Dee

[Lethran]

... His scent is soft English leather, rosewood and tonka with a hint of incense, parchment and soft woods.

This is somewhere between Aziraphale and Jolly Roger. Gentle and scholarly with a hint of kink. It is a mild smelling one, but a scent that does indeed invoke a pretty scholar boy surrounded by an old fashioned library full of polished wood shelves and old tomes smelling faintly of ceremonial incense. This one's definitely a keeper, sexy, but less likely to drive me to distraction than, say, Crowley, Jolly Roger, Herbert West, or Vicomte de Valmont.

[greymatter]

To me, this smelled like a bit of Old Spice + leather. Very masculine, but also stereotypical. I have a friend who absolutely loves it, though. She says it's "spicy" and she likes it a lot. *shrug* To each his/her own, yeah?

[aClearInferno]

Dee.

 

.First Impression

Incense, something almost chocolate-y/vanilla-y (probably the tonka), and a little cedar. Slightly sharp, warm, and musky/masculine.

.Laters

The chocolate-y/vanilla-y something is creamy on the skin, and the musk/incense carries a teensy licorice feel. Cedar/woods note grows as it dries.

.Last

Dee was one of my early favorites, and no one has been able to dethrone him yet. Best for inspired days (a "writing" day for me), when some deep thinking is in order.

Edited October 30, 2007 by aClearInferno

[n3m3sis42]

In the imp:

Men's aftershave (sorry), but not necessarily in a bad way.

 

Wet:

Sorry, still men's aftershave.

 

Dry:

I guess my nose is broken because I can't pick out any of the individual notes in this blend. It really does smell like a musky men's aftershave, but without the yucky alcohols. I may need to try it again when it's not that time of month. In the meantime, I think this one really need to be tried on my hubby.

[Ravenclaw79]

Imp: Harsh and manly

 

Wet: Like men's cologne, fresh-smelling, then a bit soapy

 

Drying: Calmed down into something softer but still manish. I'm not really getting the parchment, which saddens me, 'cause that's what I was hoping for. I may try this one again some other time ... it might be too manish for me, but there's something a little sweet-spicy in the background that catches my interest.

[Iceblink]

Very sweet on me. I'm guessing it's the tonka? I can't pick out the individual notes well with this one, really--it smells very dandified and fancy-laddish, in a good way. Strong strong throw too.

[Sushi-n-Sake]

Wet: Old Spice? Definitely a Grandpa's cologne. I put the imp in the reject pile, but then...

 

Dry: Aha, here is the scent of leather-bound, dusty tomes. Now I can't stop sniffing my wrist. *returns imp to keepers pile*

[megank4]

This is a scent that I would never have bought or knowingly swapped for. Leather? Hell no! Even though I like tonka, there was no way I wanted to give it a try. I received it as a frimp of course, and tried it today for the first time. It didn’t really smell like anything to me in the imp. After application, I can now smell it very well. It is just as everyone says- slight masculine or gender-neutral, libraries. It makes me feel like a sexy librarian (though this could also be due in part to my outfit of the day: glasses, skirt, tights, and boots). I might have to try a sneak attack and dab this on DH, perhaps while he is sleeping. Otherwise, I don’t see him taking too kindly to my trying to dab him with a small plastic wand of essential oil…. We’ll see.

At least this one seems to last a long time, unlike some other blends from the lab. Imp: definetely a keeper. Bottle: To be determined.

 

ETA: (Oct 2008) Well, this is def. bottle worthy. It is the scent that I get the most compliments on. I can't wear it all year around, but it is a great Fall/Winter scent. Definetely "sexy librarian", and I can't imagine it on a man.

Am reading the book "The Queen's Fool" with John Dee in it, I didn't realize it was the same person! OKay, it is doubly great.

 

ETA: (Nov. 2013) Finishing up my 2007 bottle, and now only have my 2009 bottles. It definitely gets better with age, thicker, more deep. Need to buy a few bottles every year and just stockpile them for use five years later. Same with Snake Oil.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Megank4

[scarletgenesis]

Forgive my crude review notes. This is the first thing I've received from BPAL and I am very excited to post my impressions.

