Jacob's Ladder

[hangingfire]

The meeting of Heaven and Earth: golden amber, galbanum, benzoin, ambrette, rockrose, costus and tonka.

In the bottle: Amber, a touch of vanilla-like notes (the tonka, probably) and a bit of flowery sweetness (rockrose?).

On, wet: Warm, honeyed amber.

Drydown: Still warm, honeyed amber; the floral aspects are a little more noticeable, but the result is a very well-balanced, "golden" scent.

I think I need another bottle. Or two. This stuff is magnificent. Edited November 18, 2007 by Shollin

[Stephanie]

This is a light, sweet resiny scent.

 

Like others have noted, I detect amber, predominently. With a vanilla-like aspect. I also sense something "light"--like a bit of a citrus.

 

This is like powdery Dreamscicles! I like it! This is definitely lighter and sweeter then I imagined, for a resin blend. I bet it would age beautifully.

[coulrophobe]

Preconceived notions: How can I go wrong with amber and benzoin? This sounds like a predictably good scent.

 

In the bottle: I can actually hardly smell it - just a faint baby powdery amber (which is fine, I like powdery scents).

 

On: Ah, there it is! A lovely, ambery, non-foody vanilla-y (yay, benzoin!) blend. As it dries down, I'd swear there's a little light musk in there, too, because it lasts on my skin like only musk does.

 

I think I'll need another bottle of this, because it's a great everyday scent. And I don't mean that in the monotonous boring everyday way - I mean I can see myself wanting to smell like this all the freaking time.

 

A gorgeous, softly glowing skin scent, versatile enough for work, dates, or reading on the couch. Perfect!

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: It reminds me of Aureus in that it comes across as a scent of pure light. The amber is sparkling and made vivid by the other notes. It's almost crystalline. In a word, it is glorious.

 

On me: It's weak on the skin, faint and several notes vanish. I can't pinpoint what is lost, but whatever it is takes the glory of the blend with it. It is plain on me, slightly honey-like, but nothing special.

[roesmoker]

Hmm. The first time I tried it I found it fruity and vaguely sick-making. The second time I got the vanilla, musk, amber thing but with that perfumey edge that gives me a headache. Reminds me a LOT of The Haunted Palace, but that one (once the blood oranges dry out) is nicer on me.

[gingersnapp]

I have a fairly unseasoned nose when it comes to the notes listed in this blend. I would guess that the amber and benzoin are the strongest on my skin. But that being said, I can barely smell this. It was faint in the bottle, and all but faded away within the first hour of applying it. What I can smell, smells oddly... earwaxy? Kind of a sharp smell, and not too pleasing. Ah well, they can't all be winners on me.

[yeahbutnobut]

Jacob's Ladder

 

In the imp: oooh, interesting. I get a herbal amber scent. How unexpected-but quite pleasant. There's a note here reminiscent of frankincense. I'm a bit concerned this may turn a bit masculine…

Wet on skin: whoa, this is an intriguing scent…it's like a dark resinous scent glistening with bits of golden amber-something dark, deep and earthy with celestial flecks of light strewn through it!

Dry on skin: oh goodness, wow. This is not what I expected from this scent, but it's so beautiful…I definitely get amber here, golden Egyptian amber, translucent and sweet, but I also get rock-rose, which isn't a floral scent, but the scent of labdanum resin. The scent is just like the real labdanum oil I smelt on a rock-rose plant-I rubbed my fingers on the leaves, and got this incredible dark smokiness. I get that in this scent. I also get a profound sweetness other than the amber, which I think is benzoin and tonka. The scent also has a deep rich earthiness to it, but filled with sparkles of golden sweetness and luminous resins. Like a sunrise, or like a dark room that has never seen sunlight before filled with daylight for the first time. It's a scent of the interplay of darkness and light, and indeed, of heaven and earth. It's very unisex-it's lovely on me, but I think this would be so sexy on a guy! I think this is also a fabulous meditation scent.

After a while: this scent brings up a beautiful mental image. I'm sitting on a rock, my feet against moist cool moss and soil, my back leaning against a great tree, watching a sunrise or sunset over water. The dark blue sky has little flecks of could across it, and the sunlight that is fading or strengthening is lighting up these clouds in glorious shades of gold, and the same happens with the ripples of the water, gilded with sunlight. I swear there's also a slight saltiness or mineral component, or a mossy note to the scent, which only enhances the depth and complexity it has.

