Sloth

[Deiicide]

Thick, dark, sluggish and heavy with indolence: vetiver over black myrrh.

From the imp it smells strong, and definitely razor sharp. As soon as I put it on my skin, Vetiver takes a dash and goes forward. I believe there is some sandalwood, or some wood in there but nothing that intialally screams forward to me. It's kind of unpleasant on my initially in its wet stage. The vetiver has tempered with the myrrh now and made it very sensual, slow like in a manner. But again, dark scents don't work very well on me and this is no exception. Glad I got to try it.

[Redillon]

First off, I LOVE vetiver. I am a woody kinda gal. Now, the myrrh is a different story. I'm not sure I like it. I'm a fan of spicy too but this one is not playing nice with me. Mothballs. I'm smelling mothballs. Hummmmmm........don't know if I'm liking these mothballs.

[batsy]

In the vial: Solid vetiver. Oh boy, it made me cough.

 

On the skin: I wanna say this reminds me of Czernobog, but more as it's totally dark nothing sweet cousin. Now while I love Czernobog and it loves me, Sloth is nothing but vetiver on me and all I can smell is burning wood chips. Oh well.

[impolight]

The Cardinal Sin of inertia? This IS exciting.
There is, admittedly, a favourable bias toward Vetiver on this end. Vetiver is something that would be a liberty to curl up and nest in the skin for a good old-fashioned day of loafing about and feeling quite smug about it.
This should go over well as the body-chemistry does all sorts of wonderful things with this loveliest of tropical grasses...
It is difficult to predict how the Myrrh will contribute to this particular blend.
In some cases, Myrrh will behave almost like Amber, bringing a rich and golden sweetness; it does this in Obsidian Widow.
At other times, Myrrh can behave almost as a bitterant. It will have the sharp, intense purply assertiveness that almost imitates Lavender. This was certainly the case in Death Adder.
From the Imp: Sloth is brilliantly soporific! This is loafing about on a foggy morning, watching Alfred Hitchcock or The Twilight Zone, gobbling mass-produced confections.
The Vetiver is perfection. It is distinct, but takes care not to overwhelm the Myrrh.The Myrrh whirls about as though on the head of a pin; a gleefully centrifugal homogenization of sweet and sharp.
Spectrally, this is the splendiferously Victorian interior decor of richest mahogany, royal purple velvet, and gold filigree!
This is a bay-window in a library overlooking an overgrown garden.
On the Skin: Sloth waxes exponentially infernal!
This is clawing, biting deviance atop silken sheets strewn with crushed flowers and drizzled with sweat.
This is panting with your scalp still afire from pulled hair, the taste of blood from a split lip, still seeing fireworks pop and bloom behind closed lids...
There is a taste of scorched Cinnamon in the back of your throat and your thighs can't stop twitching.
Sloth is delvilishly good!
Sloth is the profoundest undoing of lofty virtue; not by force, but by an unabashed and slavering spirit of hungry volunteerism. Roughly 20 minutes into the dry-down, Sloth reverts back to the embodiment of cosmically motionless bliss and oblivion.
Let the hordes scrabble, scrounge, and hyperventilate...
This is contempt for the drive to rush, a million miles per hour, to nowhere.
This is the slamming of the door on the bustling of the throng raised to fever-pitch.
Sloth wreaths the wearer in a pastel-purple mist; suspending you, zero-gravity, in a glowing, utterly silent womb, dead-center of an interstellar nothingness. This is utter satisfaction with yourself, just as you are.
Sloth is a resplendant, powdery, flickering light; shadowless and warm.
Sloth is wickedly sweet on Her and fiery corruption on Him.
This is very close to what preconceived notions for 'Fallen' had painted in the imagination.
Sloth is a virtuoso of vice.
Sloth isn't at all subtle or small time.
This is the big leagues of Sin.
Sloth can receive no higher recommendation.
Superb.
5 out of 5.

[milo]

Ive had this awhile, but have been kind of scared to try it. In the imp, STRONG vetiver, but I do like myrhh, so I thought Id give this a chance. After a bit, the myrhh comes out, but it is still pretty strong on the vetiver. I kind of like this, its dark and resiny, though probably a bit on the masculine side. It really reminds me of Lushs Icon perfume, which I have a bit of. So between this and the Icon, Im pretty set for dark blends for awhile!

[SophieCedar]

Wet: Time suspended. I want to lay back in a pile of pillows in the dark. This is oddly relaxing yet chock full of guilt. The vetivert isn't too sharp, as it's balanced by the lovely myrrh.

 

Drydown: the vetivert continues to mellow and twine with the myrrh. This turns into the best incense ever. Makes me want to wear my He-Goat today.

[zmulls]

Vetiver and Myrrh. And why not? It's a lovely scent.

 

However, those two components are featured in both Czernobog (mentioned above) and Rumpelstilchzen, which are two of my three "signature" scents (the third being Iago, which laces vetiver in musk and leather).

