Czernobog

[selkielass]

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.

 

Oh I so wanted to love 'Czernobog', and he broke my heart!

I love musk and myrrh and vetiver, and they love my skin- based on my experiences with 'Sloth', 'Phantom' and other similar fragrances, I expected 'Czernobog' to be truly yummy- alas, *something* in there doesn't like me.

 

I was lucky enough to sample Juniperus Intrepidus's imp at the Michigan meet-n-sniff- in the imp it was lovely; rich dark and musky, but as soon as a drop hit my skin something nasty emerged; bad breath. My wrist smelled like the mouth of someone who hadn't brushed their teeth in a very, very long time.

 

When I received an imp as part of a trade, I tried it again, hoping that this batch would smell better, but the rotten breath odor was there again- I had to wash it off.

 

Alas. I'll have to pass Czernobog along to someone else.

Edited August 4, 2006 by selkielass

[Dinerdulcinea]

This scent really worked on me.

 

imp: resinous and woody...a hint of pine tar

 

wet: warmer, but also more of a hard wood smell

 

dry: this has a nice, deep, woody smell on me.

 

2 hours later: this becomes even more warm and earthy on me, but also a little sweet (in a good way). YUM! I like this one!

 

 

edited to say: as luck would have it, I got this as a frimp and loved it!

Edited August 7, 2006 by Dinerdulcinea

[shadith]

Wet: There's something that gets into my nose.. at first I thought it was eucalyptus, but I'm sure it's not, it just has the same clearing effect on the sinuses. There's something beneath, bitter, sharp and dark- this is the note that completely repelled me the first time I smelled this (and it was one of my first BPAL blends too to top it off).

 

Drying: It's a solid and rough smell, it reminds me of a lumberjack kind of guy, big, hairy and as manly as it can get, with the corresponding flannel shirt I'm not sure if this is something I want to smell on me or a friend, but for itself I quite like it.

 

Overall: This is one of the blends that I completely disliked at first and even had to wash it off, but when I smelled it months later suddenly I found it rather good. Unfortunately there's this one note I'm not sure of.. it's ok when I only catch a waft, but when I come close to where I applied it it's too intense- it's so brute and wild. I guess that's the civet that disturbs me a little, but I have to say I expected it to be way worse from a few discussions I read before. I think on the right type of guy with the right skin chemistry Czernobog could be awesome.

[blackfelicula]

I'd been itching to try this one, since I'm part Slavic and curious about Slavic mythology.

 

In the bottle: This smells delightfully earthy and resinous, like Scherezade but much, much darker. I can smell the myrrh, which is a favorite of mine.

 

Wet: Rich and earthy, the vetiver and mullein bring out the depths of the forest in this blend.

 

Drying down: The myrrh supports this blend, but from beneath. It has a medicinal bite to it that highlights it like mischief.

 

Dry: This is like hearing low, deep chanting from a distance in a midnight wood. It is sacred, feral, and potentially hostile. It seems like it would compliment a mood of being utterly pissed off. It has an aura of “don’t #&(% with me.” I wonder if I can convince my husband to let me put some on him too…

 

Later: The myrrh comes out more after it’s been on an hour or so. The musks make it throb with energy. I would wear this if I want to seem especially badass. I can see why this one is a hit-or-miss for folks, but it’s a hit with me.

 

(edited for language, sorry about that!)

Edited August 29, 2006 by blackfelicula

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

when i first opened this -- without reading the description or other reviews -- i got that back-of-the-throat taste/smell that you get when you make lime kool-aid and accidentally breathe while the powder still hangs in the air.

 

when i sniff the imp, i don't get any lime scent at all, but i did at first -- from somewhere. but at least i'm not the only one!

 

i've spent a good hour reading a book and occasionally sniffing the top of my hand, trying to make note of what all is happening, scent-wise...

and failing.

 

i hate vetiver. i don't much care for myrrh. mullien, eh, could go either way... musks i love *in general* but some i don't much like (red musk)

so i expected to hate this.

 

strangely enough, i don't. i don't care to keep the imp because i know i won't wear it, but it certainly is interesting!

 

i can't describe the wet stage at all, it changed too many times.

the end result, though, is strangely specific: Gojo hand cleaner and teh Smut.

[Diva Urd]

In the vial, I get lots and lots of musk.

 

On me and the husband, at first, the musks mark their territory - it was all thick, wonderful, slightly feral musk.

