Alone

[Macha]

From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were; I have not seen
As others saw; I could not bring
My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone;
And all I loved, I loved alone.
Then - in my childhood, in the dawn
Of a most stormy life - was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still:
From the torrent, or the fountain,
From the red cliff of the mountain,
From the sun that round me rolled
In its autumn tint of gold,
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by,
From the thunder and the storm,
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view.

A hectic, frenzied pinpoint in desolation: booming, bleak, and dark with the horror of loneliness and reluctant solitude. Patchouli and cardamom with bright mandarin, labdanum, muguet, red sandalwood, angelica and gardenia.

Label:

In the bottle: Soft patchouli and a mellow earthiness. There are other notes dancing in the background, but they seem just out of reach, teasingly so.

Wet, on skin: The patchouli is predominant, strong, even harsh, and it very much smells of wet earth and woods, long walks in isolation through wet wilderness. I don't really smell plants per se: this is all cliffs and wet chalk canyons, loamy soil and staring out over emptiness.

Dry, on skin: A certain spiciness, undoubtedly the cardamom, starts to peak up its head, although it's not overwhelming. There is something, again, peaking out of the background, never easy to see -- wildflowers in the desert, the shape of a demon in the clouds. It's all subtle, subdued, isolated, but I can't help but feel that the end of this journey is an uplifting sort of place.

Conclusion: This is really beautiful, and in my opinion definitely one of Beth's scent journeys (where the evolution of the order goes through different, wonderfully evocative stages.) I think I really like this, but I wonder how much MORE I'll like it if I let it age for a bit. I think this is a fragrance that will only grow better if given time.

[lorajc]

I only tested this so this is subject to change. When first applying, I can't really detect any notes. There is a strong top note of something I don't care for but it goes away as it dries down. I guess what I'm mainly smelling is a combination of patchouli, cardamom, and sandalwood(spicy and woody) with a very soft touch of gardenia in the background. This is another well blended masterpiece by Beth and no one note competes with the other. It is a very balanced blend. This is my other favorite so far, although I'm not sure this is the type of patchouli I usually like. I think this smells like black patchouli. I may need to purchase a 2nd bottle of this also.

Edited October 12, 2005 by lorajc

[coulrophobe]

In the bottle: I smell lightly-spiced patchouli.

 

On me: Did I say lightly-spiced? Scratch that. The spices amp up a bit on my skin, I can definitely smell the cardamom. Alone is a warm, earthy spice scent - not as sweet/foody as some spice blends are. There's the barest hint of mandarin lurking under all those spices - it's making me think of a local Seattle tea blend called Market Spice.

 

Patchouli is a hit-or-miss note for me, but this one is firmly in the hit category - it provides a nice earthy base for the other notes, without smelling too "dirty hippie." I'm a bit befuddled that I can't smell the gardenia at all, as it's usually a strong note with my chemistry.

 

As a conclusion - the overwhelming sensation I get from this is SPICE! With a number of the other DiMV scents striking me as more cool-toned scents, Alone really stands out - it practically generates heat on my skin! Exotic and utterly gorgeous.

[Lycanthrope]

Wham!

 

Dark, bitter patchouli and possibly vetiver's sharp bitterness from the vial. I'm a little scared, but Death came out well on me, so perhaps this is going to be a good blend... On me, it whips through a warm, peppery phase with a strong ginger whiff, and then turns into... cardamom. Like, Whippoorwill cardamom. Which is great, but on the drydown, it's less spicy and woodsy than that oil. It's nice, and changes significantly from the initial application. Nice, so I'll keep the bottle and use it on days when I want to enjoy my solitude.

[LiberAmoris]

I love what Beth does with patchouli and Alone is no exception. Dark patchouli, sandalwood, and cardamom create an almost raisin-y note, or something deeper and richer, like date or spiced fig. The gardenia and lily of the valley (muguet) sweeten but do not come forward on my skin as prominent notes. The labdanum is very woody and almost marshy, lending it an slightly herbacous, outdoorsy feel.

