Kathmandu

[scrappy]

The scent of sacred incense swirling up the steep slopes to Swayambhunath Stupa. Saffron, blessed sandalwood, Himalayan cedar and the miraculous lotus of the Buddha with chiuri bark and Nepalese spices.

To my nose, this is old-fashioned root beer soda + cedar, with a bit of minty something underneath it all.

[Invidiana]

This is very smoky and incensey with background of cedar and definitely does bring to mind images of a mountain village in the Himalayas. It's not really a "me" scent, but I can appreciate it.

[Leopard403]

Katmandu is a "high" scent, in that it hits me high up in my nose and brain rather than tickling the tip like most scents do. (Do olfactory cells work like tastebuds? Are there "sweet" and "sour" places up in my schnoz?) Anyway, it's a high woody scent, slightly sweet light wood, with a hint of spice. Like freshly-cut but very dry cedar chips and incense.

[sparkleyturtle]

Definitely getting the spicy cedar here. Dries down to being nice a subtle, but it took awhile to get there, and now I only smell that if I put my nose right in it.

 

[tailoredshirt]

In the bottle: Um, burning wood? And cedar. Burning cedar!

 

Wet: Cedar, incense...two things I like, except that the woods are still on fire. There is a bit of Vicks Vaporub, but just barely, and it doesn't linger. Something sticky sweet in the background and it is...

 

Dry: ...BUBBLEGUM. :| From the lotus. I love sweet woodsy scents, but not like this. I think it is official that lotus turns to bubblegum on me, because it did the same thing in Paris, which had the spicy lavender that I loved except that the lotus got sickly sweet and nausea-inducing on me. 30 minutes after applying Kathmandu, I still get bubblegum with cedar and woods in the background. Not what I was hoping for.

 

Overall: Starts off burning cedar, and it quickly gets overwhelmed by the bubblegum scent of the lotus. This did not work for me at all.

[girasol]

Frimp! Yay!

 

In the imp: Dry spice and... er, Sprite?

 

Wet: An expolsion of menthol-camphor type stuff going on as soon as it hits the skin - the incense, I presume. Through the drydown, something a bit more sweet and floral comes through.

 

Dry: Soft, smoky, incensey things going on now, with a faint sweetness. Sticking fairly close to the skin.

 

Verdict: It might be the kind of thing I'm in the mood for occasionally. Good Autumn scent.

[milica]

This scent evokes the image of sitting in some temple on Hymalayas, meditating. I don't get much saffron, only in the first few minutes and it gives some kind of medicinal note to this, and then it calms down. Strong inscence, smokey cedar and sweet lotus, smells like some really fancy sandalwood inscence sticks.

 

I like this a lot, because when I wear it I can almost see the mountains and the temple and I feel calm. Will be getting a bottle as soon as I go through this imp.

[Vega]

Disclaimer: My nose is completely untrained and I've an abysmal scent memory, so my impressions are just impressions. I try to wear a scent several times before making a review.

 

In imp: Spicy and heady, definitely Eastern incense and spices. Bright, high, golden-yellow.

 

On skin: Colour impression is a bright, sunflower yellow. Incense and spice over a woody base; high, almost powdery. Quite cloying, heady, and sweet in a spicy/incense way. Softens and dials down over time, but remains much the same. I can recognize the sandalwood lurking somewhere deep, but the bright powdery sweetness obscures it; not sure which notes are responsible for this. A yellow-bright and joyful scent.

 

Verdict: Ambivalent. Kathmandu is definitely in character, but I'm not sure if I want to wear it such a incense/spice-sweet blend. It'll probably go to swaps.

[Teaotter]

Spicy and mysterious in the imp, but it dries down to plain sweet lotus on me. There is just the faintest hint of incense in the background. Swaps pile, definitely.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

Whoa, first sniff was Vapo-Rub. I guess that's the cedar? I smelled something nice in there so I tried it on, and surprisingly it was beautiful after the initial sharpness dried off. I don't know what lotus smells like, but there is a general creaminess to this that I really love. I also smell the sandalwood which is always magic on my skin and the cedar/vapo rub is hanging in the background (very far) and reminds me of a container of Tiger Balm I had yrs ago. I think it's the clove...

 

Hmm. I'm keeping this imp to see how much I can grow to love it.

[Altaira]

Smells exactly like the incense isle of the health food store, all the different blends in a jumble fighting for attention. Headache trigger.

[symbiosis]

Kathmandu –

In the Imp – Pungent cedar, a whiff of sandalwood, spices and earth.Mmmm for once, the imp smells exactly like the description to me. Usually I just pick out a few notes, but the more you sniff this one, the more you smell. Oh I really hope this works on me!!!

Wet – Wow, this almost smells like licorice on me. It has that same spicy scent. Licorice and root beer! Odd! Smells like I took one of those root beer barrel candies and rubbed it on my wrist! No…no! That’s not baby powder I smell, is it??? I get the feeling that this one will smell very, very good on theBF. The cedar smells so great until it dries and morphs into more of a powdery smell.

