin it smelled like candied ginger from wet to dry. Unfortunately, in the far drydown I'm getting something that smells like dirt... I don't know what's happening with that.

[topazphoenix]

Wow, this DOES smell like those cinnamon altoids. That's creepy. It's actually quite a good scent, but I'm getting more ginger + cinnamon here than actual gingerbread. Gingerbread Poppet has something moist and cakey about it but Shub is all dry ginger and spicy powders. I really do like it though.

[kerikeri]

This was a nice free surprise from a fellow forum member

 

It's a very sharp ginger on me. I'm not getting gingerbread cookies from it so much as really strong ginger ale, because there's no buttery or cakey note at all here. I'm getting a little cinnamon on the drydown, and something dark and smoky underneath.

 

Shub is an interesting twist on my usual foody scents, and I think I'll really enjoy wearing it in the fall.