Dee

[Neely]

... His scent is soft English leather, rosewood and tonka with a hint of incense, parchment and soft woods.

In the bottle: Surpisingly light, and powdery. Can't really tell any notes, just the overal feeling of lightness, like a crisp white ruffle sleeved shirt, open at the neck as the ties have come undone exposing a male chest. Hmmmm.... conjuring up romantic male chest in old English garb.

Dry down:. Still the same. I don't get any seperate notes from this. It is so well blended. Still fresh, still clean, still powdery, more "feminine," at this stage. Also get a green herbal type scent to this. It is an undercurrant. Faintly sweet, not rot your teeth, just faint. Also a faint bitterness to it. This is lovely!

30 minutes: That is strange, the "baby powder" smell gets stronger. Smells very much like Dragon's Blood. That isn't one the ingredients, nor is Dee pinkish, or reddish to indicate such an ingredient. My chemistry amazes me sometimes. I don't generally like powder, but Dee's powder is liveable. In fact I am falling in love!

Over an hour: Ok, now this is getting more "masculine," but still gender neutral. I mean the leather gets more grounding. It smells absolutely divine!

Conclusion: This is fantastic! I am smitten with Dee. He and I are going to have a wonderful affair. I see a big bottle in my future, when I am done with all the Yulies. Dee is sexy, and wonderful. In fact, he is what I thought Herr D would smell like. And The Rat King, is what I expected Dee to smell like (what can I say, I am a BPAL newb). Dee is Herr D's younger brother. This is not as heavy as Herr D, so women like myself who don't do florals, this is something you should try. Or slather it on your guy. This makes me want to find mine and surprise him.

on a scale of 1-5, Dee is definitely a 5. Edited September 30, 2007 by Shollin

[wanderingredhead]

This was a frimp from the lab, and I'm so glad I got to try it, because it is DIVINE.

 

The leather is apparent when it's wet, but it mellows on drydown and blends beautifully with the woods. Oh, the woods are just so yummy. It's a very dry scent to me, like a library full of old books and mellowed woods has been kept warm and well ventilated to keep the damp out.

 

Like other reviewers, I found Dee a little too masculine to use as a personal scent. I think I'll keep the imp for cozy evenings at home, and maybe on the offchance that I get the chance to slather it on an SO.

 

edited more than a year later, after a BPAL break. I was retrying all the scents I remembered liking and this has rocketed to my top ten. It's still sort of masculine, but after a couple of hours it sweetens up a lot on me and becomes extremely well blended delicious sweet spiciness. gorgeous.

Edited January 29, 2007 by wanderingredhead

[AliBabble]

this was an exciting frimp from the lab, and i have been wanting to try dee, as i love the idea of it... it smells really lovely in the imp, but doesn't work too well on my skin. at the start, i smell a decent balance between the leather, incense and rosewood. really nice. the problem is, something - the incense? - gets sweeter and sweeter on me, till it gets kinda out of hand. then it begins to take on the man's cologne thing, and doesn't work so well on my skin. it ends up like a man's cologne-y soap on a roap.

[SeaMonkey]

it starts out very masculine, but in about 30 minutes, I'm getting this beautiful woody tonka scent and a slight undertone of leather. I was going to count this out and put it in the swap pile because its too masculine, but wow, after about 30 minutes, I'm so in love with this. I love woody scents and the tonka adds a nice bit of sweetness. Thankfully, the leather and incense only compliment and don't over power

[siddal]

Subtle spices and warmth with a slight smokiness and a pervading scent of leather mixed in, even on dry down. For me, this is too masculine. But I would it if I had a man in my life who could wear this. someday, eh?

[arabella]

First Impression: Floral, Lavender maybe.

 

Dries down to: Develops an undertone of amber and patchouli; then, finally turns to spiced marzipan.

 

Additional Comments: Initially, I find it nice but very assertive - a bit too masculine for me. Then, it dries down to a gorgeous spiced marzipan that I can't get enough of. On reading the description, I'm officially declaring my nose "out of order". I got nothing right on this one at all - no leather, tonka, parchment or wood - and maybe just a hint of the incense. What I do know is that this is what I would want Jamie Fraser (the Outlander series) to wear - absolutely irresistible.

 

Lasted: Several hours.

 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (on my man)

[septima_pica]

Huh. That's funny. At first, this is totally a bottle of men's cologne - distressingly so. That lasts for 10 minutes or so. At the end of this period, though, the cologne fades away entirely, leaving the most delicious scent - incense, vanilla, leather, rosewood, resin, and something unidentifiable. What's tonka supposed to smell like?

It's an androgynous smell, in a passionate old-fashioned scholarly sort of way. Perfect. Holy crud, I need a big bottle of this. Maybe I'll try layering it with a bit of something with tea or dirt in it - Nosferatu possibly?

Mmmmm.

 

Edit: Aha, I just figured out what tonka smells like. Now I know -- that sweet dark smell is a combination of tonka and pipe tobacco, nothing to do with vanilla! No wonder it worked -- vanilla never smells good on me, sadly.

