Elegba

[Alchemy21599]

The Spirit of the Divine Messenger, the Lord of the Crossroads, He Who Owns All Doors and Roads in this World. He is the intermediary between the Orishas and mankind, and stands at the intersection of humanity and the Divine. He opens all paths of communication, both mundane and Heavenly. His ofrenda contains coconut, tobacco and sweet, sugared rum.

I received this as part of a swap with the lovely caramialove.

In the vial: caramel and toasted coconut. Yum!

Wet: this scent was saved from sickly sweetness by a lovely smoky herbal note or notes.

Dry: OMG! Love this! I think this may be my scent for Halloweener. This reminds me of Trick or Treating while the scent of a burning leaves hangs in the air.

[Eunice]

Holy COW!! This is utterly boozy and creamy. Normally I would steer clear of the boozy scents but Elegba keeps drawing me back for another sniff. The cocunut isn't strong enough to make me think of suntan lotion which is a bonus. How lovely!!

[blackfelicula]

In the bottle: Elegba smells like butter rum pushing into the scent commercial candles in butterscotch or caramel.

 

Wet: I can catch a whiff of coconut and tobacco, but that candle-caramel / butter rum scent is dominant.

 

Drying down: Something warmer and more herbal is rising up a bit, perhaps the tobacco. It is still on the candle-like side.

 

Dry: Elegba has sweetened up some. My skin seems to do that to many scents. So far I can’t shake its resemblance to some foody candle scents. I don’t mind foody scents, but I’m not fond of many candle scents.

 

Later: It is still candle-like. I’d wanted to like this one ever since I walked into the local Santeria shop and felt an affinity with Elegba. I’ll probably try it one more time, but I’m not fond of scents that are too candle-y.

[Trish]

In the imp: Malibu! (The drink, not the place). But it's creamier than Malibu too. *sniffs again* Almost like it's been mixed with a little Bailey's or something. *sniffs again* Maybe butterscotch schnaaps? *goes to sniff the bottle in the cupboard*. Oh yeah, butterscotch schnaaps for sure!!

 

Wet: I want to lick my wrist, even though I don't like the taste of coconut at all. It's not at all like suncream lotion though, it's a much softer, rounder, creamier coconut. And rum with a hefty dose of brown sugar. Lots of rum. It's very sweet.

 

Drydown: The coconut becomes stronger than the rum, and just the faintest hint of tobacco comes through. This is my first tobacco scent and it probably won't be my last judging by this! I just wish it was a little stronger and would cut through the sweetness of the coconut a bit. This is extremely almost cloyingly sweet.

 

Dry: Oh thank goodness, the sweetness has backed off a bit (although it's still very sweet) and the tobacco leaf has come into it's own. It's not very strong, but it's definitely there with it's somewhat spicy almost tangy scent. This really works with the much sweeter notes.

 

This doesn't last long on me though. Two hours later and it's just about all gone.

 

This could have been so wrong for me. Thanks to my sister and her coconut obsession I have gone from liking it a lot to becoming nauseous at the scent of it. Then there's the rum that since a drunken night many many years ago has often had the same effect. Plus I'm not a foody person. And yet the two combine with the tobacco here to make a wonderfully decadent scent. In fact it's the tobacco that saved this from becoming just too sweet and foody for me. I won't get a bottle of it since I doubt I'll actually wear it much (this is SO not a work scent ), but it will make a lovely addition to a hot summer evening.

 

It could also be the scent to enable my sister with.

Edited September 7, 2006 by Trishek

[Miseraya]

In the imp: Coconut! Definitely a foody coconut and coffee? Maybe? Something dark and damping down the sweetness of the coconut. Maybe booze? That would make sense...

 

On the wrist, wet: Before I even put my nose to my wrist I get a big waft of boozy coconut. This is a different coconut from Black Pearl, there is no suntan lotion overtones to this coconut.

 

On the wrist, dry: This is precisely what the description says, coconut, tobacco and sugared rum. Gorgeous.

 

Final Analysis: Despite the fact that this scent really isn't me, I still love it. It is dark, sweet and sexy and definitely puts me in mind of voodoo. Lovely. A very magnetic and alluring blend.

[arachne]

Yessssssss!!

 

This is exactly what I hoped it would be. At first in the bottle all I smelled was coffee and I didn't know how to feel about that really. but I tried the tiniest dab on the back of my hand and there it all was....the coconutty tobacco rummy yummy deliciousness. It's drying down beautifully too. Hmmm, what's that I detect? Maybe a hint of something spearminty. OMG! Whatever it is, I'm ecstatic about it. This is love and I think I may have to get a bigger bottle of this baby!

