Black Forest

[sofaking6]

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.

On me - too much vetiver, i really can't wear that at all.

But...it had such a lovely sweet pine note that I really wanted to do something with my imp, so I put it in my terracota car diffuser, and it was an excellent choice. It's lasted longer than any other imp I've used in there so far, and it really smells like the most expensive car air freshener anyone's ever had. I would definitely consider buying more just for the car.

[brownbear]

mmmmmm It's dark and sharp and blunt and woody and earthy and cold all at the same time. It is the way an ancient scary enchanted fairy tale forest smells. I bet that it would smell really good on a guy.

[Elemcee]

Black Forest does indeed smell like a pine forest. Actually, it smells like being at the very centre of the forest and it's Winter, so it's cold, the trees are bare and there are broken branches and cobwebs. You keep thinking you can see glowing eyes in the darkness between the trees, and you daren't imagine if they belong to some sort of dangerous fanged animal or are simply supernaturally disembodied, and you can't decide which is worse. It's where Black Rose met her doom, and you can still catch a hint of her perfume in the air, but it's faint.

 

If I smell this close up, however, it smells medicinal, like a doctor's surgery. Will have to stop doing that, then.

[AmyAngel]

Black Forest: In the imp, smells strongly of pine. On, wet, I smell like a Christmas tree! After a few minutes it is less strongly pine, and I'm getting a whiff or two of something a bit darker. Still pine, though. I like this, but not a ton. It faded away within 2 hours or so, I thought. My sister said it was still there 3.5 hours later, but she also said it smelled like clean laundry (and she was carrying a basket of clean laundry at the time) so I'm not sure I can trust that!

 

I tried Calliope the same day, and it faded quickly too. I'm thinking both of these might deserve a second try.

[Pika]

In the vial: As I would expect from the notes, a deep, needle-y, earthy scent. Fairly masculine. Like thick conifers.

 

Wet on skin: Delicious, dark and deep! Beautiful, mysterious. More unisex than I thought.

 

A while later... It got kind of "hollow", maybe that stuff of “half-remembered nightmares”…I think the cypress might have hijacked the whole thing? Not quite as nice, but OK.

 

Much later... It lingers nicely, but the cypress hangs on for a long time. Definitely still feels foresty at least.

 

Well, it’s dark and definitely not a scent for me to wear to the workplace or playtime, very earthy. I think I will keep my imp for home wear or for meditative work, though. Makes me picture a deep forest god, peering out from shadows. I don't really like that hollow, haunting middle ground (I have icky nightmares!) but it starts and ends well!

[Browneyes]

Imp: Pine, musk and juniper especially

Wet: Warming up it is very dark and gritty pine with a perfumey dark musk + ambergris base lurking behind. No sharp evergreen nor wood-chips for which I am thankful

Dry: Dangerous. A hungry wolf in a dark forest on a moonless night. That's what this smells like to me. The ambergris/black musk combination is *very* good on me.

 

I like it

 

eta: Aww Pine, where'd you go?? The pine is gone. Luckily what is left is that truly gorgeous musk/ambergris base, which I love, but I wish the pine had stuck around.

Edited April 17, 2007 by Browneyes

[simplethings]

Black forest in the bottle: There's this Christmas potpurri my mom had when I was younger. That's Black Forest.

 

Wet: The pine is the strongest note. Something about it is very sweet and woody. Maybe the cypress? I'd actually lean more towards cedar. I get a hint of musk as well.

 

Dry: Now that it's dry I get the pine with something smooth and milky in the back, maybe slightly vanilla.

 

Through a few hours: Whiffs of baby diapers--unused. =( Also, pine.

 

Overall, it started out pretty pleasant but later turned somewhat rancid. Maybe it's my body chemistry. I can see this being used as a room fragrance during Christmas.

[Usagi]

What Christmas trees would smell like if they wore cologne.

 

in the imp: very thick pine sap, with a chill note(eucalyptus/menthol) that makes my nose cold: Vyc's Vapor Rub, but in a good way.

 

wet: really thick evergreen, with spice notes. Very like Christmas trees.

 

drying: the evergreen mellows out to allow more spiciness.

 

dry: a warm, spicy scent with barely a hint of pine.

 

So, you go out to the snowy forest to find the ideal tree, take care in cutting it, bring it back, and sit enjoying it's presence by a warm winter fire.

While this would probably fall under the more "masculine" scent category, I can see getting a bottle of this for December, to put on everything-- not just me-- and infuse it with warm pine/spice goodness.

[Myotis]

I'm all for the pine scents. It's one of my favourite notes.

I surely wasn't disappointed in my imp from the Lab of Black Forest.

Pine pine and more pine, but with a hint of something sweet almost fruity hidden behind it.

On my skin the pine fades and calms down a bit. Almost a pine musk if you will.

I really like this one and it's a definite future bottle order!

[funkmoppet]

Oh god, this is everything I hoped it would be!

 

Such a fantastic sweet pine blast from the imp and onto the skin - real pine. I can almost reach out and touch the pine needles. Fantastic and a smell I just adore. It's absolutely a think pine forest, cold and dark.

