Penny Dreadful

[LyndaM]

Also called Gallows Literature. A dime novel rife with melodrama, horror, madness and cruelty; a ten cent analogy of vice and virtue in conflict. Soft perfume evocative of noir heroines over rich red grave loam.

I couldn't get past the dirt note. This happened to me with Zombi, too, my skin just will not allow any other note to shine. Dirt notes are interesting and evocative, but I wish I could get something else along with it, to round it out...

[Fefferbella]

Dirt.

 

Stinky, musty dirt.

 

Swap pile with this one.

[Miss Lynx]

We got this because Kettu wanted it, not because I did. Frankly, the combination of graveyard dirt (the note that killed Zombi for me, so to speak) and traditional perfume sounded like something from my worst olifactory nightmares. All it would need would be Amaretto and my personal hell would be complete. But after hearing her go on and on about how much she liked it, I decided on whim to give it a try.

 

My first thought upon smelling it wet on my skin was that there were probably worse decisions I had made on whim, but I certainly couldn't think of them at the moment. It had exactly that sort of rotting-vegetation stench that Zombi did, combined with nasty overly sweet florals. Upon seeing my expression of distaste, Kettu came up and sniffed me, and pronounced it to smell like red musk and cinnamon. In what parallel universe? I thought. But she made me promise to leave it on at least until she got back from walking the dog, to see how it developed.

 

While she was gone, I kept sniffing it every few minutes out of morbid curiosity, and surprisingly, it seemed to be getting better. The high sweet florals began to fade, and the graveyard dirt note seemed to be settling down to a somewhat less putrefying scent, something a bit more like a normal earthy note. And after a while I could have sworn I was starting to be able to smell... red musk. And maybe even a little touch of spice. Still not loving it, but no longer hating it. This might actually be OK.

 

It's weird - when she originally said she could smell red musk and cinnamon in it, I thought she was crazy. All I smelled was rot and flowers. But I think maybe the difference in how different people perceive scent is maybe not just skin chemistry, but also nose chemistry or something like that. I guess my nose is just so sensitive to that graveyard dirt note that it overpowered everything else for me, and I couldn't smell the other notes until it had settled down.

 

Anyway, the drydown is nice, if a bit generically musky, and as a soft musk, hangs in there for a good few hours, too. I suppose this is yet more evidence not to go by how things smell in the imp, or when you first apply them.

 

Grade: fresh, F; drydown, B

[kettu]

For me, this is 100% cinnamon and red musk. It is rich and smooth, warm and sultry. This is definitely one of my most favourite scents.

 

Lynxie smelled the grave loam, which she cannot stand, but I smell no dirt at all (same imp, too -- just different noses, I guess), and *looking at other reviews* no powder or ginger or cocoa. It doesn't smell too earthy or even very foody at all. Just warm happiness.

 

The scent doesn't change, either and it has good staying power -- I just have to steer clear of Lynx until it dries down a bit.

[Inanna9]

I love dirt. I love all things dirt, and so I patiently waited on this imp from the lab as part of my first order. Okay here goes:

 

In the imp: Dirt (yay!) and...food. Did I mention I pretty much loathe all things foody? I'm a little scared now.

 

Wet on skin: The food is winning. But I can smell that sharp, almost sweet, earthy undertone. Ewww...it's kind of like carrying your bran muffins to work in an empty bag of potting soil. One that you didn't bother to rinse out first. I love dirt, but this is pushing it. I will let this dry and see where it goes...

 

Dry: Okay, this is totally different now. Wow. The baked goods aroma has settled down to a mildly warm and spicy, perfumey blend--a little sweet and lightly cinnamon. The earthy note is just a suggestion now--it's kind of dried down to that fresh sweetness that I also get from Zombi after a bit. It's an interesting combination, oddly...comforting?, but not in an obvious, warm-cookie way. The perfume-note quality gives it some aloofness, I think.

 

Much later: This has morphed into something entirely unexpected, based on my initial "Eww" reaction anyhow. It has an almost floral, perfume quality, with a carmelized sugar base note. Not much throw, and just kind of pretty. If only the dirt note could have hung around, then it would have been a big bottle candidate for sure. But I guess that's one thing my stash of Graveyard Dirt is good for--boosting the fresh earth factor

Edited December 13, 2005 by Inanna9

[ChupaChup]

I'm so glad tempete talked me into trying Penny Dreadful . The idea of grave loam certainly didn't appeal to me, I haven't gotten along with any of the "dirt" scents so far. And when I put this on, the dirt jumped right out at me but I held fast and sure enough, in just a few minutes this morphed into the most lovely, deep, sexy, spicy scent. It is very reminiscent of Shub Niggurath, a real favorite of mine, but it's much less foody. There is something killer in the drydown of both Shub and Penny that makes my eyes roll back in my head, I think it's one of the aphrodisiacal spices, maybe a pepper of some sort? The dirt smell drifts in and out and suprisingly, I don't mind it at all. This is big bottle material .

