Greed

[sarahj]

Greed

 

Base and earthy, yet glittering with golden notes: patchouli, heliotrope, copal and oakmoss.

 

in vial: patchouli plus a medicinal smell...a smell that reminds me of the way a hospital smells...not a very promising start

 

wet: the hospital smell quickly fades...I smell patchouli softened by some of the other notes (I am not familiar with heliotrope or copal, so I can't pick them out)

 

dry: the oakmoss has become more apparent

 

2 hours later: this has turned very powdery on me

 

verdict: probably not for me, but I will try again at a later date, just to be sure, before swapping

[Penance]

First sniff:

 

Almonds? No one said there would be almonds in here... Please tell me my nose is playing tricks on me. I'm going to give it a shot, though. I've been wanting to try this, no sense giving up now.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Yep, that's almonds all right. Call me stupid, but I'm going to stick it out and hope it goes away like it does in Snake Oil. Hope springs eternal, I guess...

 

Dry down:

 

No more almonds! It actually reminds me of newly minted money now, kind of papery and dry with a green, earthy undertone. I have no idea what it is that I'm smelling that's provoking that association, but it's unshakeable. There's also a faint powderiness to this, although I'm not sure if it's my chemistry creating it or if it's part of the blend.

 

The bottom line:

 

Once I get past the wet stage, I really like this one. It's not something I'd wear every day, but I can definitely see myself wearing it every now and then.

[Shollin]

First sniff: Quite a contrast – earthy resins underneath, but sparkling gold above. My nose doesn’t know all the notes, but really likes this. Greed is somewhat reminiscent of the deep brown scent of Lush’s Middle Earth soap… but with a twist of something brighter that I can’t identify (I want to call it lime, and I know that ain’t right).

 

Wearing: On my skin it smells like the part of Malediction I liked – the deep earthiness that couldn’t quite ground Malediction’s sharp cedar. There’s a hint of sharpness, but mostly it’s earthy dark patchouli wonderfulyay. Unfortunately, it goes sharper as it dries, and whatever incensey thing that’s in here and doesn’t like me starts asserting itself. Drat.

[helarctos]

On me, Greed smells divine. I don't get the metallic or the acrid scents that some others have mentioned in this thread.

 

The patchouli submits to the copal and oakmoss; the heliotrope blends it all together for a lingering sweetness.

 

It's the first BPAL scent that has led my husband to ask "What's that scent you're wearing?" When I told him it was Greed, he said that was an odd name for it. It didn't smell like greed at all to him.

 

I think the oakmoss may be what makes this smell very good for me. There is a Meditation blend made by Dynamo House that I love, which has oakmoss in it.

[sarada]

Greed is decidedly different in the bottle than on the skin -- although I mainly smell copal when I take a sniff, I have waved it in front of other people and had them describe it as candy-like, and one person did say it smelled just like maraschino cherries when I asked for their opinion.

 

But on the skin there is none of that sweetness, it all turns to a delicious golden powder that reminds me of the copal incense I like (the sticks are even gold!) When applying it I wish that it came in the form of a thick glittery gold paste that you could spread on your arms and watch them sparkle! It smells like gold that has been gathering dust. The initial pungent sweetness burns off very quickly for me, and this stuff lingers for a long time -- very rare for me, since I tend to burn off all but the strongest scents within a couple of hours!

 

The patchouli lends it a darkness but it's not one of those scents where the patchouli stands out. I think the oakmoss must blend with the patchouli to neutralize it's strength. It's more the earthy base of the scent, which grounds the wispiness of copal and the flourishes of heliotrope. I'm not sure what heliotrope smells like on its own but perhaps that is the sweetness that comes out at first?

 

This is a favorite of mine, nonetheless, and I will definitely get another bottle when my 5 ml runs out!

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Patchouli and oakmoss. I'm not sure if these notes are the strongest or if I just pick them up because I'm familiar with them. For example, I haven't a clue what 'copal' is.

 

On me: Definitley a scent of the earth. I smell smoky dirt (that's how I would describe patchouli to someone who has never encountered it before) and wood. There's a bright note sparkling amongst the darker notes - I think it may be heliotrope. It's like a gem sparkling while incased in stone deep in a mine.

[shelldoo]

i wish i was more familiar w/ the notes in her besides pachouli

 

first out of the bottle wow it is strong doesn't taek a lot.

 

on dry down it i slovely and different from anything i have ever smelled the patchouli is in the background i can barely make it out but this lovely golden smell is wafting around me i don't know which note it is but to me it seems very intertwined and i loove it

 

5ml of it when the 2 imps r gone

[Ishtar]

When I first smelled it in the imp, I was a bit worried about Greed: it smelled so sharp and medicinal that I wondered if there was vetiver in it, a note that does not overly like me...

 

Fortunately, as soon as I applied it, Greed turned into a completely different scent: earthy patchouli with a touch of something woody. I quite like it!

 

The drydown is simply lovely, quite soft, a little on the powdery side. The oakmoss is coming through now, as is the higher, brighter heliotrope note.

 

To me Greed did not really evoke greediness or anything negative for that matter... unless it is BPAL greed we are talking about, in which case it definitely does a fine job as the more I smell it, the more I want a big bottle of it!

