Shadwell

[harmonyfb]

Shadwell had turned out to be about five feet high and wore clothes which, no matter what they actually were, always turned up in your short-term memory as an old mackintosh. The old man may have all his own teeth, but only because no-one else could possibly have wanted them; just one of them, placed under the pillow, would have made the Tooth Fairy hand in its wand.

He appeared to live entirely on sweet tea, condensed milk, hand-rolled cigarettes, and a sort of sullen internal energy. Shadwell had a Cause, while he followed with the full resources of his soul and his Pensioner's Concessionary Travel Pass. He believed in it. It powered him like a turbine.

Roll-ups, mildewed raincoat, sweet tea, and condensed milk.

In the bottle, this smelled of tea and saltwater - very aquatic, with just a hint of black tea. No sign of the dreaded mildewed raincoat.

On my skin, this blossomed into a complex, beautiful aquatic, the tobacco mellowing out the sweet milky tea, and making it sophisticated instead of saccharine. There's a hint of the sea behind the main notes, but it's not overwhelming, and doesn't ping my allergies.

I believe this would be great for men as well as women; it's very gender-neutral. Definitely a keeper.

ETA: I tried it on again today, and suddenly, it's a dead ringer for Thunder Moon. Seriously masculine and sporty - still clean and salty, with a hint of milky tea, but whoa - today it's way too masculine for me. Edited September 12, 2007 by quantum spice

[bibliophile]

Shadwell's "mildewed raincoat" was, on me, strongly mossy with an undercurrent of linen or a similar fabric note... nothing unpleasant about it! The sweet tea and condensed milk were just lovely. The condensed milk seemed to have less "curdle potential" to me than some of the milk notes in other blends... no sourness here, just a sweet, almost coconutty note that combined beautifully with the black tea. The notes are blended beautifully, and the combination is really unusual. Is this blend a gourmand aquatic? An aquatic tea? I can't decide! The staying power was great... I was still huffing Shadwell's deliciousness from the crook of my arm 6+ hours after application. No "sullen internal energy" created here, that's for sure!

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Sweet condensed milk and cigars

 

On me:

Smells STRONGLY of cigars on me - I mean like someone just opened a fresh package and rubbed them all over my arm. It's backed by a thick sweetness, which I believe is the condensed milk. I am ever thankful that note did not turn out like Beth's other milk notes (Milk Moon for instance, in which the milk smells like baby spit up).

 

Then it turns sharply into a mossy/mildew smell. Very strange, this scent is definitely exactly what it says it is.

 

 

Final note:

In the drydown, this is very much a cigar smell - it's sweet and sort of "sticky" and thick smelling. It's actually what I was expecting from the Dogs Playing Poker series. It's very compelling and I find myself sort of compulsively sniffing this one. Wonderful!

[Salsa Shark]

In the bottle, the first thing to hit me was the Tobacco note that I loved in Mr Nancy, with a slight masculine edge behind it. On my skin, it didn't change much; sweet, creamy tobacco, with a salty water note floating in the background that wasn't strong enough to make this an 'aquatic' blend, but gave it a definite masculine feel, although the sweetness of the milk and tobacco keep this quite close to the realms of gender-neutral.

 

This would be great on a guy though - not in a drop dead sexy need-you-up-against-a-wall-NOW, but in a comforting cuddlebunny way. Which really isn't the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Shadwell, but never mind.

 

As it is, I enjoy wearing it myself. The scent makes me feel happy, and until I find a willing boy guinea pig, I can keep compulsively sniffing my wrists instead.

[emzebel]

Wow, this is like the original Milk Moon mixed with moss and maybe a touch of tobacco. It has all of the creamy wonderfulness, but with the chill jar of an English rain.

[Medici]

In the bottle: Holy crap, Beth really pulled of mildewy raincoat. *is apprehensive* It's got an aquatic base, that much I can tell you.

 

Wet: Huh. Sweet milk. Huh, that's kinda nice. Interesting combo. There's something decidedly aquatic right below a creamy layer. It's not something I would have considered for myself, but in practice it actually works quite well.

 

Drydown: As it warms up, I begin to get the impression that this might fare better on my father than it does on me. I get a little sliver of tobacco, but mostly, that aquatic note dominates, making it a little too boyish for my liking.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Tobacco and very very sweet milk!

 

Wet on skin: Condensed milk and aquatic notes, which I can't really explain, except that they are rather pond-like. At one point it smells like wet wool. I also get the tobacco I had in Elegba.

 

Drydown: I get aquatics, still, sort of salty and still mixed with linens. I get some of the tobacco and sweet milk, and it has a bit of a cologney feel to it, because of the aquatics that are decidedly oceanic. The tobacco and milk take turns dominating the blend, it's a bit foody and smoky and aquatic.

