Bengal

[neuilly]

A sultry and unruly blend that emulates the ambient scent of the markets in ancient Bengal: skin musk with honey, peppers, clove, cinnamon bark and ginger.

There's a fairly strong honey note in the beginning but it fades fairly quickly. Cinnamon is strong and reminds me a lot of chai. I like it...but I don't think I love it.

[Alchemy21599]

I could just write "ditto" b/c I agree with neuilly's review and observations 100%.

[flyingpizza]

Boy, I don't know what it is, but the cinnamon in this just grosses me out. It's not a synthetic Red Hots cinnamon, and it's not a warm cinnamon like in The Lion, it's like a weird, fake, cleaning product scent. I can't quite explain it, but it. does. not. agree. with. me.

 

Bummer.

[metaldog32]

Bengal.....

 

I remember when this first came out...I was just finishing my order and having it process through CC Now when I remembered I didn't check out the Wanderlust update.

 

Once I read about it..I knew I had to purchase a 5ml..no screwing around with an imp. Ginger? Cloves? Pepper? Honey?? I mean this was making me swoon..the perfect fall/winter scent ..I was sure I was in love.

 

So..I have had Bengal on for a week. First layered over my Hetaire scented body cream and then just standing alone. This is what I came up with:

 

Initial sniff from bottle: Two words people:Chai tea. Yep..like many other reviewers before me, this totally smells like a nice hot mug of chai tea..actually it really smells like the actual tea bag before it is steeped. Spicy cinnamon..and no..I do not get the Red Hots association but it is cinnamon strong with a faint kick of ginger in the back. I don't really get the pepper or honey or anything like that yet..but it's early.

 

Applied wet on skin:Cinnamon..and the pepper are here..along with the sweetness of the honey..not very aggressive the honey..just lending some sweetness to temper the cinnamon/pepper duo..and again..it's the ginger in the back. It's almost like wearing chai tea..at first sniff. Spicy sweet. Reminds me of falling leaves and brisk autumn days.

 

Couple of minutes on skin:I do get a slight tingling in my cleavage and everywhere else where I applied..so I don't know if I have an allergic reaction to the cinnamon bark..but I can deal. Cinnamon has actually softened and it's more like the honey and cinnamon with the ginger and the pepper dancing in the background. This really does smell wonderful...kind of cozy and sweet/spicy..

 

It's almost a foody scent..which I don't do..but it has enough of a touch exotic to make it very wearable for me.

 

Drying on skin: Skin musk has now made it's presence known..and it's all a warm melange of the honey/skin musk with soft touches of the cinnamon/pepper/ginger...I really am enjoying the blend.

 

This kind of reminds me of L'Artisan's Tea For Two and I am already thinking about layering the two.

 

Throw on me is medium..if I apply it in my hair it REALLY lasts a long time..and lasting power on me is actually pretty good...about 4-5 hours.

 

Drydown:Warm and spicy sweet skin musk.

 

Bottom Line:Bengal for me is very evocative of fall. It's not the holy grail of fall scents for me but I am thrilled to have the 5ml in my rotation. Spicy sweet goodness that is ideal for sweaters, jeans, long walks under an autumnal sky..nicely done!!

[supremegoddessofall]

Ooh! I like this one very much. The spices and the honey are a fabulous combination - it smells like authentic chai while it's being cooked. I'll end up with a bottle of this eventually.

[emzebel]

This is wonderful - richly spicy and just sweet and creamy enough to sit well on the skin. This is what I had hoped Three Witches might be, and it's in the general catalogue - what could be better?

[forspecial_plate]

Bengal starts out a sweet cinnamon/clove mixture. The ginger and pepper support. Reminds me of a sweeter Port au Prince, with echoes of Silk Road. After a couple hours the honey really comes out on my skin, making it very sweet with a spicy depth. Actually works really well on me. I have so many loved imps to compete with, I don't know if I'll wear it much, but I'll most likely keep the imp.

[sofiaviolet]

It burns my nostrils! Although not my skin, yet ... spoke too soon. Anyway, this is too spicy for me to enjoy or wear. *sigh*

[Iceblink]

On me, this smells almost identical to The Lion. Not that that's a bad thing; I love The Lion. It'll be interesting to see if this lasts a bit longer. Very spicy and warm.

[Monster]

Mmmm how did I miss this one? Wow, Bengal is absolutely gorgeous. This reminds me of a spicier version of Baghdad.

 

On my skin wet this is a rich, deep cinnamon. Not the smell of those red hot candies, but a warm cinnamon stick. As this dries the peppery notes come out quite a bit.....after a while longer the ginger peers out very gently and balances everything to smell almost exactly like chai tea

 

Gorgeous!

 

[jasmine]

In the vial, this is a wash of exotic, faintly sweet spice, but it changes as soon as it touches my skin, immediately becoming...

 

...Play-Doh.

 

So that’s what people mean when they complain about the Play-Doh scent. I see why it’s what comes to mind. It smells exactly like Play-Doh. There is no mistaking it.

 

I have a great respect for the lab, so I’m going to suffer it out for a bit, but... how incredibly disappointing!

 

In addition to being Play-Doh, this oil is stinging. Since I looked straight at my elbow before application and thought, “The skin looks a bit irritated there, I probably shouldn’t do this”, I don’t think I can blame Bengal for stinging. This does, however, reduce the chances that Bengal will stay long enough to morph into something that isn’t Play-Doh.

 

Right: five minutes have passed, and I’ve had it. The Khephra on my other elbow doesn’t hurt, so I think it actually is Bengal’s fault. Off you go, Bengal.

[LadyKitsu]

The reviewers that said it reminded them of chai tea were about right on.

