Sugar Skull

[303marlena]

Vibrant with the joy and sweetness of life in death! A blend of five sugars, lightly dusted with candied fruits.

(This is the 2007 version.) This doesn't change much from imp to wet to dry on me: VERY brown sugar-y. Thankfully, it's nicer than the 2006 version, which went absolutely nasty burnt caramel buttery ick on me. Or else my chemistry has changed from last year, which is also possible. But in any case - brown sugar. And it pretty much stays brown sugar. Not cooked brown sugar - not caramel. Just like sticking your head in a bag of brown sugar and taking a whiff. It smells like that spoonful of brown sugar I always sneak when I'm baking cookies tastes. I get just the tiniest hint of berry or fruit lurking underneath a great big pile of brown sugar.

It's actually very nice, if you like brown sugar. I like to eat it, but I've discovered, not really to smell like it. It could be an intriguing room scent, though. And if you like this kind of foodiness, I bet you'll like this year's Sugar Skull.

Thank you Anna D. for posting, because until I read your review, I wasn;t sure if I was high (not smoking anything, so count that one out), crazy (well, yeah), or just straight trippin' but I totally got the sickening feeling in my stomach with that Sugar Skull '06. Which shocked me, because it is a such a popular oil. So, I wuz axing myself--why do people want to smell like burned ass sugar, like when it charrs in the pan if you overcook? It really made my stomach turn over!!!NASTY Unfortunately, it did this on my skin, and not in the bottle, so I didn't know until--too late!

Yet the '07 version is really NIIIICCCEE. It does stay brown sugar, sort of like maple syrup or pralines (without the nut smell). Not much morph, but since I like it, who cares? I don't smell any fruits per se, but there is a depth to this '07 version and maybe that's what keeps it from smelling like char on my skin. I really like the new version and find it is quite versatile for blending with other blends (try it with Fairy Market or Alli G)

[CrazyPretzel]

Wow. This makes me think of pears and plums poached in maple syrup and caramelised sugar with ginger and maybe a tiny bit of cinnamon. It's a deep, dark, brown sugar scent, but not a burnt sugar like Gluttony or Hellcat. Lovely!

[naeelah]

I have the 2007 version, and haven't tried any previous years for comparison.

 

I can definitely get a sense of the different sugars here. Overall, this has a pleasant crystalized sugar quality, as opposed to a syrupy, molasses-like quality. It smells like a nice blend of white and demerara sugars. The brown sugars are more predominant, but I wouldn't say there's anything like maple syrup here. (Reviews of previous years, saying that SS smelled like maple syrup, had me a little afraid. I was encouraged by will-call notes saying that this year's was more like white sugar.)

 

For comparison: While this has some similarity to Anaconda, I don't think the sugar quality is the same. I didn't care much for Anaconda, because it was very thick, rich, fresh from the cane brown sugar. Lots of molasses. It was a bit heavy for me. Sugar Skull is crisper and lighter.

 

The fruit note is a lot stronger than I expected. More than a light dusting, Sugar Skull has equal amounts sugar and thick, sweet purplish-red fruits. The fruit note doesn't strike me as anything in particular, so I'd say it's a nice blend. Not plum, not berries, just red and sweet. I think the fruit note fades as it wears, so after an hour or two, it recedes more into the background.

 

I am AMAZED by how long this lasts! I have to reapply almost every scent after 4-5 hours. I put this on just before leaving for work (about 8:20 am) and when I got home (around 6pm) it was only JUST getting faint. It lasted all damn day. The throw is nothing to sneeze at, either. Nice and noticeable, but not overwhelming.

 

If you're a fan of sweet scents, or the scent of rock or cane sugar, definitely pick this one up!

Edited November 16, 2007 by naeelah

[PurringPulsar]

Sugar Skull 07

 

In the imp: slightly buttery but very light and gentle sugar. Not the heavy treacle of previous years.

