Schmendrick

[edenssixthday]

SCHMENDRICK
Wonder and love and great sorrow shook Schmendrick the Magician then, and came together inside him, and filled him, filled him until he felt himself brimming and flowing with something that was none of these. He did not believe it, but it came to him anyway, as it had touched him twice before and left him more barren than he had been. This time, there was too much of it for him to hold: it spilled through his skin, sprang from his fingers and toes, welled up equally in his eyes and his hair and the hollows of his shoulders. There was too much to hold, too much ever to use; and still he found himself weeping with the pain of his impossible greed. He thought, or said, or sang, I did not know that I was so empty, to be so full.

Unexplored potential: sweet, raw tobacco leaves, chamomile, clary sage, Mysore sandalwood, sultana raisins, and caramel.

In the vial, this has the slightest hint of men's cologne, but it smells more herbal and complex than the typical cologney scent. Wet on my skin, the clary sage and chamomile jump right out in front of all the other notes, and since I adore clary sage, I can't help but smile and sigh happily when I smell it. As the oil warms up on my skin, the sandalwood becomes noticeable and blends beautifully with the chamomile and clary sage, and I detect a hint of the tobacco leaves, as well -- it sort of reminds me of the tobacco leaf note in Santo Domingo, and seems to be what gives the scent its masculine edge. As the scent completely dries down, the tobacco leaf becomes top dog, with the sandalwood behind it, and the faintest traces of the herbal notes in the background. I keep waiting and waiting for the raisin, as it's not a note used much in BPAL (especially the white Sultana variety, which I don't think we've seen before this) and the caramel, which generally destroys a scent for me, but I'm never able to detect either of them. I'm amazed that this is a caramel scent that I can wear! Still, after dry-down, it's a bit too masculine for my taste. If the chamomile and clary sage remained top players in this scent, I'd like it a lot more, but the post-dry-down result is a really nice scent, fairly masculine, and pretty much not something I'd ever reach for over my other favorite blends.

[cinnamonster]

Well this was my wild-card, crazy, shouldn't-work-on-me-but-I-can't-stop-myself-ordering scent. Caramel is my note of doom but I could not contain myself at 'sultana'.

 

So what did I get...yummy sultana from the bottle, wet still yummy sultana, then a jump into a spring-like cologne scent (reminiscent of the green Natrel deodorant I used to wear weirdly enough) and I worry a little that this is going to amp to the point where I just smell like green deo, when suddenly sultana re-asserts itself as the rightful dominator of the scent and all is resolved.

 

It's almost ginger-like somewhere, herbal in a way I like, but not how clary sage essential oil smells, and sultana-y (wow it'd be easier if sultany was a word!), it is definitely masculine, but not too masculine for a woman. I am not getting tobacco though. It's clean man from the shower, wearing a towel and munching on a bag of sultanas. If I had a boyfriend to wear this I would be sniffing him all day...that relationship might not last long given that behaviour but anyhoo...smells good.

 

Distant relations: Sunbird

[zankoku_zen]

Smells like nice manly cologne. I think it's the tobacco and clary sage. And yes, on wet I got more of the caramel and sultana.... but essentially, this smells like nice, clean male.

 

This is what nice guys smell like.

[Little Bird]

I honestly just bought a bottle of Schmendrick because it had birds on the label, and I was curious about the sultana raisins. I don't like the lab's chamomile, and tobacco, sage, and caramel are all iffy on me.

 

Not surprisingly, I don't really like this scent. Right now it's bitter, sharp, bright, herby chamomile, something of a sharp men's cologne musk, and smoky, dry tobacco (reminds me a bit of cigar smoke and paper money, only not as sweet as cigars usually are). It doesn't have enough sweetness to it at all for me, and the overall thing is just too bitter and herby from the chamomile. It's gross and almost has a sharp, soapy hint to it as it dries down, and that doesn't improve things. I can't pick out anything like raisins or caramel.

