King of Clubs

[Macha]

The Queen's Consort: Lord of the Wide and Fertile Land. Patient, laborious, and clever, though preoccupied with material things. A perfect compliment to his Queen: deeper, darker earth notes with dark musk, tobacco leaf, oakmoss, amber, leather, sage and vetiver with fig and bitter almond

When I opened this bottle, I was hit by the sharp smell of the almond, and I know the meaning of fear. But wait...you know...that's really not so bad. It's a gentle desert almond, a faint sprinkling of chopped pieces on top of something luscious. Could it finally be that I'm getting over my unreasonable hatred of almond scents?

So I tried it on, and spent the whole day trying to figure out if I could come up with some better words to say about this besides “dark,” “masculine,” “deep,” “wild,” and “OMG! FUCK ME NOW!”

Ahem.

What I mean to say is, my response to the King of Clubs is a very visceral “YES!” which makes it a little hard for me to describe it rationally. It's well blended, sexy, and the fig seems to prove a nice balance to elements that might otherwise be too harsh. The vetiver was not overwhelming to me. I caught pleasant wafts of this all day, and from a singular application in the morning I was still able to get a very enthusiastic complement from my boyfriend when we went to bed -- so the King has some staying power.

I must say I really DO think this is the perfect complement to the Queen of Clubs. I could easily see a couple wearing both these fragrances for a night out, although it's just as likely in my opinion that they'd never leave the house. Thanks Beth!

[UltraViolet]

In the bottle

A bit of sweetness, maybe some fig. This is spicier smelling than the Queen.

Very sexy. And sweeter on me than the Queen oddly.

 

On

It's rich, deep, and if it were a color it would be brownish purple.

It's turning less resinous and more astringent as it dries.

 

30 minutes

It doesn't change a whole lot when it dries, it does last a goodly amount of time. It's not weak nor is too strong. It's still a deep, rich sensual earthy, darkly fruity scent.

 

Throw:

average

 

Scent category:

green (dark earthy green)/animalistic/resin/foody -Yes, it is all these things to my nose.

 

Summary

It's asbolutely lovely sensual and addicitve when it dries. It's all at once dark green and earthy and dark berryish sensuality.

 

Purchase again?

Yes indeedy. I'd wear it and I'd LOVE my man to wear it.

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4

[Thorne]

After going on a spree with my Chaos Theory blends and the Ace of Hearts, I showered and put the King of Clubs on one arm, and the Queen on the other.

 

OK, this is just sinfully delicious. Like Macha and UltraViolet said, this would be utterly fantastic on a man. But I love it and plan to wear the hell out of it, man or no man.

 

In the bottle, it's sweet and spicy, with a sharp twist of the bitter almond. On my skin, it becomes Sin mixed with fig. Oh yes, so yummy. The amber comes out to play after an hour or so, and blends seamlessly with the tobacco note with just a hint of the leather underneath.

 

This is a strong, subtle, calm scent, and it matches the Queen so beautifully. This is really a perfect pair of scents, to wear together yourself, seperately, or as an actual couple with your partner (male or female, as I found both scents to be fairly gender neutral).

Edited July 1, 2005 by Thorne

[sarada]

Oh, wood! Earth and wood! Sweet, smoky forest overgrown with moss after the rain -- dark, crumbling wood crawling with rain-kissed greenery.

 

This is vaguely similar to Ace of Pentacles, but more brown than green -- the almond is a mere faint sweetness blending in with velvety vetiver.

 

It is masculine like the Greenman is masculine; or like the old Ent, Treebeard. Ahh, that's what this is...Treebeard's scent.

 

It is every thick, rich dark scent of the forest, but with a leathery hide and a mossy beard.

 

A single beam of honeyed golden light pierces the thick canopy of leaves and its warmth releases all of the hidden aromas of the deep, forgotten forest.

 

The King and the Queen are perfect together. She is a ruby red fruit and rose garden on the outskirts of the castle grounds....he is the deep, wild forgotten spirit of the living forest.

 

I am just weeping with joy for these fragrances.

[shelldoo]

in the bottle: greener then the queen, i detect the oakmoss, sage, and musk most prominently.

