Baba Yaga

[sookster]

Spell-soaked herbs and flowers, cold iron, broom twigs, bundles of moss and patchouli root, and moth dust.

mmmm.....
delicious, sweet fruity musk....
after awhile a lot of the fruitiness dissipates and i am left
with kind of a soury musk....lasting power...
next to nil.....*sigh*

[septima_pica]

Huh. I had to google the site to figure out that this was an unreleased scent... now I feel special.

 

Anyhow. Reading the other reviews, it seems that different people get different parts of this amplified, changing their impressions a lot...on me, it's one of those signature BPAL almost-a-traditional-cologne-except-not scents. Reminds me of a traditional "oriental", in that there's the dense florals and (I suspect) ylang-ylang, there's the ambery-woody note, the musk...and then there's a bunch of yummy fruit, pineapple and apricot and I don't know what-all.

 

On me, this is astonishingly subtle and well-blended, though the fruit is the brightest component. First scent I've tried where an apricot-ish type fruity scent has come out at all; I wonder if it's actually that, or if it's something else being disguised as it. On my handkerchief, it smells much more like a traditional perfume; hopefully some of the sharper notes will fade on drydown.

 

Astonishing throw, too. I think I may have put on a bit much...

[cranberry]

Part of the unreleased sniffing circle.

 

Initial Impression, on, is fruit! It made me think of Fruit Moon. A bit cologne-ish, there’s something there that I can’t identify that is bringing that in. But it’s predominantly fruit, a tropical type fruit. I’m not really getting pineapple, maybe guava? Kiwi? It’s very well blended and I have a hard time picking out specific notes. The closest I can nail it down to is tropical fruit.

 

As it dries, it turns a bit soapy. I liked the initial stage better than this. There may be a touch of something floral there – overwhelming the fruit. There’s a bit of spice too. The soapiness remains.

 

Overall, it’s a complex scent, but not one that I need a bottle of. The spicy fruit is interesting (I like that part of it) but the florals combine to give it a soapy aspect that I doesn’t particularly work for me. It was great to try it though!

[VenusFlyTrap]

I purchased an imp of this off the Forum, so I could not say how old it is nor its living conditions before it got to me.

 

I am not getting the pineapple from this that some of the other reviewers are getting. And I had high hopes as pineapple is a component that I am very partial to.

 

It's not much of anything very distinctive.

 

I'll have to get another imp (or bottle) from the Lab and try again.

 

I will update this review at that time.

[LiberAmoris]

Baba Yaga was a frimp from the Lab (thanks!).

 

I get no pineapple, just a fruity-floral (pear or berry and a floral melange similar to the kind in Vinland and Beltane?) over a resin-musk base and maybe a touch of something sweet, like honey or vanilla? There might be a bit of sandalwood in here, as well (?).

 

It's the kind of floral that even people who aren't crazy about flowers might like, especially if they enjoy light resins and musks.

[Nekomata]

Got this as a frimp, I didn't realize it wasn't released.

Very floral in the bottle, with a hint of musk. Not what I would have guessed from the name. It dried sweet and powdery. I actually like this quite a bit

[Ryvre]

Edited May 2010 - I've run across two distinctly different versions of the unreleased Baba Yaga. Since it wasn't just one or two off imps- a lot of this scent passed through my hands- I'm reviewing both. And the released version as well. Combo review!

 

Unreleased Baba Yaga #1

Imp:

The top note is something fruity- maybe pineapple or some sort of citrus. In the imp, the fruit note is really strong. There is something floral or possibly a bit herbal underneath it and a light of musk.

 

Wet:

It smells delicious on my skin- thought not at all what I imagine Baba Yaga would smell like. Fruity, with just a touch of flowers and herbs and a musk base. I think there's jasmine in this, which I normally hate, but it's so well blended that the jasmine is playing nice.

