Miskatonic University

[Bagfish]

The scent of Irish coffee, dusty tomes and polished oakwood halls.

I ordered an imp of Misk U a while back and didn't like it so swapped it away without reviewing. Just got a frimp with my last order so thought I'd give it a second chance. Well, I still don't like it

I don't smell coffee at all, I get the sort of caramel that is found in Jack and Gluttony which doesn't work on my skin, which is why I don't like this oil. With the caramel is the scent of one of those hazelnut coffee syrups which sweetens the caramel even more.

I *do* get a faint smell of books and old paper, which is pretty impressive. This note stands slightly seperate from the caramel smell, and I would be really interested to smell this note in another oil as it is incredibly reminiscent of librarys and quite evocative. Just a shame that the sickly caramel gets in the way

[luna65]

My bottle is direct from the Lab.

 

Bottle: Delicious Irish coffee, blended nicely, no sour notes at all.

 

Skin: After a few minutes the polished wood accord comes to the fore and at first it's a little overwhelming. It's not bad enough to make me ill but I really have to be patient to let it die down.

 

Drydown: A friend/co-worker had a great desciption upon sniffing my wrist; he said, "It's like someone spilled a mug of spiked coffee on a polished wooden floor."

(Maybe I can enable him, he's born to write reviews! )

I love this when it finally melds with my skin, it's all warm and sweet and cozy, just like a reading room would be when you've come in out of the rain and can take advantage of a hot beverage and plenty of books to read.

[ForeverLastcXs]

Misk U smells absolutely delicious. *drools* About 20 minutes after putting it on I actually had to go pour myself a glass of wine because the boozy smell wafting up towards my nostrils was making me ache for a glass of something sweet and alcoholic VERY badly.

 

I'm definitely getting Irish coffee here, and I can definitely smell a library here - something dusty and comforting, very evocative of a university setting.

[presotm]

I had to order an imp of this with my latest order to see what all the fuss was about....

 

Wet on my skin - I get very very strong black coffee laced with lashings and lashings of sticky condensed milk and a good splash of whiskey.

 

Drying down - oh no! Someone spilled the coffee all over the freshly polished, gleaming dark wood table. And now the dust is coming out (I'm guessing - I've not smelled a blend with 'dust' as a note before) - it somehow reminds me of being in art/craft class at school with frying pans of paraffin wax melting. Don't ask me how I get molten wax out of dust....

 

Verdict: um, no. Just too bizarre for me!

[Trish]

In the imp: Irish coffee, very rich and very sweet. I rather suspect this is going to be way too foody for me. However if I sniff hard enough I can just detect some woods which is a good thing.

 

Wet: It smells wonderful, all boozy and creamy and coffee but I'm not sure I want to smell like it (I'd rather drink it!).

 

Drydown: Oh here comes the oak! Smooth, worn polished wood rather than freshly cut. Now I'm understanding why this is so popular, the oak cuts through the otherwise way too sweet Irish coffee (man I want a Baileys...).

 

Dry: Doesn't change, just gradually fades away. After three hours there's just a little left. It has incredible throw until it dries and then it doesn't seem to have any. I don't get dust or library which is sad because they're the main reasons I got it.

 

 

I do like this, a lot. But I'm not sure that I'll wear it enough to get a bottle as oak or not it is still rather foody (or drinky really) for me. Then again it's summer over here so I might change my mind in winter. It definitely brings to mind the image of sitting in a window seat, sipping Irish coffee and reading while outside it's cold, raining and blowing a gale. It's very much a comfort scent.

 

EDIT

 

The other night I was in the mood for something foody so I slathered some of this on. I discovered two things: 1 - I definitely want a bottle and 2 - It lasts for 6-8 hours if I slather it. Actually make that three things - this time I got the dust! Oh happy happy joy joy!

