Nephilim

[xoe]

...Holy frankincense and hyssop in union with earthy fig, defiled by black patchouli and vetiver, with a chaotic infusion of lavender, cardamom, tamarind, rosemary, oakmoss and cypress.

Nephilim is one that I felt I needed to try for the cardamom note. I love cardamom. Can't really smell it in Nephilim. Oh well.

The blend itself is very confusing, and not nearly as dark as I expected. The scent brings to my mind the color mahogany. The scent on my wrist is different from that wafting around. On my wrist, it's dark mahogany colored wood. Wafting around is figginess. Nice.

I've also used this one in a hot-oil treatment and it left my hair smelling very beautiful! (I just added about half an imp to a cup full of warm oil. Not too hot because I didn't want to burn my head.And when I did that I could definitely smell the cardamom more.)

Thumbs up on the Nephilim.

[Aurelius]

What the?

This smells like figs and dirt on me. And dry, it's very very dry. I get a tiny hint of rosemary and cypress (sort of earthy smelling) and then it finally fades to just plain fig. I think I like this (I love fig) but I'm not sure. I'll try it again and see if my skin eats the other notes again. This also didn't last long, which surprised me. Huh.

[cookie]

Like the other reviewers here, I found this one to be much stronger and different in the bottle than on the skin. As soon as I applied, I got mint then trees/cypress. That quickly morphed into a yummy patchouil with a touch of wood. Now, at drydown, I can't make out one note from the others.

 

I'll be honest, I didn't expect to like this one as much as I do. I usually can't wear oils this dark and heavy. But the throw doesn't overwhelm - yay! This is a good choice for the rainy day we're having.

[stardreamer]

Another Lab freebie, and again, this is one I wouldn't have ordered for myself. In the bottle, my primary impression was "sharp". Applied lightly, which is a good thing, because whatever the "sharp" is seems to be that mothball-y thing again. I sure wish I knew what note causes that! It's not as overwhelmingly mothball-y as Queen was, but it's still there, and that's not something I want to smell like. Away to the swap pile for this one.

[Unseelie]

Nephilim; i was frightened of this due to the patchouli component, but determined to forge ahead since i kept putting in on the want list for so many other tempting notes. cure by fire!

 

Wet: green. o_O really green smelling. thick and harvesty and planty and not patchouli or dark in that way. as it begins to dry it sweetens, though it's got a darkness i'm still not thinking it's patchouli talking, it's more a darkness based on weight, thick syrupy herbal candy. wow..

 

Drying, 5-20 mins: lime candy, those hard round balls related to ribbon candy? i'm thinking it's still just slightly herbal and a narrow inch away from pine-sol or something, but not; my creepy skin plays games with green scents something fierce. i think the something deeper and slightly spicer is showing up underneath as drying progresses. time to look at the official description and see what's going on. could that be frankincense? wow, what a complicated herbal concoction, i didn't remember how many there were in this, no wonder it's such an amazingly mutating scent. the cypress and lavender are probably giving me the clean-room idea, cypress has been a real treat in Nemesis, teaching me to like a tangy green lift, strong plant scent, and i've always liked lavender.

 

Dry: i'm going to buy this and smear it on the mate. he'll be really pissed off, since he has no interest in flowery things, but i think he'll mellow as it dries and changes. i'm also going to send a decant to my brother and see how he likes it. oh, about the scent. >_< there's a lingering sweetness now, a gently wafting herbal sweetness, it's still complex and green. if i could identify individual herbal notes i'd probably be in heaven with this one; as it stands i just keep sniffing and going "Green Green Greenery, woot!" wow, is this an androgynous scent! oh, and not a *sign* of the 'bad patchouli gene' i posses turning this one dank!

[anaethema_x]

Bottle: a chilly patchouli scent, which is odd, cuz i always associated patchouli with summer and fall time...

 

wet: this is sweet! kinda heavy, almost musky....im definitly smelling the lavender, fig, cypress and still patchouli

 

drydown: this is lovely....its a really mellow, deep scent. not sweet in a food/candy way. the fig mellows the patchouli alot...blends it nicely. I smell other things everytime i move my hands it seems, but i dont know what they are....

 

keeper!

[JazzieCazzie]

When I placed my order on Dec. 1, I was completely torn between buying a big bottle of Intrigue and Nephilim, based on my absolute and utter adoration of Nemesis ... I thought they both sounded somewhat similar and I basically flipped a virtual coin and ordered a 5 ML of Intrigue and an imp of Nephilim ...

