Velvet Bandito

[catattack]

Dust, tumbleweeds, cedar, and tobacco.

Imp: Cloves!
Wet: Cloves and allspice!
Drydown: After almost an hour, the spices calmed down and mellowed. I could finally smell some dusty wood and the blend also became sweeter.
Overall: I like the drydown after an hour or so, but earlier, it's waaaaay too much clove. Don't need a bottle. Edited April 30, 2009 by catattack

[sunshinedaisybliss]

Wowsers.. there's no mention of clove in the notes but on my skin - this is like a clove-o-rama!

 

Actually, what it reminds me of is the smell of the dentist's.. when I first open the door into the reception area and that smell of fillings fills the air.

 

What it also reminds me of is when I was in Bali, and I would walk past a huddle of Balinese men on the street smoking clove cigarettes. I prefer that scent association to the one about the dentist

 

Very spicey, and kinda smokey - I actually like this as a "smell", but not sure I would wear it for myself.

 

[Scylla]

Velvet Bandito is my favorite of the Velvet series, and I would never have guessed it from the note description!

 

I smell a variety of spices, but clove does seem to be the most prominent. It's also a touch smoky and herbal. I don't smell the cedar until the drydown. Anyone who is a fan of spicy scents like Three Witches or Shub should definitely try this!

[edenssixthday]

Velvet Bandito - Wow, this is a surprise hit! This (along with Unicorn) is my favorite of the Velvet series. Prior to trying it, and based upon description alone, I would have guessed it would be an unpleasant scent. I almost didn't order it. Instead, it's an amazing scent! I normally can't stand scents with notes of cedar and dust in them, but this one... it's just... WOW!!! It's warm, heavy, spicy, and woody. It doesn't smell like cloves to me, like everyone else is saying, but it's close. It plays out differently on my skin than the typical BPAL clove scent. The only thing that could make this scent even better would be a couple of drops of sassafras. I layered Velvet Bandito with Hellhound on my Trail, and daaaaamn did that make for a good-smelling perfume!!! I highly recommend this layering combo. When I wear it, people tell me I smell amazing. I'm definitely buying a backup bottle of this one!

[pinkusmaximus]

I would never have ordered this based on the notes listed, but once the rave reviews started coming in, I decided to give it a shot. Wow, am I glad I did! This is my favorite new BPAL scent in quite some time. I am planning to order multiple backups and can't wait to see how this ages--I bet it will smell even better.

 

I thought this would be too masculine on my skin--tobacco blends often are--but it's not. It's spicy, sexy, warm, and surprisingly feminine. I love the clove note, which manages to give spicy depth to the scent without being too foody or smelling like potpourri. I can definitely see the comparisons others have made to Lush's Skinny Dip, which I also loved.

 

This is more of a cool weather scent to me, and I'll probably wear it more in the fall/winter, but I might sneak it in sometimes even in the warmer weather. I bet it would smell awesome on a boy, but I'm not sure I want to share!

[iiinterstate]

In the bottle: Smells like a cigar store. This is a good thing.

 

On me: dusty cedar and clove.

 

After a minute: Oh man, cedar takes a backseat to tobacco and spicy goodness. I don't know what tumbleweed is supposed to smell like, but I'm a fan of it. This is GOOD STUFF. It reminds me of another blend I just can't place... maybe a woodier Pickled Imp? But I didn't care for Pickled Imp and I loooove this.

 

So far, Velvet Bandito is my very favorite of the Velvets. I'll be grabbing a backup for sure.

 

 

ETA: OMG I KNOW WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE. This is a dead ringer for the Pied De Pepper lotion from LUSH. Perfect!

Edited May 5, 2009 by iiinterstate

[zankoku_zen]

Wow. This smells like a good cigar. It smells of cloves, all spice and TOBACCO.

 

Yup. Cigar. A really expensive one.

 

But still a cigar.

[janelle_hell]

On me, this is "ALL CLOVE CIGARETTES! ALL THE TIME!"; I get no cedar at all. Or cigars. It smells exactly like clove cigarettes...reminds me of my misspent teenage years. Which isn't a bad thing. I'm keeping my 5ml, as I'm sure it'll be AMAAAAAAZING after it ages.

[papermaker]

This is all spicy clove and with the cigar smoke peeking out and around every once and a while. Very little wood. This is a comfort scent to me. I loves it.

[dixiehellcat]

I ordered a number of velvet decants...this was not one of them. Never in a million years occurred to me that it would appeal in the slightest. Way too male, I figured. Almost didn't even open the decant that I got as a frimp in a swap. Then I did. Oh my. Spices and wood, and a faint hint of something that must be tobacco. I cannot figure out why, but on me, it is a wee bit reminiscent of my beloved Hellhound. It's delish, and not mannish at all on me.

[septima_pica]

Bought a bottle of this one based on testing at Will Call this weekend, and I'm wearing it now. Daaaaamn, this is good.

