Obatala

[blackheartedangel]

The King of the White Cloth, King of the Orishas, the First Among Equals. He is the King of Power, and his weapon is wisdom. He is the essence of honored maturity, wisdom through age and experience, purity of intention, virtue, humility, tolerance, judicious use of power, the knowledge of what is truly right and wrong, the moral code, and the obligation to do what is right. Obatala is the Creator God, who first fashioned mankind from clay; thus, he is also the first sculptor and potter. The human head itself is Obatala’s creation, and it is through it that he grants us the ability to discern genuine morality as opposed to oppressive, mistaken and arrogant self-righteousness. His is not the falsehood of societal boundaries, His Truth is the understanding of one’s own character and the obligations that we all have to our world, our Gods, and one another. He is the Benevolent Judge, calm and lucid, and he governs rational deliberation. His color is white, as His spirit is free from any soil or stain, and His energy radiates sanctified purity, great wisdom, happiness and internal peace. He is associated with cloth, as that was one of His gifts to mankind. The aspects of Obatala are symbolized by the chameleon, boa constrictor, elephant, gorilla, and snail. Obatala is the Lord of Laughter, for it is through wisdom that one may see the joy in life, and through laughter we are able to see the follies of mankind not with cynicism and derision, but with humor, compassion and understanding. Obatala’s Laughter helps soothe the pain of life’s rigors, and takes the sting out of the harshest of life’s lessons. Obatala’s ofrenda is soft, white and pure: milk, coconut meat, shea butter and cool, refreshing water.

out of the imp : sweet, milky coconut
wet on skin : still the sweet, milky coconut but with a aqatic touch
dry on skin : the coconut dies down a bit (this coconut meat is not nearly as powerful as the coconut in black pearl or blood pearl) and i can really start to smell the shea butter.

overall : This is an amazing scent for the summer! It's very refreshing and has the coconut meat to give it a tropical twist. Definatly a 5ml purchase in the near future!

NOTE: This review thread is for the BPAL Excolo scent. Reviews for the Twilight Alchemy Lab oil of the same name can be found here. --Shollin

[thedragoncharmer]

In the bottle: Hmmm...smells like a cocoa butter lotion I used to wear. I cannot quite place the scent.

Wet: Definitely shea butter.

Drydown: Shea butter and faint coconut. Not at all like suntan lotion. More of a mild fresh coconut.

 

This is very unique from the other coconut scents I own. Where Elegba is tropical green coconut and Black Pearl is dark smokey coconut, Obatala is a warm soothing coconut. A mellow scent that has secured a spot on my summer scent list!

[zillah37]

Obatala:

 

In the bottle, it's pure coconut milk! *drools* Part of me just wants to down this bottle, but I remember the warning on Lick It and I'm sure that goes double for Obatala.

 

On my skin, I get the coconut, milk, and butter. It's a very soft, clean scent that does make me smile. God, this is really, really pretty. I would catagorize this as foody, but it's drink foody, not food foody. This is so, so pretty. Gah. I can't stop sniffing this.

 

Verdict: Coconut and milk! Gorgeous, light, clean, and beautiful. This is a summer scent to me because I want to drink pina coladas now. And it does make me smile. I'm so glad I bought a bottle of this unsniffed!

[Thursdae]

Obatala smells like milk and fresh, sweet coconut to me. It has good throw, too. I'm liking it very much indeed and am tempted to put it on the bottle list with no further ado.

[Digital_Hypoxia]

Sweet Georgia Brown!

This stuff is creamy coconut heaven.

 

It’s just a bit tangy, a whole lot sweet, and makes me crave a Pina Coloda in the worst way possible.

The initial blast of coconut dies down after about twenty minutes, but the oil holds on to the creamy sweetness. It reminds me quite a bit of Milk Moon; they seem like variations on a theme.

 

I am very glad I bought a 5ml instead of an imp. I can see myself plowing right through this bottle.

[wolfie13]

In the imp: Exactly as stated, milk, shea, a touch of fresh (not candied sweet) coconut. Yummy.

