Baron Samedi

[lissamc]

A notorious voodoo priest, who eventually rose to become one of the funereal Guédés, alongside Baron Cimitère and Baron La Croix. He is a Guardian of the Crossroads: the pathways between our world and the realm of the spirits. As a Master of the Graveyard, he ensures that burial rites are performed with skill, and he helps ferry souls to the dark realm. In his honor, we have created this scent: our spin on traditional Bay Rum.

Wet: I put on just a bit, because it smelled so strong. Wow. Yes, this is more masculine. I can get a strong almost wood tone. Rum? Clove? Nuts? Hmmm. Now here comes some spice, as it settles in.

4 Hours later: It went through a nice incensy clove phase, and has settled out with a bit of clean lime sweetness floating over the top. Much better than I feared putting it on. Tried it on Eric, and he got sneezes and a stuffy nose.

Pleasant enough to maybe try again, but I don't think it is really me. Masculine, but the men in my life can't/don't want to play with it. Probably headed for the swap pile.

[magdalene]

in the bottle: I've been a little apprehensive about trying this one out. The good Baron is someone I'm very close to and I was a small bit afraid that I wouldn't like this scent. As it stands, my fears were unfounded. It seems to be coconut rum with Cherry Coke, something I quite like drinking.

 

wet on skin: the clove comes out a bit more, as my skin amplifies clove notes and it warms up the rum and Coke scent I got straight from the bottle.

 

dry: I'm not getting much of the almond that everyone else is talking about, nor do I feel this is a terribly masculine scent. It's an incrredibly interesting scent, however, because the dominant note seems to waver and change whenever I smell my wrist.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Oh, very sweet.

 

Just On: Cinnamon sweetness.

 

An hour or two later: No longer cinnamon, but still quite lovely. Perhaps a whiff of some flower.

 

Around 6 hours: I get a hint of cinnamon, and a flower.

 

12 hours: No more smelly.

 

Overall: This is one to buy a bottle of.

 

After reading other reviews: I don't guess I'm getting any rum, but that's okay. It's still great.

[UltraViolet]

In the bottle

WOW Too yummy.

 

On

It's like someone mixed Bastet with Eclipse. I like each of those quite a bit, in fact more than this blend.

 

30 minutes

It turns spicier which is good, it smells better at this stage, not as strangely foody, just foody sweet and spicy.

 

Throw:

average

 

Scent category:

Foody

 

Summary

When wet on my skin it was very foody as Penance said in a cloying almond way.

As it dried it became less cloying, just foody, sweet and spicy.

 

 

Purchase again?

No. I've got Eclipse, 3 Witches,and Bastet and I like them better.

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

3

[olympia301]

Oooo, I really like Baron Samedi! A frimp, it did start out as almond...the smell of something burning and there was a bit of vetivert in the background. You knew that the Baron was going to appear in a puff of smoke, but where? In front of you, behind you?

 

Next there was a waffly drydown. As if the smoke was clearing and there was really nothing you could see. You do get the almond goodness drying down with vetivert here. Almond always seems to do the best things for me in unexpected ways, but it seems to be a topnote...it doesn't stay forever but it does herald be best things afterwards...so maybe it dries down to something I can't quite name as "dry almond" but it is gorgeous. Vetivert scares me, though. It's so big and strong...it will run over everything else if it's not stopped.*

 

Finally the cloves came out and took the vetiver in hand. "Hold it, there, big boy...not so fast, I'm here to play, too, and we're going to play nice, get it?" Believe it or not, clove starts to blend with the vetivert and they are both in perfect harmony together. Then there is something that reminds me of basil, and some part of the voodoo oils that I love (not quite vanilla not quite basil). This is a big masculine type of scent, but one that would not be totally out of place on me (like the Viscount of Valmont or Morocco). This baron likes to play with the ladies. He is a Bay Rum kind of a guy, but not your average Bay Rum, he's specially good.

 

*On me Lex Talionis was all vetivert slashing its way through my nose, up my sinuses and advertising me as an amazon. Not what I wanted at the time.

[QueenFae]

This smells absolutely nothing like rum on me, unfortunately. When I sniffed it in the bottle, I smelled a wonderful, foody, almond scent. As soon as I dabbed some on, it turned to a nasty rancid smell. It's really boozy, not in the good way, and there is this underlying rotteness that just does not agree with my chemistry. Oh well, there has to be at least a few that don't work, or else I'd be even more broke.

[Ajila]

Wet on me this was predominantly almond, which is good, with something green and spiky in the background, which is less good. As it dries it goes through a pencil shaving stage, which is a bit weird. Dry on me it's a heavy, spicy wood scent. On the whole as far as I'm concerned this is a very masculine scent, too masculine for me.

[telesilla]

Why I tried it: Still on my quest for a good masculine scent that I can wear. Also Helens78 tried it and sent it to me.

 

In the bottle and wet: Bay rum and something that smells like almonds.

