Atlas

[Penance]

ATLAS
Mallow, oak bark, coffee bean, hinoki wood, and khus.

Origin:

5mL from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

This one sounds really promising. Everything here has the potential to be awesome, especially now that I've learned to love coffee scents.

First sniff:

Soft and almost fluffy smelling somehow. It's a brown scent, but a soft, cuddly brown. You know how TKO smells fluffy and cuddly? That's what Atlas feels like, only instead of being innocently girlish, it's gender neutral.

Wet on skin:

Brown, coffee-dusted marshmallows with a very faint touch of khus. I get everything listed in the notes. There's a soft marshmallow-vibe from the mallow, a gentle woodiness from the hinoki and oak bark, a rich brown scent from the coffee and just the faintest touch of ashy green from the khus.

Dry down:

I love this. I really, really love this. It's snuggly and cuddly and warm and brown and...

Atlas dries down to a scent that's similar to the smell in the bottle, only better. It's a soft, slightly spicy, slightly woody brown scent. It's hard to pick out individual notes at this point because everything just swirls together.

The bottom line:

This is the first of the 2011 Metamorphosis scents that I've tested, but I'm positive that it's going to be my favorite of the bunch. This is going to be a multi-bottle scent for sure.

[Lucretia]

If I didn't know better I'd say there was leather in here! The coffee note is totally different from say Misc U or Mata Hari. It's less overpowering and a less like a warm coffee shop. This is more masculine than I would have thought (I guess thanks to the khus and hinoki?). As it dries I start to like it more. I get more mallow, which sweetens it up a tiny bit, and the faux leather goes away. Smells a bit like a savory marshmallow with a hint of coffee and woods. I agree that it's a very brown kind of scent!

[Clavis]

I admit I was kinda leery of trying this one since coffee goes horribly wrong on me.. But the Lab accidentally sent me Atlas instead of the Brahmin I ordered and it DID smell wonderful in the bottle...

 

So I tried a little bit of it. WOW! I'm shocked. It smells more like caramel and chocolate on me than coffee. Except that I can't wear chocolate either and this smells good! On ME. Wow!

 

Wet: Chocolate with a touch of caramel like Dilletante's Ephemere sauce with a nice smooth woody base.

Dry: Not much different except that it smooths out even more, sweetens up a bit, and I get a faint hint of green? Way in the back. Kind of like the out of focus leaves in the background of a photo. There, but not really noticeable and certainly not the subject of the photo. But you would miss them if they weren't there.

 

I suspect that mallow is part of where the Lab gets it's lovely caramel scent from... Definite similarity.

[edenssixthday]

Atlas - I didn't think I could wear this scent due to the mallow, which doesn't work well with my skin chemistry; however, Atlas turned out to be my favorite of all of the metamorphosis scents. I adore this scent! It's warm and woody, has the faintest trace of smokiness (from the khus perhaps?), and the coffee doesn't smell much like fresh-brewed coffee, but rather like a warm, earthy spice. The mallow sweetens and softens the scent, giving it an almost vanilla-like feel about it. I positively adore this scent!

[Invidiana]

This one is intoxicating. It starts off stronger on the coffee, which gradually mellows out and gives way to a lovely deep caramelly scent with vanillic undertone, almost like black vanilla. There is a dark woody background to it a well which adds more mystique. The coffee is still there, but blends seamlesly with the woods, adding a smoky effect. It's a thick, rich scent with strong throw and would make a definite impression.

[dreamingjune]

In bottle: Like some combination of Arabian Dance and Antikythera Mechanism. I am not a fan of either but somehow I am enjoying this combo.

 

Wet: There is something soft and creamy happening here that I am assuming is the mallow. I think the oak bark is poking out too. The coffee is kinda-sorta there but not ruining things for me like it usually does.

 

Dry: I expected more wood notes to come out but this is subtle and creamy. The coffee has died out completely but there is still a hint of oak. The khus in this is so far in the background and a lot less smokey but more green than usual. I am also getting a wisp of smokey vanilla candy in the background.

 

Overall: If my skin did not eat this up within 15 minutes I might be all about it. Like most of the Metamorphosis collection, there is something very insubstantial about this. I guess that is quite appropriate but really not my thing. However, fans of Antikythera Mechanism and Arabian Dance still need to try this, especially if they want a lighter version.

