Fuck You, Said the Raven

[Lycanthrope]

"Hey," said Shadow. "Huginn or Muninn, or whoever you are."

The bird turned, head tipped, suspiciously, on one side, and it stared at him with bright eyes.

"Say 'Nevermore,'" said Shadow.

"Fuck you," said the raven."

Glossy black, rough, and gravelly: violet-gilded opoponax, black patchouli, myrrh, and oak leaf.

Smokey in the bottle. Rocks. Gray gravel.

On, wet, a weirdly sweet, dark, biting caramelly resin. The topnotes of the resin recede a bit and I'm getting a bit of the burnt/dried leaves note, but not much, and it's tempered by a dry woodsiness. There's a depth beneath this all with the patchouli and myrrh lending a soft, but solid base. I was hoping for a bit more front-forward violet, but I'm not getting that as much with the initial drydown. Over time, the resins/woods unify and turn more towards a very excellent, subdued but dark patchouli, with a touch of rockiness - not Black Opal rockiness, but... still a huskiness. There are whispers of violet petals but don't be afraid if you're not a floral person. This is just enough to lend a glint to the feathers.

I will not F this blend! It's quite good!

[Jenjin]

Dark, almost muddy patch upon application, it's really earthy and I'm left looking for the "midnight raven" I was hoping for. Thankfully, the dank wood settles down into smoky resins, while the dark, gloomy sweet, violet resins warm up to float atop. After a couple minutes, the drydown is all glistening blackest purple notes. Simple, yet great. Dry, yet slightly sweet, rather silky, and smooth. There's a palpable, silky, mellow woody feel at the very base. A black floral opaline scent, the smell of feathers and dusty wings, luminous and decadent, and so nicely resinous-almost silvery. The violet is there, although much restrained, just a drop of color. After a while it gets velvety like the night sky, quite unique in its own way and wonderful on my skin.

Edited June 19, 2017 by Jenjin

[galahad]

In the Bottle:

Musky opopanax

On the Skin:

Starts off as a refined myrrh and then the patchouli and astringent oak emerge to sharpen the blend. I don't specifically get any violet but there is a floral aspect to this.

On the Drydown:

This does become dark and stony on the drydown and, best of all, the opopanax emerges with more strength the further it dries and warms. Very nice and should age beautifully

[LiberAmoris]

I was really hoping I'd love Fuck You, Said the Raven—the notes sounded right up my alley. And I do love it! This might be my favorite dark violet blend from the Lab yet. It smells more smooth than gravelly on me, although I get a bit of an asphalt note on the drydown (that totally might be my overactive imagination). I love violets, but often they skew a little too strong or too sweet on me...here, they're plunged into a shadowy vat of resiny blurring agents that keep them from being too much. The myrrh and resiny-myrrh-y opoponax bring a gently herbal-sweet, almost hay-like and pitchy set of notes, and the black patchouli gives everything a coating of a dark, opaque sheen. The oak leaf is light on me, just a bit of that leafy tang.

 

Overall, this smells like dark purple, softly violet incense on me, and it's got strong projection and lasting power...just a small dab or two needed.

[patina]

This didn't smell very promising in the vial. Not bad at all, but sort of a scent I'd smelled before, maybe Faustus. On it immediately smelled like frankincense, with patchouli and a floral, but it develops into a beautiful resin scent that never quite loses the violet, but isn't overwhelmed by violet. I predict this will be more gorgeous once the patchouli has had a chance to age.

 

Strong throw, average wear length. Probably will be good for fall.

 

Edit: It does in fact have a strong asphalt/ black rock smell.

Edited July 8, 2017 by patina

[lookingglass]

THIS is my new favorite.

 

Wet it initially reminds me a bit of Fake News and Sed Non Satiata, perhaps because they share a patchouli note, but then the myrrh really comes out (bless!), and the whole blend transforms. It dosn't so much dry down as it warms up, like resins melting. The myrrh and opoponax are RICH and thick and everything I ever want them to do-RULING the blend- and yes, GILDED by violet...ever so slightly glowing violet.

