A Countenance Forboding Evil

[sassenacch]

Patchouli, ylang ylang, blood orange, and vetiver.

wet: very sharp! i get the patchouli, hiding in the back, vetvier...

on me: ALL ORANGE ALL THE TIME!! the orange really stands out, especially on the drydown. i can still get patchouli & a bit of the ylang ylang, but it's very faint. i love this, it's very creepy!

[aquazoo]

Dirty patchouli jumps up first! But whatever is mixing with this is not doing it very well on me.

 

 

[Seismogenic]

This one was a Lab frimp, and while it's not something I would have picked for myself, I'm curious to see how a white floral note works with so much darker stuff.

 

In the imp: Mostly vetiver, with a hint of patchouli making the whole thing somewhat less sharp than pure vetiver.

 

Wet on skin: The patchouli continues to mellow the vetiver out, and I'm getting something smoother and sweeter under there now, though it doesn't smell particularly like anything specific yet.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry, this is very strong. Whatever smooth thing I thought I was smelling isn't really there anymore. It's definitely all about the vetiver and patchouli, sharp and dark. At one hour in, it's still strong vetiver and patchouli, without any hint of the other notes. It kind of reminds me, unfortunately, of the kind of cleaning fluid used for really stubborn messes.

 

Five hours later: Not quite as strong, but still definitely potent, and still all about the dirty vetiver and patchouli.

 

End of the day: Faint vetiver.

 

Overall: I definitely see how this scent fits its name. It is dark, sharp, dirty, and could be taken as menacing. That said, it seems my countenance is not evil enough to appreciate this sort of blend. While I don't have problems with vetiver or patchouli individually, it seems that mixing them together is just not my thing, as my thoughts of "strong cleaning fluid" would suggest. I'm sure the other notes would make this something different for other people, but I got nothing of them - not even the ylang ylang, which is surprising, since that has been strong in other things with it I've tried. I think I'll be swapping this one.

[Gin]

A Countenance Forboding Evil

 

Eek! Vetiver and Patchouli stabbing me in the nose! This is *sharp.* As it dries, it calms down, but it's still pretty much patch + the 'ver, with maybe a tiny hint of blood orange. (No hint of ylang ylang, yay!) I was hoping the orange would be more pronounced, but I can hardly tell it's there at all.

[Caerphilly]

Overall, it smells like patchouli, orange juice, and I get the strong scent of ammonia. I washed this off immediately. My skin hates patchouli, but I must try every scent, because you never know. But this was a mistake.

[Reaver]

Strong strong vetiver, less earthy and more rotten green than most vetivers that I've tried. I'm not the greatest fan of this scent but I think that's because I'm so used to most of the BPAL vetivers that this seems to be vetiver with very little else.

 

Once dry, it becomes warm and slightly floral. The orange never really makes itself known and if anything, it just makes this scent slightly more sickly.

 

2/10. Yawn.

 

 

[tragedy]

I was thinking that the evil dreaded vertiver on me would be tempered by the ylang ylang and blood orange (which I both love).

The vetiver in this is super strong though, I can smell the patchouli and the blood orange (not a bit of the ylang ylang) but the vetiver is stomping out everything.. huge enraged vetiver.

On me, vetiver has a scorced burnt rubber/wood smell. And the combination of this and the blood orange just brings to mind a coated vitamin, its got a bit of sweet but the bitter just overpowers it all.

It stays the same thru the drydown and is VERY strong.

[aislingeach]

On me, this is patchouli with just a hint of chewable-vitamin orange. Pass.

[laslibres]

Yeow! *cough* Straight out the bottle, something jumps up and bites me on the nose...very sharp herbal that might be vetiver or something. I dunno, this was a frimp, and I really just think that vetiver in large doses isn't really my friend. I don't get any blood orange out of this at all, which is too bad because that's a note I lurve...but the vetiver combined with the patchouli (which is also usually not bad on me!) makes this smell like a very sharp, bitter herb that you just pulled out of the ground, with dirt still clinging to you.

