Penny Dreadful

[filigree_shadow]

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.

There's a sort of honey sweetness to this one, but unfortunately there is also a strong dirt smell, which doesn't agree with me. I like the way it smells in the imp though, so I think I'll try it in a scent locket.

ETA: Lab's description. Edited September 29, 2007 by Shollin

[fiddledragon]

In bottle: Buttered dirt. Huh?

 

On me: This dries to something like gingerbread and dirt. There isn't anything resembling perfume, which makes me quite happy. There's something in it that almost reminds me of Shub Niggurath...some sort of spices that probably include ginger...only it's much warmer and less evil-fertility-demon.

 

This was surprising and happy.

[septima_pica]

Wow, so in the imp...yeah. I've never smelt anything quite like it before, but the closest I get is some combination of Tibetan buttered tea, unidentifiable flowers, and potting soil.

 

Well, there's dirt in it so I'm game. I put it on. Wow, that oil sure is viscous -- what's up with that? Thankfully the butter goes away, but the tea's still there...I'm not complaining, either. Still can't pin down those flowers, but I like it much better now; the dirt's more like what I remember in Nosferatu, and less like a sack of potting mix.

 

Unfortunately, within half an hour -- poof, all gone. DAMN.

[melrose]

On, wet: 2 distinct scents which don't blend together at all - I smell one then the other - dirt and almonds. Don't know about the almonds. I do know I'm in love with the smell of dirt - something I didn't know before BPAL.

 

Dries down to sun-warmed dirt. Beautiful. Not quite my HG, but probably big-bottle worthy, in spite of the fact it fades quickly. I can see numerous blending possibilities.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

in the imp: lovely, rich, sweet & delicious...

 

as soon as it gets near my wierd skin chemistry, all that yummy quickly turns into cheap perfume, baby powder and cherry coke.

 

the blends are amazing, all the notes and drydown elements -- the way fragrances change over the course of time.

and how everything smells different on one person from another.

 

EDIT:

the imp i tried before was from a large lot i got on ebay...

i've since gotten a sniffie (well, there was an eeensy bit left in the imp) from a forum member... and i swear it isn't the same scent at all. i compared the two and they're very different. the one i tried before was like.... fresh snake oil and cherry coke, but all the negative things about 'em, none of the good.

this one, that i re-tried, cuz i'm a glutton for punishment like that.... this one is like the Premature Burial (which i love) with a little more something flowery behind it.

 

i'm SO glad i tried this new imp, instead of simply going by the first test. then again, maybe i'm not glad, cuz now i have another bottle i hafta buy. *siGh*

Edited July 23, 2006 by TrailerTrashPrincess

[ajcj213499]

I was able to try this from Quikslvr's GC Cicle Swap.

 

I'm glad I was ablr to try this, because I thought it was a neat idea... Unfortunately, Penny Dreadful smells like pickled beets on me I think it's the lab's dirt note that my skin turns wonky. Sigh...

 

Edited because I can't type.

Edited June 9, 2006 by Arylkin

[moonarcana]

reviewed courtesy of Quikslvr's GC circle swap

 

 

Penny Dreadful

 

first sniff: oh my god this smells just like copper!

 

tested wet: metallic dirt.

 

tested dry: more earthy, like the smell of the dirt that clings to the tangled roots of the weeds being pulled as you get the garden ready for planting. Very strong...makes my skin tingle a bit.

 

conclusion: It's interesting and I like the aroma - but I highly doubt that I could wear this as perfume.

 

3/5

[juniperus]

Bottle: vanilla and dirt. And clay, specifically terra cotta.

Wet: vanilla and..ginger? and buttery dirt. buttery dirt?

Dry: there is something else dark here, but I can't quite put my finger on it. And a hint of woodiness. Mebbe sandalwood, but it's faint.

Later: I'm catching a hint of floral, behind the gingerbread effect. Ah, but dirt goes fairly dreadful on me as a rule. I'm not sure why. it gets sharp, and sort of oily-dirt, and just crappy. not as bad as Spanish moss, but it's not pleasant on me no matter how many time I try.

[midnight_aeval]

Got an imp of this, sniffed it, *gag**hack**cough* It smells like BEETS in the bottle! Oh no, nononono, I couldn't do this. No way I would wear this.

 

But I know things have a way of smelling awful and turning beautiful.. So, bravely, I put it on tonight, in the comfort of my own home that way if it continued to smell like beets I could at least wash it off and avoid embarassment.

 

Right after I applied I didn't smell the beets anymore. It gradually turned into a spicey soil kinda scent. Odd.. Then the dirt note disappears almost completely and all I seem to smell are spices.

 

This scent evolution of Penny Dreadful is strange... I don't know if I was quite expecting such a change! I don't think I'd buy a big bottle of it, but I am glad I got to try it.

