Kit

[Lucchesa]

Immersed in his (eternal) life’s work, holding on to his memories, suffused with a love of life and literature, Kit’s scent is soft and dry as bone: Mysore sandalwood, a tattered and patched 16th century waistcoat, inkstained, still scented with the marjoram and benzoin dry perfumes of his youth.

 

My imp of Kit 2014, generously decanted for me by another forumite, is quite stratified, with brown stuff at the bottom. I turned it upside down for a minute then rolled it gently until the brown globs got smaller and smaller and the overall color more uniform. Then I put it on my wrist. In the opening, there's something about the sandalwood and benzoin combination that almost reads as marzipan to my nose. Looking at the above reviews, I see it compared to Al Azif, and that is exactly my impression as well, though Kit is more complex on my skin.

 

The nuttiness burns off within about half an hour, and the drydown has a warmth and sweetness but also the tiniest hint of something bittersweet -- the marjoram? -- that makes it infinitely more interesting to me. Kit has a little throw (which is a lot for me) and good staying power but still feels airy -- not in the sense of faint, but in the sense of not feeling grounded; it evokes air and fire, not earth or water. The life of the mind. Beautiful.

[storme]

Why I bought this: almost entirely for the name (any variant of Kit/Kitt is meaningful for me) but also the notes sounded decent enough.
Wet: a barely-there sandalwood. I went and applied more and it's just... really faint.
Dry: Still super faint, though I can also detect a sort of cottony tinge. I think it'll go into my aging box.

[wordortwo]

I purchased a decant of this from a forumite. I've been interested in collecting the Only Lovers Left Alive scents, and I was particularly drawn to Kit - I love the character and I was intrigued by the scent description.

 

Whether or not I'm biased by my expectations, I enjoy this perfume. Unfortunately for anyone reading this, I find it very difficult to describe. It opens with sharp, fresh, nearly mentholated marjoram.* The base is made of balsamic resin, dry sandalwood, and worn fabric. It is comforting and subdued, yet oddly cheerful. I haven't paid attention to projection or wear length for this one.

 

Unusual, comforting, and wearable - that's a good combination for me.

 

Update 6/23/22 - With continued wear, I think some of what I smell on the opening is in - like a ballpoint pen - a little unctuous, sharp, sweet...

Edited June 23, 2022 by wordortwo

[windbourne]

It starts out a bit sharp and very distinctively inky (with a hint of parchment, perhaps?), but that fades pretty fast. Mysore sandalwood is often sweeter than other sandalwoods, and here it is very sweet & creamy, backed up by some not-terribly-sweet benzoin, aged fabric notes, and ink, with just a tiny hint of marjoram. It seems a little smoky to my nose, slightly diffuse and very old. I really love it. It's largely a skin scent, with minimal throw, unobtrusive but so pleasant to huff. It keeps my interest and is pleasant to wear, and lasts for several hours while fading gracefully. I've worn it several times over the last few years and each time I pull it out I want to sigh happily. Calming, complex, ancient, mottled green/brown, evocative.

[Teamama]

Decant. Mmmm, benzoin & sandalwood. I don't get much marjoram, alas. 

Wet, the initial blend seems almost like black musk, but that's only at the very first. I like Kit, but haven't yet been moved to buy a bottle.

[starbrow]

Mysore sandalwood always give me a bit of a toasted vibe, which is what it's doing here, thankfully since it gives the sandalwood a much-needed twist from the powdery white kind that I haven't been vibing with lately. In Kit, it smells almost vanillic - thanks no doubt to the benzoin - and dusty rather than powdery. A creamy, comforting heart keeps the blend from feeling pale or cold. I am not sure if I smell anything specifically fabricky or inky, but it does smell old. There is ancient dust here. It is the scent of a scholar's room who hasn't dusted in twenty years.

 

Comparing this perfume to my marjoram essential oil, I can barely even smell it in the blend. That grassy thyme-like herb would be a welcome presence here, to cut all the soft fuzzy resins and dust. It might even be nice to layer on a bit of the essential oil. I would really love to smell more marjoram already in Kit, that's my only real complaint.

 

Keeping my bottle for now and seeing how it ages. I really enjoyed my aged imp and was moved to upgrade to a bottle, so it has a home in my collection for a while.

 

I would wear this while: dusting  

[Minh Scent]

I haven't reviewed this?  I remember loving the sandalwood element, but today the main note for the first 30 minutes was the beautiful ink note that has almost a waxy quality to it. Perhaps that waxiness is the benzoin, which supposedly smells like vanilla.  I don't get oregano or dust.  The sandalwood gets stronger with drydown.  A winner for me! 

[QueenProserpina]

Initial thoughts: warm and sweet, with the sense of cozy darkness and hints of nuts and Play-Do that other reviewers have noted. As of March 30, this is a sweet and herbaceous scent that no longer evokes Play-Do, with a warmth quite reminiscent of vanilla or tonka. Beautiful! My fifteenth BPAL.

Edited April 28 by QueenProserpina
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