Sri Lanka

[odalisque]

Indian sandalwood and cedar, and the dry incense smoke of olibanum, gum mastic, patchouli and myrrh.

This oil is one of my favorites, which I would not have predicted before I tried it.

I was expecting a very dry, woody scent and the spicy sweetness was a pleasant surprise. The myrrh is definitely present and there's the slightest smoky edge. This is not the inside of a cedar chest nor yet a wood-paneled chapel nor yet a trade ship laden with precious lumber: it's woods and resins carefully blended in a fine incense shop (not a headshop, think fine temple incense).

It's not one-dimensional at all, but it's smooth enough to layer well under all kinds of scents (Les Bijoux is a lovely combination, my favorite, and Athens and Brisingamen are nice too). I like to scent my shower oil with it, and my hand cream, so I can be confident that it'll go with whatever scent I wear that day and still not have to be bored by a one-note scent while I oil or use the cream.

It doesn't read as "masculine" at all to me, although undoubtedly a man could wear it with great results. It's full, smooth, voluptuous and warm-spicy-sexy.

If you liked Cathedral but found it a bit dry or masculine, you'll love this. Edited January 4, 2009 by Shollin

[Saya]

In the Imp

Woods, patchouli and herbs. This blend jumps out of the imp at you. It’s very intense.

 

On My Skin

This is heavy on the patchouli with a cedar vibe just underneath it. This smell reminds me of camping in the woods - very earthy.

 

After a Bit

An hour and a half later and the cedar is really coming out. This blend really does smell like camping - cedar, earth, wood and patchouli.

 

Rating 1-5 (5 being best)

Scent - 1.5 Throw - 3 Longevity - 4

Overall (not an average) - 1.6

 

Final Thoughts

Interesting scent, but not something I’d want to smell like. Off to swaps.

[toomuch]

Freshly sawn sandalwood and cedar. A pleasant wood-working shop smell, but not something I want to smell like.

[wstphal]

Just tried this one. I am a latecomer to BPAL Madness....

 

On me, this is woody & spicy. I don't really pick up the patchouli, or at least it isn't like hemp shop patchouli at all. I get hints of the cedar, but it isn't overwhelming. It is absolutely nothing like it smells in the imp. I think I am going to get a 5 mL soon, with my next order.

[WidgetAlley]

Imp: A lovely, sharp, deep black patchouli with sandalwood. I'm not getting cedar or any of the other notes, just that dirty, wooden patchouli incense smell. There might be a touch of something green and sweet way back there.

 

Wet: Oh, there's the cedar! Patchouli, sandalwood, cedar, but with a heavy, smoky overlay. Very, very incense-like, but good, expensive incense, not that cheap fruity porn store stuff. There's myrrh, too, because I'm getting an ever-so-slight salt note, which is one of the things myrrh does on my skin.

 

Dry: This dries down to a dark, sweet patchouli. Pretty, but it's almost a single note on my skin, and I grew out of my SN-patchoui phase in high school.

[Lethran]

In bottle: Oooo! Insensey. Wet: Rich green, woody insense. I’m liking this. The patchouli is understated. This is stunning. The sandalwood and ceder come out blending so well with the other incense. It’s very Asian incense store. This is a total winner.

[donnatron]

Imp: Rich, strong cedar with a bit of sandalwood and patchouli.

 

Wet: On the skin this immediately gets very, very cedar-y. I can smell some of the patchouli in the background and the woods actually seem to be sort of wrestling the cedar into place.

 

Dry: Okay. The cedar still dominates and I don't think there's enough sweetness or contrasting ingredients to make this particularly interesting on my skin. It's smells like a beautiful wooden chest or similar. I don't think it really works as a skin scent for myself but if you have the sort of chemistry that makes wood sing this would deinitely be an interesting, exotic sort of signature scent.

 

Throw: Okay. Very subdued for cedar, actually.

 

Overall: Not my favourite. Glad to have the imp and every once in awhile will probably feel like smelling like this. There is something oddly gripping about it.

[liquidtrance]

The cedar starts out, but much different, much fresher, than in past scents. It could be the patchouli backing it up. The scent is very earthy/woody and dry. Starts getting a wee bit soapy, but that may be the cedar overtaking the rest. I'm happy that this is the only scent where the cedar hasnt turned pencil on me, but I dont think this is yet an everyday wear. Close? Maybe more of a camping scent, haha. Very woody, and earthy. Starts reminding me of the temples in Japan-- which is really cool, but not necessarily something to share with the world via perfume Though it's actually getting a little softer 10 minutes after app. Nice Though the cedar is fighting to poof out more. Best cedar blend yet.

 

Retest. Very green at the outset. Then, a good deal more sandalwood, I think.It really does seem pretty similar to Japan. Strangely smoother than most cedar blends. Its no longer sandalwood, and its not directly cedar...

[EdenIris]

How did it take me so long to find this? I thought I'd toured all the incense blends, and this is gorgeous.

 

Wet: Sweet sandalwood and myrrh.

 

Drying: Sharper scents coming out, possibly the gum mastic and of course the cedar, which goes a bit celery on me at first.

