Nocnitsa

[sarada]

Also known as Krisky, Plaksy and Gorska Makua, she is a nightmare spirit, the Night Hag of the Woods, who haunts Polish, Russian, Bulgarian and Slovak children during the darkest hours. The only protection against her torments is a circle drawn around a child’s cradle with a knife, or an axe or protective poppet hidden under the floorboards beneath where a child sleeps. Her scent is that of a lightless fir wood, nighttime air, wet forest mosses and upturned earth.

This description is one of my favorites ever. It sounds like everything that I love!

In the bottle, the first impression I get is: lime! A very green, clean scent -- pine is just behind the lime, and comes out stronger almost immediately. This reminds me of the scent in the air when I go to a particular nature preserve that I love, where you are walking down a path in the woods and are suddenly surrounded by tall pine trees. The moss and earthy smells are just in the background and they come out more as this develops...I can recognize some of the mossy, loamy and earthy notes just beneath the crisp lime-tinted pine. I haven't had this on for very long but I have a feeling that as it dries, the earthy notes will come out more.

I think this will actually be a wonderful spring and summer scent...very refreshing. Not quite as dark and brooding as I was expecting, it is very stimulating and energizing, which is exactly how I would feel in a damp pine forest at night!

ETA: One year later, to the day! This ages very very nicely and it's not bright candy lime anymore to me, the pine and earth smells are much stronger. Now that Premature Burial is out, I can compare it to this -- and this lacks the orchid note but is very similar otherwise. Green, mossy, dark, damp, soil and pine. Thank goodness I kept this...I almost parted with it several times, thinking it would always be too candylike. I'm going to wear this all the time now! Edited September 16, 2007 by Shollin

[sheepzeit]

I LOVE THIS SCENT!

 

Ahem. I knew I would love this scent the moment the update was made, and I instantly ordered a big bottle. Oh. My. God. I should have bought two!

 

I understand sarada's thoughts when she said it smells like lime, but I think of it as a bright green forest color... not in the daylight, though but more fresh evergreen needles carpeting a forest floor. The trees are endless, separated by slivers of darkness, and the rich, heady green scent is all around, softened by the dirt underneath.

 

So uplifting, but probably because I love green scents. So far I haven't had any luck, but now that Nocnitsa is here I am giving a million thanks for this scent! It's perfection in a bottle.

 

Edited: Now that I've given it a good long time to dry down, it comes out with a slightly fruity aquatic smell. Not unpleasant, but I'm sad that the fir and the dirt didn't stick around on me.

Edited April 5, 2005 by sheepzeit

[amrita]

Wow.. Nocnitsa does some bizarre things on me.

 

Wet, it is a beautiful combination of pine (or spruce?), a touch of lime, and berry sweetness. Slightly aquatic, like wet night air. I get absolutely no mosses or earth. The pine is really beautiful and complex, very evocative-- but it fades within a couple minutes.

 

As the oil dries, the berries become more prominent and flit in and out of soapiness. This is clearly an oil that is getting screwed by my skin chemistry. After about 10 minutes, I get wafts of mango, and it starts turning to a cross between Wolf Moon and Glasgow on me. (Soapy berries, mango, aquatics.)

 

I think I'm going to keep the imp and play around with other ways to use this, because I *love* how Nocnitsa begins. The trees smell so beautiful! But where are the mosses and the earth? I hope to god it's not the "earth" note going bad on me, because I'm really looking forward to Graveyard Dirt...

[Ina Garten Davita]

This was a giftie from the lab.

 

First Impression: Cool forest vapor.

 

Second Impression: I was expecting dark, thick dirt, but this is much lighter, sweeter and brighter that I thought it would be. A cool, dewy forest, but this is in full sunlight. And it's slightly decaying flowers rather than just turned dirt. It's definitely a "clean" earthy/forest smell, if that makes any sense.

 

Final Analysis: While this won't make it on to my favorites list, I am pleasantly surprised by this blend. It's rather nice.

[Lucretia]

This smells almost exactly like Skadi did on me. A forest, but a really sweet, sweet pine/fir forest. I don't know why, but my skin turns evergreens into candy on my wrist.

Sucks.. because I love the smell on pine and fir trees, but apparently I can't wear it.

