The Clod and the Pebble

[Lamia]

Rose otto, clove, patchouli, Indian sandalwood, nutmeg, and cedar.

Wet, the cedar and sandalwood grumpily combine to smell like fresh tobacco leaves, with the rose lurking on the edges.

Fascinating how this evolves - each wrist smells differently. Left smells of sandalwood and cedar, with a dash of nutmeg. Right wrist smells of cloves and dried roses.

[mhickle]

Mmmm I knew I would love this and should have just ordered a bottle! Sigh.

 

It's earthy and deep and woody and lovely. I don't get the heavy patcholi that some other people are getting, and I like patcholi anyhow, so it's cool. It does have a nice, dirty, outside after the rain kind of feel to it. It's comforting and grounding for days when I feel like I have a floaty head. There's a little bit of floral to it, but not too much, which is good, because rose doesn't usually work very well on me. So, yay for The Clod and the Pebble!!

[LaChatonFou]

wet: woodsy rose

 

dry: thick rose w/ clove and patchouli

 

overall: LOVE this and WANT MORE! someone compared it to Pulcinella & Teresina.....that similarity didn't work on me

[filigree_shadow]

Eek. Woah, that's strong. I shouldn't have put on so much.

 

At first it's an incredibly sharp cedar scent, but then it's patchouli and cedar. I'm very picky about cedar and I like it only in a couple of blends. In this one it's just too much for me.

 

When it's completely I dry I actually enjoy it quite a bit. It smells like a dry, woodsy patchouli with a hint of spiciness. But I don't think I can get through that wet stage.

[tinyvulture]

i definitely smell cedar and sandalwood, and patchouli. it reminds me a lot of Sri Lanka, loaded with heavy resinous woods and the darkest, earthiest patchouli. i don’t smell the rose or cinnamon. there’s only a hint of nutmeg, but that little touch of spice enhances the dry spiciness of the woods, and it wouldn’t be the same without it. this is too dark and strong for me to wear on a regular basis, but my husband loves Sri Lanka and i’m sure he’ll enjoy this as well.

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Rose and patchouli, with something spicy underneath.

 

Wet: The rose and patchouli are struggling for dominance. Underneath there's a strong woody base and a bite of clove on top.

 

Half an hour: Whew! Roses! Underneath there's cedar, on top there's clove. It reminds me of soap. This is very strong and pungent, definitely more a Pebble than a Clod.

 

Two hours: It's been mostly roses so far. I took a two-mile walk in the heat which seems to have calmed it down some. I can smell the cedar more now, and the sandalwood. The clove has dissipated. Where is the patchouli in this?

 

Three hours: Not much change in the last hour, although it has soured a bit.

 

Four hours: Rose mostly gone, now it's faintly patchouli and sandalwood. I'm kind of disappointed by this one; I guess I had big expectations, it being Blake and all.

[Aoibheann]

I got this as a freebie from herbhealer!

 

From the imp, it smelled really strong and perfume-y. After I put some on, it didn't seem as strong or piercing. After a few minutes, it's toned down and is really rose-y! It's also familiar. At first I thought it was... sunscreen? It's something I rub on my skin sometimes. I went a little bonkers for a moment trying to place it. Then it hit me: Oil of Olay!

 

On me, this is totally like Oil of Olay. Funky! It's not unpleasant; it's kind of clean. Not sure if I want to smell like this all the time though.

[anomie]

Bottle: Nutmeg and cedar. I feel like I just stuck my face in a box.

 

Wet: A little of the rose, and the cedar becomes more fragrant. Some of the sandalwood comes out too.

 

Dry: Clove, patchouli, rose. I smell like a very sexy hippie.

[Monster]

In the imp: Woaaahhhhh cedar! Yowza!

 

On my skin: A very strong cedar note mixed with a "perfumy" bouquet of roses. This one is potent! I'm not detecting any patchouli, nutmeg or sandalwood. The rose otto is compltley overpowering everything in this.

 

Dry: This one took a while to really settle in, it has tremendous throw and lasting power. A teeny dab will go a long way. The final stage of The Clod and the Pebble is almost all rose on me, unfortunatly it's the "play-doh" type of rose that never really works out on my skin. I'm getting a smidge of sandalwood but it's still mostly all rose. At this point the cedar has even been trampled by the roses. After about an hour the clove comes through giving it a sort of melted play-doh drizzled with clove sort of smell on my skin.

