The Red Rider

[ami226]

Red leather, red moss, and balsam.

On the skin: It starts out as all leather, but within only a few minutes the leather starts to become more of a supporting note. Smells like a worn leather scent.In a way it reminds me of Rogue, but instead with this one, my skin eats it up like crazy. Very well blended!

[mistressfizz]

Sniff: Oh, heavenly! This smells like a brand new leather purse or shoes. It's shiny and polished and patent.

 

Wet: More of the same. Yum! This is pretty much all leather. I get just a tiny smidge of woodsy flavor, but mostly this is synthetic and hot, almost like vinyl or PVC, but without the plastic. It's rich and luscious, it screams diva and sexy.

 

Dry: Stays pretty true, it gets a little softer, but mainly it's red hot leather all the way! Definitely a keeper for me!

[Wwindy]

This is *so* strongly evocative of a rack of belts in a department store, but in a really good way! I can't stop smelling myself. This oakmoss note works better on my skin than any other BPAL oakmoss I've tried yet -- ages ago I used to love The Gap's Oakmoss scent (one of the ones they meant for layering), and the oakmoss here reminds me of that. Unisex and intriguing, with good throw and duration.

[angelmecha]

Leather, leather, leather. The same soft brown (red?) leather in my beloved Quincy Morris, or at least something very similar. When I apply this it goes through a phase where the balsam and moss lend a sharpness and underlying green quality, but it fades away pretty quickly and I'm left with the way this smells in the imp: almost singularly delicious leather. 3/5

[lohengrin]

In the imp: Leather. A warm sort of leather, like in Dead Man's Hand.

 

On skin, wet: Leather! A bit of woodiness, but mostly just leather.

 

On skin, dry: And the woodiness went away again. Leather!

 

After an hour: This one really reminds me of Dead Man's Hand. It's not quite as sunny and cozy, but it's got a similar sort of warmth. I don't need a bottle of this right now, but when I do run out of DMH this seems like it would be an excellent substitute.

[orata]

Strong, sharp, fairly chemically leather. Reminds me a bit of Rogue (but without the hemp/rosin notes to soften it) or Captain Cully. It's quite realistic. I don't smell the oakmoss or balsam, just the overpowering leather scent.

 

I was skin testing this on one wrist, and the boy walked by. From a distance of about 3 or 4 feet, he said "What is that weird smell?"

 

"Is it the chard and onions I was cooking?"

 

"No, it smells musty, like an old bookstore. Or like India."

 

"Is it this?" I gave him my wrist to smell and he kind of made a face and said yes.

 

So: according to his reaction, powerful throw, smells "musty." These may be good things for you, but I may have to send this one on its way--there are other, softer leather scents I like better.

[MCS4096]

I dunno how they isn't cinnamon in this.. I guess the balsam is just kind of spicy.. This smells like fabulous leather and spice. It's not my favorite leather though, but it is a good one-- very true and very unisex.

[lavenderfrost]

In The Imp: A-yup. Lotsa leather. Not the first time I've worn a leathery BPAL (Tintagel popped that particular cherry for me), and while it's not my fav, it's also not a deal-breaker.

 

Immediate Application: Leather and...is that sharpness from the balsam? And...dirt? Huh. Ok.

 

30-45 Minutes Later: Ok, now I'm imagining a non-smoking Marlboro Man.

 

Verdict: Not bad, but not me. This is very ruggedly masculine to my nose - not something I want to wear, but I'll definitely save it for any hypothetical future male S/O that may come my way and be open to testing scents for me.

[ReallyZeb]

In the imp and wet on my wrist its all LEATHER - which tends to make me feel a little nauseous but I think the balsam is moderating it slightly and making it tolerable. As soon as it dries it becomes the most realistic leather I have ever smelled. Reminds me of snuggling up under a boyfriend's leather jacket outdoors in an evergreen forest on a wet day sometime back in my teens. I'm not sure I'll ever wear it but I do appreciate it.

[FormerViking]

I've had this bottle for awhile now . When I first got it , it struck me as more " red " than it does now . Now it's almost more like The Black Rider to me . Not very red at all . Having said that I do still love it . Big fan of BPAL leather , so it's all good .

[ladymeag]

This is everything I wanted DeSade or Dead Man's Hand to be. It smells like a great leather working shop or a new high-quality buttery-soft leather purse with a little bit of musk.

