Uncle Travelling Matt

[Dharklady]

The magic is always there, as long as we keep looking for it.

Gobo's Uncle Travelling Matt is the greatest living Fraggle explorer – the Fraggle equivalent of an astronaut. After completing his exploration of Fraggle Rock, he ventured forth into our world, a place the Fraggles call “Outer Space.”

Dark chocolate, figgy vanilla, pear, and quince.

This is a gorgeous mix of deep chocolate and the lab's lovely jammy quince note when applied. I don't get a lot of morph and it's lasting power isn't fantastic on me (no surprise there!) it is definitely worth reapplying. A must try for chocolate/fruit lovers.

[SadariEvenstar]

Uncle Traveling Matt just broke my heart. I don't smell any of the notes listed, just a horrible high pitched sweet tart fruity smell. The same screeching high fruit note that ruined Sprinklecake. No chocolate, no pear, nothing but Sweet Tarts candy.

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Floralish fruit notes and a touch of chocolate. This smells a bit like one of the Thirteens.

 

Wet: Quince and pear, over a flat base that's sort of like fig. Fig always goes very thick on me; while this has the impression of a figgy substrate, it's not nearly as thick as usual. But on me this is definitely a fruity scent, not a chocolate one.

 

One hour: Surprisingly ethereal, this is mostly a lightly floral fruit scent. I'm not getting any chocolate and very little vanilla. The pear and quince notes read very floral rather than juicy-sweet. There's a sort of thick tangy sweetness in the background that I assume is fig.

 

Two hours: The tangy sweet note is stronger; it smells like a dried fig now, but it does not have the thick powdery sweetness of some other fig notes (as in Hetairae and Lucifer). The quince note is strong too, although trending toward fruit rather than floral. I'm getting almost no vanilla and no chocolate, so this seems to have settled into a mature fruity scent.

 

Three hours: Lighter now, but still pretty much unchanged. The fruit notes are soft rather than sharp or juicy, and at this point some soft vanilla is beginning to emerge from behind the fruit.

 

Normally my skin absorbs chocolate notes, so I'm not surprised that the chocolate didn't last on me. I enjoyed the quince-pear pairing, though; both of those fruits have delicious floral overtones. The fig note is unusual, lighter and tangier than the usual. I enjoyed this more than I enjoy most chocolate blends.

[stellamaris]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah this is so gooooooooooooooood!!!!!!!!! I love this! It starts out as delicious dark chocolate, and shortly thereafter becomes a fresh juicy fruity thingie omg I love this!!!!!!!!!!! And it's not limited!!!!!!! I have to buy some!!! Right now!!!!!!

Um, yeah so little bit excited about this one...

 

So...some days have gone by, got my big bottle of this...still ridiculously good. I need 41 bottles of this. Stat. copy?

So flipping good. Lasts forever too. really good. have I mentioned good?

This one makes me silly. OK sillier.

Edited June 28, 2012 by stellamaris

[lilyana]

I don't understand! This smells like a cough drop to me, complete with nostril-burning menthol.

[orata]

I'm not really a fan of Uncle Traveling Matt. It smells a bit like Raisinets or those Cadbury fruit and nut chocolate bars: a little bit of dark chocolate, and a lot of something sticky, dry-fruity, almost boozy-smelling, and dark like raisins (this must be the fig and quince combo). The throw seems pretty good. The fruity, fermented note reminds me of Hermes Ambre Narguile, but it's not as thick or rich a scent without the backing amber, and the chocolate fades fast, leaving behind just that sort of sticky alcoholic rum-raisin scent.

[kawaiiferreto]

This was really interesting! Chocolate hates me, so I was expecting to hate this, and I can't say I like it per se, but I'm really glad I got the chance to smell it. The chocolate doesn't amp and take over the blend like usually happens for me (maybe because it's DARK chocolate?) It's creamy figgy pear fruitness -- sweet fruit, not bright or sour -- with a hint of chocolate. It's quite rich and dessert-y. It's way foodier than I would ever wear, but it smells delicious!!