Verdict: this really took me by surprise. I knew this would be good, but it turned out to be so different to what I expected. At first sniff in the imp, I got a herbal amber scent which, delightful as it was, I was slightly concerned that it would go all manly on me. Not so. On the skin, the amber shines through, illuminating the dark, earthy, smoky fragrance of mysterious resins. I get labdanum here, as well as possibly benzoin and tonka, and possibly some herbal or earth like notes. I love the way this scent has contrasts to it, and to me, this smells like darkness and light. It brings to mind a dark sky flecked with stars, a beam of sunlight illuminating a dark cave or ancient building that has never seen daylight, the fading light of evening playing on scraps of cloud and painting them gold as the sky darkens. This scent has elements of heaven and earth in it, true to the description, and it feels sacred and I think it would be amazing for both meditation and for everyday as a scent that turns heads and mystifies. It's also very unisex, wonderful on both men and women (and I would be head over heels if a guy wore this…) it's truly glorious and I'm glad I'm getting a bottle.

[lookingglass]

Wonderfully blended and very wearable. I find that resinous scents can sometimes be too "churchy" or dry. Not so here. It is golden, warm, and not at all sharp. There is a bit of sweetness from the tonka, but definitely not foody. In a class of its own. I will be giving it to my father who loves frankincense and myrrh. I think he will covet it.

[em_h]

In the bottle: Lovely bright golden amber scent, with a strong overtone of something like orange for some reason.

 

Wet: Much the same as in the bottle -- light, bright, pretty, warm. Just a little bit floral. So far I'm liking this one a lot.

 

Drying: Looks like the only drawback to this one might be a fast fade. It's still lovely, soft and comfortable, but getting rather faint. (It actually lingers a long time, but only close to my skin, not with much throw).

 

Overall, a very, very nice soft golden scent.

[parrot_suspect]

Wow, is this ever a beautiful scent. Jacob's Ladder caught my eye because of the notes -- I'm a fan of resinous scents -- and I'm happy to report it's everything I'd hoped it would be.

 

This scent doesn't morph much as it dries down. It starts out, and pretty much remains, a lovely sweet, golden, resinous amber scent. Warm and comforting. Not as "dry" as, say, Aureus (bet it would be lovely layered with Aureus, though!) It's slightly powdery on the drydown.

 

Amber is a tricky note -- sometimes it can smell medicinal (I'm thinking of L'Artisan Ambre) or too powdery. But this is just about perfect. My only complaint (and it's not really a complaint, just an observation) is that Jacob's Ladder is not very long lasting and doesn't have much sillage. So it will be one to slather, and to use in a scent locket, as I do with other "light" scents such as Alice. I'll be stocking up on Jacob's Ladder...wish this were a GC scent.

Edited December 18, 2005 by parrot_suspect

[cuervosueno]

As so many others have noted, this is a glorious scent. It is very similiar on as it is in the bottle. When I open the bottle I get a soft golden powdery scent--I worried it wouldn't be strong enough on.

 

but it is--it just sticks close. Not a skin scent exactly--which I find a little too subtle for my tastes--but just a soft sophisticated cloud of golden light.

 

I say sophisticated because that how it seems to me: a sexy grown up perfume for when I want to be dressed up. What I get mostly is golden amber, but the woody/spicey note of benzoin is also clear to me. I'm not so familiar with the rest that I can likely pick them out, but it does have a nice undertown of powder that I sometimes associate with musk. It could be the ambrette--I saw somewhere that some perfumers sometimes use ambrette to mimic musk. Or maybe not!

 

In any case, this is glorious gold, and the label is so representative of the scent!

 

So glad I got this one!

[Celogrl]

Jacob's Ladder...you make me feel cozy, happy, cuddly and safe. Wow- this is a sweet, amber-y mix of all good things that seems to have the ability to calm and ground me. It's a feel good scent that only mellows as it dries to a soft loveliness. I wish I could remember who mentioned it, but this is exquisite now and I also believe this would be a BPAL HG upon once it has aged some. My, I love this one a lot.

