Question Mark

[MuskWitch]

Blackened vanilla absolute with tobacco leaf, Ceylon cinnamon, orange-bark myrrh, and orange blossom.

Question Mark, in the bottle, what IS that? Not a BAD what IS that, just it is something I should recognize, like a Lab note I have a lot of.

Well, duh! Tobacco! On my skin, yep yep, tobacco, but a very soft tobacco, very faint sweet vanilla, a teensy bit of spice, maybe the faintest bit of orange blossom (which I LOVE, it reminds me of going to Phoenix to visit my grandparents), I'm thinking the myrrh just ties everything together. Might need another bottle of this!


Testing again 5 days later. OMG!! OMG!!! OMG!!!!!! In the bottle, tobacco and myrrh are the dominant scents. On my skin, mostly a sweet, mild, lovely tobacco. About 20-30 minutes later, the vanilla comes out to play and this is AMAZING!!! Spicy Vanilla, tobacco, with myrrh deepening it without adding any sharpness.
Edited September 18, 2014 by MuskWitch

[patina]

Ooh, pretty! Tobacco, vanilla, myrrh and orange blossom come together nicely. The cinnamon blends seamlessly into the other scents. I know it's there but I can only detect it by the very slight burning on the skin where I applied the scent.

 

The scent reminds me of tiger stripes. If you like tobacco and orange blossom you'll probably like this.

[stellamaris]

super pretty and light, very work friendly.

[jarvenpa]

Oh my. You know how when you order a perfume untested, based on whim or because the signs are right...you know how you are always hoping it will be one of the ones that is absolutely amazing on your skin, one you immediately want to get more of, because heaven forfend you should run out?

 

This is one of those. My nose didn't immediately recognize anything, not any note at all (and I didn't bother to check the notes before evaluating it). It was simply a matter of "yes, oh yes, definitely yes". It is classic, sweet, sultry, and perfect.

 

Now, checking the notes I realize I was crafty in ordering this because tobacco and vanilla both are great on my skin. But this is beyond great. Must immediately get more.

[OctoberGwen]

This is a very pretty, very classic smelling perfume. Unfortunately, my tastes no longer run to that.

 

It's sweet, light, lovely, and well blended - just not in my wheelhouse.

[EnchantedMoon]

This is a beautiful blend. The sweetness of the orange and vanilla mixes amazingly with the spicy Ceylon cinnamon. The tobacco and the myrrh also add depth to this. This is very different from anything I own and I realized the longer I wore it, the more I liked....LOVED it. After a few hours the orange pretty much fades leaving only a faint hint behind. The cinnamon is not overwhelming (which was something I was concerned about) In the end it is a skin hugging sweet and spicy scent. I really like this and feel it is quite fitting for the upcoming fall season.

Gorgeous!

[Dekejis]

What a really interesting blend. I'm not so great yet at picking out notes in blends, but I'll do my best. This is fresh out of my mailbox, so it might settle a tad over the coming days.

In the bottle and on wet, it's tobacco. I've ordered several scents recently featuring tobacco, and have had a hard time picking out what part is actually tobacco, but I think this is it. Nice!

After it sits for a few, I'm starting to be able to pick out a nice light orange which plays well. I'm getting the barest hint of something warmer, which might be the vanilla, but it's very well hidden in with the other notes.

As it's drying down, they seem to slowly meld together and the vanilla rounds out the other notes. I'm not sure what myrrh smells like, so I can't pick it out specifically. I can pick out the faintest hint of cinnamon now, the orange has backed off into the background, and the vanilla lends a bit more warmth. In the end, it all just melds together as a sweet, warm tobacco with just a hint of spiciness.

 

Overall, it's very lovely. It's light, as another person mentioned, meaning for me it's close to the skin without a ton of throw. To be fair, it's fresh right out of the mailbox, so might pick up a little strength as it settles. I like throw in a scent, so for these scents that like to play it close, I will run some through my hair, so I can catch whiffs of it through the day.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Dekejis

[zankoku_zen]

Question Mark is tobacco, hints of vanilla and orange. It's a pretty, classic, perfume.

 

On the other hand, part of me really wants to age this to see what it would smell like in a year or two.

