Sin

[Mellifluous]

Thoroughly corrupted: amber, sandalwood, black patchouli and cinnamon.

 

I just tried this for the first time around summer last year. It was nice, but I felt I liked chimera more, for those days I wanted a sweet spicy scent. Well... fast forward 6 months, and I tried this again and totally fell in love. For me, it is the perfect incense blend. Not powdery or sharp at all, on me. Just thick, syrupy yet smoky, cozy warmth. This is a simple scent, with fairly obvious notes as I sniff.

Most present on my skin is dark amber with cinnamon. The patchouli comes in behind those, and seems to only add a nice incense/headshop feel, without being too herbal or dirty. I do love all types of patch, but this is by far my favorite! Then comes the sandalwood, quite far behind the other notes, and which seems only to add to the incense-type feel I get from Sin.
Thats pretty much it, in a nutshell. Sin doesnt morph on me, or really develop in any type of progression. I think the base-note-heavy blend keeps the profile consistent, and the only notable change for me, is the inevitable softening and rounding out of the scent as it dries.

A truly delicious and exotic experience. Definitely a top 10 GC.

[boomtownrat]

This was a generous frimp from the Lab.

 

At first I can hardly smell Sin, which was unexpected given the notes. As it dries, though, it blooms on my skin into the softest scent containing patchouli that I think I've ever worn. The cinnamon is the most prominent note and it blends beautifully with the others. Patchouli is really more of a subtle base note in Sin on me, but I like that it isn't very similar to any of the other patchouli scents I have. It does seem to be like a cousin to Snake Oil, or really closer to Saw-Scaled Viper due to the cinnamon. Because I love both of those scents, that's a good thing.

 

ETA: Two days later, I'm getting almost a cola overtone from Sin and I really love it. That might be due to hormones, but hopefully not. This has claimed a spot on my list of favourites for sure!

Edited March 13, 2013 by boomtownrat

[EricthoDesalamander]

I got this as an imp along with an order, and the name alone intrigued me. So I opened up the imp, took a whiff and tried some on. My husband caught a whiff, and asked me what I wearing, adding that really liked the scent.

 

To me its a predominantly amber scent, but its made that much more richer and deeper with the addition of the cinnamon and sandalwood - the patchouli doen't overpower but plays a nice supporting role to the other scents by adding a slight touch of earthiness. This is O's sexier, older, and more experienced sister.

 

Hence, the reason I bought two bottles.

[lucycat]

In the imp: Patchouli and cinnamon.

 

Wet: Cedar. I think it must be the combination of sandalwood and cinnamon, but for a good hour, I smelled like a freshly sharpened pencil.

 

Also for the first hour, my arms turned red where I'd applied the oil. I'm sure it's from the cinnamon; Bengal, which also contains cinnamon, did the same thing to me.

 

After that, though, the redness and burning cleared. As my skin warmed, Sin bloomed into a warm, resinous scent, primarily sandalwood and cinnamon. The patchouli, as boomtownrat noted above, is very soft. It's definitely present, but not at all overpowering.

 

This has lasted for over nine hours so far, becoming softer and closer to the skin. I really like it, and I think it will be even better after some aging.

 

ETA: And it is! Four months after the first test, the cinnamon no longer burns or turns my skin red. I had the same result with my recent retest of Bengal, and as with that, I think it's a combination of aging, and wearing the oil in cold weather. I get more patchouli now, though it's still not overpowering. It's both sexy and, because of the cinnamon, feels very holiday-appropriate.

Edited November 30, 2013 by lucycat

[Missy_killer]

To my nose: Sin is a lot sweeter than I thought it would be. In the imp all I can smell is amber and honey-sweetend cinnamon. I'm really hoping the sweetness will go away once on my skin!

It reminds me a little of Smut 2011, but without the chocolate.

 

On me: I make a dab on my hand and all I smell is honey and amber. There's not a trace of either patchouli (which, since it's black, I would think would be veeery prominent) or cinnamon. Or wait. I start smelling some cinnamon. Very faint at first, I have to keep my nose half an inch awy from my hand to smell it. And then it grows stronger, more powerful.

 

A couple of hours pass: Sin is perfect. All cinnamon, all the way! Not a creamy one like Pickled Imp, it's not Chai-esque or sugared sweet foods-like either. It smells like grounded up cinnamon. I'm saying grounded up because there's a powdery feel to it, not in a bad way though!! I like it a lot and can see myself wear this through fall and winter. It does however make me sneeze a little now and then. Or maybe I'm catching a cold. In any case I will keep my eyes open for a bottle of this!

 

I never had a burning sensation with Sin, but then again none of the BPAL I've tried that contains cinnamon has given me any reaction at all.

