Mary Read

[stellamaris]

Salt air, ocean mist, aged patchouli, sarsaparilla, watered-down rum, leather-tinged musk, and a spray of gunpowder.

 

Well in my late summer quest to not be so darn hot, I have taken a few more of my imps and mixed them with perfumer's alcohol for a nice refreshing mist.

I wanted an aquatic to fill out my collection of these, so happy I picked this one.

To my nose it's very complex, smokey and musky, with salt and sea.

No leather, thankfully, I don't need to smell like fine furniture and sadly no patchouli, if it's there it is just a lovely compliment.

This scent is just love. It's like Angry Crab, but not quite so angry, you dig? Like Octopus but not quite so sweet.

[Veronica]

A distinctly tropical scent. Coconut isn't listed as note, but somehow that's what I'm getting--both the sweet fruit and a bit of that aritficial, suntan lotion scent, over a background of salt water and ocean breeze.

[terrenity]

Reviewed from imp, aged ~5 years.

 

This is so not my usual BPAL jam, but wow... this scent is really pretty. On my skin it morphs quickly into a clean, clear aquatic, sweetened by what I'm almost positive is the sarsaparilla. Underneath is a little bit of the leather, salt, and patchouli, but my skin eats the base notes pretty fast (which is unusual). The throw is very clean and "round", it reminds me of beach glass. I can't see myself wearing this often (it's just not very "me") but I would love this as a room spray or a candle, especially if the base notes came through a bit stronger.

[Lilah Wrote]

The very last of my imp of Mary....

 

 

She's a wee bit aged now, like most of my bpal. With that said...

 

 

In imp: Sweetness and water. The sasparilla. Rum.

On skin, wet: GUNPOWDER. AAAAAAAAAAH! and it is glorious. the water tones are underneath that.

Drying/dry: Muting down, but still gunpowder. Ocean air.

 

 

This is a favorite. Gonna need more.

 

 

[BeyondBad1313]

Oooh! This is a scent fit for a lady pirate. I get the rum and the salty sea spray. I am picky with my aquatics, but this is by far my favorite. I love the depth that this scent has and i clearly paints a mental image of a boat on the sea. It went a bit floral as it sat but It just made it better in this case, smooth like ocean waves. A bottle of this is a must.

[theredkilt]

This is such an unusual scent. I get on my skin gunpowder and a distant whiff of ocean air. It's truly beautiful and incensy, but not quite. It's one of those unique BPAL oil from the GC line.

[Convallaria]

Really well blended. When wet, it's mostly rum and salt, dry it's predominantly rum, but I can sense the other ingredients behind it. Coconut from rum+sarsaparilla do edge close to sunscreen, but not too close.

 

I love it on its own, but I'm not fully convinced it's wearable in public around here - it has a decent throw for BPAL and it's a bit unusual. If I spent more time at the seaside, maybe.

[Casablanca]

When I tested this without knowing its notes, I got a caramel-toned rum, leather, and something that reminded me of tobacco, but that didn't seem right. Now I think that something might be the mix of gunpowder, patch, and sarsaparilla -- there's a rugged earthiness to Mary Read that I can't otherwise pin.

I didn't know who Mary Read was before trying this on, but I still thought "Pirate."

Seeing the notes now, I catch a light spray of the sea in the blend, too. Rum and patch can put me off, but this is very well-blended, and they don't do so here.

This better evokes a sea life, for me, than the other female pirate blend, Anne Bonny -- but they are both very good.

[Cali]

On first application this reminds me a LOT of Thalassa, the galapagos mermaid.
When it's calmed down a bit, I get a very strong SALTwater, and definately getting a bit of that lovely rum note, and that gunpowder makes it a kickass unity. As much as I love pirates and nautical ...anything, I don't think I'll need this in my collection but what a rad blend to try!

Edited October 17, 2016 by Cali

[Mermaid-on-Land]

Saltwater-soaked woods and maybe a kick of gunpowder are the most noticeable aspects of the throw here for me. There's very little scent near the wrist pretty soon on application, I mostly notice it as I move around and detect it subtly, not with a direct sniff. This oil makes me feel like a badass pirate and just yes. A couple hours in I notice the skin scent has developed the sassafras note. Such an unusual note, I have a definite soft spot for it in perfumes. It is sweet and mixed with resins here. That eventually fades to a lingering sweetness while the saltwater and wood remain predominant in the throw. I like this one if only for the feeling that I project a piratey aura! Not a "signature scent" for me, but definitely something fun for days I want something unique!

[lizabelle]

I thought for sure that this would work on me, compared to other more aquatic blends. Sadly, I guess "ocean mist" really doesn't like my skin, because all I get out of this is fancy sea salt soap. There's maybe a tiny touch of patch and leather, but they're far in the background and hard to pick out. I guess the rest of the pirate blends (other than Anne Bonny) are just not going to be for me.

[torikitty]

Wet: How interesting. I can pick out a lot of the individual scents, but a quick sniff smells like laundry to me. I guess the ocean mist is what comes out the most.

Drydown: the rum and leather come out more. It definitely leaves the clean realm, and makes its way into masculine. I think I can even smell the gunpowder. Gonna try this on the husband.

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: Predominantly aquatic, with the ocean mist and salty air jumping out to my nose first, with some sarsaparilla in the background.

 

Wet: The aquatics are strongest at first, and the sarsaparilla is more noticeable than it was in the imp and just seems to be getting stronger. Root beer aquatic? Curiouser and curiouser! Then, the leather-tinged musk note makes an appearance.

 

Dry: Ocean mist, salty air, and leather-tinged musk dominate, but the sarsaparilla is still there. I hadn't tried this before now because aquatics aren't really my jam, and I didn't really like the thought of an aquatic plus patchouli, but the patch doesn't seem to be a main player on me. I think it's just helping to add more warmth to the scent.

