The Bow & Crown of Conquest

[Dharklady]

Nobility and haughtiness befitting the Antichrist: sage, carnation and cedar with lavender, vanilla, white musk and leather.

In bottle: Cedar, vanilla, and a light musk
Wet: The sage, lavender, and carnation all shine through a veil of vanilla.
Dry: The carnation and lavender seem to have merged nicely and the vanilla mellows them out. Slightly spicey, slightly woody, lots of vanilla and lavendery floral.
Notes: This is a great blend for me, I was hoping to find a good vanilla/lavender blend and this appears to be it!

[tailoredshirt]

This was primarily a vanilla blend on me. It started out vanilla with a bit of leather and something a bit herbal. As it dried, the carnation came out and added some spiciness to it. At one point I got a little musk, but not much. Overall, it was a warm, slightly spicy, slightly herbal vanilla with a hint of leather. But then then leather faded () and the carnation really started to take over. I really like the carnation-vanilla combo, because carnation with amber tends to turn into cinnamon powder on me, but the vanilla and the carnation stay true here and are really lovely together. It's sweet, spicy, warm, and very pretty.

 

Th only thing I was slightly disappointed in was the leather note, which I'd hoped would be stronger, but that's okay. I might need to experiment with some layering with this one.

[lahdeedah]

I picked up an imp of TBCC a while back while on a mad hunt through all the sexy GC men-scents. Sometimes I like to try on masculine scents for size, and, when the husband lets me, I try them on him. He's quite fond of vetiver-heavy scents, though he has yet to try and steal any of my BPAL for himself. Anyhow, I knew I would like this one and I was right, but it's not PERFECT. The lab's leather note and I don't quite love each other, and there is a lot of it in this blend for sure. All the other notes are pure love for me, especially sage, lavender and vanilla.

 

Front and center wet it's all cedar, darkened by the sage to a somewhat vetiver like scent. I get a whiff of lavender, and I can tell vanilla is there, but mostly just to smooth out the edges. But then as it dries big bad leather asserts itself and is sending everybody else to the background. Behave yourself leather! There's no need to be so pushy! It does sweeten up and get creamier a bit later on, but this is definitely a man's man's blend. If this is what the Antichrist smells like I'm surely doomed, cuz it's pretty sexy.

 

Wear: really good. lasts a looong time on me.

Throw: seems pretty high as well.

All in all: I sprung for a 5ml at a good price on eBay which turned out to be a 10ml by mistake! Sweet! So I'm sure I'll have this bottle until the end of days.

[reconditarmonia]

Starts out with a lot of sage - I smell like a seasoning! Luckily, it dries down to a leather/vanilla/lavender/cedar (?). I like it.

Edited July 21, 2010 by reconditarmonia

[meredevachon]

In the imp: Sweet, with just a hint of what will be leather. Yeah, I'm terrible at picking out notes in the bottle.

 

Wet: Ah, there's the leather. Sweet, but neither foody nor girly (which is not necessarily the same as feminine, although to me this is more unisex than either masculine or feminine).

 

Dry: As this dries, it all kind of blends together, so it's hard to pull out individual notes, but in a whole is more than the sum of its parts kind of way.

 

In skimming through reviews, I saw comparisons to both Tombstone and Golden Priapus. I love both of them (GP being in my top 5). This seems lighter and sweeter than either, but I can see (or smell) similarities, I think. This one's definitely a keeper.

[Ashenrook]

In the Bottle

Men's cologne, at first sniff. But I can pick out the sage, the leather, and the musk once I give it another try. I don't smell any of the vanilla or floral notes that are in this, at the moment.

 

On Skin: Wet

Leather and musk, right off the bat. It still smells very cologne-y on me, like a brand my father used when I was a child. Once it settles a bit, I can smell the cedar and sage creeping in, tickling my nose (in a good way). The white musk gives all of these scents a dusty feel to them, like a stranger with no name who just came in off the trail riding a white horse. There is a deceptive softness to this blend, that is reassuring and inviting – but with a firm backing to it that makes it clear that no matter how kindly and soft this stranger appears, he's not to be trifled with.

