Graveyard Dirt

[shriekingviolet]

... This is the scent of pure graveyard dust, spattered with grave loam and dusted lightly with tombstone moss.

Initial Impression:
Dry dusty dirt. Light, fine stuff that scatters itself across pavement.

After Wearing It:
While this was very dry in the bottle, Graveyard Dirt bloomed into something really moist on my skin. This is the smell of potting soil, of flower beds after a spring shower. I smell something like pine too, though it's not too prominent, which makes me thinking of walking through a wooded area of a part in the damper period of spring. It's oddly clean in it's body, though it very much smells like dirt. This isn't the grime the pastes itself onto your deck or that covers your legs after rolling around outdoors. This is earth in its prime habitat. It's well tilled earth, full of minerals, moist and ready to sustain life. There's a suggestion of the beautiful potential that rich earth has, stuff that could nurture any seed to sprout and blossom. It's really just lovely in the way it carries the balance of clean and dirty, infused with an undeniable freshness. Sort of ironic (to me at least) that the name of the oil is graveyard dirt, because this scent screams pure life to me.

Final Thoughts:
I didn't expect to like this, but I really, really do. I'm not sure if I'll wear it much, but I'm so glad I got to try it. It's truly a treasure.

[omly]

I let the boy smell this and he *loved* it. In fact *he* asked *me* about trying to wear it. Ah I love my little earth sign. That boy is a Taurus through and through. So we sat side by side during dry down smelling the differences on our skin.

 

In the bottle:

It smells like dirt, more speciically potting soil. This is dirt with great potential, but no life yet

 

During dry down:

On him - loomy dark earth

On me - a little sweeter and has a lighter slightly dry vegetative smell like earth that has been turned over that is full of roots

 

Dry

Interestingly on both of us, this really blended with our own natural scent. We each picked out a slight spiciness in the background on the other person, but not on our selves. Later when we were going to bed, I momentarily thought that he was wearing some sort of cologne/aftershave. He just smelled particularly masculine if that makes any sense.

 

I have to say that I really like this. It is such a grounding scent for me, which is great for focusing during finals. It is absolutely fabulous on the boy though, and he actually enjoys wearing it. I will have to get my hands on some more.

[Red_Hot_Mama]

One of the things I love about BPAL is the unexpected...ness of Beth's creations. Graveyard Dirt is no exception.

 

This is soil, rich, fecund SOIL! The blend doesn't morph, as some shapeshiftier (is that a real word?)blends do.

 

Nope, Graveyard Dirt stays true to the description and man-O-chevitz, does it last! 24+ hours later it is still there faint & quite lovely.

 

This is a wonderful blend for layering too. It's wonderful with a teensy weency bit of Sugar Skull. Ok, so I had a sick sense of humor yesterday, at least I smelled great!

 

 

Forgot to add:

On the drydown, Graveyard Dirt reminds me of the evil scent sibling of Lolita Lempika. No kidding!

Edited May 9, 2005 by Red_Hot_Mama

[SoapyRN]

What I love is that it is clear......CLEAR!!!

 

I opened my mail as my 5yo little boy was bathing. I said to him, smell Mommy's new perfume, they made it smell like dirt.

 

He said that it was no fair, that he has to take a bath when he is dirty and Mom get to just wear the dirty perfume.

 

On to the review. Total dirt in the imp, this was sent to me from Finny! Danke!

Total dirt on the skin, wet. It stayed dirt for a long time after it dried.

 

I knew I would not need a whole bottle, but having the dirty imp is fun.

 

eta: This, dabbed over Beltane is heaven. You literally are transported to a local greenhouse------whisk, just like that!

Edited May 9, 2005 by SoapyRN

[Belladonnastrap]

First Sniff:

Dirt. It reminds me of Nosferatu just minus the yummy wine that makes that scent turn into sex on me. It (Graveyard Dirt I mean) smells a lot like a greenhouse.

