Thorns - Page 3 - Marchen - BPAL Madness!
Ok, I have to admit, I thought I'd hate this one (got it as a frimp). I generally dislike vetiver, and reading through the reviews didn't give me too much hope for it.
But actually, it's quite nice. There is a definite vetiver note, especially sniffed directly from the imp, but once it's dry on my skin the vetiver fades to the background and it has a nice woody quality to it. I don't know that I'd wear this very often, but it would make a very nice scent in an oil burner.
So, BPAL still has the capacity to surprise me, which is nice! Stuff like this is why I try to sniff things even if I think I probably won't like them.
I usually like BPAL's vetiver notes, but not when they're center stage. I like them to be in the background. This one's not really in the background. I mean, I still like the scent of it, but I am very particular about the fragrances I wear in public because I'm around people all day long. The sweet powdery dragon's blood is definitely there, but the vetiver is still a little too strong for me. It's one of those scents that I like just fine, but I'm afraid other people won't like it, and I can't take that chance.
Received imp as extra in a swap.
IN THE IMP: Brilliantly named since the first word that came to mind was "sharp!". I get green and polished wood.
Dabbed on one wrist and into crook of arm.
WET: This immediately amps very resiny on me (a good thing). I'm not getting a super-strong dragon's blood note (and I <3 dragon's blood) but it's definitely there, more like a solid background player, a supporting role. And despite my "in the imp" vibe of "green," this is not green OR aquatic on me when wet at all. It's actually surprisingly awesome.
DRYDOWN: Sadly, the good things came to an end as it dried. The delicious resinous notes took a waaaaay back seat to what I guess were the "tears" -- aquatic equals SOAPY on me. And it has a lot of long-term throw so I'm sitting here getting whiffs and wafts of Soapy McSoaperson (since we're having plumbing stuff done, I can't shower for a few hours).
OVERALL: This looked, early on, like it could be a keeper but the drydown killed that for me. It's very clean. But it's not me.
On a scale of 1-5, a 2.8.
Got this as a bottle on ebay. All for vetiver, and it was on the cheap, so why not?
Wet/in bottle: Vetiver and dried plants.
Drydown: Vetiver fading to dragon's blood.
Very straightforward in terms of description, but the fade to powdery was a little sad. Still a nice scent for fans of anything earthy, so give it a shot!
In the bottle: sharp but woodsy smell (vetiver!), wet grass and moss, something deep and sweet lingering in the back.
Wet on skin: Very dark and sweet with a hint of shoepolish , like an ancient kind of oriental perfume that has been dried out in it's bottle leaving only a red/brown goo at the bottom. Opiumesque, dragon's blood and bark.
After 1 hour: the dragon's blood now prevails and all that was green and sharp is now gone. A sweet soft powdery scent remains, a boudoir powder not baby powder.
After several hours: what is left is the subtle smell of freshly washed linens that have been left to dry in a room filled with smoke from sweet incense.
Verdict: Although too much dragon's blood can bore me quite easily this scent stayed fascinating because of the vetiver. The final scent has a more soft and sensual powdery feel then you would expect at first. I would wear this when going out to a party after dolling up, gives you that feminin touch with a herby edge.
Wet: Oh hi, vetiver. Be glad I like you because that is all this perfume is right now. Salty vetiver.
Drying: Dragon's blood is curdling this a little. The sweetness it's lending is offputting. It's not bad yet, but if this sweetens up too much more it might get there.
Dry: Not my favorite. Dragon's blood has turned out to be a bit of an iffy note for me, and while the vetiver and the dragon's bloos start playing nicer with each other as it dries, I don't see myself wearing this much.
Very green, earthy, slightly herbal. A garden, some vines, and bitter saltwater tears. Makes me think of someone having a cry, up in their room, and then they throw open their windows and look out on the garden, taking in deep breaths to feel better. The dragon's blood note is noticeable, but very soft.
In the imp: A dark, earthy, wet scent.
Wet on my skin: This is very green, very dark, and slightly salty. A bit odd.
Dry: This is mostly vetiver and what smells like bramble or ivy greens. Maybe grass. And maybe dragon's blood? It's sweet-salty, earthy, and deep green. Not a happy scent, and I'm not sure it is something I will wear again, though it was nice to try it once.
A bright, pretty aquatic green floral. This has a very clean, simple feeling--all of it reminds me vaguely of purity and innocence.
Verdict: Uncertain. I think I like it? I'll keep the imp and see how it goes, not an everyday scent. It's a very mature scent, I would wear this (sparingly) to a business meeting or a formal dinner with the bosses. Something about it screams professionalism to me.
