Jólabókaflóð

[Leopard403]

Jólabókaflóðið: A dribble of candle wax, distant hearth-smoke, a fleck of chocolate Yule log, and aged, yellowing paper bound by well-loved leather that has passed through many gentle hands.

I am so moved by the story behind this scent. I have been a bibliophile my whole life, with a love of both reading and having books. I love the idea of the Christmas Book Flood, and I love that some of the proceeds from my purchase will be passed on to help others. Just lovely.

The scent itself is incredible. Sniffing straight from the bottle I was worried it may be too chocolatey, but on my skin it literally smells like someone's Victorian-era home library. Other Lab book scents have turned bitter on me, but this is just perfect. I get a hint of candles burning above an old leather bound book, with, yes just a fleck of milk chocolate, as if the reader has just eaten a chocolate candy and set the wrappings beside his book. I am so pleased with my purchase!

The book that accompanied the bottle was a tiny paperback of Rudyard Kipling short stories. Such a charming little thing!

[sarahmarie]

On me this starts out as a delicious chocolate scent, more brownie than bar, if that makes sense...I say that mostly because usually chocolate turns kind of sad on me, but this one remains very warm and rich while it lasts. There's also a note that smells to me like amaretto. It doesn't stick around, but it's there in the beginning. After a while, the chocolate takes a back seat and it smells distinctly of BOOK, which is fascinating and awesome. The candle wax is present in little hints. It's lovely. Once it's dried down it is hard to pick out the chocolate, but when I look for it, it's kind of there, and still very nice. It's a very unique scent.

 

It came with a cool paperback 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which I have never actually read! So that's super cool too.

 

EDITED to reflect more thorough notes on my second wear.

Edited December 30, 2016 by sarahmarie

[Dark Alice]

This was all paper, brown leather, vanilla with a hint of dark chocolate cocoa. I Love it!! And it came with the little prince.

[Follow My Nose]

With my bottle of Jólabókaflóðið, I got a paperback copy of First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain, a new fantasy author for me. I look forward to checking her out!

In the bottle: I smell all chocolate and, interestingly, a light floral

Wet on skin: the floral becomes stronger than the chocolate; it's a dry, papery, white floral, the candlewax makes an appearance, too

During drydown: the mysterious floral note gets lighter and reminds me of perfumed paper, like a love letter; soft leather bindings make their appearance, making the scent warmer and deeper; the chocolate backs down a bit and the hearth smoke pops in

When dry: I can pick up an even blend of smoke, candlewax, old leather-bound books, and chocolate

This is so lovely, and a perfect scent representation of reading books by the fireplace while eating chocolate cake. I've found a new book scent to fall in love with!

[theshapeshifter]

This is more leathery than I'd expected, but that is not at all a bad thing! It is definitely the leather of an old library, warm (I guess that's the wax coming through) and with a hint of chocolate. After wearing for a few hours, the chocolate and parchment come more to the forefront. I will wear this a LOT.

 

It came with a reprint of 'The Voodoo Queen', a 1950s-era fictionalized account of Marie Laveau's life. I'm about halfway through and it's fascinating!

[achildoftime]

I was a little wary about this because of the chocolate. I'm not the biggest fan, but I love books and book scents so much I couldn't let this one pass me by. Even though I'm not crazy about chocolate notes in general, I really think that this benefits from it. It starts off like having an old leather-bound book with a high-quality chocolate book mark. It feels layered and pressed. The sweetness really lends a little special oomph overall.

 

As it wears, there is a hint of smokiness, but it's pretty well balanced by leather, paper, and now wax has joined the party. The chocolate all but disappears after about an hour, and the whole scent settles into a beautiful blend of everything. I have some of the other "book" scents, but I do think this fits it's own niche.

 

And for the curious, the book that arrived with it was Candide by Voltaire. I'm really excited to dig into it!

[VioletChaos]

Mine came with a well-loved copy of Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth, which I've never read, so that's pretty exciting!

 

In The Bottle: Smoky, well-worn death, and a little dark chocolate (definitely not milk chocolate, this is NOT Bliss).