 

:D

Edited October 5, 2006 by arachne

[aquazoo]

The rum, definitely the rum is what I get first. Whoo! The spiciness is coming through now. Very similar to Drink Me. It fades down into a pleasant masculine, and I can smell all the notes now.

[sarahj]

Elegba

 

in imp: waxy coconut rum

 

wet: coconut and butterscotch

 

dry: dries a lot less sweet...coconut with a faint whiff of tobacco

 

verdict: nice, but I don't need a bottle...the two imps I have will do

[supremegoddessofall]

Tried this at a meet and sniff. Yummy! Very foody. The overall effect is a warm buttercream.

[Natch]

in bottle: caramelized sugar... a little boozy. A tiny bit... cherry/fruity? It reminds me of something I've eaten (or drank?) before, but I can't seem to place it. Oh, maybe butterscotch? But like, melted, strong, boozy butterscotch.

 

wet: a little less intense, but still very sweet. Definitely caramelized sugar. I can smell a touch of the smokiness/tobacco now as well.

 

dry: toned down a bit more into something more subtle and sophisticated. It is still butterscotchy and reminds me a little bit of some sort of coffee mate, maybe vanilla or butterscotch if there is one, but more intense, scent wise.

 

overall impression: This is more sophisticated than I expected, while still smelling very yummy and foody. It stays pretty close to the skin, and the throw is nicely muted. I like it, but it's not something I'd want to smell like all the time, and I don't think it merits a bottle, especially since I have some sugar skull ('06 and possibly '05) coming my way, and I have heard comparisons between the two.

[Dinerdulcinea]

imp: coconut! Sweet food (cake?)!

 

wet: tabacco, dirty smoke, rum, coconut

 

dry: it smells like burning dirty tabacco. EEEEW! I like the smell of unlit tabacco, but not lit. Also, I have finally discovered the baby powder butt smell from Juke Joint---it was the booze! After being nice and lovely, the run here started to turn to baby powder. The coconut is nice, though. If it were just coconut, sugar, and UNLIT tabacco, it would be lovely. Oh well. Swaps!

[lanablade]

In the Imp: Caramel. Really really good gourmet caramel.

 

Wet: This has a very sharp sugary note for the first few seconds, then calms down to a definate coconut and tobacco scent. I can smell the rum and coconut mostly on the throw, not really if I sniff up close.

 

Dry: A slightly astringent tobacco (might be the rum) up close, and coconut macaroon throw. Yum.

 

REALLY dry: Very soft tobacco and coconut. I really like this one. Yay one for the favorites box.

[maijasu]

In the imp and wet on my skin, I get fresh, sweet coconut and buttery rum.

 

Dry on my skin, it has a bit of a plastic note. Boo.

 

I'm hoping the plastic is just a fluke, because otherwise, this scent is a love. I'll be keeping my imp and hoping for the best.

[Gale]

This is one of my favorites and I can't believe I didn't review it before.

 

Wet: Smoky, sweet, coconut and rum.

 

Dry: Still sweet and smoky. A rich buttery (but not foody) scent emerges and joins with the coconut. All in all it's warm, comforting, and gorgeous. AND, it lasts all day on me!

[grifyn_whiffs]

Oh, Elegba is beauty in a little imp. Every note is clear and wonderful - the coconut and sugared rum could very well make this one cloying, but it's flawless. The tobacco keeps it from going all plastic candy. True, it does waft (on me) as Coppertone tanning lotion, but that's a very happy-making smell for me.

 

The summer of my 11th year, the generous mother of a friend bought me (and her own children) season passes to the local water park, and as she was charged with babysitting me and a few others (a sort of unofficial daycare), we spent about 2-3 days a week there one summer, and it was awe-inspiring and fun. Whenever I hear the songs from that era (schmaltzy sugar pop though they are), I smell chlorine (not in a bad way), sunshine, bare feet and tanning lotion. She (my friend's mother) was a bronzed, brazen Amazon woman with a short spunky 'do (think Jamie Lee Curtis-ish) and always had the telltale brown bottle at her side while we raised hell in the wave pool or waited in line at the water slides.

 

Elegba made that memory sort of POP in my mind -- of just being happy and splashing around in the sunshine for a few brief months.

 

I need a 5ml of this in the worst way.

Edited December 25, 2006 by Grifyn

[Meg]

In the bottle: Pleasantly sweet coconut.