 

wet:ahhh hello almond it is almost all almond w/ a hint of the greenery in the background but the almond dies down fairly fast, then i get a mix of all the afore mentioned notes

 

as it dries it becomes a warm srping day deep in the forest it is mossy, fresh moss, and deep earth, a shadowy walk in freshly cleaned leathers, deep, deep into a tangle of woods, not dangerous woods, more of like a walk to meet a lover for a mid day tryst. yes that is exactly it meeting a lover on a warm spring day, lying down in the moss to consumate their love. simply breath taking

[sheepzeit]

Wow! I was very excited when I read about this one, and I ordered a bottle immediately. It sounded so very much up my alley (except for the leather) and when I received it today, my assumption was proved correct!

 

Wet, it sent shivers down my spine. Earthy, mossy, and with a touch of... spiciness? So incredibly lovely. It was like stepping into the greenest forest in the world right after a rainstorm and inhaling deeply. A wisp of musk wafts through the whole thing, like someone had just walked down the path before I did.

 

As it dries, the more subtle components start coming out. The dirt fades and the leather, sage, and almond come to the forefont. The musk really starts to take the spotlight now, and settles in. Although I can definitely imagine this being super sexy on my husband, I think that I still like it enough to wear myself. I might persuade him to try it, just so I can see how it morphs on his skin.

 

Thank you so very much, Beth! This is possibly my new absolute favorite BPAL scent, ever.

 

---

 

Edited to add: I swiped a drop on my husband and after 15 minutes I am FLOORED by how different this smells on him. On me the drydown is mostly musk and a bit of almond. On him I can definitely smell the sage and dirt. Although I like the effect it has on me, I wish I could have his skin, too. Wah!

Edited July 1, 2005 by sheepzeit

[lorajc]

Well, I was expecting the Queen to be my favorite between the 2 of these and I only ordered 2 of the King because I was afraid of the vetiver. I like them both, but I think I may like the King slightly better. I can only detect the vetiver minmally at first, but not after the initial phase. This is quite deep and lovely. I love dark musk and it goes so well with my chemistry. Then I mostly smell a touch of leather and sage with a touch of fig and almond, but not the usual almond Beth uses. This is very well blended and it is very difficult to pick out notes, but the end result is quite yummy. It is a deep scent, but yet still light enough to wear in this warmer weather. I don't know how she does it, but Beth does this quite often with deeper scents. I'm really loving this and I'm sure I'll get a lot of wear out of it. It may be just a wee bit masculine, but I don't find it offensively masculine.

[Reinaluna]

King of Clubs: This is the first blend that I bought knowing that it is supposed to be masculine. This is a very hypnotically sexy mans blend. When first applied I can smell a little vetiver, tobacco leaf, coconut , fig and just a bit of almond. after an hour give or take it becomes a little sweeter. Another great choice I made to get this one.

[joseybird]

I nearly didn't get the king at all, as it just sounded to me like an earthy mishmosh I really like some earthy scents, but most smell very similar to to me, and since I had a budget, I very nearly got 4 CT2s instead of 3 CT2s and the King.

 

Lordy lord I am SO glad I got the King!

 

In the bottle, King of Clubs smells like earth and almonds and a drop of fig--unique!

 

On my skin, the fig comes out a bit more--it's a very dark, earthy fig, not very sweet, but juicy. The almond scent is *very* subtle on my skin, which is great, because even though I'm fine with almonds, they seem to lend blends a certain...generic quality?

 

I love what the musk does with the fig and vetivert. It keeps the blend warm and sincredibly sensual, like soft skin or fur. There is a light smokiness here that weaves through the other notes but that is not at all ashy. I just love how the vetivert is behaving itself The fig is keeping the blend from becoming too dark and dry...lord I'm loving this...