 

Later: This settles out as a lovely, complex scent, more wood than incense but nicely balanced. The patchouli is just underneath, barely registering.

 

This goes on the list with Kathmandu, Penance, and Cathedral as scents that I may not need entire bottles of, but of which I will always want at least an imp. On me, this is a great everyday scent, not too heady or headshoppy, with a decent throw.

 

[rayvn1]

I love incense blends and this one is fantastic! The wee drop of oil I have testing on my wrist is giving off a rich and spicy smell I can imagine this will layer really well with other oils that need an incense kick with my skin chemistry.

[sarajane]

MYRRH! and PATCHOULI! are both here. Needless to say, that's all I smell here.

[Seismogenic]

Sri Lanka was the suggestion of a friend who has generally had an excellent track record of suggesting oils I might like. With that track record on her part, and with my general good luck with Wanderlusts, I figured I should order it and test it!

 

In the imp: Dusty incense with a backdrop of cedar and sandalwood. Fortunately, this does not seem to be the sort of sandalwood that makes me sneeze.

 

Wet on skin: Mostly sandalwood and patchouli, with a bit of cedar still there, and now a more resinous backdrop. It's quite strong.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry, the whole thing has calmed down a little, and the sandalwood and patchouli are letting the cedar stick out a little more again. It's still essentially strong smoky incense, though. At one hour in, it's back to being a mix of sandalwood and patchouli incense. I'm really not getting any of the other notes.

 

Five hours later: Fainter overall, but still a very incensey mix of sandalwood and patchouli. Not so much smoke anymore, though, but rather the incense sticks themselves before they've started burning.

 

End of the day: Faintly and indistinctly earthy.

 

Overall: The scent of this reminds me a lot of the scent of The Coiled Serpent, which I was horribly allergic to. I guess the fact that the sandalwood in Sri Lanka is red makes all the difference! Both of those oils give off a definite Indian Grocery Store vibe, but that sort of scent world isn't far off from hippie head shop, either. I think this oil smells good, but it's much more of a scent that I'd want to smell in a place than on myself. Though I guess that's kind of the point of Wanderlusts, to smell like places and all...

[Dymphna]

In the imp: Hmm, there's something weird here. I do smell the sandalwood, which was my reason for ordering this, and I smell the cedar (which I generally fear, but it doesn't smell like pencil shavings yet), but there's also something rather soapy and almost green in a sour kind of way.

 

Wet: Initially, it's that sour green scent (maybe that's what mastic smells like, since that's the only note with which I'm unfamiliar) backed up by cedar and sandalwood. The woods start to take over almost immediately, though. Huzzah! Now if only the sandalwood will win over the cedar, I'll be a happy camper. Guh, that sandalwood is glorious!

 

Dry: As it dries, I'm smelling the powderiness of frankincense and myrrh (could be either or both, as they both tend to go powdery on me sometimes) but the sandalwood is still strong. I don't know why I've been on such a sandalwood kick lately, but I've been absolutely CRAVING it, so I couldn't wait to try this scent. The cedar has moved into the background, and the mysterious sharp/soapy green note is gone, so now it's just a battle between the frank/myrrh powder and the lovely sandalwood. They really are fighting it out. One minute I smell like powder, the next I smell like sandalwood. I think the cedar is backing up the sandalwood, for which I am grateful. Thank you, cedar, I'm sorry I expected you to smell like a pencil sharpener. In the end, this turns out to be a sort of sandalwood-frankincense blend. They keep switching off for first place, but after a couple of hours, sandalwood wins.

[ian]

i bought a bottle of Sri Lanka on ebay and it arrived today! my first bpal! this is my first review so im not sure how sophisticated my scent palate is but here goes...

 

in the bottle: earthy and very dry, almost dusty

 

on me: smells a little sweeter on my skin but strikes me as a maculine scent, the cedar and patchouli are dominant notes. there is a sort of powdery sweetness underneath. i really like the cedar

 

later: the cedar note has faded which makes me sad, most of what i get now is a muddle of incense and whifs of patchouli

 

much later: has faded to a very soft sweetness, now for some odd readon, it kind of reminds me of perfume a grandma would wear

Edited August 4, 2009 by ian

[tajana]

I tried this a while back and sold/swapped it away... I was frimped with this again recently, so I decided to give Sri Lanka another try! Wet it's mostly patchouli and dry sandalwood with even drier cedar. As it dries down the woods stay very dry and austere, and the patchouli stays relatively low, but the myrrh swells up and adds resinous sweetness further on into the dry-down. A little bit powdery, a little bit smoky. I'm also getting tiny whiffs of frankincense (olibanum?) here and there. I like the smell, but not as a perfume to wear on the skin... it feels like a smell for a place, not for a person.

[Indigo78]

Wet: Cedar. Gerbils of my youth. There's a dusty note in there as well, I think sandalwood... but mostly just getting heavy-duty cedar chips right now.

 

Drydown is myrrh. Churchy. The cedar to myrrh thing is kind of awkward on my skin, but it's very pretty.

 

The cedar's all but gone after 20 minutes. Somehow it makes me think of rural Arizona rest stops... very dry. This is a weird and baffling blend on my skin, but it doesn't smell bad. Just different than my typical fare.

