The Writing on the Slate

[galahad]

My most remarkable experience has been with Dr. H. Slade of New York, for whom I have formed a high regard. I first met him at his residence last November, when, without announcing my name, in three consecutive sittings, at eleven o’clock in the morning, seated at a small, bare table in the centre of a light room, there written on the under side of a slate placed on the table, several communications addressed to me, purporting to come from my deceased friends. I pass over the other manifestations – such as the movement of heavy articles of furniture in plain view, without visible contact – and confine myself to the writing on the slate, which I regarded with most interest…

– Thos. W. Waterman, Binghamton, NY, July 14, 1873

The result of a physical law which is not yet understood, and the existence of which has hitherto scarcely been suspected: beeswax candles, chalk, and dust.

In the Bottle:
Rich beewax and a little bit of a dusty background

On the Skin:
The beautiful lab beeswax note, rich and sweet. The dry chalky note and dust emerges quite quickly to dry out the blend and tone down the sweetness of the beeswax. I am loving the chalkiness.

On the Drydown:
Stays fairly consistent through the drydown as a dusty beeswax but the beeswax amps up every now and then. I love it.

[hushmesilent]

I am so geeked about this blend! First and foremost, it stuck around for quite a while on me, despite repeated hand washings. Usually my skin eats scents, so this is thrilling. It smells mainly of soft beeswax. There's a touch of vanilla that's very alluring. It's comforting and soft. The dust and chalk notes don't hang around, but they are definitely there when I opened the imp. It's just kind of stale and dry. (Not in a bad way, just a little more flat.)

 

I didn't think that this blend would be so wearable, but once again Beth and the Lab have impressed me. Way to make something that smells like beeswax, dust, and chalk so beautiful and unique!

[LiberAmoris]

I wasn't sure what to expect from The Writing on the Slate. Chalk and dust aren't notes that I'm overly familiar with, and the combination with beeswax sounded like it would result in something unusual. This is unusual...and really pretty. Beeswax is the first, middle, and last of this blend, but the combination with the chalk and dust renders it drier, and on my skin it smells like powdered honey. This is really wearable and quite sexy, like a buttoned up O. I'm so glad I gave it a try!

[LizziesLuck]

I am already wishing I had just blind-bottled this - beeswax is one of my very favourite comfort scents.

 

 

Wet: GORGEOUS. The slight chalk and dust come through just a tiny bit, but it is mostly all sweet beeswax. Instant love. The dust sort of tickles me nose though, as it dries, and I hope that note doesn't amp up and ruin this on me!

 

Dry: Glorious! The dust settles (ha ha) and the sweet beeswax comes back to the forefront. It's incredible. 2 bottle worthy! (WHY didn't I just blind bottle it??)

[VetchVesper]

There's a certain note in some of the darker "metal" blends that comes across to me like motor oil. It's not bad, just... not exactly what I want to smell like. Writing on the Slate has that note at first, mixed with beeswax. After it's been on me about 15 minutes, it's all beeswax, simple and comforting. Nice, especially if you are a beeswax fan, but I can live without it. Swap!

[theseagrows]

starts off all chalk and dust, with something mildly sweet-the beeswax in the background. slowly the beeswax emerges, brightening and warming the scent. after a couple more minutes, i get another note but i can't place it. it could be the chalk intensifying though. this is such an odd scent! after being on the skin awhile, it smells kind of like butter and is nauseating. my skin chemistry just isn't having it-this one is a scrubber for me :/

Edited January 7, 2018 by theseagrows

[crimescenecleanup]

Beeswax so sweet it is almost cloying, the kind that is dark brown, barely filtered. This is like the beeswax from Flickering Lantern amped up to 11, mixed with raw honey.

 

For me, the chalk and dust only make their appearance on drydown, and then only faintly, adding a little powder to this blend.

 

Although it isn't listed, there is a very strong vanilla-like note that shows up in this one. It makes this scent warm and comforting, maybe to represent the glow of candles.

 

This is one of the longest-lasting perfumes I've tested.

 

If you love beeswax, this is your new holy grail scent.

Edited January 12, 2018 by crimescenecleanup

[roseus]

I agree with crimescenecleanup, the beeswax was overly sweet for me initially as well. It reminded me of the intense funky honeys that did not work on me when I first started exploring BPAL. As it dries down the beeswax gets creamier and less intense (though still very honey-sweet). And the chalk and dust play off it nicely, making a for a simple and nostalgic candle scent.

[highgarden]

I love BPAL's beeswax note (sweet, creamy, lasts forever) and blind bought a bottle. Wet, it's definitely heavy on that sweet waxy scent, but there is a hint of dust there that almost makes me want to sneeze, but that sensation fades as it dries and blends so well with the scent a few hours in that it's hard to pick out. There is definitely something resembling vanilla here. It's been over 9 hours since I applied it and it's still going strong.

[zankoku_zen]

Chalky, dusty, beeswax. If you loved Light of Men's Lives, but it was too much honey or sweetness for you, this one is more somber, toned down version. The chalk element tones down both the honey and sweetness notes. Good throw and wear length.

[Convallaria]

Opening is sweet beeswax, a bit too sweet for my taste. When dust creeps through, it feels more like soil than dry dust you’d expect from the concept. The result is rotten-sweet blend that’s really not my thing. Drydown goes back to beeswax, now slightly less cloying, and chalk. This is also the first time it starts feeling like occult. I really like the final phase but I’m not sure I can deal with the previous ones to get there.

[Lucchesa]

Writing on the Slate is so beautiful on me! I didn't even order a decant -- I guess the chalk and dust put me off, or I didn't see "candles" in all the other Yule glory. But the fabulous Lorizav sent me a decant in the Imbolc swap, and it's everything I was hoping for. Hanerot Halalu was nice but not transcendent on me; there was an unlisted floral that didn't love my skin. But Writing on the Slate is lovely in all its phases.

 

Wet I didn't find it cloying at all; the chalk dust note tempered the sweetness for me. (Those of us old enough to have used chalkboard erasers will remember how they smell.) Dry, it's definitely in the same family as Lights of Men's Lives (one of my top 2-3 GCs) but less smoky, drier. It's a delicate, nostalgic scent but has some throw for the first hour or two and lasts a long time, fading away to a gentle ghost of beeswax. Love!

[Minh Scent]

This is a stellar beeswax scent! There is just a suggestion of chalk in it (I do not get dust) to keep it interesting. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I do not get a sweet honey, but pretty much a a straight forward beeswax perfume.

[Geminirubyshoes]

Yessssss dusty candle scent of my dreams!!!! If you love any of these:

Lights of Mens Lives

Loi Krathong

Ichabod Crane

 

Buy this right meow. If you love the smell of chalk dust in the air, and candles burning in a dusty room, this is for you. 

[mishi-bear]

2018 version.

 

Very beeswax dominant. It's sweet and creamy. Not too waxy. Has a subtle almost honey like edge to it.

 

The dust note is sweet and, well, dusty. It actually is making me a little sneezy.

 

The chalk note is strange. I actually do get it distinctly. It starts off mild but gets stronger, and then morphs a little weirdly. It has an almost vegetal tone. A little funky?

 

Overall I was hoping to like this one a lot, but it's kind of meh on me.

[ralenth]

Soft, creamy beeswax, with a tinge of a stone note underneath. It isn't as sweet as beeswax normally is on my skin. This one is lovely and consistently warmed beeswax for hours.