 

The amber and leather come out at the later stages. Like in the Queen, the amber in King of Clubs gives the blend a warm glow (the leather seems to blend in with the amber note; the amber note in the King is thus slightly deeper and darker than in the Queen)

 

I love how the King of Clubs manages to perfectly encapsulate earthy, sensual masculinity while remaining perfectly wearable for women

 

I simply cannot decide which I love more--the King or Queen of Clubs

[LunaSea]

I ordered the King of Clubs specifically for my husband (well, for me to smell while he wears it! ) but as he had to go out of town at the last minute yesterday, I had to dip into it for myself!

 

In the bottle, the prominent note to me is the almond, but it isn't a sweet, cherry-ish almond. I think the earthy notes are balancing it out, making it more subtle. Wet on the skin, it seems the same, but then this yummy feral, animalistic note comes out. The dark musk? Must be. (I swear, after 8 months, I feel like my nose is still such a noob.) It reminds me of a note in Hunter Moon - which is a good thing.

 

I think I didn't apply enough of the oil, however, because my skin seemed to eat everything except that musky scent. Don't get me wrong, I love musk, but I wanted to experience the other notes as well. They all sound so yummy. I don't think I'll be wearing this myself, as for me it is too masculine. (We all know I love the sweet stuff!) But I can't wait to slather it on the hubby when he gets home tonight!

[QueenFae]

Wow, I actually wasn't expecting to like this one, but I really do! Wet- my fiance said it smelled like cherries. Dark and seductive with a delightfully creamy undertone. On the drydown- the spiciness really comes out on my fiance's skin. I can really smell the almond and tobacco on me, as well as the vetiver. It's surprisingly....luscious! I love fig, I think that's whats contributing to that creamy, cherry undertone we're smelling. We are going to be fighting over this one! It definitely works on female skin too! SEXY!

[darkling]

The King of Clubs is a beautiful and complex scent. On my skin, it becomes a blend of oakmoss, fig, and smoke (musk? or tobacco?). There is a perfect balance between the rich darkness of the earth and the sweetness of the fig.

 

My partner has so far resisted wearing any BPAL but I may just have to hold him down and slather some on him. Yum!

[donsixgun]

I love this

It reminds me of a far superior Cathode. An earthy, mossy touch. But the fig and almond sweeten it up just enough. As it dried, the amber comes out more and adds a spice to it. It also pairs up wonderfully with the Queen. Shame I didnt get another bottle.

[cuervosueno]

I needed to keep the ingredients in mind above, because I can't pick out a single note in this--which is not at all a bad thing.

 

I ordered it on the basis of many favorite notes: musk, vetiver, amber, almond. I was a little worried about the leather, because as much as I love that note, it tends to become overwhelming on me. But I ordered him anyway, and his queen, who I was less sure of.

 

Reading the reviews made me eager to get this, and I was not disappointed. It absolutely wonderful--warm, sexy, addictive.

 

But as I said, when I smell it, either in the bottle or on me, I can't pick out notes, even the familiar ones like vetiver. I just don't get that strong vetiver scent as I do in Azathoh. Its a bit sharp when I smell it in the bottle, but nothing hits me except--mmmmm, this smells good!

 

When it is wet, there is a tiny bit of astringent sharpness that I also note in the Queen, but this fades quickly in the King. Then the scent stays pretty stable and is also long lasting--I put some on last night and can still faintly smell it today. It sticks fairly close to my skin, too. I don't notice it too much until I sniff my wrist (which I've been doing compulsively).

 

Overall, what this smells like to me is ambergris. I have a bottle from Caswell and Massey, and to me this smells very much like that. I suppose that's not impossible, given that as far as I know, true ambergris is rarely used anymore, so what I have must be a mix of various scents to achieve an ambergris bouquet. In any case, I adore that scent, and I'm delighted to have a BPAL perfume that reminds me of it.

 

I find this King comforting, sexy and delicious. and I'd love to try him out on a man.....grrrrrr.....

 

eta: I really agree that this is perfectly blended. I love it when I can pick out notes as well, but to me a perfect blend is one that has morphed into something completely new, where the individual scents are very difficult for me to pick out. this is one of those scents.

 

eta: (again!) Rereading the descrip., I realized this King perfectly describes my houseguest, an ex. who is hanging out here for awhile. Hmmm..perhaps I can get him to put some on and play a bit!

