Hurricane

[PilotKitten]

The Dark Side of Air: a high pitched, tangy, clear scent -- light China rain deepened by murky vetivert.

I'm quickly discovering that vetiver simply hates me. Or maybe I hate it. This is so very musky and harsh on my skin. It smells almost rotting... ick.

[Faeried]

Twister of scents, literally. Too sharp and a bit acrid for nose to handle.

[QueenFae]

This is a very, very heavy vetiver scent. I can smell the rain note as well; it's a deeper aquatic than I normally expect. Conjours images of dark, tormenting seas and rotting, abandoned ships. This is pretty strong and has quite a bit of throw as well. Smells like rotten, deep earth on my skin. Vetiver is one of my mortal enemies, so this blend is just not for me.

[Sistinas]

In the bottle it is tangy with a strong scent of vetiver. It is delish. Hurricane has a very wet and ozone scent to it, living up to its' name perfectly.

 

On my skin it still has a bit of a tangy citrus scent with a huge vetiver overtone that is still ozone. The vetiver calms down but is still detectable, but the overall sense is that of being in a rain storm. Overall the scent has a bit of dark and ozone feel to it, but I tend to do well those fragrances. I will be needing a big bottle of this. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give this a 5.

[sunreon]

Two reviews. One from the very first time I opened the imp, and one from when I actually put it on to review.

 

First time In the bottle, it smelled like... it smelled like the beach. The kind of beach we have here in Oregon, where there's wet, rotting sea vegetation on the beach all the time. It kinda made sense. It was very wet, and salty, yeah, but there was this crazy green scent. I totally understand why people say the whole bit about "Smells just like after a hurricane, with the green scent of wood from broken trees."

 

I accidently got some from the cap on my finger-and-thumb tips, and it instantly turned HELLA green. It smelled..... almost like pine-sol, but more ocean-y and more wet. It smelled just like ocean pine. Beach trees. The trees on the dunes around here. It smelled JUST LIKE THAT.

 

Second time, actual review

 

Bottle/Wand: What a strange, sharp scent. I've never smelled it before. Is that the vetiver? Holy cow. That's different.

 

Wet: WHOA. What IS this. Holycrap. That pine-scent that was on my fingers when I first got the imp and had just opened it? Nuh uh. Not this time. What the hell, this is weird.

 

Drydown: Changing, shifting..... not nearly as sharp as wet. Not so strange, either. Um, yeah. I don't know what "China" rain smells like, but this makes me think of the smell of flooding. Or... ozone. Very ozone-y. Sharp, electrical charged ozone. That's what it is. And now it's changing again... It's sweetening. Just a bit. Wow, this is such a contrast to Eos, which is the last one I tried. Mmm, my skin is REALLY toning this scent down. I'm starting to get the rain. The ozone is starting to go away. Seriously, that sharp scent must be the vetiver. It's going away. Yay for my skin?

 

Dry: Ozone is back. Not as strong... it's more of a second-thought body note + final tone. First note is DEFINITELY the rain. Very nice. But then it gets kind of green -- that must be vetiver. I smell... I smell salty-wet, slightly rotting beach-vegetation. Like... beachgrass. Pines that are sprayed constantly. Broken limbs. I DEFINITELY smell beachgrass.

 

Final: Hmm. Green. Interesting. Very, very interesting scent. I kind of like it, but I don't think to wear. It's just too... green. It is very interesting though. I think I'm going to give it another try, maybe, in a few days. It's very addictive right now, though. I can't stop shoving my nose in it; I've never smelled any perfume like this before.

 

--

 

This was one of my first BPAL reviews, almost a year ago. I tried it again later a few times, and it just didn't work. Vetiver does NOT like my skin, and it was just too sharp and green on me. The "ozone" feeling hurt my nose -- just like real ozone does.

 

As far as being a scentification of a Hurricane, it sure is spot on! Genius, Beth!

Edited December 27, 2006 by sunreon

[Deiicide]

I was looking forward to the sharp chinese rains as ozones tend to get along quite well with my skin but like always the sharpness of the velvetier kills the blend for me. Can't win them all I guess. I /really/ wanted to like this one too. If vetivert gets along with your skin, I would think with the ozone it would highten the sweet musks giving it a swept away feeling in the blend.

[mmmitchell]

What a unique scent. I wish I enjoyed it more, but it is so spot-on that, to be frank, it's a bit disturbing to me, and not something I think I'd like to smell like. I live in Hurricane Alley, and am all too familiar with this particular scent. It's the scent of the beach by my Dad's house after Hurricanes Katerina and Rita. We were fortunately spared much of the devestation, but that smell of rotting vegetation and wood is the initial scent I get from Hurricane, and it's not a pleasant association for me.

