Anthocyanin

[zankoku_zen]

A burst of red, bloody and enflamed – the greens of summer collapsing into Fall: red musk, mandrake root, patchouli, pimento, saffron, red oudh, clove, and basil.

[puellacaerulea]

In the decant: Strong red musk, patchouli, and clove. Strong, dark, and spicy (almost like dragon's blood), almost overly so. As the scent dried down, I found it growing on me a lot: the clove softens and fades, blending more seamlessly with the red musk. While the red musk and patch are dominant throughout, this morphs a lot during its wear time -- an hour in there was an almost fruity undertone (no idea what note is giving me that impression), and later that faded in favor of the saffron and red oudh. Overall impression: dark, smooth, musky, with just a slight spiciness. If this is evocative of red, it's a dark, saturated shade. I wasn't sure about this one in the decant, but I'm actually liking the drydown stage.

[zankoku_zen]

Red musk, patchouli, clove and whiffs of pimento and saffron. This is a spicy red musk, but kinda dry. Medium throw and wear length.

[patina]

Welp, this is what the color of red autumn leaves would smell like. Initially I get a strong hit of spice that my brain thinks is cassia. I also think I smell dragon's blood but that's probably the red musk.

On, this is clearly several different things blended together very well. It's hot and spicy indeed but not single note spice and the patchouli and oude do a lot to keep things from getting out of hand. The clove and basil make it smell almost cold and hot at the same time.

 

Red. red, red, spicy, and dry with depth. I feel like swaggering while wearing it.

 

Edit; Bizarrely this doesn't last long on my skin, drying down to an unusually soft red musk. Or maybe I've gone noseblind

Edited November 27, 2019 by patina

[Casablanca]

Red musk is an absolute unit of Hell on my skin, so I didn't put this on. But on the wand, it was as boldly red as reviews have noted. Each of the Fall of the Leaf blends is their color dialed to 11.

 

I got a potent spicy red musk, red oud, and clove, with a little patch and pimento. 

 

[SeroSpu]

Bottle: Red musk, spices, and clove. Deep, earthy red ochre.
Wet: More pimento and spice over a patch base. Oud not a strong presence to my nose at all!
Dry: Earthy red musk with spices/clove/basil.
Overall: Like a crimson leaf decaying into the soil. It really makes me miss living in a place with proper autumn. :<

[starbrow]

"The greens of summer collapsing into Fall" makes perfect sense when you sniff this blend. I am recognizing a vibrant green from other BPALs - Zombie Green? - and now I need to know what mandrake root smells like, because I get some of the herbal snap of basil but also something else that's more like ti leaf, tropical-crispy-green. However, most of those other green scents are accompanied by heavy oakmoss, cologney bergamot, and other elements that make it a headache recipe for me.

 

Anthocyanin is different. It truly collapses the green notes in their most authentic form into the red and burning elements of autumn. Sweet-spicy red musk, an inferno of bright red pimento and saffron, a burst of big bold burgandies and coppers and scarlets. There are woody elements anchoring the spices - clearly, oudh and patchouli are doing their job - but they stay grounded beneath the array of top notes for a very long time. This is so very autumnal colors. Still plenty of green, some pops yellows and oranges, and a dazzling explosion of red right before you.

 

I think it's important to note that I don't smell Dead Leaves here at all. If that's not a component that works for you, Anthocyanin might still be up your alley. What I get instead is an almost motor-oil, sooty quality that has come out in such blends as Song of Autumn II and Wasteland World, a whiff in Amaxophobia, a nod to Woman as Dragon. The burning and soot together always gives me post-apocalyptic atmosphere, and that is a really strong element of Anthocyanin too. I love it! It's not everybody's cup of tea, but for those of us who do like that rougher Mad Max motor oil grit, this might be one to consider. This is burning leaves for those of us who can't wear Dead Leaves. I've rediscovered my love for my bottle, and plan to wear a lot this fall!

 

I would wear this while: contemplating which pile of leaves to set fire to.