[Lani]

I really amp cinnamon, and Sin is no exception. On me the only discernable note is cinnamon, but it's a dark, sexy, slightly powdery (the amber?) cinnamon. By contrast, Inferno, another cinnamon scent I love, is a bright, red, punch-in-the-face-type cinnamon. Also unlike Inferno, Sin doesn't burn my neck so I can wear it there. (Yay!) This will be a great warm, sultry, winter scent.

[nihil]

In bottle: Patchouli and sandalwood first, amber second and only a bit of cinnamon.

 

Wet: Pretty much the same, maybe with the amber coming through a little more.

 

Dry: Sandalwood remains strongest with patchouli and amber evenly behind. Only a very slight hint of cinnamon.

 

It's not really a typical male scent, but I think it works on me because of the sandalwood.

No idea how long it will last, but it is one of the strongest smells I've tried so far.

[LadyMedb]

UM SO IT'S THE BEST ONE

 

I feel so weird reviewing this now, because I've been through a sample or two of it over the years and I've always loved it. It's been on my wishlist forever, but I finally bought a full bottle at Healthy Living when passing through Burlington this past weekend.

 

I am kind of sorry I waited so long on this purchase. Other than Scheherezade, which I ultimately sold because the bottle I had was not as nice as the imp that introduced me to it, Sin is actually the only true "BPAL classic" of which I have ever bought a full bottle, and it is easily the "BPAL classic" that smells the best on my skin.

 

Sin is everything I love about Scheherezade and Snake Oil, but it's not soapy and astringent like the former is on my skin, and it doesn't go to play-doh like the latter one unfortunately does with my chemistry. Plus, CINNAMON, especially on first application. And not red-hots cinnamon, but lovely cinnamon stick. The drydown has just enough red sandalwood to make it sexy and earthy (but not enough to make it soapy) and it blends seamlessly with the delicious, dark, subdued patchouli and the cinnamon, which decreases a bit as the scent dries. It's delicious incense going to ash, mysterious inside-of-an-old-aromatic-wooden-box, a mug of something potent and hot and spicy...you get the idea. Sin is comforting and dangerous at the same time, and I get loads of compliments on it.

 

So this is one of my new-old favorites now. Love.

Edited December 3, 2013 by LadyMedb

[Aviatrix]

This is good stuff!

 

This is like a catalog of my favorite notes, except for the cinnamon, which I don't have much experience with yet.

 

In the vial it smells sweet, almost a little like marzipan, which is strange. But it disappears once on the skin.

 

I get a burst of warm cinnamon and a smoky background of patchouli and sandalwood. I'm not directly getting any amber, but the scent feels well grounded, so it could be there, lurking just outside my reach.

 

For some reason it gets me thinking of Vixen, which I also love. Could be the patchouli, or just the general sexiness of both blends.

 

At any rate, I'm totally loving this! It's warm and spicy and smexy.

[Kanashisa]

Personal Rating: 10/10

 

In bottle: Hot, spicy cinnamon that makes your nose tingle a little. It's mixed with something sweeter, almost vanilla-y. I recall a review that says this smells like cinnamon candy. It kind of does, but it isn't sticky-sweet, it's some kind of vanilla-sweet, and only slightly.

 

Wet: Strong, tingly cinnamon. Exciting, lively. Unlike, say, Miskatonic University, which has a buttery sweetness that could possibly make someone nauseous in a car, Sin is not cloyingly sweet. I put it on my bags when I'm traveling.

 

Dry: The cinnamon fades and softens and my sister says it smells like chocolate. Perhaps a sweet, milk chocolate.

 

My favorite from the "Most Beloved" imp pack, Sin is a unique scent, spicy and sweet and versatile. I joked that "Sin" is short for Sin-namon (ha ha...ha). It's the first scent I bought a full-sized bottle of and I love it.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Kanashisa

[WickedSage]

Sin is basically the masculine version of Lust. Those two really can go hand in hand. The main notes i seem to get the most are Patchouli and Sandalwood with a hint of Cinnamon

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: A strong spicy-earthy scent - about equal parts cinnamon and patchouli, methinks. There is a sweet ambery undercurrent, but it's not immediately apparent.

 

Wet: An initial big ol' burst of patchouli, which quickly shifts to share space with spicy cinnamon, with the soft warmth of amber (and maybe sandalwood?) throughout.

 

Dry: Each note fades in turn, with the spicy-sharp cinnamon going first, and my old friend amber hanging around the longest.

[Ishtar]

I remember trying Sin years ago and not liking it. I was surprised to see I had never reviewed it, so when a lovely forumite sent me some as a frimp, I thought I'd try it again, and... wow! I have been suspecting for a while that my skin chemistry may have changed over time, and this is proof positive.

 

Whereas Chimera has been my go-to cinnamon blend for nearly 10 years, as of late I have been finding it too sweet and a bit cloying. Sin is a touch less creamy, but other than that, it is a perfect substitute for how I used to feel about Chimera. A sexy, deep, layered cinnamon scent - lovely!

