Wulric, the Wolfman (2006)

[ImperatrixMundi]

Friendly, charming, and cuddly, but possessing one hell of a mean streak: cocoa absolute, French vanilla, birch tar, lavender, bourbon vetiver, wild musk, clary sage, and cistus.

Wet: cocoa and a sharp herbal undertone

Drydown: The herbal undertone fades a lot and the vanilla sweetens the blend up considerably. Later this gets extremely musky on me.

Ends up as herbal, very musky cocoa. I like it but I dont want to wear it, it is just not me. Surprisingly this is more of a male scent for me, have to see if my other half likes it.

[pensarepink]

In the bottle: Lavender with some other woody/herbal smells. Very faint chocolate.

Wet: The chocolate pops as soon as it hits my skin then the lavender comes in with a second note.

Drying: A sharper, woodsy scent appears. I'm still reeling from the chocolate-lavender combo. With more time the chocolate resurfaces. This has a floral finish (with the lavender) as a prominent note.

 

A chocolate-floral with a wolf-man as a namesake; now that's complex. I like this. I'm going to need to give it a couple more tries to seen how it differs in dry down on my skin. If you've ever eaten a chocolate-lavender bar (like Dagoba) you'll have some idea of this scent. Perfect for wearing whilst languidly sipping from a glass of Zinfandel.

[lainevierge]

Ooh, I've been wearing this for several days in a row now and I am loving the chocolate-vanilla softness that comes through. When I put it on my husband it just smelled like straight up men's cologne with a hint of cocoa, but on me the whole thing just softens. My favorite thing about it is that the chocolate and vanilla isn't in your face like most food based blends, but that they're just the front notes in a really well made perfume blend.

 

Wulric is so warm, sweet, and great for dreary winter days! I don't get any of the other single notes mentioned in the description, but there's a blend of several things loitering in the background. The musk might be the most noticable of them all.

Edited January 21, 2008 by lainevierge

[ranyart]

In the bottle: cocoa, vanilla, and a hint of vetiver. I can just barely pick out the lavender.

 

Wet: the cocoa is separating a bit; there are dark spots of it in the oil. I can still smell the cocoa, but it's not as strong - I think I'm smelling sage, and possibly the birch tar but I have no idea what that smells like. my skin seems to be eating this up!

 

A minute or so after applying: it smells like chocolate and fresh (not polished) wood. I'm getting a hint of lavender now, and I suppose the vanilla is keeping this kind of creamy.

 

Dry: this has settled on cocoa and the softest vetiver I've ever smelled, with a bit of an herbal support behind it. It isn't very strong on my skin; I think I'll have to slather this if I want it to be strong at all. Unusual, but I think this is pretty nice.

In general, I was afraid of vetiver when I first started using bpal because it's so dark and sharp-smelling, but I've found that it works really well with my body chemistry. It's interesting to see a softer side of it in this blend.

 

Sadly, Wulric all but disappeared within the first 45 or so minutes. I may just see what happens if I age him a bit; the smell is intriguing enough that I don't want to give up on it already, but I'm sad that it faded so quickly. I just put on some unscented lotion and I may try this again now that my hands aren't so dry they'll just drink up all the oil.

[tartchef]

Wulric wasn't even on my radar until very recently - vetiver was once a certified deal-breaker. I've been having better luck with it in the last few months, though, and the promise of chocolate & lavender proved too much for me to resist...

 

Oh hot damn, this is wonderful stuff! Just the texture in the bottle is amazing - all the cocoa settles to the bottom, requiring serious rolling to blend properly. Wet, the lavender is front & center, elbowing the cocoa out of the way for the first few minutes. Once everything settles down though, Wulric is incredibly well blended - the lavender, cocoa & vanilla in TKO-ish harmony, with a glorious musk intertwining... Beth, don't smack me for this, but the musk note is nearly a dead ringer for a bottle of Avon or Jovan Musk I had when I was 12 or so... it was an amber bottle with a teeny little cork stopper, and I thought I was the cat's pajamas when I wore it At any rate, Wulric's a lovely sweet gourmand musk scent, but I can sense the vetiver & sage lurking at the edges & dirtying things up perfectly.

