Bengal

[fiddledragon]

Description:"A sultry and unruly blend that emulates the ambient scent of the markets in ancient Bengal: skin musk with honey, peppers, clove, cinnamon bark and ginger."

 

Scent in bottle: Mmmm...honey, spices, musk. Sexy.

 

Scent on me (stayed same wet and dry): Cinnamon cinnamon cinnamon and ginger and what I think I recognize as saffron, and the musk is behaving itsself and yum!

 

Conclusion: So very spicy and sexy. This is what I'd hoped Scheherezade would be. On the "bottles" list.

[pennydreadful]

In the bottle: Sweet chai tea with honey.

 

Wet: This is like an Indian version of Snake Oil. Sweet, spicy, and a bit creamy. The cinnamon is the predominant note.

 

Drydown: I still smell like yummy chai. It never really changes from what it smelled like wet, which I find to be a good thing.

 

Verdict: This is wonderful. I'd like to try layering it with a milky scent to really get the chai effect. Bottle-worthy.

[PixieSkull]

In the imp: Spicy and definate ginger. Something painfully sweet on the top.

Wet: Not so gingery gingerbread. I can smell the clove and cinnamon bark and the sweetness of the ginger. Something honey, if it isn't honey itself it's a great imitation.

Dry: Powdery. I'm amazing the cinnamon doesn't bother me so much. The biting side of the ginger stayed away pretty well. Reminds me vaguely of chai tea.

 

Category: Gourmand/Spice/Chai

Rating: 3.5/5; Nice gourmand and spice scent.

Overall: I like that it didn't get too sweet and the powdery part of it was soft and not too strong. It was definately like being in an exotic bakery with spice cakes and gingerbread cookies all over. Very nice.

Edited April 10, 2006 by PixieSkull

[Naamah_Darling]

Wet, this is honey, clove, and ginger, quite rich and creamy, like spicy, creamy chai. Delightful. It smells a little like The Lion and Silk Road;it shares that round, grassy, birdseedy note, only here it's much more forward and spicy. It lasts through the whole life of the perfume, too. Very nice.

 

On, it deepens. The cinnamon comes out in a red rasp, cut with an edge of what I think is the peppers. The pepper is not a dominant note, it's just supplies some jazz. Really, the cinnamon is like a screen of scent, and everything else comes through it; it's a subtle but very dominant smell. Underneath it all is a very soft, yellow musk that melds with the whiff of honey to cream all the spices together.

 

I don't like cinnamon quite as much as this blend asks me to, but it's beautiful nevertheless. This is a spicy, lively, invigorating scent, a scent to inspire curiosity and excitement. It's beautiful and intriguing, and just a little sexy. Recommended for those who like spicy, exotic blends. The mix of musk and ginger is most alluring.

[arabella]

First Impression: Creamy spices.

 

Dries down to: Becomes richer and deeper.

 

Additional Comments: I'm very pleased with this one. I don't get the bad effect I usually get from honey, which can sometimes make me really nauseous. The cinnamon doesn't go crazy on me either. The peppers, clove and ginger, along with the skin musk, must be the "magic keys" to this one. All the notes blend together beautifully and it smells like "marzipan spiceberry" to me. A definite keeper.

 

Lasted: Several hours.

 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

[juniperus]

Bottle: Honey, first, then the cinnamon and a hint of ginger. Reminds me of this Welsh sweet honey cake I had once, years ago..

Wet: The honey, more cinnamon and peppers starting to stand out. Still very baked-good-y. Honey seems to really inflate on me, so my worry begins. I smell like...baklava. Which is nice and all, I love baklava, but I really don't like to smell like food. It's a Thing.

Dry: More of the spicy, less of the sweet. The pepper is really holding its own to keep the sweet of the honey at bay.

Later: Well, the musk never came out on me at all, sad because that could have really saved this...

Not unpleasant, but I really don't do well with foody scents.

[pickman's model]

In the bottle: Spicy, honey goodness. I get honey, cinnamon, ginger, tea (?), and pepper. Intriguing. It smells like warmth, sun and skin.

 

Wet: the honey explodes! I smell like honey with little bits of spice around the edges. My skin amps honey in ways I love, so this is wonderful. The Mate notices a slight beeswaxyness in there, which he likes.

