Dwarf

[Dark Alice]

DWARF
Iron filings and chips of stone, Styrian Golding hops, and soot-covered leather.

On its own...Iron Fillings and stone....true from wet to drydown. Mixed with EVIL... IT IS AMAZING!!! I am definitely an Evil Dwarf.

[meredevachon]

In the imp: Sharp, metallic.

 

Wet: Iron. Then stone. *checks Lab description* Yeah, that sounds about right. It seems to fluctuate between iron and stone, with smoky-smudgy-gritty overlaying it.

 

Drying & dry: Stays the same.

 

Overall: I don't get any actual leather from this, but other than that, it fits the description very well. I don't know that it's one I'll wear often, but I can tell there will be days when it's the right scent for me. And I can't wait to try layering it.

[mistressfizz]

Sniff: A metallic tang, wet stone mixed with barley.

 

Wet: More of the same. I get a tiny whiff of leather, but mostly this is metal and wet stone. There's also a sharpness developing which I can't quite place. It's almost herbal - perhaps this is the hops? This definitely reminds me of being underground, surrounded by rock and minerals.

 

Dry: After several hours, the bite of the metal is gone, leaving a pleasant mix of leather, stone, and herbal notes. Overall this is very nice on its own, but I imagine it will layer wonderfully as well!

[virusq]

I really, really, really wanted this one to work on me. I love dwarves. I always play dwarves for RPGs. Metal, stone and leather sounded amazing.

 

...And I don't get any of it. Dwarf comes out of the bottle smelling like wet metal filings, but turns into nothing but men's cologne on my skin. I was hoping the cologne smell would give way to something sharper and stronger, but it didn't. Within twenty minutes, all I could smell was this eye-stinging baby-powder scent so strong that I had to run to the bathroom and vigorously scrub it off.

 

It breaks my heart. ;_;

 

On the other hand, it smells just like it should on my boyfriend. He smells like he's been working in a machine shop all day, covered in metal and leather with a light gravelly smell underneath it.

 

He smells amazing. I'm jealous.

[ajansuz]

In the imp: Iron, stone, and something very gritty/earthy/dirty. I thought that if a dwarf had a scent, this would definitely be it.

 

Wet on me: This goes straight to a high end men's cologne. I...can't brain it. It smells nothing like it did in the imp. Not even a teeny tiny bit.

 

Dry down: Men's cologne. It's a very nice men's cologne smell. Just not what *I* want to smell like. It lasted a long time, too. I'm kind of hoping it smells similar on my husband. Unfortunately, it's just not at all what the imp promised wet.

[filigree_shadow]

This smells very chemical on me. Astringent, like medicinal. It tingles my nose. And it smells like there's a smidgen of a dirt note in here. (Maybe that's the soot?)

 

I'm mostly a fan of comforting scents, and this one isn't that kind. It's interesting, it's just not well-suited for me personally.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I really wanted Dwarf based on the Will Call reviews, but held off when it went live on the site because I don't tend to get along with metallic or stone scents. Eventually, I had to try it, though. The reviews sound pretty good and I needed at least one of the Race blends to round out my RPG bottle collection (since Orc didn't work for me). I'm hoping this isn't too metallic or too sharp and ozoney like the Lab's stone scents tend to be on me.

 

First sniff:

 

Hmm, I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's not bad, but it's a little bit cologney in a strange sort of way. It's not classical department store cologne, but it is cologney all the same.

 

Wet on skin:

 

We're getting somewhere, but I'm still not sure if this one is going to be for me. I can't really pick out any individual notes. It's still somewhat cologney, but less so than in the bottle. It's a bit metallic, a bit herbal and green, and a little bit dirty and leathery.

 

Dry down:

 

The cologniness never really disappears, but Dwarf settles into something that's not bad. It goes through a stage (which I really like) where it smells like Le Pere Fouettard if you took out the licorice (undoubtedly the soot-covered leather, since they share that), and then settles into a scent that's very hard to pin down.

