Mr. Jacquel

[ellebelle]

Golden amber, hyssop, North African patchouli, and embalming spices.

 

In general, the American Gods and Anasi boys scents have been a great big FAIL for me. The exception is Mr Jacqel. I love this, LOVE this. On me, it is all sweet, spicy, resinous amber. It's like The Lion, only more complex. The hyssop (I think?) adds a glorious edge of sweetness to this. There is nothing in this blend that doesn't like me.

[Venneh]

In the decant, I'm getting spices, maybe a bit of herbs, and amber. Maybe some patchouli, which could kill this blend for me. We'll see what it does. Once on my skin, it's a blend of amber and patchouli, but the earlier seems to be mellowing the latter. No spices or hyssop yet. Hmm. This could be a good blend. This turns into an amazing warm spice scent on my skin. I love it. Definite bottle.

Edited December 23, 2009 by Venneh

[Brianne]

Definitely goes on masculine and incensey - though I get the patchouli, I think the amber is more dominant in this blend so the dry down has a bit of a powdery vibe to it. Though - like most scents - I can see this being worn by a man OR a woman, but I definitely think this leans heavily to the masculine side. The spices come out more in the drydown and lend to a slightly "herbal" tone underneath

[fairnymph]

Deep golden oil. Warm - definitely that amber, and a sense of desert heat - as well as softly sweet and lightly spicy. The patchouli is a little dusty, appropriately, but light and earthy and not at all a hippy-ish/rooty/dirty type of patchouli. The hyssop adds an interesting minty sort of cooling herbal contrast to the other notes.

 

Sweeter, and distinctly MUSKY (black musk, I'd bet my life on it). The amber here is just lovely - not too strong, not powdery or perfumey, just warm and golden and sunny. I'm sure it's the same note from L'Estate. The hyssop is softer, less minty and no longer mentholic - it kind of reminds me of hops now, a slightly sour-bitter note that keeps the warmth, musk, and spices and in check. I do get the spices a tad more on my skin, but not by much. They're subtle and well-behaved. I get maybe cardamom and cassia, and I'd swear there is some red sandalwood here. This sort of reminds me of unisex Morocco, actually!

 

Sweeter and sweeter, I am definitely getting that benzoin/embalming base from Anubis and it's very nice. The spices remain light and really just give this a warm, exotic feel - it's just like in Morocco - they are there, but they are soft not remotely hot/burning or in your face. Refined, smoothed. The hyssop has amped up a little but I'm still liking it and it works with the notes here in a way that makes it almost seem like a different note from other scents I've tested that share it. I get more of a woody/dry base now which I'm sure is the red sandalwood and blends really well with the musk. Overall, like Morocco, this is a seamless blend. Like something with perfect, lightly oiled golden skin. - you want to stroke it and sink into it.

 

Drier, darker in feel and more strongly resiny over time, making it less like Morocco than it was in the earlier stages, and also, this is sweeter than Morocco, almost sugary, without being a foody type of scent at all. I find Morocco creamier, softer, and closer to foody. I definitely consider this the masculine counterpart to Morocco, though both scents are relatively unisex.

 

Sweet, warm, musky spices over amber and woodsy resin.The latter note only appears distinctly to me in the final drydown - balsam perhaps? There could be frankincense in here too, contributing to a sense of darkness/smokiness. A lot more manly in the end though ultimately still probably unisex. Good throw and fantastic longevity - in fact, it amps over time!

 

Manly, drier Morocco, if I had to sum it up briefly. Nicely done, though not my sort of thing,

 

[strahlend]

This is a more gentle blend. I thought this was going to be a dark, heavy scent but it's really not. It's warm and soft and has a bit of spice in it. Unfortunately it fades off my skin so fast that that's about all I can tell you. Very pretty while it lasts.

[ChloeKEvil]

Mr. Jacquel is a warm, snuggly scent. Not in a tiny-puppy snuggly scent, but like the dog as big as a wolf that you can count on to keep you safe while you sleep, that everyone else is kind of scared of but you know that it wouldn't hurt you.

 

In terms of not-incredibly-vague scent impressions, I would say this one has a lot of patchouli that I like, with some of the spices too. I can never identify amber, so it's possible that that is here too...

 

Mr. Jacquel is probably my top comfort scent. Its warmth and earthiness make me feel grounded if I'm unhappy, and its strength makes me feel stronger.

[Penance]

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This is one of those scents that has the potential to be incredible for me but that, for whatever reason, I overlooked for a long time. Patchouli, particularly the African variety, is my favorite note ever and I love amber as long as it doesn't turn to cat pee or baby powder on me (which it hasn't done for a long time, so that should be safe). Hyssop could go either way and the same goes for the embalming spices, but I'm willing to bet that the spices will be fine.

