The Candy Butcher 2006

[fallow deer]

Dark chocolate with a heavy cream undertone.

Hmmm - I'm afraid I'm on the synthetic-smelling side of this camp. I love Bliss, and Velvet, and Tez and Freak Show. But Candy Butcher has just too much sweetness for me. It has given me a headache and I can still smell it on my clothes which is making me feel nauseous....

Sad, because I love chocolate scents...

[raspberry*tart]

Candy Butcher.. what can I say - I had HIGH hopes this this one.. and it didn't let me down! It's like opening a box of expensive chocolates... On the wrist it becomes creamier but so yummy.. much better than any foodie scent I have smelt. I will be buying more of this one.. It's very subtle now but still so yummy.. Doesn't get sickly at all.

 

30mins later: It's still softly creamy, with a slight floral? coming through.. I can still smell a hint of the dark chocolate but this is definately a light scent on me.

[jessiesquash]

In the bottle: Cocoa and cream! I HAD to try it right away!

 

Wet on: Pure chocolate. Normally I don't like totally foodie scents but I was kind of digging it. I had the urge to lick myself.

 

Dry down: Now this is where it gets a bit weird. Suddenly, out of nowhere, emerges sandalwood! Is there sandalwood in here at all or is it just me? But no, that's really what I smelled. On me, this became Chocolate Underpants! But am I into it, that is the question..... I didn't have much of a chance to decide because it faded rather quickly. However, it's definitely worth another chance because I Underpants and so it would make sense that I would also the chocolate-covered version as well. I'm a bit surprised that no one else got that because it was such a strong association but then again, Underpants is the only foodie scent that has captured my heart. Bliss and Gluttony made my teeth ache!

 

Will test it again tonight and see what happens. And in the meantime I just had to wear Underpants today!!

 

EDIT: No sandalwood. I must have been dreaming. It turns out Candy Butcher smells like chocolate covered burned plastic on me. Sucks.

Edited October 25, 2006 by Jessie

[sophia_helix]

I ended up with an imp of this because I wanted a full CD set, even though it contained two notes that are death to me. I was not surprised by the result.

 

Chocolate: powdery and burnt, check

Cream: vanilla plastic, check

Smelling like a rubber doll: check

 

However, I think I must have had the weirdest experience of anyone with this scent. The chocolate was richer and darker upon first application, but the instant I smelled it my skin crawled; I had this immediate, animal sense that I smelled like SOMEONE ELSE. I don't know if this is a scent I recognize from my childhood, or if Beth really did channel the spirit of some long-ago carnival girl, but all I could think for like a whole minute was "off, off, NOT ME," like I had literally put on someone else's skin. It was all I could do it wear it through to the drydown.

 

I think I know what being possessed feels like now -- or rather, smells like!

[PilotKitten]

Mmm... chocolatey. A rich dark chocolate. There's also a soft sugared cream scent wafting up from the

 

depths... mmm... just delicious. Not at all bitter or dry like I was afraid it would be. Creamy hot chocolate on a cold winter's day.

 

Wonderful chocolate scent.

[tamburlaine]

This is, hands down, the best BPAL oil blend I have ever put on my skin.

 

It's chocolate, and sweet, and foody, yes, but sophisticated and mysterious so that you don't end up smelling like some tarted-up cookie. The Candy Butcher is a resounding success. Oh god, is it.

[portalkat]

Mmmmm, deep chocolate, sweet vanilla cream and a hint of floral. This reminds me so much of the first two versions of 13, however the chocolate here is creamy and not powdery and sticks around for the duration. The vanilla is more like vanilla orchid and perhaps that is the floral that I smell. This is so delicious - deep, rich chocolate cream, stirred with a vanilla orchid flower.

[marzstar]

mmm i totally agree with portalkat

 

although i do love foodies, i have not been into any of the chocolatey bpal blends at all so far . . .

until this one !

 

in the bottle_

thought hmm chocolate. kinda sharp and dusty dark. reminds me of the thing in the other cocoa blends that i don't like

 

on_

wet:: hmm not as sharp as in the bottle and kinda sweet. with, wow, a teensy faint flowers in the distance.

dried:: it's only been on me for a half hour but i am loving it more as time passes. the bitter dusty element has vanished, leaving me the sweetest as can be. like a rich pure vanilla bean with a hint of chocolate. and a faint flower, yes, vanilla orchid is right on. actually i think i've smelled an orchid with chocolate in the name. i bet this is like that. i love this. reminds me of something else, as in another perfume, i have smelled but can't place. bet it will get better as time passes, too.

 

yum. superyum.

[the_cat_goddess]

In the vial, pure yummy chocolate! Wow! Unfortunately, it took 3 seconds on my skin to turn in plastic. Horrible, wash it off NOW plastic. I'm thinking this might be a bad time for reviews, since this is the second plastic of the day.

Sad...

[Natch]

in the bottle: A richer Bliss. Plain and simple, delectable chocolate.

 

wet: Dark chocolate with almonds.

