The Tell-Tale Heart

[carbide]

This is a swollen, pulsating, thudding scent, heavy with dread; a steady, unceasing, throbbing harbinger of retribution and doom: blood musk, cocoa, black pepper, allspice, dragon’s blood resin and vetiver.

I picked up a decant of this for the name alone, and it's in danger of becoming my favourite. Luckily, I tracked down an affordable bottle and can now burn merrily through my imp, but wow, I wish this was GC or re-released.

In the imp, I'm getting almost pure dragon's blood resin with some clove - I wonder if I'm missing the cocoa most other reviews mention.

Wet into initial drydown, the allspice and something I'm guessing is musk join in too. I amp and love vetiver, and as expected, it comes out strongly after about half an hour. It reminds me a bit of Blood with vetiver instead of cherry. It's spicy and warm, a kind of scary, powerful gorgeous - 'formidable' seems like the right word, stunningly handsome and far too interesting to be pretty.

[naeelah]

I have a decant of the original run. By now, it's very smooth and well-blended. Black Pepper, vetiver, and dragon's blood are all things that can take over a blend, but here they work in wonderful harmony.

 

Initially, this is very sweet, with an earthy base. There's the cherry-like quality of the dragon's blood resin, and the cocoa is distinct.

 

Once dry, it's less sweet and much darker. The musk emerges, a little bit like red musk but very smooth. The cocoa isn't foody at all. The pepper and spices are soft, combining with the cocoa to provide a dark, earthy atmosphere. The vetiver is there in the background, giving sharpness.

 

I'm really impressed with how well it behaves in this blend. Normally I hate vetiver, and maybe it's just the age, but here it contributes beautifully to the overall blend. I think it's the vetiver, combined with the musk, that really stops this from being foody. It adds an air of menace, but without being shrill. As the scent wears, the vetiver becomes more prominent, but it never takes over.

 

In the end, no single note really stands out, and it really wonderfully realizes the idea. This is a dark, dusky scent with a sweet trickle of blood and an air of foreboding.

 

Throw and life seem to be average. After several hours, the throw is nonexistent. This is definitely a unisex blend, and the vetiver gives it a cologne-like quality (to my nose), especially in the later stages, that would make this an excellent blend on a guy.

 

If you're a fan of scents such as Blood or Midnight Kiss, give this a try.

Edited November 19, 2007 by naeelah

[akw]

Wet and early on, I notice the cocoa but it's not like Velvet or Candy Butcher -- very subtle. After awhile, it's almost unrecognizable as cocoa, just providing an underlying smoothness and slight sweetness that keeps it from being too resiny.

 

On top of that is a spicy element. I was a little concerned about the allspice because cinnamon amps and drowns out everything else on me, but the spiciness stays where it belongs.

 

The vetivert and dragon's blood keep this from being foody, once the initial waft of cocoa disappears.

 

Overall, very well blended, none of the ingredients overpower the others, and I find it exotic and interesting. Love it.

 

The only downside is that it doesn't last long. It fades to faintly spicy resin fairly quickly. Not a bad thing on me, but I wish the complexity lasted longer. Reapplication brings it back with more depth though.

[strangemodegirl]

This lasted for hours and hours on me! I'd been trying to track this down so I was ecstatic when they announced that DD was getting it.

At first all I can smell is cocoa. Then the pepper and spices kick in and whoa! I am totally and completely in LOVE.

But..it gets even better! Oh dragon's blood and vetiver, you make me so happy.

 

I think this is going to become one of my absolute favorites.

[porcelina]

wow, this is darker and more bitter than i was expecting. i thought it'd be sweeter, like dragon's blood usually is. it's shockingly spicy and dry. no cocoa. sadly the vetiver ruins it for me. after a while it goes away, but what's left is basically just dragon's blood, nothing else- so what's the point?

Edited December 9, 2007 by porcelina

[maribouquet]

Mmm, I like this! It reminds me of Midnight Kiss, but much darker and spicier, and without the oversweet wine note. The vetiver and DB seem to be behaving themselves...

[jupiternf]

The Tell-Tale Heart-

 

In the Imp: Cocoa, and a fruity sweetness I assume is dragon's blood.

 

Wet: Beautiful chocolate and spiced incense- similar to Boomslang, as others have said, and to Midnight Kiss, but without the patchouli.

 

Dry: Any foody aspect fades, and a more complex, sexy scent emerges: my skin is amping woody incense, and in the background, vetiver thumps faintly but ominously.

 

One Hour Later: The pepper and allspice remain, along with a red haze in the background.

[hipslike___cinderella]

Yow! This is strong. I have to admit, when I first opened the bottle, I had my initial, characteristic "foody" reaction: I sniffed, gasped, snorted "guh!" and pulled my hand back. I smelled that weird popcorn-foody smell I get from Miskatonic Univeristy. Luckily, I let the bottle sit and came back a couple of days later, open-minded. Well, it was definately cocoa, blood musk, and dragon's blood. Not a foody cocoa like I initially experienced, but a RICH cocoa that are in some Excolo blends. Dark, dark, dark, fitting for a big, frightful bloody heart. This morphs and rounds out on my skin. Very strong, a musky, juicy vetiver and dragon's blood leaning towards dusty (I always associate dragon's blood with dustiness). I appreciate the peppering of spice in this, too. I'm so glad the foody fear has disappeared, and dare I say, it even sweetens. It's kind of hard to describe, really.