[inkstone]

Many thanks to Cricketshay for sending me an imp of this to try!

 

Anyway, I am sure this is gorgeous on the right person with the right skin chemistry. But on me, it is all vetiver, amber, oakmoss and musk. It's not right for me at all.

 

That said, I'd love to smell this on a guy.

[wolfie13]

In the bottle:

 

One sniff and I'm in love! I get a "dirt" smell - which smells a lot like Graveyard Dirt - (makes sense b/c I get a lot of Vetiver out of GD and it's one of the notes here), and a touch of leather and warm spice (must be the amber) and the tiniest bit of sweetness (must be from the almond and fig - but NOT sweet or cherry-ish almond and just the tiniest bit).

But nothing really takes over - it's all melding so well and these are the only notes of the list that I can really differentiate at all from the others.

 

Wearing:

 

Wow - this changes quite a bit. Kinda wishing it stayed an exact replica of it's bottle scent. Upon wearing it flattens out quite a bit and becomes mostly like a combo of Graveyard Dirt, amber and musk on me - and yes - it's a fairly dry and masculine scent.

(It's lost that touch of warmth and sweetness it had for me in the bottle.)

 

Hour or Two later:

 

Surprisingly - it's mostly the same but a spicy amber is the note that predominates at this point and the leather has come back! (This is the one and only Bpal that I've discovered thus far that the amber sticks around on me - which makes me very happy as i love amber.)

 

This one actually keeps getting better as the hours go on for me. And at this later stage I just wish I could find a guy to submit to my bpal pressure - earthy, spicy leather??? What's not to love????

 

 

Overall:

 

Very complex and unique. Has good throw and lasting power and smells so wonderful with the QOC. I think I may actually like the combined waft of these scents even better than the individual ones. (Haven't tried layering them yet).

Edited July 8, 2005 by wolfie13

[Hallows_Eve]

In the bottle- Strange, it comes of almost antiseptic-y and medicine like. Slightly like apothecary because of the moss and fig notes, I think.

 

On me (wet)- Yeah, I'd hit it. I would much rather wear this than the Queen, because there is no rose for my skin chem to amplify. That said, I am getting mostly green amber in a leather coat. There is a high note from the almond but it seems to come off as part of the fictional leather coat.

 

On my husband (wet- the oil, on my husband)- nearly the same as when I first apply it, except I can smell the fig on him where it was non-existant on me.

 

On me (dry)- Amber always dries really sweet on me to the point of being powdery. The almond in KOC makes it less ethereal. The musk becomes sweet. Only a slight earthy after note. And I still have a bit of a leather coat feel.

 

On my husband (dry)- On him it smells of amber with earth. Musty sweet with a tad of tobacco. The leather coat smells stronger on him.

 

Like I said, I prefer this because I can't wear QoC for the rose, but the differences between the female and male wearing KoC complements each other rather well. My husband likes it- I think he placed it among his top 5. A very good couples scent, and I bet those trying out the K and Q oC are having a grand old time!

Edited July 9, 2005 by Hallows_Eve

[tesao]

i've been making an attempt to NOT reread the scent notes before i sniff, to see what i can come up with on my nose alone.

 

in the bottle: WHAM! cherries. sweet, overripe cherries.

 

on my wrist, wet: still wall-o-cherries. i know better than to be disappointed yet, by now! i'm smelling my wrists and catching whiffs of smoky undertones, spice and old leather chairs and loam. and i think there is FIG!! there may be hope yet!

 

on my wrist, dry: the cherry is gone! huzzah! the other notes are still there, with a spike of something sharp and green that i don't really recognize. herbal, almost like the tang of sea spray. vetiver, maybe??? i used vetiver this morning, for another purpose. hmmm.

 

drydown: mmmmmmmm. this has all blended beautifully. this smells the way that i would imagine an english gentlemen's club would smell. leather and smoke and herbal cologne with a hint of sweet masculine sweat.

 

my husband says i sound like an ad: five minutes of smelling dreadful, and then you smell great the rest of the day!!

 

stranger than fiction. and i'm keeping the King.

