Manhattan

[archergrl]

Sexuality, power, confidence. A meeting of modern, sleek elegance and rich, passionate history: sheer amber, black leather, white mint, lemon peel, white tea, grapefruit, kush, teakwood and orchid.

Mmm yummy this is a nice fresh scent on me freshly applied which then morphs into something awesome. A nice change of pace from all the warm scents I have so far. Maybe bottle worthy we will see if the bf approves hehe.

[sugarcoma]

Oh, Manhattan, how do i love thee...

 

This is one of the most gorgeous things i've ever smelled on my skin.

 

As said many times before, it definitely is lemony/smoky goodness in the imp - and for a moment on my skin.

But when the drydown comes...oh wow.

 

It's like...exactly how i'd imagine Edie Sedgwick would have smelled - an eclectic mix of impeccable good breeding and high class and arty downtown cafes and making out in alleys and dancing all night...it's like Chanel meets the Velvet Underground. And it works.

On my skin, it smells EXACTLY like my old leather jacket drenched with Chanel Gardenia and an eentsy whiff of cigarette smoke.

Now i can give up the Chanel, because this is ever-so-much better. Le wow.

 

Definitely buying a bottle...or seven.

Edited January 12, 2012 by sugarcoma

[muteddragon]

As I was born and raised in NYC, I wanted to love Manhattan. But all I got was the teakwood and leather, no fruity smell at all. It smelled like an older woman. I had to wash it off after half an hour.

[lohengrin]

In the imp: White tea with a touch of musk, maybe. Very similar to Kumiho, oddly.

 

On skin, wet: Citrus, white tea and musk. Still very similar to Kumiho. Not getting any woods or leather at all.

 

On skin, dry: Ack, soap! Where did that come from??

 

After an hour: Major soap. Not jasmine-bad soap, but up there on the soap scale. Booo. I wanted this one to work so much. ;_;

[detritius]

This is just gorgeous. Smokey leather over a fresh, citrusy cologne. It's sort of equal parts sophisticated and dirty in the best ways. On me, this is very masculine -- bad boy sexy -- but I don't mind at all. If I met a guy who smelled like this, I would jump all over him.

[Greenwoodtree]

BPAL, why oh why tease me with these scents...

 

It smells fabulous and bottle-worthy when first applied, but quickly morphs into a super-duper hotel soap mess! not cheapo hotel soap, but still, where did all that luxury disappear to??

..then it just fades away to nothing...

[Maartje]

In the imp: CITRUS!

Right after application: the sharpness of the citrus fades a little and hints at a gentle, soft undertone. I think it's the grapefruit or the yuzu that's still prominent but maybe it's the amber I'm smelling? I like the crispiness and I love the mellowness under it.

Drying: is it tangerine I am smelling? I'm not sure whether I like it or not.

About 20-30 minutes in: light tangerine smell. Pleasant, pretty, but I don't think I'd get a bottle of it.

[Cactus]

In the imp: Tea and lemon with a definite leather note. This feels very sophisticated for a lemon scent.

 

On the skin: Reacts with my skin and turns chemical-y on me. Smells like lemon pledge or some other cleaner. Guess this is getting swapped.

 

I'm a bit disappointed - I was looking forward to this one. Hopefully, since so many people like it, it will find a good home.

[Manticore]

First review! First IMP! So excited!

 

In the imp this scent is really odd. Kind of tangy.

 

Wet: the grapefruit and lemon are at the forefront. Not very appealing but not unappealing either..

 

Dry: ORCHID and teakwood, with hints of white tea. Never get the leather from this one which is disappointing since I love the smell of leather but for a floral scent I don't dislike it. It stuck around after I washed dishes and the other flavors are present but layered under the orchid.

 

I'm going to try this one again in a couple weeks and see if that makes a difference.

[Quillifer]

Well, it smells of lemon, then orchid, - and that's it really. Neither version appeals to me much. It's not horrible but I find both notes very light and they don't resonate with me. (For lemon my favourite is Whitechapel and for a floral I'd pick Le Serpent Qui Danse).

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Glittery yet smooth citrus. Sophisticated.

 

Drydown: An energetic and complex multi-faceted blend. The grapefruit, tea, and lemon are refreshing and bright. But there’s also a deep smoothness coming from the leather, amber, and teakwood. The orchid is the perfect floral to tie both together. It smells lively yet distinctively chic.

 

Dry: The amber and lemon are a touch stronger now, but it’s still just as well-balanced and multi-faceted as before. Sophisticated and vibrant. A sexy and smooth citrus-aquatic.

[LateOne]

Had this frimp a while. Still have mixed feelings about it.

 

In bottle: Smells musky and citrusy, almost like a sun tan lotion.

Wet: Lemony citrus with a bit of floral scent.

