Alecto

[Splendid Molerat]

Olive leaf, raspberry leaf, vetiver and cedarwood.

Alecto and Tzadikim Nistarim both share the olive leaf note, but Alecto takes it in a different direction entirely.

The cedar and vetiver turn the olive leaf into something cold and thick -- like oil poured on water, the surface is calmed, but the depths boil.

There's a sharp heat to the raspberry leaf, and something else (cinnamon leaf?) that has a dark red feel to it.

Alecto does remind me of the shudder you get walking into a room where someone is silently angry.

[kimmer]

I can't even begin to describe this scent.

 

Clean. Green. Slightly sweet but with an acerbic bite?

 

Leaves? Yes. But more like tomato leaf, or geranium? I think it may be geranium? As a child I used to nibble on foliage that reminded me of this. I'll have to garden nibble next spring to satisfy my curiosity. Maybe it's the taste of a fresh, tender pine needle.

 

Alecto is a 180 from the scents I've been choosing lately, but I'm really pleased with how she responds to my body chemistry.

 

5 ml is on order.

[Penance]

First sniff:

 

Cedar and something leafy and almost fruity smelling which mut be the raspberry leaf. For some reason, this scent reminds me of a Greek grocery store...or, more specifically, the pictures of grape leaves I've always seen hanging in the windows of Greek grocery stores. I don't know why, but somehow the mental image and the scent just go together.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Slightly more fruity than in the vial. I get a distinct impression of cedar covered in damp raspberry leaves. I still can't quite shake the mental impression of grape leaves, there's just something about them that distinctly reminds me of what Alecto smells like. I don't normally like fruity scents but the cedar and green notes seem to balance out the fruitiness and makes me think of a trellis made of cedar with raspberry stalks growing through it.

 

Dry down:

 

The cedar seems to have disappeared, leaving a faint impression of raspberry and leaves that, for some reason, reminds me of an Italian restaurant - the kind with checkered tablecloths and wooden tables and wine bottles in raffia wrappers.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really like this one. I wish it had a stronger cedar component, but I like it anyway. I can easily see myself wearing this one all year round.

[pekeana]

In the vial, I'm not sure what this reminds me of -- it's something I'd never normally think of, I'm sure.

 

On me, it's very cedar and vetiver for the longest time, then I get hints of the olive leaf and a rush of raspberry that drowns everything else out till it falls to the wayside and I'm left with pencil shavings mixed with olive oil.

 

My skin doesn't play nice with cedar, I'm finding.

[Caitfish]

This was generous gimpage from the lab, not something that I would have tried myself and in this case, I think I was right.

 

A woody, mossy scent overall. Cederwood right in the center throughout the bottle-drydown process. It doesn't smell like cedar chips or a hamster cage, thank goodness! The cedar is tempered with the appropriate and mature vetiver, grounding it with a mossy darkness (though it's not a note that I am fond of, I can appreciate its function here). And yes, the raspberry leaf is apparent, too. Raspberry leaf tea is the absolute best for PMS, so I suspect that this blend might also be a good bit of aromatherapy for that particular ailment.

 

It doesn't morph much, but stays herby and woodsy - all of the notes are very consistent. Staying power is decent, though the cedar is definately the winner in that category.

 

It's an interesting blend. I think it would be very good on a boy, but as a perfume I'm afraid it's not for me. I am happy that I had a chance to try it, though.

 

ETA: It struck me what this reminds me of! It smells just like a woodfire, with mosses from the forest thrown on top for fragrance. I think that this would be very good as a room scent if you wanted to make it feel comfortable and homey.

Edited January 1, 2005 by Caitfish

[Lit Chick]

I wanted to like this very badly, because it does smell great. I adore the smell of cedar woods, and this is perfection.

But I never attempted cedar as a perfume, and it does not work as such on me. It's overpowering as a personal fragrance.

Sighhh. I guess I like to smell more girly. But I agree that this would make an excellent room scent.

[shelldoo]

This is one I have been longing to try.

 

In the bottle: CEDAR all the way.

 

wet: cedar w/ something I can not place lurking in the shadows.

 

dry: the raspberry leaf is there adding just a touch of sweetness, the cedar has toned down quite a bit and teh olive leaf adds just a touch of something taht seems to smooth the raspberry and cedar together seamlessly.

 

I definitly will be using up the imp this smells like a spring scent to me.

[rainbow]

In the bottle and wet on my skin- cedarwood and orange. It's very green and herbal smelling. This is something of a surprising scent- it smells kitcheny, sort of in the same way that Calliope does. It's almost sweet- is that basil I'm smelling?

 

Wearing- it's woodsy- I can smell the raspberry leaf and it's also still herbal. Mmmmmmm...this scent is both fresh and comforting. This is never something I'd have picked out for myself, but I'm really loving it. The olive leaf becomes more prominent as I'm wearing it.

 

About 2 hours later- Alecto and I were well on our way to big-bottle-land, when the oil went all sweet on me, and not in a good way. It's hard to describe, but sweet olives and cedar and I just don't get on, apparantly. Shame, because it was lovely up until that point. I loved the early stages (totally original and gorgeous), but just can't cope with the later ones. Off to the swaps, methinks.

