Dalliance with an Amorous Bat Demon

[zankoku_zen]

Honeyed patchouli, sweet benzoin, smoky labdanum, and white sandalwood.

[starbrow]

The Amorous Bat Demon must be in the same genus as whatever dark-feathered creature flapped its leather wings around All the Meaner Things (from the 2019 Weenies). Salty dark resins permeate both, and the whiff of leathery animal skins. Dalliance leans heavily in the direction of the honeyed patchouli, supported by the woods, making it both sweeter and more pungent than Meaner Things. It's just as 3-am-dark, though, and just as evocative of unseen beasties prowling about; Amorous through woods, Meaner by the harbor.

 

This smells fantastic on a dude, by the way, although its darkness can easily be worn by any gender who embraces the night. Don't fear the honey here, it's very smooth and treacly around the richness of the patch. Dalliance would make a perfect pairing with the Devils of the Pit Hair Gloss (also from the 2019 Weenies), and might even tickle the fancy of Revenant Rhythm/Banshee Beat fans.

[Missanneshirleyofgg]

This has a combination of notes that go Cola on me. Benzoin and Labdanum are cola on me and this was not an exception. First, WHY HAS NO ONE MADE A PATCHOULI COLA? Really, while I am not a cola fan, I can actually appreciate the the scent as an esoteric interpretation of Cola. Hippy Cola. An unorthodox sparkling concoction.  A tribute to the fizzy generation of cola drinking Hippys before Soda became a bad word and CBD became a buzz word. Dry down the fizz is gone (atleast on Starbows husbands arm), but while it is forefront how fun!  A nice patchouli, not dank or funky, but really warm and playful, which I would say is fhe defining aspect for me: playful.

 

dry down twelve hours later:   the patchouli is smooth and the cola scent from before presents as a sort of seltzer (*starbrow said salty). The dank is gone. Nice blend. 

Edited March 1, 2020 by Missanneshirleyofgg
dry down

[marared]

Sexed up patchouli that's not quite so dark and planty - the honey is an undertone, not immediately identifiable as such, and the sandalwood dries things up a bit, but it's the labdanum and benzoin that shine here, giving it a lighter, playful, HOW YA DOIN? aspect.

[torischroeder9]

In the bottle: Smoky labdanum over honeyed patchouli and sandalwood. 

 

On my skin:

 

Wet, it's all smoke and new patch stank, and I mean that in the best sense of the term,  on me. There's just enough honey and benzoin to keep Dalliance from feeling harsh. As it dries, it becomes more sultry sweetness over patchouli and sandalwood. I can see where i could be called masculine, but I think anyone who appreciates patch can appreciate the way that this patch is both smoothed out and sexed up. 

 

And it doesn't take very long for Dalliance to become very patchouli forward on me. The sandalwood lends an extra layer of depth, and there's a combined and multilayered sweetness from the honey, labdanum, and benzoin. But at its core, it's patch. It doesn't smell the same, exactly, but comparisons in essence and feel to Banshee Beat and Revenant Rhythm are apt. 

 

10/10, would dally with this bat.  

[lookingglass]

Interesting. This does not come off dark or smokey on me initally. I'd say it's more kin to the White Rider than Tricksy.  It's a light, playful little amourous bat of a patchouli, perfect for warm weather, or when I want a little cheer for my dark, fuzzy heart. Wet this is almost lemony, which was a surprise, but I know it must be the honey, resin, and crisp woods just tricking my nose.  (Haunted smells lemony to me, too, but that's black musk and amber...). It reminds me almost of a snapped spring branch...bitter and not quite green, but alive and earthy.  Drying down there's less little sharp teeth and the benzoin starts to sweet up. In just a few minutes the patchouli's depth hums undernieth a subtly fresh sweetness. All the way through the dry down it's more more bright than smokey.  It'll be perfect for me to tuck into my summer purse and slather throughout the day and evening to freshen up.

 

[Casablanca]

Bat's a dark and intriguing blend, rapidly shifting at first.

 

My first impression of it is a shadow of smoky, earthy patchouli sweetened with honey. The patchouli deepens while the honey fades, and out creeps something like animalistic leather. In the next moments, the blend shifts through dapplings of white sandalwood and shades of smoky cola. It's like watching a complex kaleidoscope of night woods, where the trees stretch and bend impossibly while large-eyed animals lurk and skitter among their leaves and branches.