 

I'd recommend Schmendrick if you like smoky tobacco and chamomile. I'm hoping that the raisin and caramel come out with some aging and make this blend sweeter and more wearable for me...

[siriusstar]

Ah this one is wonderful in so many ways. I bought it for the delight in owning a scent that was named for one of my favorite characters. I really didn't think the caramel and rasin would make for a wearable scent for me. I am thrilled to have been wrong. On me this is a sweet, very clean herbal that lasts all day without being overpowering. If there is rasin and caramel in there it just adds an undertone of sweetness on me. It is faintly masculine... I was rather turning myself on with it one day I wore it... but not unwearably so. It reminds me of my beloved Ides of March 05.

 

A wonderful surprise!

[blu°]

At first I was happy not to smell any caramel in Schmendrick, but then the cologney aspect of the scent wasn't nice on my skin at all. Something turned soapy in here, too, and the end result was of a thin soapy men's cologne. Not really good on me. Hm... can't have them all, I guess.

[Invidiana]

I was really hoping for an onslaught of caramel and sultana raisins, but unfortunately it seems the tobacco and herbs dominate. I do get a hint of the caramelly notes in the background but this is predominantly tobacco and sage on my skin. I do get quite a bit of sandalwood as well and while it is a lovely sandalwood the blend as a whole is just too overbearingly masculine on me. However, I do imagine it would have more success on a male specimen.

Edited July 14, 2011 by Invidiana

[Urpflanze]

I think I'm the first dude to write a review of Schmendrick. I was really indecisive about this one; I don't know the notes that well and the reviews are positive but not glowing. Very glad I tried it and I wish I had just gone for the bottle.

 

On my skin, sweet, dried sage is most prominent, making this decidedly herbal, with light support from chamomile, tobacco and sandalwood. But the throw is mostly sweet tobacco (not smoky), maybe a little sandalwood and raisin. Very nice throw. Funny that you don't get much of the sage in the throw but it dominates up close.

 

This has that dried herb sweetness to it, but no caramel that I can detect (unless it just bolsters that sweetness to the herbs that they have naturally). Tobacco is here, though it is mild to me, and it does seem like raw tobacco leaf, not tarry, pruny tobacco. And perhaps a tinge of golden raisin sweetness? It is very well blended so it can be hard to tell.

 

It has a softness to it without becoming feminine. It is fresh without being remotely aquatic, soapy or metallic. I find it unusual and hard to explain this one. I've never tried a scent like it. Without the tobacco and raisin, I think I would find it to be a boring herbal. Medium throw and wear.

 

ETA: I've worn this many times now and I have to say it is almost fruity - I would describe it very generally as a funky balance of raisin and sage. Very unique. I hate fruit in scents, but this works for me.

Edited August 6, 2011 by Urpflanze

[achromance]

In the vial: This is so nice! Caramel and raisins shrouded by a masculine, smoky and spicy veil. I'll have to compare this to Tiresias, the Androgyne later.

 

On my wrist: Smoky! This is nothing at all like Tiresias. The tobacco leaves emerge from the smoke, and then the caramel and raisins return, and there's an earthiness brought in by the sandalwood. Throughout all of this there has been a soapy scent thinly veiling the other notes, which I assume is from the chamomile.

Upon drydown, Schmendrick settles into a soapy scent with a caramel eye. Sadly my skin is in the habit of turning many scents into soap and powder.

[ajansuz]

Neither in the imp nor on the skin could I pick out individual notes in this. It was somewhat generic men's cologne, and although I really liked the scent, I couldn't see myself wearing it. It was far too masculine. I'm going to try it on the husband to see if he wears it better.

[mymymai]

In the Imp (ITI): Chamomile with tobacco and sage are most evident in the bottle. It’s certainly unique.

 

Wet: Sandalwood and sage are very clearly prevalent on my skin. There is such a nice touch of sweetness from the tobacco leaves as well.