 

And truth be told, the vetiver/myrrh combo, while appealing, is not lovely a mix as Czernobog (musks surrounding) or Rumpelstilzchen (smoke/ash and burnt spices contributing).

 

I do like Sloth, I'll keep the imp around. When I'm too lazy to reach for my favorites.

[Balame]

In the Imp: A very green (as opposed to heavy/smoky) vetiver, and not quite as dry as usual.

 

Wet: The vetiver in this is far lighter than I'm used to, and delicately sweetened by the myrrh. It's just barely smoky, like a whiff of smoke in the outdoors versus in a closed up room. I quite like it. My usual vetiver from Kroenen is far darker and more "rawr" than this, so it's fun to see its range.

 

Dry: Aah, I glanced up at zmulls' post and he's right. I kept thinking something was familiar about this, and Sloth is very much Czernobog without the musk. I actually like the intricacy of scents that combine a bit of a range with vetiver, so this would be for someone who wants a gentle introduction to the note.

 

Overall: It's nice since I'm a vetiver fan, but already having other oils that satisfy the need, I think I'll pass this on to someone who would enjoy it more often.

[sparkleyturtle]

Ah, sloth. I didn't sniff it in the vial, which was probably my undoing. Now that it is on my skin, it is dark and heavy. I am not a fan of this, and I am pretty sure there has been a trend for me against vetiver. I need to get this off my skin now.

[Echo Unit]

Absolutely erotic. Hot, dark myrrh is occasionally overtaken by waves of vetiver. Not to be worn lightly. Reserve it for your boldest, darkest moments.

Edited November 30, 2011 by Echo Unit

[Dani87]

Imp: strong, sharp, and masucline.

Wet: dark, a root celler covered in cobwebs. With some cocoa powder spilled on the dirt floor.

 

Then it turned to baby powder if it doesn't smell nice on my husband, it's off to swaps.

[Gnostril Probostril]

This one has an ineffable perversity. A weird and delightful cloud of incense, with defiant androgynous pomp. An aura of crawling out of bed at 1 with matted hair and skulking conspicuously about the downtown.

 

It's very hard to write about scent! This is my first review... I love Sloth. It has the merit of not smelling too much like perfume. It has fingers that crawl out of your jacket. It lasts for four or sometimes eight hours, and gradually dries to a spicy sweetness, eventually losing some of its edge. But depending on atmospheric conditions and one's own metabolic state, it can warm and blossom into murky tendrils.

 

Sloth is perceptibly "dark," which most of the other samples I got really aren't.

Edited May 16, 2012 by Gnostril Probostril

[patina]

Ok. I have a confession. I love Sloth. Embarrassingly enough, it's one of the most "me" scents I've tried. It certainly helps that myrrh is my favorite resin. I've tried a myrrh single note (not the lab's), but it smelled cloyingly sweet and oddly like raisins. The vetiver's sharp/smoky/grassy/bonfire/dank basement qualities only serve to enhance the myrrh. It may start out old-spice manly and too sharp for me, but it soon becomes wearable.

 

To me, this is a great comfort scent despite its intensity. It smells of relaxing, of burning incense in a room with curtains drawn on a sweltering day in summer. I can see how it might feel oppressive to some, but usually the effect is really quite cozy (and occasionally sexy in an earthy kind of way.)

 

This is not one for daily wear, though.

 

 

Note: Impolight's review is awesome.

Edited December 19, 2012 by patina

[surlygurl]

This imp is really well aged (5 years?). I remember it scared me a bit when fresh, but it turned lovely on the drydown. Into my imp stash it went... for a long time.

 

I put some on my arm this morning, and it has quieted down to a sweetish powdery light green vertiver. I don't *think* I get the myrrh, unless aged myrrh is the sweet & powdery part. I Love Love Love this! Let's see..... imps age faster than bottles, the imp is 5 years old, so a bottle will be perfect in..... what?

Edited June 16, 2012 by surlygurl

[whataboutprom]

I thought I hated Vetiver, but now I get what others see in it. Sloth is lovely. I (thankfully) never get the Old Spice smell from this. I get a deep, dark, green vetiver with sweet myrrh that is a little powdery but definitely not anything like baby powder. I think vetiver blends I have tried in the past have been far too smokey for me. I don't like smokiness, but I do love the vegetal vibe from this. It doesn't morph much on my skin, except for the bit of powder that comes out and makes it more sensual, like the feel of musk without actually being straightforward musk.

 

I think I love this. And it is making me consider buying the single note Haitian Vetiver while it is up.

[lady_pandora]

It's not often that I remember exactly where I first learned a word. Vetiver is one of the words with which I do remember my first encounter. It was in the book Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand and was continually associated with the fairy-queen figure in that book. I could tell it was some kind of plant, but of course couldn't imagine the smell just from the word. And so, when I first started experimenting with BPAL, I was disappointed to find that vetiver and I just did not get along. It either turned to men's aftershave or cigarette smoke on my skin. We didn't get along.

 

And then there's Sloth.