 

Wet On Skin: The wax is coming in just a little, and it almost comes across as "watery" but pulls back just shy of becoming so. The chocolate is well-tempered by the smokiness of the leather and the aged paper note is making the whole thing smell like sitting in an old library, sneaking sweets when the cross librarian isn't looking.

 

Dry Down: A sweetish, dry age of a leather-bound book with a sliver of chocolate on the side.

 

In All: I don't know that I'll keep this and wear it, but it's a very compelling scent and sure to be a hit with folks that love the Lab's "book" fragrances.

Edited January 15, 2017 by VioletChaos

[Aviatrix]

This starts off as almost a chocolate single note on me, but quickly the leather comes out, and it's a very heavy and dark leather! It has that slightly dusty/musty (but in a good way) quality that I associate with old books, but definitely with emphasis on the leather bindings.

The overall effect is a dark and antique leather type of scent with a little hint of foodiness. Also, there seems to be a kind of marzipan note in it too, although it isn't listed?

I quite like it, although I'm not sure how much I'll wear it. It would be lovely in an oil burner, though!

 

The throw is pretty strong on me, and it stays for several hours.

 

ETA The book that came with it was Battlestar Galactica which looks quite fun!

Edited January 28, 2017 by Aviatrix

[LizziesLuck]

My bottle came with Flowers for Algernon, which I couldn't be more pleased about, I have been meaning to read it for ages!

 

I have to admit though - this smells terrifying in the bottle. All chemically leather, ick!

 

Wet: Chocolate, ink, and moldy leather. Oh gosh. Please get better. Where is the candle wax, smoke, and chocolate scent I was hoping for? Blarg. I will be patient. I am determined to love this.

 

 

Dry: Truly horrible on me, and I am so sad! I do get hints of chocolate, but the smoke and leather combo is so sour I just can't get past it. No candle wax to be found. Sad. Going to age it and see if it'll settle into something my skin chemistry doesn't ruin.

[VetchVesper]

This is nice, very comforting, and it would be amazing on a guy. Not b/c it's overtly masculine, but b/c it's warm, comforting, not sweet, and smells like.... choooooocolate.

 

I get leather and dry, dark chocolate in the imp. I think the leather in this release might go a little harsh on my skin, but in Jolabokaflod, it smooths out pretty quickly and the chocolate becomes a subtle backdrop. Mostly, this becomes a soft, worn, dusty leather skin scent on me. Unfortunately, it only wears for about an hour on me, but I enjoy it while it lasts.

[Astarial]

I got a hint of chocolate in the bottle, but on my skin it's a dark, smoky, slightly spicy leather. There's just enough wax in here to keep it from veering too sharply masculine, but it's still a bit heavy for everyday wear. I think I would prefer it on my guy.

 

The book that came with it was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which I do already have a copy of.

[voodoobaby]

Call me crazy, but apart from the strong leather note (not unlike De Sade), I get what smells like black cavendish pipe tobacco. Maybe it's an association with the leather note or an expectation I had, or maybe it's the candle smoke or chocolate notes playing tricks on me, but I definitely get a nice smoky vanilla scent that I associate with my best friend's pipe.

 

At the very least, I get that slight hint of plastic that I normally get from BPAL's vanilla note, so...I think it's likely.

 

The longer this sits, the more I get sweet chocolate, but it's very mellow and it blends in well for a warm, cozy effect rather than screaming CHOCOLATE at me. The leather remains dominant and keeps the chocolate from smelling too sweet.

 

Overall, I like it a lot, despite the plasticky smell. It's like a cozy, fluffy blanket next to a fireplace.

 

I got a copy of Congo with it. Can't wait to start reading!

[zankoku_zen]

Beeswax, melty drippy chocolate, and brown leather. This one is foodie and leathery at the same time. Good throw and wear length.

[lizabelle]

The idea of this one captured me, and I'm glad to say that the real thing lives up to it. It starts out with a thick, gooey chocolate/beeswax combo that almost seems more like fudge than cake. Over time the chocolate seems to melt a bit and then retreat into the background (but never disappears), making way for soft worn leather and spicy dry paper. It seriously does smell like a well-loved book and a crackling fireplace, maybe with a candle burning low close by. I will wear this tons, and it's probably going to age beautifully.

