The White Rider

[ophidiae]

THE WHITE RIDER
The wood was very dark, and she could not help trembling from fear. Suddenly she heard the sound of a horse's hoofs and a man on horseback galloped past her. He was dressed all in white, the horse under him was milk-white and the harness was white, and just as he passed her it became twilight.

White leather and sandalwood.

In the bottle: Leather and resins.

Wet on skin: Like standing in my friend's horse barn, swear to god. This smells like hay and horses, it really does.

Drydown: Dusty sandalwood, with warm horseflesh underneath it. It's fading awfully fast, alas.

Dry: Sandalwood, soft and dry. The leather is still there, but just barely.

Overall: Warm and earthy. I like this a LOT, but I'm afraid it's going to be one of those scents my skin just devours whole.

[Siberia]

This really does smell like horses, hay, and tack. The leather is there, and really smells like leather, but it's much lighter than in red rider. This is a reassuring, earthy scent, maybe like resting your head against the flank of a lovely, calm horse and breathing her in. This scent is light, and totally suits its namesake. This is my favorite so far of the Vasilissa series.

[EmpressPixie]

In the bottle this smells lightly like a barn. A bit of leather, something almost sweet from the hay, an almost sour note, and a dusty, light sandalwood that I had to really look for to find. It smells just lovely -- almost like a barn on a warm day.

 

Wet, the, um, negative elements of a barn are coming out a bit -- the sour note is amping and it smells, frankly, like my cat's litter box.

 

Tragically, my skin is taking whatever it can out of this and warping it horribly into "fresh step litter box while scooping the clumps". I think it is a combination of something going sweetly powdery and the rest of the scent. If I put my nose up to it and smell deeply, I can smell that gorgeous, gorgeous (it really is beautiful) sandalwood under there, so I can only assume it is the leather that my skin is objecting to -- and whatever my skin doesn't like is what is giving it some throw. So I'm getting gently wafting cat box instead of lovely sandalwood.

 

EDITED TO ADD: Okay, about an hour later, it has faded to soft, old leather, horse flank on a warm but not hot day, and the cat dirt smell is no longer gently wafting towards me. I don't think that's going to be enough to keep it, though.

 

I had really high hopes for this. I think it's going to be my first ever immediate trading bottle.

Edited October 20, 2009 by EmpressPixie

[stellans]

I have to admit, this was the Rider I most looked forward to: leather, sandalwood -- what's not to love? *sigh*

 

On first sniff, there is a sourness which speaks (to me, at least) of jasmine, and I get nothing else. However, on drydown I get the leather note a little, as well as a bit of the sandalwood, but there is still a slight sourness which spoils it. I finally washed it off, being unwilling to smell sour for any longer,

 

I don't know about this one, but I'm hanging on to this for a while just in case. But man, I was <i>so</i> looking forward to it and then to smell sour? argh.

 

ETA: Wow. What a difference a little time makes! This bottle now smells of leather, lovely incense-y leather. Thank goodness!

Edited May 1, 2011 by stellans

[crebbsgirl]

Well this is most certainly exactly what the description implies. Sandalwood and leather. The sandalwood adds a smoky wispyness to the leather, which on my skin smells a little sharp and new. I saw someone in the will-call thread say something like "White Rider was a new pricey handbag" and that's exactly the vibe I got here. It's nice, but not for me.

[zankoku_zen]

I agree with the barn assessment - it smells like leather and hay and a touch of resin.

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Sweet sandalwood. No sign of leather

 

On Application

New vinyl

Dry Down

Interesting. Kind of smells like brown paper and vanilla with a plasticky undertone. I quite like it but not sure if I will love it.

Rating (0-5)

3.5

 

[Schmoozy]

 

Buttery soft leather combines with comforting sandalwood. The leather is almost sweet. I don't know if there is something alongside that gives it it's sweetness, but it is not a hard, rough leather scent. It is almost creamy. Sandalwood *swoon* is there in all its wonderful glory. Dry, dusty, woodsy and oh so comforting. Together the two make for a kinda unisex leather scent. Beth, I have to thank you for all the leather blends as of late. I adore them.

[jizatt]

the barn comments all scared me, but on me this is the sweeter of the leather riders. I get sandalwood strongest, and then soft leather-- more like suede than the others. The sweetness and the soft and the sandalwood all = I like this one quite a bit!

[enui]

On my skin this smells like a cross between Morocco and Enraged Bunny Musk (that smell very similar with my skin chemistry).

