Oblivion

[karengypsy]

Salvation found in darkness beyond darkness, the blessed sleep of nothingness. Dark musk, wood spice, labdanum, patchouli, dark African woods, and saffron.

In the vial: Soft, green, tiniest hint of spice. The oil is a greenish color - how interesting!

On me: Oon, this is a spicy/woody scent! There's something sharp in here, too - maybe that's the labdanum. The dark musk is prevalent, as is the saffron.

Verdict: I absolutely love this! I didn't realize that it was such a fantastic blend the first time I tried it, and now I think I might need to add it to my bottle wishlist. It's gorgeous!

Rating: 5/5

[fiddledragon]

Oblivion -- This oil is green. Deep blackish green. On me, it's a very deep woody incense, with a musk note that's very different from the usual "dark" musks in some other blends, which don't agree with me at all. I like it very much, but it's not an everyday sort of perfume.

[ViolentKitten]

In the Imp: Ooh nice, a little spicy and like a man’s cologne? Not as heavy as the notes suggest though.

 

On: Incensey, but with something different, reminds me of my very vague memories of the Old Spice aftershave in my dad’s bathroom cupboard (which isn’t a bad thing), but with something else. Hmmm, it’s a slightly oily and resinous aspect adding to the softly spiced woods. I was a bit worried about the 'dark musk'…that it might go powdery in that bad way that dark musk has done on me before, but it doesn’t…joy! In fact, it’s gorgeously soft and velvety and as well as being good on me, would be great on a bloke, as it does have a masculine feel, but not too heavy. I can see how it could be a heftier relation to one of my favourites, Morocco, with its slightly dry, soft spices and musk; it does have a similar feel. It also reminds me a tad of the dry-down of Serge Lutens Chergui, which I adore.

 

A little while later, it’s becoming a little smoky and that is good. Oblivion manages to be strong, but it also has a soft sweetness at the same time. Absolutely beautifully blended!

[Meg]

In the bottle: It smells extremely clean and a bit woody. Oh, and the blend is a stunning dark green colour.

 

Wet: Salty, clean woods and hints of spices, very much like a spice cabinet that's just been cleaned and still has slight remnants of spices. It also reminds me of laundry detergent, but I have no clue where that vibe comes from.

 

Drydown: It doesn't change very much, it's a woodsy, salty blend which also has a scent in it that I've found in sun screens. It smells clean and white, to me, except for this salt note that keeps on coming up - possibly the saffron. The patchouli doesn't make an appearance at all, surprisingly.

 

Overall: Salty sweet clean sheets, waiting for you to go to bed and slip into oblivion - this is how I see this blend. It doesn't smell at all like the description, but it's an intriguing and soothing scent all the same. It'll probably urge me to try and figure it out more. And the colour... wow, still!

[tinyvulture]

The saffron is the ingredient that really stands out on my skin. I thought this scent would be somewhat strong and masculine, but it’s actually quite soft and sweet and comforting. Gentle woods and spices…not really noticing the patchouli. It sort of reminds me of a spicier Morocco. What else can I say – all of the notes in this scent are ones that I love. I wish it were a bit stronger, that’s the only thing that might keep me from ordering a bottle.

[forspecial_plate]

I'm on the fence about Oblivion...I read the description the first time I ever saw the bpal site, and I've been wanting to try it ever since. I finally got to try it thanks to the lovely projectx.

 

My first impression is that it's close to a 'traditional' cologne or perfume, more so that most other bpal oils. No one note sticks out at first, then after a few minutes I start to smell......juniper. Uh oh, this might not be good. Yes, I swear I can smell a little bit of juniper which I have hated in Golden Priapus and didn't like in Burial....but surprisingly, it's not terrible here. It's more balanced by the labdanum I think (that's a resin, right?)...or maybe the musk, I'm not sure. There is some kind of sweetness that balances the woodiness of it. After a couple hours the sweetness has come out more strongly, making it more of an enjoyable scent.

