Jacob's Ladder

[midnight_aeval]

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

Smells good in the vial, nice, creamy amber. Oh I'm hoping this one loves me!

I put it on and I get this cologney smell... not so good. As it dries down it becomes powder. Reminds me of my grandma's perfume Not one I'll be buying a big bottle of lol Edited November 18, 2007 by Shollin

[fairy]

Holy cow. Well, first of all, with those ingredients HOW CAN YOU GO WRONG.

 

I have come to realize I am an amber girl. Amber is my friend. And Jacobs Ladder is like warm glowing amber and happiness in a bottle. This is AMAZING. Definitely in my top 10, if not top 5. This scent hugs you...I don't know how else to describe it.

[maijasu]

I love BPAL amber scents, and this is no exception. It's a gorgeous, deep, happy blend. It reminds me of Et Lux Fuit a bit, although it smells less powdery and not as sweet. Love it, and I'll definitely get a bottle if given the opportunity!

 

ETA: Now I have the 2006 version, and it seems more powdery and has less of the gorgeous depth of last year's. I'm not sure if it just needs to age, so I'll put it away for awhile.

Edited November 8, 2006 by maijasu

[alston78]

Oh, I could cry! I remember sniffing and lightly testing Jacob's Ladder when I first got it in my Yule order, and I really thought it was going to be wonderful - a close second to my favorite, Brisingamen. The decided presence of amber (probably my favorite note) was enhanced by a very delicate sweetness, and something about the blend smelled like light, if that makes any sense.

 

This week, I put it on for the second time I gave Jacob's ladder a little more of a lavish test than usual, since I was so confident about it. The same sweet/light amber smell was present when I opened the bottle, and I was excited. But within fifteen minutes, the blend morphed - it smelled musky (way too musky for me) and masculine. All of the sweetness and lightness were gone. Not only that, it was wafting on me very strongly, and I was in a crowded class! I actually had to go wash my wrists, which has happened only once or twice with BPAL blends. I tested lightly again last night just to be sure that something weird hadn't happened on my trip to class, and got the same results.

 

I do agree with everyone else that the scent lasts quite a long time. Twelve hours at least on my skin. After the initial drydown the wafting calmed down, and the scent was closer to my skin. The musky smell wasn't so strong anymore, either. But this one still just isn't me. It is warm and cozy, and comforting - but it's the type of smell I would cuddle up to rather than wear myself.

[starrykitten]

Jacob's Ladder reminds me a bit of O or Brisingamen. There's the nice amber scent, but in Jacob's Ladder it has neither the sexiness of O nor the babyness of Brisingamen. It's really lovely, stays close to the skin, isn't too obtrustive. I like it very much.

[akw]

This seems like what I hoped The Lion would be. My skin just ate The Lion.

 

At first, I thought Jacob's Ladder might do the same thing, but while it's subtle, it's sticking around and staying interesting.

 

Definitely golden amber, supported by subtle, musky, spiciness. It's exotic without being in your face.

 

I could see using this as a meditation blend if in the mood for something gentle and quiet.

[kwelge]

2005 version, from ebay.

 

Apparently, my skin *adores* amber. Good thing I do too!

 

Bottle: Amber, plus something slightly... creamy?

 

Wet: Amber with some sweetness. Less spice than The Lion, I think it's closer to the florals of Brisingamen (both loves of mine). Also some sort of creamy note. Might be the tonka?

 

Dry: Ooooooooh, I LOVE this. This stays slightly creamy, slightly floral and perfumey amber. Happy and relaxing vibe, medium throw. Good lord, I'm glad I gambled on this working out on me -- I have a bottle coming from the Yule update this year, and can't wait to see if it's the same!!

 

Verdict: HOARD scent.

 

---

ETA: 2006 version from lab

 

A little more powdery than the 2005, probably due to aging. However... a warning. Apply LIGHTLY. I applied the normal amount of 1 drop to hands and neck, and ended up with this overpowering, golden smell wafting up and around me for the next several hours... and I was in a semi-crowded place. I'm a little worried that I might've caused one lady's coughing fit, though she said she'd had a cold for a few days.

 

Verdict: Good, but I'll need to cut this one with some carrier oil to make it wearable -- I don't want to cause coughing fits in people around me! One bottle'll do me, and I may imp some out.

Edited December 11, 2006 by Muse of the Winds

[supremegoddessofall]

In bottle: Citrus-y with some florals behind it.

 

On me: Strong citrus, almost headache inducing. I can sort of get a bit of amber in the background, but it's really being buried by the citrus. Definitely not for me.