Edited March 2, 2007 by Trishek

[icing]

When I applied Miskatonic University, the first few seconds left my arm smelling like hot, liquid caramel… soon after the dust notes appeared and overtook the caramal, leaving me smelling as though I were crawling through heaps of gritty gray dust and cobwebs, while clutching a box of caramels. Occasionally I’d also catch a whiff of something very much like the pages of a new book, but the dust made up the strongest part of this blend, once it hit my skin… and it was nearly sneeze inducing.

 

I’d like to note though, that the ‘dust’ wasn’t dirtlike (as in Death Cap), or wet gritty smell (which is what I pick up in Smut), it smelled like that gray dust that gathers on neglected window ledges, around hearths, and under beds, with a touch of cold worn-concrete, or maybe drywall-like grit.

 

I’m amazed at the powerful presentation of imagery that came from Miskatonic University is, but it isn’t something I’d enjoy wearing.

 

Edited February 21, 2007 by icing

[Kiera]

I've been looking forward to trying Misk U because Irish coffee is my favorite drink ever, hands down.

 

In the bottle: Grog

 

On my skin: Grog

 

Drydown: Smells like popcorn and play-doh with a hint of buttery caramel. Then fades away.

 

Well... I wanted to love this but it isn't meant to be. I'm glad I bought an imp and didn't splurge on a bottle.

[osbick_bird]

I just got my Masters degree in Library and Information Science (seriously just got, we have not even had time yet to get my diploma framed!) and if ever a scent were tailor-made for me it would be this wonderful combination of coffee, paper, hazelnut and butterscotch. It is a real pity I did not invest in a bottle during grad school, it would have helped ease some of the pain!

 

It is also making me crave a big mug of coffee with a generous dollop of Irish Cream.

[lightgatherer]

There is so much to love in this. At the beginning, I get a caramel throw and can smell the most perfectly crafted sweet, creamy coffee when I sniff my wrist. As time goes on, the caramel throw mellows out into a sweeter vanilla throw. This smells like the parts of Sugar Cookie and Treat #2 I actually liked but without having to deal with smelling like plastic or dish soap - yay! At this stage when I sniff my wrist, I can smell just the barest memory of the coffee, but I can pick out the polished oak floors (though my mind pictures them as library tables). This scent is uncanny, and I will definitely need more.

[CiCi]

I really loved the smell of this in the bottle. When I first read the review of this, I didn't want to even try it because I really don't like the smell of coffee. Then when I went to will call, the smell was so enchanting, I just had to try it and purchase it.

 

It smells like rich, creamy Irish coffee. Sweet thick cream, strong coffee, Old Irish whiskey, and lots of whipped cream. After an hour or so the dusty notes come out.

 

 

I'm Irish and remember when my Grandfather Cecil used to carry around a pint of whiskey in his back pocket and add a dollop to everything. He and my father built a house together and every time my Grandmother came around my Grandfather put the pint in the wall and put wallboard over it. Many years later we back to visit and the new owners and torn down walls and found lots of these pints (some with whiskey) in them and gave them to me. They smell like Miskatonic University, dust and all! Thank you Beth for bringing back my memories!

[sd357]

Oh, Misk U, how you broke my heart...

 

This scent has been one that I so desperately wanted to love. Irish coffee is one of my favorite drinks ever, and I *have* a library full of dusty tomes. Ah, the longing...

 

And so this morning, the imp from a recent swap arrived, and I was prepared for what I was convinced would be one of the best scents ever.

 

Alas, poor Misk U, for you and I are not meant to be.

 

In the vial: butterscotch.

 

Wet on me: butterscotchy caramel.

 

Drydown: more butterscotch.

 

Dry: Caramels left to melt in the sun.

[Jilara]

Ooh, I love, love, love this one! It's going to be a bottle, very soon!

 

I'm such a varietal coffee fiend, plus I love whisky and old books, so Miskatonic U. was a natural. I was almost afraid it would be all wrong, but it wasn't at all. It was SOOO Right!