Also, layering this with Laudanum was awesome: Laudanum's sweetness got toned down a bit, and the cologne elements in Dee were muffled by spices. Perfect combination.

Edited March 30, 2006 by septima_pica

[darklorelei]

I'm sorry this is so short, but this is from my notes taken way long ago in October at the Chicago Meetup. But any little bit helps?

 

First: Pepper, yum! Imp?

 

Drydown: Cologne.

[Bagfish]

To me, Dee is very distinguished.

 

When first applied, I can definitely smell cedar. Its strong and to my nose is almost a little 'menthol'. This dries down to a soft semi-sweet benzoic incense, which I love. Dee is quite masculine, but I prefer scents that aren't screamingly floral, fruity or sweet.

 

However, when I put too much on at once, the tonka (I think its tonka, but it might be Frankincense, I thought I *liked* frankincense) appears. To my nose Cathedral and Anne Bonny both have this sharp note which I'm thinking is tonka or frankincense which spoils the blend for me.

 

Dee is much, much better on me than both Cathedral and Anne Bonny though, and I think as long as I don't apply too much at once I will be able to wear this very happily

[kuroitsuki]

Dee was both an instant and lasting love for me. The archetype and imagery it conjures for me are intensely vivid and beautiful.

 

Wet, it's a stinging smoke smell with a bit of sharp bitterness, perhaps from the rosewood. It gives me the image of glowing incense, burning quietly, emitting thin trails of gray smoke. With time it becomes softer and softer, as if that gray smoke dissipates through the room, curling around dark aromatic woods. There is a smoothness and sweetness that must be from the tonka, a sort of rich brown crackle that is my impression of leather, and a tangible warmth that wafts up and curls around me, coating the area around with a deep orange glow.

 

Something about it seems a bit... rough-edged, not so suave, especially when it first goes on. This, however, makes it even more charming; it is not so smooth and soft that it rolls over you without leaving an impression. It's strong and familiar and comfortable, warm and secure, gorgeous.

[RainyDayGrey]

First on this is very woody, with a hint of incense smoke, and slightly sweetened by tonka. The parchment note is very subtle, and the leather almost nonexistant. It's gorgeous and comes off as very unisex.

 

After a few hours of dry down it becomes a bit more manly, I don't know whats causing it, but it's absolutely divine. I would seriously drool over any man who smelled like this.

 

After a days wear it's just tonka and lingering incense, still very lovely. This is a keeper, most definately. I just need to find a way to slather it on my husband, because he needs to smell like this.

Edited February 8, 2006 by RainyDayGrey

[Thaleia]

This guy's really intelligent, and it shows, from the cedar-panelled walls of the library he's in and the old books surrounding him - but he's also very sexy in a leather jacket, holding out a flower to you.

 

Light cologne, a slight floral, and a shitload of erudition.

 

I want. A handsome man. Standing in front of me. To smell like this.

[nowxisxforever]

I'm sick at the moment, so my ability to properly judge scents is somewhat disabled at the moment, but I can actually SMELL Dee much more today than I could yesterday. Yesterday it struck me as masculine, that's all I got out of it.

 

Normally when I smell it in the imp it smells too much like Phantasm and those...too lemony, not quite sure why I get that as there isn't anything lemony in it that I can tell! Anyway, I put it on today and it smelled at first very much like a chemical-y female perfume, something a girl you dislike would wear...a bit later, into a slightly respectable older woman fragrance, and then *BAM* straight into masculine. It reminds me a lot of the cologne my father sometimes wears when he goes out with his girlfriend. It's masculine and refined, but very comforting. Not quite suitable on me or on my father, but would do well on a male scholar.. that's not to say that my father and I couldn't wear it- I might wear it just to smell, and my father might like it. I'll have to ask him what he thinks of it.

 

Right now it's teetering between masculine and feminine...neutral, I guess. It seems to flip flop every few minutes. Interesting.

[melrose]

So excited to try this, as I love leather and am crazy about the John Dee story . . .

 

On, wet: LOVE this. No leather yet, but this smells like a magic forest - a fairy forest - too perfect to be a real forest. I smell clean woods, moss, and trees, but drenched in sparkling crystal light - also light flowers, but so soft and natural.

 

Near drydown: The florals come to the front - I'm in the middle of the forest, but standing in a flower garden that's been planted there.

 

Far drydown: Is this the parchment? Wow, smells like tobacco. I thought I would hate tobacco, but I frickin' adore this - I think this might be what tobacco leaves smell like before they're cured.

 

One small quibble: Why can't I smell the leather like most of you? I'm jealous. Nevertheless, there's a big bottle of this in my future.

[silver_springs]

Ok at first I swore I smelled apple cider, no idea where that came from.

 

Woods, soft dirt, dust and flowers. Actually I did like this one more than I thought I would. It's soft and masculine and in a way, yes pretty. I'd really like this on a man. It'd probably drive me crazy.

 

But for me? Nah. A little too masculine.

