Brown Jenkin

[asciident]

A small, furry, sharp-toothed scent that will nuzzle you curiously in the black hours before dawn: dusty white sandalwood and orris root, dry coconut husk, creeping musk, and the residue of ceremonial incense.

Wet: Sandalwood, a bit of sweet incense, and a bit of orris.

First on: The coconut warms up, and the musk becomes more pronounced. Suntan oil (a scent which honestly I quite enjoy) and sandalwood incense.

Dry: Less suntan oil and more dry, warm coconut. My skin is amping the musk, but sweet sandalwood and incense is in the background, and there's a faint floral air to it. I love this blend.

[blu°]

This is quite nice. It sort of reminds me of Death Cap minus the shroomy note - maybe with some sandal and incense added. The incense is a bit like Midnight Mass, but not as harsh, and without the rosey overtones.

Brown Jenkins is very soft and snuggly on me, maybe a bit too soft and snuggly. I really like it but am not sure I'd wear it a lot. It's a soft beige-brown with pale yellow kind of scent, very much like Death Cap in the overall feel.

[Trish]

When I ordered this I must have skipped over the word "coconut". Or maybe I ignored it because the rest sounded perfect. In any case I got a shock when I first smelt it and all I could smell was coconut, which although I don't hate it it's a note I'm not overly fond of either.

 

However my fears were quickly soothed. On me this is not suntan lotion or overly foodie coconut, rather it's a far darker one. When dry it's a warm, slightly dusty musky dark coconut and sandalwood scent with just a tiny hint of incense. In fact the sandalwood ends up the most dominant note, along with the coconut. "Furry" is a very apt description, although "sharp-toothed" is not, at least not on my skin. It's warm and cozy, has good throw and decent last.

 

I like this a lot, although as yet I haven't worn it during the day. For some reason I've been reaching for it at bedtime and it is a lovely sleepytime scent.

 

Possible bottle.

[Jenesis]

Wet: Smells like paint. Oh dear.

 

Drydown: Smells like cheap shampoo. Equally, oh dear.

 

Dry: Oh, thank goodness for that! The musk (always good on me) and the coconut come out to play. The sweet coconut balances the dryness of the woods, and the mellow musk and spicy incense add complexity to the blend. Not an everyday scent, but definitely one for when I feel particularly enigmatic! I also agree with the above review that it's very warm and comforting, not at all like its namesake!

 

Final Verdict: Once it dries, it's a sweet, musky blend complicated by spices and woods. Gorgeous and comforting.

 

Rating: 4.5/5

 

ETA: This has great staying power, albeit in a softer, muskier way than the initial coconut and wood mix.

Edited June 14, 2007 by Jenesis

[CiCi]

I purchased a bottle of this because it had coconut in it. I had never tested an imp or read the reviews but I love coconut in all it's forms so I knew I would love this and I wasn't wrong! Right out of the bottle it is coconutty and spicey and warm. There is a sweetness and it is the fuzziness too that adds a very unique muskiness to this blend. It has now jumped to my number one GC favorite!

[LadyCrow]

I'm starting to think the key word about Brown Jenkins (who could have been profitably employed as a house-elf cleaning at Miskatonic U., except nobody in Lovecraft is ever profitably employed for long) is but.

 

It's woodsy, but soft and subtle.

It's full of incense in the drydown, but has a foody sweetness, but isn't nearly as heavy or dark as Al Azif.

It's got the coconut going on, but it's neither a sunscreen coconut nor a ripe, fruity note like the one in Obatala.

 

And as all of these wonderful contradictions start to pile up, you have the essence of the creature Lovecraft described: neither entirely one thing we already knew and understood, nor the other. This is one of those blends whose notes might sound odd at first description, but which just smells inexplicably, mysteriously, almost evilly good. Two almost-humanlike paws up!

[yeahbutnobut]

Brown Jenkins

 

In the imp: oh, frankincense! This smells just like Midnight Mass, which I love.

