Jacob's Ladder

[PurringPulsar]

Jacob's Ladder 06

The meeting of Heaven and Earth: golden amber, galbanum, benzoin, ambrette, rockrose, costus and tonka.

 

In the imp: a faint, but beautifully sweet amber, which doesn't have the intense incense feel of 05 yet.

Wet on skin: oh, wow. It's a sweet, soft, almost liquid amber scent, it's a much purer amber note than last year's…but there's a hint of spices and other oriental notes in the background.

Dry on skin: mmm, wow! This smells quite different to JL 05, I must say. It's like orange and amber, golden, soft sweet amber with a hint of something almost like citrus to it. And yes, I agree that this is very similar to the amber in Schwarzer Mond. In fact, this is like the lighter counterpart to SM, without the patchouli and darker notes from that scent and with the golden amber taking centre stage, and a definite vanilla-like undertone of benzoin and tonka which feels almost milky or creamy. A hint of the other spicier notes from JL 05 are there in the background but they are not as strong.

After a while: the amber develops a real 'milky vanilla' scent and becomes stronger yet smoother. It also develops a hint of the spicy dryness of last year's, a slightly piquant undertone of sharper incense notes and a dry, almost woody, hay like or dusty undertone, but not as much as last year. The benzoin-amber and tonka still rule the fragrance. there are times when the spicy notes in here, for some reason, start to remind me of saffron and cardamom, and mingling with the creamy-milky amber, it gives the effect of kulfi (Indian ice cream)-which I ADORE! I know this is a crazy skin chem thing but I love it.

Verdict: this is surprisingly different to last year's JL but it's such a beautiful scent nonetheless…so beautiful that I might need a couple of bottles of this one too! The old JL, which has aged wonderfully, has become a divine sweet golden amber scent with overtones of spice, resin, smoke, musk, incense and a dry, golden background which makes me think of sand or desert stone. It's a glorious spicy amber with intensity and a feel of shimmering dry heat to it. The new JL on the other hand, whilst still being warm and golden and luminous and sunny, is much softer and has the amber, tonka and benzoin as the dominant notes, and the amber is sweeter and more syrupy and a little milky and foody in here. So, whilst last year's now smells like a desert, this one smells like a dessert! The spicier notes from last year are much gentler in here and there's an almost vanilla-like creamy aspect to the amber, and this reminds me a little of Lyonesse. It's also reminiscent of the amber in Schwarzer Mond, but without the darkness of that scent. And it's surprisingly gourmand, I think 'ambrosial' is a good word to describe it. So despite it not resembling last year's scent (which is a favourite), this one is fantastic as well and I now don't know which version I prefer! And I bet this will age wonderfully as well.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? definitely. Maybe one to stock up on.

If you like this, try: Jacob's Ladder 05, The Lion, Bastet, Hymn to Proserpine, Aureus, Ozymandias, Brisingamen, Lyonesse

[keltic]

the description of this scent intrigued me last year, and wanted to try it, but never got a chance. luckily i was able to get a decant for 2006, and give it a try. the notes are certainly ones i am not familiar with, and probably couldn't pick out of a line-up if put in front of me. . .

 

on, this is sharp, almost to the point of being antiseptic. very unusual, not like anything i’ve smelled before. way into dry-down, an almost smoky note tries to come in, but it remains a very sharp -- resin? -- note. interesting, and not bad, but just not me. still, i'll hold on to the imp to try again at some point.

[marietta]

Review of '05

 

This is not something I would have picked out for myself, having had historically bad luck with BPAL amber (O gave me the worst headache I have ever had). However, I was on a quest to find vintagey oils, and someone on the recommendations forum suggested this, so I thought I'd give it a shot. And what a shot it was . . .

 

First impression: It's Shalimar! The top note I smell initially is bergamot (or similar), and with that ambery-vanilla base . . . the comparison begs to be made. I definitely don't mean this as an insult, Shalimar is one of my all time favorite frags, and one I still turn to, from time to time.