 

Then, this weird pine-like note comes into play, and takes over. On me, it's still not too bad, but on my husband, the pine scent drowned out the musks and turned him into an air freshener.

 

I would have liked this more without the piney note, so I don't think I will order more, but the musks are still wonderful and I will use up the imp

[ouch!]

Czernobog

 

Hmm.....

 

Wet, this is not very nice at all, smells alot like disinfectant or something, but when it dries, there is this real musky smell that has this animal edge to it with a bit of fire also. It's horrible to say but it's almost like animal sweat or something! This scent should have been called wolf's sweat or Stag or something along those lines. Hee!

 

It does dry quite nicely though, after a while the animal sorta smell goes away and it's just very musky and calm. But still not a blow you away with gorgeousness kinda thing. It's definitely masculine though, which is probably why most people here are not too keen!

 

I would not buy a bottle of this at all.

[Trish]

This was a frimp from the lab.

 

In the Imp: Musks with something sharper.

 

Wet: Dark musks, definitely red musk which loves me, and a very strong sharp note. There's also a slight dirt scent that I'm guessing is the vetivert.

 

Drydown: That green note is getting stronger and stronger. Smells a bit like eucalyptus. The musks are very dark, far darker than what I'm used to. Very strong and has good throw - I like the throw because it's nearly all red musk!

 

Dry: That eucalyptus like note is just way too strong for me. I have to wash it off.

 

Needless to say this is not a keeper. It's a pity, because the red musk was so alluring, but the rest... not so much. I like the more masculine blends, but this one was too masculine for me.

[PurringPulsar]

Czernobog

 

In the imp: hmm, not bad! This is actually quite nice, a red/black musk and myrrh scent, sweet and deep, with a hint of earthiness. None of the civet I expected!

Wet on skin: it gets a little bit pine-fresh, but also a bit deeper as the musks develop.

Dry: this isn’t as scary as I expected. It’s actually a pleasant, dark musky forest scent, along very similar lines to Thanatopsis, and maybe Black Forest and Odin as well. This one’s a little bit muskier, with a black/red musk taking the lead, and yes there is something more animalistic about this musk than usual, but not the full on civet-fest I feared. Underneath it is a scent reminiscent of pine, and a little vetiver. It’s a forest-musk, but much darker, more shadowy and foreboding than the others.

After a while: after an hour…still no blatant civet! Just a pleasant black musk and forest greens with the sinister undertone of vetiver and a sweet, dark myrrh. There’s a slight hint of something feral, but it’s not turning to poo or anything scary like that. And the vetiver doesn’t take over either.

There are times when this scent reminds me a little of Typhon, which I love-it’s the same black musk and vetiver combination. Only just a little bit more animal.

And then the scent develops a little bit more and sweetens, there's something almost vanilla like here now. I now agree with a few reviews saying this is like Snake Oil...there's that SO vanilla musk to it, only grittier and more animalic.

Verdict: I used to think that Black Forest was my ‘Hogwarts Forbidden Forest’ scent, but actually this scent seems to fit that description better. This is a dark, beastly, spooky forest scent, the place you know you shouldn’t venture into, but you can’t help it. I admit I was a little bit apprehensive to try this after the reviews, but it’s not as bad as I expected-it does have a brush of civet, but doesn’t smell like farmyards or old man’s breath like some civet scents do-this is more sweet musk heavy, with green, earthy, evergreen notes, a hint of vetiver. In fact, I actually think Thanatopsis is more civet-y than Czernobog. I also think this scent would couple well with Nocnitsa-it has that same oppressive shadowy forest feel, only x10. I like this a lot more than expected, but I don’t know if I’d wear it much though, there’s a chance that there may be the odd day when the civet may amp, so I may swap this. But now I don’t fear the Slavic god of evil and darkness...he’s tamer than I thought he’d be.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Not really.

If you like this, try: Black Forest, Odin, Thanatopsis, Dracul, Nocnitsa, Debauchery

Edited October 11, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[QueenFae]

Normally vetiver is my mortal enemy, but I love this blend!! It's a very, very sexy red/brown musk, and there is a hint of sweetness to the undertone. This is a unisex blend, and smells fabulous on both sexes. I wear this one when I go to dark, smoky clubs because it has a lot of throw and is extremely seductive. This is a great one for when you are feeling..... naughty!