[Penance]

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I immediately put Uncle Matt on my "to try" list as soon as I read the ingredients. There was a time where I never would have tried this since I hated both chocolate and (most) fruit scents, but since my taste in scents has expanded, Uncle Matt was sounding pretty good. I've never smelled quince but I like fig and pear. Dark chocolate is my favorite type of chocolate as perfume and vanilla is usually a winner. I'm hopeful that this one's going to work, especially since I jumped right into a bottle instead of tracking down a decant.

 

First sniff:

 

Chocolatey in that rich, cocoa-ish dark chocolate way. I also get the vanilla, which adds a gentle sweetness and hints of the fig (rich, dark, bordering on cloying, but not in a bad way) and pear (sweet, light and subtle). I think maybe I smell the quince, but it could just be the pear. There's something almost like a cross between pear and apple lurking somewhere in there. Quince, is that you?

 

Wet on skin:

 

Uncle Matt smells the same on me as in the bottle for about 5 seconds and then starts to change rapidly. I'm guessing what I start smelling has to be the quince, because it's not any of the other notes. It has a sort of cough syrup smell to it (weirdly enough, it smells like prescription cough syrup, not the over the counter variety...I can't described the difference, but to me they're not the same creature), which I wasn't anticipating. I have a feeling it's my skin chemistry doing strange things to either the quince or some combination of the other notes.

 

Dry down:

 

Thankfully, the cough syrup phase doesn't last very long. Once it disappears, I'm left with a surprisingly soft chocolate and vanilla scent (comforting and sweet without being truly foody to my nose) with sweet, soft fruits in the background. Most of the fig disappears and it turns into a sort of golden apple/pear scent with only a tiny bit of the fig haging around in the far background.

 

The bottom line:

 

I like this one. It's not quite what I was anticipating (I was thinking it would be more like the box of chocolates scents; foody in an unexpected way), but it's nice all the same. I'm actually more apt to wear this than if it was a genuinely foody scent since I'm not a big gourmand fan (with some exceptions), so I can't complain about it going a different direction.

[boxinghelena]

Uncle Travelling Matt:

 

I bought this one right away since I'm a sucker for dark chocolate & fig scents. I didn't smell fig but the dark chocolate was a stand out in the bottle and something melon-like.

 

Rut ro, kinda went rancid melon or sour melon once I dabbed it on my wrist. But after about ten min. or so, it morphed back into chocolately goodness.

 

I like it and I think it will age nicely.

[Gateau]

Like many others here, UTM is very chocolately in the bottle and immediately wet on skin, but then starts going fruity within seconds. This is fine with me, as I think I prefer chocolate scents more in theory than on my skin. The fruit turns tangy and tropical in the tamarind or passionfruit vein. It's like eating the jelly inside of a chocolate with a fruit filling center. pretty fast fade on this too.

 

I have a partial bottle from my decant circle, so I'll probably keep it, but I don't think this will be a go-to scent for me.

[Gwydion]

In Bottle: This is gorgeous and rich in the imp. The dark chocolate is dominent, but the pear is a close second. The quince and fig support the pear, the vanilla blends the chocolate and pear and is a strong third in it’s own right. Omnomnom. Wet: The pear and quince are more separate and distinct, but still work together beautifully. The pear is now strongest with the quince second. The rest of the notes hover in the background, present and delicious with the dominant notes, but not asserting themselves. This is delicious and sharp and makes me want to lick my arm. Dry: Heavenly. The remains of the fruit and the dark chocolate and hint of vanilla are perfect.

[a_llb]

In bottle: Dark and a little boozy chocolate. Sticky sweet!

 

Wet: I don't recognize the front note; it must be quince. Fruity and decadent, with fig and pear not far behind.

