Old Scratch

[blood*rose*flowers]

Old Nick, the Devil himself, as seen through the eyes of Victorian New England. A jaunty, dapper scent, deceptively genteel: a lavender fougere with tonka, amber, rosewood and a whiff of diabolical patchouli.

In the bottle: Wow not what I would have expected it has a light earth scent. The lavendar is very apparent as is the tonka. This might sound odd but it sort of smells like the Lush store in Pasadena.

On wet: Wow did that Lavendar settle down it is far more subtle to the tonka and touch of what must be the rosewood. And here comes that beautiful amber warming this scent up nicely.

Drydown: This is such a perfectly balanced scent that it becomes difficult to really see any of the individual scents it just becomes one perfect slightly warm scent. Its not super incensy but more a resinious warm scent.

Overall: I admit originally I wasn't drawn to this scent, but wow this is nice. It is not a florally scent in fact it is a well blended spicey warm scent that is nice. I personally just wish it had a tiny bit more throw but that could be just me.

[Lilithlefay]

Everytime I see lavender listed I want to run away, lavender and I don't really get on but I keep trying it anyway, only because Beth has magically been able to use lavender in several of her blends that actually smells wonderful on me. Who knew?

 

In the imp: strong lavender and a little tonka. Eek.

 

Wet: lavender, but it isn't as strong as in the vial. I can actually smell some of the rosewood in this giving it a bit of an earthy scent. The tonka and amber really add some depth and warmth to this.

 

Drydown: I can barely detect the lavender now, but the amber, tonka, rosewood are definately there, and I get a little of the patchouli, it isn't that strong at all. This scent is amazing!!!! I have to agree with blood*rose*flowers and say this is light earthy scent. There is a woodsyness to it, and earthiness but it isn't in your face dark and murky.

 

Final Verdict: Buying a bottle. One of the best earthier scents I have tried. The lavender is so light but it really adds to the earthiness of this. The amber and tonka in here smell heavenly.

[clover]

Old Scratch

 

I think I'm going to have trouble expressing through mere words the awesomeness of Old Scratch.

 

I was wary at first, I admit. Tonka, lavender and amber are not notes that traditionally agree with me. At all. And although I know that fougere means fern, I'm not really sure what it means in perfumery. But I was thrilled to see an imp of this with my Buck Moon order, and decided to try it out first.

 

Sniffing from the imp: Defnitely smell the lavender - and something citrussy. Bergamot? I double check the description...nope no citrus in the description, how interesting. It also smells chilly.

 

Upon application: Lavender, immediately. And then just a few seconds later, this AMAZING scent starts to rise...to seemingly crawl out from beneath the lavender. It's so beautiful, I can't even describe. Slightly peachy, soft, but strong and woody and musky at the same time. At this point, strangely, Old Scratch starts to remind me ever so slightly of Queen Mab.

 

After a few minutes: It keeps getting softer and fuzzier. I cannot tear my nose away from my arm. And it doesn't strike me as a particularly masculine scent, either...defnitely unisex.

 

Conclusion: I'm head over heels in love with this scent. Love, love, love, love, love.

[goddessrobyn]

I am in love with this scent!! The amber is definately prevalent... its warm and inviting... the tonka combines to give a chocolate-y richness... the lavender and rosewood add a but of femininity to it but not enough to make it "girly" just enough to insure that its neither foody nor overly masculine. It has an incensey flair to it as well... reminscent of a NOLA voodoo shop I visited on my trip to Mardi Gras many years ago. I think this is an amazing blend and I'm soooooooooo glad I swapped for it as I will wear this one all the time (cannot stop smelling my wrists... even licked them, but fyi it doesn't taste very good). I also think this would be awesome on the right guy... so I'm going to attempt to get it on my hubby (though he detests being a bpal guinea pig)

 

Beth, you are amazing and totally did it again!!

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 3/5

Summarised in a word or two: Lavender!

 

In the imp/bottle: Citrusy lavender. This is very cool (as in chilly), and very soft. This... doesn't strike me as the scent of the Devil (even if we are talking "through the eyes of" Victorian New England!) so far.

 

On skin, wet: Wow, I... can't place any single note besides lavender. Tonka maybe? I think I'm catching amber, but I can't be sure. No patchouli -- yet, anyhow.

 

On skin, dry: Amber lavender? Tonka lavender? I'm confused! This is very fuzzy/hazy, though. Almost heady. A very complex blend, insofar as combining the notes to form something that really strikes me as a note (a single note) all its own.

