The Scales of Deprivation

[Michele my belle]

Thin, dark, and shadowed. A scent that offers no sustenance, comfort or satiety: lemon peel, white sage, frankincense, lavender fougere, sandalwood, vetiver and labdanum.

I find this scent very hard to describe, it is well blended.

In the imp: I smell something like cinnamon first, but I think that is my nose interpreting the mix of sage and frankincense. (*shrugs*)
Its herbal and sweet, and makes me think of warm skin...which is bizarre because the citrus notes seem cool. This scent seems very paradoxical to me.


Wet (slather, slather, slather): smells like frankincense...and sage..and a little of the citrus...all together it makes something incredible.

dry: words really escape me with this.It is pretty, kind of sweet, but not in a friendly way. It is a very close to the skin type of scent, but it didn't fade away on me quickly (I did slather). It is slightly spicy but the citrus keeps it in check, and it is not foody in the least.

This is blended so well, that I forget the name...I want it to be some new SN like..."golden skin musk", if that doesn't exist already.

I think if you like frankincense, this is worth a try.

[Lydialove]

This was a freebie from the lab (thank you lab!) and I adore it.

 

This is all warm, golden incense with the barest hint of the lavender and lemon. It lays very close to the skin, a scent that can be just for me and anyone I'm giving a hug to. It's spicy and sweet without being cloying.

 

It got weird on my husband. It was bright lemon candy until dry down at which point the lemon almost disappeared - leaving incense and candy. It's much sweeter on him than me, though still very nice.

 

I may have to get a bottle.

[Altaira]

I find this to be a very masculine scent (probably from the lavender fougere). There is an herbal top note and a warm sweetness underneath, but it is too cologne-like for me.

[SophieCedar]

Wet: warm dry brown. Frankincense and white sage, a little of the lavender fougere. However...where's the lemon peel? I think it's just amping these 3.

 

Drydown: lavender fougere wins. It changes dramatically in drydown. Now I can smell the sandalwood, a peek of the vetivert, and even the labdanum. It's actually quite comforting..in that meditational solitude way.

[lookingglass]

Oh, there's that traditional fougere thing going on, so I slap it on my man.

 

This is very reminiscent of Gaueko but I-iiiiii think I like this one better! It's less lavender-y, and while I don't usually like lemon, it's very subtle and lends way to the tangy/creamy/smokey/sweet labdanum (god I love labdanum-it's the closest thing to amber I can get on him-dosn't turn to powder, ya know...)even sooner and more seamlessly. The highs and lows of the Scales are more prominent than in Gaueko. It's got that "freshly shaven sexy professor" thing. Yeah...!

[theseagrows]

how have i never tried this one? hmm. anyway, i got this as a frimp, and it's kind of delightful. this does smell very shadowy and reminds me of bpals i've tried before, but can't place right now. thankfully, the frankincense and sandalwood are behaving and not turning to pencil shavings on me. this scent is very dark, but starts out with a clearness, which i guess is the fougere? however, that clearness reminds me of the clear, golden musk or amber (?) in haunted, but those aren't listed. the lemon peel gives a brightness to the scent so it doesn't become TOO dark. this is pretty, and very unisex. i'd kind of think this would smell good on the ol' boyfriend, hmm.

Edited May 26, 2011 by theseagrows

[Wwindy]

I'm astonished how much I love this!

 

I don't know how old this imp is, but the label is in quite good condition, so I'm assuming it can't be *too* ancient.

 

In the imp, the oil smells resinous and sandalwood-y with a clean herbal edge.On my skin I'm really only getting the notes from the center of the description -- the frankincense, lavender, and sandalwood, with no lemon anywhere that I can detect. I sometimes find the Lab's lavender notes either too sweet (i.e., TKO) or else too harshly eucalyptus-like, but this one seems very traditional Yardley English Lavender to me, which is a good thing because I grew up loving that stuff. And who knew frankincense and lavender was such a good combination?!? Seriously, every time I catch a whiff my eyes just about roll back in my head from pleasure.

