Azathoth

[darkling]

Azathoth is the blind, idiot god who sits on a black throne at the center of Chaos. His scent is high-pitched and screeching, both impenetrably dark and searingly bright with the clarity of madness: tangerine, saffron, vetiver, black amber and cedarwood.

Azathoth has the cologne base that I detect in Cthulhu, Yog-Sothoth, and Whippoorwill at about medium strength. Overpowering the cologne is intense saffron. None of the other notes can get past the strength of the saffron and they never appear.

This is an incredibly long-lasting scent. 10 hours after application the throw was dimmed but Azathoth was still going strong on my wrists.

The cologne bowed in homage to the saffron over time making me wonder how this would compare to a saffron single-note.

While I greatly enjoyed the intense saffron scent, Azathoth is way too masculine for me. I can't convince my partner to wear BPAL, so to the swap pile it goes

[tesao]

hmmmmmm. once again, my penchant for unisex scent blends is confirmed.

 

seething. this word evokes heat, flame, temper, rage. and seething this is! vetiver has tied my up and made me beg once again.

 

nuclear. more heat. bright red and yellow fire consuming me. saffron, saffron, thy name is Azathoth the flame, tangerine the maddening drums, the screech of my desire. tempered, but just barely enough to keep me teetering on the edge, with the depths of despair that is resin, black amber.

 

chaos. and i am left, alone, with only the cedar wood embers of lust to console me.

[coulrophobe]

From the bottle, I get straight vetiver - which to my nose is sour, earthy motor oil.

 

On my skin, still lots of vetiver, but I can smell the cedar and I'm hoping the other notes make an appearance.

 

As it dries, it does sweeten and mellow with my chemistry - it's not awful, but the predominant note is still vetiver, pungently sour and earthy. I think it might smell wonderful on a man, but on me, it's just too heavy and acrid.

[QueenFae]

This is a really super mossy, leafy, earthy one. The vetiver is the screaming top note on me, and it's a bit overpowering for my tastes. I can't smell the tangerine at all, and hardly any of the black amber. There is an undertone of cedar wood. Definitely a masculine smell, not for me, so I shall find my bottle a lovely home.

[feline.by.design]

Azathoth.... hmmm....

 

When I first took a whiff of the bottle and smelled how "manly" it was, I wasn't fazed, as some of my favourite fragrances are traditionally male.

 

Upon first application, the cedarwood is the most pronounced note in the fragrance, giving off a sort of dark dirt smell that I recognise uneasily. Cedar and I don't always get along, as it can sometimes be too dark and dank for my tastes. After the oil takes a minute to mingle more with my body's chemistry, I can sense the vetiver lightening up the fragrance (whew). My wrist smells like broken branches and cut wood. It reminds me a bit of Hurricane, but on a far darker scale.

 

Five minutes later, the saffron makes a subtle appearance. The cedarwood is still very present, but again, lightened so that it smells like wood and not the thick earth smell that permeated my wrist during the inital moment of contact. I think the black amber is also helping warm up the oil, however it isn't really noticable. It's very dark, although not as dark as in the beginning. However, this smells like the fragrance of a vampire who had just emerged from the rich earth of a forest.

 

As I wear Azathoth longer, however, it seems to get better and better. After fifteen minutes, it's not so much dark as it is woodsy, even a touch nutty. It's like I'm smelling the inside of a fine coffin made of the most exquisite wood. The vetiver is more prominent, and it smells all kinds of sexy, in my opinion. I didn't put a lot on my wrist, in fact it's more like a "ghost of a drop" went on, but it has an amazing satiation ability. For people who like strong fragrances, this would have been a good pick.

 

Azathoth is... interesting. This still strikes me as a rather masculine fragrance, although again I don't mean that in an off-putting way. I don't know if I would wear Azathoth enough to do it justice, as although I like to prance around smelling of male-sniff (yow!), it seems my boyfriend likes the more traditionally feminine fragrances on me for the most part, plus I'd rather not wear this at work, either. However, this would be a fantastic scent to wear for going out dancing in a dark, sweaty club, and I'll be sure to try out my theory at the next opportunity. Maybe Brent won't mind my application of Azathoth if I give him an imp of it for him to try as well.

