Medicine Show

[Nadirah]

A veritable miracle, I tell you! A scent that soothes the spirit and stimulates both the libido and the mind: tobacco, balsam, ginger, elemi and rosewood, with a touch of opium to fuddle your senses.

Mmm Medicine show. I get vanilla and frankincense with some clove though it looks like none of those are in this! It smells similiar to Lushs Arabian Bright Hair stuff. A winner in my book!

[Caltha]

Medicine Show

 

Got this in a swap with ephemera.

 

Medicine show is an extremely dry scent. Varm, dry, bitter, a bit herbal and citrusy perhaps and quite unpleasant. As it dries it gets a bit soapy/powdery on me. Not very strong but sharp. Interesting and original but too unpleasant for me.

[AlaskaSnows]

In the Bottle: Men's cologne again. It seems like many of the CN scents are male, to me.

 

Dry: This is a weak, watered down scent, on me. I get a very wimpy tobacco and floral. It's just wimpy. I don't like it.

[Fefferbella]

First impression: VERY Medicinal... I didn't think I'd like it at all.

Tested a tiny drop from my imp and let it dry...

 

After a few moments, wow... tobacco leaf and opium poppies. The opium becomes stronger the longer I have it on. It's very nice, but too heavy for everyday wear. There is also a slight hint of baby powder - which usually can't stand, but this is nice-

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): It kind of smells like medicine.

 

Just On: A little spicy, maybe some patchouli?

 

An hour or two later: Hmmm, something in there is almost smoky, but not quite. I can't put my finger (nose?) on it.

 

Around 6 hours: I don't think I was actually getting patchouli, but there's something in there that I associate with patchouli or something. It's starting to fade now.

 

12 hours: It's pretty much gone now. I'm wondering if I should keep the 12 hour category, because so many fade away, but then again, sometimes there's scent left.

 

Overall: It's pretty nice, but again, not my favorite CN blend.

 

After reading other reviews: Oooh tobacco, that's probably what made me think patchouli. I think I need to try this one out on The Mate.

[SeaMonkey]

Tobacco, opium, and rosewood on me.

 

It starts out pretty strong, but when it softens, its really beautiful. I use this to scent my car.

[AngellicMystique]

The tobacco, balsam, and opium amp on my skin in a major way. The scent stays green and oily, but appealing nonetheless.

 

I would have ordered a bottle, but my husband hates it on me, thus thwarting the "stimulates the libido" thing.

[Voleuse]

On first application, this is surprisingly green, warm and leaning towards sweet. I'm not very familiar with most of the notes, but I do detect a note that I think is balsam. As that blooms, there's a stage of dry wood, sweet and a little dusty.

 

After a while, however, all I get is the dryness of wood, and a vague impression of greenery outside. It's not an unpleasant smell, but I had wanted a little more out of this.

[malanna]

I thought this would be more medicinal smelling, which, fortunately, it isn't, but this still gave me a massive headache when I applied. It's one of those scents that smells rather concentrated (as opposed to light). This is actually a clean soap sort of smell on me. I can detect the tobacco, balsam, and ginger. The tobacco is what makes this scent rather sweet smelling, the ginger gives it a bit of bite, and the balsam grounds this one. It does smell rather like a holy scent, somewhat remniscent of Cathedral, especially with the wood undertones.

[merebrillante]

In the vial: Green, like Wolfsbane, with something spicy underneath.

 

Wet: The green and spice notes are more balanced.

 

Drydown: Smoke! Like from a mesquite barbeque. That's bizarre.

 

Dry: Ah, there's the rosewood and ginger, making it nice and warm. This is an incredibly byzantine scent, like Blood Moon in its complexity. I'm holding my wrist up to my nose and inhaling deeply. Gawd, this is gorgeous. Definitely a keeper.

 

ETA:

 

Later: After five hours, this takes on a vaguely "hairspray" smell, similar to what I've seen ascribed to Stardust. It's not offensive, just not exactly pretty either. Of course, it could be my hormones talking through the oil. I'll wait a week and try it again.

Edited January 10, 2006 by merebrillante

[grrrlennyl]

at first: lots of wood.

on: lots of tobacco, ginger, and wood.

1 hour later: all wood.

2 hours later: mostly wood.

3 hours later: pretty much gone. faintly woodsy.

overall: i don't really like this for me.

[aedes]

Oh wow! I love this! I wasn't expecting to, since it's sort of the underdog of the CN, but this is just awesome. I've smelled this before. This exact smell. I had a scratch and sniff book when I was very little, I think it was Christmas-themed. And either the Christmas tree or gingerbread man smelled exactly like this (and isn't it funny that I couldn't say which one it was?). Not to say this smells artificial or anything, but the coincidence is alarming, and it's a good thing.

