Bensiabel

[Bluestocking]

Plum juice, lilac, leather, and a smattering of herbs.

In the imp: Sweet lilac and supple leather, with just a touch of herbiness. I don't really get any plum at the moment. It's slightly sweet, slightly masculine and really rather gentle.
On, wet: Much more leather, but the lilac isn't overwhelmed at all. I actually don't know how to describe it, but the two of them blend together very well. There's a shadow of plum beneath, but it's very faint. It's somewhat cologne-like, mostly because of the leather and the twinge of herbs, but it's a young man's scent.
On, dry: Juicy plum (similar to the one in Prunella) and slightly powdery, sweet lilacs, with an undertone of leather. The plum came out in a big way on the dry down, so now this is very purple, distinctly fruity floral and gender-neutral. It's lovely, as the fruit, flowers and leather blend well.
Later: A big bowl of ripe juicy plums next to a bouquet of lilacs cut from the garden. The plum is really the heart of this now, and the leather and herbs have largely disappeared.
Overall: Like Prunella, this scent is smooth, very purple and has a youthful, Springtime feel about it. The leather gives Bensiabel some depth and keeps it from ever getting girly, despite the sweet plum and lilac, and it's a very nice leather, mellow and soft. It's a good complement to Prunella, but given the choice, I think I'd probably pick Prunells for my big bottle purchase, just because it's more feminine and creamy. Still, Bensiabel is very good and different, a refreshing and unusual combination of scents that's worth smelling just for the yummy lilac-and-leather combo. Edited February 14, 2009 by Bluestocking

[Victory]

It always interests me to see how oils age, and I definitely notice a difference in Bensiabel fresh vs aged a few months. Fresh, the notes were much more identifiable- this is the lilac, this is the plum, etc. When it's aged, everything's come together into a harmonious whole. I'd bought an imp of this before I realized that leather can be iffy on me. Perversion's leather supports the other notes, and the rum and chardonnay keep it supple, as opposed to the horribly dry, pale leather in Brom Bones and Western Diamondback. If I had smelled WD and BB before I'd bought Bensiabel, I wouldn't have done so. I thought I just couldn't wear leather and Perversion was my leather miracle BPAL. But in Bensiabel, the leather is moistened by the plum juice and supported by the lilac and unnamed herbs. The result is a fusion of leather, fruit, and flowers. It actually makes me think a little of Blood Countess.

 

When Bensiabel is wet, the leather is a stronger partner to the fruit and flowers, and it really stuck me how nice the leather was. As the oil dried, the plum and lilac, which are so intertwined with the leather that if I didn't know what they were, I couldn't identify them, step up and the scent truly intermarries. The leather takes half a step back and everything is supported equally.

 

I prefer the plum in Bensiabel to that in Prunella, but I'll have to do more testing to see just how much I like it. Irregardless, I'm really pleased to have the imp because it reminded me not to wholly write off leather.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – A hint of the lilac backed by a thick leather note

 

Wet on me – A waft of an almost bubblegum like sweetness, with the soft, powdery lilac, sitting on the dark, dirty leather note closer to the skin

 

Dry on me – The plum juice settles into something too dry to be fruit and too sweet to be leather

 

Overall – A surprisingly pretty and delicate blend, nice, but it doesn’t grab me

 

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Rich golden oil. Surprisingly dark and floral. Not much of the plum, and not what I'd call sweet. The lilac is strong, and the herbs tending towards dark and forceful. It's a bit sharp/slick.

 

Wet: LILAC; by far, the strongest lilac BPAL scent I've smelled. It's heady and a bit much, as lilac can be, but more natural than usual. A bit more leather, making this rather masculine. Some thyme? The plum juice is more a suggestion of sweetness, more like blossom than fruit.

 

Dry: Bah, the lilac is going a bit soapy. And why, lilac, must you be such a bully? The only blessing is that the scent on the whole fades rapidly. There's a weird moldy (?) note, like moldy bread.

 

Later: Some of the sweetness is coming out, finally, though it's still not that sticky, juicy plum note, but more delicate, like wild plum. There's also a spicy note that I'd swear is carnation. The leather seems to have 'aged' at bit.

