Rocking-Horse-Fly

[Ajila]

Shellacked wood, sap, sawdust, and privet.

 

In the bottle - Wood, very sappy wood

Wet on me - A green soapy sap oddly with a sort of vanillary undertone

Dry on me - A dark green salty sap with a hazy vanilla musk to it

Overall - Nicer than I expected but not really me

[Deliciousness]

In the imp: Woody, dry cologne

Wet on skin: Woody, sharp perfume. Heavy emphasis on the wood aspect.

Drydown: Dry wood, bordering on pencil shavings, with a backdrop of heady, sharp cologne. There is also something slightly sweet underneath the cacophony which is this blend, which makes me keep sniffing my wrist, even though it makes my eyes water a touch.

 

Well, I didn't have really high hopes for this blend, as wood can become overpowering on me, as I amp it to high heaven, so take this review with the grain of salt, as YMMV.

 

I could smell something promising in the wet stage, as the woodiness seemed more deep and resinous and a touch sweet. I was hoping that if I just waited patiently, this oil would morph a little more into something I would enjoy. Alas, there was a sharpness that pretty much obliterated the deeper tones I thought I had smelled in the beginning. The dry phase was a woody, sharp cologne. Glad I got to try a decant, even though this isn't for me.

[mymymai]

• ITI: Okay, this is really strange, but I initially picked up wood and green, but that quickly changed into shredded carrot and sawdust.

Wet: I’m not sure if it’s the privet, which is a privacy shrub common in England, with the combined shellac note, but it really smells like freshly shredded carrot to me. Sawdust is still there along with a touch of sap. It’s a rather curious scent more than anything.

Dry: Ok, I’m surprised. The scent has morphed into a lovely, soft, resinous woodsy scent. I’d swear there is myrrh here along with other fragrant woods, although there is a touch of sawdust, but it’s so faint it’s pleasant.

[Veronica]

Warm sharp, like sweet sawdust. Interesting but not for me!

[theseagrows]

i got this as a frimp from the lab!

 

something about this is SO familiar. it's very green and sap-like, indeed. woody and fresh. it smells just like something else, but i can't place it right now. there is something slightly funky underneath, that smells animalic on my skin? not sure what that could be, but it's there, and tends to make this lean a bit towards a bathroom-cleaner scent . damn skin chemistry!

 

yeah, this really doesn't work for me, unfortunately, but glad i got to try it.

Edited December 13, 2014 by theseagrows

[Anita]

in the imp- super clean, your clothes off of a clothesline in the middle summer, with a soft floral coming from somewhere....

 

Wet- exactly as in the imp, except the floral is a little stronger now, no sign of anything woodsy, just that lovely floral, which is so weird when matching it to the description.

 

on the drydown- this hasn't changed at all for me from what it was in the wet stages, except slightly less strong, but it wasn't a hugely strong scent anyway, and doesn't seem to have a lot of throw. I keep resniffing because it's as though there is "something" my nose almost smells but then it's gone and so I have to sniff it again, I keep just missing what my nose thinks it almost smells.

 

Strange, but I like it.

[Casablanca]

Wet on my skin, Rocking Horse is woody wood wood, and sawdust.

Privet is a flowering tall shrub or small tree, and I'm not sure what part of it was added to the blend. There's a hint of sweetness in this, behind and mingled with the sawdust, so it might be the flowers.

Later, I smell just a little vanilla.

This is mostly straightforward. It might be close to the smell of a friend's wood shop when woodcutting things are happening.

[t_for_tau]

In the imp: heavy green aquatic cologne.

 

Wet: a bloom (or boom?) of sweet white floral, initially prettily behind the green but then gradually growing stronger and soapier by the second, to the point where if it wasn't for a couple of other reviews I'd wonder if I had the right blend! Where's my wood, my sap, my sawdust?! A very faint vanillin sweetness that could be tonka comes through after a while, but otherwise it's just floral perfumed soap - hugely disappointing for this green-and-woods lover.

Edited September 28, 2016 by tau

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Blarg! Much more "shellac" than wood. Ick. Calms down as it dries though. The wood has a spiciness to it that I enjoy. Perhaps the privet? I had to Google, and apparently it's floral, but not sure if it's a spicy one.

 

 

Dry: Not awful! I actually think this would be great on a guy. I can't really see myself wearing it, but I do like it. It's woody, but smells overall like a sophisticated cologne. Very nice!

[lizabelle]

In the imp: freshly sealed wood, possibly still drying

 

On skin: I seriously would not have guessed this is a wood scent. Unlike many of BPAL's other wood scents (Yggdrasil, Anne Bonny, Port Royal, etc.), this is not a dry wood. It is very cologney, enough that it made my nose wrinkle at first sniff. As it dries, though, I don't hate it! In fact I'm warming to it fast. It's much sweeter and softer than it sounds, almost fruity like a soft apricot or something on me. Apparently a privet is a flowering bush that later grows berries, so maybe I'm smelling the berries? I may end up with some of this, because it's very nice.

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: Wooooood and sawdust.

 

Wet: It's more pleasant on my skin than it was in the imp. I'm getting freshly chopped wood, sawdust, and some of the sap, and the sap note is what is making this better on my skin.

 

Dry: Sharp, cologne-y wood.

 

It loses its sharpness over time, and I think the sap has sweetened it up a bit. It's more pleasant than I thought it would be from the imp, but it's not something I can see myself reaching for.

 

Verdict: This one is not my cup of tea.

[torikitty]

Green and woody. Wet: I think the idea of "just cutting back the shrubs in your backyard" is pretty apt. During drydown, I ended smelling something smoky or incensy. This is beginning to remind me of a cheap hotel. You have smoky rooms mixed with clean sheets and the free soap. What an odd combination.

Edited July 31, 2017 by Carrie

[achildoftime]

It's freshly planed planks of wood with a bit of the oil for when it's a finished piece. It is pretty nostalgic for me, and while I'm not typically in the mood for smelling like a workshop this surely does the trick for when I would.

[Lucchesa]

Rocking-Horse Fly is green and a little sweet when wet, which surprised me because I thought I'd tested and reviewed this one ages ago and that it was all my dad's woodshop.  But I'm definitely getting more privet than sawdust, sap or shellacked wood; it seems more like a green stems and flowers scent than a wood and wood shavings scent.  Only after about 45 minutes am I starting to get a whiff of the lumber aisle in Home Depot, under the softer green notes.  On my skin it never becomes the totally wood scent I was hoping for, and it doesn't last more than two or three hours on me. 

[Cali]

Super sappy - bitter, fresh woods. A bit aggresive on application, but gets very agreeable when dry.