Herr Drosselmeyer

[Lilitu]

Magus, toymaker, and Godfather to Klara. An enigmatic man, seemingly somewhat sinister, but bearing a gentle air and a sincere love for children. This scent is dignified, refined, but dark, and hints towards esoteric mysteries and the secrets that tie mechanics to magick. Pipe smoke, sweet leather, woods and linen.

This is going to sound very strange, but I got a distinctly chocolately scent out of this one. Leather and dark chocolate and pipe smoke and sweet tobacco. Not that I mind at all, this is possibly my favorite Yule scent so far. Edited December 31, 2005 by Shollin

[Lit Chick]

Hmm. Not what I was expecting, but so nice!

None of the notes scream out - it does smell like all the listed notes, just not any one in excess.

I was thinking this would be a room scent, but it's too soft for that. Or possibly a smelly for my hudband, but it's too sweet.

The last thing I expected was a perfume for me, but it's perfect! This is so gentle, very peaceful. It's like a bedtime story.

Edited December 27, 2005 by Lit Chick

[Victory]

Oh, the Herr disappointed me. I've tried it on every member of my family, and it hasn't worked on a one. On us, it's a painfully loud sharp scent that finally dries down to a whisper of a sharp scent. I think I can pick out some cypress (or at least a similar scent) and the very barest hint of tobacco. Oh well, not every scent will be a winner.

[yeahbutnobut]

Herr Drosselmeyer

 

In the imp: sweet pipe tobacco. It's similar to Hearth 04 but without the uber-cherry/almond scent, though it's slightly cherry-ish.

Wet on skin: smoky dark tobacco, something cherry like, and rich leather.

Dry on skin: this is a really comforting scent. It's a dark sweet tobacco with deep leather. I think the sweet cherry scent may be one of the woods (cherry wood maybe?) I also get a lighter, fresher note that I cannot pin down, it just flits through momentarily through the scent- this may be the linen. It's smoky and rich, dark and smooth, and also quite sweet and syrupy in scent, and smells a lot nicer on the skin. It's very similar to last year's Hearth but I think this one's a bit more wearable-for me anyway.

After a while: this softens up and lightens up. There's something quite nutty or fruity about this scent, it smells slightly treacle or maple syrup like, and there's something in there that reminds me of almonds. It also smells a bit like Christmas cake served in an old library with leather chairs and polished wooden floors, with pipe smoke lingering in the air.

Verdict: this is this year's answer to last year's Hearth. I prefer this to Hearth 04; I find it a bit more wearable on me. This is a deep, rich scent of smoky pipe tobacco and worn leather with cherry wood (though not as much as last year's) and a bit of linen. This scent is very masculine in feel, grown up and mature, it has a paternal air about it, warm and comforting, like the scent of a gentle father or grandfather. It's a very cosy scent and makes me want to curl up on my leather sofa like a cat by the fire. I'm not sure if I'd wear it much because it seems a bit manly for me, but I'd definitely love to smell this on a guy!

[feline.by.design]

When first scanning the Yule scents for 2005, Herr Drosselmeyer seemed like it would be an absolute winner. Leather? Tobacco? Love the stuff to the point of wanting to rip my clothes off to rub up against it. Yes, the passion is that unruly.

 

Hence, Herr Drossie's the only Yule scent I've ordered thus far, but while waiting, I received some disturbing news: He's got cherry in him. Well, I read the reviews anyway, and this cherry note was worrysome. For my nose, cherry and it's scent-twin (to me) almond do not get along. In fact, my skin chemistry creates a virtual Jerry Springer-esque atmosphere when presented with cherry or almond notes for the most part.

 

I worried. So, when Herr Drosselmeyer arrived, I was apprehensive about trying it. Tonight, though, I have bitten the bullet, and presented my skin for what I felt would certainly be a horrible experience.

 

In the bottle, it's pretty sweet, nearly buttery. The oil doesn't smell of the conventional cherry or almond notes, but I wasn't convinced. I took a small swab with a clean, behaded Q-tip and prepared myself for the worst.

 

First sniff: "Hmm... okay, it's not completely odious."

 

Okay, so it wasn't the hellish cherry experience I had been scared into expecting. What's more, my skin chemistry is actually working with me, proving that leather is possibly the most-amped note on my body. The sweet note that people had marked as cherry didn't smell a bit like the BPAL cherry I've known and loathed, experiences with oils such as Vice being one example.

 

So what do I smell on my Herr-ed skin? After a ten-minute setting, I get warm, worn leather and a light whiff of candied smoke, if one can imagine such a thing. Maybe flavoured hooka-smoke might give one a good imagery, but I would lean a bit towards strawberry if I had to pick a fruit. There are some woodsy notes lurking in the background, but these are light and dry sticks of tinder, as opposed to being heavy and dank. Leather is the most prominent note on my skin, and it took a mere minute for it to gain control of the oil. Herr Drosselmeyer started out much sweeter upon the first moments of application, but it didn't take long to morph into becoming a new leather scent to covet and enjoy.

 

The gods and goddesses of skin chemistry hath smiled upon me this evening. Herr Drosselmeyer has managed to be a nice, less saucy alternative to Torture King. It looks like I shall be keeping my bottle, and perhaps, eventually, seek out another.

