The Cracked Bell

[Blueelm]

A winter’s horror: smoke and stillness, faded incense and the metallic tang of blood.

How could I resist the description. Blood, Metal, and Misery.
I'm glad I took the chance on this one, because the notes are wonderful. Almost aquatic, and very still.


At first:

Hmmm.... this reminds me of bronze, dulled metal. This is a very light scent that stays true to the bottle. It starts out some what bright, with a strong inscense note, bright and resinous like frankinsence, benzoin, or copal. The metalic notes are crisp, but soften quickly.

Later:

It gets closer, stickier, and softer. Now there's just a hint of metalic sharpness in what would otherwise be a soft sea-of-glass like scent. Less soap though. This is a perfectly still scent, clean and cold. It's an amazingly pretty metal smell, warmed and sweetened by incense, but not to the point of churchy-ness.

Finally:

Blood and metal. Two opposing forces, could either make for a clashing and discordant scent (what I expected), or a complex and delicately balanced one (what this is). The cracked bell is a wearable and delicate scent. Edited December 31, 2005 by Shollin

[pekeana]

Very strong blood scent -- not really dragon's blood straight up, but tainted with something else -- and wood.

 

Very strong, very heavy, and totally sinus-wrenching to me. It lasted about an hour before I had to wash it off.

 

 

 

EDIT: It's 2012 and I got a bottle of this off of Etsy, not remembering why it had been on my death list. I really should have kept it and let it age because, 7 years down the line, The Cracked Bell is one of the most beautiful incense + blood scents. The intense perfumey note from the initial blast has aged almost into non-existence and it's a deep, warm incense/wood/blood scent that pretty much smells like contemplation, deep meditation, and warmth now. I feel like a fool for not having kept it. Thank god for the BPAL etsy shop and my bad memory.

Edited December 11, 2012 by t3andcrumpets

[cuervosueno]

Slightly aquatic, which always registers as men's aftershave to my nose. Because of that, I call this a slightly masculine scent, though really, that's just my interpretation of aquatic notes. That note, however, does give it a metallic smell, which is interesting. there is something warm in there too....doesn't seem strong enough to be dragon's blood, but who knows?

 

I don't get nearly as much incense as I would like.

 

On me, its a subtle, soft scent, slightly watery. Nice, but not overwhelming, so I'm sending it off to sookster who lurves it!

[kettu]

It smelled... tinny in the imp. Not unpleasant, just a bit odd. So I put it on and it smelled ok: incensey metal. It wasn't anything that particularly grabbed my attention... until I noticed a pain above my left eye. And so I smelled my wrists again and the pain got worse and the smell got worse -- it had morphed into metal shavings and evil baby powder and it had to come off NOW!

 

That's depressing.

 

If Lynxie doesn't want it/want to try it, into the swaps it goes.

[Penance]

Preconceived notions:

 

I'm fascinated by the imagery in this one...I love incense and metallic blood sounds good to me (see Bed of Nails for more on my love of metallic smells) but I'm nervous about it being dragon's blood. I used to love dragon's blood but all of a sudden I developed an aversion to it that even I can't explain. I'm definitely curious, though. This could go either way.

 

First sniff:

 

Odd...it smells almost cologne-like but with an incense undertone. It's not metallic, really...it's more...astringent somehow. I'm not sure if I'm going to like this or not.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Wow, that's...weird. It's slightly metallic but not quite...right. There's something musky here, too, that's throwing my nose off. I have absolutely no idea what it could be, but it reminds me strongly of all the BPAL musk blends I've hated (Haunted is the first to come to mind). I don't get incense anymore, just sharp muskiness bordering on the ever-dreaded cat pee.

 

Dry down:

 

Eww, eww, eww! Musk, screaming, in-your-face, cat pee musk! My skin chemistry loves to latch onto anything even remotely musky and turn it into sometihng overpowering and downright unpleasant, which seems to be what's happening here.

 

The bottom line:

 

I wanted to love this, but it's just not happening. Something in here is distinctly musky and it's getting amped up in a bad way on me.

[wolfie13]

This is one of those blends that is terribly evocative and as such is admirable for it's creative genius, but just doesn't work on me.

 

It's just as advertised - I get dragon's blood, a touch of red musk, incense and a metallic/ozoney note. Unfortunately all notes that my skin just runs with.

 

It's perfumey and cacophonous (as a cracked bell would be I suppose) on me and as usual, because I didn't like it, it was super-long lasting, lots of throw, and survived several washing attempts.

[spidersinmyhair]

Of all the yule scents,this was the last to be tested.The description was a bit vague and it sounded the least interesting to me.As it turns out,this is one of my favorites.

As a room scent it is divine,incensey and very good smelling.At first i couldn't imagine wearing incense as perfume,but it actually works.

I do believe there is some amber in there as I always like amber based scents.Other than that I am not able nor educated enough to isolate any other notes.

It is soft,dark,heavy and light all at the same time.i am completely unable to explain it,sorry.

I am ordering another bottle!