 

In the bottle: Saddle shop. No, really - all memories of being in saddle shops as a kid and teen in the south came flooding back.

 

On Me: Wet, I can smell the red musk a little more. As it dries down, the leather warms up and makes an appearance. By dry-down it's buttery soft leather with a little musk.

 

On My Spouse: Oh! There's the balsam. This is also very, very sweet when dry and otherwise just plain leather.

[yakiguri]

Leather is one of my favorite notes, but unfortunately the balsam is splattered all over the leathery goodness in The Red Rider. It actually smells a bit off on my skin, like decay and grass...yikes! Placing firmly in the nope pile.

[Atrous]

In the bottle this is all leather. Wet on my skin the scent becomes overwhelming...leather with a sharp tang (not sure what that's about?). As it dries it mellows out. I can smell worn leather, musk, and a bit of a woodsy note. I like . The best way I can describe this scent is a closet that's had leather stored in it for a long time and when you open the door the whole atmosphere of the closet is infused with leather and the mustiness of the enclosed area. I am pleasantly surprised and while I won't be buying a bottle, I'll certainly use up the imp.

[Mergekat]

Just tried a bit of my imp sample yesterday, and now I'm typing down what I wrote on my memo pad about it. In the imp, it definitely carries the vibe of saddle leather. On my wrists it SCREAMS it's aged, saddle leather! While it has medium throw, the fragrance stays really concentrated throughout the day on my skin. It honestly reminds me of a spicier version of that soap and cologne called English Leather. Unfortunately, the heavy concentration near my skin might be too overpowering. Because it doesn't morph and fade a lot on me it has become hours and hours stuck in a leather shop that connects to the tannery there. In the sense, I actually get a bit of a headache from it (as I also do from some forms of incense). If you LOVE leather you may enjoy this one, but as for me I like the softer leathers and suede scents better (such as the more subtle Coyote). Perhaps I'll try the other "Riders" in the series, and hopefully one is a better match.

Edited May 29, 2013 by Mergekat

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Smoky, earthy, and sweet leather.

 

Drydown: Sweet, comforting leather backed by slightly resinous balsam. It’s smooth and rugged, and not anywhere near as dirty/rough as I was expecting it to be. I can see where the musty books comparison is coming from (which is a good thing in my, er, book).

 

Dry: It smells sturdy yet soft, and, well, really darn good. It reminds me of the Robotic Scarab with the leather amped up a bit. Slightly outdoorsy, sort of sweet (like apples?), and very, very cozy.

 

 

 

This is one of those ones that completely exceeds expectations. It was a frimp from a lovely forumite (thanks, OctoberGwen!) who is much wiser than me, because I had this one way down on my list of GC imps to eventually try. But thankfully, it came into my life earlier than expected and will be eagerly welcomed into my frequently worn pile.

[Deliciousness]

Got this as a frimp from the lab.

I was excited to try this because I totally thought this would work with my skin, but alas, it didn't play nicely in the sand box.

 

At first, this blend went on as earthy dampness.

Then the leather comes thru. Unfortunately, this leather isn't warm and sweet, like Rogue; it is sharp and dusty.

There is also a background of wood, probably the balsam, but it's more like pencil shavings

 

While others have noted a red musk within this blend, I cannot for the life of me detect any such fragrance; and I normally amp red musk to high heaven (in a good way). In fact, I am actually getting a more vetiver smelling note (although it isn't listed in the fragrance profile).

 

Stupid skin chemistry.

[Balame]

I've finally gotten to test all the Riders now! Red starts out a bit dry, then it becomes a warm, earthy leather. The balsam almost gives the impression of hay along with a slightly peppery note. It's nice and I'd imagine perfect for people who like rustic-smelling blends.

[mymymai]

• ITI: Stiff red leather that reminds me of riding tack, balsam wood, and a touch of damp green.

Wet: The balsam and moss are a bit sweeter on my skin, but not by much. The leather still has that quality of stiffness about it that reminds me so clearly of riding tact. It just feels like the scent needs an incense or resin note to soften it up a bit.

Dry: Unfortunately, it simply dries down into a stiff red leather and balsam on me. It just needs a bit more complexity.

[Veronica]

Definitely spiced red leather and the warm, pine-y tone of basalm. Almost get a patchouli-esque sensation from this one.

