Loup Garou

[ipb]

The wild, untamed essence of lycanthropy. Primeval in its raw power and insatiable hunger: juniper, cypress and galangal with the barest touch of eucalyptus.

it's like the middle of the forest. very tree-y (the pine, cypress, and eucalyptus). an untamed kind of earthy. that distinct smell of the forest, with the slight decay.

[Lady_Ell]

I really really really REALLY like this one.

 

A lot of the BPAL men's fragrances tend to become weirdly powdery/spicy on me in an unpleasant way, and remind me of aftershave or Old Spice.

This one, however, does not.

 

Wet: JUNIPER - it overrides everything else in a lovely way

 

Drying: the juniper fades quickly and a dry wood smell peeps out

 

Dry (for hours): I smell like the inside of a woodbox that holds a lot of evergreen branches. I smell like a pile of pencil shavings stuck in a dribble of pine pitch. I smell like I just bushwacked through a juniper hedge with a cypress two-by-four and made a big mess out of the hedge and am covered with little juniper bits and cypress oils.

 

I am not sure if this is appropriate for an everyday scent, but it's really growing on me. I feel very calm in it. It's a nice change from the sweeter scents that I usually wear (Snake Oil, Katharina, Old Morocco), and I think I will buy a big bottle of it when my Imp runs out.

 

The more I think about it, the more I love it.

 

This is really wonderful.

[Shollin]

First sniff: PINE. Dark, stalwart, unmovable pine, just on the very edge of dusk – Loup Garou is not a sunny scent by any means, but it’s not quite mysterious enough to be a night forest.

 

Wearing: I’m not entirely sure I like pine as a me-scent… it’s too dark and cold. There’s a hint of sweetness underneath, but it’s not me enough.

 

(And clearly I can't tell the difference between juniper and pine. Oh well.)

[Vaniclion]

S'okay. I can't tell the difference between juniper and pine either. Or, clearly, Eucalyptus which is all I could smell from initial application the first time I smelled this one. Easily, it's very much in my mental grouping of 'OH YEAH! That's masculine' scents along with Typhon.

 

Wet, it's very juniper/eucalyptus. Stalking through the woods at night under a bright moon. Underneath, there are other scents playing around... perhaps the prey?

 

Dry, it goes delightfully woody as many of the 'masculine' scents do. I'm thinking this one is an imp keeper, although I likely won't reorder for me. Viking, I'm thinking, will really like this one.

[Alice Aforethought]

At first, this is eye-stinging eucalyptus! It quickly fades to reveal a sweetish piney note, which in turn gives way to a lovely woody, spicy scent with the ever-so-slightly bitter scent of the juniper behind it.

 

This one smells...blue. It reminded me of a particular huge blue cypress tree. The nuttiness of those little buddy knots, and the silvery frondiness that is still cool and refreshing in the warm air of summer. But still with an...age behind it. It feels old and waiting. Not impatient - just waiting.

[Bard]

In the bottle: It's definitely woodsy. I can smell the juniper and cypress. There is an unidentifiable darker element to it too. This has a very raw scent that conjures imaery of the forest primeval. Intriguing. I set in in my "like" pile.

 

On my skin: PineSol. The juniper just strangles the other scents. It's not an unpleasant piney scent, but I might as well be wearing a single note.

 

After a few hours: The pine scent is still all I get. Disappointing. I expected to transform into Mr. John Talbot, but instead. I transformed into Mr. Clean. I fault body chemistry. I bequeathed it to my brother, whose chemistry works much better with the scent. On him, it smells balanced and earthy.

 

 

Loup Garou Haiku,

La belle et sa bête,

ils dansent dans le clair de lune,

parmi les sapins.

 

 

Your humble and obedient Renaissance Man,

 

Bard

[Astarte]

I fear the words "Traditionally Masculine" warning found in reviews and I put the scent on somewhat hesitantly.

 

Initially the most prominent note is the juniper and eucalyptis, it gives a very powerful force of nature feeling from the scent, though my body chemistry just doesnt get over the juniper note. This is a very woody and alive scent, this would be the male counterpart to the Hamadryad scent recently released.

[glampyre]

I think that for me, Loup Garou is a little bit too woodsy to wear. I love the way it smells, and will use is as a room scent this winter!

 

It starts out super evergreen, and mellows to a nice, comforting man-scent.Quite elegant and pretty.

[Splendid Molerat]

Loup Garou has a leading chill of eucalyptus, like trying to remember winter when you're in a hot climate.

 

I can imagine the displaced Acadiens telling their new children stories of the loup garou in the firelight, and that creature growing bigger and darker in the black wooded hills and cypress swamps.

 

This smells like something strong has torn the trees until they've bled.

[Penance]

Love, love, LOVE this one!

 

First sniff:

 

I smell the forest...pine trees and loamy dirt and a hint of eucalyptus. This is exactly the sort of scent I love. I can't get this one on fast enough!

