Ogun

[nineveh]

Ogun is the Master of Iron, Lord of the Knife, the Toolmaker, the Supreme Hunter, the God of War. He is primal instinct, energy and motion, strife and resolution, effort and perspiration, locomotion, force, contraction and expansion. He is the lord of all mines and mineral wealth, and his energy is expressed in the transformation of sandstone into marble and carbon into diamonds. His control over transformation transcends this into the metaphorical: Ogun helps to shape the spirit, and hone it into something finer, and He compels us to look deep inside ourselves, searching for our true potential. He is physical might, ruler of the heart, giver of courage and sustainer of war, and is the bond that men fashion with one another during battle. He is gunpowder. Ogun is responsible for teaching mankind to fashion tools and weapons from iron, and his primary implements are the anvil, hammer, machete, rake, hoe, shovel, pick and pry. His favored animal is the dog, who shares his loyalty and unflagging strength. Ogun’s ofrenda is heavy and dark cigar tobacco, gin and juniper, melon, chili pepper and a touch of honey.

My first impression is that this scent is a lot fresher than I thought it would be. The melon is definitely apparent, along with a dark smokey aspect (assuming it's the tobacco) and the chili pepper, which is not overbearing at all. On my skin, this blend has a moderate sweetness, but also a bit of a sharp note, possibly from the juniper.

It's very unusual, and I don't recall ever smelling a similar BPAL.

[SeaMonkey]

cigar tobacco and melon? How could I pass this up?

 

It starts out mostly melon with a hint of gin, but as it dries, the tobacco and chili pepper really warm this up to a slightly sweet, warm blend. The honey becomes apparent when it dries as well.

 

This starts out smelling a bit like Fee, but then gets warm and spicy, like it's Fee's older, tarted up sister.

 

I am so in love with this and I'm glad its a catalog blend so i don't have to stock up.

[shelldoo]

in the vial: yes melony, and a smokey edge, but mostly melon

 

wet:melony yes, for sure, honeydew i think. a touch of honey, and a hint of spiciness, but i honestly don't know if knowing there is chili pepper is making me think chili pepper. because i am not positive it is saying chili pepper to me. more like spicy melony sweetness.

 

as it dries it retains much of the before mentioned qualities. there is a resemblance to fee, but while fee is in your face melon, this is soft, unassuming melon, and the tobacco and honey keep it from being over the top.

[kiio]

The melon is nice, but its the chili pepper that makes this a keeper. In the imp, I though I'd gotten another Yemaya on accident, but once this baby hit my skin it started morphing all over the place. Ten minutes in the tobacco really kicked and blended so perfectly with the chilli pepper that I couldn't remove my nose from my arm. This one is 5 out of 5.

[filigree_shadow]

I agree with SeaMonkey -- Ogun reminded me of Fee right at first, but Fee was a bit too sweet for me. I like this one better, it's darker and more complex.

 

The melon backs down a lot on drying. I can still smell melon, but wow, the tobacco and chili pepper is much better than I expected it would be. It's not too sweet or too spicy. I'm surprised because I thought this would be heavy, and it's not. I also thought it would be masculine, and it's not. Anyone who is even slightly interested in melon should try this.

 

Actually this is a very comforting scent to me. It doesn't remind me of a comfortable time or place, it reminds me of a comfortable person.

 

I think Ogun is going to get a lot of love.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Melon and tobacco

 

On me:

This starts out as tobacco and melon, but the melon quickly fades into the background and is almost nonexsistant. This is mostly, straight up sweet pipe tobacco. It's warm, deep, and slightly sweet like smokey honey. I never really get that juniper or chili or gin, it just really comes off like sweet pipe tobacco to me, and very true in scent. It's a warm, smooth smell that I think is comforting. I could see this being worn as an every day scent, or the kind of scent you might wear out on the town. Either way, it's lovely.

 

Final note:

I had higher hopes for that melon, but it doesn't stick around. Despite that however, this scent is really beautifully smooth and warm, I love it.

[sarada]

Ogun starts out with melon that is a lot stronger in this than I expected. It's rather like a darker, masculine Yemaya at first. I didn't think that these ingredients would work together, but it creates a novel scent...I agree that there isn't anything quite like it in the catalogue.