Wet on skin: golden, heavy resins, rich and church-like. Very much like MM or All Souls. I get a hint of powdery lightness behind it.

Dry on skin: heavy golden frankincense and myrrh, gorgeous incense notes, with a touch of light sandalwood and coconut at the back. It's incredibly subtle in the face of the intense resins, but it's there. a slight, soft, sweet lightness. This is very much like All Souls now, but without the cake and currant foodiness but with something soft and sweetly powdery at the back.

After a while: the incense is still there but now it has become a little quieter. I can smell the other notes at this point, a gentle dry coconut-very different to the usual coconut, more like a coconut powder and certainly not like suntan lotion. There's a beautiful rich sandalwood and also a warm furry musk, very much like the fuzzy musks in the other animal-themed scents. It's the sort of scent to snuggle up to, but with a hint of something sacred about it.

The musk note seems to add a wonderful smoothness, a gentle feel of warm fur, and at times it is almost creamy. However, there's still that dusty coconut-sandalwood scent and the lingering remains of the golden incense in here, only with a little more musk. It's also a little sweeter now.

The scent does become a bit faint after about 2-3 hours but it seems to be melding with my skin scent in the same way that Western Diamondback did, in that it's a soft skin musk with spicy sandalwood accent to it. It also smells a little bit sweet, like a light coating of fine sugar, because of the coconut.

The very end drydown is a very faint but lovely sandalwood incense with a hint of light musk, like the ashes of burnt incense, dusty and faded.

Verdict: I love incense blends and this is another gorgeous take on the theme. At first it's a huge smack of incense, frankincense and myrrh and resinous goodness. But I was wondering where the coconut and sandalwood had got to, so heavy was this cloak of incense. But it's not long before the other notes-the coconut, sandalwood and musk-come out to add a soft, almost fur-like scent to the incense, a dusty and dry but comforting scent. It's a gorgeous coconut note-not too husky or 'scratchy' as I expected, and nowhere near 'suntan lotion' either. The disadvantage is that this scent seems to burrow into my skin like a little rodent, the scent seems to become faint. It still smells gorgeous but has hardly any throw, just a hint of dusty incense and coconut near my skin. But at one point, it seems to give off a wonderful skin-scent of soft woodsy musk with a bit of resinous spice to it, a bit like Western Diamondback or Coyote with added incense, or a non-earthy Death Cap. This is another gorgeous and unusual take on the incense theme, and I adore Beth's incense blends so this is another one I love, and I have a feeling that a little bit of age will work wonders for this scent and make it even stronger and richer.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? yes! I might get a bottle some day.

If you like this, try: Penitence, Midnight Mass, All Souls, Death Cap, Western Diamondback, Carceri D'Invenzione

[The_Merf]

In the imp: Coconut, musk and the slightest bit of incense. This smells like an absolutely fantastic twist on incense scents!

 

Wet: The coconut is the leading note and is very fresh and beachy. I do hope that some of the darker notes come out.

 

Drydown and wear: Man, this scent is fan-freakin'-tastic! One of my real favorites recently. The incense and the coconut mix beautifully and there is a touch of orris as well to provide a nice dustiness. There's a sensuality and a humanity to this scent because of the coconut. Whereas some of the resin scents can seem a bit vast and distance, this one was really made to be worn by a person.

[funkmoppet]

From the imp and onto the skin, the sandalwood dominates. I'm always a bit wary with coconut as a scent, but the sandalwood, orris and musk keep it from being too sweet. It's just a touch, and it's lovely.

 

Then it drys down and the incense doesn't want to play with the others. It hasn't gone to powder-of-doom as such, but it's lost all the woody warmth and depth that I liked so much when it was wet. Now its sweet and powdery and joining the swap pile.

 

Oh resins...why must we fight?

[Syzygy]

I don't know what happened. There were no problem notes listed in the description. Brown Jenkins should have been a winner. But on my skin? Nail polish remover. Perhaps this is my skin's way of telling me I already have enough incense blends.

[laliloo]

A freebie from the lab.

