Shub-Niggurath

[Deiicide]

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

 

Shub(the recently made GC one) is the end all ginger scent that you've been waiting for. I say this lightly as upon my skin it seems to fade faster then a Las Vegas Lounge singer at a low class hotal but that's besides the point. From the bottle to upon the skin it is deep red musky? ginger with a light under current of lemon, it's rich, warm and deeellliiiccciiiooouuuss I want to gnaw my arm but sadly only after 20 minutes? It fades away into a barely there ginger scent that leaves me going eh. I have the phantom calliope which I like a bit more then this. I'm starting to think that spicy scents don't like me too much.

 

Long Wearlength, more throw dry then wet.

Edited December 27, 2006 by Deiicide

[Alanya]

OH my.

 

I've loved Shub-Niggurath since the first time I tried an imp - and I had to try it, masochist that I am. *laughing* I ended up buying a bottle to split with friends, and we counted ourselves lucky that it was "only" $60 at the time.

 

Well. The bottle came, it was the same warm gingerbread smell that I'd fallen for, all was good. Later in a swap I got another imp - and it was that other, lemony smell I'd been reading about. Shockingly - since I don't like lemon scents - this was delicious too! If anything, on my skin it was BETTER than the gingerbread one! Delightful.

 

Then it came back to the general catalog, and there was much rejoicing. I bought two bottles - figuring that it's a scent I'll want to wear often enough, and if it's not exactly the same as the Shubs I'd fallen for to begin with, well, I have plenty of BPAL-addicted friends who'd love a bottle. Right? Right. I told myself firmly not to be *too* excited, it might need to age, it might not be right, it might...it might...

 

It came today. Both bottles are roughly the same (this doesn't always happen - each bottle of Mme Moriarty I've received has smelled different), and I've got a dab on each hand for comparison. One hand smells a little more sugary, the other smells a little more resinous, but both are very definitely the lemony version of Shub. No real difference - and if you, like me, skipped to the very end before receiving it to see what others had said about this new version, here's one of the new version reviews! If you loved the lemony version, this is exactly what you were waiting for. If you were hoping for the gingerbread version...there may be a later batch that turns out like it, but this isn't it.

[slave1]

SHUB-NIGGURATH Original blend and 2006 version

 

In Bottle: Both versions smell very foody and gingery in the bottle. The 2006 has a little lemon to it.

 

On Skin: I decided to compare the two versions side by side to tell subtle differences. It also appears I never wrote a review for the original version which I’ve had for over a year. Interesting. Anyway, here we go:

 

Original blend: Extreme gingerbread. Yum, this makes me slaivate and I don’t even like to eat gingerbread! I think it’s just because it reminds me of holiday cooking and I want cookies right now!! It is warm and slightly dark, the spices so playful and teasing. I agree with the “aphrodisiacal” description because this would seduce almost anyone. It makes me lean in and bury my face in my arm… I could see other people following me around and leaning in close too. I smell ginger the strongest, but it is sweetened by a little cinnamon and clove. The resins are gorgeous and remind me of the sweet resins in Schwarzer Mond. I adore this scent. It has light to moderate throw and short to average wearlength.

 

2006 Blend: The first obvious difference is the prescence of lemon. I smelled no lemon in the original version. In the 06 version it is there, but it’s not an overwhelming “lemon blend”. The sweetness from the ginger and spices mellow it out and keep it from being too sour or citrus. Again I smell the sweet resins which are “pure love” on my skin, I could bathe in them every day. The original version is also much lighter and fades muck more quickly than the 06 version. Maybe it’s because the original is old and may be losing it’s potency? I applied the scents around the same time on each wrist, and after I sniffed the 06 version, I can barely smell the original version on my other wrist. The 06 version also seems much more moist and foody, like gingerbread freshly baked. The cinnamon is also stronger in the 06 version. This version has a strong throw and average to long wearlength.

[themerrybaker]

Shub Niggurath 2006

 

Dang this scent makes me happy. First because the Lab brought it back which t was the only way I'd be likely to try it and second because the lemon reminds me of the type of icing that goes on a gingerbread man. Up close, I also get a "coffee" impression and the resin drydown is the best thing of all.

[Eunice]

Before this became a GC, I decided not to track an imp down after seeing the price it was going for. But oh the Shub, how I love you!

