Nyarlathotep

[Poenari]

Brooding, yet electric: the scent of buried secrets, roiling nightmares, the essence of the Crawling Chaos, the Father of Knives and Locusts, the Hunter in the Dark. This is the blackest of ritual incenses charged with flashes of ozone.

Another generous frimp from the lab (thanks, labbies!). In the imp and on my skin, incense and a citrusy scent. Much lighter than I expected. Nice, but too light and fades too fast for me to re-order.

[QueenFae]

This is a complex, leave you wanting more type scent. There's a distinct citrusey note on top, not lemony but more on the orangey side. There are deep, resiny, incense notes there, but they are not terribly strong or overpowering. The ozone seems to dominate the incense, which has a really odd, unique effect. This is one of the most bizarre blends I've ever sniffed, it's not too bad on me but not something I would wear often.

[Eunice]

Green and resinous. I'm not sure what makes it ozoney but I like it. The longer I have this on, the more the lemon comes out. Not in an in yer face sort of way though. The lemon is still light enough without being biting. Nyarlathotep is very well-rounded and crisp and somehow still very dark. Must be the incense that makes it so seductive. I would follow anyone around who was wearing this.

[septima_pica]

Wait, how the hell have I not reviewed this yet? ::baffled::

 

Nyarlathotep was one of the first scents I bought, admittedly mostly because of the name. It remains one of my favourites, though (embarrassingly) I lost the imp for awhile and have only just started using it again.

 

The procedure of sniffing while reading Wikipedia has suggested to me that the "black ritual incense" may include myrrh, galbanum, frankincense and/or benzoin-resin. I choose to take this as further evidence that myrrh loves me. On the other hand, it could be kyphi, which I've never smelt -- although Nyarlathotep certainly doesn't seem to have wine, honey, or raisins in it anywhere, and that would still entail frankincense and myrrh. At first I thought that quasi-citrus smell was citronella, but upon consideration I suspect there's vetiver in it, or else some close relative like lemongrass -- it's citrussy but not quite like an actual lemon.

 

In any case, this is absolutely awesome. It's got a quality simultaneously of engulfing blackness and blinding yellowness, and the ozone cuts through like the smell of an approaching storm. (Is that the Black Wind? Hee!) It's a vaguely menacing scent, though a pleasing one -- I don't think I've ever smelt another perfume with anything near this combination of notes. It's simultaneously dark and bright, ancient and futuristic, and it jolts me into consciousness and sharpens my mind like a good argument or faraway lightning in the sky. This is pretty much as close as the scent medium can come to evoking Nyarlathotep, and it's truly impressive.

 

Some friends and I have been really into transhumanist ideas lately. When I'm in that sort of mood, I'll probably wear this -- 'cause I tend to associate scents with eras, and this is the closest thing I can think of to a transhumanist perfume.

[laurahcory]

I'm not sure where to start; Nyarlathotep is my first BPAL imp and maybe I picked too complex a one for my first. I primarily wanted it because of the name; DH and I both like the Cthulhu mythos, so when I saw the chance to order this one, I took it.

 

It's given me a headache. I can't pick out individual scent notes; it just overwhelmed me when I opened the imp, and it did the same when I applied a dab to my wrist. The inside of my nose hurts, up to the area behind my eyes. A commercial scent that does the same thing to me is when my mother slathers on the Oscar De La Renta. It gives me a headache and I simply cannot be in the room with her.

 

So I'm sorry, Nyarly. It's not you, it's me. I think I need to see other imps. You're too good for me, baby. You deserve someone who can make you happy.

[m13]

Having just come off a year that could well be charitably as "Crawling Chaos" I was a little leery about trying this scent when I received it in Allie's wonderful newbie imp packet. I really didn't need to summon, stir or call up any further chaos.

 

But then I looked up Nyarlathotep on Wikipedia and was intrigued by the description: "Nyarlathotep differs from the other (outer Gods) in a number of ways. Most of them are exiled to stars, like Yog-Sothoth and Hastur, or sleeping and dreaming like Cthulhu; Nyarlathotep, however, is active and frequently walks the Earth in the guise of a human being, usually a tall, slim, joyous man. Most of them have their own cults serving them, while Nyarlathotep seems to serve them and take care of their affairs in their absence. Most of them use strange alien languages, while Nyarlathotep uses human languages and can be mistaken for a human being. Finally, most of them are all powerful yet purposeless, yet Nyarlathotep seems to be deliberately deceptive and manipulative, and even uses propaganda to achieve his goals. In this regard, he is probably the most human-like among them."

 

So, I worked up my courage and opened the imp. (cue the Twilight Zone theme)

 

In the bottle: Mostly bergamot, with a whisp of incense smoke

 

Wet: Still bergamot, and something golden and sweet -- honestly, I think I'm smelling honeydew melon here. It's like eating luscious drippy fruit in a smoky temple, post-ritual.