[voodoobaby]

Dee strikes me as being very old. Like, dusty, musty, aged...but in a very good, fascinating way rather than stuffy or boring. It's a lot softer than I had anticipated. The leather is quite different than the leather in De Sade, Hellfire, and the like. It's light and worn and not "bad" or "evil" at all. I smell a lot of wood here. And as far as the parchment goes, I have no idea what it's supposed to smell like, but that could be what gives me the impression of an old library, as many others have said before. The incense blends in with everything else seamlessly, providing a little bit of sweetness.

 

While this is "old", it's almost golden. It definitely brings to mind an antique library with a high ceiling, bookshelves and tall windows all around, with the late afternoon sun shining through. Lovely. I like it a lot.

[nancybridget]

If you've ever sniffed Frapin 1270, Dee is his long lost cousin. They smell so similar to me, and I adore them both. Of course, BPALs version is much more affordable, and that's always exciting to me. Bravo, lab!!! Spices, and tonka, leather, and mystery is all what Dee's about.

[tartsquid]

Dee was something that I wanted to try based solely on the fact that I am a huge geek for 16th Century literature and history. However, I found it a bit too masculine for me, since I'm a fan of fruity and sugary floral scents. I put a bit on my boyfriend instead and it smelled much better on him and he really liked it.

 

There is a soft note of leather and a sort of dusty note overtop of the wood and leather scent. This did evoke the feeling of an old library to me, so that's a "yay!" (I immediately connected this scent in my head with the Magdalen College library in Oxford ).

[slave1]

In Bottle: Leather and smoky

 

On Skin: I am a sucker for masculine lether scents… well most all leather scents for that matter, except Whip. Anyway, this one sounded perfect for my husband. I like it… the leather is strong, but there is a slightly herby smell which is off to me. After a bit, the woods all start to surface. This is super masculine and the woods really enhance that feel. I’m thinking the incense is a bit too much for me, I’d prefer this not so smoky. But I love the tonka and parchment which make a truly unique scent. Let’s see what my husband thinks. He thinks it’s a little strong, but he likes it. He is a little sick of all the leather blends I’m making him wear though. LOL! And yes, the throw is super strong.

[moon_lemming]

Dee was another mystery scent for me at first; when I first sniffed it, all I got was MASCULINE in huge flashing letters. After I read the description, the notes just fell into place.

 

Wet on me, Dee is leather and woods with incense lurking in the background. Still very masculine. Dry, though, the incense comes out a little and the tonka appears with stompy boots on. It's still masculine, but the tonka balances it enough that it's not obtrusively so. It's pretty hot. If it smells this good on my husband, I'll have to acquire a 5ml.

[Miss Lynx]

On first application, the leather in this is really strong, and it very much smells like a men's scent.

 

But as it dries down, the resins come out a lot more, and bring a certain level of sweetness with them. And there's also that papery note that I recognize from Clio. The drydown is very much old books and incense, which kind of suits me. It's basically like a gender-neutral Clio, aside from that initial leather blast.

 

I would very much like smelling this on a guy, and it would suit a very spiritual/intellectual one - fairly appropriate to its namesake, I suppose. But it's not bad on me either.

 

Grade: B

[tereshkova2001]

I think this is permanently associated with Rupert Giles. Certainly it is masculine, although it does soften around the edges after an hour or so, enough that I can wear it fine. The rosewood and dry leather were most noticable, but this is a masterful blend and no single note is prominent. I bet it would be lovely for days when I feel powerful and androgynous.

[QueenFae]

Oh my sexy! I'm usually not big on leather scents, but this is a really soft, lovely, non offensive type of leather scent. The tonka is a lovely undershadow, it's slightly sweet and yummy. I can smell the soft wooded notes in the background, and they just lend to the gentleness of the masculinity in this blend. I love this, I have got to try this on my man!

[Ryvre]

This was the exchange between my fiance and I the first time I tried Dee:

 

*sniffs wrist*

"I like this. I bet this is what Giles smells like."

*sniff sniff*

"I smell like a library."

*sniffs some more*

"This is so hot!"

 

At about that point, my boyfriend just about fell out of his chair laughing. Now he keeps winking and offering to take me to the library...

 

I've been searching for a scent that makes me feel sexy. Who would have guessed that it'd be Old British Man?

 

This is on my short list of bottles I need. I can only pick out a few notes- the leather and something that smells kind of lemony. It's soft, subtle, and very sexy in an old British man sort of way.

[draconix]

In the bottle: Incense. Slight rosewood scent under that.

 

On my skin: Wet, there's something slightly woody, a little leathery. There are other things over that that I can't really place. I smell like a dusty old library... which is a smell I love. ^___^ Something just barely sweet under all of it... though I have no idea what it is. Get's a little powdery after a while. But since "after a while" in this case means about 4 hours after application, I'm choosing to ignore that.

 

Final Thoughts: Another one I'm really loving so far. I can't explain why... it's just very... awesome. It feels like hours of research on a really interesting topic in an amazing library. That sounds nerdy and dorky, but that's what it is. It has a strangely sexy edge to it too...