 

Wrong choice.

 

On me, Nephilim is almost identical to Nemesis (note: this is a very good thing), except with that added vague crisp clean note of lavender (note: this is also a very good thing).

 

BOTTLE: OMFG. I had a migraine this morning coupled with a sudden major work deadline ... so while I had the blessed luxury of working from home, I wasn't a happy chicky and wanted to pick a scent that had some lavender in it ... In the bottle, as others have said here, this is SO complex. It is a fascinating scent ... so many notes and they all seem to want to come up and wave and shake my hand and say hi to me! Definitely fig. I love fig. Who knew?

WET: Upon application (wrists and crooks of arms ... but next time maybe I'll bathe in it), it's already morphing by the moment. I think I have used this term before but I will use it again for Nephilim ... this is the Willy Wonka Everlasting Gobstopper of BPAL, constantly changing. VERY figgy, again yay!!! But also sharp, slightly astringent in a good way, clean.

DRYDOWN: While other notes come and go, the fig remains constant. In a nutshell, Nephilim is what I THINK I would get if I layered Nemesis and Somnus. Since both are Top 10 scents, this is good ... but I'm not sure if I'll get a big bottle simply because I already have a 5 ML of Nemesis and plan on ordering a backup, plus have a 10 ML of Somnus on order ... so it would seem overkill.

 

I am sure more sophisticated noses will find more of a difference ... but for me, no ... the good news, though, is I don't have an imp of Nemesis (used it up in Cali in December) so having the Nephilim is the next best thing if I want to take it in my makeup kit for a touchup during the day.

 

REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED MARCH 30, 2013:

 

Well, it took me 8 years but I finally bought that big bottle. Am working my way through my entire BPAL collection during these weeks, from A-Z, reviewing and revisiting everything from imps, old and new, to bottles to frimps and lagniappes. not leaving ANYTHING out, while I make a massive sorting out of keepers, swappers and must-buy-mores.

 

After striking out twice big-time this morning with Namaste and Noh Mask, I was so happy to get to my penultimate N with Nephilim and yes, it is every bit as wonderful as I remember.

 

IN THE IMP: Still an amazingly complex scent to my nose, with so many different notes flying out of the bottle and my brain racing to identify and greet each one ... hi lavender! Howdy frankincense! Hola my precious figgy fig fig!

 

Slathered this one. Both wrists, both crooks of arms AND cleavage.

 

WET: This continues to be a real shape-shifter of a blend when wet. The Everlasting Gobstopper was right on target. In fact, I swear when I smell each application point, I get a different note. Yet instead of being too busy or too strong, they all combine for something surprisingly light and lovely. The comforting peace of the lavender and the wood notes. The sweet rich and spicy fig. The herbal background. The spice of the cardamom.

 

DRYDOWN: This is absolutely and positively the kind of scent I can wear every day, comforting but not distracting, and subtle enough with my body chemistry that it wouldn't bother other people if I happened to be around them.

 

A way overdue purchase worth waiting for.

 

On a scale of 1-5, a 5.

Edited March 30, 2013 by JazzieCazzie

[Jessica]

I'm not sure what I'm smelling here, something almost like astringent on the surface but with an underlying sweetness. It's musky too, and a rather heavy scent that I find myself not too fond of.

 

Wet and in the bottle it was almost over-powering, and I didn't really want to try it on my skin, but alas....

 

On the dry down, the sweet undertone is stronger, pushing the harsh smell of astringent/whatever-it-really-is away. Nice, not a total push away, but one that is definatly heading into the swap pile for me.

[shelldoo]

wow in the vila this was in my face resins, maybe rosewood? teak? i am not sure

 

wet: holy moses this is a strong one, dark resins, maybe some frankencense.

 

 

drydown, ahh she mellows, hello figgy i still am getting teh dark woods smell but it has mellowed and is caressing the fig beautifully very nice reminds me of intrigue a bit definitely like this one i am thinking if i wear intrigue out dh could wear this and we would smell beautifully together i wonder if it is listed asd nuetral...scuttering off to check

[tempete]

My skin likes to amp up fig, and this is a very good thing as I love its sweet yet earthy fruitiness . In Nephilim, I can tell that there's something else dark and cold slithering around the fig note, but as other reviewers have mentioned, the notes in this scent are so well-blended that it's difficult to pick out anything other than the fig note. While I enjoyed Nephilim, there are other figgy BPALs that I enjoy more, so I'll pass my imp onto someone else.