 

First sniff:

 

Lighter than I imagined it would be, but it is fresh, so it might get stronger with age. In the bottle, I get quite a bit of amber (it reminds me of The Lion in some ways), some very soft patchouli and an unidentifiable blend of herbs and spices that's so faint that it's nearly not there. Mainly, this is a soft, warm, sunbaked sort of earthy, resinous scent. I really like it, although I wish it was stronger.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Yay, it's stronger on me than in the bottle! It's amazing how fast skin chemistry can affect something like this. I get a lot of amber still, some very nice, earthy patchouli (which I'm sure will age gorgeously) and the faintest touch of herbs and spices. It's similar to The Lion if you added patchouli. Luckily, The Lion is a favorite of mine and I adore patchouli, so I'm happy.

 

Dry down:

 

OMG, yum. This is instant favorite material and if it's this good fresh, I can't wait to see how amazing it is aged.

 

Still strongly amber and patchouli-based (again, it's a close relative of The Lion, only with an earthiness to it and a faint touch of herbs added). This is a warm scent, but earthy rather than bright and citrusy or red and spicy the way so many other warm scents are. It doesn't remind me of sand so much as it does sunbaked earth. It doesn't really smell like dirt, exactly, though. It just has the patchouli giving it that earthy edge. And it's gorgeous.

 

The bottom line:

 

Patchouli haters may be well-advised to avoid this one, although I find the patchouli unoffensive and gentle, rather than aggressively earthy and musty. It's a gorgeous scent, though, and I'm in love with Mr. Jacquel. He's going to have a nice, cozy home in my favorites box.

 

ETA: I was right about aging. Mr. Jacquel is almost 6 months old now and much stronger than it was before. The scent is even more beautiful, too. It's become one of my three "default" scents (along with Anne Bonny and Sin) that I wear when nothing in particular sounds god or I don't want to be bothered with going through the process of figuring out what I want to wear. Love it!

Edited June 27, 2011 by Penance

[Ella LaRose]

I thought I would love this one, but the strongest scent in here for me was cinnamon, or something like cinnamon. And me and cinnomon don't get along.

[Diva Urd]

In the vial: Wow, this is unusual! I get the freshness of amber, a hint of patchouli, but what is this top note? It must be hyssop, a plant I am unfamiliar with. Wiki says it's in the mint family, and while it doesn't describe scent, it mentions a slightly minty bitterness flavor-wise. Mhmyeah, I *think* that'd be the note. I enjoy sniffing this in the vial so much, I really hope the skin test isn't gonna let me down, because I might have to keep the vial to sniff either way!

 

On: HELLO PATCH, OLD BUDDY! YES, I LOVE YOU TOO! NOW PLAY NICE WITH THE HYSSOP!

In case that wasn't clear enough , upon application, I get a lovely, earthy, near-single-note blast of patchouli. Thankfully, as it dries, the patch decides to let the other notes into the sandbox, as well, though it remains a prominent note. Now I am also getting the mentioned spices... there is cinnamon in there, isn't there? Uh-oh, I hope I am not going to end up with Big Red chewing gum...

 

Later: Big. Red. EFFING. Chewing. Gum. Yo, skin? We need to talk... *menacingly waves baseball bat* How upsetting, I was ready to heap love on this

[mxtine]

Velvety amber, dry patchouli, and spices - I'd love to know what "embalming spices" are, but cinnamon stands out the most. Cinnamon and I don't have a good relationship, it usually overpowers any blend it's in, turning it into a Red Hot Mess. I'm reminded of Hellhound on My Trail, which turned out awful because of the cinnamon, but these "spices" are very subdued and tolerable amongst amber and patchouli. I'm also being reminded of Cat Allingham because they both paint a desert landscape in my mind.

 

I'm looking forward to this one once it's aged a bit--I'm hoping the patchouli gets stronger.

[cynroux]

Mr. Jacquel was my first purchase ever and I could not have been more pleased. I cannot. Stop. Smelling. It.

Everything my nose encounters has already been described and then some by the very eloquent members of this forum so I'll leave it at this.

The scent is that of a turn of the century funeral home. Truly. It's all comfort and tradition. I love this scent with all my heart.

[KittyHawk]

Wow, I like this one a lot more than I expected.

 

Yep, it does bear a similarity to The Lion, as others have noticed, but Mr. Jacquel is spicier and more complex. The patchouli is very well-blended and plays well with others here, so even if patch is a bad note for you in general, don't let that deter you. This is a very hot and dry scent, like baked earth. Cinnamon is definitely among the spices, but it stays in check and doesn't go Big Red gum on me. I'm keeping my imp for cold, rainy days. If you like resinous blends, you need to try this one.

[ajodasso]

Patchouli can go either way for me, very good or very bad, depending on what it's blended with.

 

Fortunately, the amber and hyssop are enough to keep it in check. I've worn this as an overlay to Mr. Ibis and found it works well!

[mymymai]

ITI: It's rather nice. I get the impression of warm baking spices, something slightly nutty, and a clean up not overtly sweet floral behind it.

 

Wet: The patchouli is the note I thought was slightly nutty, which is more apparent on my skin. The spices are still warm when paired with the amber (which is behaving for now on my skin). The floral is very faint, but adds a little depth to the scent.