 

Wearing it's almost the same, but I lose the individuality of the notes a bit - which saddens me - and it becomes MILK MOON. It's nearly identical on me, except it's just a bit more sheer - the "refreshing water" note?

 

Milk Moon was heavy cream and butter on me- too much, though i did like the idea of it in some way (as you can see by the fact that I've tried all listed below). This slightly lighter version might just make it more manageable (though I wish it retained a bit more of the coconut aspect that i get from the imp.)

 

(And the boy loves all variants of this scent on me - even though i don't - so this one is for him!)

 

This will be a must for fans of any or all of the following:

Milk Moon, DSH Au Lait, CSP Matin Calin, Lait Sucre. All these scents are EXTREMELY similar on me.

Edited April 10, 2006 by wolfie13

[kiio]

I have sunscreen that smells like this, not exactly, but enough that Obatala threw me right in memories of the river in the summer, and hauling scuba tanks down the cliff to get there. Even if this didn't smell like gorgeous, yummy coconut and milk goodness, I'd keep it. But, it does indeed smell glorious, so that's a plus

[puck_nc]

I love the smell and taste of coconut, but have yet to find a BPAL coconut scent that's really me--I want it sweet. I was hoping the milk and shea butter would deliver.

 

Origin: Imp from the Lab

 

In the Bottle: VERY coconut, with a heavy milk scent as well. Nice.

 

Wet: I get a faint milk and coconut, with a bit of shea butter...hey! Where'd it go?

 

Drydown: Well, I can get a hint of the watery note now, but damn! My skin sucked that in and left barely anything behind!

 

Verdict: Well, it smelled nice while it lasted, but the duration was laughably short. Ah well...maybe Beth will get crazy with the coconut, vanilla and sugar sometime.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Sweet coconut!

 

On me:

White and pure is the most perfect way to describe this scent, because it is exactly this. It's so simple but beautiful, it's clean and mildly sweet and airy. The coconut is subtle and milky and the shea smells so pure and clean. The water adds just a mild sweet aquatic note. That's it. That's the scent. The description is absolutely perfect for this. THIS is THE summer scent, I'm telling you.

 

Final note:

My perfect tropical scent, it's beautiful and clean and makes me think of a pure, untouched beach.

[Little Bird]

Obatala does smell rather like Milk Moon did on me, but with the addition of sweet coconut milk and a slightly aquatic edge. It's a really refreshing scent, not overly sweet, and I think that it will be amazing for summer.

 

Sweet milk, coconut milk, sugar, and the scent of the ocean in the background. It's like having an imp of tropical paradise.

 

Beautiful, I will need a few 10 mls of this one.

[PeshaRocha]

This is the warmest, creamiest, not-too-sweet coconut ever! I'm so glad I went straight to bottle on this, rather than try an imp first. The touch of water scent keeps it fresh and just a wee bit crisp, and the shea butter gives it richness and roundness.

 

Since others mentioned Milk Moon, I just want to say that MM was a huge disappointment to me. On me, there's not much similarity between that and Obatala. I also tried CSP Matin Calin and was very disappointed by it. Before getting this heaven-in-a-bottle, my favorite coconut was CSP Vanille Coco, and I might layer it with Obatala sometimes. But Obabtala is soooo much better, and it doesn't have the vanilla, making it more summery and versatile.

 

Beth is a genius!

[slave1]

In Bottle: Milk

 

On Skin: First off, it smells exactly like Milk Moon to me. I need a gallon. Then after a few minutes, the water note shows through and gives a slight aquatic tone to the scent. Hmmm… very nice. It’s not as heavy as Milk Moon and it’s more refreshing. But it does have that obvious creamy “milk” note that both Milk and Chaste Moon have and I LOVE that. The coconut is light, it’s not screaming suntan oil or anything luckily. The shea butter is sweet but also a nice contrast to the heavier milk note. Mixed all together, it does smell like a refreshing milky coconutty cocktail. I really want to sip it!! I only bought a 5ml of this unsniffed, so my next order will probably be for two 10mls. This is an instant favorite, since I ADORE Milk Moon and Chaste Moon and this is a family member of theirs for sure. I still love Milk Moon the most, because nothing can beat it, it is my ultimate comfort scent. Yay for comfort scents!!! Average throw and lifespan.