 

Anyway, I get a warm, snuggly, oh so happy blend of balsam and spices. It's got a good backbone to it, smells very unified and all the scents really work together. I was expecting something much more green, like The Apothecary or something, which I wasn't looking forward to, but this is dark and spicy. And, since its admirers are fewer than other scents, more Medicine Show for me! Whee!

[jewelbug]

A gift from original wacky. Thank you!

 

Imp: Surprisingly citrusy--the ginger, no doubt. Citrus with a kiss of woodsy balsam.

 

Wet: None of the freshness from the imp--Rose soap. Sigh….rosewood/roses, they all go nuts on me. I do get a bit of opium out of this, on top of the rose, but opium doesn't historically agree with me--just not a scent I dig. This isn't at all what I was hoping for (woods/spice/tobacco), but that's cuz my skin chem hates me.

 

Dry: Okay, to be fair, this is more interesting than just straight up rose soap. There is a bit of spice, but still mostly rose. This reminds me of chagrin valley's shea rose clay facial soap, actually. It’s a pretty smell, but not something I personally go for. About an hour in, this gains some incensey tobacco, and gets a bit of a smoky leather smell, along with the overpowering rose. I can smell the promise, but alas, the rose soap will not back down. It keeps getting better further into the dry down, but the rose soap is never quite beaten.

 

Overall: Good throw, still detectable 10 hrs later. Sadly, this was so promising in the imp with the citrusy ginger goodness. But my skin chemistry tends to go nuts with anything "rosey", and this is no exception.

[Aurelius]

Upon application it's a nice, vaguely medicinal scent. Then, hello balsam! From then on it's an almost frothy scent, still with the medicinal background. Not quite for me.

[kunoichi]

I'm not sure where to begin with this one! I can hardly smell it in the vial, but on the little dipping lid thingy it smells like ... something a little bitey, though I've no real idea what it is.

 

On me it goes, over time, a little like All Saints - rose incense - I guess, though it's also a little more savory underneath. It's a rather odd scent, I've got to say!

 

And now that it's over half way through the day (say 7 hours after putting it on), I swear I can smell a faint chocolate smell and nothing else!?!? Or am I imagining things? @_@

Edited May 12, 2006 by kunoichi

[urbanruralferal]

tobacco? where is the tobacco? I bought a 5 ml, my first, because there was no other way (for unconnected and bpal poor me) to try this, and I wanted the tobacco.

I think I smelled it once, but over my repeated wearings of this (I have that ig bottle after all) I mostly get...

LOVE'S BABY SOFT! only a bit medicinal. I like to wear it to bed. My husband, the chemically sensitive does not find it attractive. So it is a secret pleasure buzzing around my head, not my loin.

 

I like it. I find it very soothing and sweet and feminine without being cloying and insecure.

It is an independant 12 yr old who has a healthy mistrust of society. she lives in her own caravan and holds her own. At night she brushes her hair in her cloudy oval mirror by candlelight, but you can't get her with candy. Oh, and maybe she smokes. But only occasionally!

 

ETA: As this aged, the tobacco started to become more prevelant in this. An interesting and pleasant blend, but one I didn't keep.

Edited August 10, 2006 by urbanruralferal

[edenssixthday]

Medicine Show is dry and woody, with only the slightest bit of sweetness coming from the opium note. I think this might make a nice scent for a man, as it’s far too masculine for my taste. I’m not sure how long it lasts, because as with most BPAL scents with tobacco, it becomes noxious after the first few hours, making me very ill, and I have to wash it off.

[Tess]

(Original '05 version) Scents with tobacco I tend to have a thing for, so let's see what I make of this odd little scent.

 

In the vial - I'm getting quite a bit of balsam with rosewood and opium. Yum.

 

Wet - There's some tobaccy for me. The balsam has immediately slipped away into near nothingness, though.

 

Drying - This is truly an unusual and hard to understand scent. It's a combination of dark scents (opium and tobacco) with a touch of green, soapy powderness. It really is pretty soapy on me. I wonder if that's the balsam doing that?

 

Dry (30 minutes) - I keep waiting for this to become something else, but it just won't. Soap, all the way.

 

Overall - Well, if this WERE soap, at least it would be a good smelling one. Too bad, though, that it never got beyond that.

[dragonryder]

This scent is very elusive on me, not quiet sure which scent is coming out when. At times I smell the tobacco, others I smell the rosewood. Strange.......

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Floral tobacco.

 

On me: Oy. I've tried this a few times. The first time, it smelled like rancid, stale, wet, disgusting cigarettes, with a hint of floral underneath.

 

The second time, and now, the third time I am trying this, at a different time in my monthly cycle, I'm getting rich, sensual tobacco flower and roses.

 

Verdict: This is such a weird, weird scent. I don't know whether to hate it or like it. I think I'll keep it for now.