 

On Skin: Dry

Ah, there's the vanilla...! The stranger's putting on the moves now. *eyebrow wiggle* And I'm just starting to pick out subtle hints of the carnation, but I have to search for it. The lavender is still M.I.A., but I hope that will change considering that I really love lavender.

 

Afternotes

Finally! There's the lavender...but it is very faint. Not that it's incredibly bad, because it, honestly, is fitting to this blend. The cedar and sage have dropped to the background now, letting the vanilla and carnation do the sweet talking.

 

I do agree with others that TBCC is the more sophisticated brother to Tombstone, since the scent definitely evokes the image of the Old West with the dusty white musk, leather, and sage. But this one's no gunslinging brigand... this one's out looking for someone's soul today.

 

 

 

Verdict

On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this an A. However...

 

I really do like this scent, but, at this point, I am unsure if I would classify it as something I would personally wear. I would, however, be thrilled if I could lob this imp at a man and say "Put this on, you'll thank me later" because, boy, is it ever sexy.

 

(Thanks for the suggestion, Little Bird!)

[Nymeria]

My nose is feeling a little unrefined tonight, so it's hard to pick out particular notes, so all I'm getting is a "carnations surrounded by darkness" vibe.

 

Which, y'know, I kinda dig.

 

Good for wearing: When I am delighting in being actively melancholy.

[ImperatrixMundi]

Why is my bottle so different from the imp I had?

 

First - The Imp:

I ordered a lab-fresh imp. It was a bit cologne-like and herbal at first but on the skin the leather really developed and formed a dry base and the vanilla and musk sweetened the blend enough to make it smooth and sexy. The dominant notes I could pick up were leather, vanilla, white musk and sage. The carnation was there but very light.

 

Now - The Bottle:

Could not find my imp but I wanted a bottle anyways. The bottle smells like a mix of vanilla, white musk and carnation. The herbal elements and the leather that made the blend smooth, wickedly elegant and sexy in a very unisex way are nowhere to be seen. It is still a pleasant scent but the carnation is very overwhelming and after it fades a bit I am left with a slightly empty, sweet scent.

 

It is probably not just my nose or chemistry, the scents already differ in the imp or bottle. Both were lab-fresh! The bottle is just missing most of the gorgeous leather note and has loads of carnation. Meh. I think I might hunt for an other bottle to see if it is me or batch varations that cause the difference. But overall I really loved this scent in the herbal and leather-heavy version and want to smell like the Antichrist all the time!

[StevenBoatman]

Yes. Yes, yes, yes! Whoo, I love this blend!

 

Imp: Something, well, ugly. Not really identifiable, but the first whiff made me cringe. I almost didn't want to put this one on, but....

 

Wet, on skin: I'm glad I did! Wow, whatever it was in the imp, turned into leather with the sweetest hint of cigar smoke and cologne. Very manly, and yet elegant. Very much the scent of Satan's avatar. Me likey!!

 

Dry: The leather has almost completely faded, replaced by a deep vanilla. The combination of cigar smoke and vanilla is intoxicating. Is it bad if you can't stop sniffing your own wrist?

 

10/10-this is going on the "Need a bottle ASAP" list.

[calivianya]

Wet, I can smell the cedar, white musk, leather, and vanilla immediately. This is very light on me, much lighter than I would have expected as cedar and vanilla both are usually very strong on my skin. About five minutes later, the combination of leather, vanilla, and sage is serving to make this a lot like Western Diamondback, but more subdued and dusty. The lavender and carnation are starting to peek through as well. This is really a lovely scent; I am totally surprised. I don't know what I was expecting, but this gorgeous scent isn't it.

[Drarra]

I picked up an imp of this because it has so many notes of win for me: cedar, lavender, white musk, leather. It's an imp I've been looking forward to trying for months.

 

In the bottle: I smell cedar and vanilla. There's something else going on here, but I can't tell exactly what it is. I need this on my skin to see what will happen.