[chibent]

This is one that I tried on the name alone - I bought an imp on the boards without even reading the description. When I did later read the description, it sounded quite intriguing.

 

Wet - Mellow, almost foody, almost cookie; cookies on a wooden cutting board? I like this so far. It doesn't sting my nose, but it's still strong enough to smell easily.

 

As it dries - Something spicy apears. Smells cinnamon-ish to me. I still like it.

 

Dry - Warm, spicy. No longer quite so foody. This is okay.

 

A little later - Eek! Where did that come from? And what is it? It smells a little like leather. Wet, dirty leather that's been sitting in a dark corner too long. Everything else is gone and only this odd smell remains. Oh dear. And I was enjoying this so much earlier.

 

I can't give up on Penny Dreadful, because it was so fascinating initially. I'll try using it in a scent locket or something - some method that keeps it off my skin.

 

My ratings:

Wet and early dry stages - 4/5

After fighting with skin chemistry - 1/5

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

This is one I just wanted to try because of the concept that goes with it, although I *do* like Zombi so the dirt doesn't scare me!

 

Bright red-orange in the vial. What I get is actually more like patchouli and musk than dirt, with spices on top. It's nice, although I'm not sure it's really "me."

[walkingundine]

Penny Dreadful is odd. By this I mean that it stays true from the moment I uncork the imp to the last second before it fades entirely away.

 

It smells of dirt- dark rich dirt- and Attractive Woman.

 

I found it to be an unobtrusive-yet-unusual scent that lingers for a good five-six hours.

[smallvoice]

In the bottle: This smells like dirt, to me. Rich, earthy dirt in a dark wood. I don't like it, and I don't think dirt smells pretty, but I've promised myself I'll try everything I get, because it usually surprises me once I get it out of the imp.

 

Penny Dreadful is no exception.

 

Wet: Pretty much the same as in the imp. I almost washed it off, but decided to wait.

 

Given a chance to dry down just a bit: I can't stop sniffing my arm. I'm not sure I love all of it, but it sure is complex. The wood scent is coming out strong- sandalwood? The dirt has mellowed into a more loamy scent that I can deal with, and now a spicier scent is emerging. Peppers and cinnamon, maybe? It's all very delicious and rich, and I really do like it...

 

Just... not on me. It ultimately seemed too masculine on me. The SO agreed with this estimation. I do really like it, though. I'm plotting to find some way he'll wear it. (He's not much for scents.)

[Diana]

I didn't want to dive into a full bottle of this, since I have Alone for spicydirt, Zombi for flowerdirt, and Graveyard Dirt for dirtydirt. Perfumey dirt? I am not so sure, so imp for me.

 

In the vial, it's a weak earthy scent.

 

Wet: soapy dirt. Kind of an oxymoronic combination, but yes. Soapy & dirty.

 

Initial drydown: The soapy note kives way to a gingery kind of scent, but there's still a bit of of sharpness to it that I'm not too fond of. Also, dirt.

 

Drydown: The dirt note morphs a little, into a musky patchouli of sorts. Sort of like a milder Urd. The ginger becomes a bit more cinnamony, but very faint. In fact, the perfume as a whole is fading quite a bit now, though I've only had it on for about 4 hours. There is still a very slight tiny sharpness to it; possibly the ginger.

 

I love the drydown, but it did take a while to get there. I would like this more without the soapy note, which I'm guessing was the ginger all along. It's nice, but for me, I think Alone fits the bill of spicydirt with much more enthusiasm.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Gingerbread, chocolate brownies and dirt? There's something that reminds me of an old book store, possibly the mixture of dankness and spices. It's hard to explain, but I love this smell.

 

Wet: Much the same as in the bottle. I think there's a hint of orange in there, or perhaps neroli.

 

Drydown: Still not very different than in the bottle, and still strangely very delicious. It smells of dust and dirt, with a variety of spices, ginger and cinammon I think, and probably orange blossom. There's tea in it, too, and probably some woods, I couldn't tell which. It smells spicy and woody and just a tad bitter with earth.

 

Overall: My first reaction to Penny Dreadful was "this reminds me of England". I couldn't explain why, it just did. Now that I've sniffed it closer, I know why: it smells so much like all the second-hand book stores I visit when I'm in England, or my relatives' houses that are absolutely full of books, but also very much lived in. It smells like a place where the books are old and a bit musty, but have also taken on the scent of tea and ginger biscuits and a hint of Cologne. That's Penny Dreadful, she smells exactly like a book waiting for you in a second-hand book store. It's beautiful, I absolutely love it. I might even get a big bottle...

