Crossroads

[dzurlady]

The forks of the road: an in-between place, sacred and tangibly magickal in innumerable cultures and faiths. This scent is dark with mystery, taut with power. A chill twilit garden of blooms over dry earth and mosses, heavily laden with incense and offertory herbs.

Well balanced dirt and flowers, at all stages. I get very little incense and herbs. I'm not a huge fan, just because I don't like smelling of dirt. Edited September 8, 2008 by dzurlady

[Caerphilly]

In the bottle: Very, very, very dark. Earthy, smoky, incensy. I feel like I sold my soul by smelling this. A bit disconcerting.

 

After 5 minutes: The earthiness, the soil, is predominant here. It smells like a sinister dirt road. A bit unpleasant, I must say, but I want to smell it. I feel evil wearing this. And I want to feel evil when I wear this.

 

After 30 minutes: Very strong dark scent. A good blend of incence and dirt. I get no moss or grass or anything green. It's dark, and brown. Normally a scent like this would bother me and I would have to wash it off, but I'm liking this one.

 

Overall: I wouldn't normally wear this. It's too dark and dirty. But it's blended well, and has a dark atmosphere. And there's really good throw and staying power.

[Iceblink]

This has throw like WHOA. Incredibly strong! It's an earthy, grassy floral on me with some incense blended in--I'd love incense that smells like this, but I don't really want to smell like this myself. Way too strong.

[crebbsgirl]

On me, this blend was vaguely reminiscent of The Caterpillar. I suspect the moss/earth/incense combination. As it dries. I can detect jasmine predominantly (I'm not even sure if Jasmine is in this blend, but I can tell you that's exactly what I smell!). For the rest of the drydown, this turns into a pretty strong floral for me. I'm not a florals person.

[rayvn1]

Very floral in a non-traditional way. I can't pick out any specific flowers and it's not overly sweet. Plant-like with a green base. Herby in the driest stages. Didn't last terribly long, but had good throw while it was there!

[lookingglass]

Like an undead Zombi! I like this blend but I have to wait till summer to see if I can really wear it well. It has fresh yellow flowers with earth and bright chartrouse colored moss. It is a forrest floor in the sun.

[Mathenia]

I was soooo looking forward to this! The description is perfect for me. Alas, here is my first disappointment with the Lab.

 

The first sniff was greeny and sharp with some florals coming in later. On, it was very floral with the green underneath. As it dried it turned completely into burnt plastic, with a nauseatingly sweet note to it. Very strong, too, of course. I finally had to wash my hands. Twice. Then wash the dishes, then use an alcohol scrub. I can still smell it faintly, but I'm hoping I can cover it with something else.

 

What could the burnt plastic be? I'll have to watch out for it...

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

Ooooohhh, I think I'm gonna like this one based off the first sniff. Smells like...twilight, violet-colored, serene, and other-worldly. Reminds me of the most beautiful azure sunrise I have ever seen in winter over the foothills of the Rockies in Boulder, CO. On the skin, Ohhh Purrrrrrrrrr! This just really bloomed on my skin and got EVEN BETTER than in the imp. Wow! I smell a heady floral, incense, and a hint of something peppery in the background. This is awfully perfumey for my tastes (I think I can pick out a smidge of my nemesis gardenia), but it is so gorgeous that I don't really care. Plus, that pepper element is keeping this from turning generic.

 

Full disclosure: this blend has made me realize that I must love the mossy blends, because I also adore Jazz Funeral (it's always in my top three GC scents!) and a lot of folks can't take the mossy element. This blend shares a mossy note, and a vague peppery note with Jazz Funeral, but it is waaaay softer, prettier, and more girly. Either way, I am IN LOVE with Crossroads. I will definitely be getting a big bottle in the near future. Brava!

 

Time to go amend the ol' top ten list again!

 

1-5 rating: 4.5

 

[tajana]

Wow! A scent with jasmine in it that almost works on me! Holy crap! Up until now, jasmine has been the kiss of death in any scent it's reared its head in. Jasmine gives me headaches and obliterates every single other note in any scent, amping up to 710% to approximate the odor of a decaying old person soaked in cat pee. The fact that this scent was so close to goodness is practically a miracle!

 

When I opened Crossroads and caught a whiff of unmistakable jasmine, I almost put it away. But the dry earth, mosses, and incense called out to me so I dabbed just a tiny bit on. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn't smell like a horror! Wet, it was all moss and herbs swirling in smoky incense and eerie flowers. Wow, wow, wow, even though I sensed jasmine, it smelled like actual jasmine and not the monstrosity that my skin usually turns it into. What a shock! This scent is fabulous and complex, really evocative of a dark and magical place, with beautifully dark dirt, rich green moss, intriguing herbs, and night flowers. I'm not a big fan of most flowery smells but if I was, this is the sort of thing I would go for!

 

But the key words here are "almost works on me". After a while I find the herbs a touch too medicinal, and the jasmine and florals, though they do smell pretty, are overpowering the dirt/moss/incense trifecta and giving me a bit of a headache.

[savage_rose]

In the imp all I can smell is jasmine...and not the pretty kind, it's the kind that smells like dirty diapers. Nice!

 

But on, it's a different story...it starts out smelling a bit dry, like an herbal cologne. And the jasmine backs off a bit, and I can smell other flowers (is that magnolia?). And I can still smell the herbs and a bit of the earthy loaminess...but...damn if this isn't turning into the floral equivalent of a perfume pop-up! Every window of scent is wave after wave of SWEET FLORAL! and it's so overwhelming. If the volume on this wasn't so high it might be a very nice smell, but it's so sweet and cloying!

 

This would be beautiful on the right person, someone whose chemistry balances the jasmine and doesn't amp whatever I'm amping.