 

-doreen

Edited December 29, 2005 by feline.by.design

[Northernminx]

In the bottle, sort of like the 2004 hearth but without the cherry-ish scent. Hmmm...

 

After sniffing this year's hearth, which I also adore, I wasn't sure where this one was going to go since last year's hearth became a sudden favorite with the boyfriend Tobacco, a hint of soft leather and something sweet and candyish with an undertone of soft wood dust. Gorgeous, complex, it's not neccessarily even masculine and wore as well on me as I think it would on the beloved. It's comforting while still being a touch mysterious and a perfect scent for the namesake. Gorgeous.

[sophia_helix]

This sounded a lot like Hellfire, which I liked and then swapped away for some stupid reason.

 

Sadly, on me this was a weird combination of honey and wood -- the wood straight out of Misk U, fresh-cut planks rather than live trees. It made me sort of sick to my stomach, and for once, I didn't want to wait for the drydown to see if it changed. I like the theory, but it doesn't seem to work on me in practice, probably because my skin sweetens scents like mad.

[zenvodunista]

i will say right off the bat, woods rarely agree with me. usually, there's cedar in there somewhere and everything turns to bad body odor on my skin.

 

that doesn't happen here, although i can't see myself wear the good Herr. there is a distinctly *musty* smell to this perfume that is fascinating, but not wearable for me.

 

that smell is reminiscent of musty books. truly! i must pass my imp on to a friend of mine who desperately wants to smell like a stack of old books. this might do the trick!

 

n.

[foxroses]

a bit too woodsy in the bottle, but the smoke and leather is def. there. the leather comes out as i put it on, and it smells very sweet but heavy and smokey, really lovely. not sure if i would wear it, but it smells very cozy. this would be a perfect library room scent.

 

its slowly turning to pine-sol woods on me, unfortunately, which i had hoped wouldn't happen. alas. underneath it smells nice, but its edging ever so slowly towards pine-sol.

 

10 min: it didnt turn as pine-solly as i was thinking it might, but i'm still not sure i'd wear it. beautiful, lovely blend, just maybe not my thing.

[Neely]

Ok, forgive the review, this is first impression and memory only. I can't try it again as my husband was sooooo allergic to something in it, Herry D popped him on the nose hard. Nomally I wouldn't mind men fighting over me, but, I dare not wear it ever again. So, off to the swaps for G'Poppet it goes (thanks to Gypsy for letting me get this and try it, and Mayhap(-oops I think). You know who you are, ).

 

In the bottle: Thick rich dark, it smells familiar. I have smelled something like it. It almost makes me sick to my stomach. Maybe the tobacco? Tobacco has never done that before. It smells nutty, and tobacco-ie.

 

Wet: Same. Warm, dark, nutty and tobacco.

 

Dry down: Same. No real change on my skin, except to get stronger. I get no mints, or linen, or anything to lighten this up a bit. I like it, not love it, so it could have been a keeper, except for the SO allergic reaction.

 

Over an hour: Same. Finally got home to wash it off for the SO. I had to take a very hot shower to do it. Herr D is a very forceful man. Great throw, fantastic staying power. Might be better put in a perfume base to lighten it up a bit. I liked Herr D, but he did not love or like my SO.

 

Conclusion: While I didn't get to try it for too long, any longer and it might have sent my hubby to the emergency room, I did like it. Luckily he will go to a good home for the Poppet (which I came to have a lovely understanding with). I think the scent is wonderful, a little heavy.

 

on a scale of 1-5, I give it a 3.5

Edited January 11, 2006 by atropos

[SeaMonkey]

I get a little bit of licorice, which is odd.....and a little bit of chocolate.

 

To me, this smells very much like the tobacco from Hellfire and the linen note from White Rabbit had a baby.

 

I was hoping for more tobacco and woods.

[wolfie13]

On me, this is mostly leather, with tobacco as a strong secondary note, and a touch of linen.

 

It is once again, a lovely embodiment of the concept, but is just not the greatest on me.

 

My skin amps up leather like crazy, and while I love the lab's leather note, I have yet to find the blend where it doesn't ultimately take over nearly completely.

(I hope one day to find one where there's just a teeny amount of leather added - which would still be noticeable on me.) I know it's crazy but they all end up smelling nearly the same on me.

 

I'm picturing this on a cute guy, standing next to a fireplace, wearing a vintage 50's cardigan. Maybe holding a present. For me.

 

(And for the record - I get no cherry or almond or cherry tobacco from this, and no sweetness.)

[mayhap]

Oh, this is such a comfort scent on me. It wraps me up in sweet, cozy love.

 

Wet: Something -- possibly this cherry tobacco I'm hearing so much about? -- comes out strong at first. For some reason, it makes me think of Lipton tea. I don't much like this stage, but thankfully, it doesn't last that long.

 

Drydown: Scary Lipton tea is gone. Wood and leather are coming out to replace it, along with a lovely sweetness like honey or maple candy. I'm not picking any linen per se, but the whole blend is lovely.

