#occupywallstreet

[ami226]

Rock the protester cliché! This is a filthy friggin' patchouli, dark, deep, rooty, and strangely sexy, with cocoa absolute, tobacco absolute, and bourbon vanilla.

 

Whoa! That is some incredibly dirty patchouli! They weren't kidding! Wow, it smells like being in the soil area of a home and garden store. Sadly I can't smell much else from this one. It is just so dusty and dirty.

[Klepz]

I'm so jealous of anyone who got cocoa out of this Because holy patchouli! It's a really rough patchouli, very woodsy, and I totally get the previous reviewers who said they smelled cedar! If I hadn't seen the notes, I would have definitely thought there was cedar in this. There's the tiniest drop of tobacco in this, but zero cocoa. I rolled my bottle forever even though there's no visible cocoa layer, and I think I can see specks of it in the oil, but I can't smell any of it. Same with the vanilla.

 

It doesn't morph at all, and hours later still smells like rough, cedary patchouli

[mymymai]

In the Imp (ITI): The patchouli, the first note I noticed, is a very dirty, earthy one. It reminds me of loam. However, the bourbon vanilla follows close behind, which makes the combination rather pleasant. On second sniff, the tobacco and cocoa both make an appearance, smelling like novelty flavored tobacco.

 

Wet: Dirty patchouli, cocoa, tobacco, and just a hint of vanilla – this scent is incredibly earthy and it reminds me of running through the forest after a fresh rain in fall.

 

Dry: The tobacco is strongest now, with hints of vanilla and patchouli. It’s a nice earthy scent that I would wear on occasion given opportunity.

 

Other Impressions: Hubby smells amber and mildew. Odd. When I told him there was patchouli in the notes, he said “ah, ok, that’s the mildew”.

[liquidtrance]

This scent was a gamble for me. I love tobacco, vanilla is great, I have no special interest in cocoa, and patchouli worries me. I fear smelling like a dirty hippy, but I had to know what #OccupyWallstreet smelled like!

 

I tested this the same day I received it.

In the bottle: Dirty, gritty patchouli for sure! Phew!

Wet: Heavy green patchouli, swirled with tobacco and the barest undercurrent of vanilla or cocoa.

Dry: Holy cedar! Ack! This became an incredibly husky cedar and tobacco scent. Lots of throw.

 

After several days rest, though, this oil behaves MUCH differently on my skin.

Wet: This is still a rich potent patchouli.

Dry: Very quickly this tempers down into an amazing blend of all the notes. The patchouli is completely tempered down by the tobacco (no cedar scent at all!), and the cocoa and vanilla make this a very rich scent. I cannot pick out the patchouli specifically from the blend anymore. I have never been a patchouli fan girl, but this scent makes me change my mind entirely.

Unfortunately it has very little throw, and my skin seems to swallow it within an hour or two now.

 

As a side note, I took a wooden skewer to try and stir the cocoa sediment at the bottom of my bottle as other reviewers had mentioned (it's definitely a strange black, dry sediment down there) and then used the stirrer to apply some oil to my wrists. I then had a fairly heavily oiled stirrer and nowhere to put it, so on a whim I decided "Why not light it on fire?" I have to say if this blend had a smoke note to it, it would be TO DIE FOR. The scent of lightly toasted wood coupled with the burning oil was amazing. Downright amazing.

 

I can only imagine how well this scent will age. I'm definitely keeping my bottle.

 

ETA: No really, this scent is amazing. I have never gotten two bottles of ANYTHING, and really I usually regret a full bottle of most blends... But I am fo' sho' getting another bottle of this.

Edited March 1, 2012 by liquidtrance

[midnight_aeval]

Some time ago I had a partial decant of "Fritz's Distilled Patchouli" a la 2005. This is that same earthy/woodsy patchouli that I smelled from that. As I reread the announcement from 2005, it mentioned that it will need a good 6-12 months to age, assuming that after this time it will really smooth out. That is exactly what I'm hoping for this blend as the patchouli is highly astringent/medicinal. I don't detect any cocoa from this blend; I checked each of my bottles for floating globules of cocoa absolute and didn't find any. I had hoped for a stronger cocoa/vanilla presence to just sweeten it up a tad.