 

edit: Even though my skin eats this up the scent leftover is really quite lovely. It is like a comforting vanilla, oak softness. Ok fine, maybe a bottle after all..

Edited June 30, 2011 by dreamingjune

[filigree_shadow]

This is a lot softer than I was expecting. I thought that maybe with the coffee and wood notes it would be dry and possibly bitter -- but it's not. At all. It smells smooth and warm, and the mallow makes it smell oh so soft. Very comforting and lovely.

 

Definitely on the lookout for more of this one.

[Mellifluous]

Like most others a get a soft and very distinctly brown scent.

 

Wet, I get moist dark brown sugar. Way sweeter than I was imagining.

After a minute or 2 it actually starts to get a bit dusty on me and reminds me of a cross of Underpants (the powdery sandalwood and vanilla) and Miskatonic U (dusty coffee), with the emphasis on powdery/dusty, yet rich, brown sweetness. It actually is very rich.. its just the dusty aspect is still more prominent on me.

The final drydown hours later, is still a dusty sweetness with maybe a bit more of the woods coming through, although still not very present.

 

Overall I do like this, but its not as amazing as I was hoping. I would have liked more coffee.

 

I'm wondering if the Khus is causing the dusty effect to my nose? I wouldnt think so, as I dont get any of the normal traits, but maybe its super diluted?

Hmm...

[coldandsleepy]

In the vial, I get all the notes, though the coffee is faint. I think it's really interesting that many people have described this as gentle because from the first, it smells very strong-- a marshmallow and khushy punch to the nose.

 

I'm a dabber, and a tiny dab of this is almost overpowering on me for about an hour. I still get all the notes except the coffee (just disappears on my skin) and they're lovely but so so strong.

 

After about an hour, it seriously mellows on me. I love this stage-- I get the lovely mallow, woods, khus, which to me smell so warm and comforting, reminds me of snuggling under blankets in the winter-- and am delighted that it lasts 4-5 hours or so.

 

To my nose, this has potential to be unisex. Smells great on me, and I'd love to smell it on a man.

[Dark Alice]

Right now this is all mallow and khus all the freaking time. And a wee bit to bitter. I think this can be fabulous if it is aged appropriately. I think I am going to snag a bottle before it goes down and age it.

[invisible iris]

In the vial: Mild vetiver, coffee, wood, and a hint of not-quite-vanillic sweetness,

 

On skin: The same as in the imp, basically. Mostly a mild vetiver with hints of coffee, wood, and a faint sweetness.

 

Dry: Atlas doesn’t morph very much. Khus and gorgeous warm woods underneath, with coffee bean as a mild burnt woodsy midnote, and sweet mallow (like a soft vanilla, but not quite as cushiony on me as TKO's) on top. The longer it sits on my skin, the more the khus mellows and the sweetness of the blend drifts around me in an increasingly intoxicating haze of woodsy mallowy warmth.

 

I almost wish I didn't know there was vetiver in this. Although it lacks the offensive smell of the true vetiver blends, the overall scent of Atlas does possess that insistent quality of vetiver, where the odor sits there like a brick, casting throw like nobody's business, stubborn and unwavering and long-lasting. Something about it makes me uneasy. But its pleasant softness, the way the woods and the soft sweetness soothe the vetiver rage, is enough to overcome my prejudice against the blend, if not my suspicion toward the vetiver.

 

Verdict: It all boils down to one thing, which is that I liked Atlas on. I kept getting whiffs of its throw, which were undeniably pleasing and, as others have said, comforting. So despite my conflicted feelings about the one particular note, I'll probably be getting a bottle.

[Antoinette]

Atlas - you are so intriguing!

 

I usually don't like anything with wood notes in it, but this one is the exception. This is soft and creamy, woodsy but sweet. I find it reminiscent of The Arabian Dance, but much softer. I can see Atlas becoming a favorite during the fall and winter months, it's soft and comforting.

 

I am not super familiar with all the notes listed, but I do

detect the mallow (yum) and the coffee (yum again) and woods. This is a definite bottle purchase.

 

eta: Atlas has become a multiple back-up bottles scent for me. I reach for it whenever I need grounding or calming. It's like Xanax in perfume form! A true help when I need it!