 

The result is a rich, resinous blend that has just a tracery of white florals around the edges. In my mind, it fits in the same 'family' of rich resin blends as Urd, Sin, and Snake Charmer, although it is also very unique. It does smell a bit reclusive, like the smell of a lonely cabin built under the shade of giant trees whose taproots come up through the floor boards.

[gingersnapp]

This is a spicy, fruity smell. At first, the mandarin was very predominant, but the patchouli and cardamom and sandalwood are coming into the forefront and it smells, like others have mentioned, almost... figgish? It's a rich, earthy blend, and very beautiful.

[shelldoo]

in the bottle: sandalwood, labdanum, patchouli

 

wet: this is a spicey pungent patchouli blend

 

dry down: what an intresting resinous scent, i don't detect even a hint of mandarin, i get alot of patchouli, sandalwood, and angelica (i have angelica root for bathing and it is very dry and brittle smelling, i definitely detect it in this blend) the cardamon adds just snough spice to warm it up and keep it from being all resin. this is deep, warm, and dark.

[UltraViolet]

 

In the bottle

Cinnamon definitely. And I even smell something else foody spicy and sweet.

 

On

Very spicy with the cinnamon. And there is patchouli. For a brief few minutes I did indeed smell something citrussy, more orange than lemon or grapfruit. But now it's not really noticeable. There is indeed a resin in here. Amber? Not sure really.

 

30 minutes

Smells like the red hot toothpicks I used to chew by the hundreds when I was younger. I really love Cardomom and Sandalwood. I wish I smelled more of it in this blend but my skin is just amping up the cinnamon like there's no tomorrow.

 

Throw:

maybe a bit more than average

 

Scent category:

Spicy..and uh...spicy.

 

Summary

As spicy as "Hellfire", and more spicy than "Malkuth" as far as cinnamon goes.

The patchouli goes rather well with the cinnamon. Who knew?People who like the vibe of earthy meets spicy will love this blend.

 

Purchase again?

No. This is nice but I like Malkuth better so I don't think I'll be buying more "Alone".

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

3.5

Edited October 23, 2005 by UltraViolet

[MShcherbatskaya]

Ah, I am in the throes of very Poe-appropriate despair! I ran around the house making with the squeeing when the descriptions were posted - I love the BPAL patchouli and cardamom is one of my favorite smells in the whole world.

 

So hurray! it finally came (despite boo! the post office smashing the box and shattering The Haunted Castle to bits) and I put it on and--

 

--I smell like a dirty hippie with a mouthful of stale Big Red gum.

 

*cries*

 

I'm going to give it one more try, really I am, but I have very little hope. My sharp skin chemistry torques some spices really badly and turns the BPAL sandalwood into a Home Depot lumber department.

 

Please, O Perfume Powers That Be, make Samhain work on my skin. Don't let the clove turn it into pumpkin cough syrup. Amen.

[wickedgoddess]

Wet - hello cardamom! In the bottle this smells good enough to drink, a blend of cardamom and patchouli.

 

Dry - Where's the sandalwood, the gardenia, the mandarin? This is cardamom and a smoky, dark patchouli on my skin, and it's strong enough that it lasts through a shower. The patchouli is so dark it would be overwhelming if not tempered by the cardamom's sweetness. After a few hours I get sweet, spicy smoke. A dark and lovely scent, although it's not as complex on my skin as I would hope. I have a feeling this will get even better with aging.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 5.

 

ETA - It's been a little over two months since I wrote that review. I put some Alone on today and OMG! It has aged, and aged beautifully. The patchouli is no longer sharp and overwhelming, it has mellowed into something soft and lovely. This is going into my top 5!

Edited January 6, 2006 by wickedgoddess

[Loligo]

Patchouli is by far the most prominent note in this blend on me, but thank goodness it's "forest floor" patchouli, not "hippie B.O." patchouli. The cardamom creates an almost medicinal smell for a while (making me think of Laudanum), but then something sweet comes out -- I could have sworn it was honey, but looking at the listed notes, maybe it's the mandarin or gardenia. The overall vibe is very unique and exotic.