 

-doreen

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: That would be some strong citrus and vetiver combination goin on.

 

First on: It's definitely a more woodsy fragrance, with the darkness of vetiver and a top note of tangerine. It blends together beautifully, but for right now it's a bit too masculine on me.

 

Drydown: The tangerine has left the building, leaving woodsy and vetiver. Nice, but not for me.

[fallow deer]

Zing! The tangerine is so bright and clear, it really lifts the vetiver and cedar from the slightly claustrophic quality those notes can bring to me.

 

I'm not going to wear it myself, but I just had an image of my boyfriend wearing it. He was getting onto the top deck of a bus and everyone turned to look at him and somehow he was bigger and brighter than everyone else, like a comic book superhero.

 

It's possibly a bit sharp and overbearing to suit him. It's definately not a cuddling on the sofa scent, more for striding out and making your mark.

[brownbear]

ooooh this is nice. At first I get the saffron and amber. mmmmmmm

Then after it dries the citrus comes out with the vetiver. This is more masculine than I expected. I think this would be much better on a man than on me. Hmm this is how most of the SiA scents have been for me.

[Miss Lynx]

Doesn't smell too maddening to me -- it's actually quite nice, kind of a light, spicy vetiver. It's very similar to this French vetiver cologne that I bought several years ago but haven't worn for some while: Vetyver by Roger et Gallant.

 

It's a nicely balanced, fairly gender-neutral scent, in which the heaviness of the vetiver is offset by the sweetness of the tangerine and the spiciness of the saffron and cedar, and the whole scent is mellowed and balanced by the amber. I could picture it being a Victorian men's cologne or something, though I like it just fine on me too.

 

The scent doesn't change much over time, and actually has quite good staying power -- I could still smell it 6-8 hours later, which is not common on me at all. And while vetiver is one of the notes that usually does last the longest on me -- that and oakmoss -- usually the rest of the scent disappears over time and leaves nothing but that one note. Not so here -- the whole scent seems to last nicely.

 

All in all, quite nice, though not necessarily likely to become a top favourite.

 

Grade: B

[quikslvr]

Courtesy of the random LE swap circle.

 

Amazing start, full of citrus and dark masculinity. It's wonderfully blended, intensely complex, and very much a men's cologne. Thus, not something I can wear on a regular basis, though tempting to save an imp for when I feel like really attempting to cross-dress.

 

The tangerine stays barely recognizable at the top, then the vetiver, slightly mollified by the black amber, hits your nose. I don't really catch the saffron as such.

 

I'll bet after this the cedarwood will come out, since my skin usually amps that. Since I'm at work, though, I don't have the patience or inclination to wait it out--I don't want someone to object to the scent, so I'm heading to wash it off some now.

 

Later: Ha. Mr. Azathoth laughed at my puny attempt to wash him off me. But at least he granted me a tiny more citrus, rather than his usual kick of vetiver.

[harmonyfb]

I opened the bottle and the husband said, "Smells like English Leather."

 

I dotted some on my wrist. Crud. It smells like English Leather.

 

Off to trade.

 

ETA: I traded this to a friend who loved the smell in the bottle. When she put some on, I was astounded to smell an intense rush of citrus like a fresh peel, which dried down to a pleasant citrusy smell with just a hint of something spicier. Damn. It really does all boil down to body chemistry.

Edited October 19, 2005 by harmonyfb

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 1/5

Summarised in a word: Masculine.

 

In the imp: Very cold vetiver and faint tangerine. Smells like a high-end men's aftershave.

 

Wet: Spicy, woody vetiver. This is very masculine, and I'm doubtful this'll be something I'll like...

 

Drydown: Nope. I'm not usually one to classify scents as 'feminine' or 'masculine', but I can't help but do so with this one!

 

Conclusion: This isn't unpleasant, really, but not for me. If I ever become find a SO of the male gender, I might hunt down an imp of this to try on him. For now, though, not a keeper.

Edited October 17, 2005 by Aredhel

[perclexed]

I'm still working on educating my nose for reviews. In the meantime, I post what I 'see' when I smell the scent.