Drydown: More floral and sweet. Muskiness and leather kicking in.

Dry: Musk, floral, citrus, with a bit of patchouli. More musk and tea after half an hour. Mileage may vary depending on your skin.

 

Reminds me of the beach, not a big city. This would smell wonderful on a woman - immediate head-turner for me. Lots of throw, so use sparingly.

[WidgetAlley]

Imp: Happy fresh citrus, white florals and light woods. So pretty!

 

Wet: My love for grapefruit knows no bounds. I also get white tea, juicy orchid of the same type as Shadow Witch, lemon peel, and a little bit of wood. I also get, unfortunately, a hint of that $@@~!! leather note that never works correctly on me, but it's mostly covered by all the awesome.

 

Dry: This fades into a pretty but indistinct citrus. Too bad!

[Coldfire]

Imp: citrus and green

Wet on Me: citrus leaf and green

Drying Down: the orchid is starting to overpower the green and citrus

Dry: sweet orchid. None of the other notes got a chance to play

[elinox]

First Sniff: Soft lemon and fresh mint.

 

Initial Wet Application: Light lemons, reminiscent of fresh squeezed lemonade. It’s different than the lemon drops candy or Pinesol lemon I’ve gotten from other scents from the lab.

 

Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: As this began to dry it kept the fresh lemon and added a light powder. I cheated and read the description, and now I can detect some soft orchid in this. It’s pretty, very feminine, but light already on my skin. Once this dried completely this was a gentle scent, due to the tea I think. It reminds me of powder, but not the same sort of powder I get from other light, flowery scents from the lab. I think the mint is keeping the lemon in check and making this a happy, fresh smell.

 

My Reaction: I wanted to get my hands on this imp for one reason: a few weeks ago I had a dream about BPAL having a 10th Kingdom scent, called ‘t10k’. Upon waking from the dream, I realized that the lab technically already makes such a scent, it’s just called Manhattan instead. Not normally my thing as far as notes go, but since it’s my favorite book and movie, I needed to try this imp. It’s pleasant and I like it, despite it being really faint on me already. I’ll probably hang onto this for its association alone.

 

Rating: 3

[anaengel]

This is my first love and a favorite scent. I can not believe I have not posted a review this beauty yet. I am now rectifying that gross infraction.

Sniffing this from the bottle I bought off the forum two years ago, i get a wonderful blend of grapefruit, musk, teakwood, and a faint rind of lemon. This alone provides memories of sitting out with citrus fruits. So, I am more than happy to put it on my skin. Once on my skin, this puts a tea with citrus now. In the background is some pretty orchid. As it dries, it brings out the leather and the teakwood from the bottle. The orchid hangs out quite lightly.

I love how it slowly slides between stages. It ends up taking me to a memory from high school of walking in the fall in my leather jacket and skirt while wearing some perfume. This is the perfume I was looking for growing up. Yes, I truly love this scent and would cry if it were ever discontinued.

[GreenDragonfly]

Kind of excited this is my first post and first review!

I purchased some IMPS and Manhattan stuck out at me, probably because tt was a freebie (thank you!) that was added to my order which I really appreciate but wasn't expecting. My nose is new to picking up the nuances of these fragrances but I am going to do my best! Anyway...

In the bottle:
Bright, and I pick up the scent of lemon. Not sure I was going to like it.

Wet just applied:
The lemon scent seems to amp up here along with a sharpness. Still very pleasant but still light.

Dry down:
Almost disappears on me after an hour. I have to really have my wrist to my nose otherwise I get no drift of it on me. Remains very pleasant smelling and light but picks up a bit more of a deeper smell that I wish brought it up just a bit. I would love to have it smell a bit more like leather on me. Perhaps it's just not 'my' fragrance and I can find another that would better suit.

Conclusions:
This would be a great day time scent. Light and not overwhelming. Because it needs to be re-applied this could be good for those that don't want to overwhelm a room or if you have to be close to people in your daily activities and don't want them overpowered by your scent. Since it isn't 'incensy' I also think this is a good choice for someone who may be afraid to try something new. Go ahead You know you want to!

I would repurchase this as a full bottle.

[Monster]

Like 51, Manhattan is another complex yet well-balanced scent that would make a great introduction to BPAL for the person who is used to traditional perfume. This one starts out with sugared citrus notes which slowly give way to orchid and leather. Nothing stands out too much, although leather is immediately identifiable in the second stage. As this dries further, the orchid and amber completely take over leaving me with an upscale smelling floral oriental.

 

Very pretty, just not my style.

[Teaker]

I looooove Manhattan. This could be unisex (which usually means a scent is too masculine for me ) but is just a touch on the more feminine side.

