Tombstone

[Jishin]

A celebration of one of the first commercially produced perfumes of America's Old West. A rugged, warm blend of vanilla, balsam and sassafras layered over Virginia cedar.

Of my very first imp pack, I have to admit this is the one I like the best! It starts off sharp and sassafrass and woody and slightly pencil-shavings on me, and then after about ten-fifteen minutets the vanilla shows up and starts running the show.

All the rest of the day I smell like dusty, rich vanilla and a hint of wood. Mmmmm. And it is long-lasting -- I put some on this morning and can still smell it faintly now, about eight hours later.

I even got compliments about it from the receptionist in the doctors' office this morning. I win!

I want a bottle. Broke now, but want a bottle.

[mtlaise]

This is by far my favourite BPAL scent so far! I love vanilla, but if there's a hint of a thought of fruit in it, the vanilla is lost on me. This is a wonderfully unexpected variation with the woody notes.

 

Wet, the vanilla is the most prominent, but the woody notes are a close second. As it dries, the woody notes, recede a bit, but the vanilla stays true for hours, which is a minor miracle, with my chemistry. This smells delicious, and I immediately bought a bottle.

[RougeNoir]

In the imp - eye-wateringly almost-menthol.

On me - Wood!!!! Wood, wood, wood and more wood, with a bit of Dr Pepper thrown in. That'll be the sassafras, then. It's actually making me cough. I'm not sure about this one - will post again once it's be on for a few hours. Maybe the vanilla will put in an appearance...

 

1 hour later: there it is! Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla, with a touch of cedar. Love it!

Edited November 22, 2006 by RougeNoir

[Neely]

In the bottle: spicey, creamy, woody, with a hint of rootbeer. I am a little worried about the sassafrass, will my chemistry amp it so I smell like a rootbeer float? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Wet: creamy, woody, spicey rootbeer.

 

Dry down: creamy, spicey wood with a faint hint of sassafrass. This is really well blended and my chemistry likes it.

 

30 minutes: creamy, spicey wood with a fain hint of sassafrass. Eventually this just becomes vanilla and cedar. This is very lovely. I would say a masculine scent. The sassafrass really blends well in this scent and almost makes it smell cool and crisp.

 

Conclusion: this was a total surprise. I expected to smell like a rootbeer float. Instead I smelled sexah. This would smell great on a man, and on women like myself who like more "masculine" scents. It reminds me of being in Colorado high in the rockies visiting a mining town when the snow only in patches and the earth is visible as brown against white. Nice.

 

Rating 1-5, on my skin, this is a 4.

[lanablade]

In the imp: Sharp. I think that's the cedar, but it doesn't smell like cedar. Just... sharp.

 

Wet: Wow. This is by far the most interesting perfume I've ever worn. Cedar, definately. Sharp and warm at the same time. With vanilla and root beer underneath. There is indeed something menthol or minty in the very beginning, but it disappears so fast, you almost forget it's there.

 

Dry: As it dries, the root beer and vanilla take over, but the cedar is still there if you sniff close.

 

This to me is an interesting scent. I probably wouldn't wear it often, but it's definately a 'this is SO cool, I smell like ROOT BEER!' thing. I agree with the comment that the vanilla is the same as Snake Oil's. It's very deep and slightly heavy vanilla, but the scent isn't heavy or pervasive. But I occasionally catch sniffs of it, and I can definately tell it's there.

Edited November 28, 2006 by Lana Blade

[Iceblink]

I didn't know a root beer float could smell like PURE SEX. Wow. I do smell the cedar in this blend but it settles into the background quickly, and it's root beer and heavy French vanilla with a Snake Oil vibe. Lasts for hours, too.

[Ahania]

I get a little bit of vanilla from this, but mostly just wood and sassafras. I don't mind cedar in principle, but on me is another thing entirely. I've had this on a couple hours and it's still got that sharp menthol scent going on. I'm glad I got to try this, as I've been curious, but it is off to the swap pile.

[maribouquet]

At first this is sassafras city (root beer!) and cedar. After an hour or so the vanilla comes out and warms it all up with a tender touch.

 

This is a bit too masculine and woody for my tastes, but such a fascinating, unique blend. I would love to smell this on a guy. It's delicious & evocative: dust, trailrides, horsehair, the lip of a canteen, wicked cowboy grins, woodsmoke, the stars over Colorado...

[sofiaviolet]

I'm confused by this. I definitely smell vanilla, and a scent that's naggingly familiar - almost like root beer, but not as syrupy. Apparently, that's sassafras. I love root beer, but I don't want to smell like it.