The sweet trees overpower any dirt, mosses or herbs in here on me.

[VelvetSky]

Nocnitsa has the distinction of being the slowest-evolving BPAL scent I've tried thus far. The drydown is worth the wait, because this is an absolutely gorgeous fragrance.

 

The topnote is all about pine....strong and bracing, with maybe a touch of green herbs. This is a very dry blend on my skin in the first hour, fresh and cleansing, like the wind through the tops of high pines. I didn't get any of the lime that others have stated, just trees and herbs. It reminded me very much of Yggdrasil.

 

After a long time, the blend warms up and starts to sweeten. The pine falls back until it's just a memory. I start to get more of the herbs and some flowers that slowly grow stronger and push to the top. I get a lot of mint in the middle accord.

 

The drydown of Nocnitsa took several hours to establish itself on my skin. The base of this blend is a very sweet and fresh floral.

 

This is a lovely oil, but it reminds me so much of Yggdrasil, I doubt I'll wear it very often. I've swapped it away, but I'm so very glad I tried it.

[voodoobaby]

In the bottle: Dirt! Fresh dirt from the garden, with the evergreen smelling more like grass than anything, and a cool sweetness.

 

Wearing: Hmm. This reminds me of an expensive man's cologne, but not an overpowering one. It smells kind of clean and green, fresh and cool--as promised, like night air, only it's more of an impression than a direct smell. I get something slightly candy sweet that's similar to the wine in Mabon and Hunter Moon.

 

Later: This has turned all candy on me now, more berry than anything, still kind of chilly.

 

Overall impression: This is what I would call a refreshing blend, but nothing overly cheerful or light. It's more like a full moon night with a cool, energizing breeze, and you don't want to go to sleep because the energy in the air makes you feel so awake. In fact, it's perfectly evocative of night in this sense, as that's the time of day that I feel most alive. Love the scent, keeping the imp.

[violetblue]

I didn't realize this one would smell so pine-y - which isn't good on me. I got straight up Pine-sol or that dark colored Lysol cleaner when I tried it, sadly. I have a strange feeling it might smell really nice on a guy to me though. I'm really glad I got to try it though!

[Jessica]

In the bottle Nocnitsa did not smell like something I would like. It reminded me of Urd and Nephilim (also orange/brown colors, oddly enough) both scents which I quickly turned away.

 

I pretty much knew that this blend wouldn't work with me, but I tried it on my skin anyway. It remained very earthy on me, and smells just like the image the description envokes - wet, foresty earth.

 

Still, I wasn't happy with the scent. Finally, I ended up taking a shower (not because of the scent ) and Nocnitsa would not go away. In the short time I had it on my skin (five minutes maybe) it had absorbed into my skin. I guess this says something about the blend's staying power. ^^

 

If earthy scents were my thing (which I now know, for sure, that they are not) this one would of been divine.

[Moonpuff]

In the bottle this one was a sharp pine. I immediately was turned off and hesitated to try it.

 

HOWEVER, as I have learned with many BPAL scents, the magic is in the application and the changes that occur thereafter.

 

It takes about 5 minutes but then the attack o' pine dies down and it becomes a very pleasant, somewhat sweet woodsy berry smell. I Loooooooove. I'm thinking 5mL!!

 

It also has very good staying power. It is one that rather than being overpowering it simply envelops you with nice refreshing wafts of yum throughout the day - if that makes sense.

[Northernminx]

Tons of dark green pine, a little brighter than Black Forest was on me, which was a pleasant surprise. Deep green woods and dark earth, this was like wearing a christmas tree for the first ten or fifteen minutes. As it dries down I get a rich berry scent, and then that's gone as well. Now I can barely detect anything, just a touch of earth and moss. It's kind of creepy, like something visited me out of the woods and left just a trace behind.

 

Complex and interesting and I love the scents, but it's not quite me so off it goes to swaps (still very glad I tried it)

[Penance]

Preconceived notions:

 

I've been dying to try this since I saw it on the list of up-and-coming scents and when it went live and I saw the description I was even more desperate to get my hands on it because it sounded perfect for me. Nocnitsa has practically everything I love in a perfume (sans the resin notes I love) and I love the story behind it (morbid girl that I am), so I just know that I'm going to love this.