 

As others have said, this is a quick fade, but I don't mind because it's so damn good! Frankincense, lavender, and sandalwood deliciousness. Bottle-worthy ASAP, and I'll just have to hope I don't wind up with surprise citrus!

[Honey]

Yum, another one of those scents that make me think about a bottle..

 

Imp: Thick sweetness (frankincense), sage and lemon peel is what I get at first. Sage and lavender build this tart and hearty body while a caramel sweetness that's only slightly spicy is noticeable in the background.

 

Wet: Lavender, sage and frankincense. Sage and lemon peel is just one of those drop-dead gorgeous combinations for me that I would recognize in any scent! *lurvs* Lavender is.. wow, like the perfect addition. Makes an awesome trio!

 

Dry: Strong frankincense and sandalwood. Sweet. Herbal scents in the background. I'm still loving this!

 

5 stars, period. However long or short this lasts on my skin.

[calivianya]

I had somewhat good hopes for this one.

 

Wet: I'm definitely getting some lavender, but also some spice? And soap? Something in this is turning to spicy lavender soap... I think the lemon is contributing to the soap effect, and maybe the sandalwood/laudanum for the spice.

Dry: This went even soapier. Now it's not even spicy lavender soap, it's soapy soap soap, almost like unscented soap or body wash. I'm scratching my head in confusion right now.

[detritius]

Maybe it's just the power of suggestion, but wet, this scent makes me incredibly hungry. It's perfect for Saturday mornings that way -- just the kick in the pants I need to get myself out of bed before noon. After about fifteen minutes, it dries down to something soft and wistful. I spend a lot of time reminiscing when I'm wearing this one. I'm not sure which notes cause either reaction -- I think the second one has something to do with the lavender, but I can't be sure -- but all in all, it's a very pleasant, though turbulent experience.

[Maleficium]

OH my this is heavenly!

 

I smell the lemon right away. It has a very woody and herbal scent to it.

 

After ten min or so it is a lot warmer and softer.

 

I can forsee myself wearing this often!

[Suu4LC]

Eep, not going to lie, I always get a bit nervous where vetiver is involved, because it just so happens to be my note of doom. But if it stays well behaved, this could be an interesting blend. I'm not quite sure what to expect tbh. Mmmm, I really quite like this in the imp. Rich, dark, woody, incense-y, with a blast of citrus and sage. At least on initial sniff, the vetiver plays nicely here, blending with the wood/incense notes to give it some extra depth.

 

I am actually enjoying this quite a surprising amount on my skin, considering this is not what I would normally call a "me" type of blend. It is rich and unisex, woody and dark, but tempered by the lemon peel and sage. To me, this is a sexy and mysterious type scent that would be awesome on a man or a woman. The opposite of the type of blend I would want on a sunny summer day.

 

Unfortunately, something in this blend turned it completely to powder on my skin! Like a sweet, slightly woodsy powder. I lost all of its dark allure! Nuuu! I do have a habit of turning things to powder if they have amber, but I don't see that listed here so I'm not sure exactly what did it. Either way, I think this could be a super awesome sexy blend on some people (don't be scared of the vetiver if you are like me-it didn't bite) but my skin just decided not to go with it!

[Dusk]

In the imp I’m not sure what I’m smelling, as there are so many notes in it and it’s very pungent. Fresh and even a tad bitter.

 

On my skin it’s herbal, slightly lemony. There’s sage, lavender, and spice. Something seems cinnamony, even though it’s not listed as a note. Despite being fresh and a bit citrusy, there’s a bite to it that reminds me of red hots. Maybe that’s part of the frankincense, because I’m not very familiar with it.

 

By five minutes it’s more like powdery cologne. A little commercial. I can’t comment much on individual notes because there are a few I’m not familiar with – vetiver, labdanum. But in terms of the “feel” of the scent, there’s something very uncomfortable about it, and malicious. There’s also something that starts to appear that I take a dislike to, possibly sage, which can smell sweaty to me. The lavender is behaving itself and remaining very masculine and almost bitter. I do get a bit of sandalwood now, though it’s faint. The lemon is pleasant.