 

P.S. More tonka- more tonka! I have a feeling the tonka is what makes this so yummy.

[maewitch]

This is a very light and soft amber, but there is something in this that reads as "dirt" - not in a bad way either. The amber is just so airy and soft, yet grounded by that deeper, grittier note, making it a very well-balanced blend. It's not as earthy as a patchouli note would be, as it is drier and not loamy - perhaps the ambrette or the costus? I'm not too familiar with these notes.

 

The tonka is just barely there, combining with the benzoin to produce that vanillic undertone.

 

There are a few moments when I catch something at the edges of the waft that makes me think of the perfume present in very expensive cosmetics. It's not unpleasant in and of itself, but I don't like the association. Thankfully, it's not very present.

 

In general, this is a beautiful scent, ethereal and earthy all at once.

[QueenFae]

Absolutely fabulous! On me, this one smells much like Snake Oil, but deeper, richer, and spicier. It's a glorious sweet, vanilla, amber sugared scent. But it has this dark spicy depth to it, that makes it really decadent and sexy. It has a lot of staying power, and a nice amount of throw. This is one that words can't really describe, I could never do it justice. Definitely one of my all time favorite limited editions, a true masterpiece of BPAL.

[Merlu]

In the bottle: Very soft, herbal amber, I can barely smell it. It smells a little earthy... Jacob outside, at night, laying down, slowly falling asleep.

 

Wet, on skin: Beautiful Egyptian amber. Sweetness comes out, probably the benzoin and tonka. Yummy...

 

Dry: This is really gorgeous. Sweet amber, but not sickenly sweet, with a little spicyness to it. It's warm, luminous and inviting, reminiscent of the Lion. The Lion is the savannah under a harsh sun, while Jacob's Ladder is glowing, ethereal light, that surrounds you without blinding you, warm but never too hot. Good staying power, and just the perfect amount of throw. It's a halo of golden light. Wonderful.

Edited December 21, 2005 by Merlu

[sophia_helix]

In the bottle/wet:

 

Amber, other warm/resinous notes, and a touch of citrus. (Benzoin? I am crap with the more unusual notes.)

 

Twenty minutes in:

 

This is almost a dead-on dupe of Snake Charmer (not surprising, given the similar notes), and honestly, it kind of feels superfluous. The main difference as far as I can tell is that it's less spicy once it dries down, and the coconut is vanilla (tonka?) instead. It's also giving me a headache and making me feel queasy; it's very rich and perfumey.

 

Later:

 

OK, it's finally departing from the Snake Charmer/Snake Oil scent that makes me think of oiled spices, and lightening up to be a little sweeter and more ethereal (probably the rockrose showing up). I like this better, but it's still somewhat heavy and headache-inducing for me.

 

Later still:

 

Yeah, this just doesn't feel different enough from Snake Charmer, AND it's starting to fade after less than an hour, AND what's left is still giving me a headache. To the swaps with this decant.

[olympia301]

 

This one is the most "big perfume house" blends I think the Lab has ever come up with. That is a compliment. In the bottle, Jacob's Ladder is deceptivly light. You think you are going to have to bathe in it to get it to broadcast at all. Don't despair, it is getting ready. Once it touches my skin it turns into a very sophisticated blend that would be at home on the chi chi counters of Saks Fifth Avenue or anywhere else for that matter. I can't pick out the individual notes in here, just let's say it's blended with the master's hand so you are not supposed to be able to pick out the stray hairs.

 

I am getting a quasi menthol scent from it, or could that be a lavender type scent. The amber is adament in the depths. I am not familiar enough with the rest of the notes to say I smell them each and every one.

 

Jacob's Ladder is inviting, it does go to powder on me in a beautiful way and I also mean that as a compliment, too. The only thing that makes me stop for a second is it might be too masculine for me. This is an ideal man's blend. There is just something about it that says "Mr." to my nose. I think it has at least on ingredient that reminds me of Royal Copenhagen and that's where I am picking up the "man's blend" idea.

[mmcfa2]

Funny, Jacob's ladder on me is a spot on dupe of the lion! I love the lion, but this Is EXACTLY the same.