[subtlesiren]

When #ows was released, I grabbed two bottles unsniffed, a first, because it's for a good cause and I had hopes that it would smell like Banshee Beat smothered in smokey chocolate. Upon first smelling the scent in the bottle, I was a little scared, and still am. It does smell filthy. And smokey. Like burning pencils. And why is all the coco absolute stuck at the bottom in a sludgey heap. Come up and play with this filthy friggin' patchouli!

 

I have to admit, I am testing this scent right before I hop in the shower, just in case it reeks so I can quickly wash it off. Ok, here goes. Still getting pencil shavings. And a headache. Curses to you, cocoa and vanilla, for wimping out.

[filigree_shadow]

I'm trying to whittle down my collection, and I'm trying to decide whether to keep La Mano Del Destino or #occupywallstreet. I have both of them on right now, and I'm doing a side-by-side comparison. I like BPAL's patchouli notes, but I really don't need more than a couple of patch scents.

 

La Mano is a drier, more woodsy style of patchouli. Not earthy in the sense that it smells like dirt, but more of a woodsy earthy. I think the tobacco is giving it that dry feel. The cacao comes out more when it's dry.

 

#occupywallstreet smells like pretty much the same patchouli, but it also smells like it has Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo poured over the top of it. Not kidding -- that's exactly what it smells like. It's not bad at all, but honestly it really does smells like patchouli and shampoo.

 

Of the two, I like La Mano better, personally.

[FormerViking]

When I first got this bottle months ago , I was kind of like " where's the patch " . Because it honestly wasn't as strong as I expected it to be . However , now it's pretty much what I expected it to be . Serious in your face patchouli . Very dark & wonderful indeed . Now then , I'm not really getting the other notes . When I first bought it , those were all I got , oddly . I suppose others may get those still . Maybe my body chemistry is hiding them . All I know is I do really like this . Not quite love , but serious like for sure .

[ModderRhu]

this is a BPAL first for me. it's actually too strong. i have never felt that way about a BPAL before

the patchouli isn't that dirty to my nose. it's actually kind of sharp and soapy. i definitely can smell the other notes struggling underneath the patchouli, though. they're being squished!

i know for sure that this will be awesome in a few years or so. it's already calmed down significantly from when i bought my bottles around christmas.

[sharkdiver]

This on me smells just like banshee beat without the vanilla! I'm not getting much cocoa at all, so I actually might try layering this with Bliss...it has about the same throw on me as Banshee Beat (I should also mention, I just did a swap for this, so it's a few months old now - I would assume a little aging has helped it settle down)

[brilliantcat]

This is heavy-duty patch and yet I don't get the dirty hippie-feet odor I always associated with patchouli (until I discovered BPAL and just how GOOD good patch can smell). It's just deep and dark and earthy. It has a touch of that astringency I assumed was the hemp from Banshee Beat but I guess I should blame the patch for some of that too. Like many of you, I'm a Banshee Beat addict. LOVE IT LOVE LOVE IT. So far this is a little scary because of the sheer strength of the patch but Banshee Beat was also pretty scary until it warmed up. I think this one needs some aging to take the edge off the dirty, dirty patchouli.

 

ETA: After giving it over a year to age, I get nothing but patchouli. Dirty, earthy, almost medicinal patchouli that quickly becomes overwhelming. Rather than taming it, age has only given it more bite. Unfortunately it no longer agrees with me so this will have to go to swaps.

Edited October 11, 2013 by brilliantcat

[mermaidsdream]

Dark & dirty is right -- in the imp, I get dirty patchouli. On me ... dirty patchouli. There's a slight woodsy smell to it, but I don't get cocoa, vanilla, or tobacco (maybe that's the woodsy smell I get?) Here's hoping it tempers down a little; this is STRONG.

 

ETA: After a full day of wearing #occupy, this amount of patchouli and maybe this type of patchouli has given me a horrid headache I really wanted to like this one, and I'm thankful I was given an imp to test before buying a whole bottle.

Edited March 1, 2013 by mermaidsdream

[Magycmyste]

In bottle: definitely a woody scent (the patchouli, I guess?) but I can smell a bit of the cocoa shining through, with a little bit of sweetness that may have come from the vanilla.

