Lear

[frecklestars]

A regal, commanding scent, but poignant. White cedarwood, blue sage and bay leaf.

In the bottle: O HAI MOTHBALLS! cedar cedar cedar. and a bit of sage, which does nothing to rule out my mental pictures of vast closets that are moth-free. decidedly masculine, very strong.

On my skin: more CEDAR screaming at your nose and utterly unrelenting. it fades more towards sage and a bit of dirt, so I do catch the poignancy, but it's just too strong for me to wear it. regal, yes, and standoffish, but also still very very masculine. think broadsword-carrying ass-kicking medieval knights. dangerous. once it reaches the sage-and-dirt stage, it reminds me of New Mexican high desert nights, which is lovely, but that cedar stage just doesn't do it for.

Last thoughts: I don't want to smell like wood and mothballs and insect killing-things. it's just so strong. I <3 sage, but in chicken, not on my skin. if you are a sage/cedar lover though, this is totally perfect for you!

[tkannon]

Overwhelming cedar. I had to wash it off because my eyes started itching. This might be a potential allergy problem.

[FathomBelow]

In contrast to the last reviewer, I found Lear to be the mellowest of the cedar scents I've encountered so far. It starts off strong, but not as stridently as some (e.g. Tzadikim Nistarim) and quickly mellows into soft, sweet cedar - a very round and satisfying scent - due, I think, to the sage which tempers the potential aggressiveness of the cedar. It manages to evoke dustiness without smelling dry at all...yeah, mellow is the best word I can think of to describe it at the moment. I don't really know what bay leaf smells like, however, so that might be playing a part as well.

 

Overall, Lear is probably my favorite cedar scent so far at BPAL. Definitely a keeper!

[Lanolin]

On me, this doesn't change too much from imp to dry. It's largely cedar, with equal parts sage and bay leaf.

 

It's a comforting domestic smell to me, and I think I'll be using it more as a room scent than a body scent.

[KatharinaNordh]

Perfect wood-smell. It doesn't seem masculine on me; wood, yes, but sweet, young and round wood.

 

I'm keeping the imp - if I start worrying about it running out, I'll take that as a sign, but so far, much as I really like it, I'm not sure I'd actually wear it enough to motivate a bottle.

[rhubarb3point14]

I was hopeful, because this started out very similar to the lovely, lemon-piney Nero on me... but then, like many cedar and sandalwood scents, it eventually left me smelling like a balsa-wood airplane.

[milo]

Wet to dry, vetiver/cedar. Smells earthy and dry to me. Not really my thing.

[curlsandpearls]

Bottle: an herbal-green cedar-sage mix. Nice and light.

 

Wet: Clean linens and fresh air. Dewy grass, sunlight. I'm wanting more cedar, but this is nice. It does seem like it could go powder on me, but so far we're good.

 

Dry: Has turned into laundry detergent clean. A very nice clean smell, mind, but not for me. The cedar never really showed up in full force, alas.

 

Also, this faded very quickly. Swap pile.

[Eschezhivet]

There was a bit of an herbal tang when I first applied it, but almost immediately, it faded and left me with a slightly grainy honeysuckle sort of smell -- and I mean actual honeysuckle, which is fairly mild in the grand scheme of things, not honeysuckle perfume. It is an inoffensive scent, but not what I hoped for

[ami226]

This is a fresh cedar scent. Smells like new furniture/freshly cut wood. Not for me, but it is very refreshing.

[AmethystDahlia]

In Bottle: A strong, woody scent. A bit intense for me, but let's see how it goes with my skin.

 

On Skin: Still woody, but not as powerful as it is in the bottle, which for me is a good thing. It smells very clean and fresh.

 

Dry-Down: I'm getting a bit more of the herby notes, which is probably the sage and maybe the bay leaf. Has a light to medium-ish throw, and I can still faintly smell it after about four hours.