 

It's also the scent of my house that I lost to a bayou flood caused by a tropical storm, and the sort of rotting, mouldy scent that reminds me of the extensive clean up after the fact.....again, not that pleasant of an association for me.

 

One of the most interesting things about this scent, though, is the part played by the vetiver. Normally, scents with a heavy vetiver note end up being ALL VETIVER, ALL THE TIME, to the extent that I usually don't smell the other notes. All I get is the slightly creamy, slightly rank lemony scent that I associate with the Lab's vetiver blends. But this doesn't amp to that....interesting.

 

The long drydown....after an hour or so is really quite nice. The "disaster area" note disappears, and I'm left with a slightly masculine, dry woodsy note that's actually quite pleasant. I can't see using this myself, though....perhaps I will find homes for my imps.....

[portalkat]

This is the smell of the ocean that has been in turmoil. The vetivert is strong and it smells like the beach after a storm where the sands and rocks are littered with debris and aquatic plants and sea life that have been washed ashore and left to dry in the salt air. It is interesting and evocative and having always been drawn to the ocean, whether it be calm or turbulent, I can't stop smelling my wrist.

[jasmine]

When first applied, this is a surprisingly high, antiseptic smell. It is very strongly aquatic -- not all the way into fishy, but gracing the edge, like fresh seaweed wrapped around fish and then taken away again and smelled on its own. There’s nothing unfresh about it, but it’s very unexpected.

 

The antiseptic fades down, but inevitably, there’s something off about it. I don’t think it’s actually a fishy scent... it just seems wrong. There’s a current of cold blue-green under the misty antiseptic that is actively repellent.

 

As it settles down, it becomes less offensive, but it isn’t appealing.

[asciident]

Wet: I sniffed at this and wasn't sure I'd like it. It's really strong and tangy in the vial.

 

First on: I'm holding off on washing this off, because it's still pretty strong. Biting.

 

Dry: Strange, now it's all breezy salty water and a wet wood smell (which is the vetivert, I think). It's unusual, but actually rather nice now that it's settled down. It's no longer so strong I can sniff my wrists from a distance, either. Hmm... just very strange.

[femmefatale]

Didn't intend on trying this yet, but the Lab sent me a surprise imp of this. So of course, I had to try some and I got it all over my hand. LOL

 

At first it is very sharp and very masculine, but as it dries it's a mix of yummy aquatic and something green. I had thought this would be mostly for hubby, but I'm finding I really like it for myself too.

Can't wait to try this on him though. I have a feeling I won't be able to keep my hands off.

[BlackWingedRoses]

truly one of the most unique scents i have tried from the lab.

I'm keeping it just for the OMG factor.

 

Out of the bottle it smells masculine/cologne and salty

 

on the skin it morphs and if i close my eyes I can actually see the devastation of a hurricane. I can smell the salty sprays of the ocean and I can smell wood. lots of wet wood. some of it rotting.

it's an earthy and aqautic scent rolled into one. and boy does it have a throw. It a long laster. Not for those who tend to get headaches from stronger smells.

 

If you love the labs ability to surprise you by taking you to another place and time, then pick up an imp of this. if not to wear, the entertainment value alone is worth it.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

The word tang definitely comes to mind

 

On me:

It's strong, has a lot of throw, smells slightly salty and though it's reminiscent of rain, it also smells very medicinal. Whoever above me said it smelled like antiseptic is spot on.

 

It never changes on me, it's always this antiseptic smell that makes me think of a hospital or a doctor's office.

 

Final note:

Truly unpleasant on me

[Carmencita]

In the bottle: Designer Perfume. Something baby boomers wear. Lemon and baby oil and cologne

 

On my skin: Baby oil and ozone. Lemon and sweet lime. Smells nothing like I expected.

 

After a while: Baby oil and sweet citrus. Mostly baby oil.

 

Conclusion: Not for me. Maybe my chemistry fracked with it.

[bombus]

I can’t figure out what note it is, and it is probably a combination of notes but something in this smells like cooking beans. I keep smelling it hoping the bean smell will go away, it isn’t.

[theseagrows]

ahhhh this is the closest scent i've found to real rain. it smells like rain on the pavement when you're walking outside, when the rain first starts falling. it is a strange scent, aquatic+vetiver, and i am forever changing my opinion on vetiver, but i think on certain occasions i'd love wearing this one, it just wouldn't be all that often.

Edited February 14, 2007 by theseagrows

[filigree_shadow]

I mostly smell vetiver at first, loud and strong. Then it takes a backseat, and the whole blend starts smelling extremely perfumey. Almost metallic. Then it turns into kind of a strange acrid dark smell. I'm not really getting any China rain out of this. Just a strange kind of sour vetiver.

