A Grievous Swarm

[annemathematics]

Black pepper and vetiver with cardamom, blackened vanilla, and tobacco absolute.

in the bottle, this is the dark chewy-ness of vetiver is boosted by the dark chewiness of tobacco. the smallest hint of spice and a gasp of sweetness from the vanilla. this swarm of flies is thick black oozing, tar like and so very dark. it will blot out the sun.

when applied, a nicely spiced vetiver is strongest just out of the gate, but the smokey tobacco and vanilla come forward more with time. there really is a feeling of "buzz" from the pepper and tobacco against the vanilla and cardamom.

the drydown is lovely. the vetiver softens and the scent is still dark and spicy and rich but it's softened considerably. the sweetness of the vanilla balances the smokey notes and the buzz quiets down until it feels...almost sparkley?

this is one for vetiver lovers. it will not make vetiver converts. it is one of my favorite plagues and one of the darkest scents that I find to be everyday wearable on me.

 

eta to correct my last paragraph: is you are a lover of dark scents but have been iffy on vetiver, this may be the scent that leads to your loving this deep and sticky note. the vetiver has shifted so that it really melds incredibly with the tobacco. the spices add so much without any of them amping.

 

I've had this for less than a month, and it's only gotten better. deep, rich, spicy but balanced with just a gleam of sweetness from the (nonfoodie) vanilla. I have to come out and say I LOVE FLIES. bring on the flies!

Edited May 12, 2015 by annemathematics

[marilyn eyre]

I agree with Anne's review above!

It's a dark, almost chewy tobacco scent, with lots of vetiver and pepper buzzing about.

Very smoky, almost hazy.

Might need a backup bottle of this, if not simply to reply "the plague of flies" whenever someone asks what perfume I'm wearing.

[savage_rose]

Grievous indeed! If the Lace family and the Vulva family are scent series, there should also be a "Vetiver Death" series, and this scent certainly fits the bill .

 

I tried it (because, given enough time and skin-real estate, I will try anything), but the vetiver immediately started punching me in the nose and trying to take my lunch money. If you like vetiver, and you don't sometimes amp it (like I do), give this is a try.

[Deliciousness]

In the imp, this scent punches me in the nose with it's aggressive vetiver smokiness. There is a slight salinity to this blend, wafting out from the background.

 

 

A Grievous Swarm - Holy smoky vetiver Batman! ... says my nose on initial application.

 

At first, All I get is smokey vetiver - but then something strange happens - the scent becomes almost savory with a touch of sweetness - perhaps the black pepper and vanilla? My brain says to me "peanuts" and I'm reminded of thai food for some reason. Idk, that's a weird association ... maybe I'm just hungry. But I sniff again and it's ... peanuts! Anyway, this stage passes after an hour or so, the vetiver calms itself down and the tobacco comes to the forefront. It's on the two hour mark where everything comes together, with the tobacco, vetiver, black pepper and vanilla all mingling and swirling about in a wonderful cloud of wretched plauginess. A chewy, slightly sweet, yet savory blend.

[Geminirubyshoes]

I have to say, my love for vetiver has grown over the years. I originally did not like it at all when I was first getting into BPAL, it just smelled like smoky bacon to me. But trying different vetiver blends has really heightened my love of it and so as a Vetiver convert, I am in love with A Grievous Swarm .

 

I feel like Annemathmatics really hit the nail on the head with her review. You really have to put this on to experience how it softens. The pepper melts away and all the black elements meld with the tobacco in a luxurious, enticing and almost scandalous way. I feel like this will be incredible in a year and I look forward to using it when it hits that point. For now I will use it sparingly and try to continue to convince people that vetiver isn't always scary

[zankoku_zen]

This oozes black pepper, cardamom and vetiver. With a whiff of tobacco on the drydown. So in general, this is a dark, peppery smoky blend. Somewhat masculine. Good throw and good wear length.

 

Dark, smoky, oozy.

[strahlend]

First impression – vetiver and black pepper come through clearly.

Skin testing – it is strong vetiver, but not as scary as it would seem in the decant. The bit of tobacco does sweeten it up and round it out. The cardamom is throwing me off, it just doesn't seem to fit with the other notes, unfortunately it has quite a presence in the blend, at least initially. After a few minutes the vetiver does come back and interwine with the cardamom, thankfully. It is now striking me as a spiced dry wood scent. It's bringing to mind things like understated aftershave and the inside of a cozy wood cabin.

The vanilla and tobacco seem to be the base of this scent and they really come in and save the day. I wasn't even going to skin test this because it seemed so strong and plain in the decant, but it has developed into an unexpectedly delightful scent. This is why we always skin test, I should know by now. It's still not something I think I need a bottle of, but it is very different and much nicer than I thought.

[Allumina]

YUM. This is delicious! I agree with everyone about the dark and chewiness of this scent. The main note on me is dark tobacco, sweetened by vanilla. There is a hint of black pepper, especially at the beginning, and the veviter hides in the background warming everything up. This is dark and sweet and cozy and very slightly smoky.

 

This would be lovely as a Atmo, I'd want my house to smell like this in the winter!

[DiesMali]

In the bottle: Thick, rich tobacco smoke.

 

Wet on my skin: A pretty even blend of tobacco and vetiver, with something else almost anise-like in quality. I think that's the cardamom and black pepper spicing it up.

 

Dry: Thick, smoky, hazy, and black. It's mostly pepper, tobacco, and vetiver on me, with just a hint of sweetness to keep it from going into ashtray territory. Very unusual and not a scent for when one wants to smell pretty, but nor is it unpleasant. It's a mysterious and sinister blend, perhaps befitting a villain. A medieval villain in particular, wearing black leather and black plate armor and riding a black horse.

