Port-Au-Prince

[jynxjynx]

Dark, decadent and incomparably exotic: the rich scent of buttered rum flavored with almond, bay, clove and sassafras.

Bottle: It smells very rummy to me, but not super overpowering like some of the other alcoholic scents. I can also definitely smell the almond.

Wet: The rum and almost are still very much there. I'm not a huge fan of either scent, so I was a tad worried. It actually reminds me a lot of a date cake or fruit cake dough with an overload of rum mixed in.

Dry: I didn't need to be worried! Per usual, my skin soaked up all the alcohol and left the lovely spicy clove smell behind. There's some other scent there mellowing it out a little bit, but I can't identify it. I love the smell of clove in general, so I'm loving this one. Yah it may be a bit masculine; this is a scent I would wear for myself, not for others. Definitely a good scent for colder days. Edited February 5, 2008 by jynxjynx

[suki]

in the imp: it reminds me strongly of marzipan in it's almondy scent.

 

wet on skin: more almond. also smells like that burt's bees almond hand salve. nice!

 

dry down: the almond disappears and is replaced by a strong dose of bay and clove. it is certainly reminiscent of the idea i have of Old Salts sailing the seven seas!

 

in all: a good basic spice. i got no hint of buttered rum, and i'm pretty sad about it. meh.

[jparrack]

I so wanted this one to work, based on the description, and it just didn't. I started off syrupy and rapidly faded to generic incense (a problem I seem to have a lot). Just not my cup of tea, ah rum, whatever.

[othelloperrello]

Bottle, skin, onward...

 

In the bottle this had a sweet, tantalizing scent that must be the bay rum - lovely - and my hopes were high with many of my favorite ingredients.

However, as soon as it touches my skin all these fine things coalesce into soap. Good soap - the kind that is brown in color, wrapped in paper and smells all woodsy and deep - but just soap nonetheless.

 

Too bad for me.

[grashopper8]

Wet, I smell fake almond, which I absolutely hate (sorry).

 

On my skin, all I can smell is clove.

 

Meh.

 

2 out of 5

[sirsaber]

Bottle: fruity,almost like cherry almond

 

On my skin: early on it smelled fruity,then it shifted quickly to a very christmasy-smell...like an old European Christmas...eventually it mellowed some but the clove is still big,which for me is the win. I love the smell of cloves. Someone in line at my favorite tea shop wanted to know what it was...

 

 

I'd say 4 of 5 for me.

[goth_huntress]

This wasn't quite what I was looking for when I got my IMP. I've since passed it along to a friend who adores it.

[tziporra]

When this is wet it is gloriously almond on my skin (all that cherry I keep hearing about but haven't experienced yet).

 

But it dries really really clovey/bay which has an odd plastic-y note to my nose. No hint of the almond or the rum. Which was what I was hoping for. And it's not "foody" either - I don't get that feeling that I've been baking something delicious and the scent is lingering on my skin. It's just the spices. Like I opened a newly received order from the spice company I buy from.

 

Sigh.

 

Not for me.

 

Tzi

[gchris]

In Vial: Spicy almonds

 

Wet: This is spicy clove, maybe cinnamon bark. The almond is all gone.

 

Later: much milder. Not really spicy but softly frankincense.

[vulturekisses]

Wow, this one smells delicious.

 

In the vial: Rich, buttery rum with a peck of almond.

 

On my skin: Oh, wow! I could lick it. It smells very rich -- not money-rich, but rich like a very sweet cream or rum-flavored candy or something. There's also a bit of spiciness to it, probably the clove, mingling with the almond in a way that is rather appealing and makes me kinda hungry.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed in imp: Almond extract, spicy clove and maybe some cinnamon, astringent-herbal bay, a touch of sweet rum. Warm and exotic; surprisingly less sweetly foody than I expected, but still definitely not my style.

Edited May 11, 2008 by fairnymph

[Lamia]

I was not expecting to like this because rum and I do not, er, get along since a particular party many moons ago, but on my skin it's lush. First cometh almonds, then swell the cloves. This is a powerful yummeh scent, and I'm surprised and happy with it. (later: Wow, those cloves stick around - what a pleasant scent)

[Etheriel]

My first Bpal review. Be kind and keep in mind this is from a man's point of view.

 

In bottle: The smell is very reminiscent of a cherry almond. Like the scented liquid soaps in public restrooms. Fortunately I drool over that smell.

 

Wet: Again very almond, but the bay begins to emerge after airing.

 

Dry: The almond has either faded away or is overpowered by the forceful clove. This is all I can smell for a few hours. but it fades down into a nice spicy musk that makes me feel exotic.

 

A few hours later: The clove is finally letting up and I can catch the buttered rum, It doesn't whaft around the room like I would have hoped, but clings close to my skin.

 

It's a very romantic, sensual scent. perfect for long dates where your man will dominate the air with clove, turning heads and making the room envious of your exotic love. And finally finish with the two of you naked in bed, nuzzled against his neck, getting drunk with each breath of the sweet and creamy rum.

[couscous]

wow wow WOW I love this one! I really needed an almond scent, too! I love Dana O'Shee, but I've always wanted something with a bit more throw, and Beth's stronger almond blends like hecate and Black phoenix worked horribly on me for one reason or another.

 

port Au Prince has a strong Anise note up top that stays for most of the drydown. It combines with the almond and clove to make a very alcohol tinged smell, almost like almond extract, bitter and astringent and nearly medicinal.

