Port Royal

[Trinacria]

The Sodom of the New World! -- touted as the richest and wickedest city in all creation! Port Royal was the center of 17th century Caribbean commerce, a notorious safe harbor for pirates, and the site of our third flagship store, which was, sadly, destroyed in the earthquake of 1692. Spiced rum and ship’s wood mixed with the body-warmed trace of a prostitute’s perfume and a hint of salty sea air on the dry-down.

 

Definite morpher- went from weird synthetic almond, to cheap bay rum, to the cinnamon scented wreathes you find around the holidays. I prefer the rum in Perversion, Elegba, or Kill-Devil over this.

[loubric]

In the imp it's a soft salty sweet scent. On me it smells like a ships wodden deck splashed with salty sea water, some strong floras are underneath. Smells lnice but not something I would wear.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Very woody - cedar I think

 

Dry: This is sexy. But manly sexy. A sexy pirate might smell like this. It's woody, a bit boozey. There's also a note that smells a bit like sweat. Not like BO or anything, just clean sweat. This is the second blend I've smelled this note in, the other being Caliban. I think it's the "salty sea note". Anyway, not something I would wear, but I do like it.

[HighlyBell7]

In Imp: Light amber color. Cinnamon, sweetness

Wet: Cinnamon, powdery sweetness

Dry: Cinnamon, powdery sweetness. Like entering a tchotchke shop before

thanksgiving. I expect to see painted turkeys hanging on the wall with ribbons tied into bow-ties around their neck. Reminds me of fall with a hint of waxy soap.

Later: Cinnamon soap, but beautiful powder comes out (amber?) I really like this after it sits for an hour or so.

 

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: I'm mostly getting the spices from the rum note in the imp, with just a bit of the wood note.

 

Wet: Spices! This is reminiscent of Plunder, but it's not nearly as intense as far as the spices are concerned. There's lots of cinnamon (perhaps cinnamon bark), but it isn't burning my skin (yet).

 

Dry: The spices are smoother now, and I'm getting a bit of the rum part of the spiced rum note now. The ship's wood is more prominent in this stage, but the spices still reign.

 

Verdict: This one is okay, but I think I prefer Plunder.

 

Retest with a Lab fresh imp:

 

In the imp: Orange, ship wood, sea air, and spice.

 

Wet: The orange note jumps out to me first, and I wonder if that's part of the prostitute's perfume in this scent. I also get the sea air, the salt water-strewn ship wood, and some spice (but not the rum).

 

Dry: I'm still getting the orange, though it's lighter than before. The spices have calmed down, so that it's mostly orange, ship wood, and sea air on me with some light spices in the background. I'm still not smelling any sweet rum.

 

Verdict: I am glad I decided to restest this with a fresh imp from the Lab. It's a lot better than I remember it being (I must have tried an aged imp). I don't need a bottle of this, but I do like it.

Edited May 23, 2018 by dementia_divine

[lady_pandora]

Early on I get spiced rum close to the skin, and this really lovely "rain" note in the throw--it reminds me of an oil my old roommate used to burn in her oil burner in college that was really ethereal and soothing. Unfortunately, though, I lose that note and the scent settles down into salty-spicy-rummy-men's-cologne. It smells really nice, but I want to slather it on a guy rather than wear it myself!

[Cali]

It's very cologne-y in the imp. I think it's the spiced rum but I feel a little holly jolly sniffing this. It's like walking around a christmas market in Germany at night. I'm doing it wrong, I'm not getting anything piraty. Buuuut, my strange imagination aside, this is lovely!

[brettashley]

Aquatic cologne. No spiced rum, but I am getting cinnamon. The strongest thing coming through is the wood of the ship's deck. I actually quite like this, but perhaps more as a room spray and not so much a perfume. It's smelling a little candle-ish for me.

[Naomi Kelsey]

There's some BPAL note that goes "aloe diaper lotion" on me (it was in Lilith and the Jaraco, too, and in Sea Rat--maybe it's salt air combined with spices?-- sadly) and I'm not sure what it is---maybe the "booze" note? I can faintly smell wood and spices beneath a powerful blast of aloe-scented diaper cream, but I'll be darned if I can smell anything else!

[Casablanca]

OK, yes. Rum and hookers and warmth and wood. (This might make a fair title for Song of Ice and Fire, book six. George RR, take note?)

I smell a lot of orange in this. It's like orange clove-cinnamon rum, warmly glowing polished wood, and a vaguely unpleasant perfumey thing, something red and floral. The rum isn't very boozy, and I'm all about the spice. It's the orange mingling with the red floral perfumey thing that's going sickly sweet on my skin, and making me go hrm, maybe not.

After maybe 15 minutes, I get a little salt in the nose, subtle as dried spray.

Overall, Port Royal is OK. I'll use the sample but wouldn't seek a bottle.

[roseus]

Very soft on me. A light, skin-close spicy woody scent, and just a little boozy. There is definitely an exotic element here. It feels subtle, but sexy and dangerous.

[ririchu]

This smells exactly like a manly pirate on me.

Initial notes of boozy rum and spices, then sweaty musky sea air, and fades into more of a post-beach skin scent.

[whisperstilled]

In Imp: Sweet and smoky. Not what I expected at all! Something floral and sharp, and yes, something far in the background that smells like cheap spiced rum.

 

Wet: I definitely get the spicy woods, but not so much the perfume. There might be something aquatic in there, but it's way in the back.

 

Drying: I was hoping for more rum out of this, and it's peeking through the woods on the drydown. Whatever was floral in the imp, the 'perfume' I imagine, disappeared on the skin immediately.

