The Hag

[tg1123]

Black musk, bay leaves, galangal, bourbon vetiver, blackcurrant, and rum.

Dark and sinister....this is spot on as to what I feel like a hag should smell like! A little herbally but not too much, I get lots of wonderful black musk with a little booze and dry leaves. This is fall after the leaves are all dropped and dried in the darkest part of the night. Definitely a stay the hell out of my way scent! Should be in the same scent family as Arcana's Holy Terror. Going on the bottle list for sure!

[cherrycherry]

Definitely one of the darker Weenie scents for 2010. This the only one I was unsure about when making my order, but thankfully it is more than a winner. This is the first rum scent to work really well on me. The bay is evident. The musks seem to curl subtly around the edges of this blend, giving it weight and body. I can hardly wait to see what this blend will be like once it's aged some. Delicious!

[yamiko]

This is pretty well blended. I mostly pick out vetiver and musk at first, but it sweetens a bit at it dries, and gets a bit boozy. It's a dark scent, perfect for hanging out in swamps and frightening weary travelers.

[valentina]

The Hag! She was a deceptively sweet old thing at first, in a rummy, raisiny sort of way. That lasted about 10 minutes and POW! The peppery black musk and earthy vetiver took over -- although not entirely, because normally those notes are too sharp and go bitter on me, and their edge was cut by the sweetness in the blend. There is just something about vetiver that smells like autumn to me, so this is a great chilly, woodsy scent for late autumn weather. It's also very unisex and has to smell equally wonderful on a man.

Edited October 19, 2010 by valentina

[Dark Alice]

Unfortunately the only things in this are Bay rum and vetiver which my skin is amping to hell while this is wet. Dry: My skin ate the vetiver and rum and left this gorgeous soft black musk, leafy scent with the barest hints of rum. I would love to keep this but alas the wet stage is too much to bear.

[milo]

Black Musk is almost always a win, it blends with my skin chemistry to smell like soft, musky snake oil-like. This blend actually reminds me a lot of Panther Moon for the first stages. The vetiver is just in the background, and after a bit, it unfortuneately starts to smells like someone is smoking weed close by. Still, it is really amazing on me for twenty minutes or so. I'm glad I have Panther Moon for when I'm feeling in a dark mood.

[SophieCedar]

Hags smell better than I thought they would. I guess old age won't be so bad.

 

Wet: the black musk is awesome..meaty sweet currant, and rum are there too. My skin decided to turn this to mostly musk and rum with a bit of currant to the point that it smells very much like a drunken Eat Me. (!!) I think the galangal and bay leaf, and bourbon vetivert actually just ground the whole mix (well the bourbon is making it a dreamy soporific cocktail..). I feel like I'm getting drunk at a holiday dinner.

 

Drydown: same! And it's bpal lab ordering day.. what luck! Totally getting a bottle.

Edited October 26, 2010 by SophieCedar

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Vanilla, musk and rum

 

On Application

The above with the emergence of vetiver as well. Quite rich and complex

 

Dry Down

Hmm...this one is quite surprising. I really like it. It has a lot of depth to it. Smoky, boozy and dark.

 

Rating (0-5)

4.5

[filigree_shadow]

Boozy vetiver when it's wet, and then it sweetens up for a while, and then... it ends up smelling like an earthy (but not like dirt), dry, sweet dark musk when it's fully dry. It's unusual and although it's not what I'd call pretty, it's quite alluring.

 

See, this is one of those ones that I enjoy a lot personally but I'm a little afraid to wear outside of my house in case someone near me doesn't like it. It seems like it's a love it or hate it kind of deal. My husband crinkled his nose at it when it was wet and said, "It's better now," when it was dry. I don't think he likes it much. I do. But I suppose I probably shouldn't wear it if he objects to it.

[crebbsgirl]

This is dark and sweet on me but there seems to be a little bit of astringency underneath. I think it might be the bay leaves. This comes across as very masculine on my skin, and it's a little more herbal then Hellhound. Musk-heavy too. Into the drydown there is a fairly heavy smokiness that comes out.

[thekittenkat]

In the decant: Certainly the rum and the black musk are present. The rum and the currant are giving this a sweetness that I did not expect.

 

Wet: But as soon as this hits my acidic skin, guess what? The close-in scent is more the bay leaves and the vetiver, but the throw is more like what I sniffed in the decant. Weird, but there it is.

 

The dry-down: This isn't quite SN Vetiver on me, the way Yule Cat finally went, alas, but it's getting there. I tried this for the musk, the currant, and the rum, but they can't stand up to the stompy boots that vetiver likes to wear.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

Wet...buttery rum. I almost didn't want to test this. On my skin and as it dried down, I smelled bay leaves, a bit of vetiver, and a bit of spicy galangal. I'm not sure if I love this. I think if the buttery rum wasn't there, I'd like it more.

[lefthandmade]

Dark and spicy, this one is bottle worthy. It's got it's very own brand of rummy spice. Usually bay leaves and black musk will have me running but not here. Love the hag!!

Edited January 9, 2011 by lefthandmade

[dreamingjune]

I have to start out by saying what a winner this one is. I was absolutely terrified of the rum since I amp sweetness like it is my job. Luckily the rum is part of what makes this one so noteworthy.

 

Wet: It is all about rum coupled with just the right amount of fresh spice, musky powdery goodness, and earthy smoke. The rum never gets too sweet or foody, yet it does make you want to sniff your wrist repeatedly.