 

Wet: Coffee! Sludge-thick industrial strength coffee, with just a hint of booze.

Drydown: Okay, creamier and with more whisky in the coffee.

 

Dry: Robust coffee and sweet (not peaty) whisky, slightly creamy-sweet. I was expecting a bit of leather note, but actually, the faint background is paper, the thick stuff like you find in vintage limited editions from obscure small presses. A little bit of ink, too. Miskatonic U. faded out in about two hours, but I just had a cup of coffee and breathed on it after sipping, and it's perked back up!

 

I'm now wondering what it would be like layered over Bliss. Mmmmm.

[Eemia]

Out of all the fragrances I've wanted to try, this would have been last on my list. I adore drinking coffee but I wouldn't want to wear it as a perfume.

 

My mom was wearing this when I visited over Spring Break and she smelled so good. It wasn't even readily recognizable as a coffee scent...it was just warm and sweet and comforting. So I had to try it and I really love it too!

 

This starts out like sweetened, fragrant coffee and cream. But it's got a little something extra that I adore--must be the whiskey but I'm not sure b/c I've never tried whiskey before. Whatever it is, the wet notes are beautiful.

 

I do like it best after it's dried down some. More of the dusty, papery notes appear and it feels like the most familiar scent in the world. Like all the thousands of magical old books I've immersed myself. The coffee scent has all but disappeared, leaving only the sweet creamy blend behind.

 

This isn't a vampy or sexy scent on me, or something I'd wear to enjoy in a feminine, perfumey moment. Yet it is honestly beautiful in its own right. I want a bottle of my own, and I'll enjoy its uniqueness and the happy, warm feelings it evokes.

[theseagrows]

this smells like creamy but plasticky coffee on me. foody scents just don't really work for me. i do love the misk u soap though, which is why i finally decided to try this. i think it's giving me a headache...off to swaps.

Edited May 7, 2017 by theseagrows

[Megh]

This is a favorite.

 

It has the exact same warm caramely note that is in Red Lantern, overlaying a coffee note. It morphs on my skin and I can detect something (maybe the wood or dust notes?) grounding this blend, but not in a really obvious way.

 

Its lovely, and I'm pleased that it has made its way into GC.

 

9/10

[girl_android]

After all that has been said about the legendary miskatonic university, it would be remiss of me to leave it off my first lab-direct order!

 

In the imp, it's definitely caramelly, a kind of buttery caramel, with a shot of coffee. The buttery thing kind of worries me as those have a tendency of going all burnt plastic on me ... but as an ... appreciator of coffee (mostly for its caffeinated properties, although the taste and smell are good too!), I was kind of compelled to give this a try anyway...

 

Wet on skin, its as if someone's put a shot of hazelnut into my caramelatte ... the butteriness has gone away, but it does appear that it has been replaced by a stiff shot of something strong ...

 

Once dry, there's an element of dustiness wafting about with the coffee... the lab description is spot on - how on earth!

 

A little definitely goes a long way with this one. I'm not sure that I actually want to smell like coffee and dusty books, but I think it might be good for my oil burner (; Maybe it'll help me make the house smell like baking and things, without the mess and clean-up required of actual baking ... I'm glad I got to try this, and I'm glad I have an imp (actually, I have two!), but I'm pretty certain I don't need a bottle right now.

[Narya]

this is up to date the only bpal scent i couldn't come even near to, let alone put it on skin...

sadly, it disturbed my stomach by the very waft from the imp. it smelled exactly like this:

imagine taking a nescaffe irish cream powder bag, putting your nose into it and inhaling deeply, both the powder and the air. awfull to say the least, but it did teach me what to stay away from

Edited March 28, 2007 by Narya

[Salsa Shark]

This had been one of the scents I'd been most looking forward to trying ever since I came across BPAL and it's completely broken my heart.

 

In the imp? Pure, gorgeous Irish Coffee. Mouth-watering, heart-fluttering boozy coffee heaven in a vial.

