The Cracked Bell

[ktesedale]

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

In the bottle, this is a nice incense. I can't find the metallic tang yet.

Wet, though, this turns to baby powder. It doesn't go away, either, like some scents do - it lasts for over an hour, when I finally had a chance to wash this off. Off to swaps!

[Court Analyst/Strategist]

The Cracked Bell dries to something I can only describe as soft, sweet incense smoke as somehow witnessed through the dissonant cloud of a static-like phenomena. There is a metallic sharpness to the scent in the background, but its so well blended into the rest that I cannot seem to place its identity no matter how many times I attempt to. That said, the scent is not an ominous or unsettling one; I actually find The Cracked Bell rather comforting. There's not much change to the scent from wet stage to drydown and onward.

 

This scent is truly gender-neutral. Its neither feminine nor masculine, althrough I definately wouldn't mind witnessing this one on a man; I find The Cracked Bell to be a very clever and attractive scent.

 

Throw: 7/10 (rating). This is a fairly light scent in broadcast, but the strength of the oil stays steady for a reasonable space of a few hours.

 

Overall: 8.5/10 (rating). I find this such a unique scent that I ordered three bottles of The Cracked Bell before the Yule update was removed from the site.

 

Court

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 4/5

Summarised in a word or two: Blood and incense!

 

In the imp: Oooh. Sweet incense and sharp, tangy blood.

 

On skin, wet: Oh, wow. This reminds me of Blood Moon, but with incense and not as spicy. There's definitely something metallic about this, which I must say is a surprisingly good thing.

 

On skin, dry: Mmm, blood. This kind of smells the way blood tastes (which, er, I do quite like) if it were mixed with incense. Warm and metallic and just a bit sweet and smoky. The problem starts a few minutes further along, when the blood starts to fade away and it becomes strong, thick, heady incense.

 

Conclusion: Sigh. For most of its drydown, it's love-love-love. After that... not so much.

Edited February 15, 2006 by Aredhel

[lizardling]

In bottle: smoke and incense, something sharper.

 

Wet: Perfumey incensey. Frankincense? Whatever that note is that makes it... hmm. maybe the reason it's perfumey is I can taste it on the back of my tongue when I sniff.

 

Drydown: Trace of amber. Still perfumey -- not sure what that note is. *scratches head*

 

5 minutes: Huh. going a bit sweeter, more musky. Still smoky.

 

15 minutes: OH my god. Sweet smoky incense. *contemplates licking arm* Still a bit perfumey if you think about it, but not enough for me to be turned off it.

 

Several hours later: Sweet smoky incense (not too strong, fading) with just a touch of something salty and bitter in the background. This -- this is exactly why I tend to gravitate toward clove smokers when I'm out and about. I would *gnaw* on my arm if I could, folks.

 

Score: 6 out of 5!

[Eunice]

This smells even better than I had imagined!

I don't smell the metallic blood at all. This just the slightest bit sweet but more of a creamy sweet rather than a fruity sweet. Sweet, creamy, musky incense. I cannot stop smelling my wrist! I am in total oil love. *swoon* This is so soft and rich!

[Reedsong]

When I bought this, I had never read the descriptions or reviews and had no idea how it would smell. I just wondered if I would have luck in purchasing BPAL based on the name alone.

 

I mean - the Cracked Bell. What more do you need for a perfect mix of despair and art? It should be part of a series: the Shattered Glass Tower, the Strip-Mined Forest, the McDonaldized Skyline.

 

But I digress. The point is - I should use this kind of luck in picking lotto numbers.

 

Cracked Bell is gorgeous. At first scent, it's incense and metal with tangs of smoke and blood; for some reason, it reminds me of the incense burners in the Catholic Mass, which may be why several people have described this scent as comforting and evocative of memories.

 

It's the very exhalation of the soul once it touches my skin, retaining the incense sweetness without being cloying or overpowering. Cracked Bell is soothing, reflective, and slightly smoky. It's a fire with scented logs on a cold night, or a ritual at home in a warm, incense-filled room. Despite the chilly mood the poem evokes, I find the aroma to be very warming and enjoy the Cracked Bell best as a sleep fragrance after long, stressful days.

 

Verdict: This blew me away, and I'm too sarcastic to be easily impressed. Find a bottle of this if you can - especially now that you've actually read how it smells.

[theseagrows]

this is a beautiful dark, warm scent. i get a slightly floral-herbal musk from it...seems kind of like red musk, but i am not sure. i sense the slight herbal bite (which i guess is the metallic tang?) and it really adds to the incensy musk. looove this one and now i must find a bottle.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Cold, metallic dragon’s blood.

 

Wearing: This is a gorgeous, richly deep-red scent, with just a hint of the smoky. I’m trying to remember why I didn’t order a bottle… the description isn’t terribly inviting, to be sure, but dragon’s blood is almost always stunning on me and I’m very grateful to Bagfish for swapping me this imp. I’m annoyed that it faded so quickly – I’ll put more on next time.