 

Overall: This reminds me a little bit of Elegba, for the coconutty milk note and the tobacco. Unfortunatley on me, tobacco quickly goes to stale cigarette smoke. However it turns out pretty okay on me, stabilised by the milk note. It really smells like a very sweet men's aftershave, it makes me think of something a bit old-fashioned, which works out well for Shadwell. It really has a musty atmosphere, stuffy, with this pervasive milk scent over it. I wouldn't wear this, but it would probably work on someone who can do ozony aquatics.

[edenssixthday]

Shadwell – When I sniff this in the bottle, I smell cheap men’s cologne and mildew. When I apply it, it almost immediately warms up on my skin and the cheap men’s cologne scent disappears, and what I initially identified as the “mildew” from the scent description starts to actually smell more mossy and aquatic than anything else. It’s a warm, masculine scent, slightly creamy-sweet, slightly mossy/aquatic, and slightly tobacco/leathery. I think it’s a truly gorgeous scent, and I love catching unexpected wafts of it around me. I do think it’s more masculine than not, and was hoping my husband would like it, but he only thinks “it’s okay.” Bummer. Oh well, I’ll keep on wearing it myself, then! The throw and staying power are both above average on me.

[Eemia]

So unusual. I like this one, but more of as a smell by itself rather than something I'd wear as a perfume. It kept me glued to my arm all yesterday though.

 

At first it was a sort of wet smell, and something plastic. Oddly enough I wasn't hating it. Probably because right on the fringe of that was a little bit of sweet. It's somewhat creamy too. I feel like I'm smelling five different perfumes at once, and not one of them matches the other. At this stage I'm the person who couldn't decide what to wear this morning and so has piled on each of her scents in an attempt to find the right one. You would think I wouldn't like that aspect of this, but I do. It's kind of unpredictable.

 

Finally it's like a sweet, creamy skin musk with a hint of tobacco. Very nice. It sits right on top of my skin without a strong throw, so it seems like I'm wearing nothing on my skin except the smells from my day. It feels natural.

[zenvodunista]

Shadwell is rather comforting. I can't smell the tea or tobacco, this is all sweet milk and rainwater. I dont' like aquatics, but I kind of like this one, oddly enough.

 

N.

[isyche]

On me Shadwell starts as a strong cologne-aquatic smell, then a sweet tobacco scent comes out under it, like someone smoking outside in the rain. I don't get the milkiness or the tea.

 

It's interesting and really works for the character; not sexy, but a comfortably eccentric guy smell. However, I am not a grumpy old Englishman, so I think I shall swap my decant.

[shadesong]

In bottle: Sweet tea and something off.

 

On me: Hm, that raincoat's not *too* mildewed. But that's about all I'm smelling.

[Gale]

In Good Omens, people found that they liked Shadwell, even though he didn't want them to...Well I like Shadwell, also! Mildrewed raincoat and all.

 

Wet: To me this smells like tobacco and something sweet, with just a little mildewy sharpness in the background.

 

Dry: As others have noted, this is a comforting smell. The tobacco and sweet milk go together nicely. It's warm. Happy. And I think it will get much wear from me during the Fall and Winter. To smell like this on a rainy November day would be quite nice!

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is sweet round raindrops

 

once applied a sweet tea and slightly milky aroma...this is amazing!!

 

superb in every way, i definitely need a big bottle of shadwell...perfect!!

[tindome]

in the imp: Well I'm not sure what this smells like but it's not bad. Something slightly sweet.

 

On: This is creamy sweet grass. There is a smokiness too it that must be the tocacco. I can see where the mildew might come from but this is a very idealized wonderful version of mildew that I would invite to infect all of my raincoats. I think the grassy smell must be the tea.

When this dries it is throws a sweet creamy scent, while up close you get whiffs of the tea. To me this is very comforting, like hugging someone who was in a cafe and has picked up bit of the smells and you're getting hints of them. My favorite of the new scents so far.

[filigree_shadow]

I don't think this one is going to work for me. It smells kind of pungent at first, like bitter weeds that are starting to mold. As it dries it's getting sweeter and much less objectionable, but I still don't think it's something I'd wear. I think people who like those sweet dandelion scents ought to give this one a go, though. It reminds me of that type of scent. Plus tobacco.

[naeelah]

There doesn't seem to be a lot of morphing in this one, except the usual rounding of sharp edges as it dries.

 

Shadwell isn't quite everything I hoped he would be and more, but I love the way the scent realizes the character.

 

Shadwell is surprisingly light and aquatic. The top note is a slightly musky watery note (must be the raincoat). It's followed by a combination of very light milky black tea and a touch of tobacco. The tea is sweet, but it's only the slightest hint of sweetness. This is not a sugary scent. The milky quality is smooth and light, much like the scent of fresh milk itself. It's not a heavy cream note.