 

Dry: Vanilla, with a balmy aura of fruits. Simple, yet pleasing.

 

Verdict: I expected the chocolate to be more prominent, but I think the fruit pairs together really well.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

This could easily have been one of the Chocolate Box scents. milk chocolate with an awful, bitter, high-pitched soured topnote

(probably the pear? love to eat 'em, but everything i can think of that i've tried that's supposed to smell pear-y just smells bad)

[Alshneato]

This smells similar Sugar Plum Fairy v3 on me, I am not really getting any chocolate...

[zankoku_zen]

Fig, vanilla, pear, and a hint of quince. This is a very figgy/fruity blend.

 

It's a little odd, and I think that may be the chocolate coming through.

 

I'm very torn on this being too sweet, or actually kinda wearable.

[prunesnprisms]

It may be way too early to say I love this, but I think I might just love this. There's a quince note I haven't smelt in anything else that worked well on my skin since Autumn Moon of the Mirror Stand. The dark chocolate grounds it on my skin, and it has lingered close all day.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

I'm very torn on this being too sweet, or actually kinda wearable.

Yeah.. that's where I am with this one too

 

I'll admit.. I got excited about the prospect of dark chocolate, figgy vanilla and pear - the kind of excitement that tricks my brain into telling me "don't worry about the quince, it won't be noticeable - you'll like it". When will I learn?

 

Quince, you stinky bastard. Why did you have to mess this up? Me and dark chocolate, we got a thing goin' on - don't you know? And WTF are you doing, messing with my figgy vanilla and pear? You don't belong in here! You've ruined everything!! Where's the chocolate? I dunno. Where's the vanilla? I dunno. Where's the fruit? OH IT'S RIGHT HERE IN MY FACE.

 

I think it's not just the quince that's spoiling this for me - I suspect it's actually the fig + quince combination that just isn't sitting right on my skin. Fig is usually a winner for me, with its rich fleshy darkness, but with the quince it's giving off a slightly boozy smell that I just can't decide whether I like. And the pear on top is giving it a slightly bitter edge. Fruit combo fail

 

I won't give up on you, Uncle Matt - I think there's hope, and perhaps in time that quince will mellow out a bit, so for now I'll keep my decant and see what happens.

[obsidienne]

I was so excited for this blend because BPAL's fig note is one of my all-time favourites -- combined with chocolate and vanilla? YES PLEASE!

 

Alas, the quince and pear combined with the other notes made Wine Gums Light ™, i.e., a very faint scent of wine gums. I had such high hopes for this, but I also kinda knew deep down that the quince and pear would keep this from being a win. Too much fruit never works on me.

 

UTM is incredibly faint on me, too. Pretty, but just not what I wanted out of this scent. I'd like to come back to my decant in six months and see if anything changes.

 

 

... stupid quince....

Edited July 3, 2012 by obsidienne

[StinkyPinky]

In the decant: Wow, smells so sweet and pretty. Chocolate and vanilla together + fruit are definitely my thing! The more sweet and creamy the better, and this has a nice tartness from the fruit (quince is citrus, right?), where it starts smelling like creamy chocolate dipped citrus fruits. Just from sniffing, I sort of want a bottle already.

 

On wet: An immediate burst of creamy sweetness and tart tangy fruitiness. I like this very much. After a few moments the chocolate vanilla creamy yumminess starts to fade and there is a bit more sharp high-pitched fruit. I guess that’d be the quince, and the pear and fig starting to come out. It’s starting to smell a bit artificial on my skin now. I still like it, but I’m getting a hint of –dare I say it- potpourri? But it was so lovely in the vial! WTF, skin? This is why I need a scent locket.

 

Drydown: Potpourri/artificial fruit city. Ugh, I really hate when my skin does this. Must try scenting the clothes or something while I scheme a way to buy me a scent locket. Because the chocolate and vanilla creamy fruit stage was so, so nice! And totally gone now.