 

Wet on skin:

 

Oh, yes, this is what I love in a perfume. It smells like I'm standing in the middle of the Canadian wilderness. I'm getting the urge to put on a flannel shirt and a rabbit fur bomber hat and chop down some trees, but, strangely, it's not too masculine, either. It's unisex. It's woodsy. It's gorgeous.

 

Dry down:

 

The pine has really picked up, but the eucalyptus is still there, lurking in the background. I don't know why I'm getting pine from this, but I am, and I love it. I'm also smelling the cypress now, it's giving it a sort of earthy, woodsy smell that I absolutely adore. This reminds me of my first year of college at the University of California in Santa Cruz, which happens to be in the middle of a redwood forest. This scent holds a lot of good memories for me, it's immensely comforting. There aren't words to describe how much I love this.

 

The bottom line:

 

I think I have a new favorite. I'm going to have to buy a BIG bottle of this immediately. It's everything I've ever wanted in a perfume and more. Love isn't a strong enough word for this one.

[omly]

Loup Garou was beautiful in the bottle. It is green and piney, like wandering around in a virgin forest of tall evergreens that reach up straight and tall, blocking out most of the light. This would make a wonderful room scent, particularly a seasonal one for yule/christmas.

 

This wasn't really a wearable scent for me though. I can definately see how many would call this traditionally masculine in the bottle, but my skin took it to something harsher. It almost had an underlying burnt smell. I wish I knew what was causing it, but as it wasn't really my sort of smell I am not too grief stricken.

[TheDarkMother]

In the Bottle: Loup Garou smells like cypress and pine, which is probably the eucalyptus. It smells like running through the woods.

 

On Me: The smell of strong pine and eucalyptus really comes through on this giving it a medicinal woods smell. This is almost like walking through a forest with nothing but vicks under your nose.

 

Depite that, I'm in love with this scent. The medicinal woods blends together beautifully and more and more of the woods are starting to come through. And normally a scent will only give me a few ideas about stories. This one is giving me at least 10 different ones right off the bat. The is a perfect writing oil. I'm slathering.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: PINE!

 

Second Impression: I never knew that I loved pine scents so much. This is rich and foresty and beautiful.

 

Final Analysis: I will have a hard time choosing between this and Black Forest.

[puol]

I like it. The first thing I notice is the eucalyptus, it gives me an impression of pine. That brings the woody portion of the scent; someone mentioned a walk through a forest, I get that. Then comes a dark and sweet scent that smells slightly like brown sugar. Once it dries down, I'm left with a scent that fits me just fine, kind of a wolfish-rake type of smell.

[sarada]

I've been wanting to try this one for a long time...my instincts were definitely right, this is a winner!

 

Actually, in the bottle this smells exactly like Black Forest, but the difference between the two to me, is that when this dries down it doesn't turn to amber, like Black Forest does on me (which is great, I love amber). It stays strong and piney for some time -- a couple of hours, which for me is quite awhile.

 

Juniper usually has a distinctive sharp smell to me but combined with the other ingredients I mainly get the impression of pine. The eucalyptus is a fresh, cold smell and does not seem particularly medicinal to me, especially once it hits the skin. It develops into a very rich pine/fir scent. There are so many layers in the "woods" scents like this one...first you are hit with a crisp, fresh breeze through snowy evergreens. Then as you go deeper into the forest, the different layers emerge...the leaves and wood, damp and dark underfoot...the crunch of golden needles on the ground...every time I go back in for another sniff an entire world of solemn greenery opens up before me.

 

This does, indeed, pose a difficult choice. Both Loup Garou and Black Forest bring me to the same forest, but Black Forest warms me with sunlight in spring or summer and Loup Garou lures me into the promise of shelter in autumn and winter. I think I might wind up going with a bottle of Loup Garou though because it lasts longer, and I prefer the cold seasons to the warm!

[anmorata]

Loup Garou:

 

Hello, evergreen! Someone else mentioned that this was like walking through a forest, and I can't disagree. This is a very green, very masculine scent to me. I don't suspect I'll wear it often, as I'm not overly fond of evergreens as a wearable scent.

[sarahjay]

I was given this & it's really not my kind of thing. I can't even bear to put it on after smelling it in the imp - it smells like vicks.

 

I'm sure someone else will love it tho

[Macha]

I ordered this because of the discussion on the forum where Loup Garou was compared to Mistletoe, and since I had very much wanted that fragrance but missed out on it, I figured I would buy the next best thing.

 

In the bottle: Juniper and Eucalyptus, strong enough to clear the sinuses. Woah! That's pure Vics Vap-O-Rub, that's what that is! And um...ahem...it's quite lovely. (But I've always liked the smell of Vics!)

 

Wet, on skin: This is a strong forest smell, very strong indeed. I love this forest! It's very vibrant and exuberantly alive. The Juniper and Eucalyptus both tickle my nose. Yes, it's medicinal, but it's a lovely forest medicinal. It lifts my spirits tremendously.