 

And maybe that's your thing, in which case, this would probably be great! A little too sharp for me, though. It does settle down a bit, and after a few minutes of wear it doesn't try to knock you out so much...just settles into sort of dirty, masculine herbs. And again, if you dig that, then this is the scent for you. But on me it's just sort of off.

[jewelbug]

Imp: Lots of woody musk resin notes. Dark and hippy-ish.

 

Wet: Dirty wood/patchouli notes, with a minty/herbal hint at the end, and maybe something creamy/foody. Maybe eucalyptus, too?

 

Drying: Cough drops and patchouli and furniture? Very woody, patchouli-ish. With a lot of eucalyptus smell, which maybe the orange and vetiver combining to trick my nose? I dunno…Dries into a sawdusty very woody patchouli with a eucalyptus vibe and an almost creamy finish.

 

Overall: Kinda of masculine for me, and not type of scent DH digs. Passing it on!

 

 

[NoinHime]

First Impressions: The patchouli is coming out with a vengeance. The ylang-ylang and vetivert are coming through a little and giving it a very woodsy smell. Very bitter and kind of resiny. Not my thing at all. I am extremely hesitant but I've had bad turn into good before.

 

 

After:This smells exactly like B.O. on me. I cannot smell the Blood Orange at all. I need to go wash it off. I've never said this about a BPAL scent before but I will be throwing away my imp.

[ahoythere]

In the Bottle: It's sweet, though that's offset by the patchouli and ew, vetiver. The ylang ylang and blood orange are lovely, though.

 

Wet: The vetiver is sharp and at the top, followed by smoky patchouli. The ylang ylang and blood orange have retreated to the background.

 

Dry-down: Ten minutes later and I have wood (the vetiver) and patchouli. The ylang ylang and blood orange are completely gone and I'm left with a wood that's giving me a headache. It's sharp and not at all pleasant. Fifty minutes later, it's now surprisingly nice! If you want a wood and patchouli scent, this might be for you. There was no fruitiness on me, just pure smoked wood.

 

Final Thoughts: Not for me, but the dry-down was certainly interesting.

[puddingirl]

In the imp I can only smell the vertiver, which is fine by me because that's how Saturnalia started out for me! Nice and green. When on and wet the patchouli is coming out with the vertiver and it's all very dark and smokey, mmm and I can smell the ylang ylang from far away, it smells like a hippy shop I used to work at, lovely! The vertiver is chilling out as it dries so the scent is becoming lighter, still no sign of the blood orange. So far I am liking this, but know that OH will just label it as another of 'those incensy perfumes you like'. It's so hard to explain to an untrained nose!

 

This has calmed down as it has dried and isn't as strong. It's still smokey but not overly so. The patchouli and ylang ylang have mixed to give it a slight sweet kick. Wow, I really like it, for some reason it's clearing my nose and head fantastically! Wonderful stuff.

[obsidienne]

Oh vetiver... why do you smell so bad to my nose? So sharp and burnt and prickly?

 

I think I'd have liked this were it not for the vetiver. I sense patchouli and bright orange and a hint of sparkle from the ylang ylang, but vetiver has a nasty habit of bitch-slapping all the other notes in most blends -- it must just be my nose.

 

It starts off harsh and mellows a bit over time, but the vetiver still takes control and it never gets comfortable. That said, I wonder how this would age... then again, patchouli and vetiver are likely to amp, whereas citrus and florals are not. Bleh.

[arsenicsauce]

Ohhh, patchouli and vetiver. This is exactly the oddly familiar mixed scent that I found in The Coiled Serpent, just a tiny bit sharper. I'll blame that on the orange, but I really can't smell any citrus. It's a smoky, strangely woody scent, but not fresh wood, treated pencil-with-yellow-paint-and-all wood. You know, those cheap octagonal pencils that have splintery dark-colored wood and grow fuzz when you put them in a manual pencil sharpener. I guess pencil shavings and I have met at last. It's actually not wholly unpleasant, it makes me nostalgic for the second grade, but not very wearable for me either.

[donnatron]

Imp: Orange and patchouli. Dark and woodsy but surprisingly milder than I expected.

 

Wet: Dusty orange with a hint of ylang ylang. The patchouli is getting a foothold but I don't get any of the vetiver.