 

It's not something I can see my other half picking out for himself, but I'll have to get him to take Wulric out for a test-drive - I suspect this will be absolutely huff-worthy on a guy...

[poisons_sanity]

I would love this scent if it wasn't for the lavender. I like all of the other notes, the cocoa and vanillia. But, I think the Lavender just makes it really smell "off" to me.

[smallvoice]

I really do not love lavender as a note. In fact, in BPAL blends, it is commonly known to make me sneeze when it's at the forefront of a blend. I am well aware, however, that when it comes to BPAL and my chemistry, the only hard rule is no red musk... and I am awaiting the day even that will be misproven. All that said, I love the scent Villain, which features lavender quite prominently, and as I was mulling over if I wanted to swap for Wulric or not, I came across a review that said Wulric was a richer, more complex Villain. I was sold.

 

When I opened the bottle, all I could smell was that sharp, bracing lavender that I don't like, with a hint of sweetness underneath. I rolled the bottle, having been warned that this was one of the blends that will separate, then took another sniff. Chocolate-y lavender. Hmm.

 

Once on my skin, the lavender takes charge immediately, and then is told to sit down and shut up, because the other notes are tired of being bullied, and they're not gonna take it anymore! So it sits down and makes nice with everybody, and voila! A cohesive team.

 

It is gourmand, not foody, on me. I love it. It's like Villain wrestled a Death Adder, then took a bath in Boomslang. But there's something even more- it's just very complex and deep. Seems like it could be worn most any time of year, really.

 

EDIT: A lot of people seem to be confusing CISTUS with CITRUS. Cistus is the actual ingredient; there's no citrus in it.

 

Similar scents: Villain, Bliss, Boomslang, Death Adder, Lump of Coal

Edited April 25, 2008 by cordia

[rachel2205]

in vial - wow, potent! Cocoa, but very masculine. Almost piney note. Peppery. On skin - wet, it's a strongly male, feral scent, but with a sweet undertone. Dries into a masculine lavender and spicy cologne. Once it's been on for a while, a soft breath of the vanilla comes out, but this to me is still quite an aggressive scent. Fascinating. I think Mme M and Wulfric would make an intriguing couple!!

[Pika]

In the imp, this was way more lavender than I thought it would be.

 

On my skin though, it tamed down, and really was quite an interesting, nice balance of herbally lavender and the sweeter, foody notes. I really didn't get the depth from the birch tar and clary I was hoping for, though.

 

After a while, it settled out to kind of a plain, musky smell. That makes me quite sad, as it was really nice for that first 20 minutes or so. I haven't decided what to do with this one yet.

[DogNPonyShow]

In the vial: Pure delicious chocolate. And not the nasty fake lip balm kind.

On: Lavender and light vanilla come right up mixing with the chocolate and then slowly morphs into a musk. It's a creamy, not foody, scent that really does give me the impression of something dark lurking in the background. It has impressive throw as well.

Verdict: I was a little scared at first to try this because of the citrus, but thankfully that note never came up. I love this!

[Aika]

I ordered a decant, and excitedly rechecked the notes after I applied and saw vetiver. Crap. I'm one of those people where vetiver amps like crazy into this horrible foul smokiness, but this one didn't. In the drydown, I get a teeny bit of he vetiver smoke, but mostly cocoa and lavender. It's delicious.

 

Honesty, even if you have issues with vetiver, it's worth a shot.

 

4/5

[Lycanthrope]

Now how the heck did I of all forumites not review this?

 

I have two bottles, mostly motivated by the fact this buddy's a werewolf. Even so, unlike other lycanthropic blends Beth's pulled from her magic cloak, Wulric really does strike me as friendly, soft and sweet. Initially on me the notes I pull are an immediate tie between lavender and deep cocoa absolute. The smokier essences, vetiver/birch tar do not really seem to pull forwards, perhaps the bourbon vetiver is a different, less smokey and bitter type? There is a definite richness under the entire blend which may be a combination of the vanilla, musk and cistus. Clary sage is said to have soothing properties and I was scanning for its sharper, brighter floral notes but also could not find them.

