As Above

[The Poison Queen]

Leather drenched with white patchouli, oak bark, bourbon vanilla, bitter almond, and Moroccan jasmine.

In the bottle: Almond and oak, almost with a bit of smoky leather to it!

Wet: Almond and oak with just a hint of patchouli and a breath of jasmine, still a tinge of that leather scent. Not my usual style of perfume, but LOVELY on me!

Drydown: Soft sweet almond. Despite being earthy in tone, this is actually a very airy scent to me! I do really like it!

Dry: Sweet jasmine and leather, in a very pleasant way. No idea how the leather in this is working on me, but it's lovely!

[Trickster]

In the bottle: Cherry licorice - which is the almond. It's all I can smell.

 

Wet: Almond almond almond, just as in the bottle.

 

5 seconds later: Jasmine, full force.

 

Drydown: Pale leather with a breath of almond and jasmine.

[lookingglass]

Wet: Squirting cherry almond, freshly tooled leather, and sweet, almost coconutty jasmine all rush to the front right away, like dom getting ready to bake an almond cream cake with the windows thrown wide open in spring. It's hilariously, bizarrely awesome and just makes me smile.

 

Drying down: almond softens...less cherry...more like soft marzipan...and mingles with the dark vanilla, becoming more creamy, but not too sweet. The leather stays at the forefront, waxy, zingy, and unabashedly LEATHERY.

 

Dry: THERE's the white patchouli! I've been LOOKING for YOU! (She's really why I bought the bottle blind!) Definitely patchouli, but soft and herbal, slightly rooty and indolic, but not really floral...it's hard to tell where the patchouli ends and the floral/wood accord begins, because this is a new BPAL note to me (I've smelled other White Patchoulis, and they've been more woody/floral...less patchouli than this-go figure!). Leather/Wood/Patchouli gather together and grrrowl...smooth and hard. Jasmine is not all cray-cray...she's leaving that job to the LEATHER... just adds a bit of live, delicate warmth.

 

I can imagine smelling like this as I run through a sodden forrest, tearing and soiling the hem of my trailing lace dress, new leather corset laced far too tightly for such a warm day, to an impromptu, and quite mad, tea party. It's a quirky blend of severe and bohemian...grounded and airy...sweet and dank...nature made and human processed.

 

I'm reminded of classic, badassed, leathery perfumes like Bandit, but with a distinctly modern twist. BRAVA!

 

I really, really like this blend, and look forward to getting to know her better. She's a strange one!

Edited October 5, 2013 by lookingglass

[midnight_aeval]

This is a pretty fantastic leather blend for those that may be turned off by heavy leather notes. Present, but not overpowering. Each note in this blend shares the stage with the others, not one comes off as particularly dominant. The oak bark and patchouli lends an earthy/dry/dusty feel; bourbon vanilla and bitter almond lend a touch of sweetness; and the jasmine makes it lean more feminine although it contains leather.

[ladymeag]

In the bottle - Soapy leather. Not really blown away with hope here - the first Haute Macabre scent was all cherry chapstick on me and I'm getting a whiff of that, too, so I'm kind of thinking that this will be a soapy-floral-fail.

 

On the skin - Slightly jasmine leather. This may be breaking my no-florals rule, it's not sharp and doesn't seem to be causing a headache. The almond is warming up a bit and losing the cherry chapstick feel it had in the bottle. Patchouli completely absent here and never seems to make an appearance. The vanilla and almond are playing very nicely together, not cloying, not foody, not plastic. At full dry-down this has some serious sillage and amazing staying power, I was still wearing it after taking a shower.

 

On my spouse - Smoky, sweet, hints of sasparilla. Oak bark with vanilla and almond are adding up to a woodsy root beer barrel.

 

AS ABOVE and SO BELOW layered together:

Warm, creamy, leather with a little bit of coconut sweetness and almond warmth. The jasmine seems to get buried in with the mingled scents but it makes for a very well-rounded very complex perfume.