 

After the initial burst of melon, a smoky scent takes over, rather like burning wax or the scent of a candle that was just blown out. I was afraid of the mention of cigar tobacco since almost nothing makes me feel more sick. But while this isn't exactly the tobacco scent that I normally like, it is not the nauseating, eye-watering pungent cigar smoke that I feared.

 

The melon disappears completely, and I guess there is kind of a sharp quality slicing through this that could be the juniper and chili. Not hot on the skin, but it smells like ... heat.

 

It's mainly an extinguished candle smell to me, not terribly boozy and only slightly sweet. It makes me think of incense that has burned on coals and now that it has all burned up, the coal is just burning itself out. Smoky, slightly harsh but if I think of a dark temple or an altar in the woods, with offerings burning on the coals and candles smoking, it all makes perfect sense. I think I'd like this more as an incense or candle actually but it's an interesting experience and not unpleasant.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Spicy, minty melon

 

On Skin: Interesting! I smell the sweet melon right away, one of my favorite notes ever. I also smell something slightly soapy… hmm… The honey sweetens the mintyness of the gin and juniper but it isn’t overwhelmingly sweet… it’s not that pure honey note I get from O and other honey scents. The chili pepper is there, but very far in the back just adding a tiny pinch of spice. I’m shocked the tobacco isn’t very noticable… usually it becomes a dominant note but here it is very light and doesn’t cast a shadow in the scent at all, it just makes it a little deeper. A beautiful scent and a nice compliment to Yemaya. Very light throw and minimal staying power sadly… it fades within a half hour.

[redlisse]

Okay, as a preface, I'm not great with notes. Couldn't tell you what's strongest, or how sweet it is, or what kind of sweet - none of that.

 

So instead, I'll tell you the picture Ogun paints in my head.

 

I applied Monster Bait to my wrists, but when the Boy handed me Ogun to sniff, I got a smear on my finger, so I smeared it in the crook of my elbow and promptly forgot about it. But it kept distracting me - reaching past the (very strong!) cake of Monster Bait to say 'hey! look at me! I smell delicious, don't I?'

 

Ogun is masculine. Sort of. It's like a very pretty girl with huge eyes, wearing her boyfriend's white button-down shirt. It's too big for her, and was made for a boy besides, but that just makes her look adorable and sexy.

 

On the Boy (who owns the imp, drat him) it's that same white shirt on your schoolgirl crush, who is now sprawled across your bed looking like every fantasy you ever had.

 

Don't get me wrong - I keep mentioning 'sexy.' This isn't a blatantly sexy blend; not at all. It's sweet and...attractive. Almost innocent...oh, I don't know. I just really like it. And now I want a mens' white button-down.

[Little Bird]

So many of the new blends have made it onto my "need a 10 ml bottle" list, and Ogun is another one of those blends

 

It starts out smelling very melony and reminding me a lot of Fée, if Fée were to become an alcoholic and start smoking. I like this naughtier version quite a lot though.

 

First on, it is all honeydew melon with a bit of goldeny sweet tobacco in the background, and a hot dash of chili pepper. The honeydew stays strong for a half hour before fading, and then the gin and juniper come into play. It reminds me a bit of Twenty-One in this stage, only a hotter version thanks to the chili pepper and tobacco.

 

After several hours, this has mellowed down to a smooth blend of warm chili pepper, cool juniper, and softly sweet melon and tobacco. The chili pepper stays pretty strong throughout, keeping it spicy and sexy. And I love the contrast of the warm notes like chili pepper and tobacco against the colder notes like melon and juniper. I can pick out each note individually if I try, but they meld together very nicely.

 

I never would have imagined that all of these notes would go well together, but Ogun is completely amazing. I'd love this on the boy or on myself.

 

[mandragora]

In the imp, fresh and sweet smelling honeydew melon with traces of smoky cigars. On my skin, still melon-y but now there's spicy, alcohol and tobacco blending with it. Kinda like a slightly masculine version of Yemaya. Dry, the lightly sweet coolness of honeydew contrasting beautifully with the warmth of the chili, coupled with faint smokiness. Gah, yummy.

 

A fantastically attractive blend. Ogun would be fabulous on both men and women. Another addition to the list of next-to-order bottles.

Edited April 22, 2006 by mandragora

[ChupaChup]

Ogun was a huge disappointment on me, I didn't get any of the notes I wanted, like tobacco and chili pepper, just gin, juniper and melon. It smells like a soap bar floating in a martini. I suspect it is the melon that ruined it, that note has never worked for me.