[tempete]

For a good long while after I apply Alone, all I smell is cardamon with a bit of patchouli. Great, another spice note that I amp up. Eventually, something sweet comes out but at that point, Alone has pretty much dissipated on my skin.

[aidenraine]

In the imp- uh, oh, I have such high hopes for this and it smells like Bengal, like that awful clove that just smells like synthetic cinnamon. Maybe it's not clove that bothers me...

 

Ok, I'm taking the plunge.

 

Yikes... the poor sandalwood and patchouli are trying to get out past the awful fake cinnamon smell. I reall smell nothing else.

 

*kicking a rock*

 

As it dries a slight patchouli kick emerges, but it's not enough to make this scent more interesting, or to chase away the fake cinnamon.

[Diana]

I saw red sandalwood, patchouli, and cardamom and I was all over this. Just from sniffing my various Demon in my view bottles, I knew this was going to be my favorite.

 

In the bottle it smells amazing. To me it's all SPICY DIRT. And I love that.

 

Wet, it's the most earthy, dirty, blackest, deepest patchouli. It does have a touch of woodiness to it from the sandalwood, warming it up a bit. Then, the cardamom kicks in with a POW. It did irritate my skin a bit, but that went away fairly quickly. And to my amazement and happiness, none of the florals really are noticable. I mainly get the patchouli & cardamom.

 

Hours later... it's a bit less earthy smelling, a bit more sandalwoody, and there is still definitely the sharp spicey note, but it hasn't really changed much at all.

 

This is great! I'm so glad this is available until January. Gives me time to stock up!

[Northernminx]

Patchouli is the strongest in this for me which, sadly, gets amped up by my chemistry. I never manage to really experiance Alone as the blend just becomes over-poweringly patchouli and rancid on me as that note sometimes does. Silly chemistry, no Poe for you! :sigh:

[siriusstar]

The description on this reminded me of something in my novel so I was anxious to try it out.

 

Stage 1. Unfortunately it's very sharp red hots cinnamon. It hasn't given me a headache yet, which is unusual with cinnamon. I think I can smell something earthy underneath, but the cinnamon is overwhelming it badly. It smells like lots of Valentine's candy and dirt!

 

Ah the earth is starting to overtake the cinnamon. It's getting darker, like the fire is starting to peter out.... the sandalwood and patchouli is getting stronger.

 

It ends up a dark sandalwood with a bit of cinnamon still smoldering underneath.

 

At first I didn't know what cinnamon had to do with 'Alone' but I think I get it now. The cinnamon represents the initial shock of being alone, all sharp and harsh, and the later stages coming to terms with it, but not willingly. The fire's still smoldering underneath.

 

A very interesting scent. I don't need more than my imp, but I'm glad I had a chance to try it.

[yeahbutnobut]

Alone

 

In the imp: holy cardamom Batman! And patchouli too…I love cardamom and I'm hoping this is the strong cardamom scent from BPAL I've been searching for.

Wet on skin: oh, this is gorgeous. Earthy patchouli, gorgeous warm cardamom, sandalwood and possibly labdanum too. And the great thing? The gardenia is of the good variety-I can't smell it here, but the point is it didn't make the blend go icky!

Dry on skin: oh, this gets better. Now, along with the earthy notes of patchouli, cardamom and sandalwood, I get a very slight whisper of flowers. Very soft, but it's enough to add another interesting dimension to an already interesting scent. This is a wonderful scent, warm, rich, deep, earthy and mysterious, and it has a fantastic cardamom note, good and strong, the way I like it.

After a while: there's a definite feel of earth to this scent. Like soil or clay, but it doesn't smell of those-it just has that feel to it. It's mainly that cardamom warmth resting on a patchouli-sandalwood base with just a little bit of floral flitting through here and there. Amazing stuff.