Seriously though, this may well be the ideal patchouli blend for me... and believe me, that's saying a lot for someone like me who would not even touch patchouli with a ten foot pole before finding BPAL!

[fairywingmaker]

Heliotrope is really a pretty scent! Very sweet on my skin. The patchouli is right under the sweetness, and after wearing awhile I can pick up just the tiniest of the oakmoss. I'm not sure about copal...I don't know what that smells like. I like this scent, although I'm not sure if it's what I consider the "scent" of greed.

[tsarina]

When I read the lab's description of Greed, I took it for poetic imagery. But to my surprise it's an apt and fair likeness. This scent does have bright, glittering notes to it. It's very warm, and smells strongly of oak to me. For my own bit of poetry, it's smell of stumbling across a pile of heavy gold coins at the base of a tree somewhere far from all places.

[sagitare]

I received this via swap from moonpuff and I'm so glad I did! I absolutely love Greed. You can smell the earthy patchouli in the vial but once on the skin that quickly disappears, to be replaced by a beautiful soft, sweet powdery scent, with a hint of the earthiness of patchouli. It must be the heliotrope that sweetens the patchouli, but it's absolutely gorgeous. It's a warm scent, almost literally - my skin did feel like it was warming up when I put it on. It's a lovely comforting, cozy type of scent.

 

The only downside is that it's not a strong scent - after only about 3 hours I can't smell it on my skin, although it is clinging to my clothes so I'll catch a whiff every now and then. Layered with lotion or shower gel would probably be good. Still, it's on my 10ml bottle list - it's a good year round, every day wear kind of scent.

[requieminblack]

First sniff out of the bottle- Warm and masculine. I smell patchouli but it is not over powering and 'dirty hippy' as patchoili usually is.

 

After 10 minutes- Definitely a man's scent. The heliotrope and copal are coming through which compliments the patchoili well. ...and this is coming from a person who hates patchouli.

 

After 30 minutes- I swear to the Goddess this smells just like money. Take dollar bill or whatever paper money your country uses and take a big whiff. That is what Greed smells like. I shit you not.

 

Summery- Masculine earthy money. That about sums it up.

[nevermore]

Greed is indeed very masculine and very earthy. The copal in it seems to really agree with my skin, though the patchouli (which I like) is a bit too much for everyday wear. I like earthy scents, but I like them better when they're tempered by something sweet - like the orange in Xuihtecuhtli. I do like this one, but I wouldn't wear it enough to justify keeping it around, so I swapped it to someone who needed it for a gift.

[surf-tormented]

Smells damn fine in the vial, like something I wore before and loved. Maybe it was a patchouli blend I once bought. I don't know.

 

On the skin, it smells very earthy. But not only does it smell of rich earth, it also smells of flowers and grass. It smells fresh, like a walk through an open field in the spring before corn is planted.

 

It's nice. A bit sweet, a bit earthy, a bit musky grass.

 

I am sure someone will love this, but I am unsure if this is for me. Maybe it would make a better room spray or bath oil. Reminds me of a male hippie scent.

 

I do get that slight money smell off of it too...so greed is money, right?

 

Ooh, after about 15 minutes, I am getting a very strong sour lemon scent. Ok, sour lemon money dripping off a male hippie. Great picture!

Edited February 9, 2005 by Madame Nyx

[emmacrew]

Wet dirt.

 

Make that wet dirt with something very sweet.

 

It's making me feel unwell, I had to wash it off after 10 minutes. I have a friend who might love this, though.

[Faerykin]

Greed

 

Swiped across wrists and along collarbone.

 

Initial Wet (8-8:30am): This is another dark-colored oil – must be the patchouli. It went on thick and very earthy – the oakmoss was the immediate scent that hit me, then slowly the patchouli starts to come forth. It is a very nice, grounding blend.

 

Initial Dry (8:30-10am): This begins blending so very nicely. The patchouli is the very top note – with its earthy sweetness, the oakmoss rests just underneath – which adds a deeper earthiness. The heliotrope and copal – while not identifiable separately – brighten and round it out.

 

Throughout the Day (10am-on): Sweet, earthy and calming. Scents like this make me wonder if I really am allergic to certain notes – as the heliotrope has not brought upon any headache whatsoever. I am really liking this scent – definitely keeping the imp.

[anmorata]

Greed:

 

Wet: patchouli. blech.

Drydown: patchouli and dirt and moss. Ungh. Not a favorite.

Longterm wear: Too pungent for my tastes.

[mobilejessie]

I adore this scent. It's very earthy, but more in a glittering way than in a "big pile of mud" way. I wear this on the days that Zombi and Graveyard Dirt don't fit the bill.

 

In the bottle I smewll patchoili, patchouli, and more patchouli.

 

Freshly applied it smells less like a head shop and more like the glittering earth that everyone mentions. Phew.

 

After a few hours I am in love with this! The oakmoss and heliotrope soften the patchoili so I don't smell like I've been buried in incense. Instead, I get a "digging through the earth until I find buried treasure, gems, or gold" feeling. I will definitely order a bottle of this.