[cupide430]

Melon melon melon. And some sort of hint of ozoney freshness. As this dries, there's some odd note that is coming which really doesn't agree with my skin chemistry. It is a sort of deep note that seems to be warming this up. A powdery honey note is coming out as well. Very interesting, but not quite a keeper.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: Wow, melons. I put this on my imp list for the words "cigar tobacco" alone, and I can't detect any of that.

 

Wet: Yes, this is all melons and the sharpness of juniper. I can't detect any tobacco or the gin.

 

Drydown and wear: The scent does not morph much as it dries, which is a real shame. I'll have to put this one in the swap pile. Despite that, I do have to give much credit for the originality of the blend, as other have said.

Edited May 13, 2006 by The_Merf

[desu]

In the imp: Melons overall with gin, juniper, and the tobacco lurking in the back.

 

On my skin: About the same as in the imp, although the melons and what I'm guessing is the tobacco are a bit stronger.

 

Later on: Not so sweet and much warmer now. The tobacco is coming through more, perhaps the honey as well. I was expecting to smell like a tobacconist's shop due to the tobacco, but this is pleasantly surprising.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 0/5

Summarised in a word or two: ...Weird.

 

Ogun’s ofrenda is heavy and dark cigar tobacco, gin and juniper, melon, chili pepper and a touch of honey.

 

In the imp: Melon, tobacco and chili pepper. A very odd combination, but a very good one as well.

 

On skin, wet: Oh, this is bad already. Gin, juniper, melon, tobacco and chili pepper make for a very weird, unsettlingly sweet combination indeed. I was expecting something along the lines of a spicy/smokey melon scent, but this is... odd. Boozey and green and peppery and very strong on the tobacco.

 

On skin, dry: Tobacco, melon, gin and juniper. A foresty, fruity, boozy smoke.

 

Conclusion/Notes: I love melon, and tobacco, juniper and honey can, at times, be absolutely divine on my skin. Mash them up and add booze and chili pepper, however, and you do not get good results. I will say this: it's terribly unique. My skin just doesn't dig it.

[Lycanthrope]

This is... interesting.

 

In the vial it's a wet, peppery aroma, and I bet that's the chili pepper, although it smells more like white pepper to me. On my skin, this goes a touch sweet because of the honey, but then... it's like Yemaya, but spicy, and kinda sour. I'm pretty hideous at picking out tobacco, since it doesn't seem to be the same on me from blend to blend but behind this... spicy melon, is a dustiness.

 

This reminds me of this weird seasoning powder that Mom used to sprinkle on watermelon (it's an Asian thing), that was more savory than sweet. It's like grinding fresh peppercorns over your morning cantaloupe.

 

Different.

[joseybird]

This is the oddest scent, and yet it works! When I hear "smokey melon" I think "ewwww!" but oddly enough...it smells really nice! On me, the scent is primarily tobacco, fresh melon, and a touch of underlying spiciness.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Nothing. In its 'natural' state this oil apparently passes my nose by.

Wet on me - Melon and coal tar soap.

Dry on me Spicy soap. Actually it smells quite waxy (not like wax, but waxy if that makes sense). After a few hours it's clean, dry, warm, spicy, sexy tobacco, this really grew on me.

[themerrybaker]

Ogun may hate me, or may just take some getting used to. I definitely smell cigars, but also something gamey and sweaty. There doesn't seem to be much throw, either. This one is "confusion in a bottle" on me.

[Caltha]

Ogun

Ogun is an odd one. A watery melon/cucumber scent mixed with stale pipe smoke and honey sweetness. Very musty. I don't know what I was hoping for really, since I already know I don't like melon. I seem to recall red chili, but I get none of that and there must me something else I don't get either that made me order it in the first place...

[PurringPulsar]

Ogun

 

In the imp: melon and tobacco! What an unusual combination!

Wet on skin: now I smell some honey, still a lot of melon, and some juniper with the tobacco.

Dry on skin: this is such a strange mixture of notes but it seems to work! I get sweet, juicy, light melon drizzled with a tart note of honey, a hint of gin that reminds me of Twenty One, and a dark, smoky undertone of tobacco. This is very different to anything I've smelt before.