[supremegoddessofall]

Tried this at a meet and sniff. This is going to sound really strange, but it's a Christmas tree smoking pot. And I don't have any better words to describe it. It smells good, though!

[myoubi]

You know, it's not actually as heinous as I was expecting.

 

I saw the name and thought 'Oh god no...' I didn't remember the notes, but I remembered reading the description and thinking Not Ever in a Million Years. It also looks absolutely vile and dark and murky in the imp.

 

In the imp -- vetiver. vetiver and I are not friends. and... bogwater.

 

And yet! It's heavy -- but I get an odd sweetness to it, which is lovely. Less is more with musk, IMO, but this manages to pull it off. It's quite vanilla-y on my skin. I don't get any of the stinkiness a lot of people seem to be getting -- this one comes off as, really, quite sweet on me, maybe even a little too sweet. Weird.

 

Sort of nice, but way too heavy and rather too sweet. I'll hang onto it for a bit, but probably off to swap.

[Luhtarian]

This is very very rich and red... also commanding, sharp, and sort of masculine in it's wet stage. Drying, the whole thing collapses except for the red musk. Musk musk musk!

 

So... not for me, but perfect for musk-loving guys!

[jasmine]

I didn’t intend to test this today, but while taking a brief sniff, I spilled some on my fingertips... so, since it was there anyway, I rubbed it into my elbow.

 

This smells AWFUL on me. The word that comes to mind is “fecal”. I can tell it smells like something more, but I frankly don’t care to sniff long enough that I can figure it out.

 

I couldn’t manage to wash it off. After scrubbing, it muted to something that I could tell would smell like something masculine on some people. I’m sure some people would want to smell like this. I’m also sure that it utterly turns something at the pit of my stomach and I can’t get it off. ARGH!

 

I haven’t been deliberately cat-testing my scents, but the cats thought my Czernobog-contaminated fingers smelled fascinating. They were entirely unimpressed by any of my other scent-test patches. Darn cats.

 

(Edited to reword slightly.)

Edited October 22, 2006 by jasmineboreal

[Mountaingrrl00]

I smelled this at a Meet & Sniff, and was impressed enough with its in-bottle stage to put it on my must-order list. It smelled like musky, earthy herbs.

 

First applied to my skin, it's still deep, dark musk, plus something piney/astringent, something tangy/sour and a sort of fizziness, like Dr. Pepper without the sweetener. It's a bit odd at first - the sour tang is too strong for my liking. I'm hoping that will fade.

 

As it dries down, the sourness is replaced by a dark sweetness very much like Smut's. The piney, herbal quality is still there, but softer, and this I do like.

 

The shifting mixture of musks is fabulous, and the greenery cuts through the heaviness and makes it more interesting.

 

I predict this will be a lasting favorite. If you like strong musks, definitely try this.

[fiddledragon]

This scent wins for Most Impressive Morphing I've seen in a long time.

 

Mullein, for anyone who's curious, is verbascum thapsus, a fuzzy herb known for a wide variety of medicinal and folkloric powers, sayeth Google.

 

In the imp: dark warm musk; very boy-in-a-bottle.

 

On me: Wet, there's musks, some warm resins from the myrrh (which is surprisingly a rather sweet myrrh), and a mentholy note. It's not exactly eucalyptus, and it doesnt' attack like pure menthol cough drops, but it's that same cold sinus-clearing scent. I'm assuming that's the mullein, especially given as it's supposed to have healing properties for lung conditions and be an excellent antiseptic.

 

As it dries, the mullein backs off, just leaving this cold, foresty musk. The vetiver behaves itself...this is very evocative. This scent is chill and dangerous, but not overtly hostile. It's a good scent for that kind of villain who just stands there, doing nothing obviously evil, and speaks pleasant (but not seductive) words that send chills down your spine.

 

After about an hour, all the mullein has gone off and taken the vetiver and colder musks with it. What's left is the most drop-dead sexy sweet red musk I've ever smelled. And red musk doesn't normally like me! It's actually a rather odd effect -- it's one of the more deeply erotic perfumes I've come across, but while it's not unpleasant, I don't find the scent itself amazingly wonderful; it's this visceral reaction to it.

[SeaLady]

In the imp: Very dark and earthy, musky, sweet.

 

On me: Warm and dark, the dirt-like vetiver smell, musk and a slightly ambery sweetness (that might be the myrrh, I'm not sure what myrrh smells like).

I love this, but I think it might be a little too masculine for me on an every day basis. I'm not usually commanding enough to warrant this. Definitely can't stop sniffing it though.