[nineveh]

I like this one a lot; in fact, this is now my favorite patchouli scent that I've tried so far.

 

It smells like a dark, soft patchouli with the warm powderiness of amber; maybe that's the copal. I don't know what heliotrope or oakmoss smells like, but this scent is faintly sweet and calm.

 

If you like patchouli, you should definitely try this out.

Edited August 9, 2005 by nineveh

[blaqpearl]

I love patchouli so of course I had to try this. Very fresh and green scent. I kept getting herbal whiffs. Not sure if I like it much. Might have to pass this bottle on to the next person. I guess this will be one of the handful of patchouli scents that dont go well with my skin.

[Blood onmy hands]

I admit that I bought an imp of "Greed" just because people were telling me that it smells like Lush's "Tramp". Greed smells nothing like Tramp to me. That's okay though, because Greed is wonderful in its own right. Tramp always smells very green and herbal to me... Greed smells golden and spicy and sweet. No real outstanding similarity between the two to me at all. Moving on.

 

When I first applied Greed, it smelled like patchouli drinking some Cherry CocaCola. A sweet cherry and cola sweetness with some woodsy notes and patchouli lurking in the background. Then it began to smell more spicy and warm like amber does on my skin. In the drydown this is so warm and woodsy. It reminds me very much of something... maybe an old summer house that my family used to visit when I was younger. The handmade log cabin house always smelled like this sort of woods, and the forest behind the house added all of those unique tree smells. The blend of woods and spice and warmth that I've been trying to find my entire life, lol.

 

Mmm... I agree with a previous reviewer, Greed is good.

Edited June 20, 2005 by Blood onmy hands

[Seraph]

This is what it smells like to me:

 

First waft: Earthy. Vague tingles of memories of hiking through moss overgrown areas where old fallen trees are decaying. Mercy how I love that smell. Very earthy indeed.

 

First on: Very mossy. Then out of nowhere... WOW. Patchouli and... what IS that?? It's a... clean... scent. Makes me think of sun dried laundry or a quiet sun filled glade. And yet, amidst that brilliant green sunny spot you can smell the decaying vegetation lurking underneath and in the shadows of the forest all around. The combination is intoxicating.

 

Little later: Is that a hint of something spicy I'm picking up? And maybe a hint of floral? I wish I knew what heliotrope smelled like. My mind screams "floral!!" whenever I think of it. I'll have to verify that.

 

Still later (roughly 3 hours from first application): It's morphed into something more mellow yet still earthy with faint traces of something that reminds me of pine. And there's a light dusting of something floral there, but I haven't a clue what it is. The patchouli is still there, but it's not as prominent.

 

Still more later (roughly 13 hours from first application): It's almost gone now, barely hanging on by a thread and it's clean. Subtle, but clean. It reminds me very vaguely of the woods after a spring shower: gentle with hints of flowers you could hunt for and never find. Even with the floral notes coming through, it's still rather masculine with the earthy scent hovering just under it all.

 

Next morning: It's still there... lingering like an attentive lover. Subtle but ever near. Just when I think it's gone I catch a whiff of it.

 

Verdict: Definitely one of the more masculine scents I've come across so far. I think I like this one for me. Little Miss likes it on me. The Mr. likes it ("That's nice"). I don't think this will be on my Lust List, but I do think it will find a place on my Like It List.

[blood*rose*flowers]

When I first tried this at BB it was only because some one else there said how nice it was. So I tried it and was a little shocked. The next time I went in I tried it again and had to have it!

 

Since I hadn't read the description until now I have to say my first thought was Patchouli but there was a hint of something else now I realize it is the copal that I smell in the bottle.

 

On I still get the patchouli but it has a lovely scent of the copal and what must be the earthy smell of the oakmoss at the back.

 

Wow, now with the description in mind I get the wonderful floral hinted at the back. This is glorified patchoulli to me in a wonderful, yummy none hippy way. This oil is so amazingly well balanced, I can't believe that a floral can blend so well with patchouli. This scent just reminds me of the color green money, the forest, moss, the rare bathed green haired hippy, etc..

 

Personally I like patchouli but felt I was a little past wearing it but let me tell you I love this oil! It is so unlike the other scents I tend to like of Beth's but this really makes me happy and feel a bit grounded. Funny too since it is the only oil so far that I have liked on my FI and myself. Greed is GOOD!!

 

Having heard that this oil actually was attuned to the positive aspects of greed (money/prosperity drawing) I used some of this oil on myself and money box when I was selling at a swap meet and I like to think that it helped us sell.

[SeaMonkey]

In the vial--Patchouli, Patchouli, Patchouli

 

On my skin--ooh nice! Patchouli, but with something green underneath

 

Dry--

ok, I'm loving this. It smells like money. Old money. It smells like something an old SEXY man would wear while in a silk smoking jacket smoking a cigar. It makes me feel naughty.

 

I imagine Vincent Price would have worn something like this.

[bodegaselkie]

Greed was almost all patchouli and musk on me -- notes I like, but not in this strength. I had to wash it off after a few minutes. Greed is very masculine, very rich, very potent and very not for me.