 

Wet on my skin: Meh. This is pretty vanilla.

 

Dry on my skin: No, this is VERY vanilla. I wonder if vanilla is another note amped my sweet-loving skin. I can't even tell what else there is to smell here (carnation, is that you?), I just smell like a gross candle - not even a yummy vanilla bean.

 

Overall: I'm disappointed. I was hoping for a cedary blend with herbs (yummy sage and lavender!) over some musky, slightly vanilla-tinged leather. As it is, I don't want to smell like this. I will find other imps to obsess over!

[imaginepageant]

In the Vial: The first thought that popped into my head: man. This is an beautiful masculine scent, but it's soft enough that I think it just might work on me. The cedar was the first note I noticed, followed by the white musk, leather, vanilla, and lavendar.

 

Wet: The leather amps up right away, but the vanilla keeps it sweet and creamy. The lavendar's holding strong, while the cedar and white musk are still in the background, but faint. The carnation's starting to come out to give it all a slight floral spiciness. Not sure I'm getting any sage.

 

Dry: Leather, vanilla, and lavendar mainly, and the latter two are making this smell much more feminine than masculine. The other notes have kind of melted into each other and aren't identifiable individually, but are giving the blend a solid, vaguely woodsy foundation.

 

An Hour Later: I'm starting to think I amp leather. It's pretty much all I smell now, though it is a smooth, sweet leather. Somehow, it kind of reminds me of bubblegum. Go figure.

 

Overall: I like leather, but I wish the rest of the notes had stuck around. This is a beautifully complex blend, but I don't think it works on my skin. Will be trying it on the boyfriend.

[brittanywut]

In the imp: Sage, tiny bit of cedar, and lavender.

 

Wet: Hmm.. Carnation and vanilla coming through.

 

Dry: Vanilla and carnation stands out the most, there's barely any trace of lavender. This is nice, not sure if it'd be bottle worthy though.

[orata]

Hot damn, this is good. Smells a lot of aftershavey, herbal sage and cedar when wet, with a touch of lavender/vanilla. As it dries down, it becomes the most fantastic, sexy, almost creamy leather/vanilla/cedar scent. This would be so hot on a man, but it's not bad on me, either

[Missy_killer]

In the imp: Men's cologne and lavender. I also get "green" which must be the sage.

On me: Vanilla, leather, lavender and that green - almost grassy- sage again. It actually smells really good! It's nothing I would ever have picked out myself (frimp from the lab). When I move my arm there is something that reminds me of jam, but if I move my arm closer to my nose it disappears! It's quite yummy!

 

Hour later: Nooooooo..! I smell incense and men's cologne. All the goodness above has left me, and I'm stuck with this. It started of good, but I do not like how this one turned around.

Edited October 13, 2011 by Missy_killer

[undream]

on first sniff, this one is very "men's cologne"-y. once it hits my skin, it turns into, for me, allll cedar. (bpal has single-handedly turned me onto cedar, so the amped cedar is a good thing, but moreso a thing i'd like to smell on the boy than myself!)

 

after a little while, i detect vanilla, and cedar and vanilla seem to be the only two notes wanting to come out and play until about 20 minutes in? when a very assertive, smokey note comes to the fore. a biting, acrid kind of smoke; a forest fire, a home burning . . . (the name of this one, at this point, makes sense.)

 

fortunately, that acrid bite calms down before long and becomes a beautiful musk and cedar, a sort of perfumed powder? i really wasn't certain if i liked this, but i noticed that i could not stop smelling my wrists all night. still, i will likely send this one off to a new home, grateful for the chance to have tried it. it truly is a beautiful perfume, just not exactly me.

[archergrl]

Mm leather and vanilla is a winning combo for me. I really like this one both on me and the bf. He is a little wary of liking it because "I don't want to smell like the devil" LOL my bad for reading him the description. He did like the smell prior to that though so we will see if he will let me put it on him again. If he can get over that I would def buy a bottle to share and give him the imp and refill it as needed (he doesn't wear scents other than deodorant on a daily basis).