 

If you like this, you might like: Liz (though Liz is sharper all around)

[SophieCedar]

I'll say this in both As Above and So Below reviews: as a set, they're very complimentary and work well worn simultaneously on the body, given their own spots. They have a wonderful glowing duality.

 

As Above:

Its so close the the original Haute Macabre! Just slightly lighter, thinner, and more floral. The oak leaf and bourbon vanilla tend to dominate on me which I TOTALLY don't mind .. The throw is amazing and the leather very well balanced. I'm learning I love any blend with White Patchouli and happy to have a couple recent releases exhibiting this wonderful earthy melder. I call this a Daytime Haute Macabre. Worth keeping and I might get a back up.

[Monday]

As Above is a lot like Haute Macabre. Smelling from the bottle there is hardly a difference at all just a sliiight hint of jasmine in As Above. On my skin it still smells the same but severely watered down. It vanishes completely after a few minutes.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

Oh dear... when my bottles first arrived and I de-lidded As Above, I was assaulted by a blast of almond. Yes, assaulted! Aww sheeit, I say to myself, this is not good. But I put my fears aside, for I am an intrepid BPALer! I know that notes who jump out of bottles up my nose don't always have the same vigour once they get on my skin. Like you - stupid almond... you think you're all that when you're safe in your little glass home, but let's see if you can stand your ground when I get you out

 

Sadly... I have to report that yes, the almond does stand its ground when it gets out. Really... this is all about the almond (which translates to cherry cough syrup on my skin) - way too much about the almond It's almond who ruined the original Haute Macabre blend for me... and it's doing it here too, damnit! And then peeking out behind the almond is the jasmine - a note that typically does not work for me (although the Moroccan variety is often an exception) - so at first all I get from As Above is an awful mix of almond + jasmine, which together smell like cherry-flavoured vomit. It takes about 20 minutes for that to go away, and then huzzah! Here comes the bourbon vanilla! There's the leather! And the white patchouli - quite ethereal here, very clean and fresh, with the oak bark very faintly at the very bottom of the note pile.

 

I dunno... this turns out almost OK in the end, but overall I'm just not digging it all that much. It's just a bit brash for my liking - the notes are kind of clanging against each other rather than blending harmoniously. Most of the time it's all just a bit of a soapy mess - like walking into a laundromat and breathing in the odour of the twenty different washing detergents and fabric softeners that have been used that day, combined with the remnants of eau de smelly socks.. Every now and then I get a waft of lovely soft woodsy leather with a touch of vanilla sweetness - and those moments are pure bliss - but then the cherry and jasmine come back and we're back to laundromat land.

[Zii]

This is very strong with the bitter almond. It has almost a bakery feel about it, but that's quickly tempered by the patchouli and oak. The jasmine made me nervous, but it is amazing in concert with the almond and doesn't go to my head the way it often can. This is very sweet and dark all at once, and while it isn't something I'd wear all the time, it would be a great going out scent.

 

The one let down is that there is no leather, though I think that might start to show as it dries because even in the short time I've been wearing it, the floral and almond have backed down so the patchouli and oak get to come out a little more. Maybe that warmth is the leather? Maybe? But at any rate, it's not as punchy as I was hoping.

 

--edit--

 

The leather has arrived at the party and this is now stunning! It's leather and jasmine of all things and is super sexy and interesting!

Edited October 25, 2013 by Zii

[MCS4096]

When this went on my skin it was like BLAM LEATHER and then POW ALMOND.. strong stuff this It spent some time morphing around so I could smell the various notes, but then it settled to a balance of white leather (definitely a pale leather) and dry almond (definitely a bitter almond). The bitterness may be coming from the oak note somewhat, because I get a very similar "sorta off" bitterness from Haute Macabre.

 

I actually wish I got more jasmine; it's very subtle in this blend in my opinion, and pretty much disappears completely after an hour. Ditto the vanilla and patchouli, I think, unless they're hiding under there rounding it all out. I really wish it stuck to how it smelled wet, because by the time it dries down on me it becomes fairly one dimensional and a bit bad-bitter. Hopefully some of those base notes will come out more with age.

