Hecate

[sarajane]

Magnificent three-faced Goddess of Magic, the Dark Moon and the Crossroads. She is the Mother of Witches, and the midnight baying of hounds is her paean. Her compassion is evidenced in her role as Psychopomp for Persephone, and her wrath manifests as Medea’s revenge. Deep, buttery almond layered over myrrh and dark musk.

I love almond. This somehow went both plasticy and powdery on me. Probably the work of my old pal, myrrh. We're not actually pals.

[undream]

oh, delicious. this one is very almond/cherry to me in the vial. on me, though, it practically disappears! i get faint little whiffs of something very subtle and sweet, something lightly spicy/musky and beautiful, but it hides away the minute i attempt to hunt around for it on my skin. not much throw and not much staying power, but crazily enough i could smell it on my arms the next morning. perhaps hecate was simply feeling moody?

 

i'm definitely giving it another chance and hoping for more of a presence from her this time, because what i could get of this scent was just gorgeous, and i'd love to keep it.

[devilot]

Hecate

In the imp: WHOA almonds! I'm not even gonna skin-test this baby. Yikes! I know that sometimes a really strong almond scent can almost seem cherry-like. This blend is just, way too almondy for me. I used to love the scent, but overdid it for awhile and now can't really bring myself to like it anymore. Pass!

[rayvn1]

The odds were not good on this one since almond doesn't really like me but it hasn't been too bad, really! Strong scent of almonds to be sure, but not overwhelming. The musk is a really "dirty skin" kind if musk - I've yet to figure out which one does that on me, the last time I smelled like I hadn't had a shower in two weeks it was wearing Sed non Satiata so I'd guess they're similar notes. Very faint and light. I have to really snuffle my arm to get anything.

[symphonyinsilence]

I don't even know why I ordered this one. I'm not really a foodie scent loving girl or even crazy about almonds. Must've been the mention of goddess Hecate. *lol* Anyway, I loved the top notes of this one. The almonds reminded me of my mum's Diwali sweets. But that was short-lived. From then on, it was talcum powder. And so now I know dark musk hates me.

[Venneh]

Got this as a frimp in my eBay winnings, and now that Stardust '05 and Hurricane have failed on me, it's time to try this girl out.

 

In the frimp, she smells like almond with a deeper, darker note, and... berries? Hm. Same kind of thing on my skin. Like a dark berry muffin. Of darkness.

 

She's constant throughout; a tasty dark berry muffin of darkness (which is either the musk or the myrrh). Not really sure if I like it or not, will be testing it out a bit more, methinks, but first instinct says no more than an imp, here.

Edited October 26, 2009 by Shollin
Removed Lab description --Shollin

[Washer]

IMP: Almonds! The smell reminds me of Amaretto liqueur and soft almond pastry, bitter and sweet and the same time.

WET: Where did all the almonds go? Sweet incense smoke.

DRY: After three hours the myrrh completely took over, even though I can still smell something very sweet, almost foodie.

 

I am going to keep the imp because when Hecate is dry it smells gorgeous on me, but I am a bit disappointed that my skin totally absorbed the almond notes!

Edited October 6, 2009 by Washer

[HamletsKeeper]

Bottle Sniff Almonds, strong almonds

 

Wet On SkinAlmond varnish, the old-fashioned highly fumey kind. The kind you seal boat brightwork with.

 

Drydown The fumey aspects of this are taking over. Very acetone like. Almond scent lasts only about 5-6mins on me. Smells like almond nail polish remover.

 

Overall I can't imagine what's in this that gets that noxious fume thing happening. Myrhh has not done that in other blends I've tried containing it. It must be the dark musk, which I expected to go feral and has instead gone chemical on me. Definately not a keeper for me. Yet another musk which is a no-go for me. Dark musk = corrosive chemical on my skin.

 

 

 

[Invidiana]

Hecate is one of my favorite ancient Greek deities, and I was crossing my fingers for this one...it didn't disappoint! This reminds me of these chewy Italian almond cookies my aunt used to bring over when I was a kid, and I nearly ate the entire box. However, it isn't all innocent dessert foodiness, as much as I love dessert scents--there's the deep, dark, rich play of amber and musk in there, making it into a deliciously sweet darkness...another to add to my GC wishlist!

 

[RockyChristine]

Although I like myrrh and musk, the almond was just too strong. This one definitely didn't agree with me without being really obnoxiously sweet, sadly.

[Sunscorched]

It really didn't appeal when I sniffed it in the bottle as it brought back memories of a perfume my aunt Andrea wore in the 80's that she constantly reapplied. As in every four hours and it used to make me sick to my stomach.

 

As the saying goes, don't knock it till you've tried it, so try it I did.

 

The myrrh isn't as obvious as the almond and musk. It started off somewhere between sweet and marzipany on me, if that makes any sense, but it's settled quite warmly, more musky and less sweet.