[d0gbones]

In the imp (decant): Vetiver and black pepper.

Wet: The cardamom is warming it up, but it's still predominantly pepper and vetiver.

Dry: Nope. Musky in an unpleasant way and something's turning my stomach.

 

I persevered because some of the other Plagues have turned out so differently after wearing them for a while, but it's just a flat tobacco in the end.

[sprout]

Predominantly black pepper and smoky vetiver on the wet phase and initial drydown. The tobacco is present as a base, but to this nose the result is a smoldering cigarette. While interesting in concept, this isn't something I wish to smell on my body as fragrance. Interestingly, it does convey a sensation of buzzing in an olfactory sense; it's like television static-slithering, aggressive, malevolent and smoky.

 

About 90 minutes into the experience, I get a waft of delectable black vanilla combined with toothy tobacco. This is exquisite and tempts me to buy at least a partial for aging purposes.

 

In conclusion I cannot overcome my aversion to the smoking cigarettes association. Maybe because as a child I was exposed to second hand smoke and was averse! This is sad because as single notes this should work for me in theory but alas the cigarette is repelling. The tobacco vanilla phase is gorgeous but never merges with the slithery and smoky partnership of vetiver and pepper. If this ages to have the sweet vanilla tobacco scent ast the forefront I will hate myself for not having a bottle but that phase just doesn't last and isn't worth the angry, cacophonous buzz on the road to drydown. Agree with the reviewer who says this would be killer as an atmo spray!

Edited May 22, 2015 by sprout

[karykeion]

In the decant: Ooh, I hope this works out. I've heard horror stories about vetiver, so I'm nervous, but I like it a lot.

On me, wet: CARDAMOM AND PEPPER AND SMOKE YES HELLO. This is mostly cardamom on me with some tobacco and pepper; I'm not sure I'm getting a whole lot of vetiver. ...Oh, there's the vetiver, I found it. Yeah, vetiver is definitely what made me think The Balcony smelled a little like wet dog, but without the florals, I think it works better. It's walking the line between deliciously spicy-smoky and "nope" as it dries down. It's kind of like wearing a fire. I LOVE it.

On me, dry: Yep, still love it. Probably not going to wear it enough to warrant a bottle, but definitely finishing the decant.

[milo]

Pepper and vetiver. I had to resist the urge to wash this one off. Luckily it was a fast fade. This one did not wirk on me at all.

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Interesting - there's no notes I would consider minty or camphorous in this, but i'm getting a sort of wintry mint The cardamom, I believe, along with a heavy dose of vetiver.

 

Wet on skin: The vanilla mixes with cardamom, and smells rather beautiful.

 

Dried down: This is pretty much the vetiver now. Not bad, but not something I really need.

 

Throw: Nope, not really getting much at all. What little I get is the cardamom passing itself off as mint

 

Verdict: *** Not bad, but nothing that really catches my attention.

[Roogna]

very pepper, warm, thick spice (thickly sticking in the back of my throat), smoky, vetiver laces through, tobacco brightens it a little

reminds me of heavily spiced cooking pits

 

let it fully dry down and it's a really nice smoky vetiver with a pepper/cooking spice kick

 

I don't think I need more, but I'm middling on vetiver - not crazy about it / must have, but sometimes it's very nice on me

[mymymai]

• ITI: Whew, the black pepper is strong here, but the addition of cardamom and vetiver make it darkly aggressive and assertively spicy in a positive way. It reads as a bit masculine for now as I cannot detect the vanilla.

Wet: The cardamom jumps out as the top note on my skin, fallowed by the smoky, almost inky vetiver. There's a touch of black pepper, the three notes of which remind me of scored each; however, the addition of faint vanilla keeps the scent from being too desolate. In fact, as it starts to dry on my skin, the vanilla warms up, followed by a sweetened tobacco slinking in from around the edges, shifting the scent to something reminiscent of the best molasses cookie I've ever imagined (without the foody undertones).

Dry: After 8 hours, I was expecting something still spicy and forceful. However, what I'm left with is mostly soft and alluring due to the faint vanilla, vetiver, and tobacco. The cardamom keeps the scent from being too innocent.

[Indigo78]

If you missed out on the French Tobacco SN, and you amp-adore it as I do, then this may be a bottle to track down. I have had it for a year or so, lab fresh. It was initially a little sharp, but the notes have coalesced into something magical. It is unquestionably dark, but it has this embracing pipe-y sweetness. Completely unique. In 7 years of BPAL lovedom, I have not experienced anything quite like it.👏💞

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: WOW. The vetiver in this is gorgeous - almost honeyed. Smoky and rich. It's dominant right now. The pepper was present in the bottle, but vanished on my skin. This is smooth, smoky, and sweet. As it dries, my skin eats the vetiver (as it does) and the tobacco and blackened vanilla come into play. Mmm. Lovely.

 

 

Dry: Ok, so a weird thing happened, the vetiver didn't disappear! Which is great, because this is the nicest vetiver I have smelled. It's lovely with the tobacco, and the pepper makes a reappearance. It's just barely sweet enough once dry. I like it quite a bit.

[Lucchesa]

Wow, this is beautiful. Wet it's all vetiver and pepper, as if they were a single thing, a peppery smoke. But there's some sweetness to it as well, and then as it dries down it combines with the tobacco, but on my skin this does not translate into cigarette smoke. That would be gross. Instead it's vetiver and tobacco in a kind of two-part harmony, with the vanilla singing backup. I adore cardamom but I can't really make it out here. I'm sure it's contributing some spicy complexity, though. This is dark and warm, what I consider a winter blend. But lovers of vetiver and tobacco should find lots to sigh over here. Unisex, no throw on me (that's normal), good wear length.