[fetish911]

Chocolate and fruit in the bottle...yum!

On- the choco note quickly fades and pear and quince pop out with a tangy twinge. I am not quite sure what quince smells like but i have to assume its the quince? Pear notes rarely work on me- the disaster that was The Vine -Im lookin at you!!

 

This dries down to a wierd potpouri scent like the above poster mentioned. It almost had a spice like feel to it. Wierd and then faded so quickly. UTM has totally left me in the dust and booked it the hell outta here....he's gone. I could smell this for all of 15 mins, tops. I am suprised this fades so quickly and morphed as much as it did. It was so promising in the bottle(shrugs).

[Little Bird]

All of the Fraggle scents are kinda simple and artificial smelling, but I actually like this one. It smells like pear gummis, a little bit of tropical fruit, and a prickly, woodsy edge from the fig (almost a little like cedar to me, but I love the lab's fig note). I can't really pick out the chocolate. The only problem is that this seriously only lasts about five minutes on my skin, even if I slather.

[mymymai]

ITI: It smells like dark chocolate and bubblegum to me. I’m not sure if it is the quince that’s registering as bubblegum for me, but it is an unusal scent so far.

 

Wet: The chocolate becomes fainter as the jammy quince takes over, followed by a little vanilla. It still reads as strange to my nose, but it is sweetly girly.

 

Dry: Still very jammy from the quince, but I can detect more of the vanilla and pear once dried. The chocolate is very faint now, but it does make me want some.

[angelamaria]

In decant: foody! I'm getting fig, pear, and a hint of vanilla. Actually, my first whiff was chocolate, but the second whiff--yeah, not so much.

 

Wet on skin: rather unexpected: pear, which makes this blend fruity as opposed to foody. The chocolate is still not present. To be honest I'm a little bemused, as I kind of expected something foody and chocolate, but rather I'm getting pear and figgy vanilla. I wish I knew what "quince" smelled like on its own.

 

Dry: well, yeap. This is a pear scent--pear and a hint of vanilla. A bit unexpected. I am also...sort of at a loss for words.

 

Verdict: yeah, well.

[flyby]

I had a reasonable expectation that this would work on me, and it did, but in the complete opposite way than I was expecting.

 

In the vial and wet, this is quite a dark fruity chocolate, very much the fig and the chocolate at the forefront and without much vanilla at all.

 

As it dries, the quince starts to come forward, and on me it ends up very much a quince blend with the fig and chocolate giving it a sort of delicious rounded depth and just a hint of vanilla over the top. Unlike many fruit blends which can go sickly-sweet or boozy on me, this does neither; it's sweet but with a little tartness behind, amazingly well-blended and rounded.

 

Not much throw (what there is, is that hint of fruity vanilla) but holy hell am I huffing my wrist. Must buy all the bottles.

[KittyHawk]

Quince is one of my least favorite notes, but Uncle Travelling Matt is my FAVORITE of all the Fraggles, so I had to give him a whirl anyway.

 

In the imp: I can catch a faint whiff of deep, delicious dark chocolate for about... two seconds? Then it's overtaken by the dreaded QUINCE HI I'M QUINCE AND I SMELL LIKE COUGH SYRUP AND I HATE YOU. Rancid cough syrup.

 

Wet: There's the pear, but again, the quince is overpowering it. This makes me sick to my stomach, actually. No figgy vanilla (PLEASE Beth, put some figgy vanilla in another blend; it sounds so delectable! ), no chocolate. Just QUINCE.

 

Dry: It does get marginally better - the quince recedes a bit after about an hour, but I can't abide the interim. So bummed.

 

I'm so jealous of everyone who can wear quince; I can imagine how rich and decadent (and silly!) this blend would be on the right skin chemistry. Unfortunately, it's not mine. Still, I have an empty bottle to love, at least, and I will proudly display Uncle Matt in my own little section of outer space.