Al Azif

[malibusunny]

A sinister, sinuous incense of summoning, a herald and paean to the Primordial Gods of Darkness, Chaos, Madness and Decay.

first impression: a slightly sweet incense, warm, love

9/10

[mymymai]

ITB: I also get the heavy resin-type smell, like benzoin, but I also get an exotic floral. I'm not sure what floral it is - it may be lily of the valley or something else.

 

Wet: Very much of the same, but for some reason, I'm getting a soapy undertone on my skin.

 

Dry: Still very incense-y, now with Dove or Ivory soap, a very light exotic floral, and perhaps some light cedar wood scent that is just starting to creep up. I do not love this, but it could be nice when I want a freshly-showered scent.

[Ella LaRose]

I love this one!! sweet, dry, amber and spice kinda scent! incence, the saffron is light on me, which I am glad about cause my body doesn't like saffron

[Helas]

Al-Azif is a dry, dusty resinous blend that summons images of ancient, cobwebbed magical libraries in my mind. I can smell frankincense and amber and perhaps a touch of clove, with a strong dusty undertone that reminds me of the parchment note in Dee. Like most resinous blends that lack a grounding wood or earth note, it comes across as very sweet and almost syrupy. In fact, it reminds me a bit of a baking cabinet in the vial, although it steers away from foody territory once applied.

 

It smells neither sinister nor sinuous, which was a bit of a disappointment for me initially, but I have come to the realization that its sweet, tantalizing incense is in fact perfect for Lovecraft's Necronomicon, which lures the unwary with its innocent appearance and then drives them mad with its eldritch metaphysical insights.

 

Al-Azif conceals hidden depths beneath its maple syrup exterior, and is the perfect scent for all of my fellow sexy mad librarians. Four out of five stars.

[Lanolin]

I'm testing an imp of unknown vintage.

 

Wet on skin, it's a complex caramel - sweet-forward, but with enough going on in the background to stop it being foody.

 

As it dries, the caramel and background notes switch places, and it becomes a semi-sweet burning incense. For someone who wants an incense blend that isn't too headshoppy, this is it. There are some spices that also come forward - it reminds me a little of the spice notes in Samhain.

 

Very happy with it, will be using up the imp.

[sparkleyturtle]

Comes out so sharp from the imp, so much in fact that initially I gave this one star, but in effort to review my stash of imps I put it on. The spice is nice on the arm. I am so used to my spiced perfumes like Morocco having the vanilla undertone, which this one certainly does not. I just can't decide if it is too masculine or not - going to put it in the pile to try again and see how it goes.

[Ah Xia]

Bananas. With an edge of coconut sun-tan lotion. I must have weird chemistry.

[TheFrenchWaffle]

In the imp: very sweet, sugary but with depth

Wet: Maple syrup but dark, very dark

dry: still maple syrup but now incense creeps in around the corners

 

Final verdict: I do love this scent. In my mind it doesn't quite fit as "sinister", but I am quite fond of it. Syrupy sweet yet not quite foody-LOVE!

[joyfulgirl]

in the imp: smells dusty and oily. very much like a fragrant cooking oil.

 

wet: more cooking oil. getting a little whiff of incense now and then, but it smells a LOT like plain old olive oil to me. it's really starting to feel unpleasant, but those little incense whiffs are giving me motivation to stick it out...

 

dry: aha! whew, the olive oil smell has evaporated, and now i'm starting to get a lovely, rich incense from this that reminds me of a story! once upon a time, i went to new orleans (pre katrina) with my love at the time, who is a bassist in a touring rock band. we found an incense in one of the little shops called witch doctor...for whatever reason, it made us both crazy horny (or maybe that was just us...). so instead of exploring bourbon street, we bought 50 sticks of witch doctor and spent most of our evenings holed up in our hotel room burning stick after stick and having crazy fabulous sex. this TOTALLY reminds me of that incense so i am associating it with the physical aspects of the sticks: dark purple (like blackberry maybe?), dusty, rich and sexy. it's absolutely delicious...i'm glad i didn't wash it off during the olive oil phase.

Edited January 3, 2012 by joyfulgirl

[ChloeKEvil]

I got the impression of some sort of caramel-coconut incense, which was very interesting. It also hurt! There was significant stinging for about half an hour after I put it on- I was too lazy to wash it off and it stopped eventually, but ow. I guess I shouldn't expect something different from evil summoning incense, right?

 

So it smelled great and was appropriately painful. Thumbs up!