 

Dry: After about an hour, it dries to a sage-infused soap, perhaps with a little chamomile.

[DiesMali]

In the imp: This smells like fairly generic men's cologne.

 

Wet on my skin: Delicious spices! I couldn't really pick out an individual note from this while it was wet, but that's fine since it smelled just really nice.

 

Dry: When I was a very young child, I used to sit on my grandpa's knee and press my cheek up against his scratchy, stubbly cheek while he sang off-key lullabies to me. He wore Old Spice aftershave/cologne and smoked tobacco in cigarette or pipe form. THIS is the scent of my beloved childhood grandpa, who passed away suddenly when I was 7 years old. The scent memory with this was so powerful that I spent half an hour telling my boyfriend about my grandpa and all the imagery this scent brought back to me. The sage, sandalwood, and chamomile blend together perfectly, and then there's a waft of the tobacco and a little hint of sweetness underneath the rest of the scent.

 

After a couple hours, this scent morphed on me quite a bit. The spiciness softened, and the sandalwood, caramel, and raisins finally came out and sweetened the scent. It picked up a vaguely smoky note as well. It hung much closer to my skin at this point, but I still kept getting these delicious little reminders of the scent as I moved about.

[savage_rose]

Sexy, clean, men's cologne. A bit of salt-spray, a bit of ozone. Extremely well-blended because it's not too sweet at all and it's hard to pick out a predominant note. Extremely lovely and warm and comforting.

[filigree_shadow]

Sweet, very slightly fruity (in a round way -- the fruit is not easy to place) dry chamomile. Warm, pleasant, sweet, and kind of clean-smelling. I very definitely like this. I'm not totally sure how often I'd wear it because it's out of my usual comfort zone, but I do like it. It for sure is more of a spring/summer scent than a fall/winter one, though. So right now isn't the right time of year for it. I should try it again in a few months.

 

This is one of those BPAL blends that I come across from time to time that is very unusual -- it doesn't remind me of anything, and I don't think I've smelled anything like it before -- but it really smells surprisingly very good, and it makes me wonder why people don't wear scents like this. Like why does everyone and their sister wear some department store perfume day after day, wouldn't people want to smell like this, if they knew they had the option? I feel like people would want to smell like this. Unusual does not mean bad. At all.

[t_for_tau]

In the imp: unexpectedly fruity and light, followed by in-your-face CHAMOMILE & a bit of clary sage. Huh, not what I anticipated at all. Like herbal teabags, but not the flavoured sort.

 

Wet: Chamomile tea brewing, with some other herbs mixed in. Soooo chamomile. Sage strengthening a bit; no caramel, no sandalwood, no raisins, no tobacco. And oh no, here comes SOAP! Oh dear, I fear Schmendrick and I are not going to be friends.

 

Drydown: Soap with a slight herb + cologne fragrance and then a trace of tobacco, like the hands of a male smoker who rolls their own & has just had a good wash. I really didn't expect this to go aquatic on me, but that's what it's doing. Where's the caramel sultana sandalwood deliciousness? This is sadness in an imp to me, alas. Pass.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Raisin! Cool. I had never smelled the Lab's raisin note. I am loving it. Hints of tobacco and caramel. A really neat scent so far!

 

 

Dry: Really interesting. Dark, sticky, fruity. The hints of tobacco and sandalwood ground it nicely, and keep it from being too gourmand. It's interesting. A little masculine, somehow, on me, or maybe unisex is a better description, as I can see wearing it. I think I need to test this further!

[renfair]

I got this scent as part of the Unicorn Horn III pack about three years ago, as my first purchase from BPAL!, so this more recent review is on a three-year-old imp.

First Sniff Impression: I remember liking this one better than Prince Lír, thinking I wouldn't mind if my husband wore it (of course he never did, but oh well), Very masculine cologne.

