The Buffalo Man

[Casablanca]

Darkness; a sensation of falling-as if he were tumbling down a great hole, like Alice. He fell for a hundred years into darkness. Faces passed him, swimming out of the black, then each face was ripped up and away before he could touch it . . .
Abruptly, and without transition, he was not falling. Now he was in a cave, and he was no longer alone. Shadow stared into familiar eyes: huge, liquid black eyes. They blinked.

Under the earth: yes. He remembered this place. The stink of wet cow. Firelight flickered on the wet cave walls, illuminating the buffalo head, the man's body, skin the color of brick clay.

"Can't you people leave me be?" asked Shadow. "I just want to sleep."

The buffalo man nodded, slowly. His lips did not move, but a voice in Shadow's head said, "Where are you going, Shadow?"

"Cairo."

"Why?"

"Where else have I got to go? It's where Wednesday wants me to go. I drank his mead." In Shadow's dream, with the power of dream logic behind it, the obligation seemed unarguable: he drank Wednesday's mead three times, and sealed the pact-what other choice of action did he have?

The buffalo-headed man reached a hand into the fire, stirring the embers and the broken branches into a blaze. "The storm is coming," he said. Now there was ash on his hands, and he wiped it onto his hairless chest, leaving soot-black streaks.

"So you people keep telling me. Can I ask you a question?"
There was a pause. A fly settled on the furry forehead. The buffalo man flicked it away. "Ask."

"Is this true? Are these people really gods? It's all so . . ." He paused. Then he said, "impossible," which was not exactly the word he had been going for but seemed to be the best he could do.

"What are gods?" asked the buffalo man.

"I don't know," said Shadow.

Warm dark brown musk, woodsmoke, and deep pools of labdanum.

In the bottle, there’s a heavy, dark brown labdanum, imbued with a Faunalia sort of musk and a little smoke. It smells moody, weighty, and thick.

On my skin, this is so heavy brown animal. The liquid itself is dark brown. It smells musky, woody, smoky, resinous, and brown. This is the herd animal stamping on the plain, or the rugged man wanting sexy times by the campfire.

The woodsmoke smells to me like that from Baby’s First Krampuslauf, which is what I hoped for. I liked that note. Those who enjoyed that, or blends like Faunalia and Coyote, might want to try the buffalo, too.

[zankoku_zen]

Dark, smoky labdanum and musk. It's a heavy brown musk, feral and animalistic. Gender neutral into masculine. This smells like warmed animal skin and fur.

[whisperstilled]

Wet: Dark musk, almost spicy labdanum, and smoke. This is actually surprisingly sweet - I was expecting something more bitter. And holy crap, what throw! I just put it on my arm and I can smell it while I type.

 

Dry: Casablanca's comparison to Faunalia is very apt, that's by far the scent this reminds me of the most. It does sour a bit on the drydown and sharpen up in a way that cancels out much of what I love about the wet stage, but this is still a strong, powerful, uniquely shaggy scent. It's so weird - I feel like this scent should have patch in it, even though it doesn't, perhaps it's the woodsmoke and labdanum sweetness. Despite comparisons to other scents, this is definitely a rare breed of BPAL, and pretty unique. Really interesting.

[annemathematics]

sweet labdanum, woodsmoke that bounces between campfire and non-offensive almost ciggie-esque and the lovely musk from faunalia, coyote, ivanuschka, etcetc.

 

very lovely. that musk and labdanum are two of my favorite bpal notes.

 

this starts out with a nice strong oooomph but (freshly landed, keep in mind) faded away within a few hours. smokey sweetened musk still detectable at the skin, but not much waft.

[Dark Alice]

This by far is my favorite of the AG scents. Sweet woodsmoke, laudunum, and something else. It's just gorgeous from wet to drydown. Must order a bottle soon.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Pretty much labdanum single note on me right now, which isn't terrible. Sweet and sticky. Smells very warm, but there's a hint of something chemical underneath that I'm not a fan of. Hoping some smoke comes out a bit as it dries.

 

 

Dry: I REALLY like this. It's such a sweet, resinous, dark, rich scent. It's comforting and warm. I likely need more at some point (but not urgently, as this feels like a cold months scent).

[Dark Alice]

This scent is gorgeous. Lush warm brown musk, with a touch of something resinous with a hint of smoke. I LOVE IT. It's amazing!