[Allumina]

This is alllll leather on me. I guess I should be happy, because I picked this wanting a leather heavy scent, but it's actually *too* much leather, specifically, a suede/rawhide/back of a unlined piece of leather note. It is a nice, warm, slightly spicy leather (which may be the moss and balsam, but I can't really pick them out?), but on me it's nothing else. I don't get any red musk at all, or woods. I would probably like this a lot more if there were a few other things in here, but on me it really is just too one note. If leather is what you're looking for though, this is definitely the right alley.

[DoktorDandy]

Wow, this one made me snuffle and sneeze and gasp when I got the first whiff of it.

Blasted it's way into my sinuses.

HI LEATHER, HOW ARE YOU? HI WOOD, HOW ARE YOU DOING. No, no, come right in, no need to take off your coats or boots, that's fine. What's mine is yours.

Man they're pushy.

 

Dry: This is very tingly and interestingly, the oil takes longer to dry than most others I have tried. Also I thought I might be having a slight reaction at first- my skin felt weirdly hot where it was applied, though this effect faded. The Red Rider is spot on for the almost mildewed scent of my Grandparent's house in Oklahoma, all built out of cedar and redwood. That house would cling to you and everything in your suitcase and your hair for quite a while after you got back from it. This does the same, though is less mothball-y and more pleasant, but I can't shake the association. I don't like the mildew, sour sort of note. I wish there was a floral, or maybe a sweet, resinous note like Dragon's Blood (layering idea?...) to change the dynamic up a little from the dog and pony show that is WOOD and LEATHER. I may end up swapping this if a layering experiment doesn't work. I think there are leathers out there that are more complex or more pleasing.

[RayneofCastamere]

In frimp: The gardening, patio furniture, outdoors section of a home improvement store. With a hint of leather. Yeah.

 

Wet: Ooh, more spicy leather, less Lowe's. Nice. Kind of like a saddle that's been forgotten in a forest for a day or two. I'll be back to edit once it's dried.

 

Dry: Just faint leather with only a hint of something...plant. Not terrible, but not something I'll really wear.

 

EXTRA NOTE: I tried to cover this up with a little Snake Oil, but the scents sort of blended instead and now I've got what Snake Oil would smell like if it were worn all day by a rugged cowboy/cowgirl. Actually, it's more like if BPAL's Scarecrow had a sexy older brother. So if you have a chance to mix Red Rider and Snake Oil on your pulse-points, do it. Sensual and comforting all at once.

Edited January 5, 2016 by RayneofCastamere

[Elspethdixon]

In the imp: a strong leather single note, like walking into a high quality leather goods shop.

 

Wet on my skin, it briefly becomes more complex and less leathery,as if red musk or the moss and balsam were fighting valiantly to make an appearance, but within a few minutes my skin chemistry has defeated them, and the single-note leather returns.

 

Dry: From five minutes after application through to seven hours later (at which point it was still going strong on my skin, though without as much throw as it had at first), I'm enveloped in the smell of fresh leather goods. This isn't an aged, soft, leather - it's the smell of fresh, brand-new leather, but not quite the harsh "brand new motorcycle leathers" smell of Fighter. It's more like a leather goods booth at a Renfair, the one you wander into in order to lust after the corsets and jerkins and belt pouches and leather-bound journals with hand-worked covers and epically expensive leather cloaks you can't afford before finally leaving with a wrist bracer.

 

The only reason the scent went away after seven hours was because I took a shower. Otherwise, I suspect the leather scent would have lasted all day and through to tomorrow morning.

[Naomi Kelsey]

This is one of the more unusual BPAL-s that I've smelled. On me (I amp leather) it smells like the inside of an expensive purse or the binding of an old book. It has an airy, dry, skeletal feeling that is unlike any other perfume I've ever encountered. I've often been jealous of other reviewers who say that they have uncanny experiences when trying perfumes, but this is one--it's so accurate, it's eerie. It's got a buttery, expensive leather scent with a hint of wood. Lovely.

[Casablanca]

Wand: Red musky leather and balsam. And then I get an earthy, fuzzy sense of moss.

Wet: Red musk scares me, so I apply with caution. ... Yeah, this is that red musky thing I can't do. Loads of leather in the mix, though, too, and it blends right into the red. The combination of balsamic moss and leather could turn this into a sexy Old West thing on the right person, who is not me.

Dry: Since I don't get along with this red musky odor, it naturally has the strongest throw of today's test scents. I'm wearing two different scents each arm right now, but when I catch a random whiff of anything, it's just this.