Dead Man's Hand v8

[fairnymph]

UPDATE - a skin test reveals quite a difference!

 

In the bottle: VERY similar to released Dead Man's Hand, with that 'worn leather' note from Olisbos, Quincy, The Traveller, etc - not much else to say, add it was just so similar to DMH, which is a very simple but lovely scent.

 

On my skin: a dry, dusty note like old stone and stale incense emerges on my skin (pretty much like the latest Dark Del released Midnight Bell layered lightly over DMH), along with something dry and spicy, pepper - I'm almost positive it's a black pepper note, in fact. I also get something maybe like....pimento, or black musk? There's definitely a lot more going on here than the single note leathery goodness of released DMH. As a result this is NOT working for me at all. I love the leather, but the other notes are just too sharp and masculine. I might appreciate it on a man, the way I do Brom Bones which is the only other blend with this leather note I don't like to personally wear - but this is not something I will wear, alas.

 

 

Another update - after a few hours, this dries down to a lightly peppery-spicy DMH that's no longer so sharp or dusty or dark, though still not as nice as the released DMH is on my skin. But, it's not bad, and the wafts I get now are more pleasant than not. Great longevity, but not quite as strong throw as released DMH, though it is still strong.

Edited June 13, 2010 by fairnymph

[kikithepirate]

Smelling this bottle was like getting beaten over the head with an old leather baseball mitt. That's pretty much all I need to say about it, really.

[midnight_aeval]

I agree that this one is very similar to the released version. Definitely a well-worn and broken-in leather scent. I put it on my husband this morning and he said "Whoa, that's strong." (and it was seriously only a tiny, tiny bit!) So maybe an amped version of the released DMH?

[Frolic]

Finally a bpal my husband likes! He thinks everything is "nasty perfume" or "baby powder".

 

It is pure leather, rich and deep. It has a long wear time an a good throw. Bpals don't last on me and it was going strong on me till I washed my hands where I was testing it 4 hours later.

 

I had my mother and law sniff it and she was convinced it was from my motorcycle jacket till I showed her my jacket was completely synthetic materials and didn't have any leather in it. It took a while to get her to believe the smell was from a perfume.

 

My husband asked me this morning if there was anyway I could get more bottles of DMH(he usually strongly disapproves of my habit) and then he looked so sad when it would be pretty hard.

 

So it's pretty much a leather single note. And it makes me very happy.

[zankoku_zen]

Ugh. Loads of leather. Not quite black leather, slightly more worn and not as chemically as say the leather in DeSade. I get a tiny hint of black musk and pepper.

 

Yes, pretty much like leather SN if you ask me.

[cfrancesca]

This is mostly strong, slightly worn leather with a chemical tinge. I can use only apply a little bit at a time because it's so strong and a little sharp at first, but it thankfully does get softer and warmer (almost musky) with time. I've been mainly using it to layer with other scents since this is really close to being a leather SN.

[Dark Alice]

Worn black leather with a chemical tinge. GRR was right when she said a little bit does go a LONG way. Too strong for me. If I can find something to temper this down a bit I will keep it...but so far it has turned me off and I am leaning towards giving this a new home.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

LEATHER. Leather and metal, like a leather jacket with spikes and chains.

*off to the sink to scrub this off*

[Little Bird]

I'm really happy to have gotten a bottle of this from the lab's etsy page <3. Dead Man's Hand v8 reminds me a bit of a darker and more badass Dee - like black leather, a hint of soft, musky, slightly sweet, men's cologne and incense, and something that's a lot like black peppery dry wood on me (and I looove anything like black pepper). I love this and might even try to get a backup bottle. This plays very nicely on my skin, and smells great on my husband too.

[ami226]

On the skin: Whoa! This is a blast of worn leather! Reminds me of being in the tack room of this stable I used to take riding lessons at. The worn leather of old western saddles with a hint of herbal green. Maybe alfalfa hay? Really this just makes me think of a tack room.

 

Either way the leather is the main star here. This is definitely more of a worn leather than a chemical leather smell.

 

I don't think this one is for me. If you like leather though, jump on this one!

[ND¢]

I received my bottle from the lovely Catseyes who posted above me *waves* And though I am sorry it didn't work for her, I've wanted to try DMH since, literally, Day One of my BPAL existence. And though after six years it is doubtful I will get DMH, I was 100% to see her post.

 

Of course, you all know what it smells like. On me the essentially Leather SN quickly adds a subtle layer of gentle herb or a nice, inoffensive soft men's cologne scent, and that's pretty much how it stays rather than being leather and nothing else. Since I haven't ever smelled the original DMH, I don't know if it had a similar tendency. But it's so subtle my nose can forget about cologne and go 'leather' again. I will love wearing every drop of this out, both alone and as a layering base (I tried it a few times already. It did give my other recent Grail BPAL, Trick #1, a nice little above and beyond what it already has.)

 

I consider one of my Grail BPALs officially fulfilled.