 

Drying down: Still almondy. Does Bay Rum usually smell like almonds?

 

Dry: The almond scent is gone and it's just a lovely, spicy, slightly sweet Bay Rum. It's a much nicer Bay Rum than I've smelled before; I really really like it. And man has it got a serious throw on it. I think I need a bottle of this, because it's really quite yummy.

 

Later: Oh hell yeah. It's spicy and most of the sweet has disappeared ... it's just very lovely. It'd smell great on a guy.

[LiberAmoris]

Baron Samedi goes on like Voodoo meets Black Phoenix meets bay rum. It's all almonds, cloves, and sharp elbows. Then it dries down to an almost pure vetiver on me.

 

I might try this on the boyfriend, as I have a hunch that his chemistry will do better things with the good Baron than mine does. In fact, I think this could be quite disarming on a man. But for me, time to go wash off the vetiver.

[Nachtwulf]

In the bottle: Kinda sweet, kinda pungent. It's sure not floral, and I'm not sure it smells like rum (although from what I recall, 'bay rum' is something entirely different than Captain Morgan's), but it's certainly nice enough. It's got a few sharp edges, but it's a long way from acrid.

 

Wet: Ooh. I don't...know what this actually smells like on me, but I like it. It (like so much of BPAL) goes incensy, but it's an entirely different, non-resiny sort. I don't know why, but I feel like I've smelled it before, possibly in some new-age store someplace that wasn't obsessed with nag champa. It's a bit woody, but sweet, almost reaching out into vanilla, chocolate, or even faintly cherry-ish notes without being actually any of them. It retains some of the sharp edges, but again, refuses to go acrid.

 

Dry: Mellows out a bit, but the general gist of the scent is the same, just a bit warmer, and a touch spicier.

 

Final opinion: Definitely on my like list. It's another 'work' scent... something with enough throw that I notice it while typing, without being overwhelming and something I'm going to get utterly sick to death of after half an hour. I like that it's sweet, but still feels 'clean', and hints at a foody quality without smelling like you bathed in Torani syrup. Something that I, at least, could wear often and not get tired of.

[arabella]

First Impression: Very strong almonds.

 

Dries down to: The almonds disappear, almost immediately and then there's a brief wave of burnt rubber and finally just a faint clove-y kind of scent.

 

Additional Comments: I wish it was bay rum, but on me, it's anything but - well, maybe a bit of bay but no rum whatsoever. I got this thrown in as a gift in a swap, so maybe it's just old. If the opportunity ever came up again, I'd definitely retry it.

 

Lasted: A couple of hours.

 

Rating: 2 out of 5

[cranberry]

Initially I get almonds and a bit of spice. As it dries, the almonds quiet, the spices come out, and it becomes a bit sweet. Ah yes, there's the bay rum - spicy and wonderful!

 

I just touched on a dab but it seems to have good throw and to be fairly longlasting. Yes, this would be wonderful on a guy and I imagine that it would have fabulous throw (since males tend to be warmer). Overall very nice! Not sure if I need a whole bottle but I'll enjoy my imp! And, maybe, if any of my guy friends are especially nice, I'll share...we'll see.

[lohengrin]

In the imp: @_@ Sneezy. Hoo. Very sneezy.

 

On, wet: Uh. Bay. Spicy, nose-tickly, bay. No rum.

 

Later: Yup. Still mostly bay. I can see myself using this to layer with scents lacking the spicy OOMPH I want -- it's pretty straight up single-note spicy.

[Blood onmy hands]

Baron Samedi wasn't a winner on me. First on it smelled like almond (boozy cherries). Then in the drydown it was like coca cola, clove, and dust. It makes me sneeze.

 

Off to swaps with this one.

[Etaven]

In the bottle:

Very masculine, powerful and musky. Not really pleasant to me. I'll didn't get the rum, or the almond... I got a very predominantly musky smell.

 

When it hits my skin its gets a bit nicer, though still too masculine for me. It's smokier, and if I get too close to my wrist, I end up coughing. And a few minutes later, it's all smoke, and no musk, which is nice. It's spicy, and though I can't really pick out a smell I'd identify as 'rum', it makes me think of pipes being smoked in big, wood-walled rooms.

 

Later on, it reminds me of newly-turned dirt, and a while later, it takes on an incense-y sort of smell that I like, but that the majority of BPAL oils seem to do on me.

 

I probably won't keep it, because it's too masculine for me, but on drydown it's pretty nice.

[carolinachiquita]

Meh - This smelled ok in the bottle, it was a sweet boozy smell - I thought it might go better on my skin but unfortunately it turned into a washing up liquid scent almost immediately. Oh well can't win them all!!

[hangingfire]

In the imp: Cherries and rum. Wha? Not what I was expecting, but hey, I like.

 

On, wet: Spicy, boozy, a little sweet. There are some slightly citrusy notes that come and go as well.