[Suu4LC]

In the imp this is strong jasmine and heady florals. Very strong and intense. Jasmine haters, beware!

 

Same on my skin-super jasmine and heady blooms. I hate to repeat myself, but there isn't really any change. I get almost no earth, moss, incense or herbs really O_o The florals are just overwhelming.

 

Now-it does change on full drydown and calms down quite a bit-not quite so heady and intense. It becomes a jasmine+incense blend. If you don't like jasmine or it amps on you, avoid this blend! If you do like jasmine, check this out!

Edited March 4, 2009 by Suu4LC

[smokey188]

smells like earwax enough said.

[nenia]

I just recently got a goblin squirt size of Cathouse from BPTP & loved it but cannot afford to purchase a large size anytime soon...however, with my BPAL order I just received today came a frimp of Crossroads, and it's Cathouse's twin sister not identical but so close. Yay.

Like mentioned in the very first review in this thread, Zombi + Bayou would give you a good idea of what this smells like. Not my typical kind of scent but I'll definitely keep my imp, and maybe get a bottle down the road if my skin chemistry and sinuses continue to cooperate.

[WidgetAlley]

Imp: Very similar to Bayou and Jazz Funeral at first sniff-- strong dirt and florals and a hint of citrus.

 

Wet: Sweet dirt and a lovely hint of jasmine. Very much like Jazz Funeral but without the rum and some of the more sophisticated elements. There's a touch of something almost slightly foody and a bit more incense. Surprisingly nice, I didn't expect to like this. I agree with Luna that it's a bit more feminine than Jazz Funeral, but it's also simpler to my nose.

 

Dry: Something in this is going rather soapy on me, but that's okay, because this is so much like Jazz Funeral I don't need to hang on to it. Definitely kissing cousins if not twins-- but if Jazz Funeral was a bit too masculine and heavy for you, try Crossroads, you'll love it!

[hkhm]

imp: incense and dusty florals.

 

wet: there is an initial scent of dirt but it's quickly overpowered by rose. where the rose in zombi is very dry and dessicated, this rose is far to in-my-face and fresh.

 

dry: there is more moss and dirt as this dries but the rose is still very fresh and strong.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

this *sounds* like something i'd love... but it always comes out smelling like jasmine.

[Mayhem27]

I was really hoping this was have a grassy/dirt/herbal scent, but it just does not love me. In the vial, I can smell the light, green herbs with a touch of floral. The second it hit my skin, it turned into a horrible powdery-soap mixture. Of course, I was hoping it would mellow out some, so I left it on and waited. The good thing is that the lasting power was excellent...but Crossroads remained in that stuffy, soap state for the rest of the day. :-(

[juniperus]

bottle: damp earth and night-blooming flowers

wet: florals stepping forward significantly

dry: stepping forward has changed to striding menacingly. aggressive flowers.

later: aggressive to the point of beating me about the head and neck. O_O omg!

[Monster]

Right out of the vial I can tell there are bouquets of white flowers and jasmine in this. I'm only gonna put the teeniest drop on my skin....

On my skin now I smell a lot of jasmine mixed with herbal notes and sharp moss. I'm not sniffing any incense or earth (which usually stands out if it's ever in a BPAL perfume. In this case, it's very subdued.)

This dries into a very "perfumey" smelling concoction on my hand. Very floral and unfortuantely not for me :/

[ouch!]

This is an unusual one for me. I can smell...a sweet floral, herbs and earthy dirt. There is definately Jasmine in here. The dirt note that's in Zombi and Singing Moon. It's quite a strong scent. It's pleasant and not at the same time. It's like the dirt is sort of ruining the flowers but not too much.

 

Someone mentioned that this is kind of like The Caterpillar, I'm gonna have to agree with that statement. It's a rich smelling floral incense blend with a bit of dirt.

 

I don't think it's for me.

Edited September 22, 2009 by ouch!

[angelicruin]

Earth and moss on my skin....and Jasmine. **off to the swap pile**

[skylarkza]

In the imp: Sweet florals with a touch of green.

 

Wet: The florals really take off! But are grounded with a slight earthiness.

 

Dry: JASMINE! There is something else there, but it is hard to make out under the JASMINE.

 

A while later: Jasmine and moss. Floral, yet an earthy green. Guess my crossroads are on some fae path...

[isisonearth]

Imp: Very heady and sweet. Gardenia or honeysuckle. It reminds me of New Orleans in a way.

 

Wet: Dry dirt and those hot house florals...quickly begins to dry down to a dust note that makes my throat dry.

 

Dry: The dirt and moss really spoil this for me. They are evocative but really repelling to me. I'm backing away from the Crossroads.

[starfish327]

this was a free imp that someone was nice enough to pass along to me.

 

i was interested in seeing what this one would be like as crossroads are sacred in my spiritual path...it's not a bad scent, per se, but it has a lot of throw (my boyfriend just commented that i'm stinky- but he finds most perfumes/oils to be stinky).

 

i'm not getting anything chilly about this scent- it's warm incense, slightly herbal, and a lot of white florals. it's not a bad floral and it's not turning as powdery on me as most florals do. it's STRONG on me though. i'm still not getting any dirt notes though.

 

it's not a bad blend though i still don't prefer florals. i think that i'll hold onto it for a summer ritual oil though.

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: something almost port-o-potty, with incense beneath

 

Wet on Skin: floral port-o-potty

 

While Drying: slightly cloying floral

 

After a Little While: like dousing myself in Grammy's perfume; heavily floral, slightly soapy & growing more soapy with time

 

Later: too much… had to wash it off

 

Final Thoughts: I have a hard time with some mosses and florals… this is obviously not the right combination for me.

Crossroads earns a 2/5 on my skin.