 

Dry:

A complex honeyed fruit musk. It is gorgeous! Definitely in my top three favorites. It has some real staying power too, which is rare on me. Most scents only last a hour or two on me, but I can put this on when I go to work in the morning and still smell it a bit when I get home at night.

 

I've managed to amass a number of imps of this version, but no bottles.

 

Unreleased Baba Yaga #2

Bottle:

Generic perfumey floral with a touch of fruity musk. This was so disappointing! Every time I find a bottle of this, I cross my fingers for pineapple, and I get floral. I think the fruit note might still be pineapple, or possibly pear, but it's overpowered so much by the floral note that I can't tell.

 

Wet:

Still an unremarkable floral with a bit of musk. It's sweeter than it was in the bottle, so there might be a touch of fruit in there. I think there's carnation here among the flowers.

 

Dry:

A sweet, slightly musky floral. This is actually kind of nice, but I'm not a floral kind of girl.

 

General Catalog Baba Yaga

Imp:

Lots of herbs! And some light flowers. I tested this side by side with the (very aged) Unreleased Baba Yaga #2, and I think the floral notes are the same.

 

Wet:

Soft herbs and light wood. It's nice, but really faint.

 

Dry:

Super faint! This faded into nothing almost immediately.

 

Unfortunately, it seems like the released version of Baba Yaga is my least favorite of the bunch! It's such a shame, because she's one of my favorite mythological figures.

Edited June 5, 2010 by Ryvre

[kiio]

Sadly, this did nothing for me, mostly because my skin does weird things to musk, and this was a fruity musk. In the imp, it smelled pretty good, slightly pineapply with a musk base. On me it turned into overly ripe fruit and BO. Bad skin!

[PurringPulsar]

Baba Yaga

 

In the imp: fruit, floral, fresh, with a hint of green, maybe evergreen notes.

Wet on skin: crisp and fresh, fruity and floral-there's a sharp note which I know I've smelt before…and something almost leafy and green and dewy.

Dry on skin: this is a fresh, bright, white floral fringed with green and a hint of crisp fruit-maybe green apple or peach? I don't get pineapple here. The floral note may be a lily? I've smelt it before, probably in air freshener, but I can't tell what it is…but it does smell a bit like air freshener.

After a while: the floral note tones down, sweetens a bit, there's another floral note behind it, but I just can’t shake off the 'air freshener' association. It still smells like something I'm sure I sprayed in my bathroom before.

Eventually it doesn't smell like air freshener (yay!) and it's now a lovely, gentle white floral. I'm still guessing it's a lily of some sort. It's soft, clean and a bit powdery, with a tart bite of fruit to it.

And then the scent fades nicely, a soft, sweet powdery floral…and yes! There it is-the pineapple note has arrived! It's very faint so it's not 'omg tropical!!!' smelling, it's just a soft, dry pineapple like accent to the white flowery scent.

The drydown after a few hours is moss, moss, moss! No pineapple, no flowers, just oakmoss. Maybe a touch of white musk.

Verdict: this was a strange one. At first, I got a strong floral note that I know I've smelt before but I can't name it. But it does remind me of air freshener, and that does spoil my enjoyment of the fragrance a bit-it smells too much like a commercial air freshener for me. This does die down and soften up after an hour or two, where the floral note smells nicer and more natural. The infamous 'pineapple' note pops up and I really like that stage in the scent-a pleasant fruity-floral fragrance. The scent ends on a mossy note. Despite me liking the scent after an hour or two, I can't really handle the air freshener stage much. I'm glad I tried this scent though.

Emoticon rating:

[juniperus]

Bottle: sweet - fruit. pineapple? what does pineapple have to do with Bab Yaga or her chicken hut? I'm sincerely hoping this will pass like the maraschino cherry smell of Hecate goes away after 2 minutes and turns into something smoky/incense-y and lovely.

Wet: sharp, sour, sweet...pineapple or maybe pear + honey...reminds me of the fruit cake mix of the myriad of unnatural colors that comes out at the grocery store every November. And something herb-y? yip yip yip.