 

First sniff:

 

So much lighter and less oppressive than I'd imagined, but so beautiful! I normally wear very dark forest scents and I've learned that most people around me don't care for them (that's the nice way of saying they think I stink ), which means I end up feeling like a leper ( ), but Nocnitsa is different. It's certainly a forest scent and it definitely smells of towering pines, fallen pine needles, damp mosses and the forest floor, but it's so much lighter and more wearable than something of that nature would normally be. This is gorgeous!

 

Wet on skin:

 

As soon as it hits my skin, the fir mellows immediately, making it less astringent and much more subdued. The only way I can explain it is to say that if Nocnitsa in the bottle is a fir forest by day, then Nocnitsa on my skin is a fir forest by night. It's got an almost spicy earthiness to it now, mixed with a much more mellow version of the pine that was so prominent in the bottle, but it manages to pull off the transition to a darker blend (although I wouldn't classify it as being a truly dark blend even now) without becoming too dark or too oppressive.

 

Dry down:

 

Lots of lovely earth and moss with a touch of pine that makes it lighter and more wearable. This is absolutely gorgeous. I loved BPAL's forest blends before, but none of them (not even my beloved Loup Garou) can hold a candle to Nocnitsa. It manages to combine all the best parts of BPAL's other forest scents without having any of their weaknesses. I almost get the feeling that Nocnitsa is the result of a process of Darwinian selection and that really appeals to the science geek in me.

 

The bottom line:

 

Nocnitsa is gorgeous. I knew I would like this, but I had no idea I'd love it this much. This is definitely in the top 5 of all the BPAL scents I've tried. I'm definitely going to need another bottle...or 10.

[darkling]

In the bottle and wet on my skin, Nocnitsa was all strong, undiluted pine. Cleanser-strength pine.

 

After about ten minutes the pine scent starts to fade and a honeyed sweetness peeks out underneath. The moss and earth scents become more noticable and remind me strongly of Zombi and Nosferatu. The pine mingles with the earth to become a muted forest.

 

I enjoy Nocnitsa's final form, particularly the odd sweetnes beneath the pine. However, the initial Pine-Sol scent was so overpowering that I don't think I could bear it often.

[surf-tormented]

I like this one. Sort of a mix between Goth Rosary's Graveyard and BPAL's Ulalume with a tiny bit of citrus ozone thrown in for flavor.

 

But will it last on me? If it lasts for more than an hour, I might get a bottle of it, if not, well, I won't.

 

It smells like a freshly mowed graveyard after a rain.

[Belladonnastrap]

First Sniff

Stopping by the woods on a wet evening.

 

Wet

..holy crap. It's like Belladonna's more ethereal but still deadly sister!! Mint and forests and something sweet...oooh. I can't stop sniffing myself. If Belladonna is more heady and suited for the colder months then Nocnitsa is definitely for spring and summer, it's the same mood but lighter. Wow.

Drydown

Oh my. This is my new favourite forest scent. It's light and sporty and very fae yet there's a menancing vibe underneath it. It doesn't drastically change from the wet stage just becomes more solid and long lasting.

 

Aftermath

This is a MUST OWN for me. A bottle of this will be in my May lunar order!

Edited April 14, 2005 by Belladonnastrap

[Elanya]

From the description, I was very sure I would love this scent, and boy am I ever right!

 

There is kind of a sweetness to it which reminds me of hemlock, but also a woody-earthyness that reminds me of forrest loam and humus. At first, there is definitely an evergreen smell, like freshly bruised spruce needles or pine gum, and some woodiness to go along with the sap. As it dries, some dark undernote makes its presence known, giving an impression of blackness. I couldn't say what it is, though...

 

I wish it was a little stronger, but I'm definitely keeping the imp, and will add it to my bottle wishlist!

[Falathwen]

This was a gift from the lab and much appreciated because though I have been eager to try the blends relating to Eastern Europe, the description of this one made me hesitate. I would have missed a truly lovely woods scent.

It is fresh evergreens and earth at first…with a hint of something sweet. I find that I breathe more deeply wearing it, which is helpful because asthma has been plaguing me this week. The moss note comes out more as the blend dries down.