 

I do love violet scents, and I have several in my collection, I just don't usually wear them. They tend be nostalgic for me and make can me feel sad or dated or too fresh out of the bath. Not this one, though! It's badass and I can totally get shit done wearing it. It's just a bit floral, but mostly smells sleek...like wet pavement... at a crowded incense market... in the heat. Steadfast, confident, understated, dark, opulent.

Edited July 8, 2017 by lookingglass

[Dark Alice]

This scent is perfect. Dark, sexy and soft as a raven's wing. The violet and myrrh just purr in this and the patchouli is smooth. This is definitely a court scent. I am so glad that I have it!

[zankoku_zen]

Violet, myrrh, and a hint of patchouli. This is dark, slinky, and fun. Good throw and wear length.

[Lambent]

Heady and slightly powdery on my skin due to the violets, I think. The patchouli comes up a bit strong for me and the whole blend gets a bit overwhelming (I imagine it would be cloying in the summer heat). I do get a bit of an asphalt-like grittiness from it at times. Fuck You, Said the Raven reminds me a bit of department store perfumes, but not necessarily in a bad way. Like one of those vintage or classic perfumes recommended for night wear. Suitable for femme fatales and dark strangers in leather.

[Little Bird]

I was so disappointed when I first got my bottle of this. It was a dusty, powdery, bland thing. I love American Gods, corvids, Odin, Huginn and Muninn, and really want to love this scent. I put the bottle away for a week and wore it again today and am relieved that it seems to have settled from its mailbox shock or whatever weird skin chemistry thing was happening with me previously.

 

Opoponax and myrrh can sometimes have that thickly sweet, resinous quality that makes them smell like cola, and I'm getting that here, along with an almost fizzy, bubbly violet. So this smells like violet flavored cola, which is so unusual and fun. I like it a lot.

 

I usually don't notice a difference in perfumes from aging, but this is one that I think might become earthier. I love black patchouli, and am hoping that it might get stronger in this over time.

 

Right now, though, this is bubbly violet cola on my skin, and I'm perfectly happy with that

[kscha2017]

I will never stop being amused by BPAL's ability to make scents that evoke a sense of something such as "gravelly". Fresh out of my decant and wet on my skin, this is gravel. And more than that, it's a "fuck you" kinda gravel. Strong, bold, unforgiving, leave you bleeding on the shoulder of the highway in the middle of nowhere. Not overtly masculine, however; a tad bit perfumy. I had a headache when I tested it and for a moment was afraid I was inducing a migraine. But then the scent dried down and tamed a bit, morphing into a softer, almost distant asphalt with, I swear, some warm, dusty, black-purple feathers mixed in. A pretty scent now, but ever so often, the "fuck you" gravel peeks out again. I would wear this when dumping someone or quitting a hateful job. I think it would be put to good use in some ritual work too.

[torikitty]

Yeah, I can get behind gravel notes. And a bit of earthy resins. The violets allllllmost add an old-lady perfume sweetness that I can't stand. Depends on if this goes powdery or not. It's cool, dark, and different from what I normally try. I'm still trying to figure out the notes, but I feel like this scent aptly distills what the raven should smell like.

[LizziesLuck]

I can't do violet, gives me a headache, and patchouli just hasn't been what I reach for lately, but let's face it, with a name like that I had to try this!

 

 

Wet: Sweet, green and patchouli is what I get, and it weirdly reminds me of Banshee Beat for a moment, but then I sniff again. It is a similar patch to BB though, not a dirty patch to me at all. It must be the oak leaf that is giving this a green, fresh vibe? And the opoponax adds a syrupy sweetness. Ya this is nice! Totally not the dirty gravel patch scent I was expecting. I do get faint hints of stone, but they're lovely, not dirty at all. Smells more like clean rocks picked out of a swiftly flowing river. I get no violet, and I almost don't want to type that for fear of jinxing myself! Ya this is good, and if it stays this good I want a bottle. Man, I always forget how much I LOVE opoponax! Mmm, sweet dark resiny goodness.