 

It's greatly improved by pairing it with So Below, where the two throws can mingle. So Below sticks around better on my skin so it elevates dried down As Above by countering the bitterness with some sweetness

[VioletChaos]

In the bottle: Black Cherry, Almond and Leather.

 

Wet On Skin: Same notes, but in a different order. Whereas in the bottle the cherry/almond note was most dominant, now that has taken a back seat to the leather note. so far, I get nothing else from this scent.

 

Dry Down: Lather and floor cleaner that, after slightly washing my hand off, becomes leather and oak/jasmine. Husband smelled my skin and said it was "like being in a candy shop while wearing fresh leather".

 

In All: Medium throw and quite a bit of staying power. I'll hold on to this bottle to see how it ages, but historically, I must say I don't have a great track record with leather-dominant blends. Still, we'll see what happens. If it doesn't change substantially in the next six months, though, it's off to the swaps!

[zankoku_zen]

Leather, almond, and vanilla. This is black leather, softened up by other components.

 

But of all the leathers, black leather and I do not get along. Even though I amp up the black leather like no one's business.

 

Dark, almond, leather.

[theseagrows]

as soon as i saw as above and so below i knew i had to try them. in the bottle this smells kind of like a boozy green-almond scent. almonds that aren't quite ripe, thus they smell bitter. this one starts out as pure leather and slowly morphs into a leathery-vanilla scent with a hint of green, which must be the oak bark and jasmine combination. i am trying this with so below at the same time, and i think that maybe these would be amazing blended together, which i will try soon.

Edited February 4, 2017 by theseagrows

[JasminDreams2010]

I agree this is like the original HM. However, this one strangely is darker and woodsier on me, and lasts longer. Being a jasmine fan, of course I had to order a bottle

 

At first it is like. WHOAH almond, the first five minutes it's like Black Forest cake goes to a naughty party. Then because I have the type of skin that makes everything woods and incense, it becomes more forest and less cake.end result- a wonderful, wearable woodsy vanilla. I'm glad this was released near Halloween, I wore it with my lady gaga costume. Seemed appropriate somehow. I would have preferred a little more jasmine, but all in all very pretty. Jasmine haters, you might be able to wear this one. 4 out of 5. Yum!

Edited December 6, 2013 by JasminDreams2010

[Atrous]

I'm a big fan of the original HM so I knew I had to get her younger sisters, As Above & So Below.

So, I tested all three of them side by side.

 

I agree with some reviewers; there are similarities between HM and AA.

As Above dries down to a slightly lighter fragrance than the original. Where HM ends up a creamy almond/coconut/leather with a hint of earth; AA dries down to leather, earth, and a sharp almond scent with woodsy, floral undertones.

 

Really love this blend for days when I want something lighter but I still want the leather (usually I amp leather like crazy, but not with AA). Most certainly keeping the bottle.

[milo]

Very similar to HM, as noted in other posts. I find that HM is more masculine than this one. This is bit more smoother and doesn't have the leather note that HM has. I also don't get the almond here. I like almond, but I know it can be an iffy note for some. This reminds me of a more masculine Haloes, and it's kind of along the Antikythera Mechanism line as well. Very nice!

[porcelina]

this is very, very nice. the leather smells soft and worn to my nose, and the white patchouli is nice and mellow. it's a warm, woodsy-sweet scent. the notes are all mingling and enhancing one another, meaning that even iffy notes like jasmine and almond are playing nicely on my skin.

i'm trying to think of which other bpal As Above reminds me of… maybe tombstone, because of the sweet, warm wood and vanilla combination? add in the almond and there is something making me think of sarsaparilla.

mmm i am really enjoying this one! it's a warm, soft scent but i'm getting decent throw, too. a keeper!

[gingiemay]

Jasmine, jasmine, jasmine. Painfully head sharpeningly jasmine.

 

Sad panda is sad.

[Ryan Hemphill]

As Above is a soft, creamy almond scent on me. There's a slight floral edge to it, and I don't get much patch.

 

I enjoy it, but I think the decant will be enough for this one.