I hate to say it, but this is truly awful on me. It's pretty much straight up dragon's blood on me, which never works with my chemistry, I amp it like crazy and smell horrible. I've now washed my hand where I tested it twice, and I still reek. I should have read the description more carefully....ooof.
Green, woody. Dry, definite plant smell with just a little bit of sweetness.
Ah, the salt of tears is the first thing that I'm getting. And there's the definate red tones (is that dragon's blood?) and something woody. I'm not a fan of vetiver (and most of the notes in there) at all though so to me this is as miserable as the inspiration. Bleh.
I just got this in the mail as a surprise mystery imp and I am having trouble not burying myself in my own wrists. This sure as heck isn't for those ebullient and sunny days, but for October and November, and for those moments when the sun feels a bit offensive to your inner state, the darkness and soft smokiness, the roots and dry dirt and moist ragged stone and musty leaves just sort of swallow me whole. I can't recognize the scents of vetiver or dragon's blood, but I can tell you that this is a heavy and deep scent on me, and I am getting absolutely no citrusy undertones, or anything but person-hiding-from-world-in-cave. I want to hibernate in this scent.
Wet on Me: green. tears and that odd note that is slightly coppery. Blood?
Drying Down: the sharp tang of the blood, the salty tears and that green note are all dancing a ring around the rose-y under my nose.
Dry: this has dried to smell like old scented drawer liners. The kind you found in an older relative's home where they kept their hankies. It's okay but not for me.
Wet: A sharp, in your face, woodsy scent. There is nothing subtle about this blend.
Dry: A very "green" dragon's blood. Not as intense as the wet stage, but still not a scent for me.
I wasn't really expecting vetiver from a blind smell of this. It's pretty potent stuff. Wearing it, it does kind of smell like the woody stem of a rose, but the vetiver never really knows when enough is enough and kind of takes over, which is a shame. It was pretty interesting for a little while with the more green tones, but some things just don't play nice with me. Never got any salt or blood.
It's like the ghost of a rose stem farted on my arm. And oddly that isn't a bad thing. Honestly I fear roses, but this is actually lovely on me. It's not one of those "O hai, I'm rose!!!!!" Screeching blends.
Its green with a nice powdery rose poot!
In the imp: This is very sharp… almost like nail polish remover. Yikes. There’s definitely some rose in this, so I am guessing it’s a rose stem with thorns that I’m smelling accompanied by some salty tears… and perhaps some dragon’s blood?
Wet: The sharp, woody, rose-y thorns take the center stage, followed by the salty tears. I feel like there may be a metallic note at play here, but I am not getting the usual dragon’s blood to represent blood (at least, not at the moment). There’s also some smoky vetiver in the background, but it is not nearly as strong as the sharp, woody, rose-y thorn note.
Dry: Smoky vetiver, which is softer and smoother by this point, a little rose-y wood (which is also softer now), and some salt. After a while, it does not smell sharp at all anymore.
Verdict: Well, Thorns certainly fits its namesake. It is too sharp for me, even though it calms down during the dry phase. I’m glad I got to try it, though!
I have tried Thorns, been uncertain, swapped it away without reviewing it, and reacquired it at least once, possibly twice, so I guess you can say Thorns has already given me hours of entertainment. Now that I know my mind a little better, well, I'm still not sure about Thorns. I don't really care for its wet stage: it is harsh, astringent vetiver. This seems like the grassy green vetiver more than the smoky black vetiver; anyway, it's strong. About 30 minutes in it has mellowed down to something I can enjoy, a kinder, gentler vetiver against a sweeter floral note. I'm not going to weigh in on whether this is dragon's blood resin or rose; DBR is usually awful on me, but pitted against this much vetiver its sickly sweetness might actually work. So this phase is very pretty, work-appropriate, and lasts a long time. But when I have so many other scents I like from the first drop, can I justify keeping this imp around? Still, it's Rapunzel, which was my favorite childhood fairy tale, despite the fact that Rapunzel is an idiot. I'll hang onto it for now.
Imp from a forumite, date stamped March 3, 2012.
In the imp: Dark greenery and salty, aquatic tears.
Wet, the salty aquatic quality hits my nose first, followed by what I can clearly identify as vetiver. As it dries down, it becomes salty, aquatic vetiver. The more it stays on, the more it's like a bar of Irish Spring made a nest in a fresh grass stain. Not only is it singularly unlovely on my skin, but the overall combination is just a bit odd to my nose.
An hour later, and this keeps alternating between soapy grass and grassy soap. Clearly not a match for my skin chemistry.