 

I used but a *drop* from the imp wand of this scent, and it almost knocked me over with its strength. It calls to mind a group of people with nefarious purposes, gathered around a huge fire in a barren land, calling up ebil things and engaging in a dark dance of malicious intent. It's like a hot, dry, dark wind sweeping across the landscape, obliterating everything in its path and glorying in the screams of those that disintegrate.

 

I'm not sure if it's the black amber and cedarwood that just steamrolls over everything else, but I'll have a hard time cracking the imp open again.

[Voleuse]

Definitely a masculine scent to my nose--resin and vetiver and wood. It's incredibly heavy on first application, but not necessarily overpowering.

 

After a while, I get a hint of sweet citrus, and I think I can discern what must be the saffron in the blend. The vetiver isn't as strong as I've found it in other blends, instead it's balanced out by the other notes. It gets smokier and subtler over time. A bit acrid, in fact.

 

This isn't a great scent on me, but it's a complex and sexy one, and strong. I like it.

[Rhowan]

In the bottle - this smells like oranges and cedarwood to me. Cedarwood works well on my skin so I am excited to try this one!

 

Swiped on skin- Whew! Vetiver! Usually vetiver helps really make a scent feel powerful to me - but this when wet on the skin is powerfully overhwelming!

 

1st 10 minutes - still hanging in there...the vetiver has receded but it is still overpowering the rest of the scents - I can only catch whiffs of the cedar and tangerine. No amber yet and I can't tell what saffron smells like.

 

1/2 later - mmmm... this was worth the wait! It has totally mellowed on my skin. The amber finally came out to smooth out the vetiver and round out the scent. To me, this is warm and a bit sweet but still empowers me!

 

Conclusion - Azathoth is an oil that needs patience but it is well worth it. Good throw and lasts long too. Probably not an oil I would use around both sexes as a power scent simply because (on me at least) it igets warmer, more alluring and a bit sexier the longer it sets.

 

ADDED Jan. 6:

 

~AZOTHOTH~

 

I was originally worried to try this because all of the BPAL scents I have tried, the vetiver has turned to a really stinky smell on my skin, almost like a cat just sprayed all over me - yuk!

 

In the bottle: Nice sweet cedarwood with a hint of tangerine -

 

Wet: For a moment I am reminded of Intrigue but sweeter. So far, so good. Still sweet cedarwood with a hint of tangerine.

 

Drydown: The vetiver slowly starts to come forward - but it isn't that stinky vetiver I usually experience. It seems to blend nicely with the amber to make the cedarwood warmer. I am catching just a hint of saffron now too, making this a rich, sexy warm sweet cedar scent.

 

Conclusion: Azothoth is so sexy! It is definitely a man's scent but lord help the man who wears this around me! Awesome throw! Awesome staying power - it is all I can do to quit smelling my wrist.

[yeahbutnobut]

Azathoth

 

In the imp: sharp, citrus-y, cologne like vetiver.

Wet on skin: yup, this is a strong vetiver. I’ve noticed BPAL uses two kinds-a lighter vetiver that adds a slight earthy green note to a scent, and a dark, full on, powerful vetiver that amps up on my skin like crazy. This vetiver is the latter.

Dry: I think there’s a bit of cedar here, the combination of that and vetiver reminds me of Umbra. I think the sharp note is tangerine, and I get saffron here too. This is like a male version of Lenore to me-citrusy vetiver with saffron. I’m hoping the amber comes out to sweeten it-I think I’m getting a hint of it but it’s hard to spot under the vetiver. This is a very masculine scent.

After a while: this has become pure vetiver on me, maybe a bit of citrus sharpness, but mainly vetiver cologne. It’s a nice scent, but very butch! I was hoping the amber would come out to add its deep sweetness, but no. It’s all about the vetiver here.

Verdict: I’ve discovered that my skin amps up vetiver. Not all vetiver-there seem to be two different kinds-the mild vetiver, and the strong one. This scent is full of the strong vetiver, thick, murky, almost burnt and dark green, dirty and with that slight lemony hint enhanced by citrus and saffron. It’s like a masculine Lenore, I think, the scent is brooding, menacing and sinister. It’s not bad as a scent but I think it is too masculine and dark for me.

