The Heinous Hedge-Maze

[jolarocknrolla]

Claustrophobic pathways of neglected boxwood and thorny rosemary intersecting at impossible angles, twisting into itself.

Heady, overpowering green woody scent ... deep dark woods scent with a deeper sweetness throught. I expected Rosemary and sort of dreaded it since it has a tendency to smell medicinal on me, but what we have here smells more like a juniper bush with a bit of cypress greenery. There is a "perfumey" quality to the greenery, with a very strong initial throw. I also get just the slightest hit of aquatic in there that reminds me of BLITHE HOLLOW. The scent sweetens up but never loses the big green-ness of the wet stage, it just sort of receedes in throw hour after hour but doesn't morph much outside of amping the perfumey sweetness a bit.

[OctoberGwen]

As the poster above said: a very woody green scent, without rosemary's usual distinct smell. It's pretty much what I would expect to experience if I stuck my face into a hedge and inhaled.

 

I quite like it, but it's not something for me to wear.

[Soniadevi]

Wow! This smells just like that lovely row of trees growing like a fence to give privacy to your garden. It's actually very pleasant, not overly rosemary like, but quite woody/green. In fact, if you really want to get into the fantasy of it all, imagine you're lost in a labyrinthine structure of hedges, cloaked in a damp mist- with that thrilling feeling of being lost, but knowing that you'll find your way out eventually... Or will you? It truly is perfectly described, and I like to really go with the description given by the lab, enter the world that has been created for me, as Beth does such a perfect job of conjuring up these concepts, and in this case, this thorny, almost menacing green labyrinth, where your only enemy is your own fear...

Edited October 12, 2012 by Soniadevi

[Caper]

This is my favorite of all the first round weenies I've tried. I love the herbal green quality (similar to Hagsgate and Witch's Garden) and the hint of rosemary adds a unique touch. I was worried the rosemary might be overwhelming, but it really isn't. If you like green growing scents, get a bottle of this one, it is green but not soapy at all.

 

[ReallyZeb]

When I first apply it I get a blast of wet green loveliness, dark green leaves, much fresher than box normally is. Once it's dry I also get a hint of roses too, white roses rather than red. I can close my eyes and imagine tall hedges studded with white roses. But not a hint of rosemary anywhere.

 

I don't find it claustrophobic at all, but I do have an affinity for hiding in greenery

[stellamaris]

I love this, it's lush and fresh and green, no dead decaying bleech...just all love and goodness and yes.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Yep, those are hedges. I’ll call it boxwood dominant with strong rosemary support. They go together well, though are a bit overwhelming. Wet: Boxwood get a touch rancid buttery on my skin. I’m suspecting my bizarre skin chemistry of being the culprit. Luckily, it moves past it quickly and a dirt note and some sort of purpleish honeysuckle like flower comes out. The flower is gorgeous with the boxwood and rosemary. The result is simultaneously wild and delicate. It’s not remotely me, but this would be gorgeous on the right woman. Dry: A little weird on the dry down. Mostly boxwood.

[zankoku_zen]

Boxwood and rosemary. It's uncanny how this smells like a green hedge. Tinge of mud-damp and aquatic greenness give it the creepy vibe. It actually smells... bloated.

 

A creepy green hedge that likes to eat people. That's what it smells like.

[milo]

VERY green, and slightly wet, like green leaves and grass, so yeah, basically a hedge. It reminds me of one of the Amanda Palmer blends, the lettuce one I think. This one is a bit cologney too. Nice, but not me.

[kjirstiben]

This is a wet, green, herbal scent. Unfortunately my skin hates those. I can tell it would be really great on the right person, but on me it went (as herbal scents are wont to do) to a burnt rubber/perfumed powder place, and it never came back. Sigh.

[Little Bird]

Heinous Hedge-Maze is like a damp, cool, green grass and herbs type of scent. The drydown is a little perfumey on me, like some sort of floral note is hiding underneath all the greenery. It's rather light and clean smelling on me. I love the name of this one, but I rarely find myself wearing green scents. I might keep my decant, but don't need more.