[galahad]

In the bottle:

This was initially very vinegary straight out of the mail but it has settled down some. Still slight vinegar and labdanum

On the Skin:

Vinegar, soft musk and labdanum. The overall effect is somewhat aniseedy as well. I am really hoping after some aging this will smooth out and lose it's pickle note.

On the Drydown:

After 10 minutes or so, this becomes closer to what I was looking forward to - slightly smoky labdanum and warm musk. I see some hope for this in the future

[Elspethdixon]

Wet/in the imp - perfume-y (but a unisex perfume); slightly astringent, slightly sweet-musky

Freshly applied - sweet, sugary musk. Maybe a hint of woodsmoke? I cannot emphasize enough how sweet this smells. You know how Devil's Night from the 2016 Weenies was supposed to be "sugar-crusted musk?" This smells like what I expected that to smell like. I get maybe a hint of woodsmoke and animalic fur/hide right up against my skin, but the throw is all sugar-musk.

Five-ten minutes in - I'm starting to get hints of the labdanum/resin, but overall Buffalo Man is primarily sweet musk with a hint of smokiness. Throw is limited, and the scent stays close to the skin, but it's strong when I put my nose to my wrist. The animalic/fur musk that some people apparently turn into pickles/vinegar is clearly sugary-sweet on me.

Thirty-forty minutes in - The labdanum has come forward more, and the scent has gained an animalic aspect which is toning down the sugary sweetness a bit. But it's still primarily sweet musk. It's a close-to-the-skin scent, but very snuggly and pleasant.

By the two-three hour mark, Buffalo Man has faded to a sweet, powdery skin scent (powdery the way black musk sometimes goes on me, rather than powdery late-drydown amber or like orris). A faint hint of baby-powder-y skin musk lingered on my skin for the rest of the day.

I don't think I need a bottle, but this imp is definitely a keeper. Sweet, snuggly musk with a hint of woodsmoke. It does smell brown, but brown like brown sugar being gently carmelized, not brown like buffalo hide.

[Little Bird]

Warm, amber-y labdanum that turns just slightly powdery on me, with thick, animalic musk (like a warmer version of black musk with maybe a hint of civet) and straightup woodsmoke, like standing next to a bonfire. Starts off strong and growly, but dries down to mostly that powdery amber veil on my skin.

[Joyleaf_]

This smells almost exactly like an ancient Horned God altar oil my old pagan shop had in the back for the covens sabbats. As I never wore that on my skin, the similarity starts to fade as the oil warms. This is much sweeter and warmer, less smokey and dark. I love the animalistic musk note, and I love civet and I wish this blend was heavier with that note on my skin. I will say that this has good throw, I can smell it as I type, and It is very comforting.

[biggnerd]

Woodsmoke is the most dominant note on me with a hint of labdanum and a feral smell that I'm assuming is the musk.  It's not unpleasant, but it's not my kind of scent.  It is interesting and I want to keep sniffing it.  

[doomsday_disco]

This one did not work on me. Right out of the gate, I am hit with a blast of vinegar, which is either the labdanum or woodsmoke being acrid on me. I suspect it is the labdanum, which appears to be a sour variety here, but I have had some smoky scents turn acrid on me, too. It does mellow out over time, with the fuzzy brown musk becoming more noticeable with wear, making this a warm, musky, resin scent with a wisp of smoke. The beginning is far too sour on me, though.

[cyborgutena]

As above, something in this is a bit acrid on me... I don't mind that at all, but it is very strange with the musk. I think maybe the smoke is making the sweet musk sweeter, because sometimes smoke goes sickly on me in combo with other things. Weirdly, it reminds me of sour candies a bit... but with the more animalistic scent underneath. The unfortunate part is that it just stays like that and never really calms down on me! Sometimes my skin makes sweet scents waaay too much over time, and this seems to be what happens here. It does get less astringent but it dries to something like very sweet smoke (that smells a bit rubbery-fake) which for me is no thanks.

[Lucchesa]

The Buffalo Man is ridiculously sexy on me, but it takes a while to get there.  It starts out harsh, even acrid as described by the last couple of reviewers.  Like the kind of smoke that stings your eyes and singes your throat.  At first I don't even notice the labdanum, but it's there, lots of it, sticky and dense, underneath the smoke.  And the musk...  But first the scent has to soften and the acrid smoke has to recede, and then it's fantastic, with a little throw (which is a lot for my skin chemistry) and a warm, masculine, hot AF vibe.  I can't stop sniffing my wrist.  If the opening were less off-putting, this would be an instant bottle.  I'm going to let it age for a couple of months and see if it comes into its own any sooner with aging.  

