The Sailor's Den

[edenssixthday]

The Sailor's Den, Félicien Rops.

Orris, bay rum, palm, coconut meat, oak wood, tobacco, linen, blue lilac, and leather.

When I look at the painting that inspired this scent and when I conceptualize a sailor's "den," I think of something more boisterous, rough-and-tumble, drunken, bawdy and tawdry than this blend. The Sailor's Den is a very soft scent that is slightly floral, slightly boozy, slightly outdoorsy-fresh, and mostly elegantly refined. The strongest notes on my skin are the coconut and leather, which 's one of the most fascinating and unexpectedly pleasant combinations I’ve encountered. The linen note is next in line, and is very crisp and fresh, reminding me a lot of Dirty. This is an impeccably blended scent, and I find it very interesting how different it is from what I would have expected based on the name and the subject. Beth never ceases to surprise me. As with most Salon scents, this one is fairly subtle on my skin. It has moments where the linen scent seems to really jump out at me, but otherwise, it sticks fairly close to my skin.

[filigree_shadow]

In the imp: Sweet.

 

Wet: A clean, bright, sweet scent. I would say that the only note I can detect for sure when it's wet is a slight coconut scent -- but it's not suntan lotion coconut at all, it's more likely slightly coconut and slightly floral.

 

Drying: Based on the notes alone, I had thought that this might be something my husband could wear. After smelling it, I don't think so. It doesn't seem to be very masculine to me.

 

Dry: This is one of those good all-purpose everyday scents that you'd feel comfortable wearing anywhere. It's probably a little better suited to spring and summer than to winter, though. If anyone was wondering if it would remind you of dryer sheets because of the linen, no worries. It's not like that at all. There's a wood aspect to it, and a little bit of coconut and rum, but it doesn't smell like kegs of rum or anything. The leather is almost not noticeable. It's kind of quiet and subdued, but very pleasant.

 

This is another one of those BPAL scents that I can't imagine anyone objecting to. I would wear this to tea with my mother-in-law or out drinking with my friend Ron. It would be appropriate for either. Very well done. Another one for my bottle list!

Edited January 6, 2007 by filigree_shadow

[Heavenlyrabbit]

This scent has me focus in on the guy with the red vest (the main bit of color in artwork) and his homing in on the woman with the blue ribbon tied round her waist (the other bit of color). He is definately thinking thoughts produced from months being at sea with no women.

 

I don't think he treats women very tenderly.... by the expression on his face.

 

This is the scent HE is wearing.

 

BTW, check out the corset laying on the couch next to the woman.

 

First the manly leather came out but then the adventurous bay rum and seductive coconut followed.

 

And here's the lilac. Lilac usually hates me but this variety Beth is using in the Salon's is very different.

 

I love this so much. Been wanting a 'sailor' blend from BPAL but none have worked until this.

[mmmitchell]

After sniffing in the vial, and smelling it wet on my skin, I'm thinking "WTF? These sailors chew bubblegum?" because that gummy sweetness is my first impression of this scent.

 

I was expecting a more bawdy, licentious-smelling blend than this. But then, I don't get any of the "boozy" notes on my skin, which would have helped, I think. This scent stays close to my skin....in fact, it is gobbled up in record time.

 

The bubblegummy part goes away pretty quickly. As it warms on me, I get nice clean notes (not dryer sheet like at all), and a very subtle woodsy scent at the end.

 

I keep thinking that this would be nicer on a guy than on me. Maybe that's because my Dad (a very masculine sort) is a life long wearer of both bay rum, and the old fashioned men's cologne Lilac Vegetal. (Sounds girly but isn't) So this smells a bit like my Dad to me.....I mean that in a GOOD way, BTW! But I can easily see this as a woman's scent, if you like a clean, crisp, androgenous scent. I'm not sure it's for me, but it's still very nice. I may have to make my Dad some aftershave balm outta my imp. Plus, he lives at the beach, so doubly appropriate!

[supremegoddessofall]

On me: Mostly sweet rum, with a touch of sharpish tobacco and coconut. It's sort of a foody Bluebeard.

[Ah Xia]

This is the sexiest oil I've ever worn.

