Dusky Shroud

[VioletChaos]

Black coffee and smoked vanilla bean with deep indigo opium petals.

In The Bottle: The black coffee is front and center, definitely the same, strong coffee note from Bah!, with the vanilla adding a nice place for the coffee to land. The opium is there in the background, less invasive than I thought it would be. It might change out of the bottle though...

Wet On Skin: The "indigo" part of the opium is key here, this is no soporific red poppy, no. This is a rich, deeply hued opium that almost would be an incense, except it's lacking ANY smokiness. It's smooth without becoming an overbearing floral. At this stage the coffee has taken a definite back seat and the vanilla has left the building.

Dry Down: The vanilla makes a return! It's acting as a sweet and creamy balance to the opium, creating a scent that is rich, yet light enough for daytime wear, and manages to be neither floral nor foodie, even though the ingredients are one or the other. The more I wear it, the more it's strangeness grows on me. The two notes might seem to have nothing in common, but these odd attractors are creating something lovely and deep and pretty feminine, without reading as a "perfume" perfume. The coffee at this point is more like an afterthought, waaaaay in the background, adding just a sliver of raw sugar into the mix.

In All: Medium throw, an eminently wearable scent. I got it for the coffee note but am not at ALL disappointed with how it turned out! Edited February 9, 2017 by VioletChaos

[Akurarei]

Is the more grown up version of El Dia De Reyes, or perhaps an older cousin. Less chocolate, more coffee.

It's predominantly coffee, but it has a smokey and barely sweet quality to it.

This one is more subtle on me than the Reyes blend, but still quite noticeable after several hours.

Edited January 16, 2017 by Akurarei

[Casablanca]

I had to sample this because it sounds so quirky.

 

On the wand, it smells like the notes listed. The coffee is black, the vanilla is beany and smoky, the opium is blue-toned. The indigo opium smells like it could be opium mixed with whatever gives the lab’s blue musk its blueness. I like the vanilla especially, as it does smell like a toned-down and smokier version of a long, sticky black vanilla bean.

 

On my skin, it’s a quite light scent, but it smells about the same. By the time it dries, the coffee and most of the opium are gone, leaving a slightly incensed vanilla impression on me. And quite faint already.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: The coffee and vanilla combo immediately reminds me of The Worst Pillow, which I love. This is different though. The vanilla is different, the coffee note is a bit different, and as the opium comes through....my word. This is GOOD. A non-gourmand, somewhat floral vanilla, with coffee and opium incense, is what I am getting. Sweetened coffee. And now hints of an anise like quality - the same as French Vanilla SN has. Which I enjoy. Liking this a lot, but man it's a morpher!

 

 

Dry: Gorgeous vanilla, very similar to French Vanilla SN, with hints of coffee and a tiny bit of incense. I adore vanilla perfume, and this is no exception. It's a dark vanilla. Really really love it. I think it'll age quite well also.

[HerbGirl]

I love Dusky Shroud! The coffee is nice and strong for about 10 minutes and then it folds into the blend. I must be really odd because I swear I smell mahogany wood...whatever happens, it is beautiful and smooth with nice throw and longevity. This is my favorite of the Trading Post Yule perfume oils.

[annemathematics]

cheers and slathering schmears for dusky shroud. bright, clean, non-foodie vanilla laced with opium. the coffee quickly retreats to the background and plays more like a resin base note would vs acting as anything foodie. cooly glamorous, beautiful, feminine. feels like a classic perfume while being very unique. one of my favorites from the bptp yules.

[missnix]

This is really gorgeous. I'm always disappointed that coffee is so often paired with chocolate in perfumes (I certainly understand why, but as someone who loves the smell of coffee but chocolate not so much, it gets frustrating) so I was happy to take a chance on this.

 

It starts off with the coffee very much as the star player, but it quickly steps back and provides a really gorgeous background layer; it's rich and complex and makes the whole blend surprisingly elegant. I'm not as familiar with "indigo opium petals" (poppy flowers?) but there is a really beautiful top note that is a little sweet (maybe from the vanilla?), floral (but not in a typically "floral" way), and surprisingly perfume-y in the best way possible. I don't really detect any smokiness and the vanilla is not obvious, though I suspect it's responsible for some of the sweetness of this blend.

 

This is well blended, fairly unique, and very wearable. It reminds me somewhat of the Guatemalan Volcanic Coffee Bean single note, and how that ended up being much more complex and beautiful than I was expecting - the coffee here is less forward than the SN of course, but the two blends are at least similar.

[Bassmastadroog]

This is a very light scent on me, but with ever present essence. Definitely a purple colored scent.

 

The coffee is the initial note upon opening the bottle, but it strays from the duration and doesn't end up being noticeable at all on me. I guess this is the opium, but it turns into Black Lily GC on me. Which I assume to mean that I have found the secret ingredient in Black Lily that makes it so dark...opium!!!!!

 

After the coffee fades off, I'm left with the lightest vanilla, just rounding out the scent creamily, but not in a foodie way. The indigo opium is definitely purple, like purply chalk without the powder.

 

I wouldn't call this a coffee scent. More of a purple version Black Lily GC.

 

I think I'm pretty in love with opium.

 

ETA: Mm.

 

Strong coffee note. Not entirely black, but definitely coffee shop scent. A little milky and creamy.

 

Once on, the coffee takes the base seat. Wafting over top is a thick and pretty cloud of purple opium. The description is none truer, and the notes play so nicely together it's fantastic. Opium is very strong here, as usual.

 

Warm, lovely purply coffee brewing in a deep opium haze.

 

A sweet, spicy, chalky scent.

 

I can almost taste it.

Edited March 10, 2017 by LiberAmoris

[zankoku_zen]

Smoked coffee, vanilla, and when it dries I get the opium coming out to play. Part of me really really loves this, while there's a part of me that acknowledges that while I really like the smell, its not something I would typically wear. So I think Dusty Shroud is going to find a new home. Because while it smells great, its not for me. Low throw, good wear length.

[Jenjin]

VIVA la slinky nightclub~
When I first saw Dusky I was attracted to the smoked vanilla bean and indigo opium blossom notes. It just screamed GOTHIC ya but huh? Black coffee PASS~ Then I saw a people waving their shroud cloths in the air shouting HALLO TOP 3 ever! so I went trotting with my pocketbook to the post (last minute) for a try. I'm so glad I did because it's complex and downright fantastic. All the notes floating together create an elegant, perfumey cloud that is bewitching and let me say "lux". I love this creamy beautiful, nightsky blossom puffing on a cigarette with cafe'.

Edited April 1, 2017 by Jenjin

[whisperstilled]

Vanilla, and sharp, bitter opium. This is not sweet opium smoke, but tarry opium, 'indigo' as the description indicates. The coffee lends more bitterness, and the vanilla prevents the scent from going pure tar. Unfortunately, I think it's actually a little TOO bitter for my tastes. But for those concerned about the coffee being up front, it really isn't, at least on my skin.

[Little Bird]

My decant of this wasn't what I was expecting at all from the notes. Indigo opium must not share much with usual opium note, which goes unbearably sharp, white, and musky-floral smelling on my skin. Dusky Shroud smells sweet and fruity-floral, rather like neroli on my skin. It actually reminds me a bit of Ruddy Daggerwing (which was cocoa, tobacco, coffee, and orange). It doesn't scream coffee or vanilla, but it has a toasty, almost earthy warmth and a hint of creamy sweetness to it. I keep thinking orange/neroli whenever I wear it. After a half hour, there's a bit of smokiness to the scent, like neroli, earthy coffee and smoked vanilla. Sultry and sweet. Smells like a good night time fragrance.