 

Conclusion: This is terribly interesting, but I don't think it's for me. It becomes powdery, and that, combined with the lavender, reminds me of deodorant. Oh well.

Edited December 17, 2005 by Aredhel

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Lavender, warm and sweet.

 

Second Impression: I don't love lavender, but this scent could change all that. The lavender starts to drydown and is tamed by the rich and sweet tonka. The longer drydown reveals rosewood and patchouli keeping both the lavender and the tonka from getting overly sweet. I'm not getting any amber, which isn't a bad thing in this case. This is a gentle and lovely scent, one that can be appreciated by both men and women.

 

Final Analysis: I really like this scent. It's much more soothing than I would have thought it to be.

 

Anecdote: When ivyandpeony came round with her imp of Old Scratch the other day, I couldn't smell it in the vial or on my skin. Donna said it was Beth's test, if you couldn't smell Old Scratch then you were the spawn of Satan. She's quick, that one. I can smell it in my bottle and I love the way it smells on my skin. Whether I'm the spawn of Satan, though, remains to be seen.

[shelldoo]

in the bottle: lavander & rosewood

 

wet: lavander in my face very masculine to my nose

 

as it dries it softens amazingly so. it is a skin scent the touch of vanilla like, tonka, a hint of amber a splash of rosewood. w/ a lingering breath of lavander to keep it from being too soft.

 

the wet stage is a bit much for me. but the drydown is worth it. i definitely want to try this on my dh. all in all glad i have a bottle

[ephemera]

I don't recall the exact notes - I tried this several days ago when pranashakti surprised me with an itty bit in the mail (yay!). I do recall thinking that I loved it, wanted to have its babies, and seriously thought of eloping.

[Imbrium]

This is the most feminine lavendar blend I've ever smelled.

 

It does start out as the typical manly sort of lavendar I associate with scents like Villain, but it doesn't stay that way very long.

This is warm and spicy, which I take to be the influence of amber, tonka or both. I say tha tbecause I can't definitively smell either - just their influence. There's a hint of rosewood, and strangely, something like soft citrus. What I don't smell is patchouli, which I have to admit makes me one happy girl.

 

Not a strong scent, Old Scratch is another one of those that fades, and just stays very close to my skin, which is the way I like my prefumes, so I'm thrilled. Not too sweet, not too masculine, this is wonderful.

[sarada]

Add me to the list of people in love with this scent!!

 

I like lavender but it often overpowers all the other notes in a blend for me so I was a little wary. However, having loved Dorian which is also a fougere, whatever that means, I figured this was a safe bet...especially since I am a patchouli-crazed devil-lovin' hippie.

 

This is so much more amazing than you would ever guess, by the notes. I was afraid it would be kind of cologney or floral but it's not...the lavender is strong and noticable but it does not overpower the blend. Tonka is always a good note in any blend though I don't know it well on its own. I think it must be softening the lavender's sharp edge and making it much more of a comforting and lasting scent. Amber helps it to last and disperse and adds a touch of incensy, resiny sweetness. It really loves my skin, too.

 

The patchouli really adds a wonderful base to this, a little dark, a little gritty and a touch of incense. The way lavender and patchouli interact is really breathtaking...the sharp, strong floral is transformed by the woody, earthy base.

 

The throw is amazing and it's an incredible mixture of lavender, resin, sweetness, incense and wood. This is already a favorite -- Top 20 for sure, probably working its way up as I wear it more. It's going to be hard to wait two months for my bottle but I should be able to keep myself busy with my other scents in the meantime! This also would work all year long, day or night, I think. It's a great all-purpose scent with a little bit of everything in it.

[wolfie13]

In the bottle: Lavender

 

Initial wear: Mostly lavender and rosewood.

 

It takes a while on my skin, but after about 30 minutes, this changes dramatically.

The lavender and rosewood remain the front-runners, but the tonka and amber have really shown themselves. The dark vanilla-ish scent of the tonka and the soft resin of amber really sweeten and soften this scent.

 

I think this would be great on a guy - I keep picturing Gary Oldman in his victorian suit in Dracula.

 

It's definitely very unique and has a vintage feeling which I love and makes me keep sniffing, but I can't help feeling it's not one I would reach for that often. It hasn't dethroned my other favorite Bpal lavender scents.

[spanishviolet]

Mmm. A gentle happy glow.

 

I love the scent of lavender, but have long since given up trying to wear it on my skin since it always turns sharp. I think this scent has finally made it possible!

 

At first, it's a warm lavender, bringing up happy nostalgic associations. After it dries a bit, I can smell more of the rosewood (giving it a smooth, burnished feel) and the tonka (more warmth). The patchouli seems to be kind of mixing with the rosewood - a dry spiciness.