 

In the bottle, this smells like a gingered lemon. More of a lemongrass lemon scent than the lemon fruit. The lemongrass plays an interesting part when paired with the gingers. And this is so gingery! The lemongrass keeps the ginger from being too heavy. I get a little bit of a resin scent but not much. I can't believe how good this gets on my skin after some time has passed. It's so very sexy. This is exactly how I want spicy scents to smell on me. Anything I have tried with cinnamon before just never really worked on my skin but the cinnamon paired with the ginger and lemongrass is pure lust. Sweet and sexy!!

[hologhost]

I just received my new bottle of Shubb last night and I love it. I had to pry it away from my mother. It has the warm gingerbread smell that I've been wanting so long.

 

That being said, I got my old imp when it was still fresh and I see two differences.

 

My previous imp from the first release did not have the lemon note I smell here. I really like it and I think it adds one more layer of lucious complexity to an already complex scent, but I did not smell in the original formula. This seems to vary per previous reviews. YMMV. If you liked the old Shubb, but don't like lemon, I would swap for an imp first.

 

It also doesn't have the same staying power the old one did. It doesn't do the fast fade some do, but the old Shubb lasted and lasted. This is about average in staying power.

 

I do love it and am so glad to have it GC.

[mmmitchell]

OK....I feel like a complete heretic.....

 

I never sniffed the original version of Shub, so my impression is completely about this new GC version. And how could I not order it, after all the love I've heard about it? And, I lovelovelove spicy scents.

 

This was the first scent I tried from my new! order! Eagerly, I uncapped the lid, took a deep sniff, and smelled........damp doggie fur. Not a soaking wet dog, just the warm, thick, furry scent of a slightly damp animal pelt. Then I realized, oh yeah, this is the Goat's pelt, sure as anything. Dark, animal furriness, NOT to be messed with in any way.

 

This took me aback enough that I almost didn't mess with it.....i.e., apply it to my arm, (because who wants to smell like a damp doggie? Not emthree.....) but fortifying myself, I did.....and I'm very glad I did.

 

After about five minutes or so, the "pelt" smell goes away, and here come the lovely beautiful spices, and the ginger-y goodness I was craving. This is definitely gingerbread.....not the overly sweet cakey Starbucks sort, but the real stuff my Momma used to make with lots of blackstrap molasses and fresh bite-off-your-head ginger. For what it's worth, I am not getting a "lemon" or "iceing" sort of scent with my bottle at all.

 

Throw seems about average on me, as does the staying power. I may try making a bit of it into a perfume spray with some perfumer's alcohol....sometimes, I find that if the inital scent is offputting at all, that will hustle me more quickly to the "drydown" stage.

 

But then again....how Lovecraftian of Beth to formulate a scent that gives me BOTH the Goat of the Woods, and her essential female nature? The morphing is a bit shocking to me who was not expecting that after reading other reviews, but part of the adventure that is BPAL is discovering how these scents unfold in a unique manner for all of us.....pretty cool

 

To go back to the beginning of my post, I feel like a heretic for saying anything vaguely negative about a scent that has inspired some of the prices I've seen (and taken a pass on....) on Ebay. But, the moral of the story is to give it a try anyway.....let the scent reveal its self to you in its own manner.

 

I also think this will age beautifully. I'm SO GLAD that it's a GC blend.

[AliBabble]

very ginger-y. at the same time cake-y, a la "eat me". it is pretty great. also pretty strange - the ginger, and a sort of lemony freshness, that smells a bit like cleaning product. but there's so much yummy rich cake-smell that it's ok - like cake that fell into some floor-cleaner, but you don't care cause the cake's so good you eat it anyway. no seriously though, i think i really like this, but i'm not sure - it might be actually too much ginger for me - like astringent gingerbread. either way, this is a fascinating scent - yummy, perky and - gingery!

[supremegoddessofall]

GC version:

 

In bottle: Slightly sweet ginger.

 

On me: Lemony ginger, but the lemon isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm still not getting what people's obsession with Shub is. Maybe aged it will be better?

 

Score: 2

[savage_rose]

In the bottle it smells like a warm, baking Ginger pastry.

 

On my skin initially, it smells like lemon gingerbread. I get the floor cleaner references though, I really do. Wow, this is intense, and I don't know if I like it!

 

As it dries though, it dries to that lemon cookie smell. Lemon and gingerbread cookies. Mmm, is this ever growing on me. What a weird, great scent!

[bombus]

2006 version

 

I ordered my imp as soon as I could, had to see what the hype was about.

