Mayhem at the Battlefront

[zankoku_zen]

Red ginger, cardamom pod, sweet aged patchouli, benzoin, mushroom, and honey musk.

[Lin Swanson]

I like this, I really like this. It smells like walking down the hall of a Northern CA dorm or apartment in the 70s. There are psychedelic tapestries and black light posters everywhere. Somebody is burning incense and chanting. Somebody is eating Thai takeout. Somebody is having loud sex. Somebody is brewing some kind of herbal medicine they'll be passing out next month to really clear out your chakras. Somebody hasn't cleaned their room, like, ever. Or else they've got an indoor garden operation going on. Maybe both.

In slightly more specific terms, I can pick out ginger and patchouli and mushroom if I am thinking about it, but mostly it's blended into one big swirly rainbow kaleidoscope of earthy spicy goodness. If you like to smell like blossoms or baked goods, this will probably not be for you.

[VetchVesper]

Odd at first.  I get dark rooibus and a dusty mushroom note.  Mushroom tends to go very baby powder on me, and though I love drinking rooibus, I haven't found any perfumes that have sold me on the note, so I'm wary.  I'm also getting some musky honey.  The patchouli and the spices become pronounced as this warms on my skin.  I can still smell the rooibus, which is adding an interesting melange to the spices.  No baby powder in sight.  I'm rather enjoying this.   

 

This dries down to a smooth, gingery patchouli on me with the rooibus adding a ruddy tang.  It's earthy, a touch woody, gently spicy, and unisex.  I'm not getting much sweetness from the honey.  Maybe leans a little masculine?  I like it!  I think my decant will be enough though.  I really love that artwork.   
 

Unusual and worth a whirl for those who like woody patch.  

 

P.S.  I love Lin's description.  And yes - that.   

Edited April 1, 2020 by VetchVesper

[torischroeder9]

In the decant: Ginger, cardamom, patchouli, and sweetness. 

 

On my skin:

 

Wet, it's a swirl of ginger, honey musk, fresh patchouli, and mushroom. It's making me a little cautious to sniff as it's hard to be ready for sweet and spicy but instead to get earthy and just a little rank. As it dries, it gives off fumes that are almost minty or eucalyptus-like in essence. The skin scent is hardcore mushroom, with just a little ginger spice. 

 

Developed, it seems to be sweet ginger cardamom spiced mushroom dirt. Which is every bit as busy as it sounds but nowhere near as terrible. It's a swirling cacophony and a great embodiment of the artwork. I don't think it quite comes together enough to be a scent in my wheelhouse, though.  

[Lucchesa]

I am conflicted about Mayhem at the Battlefield.  On the one hand, I love it.  It's weird and wonderful, and it somehow smells quintessentially BPAL to me, and like no other perfume I had ever smelled prior to BPAL.  Earthy and musky and spicy.  The ginger and the hippie patchouli rub elbows with the funky mushroom note and the honey musk, which is not like the fae honey musk of Lady Una.  It's way earthier.  It's not for everyone, but I really enjoy it.  The reason I'm not in line for a bottle, though, is that something in here (and I'm betting on the mushroom note as it's the one I have least prior exposure too) seems to be making me sneeze.  But I'm going to keep wearing the decant, and if I find I can't live without it, I may have to put up with the sneezing.  

[Dancing Raven]

This one is a morpher. Also, I bought a full bottle from the lab, so it's not from an iffy source, and I let it rest, but... I am not getting what I was expecting from the listed notes. I think my chemistry is weird on this one.

Wet: I get a brief citrus along with some nuttiness that must be the mushroom. 

Drydown: I swear I smell labdanum and myrrh in this. It must be the honey musk and all of the other notes mixing to smell resinous. 

About 30 minutes in: It becomes salty and slightly soapy - like aquatic notes turn on me. It's just a little earthy.

Two hours after application: I smell indolic jasmine, but I suppose it could be the mushroom. The soapiness is gone. Benzoin and honey musk are giving off a red musk vibe. The patchouli is slightly gritty in an oakmoss sort of way, but it's light. The saltiness remains, and now it is sweet and slightly powdery. 

This ends up sweet benzoin, powdery honey musk, salty, and very faint spices. I wish the earthiness had stuck around, but this is lovely. If you have a weird chemistry like me, I think fans of Anne Bonny would like this.

4.5 out of 5 stars. 

ETA: I get some red sandalwood after about 2 hours of wear - not sure if that's the patchouli and mushroom mixing, but it's definitely more powdery/ woody than earthy. I'm glad I took a chance and ordered the full bottle.

Edited August 22, 2020 by Dancing Raven

[lakeplacidskater]

I just ordered this - I wanted it because of the cardamom, ginger, and honey musk, but reading the reviews is making me a bit concerned that it will smell earthy (I'm a sweet scent type of person). Oh well. I'll have to see how it responds to my skin.  

[doomsday_disco]

This one is interesting. It's earthy, but not overwhelmingly so. The ginger and patchouli are the main players on me, backed by a touch of the realistic mushroom note at first, but I get more of the powdery benzoin and honey musk with those notes later on in wear. It's more pleasant than I thought it would be from the list of notes, and something that I think would be appreciated by patch fans in particular.

 

But this is not something I can wear, because I think it may affect my allergies. The first time I tested it, I was sneezing so much that half of my nose became clogged and I had to take a break from testing scents for two days. Yesterday, I made sure I took allergy medication well before re-testing, and I didn't have that experience again, although when sniffing it, it sometimes gave me the feeling like I was about to sneeze if I kept at it. So I'm destashing it, but if you're looking for a unique patch, give this one a try.

[zankoku_zen]

Cardamom, patchouli, and honey musk. On wet, you get a fresh gingery bite, but that fades away and you start getting the cardamom, patchouli, and the honeyed musk. Subtly sexy. Medium throw and wear length. Honestly, why aren't more people into this? The honey musk is fantastic.

[gothteacup]

This is funky, and weird, and kinda off putting. I love scents like this, it has a musky, earthy funk to it, must be the mushroom, maybe the honey musk too.

 

There is spice, and sweet patch, too. And it all works very well together. 
 

The funkiness does fade a lot after a bit, and what’s left is mostly patchouli, musky honey, and spice with a wave of earthy goodness all over. 

There is something in here that reminds me of the Witch Bride, but they share no given notes. TWB is one of my all time favorites though, so maybe that’s why I love this so much. My single bottle and small amount in a decant is not gonna be enough. This is a perfect fall scent for me, weird and witchy and creepy.

[MamaMoth]

i didn't necessarily care for honeyed mushroom and incense, but i thought it might be an intriguing component in a more complex blend, so here we are.  i can sense something hm&i-adjacent down in this one's dna, and i definitely like it better as an accent. it's gingery right on top.  the patchouli and benzoin are subtle, just giving it that resin-incense vibe. but something in this goes kinda flat and savory-stale on my skin.  i think the cardamom, ginger, and mushroom are combining to make me smell a bit like a curry.  oof. 

 

not for me, this one.  but i will be watching to see where mushroom sprouts up next. i'm not giving up on it just yet. 

Edited June 13, 2022 by MamaMoth