 

It's got a little bit of everything going on and if I didn't have the notes in front of me, I'd never be able to tell you what was in here. It has sort of a slightly sour beer smell (which I wasn't expecting since hops don't smell like beer, even though they're an ingredient in it) combined with dark leather (although I'm not sure that I would have known that it was leather if I didn't have the notes; it's more of a feeling of darkness than a true leather smell) and...something.

 

The bottom line:

 

This isn't my favorite of the RPG scents, but I do like it. I'm not sure how often I'm going to wear it (on its own, anyway; I'll have to try layering it), but I'll be keeping my bottle.

[a_llb]

In vial: Tangy & heavy. Not earthy per se, but has definite heft.

Wet: The hops come out, smelling vaguely bitter & grainlike. Getting the bite of iron now, metallic and stoic.

Dry: It settles into a dry cologne, with faint hints of leather & stone. It smells very clean to me- polished marble halls come to mind.

 

Verdict: The dry stage is best on me, when the iron & hops have smoothed out. I think it would be divine on a man, as it seems quite masculine to me. Not that it's unwearable for a woman- it just seems to have that traditional cologne sense about it. All in all, a surprise to say the least, and not the dirty, sharp scent I was expecting upon first sniff.

[Little Bird]

I'm not a fan of this one, which surprises me, because I usually like metallic and leather scents. Something about it is a little too chemical-sharp-bitter and slightly smoky on me, though. As it dries down, I can smell something like dirt, but it's mostly a bitter herbs and musky cologne sort of smell on me. Doesn't work with my skin chemistry for some reason...

[Diva Urd]

In the vial: HOLY CRAP HOPS! The DH and I agree that this is what a dwarf WOULD smell like... stone, a bit of soot, and strong ale.

 

On: Strong brown-ish black notes, very heavy on the hops. There is a slightly gravy-ish undertone to it while wet.

 

Later: Ohhh, this calmed down very nicely. Now it's dark, well-worn leather with just a hint of hops and stone in the background. Considering that I have a very dwarfish personality and constitution (short, stoutly-built workaholic curmudgeon with a taste for beer), this suits me just fine! I might have to get a bottle of this later.

[Sultaana]

Very strong and heavy, deep earth drunks crafting away. It is very true to it's namesake and I know many dwarf rolling men who would LOVE this blend.

[Iceblink]

Stone and iron. I'm impressed with how Beth is able to create those notes! There's a light leather note; no hops on me. A great representation of a character in perfume form, although not something I would wear.

[patina]

In imp: Whoa! Sharp camphor/ pine and maybe some musk.

 

On: This does smell a bit like a dark workshop. It's got the dirty roots of Badger, the stone of Nightsbridge, and the metal from Phoenix Steamworks (if I remember the last correctly.) And camphor. Camphorcamphorcamphorcamphor. Eventually the camphor disappears and it turns into a nice rooty dark workshop.

[astarinel]

This didn't smell like what I expected.

 

I normally amp the ozoney aspect of metallic notes, but I don't get much of that bright metal here. This is a much darker scent, deep and a masculine to my nose. It's a little bitter, but not dirty -- more of the kind of mineral note that crops up in blends sometimes. I expected to immediately dislike it, because every note is basically a no for me, but I don't hate it, it's just not the kind of scent I really like to wear. It definitely scans a bit cologney, but it overall is really evocative of the concept.

[JamieEvangelista]

I really wanted Dwarf because I have a minor obsession with all things dwarfy. Hearing this scent was a bit cologne-y, I got a little nervous, but decided to take the risk anyway!

 

In the bottle: HOO! The cologne! I was getting disappointed. I could really smell the soot and leather. I wasn't getting a lot of hops or metal filings.

 

Wet: The cologne-y smell becomes light and not so...cologne-y. Good! The sooty smell became very spicy and kind of peppery. The leather is still there. I can smell the hops better now. The metal never really showed up.