 

Summary: Much of the lilac fades with time, so that it becomes quite pleasant and bearable. The plum amps up into something dark and sexy, and the leather is well-worn and comforting. Love the spicy carnation. But the mold kills it. Decent throw.

 

Reminds me greatly of Bathsheba, and a little of The Blood Countess

 

 

[rayvn1]

I like this a lot more than I thought I would. Plum can go so wrong on me. Luckily this is very similar to On Darkness for me, one of my BPAL faves. Good throw and the lilac adds a bit of sweetness that is nice. There's something dry and spicy that may be the leather, though I don't get a ton of what I would call leather out of this. Good one! The surprise Marchen win for me

[aquazoo]

I smell the plum. Also that little bit of leather. It's soft on me, not doing much.

 

 

[caitilarkin]

In the imp: Rich plum--not too sweet or overripe

 

Wet on skin: The lilac amps for about 15 minutes, but then calms down and blends with the plum and leather.

 

Dry on skin: After about an hour, this is a beautifully blended plum and leather scent with the lilac adding faint sweetness. Once again I am reminded how much I love the lab's leather note.

 

Lasts about 12 hours on me, with the plum being the strongest and longest-lasting note. I'm currently trying to talk myself out of a bottle...

[jewelbug]

Really super sweet necco wafers? I dunno why I don't smell any of the notes here, just slightly anise-y necco wafers.

[jennythereader]

First tried: 6/21/2009

 

In imp: Spicy

 

At application: Still spicy, there's also an incense smell

Later (at least one hour, maybe more): It faded pretty quickly, but was pleasant as long as I could smell it; when I applied more in the evening it was way too intense

 

Comments from others: My 15 year old sister liked it.

 

Rating: 2 (use up the imp but don't get more; maybe trade for something amazing)

 

Look for similar: Yes

 

Overall: I never smelled the plum juice or lilac. I think my nose was interpreting the herbs as "spicy" and the leather as incense.

Edited July 5, 2009 by jennythereader

[t_for_tau]

I'm always curious to try leather scents, so when I ordered the Marchen imps this was definitely on my list.

 

I'm really surprised by how much I like this, given that it's basically a floral on me! It's a fresh, damp lilac, like standing in a summer garden at twilight. The other notes only deepen and soften it a bit, and this has become my go-to sleep blend - it puts me in a calm, blissful, relaxed state, worries drifting off. Bugger the Somnium category - this stuff is the shiznit. It's been described on the forums as a "butched-up" floral, and while I can't really see it as butch at all, it's not all-out girly: it just smells like the actual lilac that was blooming outside a few weeks ago. A natural smell, rather than a perfumey smell. Not sure if I'd wear it as anything other than a sleep/relaxation blend, but I have totally unexpected love for it. Probably bottleworthy at some point, just for my mental health.

 

<3

[mhickle]

A floral, but not *too* floral - the fruity sweetness and lilac are made earthy and dark by the leather. It's slightly dark, and pretty soft on me once it dries down - before then, when it's still wet, it's really super strong. I was kind of hoping it would stay that way, but soft is nice, too!

[LunarAwe]

Another frimp from the lab. Thank you, wonderful labbies!

 

In the imp: it must be the leather and plum. This smells like plum if plum were a mammal and not a fruit. I am not getting herbs, greenness, or lilac at first sniff. Dark, animal fruit.

 

Wet on skin: Wow the leather amps when wet! At least on me it does. The plum is much quieter when first applied on me. Still nothing on the lilac, herbal front.

 

Dry on skin: There's the lilac. Delicate... definitely in the background which is not how I usually experience florals. The plum and leather are a bit more balanced though I was really hoping for a strong herbal note since those have been working really well for me.

 

Later: This is really a lovely scent! It has balanced enough now that it is harder to separate the notes. Not one that I would have tried on my own, but lushly complex once it settles in a bit. I think this one might be worth aging a bit more. Will definitely come back to this imp after some months have passed.

 

 

[Diva Urd]

In the imp: Plum with lots of lilac.

 

On me: Wet, the lilac kicks all the other notes' butts, but it starts behaving itself a bit more once it dries. Now the leather is starting to come out and grounds the lilac and the plum. A few hours later, I am left with leathery plum.

