Goblin

[Monster]

Dab a bit behind each ear, and you'll be instantly inspired to alter street signs, shake fruit from your neighbor's trees, and hide your roommate's car keys. Black coconut, gnarly patchouli, and sweet benzoin.

Out of the vial this is sweet patchouli.

On my skin this is a glooorrriooouusss patchouli blend! BPAL has THE best patchouli on Earth. Really.
Goblin pretty much stays the same from beginning to end. This is a sweet, coconutty patchouli smoothed out by a balmy smelling benzoin.
I would recommend this perfume to someone who feels patchouli is usually too strong for them, but really likes earthy scents. I think this one would work well. It's a tame patchouli and won't make you smell like you're trying to cover up dirty body funk.

I am immediatly in love with this one. This is something I can wear every day, through all seasons. Edited February 5, 2009 by Monster

[donnatron]

Imp: Warm patchouli and coconut. There's a sweetness from the benzoin.

 

Wet: Patchouli, patchouli, patchouli! I lurve me some patchouli so this is not a bad thing. The patchouli is warm and a little golden. Definitely the main player supported by the coconut and benzoin.

 

Dry: Warm, slightly dry patchouli over a sweet, almost foody base of benzoin and coconut. There's a dusty quality to this that is tickling the back of my throat. I love patchouli and I love how it is really the centre star here. However, it's just a bit too dry for my taste--I prefer the lushness of Masquerade for my patchouli fix.

 

Throw: Good.

 

Overall: A sweet, interesting patchouli blend. Never something I would have coveted on my own but I'm glad it exists. I'll enjoy the imp.

[milo]

First sniff on wet: Cake and Vetiver? Must be the coconut and patchouli. The strong coconut fades pretty quickly, but this blend is still pretty sweet. I find it kind of an odd combination, sweet foody patchouli. The name suits this blend well, but definitely not for me.

[jiggahava]

In the imp it doesnt smell too hot, but on my skin....oh my!! I havent been this lovestruck over an imp in a long time! This is one of the best things Ive ever smelled in my life. The cocoanut and patchouli balance each other perfectly, its just yummy coanutty-patchouli all day long. I still have no idea what benzoin smells like, and whatever it is, I cant detect it in this blend. Yummmmm. Big bottle purchase for sure. I was craving cocoanut all day long.

[magikalbrownies]

me and patchouli are not bff's...

 

i smell like wet dirt and woodshavings...

 

a total no for me.

[Allumina]

Still cute, though I think I put too much on. The patchouli sticks close to the skin, but smells really dark, which I love. There is a cloud around me of sweet (almost too sweet) coconut candy. I'm guessing that's the benzoin. Fun.

 

[Victory]

I've worn Goblin three times and each time's been a little different- even on the same day! The first time I applied Goblin, the scent was a wonderful strong coconut with a supporting patchouli and just a hint of benzion. I loved it- I didn't realize I so enjoyed coconut, even though I like Obatala. I was planning to make an order. The second time, the patchouli and coconut were more balanced, which was still ok, but late in the dry down I occasionally smelled burning tires. The third time, the patchouli was the main player, and the coconut/benzoin had a mentholic feel, which I didn't like. So I guess I may not be getting Goblin- I could put up with the coconut not being as strong, but burning tires and/or menthol really kills the deal for me. But I was really glad to get a frimp of this, because I wouldn't have ordered it on my own. The patchouli really is gnarly- I'm not a patchouli lover and I liked it. It was almost a furry sort of scent. Ah, well.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: It smells weirdly dirty. I think it’s coconut husks mating with patchouli. They are not kidding with the benzoin. Wet: That dirty dry husk smell really comes out. Give it time, and one does get unsweetened coconut. This is not something I’d pick for myself, but it is genuinely interesting. Honestly, the husk scent is really growing on me as my skin warms and deepens the effect. Dry: Almost gone. Very faint soft husks.

[iiinterstate]

I don't know how I missed out on trying Goblin for so long. I like all of these notes!

 

In the bottle, it smells like dirty, musky vanilla. On me, it's mostly black coconut and patchouli. WOW, this is different and wonderful. I feel like I am sniffing a fresh coconut husk that has dirt on it. That's not the most appealing description, but it's quite lovely. Patchouli at its very best, if you ask me!