[edenssixthday]

The Cracked Bell - I didn’t try this one for the very longest time because I was terrified of “the metallic tang of blood.” Well, I finally tried it, and I don’t smell any blood at all! I’m actually kind of disappointed, since it was a pretty anti-climactic olfactory experience to finally test this blend. This blend is very interesting – it’s incensey, but it does have a “metallic tang” (just not of blood) to it, making it very different from other incense blends. It does make me think of ancient bells clanging in the tower of some gothic, stone cathedral in Europe. The scent has a fairly low level of throw, and it lasts longer than most BPALs on me, although it is very soft after the 2 hour point.

[Sealgair]

In the bottle:

Oohh. The incense notes are right there, very lovely. There's also a metallic something but I don't recognise it as an individual note. Okay, and my brain is for some reason translating the combination of scents into 'cola'.

 

on wet:

woody incense, vanilla now, and the metallic 'cola' scent. Maybe the tiinyest hint of floral? I may have to try this again later, since my brain seems to be stuck on cola, but for now...

 

10 minutes in:

I think amber is the note that seems kinda vanilla-y to me. You know the smell when you step into a new-age shop? The scent of incense that just lingers? I'm getting that plus... still something a little metallic, but not cola any longer.

 

20 minutes:

woody incense floralish with a bite! The 'floral' might be lavender, which would put a bite in there... but I don't really think that. I like this. I sniff my wrist and go MMMmmm and my eye lids droop. Even with the metallic 'bite' this is a langourous scent.

 

1 hour:

the incense is sandalwood/amber/nag champa... or at least that's the best way I have to describe it. This oil doesn't seem to morph much like many of the others do; it's very "faded incense" with that metallic bite that also seems vaguely floral. I like it a lot!

 

 

Also, the seller sent me a freebie goodie: Yogos! (Yogurt covered fruit jellies) Nifty keen! Thanks!

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: incense, a bit of perfumey alcohol, and the smell of how blood tastes, that coppery stuff, not the sweet scent in BPAL's Blood

 

First on: this is why it took so long to find a bottle on ebay, it's gorgeous! Very incensey with a distinct metal and then that blood scent behind it

 

Drydown: I get that floral incense someone was mentioning. It's almost soapy, so I'm thinking maybe jasmine? The metallic is definitely still there, but that blood scent is gone. I feel like I'm wearing a dirty piece of metal.

 

Overall: I like it before drydown better, but I do like the overall effect as well. I'm definitely keeping this bottle.

[buzz23666]

Ok - who smacked me in the face and split my lip while I was burning incense?

 

That's how I felt when this was wet and also on the drydown.

 

Wet - i get the metallic right away over my mental version of head shop incense.

 

Dry - this scent is DEAD STILL. Like you are frozen in your tracks after hearing a creepy sound in a cemetary, in the middle of the night, when there is no moon, and then all you can hear and feel is silence.

 

I can taste the blood. This one freaks me out a bit. I am wondering how different it will be if I use it as a room scent so it doesn't react with my chemisty. I will have to try that before I commit this one to the swaps because I am not convinced that this is a bad scent for me. It would just have to be used in the proper context. It's lovely in a twisted sort of way.

[fairy]

Very nice. Smells a lot like my favorite store...very insencey and smoky. Nothing changes when applied.

[juniperus]

Bottle: both light and smokey, transparent..almost. like looking at a distance through a light fog.

Wet: the same, only richer in a way I can't quite describe.

Dry: sweet incense, smoke, and cold, deep chill.

Later: this has deepened and darkened a bit- a smokey, incense-y masterpiece. I was concerned that the metallic would foretell a painful note for me, but none such has surfaced.

[Rat The Unloved]

First impressions: I sort of like this one, again. It's got a twang ("the metallic tang of blood") that disrupts the over-all scent to my nose.

 

Bottle Impressions: High, bright, twangy, floral. Strong tones of Frankensence. Slightly soapy. Firey yellow (as the oil itself).

 

On the skin: Immediately the scent mellows. It becomes powdery, floral, soft. Vaguely reminiscent of a cold, bleak, Christmas (Very much in line with it's description).

 

Dry: Almost a commercial, floral, scent. Nice. VERY nice, but with a destinct mouth-feel. Yes. Mouth-feel. I can taste the higher notes of it. This one tastes like perfume. Not too fun for me.

 

Mature: A "Granny" type scent comes forward. Intense, blooming, florals. Too much for my tastes. Literally.

 

Several Hours Later: The scent has completely gone. Faded to powder, then nothing.

 

Overall: High, floral, almost commercial. Not my personal tastes, but certainly interesting in it's own way.

 

Buyability: Since this was a gifted Imp's ear I'll probably pass it along to someone else. It is not one that I would pick up again.

[supremegoddessofall]

Kind of a generic incense. Nothing really stands out.

 

Score: 3 out of 5

[steffanina]

The Cracked Bell-

 

In Bottle: Mmm, there's a candy-and-incense scent in this!

 

Wet: Sweet sugar and incense, resin-pine.

 

Dry: This is lovely--it reminds me of another BPAL scent I've tried before, but I can't think what. Something resinous and sweet. It's very nice!

 

Overall: Not a frequent flyer but one I'll try again.

