Black Forest

[Tesseljoan]

This is the captured scent of a cold, moonless night, lost deep within the darkest wood. Haunting and desolate, this scent evokes images of fairy tale tragedy and half-remembered nightmares. Thick, viscous pine with ambergris, black musk, juniper and cypress.

From the Bewitching brews section.

I have grown to love this one. When wet, this is very piny and forest -like. You can smell soft flowers in the background. As the pine fades, the night flowers come out more and more, grounded down by something which I think smell like white musk (I know it isn't in the ingredients, but I can smell it... weird nose). Beautiful. My sample is half finished, and I'm worried already of running out.

Edited July: It's good fun to read back your older reviews. What I thought were flowers and white musk, was actually ambergris and black musk. sampling single notes is really educational. Edited September 13, 2007 by clover

[blackrayne]

This scent evokes feelings of being lost in a dark, dense forest of pines, with eyes glowing at you from the shadows. After about ten-fifteen minutes the musk starts coming through, there are definately animals roaming in this forest with me.

[Lady_Ell]

This scent is all piney goodness, exactly as the BPAL site describes, when wet.

 

When it dries on my skin, however, I smell like a mix of cinnamon, cloves, and baby powder, but in a masculine way. For some reason, pine dissipates really quickly on me and I keep getting these dusty, powdery residue scents with all the pine fragrances.

 

Edited March 5th:

I dumped almost all of my Imp's Ear into a very hot bath (non-Lushified, plain water). I don't think I'll wear Black Forest as a scent, but it's great as an addition to bathwater. It is very calming and centering and perfect as a room scent or bathwater/aromatherapy scent.

 

I think I'll get a bottle for this purpose, but maybe will wait until next fall, when I'll be more inclined to take very hot baths.

Edited March 5, 2004 by ladylatemar

[trystrid]

A very delicate pine. It's more of a soft, powdery, ground-up pine needle scent than a sharp or overly-crisp one. You won't be smelling like a tree, but it definitely evokes the scent of a forest floor- a mixture of fallen pine needles, wet flowers and moss as they turn into the earth again.

[friendthegirl]

I think the pine in this is a little too overpowering. So far, I'm not that fond of it. But we'll see.

 

Others said that they can smell creatures with them in the forest and I think I can smell fur and it just creeps me out, to be honest.

 

I should have known, I hate forests!

Edited April 1, 2004 by friendthegirl

[ismene]

I think the pine in this is a little too overpowering. So far, I'm not that fond of it. But we'll see.

I agree with you about the pine. It's the only note I can smell when I wear it, and in the bottle I can sniff just the barest hint of anything that's not pine.

 

I should have known, I hate forests!

Hee. I like forests, but I don't want to smell like a tree!

[Mushroom]

Yay I smell like a wreath. Hangs around all day too I really like this one.

[Hallows_Eve]

In the bottle: Pine is very distinct. Very woodsy.

 

On Me: The pine is not so noticable because my skin took on the cypress more. Still very woodsy but dried with a sort of sweet "after smell".

[jj_j]

First on, Black Forest is distinctly juniper. Crisp, and almost piney in nature, it makes me think of crushed needles underfoot. Ambergris is so soft and mellowing in this - it's absolutely velvet smooth, like stroking the soft nose of a rabbit and not wanting to stop - and the cypress is a fallen tree alongside the path, adding a woody note that's bark-like.

 

Others have "smelled the animals" hiding in the brush, and since I have a distinct reaction to musk, I'm surprised that I never crossed paths with them.

 

I don't smell like a tree, or a forest, because the juniper fades and I'm left with a soft, natural, out-of-doors scent that's really lovely. Will be adding this one to the purchase list, as well.

[Belleshazar]

This is one of my favorites.

 

It has a very strong pine smell when first applied. But it mellows out and so much more comes through. I want to surround myself in it.

 

Excellent scent...I'm in love.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Oh, piney goodness. Nervous that it will smell like pine air freshener.

 

Second Impression: Not to worry, this is fresh, crisp pine and cypress as they smell out in their natural surroundings. As they fade the almost sweet and slightly sexy black musk mellows on my skin. How nice!

 

Final Analysis: This was a generous extra from a swap. I'm glad I got to try it as it's not something I would have ordered for myself. I love that musky note.

[Alice Aforethought]

Strong pine that fades to a muskier, sweeter, softer pine. The drydown is a lot more subtle and complex than the full blast from the bottle or put straight on. Unfortunately, I'm not a pine person - but anyone that likes pine, you'll love this! This was a welcome extra, as I got some more masculine scents for my lovely. He has it now, and loves it. A good man-fresh one.