[Vampy]

Wow. It really smells just like a hurricane. Or at least, the way hurricanes smell here on the south-east coast. The green chlorophyll and pine-tar smell of splatted leaves and pine needles, broken, rain-soaked wood and rot, and sodden earth, and a tinge of salt water. Somehow it manages to capture the wild, ozone filled winds of the actual storm and the sun coming out and and shining on the destruction on the morning after.

 

It's pure genius. Makes my hair stand on end and my bones itch with the need to go run out in the rain and wind.

[brit_brat100]

I am new to vetiver so I don't know what it smells like, but apparently this is pretty strong here.

 

Imp: Wet, rotting wood. Decay.

 

Dry: The tang that everyone seems to notice is here...

 

Dry: Mint? I'm getting something cold and minty, along with the tang and wood. Very interesting.

 

Final Thoughts: This is really complex. There are some dark elements here paired with some fresh elements and cold elements too. Really well done. This felt more masculine on me, but it didn't smell very different on my guy. Very sharp.

 

I don't think I could wear this regularly, but boy is it interesting.

[lapillus]

In bottle: bright and green

 

Wet: Bright and green and floral sweet with lots of ozone.

 

Dry: Oh, all of the above over dry, dry woods

 

Later: traces of ozone and green, and a lovely tart sweetness over the faintest of woods

 

Summary: Enjoyable to wear, but I really want to try it as a house scent - it’s the kind of thing to perk up a winter basement.

[andhowever]

I got this as a frimp from the lab, and I never would have tried it otherwise.

In the imp: . . .air? Can't really smell much of anything.

 

Wet: Soapy cleanness. If you've ever used the shampoo Creme of Nature, that's what it smells like to me. I like that scent, so I'm willing to see where this goes.

 

Dry: I "see" this in two layers: the upper layer of fresh ozone, which is aquatic and a touch chemically, and the lower layer of dirty vetiver. This is my first vetiver blend from the lab, so I was a little apprehensive, but it appears to be playing nicely on my skin. I'm from the Pacific Northwest and now I live in the Midwest, so this scent almost makes me want to cry - it makes me think of the way winter smelled at home. I don't know if I can wear this.

 

Drydown: Too chemical. Can't tell if it's the ozone or the vetiver that's doing it, but it's definitely there. This is my first foray into either of those and I don't know if I'll repeat it. Generally I'm not a fan of aquatics. Also, weirdly, I smell an undertone of peanuts.

 

I will, in fact, be interested to try this on my male volunteers. I think I'm going to wash this off and put on some March Hare - its polar opposite!

[crazyredhead17]

Wet in the imp, this smells like a summer storm.

 

Wet on me, it's a very very sharp ozone that's giving me a wicked sinus headache and is making my chest feel tight. Usually vetivert makes my chest loosen some, so this is weird.

 

There's also a rotten note here. But man, this is killing my allergies more than a strong floral does. I'm washing this puppy off.

[Myotis]

I love the aquatic notes and Hurricane is no exception to that.

I simply LOVE this scent! Reminds me a lot of Demeter's Thunderstorm, only there are more notes there.

There's a crisp sting to this scent that makes me just want to breathe it in deeper, just like on a hot summer day when the clouds go dark. There's that sting of electricity in the air, a freshness that only comes with an impending storm.

This is a definite bottle order!!!!!

[waternight]

In the imp: Smells like the description – a blend of China rain (like white musk) and vetiver.

Wet/Drydown: Mmm… I was scared of the vetiver in this, but the China rain softens it very well. The China rain provides a light, delicate white-musk base, and the vetiver provides a spicy, acrid counter-note that’s almost too strong, but manages not to be. The blend is lovely. Very unique.

Dry: Dried down to soap on me. Sad – I thought I’d found a vetiver blend that worked on me.

[alicia_stardust]

In the bottle: I smell a clear, wet, tangy aquatic. Something salty and dark lurks in the background.

 

On my skin: Vetiver, down and dirty. I did not look at the notes before testing this but it's vetiver, no doubt about it. It amps above anything else, and yet... if I keep my nose away from my wrist I get whiffs of myself and in that, the vetiver is light and the clear, wet water scent sits on top. It's interesting that I can only smell that in the "throw" and not up close.

 

After a while I get nothing but pure vetiver on my skin, which isn't my favorite note.

 

I think this is a beautifully artistic representation of a Hurricane. If you like vetiver or dark, murky scents, this is for you. Try it for the experience if not. It's worth it.