 

I have had to try this one twice, the first time I wasn’t sold. It has a definitely cola smell to it at first. I keep thinking lemon cola when I put it on. Like so many other bpal scents it does change after the first few minutes and I am left with the ginger and the spices and maybe some of the resins. It isn’t as sweet as when first applied which for me is a big plus. I like the darkness of it that I am thinkg come from the resins. I like it, I just don’t know that I need a whole bottle of it.

[Lionesse]

In the bottle: mmmmm cookies

Wet on skin: OMG Lemon Pledge? UGH... no no no

 

after a few minutes of patience....

 

Ginger, lemon, sexy... YUM I love it =)

 

Scared me for a few minutes, but it turned out fine!

[tinyvulture]

i don't usually like lemon, but i had to see if shub lived up to it's hype. and it does! indeed it is mostly gingerbread -- the astringency of ginger, plus all those nice sweet baking spices. there's a strong touch of fresh lemon. there are a couple other notes i can't put my finger on -- something clean and herbal, and also something sweet and smoky...myrrh maybe? this is such a happy, comforting yet invigorating scent. i am a big fan.

[Electra]

Wow, Shub doesn't work on me even a little bit.

 

It takes on this odd dusty-metallic tone on drydown that's really offputting and unsettling. (And oddly enough, under that, something that smells very much like Catholic church incense. Go figure!) I can tell from sniffing the imp why everyone likes it so much - it just doesn't agree with my skin chemistry.

[sofaking6]

I got an imp of Shub just because it was such a sought-after scent. I'm not much for the sweet, foody scents so I didn't expect to love it.

 

BUT...I think it's wonderful. It's sooo gingery! Someone above got it right on when they said it was like real old-time homemade gingerbread, with dark molasses. It's not sugary, but rather has some sweetness to it from the lemon. Mostly though it's spices, spiced with ginger.

 

On me, it has really strong throw and staying power.

 

Nice!!!

[euterpe414]

Woah nelly! This is some gingery goodness! I think that I just was nearly bowled over by a strong waft of fresh ginger. I didn't really get gingerbread a la gingerbread poppet, but a pure fresh smell with that hint f lemon that other people have been mentioning.

 

Once it hit on my skin, I got a few minutes of lemon pledge. this really freaked me out, but I was willing to sit through it. (one of my other faves Mouse's LST went through an intense soapy phase at first and then was good, so I have learned to be patient). Like I suspected, the ginger phase subsided and I was left with a ginger/lemon spice that's nothing short of amazing.

 

This is a great scent, and I do see what all the hype was about. I am glad I finally have the chance to own a bottle.

 

 

ETA: after aging this one for about four months, the 'lemon' scent has virtually gone away. It has become much richer and 'full-bodied'- although not foodier. I guess the resins and ginger ahve melded together in a more perfect harmony. I am now completely crazy about this one and highly recomment aging it if you have a problem with the 'lemon' phase.

Edited April 16, 2007 by euterpe414

[snapesbabe]

I, too, had an moment when I first applied Shub and it went through the very lemony phase. There was an unfortunate undercurrent of vomit (which I also got with Shango). However, I'm glad I didn't go to the bathroom and wash it off, because once it dried it magically transformed to gingersnap biscuits.

 

I'll just have to hold my nose for ten minutes after I put it on, I guess.

[noumenon]

Brand new imp straight from the Lab - I get more ginger than lemon when I put it on....but dry it's all warm graham crackers, or maybe snickerdoodles, on my skin.

 

It gets very faint after five hours, but I still catch a gentle whiff of it if I turn my head or stand up. Boy, it's lovely. I can totally understand why it's got such cult status!

[Syzygy]

So this is what all the fuss is about. The legendary Shub-Niggurath, immortalized in story, song (somewhere, I'm sure) and squeeful post. The Outer God who sparked many an epic eBay battle and caused great and jealous hoarding among those who fell prey to its dark, spicy beauty. I came to BPAL a scant year ago, by which time the Black Goat had come and gone. Long have I listened to the stories and read the reviews and thought to myself, Alas, I will never truly know the dark glory of Shub-Niggurath, for I shall never have the fortune to be in its presence. And yet, this may be a good thing, for I have heard that to look upon the Outer Gods can reduce one to gibbering madness. I think I read that somewhere.

 

Then it came back as a GC, so I bought an imp. Hah!