 

At fifteen minutes, it’s blended together well, and I’m having a hard time finding individual notes. Mildly sweet, powdery herbal with a bite from lemon. I’m underwhelmed. The longer it stays on my skin, the more it reminds me of baby powder. So it’s not as malicious smelling any more. A few mild notes are more complicated than that, but the overall impression is pretty bland.

 

It doesn’t change much. Near to an hour, it gets woodier with some incense. At 1 ½ hours, sandalwood gets very strong and rescues the scent from the baby powder curse, though there is still something powdery, or even like air freshener. It does fade after a while. The lemon hangs around a really long time – for over 2 ½ hours, in fact, which is remarkable considering my skin hates citrus and it usually doesn’t last longer than 5 minutes.

 

From the 2 ½ hour mark onwards it’s mainly sandalwood, a sweet resinous note (labdanum?), and a touch of cinnamon. And it definitely ends that way.

 

This isn’t bad, ignoring my personal dislike of powderiness, but it’s a bit boring. Very cologne-y, which isn’t what I’m looking for in BPAL – if I wanted that, I’d just get a traditional cologne. I like the ending, but I can get it from several other blends.

 

Summary: Herbal, lemony, cologne-y blend with a spicy bite, quickly gets powdery. Lemon note is very persistent. Woody and resinous notes get strong around an hour, but don’t save it from being forgettable. Ends as spicy, resinous sandalwood. Very unisex.

 

Rating: 2/5

[madscientistdh]

In imp: The sharp bite of lemon soaked lavender with an undertone of... like a white musk. Hollow, is the word I'm feeling.

 

On Skin: Sage-rosemary rubbed on skin perfumed with white musk. This is dry and nearly metallic in its... hollowness.

 

Drydown: Do I hear an echo? Haha this is a very sexy, coolly collected feminine musk on me, reminds me a bit of Kataniya in that cold muskiness. I get the memory of a lemon every now and again.

 

Verdict: Basically already said this, but The Scales is cool and sexy white musk, I could see a stern businesswoman wearing this scent in her pencil skirt and blazer, with her hair pulled back TIGHT. No nonsense! Well, except for that lemon... sly little thing.

[fufu_berry]

Starts out as lemon, but quickly fades to salty soap residue. Not for me. :/

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Sagey goodness with smoky wood notes.

 

Drydown: Sweet and subtle woods peppered with sage and smoke. A glowing, musky note tempers the blend. It becomes more resinous as it dries. There’s something terribly familiar about it...could this be a Night Hag Visiting the Lapland Witches doppleganger!? *runs off and grabs sniffie*...well, okay, perhaps more of a cousin than a twin. Scales is gentler and not as spicy, but there is a familial resemblance.

 

Dry: Earthy, creamy, dry, herbal, and fuzzy. There’s a controlled animalism to it. It reminds me of several of the characters on Being Human. A wild, dangerous creature of the night, pretending to be - attempting to will himself to be - a polite and domesticated human. For now the monster is at bay, but he will always be right there, just under the skin.

 

 

8 out of 10 bones

[Ishtar]

This reminds me a lot of YSL Pour Homme, one of my favourite men's fragrance of all times. This makes sense, as they share a lot of notes (lavender, citrus, vetiver, sage and sandalwood).

 

Having said that, The Scales of Deprivation is light and subtle enough to veer into unisex territory. On my skin, the first stage is all about the frankincense and sage, medling into something airy, light and elegant. This is one of the most delicious incense blends I have smelled as of late. If you have always thought of frankincense as either piercing and soapy, or heavy and churchy, fear not: this is skin-friendly, eminently wearable frankincense!

 

The citrus shows up after a few minutes, then the lavender and sandalwood during drydown. Unlike many other reviewers, I don't get any sweetness from this - on me, The Scales of Deprivation is an airy, spicy and very dry scent. In fact, I think it is its very dryness that makes it so alluring and sophisticated to my nose.