[azhure]

In the vial: It smells like a mix of red musk and dragon's blood to me. Yummy.

 

Wet: The musk amps up for me at first, and is utterly delicious. I do get a sharp "blood" type scent, but only briefly.

 

Drydown: The scent becomes more dominated by the musky incense as it dries down. Sadly, it fades somewhat quickly and doesn't have much throw. I suspect more throw would result in this being headache-inducing, however.

[biernaise]

The Cracked Bell:

 

Initially I get dragons blood and frankincense, myrrh.

 

This is from a bottle that has aged about one year and all the elements have melded quite smoothly and seamlessly.

 

There is a floral quality to this oil that results from the blending of resins. The metallic tang is understated here, due to aging and blending. Tasteful and powerful!

 

There is a borderline headshoppy quality that tames itself on the drydown.

 

Altogether another winner. It will be in heavy rotation in my lineup.

[Elemcee]

The Cracked Bell is a sharp, tangy note on a soft base.

 

It's a beautifully despairing scent, somehow. I definitely imagine somewhere huge and ornate yet old and crumbling.

[Em-]

Wow, this is a beautiful blend - rich, full bodied, and tinged with just a hint of blood. Not sweet Dragon's Blood, but a real, dark iron rich blood scent, which blends perfectly with the musk and whatever else makes this so lovely.

[Melantha]

I just tried this recently, and am very pleased. It has something in common with Winter of our Discontent, but is slightly different; I wish I was better at picking out notes so that I could be more specific.

 

A bit spicy and sharp, though not spicy in a "clove and cinnamon" kind of way. It's hard to describe. The incense really rounds it out nicely. A new fave Yule scent!

[Bangles]

Delicious! Incense mixed with something sweet and spicy and positively edible-smelling - is that the blood? - this one's a keeper for sure!

[metaldog32]

I have to say….this was the 2nd most coveted fragrance I had longed for during Yule 2005. Outside of Jacob’s Ladder..this was the one that I was most curious about. It was also the one I waited till the very last possible minute to order..simply because I was so very intrigued about what exactly it would smell like.

 

I like the smell of metal…cold metal sounds exceptionally fascinating and well incense..incense is one of my most loved notes in a cold weather fragrance. I caved in and bought a bottle..but waited till this week to FINALLY try it!!! I have been wearing it for 2 days and this is what I came up with. Let me start backwards…since I have had this on all day..easier for me describe accurately.

 

Drydown: I get the faint whiff of metallic..but it’s not hot..no..it’s a cold metallic..and I love that..along with a faint sweetness..for some reason this is sort of reminding me of Black Opal…which is a good thing since I loved that scent as well.

 

Hours later: I kept getting subtle wafts of something a bit sweet..with the soft incense weaving in and out..and yes..that metallic note kind of peeking here and there. Not a whole heck of a lot of throw on me…it stays fairly close to the skin.

 

Initial sniff from bottle: It’s soft…and something in there reminds me of Blood Moon…faintly..but it’s there..and this isn’t great..since that particular scent made me a bit queasy…but the vibe I get from this is cold…a still, cold contemplative scent. Not icy menthol or snowy/slushy notes..but cold metal. I like it.

 

Applied wet on skin: Oh THERE you are incense…YAY. With it is a note that again..reminds me of Blood Moon..but it’s subtle..and floating on the edges of all of this is that metallic wisp…gosh it fascinates me so. This doesn’t scream at all…really very subtle..not invisible..but something one would need to get kind of close to to get a whiff of.

 

Couple of minutes on skin: Warms up a bit…the incense is a bit smoky..a bit sweet...could there be some amber here??? It’s a tad bit powdery..but nothing overt..and this is just all gorgeousness…I would agree with another reviewer that the incense/sweet/smoky mélange kind of reminds me of my beloved Gypsy Queen except minus the florals…it’s still retains on me that stillness and coldness in feeling..and I have to say…I really do enjoy it. Very evocative.

 

Whereas Blood Moon kind of ran a bit hot for me and therefore wasn’t that enjoyable until the drydown, this is extremely wearable for me…despite that the two share some notes..at least to my untrained nose.

 

Drying on skin: Yep…this is incense and with a sweet and touch of smoky note..interspersed with what I think might be a resin/amber rounding up the back??? It’s not a heavy fragrance…definitely wearable and extremely evocative. I love it.

 

Throw was soft to medium and lasting power…10+hours. Lies close to the skin but definitely does last.

 

Bottom Line:The Cracked Bell is/was certainly the sleeper hit as far as my picks for the 2005 Yules were concerned. So glad I took the chance to snag a bottle..this is a most wearable incense blend that does changes faces a bit while still retaining its cool and slightly metallic vibe. Love it for winter.

 

Sorry for reviewing this a bit out of order!!!

[hackess]

Bottle: Ugh, this is going to go straight incense on me.

Wet: Yep, incense, heavy heavy frankincense. With pine boughs. Like being at church on Christmas Eve.

Drydown: There's something metallic there, but it's not blood (though, oddly, that's the psychosomatic reactionary taste I have in my mouth now). The incense is giving me a headache and I have to wash off the tiny bit I tested with.