[Effluvia]

I'm lost in a forest, all alone...

 

Actually, I'm not alone...I smell the mysterious "fur" note of the forest animals, too.

 

I've had this for a while, but I haven't gotten to know it enough to review it properly until now (I've been busy having my love affair with Wanda ).

 

in the bottle (I ordered a 5ml without smelling it first because I knew I would be obsessed with this, even just as a room scent): Dark enchanted forest! EXACTLY what I was hoping for!!

 

wet, on my skin: Huh...WOW...the pine note doesn't overpower this scent on me at all...in fact, it turns pleasantly sweet and warm when it touches my skin! It actually smells kind of like Haunted in a moonlit forest ( )! It must be the musk. My skin loves musk! The pine wanders to the back of the scent, and it's kind of a subtle, sweet, warm cinnimon-y note and a cool blue note I can't really identify (ambergris, maybe? I DO smell something similar to Cathode here, so that might be it)...the cool blue note is on a black background, though. The moonlight's still there. ...I'm so glad I have a big bottle of this!

 

dry, on my skin: Hmmmm...baby powder, which I usually loathe...but for some reason, it's okay. I actually kinda like it a little bit. It's a smooth, cool, ethereal baby powder.

 

ETA, a while later: Okay, I give up...when it REALLY dries, it's pure baby powder. DAMMIT! Oh well... I guess I'll just use it as a room scent. It IS a perfect room scent for me...

Edited July 25, 2004 by Effluvia

[Nepthys]

Oh wow. I was not expecting this to so completely unnerve me. I grew up in the woods and have only pleasant associations with them but this is definitely a different kind of forest, forboding and cruel. I find the description apt because it reminds me of the kind of forests you find in fairy tales, where the trees come to life and the plants choke you, etc. I too thought I smelled a bit of fur in this -- more than any other BPAL oil so far, this twisted and turned on me, smelling for a few minutes of pine, then turning to something wet and mossy, then turning to a musky animal smell. It was fascinating but more than a little disturbing.

[patashoqua]

In the bottle: a very strong pine, with something almost that is not quite cinnamon, clove, or orange, but has something in common with each... I can't really place it.

 

Wet: a pure, strong evergreen scent, all other notes banished by its intensity. I like it in this state.

 

Dry-down: unfortunately, this one goes very sweet on me. I don't get any of the hints of musk other people have described; it becomes a rather cloying sweet-spice smell, with floral undertones.

[Sushwa]

A 5ml bottle of this was in my first order with BPAL, because I couldn't resist the description.

 

First wearing took me straight back to childhood: wet, it smelled like the mentholated rub that was slathered on me when I had a cold. A few minutes later, it smelled like a fragrance I wore in high school. Then it settled into my skin & sweeted, & smelled lovely. What a walk through my past! Luckily, that was the only time I had those reactions to this marvelous scent.

 

I love opening the bottle & sniffing: it does smell cold & mysterious & piney. Sometimes, as it dries, I can smell other botanicals; then it dries warm & sweet, though I still get a hint of pine. The experience is like drifting down through branches of evergreen, to flowers blooming on the forest floor.

 

This is one of my favorites.

[harmony]

Black Forest- I LOVE LOVE LOVE this scent. This is part of my first ever BPAL order, and it is the first oil I have tried in which the scent actually seemed to morph...this is the first one in which I could actually recognize different notes coming out at different times. And I loved it.

 

It starts out super piney, but within just a few seconds of application, I can smell the musk coming through. It's pretty feral at that point, but in this really fresh way. As it dries, it just becomes almost minty- without being minty. It makes me feel like I'm breathing cool air when I smell it. I will probably buy this one again. Maybe next month, if I get some gigs. Fades pretty fast-- couple hours and it's made its full cycle on me.

 

It actually reminds me quite a bit of "January Girl" by Tori Amos

She was a January girl

never let on how insane it was

in that tiny kinda scary house

by the woods, by the woods, by the woods, by the woods

Edited October 25, 2004 by harmony

[OdetteOdile]

On me, I smelled pine, and then a VERY strong powder scent.

It evoked the time I accompanied a friend who was posing nude in the woods for a professional photographer (I was there in chaperone capacity).

Powder deodorant and evergreen trees. Wish I had more interesting associations - more fairy tale ones.

Maybe I should try it again.

[Penance]

First sniff:

 

Mmm, pine and wet dirt, I can tell this is going to be a winner already. I love forest scents!

 

Wet on skin:

 

It smells like walking through the forest after it's rained and it's gorgeous! It smells like pine and sap and damp dirty and wet leaves, the perfect composite picture of what my childhood in summer camp was like. This is the exact kind of scent that I adore in a perfume, it's not too overpoweringly masculine, but it's definitely not girly, either. It's just nature at its finest.