 

It settles into its long-term scent pretty fast, within the first couple of minutes, and seems stable. The impression I get is one of deep, sweet dust -- within a thick layer of fluffy desert dust, there's a subdued and actually totally familiar spicy tumbleweed smell (I never knew what that was before!), a touch of the super-dry cedar from Tombstone, and a subdued sweetness that I'd swear was myrrh if I didn't have a note list. If it's actually tobacco, though, it's not any kind I know; then again, I'm no tobacco expert.

 

The throw is respectable, and the longevity -- well, I can't post on that yet, because I've only had it on for 1.5 hours. I'll update later. I seriously love this stuff though.

 

(Family: Tombstone, Western Diamondback, Bezoar)

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

First impressions in the bottle: smells like when I use Lush's 13 Rabbit's shower gel, get out of the shower and immediately put on Potion Lotion. Rich and spicy with top notes of carnation.

 

On the skin: Come to Butthead...this is all gooey marzipan with spicy clove flavored awesome sauce! Heavy throw & lasting power. Love this! Amazing! Need a bottle ASAP!!!

 

Edited May 12, 2009 by OneTheyCallLuna

[ralenth]

Bottle: Tobacco and bar wood. This Bandito is hanging out in the saloon for sure.

 

Wet: Warm and woodsy, but dried woods. It reminds me of visiting old saloons in dusty border towns.

 

Drydown: As it dries, V. Bandito becomes spicy, almost reminiscent of red hots.

 

Dry: A deeper cinnamon, more like clove cigarettes than red hots, not at all foody. Decant amount of throw.

 

Overall: I had hung my heart on V. Bandito, but sadly our love was not meant to be. It is a very lovely blend that does not work with my skin chemistry. Hooray for lockets and perhaps also for aging.

[forspecial_plate]

I've worn this a few times, and it's really growing on me. At first I thought it was slightly powdery but I think that is more of a dryness, that is perhaps coming off as almost powdery.

 

I agree that it smells like clove, but this doesn't have the sourness that I often get from clove. For example, The Smiling Spider doesn't agree with me, because it turns really dark and sour. But Velvet Bandito is lighter and sweeter. That is not to say it has a light throw.....on the contrary, it has a pretty substantial throw, and lasts a good while, too.

 

Overall it's spicy and sweet, but not like a cookie or anything. It's more like other people have been saying.....dry spices in a wood box, with tobacco. I mentioned this elsewhere, but it reminds me a lot of Demeter's Humidor, only this is stronger.

[surlygurl]

My decant just arrived! I was wary of this at first (honestly, it wasn't even on my radar until reviews rolled in).

 

Fresh on, it smells like cloves and something like cigarettes sitting in water - that bitter smell. Masculine and a bit harsh.

 

Drying, out came the dust, which somehow strengthened the bitter tobacco. Cloves were still there, but not as loud. At this point I thought "maybe this isn't for me". But...... the bitter got bored & left, *poof*, just like that. The dust cleared & settled. And out came the cloves. Not cloves like Smiling Spider. Cloves like Clove Pinks. Spicy pink florals. Backed up by the same vanilla that's in Tombstone. I think I like this!

 

Dry - Clove pinks & vanilla. Maybe a touch of dust to settle thing, make it a bit earthy. If Tombstone put away his sassafras/cedar and had a baby with Hod, this would be it.

[Seismogenic]

As soon as the Velvet Paintings update went up, I gravitated toward this one, since I'm a sucker for desert scents. One would think that I'd have all the desert I need, what with the living in Riverside and stuff, but I'm still a big fan of things like Coyote, Tombstone, Tenochtitlan, and Ozymandias, so this was a must-try. I got a sniff at April Will Call, and while it was not what I expected - far spicer and sweeter than I would have guessed - I still absolutely loved it there. I picked up a bottle at May Will Call, and reviewage ensues!

 

In the bottle: Sweet and spicy at once. I suspect vanilla exists in here, despite it not being listed.

 

Wet on skin: The spiciness is coming out more. It's a dry dusty spicy, though, not a burn your face kind of spicy. The backdrop is still sweet. I do get the tobacco, but I'd still swear there's vanilla or tonka or something like that.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry, it's the spicy and dusty that are in charge. The cedar is back there, as is the tobacco, and I'm still convinced there's some brand of vanilla. At one hour in, it's still dusty spice with tobacco and something vanilla-esque in the backdrop. The spicy note (which I'm taking to be the tumbleweed) is more prominent now than it was earlier, but it isn't blocking anything out.

 

Five hours later: Still going strong, with the same sort of balance of notes as at the one hour mark. That is, still sweet-spicy dusty, with tobacco and vanilla-ish stuff underneath.

 

End of the day: Still very evident! It is less spicy now, as well as a bit less dusty. That sweet tobacco with vanilla that's been in the background all day is the most prominent part of the scent right now. The cedar is there if I think about it, but it blends in very homogeneously.

