Umbra

[Neely]

The deepest, darkest point in a shadow; the area contained within the shadow of an eclipse. East African black patchouli, cedarwood, vetiver and a dribble of cinnamon.

In the bottle: patchouli, woodsy, smokey, lovely.

Wet: patchouli, I love patchouli so this suits me just fine so far.

Dry down: patchouli with a creamy base perhaps from the cedar? I am loving this!

30 minutes: still beautiful, smokey patchouli with a sweet, creamy base. I smell any cinnamon, which I love but does tend to bully other notes on me. But it seems to be behaving itself in fact too much. It is positively shy.

Conclusion: I like this very much. I wish the cinnamon would show up more, maybe I have an old imp. May have to order one fresh from the lab to do further testing. But regardless I see myself wearing this.

Rating 1-5: on my skin this is a 4.

[Naamah_Darling]

In the bottle this is a rich patchouli razzed with cedar and a faint light grassy note.

 

On, it becomes a subtle, deeply sophisticated, and casually ruthless scent that begs for closer investigation. Contrary to what I expected, the patchouli and the cedar do in each other's flaws rather than ramp them up. This is neither too woody nor too murky. The cedar keeps the patchouli clean, the patchouli gives the cedar some sweat on its balls, and the vetiver is just a little cruel. The cinnamon, which drifts around all the rest, is a pleasantly lingering kiss.

 

Umbra is more than a little like all the things I love about Geek, but for the fact that it lacks the leather, and the cinnamon smell here is far more restrained.

 

There is a pungent animal note that hints at dirty sweat – the black patchouli, no doubt – but it's more the kind of satyrish smell that some men have even right out of the shower; male and edgy and unmistakeably sexual. This scent barely has enough restraint to seduce and not simply ravish. It's the scent of a street-level thug wise in the ways of pain dressed up in a $2000 Armani suit and given a sword-cane for a walking stick – you've taken something bad and made it infinitely worse by refining it.

 

This is a gentle, leather-gloved touch from a man who can crack walnuts with his fingers.

 

Thinking wistfully of someone dangerous you knew long ago, and then seeing them coming around the corner and realizing simultaneously that you really do want to run from them again, and that you're hoping they chase you.

 

The darkness after sex when the lights go off and the blankets come up, and the world retreats again. One of you is awake, thinking wicked thoughts about the other, unaware that the other is awake and thinking wicked thoughts, too. But which one of you is planning murder, and which is planning a rematch?

 

This is undressing a handsome, clean-cut man and finding not only tattoos, but lots of old scars. When you press for details, he grabs you by the throat, throws you on the bed, and f**ks the living s**t out of you. It's the best date you've ever had, even if you have to replace all your clothes and bedding, and you never see your cat again.

 

Good stuff.

[theseagrows]

this is very deep and dark, as the name/description implies. i immediately smell the vetiver (yay), some kind of musky scent and the cedarwood (boo!) cedar does that pencil shaving thing on my skin, and besides that something underneath is going weirdly sour. i dont think i can wear this one, unfortunately.

[PersephonesChild]

I expected to hate this, given the general trepidation over vetiver and my own distaste for patchouli and most of the things I've smelled that involved cinnamon.

 

But on me the strongest note is the cedarwood, which I like. The scent is woody and slightly dusty (in fact, that was my first thought when I opened the imp: "Dust!") It smells kind of like the back of an armoire (A wardrobe, anyone?)

 

And vetiver? Not that I know what it smells like, but thus far, no problem. This is actually my favorite "dark" scent thus far (aside from Les Fleurs du Mal, which is a pretty dark floral).

 

ETA: I've found that Umbra can be really good for darkening other scents. Appropriate, no? I like using it to cast a little shadow over something brighter.

Edited June 5, 2007 by PersephonesChild

[melrose]

Oh, YEAH. I loves me some patchouli and it loves me back. I couldn't be more pleased with this blend. In the bottle, and on, wet, the vetiver did its usual bully thing (I hate it, but my skin loves to amp it), but it actually settled down! I can hardly believe my good luck.

 

As mentioned by a poster above, the cedarwood does give the patchouli a dusty edge, which I freakin' love. The vetiver plays nice, addding a bare hint of clean sweetness. I wouldn't have identified cinnamon without reading the ingredients, but I'm sure it adds to the balance and depth of this new-found love.

 

Definitely bottle-worthy.

[waternight]

In the imp: First sniff, strongly patchouli and cedarwood. Sniff deeper, and I get the cinnamon, with just a hint of vetiver.

Wet/Drydown: Cedar sprinkled with cinnamon. This is softer than I expected, especially since it was so strong in the imp. Hint of vetiver underneath, but it’s behaving quite well. The blend of cedar and cinnamon is unique and interesting. This is pretty darn masculine. Not getting much patchouli. This is spicy-woody. A bit drier – ahhh, there’s the vetiver. The cinnamon is sweetening this blend, but I certainly wouldn’t call it “sweet”. Sharp and spicy and a teensy bit acrid from the vetiver, this blend takes no prisoners – it’ll hurt you if you give it half a chance. It’s staying strongly woody though.