 

Overall Wulric is a sweet, deep gooey chocolate aroma with the slightly spiky ouevre of crushed lavender. Do not be scared by the vetiver, it doesn't dominate.

[gypsysingleton]

Wow - that is some tar lookin' oil!!! It stained my skin...

 

Oooo, that smells good -

 

Wet - Cocoa Absolute

 

On drydown - the cocoa really fades to the background and the lavender and sage take front stage -

 

2 hrs later - the scent has really faded, I really have to push my nose into my skin to get the notes and they are all a nice green herbal with the slightest touch of cocoa

 

Might put it on my wl, but not sinking any $$ into a bottle this round

[arabella]

First Impression: Hot chocolate with vanilla.

 

Dries down to: A melted chocolate bar.

 

Additional Comments: I like the early chocolate-y stages. After a while, the other notes, although never individually distinguishable, smother the chocolate and it all turns muddy.

 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

[maribouquet]

Oh, dear - I was enjoying this one but it gives me a terrible rash. Yikes!!

[Wwindy]

Oh, yum! This is good stuff!

 

Wet, it's almost entirely dark chocolate and lavender on me. This is a surprisingly fantastic effect -- surprising not because I don't love chocolate and lavender (I do!) but because I haven't had a huge amount of luck with BPAL's lavender in the past. Wulric does the trick, though! The lavender does start to die back on me during the drydown, and the vanilla comes out. After a couple of hours I'm getting a soft vanilla musk with hints of the cocoa.

 

I tried Boomslang yesterday and loved it, and sampled Wulric today specifically to compare the two. I'm happier with Wulric as an everyday blend, especially for going to work -- Boomslang is indeed Teh Hott Sexxay chocolate fudge cake, but Wulric spares your boss, coworkers, clients, etc. those potentially alarming headshoppy vibes.

[Lamia]

OH MY GOD.

 

It's like... the most amazing chocolate you've ever had. With French Vanilla overtones and a bourbon-musky low note.

 

I want to devour myself whenever I wear this.

[tativa]

I feel like a bit of a cuddle whore saying this... but last night was the first night in a long time I was sleeping completely alone. Normally its the boyfriend, or I have crashed at a friend's... or a friend has crashed at my place, or I am at the parent's home with my sister a few feet away...

 

So, needless to say I was a bit freaked out, and lurking about the internet for comfort until 4 am... That was when I decided Wulric might make a nice snuggle buddy... despite him ripping out girl's hearts.

 

In the bottle, its a deep chocolate elixir.

On the skin it starts out as an herby chocolate... at times I can pick out the lavender or ververt, but its so well blended they all have taken on the traits of the other. Its really comforting. Then the lavender really comes out to play for a bit.... Then I feel asleep. Good ol' lavender.

 

Oh, and what a nice snuggle buddy he was... he stayed with me all night long... and when I awoke, he was a beautiful creamy chocolate... not feral or bitter at all. Yet, he wasn't a sappy and clingy cloyingly sweet either.

 

I love you Wulric! I need to stock up lots and lots of bottles of you to sit on my night stand for nights I am alone or being an insomniac. I really like the scent, but I don't see myself wearing it out and about too much. You see... Wulric has become my secret night time lover

 

Best sleep blend ever! The lavender has become a thing of comfort rather than the sharp harsh floral to which I am accustom.

[jwhxtna]

IN THE IMP: A lot of lavender and maybe sage, with a dark cocoa background.

 

WET: Dark cocoa with some vanilla and a little lavender.

 

DRY: Dark cocoa with some vanilla, lavender, and other things I'm not good at identifying. Definitely not my type of scent, because it smells very masculine to me, but if a guy was wearing this, well, um. I might jump him. Maybe. It just smells so good. I couldn't stop sniffing my arm.

[LadyLuckDoubt]

In the Bottle

Yummy, creamy chocolatey goodness. Softer and warmer and not as intense as, say, The Candy Butcher, though, and not quite as innocent as Bliss. This shall be interesting...