 

On me it is slightly sweet (coconut, perhaps--but not the plasticky coconut note that I'm used to), and a dark woodsy smell, boozy (but not too boozey) undercurrent...

 

I love this oil! It's like walking into a dark panelled bar with swaying lamps and smokey haze and laughter and sultry tones of men and women laughing...just like the picture, and the gritty but aged tone of a wooden ship in the background.

 

This is so different from any other BPAL I've tried, and I was so conflicted whether to get it or not since the notes don't usually agree with me (coconut, leather, booze) but this is AMAZING!!!!! You must try it.

[maribouquet]

At first the rum was very strong - I liked it but boozey notes can give me a headache, so I was wary... In the drydown I get a delicious, smooth coconut tempered with soft lilac and a hint of leather underneath.

 

I like the feel of this one - it puts me in mind of a post-coital nap on a leather couch on a summer afternoon.

[Little Bird]

I grabbed up a decant of The Sailor's Den in the hopes that it would work on my boy. Of course, I had to try it on before sending it to him, lol. I don't really like the lab's leather or tobacco notes, but I did like the blue lilac singlenote. Anyhow.

 

I also get a bubblegum-esque sweetness when I first put this on. Rum fragrances always smell like bubblegum to me. The sweetness wears off after a bit and the dark woods & linen come in to play. It's a bit soapy on my skin.

 

Half hour later. The dark woods have faded and I can smell hints of the sweet blue lilac & coconut underneath the clean, soapy fragrance.

 

Surprisingly clean/soapy, light, and sweet on my skin. I'm not sure if this would be a good masculine fragrance after all. The generous slather that I had applied to my wrist was gone after a bit over an hour. Thankfully I didn't really smell the leather or the tobacco here, though the blend does go soapy on me.

[Em-]

A very light, surprisingly not alcoholic blend, given the context. This is a very fresh, sophistocated turn on BPAL's other Bay Rum blends, such as Port Au Prince - this is a more floral, coconutty version, that makes me think of the blending of the working girls perfume, mixed with a touch of rum and a dash of sea air. Very nice.

[Brienze]

I love Red Lantern, but most of the time I don't really have the personality to carry it off. The Sailor's Den is a Red Lantern for shy, quiet girls.

 

The rum and coconut combine in a way that's similar to the caramelly smell in Red Lantern, and the tobacco and leather are just hints in the background. I don't know what orris is, and it doesn't scream "lilac" at me (nor does it seem particularly "floral"), but I can tell there's more going on in this scent than the individual notes my nose can pick out. I'm disappointed that I can't smell the linen more strongly... I loved Berenice and Dirty.

 

Not much throw, but then I applied very sparingly.

 

This is really well blended -- neither the rum, coconut, nor any other one note knock me out. I agree with others; you could wear this in any situation and not give offense.

 

I'll be keeping my bottle, but I might imp some of it out. This is an "everyday" scent, but I gravitate to other things for my everyday wear.

[julesofdenial]

The blend of this is fascinating.. as others have said, I expected this to be much darker than it is. I mostly got it for the coconut, bay rum, leather, wood, and tobacco aspects, because those are some of my favourite notes (Jolly Roger is one of my all-time favourites, especially when layered with Elegba). I do get a bit of the spice of bay rum in this, and a hint of sweet coconut, but the soft, clean scent of linen along with the lilac are the predominant notes. All in all, it's very pretty- I'm just not sure it's exactly what I was looking for. For those after a sweeter, more feminine alternative to things like Jolly Roger, though, it's perfect.

[Emma2403]

In the bottle: the first reaction is “eeek”. Then, if I sniff again and try to analyze a little bit, I get very heavy leather, and something a little bit acid that could be lilac maybe.

 

On my skin: oh it gets very lovely… the leather is not that sharp anymore, it’s comfy and warm, and there’s my beloved coconut showing. Maybe some tobacco too, but it’s not cloying. The lilac’s gone.

 

After a couple of hours: very sexy, a bit powdery (but that’s a good thing!), a bit boozy, still some leather, and something I don’t recognize that makes it a very comfortable, cosy scent.

 

Verdict: I’m keeping the decant and might consider the purchase of a bottle.

