Pyramid of Skulls

[Seajewel]

A blend of four sandalwood oils stained by tobacco absolute.

[forspecial_plate]

Yep, if you want sandalwood, here it is!

 

I have a 15 ml bottle of sandalwood essential oil, half full now, that I bought in the 90's, back when it was cheap and not over-harvested (or so I have read in perfume books and blogs).  That's what Pyramid of Skulls reminds me of, smooth, deep, and somehow a little sparkling.  Also it's pretty strong.  Might make a good sandalwood layering note if you're into that kind of thing.  

 

I detect some earthy tobacco around the edges.  I usually can't pick tobacco out in a blend and also can't really tell the different tobacco accords apart.  But I will say this one seems to be similar to the tobacco in the Patchouli & Tobacco duo. 

 

Edit: almost a year later, the tobacco has come out more, it's definitely present now.

Edited September 26, 2022 by forspecial_plate

[SeroSpu]

Smoothly blended, creamy sandalwoods with chewy (French?) tobacco. On me it was a pretty even balance between sandalwood and tobacco, although I think I amp tobacco a little bit.
Fresh on, the tobacco was quite strong, but as it warmed up on my skin it backed off a bit. Very resilient as far as wear time goes - it lasted through me doing a lot of heavy yard work! 

[lilyluxe]

Most of the time sandalwood smells quite a bit like baby powder to me, so I tend to avoid it. I took a leap on this blend because I actually have very little experience with BPAL sandalwood, and I've found that notes I dislike from other houses are done well by the lab.

 

This is a really strong scent with massive throw- it's very refined and smooth, and I think the tobacco is a nice sweet balance to the earthy/spicy sandalwood. It's a very rich, woodsy scent that I think is probably a little on the masculine side. It's very warm and almost smoky, and nothing at all baby powdery. I imagine this is what cracking open a branch of sandalwood smells like, plus a bit of fresh, leafy tobacco. 

 

The tobacco doesn't read as the chewy, vanilla-y type, but the fresher, brighter kind to me.

 

I'd say it smells like what I'd expect some kind of handsome rugged ranger to smell like.

[Nemo]

I blind-bought this because I love Mysore sandalwood. It's a genial sort of madness and apart from the odd disappointment, the results are pleasing.  Pyramid of Skulls was my first Halloween scent, and I was interested to see if Elizabeth would be able to harmoniously blend all four kinds of sandalwood.

 

   In the bottle: Wet, this has a pleasantly strong, resinously wooden smell. Like freshly sawn flooring planks, this is clean and nose-clearing. Full of that 'new' scent that makes me want to dance on wooden floors, or sit next to unfinished furniture. You can almost see the pale wood exposed to the air for the first time.

 

   On my skin after a little time to dry:  There's a golden warmth that creeps in and softens the wood as the wood creeps down towards it's sandalwood dryness. It doesn't entirely hide the woodyness, but it softens it a little bit. The drydown may not have Mysore's buttery, creamy note but the breath of warm, medicinal powderiness is all I could ask for, I will use the 5ml up but probably not buy more. 

[groovyrooby]

Not what I expected but really nice. I love sandalwood, the light airy wooden box and incense kinds. I'm not sure what the four kinds are here, but there must be something red, because this started out smelling like sour, dirty feet. And something chilly & cool. A little patience through the drydown, and this takes on classy aromatic cologne vibes - very cool, dry, and wooden. I can only guess it's the tobacco absolute that makes the difference here. It's not the fruity, humid tobacco leaves but something more herbal and green. I gave this to my husband, and it's gorgeous on him. 

[Casablanca]

Creamy-smooth sandalwoods and a hint of tobacco. Sandalwood usually has an airy, grainy wood texture in my nose, and that's present here. But it's refined in a way that reminds me of how Cedarwood and Smoked Vanilla was a refined version of cedar. I get a creamy tone up front here, smoothing textures, though it settles quickly. There's a little smokiness, too, perhaps from the tobacco.

 

Lovely sandalwood scent for sandalwood lovers. 

[ramblingrambler]

Oh, this is just lovely. It reminds me of a true cologne, one that an elderly gentleman might wear as he sits outside smoking his pipe and whittling. Or, perhaps, *this* is the scent of an older man whittling and smoking :).

[puellacaerulea]

This is a lovely combo of soft sandalwood and sweet, chewy tobacco (think French Tobacco SN). Something in this blend adds a little extra lightness and sweetness to the tobacco note compared to French Tobacco, though, and while this is definitely woods and tobacco, it's by no means heavy, harsh, or overpowering. Smooth and refined, and light enough that I wouldn't call it traditionally masculine -- this reads more as an all-gender scent to me. This will definitely be a bottle purchase for me.

[Threemoons]

I blind bought this because I LOVE sandalwood.  I was thinking of the deep, heady sandalwood that one gets from the Mysore line of sandalwood products (soap, incense, etc).  This is completely different from that--I guess you would call it a white sandalwood.  In the bottle:  Almost a dusty very VERY VERY dry, VERY light sandalwood, with an almost floral pop of sweet pipe tobacco.  On, wet:  Oddly enough, the pipe tobacco jumps to the front and is almost boozy on.  Drydown:  This just melts into my skin and stays VERY close to the skin on me.  It's a very very dry, light, subtle, powdery sandalwood skin musk on me.  I mean, I showered and went very early this AM to my annual Ob-Gyn exam and when I took my shirt off -- usually an occasion that amps whatever I am wearing -- I could hardly smell it; doctor confirmed the almost-not-there aspect of it on me.  Even after re-applying when I got home, I am only getting a little bit of depth to the different sandalwoods.  So, if you are afraid of sandalwood or normally amp red sandalwoods, this gentle white sandalwood blend is for you.  I could see this as a great way to give backbone to a rose blend or something similar.  Also dying to layer this with some of my cocoa blends.  EDIT::  Next day -- got up late, threw on yesterday's clothes, some more Pyramid of Skulls, and layered on some Thorns Clove Cigarette to punch it up a little bit.  DIVINE combo!  The clove elevates the sweet note and amps up the sandalwood a bit.