 

After quite awhile this smells sensual. Kinda along the vibe of bold, throbbing reds, like something in the Love Potions arena. Not too bad!

[ceiswyn]

A very short review, since I put it only quickly just to find out if it was a must-have scent and haven't analysed it...

 

Cocoa and dragon's blood, a little reminiscent of Vice (though not so edible, and certainly not so artificial-smelling) fades gradually to something a little woodier, and oddly reminiscent of The Perilous Parlour. An 8/10.

[SarahScent44]

(Retail-only)

 

In the imp, I get cocoa and vetiver - it's an odd combo, but it has potential.

 

On my skin, it's odd - there's a bright sweetness that I would associate with fruit, but there's nothing listed here. It must be the vetiver.

 

When it dried, it calmed way down - it's really rich and velvety, and the dragon's blood resin comes out. Two thumbs up from me!

[VioletChaos]

in the bottle: all chocolate. rich, yummy cocoa and nothing more.

 

wet on skin: an almond note comes out strong and mingles with the cocoa making something totally foodie and delicious.

 

dry down: the more complex undercurrents show up. i detect the vetiver quite a bit and it mingles in a surprising floral way with the chocolate quality

 

later: something more complex, sexy. the food aspect is gone and what remains is something sweet without being cloying; sensuous but soft. this is one of my favorites.

[Wwindy]

Wet: Entirely cocoa and cherry to my nose, but curiously unsweet (as others have mentioned).

 

Dry: Cursed skin chemistry! This goes almost completely head-shoppy incense on me, with just a faint overtone of the dragon's blood. I don't mind it, but it's definitely going to read as a "hippie" perfume to people around me.

 

Very faint after about two to two and a half hours and all but gone after four.

[snapesbabe]

Cocoa completely disappears in short order, and this becomes very very male on me; luckily, it's our anniversary soon, so I can give it to the other half for an anniversary present

[TereFaerie]

This is my first trial of The Tell-Tale Heart and so far I really like it, enough to make it one of my top 10, I think.

 

The first thing I smell is the cocoa, for sure, then the dragon's blood and pepper come out and the allspice, too. The dragon's blood does smell a bit cherry to me, but not overwhelmingly so. Overall, it's a sultry incense, reminiscent of food, but not foody. It's spicy and warm with just a hint of powder. It's dark, bold and dry and very well blended, and no one note really stands out on my skin.

 

Luckily, the vetiver behaves in this one and it dries down to a very skin friendly musk instead of amping wildly and making everything smell like dirty powder. It smells very nice in my hair as well as my skin, so this will be one bottle I reach for constantly.

 

I see the similarities to Midnight Kiss, but this doesn't have the tobacco or the sour wine notes.

[djsiberia]

i tried this on a whim as a sniffie and there was just enough in there for a test.

 

i fell in love. this one smells more like the incese smell i love than the pit and the pendulum

 

i didn't really smell the cocoa, all i got was the dragon's blood resin, spice, and musk...thankfully the vetvier didn't over power the mix.

 

must find a bottle.

[alsatia]

Expectations: Spicy earth. I'm concerned that the dragon's blood isn't going to like me, much as I may like it.

 

In vial: Pepper! And...pine nuts? Maybe that's the vetiver.

 

On skin, wet: Vicks VapoRub? Are all the oils attempting to give me bad flashbacks to childhood?

 

On skin, dry: The prominent scents are alternating between a pepper/allspice mix and a cocoa/dragon's blood mix. That weird smell that I'm blaming on the vetiver pops up occasionally if I sniff hard.

 

After time: I haven't been deliberately sniffing this but it has a lot of throw, which has resulted in two effects. First, my sinuses are unquestionably clear. Second, it feels like someone rubbed Carmex all over my tonsils. This isn't pleasant, but it's probably less unpleasant than it sounds. A bit later, the scent is still strong but less intense. I bet it's going to be very difficult to wash off.

 

Conclusion: This is not an oil for smelling pretty, but it has a clear function. I can imagine using it in a mist fountain when suffering from respiratory illnesses.

[twilighteyes]

I slathered some of this one for the first time right before I ran out the door to work.

 

All day long I keep thinking I'm wearing Dark Delicacies. 0_o Which is totally scrumptious and I love it.

 

I need to sit down when I have some time to do a better review, but I wanted to get my first impression down while I have a quick break from work.

 

In the bottle: mmm. dark. I think I am smelling the musk and resin. It's heady, dark, sexy, and not at all heavy with dread -- but very much pulsating. Mmm.

 

Wet on skin: Resin, musk, some of the allspice and pepper are coming out. Vetiver and cocoa deep down.