Dry: hints of a musk, and smoky incense coming up behind - but the really sweet upper-note is still there. gaaaaaah.

Later: The sweet is growing in magnitude so I'm guessing there is honey responsible. This is very complex, and it hates me. Really hates me.

[Melantha]

Weird. I see a lot of mentions of pineapple in Baba Yaga, but all I got was an overpowering floral that gave me a headache, and smelled too much like a department store perfume. I wanted so much to love this!!!

[filigree_shadow]

My very first reaction to this was "pee-yoo." A pungent floral.

 

But it's growing on me. I've tried it three times now, and every time I don't like it at first but I think it's quite pleasant when it's dry. It has a floral scent to it, but there's also a sweet fruity note in it. I'm not sure which one, but it doesn't really smell like berries or melons. And I wouldn't say it's citrus, either.

 

It's an unusual scent, kind of bright for what I pictured as appropriate for Baba Yaga. It's not disgusting or ugly, and it doesn't smell rotten. It also doesn't make me think of giant chicken feet, which is what I was afraid of.

[edenssixthday]

Baba Yaga - I’ve heard that Baba Yaga smells tropical and fruity and like pineapples, in particular. I get no tropical pineapple scents, and nothing remotely fruity. On my skin, it smells like a floral soap of the variety of strongly-scented hand-soaps that your Aunt Betty puts in her powder room during family holiday gatherings. I can’t identify the individual floral notes due to the strong scent of soap, but my guess is perhaps Gardenia or Magnolia – something white, strong, and heady. It’s incredibly powerful and the tiniest dab on my wrist fills in the entire room with a scent that makes me frown and makes my nose and eyes sting like I got soap in them. This is definitely not for me and I won’t be buying it if it’s ever released.

[Muppetk]

It's a miracle. A jasmine blend that DOESN'T turn foul on me. I'm astonished. The note warps slightly but the other notes dry into a lovely soft interesting powdery drydown that reminds me of an aged Tarot: strength. I'm only getting a wee drop of pinapple, but my skin is notorious for eating fruit scents. If not for the drop of jasmine, I'd be in love. As is, I like it. I think I prefer Tarot:strength though if I want this type of scent.

[Voleuse]

This is both sweet and musty on me--a little bit like fruity gum, a lot like fancy soap. It's a nice floral smell, but generic on me. Off to swaps!

[sofiaviolet]

In the imp, this is reminiscent of dishwashing liquid. My brother says it smells like lotion. Either way, it doesn't really change on my skin, becoming a bit muskier but retaining the lemony smell. Despite being a really weird scent, Baba Yaga is pleasant. Unfortunately, it doesn't last long on me, so I'll swap it.

[ouch!]

Weird. I see a lot of mentions of pineapple in Baba Yaga, but all I got was an overpowering floral that gave me a headache, and smelled too much like a department store perfume. I wanted so much to love this!!!

 

My review completely agrees with yours, It's stuck between being a fruity smell and a floral smell to me. It gives me such a headache when I sniff it. This is the first BPAL scent that's been too much, even for me.

 

It does smell like a department store perfume, almost like the scent of them all together. That smell you get when you walk into a perfume shop.

 

I did get the incensey note that some people have mentioned, but it was only once and for about five seconds. If that had stayed, I would have changed my mind, but no, it just keeps on being a pungent, nose burner.

 

The only other thing I would say is that it does not evoke the image of Baba Yaga who lives in a crazy chicken house thing in the forest. It's more bright than that.

 

Maybe this is why it was unreleased!

 

Mine's been given away to a friend.

[supremegoddessofall]

Bouncy florals with a bit of something earthy underneath. Pretty, but nothing special.

[for_the_nonce]

I *really* wanted to love this; in fact, I did love this as soon as I found out it existed. However, Baba Yaga does not love me.

