Velvet Bandito

[bheansidhe]

 

Dust, tumbleweeds, cedar, and tobacco.

 

(Disclaimer: I tested the prototype and not the released blend.)

 

I tested this prototype at the Roswell, GA Will-Call. I expected dirt, dust, or dry, orris-type notes; I was braced for a sweaty-toothed madman in a velvet bandito hat...

 

Instead, this blend is like opening a fine-grained wooden cigar box in a high-end pipe store - and finding it stuffed with spices. The tobacco is smooth, long-cured, and blended into a subtle pipe draw. If a man was smoking this blend in a crowd, you'd be trying to get closer. As the tobacco and wood dry, I get definite whiffs of clove and allspice. (Tumbleweeds are actually a native of the Mongolian steppes, whose seeds hitched a ride to the New World in traders' packs, so maybe Beth is drawing on several hundred years of the spice trade to evoke her tumbleweeds?)

 

I don't get a distinct cedar note, but it is woodsy, in the same manner as Ventriloquist's Dummy: kiln-dried and finely aged hardwood.

 

Throw lies warm and low on the skin, and lasts. It's warm and spicy, but not at all foody, and very gender-neutral.

 

It's a hit for me!

Edited April 11, 2009 by bheansidhe

[greenranger]

After trying this at Will-Call I couldn't wait for my order to arrive. I'd ordered it on April 1st(the day it went live), since I was looking for the perfect tobacco. I may have found it!

 

That scent I was always looking for when I was sniffing around in tobacco stores? This is it, but, the box is aromatic wood, and filled with spices.

 

The dust is similar to that which is in Parliment of Monsters in the Carnivale. It isn't Dirt, which I amp, but, just enough dust to put a very slight haze around the edges of the other scents. The tumbleweeds are spicy, because, according to what Beth said at Will-Call, she remembers tumbleweeds as being spicy, and it is that impression that we are getting. The spice is somewhat along the lines of Morroco, so if you like that you should DEFINITELY try this. The cedar isn't overwhelming. I amp wood, but this is merely a cedar box to contain the rest. The tobacco is lovely sweet tobacco, not smoke.

 

I love it.

 

~edit~And....it lasted all day looong! 9 hours so far, and it is only softer and more velvety. =)

Edited April 12, 2009 by Aerinha

[sarada]

In the bottle this starts out strong with fresh-cut cedar, dark woody tobacco, and faint but bright notes of clove. I was in this for the cedar and tobacco notes -- it promises to be a bold, dry and dark wood and an inviting, incensy tobacco on first sniff. On my skin, a note like clove comes out and now it smells like some of my favorite clove incense (Airs used to make some...it was great), burning on a cedarwood stick. A bit heavier on the tobacco-y clove than anything else as it dries down. I would say it is most similar to the clove/wood/tobacco notes in Count Dracula, but a bit more dry and dusty, and less menacing. I agree that it is not smoky, but it is more of a tobacconist's shop as far as that note is concerned -- but clove incense in a cedar box is my main impression. I breathe deep to get my cedar fix -- I am looking specifically for it since it's one of my favorite notes, so I can't tell how prominent it would be for someone who doesn't like that. I'm just lookin' out for myself! And I am quite pleased!

[twilighteyes]

In the bottle: Clove!

 

On skin: Spicy smooth dusty wood.

 

Did not have much throw for me or last very long, sadly. Will need to retest.

[AnArtfuldodger]

This is a sweet woody spice scent -- like a sweet cousin to "Tombstone" really (whic I just adore).

 

Growing up, my family had a few cords of cedar wood in the backyard, and this is what tat wood smelled like up close, plus sweet cloves, and just a tiny hint of tobacco in the very, very far background.

 

And it's strong, too! I put just a tiny bit on with a toothpick, walked into the kitchen of the apartment, and was like, "What's that delightful smell everywhere?!" and then realized it was me! Mere seconds later!

 

I may need a backup bottle of this. I asked my SO to whiff my arm and he was like, "I do not like cloves " but I don't care, I'll wear it when he's not around, this is divine!

 

(Looking at the description of the notes, I'm not seeing cloves listed, but this is totally, totally cloves on me.)

 

April 14: Okay, I have been wearing another blend all day, but my mind keeps thinking of Bandito. Not because what I'm wearing resembles it. No. Oh no, my lovelies. I have a crush on Velvet Bandito, and nothing I can do can keep me from thinking of him and his lovely hot man sombrero and his velvet gun, and you guys, I think I'm crushing big-time. Pardon me while I doodle little "Artfuldodger + Velvet Bandito 4EVA" hearts all over my work documents here...

Edited April 15, 2009 by AnArtfuldodger

[Brianne]

Why I got this: Honestly, I was in a decant circle where you had to order the whole Velvet set. I had no interest in this one!

 

Why I was concerned: The entire description lol. The word "dust" in a BPAL description is like the kiss of death for me. It always ends up smelling like dust. And nothing else.

 

What it ended up being: A surprise hit! The dust is nowhere in site on me but guess what is here? Clove! And I ADORE clove. Clove and tobacco with a faint but smooth cedar. It's very unisex and warm and just delicious. It's funny that the two scents I definitely didn't want are the only two scents to work for me out of this collection so far hah!