 

The drying blend settles into a smoky, woodsy patchouli with undertones of sweet, dark cola and black tar.

 

That was a ride.

[feyofthefellwood]

An almost green, dry-smelling patchouli sweetened with a little honey and benzoin. It's not really my style, but it's pleasant and gives off a warm impression.

[AprilB]

This evoked a surprising visceral scent memory of my earliest trips, as a baby pagan, into witchy shops. This patchouli, smoke, and sandalwood blend smells like nothing so much as the inside of those shops, as a much younger me self-consciously perused statuary and jewelry, and considered the tarot decks behind the counter. This is weirdly comforting and specific, though not in the style of perfumes I enjoy wearing. I'm so glad I got the decant of it, though!

[zankoku_zen]

Dry, musky patchouli, hints of sandalwood and sweet resins. This is mainly a musky patchouli, gender neutral, and it smells as if someone just finished having sex on the dirt floor. Medium throw and wear length.

[Teamama]

Wet: It's kind of powdery & soapy on my skin.  The benzoin & sandalwood are out in front, not a lot from the other notes. 
Dry: The notes blend into a powdery whole.  On me, this is sweet & dry, mostly benzoin & sandalwood. I never got the labdanum, or any smoke. 
Verdict: This might age into something I'll regret not buying, but it isn't something I see myself wearing at this stage.

 

2024 update: I held on to my decant. I regret not buying a bottle!! With age, it's become a sweet resin party, with benzoin & labdanum twined around the patchouli & sandalwood. I will put this amorous bat on my ISO, & keep an eye on the sales forum.

Edited August 2 by Teamama

[Lucchesa]

Ah, yes, here is the patchouli win of the Lupers.  If you hate patchouli, you probably weren't going to try this one anyway.  If you love it, don't miss Dalliance with an Amorous Bat Demon.  It starts off all about the honeyed patchouli, which at first is pretty gnarly, but its edges are quickly softened by the other notes; within 30 minutes or so it reads as a more grown-up, safe-for-work patchouli, reminiscent of the patch in Fake News.  It's sexy in a cozy way, not a dark scent on me, leveling out into soft patchouli, sweet labdanum and smooth sandalwood with very low throw (normal for my skin). 

[VetchVesper]

With all those glorious listed notes, this should have been love, but for whatever reason, Dalliance just comes off as "meh" to me.  A dry, smooth sandalwood is the most prominent note, dirtied up by patchouli.  When I say "dirtied," I mean it literally.  There's an earthy, dusty quality to the scent, and surprisingly, very little sweetness.  I'm not getting any honey or benzoin.  I think I may detect the labdanum, but it's all smoke, sans the syrupy quality I usually enjoy it for.  I get Luchessa's reference to Fake News, and I can totally agree to that.  Fake News didn't impress me at first either, but I love the dry down.  This one just sort of maintains its "meh-ness."  Not a win for me, but if you like drier/less sweet incense smells, this may be your bag.  

[tinyvulture]

"Salty dark resins" as starbrow said. Beautiful, honeyed resins, almost a salted-caramel feel. Barely any patchouli. The honey and sweet benzoin really sing together. Dark depths of rich, tempting, sweet poison. Love it.

[doomsday_disco]

In the decant: Patchouli backed by some smoky labdanum.

 

On me: Patch and labdanum, with the labdanum being stronger on me than it was in the decant. I'm not a fan of smoky scents, and there's only a touch of smokiness here. The dry white sandalwood joins in behind these notes, and then the sweet, somewhat powdery benzoin. Unfortunately, the benzoin amps on me with wear, and it ends up being a very powdery resinous patch blend on me.

 

Verdict: I'm so glad I got a chance to try this one, because who doesn't want to try a scent with a name like Dalliance with an Amorous Bat Demon!? Alas, it became too powdery on me for it to be something I would reach for.

Edited July 18, 2020 by doomsday_disco

[Madame Mew]

Fresh out the mail from a lovely facebook sales madness member.

 

This is a really beautiful, honeyed, woodsy patchouli. Not really as dark as the notes would have you believe. It's definitely got that sweet patchouli vibe of Silky Bat or RR, but with honey. Loving that. The honey is this is much less sharp than Owl Moon, which is what kept me from this in my original Luper order. This is probably something I would wear year-round, and deserves a backup bottle in my stash. The resins are beautiful, honey is smooth, and the sandalwood did not turn this to powder to me. WIN!