[GypsyRoseRed]

Obatala is heavenly, but subtle. If you're looking for a strong scent with a lot of throw, I don't think this is it but it's gorgeous. To me, it smells like the Lush facial cleanser, Aquamarina which I've always adored. Mmm. Llovely.

[Carolyn]

Yup, I'm nodding my head here. Milk Moon with a very slight aquatic edge. I'm not big on aquatics, but this is subtle and nice. And it's not a major note in this blend at all.

 

This is soft, sweet, fabulous. Slightly buttery and milky. I LOVE Milk Moon and am so glad I can buy this when I run out!

 

I find that this has excellent throw and staying power.

[SeaMonkey]

I'm getting primarily milk and shea butter. Its a very subtle, gentle scent. I wish I got more coconut. In the imp, it reminds me of chaste moon, but dry, its a less sweet version of chaste moon. I'm getting a very very slight aquatic edge, but this is mostly shea butter on me with milk in the background

[LittleGreyKitten]

This is so amazingly much like Milk Moon. It has a dab of coconut added, and some lighter background, but the effect is so very similar. I can't believe the loveliness of this! I'm a nut for Milk Moon, and to find a scent that is so very, very like it that is GENERAL CATALOGUE makes me sooo happy. Dare I say I almost enjoy Obatala more? The lighter, less just-cream notes in Obatala make it more versatile. While I love Milk Moon, I don't like wearing it to work- I feel self concious in it for some reason... wearing Obatala I don't feel that way.

 

Yeah. A gallon, now, please. OK. I admit it. I do like this more than Milk Moon. It just smells a little more yummy. I would definitely recommend to people who got a sour undertone out of Milk Moon to try this. It is quite like it but the sour note is not present (I can smell it in the bottle of Milk Moon, but it disappears on my skin luckily).

 

Hot damn, this is a 6 or 7 out of 5. That's how much it blows me away, and how thrilled I am that, let me say it again, it's general effing catalogue. Halleluja and thank you Beth.

 

Also, I've gotten tons of compliments on this one. Lots of people get the coconut out of it, but it's not the first note I notice. I tore through my imp like whoa, and now I'm praying for the swift arrival of my Dragon Moon order, which included a 10 mL of this. In fact out of all the goodies in that order (I showed no self restraint!) it's the Obatala I'm dying for.

Edited May 1, 2006 by LittleGreyKitten

[filigree_shadow]

I wish this smelled as good on me as it smells on everyone else.

 

On me it smells like a cross between suntan lotion and overly creamy coconuts. And it's very, very strong. I was hoping maybe that would happen just one time, but I've tried it twice now and I got the same result.

 

It's an interesting scent, just not one I'd choose to wear. The other Orisha ones I've tried have been spectacular, though... so I guess it's not so bad that only one of them doesn't work for me.

[hologhost]

I don't have a lot to add here - definately Milk Moon-ish. However, I was one of those for whom Milk Moon had that rancid undertone. Sort of like Sour Milk Moon. And It's NOT here! So if you liked Milk Moon and were disappointed by that note as I was, give this a try.

[paperdoll]

Woah. If you handed me an unlabeled imp of this, I would have sworn it was Milk Moon.

 

Upon wearing, this is not nearly as thick or cloying as Milk Moon. It also has an awful lot of coconut in it (= plastic on my skin).

 

To sum up: Coconut Milk Moon Lite. If that sounds good to you, go forth and order!