Dry – Still all cedar, and from a distance I think the cedar could easily be mistaken for powder. Saddening, since I won’t wear it, but I’m absolutely going to finish the imp off – either on my BF or in an oil burner, because I think it would smell great as a room smell!

[SophieCedar]

Wet: the cedar tries to do it's overpowering pouf, similarly to ouija. (which if I get too close, it smells like toothpaste..) This smells brilliantly sweet and incensey from afar...if I can just keep my arm away from my nose until it cools down. The saffron is wonderfully strong and sandalwood +lotus is sweet woody awesomeness.

 

Drydown: a few failed attempts at not sniffing up close later...The cedar settled and this is a sweet, not overpowering incense. The lotus takes over with whatever spices are in the mix. Decent!

[MandyCassandra]

...yes.

 

I'd like to start out by saying that this is the first perfume from BPAL that's ever actually relaxed me when I smelled it. It's...soothing. And somehow being soothing it's still stimulating. I was looking for an excellent meditation blend and I've found one.

 

As for the smell itself? I'm not sure I can say much that hasn't already been said, but...

 

In the vial: Sweet root beer (like that "Dad's" root beer stuff you used to see everywhere)...with a hint of spice. Intriguing. But mainly...somehow soothing. That first whiff somehow went through me, calmed me, and centered me.

 

Wet: The root beer starts to fade, giving way to a sweeter, more resiny scent...

 

After a half hour, the root beer smell lingers in the background right alongside the smell of incense. Sorta almost...Nag Champa-esque. Someone else earlier in the thread said they felt like they were in a Buddhist temple way up in the mountains...hardwood floors, chanting, the smoke of incense, the cool mountain air, everything. I get that here.

 

On me, the smell lasts 4-5 hours, and it doesn't change significantly as it dries down to the base. The existing notes (incense, sweet resin, spices) just sorta fade.

 

Final rating: 4.6 out of 5. I love it, and I wouldn't mind a bottle. It's an excellent fragrance for anyone looking for a good meditation blend.

[Suu4LC]

SOoh, I like saffron scents, though I'm not a big cedar/sandalwood fan.

 

In the imp this is SUPER saffron-y. Like, almost straight saffron. I also get that spearminty scent that sometimes goes with saffron. I'm guessing the woods will come out on my skin? It's fine if they don't though.

 

Yep, on my skin I definitely get the sandalwood and lotus, though don't notice the cedar. Still, this is MOSTLY saffron and definitely spearminty. Very pleasant. I can also see how people would get root beer from this.

 

This was just an ok blend to me. It never went overly woody, and was mostly just a pleasant saffron/light woods scent. Not spicy at all.

[Skygal]

Hey everyone!

 

This is my first review. I'm fairly new to the forum- been lurking for a while now, and have been finding all your reviews INVALUABLE in my search for scents I will love...

 

I have read some descriptions on the Lab's site, and thought: "O man! I GOTTA have this one!", but after reading a bunch of your reviews on the scent in question, I feel more informed in my decision as to whether or not to aquire it. Sometimes I buy/swap an imp/bottle, sometimes not... So for that, I thank you all!

 

ANYway, ....Kathmandu. hmmm... I thought this one would be like a top-five, amazing, "it's-so-me" scent. Just received my latest order from the Lab and decided to try out Kathmandu first.

 

Okay, I have not read every review in this thread, but is anyone else getting "wintergreen"?

 

In the Imp, it was just like a wintergreen lifesaver. But also like Ben-Gay, which is a turn-off cause smelling like Ben-Gay is not my personal brand of sexy...

 

I closed the cap and rolled the Imp around a bit just in case it needed a bit of gentle mixing, then applied a good schmear of it to my wrist... Yup- wintergreen... for about 5 minutes.

 

Then the wintergreen began to back off just enough for the cedar to become apparent. But that was about all I got from this one. I kept checking back, waiting for it to turn into incense, but no, it was just a mellow wintergreenish cedar.

 

So strange to read these reviews on Kathmandu, then to have such a different experience with it. I kept reading the label to be sure it was really Kathmandu. hmmm...

 

I think I will be swapping this imp.

[countessmouse]

Kind of an odd one, Kathmandu. Very smoky at first, then briefly transitioning to mint(???)before settling on smoky cedar with just a hint of incense. I had pictures of the Tibetan city in my mind - cold air, people wrapped in quilted jackets as the monks chanted prayers in a nearby temple. Very nice. Now I want to go there...

[Honey]

I also used it as a soothing oil to put on before going to bed. Man, I really like this!

 

 

Imp: Before reading the Lab's description I smelled vetiver, mint and tobacco leaf. Knowing the ingredients, though, and then paying attention: I can smell cedar (what I mistook for vetiver) and sweet spices.

 

Wet: Smokey, wooden, fresh. Definitely has a menthol-camphor vibe. Cedar is somewhat dark, smokey and salty (like bacon). Icy fresh scent, a bit medicinal.