 

Drying: Hmmm, it's taken a veeeeery pleasant turn! This is warmer than Shalimar, and I dare say just as pleasant. It has a slight sense of spices, and a strong sense of golden warmth. I think someone earlier on this thread said it's like being in a golden hug, and I agree with them! It doesn't have crazy sillage or anything, but it's very enveloping.

 

Final thoughts: I've been through a lot of BPAL, and I have to say, this is my first instant love. In fact, I think I'm going to go post a top ten list, just so I can put Jacob's Ladder at the top! This has the calming effect that BPAL that is just right for me has.

 

Buy again?: Heeell, yah!

[Tess]

This sounds like EXACTLY what I look for in an amber scent. A light amber with benzoin and tonka does indeed sound like heaven to me.

 

In the bottle - There's a perfumey sharpness to this and the benzoin is the strongest note right now, sharp and pungent. The amber and tonka are in the background and, despite how strong this is now, you can just FEEL that it will calm when on.

 

Wet - Sharp and sweet. Still with the benzoin sharpness, but the amber is so sweet behind it. I even love it in this phase, just like this!

 

Drying - The sharpness is fading fast and something almost floral is coming out. A light floral almost... bergamont! That's really what I'm smelling here. A very light amber/tonka/lightlight benzoin/bergamont scent. I REALLY love this.

 

Dry (1 hour 15 minutes) - This has powdered out slightly, but not much. That lovely bergamont feeling I had is gone, but it's still sweet and light. My skin is giving it a hint of musk, which is lovely, too. It's a really light scent, but it doesn't cling to my skin the way other scents do. It has a soft small halo of throw.

 

Overall - I really do like this. Will I wear it? Who knows. I am willing to stick it out and see how it ages, though.

[redlisse]

I was really, really looking forward to this one - I drooled over it in last year's Yule update, but couldn't afford to buy anything. So I was thrilled that it came back this year.

 

In the bottle, Jacob's Ladder is very warm-smelling and golden. I suck at notes generally, but it's not a bright sunshiney sort of warm; more like a nice cuddly amber. Very promising.

 

Unfortunately, the oil hit my skin and collapsed into instant baby powder. I confess, of the many, many oils I have tried, this is my first baby powder experience; I'd read about it and been smugly content that I was not afflicted. Alas.

 

After a few minutes, a big heap of spicy resin appears in the middle of all the powder; Jacob's Ladder is now a heavily spiced baby powder. And there it stays for the next six and a half hours (and still going, I might add). I wish some of my favorites had this much staying power.

 

My Boyperson of Choice agrees with the Spiced Baby-Powder verdict, but thinks it's wonderful. He also thinks Mme. Moriarty (my current favorite) is "stinky." I say he has terrible taste in fragrances and will just have to put up with the stink, because Jacob's Ladder is giving me a headache.

[Gale]

I am a fool for amber, and Jacob's Ladder won the contest I had between it, Brisingamen, and The Lion.

 

Wet: Amber--warm, golden, beautiful!

 

On dry: Gorgeous. It isn't overly strong on me, but it does last all day, warm and quiet. It's been nearly eight hours, and I can smell a tiny bit of citrus mixed in with the amber. It's delightful.

 

The Lion smells nearly identical on me, but I have two bottles of Jacob's Ladder, so I'm good for now!

[spicyelenore]

In bottle: very orange, but with a strong perfumey scent that reminds me of samples you get in magazines. (that's not good.)

wet: hmm. It might be calming down a little.

drydown: still very perfumey. getting sharp-is that benzoin? (I don't know what that is)

dry-getting warmer, but still too strong.

 

Unfortunately, there's something in there my nose just does not like. It's too perfume-y. Off to the swaps.

[metaldog32]

Jacob's Ladder 2005

 

I remember when this first was offered in '05..it was one of two scents out of the Yule offerings I simply HAD to get.

 

So..I have been wearing this special blend for about 2 months..off and on..mostly on though and surprisingly am nearing to the end of my 5ml..which I never ever do... ...because I just have so much fragrance.