[stellamaris]

This is sweet and spicey, sort of in the same family as Kubla Khan, but without the leathery stuff. I love this, it's warm and deep. Very golden.

 

I just ordered my Big Bottle of this, I am so obsessed with it, the imp is toast. This is so delicious and warm, very much like Morrocco but with a bit more backbone.

Edited August 23, 2012 by stellamaris

[AlectoFurious]

Oh body chemistry, the tricks you play. Al-Azif is gardenia, dirt, and resinous vanilla (benzoin maybe?) on me. No maple, no burnt sugar, no incense. Very earthy and nice....just not what I was expecting at all!

[rinster]

Hooray for frimps; I wouldn't have thought to order this. I agree with the poster above - it's dirty vanillic gardenia. Love it!

Edited July 23, 2012 by rinster

[WidgetAlley]

Imp: Dirty, sweet, dusty, overpowering floral and... incense-y baby powder? Definitely not my bag but I'll try it.

 

Wet: Heavy florals and a thick, resinous vanilla that smells, on me, like bathroom spray. It smells rather like a heavy old-fashioned perfume that's been left at the back of a cabinet for twenty years. I get vague impressions of caramel (which may be where the dust is coming from, since the Lab's caramel turns funky on me) and a little bit of something like... caraway seed maybe?

 

Dry: Oppressive, old-lady perfume on my skin. I love heavy incense and even a lot of florals, but this one just... doesn't work on me at all.

[VictorianVulgar]

Imp: Sweet, dark incense. I have a fear that one of it’s base notes is similar to one in Miskatonik University, and it will go plasticky and icky on my skin, but it smells so nice in the imp. Very masculine, despite the sweetness, it smells like corrupt priesthood. Very opulent and dark and yummy. If I had a boyfriend, I would make him wear this.

 

Wet: It definitely gets a little more feminine. It's caramel-y sweet and dark. But where did the incense go?

 

Dry: Maybe my body is just weird, but I don't throw scents well. It's like my body absorbs them. This one was almost gone within like, half an hour, which is sad, because I quite liked it. Maybe it's the weather or the sweater I'm wearing - I'll have to try again tomorrow. I love the smell and I desperately want it to work on me.

[elinox]

First Sniff: Sweet smokiness with something thick underneath.

 

Wet: On wet there was some sort of flower in this.

 

Dry: There’s something cloying in this at first. As it dried, I think amber is coming through which makes it almost like a soft leather; almost, but it doesn’t last. Once it dried completely it smelled like how I would imagine paper in a magician’s library would smell: with incense infused onto the pages and flickering candlelight.

 

My Reaction: It’s dark but not sinister in my mind. And there’s some sort of soft incense in it too which I’m not sure I like. I definitely get syrup somehow and while it’s different than other scents I have from the lab, I don’t know if it’s interesting enough for me to keep.

 

Rating 1-5: 2

[JazzieCazzie]

Somewhat surprised to see that I never reviewed this previously ... I'm going to call this a "re-visit." I had an imp of this awhile back and while I remember being intrigued by it and certainly not DISLIKING it, I clearly parted with it at some point so when I placed an impapalooza order from the Lab recently, I picked up another imp of this.

 

My memories of it were, not surprisingly, strong and maple syrupy. And perhaps a little too strong and unique to wear on a regular basis.

 

ACQUIRED: Purchased as imp from Lab February 2013.

 

IN IMP: A really powerful double-barreled hit of resin/incense and whatever the super-syrupy-sweet note is. But because it is so complex, I'm not sure I would have IMMEDIATELY thought "maple syrup" without the recollection of it previously. It definitely takes a moment to process the notes and place the scent.

 

APPLIED: Just about a dab-and-a-half on one wrist, rubbed onto other wrist ... again, remembered it was strong so didn't want to overapply.

 

WET: To me, this is SO complex and, aside from the incense/resin note, I honestly get more "images" than specific notes and they're really jumbled ... machinery, sand, sea, salt, waffles, suntan lotion ... as I continue to sniff, I start making some of the connections. I think the sweetness is at least in part due to coconut, which would explain why I keep thinking "this really reminds me of suntan lotion and being by the seaside."