[indicolite]

I am getting the coconut meat and something else. Little of my beloved orris, but something dark and heavy.

 

I appreciate the artistry of this blend (as well as the artistry of the painting) but I do not think I will wear it much.

[sookster]

straight sniff from the bottle is sweet and sharp...

 

once applied i get a touch of the rum and tobacco and unfortunately

they don't play nice at all with my chemistry; after 15 to 20 minutes

the coconut comes into the mix...just not my cup of tea unfortunately

[PurringPulsar]

In the imp: lilac cologne. It smells like a herbal (bay rum) cologne with lilac.
Wet on skin: fresh green manly perfume! In fact, this reminds me of Propaganda Bath's Orion (not to be confused with the Possets blend of the same name, which smells totally different).
Dry on skin: green, slightly soapy-herbal, manly aftershave with a background of leather, crisp linen, dry palm and ship's wood, and the barest hint of lilac. The sad thing is that the aftershave scent also reminds me of washing up liquid. But I don't get coconut. I wanted the coconut meat note to show itself-I love that creamy coconut meat note, but I get hardly any. Just a green, slightly soapy scent of men's perfume/shaving gel and leather and the linen of sailor's uniforms. Having said that, I swear I now smell coconut wafting off my wrist but when I smell my wrist directly, there's no coconut.
After a while: ah, now I smell coconut near my skin! And it's soft, creamy coconut, more like coconut milk and doesn't have the dry 'coconut shreds' scent of usual coconut notes-but it is very faint, and it mingles with the orris which has now just surfaced and added a dusting of pale powder to the scent. The bay rum cologne and leather and woods are still dominant notes here though, it still smells of clean soapy aftershave. After 2-3 hours the orris is really strong and has softened the bay rum quite a bit, this light, delicate and dusty note contrasting nicely with a deep smoky leather note. I still smell aftershave but now I also smell more oak wood. This is a scent that would be very nice on a man.
Verdict: this smells like a really fit guy who's washing dishes. He wears clean clothes and a leather jacket, his hair with the faint scent of coconut oil, he wears bay rum aftershave and the scent of washing up liquid lingers clings to his fingers. Ah yes, the dream guy who actually cleans up after himself, the good house-husband, always nicely dressed and always clean and neat and romantic. Only in dreams though, it seems, as none of the boys round my uni smell like this or do the washing up. But back to the scent. This is very much a masculine scent, but I also find it oddly soapy. Bay rum may be the culprit-sometimes it's nice, and at other times it is soapy. And indeed, the bay rum here smells like a cross between aftershave and washing up liquid. The coconut meat is not as strong as I hoped, the leather is nice when it does show up, but the scent becomes a nice dusty orris-oak-coconut-linen scent at drydown, which is much nicer, softer and less masculine than before. it's a lot more wearable than Jolly Roger was on me, but it's not my kind of scent either. I prefer Black Pearl which is similar, but much nicer on my skin.
Emoticon rating:
Is it a keeper? Not really.
If you like this, try: Jolly Roger, Black Pearl, Baron Samedi, Blood Pearl, Obatala, Villain

[Alchemy21599]

In the vial: Bay rum

 

Wet: Bay rum, orris, and a hint of tobacco.

 

Dry: floral (I assume it is the lilac), Bay rum, orris, and tobacco. A very interesting blend and I'm happy that I got to try it.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Thick waxy furniture polish.

 

Wet on me - I thought my nose had become suddenly blocked when I applied this, it's very faint. It still smells waxy, but now it's waxy washing powder.

 

Dry on me - It does pick up a little leather and tobacco, but remains soft and predominantly floral.

 

Overall - I had really high hopes for this blend, but I didn't get what I expected at all. The result is nice enough, but I don't see myself reaching for it very often.

[maijasu]

This smells very sweet, feminine, and classy (also very expensive). It is soft and powdery in character but actually has quite a lot of throw. It doesn't really smell boozy or leathery or floral or like any of the individual notes, at least to me. I suppose the orris may be what's making it powdery, and there is a hint of sweet coconut, but other than that, the blend just takes on a character all its own. It's not the type of scent I usually wear, but I will definitely keep my imp around for times I'm feeling especially elegant. Another fantastic new Salon blend!