[Dancing Raven]

Wet: Lemony black musk and powdery sandalwood. As it dries a bit more I start to get a hint of earthy patchouli. 

Drydown: Honey adds sweetness to the above notes, but it remains mainly an effervescent (probably the labdanum) lemon with a bit of powder. I get occasional whiffs of patchouli. Despite the powdery note, I think it is gender neutral. It kind of reminds me of a lemon dessert bar with the patch as the graham cracker crust. No smokiness thus far.

About 30 minutes in, the patchouli comes out a little more, and between it and the black musk, I can see how it can come across as masculine.  It remains powdery and lemony, so I think it is still gender neutral. This is a lot lighter in tone than I was expecting. It's a midday dalliance on a dusty road. I am really enjoying this scent. I know what this reminds me of - Shalimar Souffle! I am still amazed that Beth can create scents that are just as good, if not better, than $200 + perfumes at such low prices. It's why I stopped buying commercial fragrances and use BPAL almost exclusively. After an hour from application, everything has smoothed out so that it's lemony musk, powder, and a smooth patchouli. I get a bit of sandalwood under the rest of the notes. No smokiness. Throw is moderate. 

This is a dry, powdery, sweet, lemony, musky scent. The sandalwood is there, but it's more dry and powdery than woody. I get just the smallest amount of woody note in the base. Benzoin is probably adding to the powdery notes, but without adding any of the deep vanilla sweetness I am used to. Honey, however, is adding a touch of sweetness. I adore it, but I wish I were getting some of the cola note that labdanum usually turns to on me, along with the smokiness that others are getting. This is totally work appropriate. In the end this is gender neutral to feminine on my skin.

4 out of 5 stars.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

This one had a lot to live up to, because I already have a honey/patchouli love in Tricksy (the one that rules them all). 
 

So on me, the honey really doesn’t come out to play (surprisingly, because it’s usually an amper), but the labadabbadumdum (what? that’s how I say it ok) is beautifully smokey and the sandalwood is dusky and warm. The benzoin is more woodsy and balsamy than sweet, so with the absence of the honey overall this definitely leans dark and smokey rather than sweet. 
 

The patchouli here is earthy but clean, and - as usual for me - it does end up being the lead singer of this little band. I am a bit sad about the lack of a “sweet” element, because I think it would have been more interesting. 
 

So in the end, I have a nice earthy smokey patchouli that’s nice and all, but not anything I’m too excited about. 

[lipstickonmyteeth92]

In bottle: A super gnarly patch 

Wet on skin: Oh wow I am amping the benzoin and sandalwood. I really hope this calms down as it's very sharp and resinous right now, the patchouli is pretty gnarly in the background. It's pretty powdery too which I'm really not loving. 

Dry (after about two hours): It's settled into a really lovely earthy, smokey, patchouli encompassed by a soft resin sweetness. It's like a dusky sweet scent. Very happy with it now! It's a lot lighter than I had thought it would be. 

[MamaMoth]

this one is kind of a heart-breaker. looking at those notes, this should be an immensely safe bet for me.  i keep retesting it just to be sure, because THOSE NOTES!  they call to me! but i'm just not feeling it.

 

goes on pretty dry..  plenty of patchouli, but also kind of powdery.  very little honey, and not much sweetness.  starbrow nailed it, it's salty and leathery.  a little smoky.

 

after some time the benzoin amps up a bit and brings a bit more sweetness, but still not much.  i never get any of my beloved labdanum.

 

sadness.

[MadameGorgon]

Dalliance with an Amourous Bat (Honeyed patchouli, sweet benzoin , s moky labdanum, and white sandalwood ) - 2020 Lupercalia

It is night.  You should not be out alone, but you needed a breath of fresh air from the tight cottage, fetid with the sweat of your kins’ sleeping bodies.  A quick stroll just to the stream running beside the boathouse.  You’ll splash your face and dampen your nightshirt with the cool, sweet, water on this interminable summer night, then just as quickly, run back to the cottage with a promise on your lips to go right to bed and right sleep, crammed next to your horrid, rankly unwashed, cousin in the too small, itchy bed.  No one will even notice you’ve gone

On your way back, instead, you saunter, enjoying the relative coolness of your thin soaked night shirt, after a day spent working the crops under the hot sun in the hopes that you’ll harvest enough to feed you and your family through the bleak winter.  Oddly, something catches your eye at the treeline of the very dark, very wolf-haunted forest.  Your breath quickens.  Your heart races. You think “RUN”, but notice queerly that it is not a wolf or bear or other beast, but…. A person?   