 

Dry: This goes through a brief phase of really muddy, dirty patch and I hate it, but then it recovers and gets really good again. It's difficult to describe, but I get sweet resiny opoponax, something green (assuming the oak leaf) and some rich Myrrh which I think is what eventually squashes the patchouli. Patch fades into the background and just adds earthiness, which is fine by me. I really can't detect the violet, but there is a vague perfumey quality, which I am assuming comes from the violet. This is a lovely resinous scent and I do think I will eventually get a bottle. American Gods is going to bankrupt me.

[milo]

I really like the occasional 'dark' scent, and own a few. I had to try this, as I was getting kind of bored with the ones that I currently own. This one kind of reminds me a bit of Panther Moon, with some dark resins and something musky. Becomes powdery, which I like in a dark blend, it's like soft, evil baby powder. Glad I have a couple of decants to use when I'm in the mood for something dark. A little goes a long way here.

[Cali]

This one's so fun how could I not give this a try. A soft opoponax lost in a thick fog. Gravel indeed. Gravel on a dark road in a forest? Sure smells like it.

It surprisingly goes from dark and gravely to something like a dark fairytale.. messed up but it's got it's soft, tender moments and aesthetically pleasing but creepy elves. Or... Something like that. The more it dries down the more I like it, though I'll admit I'm actually missing the gravel now that it's fading.

It's still there, but the violet seems to amp on me here. I don't think I need a bottle but man this is nice!

[morriganswitch]

In the bottle, warm patchouli.

 

Wet on the skin

Warm, soft patchouli (Not the 'A1 Steak Sauce' of cheap patchouli, but cultured and warm patchouli) with a hint of resin.

 

Ten minute Dry down

The Oak is swimming to the surface.

 

Hour dry down

Dusty Opoponax and oak leaves. YUM.

[NoNoNo]

With six months ageing this is so smooth - dark delight with a violet background, its amazing

Edited February 7, 2018 by NoNoNo

[cassiejaynebunk]

I think i really hate violet, it seems to be the note that, when present in a blend of other things that i normally like, gets all up in there and fucks it all up for me. i want to love this but it's all stanky on me. booooo.

Edited February 17, 2018 by cassiejaynebunk

[zazkea]

Wow This is a true mood-scent, not perfume. As such, this is a total new direction than the bpal scents I am used to - and it is really good!

 

It is grey, gravel, silk, and so well blended that I dont get single notes. Although yes, I can recognize myrrh and patchouli, maybe violet incense, but only if I am searching for them. I even got a short moment of almond. Stone, darkness, majestic. But its more the feeling / mood this expresses:

 

I have the image of a roadtrip with no clear destination, asphalt, and something powerful nearby.

 

--

Edit (original post was 2018, edit is 2023): 
This is my favourite BPAL scent now, because it fits me very well somehow. So happy it exists!

Edited March 5, 2023 by zazkea

[artisjok]

I’ve been wanting a violet blend that worked for me, and I know the Lab can make any note work with their magic. I had tried a little of FUSR before I swapped for a bottle, and remember it being alright, but didn’t impress me terribly. The other notes still had me curious for another try..... 

 

Tart violet and gritty patch & resins. One test I applied lightly, and the violet melded back into the darkness and it was a smooth woodsy scent. The second wear, I slathered more, and the violet would not quit.  I’m just not a fan of violet... *sigh*

I Sit and I Sew and TAL Peace are the most enjoyable blends with the flower that I have tried. May be the combo with lavender works best. 
Glad to have tried it! 

Edited July 10, 2020 by artisjok

[Jenesis]

Bought this unsniffed on the assumption I would like it - and I do! In fact it may go into my Top 5. I can usually make opopnax work and the violet is perfect, I was really afraid it would be powdery parma violets, but it's not. I can detect the smooth floral note but it isn't an in-your-face violet on me. The dark patchouli blends perfectly too to make a gorgeous, dark, deep scent. I think it'd be suitable for all genders. Yummy!

[Ennikar]

I like this Raven. Retested it after sitting for a year or so, and I get the patchouli, alongside a variety of other notes. This is not a warm, snugly, or dank patchouli, though; if asked to guess the notes I would describe it as cool, fresh water, black pepper, and a patchouli base. Decent throw and wear length, the patchouli gets less identifiable over time but I would not describe it as a big morpher.

As of now, it's not a bottle upgrade, but it's a mood.