Czernobog

[Ankhet]

Czernobog:

Created in honor of the Slavic Black God of the Dead. A nighttime god of grief, evil, chaos and woe, he is paralleled by his twin brother Bylebog, god of light, joy, order, and good fortune. A combination of three musks, with splashes of dark myrrh, vetiver and mullein.

 

In the bottle: Er...it smells like root beer.

Wet: Spicy. Sharp, but not quite in the same way as Undertow or Burial.

Drydown: The sharp has gone away, and the spicy has been tamed, but I SWEAR I smell sandalwood. Maybe it's just my brain smelling the myrrh and interpreting it as sandalwood (since I smelled it in Titus Andronicus, earlier tonight). It seems very clean...reminds me of a shop (no longer around) called Black Market Minerals. However, I don't think this is something I'd wear.

Conclusion: sell

Edited October 14, 2005 by Shollin

[carolinachiquita]

Meh - I knew I wouldn't like this one - it was a murky colour in the imp and I just knew I wouldn't like it. It was too "green" I think its the vertiver (although I'm not sure as I've never smelled pure vertiver but the word reminds me of green so it must be that!). This will be on my swapsies.

[olympia301]

 

Deep, dark, musky-down and manly, Czernobog is for strong hearted men only. It is a BIG dose of musk and vetiver, a big jolt of red musk right in the middle, I detect a civety edge here and a whiff of menthol or some sort; a little will go a long way. It makes you smell warm and sexy all right, and dear God this stuff lasts. So proceed with caution but without trepidation. It's a wonderful scent and I would love to smell this on a guy. I'm a bit too fem for it, but that's just me. In this case I would rather recieve than give, and I think of it as Hyper Snake Oil for guys. It's yummy.

Edited December 7, 2005 by olympia301

[maewitch]

This actually wasn't quite as bad as I was expecting. It's a very sharp, earthy green smell, like bitter herbs in a forest, with a faint suggestion of rot. I would not ever wear this as perfume, but on the other hand, it's not as immediately revolting as Satyr.

 

On closer sniff, it reminds me a bit of the smell that some folks with gum disease exude - I guess that's what is making me thing of specifically rotting vegetation.

 

And with that mental association, I go scrub this off.

Edited December 14, 2005 by maewitch

[Meg]

In the bottle: spicy myrrh and something very fresh... pine trees, lemon, eucalyptus - the mullein perhaps? And I get whiffs of musk in the background. The blend is dark brown, very good colour for a god of Death.

 

Wet: there's a myrrh/eucalyptus scent, with some roundness from the musc. It smells very clean and fresh, I hadn't expected that at all.

 

Drydown: Oh, now it smells darker. The musc is much more obvious, and the vetiver must have turned up, the smell is slightly reminiscent of a swamp, with wet roots and earth. The eucalyptus scent still lingers around though, keeping the smell "clean". Of course, the musc turns very sweet on my skin, then dries down to soap, which ruins the effect a bit.

 

Overall: I love myrrh, and I really liked that lemony note and the vetiver. I think this blend would probably be amazing on the right person, somber and mysterious. But it's the musc, we don't get along. Now all I can smell is lemony soap. It smells clean, but all the complexity has gone. Goodbye, Czernobog, I hope you find someone who can wear you better than me.

[SeaMonkey]

It starts out a veviter. then the dark musk takes over and it kind of starts to smell like bad breath and feces. This is not working on me at all.

[tinyvulture]

at first it smells like grape juice (the mullein, i’m guessing) mixed with leather. as it dries, it morphs into a sweaty (is there civet in it?), heavy, musky, dirty scent that i really can’t wear. it’s too strong and animalistic and earthy for my taste.

[populuxa]

I tested this on my hubs (he's such a good sport!) In the bottle & wet, it smelled like a traditional, musky men's cologne. Dry it smelled like Snake Oil, but with the vanilla replaced with myrrh. Musky and smoky-incensy, with just a touch of sweetness. So if you like Snake Oil, you'll probably go nuts over a guy wearing this! Husband says: "Hmm. It's Okay!" He doesn't perfume himself though!