Dry: Cedar and vetiver. The vetiver really came out more and the cinnamon receded a bit. It’s very masculine. I generally like masculine scents on me, but this one is just a bit strong for me. I don’t hate it, but I don’t think I’ll wear it.

[LyndaM]

Dark and strong patchouli and vetiver. I get almost no cinnamon. I have a hard time describing Umbra, other than saying that I like it.

 

To me, it is almost the base notes of a perfume, rather than a perfume in its' entirety. I find it to be perfect for layering, as it gives anything a sexy and earthy grounding. Lighter florals and sweet blends like Chimera are entirely transformed by it.

[aquazoo]

Ooooohhhhh, Yes, dusty goodness! Cinnamon is coming up slightly. This is a keeper!

[Tulliver]

I'm beginning to realise that, while certain notes work on me, they work less well when combined with certain others. Two of those scents are patchouli and vetiver, both of which I ADORE, but generally not together, I've worked out in the past couple of weeks.

 

Umbra though... Umbra is different. Not at first. When it's wet on the skin I get that sense of almost revulsion from it as the patchouli and vetiver stamp all over everything else in a fight for dominance.

 

But... oh my. Then it dries down. And it all goes wonderful. Cinnamon is another scent that is generally very strong on me, but it's VERY faint here, probably beaten into submission by the patchouli and vetiver. But these two also now blend gorgeously together. I think the cedarwood must be acting as some sort of glue and dampener on them.

 

This is lovely. Very earthy, VERY masculine and extremely sexy.

 

This is going on my "Upgrade, plz!" pile.

[Eucatastrophe]

Sadly all I get is cedar, cedar and more cedar.

[MaidenGenevive]

Umbra

 

I thought it appropriate that I try this imp today, since I just learned what an umbra is in Astronomy class today. I also anticipated loving this scent, as I like the notes involved. However, first sniff and even as I continue to wear it, I'm just not sure. I expected a warm, deep forest smell. This isn't warm at all to me, instead, it's sharp, cold, and harsh. I'm not quite sure what's causing that, but it reminds me of the astringency of Juniper.

 

I'm conflicted, this isn't an unpleasant smell, but it is very unexpected and not a way I'd want my skin to smell. Maybe an air freshener? But I don't know, that sharpness is bothering me. I really was expecting the homey feel of a forest, which is deep and warm, and energizing with it's fresh air. That's not this.

 

[1 - Hate] .. [2 - Dislike] .. [3 - Like] .. [4 - Really Like] .. [5 - Love]

 

2 : Too sharp. So sharp it actually stings my eyes and sinuses.

[daiconharuko]

I really like this, it reminds me of my grandmother's house and the way the linens smelled after bringing them out of the closet. I guess it would be the cedarwood? I don't think I could wear this tho, because cedar tends to give me a headache. But it was worth the blast to the past.

[forspecial_plate]

For some reason Umbra rubbed me the wrong way. I like many dark scents and this seemed like one of the darkest. I love patchouli and vetiver, and cinnamon sounded good here too....generally I like it in moderation.

 

So what happened? At first I got strong, 'new' patchouli, and lots of it. Then as it dried the other notes came in. Something began to smell borderline powdery, and somehow the scent as a whole just didn't work for me. It was woody and earthy with a faint undertone that was high and sweet....a little cloying, almost like decay. Basically, just not for me. This scent reminds me of Typhon, but I love Typhon. Oh well, there are plenty of other scents to love.

 

Edit....I'm holding onto my imp because I know that patchouli and vetiver can both age beautifully, and become smoother. Still pretty sharp today but no powder so far. Yay!

Edited April 6, 2008 by Forspecial Plate

[crimescenecleanup]

Oh, man. This is a flashback in a bottle.

 

Digging through cedar trunks of my dad's old stuff from his college days looking for dress-up clothes, and pulling out paisley shirts and fringed jackets, and burying my face in the musty cotton and leather to take in the vintage patchouli smell.

 

This smells like the 1960's. The DARK side of the 60's. I mean, jeez, I can almost hear The Doors playing when I wear this stuff.

 

It smells like like Jim Morrison should smell. Not how he really smelled. By all accounts, hygiene was not ol' Jim's strongpoint and he reeked like body odor, the greasy leather pants he never took off, and stale booze.

THIS DOES NOT smell like the real Jim Morrison, thank gods, but it definitely a scent I could imagine the archetypal, rock-star Jim Morrison that only exists in my imagination wearing. Make sense? No? Good.

 

So what does it smell like? This is a deep jungle scent. Like walking through the blackest forest where you can't see the sky because the trees grow so thick, only damper and more exotic.

 

It's got that nice, woodsy patchouli and cedar and vetiver in it. It's a dark scent, but earthy-dark, not spooky-dark. There's something almost creamy in here I want to attribute to saffron - maybe it's the cinnamon? It's the same note that does that for me Leo 2007, I think.

 

And underneath it all is this deep, animalistic musk. This isn't a musk I identify from any other BPAL scents. It's probably just coming from the combination of woods and herbs...but it smells wild. Feral. Dangerous. This is not a friendly forest.