 

The second it hit my skin? Stale toffee popcorn.

 

I'll probably give this a go as a room scent, because in the imp this is absolutely divine. Sadly, it just doesn't agree with my skin chemistry.

[ladybird]

I'm so disappointed! I had been really looking forward to this scent. After all, the description mentions coffee and libraries, two of my favorite things!

 

But when I tried it, it smelled exactly like Gluttony. All I could smell was maple syrup and caramel - way too sweet, and no coffee or anything else.

 

Alas!

[evilbee]

I was excited for the coffee and I was hoping it would be nice and bitter and dry with the addition of the dusty tomes and polished oakwood halls. Nuh-uh-uh! Silly girl.

 

All I get is a big heaping bowl of steaming, baked caramel pudding. Over the top sweet. Not for me!

[lyricalwaters]

I was really excited going into this one because I've really been wanting a library scent plus I love Lovecraft, plus I love coffee.

 

Overall I'd say it didn't disappoint.

 

Bottle: SWEET. Caramel, like people have mentioned, slightly boozy, very FAINTLY coffee.

 

Wet: The caramel quickly turns to coffee, with a hint of something sweet that almost smells more like hazelnut than Irish cream to me. Also, paper. Like, the smell that you get when you turn the pages of an old book.

 

Dry: Much less sweet, with much more of the paper smell - except now it's more, exactly as the description says, like a polished wood floor. I wish the coffee note came out more, but it appears that just like in Mata Hari, it disappears into my skin. Still, it's a smell that evokes such imagery that I have to love it.

[enderfem]

Bottle: hmm, something almost butterscotchy in this, but...dark.

 

On Me: OMG. Heaven. Who knew that the best thing to do with Irish coffee scent was to throw dust in it? This is just delightful. Dark, rich...I keep wanted to nibble my wrist, it just smells so good. Definitely a bottle at some point.

[RemAkimichi]

In the Bottle: COOKIES! I know it's supposed to be coffee, but in the bottle the bitter smell of coffee doesn't play out much and all I smell is the Irish cream

 

On me (wet): Ahh, theres the bitter coffee bean. On me wet it's just as "strong sweet coffee" as it was in the bottle, but it settles down soon.

 

On me (dry): The coffee is still there, but it's faded down to the scent of spilled dried coffee thats been left. I get a wiff of wood and a sharp sting at the back of my nose that I suppose is the dust. It reminds me of the scent of bubble soap when its combined with the dried coffee. Fortunatly it only smells that way close to the skin, and when I just breath in without holding my wrist close I just get a combined sense of coffee and wood.

 

Overall: I LOVED this scent the instant I opened the imp. It brought an immediate smile to my face, despite the fact that I wasn't feeling well, and it did the same to everyone I made sniff it. I'm not so fond o the dust smell at the dry-down phase, but I think I can bypass that with my scent locket. As it is, I MUST get a bottle.

[ultharkitty]

This is one of very few scents I've tried that's the same to me in the bottle as it is on my skin.

 

To sum it up in two words: toffee popcorn.

 

It has a lick of creamy burnt sugar and nothing of coffee or any of the notes other people have found in it.

 

If it's any help, I have the kind of skin chemistry that turns some scents to pure marzipan, so it could be that there's a similar thing going on with this one!

 

It has a long throw and lasts well on me. This was my first BPAL love and the first 5ml bottle I bought. And when it runs out, as I'm sure it will, I will definitely buy more.

[labeth]

In the bottle, I definitely get a light coffee smell, sweet and not too strong.

 

On my wrist, it starts out almost caramel, but when the dusty smell kicks in, the smell mellows out more and the coffee comes out. I don't get any boozy notes at all, which is good, since generally that doesn't work well for me. The fiancee likes it as well-- it's his second favorite of the ones I've tried (the first being Jack-- we're both foody types.) I've already snagged a bottle off of someone in the For Sale forum area.