 

Dry: Love, love, love this. It morphs into a warm, incense-spiked but bright scent that's perfect for summer when I don't want to wear my favorite full-on resin scents but can't quite force myself to wear a pretty floral. This is what I've been wanting for ages, a non-perky citrus. If it lasted a bit longer -- it fades on me within three hours -- it'd be absolutely perfect. That fast fade won't stop me from buying more of this one though.

[indicolite]

Wet on my skin: very - clear (I am synesthesia-prone, esp with smells, bear with me) but with a dark undercurrent. The ozone and citrus reviewers have described play together, making it, like so many of Beth's blends, seeming almost like a smell you have smelled before, but with that added touch making it extraordinary.

 

I like it. Nyarlathotep, Hunter in the Dark, I think we are going to be friends, you and I.

 

ETA: In the couple of days since, I have worn Nyarlathotep quite often, even neglecting my old favourites because of him. He seems to say "Wear me; you know you want to...Even one small spot on your wrist, that is reserved for me." He is one of those dangerous lads with a feline grace and a glint in his eye that you know are not the good ones, but which make your heart flutter and you hum and think about what you will wear for them just the same. All the time when I wear him, I fear the incense, but it is there just to give it that smoky dangerous feeling.

 

I am obsessed and addicted. And of course the Hunter in the Dark is in a big bottle in my next order, need you even ask?

Edited June 30, 2006 by indicolite

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Mmm. Amber? Spices? And ozone!

 

On me: This smells amaaaazing. It's like Lightning, but with a luscious, warm resin. I could definitely get used to wearing this one a lot.

 

Verdict: Love this. May want a bottle of it.

 

Rating: 5/5

[forspecial_plate]

Complete revision of my earlier review:

 

This starts out a wonderfully dark blend of equal parts citrus and deep, rich sandalwood-like incense (am I really the only one that gets sandalwood out of this?). I am absolutely in love with this for about an hour....then I think the ozone takes over. A clean, fresh note starts to come through, and I've heard other people describe ozone as dryer sheets. Well, that's what's happening here. The ozone (if that's what's doing this) gets stronger and stronger until it is a sweet powder nearly drowning out the beautiful incense/citrus that this started out with. I may keep this just in case there's ever a situation where I want to smell absolutely wonderful.....for one hour. Then I'll be like Cinderella, having to leave before midnight, when my fragrance turns into powder.

Edited October 2, 2006 by Forspecial Plate

[edenssixthday]

Nyarlathotep - Sniffing this in the vial, I smell a scent that is somewhat dark and outdoorsy – not quite woody, but almost. When I put it on my skin, I’m thoroughly surprised to discover the scent of lemon leaping out at me. It’s not a lemon Pledge type scent – it’s more like the lemony scent that represents the “ozone” note in Thunderbird. Beneath the lemon, and becoming stronger as the oil dries on my skin, is the scent of incense. It’s not a rough hippie-type incense, but rather has the sacrosanct feeling of a incense used at High Mass. This scent is initially very bright and sharp, but the sharpness begins to fade upon dry-down, and within one hour, the scent is completely gone. In between, there is not much throw – it sticks very close to my skin, which is surprising for a lemon scent, as they usually waft around me nicely.

[cranberry]

I’ve had this imp for a long time, so I don’t if aging has had any effect on it. I remember not being too impressed when I first gotten it, but it’s possible that my nose is simply better at appreciating things now.

 

On the skin wet, this is all lemon. This is reminding me a bit of Enraged Bunny Musk of all things! I really enjoyed the musk in that. This seems to be the same lemon. It’s light and refreshing. I’m not getting much incense but there does seem to be something more there than lemon. Wow, this would be a good substitute for EBM. This is quite nice and I’m enjoying this more than I first did. Yes, as it dries the incense comes out, melding with the lemon. I almost think I can smell melons now. Overall, this is quite nice and I’m liking it. I don’t need a bottle but it was good to try it.

[mountainwitch]

The local swap circle was very proud of this one. All five of them had tried it, and all five of them agreed: "We finally found a scent that works for EVERYONE!"

 

Well, it works for me too. The Crawling Chaos dusts my furniture . . . And he uses Lemon Pledge.

[Sealgair]

Whoop, I've been putting reviews of imps on my LJ, but not here. Slaggard! Well, here's a start:

 

in bottle: spicy greenness

wet: irish spring soap? bleh.

10 minutes: yup, irish spring soap. If this doesn't turn into something better & darker it's going straight to the swap pile.

30 minutes: it's changing, getting darker, but now I can't get the idea of irish spring soap out of my head. WHAT are the notes supposed to be in this?

blackest of ritual incenses, ozone.

