'Second Skin' Scents

[cinderfallen]

Does anyone have any recs for a scent not overtly floral/fruity/incensy? It just kinda sinks into into your skin and mhmm...it's just you. Fairly subtle, just that quick whiff of warm skin when you peek over someone's shoulder.

 

I tried O, but it's a bit too much like food... (Also, I don't really like vanilla.) Not too fond of incense, either...

 

Is there any hope for me?

[velvet]

hmm i would recommend velvet

it does have chcolate and ... sandalwood i think

but its a very mellow scent

its not incense or foody

 

just a thought...

[tart]

I think I remember reading in the reviews for Dana O'shee that it was a kind of second-skin scent. You may find it too sweet, though.

 

There is a thread somewhere about scents that stay close to the skin -- maybe loracj started it? Anyway, maybe a scent that doesn't have a lot of "throw" may work for you.

 

You may find that this "skin" scent is completely personal and unique. I'm wearing Dia De Los Muertos right now, and although it has incense, florals, and some foody notes in it, it smells like sexiness.

 

Maybe Le Petit Mort (spelling may vary)?

[lavinia]

antique lace so perfectly light and sheer with a wisp of musk behind it.

snake oil sexy spiced vanilla but not foody

la petite mort is another good rec too.

[clover]

I would lean towards something with amber, like maybe Bastet or The Lion. Both are very soft, golden, slightly spicy & subtle scents. Both are slightly animalistic (in name), so I guess it's the warmth of something living that is reminding me of skin.

 

A second skin scent, on the other hand, means something entirely different to me. That would be one of those scents that are just so "you" that when you put them on they seem to meld with your body chemistry in a very special way. And that's probably high personal and dependent on skin chemistry. For example, whenever I put on Dragon's Milk, I feel like I just smell like me, only slightly better.

[heartbeast]

Whichever definition you use, I agree with Clover that it's highly personal to your body chemistry. However, I'll chime in and say that Blood Kiss had that second skin effect on me--so much so that it matches both definitions.

[tempete]

Alice, Bastet, Black Pearl, Dana O'Shee and Haunted are second skin scents on me, although Alice is very floral (hello, carnation). None of them are particularly foody to my nose, but it can depend on which notes your skin pulls up, especially with Black Pearl and Dana O'Shee.

 

I personally differentiate between scents without a lot of throw and second skin scents. For example, Empyreal Mist doesn't have a lot of throw (well, after five minutes it ceases to exist on my skin), but I don't think that anyone would think that I naturally smell like a grassy, dew-covered field. For me, a second skin scent is a much better smelling version of my skin - I agree, though, that second skin scents usually don't have a lot of throw.

[Lady Ravenglass]

Blood Amber was a second skin scent on me. Nothing startling or pushy, just a smooth, 'human' smell, almost. Slightly sweet from the DBR, but the amber smoothed it out to lie on my skin like it belonged there. It's actually very close to my usual personal smell and works with it rather than against it - complimenting rather than competing to cover it up.

 

This may be because my skin works very well with DBR in most blends - your skin may like something else better. Dana O'Shee is very light, and slightly soaplike (Snowcake!) so that might be one to try. Also, Regan, which is a very O-like scent but without the sweatiness, and is one I often wear to bed. Quite sweet though.

[fallow deer]

I'll have to add Coyote to the list - definately gender neutral, amber, soft musk, nothing heady or foody, just mmm... Quite a few reviewers have called it a second skin scent.

[Pookstrell]

Dana O'Shee is a very 'close to the skin' scent for me. Lovely warm, milky almonds Although you might find it slightly foody, depending on how you view almonds really

I wouldn't describe Pele as a second skin scent, but it's mild soft and pretty and stays close to the skin

[Dolly Dimple]

I'll second Blood Amber, which, alas, is so skinlike on me that it fades to undetectable in under an hour. While it's there, it's beautiful, though.

 

And Bathsheba was another warm, sexy, second skin scent - not a lot of throw for me, so it's definitely one you'd have to get up close to notice... but if it's skin scent you want, I guess up close goes without saying?

[Scylla]

If O was too foody for you, I think Dana O'Shee will NOT be a good choice, because in my opinion it is a "foodier" version of O.

 

If you don't like vanilla, I don't think Dragon's Milk or Snake Oil would be good for you, either. They are both very vanilla-y on me.

 

I agree with velvet that Velvet would be a great choice. It is very different--it has sandalwood, myrrh and chocolate, but it's not foody. Definitely worth a try.

 

I agree with clover (and everyone else who agreed) that each oil will smell differently to each person and ON each person, depending on their chemistry. (This was especially evident at the Chicago BPAL gathering. We all smelled the same bottle of Helping Hand and all smelled different predominant notes! And some loved it, some hated it!)

 

Good luck on your search for the perfect BPAL oil! You'll become an addict like the rest of us soon. Resistance is futile!

[cinderfallen]

Guh. So many delicious-sounding scents. Thank you all for such great suggestions! I put it all in my wishlist for further perusal, lol.

 

And hmm... Regarding Bastet: how "incensy" is it? Say, on a scale from Pottery Barn to Pangea/One Earth/Hippy Store Central?

 

Blood Amber and Bathsheba sound really...lush. And Coyote and Velvet and... Now I really want to try the Black Broom to see if they carry any of these! How dare they carry only 90 of these creations!