 

Verdict: So this didn't end up being aquatic root beer, because the sarsaparilla, while present, never becomes strong enough to make it sufficiently root beer-y. This was better than I thought it would be, but I don't need a bottle.

Edited July 19, 2017 by dementia_divine

[forspecial_plate]

I didn't like this at first. I thought it was too high-pitched, and too much like a couple other aquatics I've worn. But after giving it another full wear I discovered I love it. There's some kind of chic smokiness underneath the sea spray. I love sarsaparilla and patchouli, but they are just part of the overall blend here. I love this, and also I got a compliment for it.

[fizzbangdangcharade]

Sadly, 75% of the day this just smelled like a generic men's soap on me. Not in a bad way, but I've never been fond of that 'ocean' scent (which is more or less what this smells like on me - like an ocean breeze candle that's lit for awhile. The slight scent of burning wick is there, which I think is the gunpowder.) Eventually the ocean scent leaves and I'm left with Sarsaparilla - soft and sweet. I got this as a frimp, was super intrigued by the listed notes, and then sadly reminded how anything aquatic doesn't seem to want to to work for me. I may try this one again later, after I've let the imp age a bit.

 

Throw: low to non-existent as the day goes by.

Last: about 6 hours or so and then I can barely catch a whiff of it with my nose to my skin.

[LizziesLuck]

Catching up on some imp testing while on vacation!

 

Wet: A soft, woody, salty aquatic that I actually instantly enjoy! Reminds me a bit of Snake Can with the salt mixed with lovely musk (Just in the same vein, not a dupe or anything). I LOVE sarsaparilla, and it comes through nicely here. I don't like aquatics, and was not expecting to like this, but it's not a typical aquatic at all, and I am really digging it. It actually feels perfect for vacation! It's slightly beachy, slighty "hot tropical night", a bit sexy-gritty. It's kind of a bit of everything! I am loving it more and more.

 

 

Dry: This is really great. Sea salt, warm woody patchouli, a hint of sarsaparilla and musk. I think if the musk and sarsaparilla came through more once dried this would be an instant bottle buy for me, but as it is there is just a touch more patchouli than I want, and the whole scent is just a bit drier and not as sweet as I would want. I may try a whole day full slather - maybe to the beach! I sometimes wish for a beachy scent that isn't coconut, despite how much I love coconut.

[VetchVesper]

Aaaaaarrrrrrr.....gh..... Soapity soap soap.     Pirates must have been very clean individuals.

 

I don't know why ocean aquatics never work on me.  Don't these perfumes know I'm a water sign??  Anywho, Mary Read smells boozy and sweet in the bottle.  The sarsaparilla is detectable and makes me smile.  The fragrance isn' woody like Jolly Roger, and I don't even get a hint of soap till I put it on my skin.  Then it's like all the other notes walk the plank and I'm left with a big ol' brick of Dial.  Siigh.   

[Dancing Raven]

I didn't have high hopes for this one. Aquatics and ozone tend to go dryer sheets/detergent and men's cologne on me. Still, I have been on the hunt for the perfect non sun cream/ suntan lotion beach scent, so I finally got the courage to try it.

Wet: sasaparilla and aquatic saltiness, but very well blended so no note stands out above the other. It very quickly begins to dry.

Drydown: salty sea air. It's definitely aquatic, rather than ozonic. No dryer sheets or cologne here! An aquatic scent I can wear? I am over the moon! I detect something creamy and slightly woody under the salt air, but it's faint.

Anne Bonney was almost 100% red sandalwood on me. Mary Read isn't doing that, in fact, the woody scent pretty much disappeared. 

About 15 minutes into the drydown, I get jasmine. This is added into a lot of sun care products, so now I am getting the perfect beach scent. Mainly sea air with just a bit of a beachy floral. There is a touch of cucumber lending to the aquatic aspect.

About 30 minutes in I begin to get a very light leather. It's dancing with the salty breeze, taking turns at being in the forefront. However, for me this is first and foremost about the ocean air. The leather isn't strong at all. I never get the gunpowder, and the sasaparilla is so faint that I can only smell it if I put my nose to my arm, although it does show up more at the end. No patchouli on me, sadly. 

Overall, I wish that I had gotten some of the darker notes to come out, but this is such a beautiful, true salt air scent that works on me, that I am willing to overlook it. I think I will try layering it with AB. Full bottle worthy for sure, even though it becomes very much a skin scent within 30 minutes of applying. Perfect for hot summer days. Unisex, but leans feminine on my skin.

4.5 out of 5 stars. 

ETA: this stuff is tenacious despite sitting close to the skin. It survived a shower smelling just as good as when I had put it on hours before. 

Edited July 7, 2020 by Dancing Raven

[zazkea]

Aged imp (3 years):

Wet: water, some salt, and a clean soap, sharp jasmine, sand, and... blue air. This stage on my skin is slightly headache-triggering, and smells mostly like a clean, perfumed, floral soap, for about an hour.

 

After an hour onward: I can't smell any ingredient on its own now. This is a somewhat neutral, clean scent, and not sweet. Mental image: wearing (very) clean clothes, while being on a small, wooden boat that is sailing on the easy waves of a blue tropical sea, with sandy beaches nearby; there's a huge, white sail and, somehow, collected white flowers are neatly dropped on the planks of the boat

 

Edited April 8, 2021 by zazkea
grammar

[roseus]

In the imp I initially get soft aquatic notes, but they are quickly followed by the warmer, more rugged ones. On my skin it is a balance, a rugged beachy scent. Clean, fresh air and slightly salty water with leather and patchouli to roughen things up. I have to search for the rum but it lends a bit of sweetness, and I think I get just a hint of sarsaparilla melding in with it.