If I sniff my wrist closely, I detect an undertone of resinous leather, but it remains close to the skin

[Pottersville]

A very true leather scent, the lightest of the Rider trio. Low throw and short lasting. I'm very glad I tried an imp as I've never had luck with the Lab's leather scents actually smelling like leather on me. Definitely worth keeping as it does have that tack/barn smell that takes me back to the days when, like every other 13 year old girl I knew, I would have given up my right arm for my own horse!

[milo]

This really smells like a white leather purse that is well-loved showing bits of worn dirt in the creases. A bottle of spray cologne has leaked maybe a few months ago and the smell has worn into the purse. I can imagine a woman from the 70's carrying this purse with feathered hair, blue eye-shadow and a non matching coat.

This really smells like strong cologne with a leather backing, like a purse. Sandalwood sometimes is not very great on me, and this is no exception. Oh well, can't win them all.

[hkhm]

imp: faint, faint leather.

 

wet: thie smells very close to a men's cologne my brother was wearing for a little while. i think it was called "preferred stock" or something like that. it's a faint leather scent over something sweet.

 

dry: very faint, not really a leather scent once dry, but the leather balances the sandalwood well and makes it a very pleasing blend.

[Little Bird]

The White Rider is the softest leather scent that I've tried from bpal. It's a little like Quincey Morris's well worn, sweeter leather note, but simpler and better in my opinion. It's like butter soft suede. Sandalwood can sometimes be too dry and powdery on me, but it just adds a cozy, warm feel here. The most comforting leather. I like this for a cozy, sophisticated leather, where The Red Rider is my intense and sexy leather scent.

Edited July 31, 2012 by Little Bird

[devilot]

The White Rider

In the Vial: Super sharp! LEATHER! WOOD! SHARP LEATHER! SHARP WOOD! Yes, I had to do that all in caps. Because that's my instant impression upon removing the imp cap.

 

Wet: Again, a leather so sharp and pungent-- it would be realistic of leather, except that it's so potent and I've never smelled leather this potent. But otherwise? Incredibly realistic. And I wouldn't have believed it without smelling it myself, but Beth managed to make the leather in Black, Red, and White Rider all smell different from each other! Amazing. Also the sharpness from the sandalwood. In fact, probably the strongest, sandalwood note I've sniffed yet in any BPAL blend.

 

Drydown: Thankfully, the blend smoothes and mellows a bit. Whew. It was really intense, and that's coming from a total leather-lover, BTW. Like with Red Rider, White Rider is incredibly realistic and captures the scent of high end leather goods. But White Rider does it in a 'dry' and 'high,' manner. I'm not sure how to elaborate, but it's a different feel. While still conveying to my nose, high-end leather goods. Starting to get almost dusty.

 

Verdict: Upon fully drying, I find White Rider to be much more tolerable, but in the beginning? Compared to Red Rider? It's a bit too intense. I bet this would age amazingly well. Still, if the right swap offer came along, I might let go of it. Despite my insatiable love for leather smells, I don't care to personally smell like it. So it's not my choice in perfume (at least not when it's so predominantly leather). Still the sandalwood is workin' overtime to soften this blend at the very end. Quite lovely!

[Iceblink]

Leather and sandalwood, all right--a very soft, "new" leather and an almost creamy sandalwood. The leather is more dominant. This is a more ladylike leather than some of the other leather-focused blends. Pretty good throw. I did get a hint of that sour note others have mentioned at first but it went away fast.

[edenssixthday]

The White Rider - This is a beautiful leather scent. It's a soft, supple leather, bolstered by the faintest hint of sandalwood, and something else that's sweet and pretty in the background, it's almost floral, like olive blossom. It's such a lovely scent. It has very low throw, and is very soft and subtle against my skin. This isn't a rough-and-tumble leather scent. Rather, it's quite classy and upscale. I really like it.

[distracts]

This smells to me like clean leather. I really like it, but it goes away so quickly! I'll need a whole bottle of it. If this smells like a barn, well, I've NEVER smelled a barn this nice. Definitely a unisex scent.

[angelicruin]

This is soft floral and leather on my skin. I agree with the reviews about it being slightly sour right after application, but the leather emerges after a minute or so.

[voorishsign]

I really liked the Black Rider and so now I've decided to make my way through all three riders

 

In the imp - Leather! And how!

 

On wet - Sharp leather and hints of sandalwood.

 

Drydown - this takes on a hint of masculine cologne as it dries. The leather remains strong and the sandalwood makes this a smooth, elegant scent. Wonderful

[donnatron]

Imp: A very light, clean leather with a hint of sandalwood.