 

dry: Rich cocoa and lightly toasted amonds and hazelnuts... a stronger, chocolate Dana O'Shee ?!

 

overall impression: refined, sophisticated, delicious. Chocolate, but so very not. It really is a chocolate Dana O'Shee to my nose... which is a scent I love even more with this chocolate touch. While Bliss made me cringe a little because I just smelled like chocolate and I didn't really want that... this is so much more... I might try layering it with bliss to see what happens, but it is just It does confuse me a little though with it's chocolate but not quality, so I may need to try it a few more times before I take the plunge and get a bottle... but likely, I will... be getting a bottle that is

[moon_lemming]

Before I even start my review, let me note that I have almost no compatibility with BPAL chocolate blends, with few exceptions (like 13 '05).

 

In the imp, The Candy Butcher's scent reminds me of the way the chocolate coating on Goobers tastes. Like creamy milk chocolate studded with raisins and cranberries. Very nice.

 

On me, though, it develops a plasticky undertone that goes sort of musky, and has that infamous "pencil shaving" aura, although it's not nearly as stand-out as it is in Bliss.

 

eta: In a bit of a pleasant turnaround, waiting half an hour has turned Candy Butcher into a mostly-cream musky scent with a tiny hint of chocolate. Like a chocolate-tinged Antique Lace. It's very pretty, but I'm afraid something in the mix is giving me a headache. Still, the scent change was a GREAT surprise!

Edited October 30, 2006 by karen

[supremegoddessofall]

Oh, this is heavenly. This is a very rich chocolate scent that I would love to bathe in. The milk is sweetening it up a bit.

[Tess]

This is a dark chocolate scent, so it should work on me! Yay! It's always the sugary notes that get me. I've heard the cream can go sour, though. Hrm, I've never tried a cream note before.

 

In the vial - This is an extremely thick and gooey chocolate! Almost like a dark chocolate frosting.

 

Wet - Very, very cocoa and not as creamy as earlier. Whoo, throw!

 

Drying - Do NOT get close to my skin. Ick. But the throw is a lovely, very powdery cocoa. This is much lighter than mole on me, more of a hot chocolate kind of scent. Whoever mentioned chocolate cake batter is right on the money, but on me, it's powdered.

 

Dry (1 hour) - Burnt hazelnut and sour milk, with no throw.

 

Overall - I just dispair ever finding a chocolate scent that I can wear. Why can't my skin just chill out and let me wear what I want to wear?!

[vividdreamer]

I love chocolate, especially eating it. Milk, dark, semi-sweet, in cakes, cookies, pies and candy...you get the picture.

 

I love the smell of chocolate when it's cooking or melting.

 

And I love the idea of smelling like chocolate...but I'm usually very, very disappointed in the products I buy that claim to smell that way. They're usually way too synthetic smelling, or don't smell the least bit like chocolate, or just downright stink. And who wants to stink? Certainly not a BPALer, that's for sure.

 

I've tried most of the labs chocolate (or chocolate containing) blends, with mixed success. Velvet is too woody for my tastes, Bliss is nice enough, but lacks the *oomph* I really wanted (except for the aged bottle I bought recently, which I've been posting about endlessly, because it's SOOOO delicious), and as a blended note, it's kind of hit or miss.

 

But after reading all the high praise for Candy Butcher, I decided to order a bottle. And OH.MY.GOD.

 

I took my first whiff out of the bottle, and my eyes rolled back in my head. Chocolate. I honestly wanted to drink it. This is the real stuff, pure chocolate goodness, nothing added, nothing missing.

 

On my skin, while wet, it's exactly the same. Then, after it dries, a few other notes start to play with the chocolate: cream, perhaps, and maybe just the *tiniest* hint of something floral. Now, I really, REALLY dislike florals, so don't let this scare you, because it only enhances the beauty of this particular oil. It also becomes a bit "drier" smelling, but I have trouble putting what I mean into words. It's not melted milk chocolate, but it's not 72% dark Ghirardelli, either. The Candy Butcher falls somewhere in between the two, and it's absolutely gorgeous. Spectacular. Swoon-worthy. Like a lot of people have mentioned, it's not as foody as you might think--it's gourmand--so give it a shot even if you don't like smelling like sweets.

 

I don't get any hazelnut at all, though that would have been interesting. It's just glorious chocolate, and I really think I need another bottle. Fans of this will be happy to hear that aged Bliss (did I mention my aged Bliss, and how wonderful it is? ) will be a great substitute when this isn't available anymore, but it's not exactly the same.

 

Also? While fantastic on it's on, Candy Butcher is awesome for layering, which makes me love it even more.

[Koumori]

(Just to start out with a disclaimer.. I'm not that crazy about chocolate.) This is a heavy, hot-chocolate kind of chocolate with creamy, dark tones. There's nothing too complicated about it: it's chocolate, all right. While it's a different, more "evening" sort of chocolate than Bliss, more like brownie batter than a chocolate bar, I don't really think I need both. If I wanted to commit to a chocolate scent, this would probably be the one.