 

After a few minutes, I can smell the sweet benzoin. The contrast between benzoin and earthy goodness is fantastic. I'm so glad this is a GC!

[isisonearth]

Imp: Patchouli and sweet coconut.

 

Wet: Very coconuty. The patchouli makes it seem sort of dirty/musky though.

 

Dry: The smell of a sweaty man wearing coconut scented suntan oil. Blech.

[satinworship]

The patchouli in Goblin comes across as slightly "dirty" to me. But I prefer my patchouli to be a little gritty/dirty so I really like it in this.

The patchouli and the husky coconut really blend perfectly and makes this blend really smooth on me. One second I'll smell all patchouli, then the coconut kind of whispers in and the benzoin adds a little bit of depth. Goblin isn't a very complex scent, but it has a beautiful meld that keeps this scent really interesting.

My mom and my boyfriend both are pretty anti-patchouli, but they both agreed this is not too overpowering, and I didn't smell like a dirty hippy, lol. I think this could be a go-to scent for people who like patchouli, but find it can be overwhelming.

 

Also: one day I forgot I had sprayed perfume on, and applied some Goblin, and oh my goodness it was so awesome! The notes in the perfume were: pineapple, hibiscus, and something slightly astringent. The fruit/floral combo worked really well to lift the heavy patchouli/coconut, and it made a really nice, light summer-day scent.

[caffinatedangel]

This reminded me of the patchouli in Depraved. Which was actually the first time I ran across patchouli, and knew I was running across it. And did a little dance and then commenced trading and buying imp packs of nothing but... dundundun PATCHOULI.

 

Goblin did not disappoint my craving. This is the best patchouli ever. And, to top it off, I am madly in love with coconut. Even better, my mother despises everything about coconut. So Goblin, being the mischief makers they are, suits this scent even better. She also hates patchouli. I walk in, she goes "o_O WHAT ON EARTH did you roll in!" Ah. That's the reaction I love.

 

But really, I find patchouli to be one of those amazing scents that draw me back to nature and make me feel all twiggy and earthy and encourages me to go pick those green beans I've been neglecting.

 

Obviously, if you're like my mother and really dislike patchouli, feeling earthy and a little dirty... then I'd avoid Gobin. It's definitely not for everyone I suspect. But if you've been searching for incredible patchouli scents, here you go.

 

It doesn't morph or do anything crazy, it's very basic in that sense. It's an incredible twiggy, slightly rolled-in-fresh-soil sort of patchouli. With that lovely unique coconut scent sneaking in sometimes, and then benzoin, as I understand it, is a sort of vanilla esq scent. It's sweetening it up a bit and adding a little bit of smoothness. Really amazing. Nice throw (without being overwhelming) and lasts a long time, as the same scent too. No "in part three I like the scent but part 2 and 6 it just does something wonky." No complication for this little Goblin. Going on my bottle wishlist. :3

Edited July 24, 2009 by CaffinatedAngel

[heathercaley]

In the bottle: dark sweet patchouli

 

Once applied to the skin: a blast of coconut!

 

Dried down: the perfect dirty patchouli/coconut blend.

 

 

Fantastic!! If you are a fan of patchouli, this is one to get!! It isn't too coconutty at all. I do not enjoy foody blends really, and this works perfectly! It's very dark, but with the right touch of milky fruit meat to liven things up! Glad I got my bottle, and I can't wait to see how this will age!!

Edited September 9, 2009 by Purrsnikety

[superpopkid]

This was a frimp from the lab. Obligatory new-ish to BPAL, not super-great-at-this-yet disclaimer goes here.

 

Wet: a soft, sweet, muzzy patchouli. I'm not sure if some of the sweetness I got from this was the coconut, as I'm really much more familiar with the sunscreen variety than the real thing. Oddly, Goblin reminded me of Strangler Fig. None of the notes are the same, but still, to my totally untrained nose, it's like if Strangler Fig is a picture done in bright oil color, this is the same picture in soft chalk pastels. I don't think this changed much on me from wet to dry, yet for some reason I enjoyed it more after a couple of hours. Overall: it's a nice warm, fuzzy brown throw blanket of a smell. I liked it, but I'm not sure if it's a keeper.

