The Queen of Hel

[zankoku_zen]

“I am Hel,” she said simply. “The dead come to me, and they do not return to the lands above. Why should I let Balder go?”
– Norse Mythology, Neil Gaiman

Lilith loves cosplaying, and while she has done many characters, none has suited her quite as well as Hela has. She debuted this look at C2E2 this year, complete with tiny plush Fenris.

Tiny mistress of the underworld: gleaming black leather, luminescent green amber, and gargantuan hellhound musk.

This smells like soft brown leather, tinges of amber and musk. But yeah, soft feminine leather like in Heroine. Medium throw and wear length.

[boomtownrat]

A big reason I wanted this was because I love Hela and Cate Blanchett but I also had a feeling all the notes would be wonderful together. I always want to try musk and amber scents if I can, and to have them together was irresistible.

 

Musk is the main attraction as The Queen of Hel dries on my skin. It reminds me of another musk that I remember from the '80s but can't quite place. The leather is a beautiful complement to the musk and the green amber floats around it all like a glowing cloud, truly luminescent as the description says (how does Beth do it?). It's soft, like zankoku_zen said. This is Hela when she's feeling a little more mellow, not on a rampage.

 

I feel a bit stronger and more confident when I wear this, like I'm wearing bad-ass black leather armor.

[donkehpoo]

Wet: Sweet, musky leather. I wonder what the "hellhound musk" actually is, since I'm pretty sure that's where the sweet aspect is coming from.

 

Dry: Reminds pretty much the same as the wet stage, only a bit muskier now. More of a feminine leather scent, for sure.

 

I'll hold on to my decant! I'm not in the mood enough to wear leather to where I'll need a full bottle.

[Leopard403]

This is all leather on me, but it's soft like an old brown suede jacket so maybe the musk and amber are softening it a bit and I just can't smell it. I like it, but it's not what I was hoping for.

[doomsday_disco]

In the decant: I’m getting well-worn leather, a dark musk, and a green vibe that must be due to the amber.

 

Wet: On my skin, the musk is the first note that pops up, with the well-worn leather note behind it. Then, I get the green amber behind those notes, just adding a bit of a green quality to the scent.

 

Dry: This is actually kind of cozy and sweet despite its name. The musk is still going strong, the leather still reads and soft and well-worn, and the amber is adding a powdery, resinous feel to the scent (and is stronger than before). It’s mostly a musky, powdery leather scent on me.

 

Verdict: This is pleasant, but it’s not wowing me. It’s a little too powdery on my skin, alas. I am not sure I will keep this one -- I just can’t see myself reaching for it over other leather scents.

[LizziesLuck]

So I lost my computer, and my BPAL spreadsheet along with it, and now I am a disorganized mess and have missed testing like, a zillion things *sigh*. Now I am so behind that the stuff I am testing is no longer available...pitiful.

 

Wet: The green amber smells green in an almost limey way - or my mind is playing tricks on me because I am thinking "green". The leather is noticeably black, but not horrible and chemically on me like black leather sometimes is. It's not quite the crisp black leather or Whip. I can't place it to another scent for comparison. It's interesting though. Soft and muted. The musk is more of what I think of as a "wooly" sort of musk. At moments this is a soft, comfortable skin scent on me and at other moments it's somewhat unsettling and sinister. Very interesting. Little throw, and it's sadly already fading quickly.

 

Dry:  So I was crazy, there's no lime. Just soft leather, with hints of wooly musk, and just a touch of sweet amber. It's really pleasant, but not jumping out as something I would reach for frequently.

[DigitalCoyote]

Wet: Soap.  Specifically, the solution for blowing bubbles and a little sweet.

 

Dry: Still sweet and soapy.  This disappeared from my skin in less than two hours.

 

 

#BPALphabetAUG20

Edited August 25, 2020 by DigitalCoyote

[fairybites]

Leathery amber, kind of green but not very strong like the leather is. This is a little too leather heavy for my tastes, but if you love that note it's pretty good. I didn't get a whole lot of musk, it resembled the fur musk that I've seen in other blends.

[bitterstar]

Simple and straightforward: lovely, dry, soft leather. Leather driving gloves warmed in the sun. 

 

If you are seeking a vegetal, earthy leather, you want Ranger from the RPG series.