 

Overall: Very strong, almost headache-inducing. While the rest of the notes sound appealing to me the rose in this just makes it unwearable. Oh well. Off to swaps!

Edited February 10, 2009 by Monster

[zankoku_zen]

This one basically is a very green cologne, that degenerates into a patchouli and cedar lovefest.

 

Not for me.

[rayvn1]

Dry, dry, dry with a strong whiff of cedar in the foreground and other spiciness swirling around in the background. Not a hint of rose. I really like it! Good throw, too

[GeorgeJr]

Given my history with rose , this could be a mistake . But dammit , I intend to live up to my BPAL Explorers shirt So , why did I buy a bottle of this , knowing my issues ? At the time , I was unaware of how bad my rose amping tendencies were . And I do like the scent of rose , just not how when it's in a blend it covers everything else in it .

So I've applied some of The C & the P to the back of my hand . And as usual , it's all rose all the time . Really saddening me as I love the way it smells in the bottle . I'm a big fan of the labs patchouli & enjoy the blends I have that have a cedar-y scent to them as well . I'll let this dry down & see if it morphs at all , but I have serious doubts .

[Gin]

The Clod and the Pebble

 

Rose, cedar, and patchouli dries down into nutmeg-sandalwood. I didn't notice any clove, which was disappointing.

[skylarkza]

In the bottle: It smells earthy and wet. And kind of mossy. Odd.

 

Wet: Muddy and flowery and spicy. Like you wish that people who have been out in the dirt all day smell like instead of what they actually smell like.

 

Dry: The florals are headier now. And the spices. But it still has a deliciously earthy undertone. Not the kind of scent I would expect to like, but I do.

 

Later: It smella like you always imagine a shady dappled brook smelling. Damp and earthy, yet with something floral in the background. The spices add just the right amount of interest to make it a person-scent and not a room scent. This one is also lasting for HOURS on me. I love how good it makes me smell. YUM.

[Ondine]

I get the cedar most of all in this blend. It was one of those that I didn't expect to like but then really fell in love with. The rose in the background tempers the cedar so I don't smell like a closet. It's one of the more unique BPAL blends I've smelled, to be honest.

[crebbsgirl]

Ok, this was predominantly ROSE!!!! on my skin. As it dried, the sandalwood and patchouli came out a little more to smooth out the ROSE!!!! but overall it stayed pretty, well, rosey. There was a touch of old lady perfume about this too. But that might have been the ROSE!!!!! Hmmm... the nutmeg and cedar are playing hard to get on me, but if I sniff and think, I can just barely make them out.

[fiddledragon]

Imp: Patchouli and sandalwood.

 

On me: Patchouli and cedar with a hint of rose. This one is a bit heavier than I usually like, but very nice. The rose makes the incense a bit less "Hello, I am one of those shops with the swishy Indian dresses". It's a very upscale scent.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Patchouli and woods dominate to make this deep and earthy.

 

On skin: I was afraid of this. The Clod and the Pebble is dominated by the patchouli I don't like: obnoxious, pungent, glowing, overwhelming all the other notes and any potential nuance or complexity in the blend. (The same patchouli was in Rakshasa and Masquerade.) There is a hint of sweet fragrance from the rose otto, and woodiness from the sandalwood and cedar, but the most they do is embellish the patchouli. Sadly, the scent remains the same over time. This is a bold blend without nuance, depth or complexity. Perhaps the other notes are contributing to the whole, but it is ultimately too much for me.

 

Verdict: I've accepted that patchouli is one of those hit-or-miss notes on me, but I'm still disappointed that The Clod and the Pebble didn't work out. Straight to swaps it goes.

[Alaeidrel]

Apparently even as much as I like rose, rose otto and I don't get along. Whatever it is - incense or something? - just gives me an instant migraine. I loved all the other notes, but it's just overpowered by the otto. Sigh.

[suki]

I get a lemony whiff that I recognize as the nutmeg as soon as I open the bottle. There's also a definite woodsy finish, which I'm betting is the sandalwood being grounded by cedar (cedar alone is instant pencil shavings for me, and this is not that.)

Immediately upon contact with my skin, however, all the above disappears entirely and becomes rosewater. Seriously, this is the light, sweet raise of rosewater or maybe, *maybe* the rose base used in cold cream. I had been hoping that some of the clove would be in the mix, or some sandalwood to ground it, but no, this is All Rose Otto, All The Time on my skin.

 

It's a lovely rose, and I'll keep it around for a little bit, but I might just end up swapping it out :/