 

I'm 'on the fence' with this one, so I'm gonna have to give it a few more tries.

 

It's nice, though. Makes me wanna munch on Battenburg

[starfish327]

in the imp: artificial almond a la coffee syrup. yay for happy scent memories!

 

wet: same fake almond with a dose of something...murky? i remembered the myrrh from the scent description when i ordered this but not the musk. it's got to be the musk.

 

dry: morphs through the almond into almost straight up myrrh and musk. i have the feeling like i should go layer it under something now because it just feels...dirty to me. then the musk starts backing off again and the myrrh starts to lighten it up again. i wish that my skin didn't eat the almond note because that's the only thing that really saved it for me.

 

that said hecate is one of my patron goddesses and while i really don't see the connection with the almond sweetness the smoky darkness that kicks in does make me think of Her. i'm not seeing myself replacing an imp but i'd hang on to the empty once it's gone, and i'll probably use it as a ritual oil if nothing else.

[Deiicide]

Oh wow. Why don't people like this one more? It smells like soft almonds, there is a musk in the background but it isn't as sweet as Baset normally goes with folks and the lotus. It's very calm and appetizing. The foody smell stay but it deepens, musk is bringing in a bit more but the myrrh is tempering everything. It's very light as it dries, the burst of which I adore when it's wet. It's now more myrrh then almond but it still has that whisper. The musk keeps everything straightened out. Wet it has a lot of throw but dry it sticks close to skin

[SophieCedar]

This is very calming and clean on me. I don't tend towards linen smells (toooo clean unless we're talking Winding sheet). This does have a bit of powder + floral essence to it. I can't deny that. However it's almost like almond flowers...? Hecate is the limit of "clean" in my book. I love it!

[skyelyric]

In the imp and wet on my skin, this is a beautiful boozy/fruity almond on me, reminds me very much of amaretto sour cocktails.

 

As it dries though, the almond and tart notes fade and I get an overwhelmingly sweet muddle.

 

So I'm just left with a yearning for an amaretto sour.

Edited March 24, 2010 by skyelyric

[fairnymph]

Deep golden oil with a slightly murky tinge to it. Lots and lots of benzaldehyde/almond extract ALMOND - a little foody and rich and it reminds me strongly of marzipan, but I don't get a much butter, thankfully - or that much sweetness. I get a hint of slightly smoky and musty dark myrrh faintly below , and a bit of musk, which I think might be black musk and therefore contributing much of the heavy sweetness - though as said, this is much less sweet and foody than the notes suggested.

 

Same, although a bit lighter overall on my skin - very much almondy marzipan, with maybe a tiny hint of buttery tonka now, but only very faintly and I could be imagining it - I'd never pick it out blind. Something...piney? Or citrusy? Or herbal? Yeah, totally weird, but I'm betting on some verbena, cause whatever it it is it reminds me of some type of cleaning product, and Pledge is my best guess, but it's light and overwhelmed by the almond so I can't be sure. The myrrh remains faint but is a tad more present, and rather ashy, like a stale ashtray. A bit more more musk, which I'm still thinking is most likely black musk, but again, like all the other secondary notes this is overwhelmed and indistinct due to the dominating almond.

 

Slow to dry, but changing significantly quite quickly nonetheless, with the almond fading, the verbena amping and the tonka too becoming more clear - sweet, buttery and cloying - really revolting combined with the verbena. The more strongly present ashy myrrh - by far the most ashy and smoky myrrh I've ever smelled in a BPAL blend - doesn't help, nor does the almost-foody, heavy and sweet black musk which is just too much on top of (or below, rather!) everything else, even though it's not a dominating note, being perhaps just a touch stronger than the myrrh.

This reminds me of another blend but I can't place it. The almond is turning more nutty and buttery as the benzaldehyde burns off rather quickly, and the throw of the blend is much lighter overall, too. The myrrh and musk are amping turning this blend into something quite different and much darker and heavier, increasingly more cloying. There may be two musk notes here, the strong sweet foody black musk but also something more exotic and sexy and actually nice, maybe Indian musk bc I get a vague association with Black Lace? I also get a slightly soapy herbal note I know but can't place, in addition to the verbena (which could be lemon balm/melissa, actually - it's nicer, much softer and less Pledgey than verbena nearly always is).

 

This blend merges into something quite seamless surprisingly quickly, though I can still pick out notes with minimal effort. Unfortunately it has just as quickly become a heavy, cloying and mildly nauseating blend - nutty almond that has truly turned buttery due to heavy tonka, light verbena (or possibly melissa) with a Pledgey edge, another soapy herb, and some intense, sweet and rich musk - one is nice, one is black and I don't like black musk generally overlaid with ashy myrrh. The soapy incensey musk thing reminds me a lot of fresh Black Lace, esp the recent version, mixed with tonka, verbena, and almond and some extra stale cigarette ash. Blech! Fortunately lower throw and it washes of readily.

