Graveyard Dirt

[gingersnapp]

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

This is unbelievable! It is truly a dark, deep, wet dirt. It is sharp and acrid, though, and stings my nose. I don't think it's something that I would wear alone on a daily basis, but I've kept the bottle because I feel that it will be a great layering scent.

Very much like grabbing fistfuls of ground after a heavy storm and smearing it all over your skin.

[blood*rose*flowers]

In the bottle I get a certain earthiness but on the skin this is a rich, nutrient filled, mossy, slightly damp, potting soil. Pure soil.

 

Its a neat idea and a bit shocking that Beth managed to create such a natural scent out of oils. To be honest this oil above almost all others makes me want to stand over her shoulder as she creates going "Whats that?" "Why are you using that?" "How did you ever become so smart?" "Will you teach me oh wise one oh master?" I want to know how this magic trick works!!!

 

I really am impressed with this one, but at the same time I have to say I think its a little to grounded for an air sign like me. But I am happy I got to experience it.

[Tess]

I'm not even sure what drew me to this scent, although I think it has something to do with desiring a little something to

"ground" the firey scents I tend to like.

 

In the vial - This is unbelievable! I'd read so many people say that this smells exactly like dirt, but I never really believed it. But it's TRUE! This is the scent of freshly tilled, dark and moist soil. It's the scent of my mother working in her garden when I was a child. It's so earthy, so RICH!

 

Wet - There's a minty loam that's coming out from this. The moist dirt in the garden, catmint and tomatoes stretching towards the noontime sun, the grass of the lawn growing far too long.

 

Drying - Oh, I SO wish there were just a tinge of raspberry leaf here! Just the slight scent of raspberries growing to unbearable ripeness. This is so incredibly close to my memories of being a child, naked toes digging into the wet earth as I bite into a tomato, mint leaves garnishing it perfectly, with fresh raspberries for dessert.

 

Dry (30 minutes later) - I'm picking up the cedar now. It smells like walking through a pine forest, the dusty earth kicking up under your feet. Glorious.

 

Overall - This lasted barely 45 minutes on me, but it was 45 minutes of pure bliss. I'm certainly one of those who finds that this scent is very much ALIVE, the way loam is. Most likely, I'll not wear it, since it lasts no time at all one me, but use it for rituals. This is Terra in a bottle.

[madelf]

Like all the other reviews say, this smells like dirt. Beautiful, dark, moist dirt in the bottle and on my skin. It's actually pretty amazing, and I get this lovely hint of sweetness that I can't quite put my finger on. It's really just an intreguing scent.

 

This didn't last very long on its own, only a couple hours. However, it layers very nicely, especially with sweeter florals, and gains a little more staying power.

 

I'm so glad that I managed to get a bottle of this. It might not be to everyone's tastes, but I really adore it.

[donsixgun]

I loved this when I first sniffed it, and just had to get a bottle. Its dirt. Pure yummy dirt.

In fact, it reminds me of potting soil, or the smell of earth after youve dug a few feet down. As I first apply it, it smells wet, thick, and heavy...as it dries though, it gets more calm, and even smells 'dry.' Very nice. It doesnt last as long as Id want it to, but it doesnt disappear in 10 minutes either.

[Sara]

Totally, absolutely dirt. This reminds me of strongly of my childhood, which was spent dirty and exploring the woods, ponds, and just overall being an outdoorsy kid.

 

As much as I love it, I can't really wear it on its own, but it makes *the* most gorgeous combination with Anubis - seriously. My boyfriend doesn't usually compliment me on my "smellies", but damned if he didn't bury his head in my breasts and say "Damn, you smell great!" It's even funnier (and more satisfying) knowing he initially crinkled his nose in "ew" after smelling GD out of the imp.

 

Overall: Man, I'm so pissed I dicked around with Apothecary's Cat on this one instead of just ordering it straight from the Lab when it was offered. Sure taught me a lesson, since now I just have one little imp to treasure.

 

While I won't wear it on its own often, the layering possibilities are amazing and endless. I bet Envy would make a good combo....Zombi could use an extra kick... hmm....

[nineveh]

I wasn't around for this scent's release, but it sounded interesting enough that I got ahold of an imp.

 

Wow, it is dirt! It smells like potting soil when it's fresh on my skin. My boyfriend says that it's "fucking brilliant."

 

Then after it fades a bit, it becomes sweeter and spicier, and smells more like dry dirt.

 

Unfortunately, this seems to be a fast fader on me, so my imp will get passed on to someone else. I'm glad I got to try it though. It's a wonderful realization of a concept.

[cuervosueno]

Yup, dirt. It smells like dirt...or rather sun-warmed garden soil. It's really very impressive, as so many others have noted.

The other earthy scents simply don't work on me. Earthy notes in others--such as zombi or Queen of Clubs smell earthy--as in beets. But I hate beets. So I was seriously worried about this, and wondered whatever possessed me to swap for it.

But as it turns out, there is no beet note for me! Hooray! It just smell like warm, well-tilled soil.