 

Wet:

I smell like I've been playing around in the dirt. Pure dirt and it's actually sort of making my stomach turn Wait. WTF? It just turned yummy cedar on me?! Gah!

Dry:

Cedar? OMG. What on earth have you done Beth? Have you made me lust after DIRT!? Okay so...I was all ready to sell this off but Graveyard Dirt turned into this lovely green earthy scent that doesn't smell quite so much of wet soil as it does of soil and..cedar. Yum.

 

Aftermath:

The staying power on me of this is bad. The scent fades away really quickly. HOWEVER the wonderful drydown and the fact that it smells like hot sex when layered with Hamadryad make Graveyard Dirt a keeper

[voodoobaby]

In the bottle: Smells pretty much like dirt, but also has the strong plasticky smell of new computer parts. Which I like. The dirt smell is incredibly dusty--which is good, as I was kind of wondering if this would smell too similar to the moist potting soil smell of Zombi.

 

Wearing: OK, this is beginning to smell more like the real thing now. And let me tell you, this is the creepiest dirt I've ever smelled. I've never had a scent creep me out before, but this does. There's nothing sweet about it at all, it's completely bitter, and it really smells (conceptually, not literally) dead. Wow.

 

Later: Oh. Oh my. This is that same damp, dirty smell I got after a few hours of wearing Dead Man's Hand. Pretty darn sexy. It's kind of weird when a dirt scent becomes a "second skin scent", but this really does. The smell I'm getting right now is impossible to describe, I think you'd have to try it and find out.

 

Overall: Very nice. The stale, bitter scent is not what I expected, but I love it anyway. I will wear it alone, I'm sure, but due to the stale and bitter qualities I think I'll more often than not layer it. With everything. I like!

[Witch's Dagger]

Graveyard Dirt

 

This was a part of the Tarot swap - since I need to review all of them in a very short time, this will be a brief review.

 

Also, since it is a decant, I do not know whether this is the Limited Edition or if it’s the Black Broom oil. Since they smell similarly enough that Beth gave them the same name, it shouldn’t affect my review, and I’m not attempting any rituals that would use Graveyard Dirt (especially since I can’t remember any offhand, though I do remember seeing some once).

 

Preconceived notions: Earth and dirt, yay!

 

In the vial: Wow. That is dirt. Rich, musky, living dirt. Wonderful.

 

On me: It’s dirt! It’s really dirt! Oh, have I been wanting a scent like this! This is rich soil, decaying leaves, mushrooms, you know, DIRT!

 

In 10 minutes:

It’s still dirt! This is amazing!

 

Overall:

I’m really glad I got the Limited Edition (which hasn’t arrived yet). If not, I’d be begging for it on the Swaps Forum. This is spectacular.

 

Oh, and I'll give an update on what I think of that when it arrives , in case it's different.

[LiberAmoris]

Graveyard Dirt is great on its own as an earthy, grounded, dusky blend---or as one of the best blenders that I have come across. I've added a little GD to my favorite florals and have not yet been disappointed. It always adds another dimension that I really enjoy.

 

I smell oakmoss, some kind of pale wood, and a touch of patchouli in Graveyard Dirt, although I don't have the best nose. I've been using it on days when I literally need to come down to earth and feel my feet on the ground. I love the way it helps me focus.

[empi girl]

In the bottle: Dark, dry soil...very rich, but not quite fresh

 

On, wet: Very "dirt" like (which I like), with the most unusual hint of mint behind it. I not only just barely smell the mint at the end, I can feel the coolness of it too. I really like that, as it is unusual, unobtrusive, and helps reinforce the idea of cool earth.

 

On, dry: no more minty coolness, lots of dirt, with a strong undercurrent of corn silk, the kind you get when you are shucking the leaves and pulling the silk from the kernals. Earthy, natural, but I don't really like the smell of corn silk that I get, even though I do like the dirt smell.