Um... what? Okay, Irish Spring=ozone, I get that. but black incense? Where is it? *pout* I'm going to wash.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

imagine this, if you will.

 

take a grapefruit. dehydrate it.

(*slaps arms crossed in front of chest Jeannie-style, blinks real hard {*broink*} and ponytail flips*)

now stick it on a bed of charcoal like you'd use to burn powder incense.

 

that's what this smells like, to me: burned grapefruit.

[buzz23666]

lemon pledge and ozone.

 

Dry this ends up as a generic citrus with a hint of pine and ozone. No incense here at all.

 

Nice - but nothting that rocks my world.

[steffanina]

Nyarlathotep-

 

In Bottle: Sharp aquatic ozone.

 

Wet: Reminds me of Pool of Tears right away, with that sharp aquatic tone. Something a little flowery is trying to come out.

 

Dry: Oh, this is rather a nice dry-down. Something spicy--that must be the incense. The citrus isn't overpowering, but just a touch.

 

Overall: I like!

[myoubi]

This smells like insect repellant on me and then after a while it turns into lemon soap.

 

Swap!

[Dark Sparkle]

On me Nyarlathotep turned into a very lovely men's cologne, however, I prefer to smell like a girl . I gave this to my fiancé to try and it is absolutely stunning and sexy on him, almost leathery and with a hint of citrus

[t_for_tau]

Uhhhh....evil lemons?? To be specific, the lemon scent from sherbert lemons.

 

As it dries down, it gets more complicated and cologne-y. I like it. It's a sharp, expensive, men's cologne, together with a faint hint of almost soapy cleanness (not soap like jasmine goes on me, more like a guy who just stepped out of a shower), plus the lemon. It's like a very clean evil lawyer in expensive leather shoes, eating sherbert lemons.

 

Right now it's making out with Azathoth, which I have on the same arm, giving me wafts of vetiver and saffron under the leather. Makes sense that they go together well.

[Ah Xia]

Strange scent -- on me I can smell the dark almost vetiver like note, and then flashes of something like jonquil or narcissus. And something citrusy. It's very bizarre, but I think I love it! It smells oddly familiar.

[The_Merf]

Thanks again to pkwench!

 

In the imp: Nyarlathotep has been on my wishlist since I first discovered BPAL, but I had always hesitated on pulling the trigger because of the unknown--and ominous--"ozone" notes. However, this smells like lighter incense to me.

 

Wet: This is a very clean resin--it has an echo of "cologne" smell, but it is certainly not anything like Oberon or Wilde in terms of being that close to men's cologne.

 

Drydown and wear: This stays pretty consistent through the drydown cycle...I'm glad to have it on hand.

[aquazoo]

Starts citrus, which seems to happen often in Arkham. Has a dusty spice underneath, but the whole thing fades fast.

[arabella]

First Impression: Ozone with a hint of lemon.

 

Dries down to: Becomes more citrussy - almost like pink grapfruit; then, a faint floral emerges.

 

Additional Comments: Looks like I was way off on this one. It's definitely ozone but I never would have guessed incense. I don't know what kind it is but I really like it in this blend - especially, for summer. It's like an airy grapefruit mousse on my skin.

 

Lasted: A couple of hours.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5

[supremegoddessofall]

Not as dark as I was expecting. Definitely an incense scent, but it's a sweeter incense, almost a patchouli. There's a slight aquatic feel here, presumably from the ozone. I think I'll need to re-evaluate this one again to decide whether or not it's a keeper.

[Dark Angel]

Upon reflection, this may not have been the best scent for a hectic, disorganized Monday morning, since "chaos" is something I don't need more of....

 

But, as for the scent itself, this is a surprise! I like it a lot more than I expected. It starts off with a sharp lemon scent--a very 'dry' lemon is the only way I can think to describe it, not juicy or bright at all. It does, frankly, remind me a bit of Lemon Pledge, but not in a negative way, if that makes sense. Not chemically or sneeze-inducing.

 

But it quickly morphs a lot. The lemon fades very fast, within a few minutes, and a sweet incense scent begins to develop. I really like this! It's not at all smoky or heavy, light and sweet and not, to my nose, masculine (although it might smell lovely on the right man, come to think of it....)

 

It is faint; I slathered (well, for me--it takes me forever to use one imp) and it is definitely staying very close to my skin, not much throw at all, but I don't mind that.

 

I was afraid of the ozone note, and the fact that some people detect an aquatic note, since those are not on my list of faves at all. But I don't get any of that, just a sweet, smooth, close-to-the-skin incense, almost like a sweet musk, but very light and not in the least funky or animal. Not dark or scary, either, in fact I find it a comforting, cozy scent. Hmm.... I wonder what this says about me that I want to snuggle up to the Lurker in the dark.

Edited November 6, 2006 by Dark Angel