 

Dry: There's something in this that smells like peach. This is a dry, dusty woods scent with a hint of orange. The ylang ylang is present but not overpowering.

 

Throw: Average.

 

Overall: Eh. It's not horrifying or anything but also not a favourite. Glad to have tried it.

[FathomBelow]

This was a freebie from the Lab, thank you!

 

In imp: this smelled very strongly of smoky, sticky, sweetish incense, which I think is from the vertiver or ylang-ylang (I don't really know what either of them smells like individually) and/or the orange. It definitely made me back away a bit, because I generally don't do that sort of thing.

 

On skin: this quickly became much mellower than the smell from the imp suggested. First I got a smooth-nutty/woody-warm-earthy smell from the patchouli, but ask it dried the patchouli faded and the sandalwood came to the fore (just like in Rakshasa on me) and the scent became much woodier - in a good way, since I love sandalwood. I can't really smell the orange as a distinct scent at all, only a very slight sweetness, which is good because I don't especially like orange. As for the vetiver and ylang ylang, if I put my wrist right up to my nose and inhale deeply, I get the slightest whiff of sweet/sticky incense smoke. I guess my skin must eat those two up.

 

Overall, this was a much more mellow and likeable scent than I was expecting - the sandalwood saves it for me, I think. I will probably keep the imp but in any case, I'm glad to have tried it!

 

Edit to say: darn it. The sweet incense of the vetiver/ylang ylang (if that's what it is) has made a comeback, rivaling the sandalwood and I don't like it nearly as much as before. I will have to consign this to the giveaway box.

Edited February 5, 2010 by AmberApple

[jett perilous]

I got ZERO orange in the imp and on the skin.

 

At first the vetiver was way too strong and it smelled like burning in the worst way. But in only a few minutes it dried down to a much softer scent. I think it's the sandalwood that finishes it off.

[lunchboxmonkey]

This is the biggest failure I've had yet. Please keep in mind, I always thought I hated patchouli but after trying some lab blends that have it listed as a note and liking them, I got brave and thought I'd order something patchouli-heavy. On me though, this is really, really awful. It smells like bitter orange and dirt and (forgive me for saying this) b.o. It might have smelled better on the drydown, but I couldn't wash this off fast enough. Take my review with a grain of salt though, because as I said, I'm not a fan of patchouli, and its entirely possible that the dirt/b.o. thing is some weird scent association that my brain has with patchouli, as I used to know a person who was not the most hygenically conscious and wore patchouli all the time.

Anyway, I wish I could get what the other reviewers do out of the scent, but at least I know my imp will be able to find a more appreciative home

[voorishsign]

A frimp from a forumite <3 !

 

I've always liked the name of this blend. Ever since I first got into BPAL, in fact, except that the orange kept scaring me off - so I'm really glad I get to try this for free, especially since patchouli and vetiver are two of my favourite notes ever

 

In the imp - Orange, and oh my darling vetiver.

 

On wet - Surprisingly light, and the orange behaves beautifully. Vetiver, light orange and patchouli.

 

Drydown - Oh my goodness, look at how the orange continues to play along! This is surprising and deilghtful. Ylang ylang and orange supply a cool freshness, and patchouli and vetiver add depth. I rather like this one and I'm keeping the imp, time will tell if I make a bottle purchase of it. But there's definitely a good chance.

Edited April 27, 2010 by voorishsign

[impolight]

:::A COUNTENANCE FOREBODING EVIL:::

 

What a moody, bloody moiker for this fragrance! And just in time for the advent of All Hallow's Eve!

Shop windows are slowly being populated with Witches, Scarecrows, Black Cats, etc.

Store shelves bulge with candy-corn.

And there has been much in the way of knicker-piddling excitement over the 2010 release of the Halloweenies in the LE category! Whee!

A Countenance Foreboding Evil has long been the source of almost terminal curiosity.

Ordinarily, once the change-jar has reached capacity, there are far too many diversions that stand between these greedy eyes and flaming imagination and ACFE successfully landing in the order.