Wet on skin: slightly boozy but not overwhelmingly caramel-y sugar.

Dry: mmm, this one’s got potential! This is brown sugar and a dash of rum, but it’s not burnt sugar, heavy treacle or ‘I am caramel, hear me roar!’ this is a much gentler sugar scent. I smell a touch of alcohol, which breaks up the sweetness, and a mix of white and brown sugars. I also smell spices here, and possibly even the fruit notes, which to me are either berries or plums. I’m sure there’s citrus too, maybe lime, and some vanilla. There’s something almost masculine to the rum note, maybe its bay rum as opposed to the usual dark buttered rum? It reminds me of Mr Nancy, actually. This one is possibly the least cloying of the Sugar Skulls.

After a while: this gets more and more like an odd mix of masculine perfume and sugary rum as it dries. Gone is the potentially wonderful sugared fruit and a hint of vanilla, and now I smell a manly caramel cologne with dark green-brown notes in fact, this reminds me of Bad Luck Woman Blues now, but without the vetiver and herbs. It has a similar feel of booze and brown sugar though, and it’s heavier on the caramel now…and there’s dark musk here? It’s unusual but I swear I smell a dark musk, or other non-foody and slightly ‘manly perfume’ note to it.

The odd, almost aftershave-like scent still lingers, a kind of bay rum-tobacco-moss scent with sugar on top. For some reason, it reminds me of some perfume I remember smelling in an airport duty free shop! I’m not sure about that really masculine caramel scent, it’s also very treacly now…but then I smell something almost Al Azif-like peeking out…a resin perhaps, or dark amber? I love Al Azif and it’s sticky dark resins that almost hint at brown sugar, but this one smells a little too much like burnt molasses and sophisticated men’s perfume, which dominate the hints of resinous notes. but eventually this turns to pure treacle, with a hint of maple syrup, which most of the heavy caramel scents tend to do. Even the ‘aftershave’ notes are consumed by the treacle toffee scent.

Verdict: this is the least foody of the Sugar Skulls so far. It has hints of the caramel, maple syrup, rum, treacle and brown sugar of previous years, but this one is interesting in that it also has hints of white sugar and even some non-foody, almost masculine-perfume notes. At first it’s a mix of caramel and candied fruit sprinkled with white sugar, but then the scent turns into a sweeter, less earthy version of Bad Luck Woman Blues…it has that same base of dark green notes with tobacco and cologne and bay rum, and the drydown after a few hours is slightly ambery-resinous, a brown sugar incense, like Al Azif with more sugar and the dark manly cologne underneath. It’s a fascinating scent, not as cloying as the other SS scents can be, and with some unusual nuances to it. But overall it’s a bit too masculine and I much prefer Al Azif if I want to smell like dark sugary incense.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Not really but it's a really interesting take on the SS theme.

If you like this, try: Mr Nancy, La Befana, Cockaigne, Drink Me, Bad Luck Woman Blues, Al Azif

Edited November 21, 2007 by yeahbutnobut

[Delirium1009]

Sugar Skull 2007

 

On me, this scent smells like thick red fruit syrup, bursting with sweet berries and a hint of apple. It has a touch of spice and a warm sugar scent, like mixing brown and white sugar together. It's very sweet, but not overly so. It's very strong and a little lasts for HOURS. This has quickly become one of my top scents.

[Pepperminx]

2007

 

I get brown sugar from this. I haven't tried any other version, so I can't compare, but this one I know for sure is lovely on me. It took a while to get used to though, I had to test it a couple of times before I decided I liked it. It reminds me a lot of Pink Moon 2007, which I initially hated, but later warmed up to (I wish I'd kept the bottle!), I think it's the same brown sugar note in both. I don't get much, if any fruit, but I don't mind.

 

I already have enough backup bottles of this to last me for years.

[Indefatigable]

Sugar Skull 06:

 

In the vial: how odd, it smells like cherries! There's also something sharp and woody that I can't identify.