I'll see how it smells on my boy >X)

 

ETA: I went to a Waldorf school, and there's something about this that puts me right back there, in a good way. This smells the same way the beeswax used to smell. Ah, my childhood! ::Joy!::

Edited November 24, 2006 by SeaLady

[Ahania]

The musk in here is dark and rich, but also a little menacing. When I first put it on, it's fairly mild, but after about an hour it suddenly gets much stronger, which was a first for me. I've worn it three times, and I'm still not completely sure if I love it or hate it. I'll probably use up the imp trying to make up my mind.

[forspecial_plate]

Musky, herbal and bitter, kind of gritty...reminds me of the red musk in Kabuki, Fenris Wolf, and even Mme. Moriarty, a little bit. Not sure I can smell any myrrh but sometimes that plays hide-and-go-seek on my skin. Earthy, dark blend that I can see being in the mood for every now and then.

 

Edit: I tucked this away and tried it again, about 8 months later. That much aging has made a big difference in this scent. It smoothed out a lot, and the 'grittiness' that I detected earlier is now gone. Now it's very musky and smooth, a little tart, still very long lasting and strong. Still a dark scent but now there's something almost fruity about it. I like it a lot more now!

Edited July 16, 2007 by Forspecial Plate

[phedre]

Definitely one of the more masculine scents I've tried. Spicy, herbal, and deep with tons of warmth. I ended up handing it over to a male friend of mine to give it a try as it's really not for me, but one of the lovelier deep BPAL oils in my opinion. There's all sorts of resiny spicy notes in this bottle, and I highly recommend trying an imp just for the experience!

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Blackberries and earth. Surprisingly mellow.

 

Wet on me - A murky musk cut through with sparkling myrrh.

 

Dry on me - Close to my skin its almost entirely myrrh, but the waft smells oddly of dog food.

 

Overall - The dog food kills it for me, although I'm not a great myrrh fan anyway so even without it it's unlikely that this would be a favourite of mine.

[Copia]

This was a frimp; the name wasn't even familiar to me.

 

When first applied, I was reminded of Urd or Scherezade- both of which I love. Dark and musky, with that hippy-ish smell.

 

Then it dried.

 

And the predominate note became Bad Breath. Identical to stale, scary, old man lawyer breath (I'm a young woman lawyer, I can say such things). It's horror on my wrist.

 

Washing off now.

[Voleuse]

Whoof! This is dark, dark, and heavy, vetiver and something sweet. There's herbs in the background, but they're not prominent. The musk lends a nice balance to the vetiver--it's masculine, but not too. There's something in this that reminds of Snake Oil, as well, though this is more herbal--I wouldn't say it's darker. Very sexy, very compelling, very earthy, very shadowy. Rawr.

[for_the_nonce]

Someone frimped me with this wayyyy back in the days when I was new to bpal... okay, maybe that was only two months ago but who's counting? Anywho! To my newbie-nose, it smelled absolutely rancid in the vial, thus it sat untouched in my box for two months.

 

However, today I finally worked up the nerve to try it. And it's suprisingly... nice. And quite sweet. I don't smell any musk or vetiver. The sweetness is almost eucalyptus-like, with perhaps a bit of violet? I'm guessing this is the mullein.

 

Overall, I like this blend, although it doesn't smell at all like I expected it to. However, it's not very 'me' and is kinda faint, so I won't be buying a bottle.

[Miss Lynx]

Well, this is VERY definitely a dark scent... More so than practically any other I can think of that I've tried, except maybe Malediction. But thankfully, this is a lot less nasty-smelling than that was.

 

It's not one I was ever interested in from the description, since it sounded like it would be far too masculine, but I tried it out of curiosity at a meet'n'sniff, and it didn't turn out as manly-man as I thought, at least on my skin. I think my skin chemistry has a tendency to soften dark musk a bit or something. It's by no means a feminine scent on me, but it is almost gender-neutral - dark and earthy and musky but not in that "Hi! I'm a men's scent!" way. It's actually kind of sexy - a bit strong at first, but after an hour or so, turns distinctly feminine on me, in a sort of dark, soft, incensey, slightly spicy way.

 

I'm not sure if I like it enough to keep it, but I certainly don't dislike it... All in all, one of those unexpected surprises that makes me realize I am not always the best judge of what scents will work on me and what won't.

 

Grade: B