Edited February 12, 2012 by Antoinette

[Little Bird]

Atlas reminded me of something when I first got it, and I finally realized what that was - Villainess's Mudslide scent. Mudslide smells like creamy marshmallow and a hint of warm, nutty graham cracker that's been stomped into the ground. And that's pretty much what this smells like on me too.

 

I hate bpal's oak note and coffee and khus are iffy on me, but this is creamy, sweet, and warmly foodie on my skin. The oak adds a hint of an earthy edge without being overwhelming for me. It's really delightful, and I definitely need a backup bottle.

 

I think that people who like The Antikythera Mechanism will also like this a lot, as it's very reminiscent of AM as it dries down on me, but a bit sweeter and creamier and slightly less woody.

[strahlend]

Little Bird, you totally nailed it. I thought this reminded me of something but I couldn't put my finger on it. It does feel like it's in the same family with Antikythera Mechanism. It's slightly sweeter and not quite as woody. I agree with you completely. It's like a slightly foody version of AM. I don't get any sense of coffee out of my decant, nor does it seem vetivery in the least.

[saralaughs]

Wow.

 

Creamy, vanilla mallow immediately warmed up by smoke (khus) and wood. The coffee bean is slightly present, giving the blend a slightly warm bitterness that balances out the mallow.

 

I did not like the Antikythera Mechanism but right now, I'm grooving on this. A definite try if you like sweet, woody type scents.

[Dark Alice]

What I thought would be warm and snuggly is sharp and dissonant. The coffee note is similar to the one from the Arabian Dance and it smells stale. The khus normally a good note for me makes the mallow smell like old sugar burnt dusty sugar and the wood is almost on the brink of furniture polish. I think this will age wonderfully...but I don't have the patience to wait that long for it.

[PurringPulsar]

Atlas

 

In the imp: eek, vetiver! This isn’t promising, as vetiver is all I smell.

Wet on skin: still heavy on the vetiver, but now I smell fluffy mallow coming out.

Dry on skin: yes, the vetiver is still there, it’s definitely more like proper vetiver rather than the incense like (sandalwood-distilled?) scent of khus, but there’s also a gorgeous scent of mallow. It’s fluffy and soft and fuzzy, and it is sweet, but I wouldn’t say it smells sugary sweet like the usual marshmallow notes. It’s a gentler sweetness…actually this smells more like a vanilla musk than a marshmallow scent. I smell hardly any coffee, other than a hint of something roasted and smoky under the cloud of mallow, this gives the scent a brown hue, like the dusty brown of a moth’s wings. I don’t smell oak but I do think there’s a bit of wood (hinoki?) boosting and grounding the mallow. I do wonder if there’s mallow in Antique Lace, because I swear there’s a slight resemblance here.

After a while: I’m a little sad. Because this has a scent to it that is so much like Antique Lace! No, really, it’s the same vanilla musk scent. It’s glorious, so cosy and sweet but also with something sophisticated to it. But I’m disappointed because underneath it all is a really prominent vetiver note! This vetiver (with a touch of instant coffee bitterness) is spoiling the Antique Lace-y scent with its scent of burnt rubber/asphalt, which really clashes with the soft sweetness. It’s a shame as I was hoping this scent would be a substitute for AL.

Verdict: I’m torn when it comes to this scent. The reason why is because it smells like a battle between the most beautiful mallow note fighting against a contrasting, clashing scent of harsh burnt-smelling vetiver. This vetiver is so aggressive, thankfully the mallow is also very strong, but the vetiver is much too distracting for me to enjoy this. It saddens me even more because this mallow smells INCREDIBLY similar to Antique Lace! If it wasn’t for that khus note, I would have found my replacement for AL when it runs out, but it isn’t to be.

Is it a keeper? I may keep a bit, but no bottle.

If you like this, try: Arabian Dance, The Phoenix in Autumn, Black Lace, Morocco, Antique Lace (if you can get it!)

[angelicruin]

I get almost all vetiver right after application.

 

It does soften as it dries and I begin to pick up the mallow/vanilla-like note. Definite woodsy undertone on my skin as well.

 

This one had a lot of potential, but is just not behaving with my skin. Even dry, I still pick up more smoke & vetiver than I like in my fragrances.