 

edit: This dries down to a lightweight version of its former self. Gentle throw & about a 2 hour (noticeable) wear length, on me.

Edited August 9, 2009 by Indig0

[ladyhyacinthe]

Someone mentioned this is like Anne Bonny's twin brother...I agree with that statement.

 

Wet, I get a whiff of patchouli, sweetened by something...can't quite make it out.

 

As it dries, the cedar and sandalwood come out a little bit more, but the patchouli stays the main scent. It might be the cedar or possibly the myrrh doing this, but I also get a hint of dry underground scent from this - like in a clean, cool cellar.

 

After drydown, it doesn't change much on me, except that the hint of underground-cellar turns into a hint of burning sealing wax, for some reason. It's not unpleasant, but it is a bit odd.

 

Not much throw after drydown...I have to stick my nose right on top of it in order to get anything.

 

Overall, a very nice woody scent that I could see being very gender-neutral.

[ImperatrixMundi]

Someone mentioned this is like Anne Bonny's twin brother...I agree with that statement.

 

Yes, definitely similiar to Anne Bonny, which is red sandalwood, frankincense and patchouli. But the added notes in Sri Lanka make it more woody and spicier, I'd have thought it has some cinnamon if not for the notes. While cedar normally is my nemesis and makes me smell like pencil shavings it is very well-behaved here.

Wet it starts rather sharp with a blast of patchouli but the resins get soft and powdery after a short while and the patchouli is noticeable but not overwhelming, it adds a bit of depht to the very dry notes. A very mellow, comforting scent after a while, very warm and dry. It really does not make me think of Sri Lanka, it makes me think of an old, dusty library with wooden shelves and air heavy with soft incense.

I like it. Actually I wanted a bottle of Anne Bonny but now I think I'll go for this instead because it is stronger, fuller and a little more complex

 

[heathercaley]

This is a lovely manly incense scent. Cedar and sandalwood for sure. It's slightly sweet and dry, and I smell more myrrh than patchouli. As it dries down, the myrrh seems to be calming down a little bit, but the cedar is still popping at the top. Cedar is one of those notes that I've grown to love over time. Very nice, and it would smell excellent on the manimals.

[strahlend]

First sniff – woods. Pretty, pretty woods. Incense. Head shop. Herb store. Wood boxes and incense resin and dry woodsy herbs.

 

On my skin - I smell like the inside of a beautiful wood box that had herbs in it....I think it's the myrrh but it could be the gum mastic that gives this just a little edge – and I'm liking that... the incense smoke with the woods is just perfect. I'm liking this a lot more than I thought I would. I'm really in the mood for incense right now and this scent is PERFECT. Often I've smelled this type of scent that's ruined for me by something sickingly sweet like clove or something. This is what I always want those scents to be. How did I overlook this one for so long? I thought it was just another nice patchouli blend, but it's so much more than that. Sri Lanka just made it to the top of my must buy a bottle NOW list.

 

[laslibres]

Very sandalwoody, smoky, incensey. Yeah, I think "dry incense smoke" is the most apt descriptor here. Very woodsy and smoky, but with something kind of resinous and sappy as well, maybe that's the gum mastic. Sort of sweet, sticky. There are several different textures going on here.

 

This does smell quite a lot like what I'd expect India or Sri Lanka to smell like...the incense smoke and offerings from several temples crowding out into the street all at once. It's interesting...sort of murky, but definitely very intriguing. I feel like if I used this in an oil burner it could make my house smell like some kind of mysterious temple or an opium den where weird things could happen. Ooh!

[milica]

Another winner in the temple like scent group!

 

I've been wearing Kathmandu a lot lately and I think they are in the same category, but diferent. It evokes the same image of meditating monks in a temple and inscence smoke all around them, but the inscence is different because the origin and the landscape is dfferent.

 

To me, Kathmandu is a bit sweeter and stronger in cedar, Sri Lanka is a bit earthy and I think stronger in sandalwood. Either way, if you like Kathmandu, you must try Sri Lanka, and vice versa. I love them both and will be wearing them a lot, I love how they turn out with my skin chemistry.

Edited June 20, 2010 by milica

[CitizenBree]

Dry and woody. Mostly cedar. Also get a bit of wet cedar. LIke wood chips in the rain. Another pleasant smell but still not really something I want in a perfume.

[occurs]

mmm this reminds me of red clay and gunsmoke. and definitely a cedar forest before rain. i absolutely adore it! i smell the myrrh the patchouli is so well blended it does not stand out in the blend. it's dirty, unusual, yet sophisticated!

[SophieCedar]

Dry sandalwood resins and spices. Makes me feel rather mysterious...! It also has a clean cedar edge to it. If I owned this when I was 18, when I had little concern about over-stinking my environment and more concern about manipulating my surroundings to something more dreamy, a bottle of this would have been GONE in about a week.

 

ADDED Oct. 26:

 

Wet: mmm. warm dry indian sandalwood and cedar. I feel like I'm sitting next to a warm fireplace with incense burning in the other room.

Drydown: this one is pretty steady. same here.