 

Dry on skin: It still reminds me of Dark Delicacies (because I tried that one first!) -- must be the resin? Nice throw, lasts a good long time. Got whiffs all day long.

Edited March 9, 2008 by TwilightEyes

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Sweet and chocolatey. It's a reddish oil.

 

Wet: The same, but maybe a bit incensey - ah yes dragon's blood.

 

Dry: The dragon's blood and something musky are taking over. There's a hint of spice (the pepper most prominently) too, and if I strain, a faint smokiness, but it's bearable.

 

Summary: Dusty, musky, slightly smoky incense with hints of chocolate and spice.

 

Totally not my thing.

[crimescenecleanup]

I have the Dark Delicacies version of this.

 

In the bottle - strong dragon's blood and spicy cocoa. The oil is actually a dark red color. I wouldn't apply this directly to clothing, but the oil itself is lovely and the color doesn't show on skin.

 

Wet, on the skin - this is a more resiny, incensey dragon's blood that the fruity/waxy note I usually get from BPAL dragon's blood blends. The cocoa come outs right away and it's strong, but not sweet. More of a gritty, dark chocolate note, like cocoa powder. I this. It's very much the dark chocolate/incense blend I was hoping to find with Velvet. It's got a light "apple pie spice" kinda thing going on with the allspice. The black pepper offers a clean, dusty note that makes me think of warm sand. No obvious vetiver yet - I think it's just giving the cocoa a bit of depth.

 

drydown - Someone in the compliments thread described this blend as "renn faire incense" and I'd have to agree. There's something about it that makes me think it would be perfect for a Renn Faire or SCA pirate. Probably the exotic spices.

 

drydown, about two hours later - At this stage, the blood musk really comes out. I suspect it has vanilla, because I always get a 'hard sauce" vanilla/cream/booze mix out of BPAL's blood musk, with a heavy dose of dragon's blood resin. At this stage the dragon's blood develops a cherry-like scent. It's foody without being sweet - the cocoa still blends beautifully with the incense and spices, providing a very dark, smoky background for the blood musk. The vetiver comes out at this stage, and it's a gentle vetiver, balancing out the blend with a dry herbal note.

 

Overall, this blend is surprisingly light, with less throw than most BPAL, but fantastic staying power. It's a soft, skin-hugging scent. Perfect for summer days when you need a scent that's a little bit lighter than usual, but still want to wear something spicy or foody or dark and sensual. And Tell-Tale Heart manages to be all of these things.

[Andrea912]

Wet: Very strong blood musk/resin.

 

Dry: I want to like it, but musk hates me, especially of the blood type...

[angelicruin]

Bottle: pepper & blood musk

 

Wet: blood musk & vetiver (one of the few oils that work for me with vetiver in it.)

 

Dry: Cocoa and musk.

 

This oil is definitely worthy of it's name.

[crebbsgirl]

This is amazing! Wet, it's very musky and vetiver was predominant. I was a little afraid to try this because of the cocoa. I'm pretty frightened of scents with foody notes, but my love of musky resiny scents won out and I took the plunge. Boy am I glad I did! The cocoa here was the farthest thing from foody. It really lent a warm sweetness to an otherwise dryish blend. As it dried, the vetiver calmed down and mellowed out, giving an earthy overtone. It didn't go head-shop on me at all. In fact, this is the first blend I've gotten comments on. (At this point, I've tried about 65). All in all, a definite keeper!

[Juushika]

(I have the Dark Delicacies reissue.)

 

In the vial: Dragon's blood and darkness.

 

On me: A red heart of vivid dragon's blood resin with deeper, darker blood musk—the color and feeling of fresh blood just beginning to congeal. Surrounding that is cocoa, darkness, and spices with black pepper as the predominant note—a shadow cast over blood. It's a dark and powerful scent, but not overwhelming: the combination of blood and cocoa is somehow sensual, and the scent sticks close to the skin (with dragon's blood and black pepper in the throw), inviting others to lean in to experience it fully. The colors are dark red and black (I wore it when I saw Burton's Sweeney Todd, and it's a perfect match to that aesthetic).

 

Verdict: The Tell-Tale heart is a pleasing scent on the surface—warm dragon's blood spiked by black pepper. Then the intimate throw draws you in, revealing richer blood and darker overtones. Finally it conjures the perfect image of the final, unnatural pulses of a congealing heart, beating its threat from concealing darkness. An exact fit to the inspiration, a wonder of a perfume, and a personal favorite. This was the first scent that I was compelled to stock up on, I wear it often, and it's my favorite LE. Truly—perfect.

[zankoku_zen]

I'm not entirely sure which issuance this is.

 

But I think it might be the earlier one since both the dragon blood and pepper are present, but on the drydown they are very faint, which only happens to me in rather aged blends. I get the cocoa in this to sweeten it a bit and it kinda reminds to red musk.

 

Very dark. And bloody.

 

Yeah, not me.

[AmandaArcana]

Just got this in the mail from ebay, had really high hopes for this one.

In the bottle it smells like bloody, peppery chocolate (with a hint of Vicks?!). On me it smells like the old lady perfume you smell at church. My body chemistry is mean