[Caltha]

Jacob's Ladder

I swapped for Jacob's Ladder to see if I needed to get a bottle of it this year, but while I do like it I think my imp is enough. It starts out very nice, with an almost citrusy freshness, a boozy sharpness that almost makes me tipsy and a powdery touch. It's a very warm scent, but not warm and dry despite the powderiness. More like warm and soft and round, with a boozy kick. It dries down milder and sweeter and almost a hint plasticky. Still a cosy scent but not as great as the opening.

 

Edit: Oh, and yeah, it's STRONG. One of the stronger BPALs I've come across, just touching the imp makes the scent stick to my hands.

Edited November 1, 2006 by Caltha

[mornatasare]

Warm, round, and oh-so-amber in the bottle. On the missus, it immediately takes on that lovely second-skin quality and she smells not perfumed, but simply delicious. It goes powdery on her with an upsetting speed, however, so it's not something she's going to be wearing as daywear.

[jewelbug]

 

This is for JL 2006. I've not tried '05, so I can't provide a comparison...

 

Bottle: This smells likey honey sweet amber and a hint of orange. I wasn't expecting the orange, but I like it!

 

Wet: Creamy sweet orange--like honeyed pfefferneusse cookies without all the spice.

Drying: Still sweet and creamy, but now something more intense is coming through, something powdery in a good way. Incensey almost. Mostly amber, if i had a guess.

 

Dry: This isn't at all what I expected when I smelled the bottle, or from what I smelled wet. This takes on a very strong dusty goldness--incensey, powdery amber. Its quite strong, but pleasantly so. Its defnitely all-invasive--more so than many bpals I've tried. It makes me feel warm--like I could wear this instead of a sweater in the wintertime, if that makes any sense. Because it envelops me THAT much.

 

Late dry: Sweet super amber, slightly powdery in a good way, going strong. Very warming and cozy. Even a bit creamy. That orange is undetectable now, this is a quintessential amber fragrance.

 

Overall: I quite like amber, though it sometimes goes overly powdery on me. this one doesn't. Its perfect, golden, warm, like a shroud against the world. It lasts 7-8 hrs on my skin, and really is one of the strongest (throw-wise) that I've tried. I've already experimented with layering this, and it does wonders warming up tons of other blends. I'm so glad I ordered a bottle unsniffed!

Edited November 26, 2006 by jewelbug

[Nepthys]

Light, golden and powdery - this is pure amber baby powder on me, nothing more or less. It fades quickly too, unlike what other reviewers are experiencing. The scent is sweet and inoffensive, but is a little too babyish for my liking. Normally I love amber but this is a bit cloying. My top amber scents remain Bastet and Brisingamen - this will probably find more use as a room or car scent.

[birdiefu]

This is for the 06 version. Jacob's Ladder is a resin-lover's dream!! Sort of reminds me of Schwarzer Mond lite. Anyway, it is mostly amber on me, but such a deep, slightly sweet, almost spicey amber that I haven't really seen in any other blends. It gives me a very sunny and warm feeling, and is a calming blend. As it dries it gets a little on the powdery side which I usually don't like, but it actually works this time. Awesome, awesome blend and I will need more bottles . It is also wonderful with layering if you need to add some resin goodness to another scent.

 

ETA: Great staying power, and though the throw doesn't go far it wafts well near the skin.

Edited November 15, 2006 by birdiefu

[euterpe414]

This is also for the 2006 version. I have never tried the 2005 version.

 

Upon first sniff I was strongly reminded of Schwarzer Mond, minus the patchouli. Also reminded a little tiny bit of Haunted as well. This is simply stunning on me, a resinous, glorious scent. Warm and sensual, yet not feral- very elegant! Seriously, I feel like a queen or some other type of dignified woman wearing this, it is that good. The is an amber scent at its finest, imho. On my skin, it does not go powdery at all, but amber never does on me anyway.

 

I am going to have to buy many bottles of this, just in case it does not come back next year (like Snow White or something ) If you love Hymn to Proserpine, The Lion, Schwarzer Mond or Haunted, you absolutely must get this blend!

[forspecial_plate]

Starts out very golden and somewhat powdery, and I can't pick out any single notes at all. I'm not crazy about amber but tried Jacob's Ladder in the spirit of 'maybe this will be an exception'. After about an hour the amber does come out stronger, and reminds me a lot of The Lion....reminding me that I didn't like The Lion. For me, amber is a little powdery and has a weird hint of halitosis, and that shows up here. It's only there when I sniff up close, though. Anyway...hours later, Jacob's Ladder fades back closer to how it started....but this time without so much powder. At this point it's something that I could wear, but I'm not excited about waiting through the other stages to get here.