[MissMercurial]

This is almost eerily accurate on the recreating boxwood as a note. Like, freshly crushed boughs of it accurate.

It's dark and definitely green, without being heavy, which interests me. Despite the fact that boxwood is normally relegated to the realm of men's cologne this still feels mostly feminine to me. Probably 70-30 feminine to masculine. There's definitely some white florals on the border of this to help with that perception, I think.

 

As a side note, this sucker lasted forever on my skin - probably at least two days.

[thekittenkat]

In the decant: Green hedge leaves and fresh wood.

 

Wet: Real sharp fresh green growing leaves!

 

The dry-down: Much as when wet. Hints of the rosemary. This doesn't seem to smell quite like boxwood, a hedge that I don't care much for, so that's all to the good. However, it's not really me either, and might work better on a guy. I'll see if the SO wants to try it, and then will report back.

[mymymai]

ITI: Very green and woody with the sweeter aspects of rosemary.

 

Wet: A bit sharper on the skin, and more green wood that has been cut. The rosemary is not as sweet here, but it's still an interesting scent.

 

Dry: After 14 hours, none of the scent remains. It's a bit perfume-y and bitterly green after 45 minutes. It's okay, but I'm not super fond of it.

[JazzieCazzie]

After trying to figure out how to search the entire BPAL catalogue for a scent containing boxwood, a wonderful mod pointed me in this direction and, once I'd read the notes and reviews, I was doubly-lucky to find a forumite who would sell an imp to me ...

 

A little history, I have loved the scent of boxwood since way before I knew what it was called. It was the scent I inhaled when I'd walk through the streets and gardens of old-town Williamsburg with my family, or even before that, with my 7th grade class trip. A lovely fresh green scent of spring and old and new. But I never smelled a boxwood perfume, and -- a city girl -- what did I know from boxwood.

 

Then our landscaper added a boxwood bush to our house and I immediately made the connection. It brings me back every day to that lovely feeling of our history and our future melded into a green fugue of beauty.

 

So ... IN THE IMP: So very very very green in a just so slightly dried and desiccated way. I wouldn't call it the pure boxwood of my childhood but it is certainly a wonderful green stems and stalks and leaves and nothing else scent.

 

ON WRIST AND CROOK OF ARM:

 

WET: I smell of the inside of a cool, quiet florist shop on Lexington Avenue, where I've taken a few bunches of flowers out of the refrigerator and had the florist snip off the ends and pull a few stems to take home to my mom. It is also very much what my favorite Tarot oil STRENGTH smells like though that has more amber.

 

DRY: On drydown it gets a little more, well, dry ... herbal and soapy, just slightly soapy. I smell ineffably clean. I could wear this to work with no trouble at all no matter where I worked.

 

OVERALL: It's not boxwood for me. And it's not Strength. But it's a green florist shop scent that dries down to a clean, calm, soapy, subtle scent that can go anywhere and be unique and sophisticated without being in your face. Can't ask for much more than that!!!

 

On a scale of 1-5, about a 4.

[Zii]

Wet: I love me some woods and this is not disappointing. Of all the BPAL's I've tried, this is probably the closest to the actual experience of green plants. It smells like freshly cut hedges.

 

Drying: This is not morphing at all, save for getting a bit closer to the skin. There's not much throw on this, but it's super yummy.

 

Dry: Maybe it's a little sweeter, but it is a very consistent blend on me, which hasn't been my typical experience. Can't wait to try it layered with Graveyard Dirt.

[VetchVesper]

Green!  Kelly green! Grassy. Sort of soapy.  This smells like it should be some sort of vividly colored bath product for kids.  Green musk is hanging out in the background. Rosemary is actually not something I'm getting.  Maybe lily of the valley?  There's something sort of spring floral meets soap going on, and that's what lily of the valley does on me.  Hmmm... Very fun to try, but not something I'd wear much.

 

I see white roses were mentioned above.  Yes, that might be the floral I'm getting. Lettuce too.  This is both green and aquatic, with a hint of watery vegetables. Maybe a bit like Planting Moon, but far soapier on me.