[unxolve]

Never got into Snake Oil, but love love love love love love Sin. Gingerbread Sin was my first introduction to amber, and it's the same gorgeous note that keeps me coming back for more in almost every blend it's in. Sin is distilled, warm delicious vanilla with a hint of cinnamon. The patch deepens the blend and adds a great dimension to it while not being individually detectable. No soil, no earth, this is all golden goodness. Trying this without the Gingerbread? Still great. Amazing. Probably my favorite GC, and I'd try it in every combination of everything. Sin x Pumpkin, Sin x Bonbon, Sin x Gingerbread, Sin x Snake, hell I'd lather it with anything and everything.

I only wish there was some way to have Gingerbread right up there along with it in the GC list (so I could blend my own occasionally), but as it is I love amber and I love this smell. Haunted is gorgeous, the Lion is a little 1 dimensional, Sin is perfect. Sandalwood and patch usually do something awful on my skin, but not here.

 

So good. Soooooooo good.

Edited April 27, 2015 by unxolve

[Edreaiar]

Cinnamon is obvious, but I'm having trouble picking out the other notes while wet.

The amber in this leans vanilla, so that and the sandalwood make a pretty vanilla-sandalwood-esque combo. The patchouli hangs out in the background, flitting around the edges of the perfume.

The patchouli reminds me of the one in Masquerade, but less salty and dry.

The cinnamon actually gets stronger during drydown, while the amber significantly recedes.

[Malaena]

I was so excited about Sin that I tried it the day it arrived. It was a SCREAMING single note sandalwood!

 

I retested about 2 weeks later. It has calmed down but it's still a single note.

[LizziesLuck]

This is lovely.

 

I wanted to try it because I love the combo of Cinnamon and Patchouli (as in Lush's Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds)

 

While it doesn't really smell like Blue Skies to me, it's still gorgeous.

 

The cinnamon is prominent on me, but softened beautifully by the sandalwood and patchouli and sweetened by the amber. It's actual a little sexy, I think. I may needs a bottle.

[HighlyBell7]

This is my fourth review/impression:

 

In bottle color: reddish amber

Smell in bottle: Catholic church incense and something overly sweet like stewed dates

Wet: vitamin E pill ear drops with cinnamon and maybe cinnamon baklava. Cinnamon red hots with a sweet oily background.

Dry: Almost a really good beeswax cinnamon candle, hints of this sweet Egyptian Musk goat's milk bar of soap that I ordered off ebay this one time. The smell that would remain after washing with it.

Later: turned lighter. More sweet soap, and a crack of depth seemed to open and let out something artificially fruity, like fruity pebbles? but with a hint of musk.

Much later: the soapy musk smelled seemed to remain.

[Veronica]

Too much patchouli and cinnamon for me. Dark and spicy, but not in a way I enjoy.

[Furnival]

Oh holy f***, I've found it! After years of searching BPAL for the perfect dark, mysterious scent, I gambled on a bottle of this and I am so glad I did- I've used about a quarter of it already and I've only had it a couple of weeks. It's perfect; every ingredient blends so well to create this deep, rich scent- I couldn't put my finger on the patchouli but I know it's there, same with the amber and sandalwood, and the cinnamon takes a back seat but is enough to swerve the scent in a direction it wouldn't have taken without it.

I had a bottle of beautiful random Amber perfume oil as a teenager and I've searched for years to find a likeness, and this is not only the best likeness I've ever found but better, x 1000. This smells of cavernous, darkly upholstered rooms, mystery and intrigue. It has instantly become my signature scent. Must hoard...

[bellumed]

Nothing sinful or corrupted about Sin! If anything, this seems like a holy scent to me... all dry and dark resin. Fortunately I think it's delicious. I'll have to consider a bottle purchase of this.

[freyasfae]

Yep, patchouli just doesn't work for me. I really can't smell much else except a hint of cinnamon. I guess this probably means my skin amps patchouli.

[Musamea]

in the imp: mostly earthy, sexy patchouli with a teeny whiff of cinnamon and amber

 

wet: a light dusting of sweet cinnamon over a base of earthy patchouli – I think this is the same patchouli as the one in Snake Oil? A dry sandalwood just baaaarely present underneath it all

 

Dry: I'm not the biggest fan of patchouli usually, but when it's tempered with something else, like the vanilla in Snake Oil or the amber and cinnamon here on drydown, it can be a really lovely base note. Sin dries down incredibly like Snake Oil on me, except with warm amber and sandalwood and a tiny bit of heat from the cinnamon overlaying the patch instead of incense and vanilla– it's Snake Oil's less in-your-face, vanilla-less cousin. Perfect for when you want something sexy but skin-close.

[Cali]

It's quite dark, and red. Literally and figuratively. The sandalwood is very in your face, and there's a couple of undertones that I can't place. My skin brings out the notes that I don't particularly like, but it's got a lot of potential on it's own!

[nolifeking]

dirty cinnamon SN... really not my cup of tea...