 

Dry: It's a very "close" sweet scent. Warm, luxurious and spicy. I absolutely love it.

[Aurelius]

 

Musk? Yum.

Honey? Sure.

Peppers? Yay!

Clove? Drool.

Cinnamon bark? Yup.

Ginger? Yes, please.

 

All those notes are fantastic, but for some reason once the mixture hits my skin I turn into a scary sickly sweet mess. Just...ew. Damn skin chemistry. This is gorgeous in the bottle, but I smell like a candy that's gone off. Maaaaaan. I'm so bummed.

[kourika]

Bengal is one of the few BPAL scents that stays true to the way it smells in the bottle once I put it on my skin. The deep spicey chai smell wafts up around me as my body temperature changes throughout the day, and it lasts for hours.

 

The only downside is that I have to be careful to not overapply this oil because my skin is sensitive to the cinnamon and peppers. I don't get red reactions, but I can feel my skin itching and burning a little.

[Jettcat]

A frimp from the wonderful Scylla from my wishlist.

 

In the bottle: wet cinnamon bark, it reminds me of the tea I brew for summer and stick an entire cinnamon stick to the pot while it slowly brews.

 

Wet: The clove steps up and I'm getting a honeyed pepper note in there

 

Dry: The clove is slightly obnoxious and where did the cinnamon go?

 

1 hour later: The clove takes a backseat finally and the honey and cinnamon are the shining notes now. The pepper seems to have disappeared but a quiet musky thing is going on in the background now.

 

I'm glad I got to try this, but I think I'll stick with celestial Uranus blend for my cinnamon and clove fix.

[Eunice]

In the bottle: Creamy sweet cinnamon and clove! So far this makes me want cinnamon toast with real butter. *yum*

 

Wet: It must be the honey that rounds the cinnamon out so well. It isn't Red Hots cinnamon. This is so smooth and rich. There is just the slightest hint of pepper that gets me in the end.

 

Dry: This is so well-rounded! I want this scent to spread on freshly baked bread. This is the first oil I've tried with that honey note and I was worried about how it would play with me. I shouldn't have worried! The honey mellows out the spice but you now the spice is still there waiting to pinch you.

 

Overall: I ordered my first set of imps based on Bifemmefatale's review of Bengal and I am so happy to discover it exceeded my expectations!

[Chrysantza]

In the bottle: Cinnamon spice.

 

On me: Pumpkin pie spices with an added "kick" of something peppery. Very tingly and the musk holds it together nicely.

 

Alas, though this smelled wonderful on me I got itchies and welts from wearing it! I might keep it for a scent locket or oil burner.

[harmonyfb]

In the imp, it was a bit harsh, but on my skin, it gently warmed to a smooth scent of honeyed musk with a faint hint of spices underneath. Absolutely beautiful.

[Syzygy]

In the imp, there's the promising smell of honey and spice. On my skin, it does indeed smell like chai. I'm thrilled...until it all goes wrong. All the sweetness vanishes, and what's left is harsh and a little acrid--must be the peppers? And will you look at that, my skin is turning red! It's my very first BPAL skin reaction! I feel like I'm part of the club now. Well, at least the scent didn't work out: I'd feel a lot worse if it irritated my skin and smelled heavenly.

 

Looks like my quest for a good spicy scent isn't over yet. Fine, then. I love a good challenge. I'll not give up until the grail is mine. There's nothing for us here, lads--we're off to Morocco! (Ah, those Wanderlust blends--don't they make you feel just dashing?)

[Ryvre]

In the bottle: Spicy- like the spice rack in my grandmother's kitchen.

 

On my skin: It smells nice and spicy, but it burns. I had to wash this off before I even had time to write down notes. It burns a whole lot, and turns my skin red and bumpy.

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is a complex blend of honey, pepper, clove and some cinnamon....a bit of a woody note which must be the ginger...

 

upon application this is mostly cinnamon to me with a "tea" note of some sort...

 

this doesn't really morph much and turns into one of my fav brands of cinnamon tea with a big heaping spoonful of honey...

Edited May 30, 2006 by sookster

[gwyllgi]

Pepper and clove are two of my favorite notes, so I was really looking forward to trying Bengal. I certainly wasn't disappointed with it.