[valentina]

This is a review for the 2006 Jacob's Ladder, not having tried the 2005 version. In the imp, this scent smells ambery and not at all sweet. I can catch a bit of citrus around the edges. Once it's on my body, from first contact to eventual dry-down, it's rose. How does this happen? I sniff it on my skin and all I can get was rose with a bit of citrus! I checked the ingredient list and there it was, rockrose. Good grief, my body chemistry! All of the other reviews of this scent sound divine, and what I've said should only apply if there's someone else out there whose body turns rose into the major component of any blend, no matter how far down the list of ingredients it happens to be.

[PilotKitten]

This one reminds me of a cologne my grandpa wears. Jacob's Ladder is warm and cozy to me (probably because of the grandpa association), like curling up to a warm cup of tea on a chilly winter evening in front of the fire with a loved one. On the drydown a slightly spicy masculine note comes out (the one that most reminds me of that cologne) and I have no clue what it is. This one is woodsy without being full of woods, and green without being full of greens. I may have to send grandma an imp to test out on grandpa .

[mandragora]

In the imp, warm amber. Went sour though when it touched my skin. Odd reaction, Machu Picchu's amber never did that. Dry, it's sour and baby-powdery amber with a slight cologne-y feel to it. And now it's made me sneeze. Oh dear, it's off to the swaps with Jacob's Ladder.

[slave1]

JACOB'S LADDER 2006

 

In Bottle: Lovely golden resin

 

On Skin: I smell the amber and benzoin right away. This is almost exactly like last years version which is one of my favorite Yule scents ever. Beautiful resins… melting perfectly together. Sweet tonka with a light feminine rockrose just slightly peeking through. This scent to me is dropdead sexy and puts me in a good mood whenever I wear it. It is very warm and golden in feel. If you like resinous sexy scents, you must get a bottle of Jacob’s Ladder. This is a scent I could wear everyday, it’s not strictly a holiday scent. An ace in my book!! Good moderate throw and long wearlength.

[Melantha]

Amber is one of my favorite notes, along with tonka, benzoin, and ambrette.

 

This is very close to being a perfect scent for me. It just wafts around me, warm, and comforting, and lovely, and lasts a long time. Amber sweetness. Mmmmm.

[Em-]

This is warm and rich and perfectly powerdy amber. I really like this. In a side by side test, I can discern almost no difference between the 2005 and 2006 versions, btw...

 

They are both just gorgeous and golden and almost glistening...

[medvssa]

06 version

 

I wanted to try this one for a loong time! So glad the lab re-released it. Of course, I love it, as I expected, as it is a resin lover's dream, and more!

Absolutely fantastic, glorious liquid gold. Apart from the golden resins and amber, it is a little bit musky. It is the first time that an incense (resin) blend actually reminds me of the smell of a church. I want a bottle. Or two. And I just cannot imagine how well this one must age!

[myoubi]

Apparently, another one I've never reviewed. I really need to be more on top of these things.

 

Jacob's Ladder is my classy, daytime, going-out-to-lunch scent. It's golden and surprisingly sweet with amber at first, and that goes steady for the first few hours until it dries down to a powdery amber-ambrette-tonka. It disappears relatively quickly, unfortunately -- totally gone after six hours -- but while it's there I feel bright and beautiful and on top of the world. If I had to categorize this one by Look (as I do with most of my perfumes ) this one is a well-cut coat, sleek blow-dried hair and a sincere diamond smile. Wearing JL makes me feel like a million dollars, and it's great for a pick-me-up or to celebrate waking up happy.

 

/end gushing.

[phedre]

in vial: there's a citrus peel quality to this, with very subtle vanilla notes.

 

wet: florals pop up right away, the rockrose maybe? Tonka definitely comes out to play. The citrus peel is still there, not quite sure what's causing that. The ambrette is coming out too.

 

drydown: This has definitely gotten more interesting since it was first applied, with tonka and amber appearing. it's got a lot of complexity to it, but smells a bit too perfumey for me. There's a note in it that's turning it off and I'm not sure what it is. Off to the swaps, I think.

[SeaLady]

This is shiny and golden. It went through a few stages on me. They're all lovely!

 

First was sweet and generally complex amber (amber and tonka are the only notes I'm familiar with, so I'm not sure I can separate anything out.)

 

Second was amber overwhelmed by a pointy citrus. Very "wake up!", but very lovely.

 

Third is soft and slightly powdery amber, but powdery more like confectioners sugar, rather than baby powder ^.^ The notes that struck me as citrusy are still there, but very lightly. Other than it's official description, I can't think of any words adequate to describe this scent. (...this is the gate of heaven. )

 

The closest I can get is that this is is a whole lot like lying on a hardwood floor in a patch of warm sunlight, really. I think I need a bottle