[jade_starlight]

Tombstone starts off with a very strong mix of woody scents and something else that I can't quite identify. That something else quickly morphs into root beer, but not just any old root beer. No, it morphs into a root beer sucker, and then promptly takes over and stomps everything else into the ground. And while I do love root beer suckers, I don't really want to smell like one.

[phedre]

in vial: root beer! sassafras and vanilla.

 

wet on skin: this is pure sassafras and sweet vanilla. it stays very true to the vial scent.

 

drydown: still smells like rootbeer, with maybe a touch of wood coming out underneath it. definitely not a keeper, but interesting in its own way.

[SeaLady]

A++++

 

The boy wore this to sleep last night, and it's totally gorgeous. There's vanilla and a snake oil vibe, with a note that reminds me of chocolate, and light sassafras.

He says "This smells like classy guy. Like back in the old West, what a gentlemen's freshly pressed laundry might smell like."

I said "What classy guys have you been sniffing?" (because I'm sassy like that )

He was originally hoping for some tumble weeds and gunpowder, since he loves the movie Tombstone, but he is -so- happy with this once it dries that I might have to get him a bottle It's really fantastic. I might want an imp that I can wear too >.>

[Alchemy21599]

In the imp: vanilla, sassafrass, a hint of cedar.

 

Wet: dusty trails. After a couple of minutes, the vanilla starts to come back, which is a good thing.

 

Dry: High Noon is one of my favorite movies and this is the scent that Gary Cooper's character would have worn. This is a scent that is sexy without trying. It might be a bit masculine for me to wear out of the house, but I think I will indulge my cowboy fantasy and buy a bottle in the near future

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Woodsy and vanilla-ish

 

On Skin: Most predominantly I can smell a woodsy-smell which I am assuming is the cedar. It's got that same thick vanilla that Snake Oil has. The sassafras is very predominant and I get that "root beer" sort of smell.

 

On Drydown: The sassafras mellows out considerably. I have a very warm spicy vanilla with a wood undertone. It's very masculine.

 

Verdict: I can see how this scent makes people think of the Wild West. This is a ruggedly masculine scent on me. Not swarthy, simply... very male. I don't know if this is up the husband's ally since he prefers scents like Dorian and Wilde but I can see this being absolutely knock out on the right guy. Very tasty.

[DangerInRed]

In the vial: Sweet root beer.

 

When first applied: Smells like a root beer float, but I could definitely smell the woods. That wood note (more Balsam than Cedar, I think) kept jumping up into my nose for a little while, but then seemed to fade away.

 

Later: Right now, 6-7 hours later, whatever's left is mainly vanilla, but if I get really close, I can still catch a hint of root beer. This is very nice, and I am debating over whether to invest in a bottle of it or stick with imps.

[girl_android]

It must be the day to test Tombstone also - my initial sniff of the imp put me off because I thought I detected the buttery vanilla scent of doom ...

 

In the imp today though, it's caramel vanilla and woods. Quite warm and pleasant, actually!

 

Wet on skin, there's something medicinal behind this caramel vanilla, which makes me think sarsaparilla (which is ... what root beer can be made of?). Wikipedia tells me root beer is made from the shoots of sassafras, so I guess that kind of makes sense? I'm not sure what balsam is meant to smell like though....

 

Once it's dry, it's more vanilla, with a background that includes a touch of caramel, a bit of root beer, and maybe if you sniffle enough, a bit of cedarwood. It's quite lovely, possibly a teeny bit masculine for me to wear for all occasions.

[owensm]

This is all BO on me

[Nidaba]

Oh yum. This imp spilled on it's way to me which is very sad. I decided to try it right away since it was all I could smell anyway.

 

In the imp: Sweet. Smells like those root beer barrel candies.

 

Wet: Ohh, vanilla and rootbeer. And just a touch of cedar.

 

Drying: More cedar, I preferred it wet.

 

Dry: Too much cedar for me. It turned masculine.

 

If anyone knows of a scent that is like the initial stage of vanilla and rootbeer, let me know!

[filigree_shadow]

This is kind of a sticky cedar blend, but it's warmed up in a lovely way by the vanilla.

 

I remember that I tried Tombstone many months ago and thought it smelled strongly of sassafras. I didn't care for that, so I swapped it off. I'm trying it again right now as part of the GC Circular Swap, and this imp is one of the old-timey tarted ones. It smells about one hundred times better than I remember. Letting it sit and age for a while apparently makes it smell rich and warm.