 

Overall I'm just not sure....this doesn't grab me right away as being a favorite, but I don't hate it either. I may have to try it again just to make up my mind. My basic impression is that Oblivion smells elegant, posh, something kind of glamorous and also desolate. There's very little warmth here. It has a pretty strong throw and staying power.

 

Edit: First of all, sweet notes often amp out of control on my skin. That said, Oblivion does the oddest thing after drying down for about 30-45 minutes. Gradually, this soft, marshmallow-y note comes out, gets stronger and stronger, until it smells almost like Midway. Could it be the labdanum?? Am I crazy? It's almost like cotton candy. So weird!

Edited July 13, 2007 by Forspecial Plate

[jesvet]

I love this scent.

 

I had it on a to-try list on a lark, since the notes sound beautiful but sure it would be too dark and masculine on me. This is a beautifully evocative scent.

 

In the imp, it smells cold and grey and aquatic- like standing on the edge of a cliff looking down into a gray swirling mass of nothing. As it dries, the spices come out and warm up the scent- not to the point of actual warmth, but it takes off the chill. My body is amping the musk and keeping the woods and patchouli at low low levels, which is just perfect.

 

Bravo!

[supremegoddessofall]

The color of this one in the imp kind of scares me - with that much green, I'm expecting overwhelming evergreens or mint. *sniff* Hmm...barely there. I like it, but I'm not really getting any specific impressions other than "dark." Like being deep in the woods, but it's not a tree scent.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: pine-y and dark.

on: spicy, earthy, pine-y, and dark. very interesting and nice, in a supremely dark sort of way.

1 hour later: heavy, dark, earthy, and very sweet.

2 hours later: still sweet, but with an edge to it that reminds me of men's cologne.

3.5 hours later: the wood notes in this are going a bit odd on me, but it's still retaining some of that earthy sweetness.

5 hours later: earthy and woodsy.

overall: this is really, really nice on me at first, but i'm not sure about the drydown. i do find it really comforting, though, so i'm going to hold onto my imp for a while.

[Dinerdulcinea]

imp: dark and foreboding...the oil is even a sickly green-grey.

 

wet: same. As drying, becomes even a little fruity...strange.

 

dry: There is a very ODD smell I sniff...It is compelling (about 97%) and very slightly offputting at the same time (about 3%). Warm, musky, and sweet. I like it, but am not sure I would want to wear it because of the slightly soapy bit in the background that smells a little like a conventional cologne...

 

LATER: OMYGOODNESS! This became GORGEOUS after several hours! I think I will keep this one!! (and see if the hubby will try it...)

 

Later still: old lady-ish and powdery. The gorgeous stage only lasted about 1 hour.

 

Did not work on hubby---Immediately went to old lady perfume on him.

Edited November 17, 2006 by Dinerdulcinea

[kwelge]

Frimp from the lab.

 

Initially, I was very scared of this one due to the dark musk and patchouli. This time, however, the lab was right.

 

Wet: Slightly spicy, dark, earthy.

 

Dry: More of the same. Quiet, dark, woodsy, some spice and a little musk.

 

Verdict: Addictive. It's an dark, calm, relaxing scent to me. I'd consider using this for an everyday scent, especially since it's in the GC. As it is, I'll see how fast I use up the imp.

[steffanina]

Oblivion-

 

In Bottle: Light and spicy, pretty but rich.

 

Wet: Hmm, the musk risks being cloying. Possibly a bit masculine, this, but I still like the impression.

 

Dry: Definitely masculine and musky, but I like the overall feel when I wear this. It's not a sniff-at-your-wrist kind of scent for me, though.

 

Overall: Conditional.

[Alchemy21599]

I love the color of this oil; it is the color of green tourmaline. That said, since it is green I was afraid that it would contain pine or fir, neither of which agree with me, so this imp has been sitting in the imp pile for awhile.

