Assassin

[zankoku_zen]

Supple black leather, poison-tipped daggers, and a garrote soaked in pitch.

[zankoku_zen]

Take tiger's balm and throw in some leather, and you sort of want to sleep with the assassin that was sent to kill you, but if you're gonna die anyway, better to go out with a bang? Anyhow, sexy AF, very much killer, very much Asian, and not what you expected at all. Medium throw and wear length.

[patina]

I was worried about the comparison to Tiger Balm. While I wouldn't say this doesn't smell medicinal at all, it smells more like berries, maybe those in the Nightshade GC. Sweet, poison berries over smooth non chemical leather. This actually has a good deal of throw, almost perfumy throw, and I'd have trouble sneaking up on someone while wearing it.

 

This reminds me strongly of Evil and I think it would compliment it well.

Edited December 19, 2019 by patina

[Lucchesa]

Assassin is pretty great on me.  Sweet, sexy leather -- I would say that while still unisex, this is one of the more femme leather scents I have found in BPAL.  The pitch is low-key when wet and stays very much in the background.  Good wear length on me and a little throw, which is good on my skin.  Really nice. 

[supreme_c0rt]

This is a strange one. Wet, it's very sharp and medicinal (I get tea tree oil) with a hit of black leather and metal. As it dries the poison smell really opens up -- I read it as the same berry/poison note in Nimue the Blood Queen. But there's another smell underneath all of this that weirdly reads like exhaust; it's sort of brown and greasy. Fully dry, it's mostly dark dried berries but also a sort of mechanic smell like motor oil or engine grease mixed with tangy sweat. It's not something I'll reach for a lot (I'm not a fan of berries) but it is interesting.

[DigitalCoyote]

Wet:  Vaporub? Pine, eucalyptus, something.  My skin is warmer wherever I put it.  There's a berry/fruit sneaking out. 

 

Dry:  Leather.  That pine fruit thing...it's like Snow Bunny without sugar on top.  If not that one, it's one of the winter snow smells.

[ajansuz]

In the vial, I can smell the pitch and something sweet and sensual. I don't get any leather from this at all, not in the vial, wet, or dry.

 

Wet the sweetness amps up. It reminds me of a few of the "poison" notes from some of the Rappaccini's Garden collection. No pitch now.

 

On my skin this is very feminine and perfumey. It's beautiful, and I love it, but it doesn't play as unisex on my skin at all. It's surprisingly sophisticated for something designed to layer. I'm not sure I would even try. It has low throw but long lasting power.

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: I'm getting the pitch, sharp daggers, a bit of leather.

 

On me: Pitch, tart berries accompanied by a metallic note, followed by a non-chemically black leather note. There's a touch of smokiness to this. It has been a while since I've worn it, but I think the berries in this may be the same belladonna berry note featured in Beautiful Death. It doesn't take long for the sharpness to fade away, and it eventually settles into a lightly spiced, berry-tinged leather with a much lighter metallic note.

 

Verdict: I wasn't sure how the metallic dagger note would play on me, and there was a phase when it was a little too perfume-y and sharp for my liking, but I do enjoy where the scent ended up after a few hours of wear. It's not something I feel the need to grab a bottle of, but I'll definitely be hanging on to my imp for RPG layering purposes.  

[groovyrooby]

Gosh, surprised this one hasn't gotten more love and attention! Tested from a frimped decant that's been resting some days.

 

This is all sweet and dark vibe on me. First whiff is maple, then I get a sense of something aromatic and floral, but also darkly sweet. Like a soft, lurking, subtle lily, or the black narcissus of Hunger. I almost had a deep fruits sweet, stone fruits early on, but again, very subtle, which was welcome, because fruits don't usually work well on me.

 

Beyond those first flourishes, not a whole lot of evolution in this one, but good throw and staying power. Adding to my GC faves list.

[myrrhmyrrh]

 

In the vial: leather check, poison, check, something spicey-sweet as poison goes.

 

On me, wet: gone cologne-y somehow, leather has disappeared – and where is that sweet and piquant poison?

 

On me, just dried: lower notes now and the leather back, and now I smell the pitch, though sweetened with something fruity – there is certainly something dangerous here, something menacing lurking just around a dark corner, palace or alley I do not know, but it tempts you forward

 

After 15 minutes: ooh sweet leather, full bodied and seductive! Pitch, yes and poison too, but you want to drink them in slow sweet sips, like a hot apple cider with cinnamon

 

After 30 minutes: the sweetness now comes before the leather, takes it over, a leather that has been cured with cinnamon and apple. Pitch is gone. 

 

After 1 hour: much the same, this is one sexy assassin.

 

After 3 hours: leather and apple, still present, still hanging in there- Has more staying power on me than most oils which are usually quite faint at this point, IME, at least for the kind of thing I generally favor.

 

Verdict: very nice frimp – not for me but an interesting experience.

[theseagrows]

this is sharp and medicinal like others have said, almost like a really strong scented cleaner with a hint of florals in the back. or pine sol, that's kind of what it's like, but maybe slightly less intense. so it smells fresh and traditionally masculine. i don't seem to get any leather here at all. maybe a tiny smidgen in the dry down, which is a lot less sharp. thankfully. glad i tried this one but it's not really me.

[whipwaif]

sigh. I definitely wanted this to be sexier than what it truly is. all I'm getting is sweet and spicy poison berries with a tiny hint of tar. no leather at all in this. that's it.

 

honestly it is pretty wintery/medicinal and like carpet cleaner. will not be upgrading. 

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: That's a nice well-worn leather! I'm also getting some very deep resins - I almost want to say something fruity and/or floral? And maybe a flash of metal and/or ozone.

 

Wet: Huh, this is interesting! From afar, I still get that lovely well-worn leather and fruity-floral resins, but the closer to the skin I get, the more I pick up on a deeply unfortunate soapy/cleaning note. So as I'm sitting at my computer typing, I'm doing so in a cloud of "sexy but dangerous assassin," but as soon as I lift my wrist for a closer sniff, the assassin is replaced by a hospital janitor.

 

Dry: Thankfully, the unfortunate soapiness fades after an hour or two, leaving darkly fruity resins and that lovely well-worn leather note. It's a darkly, quietly elegant scent, and I love it!

[sarandipitee]

Oh ye gods this is good. 
 

usually leather and I go to war because of the instant headache but this, this is not that.

 

sexy and sweet fruitiness which my brain calls berries with a tang of pitch (not fresh pine, this is the gooey, chewy stuff) and that GLORIOUS leather.

 

this is Tintagel’s sexy little sister. 
 

bottles are a go. Thanks for the choice frimp, labbies!

[spaghettysburg]

Weirdly smells like a Home Goods store during the holidays. That kinda spiced berry smell that lingers in the air. Not what I was expecting but actually works better for me since I usually can’t do anything leather. Has a bit of a medicinal quality as it dries, I can see the comparison to Tiger Balm.

[Cali]

I'm getting fresh, juicy chunky coconut pieces??? I don't know how old this imp is, but i don't get much leather - maybe just the slightest suggestion. Otherwise this really is just coconut on me...

[crow-toes]

Going on wet, this is extremely medicinal and threatens a headache for me. That spiced berry Home Good notes is very relatable - and it's the sort of scent that makes me hold my breath and rush past the front of the store.

 

Once it dries down, I'm getting a nicely balanced blend of dark leather, equally dark berries, and some sort of oily resin. I don’t hate it, don’t love it, and don’t think it’s necessarily worth waiting through the drydown. I'll see if I keep reaching for the imp, but I don't think a bottle is in my future.