 

There's very little that I can add to what's already been said, but I would like to address the lemon issue. I don't believe there's lemon in Shub. On me, lemon turns into King Ghidorah, a shrieking yellow monster obliterating everything around it, and that's not happening here--in fact, I don't get any lemon at all. If there is any lemon present, it's getting seriously curb stomped by the other notes (which is just fine). Think of the ginger as Godzilla, if you like, with Mothra as the resins and Rodan representing the spices and herbs--it's Destroy All Monsters in a bottle! Perhaps this is one of those 'miracle' blends that works even though it contains dealbreaking notes, but I think it's more likely that the ginger is coming across as lemony. Just my two cents.

 

As for other impressions, this didn't do much for me in the initial wet stage, but once it started heading for the drydown, all I could think was Damn, this smells good. This isn't just old-fashioned gingerbread. This is primordial gingerbread: dark and sweet and spicy and somehow dangerous. Its popularity isn't surprising: something about this blend just goes straight for the hindbrain and makes you want more. I've already ordered a bottle, and it looks like the imp is going to be naught but a fond memory by the time it gets here.

 

Thanks to the Lab for bringing this one back to enslave a new generation!

[Silverstrike]

To repeat earlier sentiments, oh my. I didn't even know I needed a ginger scent, but this is amazing! And somehow, Beth managed to make it also smell naughty--have you ever had your SO wake you up in the middle of the night due to an amorous feeling? Shub is like that--calm and sweet but naughty as well, if that makes sense at all. In the bottle, it has a bit of a cola gummi bear smell to me, which I like, but it unfortunately disappears after I've applied some onto my skin. It has pretty decent lasting power on me, and I am very happy to have a bottle of this.

[rivki8699]

I love this scent.

 

But in the imp it smells awful to me. Whatever that foody scent is that makes me nauseated, this has it.

 

But thirty seconds after I put it on my skin that scent fades, and a minute or too later the icky scent is gone. And what's left in its place is wonderful. It's a sharp, wonderful ginger. I'm not getting any lemon, but I can almost feel incence at the back of my throat when I inhale. This is much sharper than gingerbread to my nose. Maybe a ginger-drop or something. Whatever it is, it's great.

 

Love.

[northatlantic]

[2006 version]

 

Let me preface this by saying, I love ginger. LOVE. But I was unsure about this in the LE version because resins and I have a tumultous relationship. Particularly frankincense and myrrh (actually okay together, separately notsomuch. go fig). So when it said "dark resins" I was leery; what does that MEAN? But I figured now that it's available in imp form, why not give it a shot?

 

In the imp: Buttered popcorn and Pine-Sol. This is not allaying my fears at all.

 

Wet: A second--and I do mean second--of buttery Pine-Sol and then PEPPARKAKOR. Exactly like the wonderful Nyaker's orange pepparkakor at World Market that I have forbidden myself to buy any more because I'll eat the entire box in a sitting. I was wondering what I would do when my Gingerbread Poppet ran out--I wonder no more. A big bottle of this is definitely in my future, provided it doesn't dry down weird.

 

Drydown: Nope. Still cookies, although they gentle down to a softer ginger-cookie scent, more big soft cookies than pepparkakor. The citrusy note also remains, like a touch of orange or lemon zest in the frosting. Pretty good throw, I tested with a tiny wipe of the imp and it's still wafting up from my hand pretty strongly at time +1 hour. LOVE. Big bottle.

[indicolite]

Evil gingerbread is right! Huzzah!

 

However, Shub dries clear, with a clear note playing through the ginger.

 

I can see what all the fuss was about!

[Bagfish]

I wondered what all the fuss was about and now I know. Shub is absolutely amazing earthy, rooty gingerbread. You really realise that ginger comes from a root when wearing this.

 

I keep getting wafts of something amazing over the top of the other amazing scents I am testing and every time, it is Shub. I slathered some of DH as well and he smells fantastic too (and even admitted that he liked it).

 

Definitely a bottle next time I order from the lab.

[SeaLady]

I thought I had reviewed this! Apparently not ^^

 

In the imp: A little nauseatingly foody. I tend to find that foody scents in the imp displease me, though, so that's not much of a reflection. Super buttery ginger frosting?

 

On, wet: Almost like a lemon cookie. Not the superlemon of a lemon bar, but more like a buttery cookie with a little lemon.

 

On dry: A little more lemony. Hm. Verbena-ish.

 

It's the after-a-bit dry part that's amazing. It smells like a hint of a wonderfully understated slightly sweet cracker that would be served with expensive cheeses. And a smooth ginger-lemon to go with. The first stages are not my favourite, and I try not to sniff up close at first, but it's worth it for the mellowing that happens later.