 

This is a lovely, lovely scent, sharp and heady. Rather than chai, I get tandoori out of it; it's so clear that I can nearly feel the heat of the cooking fire. Despite this, it's definitely not a foody scent. It's enticing and almost mesmeric, and remarkably true from imp to skin. The only change I get is that the honey peeks out just the tiniest bit more on my skin.

 

This is also one of the few blends that causes a reaction on my skin. If I apply it lightly, it's fine, but a good swipe of the wand ensures a burning red patch where it's absorbed. It's not quite bad enough for me to not want to wear it, but I'll certainly need to remember that light is good.

[Nekomata]

Wow! This smells like chai on me! Absolutely adore it! I must have more.

[moonarcana]

reviewed courtesy of Quikslver's GC circle swap

 

 

Bengal

 

first sniff: cinnamon rolls...fresh and gooey delicious.

 

tested wet: the cinnamon spikes a bit and the sweet takes a back seat.

 

tested dry: soft cinnamon and clove (hello clove, glad to smell ya!) and a fabulous light sweetness that holds it all together in a way that the dubious 1 out of those 10 dentists probably would go ahead and recommend.

 

conclusion: Totally wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I do. Definitely seeking an imp soon and can see this as potential bottle fodder.

 

4/5

[silver_dollar]

In the imp: Spicy vanilla custard.

 

On my skin: More spice, less custard, though it's still there in the background. That 'custard' smell must be the honey and musk together. Maybe it's the peppers or cinnamon bark doing that? It is kind of like Snake Oil without the vanilla, but it's not exactly the same. Pretty sexy in an exotic way. I think the cinnamon's the top note, but it's very well-blended so it's hard to tell. I can see why everybody says it reminds them of chai.

 

This is gonna be a big bottle for me.

Edited June 20, 2006 by silver_dollar

[filigree_shadow]

At first it smells like honey and spices. Can't really smell any cinnamon in this at first, but I do smell a little bit of clove and ginger. After a while I definitely get cinnamon bark, loudly, with a honey undercurrent. Usually with cinnamon I have some trouble with it smelling very strong (the throw is a little too much for me), and it's like that in Bengal too. However after the cinnamon fades it’s a sweet honey scent, very lightly spiced. Quite nice.

[HennaFairy]

bottle:

cinnamon, warm/spicy

 

wet:

cinnamon and spices, pepper

 

dry:

love everything but the pepper. Ack.

 

overall:

not a fan of the black pepper.

 

rating: 5/10

[misfitroxy]

Bengal is milky and spicy in the imp, like a chai tea made with heavy cream.

 

It stays pretty true on my skin, but turns even more warm and rich. If I hadn't just eaten lunch, this would certainly make me very hungry!

 

It blends well with my skin, and wafts pleasantly. But it would not be something I'd want to slather on as I could see it becoming too much too quickly.

 

The longer I sit with it, the more the clove is trying incredibly hard to turn to ABC gum/plastic on me. Mean clove!!! The cinnamon bark and ginger are gorgeous, though, and are trying to fight the good fight to keep this from turning funky on me.

 

All in all, I think I'll hang onto the imp and try to swipe it in my hair or wear it in a scent locket to keep it more true to its original state. This is a great winter cozy blend or gourmand scent when you want the illusion of indulgence without taking a caloric plunge.

[luna65]

Thanks to nursekins for the imp.

 

Imp: The cinnamon bark is quite potent, and I wonder if the pepper is amping it up, I get an incredibly hot sensation upon sniffing Bengal in the vial.

 

Skin: Cinnamon is the strongest primary note, and then about five minutes later the skin musk allows the other notes to emerge, primarily the honey and the pepper. The ginger and clove seem to merge together, courtesy of my chemistry, into something that is probably akin to a chai or pumpkin pie mix.

 

Drydown: In the end there remains a lovely spicy melange, difficult to articulate except to say that I do smell like a spice market, or at least the memory of one; as the scent quiets down but does not fade, thankfully. Bengal is delicious and enigmatic, to be sure.

[McKay]

Wow. This turns into pure honey on me. Once it dries and I take a deeper, closer sniff, I can catch undertones of the peppers and cloves taking the edge off the honey sweetness, but honey is definitely the predominant scent, which is not a bad thing at all. I really like this one; it's warm and rich, but not too sweet, and I like the scent of honey, so this one is a keeper.