[provocateur]

in the bottle: Mmm. dirt. loamy-red goodness

 

wet: There's a sharp tangy note to it - after going through the reviews I'm going to say it's probably the ginger

 

drydown Vintage books! Musty, earthy with some added lovely spice to it. I'm adoring it so far. ... about 5 minutes later there is that dreaded floral powder going on. Oh woes!

 

30 minutes after application I get a case of the oh.woes! right about now. The "soft florals" have gone a bit hodge-podge on the Vintage Books + Spicy I was giddy over.

 

60 minutes after application: the powder has faded and there's a resiny earthy overtone (patchouli?) to the powder.

 

Out of 5, 5 being the best, this gets a 3.

[Kittyflop]

Very perfume-y, and definitely noir-ish. This is a nighttime scent only for me, if I try it in the day I feel like I’m wearing a theatrical costume. But at night, especially in a dark lounge, it’s perfect…. Murder is just a smoke swirl away!

 

This last forever, too – very potent.

 

Earthy, spicy and just perfume.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: salty and...corn chips? weird.

on: this is much prettier now. there's a sweet, almost foody note to this. very pretty.

half an hour later: soft and sweet. i like this a lot.

1 hour later: still sweet and lovely. i really like this.

2 hours later: very pretty and light.

overall: i'm not sure about this, but i think i'll hang onto it for a while longer.

[Tess]

This one seems to run the gambit as far as scent goes. To summerize previous reviews, this seems to be fruity/sweet/gingerbread/chocolate/floral/spicey... dirt. Let's see what my skin makes of it.

 

In the bottle - Well, it's certainly a loam, and I can indeed smell a touch of ginger, fruit (grape? Something of the juicy family), and a tiny hint of some sort of white floral.

 

Wet - Ginger dirt. Whoo, my sinuses are clear!

 

Drying - The ginger is mixing with something that smells like mole (spiced chocolate), so I can see why people think it smells like gingerbread. That over the loam is really interesting...

 

Dry - The gingerbread smell is backing off and a scent like a milder, gentler Queen of Clubs is coming out. Dirt underneath a grape vine. In fact, the ginger has pretty much completely disappeared now, with the loam being the main scent.

 

Overall - After the first few minutes, it turns almost into Graveyard Dirt on me. This is a Good Thing , seeing as I love that smell of dirt. It's quite a bit fainter than GD, though, with just about no throw. I have to press my nose to my wrist to smell it. I'll try it out a bit more and see if this "maybe" turns into a "YES" for me.

[fiddlehead]

I was really looking forward to this one because I love Zombi and want to try all of the scents with dirt/moss notes.

 

Wet: That's dirt, alright! Different from the Zombi dirt but I really like it. Mixing with the dirt is something sweet. Flowers of some sort or is it a vanilla? It is a bit spicy as well, but not hot spicy. That must be the ginger note people mention.

 

Dry Down: I really like this. Sweet and dirty at the same time. And it lasts well without being overwhelming. The dirt becomes a bit less obvious and the sweetness comes forward over time, but it's still grounded by the dirt. Heh.

 

Might have to get a 5ml of this.

[WidgetAlley]

Got this as a frimp in a swap with Ms. Density. Mad loff, gorgeous. With my newfound luck with BPAL's dirt note, I'd been wanting to try this quite a bit...

 

In the Imp: Mmmmmmmmaaaaaack. <-- That's a fair approximation of the noise I made upon first sniff... this is all spicy gingery cocoa goodness for about half a second, and then I'm smacked in the gob by a really, really strong dirt note. It's not the wet rich loam I remember from Jazz Funeral, nor is it the red grave dirt that so unsettled me in Zombie... it smells a bit like potting soil: fertile but very very dry. If I take a proper inhale I can smell other stuff lurking behind it, but it's a bit hard to tell what the other notes are.

 

The soil note is kind of scaring me. Think I'll apply with a light hand.

 

Wet: (This one's quite viscous, too. Cool.) For the first thirty seconds, this is All Dirt, All the Time... then other things start to emerge, softening and sweetening and lightening, thank heavens. I can smell something a little powdery, something a little spicy, something a little bit like cocoa. There's something incensey swirling through the background.... It's surprisingly pleasant, as bizarre as it sounds, and I'm pleased the dirt is being kept in check. I can see how, if you removed that, this would be very femme.