 

Ever since I recently discovered that fruit aren't, in fact, the devil, I've been looking for a plum that's a bit more grounded than the one in Kitsune-Tsuki, and this one fits the bill! Congrats, Bensiabel, you got a spot on the bottle list, although you aren't the highest priority at the moment.

[caffinatedangel]

To be honest, the first review in the forum nailed Bensiabel for me. It was a really mellow blend, really subtle, and faintly masculine. The plum was there, but it was no fruity plum. It was dry, but comforting. Not something I could wear, and sadly my boytoy's skin seems to eat oils. Everything (even snake oil!) vanishes on him in a half hour. No lie. It's creepy.

 

So, trading this off, but it was a nice soft blend I think. One suiting for the caring, sweet son of a witch P:

[topazphoenix]

This is an odd combination, fruit and leather, kind of a smokey woodsmoke effect when wet, then dries down to a sweet lilac-y plum. I prefer Bathsheba for plum though.

[Tracelina]

When LunarAwe told me to try her imp of this, I was hesitant at first. See, leather tends to amp like crazy on me (Western Diamondback, I'm looking at you), and I don't tend to like fruit blends. But then I put Bensiabel on, and fell under his gorgeous spell.

 

This is, for me, one of the most balanced blends I've tried in the year I've been into BPAL. The plum is dark and rich, the lilac is lighter & sweet, and the leather is grounding and slightly dry. Somehow, each note keeps the others in check and prevents any one from taking over. I bought a big bottle of this as soon as I had funds, and it has become my go-to scent since then. Also worth noting: although I like the way I smell regardless of what yummy scent I'm wearing, this is the only one that multiple people have complimented me on.

[Lamia]

This is fruity-thick and reminds me a lot of another BPAL which I just can't put my finger on. Of all the suggestiosn listed above, the only one that might make any sense is On Darkness, I will have to check.

 

Me = frustrated at not being able to remember what else this is like. But it's awfully nummy.

[Argentwolf]

Initially, this is plum, leather and musk like woah. After a bit, it softens, and the lilac comes out. Believe it or not, this is a fairly manly sort of floral. I am discovering that plum is one of my favorite notes, and this perfume does not disappoint. It has good staying power and some pretty decent throw from time to time.

[lookingglass]

Lots of lilac and plum, with an earthiness from the leather, herbs adding some green. This is like a less sour Blood Countess on me. A spingtime scent that is not too innocent...keeper.

[reynardine]

In the imp: a touch of plum with leather

 

Wet: LEATHER...and I find that it does not agree with me at all.

 

Drydown: Leather still there, some of the lilac and herbs peeking through.

 

An hour later: The leather prevails. Interesting touches of florals and herbs in the background.

 

I had to wash it off. If I learned anything from this experience, it was that leather is a death note for me. But if you happen to like leather, then this scent might well be the one for you!

 

To the trade pile!

[hkhm]

imp: fruity lilacs.

 

wet: very strong lilac with a nice sweetness (which does not smell like plum but gives off a nice purple vibe). no leather at this stage.

 

dry: an herbal lilac. this is not overly flowery once dry. certainly it smells like lilac but it's not overpowering or cloying. sadly, i never got leather from this blend.

[DeltaCat]

Very perfumy. Wet I get mostly the leather and lilac. On drydown those notes are still the strongest but the fruity smell peeks out and waves. I might have to 5mL this.

[Anneliese]

In the imp, it smells like lilac soap gone wrong -- I usually have a hard time picking out the lab's leather scent, but this may indeed be the thing that's clouding it up. When I put it on, I get this clean feeling... it actually smells pretty close to this French soap a family member sent to me a few years back, although to my knowledge it shares nothing in common with this fragrance (save some mystery herbs).

 

If I want to smell like lilac soap, I'll just head to the bathroom. It's a good thing I already have someone to give this to!

[Schmoozy]

Herbal lilac and leather. Love it.

[heathercaley]

I received this as a frimp from the lab, and am very excited because I wanted to try it!

 

Once applied, I smell a sweet yet warm florals. This is obviously the plum, lilac and leather working together. It's herbal, but sweet and there's just a touch of warm earth underneath binding everything together perfectly.

 

It's lovely and I will cherish my imp!