 

It dissapeared completely on me after 45 minutes.

 

In the end, I couldn't accept the corn silk stage, and I swapped it away.

[theshapeshifter]

In the bottle: Definitely a DRY dirt.

 

Initial application: Just like the description suggests, a dry dusty earth with a trace of dried moss. I get a tiny waft of something like pine, too, though. Hubby picked up on it as well, and said I smelled like the earth under a pine tree.

 

Drydown: On skin, it fades away all-too-quickly, although I get a brief phase of something like cold coffee. Just a tiny whiff of it. However, in my hair it stays lovely and true to this slightly evergreeny dry earth.

 

I'll definitely keep it and enjoy it, but I think (on first try, at least) that this is more of a "like" than a "love".

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the bottle: WOW! Rich, damp, freshly turned soil with a faint hint of moss.

 

First on: It becomes richer, but smells the same. Like healthy, moist dirt.

 

I simply adore this scent, not sure if I'll wear it, but you couldn't pry it out of my dead hands. This is THE perfect dirt scent. It reminds my husband of the Jelly Belly Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans in Dirt. It reminds me of slightly overcast days digging in the garden or going for a walk in a graveyard and coming across a freshly filled plot.

 

Soil holds both the notes of life and death in it and Graveyard Dirt captures it perfectly.

 

Edited to add: While my body chemistry was in a different state then when first tried, the second time I got cedar and mint when first on with soggy moss and wet leaves. It faded to a soft sweet cedar scent.

Edited May 28, 2005 by Spastik_Kitty

[QueenFae]

Yup, pure, fresh sod. It reminds me of the forest I used to tramp around in when I was little girl, just after it has rained and the smell of earth is super pungent in the air. This scent is not for me, as I am a floral, berry girl, but my fiance adores it. He says he likes to smell "dirty"

I definitely think this is such a cool idea for a scent, I'll just enjoy it on my man.

[RainyDayGrey]

In the bottle: it does smell like dirt, but it smelled more like I would expect a comercial dirt smelling perfume to smell like, good but kind of blah.

 

On: Yeah, no worries here this just needs a little body heat and all of a sudden its wonderful dirty dirt. The best kind of dirt too, the rich dark fertile kind you want to plant your seeds in. It was like I was in the garden elbow deep in dirt on a Sunday afternoon instead of sitting on my coutch watching The Apprentice on a Thursday evening.

[Spanglemaker]

Graveyard Dirt:

 

In the bottle and wet: Yep...that is exactly how dirt smells!! Luckily I do not get the scent of peat moss (usually a gag inducing smell for me).

 

Drydown: The dirt smell fades and I get 100% cedar.

 

Not sure how I feel about this one. Cedar isn't a real favorite of mine and it dissappears pretty quickly. I'll have to try it again.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Whoa. Holy cow. Open one of those big bags of potting soil – the dark, rich, moist kind that almost looks edible (or maybe that’s just me) – and stick your sniffer down in it, and that’s Graveyard Dirt.

 

Wearing: Potting soil. Absolutely potting soil. And so incredibly not me. Very cool though.

[joseybird]

This is a very dry, almost ashy soil to my nose. I wasn't too keen on taking many sniffs, as it almost felt like there were dirt particles threatening to climb up my nose! I think it would make an interesting layering scent, but I'm no longer interested in getting a bottle.

[ChupaChup]

This may sound strange but Graveyard Dirt is the cleanest dirt I have ever smelled . It smells like very fresh, very healthy, loamy soil that has just been plowed. It was so pretty in the bottle, I actually put some on my skin. I didn't mind it at all, didn't feel the need to wash it off like I do with other "dirt" scents. So, although it's nothing I would ever want to wear as a perfume I can see why "dirt" lovers love this one .