 

DRYDOWN: Now I remember why I regifted it the first time. It starts drying down into what I can only call powdery "Playdoh." It may be coconut, it may be vanilla. It is a note that has had this body-chemistry on me in other BPAL scents. In fact, I went back and re-read my Snow White review from 2005 and I singled out a Playdoh effect combined with coconut-based suntan oil. So it may not be coconut as a note per se, but it is a note that has that effect on me (and my daughter confirmed it exactly at the time, sniffing it and going ... "Wait, I know that smell ... let me put my finger on it ... PLAYDOH!") But since as far as I can tell neither Al Azif nor Snow White specified the oils, I haven't been sure which one it was ...

 

It's not nasty, I don't feel the need to go take another shower (like I did with, say, Sacred Whore of Babylon or anything with orchid in it). The resiny incense part offsets the powdery sweetness enough to make it nice enough. I wouldn't be surprised if, when I go out later, I get compliments on it.

 

It's just not something I would choose to wear again when I have so many other awesome scents that I adore.

 

I'd give it a 3.5 overall for sheer creativity and complexity, a 2 ON ME and it goes into the regifting slot of my imp box to make someone happy and sweet-smelling down the road.

[Balame]

Some of the commenters mentioned coconut suntan lotion and YES. You are not alone, that is exactly the first impression I get. But stay with me because Al Azif is much more awesome and complex than that. It also has a spicy incense (like cinnamon with myrrh, but not the "oh my god it burns" type of cinnamon) and the wafting, airily resinous quality of benzoin.

 

It's innocently intoxicating. It has a warm amber quality, with wisps of grey smoke mingling along the edges. Like a young Middle Eastern imam, fresh-faced and kind, but with a depth in his eyes that speaks of the darkness he's seen in man. More complex than you give him credit for on first glance, and when you look closer you find yourself entranced.

 

It is similar to Morocco, but with more strength and intricacy. My husband's skin chemistry is killer with this; he amps up the spiced creaminess and it's just ugh. I don't know. It glows. This scent makes me think of enlightment.

[ziggystardust13]

I don't get this at all. I love heady, incensy scents. I was expecting something heady based on the description and some of the reviews. Well there must be something wrong with my imp because I could barely smell ANYTHING! Maybe skin musk or something? An empty pencil box? lol I have no idea. Weirdest and most disappointing bpal so far. My search for the perfect incense blend continues!

 

Out of curiosity I may get my hands on another imp because I am still boggled by this one.

[Violaine]

This may be my shortest review to date.

 

Wet: Spicy bananas.

 

Dry: Gilly Hicks La Perouse.

 

That is all. Provided I can get through the spicy banana phase, I will love and adore this!

[Monday]

Nutty incense, there is also a deep floral in here which reminds me of Morocco. I can see how people get coconut out of this though the nuttiness fades into a smooth floral incense when it's dry. After a while I get a wafting creamy incense, heady and mysterious.

[LateOne]

Got this as an imp on ebay. Hoping for a sweeter Cathedral here.

 

In bottle: Sweet and resinous.

Wet: Sweet like syrup. Darker incense notes.

Drydown: The incense begins to dominate. Still remains sweet.

Dry: A dark, sweet, rich incense, almost floral.

 

Excellent scent. Very much like Cathedral, but a bit more fresh due to the sweetness. I'll be switching this up with my usual until the imp runs out, though I'm in no rush for a bottle just yet. We'll see if it grows on me.

[claudia6913]

The oil is a pale yellow color. There is a resin/wood mix going on. It's kind of soft, just a bare hint of sweetness. It is not over powering at all as some resin's can be on me. I think I get a bit of amber and a soft light wood of some kind. Nice but not sure it's something I'd crave.

[wisdomeagle]

Provenance: 1/6 of the Incense Imp Pack from the Lab.

 

In the imp and wet on my skin there was a distinct, foody sweetness that I couldn't name -- reading the reviews it <em>might</em> be maple, but not exactly. Something in the maple/brown sugar/caramel family, but not exactly any of those. Definitely food, though, a baking ingredient.

 

It stayed sweet, but dried down to sweet incense, no longer something edible.

 

I'm going to hang onto this one, especially since other reviews suggest it ages interestingly.

[Magycmyste]

In the imp: Dark and sweet. I've noticed some reviews compare it to maple syrup. I get it - it has that richness and feeling, but it smells more like chocolate syrup to me.

 

Wet on skin: On my hand, the incense comes out more, and a floral note.

 

Dried down: Same as wet, but a little softer. There's definitely something dark and sinister and sexy about this one.

 

Throw: This definitely has some throw to it.

 

Verdict: ***** This kind of makes me think of Snake Oil, but without the vanilla. It has that sexy oiliness to it, and a little bit of sweetness, but not as much as with the vanilla.