After it had been on for a couple of hours, I got a very vague incense note too, but truthfully, that is likely the spellbound I tried on the same arm. I like the combination though, and yes, I can see the layering possiblities are endless.

I'm not convinced I'll need the whole bottle, but I'm glad to get to try it, and may keep it after all, or maybe will decant and imp and then swap the rest....

Like Roadhouse, this is one of those how-in-the-world-does-Beth-do-it scents.

[thesibylqueen]

I'm not sure I can anything to this review, as others have perfectly described this oil.

 

Just like wet soil.

 

Even down to that metallic bite that you can taste when soil starts to dry out.

 

I get such a kick out of wearing this oil -- I know its not meant to be a fragrance, but it is so grounding and cheerful to smell whiffs of wet soil while doing office work...Friends like it, too : there's something warm and reassuring in the smell.

[Medici]

They say dirt, they mean dirt - of the freshly turned variety with a bit of lichen for seasoning. It's a little strange to be smelling like a hole in the ground - I'll give you that much.

 

If there's anything I can say about this blend, it's definately an attestation to Beth's blending skills because it smells exactly like a loamy grave - it's a little freaky how accurate the scent is, actually. There isn't much evolution with the scent, the throw isn't particularly strong after the drydown either, however - if I return to the spot on my arm where I dabbed Graveyard Dirt - the scent is still going strong after quite some time.

 

Not an everyday perfume though - but definately something to consider if I ever wanted to go in costume as a Dementor.

[Loligo]

Wow! Since BPAL's non-foody, non-floral smells rarely smell like what they're supposed to smell like on me, I went into this very skeptical, but it really does smell like dirt. The initial note is well-cooked compost -- black, moist, alive. Then as the scent dries it starts to smell more like fallen leaves & pine needles during Indian summer, all crisp and dusty. This will be really fun to play with for layering.

[rosered]

Rich earth, moist and wonderful! Or like going down into the root cellar when I lived on a farm as a child. My husband adores it and wants every bottle possible, so don't fear if you don't want yours...

[grrrlennyl]

graveyard dirt

 

at first: this is dirt alright. a bit too biting for me, i think.

on: this is dirt alright. fresh, black dirt. very, very strong.

1 hour later: this is nowhere near as strong as it was at first.

2 hours later: i can barely smell this now.

overall: like dead man's hand, i really think that this will great for layering. i'm glad that it gets softer right away, since it's way to intense for me at first.

[phoefromelsewhere]

I've had this in my bpal box for awhile, everytime I open it up, I get a whiff of dirt. Finally decided to try it.

 

In the bottle: Dark dirt. Sort of like digging a big hole and standing in it and the top of it is over your head. Kind of creepy.

 

Wet/Drydown/Finally: This went through dark dirt to potting soil dirt to just plain ol garden variety dirt (which I love). Very soft, no where near as overpowering as I thought it would be.

 

Cool and comforting, an absolute gem.

[Dark Seraphim]

One of the best scents ever. Smells exactly like the Earth after it rains. After testing, it smelt like grass. It doesn't last too long on skin, but I don't think it's meant to be worn. I think it's meant to be burnt in an oil burner.

 

I just love this scent to death! Perfect. 10/10

[Monster]

Ahhh! Another winner! I've been saying this a lot latley, but this is one of the BEST things I've ever smelled. Wow. I don't know how Beth does it, but this smells exactly like wet, fertile, soil in a bottle.

This is the forest after a thunderstorm, or fresh potters soil after it's been watered.

Wearing it is truly a unique experience. It changes with my chemistry and turns into something else. The wet dirt/loam scent is still there, but a there's a hint of smething else.....not quite sure what it is. Wet leaves? Fallen pine needles?

 

This is truly a gorgeous scent. I hope I can find another bottle becasue I have a feeling this one is going to go fast.

[Undine]

I agree this smells like dirt, but to me in the imp it smelled like mushroomy, acrid, wet dirt, significantly more stomach-turning than real dirt. In fact, this smell was so repulsive to me that I absolutely could not bear to try it on. I think it's an amazing blend because it's a very good facsimile of the real thing (and apparently is an exact replication for many people), but it was so not for me. For me specifically, though, it was a 0 out of 5!

[twistygirl]

When I first applied this, it smelled like mushrooms on me. That's the only way I can describe it. It smelled exactly like mushrooms.

 

As it dried down, it mellowed out and like others have said, it does smell like real, freshly-turned dirt. It's unbelievable how evocative this scent is, what a realistic dirt smell this is. Dirt and moss. Earthy, earthy.

 

I am not an earthy or outdoorsy type at all, and I can't see myself wearing this, but for anybody who wants that purely earthy smell or wants an earthy oil for ritual work, I can't imagine anything more dead-on (no pun intended) than this. I might not wear it, but once again I am amazed by Beth's incredible artistry.

[Blood onmy hands]

Wearing Graveyard Dirt was an interesting experience over the weekend. I put it on before going out with my sister... and my sister HATES the smell of dirt. She is very anti-outdoorsy. She even gets angry when it rains because she says it stirs up the soil and makes the world smell dirty. Yes, I find her odd too, lol. Anyhow. I thought that she was going to beat me and throw me out of her car when I wore this.