 

What it reminds me of: Clove ciggarettes inside my Dad's smoker (that he smokes meat in). It's definitely JUST like that. Just lovely.

[scrappy]

Wet and dry, this is very similar to Lush's Chai Shower Gel. It's a beautiful warm and spicy scent, maybe cloves and allspice along with the tobacco, with a dry overall feel to it (probably the dust note).

[hkhm]

bottle: cedar and sweet tobacco.

 

wet: this is the most accurate cedar i've smelled from the lab yet, it smells like fresh-cut wood with a touch of dust and a bit of tobacco.

 

dry: this almost reminds me of a christmas scent, the cedar is spicy that way. i like this blend way more than i thought i was going to.

[ephemera]

Oddly enough, on me this smells exactly like Aroma Sanctum's Pirate blend, which is described as having nutmeg, allspice, precious woods and leather. Sadly, Pirate doesn't really work on me - after a while I find myself vaguely headachey. After a while the scent is essentially unchanged, except now I can discern that the cedar is out and is apparently riding the smoke. It's a dry, harsh blend. Not for me.

[tinyvulture]

first impression: clove cigarettes! my husband agreed, saying, “there are a LOT of cloves in that perfume.” it’s a very sexy tobacco scent that can go either masculine or feminine. the cedar note is nice, too, although it takes a backseat to the cloves. and i also keep thinking i smell carnations. as someone else said, it’s very similar to Lush’s Chai shower gel. really glad i ordered a bottle unsniffed.

[angelicruin]

First, I will start off that I never would have ordered a bottle of this were it not for the reviews. When I first saw the notes including Dust & Tumbleweeds, I figured it was another dirt scent that really doesn't work on my skin most of the time. After reading the reviews, I decided to try it and added it to my last lab order.

 

Sniffing the bottle, it is a dusty spice scent.

 

Wet on my skin, it's spicy clove and cedar. It reminds me of potpourri for the first few minutes after application.

 

As it begins to dry, that dusty note I picked up sniffing the bottle is back, but it's not acting like the traditional dust notes usually do on my skin. As it dries more, it's smoky sweet tobacco and cedar with cloves.

 

I like this blend and think it will age marvelously. Definitely the surprise hit for me with the Velvet line.

Edited April 18, 2009 by angelicruin

[tapestry]

I'm going to make another Lush comparison here. I had an impromptu MnS at a friend's house last night where I got to test her bottle of Bandito. I liked it very much, but found that it smelled almost exactly like Lush's Skinny Dip shower gel to me. There was a bit of a woodier note during drydown, but it was faint and so I found myself huffing my arm over and again marveling at how similar the two smelled.

 

So if you love Skinny Dip, I definitely recommend Bandito for you. It's a very lovely blend, but there's something about the similarity which makes me okay with not picking up a bottle.

[bluelena]

Another LUSH comparison here... and my very first review!

 

My nose is still wearing its training wheels, but when this goes on I can defininately make out the cedar. It's really kind of dusty/spicy on me, wet.

 

And then, even though it shares NONE OF THE SAME NOTES, it dries down to LUSH's Potion that's a little woodsy - LOVE!

Edited April 21, 2009 by bluelena

[marared]

Someone, somewhere, said that El Bandito smelled like a more masculine Morocco, so naturally I had to nab one and see. I can kiiinda see the comparison; the spices must be the common denominator between the two. This is most definitely clove and sweet tobacco; I'm not really picking up any of the cedar - which is a good thing in the end, really, because woods are not one of the better notes on my skin.

 

I'm not so sure I'll keep this; will revisit in six or eight weeks.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Thick, syrupy sweet clove with a little bit of cedar and tobacco in the background.

 

Immediately on skin: This smells like an odd cola/clove concoction. It has a spiciness, as well as woodiness, but also the sweet tobacco. It’s very rich and thick smelling, but also quite sweet. I think the clove I’m getting is a combo of the cedar, tobacco, and dust. It’s very interesting.

 

After a little while: This turns even sweeter on me as I wear it. It smells like syrupy, spiced tobacco with a hint of dry woodiness.

 

Overall Impressions: This is much less complex on me than I was expecting, and a lot sweeter as well. It smells a little like clove, but more like syrupy sweet spiced tobacco than anything. The cedar is barely there, but it’s noticeable, and the dust is more of an overtone that I can feel in my nose as opposed to smell. This blend is very interesting and very thick smelling, but not very complex to my nose.

 

[mparker]

I'm not sue how I feel about this one. In the bottle, this has a wonderful, dusty tobaccoy scent with a hint of sweetness. Very, very nice. It starts of the same on the skin, but all too soon the clove amps up. (I was so happy to see others comment on the clove, because I kept looking at the listed notes and thinking I was crazy.) The clove amps way, WAY up. On me, this turns into a really strong, rich clove, with a hint of something else that seems almost orangy, like a very faint dried orangepeel.

 

Oddly enough, on me, Velvet Bandito smells like Cristmas. Hmmm...Christmas Bandito?!