 

Wet: Sweet sandalwood - similar to my sandalwood essential oil, but something is really adding a sweetness to it - the coconut husk perhaps? I don't know that smell or the smell of orris, so it's hard to say. It smells hot, dry and dusty. A little too sweet for me, but I'll give it another go one day. I don't think I'll be wearing this one though.

[Diana]

To me this is very reminiscent of Al Azif. It's got the same incensey-resin base. The coconut isn't terribly pronounced, but it does add a nice note to the blend. There is a dry, almost musty base to it, probably the combination of musk + orris + sandalwood. But it's so very lovely.

 

If you like Al Azif, Midnight Mass, or warmer resins, give this a try.

 

I am very happy it's a GC scent!

[aquazoo]

Oh! That got my attention! A burned-sugar candy smell, with a top note of... Cardamom? Yum!

[jaeyne]

A burned-sugar candy smell

In the vial I thought it smelled a little like maple syrup but not quite, mixed with patchouli? No, not quite. Wet: at first it was okay but with a little harsh note and not so great. Dry, it's a whole new ballgame in Arkham! A great smelling ballgame The sandalwood, musk and incense warmed up and have opened. Everything else has added complexity and softness. I can see myself buying a big bottle.

[naeelah]

Before looking at the notes, this scent gives me the impression of brown sugar cinnamon toast with musk. Looking at the actual notes, that sort of makes sense.

 

The coconut is definitely a bit husky, in that it's a lot closer to the scent of a freshly cracked open coconut than the typical, sugary, refined kind of coconut scent of many lesser fragrances. It has a nice, fresh sweetness and the slightest suggestion of spice (probably from the incense). The sandalwood gives it a nice smooth base, and the orris adds a really lovely powdery quality that, luckily, did not turn to baby powder! The musk is a nice, dark musk that's not too heavy. (There's no oiliness, and it's not as heavy as black musk.) I think it blends beautifully, and it prevents the blend from being overly foody.

 

This is definitely a smooth, fuzzy, cuddly sort of scent, made slightly feral by the musk. It strikes me as being very unisex, and while it isn't necessarily foody, you'll probably want to avoid it if you don't like sweet scents. The throw is excellent, but after about 2 hours it has softened considerably. The musk, especially, has faded. There's just fuzzy, softly woody coconut wafting at me.

Edited August 28, 2007 by naeelah

[flyingpizza]

I don't get any coconut from this, but rather a sharp incensy smell, heavy on the sandalwood, like a stronger Midnight Mass. It may mellow out as it ages, but as is, it is a bit sharp for me. Do try if you're a fan of Midnight Mass but want more throw!

Edited October 3, 2007 by flyingpizza

[Lethran]

This smells decidedly peculiar in the bottle. There is some element I'm not liking, but on the skin whatever it is blends into the coconut mellowing a little, making something fairly tasty, but not quite so food smelling as to be distracting. I'll need to experiment with this one again later, but I think I may like it, despite the scent that faintly clashes. Or maybe not. The odd element never quite blends right, and my response to it shifts back and forth, from intrigued to smothered. Eventually it fades to just sandlewood.

[porcelina]

astonishingly, the sandalwood in brown jenkins actually behaves itself on me. this is very dry and scratchy smelling, if that makes any sense at all. there's coconut but not creamy coconut meat, it's the husk, for sure. the incense is especially nice... overall a pleasantly dry, earthy scent.

[aClearInferno]

Brown Jenkins.

 

.First Impression

Wow. The scent completely eludes description, and it's irritatingly familiar. A little sharp and clear, almost flowery, something like unscented suntan lotion. Very attractive and comforting.

.Laters

Slightly sweet on the skin, growing cedar-y. Husky and woody (probably the orris), warm and dry.

.Last

Brown Jenkins is my little buddy. I wear him on the days that I'm afraid to meet (job interviews, presentation days, etc.).

[Neely]

In the bottle: coconut and bay rum. Sing it with me now, "put the lime in de' coconut and drink it all up." I think someone did drink it all up and I sniffing the remenants of what was in the coconut shell. This is so soft even in the bottle, I can hardly smell it.