 

Drydown: After the rum calms down a bit this starts reminding me of why I love Black Temple Burlesque Troupe. The black musk gives a powdery sweet sexy element, while the galangal and bay give just the right amount of freshness. I was afraid that the bay would go too herbal or soapy but there is none of that. Also, where is the black currant? I was almost as afraid of the black currant as I was the rum, yet I don't detect any. Perhaps this is what is keeping The Hag a bit fresher than expected.

 

After about 30 min: The vetiver is starting to show itself just a bit to keep it from going too powdery. I honestly think that someone who has mild issues with vetiver could probably handle it. It is very subtle and more noticeable in the bottle than on the skin. Though, it should be noted that I am a ridiculous vetiver freak and typically slather the stuff. I still can not quite pick out the black currant but I am glad it is in here.

 

Overall this is a very unique blend that has a brightness that I usually don't get with Bpal unless there is some terrible soapyness happening. I have a ton of black musk blends with various earthy notes, but The Hag really stands out among them. I seriously can not stop sniffing my wrists.

Edited January 18, 2011 by dreamingjune

[surf-tormented]

Wow, this is dirty and boozy, like if you poured whiskey into the earth. There's a sweetness to this blend, but it isn't overly sweet, just a sweet note you'd find in a dirt note that has a weedy undertone to it. I'm really surprised by this...it is DARK. Like deep black soil, a bit of dark musk and a tiny bit of smoke, which makes the boozy note more tobacco to my nose.

 

I love this. I would get a bottle of this if it was a GC for sure. Too bad it's a LE.

 

It's super yummy if you like that vetiver, dirty sort of perfume.

[porcelina]

theoretically, i should really like the hag. sadly, the rum ruins it! why, rum? i like to drink you. i would like to smell you in perfume. but rum always turns into this vaguely sweet, almost buttery, flat plasticky scent on me and it ruins everything it touches! (bay rum is the exception- i love bay rum. but while the hag contains both bay leaves and rum, this is NOT the same thing.) booo. i can smell how nicely dark and musky this could be if the rum would play nice. sigh.

[rayvn1]

The Hag should be filled with epic win for me, but for some reason I can barely smell it at all! Crazy! Maybe it's a weird skin chemistry day, but I've applied twice and only have the barest of bare hints of something vaguely dark smelling. Alas!

[Poenari]

The Hag has a surprising (to me) sweetness to it. It's got a darker vibe going, due to the black musk and vetiver, but it's much lighter than I had expected. I love the dark scents, and this one is in the ballpark, but I have others in this category that are home runs.

 

 

[Missy_killer]

In the imp: Sour cinnamon-y scent and some...floral? ..What? Not what I expected it to smell.

On me: As soon as this touches my skin it turns dark and smoky. I can smell the rum in this too.

Half an hour later: Sour campfire-smoke. This does not work well with my skin-chemistry.

 

Migraine: Almost.

[mymymai]

ITI: Nice. I get bourbon vanilla, run, musk, and something sweet, like caramelized sugar.

 

Wet: The black musk is much clearer now, followed by rum, bourbon, and faint sweetness of currant.

 

Dry: I get much more spiciness (galangal I think) as it dries, like spiced rum and musk with a little bay. It’s appealing and a little disquieting.

[absinthetics]

I just sold my bottle of the Hag... and as I put it in the envelope I got to smell it and WOW!!! It smells amazing! the rum has really come out, it's this dirty, dusty, vetiver infused Red Lantern. I regret selling it already.... What a lovely aging process! This is why I find it so hard to part with things!

[Balame]

Spiced, bittersweet fruit and a dark hint of herbs. Strong alcoholic bite, reads as very astringent.

 

So, a sharp and sweet herbal rum. Too sweet and boozy for me, though the vetiver makes it more woodsy as it dries down. Still too overpowering in general.

[VetchVesper]

Sweeter than I was expecting.  I guess it's the rum that's dominant on me.  

 

On initial sniffage, I get something acrid mixing with black currant and a brown, sticky sweetness.  I get an undercurrent of black musk on my skin as kind of a dusty, lurking backdrop for the black currant, and the bitterness fades.  The bourbon vetiver comes out more in the dry down and it gets more boozy, though never foody.  This one is interesting.    It makes me think of treacle for some reason.  Like... someone wearing a wool coat and eating treacle. (There's my weird sensory imagery for the day O_O )  Anyways, I think I'd like it better on a man than I like it on myself, but it's probably pretty unisex.  I'd put it in the same family as the Marquis de Carabas.  - Not that they smell the same.  Just that they'd hang out in some of the same places and like each other's coats.    Musty, sweet, boozy, and unisex.

Edited November 15, 2018 by VetchVesper

[Teamama]

2018 version.

Overall, a sweet musky rum scent that I want to put on my men. It reminds me of Grog, but with more oomph. The bay leaves & bourbon vetiver contribute modest bitterness. Mostly, the musk, rum & blackcurrant are letting it all hang out, & it's getting all sweet up in here.  Though I am a big fan of the Lab's black musk, this is not my thing.  It's heading in a slightly bay rum direction.  This means The Hag will probably be fantastic on Teapapa & our son. 

[Lucchesa]

2018 version.  The Hag hit my skin sharp and frankly a little unpleasant, all bay leaf and galangal.  This is the hag yelling at the neighborhood kids to get the hell out of her yard.  But I wasn't worried; I knew they would soften and that I'd get some sweetness from the currant and rum.  And sure enough, within minutes, this was the hag rescuing you from a winter storm and handing you a well-spiked warm drink as you huddle in her kitchen surrounded by drying herbs and bubbling pots.  I like this phase a lot.  But it ghosted on me in less than a hour.  When I applied it, I had the feeling I wasn't putting enough on, even though it was my normal testing amount.  So I'm going to let it rest a couple of weeks and slather and see how it goes because this had promise.