 

Very work friendly, very wearable. For me, this falls into the same category as Pursue Rabbit. Something that I really enjoy, but not something I adore so much that it would get alot of use in my BPAL rotation.

 

Hmmm... to release or to age. Decisions, decisions.

[Balame]

The cinnamon is strong with this one! It’s all I get at first, very spicy and dry. Thankfully it calms down fairly quickly and takes a seat amid the other notes.

 

I mostly get myrrh, orange blossom and cinnamon. Funny how others are getting more vanilla and tobacco, which is what I would’ve enjoyed. It isn’t bad, just too dry and powdery for me. It’s like spicy incense with a little bit of orange peel for flavor.

[FragranceLush]

I wish I got more vanilla from this, because it is mostly the smoked and spiced aspects that stand out on me. Smoked, spiced tobacco. It's lovely, but I wanted more vanilla. And stronger maybe? This'll be a great skin scent, the kind that will make your sweetie say you smell great, not ask you what perfume you're wearing today.

[Zii]

Wet: Smokey and very sweet tobacco. Someone I knew smoked vanilla pipe tobacco and this is almost a dead ringer for that smell.

 

Drying: It's getting spicier and deeper, and I can really get the orange now. Something not so nice is hanging around here, almost like burnt resins or herbs. It's a little sour and leaves an odd taste in the back of my throat.

 

Dry: This is starting to smell like burnt orange peels. There is something in the smokiness of this that really just doesn't work at all for me. It also has this old fashioned vibe that I really just am not interested in at all. I'm going to let it settle to see if anything lightens up about this, but so far, this is really not nice for me.

[Aviatrix]

This reminds me so much of a Yule scent, but I simply can't remember which one...

 

At any rate, it should give you an idea of the sweet orangey smell of this one; it is also appropriate for Yule season!

 

The orange and orange blossom are prominent, but still subdued enough to not completely take over the whole scent. I am not getting any cinnamon at all, so if you were worried about that note, you shouldn't be

 

The orangey goodness is grounded by the other notes, and it is very well blended. No not sticks out over the other.

 

I am glad I blind-ordered a bottle of this, because I'm sure it will get a lot of use in my home!

[Ella LaRose]

OMG! So in love!! This is French tobacco, sweeter and more feminine. There is a light soft citrus note underneath that brightens it up.

I am so glad I got this!! Rich, deep orange feeling, perfect for fall and winter! I may need another bottle!<3

[missnix]

I was looking forward to this scent, but on my skin the vanilla, cinnamon, and orange blossom never appear...

 

It opens with a sharp, strong blast of something that smells almost camphorous (bug spray) to me. That dissipates quickly and then it's a lot of tobacco and a bit of myrrh. I like tobacco, but not as the focal point of a scent - I generally like it paired with something lighter and sweet, like vanilla or the delicious orange in Eastern Comma.

 

Sadly, I may have to put my bottle of this up for swap or sale. Three different tests yielded the same results each time. I wish I amped cinnamon and vanilla!!

[Ilex]

Hmm... this is not very dynamic on me, which usually I'm okay with, I like it when things are pretty simple and notes stick out.

 

But in this case its vanilla and orange blossom. Orange blossom and vanilla, stealing the show. And unfortunately, sometimes vanilla goes off on my skin. It is a little play-doh like. The tabacco is helping, but its really in the background, and it may be going a bit tarry. Thankfully the myrrh is pretty modest (otherwise I'd be sneezing, its a risk with myrrh). I wish the cinnamon was there at all, it just isn't.

 

Its not bad, its just not wowing me.

[Little Bird]

I liked this for the first five minutes, where the tobacco is rich and sweet and I can smell hints of cinnamon and myrrh with a bit of sharp orange blossom (it actually reminded me of two of my favorites - French Tobacco single note and Priala, but that impression crashes pretty quickly). After about five minutes, it's like the whole fragrance breaks down and becomes really discordant. It smells like soapy dryer sheets, bad, sharp, intensely chemical-y musk, dead leaves, burnt coffee, and sour orange blossoms with a gritty slap of harshly smoky tobacco. It's a very sharp, scratchy, unpleasant fragrance on my skin.

[MeiLin]

This smells like champaca to/on me, like a headshop. Champaca soap, to be exact.