 

Dry: After 11 hours, there is only the most ghostly hint of amber left. Upon reapplication and dry-down #2, it's warm and slightly exotic spices wrapped in a soft blanket of golden amber and just a hint of patchouli.

[tharsei-thanate]

Man, this started out so beautifully. It was warm and smooth with a touch of spice but then patchouli decided to misbehave and amber turned to powder and now it's just. Eugh.

 

If you have the sort of skin chem that can handle amber and patch this will probably be fantastic on you.

[Aviatrix]

This starts out with a blast of patchouli that was almost too much for me - I prefer my patchouli well-behaved. But after a little while it mellowed and blended in with the spices to create a very nice and soft scent with an edge that almost reminds me of cinnamon.

It's a very delightful blend and I'm glad I took the plunge and got a decant after all!

[Monster]

In the vial this is a patchouli with a dusting of baking spices. When first applied, it's still mostly patchouli and a warm, powdery softness of the amber. There's this candle from Yankee Candle that I absolutely love called "Kitchen Spice", the melange of spices in Mr. Jacquel remind me a lot of that. I get a hint of clove, cinnamon, perhaps cardamon? The final dry down is a spiced-kissed patch, it smells a bit like a gentler version of All Night Long. It's surprisingly mild and is more of a close-to-the-skin type of scent. I'm a little disappointed, I was hoping for this to be a l lot louder than it is.

 

Beautiful, just too faint on my skin. I much prefer All Night Long.

[ramblingrambler]

Strangely, Mr. Jacquel reminds me of Nasty Woman. I slathered it, so it stayed wet for some time, and the wet stage smells exactly the same for both fragrances on my skin. In the imp and in the bottle, they smell fairly similar too. I wonder if it's the same patchouli I'm smelling.

 

As Mr. Jacquel begins to dry, there's a higher note than what Nasty Woman offers, something slightly sweet and spicy. I'm intrigued. What is it? Hyssop? Embalming spices? Hmm. Whatever it is, I do like it, indeed.

 

On dry down, the amber comes forward, and the patchouli is more tempered. Nasty Woman no longer compares; instead, it's another deep, "dark" fragrance I have, but I can't recall which of my (very, very) many. I'm left with a spicy, woody, earthy afterthought, close to the skin and intoxicating to the nose. I do love the dry down.

 

In an earlier post, I said Mr. Nancy was my favorite of the Gaiman fragrances, but I have to eat my words. I think Mr. Jacquel is my favorite. Lovers of patchouli, or at least patchouli lovers with a similar skin chemistry, will dig this scent.

[galahad]

In the Vial:

Slightly spiced amber

On the Skin:

Dry spices and patchouli. Strong and pretty awesome. The amber softens this pretty quickly and it warms up nicely.

On the Drydown:

This dries down to a soft dry spice. Very nice

[Velvet Lilly]

My Gods this is gorgeous (what I did there). This is soft, elegant, chic and debonaire.

This smells as if Anubis got spohisticated, but on a Savile Row suit and spent his evening at the high stakes bacarat lounge. I need this in my life.

[whisperstilled]

My AG decant circle decanter was kind enough to include a tester of this scent!

Wet: Smooth patchouli, spice, and woods. Not too sweet, amber not too powdery. What I would imagine an Egyptian embalmer to smell like, certainly.

Dry: I'm not much of a patchouli fan, and I'm definitely getting a whiff of 'peanut' vetiver in here somewhere, but this is still a very nice scent. Mature and grownup, as so many of the AG scents are, and really nicely blended.

[LizziesLuck]

Due to the decants being offered of this series because of the new releases, I was happy to also get to try some of the originals I hadn't gotten around to yet!

 

 

Wet: Smoky, almost like it's vetiver instead of patchouli. Was hoping for more amber straight out of the gate, but this likely needs to age quite a bit more for the amber to truly shine.

 

 

Dry: Soooo soft and pretty. The patchouli fades out (which I am happy about, I wasn't loving that particular patch note) and the hyssop and spices come in, and it's slightly exotic, smooth, sweet and just so lovely. Very soft, not a lot of throw, but I only have a dab on to test. I imagine I will need a bottle of this. This collection is going to bankrupt me...

[dramedy65]

I am absolutely angry at this scent. I mean, everything else smells really good but patchouli ALWAYS gets me. I've yet to find a scent it doesn't ruin.

 

In the bottle, it's all patchouli. Just, running roughshod. I test it anyway, hoping this will be the exception. Wet, it's till intense.

 

Dry? The amber is soft and amazing, there are other notes I can feel but as soon as I think I'm getting somewhere, patch is like NOPE ALL ME JUST KIDDING. and I lose the rest of it and it's just. hippie incense. fancy, nice, but really not my scent.

 

Swap/sell pile. Sad. and Mad. and sad.

[cassiejaynebunk]

the hyssop is strong in this one. reminds me a tad bit of Against Idleness and Mischief... i think it overpowers the other scents in this blend for me. i don't pick up the patch in here just the herbs, really.

[milo]

A bit like sour men's cologne. It actually kind of gives me the creeps, like a pervy old man would. Spicy and cologney. Not for me.