 

Has anyone tried Dirty? The description made it sounds really...nice. =) I couldn't get a really accurate feel for it in the review section though--I was imagining the natural smell of sun-dried sheets--but apparently...plumeria? Citrus?

 

I'm easing into warmer scents--or really, perfume in general, and your comments helped so much. You enablers, you.

 

I love this forum--it's a feast for the senses, yum.

 

And keep the recommendations comin', by all means.

Edited February 25, 2005 by cinderfallen

[Rhian]

I don't find Bastet very incensy at all! It's more spicy-warm-honey on me than anything else. I highly recommend it, though -- it's pretty much my favourite BPAL scent of the moment! I wouldn't say it's a skin scent on me (oh, how I wish I smelled like this normally) but it definitely sinks into my skin and feels like it's part of me. I'm wearing it, rather than it wearing me.

 

Bathsheba is lush. That's a good word to describe it. It's surprisingly innocent and light, though, and deliciously sweet. Blood Amber has the same effect as Bastet on me and is absolutely divine. Very warm and cosy.

 

I'm trying to think of other oils that have the Bastet-effect... I like Dragon's Milk and O. Most things with amber and honey have that warm, comforting, feel on me. Antique Lace is very sweet, but not foody -- more sugary, almost like candyfloss but not so sickly.

 

O is quite an intense scent the first time around. I thought I hated it at first, but it ended up really growing on me. I personally found Dragon's Milk to be much less foody, although it did have me wanting to eat my wrist!

 

Alice isn't as warm as some of the others, but it wears very close to my skin. Egg Nog is divine, but since it's limited and very foody, might not be for you. Chiroptera was a surprise, because I expected it to be herby, but it's a delicate sweet floral that's very natural and yummy.

 

Hope this helps!

[klowey]

Dana O'Shee is a very 'close to the skin' scent for me. Lovely warm, milky almonds Although you might find it slightly foody, depending on how you view almonds really

I wouldn't describe Pele as a second skin scent, but it's mild soft and pretty and stays close to the skin

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

And there again is the whole skin chemistry thing. Dana O'Shee was too much for me, and yet Pele smells like warm skin with a floral background. I think it's the ginger.

[Fulltiltredhead]

Scherezade, applied moderately, fits the bill for some, too.

[brownbat]

Umbra does this for me, but its possible that you'll find it too incensey. I agree that generally musks and ambers do it, but there are plenty of exceptions.

Edited February 25, 2005 by brownbat

[jj_j]

You might try Zephyr ... to me, it's a combination of clean laundry out on the clothesline and the flushed-skin scent of making out. Ms. MSGirl review said, "I would recommend this as a "clean" scent for people who don't like florals, and a way to wear vanilla for people who don't like blatantly sweet and foody smells."

 

Szepasszony is bright and fresh; it doesn't melt into a skin-like scent, but it's not floral, foody, or incensy. You might check the reviews on that one and see what you think.

 

Have fun finding just the right one!

[evanesce]

On me, Sudha Segara and Vicomte de Valmont blended right into my skin, Queen Mab too, which smells very very "clean" on me.

[phaedrine]

I'll second the recs for Coyote and Sudha Segara, and add my own for Phantom...to me, it's like a me-scented dryer sheet.

[Stephanie]

I third Blood Amber!! It's a gorgeous, unobtrusive, warm, close scent. It's soo beautiful!! I love it.

To me, it's my second-skin scent.

 

Blood Amber!

[tart]

Has anyone recommended Morocco yet?

[pekeana]

Morocco, Scherezade, and Xiuhtecuhtli are my second-skin scents.

[judas_kiss]

Blood Amber and Bathsheba sound really...lush.

 

Has anyone tried Dirty? The description made it sounds really...nice. =) I couldn't get a really accurate feel for it in the review section though--I was imagining the natural smell of sun-dried sheets--but apparently...plumeria? Citrus?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I got a gimp of Dirty in my last order and it's very clean sheets drying on the clothesline on a sunny day on me. It reminded me of pressing my face against sheets fresh from washing hung to dry on the line during the summer. This was a very close to the skin kind of scent, where it took my hubby hugging me to notice it. Very unobtrusive and very unfoody.

 

Bathsheba is my newest fave, and I have to say it is very lush and pretty, but it retains an innocence that's very refreshing. I like it as an everyday, feel pretty kind of scent. It doesn't have tons of throw on me so it does rather just melt into my skin. It does have a good ammount of sweetness due to the plum, but it's balanced out by the musk and spicey carnation.

 

Blood Kiss is not at all a very "second skin" scent for me as it has a lot of throw when I wear it. Also, this has a very sweet cherry/vanilla smell to it on me for a while. Very smokey and wicked, though. I love it to death!

 

Dracul has a very "second skin" affect on my hubby. Very sexy and dark. I don't know if you would be comfortable with it as it is rather manly, though it is gender neutral. The listed notes are: black musk, tobacco, fir, balsam of peru, cumin, bitter clove, crushed mint, and orange blossom. It's intoxicating. I wanted to just lay there and smell his neck for hours. If I were feeling froggy, I might try it for myself, but he's hoarding his imp of this precious until his 10mL comes in.

[Lit Chick]

Whhheeee!

 

Bastet is AMAZING. Second skin bliss. It's warm and golden and purrr-fect.

 

Clean scents to me are not second skin. While Dirty is lovely and fresh, it's not what I consider a skin smell - but it all depends on chemisty and what you like!

 

Really, try them all.