Edited October 2, 2014 by MeiLin

[Astarial]

In the imp, this is lovely. I get vanilla and tobacco, with a hint of orange and a gentle cinnamon. On my skin, the tobacco is the most prominent note, with everything else playing in the background but not completely disappearing. For a little while, I get a bit of a champagne note, almost - not sure what that's about, but it could be the tobacco morphing? It reminds me of the champagne/tobacco I got from Stardust.

 

Unfortunately, this scent does not last very long at all on me. It's still there, if I get my nose up close and personal, and still mostly tobacco, but it's very faint. I'll retest it and see if a couple days rest helps it last longer, but the quick fade is disappointing.

[cameroncrazed]

In bottle: Guh, overwhelming tobacco leaf and myrrh. I'm not sure I want to try this one.

 

Wet on skin: Oooh, the orange blossom and vanilla are coming out to play with the tobacco leaf and myrrh. Almost a hint of something baby powder-y.

 

Dry on skin: Very nice, but not exactly what I expected. I still don't get any of the cinnamon, which confuses me because I normally amp that note and/or get welts from it. I'm picking up mostly vanilla, tobacco leaf, and orange blossom with a hint of something almost like smoky patchouli lurking in the background. Decent amount of throw and it lasts on my skin for hours.

[doomsday_disco]

In the decant: I am mainly getting the tobacco and orange-bark myrrh from this (which is more myrrh than 'orange'). I hope the blackened vanilla absolute makes an appearance on my skin.

Wet: This is tobacco dominant, and the myrrh is present, but I am getting more of the orange blossom the longer this sits on my skin. There is a hint of cinnamon, but it is not a main player. The blackened vanilla absolute has also decided to make an appearance, and for that, I am glad.

Dry: Orange blossom with tobacco, a hint of spice, and a breath of vanilla. It stays very close to the skin.

Verdict: I am not a big fan of orange blossom, and there are tobacco and vanilla blends that I enjoy more than this one, so I don't feel like I need a bottle of this one, even though I enjoy the drydown.

Edited October 6, 2014 by dementia_divine

[annemathematics]

Mmm. This is sticky, fuzzy, cozy, snuggly resin and tobacco butterfly. The other notes added a touch of brightness and color but none of them jump out or show any interest in trying to take over.

 

Warm chewy cozy fuzzy. Less bright and less orange than eastern comma.

Edited October 8, 2014 by annemathematics

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Orange with a hint of vanilla.

 

Wet on skin: Orange, orange, orange. With a little vanilla.

 

Dried down: The cinnamon's coming out a bit on the drydown. The cinnamon blends beautifully with the orange, and I think the vanilla softens it a bit.

 

Throw: Mmmm.......... dark, sultry vanilla.........

 

Verdict: ***** Love it. I am so glad this got restocked and I ordered a bottle.

[Lady_Fire]

I had such high hopes for this one, I almost bought a blind bottle. I'm glad I didnt. This isnt the tobacco-vanilla I was hoping for. I think I'm mostly smelling orange blossom, which I am not a fan of and had hoped would be undetectable. I'm not getting any of the myrhh and if there's vanilla in there it's unrecognizable. On me its tobacco-orange. Meh.

[Caper]

This one reminds me of another BPAL like crazy. It might be French Tobacco, but I passed my decant on ages ago so I can't retest. I wish it had a touch more vanilla, or something, I'm not quite sure what. I'm pretty meh about it. In that it isn't a bad scent at all, but I'm not really drawn to tobacco as a note and while I was thinking the leaf aspect might be a bit greener, it isn't. I'm sure lots of people will love this one though.

[theseagrows]

Blackened vanilla absolute with tobacco leaf, Ceylon cinnamon, orange-bark myrrh, and orange blossom.

 

this is very orangey in the bottle, then on my skin it's an orangey vanilla with tobacco and a hint of cinnamon. it's very suited to the transitional time between late summer and early fall. I seem to amp the orange even more over time, a bit too much for my liking unfortunately. however, after being on my skin for about half an hour, the vanilla and tobacco come forth more and this is so pretty. it is reminiscent of two other BPALs I own yet still unique- bakeneko and the thirteen from October 2006. this one was the star of the four butterfly scents I tried, definitely.