Exodus 22:21

[Shadowdawn]

Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.

Myrrh, red currant, opoponax, and blackberry.

 

Such a somber topic, but such a sexy, beautiful, sultry summer scent! I've always had a love for BPAL's activism scent lines, and I knew I absolutely had to have one out of this specific series. I picked the bottle quickly, almost on a whim, and have no regrets. It's gorgeous! 4/5 smelly stars! I think a drop of mint or spice would have totally made it, but it still pairs beautifully with mint heavy scents.

For a "fruity" scent, 22:21 still manages to be very balanced in terms of not being too sweet, or foody in any way. It must be all the resinous myrrh keeping the ripe, dark fruits in check. There is a hint of tartness initially, but barely. It has an almost smoky or wood-like quality. Upon initial application, it's all bursting, ripe, crushed summer blackberries, with an effervescent (almost champagne-like) quality poured over. But as soon as I rub it into the warmth of my skin, it immediately mellows into something much deeper, darker, and creamier. A spicy element of some sort pops up, making me think of sex musk. This is truly how I imagine "dark fruits", or a gothic summer to smell. Within minutes, the fruit is no longer distinguishable in the least. It's all perfectly blended together into something like a bittersweet incense stick and the sun-warmed skin of someone you quite fancy.

Barely sweet, deep, and dark. Mature, while still retaining a playful air somehow. Ancient but powerful, and (to me) deeply feminine, yet grown. The dry-down is one of my absolute favorites as well. It turns resinous, soft, and creamy after the blackberry has been gobbled up. Dry blackberry wine and deep kisses come to mind. No plastic or soap here! I have a feeling this one is highly dependent on skin chemistry though, because it morphs quite a lot.

[lady_pandora]

On me, Exodus 22.21 is not the dark heavy scent I might have expected from the presence of the resins, but a light, sweet puff of red-fruity incense. It's cuddly and comforting and close to the skin. A definite keeper!

[thecaitycat]

In the bottle

This is berry-forward but neither light nor heavy because of the resins. It's kind of mellow on first sniff. The myrrh is present but not overpowering at all.

 

Wet on skin

My skin amps currant and other berries, and this blend follows that general rule. It smells pretty much like it does in the bottle after about a minute, with the resins lingering a bit so this isn't a sharp berry scent. It's *really* lovely.

 

Dry on skin after 30 minutes

This doesn't morph on my skin so much as it becomes better blended. So it's more of a wonderfully resinous berry instead of berries and resins.

 

Thoughts

With myrrh being the first note listed, I was the slightest bit hesitant even though currant and blackberry are two of my very favorite things. Myrrh and I get along as long as it's in small doses. In this blend, rather than blanket itself over all other notes, the myrrh kind of acts like a syrup to tie everything together. This isn't a super sweet blend, but syrup seems like a good descriptor for the myrrh because this is a welcoming, soothing, calming blend that's not unlike a cup of blackberry tea. This one is a keeper and I love it a lot.

[Lucchesa]

I love blackberries and keep trying to find the perfect BPAL blackberry scent, which has led me to a series of dreadful disappointments, as the blackberry note tends to go berry bubblegum on my skin. So I didn't have particularly high hopes for Exodus 22:21. But I love me some dark syrupy opoponax, and myrrh usually plays on my side as well. And this -- this is beautiful. There's the gorgeous rich blackberry and the resins and something almost lemony which I think is really tart redcurrant, balancing the sweetness of the berry, and I think the resins keep this blend from getting too sweet as well. Wet, I got unusually good throw for my skin. Drydown is more subdued, less fruity, rich and deep. This is not a playful, light summer blend on me. Phox calls it mature, and I would second that, but in the most positive way. I'm so glad I took a chance on a decant, and I may need more. In fact, I feel that way about all the Deliver scents I've tried so far. What a stunning collection.

[donkehpoo]

Wet: Myrrh and blackberry bubblegum. ....?

 

Dry: Pretty similar to the wet stage. Blackberry usually doesn't read as "bubblegum" to me, so maybe it's a combination of the blackberry + red currant that's doing it? Either way, this is still reading as an odd blackberry bubblegum scent to me. Not necessarily a sweet bubblegum.. but still bubblegum. Does that make sense? No? Yeah, it doesn't to me either.

 

Definitely an interesting scent worth trying out, though!

[zankoku_zen]

Red currant, blackberry, and a whiff of bubblegum. This is like a berry bubblegum on me, and I am not sure where the bubblegum note is coming from. Perhaps a mastic?

Fruity, bright, sugary. Medium throw and wear length.

[Alisha_SBC]

I received my bottle in a swap and I am sooooooo happy with this scent. Blackberry has been sadly missing from my collection and I've been struggling to find one that works for me and isn't overwhelmed with florals or ruined by milk (I'm looking at you Candle's Moon.)

This still isn't the juicy blackberry I hope to find someday, but it is utterly gorgeous and mature, yet perfect for a casual outing. I thought I was getting plum, but that must be the currant melding with the blackberry and myrrh. I'm not super familiar with opponax, but it must be working for me. This is resinous enough to be sensual, without going heavy or too dark.

 

Thankfully I am not getting the bubblegum others seem to have experienced.