 

edited to add: must have been a hormonal day. I've since tried it and can discern many NOT subtle differences. In the end this reminds me very much of shalimar. It's lovely and suprisingly lingers on my skin 18 hours after application!

Edited January 11, 2006 by mmcfa2

[Chrysantza]

In the bottle: Light amber with a sharp herbal note.

 

Wet: Amber, a vanilla note (the tonka I presume) and a bit of herbs.

 

Dries down to: This is a beautiful, refined and sophisticated amber scent. It puts me in mind of silk dresses and expensive gold and precious stone jewelry. I'd wear this when I want to feel all posh and aristocratic. It would make a good "formal" perfume, though it's a bit much for T-shirts and jeans.

 

Verdict: Maybe keep, maybe swap. I usually love amber and resinous scents but this isn't quite as "me" as Bastet and Fenris Wolf (perhaps I prefer scents named after animals?). I like it but it's just a little formal for me. I'm going to try it again after it's aged and mingled a bit.

Edited December 24, 2005 by Chrysantza

[aidenraine]

Oh my lord, wet I could lick this (and it's not even Lick It!) It's all vanilla with slight musks and a hint of amber. Mmmmm

 

As it dries this becomes more of a traditional perfume with a lovely sweet undertone. I accidently applied a ton of this to my wrist and I'm not sorry I did. It's comforting right now, when I am in a bit of a sad mood. It still smells a bit of.. well, it could be the day but.. christmas cookie. There's defintiely something doughy about it.

 

It's very unique on me, actually... god, I do smell something almost charcoalish underneath as time passes. I want to douse myself in this more and it's such an ethereal scent I don't think I'd bother anyone.

 

*douse douse*

 

If I got close to someone and they smelled like this, I'd just swoon.... mmmmmmmmmmmm!

[Voleuse]

On first application this is all amber, warm and sweet and pure. I'm not familiar with any of the other notes listed, aside from tonka, so I can't pick out them out. It's a beautifully balanced blend of resin, partly sweet and partly spicy.

 

This fades really quickly on me, but it leaves a sweet echo behind. Lovely.

[Koumori]

I had high hopes for this; the description made it sound just right for me. I love amber, and I was hoping for a scent mostly amber, with some depth behind it and maybe a little sweetness. Unfortunately, it doesn't agree with me at all. When I applied it from the bottle, it was overwhelmingly strong, and smelled less like amber than some myrrhlike bitter-incense notes that seemed to dominate. It's hard for me to believe this is the same blend that so many others have described as light! I normally try to give all my BPAL scents a test run, since they do change and mellow with wear, but this is one of the very few that I had to wash off quickly before it gave me a headache. Sadly, this one just didn't like me much.

[crescentwench]

this is warm rich sunshine ina bottle! i love it. the amber only goes powdery on me for a few seconds before opening up into this rich full warmth. It kept me cheery all day, a perfect scent for those dark cold winter days i hate so much. And it lasted all day w/o reapplication. I'm so pleased with my imp, i'll definately need more!

[bloodlotus1]

A few years ago, during my brief attempts at oil-making, I had a recipe for an amber oil. It was okay, I liked it, but it some how seemed unfinished. I am now very happy to say I've finally got my amber oil.

 

Jacob's Ladder is a beautiful, smooth, clear, golden, amber scent. This has the nicest benzoin I've smelled. Nothing sharp or acrid about it. Rich & resinous. I detect the ambrette which gives it a sweet, almost but not quite perfumey aspect which I find in good egyptian musk. The rockrose is earthy, very slightly musky but not musty as it can turn on my skin in some other blends.

The galbanum gives it an ititial light spiciness & the tonka holds it all together. I'm not familiar with costus. That said, I find this oil extremely well-balanced. It dries down to a pure balsam fragrance that's just a touch sweet & that lasts FOREVER.

 

More bottles will be ordered!

[empi girl]

I'd been looking forward to this, and it is truly a golden scent. Soft, sweet amber, a touch of honey. It doesn't go to powder on me, but it isn't really very spicy either. It is smooth, even, golden amber. As it dries down it does develop a spiciness that is very nice, and on further dry down (hours later) it smells like honeyed amber, emphasis on the honey. I am undecided if I need a bottle, but will keep my imp.