 

In any event...because of the very reason of having so much fragrance I figured now is the time to do a review..I can't move on to other yummy BPAL scents until I put down on paper my thoughts..so here it goes:

 

Initial sniff from bottle:It's a bit sweet...a bit warm...kind of golden-like..and a bit cologne-like??? Not in an overtly aggressive manner...the cologne-like note is interspersed with the sweetness and warmth which I assume is the amber and maybe benzoin/tonka??? If I had to attach a "feeling" to this when I am smelling it the only way I can describe it is like sheer golden light...

 

Applied wet on skin:Sweetness..that cologne-like note is there for a brief second in the front and in a matter of seconds it's sheer golden amber..with a light touch..kind of floaty and just really very beautiful. I do adore Beth's amber blends and this one does not disappoint.

 

Couple of minutes on skin:Same notes..but the cologne note is MIA now and it's morphing a bit to an almost translucent amber/benzoin/tonka trio on my skin...I don't get any baby powder vibe either. Just a sheer golden warmth with a touch of sweetness.

 

Ten minutes on skin: It's a bit more softly spicy...almost in gentle herbal slant??? I have to take a stab at this and say that maybe it's the galbanum??? That with the amber/ambrette/tonka and benzoin...is just making a warm and sweet slightly spicy and touch herbal/balsamic melange that is just comforting and very addictive.

 

The sweet in this blend is definitely not very foody...it's like a mish/mash of amber and non-sweet vanilla tones...really beautiful...because of that spicy/herbal/resin-like waft weaving in and out...

 

Half an hour later: Same notes....but it kind of has a bit of skin scent anchored in the back there..kind of musk-like but it's a light musk..nothing heavy and aggressive..it is seamless in this blend..

 

Drydown: Soft skin musk scent with a touch of spice..again..very soft on me...almost incense like really...

 

Bottom Line: Jacob's Ladder I knew would be a knock-out scent for me...and me going through my 5ml is proof of it. It is a beautiful scent that I think works wonderfully in either fall or winter and I am so glad I picked up a bottle of the 2006 version before it disappeared. It's sheer golden light in a bottle.

[GoldenRubee]

I purchased this because of the reviews and because of the amber which is always a favorite of mine. When I first opened the bottle I was expecting a very strong scent but was surprised when it was a very faint amber, musk, honey, vanilla and maybe citrus? After 45 minutes or so it blended quite nicely with my body chemistry and warmed up so the amber and musk were more predominate and the citrus disappeared altogether. It really lasted all day and the only thing I regret is that I didn't order 2 bottles .

[Rouge]

Amber is one of my favourite notes. While it does sometimes turn faintly powdery on me, that's not always a bad thing. In Jacob's Ladder, it's an incredibly good thing.

 

In the bottle - A very gentle perfume; warm, soft and comforting. Very angelic, in fact! It's a rich, ethereal golden veil of scent.

 

Wet on skin - I'm pleased to find that amber, slightly warmed and softened, is the dominant note. There's a beautifully sweet ingredient here which I'm finding it hard to identify. It's not a foody sweetness, nor an obviously floral one, but it certainly helps to create a gentle, serene and enveloping cloud.

 

Dry down - Like an angel descending to earth, the heavenly sweetness and golden notes that seem like pure light made liquid have deepened and grounded themselves in a thick, delicious resinous quality, but have done so without losing any of their ethereal nature.

 

This scent is one of complete serenity. I shall be keeping it for the very rare occasions when I feel utterly at peace.

[lightgatherer]

(This is the 2006 version.)

 

This is the perfect comfort scent. I can't name any specific notes other than the amber, but it's all just so warm and soft and lovely. I put this scent on after I'd put on flannel pajamas and was going to cuddle up with a warm blanket and soft pillow. Amazingly, this scent smelled just how I felt - it smells like pillows and cuddles. I'm going to need more of this since I want to make some as a linen spray.