 

In the imp: musk and a hint of patchouli spiciness.

 

Wet on skin: very manly musk.

 

Dry: manly musk with a wee bit of patchouli. This blend is too masculine for me, but I think it would be drop-dead sexay on the right person.

[pkthunder]

When I first put it on, Oblivion was a yummy, woodsy musk. At first it even smells like a familiar department store cologne, but I can't place it. Unfortunately, my skin eats it up to the point where my nose has to be on my skin in order to smell it. Too bad.

[seadragon]

This is a gorgeous woody,-spicy-musky blend, it reminds me somewhat of La Fee Verte, without making me nauseous.Very heady, smells like a traditional, classic perfume. Might be working it's way into my Top Ten!

[Shollin]

I fell madly in love with this one at a Seattle meet’n’sniff, and Thursdae graciously allowed it to come home with me. After the meet I was covered in probably seven or eight different scents, and this is the one I kept going back to (not to mention my guy’s nose was buried in the crook of my elbow where I applied it for quite some time).

 

First revisited sniff: Oh so resiny, warm woods and incense and it totally smells like something that would go very very wrong on my skin. Looking back at the notes, it strikes me as a much darker, heavier Morocco.

 

Wearing: Darker Morocco seems to be pretty accurate. It’s the same sort of muskywoodyspicy warmth, but there’s more oomph to it.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

a green woodsy quality. Also, I wanted to note that the color of the oil is a kind of blue-green-grey color, one I have never seen before in any of BPAL's oils!

 

On me:

It goes on beautifully - smells very green and woodsy without being an obvious forest smell - like pine, for instance. This is very masculine and has a clean edge to it - it makes me think of a man's soap actually. Only slightly resinous, mostly woody with a mild musky undertone and a sharp cleanliness about it.

 

It somehow manages to be both a clean smell AND a dark smell at the same time. I would absolutely LOVE to smell this on my husband, it's very sexy and masculine and makes me think of a just-showered man

 

Final note:

I really like this one - it's too masculine for me to wear myself, but I am keeping the imp and trying to convince my husband to wear it. Uber sexy!

 

 

ETA: The longer I have this on, the more "woodsy" it becomes, it's really SUCH a lovely blend!

Edited February 14, 2007 by Brianne

[puck_nc]

Origin: Frimp from the Lab

 

Initial Thoughts: Between the patchouli and the dark musk, I really don't expect this one to work on me.

 

In the Bottle: Ooh, that's kind of nice! Cool and foresty, with something sweet to it.

 

Wet: Very woodsy; I can also pick out the patchouli.

 

Drydown: Alas, the dark musk creeps in and slowly takes over.

 

Verdict: I hate it when I'm right. It smells so nice in the bottle.

[ariosa]

Now this.... this is going to be a big bottle purchase, methinks! It's warm and sultry and my nose is glued to my wrist. My body seems to eat this fragrance a little, but I have no problem slathering! The green oil was a touch intimidating at first, but this is just really nice on me. Not too masculine, at all!

 

ETA: My brother stole my imp for this! Grr. But the last time I saw my grandfather before he died, I was wearing Oblivion, and he complimented me on it, saying I smelled nice. For that reason alone, I'll be buying a bottle of this on my next order, and I'll think of him everytime I wear it. Helps that I love it, though

Edited March 31, 2007 by ariosa

[klavierbarrette]

when i first got this oil as a frimp, i studied it before opening it. the first words out of my mouth were something like 'what the shit, it's GREEN'. i've never seen a green oil before. 'IS IT POISON? HAS IT EXPIRED?' i hesitantly test it.

 

IT SMELL GOOD. in the bottle it's spicy green stuff. i guess that's the uh, wood spice eh? lol. it's murky. every time i apply it i get some sort of different vibe. it's definitely something a man would wear...at least on me. i wish more of the spice came out. i get...OMG, NO patchouli from this. and i AMP patchouli. the dark musk acts weird. i am going to layer this with the lion, or something similar. see if the spice comes out. it's really pretty, just needs a little something.