[detritius]

This is the first BPAL leather scent I've tried that goes almost pure leather on me, albeit a warm, smoky, musky leather. This is a supremely masculine, confident scent, like a guy who knows he can get whatever he wants.

[Innocuousmold]

I'm typically very wary of anything with vanilla in it, but I adore The Bow and Crown of Conquest.

 

Wet it's a very strong, billowy vanilla note that really envelopes me. Leather and cedar are the next notes that come up on my skin. While I love this blend I always hope that the sage, carnation and lavender play a bigger role. It's still gorgeous, though, especially since the majority of vanilla blends don't do much for me.

[brilliantcat]

Strongly cedar and leather in the imp, but on my skin it's herbally lavender leather. As it warms, the vanilla blooms and it becomes a gorgeous, slightly spicy (from the carnation I'm guessing as it usually goes that way on me) vanilla leather. I absolutely adore it and need many, many bottles

[yakiguri]

Mmm, if this is the antichrist, call me a willing convert.

 

TBCC starts off as a faint, slightly woodsy vanilla that I feared would remain merely nice, but not anything interesting. In a few minutes it unfurls into a deep, spicy, leathery vanilla that makes me want to hump my wrist. I haven't been this enamored with a vanilla since Tombeur. White musk is usually a doom note, but it behaves beautifully here and adds a slight iciness to what would otherwise be a warm, snuggly blend.

 

On an interesting note (ha!), this smells exactly like Tom Ford's horribly overpriced Tobacco Vanille, but much more complex. I need to buy two bottles of this, NAO.

[Quillifer]

I was very disappointed by this - not that I strongly dislike it, but I thought I'd love it, and it's very "meh" on me. The white musk is most strong, and seems rather powdery.

 

I must prefer Whoso List To Hunt, which for some reason this reminds me of but seems a better version. I have a feeling the listed notes may not be similar though. That to me is also rounded and soft and gender neutral, but not powdery.

[Mellifluous]

I just blind bought a bottle of Bow and crown, because I figured wth, I just have to try it.. and honestly I think its one of the only popular scents that in my years of ordering, have never been gifted with a frimp of yet. It is amazing! It's like a slightly smokier and less spicy version of CC: Male. Its that leather/vanilla scent with a nice spicy edge from the carnation. CC:M is almost identical on my skin, but the clove starts a lot spicier than the carnation. So happy I found a cheaper alternative, that's nearly the same exact scent. I'm in love

[zeldaZ4]

Got this as a frimp from the Lab with my Weenie order. Super excited to try it, because it was one I've often heard praised. So BIG THANKS Lab!

 

My first wet whiff reminded me of cinnamon. So then I read the notes. Ah, carnation, that makes sense. On my skin, it all blends together nicely, the carnation, a slight touch of vanilla, and the lovely cedar (one of my favorite notes.) I don't really detect leather, but I am catching a masculine, herbal vibe. Must be the sage and lavender. They aren't strong, just enough to give the blend a touch of spice.

 

So as the minutes wear on, the scent starts to smell familiar. I'm getting a sense of melancholy, then suddenly it hits me - the Avon cologne my father wore in the early 70's. I can't remember the name... was it Deep Woods? My parents were divorced when I was twelve, he died nine years later so it's been a very long time since I've smelled this.

 

I like a lot of the masculine scents. Most of them end up being more unisex on my skin. But this one definitely says "man." And more specifically, "Daddy." I'll keep the imp around for the nostalgia factor.

[Ishtar]

Unfortunately, The Bow & Crown doesn't really seem to open up and bloom on my skin. Compared to the reviews above, I'm getting a rather thin, flat, and entirely forgettable aftershave scent.

 

It smells promising enough in the bottle (a lovely combination of lavender and sage). However, once on my skin it turns to pure leather for approximately 5 seconds, then the aftershave emerges and tramples all the other notes into submission. I certainly would have expected the Antichrist to wear something a little less generic and pedestrian. Goes to show how little I know!