 

Wet on skin: this scent didn't really change much for me, it's still that woody smell, with the chocolate and hint of vanilla in the background. I'm wondering now if the woody smell is a combination of the patchouli and tobacco absolute (I have to admit, I am not fond of tobacco smell at all, but that mostly comes from hating the scent of cigarette smoke). I'm not really familiar enough with the smell of patchouli by itself, I think to be able to identify it properly.

 

Dry on skin: I'm getting a little more of a "smoke" smell now, along with the other scents, but the whole thing is much more subtle on me now. Despite the smoke smell, i kind of like it.

 

Verdict: *** 1/* I don't know if I would wear this on a regular basis or not, since there are other scents I like better, but.... I'm definitely interested. Is it weird to say I find this scent intriguing? It makes me want to explore its notes, even if I might not like what I find.

[sharkdiver]

Just adding that since my bottle of #OWS didn't have any cocoa sludge, I added a little bit of cocoa absolute to my bottle and Voila! BB's chocolatey sister! This was what I was hoping to get from OWS - initially, without the Cocoa abs., the patch was so strong that it started to turn furniture polish smell on me, like pledge... But with the addition of the cocoa, it stays a nice earthy sweet chocolatey patch...mmmm

[Vega]

Sniffed: Nothing but dirty patchouli.

 

On skin: This is not the rooty, gentle, smooth patchouli of Banshee Beat that I like. This is the glowing, sharp, pungent patchouli that's also in Masquerade, Rakshasa and Omen -- the patchouli that I really don't like. The other three notes are contributing a breath of warm, foodie sweetness, but their voices are wholly drowned out by this dominating patchouli. Truly, there is nothing subtle about this scent: it's loud, brash and unashamed (and unwashed if I may add), quite appropriate for the Occupy Wall Street movement, even though patchouli is doing all the screaming. Over time the scent does settle a bit, and if I huff deeply I can reach down to some gritty tobacco and sweet vanilla and cocoa. But by that time the scent is thoroughly destroyed. Colour impression is dirt-brown with a pink touch.

 

Verdict: What a shame. These four notes sounded so very promising together, but the patchouli had to ruin everything. I won't be keeping this.

Edited December 9, 2013 by Vega

[Aviatrix]

This one was patch like WHOA on me. Not something I'd want to smell like again, but if you enjoy patchouli (or just don't amp it like crazy like me) you'll probably like it

[tinyvulture]

Strong, earthy, gritty patchouli. Almost too strong...it irritates my skin if I slather too much.

 

The tobacco absolute lends an exotic spiciness in the background. No cacao or vanilla on me; not foody in the least.

 

I love patchouli, so I love this hippie goodness. Just gotta be careful not to overdo it.

[LiberAmoris]

When I first tested Occupy Wall Street, the patchouli skewed a little astringent and vegetal on me, even though I liked the vibe of the blend. Three and a half years later, the patchouli is still assertive, with all the earthiness and rawness that I remember from when I first tried it, but the edges have been rounded off a bit. The cocoa, tobacco, and vanilla are still very faint.

 

This is definitely the kind of patch that freaks some people out. I happen to love a good gritty patch. To me, this kind of 'unrefined' patchouli smells leafy, murky, and a tiny bit minty and vetiver-y, like if a plant sipped up resins through a green straw. And then there's a weird, satisfying undercurrent of mossy, nearly algae-ish, wet bracken—like a combination of water damage on books inside and something swampy/mildewy outside. It smells like the push of living and the muck of decay, and there's just something compelling in the interplay that makes me feel more connected to both. I understand that I'm likely in the minority of people who find this appealing!

[roseus]

Very earthy and flithy (in the best way) patchouli. Next I get a lightly sweet tobacco and a whiff of vanilla, with just a tiny tiny tiny bit of cocoa. I love this, especially for days when Ask the Nearest Hippie isn't quite dirty enough!

[LizziesLuck]

Due to my love of Banshee Beat/RR, I had to give this a go too. There's lots of sediment in it, which won't seem to incorporate, but I am hoping I will still be able to smell the cocoa!

(OK, so it was refusing to mix at all, so I warmed the bottle in my elbow for a while, and finally stirred it with a clean pipette, but it's still pretty separated.)

 

Wet: Whoa. Yes, that's some dirty patch right there. I don't think the other notes are going to be enough to sweeten it up to the point where I like it. *sigh*

 

 

Dry: Yep, too much dry, earthy patch for me. I like a sweeter, sexier patch than this. But if you're a true patchouli lover, this one is not to be missed!