 

On me: burnt caramel and buttered rum. YUM.

 

Drying down: it fades to a very short throw very quickly. The fact that the caramel is burned keeps it interesting and it doesn't smell too foody. This is really lovely stuff. I might have to hunt down a bottle.

[requieminblack]

Sugar Skull 2007

 

Omg, right out of the bottle this is amazing. Brown sugar, a hint of spice and some sort of dark boozy candied fruit. (Fig maybe?) On my skin it smells the same as it did in the bottle. Scent stays the same for hours and fades out sweet sugar. Another Halloween winner!

[violetflower]

 

In the vial strong sugary sweetness.

 

On wet strong dark sugar, then I can smell a spice in there!

 

This definitely reminds me of Pink Moon 07! Whee! I like Pink Moon 07!

 

Dry it stills smells the same, the sugar has mellowed out, but it is lovely! I am so glad I have 2 bottles of this on the way!!

 

Tomorrow, I am going to put SS on one wrist and PM 07 on the other and compare them!!

I can imagine this being absolutely gorgeous in a body butter!

 

Edit: I now have 2 bottles (another 3 on the way), one is the '06 version, the other '07 The only difference between the two is that the '06 version is stronger, and lasts longer, which I suspect is because of the aging! Whee! I have an '05 version on the way, I can't wait to try that one!! I will have a total of 5 bottles and I want more, it is sooo lovely!!

 

Oh, yes, definitely Pink Moon '07 variation, I am very happy woman! I said that this would be gorgeous scenting a body butter, and it is!

 

Edited December 20, 2007 by violetflower

[xibalbagrrl]

While I am not a BPAL expert....YET I can tell you that this delicious scent stayed true on my skin, wet and dry, to its aroma in the bottle...I'm thinking honey, caramel and toffee-ish (not picking up any candied fruits).

 

But you don't have to take my word for it...

 

Two of my male co-workers just passed my cubicle and immediately started saying things like "That's making me hungry! I want waffles! Smells like maple syrup and coffee!" So there you have it...the unbiased opinion of people who don't know quite what they're smelling

 

Wish I'd ordered more than one bottle...

 

Oh yes....great throw, and it LASTS (put it on at 8 am, now almost 10:30 pm and still smells wonderful). Of course, I may have slathered a wee bit...

Edited December 5, 2007 by voodoocat

[kisha]

It seems I need to give 2 reviews for this one.... the first as a fresh decant from a group buy, the second as a slightly aged, kept in a dark box in a cool room, not so new decant. (The difference of only a few weeks...)

 

Upon first sniff, it smells sweet, but I can't place any particular sugar with it. Still, it smells like it would be interesting on. As soon as it touches my skin, I can smell burnt sugar. Not a pleasant slightly overcooked brown, but a dreadful black scorched sugar. I am determined to keep it on for as long as possible, just in case it changes, and it does. Unfortunately, I can still smell the scorched sugar in the background, but what has bloomed seems like it would be beautiful by itself. I (obviously) wait.

 

The second time (today) was a much better test of the oil. It didn't change much in the bottle, but upon applying it to my skin, ! What a difference! I can smell maple syrup and brown sugar, both heated to reveal a slightly burnt, but not offensive sugar smell. Underneath this glorious aroma, for some reason, I am getting something that reminds me (to my nose) of carnation. Mind you, it doesn't smell like carnation, but it does remind me somewhat of a spicy floral. I'm so glad I didn't give this one away like I had originally planned. Now I'll have to save up and hunt this one down too. Oh, and the throw is marvelous! I'm so glad the throw wasn't as strong the first time.

 

ETA: Maybe I should have read some of the more recent posts first! I have a bottle of Pink Moon 07 that I have forgotten about! That's where I remember the spicy floral from!!!

Edited December 16, 2007 by kisha

[VioletChaos]

I read the description and was immediately intrigued: I had to know!!!