 

Dry: How bizarre. This reminds me most strongly of the Marquis de Carabas on the drydown, and I believe it has some notes in common. A little too sharp woods on me, but this would be really sexy on the right person.

[mermaidjeans]

Expectation: I had another scent based on a pirate character, which I loved, so I was hoping for a similar effect. Plus I like the smell of rum and I think this was the only alcohol note in my first order.

First Impression: rum

The rum in this is warm (probably the spiced aspect). It has a sweetness about it in the imp which is grounded by the wood note and stops it from being foody. Once on the skin, a hint of the "sea air" finally appears but is blended really well into the other notes. It doesn't seem to have much throw but I don't mind that in this - it could have easily been one of the powerful, sexy fragrances, but sitting closer to the skin gives it a quieter touch.

Verdict: a keeper. I really want to try wearing it out.

[Coldfire]

Imp: Salt-y wood-y with a hint of sweet
Wet on Me: sweet wood-y spice. giving me a masculine vibe
Drying Down: the sweetness of the rum over this masculine wood scent
Dry: This is love. A sweet wood-y masculine but not Hi I'm all man scent. This is that perfect unisex scent for everyone! Keeper!

[lizabelle]

This is probably supposed to lean masculine, but there's no dreaded "cologne" note and I'm finding it very wearable. Cedar and spiced rum are a wonderful spicy base, with a great salt note in the middle (I LOVE salt notes) and a tiny whiff of powdery something-or-other on top. I was a bit worried the "prostitute's perfume" would be too overwhelming like it was in Penny Dreadful, but it's just barely there and rounds out the scent. Mostly this is spicy, warm, woody, and salty. Definitely full bottle worthy for me.

[ramblingrambler]

Port Royal is a woody, spicy, aquatic all the way through. Wet, I thought I smelled a hint of patch, but it might have been a strong musk of some type. As it transitioned from wet to dry, it became more woody, almost overtaking any other notes. After about ten minutes, spices came out and played with the wood. On drydown, it's mostly salty and spicy with a hint of wood. Lovely, truly---slightly reminiscent of Our Hearts Condemn Us (on me, at least) in some ways---which is why I have to say that, although another gorgeous blend, it isn't for a RamblingRambler to wear.

[sarandipitee]

Oh wow. This is a beautiful aquatic. Usually both ocean and wood (which is vaguely cedar like) are awful on me but this is held in check by the whisper of rum and spice.

 

Damn, this is kinda sexy. I think I'll need a bottle. It's a true unisex oil and it's very close to the skin which I love for something containing what are normally really strong notes.

[Fish That Swims]

Ahh, Port Royal. My first BPAL love, as it really blooms on my skin....

 

In the bottle: A rich, bright, spicy, cedar-like wood. Sexy. I get a definite hint of an aquatic freshness. A tiny bit of booziness, but the rum is mostly spices.

Wet: Strong. More spicy woods. A little bit more "sea air". I'm really not an aquatics fan but the salt in this holds it down.

Drier: Fresh, salty, woodsy.

Dry, later: A faint floral perfume blows in. I think this is my favorite stage. An airy hint of perfume, spicy woods.....warm, salty, sexiness. Leans masculine.

 

It's also pretty strong and lasts good 5 hours. I've had my bottle for 5 years and it's still half-full after pretty regular use.

[achildoftime]

The spice in the spiced rum is really what comes out first. The salty wood and I think I get a little leather, but that might just be my nose playing tricks. When it dries, the spices have burned themselves out and it's mostly the sea air and wooden planks. There is a bit of a perfume quality to it now, so that's coming in. I think it's a great outdoorsy scent without just smelling like a forest.

[Ghost of a Rose]

Lab frimp aged about 4 years.

 

In the imp: Oil is clear and amber-colored. Perfume and spices. Nice!

 

On me, wet: The same. Perfume and cinnamon, to be more specific.

 

After 5 minutes: Now there's some wood coming out. The cinnamon is distinct, sweet, and super realistic. Delicious. But the wood and perfume keep the overall character from being foody. I'm thinking, "Potpourri!"

 

At 10 minutes: Clove is adding to the cinnamon. This is too pretty to be a cheap whore's perfume! It's a surprisingly feminine blend, but certainly not prissy or old-ladyish. I don't smell any rum, but still, this isn't the kind of scent you'd wear to church. Not that there's anything sinful about it (where's that rum?) It's just more casual, more playful, not traditional.

 

At 15 minutes: All cinnamon and clove. No perfume note up close, but it's still floating around on the side. My wrist burns a little, probably the cinnamon oil on my sensitive skin. But the skin isn't reddened, nor is the reaction bad enough to be painful. It won't stop me from wearing this.

 

At 30 minutes: The scent has gentled down. It no longer burns my wrist, and the hot piercing sharpness of the spices has settled into a mild yumminess, which has allowed the wood to come out again. The perfume is very much in the background - not specifically noticeable, but still holding any foodiness at bay.

 

At 2 hours: The perfume note has become more floral. Spices are still evident. The wood is a whisper. Everything has blended together beautifully and gone very soft. This has been lovely all along and is still gorgeous now.

 

At 10 1/2 hours, I can still smell a trace of it on my skin. Maybe a little powdery, but still perfume and spice.

 

Verdict: I never picked up any rum or salty sea air, but this is so pretty I didn't miss them.

I've been hoping for a realistic cinnamon scent that is not foody, and in the best of all possible worlds, is on the feminine side. I wasn't sure that was possible. But this one nails it. It's perfect. And to think, I never would have thought to try it on my own. From the description, it seemed too masculine for me. What a wonderful surprise! Thank you so much, labbies!

 

My rating: 6 out of 6 stars

Edited August 30, 2018 by Ghost of a Rose