 

Wet: Rather green coconut, probably some tobacco and rum.

 

Drydown: Rum becomes stronger and dominates over the rest in its typical "burnt sugar" way. There's still something green and herby at the back and finally the coconut makes a comeback, very foody. The tobacco just adds a bit of a smoky edge, but I don't really smell it much. It thickens as it dries, becoming foodier still, with hints of tobacco.

 

Overall: This reminds me quite a bit of Port-au-Prince. The dominant notes are rum and coconut, which place it in the foody category, specially as I don't get any tobacco out of it. I don't find it particularly evocative or interesting, but it'll certainly make coconut and food nuts happy.

[Ahania]

How much good can I say about Elegba? It actually smells like coconut rather than coconut-scent (ie Malibu). The rum sweetens it up more, but the tobacco is just right to balance and ground it, so that it's sweet but never too much so. After while the coconut mellows down and the rum and tobacco really come into play. It lasted on me longer than most scents, too- I woke up this morning and could still get a whiff. It's a very friendly scent.

[aestien]

Bottle: sweet coconut and rum

Wet: coconut, rum, woody tobacco, reminds me of summer

Dry: crap, something powdery creeps in, messing up the yummy coconut rum

 

For some reason, on my skin, this mix dries down to remind me of the smell of the cardboard of a toilet paper roll. So weird, my skin chemistry.

[evcelt]

Strong coconut in the imp, not much else.

 

Wet, it is coconut with something else- a sharp smell. It's maddeningly evocative of something, something... it makes the whole effect something like pina colada, almost a pineapple scent. Could it be the tobacco, or the burnt sugar that other people were noticing?

 

Eventually, it becomes mostly the sweet rum- a really rich and not at all cloying sweetness, with still that hint of coconut.

 

Aye Legba! Ayibobo!

[GoldenRubee]

Imp: Oh my! Coconut and vanilla (must be the burnt sugar)

 

Wet: Coconut, rum, sweetnessssss

 

Dry: Yummy coconut, rum and warm vanilla sugar

 

I have to have at least one bottle of this! I LOVE it!

[modernsaints]

In the imp, Elegba is going "LOL BUTTER" at me. Not even a good butter - just those weird buttered-popcorn jelly bellies. Wha?

 

Wet, it's still butter. Oh.

 

As it dries down, the coconut makes its way out, but it's more of a meaty coconut and not a sweet coconut milk... combined with the hint of butter (no rum) in the background, it's just altogether too weird for me. Again, the madre loves it though, so it's all hers.

[Analise]

In bottle: sweet and wonderful

 

Wet, on skin: a little rum-y, still sweet and wonderful

 

Drydown: stiiiiill sweet and wonderful

 

I wasn't entirely sure what I'd think of this one, but I think I like it.

 

EDIT: I put this on this morning before I left for work. It's been two hours and I'm still smelling it. I feel like I'm in a sweet, yummy cloud. And though I keep saying it's sweet and yummy, it's not really "foody" and... just...I've got an imp of this, but I think I might need to make this my first bottle. (and I so thought it'd be Anne Bonny. Hah!)

Edited March 23, 2007 by Analise

[Extispex]

I'm wary of coconute scents, but I feel a connection to Elegba so I had to try this. An evil enabler sent me a decant with a forum order. In the vial, very boozy. I'm developing an affinity for liquor scents and this smells so tempting I almost want to drink it.

 

Wet on my skin, blam! coconut. Its almost too much but it tones down quickly.

 

Upon drying, oh yum, sweet rum. Its beautiful but subtle. Not a reeking boozehound, but more like the flirtatious wink of a tavern-wench. Rum and sugar predominate, but supported gently by the tobacco and coconut notes.

 

Not strong, but on me it has good throw and smells absolutely delicious. I could eat myself.

[wikkidraven]

where obatala is a breath of fresh coconut, elegba is drenched in rum, and smells like a cake. not at all unpleasant for a 'foody' scent lover like me, but as i'm a true obatala convert (and proud parent of a 10ml) i think elegba would be one coconut scent too many.

 

that said, i might wear this when i want something darker, and sexier than obatala.

[mtlaise]

Wet, this was very boozy indeed! I instantly got sugared rum, with a hint of tobacco close to the skin. This stage is really interesting. Unfortunately, my skin amps the tobacco note. As it dried, it began to overpower everything, leaving a tobacco scent, with a background of rummy-sweetness, and a hint of coconut... not a good blend for me. too bad, because i do love bpal's rum note.