[femmefatale]

This does remind me of Morocco, but not really a more masculine version, more of a spicier version.

At the beginning it does remind me of Christmas time, but as it dries it smoothes out and mellows a bit. After about 30 min./an hour I can start to smell the cedar more (though it's more of a subtle base as opposed to a main note...very light) and the blend begins to sweeten.

This is a far more wearable blend than I expected it to be. It seems to be cross between Morocco, the Smiling Spider, and a pinch of Plunder. I like this a lot and will definitely be adding it to my bottle list. I can't wait to see how it smells on dh.

 

 

ETA: Anyone else think that it looks like Luke Wilson on the bottle?

 

 

Edited again:

 

I had dh try it and oh holy hell, it smelled sooooo good. On him he amped the sweetness and it smelled like this delicious creamy chai tea we used to get. It is really one of the most heavenly smells.

Of course, now I want a tea.

Edited April 24, 2009 by Femme_Fatale

[Twitch]

I didn't get anything dusty or smoky with this unfortunately. I ended up smelling like a gingerbread cookie. Not a very sweet one, though. Overall, it is quite a pleasant smell, but it's just not me.

[Dormouse]

My husband ordered this one but as he's out of the country on business I thought I'd better test it.

 

I always skin test without looking at the notes list first and my initial impression was of cloves, cloves and more cloves with a hint of something sweeter in the background. After a few minutes there is a nutmeg or allspice note coming through too. It's nice and will smell great on himself.

 

Then I looked at the notes... and looked again. Dust, tumbleweed, cedar??? Huh? I checked the imp to make sure I'd picked the right one, then I looked at the notes of the other Velvet blends thinking that there might have been a mix up in decanting but none of the others had clove either. Finally I came here and looked at the other reviews. Thankfully I'm not the only one smelling cloves and spices.

 

On full dry down this smells of sweet tobacco and cloves, I've never smelled clove cigarettes but I'm sure they smell like this. If I really huff I get a tiny bit of cedar but nothing that I'd identify as dust or tumbleweed. It's lovely and pretty unisex and I can't wait to smell it on my husband. He was loving the clove in Red Rose so I think he'll enjoy Velvet Bandito.

 

[GreenSpine]

I amp clove, so after about one minute on my skin, clove is all I am getting. Which is really sad because those first few seconds were wonderful.

[lupidog]

In the imp, this smelled so strongly of clove that I didn't want to try it at all. I like cloves, and have smoked the cigarettes from time to time, but this SHRIEKED at me.

 

I bit the bullet and gave it a go. And.... all cloves, all of the time. And pretty much nothing else. I wish I got the sweeter Tombstone that someone else mentioned... that would be poifect!

[Schmoozy]

 

Sweet tobacco, a hint of cedar and the unmistakeable smell of cloves. I can see the comparisons to Skinny dip, Chai, and even potion for that matter. However that being said, there is just something about Velvet Bandito that makes it its own scent. It will definitely layer well with the 3 for sure. It is sweet and spicy, and they both compliment each other, but underneath the sweetness is a masculine feel. Velvet Bandito also feels wintery and warm, and right now just feels out of place, now that spring is here.

[Mamacat]

 

I was the most excited to try Velvet Bandito and I was not disappointed! WOW!

 

On first sniff it really reminds me of Lush's Skinny Dip. OMG!!! Then, after it's been on my skin for a while it smooths out. I start to smell a little bit of cinnamon, some tobacco (drool). Wow again. Then, maybe 20 minutes later, the cedar comes out. But this cedar is not the hamster cage kind. It's the "I'm a close relative of sandalwood" kind. Warm, smooth. Amazing.

 

This scent is so amazing that it makes me want to sell off all of my current bottles just to buy more of it.

 

It is wonderful at every stage.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: It smells sweet and spicy. It’s a much more decadent cousin to Tombstone. It’s mostly cedar and tobacco, with something strange, yet exciting, I’m guessing is tumble weed. Wet: I’m surprised there is no sarsaparilla here. It also reminds me rather of spice cookies. I love the tobacco/cedar combo. It’s delicious. Dry: Mostly cedar, but still lovely.

[MCS4096]

When I first read this update I passed over Velvet Bandito (even though I loved the name) mostly due to the cedar. I love cedar, but I like it when I'm in the mood for straight up cedar.. rather than a cedar blend. But then the reviews started come out And lo.. here is my bottle of Velvet Bandito!

 

In the Bottle: Oooohhh yum! Little bit clove ciggies, little bit sweet boozy, little bit woody. It's seriously almost foody.. like a really rummy spice cake or something.

 

Wet: Oh cloves, how I love thee. Pretty much the same as in the bottle-- staying well blended.

 

Dry: the cedar finnnally starts to come out but it's super subtle. I agree with the sandalwood comparison above. This is just awesome. In the same vein as Port Royal (one of my faves) rather than Morocco (although that would have been fine too since it's another fave). I will probably buy a back up bottle of this guy!

 

ETA: I have gotten SO many compliments on this one! It is absolutely amazing.. like a sweet, dry hint of clove cigarette scent. I will be buying two back up bottles!

Edited May 14, 2009 by MCS4096