 

Dry, on skin: As this dries, it mellows into something much softer and very pretty. I was having trouble identifying what I was smelling until I went back and saw this scent contains galengal, which is a fascinating and highly aromatic spice I adore. Lovely. Occassionally I catch quite unexpected throws of juniper, over 12 hours after the original application.

 

Conclusion: I don't know that I would wear this every day (as if I wear any of my fragrances every day... ) but Loup Garou does have definite appeal. It is, as one reviewer said, a nice change of pace from many of the other sweet or flowery perfumes in my collection. This is a bracing, eye-opening scent, and I'm very glad I bought it.

[quimerula]

Wet it's eucalyptus and juniper.

Fresh and medicinal, it fades quickly.

I have to try it on my beau.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Very crisp and fresh. It almost smells like Sea Breeze atringent, which isn't all that bad, but it's bicer than SB.

 

Just On: On me, Sea Breeze and witch hazel and household cleanser (not quite pine-sol, but a bit). On The Mate, a fresh clean scent.

 

An hour or two later: On me, I pretty much just have an antiseptic smell now. It makes me think of every scrape or bump I ever got and had that stuff smeared on, stinging away. On The Mate, a faint clean breeze.

 

Around 6 hours: On me, there's a hint of the antiseptic smell, with a bit of the freshness that The Mate gets. It's probably not a scent I'd wear, but he might be able to. On The Mate, it's almost gone.

 

12 hours: On me, there's the barest hint left. It finally gives me a bit of good smell. On The Mate, it's disappeared.

 

Overall: On me, it didn't work at all. On The Mate, it faded really fast considering, but it was pretty okay while it lasted. I think he'll be better with musky, spicy things, but it was worth a shot. I'll probably give it a second shot, as I always do with the ones that don't work.

 

After reading other reviews: I really didn't get any woodsy, pine, juniper type scents at all. I'm guessing the eucalyptus is what made the antiseptic thing happen with my skin.

[olympia301]

Very beautiful evergreen scent tempered with a little something a bit sweeter. It would make a very good sachet or in a tart in the wintertime. Somehow there seems to be a touch of lemony smell in here, but I think that is some chemistry with the evergreen/volatile combination.

[hazelbranch]

In the bottle this smells of strong juniper and eucalyptus. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with the smells of cypress and galangal.

 

On me the eucalyptus is very strong initially. I can actually feel this on my skin, kind of like how mint essential oil is if you use it undiluted, only less potent. I'm smelling juniper and eucalyptus, but also camphor which is probably the galangal based on my internet searches. I definitely don't dislike this oil,but I think I'd have a hard time wearing it as perfume. Its very medicinal smelling, but I don't find it pungent, and it seems to have a bit of an underlying warmth. Raw power and insatiable hunger? I can kinda get that. I might have to try this one again and see if I get anything more from it. At this point I wouldn't buy a bigger bottle unless I was going to use it for candles, soap or room scent.

I will have to try this one on the boy.

[Lycanthrope]

In the Bottle or Imp:

I think this may have the 'barest touch of juniper' mislabeled, because that is all that I smell when I uncork the imp. It's very potently eucalyptus, refreshing, astringent and medicinal all at once.

Wet, on Skin:

Cool and minty sensation on the skin, a pure eucalyptus tempered with a little sweet pepperming.

Drying/Drydown:

Peppermint, dry woods, cedar and eucalypt.

Over Time/Longterm:

Sweet, mild, rosemary mint with a touch of eucalyptus.

Final Verdict?

Really not what I was expecting from the name and description, and certainly doesn't bring to mind werewolves. Maybe a refreshing, misty forest, but not lycanthropes

[Miss Lynx]

I was a bit hesitant to try this because of the eucalyptus - I don't really want to smell like a cough drop, and I have trouble relating eucalyptus to werewolves anyway (were-koalas, maybe....). But I tried some at the Meet'n'Sniff, and I was surprised at how quickly the eucalyptus faded away and just left a fresh, green, foresty scent. The person who had it ended up giving me the partial imp she had because she said no one else seemed to like it.

 

I tried it again today, and it definitely goes through some interesting shifts over time, from uber-eucalyptus at the start through more of a pine scent, and then mellowing down into a light, spicy-woodsy scent. It definitely didn't smell masculine on me at all, but then I probably have a funny idea of "masculine" and "feminine" scents since I don't like most women's perfumes at all. It actually got fairly sweet toward the end.

 

So I quite liked it, but it doesn't really seem to have a lot of staying power. I put it on fairly generously about 3-4 hours ago and it's already mostly gone. But the bit of scent that's left on me is nice. I can't really connect it to werewolves, though - I think it would need some musk or something else animalistic to bring that out for me. But it could be a werewolf's natural environment, I suppose.

[tesao]

perfect, dead-on juniper, eucalyptus and evergreen.

 

exactly.

 

unfortunately, juniper reminds me of gin. and gin makes me quite literally sick.