Wet in Vial: I can definitely pick up on the leaves and herbs in this, but they're mellow and not overpowering or acerbic. What must be the chamomile sweetens it a little bit, though I can't pick out any raisins or caramel. It might be the age.

 

Drying Down on Skin: Smells remarkably on skin like it does in the bottle. Not much of a difference on immediate drying, except maybe the slightly more bitter herbal scent becomes a touch more flowery. More mellow than Prince Lír in the same set.

Dry on Skin: After a couple hours, grew much sweeter, perhaps the caramel finally coming out. Actually becomes a little too sweet for a man, in my opinion.

 

Conclusion: This one would probably be good on a guy you want to smell. It reminds me of the "Dirty" perfume by LUSH, but without the mint. Kind of like a faked scent of grass. But it's unobtrusive and mildly pleasant, if you don't mind smelling like a wild field.

[Lucchesa]

Schmendrick is growing on me.  I'm getting more of a general cologne vibe than any of the individual components.  It's certainly not foodie on my skin, though the caramel (and maybe the sultana?) is there in the wet stage.  I was hoping for a chewy sweet tobacco, but the tobacco also gets subsumed in the overall cologne feel, along with the sage and sandalwood.  This definitely leans to the masculine side of unisex, and it has better than average throw and staying power on me.  

[starbrow]

Schmendrick truly is a TRICKSTER. I keep going between thinking he smells like a freshly showered, slickly dressed court magician lacquered down in ~manly cologne~ ...and a raw-boned wannabe wizard a week into an epic journey, smelling of grassy patches of sage and clover that he's been sleeping in. I had a decant of this that was all the latter, so grassy and a little dirty and sweaty but so so cozy. In the bottle, less aged, it's a lot of slick cologne Schmendrick, and I'm not as BIG a fan of him?

 

But fortunately for my tastes, it's not a hugely oakmossy cologne, and I appreciate that. If anything, it's a classic cologne that dabbles a lot in sage and chamomile, which is really unique and herby. I really wish my Schmendrick would roll around in the grass a little bit more; that would make him an absolute keeper. I tend to like femme-to-androgynous scents, and this one is just on the cusp of what I would love to wear. I am curious enough to age him longer and see which direction he turns.

[VetchVesper]

Odd.  Woody, herbal, a tad soapy at first, but in a very nice way.  Clean but spicy.  Mossy.  Possibly black musk?  Sage.  These are my guesses without looking at the notes.    

 

Looking at the notes - huh.  NOT what I would have expected.  Oh yeah.  Ok.  I DO get the sandalwood.  The chamomile is probably just adding to the calm herbalness overall.  Raisins and caramel - not so much.  Which is fine by me.  I'm not a foodie fan, so those weren't really the notes I was interested in.  With the caramel and tobacco and raisins, I would have expected something chewy smelling, but this is very dry.  (Probably that sandalwood.)  This is a very nice man scent.  Not sexy, but just really calm and warm and rather charming in an understated way.  A good scent for the last of the Red Hot Swamis.

[fairybites]

This just smells like a generic cologne to me with some herbs, nice but not terribly exciting. I was really looking forward to some of the foodie notes such as caramel and raisins, but none of that has shown up for me in the hours that I have tested it out today. 

 

Regardless, it is a nice clean scent but not something I would gravitate towards. Definitely try and pick this up if you love cologne and herbal scents, I'm sure this would be a better fit for you than for me! 

[doomsday_disco]

At first, I get the tobacco, clary sage, and chamomile, sweetened by the raisins and a bit of caramel. But the cologne-y tobacco is quick to take over, accompanied by the chamomile and clary sage, and backed by some sandalwood. It loses any sweetness it had in the beginning. At the end of the day, the tobacco continues to reign, with the chamomile not far behind (it's much stronger than before) on a bed of some powdery, dry sandalwood.

 

I'm not a big fan of raisins or caramel in perfume, but it would have been nice if those sweeter notes would have stuck around to take this out of cologne-territory.