[sookster]

first whiff from the imp is a lovely lime and herby incense

but once this blend hits my skin i get that same note that i got

from satyr .... i think it is civet.....

in closing, this is a crazily strong scent....probably perfect for

someone who's chemistry adores civet.....i sooooooo wanted

this to work

[sarada]

I admit I was more than a little frightened of Czernobog, and I'm even a fan of most musks and myrrh and a huge fan of vetiver.

 

This smells at first like a big dark green shambling undead goat beast in a swamp but I mean that in the nicest possible way.

 

I agree that the top note really does smell like lime, oddly enough. A pleasant lime, but over a base of .... mothballs, almost. A dark, musky, musty closet scent. Dad's suits from 30 years ago, trapped in time.

 

It reminds me a lot of Thanatopsis actually though it doesn't have the piney scent that winds through that one. As it dries down it most definitely makes me think about woolen hand-crocheted afghans stored in a cedar chest in the closet with mothballs for decades. Oddly, instead of inspiring me to think of a rampaging death creature it makes me think of a cat sitting on a pile of old linens at a great-grandmother's house.

 

Moth. Balls.

 

I'd guess this probably has civet in it because it feels like I can't quite shake this fragrance, and even a tiny amount sort of follows you around and gets into everything. If you don't mind the fragrance that is not a bad thing but this kind of musty civety smell does tend to cling on for dear life. I can't really see wearing this but it's not bad, and might have its application.

 

I'm really wondering if these are the sorts of dark musks we can expect in the orangutan musk, too. I'd guess by the color that my beloved sultry incensy red musk might be in this though it is almost buried by the others if that is the case.

[sthenno]

I wish the scent description had mentioned the civet. I try to avoid civet blends because they tend to become pure civet on me.

 

I liked the way this smelled in the imp and when wet. Kind of fresh but earthy at the same time. Lime over a dark musk base. This scent fought valiantly with the civet for a short while, but, unsurprisingly, the civet won out.

[Ryvre]

I bought this for my boyfriend. I love the Slavic gods, so I had high hopes for it.

 

This is masculine and musky. It's very heavy and sexy. I can't identify the individual notes, but they work very well together.

 

Overall I like it, but not enough to buy a bottle.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Czernobog: Knowing of my vetiver-bane, coulrophobe warned me I’d hate this one with a fiery passion. In the vial, it’s actually not that bad. It’s very, very dark – the oil itself is almost black – but there’s an odd sort of evergreen freshness above the gloom.

 

Wearing: Still doesn’t make me want to run screaming, though it’s not something I’d choose to wear. It’s a guyscent, but a dark, twisted guyscent. This is what’s lurking beneath the genteel veneer of Whitechapel. And a few minutes later… yup, now I want to run screaming. Black musk veers unpleasantly close to civet in certain scents – maybe it’s the unholy combination of black musk and vetiver, but it’s going Decidedly Funky.

[batsy]

In the vial: musky, heady, darkness.

 

On the skin: After the intial "omg NO!" because I knocked the imp over (saved it just before it spilled, luckily) now I have a ton on my hands. I was afraid I'd hate it, but now that I'm getting an over abundance of it... I'm lucky I don't. It's actually powdery as it's drying down. The myrrh and musks blend wonderfully together and you almost can imagine being in the dark with Czernobog in a daper suit from the 30's, smiling charmingly at you. I'd actually honestly wear this! All right, the gods speak in strange ways... I get the hint!

[feline.by.design]

I put a decent helping of Czernobog on my skin from the free imp the Lab has so generously given me. Let's see how this puppy goes.

 

Wet, it smells kind of oily and mystic to me. It's a familiar fragrance I've smelled before, though I can't quite place what note or combination of notes is giving the oil such a distinct flavour. It might be the myrrh.