[lilyluxe]

Oh boy, I thought this was right up my alley and turns out I was correct!

This is definitely a heavy scent- a little goes a long way! It's a bit sour as someone said above, quite a bit like vinegar now that I think about it, but primarily sweet and deeply smoky.

I will buy pretty much anything BPAL puts out with their brown musk- it's definitely prominent here and it is nutty and furry smelling. 

This scent is so beautifully evocative of burying your face in a buffalo's fur next to a great bonfire. The sourness to me just lends itself to the more animal-like nature of the scent and gives it a feral quality. I don't find it to be annoying or gross or anything like that. The resins are what sweeten it up, and likely what make the oil a bit thick, which I loooove. Bury me in amber paste.

 

If you like Judgmental Longhorn, definitely worth a try. Also worth it if you are into really heavy smoky scents.

[Rane.]

Received as a swap. Deep, dark brown oil. Smells vinegary, that's for truth. Oh disappointing, it's nasty right out the bottle. So I applied some & let it do its thing. It's turned musk, smoke-covered heavy fur, beastly animalistic for sure. But I don't like it. Comparisons to Coyote, what are you thinking?? This is not like it at all. I'm afraid this will be retired to the BPAL fail box that I don't think anyone will swap for either. What a shame.

Edited November 5, 2021 by Rane.

[ka hulu]

[Disclaimer: I really do like this scent; I just ...never anticipated what I got in first acquaintance with it.]

 

In bottle: ??! A light, sweet, viscous summery vinaigrette. Like for a cold cucumber salad.

 

Wet: ...Um. Hold on.

 

Wet: Pure barbecue sauce. Excellent barbecue sauce. But only and definitely 100% barbecue sauce. Tons of it, sweet and smoky and with a peppery bite. But absolute barbecue sauce, as if I poured it directly out of the bottle in my kitchen fridge.

 

Some small part of me is horrified and thinks “Scrub it, that’s weird!” — but I can’t stop laughing and my whole brain is lit up in just ...w h o a. 

 

I have to leave the house and get outdoors to deal with whatever is on my wrists.

 

Drydown: The barbecue sauce backs off; nothing here but a lovely campfire smoke. Only after the woodsmoke recedes entirely does the labdanum comes fully forward, first fiery and then powdery. 

 

After all the other scent qualities burn off, the brown musk turns up, warm and small, like a solitary mouse. I don’t care for it; I want the campfire or labdanum back.

 

I like the label and love labdanum, and that’s why I’ll keep this guy. The Buffalo Man definitely did his own thing with those notes. A must-try for anyone who wants to smell even briefly like a bottle of really good BBQ sauce.

[Ennikar]

Firstly, a wave of sweet resins, and then a second wave of woodsmoke and brown musk. The woodsmoke is strong, as is the musk, and they have very high throw when first applied. I actually forgot it had a woodsmoke note when I first applied it and expected only musk and resin, but the smoke was strong and distinct enough that after a moment I was very sure that was what I was smelling. As it settles, it's giving like... guy wearing an old bearskin who lives in a cave where his fire is always burning, but like, idealized enough to not be "stinky". I can see it being very sexy or else offputting, depending on your tolerances. Normally I'm not too concerned with wearability, but this one tests that, since the musk is the sort that's somewhere between "animal", "sexy", and "dude who hasn't showered in a couple days" and I don't want anyone to question my hygiene. For that reason, it may be too situational to buy a bottle even though I enjoy it. I can also see some of the acrid/vingear-y tones and the bbq sauce comparison, though personally I didn't find these aspects strong or distracting.

Also a couple notes on the oil itself - it's the darkest, most viscous perfume oil I've ever tried. This stuff left a yellow-brown sheen on my skin for nearly an hour after being applied, even though it was just a wandcap's worth spread over my wrist.

[marared]

So just from the bottle, I get why people describe it as vinegar. It is definitely acrid, with the woodsmoke right behind it. Immediately on my skin, there's the barbecue sauce. (I'm an Eastern Carolina vinegar girl, myself.) It takes about ten minutes for the barbecue to fade, leaving behind the woodsmoke, and at this point the brown musk comes out to play. The labdanum is barely noticeable; all it really does add a little of its signature effervescence, making the scent less dark as the smoke note recedes into the background.

 

This isn't something I would describe as animalic or feral or unhygienic. It's warm and fuzzy, but it's a dark warm and fuzzy.