 

This was one of the two free imps that came with my purchase of Strawberry Moon 2012. It was also a scent I wanted to try anyway, so I'm glad I was given the chance to sample it! While I don't know if this scent is "me" enough to splurge on a bottle yet, I do enjoy it very much, and will definitely be using the rest of the imp at the very least. I can also see myself using it as a room scent or on my pillow.

[hexnut]

LEAR

 

In Vitro Sweet, earthy, and spicy.

 

Wet There were only three anonymous imps left in my order when I tested this so I knew it was either Lear or one of the two frimps. On my skin I immediately got wood... I mean, I smelled wood, and inhaling deeply brought out a "cool" note that had to be bay. Definite throw, and sweeter after a few minutes.

 

Drying Still no sage, which of course was the smell I wanted most. The cedar and bay started out balanced, but after roughly two hours this was almost pure cedarwood on me. I actually quite like the idea of a cedar skin scent, so Lear is a win for me despite the disappointment of lacking the desired note. I'll keep the imp and who knows, it might age to sage.

 

 

25

[Dani87]

Imp: cedar but very dry, and smokey. Like cedar in a wood stove.

Wet: same

Drydown: it's still mostly dry cedar, but the sage has come out as well.

Dry: same

Over all: this is a very manly scent, it's nice, but not for me. I tried to keep the more masculine scents like this around for my husband. However he would much rather kill me in a cloud of axe so it's off to swaps.

Edited July 21, 2012 by Dani87

[fufu_berry]

This is mostly bay leaf on me. It's very soft and soothing, not much throw. It's herbal and clean without being soapy. I like it a lot, it's good for a lazy day, and feels very grounding (if that makes any sense).

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Sparkly wood.

 

Drydown: Fuzzy sage supported by subdued ceder. The bay adds a glittery effect to the top notes. As it continues to dry a creaminess comes forth that is no doubt the product of the bay on my skin chemistry.

 

Dry: This smells like a creamy Christmas tree. It’s absolutely lovely, but tragically it’s also very, very light. I see copious slathering in the future.

 

 

 

 

8 out of 10 bones

Edited July 11, 2013 by BoneBone24

[Lethran]

In bottle: This is lovely and surprisingly delicate in an outdoors sort of way. The cedar is the backbone of this scent, is gentle woodiness blending beautifully with the powerful sage note and the softer bay. Wet: The cedar is much more assertive on the skin and the effect is touch more wood shavings here. The sage is still second strongest and plays beautifully with the bay, but the separation of the cedar and sage puts them slightly t odds. It’s not fatal, merely slightly less ideal than in the bottle. I have hopes of it working out as it calms down. Dry: I was right about it settling down. There was a long middle phase where the balance was closer to the bottle. It’s also absolutely lovely on the dry down, the sage and cedar twining like lovers as they soften. This is a keeper!

[KissleMeNow]

When I tried Lear on, the first thought that popped into my head was "This smells like something you eat." I guess that was all bay leaf, because it quickly settled into a cedar scent. I agree with the many comments saying it's masculine, although it also has a neutral, neither of the above vibe to me. The bay leaf gives it an edge, and the sage makes it herbal rather than wooden. The cedar definitely reminds me more of cut wood than a growing tree, if that makes sense. I'm not quite sure if it's my kind of scent, but it is nice.

[JazzieCazzie]

Was gifted with an imp of this, can't recall if it was a frimp from the Lab or a lagniappe from one of my swaps/purchases but whatever the case may be, I am eternally grateful. I don't think I would have bought this on my own because I'd have assumed it would be very masculine. Reading the reviews here would have done nothing to change my mind. But working my way through all of my imps and bottles, revisiting and reviewing them A-Z so I can prep a swap list and wanted list, and more of this is definitely going on the latter!

 

IN THE IMP: To me, this is 100% sweet cedar which I ADORE. Honestly, if someone had waved this imp in front of my nose with no label, I'd have thought it was a cedarwood Single Note.