 

On my skin, this smells like a woman wearing really heady, expensive perfume collecting eggs from a chicken-coop. I swear it.

 

That said, its not entirely unpleasant, but I really don't think I want to walk around smelling, even vaguely, of a chicken-coop.

 

I think I'm going to have to give this one another chance, because I love the concept so much, but I don't really have high hopes for the second round.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i was hoping for the pineapple (especially the pineapple upside down cake) ....

 

instead i get a jasmine-mango-powder sort of scent... with notes of Expensive DepartmentStore Perfume beneath it.

 

this reminds me of something, but i can't quite place it.

 

i'm extremely grateful to the person who allowed me to try this!

[GypsyRoseRed]

Whatever this is, I LOVE it. I dabbed a few drops on my wrists to try it out, then did all of my housework and errands... and eventually, I noticed that something smelled gorgeous. Kind of fruity and creamy, with a dab of magnolia. This has amazing throw, and smells good to boot. Now, where can I get me some?

[lady_pandora]

I used to have very long hair, and when I did, I had a reputation for having the best-smelling hair in my circle of acquaintances. My secret: I'd braid it damp for work, then unbraid it after work, and it would release this lovely cloud of shampoo-smell into the general vicinity.

 

How is this relevant? Because Baba Yaga smells exactly like fresh, clean, shampoo-y hair for about the first hour on me. It's amazing. Such a refreshing and "damp" scent, perfect for warmer weather. And the image is apt, because aren't witches supposed to be able to call up storms by unbraiding their hair? So, yay for the hair-unplaiting imagery I'm getting here.

 

After about an hour, I think i'm getting vetiver. Uh-oh. Though I must say, this is the best-behaved vetiver I've ever met. It doesn't smell bad, really, just kind of heavy and dark and, well, vetiver-y. (Maybe vetiver needs its partner in crime, black patchouli, to reach its full potential for icky badness on my skin, lol.) Unfortunately, however, within a few minutes of vetiver's appearance, it completely drowns out the shampoo smell. It isn't bad but it's not "me," and I wish the shampoo would come back.

 

It's just as well that I didn't fall in love with this one, I guess, seeing as how I only got to try it because someone was nice enough to let me play with her imp of it!

[Em-]

Earthy, woody, with a slighty perfumy floral note which fades lieving a soft woodsy herbal scent - this is very nice and something I would definitely buy.

[JennyGardener]

Opening Baba Yaga is like stumbling across her house in the woods. It's redolent with the scent of a hundred old spells and dry bones in the yard. There is a hint of the old woman within, but she's not really showing herself yet. Then, as it settles in on the skin, like Vasilisa the Wise coming to live with the witch, you suddenly get the smell of chicken! (yes, CHICKEN) It's a lot like the smell of chicken boullion. The chicken feet get up and start whirling the house, as their smell and the spicy dust compete for attention. Suddenly, it all settles down and the witch is there in full force. Her scent is a classic cologne, well aged. It's almost too strong for me (ylang-ylang?), and makes me a bit headachey. The witch stays for quite some time. Then she retreats back into her house, leaving her scent behind. But now Vasilisa is holding the skull-light, full of the wisdom and memory of her apprenticeship with Baba Yaga. Eventually, all that is left is a well-blended musky sweetness, the realization that you are now the witch, with special powers all your own. All the scents are there, just lighter, faded, and very nicely blended.

 

I highly recommend this scent journey, especially if the story of Vasilisa resonates with you.

[KaliVerra]

OMG!!!!!! This one has the WHOLE FREGGIN' PACKAGE in one scent

 

Fruity.

Creamy.

Musky.

Woodsy.

Floral.

 

HOLY POO!!!!!!!!!

 

Seriously - if you have an imp/decant/whatever... GIVE IT A CHANCE... if you don't like it, throw it at me!!

 

FOR THE WIN!! WOW!!! It's like the Best of BPAL in one dose *swoon*!!!

 

Just... Wow...

 

5/5.