I actually find this blend very comforting

[shelldoo]

wet forest it is indeed, dark, mossy, wet leaves, possibly a fall night, u know the damp fallen leaves smell u get while hiking out in the woods in teh fall, this is it.

[tart]

Ooh, this smells like a beautiful forest at nighttime! It also smells like a good man. Not my style at all, but Nocnitsa is so fresh smelling...maybe good for someone who missed out on the Yuletide blends and wants to smell some Christmastime pine.

[theshapeshifter]

In the imp: Ominous pine, if that makes sense. There's definitely a darkness to it.

 

Initial application: Evergreens, but with something mysteriously sweet - not quite mint, not quite lime candy, not quite berry.

 

After about an hour: Definitely getting that nighttime-forest vibe. It's really well blended, so the individual notes are hard to pick out, but there's the evergreen, the dampness, and this mysterious sweetness that's turning slightly more floral, as though you know there are night-blooming flowers SOMEWHERE in this forest, but you can't see them.

 

 

People have mentioned a very slow evolution, so I may edit this once I see how it behaves over the day, but so far... I agree with the other posters who've said that this is a perfect spring/summer kind of evergreen forest scent, not too oppressive to wear in hot weather.

[AlectoNox]

In the vial it does smell wet and mossy, like a forest near the ocean. It smelled like something that I'd like so I slathered some on, waited a few minutes and then got a whiff of something minty. Disclaimer: I am really sensitive to mint scents, they can make me violently ill in under a minute if they're the wrong sort. Thank goodness this one didn't. I think my nose just confused piney/fir notes with mint for a while. But there is definitely a sharp sort of kick to it for a few minutes there.

 

As it dries down, the astringent/minty/fir scent fades and something really pretty starts coming out. I don't know how to describe it...I think 'nighttime air' from the description suits it best. It isn't cloying or overly perfumey at all, but sort of fresh and relaxing and dark all at once. Or maybe I just find the darkness relaxing because I am odd.

 

Once it's completely dry the mintyness I detected turns into a crispness, to mimic cool night air in a mossy forest. I don't so much get upturned earth from it at this stage, maybe later it will come out. I'll post again if it does.

 

Conclusion - This is very unique, I don't think I've smelled anything else from bpal that quite has this scent. I love the mossyness and nighttime air and am still deciding whether or not the fir works for me. It really does capture the description nigh flawlessly, so I am very impressed with it on that count. I'll have to give it a few more tests to see how the fir and I get along before I make any final decisions, though.

 

It smells like a freshly mowed graveyard after a rain.

 

Now that is a great description, Nyx.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Ooh. Green, green, green and brightly cold.

 

Wearing: Don’t know if my guy will consent to guinea-pig a scent named after the Night Hag, but Nocnitsa is exactly the sort of evergreen that smells great on him.

[Celogrl]

Oh, do I love this! I got my imp of it last night, and my first impression was a chilly pine scent. It mellowed to a wintry, soft forest. Contrary to my friends here who feel energized by Nocnitsa, it relaxes me. I also like the "Slovak" connection in the description. I am part Slovak, and had not heard of Nocnitsa before, but she'll be a regular around me now!

[Orodemniades]

Imp: Mmm, pine! Like walking through a pine forest just dripping with rain. Do I detect a hint of juniper as well?

 

Wet: Pine pine pine! And some Eucalyptus! And a hint of lemon?

 

Drydown: Oo, there's something sweet in this...like grape soda, but it's not a foody scent, if that makes any sense...mmm pine! Pine is good!

 

Overall: Me likee. A lot. For me this is very much a pine forest at night,

either early in the morning or just after twilight, when it's cool and misty and fat drops of water are rolling off the needles and plopping down on your forehead and shoulders.

 

Fab.

 

Oro

[requieminblack]

First sniff from the bottle-Right away I smell moss, pine and vetiver.

 

After 15 minutes- This smells like pine floor cleaner, acetone and bug spray on my skin. There must be patchouli in this because my nose always associated it with bug spray. If I force my brain to concentrate and I close my eyes I can see this smelling like a dark, damp forest. But when I open my eyes it becomes the cabinet under the sink that houses all my cleaning products and bug spray.

 

Summery- Nocnitsa, as the legends dictate, I am going to draw a circle around my bed and hide a poppet under it to protect me from you and your icky smell.