[Emu Nymph]

In the bottle this is a nice deep smokey scent that I loved at first sniff. While wearing it it did something funky and like a few otherse I got the hairspray scent mixed with pencil shavings. Very odd but after a while and on the full dry down it turned back to the nice smokey, bloody scent that I loved when I sniffed it. I'm so getting a bottle of this.

[Stumbeline]

In the bottle this smells metallic and much like ozone. I'm not a big fan of either, but I do like incense scents. On my skin it's very light and clean smelling. I smell a resin note, the lingering ozone, and something sweeter in the backround. This scent is somewhat of an enigma considering I can't really identify the notes. However, I think that this is the first BPAL that I've tried that's been so evocative of its name. I imagine for those who like clean, fresh scents this would work out fantastic. It doesn't do anything strange on my skin, and I find it pleasant but it's not something that I will wear often.

[fiddlehead]

The Cracked Bell has a promising start when it first goes on my skin. Incense and something that really *is* reminiscent of blood. Very subtle to my nose but there when I look for it. I don't have to slather this at all and it lasts all day on me. No need to re-apply at all.

 

But after wearing it about 5 times now I've decided that there's a perfumy element to it that I just don't feel comfortable in. It's quite pretty, actually, and reminds me of a nice perfume you'd get at a department store. This will be the perfect scent the next time I want to get dressed up but it won't be something I wear often.

 

 

EDIT I wore this again a couple of days ago and loved it. Not too perfumey at all, just dragons blood and incense. Very nice! Body chemistry really is weird.

Edited January 25, 2006 by fiddlehead

[Polly]

Got an imp of this from a decant group since I wasn't sure about what I'd think of it.

 

In the vial: Amber and incense to my nose right off. Faaaaaint hint of something citrus-y underneath.

 

On wet: Same, but with a hint of sweetness. Really nice!

 

On drydown: I got nothing metallic or tangy from it at all on me, it dried to a soft, powdery incense.

 

Overall: I like it well enough, it's nice, but I probably wouldn't be wearing it all the time.

 

Edit: Darn typo!

Edited January 15, 2006 by Polly

[lyri]

My first yule blend ordered, and glad I did.

 

Bottle: Sandlewood and smoke? And a faint tang, possibly metallic.

 

Wet: Exactly like burning incense on charcoal, including the whole 'smoke' smell. Copperish scent as well.

 

Dry: Incense, incense, and copper. It stays true to original application while softening and mixing very nicely to a good subtle scent.

[quikslvr]

Sweet, dragon's blood-laced smoke at first. It stays that way, still, for awhile before the red musk starts to emerge. There is a metal accord in here, and it's an odd tinge that I can almost taste in the back of my throat at times, but it's very intermittent. Otherwise, it reminds me a bit of Blood Moon, though a little farther on the sweet side, strangely. Perhaps that's the incense coming out. Or maybe I'm getting a touch of vanilla that's not in the description. Strange, but I very much like it in its drydown. Very neat.

[Fefferbella]

Cracked Bell is musky sweet dragon's blood on me.

 

Very pretty, I wish I had ordered a bottle, but the reviews scared me off.

 

This has a hint of incense sweetness, but I don't get anything metalic like some do...

 

Very sexy blend.

[Prolixity]

In the bottle: Incense, very powerfully. Strong incense, with the smoky burnt scent of it. Something sharp underneath, but the incense note overpowers it.

Wet on skin: Woodsmoke. Sweet smoke and woodsmoke, with the sweetness scaling back as soon as it hits my skin. It's immediately a very smoky, ashy scent on me.

Dry on skin: The incense is back. ... I smell like a head shop. This is not necessarily a bad thing, mind you. Sweet smoke, and the sharp undertone is coming up again. The smoky scent is there but quieter, and the sharp note comes up. From the description, I'd bet this is the "blood" note. I'm wavering as to whether I think it smells metallic. l sniff it once, and decide it doesn't resemble metal at all; then a minute later, it seems distinctly like a copper/iron tang. I don't know.

Over time: I thought this was going to turn to powder, but it's quieted into a very soft incense-smoke scent. Very delicate, actually.

Overall: This isn't something I'd wear often. In certain moods, though, it'd be perfect. A definite keeper, but I don't think I'll be hunting for a bottle. 3/5

 

[edit] Some ten hours later: I can't believe it - there's still this delicate, soft, haunting touch of incense on and around me. Staying power like WHOA, and the longer it floats around me, the more I'm liking it. Revising to 4/5, thinking of loking for a 5ml.

Edited January 24, 2006 by Prolixity

[Reinaluna]

The Cracked Bell: This is a very nice blend. It almost makes me think of a spiced up version of Blood. I get the blood note with a lot of temple incense, they both compliment each othe well. I like it.

[kaltomere]

This is a lovely scent! It's definately incensey, but it's a quiet and dusty incense.

Added to it is a sharp metallic blood smell ,but, not the smell of dragon's blood as I had half expected. Underneath all of it is almost an herbal loam smell. If I had to name it, it would be Midnight Offertory. Definately a keeper.

[Lorencita]

This is definately better than I expected from all the reviews! A gorgeous incense blend that I adore!!!