 

I think this would smell particularly good on my husband -- I wonder if I can persuade him to buy a 5ml of it and let it sit in his BPAL box for a couple of years. (I doubt it will be a difficult mission since the movie Tombstone is one of his favorites of all time. He'll be my huckleberry.)

Edited February 1, 2007 by filigree_shadow

[euterpe414]

This one is really a morpher on me!

 

At first it started out pure cedar on me- nothing else in sight. I was highly skeptical, since I'd heard so many good things about this blend...

 

Then, after about 15 minutes or so the vanilla and sassafras came out to play. I didn't get much balsam, maybe it was just rounding out the cedar? This stage was completely gorgeous- the vanilla was round and made slightly spicy by the sassafrass. It smelled bit like rootbeer, but not like you spilled rootbeer on yourself or anything .

 

I've been wearing this for a few hours now and it sort of vascillates between being predominantly cedar and predominantly vanilla. Mainly it stays on the sweet side of things but sometimes I get shiffs of pure cedar. Hm. I don't mind, though, since i don't dislike cedar, but I do prefer to smell this blend in its entirety.

 

Overall I am glad I snagged a bottle of this unsniffed. It is lovely and unique, and I will definitely wear it, despite the initial blast o' cedar. Maybe with a little aging the notes will meld together more from the get go.

[Jilara]

I wore this the day I took Route 66 out toward the Grand Canyon. It fits in nicely.

 

Wet: lots of cedar, but with something dusty behind it.

Drydown: cedar makes me think of ghost towns, a woody aura of old boards, with the vanilla starting to bloom out.

Dry: wooden planks in the background, but now it's the vanilla that takes center stage. It smells like clay baked in the sun, sweet and dusty. There is also an aura of sugar cookies in it. A desert bakery? It's gorgeous, and sure to become a favorite for when I'm doing outdoorsy type things. Definitely desert-rat perfume!

[cranberry]

Wow – a tarted imp! This is the first one that I’ve come across (courtesy of the GC swap and Ancilla!) so this is rather exciting.

 

In the imp: cedar, sassafras, sweetness

 

On the skin: cedar & sassafras, sweetened with vanilla.

 

I’ve only tried this scent once or twice, so it’s good to try it again. I don’t know if the age of the imp is affecting this any, but this is wonderful. I’m going to have to try a more recent imp to compare. But back to the review, initially this was most strongly cedar with an undercurrent of sassafras. The sassafras is not overwhelming but nicely supports the cedar and vanilla.

 

Overall, I’ve really enjoyed Tombstone. It’s warm, sexy, yummy & spicy. Very nice!

[spicyelenore]

In the bottle-cedar and something sweet.

 

On, wet: bubblegum? with cedar in the background? hmmm. I like the vanilla but I'm not sure about the cedar. Hmm. It's very cedar-y. I don't know if cedar works on me.

 

Drydown: now the sassafrass is coming out, and it's smelling a bit like rootbeer! (rootbeer bubblegum?) Still a very woody note though. I keep sniffing...

 

Dry: faint rootbeer, cedar retreats a bit. hmmmm.

 

This is a very interesting scent. I can't decide if I really like it. I mean I do like it but I'm not sure if I want to smell like it. Maybe I'll try it again.

[Ghost_Light]

In the imp: Woodsy, definite cream soda, kind of nice.

 

Wet: dusty leather and vanilla-touched cream soda.

 

Dry-down/long wear: Tobacco smoke and cream soda. I smell like a bar in a town that has gone dry.

 

Keeping the imp? Not for me, but I am sure it will find a good home.

 

Bottle: Not for me, thanks.

[Sistinas]

a review of Tombstone

 

Vial ~ woody and vanilla are what come to mind when I first smelled this.

 

Wet ~ I can pick out the cedar, it is very subtle and not in your face. The

vanilla is still there and I think I can pick out the sassafras and balsam

too, but I really have to sit and smell the fragrance.

 

Drying ~ The scent is blended real well together, the woody scents and the

vanilla complement each other real well. The cedar has become very hard

to detect on its' own, which I find unusual, cedar always seems to have this

distinct sharp scent.

 

Dry ~ The fragrance has changed a little, the woody scent seems to have

died down, there is still vanilla, but the scent is not straight up vanilla.

The scent is nice, but nothing I really love.

 

Fade ~ Tombstone has some lasting power and the scent from when it has dried

has remained true.

 

Final thoughts ~ Tombstone is a very nice scent, but I don't think it is

something for me. I would like to smell this on a guy I think and see if

it has more appeal. On a scale of 1 to 5 ->3