[L-z_Empress]

Okay, I am the queen of freshly shipped from Africa shea butter. I use it in my hair, I use it on my skin, hell, I'll use it to cook with if it's the good stuff. My point is that I KNOW what fresh, real, pure (i.e. not cut with chemcials) shea butter smells like probably moreso than most people do and I just don't smell it in this and it makes me sad because it's the primary reason I bought a 10 mL of Obatala unsniffed. Okay, that and I love coconut scents. I do have to agree with everyone in else in that it is almost an exact dupe of Milk Moon without the slightly sour milk note that lingered. I will keep my bottle of Obatala, but once it's gone I don't think I will buy another.

Edited April 17, 2006 by L-z_Empress

[Em-]

My first reaction to Obatala - why oh why didn't I just order a bottle right off the bat. I want to slather this like I've never slathered before.

 

Obatala is fresh and creamy. On my skin, the coconut is subtle and not overtly tropical (I don't feel like a walking tropical drink wearing this) and while I can see the comparisons to Milk Moon, which I love, it is different to me - lighter, with a hint of something almost spicy or herbal, not as cloying and a little more wearable.

[cameroncrazed]

In the imp: Honey? Why am I smelling honey?

 

Immediately on: Really, really nice sunscreen.

 

Once dry: Creamy coconut. More emphasis on the cream.

 

Overall: 8 out of 10. It's definitely a very summer-y, tropical scent. I absolutely adore it. If I had something with a faint sweet pineapple scent, I'd definitely layer the two. Absolutely gorgeous, but faint.

[furygrrl]

In the imp: Sweet, soft, buttery coconut.

 

On Wet: Same as above, though with the addition of a refreshing, aquatic undertone that cuts through the creamy sweetness.

 

Drydown: Over an hour later, I'm still getting delicious whiffs of gorgeous, milky, sun-warmed coconut. If I close my eyes, I'm back in Mexico - reclining by the pool under an umbrella, slathered in suntan lotion and downing pina coladas, soaking up all that steamy heat and inhaling the scent of the ocean...aaahhhh....

 

Overall: Obatala stirred up vivid memories of childhood summers and amazing times spent abroad. With the exception of Sleepy Moon (which reminds me of how summer evenings used to smell when I was a kid), this is the only BPAL blend to hit me with such an intense wave of nostalgia/remembrance/"being there". In short: Pure love. Destined to become my signature summer scent, and a definite 10ml purchase. A well-deserved 5/5

[Macha]

I remember Beth telling me that she was working on a scent for Obatala, and three weeks later, she was still working on it — this from a woman with an uncanny talent for coming up with genius formulas in an hour or two when inspiration strikes. But Obatala needed to be perfect — it needed to be white and pure. She was, perhaps uncharacteristically, obsessing over it.

 

And when she let me smell her creation, I knew that she'd gotten it exactly right.

 

This is simply divine — when I first tried to describe it, I said that it was, "...predominantly of shea butter, with a soft, milky aquatic vibe. It's like stepping out of a milk bath and slathering yourself with a good shea lotion and wrapping yourself in a clean, thick cotton towel — that feel of warm and clean." Since then, I have become, if possible, even more impressed by the scent. The aquatic note keeps it from being too cloying sweet, the milk evens out the coconut, the coconut balances the aquatic. Further study reveals that yes, there is most definitely a coconut present, but don't let it scare you — it is the best coconut. It is the sort of coconut to help you find your love of coconut again.

 

It's just a gorgeous perfume — subtle, creamy, pure and fresh. I love it.

[Rock Goddess]

Obatala is breaking my heart. Coconut is my one true, failsafe note - it's always perfect for me.

 

In the imp, I got mostly shea butter, with vague hints of the coconut and milk. But wet on my skin, all I could smell was the shea butter. After 30 minutes, I started picking up traces of the coconut again....very faint, but soothing, warm traces. But an hour later, and it's pretty much totally gone.

 

Obatala isn't a bad scent by any means. It's definately very clean and pure smelling...I'm thinking it could be a good just out of the shower, bedtime scent for me. I just love coconut notes, and this isn't quite strong enough for me. I'm going to give it a few more tries before I give up on it though.