 

Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm.

 

WET: This remains almost COMPLETELY cedar -- lovely sweet light wood, almost sugared or candied wood, if there is such a thing, with just the slightest inexplicable background note of something beachy. I am guessing that latter is the sage. I am not getting ANY bay leaf and that's fine because it usually makes me smell like chicken soup.

 

DRYDOWN: True to the imp, true to the wet scent. Sweet wood. Light, lovely, clean and amazing.

 

OVERALL: This isn't even remotely masculine on me. It's much more like my favorite woody incense scents such as Kathmandu, Penitence, etc. I think this would make an absolutely fantastic go-to scent for a seaside vacation. It is totally going on my eventual big-bottle list and I will hope to swap for more of it soon.

 

On a scale of 1-5, this is my newest 5.

[kaberett]

In the bottle: woodsy, and slightly spicy.

 

Wet: wood! wood wood wood aaaaaaaaaaaaand here comes the bay.

 

Drydown: ... mothballs. Mothballs in ALL THE BEST WAYS. Deliciously scented-with-leaves mothballs. This is tasty and calming and reassuring and warm and I like it. The bay and the sage are definitely there, rounding out the (strong) cedar, and - yes. Mmm. For days, I think, when I need to be reminded what it is like to walk through forests, or to curl up in the quiet and dark of a wardrobe, or.

[GreatWhiteFork]

IN THE BOTTLE: Cedar, evergreen, and something dusty, like those cedar plank hangars that you would hang grandpa's suit on so the moths don't get it. It is so masculine; I just love it.

 

WET: I'm not sure what my skin is doing, but the whole thing smells very piney on me, like I'm in the middle of a forest. As it starts to dry, it mellows and that dusty note picks back up.

 

DRY: This smells like an old cedar chest that got left in someone's attic and hasn't been opened in ages. It's dusty and ancient and creaky in all the best ways!

- - - - - - -

 

I'm not sure I could handle smelling like this the whole day, but it sure would make a great room scent!

[mymymai]

• ITI: This reminds me of walking through U.C. San Diego’s Eucalyptus grove in fall, although with the deeper wood of cedar and the heady, blue, swirling herbal yet minty tones of sage.

Wet: It’s a bit more herbal and clearly cedar, like carved cedar trunks specifically, it it still remains the lovely tones that I picked up on in the imp.

Dry: I’m surprised by how soft this turns own when dried, like clean cotton drying outside a log cabin early in the morning.

[Balame]

It seems with this blend people either amp the cedar to Crazytown or it stays mellow. Thankfully, I find myself in the latter group.

The cedar is very soft and subtle, and is actually one of the gentlest I've smelled from BPAL. It reminds me of a very young wood that has a hint of sweetness about it.

The sage and bay add a soothing herbal touch, but they're also very sedate. Together they remind me a bit of fresh leaves.

Clean, calming, soft. It's actually so light after about 10 minutes that I can barely pick it up, but I also didn't slather as much as I usually do.

I'd really like more of this. It reminds me of a dryad, sunny spring days, happy things... which is kind of funny considering the inspiration.

[lady_pandora]

I'm apparently an amper of the cedar in this; Lear is Woody McWooderson on me, with an undertone of green herbs. This Lear is definitely out wandering in the wild now, rather than reigning in his castle. The wood is a little pencily on me, and the whole thing is more traditionally masculine than I prefer, so it's not for me. It's not unpleasant, though, and it's very stable on me--it smells pretty much the same the whole time it's on.

[Veronica]

Wet, I get primarily cedar--a deep wood note--as this dries, it fades a bit, but is still overwhelmingly cedar.

[d0gbones]

This one's very woody (slightly spicy) and masculine and I loved it in the imp. Unfortunately, it goes to smell like sweaty man on me Like a guy applied generic aftershave then didn't shower for a few days. I actually had to wash it off after about half an hour, I'm hoping I can salvage it by turning it into a room spray.