 

Rating: 2/5

[Iona]

In the bottle, I'm having a hard time smelling anything clearly, it’s a very light mix of warm notes.

 

Wet, I smell the tobacco, and a very woodish smelling note. As it dries the strong wood note fades, and this smells quite a bit like Love in the Asylum without the rose, which is most likely the tobacco coming to the front.

 

Dry, I can smell the herbal note that is in every Voodoo Blend, that i have tried, this is only if I push my nose directly against my wrist. Initial dry has a pretty strong throw, as I’m typing I keep getting very strong whiffs of something herbal and slightly sweet. I can smell the rosewood separating itself from all of the rest, I adore the lab's rosewood note, Séance is one of my all time favorites. The ginger has not arrived in the tent yet. it might be behind another tent watching all of the other notes dancing about with just a hint traveling with the summer evening wind to join the others.

 

There is the Balsam. Currently the balsam, tobacco, and rosewood are dancing around in a circle holding hands. I believe the opium is sitting in the middle of the circle, its there but no where near as active as the other three, and ginger is still watching, trying to decide if it wants to join in.

 

The throw is lightening up (yay). I like a strong throw as much as anyone, but this is a pretty warm scent, and it is currently 90 degrees outside, and I am in a very warm attic. I imagine I will love this much more once it is cooler. As soon as fall rolls around I will review this scent again and edit it in. Overall it is a very dry and warming scent.

 

As others have mentioned it is a bit disconcerting and hard to pin down, as well as being a touch masculine. Though, I can easily see this being a cozy winter scent to curl up with in winter. It will also be lovely in layering probably, to add a layer of tobacco.

[Naamah_Darling]

In the bottle this is a subtle, woody scent that is overwhelmingly tobacco and balsam with a hint of ginger.

 

On, it warms up. The rosewood and balsam are very incense-y, and the tobacco and opium give this the feel of a new-age store. From the description, I expected this to be much sharper than it actually is, but this is a very smooth, almost creamy scent. Quite subtle and refined. The tobacco is definitely the dominant note here. I have to say that my experience with the BPAL tobacco blends has been nothing but positive. I cannot stand the smell of cigarettes, even unlit. They make me feel nauseated and dizzy. But the tobacco the lab uses is a sweet herbal tobacco, dry and unsmoked, so it really bears no resemblance to the smells I came to hate after living with smokers for 18 years.

 

This tobacco is a bit stronger than most of the Lab's tobacco blends, and borders on the overpowering, though you have to get quite close in to smell it.

[filigree_shadow]

Medicine Show is strange.

 

When I first put it on my skin I thought it smelled too masculine. Rather strong, green, and yes, medicinal. I think that's the balsam and ginger combination giving it an aniseptic feel.

 

After the top notes faded off, I definitely smelled the tobacco. Nice tobacco, not dirty tobacco. Like a tobacco shop. Then came a woody undertone that I imagine is the rosewood. It's sweet and dry.

 

So it ends up a sweet, dry, woody, leafy scent. I would say that at this point it's not masculine enough for my hubby to wear. It also seems very light now, where at first it was quite strong.

 

I like the scent when it's dry, but it still seems strange to me. It does seem like it might be better in the winter months, so I'll hang onto it and try again in a few months.

[ND¢]

In the bottle: Herby with a hint of spice.

 

On me: The spiciness immediately manifests itself, though I still smell clean wood and greenness. 'MMMM,' I said, putting on more. The spiciness does outweigh the wood, but is such an appealing spiciness that I was pleased about it. No tobacco yet, though the balsam is clear. Elemi is supposed to smell like fennel (thanks, Wikipedia) and I suppose there might be a hint of that. As it continues to dry, it smells less green and more spicy, definitely like opium and light, religious incense as it mellows. It is quite soothing. I didn't get any ginger. Tobacco at the end, as the incense fades. One of the most 'complete' smells I've tried yet. Really fulfilling. I've got to look out for a bottle of this one somewhere.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Oooh, rosewood and opium!

 

Wet: Yum, still rosewood and smoky opium, it's a bitter woody scent. Actually, a little bit too bitter right now, very medicinal.

 

Drydown: Still a very bitter scent, the rosewood is still dominant, with a hint of rose in it. The opium is dark and bitter, and the tobacco is very herbal. Then finally, the bitterness shifts just a bit, letting the sweeter side of the blend come out. It's still very woody and herbal, it reminds me a bit of an artichoke cordial that we used to have. Extreme drydown is stunning, it becomes a beautiful soft floral.

 

Overall: It reminds me of a medicinal potion that would make you retch if you swallowed it on first use, but that you'd finally get used to and manage to stomach because it did you good. It's pleasant on extreme drydown, but the bitter notes are too much for me in the beginning. Very true to its name, though.