 

Wet: still soft and gentle coconut (not suntan lotion, pina coload coconut). This is raw coconut, fresh meat in the shell, low key and smooth, creamy.

 

Dry down: creamy soft coconut and a boozy rum note with a base of herbal greens. I hate coconut in real life, pina colodas are my one exception. I now have a second coconut excetion, Brown Jenkins.

 

30 minutes: soft creamy coconut and green herbs.

 

Conclusion: I hate coconut in real life, pina colodas are my one exception. I now have a second coconut excetion, Brown Jenkins. I love this critter, he can nuzzle me anytime.

 

Rating 1-5: 4.5 due to it being so soft.

[hkhm]

wet: a musky coconut incense..

 

wet: the sandalwood comes out beautifully when applied and the way it mixes with the coconut is simply lovely.

 

dry: this dries to an absolutely divine sandalwood scent. the coconut is not distinct but i can smell where it's blended with the sandalwood to make this a truly wonderful blend.

[aestien]

Bottle: earthy and warm

Wet: a little sharpness, not exactly sure what that is, but the bite fits the name

Dry: the sandalwood comes out, the coconut almost smells like hazelnut

 

On me, this blend is suprisingly warm, foody, and comforting.

[inurbanus]

For the first 30 minutes, this is strong resin, then it mellows into sweet coconut incense. While I liked the first stage, the second one really rocks my socks. It's warm and sweet without being cloying. Unfortunately, it also doesn't last very long. It's very comforting, and I like wearing it as it's so cold outside right now. I would definitely recommend this if you like Cathedral, All Souls, or Midnight Mass.

 

3.5/5

[Torrain]

Dusty and tart in the imp. (Why do I describe what it smells like in the imp? Although I suppose it's a good baseline for comparison; if you smell a ton of coconut in the imp, and I don't mention it at all, then you know either I got a strange batch or else I can't smell coconut to save my life.)

 

The coconut starts coming out on my skin. Turning into a coconut musk in minute two, and the dry tartness starts coming back—orris root, I think. Rich and sweet in a dry and dusty way.

 

5 min: coconutty musk, with a prickle of dryness (orris? I wish I could be sure what that smelt like alone, but it's very like what I've gotten in other orris blends).

 

15 min: smoky (that's the incense residue) musk and coconut. The smoke part of it all is a little gritty, will see how this develops... In the next five minutes, the coconut's smoothing out everything else; the grittiness is now prickles of something rich and sharp in there—it really is a very Brown Jenkins scent.

 

30 min: mellow rich and sneaking musk, creeping under dry smoke and a veil of orris root. Beautifully layered, but not very friendly; not entirely sure where I'd wear this. (Not that I require scents to be friendly. It's just that when they evoke a mood this way, I usually have an idea of where I'd take them.)

 

1 hr: still warm and dark. Odd: it's a lovely scent, but it's not at all inviting, if you catch the difference. Very much an announcement of being attractive and capable without it being at all about caring if anyone else does something about it. I think I should keep this one.

 

Calms down a bit around the two-hour mark, where it's less an announcement and more of a statement of fact. Still very lovely.

 

Love and coffee,

Frances

[ranyart]

In the imp, all I can smell is sandalwood.

Wet: light coconut, sandalwood, and a general "woody" scent.

 

Drydown: this is still very warm, with a bit of coconut, spice from the incense, and now the musk is joining the sandalwood. Very nice! I was afraid this would be a bit too beachy with the coconut, but it isn't at all.

 

I thought that was it, but about ten minutes later I sniffed myself again, and the musk is much stronger now. I've come to realize that most musks smell amazing on me, so this is definitely a plus! The coconut is more of a background note now, adding a bit more interest to the incense and sandalwood.

 

I was pretty sure I'd like this scent, but it didn't jump out at me as one I needed to try immediately out of all the imps I received recently. Now I'm thinking I may need to buy a bottle of this.