 

 

In the bottle- Kind of sharp and spicy. Nice, though

 

Wet on wrist - There's a bit of masculine sweetness here, mixed with some musty exotic scent.

 

Dry and later - the sweet and musty scent remains, with notes of something darker. I am in love with this scent. It gave me shivers as it dried on my wrist, and makes me want to do naughty things in a used bookstore. Oh yes!

 

I put this on just a tiny bit (like 1 drop on each wrist) right before bed, and could still smell it faintly this morning when I awoke.

 

I am going to use it a few more times, and if I still love it, I plan on trying Crowley.

 

Edited to add: I put a bit more on today. It has just dried and there is a definite scent of something like a woodburning fire with leaves. Delicious!

Edited December 23, 2007 by scarletgenesis

[ophidiae]

IN THE BOTTLE: Leather, wood and incense.

 

WET ON SKIN: Body-warmed leather, plus something smokey and sweet that I can't quite place.

 

DRYDOWN: There's a rose note in there somewhere, probably from the rosewood. Normally my skin amps rose like whoa, but this stays subtle and soft, more like a wild briar rose than a cultivated tea rose. Beneath that is leather again, and parchment, plus that same smokey-sweet note I can't put my finger on. I suspect it's the tonka, but I'm coming down with a cold and so can't be sure.

 

DRY: More of the same, and damn, it's GOOD. I have no idea what the historical John Dee was like, but the man conjured up in my head by this scent is dead sexy. Wow. This one is definitely worthy of a full bottle, and if I could get the guy to go with? That would be even better.

Edited January 6, 2008 by ophidiae

[steelgossamer]

This, like many of the leather and incense blends, is a huge hit with me

 

In the bottle: Strongly masculine and sharp

 

Wet: Leather! Rosewood! Incense! Very strong, very masculine, and kind of comforting .

 

Drydown: The wood and incense bring the leather down a notch and the tonka comes through a bit as well. It's really lovely and a soothing scent for me.

 

This is a keeper and I may end up buying a larger bottle when I run out of the imp. *sniffs self again* Mmmmm...

[jparrack]

Wet: complex, woodsy and slightly astringent. The incense barely comes through.

Dry: I'm still not getting leather, but the woodsy, spicy scent is nice. Kind of a warm, dry rosemary sort of smell.

Verdict: I don't love it, but I certainly like it.

[Nightroad103]

In the bottle: Leather is the strongest note, to my nose. I can't really smell much of the rest, but a hint of rosewood.

 

On me (I can't say as for wet vs dry, as this was a couple of days ago that I wore it so I don't remember anything but dry): I can't smell the leather or the tonka, except for perhaps just a hint. The incense and rosewood are most noticeable.

 

The incense got to be a little much for my liking, but it's still one I'll wear again; I'll probably end up buying a bottle whenever the imp runs out.

 

 

Revisited, 05/03: I can smell the rosewood more with the leather in the bottle.

 

Wet on me: the rosewood is still strong, with the parchment, woods, and leather coming in second.

 

Dry on me: The rosewood is the top note, parchment, woods, and leather after that, and the tonka brings just a whiff of sweetness to it. The incense isn't coming up very strongly today -- I wonder if when I wore this before it was at a weird time for my body chemistry, because this scent is awesome and I should really think about wearing it more often.

 

 

ETA, 06/27: I have come to the conclusion what Dee smells like on me: an awesome library. Old books, some leatherbound, a bit of incense, the room they're in -- the shelves, the furniture...

 

I love this scent. I definitely need a big one.

Edited June 27, 2008 by Nightroad103

[galleywest]

In the imp: leather and incense. More incense than anything else. Smells like church!

 

Wet, on me: overwhelmingly churchy. I don't get much else.

 

Dry, on me: still just incense. Possibly some leather and wood in there, but it's far too masculine and clerical for me.

 

As a side note, I gave this to a friend who sorta liked it. About a month after I got it she tried it again and it smelled completely different on her than either of us remember. It was sweet and warm on her. I tried it again and this time it actually reacted with my skin and gave me a burning, itchy, angry red patch on my hand where I put it. Yeah, this one doesn't work on me at ALL.