 

On Me

Oh, man. This smells like heaven and sex and a nice warm blanket all at once. It pretty much stays that way on me, too-- something is seriously working here. I find it very feminine, but with an edge which a lot of women's perfumes don't possess-- that must be my old friend vetiver working its wonders. The chocolate isn't bitter or sickly or weird-- it smells damn near edible, and I'm sure that's the vanilla doing its thing with it. And there's a smokiness, too, which I love-- it's note a nasty incense smoke, either-- I can't quite describe it-- it's a complex, grey, ashen smoke, if that makes sense. But not a "recent" smoke reminiscent of camp fires-- it's more like ash that's been around for a long, long time, and it isn't overly noticable, either-- but it's there and it polishes off this scent beautifully.

 

Honestly, this is absolutely stunning. I want to huff my wrist and then make out with it and fall asleep next to it and make it a damn fine breakfast the next morning. Seriously-- Ahhhhh-mazing.

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Cocoa, birch, lavender with a touch of citrus. The lavender is quite strong.

 

On Application

Dry, rich, bitter cocoa! Nummy

 

Dry Down

The birch gives a mentholated bachground to this so it starts to smell like peppermint chocolate. The lavender becomes quite lively a few minutes in and continues to play off the cocoa, birch and vetiver for a while before the vanilla steps in to sweeten things up a tad. Acts IV and V of CD have been incredible and this is no exception. This will be a firm favourite.

 

Rating (0-5)

5

[iiinterstate]

I never would have thought of chocolate and lavender to be complementary notes, but they certainly are.

 

What made me nervous about Wulric was really the vetiver, and upon application I could smell it quite strongly with the lavender. But about an hour later, its dried down into something I really like. Usually cocoa and fruit/floral blends do NOT work on me one bit, but the vetiver keeps everything grounded nicely.

 

Wulric is definitely a more masculine scent, and I'm not sure if I need a bottle just yet, but I'll be using my decant for sure.

[Champagne]

I never enjoy florals notes in the blends, but the lavender one is a rare exception, and what a lovely exception it is! Wulric is the CD I slather more often, before sleeping, before cleaning the house, before taking decisions, before any excuse! The herbal wet stage is stingy but truly enjoyable, and the cocoa-vanilla drydown that follow a true heaven Wulric unites like a miracle

the green blends with the foody ones, standing as unique of this genre. Relaxing entertainment I would say!!

2 back up bottles please

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Definitely food-ish. Floral bonbons, or maybe a cocoa-flavored cocktail. Chocolate, orange, vanilla, herbs.

 

Wet: Chocolate, followed closely and overtaken by alcohol (bourbon?). It kind of reminds me of Sabra, the chocolate-orange liqueur, only with herbs. Interesting; I wonder where it will go from here.

 

Twenty minutes: Resinous vanilla over musk. The chocolate has dialed way back. There's an herbal undertone, but I can't tell what it is. Where did the orange go? It kind of smells like a really savory marshmallow now, hardly a wolf-man kind of image!

 

Five hours: Got busy and couldn't track the details of this one. But it never really developed after the drydown. It's stayed warm vanilla-musk, a very pleasant and obscurely comforting scent but not something I need to wear.

[Emera]

IN THE IMP: Dark, gritty cocoa, followed by biting lavender. The dark cocoa absolute separates out very visibly from the rest of the oil, which is a pretty amber shade.

 

ON SKIN: The cocoa becomes more of a dark chocolate on my skin – which is a nice surprise, since ACTUAL dark chocolate notes go to plastic on me. Perhaps it's the influence of the French vanilla? Up close, the blend is still pleasingly harsh and masculine, and I can detect the woody-dirty vetiver, but the throw is a lovely dark chocolate. Still later, I'm starting to get the fresh clary sage over the vetiver. This appears to be exceedingly complex and morph-inclined, never staying the same from minute to minute. The lavender eventually begins to burn off, leaving the blend much less sharp and masculine, while the cocoa continues to persist.

 

LATER: Warm, dry cocoa and a touch of fresh lavender – again, much less bold and masculine than originally.

 

SUMMARY: Dark cocoa over a succession of all of the other listed notes. On me, it morphs from a strong, sharp masculine blend to a sweetly warm and unisex one. Moderately strong throw, medium wearlength.