Verdict: I've been looking for a BPAL with a prominent cardamom note, though whilst I love Bastet and I really like Whippoorwill, the cardamom isn't very noticeable in them. But in Alone, it is the star of the blend. But this is more than just warm, glorious cardamom-it's a earthy scent of deep patchouli with woody and incense like notes, with the barest waft of gentle flowers. I think Macha's description is spot on and I can't better it. I was worried the gardenia would be of the evil kind-but it isn't. This blend is truly lovely and I will need a bottle, especially as this seems like a wonderful scent to wear on those lonely winter nights.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

Patchouli and Cardamom, Cardamom and Patchouli

Nothing more, nothing less

 

For my chemistry, an unpalatable gourmand. For others, most likely an earthy, warm embrace.

[LushNatty]

In the bottle: patchouli and sandalwood.

Applied: it smells like a dusty attic. Definitely conveys a sense of loneliness and distance. As the smell develops, the sandalwood sweetens up quite a bit, but it is still the predominant note. Fairly heavy throw, at least at first. I’m not detecting the other scents really, except that I can smell citrus and cinnamon developing out of the scent as time elapses, and those are strangely absent close to the skin. Interesting.

I’m discovering that I just don’t like sandalwood as a primary note, but this is one of the nicer ones that I have experienced. For a dry scent, it has a bit of warmth to it with that cinnamony/citrusy thing going on. It’s also evocative of its title. (I LOVE this poem, BTW-- one of my very favorite E.A. Poe poems.)

On a scale of 1 to 5: 3.

[Blood onmy hands]

Alone smells like a powdery mix of red sandalwood and cinnamon. This reminds me of my grandmother's house for some reason, perhaps a cinnamon potpourri association.

 

I was actually rather bored with the way this smelled until the mandarin started to come out a bit more. The sweet/juicy mandarin against the dry sandalwood and cinnamon is very interesting and pleasant. I'm glad that the cinnamon is staying light and in the background.

 

I'm not really getting any patchouli from this, but the drydown is a soft sandalwood and almost-aquatic floral-ish scent. It's very hard to pin down, but it's very pretty. It's sweet, but not overly so... I'll be keeping my bottle of this one.

Edited December 22, 2005 by Blood onmy hands

[cupide430]

As much as I want to love a perfume called Alone, this one is pretty close to Val-bane. This is very strong vetiver with patchouli on me at first. Cardamom is coming out and slowly beating back the vetiver to reveal a bit of sandalwood.

[AlaskaSnows]

Wet: A sort of bourbony smell, with a tad of fruit and flower.

 

Dry: Well, I might as well have been alone, because Alone was no company whatsoever. I didn't smell one thing at all, from the time it dried. Seriously. No scent whatsoever.

[wolfie13]

This was all patchouli and cardamom on me. And that's pretty much it.

 

Not exciting to me at all AND I realized that I am allergic to cardamom.

Very long-lasting, red, burning patch on my skin.

(The same thing happened with Whipporwill on me, but I didn't realize the cause at that time.)

 

(I'm sad. Oddly - all 3 of the DIMV scents that I've tried have ended up being very sort of one dimensional on me (just two notes initially, and then occasionally a third shows up later.) And I LOVE EAP!)

[grrrlennyl]

at first: mostly just dark patchouli.

on: lots of patchouli and the warmth of cardamom.

1 hour later: just cardamom. warm and comforting.

2 hours later: generally warm.

overall: i'm not sure about this one. it was pretty much a single note (cardamom) on me until it disappeared. i might have to give it another go at some point.

[zenvodunista]

in the bottle, Alone was pure cardomom, and i looooove that spice. i put it in lots of things, cookies, bread, meats, granola....

 

sadly however, on me, Alone aquires a strange, almost fake/plastic smell. it is reminiscent of ... Big Red gum somehow, with a dusky undertone that i recognize from other scents that have pepper in them, of all things.

 

i'm really sad this didn't work on my skin chemistry.

 

n.