*sigh*

Well, thanks to the wonder that is swappage, and Imp stowed away in a cigar-box full of siblings and is here for the day's inspection and review. Glee!

 

From the Imp: Holy Heck!

That is SO ithyphallically, whigmaleeriously GOOD!

Mea Culpa, it is easy to forget how awesome Patchouli can be. Too often it has the misfortune of being associated with some cheapsy, crude, automotive-quality ick that is favored by specific misanthropes who will elect to paint their necks brown with the stuff rather than attend to personal hygeine.

This Patchouli, however, is deleriously leafy, clean, and sharp; a reminder that Patchouli actually IS a member of the Mint family.

The Lab's note of Blood Orange has long been admired for being an olfactory jewel.

It is hard to say what sets this apart from other citrus notes, but the distinction is clear.

The Lab's Vetiver is a long-time fave. It is slow to be accepted into the status of popularity, but this reviewer is deep in the thrall of it's earthy, cardamomy, lemongrassy goodness.

Ylang-ylang is somewhat of a quandry. Just about the time a notion will arise that it recogniseable, it changes characteristics.

Sometimes, it behaves almost exactly like Jasmine.

Others, it is closer to Benzoin, Ambergris, a new rubber-toy, or... Copal. It is always good.

Illinition: Patchouli and Blood Orange largely take charge. This is delightfully tangy, almost coppery and bloody. Good for salivating!

Yup. There is that new bouncy-ball smell boinging into the foray from the Ylang-ylang.

The Vetiver has been surprisingly shy this time around. It is more of a suggestion of itself.

It is more like some posh socialite on safari; sprawled out in the back row and fanning itself with a fan that it paid some village-girl a pittance to weave from Lemongrass. Nerve!

A Countenance Foreboding Evil is tangy, woodsy, and regal.

Indisputably masculine, there is more hauteur here than there is paranoia or anxiety.

A countenance Foreboding Evil is wicked fun!

This would go nicely with a Halloweeny theme, though of a malicious sort.

This is the fragrance of the dastard who would offhandedly bash a kid over the noggin with his walking-stick, taking their trick-or-treat bag as he strode away airily, whistling a merry tune.

This is worth a full bottle, and gets a 5 out of 5!

[Ishtar]

In the imp and wet on my skin, all I'm getting is patchouli and vetiver. Maybe a faint hint of blood orange. The yang-ylang is MIA, which might be for the better as it is a rather iffy note on me.

 

This is a strong and dark scent, and while it's not altoghether unpleasant, there is an undercurrent of something unsettling, almost cruel, lurking beneath the surface.

 

After a few minutes, a sharp burnt note appears seemingly from out of nowhere - it is intensely acrid, but thankfully it soon dies down, leaving behind a fairly generic dark woodsy scent.

 

Not a keeper for me, although I can see how it must be gorgeous on the right person.

[zebracakes]

Age: Unknown.

Imp: Wood and earthy patchouli.

Wet on skin: Pencil shavings and bitter orange.

After 10 minute dry down: Doesn’t change much on my skin.

Overall: I don’t like patchouli so this perfume is definitely not pleasing to me. This is probably my least favorite perfume of all time.

0.5 out of 5 stars.

[Gargoyle]

In the imp - patchouli and vetiver

Wet - more of the same with a touch of cedar. Someone mentioned pencil shavings before, and I can totally see that.

Dry - This makes me think of a hippie's wood shop.

 

This imp is at least a year old.

[puellacaerulea]

In the imp, I got straight nail polish remover, which was a bit terrifying, but I went ahead and tried it out anyway. Fortunately, the chemical sharpness mellowed out pretty quickly, but I was still getting nothing but patchouli and vetiver -- a very dirty, raw, greenish scent. After about an hour, things started looking up when the blood orange started to amp; the citrus blended really well with the patchouli and vetiver and took it out of dirty/harsh territory. I never could pick out the ylang ylang at any point. This is a bit of an odd one -- it's not so bad once the blood orange comes out to play, but I'm not sure it's worth the first hour of nothing but patchouli and vetiver. I'd be curious to see how this smelled on a guy, but I'm not quite sure it's for me.