[aimeceleste]

Alecto is, at first, very forest-y. But like most scents, it sweetens out on my skin as it dries, and begins to smell like a soft cedar incense. A lot of the leafy scent goes away, just a hint remains, and I have to say I really like it. It's not an everyday scent (for me, Intrigue is pretty much that scent) but it's a good refreshing scent for a day when I would need a clear mind...

 

After a few more minutes, it just keeps getting softer and more cedary. I smell something sharp, a little like camphor, perhaps. But mostly that sweet cedar incense.

 

So, finally, I ended up giving the imp to my boyfriend. On him it turns herbal and fresh, much less woody.

[sarada]

When I first smelled Alecto, I was completely overwhelmed with wooded bliss -- this is the most strong, pure and perfect cedary fragrances I have encountered. It reminds me of the little blocks of pure cedar incense that I have. It also reminds me of Yggdrasil, but not quite as light and airy -- they must share a simliar cedar note, but it is darker in Alecto, helped along I suppose by the undercurrrent of vetiver which I cannot smell in the bottle. I think that the sweetness that comes out later in some people, must be the vetiver, which has a very creamy, sweet-earth kind of quality to it.

 

The second time I wore this, my chemistry must have been off because after a little while the olive leaf was the main thing coming through and it smelled just like I had spilled olive oil on myself. I took it off my big bottle list, thinking that while I liked it in the bottle, I didn't want to smell like olive oil.

 

But it didn't do that again -- it reminded a strong, green cedar scent on me every time after and I graduated to a big bottle after all! I can see where if I approach it from a different viewpoint and think about a kitchen instead of a forest, that I can imagine herbs suspended in tall bottles of olive oil, and bunches of greenery hanging from the rafters in a clean kitchen paneled with pale wood. Outside, perhaps, cedar trees and raspberries are growing near the window. But the main impression I get is that clean, foresty smell that makes Yggdrasil one of my favorites -- it comes across just different enough in this to warrant bottles of both!

 

Tree lovers rejoice!

[Gin]

There's a brief hint of pencil shavings when this is wet,and the greeness of the leaves, but then it goes into a lovely sweetness blended with cedar. Wow, I don't get the "Unceasing in anger" at all. I'd say this is a cheerful blend. I like this quite a bit.

[xoe]

I put off trying alecto for the longest time. I'm not sure why. I think it's because I didn't want to be "unceasing in anger". Luckily this doesn't make me angry at all. It is warm and woodsy and the raspberry leaf really adds an unusual touch.

 

Two thumbs up!

[leslie260]

Alecto has entered my top five fragrances of all time...right after Saturnalia.

 

In the bottle: Woody and not so exciting. I really had to get myself pumped up to even put it on. But I trusted Beth's magic....

 

Initial skin contact: Dusty and woody...with a slightly green feel to it. It still didn't floor me, but I gave it some time.

 

After 10 minutes: LOVE LOVE LOVE!! It's so mysterious and glam. The wood notes are still there, but there is a greenish incensy undertone that is just beautiful.

 

Unfortunately, it fades out fairly fast. I guess I'll just have to reapply all day.

[Guest ExquisiteSiren]

Please forgive me beth.....

 

But is there mint in this? A plant of the mint family?

Because I am very allergic to mint...and this one makes me feel queasy with the urge to gag.

 

Very sharp...I am not liking this one at all. I have never had such a reaction to a perfume in my life.....

 

Very bad for me....but im sure others out there would enjoy it.

[surf-tormented]

Very fruity and very fresh. It fades fast and leaves me with sandalwood oil. Not my thing, sorry AlectoNox.

[sheepzeit]

This was one of those "what the hell, why not?" scents that I put on my wishlist and got.... during the great Forum Outage of March 2005 so I had no reviews to base my thoughts on!

 

Wow, I am very surprised. Its very herbal, but not that "herbs" that are in Nosferatu... these are more of a dark green, perhaps even purple or brown. There is a hint of sweetness underneath that makes me think of dark berries hidden amongst the leaves of a plant.

 

At first whiff, this was the epitome of summer for me. I had not known this scent came out in a summer update until just now! I don't like summertime because of the cruel, unrelenting heat and smothering humidity, but this scent reminds me of all the early summer days when I was still in school and the first heat wave kicked in.

 

When I walk outside in the blazing heat and pass a row of bushes or a patch of ivy on campus... this is the smell. It's almost like a tomato leaf, but different. Earthy, rich, with a bite.

 

It dries down to mainly fruit, and reminds me of a raspberry potpourri, or maybe a raspberry wine. Not entirely bad but I miss the leaves. I think I will be keeping this imp to wear in the summertime -- when I'm safely at the office in the air conditioning.

Edited April 5, 2005 by sheepzeit

[VelvetSky]

This was giftage from the luvly Labbies.

 

Alecto smells wild to me, literally wild. Like things that grow in untamed places. I've never really smelled a perfume like this before.