Edited December 9, 2021 by Threemoons
adding something

[Bassmastadroog]

WOW French tobacco. Fully. Sandalwood creates a really nice warmth.

 

This would be mouth watering on my husband. Again, WOW. I’m keeping it for myself, but I will be dabbing it on him. SO rugged and good.

[torischroeder9]

In the decant: Tobacco over sandalwood. I'd read speculations that this scent would be wood-heavy, but it's the amount of tobacco I smell that has me nervous. 

 

On my skin:

 

Right away, it's all tobacco because of course, it's all tobacco. Fortunately, that phase doesn't last too long, and the sandalwood starts to come out, soft and velvety and just a little bit spicy. There's still plenty of tobacco, though. 

 

This is where it stays. Ultimately, I think I amp tobacco too much for this to be what I'm looking for in a perfume (even if I love sandalwood). 

[ka hulu]

I can’t for the life of me distinguish the sandalwoods from one another or smell the tobacco note specifically in this blend.

 

What I get instead, in bottle and on skin, is the sacred sting and clearing I get from incense during Mass on a Holy day of solemnity — and the equally sacred holiness of wet tobacco leaves, still on rain-soaked living stems, somewhere in a cold deep forest. With a side of something familiar from 13 (August 2021), and nothing in the scent descriptions tells me what that is. I bet @Threemoons is onto something with the cocoa layering idea, though; “chocolate” was among my first thoughts. 

 

Overall, just sacred, fresh, cold. Clean bones blessed by fire, smoke, and rain.

[zankoku_zen]

Sweet tobacco floating around sandalwood. Cold, reminiscent of incense smoke, and oddly enough solemn and compelling. Low throw and good wear length. 

Very gender neutral.

[Lucchesa]

Pyramid of Skulls might have some grey sandalwood -- I tested it alongside Innocent Souls Turned Carrion Birds, and there are definitely similarities in the two scents, which are both beautiful and restrained.  The tobacco is quite light on me.  But neither seems to have the staying power I was hoping for.   I'll keep the decant around to see if it gets any stronger with some aging. 

[VetchVesper]

I wanted this to work on me and assumed it would, since I get along well with both listed notes. Unfortunately, the tobacco in this (Folks are saying French, so I'll take y'all's word for it.) is very prominent on me and smells very masculine. I also get a harsh alcohol smell I've noticed in other recent BPAL's that has been mucking up other blends I thought I'd like. Now I'm wondering if one of the sandalwoods the lab has been using is the culprit.

 

Overall, I get a very nice, but very male, cologne smell that belongs in an upscale department store.  Spicy, dry tobacco and smooth sandalwood. I'm sure this will age well, but it isn't something I'd wear. Off to the the swaps.

[Minh Scent]

This was a "no reviews needed" buy, with the listed notes. Like Threemoons, I love the woody rich Mysore sandalwood and figured with four of them in there, there was a good chance of that kind of vibe.  Not at all.  However, after I release those expectations, I do love what I smell and that is an exquisite oriental perfume.  I am fascinated that people have been noticing the tobacco and can even identify it is the French one.  I can barely discern it in this blend and I think it may be a note holding the sandals together.  This perfume smells very familiar and comforting.  It is definitely a winner in this collection and I would recommend it for those who appreciate a more traditional perfume. In fact, it actually reminds me of a non-Indie perfume and I have been scouring my mind to remember which one. 

ETA This is extremely long lasting and could still smell it 10 hours in.  

Edited February 20, 2022 by Minh Scent

[zipegs]

I was so certain this would be a shoe-in. I love sandalwood and I love tobacco, and I got a decant of this fully expecting to sniff it once and pull the trigger on a full bottle (and possibly backups). Alas, that was not the case. I don't get any of the earthy, chewy tobacco others have noted. Actually, most of what I smell is a really astringent alcohol scent akin to what VetchVesper described. Ends up smelling like an overly sharp, generic cologne on me. If I could get the alcohol sting to settle a bit, I think I'd at least stick with my decant, but unfortunately it's just too pungent for me. As much as I love masc and unisex scents, this one's just a bit too much for me. Sadly to the destash pile it goes

[MamaMoth]

robust, chewy, sweet tobacco backed by sandalwood.  i'm detecting a clean woodsy sandalwood and a little of my favorite one, that perfumey almost skin-musky sandalwood.  skews a little masculine at first, but sweetens up.  the tobacco in this is so good! 

[Incognito]

Other than some sweetness, I'm not really getting much tobacco, this is all about the sandalwood on me. Rich and sweet sandalwood instead of a dry sandalwood. Simple and really lovely. It's warm and cozy and familiar. 

[doomsday_disco]

Even though the scent description lists sandalwood first and says this contains four varieties, Pyramid of Skulls is predominantly about the tobacco on me, and it's a very dry, non-sweet variety, backed by some sandalwood. I could not pick out which varieties of sandalwood are at play here because the tobacco was so loud on me.

 

I am really glad I got a chance to try this one, but it is not a love for me.