 

I know you're thinking "and that's a good thing?" , but it really is! Port Au Prince's bitterness is what saves it from being too aggressively foody, and it makes the drydown- as sweet an almond as you're likely to find- all the more striking and rewarding. Too much sweetness is what ruins so many awesome scents. Port Au Prince is a masculine, bracing gourmand, very satisfying.

 

Honestly, I just feel like no one can go wrong with the wanderlust series. Take a look at the notes, and unless you absolutely loathe one or more, you're going to be in for a treat.

Edited June 27, 2008 by couscous

[Lethran]

In bottle: Mostly almond with some clove and rum. Wet: still mostly almond with a hint of the other ingredients at first. Slowly, the sassafras emerges, carrying the clove and bay with it. The rum is last to assert itself, but the buttered rum adds a mellowness to the spicier elements. Surprisingly the effect ends up more spicey than foody, despite the strength of the almond. I had refrained from ordering this because of my mixed results with sassafras, but really, this is a delightful mixture and I’m quite glad it came as a frimp. It is a pleasing companion to the pirate scents and one of the rare clove blends that doesn’t smell Christmassy. Instead it has a warm, sun baked feel to it. Dry: a touch powdery, but holds scent blend integrity surprisingly well. It will eventually fade to clove rum though.

[djsiberia]

wow, this smells like those orange butterscotch candies except i also get that smokey clove smell that comes from burning clove incense or oil to scent a room.

 

there is a nuttiness to it, but mostly i want to lick my arm because i think its a butterscotch candy

[savage_rose]

My skin absorbs half these notes, so I'm pretty much just left with spiced rum. It's not too masculine, it's pretty unisex to me and smells gorgeous in the imp. But on me it's just kinda boring. Oh well .

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Very sweet, syrupy almond.

 

Immediately on skin: This scent is really sweet and slightly spiced on my skin. It’s mostly almond, but I do get a little sassafras that’s giving it a root beer-like twinge. There’s a touch of something bitter as well, and light spiciness from the clove.

 

After a little while: This fades into a watered down spicy almond and sassafras concoction. It’s very weak and a touch boozy, but still on the very sweet side.

 

Overall Impressions: This is a sweet scent with bits of almond, clove, and sassafras. I don’t get much booziness from this, and it almost smells a bit like cola. But I tend to get that from almond plus spice blends. This is sweet on me, so that may be an issue on some. Otherwise, it’s nice, but nothing special on me.

[Hawke]

Mild almond in the imp, maybe a little rum. Smells pretty good. I tried this once before and didn't like it. Not sure why, but this has aged a bit, so that might make the difference.

 

Wet on the skin, this does get buttery and smooth and a little more foody. It actually smells sort of like an autumn scent here. I can tell there's clove tucked underneath the rest of the scent, spicing it up, but it's not a primary note. I don't know that I smell sassafrass, but it might be adding to that spice a little. You know, honestly? It smells like sweet potato pie. How weird is that?

 

And that's where it stays until it fades away. I can't wait until Thanksgiving.

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Marzipan

 

On Application

Marzipan and clove

 

Dry Down

The almond eventually blends with the spicy clove and bay. I don't really get much of the rum, which is probably not a bad thing. Quite an assertive scent but fades surprisingly quickly. I will pass this one on.

 

Rating (0-5)

1.5

[Methos]

I smell mostly butter rum, bay and sassafrass. The rum isn't overly boozy, but smooth. (Thank goodness; most booze notes and I don't get along.) When I first put it on, the clove threatens a hostile take-over, but it talks things out with the other notes and peace reigns. It smells like... an idealized Port-Au-Prince, without the crushing poverty and human rights violations. It also reminds me of the top half of Hellhound on my Trail.

Edited October 18, 2008 by Methos

[kjirstiben]

I like Port au Prince, quite a bit... and very much for how different it is from some of the other scents I like.

 

Going on, Port au Prince is sweet, spicy but herbal. It's light, almost clean-smelling. (What you'd want your skin to smell like after using a spicy body wash...) There's the rum... The scent is greenish, fresh, and, yes, a little masculine (I keep thinking aftershave).

 

Over time, the clove becomes more and more prominent, and by an hour in, that's pretty much all that I can smell... strong clove with a LOT of throw. At two hours, however, clove backs down again, and by three hours in, all of the notes have subsided into a fainter version of what they were to begin with: a clean-smelling, light, spicy but sweet and slightly herbal blend.

 

This is a good scent for a hot day in a humid place... it has a touch of that "piratey" feel to it.

[Smokeybromage]

This smells like Sailor Jerry rum to me, but a little more caramel! I love that stuff so thats hardly a problem though!My skin seems to drink this up unfortunately, I can barely smell it on me, but keep catching a whiff every now and again.mmm!

[angelicruin]

Sniffing the imp, it's strong almond.

 

On my skin, it's almonds and butter rum...and clove. The clove and almond are battling it out on my skin as the oil drys down. After dry, I really don't smell any rum note. It's all still almond and clove.

[Suu4LC]

Whooooa! Strong! Rum, almond and spices IN YOUR FACE.

 

Hmm...on my skin something in this is a bit weird...I believe it's the bay. I like the clove in this-it could use a lil more sassafras though-it is similar to other spiced rum/almond spice scents...not identical to any, but similar for sure.

 

This dries down nicely-not quite so much of that in your face thing I was capslocking about before. This is a nice clovey-almond-rum scent. I like it, but it doesn't grab me-I'm sure I will have forgotten what is smells like by tomorrow. Definitely check this out if the notes sound up your alley!