 

Dry down:

 

There's a faint powder scent there now, but I can ignore it for the sake of the rest of this gorgeous scent. The pine has softened and been replaced by a general woodsy kind of scent. The dirt is still there, but softer as well, leaving me with a very soft, woodsy scent that I absolutely adore.

 

The bottom line:

 

I feel good wearing this, like I'm back at Glen Helen again, hiking through the pine forest and listening to the sounds of nature. For me, this is childhood in a bottle. This is defintely going on the big bottle list.

[surf-tormented]

Smells like this old scratch and sniff book I used to have. It was the smell of clover. This has a very strong pine scent with something back it up, like mushroom maybe?

 

Straight out of the bottle, it smells like artificial pine. Then as it dries, it turns into a nice woodsy scent with a wet underbelly.

 

It doesn't last long though. Only a few hours. Pity. I have been to the Black Forest in Germany, which really didn't smell like much of anything.

[Northernminx]

Pine pine pine pine and more pine out of the bottle. I was amazed I wasn't sneezing as I'm heavily allergic to actual pine trees. The juniper and pine stayed the strong top note, very earthy and reminiscent of a cool dark forest. This is regal, feral, and wild. After a bit the ambergris comes in adding some warm vanilla scents to this. Gorgeous... utterly. This is however, really masculine to my mind and I'll be sending it to the boyfriend.

[grrrlennyl]

black forest

 

at first: very strong pine, with something darker underneath. very intriguing.

on: pine, pine, pine. oh, and i love pine.

1 hour later: i love this! it totally reminds me of decorating for xmas when i was little. wonderful!

2 hours later: mostly pine, but mixed with other dark scents.

3 hours later: much softer, but still a nice mix of a bunch of scents and pine.

overall: i wasn't sure i'd like this, since i don't tend to get along with oils with woods in them, but this is a real exception. it brings back nice memories, smells great, and lasts long. i'll be wearing this during xmas.

[Sara]

Initial imp sniff: Woah! Harsh, strong, stinging, sharpness. I can't even really say that it's wood yet..just sharp and clear.

 

Swipe: Well, it took me a while to get my courage up to try this..but I'm glad I did. The pines and tree smell come right out in a wet burst. Lovely! It's like being in the woods after a downpour when things are steamy and strongly smelling.

 

Dry down: Still strong green/tree smells, very rich and full of woods. I love it.

 

Two hours later:.......where did it go.......? This scent has nearly completely vanished on me; leaving behind that slightly nauseating playdoh floral smell so many other blends have. I wonder if Beth uses the same base for all, or nearly all, her scents? The majority seem to dry down to the same smell eventually. bleh.

 

Overall: Well...I don't like how it vanished in two hours. And I don't like how it vanished into that icky floral playdoh smell...but I love the tree smell, especialy this close to Xmas. So if I can find one of those "oil warmy things" I 'll give it a shot as a house scent.

[sarada]

This is exactly what I wanted, for this time of year (autumn into winter) -- the crisp, cold smell of evergreens. This is one of those fragrances that you just can't stop opening and inhaling, deeply, over and over again. The pine/evergreen smell quickly turns to amber on the skin, on me, which is also a good thing! I do wish that the greens lasted longer though, I would love to smell like a Christmas tree!

 

Before long it becomes pure amber -- have you ever seen those little square boxes that you can wear as a pendant, with a bit of fragrant amber in them? It smells just like that! I can't stop sniffing my wrists, but I always wind up applying more to get a whiff of that amazing deep in the woods scent. Being in New Jersey, I can't help but think of my beloved Pine Barrens.

 

This does not become musky, and does not have a sharp piney tang like you might get if you just used a bottle of pure fir or juniper. Beautifully blended to flow from one stage to the next -- but if you're like me you'll keep slathering it on for that Christmasy woods smell, as soon as it starts to fade! Can't wait to get a big bottle of this -- you don't see many people swapping or selling big bottles of this, it's definitely a keeper!!

[klowey]

The first thing I smelled right out of the bottle was all that lovely pine. Nice and sharp, definitely like walking in the midst of a forest of long white pines, where there's a bed of mulchy, soft needles under all the trees.

 

Unfortunately, as it dries all the pine goes away. The only scent that throws is the black musk, which is fine, but makes my nose tickle. If I sniff right at skin level, I can smell the ambergris and a bit of the pine.

 

I'm still making my way through my first couple of orders, so I might keep it around a bit longer, but I don't think I'm going to be coming back to it as often as others.