 

Dry: I don't know why, but the scent became pretty feminine and very sweet-smelling on me. The sooty smell is still there, as is the leather.

 

Mixed with lawful and ranger, this smell is very intoxicating and relaxing. It's helped me fall asleep two night in a row, now.

[tkannon]

I have been sniffing this imp for weeks now when I thought people weren't looking... I wasn't sure but liked sniffing the stone and metal.

 

On me, dwarf is aggressive (my DH could smell it from across the room) and sharp. Not bad but definately a light application by itself.

 

Put it next to paladin and WOW! The sweetness of paladin tempers the sharpness of the metal and stone and I am in love.

[zankoku_zen]

Bright metal (not so much ozone, just straight up metal) and leather. And rocks. Definitely smelling like rocks.

 

Very manly.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: It really does smell like iron and stone. It is very earthy, the hops and leather combining with stone to suggest rich loam, as well as the leather and hops intended. I really like this, but it may not be to everyone’s taste. Wet: Still iron dominent, the hops are stronger than stone and leather on the skin, creating a vaguely floral edge. It smells less like dirt on the skin, though there is still a hint of it mixed with the soft leather and stone. It’s nice, but not as brilliant as in the bottle. Dry: Surprisingly aftershave like. It bears little resemblance to the notes previously detected. It is aggressively masculine and has tons of throw.

[SophieCedar]

Oh no. If one can gauge what character they would be, based on the compatibility of the scent worn, I'm definitely leaning toward dwarf. I was so hoping I'd be something ethereal and elegant.. but then again, that doesn't really match my bumbling, hard working, sarcastic, chaotic personality anyways.

 

The iron and stone actually runs true and smells wet, grey, and soothing. Heavenly, even. This combination is making me feel all floaty. The hops are wonderfully earthy and intoxicating (we have a good relationship anyways). Uhm soot covered leather? Yes please. I love it.

[edenssixthday]

Dwarf - On me, this is all metal and very earthy stone. I don't smell any leather or hops. It's quite evocative of the inspiration behind the blend, but it's not something I would ever wear myself. The scent has amazing throw, and lasts for quite a long while.

[Teggy]

In the bottle and wet, Dwarf was very in-my-face and astringent like glass cleaner. I was a bit worried because I love metallic scents.

 

However, once this dried down, it became one of the most swoon-worthy masculine scents ever. It's kind of hard to describe. It reminded me a more subtle version of Villain (which reminds me of Old Spice shaving cream). Definitely has a "stone" quality of earthiness rather than a "dirt" earthiness like patchouli. I would love this on a guy...now I just need to find one to wear it!

[WidgetAlley]

A very nice swapper (you know who you are! ) frimped me this. So excited to try an RPG scent, even if leather almost never works on me.

 

Imp: Wow. Whoa. Styrian Golding hops for sure, my dad brews with those! (He likes Belgian-style ales.) Beth, how do you do it? It's a beautiful smell that reminds me so much of home, green and bitter and astringent and herbal-earthy all at once, like unadulterated geranium but without the nausea geranium often gives me. There's a citrus-bright metallic under that, like polished brass, and another metallic under that, something gritty and dark. And stone! The real smell of wet stone, not must or mildew but wet stone like the halls Under the Mountain in The Hobbit. I am just in awe. Seriously, really, in awe. This is one of the most unique and evocative things I've ever smelled. I am keeping this imp, even if it turns to cat poo on my skin, just to pull it out and smell the wand every once in a while.

 

Wet: This one was strong, so I applied with a light hand, and almost immediately I get a gorgeous laid-back spicy vetiver like dried grass, coupled with the lazy golden haze of the hops. The leather here is almost, almost, almost real leather on my skin, very evocative but still just a little wonky. The metallic notes have faded into the background but are still present; the stone and water is a breath of fresh darkness on the back end. The throw on this is a gently spiced cologne with strongly earthy elements and a lovely dark musk underneath. It's gorgeous, totally not what I expected and so much better than what I thought it would be!

