Villain

[HighlyBell7]

A classic Victorian men's cologne: a lavender fougere, with hints of lilac, lime, and citrus musk.

 

In Imp: Clear. Sharp musk? Soap.

 

Wet: Soap with hints of cologne.

 

Dry: Cologne with hints of soap and musk. Smells really good, but more for a guy. Yeah, I can see Lex Luther wearing this. Too male of a smell for me to wear it all the time.

 

Later: I like it, but I need to find out this guy note so I can avoid it in the future. I think it’s the lavender fougere.

[LexieBlom]

Villain imp

 

Wet/Bottle - Ooooo, lavender and citrus. Not very "villain" though, I'd expect something darker with that title.

 

Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - the same lavender and a drop of citrus, slightly powdery/borderline soapy.

 

Dry/Skin(30 minutes) - lavender soap.

 

I had such high hopes for this one in the bottle, too.

[freyasfae]

I tried this once and gave it a 4 on my 1-5 BPAL scale, but when I revisited it after experimenting more with BPAL and learning more about the note I like and don't like, and I realized this is spicy lavender on me, which I do not like, I like herby lavender, sometimes sweet, but not spicy. I wish the musk and citrus were more prominent, this is just spicy, powdery lavender on me.

[BeyondBad1313]

Yep exactly as described, a lavender Fougere. I love the scents that smell like mens cologne, and this fits the bill. This one can smell a bit more floral which lightens the masculine tone of the blend overall. Need a bottle of this one to go with the rest of my cologne scents.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: This instantly smells like the bathroom in my grandparents' old house, which smelled like my grandpa's soap, which I always loved. There is something so classic and clean about this smell. I know right away that I don't want to smell like this though, though the nostalgia is nice, it ultimately makes me sad.

 

 

Dry: Not much of a morpher, still smells like Grandpa's soap. I love that scent, but ultimately I just don't want to smell like it and be sad all day. It was nice to smell it one last time, but I won't be opening this imp again. It never ceases to amaze me, the powerful emotions that scent can conjure up. It's one of the things I love so much about BPAL. And if I really think about it, it is somehow comforting to know that that particular smell still exists in the world.

[Cali]

This kinda goes into the same territory that those/that citrus swabs/cologne that my grandma used once in a blue moon gets into, but softer. ​The lavender is reaally smooth (lovely!). On my skin it directly morphs into a powdery, even slightly herbal mixture. It doesn't work on me unfortunately, but I'm glad I got to try it. ^^

Edited April 22, 2016 by Cali

[Casablanca]

I applied Villain at a stoplight this morning. I didn't remember the notes, but thought, "Lilac, lavender, bergamot, and other citrus? Is that lime?" After drydown, I was getting mostly a pale musk, similar to that in Dorian. Bergamot isn't listed, but it may be part of the "citrus musk."

 

I like.

 

Edit: I have to add that I accidentally spilled some of this on myself after I got to work, and then later I wanted more, and "accidentally" spilled some on myself.

 

I used up most of the imp in one day. Worth it.

Edited June 22, 2016 by Casablanca

[gloame]

Oh nooo. This is all corporate bathroom handsoap to my nose.

Edited December 25, 2016 by gloame

[Coldfire]

Imp: fresh, clean and masculine. Reminds me of my dad when he was getting ready to go on a flight(work)
Wet on me: i get the men's cologne and lavender and faint whisps of lime.
Drying Down: still a lovely masculine lavender cologne. really enjoying this.
Dry: the powder notes of the musk have arrived smoothing out the more astringent edges of the lavender. well done. Soft but yet so very masculine. The kind you just want to curl up in and snuggle for a weekend.

[whisperstilled]

I love a good fougere. If you like Dorian, or Theodosius, this is part of that family tree. It's sharper and less sweet than both, really fresh and clean and light. Decidedly unisex, and very sexy when wet. There is a lightly soapy quality to the citrus/lilac/lavender combo, however, that is reminding me of nothing so much as...kitty litter? Weird.

[marilyn eyre]

This stuff is really sexy. Like a debonair man with some sort of glint in his eye and a sweet-talker. The lime and the lilac and the lavender are just delicious blended together, and I can't get enough of it, I bought a bottle halfway through my imp. Very unisex.

[patina]

Lime shaving cream and... I want to like this but all I'm getting is a big whiff of powdery laundry detergent, as if I just stuck my nose in there and snorted it. Not for me.

[achildoftime]

I get some delightful lavender and lime from this. It does smell like a bit like a traditionally masculine cologne, but I think it would work well on anyone who likes lime or soft florals. It wears pretty close to the skin on me, but that doesn't detract from how wearable it is. I wish there was more noticeable lilac, but it's still nice as-is.

[Juliamon]

This was frimped to me in a swap, definitely not something I would have picked myself because of the lavender. And in the imp, I was almost convinced that I'd made a mistake and should have had this on my wishlist all along.

 

Then I put a bit on and it turned straight into generic restroom soap scent. Welp.