 

It's got a real Apocalypse Now/Heart of Darkness vibe to it.

 

This patchouli is not the kind you wear to a love-in with acoustic folk ballads playing in the background. This patchouli is the kind you wear before dropping acid and heading to an orgy with growling, bluesy, psychedelic rock in the background.

 

I think I like it.

[mspixieears]

When first applied I get the vetiver and then the cinnamon which makes for an interesting mix. It’s a very strong oil. I think so far this is probably a tad too masculine for me. The vetiver makes it very earthy – it really reminds me of freshly dug dirt in a gardenbed. Or more specifically freshly turned soil. I think I prefer this as a room fragrance rather than one to be worn.

[hkhm]

bottle: patchouli and cedar. so sharp and tangy!

 

wet: stronger patchouli and cedar. it's almost overpowering.

 

dry: very woodsy and crisp. this does not fade at all on me, it stays quite strong.

 

this is another of my husband's scents. it's not great of me but it's awesome on him.

 

(edit: this scent stays on me even after a quick shower! now that's some staying power!)

Edited October 10, 2007 by hkhm

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

you know that deep, thick, syrupy thing Snake Oil does as it ages? this one starts out life looking that way. which is kinda neat. and kinda wrong.

 

frimpsniff: vetiver, cedar and a drop of patchouli

on skin: no change from the wet stage, except i think the vetiver gets stronger.

 

i loves me some patchouli, but i didn't get any out of this blend.

[LauraB]

Ack! Get it off me now!

 

I have cedarwood (tons of cedar wood - it smells like I'm a sawmill or something) and something black and sinister which I assume is the vetiver - so if you want an Evil Lumberjack scent this could be your thing! Note that it is very persistent - I thought I put a reasonable amount on but it is incredibly potent and doesn't seem to shift easily.

 

This is sooo bad on me (but would work on someone who wanted a dark woody scent and could apply in moderation)

[scarletgenesis]

I received Umbra as a freebie imp with my recent order and decided to try it today. These are my initial notes, without checking the BPAL description. My nose is as of yet, untrained, so I understand (after looking at the description) that some of my impressions were inaccurate.

 

In bottle- ewww.. old flowers. Not sure about this.

 

Wet - mild spice, hint of rose, something sharper and cold

 

Drying - springwater and moss, wet forest leaves, cloves?, something musky, fading florals (thank goodness), something mildly sweet/foody.

 

Dry 1 hour later - still sharp, probably too floral for my tastes

 

Dry 2 hours later - much better. I get faint spice, still some sort of wet foliage, and something a bit sharp and cold. Not sure about the sandalwood/vetiver, as I think they may be creating the slight floral scent I still catch a whiff of every once in a while. I think if I could get rid of the floral notes, I'd really like this. As it stands, I'll have to wait and see if it tones down.

[suki]

in the imp: strong vetiver with an undernote of something chocolatey- maybe it's the black patchouli?

 

wet on skin: the vetiver all but leaves and is replaced by the cinnamon. the chocolate essence remains.

 

dry down: the black patchouli comes out in front and mingles with something that smells like opium- rich, musky, earthy.

 

in all: a heady wintertime blend, good for any gender 'cept maybe the most femmie amongst us!

Edited January 7, 2008 by Shollin

[Northernskygal]

On the bright side.. the cinnamon doesn't eat my wrist.. on the not so bright side.. this blend truly isn't for me. I kinda knew it wouldn't.. as patchouli, cedarwood and vetiver are not really.. good notes to me.. this might smell great on my boyfriend though.. he tends to like the.. sharper dark scents.. and on him, they smell great so.. I just kind of end up smelling like.. a greenhouse.. or.. a store that sells planting type supplies and while not unpleasant.. not something I want to wear.

[akiko]

Imp: Dark. Probably the patchouli and/or vetiver.

 

Wet: Patchouli, but not like the pot-smoker in the next dorm room.

 

Dry: I'm getting more cedar, which is good. Not detecting much on the cinnamon end, unfortunately. All in all, I like it. I should try it on my SO.

[gchris]

In Vial: Pungent! Smells like cologne that has been aged for a while

 

Wet: (Thick dark oil) I smell the Vetiver and the cedarwood. No cinnamon yet. This is very strong.

 

Drydown: Smells like the greeness of a forest and strong men's cologne. It has nostril burning pungence that shows no signs of fading. Masculine scent.:

[bryghtrose]

Deep, dark, earthy...very masculine. I think I would enjoy smelling this on a man. It doesn't smell too good on me.

[homunculus]

This starts off smelling bitter and vaguely medicinal. Then on my skin it begins to turn into the smell of the incense they used on special holy days in the Roman Catholic church of my childhood. Frankincense? I never knew for sure ... They used to burn it in a big metal thing on a chain that the priest used to swing and waft about. I can't describe the smell very easily - a bit peppery, a bit smoky but sweet. My mind fills with images of robed figures, smoking, swirling incense burners and tuneless incantations!

 

I'm not yet sure if it's something I want to wear but very interesting to have captured that smell. Over time it becomes mellower, softer and creamier.