[edenssixthday]

Penny Dreadful smells like autumn leaves. For the first hour or so that it was on my skin, I kept having memories of being a kid, jumping in the piles of leaves that were raked up in the backyard – and then having to rake them back into piles after I’d messed them up! It’s a dry, autumnal scent, full of leaves and a touch of damp soil. After about 90 minutes, the scent becomes fades a bit, but also becomes slightly sweet – the sweetness of fresh air and autumn leaves. While the scent brings back childhood memories, I don’t care for it as a perfume, although I like it much more after it gains that soft, sweet note after it’s been on my skin for a while. The scent sticks fairly close to my skin, and even closer after about two hours, but it lasts and lasts, and even after washing with soap, the scent lingers. I imagine that someone who enjoys wearing earthy scents would really enjoy this one.

[Eunice]

THis first reminded me of The Premature Burial but I swear there is a buttery, toffee note to this. I love the mossy dirt scents but the addition of the butter toffee is genius! Another love!!!

[crescentwench]

In the imp it's a warm earthy scent. I'm not getting any specific notes. On it's the same, a much lighter scent than other "dirt" scents I've tried and without any of the usual piney-resiny bits. I adore it. I think i just found the perfect summer scent - light and feminine but w/o making the bees flock to me.

[Mountaingrrl00]

This reminds me a lot of a scent I used to order from the Underground Scent Plant called Red Clay. Penny Dreadful is better, though. The earth note is softer than what's in Zombi, Graveyard Dirt, etc. I like those sharp dirt smells, but sometimes it's nice to have something a little subtler. The red-clay smell blends smoothly with the sweet ginger for a light, everyday scent that's quiet while being spicy and interestingly different.

[eggplant]

In the bottle: Dirt.

 

First applied: Dirt. I had to check again and make sure I didn't apply zombi by mistake.

 

After five minutes: Cinnamon flavored dirt. However my left wrist smells more like cinnamon with a hint of dirt, and my right wrist is more like dirt with a hint of cinnamon. I can't stop sniffing my wrist.

 

It's not a pleasant scent, but it's so strange that I'm oddly attracted to it.

 

After ten minutes it gives me a headache. I'm glad I tried it, but it's not something I'll wear again.

[portalkat]

This is so - odd. I can't stop sniffing my arm because it is so intriguing. It smells like rich damp soil, like the soil in a vegetable or herb garden. It's a bit spicy, a little minty, and has a hint of something light and floral, maybe it's carnation that gives it the spice. This is dirt that I have beneath my fingernails after I have been working in the yard all day, tinged with the spiciness of some of the plants. This is an interesting variation on the usual dirt blends. I don't know that I would buy a bottle, but it would be nice to always keep an imp around.

Edited July 15, 2006 by portalkat

[porcelain72]

I liked this one just on name alone, so I was hoping the scent would work as well.

 

In the vial it's floral, but with an odd…almond edge to it? That was unexpected. I took a long bus ride yesterday, maybe that temporarily put my sense of smell on the fritz.

 

Immediately following application the almond is gone, and I'm getting heavy floral, which is troublesome. Florals tend to be overpowering and bring up unpleasant images of funeral homes and mausoleums. However, an hour or so after, it's eased down a bit and is now a light, dusty floral. It suggests a dried bouquet sitting on a bookshelf. And speaking of bookshelves, for some reason or another it reminds me of that dry, somewhat spicy scent of a used bookstore. Of course, that might be a mental thing, associating the phrase "penny dreadful" with books. But it's certainly not unpleasant.

[Seanan]

Wet in the bottle, this smells very sharp -- so much so that I really can't distinguish notes, per se, just overwhelming sharp sharp sharpness iiieeeee.

 

On my skin, however, even wet, the sharpness is immediately vanquished beneath a tide of sweet, crushing...dirt. Yes, dirt. Once again, the smell of potting soil rises up and crushes all else on my skin. There's a floral under there as well, but it's not beating out the dirt.

 

Dry-down begins. Ah, there's the floral! Roses! Like Zombi, but spicier, and somehow sharper. The smell of ginger starts to manifest, until...

 

In full dry-down, I smell of dirt, roses, and sharp, melancholy spice, like hot tea in a graveyard. Absolutely divine. I am delighted.

[Miseraya]

I had no intentions of trying this scent, but I was generously frimped it. Thank you LUSHarick!

 

In the imp: The earty note from Zombi and the cocoa notes from Tezcatlipoca. Interesting, this isn't what I was expecting from the description at all....

 

On the wrist, wet: Cocoa! I like this, it's very reminiscent of Tezcatlipoca to me and gives me hints of that mossy dirty Zombi smell as well. There was a brief period when it began to smell very sharp, but that went away in less than 5 minutes.

 

On the wrist, dry: Fascinating! This is now showing heretofore unsmelled notes! It's beginning to get sweeter and more... fruity? Maybe?

 

Final Analysis: For the time being, this is a keeper. I have to try this once or twice more before I decide if I love it or not.