A deeply lovely, fine-boned, delicate fort of person.  A person that emerges from the trees with unbound, shoulder-length, wavy, mahogany-colored, hair.  He?  She? -Impossible to tell- Is dressed in an ornately embroidered aubergine velvet waistcoat splashed with dark, bloody garnets, a dark, smoky gray, watered silk, top coat embroidered along the cuffs and collar with bats woven betwixt sinuous snakes; all picked out in jet and onyx beads and deepest black silk thread.  The person wears skin tight, dove gray pantalons in a suede so soft looking that it begs to be stroked.  The breeches are cut to embrace every curve and muscular ripple, save one normally rather prominent one. 

Man?  Woman?  Even as they approach, you cannot discern.  Pale ivory hose with luxurious aubergine embroidery around the knee caress the taut, muscled calves.  A nearly sheer cotton lawn shirt peeks from beneath the velvet with a high starched collar and handmade lace cravate tied just so. Clearly this person; this impossibly beautiful creature is a noble; a courtier or courtesan. Who is very far from home.  Very far from ANYWHERE. All Alone in priceless finery and very unafraid.  With not a spot of mud on a boot heel or twig in a bit of that thick, lustrous hair after traversing very tangled, very wild forest. Even now you can hear the wolves begin to call to one another in plaintive, hungry howls.  

So unhurried the person saunters toward you through the mist roiling slowly from the wood..Approaching you so cautiously as if they were beast and you prey.  Their comfortably worn, jet black riding boots with delicate, gamet studded spurs hanging insouciantly from the rear leave no prints in the dust of road as they draw nearer to you.  Their eyes never leave yours even as the barks and tips of the wolves clearly draw nearer.  It’s cubbing season and she-wolves are hunting for any meal to keep their cubs milk fat.

They cross the dirt road, slowly closing the space between you until you can see the impossibly glowing, flickering green of their  eyes burning as if lit from behind by twin candles.  

it’s all so strange.  You should be blind with terror.  Just as every muscle in your body tenses to flee, they gently take your hand bending into a deep, courtly bow. You have no idea how to respond.  You feel so strange, so stupidly slow.  “Maybe a dream?” you whisper under your breath.

Unhurriedly, gracefully, the otherworldly and inconceivably beautiful creature rises and in a sudden startling movement strikes the riding crop that had been tucked into a boot across the top of their thigh in a deafening crack.  The wolves cease to howl.  And you.  You freeze in place as though you were made of stone.

You do not have any precedent for this in your short, boring life.  You’re a peasant not even a score of years under your tunic.  You have no courtly manners.  You’ve never even stood in the presence of a noble at a distance.  Yet here you are, standing in front of this creature of unsurpassing luxury as good as nude in your threadbare, drenched white nightshirt and stuck on the spot  like a rabbit surrounded by the huntsmen’s’  dogs.  You have never been so afraid, so curious, so inexplicably drawn to such a terrifying creature

As you stand locked in place by those mesmerizing, flickering emerald eyes framed by long dark lashes and lustrously pearlescent skin, a smile languidly parts its generous, pillowy lips.

”My, but what big strange teeth you have” you think nonsensically.  And faster than you realized was possible, the creature’s mouth is at your throat, long, sharp teeth barely grazing your skin.  Its arms are wrapped gently around you as you hadn’t realized you have swooned.  The night is dreamy.  The stars swirl with color, the pack of wolves weaves around your strange embrace gently whimpering like puppies.  

the beautiful, monstrous creature presses it’s lips to your ear and so gently, so quietly croons the following song like a lullaby as it’s pointed teeth brush your earlobes:
 
Make up your mind
Decide to walk with me
Around the lake tonight
By my side
I'm not gonna lie
I'll not be a gentleman
Behind the boathouse
I'll show you my dark secret
I'm not gonna lie
I want you for mine
My blushing bride
My lover, be my lover, yeah
Don't be afraid
I didn't mean to scare you
So help me, Jesus
I can promise you
You'll stay as beautiful
With dark hair
And soft skin, forever
Forever
Make up your mind
And I'll promise you
I will treat you well
My sweet angel
So help me, Jesus
Give it up to me
Do you wanna be
My angel?
Give it up to me
Do you wanna be
My angel?
So help me Jesus.

Edited December 17 by MadameGorgon
Punctuation, grammar, general improvement.