 

Wet: The sandalwood dominates and it's quite lovely. A hint powdery and a little spicy. It smells like incense and motorcycles. Why? Because there is a little smidge of leather here that is just wonderful.

 

Dry: Sandalwood tends to amp on my skin and the White Rider is no exception. However, it amps PERFECTLY in this blend and it winds up being a sultry sort of clean leather scent with a very strong, defined sandalwood. It's the sort of leather that I could wear to work and feel perfectly comfortable about wearing around clients. It's almost wearing a leather jacket with a very light sandalwood cologne. Just so fresh and airy and a perfect sort of spring/summer leather blend (especially now that the inimitable Severin is gone).

 

Throw: Mild to moderate.

 

Overall: I've already procured a bottle of this from the forums. It is pure wonderful on my skin and I have run through the majority of the imp in less than a week and that's with only wearing it a few times. The rest is just slathering it on the back of my hand to huff it. I may have a White Rider problem. Call Intervention.

[tailoredshirt]

In the bottle: Wow, holy cheap mens' cologne.

 

Wet: Still cheap mens' cologne.

 

Dry: After a few minutes, it tones down a bit, into perhaps a more expensive mens' cologne. If I sniff deeply, I get very clear whiffs of leather. I agree with the "cologne spilled in a leather handbag" comparison, as that was exactly what I was going to say. I don't get the barn smell, but I do feel like this is what a cowboy might smell like if he wore cologne. (Now I'm wishing I could remember what Stetson smelled like!) It is a bit addictive actually, in the way most mens' colognes are to me, but this isn't a good scent for me personally.

 

Overall: Mens' cologne, spilled over leather. Doesn't work for me, but I imagine it smells very nice on some people.

 

ETA: *sigh* I always end up editing these things. This one dried down into a really nice, slightly sweet sandalwood. If I just put it on 20 or 30 minutes in advance of leaving the house, this might work out for me!

 

ETA, take II: Two and a half years later, I am trying this again. I love it. It is definitely very cologne-y but in a good way. When I first put it on, it reminded me so strongly of another BPAL scent and I finally realized it was The Illustrated Woman! So strange but they really do smell very similar in some ways. The White Rider is cool and musky, like TIW + leather jacket.

 

It softens and sweetens as it dries, becoming a bit less cologne-y. Definitely adding a bottle to my next order! I guess this imp needed to sit around for a while.

Edited November 19, 2012 by tailoredshirt

[impolight]

:::WHITE RIDER:::

 

 

White Rider is super-duper yummy!

White Rider is a more... Metrosexual version of Red Rider.

White Rider is alot less heavy on the emphasis of Leather, and the Sandalwood gives it a sweeter, more carefully contoured texture.

White Rider is spicier and more blonde...

Thus far, this is the fragrance of someone who you would almost trust instinctively...

Someone, perhaps, that you would like on your side in the courtroom.

The Skinspiration: Wow! Now the Leather comes out to play!

The Leather in White Rider leaps up and stings your cheek like a well-aimed white leather glove!

This makes the hair at the nape of the neck stand straight up...

This Leather is so good, you can almost eat it!

There is this inexplicable and perverse image of a pearly scoop of Leather Ice-cream that sits in a lovely waffle-cone that's been meticulously carved from Sandalwood and the lightly dusted with sugar crystals.

Meep!

This is another fragrance that has to be smelled to be believed.

White Rider falls into the category of must have righteousness.

White Rider is white on white disco smut.

Utterly and sensationally sexy.

On Him, White Rider is snidely elegant.

On Her, White Rider is inexorable temptation... Her allure, impossible to resist.

White Rider gets a 5.5 out of 5.

[FathomBelow]

The White Rider

In the imp: Disturbingly sour...something.

Wet on skin: Wow, this smells like the inside of new cars with leather seats

Dry on skin: Close up, this still smells like new cars. Far away, this smells like a barnyard. No sandalwood in sight.

Conclusion: Definitely not for me. I rather liked the description, but this became awful on my skin.

[midnight_aeval]

I've had these imps, oh, since the scents came out, but knowing leather you can't test them all RIGHT away. They age/morph/change so much after the first couple months.

 

Last one! This one went on sour as sandalwood tends to do, but about 20 min into it a sweetness emerged. It's like the leather went away and was replaced with white sugar. Maybe that's just how the white leather morphs on my skin! Not my favorite of the three riders, but would be a good scent for someone that may not enjoy leather as much as I do