 

The musk comes out only when it's dry, and when it does it's perfect. The ambergris behaves itself *yay* and actually adds to the warmth under the now mellowing pine. Woody, wet, and with that sexy musk bursting through - this is bliss!

 

Bravo - I adore it. Oooh, bottle please!

[LyndaM]

This one reminded me of winter and Christmas. It started off all pine, warming up to Christmas trees and sleeping dogs by a fire.

 

Not something I'll wear often, but I am intrigued by it. I'll keep the imp and most likely use it for a room scent this autumn.

[Naamah_Darling]

A husky black musk combines with sticky evergreen notes to create a woodsy, feral blend that is as dark as it is rich.

 

Once the initial flush of greens calm down it becomes a really interesting mix of musk and subtle woods in which pine and cypress dominate. There's also that ambergris smell, one of the few smells I find it very hard to describe, but not really mistakeable for anything else.

 

In fact, on its drydown it's just wonderful, but it has that hard-blasting piney stink for the first few minutes that's so potent it's almost like cat pee, so I find myself frustrated by it.

 

It's definitely on the masculine end of the scale, and I'd recommend it for men who want to try something that's strongly woodsy, and yet still has some depth and character. Something that will wear well throughout the day. The musk in this is very dark and animal, gritty almost, so be aware of that when choosing whether or not to order.

[JennyGardener]

Pine and lemon cleaner. Very strong. Does not go away. Very good for a wake-me-up-get-something-done. Like an overbearing clean freak mother.

 

(Faerygirl's review)

Very piney and I like it. It stays on a long time.

[WidgetAlley]

I wanted something cool and clean to wear to bed.

 

In the Imp: Mmm, juniper and pine and bitter cypress. Sharp and green and gorgeous. I love forest-smells, I wish they lasted longer on me.

 

Wet: Smooth rich ambergris with greenery overtop of it. Almost citrussy at moments. The musk makes it cool and deep... it feels like being sheltered and surrounded by boughs. Just what I need right now, too. *sighs, stretches*

 

Dry: The same, but fading. This isn't an unsung masterpiece, or anything, unless greenery is really REALLY your thing, but it's exactly what I wanted right now, and there's a place for that too. I'm going to hang on to this.

[kopekane]

Wow! Dark pine out of the bottle, and I get the junniper and cypress. The musk comes in later.

 

Later as in an hour or so and then takes over, but surprisingly not in a bad way! Cologne maybe.

 

Received this imp yesterday and put in on for a night out at the premier of one of the strangest things I ever worked on. A mean show, that featured loud talk show hosts, little people, strippers, transgender dancers, cackelers, accordians, and angry seniors.

 

The reason I mention this is because The Black Forrest was absolutly the right thing to be wearing for this night! It kept me cool and dark, and out of the way, but not invisible either.

 

I am liking this, but will have to put it away for now and give it a try some other time.

 

smiles

[gwynhwyfar]

I love the name of this oil. However, the scent itself wants to wind itself down into my lungs and strangle me.

 

It's a rich, dark scent -- heavy pine tar and very dark musk. Very strong with a lot of staying power (I got some on my finger when I opened it and it took the loss of a layer of skin to get rid of it.)

 

If you like strong pine scents, check this one out. This is definitely not for me.

[CrazyPretzel]

I don't do too well with woods but I adore ambergris and loved Slobbering Pine, so this could be a big hit or miss.

 

In the imp: fantastic fresh Christmas trees.

 

Wet on me: *swoon* More of the same. So fresh it's like biting into a fir needle.

 

After a few minutes: Super-dark pine and fir, full of sap -- this is different from Slobbering Pine in that it doesn't have that citrusy tang to it. Thus far I really love both of them.

 

Drydown: Much the same as above, no weird morphing, thankfully. Wonderful, dark and fresh at the same time.

 

A lot of my favourite scents involve flowers and food, but ever since someone gifted me with a frimp of Slobbering Pine I've been totally in love with BPAL's pine blends. I'm so glad to add this one to my collection!

[porcelina]

starts out piney and lush and dries into something darker and even better. if this is black musk, i love it. this really does smell like a forest at night- dark, damp, spooky. it smells great on me and i think it would be awesome for a guy, too. i actually really like this for fall.

[KassiK]

If I didn't know better this scent I'd say was nothing but eucalyptus on me, but I know that's not even a note. It's very piney and crisp and really clears out my sinuses. It's a very bright, alert scent and I think it's going to turn into a big bottle purchase.

[FallDaze]

I had such high hopes for this and they were met with flying colors!

 

In the imp, a sharp musky smell. I also caught a subtle hint of the pine and juniper mixed in there.

 

When I put it on, the scent stayed pretty similar to the first sniffle. The juniper and pine became a bit more pronounced though. Still pretty sharp.

 

I smell like a Christmas tree! Which is a very good thing, as I love the scent of them suckers! More like a forest of x-mas trees! On a cold, dark, winter night!