 

It starts off as subtle citrus over a leather base. There's just a breath of mint there too, just enough to make it quite cool and refreshing. It's dry and crisp. As it dries I can detect a bit of tea, like a green tea with lemon. I don't care for tea scents but this is subtle enough not to bother me. The leather is like an inky black leather jacket, soft and slick. But it's so well blended with the citrus that it never overwhelms. If you like leather but find it too strong in other blends, this might be a good one to try.

 

I can't detect the amber or the wood when wet, but once this dries I can clearly smell the amber. I don't like amber as a general rule, but this is blended nicely with the leather and I quite like the combination.

 

It gets sweeter as it dries, that would be the orchid coming out. But it never gets into floral territory, it stays fresh and complex and unique. Because it's so refreshing and stays close to the skin I think this is a fabulous scent for the office. It's really different, with a mix of bright and dark notes, but its not too challenging, and there's nothing to offend sensitive co-workers noses. I'll be getting a bottle for a summer work scent, to keep in my desk and apply throughout the day.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Teaker

[quickdrawkiddo]

Yay! I've been wanting to try Manhattan for ages so I'm glad it lived up to the hype. Citrus fruits can be iffy on me so this one worried me at first -- it's very citrusy when freshly applied. Now that it's starting to dry I can detect the amber, woods, and just a tinge of leather. On the whole it's softer and cleaner than I was expecting -- it's light and delicate without being feminine. This would make a fantastic summer scent, so I may save my imp for when it gets warm again. I'm so pleased though - fruity scents are rarely this sophisticated on me.

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: A light, fresh scent in the best way possible. Right off the bat, I'm detecting the citrus (the grapefruit perhaps even moreso than the lemon), mint, and light (green?) tea. But like all lighter summer scents that I love (and right now I do agree that this would make an exceptional summer scent), it's anchored in something with a bit more weight. The kush? Amber? Leather? Can't tell right now, but I like it all the same.

 

Wet: Complex, yet not heavy. It's now a more generalized citrus-and-tea scent, but backed up by what I can now identify as the subtlest leather. There could also be a touch of amber, which I love with a slightly unhealthy passion, giving me such a positive reaction to everything, but it's not apparent at first sniff.

 

Dry: Amber and soft, sweet leather. Now warmer and cuddlier, but still not heavy. Yup, this one is going in the regular rotation, especially in summer.

 

It's funny - I've been organizing my BPALs lately, which has gotten me wondering what I'm going to do when warmer weather comes, because I'm so married to my deep, warm spices, resins, and ambers. But I think I'm going to be wearing this preeeeeetty regularly. Like, I could EASILY see this becoming my signature summer scent, and this is from someone who doesn't do signature scents. It just smells like someone who's got her life together, y'know?

[agirlnamedfury]

As a native New Yorker, I've had this one on my to-try list for quite a while!

 

 

In the imp: floral and powdery.

 

Wet on skin: Citrus, mostly. Lemony and a lot fresher than I expected.

 

The leather comes out after about 10 minutes, but it's pretty subtle. I have to really search to detect any of the teakwood. Unfortunately, I'm starting to think amber may disagree with me (so far most of the blends with it I've tried have seemed "powdery" to me, this one included).

 

This one's definitely a morpher, because it gets a bit herbal after that. However, I'm not really in love with any of its stages. After about an hour it is very faint.

 

I might keep this imp and try it again in the future, but I'm not super attached to it.

[Veronica]

Realizing that I amp teak like no other. This is all teak and leather and man-ly wood-y spice-y things. Nope.

[JuliskaMarie]

In the imp: Cold leather (the 'cold' could be the mint & grapefruit, maybe?) & orchid with a hint of amber & lemon. Very sleek & sophisticated - it makes me think of a glass office with a black leather couch.

 

Wet on skin: Grapefruit, tea & lemon peel, with a tiny bit of wood & leather in the background. Not what I was expecting!

 

Dry on skin: Orchid, citrus & white tea mainly, with a little wood, amber & leather in the background. Not as cold or stark as in the imp. I'm not sure how I feel about this one yet

 

After a few hours: Mostly just leather with a bit of wood & grapefruit.

 

Verdict: It's not a bad smell, it's just not for me. Too masculine & just not really me. I'll be swapping this.

[DiesMali]

In the imp: Light citrus with a hint of something earthy and almost damp.

 

Wet on my skin: Oh crap, grapefruit. That's grapefruit, isn't it? I missed that in the listed notes.

 

Dry: Well then! This is the first grapefruit scent that has worked on me, I do believe. This is a light and juicy citrus, with hints of wood, leather, and just a bit of orchid. There's something a little musky and damp, which I believe must be the musk and kush. I'm so shocked that the grapefruit works that I'll definitely keep the imp just to have that. I actually rather like it as a springtime scent, especially with that lemon orchid leather combination.