 

thank you beth i wouldn't have ordered it.

 

eta: oh and i really like my title 'hyacinth unicorn-farts'

Edited April 8, 2007 by klavierbarrette

[Extispex]

This came as a frimp with a forum purchase. It had been on my wishlist of imps to try; now its on my wishlist of bottles to buy.

 

I'm another person who loves the color of this - dark and green and murky. Like industrial-grade window-cleaner gone bad.

 

In the bottle, it doesn't smell too great to me. Kind of like Old Spice with something sour lingering in the background. Probably the saffron. I like saffron, but in the bottle it sort of jars with everything else.

 

But of course the smell in the bottle doesn't keep me from slathering this window-cleaner-looking stuff on my wrists. Wet on me it's spectacular... and weird! It has to be one of the strangest scents I've tried on BPAL - which is precisely why I like it so much. At this stage I can't pick out individual notes, but its definitely dark. A hypnogoguic plummet into sleep, a tiny spike of fear just as the lights go out. The sweat of fitful slumber, the phantoms of dream who lure you into ever deeper senselessness.

 

The drydown doesn't change an awful lot, but it does deepen, if thats possible. I just LOVE this. The throw is quite spicy (and very pronounced); but close to the skin, the fragrance is mercilessly sombre. No particular note dominates - they all blend to form a subtle and tenebrous menace.

 

Definite bottle material, maybe even top ten.

 

ETA: Age your Oblivion. My original imp probably had some age on it. My bottle doesn't have near the same depth and darkness as the imp. Its still lovely, and its a scent that I tend to 'crave' (you know - some days you just need to smell a certain aroma?) New, my bottle is much 'fresher' smelling - almost a clean spicy smell. But I think this one picks up body and depth with age.

Edited July 6, 2007 by Extispex

[jade_starlight]

This is sweet and green and woody, but fairly faint on me. I love the color, and the oil smells about like you'd think it would being that shade of green, which is cool. *g* Sadly, I don't think it's for me.

[batsy]

In the vial: woodsy. I love how it's green in colour!

 

On the skin: Saffron and musk. Manly. It's actually kinda nice, it gets spicy on the dry down. Reminds me of a high-end mens' cologne. Neat!

[CiCi]

Oblivion was recommended to me so I decided to give it a try. Hmmmmm, interesting is what I thought when I opened it. Not only for the avacado peel green color, but for the BBQ pit smokey smell. It is both woody and spicy and the strange off-smell is probably the saffron. It has a very strong throw and the oil itself was on the thicker side. I am still not completely certain if I like this scent or not. I think I will run it by the hubby and see what he thinks. I don't know if I want to smell like a BBQ all day!

[jasmine]

First applied, this is a crisp, cold scent. The impression I have is actually of a clear, deep blue with patches of dark green, like a twilight sky silhouetting trees... and I really like it. There’s something very clean about this, almost antiseptic, but it’s antiseptic without smelling of soap. It’s highly unusual, but quite interesting.

 

Picking out notes is quite difficult -- none of these notes sound quite right for what I’m smelling. I would cautiously say that the labdanum and the wood are dominant, with the musk beneath, but this is one of those metamorphic miracles where nothing at the end smells quite like what went in at the beginning. It’s a unisex scent suggestive of confidence. It’s aloof, but it doesn’t have the pride that infuses some other scents -- it’s just... distant. The aloofness is more "look, but don’t touch -- because when you reach out, nothing will be there."

 

Over time, Oblivion lasts with little metamorphosis. This makes me happy, as this is a surprisingly lovely scent.

 

For the most part, Oblivion doesn’t say “me” to me, but I might choose this one for clubbing some night. (After all, while it’s not normally my worldview, "look but don’t touch" is definitely my vibe when I’m out on the town.)