After a while: gradually, the honey note starts to become dominant, there's less melon now, and less gin…the scent has become a wonderful honeyed tobacco. It's gorgeous, a deep, smoky (but not too much), dry cigar tobacco sweetened so nicely by honey. I still get just a bare hint of fresh melon but I really like the honeyed tobacco scent I have here.

The honeyed tobacco scent lasts for ages and it's so nice! Very comforting, I think. It's not too masculine either. Just the scent of good cigars (unlit) and soft honey.

Verdict: this, at first, had one of the most unique combinations of notes ever-it's something Beth pulls off so well though, I must say. Fresh, juicy wet melon with dry, dark tobacco, a piercing and clear gin note and honey? Now that's not something you get in everyday perfume. But eventually this changes and the scent becomes a delightful honeyed tobacco. I was surprised as to how much I liked this scent of cigars and honey but I find it incredibly pleasant-it has a 'kindly grandfather' feel to it, for some reason. Warm, deep and soothing, but sweetened by a wonderful honey note. I won't be needing a bottle just yet but for the lovely honey tobacco scent, I'm keeping the imp.

Emoticon rating:

[edenssixthday]

Ogun is overly-sweet and cloying both in the vial and when it is first applied. The very first note I detect is a very strong melon. It’s overwhelming and headache inducing because it is so strong. As the melon begins to fade a touch, it appears the combination of melon and cigar tobacco, gin, chili pepper and honey are the culprits in making this blend almost nauseating. Every note that is listed in the scent description is discernable, but there are just way too many strong aromas competing against each other rather than working together. However, once the oil begins to dry, it becomes much more pleasant, as all of the really strong scents seem to back off a bit, and it leaves my skin with a somewhat warm, tropical fragrance that is still very much based on the honey note, but otherwise, the notes work together much better. It’s incredibly strong and pungent when I first apply it, but as it dries, it begins to stick very close to my skin. The staying power seems to be about 4-5 hours, depending on the day I wear it. While it’s not for me, it turned out to be a lot better in the end than I initially thought it would be.

[jewelbug]

Imp: Hmmm…I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. This smells…almost like a vegetable. There is undeniably melon in there, but it’s a very green, unripe melon scent to me. Ah--its like the white rind part of the watermelon. I don't really smell any chili or honey, and the tobacco/gin is giving this a very "clean manly" smell. I don't know how else to describe it. I guess I thought with melon and honey, it'd be sweeter….

Wet: The juniper/tobacco/gin are quite strong, and really amp that masculine clean smell I noticed in the imp. The tobacco seems blonde to me, rather than dark like the description. Its sorta like a watery lighter version of the tobacco note in Herr Drosselmeyer. The melon is still there, still green, still like a vegetable. Unfortunately, the melon + clean smell kinda makes me think of a bathroom air freshener…. 

Dry: After about 10 minutes, the melon makes it exit for good. Its all tobacco/boozy gin/clean man. The honey does sweeten this a bit after a while, and the tobacco takes on a nice exotic spice smell, but the overall effect is still that of a clean masculine scent. At least it doesn't remind me of air freshener anymore! Late into the drydown, it seems to get a little bit smokey smelling, but never loses the shower-fresh mascunlinity.

Overall: Lasts about 5 hrs. This is really interesting, and unique to any bpal I've tried, but I just couldn't get into this combo--its far to masculine on me. And I don't think I'm big on the gin note, or the unripe melon at the start. The tobacco reminds me of the one I love in Herr Drosselmeyer, but in HD, its rich and thick and sweet, and in this one its thinner, lighter. I suspect the tobacco would be better after aging, but the gin just isn't up my alley. I wish that i'd smelled the chili pepper, i was so curious about it, but never could tell it was there. I do think this could work wondrously on a guy. I tried it on mine, and his results were much the same, though it was sweeter on him than me. It wasn't his cup of tea, though.

Edited July 23, 2006 by jewelbug

[AliBabble]

i love what ogun represents, but unfortunately this scent doesn't work well on me. it starts off with a nice canteloupe smell and a hint of the chilli, but with something very heavy and dark in the background, hard to identify, it strikes me as incense-y, but i see now that it is cigar smoke. ogun is very STRONG. it gets stronger and stronger on me - actually the scent woke me up during the night (i wore it to bed) and it is still going strong on my wrist today. this is very long-lasting, but unfortunately turned to a deep "old-lady-perfume" smell on me. an interesting, intense scent though.