[quinkel]

Soil... but not clean potting soil, oh no! This IS Graveyard Dirt, completely with worms crawling around and decomposing below. Not a perfume to wear on a regular day. I love the concept and the amazing art how Beth managed to create this scent! I am stunned. This is an oil to use for Roleplaying games, if you want to be the living Death or wearing this on Halloween.

Sadly we don't do Halloween in Holland, i would love to see the faces when they smell me:-)

[lixolux]

i thought i reviewed this already - i had first tested Graveyard Dirt at Black Broom - im pretty sure it was the magickal variety - and all i know is that it put me right into the earth, enveloped, soft warm and moist earth. i fell in love but then found out that they had none at the store and would probably not get any more.....

 

then i freaked out and got myself a bottle when it came out as a LE - i have to say that out of the bottle its not as deep as i remember the sample at Black Broom, but still its soft fresh tilled earth. upon wearing it lightens up and softens even more - it actually reminds me alot alot of lush's spice mountain soap, with more clove and root beer and dirt thrown in.

 

yum my!

[Muppetk]

How odd. This is exactly "single note dirt", if fresh-turned earth could be said to be only a single note. Fascinating. Beth is a hell of an artist.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: It smells like...mushrooms? It truly reminds me of toadstools growing in the soft dirt.

On me: Amazing perfect dirt smell. It captures potting soil and freshly churned gardens to a T. As I'm not a dirt fan I won't be holding on to this, but curiousity compelled me to try it and I am delighted that I did.

[Lilithlefay]

In the bottle it smells like...well....dirt. I actually really liked it so I bought a bottle. However, after about an hour it has completely disappeared on me. I can't get a single wiff of it...which is okay because after 15 minutes on my skin it turned into something rather unpleasant. Like dead dirt actually. After 25 minutes it had a really nice dusty smell....but a little while later it had completely disappeared. Makes me sad...but to the swapping pile it goes......I might try layering it with Beltane first to see what happens.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): It smells exactly like dirt. I would expect something that smells like this to be dark brown.

 

Just On: Whoa, I smell like freshly turned dirt. For real. If I were to smell that scent with my eyes closed, I would be surprised to open them and not find myself near some loamy dirt. I can't smell anything else, just the dirt (not that that is surprising).

 

An hour or two later: Now there is an almost herby smell to this, but it's still more dirt than anything. It has faded more than I'd like.

 

Around 6 hours: It's pretty much gone, just a hint of the dirt smell left. This has wonderful possibilities for ritual.

 

12 hours: It left, but it was gooood while it lasted. I'm not sure about smelling like this though.

 

Overall: Beth bottled dirt. That's freaking amazing.

 

After reading other reviews: Like many others, this blew me away totally. It's incredible. It's amazing.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 0/5

Summarised in a word or two: Dirt.

 

In the imp/bottle: Er, dirt! Dark, wet, cold, old dirt.

 

On skin, wet: Yes indeed, this is dirt. This isn't soft or faint dirt, this is heavy, strong, "Might as well have been rolling in the garden" dirt.

 

On skin, dry: Hmm. Chalky dirt. Every stage, this is different dirt! But dirt all the same.

 

Conclusion: Sometimes I like dirt/earth notes, sometimes I don't. Like Zombi, this is a Don't. And this is *strong*: Every single time I open my imp box, or my bottle box (I decanted the bottle into imps and am keeping the empty bottle), I'm hit by Dirt! I am, though, amazed and very impressed -- this is real dirt. Beth might as well have ground wet dirt between two heavy stones and put the resulting liquid into bottles.

Edited December 18, 2005 by Aredhel

[blaqpearl]

I am amazed how this was created. Smells like a tropical island dirt after 15 minutes of downpour rain.

 

You would think the oil would be black in color but it is clear as day.

 

I really like this. Dont know if I will wear it, but I am keeping my imp.

 

I work with some women that eat dirt and/or clay when they are anemic, a condition called Pica. If I could only give them some of this oil to sniff when they get the cravings.