 

in the bottle: syrupy, like brown sugar and maple in one

 

dry down: retaining sweetness, a warmth comes into the mix, making it have a cream undernote.

 

hours later: still strong, delicious, warm and sweet, without being too foodie. i LOVE this one and will clearly have to stockpile more!

 

[aleciarivas]

Oh so yummy!!!! This is TOTAL sugar, but not the plain white refined stuff. Oh yum. Let me tell you, that this scent LAYERS fabulously!!!! My oldest daughter loves to layer it with Creepy. SUPER yummy. Warm sugary goodness.

[treadpath]

This one I found really hard to describe. It smelled like sugar.. dry, granulated sugar that had been cooked, possibly in a meringue. There is also something fruity in there, but it is also dry-smelling. It smelled to me like sugar and... something orange. And when I say "orange" I mean the color orange and not the fruit orange.

 

So... sweet and dry and orange, and it smelled the same in the imp as it did wet as it did dry on me. Also, I found it very long-lasting! And I find it even more intoxicating when my husband wears it.

[Pika]

Wow, I was not expecting to like this one (v.2007)! It came as a traveling companion to some other imps, but oh is it good!

 

It certainly smelled like sugar in the imp, but thankfully not like the cotton candy I was expecting. More depth, still girly-sweet, but not totally teeth-rotting.

 

On me, I think it's positively addicting! And I'll add that I dislike foody smells, especially ones that smell like fake sugars, cakes, brownies, etc. This oil is deepened by something I want to describe as musk-like, but certainly much lighter. It's got a *slightly* caramelly smell, though I'm not getting the molasses or maple other people described. And I guess it's the "fruits" that liven things up (something in the top/mid note sparkles) but my skin usually amps fruit to death, and it's not going all crazy with this one. I applied 4 hours ago, and it's still going strong and lovely, which is also unusual for my skin.

 

Overall, I love this scent! Too bad I had no idea back when it was readily available. I'll have to launch a search for more!

[ymmat]

In the bottle, Sugar Skull '07 reminded me of candied fruit - tangy and sweet. On my skin, it immediately turned to rich, fresh brown sugar. Now, it's settled down to a nice soft and sweet front note with a light hint of tart sugared candies bringing up the rear.

 

I'm curious to see what it will do a few hours from now.

Edited January 25, 2008 by ymmat

[vintagedlust]

I am SO glad I kept this one! When it first arrived it gave me a major headache. For some reason I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it though. I recently tried it again and the sharpness that gave me a headache had calmed down a lot. Now it's sweet (burnt sugar and something almost maple like) and creamy.

[pinkstardust420]

I REALLY like this one! It smells like maple syrup...but not sickly sweet...almost a sexy sweet scent with a *touch* of spice. I find it to be a very comforting, unique winter scent.

[alexandra]

I'm another who found Sugar Skull 2007 a bit acrid when I first sniffed it but, two months later, I am now in love.

 

In the bottle: brandy butter! I love brandy butter, tis my favourite festive foodstuff.

 

Wet: brandy butter just melted into a dark slab of christmas pudding rich in spices, raisins and cherries.

 

Dry: Deeply spiced, buttery and booze-fuelled figgy pudding. I am very happy indeed. Kapow gazowka, it is good. What's more, my cat is sitting next to my wrist, sniffing me and rocking back and forwards in a Sugar Skull purr.

 

And?... : Perfect for a crisp and bright winter's day wub2:

[butcherbaby]

just got a bottle of sugar skull 2007 from ebay.

 

i haven't had good luck with some of the scents that have really awesome names, for some reason, so i bought this with my fingers crossed. i'm happy to say it broke the bad scent streak!

 

i absolutely LOVE this scent.

previously, i have never smelled a 'food-y' scent that wasn't repellant to me- beth and bpal have changed all that! even the scents that don't work on my skin smell great in the bottle.

 

i'll say it again...I LOVE THIS SCENT!