 

To me everything blends very nicely...it smells like dry chai tea...or the spice isle at the grocery store.

 

Just a nice light blend of sweet - spicey - peppery - and "green" all tossed in together.

 

I'm gonna run thru my imp of it, but for now put it on my "bottle" list

[Kitrona]

I love Bengal. It's got the sweet bite of honey, a nip of ginger (one of my favorites!) and cinnamon. I visualize this as a warm, golden smell. The cinnamon doesn't seem to make me itch on my wrists, but cleavage turned bright red within minutes of putting it on. May have to dilute a bit.

[Ilex]

Well, just to be a broken record, it does smell like chai. Specifically, the Celestial Seasonings chai, in the box with the Bengal tiger on it. Not my favorite chai to drink, but it smells good.

 

I was enjoying this one fairly well until my hubby came in and announced, "That perfume smells like urinal cakes." Catching my expression he added, "Sorry, but its true." I think its the musk note that's making it evoke bathrooms for him. And once he mentioned it, I noticed the "cleanser" note too.

 

Throw = fairly strong

Staying power = not so hot, it got faint within an hour

 

I liked this layered with Mandrake, and that made it okay with the hubby too.

[cinderfallen]

It's almost overwhelmingly cinammon when it hits my skin for quite some time--*almost* like Big Red gum (all the heat but no sweetness). When it was wet and drying, I kept getting a strange, musty, almost Band-Aid scent with the cinnamon.

 

About half an hour later, it settled down, mellowed. In effect: chai. However, the inside of my elbow clearly objected to Bengal's presence! Pretty red, there....

 

Then, I got the ingenious idea to layer Dana O'Shee with it! Milky sweet spicy chai! Yum! Irritated skin, what irritated skin?

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the imp: Thick and wet. Honey, clove and cinnamon

 

First on: This is so rich and yummy. A musky honey with cinnamon.

 

After a bit: I know some people veer away from the more gourmand side of things, but this is not too much foody as it is sexy dessert. The spices aren't cloying, the honey and musk aren't overly sweet. This is a wonderful balance.

 

A bit more: This reminds me of a cinnamon icecream I used to adore, true cinnamon, not red hearts crap, with a creamy base of musk and honey and an ever so slight wave of clove and ginger.

 

I LOVE this.

[evilbee]

In the bottle: A sweet spice.

Wet: Oh my god spices! Sugary chai spices – I’m swooning!

Dry: Dry and spicy, sweet, just like honey sweetened chai tea (no milk!). I’m THRILLED with this one.

[AliBabble]

another lovely frimp from the lab, and i'm just loving this. sharp yet intriguing in the imp, on my skin it really sweetens, and reminds me at first of almonds, honey and dust. very shortly after, the clove comes out in a big way, along with the cinnamon - it's got a little bit of three witches going here, but with this lovely golden honey sweetness in the background. i just love this - it's like a spicey, gingery dessert, and - wow. glad i got to try this; it's delightful.

[Gale]

Wet: Spicy, sweet yum.

 

Dry: This is spice heaven! Sweet, spicy, and soft. I'm not sure there is another BPAL spice blend to compare with this one.

 

After three hours: Still there, much softer, but just as spicy and delicious.

 

This is one I bought, and because I hadn't worn it for awhile, sold. Now I have it back, and it's going in a special spot with a little sign--never to be sold. I'm serious. Never.

[ViolentKitten]

Whoa! Honey. Lotsa honey! Niiiiice honey, and it's mixing so nicely with the almond. The spices are very soft and there's a dry tea note. Few minutes later, oooh! This could be the Chai I've been searching for! The spices are a bit stronger now, but not too strong and there’s the skin musk, all softly wisping off the skin. Another 10 minutes later... oh my. This is DELICIOUS! Honey, almond and spices (cinnamon, clove, ginger). I adore the honey note in this, it’s just heaven. But, 20 minutes later, GAH, somehow the spices end up amping up big time along with the almond, and make anywhere I applied it red... and itch like a bastard. Damn. This is still a gorgeous one though and I think I need to try it in a scent locket.

[smallvoice]

To repeat what so many others have already said, this smells like Chai tea. But, somehow, it smells better. It's richer and more complex. The honey is strong and lovely, and I really love this one. This one shall go on my bottles wishlist at once. If you're a fan of spicy-sweet blends, what're you waiting for? Try Bengal!

[maribouquet]

In the imp and wet this smells like spicy cinnamon and chai tea.

 

Ouch! It burns. I had to wash it off as it turned my skin red. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

[themerrybaker]

Bengal is what I wanted Silk Road to smell like. I get a deep wood undertone - so it reminds me of a trunk full of spices on a caravan in far away romantic places.....

 

I can see why this one is such a favorite.

[gingersnapp]

This is soft and spicy. I bought it for the honey note, and though I don't get much of that, I know it's in there kind of holding everything together. This is mostly cinnamon with a hint of clove and ginger, warm and comforting and exotic.

[PirateMaggie]

Wet: unpleasantly sharp cinnamon and disgusting musk. It smells like Red Hots candies and BO.

 

Luckily, this nastiness fades within five minutes--just as I was rushing to the sink to wash it off, in fact--and becomes the warm, comforting chai smell I've been looking for. This really smells like milky chai with honey and extra cinammon. Yum. The ginger is similar to the nice clean ginger in Sudha Segara, the clove and black pepper work to give this blend depth but linger in the background, the musk is soft and warm and really makes this a second-skin scent, and the honey and cinnamon just last and last without becoming cloying. It's sweet, but not overly so, and has just enough throw: it's neither too light or too heavy for everyday wear, though I think it's more of a cool-weather scent. I must have a bottle; Bengal is delicious.