 

I seem to be just listing the ingredients here, but all together they're amazing. Classic, ladylike, and warm. Very happy with this imp!

[gothiccastle]

In the vial and wet, smells of pure lavender. Very sharp and strong.

 

Dry, faded lavender. I don't pick up any other notes at all. Quite nice and lovely if you love lavender!

[joseybird]

When I first read the description, I was praying that this was the same lavender that makes Villain so gorgeously delicious but the rosewood terrified me, so I opted for an imp of Old Scratch while I bought a whole 5 ml of Al-Shairan unsniffed. Well, Al-Shairan ended up all cinnamon and patchouli, and my imp was MIA, buuuuutttt....I was gifted with a half-imp of Old Scratch!

 

HOT DAMN this is amazing stuff! The lavender is indeed the same as Villain's, and the rosewood is very very soft and powder-woody....it's the gorgeous amber, pale golden and creamy, that dapples this scent like sunshine on water (the lavender "fern" smells very silky and aquatic to me). I get no tonka or patchouli but...sweet, silken lavender and amber! (I think it's egyptian, but I can't be sure)

 

This is definately gender-neutral, maybe a tiny bit more masculine than feminine, but less colognish than Villain. I adore this

[Muppetk]

Wet: light juniper? pure light juniper?? That's CAN'T be right, I know I was excited about this one... *looks back at the ingredient list* Ah. I can pick out a hint of lavendar and a hint of patchouli. It's definitely a soft lavendar. But mostly that pure "cologne/aftershave scent." Maybe my imp is mislabeled?? (Hmm. nope, just sniffed the imp, the lavendar is much stronger in there.) Maybe rosewood is one that turns on me? I'll have to check back through my old reviews. I think that might be the problem note.

 

Dry: The "cologne" scent has backed off a bit and a stronger hint of the lavendar & patchouli come though giving this a nice spiciness. I can see a hint of why other people would be loving this one. However, the "cologne" note is way too prominent. Phooey.

 

EDIT: an hour or two later this is really nice. That icky cologne note (I still think it's either rosewood or maybe citron, since it's clearly a topnote that dissappeared) is completely gone, and it's left with a lavendar/patchouli beautifully blended with a powdery (probably amber) base. I see why others are loving this. Since the problem note on me seems to be a top note, I'll see how this does aged.

Edited September 22, 2005 by Muppetk

[Thorne]

Man, Satan is smelling really fine these days, between this and Al-Shairan.

 

At first this is all clean, fresh fresh lavander. Really nice. But for those who dislike lavander, don't run in fear! The lavander fades quickly into a swirl of tonka and amber. Absoultely cozy and warming. As it matures on my skin, the amber lingers and blends beautifully with the softness of the rosewood. The patchouli is very unobtrusive, and really only provides a warm base for the other scents.

 

If Hell smells as good as Old Scratch and Al-Shairan, I need to start sinning a lot more.

[LiberAmoris]

Old Scratch is such a yummy and sumptuous lavender blend! I get lots of lavender and rosewood, with underpinnings of tonka and amber. I wouldn't know there was patchouli in here if it wasn't listed in the description.

 

After a while, it's a sweet luscious diabolical lavender, like a sinner's recipe for Lavender Poundcake.

 

More, please.

[Scylla]

In the bottle: Fresh, clean lavender and what I thought was vanilla, but now realize must be tonka.

 

Wet, on my skin: Eeep! I forgot there was amber in this. The big bully amber knocks every other note out of the way at first. Then it calms down a bit and I can smell the lavender and something that reminds me of Dorian, which must be the fougere (fern). But then the amber comes back with patchouli at its' side.

 

On drydown: This is a nice scent, but my chemistry must be really whacked because it smells like men's cologne on me.

[aidenraine]

I expected to adore OS, and I am really surprised!

 

I caught a whiff of tantilizing spice and wood in the imp, but on my skin it quickly became lipton iced tea in a bottle. The lemon kind that is too corn syrupy and sickingly sweet. The tea smell was quite strong.

 

This stage lasted quite a while before it became sort of wooden, like creaky old floor boards and a dusty corner. I can smell the patchouli, finally, and the dusky sort of smell I associate with Magus. Still, that artificial tea is behind it.

 

The drydown isn't unpleasant, but I'm not sure I can take the wet stage of this.