[DangerInRed]

Mmmm, nice. This reminds me a lot of one of the Possets I tried recently, only I can't remember which one. Maybe the Observatory?

 

Anyway, it's a very light, warm lightly spicy and sweet amber, and maybe a teeny hint of non-offensive floral. It really is a golden scent! This is how I wish the amber in O smelled on me. It hasn't made me sneeze yet. I am liking this a lot more than I thought I would!

[juniperus]

Bottle: resinous, open and fresh (without smelling green, per se). gently resinous, in other words

Wet: more of the very light greenness that is lending itself as fresh is apparent.

Dry: this just grows deeper and gains presence - not heavier, mind you, but it does have oomph. it's gorgeous, really amazing.

Later: I missed this last year, to my clear discredit, but it's fucking amazing, some amazing brilliance in resins - love me some resins, but I've never smelled them so light, so clean....oh how I desperately want more of this!!

[mspixieears]

Oh my gosh! Why did it take me so damn long to sample this?! It’s simply divine! I instantly get the tonka, benzoin and amber and adore these notes together. This smells like a ‘herbier’ version of O. Sadly, it fades in a couple of hours which is a great shame as it has such promise. I was lucky enough to have the chance to compare imps of different ages and would say that this is beautiful as it ages – you definitely have to wait in order for the tonka and benzoin to become more prominent. The younger sample seems spicier to my nose.

[Jilara]

I was waiting to get my hands on this, because it sounded divine, though amber often just vanishes on me.

 

In the bottle, it's soft amber/benzoin.

Then I put it on and...ahem, I could have sworn I just put oil on my skin? Sniff, sniff. Um, hello? Oh, I am so getting a bad feeling about this...

(Slathers more on.)

 

Twenty minutes later, I am faintly smelling tonka bean. With great relief, I might add. I'm still wondering if this bottle is headed out of my hands.

 

But then it started to bloom... It's two hours later, and this is just gorgeous, and has a fairly strong scent now. Go figure. Tonka is predominant, but the amber and benzoin are in solidly. I have no idea what rockrose smells like (though the plants grow out at the coast, here) but there's something slightly herbal in the background. This smells really good in a very unusual way, and is something that seems like it would be great around people who might react badly to perfume. It's really nice, soft and smelling of Classical Antiquity.

[jade_starlight]

Oh, this is nice. The amber is very warm and almost snuggly, with a hint of something sort of spicy lingering in the background. It's like putting on your favorite sweater and cozying up in front of the fire. I will definitely have to see about acquiring a bottle.

[500ml]

Even though I'm not sure from which year my decant is (I'm guessing 2005, but I'm not sure) I really do like it Wet it reminds me of the Lush BBS Green Day, I get quite a lot of patchouli. Dry it mellows down to a very comforting amber with a slightly sweet note. It doesn't last very long on me, although the amber definitely still is lingering. It's a very warming scent, very pleasant.

[zankoku_zen]

I received a 1/4 decant from someone as a frimp. I don't know the year

 

In the imp: Smokey incense

 

On Skin: Smokey incense

 

Drydown: Sweet smoke

 

Verdict: I really, really like this. I would have never tried it, based on the notes and the description because it's not the type of scent I usually go for. BPAL strikes again, thereby proving you really need to try it out because you don't know if it will work. I don't know if I would ever use much of this, but I will definitely cherish the small amount I have, and perhaps, just perhaps, try to find a full decant of this. Again, not a scent I'd reach for during the week, but it is warm and comforting... and yes, I agree with the person that said this is what Aureus should have smelled like (Aureus went horribly wrong on my skin).

 

ETA: spelling check.

Edited June 18, 2007 by zankoku_zen

[aine]

Wearing Jacob's Ladder 05 is an adventure. Will today be the day it smells a little like a powdery baby's bum on me? Or will it be its usual resinous goldeness?

 

This is such a beautiful fragrance when it works, the resins are almost luminous. The tonka and benzoin add a smoothness while still allowing Jacob's Ladder to be about golden light. There are touches of floral but amber is the focal point at all times, refracting brilliantly at the centre of the scent.