 

Honestly, it made me a bit sick to my stomach as well. It was like sticking my head into a bag of moist black potting soil. It's not that I dislike that smell, but I don't want to smell like potting soil... and I don't want to be smelling dirt for hours on end. This is really strong and has a lot of throw on me too. Very rich soil and decaying matter. It gets a bit mossy in the drydown. This is just very not-me. I ended up giving my decant to one of my male friends that I don't see very often.

[Freyja Lux]

I was very interested in trying this one, and Cinder was kind enough to sent it my way!

Maybe my nose isn't sensitive enough to any other elements in this perfume, but I truly only smell dirt. How it's done, I don't know. Why anyone would wear it, I don't know. This would be good for a Halloween costume, for sure. If you're going as a zombie, as Death, or something similar, WEAR THIS PERFUME!

[Rhowan]

Here's my first review so please take that into consideration if I don't sound as professional as most of the others so, *deep breath and sight* here I go...

 

I recieved this in the mail today(thanks Virge) I was thinking I was just going to smell and swap this but I have much respect for this after the wearing...

 

In the bottle: *sniff* I close my eyes and I am transported out to my garden in the early spring as the sun is going down; shoes off, feet and hands cold, the dirt just starting to loose the days heat. MMMM...The soil is rich and I can almost smell new tomato plants growing. Oh my gosh, I am totally there!

 

I am hesitant to put this scent on because it does smell exactly the above mentioned and I am not sure I want to smell like this - I just want to have it to smell when I miss spring as a pick me up...

 

Wet - I am still working in my garden. I don't know how Elizabeth did it but the scent is even more fertile than the dirt in my garden. Its a more cold dirt than warmed by the sun scent but that's okay - after all this is "Graveyard dirt"

 

At this point my grown son walks thru the room and says, "It smells like a freakin' root cellar in here! and Bingo! That is the wording I was looking for.

Dark, damp, cool, fecund soil.....

 

Dry down - I am getting a hint of spiciness - are there dry herbs down in the root cellar too? Yum! I like this better than in the bottle now that it is dry.

 

I have now swiped some over Hamadryad and let it dry down. OH!! It brings out a deepness from Hamadryad. It rounds out the scent and gives it depth.... More than just trees but the land surrounding it ( plus a hint of spice which I can't put my finger on.)

 

I would reccommend this scent to anyone who ever yearns for spring just to sniff at the least and to everyone to layer with a tree scent or floral scent to give it depth. This is a multiple us oil!!!

[AngelFireHeart]

Wow, I got some imps of this just today & was convinced before, that I'd like it.

 

In the bottle this is a very wet, mouldy, earthy smell & it's really strong enough to knock you off your feet.

 

On my skin it softens a little but still keeps it's earthy smell & the musty mould dissappears. It definitly does what it says on the tin so to speak. This is EXACTLY how I'd expect Graveyard dirt to smell.

 

Excellent job Beth

 

Incidentally, I tried it over the top of a looong faded Harvest Moon 2005 & now GYD has sunk in it's brought the scent of HM05 back up to the surface with it & the 2 together is like Hallowe'en on steroids! Excellent!

[modesty_blaise]

I love my bottle of Graveyard Dirt. It´s Zombi without the darn roses. It´s dirt, spot on. Wet soil. Autumn in a bottle. How does Beth do it?? Only one thing makes me sad; it disappears rather fast on my skin. Booo. But now that I have a bottle, I can slather

[yeahbutnobut]

Graveyard Dirt

 

In the imp: wet soil! Obviously, but it's scary how much this smells like wet soil…

Wet on skin: wet soil and maybe some mushrooms…

Dry on skin: I'm amazed at how genuine this smells. Like real wet earth! This reminds me of the scent of the soil in my garden after it's been watered on a hot sunny day, or after a sudden rainstorm. It also smells a bit like mushrooms, decomposition, fungus…which isn't too bad, it seems apt for this scent. it's pretty much a dirt single note.

After a while: oh no…it's faded pretty quickly! The scent is still there but now it hasn't got much throw…it's still as earthy as ever! I smell like I've been doing gardening or playing in the mud!!

Verdict: I don't know how Beth does it…but this is such a realistic soil scent! it's like a scented extract taken directly from damp earth, it smells so real, so dirty, like I'm sniffing some wet soil on my wrist. I love the smell of the earth in my garden after it has been hosed or rained on, and this scent captures it perfectly. It has a feel of decomposition, almost fungus like, to it as well, but that just adds to the authentic overall scent. The only problem is that it doesn't have much throw, fades fast, and it's not something I would wear on it's own! But as a layering oil, to add a bit of earth to a scent, it is fantastic.

[SeaMonkey]

In the vial and on my skin, its all deep rich potting soil. I adore the smell of dirt. This is definately Zombi without the roses. It fades on my skin almost right away, which makes me sad. Perhaps its more of an oil burner scent, or i just have wonky chemistry