[gingersnapp]

I had anticipated this would be a blend that I would try once and hate because of the leather and vetiver, and end up swapping. But, as luck would have it, I really really like it.

 

The earthiness of it is very calming. On my skin, it smells like earth and lavender, though checking the list of notes in the blend, I see there is no lavender. So I'm not sure what that is.

 

It's so well done that I can't really identify individual notes, they all blend together beautifully. It's a smoky, rich earth blend with a moderate throw and good staying power.

 

Very lovely!

[Northernminx]

Almond straight out of the bottle and while wet, spicey and warm this dries into a complex, masculine and earthy combination of tobacco and vertiver on me. The vertiver is thankfully not as strong as it could be and while I still find it personally unsettling, it doesn't override this scent at all. Amber starts to really round this out as is wears on and it's gorgeous and warm and sexy, but not quite ringing bells enough for me to hoarde it.

[nineveh]

This starts out as almost aquatic on me, but then soon becomes very earthy, spicy, and dark.

 

The almond scent is the first thing to fade, which is fine by me.

 

The most prominent note here is the leather, with what I think is the oakmoss coming in second. I think that I can smell the fig and tobacco too.

 

It's very hard for me to pick out any notes other than the leather because this is blended so well. This has a damp, thick, smoldering quality to it that's almost unpleasant, but I can't stop sniffing it.

 

I'm glad I got to try an imp of it, but I think that the Queen suits me more. I'll definitely keep the imp, but now after experiencing it, I'm not pining for a 5mL.

 

edit 7/26: I tried my imp again, and it was even better. That made me pine, so I acquired a 5mL. I'm going to wear this a lot in cold weather.

 

edit again 1/19: This has become my favorite scent ever. You'll have to pry my 20mL from my dead hands!

Edited January 20, 2006 by nineveh

[gdogs]

oh dear. i do not think i like this. it *acch-ooooo!* is making me sneeze and clogging my sinuses. don't think i've ever had that happen with bpal before.

 

 

but before that happened, this was all heavy, bitter musk and creepy vetivert.

 

 

and something that smells really, really bad on me.

 

sorry. the king will not stay in my castle.

[voodoobaby]

In the bottle: Wow. My first impression is slightly cherry, slightly almond, very tobacco, and moderately leather. It's interesting and kind of biting to the nose, but still very pleasing.

 

Wearing: Mmhmm, tobacco. And leather. And fig. The almond is there...kinda. It is not the artificial almond scent I remember from the first phases of Alice and Bastet. This is deep and, well, earthy. Leather, definitely. It smells like the real deal. Something in this is making it smell hot. Not like cookies-out-of-the-oven hot, or summertime-in-Texas hot... This is the feeling I get when I'm at a show with a bunch of sweaty, breathing people pressed in around you. It's the feeling of when a guy offers you his jacket in cold weather, and when you put it on you can still feel his body warmth on the material. Despite the previous analogy, it is a totally pleasant and non-gross impression I get from this. I love it, and for the record, I think it's the combination of leather and amber that gave the the idea of the jacket--it's kind of a faint skin smell. There's also some incensey smell about it, kind of smoky.

 

Later: Something here kind of smells a bit cocoa-ish and powdery. Maybe the "earth notes"? I can definitely smell something green and slightly astringent, which I'm thinking is the sage. I'm not getting vetiver.

 

Overall: Looove. It fades way too quickly, but still, love! When I actually wear this beyond testing, I think I'm actually going to have to slather, which is odd for me. Not that I'm complaining or anything.

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: OMG. Dark musk and earth with almond. OMG.

 

Wearing: Unfortunately, the vetiver takes over on my skin almost immediately. This becomes single note vetiver, like so many lovely blends before it.

 

Final Impressions: I will try this on my man. It is too too sexy in the vial to swap away.

[bellis]

Oh, baby. This such a gorgeous, subtle blend. Earthy, mossy amber with just a little drop of fig to sweeten it. This hangs pretty close to my skin, and I can't keep my nose off my wrist. It would be delicious on a man, but it's delicious on me as well. I'm not sure how often I'll reach for it, but I'm definitely going to keep the King around for a bit until I figure it out.