 

Overall: Love this. Looove it. It is warm and spicy and deserty and generally all kinds of awesome. Velvet Bandito is clearly related to Tombstone, though with the spicy tumbleweed replacing the sasparilla, and sweet tobacco (which I suspect is partially responsible for this impression of vanilla) providing the sweetness that vanilla alone gives in Tombstone. I wouldn't quite call them the two cowboys standing on opposite sides of the saloon and taking shots at each other, though; I'm thinking more that Tombstone is the clean-cut obvious hero in the white hat, and Velvet Bandito is some sort of roguish outlaw that's stealthily helping the good guys against the more dangerous bad guys, who are probably lurking out there in the form of a scent I haven't tried yet. But ANYWAY. I love this one. And as an added bonus, during fieldwork a few weeks ago, I must have walked through the plant responsible for the spicy note in Velvet Bandito, because when I tested the oil, it immediately reminded me of fieldwork, which is also a good thing. I will definitely be keeping this and using it gladly. Yay!

[spiresinthesnow]

Clove Clove Clove,... Clove tobacco perhaps. After awhile the clove fades and I can sense the dust and cedar faintly. It doesn't blow my mind but generally smells good.

Edited May 21, 2009 by glasspillars

[heathercaley]

WOW! Another winner with the Velvets!!

 

I placed my order for decants, and thought that I probably wouldn't care for this one. Wrong!!

 

I too smell spices and cloves! The first thing I thought of was actually this hard candy my grandma had (you know those candies that stick together in the crystal jar and you have to hammer it apart?) It's actually a little spearminty? : I can't place it, but it's something that's spicy! Overall, this is a winner. Not too manly and obviously not going to be girly It's a sweetness that is not foody (probably the tobacco), spicy, and will be mine!

 

 

[Lamia]

My word...

 

In the bottle, I was pretty sure that this wouldn't be successful, there was a sweetness that smelled like something had turned.

 

Wet on skin, this started out like .... an expensive cigar box? An old one that had some fruity/spicy cigars in it? Clove and cedar have come to the fore, and a reviewer above suggested chai.

 

Yes, chai tobacco with cloves. It's fading quickly though, so it looks like all of the Velvet line has been unsuccessful on me

 

But this one? NOM NOM NOMMM!!! while it lasts.

[Merrill]

In the bottle: Dusty sarsaparilla!

 

Wet on skin: More sarsaparilla. Which I thought was one of the notes, until I checked.

 

Dry: All clove all the time. Not clove cigarettes clove, oh no. None of the tobacco is coming through for me. Just pure, sweet clove, like the clove drops you get at Christmas. This smells exactly like those taste.

 

Verdict: I'm glad I got a decant, but I'm not sure it's bottle worthy.

[crebbsgirl]

Ok, I am going to echo a lot of sentiments here and say: nom nom nom CLOVE CIGARETTES nom. The tobacco/clove combination is just gorgeous! I can't stop huffing myself. I was worried this was going to be too dry for me (dust, I'm looking at you... and you too cedar - aka Mr. Pencil Shavings!!) but there was no cause for concern. The tobacco smooths this out, and the spice is just sweet enough. Wonderful!

[caitilarkin]

In the imp: Dusty clove backed by cedar

 

Wet on skin: The clove is well balanced by the cedar and tobacco notes, while the dust note keeps the blend dry rather than foody.

 

Dry on skin: The perfect blend of cloves, tobacco and cedar. I didn't think I would love this but I do!

[LizzyLies]

In the bottle, it's dusky, spicy cloves touched just a smidgen by tobacco. On the skin, it doesn't change much. Though, it does evoke the image of a saloon in the Wild West. It's a soothing scent, masculine in nature--at least on my skin--and not bad, but not exactly my usual cup of tea. It's not overpowering--which is good--and it doesn't have a ton of throw, but I can see myself slathering up with it when I need a touch of warmth when it gets closer to winter again.

[theseagrows]

got a sniffie of this in a swap. a little goes a long way! this is very warm, musky and softly masculine. the tobacco is my favorite note in this, but there's something like a golden musk that tempers the tobacco. i don't get any cedar at all, really. there is something slightly spicy underneath that reminds me of a softer clove, but i don't think its clove. this is a nice scent, but it isn't something i could ever wear. i'm delighted that i could try it though!

 

 

[Little Bird]

Velvet Bandito and Velvet Unicorn are my definite favorites of the Velvet series (though I'm still waiting to try the Tiger from a decant circle I joined that has gone all to hell :/).

 

Anyhow, Velvet Bandito doesn't sound like anything I would enjoy from the listed notes. I hate dusty scents and cedar & tobacco often smell dirty and off on my skin.

 

But this is such an awesome, soft, dry woods and sweet clove scent on me <3. It reminds me of the smell of my grandparents' barn when I was little. Dry, sweet, sun warmed wood and a comforting spiciness. Velvet Bandito makes me feel warm, happy, and calm. It's like warm sunshine in a bottle for me.

 

I probably don't need multiple bottles of this, but I'm definitely glad to have my partial bottle