 

The first half hour or so can be a little dicey, but it blooms into gorgeous golden scent and a beautiful interpretation of amber. Lovely.

Edited August 11, 2007 by aine

[WidgetAlley]

(2006) I swapped my Crowley for a bottle of this from the lovely Buddha Mama.

 

In the bottle: Amber does this really weird thing on me where I can barely smell it in the bottle. So instead of amber, I get an impression of faint fruits and florals and tonka, smooth and warm and round. It smells almost like some kind of delicious drink or sweet at this point.

 

Wet: It starts out powdery, for just a moment, then morphs into strong beautiful amber overlaid with the aforementioned sweet syrup. Something is making it smell almost sort of milky on me, and something else lends a faint hint of powder. It's pretty, but it's very.... smooth, and not at all spicy or pointed like I usually like my blends. I wish I were getting the smokiness that some people describe. The bottom note of this has a lemony quality-- it must be the same amber used in Bearded Lady, since I can smell the same effect there.

 

Dry: There's a little bit of spiciness coming out now. I'm not even going to try to describe notes, since I know I can't possibly, everything is perfectly blended to the point of being seamless. It's a sweet-milky-resin blend, rich and golden. As pretty as this is, and it is very pretty, I'm not really sure it's a "me" scent. I'm going to have to hang on to it and see how much I end up using it.

 

EDIT: I ended up using this in a diffuserl, and it made my bedroom smell heavenly!

Edited February 1, 2009 by WidgetAlley

[Styx]

Jacob's Ladder, year unknown (Yellow Oil)

 

Imp: Smells yellow, faintly boozy and a tinge sour.

 

Skin: Something in this went very sour on my skin. While it was wet, I thought I smelled a whiff of something green, almost like mint - but that dissapeared quickly.

When it dries, its benzoin and amber, but instead of the soft mellow powder I usually get, something was sharp and dry. And the sourness stayed too.

This has left me thinking what in the world it was that reacted on my skin this way.

The scent doesn't last long, and didn't have much throw, which was fortunate for me since my chemistry seems to do strange things with it.

It sounds absolutely divine on everyone else, I'll have to try it again in a scent locket when I get one.

[arabella]

2006 version

 

First Impression: Citrus, resin, floral

Dries down to: It settles down and becomes creamier.

Additional Comments. Again better than last years. Its' Christmas in the desert. I picture a nativity scene in the Arizona desert.

Lasted: Several hours

Rating: 4 out of 5

[darkblade]

Jacob's Ladder 2006 Yuletide

 

Bottle: Qua? No idea. It.. not a room scent. Ok. Definitely.

 

Wet: .. I have no idea. It's faint. This is what I get for trying scents with a cold.. but I can actually breathe through the right side today, and I got new smellies!

 

Dry: Seems nice, and fairly subtle. Again, sick though. Need to review this when I don't have a cold too. A tiny bit creamy, but not enough to bother me.. not solidly creamy either. I think I smell the amber, but I don't know the other notes enough to pick them out.

 

Verdict: Glad I bought it, and am definitely going to add the other 06 imp I have to what's in the bottle. Probably won't need to get more than another imp or two of it though.

[Trish]

2006

 

In the imp: Very sweet, golden, resin. Almost foody in a way.

 

Wet: Same, but without the foodiness. There's something that smells like orange too. It's such a very golden scent.

 

Drydown: Sweet golden amber and tonka, with a very slight hint of spice.

 

Dry: Powder. Golden powder, but powder nonetheless. Not that I really expected anything else from something containing amber.

Edited September 21, 2007 by Trishek

[MaidenGenevive]

Jacob's Ladder

 

In vial, warm and sweet, almost boozy. On skin, round, warm, and sweet with a tart edge. I'm not too familiar with the majority of the notes involved, so it's hard for me to pick them a part, but I can say that overall it has a pleasant glow with masculine leanings and a little bit of spice.

 

[4 - Really Like] This is nice, but too masculine for me.