Edited November 6, 2006 by Koumori

[Toby]

This is the one of the two scents that I was looking forward to the most, and........ oh wow, it did not disappoint. Straight on my skin, it was amazing dark cocoa. It smelled dry, to the point that I was getting a dry feeling in the back of my throat, like cocoa powder. Then another note started creeping in; it must be the cream, but it smells more like banana to me; like a banana split with chocolate sauce drizzled over it. Strange, but really wonderful stuff.

Edited November 6, 2006 by Toby

[starrynight06]

There is something quite strange about this one. I smell the chocolate, with a hint of something creamy, and also I smell something floral. The combination has completely put me off. While I like chocolate, the floral/herbal note in this does not work for me.

[ChupaChup]

The Candy Butcher does smell very much like a chocolate version of Snow White. I wonder if that floral note in the background is the same lily musk that's in Snow White? It's a very pretty scent, a little more foody than Snow White.

[edenssixthday]

The Candy Butcher - Yummy yummy in my tummy! Seriously, I want to guzzle this right down. It smells sooo good, like a very high quality and very expensive cream-filled truffle. The first note I detect when I apply it is chocolate, and while it's rich and creamy, it's very sweet and creamy -- like milk chocolate. As it warms up on my skin, a note begins to develop that is sugary and creamy, and which is exactly what makes this blend so amazing because it's not just a chocolate scent. It doesn't morph at all for the first hour, but after about an hour, it starts to get a bit of that icky plastic smell, but only when I sniff it up close. The wafts of scent I get from it are still absolutely perfect and yummy and I imagine it'll be even better when worn in one of my scent lockets. The sillage definitely mellows upon dry down, but I do still catch wafts of it about me here and there. The staying power is better than I would have anticipated, but I still have to reapply after the 3 hour point. I've been thinking that I've been becoming a "foody" and this scent has confirmed those suspicions. I can't get enough of it!

[djnevermore]

Bliss was too dark-choco for me. This is much better. The creaminess tones it down. Actually, it's EXACTLY like Lush's discontinued White Chocolate massage oil bar, but even better. LOVE it!

[delizt]

The Candy Butcher is quickly becoming my favorite scent...I love chocolate and sadly none of the other BPAL chocolate blends really worked for me...but The Candy Butcher is everything I've ever wanted in a chocolate scent!!!!!....rich and creamy without any "nuttiness" I found in Bliss or Velvet...it has staying power but not huge throw, it just stays close and VERY yummy!!!

 

 

it reminds me of Dulci Tutti's Chocolate Fondue which is discontinued and one of my all time favorites...

Edited November 17, 2006 by Edain33

[Naamah_Darling]

Yes, this is very dark chocolate and thick, sweetened cream. This is rich and foody, and absolutely luscious! There's another note here, a very faint sweet perfume note, like brown sugar, vanilla, and something vaguely . . . floral? It's way down in there, buried deep, and it keeps this from being solely chocolate and whipping cream.

 

As it wears, it becomes apparent that the sweet note is most likely a light cinnamon or cassia, if not perhaps the chocolate itself; it's spicy and foody, a spiced chocolate with very sugary, almost nutty cream.

 

This is a simple scent. And for what it is, it's simply delightful. Recommended for chocolate and food lovers.

 

This has moderate throw and a lot of persistence. Beautiful.

Edited November 17, 2006 by Naamah_Darling

[Alchemy21599]

I generally don't care for foody scents, but I decided to give the Candy Butcher a try:

 

In the vial: the most luscious hot cocoa with hand cut marshmallows on top.

 

Wet: same as above, but with a wee hint of Tahitian vanilla.

 

Dry: really lovely. The floral vanilla is saving this scent from being too sweet and foody. Moderate throw with good staying power. I may need to acquire a bottle!

[stardreamer]

In the bottle and fresh on: OH. MY. GHOD. This is amazingly chocolate, darker than Bliss but with the same rich, almost grainy feel. (Odd to be describing a scent as textured, but this one really is.)

 

Drydown: Yes, there's more than chocolate here. I don't really smell cream; what I get is almost boozy, like the alcohol carrier in vanilla extract. And there's just the tiniest bit of floral after a while, but not enough to be annoying.

 

Staying power: Pretty good, but after about 6 hours the chocolate top note starts to fade and the boozy underscent comes to the fore, and that's not as nice. But y'know... if I have to top this up a bit more frequently, and wash off the last bits before I go to bed, it's still SO worth it.

 

Bottom line: Definite keeper. I'll be experimenting with this -- I want to try layering it with Bliss and see what happens. And I'll almost certainly wear it for Chocolate Decadence next year!

[mtlaise]

OMG!!! This is amazing... Although I love foody smells, I wasn't too sure about smelling like chocolate, but this is awesome. This scent was very stable, and smelled the same from the moment I put it on until it faded out - pure, rich, chocolate (nut not overwhelming in any way) with a thick creamy undertone (is that vanilla cream?), which I think is what made the scent for me. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists all evening. Definitely buying lots more of this!