 

This was a frimp from the Lab, and left to my own devices I'd have avoided it like the plague. Vetiver is one of my death notes, don'tcha know? I looked up the descriptions on all my frimps and figured I'd give this one a fair shot but would probably be giving or swapping it away. Heck, the whole reason I'm trying it so late in the day was so that if it was putrid, I wouldn't have to be out in public smelling awful.

 

Thing is? I like it.

 

There is no men's deodorant here, nor cigarette smoke. The vetiver is behaving for the first time ever on my skin. It smells like a dark, herby, green, mysterious, spicy, maybe even slightly minty scent. I can't pick out myrrh, but myrrh and I usually get along, and maybe it's what's rounding out the vetiver into something wearable here.

 

And there is a bit of dustiness to it--I can see where people are getting "basement." Yet it's not going full basement on me but staying "green." It reminds me of dark green velvet. It reminds me of Elizabeth Hand's fairy queen. Or maybe Sleeping Beauty, and I mean specifically Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty in that first scene where she's sleeping amid green velvet in her dusty room. I wonder what it would do if I layered it with a rose. Sloth indeed...sexy sloth? I don't know yet what I'll wear this for, because it's miles away from my usual oils, but I'm definitely going to use it. Thank you Lab. (And darn you Lab for making me reevaluate a death note! lol)

 

Edit, 4/2/14: I did a ritual last night that called for vetiver and myrrh oil. Voila, I had Sloth! It worked great in the ritual and, even though I've taken a shower and all, the scent is still hanging around me today. It's wonderful.

Edited April 2, 2014 by lady_pandora

[mymymai]

ITI: The vetiver here smolders when combined with the dark myrrh. The overall scent is not as sweet as I was anticipating, but it is still interesting.

 

Wet: The myrrh is a little sweeter on my skin, so now the vetiver combines lazily and wonderfully together. I's fantastic! Sweet, resinous, and smoky.

 

Dry: Delightfully deep myrrh with the faintest hint of smoke. I love it!

[fufu_berry]

This is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin - vetiver and myrrh. Golden, resinous, earthy, and just slightly sweet. The vetiver is like the one in Great He-Goat - it goes on slightly boozy, like a good bourbon with just a hint of sweetness. This is a pretty simple scent, but I love it. I'm already imagining what I can layer it with.

[unxolve]

Is this the same scent? Starting off it was pretty generic incensey, then drying down it immediately became this soft, sweet, really nice light thing. Like a warm vanilla ice cream.

 

On my other wrist, there is a bit of smokiness.

 

Hmmm, I kind of, I think I like this. Very strange. Not dark or vegetative or heavy or molassesy at all.

[gentle-twig]

I've had this for a while and never reviewed it. I tried it when I first got it as a frimp a few months ago and liked it but didn't much of it.

 

Retested today and I'm so glad I did because this has to be one of my favorite BPALs I've tried yet.

 

It starts out with a typical BPAL vetiver flash of smokiness, but the vetiver dries down to a deep, bitter, green earthiness. The myrrh appears immediately after the smoky vetiver moment is over as a sort of cedar-adjacent wood and dries down to such a nice, broad, sweet but dry resin. There is something so sophisticated in the simplicity of this blend. There are only two notes but I've had it on for 8 hours at this point. The two notes combine to form a deep, dark scent without either note dominating. Late late LATE in the game a little smoke comes out again.

 

I would recommend this to anyone who likes either of the listed notes, as they are both very much present, as well as to anyone who got into BPAL, as I did, to learn about perfume notes. This blend really shows off both vetiver and myrrh to their best advantage and I will probably be buying a bottle of this in my next order.

[Veronica]

Vetiver and black myrrh. Dark, bitter, strangely nutty. Nope.

[freyasfae]

This is definitely a smoldering, dark scent. I got it with an Ebay imp lot because usually I avoid these types of scents...and for good reason, I need more notes to balance the darkness of this scent, but it is definitely its name!

[LizziesLuck]

I like vetiver, and love Myrrh, so this could be nice!

 

 

Wet: Mmm, dark, smoky, nutty vetiver, dark and brooding, sweetened and made richer by Myrrh. Nice! The Myrrh is quickly overtaking - my skin tends to eat vetiver.

 

 

Dry: Close to Myrrh single note, but with some depth and richness, hints of smokiness and nuttiness from the vetiver. I actually really really like this, and can see wearing it. I may need to grab a bottle!

[Cali]

I dreaded putting this on, but the review must go on;
Don't like vetiver? Don't try this.

I'll try and be nice: for it's simplicity, this is dark, mysterious and a tad sexy. It's (syrupry) thick, rich and earthy.

[achildoftime]

Vetiver and myrrh both work poorly for me most of the time, but I want to try everything I come across so here we go. I'm not really surprised that I'm not a fan of this one. It's a very smoky vetiver that amps to the sky for me and there is a powdery note underneath it, so the myrrh is doing what it does. Not for me, but glad to try it.