 

Dry: Definitely menthol and/or camphor in this one. Wooden and spicy. The sandalwood shows up after a while, and the blend becomes very sweet, fresh and aromatic. I think this is not something I would wear as a perfume but as a relaxing scent when I want to meditate or sleep. Nice.

[sabrebabe]

in the bottle: Sandalwood and spices, just a hint of cedar. Very much like incense, like walking into a headshop.

On me: Ah, there’s the cedar, coming in strong, followed by the sandalwood. Some spiciness going on as a backnote.

Dry: lotus is coming through now, mixing in with the sandalwood, but the cedar is disappearing. Still some spices, but they’re changing around. It’s gone sweet.

Later: cedar has come back to play, mixing well with the sweet lotus. Sandalwood and spices still holding steady.

I like this scent, but on me, it’s a bit…odd. I’m not sure if I like it as a perfume. I certainly like it as a room spray or incense. Will use up the imp and decide later.

[Roogna]

it smells like Vix vapor rub only slightly "lighter" (probably the lotus)

[WidgetAlley]

Imp: Wow, cedar! And dry, fiery saffron, and sandalwood, and lots and lots of spice with just a touch of lotus. Very very strong and very very grounding.

 

Wet: Hunh, I don't usually get bubblegum out of lotus but I am right now! Maybe it's because I'm (TMI) PMSing? It's strongly overlaid with spice and backed by cedar and sandalwood. Saffron can very easily be waaaaaaaay too harsh on me but this is just the right amount. This is such an interesting smell! Even though it's sort of super-lotussy it isn't sweet the way some lotuses can go, just, like, round. Yeah, 'cause THAT made sense.

 

Dry: A soft and lovely lotus-wood-spice blend. I will need to test again, but I think this is a keeper. It's very centering, meditative and lovely, and does exactly what it says on the tin!

[becca_s]

Kathmandu is all Cedar & Lotus on me. A strange mix of the watery lotus and dry woody Cedar. My skin amps lotus and cedar, so I can't really smell much else - a bit of sandalwood in the background. Overall, it's quite a relaxing and peaceful scent, makes me think of walking through a rainforest.

Edited April 20, 2012 by becca_s

[mymymai]

In the Imp (ITI): Oh yeah, lotus, sandalwood, and very smoky cedar mingle together in a woosdy and slightly exotic concerto for my nose. On second sniff, the cedar is stronger, which I enjoy.

 

Wet: Smoky cedar and incense-like spices with the subtle sweetness of sandalwood and lotus. It does remind me of an incense-filled wooden temple.

 

Dry: The smokiness has now vanished. What remains is sweet sandalwood, spices, and a slight whiff of cedar in the distance. I like this quite a bit, but I wish it stayed on my skin longer.

 

Other Impressions: Spicy orange and musk with a little wood according to my husband. Those minus orange plus dry, which reminds my friend of whiskey.

[Dusk]

On imp and first on skin: Root beer! Was surprised to take a look at the notes and not see sarsaparilla. Some other spices too.

 

After a few minutes it loses a little bit of the fizziness and definitely gains spiciness. I wonder if it could be the lotus that’s so sweet. I pick up some cedar and possibly sandalwood.

 

5 minutes: Incense. Still a bit of whatever made me think root beer, but not as much. Mostly that part's just adding some sweetness. Very nice smell. It keeps improving, gets warm and woodsy as well as spicy. One of those scents that renders me incapable of tearing my nose away from my wrist.

 

10 minutes: So spicy and delicious. There's a good dose of sandalwood, and I love it. The back of my hand has definite lotus, but it's barely noticeable on my wrist. Still, it gets a bit more of a floral note within a few minutes, making it slightly more feminine. Not much throw, sadly, though it might just be my nose getting tired after sniffing it so much. It doesn't morph terribly much for a while - at least, it keeps going through the same notes.

 

1 hour: Nice woody incense with plenty of sandalwood. Still wonderful. Stays consistently wonderful, until about 4 hours, when I do notice the back of my hand has a bubblegum-like note from the lotus. My wrist meanwhile, is very faded, with mostly just a touch of saffron and woods remaining.

 

Summary: Woody, incense-y, spicy, warm, calming scent. Sweet, even fizzy start that quickly warms up to a spicy incense, gets more cedar and sandalwood the longer it stays on. Nice touch of lotus. Below average lasting power on me. Completely unisex.

 

Rating: 4/5

[whitsunweddings]

Hahaha, I've been to the Swayambhunath Stupa. The stairs up to it nearly killed me and a really cheeky stallkeeper tried to sell me the Karma Sutra, promising "many positions, very good!" So yeah, I've been to the actual Kathmandu, and while it's a lovely city, it smells terrible. Nepal is a developing country, and disposal of sewage/garbage is a problem. But anyway:

In the imp: Cedar, incense and lotus. I like how this is basically an ~Eastern version of Cathedral.

Wet: Spicy, vaguely anisey herbaliness.

Dry: Cedar and sweet lotus-y incense. I really like it!