[LittleGreyKitten]

Again with the regret for not getting a full size. I really love Cracked Bell, and had no clue I would from the description. It is a little sharp- the metallic note I guess- but it is sweetly incensy which I love, and basically lovely. Especially as it develops, it softens and becomes yummier yet. I have not a clue what it is I'm smelling- metal and blood are not what I'd actually use to describe this one, yet actually picking out notes is tough. It has no florals that I can tell, it does have some smokiness in a good way, and it's a bit spicy. It has a clear sharp note above all, that I'm not sure what it is but is sweet.

 

5 out of 5.

Edited January 25, 2006 by LittleGreyKitten

[Mofo]

sublte soft musky scent with a tang giving it a little bite. This is a perfect daytime scent as it's not too overpowering.

[locuraelegantia]

This was the only Yule blend I purchased and I'm glad I did.

 

It smells static, as if time itself has stopped.

 

drying down it fades from that sharp electric smell to something sweet but not powdery at all.

 

love this.

[Neely]

When I smelled the bottle my impression was aquatic incense. When I put it on, it invoked an image of a cathedral in ruins. Burnt wooden beams and pews, stone walls crumbling. Forest creeping in all around it. All covered in snow. One of the incense balls lies on what used to be the stone floor, lying with incense still in it as if dropped in a sudden catastrope. Dark patches cover the stone floor, and upon examination, they are dried blood. It reminds me of a fantasy story where humans had built upon the doorway to an elven mound to keep the "devils out." Of course, the Fae did not stand for that, and they took their doorway back with perhaps, excessive use of force.

 

Usually I do a review with "in the bottle," "wet," "dry down," etc. For this scent, I am waxing rhapsodic instead. So, forgive me for the change, but this is one scent that requires more than a "scientific" approach. This one is personal. This is the first BPAL scent I really lusted for right after that heady discovery of BPAL itself. This scent is the one I wanted above all others, my instincts were screaming, "GET THIS ONE!!!" I wanted it for a killer dress that I had to wear to a wedding. The poem, the description all felt like I felt about this wedding. Needless to say, it is the last Yulie I got, didn't get it in time for the wedding! But I was dead on about this blend. Someone (forgive me for not remembering who) in their review said this is a sleeper hit of Winter '05. They are certainly right. I hope Beth brings it back next winter, I would definitely buy more. I am waiting for a second bottle to arrive via a wonderful formulite.

 

Rating 1-5 on my skin, this is a 5.

Edited January 29, 2006 by atropos

[ViolentKitten]

Wow. This is just beautiful. I too, was worried about the blood note in The Cracked Bell, but Sarada’s review convinced me, especially the “dusty incense-soaked tapestry” part. There is a definite metallic tang, but it’s not scary on my skin at all. I can’t pick the notes, but I do get a feel of maybe some nag champa, frankincense, myrrh, amber, sweet dark musks and a touch of dragons blood. No matter, whatever they are, they all add up to the most gorgeous, soft incense. It does smell a little faded, but not at all stale. Side by side they’d be quite different, but I also get a similar feel to Loviatar, though it’s much softer and without the strong leather note. It lasts for good few hours on me, even though I can’t smell it close up on my skin, there’s an airy incense note floating around me that is just divine.

[LiberAmoris]

Another gorgeous incense blend! This absolutely smells like dragon's blood, smoke, and metal, all with a healthy dollop of red musk. It lasts and lasts on my skin, and after just putting on a drop, my boyfriend came in and asked me if I was burning incense, so the throw is pretty good as well.

 

The Cracked Bell is much lovelier than I thought it would be and utterly wearable!

[blu°]

Whoa! Dragon's Blood! And incense! Probably patchouli, but I'm having major problems identifying patchouli lately, so that's just a guess, really.

 

Goes on quite sharp-ly incensey, then turns into something a bit softer and some smoky musk appears, maybe mixed with some amber. It's sort of smokey-powdery-incensey now, but never warm or sweet or cloyingly strong. It stays metallic and cool, but sexy. It's a bit similar to Sin, but cooler and less loud, more gloomy and somehow plain but with a structure (smoke).

It's a very nice scent, that sure will wear well over a longer time.

 

I like it. It's incensey and mysterious but not overly strong and biting as Sin. There's not too much musk in the Cracked Bell, neither. It's head-shoppy in a nice way, a bright high-pitched sharpish incense mixture, that is rather airy as opposed to earthy.

 

It feels like a second-skin scent and seems to be quite light wearing, but I bet the throw of this is not little and I just don't notice it.

The musk/amber is getting stronger now, but always kept airy by some ozone note that others have mentioned, too.

 

So, basically the Cracked Bell is one of the incensey-headshoppy scents to me, similar to Sin, Blood Amber, etc.. It's lighter, though, more airy and metallic, and I quite like it.

Close to the skin it doesn't go to strong for snuggling. For a scent so incensey it transmits a surprisingly natural feel. I guess, this is a very attractive scent, as it's confusing and interesting and people might be drawn closer out of curiosity and fascination.

 

I'm HAPPY to own a 5ml of this.