 

I got a copy of Frankenstein with my order, which I have actually never read!

[lucycat]

In the bottle this is primarily chocolate; there is a small amount of residue at the bottom of the bottle as there often is with chocolate scents.

 

When first applied, this becomes chocolate paper, which is delicious. On my arms, a few minutes after application, I got a very strong greenish smell I at first thought was snowdrop or another bulb flower. I think I was associating with Picture Books in Winter, which strikes me as a cousin of this scent, but there are no flower notes in Jólabókaflóðið. I thought it was the leather, coming on strong, but now I see I'm not the only one who smelled a floral note in this.

 

After a bit it settles into papery chocolate and leather. Yum. It’s always soft and close to the skin, but has good longevity.

 

I am a librarian and lifelong bibliophile, so I just had to have Jólabókaflóðið. There are few things I enjoy more than a cozy winter evening spent reading a good book with a tasty sweet to snack on and a scented candle burning in the room, and this blend evokes that experience beautifully. I also love that the donations from this scent went to a charity that puts books into the hands of children.

 

With my bottle I received a copy of Soul Catcher by Frank Herbert. I’ve never read a book by him, so this will be my first.

[freyasfae]

The chocolate, like most of the BPAL chocolate, is pretty strong on my at first, but the waxy, dusty books come in pretty quick after that. Once it dries down, that's exactly what it smells like - eating a box of chocolates whilst reading an old book.

[Lunameth]

Even with the leather, I had to get this, I love the idea behind it!

 

It starts off as a gorgeous chocolate with 'something'. It almost reminds me of the thick chocolate and banana milkshakes I (very rarely any more because TOO GOOD) make, and it's not banana but that's the feel I get from it. Then the chocolate fades back and the leather really comes out, and it's quite strong but still very soft and cosy. The beeswax is there, and a hint of musty book pages, and this beautiful soft leather with chocolate.... It really is, as Freyasfae said above, like reading an old leather-bound book whilst eating chocolates. Lovely <3

[thegadaboutgirl]

This came in the mail and it spent exactly 2 days on the table before I sniffed it and moved it to my destash pile. The cocoa was so overwhelming that I thought I might gag, and I thought there was no way I could stand putting it on my skin.

 

Well I was feeling bold the other day and decided to just go for it. And I'm really really glad I did!

 

Make no mistake, the bottle never smells like anything other than dry, dusty chocolate.

 

But as soon as I put it on, the chocolate fades to the back almost instantly and I get this lovely musty book-smell. It's a warm, cozy day at the library and someone a table over has smuggled in some chocolate to see them through. Even the future husband, who also hated this one in the bottle, couldn't believe how good it smelled on skin.

 

It went straight back to my keeper pile without a second thought. If you're on the fence about it because of the bottle smell, this is one I would definitely recommend skin testing before passing it on.

[doomsday_disco]

I bought this one more for the cause than for the scent, but I'm interested in book scents and I have been trying to find more leather scents I might enjoy. I'm more wary about the chocolate in this than anything else, because I feel like I have too many chocolate scents already, so I hope it doesn't end up being too chocolate-y on me!

 

The book I received with my bottle is Burning Road by Ann Benson.

 

In the bottle: Leather (it's the chemically smelling variety), dark chocolate, and a bit of smoke, paper, and candle wax. But mostly, leather and dark chocolate.

 

Wet: Leather, which smells kind of off on me at first, unless that's the yellowing paper doing that. It smells sour on my skin. The dark chocolate note isn't nearly as strong as it was in the bottle.

 

Dry: After several hours of wear, the candle wax note has emerged, softening the leather note a bit and adding some sweetness to the scent. The aged aspect of the book is still present, but since the note has diminished in strength, it's not as sour. It is reminiscent of an old library. I'm not sure it's worth enduring the wet phase of the scent to get to this point, though.

 

Verdict: I think I'll retest this one before letting it go, but I've already let it age for half a year before trying it, so I don't have high hopes that this one will end up working out on me.

 

ETA: I just tried it on my upper arm a week later, and it's actually nice and not sour at all, and I'm getting more beeswax in that area. Well, I guess I'll be holding onto this one, then!