[omly]

I usually find patchouli and frankincense completely overwhelming, though I am not overly fond of either. So I wasn't thinking that I would like this blend, but I thought "hey give it a shot" since I was looking for something a little darker than I usually wear.

 

OMG FIGS! I love it though. The grounded sweetness of the fig: the spicy edge to the scent (clove, cardamon, etc): it is not overly sweet, just well rounded out. I would never have thought to order this, but now I can definately see myself getting a bottle.

[Lucretia]

when I first put this on I get methol coughdrops, for sure. definite cough drops. Ten minutes later, it mellows out. Incense, nice! a hint of wood (cedar?). smoky. dark. but yet... the methol cough drops linger, leaving sort of a cold sensation to the smell. I like the dry down a lot, but the start is a bit unpleasant to me.

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Luden's licorice throat drops.

 

First on: I think maybe 7 scents was a lot to put on. I can barely smell it. I can feel mint because my skin is tingling a bit, but I can barely smell it, which is nice. I didn't like it the second I put it on, but I think it's growing on me.

 

Drydown: It all blends together and turns out rather nicely. I don't think I'd wear it enough to justify hoarding it though, so off it goes.

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: This sounds like a whole lot of bad for me. Lavender. Lavender and I have a hate/hate relationship. It hates my skin, and I hate it on me because it hates my skin. Lavender and cypress. Now that's a combination you don't smell everyday.

 

Wet: Lavender and...there it goes...turning into something rotting on me skin.

 

Dry down: This smells like a number of different things just decaying on me. Lavender does this on my skin. It's very...unpleasant. I can smell a couple of the herbs wanting to make it not so ugly but their plan is not working.

 

Dry: This is foul. My skin cannot abide lavender.

[quikslvr]

Dry fig and incense, earthy. Neat, complex, but not really me. Softens to mostly fig later.

[Abbie]

In the imp: Mmmmm... delish. Spicy. I am not getting figs at all, but more of a cedar smell. Well, maybe figs. It reminds me of Christmas: all the smells of the rich foods, the sweets, the tree.

 

First on: The cedar comes much more strongly to the front. I'm not so sure I like this on... I don't particularly wish to smell like expensive mothballs.

 

Dry: Gad dang it's like I was raised in a cedar closet. It's not so bad, but this won't go as one of my favorites.

[vyvyan]

Goes on very spicy, *very* dark. Mellows slightly during the drydown, but not a whole lot - it's staying really really dark on me. I like my scents more in the "medium to medium-dark" range, so no go on this one, but I can definitely appreciate the complexity - someone who loves woods and patchouli will adore this!

[tourmalinqueen]

Wow, this is some wonderful stuff! Maybe its supposed to be dark and ominous but on me it screams CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!! I am getting all kinds of piney notes and spices and fruit, it smells like a freakin' Christmas tree in a house of potpourri and holiday treats! I love it! I haven't cheated and read what its made of (well, I did initially but I get so much stuff I don't recall what it was) so thats exactly how it smells combined with my body chemistry. Reminds me very much of stuff (room spray, candles, etc.) made by a co. called Claire Burke. They made a holiday line of scented goodies and this smells quite similar. Lasted about 2 hours on me but definitely worth refreshing, may have to go for the big bottle and have it here before Yule season. Too delicious and appropriate anywhere. Yet not the sort of scent mass marketters have come out with yet...........

[Celogrl]

I received this in a swap, and when I first did the usual stick my nose way into the imp thing, I drew back really quickly! I expected a discordant, confused scent but I always like to give new things a chance, so I applied it to my wrists and neck. The first impression continued to intensify and even though I usually adore woody, incensy scents, this one just made me kind of sick. This is fairly new for me; I love some BPAL and am a bit indifferent about just a few, but this one is so NOT me. It continues to intensify and it makes me smell like I haven't taken a shower in days. Funny chemistry, because I liked a lot of the notes in this! It was worth a try, but I'll be swapping this one away as soon as I can! Ah- different strokes for different folks!