 

The cedar that dominates the topnote of this blend is dirty and ancient. This isn't the sharp, clean cedar that I'm used to in Beth's oils. The cedar slowly fades back a bit, and I start to get the olive and raspberry leaf. What an amazing combination! Yes, the olive leaf lends a bit of interesting foodiness to the scent, but it's more of a hint than overt. It's almost nutty or buttery, if that makes sense.

 

I get the raspberry leaf quite strongly in the middle note. Sweet/herbally/fruity/minty, behind the cedar woodiness. It's exquisite. I can't stop sniffing my wrist.

 

Alecto fades very quickly on my skin until I'm left with just a hint of cedary sweetness in the final drydown.

 

I'm absolutely amazed at this perfume. You must try it to believe it.

[slave1]

In Bottle: Cedarwood.

 

On Skin: Very woody. I love the scent of the leaves because they smell so leafy. Like I took a leaf and rubbed it on me, so green and alive. Very interesting… a very unique scent. It is quite outdoorsy and I’d love to wear this when I’m in the mood for camping and can’t go. But I also think it’s more masculine and I’d like it on a man better. I love how it is so HERBY... in an Italian herb sort of way. I'm kind of hungry now...

[cuervosueno]

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet! I got this as a freebie in my very first order, before all the BPAL addiction had even begun....

I love this. It doesn't remind me of anger at all, but of Christmas! What I get is strong cedar and something green and fruity with it--it smells like a fresh tree with something else, something slightly sweet, which I can't actually attribute to any of the ingredients except perhaps the raspberry leaf.

its delightful!

Funny thing is, on my first couple of tries, I thought no, though I did use it as a room fragrance. Then I came back to it and thought you know, I really like this.

and here's another thing: before I discovered BPAL (hard to believe but there was a time before it) I was riding on the shuttle to the airport in San Francisco and this woman got on who just smelled so delicious--just like Christmas, I thought, remembering when the girls school I went to would be overwhelmed with the scent of cut greens that festooned the entryway. I wanted to ask the woman what the perfume was, but was so caught up in reverie I didn't. Now I'm pretty sure she was wearing Alecto.

[gdogs]

in the imp, this has a beautiful smell! a sweet citrus tang, something reminding me of my childhood.

 

wet on my skin. . . i get cedarcedarcedar. as it dries, it becomes a little bit green. . .herby. . . i'm guessing that is the leaves.

 

once the dry down is complete, out comes the nasty vetiver. .bleck!!! where the hell did that come from?

 

but i dont wash it off. after an hour the vetiver has receided and i'm left with a fresh, bright scent, with a touch of overly ripe white florals. the scent reminds me of lush's extra virgin olive soap. it smells clean. nice. but i don't know if i can get through the vetiver stage.

[mmcfa2]

On, I get a blast of cedar and a slow rising of olive leaf. Both are dry and lovely and underscored by a tiny bit of sweetness. This blend truly reminds me of a cedar chest full of old clothing that still have their own faint sweet perfume. Stellar blend!

[quikslvr]

Something very objectionable: probably vetiver/cedarwood combo. Sharp topnote--olive? Cedarwood?

 

Totally appropriate to the name, though.

[Janie]

A sharp, green woody astringency makes this an interesting scent. It fades fairly quickly but while it hangs around it makes quite a statement. Not a soothing or comforting scent at all, but interesting nonetheless.

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the bottle: Musty, a combo of damp wood and grass.

 

First on: Wow, this is not my cuppa tea. It's very very musty on me, almost smells like mildew with cedar and a weird sweet note mixed with.. chocolate?

 

After a bit: How it's damp and dry wood at the same time I don't know. It's not as offensive now, but I really don't like woody scents. I'm still getting the bakers chocolate note though. Almost like a dark Terry's Chocolate Raspberry that's been melting in a hamster cage.

 

After a bit more: Interesting, this one morphs quickly and drastically. It still has the same notes that I'm getting, but the sweetness is more apparant (not a sugar sweetness, but a foliage sweetness) and the cedar has faded to the background.

 

I will say after it dries it improves greatly. Yet again, proving that you can't judge BPAL from the first sniff. I'll try this on the husband and sees if he likes it, but I'm betting this is off to the swap pile though.

[misfitroxy]

Alecto is wet, spicy cedar woods in the imp. It’s bright and green and woodsy. Not unlike the base in many men’s colognes, but it’s definitely no where near as heavy or "masculine".

 

I can pick out the vetiver now that it’s on my wrist. I really love that note, though, so its presence is welcome. It stays pretty true to its original impressions from what I can gather, though it’s darkened slightly.

 

Ack. Ok, so I lie. It’s actually turning into something so musky that it reminds me of offensive body odor. Sad!!! I’ve never had an oil take such a 180 degree turn on my skin before.

 

Now it's smelling like this strange combination of biting, "personal" musk and sharp, fresh – perhaps herbal - leaves (with the cedar turning to pencil shavings. Oh how I cry!). Definitely NOT intended for my skin at all. Though it’s so unique that I may have to give burning a go. I could see my house smelling of this. But apparently, I’m not meant to smell of it.