 

The description for this was absolutely dead on for this one on me! Definitely a keeper in my book, but probably something I'll only wear in the fall and winter. Lucky for me those seasons are upon us!!

[MaidenGenevive]

Black Forest

 

I ordered this for my husband, but am giving it a test before he does. I have my hesitations, as I've found juniper to be too astringent for me.

 

My first thoughts, upon sniffing the vial is, this is tree. A walk in the forest with fragrant trees. It also smells like a woodsy men's cologne. So far, so good; I think this is right in line with what Ian would like.

 

Initially on skin, it's warm and piney, and a little quiet. To me, this smells like a fresh wreath, or freshly cut Christmas tree. This is beautiful, again, images of walking a forest trail enter my mind. This is soft pine needles under my feet and fresh sap.

 

[5 - Love] This has all the elements that I loved in Hemlock, but it's so much better. I can't wait to have my husband try this.

[suileach]

Black Forest was my first BPAL love.

 

I haven't worn it in quite a while, owing to the fact that I amp the ambergris and musk in it like whoa -- and I do mean whoa -- making it a scent I can't wear out in public unless I want everyone within a 20 foot radius to be overwhelmed. Despite that wee issue, I still adore the scent.

 

Because of what I amp in it, I don't get a 'cold, moonless night' at all. I get an exotic, spicy, warm pine forest.

 

In the vial, it's all pine and juniper, but it warms up as soon as it hits my skin. It actually strongly resembles Yves St. Laurent's Opium on me, which I find a bit puzzling. However, that was one of my favorite scents in my late teens, so I was thrilled to discover that a perfume without alcohol could produce that same heady scent.

 

To sum up: Heady, spicy, woodsy, enchanting, crazy strong throw. Black Forest rocks.

Edited November 9, 2007 by suileach

[alexandra]

My first bpal, my first review, my first post. Be gentle with me.

 

 

In the imp: Oh the pine. I do love the pine. This is very good indeed. Head-clearing, invigorating. There are spikes of cypress coming through. Take me into your woods, Black Forest, and scare me.

 

Wet: The pine trees have wept upon my wrists. Truly heavenly. This makes me want to re-watch Twin Peaks. Again.

 

Moments later: And who’s your lovely friend, Mr Pine? Someone warm , a tree hugger of some kind. Not good on notes yet but it looks like it’s the ambergris projecting a cuddly presence.

 

Drydown: Pine sways over sweet forest floor.

 

2 hours later: The pine Ents have wandered off as if under threat from the saw mill and I’m left with a powdery sweet ambergris and musk combo with a faint gesture of juniper. Nothing feral or fearful on me but I’m still a-sniffing my wrist.

 

6 hours later: Still there, powdered sweetness.

 

And…? The woods are lovely but not in any way dark or deep, which is a bit of a shame as I like to be terrified. But once I’ve adjusted to this road less travelled being being a safe one, I’m skipping down it. I kinda like it. It makes a comforting room scent that makes me feel confident and capable. Which is unusual.

 

And as I watched the whole of series one of TP while burning it, it is now irrevocably yoked for me with the delicious Agent Cooper. I’m going to get another imp at the very least.

[Sealgair]

Got this imp/decant through the Civet Sniffing Circle, via Bombus. Here goes with the review...

 

in imp: PINE! almost pine-cleaner sharp.

on wet: 8:05 - pine & lemon? but no longer cleaning-fluid. More like... lemon curd in a pine forest?

drydown: 8:10 - the musk is starting to peek out from behind the pine. As is the cypress. I'm still getting a lemon-flavor though... could that be ambergris? I've never had it smell like lemon before...

8:25 - still pine that attaches to the back of my throat, trying to drown out everything else... but the other notes do come through! Cypress is the next note I notice, then a sweet musk that balances out the bitterness of the pine-cleaner and cypress/juniper.

8:35 - the OMG!PINE! has died down a bit, starting to blend with everything else... heh, a two year old who had been running around the room laughing and screaming their head off that's now calmed down enough to behave like a human being again - fit for company now. The cypress/juniper gives a nice woody base, with the musk being a round sweet middle note and the pine and ambergris being a high piercing note. It's too much PINE for me, though I do like it. Not sure I even want an imp of this.

8:55 - about the same as last sniff - Pine and ambergris as very strong top notes, the musk is a sweet middle note and the cypress/juniper are a nice woody base note. As I said, too much PINE for me, but not at all bad.

[Ilex]

Of all the evergreen forest scents I've tried (Yew Trees, Hemlock, Nocnista, Hamadryad) this is the closest to smelling like a forest to my nose. At first it evoked shampoo, but it settled into a sweet, citrus-y tart forest, but a forest smell nonetheless (barely- and sometimes it does go too sweet and crashes, so to speak- the forest trees have lemon drops for berries). It does have hints of candle/potpourri going on. I'm not getting much musk at all, but I think the ambergris is pulling up the candle associations with its tinge of spice. Zippo throw though, I can really only smell it if I stick my wrist right up to my face. I was hoping this would be the perfect forest scent, but its not quite. Its good, but not great.