[waternight]

In the imp: rosewood and incense

Wet: Rosewood and incense, very faint hint of leather and a bit of tonka. Now the woods are amping gently. This really is evocative of an old study or personal library, all gentle wood, leather, and parchment, where incense has just been extinguished. The leather is soft, warm, and brown, like a favorite saddle or a pair of breeches. This is soft and comforting and sexy. A gentle musk is present, and a dusty note creeps in. Sexy librarian indeed.

Dry: The musk wanders a bit too closely to red musk, and the incense amps. I like this, but it's not for me.

[donnatron]

I stumbled across the description of Dee in my hunt for a less headshoppy Caterpillar. I knew that if it didn't work out on me then it would be proof that there is no God and I better start reading up on my Sartre.

 

Imp: Uh oh. I was expecting warm and woodsy and bold. I get... thin, generic men's cologne. Kind of reminds me of my good friend St-Germain. Iffy.

 

Wet: Sharp! Very, very sharp and I'm not quite sure what notes I'm identifying. Again, sort of a generic men's cologne scent, but the incense is coming out and I can smell the rosewood.

 

Dry: So very worth it. Bold incense tempered by wood, sort of dusty smelling and overall very sexy. The Caterpillar's academic cousin. I could see this working out on a man but he'll have to pry the imp out of my cold dead hands first.

 

Throw: Great! I have it on the back of my hand and it is wafting up around my head as we speak.

 

Overall: Dee, you're everything I dreamed you were and more. I want bottles and bottles of you to stash around the house for secret pick me ups throughout the day. Sort of like when Melissa Joan Hart was on Cribs and showed all the weird places she had gin hidden. But with Dee.

 

ETA: Wore this to a party last night. Late in the evening we were all tipsy and I had my arms around a friend. She kissed my wrist I smelled so good/she was drunk. Good lasting power, Dee. You and I will meet many times in the future.

Edited March 10, 2008 by paperrose

[Dracoo9]

Dee is very similiar to Jolly Roger but the leather is fainter in Dee.

 

Dee has earned a lot of respect from me because it is the only scent so far with insence and woods that hasnt gone and become a dry, overpowering scent but becomes a woodsey and soothing scent.

 

Despite that I actually really like Dee I dont think its something I would wear and I have Jolly Roger as a replacement.

 

3.8/5

[LadyLuckDoubt]

Just recieved my imp today!

 

In the Bottle

Oooh! Leather and wood! Nice!

 

On Me

Well, something that yummy-smelling begged application, so... I had to.

 

Initially, just like in the bottle, I'm getting a strong leathery, woody smell-- vetiver and cedar with a hint of incense. (Kudos to Beth on an incense smell that works for me!!!) It is a classy gentleman scent, and works beautifully for the concept. It actually makes me think of an ex of mine, who was an academic-- he never was into fragrances, but for some reason I'm associating this with him and smiling fondly. It's manly, but it's manly in a refined, tidy sort of way. There's a hint of something that smells like Lagerfeld's Photo, too, which my Dad wore-- and Drakkar Noir, which is gorgeous and sexy. But the cologney notes are overpowered by the vetiver (which is very gentle compared to a lot of vetiver blends) and the smoky woodiness. And I'm getting the "parchment" note-- makes me think of high levels of old libraries which are near-empty but crammed with old books. UUUUURGH! This is honest-to-gawd, one of the most AWESOME smells EVER.

 

 

 

So, anyway... the leather dies down on me pretty quickly.

 

Half an hour later, what am I left with? A glowing, warm smokey ambery scent, which is absolutely to die for.

 

Seriously, this perfume is bottled sex. In the bottle it's so awesome I almost think it's going to be crap on people, but nope-- it works, too. It's got a decent throw, too, and seems long-lasting. It also seems to be one of those ones which is going to morph a lot given who's wearing it: I can't wait to try this on other people and see what it does to them. I'm amused that it's so sweet and warm and pretty on me, yet it's still staying utterly sexy and amazing.

 

 

I NEED A 5MLER OF THIS STUFF!!!!