[Gerbie]

When I opened the imp and gave it a smell, I was pleasantly surprised. I too expected something more dark and heavy with a name like Villain.

I swiped some on my wrist and thought, Oh no, I'm going to have to buy some of this. While wet it is a light citrus lavender that is beautifully blended. It was fresh, clean, unique, and interesting.

 

But the more it dried, the more the liquid hand soap scent came out. Dried down completely, it's not offensive by any means. It's still clean smelling like freshly washed hands, but it no longer has anything unique or interesting about it.

Ultimately, this one is a no for me, sadly.

[torischroeder9]

In the vial: Lime, some other citrus that is not lime (is it weird to smell them as two distinct notes?), and lavender.

 

On my skin:

 

Wet, it starts out with some type of citrus as the top note, with the lavender keeping it more grounded. As it dries, the lavender becomes the more prominent note with the citrus scent(s) brightening it. Something akin to white musk (it isn't that, necessarily, but it's the closest way I can describe it) works to tie these two scents together, so it's one unified fragrance rather than competing notes. For a while it seems like this musky note is going to be the most forward note in the scent for me, until -- BAM! -- lavender soap.

 

I mean, very nice, high-end lavender soap, but lavender soap just the same. This wouldn't be bad for someone who wants a scent that's clean without feeling overly perfumed, but it's not really one that I can see working for me.

 

Throw is medium; I also suspect a moderate level of staying power on me.

[monocainsheresy]

The most beautiful lavender fougere on this planet, very lightly underscored citrus and the barest hint of musk. Smells like shaving cream! One of my all-time favorites

[FebruaryOwen]

Just got an imp in a swap!  I LOVE lavender, lilac, and citrus, so fingers crossed for this one.

In bottle: summer sunscreen and oh my goodness I'm in love.  I hope it stays well on my skin.

On skin: the lavender comes forward a lot

After a few hours: I really love this.  Gives some bug spray / sunscreen vibes that, as someone who likes to scramble around outside in the summer all day everyday and is currently stuck indoors in the New England winter, I ADORE.

Definitely keeping the imp, and want to buy a bottle.  

[Rayleigh]

Goes to classy shaving cream on me. Pity. I can smell the potential there, but can't get past the soapy fog over it. I can definitely see how this would smell great on someone with the right skin chemistry. I never get any lime, which would probably go a long way to cutting the shaving cream back. I may let it age and give it another try, or consider giving Whitechapel a whirl.

 

ETA: This did get better with age. Much less shaving cream, and it didn't take long to improve. Still not my thing, still a bit soapy. The soapiness is now more "clean" than "sudsy," if that makes sense. The vanishing citrus is a common issue on my skin, so it leaves citrus-forward oils smelling thin.

Edited July 23, 2020 by Rayleigh

[Teasandtoast]

Not especially villainous - I love this scent. One of two I ordered full-size after trying in the imps. I was honestly surprised that such a light scent would be so masculine, but it is. Definitely a springtime scent for me though, so it's sitting back for a few months.

[rhinestone tempest]

My relationship with Villain is a little hot and cold.

 

The first time I tried it, it was a frimp with my first-ever BPAL order. At the time, I thought it was too flowery and gave it away--but a few months ago, I ended up wanting to try the lab's fougères, so I ordered another imp.

 

At first, I loved it! Before trying it, I was a little worried about the lavender, since some of the Lab's lavender oils can smell somewhat artificial. (I'm thinking most specifically of Watson, which was a promising scent that's unfortunately let down by the thinness of its lavender.) However, as far as I can tell this is either a different type of oil or simply one that's better complemented by everything else in the mix, and it's perfectly fine standing on its own. After trying it, I thought it was well balanced, masculine but not aggressively so, and with a fun floral twist.

 

Unfortunately, there was something niggling at the back of my mind. It smelled just a little bit familiar, and I couldn't place why...until I realized it smelled a lot like a lavender soap I've kept in my bathroom for a long time. And now I can't unmake that association, so when I put this on all I smell is Bathroom. Not the scent's fault, but...that is the risk of lavender, since it's used in a lot of cleaning supplies.

 

I'd agree that this is good if you're normally lavender-shy, since it's forward but not overpowering, but if your aversion is because you don't like it rather than because you can't find a good one, you're probably best sticking to some of the other florals available.

[VetchVesper]

This is a bright, dapper lavender.  Very fougere.  A tad sweet and soapy.  Clean, like a nice aftershave.  I get a touch of creamy lilac in the dry down, but this one stays nicely androgynous.  If this was how a villain smelled, I imagine he would be a very clean-cut one, with his hair pomaded back and a starched, white collar.  He'd very likely have a British accent.     Not MY type of villain, but a pleasant enough smell.    Folks who dig this might also like Wilde, Embalming Fluid, Herbert West, and Jared.  I'll stick with the more herbal Envy for my lime and lavender though.

Edited September 2, 2020 by VetchVesper