 

If you've been looking for an incense fragrance that is a little unusual, unisex and elegant, I would highly recommend giving this a try!

[DiesMali]

In the imp: Vaguely sweet and musky.

 

Wet on me: This starts out with a bite of lavender and something I can only describe as dark.

 

Dry: This scent fades fairly quickly, becoming a close to the skin sort of thing. The lavender and sandalwood are the primary notes here, with an undercurrent of what smells to my nose like white musk and faint sage. I'm not really getting any lemon here, but it has a "bright" note that may be that. It's a very light scent, fairly unassuming, and somehow hollow. There's not a lot of substance to it. It is a fairly odd scent, and while I'm glad I got to try it, I'll have to try it another time or two to see if it's something I would wear again.

[Veronica]

Soft floral and powder. Smells like a womans' perfume version of baby powder in a good way.

[Marla Moreau]

For me, this is okay in the imp, but absolutely amazing on. I usually have a problem with vetiver, but it's interesting to observe how my skin amps and plays down other scents depending... in this one, the sandalwood took over completely at the end, and even 24 hours later I still smell like strong incense (a slightly powdery nag champa like scent) - vetiver nowhere to be seen... love it. I guess I amp sandalwood, which is good to know.

 

In the imp - fresh sage and lemon, definite vetiver, vauge frankincense in the background, a "sharp" scent. I can't pick out the lavender or sandalwood.

 

Wet on skin - light lemon and sage, layered over lavender, layered over incense in the background... no vetiver at all, scent instantly gets "darker".

 

Drydown - Fresh herbal... freshly cut herbs with incense in the background... notes of specific herbs are less distinct but all mingle together nicely - clean and fresh while also dark with warmth creeping up behind it. Still no vetiver. Over time the herbs fade and get darker as the frankincense takes over - but it lasts for a while. For me, the sweet frankincense becomes prominent for a while, then finally the sandalwood amps and stays. I love this and definitely want a bottle... 5/5

[SimplySyra]

Imp: Sharp herbs and a hint of citrus.

Wet: Sandal wood has come to play. Very dry and woody!

Dry: Sandalwood and frankincense are definitely here overlaid by a fresh herbal blend. The lemon is peeking but isn't defined. It's more of a fresh edge to the herbs. This scent sticks very close and is muted, soft, woody, and warm. It is both a tiny bit sweet and a bit sharp and bitter. I find it a bit brooding.

Verdict: A pretty but nondescript wood and herb blend that is nearly imperceptible on my skin. The vetiver which can be a death note on my skin doesn't appear here. Pleasant but not notable.

[Malaena]

This starts off as frighteningly herbal. It dries down into a whisper of sage with a hint of frankincense sweetness. It has a soapy feel to it. I think this would make a nice bed-time scent though I don't wear scents to bed!

[LiberAmoris]

The Scales of Deprivation is a lovely, clean, very pretty skin scent on me. The lemon peel is so perfect here, there's just the lightest touch. The sage, frankincense, labdanum, and sandalwood together are woody and resiny and again, so light. The lavender fougere doesn't overwhelm on my skin, and the vetiver is barely present at all. This is one of Beth's blends where I marvel at how so many notes that could be heavy are made so airy. It feels like a pale yellow wash of incense touched with lavender, and I think I could wear it even in scent-averse workplaces and not trigger any concern. I'm so glad I got to try this, and will certainly finish up my imp!

[Christina Huizar]

I may be crazy, but to me, Scales of Deprivation smell as though Dee and Dorian had a love-child. I pick out notes I love in both oils in Scales of Deprivation. Perhaps it's the fougere. I don't know, but I love, love, love, love, love it. Will be procuring a bottle.

[Coldfire]

Imp: Lavender and Lemon
Wet on Me: ooooo the veitiver is trying to sneak up on the Lavender and Lemon but this is still so very pleasant.
Drying Down: oh hello sandalwood nice of you to join the dance
Dry: This is lovely. bright lemon and happy lavender with sweet sandalwood. and ya'll crowded out that vetiver that can go so wrong on me! I love this!