[furiana]

I.... I LIKE this one! I can't believe it. The scent disgusted me when I first opened the bottle; there's some note in here, one used in Blood Kiss, that smelled just horrible when wet. But, Blood Kiss turned lovely once it dried, so I thought I'd try Penny Dreadful...

 

I'm so glad I did! Now the earth-note is grounded as ground should be, supporting the other notes instead of covering them. And oh, the top notes! I have no idea what they are, but they're so warm. Warm like heated food.

 

 

Wet: Gack! Overwhelming, awful combination of dirt and food. (Trodden-upon tidbits? Heh. Not quite.) Unhappily, lots of throw.

 

Dry (10 minutes later): Rich, warm, and beautifully earthy. Not much throw, but that's no surprise; scents tend to become second skins on me.

 

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I recommend this scent!

[mermaidrage]

Penny Dreadful is one of my shouldn't-like-it-but-I-do scents.

 

Wet: Dirt. Lots of dirt. Dirt and maybe a bit of sugary sweetness. Not sure where the sugar's coming from.

 

On skin: Dirt, something spicy that makes me think of nutmeg and... rose? Something floral. I kind of like it although I know I smell like dirt. My MOM walked into my room while I was testing it and smelled dirt. This amuses me more than it should.

 

Dry: I don't see myself wearing this often but it is really beautiful. The dirt has mellowed a lot, leaving me with a slightly spicy, grounded rose. It still smells a bit dusty, almost like a penny dreadful would have smelled like if tossed in the attic and uncovered years later. It's warm and totally different than I would have imagined.

 

Not a bottle probably, but I'll definitely use up my imp.

[kakiphony]

In the imp: Perfume mixed with the deep, thick dust that burns out of my furnace ducts during the first cold snap of the fall. It doesn't prompt a burst of rhinitis, so I'll give it a try.

 

Wet on skin: Flowery perfume and more of that thick dust.

 

Early dry down: For once, the florals are taking a backseat in a scent on me. The grave loam/dust smell is the major note in this. It's not a wet soil though, it's definitely dusty and dry. There's something like the papery dusty note in Antique Lace in this as well.

 

Late dry down: This one faded quickly, leaving behind some baby powder mixed with the smell of a dusty attic. It's interesting, but not quite my thing.

[Seattlejo]

My first thought? Ewww. Its dirty stinky metallicy loamy dirt. There is something else in there. Reminds me of picking vegetables and having your hands in the dirt.

 

This is going to sound weird, but I'm smelling carrot? I cant put my finger on it.

Really its the first scent that I've wanted to trade immediatly

[nerdcraft]

in the imp:

Oh my god! That's exactly the smell of dirt! Real, live dirt, as if I'm running my fingers through it at this moment. That's amazing. It smells identical to the earthy, vegetable dirt smell of shucking corn that's right from the garden or planting seeds in damp soil. (To the above reviewer, don't feel weird abot smelling carrots - I keep smelling corn on the cob from this!)

 

wet:

Still that astoundingly real dirt scent! Okay, I'm trying to get over my amazement, and sniff out some other notes...there are some faint florals and spices, but it's overwhelmingly vegetable-y dirt.

 

dry:

Okay, okay, here are the florals showing up finally. This is a very smooth blend - just a suggestion of sweet perfume wafting around freshly-turned earth. Eventually, after several hours, it fades into a soft "perfume" scent, without the strong dirt note anymore.

 

overall:

This is very, very intruiging and one of the most interesting BPAL scents I've tried, in terms of both concept and the actual resulting perfume. I cannot get over how realistically the smell of dirt is replicated here, but it's not just standing on its own - it's blended with enough of the "perfume" scent to make it something special and wearable.

[Rouge]

I shall have to be awkward with this one, because I'm getting totally different notes to the majority of reviewers .

 

Penny Dreadful is, to me, the perfect scent for an audience member at Anne Rice’s Theatre des Vampires or for a Jack the Ripper victim-in-waiting.

 

In the bottle - A deep but soft floral. Despite its richness it’s not overpowering.

 

Wet on the skin – The scent of earth and dried roses lends a rich, dusty and faintly sweet note. It’s almost like dark chocolate.

 

Dry down – Penny Dreadful is undoubtedly feminine; in fact it’s almost languorous. To me it’s less femme fatale than the diaphanous peignoir-clad victims of pulp gothic horror, though. There’s a swooning richness here; it’s very sensual in a languid, bosom-heaving way. It’s also one of the stronger BPAL offerings I’ve tried, so approach with moderation!

 

Related scents: The obvious touchstones and comparison to me is Fallen, with which it shares some of floral notes, but without Fallen’s chilly and hollow core.

[Shollin]

First sniff: It’s perfume and dirt. I can’t get my nose around what the non-dirt part smells like, because the dust blows up all around it and subdues whatever else is there… but it might be a vanilla floral, deeper than Antique Lace.

 

Wearing: The dust seems to vanish on my skin, and the rest of it is really nice – rich and not-too-sweet, a bit fruity.