[steffanina]

Goblin-

 

In Bottle: I smell Goblin and become afraid, very afraid. I smell peanut butter and pencil shavings and a cruel dry smell like vetiver. It's a little sickening. Where's the patchouli? It's not like any patchouli I know. I just don't think I can put this on my skin. Maybe on my ankle.

 

Wet: Sickening sweet nut butter and pencil shavings. I'm glad I didn't put this on my wrist. I love patchouli as a rule but I can't find it here; it's just this sickening sweetness and woodiness.

 

Dry: I think it's the black coconut which has been my terror. The very eventual dry-down is sweet black coconut, tamed and unoffensive, but I can't get through those initial stages for it. If I want black coconut and vetiver I'll happily enjoy Death Adder; this just didn't work for me.

 

Overall: Too sickeningly sweet for me, sadly.

[Dominique]

Woah. Patchouli, with a strong wood note. Imagine being smacked in the nose with a very large stick of incense and you’ll get the general idea. Some wiki-digging reveals that benzoin comes from trees, which would explain the woody note. There’s a vague warmth that might be the coconut, but it’s pretty thoroughly strangled by the patchouli. (First Vixen and now Goblin – I’m beginning to believe that my skin amps patchouli, or that I was born to be a hippy. I don’t much approve, either way.)

 

Patchouli isn’t my thing, the coconut never really appeared, and I have more woody-scents than I need, thanks to Samhain misbehaving. In short, Goblin bites, and not in a good way.

[skylarkza]

In the imp: Sweet patchouli. Not sure what the sweet is... it is almost slightly boozey.

 

Wet: Patchouli and boozey vanilla.

 

Dry: Earthy vanilla. A touch of booze. This is intoxicating. Very playful, but slightly dirty and very naughty.

 

A while later: This one lasts for hours! It smells like a musky sexy vanilla on me. Very more-ish. Just a hint of earthyness from the patchouli rounding it out. I think this one is stomping its feet and demanding to be added to my wishlist.

[MamaMoth]

Oh my. I've been bouncing off the walls for this one since I found out about it because, besides being a longtime patchouli addict, I've discovered that I am really fond of BPAL coconut.

 

This is a gorgeous, SWEET, creamy, patchouli+. Here is this beautiful patchouli that I saw in Depraved, but without the apricot which turned me off thoroughly.

 

Goblin is incredibly rich. If this were a food, it would be something amazingly decadent, and you'd only be able to eat a small serving. I wish the sweetness were dialed back just a smidge on it, but overall this is really beautiful and unique. If I ever get around to compiling a top 10, Goblin will have a home there.

[Aldercy]

Oh, black coconut, you are so full of win. And, patchouli, you are so full of fail. I love the strange, smoky sweet, fibrous woody density of black coconut (frilly, tropical suntan lotion it is not), but the patchouli is just so sharp and overpowering that I can't deal with it. Some patchouli accents might have gone over well, but Goblin has too much for my tastes.

[Apple]

Well, it's official. My husband likes for me to smell like a hippie.

 

Actually, that's not true - but he really does love patchouli-heavy fragrances on me. This took me awhile to figure out because he's always said he doesn't like patchouli. I don't like it as a single-note, but I do like it when it's adding a base or depth to other notes, which is what I feel it does in most BPAL blends that contain patchouli. There are a handful of blends, however, where the patchouli is far more prominent (e.g., Anne Bonny, Depraved) - so much so that I wasn't sure I liked them, and I was certain my husband wouldn't. Wrong. He has loved every one of those blends, Goblin included. And by "loved," I mean in a very non-Platonic way.

 

Sniffing the imp, Goblin is sweet coconut and earthy patchouli (the woody kind that's in Depraved) - very straightforward. I swipe a little on my arm, and the coconut blooms first, grounded by the patchouli in the background. I give my husband a sniff, and just as I expected, a little light comes on in his eyes. A naughty little light.

 

"Oh yes, that's very good. I could eat you up."

 

He looks like he means it, too. But when I tell him smugly that it's another patchouli-dominant blend, he looks dumbfounded.

