Olokun

[dawndie]

... His ofrenda is the scent of the lightless deep: the glorious, unknowable gloom of the ocean floor.

Wet: sneezy detergent

On skin: light fruit, like green melon

Half-hour later: salty seawater with green sweetness

In conclusion: I was afraid Olokun would end up like most aquatics on me, like laundry detergent. However, maybe because it's the cusp of summer and I'm jonesing for a beachy vacation, I'm getting a real summery saltwater scent that's very evocative of surf and sand. I'm really enjoying this one and will definitely consider getting a bottle.

[Skirt]

In the bottle, this smells like fresh cut grass. When first applied, it's a soft aquatic - like Lightning, but less crisp. Once it's dried, it smells like Lightning's darker cousin. It reminds me of the air right after Hurricane Rita came through this area a few years ago - remnants of distress with a little touch of "things are looking up."

[modernsaints]

Sweet, aquatic, sort of light and nearly perfumey - I like it, but I have yet to find the aquatic that smacks me upside the head with OCEAN OCEAN OCEAN. Definitely not getting the salt I'd like. Will keep and see how often I wear it, but I'm not shrieking for a bottle right this second.

[JenM]

In the imp: wet not-quite-pine. Almost soapy. I put it on with trepidation.

 

On the wrist: sea breeze with sea lavender in it. On drydown, converts into an aftershave-y scent, like one of the Boots brand marine lines. It’s not dark at all. It’s light and spring-like.

 

Nope. Too much like Boots body gel. Off it comes, and into the swapsies.

[Czarina]

In the bottle: Huh? Smells almost floral.

 

Wet: Wow! A fruity aquatic. I'm catching melon notes, and an absurd reminder of the Oscar de la Renta scent I wore in the early 1980's <shudders at memories of the early 1980's>. Heavenly and confusing.

 

Dry: The fruit is receding, and the aquatic notes are coming forward. Not masculine on me, but I think my guy could get away with wearing this.

 

From the copy describing the "atmosphere" of the scent, I was expecting this to be much darker and muddier. To me this smells more like the top of the ocean than the ocean floor.

[madeleine]

The description had me expecting someting dark and broody, maybe a bit dangerous. I was wondering how you could do that with aquatic notes...but at least on my skin you can't. This smells like most aquatics do to me, at first. Light and spring-fresh. Very pretty. But Olokun turned into soap and cut lilies - not nice lilies or nice soap, but that eye-watering scent you get from both sometimes. I need to wash this off before I want to sneeze my nose off.

[Kimiko]

imp: fresh and yummy, I like the smell a lot

 

on my skin: nooooo! soap... and grass. Ugh. I was hoping....

[Torrain]

In the imp, dark and... oceany. Okay. On my skin, though, I completely lose the dark.

 

2 min: Hmh. Smells like ocean breeze air freshener. This isn't a bad thing, but I hope it develops somehow.

 

5 min: hint of a strong white floral. Oh please don't go to floral air freshener on me. Please please please.

 

10 min: somewhat floral ocean spray. The kind that comes in a white can with a logo of a pale blue wave. 20 min: same.

 

35 min: kind of losing the ocean vibe, and getting pure floral air freshener. Dammit, I am having *no* luck lately.

 

1 hr: floral soap?? Oh well. I have no idea what gave it that lovely dark smell in the imp, but it clearly doesn't like my skin.

 

1.5 hr: Huh. It's come around somewhat; a pale marine-y floral. Nicer than it was. Still don't think I'll keep it; I was so hoping to get something marine and dark, and this is very bright and sprightly.

 

Love and coffee,

Frances

[MaeKitty]

Bottle: I love this! Fresh, wet, and familiar. I can't wait to try it!

On Me: Oh no! This is so disappointing. It turns to pure soap on me. Dove soap.

[alicia_stardust]

This is amazingly beautiful and hits the concept and spirit of Olokun perfectly. I get a deep and dark aquatic. It isn't murky, however. There is a clear, zesty tang of ocean salt, different currents of cold then warm water that pass by each other, and an almost melon-like accent. This is a beautiful ocean blend and one that I am so glad to have finally tried.

[maribouquet]

Wet, this smells fresh and ozoney. Clean aquatic with a cucumbery sort of undertone. Reminds me a little of Ogun...but it eventually goes dryer-sheety on me.

[Ilex]

Febreeze. The same Febreeze air freshener when it was wet, dry, and a long time dry. Blechy. I don't dig smelling like dryer sheets a bit.

 

Reminds me of Cthulu (yes, Cthulu smells like Febreeze on me too)

[gchris]

In Vial: Green aquatic

 

Wet This smells like melon and water notes. I love aquatic notes and this one as well. This smells very fresh.

 

Drydown: Ocean water and seaweed

[thatpirategirl]

Hmm, right away this reminded me of something that I couldn't put my finger on, but in reading the comments I figured it out.... Febreeze. I mean, it's in all ways better than Febreeze, but to me the essential scent is similar. It's like the cleanest, freshest sea air, with a snap of ozone. After a while an odd floral scent begins to come out, which reminds me of the little decorative soaps my grandma has. Amusing imagery, but not good news for Olokun.

 

This one doesn't quite work on me, but maybe someone with more patience for light aquatics will have better luck.