 

After about a minute as Czernobog and my skin exchange chemistry, I get the smell of... what the... motor oil? Wait, I don't recall rubbing my arm against a greased gear dusted with lemongrass, or whatever that is I smell back there. For those of you who haven't seen Czernobog in an imp, it actually does look dark enough to be something used for a machine.

 

Okay, wait, now... it smells like minty pee.

 

:::plunks imp into swap bag and goes to the sink to wash her arm:::

 

-doreen

[emshort]

Ummmmm. Okay, first of all, in bottle this is about the least appealing BPAL I have encountered. It is thick, sludgy, and black -- if you watched the X-Files faithfully then you may remember a black oil alien that could flow into people's bodies and possess them, and that's pretty much what Czernobog reminded me of. When you put it on it leaves polluting brown-black smears on your innocent wrist. Then it hits you: a smell of Lysol, possibly backed with a few notes of urinal. Then, and here's the freaky part, it sort of starts to grow on you. I mean, you're aware that it still smells increeeedibly foul, but there's something tangy and daring about this Lysol/public toilet scent that makes you contemplate NOT scrubbing it instantly from your flesh.

 

That's when you realize that the alien mind-control thing is ALL TOO TRUE.

 

I'm gonna wash this off in just a minute. As soon as I'm done appreciating its awfulness. Daaaamn.

[euterpe414]

I got this one as a free imp from the lab a while ago. Today I finally got around to trying it...I guess I'm in the minority, but I really really like it on me. For a large portion of the drydown, it began to smell awfully medicinal, which had me scared, but after 1/2 hour it faded into a less sweet smelling version of Snake Oil. I can definetely see this as being a great scent for guys, but I will totally wear this myself when I want to feel strong and on top of things. This will definetely warrant getting a bigger bottle!

[Eunice]

I bought this just based on the name. I love the Czernobog character in Gaiman's American Gods so this had to be purchased.

 

Oh my! This is exactly how I imagine Czernobog smelling. This is is dark and rich and sexy. The tiniest bit if lime is there but it only serves to make this more alive for me. smoky and musky. A little bit sweet and a tiny bit tangy. I adore this. I feel so naughty when I wear this! *laugh*

[urbanruralferal]

I love reading the reviews for this one.

What a wierd smell. It isn't a good smell, but it fascinates me.

wet and especially during the drydown, I kept thinking of Fagin. this is the smell of a moderately malevolent acrid old dandy. You would move to the other side of the room to get away from him, unless he had some bauble or pretty silk to keep your attention, God help you. >shudder<

once it was dry, the association changed completely. It became hand cleaner. Specifically, the hand cleaner that was used at my father's old leather shop. I have vivid memories of the bathroom there, and my fascination with that hand cleaner smell. call me a freak, whatever.

My husband smelled it and said two words, motor oil.

Oh, and I could not scrub it off.

I can't bring myself try it again, although I want to. And then I thought, what about a room scent? Yeah, maybe for an industrial bathroom.

It stays in my imp box despite my purgey tendencies...

 

 

ETA: When I tried this, I did have mullein flowering in the backyard, so I had to sniff it. It is definitely in there!

Edited June 2, 2006 by urbanruralferal

[grrrlennyl]

at first: sharp and almost citrussy.

on: lots and lots of vetiver and some musk.

1 hour later: sweeter, but with the tang of vetiver.

2 hours later: warm musk.

3 hours later: warm, sweet musk.

overall: i'm glad that the vetiver didn't override everything in this blend, but it still didn't do much for me.

[juniperus]

Bottle: musk and mullien, yum!

Wet: same, with hints of the myrrh coming up behind. dark and deep and loverly.

Dry: I can catch the darkness of the vetiver, but it's not taking over! YAY! this is really fabulous on me so far, but the mullien has faded a lot, bummer that.