 

"That doesn't smell anything like patchouli."

 

He's normally very good at picking out individual notes, but he's got a real blind spot when it comes to the Lab's patchouli. But obviously, some subconscious part of his brain is registering and responding to its presence, and in a very positive way.

 

As it dries, it reminds me of coconut incense sticks: sweet and almost sticky, but not quite edible, with a hint of woody-powdery-ness. Goblin is very similar to Depraved, but with coconut instead of apricot (if you can imagine that). It's not something I would wear just for myself, but I like it and it will definitely be added to my date-night rotation!

 

ETA: Curses! The longer it's on, the more I am reminded that yes, I have a benzoin allergy. Phooey! Much like my vanilla and balsam of Peru allergies, I try to forget about it because I actually like the way benzoin smells (ditto vanilla and balsam of Peru). Ah well, it's not so bad that I can't occasionally wear it to ensnare me mate... I'll just have to reserve Goblin for special occasions and make sure I have some antihistamines on hand!

Edited November 13, 2009 by Apple

[devilot]

Goblin

In the Vial: Patchouli!

 

Wet: Strong patchouli still.

 

Drydown: Again, patchouli is front and center. But now I'm detecting the resinous benzoin. I'm not getting much coconut, but that might be what's adding a slight dustiness.

 

Verdict: I'm no longer so terrified of patchouli to immediately get rid of this imp. But, this is still too strong on the patchouli for me to wear as is. I think I'll hold onto this and let it age a bit. See if the patch' doesn't mellow out.

[KesHiro]

Frimp in one of my orders.

 

I love the scent description and since I'm given to wanton acts of minor mischief every so often, I had to try this. In the vial, I get a creamy coconut with bitter incense. I suspect this is the coconut and patchouli mixing together. Wet, it has an indistinguishable sweet-dirt odor; it's not bad, just a pleasant combo of sweetness and dirt. At the drydown phase, I get a faint coconut with incense in the background. I think it's the benzoin doing this this? Once dry, Goblin pretty much turns into a coconut single note with a slight "something" (probably the benzoin) in the background.

 

I'm not a single note type of gal, but this is nice. It's not too sweet and not too strong; just pleasant coconut. I happen to like coconut, but if you're not a fan you may want to stay away from this scent.

 

This is going on my maybe list, mostly because I don't need any single note oils.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Kejiaron

[impolight]

:::GOBLIN:::

Initially, the idea that Patchouli and "Toasted Coconut" were likely to be paired together and result in anything other than an aromatic travesty was, at best, laughable by reason of convention...In reality, Goblin has proven to be a manic, quixotic, twistoid of a humdinger of a fragrance!Sweet with naughty, dirty undertones, Goblin whisks one off to a place of slapstick and silliness...

Here is the buttered kitchen floor where the telephone is frantically ringing.

Here is the confetti stuffed into the car's air conditioning vents at 5:00a.m.

Here is the cellophaned toilet bowl, the itching-powder, and the little paper envelope of, "Rattlesnake Eggs".

Goblin is a rich, brown pefume; equal parts haute tanning oil and perverted hippie.

This stuff would well suit the "Aint Right" proclivities of Him or Her.

It only gets worse on the skin.

Wear this with a Whiplash-Smile on your next night out... You won't be disappointed.

Bring it!

[Gael]

This was a swap, so not a first choice. Well, patchouli, patchouli, patchouli. That's the conversation this goblin had with me,he kept repeating himself (I suspect substance abuse) and nothing else. Someone said vanilla is in there? In their dreams it is. It's not in the description and I can detect vanilla a mile away and it's having nothing to do with this wee goblin.

 

I like it for the atmospheric effect it creates. This is a good quality patchouli, so it does bring you along on that otherwordly path patchouli can inspire.

 

[RhinestoneHousewife]

Frimp from the lab.

 

In Bottle: Very, VERY woodsy. Like a camp fire.

 

Wet On Skin: Smoky, patchouli. Like hippies sitting around a camp fire.

 

Dry on skin: Now it smells like a camp fire made of pencil shavings.

 

Verdict: Not for me. I can smell the vanilla and maybe the coconut but it's just dirty patchouli for me. I might use this as a room spray but not on my skin.