 

Dry: Still going strong! I'm seriously smitten. Just the thing for a grey winter day (like this one!).

[Shollin]

First sniff: Oh, my. I sniff and whine. Is there bitter almond in this? Because that’s the main note I’m getting. Maybe it’s the pipe tobacco. It’s a lot lighter than I expected – Herr Drosselmeyer might be a little gruff sometimes, but this scent is sitting on his lap listening to stories and getting a big warm hug.

 

Wearing: Well, mrf. I knew there was a reason I wanted to try an imp before getting a bottle… it’s because leather almost never works on me. This is a nicer leather than most others I’ve tried, but it still isn’t something I can wear.

[Ajila]

In the bottle - Very like Hearth 2004. Dark smoky fruitiness, like a christmas pudding.

Wet on me - Very similar to in the bottle, but there seems to be a slight mint edge to it.

Dry on me - Thick, rich and fruity. Almost identical to Hearth 2004, which is a favourite of mine, so it's all good.

[Stumbeline]

In the bottle it's rich and sweet, definitely sweet-smelling woods. On me, it's soft, sweet pipe tobacco and wood. There's no leather that I can identify. It almost smells like licorice. I'm glad that I tried this for the novelty, but it's fitting in with the trend I've had with all my Yules, and that's that it's a beautiful, expertly blended scent but not something I want to smell like on a regular basis.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Sweet, smokey wood.

 

On Skin: This is a bit like what Hearth was last year, the pipe tobacco being much more obvious. It’s sweet, but dark. Very soft and comforting… this isn’t a strong scent at all. It’s also quite masculine and I’d love to smell this on my husband. I do picture a little old man in a toy-shop… working away on wodden toys. This scent is so complex and tells such a great story. Kudos to Beth!!!

[Diana]

I'm not sure what to make of this one. I wore it all day, and I can still smell it on my wrists after doing makeup all day today, & washing my hands repeatedly.

 

Putting it on, and really, all day, it was mostly sweet pipe tobacco and just the barest, tiniest hint of leather. But for some reason, my brain vacillated between interpreting it as tobacco and saliva. Yeah, I know. There is clearly something wrong with me.

 

I think this is yet another Yule blend I am going to have to revisit in a few months. If it stays like it is, I really think I'll have to swap it. If the wood & leather & linen develop properly, I'll keep it.

[Finny]

I loved this one at first. Sweet, tobacco, and just a hint of wood shavings.

 

But the dreaded linen note came out, just as it did in White Rabbit, and spoiled it by giving me a headache. I hate having wonky sinuses sometimes.

[Fyre_in_Winter]

I was very excited when reading the reviews that said HD is similar to Hearth '04. Unfortunately, to me, they are very different.

 

To me this smells almost like Hellfire + DeSade + some sweet powdery musk in the drydown stage. Wet it smelled almost entirely of cloyingly sweet leather, plus a touch of something that was almost anise. I get more dry smoke from this blend than the actual smell of tobacco. I usually like sweeter scents, but this isn't sitting well with my skin chemistry.

 

This scent would be very nice on a guy, but it doesn't do it for me at all.

[bellis]

I kept hoping this would grow on me. The tobacco is thick and gorgeous, all warm and sweet with the leather backing it up. Something, however, smells sort of astringent and is giving me a headache. I think it's the linen, which works fine on me in White Rabbit but I just can't deal with in this blend. I don't get the woods at all, either.

[The_Merf]

I have a new favorite BPAL scent...

 

In the bottle: Yes--sweet, sweet tobacco!

 

Wet: Sweet, sweet tobacco. I'm reminded of a cigar.

 

Drydown and wear: Oh, the beautiful tobacco lasts and lasts and lasts. I cannot tell you how much I love this (though people might be able to tell from this review ). It reminds me of my father's pipe tobacco, and there is the slightest hint of leather.

 

I have never considered doing the swaps thing, even for my beloved Geek, but I'm going to have to consider it for HD.

[Prolixity]

In the bottle: Sharp, distinct cherry-tobacco out of this. Smoke and tobacco and leather.

Wet on skin: Oh oh. Sugary candy-sweet. This does not bode well. Smoke scent still there, but that sharp artifical scent is already coming up.

Dry on skin: Artifical cherry. ._.

Over time: Sugary sweet, fake, and horrible. The leather and smoke are still there, but the artificial sweetness is overpowering and sickening.

Overall: Oh, man, what a massive disappointment. I think this must have the note my skin doesn't like - maybe it's the smoke note? No, Cracked Bell was fine on me ... but at any rate, the moment Herr Drosselmeyer hit my skin it went all to awful artificial sweetness. 1/5, into the trade pile. Maybe I can trade it for Lick It or Nuclear Winter.

[mandragora]

I tried this on hubby and true to the lab description, Herr Drosselmeyer is indeed pipe smoke, leather and tobacco. Wet to dry it does not change much. He didn't like it and I didn't like it on him either.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: very smoky.

on: still mostly smoke, with a touch of woods.

1 hour later: smoke and leather. very nice.

2 hours later: mostly leather and smoke. nice.

3 hours later: sweet smoke.

overall: i don't think i'd wear this often, but i really like it.