[Undine]

Wow, this is one sex-ay scent. What's particularly odd about that is that the primary smells I pick up are lavender and rose (much less woody than rosewood usually is; it's more Crabtree-and-Evelyn-type rose, but I don't mean that in a bad way). Those two scents can seem the most old-lady of any and indeed there is something in Old Scratch that makes me think of the afore-mentioned C & E sachets or potpourri.

 

Yet! It's sexy as all hell! Must be that warm amber, patchouli, and tonka underneath. I cannot really sense the tonka at all--which I am thankful for, as I am one of the few people in this world that only likes vanilla in moderation. But it must be a predominant ingredient, as this info about fougeres suggests that this scent is clearly an ambery fougere, which relies on a mix of lavender and coumarin. Coumarin seems to be either tonka or closely related.

 

And, did I mention that it's sexy? When I put this on, for a moment it was all lavender, but within a minute all the scents I've described came out and I felt this almost physical reaction. Unfortunately I'm at home and my husband is at work, but if I could hump my own leg, I would. Okay, not quite, but it's pretty incredible.

 

Throw is very strong on first application, then lessens, but is better than your average BPAL on me (generally throw is minimal). If I were to slather like I do with a 5ml, it might be pretty good. I definitely will consider a bottle of this.

 

I do think this is a slightly masculine scent, but only slightly. I'd be perfectly fine wearing it.

 

On my scale, a 4.5 out of 5.

[ChupaChup]

Old Scratch is amazing . I too was afraid of the lavender and it is strong at first, giving this a men's cologne feel, but it calms down very quickly and just blends in with all the other notes. This is similar to Wilde but without the strong lime/citron note. My only complaint is that my skin eats up amber and this blend doesn't last long on me. But it lasts well on my boyfriend so I'll be getting a bottle of it for him. I'm sure I will be borrowing it from time to time.

[tempete]

The lavender fougere in Old Scratch was very prominent at first, giving the scent a generic men's cologne aura. As the scent dries down, the lavender fougere recedes and leaves behind a hint of freshness overlaying the emerging tonka. The amber note adds a bit of depth, while the patchouli note works in a bit of earthiness (I couldn't ever pick out the rosewood note). If Old Scratch stayed like this, I'd be frantically searching for a bottle right now, but it settles down to a distinctly masculine, tobacco-smoky tonka scent that screams "SEXY MAN HERE!!!". Unfortunately, that's not the vibe I'm going for (seeing as how I'm not male), so this one will be headed for the swap pile.

[Blood onmy hands]

I don't get the patchouli or amber from this; it's all lavender fougere with hints of cool, creamy tonka and sour rosewood. The lavender fougere is slightly soapy and has an almost bright, tea-like quality to it. Sometimes I get imps of this that have more of the sour quality that reminds me of vomit (like an imp heavier on the sour rosewood), and other times it's a soapy lavender sweetened with tonka. I don't find it to be a very consistently blended scent, but there are lavenders that I like more than this one anyhow.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Little Bird

[sarahj]

Old Scratch

 

in vial: lavender and amber

 

wet: lavender, amber, and tonka

 

dry: the lavender fades and I am left with mainly amber and tonka...a soft, warm scent

 

verdict: overall a lovely scent...I will need to try again before I decide whether or not to buy a big bottle

 

ETA: I wore this again with slightly different (but equally lovely) results...this time the rosewood was much more prominent and blended with the amber and tonka...wonderful and I think I need a big bottle!!

Edited October 6, 2005 by sarahj

[Sistinas]

a review of Old Scratch

 

Vial ~ genteel is one word for it. It is soft with lavender and I can detect

a slight hint of amber, unfortunately I have no idea what tonka smells like.

The patchouli is soft and not overpowering, in fact if I had not read the

description I would not have guessed it was there.

 

Wet ~ pretty close to what it smelled like in the vial. It is very softly

sweet, this scent is a good one for both men and women alike.

 

Drying ~ The lavendar keeps holding center stage of this scent, but the

underlying tones are what really make it from being just another lavendar

scent. It is soft, but so light that my skin eats up the scent immediately.

 

Dry ~ Someone mentioned that it reminds them of what a lush store smells

like. To me it has this light light smell (is this the tonka?) It almost

reminds me of Prince BBS. This is a nice scent to wear on a light warm day.

It might be more apropos for early summer or late summer.

 

Fade ~ Two and a half hours later, the scent is still there on my wrist,

a bit fainter almost like a lavender powder scent with tiny traces of what

I think is the tonka. Very lovelly indeed.

 

Final thoughts ~ This one is a big winner for me also. I would have to say

it gets a 5, on a scale of 1 to 5.