[paperdollsandbpal]

I just got my decants in of As Above & So Below!

 

As Above is so lovely. In the bottle it smelled really strong and woodsy and I was like WOAH.

 

Now that it's settled on my skin it is beautiful. I get a light leather creaminess that I wasn't expecting.

 

LOVE

[lady_pandora]

The first few minutes of this are kind of harsh and floor-cleanery, but it settles quickly into leather and cherryalmond. There's a hint of floral, but it never really comes whomping out. I keep feeling like there's tobacco here, even though it's not listed. Maybe it reminds me of somebody's cherry pipe tobacco? There's a slight resemblance to TAL Black Cherry Love Oil. It becomes even better in the late hours, smoky leather with a bit of cherry.

 

I am not sure this one is "me," but I'm keeping the imp at least. Because (a) I really like the super-late stage; ( it smells a little like BCLO, so I can use it to smell a bit like that without invoking the TAL intent, if I so desire; and © it's one of the very few miracle jasmine blends where I don't amp the jasmine. That in and of itself is worth a medal!

[LizziesLuck]

Excited to finally try this! I ADORE Haute Macabre, So Below, and Aradia, all from Haute Macabre. I have sort of avoided this though, as the jasmine is likely to break my heart, but in the imp I get a ton of sexy leather and oak, so maybe those will overpower the jasmine!

 

Wet: creamy sexy leather. Mmm. Lots of almond, which is sweet and creamy also. This is yummy. So far so good! The patchouli is a dry version, and is starting to amp up. Overall, this is much sweeter, creamier, and rounder than I could have imagined, and I am kind of swooning. Just waiting for the other (jasmine) shoe to drop though.....It amazes me how different the notes are for all three scents (Haute Macabre, So Below, As Above) but how they still manage to share the same feeling. I adore this line.

 

Dry: LEATHER. Still creamy and sweet, but mostly leather. I do like it quite a bit, but I think I would struggle to wear it on most occasions? Not sure. Part of my wants to get a bottle next release, just to "have it". Lol. But I don't love it the way I love So Below and Haute Macabre. I just really really like it. I think I would love it layered with So Below though, so I should likely get a bottle... (that's what I'll tell myself). I am also SO IMPRESSED that I wasn't able to smell the jasmine. It did not ruin this for me at all. That's exciting. I may need to rethink writing off every blend with Jasmine, there have now been two scents that had lots of dark heavy notes that kept the jasmine in check on me...this is hopeful! (The other one was Belonging To The Darkness from Bloodmilk)

[roseus]

In the imp and wet the leather was too strong and sharp for me. Dry it is much softer and smoother, complemented beautifully by vanilla and patchouli. I get hints of almond that threatens to go cherry, but luckily not too often. I get just the vaguest headiness of jasmine, wish it was stronger! Overall a really nice blend, but I don't think my skin chem is doing this justice.

[Madame Mew]

This was almost an assault on my nose. In the bottle, I spelled almost exclusively almond, but more sharp than sweet. My husband said it smelled like a urinal cake. I am not too privy to how those smell, but I suppose sweet and floral was what he was smelling. I put it on anyway. Hey, you have to give it a chance on the skin, right?!

Nope. Not good on my skin. It dried down to reveal a good amount of jasmine, which my skin usually works well with, but it ended up laying me out with a headache. I wanted to like you!!! I can imagine this smelling good and almost like marzipan on the right person, but not for me.

[Aveya]

Definitely prefer Haute Macabre scent over this one. They're very similar to me, but entirely different.

 

This is leather for sure. Brown, firm, new. Nothing soft about it. It's a bit too much for me / not a scent I enjoy. That aside, the rest of the scent is a musky earthy vanilla blend much like Haute Macabre, but with an added lightness to it. Putting this into a different kind of profile. I don't get much jasmine, but I think it's responsible for the lighter feel of the scent, plus white patchouli a different level of leather.

 

Anyways, strong throw. Almond-brown leather, lighter earthy/vanilla blend behind it. Another unisex scent to me.

 

Verdict; Hipster leather store.