 

Dry: This dries down to a soft, musky, vetiver- and hops-tinged unisex scent full of warmed stone, cool water and just the barest hint of faint leather and iron filings. I seriously can't believe how good this is! It's a very unisex scent, bordering on masculine, but it's so soft and close and natural it doesn't feel odd to be wearing it. It's even downright sexy in some sort of understated way. I cannot wait to slather my boy in this, and to wear it myself. This very well may end up being a 5mL purchase. One of those totally unique scent experiences that only BPAL provides.

[Mountaingrrl00]

Sometimes you just can't go by the written descriptions. I never would have considered buying this or even getting a sniffy. Except for the leather, there's not a note in Dwarf that would have appealed to me. And soot-covered? Ick! Or so I assumed, until I actually sniffed this and fell in love. (Thank goodness for Meet & Sniffs.)

 

In the vial: rich, tangy and somehow familiar. It reminds me of the barn and tool shed behind the house I grew up in. And of summer air after a good rain -- but for once it doesn't give me an ozone headache. I guess it's the "chips of stone" I'm smelling. The leather is like the kind in Kroenen, very butch. The tang is prominent.

 

On wet: There's something so charged and alive about it. And also nuzzly, now that the leather scent has gotten softer.

 

Dry on skin: a very appealing shiny-smooth metallic note, and something deliciously earthy. I get an after-the-rain association again, but this time there's earth and plants involved.

 

This is so sexy it might get me into RPG.

[Ghost of a Rose]

In the imp: Oil is clear, and brownish-golden in color. The scent is emphatically masculine: strong, dark, and metallic.

 

On me, wet: There's something very sharp and camphoraceous in this. And maybe some patchouli and/or vetiver? Perhaps some kind of spice. Otherwise, nothing I recognize. And although it isn't a sweet scent overall, there's a note of cloying, almost skanky, beery, sweetness in the background. I totally get the dwarf connection. This is very unique - and appropriate to the concept - but I don't find it particularly pleasant.

 

After 10 minutes: A rich soil note has come out quite strongly, which tempers the other notes and improves the scent quite a bit, and also makes it smell more leathery. But I still wouldn't wear this except maybe as a novelty. The spice is more evident. I think it's the spice and the the sharpness that gives so many reviewers the impression of men's cologne.

 

After 30 minutes: Ah, much nicer now, and completely different from how it smelled at first and in the imp. Spice and fertile dark soil. A suggestion of smokiness. Most of the sharpness is gone, and it's now less aggressively male, more unisex. It's pleasant now, but still isn't really me, although I could wear it now and then for a change of pace. My adult son really likes it on me.

 

After 1 hour: Now mostly spice, with a bit of smokiness and earth.

 

After 1 hour and 15 minutes: The smokiness has taken over as the dominant scent, and the earth is mostly gone. There's still some spiciness.

 

After 2 hours: Same as above.

 

After 3 hours: It has become more men's cologney - Old Spice.

 

After 10 hours: I can still smell it on my wrist.

 

After 20 hours: I can still faintly detect it.

 

Verdict: Ultra long-lasting, and I like all but the first 30 minutes of it. I think a guy might like it even more. Very dwarvish - especially during that first 30 minutes. Although I don't like the initial top notes, I'm still giving this a 4-star rating since that is such a small part of the life of the scent on my skin.

[KissleMeNow]

Well, slowly working my way through the RPG scents, I had to try this because one of my most beloved characters was a Dwarf Cleric. I found this... an uncomplicated scent. It's mostly wet stone/metal. I don't smell the hops at all – which is good, because I tend to avoid overly-alcoholic scents, but maybe this could have used something from the vegetable kingdom. About forty-five minutes after putting it on it got a really cloying leather and something I can't identify (someone upthread mentioned patchouli, and I think that's the closest), but that faded to an undertone. On its own it's a fine scent, though not quite me – I'm looking forward to seeing if I can get my girlfriend to try it. And to layering.