 

Drydown: Really pleasant -- it's spicy, smoky, a little fruity, and very rich, with a dash of citrus to keep it from getting too serious.

 

Love it!

[em_h]

Wet: nice sweet marzipan smell in the vial; on my skin, the immediate notes are almond and something quite sharp -- smells more chemical than alcoholic, a bit like turpentine. Hard to tell where this one is going to go.

 

Dry: the almond disappears rapidly and completely. Smells very, very piney to me, or I guess like juniper actually. The almond has disappeared, and it doesn't remind me of rum either, not that I am an expert on the smell of rum ... anyway it seems I am having a different experience from nearly everyone on the forums who's tried this. Does indeed seem very masculine, and I'm not especially fond of it. Ends up after a few hours smelling like some kind of air freshener. Not a keeper.

[Celogrl]

I received this as a lab gift and it's lovely! Bay Rum mixed with spicy wonderfulness

 

I think it's a unique unisex fragrance. It's warm, comforting and makes me content. It just is a very calming scent. Thanks, lab!

[theshapeshifter]

I probably never would've tried this - being afraid of it being too boozy, since rum and I have had a thorny relationship over the years - but when em_h brought it to the Toronto meet'n'sniff, I gave it a go, and was intrigued. She was kind enough to gift me with the imp, so here goes...

 

In the imp: Sweet, but not the straight-up rum I'd feared, more like a spiced rum cake.

 

On skin: From application right through the drydown, it's a one-way ticket to Clove-town! Clove is definitely the predominant note I get, with the sweetness of the rum, something almondy, and something earthy (vetiver?) in the background. It's actually reminding me a bit of the imp of Yuletide '04 that I've been hoarding.

 

I'm really loving this - I'm a great fan of spicy scents that have a bit of sweetness to them without necessarily being baked-good-foody, and this fits that description perfectly. Really nice for such a cold day.

[cuervosueno]

Ah the mysterious Baron. Courtly, lovely, but ephemeral....a lovely apparition.

 

In the imp--all almonds, which do wonderful things for me too. I love the almond scents.

 

On, I soon get the spice/clove notes that are reminiscent of bay rum, but better. I don't get the rum per se, but that fresh spice that I associate with bay rum scents.

 

Sad thing is, I put it on, loved it, decided to write this review about an hour later, and hey, where's he gotten to? Off to the crossroads I guess.

 

So I like it, but it doesn't last on me at all.

 

eta: several hours later I discover he hasn't fled....just morphed to the a lightly spiced powdery scent very close to the skin. the sweet powder makes me think of white musk, though I don't believe that's in here. Still, its very lovely. Perhaps the Baron is a keeper after all..

Edited December 16, 2005 by cuervosueno

[Reinaluna]

Baron Samedi: From opening the imp It smells like clove and almond. Then I get this Black Amber aroma. It does not smell anything like the rum smell that I know. I dont know about a bottle yet but I like it.

[terrierhead]

I got this for my husband and am trying it myself, as well.

 

In the bottle: Yum, rummy spice. I think there's some clove along with the bay.

 

Wet (on him): A leather note comes out, but the fragrance otherwise stays the same. Very nice.

 

Wet (on me): Holy mother of spice! This is nice - it smells like I've been drinking chai while cuddling with a spicy-smelling gent who was wearing a leather jacket. I really slathered this on, and am getting a metallic taste in my mouth. Oh oh.

 

Dry (on him): Fades a bit, but otherwise stays the same. Sniffable for several hours. Glad I bought this.

 

Dry (on me): metallic taste continues. I smell like spiced cider, and I like it a lot. I'll have to apply more sparingly and see if I can escape the curse of the taste of metal. ::throws devil horns for Taste of Metal::

[grrrlennyl]

at first: sweet, like almonds or maraschino cherries.

on: mostly those sweet cherries, with a hint of bitter, dry almond underneath.

1.5 hours later: i can smell a leafy note in this now. the sweetness is mostly gone. it's much drier. masculine.

overall: this just isn't really for me.

[stardreamer]

This is a very sharp scent; my first thought was camphor, it had a bit of that mothball-y quality. Then I went and looked up "bay rum" on Google, and discovered that it's an extract made by soaking bayberry leaves and berries in rum. Aha -- the sharp note is bayberry, I recognize it now! It's not pure bayberry, but I can't identify any specific other component, I can only tell that they're blending and muting it down a bit. At least I don't get the burnt-sugar smell that rum sometimes develops on my skin, and it doesn't smell like a Christmas candle either, which is good.

 

A lot of the Forum reviews mention all sorts of other things -- almonds, cloves, cinnamon, citrus, vetiver, wood, leather, you name it -- but I never got anything specific except the bayberry. I could see this being a masculine scent, but it strikes me as fairly gender-neutral overall. Staying power is moderate; after 7 hours, it's pretty well faded.

 

Bottom line: Nice enough, but I can't see myself wearing it very often. I think this one's a swap.