[siddal]

In the imp, this is quite "cologney" on me. Probably the combo of linen, orris, blue lilac and wood. On my skin a sweetness comes through which seems to be a mixture of the coconut and bay rum. The drydown says "hey sailor!" with a smack of leather and a fug of tobacco. An interesting scent!

[Thursdae]

So, I’m minding my business, taking a stroll along the waterfront, when I begin to hear a hum of voices. A door bangs open and a man in a crisp white uniform leaps up the two steps to stand in my path.

 

“Miss, miss,” he says. He seizes my wrist. I don’t pull away. He has soft eyes and pointed eyebrows. He says, “Please come in. Don’t be afraid.”

 

Afraid? Hah. I’ve got a hat pin nine inches long and made of steel.

 

“What’s inside that I need to see?” I ask.

 

He takes off his cap and pulls its ribbon free. “I don’t want you to see . . . anything,” he says. In one step, he’s behind me, and he twines the ribbon around my head and across my eyes, then he tucks my arm in his.

 

“Two steps over,” and we take two steps. “Two steps down,” and he puts his arms about my waist and swings me down. “Two steps in,” and the door bangs shut behind us, and the murmur of voices dips, then rises.

 

I can see only darkness, I can hear only hubbub, I can feel a wooden floor under my feet and the stir of my pulse. But I know where I am—ship sails, rum barrels, coconut palms and starry nicotiania flowers, smokiness and breeziness and heat and men. In a sailors’ den, I smile and reach out my hand.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 1/5

Summarised in a few words/smilie: Dirty linens.

 

Pre-Review Thoughts: This could go either way. Coconut mean, tobacco, and leather tend to be good notes for me, while linen, blue lilac, and bay rum... aren't.

 

In the imp: Upon first sniff, a strong waft of linen, and a sneeze!

 

On skin, wet: Linen, tobacco, bay rum, and dark wood. An interesting combination, but not one I find particularly pleasant.

 

On skin, dry: Damp, dingy, rum-soaked linens, and flowery leather. An appropriate combination, but just not something I'm terribly fond of, since I'm not a big fan of linen or flowers.

 

Conclusion: Fitting, but not for me. Something in this causes me to sneeze. Not constantly, or with every sniff, but it's definitely something here. I'm just not sure what.

[Analise]

I bought this smell unsniffed from the lab. I was maybe a bit afraid this would be a bit too masculine or a bit too boozy for me, but I couldn't resist anyway.

 

Well, it's definitely a bit masculine and definitely a bit boozy (I wouldn't wear it to work, for instance), but I really really like it. But it's also definitely not for slathering. I smelled it for ages after I tested it on my hand last night, until I went to take a shower.

 

I'm definitely keeping it. Hee.

 

Though I might try to sneakily get some of it on a guy friend of mine to see how it smells on him...hmmm. (it helps he's in the Navy! LOL)

 

Oh yes, and this is definitely a sailorly or possibly piratey scent. I'm mostly convinced to wear it to see PotC this weekend.

[jiggahava]

This smells like a scent you would wear to a bar wearing a fancy dress. It's alot more elegant and less "sea-like" than I expected it to be. The rum gives this a slightly boozy feel, and the cocoanut meat and tobacco blend together to create something both smoky and sweet. It's uber yummy and very feminine at the same time. The morphing is a little dissapointing though, because it doesnt' stay at this stage, it morphs into a slightly powdery floral from the lilac and linen. Its still very soft and pretty, I just wish it kept those beginning stages. Moderate amount of throw and long wearlength.

[Silverstrike]

I got bawdy and boozey for this one, no sweetness in a bubblegum type of way at least. After it dried, "opium den" came to mind but I couldn't point out any specific notes to explain why. This one is not for me, but it was well blended and worth trying.

[herbhealer]

This started out very pleasant, I think I got a bit of wood and soft orris, possibly a hint of coconut. I could be on a ship in a sun-drenched ocean. Then something sweet and overpowering kicked in, and it wouldn't stop. Was it the lilac? I'm not sure, but it spoiled Sailor's Den for me.