Later: dark- a deep dark, caverous dark, darker than a moonless night dark. only the second vetiver blend I can wear - but I am so glad I can wear this - it's evocative and sinister, and fabulous.

[Nekomata]

Very warm and manly. Czernobog is very different from anything I've tried before and I really like it. The musk isn't very strong and the vertivert I love so much is there along with that sweet juicy note. Mmm.

[edenssixthday]

Czernobog - This blend is initially very juicy and sweet, which I identify almost instantly as the scent of red musk (I love how juicy red musk is on me!) Within only a few moments, a a darkness (vetiver) and huskyness (myrrh) blends with the sweet, red musk that makes for a really thick, dark, and heavy, scent that's still got a touch of juicy sweetness from the red musk. After aboug 90 minutes, the vetiver has completely disappeared and the myrrh has moved into the background of this scent, putting the red musk in center-stage again, yet due ot the myrrh, it still has a slight incense-like huskiness to it. The throw is very strong, so I have to be sure not to over-apply, and it lasts for half a day, easily. This is such a heavy scent that I wouldn't wear it to work regularly, and would never call it an "everyday" scent; rather, it seems more of a "night out" kind of scent -- something you'd wear when you want to feel strong, sexy, and make an instantly powerful first impression. This is really a spectacular blend.

[filigree_shadow]

Let me preface my review by saying this: Generally speaking, the darker the oil color, the more I'll like it. Czernobog is DARK. Like Satyr and Smut, both of which I also like a lot. Oh, and: Red musk is one of my favorite notes ever. I also like civet.

 

Czernobog is everything I like about wearing perfume. It smells naughty and unusual and wearing it makes me feel like I'm not like everyone else. It also just plain smells good, and when I wear it I sniff my wrists a lot. However I am fairly particular about where I wear it because I know that it's not the type of scent that everyone would appreciate.

 

I had to look up mullein because I didn't know what it was. Apparently it's supposed to smell a bit like cedarwood. That must be what the sort of weird pine/mint scent is at the very beginning. It smells a bit like cleaning products, but it fades on drying. What's left is a wonderful musky, dark, feral scent. Extremely dark. Almost frightening.

 

I really like Czernobog a lot. Reading through the previous reviews, I've been in a panic thinking "Oh no! Everyone hates it! They'll discontinue it for sure!" I hope it sticks around for a long time.

 

Plus I like saying the name.

[birdiefu]

I'm the same way- the darker/redder the oil, the more I usually like it! Call me crazy, but Czernobog is one of my favorites. The initial wet smell isn't too great though, but once I get past that, it's pure dark love. But I don't usually wear it out in public much, as I'm afraid that others may not appreciate the smell as much as I...

 

Bottle: Overwhelmingly strong muskiness with some sort of sharp note that I can't identify. This is *the* darkest, deepest blend I have come across and the description fits it well.

 

Wet: You only need a tiny amount, this stuff is strong with a lot of throw. That high, sharp note is still there, but isn't unpleasant. I can smell the myrrh as well, but what dominates is MUSK!! Almost a musk overload, and I'm a musk ho. It's like it's mating season in my house and horny wolves and goats and deer are getting it on. I think I get a whiff of civet also, and for a minute or so during the wet phase there is a hint of poo...like the animals were getting it on so hard that someone had an accident.

 

Dry: The blend smoothes out a ton. The sharpness has been replaced by a mellow fruity-sweet note with the tiniest touch of spice. Very subtle, but gives some dimension to the musk. The myrrh has gone almost powdery, but in a good way. And the musks have become beautiful! Well blended and the trace of poop is gone. I do agree with what some others have said that it is very similar to Snake Oil once it's hit drydown.

 

Conclusion: Despite that poop note that shows up briefly, I love this blend. I never though I would have said that about a perfume before (it smells like poop, but it's still great ). Czernobog is a very manly scent, and I have a feeling that if I try it on DH I will just want to eat him up. Not for the faint of heart though- if you don't do musk, stay far away.