 

Dry: I'm getting what might be a light floral, now, but mostly it's still an indefinable haze of earthy sweetness. If I had to take a guess at the notes, in addition to the obvious dirt, I'd say.... ginger, cocoa, lily, violet (I think that's what's providing the powdery smell), sandalwood and something sugary. Maaaybe dark or red musk, maaaaybe black amber-- there's definitely something anchoring the entire blend beautifully. And, yes, it is a little creepy, but not so much that I couldn't wear it.

 

I have mixed emotions on this one. On the one hand, it's amazing. On the other, I'm not sure I'd ever actually wear it. I can't think of many situations that call for smelling like I'm a Noir heroine out for revenge. On the other other hand, the name is brilliant and I love how evocative this is.... I think I'm going to have to sit on it for a while, and see how often it gets pulled out.

 

Funny how a little glass vial can hold so much story.

[Ryvre]

In the bottle it smelled like dirt and butter. Or maybe buttery cookies. Once I wore it a while, the dirt faded out, and it just smelled like butter. There are a couple other notes in there- maybe chocolate, ginger, something that might be vanilla- but they're overpowered by the dirt and butter. It might work on somebody, but not on me.

[loves_requiem]

Got this from Ryvre

 

 

mmm kay....on to the review

 

Imp: Commerical perfume...like, the old kind that grandma had on her bathroom shelf that was there for so long, the bottle got stuck to it....

 

Drying down: Floral...still getting that commerical feel from it, but its going away. No dirt/soil/earth...damn.

 

Dry: ok...this is weird. it how I would think an antique amber *should* smell on me...a little baby powdery, rich and slightly sweet...

 

im getting a *feel* of loamy earth...kinda like when your lying on your back in the cemetery during a windless cool night, and your roller ball antique amber perfume is wafting lightly around you, and your rouge red lip stick (the hard kind in the lil gold tubes) is smeared slightly from kissing a stranger.

 

after the initial stage, its not so bad..i went thru a phase where it kinda reminded me of Coke...but this is actually rather pretty.

 

Very noir.

Edited February 25, 2006 by Love's Requiem

[Heretic]

In the vial: Beth's infamous dirt note, but somewhat subdued.

 

On my wrist, wet: Dirt and...butter?

 

After 20 minutes: Dirt, butter and something that wants to be spicy. Rolling up my sleeve, because I don't think I want this on my clothes.

 

After an hour: Thankfully, the butter faded and I'm left with vaguely spicy dirt. Keen on the dirt, not so much on the spice. I have to day this is my least favorite of the dirt scents, but I'll try it one more time before giving the imp away.

[Caltha]

Penny Dreadful

I got this imp for a friend but I had to keep it because I love it so. It's one of those "natural" BPALs that are the farthest from any generic perfume. True wet earth with dry leaves and at the same time sort of spicy and boozy and warm. It has a hint of potpourri, which I normally detest, but as long as I associate it with dry autumn leaves it's fine.

[Clare-Dragonfly]

Gift from Penina.

 

In the bottle: Weird. I really don’t recognise any smells here. A tiny bit spicy, maybe?

 

On me: Still the same sort of weird, reddish smell.

 

After a while: Incense-y. My friend thinks it smells like old books on her, but I really don’t smell it. It might be layered a tad over The Hesperides, but that seemed to be pretty well faded.

 

Second try: This sweetens after a while—it’s sugary, like Snake Oil, but while Snake Oil is white and yellowcake, Penny Dreadful is dark red. Gilly fell madly in love with this when she gave me a hug and smelled it, so I gave her the imp.

[tinyvulture]

this is rich, fresh, moist earth (as opposed to the dryness of Zombi) blended with sweet, slightly spicy florals (roses, mostly). if you don’t want to go around smelling like dirt all day, it’s ok -– the soil scent fades after awhile and you’re left with just a hint of earthiness combined with the lovely floral perfume -- just enough to keep it interesting as you sniff your wrist over and over, as i am doing now.

[elphaba]

A wonderful, evocative scent. I definitely can smell the rich loam, especially when it's wet. When I think of noir heroines, I always imagine the scent of their perfume lingering in the air after they leave room, taunting the hard-boiled detective with the memory. For that reason, I expected Penny Dreadful to have not just a bit of throw, but massive, major THROW. It didn't disappoint. The perfumey part is floating around me in a cloud, even though I only applied a swipe of the imp wand to each wrist. Surprisingly, it's not TOO perfumey and it's definitely not flowery. It's a warm, sweet perfume that meshes perfectly with the dirt underneath.

 

The first time I tried this, I wasn't in love and planned to swap it as soon as I wrote up my impressions, but the process of writing this review and thinking about how well it does what it set out to do almost has me convinced to keep it. I guess I'll just keep it for a bit longer and see if I ever reach for it. I am weak.