 

I would call this an aquatic that's rounded out by a light, rich sweetness. It's a little bit masculine at first, but the sharpness recedes after a little while, and now it's just soft and smooth. Quite light, actually.

 

ETA: I tested it again today (Dec 11), and has become a little bit more substantial and creamier with age. However, it still has a masculine, light cologne-like quality that's vaguely aquatic. I think it is definitely nicer now, but it's still not for me.

 

Throw starts off moderate but is light once dry. Staying power seems to be about average. It has been a couple of hours and it's no lighter, but I expect it would need reapplication after about 4 hours.

Edited December 12, 2007 by naeelah

[eanewsom]

Wow, this is sexy! It starts out warm, rich tobacco and sweet sweet milk. After a few minutes those tone down and the tea comes out- this is the first BPAL with tea where I actually do smell the tea, instead of just having to believe that it's in there. The aquatic note comes in too, but the tobacco keeps it in check. I wish my mildewed raincoat smelled like this. Some BPAL tobacco sets off my allergies (oh, Elegba, how I miss you!) but this doesn't seem to at all. The milk is a lot like the one in Milk Moon 07- imagine MM with tobacco instead of fruit, and that's mostly how this smells to me.

 

ETA: The next morning, my wrists still have a little scent left, and they smell exactly like MM.

Edited August 1, 2007 by Ahania

[neuilly]

I agree, this is definitely a comfortin scent. It's very warm, you can definitely smell teh tobacco...and a bit of foodniess in there (must be the condensed milk and tea?-although to me it feels a bit nutty). Also, a very vague general aquatic feel to the scent, but not overwhelming. Too masculine for me but maybe I can finally convince the boy to try a scent.

 

 

Put me in a cuddling mood....good for drinking hot cocoa, wrapped in a blanket, and watching a movie.

Edited August 3, 2007 by neuilly

[alicia_stardust]

Shadwell did not appeal to me when I read the scent description, but I actually quite like it!

 

It smells of moss, water, and dampness. It has a grey but clean scent to it, but then that is altered by the comforting scent of the cream and the slightly sweet scent of the "roll-ups". What it really reminds me of is being in a damp bookstore cafe on a rainy day, where you can't quite dry out; scents waft over to you from the bakery and you sip your hot tea.

[supremegoddessofall]

In bottle: Rancid tobacco...

 

On me: Little bit better. Now it's slightly sweet, but still mostly tobacco.

[girl_android]

I wasn't sure about how mildewed raincoat could smell at all pleasant, but hey, willing to give something a go here!

 

In the imp: kind of ... milky-oceany. Perhaps this is how the raincoat came into it?

 

Wet on skin: there's some black tea in amongst the ocean, it's rather ... milky-sweet aquatic.

 

Dry: on me, Shadwell has decided to be a sweet milky aquatic with tea, and ... I'm not really one for aquatic anything,

 

 

ETA - I had my shadwell where my crowley was.

Edited August 7, 2007 by Girl Android

[Delirium1009]

In bottle: sharp cologne-ish note which I think might be bergamot, with a sweet creamy undertone.

 

immediately on skin: The sharp masculine tone fades a little and a sweeter scent comes out. The condensed milk stays pretty strong. It’s very pleasant.

 

After a few minutes: I can really pick out the condensed milk note, softened a bit now though as if it’s been stirred into hot tea. There is a slight mildew-y scent, but it’s surprisingly pleasant, like the scent of a basement (I love that smell!). I’m definitely enjoying this blend.

 

Later on: This scent has mellowed quite a bit. It still smells creamy and sweet, but there’s this tangy, light unisex note which I’m pretty sure is the bergamot underneath. It has a slightly damp scent to it which is nice and comforting. I absolutely love it, but I’ll have to retest to see if it’ll be wearable for me.

[Blood onmy hands]

I actually like Shadwell for the first five minutes or so on my skin. It smells sort of like milk and brown sugar layered over a light, salty aquatic note. Unfortunately, the drydown of this is just salty aquatic with hints of a smoky, dirty smelling tobacco. It gets sharper and headache inducing over time. If the sweeter notes in this were stronger, I might be able to pull this off. As it is, this is a strong aquatic-tobacco scent. Too simple and too sharp for me.

[batsy]

In the vial: water-down tea with milk. If ever there was a aquatic-foody, this is it.

 

On the skin: Ooo, now there we go! It's very very sticky like... well this is a stretch, but salt-water taffey. No, seriously. It's smells just like that to me. And carmel corn at the beach. I really like this one, which is a huge surprise! Yum! *gnaws arm*