[Kabooki]

My first thought is that it smells like a floral wet soap. It’s a very nice fresh scent like just getting out of the shower, or out of the ocean after snorkeling.

 

As it dries I start to smell a little bit of salt water, but the soapieness is still there. It reminds me of these bath salts/bath brick salt thingies that my grandma and mom would give as part of Xmas gifts.

 

Its like it’s the safe smell of the bathtub with some nice salt potions, but hidden under is the dark ocean, full of beauty and danger.

[Brianne]

This is very straight forward on me - a light, but salty, aquatic with a touch of green grassiness.

[maika]

In the imp, very fresh, and definitely a marine note, but it's making me sneeze uncontrollably, so sadly, this experiment is over. Off to swaps already...

[caitilarkin]

This was a frimp from the lab. Since aquatics smell like aftershave on me and florals and fruit are both very hit or miss, I never would have picked this out based on the description or reviews.

 

In the imp: Love at first sniff! Olokun evokes a light breeze blowing off the ocean into a seaside flower garden on a perfect summer day.

 

Wet on skin: Very similar to the bottle...the floral note takes the lead but is kept soft and dewy by the water and salt elements.

 

Dry on skin: The floral and aquatic are well-balanced, with a bit of salt adding a tang. It lasted a good 12 hours at the first wearing and didn't morph much on me.

 

Olokun definitely evokes the seaside to me, rather than the ocean itself. I love this one and will buy a bottle at the end of the spring; it will be so refreshing during the dog days of summer.

[ReikoSazanami]

In imp: Dish detergent, ironically the “sea breeze” variety, and a little nip of floral.

 

Wet on skin: More detergent, sadly. There’s a little bit of the sea spray I loved in Jolly Roger, but not very much. The floral note is slowly dissipating, at least, but this is a bright and happy scent. I wanted deep-down gloom!

 

Drydown: Dryer sheets and Irish Spring soap. That sea breeze I loved in Jolly Roger is nowhere to be found.

 

Overall: Floral and soap is all I got from this blend, despite my high hopes. I’ll try to again sometime, maybe in a scent locket, but my skin makes is smell like I just took a nice shower. Pleasant, but not at all what I wanted.

[marared]

This was a frimp. I normally haven't done well with the Excolo scents - I've tried a few of them, and there's invariably something that's turned me off, or they just weren't suitable on me to wear as perfume. This might be the exception to the rule - it's like Lightning/Tempest but with cotton in it, and I like cotton, but it's hard to find one that doesn't go straight into my sinuses. I can smell fruit sitting in the background, but it's a light sparkly fruit that doesn't demand your attention. I'm not sure I'd call this salty; saltwater smells are not this heavy, and they tend to have a background aroma of decay, especially near harbors and piers.

 

This would be great for dryer sheets, I'd love it if my laundry smelled like this.

[squeakelala]

Olokun!

 

In the imp: mmmm, fresh and wet-smelling, and a bit sweet.

 

On me: Even BETTER. It still smells fresh and wet and aquatic, and the sweetness is definitely a soft floral. I agree that it might be lily. Then after a bit, it gets somewhat darker, making me think of sinking below the surface of the waves where the sun turns the water a more muted greenish blue. I LOVE this. I think I need a bottle...

[kerickson]

In the vial: Strong, potent aquatic smell. Smells like bar soap x 10. It makes me think "blue".

 

On me (dry): Applied to wrists. Very fresh, clean, still soapy. A little too strong and potent for me.

 

After a while: The potency fades after about an hour - this is the shortest time a BPAL perfume has lasted on me. After an hour I can still smell it if I put my nose right against my wrist. Still smells very soapy, like I've just gotten out of the shower. Also reminds me of fabric softener sheets.

 

Verdict: 4/10. I got this as a random sample with my Samhain '08, and it definitely is not a scent I would have picked out myself. I'm not a fan of the "aquatic" scents and it's a bit too sharp and potent for my nose. Also, I'm not impressed with how it just smells like Irish Spring after a while lol. This is overall a very plain scent, and a little more masculine than I expected. I might get my husband to try it out, I think I'd like it a lot better on him than on me. Would make a wonderful laundry detergent... lol.

Edited October 13, 2008 by Babel

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Soapy salt water and grey amber.

 

Immediately on skin: This is definitely an ocean scent! It’s clean, salty water with a touch of ambergris. It’s very soapy though.

 

After a little while: The soapiness of this dries down and what I’m left with is a very salty, crisp ocean scent with a little grey amber in the background.

 

Overall Impressions: This scent is a unisex, clean and cold ocean scent. It starts out a bit soapy, but that fades a bit and just leaves a clean feel to the blend.

[lady_pandora]

Origin: a frimp from the lab!

 

This is an aquatic, masculine scent that doesn't morph much on me. It smells like ozone and the color dark green, and something that I'm inclined to say is vetiver, though vetiver doesn't usually play this nicely on me. There isn't anything offensive or unpleasant about this scent, but it doesn't feel like "me" or blow me away, either.

 

I'm torn. On the one hand, I'm tempted to trade it away because I'm not thoroughly digging it, but on the other hand, the image of the sunless depths of the sea is one I've used for relaxation since I was about ten, so the symbolism is making me want to hang on to it.

[Iceblink]

The saltiest of salty sea waters. Almost made me want to lick my skin! Does the normal headachey-aquatic thing on me, sadly, but mmmm love that saltiness!