[Chanter]

In the bottle: Ooooh. I went into this one rather expecting to like it, and I wasn't wrong! I get a lovely, woody, incensey smell with something almost nutty in addition. I like this already.

 

Wet on skin: Still pleasantly nutty, still woody, still with a wonderful sharper incense smell that almost reminds me of the saffron in Baghdad. There's something faintly creamy here as well; must be the mallow. I liiiiike this.

 

On drydown: The incensey note mellows just a bit, as does the wood, and now the mallow is coming out a bit more. If it were any stronger, I might object, but as it is I haven't got much of a problem. There's still plenty of the lovely saffron-y and woody notes, and when things combine, they almost do smell leathery or canvas-y if I think about it. This reminds me of summers camping in the Wisconsin woods.

 

I'll be keeping my decant, that's for sure. There miiiight be a bottle in my future too, I'll have to see.

[Melenass]

My first impression is a burst of creamy chocolate, Candy butcher similar. After I get brown leather, and as the skin warms the scent over time, leaving a trail something like the mix of Antique Lace and Morocco. I like this a lot. It is a comforting and cozy scent.

[JLH]

This scent is a great balance of a rich, creamy but never cloying sweetness and burnished woods. I can also some of the roasted goodness of the coffee bean. As it dries, it fades down to the comforting mallow. This blend is so warm and rich!

[calivianya]

Wet, Atlas is a creamy coffee with a hint of woods in the background. As it dries, the mallow comes out, making it sweeter and fluffier. It does smell slightly dusty on my skin, but it is not overpoweringly dusty. On the far drydown, the mallow has left this almost sickeningly sweet. I like sweet scents, but the extreme sweetness of mallow is a little too much for me.

[Balame]

In the Imp: Dry, slightly smokey but sweet woodsiness.

 

Wet: Dry bark and incense. Very nice! A lot of people seem to be saying this is intensely foody and sweet, but I'm almost solely getting the woods and khus. For some reason it almost verges on being peppery, but to me it feels like being under an immense tree with curls of sweet smoke caressing it. Nice to find a forest scent that isn't dominated by pine or juniper.

 

Dry: My skin is drinking this up. It turns largely into a skin scent for me, but then, it's definitely a cuddly smell. The mallow slowly peeks out and provides a delicious creamy background. Reminds me of an incredible outdoor smores roast. Not smelling much coffee.

 

Overall: This is really good, but I wanted the mallow and sweetness to come out just a bit more in order to contrast the peppery incense vibe it has going on. It's not harsh, just hasn't quite struck the proper balance for me. It's right on the verge of a bottle for me.

 

*edit* Just an update, my skin chemistry pulled through and thank goodness for that. I don't know what was going on during my first day of testing this, but Atlas is no longer peppery in the least. It starts out with warm, smoky woods then eases into the delicately soft mallow that almost smells vanilla-ish. It's delicious, beautiful and incredibly snuggle-worthy. So good, in fact, that I consider it my favorite BPAL scent ever!

Edited February 6, 2014 by Balame

[Helas]

I thought I wasn't a fan of foody scents, but BPAL is proving me wrong! Atlas is just quirky enough to hold my attention. It smells like roasting marshmallows on a campfire in a middle of a haunted forest. The mallow note is very sweet and slightly burnt. The woods are dark, smoky, and ominous. The coffee is bitter and balances out the fluffy sweetness of the mallow very nicely. Atlas comes across as androgynous-to-masculine to me, probably because I associate outdoorsy scents with men's colognes. I have to admit I have trouble associating it with the adorable moth on the label - as a whimsical foody scent, it seems more in line with the Monster Bait line to me (Monster Bait: Campfire?) It is a cute and comforting scent with a slight bite to it and I can see myself wearing it regularly once fall comes around, though it may be a touch too sweet for the sweltering summer heat.

[milo]

This is somewhat like Brahmin to me, only a bit foodier and more feminine, though I'd say that this was a unisex blend. I get lots of sweet, mellow wood. If I sniff hard, I can get a bit coffee. This is like a crisp brown marshmallow cooked over an oak fire with the smell of coffee in the background. I'd say this was also very similar to Haloes/Antikythera Mechanism/Osiris v4. I like this, though think it's better suited to cooler months. I may get a bottle, but Haloes is pretty similar to this, so not sure if I need it. Will have to do a side by side, perhaps.