[ABrokenAngel]

In the Bottle: Tangerine and cedarwood. I don’t like it at all. I’m going to smell like a carpenter and I doubt I’d like it on my husband. We’ll see though.

 

Wet: The tangerine was the first thing I smelled and then the amber and saffron. I know the cedar will come out to play soon unfortunately though.

 

Drydown: Yep predictably. All cedarwood.

[this machine]

I thought i would fall head over heels for this one. Unfortunately, it smells way too much like some men's cologne i associate with young boys, junior high or HS age. It's more sophisticated than that of course, but the base of it is just so cologney that i had to wash it off, which is rare for me! As others have said, it's tangerine and cedarwood and vetiver - all notes i like! I get no amber and i'm not sure i found the saffron either. I'm surprised because i generally love scents that most people deem to be masculine, but this one didn't work.

[GemmaCat]

spicy, vast, and citrusy. This is a really unusual scent with impressive throw. I'm not sure if it's the black amber, but there's something in this that gives the feeling of space: wide, empty spaces with cool, refreshing air blowing through. I think I need to sample this again to come up with something more articulate. ^^;

[clephan]

Terrible of me, really. I've had the Arkham blends for a year now, and there are still several that I've sniffed in the bottle and though - 'ooh, nice, I'll try that one day'... and one day hasn't arrived. Still, I'm determined to address that!

 

Azazoth has been following me around all day. Every time I answered the phone or pushed my hair back from my face, there he was, singing and screeching. Vetiver is definitely the most prominent note on me, and has been going strong for well over 8 hours now.

 

I've been having a phase of wearing the floral and fruity scents recently, and this is a very nice contrast to that. Unlike several other reviewers, it doesn't smell too blokey on me to be comfortable.

 

I'm wondering if the fact that it's been in storage for a long time has aged the cedar - I'm certainly not perceiving any of the sharpness that reviewers mentioned when it was new. Instead, it's a warm wood note, very much in the background and muted. Tangerine never comes out on me in the slightest, but the black amber is just now starting to come out as the top note fades a little.

 

All my scents are keepers but this one may be moving a little closer to the front of the box

[grrrlennyl]

at first: very odd and definitely chaotic. sweet, dark, citrussy, earthy, and woodsy all at once.

on: lots and lots of cedar and vetiver, with a pinch of saffon and maybe some tangerine hiding in the background.

1 hour later: cedar and vetiver. this is bad.

3 hours later: still bad. the sharpness of vetiver along with cedar and some odd saltiness.

overall: i know it's a shocker, but this doesn't work on me.

[edenssixthday]

Azathoth - I had high hopes that the tangerine and saffron in this blend would overpower the vetiver and cedarwood, but sadly, the first note I detect in the vial is thick, black vetiver, and once I’ve applied it to my skin, it’s all vetiver, black amber and cedar, and on me, it’s entirely unpleasant. It’s an incredibly menacing and masculine scent, and I could see this being really sexy on a man who has a dark, menacing, seductive way about him, but I don’t get the impression it would work well on many people. The throw is too strong for my taste, and it has moderate staying power.

[Eunice]

This is mostly cedar when I first apply some to my skin. I get some saffron and amber on the drydown. I don't get the tangerine at all. Azathoth is such a dark and dusty scent. Very very wicked. Yum yum!!

[Shollin]

First sniff: The base is impossibly dark. The citrus topnote is impossibly bright. It’s a tiny, tiny candleflame shrieking “NOTICE ME!” at the top of its lungs in the middle of a vast dark theater.

 

Wearing: I can’t quite wrap my brain around this scent. It’s dark, it’s bright, it’s still, it’s strident, it’s crazy-making.

[savage_rose]

In the bottle: Deep and woodsy.

 

Wet: Tobacco and chemicals. Please let this get better!

 

Dry: No luck. I smell like I've been working on my car all day in 100+ weather, sweating and marinating in various car fluids. In fact, it does remind me of my Uncle Charlie, who was an auto mechanic. He'd come home smelling pretty much like this: sweat, fluids, tobacco (he was a smoker). And I love my Uncle Charlie, but I don't find this smell particularly appealing, especially not on me. And not on my husband, either (hey, it was worth a try).

 

This is the first BPAL to give me a headache. Going to go wash up with steel wool now.