Edited July 19, 2017 by dementia_divine

[Little Bird]

I find this to be such a pretty, unusual fragrance. There's a lot going on, and it's vanilla-y and chocolate-y without being really gourmand or overly sweet. It smells like laying out on a green lawn on a picnic blanket in the early fall, eating squares of dark chocolate and white chocolate, and writing in a leather-bound journal. The drydown is even more soft leather, black ink, and the scent of a distant fire, with a soft, vanilla-y sweetness that weaves its way through the other notes. The smokiness picks up more and more over time, but I still love this, and the first half hour is complete magic.

 

It makes me think of being outside in the fall, writing in leather notebooks and enjoying the cool weather. I wish I'd gotten a full bottle of this one, but I will cherish my decant.

[lady_pandora]

My book was a zombie novel called Spore!

 

Jolabokaflod is a warm, cozy fragrance befitting the concept. I don't get much chocolate; it's mostly sweet beeswax and soft leather on my skin. It's a perfect expression of the idea behind it, and will definitely get a lot of wear from me during the winter.

[Lucchesa]

I recently got a decant of Jolabokaflod and wish I had been a BPALer last year because I would have gotten a bottle and a book and helped a good organization. I am still looking for the perfect library scent, though. Jolabokaflod comes close -- gentle leather, candles and old paper are all remarkably realistic. Unfortunately the chocolate note is very similar to the one in Bliss that goes odd on my skin, smelling like stale Hershey's. If the Lab's milk chocolate note works for you and you are in search of a bibliophile scent, this one might be just your style.

[Poenari]

I received a bottle of this as an a extra in a swap, and was so intrigued. In the bottle it smells like a gorgeous dark cocoa. Definitely not milk chocolate. Once applied to my skin, it blooms into a smoky hearth with the chocolate and leather making it a dry smoke. I love this and am going to wear it a lot in the winter! It's the perfect curl up with a book on a cold snowy day scent. 

[Missanneshirleyofgg]

This arrived in the mail a few days ago and since our climate is mild right now, I tested that evening. 

 

It is definitely a good book scent. I used to be active in Paperback Swap, and the lovely scent of receiving someone's treasured hardback book and settling down to read a cozy mystery while my children were napping has so many good feels for me. This is gently and lovingly blended, it is as if a librarian stirred the Dewey decimal system into a cauldron Over a little hearth.  I think for me this is a sleep scent, and since I like to go to sleep reading first on my kindle, this will supply the ambiance of the hardback books I romantically love best, with the convenience of my reader. 

[Dancing Raven]

This is for the 2020 version

The book I received with it was No Fear Shakespeare, Hamlet ( a comic book version of the classic play. It's definitely an interesting concept!).

 

Two notes that are usually very strong on me are beeswax ( I love BPAL's beeswax note! ), and leather which can be hit or miss. I don't like foody scents at all, but I adore the smell of old books, so I took a chance.

Wet: milk chocolate! Uh oh. This one is tolerable so far. It's not overly sweet, and there's a faint smokiness if I put my nose close to my arm. Good throw.

Drydown: I am getting a citrusy green note - bergamot? Up close, I am getting a dusty green note almost bordering on green peppers, and I wonder if there is a little bit of lily in this. My skin reacts to lily, and I am getting a slight reaction right now. The smell is very faint, and not at all unpleasant, and the reaction calms quickly. If there is lily in it, there isn't a lot. At arm's length it is still chocolate. 

1 hour in: I swear I am getting pineapple. Very odd. It's still mainly chocolate, and I am desperately hoping for books and hearth smoke.

Dry: the pineapple fades, and I am left with a sort of non foody milk chocolate that never veers into super sweet cavity territory. A chocolate that I can tolerate. Hmmm. The beeswax and leather never make an appearance. 

I tested this a few hours after receiving it in the mail. Early on, I detected some smokiness, so I think I may need to let it settle for a while. I will update if the scent changes significantly. I can definitely say that chocolate lovers will love this, and chocolate haters might be able to handle this one. I don't think it's fair to give it a rating at this point because it's too fresh, and I feel it has the potential to be complex and beautiful.