 

in the bottle, it smells delicious....like some spicy, fruity cake smothered in syrup. i don't get maple, maybe brown sugar, and something that i can't place...maybe raisins? i can't quite tell, but whatever it is lends a dark, smoky, and almost unpleasant note, but it's exactly that off-kilterness that balances all the sugar syrup & spicy fruit and keeps it from being cloying. this is the smell of a kitchen full of warm baked goods, but the heavy, filling kinds, not cookies & angel cakes.

 

the throw is great, and it lasts for hours. it's strong, but i like that, as my skin tends to suck up the lighter scents way too fast. i keep getting wafts of that delicious spicy syrup, and the maddening raisin-like scent if i sniff it close.

 

after being out for awhile, i come home, dab a bit of 'snake oil' over it, and revel in the heavenly combination it makes. read some of the previous reviews of SS - and realize what my nose kept interpreting as 'raisins' is actually 'burnt sugar'. i go back & sniff the bottle- yep, it's burnt sugar all right! how odd that i thought it was fruit, but what a perfect note it is in this blend.

 

not only will i be keeping this bottle, i'm going to be searching for other years blends to compare, and purchasing 2008 if/when it arrives :-D

[suileach]

2005 Version

 

This starts off as with a dry sugar, cassia or cinnamon, and an almost floral edge. It comes across as a savory scent, rather than a simple sweet one. And...yowzer, is this spicy! I am amping the cinnamon/cassia/spice like whoa.

 

After a while, the sugar and spice blend together and actually start to resemble wildflower honey. No kidding; I have a jar in the kitchen and it smells just like this. It seems to get sweeter and more syrupy the longer it stays on my skin. Eck. I smell like I've been rolling around in a vat of corn syrup. This is much, much, much too sweet for me!

[alsatia]

Expectations: Nauseatingly sweet.

 

In vial: Brown sugar and vanilla extract.

 

On skin, wet: Oooh, the confectioner's sugar came out to play too!

 

On skin, dry: Sugar! Sugar, sugar, sugar! Suuuuugaaaaaar!!! There's a hint of fruit too.

After time: After 10 minutes, it's strongly vanilla extract. I like, but I want the sugary goodness back. At 15 minutes, thick and syrupy. At 20 minutes, caramel. This keeps changing, but it hasn't ever been a bad scent. Amazing throw, and I'm having a hard time not licking my arm.

 

Conclusion: It's a little too sweet for daily wear, but it makes me feel really good, so I definitely need a full imp to tide me over until it is (hopefully) re-released this year.

[etienne]

This is the 07 version.

 

Very strong, sweet brown sugar. I also get a hint of something boozy. When I sniff my wrist really closely I get a hint of the fruits although they are definitely at the background and the throw is all brown sugar.

 

It's not an everyday scent for me - and strikes me as an autumn/winter scent rather than spring/summer. I think this would layer nicely with something creamy/vanilla-y to balance it.

[cassandrakfreaq]

I will start by saying this is the 06 version.

 

in the bottle this was obviously very sweet and somewhat fruity. I really enjoyed it. So I applied it and oh God it was terrible. I mean for me it was like horrible sweet candle from hobby lobby gone wrong. this is my first bpal I had to wash off. I do not know what my skin amped but it was a bad bad thing. oh and this is also the first bpal that did not morph at all. for close to 2 hours there was no change.

Edited March 27, 2008 by cassandrakfreaq

[ImperatrixMundi]

The '06 version here.

 

Whow!

You never know what you might like! This sounded so not for me but I decided to give it a shot and seriously - whow!

Sugar and fruit. It smells like cane sugar and molasses but turns a bit boozy on my skin, the fruits dont come out in front (thank god, any kind of fruit usually smells awful on me!) but add nicely to the sugar. On the whole it turns out really nice, extremely sweet but it still smells like perfume on me. That makes the sweetness not only bearable but enjoyable. Incredible throw too and lasts for hours.