 

 

[ModderRhu]

Hecate

THIS IS AN ALMOND BEAST.
Holy cow. You know that pink soap they have in public bathrooms that smells like almonds? That's Hecate.
Thankfully, the almond checks itself after a while and it turns into a nice myrrh-y scent. Nice, but kinda meh.
Oh yeah, and it was the first BPAL to burn my skin.

2.5 out of 5

*This was frimped to me from the Lab!

[FathomBelow]

Hecate

In the bottle: Almond, heady and strong. I like it!

Wet on skin: Still that delicious almond. Here's hoping it stays this way...

As it dries: The myrrh reveals itself, giving this some complexity and depth. I LOVE this right now.

After it dries: Drat. This becomes pure myrrh. I do like myrrh very much - it's just that if I want this scent I could war Penitence just as easily.

Final opinion: I like it, but not as much as I did when wet. Still, I'll keep the imp.

[diamondstars]

Finally, an almond blend I can wear! I tried Inferno a few years back, when I first discovered BPAL, but it burnt on me unfortunately. (It seems cinnamon doesn't agree with my skin type..)

 

This, however, is lovely! Not sure how good the staying power is, as I've only just applied it. Fingers crossed, though, 'cause I'd like a 5ml if it lasts.

 

Edited to add: The almond has now faded into the background, but hasn't disappeared completely. I'm now left with a lovely musky scent. Gorgeous!

Edited July 13, 2010 by saracakes

[INFJ4w3]

All almond all the time. Almond doesn't seem to suit me. 1 star out of 5. I wish I smelled myrrh or smoke, but no, just almond.

[sweetpessimism]

In the imp and wet on skin, this is a BEAUTIFUL crisp almond. Sadly, though, the almond fades on me after a few minutes, and all I'm left with is the dark musk, and enough of a hint of myrrh to make me feel a bit sneezy. Oh, I wish this stayed the lovely almond on me! I'm not much of a fan of this musk and the bit of sneezy myrrh - so it's probably to the swap box with this one.

[Deceitfuldescender]

Hecate starts out as the nice buttery almond with just a wistful hint of the myrrh and musk. After about 30-45 minutes or so it starts to fade prodominantly into the myrrh and musk which end up as a delightful, sort of skin hugging veil that makes me feel delightful and a bit cosseted. Sometimes when it dries down it ends up a bit much, but over all I like it quite much. Not enough for a bottle, but definitely keeping my imp.

[Lorna Brigid]

OMG I loooooove Hecate!

In the imp: more floral and green smelling than I expected it to be by the description. Kind of a sweet sting.

Wet: the same as when in the imp. No pick up of almond yet, just a green and incensey smell. Maybe a slight berry tinge?

Drydown: On me, Hecate blends into something that makes me think of when you come out of a wonderful hot shower with some herbal body wash, and settle in with a cup of hot mocha. The almond blends with the other ingredients on my skin as a cocoa and nice soap type of smell. The musk gives it a little smoke and sexiness.

Apparently almond plays nice on me.

 

One of my favorite non BPAL scents of all time is the original Angel. Hecate is her smoky, sexy older sister.

 

I must have a big bottle!

I want to bathe in Hecate!

[butterbeer]

I had to get this one on the name alone. In fact, I didn't even remember if the description listed the notes or not.

 

In the bottle: Smells like almonds. Especially almond paste. And then something else, really light and airy. My first thought was "wind in the trees", which is exactly what this perfume was supposed to smell like.

 

On my skin: The first time I tried it, I felt like it turned into a baby scent almost immediately. I was really disappointed. The next morning, I woke up and smelled my wrist, and the scent had changed. It was really faint now, but it smelled different.

Yesterday I tried it again, and it turned very powdery at first, and then morphed into a smell that (according to my mother) is like an almond skin cream, it smells very perfume-y and the almond is very sweet.

 

On the drydown: It's hard to describe what it smells like on the drydown, it reminds me of a friend's perfume and something else. It doesn't dry too quickly, and it has a nice scent. I love it!

[Akurarei]

HECATE - Lab Frimp Review

 

In the Imp:

pungent & sharp - I can't say that I like it, but I'll do a skin test to be sure.

 

On my Skin, Wet:

more sharpness & bitter impression.

ALMOND IS THAT YOU?

*checks notes*

yep, almond

 

On my Skin, Dry:

the sharpness has dissipated but i'm starting to smell myrrh now.

myrrh has not been my friend lately, but seems to be taking away the almond sharpness and not going all weird either.

 

Verdict:

not for me.

the sharpness eventually goes away, which I am thankful for, and the myrrh doesn't turn into whatever weird scent it has been doing for me lately.

after about 15 minutes I go get a buttery note, which is a surprise!

despite all the odds against this perfume, it actually evens out into a nice earthy scent, but it just isn't my style.