[iheartbooks]

I really wish that I had a boyfriend so I could give him my imp of Dee. It would smell wonderful on a guy... on me, it's men's cologne. I like how it smells, but I would rather smell it on my SO than on myself, since it's far too masculine on me.

[fairnymph]

Light amber oil. Slightly sweet from the tonka and leather, definitely incensey, a little soapy-cologney (in a bit of an herbal way), and plenty of dry woods. The leather is indeed light and I'm not sure it's the typical De Sade style leather. Also vaguely floral and rosy from the rosewood.

 

Softer, less syrupy sweet and less drily woody; more floral (rose, especially, but a gentle rose) and more of the parchment and leather. I'm surprised by how clean and fresh this scent is. The leather note is definitely not the De Sade note, nor is it the note from Dead Man's Hand - it reminds me more of the note from Poe and Sacrifice - a subtle, sweet, suedey leather.

 

Sweeter and sweeter - I fear this tonka is amping out of control as it often does. Also, I think this is the same incense note from Black Lace, which especially in the newer version goes soapy on me, too. The parchment (which is almost grassy or green, quite surprisingly fresh and leather notes are so lovely, though, and I get some white sandalwood that's softly musky. I don't even mind the rosewood - it's not too dry or dusty here, and I like its slight rosy floralness.

 

But the tonka and incense - blech. Also, this oil is extremely slow to dry. Super sweet woody leather and parchment with soapy incense and a rosy-floral tinge. I really like the leather note in this - it's very wearable, a skin-close scent. Pretty unisex overall a blend, I'd say. Good throw and decent longevity.

Edited March 10, 2010 by fairnymph

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Soft leather

 

Wet: I'm seeing a sexy dad. Maybe he teaches english at a college and carries a briefcase, but on the weekends he drives

a convertible and has a soft old brown leather jacket. He's at least 45 years old and wears glasses to read.

 

Drydown: This is a wonderful scent, I can smell the leather, the rosewood and the incense, parchment and woods. It's beautiful and would be great on a guy.

3.0 outta 5

[Reaver]

Quite like Doc Constantine, to my nose, but Doc C is worth the few extra quid. This is quite a simple blend, but sexy. It's woody leathery incense, sweetened up slightly or made 'thicker', if you will, by tonka. You almost want to nuzzle this scent, and it clings so close to my skin that I kinda have to to sniff it. It's gentle and snaking and catches you quite unawares. The incense is sweet and smoky and not strong at all.

 

Conclusion - Going to the boyfriend, but I would keep it for myself except I have the Doc Constantine hoard!

8/10. Yum.

[Nimthiriel]

Initial impression:

Woody, dry – incense and old bundles of paper covered in dust, but almost with a light floral quality to it. I'm intrigued!

 

First on:

It's all wood and leather on me in its wet state – it's almost kinky.

 

Dry:

After about 10 mins into the drydown, it's a woody scent with a hint of leather and parchment. It's lovely – very librarian!

 

Another 20 mins later, it's still heavy on the leather and wood, with a tiny hint of tonka thrown in. It's very masculine.

 

Finally:

I wish it was a bit less masculine, but still woodsy and ”book-like” - I like it, though. Unless I come across something else in the same vein, I think this shall be my secondary Seshat scent. Divine Librarian and all.

[sofaking6]

I had the same experience as some reviewers above; namely that on wet, I get men's cologne, but dry, I get gorgeous woodsy leathery sex. It is a slightly masculine scent and I do think I'll enjoy it more on my bf than on myself, but for those ladies who prefer something less feminine it is really lovely once it passes the wet-cologne phase.

[Coldfire]

This was a frimp from a deal I did with LunaSea:

 

 

 

Imp: Rosewood! I love the rosewood. Barest hint of

the other softwoods and some tonka. Am not catching the leather.

Wet On Me: Masculine but I love it! Like an old cedar chest

you found in your grandparents attic. I detect a slight tang...tonka?

Drying Down:more woody goodness. now reminds me

of my late daddy's old wood workshop. Smells ancient and mysterious.

Dry: Total love and bliss. I want to slather it on me and

my fiance. Woody goodness with a hint of incense to cut it. To me this

is nirvana!

 

MUST. BUY. BOTTLE! That is all.