[olympia301]

 

Bracing piny scent overall, with a great deal of dark lavender sweetness which comes out in the drydown. A good bit of patchouli gives it a thorough grounding and fig. Though it is not me, I think that the earthy scent lovers would do well to give Nephilim a try. Neat story that goes along with the title of the blend, too.

[Carmencita]

DO NOT JUDGE THIS SCENT BY ITS SMELL IN THE VIAL! PUT IT ON YOUR SKIN FIRST!

 

I almost threw this away because I hated the scent I got from sniffing the vial. It smelled like expired cologne. But for some wonderful reason I decided to try it on my flesh and it was immediately phenomenal.

 

Very earthy, as previously noted. I'm not familiar with most of the components of this scent so I can't name what I'm experiencing. However, I'll assume the fruitiness I smell is fig, even if it has berry-like qualities to it.

 

It's very complex. I notice something different every time I sniff my flesh. Sometimes I notice the fig, sometimes the smell of leaves and woodsy herbs. And clean, fresh, rich earth. It is absolutely nothing like it smells in the vial. It is 180 degrees different.

 

I'm definitely going to get a bottle of this.

[Phaedra]

I got this one in a swap. Wet this smells herbal and medicinal. When first on it is sweet and thick- maybe pine and vanilla? It’s sort of like a feminine version of Tombstone and is a bit woody. After a few minutes a light citrus note develops with a hint of berry. After about ten minutes a dusty, muted floral note develops. The drydown is mainly wood and citrus. This one is so-so on me but I thought I would like it more based on the notes in it.

[Nachtwulf]

In the bottle: Wow, acrid. x_x Chaotic is right. The vetiver is also trying to crawl up my nose and spear my brain. There's something sweet and spicy-incensy underneath it, but the sharp spines of the vetiver, and probably lavender and rosemary for backup are totally beating it into the ground unabashedly.

 

Wet: Okay, not quite so bad, wet. It's like a lighter version of Anathema. In fact.. it almost seems to be going away. What up with -that-?

 

Dry: Once it settles, it's actually kind of nice. It's still a sharper sort of scent than most things I like, but it sweetens a bit when it dries, the vetiver gives up and moves into the back seat and lets cardamom/cypress/frankincense drive. I'm not picking up ANY fruit notes at all, no fig or tamarind or anything like that.

 

Final Opinion:Still a lighter version of Anathema. I'm curious about trying to layer it with something genuinely sweet, like Bordello, and see what I get. Take something that verges on too sweet and spice it up a bit. Not entirely sure I like it by itself, though, it's awfully masculine.

[Miss Lynx]

Very interesting -- this is one of those complex scents with such a variety of notes that it’s hard to pick out the individual components. There’s a sharp herbal component that’s a bit reminiscent of Belladonna or Wolfsbane, but it’s layered over a warm, earthy base, and then there’s a rich, sweet, almost-but-not-quite foody fruity note as well that I assume is the fig. Plus there are spicy and incensey elements, and an almost foresty note that must be the cypress... Fascinating, and kept me sniffing myself every few minutes for a good hour or so. It goes through all kinds of subtle shifts and changes as it settles in.

 

I can definitely get the “chaotic” feel of this -- it’s freakishly complex and ever-changing, but in a really enjoyable way. It’s also quite gender-neutral in feel... Although it has some sweet notes, it would probably work just as well on a man as on a woman. At a few points it seemed kind of like Wolfsbane meets Tintagel.

 

Overall, I found it very appealing, though less so on the drydown -- it loses a lot of its complexity as the fruit and spice notes fade after the first hour or two, and what’s left begins to be dominated by the patchouli, with just a bit of the sharp herbal note remaining. It’s still OK then, but nowhere near as nice as the earlier phase of the scent. That’s pretty much the only thing stopping me from giving this one an A.

 

Grade: B+

[kettu]

In the bottle: Very complex. Brain says, "Good, good, yes... wait. No. There's something... meh in there."

 

Wet on skin: Still complex... *looks at description* aaahhhh, yes. Rosemary. You are baneful annoyance on my skin, it's a shame you shine so brightly. But my sinuses are clear now, so there's a plus. *wince*

 

Dry on skin: the rosemary is turning almost medicinal. grar.

 

After 10 minutes: the rosemary has faded and the scent has become fruity. I guess that would be the tamarind and fig working at odds with me. Yech.

 

Nephilim is a no-go for this fox.