[achildoftime]

This bottle definitely has some sediment that just won't incorporate. I tried all the recommendations and there are just spots that won't budge. I'm not the biggest fan of cocoa in the first place so it doesn't bother me that much, but it does help add some context.

 

It's absolutely a dry and earthy patchouli. It's very gritty and has a nice chewy tobacco behind it. I get no sweetness at all from this. It kind of reminds me of my days volunteering to clear away invasive plant species and tree debris from local forest preserves. It's earthy and muddy, but not in the same way a soil note it. I'm not the biggest patchouli fan, but I'll happily hold on to this to scratch that itch when I get it.

[cassiejaynebunk]

I love this. Its Banshee Beats more ecperienced older sister. Friggin awesome.

Edited February 17, 2018 by cassiejaynebunk

[Lucchesa]

I was lucky enough to try a decant of this, but given that everyone reports cocoa absolute stuck to the bottom of their bottles, it might be missing some of that note, no matter how stellar my decanter was. But this isn't about the cocoa anyway; #occupywallstreet is big, bad (filthy friggin') patchouli. If there's tobacco, it melds seamlessly with the patch; if there's bourbon vanilla, it cannot shout loudly enough to be heard above the patch. It seems similar to me to the patchouli in Depraved, which I recently bought a bottle of; otherwise I would be going in search of a bottle of this, and I may anyhow -- it's pretty great. To think, a little over a year ago, I was totally patchouli-avoidant. Ha! Good throw and wear length.

[torischroeder9]

In the bottle: Patchouli and tobacco hit me first, but an extra sniff tells me they're rounded out with something subtly sweet. I can't pick out the cocoa or vanilla specifically, but I can tell that something with sweetness is tempering the other two notes. 

 

On my skin: 

  

Patchouli rushes to the surface, but there's a subtler mix of notes handing closer to my skin, waiting to sort themselves out.

 

Ten minutes in, and it's still predominantly patchouli, now accented by the sharpness of tobacco and tempered with a bit of the cocoa (and possibly including vanilla here). The overall impression is an earthy scent, but not necessarily a "filthy" one. I've definitely experienced patchouli blends that were harsher to my nose than this is. 

 

A half hour later, and this is where it seems to stay for me. The cocoa-vanilla balance shifts so the vanilla is a little more prominent, but the scent as a whole doesn't become any sweeter. 

 

It's not an "all the time" blend for me, but it's a very useful "dirty" perfume (for example, one I wear after a night out if I haven't had time to shower). 

[semuelle77]

I just received a bottle in the mail yesterday from a fellow forumite. This morning I applied for the first time.

 

Fleshly wet on the skin....whoa boy! Patchouli! I'm guessing black patch, as it is eye wateringly strong and sharp. This is (as mentioned by many) incredibly dirty smelling. Were I not a seasoned lover of patchouli I would probably wash it off at this point. That is how strong it is. I love me some patch, though, and know how much it morphs as it dries. I smell absolutely nothing else. Only patch.

 

20 minutes later...The patchouli is starting to calm down and round out a bit. It is slightly less "in your face." I'm starting to pick up something else in the background. Possibly the tobacco? 

 

A coworker just stopped in my classroom and commented on how nice it smelled...over by my door on the other side of the room! I had opened the bottle over there, so maybe that explains it. Luckily, she is a big fan of patchouli. (She was super excited to learn about BPAL!)

 

Dry...I get just a hint of the cedar other have mentioned, but not much. (Thank goodness, since cedar smells like BO on me!) There is just the tiniest bit of sweetness right at my skin. It could be the vanilla. It almost have a slight coconut tinge to it. It has faded tremendously, which is a bit disappointing. I'm hoping it is just that my nose is a bit stuffy. I don't think I could apply any more than I did without the wet stage being overwhelming. I have some cocoa absolute at home that I may need to layer with this to help bump the cocoa note. Otherwise, it is a great patchouli. Almost a SN, but a bit rounder.

 

Overall: I'm glad I snagged a bottle, but will not be hunting down backup bottles. This is definitely a bold scent, not one I would wear every day. Perhaps it will be for those days I need a bit of a boost in confidence or if I am feeling particularly fierce.